//------------------------------// // The Shadow Game // Story: The Power Ponies: The Power Inside // by Matthew Stone //------------------------------//   It took the gang of four an hour before Bellcord managed to sense where the new lair location is. With Gladiator’s technology, he has managed to track the Bakura’s cave-carved base is made in a mountain called East Hill. Pouter also looks down at the surface below them, seeing two familiar characters on the ground.         “I know these fellas walking.” Pouter said, “These are the hero foxes, Sava and JT.”         “We have no time to talk to them.” Bellcord protests.          Pouter then pulls on Bellcord’s horns, like he’s starting to steer him.          “But I wanna visit them!” Pouter insists, “They might be on the same mission too!”         “He’s right.” Gladiator admits to Bellcord, “We need all the help we can get.”         Bellcord sighs, and slows his speed to land onto the ground. The foxes stop in place, surprised to see Bellcord in front of them. Pouter also rushes up to them, hoping up and down.             “OMG! It’s great to see you guys!” the blanket squees.             “Yeah, sure…” JT grins, “Anyways, what are YOU doing here Bellcord.”             “The same you’re probably doing.” Bellcord lets him know, “Bakura might be keeping the Power Ponies prisoner on this mountain!”             The foxes look up at the evening sky, starting to wince at the darkness of the clouds.             “You know, Bakura might be expecting us.” Sava said, “He might have a trap set us for us.”                 “Which is why we think there’s a back entrance.” Firestorm tells them, “We’re finding one right now just as soon as Bellcord speeds us to go on the other side of the mountain.”             “You in?” Gladiator offers, “We need a little help saving your idols after all.”             Sava grins at their acceptance to him and JT being part of the team.             “Why not?” Sava smiles.             The foxes then join them on Bellcord’s back with the others, as the chaotic hero then snaps his fingers. In no time, the six members find themselves on the other side of the mountain. It’s much eerie then in front, because of the darker shadows covering the slopes and the odd black goo covering the rocks. BLACK GOO? This is a sign of dangerous activity to Gladiator’s wrist monitor.             “We might have to try one of the sides of the mountain…” Gladiator thinks out loud.             “Why do that?” a menacing voice rumbles, “You already came this far!”             Bellcord then screams in shock when they see the black goo encircle around them. The icky liquid then rises up higher then their height, to create a form a GIANT CAGE. The secure barrier then entraps them completely in the prisoning space, as the goo also makes a giant screen monitor. Sava and JT look in suspicion to see who’s coming onto the screen. BAKURA!             “Welcome to my special arena!” the villain laughs.             “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE POWER PONIES?” Firestorm demands.             “Well, let me introduce you to the ne and improved… them….” Bakura muses in delight.             The ground rumbles in front of the gang of six, as a hidden underground entrance opens up in front of them. The square lid goes upward, as all the six Power Ponies come out one by one, wearing their MASKS! Behind the entrance in the corner of the barrier, two cages coming from underground arise. Inside each cage, are Hummer and Mote, all tied up and gagged. Pouter closes his eyes when seeing this.             “ZAPP!” Firestorm screams.             “MATTER-HORN!” Sava calls in shock.             “BAKURA! YOU BASTARD!” Gladiator screams.             “YOU’RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!” JT promises.             “Well, I WILL have FUN watching you… Firestorm and Sava… going against your two lovers.” Bakura hisses, “Don’t you both care for them? If you’re really going to fight them, you might as well LOSE for them.”             Bakura then looks into the angry eyes of Firestorm, curious and amazed.             “Now I see why I want to kill you Firestorm.” Bakura sneers, “You’re some kid who helped Mote’s father from long ago send my brother to prison, as HE… Mote… your father banished me! I believe his name is Herne, the very first dragon superhero of this universe. He’s dead for good, but YOU…. I will have the sore pleasure of making a vengeful kill on you!”             “So… you do know my dad.” Firestorm snarls, “I DON’T CARE HOW YOU GOT OUT EITHER! BUT I’LL RETURN THE POWER PONIES TO NORMAL WITH THE HELP OF MY FRIENDS, IF IT’S THE LAST THING I DO!”             “THEN LET’S BEGIN! POWER PONIES, KILL THEM AND MAKE THEM SUFFER!” Bakura laughs and commands.             “Yes master…” the brainwashed Power Ponies moan.             “Oh no…” Pouter whimpers.             “Bellcord, I suggest you aid Pouter as we fight!” Firestorm tells him, “You both might have to come against two at once if you have to. I’ll be facing Zapp.”             “Then I’ll face Saddle Ranger and Radiance.” Bellcord said.             “Me, I’ll face Matter-Horn as JT faces Fili-Second!” Sava decides.             “Then I guess I have to fight Mistress Marvelous.” Gladiator says.             They then rush into action with saying anything more, as Sava goes against Matter-Horn. He flies upward to miss her blood red rays, piercing through the air to try and stab him. The fox then flies downward to punch her in the face, hoping to tear off the mask. But the power of the mask is stuck and snug on Matter-Horn’s face. She then has her eyes glow to shoot the rays, having Sava jump back as he think of another way to target the mask.             JT then jumps ahead as he fights against Fili-Second and her speed, only he gets knocked over by her constant sudden punches. He eventually makes a lucky move when he extends a fist out to knock her down to the ground, just as she rushes to fast. Fili-Second the growls, speeding up her punches as JT tries to wobble backwards and miss.             As Mistress Marvelous fights Gladiator, she uses her lasso to try and rip of his wrist monitor. Gladiator allows that, having Marvelous fall for the old intruder-detonating trick. When she grabs the gadget to try and use it against him, it explodes right into her face, sending her jumping in the air as her face scorches! As she head upward, Gladiator flies up to punch her constantly in the jaw until he smacks her down. Marvelous is enraged, dragging herself back up as she skips to kick Gladiator in his thigh. The robotic griffon jolts, sending an electric move to shock his opponent.             Pouter hugs tightly to Bellcord, as the two of them see Saddle Ranger going into her monster mode. When in that form, Radiance starts the attack against Bellcord and Pouter, using her gem rays to try and strike them both down. Bellcord then snaps his fingers, using his own gems to fight against Radiance, His stone rays aim at her, though Radiance jumps ahead to miss and kick him in the face. Saddle Range then adds onto Bellcord’s pain by grabbing his tail and TWISTNG it mercilessly, having him scream. She then grabs Pouter by his blanket tail, and swings him around like a battering ram. She then sends the blanket flying to crash against the cage wall.             “Mommy…” Pouter weeps, as he slides off the wall.             Zapp and Firestorm are just behind the horrified blanket, as the two of them do their fight. Zapp slips past Firestorm’s dragon breath, as he breathes heavy fire to try and slow her down. She then comes up from his side and shocks one of his legs to stun him.             She then strengthens her lightening attacks to use them more often on Firestorm, only he dodges them with his dragon flight. Then, Zapp casts out a tornado attack, and flashes by him to activate it. Firestorm then feels himself being lifted in the air, spinning around and starting to feel sick. He grows worried of what Zapp might try next. Then without warning, she goes through the tornado fog in the air, hitting him hard in the chest with both fisted hooves.             “ARRRGH! Please…Zapp… stop this!” Firestorm begs.             “The master wants me to destroy you…” Zapp moans.             “You’re not her… not now… YOU’RE NOT HER!” Firestorm wails.             Zapp then punches Firestorm, sending him to the ground. Then, she begins to shock him with four lightening bolt attacks striking him. He screams in agony as she sends another hit to his chest.             “FUUUUU….” Firestorm groans.             Firestorm then looks at the battle behind him as he lays on the ground. The attacks are more fierce, all because the Power Ponies are manipulated with Bakura’s given power. It was all to much for Firestorm to bear.             “Well… it looks like I’ve won.” Bakura laughs, as Mordum joins him.             Firestorm feels as if he’s now starting to give up, feeling insulted by Bakura’s sadism. What can he do? All his limbs are nearly numb from the lightening strikes he received.             “Firestorm…” a voice suddenly whispers in his head.             That voice. The dragon pony recognizes it. His father…             “Herne…” Firestorm smiles.             “WAKE UP! YOU MUST NOT LET BAKURA WIN!” Herne encourages in his head, “YOU MUST FIND THE DRAGON RAGE WITHIN YOURSELF, AND HOLD IT IN TO SAVE YOUR FRIENDS! YOU MUST RELEASE YOUR TRUE POWER AND USE IT TO BREAK THE SPELL APART FROM THE POWER PONIES! YOU MUST SAVE THEM!”             That message was all Firestorm needed.             “Thank you father…” Firestorm whispers.             The dragon pony then opens his eyes once more, feeling the repetitive shocks coming from Zapp. He looks around at the other Power Ponies, brainwashed as Mordum and Bakura smoke cigars and watch in pleasure. On another monitor formulating with the goo, Firestorm can see the league of evil laughing along with Bakura’s delight.             “Enough… I won’t let you hurt my friends. I won’t forgive you for this…” Firestorm snarls, raising his voice.             “So silent. Meh, that’s boring. ZAPP, END HIM!” Bakura says.             “Yes master…” Zapp says, as she readies her final blow.             “I WON’T LET YOU WIN!” Firestorm screams towards Bakura.             Then, a sudden red cloud flows around his body, as it slowly turns into red energy. The aura explodes around him, and Firestorm screams to get up from his pinned spot. He gains the attention of Bakura and Mordum who look in dismay, as the brainwashed Power Ponies, Sava, JT, Bellcord, Gladiator, and Pouter look as well.             “What’s this now?” Bakura gnarls.             “ARRRRGGGH!” Firestorm screams.             Firestorm continues his screaming as his power level goes off his usual chart, forcing all emotion out of his body to focus on the moment. Once the explosion dies down, his eyes turn into dragon slit holes as his wings grow bigger like an eagle’s. He acts calm when in his new appearance, thought he’s still pissed off.             “Firestorm…” Gladiator gasps.             “What form is this supposed to be on him?” Bellcord asks Gladiator.             “Dragon Rage form.” Gladiator tells him, “It build’s up his power to reach an ultimate installment that forces all his dragon powers to burst out in anger, carrying the same fury his father took. Herne has been the first superhero to use such an emotional power to move against Bakura’s attacks, let alone also attacking these evil powers.”             The brainwashed Zapp is front of Firestorm, stomping her hoof back and forth.             “THAT BASTARD, TAKING THE SAME POWER COMPARED TO HIS FATHER’S!” Bakura screams, “ZAPP! DESTROY HIM NOW!”             “Yes master…” Zapp said nervously.             Zapp then flashes forward, going in for the attack. Just then, a sudden jolt pushes aside from her. Firestorm just disappeared in front of her real quickly, as he the goes behind Zapp.             “WHAT?” Bakura huffs as he watches.             “Man, he’s as fast as Zapp.” Sava says, as he blocks an upcoming move from Matter-Horn.             “It’s no wonder Firestorm’s powers are off the charts…” Bellcord grunts as he protects Pouter from Saddle Ranger’s muscular attacks, “He shares the same power his father carried!”             Then Firestorm puts his claw hand on Zapp’s forehead, having his eyes glow yellow.             “Sleep Zapp! Let my second mind enter into yours, as I help you go free from Bakura’s control!” Firestorm chants.             Unconscious…             That’s how Zapp now is when se goes to her rest, having Firestorm transport himself into her second mind. When inside, he can see her real loving soul, trapped and imprisoned by another Zapp, only darker and having a similar face to Bakura’s. After all, Bakura has took control of her mind.             The loving soul of the real Zapp bangs against the cage, almost relieved to see Fireblaze.              “So, you came here to free your girlfriend! My master wants me to destroy you and try to kill your love! I will beat you!” the evil Zapp says.             “We’ll see once I destroy Zapp’s dark side!” Firestorm shouts.             The soul actually is the real Zapp, being one body trapped in an evil one for what Firestorm knows. Zapp cries as she struggles against the cage bars. Firestorm cries too, feeling her pain.             “BEAT HER! I KNOW YOU CAN!” Zapp encourages.             “I will.” Firestorm promises, ready to fight the evil Zapp, “I’ll never hold back either!”             With that, Firestorm makes one big flash…             “WHAT?” the evil Zapp gasps.               The flash was huge for what the brainwashed Power Ponies witness Firestorm doing. Bellcord and Pouter scuttle back, wondering what the dragon pony is up to. Firestorm has exited Zapp’s mind, and his power is starting to FREE HER! Zapp jolts against the power of the mask, feeling tired and stunned. Then…             CRACK!             Firestorm has finally done it for his first friend. He released Zapp from her prisoned spell of the mask. She’s then waking slowly back to herself, real slowly…             During that time, she’s lowered down by Firestorm, and gets placed by the foxes, Bellcord, Pouter, and Gladiator.             “What happened?” Zapp wonders.             “YOU’RE BACK!” Pouter cheers, hugging her.             “IMPOSSIBLE!” Bakura screams.             Firestorm then turns to the monitor, seeing the villain’s eyes.             “Once I free the other Power Ponies, I AM GOING TO FIGHT YOU!” the dragon pony roars.             “Then let’s see if the ones who are sane heroes can fight against Mordum… POWER PONIES! DISMISS!” Bakura shouts.             The other brainwashed Power Ponies then disappear, teleporting back to the base room by Bakura’s power. Zapp cries out for them, not wanting her friends to go back to the clutches of the bastard. It all gets worse when Mordum is sent into the arena by Bakura’s magic, having him stand in front of Zapp, Firestorm, Sava, JT, Bellcord, Gladiator, and Pouter.             “KILL THEM!” Bakura orders to his brother.             “Right then.” Mordum hums.             “GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT!” Firestorm screams.             Then Mordum throws a fist punch to start with Firestorm, until the dragon pony catches the fist with his dragon claws. Mordum is in shock, as he see Firestorm smile. However, Mordum manipulates the grip, and raises hi arm to smash Firestorm towards the other side of the floor, nearly cracking his back.             “WOAH!” Long Face wails, watching through the monitor.             “Impressive. But how could Firestorm stop such a deadly attack in the first place?” Bakura wonders out loud.             “At least he didn’t punch me…” Firestorm coughs, pulling himself back up, “MY TURN!”             As Mordum rushes up to hit Firestorm again, the dragon pony stops him and catches him by the chest. He then lifts him up in the air with both his dragon arms. He then SLAMS him onto the ground, having some rubble fly in his landing spot.             “That’s some power you have…” Bellcord tells Firestorm in awe.             Mordum then gets up from the ground, looking at the gang. He then looks at Firestorm, putting a smirk on his face. Pouter puts one of his flipper hands on his mouth, pretending he’s sucking his thumb.             “Finally, worthy opponents after two hundred years…” Mordum smiles.               Back in the city of Corvine, right before anything else happens, a sexy wolf stretches and goes around his apartment, continuing his research. He’s better known as Isaac, and that wolf’s main topic of research is the Shadow Games, the very same thing Bellcord, Firestorm, and the others are going through right now. His appearance has him wearing a Canadian hoodie for clothing, along with blue jeans and sneakers on his feet. He knows that the Shadow Games are all about some misfit heroes being selected by a deadly bastard to compete against their brainwashed friends. Some people call this foretold event to be a myth, but right now…             Isaac is already watching the news about repots sneaking around the mountains to catch footage of Zapp being aided by new friends, as Firestorm goes against a deadly black figure named Mordum. It’s all what the wolf expected, Bakura’s “Shadow Games” are happening. And he knew he has to do something.             Actually, in all his life, he trained himself to become a hero. He not only researched myths, he studied them. Myths can be foretold fictional or not. And what else, he knows something is coming to attack Corvine. He can already her it in the sky roars are rising. Bakura’s shadow demons are coming, and the evil brothers set up the arena to distract the other heroes so they won’t interfere with the planned invasion.             Isaac knew what to do. He practiced magic along with ding research, just like a mage. He went to the other side of his room to pick up his staff. It’s like a golden cane, yet it has an encrypted emblem of a moon on top. He looks up to his front door, ready for what’s expected.             “Some demons they’ll be.” Isaac sad to himself, “I’m not impressed.”