//------------------------------// // Found and New Allies // Story: Ghost Busting 3.5 Luigi's Mansion // by Edguy0009 //------------------------------// The ghost busting duo left the screen with a flash with them noticing an old man on a high chair and the room they were in was full of machines that Apple Bloom couldn't fathom, but got Kratus' interested, except for the computer near the old man, the duo spotting the former's poltergust near it. The old man clapped happily before speaking, "Nice to see you in person, or is in equinine?" "In pony." Apple Bloom rectified. "And what about you?" The old man asked, turning to the Makuta. "In person works." Kratus said, shrugging. "Anyway, you likely guessed who I am. But let me introduce myself properly. I am Professor Elvin Gadd, or E. Gadd for short. It's a pleasure to meet you, visitors from another dimension, and welcome to my hotel, the E. Gadd resort. You have no idea how much I want to study you." The professor said before turning to Kratus, "Especially one such as you, imagine what I could learn from studying you." "Oh, no. I am not going to be a test subject again." Kratus said, waving his hands in front of him, "But, I don't mind sharing some of what I know." He added. "The two of ya sound like one of my sister's friends." Apple Bloom said, giggling. "I would like to meet this friend one day if it's possible to open a permanent dimensional gateway between our two dimensions." "Yeah, about that." Kratus began earning the professor's attention. "I'm actually from a different dimension than her, I was only in hers on a mission." "Well, anyway, I need to do some studies on you." E. Gadd said, turning to Apple Bloom, "Who knows, I might find something that could help. And while I'm at it, I would love to meet whoever created this wonderful Poltergust you brought with you. Unless it's one of you." "That would be Smart Spirit." Kratus said. "Crimini! Now I really want to meet him! If he's as much as a genius as me, we can change the world!" The professor said before returning Apple Bloom's poltergust and commenting on a certain feature it has before turning to Kratus, "Though, I wonder if that's an enlarged version of a poltergust." He said, looking at the weapon on the Makuta's left arm. "Nope, it's a Midak Skyblaster. I didn't invent it, A being called Artakha designed it long before I existed, But I modified this one to use two types of ammunition, the default ammunition is light energy, the secondary ammunition is shadow energy." Kratus said before Apple Bloom found that the crystal inside her poltergust was missing, with the professor saying that he was experimenting on it with a ghost escaping as a result before showing them which ghost escaped on a screen. Eternal Rest, with her attempting to escape with the Makuta glaring at her through the screen before a red-eyed shadowy mass appeared. "Hello… worm." The mass said with the Makuta's voice. "You were lucky I restrained myself for fear of collateral damage during our fight. Otherwise, you would've perished the moment it began!" He added, "But, that's not why I'm speaking to you. Your punishment isn't over. For my wrath is not yet sated!" He continued before the mare grasped her head. "What's he doing?" E. Gadd asked Apple Bloom, who glared at the mare. "He's punishing her, by tormenting her through her mind." Apple Bloom replied, "And I have no doubt that he's enjoying every second of it." She added before the torment stopped as Eternal Rest had a look of horror before attempting to get away thanks to the reminder of how the Makuta forced her out of Starlight Glimmer's body before he stopped. Only for the torment to continue with the Makuta slowly eroding away at the mare's mind. "Well, we got to stop him." E. Gadd said, curiously looking at the Makuta who remained where he was despite him speaking through the shadowy mass. "Let him continue punishing her. She deserves it for all the suffering she's caused ta others that encountered her before we did." Apple Bloom said before going into detail before she noticed that the mare had the look of horror on her face while trying to get away, resulting in E. Gadd trapping her in his Poltergust before handing the crystal over to Apple Bloom. "I will enjoy continuing her torment when we get back." Kratus said. "As morbid as this sounds, how did you do all of that?" E. Gadd asked the Makuta. "My kind has the ability to peer through the shadows to speak to others, and can enter the minds of others." Kratus said with Apple Bloom continuing to switch between containers with one empty, starting a conversation about the similarities and differences between her and Kratus' adventure compared to Luigi's before the professor told them he may have means to keep Thanatos trapped, though they had to go to another lab in order for him to show the duo his invention before informing someone named Toady that he'll be going to his other lab in Boo Woods and entering the pixelator with the group following and ended up in another lab, this one underground where the walls and floor are made of dirt and rock. A ladder led to a tunnel, some machines, a shelf full of books. Two doors, with one to the left of the ladder and the other at the right. The trio entered the left door and entered a long room with a machine taking up most of it with it divided into sections with a part at their left having a lip to attach a poltergust to while connected by a pipe to a part taller than the first with another pipe connecting it to a large, round part that had a round window that allowed them to see a liquid of some kind. Then, there was the conduit that led to the top of the next part that was a long while below a pincer with two more machines below that connected to a larger one with a trapdoor at the end. All of it operated by cogs and other stuff. "Here it is!" E. Gadd said, "My greatest invention, a result of decades of studying ghosts! The Ghost Portrificationizer!" He added, much to the confusion of Apple Bloom, but as for Kratus? He laughed. "I'm sorry, it's just that I find the name hilarious." He said, calming down, "So what does it do?" "Why don't I show you?" E. Gadd asked before attaching his poltergust to the first part with Eternal Rest going through the round part of the machine, ending up as a blue ball with yellow eyes before the part vibrated, causing the liquid to swirl like it was a whirlpool with Eternal Rest flattening as a result before she left it flat as a pancake onto a plate beneath the conduit before a second plate that turned out to be a crusher that flattened the mare to the point she was thin as paper with her ending up at another machine with pink emitters that electrocuted the mare before she entered the last part with something entering it along with the mare before a plate came out of the trapdoor, on it was a portrait of Eternal Rest with a look of fear on her face with purple lightning in the background with a claw grabbing it to transfer it to another place. "Fascinating." Kratus said before the professor explained it with the group entering a door next to the trapdoor that led to the gallery, with the professor stating that Apple Bloom will need a better machine to combat Thanatos by upgrading her poltergust with Apple Bloom's shock turning into a smile. The three of them returned to Professor E. Gadd's hotel laboratory, but not in the way they left it. "Teleportation is such a useful ability to have." Kratus said, setting both E. Gadd and Apple Bloom down while holding Eternal Rest's portrait with the professor giving Apple Bloom the blueprints to the Ghost Portrificationizer, then prepared something before taking them to a room with three poltergusts, the first bulkier than Apple Bloom's while lacking the button to control the power along with the heat gauge and lacking a vent for releasing dust and other debris sucked in while possessing wheels. The second poltergust looked a lot like the first but with a green light on the back above a red switch with the handle having a red button which activated it with the switch changing the mode from suck or blow. Finally, there was a gauge divided into three colors, blue, green and red above a button and a switch. The third was the Poltergoo. It had a tube full of goo that gave it its name while having the features of the previous model and a big lever. "I present to you the three models of poltergusts I developed Poltergusts 3000 and 5000 along with Poltergust G-00." E. Gadd said. "I take it Poltergusts 1000 and 2000 were prototypes?" Kratus asked, earning a nod from the professor. "Ones that were failures. The 4000 was a kart I made for racing." He said. "Heh, I still have the predecessors to this thing." Kratus said, lifting his skyblaster, "Then there's the prototype Elite Rahkshi I made, all of which were made by accident." He added, creating illusions of a pair of staff-wielding, armored figures with spines on their hunched backs, with one blue and the second being silver with the silver taller than the blue, with professor intrigued. But Apple Bloom was intimidated, especially after the two showed their powers. The first one turned a rock wall to dust with the second unleashing lightning which leapt between targets that ended up burnt to a crisp, "Behold, the sons of my kind, created from Kraata born from our darkness." He added before the illusions disappeared. "You must let me study these Rahkshi of yours!" E. Gadd said. "I… don't think that's a good idea." Apple Bloom said. "She's correct, Rahkshi are not known for their patience unless trained for it." Kratus said, "But, I think, that's enough talking about prototypes as that's not why we're here." He added with the professor nodding before he gave her the 3000 and told her to try it out with her amazed, stating that it was like magic before testing it out before holding a conversation after switching to the 5000 and explaining its features. But once they got to the subject of dealing possessed objects… "Heh, few things can withstand a punch or a kick from something that's made of a Protosteel alloy based mcc. Even fewer can withstand my powers, especially when I cut loose." Kratus said. "Out of scientific curiosity, what would happen if you did?" E. Gadd asked. "One word can describe the area after the fight; Wasteland." Kratus replied, allowing Apple Bloom's testing of the 5000 to continue before moving on to the G-00, "Shadow Hand: Superior. Power Surge: Inferior." Kratus said in a robotic tone after the professor explained the differences between the power surge between the 3000 and 5000. "And how is it inferior?" E. Gadd asked. "I've seen him use his Shadow Hand to grab objects beyond the reach of a poltergust, even slam ghosts around into the walls and floor." Apple Bloom said before gulping, remembering what happened to Wild Oak "Then, there're the times when he pulled ghosts into him with it." "Which, I might add, is its original purpose." Kratus said, "Without training, the Shadow Hand would recoil immediately, even if there isn't anything in it." He added before making a sweeping motion with his hand. "Now, carry on with the testing. I'm intrigued by the features of each model." He finished with the testing continuing before Gooigi appeared with a high-pitched hello with the professor explaining what Gooigi is, and offered to make an Applegoo and Kratgoo, "As interesting as it is for there to be one made in my likeness, I'm afraid I'll have to refuse. As I doubt it could handle my powers thanks to past experience, and I'm already versatile enough." "Yet, you can't capture ghosts." E. Gadd pointed out while intrigued by the first reason the Makuta gave. "Hence the versatile enough." Kratus countered. "But-" "Professor, I'd wouldn't argue with him, he's more stubborn than a mule." Apple Bloom said, interrupting the conversation before it could go further with the professor stating that she could switch minds with Gooigi before doing so with Gooigi recalled shortly after with the Professor explaining one last feature for the G-00, a boost granted by an electrical outlet called Super Suction with the testing ending afterwards with Apple Bloom deciding to combine the features of her Poltergust with the features of the three she just tested to combat Thanatos. Later in the day the magikoopas arrived to help with the ghosts contained in the crystal with her doing one last thing… training, for if she were to combine the features in her next poltergust, she'd need to train in their usage, though that was not the only training she was doing, there was the physical training that Kratus and Deep End helped her with, and she also retook her studies on the paranormal among other things with three weeks passing, and received two unexpected visitors. "Thank goodness, you're alright." Samuel said, stepping out of a portal as Discord talked to Apple Bloom. "How did you find me?" Kratus asked his oldest friend. "I didn't, Discord did." "Your deity friend is correct, I did all the work and gave him the location." The spirit of chaos said before opening a portal back to the UT! Equestria, "Though, there's one other creature happy to see you." He added before entering it, but before Kratus could ask who it was. A purple blur tackled the Makuta from behind, sending him to the ground. It was Kratus' Nui-Jaga friend, chittering happily. "Okay girl, nice to see you too." Kratus said with E. Gadd fascinated at the sight of the Rahi. "Amazing, a biomechanical scorpion! Imagine what I could learn from studying such a creature!" The professor said, observing the Rahi who looked at him back before obtaining a defensive pose. "Easy girl, it's okay. He's a friend." Kratus told the Rahi, who relaxed before Apple Bloom's friends and family appeared. "Oh, there's one more who's happy that you're alright." Samuel said, opening up a portal with an alicorn pony stepping out, closing after Samuel entered the portal with the alicorn bowing. "Gusty." Kratus said, nodding in acknowledgement of his former agent. "Kratus." the Alicorn of Hope said, levitating her cloak off revealing her cutie mark, three reddish maple leaves with the background a golden mask, three vents on the left and right sides of an oval where the mouth would be, and another vent on top. A Golden Great Kanohi Hau, often a symbol of Mata Nui… and hope. "I hope commanding an army of Rahkshi isn't taxing on your mind." "At first it was, but I got used to it." Gusty said. "Takes me back to the days when I took command of Plasma and Quick Healing Rahkshi when I needed their aid." She added with a giggle as the UT! Ponies discussed things such as what happened after the battle before Apple Bloom showed them Eternal Rest. "I think that eternity as a painting is not enough. She needs to feel what her victims felt for the same amount of time she held them captive. And I am the one to deliver that punishment." Kratus said, glaring at Eternal Rest with those there worried. Especially Gusty, who had never seen her former master so vengeful. Though inside the Realm of Possibilities where a new door took form, Samuel remained worried about his friend, sensing the darkness growing stronger as Gusty entered it in order to return to her duties back in her dimension. Months passed inside the Mushroom Kingdom timeline with Apple Bloom and Kratus preparing for their eventual showdown with Thanatos, though the Makuta also asked his friend for certain vials from his laboratory inside New Mangaia, with him asked by E. Gadd to what they were. "The green stuff are Makuta Viruses." Kratus said. "How come I ain't… whatever happens to machines?!" Applejack asked, shocked at that, earning a deadpan stare from Kratus. "That's not how they work." Kratus said, "Now, the gray stuff is Liquid Protodermis." He added, turning to Scootaloo and poured the vials of Makuta Viruses on the robotic filly before manipulating them before pouring the vial of Liquid Protodermis on her, transforming her into a technorganic being like Applejack, with the ability to unleash gusts of air from her wings as time went forward. Though, Bowser sometimes attacked in order to kidnap Princess Peach, who they visited along with the Mario Bros, often sent packing by Kratus who sometimes used methods that humiliated the Koopa King and amused the Makuta at the same time, even destroying his armada of airships on his own with the Makuta amused by the shocked faces of Bowser and a magikoopa called Kamek as they saw the former's fleet go down in flames, and at one point the Makuta shapeshifted into a Tahtorak and sent the Koopa King flying with a swipe of the tail with the Makuta's Nui-Jaga friend getting in on the fun by blinding Bowser with her venom. Which caused the Koopa King to run around blind with his arms stretched out in front of him, often causing him to run into his minions while wrecking things that belonged to him which somehow amused the Mario Bros. and the other Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants who was there. If only they had some soda and popcorn when the last of the three happened. In the end, after much research and development on both sides, new things came into existence, namely the Supreme Poltergust, which had the features of the previous models, and an anti-ghost beam emitter called a Poltergun, along with the crystal at its core that resulting in greater efficiency, and the Spectral Transmogrifier, allowing the user to turn into a ghost temporarily. And thanks to the Makuta managing to squeeze what he learned from practicing with his Density Control in, extended the time one can remain as a ghost. And after they had a trip to a tropical island called Delfino Island and captured some ghosts at a hotel, the group trained more, which increased Apple Bloom's power as a ghost, before they finally returned to the Unique Timeline for the duo to go into the Spirit Realm for the final showdown against Thanatos with the dragon skull greeting them. But… Kratus' essence fluctuated as the growing darkness began its emergence, and little did anyone know. It was an ancient evil whose patience paid off. "After eons, my rebirth is nearing completion, and I have an army awaiting me." It said, laughing an evil laugh unheard by his host.