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.