//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: The Ultimate Enemy // by DJSkywalker //------------------------------// I reiterate my earlier point: this sucks! I wandered for who-knows-how-long through the decrepit wilderness. I had no food, no water, no shelter, and almost everything I came across wanting to make me into lunch. Each time I had to ‘go ghost’ to get rid of them, draining my body even further. That mortal coil was absolutely horrid. It was everything I had removed oh so long ago. I shouldn’t have had to deal with the need to consume in order to exist. And that was the worst part of this form. It needed nourishment to exist. I had hoped that if I simply allowed it to wither away, but something so easy wouldn’t work. I felt so weak, so much pain. It was futile; my two bodies were linked. If my, ugh, pony form were to cease to exist, so would my true form. To exist, I would have to be half-colt, half-ghost… how pathetic. Tartarus must have been truly out of the way, as I had yet to pass a single settlement through my trek. I’m certain that I had been walking for months, possibly even a year. All it took was finding a stream every few days and eating a few bushes to keep going. Disgusting, I know, but you do what you must to survive. It was odd that it remained night for what seemed like a week. How could such a thing occur? If and when I find out, the answer better not be magic or I was gonna put the hurt on someone. During that time, I tested out my ghost powers, seeing how far I could push my weak little body. To say I was disappointed would have been an understatement. I could only keep my true form for five minutes, and that was pushing myself. At least I was able to use my full powers in that form with no apparent decrease. Using them in my normal form, however… Ugh, it was sickening how weak and pathetic I was. Intangibility, invisibility, some flight, and the weakest ghost ray imaginable. Barely left a burn mark on a tree. I didn’t have my strength, my stamina, even my reflexes felt dulled. If this was truly my punishment, I was going to really destroy those sisters for doing this to me. Hmm, now where I have found myself? I thought to myself, looking over the darkened trees and surroundings. This place felt strangely… unnatural. I remembered seeing those pegasi pushing clouds and actually making the weather, so it was obvious that the ponies had control over nature here. But this forest, it didn’t feel like everywhere else. Could it be that there are places where the ponies could not control? Of course nature wouldn’t bow down to such pathetic creatures. But it will bow down to me. There was also a sense of familiarity in the area. Is it possible that this place has a supernatural connection as well? Faint traces of ectoplasmic energy are in the trees. Perhaps the site of an ancient ghost portal? Or maybe this was the home of a ghost at one point… or the current home of ghosts. Now that would be handy. If I could find a way into the Ghost Zone from here, then there may be a way to find the tools I need to rid myself of this pathetic form. A calming thought… darn it! More emotions, disgusting! I walked for about an hour more through the forest, nothing seeming to be special save for the atmosphere. No signs of sentient life. Sure there were some vermin roaming, a bear here or there, but nothing to write home about… not that I had such a home to write to… or any want to write home. There was a strange feeling on my cheek so I lifted my hoof to wipe it off. I looked and saw that my hoof was wet where it touched my cheek. I was… crying?! Why on earth was I crying?! Was… was it thinking of home? I have no home… but I did. I had… a family… friends… loved ones… NO! No, I cast those away a long time ago! I don’t need emotions! They are a hinderance; a weakness! I forcefully wiped the tears away, sickened by them. I shook my head to clear it of those disgusting thoughts and focused on walking again. I don’t need others, I don’t need anything, I am all that I will ever need. And without any warning, I was propelled to this side by an unseen force and pushed hard against a tree. I let out a little yelp (pitiful) on contact. I opened my eye and discovered to have be trapped by a net… and ecto net! “How…?” I whispered. A figure emerged from the trees and… what was I looking at? It was a pony, that I was certain, but something was off about her (definitely a ‘her’ from the muzzle shape). Ah, that was it. Her eyes; they weren’t looking in the same direction. One seemed to wobble off. Grey fur, blonde hair, and… ah, wings on the sides. A pegasus, how quaint. “Oh my gosh! I am so sorry, little colt,” she said, her voice kind of like a teenage girl (human that is). It was fairly sweet, but I cringed and gritted my teeth at her calling me a colt. Sure, I am one, but that didn’t mean I wanted it rubbed in. She trotted right up to me and began to pull on the net. “I didn’t know anypony else was out here. Sorry about this, I just don’t know what went wrong.” Once I was freed, I fell to my stomach with an “Oof”. I got up on my hooves and dusted my coat off. My fur was a nice white and I wanted to keep it that way. Appearances are important. As much as I wanted to destroy that pony, if she was here then that meant civilization wasn’t too far away. If I got rid of her, others might come looking and attention was the last thing I wanted at that moment. “Are you alright?” she asked me. “I am perfectly alright, miss.” I missed my true voice. The voice I used then reminded me too much of the one who had sealed me in a thermos. “Just a little shook up.” Not a complete lie. “I am very sorry for this. I thought a ghost was over here.” Wait, a ghost?! “A ghost? Why would there be any ghosts?” Perhaps this mare would prove useful after all. She nodded happily. “Uh huh! Ponies say that ghosts roam the Everfree forest because it’s almost always night in here! I came out here to practice my ghost catching equipment!” “Ghost catching equipment?” “Mhmm!” She showed me a metal cannon which had no doubt fired that net at me. It looked… it looked just as if Jack Fenton had made it! How could that be? “I made it myself! Sorry for shooting you again, but you should probably head on back to Ponyville.” She pointed in the direction she came from. “It’s back that way. And don’t worry, I won’t tell nopony I found you out here. Playing hooky from school was something even I did every now and again. Just don’t make it a habit, okay?” I nodded, a little surprised by her helpfulness. “Thanks, miss…?” “Oh! My name’s Derpy! Derpy Hooves.” There was a beeping noise from her saddlebag and she pulled out… is that Jack’s ghost detector?! “Ooh, there’s another ghost nearby! Sorry kiddo, but it’s time to hunt ghosts! Bye bye!” She clumsily flew off into the forest, nearly crashing into a few trees before she was out of my sight. ...I knew this world had its crazies but I had hoped I wouldn’t run into a pony ghost hunter. That could be detrimental… if she wasn’t as incompetent as the Fentons. So, Ponyville, eh? I walked in the direction she had suggested and, after about ten minutes or so, I was on the outskirts of a village. It was primitive, that was for sure, still using thatched roofs and wooden buildings. In one word, I would call it colorful; almost every building was a different bright color, making this town seem to be the happiest in the realm. It was sickening to look at! But it was no doubt the only town for miles. I should know, walked for over a year and never found a single trace of any. Wandering through the town, not much was different up close. Still sickening sweet colored. “Ugh,” I groaned. It was far too bright that day. Stupid sun. I shielded my eyes with a hoof, looking at the sky and… is… is that a castle? No wait… three? I could see three castles?! Why are there three castles?! Two of them were obviously in the town, but the third seemed to have been built into the side of a far off mountain. Was that highest level castle then? The two in town were complete opposites. One was obviously a dark castle, with pointy spires and gargoyles. Why are there always gargoyles? It must have been some dark, evil creature’s castle. I liked it. The other was just plain stupid. It looked like someone failed trying to turn a tree into a crystal castle. Had these weird things hanging from it and just sparkled in the sunlight.A do-gooder's  if ever saw one. I didn’t like it. But that distant castle… that’s where they were. I couldn’t tell how, but I knew they were there. That was the sisters’ castle. My goal was in reach, but… not like this. No, I was close, but in the form I was, there would be no way I could take them out. But just because I couldn’t get the drop on them now… didn’t mean I shouldn’t stick around. This ‘Ponyville’ was the perfect place for me to settle in to plan my return. It may have been the ugliest thing I had ever seen, but that would just make it so much sweeter when I destroyed it. Being this close also meant I would be able to get any news on the rulers as I could. Only one problem… I was a colt… a young, little, colt. There was no way I could afford any kind of living here. I couldn’t exactly purchase a house, get rent money, or anything. Maybe an orphanage? ...Burn that with Greek fire. No, if I was going to making this a… ‘home’ for the time being, I needed to be comfortable but with plenty of privacy. “HEY, YOU THERE!!” I am startled out of my chest at the high-pitch screech that assaults my ears. I turn and see a very pink pony waving frantically at me. “WAIT FOR ME!!” Why do I have this new feeling of a dire sense of dread?