//------------------------------// // Chapter 21: Vanishing Ponies. // Story: A Lampent's Lament in Equestria // by Iridescence T Wind //------------------------------// "I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.” ― T.S. Eliot ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- "This is boring." Scootaloo complained once more stretching out each word, once again ruining the meditative trance that momentarily taken Soul as he tried to teach them the move 'Calm Mind' through the art of meditation. While sweetie Belle and Applebloom took to the art well considering they were getting bored as well, the over active Scoot's had a problem with staying still. Oddly enough it was Glacier Song and Rose that perfected it the fastest however only in two hours. "Patience and a calm mind is a basis for all combat." Soul droned in the tone of a old man he had heard mention the very same words. The group of six resumed their meditation unaware of the pair of snake eyes spying on them from the bushes. "He's presently preoccupied, initiate first stage of the plan Pony napping." Arbok stated to the microphone link to his leader, Meowth. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Fluttershy was just taking care of her animals, just like every other day, giving her various pets their proper food and the injured or sick their medicine or redoing their bandages. Angel bunny was on the top of her head directing her occasionally to those who needed extra attention and readjustment. She had just gotten done with the work needed for all of her animals and stepped out for a break and some air when the first oddity struck. There was heavy smoke around the skies of the cottage. Instantly she was reminded of the dragon wondering briefly if there was another of the giant scaled reptiles Twilight would force her to tag along to deal with. A cough drew her attention to a purple set of orbs with various craters decorating both in the form of two heads the larger of the two even bearing a pirate insignia for poison under its mouth. Though her eyes had time to widen before her face was covered in the dark smog that it spat from it's mouth. Instantly Fluttershy was coughing and wheezing with her eyes squeezed shut from the foul smog that just hit her in the face. But the more she tried to breathe the more smog came instead forcing more and more rounds of coughing as she blindly bolted running directly into her fence sending her sprawling over it and crashing into the ground. She turned, the smog temporarily dislodged to stare at the orb and ask why but there was a golden mask infront of her face with a series of rings coming out of it's eyes as it lulled the poor kindly Pegasus to sleep. Fluttershy was captured. Yamask smiled, such little resistance it had been once they had intoxicated her animals and knocked her out as well. After tying a piece of cloth over the ponies eyes and binding her legs together with a similar cloth Yamask left a note on the front door of her cottage before they carried the unconscious Pegasus away. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Elsewhere at about the same time Rainbow Dash was performing a new trick that involved a triple loop followed by a series of aerial dives that would cause air impacting craters in the nearby lakes water surface for an awesome effect of parting the sea. While it didn't have enough power yet she was practicing. Though a strange blue thing ended up catching her attention. The blue thing was simply staring at her, she didn't mind an audience but the way it was staring at her was what made her go towards it, it was bright blue with a simple face and a tail that had a face that reminded Rainbow of Ditzy doo. What she also noticed as she got closer was a sign written in white chalk in front of the strange being. it read simply, "You're too slow, bet you can't hit me." "Oh you're on!" Rainbow shouted speeding up enough to leave an rainbow after trail. What Rainbow didn't expect was what happened when she impacted on the blue punching dummy like Pokémon. She stopped dead in her track when the momentum hit the Wobbafet. As it's body went backwards without it's feet moving and the thing smile grew slightly as it ricocheted all the force back into a head to head bash knocking the Pegasus out cold and finishing the blue thing's bide. It picked up the now unconscious Pegasus and walked off with her. The pleasant smile never vanishing for even a second. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Applejack was bucking with Red wood. To be more precise, she was bucking apple trees with Red Wood. when Carnivine struck. It had started when Red Wood discovered A plant that completely filled up the Apple bucket. When he showed her the plant like Pokémon sprang up like a trap wrapping both of them into binds with it's tendrils and simply dragged them screaming into the Everfree forest struggling with the two muscular ponies by himself. It was rather anticlimactic for the plant so he lightly bit the male one on the head lightly much like he usually did James back in his own world. The rodeo mare one tried to bite him but he simply hung her in the air upside down tied up tighter than a hog could be lassoed. Carnivine went on after leaving another note on a tree for later discovery by the family. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Each captured pony was brought back to the Lion's den to be chained properly and restrained in individual cells but not separated due to each cage being next to each others just barely out of reach of one another. With the as many of the physical side of Soul's friend's captured Meowth could now plan to take on the more... Magical and child sides a well as the few members of the physical category that would be harder to capture such as the Sea-serpent, Timber-wolf, and Manticore. It had been less than a week before every lion had bowed down to Meowth as well as the deer which were now the new working class of the mafia whereas the Lions were the military. The only one missing was Yanmega who had taken the role of thief and was going to get a pair of Magic restraint rings so that the two Unicorns wouldn't be able to simply magic themselves and their friends out when captured. In the same night his squad would split into three forces to each nab the two unicorns and the party pony. At least that was according to plan if it went right. After examining the Party Pony, he wasn't sure a Master ball would be able to capture her but it was worth a shot. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Twilight was both horrified and intrigued at the same time, she had gone through six hundred of the Pokémon listed in the Pokédex and every ghost Pokémon she had encountered had something about their entries that sent shivers down her spine. Now she was staring at the picture of an adorable looking candle Pokémon that had a cute face and a purple flame similar to soul's on the top of it's head as the Pokédex rambled on, "Number Six hundred and seven. Litwick, the Candle Pokémon. Litwick appears to be helping to guide the way of people by illuminating areas that are darkened, but in reality they are actually leading them to the Ghost World. They feed off the life energy of people and Pokémon, and use it as fuel for the flames on their heads." Twilight shivered again writing down and translating notes. No doubt that the evolutions would be next but first she would have to write every detail the Pokédex showed and spend hours drawing the picture of the candle Pokémon as well. When a subtle trio of knocks emitted from her balcony. Putting the Pokédex that Arceus had given her in her desk drawer and putting the newest note in her desk as well she turned around, "Come on in it's unlocked." She also noticed it was already late at night, curiously she pondered over who it would be at this late hour. Her answer was found as a large dark green dragon fly came in, a Yanmega by the looks of it, as well as a purple smoke ball known as a Wheezing. Her eyes widened in amazement as two of the dex entries she already had done entered. Though the look quickly turned to shock as the two attacked. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Soul was heading home, it had been less than three hours after sending the various crusaders home and he had been walking past Twilight's library when he heard the fight break out. The first sign something was wrong in the library was when a plume of smoke, several discharges of magical energy and a Soot covered spike shot out of the second floor window and landed in front of him. Startled Soul did nothing but stare at the sudden event as Spike sat up and pointed at the window, "Soul! Twilight's in trouble with some werid animals!" Before fainting. "What..." Soul asked the unconscious baby dragon before shrugging and moving spike off the road before flying towards the window. Twilight's bedroom was in ruins. various pieces of furniture had been blasted to bits and others were slowly dissolving into puddles on the floor. Twilight and her assailants were no where to be found however. The only thing intact was a note reading, "Gone out of town to do some research, I'll be back soon. -Twilight." Soul sighed, "Do you really think I would buy that?" He said to no one in particular. Obviously there was no response back. He floated back out and down to spike attempting to revive the dragon through the old fashion wake up move known as "Wake up Slap" While he couldn't actualy perform the move he slapped the baby dragon awake again anyway allowing most the force to dissipate against Spike' scales similar to being stung by a bee, only a lot less lasting. After two or three slaps Spike regained consciousness with a groan before jumping up, almost colliding with soul in the process, and looking around desperately, "Twilight!" Soul restrained the baby dragon with a metal limb around Spike's shoulder, "Calm down and tell me what happened. Twilight and those 'strange animals' you mentioned weren't up there." They proceeded to go back inside, searching for any trace of Twilight or the Attackers as Spike relayed his side of the story of simply being asleep until he had been awoken by the fight Twilight had with Yanmega and Wheezing. But soon choked and with vision obstructed by a thick grey smog and the following series of loud bangs and a tail end of the dragon fly punting Spike through a flame thrower from the Wheezing. "I'm surprised you're not burn't." Soul commented. "Eh, we dragons are fire proof." Spike retorted before finishing up with, "Then I landed in front of you and you know the rest." "What was Twilight studying before they came in?" "Don't know." Spike spoke up, "she has been working on something she got for hearths warming from somepony I didn't know. It was some red device that spoke about different creatures. I thought it was fiction but Twilight seemed intent on translating the entire thing." "What was the ponies name perchance?" Soul asked, hoping to gain some clues about the situation. "Don't remember, something that starts with Ace or Arcy..." Spike pondered for a moment, "Wait where am I going with this, I need to send a letter to the princesses Twilights been Mare-napped!" "Go ahead then, I'll check on the others." ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- The first two he checked on were Pinkie pie and Rarity. Both were missing from their homes and the lack of Sweetie belle was also present in Rarity's house and shop. While Pinkie pie's showed signs of struggle in the form of three broken party cannons and a room flooded with party supplies. There was also the outline of a Yamask present on a wall that was the only spot not covered in whip cream on the wall. Quickly Soul rushed to Apple acres only to find the entire Apple family missing as well as a very disgruntled Wiona locked under a apple barrel. Upon reaching fluttershy's all the animals were still knocked out except for Angel bunny who was frantic with worry and also attempted to boss Soul around. Though the bully didn't have his way with Soul like Angel wanted to, Soul still comforted the small bunny before rushing back to the homestead only to find out from Berry Punch that a giant machine had grabbed Steven Magnet, Lily, and Rose in combat and that Scootloo's parents had come by earlier wondering where their foal was. Only Berry punch had remained uncaptured due to having hidden in a empty booze barrel when they busted down her door. He noticed a light in the castle, one coming from his room that he had given Glacier Song, and he hurried bolting straight towards the light. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Soul sighed in relief, Glacier Song at least was still safe in her bed with Zecora nearby as well. So three had escaped the kidnapping spree. Wasting no time he gathered Berry punch up into the castle as well as Spike to explain the situation. Spike sent off another scroll to the princesses with the words written down as well. There was an emergency at hand. ---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞--- Quietly Twilight spat a bit of blood out of her mouth from the tail that had smacked her across the face in their brawl. She had managed to hold her own long enough to secretly tie the Pokédex from it's location into her tail and while she was knocked unconscious she was dismayed to notice that a majority of her friends, Zecora, Spike, Soul, and Berry punch and the princesses exempted of course, were each taken too. A majority of them except for Applejack and Red wood were still concussed. The couple had looked extremely worried with Twilight, she was the most beat up out of all of them after all. After calming their worries about her health she took stock of their surroundings. They were in a big cave of sorts each pony in individual cages with unique shackles to each one. Rarity for example had been gagged and Fluttershy blinded. Both unicorns wore a horn brace But sweetie belle didn't have one due to her youth making it imposable for her to need one. Rainbow and Flutters had restraints on their wings also in the form of metal bands clamping the appendages down. What was more terrifying was the fact that there were Lions periodically stationed without keys to each cell. about four to each to be precise. Twilight seriously hoped that spike was able to get a letter to Celestia or Luna or somepony else. Otherwise they were going to be lion food. The sound of smaller footsteps came up and an unexpected individual crossed Twilight's vision, staring her down, "Well, looks like you're awake again." Meowth commented.