Chapter 3
Demons Don't Play Nice
One week had passed since anypony had seen Storm. By now, the four Elementals had made decent progress, but only Seafoam had actually gotten close.
She had come with the fantastic idea to simply move the water away from herself when she went under, but could only pull oxygen from the water for a minute or two.
Starstreak had managed to pull up a floating rock platform big enough for him to stand on, but he couldn't keep it floating while he was standing on it.
Cyclone still couldn't whip the winds up very well, but he had succeeded in getting his little tornado bigger.
Scootaloo had achieved small sparks on her target, but not enough to actually start the fire.
"Come on!" Scootaloo shouted angrily after her sixty-third failed attempt.
"Don't get mad," Rainbow Dash said from the cross bridge. "It'll only make it harder."
"It's already hard!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"Fine, then get mad. I don't care," Rainbow responded.
"Fine!" Scootaloo replied with unreasonable anger. She focused her will on the dummy in front of her, ready to spark it up.
She focused, and strained herself to set the dummy ablaze. A spark appeared, then the whole thing spontaneously burst into flames.
"Wow," Rainbow said. "Guess getting mad does have something to it." She looked at the stairs. "Look, I'll be right back. I have something that needs to be done. Just keep practicing." With that, Rainbow Dash departed up the staircase.
"What's she doing?" Seafoam wondered.
"I dunno," Starstreak replied while trying to step on the rock, which immediately afterwards causing him to fall flat on his face.
"I'll go check," Scootaloo said suspiciously. Rarely did her idol do something without good reason these days. She flew up to the bridge, then quietly trotted up the stairs. She found Rainbow Dash sitting on her haunches, her back turned towards the filly.
"Dear Journal. Yeah, I'm still calling it that. The whole 'Diary' junk still seems to girly. Too Rarity. Anyway, nopony has figured me out yet, and I don't think they will anytime soon. Storm's come dangerously close, but not quite. I love him, and wish we were spending a bit more time together, but with all that's happening, it won't be until he finished with everything. Knowing him, he should be back in a few days, with Tanner's head on a pike. Whelp, that's it. See you next week."
Scootaloo heard the sound of a book closing, and immediately flew down the stairs, careful not to make a sound.
Horseapples, Scootaloo swore mentally. I just listened in on Rainbow Dash's journal. What's she hiding that she can't tell anypony?
Scootaloo landed back on the training ground, which instantly burst in flames. Rainbow came back down the stairs, oblivious to what had been done.
Scootaloo, however, was unable to hide her nervous look. Rainbow Dash was hiding something, and she had to figure out what it was.
"Something wrong, squirt?" Dash asked.
Scootaloo snapped back into reality. "Nope! Nothing wrong here!" She tried to make fire again, but found herself unable. Her mind was far too occupied with the principle that her idol had a big secret, something even her coltfriend didn't know about.
Rainbow had a suspicious look on her face, but turned away regardless. Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief, and tried her best to conjure up her power once more.
«{[()]}»
Three hours later, it was time for the scheduled time of rest, sort of like night in the portal. Time didn't visibly pass in there, so the time slot was placed to ensure the four Elementals stayed healthy.
A door slid open on one end of the cross bridge, and the four foals stepped through. Inside were four made beds, ready for rest.
Rainbow just left. Nopony knew where she went at night, but until now, nopony had questioned it either.
Scootaloo stepped up on her bed, and sighed. The others had to know. "So, guys. I figured out what Rainbow Dash was doing the other day."
"Which was?" Cyclone inquired.
"She was talking to herself while she was writing in a journal. She said something about a secret that nopony knew, not even Storm. She said it's really important that nopony knows about it," Scootaloo regaled.
"So... Don't ask about it?" Seafoam confirmed.
"NO..." Starstreak said sarcastically. "Let's just come right out and say we know she's got some sort of crazy secret."
"I was just making sure," Seafoam said, insulted.
"Let's just go to bed. Who knows, maybe Storm'll be back tomorrow, and he can help us figure this out," Scootaloo said while getting underneath the covers.
"Sounds good to me," Cyclone sighed as he was doing the same.
«{[()]}»
Ten hours later, the room had lit up, signaling that the time of rest was over. The four rubbed the sleep from their eyes, and three of them jumped down, leaving Starstreak up top. Rainbow Dash flew him down.
Scootaloo had been unable to focus enough to use her powers since she eavesdropped on Rainbow. Her mind was filled with possibilities, and the others were no different.
Then the unmistakable sound of the portal opening echoed through the chamber. In the two pegasi flew up, and in the excitement of the moment, Seafoam burst upwards in a geyser of water, and Starstreak floated up on a rock platform.
They all galloped up the stairs as fast as they could, eager to meet their trainer again. However, when they reached the portal, they were met with a horribly gruesome sight.
Rainbow was freaking out at Storm's side, who looked as if he had barely made it into the portal. He had been cut in several places, as large bleeding gashes now covered his form. Both of his hind legs were broken at the knee, and his mane had been burned off. His ear had been nicked, part of being cleaved off. But that wasn't even close to the worst part. Both of his wings were missing, and were leaking blood from the stumps.
"WHAT IN TARTARUS DID YOU DO!?" Rainbow yelled.
"Listen," The broken Conduit said weakly. "There isn't much time. I can heal myself, but it'll take time. A strong demon's coming, and he did this. I have little to no doubt that he'll be able to get through the portal. He only did this because he surprised me, but there's no way you can fight him. Go through the front door of the hall, and get into a room made of crystal. I'll teleport there in a second, I just need to set up wards."
"But-"
"Go!" Storm shouted.
Too late.
The portal's doors flew from their hinges, and revealed the enemy. A large cyclops stood at the entrance, brandishing a sword in his mighty hand.
He raised his weapon, and brought it down on his already-wounded enemy. However, the weapon was stopped by a rather unlikely object, or rather, element.
The sword had been stopped by wind alone.
Cyclone was standing behind them, not really sure what he was doing. The wind picked up, and the sword was thrown from the cyclops' hand. It staggered back a few steps, and the winds began to grow stronger. They got faster and faster until the monster was on the edge of the plateau, and gave one last strong gust of air. The demon was blown clear of the mountain, and screamed all the way down, assuming there was an end to his fall.
Cyclone just stood there, unsure of what happened. He grinned. "That's right! Get outta here!"
Storm struggled to look at him. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it! I feel like I could do anything!" He began to sway, then passed out.
Rainbow laughed. "Looks like he did a bit too much. I'll get him inside." She took another look at her broken coltfriend. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'll be fine. I think. Just give me a second." He flipped himself over, and raised a hoof skyward. "Healing Moonbeam!" A ray of white light shot down from the sky, and his wounds began to heal. The cuts closed, his legs knitted, and his wings grew back. "It's good to be a Conduit. So, judging on what just happened, I take it we've made some progress?"
"No," Seafoam supplied. "That was just deadly motivation."
"Still good," Storm said. "Well, we have to leave anyway. They found the portal, and in turn, they found us. So, we'll just go back to Ponyville. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like the best idea. But that's where the Elements of Harmony are being kept, and if I know anything about demons-"
"Which you do," Starstreak interjected.
"Which I do, then they can't even get close to them. Touching it would mean instant death."
"Then let's go!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"We shall." With that, Storm Shadows teleported to the town. They appeared in the library, startling a certain egghead.
"Where in Tartarus have you been?!" Twilight questioned. "Everypony's been coming to me about Scootaloo!"
"Yeah, nopony's gonna worry," .
"Look, long story short. These four have been pegged as Elementals, ones who can control their elements. Also, Tanner took over Tartarus, and now has it's horde of demons under his power. You know, typical tuesday," Storm deadpanned.
Twilight held her mouth agape. "Well. That's certainly something. You know what? Just deal with it like only you can. I'll make sure nothing gets discovered."
"Thanks!" Storm replied, then galloped out the door, leaving the group alone. Rainbow quickly trailed after him.
"The rest of you can stay here while he's gone," Twilight said. "Knowing him, he'll be back in a week. I'll get the guest beds ready, but Scootaloo, you might want to head home. Your parents went ballistic when you didn't come home last night."
Scootaloo nodded, and trotted out the door. She was NOT looking forward to her next encounter with her parents, and was trying to walk as slowly as possible. She arrived at her home around ten minutes later, and pushed open the door.
She was immediately tackled by her mother.
"Any bruises?" She said quickly.
"Mom, I'm fine," Scootaloo said while trying to break free of her mother's iron grip.
"Where have you been?" Her father asked the filly.
"Storm took me camping," Scootaloo said without thinking.
"Oh, that... I'll kill him!" Her mother exclaimed.
"It's fine! He showed me how to make a fire!" Scootaloo said. Technically, she wasn't lying.
"Fire! When I get my hooves on him I'll-"
"Dear, calm down," Scootaloo's father urged. "We'll talk later, Scootaloo. We have to go chat with Storm." With that, he led his wife out the door, and straight to Storm's house.
Scootaloo figured Storm could weasel out of the spot she'd put him in, and was more worried about herself. Nothing was worth risking the wrath of her parents.
«{[()]}»
At Storm Shadows' house
"STORM!" Scootaloo's mother yelled while kicking Storm's door from it's hinges.
Storm was busying himself with preparations for his journey. "Why, Raining, Stormy, how've you been? Congrats on the foal, by the way."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US YOU WERE TAKING SCOOTALOO CAMPING!"
"Sorry about that, by the way. Take this as a consolation," Storm replied, and trotted over to his closet. He pushed it open, grabbed a bar of solid gold in his muzzle, and placed it on the floor before them.
"Do you realize how much this is worth?" Scootaloo's father asked.
"Don't worry about it. I've got about a hundred more."
They spoke no more, but simply left with their new fortune.
"Hm. Easier than I expected," Storm said to himself. He heard the knock of a hoof on his door, and opened it.
"Can I come in?" Rainbow Dash asked at the door.
"What will the answer to that question always be?" Storm asked rhetorically.
Rainbow stepped inside. "I'm coming with you. Don't try and say no."
"Okay then, I won't. Just let me get the rest of my gear, and we'll be off." He levitated the Conduit's Belt from his closet, and clipped it around his waist. "There, that should do it. Keep in mind that I'll probably have to go Human for what we're gonna deal with."
"Well, duh. I'd be disappointed if you didn't!"
"Great. I'll just-" He was interrupted by an earth-shattering boom outside the home. Both ponies instantly galloped outside, and tried to take in the sight before them.
A demon dozens of feet tall was taking slow steps in the direction of Ponyville, destroying all it touched. It possessed the legs of a goat, a forked tail, a man's torso, and a dragon's wings. It's head was a hideous combination of all of them.
"Don't worry," Storm urged. We can only see it because I'm related to the god of death, and you've got the Element of Loyalty. Nopony else should be able to see it."
"Just kill it so we can get started," Rainbow commanded.
"With pleasure."
Storm placed a shroud around himself as not to draw attention to his magical attack, and charged it up. A demon this big would be hard to kill, which meant Storm had a rare opportunity. He could go full-throttle.
Six discs of white light appeared in the air above him, and all flew at the demon. Each was razor-sharp, easily able to cut through the strongest of metals. However, the monster simply flicked them aside.
"That," Storm said in a negative tone, "Is not a good sign. A god shouldn't have been able to deflect that."
The monster scowled at him, opened it's mouth, and spewed a giant stream of fire directly onto the town. It could have easily incinerated most of the building.
It never reached it's target.
The fire stopped short. It hovered there in midair, unseen by those in the town. Storm looked around to identify the source of the save, and found none other than Scootaloo, concentrating as hard as she could. Keeping all that fire where it was is an incredibly difficult thing, even for somepony naturally in tune with it.
Storm noted her distress, and placed a fireshield above the town. Scootaloo passed out just as he completed the barrier, and it struck harmlessly.
"How'd she see that?" Dash questioned.
"I'll figure that out later. Right now, I have a demon to kill. Brutally, if I have a choice," Storm said, and lifted into the sky.
He flew closer to the demon. "Listen up! I don't know how you blocked the last one, but you sure as my name's Storm Shadows aren't gonna block this one!"
The monster simply grunted, and tried to grab him. He closed his mighty fist around the Pegasus, but found nothing inside. Storm teleported above the demon, and plunged his scythe into it's forehead.
The monster howled in pain, and grasped at the nuisance attacking him. Storm teleported again, this time back to the ground.
"Rainbow!"
"Yeah?"
"Remember the Lunar Blitz?" Stom asked.
"Can't forget it!"
"Meet it's more aggressive brother!"
Storm's eyes narrowed, and he focused his power. "Lunar Barrage."
Thirty different beams of white light shot out from every angle, converging on a single point: the demon. It howled in pain as it was reduced to a stain in the Equestrian soil.
"I will never get tired of that," Rainbow Dash said with a sigh.
"Let's take Scootaloo to the library. Something tells me her ability to see demons went to the others in addition. Something like this just doesn't happen overnight."
The shroud was still up, so Storm teleported the himself, Scootaloo, and Dash to the library.
"I see you took care of things," Twilight said.
"Did the others see it?" Storm asked.
"Didn't everypony?"
"No. Only you, the rest of the bearers, and myself should be able to. But for some reason, the four Elementals also got the ability to see them. Might be a side effect, but it's useful. Wait, I'm stupid. I should have analyzed this back at the portal, when Cyclone killed a cyclops. They all saw it then, why didn't I notice?"
"I'll take Scootaloo home," Twilight offered.
"Please," Storm replied. "I'm just now realizing that I'll have to stay here. The demons can, and will, kill everything in their path to get the elements. They're more powerful than me, and with them, they can level Equestria."
"It seems like everything goes crazy whenever you're involved," Twilight observed. "Rainbow, you're pretty lucky."
"Yeah I am. I've got the only immortal male in Equestria," Rainbow said, nuzzling her coltfriend.
"We've got a big task ahead of us."