"Way to go, hot head!" Terry shouted. "Now, we got a monster and lava to worry about!"
"Not my fault!" Marty shouted. "That jerk wouldn't stay still!"
"Worry about 'he-said-she-said' later!" Ricky shouted. "Let's get going!" He noticed his part of the ground was about to fall. As it began to drop, Ricky reached and grabbed a still-stable part of the ground. Ricky was about to lift himself up, but he then felt a sudden tug on his ankle.
"Not so fast, goody two-shoes!" the Phantom Blot shouted. He was holding onto Ricky's foot and held on.
"You idiot!" Ricky shouted. "If we both fall, you're a goner too!"
"Wrong!" the Phantom Blot replied. "My creator won't let me die! He'll save me! You, on the other hand..."
Suddenly, a wirewolf's claw grabbed onto Ricky's hanging wrist. Ricky looked and saw Aaron struggling to lift him.
"What are you doing here?" Ricky asked.
"Seriously, you're complaining that I'm saving your life?!" Aaron asked. "Who's the new guy?"
"Not with us!" Ricky shouted. "He's trying to kill us!"
"What are you doing?" the Phantom Blot asked. "Kul'as gave you a job to do!"
"Kul'as?" Aaron asked. "You're working for him? I don't remember you?"
"Let him go!" the Phantom Blot shouted. He thrusted Ricky down, but Aaron still didn't let go. A piece of the ground piked Aaron in the chest, but he powered through it.
"You first!" Ricky returned lifting his lower foot. He then thrusted it down and hit his evil counterpart on the face forcing him to let go.
The Phantom Blot fell down the chasm until he hit the lava. He screamed as he sank down the firey pit. Meanwhile, Aaron successfully picked up Ricky and the other wirewolves caught up to him.
"Holy smokes." Marty said. "You saved him?"
"You're welcome." Aaron said.
"Whatever happened to survival of the fittest?" Terry asked.
"Well, I thought it over," Aaron said, "And apparently, you guys managed to make it this far. I figured, 'eh, what the heck'."
"Devastate." Devastator picked up everyone up with his big arms and squeezed them all with a hug.
"Friends?" Terry asked. "I wouldn't go that far."
"I wouldn't say that." Joe said. "We all have quirks, but the way I see it, we make up for each other.
"When I make a joke
Most monsters just choke"
"Accidents become me" Marty sang,
"Because I'm clumsy"
"I'm far from my world" Ricky sang,
"And my favorite girl"
"And now, I'm past the point of no return" Aaron sang.
"But now, I know that if I'd fallen" Joe sang,
"There are those who can give me a lift
Even horrors call me a circus clown
Just because I shapeshift
So if I have you by my side
I don't have to pretend
Oh, I don't need to change my face
If I got friends"
"I'm still getting used to how big I am," Marty sang,
"Always looking over my shoulder
The only thing better 'bout my fire powers
Is I don't have to be any colder"
"But with us, you don't have to worry" they all sang,
"Your dignity, we will defend"
"Oh, I don't need to fan my flames," Marty sang,
"If I got friends"
"Sometimes, I wish, I didn't come along," Terry sang,
"I know I'm in over my head"
"Hey, I ran away from an evil demon" Aaron sang,
"And we're all practically deeeeeaaaaaad"
"But we're so close to going home," Ricky sang,
"And this whole nightmare will end"
"In that case, I don't need adventure," Terry sang,
"If I got friends"
"Oh, we're black sheep in a white world," they all sang,
"If white means, rotten to the core
But with the Edgeless Atlas in hand
We're nearly out the door
We'll escape this nightmare
And we'll finally make amends
Oh, everything will be great
If I got friends"
"Back to Equestria" Joe sang.
"And Princess Celestia" Ricky sang,
Hope we're not too late"
"Let's not make this our fate" Terry sang.
"Do not spread the hate" Joe sang.
"Happy endings, we'll create" Marty sang.
"DEVASTATE"
"EVERYTHING WILL BE GREAT" everyone sang,
"IF IIIIIIIIII GOOOOOOOOOOOT FRIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEENDS
I got friends
I got friends
I got... friends"
Meanwhile, down in the fire pit, the Phantom Blot's claw emerged from the lava, but the metal on it began to melt. Suddenly, a flock of green birds flew in and caught the hand. The Greengear vultures each held onto a different part of the Phantom Blot's nearly-melted body.
"Well, easy come, easy go." Emerald said.
Later on, at Tartus' lab, the scientist and Kul'as were observing the Phantom Blot moving around as a nearly-solid blob behind the glass window.
"Why isn't that thing out there hunting wirewolves anymore?" Kul'as asked.
"Because they damaged the thing." Tartus said. "I can probably fix it within a certain time, but it won't be the same."
"Uh, boss." Jade said. "The Phantom..."
The villains looked and saw the blob gain a face and the rest of it grew. It had a ghostly face with dark-green eyes and mouth.
"Well, that's trippy." Tartus said. "Maybe it's supposed to take a little longer."
"We don't have that kind of time." Kul'as said. "Any day now, those wirewolves are going to find their way back to Equestria and I'll never use the Edgeless Atlas to get the artifact."
"Actually, sir," Tartus said, "I have reason to believe that what the mutts are following and what you want are the same thing."
"Excuse me?" Kul'as asked. "How do you know that?"
"Just a hunch."
"Okay, beanpole." Creeper said approaching Tartus. "I'm at my limit! What's going on? You somehow know about the wirewolves and Aaron's betrayal, and now, you're saying they're going after the same thing we are? How could you know all that?!"
"Creeper, cease yourself." Kul'as commanded. Creeper followed. "My lackey does bring up a good point. What is it? Are you clairvoyant or something?"
"If I was, I would've seen that the Phantom Blot would have been a failure." Tartus said. "All right, big guy. Come here. I'll tell you."
Kul'as leaned in closer letting Tartus whisper into his ear. Second after second, Kul'as' expressions changed. First, he was confused. Then, he was interested. Finally, he smiled. As soon as they were both done, they moved back their heads away from each other with signs of interest.
"Creeper," Kul'as said, "You are to never question Tartus again."
"What?" Creeper asked. "Why? What did he say? I want in on the secret."
"I'll tell you later." Kul'as said. "Right now, we need to think up a new plan to get the Edgeless Atlas."
"Maybe we don't need to." Tartus said.
"What?" Kul'as asked. "Why?"
"Well, if they're heading to the same location we are, then taking the map seems a little redundant. I recommend a little plan. Someone can go and follow the wirewolves. Greengear can be our eyes the sky. Once they find the objective, that someone can go and take it from them. What you need is someone who seems biased and with a silver tongue, someone who the wirewolves have no idea they're working for you, someone like..."
"You?" Kul'as asked.
"Thank you." Tartus said. "I humbly accept the nomination."
"Mighty Kul'as, I don't think..."
"Quiet, Creeper." Kul'as said. "Very well, Tartus. You can go and get me the prize. Just one question, though: assuming you are right and they will find the artifact, how do you expect to take it from them?"
"Trust me, dark lord," Tartus said, "I have the perfect method. All I need to do is wait until they find it... and see what it's capable of."