Know your enemy.

I should've remembered that the moment I learned she was spying on Princess Twilight. I only know two things about her; she's very smart and very well guarded. I let those two facts sit at the forefront of my mind and blind me to the fact that she is still, very, vulnerable. I just need to follow Alda's example, and study up on my enemy.

First thing I should learn is what she seeks to gain by coming to Everfree? The forest doesn’t hold much of interest beside the castle of the Two Sister’s, and that’s in the opposite direction. In fact my senses are leading me into the boondocks, the very bowels of the forest known to house its most lethal predators. Not even Zecora treads this part of the woods.

“Sw-Sw-Sweetie B-B-Belle,” Apple Bloom says in a tone more shaky than her trembling hooves. “M-Maybe I-I ought’a g-g-go back. I m-m-m-mean, y-you don’t need me f-for this r-r-right? I might j-j-just, sl-l-low you down.”

I stop walking for a moment and stand stone still. Somewhere far off in the dense forest I can hear the rustling leaves, the stomping of paws, and the heavy breathing of predators.

“Normally I’d agree with you, but at this point it might be more dangerous to send you back, at least on your own.”

“S-so then, you’ll f-follow me back?” she asks sheepishly.

“If Alda did talk Scootaloo into coming with her then it’s only a matter of time before she convinces her to do something she’ll regret. Sorry Apple Bloom, but I’d rather not find out that one of my best friends sold her soul or got demon possessed because I walked you home tonight.”

Apple Bloom loses the blood in her face, “Well… that’s… understandable.”

I look back at her with a smile. “Ah, don’t worry too much. Just stick close to me, I won’t let anything hurt you. Besides, didn’t you want to help me out before?”

She makes an ‘erk’ sound and turns her head away from me. “Well, to be perfectly honest with you, that was mostly Scootaloo’s idea. You seem ta’ know what yer’ doin’, and… and I get really uncomfortable whenever you do yer’ demonic stuff. Y-you’re… you’re not mad are yah’?”

I look her in the eye, and chuckle. “Not at all. If anything I’m a little happy to hear you say that.”

She jumps back an inch and stares at me wide eyed. “Wha-Why?”

I don’t lose my smile, but I don’t say a word. The question sits like a corpse slowly decomposing into dust; I almost feel like a corpse myself. Why she asks? “Because I don’t want you to throw away what I don’t have.”

My answer only serves to plaster confusion across her face. “What?”

“We should keep moving. Alda won’t hesitate to spring whatever it is she’s planning for Scootaloo.”

I move forward without waiting a response. She doesn’t take too long to fall back in line behind me, and stays there until we reach Alda’s location.

We come to a clearing in the forest, a circle of tall grass drenched in lunar rays. Alda sits in the center of this circle, lying on her back with her hooves to the sky. My enhanced sight picks up on disturbed earth, and I can smell a strange substance, some weird powder. She’s clearly preparing for some sort of ritual, but it’s hard for me to decipher what sort. She moves and wriggles on the ground in odd movements and occasionally releases soft moans, almost as if she’s being fu-oh, by, the seven names of Satan that’s actually what’s happening, isn’t it?

Now that my mind is on the subject, Alda did say those demons of hers could shapeshift into any number of forms, didn’t she; probably into great big tentacle monsters or massive snakes. Just imagining what those dirty little things are doing to her right now is making me a little heated. I can just picture them tunneling deep inside of her, creating every sigh and pleasured grunt with intense energy, wrapping their limbs tight around her body, rubbing every crevice of her skin, before sliding their way down to her backside and thrusting straight up into her-

“Sweetie Belle, why are you smilin’ like that?”

My face is pulsing red when Apple Bloom snaps me out of my trance. “Uh...um, no reason.”

“Hu, and uh, why is your wing out all of a sudden?”

I look over my shoulder to see my one good wing out and sticking straight up in the air. I force the wing back into hiding with a flash of hellfire, and give a nervous grin to Apple Bloom.

“We should uh, focus more on taking care of Alda right now, shouldn’t we.” I say it to remind myself just as much as Apple Bloom. Honestly Sweetie, Alda is the fucking enemy. Take care of her demons, save Ponyville, make sure Scootaloo isn’t dead, and then you can rape her.

With my priorities in check I hone my senses one more time to check for any other signs of life, namely Scootaloo. I hear strange slithering noises from the demons, Alda’s pleasured grunts, and even some wildlife off deeper in the forest, but nothing that sounds like another pony.

Fear’s cold hand grips at chest. If something already happened to Scootaloo I’m not sure I’ll be able to forgive myself. I know for damn sure I won’t be able to control myself. Alda I swear to Luna if you hurt her, I’ll make death seem like a mercy after I’m through with you.

“Well Sweetie, what are we doing?” Apple Bloom whispers.

I think for several more moments, before making a decision. “I’m going out there Apple Bloom, I want you to stay… actually, I want you to stay right next to me. If Alda’s demons are anything like me then they might already know we’re here.”

She makes an audible gulp at that. “Stayin’ right next to you then, Sweetie.”

I give a nod in response, and then we slowly walk out into the open. I notice white lines drawn in the grass when we get closer. They form a perfect circle in front of Alda with demonic sigils spread around it. It seems like she’s preparing for something and I can only guess what, though it’s hard to think with those increasingly loud moans ahead of us. Alda’s fuck session doesn’t slow down as we approach. She doesn’t even notice us when we stand just a few feet away from her. I clear my throat to get a response.

Alda opens her eyes and looks up at us with a smirk. “Oh, hello there Sweetie, what a pleasant surprise to see you here.”

“Where is she?” I demand.

“Yes, one second please, I’ll be with you in a minute.” The weird movements of her body continue and she sighs in ecstasy. I roll my eyes and glare at her through the whole session.

It occurs to me that she's in a pretty vulnerable position right now, especially if Apple Bloom was smart enough to bring holy water with her; but if Alda was smart enough to blackmail me like she did then I doubt she's dumb enough to group all of her demons in one place. That, and I'm pretty sure Apple Bloom is too distressed to be of much use right now.

She stares wide eyed at the scene, a look between confused and traumatized. I’m just glad those demons are invisible right now. Well, for the most part, anyway. I try and fail not to get aroused. By the time Alda orgasms I’m already wondering just how big those shadow demons can make themselves.

Alda pants on the ground for awhile and then sits up on her haunches. Apple Bloom finds a faint voice behind her hooves. “Are… are yer’ demons… hurtin’ you?”

She gives a mischievous smirk and replies. “Why yes, yes they are. In ways you couldn’t even imagine.”

“Alright enough!” I blurt, partly to shut her up and partly to stop any more fantasies from entering my head. “Cut the bullshit Alda, you know why we’re here. Where is Scootaloo?”

“Scootawho?”

I growl through my teeth. “Don’t you dare play dumb now, Alda. I know you talked Scootaloo into coming out here to perform one of your rituals. Now where do you have her?”

Alda gives me a confused stare, before her eyes drift upward and she has a revelation. “Oh yes, now I remember, the little orange pegasus with the attitude. Yes, I remember that friend of yours.”

I stomp my hoof into the ground. “Well, where is she?”

“Sorry to say, but she’s not here Sweetie. She never was.”

My eyes flash red with anger. “Where did you take her then? If you hurt her I swear to every demon in hell-”

“I did nothing to her Sweetie,” she replies coolly. “She never trusted me for an instant.”

Wrath leaves me, and shock replaces it. I stare at Alda for the longest time, scanning her face for even a hint of dishonesty.

“What are you talkin’ about?” Apple Bloom states. “I saw Scootaloo walk off right after you made us that offer. I haven’t heard from her all day!”

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, but she certainly didn’t come with me. I talked with her again after our little chat, she did seem to hold the greatest interest in what I do after all.” She gives a faint chuckle. “But, as it turned out, she practically snarled at me when I offered to teach her occult magick. It seems that you hold quite a strong influence over these girls, Sweetie.”

“She… turned you down?” I ask blankly.

“Her exact words were, ‘go fuck yourself with a rusty cheese grater and die you demon worshipping piece of shit.’ If that gives you an idea.”

I’m silent for several long moments. All that tension, and all the stress for a problem that didn’t even exist. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“I have to say, I never knew it was possible to brainwash ponies to such an extent. You must really give those 'friends' of yours some enticing payment. What's your secret, Sweetie Belle?"

I bare my teeth and snarl at her. “Shut the hell up, Alda. What are you even doing out here anyway?”

She laughs that dainty laugh of hers. “What does it look like I’m doing?” She motions a hoof to the white lines all around her. “I assure it’s exactly what it looks like. I’m an honest devil worshipper, after all.”

“I meant specifically. What ritual are you trying to perform?”

Alda stares at me, her smile still stuck on her lips. “Contacting the dead.”

I raise an eyebrow at this. “Why?”

“Because I feel like it, do I need any other reason?”

“The only use in contacting the dead is getting information. Didn’t you get enough of that in Ponyville, you greedy bitch?"

The daintiness slips, and her laughter comes out like that a snorting pig. "Oh my, you really have some nerve taking that tone of voice with me. Are you forgetting exactly who has an ax over your head right now?"

"I always make good on threats, Alda. I'm still going to kill you, and kill you slowly. All I have to do is deal with your little friends first."

Her smile comes with a raised eyebrow this time. "You're persistent, I'll give you that much, but persistence doesn't always mean victory. You really need to stop being such an idealist, Sweetie Belle."

"And you need to stop being such a fucking politician. I'm still waiting for an answer, why are you contacting the dead?"

She closes her eyes and breathes a sigh. "Well, how about this? If you need to know so badly then why don't you stick around and see for yourself?"

The conversation comes to a halt. The faint tingle of wind is the only thing I can hear. Does she actually want me to stay? To see what she’s going to do? That’s the only reason I could see for her making me that offer, but, why? Unless, she has something planned. She could’ve laid down a trap ritual for all I know. Yet, I didn’t see any signs of dishonesty when she told me she was contacting the dead, not even a curved lip or a swish of the tail. If she’s lying, she must be the best damn liar on the face of the planet for me not to pick up on it.

Something really doesn’t feel right about this, but I didn’t come out here just to turn back with nothing. I’ll have to stay, just to see what she’s up to. Still, never hurts to be extra cautious.

“I want to look at the ritual markings you’ve set up, every last one of them. Then I’ll sit down and watch.”

Alda chuckles and shakes her head. “Not one to take anything on word alone, are you? Very well, check if you must, just don’t mess anything up. It took me awhile to get the symbols right.”

I let out a grunt. I take Apple Bloom by the shoulder and lead her with me. “Stay right next to me.”

She nods in answer.

I spend several minutes examining each of the sigils and ritual markings she laid down. They don’t look any different from any other necromantic spells I’ve seen, though I do note that there is an obscene amount. The entire clearing from the center to the forest is covered in these symbols.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Apple Bloom says.

“Not really, but we can’t turn back now.”

She gives a worried moan, and looks towards Alda with conflicted eyes. “I don’t know, Sweetie Belle, Alda’s tricky. What if she did somethin’ with this ritual that not even you can notice? She already got yah’ good with those shadow demons a’ hers.”

“Yeah, no need to tell me twice,” I state. “But I think we’re gonna need to take a risk on this, Apple Bloom. If we don’t find someway to fight her soon she might leave town before we even have the chance. You still want to help our sisters right?”

She stares at me with narrowed eyes and a scowl. “What do you mean? Of course I do! I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Alda’s dirty hooves out their business… it’s just, well, do yah’ have a plan, or at least know what yer’ about to do?”

I’m silent for a moment as I gaze over the final ritual marking. “I have one thing in mind. I just need to figure out exactly how I’m gonna go about pulling it off. Don’t worry though Apple Bloom, if anything happens I’ll make sure you stay safe.”

“I’m not the one who Alda’s tryin’ to kill here.”

“I’ll make sure everyone’s safe Apple Bloom, I promise.”

There I go again, making promises I really have no idea if I can keep. Apple Bloom looks at my assuring face a moment before eventually catching it herself. We smile at each other before heading back to the center of the area where Alda waits patiently for us.

“All to your liking then, Sweetie Belle?” she says with a teasing smirk.

I scowl back at her. “As much as it’ll ever be.”

“Then let us begin.” She stands to her hooves, stretching out her wings with a flap. “Please, take a seat right where you are.”

We look at her suspiciously a moment, before slowly lowering onto our haunches and sitting in the grass.

Alda reaches behind her and pulls out a long silver knife and a strange cone shaped hat. She places the hat in the center of the circle, then takes the knife and sticks it into the bottom of her hoof. She twists and skewers the most sensitive flesh, hiding the pain in her face. She grunts and pulls the knife out, then drips just a few drops onto the hat. She steps outside the circle, then lowers her head and places her two front hooves together. The runes around us begin to emit a faint glow, and I can sense a spike of Demonic energy. Alda inhales deeply, and breathes a long drawn out sigh. “Samael, Deus mortis, custos et inferni, custos portae. Invocemus nomen tuum, et invoco potestas in hac nocte. Aperite portas mortis, transitum animarum perditam inquam, et non sinebat ea loqui quia morientur. Hoc cum factum est, ut omnes animæ tuæ revertemini ad amplexibus. Benedictus angelus mortis!”

Smoke rises from the circle on the ground. Sparks surge through the lines and then burst into flames creating a huge ring of fire. In the center of the inferno, a faint green flame flickers ominously.

“Exorior! Exorior, Harvest Sapling! Exorior!”
Apple Bloom is shaking and utters trembling words. “S-Sweetie, what is she saying?”

“It’s an old language Apple Bloom, one that was long dead even at the time the first race roamed the planet.”

“N-N-No, I mean… why is she-”

There’s a sudden gust of wind. The flames rise and the green one in the center floats into the air.

“Exorior, Harvest Sapling! Exorior, Harvest Sapling! Exorior!”

The green flame explodes into a blinding light. There’s a voice that groans as the light dissipates, a voice rife with exhaustion. Silence follows, only the crackling of flame is heard and a cold atmosphere settles in. I rub my adjusting eyes and look up to see the green flame has taken the form of a large muscular stallion with ragged old clothing, a cone shaped cap, and a plain wooden staff in his hoof.

Alda smiles and says. “Hello, are you the one named Harvest Sapling?”

The stallion looks down at her. “Aye, that wast mine name, once many ages ago.”

“Wait a minute!” Apple Bloom jumps to her hooves and stares at the apparition with large eyes. “Harvest Sapling? That’s yer’ name? The one who lived outside Equestria before it was even called Equestria?”

The stallion turns to her. There’s a tired look in his eyes, and he has weak trembling lips. “Yes, I lived outside this nation before it came about.”

“Apple Bloom, you know this guy?” I gape.

Her face is a mix of fear and amazement. She points a hoof up to the ghost. “Sweetie Belle… this is my ancestor. My oldest ancestor, the patriarch of my whole family. He was the very first Apple.”

Breath escapes me. My eyes dart back and forth between the spirit and Apple Bloom, trying to make the connection. “But-but-but, he doesn’t even have the same name as Apple.”

“It was changed later after he perfected the farmin’ tricks we still use today.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” I say rapidly. “Why did you summon this guy Alda? What could you possibly want to ask him?”

“I’ll have you know that I have an extremely important question to ask this individual,” she states calmly. “Mr. Sapling, is it true that eating your apples can give enhanced male performance and sex drive?”

There is silence for such a long time after that question, even the spirit seems to be looking at her funny. “N… Nay.”

“Ah well damnit to hell then, it was worth a shot. We have no more questions for you, well, unless of course, my friends here would like to ask you something?”

That fucking, anal, cunt! I feel Apple Bloom's gaze stare upon me, vibrant curiosity burning in her eyes. "Apple Bloom, please tell me you see what she's trying to do."

"I do, I do… but…” She turns and looks up at the spirit again, a city of questions living in her eyes. “This is my ancestor Sweetie Belle. When will I ever get another chance like this?”

“I… I could set up a ritual just like this. One that Alda has no part of, you could ask all the questions you want.”

“Are you so sure about that Sweetie?” Alda asks. “You know that the older a spirit is the harder it is to summon. Look at all the effort I had to put into setting up this one ritual. It took up the entirety of the field and several hours of my time. Do think you’ll have either? If you’re so set on fighting every demon that comes through here that is.”

I grit my teeth, unable to deny the hint of truth in Alda’s words. Apple Bloom is back in contemplative thought, staring up at the ghost with wide wondering eyes.

"Apple Bloom she wouldn’t be doing this unless she had a reason,” I say. “She’s up to something and we should-"

"Is it safe?"

"What?"

"Is it safe?” She turns to look straight at me. “Is there anythin' about this ritual that could be dangerous at all? You told me you were gonna be truthful from now on, didn't you?"

The last question chokes me. She stares at me like a judge in a courtroom and I have no defense. I struggle to answer her. “Well… yes, it looks pretty safe. She did everything right and put up several safety runes. As long as you stay out of the summoning circle you should be fine.”

Her stern eyes go lax, a smile grows on her face. “So there’s no harm in askin’ him a few questions.”

“Apple Bloom, you can’t trust her.”

“I think that’s a decision that she needs to make on her own, don’t you?” Alda chimes in. “Without your impeding influence to guide her.”

There’s enough venom in my glare to melt Alda’s skin. Shit, this is bad. Can’t Apple Bloom see that she’s up to something here, or maybe she just doesn’t care? Either way, it appears that Apple Bloom is gonna play right into her trap. She looks up at the spirit with a lump in her throat and awe struck eyes. “So… so yer’ the first Apple then?”

The spirit nods its head.

“So… so what did our family do before they took up farmin’?”

The spirit looks at her a moment, a tiny smirk curves in his lip. “Before we tended thy land, we wast nomads of differing trades. We wast merchants, gypsies, thieves, and dancers. We had little more than the clothes on our backs and the rubbish we stole, but we were united as a family, that hath never changed.”

Apple Bloom hangs on every word, enamored in the same way she is when her grandmother talks about old memories. “So we were travelers back then. This is amazin’! I’ve never been able to find that out, not even Granny Smith or any of her old relatives knew what we did before farmin’.”

I give her a smile. “Well, I’m glad you were able to find the answer. So, if you’re done asking questions-”

“Are you kiddin’, I’m just gettin’ started. I’ve got tons more questions to ask; uh, if that’s okay with you, Mr. Sapplin’.”

The spirit gets a blank face. “I’m dead. Tis’ not like I have anything better to do.”

“R-right, of course,” Apple Bloom stutters.

“And I’m guessing you have no protest to this either?” I say to Alda.

She shrugs. “I’ve got all night.”

I growl, but it does little to stop Apple Bloom from proceeding. “So, what made you decide to take up farmin’ then?”

The Spirit grins once more. “Long ago there wast a horrid drought that plagued the land. The soil dried, the crops withered, and food was scarce through all the land. Then one day, after much pondering and isolation, I wast able to grow a crop that survived this drought.”

It continues like this for sometime. Apple Bloom asks a slew of questions which the spirit is all too happy to answer. Alda sits quietly through all of it, only occasionally giving me a sly glance from time to time. What is she planning with this? Does she actually think she can get Apple Bloom to trust her, when she admitted to working for someone who is trying to kill her sister at this very moment?

The thought hits me like a steam train when it comes.

What if she’s just trying to capture Apple Bloom? It didn’t even cross my mind earlier because I figured Alda viewed me as just another demon who sees everyone around them as expendable, but what if she’s not even thinking about me? If she had Apple Bloom, or Scootaloo, or even me for that matter, she’d have the perfect leverage over the Elements. None of them would raise a hoof against Asmodeus if it meant risking our lives.

Damnit, I should’ve thought of this sooner. My friends and I are in real danger if that’s the case, Alda could be looking for any opportunity to nab one of us, hell that could’ve been the only reason she came to Ponyville. I need to get Apple Bloom out of here, but, what about Alda? If I don’t find a way to punch through her defenses soon she might end up slipping away before I get the opportunity. Seven names of Satan, what do I do?”

Time marches on in my indecision, and eventually Apple Bloom runs out of questions to ask. She sits in awed satisfaction. “Wow, no wonder Big Mac’ is so smart, I never would’a believed we were distant relatives to that Star Swirl character. Thank yah so much Mr. Sapplin’, I don’t have anymore questions for yah’.”

The spirit tips its hat to her but doesn’t smile, in fact it lets out a depressed sigh. “Don’t mention it.”

Alda claps her hooves together and the apparition dissipates instantly. She gives Apple Bloom a friendly smile. “I hope everything was to your satisfaction.”

“Yeah, I never seen anythin’ like it before in my life.” Apple Bloom smiles for a moment, but then it fades, giving way to a sad frown. “But, I have to ask, can this ritual summon anyone from the dead?”

“Pretty much. Why, do you have a special request?” Alda asks.

Apple Bloom looks at the ground and rubs the side of her hoof. “Could… could yah’ summon up ma’ mother?”

My heart jumps into my throat. “No!”

I look at Apple Bloom with intense fear. “You can’t do that, Apple Bloom. It’s a very bad idea to summon up close relatives or friends. It never ends well!”

“I’m actually gonna have to agree with her on this one,” Alda says. “Dead friends and relatives have a habit of becoming… well, emotional around living loved ones.”

Apple Bloom is quiet for a moment. She looks at the ground with blank eyes, then whispers, “She died when ah’ was just a baby. Both my parents died before I could even speak to em’, before I could even recognize their faces.”

Her voice is drowning in despair, her eyes close tight, strangling tears before they can escape. “Please, this could be the only chance I’ll ever have to meet her. You have to at least try. I’d give nearly anythin’ to see my mom at least once.”

My heart is torn between pain and sympathy. Apple Bloom has no idea how much weight those words carry among the demonic realm. I can only pray Alda doesn’t have the power to take advantage of that statement in its fullest.

“I still wouldn’t recommend it,” Alda says. “But, if it’s truly what you want, then I won’t deny you. However, there is another hurdle we must jump before we can summon your mother. You see, in order to summon a spirit you need one of two things. A personal object that belonged to the spirit in question, such as the hat I placed in the circle; or…”

Apple Bloom stares unblinking. “Or what?”

“Or the blood of one of the spirit’s descendants,” I finish.

Apple Bloom’s eyes go wide. She looks down at her hoof, I can almost see her mentally picturing the knife going into it. We share the same expression; pale faced fear. Apple Bloom turns her gaze up to Alda who twirls the gleaming knife in her hoof, still damp with her own blood. She struts around the circle over to Apple Bloom, her ever so confident smile scarred into her face.

“The only other thing you’ll need is a name and a face. I can give the chant and the name, all you have to do is give the blood and picture the face.” She grabs the blade of the knife and presents the hilt inches away from Apple Bloom’s face. “Of course, it’s still entirely up to you. I’m just presenting you with the opportunity.”

Her sycil smile could cut a mare’s head off. Apple Bloom stutters a moment, sweat dripping down her chest in large heavy drops. She lifts a trembling hoof to the hilt of the knife and takes it from Alda. Her reflection shines in the silver of the knife, and the red of the blood.

Now is my chance.

“Apple Bloom.” I grab the blade of the knife with one hoof and place the other on her shoulder. “Please think about this. This isn’t going to bring her back. You won’t be able to see her again after this. It’s only going to cause more pain.”

She trembles in fear, her eyes are flooded with desperate sorrow. “And if I don’t go through with it, I’ll spend my whole life knowin’ I wasted the one chance I had to speak with her. Don’t yah’ see it, Sweetie? I need to try, I at least need to try. If I don’t I’m gonna be kickin’ myself about it for the rest a’ mah’ life.”

I choke down my own sympathy. “Apple Bloom… you’re not gonna like what she has to say to you.”

Her eyes widen, then turn to anger. “And what the hell makes you the judge of that?! Yah’ never met her, yah’ don’t even know her name! Yah’ have no right to make that assumption!”

“It’s nothing like that, Apple Bloom.”

“Then what is it then!” she spits. “Why are you so against me seein’ my own mother for the first time?”

I stutter, answering her only with silence. When that remains the only answer I give to her for some time she turns to the ritual circle without fear. She lifts the clean gleaming knife to her hoof. She hesitates a moment, trembling and breathing heavily. She closes her eyes tight, bites her lip, and then slides the blade across her hoof.

She shrieks and falls to the ground gripping her bleeding hoof. I stand over her for aid, she looks up to me with gritted teeth. “How do yah’ do that so often?”

She grunts and climbs to her hooves. Alda smirks at her and motions to the circle. Apple Bloom nods and then shakes the knife in front of it, flicking drops of blood into the center.

Alda watches the blood land, sitting with crossed hooves and a mocking smile. “Now then, what is the name of the young mare we’re calling up?”

Apple Bloom takes in a long breath. “Apple Amber.”

“Very well then.” She claps her hooves together and the flames of the circle rise again. “Now, I’d like you to picture the face of your mother as I say the chant. Don’t take your mind off it until the ritual is done, or it won’t work.”

Apple Bloom nods and closes her eyes. Alda presses her hooves together again. “Exorior! Exorior, Apple Amber! Exorior!”

My gut tightens with each word. The green flame appears in the center of the circle and slowly rises into the air.

“Exorior, Apple Amber! Exorior, Apple Amber! Exorior!”

The flames rises higher and higher with each chant. I bite the edge of my hoof as the ritual nears its crescendo. The flames flickers shakes in the air, becoming more violent every second. It continues to grow more intense until it finally explodes into blinding light.

The disorientation doesn’t last as long this time. My eyes readjust to the lower light levels. My breath becomes icy cold as my gaze travels into the center of the summoning circle to see… nothing.

Apple Bloom gawks at the empty space with a limp jaw. “What-what happened? Why didn’t it work?”

“Yes, that’s another thing I should’ve mentioned,” Alda says. “Only certain souls can be called up through this ritual, or through any ritual for that matter. Some souls come up easy as day, others will never come forth no matter how much you call them.”

Apple Bloom’s whole demeanor changes. Breath quivers from her lips, her ears fall flat against her skull. Her face is painful for me to look at. So much disappointment, so much crushed hope. Her expression is a graveyard for dead dreams. She clenches her eyes shut and speaks in a choked voice. “Try again.”

I extend a concerned hoof. “Apple Bloom.”

“Try it again!”

She grabs the knife and starts gouging at her hoof. She cries out with every swing of the knife, groaning and screaming in pain, but continues to repeatedly gash her own flesh.

“Apple Bloom, Apple Bloom!” I grab her arm before she can flay herself and hold her still as she struggles in my hooves. “Apple Bloom stop! It’s not going to work, there’s no point to mutilating yourself!”

“No, no, it has to! It has to work! It ain’t fair! I should be able to see her again, it has to work!” She pulls against my hooves one last time before falling limp in my arms. She whimpers, tears falling from her face into her open wounds. I clench my eyes shut and gently set her down. She sobs in the dirt while I undo the bow in her mane and tend to the heavily bleeding wounds. I don’t know how she’s going to explain this to her family.

I never stop looking at her, even as I take her hoof in mine and begin wrapping. She cries into the ground and claws at the earth with her free hoof. I breath a shivering sigh. “It just means the ritual didn’t work, Apple Bloom, nothing else. I’m sure your mother would love to see you again just as much as you want to see her, but… this wasn’t the way to go about it. It’s probably for the best that it ended this way.”

I tug the wrapping one final time. It’s a crude job, and she’ll probably need to replace it later on, but it’ll do for now. She sits up on her haunches, her face stained with tears, her eyes like a wounded animal. Sympathy tugs at my stomach. I wrap my hooves around her chest and hug her tightly. “I’m sorry.”

I hold her close for a moment, gently swaying back and forth and closing my eyes to tune out the world. She breaths silently in my ear, her tears fall against my shoulder. Her voice shudders and comes as a whisper.

“Ma’ father.”

I blink twice and break our embrace. Apple Bloom looks straight past me and right at Alda.

“Apple Bloom.”

“Summon ma’ father!” She pushes me aside and struggles to raise the blood drenched knife. “His name is Apple Marley! Summon him up! Do it, please!”

She flicks the blood into the circle, nearly collapsing on the ground in doing so, and begs Alda with pleading eyes. Alda’s expression hasn’t changed an inch the whole time, her serpent smirk is just as mocking as ever. She sits up and claps her hooves together again.

“Exorior, Apple Marley! Exorior! Exorior! Exorior, Apple Marley!”

The response is instantaneous. Flames rise, the green fire rises, and Apple Bloom clenches the dirt beneath her as she watches. I make sure to cover my eyes this time as the flash of light comes. When it’s safe to look again I see a spirit hovering over the circle, its back turned to us.

Apple Bloom stares up with wide hopeful eyes. “D-Dad, is that you? It’s me Apple Bloom? Yer’ daughter.”

The spirit’s form freezes and doesn’t move an inch. It slowly turns to face us. Apple Bloom’s expectant face shatters like glass in a hurricane and she screams. I have to fight an urge to vomit myself.

The spirit’s face looks nothing like a stallion’s. It doesn’t like anything that should naturally come from this planet. It’s a bloated mess of shredded flesh and boils pushed together to make some semblance of a face. Muscle fibers hang loosely down from its skinned jaw, one eyeball is hidden underneath slumping mound of flesh, and other juts from his head like it could fall out of his skull at any second.

This monstrosity stares down at us with an unreadable expression, it’s lone eye trained on my friend.

“Apple Bloom? Apple Bloom, is that you?” It speaks normally in a clear voice, and a sad tone. “It is you, it must be you. W-Why? Why would you summon me like this? Why would you ever wish to see yer’ father in such a state?”

Apple Bloom shivers and trembles in place. She continues staring at the apparition even as the blood drains from her face. “N-No, no, yer’ not mah’ dad, you can’t be. The last ghost appeared so perfectly! What in Equestria happened to make you look like this?”

Her father looks at her a moment before answering. “More than likely the former spirits yah’ called up were from a higher circle; Limbo, or maybe even Lust. I, however, was sentenced to a more extreme fate. Greater punishment for greater sin, that is rule here in hell.”

Her gasp sounds more like a gunshot. Her hooves come up to her mouth and her eyes are lit with horror. “H… H… Hell? Why would you… no, you can’t be. That can’t be true!”

“The Creator does not allow his own flock to be tampered with,” the spirit explains. “He protects them closely, and ensures none of them ever leave the gates a’ heaven. For this reason, demonic rituals such as these can only contact spirits within hell. Didn’t you know that Apple Bloom?”

“Oops,” Alda chirps tapping her hooves. “I guess I forgot to mention that.”

Go choke on the devil's thorny dick Alda.

Tears come to Apple Bloom’s eyes again and she clenches them shut to smother the moisture. “My dad was a good pony! Applejack loved him, Big Mac loved, Granny loved them, my mom loved him! I never heard a single bad thing about him, he can’t be in hell, he can’t be!”

The spirit is silent only a moment, then speaks in a slow voice. “Among my family, among my friends, yes, I was very good. I always wanted to be honest and kind among them, I loved them. But that was just one part of my life Apple Bloom. My business, my personal pursuits, could not have been any more deplorable.”

He looks up from his daughter, off into the distance. There’s pain in his voice. “I can’t even count the number of ponies I cheated, lied, and stolen from in mah’ life. Everyday I swindled ponies into paying more than they should have, I used fraudulent deeds to expand the farm, and with the help a violent pardner I drove any competition we had out a’ Ponyville.”

He hangs his head in despair and sighs. “My shady practices caught up with me though. That pardner a’ mine started demandin’ more pay, and when I threatened to end our dealin’s she went after me… and yer’ mother. She killed yer’ mom right in front of me. Her last breath was used to ask me ‘why?’”

His voice cracks, tears form in his lone eyes but he doesn’t have any eyelids to calm the moisture. “I’ve been askin’ myself that same question for so long now, over and over again, ever since that day. But now, I have to ask you the same thing. Why? Why would you do this, Apple Bloom? Could you truly believe that any good could come of this evil?”

Apple Bloom shrinks under his gaze. “I-I just wanted to see you, just one time, that’s all I wanted, Dad!”

“So you performed a demonic ritual!”

“I-I-I… It was her, that cultist! She’s the one who talked me into it, she’s the one who did the ritual!”

“Oh, you give me too much credit Apple Bloom,” Alda chides. “You were so eager to rip yourself to slithers for this ritual. You gave so much blood it’s a miracle you didn’t pass out from the loss of it.”

Apple Bloom shudders back, touching the damp wrapping on her arm. I step in front of her. “Alda, shut the hell up.”

“Why? I’m just telling him the truth,” she giggles. “She has accomplished much for such a young filly. She could be a well practiced cultist in no time. She has, after all, just performed her first ritual, to say nothing of the fact that she already befriended an immensely powerful succubus demon from the pit of hell.

“What!”

The spirit glares down at his daughter, snarling like a savage dog. “You’re in contact with a demon?”

Apple Bloom is shaking so much she can barely formulate a response. “She’s… she’s… she’s my friend, Dad, I’ve known her for years. I didn’t know she was a demon until a few days ago and then-”

“So she lied to you! You know she lied to you and you still trust her!”

“Dad, please.”

“Do yah’ even realize what yer’ gettin’ involved with? Demons are the most deceptive creatures in the world, Apple Bloom! They’re liars whole say anythin’ to get yah’ into hell! Anythin’ to make sure yah’ don’t see the light a’ heaven!”

“She tries to be good!”

“She’s a monster who feeds off pain of others! How can that ever be good?!”

“Enough!” I glare up at the spirit ready to boil. “If you want to scold someone then scold me. I led your daughter into this. It’s my fault she’s out here performing this ritual to begin with!”

“Don’t you speak to me, monster!” he spits.

I slam my hoof into the ground emitting demonic energy. “One word! That’s all I need to say to cut this ritual short, and send you back to hell! And please, feel free to call me a monster, because I admit to being as such, as I do to leading your daughter into this. But don’t you dare try to accuse me of intending anything ill for her. I was against her being involved in this ritual from the very beginning, and I admit that it was a big mistake bringing her out here to begin with. Point your hoof at me if you want, but know that I never once wanted any harm to come to her, ever!”

The spirit stares at me in silence for the longest time. Only the thin trails of smoke that rise up from the fire have the courage to move in the time. The spirit leans its head down close to me, and says in a growling tone, “If that’s the case, then why was it that I had to be the one who to tell her she was raisin’ up spirits out a’ hell? Did yah’ never think that might be important to bring up at some point?”

I grit my teeth and make a choked sound in the back of my throat. Alda peeks at me with half lidded eyes and a mocking smile. Even Apple Bloom is giving me a weird look after that statement. Her father aims that scowl of his at me once more, before turning towards Apple Bloom.

“Yah’ see now darlin’, she can’t be trusted, none a’ them can. Follow creatures like these and you’ll end up like me; rotting away, forced into endless toil, endless work, with no rest or peace for the remainder a yer’ existence. It’s too late for me Apple Bloom, but you still have a chance, and I’d trade away any chance a’ redemption I have left if it ensures that you don’t join me here.”

The spirit tears up again, fighting a losing battle against his emotions. “Run, Apple Bloom! Get away from here! Stay away from this demon, and don’t ever do somethin’ so reckless again! Please, as much as I miss yah’, I don’t ever want to see yah’ again! I couldn’t bare to see you again!”

Apple Bloom doesn’t respond, doesn’t say anything for the longest time. She just stares up at her father in silence. My heart sinks lower every second this goes on.

“Apple Bloom-”

“No! Don’t let her anywhere near you, Apple Bloom, just run!” her father screams. “She’ll betray you, she’ll manipulate you, she’ll do anythin’ she wants and when yer’ no more use to her she’ll drag yer’ soul into the pit of hell! Don’t let it happen, Apple Bloom! Don’t believe her lies, don’t let them damn you like they damned me!”

I whip around to the spirit with a burst of anger. I raise my hoof up towards and shout in a voice echoing demonic energy, “Peractio!”

In less than a second the flames encompassing the circle dissipates, and the spirit shouts wildly before vanishing from sight. Silence reigns again.

I lower my hoof and turn back to Apple Bloom. Tears stream down from her eyes. I start to say something, but then she stutters out, her voice cracks, and she screams towards the sky. She turn from me and limps off into Everfree.

“Apple Bloom, wait!”

“You’re welcome, by the way.” Alda’s voice stops my pursuit. I shoot venomous eyes in her direction and she smiles back, casually rolling a flower in her hoof picked fresh from the grass. “It’s really just what you told her earlier, remember? ‘Demons just do whatever they please. Can’t trust them any farther than you can throw them.’ All I did was teach her what you’ve been trying to this whole time.”

Her tone is calm and pitiless. She picks apart the petals on the flower, smiling with such angelic innocence. “It was a lesson I learned myself, very early on in my years in the occult. Demons can’t be trusted, only controlled; and if you can’t control them…”

She crushed the flower in her hoof, squeezing tightly for a moment before letting the crumpled plant drop to the ground. “Well, then you better make sure you can destroy them. Truly it was very noble of you to give this lesson to your friend, I’m sure she’ll benefit from it.”

She gives me that insufferable grin that’s more of a middle finger at this point. She remains gazing at me until her attention is pulled to a hissing sound from the forest.

“Oh would you look at that, it appears Aka got a late night snack for the road.” Her massive demonic snake comes slivering in from the forest, the remains of a bloody deer hoof disappear down its throat. “Good thing too, he can be so grumpy when he hasn’t eaten, but I’m sure you have more important things to be doing then listen to me. I’ll just say goodnight Sweetie Belle. I hope you have pleasant dreams.”

Rage comes rips into me like savage animal. I remain in place, frozen in anger. My teeth could shatter I’m clenching them so hard, faint whiffs of hellfire snort out my nose. I’m about ready to wrap that snake of hers around her neck and dig its fangs into her eye sockets, but I restrain myself, knowing all too well this isn’t the time or place.

I shut my eyes, grunt a breath, and turn my back to her. “Alda, the next time you leave town, consider yourself already dead.”

She chuckles daintly. “Oh, I’m sure of it.”

“I mean it. I don’t know what you have planned with this, or what the hell you’re doing outside town, but I promise you. Next time you better make whatever peace you can, because I’m going to tear your wings off and rape you with them.”

“Hooves crossed, I’ll be waiting,” she states. “Now don’t you have a scared young filly to console?”

I growl with anger one last time, before dashing off after Apple Bloom.

She couldn’t have gotten too far with that wound, but the way she was crying was like holding a big neon sign over her head that says ‘come eat me.’ It’s only a matter of time before something tries to cash in on that advertisement. I need to find her before then; not that tracking her down is difficult. My keen senses can pick up her screaming miles away, but I can also smell the stench of some particularly rank smelling predators close by. I don’t have a second to lose.

I charge through the forest at high speed, leaping over fallen trees and shrubs in my way. I catch up to Apple Bloom who’s still limping away with tears in her eyes. She sees me, and suddenly raises the silver dagger Alda gave her. “Sweetie, stay back, I’m warnin’ you!”

“Apple Bloom, get down!”

I lunge over her head and tackle the timber wolf in mid pounce. I stomp on its chest upon landing, shattering the beast into a shower of tiny pieces. The rest of the pack descends upon me, growling and raising claws, but these creatures are way out of their league.

I move in a blur of speed between each wolf, kicking, bucking, and slamming them into the ground. One hit each and they’re in pieces. I don’t even give them time to attack; by the time they can see me either I’m already gone, or they’re already dead.

I grab the last one by the tail and fling it into a nearby tree. I brush the proceeding rain of lumber and splinters out of my mane, then turn back to Apple Bloom who’s a few clicks away, leaning against a tall oak tree for support.

I wait only to catch my breath and then walk up to her. “Apple Bloom, I’m sorry that happened, but please don’t go running off like that. You could’ve been killed if I didn’t-”

She cuts me.

There’s no hesitation, no warning, she just lifts the knife and slashes me across the chest. I’m too stunned to react at first, too in shock to say anything. The wound heals quicker than it can bleed, but I can still feel it there, burning like spreading disease. I touch a hoof to the spot it was in, and turn my shocked gaze up to Apple Bloom. She points the knife inches away from my throat, glaring at me with a mix of pain and anger.

“Get back!” she snarls.

I inch away from her. I’m still too dazed to breath properly, but somehow words make it to my mouth. “A… A-Apple Bloom… you, you can’t… don’t tell me you actually believe what he said about me.”

Her breath is shaky and she pants heavier every passing second. “I don’t know… I don’t know, god damnit!”

She slams the butt of the knife into the tree at her back. She whimpers and hangs her head to let the tears water the ground. “You’ve been honest with me through this entire thing, I have no reason to doubt you, but…”

She lifts her head and glares at me once again. “You knew it, you knew the whole time where those spirits were comin’ from, but you still let me go through with it! Why didn’t cha’ say somethin’, Sweetie Belle?”

Her words are almost as painful as the knife. I desperately search for a response. “Wha-What was I supposed to do Apple Bloom? I didn’t know what Alda was planning until she summoned up that first spirit, and by then it was too late!”

“Yah’ had plenty a time to tell me where those spirits were comin’ from. Yah’ could ‘a done it right when Harvest Sappling showed up and that would a’ ended it!”

“Alda would’ve goaded you into anyway, and you know she would have!” I state. “She was completely focused on getting you to contact your ancestors. She never used the ritual for anything else. It was a trap, Apple Bloom! We knew we were walking into it, we just didn’t realize who it was set for! I never would’ve led you into that if I thought Alda was gonna pull something like that, but once I did I just…”

Words get stuck in my throat, my true intentions fight against coming out. I close my eyes and rub my hoof across my face. “Apple Bloom, I’m sorry… when I realized what Alda was gonna do… I made a snap decision and I’m still not sure it was the right one. Please though, don’t believe what your father said about me. I meant every word I said to him. I didn’t mean for you to see this tonight, I never meant for you to be hurt in anyway. I wish Alda set a trap for me, I really do!”

She clenches her eyes shut and turns away from me. I reach out to her. “Apple Bloom, please don’t believe Alda, please don’t-”

“It’s not just about what Alda or my father said!” She look back to me again with pained eyes. “It’s this whole damn situation! I’ve been trying Sweetie Belle, honest to Luna, hoof on heart, trying to get use to you being a demon. I listened to yer’ logic, I watched you do those spells, I even stood by yer’ side when you butchered those demons that came into town! I tried damnit, but I can’t do it! I can’t! I just… can’t.”

Her hoof trembles in front of me, the knife falls from it. She slumps against the the tree, and slides down until she’s sprawled out across the ground.

“Apple Bloom?” I ask worried

“We can’t be friends anymore.” My chest goes tight, air is evicted from my lungs. “I’m sorry… but… way… has to be.”

Her voice goes quiet, she lays perfectly still. Her words continue to ring in my head and my whole body, until I can bring myself to reply. “Apple Bloom.”

She doesn’t respond.

I prod her a bit to no avail. “Apple Bloom, what’s wrong, why aren’t you-”

It suddenly strikes me. Still body, pale face, trembling voice.

I touch her wounded hoof. The wrapping is soaked and my hoof is dripping red when I pull away.

“Shit,” I breath.

Panic sets in a moment later and adrenaline soon follows. “No. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Stay with me Apple Bloom! Don’t fucking die on me yet!”

I hoist her up over my back and speed off. She’s still breathing, but that won’t last long unless I get her to a hospital. I run at full speed, reserving none of my demonic energy. I break the sound barrier upon exiting the forest and slow down only upon reaching the clinic door.

God damn you, Apple Bloom, why can't you ever think these things through?