EPISODE SIX
There was no way for Starfleet to keep it secret; all the civilians had to be informed of the evil creature.
More bills were posted around town, and world-wide announcements were made.
Starfleet hated to frighten everyone to death, it was better that they be aware of what was happening, and take cautionary steps to avoid danger.
More sentries were now assigned to night shifts around New Ponyville, and Princess Luna herself agreed to make spot checks herself.
Sad to say, a lot of civilians didn’t feel too safe and secure, especially little kids. They were afraid to go to sleep at night, worried that the “Monster” would come after them next.
Their parents were equally as concerned, not just for the children, but for themselves, and some would try and stay up all night to watch out for the creature.
Several of the fighters and their families were among them many that did, especially Pinkie. She looked as if she hadn’t gotten a decent night sleep in days, as was evident by her red eyes and her slight paranoia.
“No one’s going to hurt, my wittle Bisucy Wisky!” she cooed while smothering what she thought was her son.
“Um… honey…” called her husband, “I have Biscuit.”
Pinkie then realized she was smothering a bag of sugar. She felt embarrassed.
Cupcake and Carrot Cake sighed.
“There haven’t been any other attacks recently.” said Carrot Cake.
“Still…” added Cupcake “We can’t let our guard down, not while that… thing… is still out there.”
She looked in her wallet where she kept a picture of Pound and Pumpkin. The two of them were away at school right now, but she still thought of them, and worried about them.
Just then, Spike and Rarity came into the cafe with little Twilight Sparkle Scales, and they looked just as beat as Pinkie did.
“Good morning.” groaned Spike “Two hot cocoas please extra cocoa powder please.”
“Coming right up.” said Carrot Cake. He mixed the drinks and his wife served them, but Spike and Rarity nearly looked too tired to drink.
“Up all night, eh?” she asked.
Rarity nodded. “I couldn’t bear the thought of that creature coming after my family. I didn’t get a wink of sleep.”
“She’s not kidding.” yawned Spike. “She tried to do her sewing and accidently sewed a sheet to her bathrobe.”
Rarity gave him a stern look, and snuffed smoke out of her nostrils, making him shake nervously.
Little Twilight bounced gleefully in her carriage while shaking her rattle. “Mama…” she cooed.
Rarity and Spike cracked a smile at their little girl, and thought it amazing how she was well rested without a care in the world to what was going on.
Pinkie gave a huge yawn. “Whatever that thing is out there, I hope we can stop it and soon.”
She wasn’t the only one hoping this…
It had been three days, or nights since Swift Star first discovered the creature, while Swift neglected to try and scan it with his visor-- due to being justifiably preoccupied-- images shown from his memories sure helped.
They viewed the images of the creature, and how Swift kicked the chair at it, and it just passed right through the creature.
Then images were shown of it striking Swift’s arm, nearly putting him in the same critical condition Cheerliee had been through.
“It must be some sort of spectre.” suggested Lightning. “That would explain why it can’t be physically assaulted.”
“Or how it floats, or is able to slink about.” added Starla.
Krysta was more fascinated by the jars of magical residue obtained from victims’ homes, and the victims themselves, including Swift when he got hit-- the very residue that was also found on the school playground, and on a destroyed bench near Lil’ Fair’s neighborhood…
“So now we know this, ghost, or whatever is the one doing all this to ponies, but we still don’t know why.”
“It’s worse than that.” said Swift. “This thing even strikes in the daytime. Which means no time-- day or night-- is safe.”
Swift was studying the big board of victims who were attacked by the creature. So far there was just Cheerilee, and that mother and her two boys, as well as Soarina from the playground, and that punk from the bench…
…But so far, there was nothing to make any connections to her motive.
No leads…
Not many answers…
No further sightings…
Swift felt and looked very frustrated.
Starla placed a comforting hand on his back. “Swift, we know how you must feel. We’re just as worried for the people as you are.”
Swift sighed, “I just want to know what that creature really is. Why is it going about to drain the life force of adults and children?
Then maybe we could stop it, and the civilians could rest a little easier.”
Lightning agreed, worrying about all the restless people out there. “We will find answers, but… in the meantime, all we and the people can do is carry on with life. There’s no way we can just stop living, and keeping everyone cooped up in any kind of quarantine won’t help either.”
Krysta nodded, “I just hope the people aren’t getting too restless.”
*Mykan’s POV*
It was another day at school. Cheerilee was back, and we were both heading up all classes.
Some of our students were looking a bit tired, having lost a bit of sleep from being scared of the ghost out there.
Soarina especially; she was well enough to come to school after her bad fall, but her wing and her leg were in casts from being sprained.
Cheerilee and I felt just as scared, as did Cheerilee, being a victim herself.
That’s why we decided to invite special guests to speak to our class that afternoon before home time-- none other than our former students: the Cutiemark Crusaders themselves.
…Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and even DD.
We had gotten permission from their high school, and from Buddy Rose to allow them to lecture about being brave and strong during hard times. Who knew this better than the four of them, given their history of adventure and danger? DD especially since she was training to be in Starfleet, which meant a whole life of the stuff.
They explained about the time they had helped defeat Spike’s sister, Scaly, the Black Dragon Knight, and fight with me to save United Equestia from the evil Megadox as The Super Cyber Data Squad.
These days, as Cutiemark Crusaders, apart from DD training for Starfleet, the four of them still dedicated their lives to helping others-- help them learn right from wrong, or to promote awareness, or even how to stand during times of frightening danger.
At the end of the lectures, Cheerilee allowed the students to ask the Crusaders any relevant questions.
Melody raised her hand. “Crusaders, can you explain to us how you can possibly be so brave and rested at times like this?”
The Crusaders looked back and forth at each other…
“The truth is…” said Applebloom “We’re all just as scared as you are.”
The other girls nodded.
“We’re scared that something could happen any second,” said Sweetie “But if we spent every hour of every day worrying and living in fear, we’d never get anything done. We’d pretty much have no lives.”
“Totally.” agreed Scootaloo “Fear is what helps us find courage to deal with what scares us, or make tough decisions. Sometimes it even helps us to grow up into good, strong adults.”
All the students looked towards Lil, thinking she would fly grumble at the mention of “growing up” again, but she just sat in her desk. Her eyes were wide open, but she wasn’t moving, and barely making a sound.
DD could tell she was only half awake. Her Starfleet training taught her how to recognize expressions.
Cheerilee and I were worried about Lil. She had been struggling worse ever since Soarina had her accident in the playground. She looked as if she had been getting the least bit of sleep out of all the students.
We had brushed it off as she was simply as worried about the creature as any of our students, but also because she was still struggling with this obsession of refusing to grow up; hence another reason why we asked the Crusaders to the school.
*POV Pause*
They were only half correct.
By now, Lil was fully aware of what was going on. That ghost, or whatever it was, was making her do all these horrible things, and the worst of it always seemed to happen at night.
Even though Lil would always wake up with positively no recollection of the events, it was no longer impossible for her to deny that she, herself, was largely the cause of all these attacks.
She had no idea what to do about it. It wasn’t like she could just stop the spirit from controlling or using her, and she still trusted no grownup, especially not her overbearing father and her vacuous mother!
All she knew was the spirit worked its power whenever she got really angry at someone and glared at them; like when Soarina got hurt, and since the creature went on the prowl at night.
So for the past few days, Lil tried to time her sleep.
She would take small naps during the daytime. Her parents hardly ever watched her and couldn’t interrupt her. This was to help her stay awake all night long, and she would read or study or do anything not to fall asleep so the ghost couldn’t get her.
It also helped keep her a little too tired to care if anyone was mean to her.
Still, it didn’t seem to be doing her too good.
*POV Resume*
The bell rang, and Cheerilee dismissed the class.
All the students got up, and Soarina slowly limped her way to the door.
Lil was still in her seat. She was so tired she hadn’t really heard the dismissal.
“Lil’ Fair?” said Tee Base “Come on, it’s time to go home.”
“Oh… uh… gee…” Lil groaned in a weary tone.
“Uh, children…” I said to the kids. “You can just go. We’d like Lil to stay a while anyway.”
Cheerliee nodded.
Tee Base sighed, “I have batting practice anyway.”
“And I have a piano lesson.” said Melody.
Soarina only complained. “Speak for yourselves. I can’t even practice my racing because of these stupid casts.”
Cheerliee hushed her from speaking too loud. “That will be all, Soarina.”
The children left, and no sooner had they gone did Lil finally snap out of her trance.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Take it easy, Lil.” said Cheerilee.
Lil felt embarrassed for having missed the home calling, but then again why would she want to go home anyway.
“We’d like you to stay a little longer anyway.” I said. “The Crusaders would like to speak with you.”
The Crusaders each pulled up a chair and sat peacefully to show Lil she wasn’t in any trouble.
“We understand you have a little problem with growing up.” said DD.
Lil cringed softly, and looked upset.
Though she was tired, Lil managed to hang on all through the conversation, and say her piece.
“…That’s why I don’t want to grow up. To me, all those responsibilities, sacrifices, boredom-- I want nothing to do with it.
Growing up to me means losing far more than you gain, and given that I already lost a lot, you can see where I’m leaning from.”
The Crusaders found it very difficult not to see that. They remembered being her age, carefree, and just having fun and all that.
“You know, Lil,” said Sweetie “…Growing up doesn’t have to be all work, and boredom, and losing things as you think.
Growing up is all about how you make it and what you want from it.”
The other Crusaders agreed. “I may be working hard on the farm now,” said Applebloom “And I got school, and homework, but me and my family still have fun times and all that.”
“No joke.” said Scootaloo. “Rainbow Dash and I turn work into fun as we run and fly through obstacle courses.”
Lil was still not impressed, “Try telling all that to my dad.”
Even the Crusaders had heard about Sole Maker, and his hard work, bad attitude ways.
Before the conversation could continue, the doors burst wide open, and there stood Sole Maker, looking just as grouchy as ever.
“So here you are.” he said with an annoyed expression directed at Lil. “I should have known you had detention again.”
Cheerilee and I did not like the way he was behaving already.
“Sir, she is not in trouble.” Cheerilee said. “I gave Lil a note to give to you the other day.”
Lil admitted she didn’t actually give it to her father, but rather left it on his desk at home, in plain sight where he couldn’t miss it.
Sole Maker obviously hadn’t read it, or even seen it, because, once again, he was overly obsessed with his work.
“Let’s go home, right now!” he demanded. “You have a test to study for!”
I stepped forth in a threatening manner, but I made no attempt to harm him.
Sole looked me dead in the eye. “What do you think you’re doing?” he growled at me.
I narrowed my eyes furiously at him. “Telling you to “cool it”; that’s what.”
“Excuse me?”
Cheerilee stood next to me. “Sole Maker I think part of the reason…” she stopped and corrected herself “Make that a very large part of the reason your daughter doesn’t do so well is because of you.”
Sole felt most insulted. “Because of me?!” he balked. “That’s rich. That is completely wonderful. I like that.
It’s my fault she doesn’t try hard enough. It’s my fault she, like many other kids refuse to grow up and realize there are more important things to do in life besides waste away at frivolous activities!”
The Crusaders were growing cross too.
“Stop it.” snapped Applebloom.
“Yeah, what your problem?” asked Scootaloo. “Why do you have to be so “All work, and no fun” all the time?”
“She’s just a kid…” added Sweetie “She’s meant to be having fun and enjoying life as it is.”
Then DD threw in her piece. “Maybe you grew up working hard and thinking the way you do; we can’t help that. But what gives you the right to treat your own daughter like that? What gives you the absolute gall to insult all kids everywhere just because they don’t live to your standards?”
*POV Pause*
Lil couldn’t believe how much everyone was standing up for her, and actually spent the last hour being encouraging and trying to show support rather than being pushy or bullying most people like her dad would be.
*POV Resume*
Sole only looked visibly bored with all these lectures. “Are you all done yet? Because I’d really like to take my daughter home and catch up on work that I have missed in the past hour!
And shouldn’t you “Kids” get back to your studies?”
The Crusaders really felt Sole deserved more than just a talking to, but they were mature enough to know better than to try and do it, especially DD.
“Lil, let’s go, now!” Sole insisted.
Lil had no choice but to obey and went off with her father, but she couldn’t help but look back at us all while she headed out the door.
“Whoa! That guy really hates kids.” grumbled Scootaloo.
“Poor, Lil…” said Sweetie. “I can see now whys she’s so miserable all the time.”
Part of me wished I could press charges on Sole Maker for being neglectful, but as just an axillary Starfleet fighter, I had no such authority, not to mention he fact he still wasn’t really breaking the law.
“Isn’t there anything we can do for Lil at all?” asked Applebloom. “She looks like she really could use friends.”
That’s when all the Crusaders happened upon the same idea.
Cheerliee and I didn’t really have any objections, and we thought maybe it a good way to help Lil break out of her misery and make her realize that growing you wasn’t so bad.
“You could be… private tutors to her.” Cheerilee suggested. “You can show her there is a way to balance work and fun.”
The girls agreed, but then remembered…
“What about her pop?” asked DD. “He won’t like this idea one bit.”
Scootaloo scoffed, “Well if he wants trouble, we’ll give--” she stopped when Cheerilee and I gave her a small strict look not to get any ideas to get in real trouble.
The girls knew well better than to revert to their old crazy-stunts.
“And don’t you let this become an obsession either.” I said. “Remember, you still have your own responsibilities.”
The girls promised not to do anything too rash. They just wanted to help, and they knew just where to start.
*POV Ends*
They were given Lil’s address and went to her home near sundown.
The first thing they had to do was speak with Sole Maker, which they were already dreading and fearing they knew what his answer would be.
“…No!!” he thundered. “If Lil needs tutors I will get her one; an appropriate one for that.
Goodbye!”
He was about to slam the door in their faces, when DD blocked it with her foot. She felt hardly any pain thanks to her strength from training.
“We’re not done with you yet.”
Sole looked ready to burst with rage.
Scootaloo just had to say it, “Frankly, we think you’re a jerk.”
“You do…?” Sole said while leaning forward in a threatening manner.
“We do.” agreed Applebloom “And we aren’t the only ones. Your reputation as a worker may be astounding, but you’re forgetting what it means to be a decent being-- to have love and compassion for others, like your daughter.
It’s no wonder she can’t concentrate when you’re always pushing her around and demanding she be like you.”
Sole stomped his foot down hard, hushing the girls from further speaking to him.
“I will raise Lil whichever way I choose, and I say you will not tutor her, nor will you come anywhere near me or my daughter again.
If you make any such attempt, I will call the guards, and I will press charges against you, and your families for harassment!”
The girls, realizing he meant business and not wanting more trouble, they decided to leave, but Sweetie gave one more piece of mind to Sole.
“I actually hope you do call the guards on us, because then you’ll have to show them what “Loving” and “Caring” father you really are, and how you really feel about minors.”
Sole didn’t feel the least bit threatened and shut the door.
“Who was it, honey?” Lady Fair called from her bridge game in the living room.
Sole merely walked up the stairs calling back to her, “It was nothing.” followed by the door to his office slamming shut.
“Mmm… sounds like someone had a bad day.” said Shimmery.
“Never mind, that’s what husbands are for.” said Goldie Thread. “That’s why they marry us, so we don’t have to worry of all the bad and the chaos.”
All four of the mares laughed so inconsiderately; Lady especially. “Oh, life was so simple before Lil came into our lives. We had plans, but they had to be postponed.”
Pearlie snuffed, “Yes, children can be a bother. The sooner they grow up, the sooner we can all ship them off to fend for themselves, so that we may concentrate on more important things.”
Meanwhile, the Crusaders were still mad enough to break their morals and want to march right inside and beat Sole to the floor, but of course they wouldn’t and they didn’t.
“Well that sure didn’t do well.” said Sweetie.
“There’s got to be something we can do… for Lil.” wailed Applebloom.
DD shook her head, “We can’t. Sole’s right: that would be harassment, and regardless of what a jerk he is… he’s not breaking the law by showing. Lil still has a home, she still gets fed.
There’s nothing that can be done unless Sole Maker steps over the line.”
The girls looked up at a dark window, assuming it was Lil’s room.
Unbeknownst to them because of the darkness, Lil watched and heard everything. It was rather hard not to with her father’s brash attitude making noise.
She was astounded that the girls came to offer to tutor her, and the fact that they just stood up to her big, loud-mouthed father like that.
Normally people would just leave her to her fate, or let her be teased and ridiculed.
The Crusaders began to walk away, and Lil found herself still thinking about them, and how they tried to be kind.
“What’s happening to me?” she wondered as she sat on her bed. “Why am I suddenly feeling like I can trust them? I don’t trust anybody.”
She held her weary head, which suddenly put her back in mind of her biggest problem-- the spirit!
She still wasn’t sure how or even if she could tell anyone, not even the crusaders.
Her weariness was suddenly catching up to her, and she struggled to stay awake.
“I’ve got to stay awake! Got to… Got to…!”
It was then that she started to feel strange-- like she was slipping away, or blacking out as the spirit inside her began to take over again.
“Sorry, but it won’t matter if you stay awake or not.” it taunted her. “I decide what will be done and when.”
Lil’ tried to resist all she could, and even scream out for help, but she couldn’t seem to make any sound as the spirit had too much of a grip on her.
Using her inner voice, Lil balked at the spirit, “Go away! Leave me alone!!”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” replied the spirit, and she took full control of Lil, making her eyes glow just like before.
Lil was totally powerless in her weakened state to even try and resist.
She fully transformed into the evil spectre. “I know just whom to target this time.” she hissed to herself.
After failing to convince Sole Maker to let them help Lil, The Crusaders went to get a burger and shake before heading home before their curfews, especially since it was almost completely dark.
The night sentries were already taking their places while others were just starting their patrol rounds.
The girls had come to an intersection where they would all have to split up to go their separate ways home.
“I just can’t stop thinking about Lil.” said Sweetie. “I hope she’s alright.”
“We all do.” replied Applebloom. “Maybe we could just check in on her from time to time after school?”
“What about her dad?” asked Scootaloo. “You heard what he said.”
DD agreed, “We’ll figure out something. Meanwhile, we should get home. Even I have a written test to do in the morning-- about making arrest reports.”
Applebloom suddenly gasped hard, and looked as if she had seen a ghost.
“What? You got a test too?” asked Sweetie.
Stammering in fear, Applebloom pointed forward, that’s when the girls all turned round and saw the ghost creature floating near them and glaring wickedly.
“So you think that it’s fun to grow up, do you?” she snarled at them. “I’ll show you what real fun is!”
She fired her energy blast at the girls, which they dodged.
DD shouted at the top of her lungs, “SENTRIES!!!”
Many of the guards nearby heard her, and they saw the creature.
“Alert! Alert!” one of them shouted, and the alarms were sounded, making all other nearby civilians flee from the area.
“Let’s run!” shouted Scootaloo, and she and the girls began to dash for it, but the creature popped up right in front of them.
“Give me your life force!” she demanded.
“As if!” bellowed Scootaloo.
She flew up really high into the air, and DD grabbed Applebloom and Sweetie by their arms and flew up with her.
“You can’t escape from me!” bellowed the creature, and she floated up after the girls.
“She’s gaining on us!” cried Sweetie.
The creature fired her magic again straight for them, but the beams were intercepted by the sentries throwing their lances in the paths.
The creature was infuriated as she looked down at all the guards. “You’ll pay for that!”
Some of the guards didn’t like the way she was glaring at them and began to throw their lances straight at her, forgetting that she couldn’t be physically attacked as the lances passed right through her.
“Uh, oh!” whimpered a guard.
The creature screeched like banshee. “You poor, pathetic grownups think you’re so tough?” Then swooped down fast, zooming past the guards; her evil aura made billowing gales which knocked them men off their feet.
Some of the unicorns decided to fight her with magic instead of brute force.
They fired magical beams at her body, but they too passed right through her just like their lances did.
The creature laughed. “My turn…!” and she swooped in again, zooming up and down and all around. Then she finally zapped one of the guards with her beam sapping his energy, and leaving him on the ground unconscious.
“Guard down!” shouted a sentry.
The Crusaders saw everything…
Rather than get far away as the orders were, the girls had landed on a rooftop and were hiding behind a very large store sign.
“They’re all getting pummeled down there!” cried Applebloom.
“None of their attacks can do anything except block her own powers.” added Sweetie.
DD was searching through the night sky.
“What are you looking for?” asked Scootaloo.
She suddenly got her answer when DD hollered, “There she is!” and she quickly fired a magical pulse out from her horn, like signal flare…
…Which the creature had seen.
“Are you crazy!” snapped Scootaloo.
The creature then popped up over the sign. “Yes, I’d say she is.”
Three of the crusaders screamed, while DD quickly grabbed all three of them in her arms-- able to lift them all easily with her strength-- and whisked them off again.
“You can’t get away from me!” bellowed the creature, and she fired her magic at them, only for it to be intercepted by a powerful, dark blast.
“What?!” sneered the creature.
She looked up and saw none other than Princess Luna, whom DD had signaled for after spotting her looking for the danger site.
Luna glare furiously at the creature and bellowed, “Evil spirit, whomever you may be. How dare you attack my subjects and my guards! I give you this one chance to surrender at once!”
The creature only laughed. “Now why ever would I do that when there are loads and loads of life force for me to absorb, and the more I take in, the stronger I become, and soon I shall enough to destroy the course of growing up! No one shall ever age again!”
Luna felt disgusted to hear such a motive. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
Her horn glowed brightly, as did the creatures eyes.
The two each then fired their magic forces at the same time, one of bright light, and one of pure darkness. The two forces collided together making a huge explosion, which blew them both back hard.
One of the guards rushed up to Luna. “Princess, are you alright?”
Luna managed to get up. “I am undamaged, but this creature is deadlier than we thought. I will attempt an exorcism spell on it, but you must try and distract it for me.”
“Yes, Highness…”
“We’ll help you…” Lightning called as he, Swift, Pinkie, Spike, and Rarity landed on the scene.
“So sorry we’re late. Had to drop the children off.” said Rarity.
“We also evacuated the nearby areas.” added Spike.
Luna nodded thankfully.
Then the creature growled, and Pinkie shuddered at the very sight of the ugly thing. “Eww… who or what are you?”
“You should worry more about yourselves right now!” hissed the creature. “When I’m through you all, your life force will be mine, and you grownups will be history!”
Lightning looked furious, but not as deeply as Swift; he was looking forward to getting even with this thing for injuring him the last time.
“Remember,” he cautioned everyone “We can’t attack her directly. Our best change is to get her caught in her own magic.”
Krysta gripped her wand tightly. “Leave that to me.”
“Okay, let’s go!” hollered Lightning.
While the guards helped their fallen comrade up and get him to the hospital, the fighters stood ready.
“I can take you all on. It just means more life force for me!”
She began to swirl round, and around, and around in furious circles, stirring up the winds into strong updrafts blowing everyone around.
Lightning and his friends as well as Luna flapped their wings hard to try and fight the air currents, but Swift, being an Earth Pony, couldn’t fly at all, and he was blown way up high.
“Swift!” called Lightning.
“I’ll get him!” hollered Spike, and he flew up high and hard.
From within the swirling winds, the creature’s evil diamond eyes glowed, “And I’ll get you!” bellowed the creature as she prepared to fire her magic at him.
Krysta tried to aim to conjure a repelling portal, but the wind currents were too strong.
Spike had just grabbed onto Swift, and looked down as the creature unleashed her power straight for them, and Spike couldn’t breathe fire in a wind this strong; it would burn everyone.
None of the others would dare fire any magic in the winds for fear of them being blown off target and striking the buildings or allies.
“DRAGON-KNIGHT SABER” Spike gripped his sword in his one free hand and gave it a mighty swing, batting the energy into the spiraling gales.
“LOOK OUT!!” Swift shouted down to the others.
The fighters managed to avoid the blast, and it was the creature that got hit from within her own twister.
The winds stopped and there she was, floating high in the air. “Now I’m really steamed!” she thundered.
The fighters and Luna all stood together ready for more, but that’s when the creature realized how incredibly late it was, and usually Lady Fair loved to check up on Lil at times like this.
She had retreat now or risk losing her biggest asset.
“We’ll met again!” she called to the fighters before diving deep through the ground, vanishing out of sight.
“She’s gone!” wailed Krysta.
“A’rgh!” groaned Pinkie “We were so close! We could have had her.”
Lightning shook his head, “I don’t think so. We may have dealt with spirits before, but never like this.
We don’t know what it is, or where it comes from. We can’t fight it; we don’t know how to stop it… yet.” he paused “But one thing’s for sure… we have to.”
“I agree.” said Luna. “Who knows what dastardly things she will do should she gain more power.”
Swift felt extremely frustrated. He wanted to stop that ghost more than ever now, before many others got hurt the way the guard did.
“Sweetie Belle…!” Rarity snapped.
The others turned and saw the Crusaders.
“Whatever are you girls doing here?”
“It wasn’t our fault.” Sweetie quickly said. “We were being targeted by that… thing…”
“Wait, wait, wait…” said Pinkie. “You all… were the targets?”
Rarity’s features changed to deeply concerned.
“Okay, what happened?” Lightning asked. “Tell us everything.”
While the girls told their story…
Lady Fair was already on her way to Lil’s room to check and see if her daughter was in bed like she was supposed to be.
She softly, yet insensitively let herself into her daughter’s room without even knocking on the door first.
“Lil…” she called quietly. “Lil, honey, are you asleep.”
She looked squarely at the bed, and found it was empty.
“Lil’ Fair…!” she cried, and then she shouted down the hall, “Sole! Sole!!”
Her husband poked his head out the door to his office. “What?!” he shouted grumpily. “What’s all the shouting? You interrupted my report!”
“It’s Lil! She’s not in her bedroom!”
“What are you talking about? Of course she is. She went straight to bed after dinner when those annoying girls showed up at our door.”
“I’m telling you, she isn’t there! Come see for yourself!”
Sole sighed irritably, and then stomped his way down the hall to Lil’s room. He looked inside…
“See! She’s right there.”
His wife looked inside, and saw her daughter sleeping quietly in bed. “But… but I!”
Sole glared at her angrily, but rather than fly into a fit of rage, he stomped back to his office and slumped into his desk and grumbled “Sometimes I feel others are just out to ruin my life.”
Lady was still as confused as ever, but the fact that Lil was in bed prompted her to shut the door and let her daughter sleep.
The moment she was gone, Lil opened her glowing eyes and spoke softly in the creature’s voice, “My power is growing, and yet I still have to rely on this twit of a kid to do my work.
Well, soon it won’t be a problem. I’ll have all that I’ll need to make everyone suffer for what happened to me!”
Then she released Lil from her grip and let her sleep deeply.
The Crusaders were finishing their story…
“…We couldn’t let that thing chase us all over town.” said DD. “Then I saw Princess Luna, and I signaled for her.
Then we all just stayed out of sight.”
The other three nodded.
“We’re not in trouble, are we?” asked Applebloom.
Lightning assured them they weren’t in trouble. “In ways, you did break rules by not fleeing when you were supposed, but on the other hand you did do right by not spreading the danger, and signaling for Princess Luna helped a great deal.”
“I agree, well done.” added Luna.
The girls felt a little relieved.
“What about that guard?” asked Applebloom. “Was he hurt that bad?”
“No, he wasn’t.” replied Luna. “He shall recover… but nevertheless, it could only become worse so long as that monster is at large.”
“To think…!” Rarity shuddered. “That cursed creature went after my own sister and her friends! She will… PAY FOR THIS!!”
“Oh, boy, here it comes!” cried Spike, and everyone stepped back as Rarity gave a huge dragon roar, sending a stream of fire into the air.
She was then panting softly.
“Feel better?” asked Scootaloo.
“Yes… actually, I do.”
Everyone else felt that Rarity’s crankiness from lack of decent sleep was worsening.
“Come on, let’s go home.” said Spike. “There’s not much else we can do here right now.”
Luna agreed, and suggested “You all should go home and too bed. The guards and I shall finish up here. We have a long night ahead of us.”
Lightning sighed and looked all around, and even up at the stars.
“Sir…?” said Swift. “I know how you feel, but all we can do is carry on for now.”
Lightning gave a soft smile and agreed.
(Promo)
In our next episode: Castor and Lelani’s secret of the Dream Knight is starting to put a small strain with they and their parents as their majesties seem determined find out what’s wrong, and it isn’t long before the Nightmares decide to target the parents themselves, and they are helpless to fight back without proper powers.
Can the royal family ward off the Nightmares that will plague them?
Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!”
(Next Episode: “Parents Want to Understand.”)