//------------------------------// // The Return // Story: Ghost Busting 2 // by Edguy0009 //------------------------------// "Two years, that's how long it's been since that eventful day." Makuta Kratus said, remembering the fight that led to his brief forced exile to an Equestria that a friend of his called a Unique Timeline, something that he quickly locked-down to prevent it joining other countless lost ones after retrieving him, but not before allowing him to send a Phase Dragon that he managed to recreate as a congrats for Apple Bloom on gaining her cutie mark, yet something drew his attention back there despite him usually visiting or observing a dimension once and when his friend locks down a dimension. Nobody can enter or even influence it unless they have a connection already established to it, something the Makuta doesn't have, but he felt the urge to return. Well, the MAA is up and awake so… He thought, heading to the lab before a large purple, biomechanical scorpion called a Nui-Jaga pounced on him from her perch and chittered happily. "Okay girl, nice to see you too." He told the biomechanical scorpion who got off the Makuta allowing him to go to the lab where the portal device lay, only for a portal to open before he opened the door. "Come here!" His friend growled, grabbing the Makuta by the arm and pulled him in with the Nui-Jaga jumping in after. "What'd I do?" Kratus asked his friend, only for the deity to point a finger at the doorway that had nothing wrong with it. Then he noticed the line attached to the door ...aaand found that it led to him. …  "Oh." She was confused. First a hand came out of a portal and grabbed her friend with her following after then her friend found out that he had a line connecting to a door after his friend spoke to her friend, before they discussed something. "Do you how hard that's making my job?" Samuel asked. "No, because you're the one who's the expert on this sort of thing, not me, remember?" "It's making my job harder because… something's calling you back." "And you can't find the source?" "No, I locked it down tight enough that I can't influence the universe so I can't find the cause on my own." Samuel replied, shaking his head, "So, I need someone else to do it." "That someone being me to go in, find the cause and neutralize it should it be a threat thanks to the connection I have." "Precisely." Samuel said, opening a portal to grab the Makuta's trusty swordstaff and Midak Skyblaster and used his power on the former, turning it into a sword with a white stone in the crossguard, "You know the drill when it comes to changing weapon forms." "That I do, your elderliness." Kratus said, irritating the deity, who opened a portal to the Unique Timeline using the connection Kratus had. "WOOOOOOORTH IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" The Makuta shouted as his friend used his power to shove him through the portal and closed it. The Rahi looked at the deity, who noticed a connection to the dimension their shared friend went forming for the Rahi. "You want to go and follow him, don't you?" He asked the Rahi, who chittered an affirmative, "He cannot guarantee your safety if you follow him, I cannot bring him home until his task is done with the same applying to you, and I don't know how long that will take" He said, hoping that would change her mind as she considered the deity's words before chittered again, this time in a manner that suggested that she could stay some place safe while her friend goes into danger, "That is acceptable." He said before, giving her the gift of divine protection, meaning that until he removes it, nothing can kill her or even force her to do something against her will as he had sneaking suspicion that someone other than him was observing the Makuta before reopening the portal, allowing the Rahi to follow her friend. Eternal Rest was about to speak before a portal opened with them hearing a voice that most haven't heard in a year. "-ORTH  IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT" The Makuta said, flying out of the portal onto the ground with thud, the Rahi following shortly before noticing the other ponies, including the ghosts, causing her to ready her tail for action with the Makuta noticing after sitting up. "It's okay girl, they're friends." He told the Rahi before Apple Bloom ran up to the Makuta and hugged him. "Good ta see ya again, big guy." She told the Makuta, "How ya been?" "Good to see you too." Kratus said, patting the filly on the head, "I've been doing fine for the past two years." He added, before noticing the looks of disbelief on gathered ponies' faces, "Something wrong?" "It's been a year fer us." Apple Bloom replied, causing the Makuta to place a palm on the face of his Kanohi. "Time differences, must be because of a friend of mine locking this dimension down or something." "Why would your friend lock the dimension down?" Little Ghost asked. "That's because this is a Unique Timeline. Something that's fragile, and anyone with the power to influence it from the outside." "Like your friend?" The ghost filly asked, earning a nod from the Makuta before he continued. "Can have a big impact on it by altering certain events, or outright destroying it." He replied, shocking the gathered ponies. "And because of how frail a timeline like this is, he locks it down, preventing anyone from influencing or entering it." "But you came back." Eternal Rest pointed out. "Only because something called me back." Kratus said, thanks to not trusting anyone with the information, hid the fact that he has a connection as a result, and he's there to look for the reason why, and if necessary, eliminate it. "Otherwise, the only thing I could do is observe it with it being the same for him." He continued as the Rahi cuddled up to him, resulting in the Makuta petting her. "Adding to what I said about someone destroying the timeline out of maliciousness, it's happened before to others." "H-h-how many?" Scootaloo asked. "The numbers are countless." Kratus replied, his face saddened by the fact before smiling, "But this timeline is among the countless others he saved." "Does your friend know who's causing the Unique Timelines to disappear?" Platinum Shoes asked. "Unfortunately, he doesn't know who's behind them, for the methods used to destroy them are alike but different at the same time." "How does he know that they're destroyed?" "That's because he can feel when they're gone as they release some kind of cry, and when he first entered his home, he heard the remains of the cries of the countless lost and it overwhelmed him." Kratus said, "But that's not something for us to worry about thanks to my friend, no?" He asked as his form shrank, the gather ponies nodding in agreement, with some of the Gem family curious about the Nui-Jaga, who relaxed but remained on guard before the Makuta spoke, having noticed it. "For crying out loud… no one here's gonna hurt ya." He told the Rahi, who hesitantly complied, "I swear, she's like this thanks to her unintentionally held in stasis for over three million years." The Makuta said with a sigh, "Now what were you going to say before we arrived?" He asked Eternal Rest, though something about her rubbed him the wrong way as she explained why she was there, something the Nui-Jaga picked up. "So, what have ya been up to for the two years in yer dimension?" Apple Bloom asked, as the Makuta (after the filly insisted) stayed with her family. "What I usually do." "Such as?" Applejack asked. "Making sure that millennia of work isn't undone by some idiot, while waiting for a day that finally came four years ago." "An' that would be?" Apple Bloom asked, earning a smile from the Makuta. "For my friends to awaken from their slumber, one that lasted for over three million years." He said with the Apple Family shocked at that. "Some friends of yer’s, takin' that long ta wake up, if I was there I'd give 'em a piece of my mind." Granny Smith said, earning a frown from the Makuta. "The event that caused them to sleep is something I'm.... still healing from." "Why? Were ya the cause?" Apple Bloom asked. "No, but I took part and lost a great deal of friends with a ruined planet, resulting in me, and some other friends that are no longer around to find a way to heal it afterwards." "This event sounds more like a war than anythin' else." Granny Smith said. The look in the Makuta's eyes gave her the answer she needed. "I don't know about y'all, but from what I gathered. Makuta's been a great friend to make sure that his friends had a home they could wake up to." Applejack said, her family nodding, "Even if it took 'em millions of years to wake up." She added, turning to the Makuta who chuckled. "They could've woken up after the planet recovered, it just wasn't time for them to wake up, for there was a prophecy that required them to awaken when the time came." "I remember that ya telling me that I have a greater power await'n me thanks ta a vision." Apple Bloom began, earning a nod from the Makuta, "Is that how ya knew about this prophecy of yers?" "No, a friend of mine revealed it to me before he entered his slumber." Kratus replied, "While I do have visions of the future, they're often too vague for me to know what they mean immediately." "Well, prophecy or not, the fact ya waited for the right time for them to wake up, shows yer a friend that Twilight Sparkle would be proud of." Applejack said, earning a laugh from the Makuta, "What's so funny about what I said?" "It's just that the Twilight Sparkle I know actually said that three years ago!" Kratus said before the stomachs of the Apple Family grumbled. "Well, time fer us to get dinner ready." Granny Smith said, "Little Blossom, could ya get our guest a plate?" She asked the youngest Apple, "What do yer kind eat, anyway?" She asked the Makuta. "Don't need any, same with drink and rest." He replied, causing Apple Bloom to pause. "And why's that?" She asked, only for the Makuta's eyes to close as he slumped over, worrying the family, though Apple Bloom looked at the greenish black mist leaving the Makuta with suspicion before she smiled, remembering something the Makuta said a year ago, "That's yer Antidermis!" She said, before she, along with the rest of her family heard the Makuta speaking in their minds. "Bravo!" He said, as his Antidermis returned to his armor, causing his eyes to open, "That's what makes up my kind, though I'll admit that we used to have organic components like you. Meaning that we needed sustenance and rest." "And since yer jus' Antidermis now, ya don't need any of that stuff." Apple Bloom said before putting a hoof to her chin in thought, "But then, what do ya do durin' the night?" "Lots of things, but mostly looking at the stars for relaxation and to help me get clarity for my visions with meditation to help in that task when I do get a vision." Kratus replied, "Now then, what's for dinner?" "But ya said that ya don't need food." Big Mac said. "Doesn't mean I can't help make the food." Kratus countered, plasma surrounding his hands to kill any microbes, "Now, what can I do to help?" He asked, before helping make dinner with it starting shortly after, though as the Apple Family ate, Diamond Cup entered, "What's wrong?" He asked, noticing the look on the face of the ghost. "The ghosts of the valley, they suddenly turned hostile! Somepony took control of them, and they captured Smart Spirit!" "Wait, a minute! Did ya say that somepony took control of ghosts?" Applejack shouted. "This is what I could feel! They also tried to take control of me, but I was able to escape the valley before I was!" Only a skilled necromancer or a Lord of The Dead can do that. Kratus thought, frowning as Applejack went to warn the others and prepare for departure, though, when the time came. Despite the fact that the Makuta halved his size, he couldn't fit in the vehicle with him transforming into a Rahi he called a Lohrak, though he warned the ponies not to touch the skin due to it being poisonous with Fluttershy backing away before she entered the caravan with the Makuta's Nui-Jaga following until the cave with her chittering in sadness, unable to follow her friend who turned back into his half-sized Shadow Titan form, and followed the filly into the portal, his weapons ready, though what they first encountered was something… unexpected, a mouse with a key with Apple Bloom at Fluttershy's suggestion asking it to hand it over with the Makuta rolling his eyes, "I'll deal with this." "And how are ya gonna do that?" Apple Bloom asked, only for the mouse to freeze. And as if hearing an unheard command, released the key and scampered off with the filly looking at the Makuta in curiosity. "Rahi Control, an ability that allows me to control animals to do anything I command them to, including… ending themselves." He said, Fluttershy gasping at the last part, "But until now, I've only used it to redirect their attention elsewhere when they're hostile, or to calm them down." He added, with the buttery pegasus sighing in relief before the duo entered the mansion with various decor including a pair of armor, both eyeing them suspiciously before entering a garage with two ghosts working on a carriage before spotting the duo before the two captured them before the armor from before approached with green ghosts inhabiting them, both holding swords in their mouths, "Hey!" Kratus said, catching the attention of the two ghosts, "How about you fight a pro?" He added, readying his blade as the two ghosts looked at each other before deciding on facing the Makuta who never gave them a chance to strike as he knocked the swords out their mouths and beheaded the armor allowing Apple Bloom to capture the ghosts inside. "You two rock!" Rainbow Dash said with Pinkie Pie agreeing. "Please, they weren't on my level of skill in swordsmanship. Only my brothers and a friend of mine can give me problems." Kratus said, brushing off the praise as if it was nothing, with Apple Bloom having the same sentiment as they explored the place and spotted a doghouse from a mudroom. "Say, about this friend of yers, is he like you?" Apple Bloom asked with Twilight Sparkle curious. "In that he's a Makuta or a biomechanical being? No, he's an organic like you, and our personalities have nothing in common, I doubt we have anything in common, other than our interest in other dimensions. Not mention he's a god while I'm not." "How long have ya known each other?" "Since the time before I was who I am now." Kratus replied, remembering a life he lived eons ago, and could never return to. "That makes the two of you around the same age, right?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "No, he's way older." "How old is he?" "He's lived the lifetime of countless universes," Kratus replied, the ponies' jaws dropping in disbelief, "Yeah, I had the same reaction." He said before they heard the voice of his friend. "Way to make me feel like an old man!" "Well, I am younger than you." "Touché." His friend said after a few seconds of silence with Twilight speaking again. "Then, why aren't you dead?" She asked, hoping the Makuta's friend could hear her, only for the Makuta to answer for him, as the deity had returned to observing. "He's immortal and time has no meaning in his home." Kratus replied, "Don't ask me how that works, I can't wrap my head around it despite my age." He added, as Twilight opened her mouth as the Makuta and Apple Bloom approached the doghouse that had a ghost dog. "That dog isn't hostile, so don't attack it." Apple Bloom said before playing with the dog in order to retrieve the key it had, only for the canine to throw it into a nearby tree, but as the Makuta went to grab the key. "Boo!" A ghost said, jumping out of the tree with the filly capturing it while a second grabbed the key and flew into the manor before the Makuta could react with him grumbling in a tongue that his former self sometimes spoke in before dashing after the ghost who waited for him to arrive with Apple Bloom following with more ghosts appearing wielding various weapons with Makuta dealing with them first by bonking them on the head, allowing Apple Bloom to capture them along with the others before they reentered the manor again, entering a hallway with four possessed suits of armor that the Makuta dealt with by using his magnetism to rip off the helmets of two of them and using his shadow ability to smash the other two together, disorientating them with confusion for good measure, allowing the filly to capture them and to prevent any further possession, the Makuta fused armor pieces together using his sonic and magnetic powers with the duo entering a two story room at the end of the hallway with a pair of doors and fountain with gears operated by a crank, though the filly decided to enter one of the rooms, that held a pair of ghosts taking a bath that the filly captured without the aid of the Makuta before the two entered the other door that led to an L shaped hallway with the two entering the lab with eight ghosts, that engaged the duo with the Makuta acting as mobile cover for the filly, while stunning some of the ghosts with electricity from his sword or using fear, allowing Apple Bloom to capture them allowing them to look for clues about the whereabouts of the professor with a map that showed secret passages the only one. Then they found a message. "Either they have the intelligence of a Sand Snipe, or they set a trap." Kratus said. "A Sand Snipe wouldn't happen to be one of them Rahi of yers?" Apple Bloom asked, earning a nod from the Makuta. "And when they see a pool of Liquid Protodermis, they dive right in and drown themselves." "And nopony tries to save them?" Fluttershy asked. "Their deaths are immediate as they're tiny insects, and they were pests to the Matoran." Kratus replied, rolling his eyes as he and Apple Bloom returned to the foyer, only for a red minotaur ghost to pull of the crank to the only way to the cellar and fly away with it, with the Makuta failing to stop it, with three more red ghosts taking the gears, "Okay, I was wrong, they're more intelligent than a Sand Snipe." He said, changing into a mouse-like Rahi he called an Air Gafna, with Fluttershy squeeing at the sight despite the weapon attached to the tip of the tail allowing the Makuta to enter the secret passageway that contained a key and hole in the wall that let them find what blocked them from entering the studio, "I could create an Elasticity or Shapeshifting Kraata to get the two ghosts to move the pile or slice my way in, but either option is undesirable, and we have more pressing matters to attend to." He told Apple Bloom telepathically who nodded in agreement with the two leaving the passage and headed towards the library with the Makuta reverting back and found the door locked, "Who puts a piano in a library?" He asked rhetorically before the two headed towards the patio that had a fountain, dead flowers and a statue of a stallion, along with the path to kitchen, with a trio of ghosts jumping out of the fountain with the Makuta punching them in the face allowing Apple Bloom to capture them and found the door to the kitchen with a blue ghost with a rolling pin chasing a green ghost with more ghosts amused with two grabbing a key from a nearby room under the stairs, the Makuta casually backhanding a ghost with Apple Bloom capturing it before heading back to the foyer, though went the filly attempted to climb the stairs, they turned into a ramp thanks to a blue ghost leaving it with a laugh before flying off with three more joining it with the duo capturing them after drawing them out of their hiding places with the two climbing the stairs and entered a hallway with a trap door leading to the rafters, the acquired key unlocking it and entered a parlor with one of the red ghosts that took the gears listening to music from a homophone before spotting them and attacking, with the Makuta delivering a cross punch followed by an uppercut before a one-two punch, knocking the ghost out long enough for Apple Bloom to capture it, resulting in it dropping the gear with Twilight Sparkle coming to get it. "You two are really impressive. Wish I could help more than I can." "It's okay. Thanks." Apple Bloom said. "Eh, this is just another day at the office for me." Kratus said, brushing off the praise before the princess teleported away. "Do ya face ghosts that often?" Apple Bloom asked. "No, but things happen often enough that it's become a routine for me." Kratus replied, shapeshifting into a Gafna once more, this time a Fire Gafna in order to enter the secret passageway that led to the lab and found more ghosts, including the one that took the crank and a green one with the disguised Makuta sending elemental energy at both ghosts before changing back and slamming the first into the ground with his Shadow Hand, stunning it long enough for Apple Bloom to catch them as the other ghosts recovered from the surprise attack with the Makuta tossing one of the remaining ghosts into the other, stunning them with Apple Bloom capturing them with Twilight taking the crank as the two left the lab to head back upstairs, with the stairs turning back into a ramp with the culprit appearing, another blue ghost that earned a bolt of shadow to the face from the Makuta's skyblaster for its actions. "Boom, Headshot!" He said, raising a fist before the ghost hid behind the couch with two more joining it and tossed various things at the duo with the Makuta acting as mobile cover that attacked the green ghosts that appeared, all getting a bolt of shadow to the face long enough for the filly to capture them allowing them to go to the second floor without opposition, heading into a bedroom with the filly accidently sending herself into wall courtesy of the bed with red ghost inhabiting the room noticing the Makuta and attacked, with Kratus sidestepping and delivering a blow to the back knocking the ghost onto the floor, and retrieved the gear with his magnetism as Apple Bloom recovered. "That was fast." She said, capturing the ghost as Twilight retrieved the gear. "There are times when I drag out a fight, and then there are times when I end it as it begins." The Makuta replied before the filly opened the trapdoor in the fireplace after extinguishing the flame with the Makuta phasing through using his density control, both entering the studio at the same time and dealt with the ghosts, the Makuta blasting both with his skyblaster allowing Apple Bloom to capture them before the two of them laughed at the painting with Pinkie Pie laughing along, "I can remember the times I drew glasses on the Celestia and Luna I know while they slept." "Those ghosts are so funny! Even if they're meanies." Pinkie Pie said. "Someone's controlling them, I intend to find out who and deal with them appropriately." Kratus said. "Yippee! And I will do silly pranks with them." The party mare said with the other bearers unamused, before Twilight teleported away with the last gear before returning with the other two gears and the crank, telling them that she'll remain with them to repair the mechanism before moving the pile out of the way and heading back into the foyer to repair the mechanism. "So many targets, so little time." Kratus said when ghosts appeared to stop them, most earning bolts of shadow or electricity to the face as the Makuta covered Twilight Sparkle. "Anypony else find it odd that the big guy hits the target every time?" Rainbow Dash asked, the others agreeing. "Having an ability that makes it so that I can hit my target every time helps." Kratus said. "Well, that explains it." Apple Bloom said before Twilight announced she's testing the mechanism after repairing it with it working as expected with Twilight readying the girls with the two heading up the stairs to the elevator. "Of course they'd lock it." Kratus said with a sigh, with the others grumbling about that fact, forcing the two heading to the balcony where there was another blocked door. "Couldn't ya use yer density control and unblock the door?" Apple Bloom asked. "I could, but then we might not find the key we need." "Good point." Apple Bloom said before the two found the dining-room door blocked with ghosts drinking wine. "I don't get why others would want to drink something that does damage to the body thanks to a certain ingredient." Kratus said. "It can do that?" Rarity asked, surprised at that fact. "Even in moderate amounts, but if they want to damage their body, it's their funeral and said ingredient happens to be alcohol." "Well, when you put it that way." Rarity said before Apple Bloom and Kratus headed up the ladder, finding two possessed suits of armor, one with a spear, the other with an axe, with the Makuta rolling his eyes and used his mastery over the shadows to smash the two together, dazing the green ghosts within allowing Apple Bloom to capture them while Makuta turning to an Air Gafna and crawled up the ceiling both finding that the piano in the library playing itself before a red ghost appeared with the transformed Makuta warding the ghost off with elemental energy, finding that air is very effective against it and made a mental note to use vacuum and cyclone more often whenever possible while Apple Bloom caught the ghost after retrieving the key with the two returning to the lobby and after the Makuta changed back entering the library, with them entering the dining room, only for the ghosts to start throwing food at them along with the silverware, though that proved to be pointless as the Makuta used his stasis field or slow abilities on them, while using dodge to evade ones he missed, unfortunately that meant Apple Bloom couldn't use him as mobile cover, but he proved to be enough of a distraction that she could pick off the ghosts one by one, with the room cleared shortly with the Makuta moving the junk pile blocking the door to the balcony and used using the dumbwaiter to enter the kitchen, though Kratus phased through the floor with the two clearing the kitchen of the ghosts and removing the junk pile blocking the door to the patio, allowing them to enter the first floor the library, with three orange earth pony ghosts with large heads and the brains to go with them floating around, laughing while looking down on the duo like a bunch of stuck up nobles. Ugh, I hate stuck ups. Kratus thought before the three ghosts threw books at them with the filly dodging and the Makuta taking the hits before the ghosts disappeared into the walls with Apple Bloom locating one with her device, I wonder where I can get one. He thought, unable to do a thing until the ghosts appeared. His help in this fight was unnecessary as Apple Bloom caught them all, with the final key dropped, with Twilight ready to teleport her friends to the elevator, though they encountered more ghosts, the two made it to the lobby with Twilight and friends appearing, though before they went to the elevator after recovering, Fluttershy spoke with the Makuta. "Um, Mister-" She began, only for the Makuta to interrupt. "Kratus. Makuta, it doesn't matter what you call me, just don't add mister in front." "Makuta, that scorpion creature." "Nui-Jaga." "Well, I don't know how to calm her down, she's upset about something." "She's either hungry or wanting to see me. Possibly wanting some attention, if she's hungry, she needs meat, if it's the latter two, then she's out of luck if she wants to see me, but if she wants some attention, if you pet her, she'll calm down." Kratus informed the buttery mare. "I'll try those methods." She said before the Makuta shapeshifted into an Air Gafna and followed Apple Bloom and Twilight into the elevator. With it plummeting below until it reached a platform with stairs to the cellar with the alicorn bringing the rest down before they proceeded to the cellar after they recovered, and found the professor in a cocoon of shadow, irritating the Makuta for their usage in that way, before a certain ghost appeared. "Oh, it's the whiner again. You gonna go on another rant about how unfair life treated you before you're given the beatdown that you deserve?" Kratus said, only for Pyrite to say otherwise before disappearing after summoning a creature called a Death Widow, with Twilight and friends trapped in a cage of bones, So, a Lord of The Dead is behind this. Now the question is, how powerful is the Lord of The Dead? He thought, crossing off necromancer as the culprit's voice spoke to the Mane Six with the fight starting. "Think that Rahi Control of yers can effect them?" Apple Bloom asked the Makuta. "Not as effective as another power." Kratus replied, using his insect control on them with limited effectiveness, "Something's diminishing the effectiveness of my ability to control insects." He said, much to the confusion and dismay of the ponies, "That means we're going to have to do this the hard way." He added, unleashing his vacuum ability against the swarm with the filly using her device to suck up others and revealed the Death Widow, the Makuta switching the ammunition of his skyblaster to light for greater effectiveness against the creature and hammered away, Hmm… this is proving to be a challenge. He thought, noticing the limited effectiveness of the bolts of light, as Apple Bloom used her weapon of choice against the creature with the Makuta dealing with the spiders with his chain lightning or disintegration as the creature dragged the filly around, a process that repeated several times, the duo dividing its attention with the capture of the Death Widow, though the Professor was dead before they could rescue him, though as the ponies were saddened, the Makuta, while also saddened, was angered as they left the mansion, though he paused for a second, feeling like someone was watching him and turned around, "I know you're behind this, Lord of The Dead. And when I'm done here, I will find you. Then I. Will. Make. You. Pay."