Sunset in the gods

“I'm sorry for your friends.” Then Rainbow Dash comes down and stands next to Twilight while her expression represents a repressed anger as she observes the city. “But right now we need you, everyone to observe and learn the true danger of the City of Beasts and that's why I regret to tell you that none of your friends down there will come out alive.”

“What do you mean, none of them will survive? And why are they down there?” Twilight asked, trying not to panic.

“This is just a small-scale exhibition for the new recruits, so they know what they’ll have to deal with. We usually pick people we think will be trouble and just get rid of them by saying that there’s an escape plan.” Rainbow Dash says this in a tone that shows she doesn’t like what’s happening. “And the reason I think his friends are there is because there are times when problematic prisoners invite other prisoners.”

“So you're saying that the whole escape plan is a farce?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, it's a shame that their friends abandoned them to escape.” Rainbow Dash replied.

“They didn't abandon us.” Applejack said.

“Why are you so sure about that? Look where they are, if they're there it's because they abandoned them.” Rainbow Dash replied.

“They won't abandon us, Sunset has had plenty of opportunities, she could abandon us and run without looking back but she hasn't, I don't know why she's there, but I do know that it's not to abandon us.” Applejack replied with determination.

“I guess you've all been through a lot.”

“You can't even imagine! We had a massive breakout from the mines in the northern mountains! Did I say massive?! We trained with some nice deserter gods! We almost got killed by the god Scorpan!” Twilight then covers Pinkie's mouth.

“Pinkie, you don't have to tell her our life story.” Twilight says.

Rainbow Dash looks at Pinkie, not knowing if what she said was true or not. “I understand, but you can't do anything else for them.”

“They will survive,” Twilight says, calming down.

“Do you really believe that?”

“We don't believe it, we know it.”

“Everyone stay away from the doors and windows! No one runs, we're out of here!” Lightning Dust shouted.

“Lightning Dust seems like a competent leader but I think she should stop yelling or she might wake up all the creatures in the houses.” Flash said as he walked forward with Sunset and Shining.

“I would agree with you if it weren't for one small detail.” Shining Armor said as he pointed at one of the houses.

Flash stares and notices a couple of creatures stalking them from inside the houses.

“Something tells me that all or at least most of the houses have that kind of creatures.” Sunset says as she tries to think of something. “In the end the whole escape plan was a farce but I still think we can get away with this one.” She said trying to stay calm.

As the prisoners advanced they began to see traces of blood and signs of struggles along the way.

“Hey everyone, when I give you the signal we're going to pick up the pac...” But Lightning Dust's instructions were interrupted by a loud explosion. “And now what?!”.

“What was that?” Twilight asked as she saw an explosion.

“One of the gods of wrath descended.” Rainbow Dash replied. “These demonstrations must always involve a god of wrath and all his beasts.

“How can they fight against a god?” Is he as powerful as Scorpan?!” Twilight asked as she became agitated again.

“Ha ha ha! The god Scorpan is supposed to be the most powerful god of the Wrath Faction and this god...” Rainbow Dash looked around the area. “I think that area belongs to Redfist, he is supposed to have belonged to the Fire Faction before he was punished but he was a minor god.”

Loud noises began to be heard inside the houses and the creatures began to come out. “At least this time it wasn’t a surprise attack.” One of the mercenaries said as he unsheathed his sword.

And the beasts ran straight to attack them.

“Get ready!” Lightning Dust shouted.

“What just happened?!” Flash shouted as he fought one of the beasts. “At first they were cautious and suddenly they all became unhinged and wild!”

One of the beasts attacked Sunset but the former unicorn protected herself with her wooden arm causing the beast to bite it, Sunset took the opportunity to stab the beast killing the creature.

“Are you okay your majesty?”.

“Yes, but it seems I'll need a new arm.” She said when she saw her cracked prosthesis.

“Stop talking and move!” Lightning Dust yells at them while she fights using two swords.

After a few minutes of battle the situation calms down.

“How many died?” Lightning Dust asked one of the Washouts.

“A few of our people died, although most of the dead were just prisoners who decided to accompany us.”

"We must accelerate the pace, although we were able to survive, we do not know when they will attack again, something tells me that all the inhabitants of the city are monsters." Lightning Dust said.

“The battle was strange. Did you notice it?” Sunset asked Shining.

“Notice what? Your Majesty.”

“They weren't defending themselves.” Sunset said. “When I attacked, the creature had the opportunity to dodge or release my arm but they only dedicated themselves to attacking.”

“I noticed it too, in reality no creature defended itself, we should take advantage of that advantage.” Lightning Dust said but then she looks at Sunset's arm. “I see that you are hurt.”

“I'll be fine.” Sunset said while trying to hide her fake arm. “You don't have to worry.”

“Why aren't you bleeding on that arm?” Lightning Dust asked with a little suspicion but she notices the look on Shining Armor and Flash Sentry's face. “I understand, another secret, if we survive this you will explain it to me.”

“Seems fair to me.”

hen everyone starts to hear someone clapping. “Incredible, I didn’t think so many survived.”

“He’s a god!” Someone shouted.

“Let me introduce myself, my name is Redfist.” Then the god looks at the corpses of the beasts and then smiles. “I’ve been killing groups of prisoners everywhere but you guys are the biggest and most organized group, I guess you guys could give me a decent fight.”

Sunset was furious with herself for being afraid and she was even more so after seeing the god, the former unicorn could tell that the god was weaker than Scorpan but there was no doubt that for being a god he was already strong.

“Your Majesty, we should run away.”

“Shining, look at the roofs of the houses.” Flash Sentry says.

Then Shining Armor realized that they were trapped, on each roof there were beasts lurking waiting to attack.

"My original plan was to have the beasts force all of them to move where I was." The god continued speaking, ignoring the looks of fear and hatred from the humans. “But many of you were able to resist the attacks very well, in the end I had to bring all my beasts.” The god remains thoughtful until an idea occurs to him. “Since you are trying so hard to stay alive, I will give you a chance. For five minutes I will fight without using any divine power or ability and my beasts will not attack you, I promise. If you manage to kill me, I swear that I will free you all.”

Those words caught the attention of all the prisoners.

“How can we know that he will keep his word?” Flash Sentry asked.

“We don’t know.” Sunset said quietly. “But the slightest chance of survival is enough to motivate or drive everyone mad.”

“We need to change the situation somehow.” Lightning Dust said. “That god is just playing with us.”

But before they could plan anything the god attacked and that made all the prisoners desperately attack the god.

Lightning Dust quickly orders all the Washouts to not attack and to regroup. “Does anyone know how long until we get to the citadel?”

Sunset looks in the direction of the citadel and answers. “Definitely more than five minutes.” But then she saw one of the beasts fall dead which was weird because no one attacked him but for some reason he had a wound in his abdomen.

“Unbelievable, that guy was able to stab the god in the abdomen and he’s still alive.”

Sunset could hear a mercenary comment, Sunset didn’t believe it was a coincidence when she saw that the god had a wound healing quickly in the same place where the dead beast had the same wound and then she remembered when Scorpan said that he had to use a lot of lives.

“Is something wrong, your majesty?” Shining Armor asked.

“How long has it been since the god started fighting?!” Sunset asked, almost desperate.

“Almost two minutes.”

Then Sunset runs directly to one of the beasts. She noticed that the beasts were not reacting and quickly slaughtered one of the creatures, and still none of them reacted, implying that what the god said about no beast attacking was true. “Shining, Flash! Don't ask, just kill all the beasts you can!” And the two obeyed Sunset's order without hesitation.

“What are you doing?!” Lightning Dust shouted, not understanding what Sunset was doing.

“Tell your mercenaries to do the same!” Sunset told her.

Lightning Dust didn't understand why the girl was doing that, but he noticed that no beast was attacking. “Listen Washouts, attack all beasts!”

For the three minutes left, while Redfist continued to fight the prisoners, although he had noticed that others were attacking his beasts, Redfist didn't care, he was actually happy, but the five minutes were up.

“'Divine power' 'Fire fist'” Redfist's hands became engulfed in flames and he struck one of the prisoners hard, killing him instantly. “I guess the game is over now.”

Then all the beasts attacked.

In a lonely tower in the middle of the city a woman wakes up because of the noise outside.

"What's going on outside?" She says reluctantly.

Then Scorpan appears behind the bedroom door. "I see you're awake swordswoman."

"It's hard to sleep with all that noise outside." The woman answers. "Did another hunt start?"

"No, they're just getting rid of the undesirables but some promising prey I brought got mixed in, don't worry it will all be over soon."

"Promising prey? It's strange that you bring someone, me and the remnants of the equestrian army were the last ones you brought."

"Yes, but that little redhead has a lot of potential, no one has killed me so many times in a long time, if she survives she can participate in the hunt."

"Why do you think I care?"

"Because if that girl is who I think she is then you will leave this tower of your own free will." Scorpan can't stop smiling with excitement. "If she survives I will bring her to you and we can finally have our life or death battle."

"Just let me sleep peacefully."

"I hope you sleep well Celestia."