//------------------------------// // Episode 6: Substitute Soul Reaper // Story: Equestria Girls: Friendship Souls // by thatguyvex //------------------------------// Episode 6: Substitute Soul Reaper A laugh cold and merciless as the bottom of the ocean echoed from the serpent Hollow’s mask, it's praying mantis shaped upper body shaking with mirth as it kept its eyes locked on Clover and Rainbow Dash. “It’s amazing you’ve survived this long. Aside from the Soul Reaper what can any of you do? I can taste a tiny bit of power in those shiny wings,” the Hollow pointed with one claw at Rainbow Dash, “But whatever it is doesn’t feel all that special to me. I can’t fathom why the big bosses back home want you for, but whatever, I’ll just pluck those wings and drag your body back to them all the same. Oh, and as for the rest of you...” The Hollow swiveled around until its eyes fixed upon the girls still hidden in the bushes, “You all can play with my friends here!” With a howl the serpent Hollow seemed to command the other remaining lesser Hollows to attack. As one the remaining horde began to charge up the hill, the fliers swooping towards the girls whose only protection was some light shrubbery. Fluttershy gasped, backing away, while Rarity and Applejack stood poised, perhaps to run. Pinkie Pie stubbornly frowned, whipping out a pair of whip cream spray cans from seemingly nowhere while Twilight looked to Sunset. “Sunset, the gikon!” Twilight said, “Didn’t Clover say it’d help you fight as a Soul Reaper?” With Hollows bearing down on them Sunset knew she didn’t have much time to think things over. She looked at the small green orb in her hand, unsure what to do with it. Fortunately neither Clover nor Rainbow Dash were sitting still. Clover shouted, “You just swallow it! Then you’ll be able to fight properly, but there’s too many Hollows! Just run!” “I’m coming guys!” cried Rainbow Dash, diving down, but the serpent Hollow moved to intercept her. “Not so fast!” shouted Clover, vanishing in an eyeblink and appearing between the serpent Hollow and Rainbow Dash, her sword blocking the Hollow’s sweeping talon in a clash of sparks. “Its me you’ll be dealing with, Hollow!” “Fine by me,” the Hollow replied, pulling back for a second then instantly lunging forward with a heavy double slash of both its talons that Clover had to dodge away from. Fortunately her actions were buying Rainbow Dash time to catch the crowd of Hollows heading up the hill, dive kicking one of them in the back. Once more her wings surged with a wave of electrical blue bolts, transferring a burst of lightning into the Hollow she’d hit and knocking it to the ground in seizures. However this got the attention of several other Hollows, including the flying ones, that changed course to bank in upon Rainbow Dash, claws and fangs slashing at the girl as she rapidly beat her wings to evade. That still left five Hollows coming for the girls, only moments away. Applejack grabbed Fluttershy while Rarity did the same with Pinkie Pie. “We gotta make a’ break fer it!” shouted Applejack, and the girls began to run, Sunset bringing up the rear. With one hand she gripped the gikon, while with her other she drew her Zanpaktou. She and her friends only got about twenty or so feet before the Hollows got to the top of the hill and began to smash through the bushes and trees. It was clear that the girls might be able to run a bit over the rough terrain at the top of the hill and maybe even reach the fringes of the Everfree Forest, but the Hollows would catch them sooner rather than later. The only way to get out of this with her friend’s lives intact was to fight. Taking a few more running steps Sunset then dug her heels in and turned around, facing the Hollows. Not certain what to expect she opened her mouth and popped in the gikon, swallowing hard. There was an oddly chilly sensation for a second and a sense of disorientation as Sunset felt like she was being literally booted forward. The feeling of displacement ended just as fast as it began as she found her footing on the ground, and along with that was a surge of energy that filled every pore of her body that made her feel light as a leaf in autumn. Looking at herself she saw that she was no longer in her body, her physical body standing just behind her with an alert and bouncy intelligence in its eyes; the artificial soul having taken control of her flesh while she was now just her own soul. Sunset had half expected to come out of her body with her soul in the shape of a pony, and some part of her was disappointed, even alarmed, that this wasn’t the case. She was still shaped like her human self, though she noticed she was wearing a black robe almost identical to Clover’s. Strangely Rarity’s sheath and sash had copied itself over to Sunset’s soul body as well, still firmly snug at her side. But more importantly than any of that, Sunset’s Zanpaktou was still in her right hand, having transferred over as well, and Sunset could swear the blade felt sharper and more alive in her hand now. Everything felt clearer, actually, and as the first Hollow reached her, a relatively short bipedal creature with a wide, flat head like a grinning toad, and swung with a over sized fist, Sunset could see the blow coming with crystal clarity. When she ducked the blow it felt natural, her body moving swifter than she could ever remember it moving, and when she slashed up with her Zanpaktou to try and make the Hollow retreat, her blow ended up severing the Hollow’s arm entirely, sending it spinning away. The Hollow howled in agony, but Sunset was already taking advantage of its distraction and gripped her Zanpaktou in a loose two handed grip, slashing across its chest, splitting it along the open hole it had there. That Hollow’s body shimmered and dissipated into nothingness, and the other Hollows, paused, hesitating as their easy prey suddenly became a hunter in their midst. With a smile and almost predatory light entering Sunset’s eyes, she charged straight into the fray. ---------- Rainbow Dash had lost track of what was happening beyond the immediate space around her. .She heard the sounds of fighting elsewhere, but she could only pay attention to the Hollows trying to tear her head off. One Hollow with deep brown fur and a crested mask shaped like a deranged bat swooped after her, its arms blended into leathery wings. It howled, opening its mouth and spitting something green and viscous. “Oh no, you ain’t hitting me that easy buddy!” Rainbow Dash said, pulling a hard left to avoid the goo, smelling the acid in the air as it passed her. Another howl above made her look up as a bird-like Hollow with a large curved beak dove at her, stabbing. Her hands snapped up and she caught the beak, halting with with more strength that she thought she might’ve had in her body. The momentum of the Hollow’s dive forced her down but she felt power flow through her wings, lighting up her body, and pooling into her palms as the electricity fried the avian Hollow into a black mass that fell from the sky. “Hah, this is pretty niff..ty...” Rainbow Dash suddenly felt herself breathing heavily, sagging in the air, and the remaining flying Hollows pounced at her. “Grr!” Rainbow Dash pushed past her sudden tiredness and dove, the flying Hollows in hot pursuit. She wasn’t sure why she’d suddenly gotten tired, but guessed it probably had to do with the amount of electricity she was using. Maybe she could only do so much at one time? Waiting below her was a Hollow with four elephant like legs and tentacles for arms, and it jumped into the air at her, but at the last second she rolled away from it, letting the Hollow smash into the fliers behind her. All three Hollows went down in a pile while Rainbow Dash landed on the ground, turning around in a ready battle stance. However the Hollows, tangled together, began to howl and tear at each other, biting and gnashing and eating chunks of one another’s flesh in blind hunger and rage. Rainbow Dash felt a bit queasy looking at it, “Whoa, that’s... that’s just gross.” Her distraction cost her as the last remaining Hollow on the ground near her had snuck up behind her and with a meaty fist smashed Rainbow Dash squarely in the back, sending the girl sprawling and skidding across the ground. The Hollow, shaped like bipedal dog, let out a piercing howl and stalked towards Rainbow Dash, who was too dazed to so much as move a muscle. ---------- Hidden in the bushes not at all far from where Rainbow Dash had fallen the three sirene sisters sat in frozen fear, all three of them exchanging looks with each other that held the same question; should they do something? “Mr. Discord said not to step in unless there’s really no choice, and this is looking pretty no choiceish to me,” said Sonata, biting her lower lip and gripping the video camera with knuckles turning white. Adagio seemed less moved by the situation, “She got herself into that mess, she can get herself out of it.” “Dagie, c’mon, they tried to help us the other day!” said Sonata. “So what?” said Aria, “That doesn’t mean we have to keep risking our necks for them. We nearly lost Adagio, you want to be the next one stuck in a doll’s body, or worse, Sonata?” Rainbow Dash was just barely starting to recover her senses and start to rise by the time the Hollow loomed behind her. It raised a hand and there was a tearing sound as a spike of bone shot out of its palm, a spear poised to skewer Rainbow Dash before she could do anything to evade. With a look of snap desperation Sonata stood up and rather unthinkingly hurled the video camera at the Hollow. The camera sailed through the air and nailed the Hollow right across the brow, not harming it in the least, but drawing its attention as the Hollow looked up at the shocked and now rather terrified looking siren girl. “Uhhh...heheh...hi?” said Sonata, waving her hand sheepishly. The Hollow opened its mouth in a howl of rage and began to charge up the hill. Among the siren's Aria leaped to her feet and began to pull Sonata back while saying, “You complete friggin’ moron! What were you thinking!?” At the same time Adagio floated backwards, looking ready to bolt, but hesitating as her sisters stumbled backwards out of the bushes, Aria’s foot catching on the roots and both her and Sonata spilling to the ground. The Hollow was nearly upon them as Sonata and Aria tried to scramble back to their feet. Adagio’s plushie body tensed, whether to fight or flee it didn’t look like even she knew, but it wasn’t needed as a blue bolting form slammed to the ground in front of the Hollow; Rainbow Dash recovered and with a blazing look of anger in her eyes. “Sit boy!” she snarled at the Hollow, flaring her metal wings wide, the rainbow spectrums of light along their edges seeming to glow brighter as lightning sparked and arched between the wings, and she punched out with a single fist as hard as she could at the Hollow. The Hollow in turn punched down with its bone spike, and it collided with Rainbow Dash’s fist. A bright flare of cobalt light engulfed the area, and Adagio ended up flying backwards from the force of it while Aria and Sonata only covered their heads and stayed down. When the light cleared the Hollow was little more than a charcoal mass turning to ash, and Rainbow Dash was barely standing, her fist bleeding from a puncture wound between her knuckles. Her body was dripping sweat, and her wings looked dull and lacked even a single flicker of electricity. “Whoa... think I need... to take five...” breathed Dash as her wings and the remainder of her ponied up form slowly vanished into white light, leaving the girl utterly drained as she collapsed to the ground. Slowly Aria and Sonata stood up, while Adagio floated beside them. After a moment’s hesitation Sonata went over to put her arms under Rainbow Dash and start dragging her to the relative safety of the bushes. ---------- Clover had a better sense of the battle than most, her sharp spiritual senses keeping tabs on the remaining Hollows and the spiritual pressures of the humans. She’d felt it when Sunset Shimmer had swallowed the gikon and entered her spirit form. Without the flesh of a human body suppressing her, Sunset’s spiritual pressure was massively increased. It surprised Clover just how much she was sensing from the fire haired girl, enough spiritual pressure to easily match a seated officer of Clover’s rank. However it was all uncontrolled. She imagined Sunset was feeling fantastic at the moment, but that could be problematic as well; it could make her cocky. As for Rainbow Dash, Clover had sensed her fighting the lesser Hollows, and was happy to feel that the eager young girl had taken out a few, but now she sensed that Rainbow Dash’s spirit energy had wanned, dropping back to normal levels. She couldn’t see what was happening, precisely, but she just had to hope Rainbow Dash would be okay, as well as Sunset and the others, because she had her hands full with her own opponent. “Come on now, I thought Soul Reapers were supposed to be tough!” chided the serpent Hollow, lazily slashing with her large saw-like talons as Clover dexterously wove away from the attacks, “All you’re doing is running away. I’m starting to think you’re not taking me seriously.” “Oh, I am,” said Clover, ducking a talon and continuing to leap back, “I know that you’re not like the others. You’ve consumed a lot of your own kind. I’d lay a bet that you’re close to evolving into a Gillian-class Hollow.” “You flatter me,” said the serpent with a praying mantis head and skull mask, putting a talon to her face in mock embarrassment, “To be honest I’d rather not evolve. Gillians are so mindless, and uniform in appearance.” “You don’t have a choice, you’re a Hollow,” Clover said plainly, “You have to consume souls until you evolve. Instinct will force you. Your only hope of salvation lies within the blade of a Soul Reaper, to purify you and send you to the Soul Society.” “Not likely for me, little Soul Reaper,” the serpent laughed, “I wasn’t such a good girl in life, either.” Clover’s eyes narrowed, and she sighed, “I see. Well, my duty remains the same. I must cut you down. Tell me, first, before I end you, who is after those girls?” “Sorry, but while I’ll admit to being a chatterbox, I’m not a blabbermouth. You’ll have to learn the truth on your lonesome, if you survive!” the serpent said, her body starting to gleam with reddish light as the Hollow’s spiritual pressure rose and she charged at Clover. Clover held out her Zanpaktou before her and placed her hand upon the flat of the blade. She’d made the mistake of not going all out against the Hollow the first night she’d met those girls and been injured as a result. She wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. “Seek, Chishiki!” (Knowledge) In a burst of shimmering green light her Zanpaktou elongated and smoothed out into the shape of a long staff, the top end capped by a bladed ring wider than her head, while the other end was tailed by a hard metal spike. Her spiritual pressure magnified as she released her sword’s new state, the Shikai, and met the Hollow’s charge head on. Slashing talons met with the solid staff and the Hollow found herself deflected backwards and suddenly put on the defensive as Clover leapt into a dancing pattern of attacks, alternating between wide slashes with the ring blade on one end of the staff, and sudden hard thrusts with the spike on the other end. “Ugh! R-releasing your Zanpaktou won’t help, Soul Reaper!” the Hollow said, barely managing to fend off Clover’s attacks, “Not if you can’t see me.” Suddenly bursting out of the Hollow’s side were gill-like slits, and flowing from them was a yellow smoke that smelled of sulfur and engulfed the area. Clover backed off, but was still engulfed by the fumes. She held her breath, assuming there had to be poison within. The gas made her eyes water, that was for sure. She heard the Hollow laughing, voice seeming to come from all sides. “How long can you last, I wonder...” Clover felt the air disturbed next to her and only was able to half dodge as a talon slashed from the smoke, catching her arm with a shallow cut. “When I can see just fine in this poison cloud, but you can’t!” ---------- Twilight Sparkle stood transfixed as she watched Sunset fight. A part of her mind was still trying to piece together some notion or theory on why it was that she and all the other girls were able to start seeing spirit forms on their own, but for now all she could do was watch as Sunset ploughed into one Hollow, blade first, the Zanpaktou’s edge bursting from the Hollow’s back in a splatter of blood. That left three that still surrounded Sunset, but she didn’t stay still for a second, rushing away from the one she’d just felled to charge another, slashing hard. This Hollow was a bit more canny, wary now that Sunset was fighting back so viciously, and dodge aside of Sunset’s overhand chop while the other two Hollows rushed in from behind. “Behind you!” Twilight shouted, and Sunset spun around, her blade cutting a circular arc that forced the two Hollows back at the last second. “S-should we try to help?” asked Rarity, face so drawn tight with tension it looked as if the girl might explode, “Do you think if Rainbow Dash was able to transform we might do the same?” Twilight Sparkle just shook her head in uncertainty, “I don’t know enough about how you girls transform to even guess, Rarity!” “Dash did her ponied up state ‘cause she was too loyal ta’ let Clover fight alone,” said Applejack, “She’s kinda got the easiest emotion ta’ use in situations like this. Ain’t like I can go honestly tell them Hollows they’re a bunch o’ jerks an’ expect ta’ get a’ power boost oughta’ it.” “But I ‘ponied up’ earlier and didn’t feel any different,” said Rarity, “Nothing like those wings Rainbow Dash gained!” “Hey you all! Stop worrying about nothing!” said, well, not Sunset, exactly, but rather the artificial soul inside Sunset, who was standing among the girls who were watching the soul of Sunset battle the Hollows. “Your friend is a Soul Reaper now and can handle this just fine. You all need to be finding safety!” Fluttershy blinked at the not-Sunset, wincing a bit as the real Sunset was seen narrowly avoiding a slash from one of her Hollow foes. “I, um, don’t think we want to leave our friend behind... uh, whoever you are.” “Call me Chappy! Chappy the Rabbit!” said the artificial soul, making Sunset’s body smile exceedingly wide and happily, jabbing a thumb at her chest, “I’m the most popular brand of gikon among female Soul Reapers, voted #1 by the Soul Reaper Women’s Association just last year!” Pinkie Pie giggled, “I like her!” Chappy beamed at the praise. “Well, Miss Chappy, we appreciate the advice, but we can hardly call ourselves friends if we run off while Sunset and Rainbow Dash are in danger,” said Rarity, fists clenched, “Even if we’re for the moment bereft of anything we can do to help.” “I’m not certain there isn’t anything we can do,” said Twilight, watching as Sunset cut a shallow wound on one Hollow’s outstretching arm while she was forced to leap back to evade the scything claw of another. The Hollows were getting more confident, feeling out Sunset’s defenses now and getting into a rhythm of attack where one or two of them would distract while the other circled around to strike at her. Sunset was holding her own, but it seemed like she was also unable to get in any more telling blows now that the Hollows were taking her seriously. “We need to give her an opening,” continued Twilight, “Any kind of distraction so she can finish at least one more of them off!” Applejack tilted her stetson on tighter and smiled, “Now yer talkin’ Twi! What’cha got in mind?” A dozen plans flitted through her mind, each one more improbable than the next. Her eyes fell upon a the several rocks strewn around the ground, several of which were well shaped for throwing. Nearby there was also a large log, a fallen tree from probably years ago, just big enough that a few of them together might lift it. “Applejack, Pinkie Pie, see if you can grab up that log! Fluttershy, Rarity, um, heh, how are your throwing arms?” Fluttershy smiled nervously and picked a rock up, “Not very good, but for Sunset, Rainbow, and Clover, I’ll certainly try.” Rarity gingerly snatched up a rock and tossed it lightly in her hand, “If only I could gain a pair of lovely wings like Rainbow Dash, then I’d destroy these brutish Hollows, but I suppose this will have to do.” Applejack and Pinkie Pie had already gone over and between the pair of them easily lifted the big wooden log like it was a battering ram, “We’re good ta’ go over here Twi’!” For a second Twilight had a strange feeling, as if it wasn’t quite right for all these girls, who have only known her such a short time as a friend, were so ready and willing to follow her lead; yet at the same time it somehow felt natural. Twilight turned to face the Hollows, focusing on one that had the look of a squat, humanoid toad, and said, “Okay, focus on the amphibian one! Go!” As one she, Fluttershy, and Rarity began throwing rocks, the small projectiles landing around or smacking into the frogish Hollow in question. At the same time Applejack and Pinkie Pie rushed forward, hefting the log between them. Just as the frog Hollow was turning around to see where the annoying rocks were coming from Applejack and Pinkie Pie reached it, ramming the tree into the Hollow’s gut at full speed. The blow was enough to knock the Hollow over, not really injuring it much but getting it to the ground. Sunset, seeing this, took full advantage with a quickly shouted, “Thanks!” and went wild upon the other two standing Hollows, slashing one’s legs while spinning into an upward slash at the other that cut it across the chest, not enough to kill it but force the Hollow back. The Hollow with the wounded arm pressed in, trying to smash Sunset with a heavy overhand slam, but she twirled away from the blow, jumped and kicked off the Hollow’s extended arm, and stabbed her Zanpaktou through the middle of its mask, right between the eyes. As that Hollow dissipated into nothing the frog Hollow hopped to its feet, eyes narrowing at Applejack and Pinkie Pie. It ignored the rocks Twilight and the others threw at it, sticking out its tongue and spearing it towards Applejack. Pinkie Pie, ears twitching, barreled into Applejack, tackling the other girl out of harm's way, but the tongue, unnaturally sharp, cut a nasty gouge into Pinkie Pie’s shoulder. As Pinkie Pie cried out in pain Twilight's heart leapt into her throat, but Sunset landed right behind the frog Hollow, eyes flashing in fury, and as the Hollow turned around she slashed hard, splitting its skull in half with the blow. As the frog Hollow vanished in flecks of dust, the very last Hollow backed away from Sunset as she turned around. Much to all the girls’ surprise, the Hollow turned and fled at a full run, and just like that the fight seemed to be over. Twilight found herself breathing rather hard for someone who’d only thrown a few rocks, but she had not time to think about that as Fluttershy was running forward towards Applejack and Pinkie Pie, one being held by the other as Pinkie made small whining sounds of pain. “Pinkie!” Fluttershy cried as she knelt next to her friend, “Oh my, oh my, stay still, let me look at it.” “It’s bleedin’ pretty bad,” said Applejack, face pale. Beside her Sunset walked up, sweat dripping from her chin, Zanpaktou still in hand. Sunset’s face was fluctuating between unreleased anger and deep, shocked worry. “Fluttershy, how bad is it?” Twilight also walked up, along with Rarity and Chappy, all of them worried about Pinkie Pie but Twilight had them stop a distance away to give Fluttershy room to work. Fluttershy peeled away the torn cloth around Pinkie Pie’s shoulder and Twilight saw a ragged red wound there, nearly five inches long. She gulped. There was a lot of blood, but if she was recalling her anatomy correctly there wasn’t a critical artery in that area. Fluttershy tore her own skirt to make bandages to press to the wound, eyes pure concentration, “We’ll need to clean the wound as soon as possible, but as long as we keep pressure on it she should be okay.” Twilight let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived as she heard a crashing noise from the ravine and it occurred to her the battle wasn’t actually bover. Clover and Rainbow Dash were still both in danger! She stood, “What about Clover and Rainbow Dash?” Sunset held up her hand, “I’ll go. The rest of you stay here. Please.” Seeing Pinkie Pie wounded on the ground Twilight couldn’t come up with a single logical objection to Sunset’s words, and just nodded slowly, “We will.” Seeing confirming nods from her friends, even Pinkie Pie who was putting on a brave face past a mask of pain, Sunset smiled and said, “I’ll be right back.” ---------- Eyes closed against the burning gas, lungs strained as she held her breath, Clover relied entirely on her spiritual senses and hearing to detect the incoming attacks of the serpent Hollow. With strikes faster than its own snake-like shape would suggest the Hollow darted in and out of the gas, long talons cleaving the air as they sought’ Clover’s flesh. Each time she stretched her senses, feeling the attacks coming, and spinning her Zanpaktou, Chishiki, to deflect the blows. Each strike upon the staff jarred her. This Hollow was definitely stronger than most of the common variety. Clover knew she’d been right that the Hollow had consumed enough souls to be on the cusp of evolving into a Gillian, of the Menos class. Its intelligence and willpower to control lesser Hollows was also concerning. Hollows weren’t known for working together unless forced into it by stronger Hollows, and they wouldn’t perform a specific task unless fearing reprisal from something higher on the food chain. However Gillians were too lacking in thought to give orders, to that meant it had to be an even higher class of Hollow that was pulling the strings behind the hunt for the Canterlot High girls. An Adjuchas... or worse, a Vasto Lorde? The idea was worrying but she had to concentrate on the battle. She didn’t have to look at the ring blade on the end of her staff to know Chishiki’s edge would be filling with green light, bit by bit. One talon snuck through her guard, cutting her thigh and making her choke back a scream of pain, and the Hollow laughed. “Slowing down, Soul Reaper? Must be hard holding your breath so long. Too bad I’m not letting you just leave the cloud, huh? Life is so unfair.” The Hollow was correct in that Clover had tried several times to leave the poison cloud’s radius, but each time the Hollow was there to block her, slashing talons forcing Clover back. Even with the speed of Shunpo, the flash step, Clover wasn’t able to escape. The Hollow was living up to its form of a snake by being oily fast as well. Clover just had to remind herself that all she had to do was hold out a few moments more, and she could turn things around. Chishiki’s ring was almost entirely illuminated, now. Just a few more seconds. She felt the Hollow appear below her, and both talons slicing in from opposite sides in an attempt to pincer her. Clover spun and braced her Zanpaktou, the ring blade blocking one talon, while the spike end blocked the other. The force was still enough to strain her arms and make her grunt, almost taking in a breath of poison air. Worse, with Chishiki now stuck between the two talons she couldn’t move or pull it free. The Hollow howled with laughter and Clover sended it rising in front of her. “You see this is why I thought the others were being cowardly fools, sending all the small fry Hollows after those girls. You Soul Reapers aren’t anything special, just a bunch of arrogant souls that think they can enforce order in the world, as if it needed your interference!” You certainly talk a lot, Hollow, Clover thought, smiling, And its given me all the time I need. “Hitei!” Upon speaking that command word the ring blade of Chishiki glowed brightly, filling in with lime green light that then swirled like a whirlpool. Within seconds, as if being sucked away by a powerful vacuum, the poison cloud vanished into the pool of green light within Chishiki’s ring blade. The Hollow was there in front of Clover, its praying mantis mask unable to show much expression but its yellow glowing eyes now wide with shock. “What the-!?” In its surprise the Hollow lessened the pressure on Clover’s Zanapaktou, and with a hard yank she pulled the staff free and then lashed out with the ring blade, cutting a deep line across the Hollow’s shoulder as it instinctively leaped back. The Hollow landed upon the hillside on the east side of the ravine, knocking over several trees as it glanced at its bleeding shoulder wound, then glared at Clover. “How did you do that to my poison cloud!?” Clover held Chishiki before her like a spear, the glowing ring blade slowly losing its emerald luminescence as the last of the poison cloud vanished within it. “One of my Chishiki’s powers is to analyze and negate other spiritual powers. As long as the ring blade has time to examine and analyze the composition of a power, I can then use ‘Hitei’, negation, to cancel that power. Your poison cloud is useless now, Hollow. Even if you pour out more, Chishiki has already analyzed it, and will just negate it again.” “I see, lucky you,” said the Hollow with a voice dipped heavily in the sauce of sarcasm. “Well, since my trump card isn’t going to work, I hope you don’t feel too disappointed if I make myself scarce. Better part of valor and all that.” The Hollow turned to flee, and Clover shot forward to give chase, but in the same movement the Hollow made to start running, it leaned down and suddenly its tail whipped upward like a thunderbolt. “Got you!” the Hollow said in smug satisfaction as multiple shards of bone extended from its whipping tail and then shot into the air like a wave of daggers. Clover tried to dodge, but just couldn’t evade all of them, several bone shards slicing her arms and legs as she spun Chishiki to deflect the remainder. Still, one bone shard pierced her right leg below the knee and she bit back a scream, falling out of the sky as she lost her concentration. Suddenly a black form leaped through the air and caught her, landing lightly as Clover was cradled in two strong arms. “Huh?” Clover looked up, blinking at Sunset’s face as the girl carefully set her down on the ravine floor. Though pain wracked her Clover couldn’t help but smile slightly at seeing Sunset in her spirit form, already naturally bearing the uniform of a Soul Reaper. “So you used the gikon, good,” said Clover, “I’m assuming you can feel the difference between this form and your human body?” Sunset’s eyes were locked on the Hollow, but she did nod at Clover’s words, “Oh yeah, definitely. I’ve never felt this strong, this free...” Sunset’s eyes narrowed, a shadow of pain crossing her features, “Well, there was one time before, but this is different. This feels cleaner.” “Are you two lovebirds don’t talking?” asked the Hollow at the top of the hill, more bone shards sprouting from her tail, “Because I’d really just like to kill the Soul Reaper and then snatch the rest of you back to Hueco Mundo.” “Hueco Mundo?” asked Sunset with a quirked eyebrow. “The realm of the Hollows,” said Clover, grunting as she forced herself to lean up on Chishiki, “I’ll tell you later. We still have to defeat this Hollow first. Ugh, if you can keep her busy, for just ten seconds, I can finish her off. Chishiki has one other power for me to use...” Sunset eyed the weapon Clover was carrying, “That’s your Zanpaktou? But it looks completely different.” “Explanations later, Hollow now,” said Clover, “Like I said, just ten seconds. Be careful,she’s much stronger than the others were.” Sunset shouldered her own Zanpaktou, smiling, “I’ll manage.” With that Sunset charged forward, leaping up the hill with massive jumps that went well beyond what a human body was capable of. The Hollow scoffed and braced for the girl’s charge, and when Sunset jumped to slash down with her sword the Hollow deflected her with a single talon, sending Sunset smashing into a tree. Clover winced, but knew Sunset’s spirit body would be more durable than the frail flesh of a human form. Unsurprised, Clover saw Sunset stand, but she now had to focus on her own part of things. Reversing her grip on Chishiki, she pointed the spike up the hill, and began a Kido spell chant. ”Ye lord, mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man!” As Clover chanted the energy of the Kido spell began to form, but not in her hand as was normal for such a spell, but rather it flowed straight into her Zanpaktou, pooling at the end of the spike. Meanwhile Sunset had rushed right back in at the Hollow, keeping its attention. Talons slashed down, cutting massive furrows in the ground as Sunset dodged left and right, slashing with her blade, scoring shallow wounds on the Hollow’s toughened flesh but not doing any serious damage. Clover noted that Sunset’s fighting style was a wild, uncoordinated thing, yet somehow primal and furious, the girl’s erratic movements actually making it hard for the Hollow to get in a clean hit. More trees were sliced in half by the Hollow’s talons, and more furrows sliced through the ground, but Sunset just kept moving, diving and leaping to avoid blows while getting in any slash she could. It couldn’t last, but it didn’t need to, as Clover finished the incantation. ”Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!” At the tip of Chishiki’s spike a sphere of pure crimson flame formed, expanding to the size of a beachball, then even larger as the power reached its peak and Clover said the last line of the chant. “Hado Number Thirty One: Shakkaho!” The sphere of fire erupted from the tip of the spike like a cannon ball, a roaring blast of blood red flame that ate up the hillside as it rolled upwards at the serpent Hollow. Sunset jumped away as the Hollow spun to face the blast, just in time to take the boulder sized ball of swirling energy head on. An explosion of fire rocketed upwards like a pillar, bathing the hillside in heat, and for a second Clover was fearful she’d timed things too closely and hurt Sunset, but she saw the girl leaping down the hill as the flames were still burning through the Hollow. By the time the flames dissipated the Hollow’s body was a blackened husk, only her mask still intact, but even it cracked as Clover watched, splitting down the middle. “W...what...?” the Hollow said, voice unsteady as its form already started to turn to ash, “How did...? But that was just a low level Kido...” “You’re right,” said Clover, breathing hard past the pain in her leg, “Normally a Shakkaho, even with the incantation, wouldn’t have been enough to finish you. But that’s the second power of my Chishiki. Whenever I cast a Kido spell with the full incantation, the spike amplifies the power of the spell threefold!” “Damn... Soul Reaper!” The Hollow howled, but even as her form was vanishing there was a burst of dark light behind her, and the Hollow’s head turned in pure fear. “Oh...shit...” Rising from the ground behind the Hollow, as if from the depths of the earth, were a pair of huge stone doors. The doors were carved of a deep, thick stone, from which emerged two huge human skeletons whose hands seemed to meld with the door itself as if to open it. Twin demonic horns sprouted the from the skeleton’s skulls, and golden ring staves bearing crimson banners were stabbed through the skeletons at three different points each. The Hollow stood frozen in place with her half vanished body as the doors began to open with a massive groan like the bellow of some ancient beast. “NO!” The Hollow cried, trying to flee, but chains erupted from the depths of the opening doors, behind which was a deep red glow and even deeper blackness beyond. The chains stabbed into the Hollow, lifting her body into the air as she futilely struggled. Sunset had reached Clover by now, turning to look at the grotesque scene with wide, shocked eyes, and Clover felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. It wasn’t always easy, seeing the Gates of Jigoku for the first time. “What’s happening?” asked Sunset in a breathless, almost fearful voice. “Hollows slain by Zanpaktou or Kido are purified of the sins they committed as a Hollow and sent to the Soul Society,” said Clover in a cold, clinical tone, “But if the Hollow’s soul is burdened by dark sins committed while living as a human... the Gates of Jigoku, Hell, are opened to claim them.” With a final howl of terror the Hollow tried to claw free of the chains surrounding her, but was pulled back towards the gates, until a huge humanoid hand the size of a house erupted outward, bearing a massive curved blade that pierced the Hollow through the chest, impaling it. The Hollow’s struggling ended, and the gigantic hand and sword retracted back through the gates to vanish into the dark. The gates then slowly yawned closed, banging shut with a cloud crash of finality. After that the gates simply vanished in a burst of glass like motes of light, as if they’d never been there in the first place. ---------- Much later that evening the girls were congregated at a local burger joint. Sunset had returned to her physical body, attempting to return the gikon to Clover, but was told to keep a hold of it just in case. Rainbow Dash was tearing into her meal with a vengeance, but Sunset wasn’t feeling quite as hungry. Well, she was, but even as she tried to gnaw upon a veggie burger her mind kept going over the events of the day and she couldn’t help but feel a tad sick. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were both okay, despite their injuries. As it turned out Clover knew a number of spells she called ‘Kido’ and among them was a spell of healing. Pinkie Pie’s shoulder was still very sore, and might sport a scar that the girl was shrugging off as just a ‘battle tattoo’ but Sunset could see that despite the party girl’s energy, she was also very shaken. Rainbow Dash seemed to be taking things more in stride. “So you’re sure it was the sirens you saw out there?” asked Sunset. “Sure as sure can be,” said Rainbow Dash, “Guess it must’ve been one of them that dragged me into the bushes after I took out that Hollow. Not sure why they left after.” “They’re clearly a tad on the anti-social side,” said Rarity, “Really, if those girls are going to be following us around I’d rather they just be open about it. Its not as if we haven’t forgiven and forgotten about other people who went a bit power mad before.” Sunset rolled her eyes at Rarity, smiling, “I’m just wondering what they were doing there. Did Discord ask them to go?” “It's possible,” said Clover, not seated at the table with the girls but rather hanging next to it, invisible as she was to the human eye, and not needing to eat human food. “Determining what Mr. Discord does and why has never been easy.” “Do you know him well?” asked Twilight. Clover smiled ruefully, shaking her head, “No one knows Mr. Discord well, except perhaps Captain Starswirl, and even then... I don’t usually probe into my superior’s past. My own experience with Mr. Discord has been on and off again as I’ve done business with him while on missions to the living world. Not a lot of Soul Reapers actually do that. Still, in the time I’ve known him the only thing I’ve concluded is that Mr. Discord has his own agenda, and he keeps it to himself.” “Think he’ll have any notion o’ what happened ta’ Dash today?” Applejack said while she gave the girl in question a concerned look, “No offense, sugarcube, I’m just worryin’ ‘bout what them new wings o’ yers might mean.” “I ain’t worried about it,” said Rainbow Dash confidently, “They’re totally awesome and let me kick some butt. I don’t see the problem.” “Save fer the fact that we ain’t got a clue why it happened!” snapped Applejack, “Fer all ya know them wings’ll be suckin’ the life right outta ya! Didn’t ya say ya got real tired after usin’ ‘em a bunch? What if it’s killin’ ya without ya knowin’?” Rainbow Dash seemed to consider this for a second, then shrugged, “Nah.” “To answer the question,” said Clover, “Its possible, but the only way to know would be to ask. Were you all planning to go to him tomorrow?” The girls all looked around at each other, and Sunset eventually said, “Yes, I think we are. I appreciate you training me, but it seems like Discord is the only one that can help my friends figure out what’s happening with them.” “I understand. I’ll go with you to Mr. Discord’s tomorrow as well. I need some medical supplies after today. I can’t rely on Kido all the time,” said Clover. “What is Kido, exactly?” asked Twilight with open interest, “Are they actually magical spells?” “In essence, yes. Kido uses reiryoku, a form of spirit energy built up from willpower inside the soul, and incantations focus that energy into the shape of spells.” Rainbow Dash sighed, “Guys, can we save the lessons for another time? Let’s just enjoy dinner and unwind. We won today, I’d say that means we passed the lesson, right teach?” Clover blinked, then slowly let out a sigh and smiled, “I suppose so. We’ll cover more tomorrow, but for tonight, yes, you girls have all earned a rest.” With that Clover went to depart, Sunset said, “Hey, where are you going? You’re part of the group now too, and also deserve some time to relax. I mean, you’re the one who actually beat that tough Hollow, and are you even recovered from your wounds?” Clover paused, not quite looking back at the girls seated at the table. Her voice had a quiet, subdued tone to it, “My wounds aren’t so bad that I can’t continue to do my duties, and while I am primarily here to watch over and train you as a Substitute Soul Reaper, i still have my other duties as a Soul Reaper to perform. I will get rest when I can, so please, don’t worry about me.” As Clover moved to leave Sunset gave her friends a quick, apologetic, look, “Excuse me girls, I’ll be back in a sec.” Rarity smiled, “Go on darling, we’ll be right here.” Rushing out onto the street, just catching up to Clover, Sunset said, “Hey, wait up!” Clover paused, turning to face Sunset with a questioning look on her face, one green eyebrow slightly quirked upwards. “Look, I get that you take your job very seriously Clover,” said Sunset, “And that’s great. It's something I can really respect. But we told you that we’d be doing this as friends, and we meant it. I’m not saying you have to hang out with us if you really do have things you need to do, but... well, just remember that you’re always welcome to hang out. Even Soul Reapers need to relax sometime, right?” Clover’s smile was a small thing, but it was there, “Thank you. I’ll remember. Good night, Sunset.” With that the Soul Reaper turned and was off, leaping into the air and flitting away into the evening skyline. Sunset watched her go for a time, then went to return to her friends. ---------- Within the dark valley of messas the remaining three Hollows congregated amid their howling horde of lesser Hollows. The shark shaped Hollow growled, slamming a stone with a fist and smashing it to dust. “So she went and got herself killed. Bloody brilliant. Now the Soul Reapers probably know we’re targeting those souls.” The large shaggy Hollow let out a dry laugh, “She was warned. It doesn’t matter. The plan was never to take them on openly. The whole reason to send our lesser kin was to probe for weaknesses until a crack in the armor was found.” “And have we found that yet?” asked the tentacled Hollow, wheezing, “We’ll only get one more chance at this before they take matters into their own hands.” The large hairy Hollow’s mask cracked something almost like a smile, “As it happens while our late comrade was wasting her time with a pointless fight, I had a few lesser Hollows sniff around town. And they found something. Some souls that smell like the one’s we're after.” A large pseudopod, like that of some massive angler fish, sprouted from the hairy Hollow’s head, and from the tip of that pod a light shone, displaying three different images. One image was of a peaceful looking farm, with an old green woman sitting on a rocking chair and watching a large red skinned man work the field alongside a young yellow skinned girl with red hair. Another image showed a simple suburban home with a pair of average looking suburbanite adults watching television while a small girl with white skin and light purple and pink streaked hair playing with a fuzzy white cat. The last image was of another home, a bit more ramshackle than the others but still nice, displaying a scene of a barbeque in the back yard where two middle aged adults watched their teenaged daughters talking over their food; one sister quiet as a mouse, another loud and boisterous, and the third looking as deadpan as a rock. The images faded and the shaggy Hollow chuckled darkly. “We don’t have to fight our targets directly. Instead we can go for their weak point. Their families.”