//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Abigail and the Danny // by TheVideoGamingGuru //------------------------------// Chapter 2 “Do I have to go, Boss? “Yes, I need you to help them use they’re powers” “Why can’t you do it though?” “I am dealing with another matter at the moment” “So you send me to go? Why not someone else?” “Are you questioning my judgement, Mavis? “N-no, Boss” “Good, now go” “Aright I’ll go, but I won’t like it” (Here listen to this) Abigail, Danny and Clockwork were still sitting in the forest, eating the cakes, and custards the Clockwork had brought them. Abigail took a cup and filled it with water from a nearby lake, and took a sip. She spit it out almost immediately. It was like drinking acid, it burned her mouth to no end. "What's wrong?" Clockwork asked. "N-nothing, water just tastes funny to me" Abigail said, coughing. A few moments went by before Clockwork asked Abigail a question. “So…are you together?” Abigail looked to Clockwork with a mild blush on her face. “E-excuse me?” “I meant are you each other’s special someponies?” “No! We just met a few minutes ago!” “But, you said I was cute…” Danny said, putting on a sad face. “That was before I realized how much of a child you are” Abigail hissed back. “Aww” Clockwork shook his head. “Then, why are you two together?” Abigail froze for a moment, she didn't want to tell Clockwork they were agents of Death, that would more or less cause a panic. “We are uh…” Abigail looked to Danny, who smiled. “Students” “Students?” “Yeah” Clockwork tilted his head. “Students of what?” “…” “…” “Thanatology” Clockwork was now even more confused. “What’s that?” “I’m just digging a bigger hole then when I started!” Abigail thought. “Why not just tell him the truth?” Danny thought to Abigail. “Oh, forgot I have no privacy in my thoughts” “I like Clockwork; I don’t want to lie to him” “So we just tell him we are Death’s personal army? He would think we are either demons or crazy” “He’s already looking at you like your crazy though” Danny snickered. Abigail looked to Danny with an angry expression. “Well? What’s thanatology?” Clockwork asked. “It’s finding new ways to make cakes!” Danny chimed in. Abigail looked at Danny stupefied. “Finding new ways to make cakes?! He will never believe that!” Abigail said mentally to Danny. “Oh, weird study, but whatever you like to study I guess.” Clockwork said to the two, Abigail’s face meeting the ground in disbelief. “It worked!” Danny thought. “I can’t believe he fell for that…” Abigail thought. Clockwork took a bite out of an apple he took out from the basket, Danny put an entire cupcake into his mouth and chewed, and Abigail took a drink from her cup, now filled with berry juice offered by Clockwork. It was then something popped out in front of Abigail’s face. A mini winged demon wearing a dark suit and fedora. “Yo” The demon put up a white gloved hand. Abigail spit the juice into the demon’s face. It simply wiped it away. “See, that is disgusting” The demon said, irritation in his voice . Everyone’s reaction was of shock, except for Danny who was staring with stars in his eyes. “Cool, a small floating man” Danny cooed out. The demon then rushed over Danny, getting close to his face. “WHO YOU CALLING SMALL?!” the man roared to Danny. Abigail was recovering from her second spit take of the day, while Clockwork stared at the man with fear; Danny was trying to calm down the small man. Abigail had calmed down enough to ask the man a question. “Who the Hell are you?!” Abigail shouted at the demon. The man stopped yelling at Danny, looked to Abigail, and floated over to her using his small bat like wings. He stopped when he was right in front of Abigail. “Glad you asked, Abigail. I am Mavis, your personal Death agent trainer, and I’m going to help you two become powerful enough to actually be of use to the man” Clockwork’s jaw dropped when Mavis mentioned Death. Mavis noticed. “Who’s the horse?” Danny ran to Clockwork and wrapped his arm around his neck. “This is Clockwork! He is feeding us!” Danny cheered. “Food? You’re feeding Death’s agents? Well then I guess that means I’m entitled to food as well” Mavis said as he flew to the basket and started scarfing down food from the basket. “Hold on there, Shrimp” Abigail said, grabbing Mavis’s head. She lifted him up to her face. “What did you say you were here for?” Mavis swallowed a huge lump of food down his gullet. “I figured you would understand what trainer meant, Abigail. Let me simplify it. Death sent me to help you twos get better at your powers and weapons” Mavis said. “What powers? I don’t have any powers, I don’t think Danny has any either” “Nope!” Danny said, trying to make lightning come out of his fingers. “Well of course you don’t have any powers, you ain't killed a Sentiment yet” Mavis said. Danny and Abigail looked at each other confused. “Sentiment?” Danny and Abigail said at the same time in confused tones. “Yeah, souls that escaped from Deaths grasp and decided to use they powers to they own personal gain" Mavis said, taking a bite from a cupcake. “So, we kill a Sentiment, and we get a power? Abigail asked. “That’s the idea, Abigail” Mavis said. “So, why haven’t we encountered a Sentiment yet?” Danny asked. Mavis looked to Danny. “Well, you been sittin on your asses eating first off” Mavis said crudely. “But the cakes are so good!” Danny said, grabbing another cake. “Even though these cakes are good, you still need to find a source of your power, or else you are just stuck with your weapon, and that can only git you so far” “Weapon?” Clockwork asked, causing everyone to turn their heads to him. “Yeah, weapon, each Wraith has they own individual weapon that they use to defend themselves” Mavis said. “And I just so happen to have both Danny’s, and your weapon, Abigail” Mavis said, floating over to an empty space. Mavis then brought out his gloved hands, clapped them, and placed them over the ground, and a light, purple mist started to form around them. Danny, Abigail, and Clockwork watched as Mavis worked his magic, they could hear Mavis whispering something that sounded like prayers. Mavis then brought his hand up, what appeared to be a small circular shaped shadow, following him. After a blinding purple light, followed by waiting for the smoke to clear, the trio then saw Mavis holding a thin, metal, ring in his left hand. “Danny boy, this…” Mavis handed the ring to the now awestruck Danny. “..Is your weapon” Mavis smiled, showing his yellow, crooked teeth. Danny cheered and ran to Mavis, snatching the blade by the inside of the ring. Danny took a look at the small ring, it looked like it could fit on his middle finger. "Go on, put it on" Mavis pestered. Danny slid the ring onto his middle finger. "Now what?" Danny asked. "Try saying, "Wraith Ring: Activate" Danny tilted his head, "Ok..." Danny took a breath. "Wraith Ring: Activate!" Danny shouted. Then, the ring began to glow a light purple color, and began to grow, and grow till it was big as Danny. It had a serrated edge. "Cooool" was all Danny could say. “Look guys! I got a ring!” Danny cheered to his friends. The two just looked in awe as Danny twirled his weapon around like a child playing with a toy. “Damn! Easy Danny boy, it ain’t no play thing, it’s a tool used to kill” Mavis said while avoiding the blade. “Oops, sorry Mavis” Danny said, now holding the ringblade calmly in his right hand. Danny then walked over to the Abigail and Clockwork, who were uneasy with Danny having a weapon. Mavis then repeated the same technique, clapping his hands, bringing them close to the ground, but this time a dark red mist, instead of the purple like Danny’s. Clockwork hid behind Danny, fearing what Abigail would get as a weapon, cause, if someone as carefree and childish as Danny would receive a giant ringed blade as a weapon, he could only imagine what Abigail would get. The three could again, hear Mavis chanting silently to himself. He then brought his two hands up, a short, straight, weapon slowly following with red sparks coming with the red mist. After waiting for said smoke and light to disappear, they saw Mavis holding in his hands what appeared to be the butt of a rifle, but an old one. Mavis then looked to Abigail. “Abigail, this….” Mavis handed the stock to Abigail. “…is your weapon” Mavis said, once again smiling showing his teeth. Abigail slowly walked towards Mavis, reaching for the handle. she grabbed it, and held it firmly in her right hand. "So, I just say the same thing that Danny did?" "Not quite, say..."Wraith Rifle: Activate" "Aright..." Abigail took a breath just like Danny did, and finally spoke. "Wraith Rifle: Activate!" Abigail shouted. The stock then began to emit red sparks and black smoke, and it slowly took the form of an old World War 2 rifle. Abigail eyed her weapon. "A gun? Why give me a gun?" Abigail thought. Abigail then lined back up with Clockwork and Danny, the two eyeing Abigail’s gun. “Cool gun, Abby!” Danny said. “What’s a gun?” Clockwork asked. Mavis then approached the three, his smile growing a bit larger. "Il show you, Horse" The four had moved to a large open field, plently of room to run around, or in this case, practice. “She and Danny will show you what they’re weapons do, Horse” “My name is Clockwork, and I’m a Pony, not a horse” Mavis just shrugged. And pointed two index fingers to the ground, and two dummies popped out, each one resembling a burlap sack with crudely drawn face on them. “Danny, how bout you go first?” Mavis said, pointing at Danny. “Ok!” Danny said, running to Mavis, holding the ring on his shoulder. Danny stood about a good twenty-five feet away from the dummy. Abigail had approached Mavis, Clockwork in tow. “Why is Danny so far away? Isn’t the ring for close range?” Abigail asked. Mavis just chuckled. “What’s funny?” “It’s not just a melee weapon, Abigail” Confused as to what Mavis meant, the two looked to Danny, who was now holding the blade in one hand. Abigail also noticed a small black band around Danny’s middle finger. Then, before anyone could blink, Danny threw the blade with impressive speed straight at the dummies’ head, and decapitated it, the blade then went off into the distance. Clockwork and Abigail’s eyes widened at how Danny used the blade. Then they saw a shine in the distance. Danny then pulled his hand back, and the blade then came into view, and thrust straight through the dummies’ mid-section, effectively cutting it in half. “Now, THAT is how you use a weapon, Danny boy!” Mavis applauded Danny while the other two just stared in awe. Danny then looked back to the three, not with his happy carefree expression, but with a cold, merciless one, his eyes more narrow. But it soon disappeared when he saw the three. “Thanks Mavis! I love this ring!” Danny said as he caught the blade with his hand. Mavis noticed the other’s expressions. He prodded Abigail in the stomach with his elbow, knocking her out of her trance. “Ey, wake up. It’s your turn” Mavis said, relaying his elbow. Abigail jumped a bit, but regained her composer. “I have never even fired a gun before! How do you expect me to use this thing?” Abigail asked, her putting the rifle in front of her. “Trust me, it’ll come to you” Mavis chuckled. Abigail wondered what this meant, but decided to wing it. She approached the last dummy, walking past Danny as he walked past to Clockwork. “Good luck, Abby!” Danny cheered Abigail on. “Yeah, I’m going to need it…” Abigail thought. She stood the same distance that Danny did from the dummy. She got on one knee and placed the handle of the rifle on her shoulder, holding the bottom of the gun in her left hand. She looked down the iron sight, and lined them up to the dummies’ chest. After taking a few deep breathes, she braced herself, exhaled, and gently squeezed the trigger. *Click* Abigail had never fired a gun before, but she knew that there was something wrong with it. “Umm, something’s wrong!” Abigail shouted to the three watching her. Mavis then slapped his forehead. “Damn, I knew I forgot something” Mavis then snapped his finger, and in a low red flamed, came a single 7.7×58mm Arisaka bullet. “Here!” Mavis tossed the cartridge to Abigail. She slid the gun over her shoulder, and caught the bullet. She ejected the clip, and loaded the bullet into the chamber, and slid the handle of the gun back into her shoulder, after taking a few more deep breaths, she lined up the iron sight, exhaled once more, and gently squeezed the trigger. *Bang!* The sound of the bullet leaving the chamber was loud, really loud. It caused Abigail’s hearing to disappear for a brief moment, and the kick from the gun nearly disengaged her shoulder. She flew back a few feet from the kick, landing on her back, the gun lying in her arms. She sat up, using the rifle as a crutch to look at her target. The bullet missed completely. A roaring laughter was heard from Mavis and Danny, Clockwork with his hoofs over his ears. “What the Hell was that?!” Mavis said, still laughing. “Shut up! It’s my first time firing a gun for God sake!” Abigail yelled back to the laughing two. Danny was still laughing a bit, and Mavis was now flying towards Abigail. “Well, you ain’t ever going to hit your target like that!” Mavis said, trying to suppress a chuckle. “Here, try looking at it like this” Mavis then took the rifle from Abigail and aimed it at the dummy. Mavis summoned another cartridge by snapping his fingers. He loaded it into the rifle. “Imagine nothing else around you, but your target. Nothing else exists, but your target. Imagine what would happen if you didn't shoot it, it would bring harm to you and everyone around you. Grasp the feeling to protect yourself, and those around you, and pull the trigger.” Mavis then handed the gun back to Abigail, still having one knee down on the grass. “Oh, and wear these so you don’t go deaf” Mavis then snapped his fingers, and summoned some large black earmuffs. “Wish you gave me these sooner” Abigail said, putting the earmuffs over her ears. Mavis then flew back to the now silent Danny, and Clockwork. “Imagine only the target, nothing else…” Abigail thought as she lined up the sights to the dummy again. She closed her eyes to block out everything around her. She imagined nothing but the dummy, everything else disappeared, leaving black in its place. She opened her eyes. There, stood the dummy. Clear as day. She squeezed the trigger. *Bang!* The kick wasn’t as bad this time, but was still there. The noise was reduced heavily due to the ear protection. She then looked to her target. The dummies’ head was gone, blown completely off. Cheers from Danny and the others roared. “Woo-hoo! You rock Abby!” Danny cheered. “Yeah…good…shot” Clockwork said, feeling a bit uneasy at the firepower the gun had. “Better than the first time, Abigail” Mavis did a golf clap. Abigail blushed. She then walked back to the three to join them in celebration. It was then she heard loud thuds coming from behind her. She turned around to see 6-7 decaying Ponies, whit glowing purple eyes charging at the group. “Well, this is unexpected” Mavis said, now bracing himself for a fight. (Note:The rifle is an Arisaka Type 99 Rifle in case you want to know)