Deals of The Devil- Skys Above

Deals of the Devil: Skies above

Ponyville, a peaceful little hamlet located just outside the Everfree Forest. Considering it was so close to a place of chaos and danger nothing of interest happened in the small town.

Although the occasional event occurred that shook things up. For the most part it was idyllic, a place of calm where parents could raise their foals without a care in the world.

Such places however, are never as they seem. The more peaceful a town is, the more tempting it is to tricksters and hateful creatures from beyond the veil. For nothing is tastier to a demon then tainting something pure, and it didn’t get more pure then Ponyville. **

******

Rainbow Dash let out a yawn as she began to stir from her nap. Everything was perfect in the young pegasus's small world, but there was still one thing that always haunted her once she awoke: The Wonderbolts. She loved that group more then life itself.

Stunt flying was her whole existence outside of the weather jobs that made up her occupation; her speed was her everything and she took pride in that fact, (to the extent that her ego swelled).

Unfortunately for her, as hard as she tried, her heroes were always just out of reach. She had tried to impress them time and time again, and each time had claimed praise from their leader, Spitfire, but never a place in the group.

At times it infuriated her, she knew she was the best, so why wouldn't they let her join? She was the fastest flyer in the whole of Equestira for Celestia's sake, and she was the only one to ever successfully pull off the Sonic Rainboom. So why wouldn’t they take her?

Rainbow Dash shook these unpleasant thoughts from her head as she began to lift herself off the cloud that she had been napping on. After a few stretches on her wings and legs she began to take off, when the most peculiar thing occurred.

A note floated down from above her. Startled she began to look around for the mail pony who had dropped the letter, but there was no one in sight for miles around. Rainbow Dash scratched at her rainbow mane, she wondered where on Equestria the note could of come from.

She shrugged her wings she looked down at the mysterious letter. It was the strangest thing she had ever seen. The envelope was a pale black colour with odd markings around the edge. Two words adorned the front of the note. “Rainbow Dash”, written in crude letters that shone against the black in a deep red colour.

Rainbow searched for a return address. “Nothing”, she muttered to herself.

How odd that this note had come out no nowhere. Rainbow, however, didn't take much note of this; impulsive as ever, she began to open the strange letter.

“Perhaps it’s from a fan?”, she thought as she unfolded the small flap of paper that she procured from the black envelope.



Miss Rainbow Dash

I have heard your story, and frankly I'm insulted that a group like the Wonderbolts wouldn’t take a flier as talented and skilled as you. *This needs to be corrected as soon as possible, and I just happen to be in a situation where I can help you. If you so choose to accept my kind offer, please come to the edge of the Everfree Forest at midnight sharp.

Don t be late, this is a one time offer Miss Dash.

Signed
A friend who can help.
A huge grin had plastered itself on Rainbows’ face. Rainbow Dash rushed back to her cloud home as fast as her wings would take her. In her haste she left the note behind, should she of stayed she might of known the danger she was in. The letter had combusted into flame leaving only a small bit of ash on the cloud.

*******

“Midnight on the dot”. Rainbow Dash had been ecstatic all day, she couldn’t believe that somepony was going help her get into the Wonderbolts.

On the trip there, thoughts had popped up her mind, however: thoughts of doubt. Who was this person that was going to help her? And why she seem to interest them so much?

It didn't add up; something did not feel right to the cyan pegasus.

Her ego promptly took control of the second question but the first still burned in her mind. To get her into her heroes group they would have to have a lot of power in Canterlot.

She wondered if it was some noble or something trying to get some fame by getting a new star into the group or something.

All the thought was cut abruptly when she heard a voice coming out of the forest.

“Welcome, welcome Miss Dash. I hope I wasn't too hard to find, and sorry about the time but I assure you I have my reasons.”

A unicorn stallion had moved out of some bushes towards the young pegasus. His coat was a dark red, his mane only slightly lighter shade of red as if he had rammed his head into a bucket of fresh berries.

The first thing that Rainbow Dash noticed were the sunglasses he was wearing. Who needs sunglasses in the middle of the night? Shrugging the question aside she began to speak.

“Who are you? And why do you want to help me anyway?” Dash couldn’t help but eye the strange stallion suspiciously.

“Why Rainbow Dash, I am just a humble fan of yours who wants to see a great injustice corrected. *I happen to have some level of power over the Wonderbolts.” he was grinning by this point, and something about that smile began to make Rainbow Dash shiver. “If you will it, I can make you a Wonderbolt, as simple as that”.

“What's the catch?” Rainbow quizzed, feeling a little off put by how easy this seemed to be.

The stallion began to laugh, “No catch my dear, dear Rainbow Dash.”, he began to grin again. What was it about that grin that unnerved Rainbow so much?

“I will however need you to join me for... one day, that's all, one, no more, no less.

His horn began to glow a sickly red as a scroll and quill appeared before Rainbow Dash.

“All you have to do is sign. Do we have a deal?”, he floated the quill over to Rainbow Dash, who took it in her teeth. Something inside her screamed this was wrong, to run and never look back, but this chance didn't come every day. She could have her dream, to be a Wonderbolt!

Gulping hard, she threw all her worry out the window and signed her name on the bottom of the scroll.

“Gotcha”, the unicorn exclaimed with a large toothy grin. Rainbow could only stare at the figure before her. His teeth were sharp as fangs, as if he took a file to them every morning to make sure they stayed that way. The red of his coat began to melt away showing a crystal white underneath.

Not all the colour vanished however, splotches of deep red remained on his flank like fresh blood from an open wound.

Shocked Rainbow Dash began to run, forgetting she even had wings in this situation. However, a large dome of living fire began to surround both her and the stallion. She turned back to him, eyes wide in shock as he removed his sunglasses, revealing two blood red dragon eyes.

“Ah ah ah, don't be a naughty filly, you signed of your own free will, so for one day you’re mine!”, he chuckled in a sing song voice, the flames began to get closer until they engulfed both ponies, leaving nothing left but some light traces of ash on the ground. **

******

Rainbow Dash finally awoke, noting the splitting headache in the back of her head, “What happened to me?”

She was in a small black room devoid of all light. She tried to move her legs but, to no avail; even her wings wouldn’t move. She gasped in horror as she realised she was bound to a medical table, *legs tied and her wings pinned to her back.

“Hello, is anypony there?” she screamed into the darkness, desperately trying to get free of her restraints. Then in the distance she heard it, the sound of hooves on stone. “Help, please get me out of here,” was all she could scream into the darkness, hoping with all her might the pony in the shadows was friendly.

What she saw, she couldn't believe. A pink earth pony with a bubblegum pink mane had come bounding up to her, a huge grin on her face. Rainbow Dash knew this mare, it was her best friend Pinkie Pie.

Relief spread through her body like a river as she saw her friend; she knew Pinkie would help her after all.
“Pinkie, oh I'm so glad to see you! I have no idea where I am or what happened. Can you please get these ropes off me?” sighed Rainbow in relief.

Pinkie Pie began to bounce around the table and in her sing song voice spoke to Rainbow, “Silly Dashie, you can't go yet, the party has only just started, and leaving would be rude and you’re not rude are you?”

“Wait, you’re in on this? How could you! I thought you were my best friend.” Rainbow was shocked at this point, rage growing on her face. Pinkie just giggled as she looked back to her helpless friend.

“You really don't know what you got your self into, do you Dashie? Didn’t any one ever tell you to beware strangers bearing gifts, well unless it’s a party then that's ok, ohh I know we should have a party right here right now shouldn’t we Dashie?”

Bounding back into the shadows Pinkie was gone only a second before coming back with a big black toolbox. “Hey Dashie, I heard from Twilight that putting pins into people can feel good, well I couldn't find any pins but I got the next best thing” **digging in the box she removed a box of nails and a rusty hammer.

Rainbow couldn't believe her eyes, was Pinkie really about to do what she thought she was?

“Don’t you dare Pinkie, this isn’t funny”, the first spike of pain hit her as a nail was driven into her hoof.

Screaming in agony as blow after blow came to her cracking bone and leaving a trail of metal in her legs, the pain was greater then anything she had ever felt before, she wanted to cry but couldn’t, she just wanted it to stop.

“So Dashie, was Twilight right, did it feel good, hey did it, did it?” Pinkie, her normal self, was giggling again, “Oh that was so much fun, what should we do next?” Rainbow was unable to say anything, her blood dribbling off the table through the fresh wounds in her legs.
“You’re....not....Pinkie,” she spit in a quiet voice, panting with each word. “She wouldn't do this!”

Pinkie stood there dumb struck, with a small frown on her face. “Aw, did you have to go and figure that out so soon, I was having fun, spoil sport,” the Pinkie clone was grinning now, her normal teeth began to sharpen and point at the ends. Her face began to melt off the bone and ooze with blood before falling to the ground with a wet slap.

At the sight of this Rainbow Dash wanted to vomit more then anything in the world, but nothing would come; just the horrid feeling of nausea sitting in the pit of her stomach. She closed her eyes in an effort to block out the horrid event, but the sounds still haunted her.

Then she began to feel the heat, snapping her eyes open she began to see the flames again burning at her flesh, leaving nothing but bone and ash in its wake. It was agony, Rainbow's blood curdling screams filled the tiny chamber.

*****

The moment felt like an eternity, but soon the pain ended and Rainbow was sprawled on a cold stone floor. Leaping to her legs, she examined her whole body. Nothing was wrong, not a feather out of place. “W-whats going on here!” She had felt the pain and seen the wounds, but nothing, all of it was gone: she was as fit as the day she was foaled.

The sound of hooves clapping could be heard from the darkness behind her. Turning around to face the sound she was almost blinded by the lighting of giant fire pits which seemed to engulf the large rectangular chamber.

*At the back of the room flanked by two of these pits was a large stone throne, carved into the shape of a pony's head crying in terror, just looking at it you could almost hear the screams.

The stone almost shone with a dark light and was made of some unearthly ore Rainbow had never seen in her life, and sitting on the stone tongue that made the seat was... him.

That same unicorn that she had seen just before the fire took her the first time and brought her to this Clesetia forsaken place.

“I must give it to you, you’re stronger then I thought you would be,” his horn was glowing as a glass of wine apeared before him, swiftly taking a drink he looked back at his visitor. “Most ponies go insane before they even figure out that it's not their friends killing them slowly.”

“What are you!” Rainbow dash snapped, wings open trying to look as threatening as she could. However all this did was cause the creature in front of her to laugh.

“Oh how rude of me, I never introduced my self.” raising from his seat with a flourish he began to boast. “I go by many names in many worlds, but I could sit here forever counting off the names you creatures have called me over the millennium.”

He vanished and reappeared right in front of the mares face, causing her to stumble backwards.
“You however can call me Blood Red, master of this realm you see before you,”
“Where are we anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly ignoring what happened to her just a moment ago, as curiosity got the better of her.

“The Netherworld, the Underworld, that place bad ponies go, call it what you want you’re there missy,”

“Wait, so I'm dead then?” *Rainbow stuttered at the idea that she could of left the land of the living early.

“Not quite,” Blood said in a serious voice, which seemed to be rare for him up until now, “You wanted something, I gave you the chance to obtain it. However such things require... payment.”

The blood rushed from Rainbow's face leaving her white as a sheet (or as white as you can be with blue fur) “What...kind of payment?” she questioned, the fear ever-present in her voice.

Blood chuckled wildly, “The best kind: you are to say here for one whole day as my play thing. Enough chatter, it’s time to get to the fun. I'm a busy demon after all.”

Fire began to engulf the room yet again. *Rainbow tried her best to brace herself for the pain. It was in vain, as agony took Rainbow again, just like the first time. Rainbow Dash felt herself being reduced to dust before everything went black. **

******

Rainbow Dash blinked again as the world began to refocus, finding herself in a long tunnel which seemed to go on forever, stretching into the abyss.

Anger began to boil in Rainbow Dash as she remembered what Blood Red told her. “A play thing!” she screamed in her head, how dare anyone treat her like this!

Suddenly Blood Red appeared floating in the air before her, a sick look of amusement on his face. He was staring into the dark void that lay before them. “Now, shall we begin my little toy?”

“I'm not your toy, I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in Equestira, and I can take anything you throw at me,” Rainbow spat at the figure floating above her, sick of looking weak.

Blood span his head in an impossible way, looking at her behind him without ever turning his body his eyes glowing as he spoke, “now this one has spirit; lets see if we can do something about that shall we?”

With a glow of his horn a key appeared in front of Rainbow Dash, “Do you think you were the only one I managed to trick down here, that pink one wasn’t half as much fun as you have been.”

“What have you done with Pinkie Pie, ANSWER ME!” Rainbow Dash hated the idea that one of her friends was in trouble. She had to find her.

His grin grew wider until it went from ear to ear. “Don't worry your little head over it my pet, she is safe for now and I'm going to give you a chance to make sure she stays that way.”

“See that key in-front of you, well your little friend in down this tunnel. This key opens the lock to her cage, all you have to do is,” he leaned in close next to Rainbow's ear wispering, “Take it.”

With that Rainbow grabbed for the key with her teeth but as she tried he quickly made the key vanish again. “tut, tut, did no one teach you any manners, nothing is free you silly filly.” Rainbow was getting angry now, she could see he was enjoying this but there was nothing she could do.

“What do you want for it?” she spat, clearly unimpressed by his actions. With this Blood Red began to look into the void, deep in thought for a while. Then he turned back to Rainbow and flew just inches away from her face, that impossibly large grin growing larger still.

“How about... your wings!” At this Dash recoiled, he wanted her wings but they were the most important thing in her life. Without her wings she would no longer be able to fly, her dreams of being in the wonderbolts would be made impossible.

“But if you take my wings isn't this whole thing worthless? I wont be able to join the wonderbolts without them, isn't there something else you want instead.”

“And what would you be willing to give up, your legs, your soul, your innocence?” Blood chuckled at every word, “no I have made up my mind, I want your wings. However I could be convinced to just let this game slip by and go onto the next one.”

Rainbow was horrified at this though, she couldn’t just leave Pinkie here, she would never forgive her self if she let one of her friends take the fall for something she did, after all she was the element of loyalty.

“I cant say what will happen to your little friend though, she might live or she might die. What good are friends anyway, waste of time.” Blood grumbled through his teeth, not pleased with the idea of friends at all.

Through gritted teeth, she couldn’t believe she was going to say this but she had to for her friends.

“Fine, take them, just give me that damn key,”

Yet again Blood Red began to laugh manically as a red glow began to coat his horn, the same glow began to envelop Rainbow's wings, spreading them out as if she was about to take off.

In a split second the silence of the tunnel was filled with the echo of tearing flesh and screams of pain and anguish.

Blood dripping from her sides, all Rainbow could do for the moments after this event was focus on the pain, stopping herself collapsing, “Give...me...the...key,”

“As you wish my dear,” he gave a small bow before igniting the two torn wings turning them to dust, then he brought the key to Rainbow once more. She grabbed it this time without any altercation, and galloped full force down the tunnel into the inky blackness.

It felt like forever in that dark abyss, but Rainbow Dash steeled her self and kept going, no matter how much her sides ached. At least they had stopped bleeding now which was some consolation.

Finally she saw it a small red cage just sitting there at the end of the long expanse, she had managed to make out a small pink figure inside the cage. “Oh Celestia, let her be alright please.” she muttered to her self, key still in mouth.

She rammed the key into the small keyhole on the side of the cage and fumbled with the lock, she was almost jumping in glee when she heard that click. *Slowly she opened the cage but there was no movement from within.

Rainbow rushed to the aid of her friend, she took her in her hooves trying to get her to wake up. But the pink pony lay still as stone, her body covered in injuries and burns, her mane not its normal bouncy chaotic mess but strait as it clung to her cold body.

“No, Pinkie don't do this to me, I cant lose you, please be alright,” Rainbow Dash was on the verge of tears at this point she couldn’t hold it any more, her friend lay dead in her arms. She began to sob into the pink pony’s mane hoping for movement, begging for a smile or for this to just be one of Pinkie's pranks.

Rainbow knew better. She placed her friend back into the cage and screamed at the top of her lungs. Why did she have to take that damn ponies offer because of her she had hurt her friends, she had betrayed them. *

Just then the body of her friend began to burn with white hot fire. Rainbow dash panicked, she didn’t want the body hurt any more then it already was. With her hooves she began to stomp on the body trying in vain to stop the flames, it was too late the body was gone only ash was left.

A familiar voice could be heard from behind her. “Now wasn't that fun,” Blood red chirped, pleased with how things played out.

“Fun....FUN!” Rainbow screamed in rage, “HOW WAS THIS FUN, you took my wings, killed my friend, and asked me if it was fun!”

Blood's grin began to melt from his face being replaced by an angry growl, looking at Rainbow with a stare that would make Fluttershy proud, “me, it’s MY FAULT!? No you stupid foal it’s yours, this is where your damn loyalty gets you. Your friend is dead, your wings are gone and what do you have to show you for self giving ways, NOTHING!” *

Then as soon as it began, his frown turned right back into a big toothy grin, “Friends are a waste of time look, what loyalty has given you, pain nothing else.”

“Come with me, it’s time to make your final choice,”

“I'm not going anywhere with you, MONSTER! Why are you doing this to me, what did I do to deserve this.” Rainbow Dash was still crying but her rage couldn’t be contained at this point, this thing before her had taken everything from her.

“Why am I doing this?” Blood's grin grew large yet again, “Because I'm master here that's why, I can do whatever I want and you have to take it, you signed the damn contract and it says you have to do as I say while in my realm, that is if you bothered to read the damn thing.”

Confused, tired and very angry, Rainbow Dash just stared at him until realising she had no choice. After a long time of silent walking they finally made it to a large chamber with a giant hole stationed in the middle. **

“I'm giving you a choice now my dear little Rainbow Dash, one last test and I let you go. Fail and I keep you here forever.” *Blood Red was solemn while he spoke for once. “Don't disappoint me,”

“Wait I thought you said I only had to stay here for one day?” Rainbow Dash was confused at this point, Blood's outburst had shown he cared about the contract they had made, yet here he was about to break it.

“Heh, silly foal, this is why you always read the fine print,” horn aglow, Blood made the contact appear in front of Rainbow, and there it was right at the bottom in tiny writing. “Ahem.. should you break this contract at any point during this little trip into the underworld, the contract will be made null and void.” with that the scroll vanished again showing his grin yet again.

“Which means, you’re mine forever! Now on to the test.”

“Dangling over this pit of fire is some one you know, this leaver allows her to drop, your test.” a demonic look had formed in Blood Reds eyes, “Kill her!”

Rainbow Dash's eyes shot up to the rope when she heard this, and sure enough tied to the end of the rope was Applejack, another one of Rainbow's close friends. The orange earth pony hung there lifeless.

“Think about it Rainbow, just pull the leaver and you get everything, fame, the Wonderbolts, I will even return you wings to you.”

Blood laughed, “ Just one little life, and it’s all yours.”

Rainbow couldn’t believe what she was hearing, killing Applejack, no she couldn’t, she wouldn’t. But then again she had suffered so much down here, her wings still just bloody stumps, Pinkie was dead, what would one more hurt.

She shook her head as hard as she could, she couldn’t believe she was even thinking about doing it, Applejack didn’t deserve this but she did, she signed that damn contract. Taking a deep breath she looked at Blood with fury in her eyes. “The contract says you have to give me whatever I want correct?”

Blood just stared at Rainbow for a second, “Yes whatever your heart wants, why?”

Rainbow Dash took another deep breath, “I want you to set free Applejack, and take me instead.”

This had not been the answer Blood had wanted, smile long gone he began to scream with primal rage. “YOU DARE!”

Blood sighed, and began to grin once more, “ Fine but know this Rainbow Dash, this means you’re mine forever.”

Rainbow just nodded in agreement.

With this Blood's horn began to glow once more firing a jet of flame at Rainbow Dash. Without her wings she had no way to avoid the gout of fire rushing at her. Everything went dark once more.

*****

Back in this throne room, Blood Red wasn’t happy at all, but he didn't look angry either. He looked more like a spoiled foal who didn't get his way or his toy taken from him.

Behind him a voice chimed out “So, how did it go then?”

Blood Red gave the newcomer a pout, “she passed, no matter what I tried I couldn’t break the element of loyalty,”

“So where is she now,” the mysterious voice asked.

“I sent her back, no fun in messing with her any more she wont remember any of it, it was like she was never gone,” Blood sighed at this.

“Oh well you still have five more don't you?”

Blood jumped to his feet, his grin growing once more, “So I do, I cant wait to get started on the next one I'm sure they all won be unbreakable, I will show you sister, I'm stronger then them!”




Authors note.

I would like to thank everyone that helped me with this Darthmedivh/spitfyre who helped with ideas and proofreading and valvoja who helped me with ideas.

Also big shout out to EPR who have made me love being a brony since day one.