Author's Note

Before anyone thinks I'm attacking religion, what I'm actually attacking is what made religion what it is in the current world: Fear. People have been so afraid of hellfire and damnation that they've failed to realize the devil is a glorified bogeyman who feeds on their fear. If we weren't afraid of him, he and his army of demons would lose all reason for tormenting us. If I recall correctly, there's mention somewhere of a final conflict between heaven and hell. What if the conflict didn't start with God or Jesus, but us? What if we fought back?

Close and Personal

Spike woke up earlier than usual on the third day. Before he and Twilight could commence their combat training, there were a few tools he needed, and he knew just where to find them.

"Applejack should be up by now."

The dragon opened the only door leading outside the house he shared with his sister. He placed a set of earbuds into his ears before flying off without a moment's hesitation. The playlist on his phone was randomly shuffled. It ended up landing on Katatonia's Dance of December Souls tune Tomb of Insomnia.

Applejack was already tending the fields of the farm when Spike arrived. Truth be told, she was somewhat surprised to see him. Neither they nor their friends really saw much of each other these days.

"Hey, Spike! How's it goin', partner?"

"It's goin'. I actually stopped by to ask a favor."

"What do ya' need?"

"It's kind of a long story."

"I've got some time."

"Well..."

Spike told Applejack everything: Twilight's descent into depression, the discussion of religion and the afterlife, and the solution they believed could permanently alter the perception of death.

"Sounds like ya'll were in a pretty dark place there for a while."

"Religion has evoked an extreme sense of terror in people who were just trying to live their lives freely. The holy texts completely ignore the moral complexity of the modern world. With all the stuff going on in the world, why are we deriding people who are seeking peace? Because they love someone of the same gender? Because they feel uncomfortable in the body they were born in? Because an unexpected pregnancy resulted from a lack of education about contraceptives, or because a contraceptive failure happened? Those texts were written before we understood the things we do now."

"The people who wrote 'em were probably afraid themselves, sugarcube. Many of 'em had visions about the stuff they wrote about. Like ya' said, they didn't know the same stuff as us. I know a little something about what you and Twi are proposin'."

"You do?"

"It's basically Reverse Armageddon. 'stead of waitin' for the underworld to reign over us and claim our souls, we strike first and give 'em what for."

"I've been wondering if anyone else thought of the same thing ever since we brought it up."

"Anything's possible. Most of us aren't able to see Heaven or Hell until it's our time to go."

"That's what I'm worried about. That time might come sooner than we think."

"I'm gonna' tell you somethin' Granny Smith told me once."

"Granny...?"

"She said 'Hell preys on your deepest fears and vulnerabilities, but ya'll youngins done already lived 'em. There's nothin' they could do to ya' down there that ya' ain't already seen.'"

"What do you think she meant?"

"Sounds to me like she was sayin' there's nothin' left for Hell to prey on."

"Does that mean...We have a chance at winning...!?"

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet. They may not be able to get to ya' in your noggin, but they can still try to demoralize ya' and beat ya' down."

"That much, I already assumed."

"Long as you keep your head on your shoulders and stay on your guard, I don't see why a few changes couldn't take place."

"So...About the guns..."

"Follow me."

Spike and Applejack entered the barn. There was a sizable worktable with tools scattered about. In the center, there were two firearms.

"This one's a P092-MN semi-automatic nine millimeter pistol capable of firing a full clip of ten armor-piercing rounds. This particular model's pretty old at this point, but it'll get the job done."

"How old is it?"

"2005, I think."

"Still not bad."

"I doubt it'd pierce solid stone, but it'd definitely surprise 'em."

"What about this one?"

"That's ol' Bessy. She's a standard M209-SM twelve-gauge pump action shotgun. Ya' see these models a lot in rural areas. This one's even older - 2003 if I'm rememberin' right."

"You can definitely tell it's packin' some power."

"At this point, I'm about ready to retire 'em. If you want, ya'll can take 'em."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. We don't really hunt much no more. Deer population's subsided since about '06 or so, and we ain't gotta' worry about cattle."

"Thanks. I really appreciate this."

"I've always believed weapons are dictated by the conscience of the person who uses 'em. I know these are in good hands."

The companions shared a tight hug. Considering the enemy he and Twilight were preparing to face off against, Applejack's words meant a lot to the dragon who embraced her.

"Ya'll take care, now. Don't push yourselves too hard."

"We won't."

Applejack sent Spike off with a tin box filled with ammunition. Half of the bullets were live rounds for combat. The other half were blanks for training.

"Hey, Spike," Twilight greeted. Almost immediately, she noticed the weapons captive between his claws, "Where'd you get those?"

"I asked AJ to borrow 'em for practice. She ended up giving them to me."

"Why do we need them?"

"You'll see in a bit. First, though, we need to start conditioning our bodies for close-quarters combat."

"How?"

"By using the Muay Thai method."

"Muay Thai?"

"It's a martial art centered around strength and endurance. By toughening up your legs, you can resist pain if you have to block a direct attack."

"Sounds useful."

"Let's go back to the tree we were at the other day."

Twilight nodded.

"The first two techniques you'll want to practice are basic punches and side kicks. These will callous the muscles and bones under your skin and make them harder."

"Makes sense."

"Give it a shot."

Twilight faced the tree. The task before her was admittedly intimidating, but her desire to overcome the hardships of the next world far surpassed her fears. She stood upright on her hind legs.

"Here goes."

With one swift motion, she used her hoof to strike the tree with a mighty *THUD*.

"Huh. That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"Not bad. Try upping the speed a bit.

Twilight did as she was told.

Twilight successfully performed fifty punches and kicks with each limb.

"I'm gonna' be sore after that."

"You're bleeding."

"Don't worry. It's just a scratch. We'll clean it when we're done."

"Guess you're more like Shining than I thought."

"I love Shining, but unless he was legitimately angry, I could mop the floor with him easily."

"Don't you think that's a little presumptuous?"

"Not with him. Ever since he and Cadence started dating when they were teenagers, I could tell there were times when he would think too much with a part of his body that isn't particularly helpful in a life or death situation."

"Oh...Oooohhhh...!"

"Yeah."

"But...What about you and Flash?"

"Flash is very kind and loving, but he's oblivious to the state of the world. He can let his anger go and enjoy life, but I...I just can't..."

"You shouldn't stress so much about it. It'll only kill you faster."

"I know. I just need to get stronger..."

"And you will. In fact, I'm ready to teach you the secrets to defeating demons."

This caught Twilight's attention.

"This is what all the other training will be leading up to."

"Show me."

"From what we've assumed already, punches and kicks won't be able to inflict damage, but there is another method of fighting: grappling."

"You mean the wrestling technique?"

"The very same."

"I don't follow."

"If you catch an enemy in a hold, you can turn the environment against them. Take the lake of fire, for example. If you push, pull, or throw a demon in it, chances are they'll feel at least some amount of pain."

"That's pretty clever."

"You can do other stuff, too, like slamming them to the ground or smashing their heads together. Do it hard enough, you could potentially break their limbs and heads, essentially rendering them unable to retaliate."

"Crippling a demon. That's definitely a new spin."

"I'm going to attack now. See if you can block or evade."

Spike rushed towards Twilight at full speed. Right as he approached her, he struck her in the snout. Her hind legs scraped against the ground as she attempted to stop herself from falling over. She was successful...In that at least...

"Holy shit! Are you alright!? I didn't mean to hit you that hard!"

Twilight inhaled, then exhaled. She raised her skull.

"I'm okay..."

For that one split second, Spike's ocular function deceived him. He could have sworn the light played a trick on him. Deep within Twilight's retinas, he witnessed something he had never seen before - a deep, dark blue hue which temporarily overtook his sister's entire irises before vanishing altogether.

"What...Was that...?"

Spike loaded the pistol with blank rounds.

"How can you distinguish between the live rounds and the blanks," Twilight questioned.

"AJ painted the blanks so I could tell which were which."

"Guess that'd do it."

"The main focus here is learning how to avoid and utilize weapons. Projectiles are the most dangerous because of their range."

"How can I avoid them?"

"The most effective method I know of is running, rolling, or flying sideways. If you can keep on the move, your opponent won't have the chance to steady their aim."

"What if they've set traps?"

"Traps?"

"Stuff like motion-sensitive explosives."

"The best thing you can do in that situation is stay on solid ground and keep an eye out. Never go in liquid spots where they can be hidden."

"I hear you loud and clear."

"Ready?"

"Go for it."

Twilight ran in a semi-circular pattern. Harnessing his genetic perception, Spike followed her movements.

"She's quick. Gotta' concentrate."

He fired the first round. The cartridge hit Twilight's tail, but the rest of her was unfazed. She doubled back.

"Keep it up," he encouraged.

One after another, Spike fired each blank until the clip was empty. When the pistol ran out of ammunition, he retrieved the shotgun. Using his index claw, he sawed down the barrel to a significantly shorter length.

"Applejack told me this would make the shotgun easier to move around. Maybe Twi can better cover her weak spots with a free hoof if she doesn't have to hold it with both..."

Thanks to the shotgun's distance limitations, Spike was able to fire more freely. The only issue was, without an active shell, there was no way to help them practice avoiding projectile spread.

"I'll have to ask Twilight if we can use live shells once she's become accustomed to this."

Later that night, Spike began testing his endurance, checking to see how long he could hold a plank before his body gave out. During this process, his mind began to drift. He recalled one of the passages in Twilight's journal. It described a string of serial killings and rapes that occurred when Twilight's mother was a teenager. Around that time, Velvet was living in the city where those crimes occurred. Twilight confided in Spike regarding the terror her mother felt, always looking over her shoulder and wondering if she would be the next victim...

"Demons won't be the only things we encounter. I don't know which one of us will find you first, but we're coming for you...Nightstalker..."