“Sooooo, anybody know where we’re headed?” said a very bored tomboy.
“NOPE!” exclaimed a very perky pink haired girl.
“Master Luna said that it was a very fun, but dangerous world. I think that there might be monsters on it.”
“Heh she was right then, I will enjoy this place. I get to train by kicking monster butt.”
“Pinkie, darling, I’ve been meaning to ask, back then, Maud said something about markings. What did she mean?” asked Rarity with a slightly worried expression.
Pinkie turned around and beamed at the attention. “Well, like Twilight said, I can mark things and turn them into my summon. I just pointed my keyblade and summoned AJ back to me.
“Wait,” AJ interrupted “does that mean I have like a keyhole somewhere on my body?”
“Well, more like a tattoo actually,” she answered nervously.
Everyone went silent for a second before frantically searching their bodies for possible markings. Rarity freaked out when she felt something on her back and ran into the bathroom.
“Pinkie, why would you mark us without telling us, wait, no scratch that. When did you mark us?”
Pinkie’s smile never faltered. “Way back when we went to that bath house in town.”
“You mean that time when you kept grabbing and hugging us?” said Dash as she struggled to remember.
“Well, no. I just felt affectionate, it was actually when you guys went to take off your clothes.”
Everyone present could only stare at the pink haired girl in confusion, until an enraged violet haired girl came storming back into the room. “Pinkamena Diane Pie!”
Pinkie noticeably flinched, when her friend came rushing over to glare down at her. “How dare you sully my temple without my knowledge! I demand that you remove it this instant!” she said with an aggressive stomp of her boot.
“Now, Rarity, let’s not be hasty, she did use it to save AJ, so I don’t think-”
“I don’t care! No man would want someone like me, with a tattoo like that!”
Dash leaned over to AJ, and whispered into her ear “Probably a tramp stamp” she whispered as AJ nodded in agreement.
If Rarity heard them then the only sigh she showed was having her face increase in hue, turning her beet red. Though not from anger.
“Are you sure~” Pinkie sing-songed.
“Yes, I’m sure!”
“Okay~” she announced. Before Rarity could react, Pinkie lifted her arm and swung it over to slap just above Rarity’s behind. Twilight noted the slight sparkles that lifted from her palm as she removed it, signifying that the mark had indeed been removed.
“EEP!” Rarity squealed as she held her bottom in pain. Twilight looked away in slight embarrassment while Dash and AJ fell to the ground in laughter. After sending a death glare their way, Rarity quickly composed herself by coughing into her fist and gracefully sitting back into her seat.
“T-thank you, darling. Please warn me next time.”
“You want her to slap your ass again!!” Dash choked out, her laughter doubling, this time joined by a chuckling Twilight.
Rarity’s face lit back up instantly as she stammered out a response. “N-n-n-n-no, t-that’s not what I meant!”
Dash’s only response was more laughter, this time ringing in harmony with AJ, Pinkie and Twilight. Even Rarity let out a few giggles at her own expense.
Twilight was the first to calm down as she looked around at her laughing friends, and felt thankful that their arguments over had not damaged their friendship very much. She looked over to the one empty seat, and let her mind wandered back to recent memories.
~~~
“So, girls. I’ve been thinking about that prophecy that Yuna gave us.” began Twilight as everyone’s laughter finally died out.
“You mean that creepy rhyming fortune tell?” asked AJ.
Twilight had to facepalm at the farmgirls rather apt description of the complicated poem. “Yes, that one. Remember that second part?”
“No,” said Dash almost immediately, a blank look accompanying her answer.
Rarity sighed in response and answered for her. “ Friends see him, Fakes he sees, as
the crying rainbow shall fall to it’s knees. Against a false past will you must fend, or at the end of his blade will she meet her end. Isn’t that right Twilight?
Twilight smiled back at her. “Perfect, thank you. Remember back in the throne room-”
“No,” Dash exclaimed with a hint of anger and frustration.
Twilight only rolled her eyes, she knew that she was treading a thin line bringing this up
but she had to discuss this. “He kept calling us fakes, and imposters. But that’s not the part that confuses me, but rather, the parts about how we see him as a friend, and something about a false past.
“Well that one’s easy sug. Me an Rares see him as Spike, a friend,” she said, tossing a glare back to Dash, who only remained facing away from the group. “But, what does the part about a false past mean?”
“Well, I have a theory, if you’re willing to listen, Dash.”
Dash’s only response was a grunt. Twilight took that as a go ahead, and continued, albeit hesitantly. “If it was Spike, then he was probably brainwashed by someone to fight us. I don’t know who, and I don’t know why, but it is a possible explanation as to why he would..”
“That does sound reasonable-”
“I can’t believe this!” exclaimed Dash as she bolted upright in her seat, drawing everyone’s gazes toward her. “You guys are insane for thinking, even for a second, that Spike would ever attack us! Brainwashed or not, Spike’s not that kind of guy!”
“Come on Rainbow, you’re being stubborn, if his own sister if his own sister can see him, why can’t you!” AJ said as she too, also stood up and looked down at shorter girl.
Dash only narrowed her eyes at the taller girl, and turned to walk toward the corridor entrance. Only turning back to say one thing. “Then she’s a horrible sister for not trusting him like I do.”
“Wait, I never said-”
“She’s gone, Twilight” said Rarity with finality.
Twilight sighed and muttered to herself. “I knew this was a bad idea.” She looked down at Pinkie who, surprisingly, had not said a word this entire time. For once, just focusing on driving the ship. Twilight wished that, just this once she would do something weird or crazy to lighten the mood, like she always does.
~~~
The rest of the ride became fairly uneventful, Dash remained sulking in her room, and the rest of them retreated to their respective cool down zones. Twilight went to the onboard library, Rarity went back to her work station, and AJ also went back to her room. That’s the way it stayed, until Pinkie’s cheery voice rang throughout the intercoms, alerting everyone present.
“Were HEEEERRRREE~” she sang, causing everyone to rush to the console room to see where they were landing. As Twilight passed Dash’s room, she saw the girl lying on her bed, clearly still upset.
“Um, Dash, it’s almost time to-” she said hesitantly before she was abruptly cut of by a sudden glare from the shorter tomboy. Quickly she sat up, wordlessly shoved her way past Twilight, and headed toward the cockpit.
‘I guess that she’s still mad at us. I hope this world cheers her back up,’ she briefly paused her thought, ‘Or else I might have to get Pinkie to slap Rarity again,” she thought with a small sad grin gracing her face.
Everyone’s face contorted into ones of confusion as they gazed out the windows. Dash thought it looked kinda cool, but the rest of them thought it looked horrifying. It was small, decrepit and red, with a large tower poking out from one side and it’s surface looked almost deserted. Twilight looks over to the console to read out it’s name. Due to the fact that Luna gave specific coordinates, the computer had been able to identify the world below.
’Temen ni gru?’ she thought. “This is Master Luna’s favorite world?” asked Twilight in disbelief.
“This can’t be right, it’s all, ………...demonic, and icky. Pinkie, darling, are you sure that these coordinates are correct?”
Pinkie only shrugged and pointed towards the ceiling. “I’m not the one who picked this place, Maud’s the one who actually drove us here.”
“So there is an autopilot!” exclaimed Twilight, leveling an accusatory finger at Pinkie.
“Uh, oh look we’re here!” Pinkie said quickly as she jerked the steering wheel. Everyone on board paled as they realized what was about to happen and instantly strapped themselves in just as the ship lurched violently toward the nearby world.
~~~
Due to her reckless maneuver Pinkie wasn't able to regain control of her ship before it crashed onto the side of the large tower sticking up into the sky. Due to the sheer size of the structure, it was barely affected by the relatively small Gummi ship. Merely crashing into it’s side and crashing down multiple floors, shaking its drivers around as if they were peas in a can.
Eventually, the shaking stopped, and some of them threw up, but somehow, they were all still alive by the time that they all managed to stumble out of the ship. Still swirly eyed and dizzy beyond belief, they stumbled around aimlessly, that was, until Rarity bumped into something and fell back on her rump.
“Pinkie, I know that I’ve said this before, but this time I mean it We are not ever letting you drive again!” she exclaimed as she rubbed her sore bottom.
Pinkie, who was still stumbling around with a grin on her face only groaned out a reply. “It wahsjust a joke,” she said, before she too bumped into something. “Heym I was stumbling around here,” she complained to the figure above her. But what she saw drained the color from even her normally pink face.
Dash must have seen it too because somewhere behind her fear she could register her voice ringing out.
“What the hell is that!!”
Hearing her shocked Pinkie into action, and she quickly crawled backwards in fear. Evidently, the other 5 must have done the same thing because before you know it they were huddled together, back to back, all shivering in fear.
They realized that they were surrounded from all sides by 4 giant, floating grim reaper looking monsters. Their bleached while skeletons poked out of their pitch black robes and an eerie light shown in their otherwise empty eye sockets. In each of their hands they held a lethal looking, purple bladed scythe. Rarity made the dangerous decision of looking at one in the eye, and she swore that she could see the images of an entire population crying out for in pain and calling for help, nearly causing her to pass out then and there.
“Why the hell did Luna send us here! Does she want us dead?” screamed Dash as she huddled closer to the others, her anger momentarily forgotten.
“M-m-maybe w-we died from the crash, and it’s our time! stammered Twilight
“This is your fault Pinkie!” screamed Rarity.
“IMSORRYIMSORRYIMSORRYIMSORRYIMSORRYIMSORRYIMSORRY” she cried out repeatedly.
“Man, ah never thought that I’d go out this way,” said AJ, surprisingly calm. “Honestly, I always hoped that I would die choking on an apple.” she said as she calmly reached into her hat and pulled out an apple. “Well if ahm goin out, I’m goin out mah way!”
The ghoul reapers edged ever closer, seeming to take pleasure in watching their prey panic, but they soon grew bored as they all simultaneously raised their scythes to strike, moaning in tandem. Each of the girls closed their eyes and prepared for the worst, too fear stricken to act.
“WOOHOHOHOOOO.” cried out a new voice. Recognizing that it came from above the girls looked up and some someone drop from the ceiling. Turning upside down in mid air the figure began to spin around, and before they knew it, bullets were raining down around them. Striking all four of the reapers instantly, but never once hitting any of them.
Screaming like banshees, all four monsters disappeared in wisps of smoke and ash as they were riddled with holes.
Opening their eyes in surprise, all of the girls watched as the man landed expertly on his feet directly in front of them. Each one of the girls stopped to stare at a particular trait of his.
Rarity’s eyes were locked onto his gorgeous but utterly messy silver hair. Dash couldn't take her eyes off of his sick crimson red trench coat covering his shirtless chest, not to mention the epic looking blade hanging from his back. AJ couldn't stop staring at the sweet set of guns that he just used to kill for monsters instantly. Twin black and white semi automatic pistols that looked like they could fire forever. Twilight had been the only one to look at his face, specifically his cocky smile that put Dash’s to shame in every way.
“Girls, I know that I’m hot but it’s rude to stare” he said, using that cocky grin of his to do it.
This broke each of them out of their stupor, and Twilight was the first to speak. “Who are you…” she asked hesitantly.
“Me? I’ll tell ya after we’re done. I hope you humans can do more than just sit on your asses.” With that, at least 20 other creatures appeared around them in red flashes. They weren't as large as the 4 from before, however. They were smaller and their scythes didn't look as deadly. But even so, they still looked like zombie reapers in the eyes of the group.
Luckily they weren't taken by surprise this time, and acted as they should. by pulling out their keyblades and assuming a battle stance.
The man looked back at them in slight surprise before readopting his usual look. “Woah, freaky weapons, you girls know a dark chick named Luna by any chance?”
“You know Master Luna?” Pinkie piped up. Momentarily distracted she almost got impaled by one of the reapers, bouncing over it just in time.
“Maybe this isn't the best time!” grunted AJ as she took out a few ghouls with a wide swing.
“What? You can’t multi-task?” said the man as he eagerly took out almost a dozen ghouls himself.
Dash looked back toward the man and marveled at his skill. The way he used his guns and sword in combination with each other was absolutely amazing. He would use his sword to stun or launch an enemy, then almost instantly pull his guns out to continuously shoot them, keeping them in the air by force of bullets alone. It was almost beautiful to watch him pull off such amazing combos.
At one point he even managed to completely disarm an enemy, pin it to the ground, ride around on it as if it were a skateboard, and shoot every other enemy with his guns alone. If she didn't know better, which she probably didn't, she’d think that he was actually having fun by the way he was wooping andd laughing.
‘Woah, I gotta learn that’
After about 30 seconds the monster well appeared to dry up, and no more enemies remained. Currently just about everyone was fussing over the dust on their clothes, apparently from the enemies. Oh course Rarity had been fussing the most until she turned to see the white haired man stare at her in confusion.
“What is it?”
“Why would you wear a skirt to a fight anyway?” he asked with genuine curiosity.
She flinched as she was taken aback by the mans rather odd question, but managed to recover quickly enough. She stood her ground, flipped her hair and replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s a combat skirt, obviously”
Pinkie jumped up behind her agreeing with a cheery ‘Yeah’, before exchanging a quick low five with the stylish girl as she continued. “Why don’t you wear a shirt in a fight? That’s dangerous.”
“So I don’t get my clothes dirty, obviously,” he replied with heavy sarcasm.
Rarity only scoffed and turned away, clearly offended. ‘Is this the man Luna said that I’d fall for? Hardly, he’s just another ruffian.”
The man turned just in time to see a fairly short girl with odd colored hair zoom up to his face. It took him a second to realize that she was floating.
“That was soooo awesome how you were all like ‘hahhhh’ and ‘hyahh’ and ‘take that!’,” Dash exclaimed as she tried to mimic his moves during the fight. “How do you fight so awesomely?” she asked, her face scrunched up in sheer awe.
“What can I say, it’s in my blood, but if you really want to see something awesome check this-”
“Wait,” Twilight interrupted, “before you pull out some kind of…..electric guitar, or something, we asked you a question?” said Twilight, determined to get her answer.
The man only sighed and resigned himself to his fate, out of the corner of his eye he could see the other girl glaring at the other one, probably for butting in. Which was something he could honestly sympathize with. “I feel like there’s going to be a lot of those coming. Right?”
Twilight only nodded with a self satisfactory smile on her face, which quickly fell at his next words.
“No thanks, I’ll answer just one question.”
“Wait, but-”
“AH! One!”
“Huh, Why?”
“Is that your question?”
“N-no but-”
“Then ask your question already, I have to go stop some lunatic from turning everything into demonville.”
“But, how can I-” she stopped herself as she looked up at the mans irritating smile before realizing that he was probably messing around. Looking back she could see her friends behind her, watching, and trying not to laugh at her expense. She quickly chose her question, despite her frustration.
“How do you know Master Luna?”
“Is that your question?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, I don’t like that question, I’m gonna answer your first one.”
“What?”
Pointing at himself with his thumb he announced his name with a smile. “Name’s Dante, Professional Demon Hunter, and owner of the….ehh” he stopped as he began to mutter quietly to himself. “Dammit, I still haven't named my shop yet.”
“You’re a demon hunter?” deadpanned Twilight.
“That's right.”
“So, those were demons?”
“That's right.”
“And, you just answered two more questions.”
“Because, I felt like it”
“How do you know master Luna?”
“How about I start askin' some questions,” said Dante as he turned towards the remaining girls, ignoring the glare from Twilight. “Why do I keep finding girls in the Temen-ni-gru”
AJ answered first while leveling a glare at Pinkie. “We crashed.”
“Yea, I saw that, it was kinda funny, I could hear your screams from all the way out here, though that doesn't really answer my question. Well, at least you guys didn't shoot me in the head, maybe my luck’s changin’ after all,” he said, muttering the last parts more to himself
The others didn't hear the rest due to them all joining AJ in her glaring, causing the small pink girl to shrivel under their gaze in shame.
“Anyway,” said Twilight as she tore her gaze away, “we have no idea why we’re here, other than master Luna saying that this is a fun place, which, frankly, I don’t see. Even so, she must’ve had a reason, so can just we follow you for now? “
Hearing this, Dante turned and began to walk away nonchalantly. “Well you guys do whatever, I gotta go, or I’ll miss the party.”
Dash quickly zoomed over and floated alongside him talking ecstatically all the while. “That’s right, you said something about demonville, what’s that? What did you mean ‘you humans’? How’d you do all those sick moves? Where did you get that awesome sword? Who’s the lunatic you talked about.”
Dante only chuckled at the numerous questions directed at him, but characteristically he only answered the ones he felt like answering. “Easy there, Tweety bird, the sword was a gift from my father, I prefer stylish moves, and that lunatic, is my twin brother.”
This caused Dash to frown a bit as she looked back at the other girls following them a short ways behind. “So I guess you’re going to go kill him or something?”
“Now why the hell would I do that? He invited me to a party, so I’m gonna take his invite, and go beat some sense into him,” he said as they walked along the corridors of the tower.
“Wait, he’s trying to turn the world into hell, and you don't hate him?”
“Hell naw, he’s just power obsessed, nothing new.”
Dash immediately turned and yelled back to the unsuspecting group. “See, Twilight, that’s what a sibling should be like! Trusting!”
“Dash I do trust him! I’m just considering all the possibilities here.”
"Yeah, stop bein' a stubborn mule," added AJ
Dash only turned forward, and huffed as she flew ahead some. Causing Dante to wonder exactly what’s going on between them, and exactly why they were actually following him.