Spike and Mimi caught up to Twilight. When he asked her to wait up, she levitated him onto her back and kept running. She was desperate. He was scared for Dash and Starlight too, but he tried to keep a cool head. Twilight needed someone thinking straight. Mimi chased after them and reached Twilight’s side with ease. With little visible effort, she kept pace with the alicorn. Her pale body seemed to glide across the leaf litter like a phantom. Not even a leaf crackled beneath her feet. Spike had a feeling that she could run ahead of them if she wanted to.
“So what’s the plan?” Spike bumped on Twilight’s back as she cleared a log.
“We’ll figure it out when we get there,” Twilight responded between breaths.
“You know that’s not a plan,” Spike said.
“Our friends are in danger, Spike! We don’t have the time to plan this out.”
“Look, I want to save them as much as you. But if we go in there without any sort of plan, that thing will destroy all of us.”
“I know but—.”
“Twilight, listen to me,” he didn’t see any sign that she was listening. He would have to take some desperate measures to make her stop.
Spike yanked on her sensitive wings like reigns. She stumbled, her left front hoof tripped, and she toppled headfirst to the ground. Spike tumbled off her back into a pile of leaves. He dusted himself off and spat out some dry leaves. Mimi went to see if he was alright. Spike saw Twilight getting back to her hooves. He had to stop her now and get her to talk.
“Mimi,” he called his friend to attention, “I need you to restrain Twilight please.”
Before Twilight could move, Mimi’s ribbon claws burst beneath her cloak and seized the alicorn. She grabbed Twilight’s body and forced her back to the ground. Twilight groaned, her hooves trembled as she tried to stand. Spike cringed as Mimi forced her down. He did not want to hurt her, but they had to think this through. Sometimes, he had to stand up to her and tell her no. Usually, he only had to stand up to her when she wouldn’t stop reading a novel and go to bed. This crisis was much different from those dilemmas, but he had to stop her. Twilight’s horn shimmered with the traces of a spell, but Mimi covered Twilight face with a black hand, startling the alicorn. Twilight couldn’t cast a spell if she couldn’t focus. Spike went to Twilight and grabbed her neck, burying his face into her purple fur.
“Twilight, please,” Spike whispered. “You’re the closest thing I have to family. If I lost you, I,” his voice fell as he imagined the horrible possibility.
His eyes burned, unable to hold back the flood that drenched Twilight’s neck. He could feel her calming down. She stopped squirming under Mimi’s claws and spellcasting. She saw the little drake and paused. If she died trying to save her friends, Spike would be alone. Even if her parents or friends agreed to take care of him, he would remain heartbroken forever, especially if he thought he could have stopped her demise. She remembered his greatest fear reflected in Sombra’s mirror. If she died, that fear would become reality. She wrapped a hoof around his spine and nodded.
“I understand,” she said. Spike looked into her kind eyes. Her smile revealed calmness, as her shoulders relaxed.
“Thanks,” Spike rubbed his eyes. He turned around to hide his tears. Mimi pulled back her claws from the alicorn and went to Spike’s side.
Twilight rose to her hooves and glanced down the forest path where that Pumpkin-head could have fled. Her horn lit the darkness with an illumination spell to reveal unfamiliar surroundings. Not only had they lost any sort of trail, they were lost in an unfamiliar place. She paced and scowled. She had lost sight of them the moment she entered the forest. They could be anywhere. She stamped the ground with irritation. If she had been thinking clearly, she would have brought Fluttershy, Zecora, or some pony who knew the forest along. Even navigating this forest by air would be impossible. The dense canopy made it impossible to see the forest floor, much less spot a ghost. Berating her recklessness, Twilight sat down and tried to think of a plan.
“I don’t suppose Mimi could track down Pumpkin-head?” She asked. Spike turned to Mimi and asked Twilight’s question. Mimi tilted her onion head, confused.
“I don’t think so,” Spike shrugged. With a sigh, Twilight fell back against a tree trunk.
“We need a miracle.”
Mimi bristled like a cat and howled. Her claws blazing with purple fire darted from beneath her cloak. Spike and Twilight saw her eyes focused on the shadows of the trees. Violet rage poured out beneath her yellow cloak.
“Mimi?” Spike felt a knot in his stomach, “What’s wrong?”
“Spike, don’t make any sudden movements,” Twilight whispered in an urgent tone. Her eyes trained on the spot where Mimi stared, “we’ve got company.”
His heart hammered in his chest as his imagination created the monster hidden in the dark. He gulped, “Is it Pumpkin-head?”
“No, it’s a timber wolf. Possibly a whole pack.”
Spike had a million exasperated groans and sarcastic comments to make in response, but he held his tongue. One wrong move would provoke them. Even with Mimi, they might not fend off an entire pack on their home turf in Everfree. He glanced back in the corner of his eye. Twelve pairs of green eyes pierced through the shadows, growing closer as Spike’s heartbeat pounded in his ears. Mimi hissed and sharpened her claws, ready to defend her friends. Spike noticed her hostile face and raised a hand, signaling her to wait. Mimi trembled with agitation, but her purple smoke dissipated into the air.
“Hold on,” Twilight narrowed her eyes, as their shadowed figures drew closer to her illumination spell.
Something about the wolves wasn’t right. Instead of crouching to the ground and stalking, they ambled towards her light with bodies fully upright. Their paws crackled leaves and snapped branches. Throats issued soft growls, alerting Twilight of their presence. They wanted to be seen.
Their barked bodies approached the alicorn’s light. Then, they stopped a few meters away. Six adult timber wolves faced off against Twilight, Mimi, and Spike, but none of them came any closer. Twilight blinked and scowled lightly, weary of the predators. Slowly, Spike swiveled his waist around to glance at the wolves without taking a step onto a dead leaf. He recognized two faces that he caved in with a frying pan a few hours ago. Did they want a rematch? They looked too relaxed and peaceful to start a fight, but Spike didn’t want to take any chances.
Then, the timber wolves made a gesture that Twilight had never witnessed from any carnivore. They bowed. Flattening their ears, the wolves stretched down on their long front legs, craned their wooden necks, and bent their muzzles to the ground. Wind echoed through the trees, perhaps it had never seen wolves bow either. A single wolf took a step forward in front of its comrades. It bowed its head before the trio even lower than its companions. Sound emerged from its throat. It was not the fierce growling Twilight and Spike were accustomed to, but sounded like a series of grumblings and yips.
“What’s it doing?” Spike whispered.
“I’m not sure,” Twilight frowned, trying to remember her studies on animal body language.
The flattened ears indicated submission, but the wolves did not tuck their tails between their legs. This bowed gesture was not one of total subservience. The wolves made certain Mimi could sense them, approaching in plain sight and making no effort to hide. Either they were overconfident, which was unlikely given their submissive posture, or they had no intention of fighting. The bows and nonthreatening sounds baffled Twilight. A minute of these sounds, and Twilight had a strange thought.
“I think,” she stopped, second-guessing her shaky hypothesis. The alicorn shrugged, “Well, it’s crazy. But I think they’re trying to communicate.”
“Where’s Fluttershy when you need her?” Spike sighed.
“Fluttershy did teach me some dog-speak. I’m not too good at it and timber wolves aren’t quite dogs, but maybe,” she closed her eyes and listened to the patterns of speech. Her eyes shot wide open, “Oh my gosh.”
“What?”
A smile burst across her face and she looked at Spike with renewed confidence, “I think they can help us find our friends.”
Spike felt his heart lighten with hope. He turned around to face her, cracking a branch beneath his foot, “Really? How?”
“They say ‘Can smell stinky pegasus.’” Twilight and Spike stifled their laughs. Rainbow Dash was not known for her hygiene, and for once, Twilight was glad. She turned back to the wolf, who continued to grumble, “They’re saying ‘Pack help you. You help pack.’”
“They want a bargain?” Spike raised his eyebrows. He never heard of timber wolves asking other creatures for help. He folded his arms, “What do they want?”
Twilight frowned. Her ears twitched, as though they were shooing off mosquitos. A puzzled expression came across her face. The wolf’s grumblings came more impatiently, turning from light yips to barks.
“Well, they’re saying ‘den,’” she tilted her head and squinted. She stammered, “a-and that means ‘home,’ or maybe it means ‘monster.’” She pursed her lips, wishing for Fluttershy’s sensitive ear to distinct animal sounds and zoolingualism. Twilight stared intently, “And I think it’s saying ‘lost,’ but that could be ‘cave.’ And,” she blinked as the wolf repeated the last growl. “‘Crystal-Eyes.’ ‘Purple-fire.’”
Spike glanced to Mimi’s claws, tipped with purple embers, “Do you think they’re talking about Mimi?”
“Could be, but I don’t think so.”
She shook her head. They could figure it out later. Right now, she had to save their friends. She looked at the wolves, “Listen. Help us find our friends, and I promise to return tomorrow with Fluttershy. She can understand you better than I. We’ll help you with your ‘Crystal-Eyes.’”
The wolf raised its head and met Twilight’s gaze. It blinked, made a single, gruff, throaty bark, and turned to the patch forest trees on their left. It marched off into the shadows, followed by its pack.
“Do you really want to follow them?” Spike tapped his claws. “It could be a trap.”
“We don’t have any better choices right now,” Twilight sighed. With that, they chased after the wolves’ fading shadows into the darkness. A red figure followed them from the trees, bent on witnessing this clash of monsters.
“It took Rainbow Dash and Starlight?” Applejack exclaimed. Her friends stood aghast as Daring Do explained everything that happened. AJ cursed herself. If she had been there, she could have stopped it. She stomped on the ground, “Alright, show it to me and I’ll give it a nasty whooping.”
“No,” Daring Do stated. “You can’t stop it.”
“Sure, I can. I can knock down a tree without breaking a sweat.”
“Starlight was running from it,” Do said. “From what I understand, she is one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria. But she ran away from it. She couldn’t beat it and neither can you.”
“I’m not leaving my friends in there,” Pinkie Pie protested.
“You’ll have to. Right now, we’re all helpless.”
“I don’t believe you,” Fluttershy huffed. “Dash admired you. She thought you were the most fearless pony in all of Equestria. You braved temples and saved the world before. How could you think of giving up now?”
“I never said anything about giving up,” Daring Do picked up her saddlebag and headed to the door. “Twilight and Spike went in there with that yellow thing. Right now, they’re our best bet for stopping them.”
“So you’re going in after them?” Rarity asked, “We’ll come too.”
“No, I’m not going into Everfree. I need to go back to the Temple of Alterum.”
“What could possibly be more important than saving our friends?”
“Just a hunch,” Do said as she opened the door. “Something about all these creatures being here doesn’t add up. Wait until I get back. And don’t do anything stupid.”
Daring Do stepped into the open night air and pulled out an object shaped like a pearl. Before the ponies could react, Daring Do raised the gem into the air, summoning a pillar of light. The pillar vanished into the clouds, carrying away Daring Do.
Rarity fumed, “Why that good for nothing coward.”
“You may not like it, but she’s right,” Zecora said, “We’d be no help in a fight.”
“Our friends are in trouble,” Applejack huffed. “I can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
“Have faith in your friends. They’ll put that fiend’s games to an end,” Zecora retrieved some vials from her saddlebag, full of turquoise and cyan liquids. “We have a task to do, if we want to help catch this wicked boo.”
“What do you mean?” Rarity asked.
“Mimi will help Spike and Twilight to find the fiend and it detain,” Zecora explained as she opened a brown leather pocket journal and skimmed the pages. She stopped near the end of the book and showed the ponies an illustration of a jail cell, “So we must build a cage so it we can contain.”
Applejack frowned, “Excuse me if I sound doubtful, but I don’t see how a cage can hold that thing.”
“A normal cage will not suffice, so we’ll build a cage to hold more than mice.”
“Oh, I get it,” Pinkie Pie smiled, “you’re saying we need to build a prison using spells and potions that keeps Pumpkin-head from using its powers to escape.”
Every pony stared at Pinkie with wide eyes. Zecora blinked, taken aback by Pinkie’s astuteness. The pink pony shrugged.
“What? Didn’t I tell you that I am fluent in rhyme? How? It’s a long story for some other time.”
After ten minutes of following the timber wolves, Twilight began to second-guess herself. Maybe, this was all a trap and she fell for it. The wolves could be leading them into an ambush at this moment. If they didn’t find their friends soon, she was grabbing Spike and Mimi and teleporting away. A ghostly frost ran down her spine, chilling her heart. She saw Spike’s pupils narrow as a breathless gasp broke from his throat. The wolves stopped. Five of them turned left and crept into the undergrowth, fading into the devouring night. The wolf Twilight identified as the leader approached Twilight. Noticing Mimi’s agitated hiss, Spike gestured for Mimi to calm herself and the noises ceased. When they were a meter apart, the timber wolf pointed its nose back to the path before them.
“I think our friends are close by,” Twilight whispered. The wolf glanced back at Twilight, muttered several growls and yips, and then followed its comrades into the undergrowth.
“What was that about?” Spike asked.
“I’m not sure,” Twilight admitted, “but I think it said that they’ll be coming to town for our help in the morning.”
“Great,” Spike grumbled through half-lidded eyes. “That turned out real well last time.”
“If they decide to attack, Fluttershy can talk them down,” Twilight dimmed her illumination spell. Her light vanished, leaving the moonlight piercing the forest trees as their only guide. She crouched low the ground and nodded forward, indicating they had to move. Spike put his index finger over his lips, and Mimi became silent as a tomb. The three snuck through the shadows of the trees, careful not to make any sharp sounds.
Spike’s ears twitched, “What’s that sound?”
“It sounds like a song.”
They heard a familiar humming and whistling that rang through Ponyville when Pumpkin-head chased Starlight. It sounded malicious, as if the singer derived twisted pleasure from torture. Spike noticed a thin layer of purple mist seeping across the ground. Several meters in the distance, they noticed a yellow light. Twilight’s body felt icier as they drew closer to the phantom. They hid behind a massive tree trunk some meters away. Twilight peaked around the trunk, craning her neck to catch a glimpse. Sure enough, she could see Pumpkin-head floating around in the air, dancing and twirling. Purple embers floated in the air around it, like invisible candles suspended in space. Twilight noticed two figures wrapped in its purple hair. She heard Starlight groan as Pumpkin-head chuckled. It tossed the unicorn into the air. Starlight flailed, her horn sparking as she attempted a spell. She fell back down into its purple hairy claw and slumped down.
Twilight grinded her teeth as Pumpkin-head tortured her friends. Through sheer willpower, she suppressed her desire to rush in and save their friends. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Spike tensed, balling his fists as embers flickered from his jaws. Watching this hurt him as much as it hurt her. But when he saw how Twilight remained behind cover, he summoned the strength to follow her example. They would save their friends, but they could not afford recklessness. Twilight surveyed their surroundings, noting advantage points and hiding points. She pulled Spike behind the trunk, grabbed a branch and drew a crude map in the dirt. She stared at the map and mumbled to herself. Her mind worked furiously. She drew a T, an S, and an M side by side in the dirt and then a few inches away she drew a P.
She pointed to the T, S, and the M with the stick and whispered, “This is us, and this,” she pointed to the P, “is Pumpkin-head. Right now, it doesn’t know we’re here so we have the element of surprise.”
“Are we going to surround it and charge at once?” Spike narrowed his eyes, eager to teach Pumpkin-head a lesson.
“We can’t do anything rash. It’s got our friends, so we can’t go all out. First, we have to get it away from our friends, then Mimi can rush in and take it down.” She drew a line from the S and looped it to the right of the P. “Spike, you’ll sneak around to its right and hide. Mimi will hide behind a tree over here,” Twilight drew a line from the M to the left of the P.
“What about you?”
“I’ll be serving as the decoy,” Twilight said. “I’ll distract it and force it to let go of our friends to defend itself. When it lets them go, you’ll get them away from it. Once they’re out of the way, Mimi will charge in from here,” she drew a line across the P, “and take Pumpkin-head out.”
Spike frowned and shook his head, “Wait a minute. You shouldn’t be the decoy. You’re too important. Equestria can’t lose you. Let me distract it instead.”
“Out of the question,” Twilight snapped. “I will not let that thing lay a claw on you. Who knows how it could affect you?”
“What if it ends up hurting you even worse? For all we know, this could be some rare pony killer.”
“I doubt that. I don’t feel exhausted or drained right now. Besides, my magic gives me a distinct fighting advantage over it.”
“Magic didn’t help Starlight,” Spike gestured to Pumpkin-head with his hand. “And don’t say flying gives you an advantage. It didn’t help Rainbow Dash either.”
“Starlight was ambushed and couldn’t concentrate. Dash didn’t know what it could do and wasn’t prepared. I know so I can hold my own.”
“But you don’t know what else it can do. I mean Mimi did a bunch of things I didn’t know she could do. And I’m pretty sure she can do a lot more. We have no idea what else Pumpkin-head could do to you. ”
“Spike, I know you’re worried about me. But I promise you I’ll be fine. I don’t have to win. I just have to distract it. Mimi will finish the job.”
“But what if it doesn’t let Starlight or Dash go? It could have a way to fight without dropping them, and then you couldn’t even fight back without hurting them. Or, or,” Spike stuttered.
“I’ll shield myself and teleport. When its back is turned, Mimi just has to take it out with her purple fire before it notices her. If she takes it by surprise, it won’t be able to use our friends to defend itself.”
“But what if it has a power that lets it break through your shields?” Spike argued. “Or it could keep up with your teleports. If that thing caught you,” Spike’s mouth went silent as his fear took hold, “no, you’re too important to lose. You said there are more of these things in the woods, right? Ponyville will need you to beat them. I’m just a baby dragon. Lose me, and we still have a chance against them.”
“You don’t have any ways to fight back. You can’t use your fire or you could hurt our friends or set the forest on fire. No way could you get in close and use your claws when that thing shoots those orbs. And you probably aren’t fast enough to dodge it, especially if it can make you slower.” Spike bit his lip. Twilight had him beat there.
“I’ll improvise,” he grabbed a crooked branch. Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, trying not to smack her hoof into her forehead.
“Now, I don’t want to argue anymore,” she stood up, “I’m going to be the decoy and that’s final.” Spike was about to protest when he stopped midsentence and glanced around, noticing someone was absent.
“Wait, where’s Mimi?” He rose to his feet and scanned the forest for the yellow rabbit. Twilight’s eyes shifted through the trees for the outline of her pointy-eared head. She saw Mimi darting between the trees, moving towards Pumpkin-head.
“What’s she doing?” Twilight hissed. Spike followed her line of sight and saw Mimi as she slipped into the leafy cover of a sycamore.
“She’s heading straight for it,” Spike’s eyes widened. “What’s she thinking?”
“I think she wants to be the decoy,” Twilight’s statement stunned them both.
“We can’t risk her,” Spike exclaimed, “she’s the only one of us who stands a fighting chance.”
“She’s too far now. We’ll just have to get in place and help her.”
Twilight and Spike split up into different directions. Twilight moved left, working her way across jagged stones and into the cover of dense undergrowth. Spike took the right path avoiding a small ledge and stepping over the shallow edges a small creek. Mimi stood crouched in the leafy folds of a sycamore branch, ready to leap and knock Pumpkin-head from the air. Spike hurried on his way. Twilight had an idea to rush at Pumpkin-head before Mimi, so she picked up her pace to beat Mimi. A twig snapped beneath her hooves. She remained still, even as her heart panicked. She waited a few seconds, but Pumpkin-head never stopped its sinister tune. The alicorn walked with more caution.
Spike and Twilight reached their places behind two adjacent trees, feet from Pumpkin-head. Twilight readied to break from cover and attack, but Mimi leapt from her place and backflipped into the air. Her body glowed with a faint white and yellow light that faded, as Mimi formed an inky orb between her claws similar to the one Pumpkin-head used on Rainbow Dash. Pumpkin-head darted around just as Mimi launched the orb into its pumpkin body.
The orb nailed its target and burst like a bubble, knocking Pumpkin-head from the air and loosening its grip on Starlight and Rainbow Dash. Pumpkin-head teetered in the air as it struggled to right itself, when Mimi stringed together a series of ferocious purple-fire slashes. Overwhelmed, her opponent lost grip of its hostages and plummeted to the ground with Mimi attacking, astride its pumpkin body. Twilight darted out and magically plucked Starlight and Rainbow Dash from the air, and raced into the cover of the trees. She placed them down and shook Rainbow Dash. Spike tried to wake Starlight from her slumber.
The two groaned, before slumping onto the ground. No use, Twilight realized, they’re out cold. Screeches came from the clearing where they left Mimi. Spike felt like his head was being squeezed between some sadistic torture tool. His body ached and groaned. The Roseli medicine must be wearing off, he thought as the familiar pain resurfaced. Spike rested his hands on his head as his vision began to spin. His hand wrapped in bandages pulsated and writhed, twitching in spasms of shock.
“Spike?” Twilight grabbed his shoulder and steadied his shaky body, “What’s the matter?”
“The medicine’s worn off,” he sputtered. “Fairy flu’s coming back.”
“We’ve got Rainbow Dash and Starlight,” Twilight said, “let’s just grab Mimi and get out of here. We’ll just have to come back for Pumpkin-head later.”
She turned to the direction of the fight, when she noticed a bright flash between the trees. Her horn shimmered violet and she cast a protection spell around her friends. In a split-second, the forest disappeared in a flash of brilliant white light. They had to squint to protect their eyes from the light. Debris flew from the ground and trees toppled down, leveled at their roots. Shrill ringing assaulted their ears. Spike called to her, but she could not hear a sound. Hairline cracks split along her magic shield, and light leaked in. She doubled her shield’s reinforcement but felt her knees tremble. When the light dissipated, her eyes took time to readjust to the darkness. Around her, the trees slumped over and splintered. Thankfully, not a single branch caught fire.
She shook her head and released her spell, “What was that? It came from where we left Mimi.”
“No,” Spike whispered. “You don’t think she,” he could not finish the sentence.
A sound came from the clearing, a form rustling leaves and branches. Twilight cast an illumination spell to see the intruder, and discerned a faint shadow outlined in the light. Mimi approached them her black claw dragged Pumpkin-head face down in the dirt. Twilight’s eyes widened. Did Mimi kill it? Pumpkin-head issued a pained groan as Mimi rolled it to Twilight’s hooves. Mimi did not have a single scratch from the explosion, but Pumpkin-head was unconscious.
“Well,” Twilight said, “that wasn’t too bad.”
They returned to Ponyville with Pumpkin-head and their friends. Twilight met Zecora and their remaining friends who built a cage for Pumpkin-head. It looked like any other cage to her, except for the dark purple dream catchers hanging on each side. She dumped Pumpkin-head inside and delivered Rainbow Dash and Starlight to the hospital. After Spike had a sip of the Roseli medicine, his pain became tolerable. Twilight sent him to bed and Mimi almost followed him into his room. Spike stopped Mimi and asked her to stay with Twilight for now, in case Pumpkin-head broke free or some other creature attacked. Mimi hesitated a moment, reluctant to leave Spike alone. She glanced at the purple alicorn and remembered Spike’s concern for her, his desperation to keep her safe. He offered to fight Gourgeist in her place because he didn’t want to lose her. She seemed to care about Spike as well. Their embrace and teamwork revealed profound trust and love. Mimi knew one thing. If this mare was important to Spike, then she was important to Mimi. Her face set with determination. She waddled over to Twilight’s side and followed her into the foyer.
“Thank you for your help, Mimi,” Twilight said. “If you hadn’t been there, I could have gotten Spike and myself killed.”
Mimi chirped and nodded.
“Listen, I’m glad you’re here and I’m glad you’re Spike’s friend,” Twilight saw Mimi wink at Spike’s name. She sighed, “But you’ve got to be careful around him, okay? I’m worried that your powers could injure him if you’re not careful.”
Mimi’s eyes seemed to frown. She felt something like a scowl form on her body. She saved Spike and he saved her. He gave her a nickname, played with her, fed her. She swore to protect him with her last breath. She would protect his loved ones with all her might and fight any who threatened his home. They were partners. Why did this mare, this Twilight, think she would ever hurt him? Mimi loved Spike. And she was certain that he loved her.
Twilight noticed Mimi’s expression and raised a hoof, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I do. But I can’t help worrying. Spike means the world to me. I hatched him from an egg when I was a filly and raised him on my own. He’s taught me so much: patience, loyalty, love. If I lost him, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Twilight’s words touched Mimi. She had no idea how this mare laid Spike’s egg as a filly, but she recognized the bond between them. Twilight was Spike’s caretaker, his family. Mimi never got to know her family, but she remembered feelings about them. Her memories of their faces faded years ago, but the smells, the tastes, the touches never vanished. She recalled the warmth of her mother voice, soothing Mimi to sleep, her father teaching her to walk as he stretched out his claws to her. Sometimes, she thought about mom and dad, and wondered if they thought about her. She was luckier than most Ghost Pokémon; many of them were once human, only a few were naturally born children. An unhealing wound reopened in her heart. She understood Twilight’s concern.
The alicorn noted Mimi’s trembling frame as her eyes welled with tears. She stopped and placed her hoof on Mimi’s shoulder, stroking her head.
“It’s alright,” she whispered. “I know you’ll protect him, and he’ll protect you. I’ll do my best to protect you both.”
A flashlight pierced through the dark clouds of the gray and green mountains, whose peaks legends claimed could touch other worlds. Daring Do followed her light to the highest point of Mountain Apicem. Ancient colonnades adorned with fanged beasts came into view, which Daring Do recognized as markers of the Temple of Alterum. A bit more flying and soon she would reach the temple at the tip of the mountain.
Ever since investigating Everfree, something came to her attention. She and Rainbow Dash’s friends found traces of unfamiliar creatures around Everfree. Originally, they assumed it was all one creature, but the signs were spread across Everfree. Dark purple ashes covered the forest floor, unfamiliar footprints in wet mud, and Fluttershy talked to several animals who saw a number of these strange creatures. This Mimikyu creature was not alone in the forest.
Other creatures freed from the mirror were hiding in Everfree. She saw two such creatures there before she returned to the temple. In her memories, she stopped every creature from escaping the temple. She remembered touching an old mirror in the center of the temple and releasing perhaps a dozen creatures. They ran about the temple, but she managed to contain them all and force them back into the mirror. She beat them to the entrance, tied them all up, and forced them back into the mirror. Then, she fled the ruins, deciding further investigation was too dangerous.
The temple had one entrance. Only someone who knew about the secret passages could have found them, and even those had booby traps. Daring Do should have been able to stop those beasts from escaping just by blocking the entrance. She did block the entrance. She blinded them with flash grenades, lassoed them all, and sent them home. So why were there so many alien creatures running through Everfree? How did they escape? She should have noticed them breaking free from the temple. The only other explanation was some pony found the temple and set them free, but few had the stamina to reach this temple. Fewer knew of this temple’s existence.
She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes as the mist stung her eyes. The temple’s outline came into view through the clouds. Her brown hooves touched down into the empty stone pavilion. Four rectangular parapets lined the open pavilion, even though the surrounding walls had crumbled under centuries of storm. This place was once a place of merchants and exchanges in this sprawling kingdom. Time had not been kind to the empire, but even her strength could not demolish the town. The temple of Alternum rested in the heart of this city. She proceeded through the city on hoof to avoid attention.
But, it felt her. It knew she was returning minutes before she arrived. It could feel her every thought. She sought answers, expecting an earthly explanation. But it knew there was nothing earthly about itself. It was not born like those other Pokémon. It knew only pain. Now, it had peace, solitude. It granted her clemency in their first encounter. It never knew compassion; it was not given such emotions. But something in that mare struck it. Her courage, fighting spirit, and determination were admirable, and worth sparing. If she refused to turn back and leave for good, it could not afford to spare her again. It would not allow her to undo its work. It would not show mercy again.
“Gourgeist,” Fluttershy chided, “put Angel Bunny down this instant.”
Gourgeist shrunk under Fluttershy’s scorn. Her blue eyes pierced his unbeating heart, sending a shiver through its body. Her yellow frame loomed over him, and he wondered if the bars were meant for him or for her. His pink arms lowered the white bunny to the ground. The bunny raced back outside the cage and darted out of reach. Behind the safety of the yellow pegasus, he stuck out his tongue. Gourgeist growled, but whimpered as the pegasus’ stare intensified. He bowed its candle head to the ground.
“It’s fine, Gourgeist,” Fluttershy smiled. “I forgive you. Just don’t hurt my friends, okay?”
Gourgeist meekly glanced up at the yellow pegasus. Her once icy eyes were shimmering like sparkles on a crystal lake. Her yellow fur caught the candlelight and brimmed with golden shine and her smile warmed his soul. She was beautiful. Gourgeist realized she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. His face reddened with fluster. He hid his crimson shame behind his purple, hairy claws. He almost hurt her bunny. If she hadn’t scared him, she would have hated him forever. Gourgeist’s desire to torment became a distant memory. Now, he wanted to keep her happy. He wanted to see her smile forever.
Fluttershy’s friends went to Twilight’s castle to discuss their plans, but she wanted to keep an eye on her guest. She was alone in her cottage with this animal that Twilight called Pumpkin-head. She saw this creature abduct Starlight and Rainbow Dash with sadistic glee and knew she should hate it. She didn’t hate Discord after all the wrong he caused to Equestria and she didn’t hate Pumkin-head. Some ponies and animals irritated her and she was far from perfect, but Fluttershy doubted she could ever truly hate anyone. She managed to calm her guest down, introduce herself and learn his name. In his boldest act of mischief, he swiped Angel Bunny from the edge of his cave. She put a stop to that, and now Gourgeist looked ashamed.
“Listen,” Fluttershy approached his cage unafraid. “You can’t go around hurting ponies or animals. It’s not any fun for them.”
Gourgeist lowered his claws from his face. He made several grumbles and groans.
“I know you think it’s all you’re good at, but I’m sure you could do so much more if you really, really tried,” Fluttershy reached out and held his furry claw. Gourgeist’s body relaxed as she stroked his claw. A wave of calm and surprise flooded his mind as he lost himself in her eyes.
“I know you like scaring others. I’m sure Dash could use you on one of her pranking quests. Or you could be a ghost in the haunted house for Nightmare Night. Whatever you want to be, I’ll help you find it. Just promise me you won’t go around hurting anyone.”
Gourgeist nodded and chirped in agreement.
“Good,” Fluttershy smiled. “Then maybe I can convince my friends to let you out of this cage. I don’t like it, but I have no idea how to unlock it. There’s no padlock or door. I wish I understood how Zecora built it.”
She sighed, “I’m sorry you have to stay in there for now, Gourgeist.” A thought crossed her mind. “If it’s alright, can I give you a nickname? How about,” she scanned him, considering names when it hit her, “Jack? Because you remind me of a jack-o’-lantern.”
Gourgeist nodded, and accepted the new name. He beamed at his new partner, Fluttershy. Jack would follow her commands and protect her, just to keep that smile. He swore to never hurt another creature, unless he had to defend Fluttershy or her friends. He would not even seek revenge on Mimikyu for ambushing him. He was no longer Gourgeist the malicious spirit. He was Jack, Fluttershy’s friend and partner, for however long they could stay together.
A knock on the door interrupted them. Her eyes turned to the front door, trying to gaze through the window. She could not see her guest through the darkness and discern their physical features.
“I hope that’s Zecora,” Fluttershy said. “Then we can get you out of this.
She released Jack’s hand and walked to the door, “Zecora, is that you?”
No response. If I had to make up a rhyme every time I spoke, Fluttershy chuckled, I probably wouldn’t talk at all. She creaked the door open. Jack stared from his cage as her door screeched on its rusty hinges. Fluttershy made a ghost of a gasp. Her eyes drooped. Her body slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. Jack screamed, struggling against the cage as a yellow hand creeped open the door and glanced inside. Jack recognized Hypno, the dream eater. Everyday, it searched for dreams to devour from unsuspecting victims. Hypno turned one eye to Jack, waved his pendulum, and sent Jack into a deep sleep.
This mare’s dreams were saccharine. They made Hypno queasy. His belly howled and pain wracked his empty stomach, but he could not swallow these dreams. He would find dinner elsewhere. Besides, the little ones had so much more tantalizing dreams. He stepped into the cold night and stared at the town in the distance. He could sense little ones, but he knew better than to march straight into town. The closest little one ate with her family on a farm with apples. The farm stood at the edge of the town, where few ponies lived. Perfect. Hypno licked his chops, anticipating the savory meal.
All her life, Daring Do tried not to believe in superstitions. If an explorer believed too much in ghosts, their imagination could make them too fearful to explore abandoned ruins or graveyards. She knew there were plenty of spectacles beyond her explanation, but she accepted them as magic yet to be explained. But right now, there were no spells to explain the fear coursing through her body. She felt years of unfamiliar pain echoing in the corners of her mind. These echoes intensified with her every step, becoming a symphony of wrath. That wrath turned into violence, causing more ripples of suffering. Faceless anguish bled across her vision, flickering between the buildings and across the cruel stars. The images twinkled then blinked out before she could recognize them.
Do’s heart thundered, and sweat cascaded down her forehead. She would not stop. She gritted her teeth and marched onwards. The crimson rage burned across the world before her eyes, but she would not stop. Many ponies were counting on her. She couldn’t back down and run away, not now. She trod through the stone-tiled roads searing like brim fire. No matter what, Daring Do steeled herself, I will never give up.
The images faded. The sensations disappeared as though they had never existed. Perhaps, they realized she would not falter. She tried not to think about it and raced towards the temple. She entered the domed building. Its relics remained untouched in storage sheds beneath the building, but the mirror rested in a special place. Daring Do walked past the pews, towards a brick altar. She pressed the button on the rim of the altar and opened a passageway beneath the altar.
After avoiding a few traps, she came face to face with that old mirror. She remembered covering it with a tarp before she left, but it stood bare in the middle of the room. That alone meant someone else had been here. She retrieved a magnifying glass from her saddlebag and inspected the surface. Its worn surface remained unblemished. Do frowned, searching for any traces of another living creature. For a moment, she wondered what happened to the tarp she covered the mirror with. Whoever messed with the mirror could not have found much value in a lowly tarp or thought it was worth taking down the mountain.
She stopped investigating the mirror, and looked around the circular room. She saw her hoofprints in the dust, mingling with the prints of several creatures. So far, she could only see her hoofprints. That ruled out a pony. Maybe a griffon or a dragon? Unlikely, she concluded, they would have taken the gems not some dull mirror. Then, she looked around the room again. Where was that tarp? She had it when she came up here.
Her heart stopped. Her mouth opened to breathless gasp as realization struck her. She pulled out her notebook from a coat pocket. Whenever she went exploring, she made a list of supplies she would need in this notebook. She flipped to the day she came to the Temple of Alterum and confirmed her suspicion. She never brought a tarp on this investigation. She never covered the mirror before leaving the temple. And chances were, her throat went dry, she didn’t catch a single creature that escaped the mirror.
“I told you to stay away,” a cold voice sounded in her mind.
A blue field surrounded her body and slammed her into the wall. She broke through the temple and spiraled into another building. Her body screamed in pain. She winced as the dust parted and struggled to rise to her hooves. At least three of her bones were fractured, but her wings were definitely sprained. She limped towards the street, hoping she could find some way to escape. To her dismay, the blue field flung her body feet into the air as though she were a rag doll and plummeted her back down into the ground. She coughed, trying to breath as the world spun.
“How did you,” she managed before her voice gave out.
“I rewrote your memories,” the voice reverberated in her head. She would have gasped if she could breathe. “My abilities allow me to erase memories and create new ones as I see fit.”
A figure glided towards her from the temple. She tried to rise and turn around to face this figure. The aura flung her into another building and tossed her into the ground. Do screamed in pain. She never felt this kind of malice, or seen this kind of magic.
“It’s not magic,” Do’s eyes widened. “Yes, I can read your thoughts. Right now, you’re wondering what kind of monster could do this. You’re wishing you brought your friends to help you. But I can promise you, none of them would have saved you. Not even this Mimi.”
“Get out of my head,” Do growled.
“Last time we met, I spared you on a whim. But you came back. Even after all my warnings.”
Do felt blood rolling from her forehead. Her vision grew dark. What are you, she wondered.
“Scientists created me to be the strongest Pokémon on the planet, a tool for battle, but they could not control me,” the figure touched down before Daring Do. She saw its catlike face, folded arms, purple body, long round tail, and cold red eyes. “I am Mewtwo. And coming here was your biggest mistake.”
Her body rose into the air. Mewtwo’s eyes gleamed with blue-white light as he brought Do close to his face.
“You will not send me or anyone else back to our world with that mirror. This is my home now. If you threaten a single Pokémon, you will answer to me. And if your friends come looking for you, I will crush them. Now, sleep.”