"We're coming into view of Manehatten," Marble told the other two members of her party. Limestone was pulling a carriage that they had "borrowed" from a group of ponies they had met in the forest on the way there. (Absol's appearance had scared them off). Figuring they might as well put the carriage to good use, Limestone and Marble had placed Applebloom and Big Mac inside of back of the carriage. Absol rested in the drivers seat, despite his many attempts to walk.
"Glad that we made it without incident. I'd hate to see how many ghosts would attack us if they knew our escort was at death's door," Limestone replied, flashing a smirk up at the annoyed Absol in the drivers seat.
"For the fifth time, I am fine. I have recovered quite significantly and am more than capable of walking," Absol replied, not happy with his current predicament.
"We can't take any chances. What if you twist your ankle or stub a claw? Then who would defend us from the spooky ghosts?" Limestone teased. Absol let out a huff as he lowered his head onto his claws, while Marble shook her head at her sister. "What?"
"You're enjoying this way to much, aren't you?"
"Come on, when was the last time he had to depend on us for anything?" Limestone asked with a smile. "He's always saving us or fighting our battles. He needs to take a break every now and then and let us carry our own weight. Besides, he was recently injured and he needs to heal."
"You know that being carted around makes him miserable."
"What? No, I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart," Limestone replied innocently, even though she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from twitching upwards. Marble rolled her eyes at Limestone's actions before she squinted at something. Limestone turned her head forwards to see that a large group of guards were standing in front of the entrance to the city. The lead guard held out a hoof to stop the pair before he walked forward with a serious expression on his face.
"This is the checkpoint into Manehatten. We need to check inside of your carriage to make sure that it's not carrying anything dangerous," the lead guard said. "There have been a number of dangerous beings sighted in the area around here and we are making sure that none of them make it into this city. Please stand over here."
"What things are you talking about? Have there been ghost sighting around here?" Marble asked as she and Limestone walked over to where the guard had pointed.
"There have been ghosts in the vicinity, yes, but there is also something else. Reports have shown that the creature with white fur and a black horn has been spotted nearby," the guard said as he showed the sister a picture of a wanted poster, causing both Marble and Limestone's hearts to sink into their stomachs. It was a drawing of Absol, but with longer claws, sharp fangs, and blood red eyes that made him look like a monster. Before either could stop themselves their eyes glanced towards the carriage, only to find that Absol was gone.
"And what is this creature wanted for exactly?" Limestone asked in a bored tone, having recovered faster from the shock than her sister.
"It is believed that this creature is responsible for the outbreak of ghosts or, at the very least, has information about what caused their return. Not to mention this being has been sighted at numerous disasters over the years. The princesses have been after this being for a while."
"Well, we'll make sure to tell you if we see any dangerous monsters that have aligned with the ghosts," Limestone said with a smile.
"Sir!" one of the younger guards said as he ran up beside the lead guard. "Sir, there are two unconscious ponies in the back of their carriage! According to our intel it is the brother and sister of Applejack!"
"What?!" the lead guard bellowed, before turning to look at the Pie sisters once more. "Wait a second, now I recognize the both of you! You are Pinkie's sisters! Your on the list of ponies that the princesses have us looking for! What are you doing here and how did you escape the ghosts that captured you?!"
"We are here because we found Applebloom and Big Mac in the state they are currently in, desperately in need of a doctor. As for how we escaped, well..." Marble said with a smirk at her sister. "My sister her can be a force of nature if she feels like it. And she's only the second strongest member in our family. But those two in the back do need to see a doctor."
"Of course, ma'am. Right away," the lead guard said as he waved the two of them into the city. "There is a doctor's office not far from where we are. Go up three streets and then take a left. Do you need an escort?"
"No thanks, we'll be fine," Limestone said as she flexed one of her arms. "I fought of the ghosts once before and I can do it again if I need to. What you guys can do instead is contact our sister or any of the princesses and tell them where we are. I bet they've been worried sick about us for way too long."
"Of course. We'll send a message to Canterlot immediately," the guard said with a salute once more. "Please go on through."
The Pie sister's did as the guard instructed with a nod, heading past the checkpoint and heading into Manehatten. It wasn't until they were out of sight of the checkpoint did a voice speak to them from the carriage Limestone was pulling. "You fought off the ghosts? If I recall you were being overwhelmed by them and I had to step in to save the both of you."
"Well what was I suppose to tell them? Oh yeah, that white coated monster you are hunting saved our lives and is riding around in our carriage. I'm sure they would have taken that so well," Limestone snapped back.
"How did you get past the guards?" Marble asked. "You vanished when we reached them and now that we're past them you're back. Can you teleport or something?"
"Do I looks like a psychic type to you? No, I am just very good at not wanting to be seen unless I wish to be," Absol replied with a smile on his face that the sisters hadn't seen in some time.
"Oh great, he's go that "I'm so great" smile again. Putting up with him now is going to be agony," Limestone smirked, before her smile fell to a frown. "But I was actually kind of surprised to see that they had a wanted poster for you. I mean, you had nothing to do with the return of the ghosts or, I'm guessing, any of those disasters. Yet they're hunting for you."
"As I told you when we met, my existence is a cursed one. No matter where I go, the title of the bringer of disaster comes with me," Absol replied bitterly.
"And now he's starting to talk about what a martyr he is. Ugh."
"Though I will thank you for not telling the truth about me. I though for sure Limestone would rat me out," Absol teased.
"What? I told them the truth. We haven't come across a monster that is working with the ghosts," Limestone replied, before flashing a smile back at Absol. "We've only met you. And if they think that you're a monster, all they have to do is throw a bug at you to see what a chicken you actually are."
"You're words never fail to make me feel better about myself. However, I believe this is the place the guards told you to turn," Absol pointed out. Limestone's face turned red as she realized she almost walked by the doctor's office and she said nothing to Absol until they reached the front door. Marble and Limestone each took one of the unconscious ponies out of the back (AB for Marble, Big Mac for Limestone) and headed into the office.
"Be careful not to be seen. Ponies have a tendency to...overreact," she cautioned.
"Do not worry, I am a master at hiding in plain sight. They will not see me unless I wish them to," Absol promised her before waving her off. The two headed inside and Absol lowered his head onto his paws, planning on getting some much needed rest. As much as he hated to admit that Limestone was right about him, he still wasn't feeling at one hundred percent since the fight with the insect. He pondered if he had a secondary effect cast on him that he didn't know about. He had barely begun to explore this line of thinking, before a voice screamed out from the side of the carriage. Absol lifted his head and glanced down to see a group of ponies looking up at him, shock and terror in their eyes.
He said nothing to them as they gazed up at him in terror, before the one of the ponies with a mustache pulled out the very same wanted poster that the guard had carried regarding Absol.
"Look, it's the being from the poster!" he said to his companions. Four of the five then prepared to scream, but the fifth one looked at the poster with some confusion.
"Wait a moment, something's wrong. This guys claws and fangs aren't long enough and his eyes seem more reserved than menacing. He might be somepony else."
"What? How could you possibly think that?! Look at him, he's the same color and everything!"
"Wow, okay, so all of these beings look the same to you? Need I remind you of your little incident with the changelings?"
"Look, that was...okay fine, how should we figure out if this being is the same one in the poster of not?"
"Using your brain would be a good start," Absol said before he could stop himself.
"I agree," said one of the female ponies. "So how about we use everything we know about this being to see if it's one in the same. First off, yes, they have similar features. But as Topdown said, they are differences. So what could that mean?"
"Um...that the artist may have taken liberties?" one of the group suggested.
"That would be my guess as well," Absol added.
"Sounds fair enough. Now secondly, have any of us heard reports about this wanted creature being anywhere nearby?"
"Actually, yes. My husband is a guard and I heard that the wanted being was seen in a town not more than a two days from here."
"I was in a nearby town two days ago," Absol said with a nod.
"Wonderful! Now finally, what little do we know about this creature from the wanted poster?"
"That it is said...that it brings disaster."
"Correct. Excuse me sir, but do you have a title or anything that ties you with disaster?"
"I am called the Disaster Pokemon."
"And another clue. So lets add up all the facts and see what we've got. This being has a similar coat and horn. He's been to the places where the being has been sighted. And he himself admitted that he is called a Disaster...something. So put that all together and what do we get?" she asked the others.
"Come on, you're almost there," Absol encouraged.
"That this guy here and the being in the poster are one and the same!" the group said proudly. Then they realized what they had just figured out and, once more, all five sets of eyes turned towards Absol in fear.
"Ding ding, you figured it out. I am the being in the wanted poster," Absol said. "Boo."
The ponies let out shrieks and raced away from Absol, screaming at the top of their lungs as they ran. Other ponies in the streets looked towards Absol, made the connections much quicker, and joined their brethren in running around while screaming their heads off. And all the while Absol watched, a sad but amused expression on his face. 'Hiding might have been the smarter option there, but I have to admit, this reaction of theirs is hilarious.'
Then Absol felt a presence suddenly appear behind him, a presence that was filled with power and authority. He slowly turned his head to see who was behind him, an eyebrow raising when he spied the source of the presence. A purple alicorn was standing across the street from him, with five other mares of various colors standing with her. He didn't know who five of them were, but when he recognized Pinkie Pie he pieced together the rest of them soon enough.
"Hello, bringer of disaster," Twilight, the alicorn, said with authority and power. "Celestia has been looking for you for a long time."
"That is funny, because I have been evading her for a long time," Absol replied as he hopped out of the carriage. "I know that you're not here for me, so if you wouldn't mind moseying along, I'm trying to take a nap. I've got quite tired of running."
"Well today your running ends. We're taking you to see her, as we all have many questions for you. About the ghosts, about the disasters and about whose side you're on," Twilight said, before her horn began to glow. "But the first question is this: will you come with me the ease way? Or the hard way?"
"Well, that depends on the answer to my question," Absol said as he cracked his neck. "If we do this the hard way, do you really think you've got what it takes to bring me in?"
"You're going to make me find our, aren't you?" Twilight said with a smirk.
"I've heard you are the six greatest protectors of the land. Let us see if you live up to that title," Absol said as he crouched down.
"Very well, but know that you brought this...disaster upon yourself."
"Boo."