Author's Note

This is a fun idea that I had rattling around in my brain for a while. It' going to be more of a lighter story and something more fun than dark or serious.

Welcome to the ride.

Monk

Dungeons and Dragons and Demons oh my!

Her name was Barb and she was a dragon. She worked as the paid assistant to Dusk Shine, mage and student of Prince Solaris. She was young, green and purple, and she was pissed off. She glared at the barred window of her cell and scowled.

“Lets fix the mirror he said. We can explore other worlds he said. It will be fun he said.”

She threw her arms high in the air and screamed.

“THIS IS NOT FUN!”

Two weeks ago her brother Dusk Shine had been shown a broken relic that the prince had kept in storage for years. After cleaning it up, the stallion realized what the piece of junk actually was. It turned out to be the remains of a mirror portal. Dusk, being Dusk immediately got to work trying to get the world gate working again. Barb being a bastion of common sense, tried her best to buffer her brothers enthusiasm with as much caution as she could. Sadly Dusk was never one to turn his back on a problem and so here they are.

“In a dungeon, in a dictatorship, in another world.” She sighed in resignation.

Sounds from down the hall brought the young dragoness out of her thoughts and she quickly backed into the furthest corner of her cell. The unmistakable sounds of armor clad hooves had promised the arrival of the dungeon guards. Guards of the armor clad undead variety. Barb felt that if she squinted just right, she could almost recognize the pony forms that they had originally been.

Dusk Shine was thrown into the cell, bounced violently off the wall, and crumpled in a heap. He groaned and tried to stand as the dungeon door slammed closed behind him.

“Dusk, Oh my!” Came the meek voice from beside her.

She glanced at Butterscotch. Butters was a yellow and pink pegasus stallion that had been a family friend since they moved to Ponyville after that whole Nightmare Artemis mess.

Butters moved over and helped Dusk into a sitting position and began looking over the wounds with concern. While Butters wasn’t a doctor, he was the local vet and ran a small animal sanctuary near the town.

Dusk looked up at his long time friend through an eye that was slowly swelling shut and sighed.

“Don’t worry Butterscotch, it looks worse than it really is.”

He knew that he was lying. Dusk figured that he had at least one broken rib as well as a ton of sprains and bruising. After failing to get comfortable he gave up and collapsed back against the wall of the cell.

He looked over to his timid friend.

“I’m sorry I got us into this, but I promise I’ll get us out.”

At that moment a slam came from the door followed by the hollow voice of a guard.

“A healer will be sent to see to his wounds. You will continue to cooperate and you will be treated well.”

Barb snapped. “You call this being treated well?” she growled through clenched teeth, but her ferocity fizzled under the hollow eyed glare of the guard as he answered.

“Yes.”

“Barb. Leave it alone. I’m all right.”

Her purple head fins splayed in frustration.

“You are not all right. They beat you half to death!”

Dusk grimaced and thought about the last few days. He had been trying to copy the mirror that Star Swirl had used to open a gate to the human world. To Dusk, this was a great idea. If he could learn how the mirror portal worked, he could duplicate it and make more of them. He believed that once perfected, they would revolutionize travel.

Mirror gates could be placed in far off cities and then used for instant travel from one city to another. Where once, a trip from Canterlot to the Crystal Empire took three days by train, the same trip would be instantaneous through the mirrors. On paper, the theory was sound, but Dusk had a bear of a time trying to make the same idea work in real life.

On the fateful day when Dusk had finally felt comfortable with his last live test, a rogue storm from out of the everfree had wrecked havoc. The storms fury and wild magics triggered the gate. The accident trapped him, Barb, and Butterscotch in a strange new world. At first Dust was excited with the possibility of exploring a new place, but that excitement ended the minute all the undead showed up. It turns out that the realm that they dropped into was ruled over by a Necromancer by the name of Grogar.

They had found themselves in Tamberlyn, a place that the new quite well through an ancient myth turned children books by the popular author Page Turner. Turner had based his best selling novel on the old Grims fairytale and the three friends were shocked to find that the myths were based on truth. They were living inside The Chronicles of Tambelon, but unlike the novel, the real Tamberlyn was a nightmare.

Later that day, the armored hooffalls brought the promised healer. Unlike the undead pony guards who had been ponies in life, the healer was different. He was a young biped. He was alive or seemed to be. He was short and slim with a vaguely Minotaur or faun shape to him. He was lightly built with sleek cloven digitigrade legs, a thin tail, and a set of short horns atop his head.

Barbs cheeks tinted red as she noticed that he was definitely male as his naked form did nothing to hide the impressive stallionhood that dangled freely between his legs.

When the newcomer saw that everyone was looking at him, he smiled sheepishly and ran his hand through his short copper colored hair. His blue eyes landed on the injured Dusk Shine when he spoke.

“My name is Easy Comfort and I’m the healer that was sent to help an injured prisoner. I’m guessing thats you.”

He moved down to Dusk and quickly got to work casting spells and wrapping wounds.

“I’m sorry that my healing spells aren’t better. When it comes to healing I only know basic cantrips, but I’m the best they are going to give you. At least for now.”

He glanced around making sure the guards weren’t nearby and whispered.

“I overheard the interrogation. I know what you are.”

Dusks brow shot up.

“And just what are we?” He asked.

The healer tightened a bandage.

“Your all from a different world. A world not Tamberlyn. Is that true, are you really from a better place than this?”

“Yes we are. We are from Equis. Like I told Grogar, We’re from the country of Equestria.”

Easy Comfort stared hard into Dusks eyes than seemed to come to a decision. He smiled, showing his fangs.

“Then I’ll make a deal with you. I will get you out of here, but when I do you take me with you.”

“Why should we take you anywhere?” Dusk carefully asked.

“Because you’re dead. No matter what you do they are going to kill you. If you stay quiet, or if you tell them everything you know, when they are done, you’re dead.”

He looked around.

“No one. No one leaves these dungeons alive. This is just a holding area until they are ready to convert you to an undead. Thats how the criminal justice system here works.”

Everyones blood ran cold with that revelation and the small group shot each other worried glances.

“Here is my deal. I get you out, and to your portal mirror and when I do I leave with you.”

He looked around again.

“I know you’re close to your Prince so when I get there I get full citizenship in your country and a small pension to help me settle in.”

Barb stepped in. “We can’t agree to that. We don’t have that kind of power. Thats up to Solaris not us.”

Easy Comfort looked at Dusk.

“Are you close to the prince?”

Dusk nodded.

“Does he listen to you?”

Dusk nodded again.

“Then I want your word that you will do everything in your power to make sure our deal is honored. Is that fair enough?”

Dusk glanced between his friends and after getting a slight nod from each of them. He nodded.

The healer held out his hand.

“So is it a deal?”

Dusk held out his hoof and shook it. The moment he did, he felt the spark of magic and stepped back with a burning feeling stinging his hoof. Looking down he watched as a dark glyph appeared on his pastern.

“Good, the contract is sealed.” Easy said with a smile. “One minor thing though, once we’re on the other side. Once we’re all in Equestria, we have to shatter the mirror. If the mirror is intact, Equestria will be in danger from Grogar and trust me when I say that he will be coming after us. With the mirror shattered, there wont be a way for him to find us. It would be like finding one grain of sand among the whole beach.”

Butterscotch stepped forward.

“Wait, so what exactly are you?” He asked in his timid way.

“Me? I’m a demon.”

Barb pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned.

“Dusk made a deal with a Tartarus dam demon… Great.”

Easy Comfort frowned.

“No. I’m not from Tartarus, I’m from Hell. I’m a hellion. Very different.”

Dusk, now freaking out went catatonic.

“I agreed to bring a violent demon to Equestria….”

The demon scowled and rolled his eyes.

“I really wish people wouldn’t be so narrow minded. We cant all be war mongers or world destroying demons. Just think about it. That can’t work. You can’t run a society like that. There wouldn’t be any demon to mow the lawns, or fix the plumbing, or pick up the garbage. Not every demon is the same.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “You mean to tell me that you would prevent a garbage man or a tailor, or a book binder from living in your country simply because of his race? Are you that narrow minded?”

Barb just shook her head in exasperation.

Just then the cell door opened and a guard stepped in.

“Times up.”

The healer gathered his things and looked over the little group.

“Well, thats as good as I can make you.”

With that, he left.

Barb turned to the brother and said.

“Dusk Shine, student of Solaris and Smartest mage in our generation, you are an idiot.”

The following week was not kind to the dynamic trio. While the guards gave them water, they never brought food, and every day brought a new round of interrogation and torture to all three prisoners. The questions were always the same. There were questions about Equestrias monarchy, questions about the pony race, and questions about the military. It became obvious to all of them that Grogar was planning an invasion. When that realization sank in the morale of the small group couldn’t have fallen any lower.

Easy Comfort stared at himself in the mirror and gave his reflection a winning smile followed by a wink.

“Ready to knock em dead beautiful?”

His image reached out of the mirror and added a finishing touch to his mane and grinned.

“You know it sexy. Watch your back, todays going to be dangerous.”

The Demon sighed, fist bumped his reflection and turned to leave the room. It leaned on the frame and watched him go with a worried expression on its face.

Easy walked out of the bathroom and took one last look at his apartment. It was small as apartments go, his social station in the city didn’t allow him anything bigger. Still, he did like the place and he had made several fond memories in it. He glanced at the immaculate heart shaped bed and ran his claws over the wood and leather bondage equipment before sighing and pocketing a few of his meager belongings.

He felt bad for his clients. They would miss him. While the metropolis was mainly undead, there was a small living population and it was the living that he catered to. The living had stresses, especially living under martial law. Daily stresses and biological needs had to be dealt with and it was his job to help them blow off some steam and perhaps make their everyday lives a little brighter. It was something he was uniquely qualified for. He smiled, he would miss them. With one final look at the place, he turned and left, never to return again.

He loudly made his way through the halls on his way to the dungeons. He greeted people along the way and was as noticeable as possible. When he was young, one of his best friends had been a vengeance demon. He liked listening to Damien talking about his assassination classes. He always said that sneaking was the wrong way to do it. People noticed sneaking. If you wanted to get somewhere, He used to say, you walk like you belong there. And carry a clipboard. No one stops a person walking with purpose holding a clipboard. The demon glanced down to his clipboard and wondered why no one noticed that the only thing clipped to it were a few pages from his ‘Stories to PlayMare” magazine. His friend was right, people don’t notice things.

He smiled as he waved the clipboard under the nose of a guard as he sauntered past.

“H.R. official business.”

He didn’t even need to break his stride. Who knew that sort of thing actually worked. It wasn’t too long until he reached the final gate to the dungeons security wing. He wouldn’t fool himself, he knew that from this point on, the simple tricks were over.

He walked up to the two undead guards and flashed a winning smile. He dawned a friendly air as he approached. With his short stature and lithe frame, he couldn’t pull off being intimidating so he never tried. Hell was full of demons covered in spikes with rippling muscles. Teeth a foot long and claws made of fire, and then there was him. He looked like a kid. He looked like someone you could manhandle and take advantage of. Of course, that was the whole point and his breed had perfected the look. He smiled. Looks could kill. He was certain of it.

He approached the skeletons.
“I’m the healer our lord sent to check on the prisoners. Can you let me in please?”

He glanced at the desk and saw a well thumbed magazine. It was this realms version of Greys Anatomy. He wondered if they were using it as some kind of porn magazine and shivered. He never liked when the undead hit on him. That was weird, even for him.

He waited until the guards had unbarred the hallway then he reached out and pulled the life force out of each ones chest. They crumpled into dust as he walked calmly past. He hid his hands behind his back as he turned onto the second corridor and over to the third. He hit one last hall and moved up to the last guard in this section.

He didn’t eat the life forces that he was holding onto. He couldn’t. Undead life was tainted and in many ways it was poisonous, especially to his kind. He held onto it though, hiding it behind his back as he walked up to the last guard. A poison is a poison and two shots to the face of poison will ruin anyones day. The last guard wasn’t any different. The two fist fulls of poisonous life force played havoc with the last guards energies and he dropped like a stone. A few seconds later he was dead.

“Well deader.” he said.

“Deader, is that even a word?” He paused, “I really should stop talking to myself.”

Nimbly grabbing the keys, he opened the cell door and stepped inside. He looked over the prisoners and began to worry. The three friends looked rough. Far too rough to handle running and fighting for their lives. Something he was certain was going to be happening very soon. He moved forward and checked them over carefully.

“How bad are you guys?” He asked.

Dusk slowly stood.

“We can do this. We have to do this because we don’t have a choice.”

The demon didn’t look convinced,

“Do you think you can make it up five floors? We also need to be moving pretty fast if we want to make it.”

Dusk nodded again but Butterscotch pushed past him and quietly cleared his throat.

“We’re pretty bad off. We can make it, but I don’t think we will be going very fast. Sorry.”

Easy closed his eyes and took a calming breath. After a moment he came to a decision. Food for him in this realm was present, but it was in pretty short supply. He had always had to scrounge for every bit of energy that he could get. While he never actually starved, he wasn’t doing very well for himself either.

He considered his options. While he had enough to heal all three of them to the point where they could put up a fight, it would drain him dangerously low. If this little escape plan failed he would be in a lot of trouble. He estimated that he would be left with as little as two days worth of life.

He sighed and nodded. He needed to get out of this miserable place, and he was under a contract now. It didn’t leave him many options. With his mind made up he stepped forward and began slowly healing the group.

A short time later the group was moving. They had made good time and had covered the floors and stairways easier than the demon had hoped. The three friends had proven to be a good team together. He looked them over as they rounded another corner. There was a Librarian who somehow had the skill of an arch mage, a sexy dragoness with anger management issues and a quiet unassuming veterinarian who just seemed to use dirty tricks. He had never seen so many low blows and cheap shots in his life. While the butter colored pegasus had no actual skill, it wasn’t needed if you were blinded by a face full of sand.

The group soon came to their destination and the demon brought them to a sudden stop.

“Just around this corner are the high magic labs. That’s where the dimensional mirror is kept. It’s a huge space sealed by a set of large double doors and it’s always guarded by a set of elites. Once we’re inside I want Dusk to head straight to the mirror and get to work activating it.”

Barb glanced at him, shifting her grip an a sword that she picked up along the way and said; “So it’s not going to be as easy as us just running through the mirror?”

“No, Grogar leaves the mirror powered down and the destination settings get cleared. So when we get in there, Dusk, you have to activate the mirror and dial in the settings for Equestria. Once thats done we can get through. Trouble is that once we step hoof into the room, Grogar will get an alert that someone entered the labs.”

Dusk Sighed.

“So what you’re telling us is that the second we pass through those doors, we’re on a timer.”

The Demon nodded.

“Yes, and a short one. Do you think you can do it Mage colt?”

Dusk nodded.

“I’ll have to.”

Easy Comfort leaned toward the hall and used a small mirror to look around the corner. He scowled and backed off, handing the small mirror to Dusk Shine.

“Take a look. It looks like there are two lycans guarding the doors.”

“Lycans?”

“I think you would call them werewolves. Either way, I don’t know much about them. Does anyone have any ideas?”

Dusk glanced down in thought.

“I could use sleep spells to knock them out and then we could sneak by them.”

The demon shook his head.

“I do know that their power is demonic in origin. Resistant to magic, so any spells you hit them with would be half power…

He furrowed his brow in thought. But, if you hit them both with that and I add a spell of my own, it could make them sluggish enough for Barb and the yellow one here to take out.”

Dusk glanced at him.

“Butterscotch.”

“What?”

“His name’s Butterscotch.” And with that, Dusk took the lead.

You all know the plan. We go on three.

1….2….3!

Stay tuned for “Geronimo!”