[Ponyville - Day before Nightmare Night - Third Person POV.]
"Just a little to the left Gohan," Twilight said, holding a checklist.
"Got it," Gohan said as he adjusts the banner hanging over the castle door.
The mood of the little village of Ponyville was festive and jovial as preparations for Nightmare Night was in full swing. Each of the Z fighters had taken to assisting the ponies in the preparations. Goku was with Pinkie Pie, helping make an assortment of candy for all the fillies and colts, that would come to Sugarcube Corner. Although, the cakes had to remove Goku from the kitchen after he ate the last five batches Pinkie meant for the trick-or-treaters. Rarity had volunteered to make costumes for everyone, provided that they offer their services. And by project, Rarity had Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien model for a new line tailored to humans. If could listen carefully, they could faintly hear the sounds of whimpering escaping from the Carasell Boutique.
Master Roshi got stuck with Bulma and F. Trunks in babysitting both B. Trunks and Flurry Heart. Initially, Master Roshi wanted to study this holiday further when the prospect of ponies dressing up came to his attention. He thought that maybe he could provide some 'suggestion' to local populous. Specifically, some costume ideas to the female citizens. Bulma would have none of the old master's lecherous scheming brought upon the unsuspecting citizenry. So she persuaded him to stay with her at all times. Piccolo opted to meditate peacefully on top of the spaceship. But he promised to join in on the merriment after Flurry Heart convinced him via the puppy dog stare.
Android 16 joined Fluttershy in her home since the timid pegasus was never a fan of the frightening holiday. That left Gohan assisting Twilight with decorating the Castle Friendship. Tiny bats hanged off the pointed edges of the castles. Pictures of skeletons and ghosts displayed across the tree bark, while the castle itself went through a color change from bright blue and purple to a darker shade of purple and green. Gohan, now wearing his Saiyan armor, finish setting up the banner. It was lavender with orange letters spelling out 'Happy Nightmare Night.'
"Hows is this?" Gohan asked.
"Perfect! Now we just need Starlight and Spike for the next phase," Twilight said.
"Way ahead of you Twilight," Spike called out while he, Ember and Starlight rounded the castle carrying pumpkins.
"I still don't understand this pony custom. You gut the pumpkin of its innards and then proceed to carve faces into the carcass and put it on display," Ember stated while the two ponies blanch at her phrasing. "It seems brutal for a bunch of peace-loving herbivores,"
"It's all in good fun Ember, not some means to work out aggression. The best part is making pumpkin pie afterward,"
"Um, Twilight, I finished setting up the crystals. The spell is ready to go," Starlight said, changing the topic.
"What spell?" Gohan asked.
Starlight smirks as her horn lit up. Moments later, a bright flash went off inside the castle. And smoke began to pour out of the front door. An eerie green glow displayed itself in all of the windows, along with the subtle sound of groans and moaning. "This one; The Spooky atmosphere spell. We used some crystals from the Empire that can have specific attributes added to them. Such as green-tinted light, a small fog generator, and various sounds of discomfort,"
"I was inspired by Fluttershy to make a haunted house for the foals to enjoy much as she did for us last Nightmare Night. After that, we will be holding a costume contest," Twilight said.
"Wait for a second... Fluttershy came up with a haunted house to scare ponies?" Gohan asked skeptically.
"Well, it was more for the girls and myself, and believe me it was very effective,"
Ember scoffs at this. "I don't see what's so frightening about a colored lighting and the sound of a dragon keeling over,"
"So do dragons have any horror stories?" Gohan asked.
"Yes, we do in fact. But this is about a real dragon that was a terror to us all. Spi-Roh,"
"There's that name again. You never seem that talkative about this guy, and now there are scary stories about him?" Spike pointed out.
"For good reason. One of Spi-Roh's tactics is to kidnap other dragons loved one to force the rival into a confrontation. He never hurts his captives too bad. It's just the idea of taking something precious from a dragon makes them more tenacious in trying to retrieve it. Obviously, it is worse when a mate. Which makes the opposing drake fight harder,"
"I get it. Then this Spi-Roh can capitalize on his enemies enrage state in his favor," Twilight said. But Ember shook her head.
"He delighted in his power and put his opponents in such a state to get more enjoyment when he finally defeats them. Then, the real terror starts. Once Spi-Roh enemies can no longer defend themselves, he goes to the prisoner where he would subject to any manner of physical torture..." The group listening in became silent on the implications and blatant cruelty. "His favorite method was to slowly dine on their flesh while their mate watches helplessly to stop him. It was one of the reasons my father took up arms against Spi-Roh when his friend fell prey to that offensive dragons games," Unbeknownst to the group, an irritated frown grew larger on Spike's face the longer Ember's tale went onward. Ember picked up on this through their bod and sent him a questioning look.
Spike shook his head and responded. "I think we should stick to our brand of storytelling. Something like this will be too much for the foals in Ponyville,"
"Good idea! Let's talk about something else. After all, Nightmare Night is about having fun as much as it is about being scary," Twilight offered.
"Actually. I have to go meet up with the girls at the clubhouse. They wanted to discuss some things for tomorrow," Gohan said as he ignited his aura and flew off to meet the fillies.
[Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse.]
"Uh!!! When is Gohan getting here?" Diamond Tiara asked in an annoyed tone.
"He's helping out Twilight with decorating the castle just like I was with the farm. It shouldn't take much longer," Applebloom said.
"Chillax DT. I can feel his Ki coming here now. It will be a few more minutes," Scootaloo reassures.
"But I want him to see my costume!" Diamond whined.
"Me too!" Silver Spoon said. "You girls won't believe what we got set up this year."
"Well, spill it!" Sweetie said.
"No. It's a surprise." At that moment, three knocks came at the clubhouse door before it opens up to reveal Gohan.
"Hey girls. How are you all doing-- Oof!" Was all the young Saiyan said as he was on the receiving end of a quintuple hug tackle.
"Gohan, you made it!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"About time!" Diamond said curtly, although her smile said otherwise.
"Y-your costume looks good," Silver Spoom stuttered. All the fillies nodded their heads enthusiastically at Silver's statement.
"Thanks, So what are we going?" Gohan asked.
"Right. Places everypony!" Applebloom said as Scootaloo zipped over to a large drum while Sweetie Belle held up a flag with the Cutie Mark Crusaders emblem on it. Diamond Tiara sat on Gohan's left side while Silver Spoon stayed on the right. They both hooked their arms with Gohan's as they eagerly waited for the crusaders. Scootaloo began beating the drum as Applebloom stood in front of a podium and cleared her throat. "Hear, Ye, Hear Ye. The Cutie Mark Crusaders meeting has begun. Now before we get to our agenda, we have a special member joining us. For the first time in Crusader history, a--"
"--Super awesome, kick butt, martial artist from another world," Scootaloo interrupted, ignoring Applebloom's flat stare.
"Will be joining the never-ending quest in helping other ponies find and understand their cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle set the flag against the wall as she brought out the official Cutie Mark Crusader cape. Sweetie presented the cloth to Gohan who accepted it gracefully. Applebloom beamed as Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon adjust the cape over the young Saiyan's shoulders. "By the power vested in me, I now welcome Gohan to the Cutie Mark Crusaders YAY!!!!" A small round of applause sounded off for Gohan while the boy rubs the back of his head with a bashful smile.
"Thanks, girls. So what do I for the club?" Gohan asked.
"I'm glad you asked because for today's agenda, we're hosting a Cutie Mark camp and we are going to need your help," Scootaloo said.
"Let's go!" Sweetie exclaimed as the fillies rush Gohan out the door.
[Camp Cutie Mark]
"Gather round campers. We have an extra special treat for today's activity!" Applebloom announced. A group comprised of fillies and colts sat down in front of the stage. "Today, we will be learning martial arts from two of the most skilled ponies we know,"
"Oh! OH! Are we going to learn how to shoot lasers?"
"Are we going to have to fight each other?"
"I want to be able to punch big rocks into pebbles,"
The group of foals asked several questions regarding the activity. Some of the youths were brimming with excitement. But others were more hesitant. One colt, however, was incredulous. "Psh. Give me a break! Why would anypony want a cutie mark for that? With how lovely-dovely Equestria is in a lot of places, what's to stop other ponies from saying we like violence!"
"Urgh Rumble! You know that isn't how martial artist work. It's about commitment, discipline, and self-control. Did you forget the E.A.T Tournament is getting more participants each year? In fact, wasn't Thunderlane a runner-up in the finals last time? He said that all the males in your family are good at fighting just as they are with flying," Scootaloo stated.
"That means you should be a natural at this. Earning your cutie mark should be a breeze," Applebloom said.
"No thanks. I keep trying to tell you all that cutie marks are nothing more than shackles to keep us down. Who needs them!" Rumble said, remaining steadfast in his beliefs.
The Crusaders were about to dissuade Rumble's rebellious outlook when Gohan spoke up. "He is right in a way," This statement earned several gasps from the campers.
"I-I am?"
"Think about it; if a pony can only do something that their unique talent dictates then, they'll start to stagnate. What if a pony earns a cutie mark they didn't want, and now that's the only thing they are good at, they'll be perpetually miserable for the rest of their lives,"
The foals nodded in understanding as the CMC ears splayed across their heads. "B-but cutie marks..."
"Are Lame! See, he gets it. Blank flanks are the way to go," Rumble said triumphantly, but Gohan shakes his head.
"While there is nothing wrong with being a blank flank as you call it, that doesn't mean Cutie marks are false. The point I'm making is a symbol on your body does not determine who you are and what you can do. Just look at me, I'm studying to be a world-renowned scholar when I grow up,"
"Seriously? But I thought you like fighting like Goku?" Diamond Tiara said.
"It's more of a family tradition, but I honestly don't like fighting all that much," This revelation came as a shock to all present. "In the end, we have the power to control our destinies. Anyway, I think it's time we get on with the activity,"
"Oh right! So me and Gohan here will be demonstrating how two expert fighters operate in the field of battle!" Scootaloo proclaimed as she flips to an open clearing. Gohan chuckles at her antics and walks over to her.
"My father said a lot of good things about you Scootaloo. I'm pretty excited for this sparring session,"
Scootaloo cracked her knuckles as she sent Gohan a confident smirk. "Naturally. I am the fiercest filly in Equestria. And the three-time E.A.T champ!"
"Haha, alright. What do you say we keep to the ground for our match? No grand attacks,"
Scootaloo pouted a bit. "Aw man. That sounds boring but ok. And no turning Super Saiyan," With that said, the pegasus filly took her stance as Gohan did the same.
Scootaloo starts off by rushing Gohan. She throws a high kick that forces Gohan to step back. He ducks under the ensuing punch before launching a roundhouse. Scootaloo blocks the attack with her forearm as she presses her offensive. However, Gohan easily deflects each of her blows. The young Saiyan takes hold of her arm and guides his opponent forward, causing Scootaloo to become off balanced. Gohan seizes his chance to end the fight and forms a chopping motion with his hand. He aims for the back of Scootaloo's neck. However, the purple-maned pegasus was far from beaten. She gathered a small amount of Ki in her hand and struck Gohan's offending limb. The resulting explosion caused both their auras to ignite while Gohan found himself taken aback.
Another smirk adorns Scootaloo's lips as the two broke off. She charges back into the fight and throws a punch that Gohan redirects, but Scootaloo uses that momentum to swing her hoof at Gohan's face. The attack grazes his cheek, forcing the young Saian to step back. Scootaloo continues her assault while keeping Gohan off balance. Scootaloo lunges forward, her fist primed for Gohan's face, looking to score a decent hit. Gohan, however, surprises her by dipping into her strike and hooking her arm. Scootaloo yelps in shock as Gohan shoulder tosses her to the ground.
Scootaloo winces as her breath escapes her body. "Sorry about that. I wasn't too rough was I?" Gohan asked as he extended his hand to help her. But much like her sister, quitting wasn't in Scootaloo's vocabulary. Sensing that her enemy had dropped his guard, Scootaloo quickly shot up and tackles Gohan to the ground where the two broke out into a roll. They came to a stop with Scootaloo resting on top of Gohan, a triumphant grin on her muzzle.
"Ha! A match isn't over until your opponent gives up. And you let down your guard!"
"Haha, I guess I did,"
"Scootaloo and Gohan sitting on a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G~" Rumble teased as the other foals laughed at their expense. It was at that moment that the two young fighters realized how close their faces were to one another. Scootaloo's orange fur turned a bright red as she quickly got off of an equally embarrassed Gohan.
"Let's call our match a draw..." Gohan said softly.
"Yeah... Good fight and all..." Scootaloo agreed.
[Nightmare Night.]
The holiday was in full effect. Foals of all ages ran rampant in the streets as the parents tried to keep up with them. Many ponies were in a wide array of costumes and knocking on doors for their sweet prize. "Nightmare Night. What a fright. Give us some sweet to bite!" The foals would say as they received the sugary delights. However, candy wasn't the only happenings on this festive holiday. Many ponies were engaging in a series of pranks for those unsuspecting recipients. A prospect that a particular Namekian warrior had the displeasure of dealing with outside the spaceship.
"It wasn't that bad Mr. Piccolo," Gohan said as he stood outside the capsule corp spacecraft with an irritated Piccolo. "Rainbow Dash told me that pranks like those are apart of the festivities,"
"Tsk. How is throwing produce and tissue paper at someone's home for lacking their cavity-inducing treats is in any way shape or form supposed to be fun? Such a waste," Piccolo grumbled.
"Regardless. You need to leave the scaring to the props so Flurry Heart and Trunks can enjoy tonight," Bulma chided as she walks out the spaceship with Flurry Heart, B. Trunks, and F. Trunks in tow. Each of them decided on wearing matching scientist gear complete with a white coat, glove, and tinted glasses. "Cadence wanted Flurry Heart to have a good time, and this is Trunks first experience with a holiday like this one. So try to rain in that aggression," Piccolo merely scoffs at this. Flurry Heart took this time to land on his shoulder guard and send Piccolo a broad smile.
The sight of the alicorn filly smile was enough to make Piccolo reconsider his stance on the matter. "Hmph. Whatever,"
"I don't see why I have to dress up..." F. Trunks groaned.
"I think it's pretty fun," Gohan said.
"Speaking of fun, I thought you were going to be with your little entourage~" Bulma teased.
"I-I am - Uh, I mean - We're meeting up later! The girls went their sperate ways to get their costumes ready. I'll be heading to the clubhouse in a bit,"
"I'm sure you will. After all, a handsome young knight like shouldn't leave his princesses alone~" Once again, Gohan found his face heating up.
"I have a little time, so I'm going to go check on my dad! Later!" Gohan blurted out as he left the ship in a hurry.
"That was horrible, mother," F. Trunks chuckled. Bulma winks at him while sticking her tongue out.
"Can we get this over with now? I should occupy my time with something more important. Like finding the remaining two Dragonballs!"
"Have you had any luck sensing them?" F. Trunks asked.
"No, I thought I did earlier. But I couldn't pinpoint it,"
"Well, we haven't searched that large forest near the town. It could be a waste of time, but I can send Guru to probe it for us," Bulma said.
Guru flew up to Bulma at her command. "Guru, guru. Awaiting orders ma'ma. Guru, guru,"
"Guru. I want you to do a sweep of the forest on the outskirts of town. If you pick up any readings, then report back to anyone you can find to retrieve it. Understood?"
"Guru, guru. Mission parameters accepted. I am commencing objective now! Guru guru,"
The group watched as Guru exited the ship. Piccolo looked to be in deep thought before he felt a tugging on his antenna. Piccolo glances at Flurry Heart who gazes back with slight concern. "Relax kid. I'm fine,"
"You sure? You seem troubled," F. Trunks said.
"Just a foreboding feeling I'm getting from that forest,"
[Applebloom's POV.]
"Hehehe, Ah still can't believe all that nonsense happened," I said. We finally settled matters in the park, and now the four of us were heading back to the clubhouse to get ready for Nightmare Night.
"Yeah, and now we might be late to meet up with Gohan and Scootaloo," Diamond Tiara huffed.
"Some ponies just don't have a clue at all. What if somepony wanted to eat eggs the next morning? Are they going to have to scoop up the yolks from that egg war?" Silver Spoon ranted.
"Hey look there's Starlight," Sweetie Belle said. Sure enough, Starlight was walking up the road, heading toward the Everfree forest with saddle bags around her waist. We all ran up to her and said hello. "Hiya Starlight. Where is ya heading?"
"Hey girls. I'm just heading to Zecora's to deliver these books about herbs. Twilight would've done it. But she is busy right now overseeing the haunted house,"
"Can we come with you? We were on our way to mah house. We visit Zecora, get out costumes, and head to Twilight's castle together!"
"I don't think so, girls. Being in the Everfree after dark is dangerous. Do you all remember the last time you ventured into the forest?"
"Yeah, and everything turned out fine when we met up with Goku," Sweetie Belle countered.
"Besides, I think Twilight's student can handle anything some spooky forest will throw at her," Diamond Tiara said. Her talent for making ponies do what she wants always come in handy.
"Be that as it may, it's still a bad idea," Starlight stated firmly. We all looked at each other before nodding in silent agreement. There was only one sure fire way to get anypony to do what you wanted. We planted our hooves and cupped our hands together as we took a sharp intake of breath.
Starlight eyes widened in horror as she recognized what was coming. "Plee--"
"Girls, I don't--"
"Eeeeeeeeeeee--"
"Really! It's not--"
"Eeeeeeeeease!!!!"
With a dejected sigh, Starlight surrendered to the onslaught of the quadruple puppy-eyed pleading. A patted secret move that no adult can beat. "...Fine! Just stay by my side at all times and listen to everything I say!"
"We promise,"
After that, we started heading into the Everfree. Unlike the others, I always liked the Everfree Forest. I know there can be a lot of scary things and critters living in it, but it's also so mysterious and full of pretty plants that I can't help but like it. Besides, Zecora lives in the Everfree. She's been here the longest so it can't be all bad. Speaking of which, we came up to her hut. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were shaking in their hooves after seeing Zecora's masks. But I calmed them down when I told them they were decoration for greeting guests. Zecora opened up and was happy to see us.
"Hello, Zecora. I bought those books you wanted," Starlight said.
Zecora looked grateful. "Thank you for the books you sow," she said. Then, she stopped smiling and got all serious-like. "But now you must go. The Everfree is a dangerous place to be. For here, on this Nightmare Night, you will receive more than the typical fright. Hurry and return to Ponyville right away. From the path, you must not stray," After that spooky message, Zecora close her door and set all the locks.
"What was that about?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I don't know, but she has the right idea. Let's head back,"
"S-she was probably trying to scare us. A Nightmare Night prank, that's all," Diamond Tiara said.
"But she sounded serious. Is there something out there?" Silver Spoon asked while looking at the pathway.
"It is strange she got all cryptic on us," I said.
"We can discuss it when we get back to-- Huh?" Starlight stop dead in her tracks, making all of us bump into her.
"Hey what gives?" Sweetie asked while rubbing her snout.
"The path back to Ponyville is blocked by a tree. I don't know where it came from?"
"It's huge!" Silver Spoon said.
"It doesn't matter. I'll just move it," Starlight said as she begun moving the log.
"Why not just go around it?" I said. It seemed silly to put all this effort into moving the tree when we could just do that.
"I can't just leave this log blocking the path. What if some other pony came this way and couldn't get past it. Let alone Zecora. So moving it is the best option," she said. It took some doing, but Starlight hoisted that tree out of the way. "There we go! Now let's- Huh!?!?" Too bad there were, even more, logs blocking the way back. Each of them was as big as the last one. "Uh! You got to be kidding me! Sorry, girls. We might be here longer than expected. Just sit tight while I handle this,"
So Starlight got to work moving them logs while the girls and I sat on the sidelines. It was pretty dull since the girls didn't feel like talking too much. I was about to say something when out of the corner of my eye, I saw another pony hiding behind brushes watching us. She had an orange mane with golden stripes running through it. A gray fur coat and a dull looking dress. But that wasn't even the freakiest part about this filly. She had these bright yellow eyes. Seriously! I swear to Granny's apple pie recipe that they were glowing! I turned over to the girls to see if they noticed her too.
"Hey girls. There's somepony out there watching us,"
"What do you mean 'watching us?' You mean like spying?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"Yeah, a filly Earth pony. She's right over..." I pointed in the direction where I saw the mystery pony, but the second we all looked in that direction, the pony was gone.
"I don't see anything. You might be seeing things Applebloom," Sweetie said. Although, she did sound nervous.
"Why would there be another in these woods? Was she with any other ponies?" Silver Spoon asked.
"No... I think she was alone," I said.
"Did you recognize her? Maybe it was somepony from class trying to prank us," Diamond said. That kind of made sense.
"I doubt it. I never saw this pony ever in my life,"
"Is that her?" Sweetie pointed out. We saw the filly shift through trees and go deeper into the forest. But then something else caught our attention. A gold light flicker from her hand. She was holding some a ball of some kind that had stars on it.
"Holy applesauce! She has a Dragonball!"
"No way. Don't Goku and the others need that?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Sho 'Nuff. We need to get after her!" I started walking after the filly, but the others were unsure.
"What about Starlight? We should tell her," I heard Sweetie say. But the pony was getting away.
"There's no time. Besides, with all those trees in the way, she won't be going anywhere. If we hurry, we can catch our mystery pony before she notices we're gone!" The girls were finally on board, and we began to chase after the glowy-eyed filly.
[Ponyville - Gohan's POV]
The one thing I know will never change about my father is his appetite. Although Since we came to this new world, I never thought there would be anyone that could match his eating habits besides Vegeta and myself. I stumbled upon my who Dad was currently in a pie eating contest. There was six finalist and whoever ate the most pies in under ten minutes would win a year's worth of free pastries from the sponsor. But it turns out the competition was ready for the likes of my dad and Pinkie Pie. They were the only two contestants left, and neither of them showed signs of stopping. A lot of Ponies in the audience that found their mouths fixed to the floor.
My father stopped eating to address me. "Hmm~ Hey Gohan! You sure you don't want one. This pie is delish!"
Pinkie nodded her head in agreement. "I know right? Better get them while they're hot Gohan!!!"
"Hehe. I have to go now. I'm running late to meet the girls," I took to skies and left as I made my way to the clubhouse. I wasn't expecting to run into Scootaloo along the way. "Hey, Scootaloo. Nice costume,"
Scootaloo blushed as she gave herself the once over. "S'up Gohan. Thank you. I got to talking with Goku about other martial art Gi's, and this is what he suggested," The costume was a blue sleeveless Gi with a red slash on the waist and matching wristbands along with red and white pants.
"I guess you're running late too. How come?"
"My dad entered a pie eating contest with Pinkie,"
"Aw, say no more. I was getting in some earlier pranking with Rainbow. I think we may have booby-trapped one of pies though..." There was a small explosion in the distance, and a lot of the ponies were screaming as a mushroom cloud of pie goop erupted. "Yep. We booby-trapped the pies,"
"Haha, not that it would stop my dad from eating!" We both shared a laugh before Scootaloo became serious. "So Gohan. I was wondering if--"
"Hey, isn't that Giru?" I pointed to the flying white spec heading towards us.
"Alert. Alert. Giru Giru. Alert! Gohan! Your assistance is required! Giru!"
"What is it Giru?" Scootaloo asked.
"Giru Giru. The creator gave Giru a mission to scan the forest for the Dragonball. The mission proved successful, but this unit ran into complications. Giru Giru,"
"You found the Dragonball!? That's great!!!"
"Wait, you said you ran into complications. Do you have the Dragonball?" I asked.
"Giru Giru. Negative. An external force interfered. Guru has video confirmation. Giru Giru," Giru proceeded to display an image of the forest. He found the Four Star Dragonball lying in some brushes. But something wasn't adding up. The cutie map never showed the Dragonball in this region. So why was Giru only able to find it now? Did the forest block the signal somehow? But that wasn't all that happened, pony hunters came through the bushes and saw the Dragonball. Giru stayed out of sight while talked amongst themselves. Probably about wanting to sell the Dragonball for profit. But that's when things took a turn for the worst. Neither Scootaloo or I could describe what happened next, but these - creatures - jumped out of the forest and attacked the ponies. They never stood a chance as the monsters dragged them away. They moved so fast that I couldn't get a good look at them. The video ended with a golden-maned filly appearing after the monsters had left with their victims as she made off with the Dragonball.
"Giru... What were those things?" Scootaloo asked. I could tell she was a bit shaken.
"Giru Giru. Scans came back inconclusive. The subjects under question are deceased. Giru Giru,"
"Do you think you can take us back to that clearing. Maybe we can save those ponies and get back the Dragonball," I said.
"Giru Giru. This unit still has a lock on the Four-Star Dragonball. But the signal is growing weaker. I recommend immediate departure. Giru Giru,"
"Lead the way!" I said as I grabbed Giru and flared my aura with Scootaloo following suit. I didn't like what was waiting for us, but we can't miss this chance.
"Do you think we get to those ponies in time?" Scootaloo asked.
"It's never too late to save someone," Little did I know how wrong I was.
[Everyfree Forest - Applebloom's POV.]
We chased after the filly for a good few minutes. The forest got darker and darker the longer we went down the path. I swear it was almost pitch black out here. We stayed huddled together so we wouldn't get lost. That Dragonball was reflecting light something fierce, and it made it easier to follow Glowly Eyes. I'm calling her that until she tells us differently. Of course, the girls started to voice their concerns.
"Applebloom... I don't like this. It's like somepony hit the light switch inside the whole forest!" Sweetie Belle whined.
"I can barely see past my snout," Diamond whined.
"I think we should turn back...!" Silver Spoon suggested.
"We can't. Gohan needs that there ball to save his world. Besides, I think she stopped moving. We just need to get past these-- Whoa!" I stopped dead in my tracks as we push past the bushes. There was a village at the end of the walkway.
"This place must be her home," Silver Spoon said.
"Who would want to put a community in the Everfree Forest?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"It's called... 'Sunny Town.' Well, they live up to their name. Not that it makes sense. It was nighttime a few seconds again," Sweetie said.
"Maybe they're using a spell to see at night. Let's find that filly!"
[Scootaloo's POV.]
We made it to the clearing in record time. But, boy was it dark. I know this is what usually happens inside this place. The leaves from the trees block out the stars more than I would've liked it. Good thing Giru had a built-in flashlight as he looks around. But I couldn't shake what he said about the things that attack those ponies. He said that they were already deceased, meaning they - passed onward. How can that be if they were up and about abducting ponies? The forest must be messing with his wiring or something. Anyway, we found the tracks where those ponies were dragged off and followed them. At first, there was nothing but crumbled leaves and ruffled bushes. Then we heard groaning. Somepony was in pain, and their Ki signature was fading. That made no sense. Why are we only just now sensing a pony slipping like this?
"Come on!" Gohan took charge as I followed. We found the pony - a unicorn stallion - sitting by a tree, groaning and wincing. I had to look away when I saw his injury. Not that I was squeamish or anything, but blood was seeping down the right side of his body from a wound that like something took a massive bite out of him.
"Sweet Celestia...!"
"B-b...." The stallion tried to speak but only ended up coughing up some blood.
"Hold on! Scootaloo look for anything to clean the wound," Gohan said, but I hardly moved.
"Giru Giru. This equines vitals are showing erratic patterns. There is an odd coloration of the blood, along with a black substance germinating within his body. Mysterious foreign element shows great signs of decay. Giru Giru,"
"What does that even mean?"
"He's in serious trouble and needs help fast!"
The stallion took his other arm and pointed over to a backpack on the other side of the clearing. I snapped out of my funk and ran over to it. There was no time for spacing out like this. I zipped over to the bag and fished through it. I pulled out a first aid kit. Gohan got to work cleaning and dressing the injury, and It was gross! There was more of that black stuff then there was blood. Then Giru had a great idea that almost made me blew chunks.
"Cauterization! Burning the wound close will prevent the victim from bleeding out! Giru Giru,"
"I got it. Sorry sir, but this is going to hurt!" The stallion nods weakly at Gohan as he got to work, focusing his Ki into his palm and placing it on the gash. I don't think I like the sound or smell of flesh burning, nor the screams from the stallion, so I turned away. And then came lousy idea number two of the night. The moment I looked away, some awful smell hit my snout. Really. It was like somepony had dropped rotten eggs into the sewer and used cow manure to dry it off. Not never a skunk could stand this smell. It was so intense that it stung my eyes. I ended up bumping against another tree while holding my muzzle and rubbing my eyes. I found the source of that smell. I wish I didn't. It was watching us as Gohan finished helping the stallion. I didn't know what I was looking at in front of me. I just knew it wasn't right. Hopefully, Gohan had a better idea because I was drawing a blank.
"...Gohan..."
[Gohan's POV.]
I turned over to Scootaloo when I heard her call for me. Guru monitored the stallion while I checked on her. She was unusually quiet. I know this was a dangerous situation, but Scootaloo never struck me as the type to shut down. But pure fear was evident on her face as she kept looking ahead. I followed her gaze, and I knew what the problem was. The thing in front of us was a pony. I think. The flesh was rotting and decaying. The left side of its stomach showed exposed ribs and intestines. It had bits of skin hanging off its clawed fingertips. The stench was almost overwhelming. How could I've missed it? There was also an eerie red aura that highlighted all its disgusting features, especially in its eyes. There was nothing in the eye sockets but two red dots bearing down on us. What was probably the worse thing about this monster is that I didn't sense anything at all. No power level or Ki signature, just nothingness!
"What...?"
I saw the creature's jaw unhinged as the same black substance Giru pointed out oozed from its maw. I wasn't a fan of the jagged, serrated teeth that was on display. The stallion behind us let out a pain filled whimper as he spoke. "B-blood Hooves-- URK!!!"
"W-what!?!? No way...! They're supposed to be..." Scootaloo trailed off. She was visibly shaking now.
"What's wrong? Do you know what this thing is?"
"That's very rude, little colt. I am not a thing. My name is Crismon Fur," His voice is raspy and hard to make out. "There's no need to be afraid,"
"Liar! You're a Blood Hoove! A zombie pony that goes around eating other ponies and making them monsters!!" Scootaloo yelled. I heard of zombies from the stories on my world. I never thought for a moment that they'd be real.
"Were you the one that attacked this stallion!?"
"We didn't mean any harm. But those that are uninitiated tend to get the wrong idea and resist when we only want to protect others from the mark," Crismon said. I did not like any of the words he used.
"Protection? The Mark? What are you talking about?"
"You mean Cutie Marks?" Scootaloo said cautiously.
Crismon Fur hissed at the words. "The mark is a curse. A danger to everything it enslaves. We can save you from it little filly. We can protect you from it little colt. You just need to accept our friendship like our new friends did," Before we knew it, we were surrounded by more Blood Hooves. Eight in total as they had the other ponies captive. I guess it's true that these things are zombies. I'm still not sensing any life from them despite being all around us. "Now watch as our glorious gift save these lost souls!"
I was too stunned to react as each of the Blood Hooves bit into the necks of the struggling ponies. They pull back and tore the flesh from their bodies. Scootaloo huddled closer to me, her face was frozen in horror, as I clenched my fist. Their Ki signatures faded out instantly as the black substance poured out of their wounds.
"Alert. Alert. The danger is imminent. Giru Giru." I was about to ask what was happening when that black bile started to spread across their bodies. It encased their forms as that same horrible smell got worst by the second. The haunting red aura appeared on the corpses, and soon the masses started to rise again. The ponies lost all the color from their fur, and their manes were pitch black. The rate of decay wasn't as prevalent as the others, but they had the same glowing red eyes. The new blood hooves quickly joined the others and doubled the number of enemies we were facing.
"You see young ones. Look at what our friends can do for you. And I never knew there were different types of ponies beyond the forest," These guys must be pretty isolated if they've never seen a unicorn or a pegasus. Up until a moment ago, the Blood Hooves were strictly Earth ponies. Their new members could cause an epidemic. "Together We Can--"
"SHUT UP!!! You didn't save them! This violence isn't protection! It's Pure Evil!!!! You killed them and forced them to change!!!"
"Y-yeah! You're nothing but monsters. I love my Cutie Mark, and I'm not letting you take it away!!!" Scootaloo shouted. I'm glad she isn't cowering in fear. But I can tell she is still affected by all this madness.
"It is ok young ones. Your minds have been lead astray. You don't know what is good for you. But you will understand soon enough. Won't they brother?" My eyes shot open as I forgot about the stallion behind us. A sickly black aura encased both of us. I could feel my skin irritating from the sensation of it. "Start with the filly. We need to save her from the mark as soon as possible," The stallion behind us opened his mouth and moved in on Scootaloo who was thrashing in his hold.
"N-no! Stop! You can't!!!! I don't want to be a Blood Hoof!! GOHAN!!!!"
"Activating countermeasures! Giru Giru," Giru sprang into action and logged himself into the blood hooves mouth. Then, an electrical current ran through his body and shocked the undead unicorn. His magical grip weakened, and I acted fast.
"Scootaloo! Raise your power to broke free!"
"Right!"
We both powered up and burst out of our confinement. Our aura's burned with intensity as the blood hooves back away in surprise. I guess they weren't expecting this kind of resistance from to two kids. I set my sights squarely on Crimson, the crime he committed still fresh on my mind, as I lunged toward him. I held nothing back. He wasn't among the living anymore, so my attack came easy. I slammed my fist as hard as I could into Crismon midsection, and his entire body exploded from the impact. It was an ugly sight to behold. Blood, chunks of flesh, other fluids sprayed everywhere. Thankfully, my aura protected me from being coated in the stuff. The only thing left of Crimson was a pair of legs. I glared at the remaining Blood Hooves who back away in fear.
Meanwhile, Scootaloo took care of the unicorn Blood hoof that still had Giru in his mouth. She drives her fist into its stomach, forcing Giru out of his mouth, and launching him through the tree. Scootaloo flips back to my side as we took our stances. Our actions greatly unnerved these monsters. I guess they relied more on scare tactics and numbers to claim their victims. They never expected their prey to fight back. Then again, they are rotting corpses. The blood hooves made a hasty retreat. But Scootaloo and I had other plans. We raised our hands and sent a volley of Ki blasts at them. The old blood hooves disintegrated instantly due to their level of decomposition. However, the newer ones were heavily charred from the heat of our attacks. We stopped firing once all our enemies were down.
"Did we get them?" Scootaloo asked.
"I don't know... Use your Ki to form a barrier around yourself. We don't want that black ooze getting on us," We both focused our Ki to form a white outline around our bodies. Just when I thought we could take a breather, a bloodcurdling roar caught our attention.
"RAAARGH!!!!" The Blood Hoof Scootaloo sent flying was back up again. Although, there was a branch piercing through his throat, making it hard to distinguish his groaning. I fire a concentrated blast through his torso, but the gaping hole only served to slow it down.
"It's still coming!!!" Scootaloo said with urgency.
"The durability of these things are insane!" I charged another attack. However, this time I aimed for the head. That manages to do the trick as the unicorn stallion fell to the ground with a smoke trail where his head once was. Turning over to Scootaloo, I spoke firmly. "We have to make sure the others aren't a threat anymore!" She slowly nodded, and we found the charred remains of the fresh Blood Hooves. It turns out my hunch was correct. All of them attempted to rise again, but their bodies were too damaged. We made quick work of them by destroying their heads. I could tell this was hard for Scootaloo. These were once living beings, and now, thanks to a cruel twist of fate, they died and turned into monsters that we had to put down. I have to find a way to make this right.
With a sigh, I tried to comfort my friend. "You ok?" Scootaloo shook her head. I offered a weak smile and extended my hands for a hug. She took without hesitation and whimper in my arms.
"W-we couldn't save that stallion! We couldn't save the others...! T-they just k-killed them!" I held her tighter as she cried. This incident must be the first time she's seen anyone die. I just wish it wasn't in such a horrible way.
"Giru. Do you still have a lock on the Dragonball?" It was essential to keep focused. Maybe Shenron can reverse what happened here.
"Giru Giru. Affirmative! I also finished scanning the black substance. It appears to be magically charged necro-plasm. Hence the rapid deterioration and decomposing of the mind, flesh, and body. The affliction requires the victim to die for reanimation to occur. Giru Giru,"
"That also explains why they adopted that twisted philosophy too,"
"T-there aren't any more blood hooves near us, is there?" Scootaloo asked.
"Negative. The Dragonball is not far from this location. I recommend immediate retrieval! Giru Giru,"
"He's right. Let's go and get out of here now. We..." I trailed off as I sensed four very familiar Ki signatures in the direction Giru mentioned. "Oh No...!"
"Gohan. Those Ki signatures!!!" Scootaloo said with alarm. What were the girls doing in the forest?
"I know! We have to move now! Giru, you are the only one that can find these zombies. Give us a warning if we come across any of them!!!"
"Giru Giru. Right away! Giru Giru," We didn't waste any time as we flew off to the signal and our friends. No one else was going to die tonight!
[Sunny Town - Applebloom's POV.]
"This place sure is nifty, huh girls?" I said as we walked into town. This place was happy and peaceful. It reminded me a lot of Ponyville.
"I guess? But why is it still daytime here?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Well, it's not called 'Sunny Town' for nothing!" Sweetie joked. All of stopped and gave her a look before we all started laughing.
"I guess it a lot like Ponyville, but where are the ponies or that filly you saw?" Diamond Tiara asked.
"Hello," Somepony called out. An Earth pony stallion came up to us. He had dark brown fur with a gray mane. "Welcome little fillies. Wow, it is so rare to have visitors around your age come to Sunny Town. My name's Grey Hoof, and you came a great time!"
"Why is that?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Why because of the party of course! I take pride and joy organizing the best parties Sunny Towns ever seen. This year is shaping out to be my greatest work yet!" Wow! I can't believe our luck. We landed right in the middle of a festival! Just as the girls started getting excited, I noticed Grey Hoof eyeing Sweetie Belle curiously. Sweetie saw this too.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Oh, pardon me. I just couldn't help but notice that odd protrusion on your forehead," Grey Hoof said. The girls and eye looked at him like he was crazy.
"You mean my horn?"
"Yes, that. Did you accidentally stumble into the poison joke patches?"
"Nooo! I'm a unicorn,"
"There's another type of pony? But what is the point of it? It seems like it would get in the way," Grey Hoof tried to touch Sweetie's horn, but she backed away. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to impose,"
"It's ok... And my horn lets me perform magic. Watch," Sweetie's horn lit up, and she floated some rocks over to us. Grey Hoof's mouth just about hit the floor when he saw this.
"Amazing! You are something special. I knew this year was going to be grand. Please take your time and have fun. I am sure the other Sunny Towners will just love you all," Grey Hoof went off back into town while the rest of us just sat there confused.
"Please tell me I'm not the only one that thought that was weird," Diamond said.
"Yeah, he never knew unicorn was a thing? What kind of rock has he been living under?" Silver Spoon added.
"These ponies live in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Maybe they don't get a lot of visitors?" I said.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure I want ponies crowding me because I'm a unicorn. Grey Hoof was giving me creeps," Sweetie Belle said softly.
"Don't worry! We got your back. Oh, horseapples! We forgot to ask about that filly,"
"I guess we got to keep looking for her," Sweetie said.
We moved deeper into town, meeting all the residents, and searching for Glowing Eyes. The ponies here were pretty friendly. We meet a pony named Three Leaf who made a running course in the park. He said something about being a famous sprinter. There was also Rolento and Maddie. Another pair of Earth ponies who were sweet on each other. Rolento was sad that he lost his gift for Maddie. But Silver Spoon found it in the bushes and gave it to him. Then he asked her to be his date for the date, and she said yes. Finally, we meet this kind of grumpy stallion named Burlap. He didn't say much, but he was eager for the party too. He said he likes the punch that another Earth pony named Gladis makes. Although they did give Sweetie Belle some more looks, they didn't make her feel bad. In fact, they seem to like the fact she was a unicorn. Of course, none of them knew who Glowly Eyesis or where she was. I sure hope we find her.
"Girls, this place is getting weirder by the second," Sweetie said.
"Are you still feeling uncomfortable about these ponies never seeing a unicorn before?" I asked.
"Yes, and I bet they never saw a pegasus before either. An entire town made up of only Earth ponies seems a little tribalist,"
"Come on Sweetie. That's a little too far," Just cause these ponies are cut off from other pony tribes, doesn't mean they hate them for being different.
"That's not the only thing. How come we haven't run into any other foals? And nopony seems to know who the mystery filly is," Silver Spoon said.
"Well..." I said slowly. That did seem strange.
"And none of these ponies won't shut up about their party. It's like Pinkie Pie created a secret society for parties nonstop," Diamond Tiara finished.
"That does seem like something Pinkie would do," I giggled, but the girls had a point. "Ok, so there is something fishy going on here. But the sooner we find that Dragonball, the sooner we can amscray and-- Did you girls hear that?"
"Hear what?" Diamond asked.
"Hey, yeah, I hear it. It sads like somepony is crying," Sweetie said.
"It's coming from that house," Silver Spoon pointed out. We all went inside to see what was wrong. The inside of the house had a lot of crates and storage. We came up to another Earth pony. She sat on her knees while she cried. She had the same color coat as Glowly Eyes, only she had a brown mane and wore a long gree dress.
"Excuse me miss but why are Ya crying?" I asked, but she didn't hear.
"Ma'am, I'm sure whatever the problem is, it will work out," Sweetie said. But the lady kept on sobbing.
"Um hello!" Diamond said. Unfortunately, nothing was getting to this pony. Then she started mumbling to herself.
"It's the same! It's always the same every year! Why can't they see it? Why do we have to relive this stupid curse every single time!!! Oh, Ruby!!!!!" The pony started crying harder, and we knew it was best to give her time to herself. We stepped outside the house as we tried to figure out what the hay just happen!
"Well, that just happened," Silver Spoon said obviously.
"Is it weird to say that she seems more normal than everypony else we met so far?" Diamond Tiara said.
"What I want to know is who was this Ruby she mentioned?" Sweetie pondered.
"She's got to be Glowing Eyes!" I stated. The girls all looked at me funny. Then I realized I never said that name out loud. "Um... The mystery filly we've been following! Anyway, she must be Ruby's kin. We just need to wait for her to calm down,"
"GIRLS!!!" That sounded like Scootaloo. In fact, it was Scootaloo, with Gohan and Giru tagging along. She landed next to us and gave us a great big hug. "I am so glad you're all safe!!!!!"
[Third Person POV.]
"Geez, Scootaloo. I thought you didn't like hugs," Diamond Tiara wheezed out. Scootaloo sheepishly chuckles as she let them down.
"What do you mean by you're glad we are safe? Why wouldn't we be safe?" Silver Spoon asked.
"We were attacked while looking for the Four-Star Dragonball! Giru traced the signal here to this village, and we sense you four as well," Gohan said in a severe tone. Applebloom and the girls were taken aback by this.
"Hey, we followed a filly named Ruby to this place. She had the Dragonball!" Sweetie Belle reminded. But then she gained a thoughtful expression. "Hold on, what attack you two?"
"It was--"
"--Ah, there you young ones are!" Scootaloo was cut off by the approaching Grey Hoof. "I was just coming to remind you that party will be commencing in a few minutes at the town square. Oh! I see we have new arrivals!" Grey Hoof ran over to Scootaloo. He closely inspected her wings as the young pegasus tried to shy away from him. He then turned his sights on Gohan who arched a brow at the odd behavior. "Haha, a pony with wings! You must be capable of flight! Two unique ponies in one day! I can't believe this good fortune!!!"
"...Ok...?" Scootaloo said cautiously.
However, Grey Hoof frowns as he regarded Gohan. "Hmm, you came into contact with the poison flower little colt. Fear not, it is nothing permanent. We'll have your fur and tailback before you know it. But you will have to wait until after the party. I promise it will be worth it!"
Gohan and Scootaloo look back to their friends. Their faces demanding an explanation, The fillies could only offer them an uneasy smile and shrug of the shoulders. "Sir. I've always looked like this, but that's not important. What is important is getting everyone in this town to safety! Just a few minutes ago, my friend and I came under attack by creatures known as blood Hooves. We stopped them, but there could be more waiting for us!"
"The forest is a dangerous place. It is why I always urge everypony here to never venture past the poison joke flowers. It's a wonder you made here safely at all. But rest assured that no monster has ever threatened our little community. You are safe here young ones," Grey Hoof said.
"We can't take that risk! Ponies died out there!"
"Little colt!" Grey Hoof said in a surprisingly firm tone. "Sunny Town has lived undisturbed and discovered for ages. Never had anything beyond that forest has come to harm us. Besides, I cannot just cancel the festivities every time there is danger a hoof. The Sunny Towners love my parties. Would you honestly just ruin their happiness?"
Gohan and the fillies were silent for an extended period, wholly stunned by Grey Hoof's insistence to keep his party alive. Applebloom, however, found her voice. "But not everypony is happy!" She firmly said as she pointed to the building in the background. "There's a pony in there crying her eyes out about a filly named Ruby!"
Grey Hoof breath hitched subtly at the name. Something Gohan did not miss. "I know. That pony's name is Mitta. She lost somepony special to her. And I was hoping that the party would take her mind off of it. I know it's foolish, but it is all I can do at this point,"
"But we--" Applebloom started to speak, but Gohan silenced her.
"No, you're right. We are just visiting. Ruining everyone's evening was inconsiderate. We are all looking forward to the party," Gohan said with a smile.
Grey Hoof was beaming at Gohan's words. "Good, good. Be sure to bring along Mitta if you can. I don't want her to miss this," With a spring in his step, Grey Hoof went to the town square.
"Gohan! What the hay!? We can't take the party seriously with fleshing eating monsters out there!" Scootaloo pressed.
Gohan's face hardened as he addressed his friends. "I know! And we won't,"
"Then why..." Diamond Tiara began, but Gohan continued.
"Nothing about this place and its citizens add up. No one in their right mind would put the safety of others over some party. There is a lot of unknown factors at play here, and I think this Ruby is at the center of it!"
"So what do we do?" Sweetie asked.
"We need to find the girl. She still should have the Dragonball so Giru can find her!"
"Actually. We might not need Giru. Look," Applebloom said as she pointed to the filly in question, walking further down the dirt road. They all caught a glimpse of the Dragonball in her hand. Our junior heroes wasted no time chasing after her, unaware that someone was trailing them. They stumbled upon a house that was completely isolated from the rest of the town. In contrast to the other building that was pristine, this one was old and worn out. Thick wooden planks blocked off the windows and the paint was peeling off the surface.
"This place looks abandoned," Gohan summarized.
"No kidding. Why would Ruby come here?" Scootaloo said as the fillies began to search the area.
"More importantly, where did she go? I can't sense anything in this area,"
"Hey everyone. I found a key!" Applebloom shouted. "It was down in that old well,"
"Why hide it in a well?" Sweetie asked.
"At this point, who cares what they do in this topsy-turvy town!" Diamond stated.
"Let's get this door open," Scootaloo said.
The front door opened with a loud creak. The living was sparse, devoid of any furniture besides one stand, a lamp resting on top of it, and a fireplace. There was a significant build-up of dust and cobwebs. Our heroes looked around but, to their dismay, there were no other entry points. "Ah! This searching this dump is useless! That filly's been leading us a wild goose chase!!!" Diamond exclaimed.
"...Girls..." Applebloom said softly, but no one heard her.
"Well, it's not like she can turn invisible! She's an earth pony," Silver Spoon countered.
"Fellas!" Applebloom, a little more forcefully but to no avail.
"Maybe she did. What if we've been chasing a ghost this whole time?" Sweetie said with a shiver.
"Come on! That's impossible!" Scootaloo denied. "Gohan, what do you think--"
*STOMP*
A loud stomping sound got everyone's attention. They turn to Applebloom who had her hoof planted in the floorboard. She said nothing as she gestured to the fireplace. At first, no one thought anything of it, but the pale expression on Applebloom's face said otherwise. Gohan walked forward as did the other fillies. And what they saw would forever haunt them for all time to come. There, resting in the fireplace, was a pony's skeleton. Scootaloo fell on her rump and shivered while staring wide-eyed at the remains. Giru watches on blankly. Diamond and Silver held each other tightly as they closed their eyes. Sweetie started to hyperventilate while Applebloom adopted the thousand yard stare. Gohan, though, merely crouched down with an emotionless expression while multiple scenarios play through his head. But the implication was clear enough; a pony was murdered here in Sunny Town.
"You foals shouldn't have come here..." A new voice startled the group. They whipped around to find the mare that was sobbing in that one home of Sunny Town. Dried streaks of tears stained her cheeks while she looked up our heroes with deep regret. Gohan flickered in front of the girls and stood aggressively if their new arrival tried anything.
"Y-you're Mitta," Sweetie Belle said as the mare nodded.
"What happened here!?" Gohan demanded.
Mitta let out a defeated sigh as she spoke. "This home is where my daughter died!" The revelation shocked everyone present.
"How?" Gohan asked more softly this time.
Mitta winced as she began to recall this great tragedy. "Ruby was a sweet little girl. She was adventurous and always willing to help her fellow town's pony. Things were simple back then. As you already noticed, Sunny Town is an isolated community. The borders of the Everfree Forest surrounds us. But it didn't matter. Suny Town always had everything we needed to live and prosper. However, we did travel beyond the forest in the hopes of setting up trade. We found more ponies out there outside the forest. But there was something strange about them,"
"Were they stranges because of the different tribes of ponies; like a unicorn or pegasus?" Sweetie asked, remembering the looks she got earlier.
"Yes, but there was something else. The ponies had a mark on their bodies that made them do task associated with it,"
"You're talking about cutie marks!" Scootaloo tensed as she remembered her encounter with the Blood Hooves. Her eyes widened as Mitta continued.
"Is that the true name? Hmph, it sounds so harmless than how we made them out. Just further proof of how ignorant we are to the world around us," Mitta gave a mirthless chuckle as went on with her tale. "Our explorers came back, warning us of the dangerous the mark and how it made ponies perform tasks without rest,"
Applebloom lit up at that. "That sounds like the Cutie Pox! I gave it to myself by accident, and I couldn't control my body! I had to do the stuff my cutie mark displayed! But my friend Zecora cured it,"
Mitta mood only worsened at the news. "Would you say that Cutie Marks are evil? Would you believe that they are a curse?"
"Duh! Cutie Marks appear on a pony when they discover their special talent! Everyone has a Cutie Mark at our home,"
"Yeah, its a natural part of being a pony. It's not a curse!" Silver Spoon added.
Mitta's tears spilled down her cheeks as she tried and failed to hold her sobbing. "How could we be so foolish!? Why didn't we find another way!? How could I fail so badly?!"
Gohan eased up as he pieced the puzzle together. "So... When the explorers came back to warn the town about the Cutie Pox, they assumed all Cutie Marks are bad," Mitta shakily nods her head. "So the entire village went on believing Cutie Marks was a terrible diseased and anyone that earned one received a punishment? And that's what happened to Ruby?" Gohan's anger spiked again at the thought of a girl died due to a misunderstanding.
Mitta pressed her hands to her muzzle and fell to her knees. "R-ruby earned the mark while helping her friend find a lost gift. It was a magnifying glass. Anypony that got the curse must leave the safety of Sunny Town. But Ruby was just a foal! She didn't know what to do? She didn't want to abandon her home! I tried to suggest letting her leave on the outskirts of town, but ponies wouldn't listen. They were too afraid of the mark! The entire town chased her into tour home and cornered her. She was terrified, and pleading to stay!!!"
By now, the fillies caught on to what Mitta was alluding too. "So they--" Applebloom started, but she was unable to form the words.
Mitta's sobbing grew in volume as she choked out the words. "They trampled her! They beat her to an inch of her life! She begged them to stop while crying out in agony! I just stood there as I watched my friends killing my daughter. Then, Grey Hoof walked up and crushed her skull, and tossed her body into the fireplace and burnt her remains!!!!!"
Gohan heard enough. He marched up and pushed Mitta against the wall. Electricity danced around his body as he sent a death glare at Mitta. The mare started to panic as Gohan raised his other hand and formed a Ki blast. "How could you sit here and call yourself a mother!?" His tone was dark and laced with venom.
The girls were perplexed at Gohan's display and mood change. "Gohan stop! I-it wasn't her fault! She was caught between her instincts as a mother and going with the herd! That's why she couldn't do anything! Please stop!!!" Sweetie called out, drawing upon all the knowledge she learned from her studies with Twilight about pony behavior patterns. Gohan didn't ease up, however.
"It's more than that Sweetie! She doesn't have a Ki signature. None of the ponies in this town do!"
"What does that have to do with this?" Diamond asked.
"It means she's a Blood Hoof!" Scootaloo said as she flared her wings out angerly. It was at this moment that the light from outside shifted. It washed over Mitta's form, and she began to change. Her coat became paler while her mane lost most of its color. The smell of decay filled the room. Her eyes went black, and two distinct red dots replace her ember pupils. Even her tears morphed into the same necro-plasm Gohan and Scootaloo encountered. The girls backed behind Scootalo in fear as Gohan ignited his aura. Mitta had a look of resignation as she spoke.
"I see your not average foals. That is good. You might just survive tonight. After Ruby died, a shadow shot out of the Everfree and shrouded the town in darkness. When it left, we changed into these forms. A curse fell on our thanks to our horrible deed. However, what was made to punish us only doomed others that ventured into Sunny town. The curse twisted our minds and allowed us to spread the affliction to other ponies. Those of us who are residents of Sunny Town can't leave it. But the ponies not originally from Sunny Town are confined to the forest. So Grey Hoof sends his Blood Hooves to 'protect' any ponies they come across from the mark with this gift!"
"Y-you don't seem like you want to change us," Applebloom said tentatively.
"I believe it's part of my punishment. Each year, the others relive this same day over and over and forget what they did to Ruby, except for me. I still remember what we did that night. I would welcome you to killing me, but then you'd be granting me a mercy I don't deserve. It's like you said I don't have a right to call myself a mother! I no longer have a say in this unlife,"
Gohan's hardened expression flattered as he relinquished his hold on Mitta. "Grey Hoof is the leader of Sunny Town, right?" Mitta nods in response. "So if I destroy him, then the curse would be lifted?"
Mitta's eyes widened at the boy's words before she shook her head. "The curse came from the Everfree. Destroying Grey Hoof might not do anything. Besides, something has changed about the curse,"
"What?"
Mitta went to speak, but a familiar voice stopped her cold. "Hello, mommy. Are you done with the story yet?" The occupants all turn their gaze toward the door to find the filly that alluded them all night. Now that our heroes could see her more clearly, they saw that her body was transparent. She also had a spider web scar taking up the majority of her forehead. Applebloom also noted that her eyes were glowing the same color as the Dragonball.
"R-ruby...!" Mitta muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Hello, mommy. You're looking well," She giggled at her little joke as she turned to Gohan and the others. "I'm glad you all made here too. Although, I wanted it to be a surprise when you saw the Blood Hooves,"
"Wait! You lead us here on purpose!" Diamond Tiara screamed in outrage.
"Well, yeah. That was part of the agreement. I know that mommy told you all about how I died. But what she didn't tell you is why I'm a ghost. See, when I died, it was the worse pain I ever felt. I don't know what hurt more; the emotional pain of being betrayed or the physical pain of dying," Another whimper escaped Mitta's lips. "Anyway, I woke up with nothing but darkness all around me. I was still in horrible pain. I wanted the pain to stop. I wanted to go home. So I focused my talent and left that void of blackness. I woke up again on the edge of Sunny Town. I tried to head back before I remembered what happened. So I started wondering the forest. I drifted around for hours, and not once did I feel hunger or tired. But the pain came back, and I crumpled to the ground,"
"I must've made too much noise because a stallion and a mare found me. I thought the two ponies wanted to hurt so I ran without realizing they were following and that I lead them back to Sunny Town. That when I saw that everypony became zombies. Once they entered Sunny Town, the others attacked them because they had the mark as well and spread the curse. At first, I felt terrible, but then I noticed that the pain stopped. After that, I tried to find out where those ponies came from and why they had the mark. I found a whole other place filled with ponies with marks on them. I was so happy to see that. But when I tried to enter their town, I felt something pull me all the way back to Sunny Town, right into the place where I died, and I would relive the same pain of dying. Over the course of the century, I would try to leave the forest only to be pulled back here to suffer the agony of my death over and over. The only relief I got was leading ponies into Sunny Town,"
"Oh, Ruby....!" Mitta cried. She went to embrace her, but the Dragonball in her hand glowed as Ruby forced Mitta to the floor.
"Shush, mommy. It's my turn for story time," Ruby turn back to our heroes who tensed at the eerie glint in her eyes. "Each time I got to the other community, I saw how happy they were when using their marks. I thought it was unfair that I died for having it, and yet these ponies could do use their talents all they wanted. Then I got this idea; every time I lead ponies to sunny town, the pain would stop. So I figured that had to be a way to free me from my curse,"
"You mean you continued to lure other innocents to their deaths?" Gohan said in shock.
Ruby giggle in response. "Come on. No one is innocent. I learned that the hard way. Of course, I wasn't getting anywhere with finding ponies lost in the forest. That is until I found this orb," She said with glee as she admired the Dragonball. "Since I found this orb, I haven't felt any pain, and I've been getting stronger. I bet I could even leave the forest now,"
"No, you can't! You share a connection with the curse. If you can leave the forest, then the Blood Hooves can as well!" Gohan said.
"More and more ponies will be hurt if you don't stop!" Applebloom added.
"Yeah. That plan is insane!" Scootaloo voiced her opinion as well.
Ruby frowned at this. "Hmm, maybe I took one too many blows to my noggin. But so what! They never got hurt as I did. I just want the pain to stop, and you all want to prevent that. Just like everypony else in this stupid town!"
"Please listen to us! There's another way to help you. Just give us the Dragonball--" Scootaloo tried to reason, but Ruby cut her off.
"NO!!! I WON'T LET ANYPONY STOP ME FROM BEING FREE!!!" The building shook as a shockwave erupted from Ruby. "If you want this ball then you'll have to play hide and seek with me. Too bad for you that I'm pretty good at it!" A gust of wind blew into the house slammed Mitta into the wall as Scootaloo and Gohan erected a shield. Ruby flew out of the house in the next instant as everyone recovered.
"Giru!" Gohan called out.
"Giru Giru. The Dragonball is moving out of the town. Warning: detecting vast quantities of Necro-plasm! Proceed with caution,"
"What are going to do?" Sweetie asked.
"We stop her obviously!" Scootaloo said firmly.
"No! I'll stop her. Scootaloo, you need to get the girls out of here and warn the others!" Gohan ordered. The girls reluctantly agreed. As they ran out the house, Gohan took one last look at Mitta who had curled up into a ball as her putrid black tears fell profusely. "I'll make this right. I promise!"
The community had drastically changed once our heroes stepped outside. The warm and welcoming facade had shattered to make way for a nightmarish vision of horror. The sky took on a ghoulish red tint. The lush plants and trees died out. Sunny Town was now a place of pure desolation. Scootaloo pulled her friends together and took to the air. However, she collided with a force field. Gohan leaps up and breaks their fall as Ruby's laughter rang out all around them.
"Sorry, no flying allowed. Besides, the game is more fun with more players," The moment she finished, the ground ahead of our heroes began to rise until a rotten arm punched through the soil. The rest of the body followed soon after. The blood Hoof glare down at the group as Gohan narrows his eyes.
"Grey Hoof!" He seethed.
"You were late to the party, and you went snooping around where you shouldn't,"
"So you could hide the fact that you killed an innocent child based on fear and paranoia!?"
"She had the mark. She had to go! But don't worry, we will--" Gohan cut him off by firing a Ki blast at the zombie pony. He could hear wrenching go off behind as some of the girls weren't used to this kind of graphic violence. However, to his great horror, the bits of gore slither back into to the crater and Grey Hoof reformed. A look of shock was evident of Grey Hoof's features.
"G-Gohan blew him up, and he just came back as if nothing happened..." Sweetie said in disbelief.
"There already getting stronger!" Gohan said as he fired another blast with the same result. "Let's go!" Our heroes ran down the path as the undead pony regenerated. However, more deceased Sunny Towners sprouted from the ground like weeds. It was only thanks to Giru's warnings that our heroes were able to respond accordingly to underground threats. Gohan and Scootaloo kept any undead demon from getting too close with a barrage Ki blasts. Unfortunately, the group had an encounter with Three Leaf while a boulder obscured the road.
"Gah!!!!"
"Gohan!!!"
The fillies yelled as Gohan was shoulder tackled to the ground. Gohan quickly got back to his feet as Scootaloo looked ready to jump in to help. "No! Stay with the others! They won't have any protection if you help!" He turns his attention back to Three Leaf who moved unnatural fast for a decomposing carcass. The battle proved to be a hard one as since Gohan could not sense his opponent's Ki to track his movements. Meanwhile, Three Leaf was running circles around the young Saiyan, striking him from different angles with each pass. But Gohan accumulated by focusing on Three Leaf's footsteps. He cut the undead pony in half at the waist. Then he flickered over to the boulder and began to lift it. Scootaloo assisted him, and together, the duo dropped the rock on the torso portion of their foe. They continued onward, looking for an exit while trying to locate Ruby and the Dragonball. However, their journey was met with resistance again as a horde of Blood Hooves blocked the only way out of town with Grey Hoof standing at the center of it.
"Oh come on!!!" Sweetie Belle shouted in frustration.
"That's a lot of zombie ponies," Scootaloo jibed, trying to mask her fear with humor.
"Please young ones. We have your safety at heart. Stay with us. We'll protect you. Forever and ever~," Grey Hoof said.
"Yeah, little ones. You will love the punch I made," Gladis said while holding a punch bowl. However, the murky black water and the dismembered hand and fingers were enough to cause the Sugar Lumps to retch. Unbeknownst to the group, Ruby was watching the scene from a roof on one of the buildings while she idly kicks her hooves.
"Don't let them get us Gohan! Please don't let them get us!" Silver Spoon pleaded.
Gohan's white aura briefly turned gold as his turquoise eyes looked back at his friends. "Don't worry..." He said as he transformed into a Super Saiyan. "They won't!!!" The horde of Blood Hooves was once again taken aback by the Young Super Saiyan. Gohan used that moment to act as he brought both his hands above his head, and places his palms together. A golden orb of Ki gathered in his hand while Ruby watches on in fascination. "Masenko-Haaa!!!" He bellowed as a powerful tore through the landscape and destroyed the undead masses. The crater was gigantic but successful as they were nothing of the Blood Hooves to regenerate. The fillies were in full celebration as Gohan went back to them. Ruby, on the other hand, wasn't happy.
"That was cheating!" She hollered. She floated down and confronted the group. "You can't just blow up all the blood Hoofs without giving them a chance!"
"Ruby, this isn't a game!" Gohan stated firmly. "Please give me the Dragonball. I can help you!"
"No, no, NO!!! What makes you think I would trust you - a complete stranger - when my so-called friends killed me!!!"
"It's the truth!!!" Applebloom chimed in, giving her two cents. "We know what happened to Ya was horrible. But we can fix it! I promise!"
Ruby looked like she was about to have a tantrum when she felt a hand on her shoulder, She turned to see Mitta offering a sad smile to her. "Ruby. Please listen to them. You have every right to be angry at everypony in Sunny Town. You have every right to be mad at me. I failed you in the worst possible way. But I know you are not a bad pony. You're just lashing out because you are scared and hurt. I can't bear to see you like this. Just let me help take the pain away," Ruby teared up at Mitta's heartfelt speech and went for a hug. One that Mitta gladly gave.
While our heroes swooned over the sight, no one heard Ruby's malicious whisper. "There is one way you can help me, mommy..." Her eyes glowed bright yellow, as did the Dragonball, as Mitta gasped out in shock. Several clones of Mitta spawned from the Dragonballs power. However, they were devoid of any consciousness. Ruby smiles back at Gohan and the others with a murderous glee. "See, mommy? Now you can make up for your failure by getting rid of them!"
"What are we going to do?" Diamond asked.
"The Dragonball! If we can get it, then she'll lose all this power!" Gohan said.
"But Ruby made more Blood Hooves than before!" Applebloom asked.
"We got no choice but to fight our way through them!!!" Gohan said as he flew into the horde, obliterating each Blood Hoof with a single strike, as he made his way to Ruby. However, for every one destroyed, two more took its place. Gohan didn't relent as he leaped up into the air and sent a volley of Ki blast down into the horde. Despite losing a good deal of clones, Ruby focused on increasing the numbers. When the dust settled, Gohan discovered the Blood Hooves forces had tripled. Then the Mitta's clones tounges lashed out of their mouths and wrapped themselves around Gohan's arms and feet dragging him back to ground level. His aura flared out to free himself as the hordes swarmed him.
"Urgh! I hate this! He needs help," Scootaloo cried.
"Giru, Giru. Leave it to me. Giru, Giru!" A dome of electrical energy encased the other fillies.
"Nice going you lovable tin can!" Diamond Tiara praised.
Scootaloo gave a grateful nod to the little bot as she rushes into battle. She fires a blast into the crowd of undead, forcing them to scatter. She saw Gohan engaging multiple clones while handling them well for the moment. She set her sights on Ruby who was watching it all transpire. She activated her aura and gathered her Ki to her wings. Both of her flight appendages illuminate as she spreads them out wide. With a sturdy flap, she called out. "Cascade of Feathers!!!" Several supercharged feathers shot out toward the crowd of undead, slicing them into ribbons. Scootaloo made a beeline for Ruby once the way was clear. Sadly, Ruby saw her coming and tossed several Mittas at the pegasus filly. Scootaloo veered off the oncoming assault. Another clone latched her tongue onto her arm. It was slick and covered in the black bile.
Scootaloo gritted her teeth and grabs hold of the disgusting appendage. She turns her gaze to Gohan who was currently dodging vomit based projectiles with acidic properties. Scootaloo spun the Blood Hoof around and slammed her into Gohan's attackers. Gohan returns the favor and saves Scootaloo from a Mitta that leaped into the air in an attempt to tackle her. A precise Ki blast put an end to that. Scootaloo shielded herself from the explosion and appeared by Gohan's side. The two warriors stood back to back as Ruby held up the Dragonball. It glowed intensely as three of the Mitta clones bulked up and became more feral. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the brutes barreling toward the duo. Their massive and grotesque arms failed about indiscriminately as bodies flew off in middle directions.
"Whoa!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"Look out!!!" Gohan warned.
Gohan fired another attack at the goliaths, but it had zero effect. Ruby improved the density of the rotting flesh, and now her new creation was more durable. The hulking undead pony's slammed their fist down on Gohan and Scootaloo who had no choice but to evade. Gohan retaliated and sent his fist into the monster torso. His attack pierces the flesh, but the young Super Saiyan's eyes went wide when he discovered that he couldn't break free. Gohan's captor clutched the boy against its body as the second behemoth joined in and both monsters smothered Gohan in a bear hug. The Blood Hooves shape molded into a blob-like prison that stripped away all movement despite Gohan's valiant struggle. The rancid smell was enough to cause dizziness.
"Hang on; I'm coming! " Scootaloo stated. But she never noticed Ruby's newest creation sneaking up behind her. It was a bloated version of Mitta as the necro-plasm swept out of the protruding boils. It opened its mouth and released a torrent of bile at the pegasus. Scootaloo responded too slowly, and the disgusting fluid knocked her out of the air. Thankfully, she had her barrier up for the entire course of the fight. Gohan had one protecting himself as well. Unfortunately, she was now vulnerable. Several tongues hooked themselves over her limbs. She tried to break free, but the Blood Hooves began to run in a circle and wrap around her body until the tounges trapped her like a boa constrictor.
Ruby prances around her captives in triumph as she ordered her minions to move back to the fillies. "Looks like I win everypony! So what to do, what to do, hmm?"
"How about you fight us yourself instead of using your mother like a puppet!" Scootaloo shouted. Ruby nodded to Mitta, and the tongue wraps around her mouth.
"Let them go!" Sweetie Belle commanded.
"Yeah, don't you stay here with your Blood Hoof pals since you like them so much!" Diamond Tiara said.
"We didn't do anything to you!" Silver Spoon added.
As the jeers and pleas went on, Ruby lets out an exasperated sigh. "You are the same as Grey Hoof and the others. You think only about yourselves!" Her voice took on an icy tone. A violent wind swept through Sunny Town as the Dragonball crackled with power. Gohan could tell that all that energy was influencing her already fractured mind.
"Uh! Ruby wait! I know--"
Gohan started, but Ruby cut him off. "You don't know anything..." She said as she glowered at Gohan. "You don't know what it is like to have the ponies you knew all your life turn on you!" Her scowl turned into a creepy smile adorn her muzzle. "So how about I let you experience what I did on that night. Fear, helplessness and pain!" She then commanded her undead army to assault the barrier protecting fillies. Each variation of the only docile Blood Hoof took turns battering at the shield. Scootaloo's struggle grew desperate at the sight of her friends in danger. Ruby sought to rectify this by ordering the tongue lashing Mitta to smash the pegasus repeatedly on the ground. Gohan saw the shield over the girls flattering with Scootaloo using all her concentration to maintain her protection. Ruby saw Giru's shield weakening and ordered her forces to double their efforts.
"Stop!" He said.
*WHAM*
The dome around the girls flickered briefly. "Stop it!!!"
*WHAM*
Giru stumbles to the ground as the fillies huddled together with fearful expressions. Gohan's anger began to build the longer he Heard his friends screaming. "They're not going to last much longer~," Ruby sang dementedly.
*WHAM*
The shield sputtered and flickered until it fades out. Tears streamed down Applebloom, and the others face as the Blood Hooves closed in on them. Scootaloo was screaming in desperation while Ruby admires the scene. Gohan watched as time slowed down and the undead head descended upon the girls. It was at that moment where the zombie horde was mere inches from the fillies that something snapped.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" Gohan roar as his power exploded out of him. The force was so intense that it disintegrated his fleshy confines and expanded outward. Everyone turn their attention to the Saiyan boy as a light shot out of his body and engulfed everything in the vicinity. Ruby felt a terror she hadn't felt in a long time as the luminescence overwhelms her. The last thing she felt was a pair of arms hugging her form gently, and a soft yet comforting whisper.
"It's ok. I'm here for you..."