Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder.
Education
<<>><<>><<>>
"MOM!" Erlea cried as she ran to her mother, and Chrysalis lowered her head to nuzzle the top of her daughter's head.
"What are you doing here?" asked Danny. "I can see your legs shaking from here. You should still be in bed, recovering."
"Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do!" Chrysalis said with a hiss. "If I can stand, I'm healthy enough to lead."
"And if you're barely able to stand?" Danny retorted, crossing his arms. "I can see where Erlea gets her stubbornness from," he added with a shake of the head.
Chrysalis didn't answer immediately as she raised her head back up, regarding him at eye level.
"Not nearly as stubborn as you. Even in my delirious state, I still remember that wolf attacking you; impaling you on his claws; wounding you far beyond what anyone would be able to survive. Yet here you are, unharmed, healthy, and already planning on taking down one of the most powerful beings in this world."
"It comes with the job," Danny half-joked. "Both the injuries, and taking down so-called royalty."
"So you have said," Chrysalis slowly closed the distance between them, Erlea following beside her while Abella and Sweetie Belle watched silently. "And so I have seen."
Danny arched an eyebrow, "The Murgröna, I presume. Not sure how I feel about my past being so easily accessible after the trouble I went through to keep it hidden. Though I certainly saw a lot in return, so I can't really complain about it either."
Now face to face, Danny was able to notice the labored breath Chrysalis was trying to hide, and the various cracks in her chitin she couldn't hide without transforming.
"I'm going to be honest here, you look like crap," he said bluntly. "Ignoring the disease you suffered through, your chitin is compromised to the point you need to mold before it has a chance to cause infections. Which of course does mean you need to be in a state to be able to do so, which is obviously not the case right now. Bringing me back to my point, you need to rest. "
"And if I don't, are you going to force me?"
"If I have to."
For a while, Chrysalis stared at him with tired but intense eyes. Then, as if a bubble burst, she laughed; which was promptly interrupted by a coughing fit.
"Ye -Hack- es, you would. And in my state, I would most likely lose as well."
"Glad we're on the same page here," Danny said, smirking faintly as he uncrossed his arms. "And I take it this well-thought-out plan of yours to edge the brink of collapse is the result of you overhearing everything Erlea and Devora learned here the last hour."
"Yes," Chrysalis coughed again, wiping away some spit from her mouth. "And I'll admit it is not one of my more thought-out plans. But as I just said. If I am able to stand, I am able to lead."
Unimpressed, Danny gave her a weak shove.
With a strangled cry, Chrysalis fell over, only to be caught by Danny's spectral hold.
"Guess you're not yet ready to lead after all," he said without humor as he returned her to her hooves.
"YOU DARE!"
"We've been over this already. Just accept the fact you're currently at my mercy," he said, eyes glowing a strong green as he looked into Chrysalis' eyes. "So rest. Recover."
"If I didn't know better I'd think this was an intricate plot for you to take the throne," Chrysalis said with a grunt as she put weight on her hooves. "Earn our trust, then strike me down when I am most vulnerable."
"I'm not Celestia. And If I wanted your throne, I could have easily done so already," Danny remarked grimly. "And honestly, I have no interest in becoming a king, or a ruler of any kind. It just feels wrong, especially considering I have already beaten down three kings. Though admittedly, I was mostly unconscious during the fight against Sombra. So does that one count?" he hummed, losing himself in thought for a moment there.
Shaking those thoughts away, he released his hold over Chrysalis and allowed her to stand on her own again.
"Now, seeing you're here anyway, might as well make the most of this. Sweetie Belle needs to learn about this hunger you have, how to control it. Erlea has been doing a good job so far, but you might have some insights she doesn't yet know about."
With somewhat stiff motions, Chrysalis turned to look at Sweetie Belle who, in turn, looked back at the royal changeling with a mixture of hope and worry.
"I suppose I can teach her a few things," Chrysalis said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"Great," Danny nodded. "And after that, I'll answer what I can about us ghosts."
"Very well," Chrysalis agreed, then shakily moved to sit beside the lectern. "Class is in session."
Danny chuckled at that, joining her on the other side of the relic of better times.
"Yes, time to get educated."
<<>><<>><<>>
It had been several hours since the duplicate Danny returned from his trip to collect the various ingredients for Zecora, yet the pungent stench of the haze berries had not diminished in the slightest.
Somehow, through what had to be divine intervention, Zecora seemed to be immune to the stench. It had to be because Danny simply couldn't believe her to just ignore the smell of rot and decay. A smell, he grimly noted, was identical in potency as to that surrounding Despair.
As such, neither Cujo nor any of the changelinks were present in the room, leaving only him and Zecora. The former breathing through his mouth while watching from a distance, while the latter worked with single minded focus on the brew bubbling in her cauldron, and thus in the thick of the stench.
Every now and then, when Zecora deemed the next batch ready, she would fill as many flasks as she could.
Danny, after a moment of insight after waiting for what seemed like an eternity with the first batch, and approval from Zecora when he suggested the idea, would then apply a small amount of his ice to hasten the cooling process, after which he would deliver the elixir to the waiting foals several rooms further down the hall.
This was always met with mixed reactions.
The foals were always excited when he arrived with more potions to help heal their loved ones, but then there was the smell surrounding him.
He really, really needed a bath.
At least it was for a good cause.
"Fuck me, I stink," Danny gasped in shocked disgust, and with a groan Danny turned around to see his white hair counterpart hover some distance away, pinching his nose shut.
"Gee, thanks. Hadn't noticed myself," he replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
"No, really. It makes Tucker's homemade cologne smell like roses."
"Just get to the point," Danny crossed his arms, staring flatly at his double.
"Well, I came here to remerge and share the knowledge I have gained. But now… I'm not sure. Don't want to either reek like you or have the memories of it eith- Ghaouch!" He suddenly yelled out as a wooden ladle slammed against the back of his head; the wet utensil clattering to the floor a second later where it was picked up by an irritated Zecora.
"You will do what needs to be done. And do it now, before all my concentration is gone!"
"Yes Ma'am," Danny hastily complied, and, turning into a wisp of energy, he flew into his other self's chest.
Staggering back, hand holding into his head, Danny groaned in displeasure as a flood of mismatched memories came rushing in, clashing with his own.
"Shit. Frostbite wasn't kidding," he grunted as he slowly straightened himself. "... And now I remember this smell from another perspective as well."
Shaking his thoughts free from the mess of memories still sorting themselves out, he smiled apologetic at Zecora.
"Sorry about that."
Zecora gave a single nod, returning to her cauldron.
"The remaining work you can leave to me, so I suggest you go where you need to be."
"Thanks," Danny said gratefully, noticing Zecora was already back in the zone working on her elixir, and he quickly left a block of ice to help cool the next batch, then left the wise zebra to her work in silence.
<<>><<>><<>>
"So active feeding is done by siphoning energy directly from the, eh, target through your bite as this makes them panic, breaking any potential defenses they would otherwise have and allowing you to… drain them?" Sweetie Belle summed up, slightly green in the face.
"Not exactly, but not too far off," Chrysalis commented. "We bite our prey first and foremost to prevent their escape. This, of course, is easier said than done, and becomes more difficult with larger prey. As such, active feeding is only done on smaller, weaker or incapacitated targets. Or, as has been the case for many of us for such a long time, without care in starved desperation," she exhaled a deep sigh. "As for the feeding itself. Once bitten, and if able, the target will fight to escape, meaning a great deal of energy will be spent to resist these attempts while holding them down. As such, we must make sure the expenditure is worth the effort. If not, there is little reason for us to go through with the attempt."
Sweetie Belle quietly looked at the floor between herself and Chrysalis.
"As for the draining of energy… That is not so easily explained. All of us changeling...ks instinctively know how to do this. Our young only need to learn how to properly control this, lest they drain too much too quickly. Though such a thing has not been a problem to us for a long time either," she closed her eyes as another deep sigh escaped her. "But what I can tell you is that, when we feed, we can 'feel' the energy we need, while blocking those we don't want."
"But how do you feel this?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Hmmm," Chrysalis looked up, thinking.
"Think about the best thing you have ever eaten," Danny suggested. "And the worst. How do either make you feel? Now imagine feeling those things while you are eating them. One you would practically inhale, while the other you would preferably throw in the thrash."
"Hmm, is that how you interpret this?" asked Chrysalis.
"It's the closest I can get," Danny shrugged.
"Then we shall work with that."
"So… I need to focus on the worst thing I have ever eaten then?"
"No," Erlea said, having sitten quietly close to her mother until now. "The opposite."
"What?!"
"She's right," Abella, sitting next to Sweetie Belle, spoke up. "To you, fear is a good thing. You were sucking it out of all of us, as if inhaling a great meal. Just as Danny said."
"Bu- bu- No, I would never like that."
"You wouldn't, no," Danny frowned. "Your powers, however, would."
"W- what do you mean?"
"I mean that, until you gain control over your powers, they will act on their own. You must have noticed this already with your invisibility and intangibility, right?"
"I… yes," Sweetie Belle quietly confirmed.
"This is no different. It happened to me, too. Not in the same way as what you are going through, but similar in a way."
"You went crazy and attacked others in feral rage?" Erlea asked, surprised.
"Thankfully not. No, my ice powers manifested themselves by slowly freezing me solid, and I had no idea what was going on. Eventually, I got cold to the point my surroundings were affected as well. The frost giants were able to help me, and taught me what was happening and how to control it. But even then, that power will always act on its own, sucking in as much cold as it can. And if I don't let it out every now and then, I will freeze up again. Best guess, this is something similar," he returned his attention to Sweetie Belle. "You have been slowly feeding upon the fear around you without knowing it, the power slowly growing and growing until it consumed you, too."
Danny cocked his head to the side, frowning as another thought came to mind.
"And thinking about it, this power most likely becomes all the stronger from the fear you feel for it as well."
"If her hunger is anything like ours, she would not be able to consume her own fear," said Chrysalis.
"True. But even then, her own fear could just as easily consume her."
"The fear of fear itself," Chrysalis hummed, nodding in understanding. "Denying it, fighting it and inadvertently adding to it until no more can be pushed away and it explodes with far more power than it alone couldn't have."
"Exactly. Which means you need to let it out in a controlled manner," he said, looking back at Sweetie Belle.
"But how?"
"Good question," Danny scratched at his stubble. "I have some ideas… Well, one actually. But before we can even begin to work on that, we should first finish this class before starting another. So, Chrysalis. Please contin-"
"Yeeeah, might want to plan in an extended recess," Danny interrupted as he flew through the door, and all present immediately gagged and clamped shut their nose. "Yeah yeah, I stink," Danny sighed out, rolling his eyes.
"Seriously, what happened to you? You smell like you died."
"Only half," the hovering human said without humor, crossing his arms. "And it's worse for Zecora. Don't know how she's ignoring this stench, but she has her nose right on top of it."
"Right… And how's things in Ponyville?"
"Would take too long to explain it all through words. In fact, I leave that to you. That, and this stink," Danny said with some smugness and, before his other self could respond, he turned into a wisp of energy and shot into the remaining human's chest.
"Ghnnhaa," Danny grunted as he sunk to a knee, clutching his head with a hand. "Son of a- Frostbite wasn't joking… And why does my breath stink like that now? he gagged. "Eugh, these powers just don't make sense sometimes."
"Are you alright?'' asked Sweetie Belle.
"I'll be once I get some mouthwash," Danny said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Standing back up, grimacing from the awful taste he could now sense as well, he sighed out deeply as every new memory was put in place.
"Okay, both lifebooks have been placed where they can be found," he began. "Shouldn't be too difficult for Bon Bon to find hers, though Apple Bloom may need to get a bit creative to get a chance to retrieve the one for her. Couldn't risk placing it in her room, with the chance of her family finding it. Hmmm…" he turned to Chrysalis. "Is there anything you can tell me about Discord?"
"Discord?" Chrysalis repeated, surprised. "Not much. The memories in the Murgröna only show so much, as no changelink was near the worst of his chaos when he rampaged over the world a millennia ago. And his reign of terror was cut short after he escaped last time. But why would this be important to you?"
"Because both Celestia and Luna, in their infinite wisdom, thought it a good idea to release Discord and have him help against the ghosts terrorizing the nation."
"WHAT All present shouted in disbelief. Chrysalis then coughed violently.
"Oh, it gets better," Danny added darkly. "Their plan failed before they even thought of it because, as it turns out, Discord was never captured to begin with. He tricked them into believing they did. Also, Sweetie Belle. You and your friends apparently never set him free back then."
"What? But wasn't the chaos from our argument what broke the seal placed upon him?"
"No," Danny frowned deeply. "He and I… my other self had an in depth conversation after he 'took' me to his home… I think," he shook his head. "Long story short, he broke free long before that. Calling the chaos you created a drop in the ocean. In fact, apparently, me opening the first tear, and the chaos it caused was what set him free, and he has been doing who knows what behind the scenes. Oh, and apparently he knows all about me, you-" he looked at Sweetie Belle "-and all of you-" he turned to Chrysalis "-and what Celestia has done to you. And he is eager to see the chaos I will create by taking down Celestia."
No one spoke, shaken by what they were just told.
"So… anything you know about the guy would be useful."
"I… don't know what to say," Chrysalis said after a moment. "To any of it."
"Not too surprising," Danny sighed, then grimaced from the taste in his mouth. "Guess everything you know has already been shown in the Murgröna. And everything else… Well, don't think anyone would have an answer to that. Guess I just leave that problem to my Ponyville counterpart to figure out, because we have enough to deal with as is-and if you'll excuse me. I'm going to get some water to hopefully wash away this awful taste and stink the other me cursed me with," he added in the same breath, no longer able to ignore his rebelling senses of smell and taste. "Chrysalis, please continue. I'll be back in a minute," and he quickly left before any could respond.
"... This is all crazy, right?" asked Abella.
"Crazy doesn't begin to cover it," Erlea replied.
"It's certainly… different," Chrysalis agreed.
"Eh, I've seen weirder back at school," said Sweetie Belle, and the others all looked at her.
"Explain," Chrysalis said.
****
"NO, IT HAD THREE HEADS, AND ACID TEETH!" Button Mash shouted.
"NOPONY CARES ABOUT YOUR GAME!" Peach Fuzz shouted just as loud. "WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE GHOST!"
"OH YEAH," Button replied. "IT HAD SIX HEADS, AND SPITS ACID!"
Scootaloo slammed her face onto her desk with an exasperating groan while Devora could only sit in silence, wondering how these ponies managed to create a functional society.
****
'THESE PONIES ARE INSANE!' was shouted over the hivemind.
"On second thought, I don't think I want to know," Chrysalis added quickly.
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle sighed. "Me neither."
<<>><<>><<>>
"Aah… I feel clean again," Danny sighed contently, back in the classroom, standing in a growing puddle of water as the wet stuff rained down from his water logged clothes while his soaked hair clung to his face.
"Danny… why are you leaking all over the floor?" Chrysalis asked warily.
"I took a dive in that waterfall you have over there," he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Got a good power wash both outside and in."
"And in?" Erlea repeated, confused.
"Intangibility has its uses," Danny remarked and, on cue, all the water soaking him fell to the floor at once. With a shake of his head, his hair jumped back to its spiky self. "And dangers as well," he added as he stepped out of the small lake he had created.
"Hmm," he stood silent for a second, then held out a blue glowing hand towards the water.
In a burst of blue, the water froze solid. Then, with another burst, the ice was pulled into his outstretched hand.
"Neat. That works," he cheered. "Right, where were we?"
"... Mom finished explaining how our hunger works," Erlea answered, staring at the tall human in a strange sense of wonder.
"And do you understand it as well?" Danny aimed at Sweetie Belle.
"I… think so," Sweetie Belle said uncertainly, frowning as she thought. "Their hunger… I guess my hunger as well, requires the intake of energy from others so I can remain healthy and use my powers. Similar to why we eat food. Though, unlike the changelinks, I also need food, which may slow down or reduce the hunger I have. Or… or…"
"We don't quite know," Chrysalis said. "This is something we have never seen before."
"Well, we already knew this would be more trial and error than anything else. But anything that can be learned from you is more than what we had before that. Combine it with the books I brought back, we will figure this one out in no time at all."
"I hope so," Sweetie Belle said morosely.
"Hey, don't be like that. I know things are scary and weird right now, but chin up. I've been there, too. And I can tell you this much. Soon this whole thing will stop being scary, and instead will be just weird," Danny said with a reassuring smile. "Now, why don't we get out of this room and go get some practical education, hmm?"
"You mean-"
"Yes, ghost training. You and I. Also, Erlea, Abella, you come too. This will be just as important for you to learn. And Chrysalis," he turned to the bedragged queen. "Go to bed."
"And if I don't?"
Danny crossed his arms while his eyes flashed green.
"Try me."
Chrysalis glared at him, obviously wanting to retort. Before she had a chance to do so, however, a band of energy flashed into existence around Danny, and a moment later two of him stood before her.
"Not going to happen," they both said.
"Wha-"
"Bed," one Danny said, taking a step closer while pointing his index finger in a warning manner at her. "Now!"
"I… I was starting to feel tired anyhow," Chrysalis fumbled, glaring at Danny while not directly looking at him.
"Hmhmm," Danny hummed in amusement, smirking slightly. "I got this one," he said over his shoulder at his other self. "You go and do the other thing."
"Way ahead of you," the other replied as he led the fillies out of the classroom, smirking as well while both Erlea and Abella looked at both Chrysalis and the human close to her with large, disbelieving eyes.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Oh, good. You're here too, Wind Chill," said Danny as he stepped off the bridge and towards the giant depositing yet another chunk of destroyed real estate on the floor near the entrance.
"Great One," Wind Chill greeted, elated. "And Sweetie Belle and her friends as well. How wonderful to see you all up and about again," he smiled at the three of them.
"Uhm… thanks," Abella said, uncertain while Sweetie Belle gave a faint smile at the giant.
"You've been busy as well, I see," Danny remarked, standing off to the side, hands in pockets while surveying the bits and pieces of the city scattered out before him.
"I have," Wind Chill agreed, standing back up to his full height and joining Danny. "It's the least I could do, and it allows the children to navigate the city without worrying about blockades or other hazards."
"Good thinking," Danny nodded. "So, Erlea. Is it alright if I use some of these pieces for a bit of ghost training? I can't promise they will remain intact, but seeing as they are already destroyed…"
"What would you even do with these things? Also, didn't you say you wouldn't train Sweetie Belle until she has control over her hunger so she wouldn't go on another rampage as she burns through the fear she'd consumed?"
"I did, and I wasn't lying. I will be doing most of the things, while you watch. Maybe Sweetie Belle can try out some of the stuff I show, if she's up to it. After all, she will need the training if she is to control that power she has. But right now, it's mostly show and tell. And only the basics. No need to make things too difficult right from the start, got enough of that already," Danny explained. "So, may I use some of this debris?"
"I, ehh… Sure, I guess."
"Thanks," Danny smiled at her, then transformed.
"Now, Wind Chill. You have been moving these pieces with muscle alone, right?"
"I have indeed," Wind Chill confirmed.
"Right," Danny nodded, stepping closer to a chunk of rock that had once been part of a wall almost as tall as him, and twice his width.
Placing his hand on the rock, he looked at the fillies behind him.
"Obviously this thing weighs a ton. No way for us to just pick it up and carry it away like Wind Chill did. But my powers allow me to do things where my muscles would fail me, like this," he explained, and the aura around his hand began to intensify while the glow in his eyes became stronger.
A moment later, the same aura that surrounded Danny encompassed the destroyed wall. And, with a grunt of exertion, the weight slowly lifted from the ground.
Taking a few steps with noticeable effort, Danny moved the wall.
Slowly lowering the weight to the floor, Danny let go, breathing heavy as he stepped away.
"Obviously the heavier the object you try to move, the more difficult it gets," he explained as he caught his breath, turning to see the fillies with their mouths hanging open.
"Ho- how did you do that?" asked Abella.
"We ghosts have the ability to extend some of our abilities to the objects or persons we touch. As I just demonstrated, I extended my flight ability to this chunk of stone. But because it is so much heavier than me, I could only keep it up for a few seconds. That said, I have used this ability to lift both myself and two of my friends easily for an extended duration. And a large group of people for a short while during an emergency. And that is just the ability to fly. I can do the same with intangibility and invisibility," he explained.
"Now, Sweetie Belle. I know you were trained a bit by the frost giants, so this is probably nothing new to you. Probably used those abilities a bit here and there back in Ponyville, right?"
"Eh, yes. I have. I even used the flying and invisibility power with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, but I can't use this intangibility I have," she answered.
"Let me guess. It just activates on its own, without any control?"
"Yes, but… I can't control it, at all. The Elder said it had to do with my magic interfering, or something."
"Interesting," Danny hummed, hand on his chin. Then his eyes lit up, figuratively speaking. "And has your intangibility acted up in any way recently?"
"Eh… I don't think so," she said thoughtfully, thinking back. "Why?"
"Because, when you were going through your… phase, you used intangibility to escape from the ice I put you in," Danny said.
"She also managed to escape from the jelly we put her in, somehow," Erlea informed them.
"And she was able to get out of the guest room, despite the door being closed," Abella added.
"Sounds like intangibility to me," Danny said, nodding. Then realization struck. "And when I found you and your friends amidst the chaos in the restaurant…?" he looked at Sweetie Belle.
"Eh…" she smiled sheepishly.
"Well, that explains that," he sighed, shaking his head. "Anyhow, getting back on topic. Since your powers acted up like they have, you have also been able to use your intangibility. My guess is that, whatever imbalance there was between your magic and spectral energy, may have sorted itself out because of it. So, if you're willing to try, I want you to push a leg through one of these pieces lying around here."
"I, uhm… I'm not sure," Sweetie Belle said quietly. "What if it doesn't work, and instead I go crazy again?"
"That won't happen," Danny said firmly. "Both Wind Chill and I are here should something go wrong, so there is no need to worry. But more importantly, you must learn to trust yourself again. Obviously, you are shaken by what happened; what you did. Anyone with a good heart would be. But the worst you can do right now is deny this new side of yours. Doing that will only make things worse in the long run as your own fear will only increase the danger of your powers. So, taking one step at a time, we will help you understand your powers, control them, and teach you not to fear them."
"The Great One is right, young spirit. Both in us keeping you and the others safe, and to help you better understand yourself," Wind Chill added reassuringly.
Sweetie Belle looked down at the floor, biting her lip while quietly muttering to herself.
"Okay," she sighed out, looking back up at Danny and Wind Chill. "I'll try."
"Awesome," Danny smiled, watching as the young unicorn stepped closer to a fragment of a former wall.
Holding up a hoof, Sweetie Belle closed the distance and pressed her hoof against the stone.
"Uhmm," she paused, blinked, pulled back her hoof, looked at it with confusion, then tried again with the same result. "How do I go intangible?"
"Hmm, good one," Danny said. "Best way I can say it is by thinking four dimensional."
"Huh?"
"Ehh… How do I explain this?"
"Try to imagine yourself moving through this stone," said Wind Chill. "And how you think this may feel."
"But if I'm intangible, wouldn't I be unable to feel anything?"
"Euehh… yes, you wouldn't..."
"So I need to imagine not feeling anything?"
"Hmm… this is far more difficult to put to words than I believed it to be," Wind Chill rumbled to himself.
"Video games," Danny said. "You have those here too, right? I'm sure I saw one of your classmates play on a hand, eh, hoof held gameboy thingy."
"You mean a Joy Boy?" said Sweetie Belle. "And what do video games have to do with this?"
"Depends. Have you ever played any?"
"A little, on the arcades when Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and I were trying to get our videogame Cutie Mark."
"You have arcades here? Nice. Ahum, anyway. In those games, you probably had to do things that, in real life, wouldn't be possible, right?"
"Eh, like falling from really high without injury?"
"Yes, like that. But did you question this when it happened, or did you accept the fact that, in that game, it is just how things worked?"
"I thought it was weird nothing happened when I fell, but Scootaloo found it funny so we kept playing and didn't question it when it happened again."
"Good. Now, think of this as a game as well, and you are the main character. You can do things that normally wouldn't be possible, but in this game it is. Don't question the how and why, just hit the button required to activate the skill, and have a laugh about how silly it is after the fact."
"That doesn't make any sense," Erlea called out.
"Yes… That's the point," Danny said simply.
"And why even videogames?" Erlea asked further.
"Well, I once possessed a video game to take the place of the game character in order to fight another ghost who had taken control over said game, and who threatened to use the game to gain access to the internet. The internet, being a worldwide connection of all computers containing the full knowledge of humanity," he explained. "So," he shrugged, "not like it is outside the realm of possibilities."
"... You're making this up, aren't you?" Erlea said after a short pause, obviously not believing a word of it.
"I wish," Danny sighed, eyes slightly unfocused as he thought back. "But it really did happen."
Silence.
"Anyhow, let's get back to you trying to use your intangibility," he said, looking back at Sweetie Belle. "And don't worry if it doesn't work. Weird attempts to explain it aside, I'm sure you'll figure it out in your own way. So go ahead and give it a try," he encouraged her.
Sweetie Belle looked up at Danny, blinked, then settled her gaze on the broken wall lying before her.
Taking a deep breath and holding it, she closed her eyes, thought back to the arcade games she and her friends had played in their crusade for a Cutie Mark, then stepped forwards… and walked face first into the wall.
"Ow!" she stumbled back, falling on her rump while she rubbed her now sore muzzle.
"Nice try," Danny said with a guilty smile. "But maybe stick with holding out a hoof before trying anything else."
"But how did you manage to control this?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Honestly… I'm not sure, really. It kinda came natural to me after the first few days. Before that it was a real struggle, with me sinking through the floor, or anything I held falling through me and shattering on the floor," he told her. "But don't let that discourage you. Just have to keep trying, and before long you will get the hang of this."
"Great One, if I may? Perhaps Sweetie Belle would be able to better understand her intangibility if you aid her during her first attempts."
"What do you me- Oh… that could work."
"What could?" Sweetie Belle looked at both Danny and Wind Chill.
"Remember how we both flew through the walls back in the palace in search of the throne room?" Danny asked, to which Sweetie Belle nodded. "Why not try something like that again? I'll use my intangibility on us both, and you focus on how it feels."
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Okay."
"Okay," Danny mirrored.
Kneeling down, he placed a hand on the fillies back.
"Right, how do you feel right now?"
"Uhm… Confused? When are you going to use your intangibility?"
"Already am. And a bit of levitation as well, to keep you from sinking through the floor," he informed her.
"You are?" Sweetie Belle reacted in surprise. "But I'm not feeling anything."
"Try touching this piece of the wall again, see what happens."
Carefully Sweetie Belle lifted a hoof and pushed it against the wall. A gasp escaped her when there was no resistance and her hoof phased effortlessly through the rock.
Startled, she quickly pulled back, looking at her hoof with wide eyes.
"Try it again," Danny told her, "and keep your hoof in there for a moment. Get a feel for it, so to speak."
With deliberate slowness, Sweetie Belle reached out again. And just as she had done before, she phased effortlessly through the obviously solid object.
"This is so weird," she said after a moment, pulling her leg back, then pushed back in again.
"Want to try walking through?" Danny asked.
Sweetie Belle hesitated for a bit, looked at Danny, then gave a nod.
Slowly they moved forwards, with Danny in a half crouch to keep his hand on Sweetie Belle's back. And together they phased through the stone wall, disappeared from sight, then emerged on the other side a moment later.
"How does that even work?!" Erlea half shouted in disbelief, eyes wide.
"I don't know," said Sweetie Belle, looking herself over for anything out of place. "... That was weird."
"Yes, it was," Danny chuckled. "Want to try again?"
"Yes," was the instant reply, all of the young filly's anxiety gone, replaced with eager curiosity.
"Alright," Danny smiled knowingly, and the both turned around to move back through the wall.
This time Sweetie Belle moved with a faster pace; so eager to try out this weird power she didn't even notice Danny let go of her back as she confidently phased through the wall.
Standing back up to his full height, crossing his arms, Danny had a winning smile as he watched the filly use her own powers without even knowing it.
"That is so weird," Sweetie Belle said as she emerged from the other side. "And how can I see without seeing anything?" she asked, looking up at Danny. "Wait… Danny?"
"Over here," he said, the smile audible in his voice.
"Whu… What?" Sweetie Belle looked around, then stepped around the wall fragment to see Danny stand beside Wind Chill.
"Guess this power comes easier to you than you thought it would. Don't you agree, Wind Chill?"
"Indeed it does," he agreed enthusiastically. "The young spirit just required the confidence of knowing you were there with her, and everything else came naturally."
"Whu… But I… you… What?!"
"You were too busy second guessing everything, including yourself that you made it impossible for yourself to use your intangibility," Danny explained. "Part of that comes from the problems you had with it before all of this, no doubt. And what happened earlier didn't help either. You just needed the confidence to see past all that, which is all I did. You did the rest."
"You mean I went intangible without even knowing it?"
"Certainly seemed like it. But why not try it out again, just to be sure. And remember, you did already do it once."
Sweetie Belle stood silent for a moment, stunned. Eventually she turned back to the destroyed wall, lifted up a hoof, and pressed it against the stone.
A gasp escaped her when she met no resistance and saw her hoof simply phase through the solidity of the stone.
She quickly pulled her hoof back, looked at it, then tried again with the same result; a chuckle escaping her, which soon grew into genuine laughter as she continued to play with her newfound control of her power.
Letting her play around with her intangibility, Danny moved to Erlea and Abella; the two changelinks watching Sweetie Belle with a mixture of surprise, confusion, worry, and perhaps even a bit of envy.
"If you want, I could extend my intangibility to you two. Let you experience it yourself."
"No way," Erlea shook her head. "All of this stuff is just too freaky."
"I'd like to try," Abella stepped forwards, an eager glint in her eyes while her friend looked at her as if she'd gone crazy.
"Okay," Danny chuckled, lowering himself as he extended a hand. "I do need to try something first, though. I have not really used my intangibility on anyone except Sweetie Belle, and the changelinks I freed from Canterlot. And while Sweetie Belle has these powers herself, Magic and spectral energy are hostile opposites and I can't say for certain it won't affect you in any way. " He then released a weary sigh. "Nor were those I freed in any state to say one way or the other, so I want to make sure this actually works. Is that alright with you?"
"Ehh… okay," Abella replied, now a bit less certain.
"Good. Just let me know if anything feels weird or wrong, and I'll stop," he reassured her and placed his hand on her back just below the wings to avoid touching her bandages.
Only a second passed where Danny channeled his powers, and Abella let loose a pained hiss, quickly pulling away while the startled human did likewise.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Erlea rushed to her friend.
"That… Ghnn… That hurt… a lot"
"I wasn't expecting this to happen," said Danny, looking at his hand.
"What happened?" asked Sweetie Belle, quickly joining the group after hearing Abella's pained hiss.
"I tried using my intangibility on Abella, but it somehow hurt her. It has to be the difference between her magic and my spectral energy."
"Really?" Sweetie Belle looked surprised. "But I did use my intangibility on Apple Bloom and Scootaloo a few times… Before I knew how to use it. They never said it hurt them."
"... And you have magic as well," Danny said, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
"Eh, yes?"
"Hmm…"
"I feel we both are suspecting the same, Great One," Wind Chill spoke up.
Standing back up, Danny looked at the giant. "She is an intermediary."
"I'm a what?"
"An intermediary," Danny repeated. "It's only a guess, but it would explain quite a lot. Especially considering the fact magic and spectral energy are hostile opposites, yet you possess both. It would probably also explain the problems with your intangibility up until this point."
"…What?" Sweetie Belle shook her head, completely lost.
"Young spirit," Wind Chill said. "The Great One, and I suspect that you, possessing both kinds of energy, may act as a bridge between these two powers. Using both without ill effect, whereas young Abella just showed a strong negative reaction when Danny tried to use his intangibility on her."
"... And what does this mean?" asked Sweetie Belle
"It may mean you are able to use your abilities on other magical beings without any problems. Though no way to know for certain unless we try, though I am hesitant to do so again. Especially considering that, if it is indeed like this, those I freed back in Canterlot suffered quite a bit, but lacked any strength and consciousness to express this," Danny explained, chin in hand and a finger curled over his lips as he thought; a troubled frown crossing his features. "Unless," he looked at both Erlea and Abella, "either one of you is willing to help try this out with Sweetie Belle's help."
All three fillies were taken aback, with Sweetie Belle looking up at Danny with wide eyes, while the rapid twitching of Abella and Erlea's ears showed they were having an avid discussion on this matter.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Danny?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I'm not sure if I can use my intangibility on others like that just yet."
"You won't have to. Invisibility should work as well, which you have already mastered. Right?"
"Right," she answered, already more at ease.
"Good," Danny nodded. "All of this is a test as much for me as it is for all of you, to find out what's what, and to determine the rules we have to work with. Back in my world, I pretty much had free reign with my powers, but here, with magic involved, the rules have obviously changed somewhat."
"I guess that makes sense," Abella commented with a noticeable tone of unease. "So, ehh… Guess we should try this out," and she carefully held out a hoof.
"No," Erlea cut in abruptly. "You're still healing from those wounds, and I'm not going to let you take such a risk again. What if this time hurts even worse?"
"So you do it instead?"
"I- ehh…"
"You really don't have to if you don't want to do this," Danny reminded them. "There are other ways I can-
"No," Erlea said firmly, shaking her head, then releasing a deep sigh. "No, I'll do it. Guess I have to start trusting Sweetie Belle at some point. Might as well be now."
Standing as tall as she could, a few inches taller than Sweetie Belle, Erlea looked at the ivory pony and held out a hoof.
"Let's just get this over with."
Taken aback for only a moment, Sweetie Belle stood tall as well, giving a confirming nod, then grabbed the offered hoof with her own.
"Well, are you going to do this thing, or what?" Erlea said after only a few seconds.
"I already am..." said Sweetie Belle.
"You are? Then why am… I… oh…" she faltered as she took a look at her extended leg, and was unable to see anything.
Inspecting further quickly revealed that the rest of her body had vanished as well.
"WHAT!?" she shouted as she pulled away, the invisibility breaking the moment she let go of Sweetie Belle while she fell to the floor as her legs got tangled up with each other.
"Are you alright?" asked Danny while helping Erlea back onto her hooves.
"I… I guess."
"Good," Danny breathed a sigh of relief. "And I take it from this you didn't feel anything?"
"...No, I didn't."
"From an outside perspective, it also appeared to be just a regular extension of one's abilities to another," Wind Chill interjected.
"Hmm," Danny hummed, thinking.
"This does confirm our suspicion, but still…"
"But still, what?" Abella asked, surprisingly intrigued.
"Back in the classroom, I used my powers to keep Chrysalis from falling without any ill effect. Question is, why did nothing happen there, while you had a clear negative reaction?"
Both Abella and Erlea looked at one another, shocked at this realization.
"On the flip side," Danny continued, "I have been subjected to a similar thing when Twilight used her levitation on me. Nothing bad happened there, either, but I did feel a strange tingling sensation while in her magic."
"Perhaps I can shed some light on this problem," Wind Chill said. "When we ghosts channel our power into another through direct contact, the entirety of their being is affected. Whereas, if we use certain skills which do not require physical contact, such as telekinesis, those subjected to this are affected merely superficially."
"That… actually makes a lot of sense," said Danny, and he looked at his hand, flexing it. "The few times I used my telekinesis, there was a noticeable weight behind it. Nothing like making something or someone fly through touch."
"I do believe this is where I should mention I did possess both of young Apple Bloom's siblings without any hindrance," Wind Chill added.
"And both my shadow and I once possessed the same manticore. Which is a magical creature as well. Not in the same way as the ponies or changelinks, but still it does contradict what we just established."
"Perhaps. Or maybe not," Wind Chill said with a rumble in his voice, scratching at the fur under his chin. "There is much we still do not know, and there could very well be some effect of this possession we have yet to discover."
"True," Danny agreed. "But still… I really don't like all these open questions."
"Neither do I, Great One."
"And there is one other thing I wonder about," Danny said in a mutter, and he aimed a blue glowing hand at a small chunk of rock, freezing it solid.
"Erlea, could you please hit that ice with your magic? A mere spark will do."
"Ehh… why?"
"I fear I may have unintentionally left those ghost hunters in the forest trapped in a two stage trigger bomb without knowing it. And I really, really hope I am wrong about this. So, please use your magic on that ice."
"Eh… okay," Erlea said hesitantly, her horn beginning to glow weakly while both Danny and Wind Chill watched the frozen stone with grim set faces.
With a flicker of her horn, a small spark of magic was released; lazily flying at its target.
Then it struck, and in a flash, the ice exploded in a shower of steaming water and small pieces of stone.
"Wind Chill," Danny said, voice low and dark. "We need to be very careful with where and how we use our powers. Lives may very well depend on it."
"Indeed it does, Great One," the shaken giant agreed without objection, all watching the small shower of water and stone rain down before them.
"Indeed it does."
<<>><<>><<>>
To say the discovery just how volatile magic and spectral energy interacting with each other was a shock would be an understatement, as both Danny and Wind Chill now understood a simple touch could potentially spell disaster to all involved.
But the fact that despite this power struggle between energies, Sweetie Belle possessing both also showed a balance could be found between the two extremes.
Add to that the revelation given by Astina that both Celestia and Luna were 'soul stained'; part ghosts like himself and Sweetie Belle, but different, and all new kinds of questions formed about Sweetie Belle's true potential.
For now, though, those questions were pushed back until such times the aforementioned filly would be ready for it.
She still needed to learn so much. Both her, and Erlea and Abella as well.
As such, the three fillies and Wind Chill followed Danny as he made his way over to the tunnel leading back outside, then walked past it and headed for what seemed to be a collapsed wall.
"Why are we going this way?" asked Erlea as she looked at the ancient debris.
"You know what is behind this, don't you?"
"Of course I do. We all do. Which is why I ask why we are going this way."
"Eh, what's behind what?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"This pile of rocks and dirt is covering the original entrance to this city," said Danny. "The changelinks deliberately collapsed it some time after Celestia's… mistake."
"What, why?"
"It's where our ancestors used to live," Abella answered, looking at the ancient rubble with mixed emotions. "And it is the path down here the ponies of Yoke knew of. After… that happened, some of the ponies tried to reason with your princess. They, and all changeling… ks with them were never seen again. And not knowing what Celestia may have forced out of them, our ancestors collapsed numerous tunnels in our original home in the hopes that, should Celestia go search for us, all she would find was a collapsed, abandoned burrow."
Sweetie Belle was shocked beyond words, and even Wind Chill, while more composed, couldn't stop his disgust from showing.
"Yes," Erlea muttered. "So I'll ask again. Why are we here?"
"To learn from the past," Danny answered, reaching out at the rubble with a glowing hand; the stones beginning to glow and slightly shift in response. "To reclaim what is yours," his eyes began to burn a bright green, obscuring his iris and pupils in the glare while a rumble was felt through the floor. "And to restore the dream of your ancestors!" he shouted, closing his hand in a fist and pulling it back forcefully.
With a burst of toxic green, the pile of stone blocking the long abandoned tunnel all but exploded away as Danny flung them down the depths of the chasm the city hung above as dry, stale air mixed with a cloud of dust slammed into them.
After a rough bout of coughs and sneezes, the dust had settled and the once sealed tunnel now lay before them.
"Right," Danny muttered, looking into the darkness. "Wind Chill, these tunnels will be cramped for you, but it should be manageable should you join us."
Bending down to get a better look, Wind Chill gave a rough grunt.
"I don't think that would be wise, Great One. While it seems possible for me to traverse this passage with some difficulty, it is impossible to tell what lies beyond. And in all probability, I will most likely end up blocking both myself and all of you should I join you into there."
"Fair enough," Danny nodded. "Then why not take a break. You've been working hard cleaning up all that debris, so you've earned as much. There are still some apples left, and there's plenty of water, so go and take it easy for a bit. We both know such opportunities don't come around often."
"No, they do not," Wind Chill had to agree with a deep sigh. "Very well, I shall take your advice and rest. But do not hesitate to call for me should anything happen."
"You'll be the first to know," Danny gave a nod, which Wind Chill returned, then left.
Watching the giant return to the city, Danny took a deep breath, then returned his attention to the reopened tunnel.
"Okay," he said, holding up a hand and making it glow to act as a torch in the darkness. "Let's go."
Moving into the tunnel, all three fillies stayed behind, watching as Danny progressed, green light illuminating the rough walls.
Sweetie Belle was the first to follow, quickly catching up with Danny as he stood before an incline, looking back over his shoulder at Erlea and Abella.
"You two coming?"
Abella and Erlea looked at Danny and the tunnel he stood in, not quite sure how to feel to enter such an important yet unknown part of their own history, and their ears twitched rapidly in fervent conversation.
Eventually, they stopped, looked at one another, nodded, then set hoof into their ancestors' burrow.
Both fillies paused then and there as a profound sensation washed over them.
It had only been a step forwards, but in doing so they had also begun their journey of rediscovery and reclamation and they knew everyling, no everylink in the Hive was following them.
Even the Murgrona shimmered as the living memories of their ancestors observed this momentous event.
Slowly, the two took another step forwards, then another, and another. Sensing the presence of their long gone ancestors, feeling the dedication in their work as they moved past the hewn walls until they joined Danny and Sweetie Belle; neither saying anything, and a knowing nod from Danny was all that was needed as they continued onwards into their lost legacy.