Author's Note: Once again, I'm speechless on how popular this story is. There are no words that describe the happiness I feel, knowing that people enjoy the first Ghost Rider/MLP crossover.
Johnny Blaze continued to follow Rainbow Dash towards a settlement apparently named 'Ponyville'. Even though the named sounded like something an eight-year old would probably use, Johnny didn't want to voice this thought to Rainbow Dash. He didn't know how serious these ponies took their town names, but if they are as serious about the name as Pittsburgh is about theirs, his stay would be more than 'unwelcome'.
"So, what's Ponyville like?"
Rainbow turned her head to Johnny with a smile.
"It's an AWESOME place! The ponies there are nice, tolerant, and we pretty much have an adventure every single week! It's the perfect definition of 'home'. And just wait till I introduce you to my friends. I'm sure they'll get a kick out of a stuntpony like you."
Johnny's steps faltered at that word.
"Wait, 'stuntpony'?"
Dash's smile lessened.
"Yeah. I mean, with your wings painted like that and with that crazy cutie mark of yours, you must be a stuntoony or something, right?"
Johnny looked over his colored feathers, then at his 'cutie mark'. The colors of his wings were like that of his old stunt uniform and stunt bike, and it's obvious to him that the burning skull represented that Ghost Rider inside him, the orange and blue flames represented the Spirit of Vengeance and the Angel of Justice respectively, and the crossed motorcycle exhaust pipes that were shooting the flames meant his motorcycle.
"Uh, yeah, I'm a stuntma-pony."
Dash raised an eyebrow.
"What was with the hesitation?"
"Uh, well, I guess I must've hit my head or something. Things are pretty blurry to me right now."
It was the best lie he could do. Usually feigning a head injury or concussion worked for him. Apparently it worked, because Rainbow Dash nodded and her pace began to pick up.
"Well, then I guess we should get you to Nurse Redheart so she can check you out. No telling what kind of injuries you got from me flying into you."
Johnny Blaze nodded and matched her trot.
'Never going to get used to having four legs and no arms or hands.'
XXXX
Ponyville. It was as colorful as he thought it would be.
There were pegasi, unicorns, and normal ponies, their colors ranging from dark blues to yellows, even different shades of pink and greens. Some ponies seem to take notice of Johnny's entrance, and he could've sworn that he saw a pink pony jump into the air, give a long gasp, then bolt into a building that looked like a gingerbread house at a Christmas party. A lot of the ponies seemed to be staring at him.
The Rider's powers were starting to push on him again, but The Rider was being surprisingly subdued in his actions.
Johnny could hear what the ponies were whispering to each other.
"Who's he?"
"I've never seen a pegasus with wings like that."
"What's with the jacket and chain? Is he a thug?"
He saw Rainbow Dash heading towards a hospital, so he quickly followed her, knowing that this is likely their medical center. The whispering seemed to die down as he followed Dash.
Entering the building he was met with a white colored mare that had a faded pink mane rolled into a bun with a nurse's hat on. Her cutie mark was a red medical cross with a heart in each corner.
"Ah, Rainbow Dash, you here for your weekly visit?"
The nurse said to the light blue pegasus with a grin.
"Nah, I'm fine. I just need you to take a look at my friend here."
Rainbow pointed at Johnny Blaze with a hoof.
"Oh, and who are you, sir? I don't think I've ever seen you in Ponyville before."
Johnny gave a faint smile.
"My name is Johnny Blaze."
"Well, Mr. Blaze, it's nice to meet you."
Rainbow Dash spoke up.
"Say, Nurse Redheart? Is it cool if you examine Johnny? When I found him, he was lying unconscious in a field, and I...sort of...flew into him."
Rainbow rubbed her front hooves together in embarrassment.
Nurse Redheart smiled and signaled for Johnny to follow her.
XXXX
After half an hour of being poked and prodded by Nurse Redheart's hooves, Johnny now sat on an examination table without his jacket or chain on him, which were sitting folded on a chair nearby. His wings were also splayed out, showing off the striped patterns. Nurse Redheart seemed pretty fascinated with them.
"My word, I've never seen wings with these kind of feathers. And the coloration is naturally occurring! Were you're wings always like this, Mr. Blaze?"
Johnny gave an awkward smile.
"Yeah. I've had them for as long as I can remember."
Not technically a lie. He was just telling her the truth while holding back some details about that truth.
"Well, then it seems that all you have are a few bruised ribs and a bump on your head. It shouldn't be too troublesome."
Johnny was about to ask if she could subscribe some painkillers, but maybe it was best not to. He didn't want her to get suspicious and start asking questions. Besides, he hasn't felt any real malice or evil in this place. And the whispering wasn't out of hate or suspicion, it was simply curiosity.
"I think that's all for now, Mr. Blaze. Feel free to come back if you feel like anything else is wrong."
"Thanks, ma'am."
XXXX
After pulling his jacket back on and wrapping the chain around his waist, which felt more comfortable than wearing it like a sash, Johnny Blaze entered the lobby, only to be greeted by more ponies than he remembered leaving.
Besides Rainbow Dash, there was a normal pony that was an orange color with a light golden mane pulled into a type of ponytail, wearing a brown stetson hat, and had three red apples on her flank.
On her other side was a unicorn that was a light lavender with a purple mane that had a lighter purple and pink stripe going through it and a pink-purple six-pointed star surrounded by five smaller stars on her flank
Beside the unicorn was a light yellow colored pegasus with a pink mane. She had three pink butterflies on her flank.
And beside the stetson-wearing pony was a white-coated unicorn with a curled purple mane and had three blue diamonds on her flank.
'Now why are there so many female ponies? Hasn't anyone here noticed this?'
"Aw sweet! You're finally done with the check-up. Everything good?"
Johnny turned his attention to Rainbow Dash.
"Yeah, everything's good. Only some bruised ribs and a bump to the head. Nothing serious."
Dash smiled, relieved she didn't any real damage to the stallion.
Johnny looked over Dash at the group of ponies that were now staring at him.
"Who're your friends?"
Dash perked up and took a few steps back to stand with the other ponies.
"Johnny Blaze, these are my friends. The lavender, bookish mare is Twilight Sparkle, the cowpony is Applejack, the timid pegasus is Fluttershy, and the fashionable unicorn is Rarity. Guys, this is Johnny Blaze."
"Greetings."
"Howdy!"
"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Blaze."
"Um....Hi."
Johnny smiled.
"It's nice to meet you all." He looked at Rarity. "And simply 'Johnny' will do, ma'am."
The white fashionista only nodded absentmindedly, her entire focus on Johnny's form.
"My, Mr. Blaze, what an...interesting assemble you have. Oh but we simply MUST get you out of that jacket. It's looks like you got into a fight with a fire-breathing Diamond Dog."
Johnny, a little annoyed that she still called him 'Mr. Blaze', that was his father's title, took a step back.
What was wrong with his jacket?
Sure, he turned Ray Carrigan, or should he say 'Blackout', into roadkill and sent Roarke back to Hell, all the while 'riding' a large six-wheeled transport truck in a highway brawl with a a few cars and a truck that had a GRENADE LAUNCHER on it, but this was his favorite jacket.
"Please Ms. Rarity, it's alright. I like my jacket the way it is now. I consider it 'lucky'."
Rarity nodded in reluctance, but turned her view towards his other accessory.
"Well, what about removing that chain you have wrapped around your waist?"
"Now Rare, 'ere's no need ta harass the stallion. We've only just met 'im."
Applejack hopped in, deciding to save the gray pegasus from the fashionista. She smiled and tipped her hat at Johnny, who nodded in a 'thank you'.
He could tell that he was going to get along just fine with this pony.
Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle was busy looking at his wings.
"Excuse me, M-uh, Johnny, but can I ask a question?"
Johnny Blaze turned towards the unicorn.
"What is it Ms. Sparkle?"
"Just 'Twilight' will do. Anyways, I'm curious about your wings. I can't seem to detect any hint of paint build-up. Are your wings naturally that color?"
Johnny was starting to get a little annoyed. Was wing color really that important? After all, this unicorn had a purple colored coat and a striped mane for God's sake.
And the look in Rarity's eyes was starting to scare him a little.
"Yes, my wings are naturally this color. Had been for as long as can remember."
"Interesting. Cases of pegasi having multicolored wings are very rare."
Meanwhile, Fluttershy stood a good distance away from the new stallion, her shyness keeping her from greeting him properly.
She took a few deep breaths, to steel herself. This stallion seemed nice, and after all, Rarity said that it didn't hurt to be a little assertive.
She walked towards the group...
...and that was last thing she saw before she felt a huge jolt of pain in her head.
She gasped as the throbbing pain forced her eyes shut. She grasped her head with a hoof before finally managing to open her eyes. Everything blacked out, all except for the stallion, who was now just standing there, looking at her.
In the black void, the stallion, Johnny, suddenly let out a loud, pain-filled yell, his yell hurting Fluttershy's ears. He began to convulse and stagger, his face showing nothing but pain and fear.
His yells only got louder.
The stallion's hooves were leaving behind hoofprints made of fire, the fire starting to cover his body.
Fluttershy's couldn't stand the sight and started crying and yelling for help but they were drowned out by Johnny's cries of pain.
The timid pegasus had to do something.
She began to run towards the stallion in an effort to help. She reached for him with her hoof, but the stallion only knocked her away.
His yells turned into evil, cackling laughter and snarling.
His fur and skin began to burn away, his eyes turning into craters of black and fire. The chain around his waist burst into flames and the feathers and skin on his wings burned into nothing but ash, being replaced by fire and charred bone.
His entire being burned away, his mane nothing but billowing fire and his body nothing but a charred skeleton, his jacket still remaining and his chain glowing in orange and red fire.
The creature turned itself and faced Fluttershy, the yelling stopped, only to be replaced by the sounds of crackling fire.
Fluttershy stood stock-still, her fear keeping her from moving as she stared in terror at the creature that took Johnny's place.
She began to cry tears of fear quietly as the flaming skeleton began to walk towards her in a somewhat staggered manner, it's head slightly moving side-to-side, almost taunting her to try to move.
But she couldn't, she was too afraid.
As it got closer, she started to feel the heat it was giving off. She ducked her head and clenched her eyes shut, her tears now puddling beneath her.
The hoofsteps were close now.
Fluttershy shook in fear and began to sob harder.
The skeletal pony creature stopped in front of her, it's size allowing it to look down at her. Fluttershy whimpered when she opened her eyes, seeing the burning hooves and charred legs in front of her. She could feel the hot puffs of air from the creatures breathing blowing into her mane.
"...Kindness..."
Fluttershy only whimpered at the cold whispered voice she heard.
"...Kindness...is a powerful force..."
Fluttershy, managing to see through the teary fog in her eyes, saw that the flames were turning into a blue color.
"...a powerful force that is difficult to wield..."
Fluttershy's expression turned to one of confusion. She tried to lift her head, but her fear only overrode her curiosity when she saw that she could see the blue flames inside his rib cage through his opened jacket.
"...Who...Who a-are you...?"
She trembled as a charred hoof raised and placed itself under her chin. It lifted her chin in surprisingly gentle manner, but she still clenched her eyes shut in fear of what she would see. She was also surprised that the fire didn't hurt at all.
She was facing the fiery pony, but her eyes were still closed. She could've sworn that the warmth of the creature was drying her tears.
"...I am Zarathos...the Angel of Justice...Fluttershy...the wielder of Kindness..."
Fluttershy opened her eyes in shock that the creature knew her name.
She met the eyeless gaze of the Angel of Justice.
And...she wasn't scared of it-him.
He spoke in the same whispered voice.
"Your Element, along with the other Elements...my influence matches their's...You will not be the only one I speak to, Fluttershy. Your friends will come to know me...but only in time will your trust of me be tested...I have seen what will come forth in the future, and only then will I be revealed."
The fiery pony turned his head away.
"...I only ask...that you trust me...and that you do not condemn me for what I am..."
The Angel of Justice looked straight into Fluttershy's eyes. She had stopped crying.
"...My Gods have forgiven and accepted me for what I am...but your Gods will not be as accepting of me...This world is nothing but Harmony...but my world is nothing but greed and hate."
The skeletal hoof left her chin and was set back onto the ground. The area around Fluttershy began to glow in a bright white light.
"...My time with you is up, wielder of Kindness..."
The fiery pony turned and began to walk into the light.
Fluttershy instantly stuck out a hoof. She was surprised of what came out of her mouth.
"Wait! Will I see you again?"
Zatharos stopped and looked at Fluttershy. She could've sworn that the skull was smiling.
"...Yes..."
The light intensified and Fluttershy blacked out.
Author's Note: Well? How was the chapter? I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but I just couldn't figure out a way to continue it without making it predictable.
I'm sorry if the Ghost Rider seems out of character, but I'm using the idea that we don't know what the Rider acts like now that he is the Angel of Justice, and not just the Spirit of Vengeance.
Let me know what all of you think!