The Springdale Construction Site rose three stories tall, illuminated by the ghostly blue skies around it. Within the top floor or the buildings, the four companions, with another new team of Yo-Kai, appeared upon the Springdale lookout, strectching a sight across the empty town of Springdale.
"This is it..." Scootaloo announced,
"Now we're going to be fighting Massiface." Whisper replied, "perhaps both of you know what you'll be doing?"
"Last I remember, he's capable of erasing anypony from existance." First replied, "almost like facing the reaper."
"I think Robonyan did most of the work too, being an emissary from the future." Scootaloo continued,
"Speaking of which, who do we have now?" Jibanyan asked,
"First? Scootaloo?" A voice called from the side,
"Oh! Frostina!" First gasped at the presence of the little blue human girl, shyly staring back.
"Oh my goodness!" A parasol equipped ghost-skeleton floated around, "what on Equestria is this ghastly place?"
"Dazzabel!" Scootaloo turned to the new source of sound.
"Ugh..." A dull daruma doll moaned as he trotted forward, "what is this maddness?"
"What is this nonsense? Get up and act strong!!!"
"Oh me oh my... This doesn't seem like a good place to pick up some Yo-Kai..."
"Well izn't this a surprise! Bonsoir to all!"
"And Dulluma, Mochismo, Cupistol and Happiere." First answered, "this is our final team."
"Oy you there!" Mochismo roared, "what's going on here?"
"We're going through some therapy..." First replied, "and it involves fighting... Which comes to involve you guys."
"Fighting? Really? That's the last thing I want to do!" Dulluma moaned,
"How dare you!" Mochismo roared, shaking his Daruma comrade, "where's your sense of spirit!? You need to act strong and tough!"
"Look who's talking..." Dulluma retorted, "you're only tough when you release your face, but you're a Mr Softy when you push it back in!"
"HOW!... Dare you..." Mochismo cowered, pushing his rough and tough face back in, and replacing it with his timid, embarassed outer face.
"Oh my Goodness!" Dazzabel gasped, "who's this handsome looking Yo-Kai?"
"Huh? Well hello there..." Cupistol waved. "What brings you to this 'fair' place?"
"Great..." First sighed, "looks like our team haven't got their A-game on."
"Mais non! What is this all about then? Why with the fighting?" Happiere asked, listening to his friends.
"To put it bluntly. We lose in battle we lose our lives." Scootaloo replied in a fearing tone. Hearing those words, everypony froze in silence and movement.
"We... Can... Die? Even Yo-Kai?" Frostina gasped in horror,
"Yep." First sighed, a gloomy and uneasy feeling rumbling in his stomach as he explained the entire story. "... Unlike you guys, we've escaped this two times, but I still don't feel anymore confident."
"So if you really want all of us to get out of here." Scootaloo continued, "we've got to stick together this time, and learn to take commands more."
"Problem is... We don't have Robonyan here, he dealt most of the damage!"
"W-Wait! Even if you may not have a powerful Yo-Kai from that battle, do remember that you have us! We're not weaklings you know." Frostina reminded,
"Yeah... You have a point." First nodded, after remembering what he had been through in the past week, as well as his trial.
"We can do this!" Mochismo puffed, his rough and tough face sticking out to show his nature of toughness. "I promise with my life that we can get through! For our friends!"
"Roaarrr...." A familiar and griseous roar, uglier and hoarse as the face of Manjimutt, echoed from beyond the lookout.
"Don't worry," Scootaloo replied in a calming tone, "we can do this. Wait, hold on a moment..." With a brief second, Scootaloo psyched her mind, telling her inner self the confidence of their trials and victories. Their escape from death, and how they should stand proud instead of afraid.
"Don't worry." Scootaloo replied in a stern tone. "We CAN do this."
"A-Alright then." Cupsitol nodded, "if my lady looks ready, then I shall too!"
"I am born ready my darling Scoots!" Dazzabel cheered,
"Let's rock." Scootaloo replied, signalling her hoof to advance. What she didn't know on the other hand, was that her hoof was pointing straight towards the nose of a hulking, semi-bald, black giant with white striples strewn across his face and body, a giant white x on it's darkened forehead, and a sinster pair of red glowing eyes.
"Scoots? Turn around, but don't freak out." Whipser gulped as the party set their gazes upon their fearsome enemy.
"Oh!" Scootaloo jumped at the sight of their former giant opponent, tainted by a form of darkness, as empty as the vaccum of space. "Didn't expect you to appear out of the blue Massiface!"
"Massiface!!!" Massiface roared, his rotten, spit-spewing, breath brushed through the party, drenching their bodies with the foulest of scents.
"Urgh!!!" Dazzabel moaned, "this is my bestest outfit I've preapred for myself today! How dare you!!!"
"But doesn't she wear the same thing everyday?" First asked, wafting away the foul smell.
"Let's not ask. She'll get mad." Scootaloo shrugged, giving a shushing gesture.
"How putrid!" Whisper growled, "even more disgusting than the time we've fought you! Rotten Fish, animal and pony faeces, the worst of the worst!"
"Listen here you foul creature!" Cupistol growed as he floated forward, "I want you to get your ugly mug and breath away this insta--"
"AAAAHHHH!!!" Massiface interrupted with a roar, that rung and echoed through the ears of everypony in view, striking their nerves of fear.
"O-Okay...!" Cupistol held his hand in surrender as he floated back, "Point taken! Point taken!"
"Is it me, or does Massiface feel a bit more scarier than before?" First asked,
"All of my body parts are shaking like mad, so I'm pretty sure that he is!" Jibanyan replied,
"What's ze matter you two? There's nothing to fear. Ze is jus' a big ugly monster! Why don't everypony smile in the name of fear?" Happiere asked, releasing his bubble lights of yellow.
"Hmm..." Scootaloo's face of worry gradually turned into a sweet smile. "Point taken!"
"Taking a page out of Pinkie Pie! Well, sort of... But definitely a good idea!" First agreed, his mouth beaming proudly.
"Hah!" Mochismo laughed, flexing his coagulated and glutinous rice arms. "I'm so happy, I feel like I can take on anything!"
"GROWAR!!!" Massiface roared louder than ever, a hoarse and shrill voice, combined with the gaze of his purple eyes. Cracks appeared around every single hero, their smiley faces turned upside down in horror as the cracks continued spreading. A dome of cracks surrounded each and every single ally, and shattered with a violent burst. The many fragments that made up the shield of Happiere's power lie colourless and lifeless upon the floor, disentegrating into dust as observed by the fear-stricken heroes of the group.
"Uh... Oh... Umm..." First started to panic, his protection from Happiere's happiness dispelled entirely.
"I-I won't let you harm the children!" Frostina bravely stepped forward as she conjured a giant shard of ice and burrowed it directly into Massiface's white X.
"Oh!" Scootaloo snapped back from fear, feeling a little relieved. "I remember, Massiface's weak spot was that X on his forehead!"
"On the other hand..." Whisper analysed and observed the giant's very passive and unshakable reaction to the cold, "I don't believe Massiface is allergic to ice!"
"Gwoar!" Massiface began his relentless assault, starting off with swift finger flicking. A sharp concussive pain struck the foreheads of the ponies and Yo-Kai. Some had a lingering feeling of confusion and dizziness while some just felt only the pain, but all were blown back to the concrete walls behind them.
"Now this..." First groaned as his head spun and spun, "is something really familiar..."
"Oh me oh my..." Cupistol repeated, stablising his discomforted head, "this type of violence is completely unexpected..."
"Looks like a lot of Yo-Kai and pony needs my assistance!" Scootaloo announced as the Watch rapidly glowed purple. "Sure lucky that I wasn't inspirited by that flick!"
"Less exclaiming, more helping please..." First moaned,
"I got it! I got it!" Scootaloo rambled as she quickly aimed her watch at her buddies and performed their respective tasks and activities to purify them completely.
"It's only for a few days but I must say! You're quite a fast hoof on purification!" Whisper complimented,
"Well, at least I'm being properly notified on what's happening with everypony!" Scootaloo yelled back, "now can you please help me or something?"
"Well what can I do?" Whisper asked, "surely you don't want me to fight!"
"Any help will do Whisper!" First trotted back, a mouthful of building tools and materials carried in a large bucket, as well as another mountains of miscillaneous items on his shoulder, "just like Sproink, we're going to throw things! X marks the target!"
"Hey everypony!" Scootaloo called out, a twinge of courage within her. "I know all of you have been dragged into this without warning, and that we're facing something really scary... And I want to say that I'm sorry!"
"Roar!" Massiface, irritated by the filly's words, winded up a punch ready to strike the filly off her high horse. Little did he know, that by the time he launched his gigantic fist towards the orange chicken, a lump of mochi was below, driving his fist with enough strength that it changed the direction of the incoming fist, just above the ruffled mane of Scootaloo.
"Oops!" Scootaloo gasped, her mane blew against the air current of the giant fist, as well as almost losing her footing. "Maybe I should concentrate more..."
"Please do just that!" Mochismo waved, "less talking, more fighting! It doesn't matter if fear is stacked against us! The absolute best you can do is help our offence! We fight together!"
"Okay then!" Scootaloo nodded firmly, "First!" Understanding her command without a word, First tossed a light but sturdy paint bucket to his sister.
"What a little brother can do, I can do better!" Scootaloo laughed as she quickly assumed a pitching position and threw the bucket with great force. The bucket twirled uncontrollably however, and diverged from its intended direction.
"Okay, maybe not." Scootaloo sighed, as the bucket began falling while flying, below the giant's forehead, but straight against one of his eyes.
"Roar!" Massiface yelled at the sudden pain against his eye, reeling back.
"Great throw!" First complimented, patting the shoulder of his astonished sister.
"Grr!!!" Massiface came back, a state of expressionless anger surged across the building.
"We should be the ones being angry!" Frostina retorted, "causing such trauma to our living friends!"
"You know," Jibanyan nudged his pony friends, "she may not be helpful against somepony like Massiface, but it's still a feat to see the powers of the Snow Woman on our side!"
"Though I wish you'd stop calling Frostina that, you are right that we're able to make friends with a Yo-Kai that has such a fearsome story. Think she'd be a good pony to dress as for Nightmare Night?"
"Do you really bring about Pony traditions at a time like this!?" Dazzabel chimed in, "this is YOUR battle, we're here to help as friends!"
"My bad. Let me cooperate." First bowed in apology, then proceeded to pick up a pair of dividers, and swiftly tossed it, sharp end-first, straight into the other eye of the giant. The giant roared in pain once again, changing the activity of his hands from attacking, to pulling out the dividers, and rubbing his eyes for very little comfort.
"'Eye' saw that coming!" Dulluma laughed,
"But did you really need to make that pun Dulluma?" First replied, "this really isn't the time for comedy..."
"Oh... Okay then... Sorry..." Dulluma sighed, a wave of embarrassment coursed through his mind as he hunched down in self-disappointment.
"Well, at least it managed to take his eyes out." Scootaloo analysed, "now he won't be able to attack us, unless he uses--"
"GRAWWW!!!" The blinded Massiface slammed his gigantic hands onto the floor, creating a violent earthquake to shake the entire building, and beckoning something an unpleasant surprise from up above...
"-that move." Scootaloo finished with a hope-shattering gulp as she looked above. "Take cover!" She warned as a horde of building debris fell upon the team, burying them in dust and rubble.
"Arrrrrgh! no!" First cried in pain as a slab of concrete slammed onto his back and pinned him down to the ground, trapped.
"First!" Frostina coughed through the dust, "I'm trapped!"
"Whisper! Jibanyan! Are you guys alright?"
"I-I think I am!" Whisper called back, "but... Oh no!!! The Yo-Kai Pad!!! This was the most expensive thing I have ever bought!"
"I... I can't feel my tails..." Jibanyan moaned,
"Anypony else!?"
"I... Hey! I'm not hurt at all!" Dulluma spoke up, looking at his surroundings. Indeed, the dullest daruma was very lucky as no debris or red steel rods had landed onto his surroundings.
"Great." Cupistol spat with disgust. "Of all of us unharmed, it has to be the dull and useless one."
"H-Hey!" Dulluma gasped, "that's not nice!"
"Nopony move!" Moschismo spoke, "I'll try to get myself out of this predicament! Everypony stay right where you are!"
"Fat chance!" Dazzabel gasped, "I'm going to get out of here with my own strength!"
"Hey Whisper? Can't you pass through the debris!?" First replied, "it's not natural!"
"I... I can't do it!" Whisper gasped, "I think it's either this world's doing, or that this debris is made natural thanks to Massiface!"
"Hey Scoots, I think everypony's fine..." First called, "how... About..." A dreadful sight set upon the gang as First's face crumpled into sheer terror and unbelievable fear as a thick oozing trail of warm liquid wriggled it's way close to First. Following it's snaking path, First's face became even more pale, his pupils shrunk drastically as he laid eyes upon the source of the red stream... The head of his motionless sister.
"No!" First gasped as he desperately tried to wriggle free, looking around to what had transpired. "No!!!" Though most had by the rubble falling onto their backs, a crimson stain smeared upon a large chunk of debris, had spelt out the dreadful outcome of the flightless filly.
"NO!!!" First yelled a third time, his face filled with rage, confusion, tears, a mish-mash of horrific emotions tearing through his mind.
"First!" Mochismo warned, managing to lift himself free, "don't move! It's dangerous!"
"I'M NOT THE ONE WHO NEEDS HELP!!!" First screamed back, managing to get a footing upon his tomb of debris, "GET TO SCOOTALOO QUICK!!!"
"Oh... Oh no..." Mochismo gasped at the sticky red trail, following it towards the filly. "This is not good. This is not good!"
"SCOOTS!!!" First cried in anger, yanking himself free from the rubble pile, and heaving his body towards his gravely injured sister. "SCOOTS!!!" He held his Sister's wound in shock, the warm fluid spreading across his hoof.
"F-First..." Mochismo spoke, a faltering tone in his voice. "D-Do you need me to do anything?"
"G-G-G..." First stuttered, the horrifying injury on his sister driving him insane, "Get everypony else free, and straight here! Massiface must still be blind. I-I need Frostina especially!" He held his sister close, his tears cascading down his face, and onto hers. "You can't die... You must live!!!"
In the midst of an unknown empty darkness, a soul could feel herself falling endlessly, from the black heights above, the the dark depths below. Sadly, it seems that falling was getting her nowhere.
"..." The filly opened her eyes, diluted of colour, her iris darkened, her pupils gone. She looked around, her body was covered in some ghostly energy, and very transparent.
"..." The filly tried to mutter a word, but she couldn't speak. The thought of what happened to her rendered her completely mute and empty, to the fact that she can't emit any emotion. After a few seconds of falling, a large cauldron of liquid, the same colour as her hair, came into view underneath. There was little she could do to react properly as she landed inside the cauldron with a big but silent splash.
Within the thick, unknown mess all around her, various voices and tormenting whispers rushed into her head, the soul's mind tossing and turning. Clutching her head in hopes to ease the pain, she noticed another horrible thing. Her spectral front legs began taking in the colour of the dark pink fluid of her mane, as well as going through a grotesque change, where the roundness of her legs became thinner and thinner, and from her hoof, sprouted five sharp and scary sticks.
"You can't die..." A voice echoed out.
The soul was unable to hear, as her focus was grabbed by her hind legs slowly intertwining, and like her legs, became one thin tail, floating skittering madly through the rushing liquid.
"Please... You can't die... You die here... You'll be gone for good!" The voice echoed again. The soul this time, heard the crying plea. The soul could do nothing however, but gaze towards the source of the cry, while her body continued on going through the horrific of changes. This time, her entire horizontal body began compressing itself from the front and back, washed with the dark pink dye. There were no sound of crunching bones, but she felt her entire self grow taller and taller, her clawed hooves sliding down hier body.
"Listen! You can't die! You've got a brother, a family! You still have a chance to live!"
"This isn't over! You can fight it! You're with us, you can face death!"
"Scoots!!!" First's voice broke through the liquid.
The soul's ears rang true of the foal's words, a look of confirmation upon a bright light above, the surface of the sea of pink. The soul's eyes furrowed. She fully understood everything that transpired. The echoing words of plea and motivation in the middle of the many voices of darkness, death, screaming. It had given the answer to her fate, but she herself was not done yet. She remembered that she had one goal in mind, and that all she had been through cannot be for naught. Determined, she clawed her way to the surface, bit by bit, resisting all other distorted and discorded voices, a excruciating wound, burning through her abomination of a body, and through her heart, eager to return to the material world, eager to fight against death.
Back in the reflection trial, the now freed but badly injured team huddled around their best friend and ally, her wound temporarily covered with a frozen surface.
"This can't be happening..." First told himself, pressing hard to find a pulse, "this can't be happening..."
"First..." Frostina cried, placing her hand upon the filly's cold hoof, "She's... She's cold... I can't feel any warmth..."
"And..." Happiere bowed in sadness, "I cannot sense any air from her... No happiness either, just emptiness..."
"No..." First slumped on Scootaloo's limp body, sobbing in defeat. "Sister... Why...?"
"..." Mochismo, Dulluma, Dazzabel and Cupistol bowed their heads in silence.
"Groar!" An unwelcome roar interrupted the silent mourning. Throughout the entire time the team had to escape from their rubble trap, as well as to find a means of bringing back their best friend, this time was enough for the blackened giant to fully recover his sight, and to give a death glare towards his foes.
"Fear not then..." Dulluma sighed, "at least we'll all be joining her soon."
"No..." First stood up, a heart stained by sorrow, now replaced with unbridled and dark fury. "That's not what sis would do... Or Flash... Or our parents either..." He turned around, and glared back at Massiface, a gaze even scarier than his giant target. "What we've always done, is fight to the bitter end, even if taken by surprise. We continue marching forward until it's literally impossible for us to continue any further." He roared at Massiface, "Even if you're the epitome of death, I will take you down with my life if I have to!"
"Till the bitter end..." A distorted yet familiar voice replied, "we'll fight... Even through death..."
"That voice...! Scoots!?" First turned around, hoping to see his beloved sister waking up.
"Not... Yet..." Hovering above the lifeless filly, was a dark pink ghost, with her hair shaped like a long feather, two claws connected with arms, the tail of a ghost, and a hole that resembles the silhouette of a shield. The entire group immediately recognised the new form through that hole, as well as her small yet recognisable purple eyes.
"No..." First shook his head in disbelief, "Scootaloo... Sister... You're... Yo-Kai..."
"I have so much more to live... I won't let death from you take it away..." The Yo-Kai of Scootaloo glared without emotion at the giant that took her life. Electrical powers began pouring from her ghostly fingertips.
"ARRRRGH!!!" Massiface swatted the Yo-Kai out of the sky, but never knew that this new enemy was faster than he ever was, quickly appearing straight in front of his eyes, and began clawing his forehead. The blackened giant screamed in pain and anguish from the slashing and the electric shocks, showing no form of perseverance or resistance. It was complete and utter mercy to the Yo-Kai's claws eviscerating away at his head.
"Holy Celestia...!" First stepped back in fear, "I... I never knew Scootaloo was like this!"
"To the bitter end..." Scootaloo spoke as she continued slashing and rending her foe, "To the bitter end..."
"To the bitter end... To the bitter end!" Dulluma repeated with gusto as he stepped forward, "I'll fight to the bitter end! For you!"
"What do you think you're doing!?" Mochismo scolded, "step back!"
"No." Dulluma growled, "I've had enough time being dull... I'm going to fight for what's right!" With a tough aura, Dulluma began summoning very large pebbles to his arms, and madly tossed it towards his eyes.
The blackened giant dreaded this moment: Two pathetic flies giving him a hard time. Once straight up to his face, another pelting mere rocks. Massiface laughed inside, he observed how these Yo-Kai and Ponies are connected strongly together, and how they were broken to pieces when they saw the death of that pony. If he's done it once before, he can do it again. Bearing his teeth, he began his next move.
A sickening roar followed with a wild swat diverted Scootaloo's focus to dodge the oncoming attack, not knowing that the giant's other hand was flying furiously down upon the small Daruma before him. The small Yo-Kai could only show a gasp of horror as the hand's shadow grew darker and darker, while the hand drew closer and closer. Everyone stopped in further shock to see Dulluma nimbly leap to the skies, and dove straight towards his head, like a meteor.
"That was fast!" Dazzabel exclaimed, "he's that nimble?"
The giant laughed and merely held a palm to his face to block the headbutting Dulluma in his tracks. A futile attack, without any effort needed to stop it. Helplessly falling, Dulluma collapsed to the floor, his head ringing from the recoil and concussion, unable to discover that he was smack dab in the middle of the giant's descending hand, ready to crush him with his overwhelming strength.
"Argh!" First gasped in shock as a cloud of dust kicked in with the attack, dreading for the worst when the dust finally settled. Much to his and everyone's complete surprise, the dull daruma was unharmed, merely rolled over onto his back, helplessly wiggling his legs and arms.
"Dulluma? Are you alright?" First quickly galloped over,
"Oof..." Dulluma moaned, "Am I still alive?"
"Uh-huh."
"Impossible... That means someone was able to push me out of the way..." Dulluma replied,
"Pushed... You?" First gasped, "then who?"
Turning their heads towards the giant palm, the curtain lifted to reveal the answer. Scattered and smashed all around the floor, were gelatinous pieces of mochi, and a piece of loincloth, all burning blue.
"M-Mochismo..." First gasped,
"O-Over here..." A voice croaked from a head sticking out of one of the pieces of Mochi.
"You saved me Mochismo..." Dulluma spoke,
"And it's a good thing I did." Mochismo laughed, "so... This is what it feels like to die again..."
"Holy Celestia..." First bent his head again, "two deaths now... I can't take it anymore..."
"What are you saying!?" Mochismo scolded, "do you honestly think it's over for you!?"
"It's... It's just because--"
"Sacrifices needed to be made along the way." Mochismo continued, "especially for you Dulluma, I know you have potential."
"Me?"
"Within that dull shell of yours, there's a big tough and macho personality welling inside you. All I needed to do was drive you in the right direction one day, and I wouldn't have met you if it weren't for First and Scoots."
"I see..."
"Technically, there's a much better way to do this, but since we're all dragged into this mess, I might as well jump in. I never really liked my life as a Yo-Kai. So here's hoping my power can help others, especially for all of you!"
"Mochismo! You're beginning to burn up!" Whisper warned,
"Ouch..." Mochismo growled, the blue flames of death grew in intensity, consuming each and every broken piece of mochi (as well as the loincloth), "looks like I don't have enough time. Listen up everypony! Especially you siblings and Dulluma! I won't be here anymore to remind you to act tough and be strong, so you need to remember that for yourselves. Got it!?"
"H-How can we do that?" Frostina asked,
"Whatever!" Mochismo growled in frustration, "just take it! All of my power!!!"
Mochismo roared as hard as he can, his eyes set ablaze by the blue flames, as his face, the rest of his body, melted into a blue heap of spiritual flames, and let loose a blazing explosion, engulfing all of his comrades and his enemies with one final push of his life. In the end, all that was left of him, was a faint blue wisp, floating helplessly in the air.
"..." Scootaloo watched with silence, the passing of her Yo-Kai friend, not noticing the blue flames calmly burning around her body.
"I can't... Feel anything anymore..." First sighed, Mochismo's flames cascading around his body. "Mochismo... Scoots... All gone. I don't know how to react to this much death..."
"..." Dulluma, without any other word, hobbled over to the remaining wisp of Mochismo and grabbed it by his hand.
"Dulluma? What are you doing?" Dazzabel asked. With no response, Dulluma lifted his head up, the wisp above his gaping mouth, and shoved it down his mouth in one gulp.
"What in the Yo-Kai World!?" Cupsitol performed a double-take, fully aghast. "Dulluma! Did you just eat what's left of Mochismo!?"
Dulluma exploded with a brilliant burst of light, blinding every ally and enemy in the vicinity.
"What's with all the bright light!? Geez louise!" Jibanyan growled,
"Yes..." A gruff answer replied, "yes... I did eat what's left of Mochismo... Because it's his energy that he left behind, for me and for everypony to get through this trial."
"In that case..." First spoke, the sadness within temporarily pushed aside, "you're not Dulluma anymore then. Aren't you? Like what happened with Enerfly and Enefly... You've become one!"
"Indeed... I am no longer Dulluma, or Mochismo... I am... Darumacho!!!" A gorilla-like Yo-Kai sprung from the light. With the colour scheme of a Daruma, his eyebrows impossibly bent upwards like a parabolic graph, red armbands equipped upon his hairy and muscular arms, a grouchy and tough face of teal green spread across his face, his sideburns and beard connected together, blue markings on his chest that symbolises the outlines of what could be his chest muscles, along with some red pants for decency. The new Dulluma roared with pride, his fists clenched with unrelenting strength.
"Wow!" Dazzabel gasped in delight, "I never knew a depressing shorty like you can grow into something so muscular and buff!"
"Really Dazzabel? Is this really the time?" Frostina arched an eyebrow of sarcastic disbelief,
"Mochismo somehow knew of the connection between him and me." Darumacho explained, "that with the power and personality of one like himself, it can push another Yo-Kai like me into a new Yo-Kai with great power!"
"Fusion huh... But that means he had to give up his life."
"Fusion between two Yo-Kai is never a pleasant thing." Darumacho replied, "because even if means greater power, it also means one will lose their personality, no longer the Yo-Kai that you've grown up with. Although I have retained the memories of both hosts, the two Yo-Kai you call friends, no longer exist. The same thing that happened with your butterfly pals whom you mentioned."
"So it's almost like the death of Mochismo is like easing the pain of the two of you fusing together."
"You can put it that way if you like." Mochismo nodded, "but now's not the time for mourning. We all need to get out of here. And get out of here we shall!!!" Mochismo roared once more, a circle of fire erupted from his bodies, engulfing everyone it came across with his fire.
"Huh..." Jibanyan swung his paws, covered in the muscular flames of Darumacho. "They feel strong... I feel strong too!"
"Is that so?" Dazzabel asked, testing out her fencing skills with her burning parasol, "you may be right! I can feel a difference within my techniques!"
"So have I..." Frostina replied, her fists burning bright. "I... I may not be a fighter, but I can feel a difference in physical strength!"
"As have I!" Happiere added,
"Me too." Cupistol raised his burning finger-gun, "I feel like I could pierce through anything!"
"Even me..." First replied, stretching and rotating his burning legs, "I can feel a lot of power within my legs. Do you feel something too Scoots?"
Scoots, who decided to be mute, nodded in response to her brother, and proved it with a flash of her claws, a combination of Darumacho's burning fire and the electricity within her body.
"Everypony!" First took over, "this is Mochismo's gift! We're going to use it to the fullest, right Darumacho?"
"Indeed!"
"Then we're going to fight!" First roared, picking up a large piece of debris with one leg, "we're going to get through this trial! For everypony who's relying on us to live!" With a mighty macho toss, he scored a direct hit onto Massiface's forehead. The giant reeled back in pain and astonishment, the debris stuck straight in the middle of the X.
'How is it possible!?' The giant thought. A mere foal pony, with such anger and power, enough to carry an item twice or more his size, and to throw it with such strength, more than enough force to pierce the skin of his bane.
"Direct hit!" Happiere watched, "very good Monsieur First!"
"M-My turn!" Whisper grabbed two pieces of debris, each bigger than what First grabbed, "I've got the macho power too!" This time, the plump ghost butler tossed it towards the eyes. The cries of the giant once more told everypony that it was a direct hit.
"Alright everypony, let's charge!" Dazzabel rallied and shot forward, with Scootaloo trailing behind. In an immediate desperate counter, Massifiace unleashed his massive arm swipe, blowing back every assaulting Yo-Kai back to the walls.
"Not again!" First gasped as he flew back towards the wall,
"Oh no!" Whisper and Jibanyan roared in pain as they got blown away like paper.
"Woah there!" Cupistol lost his balance in the air as a wall of wind buffeted him,
"No!" Dazzabel gasped in horror as she flew back with her friends. Quickly thinking on the spot, she quickly flew with the wind, past Cupistol, and opened her parasol straight in the Yo-Kai's way.
"Oof!" Cupistol fell face first onto Dazzabel's Parasol and continued pushing her until they slammed into the concrete walls.
"No..." Dazzabel cried in pain. "My clothes... Ripped by the wind... And my head..." She felt a dreadful fissure on her skull, "cracked..."
"You tried to protect me." Cupsitol approached the fashionable skeleton. "That's... Very admirable. May I know why?"
"I know it sounds selfish, but let's just say I have quite an admiration towards you." Dazzabel answered, "and I know that you're a Yo-Kai of popularity, but even then, I still want to protect you, because I still see more than that!"
"Hmm... Very interesting..." Cupistol replied, a small smile upon his face, "then let me give you my thanks." With a wave of his non 'hand-gun', a green veil of light washed over Dazzabel, reparing the crack upon her skull.
"You heal!?" First watched from afar, picking himself off the wall,
"You never saw me in entirety, did you?" Cupsitol replied, "Yo-Kai have more abilities than just their thematic inspiritment! Let me demonstrate!" Another green veil washed itself upon First too, any sort of wound, or broken bone, healed him right back up.
"Happiere?"
"Oui?"
"You do have a somewhat similar 'technique' to mine, right?"
"Oh yes!" Happiere remembered, "zhen I wouldn't be in ze Heartful tribe now would I? Everypony breathe easy!" With a giant deep breath, Happiere exhaled a green mist similar to Cupistol, spreading all around the party, curing and healing everypony of their wounds.
"Well then," First stood up, fully recovered and repaired, "looks like I still have a lot to learn about Yo-Kai after all. Jibanyan?"
"Yeah?"
"We've still got Mochismo's energy, right?"
"Yep!" Jibanyan and Mochismo replied with a thumbs up.
"Then I want you go ham!" First replied, grabbing Jibanyan by the collar, "Paws of Fury?"
"Oh yes!" Jibanyan grinned, pounding his paws together.
"All or nothing!" First roared, tossing the two-tailed cat straight towards Massiface,
"Paws of Fury!" Jibanyan yelled, landing his signature flurry of blows upon random locations of the X, as well as having the idea of hammering the shard of debris lodged in the X further inside.
"My turn! My turn!" Dazzabel joined in, repeatedly stabbing the X in random locations like Jibanyan, only with added style.
"Time to fan the hammer!" Cupistol grinned, letting loose a storm of love bullets at point blank range, streaming straight into it's directed target.
Scootaloo flashed her claws once again, and began mercilessly scratching and clawing away. Not only for the forehead, but swiftly bolted around the entirety of his body, hell-bent on rendering the giant asunder on all fronts. If Massiface were to describe the pain he was feeling from a cat's paws, a sharp parasol, several bullet-shots, and the electrifying claws tearing him apart, all combined together with the macho gorilla's power, some would theorise his reaction and anguish to be far worse than the mental pain of a thousand years imprisoned on the moon.
"First!" Darumacho called, "I want to make a promise!"
"Anything!"
"You! Your sister! I want both of you to keep on fighting for both Pony and Yo-Kai, so that we can live together in Harmony! I'll fight for you always, even if the entire world's against you! Do you understaaaaaaand!!!???"
"I do! I promise!"
"Then lend me your power!" Darumacho commanded, "I want you to focus all you've learnt about Yo-Kai onto me! Your connections, memories, your actions against them. All to me! Close your eyes, and release your power"
"Kaaaaaaaaa..." First growled in fierce meditation and concentration. To Whisper and Jibanyan's view, a stream of orange energy emerged from First, transmitting itself into the body of Darumacho. As the macho gorilla absorbed the energy, his eyes burned so bright, that it caught on fire.
"Here's the final strike! Clear the way everypony!" Darumacho warned as he leapt high into the air. Performing the same attack once more as a Dulluma, he began flying head-first, straight towards the giant's head, like a meteor.
"Get out of the way!" First repeated. Gathering the message, all dispersed from the giant, giving a clear shot for the flying gorilla, burning through the air.
"Burning... BUSTER!!!" Darumacho yelled as his eyes blazed with fury, his entire flying body channelling a combination of Earth and Fire. Massiface raised his palm to shield his face, confident that he'll block the charging gnat once again. The outcome of futility was reversed, as the endless roaring and determination of Darumacho, pierced through the darkened flesh and bone, and broke through the foe's defences, leaving a giant hole in the middle of his hand.
"Oh my goodness!" Frostina gasped as Darumacho slammed into Massiface's head in a direct hit, pushing the lodged debris further into the giant's skull, and he along with it. Behind Massiface's head, a small bulge quickly grew to immense size, and brutally burst open, with the ever-daring Darumacho successfully shooting through.
The sight was horrendus for all to see. Though Darumacho pierced through Massiface's hand like butter, it was a grim story for the head. As there was enough resistance within the head to slow him down, the Burning Buster became a bomb within. With the unrelenting fires drastically heating up the longer he was stuck in there, it was what made the giant's head increase in size in tandem with the creation of pressure. The only thing needed for it to detonate was the limit of how much pressure the Giant's head could take. The split second before Darumacho was able to break through his head, was the time the bulge blew a giant crater in the cranium, removing the entire forehead from the dark giant. There was no more screaming, no more sound. A moment of delayed silence surrounded the room, until the Giant's body dissolved into black motes of dust and fire. The enemy before the ponies and Yo-Kai were vanquished, there was no more additional battle. After everything that had transpired, it was the third and final victory.
"We did it..." First spoke, unaware of the fact that all his Yo-Kai allies, save for his Yo-Kai sister, had disappeared.
"Yes..." Scootaloo agreed, her voice no longer distorted. "We have all pulled through..."
"But..." First spoke, the costs of the battle sinking into his hearts and hope, "was it really worth it? If the loss of Mochismo was not as severe, what about you? You've lost your body... Your life... You live as a Yo-Kai..."
"It's okay dear brother." Scootaloo comforted, her claws holding First's hoof with care, "I'm still alive, in spirit. I'm not dead so to speak."
"But!"
"Do you know the meaning behind this trial?" Scootaloo interrupted, "It is to overcome death, by those who have suffered the same fate. Everypony, even the Princesses, we're all scared of ghosts because of what they can do to us. They're not like your usual Cockatrice, Manticore or Wendigo."
"That sounds really stupid though."
"Then why is it that stories of the supernatural are still popular for the fear they bring?" Scootaloo laughed, "it creates an aura of fear for the reader, as if they themselves, were in the shoes of the many victimised characters."
"Please don't become a story yourself." First replied, "that's the last thing I'd like my sister to be."
"Ha ha ha, I knew you'd say that." Scootaloo giggled, "If only ponies knew that the many ghostly horrors within the dreaded pages were right under their noses the whole time. Breathing as they are, then it wouldn't be a safe world now, would it?"
"You're taking this in an awfully calm stride Sis." First replied,
"I kind of like this body..." Scootaloo took a gander at her spectral body, "matches my mane colour, and I do like the claws."
"Yeah, and what about our friends? What will they do if they hear that you've become a Yo-Kai?"
"I'll be prepared for that." Scootaloo replied, "I'll show everypony what happened to me. Or rather..." She flew towards her lifeless body, and came back to first holding the very important device of all. "We do it together."
"Sis..." First stuttered, placing his hooves upon the Yo-Kai Watch.
"Now that the owner of the Yo-Kai Watch has passed away, I guess it's you who'll do the summoning from now on. It's going to be hard passing the torch to you, but do you think you can do that for me?"
"..." First began crying once more,
"Why so sad?" Scootaloo asked, "you know this isn't goodbye. I'll still be around."
"It's this BLASTED TORCH PASSING!" First yelled back, anger flushed across his face "I can't do this without you sis! We came into this mess together, I want to get out of it together ALIVE!"
"First..."
"You aren't the one who held the torch. I held it with you. I held it with you all the way!" First replied, "both of us held the torch together. Both of us met the Yo-Kai and held the Yo-Kai Watch. We went through the mystery behind this Watch, we discovered various Yo-Kai activity, we had to go through terrifying nightmares like this, and even had to go through death to save the sanity of a Yo-Kai that lives among ponies! These trials were meant for the both of us."
"First..."
"I love you sis." First cried again, embracing his deceased sister, "and if there's anything I want to do now that I'm alive, is to keep you and Flash alive and happy. I never want to be separated from you, ever. Do you... Do you think the same?"
"Well... That goes without saying. I love you even more, both you and Flash. And maybe, maybe... Now that I've become a Yo-Kai, maybe I can be better and do many sorts of things that no Yo-Kai or Pony can do! I can even be as fast and awesome as Rainbow Dash too!"
"As a Yo-Kai huh? If anything, I bet that when you inspirit ponies, you make them very attached to their role model, almost idolising them and emulating them in the same way. Or... Whoever you inspirit can become masters of the Scooter, knowing all the tricks and ways to reach top speed! Or even a good dance choreographer!"
"I think that's reserved for the Dancing Trio..." Scootaloo chuckled,
"Well, until the end of this trial, I'm going to make sure you gain your body back!"
"That's going to be hard though..." Scootaloo sighed, until a familiar blue flame flickered in the hole in her chest. "What the?"
"Wait a minute... Isn't that the flame that Mochismo sent out when he died?"
"Umm..." Scootaloo replied, "I feel... I feel like... I feel like I have actual control of my body..." As the siblings began gaping the wonder of the mysterious blue flame from before, the familiar wisp of the trial floated from where Massiface stood.
"First." Scootaloo changed her brother's direction to face the wisp. "The wisp, it's changed colour... It's..."
"Golden..." First finished, the golden swirling wisp dancing through the sky like a dragon, as if it was celebrating. After a special flying dance, the wisp exploded, ready to whisk the two siblings away to another place, a place where they'd least expect to end up...
The story shall continue in Chapter 7-5