Jack the gourgeist had always been good at finding value in things. Where some saw a boring rock, Jack saw a heart scale wrapped in stone like a present. When a beginning trainer carelessly tossed a used potion container aside, Jack would take it and find it still half-full. While some would pass up a rotten apple core, Jack would see it as a perfectly good waste of leftovers. But more than that, Jack was good at finding things in general. He'd found a great pal in Dan buddy. He'd found companies willing to fund his trainer's research. He'd even stumbled upon their house after being transported to another world entirely! Life was one big Halloween, and Jack had a bag to fill up with rare candies.
Most people would think he's the 'mon to see about lost items, and first pick to lead any search party.
"Ooh, look, a leaf!"
Most people don't know Jack.
"Sir Jack, please," said Durendal, placing a ribboned hand on a hair-like shoulder, "you must focus; we're out here looking for Sir Thanos at the request of our king."
The large pumpkin-like pokémon looked up and turned around as the rest of the small group caught up; the group consisted of Jack, Durendal, Ravid and Goliath.
"But the leaf--"
"We're in a forest, there are leaves everywhere!"
Jack was very easily distracted, and would take notice of every little thing that caught his eye; for every valuable item the scavenger found, he'd have picked up a dozen amusing (but ultimately useless) novelties. That was one of the main reasons he needed a group to accompany him on all searches: to keep him on task.
"Fine," said Jack, pouting at the sword, "but this is the most boring search party I've ever been to."
Another reason was that Jack took the phrase "search party" too literally.
Ravid spoke up from his position on Goliath's shoulder. "Does pumpkin finds its friend? Ravid wants to go home and eats."
Goliath just stood there silently.
"He found me half an hour ago," a new voice rang out from the shadows.
The group turned around to see a dusknoir, Thanos, creeping out from behind a tree.
Durendal sputtered as he took in his comerade's sudden appearance. "But-but-but-- why?!"
Thanos shrugged. "I didn't want to spoil the party."
The most annoying reason Jack needed to be accompanied was that he would always try to keep the party going.
Durendal groaned, he looked about ready to slice his own arms off. "Let's just go."
Jack sighed in resignation. "I guess it's time to end the party."
The gourgeist hopped up on Goliath's unoccupied shoulder as Thanos and Durendal both grabbed hold of the giant's arms, and they took off into the sky.
"I still say that leaf was really cool."
"Shut UP, Sir Jack."
Frothing Stein, Lucius, Avira and I stepped and/or floated into the town, Avira carrying the comatose young pony as we went.
"Are you certain the four of us are all we need for this?" Stein asked, turning to me with a questioning gaze, "I feel like we should have at least asked Bangarang to come with us."
"Banafrit," I corrected absently without looking at him, "and I think she needs some time alone right now."
"Besides," added Lucius, concealed in my shadow, "we're trying to give off a non-hostile presence; having a larger group would only make us seem more threatening, and that could cause things to escalate."
Stein said nothing for a moment, perhaps nodding before remembering I wasn't looking at him. "Of course," he replied as we ambled through the town gate, "that would be unfortunate for us."
"More unfortunate for them, actually." Lucius flashed a quick smile to the professor from my shadow.
Avira decided to chime in at that moment. "Hey so, ah, if we're tryin' ta look un-threatenin', maybe I should go back to the house?"
I gave him a stern glare, and he timidly scratched at his cloud.
"Aright, okay, just askin'."
Our progress into the town was suddenly impeded by a pair of spears held in an X in front of us. I noted that they weren't being held by guards, but coated in a midnight blue aura.
"Hold it right there!"
I turned to look at the voice who had just spoken; a pony clad in dark armor was trotting towards us, wearing a displeased look. From the voice and body structure, I guessed this pony was a she.
"I am Iron Bar, head of the town guard," she proclaimed, "surrender the filly and come quietly, you're under arrest!"
I was unperturbed by the pony's command; that had been about what I'd expected to hear once we entered the town.
"Law enforcement, very good," I called, doffing my top hat to the mare, "I was quite hoping to find you." I turned, intending to go around the spears, but I suddenly found them both pointed directly at me.
"I don't think you heard me," said the mare, azure eyes glaring at me from beneath her helmet, "surrender my daughter, you are under arrest!"
Well, that complicated things slightly.
I raised both my hands in a calming gesture. "Easy now," I spoke calmly, "we're here not here to make trouble; your daughter is fine."
I motioned to Avira, who gently placed the young bat-winged pegasus on the ground; her eyes had been closed, and she looked all but asleep to anyone who was watching. The armored mare, Iron Bar, rushed over, though her psychic kept the spears pointed right at my head.
It's magic, actually. Unicorns can levitate things with magic.
Now was NOT the time to start hallucinating Frothing Stein's voice in my head again.
Oh blast it all, I've done it again. So sorry, just ignore me, I'll be quiet-- now where did I put that...
I was once again interrupted from my thoughts as Iron Bar spoke, gently but worriedly shaking the young pony on the ground.
"Moony? Moony are you okay?"
“I wouldn’t do that, miss,” I said from my place behind the spears, and flinched slightly when the mare turned her head to glare at me. “That is to say,” I amended hurriedly, “your daughter was out playing with my son, Avira,” I motioned to Avira, “it was quite tiring, I’d imagine, and she probably needs to rest.”
Having the head of the town guard learn that her daughter’s soul was missing was pretty much the LAST thing I wanted to happen. Besides, it technically wasn’t a lie; having one’s soul extracted, even temporarily, is a bit of an ordeal.
“While we’re on the subject of children,” I continued, “I understand my daughter was here as well? I want to make sure she’s alright; she has a habit of borrowing things and forgetting to return them.”
Iron Bar’s eyes narrowed at me as she slowly lowered her spears. I could tell she wasn’t totally convinced, but was willing to hear me out because of Arceus’ message this morning.
“I’m not totally convinced,” she said, placing the filly on her back with her magic, “but I’m willing to hear you out because of that Arceus guy’s message this morning.”
"Wonderful!" I clapped my hands together. The sound reverberated oddly, as if there were something wrong with the air, but I paid it no mind. "Her name is Chandler; she's sort of round and purple-white, but also on fire."
The guardsmare raised an eyebrow, and seemed to relax somehow. "Sort of looks like a chandelier?"
"Yes, that's her," I nodded; this was going much more smoothly than I'd expected. "Can you take us to her? I believe she'll help your daughter, ah... 'rest up' a little faster."
Iron Bar narrowed her eyes again, scowling slightly. "Your daughter's back at the station," she said, jabbing a hoof in Avira's direction, "I saw her with this one earlier when he took off with Moony; I tend to make arrests when I think ponies' lives are at risk, especially my daughter."
"Oh I understand completely," I nodded again, and I dimly noted that the light foggy mist that seemed to surround our group. "I get the same way sometimes. To the station, then?"
Nodding, Iron Bar wordlessly turned and began trotting off, levitating 'moony' onto her back as she went. As my group moved do follow her, I noted the foggy mist following the guardsmare.
"That actually went a lot better than I expected," I mused aloud, keeping pace next to Frothing Stein as I motioned to the group, "and all of you were awfully quiet throughout."
"That was my doing, actually," Stein said, speaking for the first time since the confrontation started. He brought an empty vial into view with his purple aura, and looked at me in a way that was both timid and sly. "I confess that I wasn't completely confident in your diplomatic skills, especially after that first encounter with Bungee Flip--"
"Banafrit."
"--so I took the liberty of dispersing a little calming mist to stop things from getting violent." Stein shook the empty vial slightly and waggled his moustache with a grin. "I always keep a supply on hand just in case. It makes ponies a little more agreeable, if just a touch gullible, and removes some inhibitions; it's much more potent if you drink it."
I hmmed as I looked at the vial. "So it's basically alcohol."
Stein huffed and shook his head. "I suppose you could get drunk off of it, but this is a completely alcohol-free solution, with none of the negative effects like hangovers or blood... poisoning..."
The professor stopped his trot, staring intently at the vial held in his magic, and I could almost see the gears in his head turning.
"By Jove," he suddenly shouted, leaping into the air, "I've DONE IT! I've created a completely organic and easy-to-produce alcohol substitute!"
I rolled my eyes and tugged at Avira's hand, continuing on to the guard station as the chartreuse stallion began dancing with glee; there'd be no point in waiting up for him, and I needed to see Chandler ASAP.
"So why were you so quiet?" I asked to the seemingly empty air, and was unsurprised when Lucius whispered to me from the shadows.
"I saw Stein releasing that vapor," he murmured, "and I started filtering the air around us in case he was trying to poison you without you knowing."
I sighed. "Must you be so distrustful of everyone we meet?"
His response was quiet, but resolute. "It's saved your life more times than you'd know, boss."
Hollow Shades Guard Station
Holding cells
Chandler was annoyed.
It wasn't that Arceus had transported her and her brother (and hopefully the rest of her family) to another planet; that was actually kind of cool. It wasn't that she and said brother had wandered around in a forest for a whole day where they could be attacked by any number of angry dark types; Chandler reveled in the fight a ticked-off sharpedo could offer, and her brother was strong enough to take on almost anything after she set him on fire a little. It wasn't even that she was trapped in a cold, dark cell in a strange town full of alien ponyta; she could phase through the walls just as easily as she could burn the whole building down. No, Chandler was annoyed because she was in time out - and she definitely knew a time out when she saw it - but she didn't know what she did wrong!
Sure, she’d taken someone’s soul, but she was sooo hungry and she’d asked really nicely and the pony gave her permission!
Chandler looked at the wisp that was the pony’s soul as it twirled around in midair next to her. The ghost/fire-type had even been careful not to hurt the pony too much as she ate, and dad had told her that the soul-burning left more of a numb feeling than any actual pain.
“Dad…” Chandler sighed, her ethereal flames dimming at the thought. Was the ghostly professor even on this planet? Would Avira be able to find him?
The haunted lighting fixture shook her head-body to clear those thoughts away. Her dad WAS here, Avira WOULD find them, and they’d get this whole mess sorted out. And then uncle Thanos would put the soul back in the pony.
Uncle Thanos...
"I forgot about uncle Thanos!" Chandler cried suddenly, startling the wisp as it twirled about in the air, "Dad's going to be so mad..."
"I've been mad for an hour and a half now," came a voice from outside the cell, "right now I'm more relieved that you're alright."
Looking up, Chandler instantly recognized the golden face of her father clasped in the hands of a yamask.
The fire/ghost type launched herself up, passing through the bars of the cell like they weren't even there as she wrapped the yamask in a hug.
"Daddy!"
Thanos grumbled to himself and flicked the yellow antenna on top of his head as he hovered towards the center of the small pony town, the search party following behind them.
"Confounded antenna, why is there so much interference?"
Ever since the reaper had awoken on this planet, there had been a constant buzzing in his head where he would normally have received orders from the spirit world. The noise had started off quiet enough, allowing Thanos to detect his scattered comerades and head towards the closest signal, but it had grown unbearable earlier that morning, right after the message from Arceus; if Jack hadn't found him, Thanos would likely have wandered in the forest for ages, another lost spirit. Thanos shuddered at the thought; he hated irony, and a spirit guide being lost was certainly ironic.
After a time, Thanos managed to direct the group to Dante's location, where a familiar chandelure was conversing with a yamask. Jack bounced over to them excitedly.
"Hey, Dan," called the pumpkin, "Dan buddy! Look what I found!"
The yamask turned, and Thanos wasn't surprised at the mask it held.
"Jack," said Dante, raising a hand in welcome, "you found Thanos, I see."
Jack stopped in front of the former human and turned around, an absent look on his face. "Huh? Oh yeah, I found him too, but look at THIS!" The gourgeist pulled an object from behind himself. "This leaf is so cool, am I right?!"
Thanos more felt than heard the resounding clang as Durendal hit his head with the back of his shield.
Dante looked rather amused. "Yeah," he replied, examining the loose scrap of foliage, "it is a pretty cool leaf; we can put it with the rest of your stuff later."
"Yay!"
"Excuse me," interrupted a new voice, and all attention shifted to a unicorn mare clad in black metal armor. "You know these... Individuals?"
"Oh, right," Dante moved towards the mare, gesturing towards us. "These are colleagues of mine, here to help your daughter." He turned back towards us. "Gentlemen, this is Iron Bar, head of the guard in this town." He gestured towards the mare, and then indicated the smaller pony laying on her back. "Her daughter Moonbreeze had an... eventful evening with Avira and Chandler, and I had you find Thanos so he could help her, eh, 'wake up'."
Thanos didn't need to hear the shifty tone Dante spoke in to know what happened. The large ghost sighed; even on another planet, a reaper's work is never done. Still, the situation seemed to be well in hand, and the group would probably be back at the mansion in time for him to do a little reading.
"Stop right there, undead scum!"
Or not, Thanos reflected, as an angry-looking stoutland charged towards them.
"I hate irony..."