Chapter 1: Not as planned

"So, do you agree to the terms? I'll prevent your body from being reanimated and your soul from being sold by you, and you give me the books on planar travel."

The other man nodded

"Yes, I'll sign the contract, no devil will get my soul from tempting me. The books are yours."

"Excellent. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do."

Sandova Asphyxious Mirell stepped out of the so-called arch-villain's lair and chuckled.

"If these fools were as smart as they were evil, I'd have to resort to deceiving innocent people. Well, that makes six now. I hope Axzcylax will enjoy this, I might need an infernal favor sooner or later."

After he made sure he wasn't followed he summoned his familiar.

"Ah master, did you succeed?" Asked the grinning imp as soon as he appeared.

"As always. Now, how about we get to summoning your true master soon? I'm sure he'd like what I have to offer."

As the strange duo arrived at a suitable clearing they went to work. After a few hours of preparing and double-checking the summoning circle was ready. Sandova looked around to make sure no wayward traveler would be around and sighed.

"Let's get this over with, the sooner I'm done the sooner I can get back to the laboratory and study my newest acquisitions."

When the ritual was finished the very air seemed to tear apart, revealing a hellish landscape through the gash in reality. Out of the portal stepped a being of nightmares. Tall and with a powerful build, its hide covered with red scales and his red eyes burning with an infernal light. It wore his leathery wings like a cloak, and gestured with a clawed hand at the mortal before him.

"Rise Asphyxious," the Pit Lord rumbled. "have you finally decided to offer your soul and gain untold power? Or is this another pathetic attempt at prying loose secrets for free?"

"Neither my lord, I have a business proposal."

"Oh? You intrigue me mortal. Surely you know that the only currency we accept is the one you are not yet willing to offer. What could you possibly have that would be worth my time and attention?"

"Souls, six of them to be precise."

The devil snorted.

"And how do you think you can hold claim over other mortals' souls? If spoken true this would be an intriguing offer, now if you're done wasting my time I will take my leave, I have rivals to butcher and underlings to instruct."

Sandova hastily grabbed the neat pile of contracts from his satchel and showed them before the ancient evil could leave.

"These contracts state clearly that I have full ownership over these souls, signed in triplicate with the blood of both contractors. I own these souls, and you can too if you're willing to listen to my proposal. All I ask for is a favor, to be granted at my leisure whenever I might need one. Of course there will be limitations, otherwise it would be too easy for both of us to double-cross each other with loopholes. I have already prepared a contract, would you care to read it my lord?"

"Preposterous! A favor? I will not allow myself to stoop so low as to owe a mortal a favor. Be glad I don't immolate you on the spot."

"It is nothing of the sort, it's more of, say, a ticket. One that leaves me with lots of options while ensuring that I'll never endanger you or your greater interests, since you are entitled to deny the favor as soon as I directly have a hand in endangering your operations on the Material Plane or the Hells."

"I see, this is a rather strange proposal though. Most mortals simply wish for power and be done with it, why this detour?"

"I simply don't like the idea of just raising my power without proper study of said power. I only want a powerful backup in case some of my endeavors get out to the public and I need a boost or a clean getaway. This also ensures that I have a greater chance of surviving long enough to gather enough souls for a future arrangement."

"Your terms seem reasonable, and your contract is in my favor. Very well, hand me the soul certificates and you get your backup."

Sandova nodded and handed the other contracts to Axzcylax and produced a quill. After the paperwork was taken care of the Pit Lord snapped his fingers and a small card appeared in Sandova's hand.

"Use this card to call on me should you wish to invoke your favor. Now if you'll excuse me, I have souls to collect."

With this the devil stepped through the portal and closed it. Sandova let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and turned to his familiar.

"That went better than I hoped it would go. Now that my immediate survival is guaranteed I can get to work."
~
Sir Trintus surveyed the prisoner from behind the bars. In the cell was a man that had caused great suffering to many, arrested not two days ago by Trintus and his comrades. Clad in rags, the self-styled Arch-villain was sitting on the floor, muttering incomprehensibly to himself.

"Spare your breath mage, not even an arch-mage can cast spells inside that cell, let alone a pathetic excuse for a sorcerer. If not for the fact that you were unarmed and vulnerable when we found you your head would be on a pike by now. You should thank that bastard of a necromancer Mirell for subduing you, his actions and my code are literally the only things that kept us from smiting your wretched existence to the afterlife."

Trintus then left the prisoner to his madness and thought of Mirell. Trintus hated the young man, hand the fact that he had needed the bastard's help infuriated him. All paladins live to fight evil, and creating undead was one of the greatest sins one could commit. To his credit, the young necromancer managed to keep his every action legal to this date. No one has caught him on creating undead or committing other acts of evil.

It mattered not to Trintus how well Mirell behaved, he could smell the taint on his soul. That he managed to remain untouchable for the paladins, and the fact that he was taunting them for it made Trintus' blood boil. Sooner or later Mirell would make a mistake or go too far, and Trintus swore he would be there when it happened and see the wretched mage punished for his crimes.

A sudden overwhelming wave of nausea hit him like an ogre’s club. He stumbled and fell on his knees. There was only one thing that could sicken a paladin so thorough as this, and the pladin felt his blood chill at the thought of evil this strong. In the cell some primal force of evil had entered the Material Plane, and Trintus could only watch in horror as the Pit Lord walked up to the prisoner and grabbed him.

"You cannot tempt me devil, my soul is safe from being sold. Although this inconveniences me at the moment, for it would've enabled me to escape. Now please set me down, I am thinking of an escape plan."

"Foolish mortal, you shall regret your impudence during your eternity in the Hells. I shall enjoy watching you scream." snarled the devil at the mortal in his grasp.

"Impossible, Mirell promised me you couldn't get my soul."

The devil only grinned in response, and the prisoner finally understood just what was happening to him and started sobbing and begging, to no avail while the Pit Lord laughed at him.

"He merely promised that you could not sell your soul to me by becoming its owner. Indeed, one cannot sell what one doesn't possess. He however, chose to sell that very soul to me. I must compliment both his cunning and your stupidity. Now prepare for everlasting torment."

At this the prisoner started screaming for help. Trintus however, was still unable to act as his very soul was sickened by the mere presence of the devil.

"How do you know you won't like excruciating pain? Have you ever tried it?"

With these chuckled words the devil crossed the planes again, not even giving Trintus as much as a glance.

After emptying his stomach on the floor Trintus found he could finally move again. He was just standing up when the door flew open and twenty paladins of Heironeous stormed in.

"Brother Trintus, what in heaven's name happened?"

"A Pit Lord appeared, took the poor man we imprisoned with him and left. Although he was a heinous criminal, his ordeal fills me with pity for him. At least I know who's responsible, and I will not rest until I take the bastard's head."'

"Who could be hideous enough to condemn one's soul to the Hells voluntarily?" a squire asked.

Trintus spat on the floor.

"Sandova Asphyxious Mirell."
~
The sneeze echoed through the laboratory.

"I really should dust here more often," Sandova muttered to himself.

Looking around he saw what a mess his laboratory had become. Flasks and bottles littered the tables, the places were no books lay at least, and his notes were strewn everywhere. The fact that every square inch of floor was covered with bones didn't help much either.

"Oh for the love of-"

Sandova clapped his hands.

"Get up you useless boneheads, I have work to do."

As one the seemingly unassuming piles of bones rose up and assumed their natural form. That is, the ones that weren't covered in arcane runes and symbols or broken beyond repair. At the directions of Sandova the skeletons grabbed weapons from the racks stationed at the far side of the lab and shambled out the door.

"Now, were was I. Oh yeah, Mysteries of the Multiverse. Oh have I longed to read that book!"
With an almost giddy smile Sandova sat down and began to read, only to be interrupted by what sounded like bones breaking and the clamor of weapons.

"Now what in the burning Hells is going on outside?"

Before he could investigate his nervous-looking familiar appeared.

"Master, the paladins are attacking! It seems they caught wind of your recent endeavors."

"Which ones? The reanimating of an entire band of psychopathic rapists after I helped a village get rid of them, my experiments in making said skeletons stronger or the fact that I have an army of enhanced skeletons outside?"

"Your deal with Axzcylax, one of the sold souls resided in one of their prisons."

"Damnation, I completely forgot about that one. Godsdamnit, how many are out there?"

"Enough to ensure your vile deeds will be punished, you evil bastard."

"Also good to see you again Trintus, how's the missus doing? Still trying to get you to do safer work? Or has she finally seen that you couldn't get any other job with your head up your arse like that?"

Not bothering to respond Trintus charged, only to be stopped by a mass of black tentacles erupting from the floor.

"Now don't get me wrong, I admire your dedication, but do you really have to explode every time I help the world by using morally questionable methods? Surely you can see the beauty of it if you took the time to get your head out of your rear end look at the results. I just rid the world of six vile and dangerous men and managed to get a good deal in the process. Even with you vision omscured by your digestive tract you should be able to see no real harm was done. They would've ended up like that anyway as soon as they died. And knowing you merry bunch of 'good guys' they were facing execution anyway. I merely cut out the middle man so you guys can continue wallowing in that holy shit you are all so fond of."

“Note to self: stop over-using the 'head up own arse jokes', it's getting harder to think up new ones on the go”, Sanndova thought to himself while he unsheathed his saber and took a ready stance.

Meanwhile Trintus looked like he would choke on his own rage, if the tentacles didn't get to it first, that is. He started gathering holy power and after a quick prayer and a flash of light the tentacles were gone, leaving Sir Trintus on the floor while Sandova casually walked the other way towards his back door, keeping a wary eye on the furious paladin while he did so. Because of this he noticed too late that the sounds outside had stopped, and the entire room filled with paladins looking ready to
continue their work of 'cutting the evil thingy till it stops moving'.

"Oh crap, this is gonna hurt."

Before Sandova could do anything a bolt of light lanced through him, pinning him to the wall. He screamed while the holy spear the bolt contained seared his body and soul.

For the first time in his life Sandova felt truly terrified, dealing with death for most of his life he still wasn't prepared for his own. Especially because he knew just who was waiting for him at the other side.

He tried to cast a spell but the pain from the spear prevented him from focusing, effectively stopping him from doing anything until someone could get close enough for him to unleash a deadly burst of negative energy. Which was also close enough for the other to land a killing blow. Sandova only had one option left, not having thought he would need it so soon he grabbed the card Axzcylax gave him.

"No tricks will save you now necromancer, prepare for your end. Justice will be delivered quicker than you deserve and-"

Sandova didn't let him finish, before any paladin could make a move he took the card in both hands and spoke.

"I call in my favor, get me somewhere safe."

Every paladin looked stunned when they saw a portal open beneath the necromancer's feet, and blackened chains wrapped around him.

"Wait, what are you doing, stop!"

Panic coursed through Sandova like never before, struggling against now both his holy and unholy bonds. With a final twist around him, the chains started dragging him through the portal, with sandova screaming all the way.

"Evil begets evil, you reap what you sow and so you suffer for your actions. May you one day see the fault of your actions and repent."

With these words, Trintus left the necromancer at his fate, his fellow paladins behind him.
~
After what seemed like an eternity of getting dragged through one hellish landscape after another, Sandova woke up to the sound of birds chirping. Groaning he got up from the ground and looked around.

He was in a forest, a big, lush, verdant, green forest. In front of him was an ornate gate of some sort. The gate was enormous and seemed made of rune-covered metal, which glowed from the inside. The gate was closed, though he could see scorch marks on the grass around the gate and himself.

"Now where the Nine Hells did I end up in? And why does my everything hurt like I went through them? Oh wait, I did do that, didn't I."

Before he could think further about his situation he heard something akin to growling behind him, in the same way that a waterfall sounds akin to falling water.

He turned around and saw the biggest dog-no hound he'd ever seen. It looked like it could use a barn as doghouse and still feel cramped, the fact that it had three very angry looking heads that leered simultaneously at Sandova didn't help him feel any more comfortable.

"Why didn't I just become a librarian?"
~
Twilight Sparkle, Equestria's most powerful unicorn and Princess Celestia's personal student was on her way to study the Tartarus gate when she heard the scream. Before she could determine the source somepony-no, something ran out of the Everfree.

The thing was taller than her, even taller than Big Macintosh, and walked on its hind legs like a Diamond Dog. Its body looked vaguely simian, although far finer in build. Its shoulder-long mane was blond, and it wore a black robe with red trims.

It was also running wildly towards Twilight, a panicked look on its face.

Behind the creature a deep, low growling could be heard, and no sooner had it cleared the forest's edge when Cerberus burst out of the forest. The guardian of Tartarus seemed hell-bent on chasing the thing that was now only a few feet away from Twilight.

"Cerberus! Down, bad boy."

At these words the great hound's pace faltered a bit, and one head looked confused at Twilight. Using the distraction to its advantage the creature swerved around Twilight and kept running, ignoring Twilight in the process.

"Leave that poor thing alone. It looks scared out of its mind."

Behind her the creature tried to see its assailant while running, tripped and fell down, hard. When it didn't move Twilight stopped berating Cerberus and hurried to its side. Cerberus tried to follow but was met with a stern glare from Twilight.

"Oh no you don't. Get back to your post, now!"

Knowing the pupil of his master Cerberus decided it was best to listen, and with a final growl it walked back into the Everfree.

Looking down at the strange creature Twilight became worried. When it fell it had hit its head, and now it was unconscious and bleeding from a gash in its forehead.

"Oh you poor thing, let's take you to Fluttershy's, she'll know what to do."

With those words Twilight teleported away, taking the unconscious creature with her.

Author's Note

This is my second attempt at making a story, and my first attempt to do it in English
I apologize for any grammatical errors, since English isn't my native language.
Friendly criticism and advice welcome, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing this.
-Sandova