//------------------------------// // The Simple Act of Conversation // Story: Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria. // by Powerdrainer //------------------------------// Edited by Slayerseba, and Clawder. The Simple Act of Conversation <<>><<>><<>> "What the," Sound Wave shot out before clamping her mouth shut, eyes flicking around and hoping no ghost had heard her outburst. The reason for it: she and Rolling Stone had only just reached the castle, with the only thing separating them from their goal, being the chasm between them and it. Which, of course, being a pegasus, meant little to her. But Rolling Stone, as an earth pony, had significantly more trouble. Not that they considered this to be a problem, until they arrived back there and discovered the ice bridge they used previously to cross had collapsed, which prompted the mare to shout her frustration before she could think better of it.  Fortunately, there was no sign of hostility, and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief while her team leader stepped closer to where the bridge once was. "No way this is an accident," Rolling Stone muttered, looking over the edge and glaring into the darkness below; swearing to himself. "Can't say it's much of a surprise, though," Sound Wave said as she prodded a small chunk of melting ice still attached to the ground. "After what happened, of course there would be a response." "This makes the situation more complicated, though," Rolling Stone grunted. "Makes it near impossible to extract those missing like this, should they be held in there." "Yes… I could fly you over there with some effort," she said, calculating the distance, then looked at her superior who stood a full head taller, and was much bulkier than she was. "A lot of effort," Rolling Stone snorted in reply. "But if we find the fillies, the zebra, and the human, then what. We must assume that, if we do, the ghosts won't let us go without a fight. And standing there, waiting for me to lift you over one by one will never work. We'd all be sitting ducks." "That's putting it lightly. With you busy lifting the captives to the other side, only I would be capable to put up any form of resistance. And what happened with that ghost back in the forest, us four against the one, it's clear a fight is the last we want. With these odds against us, it would be a slaughter." "... Yeah," Sound Wave sighed in frustration as she dislodged the chunk of ice she was prodding earlier, watching it fall down in the darkness below. "We're not fighting against idiots here." "No, we're not." "Then what do we do now?" "Only one thing we can do. Infiltrate, assess the situation, determine if those missing are there, and if so, where. Pull out, send for backup, and save the captives when the numbers are in our favor." "Sure that's a good idea?" Sound Wave doubted. "I know by heart what Jack Fenton has taught us, but… I'm not sure now. That one ghost beat us without effort… Maybe we need to rethink our approach?"  "I'm listening." "Okay… we can safely assume that these ghosts are skilled in fighting us hunters. We also know there are more than one, meaning we're outgunned and outmatched. They can also turn invisible, and move through walls as if they don't exist. Add to that the capabilities they have in terms of combat; firing beams and bolts of spectral energy and such. Plus, they know we're here; destroyed the bridge because of it, and the chance of us being able to sneak in undetected are slim to none. Honestly, they probably already know we're standing here, watching us, waiting for us to make the first move. So how great a chance do you think this is all an elaborate trap for us? They did take out the only means for you, Ornate and Blue to cross to the other side, forcing me to either carry you and leave us horribly vulnerable, or force us to retreat and leave those taken in their grasp. Either way, we lose." Rolling Stone stood in grim silence, frowning deeply. "Damn it," he muttered as he stepped away from the edge. "You're right. No matter how we play this, we're on the losing side." "Perhaps not," Sound Wave countered. "It's just like that ghost said, we must stop thinking three dimensionally." "You're taking advice from a ghost now?" Rolling Stone rumbled warningly, glaring at the mare.  "Only because, as much as I hate to admit it, it makes sense. Look," she pointed a wing at the remaining chunks of ice. "We can't move in a straight line because the bridge is gone. Neither can we fly, because of obvious reasons. But maybe there is a way to do what these ghosts do… move through walls. Or, more precisely, through the floor." "Come again?" Rolling blinked, confused. "This is the princesses old castle, built I don't even know how long ago. How much would you bet on the chance there are tunnels and passages carved in the rock underneath the place? And maybe, just maybe, we can enter one of these from down there," she explained, looking down into the darkness below. "Either way, we avoid the obvious route, and most likely take these undead freaks by surprise by taking their advantage and use it against them. And if there is a way in, then we can also take the foals, zebra and human back the same way." "Four dimensional, huh?" Looking back at her commanding officer, she quickly spotted the winning grin as he joined her side, looking down once again in the darkness below. <<>><<>><<>> "Please follow us, miss Sparkle," Ornate Charm said as she paved the way for the purple unicorn, while Blue Ice kept to the rear. Sighing and muttering under her breath in frustration, Twilight followed obediently after the guard, turned ghost hunter, not liking their situation one bit, while keeping her hoof noise to a minimum, lest they draw any unwanted attention. For that same reason, they didn't use their horns to light the way, and stumbled around in the dark, only aided here and there by the moon as its light managed to breach the otherwise all consuming and suffocating canopy.  Naturally, this led to many stumbles and heated muttering as they tripped over tree root after tree root, and get their tails caught in the far too large, thorny bushes. And none of them mentioned the truly horrible ordeal when Ornate Charm walked head first into that truly massive spider web, in which Twilight risked the usage of her magic to free the mare, after which they ran away as fast they could lest the web's creator came looking for them.  Now though, after rushing, walking, sneaking, stumbling and tripping halfway back to Ponyville, Twilight glanced back to where she thought the old castle to be, still somewhat lost after rushing through the forest without thought for direction, other than away, she couldn't help but sigh out in worry. Worry for the two remaining hunters who, despite all odds against them, chose to venture out into certain danger to, maybe, find and rescue her missing friends.  The thought of her friends then turned her mind to the rest of the group with who she had set out to look for Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. But instead of finding the foals, they managed to lose Danny, then Zecora, before she lost everypony else. Worse, she didn't even know if she lost the others the same way they lost Danny and Zecora, or if they were still 'safe', and looking for her out here in the Everfree.  "You sure we're going in the right direction?" Blue Ice asked, breaking the oppressing silence and Twilight's train of thought.  "More, or less," Ornate Charm replied tensely. "Didn't have much of a chance to check our heading when we were running away from that web," she shuddered at the memory. "Still, the few times we saw it, I used the moon to estimate our heading." "So, not entirely lost, but close to it?" Blue Ice asked almost sarcastically.  "Close to it," Ornate snipped back as she pushed aside a low hanging branch, stepping aside to allow Twilight and Blue Ice pass before allowing it to snap back. "But not quite there yet," she finished with a smirk as they saw the flickering candle light from within Zecora's hut.  "Lucky guess," Blue Ice shot back, visibly relieved to be back on track. "Maybe, but we're not out of the woods yet, no pun intended. Keep your eyes and ears open. Who knows what might sneak up on us if we don-" a sudden high pitched noise cut her off, and with ears and eyes moving around to find the source, they still were taken by surprise when a high speed pink blur slammed into Twilight, knocking her to the ground. "TWILIGHT!" Pinkie Pie cried loudly while holding the now immobilized mare in a crushing, full body hug. "Pi- Pinkie?" Twilight gasped out, in part of shock, and because her ability to breath was suddenly severely hindered while the shock caused her heart rate to spike, and the vital organ was currently trying its hardest to beat its way out of her chest.  When she realized she wasn't in immediate danger, she slowly calmed down, despite the increasing need to breathe.  Ignoring her lungs pleas for air at the moment, she returned the pink mare's embrace with one of her own, despite her being unable to do much more than pat Pinkie on her sides, as her legs were firmly pinned to her body.  Still, the message got across, and Pinkie pulled away slightly, looking at her friend with wide, worried, but relieved, bright blue eyes. The sound of twigs snapping, leaves rustling and a feminine whine about a horribly disheveled mane, heralded the arrival of the rest of Twilight's friends.  "Pinkie, everypony. You're alright," Twilight gasped out in relief, the burning in her lungs becoming unbearable. "Uhm, Pinkie. Ya might want ta let go of Twilight now," Applejack said as she quickly assessed the situation. "Hm-hmm,” Pinkie shook her head, and tightened her hold even further, much to the now growing panic of the purple mare, who was now beginning to flail her legs. "I do that, and we might lose her again." "Well, we will lose her anyhow, if she doesn't breath soon," Applejack quickly argued back and Pinkie blinked, then looked down at the struggling mare still in her grasp; pondering over that bit of foresight for a moment… a long moment while ignoring her friends flailing limbs. "Why doesn't she just teleport out of there?" Bellflower asked, standing at the back of the group. Twilight froze in place, and would have face hooved if Pinkie hadn't her locked in a chokehold. A second later, with her signature purple glow, magical chime and pop, she stood several legs lengths away from Pinkie, sucking in the life giving oxygen with great heaves while Pinkie Pie looked at her now empty hooves, perplexed, before staring up at Twilight. "SHE'S GETTING AWAY!" Pinkie Pie shouted in worry, and catapulted to her learned friend, intending to grab hold of her once more and to never let her out of her sight again, only for Applejack to step up, and clamp down her teeth on the, more harmful than intended, pink pony's tail. Though this did not stop her dead in her tracks as it would do with a normal pony. Pinkie Pie being, in fact, the complete opposite of the generally accepted standard of normality, instead had her tail stretched out like a rubber band pulled taut, slowing down the closer she got to the wide eyed unicorn, then stopped in mid air just close enough to boop Twilight on the muzzle, before she was flung back by her own tail's elastic properties and slammed into a horrified Applejack, unable to do anything else, but watch the unavoidable perky pink party pony's posterior closing in on her. Lying on the ground Applejack groaned several choice words to herself and her decision to stop Pinkie Pie, despite knowing what that meant, while said pony was sitting on top of her, giggling and snorting to some unheard joke.  "Is… is that normal?" Ornate Charm asked, flummoxed, sharing a bewildered look with Blue Ice.  "Yes," all ponies, except Applejack and Pinkie Pie, answered as one.  Shaking the sudden turn for the absurd off, Twilight turned to her friends with a large, relieved smile. One mirrored by the others as they pulled her into a group hug, with Pinkie Pie’s legs wrapped around the entire group, which was only the second strangest thing right then, as Macintosh, Bellflower, and even Blue Ice and Ornate Charm were stuck in the middle of it all; the latter two struggling to figure out how they ended up in such a position as they stood off to the side a second prior. "Don't question it," Rainbow Dash said as she noticed their looks. "It's just Pinkie being Pinkie." One glance at the pink mare later, and both hunters came to the same conclusion: ""She scares me."" Pinkie giggled in reply, tightening her hold just a smidge. <<>><<>><<>> "Do you see anything?" Sound Wave asked Rolling Stone, as they carefully searched the bottom of the ravine separating the ancient castle from the rest of the forest; able to get down there in quick succession thanks to a rough path Sound Wave spotted shortly after explaining her plan. This was a welcome relief for both, as it meant she didn't have to strain her wings carrying her superior, saving them both the embarrassment and potential danger from the ghosts, should they attack them in such a compromising position.  Fortunately, the latter didn't happen either way and now the two ghost hunters were quietly shuffling forwards, using a single flashlight to aid them in their search, but keeping the chance of detection to a minimum. "Do you see anything?" Sound Wave repeated, slowly sweeping the light, held in a wing, from left to right; casting eerie shadows on the walls while doing so. "Other than ghosts in every shadow I see? No," Rolling Stone replied gruffly. "Let's keep moving. Can't risk standing still for too long around here." Nodding wordlessly, Sound Wave moved forwards, continuously panning the light from side to side, hoping they would find something, anything, that could help them get an advantage over their enemy. But after shuffling forwards for what seemed forever with nothing to speak of, the two found themselves standing before an ancient rockslide, blocking their path. "By Luna's flank," Sound Wave groaned. "Now what?" "What're the odds there is a passage behind this slide?" Rolling asked, sizing up the precarious, uneven slope. "You can't seriously consider climbing this thing?"  "We've come this far and circling back will take too long, especially if it turns out there is no path on the other side. And we both know carrying me was never really an option to begin with." Sighing in frustration, Sound Wave aimed the flashlight to the ground while kicking a loose rock. "Dammit. This night has been one blow after the next. What would it take for us to get a lucky brea- wait, what's that?" she refocused the light on the random spot she'd aimed the flashlight to, seeing the same reflection that drew her attention. "What've you got?" Rolling Stone asked. "Not sure," she answered, stepping closer to the object she had spotted, giving it a slight tap with a hoof against the long, but narrow thing; noting after the small tap it was stuck in the ground. "What is this?"  Stepping closer, Rolling Stone eyed her discovery with a critical eye. "It's a crystal," he told her.  "Really?" "Yes. Gramps used to grow them. Picked up a thing, or two myself," he revealed about himself, tapping the crystal with the tip of a hoof. "Strange, though." "What?" "It doesn't feel like any crystal I have ever held, though that doesn't say much. What is worth noting, is that this place has the wrong environment for a crystal to grow," he explained, giving a push against the mineral, unable to move it. "Very strange." "It certainly doesn't agree with you on that," Sound Wave said as she followed the glittering object with her light, leading her all the way to the cliff side and moving up towards the castle, until they lost sight of it in the dark.  Looking back, she then illuminated the long, but narrow stretch of crystal the other way until it led them to a passage in the rock; partially concealed by the rockslide. Their eyes met, and with a barely perceivable nod the two slowly moved for the entrance; dented and singed blasters, hastily repaired with the parts of the weapons beyond saving, at the ready, they took position on the passage's side. Waiting a moment in which they both took a calming breath, they moved in; Rolling stone first, Sound Wave covering his rear. Neither of them noticing the pair of orange glowing eyes watching them from a distance. Following the passage, they were surprised to see faint light coming from just around a bend; coming to a full stop with a gasp of awe at what they saw the moment they followed the curve. A large, spacious cavern. A large, crystal clear pond filling the area, with numerous water lilies decorating its surface and a small island in its center; a path of boulders sticking up from the water's surface leading to it. Gentle dripping echoed off the walls, while small fireflies illuminated the area; their glow reflecting with thousands of specs of light and, the most amazing sight the two ponies had ever seen: A massive tree made of the purest of crystal; branches spreading out far and wide and a curious star shaped hole in its trunk's center. "Oh… oh wow," Sound Wave gasped, at a loss for words.  "Incredible," Rolling Stone said under his breath. "Yes she is," an unknown voice said in agreement and it took the two ponies the better part of ten seconds, to realize it was neither of them speaking. When they did, they whirled around with enough speed to whip their tails with an audible crack, only to freeze on the spot and fall silent once again as they craned their heads back, way back to look up at the massive creature now standing before them; wearing a concealing cloak, its hood pulled down and a large, ice crafted staff of which the top glowed red in her, ( they both just knew that it had to be her,) massive hand as she looked down at them with orange glowing eyes. Adrenaline spiking, the two jumped back while bringing their blasters up to aim; firing at the giant the second they had a shot. Except, nothing happened. "Oh, having a bit of a problem there?" The giant chuckled while the hunters tried to figure out why their weapons didn't work. "Firing a weapon at someone you've just met. Now, that doesn't sound all that harmonious at all," she said as she took a step closer. "Stay back!" Rolling Stone barked while Sound Wave fumbled with her thermos. Still chuckling, the giant pushed forwards, walking past the two with scarcely a glance.  With her back now turned to them, and Sound Wave finally able to get a grip to hold the Fenton Thermos steady in her hoof, the mare uncapped the containment unit and aimed it at the giant's unguarded back.  Again, nothing happened. The giant now laughed in mirth, sitting down on a rock near the wall, looking at the crystal tree in the center of the cave while submerging her feet in the calm water and resting the glowing staff on her lap. "You can try all you want, but your weapons and nifty gadgets will not work here. Not in the presence of Harmony. And the more you struggle, the more she will turn your effort against you.  Rolling Stone and Sound Wave, now stuck in a situation where they had to face the largest ghost they ever had the displeasure of meeting without working weapons and thermos, and their most recent defeat still embarrassingly fresh in mind, unanimously decided a tactical retreat was preferable over any alternative. But as they backed away, eyes locked on the ghost calmly sitting at the water's edge, they walked butt first into the wall. A wall where the passage they had followed in here used to be.  Eyes widening in alarm, both ponies risked a glance back to confirm what their posterior already told them. Somehow, the way out had vanished.  "As for the way out. It is still there, do not worry. It is, however, lost in obscurity for the time being." Growling, Rolling Stone turned to the giant ghost. "I know what your kind can do, what it has done to my fellow ponies. Don't think we'll go down without a fight just because our weapons don't work." Again, the ghost chuckled. "Child, if I wanted to fight you, I would have defeated you already. No, I am not here to fight, but it is conflict that brings me here all the same. Conflict afflicting more than the few you think and spanning further than just this world. But, please, come sit with me. I do so prefer to look at those I talk to." "You want to talk, huh? Then tell me this: Where are the foals? The zebra, and the human!" Rolling Stone barked, his voice bouncing off the walls. "Well, if that is not a difficult question. And so many ways to answer it, too. I could say I do not know who you are talking about, but I doubt you believe that regardless if it were true, or not. I could say they are not here, but that would also imply I do know who they are, and that they were here. And if they were, then where are they now? Or maybe only some of them passed through here, while I am oblivious to the fate of the others. But who? Were it the foals that found their way here? This zebra, or the human? So many answers, all leading to new questions, with a multitude of answers to each of them. What is true? What isn't? How can you know the questions you ask are the ones you need answered and, which are the ones you need to ask? How can you know the truth you see is also the truth as it truly is? After all, eyes can be deceiving. Nor do they see everything that is. And many do so often make the mistake to believe that what they perceive to be, is also the true state of being, completely oblivious to the bigger picture. You ask me where these individuals are. Allow me to ask of you: Why are you here?" "What?!" Rolling Stone balked, confused but unwilling to back down as he raised his weapon and tried firing a warning shot. "Last chance, where are the- ...Wait," he stopped mid-sentence as something wrapped around his hoof.  Time for his confusion to fully register was not allowed, however, as with a startling lurch, he suddenly found himself flung through the air, and landed face first in the crisp water, ruining the calm serenity with his less than elegant dive.  "ROLLING!" Sound Wave yelled after him, seeing a smaller stretch of crystal like the one that led them to here slowly slink back to the ground, able to trace it back to the tree which suddenly seemed much more menacing than it had mere seconds before, and realizing it must be one of the tree's roots.  "I did warn you about continuing to struggle before Harmony," the giant said calmly as Rolling Stone resurfaced, sputtering water from his mouth while glaring daggers at the ghost.  "I would suggest you calm your temper, lest she gets… creative," the ghost warned him. Spreading out with an open hand, palm turned up, she gestured to a pair of rocks. "Please, sit. It would surprise you just how much troubles can be avoided just through the simple act of conversation. You have my word no harm shall come to you." Rolling Stone grumbled to himself, not trusting the words of a ghost, and he frantically sought for a way to turn this situation around. But when he felt some less than subtle prodding at his hooves, and noticed several smaller crystal roots waving and coiling around each other he dashed out of the water without a second thought, leaving behind the wiggling mass, poking teasingly out of the water. "Like I said, creative," the ghost chuckled. "Oh, she has the same humor as her mother." "JUST WHAT THE HAY IS GOING ON HERE!?" Sound Wave shouted, voice amplified by, and bouncing off the walls. "And there is the question that could answer so much… or so little," the giant turned her head and looked at the confused and irritated mare. "Please, sit. And maybe we can lift the obscurity from the path you are walking." Rolling Stone, dripping wet, met Sound Wave's eyes. Both were unsure, but agreed that, for the time being, they had to play along.  Grunting and keeping his glare focused on the giant ghost, with the occasional flick to the now slowly submerging roots, he moved to the indicated rocks, taking seat on a boulder, Sound Wave joining him moments later. "Well then, where to begin, hmm?" the giant asked as she studied the pair before her. Rolling Stone tensed, gritting his teeth, but it was Sound Wave who took the initiative.  "Where are the foals you took?" she demanded, staring up at the ghost without fear. "A good question," the ghost nodded while stroking her chin. "But one based on a misplaced assumption. I did not take these foals you speak of. Nor this zebra, or the human." "You say you didn't take them. So you know who did," Sound Wave was quick to point out. Smiling, the ghost's orange eyes glinted. "Intuitive, but no. I do not know of anyone who may have taken those you are looking for." "And yet it were ghosts who took them from right under our nose," Rolling Stone seethed through gritting teeth. "So you're not fooling anyone, and WILL tell us where they are. NOW!" "Even if it was a ghost that did this, why do you think I am involved with such a heinous crime? Surely not just because I am a ghost, too. Because, if I were to apply such logic to you, does that mean all of your kind are loud mouthed ghost hunters?" "What!?" Rolling Stone was taken aback, literally, and fell of his boulder.  "Do not assume all ghosts are the same based on your experience with a small number of us," the giant said, voice lowered, smile gone and eyes hardened. "And, yes. I am all too aware of what happened on this world those years back. And know there are many of us who want, and have nothing to do with this. We prefer peace and quiet, and tend to leave you mortals alone, unless you keep seeking us out. And for your claim that it were ghosts that took those missing. Did you see this happen yourself, or do you act on the account of others?" Rolling Stone froze mid motion while pushing himself back up, looking at the ghost with contempt. "A small number of you!" he said through gritted teeth. "Your kind completely overran our city!" He then pushed himself back to all fours, standing tall while glaring at the ghost with burning hatred. "And don't think I don't see what it is you're trying to do; spreading doubt with your deceitful words. It won't work. Maybe our weapons won't work, but we'll fight you. We'll always fight you unholy abominations. And nothing you say, or do will change that!" "Sir?" Sound Wave said, a waiver of uncertainty in her voice as she stared at her commanding officer. Exhaling a tired sigh, the giant ghost leaned back. "I see. I had hoped your experiences of this night had shifted your perception enough for words to make a difference, but it seems now I was mistaken. Words alone will not suffice to one blinded such as you, so more drastic measures are required." Standing back up, the giant stepped away from the two ponies.  "And what do you mean by that?" Sound Wave asked before thinking, staring at the ghost's back as she came to a stop. "As I said from the start. It is conflict that had brought me here. And even if you don't want to hear my words, I suggest you do heed my warning: A storm is coming, tonight marking the first howling blows of events set in motion long, long ago."  Walking through the passage, which had mysteriously reappeared, she stopped one final time, looking back at the two ponies; to Sound Wave specifically.  "At least one of you has shown growth of mind. Who knows, in time, this can be said for all of you," and she vanished around the bend. Rolling Stone, not wasting any more time, grabbed his blaster and ran after the unnatural entity, running out the cave fast enough to easily catch up with her. But as he emerged back out in the pitch black of night, there was no ghost to be found. "Sir," Sound Wave spoke up, stepping out of the tunnel and joining his side. "What do we do now?" With gritted teeth and blaster held in trembling hoof, there was only one thing left for them to do. "Retreat."