A Hairier Problem: Rise of the Furball

by BlueBastard

Ch.31: Gekkou no Hikari

Rise of the Furball Chapter 31: “Gekkou no Hikari” (Light of the Moon)

Ponyville’s populace was not unaccustomed to large-scale disasters happening that would potentially incite panic and mass hysteria, but all the times before there had usually been some kind of easy solution provided by Twilight Sparkle or one of her friends. The fact she had needed to bring in an entire guard regiment, with Princess Luna having supplied a second guard regiment, to even start to solve the most recent problem had ponies concerned just what was going on. After all, the citizens of Ponyville were unaccustomed to something that was outright abducting their children.

But for Pear Blossom, she had a much deeper fear to worry about.

“Oh, come on Ms. Blossom!” laughed Cashmere, putting pears into her bag. “You’ve been here in Ponyville for a while now, you know this will all blow over soon enough.” The proprietor of the Retreat was under the assumption the grocer was afraid of the amount of guards walking around.

“Y-yes, of course bella,” nervously replied the pear merchant.

Cashmere was unconvinced. “Honestly, you are acting like you’re going to be thrown to a manticore or something, what’s the matter?”

“Don’t w-worry, it’s n-nothing, really…”

The elderly pony narrowed her eyes as she dropped her smile. “I know when somepony is hiding something they’re scared of. Celestia knows my three kids all did the exact same thing you were doing when they were convinced the Slenderpony was hiding under the bed and in the closet simultaneously.” She grinned slightly as a truncated chuckle came out of Pear Blossom. “Let me guess, this has something to do with Raspberry turning out to be a dark magic user?”

“…Y-yes!” Pear had to blurt it out. “I mean, I am sure she’s probably still the same mare and all but the fact remains that she’s always liked my pears, both her and her phoenix so if my produce isn’t satisfactory she might-“ A hoof suddenly found its way to Blossom’s muzzle, silencing her.

“My dearie, she won’t do a thing like that,” reassured Cashmere. “In fact, the only reason she asked me to pick up the pears instead of her doing it personally was she needs to do some research or something.”

“R-research?”

“Yeah, something to do with what’s going on, she doesn’t want to tell us due to the ‘delicate nature’ or whatever. But that should tell you right there you have nothing to fear from her, since she’s going to all this trouble to protect everypony. She’s truly just your average unicorn, just…with a twist, I guess?”

“If you are sure, madam. I apologize for being afraid, but in light of all these happenings one can not be too careful. As a matter of fact, Knotwood suggested we take our vacation early this year, away from Ponyville to be somewhere a bit safer.”

“You and practically half the town it seems,” commented Cashmere, giving over the amount of bits she owed for the pears. “After two foalnappings, the entire Royal Guard could set up shop here, wouldn’t make familes feel any safer. Anyway, I need to get back to the Retreat, so I’ll be seeing you.”

The mares said their farewells and went their separate ways. Cashmere hadn’t told poor Pear Blossom the whole truth; which was that Raspberry had been very open to them about what was going on. Of course, she hadn’t really had a choice otherwise given she accidently let it slip in private about how the werewolf terrorizing the town was the same one who caused all the trouble on Nightmare Night and had tried to do terrible things to the unicorn by way of ripping her throat out.

But my Razz is strong like that, thought Cashmere, pausing momentarily to smile at how she was being so possessive of the young mare. It was sort of ironic: Raspberry’s magic and heritage was of the darkest and most brutal origins imaginable, yet she only brought light and warmth into the old bed and breakfast. While both Cashmere and Ascot were expecting to live on for a few more years, they were still at the age when their mortality was only too present and they didn’t know what to do with their business in the event they passed on. Their kids; Paradise Dream, Autumn Storm, and Carry On, were all grown up and had moved away to pursue their own interests. They wouldn’t know the first thing about running the bed and breakfast they grew up in, which was unfortunate as Ascot had hoped to keep the place within the family.

But as Cashmere walked back into the Retreat to be greeted by the younger unicorn, still levitating a book she’d clearly been reading while waiting to serve anypony at the front desk, the elderly pony knew her foster daughter of sorts would be the right mare to inherit the business.

“Oh, wow, that’s a lot of pears!” said Raspberry, generating a second aura of magic around one of the fruits in Cashmere’s bag, lifting it out into the open.

“Indeed, they’re from Pear Blossom, as you requested.” After Razz put the pear back in the bag, Cashmere hurried into the kitchen to store the fruits away. When she was done, there was more on her mind to talk with Raspberry about. “So, Raspberry, once this whole, erm, ‘werewolf’ thing is dealt with, do you plan on staying in Ponyville?”

“I have to. Don’t you remember?” replied Raspberry, back to reading her book. “Technically I’m sentenced to life servitude to the Crown and unless I’ve got one of the six ponies appointed to be my ‘wardens’ with me, I am under house arrest of sorts. Only instead of a house, it’s just that I can’t leave Ponyville. Though, honestly, I don’t really have anywhere else to go. Ponyville was more or less the last significant town I hadn’t been in that was within Equestria proper, and I can’t go to the frontier towns because Heliodor wouldn’t be able to find anything to eat.” She reached over to scratch the proud phoenix’s chin. “I’m not a fan of frontier towns, anyway, since I was born in one and…well, I don’t need to go into why I don’t want to go back.”

“Razz…Twilight told me about the ‘joke’ you made about your history.”

Raspberry sighed, putting a bookmark in her place before closing the tome and setting it aside on the desk. She then turned to look directly at her adoptive mother. “I know it came off weird, but I don’t see why everypony has a problem with me making fun of my origin.”

“Because you’re treating it as something to be mocked, honey.” Cashmere walked closer and drew up a seat next to Raspberry. “The problem is that by doing so, you’re tempting fate to have ponies go from fearing you as a monster, to treating you like a joke.”

“Honestly, why can’t anypony just let me do what I want with how I see my past? It’s not like I am ever going back to Lonesome Dove, the entire populace would try to kill me the second I set hoof there! Not like they’d succeed considering my inherited regenerative powers, but it would still hurt and I’d gain nothing.”

“Except that wouldn’t happen. Do you think your friends, who based on what you just said earlier would need to accompany you, would allow that to happen? You’re a princess, even! To attack you would be declaring hostilities on all of Equestria, and nopony wants to do that.”

“I guess…but I’m still not going back.”

“Yes, you are.” Cashmere saw she needed to draw on her motherly firmness once again. “While yes, nopony envies you for the trouble your life has-I mean, was, but at the same time your life has shaped you into who you are. Now that you don’t need to be afraid of your powers, or not having a roof to sleep under, the healing can begin. But for that to happen you need to come to have peace in your heart and that will require going home.”

Raspberry said nothing, just looking sullenly at the floor. “I…I don’t know if I can. The memories are bad enough to forget, but just being there…I don’t want to lose control like I did that night. Not again.”

“And you won’t,” Cashmere assuaged, taking Raspberry into a one-legged hug. “You’ve grown stronger, inside and out, but even though other ponies are starting to learn to not fear you, it is necessary that you stop fearing yourself.”

“I…”

Cashmere then took Raspberry’s face into her hooves and oriented it so it was looking right at her. “And don’t tell me you don’t know what to do when you’re at the town. You will know.”

Raspberry didn’t say anything, once again going into a period of self-reflective silence. Finally; “Alright, I think I understand your point, but I’m not going until Fair Vista is dealt with.”

“That’s my girl.” A full hug this time before Cashmere was willing to let Raspberry go.

---

Evening was finally starting to set in when the Crusaders were at the train station, with their adult escorts, to see Babs Seed off. News of the pseudo-lockdown of Ponyville had somehow reached her parents and so they had requested their daughter to be sent back to Manehattan where she would be looked after by family friends until the cruise returned.

“It’s a real shame you gotta go when Ponyville is like this,” said Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, I know, really wish our time didn’t have to be cut so short,” snorted Babs, unhappy about the whole affair. “Spendin’ time with you three was the most fun I’ve had in, well, the last time I was here, I guess!”

“You’re always welcome to stay at Sweet Apple Acres!” replied Applejack. “Heck, Ah’ll try to see if you can’t just come back once we deal with you-know-who and rescue those fillies.”

“I’d appreciate it, cousin Applejack!”

The next few minutes were mostly just the Crusaders talking amongst themselves, planning what to do to get their cutie marks and whatnot, as usual. This, in turn, allowed the older ponies to talk amongst themselves, too.

“Ah have to admit, Rares, Ah woulda thought your parents woulda taken Sweetie to safety, too,” confided Applejack. “If Apple Bloom wasn’t needed here because…well, because she’s a werewolf and may be needed to help rescue Tiara and Silver, Ah’d have sent her and Granny off to Appleloosa for safe keepin’.”

“I did tell mother and father of my similar concerns,” answered Rarity, her face etched with trepidation as well. “But of course they already made vacation plans for next month so they don’t have the money to take Sweetie to safety. Honestly I would think it poor of them if it wasn’t the fact their reservations in Ponyville being safe largely have to do with me being one of its principal ‘defenders’ so to speak.”

“At least your parents know about what’s probably going to go down soon,” added Rainbow Dash. “I’ve been trying to contact Scootaloo’s parents all day, haven’t heard a thing from them. Which is especially bad because I need every able-bodied pegasus I can get to deal with that storm over the Everfree.”

“Storm? Is that what those clouds over Castle Everfree are doing, forming up a storm of sorts?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, it’s already being classified as a supercell. If it gets even worse to the point lightning is striking anywhere within a mile radius of the center, the town will need to be evacuated.”

Applejack grimaced. “You think it might have somethin’ to do with whatever Fair Vista’s got in the works?”

“I’m almost certain of it. Which of course implies somehow dark magic is involved.”

“Poor Raspberry, all she wants to do is just work the Traveler’s Retreat, instead she’s needed for her special magic expertise more and more almost daily,” lamented Rarity. She then recognized the sound of a clunky motor shutting off just on the other side of the train station. The two ponies who subsequently showed up were of no surprise to Rarity, given she already knew. “Lyra, Sandalwood, what bring you two here with your, erm, contraption?”

“Hey, Rarity,” answered Sandalwood. “As far as I know, the next train is going to have an order of some perfume ingredients that I need for some of my aromatherapy mixes.”

“Of course, it happens to be a large order, or so I was informed,” added Lyra. “So we needed to bring the car as the Apple Truck is still locked up over at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Hey, at least I got the thing running, alright?” snorted Sandalwood.

“Speaking of running,” observed Sweetie, her squeaky voice coming out of the blue, “is it just me or is the train running a little late?”

“It’s just a few minutes, that’s all,” shrugged Scootaloo. “Not like it’s a deal breaker. Hey, I think I just heard its whistle.”

Sure enough, the train was barreling down the tracks only to apply the brakes and come to a stop in front of the station.

“Hey, isn’t this supposed to be a passenger train to Manehattan?” asked Babs to nopony in particular. She then checked her ticket. “Oh you’ve gotta be kidding…”

“What?” asked Apple Bloom, inching over to take a look.

“The tickets are for a train tomorrow! We’ve been waiting here for nothing!” The group collectively groaned at their collective stupidity.

“Well, look on the bright side,” suggested Sandalwood, who was signing for her materials, “at least you didn’t miss the train, right?”

“Sandalwood,” interjected Applejack, “Ah must admit Ah’d feel better if Babs was on a train back home, it would be safer than here.”

“Oh, please!” Sandalwood let out a whinny in her laugh. “Applejack, I know werewolves, Lyra too. We had to deal with you last time, what does this new pretender to your throne have to offer?”

Almost as if on cue, one of the boxcars of the train rocked violently on its trucks. Then, the door was somehow knocked clean off its mounts, revealing the stowaway cargo inside. Of course, the non-ticketed train riders soon made themselves known when multiple Fair Vistas launched themselves out of the car and right at the now horrified ponies who realized the threat Fair Vista now needed to be described in the plural sense.

Applejack tensed up, right at the verge of shifting into a wolf. She knew it was a risk, exposing herself to the other ponies still around, but she wouldn’t let the need to keep a little secret like hers endanger more innocent ponies. However, right as she felt the familiar pressure in her hooves, the Fair Vista she was readying up to attack suddenly was knocked back and pinned to the boxcar she had just left, a spear impaled through her heart.

“You know what to do, guards!” bellowed a strong, female voice, followed by a sudden surge of guardsponies – both regular pegasi and bat pony variety – converging on the sudden ambush of werewolf clones. Where the Fair Vistas were cunning and ferocious, they were held at bay by the armor and training of the Royal Guards and gradually they began to be pushed back as one by one the Fair Vistas were killed. Where the old werewolf had predicted the newer bat pony guards could be exploited through their inexperience, she had failed to count in the fact that the bat ponies also were naturally more aggressive than the regular pony kinds and so were fatally underestimated.

But in the ensuing chaos, all sight of the crusaders were lost.

“Sweetie? Sweetie Belle?!” cried out Rarity, ducking and weaving, searching frantically for her sister or her friends. Of all the worst possible things, losing her sister in basically a smooze-like mob of identical werewolves qualified as one of the. Worst. Possible. Things. As she was distracted with the search, she did not see one of the Fair Vistas doing something similar to her, only that werewolf had intentions of sinking her fangs into Rarity’s neck. Intentions that Rarity didn’t realize until it was too late for her to take action…but suddenly she was shoved by something in the nick of time and thrown clear. “Wh…wha?” As the unicorn worked to regain her bearings, she was shocked to see that the pony who had saved her was Sandalwood, and for the aromatherapist’s trouble it was now her neck that a Fair Vista had clamped in her fangs, the tan mare’s body having gone limp with trickles of blood already dripping to the ground.

It was shortly followed by the rest of the wounded pony hitting the floor as the werewolf was quickly dispatched by a few guards. As Rarity rushed to Sandalwood’s aid, Lyra doing the same on the other side, the werewolves fell back before finally cutting their losses and the survivors fleeing for the edge of the Everfree in the distance.

“Yeah, we showed them what for!” exclaimed one of the bat ponies, high-fiving another batpony who was wearing an eyepatch in addition to the normal barding.

“Sunshine, Meadowlark!” exclaimed Daffodil, who bucked one of the dead Fair Vista bodies away in disgust, “you’re guard ponies, moreover you are ‘Strike Bats’ under my command, and I will not have any units under my command acting like a bunch of frat ponies when the area is not secured! Is that understood?”

“Yes, m’am!” the two replied in unison, before getting the hint that they should join the rest of the guards in making sure none of the dead werewolves weren’t actually dead.

Daffodil just shook her head, before realizing there was a downed civilian. “Oh dear Luna high on her throne…SOMEPONY CALL FOR A MEDIC, STAT!”

“Ah think we got another issue at hoof!” suddenly called out Applejack, who was inexplicably half-buried in dead werewolves and for a split second Daffodil thought Applejack herself had taken on her werewolf form as well, though one double-take later showed the farmer was not in her beastly state.

“And what would that be, Lady Applejack?”

“Hey, does anypony know where the other Crusaders went?” asked Apple Bloom, unaware that Applejack had noticed the same thing. Gradually, all the ponies still on the platform realized the noticeable absence of Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Babs Seed.

---

Several hours later, Ponyville was in complete lockdown. Nopony not in the guard was allowed to be walking the streets at night, even then the guards couldn’t go around without being in groups of five at minimum.

It was also an extremely low point for the so called “defenders” of Ponyville as they were all gathered in Ponyville General’s waiting room. Sandalwood had potentially sacrificed herself to save Rarity, her fate still unknown if she would live or die. The number of missing fillies was now up to five, the number of enemies poised against Ponyville now possibly in the hundreds, maybe even thousands, though the means of how remained unclear in how Fair Vista not only stopped being a ghost but had also cloned herself. And one of those fillies, Diamond Tiara, was almost certainly a werewolf herself.

“Ah never shoulda scared her like Ah did,” lamented Apple Bloom. “All of this is mah fault.”

“No, Apple Bloom,” said Applejack, holding her sister to her side tightly. “None of this is your fault. It’s Fair Vista’s, always been. Ma, Pa, who knows how many others…she may be technically an Apple to the core, but she’s a rotten one all the way through.”

“Mirror Pool!” exclaimed Raspberry, who seemed to be especially distraught about the situation to the point she buried herself Twilight Sparkle style with books and was frantically looking through various pieces of Sombra’s research notes. “That’s how she has to have done it!”

“But she was a ghost!” exclaimed Pinkie, figuring out what Raspberry was talking about. “The Mirror Pool just makes clones of ponies, not brings them back to life! And even then, Twilight sealed it up, there’s no way anypony could dislodge it from the inside!”

“She may have found another one, the legend of the Mirror Pool never specified it was a unique thing,” corrected Twilight, though now she found no joy in her knowledge.

“Indeed,” agreed Raspberry. “If she found an unobstructed Mirror Pool, she could have easily created a clone of herself that was alive – she can turn herself physical for brief periods, reciting the incantation listed here in these books would do the trick – and then just possessed the produced copy to effectively resurrect herself.”

“And then she could make more simple-minded clones to make an army of herself,” grunted Rarity. Gone was the proper lady, for now in her place was her wrath mentality. Having her dear sister foalnapped and a good friend subject to one of two terrible fates was a level of shit the fashionista refused to tolerate. Fair Vista was going to pay.

“But it doesn’t explain why she’s kidnapping fillies left and right,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“It’s because she’s tryin’ to get to me,” answered Apple Bloom. “Tiara was workin’ with her, so they took Silver ‘cause she betrayed them and joined the Crusaders, and then the thing at the train station where the Vista copies took everypony else was just because they’re mah friends and family.”

“Does this have anything to do with the whole possession thing?” asked Lightning, her sudden appearance spooking everypony. “What? I just woke up, came straight here from the house.”

“Sorta, Ah think. Silver told me that Fair Vista’s intention of wantin’ to possess me was all part of some revenge plot to get back at Applejack.”

Applejack nickered. “All because Ah killed Sable Loam, Ah’m bettin’. If any of us had known this kind of stuff woulda happened…ugh, can we have some good news or somethin’ for once?”

All attention was suddenly drawn to Nurse Redheart, who was clearing her throat. “Funny you should say that…” said the medical care provider.

---

“When I get my hooves on that bitch, I’m gonna---ARGH!” Snorted Sandalwood, who was remarkably active for somebody who had just recovered from a critical throat injury mere hours before. Needless to say, it put all the ponies gathered around her bed at unease.

“Easy, Sandalwood, easy,” cautioned Rarity, fearful for her spa friend’s welfare, knowing full well that there was only one reason Sandalwood had managed to recover from her injuries faster than Applejack had. “You saved me from that ruffian, I can’t thank you enough for that, but I must insist you take it easy.”

“I’ll take it easy when every last one of those Vista clones is dead, especially the real one. She’s foalnapping innocents, terrorizing the town with her own narcissistic army of herself, and messing up my business! Nopony wants aromatherapy, not when there are bitches running around who can smell that kind of stuff for miles around!”

Lightning, Applejack, and Apple Bloom all immediately picked up on the subtle tells in Sandalwood’s mannerisms that they had become all too familiar with themselves.

“Sandalwood, you best calm down now,” warned Applejack, subtly repositioning her hooves for a slightly stronger stance should the need arise.

“Why, don’t I have a right to be angry at anypony?!” The tan pony was now getting angrier by the second, her eyes seeming to glow for a brief second.

“Not now, Sandalwood. This is not the time to be angry.” Applejack’s fur stood on end, edging closer to the point of no return. Sandalwood was now clearly a threat and not in control of herself because of her temper, but if she didn’t have the same luxury as either of the Apples, there was a chance every single pony in the hospital was now at risk. That prompted AJ to wonder; Was this part of Fair Vista’s plan, too? Would Rarity have had this happen to her?

“Twilight, get everypony out of here, now.” Lightning had come to the same conclusion as Applejack.

Sandy also realized what was going on…and that just made her angrier. “Oh Celestia, why does this shit keep happening to me because of bucking werewolves!?” Her distraught state had triggered the lycanthropy, and every single pony in the room realized it. The sudden surge of adrenaline in her system, the pain of transformation, overwhelmed the poor mare’s mind and all she could think about was how much she hated werewolves at that point. So, to her, the most logical action was to pounce on the first werewolf she saw.

Thinking quickly, Twilight teleported everypony out of the room except for Applejack and Lightning Dust. The princess knew that they were the best choice to get Sandalwood back to her senses. Indeed, in unison they assumed their wolf forms and they double-teamed the enraged Sandalwood, now having fully assumed wolf form herself.

“Get a hold of yourself, Sandalwood!” barked Lightning, delivering a mean right hook across her opponent’s face before getting bucked clean across the room in retaliation. But the pitched battle suddenly came to a screeching halt when Applejack returned fire with her own skill in bucking.

“You’re outta yer league, Sandy!” growled the farmer, closing the distance and picking up Sandalwood by the throat before slamming her into a wall. “Now Ah don’t like to remember when Ah ‘intrahduced’ mahself to ya back when Ah was becomin’ a werewolf, but damn if this don’t seem familiar.”

Somehow, being reminded of the incident at the spa jogged Sandalwood’s memory such that she regained her senses. “Uh, y-yeah, I guess?”

“You done bein’ crazy now, Sandalwood?”

“I…I think so…” Sandalwood suddenly fell to the floor, the shock of what just happened finally registering to her sane mind.

“Just so you know, Ah know what it’s like to lose your mind like that. First time was with you, Sandy, though sadly not the only one.”

“I’m guessing you kicking my plot seven ways to Sunday was the other?” said Lightning, rubbing her head to get rid of the little flying stars she was seeing. “Though at the very least I didn’t get hurled into something at the time, which is happening to me now at an increasing rate it seems.”

“Yeah, uh…” Sandalwood looked down in embarrassment, “Sorry about that, Lightning.”

“Hey, at least you got the whole transformation pains thing done with in one go, believe me when I say it sucks in having to go through that kinda shit for almost a whole year and then fast-forwarding to the worst part.”

The door then creaked open, Apple Bloom (in wolf form, just in case) peeking her head in. “You girls done fightin’ yet?”

“Yeah, Bloomie,” sighed Applejack, “we’re done.”

Twilight then brushed past Apple Bloom, her face showing more wear and age than anypony her age should have had. “That’s good, girls, because while you were fighting, Rainbow had to be called out to manage the weather team.”

Lighting blanched. “It’s the supercell…isn’t it?”

Twilight nodded glumly. “Raspberry went as well…she says it’s dark magic, something she’s never seen before, but one thing is for sure according to her; Fair Vista is at the heart of that storm, and she’s waiting for something.”

Comments

[Snow ghost pony]

Yay! New, and great, chapter!

[Little Wood]

You left a cliff hanger!!!!! Why?!?! I need another chapter fast! I can't wait a week!

But good job! You have my full attention!

[Night_Moon60606]

prediction time...based on the available data, Fair Vista is attempting to raise something...or more specifically...some one...

[Streak]

....................................................................................................................................................
u had to kno this comment was coming, but surprisingly it isnt the one u were expecting. im pissed about the Crusaders being taken dont get me wrong but still.... DAMN U FV and Sandalwood i love that sacrifice but still
i need that next chapter now...... and i hate that im gonna have to wait.... CURSE U but not with becoming a werewolf... that transformation wud suck.....
god i hate DT so much more now............ i hate u great writers..... make me feel differently about ponies........ grrrrrr
but i guess thats ur job lol
PS: from ur reply to the last chapter i expected to hate this one from the get go..... wasnt until SW made the sacrifice that i got pissed......
ill be watching u

[North]

Damn, the werewolf population is skyrocketing! Sandalwood, Applejack, Applebloom, Lightning Dust, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon...maybe Sweetie Belle, Babs, and Scootaloo now that they've been kidnapped by Fair Vista...