In the First Circle of the Underworld, overlooking mountainous cliffs that towered over a seemingly endless white abyss of clouds, there was a small sanctuary nestled into the cliffside, where monsters fleeing the violent and brutal struggles of the warfare that made up their everyday lives could escape to and take refuge.

It was a common sight to see bands of monsters that had lost members fleeing to this sanctuary, as was the case today when four monsters scuttled into it and were met by the trio of caretakers who watched over the place.

“Well howdy, y’all,” Applejack, the de facto leader of the caretakers, affected a beaming smile and tipped her hat as the monsters found the secluded sanctuary. Last thing she wanted was to make ‘em feel unwelcome, so the hulking werewolf did her best to spread her infectious cheer to the runaways.

“Ooh, do we have visitors?” the gleeful voice of Autumn Blaze chimed in, the salamander whooshing past Applejack and even behind the visitors as a vaguely-pony shaped puff of orange flame before taking the solid form of a salamander with white fur and green scales charred almost black, the twitching of her fingers dropping specks of ash to the ground. Her mane at least looked fluffier than a comfy pillow, even as it shifted and flickered with the flames that resided within it.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable,” the soft, sweet voice of the siren Coloratura rang through the ears of the visitors as the woman stepped into view before them, the glittering hem of her black floral-print dress shimmered around her thighs, as she carried two large mugs of cider in her hands.

Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle at how the terrified and anxious monsters visibly relaxed at the sound of Coloratura’s voice. She was so dang good at making others feel welcome, that Applejack felt like she and Autumn were almost redundant.

“Geez what are you guys waiting for?” Autumn Blaze scoffed and pushed the monsters along deeper into the sanctuary, Applejack tipping her hat as they were hurried past her. “We got drinks and games and all sorts of cool stuff! Take a load off, that’s what we’re here for!”

“So what’re y’all runnin’ from?” Applejack asked, perching up on a crag that overlooked the gals’ humble campsite. Autumn wasn’t lying about games and drinks, and they had pretty comfy chairs too, but that was about all they had other than good company. Still, little comforts like that could take you far in the Underworld.

“A demon,” one of the monsters said, visibly rattled as it took a drink from a mug Coloratura provided.

“Not just any demon,” another monster chimed in as Autumn wrapped it up in a warm blanket, giving the creature doe eyes as she made sure it was comfortable. “This one had a soul! And all the magic that comes with that.”

“A soul?” Coloratura asked as she sat on a stone facing the monsters, crossing one leg over the other. “Ponies have souls, but…”

“Pony must’ve come down and met a bad end,” Applejack clicked her tongue. Wasn’t exactly common, but it wasn’t unheard of for ponies to enter the Underworld. When they did, it wasn’t long before they were separated from their soul and became a monster. Usually the soul went right to the Empress, but sometimes there was a stray. “Too bad, I guess.”

“Man, could you imagine?” Autumn Blaze cooed, pumping her fists. “Having access to the magic of a pony soul would be like? Amazing? You could do anything! Coloratura, what would you do?”

“M-me?” Coloratura pointed at herself and hummed, finger up to her lips. “I don’t know, I can’t think of anything I’d rather have than to just be happy with my friends.”

“I agree, but that’s boring,” Autumn puffed up her cheeks and spit out a little ember, Coloratura huffing and turning her head away from Autumn, cheeks tinted pink. “I’d ask Applejack, but we all know what she’d do.”

Applejack just grimaced and rolled her eyes, and after an uncomfortable beat, one of the visiting monsters chimed in.

“What’s that? What would she do?”

“You don’t worry your pretty little head about that,” Autumn Blaze chuckled and put her hands on the monster’s shoulders.

“Sorry, we got off-track onto a personal conversation,” Coloratura added coyly, the siren’s slithery tail making its way around another of the guests. “That wasn’t very good hosting of us, we should be giving you our full attention.”

“Oh, well,” a monster laughed awkwardly and put its hand on Coloratura’s thigh, “if you insi—”

“Nah, it’s okay,” Applejack said, her voice hollow as she bore a humorless grin from ear to ear. “I’m curious, Autumn Blaze. Exactly what do you think I’d do with a pony soul?”

“You’d get revenge,” Autumn said sharply, not even a hint of hesitation in her smile. “You haven’t been the same since the Apple pack nearly got wiped out, so I know you have your eyes set on Flim and Flam now.”

“It’s true,” Applejack chuckled, relaxing into less of a ‘perch’ and more a comfortable sitting position, her legs dangling off the cliff she sat atop. “I’d get my revenge on Flim and Flam. With or without a pony soul, I’ll be gettin’ my revenge eventually. But takin’ on a couple bastards in the Empress’ good graces takes power, and power… takes magic.”

“Hmm, it sure does,” Coloratura hummed, her steely eyes locking onto the monster whose hand was still on Coloratura’s leg.

“But going out and fighting over magic scraps is so harrowing, isn’t it?” Autumn Blaze sighed, wrapping her arms around another of the visiting monsters, who looked too entranced by the beautiful women paying them attention to be alarmed.

“It’s a good thing then,” Applejack flashed a gleaming smile and bared her fangs, “the magic comes right to us.”

The visitors never saw it coming. None of ‘em ever did.

In seconds, Applejack was wiping the blood off her mouth and breathing deep of the magic she’d drawn from the four corpses as the bodies turned to ash, Autumn laying on her back on the ground like a starfish, and Coloratura sighing contentedly as she supported herself against the wall.

These two were so easily satisfied, and it made Applejack want to retch. Content to just kill passersby until judgment day and trumpets sound. So feeble-minded, these two.

This magic wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Applejack. This wasn’t enough for her to get her revenge.

She would need to get her claws on that pony soul.

werewolf applejack: *exists*
me: *HEART EYES*

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