//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Ghost Busting 3 // by Edguy0009 //------------------------------// What an interesting few months here this has been. Kratus thought while sitting, remembering why he was in this unique timeline and some of the things he helped invent, including an improved version of a device that lets one turn into a state like a ghost without dying with said improvement based on his density control that he revealed he can use it on others thanks to practice with him adding said ability to it, though it's limited to inanimate objects while petting his Nui-Jaga friend who chittered in content despite his worry about what will happen next before shoving it to the back of his mind as he stood and headed towards Apple Bloom's mansion to help her work on a Poltergust, while thankful that his brothers took up his duties while understanding why he was there. "Hey Makuta, what's up?" Scootaloo asked, seeing the Lord and Master of Shadow enter the lab after looking up from her work. "The ceiling last time I checked." He replied, smirking at what he said as he grabbed a tool and helping make some adjustments, though before long Clean Order appeared and gave Apple Bloom a letter from Eternal Rest, the Makuta growing suspicious at both her and the invitation as Apple Bloom told Applejack who told her friends, but Nightmare Night came first with the Makuta participating to a degree such has scaring the foals and others in his Shadow Titan form by hiding himself before jumping out from the shadows and surprising them before returning to them, though he never appeared in the same spot twice in a row, with the festivities eventually ending with the Makuta having had his fun. The ride to the hotel was a quiet one other than the occasional conversation with the Makuta remaining silent as he traveled as a Stone Gafna, and once they approached the hotel, he stared at it, with him changing back to his Shadow Titan form with a reduction in height while suspicious even as Eternal Rest greeted them before they headed towards their rooms, his rather spartan with him meditating, reaching out through the shadows until he heard Rarity scream. "And so, the deception is revealed." Kratus said after Eternal Rest revealed everything after the hotel changed before the mare stuck a talisman inside Little Ghost that weakened her before she chuckled in amusement. "What's so funny?" Eternal Rest asked, confused. "The talisman isn't as effective as you hoped. Yes, it weakened me, but not to the point where I'm weak as a green ghost from the valley, I'm as strong as an orange ghost." "That shouldn't be possible!" "I have a certain deity to thank." Little Ghost said before she sent a wave out, not as powerful as it normally would be, but still packing a punch before Eternal Rest attacked with lightning with the Makuta countering with a wave of shadow from his sword that overwhelmed her lightning and struck her before unleashed a barrage of bolts of shadow from his skyblaster. "Run worm, run… You have only prolonged the inevitable." Kratus said as Eternal Rest fled before the Makuta could defeat her, but not before taking Scootaloo's ghost and causing the doors to the rooms of Element Bearers to disappear with the four heading down the laundry chute and landed in the laundry room with the Makuta having shapeshifted into a Stone Gafna to fit in the chute with him recovering before Apple Bloom and changing back, "Wake up Apple Bloom." He said at the same time as Little Ghost with assistance from Polterpup via the dog licking her causing her to slowly awaken. "Are y'all alright?" The youngest Apple asked them. Polterpup barked an affirmative and nuzzled the filly "I'm unharmed." Kratus said. "I'm still weakened by this stupid talisman in me." Little Ghost said, trying to get said talisman out. "Other than that, I'm fine. What about you?" "I'm alright too…" Apple Bloom replied with a sigh. "We'll save them." Kratus said, putting a hand on the filly's back, Little Ghost nodding in agreement before her expression became hesitant. "As for Scootaloo… Well, we'll save her ghost and… find something, like we did with Sweetie Belle and Applejack." "Wait. We?" Apple Bloom asked, looking at the ghost with the Makuta doing the same. "Of course!" Little Ghost replied, placing her front hooves at her sides, "We know that Thanatos can't control me." "That was before you were weakened." Apple Bloom protested. "Er… Maybe. But remember what Discord did. Even weakened, I should be able to resist. Besides, it's not like I'm safe anywhere. Thanatos already showed that he could get me no matter where I go, so I might as well remain here and help you! I'm a ghost hunter too, after all!" Little Ghost countered before hugging Apple Bloom while looking at Kratus, "Now the two of you won't be alone this time!" "Thank ya, Little Ghost." Apple Bloom said, hugging the ghost back with the Makuta shrugging as if saying whatever as the two fillies bumped hooves. "Now let's get our Poltergusts!" "And make Eternal Rest regret messing with us." Apple Bloom said before they left the room, though they found tables and shelves with bags of bits on them, with Little Ghost wondering why Apple Boom took some when she's already rich. "I'll have you know that gold has uses in electrical systems." Kratus said. "Never knew that before." Apple Bloom and Little Ghost said at the same time. "But where will you put it?" The latter asked. "I still have the magic pouch I used in the Gem Manor. It must still be in the caravan. It's now linked to the treasury in my manor." Apple Bloom said. "So, we're ransacking a five star hotel. You know what?" Little Ghost said, pulling a shelf, making it fall with everything on it. "I always wanted to do something like that!" She shouted with a wide smile before she frowned. "If only I wasn't weakened. It would be even funnier if I had all my powers. I could cut loose." She pulled another shelf. "That's for weakening me! You witch!" She added, causing Apple Bloom to laugh and make a deal. Kids. Kratus thought, shaking his head as the two fillies ransacked the place before they left with Apple Bloom carrying every bit and gem in a basket on her back with the place a mess, the Makuta got multiple ideas in his head and gave an evil smile with a mischievous look in his eyes that the two fillies didn't notice, though Samuel did and gave a groan while facepalming, knowing what the Makuta was usually thinking of when he gets that look. There wasn't much to the hallway connected to the elevator to the first floor and stairs, just some creepy pictures, trash cans and door to the left that led to the parking with said area empty except for a few carts with sheets on top, a generator and at the far end, was the caravan with the lights on and found Applejack and Sweetie Belle inside and informed them of what happened, with there now five ghost hunters with three of them adamant that they come with the Makuta not really caring with them heading the elevator useless at the moment, the five of them headed to the Grand Lobby and snuck up on five blue ghosts holding a conversation with the Makuta amused at them "preventing" the guests from escaping before Polterpup appeared from the door they nailed shut who barked to the hunters with the ghosts in disbelief. "Ah, laundry chutes, very useful for get aways if you don't want to or can't teleport or phase through walls." Kratus said, smirking with Sweetie Belle and Applejack informing the ghosts that they weren't in their rooms causing them to facehoof before they captured the ghosts during which they found something inside a statue, a corpse with them horrified except for the Makuta who clenched his fists as the others broke open the other statues. "They're petrified corpses." Applejack said. "There are foals among them." Sweetie Belle pointed out with Apple Bloom and Little Ghost saying something except for Kratus who remained silent. His hatred for Eternal Rest and Thanatos grew stronger along with the darkness within with each revelation. "This will not go unpunished." He growled. "Yer not gonna put her through what ya Pyrite through, are ya?" Apple Bloom asked, remembering how her partner tortured the ghost of the stallion. The look he gave her caused her to shudder. What did he do to Pyrite? The other hunters thought, before Applejack voiced said thought, something she would regret. "He… tortured Pyrite. His screams of pain and pleas for mercy? Makuta ignored them all with a look of hate in his eyes. I managed to stop him from going further than he did." Apple Bloom said, shivering at the memory. "If you stopped once you can stop him again." Little Ghost said before the group explored the lobby to search for a key after finding that a single door along with a pair of double doors were locked and found said key in an office and dealt with the blue ghosts that appeared found that it unlocked the double doors to a ballroom and found Twilight and Spike with them frozen stiff with The Steward talking to them and when he mentioned pouring cement on the two. "When Makika Toads fly." Kratus said, causing Steward turning around. "What?! Already here? Why are there five of you? I thought there would only be Apple Bloom, Makuta and the filly ghost!" "Ya have bad coordination in this hotel. Since Applejack and Sweetie Belle weren't in their rooms, they weren't captured." Steward looked around in panic, then grabbed a chair and threw it with the Makuta using disintegration on the chair, causing it to turn to dust with four of the hunters charging the stallion as he went to grab another chair with him swinging it around in a panic until the Makuta shattered it with his vacuum power with Little Ghost capturing the stallion who grabbed his hat after dropping it causing the buttons to the fifth and fifteenth floors to appear. "Don't even say it, hunting ghosts is only going to get harder." The Makuta said as Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to speak before the Makuta walked towards Twilight and Spike, still as statues, and waved his hand in front of their faces, trying to get their attention, "Hellooooo, anyone home? Or have you vacated the building? Say something." He said shaking them in an attempt to get them to move before stopping. "Hmm… hypnotized." "Eternal Rest probably did that to them with her powerful enough to do it." Little Ghost said. "They're ordered not to move. Remember, I used the same power." She added before the Makuta spoke. "Oh, I'll get them to move, Eternal Rest is likely not as powerful as I am." "What do you mean by that?" Sweetie Belle asked, earning a chuckle from the Makuta before Twilight Sparkle and Spike snapped out of their daze with them fainting. "Well… that never happened before." Kratus said, confused at the sight, "Normally, they'd be able to move as if nothing happened." He added before noticing the confused looks on the faces of the ponies, "A Makuta can enter the mind of others for various reasons, though the fact that used brute force to undo the mind control is likely the reason." He said before picking up Twilight and Spike, "Now come, we need a safe place to put them while we wait for them to awaken." He said before the group left the Ballroom, though, once they reached the second floor elevator… "Okay, I have a rag that can function as a feather duster on my right shoulder, and a lifelike dragon doll in my left hand. I wonder how much I can get for them?" He asked, earning looks from the ponies before they saw his smile with them unamused as they put the buttons where they were supposed to go before pressing the button to the first basement with them taking the unconscious duo to the caravan with Spike and Twilight awakening shortly. "Why does my head feel like something rummaged through it and caused a migraine?" Spike groaned. "That something was me." Kratus said, allowing Spike and Twilight to recover before they were informed of what happened, which didn't take long with them transferring the Eternal Rest's servants from the crystals inside the Poltergusts. Since they didn't know where else to put them, they used a yellow crystal since Eternal Rest works for Thanatos. Some of them may be controlled, though the Makuta had his doubts. "I can help, even though I can't face the ghosts, I can help like." Twilight said before the Makuta interrupted. "No, even though you can defend yourself with magic, they can overwhelm you as you have no way to capture them." "That's why I'll stay here." Applejack said with a frown, "I'd prefer remaining with ya, but Twilight and Spike are vulnerable without somepony ta capture the ghosts should they attack." She added with Apple Bloom nodding. "Don't worry sis, me and Makuta went through Evershade Valley. This hotel will be nothin', especially with the help of Sweetie Belle and Little Ghost." Apple Bloom said with the three fillies sharing a group hug while looking at Applejack, though Kratus on the other hand… Prepare for your end Eternal Rest, the shadows are coming for you. He thought as Apple Bloom talked to her friends and sister, though when after Sweetie and Spike made a skeleton joke, "I don't know about the rest of you, but Sweetie Belle seems to have bone to pick with Eternal Rest, and it's a good thing she's not a lazy bone." He said, smiling as Spike and Little Ghost laughed harder before the four of them headed to the first floor to continue exploring the ballroom by heading upstairs with Polterpup going ahead and found the dog biting a tail of a blue ghost that was spinning around trying to shake the dog off with five more blue ghosts laughing at the sight with one recording it. Stifling their laughter, the four of them struck with the Makuta aiding Sweetie Bell after discovering that she was a lightweight by nailing the two ghosts with his skyblaster with the undead filly thanking him as Apple Bloom and Little Ghost dealt with the others including the blue ghost that Polterpup let go of before the dog disappeared into the wall before heading up the stairs into the ballroom. "Next stop, the fifth floor." Kratus said after they dealt with the three chair-wielding ghosts and found that the left door was locked and decided to head to the fifth floor using the elevator with a blue ghost entering the elevator with Little Ghost capturing it before it attacked with them reaching the fifth floor shortly. The four of them decided that they would search the fillies' room first before going for the others with them stopping at Rainbow Dash's and found nothing but blue maid ghosts that they captured and a chest underneath the drain in room 502 with the Makuta facepalming at that as Spike made a remark with Applejack agreeing before the continued on their way after finding a key to room 508 and finding another chest they couldn't reach normally with the Makuta opting not to demolish the wall… yet as a conversation between the fillies started the Makuta found his attention diverted elsewhere with Samuel noticing and speaking quietly. "Don't worry, they're doing fine. A certain former agent of yours is visiting them even, keeping your Rahkshi in check while bringing hope to places that need it." He told the Makuta who sighed silently, remembering how a unicorn now a legend to Equestria came into his service millennia ago before retiring before the Makuta helped the fillies search the hall for a key, though they only found a secret door to the elevator shaft with mice and spiders coming out with Sweetie Belle jumping on Apple Bloom with the Makuta dealing with the spiders while saying exterminate before roasting each spider with electricity until Little Ghost discovered a secret path that led to a chest with said path leading to a chest along with a passage with a ladder that the group used and found a key, though spiders filled the path with the Makuta rolling his eyes at Sweetie Belle's reaction as a Fire Burnak and fried the spiders by unleashing pulses of fire energy with Apple Bloom reminding Sweetie Bell of her current state before they entered the laundry room after the Makuta changed back. With the blue ghosts still there ready to attack and punched Apple Bloom, Little Ghost, and Sweetie Belle, the latter lost her head. "Careful, don't get ahead of yourself and go risking your unlife and limb." Kratus told the filly, causing everyone there, including the ghosts to groan or facehoof before the latter ended up captured with one dropping the key to room 508, with a bored purple maid there who looked at them and panicked with the Makuta attempting to negotiate with the mare too scared to make a compromise with him sighing as the mare left with the group having to pursue her until 507 with two blue ghost maids with all three captured with a conversation starting with the group wondering what the mare meant about Eternal Rest having a collection.