The Church of Mia Morey, a place of love, compassion, and charity. People, sick, weak, and down on their luck would come to find refuge in the halls of the lands youngest goddess. Founded over a hundred years ago when Mia herself ascended to the throne of gods, the religion had based its principles on a few simple words “Love in those around, and in those around you find love.” though the philosophy of the goddess is far deeper than that, the idea is the same. To share and spread happiness.

The church of New Krayan was built after the building of New Krayan itself, when the scars of the war with Norshire was still fresh. When the land had fallen into despair, it was the church who banded together and with their Grand Cleric Edona, brought both the hope and spirit of their faith to the people in mass.

Made of the finest white marble, and crafted by the lands greatest fifty artisans, the halls of the church is one of extravagance, beauty, and pure artistry. As you open the large, pink wooden doors you’re welcomed by two perfectly crafted statues of angelic figures, arms open in loving acceptance. Solid white marble pillars flank both sides of the gold trimmed pink carpet that leads up between the oak pews to the podium where the clerics give their sermons. At the head of the church is a statue of the goddess herself, a woman with short frizzy hair, a gentle smile and an outstretched nine-ring broadsword in her hand. They say the beauty of the church is amplified tenfold on a bright summers day, when the lights and colors of the painted mosaic windows kiss the entire room with bright pinks and purples, causing all in it to stare in the wonder of their beloved deity.

Now, the sacred halls of Mia are stained with blood, thick with the scent of death, the few scattered remains, the uneaten bits of the faithful rotting in between pews and splattered across the now tainted marble. Instead of beautiful lights that would normally fill the room was an eery, oppressive darkness spawned from the cruelty of the hellish hounds that sought to prey on the people of the city. It is in these defiled grounds, a massive beast of corporeal shadow stands, the black dancing delicately from his enormous form.

“So,” the beast said, looking down at the six, foolish woman who dared enter his new den, each glaring daggers at him in return “Do you think to fight me? With what, those puny arms?”

Gripping onto her blade tightly Leona readied herself, noticing this the beast gave a throaty chuckle “Oh? Is that it then? Will you stand in fear, stuck in place by your own lack of courage?” he taunted “Come now, surely you must want my death, foreigner? I was told of you by my pack, your anger, your violence. Surely, you have wish to kill me. Come, will you not avenge your sisters, those I’ve consumed, laughing as one by one their bodies were dragged down and feasted upon? Surely that burns you up inside.”

Leona’s face pulled into a wide, toothy flourish as her eyes filled with an intense rage that strained her face. “Ignore him, he’s trying to provoke you!” Starstorm warned

“Provoke her? Perhaps, though I’m sure she’d want to know of the fate of her sisters, or maybe the innocents in the infirmary? You know they screamed, and begged in the goddesses name, only to be forsaken.” If capable, the beast would be wearing a smile now, the cracking of wood echoing from the now broken handle of Leonas sword “Excuse the pun, but they tasted, hehe, divine.”

In an explosion of rage Leona charged the monster, screaming at the top of her lungs, all rational sense draining quickly from her thoughts as her mind was muddied with only scenes of watching the thing before her torn apart, piece by piece as it begged for mercy. As if prepared for her outburst, the monster latched it’s fangs into the woman's body, bearing down with full force, puncturing the metal and digging into her flesh, shaking her from side to side before tossing her through a pillar, causing it to collapse down upon her..

The others watched as Leona lie, unmoving, certainly unconscious. The group, overcame by shock and despair, began to back away from the monster as it neared them, voice now given way to a soft growl. “What’s wrong? Afraid now your beloved knight has fallen before me?”

Filling her blade with magic, Wrathtail pointed it at the approaching beast “We’re not going to let you have your way here.” her teeth bared as her eyes betrayed her false bravado.

“Oh, and you’re going to stop me?” The monster asked.

“No, we are.” Jessebelle backed up the magus, pointing her gun at the hound

Roaring, the shadow that draped over the body of their adversary began to grow and become erratic and violent “Fine then, come, Teronidus feasts tonight!” he roared and charged,

Teronidus’ first target was the Magus, baring his fangs he lashed out, tearing away a small tuft of hair as she rolled away from his attack. Taking aim, Jessebelle threw herself back, unloading a shot into the mass of the creature, watching as the bullet phased passed the body of it and traveled into a wall.

Gathering magic Starstorm threw out a bolt of pure force that crashed into the beasts side causing it to slightly lose balance. Returning to her feet, Wrathtail dragged her blade as she charged, lifting it up just before the creature, feeling the satisfying tug of flesh as she connected, causing it to grunt in pain.

Finding it’s flank, Selina took opposite of Wrathtail, thrusting full strength at the creature, missing as it’s flickering form was passed through harmlessly. Finally brandishing a more practical weapon, the bard took a dagger from her pack before beginning an empowering dance.

Turning his attention to the magus once again, Teronidus began to shiver and shudder, a very obvious mass of energy gathering between his jowls right before he launched it at her, knocking her back through several pews, each one breaking with loud crunches before she finally stopped short of the next.

“Wrathtail!” Jessebelle yelled, turning back to her now injured friend. “Damnit we needed her…” Jessebelle muttered “Ahm not goin’ down so easy!” she spun her guns cylinder, stopping it mid spin before unloading a bullet that went straight through the creatures side, this time with the familiar sound of metal ripping through a solid form.

Roaring in pain, Teronidus turned to Jessebelle, eyes now furious and bloodshot

Starstorm began to summon magic once more, preparing an incantation as Selina made her way opposite of Sprinkles who also moved into flanking position as they both began to attack, each one feeling something solid as they struck. “Damnit,” Salina spoke as she moved back “I can’t see where his body actually is among all the shadows.” she complained.

Taking action against the stranger and her foreign weapon he leapt at her, pinning her down, being held at bay only by her struggling arms as he continued to snap at her face.

Pulling her self from the pile of broken wood she was laying in, Wrathtail scowled as she moved her way back over to the beast as her bloody body ran heavy from her several wounds. Jessebelle, now held down by the animal, had no choice but to try and force it off to no avail as it stayed steadfast over her.

Finishing her spell, Starstorm summoned a dog that shimmered lightly with magic, bulging heavily with muscles, far bulkier than any dog they’d seen. “Now it’s your turn to get bit!” Starstorm shouted with a smile as the dog did, indeed, do just that, howling at the creature before sinking it’s fangs into Teronidus’ leg, causing him to yelp.

“Ahm about to become dog chow and you summon another dog!” Jessebelle yelled, arms still jutting out into her attackers muzzle.

Running in unison, Selina and Sprinkles grabbed Teronidus from behind, pulling back with the dog in an attempt to pull him off of their comrade.

Lashing out, Teronidus’ sank his fangs into Jessebelle’s arm, violently tugging at it in an attempt to pull it right out of it’s socket, causing her to scream loudly.

Now on her feet, Wrathtail followed her friends in grabbing at the beast. Jessebelle, aided by her friends, tried in futility to push the large monster off of her , but it’s fangs were in too deep as their continued tugging only sent more and more pain into her.

Awoken by her friends screaming, Leona lifted her head up from beneath the rubble, looking wearily out as her friends all tried desperately to move the form or Teronidus off of someone, that someone being Jessebelle. Latching onto a stone, she gripped it in her hand, shattering it in frustration. Leona, angered by her position, stretched her arm out defiantly to her friends.

Thinking it the least she could do, Starstorm ran to her compatriots side, applying what little strength she had into aiding her friends in pulling away the beast. Now, in unison, the four slowly pulled the monster away, heaving as hard as they could, straining every inch of their body in pulling him back.

Having had enough of the heroes and their attempts to stop him, Teronidus began to shudder once more, gathering something into his flickering form, small beads of black flooding in from outside the church. After a long while the energy stored began to pulse out from him before exploding violently, causing the group to go flying wildly into pews, shelves, and pillars, the conjured dog disappearing on impact. Free of them, Teronidus screamed “You insolent fools, you dare to oppose me!?” his words, though aggressive, were painted over by weariness “I am the pack lord, given birth by his might, I refuse to be taken down like this, not by a group of pitiful mortals such as you!”

Picking herself up from the floor for a second time that fight, Wrathtail spit at the ground before scanning the area, noticing her friends weren’t moving. Huffing tiredly, she re-brandished her blade, staring the pack lord dead on “You won’t… take us… that easily…” she said before hacking up a small puddle of blood onto the marble beneath her.

“Heh, and what are you going to do to stop me.” he smirked at the magus, slowly closing in on her “Your friends lie scattered, your body barely stands on it’s own, and you and I both know you cannot take me alone, and you honestly believe you have a hope, a prayer? Why? Because you are in this church? Does this weak figure of supposed love really give your kind faith?” he scoffed “Well, when you meet her, let her know we are coming for her next. As for you.” Teronidus loomed overhead, unaware of what was happening to his side.

Anger refueled, Leona stood to her feet, body gasping desperately for air. Laying a hand over her chest she exploded with light while the monster was busy with Wrathtail. Revitalized, she charged the beast again, throwing the entirety of her strength into latching onto it, pulling it tight into a hug. “Wrathtail, finish this!” she yelled as the monster kicked and growled angrily.

“Gladly,” Wrathtail spoke as her blade began to crackle with lightning “Die you ugly son of a bitch!” she screamed as she impaled both the beast and Leona at once, flourished by an explosion of electricity that shot out of Leona’s back like a lightning bolt.

Silence fell over the room as both Leona and Teronidus slid backwards off of her blade and fell slumped onto the ground, blood pouring out from beneath their broken forms. Falling to her knees, Wrathtail dropped her blade, breathing heavily, broken bones and a damaged lung making it a difficult task. “It’s over.” she said with a sigh. Slowly her eyes shifted to the right, looking over the now unmoving forms of Starstorm and Sprinkles, she turned to her left to see Jessebelle in a broken, charred pile, Selina a few feet away, lodged beneath a broken pillar and the ground. Biting her lip she looked in front of her, staring at the lifeless forms of Leona and the so called Teronidus. “Damnit…” she whispered to herself weakly, straining back welling tears “Wh-what am I supposed to do now…”

Heart heavy, expression empty, Wrathtail sat in silence, wishing for an answer to her question, pulling out one of the small potions from earlier out of her belt pouch “I think they have one each…” she let herself have a slight smile at the thought, knowing she could potentially save them ‘if it’s not too late anyways’ she thought tiredly. As she steadied her breathing to stand she felt something creep over her, that’s when a sudden thought peeked into her thoughts ‘They disappear when they’re killed… right?’ she thought briefly as she lifted her head in raw fear as the massive creature stood over her, fangs bearing down viciously, Teronidus lived.

“Die!” Teronidus shouted as he lunged, in that moment Wrathtail’s heart stopped, eyes wide in terrified horror as the realization that she failed swept over her, tears now leaking down her face.

‘But… we’re the heroes…’ she thought, hopelessness filling her soul. The world went dead, blackness fell over everything and for a moment, Wrathtail thought it to be over, however, something happened. Opening her eyes, she saw the maw of the beast mere inches from her face, it’s eyes wide in distress.

“Don’t touch my friends!” Leona’s voice screeched in fury as her body, now latched onto Teronidus again, began to spin, once, twice, three times before she released him, sending him flying into the the outstretched arm of Mia Morey, pierced through by the stone nine-ring broadsword grasped in the statues hand.

As the beast struggled against the weapon, small pools of inky black began to spill like blood down onto the ground below, his wide furious eyes straining against his head as he locked onto the woman the had still been standing “No! This can’t be, I deserve to rule over this city, over you weak willed, weak minded animals! I can’t die, no, I can’t… I can’t…” Teronidus’ voice dulled to an animalistic whimper as his form began to break apart like shattering glass his flailing coming to an end as he fell limp, body dispersing slowly into shadows.

Looking at her hand, Wrathtail stepped forward a bit and stretched it out towards him “Fuck you.” she said as a bolt of magic slammed into him, causing him to burst apart fully. “We did it.” Wrathtail turned to Leona who was kneeling over Selina, a pained expression on her face.

Staring down, Leona let loose hair fall into her vision as she stared at the unconscious form “Selly…” she whispered to herself. Putting a hand to the woman's head she knelt down further to place an ear to her chest, feeling and hearing the weak thumping of her heart. An expected flood of relief fell over Leona, despite the emotional confusion it brought her. Lifting the rogue from the rest of the rubble she pulled her closer, cradling Salina in her arms, humming a light tune, probably a religious hymn. Wrathtail perked a brow, wondering what in the world Leona was doing before remembering her friends were in need of her help. Turning to watch Wrathtail run over to the side of Starstorm and Sprinkles, Leona placed her hand on Salina’s chest, letting light flood her as her body rose sharply with a breath.

Eyes fluttering open, Salina looked out to see herself floating, no, in someones arms. turning a bit she saw the face of the paladin, resolute, serious and unflinching “L-Leo?” she gasped, her throat scratchy and sore.

Leona looked down at the rogue, her eyes narrowing down almost angrily, the look only lasted a moment as Leona kneeled to place Selina alongside her other wounded friends, each now conscious after being administered a potion by Wrathtail.

Starstorm, Sprinkles, Jessebelle and Selina lied quietly as Leona sat upon a pew to catch her breath. Finally, one of them gathered their strength and lifted themselves up, that one being Jessebelle “Ah think ahm about to retire sometime soon…” she muttered tiredly.

“Ya bes’ save it fer after we get’er reward, aye?” Sprinkles retorted, forcing a chuckle that only proved to cause more pain as she began to cough.

Breaking away from the rest of the group, Leona had walked over to the statue of Mia Morey. Looking up, she waved her hand over the blade “Hmm…” she hummed as Starstorm and Selina made it to her side shakily, Starstorm fighting for balance as she clung to the much better off Selina at her side..

“Something wrong?” Starstorm asked, looking up at the statue as well.

“I feel… off...” Leona replied quietly.

“Drink a potion then let’s go, we didn’t go through hell taking this church back only to sit around in it. Like you said, we gotta start getting people in here, right?” Wrathtail complained, arms crossed as she huffed up at the statue.

“Yeah…” Leona's voice trailed off as she walked towards the entrance. The others watched as she moved, not making a single sound as she pulled the doors open and left.

“Ok then, anyways, me and Jesse can hold the church, you three go start getting people here, alright?” Wrathtail offered. Accepting the orders the group dispersed to do just that…

Suddenly, reality began to fade back into view, their humanoids forms slowly fading into their familiar equine bodies.

“Woah, intense.” Rainbow Dash mumbled quietly, the harshness of the campaign finally breaking through.

“Yepper deppers, but… I didn’t like that room, it makes me feel sad.” Pinkie admitted, affected by the horrors the moon goddess could conjure up.

“We apologize dear Pinkie, but we demand a level of authenticity and have no desire to shirk on our duties to preserve the integrity of it.” Luna replied honestly, though with a tone of concern.

“Yeah, it’s not real, try not to think too much about it.” Twilight urged

“Indeed, try and think about how much fun we had! Surely you enjoyed it as much as I have.” Rarity chirped, smiling as she spoke while toying with her hair.

“Heck yeah, like, the way we went through those dogs, all like, hiyaah and suwaaah! It was awesome, and that big one at the end, Tero-whatever, he was tough and all, but anyone feel like he got beat too easily?” Rainbow pondered, stroking her chin with a hoof.

“Are you crazy? That thing nearly killed the entire group! Especially me!” the purple mare opposite of the princess argued.

“Yeah, ah could barely even hit that thang! The bullets kept goin’ raht on through!” Applejack complained, huffing annoyedly

“Yes, the creature had a touch of concealment, which is also why Selina couldn’t sneak attack it.” Luna pointed out.

“Oh, so that’s what happened, I don’t like that. Not that I’m particularly violent of course, but things are so much more difficult to deal with when you can barely hurt them.” Said the alabaster mare with her usual primness.

“Talking about handling things, what in the hay was that trick with the window? Are you, like, some kind of super spy in real life? Is that why I never see you that often, are you really a cat burglar?” Rainbow peered over at the fashionista who laughed into her hoof.

“Now darling, it’s nothing of the sort, I merely did a little research on the art of breaking and entering, I may not be Twilight, but I prefer being well informed.” she giggled a bit, waving her hoof flamboyantly as she spoke

“What about you Rainbow? You sure did pull off a bit of thought into our little plan back there.” Twilight pointed a hoof at the cerulean mare playfully

“What? Hey, I think sometimes, I just don’t do it for uncool reasons, and this game is definitely cool.” She crossed her hoofs and pouted slightly “Besides, what about Fluttershy!” she pointed a hoof accusingly “She’s gone completely nutso! Seriously, you’re beginning to scare me.”

“Oh, sorry, being scary is… scary…” the timid mares voice turning into a light whisper near the end

Stifling a laugh, Luna decided to clear the air “We admit, though these feats and aspects were of your own accords, it was my magic that provoked these bursts of… character, let's put it” she explained ‘You see, by applying a light enchantment, We’re able to pull certain traits from a pony to better suit their character, but it’s never enough to exactly change your personality or the likes.”

“Fascinating, well, it is harmless and it does make me feel like Starstorm.” Twilight smiled happily as she ran her thoughts over the spell in question.

“So, Fluttershy’s not really a screaming monster?” Rainbow asked, brow perched

“Considering the Grand Galloping Gala? We’d accept arguments.” Luna’s snarky remark caused the shy mare to sink into her hair in an attempt to hide

“Either way, we should get going, it’s getting late. Come on girls.” Twilight helped usher the girls away as Luna sat back into her chair

Looking at her notes, Luna’s face curled into a wicked GM’s smile. Just then, Celestia walked in to see how her sister was doing, just missing the Elements. Upon seeing her sisters smile one of her own creeped up “I know that smile sister, tell me, how bad is it?”

“Oh, you have no idea sister, but it will be… fun…”

Author's Note

Well, that was a wait. Sorry about the delay, and stuff. Anyways, hope you enjoy as always, if you like my writing I (try to) post on deviant here http://mrconradtheduck.deviantart.com/ and if you have any comments, criticism (constructive plox), or you just want to point out some mistakes feel free to leave all of that below :P