Angels, Demons, Ponies, and Gods

With the sun just rising over the horizon, everyone takes the time to perform a quick trial marriage before the official event. While the Element Bearers—with the exclusion of Twilight—walk down the isle in perfect synchronization and adequate speed, Princess Celestia stands at the podium with Shining Armor as the stallion waits for his betrothed. Spike sits on one of the steps leading up to the podium, playing with the wedding cake toppers. Lavey leans against a nearby wall, watching the procession unfold with interest.

"Perfect, girls. No need to rush," Princess Celestia comments as the five ponies walk down the isle. "Then of course, Cadance will enter."

The classic Bridal Chorus by Richard Wagner is played on an old organ by an elderly mare as the bride-to-be enters the room. Her regality is somehow intensified within the mock-wedding setting, as if love and passion correlate with the alicorn. She makes her way up to the podium to face her beloved and exchanges a simple horn tap with Shining Armor.

Just like from last night, the stench of hostility is strong when Princess Cadence made her way past the hybrid. Lavey doesn't jump the gun, but makes sure to keep his eyes on the princess as she stands with her soon-to-be husband. The hell-spawn had promised Twilight that he would investigate Cadance a bit more while the unicorn got her rest. Though, doing so during this mock wedding would be a little too uncouth.

However, there is no denying the fact that the malice wafting into his nostrils is, in fact, coming from the regal. It smells savory and smoky but it disgusts him at the same time. Anger and frustration for petty reasons, such as a stressful day, would have a spicy, curry scent; malicious tendencies, on the other hand, smell like grilled barbecue. He holds his tongue and watches her intently as she goes along with the process.

"I'll say a few words," Celestia continues, "and then we'll begin with the vows. Shining Armor, you'll get the ring from your best mare—"

“About that," Lavey speaks up, "Twilight said she may be absent today. She might just stay in bed due to her hysterical paranoia.”

Suddenly, his ears perk up as the sound of galloping hooves echoing down the hallway just outside the room. The doors burst open by magic to reveal Twilight huffing in a state of rage. Peering into the unicorn's soul, Lavey see's the large, red splotch of wrath and cool, blue lick of envy remain.

"Twily, what's the matter?" Shining Armor asks with concern. “Are you alright?”

"No, I'm not alright!" the unicorn barks. She turns her wrathful gaze from her brother to Princess Cadenza and snorts in rage. "All of you should get away from her! She's evil!" Everyone besides Lavey roll their eyes and groan at Twilight's ludicrous speculation but her anger remains strong. "If you don't believe me, ask Lavey to look into her soul and you'll know I'm telling the truth!"

"First off," the prince begins, raising a claw, "I'm not some lie detector you can just command all the time. Second, I'm not going to just peer into her soul just like that. I need confirmation from either Celestia or the bride and groom."

With everyone looking to the aforementioned ponies, neither of them seem comfortable giving their permission on the matter. That is, until Shining Armor takes a step forward, to everyone's surprise and to Twilight's elation.

"I give you permission to search her," he says as he warily eyes the hybrid. "Just don't try anything funny."

Nodding in compliance, Lavey gazes at Cadence, who begins to tense up in fear and anxiety. What he sees within her incorporeal figure surprises him. Specific desires are far more fervid than the ones belonging to a regal, peaceful princess.

"What the hell?" he mumbles. "This can't be right. Strangely, gluttony is overwhelming, but it's unlike Celestia's snacking habits."

All eyes leer at the higher monarch, whose creamy cheeks burn red with embarrassment.

"What's even stranger is that wrath is close behind with greed, envy, pride, and lust in nearly equally large volumes—all following in that specific order. Sloth is of no concern but...if I'm not mistaken, no princess should have such overwhelming malice and avarice, correct?"

All eyes turn to Princess Cadence, who slowly begins to back away but bumps into the Celestia's bosom. The bride-to-be looks around at everyone's suspecting and shocked faces as she is suddenly cornered.

"Y-you can't honestly believe this rotten beast's words, can you!?" she explodes, taking everyone by surprise at her harsh outburst. "I mean, he's a demon! Can his kind really be trusted!?"

"Yes he can!" Twilight pipes up. "He may be part demon, but he's shown real compassion, love, and the characteristics of a good being. We've all seen and experienced it over the time he's been with us!"

A wave of agreement spreads across each pony, further fanning the flames of Cadence's fear and rage. In her wrathful haste, the alicorn's horn ignites with a grim, green glow as she condenses mana within the protrusion. Everyone takes notice of the events unfolding but no one can react fast enough to prevent it. The condensed ethereal energy within the princess's horn fires like a cocked ballista bolt, releasing a devastating, green beam that hurdles towards a paralyzed Twilight.

Lavey rushes over to his friend’s defense in a split of a second and stands between the unicorn and the devastating attack. He stretches forth one hand and grabs hold of the spell, condensing it into a ball of energy. With a simple flick of his fingers, he dissipates it into specks of ethereal dust.

"If this doesn't prove she's not the real Cadence, then what the hell is?” Lavey asks.

All eyes, even Shining Armor, turn to glare daggers at the counterfeit princess. Being cornered, she has no clear way of escape. Her horn is ignited as she channels mana into the protrusion once again. Unfortunately, she doesn't get to cast her spell as Lavey clutches the mare's throat in his claws and raises her above everyone's heads. With the impostor’s concentration broken, the light enveloping her horn fades away, leaving her helpless in the clutches of the hybrid.

"I don't take kindly to those who'd harm my friends," Lavey growls. His eyes glisten with an inferno of rage as he tightens his grip, nearly crushing the imposter’s larynx.

He flings the princess across the room but, surprisingly, Pseudo-Cadance recuperates to flap her wings and control her fall in order to land perfectly on her hooves. A sinister smile spreads across the alicorn's muzzle as she leers at her enemies. Her mouth opens up to release a wicked chuckle, which evolves into a maniacal cackle.

"I guess there's no reason to keep up this excruciating charade anymore," she says with a menacing hiss.

A ring of eldritch, emerald flames surround the princess, enveloping her in a pillar of fire. Everyone watches with either fear or scorn as the flames suddenly disperse as quickly as they formed to reveal a brand new, terrifying figure.

She’s like a chimera of an insect and an alicorn. Her figure is comprised mainly of obsidian-black skin and different shades of green insectoid features, such as a carapace, underbelly, and wings. Apertures of varying sizes pepper her onyx hooves, insectoid wings, web-like mane, and the bony protrusion on her temple. Her motley eyes glisten with emerald and seafoam green, along with black, slit pupils that leer at everyone's shocked expressions.

"So, you're a shapeshifter?" Lavey snarls as he looks the creature over.

"I am a changeling!" the spy spits back. "And as the mighty Queen Chrysalis of the changeling race, it is my duty to find food for my children. After all, what mother wouldn't do anything for her precious brood?"

"And how, pray tell, do you feed your children?" Princess Celestia asks with a grim gaze.

"Why, by letting them feed off of other ponies' love, of course!" the matriarch replies with a fanged grin. "We changelings feed off of the strong, succulent love of other creatures. With so many of you fools gathered for this 'wedding' we can feast on your love for ages!"

"You won't be doing any of that now," Celestia declares as she takes to the sky, glowering down at the matriarch beneath her. "Revealing yourself before me is the most foolish thing you could have done. And now, I will make sure you and your swarm of underlings do not bring any harm to my citizens!"

The glorious princess condenses mana within her horn, letting it ignite in a brilliant golden glow. She fires a powerful, golden energy beam at the wicked matriarch, who fires an equally powerful energy beam of her own. The two attacks clash, moving back and forth, tipping the scales but never truly leaning in favor of the other. A great deal of pressure is exerted within the room as the attacks rage in the small confinement, sending sparks of power and wild energy around.

To everyone's shock, however, the queen's magic suddenly overpowers Celestia, causing the princess to be engulfed in scorching emerald flames. Everyone stares at the fallen monarch in disbelief, while Chrysalis smiles with glee. The alicorn’s creamy, immaculate coat is singed and scarred with burns and blackened fur. The tip of her horn is scorched and crackles with verdant energy.

The insectoid matriarch erupts into a victorious cackle as she soars into the air above everyone. "It would seem that Shining Armor's love for his beloved Cadence is far more powerful than I had ever imagined! It's even made me stronger than Celestia herself!" Not wanting to keep the limelight all to herself, the queen peers back at Shining Armor's disturbed expression, and grins. “Thank you, my wonderful mate."

The stout stallion crumbles in despair as he realizes all of this was his fault. He silently curses at himself for everything that has led up to this apocalyptic moment.

As Twilight and her friends slowly approach the fallen princess, Lavey stands off to the side as something dormant, something ugly rears its head inside him. His soul trembles as he tries to suppress his fury but the lid begins to shudder as the pressure builds up. Watching the angelic mare’s body heave with haggard breaths and her eyes fluttering as she falls in and out of consciousness, memories begin to pop up in Lavey’s mind that kindle his wrath.

Something finally snaps inside the hybrid’s writhing soul, causing his repressed violent tendencies to surface.

"I'll kill you," he growls. He grinds his teeth like sharpening steak knives. Clenching his fists, blood seeps from wounds caused by his claws digging into his own flesh. "I will...fucking kill you."

"Oh, did I strike a nerve by vanquishing your precious princess?" Chrysalis sneers, dismissing and building Lavey’s raging hatred.

"Shut up."

"Please, you're a demon! You should be fighting for me, not this pathetic excuse for a princess!" The queen kicks Celestia’s still body, eliciting a painful grunt from the fallen princesd.

"Shut. Up!"

"You truly are a mockery to your race, you know that? Whoever spawned you must be very disappointed in you for being such a pathetic excuse for a demon."

That turns out to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"

The strength of Lavey’s roar reverberates throughout the entire castle, causing the walls to tremble and windows to crack. Everyone watches in awe and horror as the prince’s wrath has been ignited into an incontrollable inferno. A preternatural heat floods the room as the walls crack and windows shatter from a new terrifying pressure that has manifested within the space.

Everyone moves back from the beast as his body begins to morph into a more hellish appearance. A second set of horns protrude from the front of his temple and a second set of black draconic wings emerge below the first pair. His hair erupts into blazing red and black flames. Red, bony spikes protrude along his upper and lower limbs. Saliva froths from his mouth as if he were a wild, diseased beast as he glares at Chrysalis's terrified form.

"W-what is this?" the queen asks as she takes a trembling step back.

Lavey dashes from his spot and appears directly in front of the changeling, claws reared back to smash her skull into the nearby wall. Unfortunately, the queen manages to duck beneath incoming strike, causing the beast to crash through the wall instead. As Lavey recuperates from his failed attempt, he looks around for his prey. He sniffs the air to track her scent but only particles of dust fill his lungs, tearing through his trachea.

Fortunately, the sound of an explosion from behind catches his ears. He looks back and can see the faint silhouette of the changeling through the cloud of dust. He rockets towards her and grabs her by the face, sending her hurdling outside. He violently slams her into the stone wall walk, nearly shattering her skull and spine in the process. She does remain petrified, though, as Lavey picks her up by the horn and holds her up at eye level. Her harlequin eyes tremble as she peers into the beast's blood-red irises.

Lavey has no compassion left for her. Thought's of the angelic princess’s condition run through his mind, constantly adding fuel to the fires of his rage. All he wants to do is kill the changeling for what she's done.

He rears the matriarch back and flings her across the wall walk, hoping for her to crash into the ground or a nearby wall. How unfortunate that she twirls in midair and manages to plant her hooves on the ground. Her breathing is pinched and sweat glimmers on her obsidian hide and emerald carapace. Taking one, deep breath, the queen ignites her horn and conjures a transformation spell to even the playing field.

Lavey watches with hate as a green pillar of etherial flames engulfs the wretched matriarch, concealing her transformation from prying eyes. As the flames disperse, his anger swells as he lays eyes upon his own pre-transformed reflection.

"HOW DARE YOU!!!" he roars.

In his blind rage, Lavey charges at the shapeshifter while releasing a bloodcurdling battlecry. He rears back a fist, ready to burrow through the matriarch's cranium, but Chrysalis ducks beneath the strike with the hybrid’s own supernatural speed, catching the beast off guard. As he looks down, a strong jab to the gut freezes him in place and knocks the wind from his lungs. The sharp pain courses through his gut, causing him to regurgitate blood and his digested meal. The moment Chrysalis pulls her fist from her opponent's abdomen, Lavey manages to stumble back in pain.

"Looks like we're on even footing," the shapeshifter says with a cocky grin.

Lavey looks up at her with malice as blood and vomit drip from his maw. "YOU BITCH! I’LL EVISCERATE YOU FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!"

Twilight and her friends watch the clash from the devastated mock-wedding room with fear and astonishment. Twilight knows her friends are terrified by Lavey's sudden change in behavior but the unicorn's only desire is for him to beat the changeling to a bloody pulp for what she’s done to everyone she loves.

A small, inconspicuous smile spreads a cross her muzzle as she watches the prince quickly overpower the wretched changeling, even after she had taken on his form. Every strike is filled with rage and a desire to kill. Every bit of emerald blood the queen coughs up, Lavey makes sure she loses more in the next attack.

"Who do you think is winning?" Rainbow Dash asks, her eyes fixated on the supernatural conflict. "I can't tell who's who now."

Now that Chrysalis has been backed into a corner and has been beaten to a near pulp—despite her new regenerative abilities, courtesy of Lavey’s stolen biology—she has taken on the hybrid's evolved form. However, a mockery of the original beast's power is nothing compared to a true hell-spawn. Even with her newfound strength, the battle remains one-sided since she doesn’t posses his fighting prowess.

"The one who wins is the real one, of course," Twilight says dispassionately. "The one who dies is the loser. It's as simple as that."

"Dies?" Applejack asks with worry. "We can't do that, Twi. As much as she's hurt you, we can't let her be killed. Celestia is the judge and since we're in Equestria and not Hell, Lavey’s rules ain’t gonna fly here.”

Twilight grits her teeth at her friend's argument. She turns around and frightens everyone with her enraged expression. "So what!?" she explodes. "She took away Cadence, nearly brainwashed my brother, and almost killed Princess Celestia. She's taken almost everything from me! Next it could be you, or my parents, maybe even everything I care about!"

Everyone looks at each other with fear and concern for their friend but Twilight doesn’t care what they think about her at this point. Her only desire is for the wretched shapeshifter to feel as much pain as possible before she finally bites the dust. It’s for everyone’s good and safety if she perishes; why can’t they just see that?

"Twilight, please..." Fluttershy whimpers. Tears begin to well up in her eyes and flow down her soft cheeks as she looks into her friend's furious eyes. "Please stop him. I don't want anypony to die."

The raging flame in Twilight's heart explodes, trying to stay alight; but Fluttershy's tears, her weeping voice, and her compassionate personality slightly douse the unicorn's anger.

Twilight grumbles as she turns back to the battle. Chrysalis has reverted back into her original form with emerald blood gushing from broken limbs and battered bruises. A black eye, darker than her obsidian flesh, tears up as she lays broken in the beast's presence. Watching Lavey beat the living shit out of the changeling queen was enjoyable, to say the least. However, something doesn’t sit well with Twilight. Gazing upon the matriarch’s busted body ready for death, and Lavey’s vile appearance, Twilight realizes she doesn't even recognize him anymore.

The kind, eccentric, and jovial creature, whom she has grown so fond of, has been stripped away from her...and she was enjoying it. She enjoyed watching him make others suffer when he could help them. She watches as he proceeds to take a life instead of save one. She doesn’t want to lose him. She wants him to feel comforted and loved, not feared and scorned.

"Lavey, that's enough!" Twilight shouts.

The creature freezes in his attack and slowly turns back to face the unicorn. His eyes still burn with unforgivable malice but, to Twilight's surprise, they begin to cool down and return to glistening embers. His hair is extinguished, reverting back to natural red and black follicles. The extra protrusions and wings recede and fade away.

Looking back down at the broken changeling beneath him, Lavey picks her up by the throat and flies back over to the awaiting ponies. Gently, he lays the mutilated matriarch on the ground, letting her rest. Her breaths are gaunt, bringing blood into her respiratory system with every inhalation. Some of her limbs are bent into unnatural positions and jagged radial and ulnar bones protrude through the queen's flesh.

"I didn't mean to go that far," Lavey chokes. He looks down at his emerald blood-soaked hands as tears begin to well up in his eyes. "I...I didn't mean to lose control like that. Sh-she just wanted to... Fuck, what have I done?"

He slowly crumbles on the floor, clutching his head in his claws and wallowing in shame and regret. Twilight looks at the hybrid with sympathy and compassion as he breaks down, while guilt festers in her own heart. Any bit of sorrow and rage the mare has melts away into shame and guilt for herself and the hell-spawn as she glances over to the mangled changeling. She slowly walks over to her friend and embraces him in the warmest hug she can muster.

"It's alright, Lavey," she whispers like a soothing mother consoling their child. “Everything will be alright. We’re here for you."

Lavey slowly wraps his arms around the unicorn and pulls her in tightly as his tears drench her amethyst fur. The two sit in silence as everyone else stands around uncomfortably, either staring at the duo or at the maltreated matriarch.

"Twilight," Shining Armor speaks up. Everyone turns their heads to the Captain of the Royal Guard, who does his best to hold up a loosely stable Celestia. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you before about the queen and I'm sorry about letting things get out of hoof. I wasn't acting like a big brother at all and look where it got us."

Twilight releases her hold on the hybrid and runs to her brother to embrace him. To see him still alright and Celestia in a somewhat-stable condition relieves her. The siblings hold each other, letting their familial love for one another flood the room with a calm atmosphere.

"W-where am I?" Chrysalis weakly mumbles. All eyes turn in surprise towards the queen, who suddenly arises from her unconscious state. Most of her injuries have been healed besides the protruding bones. "I'm still alive?" She looks around at the cluster of ponies surrounding her, some having furious looks while others look upon her with pity. "I'm going to be executed for this, aren't I?"

Princess Celestia releases herself from Shining's hold and hobbles over to the matriarch. Despite being weakened, the mighty regal is still as imposing as ever as she stands over the fallen queen.

"I do not think execution would be a proper punishment for what you've done to me and my citizens," the princess snarls. "Before I administer your judgement, I suggest you tell me where my niece is."

The bug-horse swallows a lodged lump in her throat and answers the monarch's question out of fear. "T-the cave system underneath Canterlot! I promise, I didn't kill her. She should still be alive by the time you find her!"

Without hesitation, Celestia struggles to manifest a teleportation spell through her charred horn. With a flash of golden light and a pop of space, the monarch disappears to find the real Princess Cadence.

"While all of you are doing your own things," Lavey says as he rises from his spot, wiping away his tears, "I've got a quick call to make."