Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria.

by Powerdrainer


The Darkness Within

Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder.

The Darkness Within

<<>><<>><<>>

"Soo… now what?" 

Silence settled down after this was asked and Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom, Abella, and a couple more changelings with her; all of them noticeably tired, blinking owlishly.

"Whadda ya mean?" asked Apple Bloom in turn. "We help tha changelings."

"I know that. But, right now. What're we going to do?" Scootaloo replied. "I mean, we've done just about all we can and Sweetie Belle is already sleeping as we speak."

As stated, the unicorn filly was currently asleep, unable to remain standing on her hooves after everything she'd gone through ever since they first went to the city of the changelings. Naturally, with how much they owed them, the changelings were quick to bring the young pony to a room with a bed, which Sweetie Belle flopped down on like a limp noodle, asleep the second her head hit the pillow. 

Of course her friends continued their efforts for some time longer, but after Danny explained his plan to free the changelings still held captive at Canterlot and the older group of changelings still up, and active joined him in his effort, much of the tasks that required immediate attention now fell on the shoulders of those who remained behind. Unfortunately, this also meant that anything Apple Bloom and Scootaloo could help with was limited to retrieving and bringing what little medical supplies were left, as well as pillow patrol, as Scootaloo had come to call it. 

Now though, with all the supplies moved from one place to the next and all pillows properly fluffed, they were left with nothing to do, but wait for Danny and the accompanying swarm to return. 

Yawning mightily, Apple Bloom rubbed an eye with her fetlock. 

"Sleep does sound kinda nice. We've been up all night after all."

"I guess," Scootaloo murmured, unsure. "But shouldn't somepony, eh… someone—" she quickly corrected herself, eyes flicking to the changelings around her "—go and see if Wind Chill is coming? Danny did say he'd send Cujo to get him… Guess that means Cujo's coming as well," she tapped her muzzle in thought. Shrugging, her tired, burning eyes looked back at her apple loving friend. "And who knows what the windigos are up to now? Can't have them go wild again and I don't want to go through everything I did again to stop them."

"Ah guess," Apple Bloom said through a yawn. Scootaloo, unsuccessfully tried to suppress the yawn that spread to her, shaking her head and tossing her mane around to keep herself from nodding off. "But we ain't much use ta anyone if we fall asleep where we're standin' either."

Conceding to that point, Scootaloo half heartedly nodded in agreement, though she didn't give in to it completely.

"But we've got to do something, right? I mean, Danny is out there right now. Shouldn't we be ready for when he returns with who knows how many changelings who need our help?"

Blinking with heavy lids, Apple Bloom looked at her winged friend, staring into her blood shot eyes. "Ah'm all for helping them an' all, but ain't ya tryin' jus' a bit tah much?" she asked, forcing back another yawn. "We need some sleep, now, or we won't be able ta help anyone. No matter how much ya want ta." She shook her head and sighed out; her bow now partially undone after the day's strenuous activities, her mane partially spilled out in an unwashed mess. 

"You do realize you don't have to do everything, right?" Abella asked, still confused to the full motives behind their helpfulness. Still, not one to turn down any potential aid to the Hive; and these ponies had proven to be that, and then some, she allowed herself to trust them. But only a bit. "We still have some of the older lings around, they can keep watch while you rest. And we will wake you when something happens, or when the others, and this Danny return."

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at Abella with slow blinking and somewhat dull eyes, taking a moment to fully process what she had just suggested. When they did, a tired, but grateful smile worked its way onto Apple Bloom's lips and she gave a single, thankful nod.

"That works, right Scootaloo?" she asked, turning back to her friend.

A slight snore was Scootaloo's answer and a nudge in the side shook her awake with a squawk, before nodding her consent. 

"Just follow me," Abella sighed out, rolling her eyes, trying to hide the fact she was just as tired as they were. 

With dragging hooves, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo followed after Abella; moving through several of the seemingly identical halls, passing numerous onyx portals before coming to a stop before one of them, where, according to Abella, Sweetie Belle already was sleeping inside.

"How do you even tell them apart?" Scootaloo wanted to know, asking through a yawn. "It all looks the same to me."

"Because there is an order to how things work here, instead of the chaos you call a city," Abella shot back. Sighing out in frustration, she instead turned to the closed door. "Hold on, I'll open the room for you."

"Why don't ya jus' leave it open?" Apple Bloom asked. "Makes it easier fer us ta get out if we need ta."

"That won't work," Abella told her, horn flickering with weak green light. "We open the rock, but not remove it. And if we don't close it ourselves, the rock will do so on its own."

"Whu?" Scootaloo uttered intelligently. 

Rolling her eyes, Abella simplified: "It closes on its own after a while."

""Ooohh,"" both fillies uttered in understanding. 

"But, wait. Does tha mean we're locked 'n there until ya, or 'nother changeling comes ta open tha door?"

"Pretty much," Abella said simply, powering the runes around the door.

"I'm not sure I like that idea," Scootaloo said, uncertain as she looked at the fading onyx.

"Well, it's either that, or sleeping out on the street," Abella snapped irritably. "And believe me, that is not where you want to be!"

A flash of the numerous changelings lying gathered around the few weak fires flashed before her mind's eye and Scootaloo quietly muttered something to herself before slowly stepping inside the room; joined by Apple Bloom, both taking moment to look around. 

The room was not particularly large, nor did it have much of any furniture to speak of. There was a small table near a corner, a wilted, long dead plant in a vase in its center and a couple of seating cushions placed around the furniture.

They also spotted a bookcase, but all the shelves were empty. The reason for this soon clicking in their minds, as they realized the paper had been used to keep the fires burning.

"Beds are over there," Abella pointed a hoof to an open arch to the left, leading to an adjacent room. "Your friend is already there."

"What is this place?" Scootaloo asked, tired but unable to wonder.

"Guest room," came the clipped reply.

"Ya have guests?" Apple Bloom asked, confused.

"Obviously," Abella deadpanned, looking at the pony.

"No, Ah mean, others actually come an visit here? Ah thought ya kept yerselfs hidden for everyone."

Silence. 

Neither Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, or Abella said anything as the latter stared at the former with a scornful look, while Scootaloo found herself standing in between, gaze alternating between her friend and Abella.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Abella said finally, snorting.

"About what?"

Groaning in frustration, Abella merely shook her head and turned to the arched passage. "Just go over there," she said forcefully, stepping into the other room to point at the beds; only two of them, but each large enough to hold even Princess Celestia in comfort with their size. 

Another thing that quickly drew attention to itself was a rather worrying detail...

"What the?" Abella muttered.

One of the beds was an absolute mess…

"Are those burn marks?" Scootaloo asked, worry creeping into her voice.

Numerous black scorch marks marked the mattress, blanket and pillows…

"... Where is Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom asked, confused, looking around with wide eyes.

And Sweetie Belle was not there.

<<>><<>><<>>

Some time earlier.

Sweetie Belle was trapped, confined in constricting bonds surrounding her entire body. No matter how much she struggled, she was unable to free herself. 

With gritting teeth and eyes aglow with spectral might, she unleashed a burst of searing power from all hooves, burning away her bonds.

Shaking off the smouldering shreds of fabric from her dark grey fur, she looked around with cold, slitted eyes while her mane seeped out from her like dense smoke.

Snarling, she jumped to the ground and exited the room; finding nothing of interest on the other side, though she did have half a mind to destroy the wilted flowers.

Ugly things.

Her hoof already raised and aglow, a growl from within stopped her. Frowning deeply, glaring at her belly with anger, she knew she had to preserve her strength. 

Breaking free from her shackles had already taken most of her power, even despite the feast she'd consumed earlier. But she hungered for more. Much more. 

Stepping towards the door, she frowned when it failed to open. 

Glaring, she considered destroying it but, again the need to conserve her power kept her from enacting such a destructive deed. At least the problem itself was merely a minor inconvenience. 

Phasing through the door, she found herself standing in a long hallway; with several more closed onyx doors on the left and right. Slowly looking from side to side, she took it all in with a cold, calculating gaze; slitted pupils narrowing as she heard others approach. 

With a hiss, she turned invisible, flying up to the ceiling as two ponies and a changeling approached.

Lips slightly parted, the tip of her tongue flicked out for the briefest of seconds; gracing over the tip of one of two small fangs poking out past her upper lip, she tasted the air.

A small shudder of delight went through her when she tasted the clear irritation of the changeling, but the feeling was fleeting and not at all fulfilling. Worry was also present, coming from the two ponies, strangely familiar to her, but these feelings were nothing more than a light snack, and not at all what she wanted; what she needed.

With no further interest in those three beneath her, she flew off in search of food.

For she hungered for fear.

<<>><<>><<>>

The Elder slowly stepped through the ancient castle, passing through the low passages with a lowered head lest she hit the ceiling, entering the old throne room and stepping to the anomalous portal which refused to close.

Sighing while shaking her head, she regretted the sheer stubbornness of the hunters, and their unwillingness to listen. 

Though there did seem to be hope for the mare, the stallion of the pair was too blinded by past grievances to be able to see any possibility other than ghosts being nothing, but evil.

As such, more drastic measures were required to shake his world view to the point cracks would appear in his accepted understanding of the reality he lived in. Drastic measures, which the timberwolves would be able to put in motion. They and her brother, who still wandered through the forest, separated from Danny, and the children under his care. 

Halfway through the low hallway, she came to an abrupt stop, eyes widening in worry as she turned back, looking past the old stone, the forest, and distance towards where the changelings had their city. Seeing some of her worries had become reality.

"Oh no."

<<>><<>><<>>

"Well, Ah sure am glad we found ya back, Twilight," Applejack said as the group stepped out of the forest, and could finally see their village in the light of the rising sun. "Ya know, with tha fillies gone missin', then Danny an' Zecora, findin' back at least one friend after what happened in this forest tonight sure gives me hope for tha others."

"What the hay are you talking about!?" Rainbow Dash shouted in frustration. "We're missing more ponies… humans… zebras… whatever, than when we started. How can you be hopeful after that?"

Applejack looked at her winged friend, the usual light in her eyes gone, making Rainbow Dash flinch when she noticed.

"What else am Ah supposed ta do then?"

Rainbow Dash was at a complete loss for words. Something the others, too, were struggling with as they knew they could not, would not answer that.

"Don't worry," Ornate Charm spoke up with practiced stoicness one would learn from standing still on the spot for hours on end, staring at the wall before being accepted in a brand new outfit for the guards as a ghost hunter. "Rolling Stone and Sound Wave are looking into this matter as we speak. They will find those missing."

Twilight, having told to her friends everything that had happened from the moment they lost each other while fleeing from that ghost, looked at the hunter, unconvinced. A look shared by most, though it was difficult to tell with Fluttershy, as she was hiding behind her mane, while staying near the back of Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

"I really wish I could believe that," Twilight sighed out, ears folded flat as she scuffed a hoof on the ground. "But after what I saw happen, between you and that ghost. All I can do is worry about everypony, your fellow ghost hunters included."

"Yeah, what's up with that anyhow?" Rainbow Dash pushed closer to the hunters, looking at them accusingly. "Aren't you supposed to, you know, be trained for these sorta things? But according to Twilight, you got your flanks handed to you and then some."

Frowning, Blue Ice gritted her teeth as she thought back to what had happened. 

"We underestimated our opponent, yes," she admitted begrudgingly. "That won't happen again."

"Be that as it may, but that ain't helpin' us finding tha fillies, nor Danny, or Zecora," Applejack said sternly. "More so, ya lot have been here for weeks now, right?" she turned to Bellflower, who nodded once in confirmation. "So ya'll knew something, or 'nother was goin' on. So how come ya weren't able ta stop things from happenin' before it got this bad?"

Both hunters shared an uneasy glance, silently debating what they could say, or not.

Ornate Charm was the first to cave, sighing out, ears lowered, shaking her head. "Look, we can't tell you about everything that's been going on. Who knows who is listening. Just know we've been trying our hardest to get to the bottom of things before everything turned into this manure storm. But we have been looking into several unusual leads that may yield some answers."

Applejack snorted, loudly. "A lotta words ta say nothin'."

"At least tell us how you plan on finding Danny and Zecora," Twilight told them, giving them a hard stare. "After all, they were with us, in the forest when they vanished. And please don't say your colleagues are looking into it. We both know there is little they can do right now."

"Miss..." Ornate Charm paused for a moment, releasing a deep sigh. "You're right. There is very little that can be done with the current situation. But we must trust Rolling Stone and Sound Wave to pull through. At the least, they will try to find out where your friends and family are, so we can go in with sufficient numbers to rescue them."

"And when will that be, huh?" Rainbow Dash spat, glaring at the hunters. "They need our help, now!" she angrily pointed a hoof back at the forest. " 'Cause it's not like they will suddenly walk out of there on their own!" 

Rainbow Dash looked back expectantly at the forest, but when nothing happened she dropped her leg and muttered to herself. 

"Dammit, that's usually when they suddenly show up in the stories."

"Miss Dash, this is no mere story," Ornate Charm told her. "What happened here, and is still happening, is serious, and not something we can solve by simply charging in. We've tried that already and look where that got us. No, we need to step back and go through everything we know so far, to form a proper plan, to tackle this problem. Favorably before anyone else ends up missing. Now, please, trust in Rolling Stone and Sound Wave. They know what they are doing."

"And what are you expecting us to do?" Twilight asked them with forced calm. "Our friends are missing. Our family is missing. you can't expect us to just sit by and do nothing."

"I can't answer that, miss," Ornate Charm told her, then was interrupted by Blue Ice.

"Yes, this situation is crap. We know. But we don't have all the answers either. If we did, all of this would already be resolved. All we can do is what we were trained to do, which also means keeping you save. You may not like it, you may hate us for it, but we will not let you become a victim of those things too," she told them, venom thick in her voice on the subject of ghosts. "Now please return back to town and let us deal with this situation, before it becomes even worse."

Biting her lower lip in worry, Twilight looked at Blue Ice, then shifted her gaze to her friends; all looking distressed and worried, with most of them clearly having half a mind of rushing back in the forest, despite the dangers, to look for their loved ones. 

Still, despite it all, she knew Blue Ice had a point. Just like Rolling Stone had a point back in the forest.

"Fine," she sighed out in resignation.

"Twilight?" Rarity looked at her friend, eyes wide and wet with unshed tears.

"I don't like this any more than you do, Rarity. But she's right. I've seen one of those ghosts fight against the hunters, and even with my magic, it would be a difficult fight. Not to mention what we've been through already with the Empire and Sombra. Admit it, we're all tired and in no state to fight one, or more ghosts. Especially considering our inability to fight Sombra, even. And I really hate to say it, but the best we can do now is to let them do their work, while we return home to do…. I don't know… something, maybe… I…" a dreary sigh escaped her, head hung low as she looked back at the two hunters before her. "Please, just find them."

"We will," Blue Ice nodded. "Even if it's the last thing we do, we will."

<<>><<>><<>>

With hooves pounding on the forest's floor, Rolling Stone weaved past trees and jumped through thorny bushes while Sound Wave flew above, weapon in hooves and firing at the creatures pursuing her earthbound leader. 

It had all seemed too easy at first, their encounter with this giant ghost, but after they made a hasty retreat and returned to higher ground, they found themselves firmly in the sights of a pack of timberwolves.

And now, being the only one present who could fly and thus stay out of reach, Sound Wave was quick to take to the sky and use her blaster to fire at the wooden wolves. And though the weapon was intended to be used against ghost, it proves to be surprisingly effective as a timberwolf repellant as well.

Unfortunately, they were still vastly outnumbered as more, and more wolves of this massive pack showed themselves, blocking off Rolling Stone's path, and forcing him to steer further into the woods.

These wolves acted smarter than they had any right to be.

Scouting ahead after blasting one of the wolves in pursuit in the head with her blaster, Sound Wave saw two more wolves lying in wait just up ahead. 

Eyes narrowing in dedicated focus, she aimed and fired, blasting one wolf to pieces and forcing the other to flee.

Pointing out the opening to her commanding officer, Rolling Stone wasted no time and ran through the twitching pieces of wood; knocking them apart even further and delaying the wolf's attempt to reconstruct itself.

"DAMMIT. JUST HOW MANY ARE THERE?!" Sound Wave shouted, firing bolt after bolt with her abused blaster, each shot taking longer to fire as the device sparked and sputtered, before dying completely. "DAMMIT!" she yelled, then lobbed the now useless piece of scrap at one of the wolves biting at Rolling Stone's tail, missing completely.

"HERE, CATCH!" Rolling Stone shouted back at her, using his mouth to grab his blaster from its holster, then flung it at the mare. 

"Alright you sons of wood rot, chew on this!" she said darkly, promising Tartarus's fury with each word as she aligned her shot and fired.

In a blur of action, the weapon inner circuitry whirred to life, charging the shot from its power core, focusing the bolt of volatile power, then fired; the energy bursting from the barrel with a flash of hellish green, cutting through the air with heat distortion, slamming into the back of the wolf's head, burning away part of the wood while the rest collapsed to the ground.

"YEAH!" Sound Wave roared as she quickly aligned for another shot, but was forced to evade a tree on her path, giving the pursuing wolves a split second window to close the gap while several more wolves showed up to block Rolling Stone's retreat. 

"Oh, come on," Sound Wave grumbled, firing wild shots to disperse the wolves behind Rolling Stone, then took aim at those rapidly approaching. "If it aren't ghosts, we've got to deal with the other monsters of this world," she grumbled to herself, punching through a jumble of low hanging branches, which ripped through her saddlebags and spilling some of the items, including her scanner, to the ground.

"CELESTIA DAMMIT!" she shouted as she saw her belongings fall to the ground, unable to retrieve them. 

Shaking it off, she pressed on with gritted teeth, neither seeing, nor hearing the scanner hit the ground, activate from the jolt, and release a shrill alarm to alert to the presence of ghosts in close proximity, as numerous timber wolves ran past.

Flying low and besides her commanding officer, she fired her weapon a couple more times to clear the path. "We need to get out of here!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" he shouted back at her, panting but not yet exhausted. "Push ahead, find a path out of here!"

"Sir," Sound Wave nodded once, glancing back and blasting two more wolves apart, then beat her wings with all she had to shoot forwards; delivering a barrage of glowing green bolts at the wolves lying in wait, clearing the way while looking for any sign for a way out.

A sudden glare of light coming from her right drew her attention, and it was with a sense of elation when she spotted a break in the foliage through which the rising sun could be seen.

"OVER HERE!" she shouted back, pointing out where to go to the rapidly approaching pony chased by timberwolves. "THIS WAY!" she pressed on when Rolling Stone had drawn nearer. "I CAN SEE SUNLIGHT!"

'Thank Celestia for that,' he thought wryly.

Both ponies pushed forwards, weaving past trees and pushing through thorny bushes on the ground, or more obstructing branches up high until they broke through. Sound Wave was the first to exit the deadly woods, with Rolling Stone close on her tail, only for both to come to a screeching stop.

Standing before them, in a number they didn't think was possible, were timber wolves, with behind these wolves the same forest they thought they had just escaped from. 

Now out in a clearing, with wolves before them, and closing in on their rear, both ponies looked around desperately to find a way out while several of the wolves moved to block their sides as well.

Realizing he was trapped, Rolling Stone took a deep breath, eyes closed, exhaling slowly. 

"Sound Wave, get out of here. Report back to the princesses and tell them what we discovered."

"I'm not leaving yo-"

"That is an order!" he barked.

Several tense seconds ticked by, Sound Wave locked in dilemma before her training took over. Checking her blaster, she threw it towards Rolling Stone, gave a single confirming nod, then flew off as fast as she could, not looking back.

A growl rumbling deep in his throat, Rolling Stone picked up the weapon, inspected it himself with a glance, then secured his stance. 

"It's the ugly truth of any guard," he said to himself, repeating what he said to Twilight only hours before. "We're the first to enter battle, protect our fellow pony and give our lives if need be to ensure the safety of others." 

Aiming his weapon at one of the nearest wolves, he stared at the wooden beasts with steel in his eyes. 

"But I won't be giving my life away freely either," and he fired.

<<>><<>><<>>

A faint glow shone in the dark of the forest, down on the ground and partially covered with dirt, leaves and small twigs.

Still active, the scanner Sound Wave lost in their wild escape from the timberwolves still sounded its shrill alarm, though quieter and with less distress, but picking up in intensity as two blips on its screen slowly approached. 

A scurry through the leaves and branches covering the ground, accompanied by rapid sniffing soon brought the inquisitive nose of Cujo to the device; now blaring an alarm as it was carefully scooped up with two rough fingers, the device comically small in the giant's hand.

Frowning, Wind Chill stared at the mirriade of tracks on the ground, following their path with a keen eye. 

"Come, Cujo. I believe we may yet have a task which needs tending to," he said, shutting the device down with a far too big finger. 

"I just hope we're not too late."