DOOMED
by Jest
First published
Twilight is pulled into a realm dominated by darkness, death, and destruction. Lost, and alone the alicorn will be forced to fight, or die.
Twilight is pulled into a realm dominated by darkness, death, and destruction. Lost, and alone the alicorn will be forced to fight, or die.
This is a request fic, which receives updates whenever someone submits a request for me to do so on a request thread on my patreon.
Adventum
Pain and confusion were not unknown to Twilight Sparkle, as years spent defending Equestria from all manner of threats had made her familiar with both sensations. This was different however, as this time she had no idea where she was, no idea how she got there, and worse yet, she felt as though someone had recently been digging around in her mind. The lingering presence of another being in her thoughts was as uncomfortable as it was terrifying. Partially due to the fact that the entity that invaded her must have been quite powerful in order to affect the mind of an alicorn.
Her earth pony resilience was already beginning to kick in though, and feeling was slowly filling her body once more. The first thing that returned to her was touch, as up until then struggled to even perceive her own body. A turn of events she would come to regret as the pain increased tenfold, and she became acutely familiar with the sensation of cold iron wrapping about her neck, wrists and ankles.
She was also vaguely aware of the fact that she was upright, hanging from her shackles in a standing position. A hot wind blew on her shoulder and with it carried the scent of cinder, and sulfur, an unpleasant aroma that set the woman on edge. Before she even opened her eyes she reached for her magic, hoping to catch her captors off guard with a quickly cast spell.
That plan was quickly tossed aside when the binding of her neck began to heat up, singing her flesh and making her attention falter.
“Ahh and so it has awoken at last,” spoke a strange, reverberating alien voice from somewhere nearby.
Opening her eyes, Twilight found herself in the center of a cage that was only just large enough to contain her. Rusted iron bars were all that stood between her and a trio of imposing humanoid figures who stood upon small raised platforms upon which a strange rune flickered occasionally. Though their appearance varied somewhat, all three figures had several things in common, namely the tall staves they held and the long robes they wore.
To the left stood a man who wore an odd helmet that covered his eyes, replacing them with a dozen red dots and appeared more ornamental then defensive. His shirt, if it could be called that, appeared to be a mix of strange blood red leather, black metal, and what looked like bone. His waist and legs were covered by a similarly styled peice of clothing which hid the man’s lower extremities from view.
In his hands was a stave that was taller then he was, and ended with a similar half circle decoration that also adorned his helmet. Though tall, he and the other men were sickly, ancient, and pale, their skin stretched over their withered bodies like aged parchment. Their teeth were yellow and pointed as were their unnaturally long nails. While the other men eyed her curiously, the helmet one one peered at Twilight intently, as if she were little more than a creature under a microscope.
In the center stood a crowned man who shared an overall sense of style like the others, though he had a distinct air of arrogance about himself. He too was thin and pale, though his clothing appeared to be at least slightly less decorative, and covered more of his body in defensive plates. His staff was as tall as the others, and was bent into an almost crescent moon shape, and a pair of blood red eyes peered intently at the alicorn.
The disturbing nature of the man’s eyes made Twilight pause for a moment, her hooves twitching in place, as if trying to get her to move from their sight. Tearing her eyes from theirs, Twilight turned to her right, where the final man stood, his glare was piercing and his distaste, palpable. His staff was a sickly greenish brown color, and atop it were a pair of horns that nearly met in the middle. He also wore a silver circlet upon his head, though the peice of jewelry looked unfitting for a creature that exuded such wanton malice.
“Where am I?” Twilight asked hesitantly.
“Why don't you look around and tell us, preserver,” taunted the center most man.
Confused, Twilight did just that, glancing around the large room with quiet trepidation. Torches burned with an almost cursed red light, bathing the large room in an eerie glow, but otherwise allowing Twilight to see all the horrifying splendor that the room held. Great demonic statues stood sentinel beside the wide flights of stairs that connected the room she found herself in from the enormous hallways which lay just beyond.
Though the top of Twilight’s cage stopped her from seeing the ceiling, she could tell that it stretched for many stories above her head. All while the walls were lined with skulls, blackened gears, or sharp, jagged lines which stretched from floor to ceiling. The sight was intimidating, and exuded an aura of what could only be described as contempt, as if the very walls looked down upon the alicorn.
Who shivered not due to the temperature but rather the intense atmosphere, and fear which slowly built inside of her. She hardly even noticed that her regalia had been damaged at some point, and her dress was torn, marred by blood both her own and otherwise. Searching back through her memories she found herself baffled, as there was absolutely nothing in them to tell her why she was here. Whatever presence that had broken into her mind had evidently robbed her of any context she may have been able to use for this strange meeting.
“Who are you people and what do you want with me? I am a princess of Equestria and I demand answers,” Twilight stated firmly, her eyes flicking from one man to the other.
“You are in no position to demand much of anything now are you, princess?” spat the center most man.
“But I suppose you have earned that much,” added the man to the right who’s crooked grin set Twilight’s nerves on edge.
“I agree,” added the man on the left, who shifted slightly to fully face the alicorn. “You have broken the covenant between your people and the Khan Makyr. As such, your very soul is forfeit.”
“The Khan Makyr herself has given you to us in order to break you, and mold from your broken spirit a weapon mighty enough to stop even the slayer himself,” claimed the man to the right, the reverence in his voice made Twilight realize that this Khan Makyr was most likely the entity that had recently invaded her mind.
“Khan Makyr? Covenant? What are you talking about? I wasn't aware of Equestria having an agreement with any humans,” retorted Twilight.
“Human? Ha!” shouted the centermost man. “We are not such lowly creatures.”
“We are pure born sons of Argent D'Nur, not some lowly earth born ape,” spat the circlet clad man.
“You should rejoice, the mother god has given you a chance to repent and strike down the foe you have delivered to our doorstep,” exclaimed the helmeted man.
“What are you talking about, I haven't done anything of the sort,” Twilight stated firmly.
“This traitorous filth is beginning to annoy me with her endless pratling. Someone muzzle it,” demanded the crowned man.
“With pleasure,” added the circlet adorned man, and with a wave of his hand, the band about Twilight’s neck began to tighten.
A crushing weight settled over Twilight’s windpipe, and she found herself unable to utter so much as a peep. Worse yet, just breathing was now difficult, and she wheezed, tring to clutch at her neck, though her chains kept her from even reaching that far. Beyond her, the three men turned to one another, seemingly blind to the alicorn’s struggling, paying the gasping woman no mind.
“I have craved this moment for centuries and to think it would come on the eve of earth’s destruction. Truly, we are blessed,” declared the helmeted man.
The center most man shifted uneasily, leaning heavily on his staff. “I would restrain your enthusiasm, the Khan Makyr sees all, and knows well of this one’s lineage.”
“Ignore him. The Khan Makyr sent her to us as a gift, and with a purpose. We are to forge this wretched creature into a weapon capable of killing the destroyer. Do not forget that,” retorted the silver circlet clad man, who thumped his staff against the circle he stood upon in emphasis.
“I understand your worry, but it is ultimately misguided,” added the helmeted male, who gestured towards the still choking Twilight with his staff. “This creature, though angelic in appearance, has long since lost all ability to claim any sort of divinity.”
“So I assume it will be you who forges it anew then?” asked the center man critically.
“Of course. My doom hunter program is already nearing completion, allowing me time to oversee this newest experiment personally,” declared the red robed man.
“Truly, this one’s power and abilities will make her a formidable foe of the slayer, if you can control her,” mentioned the rightmost man.
Twilight’s vision began to darken, and as her lungs began to scream in agony she heard a new voice, this one deep, rumbling and filled with unbridled rage which welled up from inside of her.
“Rip and tear. Until it is done,” it exclaimed, the voice echoing from everywhere, and nowhere at the same time.
Strength filled the alicorn’s limbs and her eyes narrowed to slits as she tugged hard at the chains that bound her arms. Iron strained, and whined as it was pulled far past what it had been designed to resist. Then, a snap, and her right arm was freed, allowing her to grip the left with both hands and pull, causing it to snap as well. Her lungs still screamed, and the metal still bit tight into her neck, but it was nothing compared to the anger that coursed and burned through her veins.
“How is this possible, its magic should be subdued!” shouted one of the men.
“It is,” stated another. “It shouldn't be capable of such strength.”
Twilight ignored them, and gripped tight the circle of metal which bound her neck tightly. Muscles bulged, and her fingers dug deep into the cold metal collar which held her magic at bay. Though harder than the chains which had held her arms, the collar was already beginning to bend, and Twilight knew it wouldn't be long until it broke.
Then all she had to do was tear open this cage, and rip these foul men apart with her bare hands if necessary. A part of the alicorn qualed at such anger, but the rage was too strong, pushing past her empathy, and giving her the strength to resist. Metal groaned, and the tightness around her neck began to dissipate, allowing her to take a full lungful of air.
“Do something!” Yelled one of the priests.
“Clearly it has learned much from its time with the slayer. We should wait, and see what else it is capable of,” offered another.
“This has gone on long enough brother. There will be time for your experiments later,” stated the final priest.
Twilight felt as though she were only seconds away from being free and all that was left to do was to pull one final time and- a sudden blast hit her in the sternum, knocking the wind back out of her. Collapsing into a heap, the alicorn heaved, desperate to fill her lungs with oxygen, only to be deprived of the life giving gas. Even still, her hatred continued to fuel her, urging her to rise once more, to strike down her captors, and rend them limb from bloody limb.
A second blast, followed by something stinging her shoulder made the anger suddenly fall away, leaving room only for panic and confusion. A moment later and Twilight fell lifeless upon the ground, unable to even register as her chin bounced off the cold metal ground. A cultist stepped away from the cage, depositing the used needle into one of his many robes before leaving.
“A pity. I had hoped to see it were capable of destroying the brand all by itself,” muttered the helmeted man.
“You will have time for that later, even now the slayer seeks to stop our holy work. We cannot afford to falter in our sacred duty,” stated the right most male.
“Indeed. We should see to rebuilding this one immediately,” added the center man.
“Do not worry my brothers. I have something fitting in mind, trust me,” stated the final man.
Author's Notes:
This is a request fic, which receives updates whenever someone submits a request for me to do so on a request thread on my patreon.
Convictus
Twilight groaned, the alicorn struggling to come to grips with what had just happened to her. The woman’s memories were of little help, as the last one she could recall with any amount of confidence was just a normal day. Since then she had apparently made enemies of a terrifying cabal of cruel men, but not before helping their enemy somehow.
More confusing than even all that was the strange voice she had heard echo in her mind right before she felt a burst of rage. The words themselves felt familiar, and spoken in what felt like her own voice, only altered somehow, as if it was no longer quite her own. Pushing aside that strange realization, Twilight felt her senses slowly return once more, whatever drug they had used on her having begun to wear off.
Struggling in the darkness, Twilight reached up and wiped the gunk from her eyes, or at least tried to as her fingers were numb. Accidentally poking herself in the process, the alicorn grumbled bitterly before giving her hands a shake. When sensation returned completely, the alicorn cleared her gaze of the dirt which had clogged it before looking around.
Her cell was small, cramped, and had been shoved between a metal wall and several large steel crates of some kind. The closest one carried various warning markers, and smelled faintly of rot as well as congealed blood. Tearing her gaze from her packed surroundings, Twilight kneeled down and peered out the window.
Just outside the reinforced glass was a barren wasteland of ice, snow and strange distant structures which rapidly whizzed past her. Clearing her ears, Twilight tried to listen for the tell tale clack of a train, only to be surprised to find that it was almost completely silent. Her experience said this was likely a steam engine of some kind yet other than the rattling of the odd crate, she heard nothing.
Tugging at the bars that bound her cage, Twilight was disappointed to find that she was too weak to make them budge. Not only that but the same burst of rage she had felt before did not return, leaving the alicorn helpless. Trying to summon her magic, Twilight found that the energy immediately began to sputter, her still half numb body unable to muster much of the stuff.
Grumbling, Twilight sat on the ground and stared out the window, scanning her surroundings for some sort of clue that would help her get out of this place. The boxes surrounding her on all sides helped very little, and didn't smell any better then the first one had. The view outside did little to help her nerves, as the only thing she could figure out was that they were clearly very far north.
Slipping her hand through the bars, Twilight felt the reinforced glass, her skin nearly sticking to it when she pulled back her hand due to how cold it was. Tucking it under one arm to warm up, Twilight wondered how to escape, and even if she should, as the alicorn had no manner of warming herself. Not only that but her simple clothing was covered in grime, and now sported a few more rips than it had not long ago.
Twilight put that thought from her mind for now, and chose to focus on merely figuring out how to escape this place. This plan was interrupted when she noticed a peculiar building pop up in the corner of the window, accompanied by several odd floating creatures. Focusing first on the monsters, Twilight quickly realized they were likely all the same strange species.
For they all bore a single eye at the center of their head, a set of weak, useless arms and a pair of legs which seemed equally as vestigial. The only feature that hadn't withered to the point of uselessness was their massive gaping maw filled with huge pointed teeth, from which a blue glow was emitted. Nearly as tall as Twilight herself, this strange creature floated along at a sedentary pace, seemingly confident that its bone covered exterior could protect it from harm.
The structure she saw was by comparison, much, much larger, to the point that it was likely dozens of stories tall. It almost resembled a candle in Twilight’s mind, for the top of it emitted a flame which originated from within. Its middle also bulged, and had a walkway extending from it to a much larger fortress-like structure which seemed to be their final destination.
Seeing the massive stronghold looming over her, Twilight suddenly felt quite small, and she couldn't help but wonder where they had found so much metal that they could build such a place. Jagged edges met glowing orange lines, the entire building standing atop a small island of rock in the midst of an only semi liquid sea of ice.
It was a dark, and foreboding place, one which made the hair on Twilight’s neck rise. Seeing this strange building grow close, Twilight renewed her attempts to escape, magic continuing to remain useless. While she struggled, the train slowed, docked and finally began to be unloaded car by car starting somewhere ahead of her. The whine of machinery was quiet at first, but as time passed it grew closer and closer, until finally the roof of Twilight’s car opened.
Gazing up, Twilight saw a mechanical arm reach down and grip the top of her cage, hoisting the alicorn as well as her prison high into the air. So sudden was the movement that Twilight was knocked to the ground, her wings opening in an attempt to save her. The action was wasted, though it wasn't long before her cage was roughly dropped onto the center of a strange device.
Fed by numerous cables, and glowing with energy that made her skin crawl, Twilight noticed that there were robbed humans working just below her. Before the alicorn could call out she vanished in a flash of crimson light, reappearing a second later in somewhere much different. Here the air was warm, the sounds of machinery were distant, and a strange chemical smell invaded her nostrils.
The room was large, but empty, seeming to serve as a simple storage area of some kind for numerous large metal crates. Another metal arm lifted her from the ground and carried her up into the ceiling, where she was transported deeper into the building. Passing over several other rooms Twilight noticed that each seemed to be a cell of some kind, every single one of which emptied into what appeared to be an operating room.
Though it was far darker, and far more blood stained then any medical area Twilight had ever seen before. It was also empty of people, but not equipment, most of which was so alien to Twilight that she could only guess at their purpose. Before Twilight could study the room any further the bottom of her cage gave out and she fell into her new jail cell with a pained thump.
Rubbing her butt and cursing her foul luck, Twilight looked around to find that her accommodations were rather spartan. The bed was little more than an unadorned slab of stone far too small for the alicorn’s towering frame, and the toilet was just a hole in the ground. To make matters worse it also reeked of blood and excrement, in addition to not having a privacy screen.
Twilight put that small, gross realization from her mind, and focused instead on the sound of shuffling feet from within the operating room. Trotting over to the bars, Twilight peered out into the area beyond, trying to find the source of the sound.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” Twilight called. “I seem to have been wrongly convicted of some manner of crime.”
A robed figure holding a glowing slab of slate grey metal appeared a second later. His features were hidden beneath his voluminous black robes, though Twilight could tell that he was surprised by her appearance when he stumbled back a step.
“Amazing, it- its awake,” he murmured.
“I’m not an it, I’m a she,” Twilight corrected. “And I would appreciate it if you sent word to the nearest Equestrian embassy as soon as possible.”
The cultist ignored Twilight completely, and tapped the slab several times.
Twilight frowned. “I am a princess of Equestria and I demand to speak with whomever is in charge of this facility.”
The robed figure shuffled away, snickering to himself all the while. “Deag Ranak will see you soon, of that I am certain,” he murmured before vanishing out of view.
Twilight turned and sat down on the much too short bed, her knees nearly up to her chest. “What I wouldn't do to have my magic back,” Twilight murmured, her horn flickering briefly before she gave up on it once more.
A burst of crimson light heralded the arrival of one of the strange men she had seen earlier, more specifically the individual who wore the odd helmet. “My, aren't you full of surprises,” he mused aloud, the man leaning heavily on his large metal staff.
“You don't know the half of it,” Twilight murmured. “I’ve battled more world ending monsters then you can count.”
“How intriguing,” he remarked with a smile. “Let us ensure that I do not end up like them then.”
He gestured to someone out of Twilight’s view, and a second later a lumbering robed cultist adorned in thick black cloth stomped into view. Though not quite as tall as Twilight, he was much, much wider, and had more muscles then Twilight could shake a stick at. The jail door swung open, and the man strode inside, pulling a thick metal collar from his robes as he approached the alicorn.
Twilight stumbled back, raising her hands. “Now then, there is no reason for violence. Surely we can- ack.”
A rough hand gripped Twilight by the throat and forced her down to his level, where the man slapped the slate grey collar tight about Twilight’s neck with a clank.
Satisfied that his job had been complete, the robed human stomped back out of the jail, the door slamming shut a second later.
Twilight stood slowly, her fingers running across the featureless grey hunk of metal which was bound around her throat. “That was uncalled for,” she muttered angrily.
“In my line of work, insurance is never unwarranted,” replied the man with an uncomfortable smile. “Speaking of which, I should warn you against using your magic without permission. For such an action will be dealt with quite harshly.”
“What do you-” Twilight’s question died in her throat when she felt something sharp press against her throat.
It vanished a second later, right after the man pressed a button on his staff. “Good. Now then, we will begin by testing that murderous impulse of yours as I’ve been told that you preservers are quite the pacificts. Though you’ve certainly showed some evidence to the contrary ”
Twilight bit down her retort, the memory of the sharp sensation keeping her tongue in check.
“Don't worry though. We will start small and work our way up from there,” declared the man, who chuckled and pointed towards the wall of Twilight’s cell. “Now then, get out there and show me that you are more then the pathetic herbivores I’ve been told about.”
“What are you talking-” Twilight’s comment was cut off when the wall of her cell was lifted out and away, revealing what looked like some manner of arena just beyond.
Dotted by spikes, strange red runes, raised platforms and other obstacles, it was also open to the frigid wind, as well as the snow which blew from atop the nearby buildings. Twilight hardy had a chance to mutter a confused question before she felt a hand shove her forward, the woman tumbling out of her cell.
And into the proving grounds.
Author's Notes:
This is a request fic, which receives updates whenever someone submits a request for me to do so on a request thread on my patreon.
Iudicium
Twilight muttered bitter insults under her breath, the alicorn quickly untangling her limbs and standing on her own two hooves. The first thing to hit her was just how cold this place was, the woman’s wings and arms wrapping about her body as tight as possible. Shifting awkwardly on the spot, Twilight looked around to find that she was alone in the strange place.
Behind her, the cell she had fallen out of was resealing itself, and above her hummed a strange net of some kind. Glowing an angry red, dozens of lines criss crossed the sky, sealing off Twilight’s only other exit and limiting how high she could fly. Reaching down, Twilight quickly constructed a snowball before throwing it straight up, where it was cut into several pieces by the laser grid.
“Well It looks like I wont be getting out that way,” Twilight murmured to herself.
Turning back to her surroundings, Twilight noted that the area was a large triangle, the walls of which seemed to be made of three structures like the one she had fallen out of. Strange creatures and towering demons peered out from their cells, most eying Twilight with a mixture of hunger or lust. Shuffling nervously towards the center of the area, Twilight pumped her wings and ascende onto a small hill at the middle of the arena.
From here she could see that a simple triangle of raised walkways surrounded her, though there didn't seem to be a way for non winged beings to reach them as they were seven or so feet off the ground. They were suspended by simple metal supports and Twilight quickly felt her gaze drawn to the edge of the arena, where a ring of spikes surrounded the area. Bits of gore, and dried blood clung to the brutal metal points, though there were at least no bodies present.
Shivering quite profusely, Twilight hugged her feathered appendages tight about her body, trying to stave off the biting wind which nipped at her poorly clothed form. Her simple tshirt, and pair of blue jeans did little against the cold, but they were at least better than nothing anyway. A sudden squeal of metal grinding against metal drew her attention to her right, where several cells had opened.
Revealing a dozen or so of the strangest humans Twilight had ever seen, most of whom sported large visible wounds or bore splatters of blood on their stained cloaks. Some seemed to have at one point been cultists, while others were so warped that their origins could not be discerned. A select few seemed to have been altered by some cruel doctor, as they bore clear signs of surgical alteration.
Together they tumbled out of their cell like they were little more than manikins, most not even bracing themselves as they fell onto the arena below. Two tumbled into the spikes, impaling themselves on the long metal protrusions, one dying instantly while the other lay there moaning. The others landed in a heap, which slowly began to untangle themselves before standing on shaky limbs.
“Your task is simple,” spoke the metallic voice of the helmeted man. “Kill these wretches.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “I will not kill them just because you tell me too.”
“Then you will be torn apart by them, and I will be forced to rebuild you sooner rather than later,” replied the man, whose voice emanated from the collar about Twilight’s neck.
The alicorn grit her teeth as she watched the humans stand back up and began to advance on her position. One of whom had broken their leg in the fall, the bone sticking straight out of his skin, though he didn't seemed to notice this as he trudged forward, arms extended. Each one appeared pale, and disfigured in some manner, their eyes glowing with a baleful red light emanating from within.
Twilight got the distinct impression that these poor unfortunate souls had long since lost whatever humanity they may have had. Though that didn't mean Twilight was willing to simply murder them quite yet, as she was an adept healer, and above all, an optimist. Raising her hand, Twilight began to run through a general scanning spell, only to stop when she remembered her collar.
“Am I allowed to use magic?” Twilight asked somewhat bitterly.
“You are not,” replied the voice. “You exhibited considerable strength earlier and I have been told that you are far more resilient then you appear. You had best use those attributes if you wish to survive.”
Twilight lowered her hand, and frowned as the moaning horde of humanoid creatures stumbled towards her. Some lacked arms, legs or other parts of themselves, while a few were covered in bony growths of some kind. Altogether they looked weak, as if they had been part of larger experiments and had been tossed aside when they were no longer needed.
Perhaps I will be doing them a kindness by laying them to rest. Twilight thought, only to brush that idea aside. No. These people need help, and healing, not further injury.
Opening her wings, Twilight flapped twice, lurching out of the way of a one eyed cultist who had nearly reached the top of the hill. Landing gracefully on the catwalk, Twilight watched as the horde shifted their attention towards several strange runes the alicorn hadn't noticed earlier. Watching them curiously, the first human to stumble onto the rune found themselves flung into the air, landing hard on the catwalk and stumbling right off the other side.
“So that's how they get up here,” Twilight murmured. “Hopefully they’ll tire themselves out soon. It doesn't look like they are in their right state of mind for conversation.”
Twilight watched as the horde landed on either side of her, waiting patiently until they neared her before stepping forward and flapping her wings again. Landing back onto the hill, Twilight noticed that the zombies turned towards her and simply walked off the ledge. The sound of bones breaking, and blood splattering made Twilight wince, the alicorn looking away when the man with the broken leg shattered his other leg.
“Making them slowly kill themselves by falling off the structure, how cruel,” remarked the voice. “I didn't take you for a sadist, princess.”
Twilight grit her teeth, trying her best to put the man’s words out of her mind. “I am no such thing and will heal these men the second I figure out how to get around this collar,” she muttered angrily.
Flying backwards to the other side of the walkway, Twilight wondered how she was going to get out of this when she heard the dull fwump noise that came whenever a rune was activated. Spinning around in place, Twilight was startled to see one of the formerly impaled victims had someone pulled himself free and was flying towards her. Arms outstretched and mouth open wide, the zombie slammed into Twilight, grappling her before knocking the both of them off the walkway.
Twilight hit the ground hard, immediately getting the wind knocked out of her while the human clawed at her face and neck. While struggling to breathe, the alicorn tried to push the human away, only to get her one of her fingers nearly bitten off by the strange man. A short punch to the head made him release his hold on her injured digit, and Twilight followed that up by pushing him as hard as she could.
The man flew a few feet before landing awkwardly and falling onto his back, blood continuing to pour out of his gaping wounds. Now covered in blood, and more then a few bruises, Twilight felt the urge to panic rising within her, and the woman tried to stand, only to feel something heavy settle against her wing. Looking over, Twilight saw a mostly metal foot standing atop her feathered appendage, the biomechanical man it belonged to lurching forwards.
His one arm ended with what had likely been a gun at one point, though now it was only a sparking mess of exposed wires and broken machinery. His other hand was made of metal, and when it clawed at Twilight’s face she felt several cuts open on her forehead. Shoving this one back, Twilight wrenched her wing out from under his foot, wincing when several feathers came out.
Looking around, Twilight realized that the strange humans had her almost completely surrounded, leaving her with few options. Flying was out, as they were too close for that to be a good idea, meaning the only thing she could do was fumble backwards through a gap. Narrowly escaping their grasping hands, Twilight was about to take another step before she felt the ground shift beneath her.
Glancing back over her shoulder, Twilight gulped as she saw just how close she had gotten to falling into the spikes. “Let's talk about this okay?” Twilight began, raising her hands. “Clearly you have suffered at the hands of these people. If we work together we might- ack don't hit me, I’m trying to help you!”
Twilight shoved away a man who had punched her in the gut, causing the human to stumble back into his fellows, exposed ribs cracked from the force of Twilight’s shove. The rest of the horde quickly enveloped the woman, fists striking her from all directions as the mass attempted to kill the alicorn. Though their attacks did little to the immortal, Twilight was slowly being pushed back, edging closer and closer to the spike pit.
Knowing full well what was about to happen to her if she didn't act, Twilight struggled internally with the rage she felt welling inside of her. For a moment Twilight’s pacifist side seemed like it was about to win, right before the ground beneath her rumbled ominously. Feeling the earth about to give way, the anger burned hotter than ever, charging her limbs with a terrible power.
Which was unleashed into the chest of a tall cybernetically enhanced human who had just slugged her across the chin. Twilight’s fist crackled with an orange energy a second before it slammed into the top right of the man’s head. Carrying enough force to snap his neck and leaving his head to hang loosely against his shoulder, Twilight’s fist opened, and she shoved the now limp man aside.
Surging through the gap in her enemies, she escaped just before the ground collapsed, carrying several of the zombie-like humans into the spikes. Most however, survived, having followed Twilight and avoided the collapse, though one received a hoof to the chest. Sending him flying against the wall where he slowly slid down the ice and snow covered exterior and into the pit.
Put them down quickly and efficiently. They might be trapped in their bodies after all. Twilight thought to herself, the alicorn only just barely holding the reins over her own body.
Balling her fists, Twilight tried to remember what little personal defence training she had received from her brother. Hopping to the left, Twilight let the strange humans bump into one another as they tried to reach her, leaving Twilight to fight one enemy at a time. The first of which had likely been a scientist at one time, as his torn outfit resembled the white smock of a researcher.
Twilight dipped to the left, avoiding a lumbering swing of the man’s arms and following it up with an uppercut to the man’s gut. Twilight could hear the wind rush out of the man’s mouth, and Twilight quickly brought her hands above her head, interlacing her fingers. Swinging her arms down hard, Twilight pounded the man in the back with enough force to snap his spine, and knock him to the ground.
A skeletal human with bony growths covering the majority of his face was quick to fill the gap, his clawed fingers scratching against Twilight’s arm. The alicorn was made of sterner stuff then that however, and his attack did nothing but mar Twilight’s already ruined shirt. The woman swiftly grabbed his arm and pulled him forward while at the same time kicking his legs out from under him.
The second he hit the ground Twilight brought her hoof down hard against the back of the man’s head, crushing it flat. The feeling of warm blood and what was probably brains startling Twilight out of her rage induced state. Stumbling aside, Twilight felt a brief surge of horror course through her before something heavy slammed into her shoulder.
In an instant the anger returned, and Twilight’s regret vanished, the alicorn spinning around to face her newest opponent. Who happened to be an emaciated human with a strange symbol carved into his head. Wearing only a pair of ruined orange pants, the man raised his arms above his head, and was about to slam his fists against Twilight’s chest when the woman caught him around the wrists.
With a growl of rage, Twilight pulled his arms out of their sockets before kneeing him in the gut, sending the human to the ground. She didn't have time to finish her opponent however, as two more of the shambling humans moved to replace him. Both appeared to be cultists at one point, though one had suffered horribly burns while the other seemed to have a second head sprouting half formed his shoulder.
Both moved with the same shambling sluggishness that the others did, and the slightly larger partially headed one was first to attack. Throwing his weight forward, he tried to tackle Twilight, but the alicorn was taller, and much heavier than even he. Meaning that she only skidded back a few inches before going onto the offence, reaching down and gripping his larger head in both hands.
A short squeeze was all it took to make his brains erupt from the top of his shattered skull like a jet of pinkish red marshmallow fluff. The body tumbled to the side, but before he even hit the ground Twilight had grabbed his former companion by the wrists. The human had tried to grab her but the alicorn was much too fast for him, and the zombie quickly felt his arms torn right off his body.
The human didn't even seem to notice this however, and merely lurched forward, trying to bite the woman. Bringing her fists down against the man’s shoulders, Twilight drove the stranger into the ground like a peg, his legs snapping after the second time she did this. So distracted was the alicorn that she didn't even notice another emaciated cyborg sneak up on her.
Jamming his sparking weapon arm against her side, Twilight saw stars as electricity poured through her body. Though compared to a pegasus’ lightning bolt this was nothing, and Twilight quickly spun around, backhanding the human across the head. Sending the man to land face first against the ground Twilight quickly leapt onto him and grabbed the top of his jaw, ignoring his attempts to bite her.
With a grunt, she tore the top half of the man’s head from his shoulders before slamming it against the walkway support hard enough to turn it to paste. Spinning around, the alicorn readied herself for her next enemy only to find that there was only one rather sad individual left. Leaping into the air, Twilight pumped her wings twice before snapping the feathered appendages against her sides.
A split second later and the alicorn slammed into the crawling human she had nearly pulled the arms off a few seconds earlier. Bones shattered, organs were pulped and blood exploded all over the woman’s legs, painting her from knee to hoof in crimson. With that done, the alicorn felt her rage begin to flicker and die, the quiet arena stifling her rage, allowing reason to reign once again.
“Oh stars above what have I done?” Twilight muttered in horror, her gaze drawn down to the men she had slaughtered. “And why do I feel so… angry?”
A flickering light drew Twilight’s attention to the center of the arena, where a hologram version of the strange helmeted man appeared, a smile already on his cruel face.
“You have a bit of the slayer’s rage within you, how curious,” he stated. “Your body also seems quite resilient to damage, on par with kevlar by the looks of it.”
“You have to send help, these men need medical attention, I-” Twilight began.
“Silence!” boomed the hologram. “Their lives mean nothing to me. As do the lives of your next opponents.”
“Next opponents?” Twilight muttered in horror.
“Yes. I have chosen to up the ante as it were and test how far your resilience goes,” the man smirked. “Prepare yourself.”
The hologram vanished, and for a moment Twilight stood there awkwardly, scanning her surroundings for any sign of movement. Then all at once a half dozen flashes of crimson light came from all around her and the alicorn found herself faced with far more dangerous foes.
Author's Notes:
This is a request fic, which receives updates whenever someone submits a request for me to do so on a request thread on my patreon.
Memoria
For a moment no one moved, the shock of teleportation giving Twilight a few seconds to inspect her newest enemies before they attacked. Which seemed to come in two different varieties, either winged or grounded, each one of which had beady, hateful eyes that immediately latched onto the alicorn.
The slightly larger of the two had relatively small leathery wings which allowed them to fly for surprisingly long distances. Like the other hellish creatures Twilight had seen before, their appearance was grotesque, and the monster sported bony growths sprouting from all over its body. Emaciated and enraged, these horrifying creatures had long jagged bones not unlike a pair of swords, sticking out of their arms where their hands should be. They also sported strangely long necks, and a disturbing countenance that not even a mother could love.
Its ground bound allies werent much nicer to look at either, though at least they werent sporting freakish blades instead of hands. They also werent quite as large as their flighted allies and Twilight could tell that one of the quicker ones were already casting some kind of spell. Their clawed hands glowed with hellish light, as the orange and purple skinned creature prepared itself for some kind of attack.
Which the diminutive creature unleashed at Twilight in the form of a bolt of fire.
Thankfully Twilight wasn't so curious as to become oblivious to her foe and quickly ducked under the attack. A cry of rage sprang up from the gathered mass of demonic creatures which surged toward the now terrified alicorn. Frantically backpedaling, Twilight scrambled towards one of the supports holding up the walkway in an effort to gain some cover.
One of the gargoyle-like creatures was faster still though, and swooped down in an attempt to cut the poor woman’s head off. The sound of his wings was more than enough to alert Twilight to his presence, but she wasn't quite fast enough to escape him completely. His jagged, boney appendage scratched across Twilight’s back, ruining her already ragged shirt and opening up a long cut.
Only her earth pony resistance saved her from a far worse injury, and the alicorn counted her lucky stars as she slipped around the peice of cover. Her bout of relief was brief, as the gargoyle was quickly on her heels and was already mid swoop, claws outstretched. Twilight didn't even get the chance to think of a way out of that first attack before she ran into an imp, who hurled a fireball at Twilight’s chest.
Trapped without anywhere to go, and without any time to respond, Twilight crossed her arms in front of her chest. Utilizing her inherent pegasi magic, as well as her natural endurance, the girl was able to stop the fireball from doing anything more than singing her. The alicorn’s shirt was now completely ruined however, and Twilight worried it may fall apart at a moment’s notice.
She had bigger concerns however, as the imp was screeching in rage, his claws extended in an attempt to scratch Twilight’s face. The beast wasn't quite tall enough however, and Twilight was able to dodge the attack before shoving him back. The push sent her attacker careening into his own ally who had been charging a firebolt of his own.
Utilizing the small bout of chaos that came from the imps squabbling amongst themselves, Twilight charged forward. While at the same time the whoosh of a bladed limb signalled how close the gargoyle had come to striking the alicorn in the back. This attack was followed up a second later when Twilight was forced to duck under another sweep from a winged foe.
Shoving her way between a gargoyle and an imp, Twilight tried frantically to think of some way to get out of this situation without having to kill anyone. These creatures seemed to be sentient after all, and thus possessed enough understanding to avoid bloodshed if they desired. Which she hoped they did, and were merely being forced to fight for their lives against their will.
Though just thinking that felt wrong for some reason, as Twilight had felt an odd twinge of deja vu upon setting eyes on the creatures. A feeling which came with a worry that these monsters were every bit as bestial as they appeared to be at first glance. Twilight didn't want to harm these potentially enslaved creatures though, and quickly came up with a plan to end the fight.
Leaping over an imp, Twilight pumped her wings and launched herself up onto the catwalk at an incredible speed. Which allowed her to stay ahead of her pursuers, and also surprise the imp which had been charging a fireball. He abandoned his attack a second later and with a cry of rage, swiped a clawed hand at the alicorn.
Twilight saw this coming however, and gripped the imp by the wrist before using his momentum against him. One deft maneuver later and the creature had been lifted off the ground, an arm placed over his throat. Confused, the imp didn't know how to react after being hefted into the air, his legs dangling uselessly beneath him.
“Stop!” Twilight shouted. “Or else I will hurt your friend!”
The strange creatures stopped for a moment, though if it was out of concern or sheer bafflement Twilight wasn't sure. Either way they werent attacking her, which meant that the alicorn had a moment or two to try and use diplomacy to get herself out of this mess.
“If we work together we can escape this place but we have to stop fighting!” Twilight shouted.
The alicorn wasn't able to launch into the next part of her speech however, as the imp in her grip began to struggle. The beast clawed and kicked as best as it could, cutting Twilight’s arm as it tried to escape her grasp. Cursing under her breath, Twilight tried to get her captive back under control without injuring him though that was proving to be quite difficult.
So focused was the princess that she didn't even notice a gargoyle swooping down directly at her. Until that was, at the last moment, she saw a shadow settle over her, and Twilight looked up in horror to see a bladed appendage thrust towards her belly. The attack pierced straight through the imp and out the otherside, scratching Twilight’s own stomach without doing much damage.
Though gargoyle’s attack wasn't super effective, his weight was significant enough to knock Twilight from the catwalk. This time when she fell she had enough presence of mind to open her wings and arrest her fall before landing on her back. With her feet under her once more, Twilight looked up to see the gargoyle shake the dying imp from his bladed limb.
The injured creature clawed at the other demon and received a stomp to his chest for this, causing a thick slurry of intestines to shoot from his belly. The imp twitched one final time before falling still, his former ally not even giving him a single glance before extending his wings. With hate in his eyes, the creature was ready to strike once more, though Twilight was too shocked to respond at the moment.
She had assumed the creatures had some sort of allegiance because they had focused on her so quickly. Yet they showed no hesitation to strike down their own allies should they get in the way of their attempts to murder Twilight. It was enough to make Twilight wonder if these creatures were like the others she had fought only a minute earlier.
Like the mindless zombies, these creatures were driven by some unseen force which urged them to kill without remorse. Though they seemed capable of logical thought, and possessed some minor intelligence, they had no qualms with killing. Even though Twilight had not done anything to them, the monsters continued their attack, fireballs whizzing past her head.
A second later and the same gargoyle who had killed one of his allies only a few moments ago lurched towards Twilight, wings spread wide. With his right arm raised high, the creature seemed intent on splitting Twilight’s skull in two, despite what little of a threat the alicorn had posed. Up until that very second anyway, when something seemed to flip inside Twilight’s mind, and a surge of rage coursed through her.
With strength now filling her limbs, and anger occupying her every thought, Twilight stepped back out of the gargoyle’s reach. Unable to stop himself, the monster tumbled forward, only to have his momentum stopped when Twilight grabbed him by the neck. The gargoyle lurched to a stop, and was about to try and turn around when it felt its right wing be torn from its socket.
It didn't have long to rage at its newest injury, for it was soon airborne once more, tossed roughly into the nearby pit of spikes. Unable to fly away, the creature tried anyway, only to land with a dull squelch, its chest cavity pierced by a long peice of metal. It scrambled weakly against the offending bit of steel, though in the end it could not escape its grim fate and died.
Twilight didn't even notice this however, as she was already in motion and was busy dodging a flurry of firebolts fired at her. Though one got through, Twilight ignored the burning sensation and minor damage it did in order to take wing. Now airborne, she was forced to roll out of the way of another gargoyle’s heavy forelimbs that had been swung at her face.
Though quick, Twilight was not able to escape the creature’s taloned feet, which scratched across her back, though did little to the alicorn. Positioning herself beneath the gargoyle, Twilight flapped hard, forcing the other creature to rise suddenly. Confused and a little shocked by the sudden shift, the gargoyle was swiftly killed when it accidentally flew into the laser field.
Blood and gore rained down on the alicorn, who didn't seem to notice, as her attention had already shifted to her next foe. Who happened to be an imp who was standing atop a catwalk, a ball of fire burning between his hands. Before Twilight could swoop down upon her newest target, the imp unleashed his attack, which flew directly at Twilight’s chest.
The alicorn merely batted aside the firebolt with a hand and grabbed hold of the imp’s shoulders, carrying the diminutive creature along with her. The demonic creature didn't have long to fight back though, as Twilight swiftly dropped him on the spikes. Now impaled by a half dozen spikes, the demon coughed twice before letting out a final gurgle and dying.
By then the rest of the demons had organized some manner of defence, with the imps having spread out while the gargoyles were attempting to surround the alicorn. Before they could fully close ranks, and deliver a killing blow, Twilight tucked her wings against her back, falling out of the sky. She landed in a roll, dodging fireballs, and frantic swings alike as she sprinted towards the first enemy she could see.
The imp tried to dodge, but with pegasus magic flowing through her, Twilight was far too fast. Leaping into the air, Twilight shifted her entire body sideways before delivering a devastating dropkick to the imp’s chest. Which become completely concave due to the sheer force of the attack, killing the creature in an instant before sending it shooting across the arena.
Utilizing her pegasus dexterity, Twilight managed to land on her own two hooves though she wasn't quite fast enough to dodge out of the way of a gargoyle’s chop. The heavy limb crashed into Twilight’s left shoulder with enough force to almost knock the limb out of its socket. With her natural resilience however, the alicorn was able to shrug off the strike, and ignore the gash in her shoulder.
Twilight swiftly grabbed the creature’s limb, before striking it with a closed fist, shattering the thing, and leaving the monster reeling. She wasn't able to follow this attack up however, as another gargoyle was already on the attack while at the same time a firebolt was flying at her. Using her pegasus speed, Twilight swiftly kicked the legs out from under her one attacker, and tossed him at the imp before the gargoyle had even hit the ground.
The two demons lay in a tangled, slightly scorched heap, screeching at one another while trying to right themselves once more. Twilight didn't pay them any mind however, as a rather daring imp was swiping away at her with its small, clawed hands. Dodging out of the way of the flurry of attacks, Twilight waited for an opening before delivering a swift jab to the creature’s chin.
Though the blow itself was light, Twilight’s earth pony magic ensured that her fist shattered the imp’s jaw. Reeling in pain, the imp was cut down by a gargoyle who rushed into fill the gap, its bladed arms raised high. Rather than dodge, the enraged alicorn reached up and grabbed her attacker’s boney appendages with both hands. The fresh pair of jagged cuts that opened on her hands leaked twin rivers of blood down the alicorn’s arms, though the pain was negligible and easily ignored.
The gargoyle was surprised, though it adapted quickly, and tried to overwhelm the alicorn with raw strength. Demonic might met alicorn endurance, and in the end the power of harmony won out, with Twilight snapping her opponent’s boney blades right off. The creature barely had time to realize what had happened before a horn rammed its way through his right eye socket and right into his brain.
By then the gargoyle and imp who had tumbled into one another had managed to separate themselves as Twilight removed her appendage from her opponent’s skull. The struggle had ended with the imp losing its head, and the gargoyle losing an eye, as well as gaining a dozen more scratches. Rejoining the only other remaining gargoyle and their lone imp ally, the two creatures quickly tried to surround their prey.
Twilight wasn't about to just let this happen however, and the alicorn surged towards her injured foe, heedless to potential injury. Accepting a blow to the side of the torso, Twilight sprinted towards the gargoyle and delivered a punch strong enough to shatter his ribs. The wounded creature attempted to bite his opponent, but was surprised when instead of stepping back, the alicorn moved forward.
Ramming a hand up into the demon’s midsection and through its slippery organs, Twilight grabbed hold of the beast’s spine before turning in place. She then threw the gargoyle like a javelin, sending the two winged creatures to collapse into a tangled heap of limbs.
A ball of fire slamming into Twilight’s shoulder and burning away even more of the alicorn’s tshirt alerted her to the presence of the last imp undealt with. Though he attempted to sprint out of sight, Twilight’s enraged mind moved far faster then he could possibly do so. With a pump of her wings, Twilight was atop the imp, who scrambled to turn towards his foe.
He never managed that however, as Twilight’s fist shattered his spine, and caused the creature to collapse to the ground. Twilight followed this up by stomping his head into the steel floor beneath her hooves, ending his suffering once and for all.
A solid blow to the side sent Twilight stumbling to the ground, and even with her anger, the woman couldn't shrug off the damage she was receiving. In desperation, the alicorn spun on her attacker, and shoved him away, trying to put some distance between them. The gargoyle was stumbled for mere moments but that was still more than enough time for Twilight to regain her footing.
The next swipe of the demonic creature’s claw was batted aside, with Twilight grabbing his elbow and yanking him forward. Twilight sidestepped the creature as it fell, deftly positioning herself atop her opponent’s back and grabbing hold of the gargoyle’s upper limbs. With a foot placed between the beast’s wings, Twilight pulled hard, breaking the creature’s back a second before pulling his arms clean off.
The demon flopped weakly, a gurgling sound spilling from his mouth a second before the creature stopped moving. With her final opponent dead by her hands, Twilight felt all her anger begin to dissipate, leaving her exhausted and bloodied. Numerous wounds covered the woman’s body, though as she watched, Twilight noticed the pair of cuts she had received on her hands were closing right before her very eyes.
“What the…” Twilight murmured to herself.
She didn't have long to ponder this strange change however, for the holographic man appeared at the center of the arena.
“To think you've picked up so much of the slayer’s traits after only your brief interaction with him. I wonder how you adapted so quickly,” mused the strange man.
“Who are you talking about?” demanded Twilight. “I don't know anyone named Slayer.”
“Your memory should return within a few days after the shock of your arrival in this reality has worn off,” the man remarked somewhat flippantly. “In the meantime my experiments can begin in earnest.”
“I won't be participating in any more of your twisted games you monster!” Twilight spat, jabbing a finger at the man.
“Oh, and what are you going to do to stop me?” Teased the male.
Twilight wilted for a moment before her eyes went wide. “I may not be able to do anything but princess Celestia and my friends will save me!”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Oh I don't think I’ll have to worry about that particular detail one bit.”
“What are you-”
“I have no time for your endless questions. Rest now, for when you awaken next the true test will have already begun,” exclaimed the man who flickered briefly before vanishing.
Twilight didn't even have the time to try and offer a retort before she felt something emerge from within her collar and jab her in the neck. The flood of chemicals caused the woman’s body to grow heavy, and her muscles unresponsive. She resisted, and tugged at the offending hunk of metal as hard as she could but it was simply too late.
The alicorn was only vaguely aware of her legs giving out from under her, and a second later her vision began to swim. Even with the small boost of strength that came from panic, Twilight couldn't remove the offending strip of metal. She couldn't even mutter a curse, as her vision turned black and her entire body became utterly numb.
And the void swallowed her whole.
Author's Notes:
This is a request fic, which receives updates whenever someone submits a request for me to do so on a request thread on my patreon.