Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria.

by Powerdrainer

Fear

Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder.

Fear

<<>><<>><<>>

Her body failed to respond as darkness surrounded her; binding her in her attempts to move, blinding her as she tried to see past the emptiness, deafening her as she strained her ears for any sounds and permeating her until any sense of self was lost. Nothing... was all that remained.

Except for one thing, which cut through the nothingness surrounding her like a scalpel through flesh.

A void, an emptiness from within, bigger and more consuming than that which bound her.

It festered. It hungered. It demanded more; more of that which gave it strength, power.

A twitch, one of her ears shifting ever so slightly.

A sound, piercing through the haze.

There were others, far away.

Their voices, young, subdued… afraid.

A twitch, one of her legs struggling to break its bounds.

She could taste it, the bitter sweet taste of their worries, their fear.

The hunger roared, not at all satisfied. It wanted more. It needed more. And it would not allow anything to get in its way to obtain it.

A twitch, and her eyes snapped open.

<<>><<>><<>>

"I don't know. Shouldn't we stay with her?" Scootaloo paced around the guest room they previously visited, nervously chewing on her lip as she stared at the floor, worry clear on her face.

"But what can we do?" Apple Bloom asked, the filly sitting tiredly on the ground; her bow, seemingly sharing in the fatigue of the day's events, hung limply in her hair.

"Stick with her, of course. THAT is what friends do," Scootaloo grunted, reaching the end of the room and giving a kick against the wall. "And not just leaving her there, stuck in that… thing."

Apple Bloom hung her head, sighing tiredly while rubbing her eyes with a fetlock.

"Ah guess so, yeah."

"And then what?" a deadpan voice interrupted, making both ponies turn toward the source.

"Whaddaya mean?" Apple Bloom asked as she looked at Abella, who herself stood on the burn damaged bed, taking a moment to inspect one of the scorch marks before answering.

"Then what?" Abella repeated. "Say you stay there with your friend, who is currently encased in one of our cocoons; which did cost us a lot of jelly to pull off, just so you know; while you two have no clue how to help. So, then what? What would you do?"

Apple Bloom blinked, locking eyes with Scootaloo for a moment, both agreeing on the simple answer.

"Be there for our friend, of course. What else?"

Abella stopped prodding the pillow, now looking at both ponies with her full attention. "And how would that help her, you, any of us?"

"Well, what are you doing that is of any use!?" Scootaloo shot back heatedly, wings flaring out.

"I am trying to figure out these burns," Abella answered simply, holding up the pillow of interest, looking at the fierce filly through the hole burned through it.

"It's Sweetie Belle's spirit powers," Apple Bloom informed her.

"Yes, that answers everything," Abella groaned with a roll of her eyes.

"Well, how are we supposed to know how they work?" Scootaloo balked.

"And that is why I am trying to figure them out. Cause it's not like we can just ask your friend now, can we?"

A sudden tremor in the room halted any rebuke she might have gotten, before a bone piercing screech echoed through the halls; all three fillies dropping down, covering their ears while crying out in distress. Similar shouts of pain and fear could be heard from elsewhere, before everything became deathly quiet.

Slowly lowering her hooves, Apple Bloom swallowed nervously.

"Maybe ya can after all."

<<>><<>><<>>

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Abella ran out of the destroyed gate of the palace, joined by Erlea, and a few of the older changelings as well. While in the distance, they saw small groups of changelings run out in search of what happened as well.

"What in tha hay is going on?!" Apple Bloom asked aloud as she rapidly searched the city for any sign of what was going on.

With a rumble, a haunting shriek crashed through the Hive; shaking the rock the city was carved from and forcing all to the ground; screaming in pain and fear as they once again covered their ears in vain.

"It's Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo cried out past the ringing in her ears. "I knew we shouldn't have left her like that."

A blast of green lit up the air, and all watched as a bolt of green soared through the city and impacted one of the bridges spanning between the stalactites.

"NO!" Erlea cried out as she saw the bolt narrowly miss the two changelings running away, impacting on the ground behind them.

A small detonation shook the bridge, knocking the two off their hooves while a spray of rock rained down on them, and chunks of the bridge fell down through the hole blasted in the construct, disappearing into the depths below.

Acting on pure, adrenaline fueled instinct, Erlea shot off amidst shouts of warning of those behind her; paying them no mind, as she pumped her legs as hard as she could, all but flying through the city to those in danger.

Dimly aware of loud pounding in her ears and realizing that it wasn't her heart, only after she crossed the bridge connecting the castle with the rest of the city, she glanced back expecting Abella, Devora, or any of the others to keep up with her. Much to her surprise, however, it were Apple Bloom and Scootaloo who quickly closed the distance, matching her pace and ran with her on either side, with only a few other changelings following close behind.

"Wha-"

"This ain't jus' your problem," Apple Bloom said before she could even voice her thoughts.

"Sweetie Belle's in there too… and in just as much trouble," Scootaloo glared forwards, eyes narrowing slightly as she spotted a blur shoot through the sky. "No matter how you look at it."

"An' don't worry 'bout yer friends back there," Apple Bloom preempted Erlea, spotting the rampaging spirit herself; eyes hardening with determination. "Abella's taking care o' things there, while we stop Sweetie Belle an' save yer friends."

Erlea looked at the two, keeping the shock from showing, but deep down she felt…. something she couldn't quite place.

Shaking her head, she pushed those unwanted things to the back of her mind; focusing instead on what was truly important.

Yet as she ran past all the empty houses and crossed another bridge, one stray thought managed to sneak its way to the forefront of her mind.

'These ponies, they're all insane.'

And with it came a strange yet undeniable truth.

'They don't stop, don't give up. They just keep going, no matter what….'

And despite the situation, a ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

'They'd make good changelings.'

<<>><<>><<>>

Coming to a grinding halt as they neared the bridge they saw Sweetie Belle attack the two changelings, the small group wasted little time helping the two still forms lying on the ground; worry evident in Erlea's every action as she and Apple Bloom rolled one of them over, while Scootaloo and one of the joining shapeshifters rolled over the other, only to find they were unconscious, their chitin having taken the brunt of the blow.

Releasing the breath she didn't even know she was holding, Erlea looked up and into the city; able to hear the others scream through the hive mind, as well as see even more flashes of green lighting up the city in one place, or the other.

"This isn't going to work," she realized. "She's moving too fast."

"Cain't any of ya fly yourselves?" asked Apple Bloom.

Shaking her head, Erlea uttered a throaty groan. "Don't count on it. With the energy we had to use just to survive, even those who still can, won't be able to hold out for long."

"Isn't there a way for you guys to get your strength back, like, right now?" Scootaloo asked forcefully, grinding her teeth as she, too, saw the bright flashes, accompanied by numerous cries and shouts.

"There's one way," Apple Bloom answered for her, stepping up to Erlea much to the confusion of all others, holding up her right foreleg. An action, while confusing to Scootaloo, drew a gasp and murmur from the changelings with them as Erlea looked at Apple Bloom. Understanding what was being offered, but unable to believe it.

"Jus' like before, right," Apple Bloom said with calm certainty.

"Is she really doing what I think she's doing?" one of the changelings asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

"Is she doing, what?" Scootaloo asked, confused. "What are you doing?"

"The only thaing Ah can do right now," Apple Bloom replied, never looking away from Erlea.

"Are you sure?" Erlea asked with surprising care, taking a half step towards Apple Bloom.

A flash of green, followed by an explosion not too far away stopped her in her tracks.

"We've got ta stop Sweetie Belle an' help everyone, including her," Apple Bloom answered without flinching. "This is tha only way Ah can think of. So, yeah. Ah am."

"About what!?" Scootaloo wanted to know, but no one answered, as all changelings watched both Erlea and Apple Bloom with bated breath; the latter standing strong with her leg up in offer, the former slowly coming to accept the impossibility standing before her.

With a new sharpness to her eyes, Erlea nodded once, her fangs glistening in the flash of green destructive light.

<<>><<>><<>>

"Are you okay?" asked Scootaloo, supporting her friend as she stood on unsteady legs, still reeling from what she just witnessed.

"Ah am," Apple Bloom managed through a massive yawn. "It's not as bad as before. Easier, actually," she slurred, eyes blinking slightly out of sync.

"Uhu," Scootaloo uttered, not buying it as she looked at the small patch of green goop on her leg, covering up the… Well, whatever it was Erlea did. "You didn't have that last time, though," she pointed out. "And what is it?"

"Healing jelly," one of the changelings answered, a filly standing just half a head taller than Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. "To cover up the punctures and accelerate the natural healing process. It won't stick for long, either. Half an hour, or so at the most."

"Hmhmm," Apple Bloom nodded slowly. "That's what happened the first time, too."

"You've… done this before?" the same changeling asked.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom smiled a tired smile. "Back when Ah first met Erlea…. Well, when we met properly, kinda. After mah friends and Ah saved her from tha timberwolves, she snuck inta mah room at night, which is where Ah learned about all of ya. She said she was lookin' for food… Didn't know it were emotions she meant, though, so Ah wanted to give her some of tha apples mah family and Ah grow. An, well, long story short, after that, Ah let her do, well, this--" she waved her jelly covered leg a bit "--which somehow brings us all the way back here. And…. and Ah'm going ta sit down now," she concluded, doing just that as her rump sank to the floor.

The changelings present chattered among themselves, both audible to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, as well as over their shared mind; a ripple spreading through their numbers over what this one pony had done.

"So, what exactly was it that Erlea did?" Scootaloo wanted to know, still completely clueless as to what had happened.

"Active feeding," came the response and both ponies looked at the few changelings with them, not sure who it was that had spoken.

"Whu?" was Scootaloo's intelligent reply.

"Active feeding," the filly who first spoke repeated. "It's what we call it when we absorb emotions directly from another. But it is... tiring for the one we feed upon."

"Ya don't say," Apple Bloom said with a chuckle.

The changeling looked at the earth pony with a measure of guilt, not telling the whole truth, which was missed by both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, as a flash of green lit up the city once again, followed by a cry of anger as Erlea buzzed through the air, horn aglow with an almost similar green color as Sweetie Belle's spectral might, before she fired a beam of magic at the rampaging spirit.

"Ah jus' hope it's enough," Apple Bloom said silently as they all looked at the fight unfolding.

<<>><<>><<>>

With buzzing wings, and the empowering energy of emotions willingly given coursing through her veins, Erlea shot through the air, eyes hardened as she glared her ire at her target.

With a hiss, she approached the rampaging spirit who already turned to face her, alerted by the sound of her wings, both her front hooves, as well as her horn alight with spectral energy.

Not intimidated in the slightest by this blatant display of power, Erlea lit up her own horn and they both fired their might at one another; a beam of searing light from Erlea, and a trio of bolts flung by Sweetie Belle.

Both attacks lit up the air, drawing the attention of everyone as they watched with wide eyes, before energies met, clashing together with destructive intent, amplified by their natural hostility to one another.

With a massive boom, the city shook and both Erlea, and Sweetie Belle, taken by surprise by the volatile blast, were flung away when the shockwave hit.

Both fillies fell down, joined by a mixture of rock and dust as the city groaned its displeasure.

With a cry of anger, Erlea flipped around and caught herself, before finding she was lost in the depths below her city; shaking her head to clear the ringing and stop the world from spinning all around her, she found herself lost for only a moment while the disorientation faded.

It was all Sweetie Belle needed.

Not at all shaken by the blast and only caught by the first few seconds before allowing her intangibility to render her immune for the remainder of the detonation, she found her bearings well before Erlea could, and used the opening presented to dive bomb Erlea. Flipping around at the last second and kicking her in the back with her hind legs.

With a cry, equal measures of pain, shock and anger, Erlea once again found herself falling down; only this time followed down by Sweetie Belle, as she fired bolts and beams of searing green at her; forcing her to dodge the incoming attacks in her already compromised position of flailing legs and wildly buzzing wings.

The first three shots missed. The fourth singed some of her frilled mane. The fifth hit dead center, slamming into her side, knocking the air out of her, but her chitin kept the damage to a minimum.

Then a sixth shot was fired. And Erlea watched with large eyes as the bolt flew with damaging precision, impacting mere seconds later... right into Sweetie Belle's unguarded back.

"Gotcha," Abella shouted as she grabbed Erlea's legs, slowing her fall and allowing her to get the wind beneath her wings again.

"Abella, wha-"

"Those ponies are even crazier than I thought," she answered readily. "That orange one, eh, Scootaloo, allowed me to feed on her emotions, too. Gave me the boost I needed to save your sorry flank once again."

Despite the jab at her, Erlea couldn't help but smile genuinely at her friend, only for the moment to be ruined when a beam of toxic green burned the air in between them, bringing their attention back to Sweetie Belle, who did not take kindly to Abella's surprise attack; slowly rising up from below with hooves aglow, and a feral snarl.

Both shapeshifters locked eyes, nodding once, then broke off; each moving in different directions, forcing Sweetie Belle to shift her attention between the two of them.

With a snarl, Sweetie Belle set her sights on Erlea, firing a trio of bolts as she chased after her.

Abella, taking note, quickly circled around; horn alight as she prepared another spell to use against the mad spirit. Continuously shifting her aim to compensate for the rapidly moving target, she eventually found her mark as she saw Sweetie Belle level out her flight as she prepared for another attack on Erlea.

'Too easy,' she thought.

Then, much to her shock, Sweetie Belle rapidly spun around and fired two beams of charged ectoplasm into her chest.

For a moment, it looked like she hung still in the air, not even her wings moving as in this split second she realized she had flown right into an obvious trap. Then the pain came, yet no sound escaped her, as she slowly fell down into the depths.

"NOOOO!" Erlea cried as she dove down after her friend, shooting past Sweetie Belle without a thought.

Looking down at her prey, Sweetie Belle grinned wickedly, one glowing hoof aimed at Erlea.

'NO!'

Before she could shoot, however, a stab shot through her head, and the energy surrounding her outstretched limb faded as she clutched her head; her eyes flashing back to their normal self before her pupils became slitted once more.

Shaking her head with a snarl, she ignored Erlea and Abella, instead moving back up to the city to hunt for more fear.

<<>>><<>><<>>

Erlea, wings a blur, dove down into the depths below her city, eyes locked on the falling form of her friend as slowly, the distance between the two grew shorter and shorter.

Yet as much as she raced time to catch her friend, she also faced an even bigger problem. The energy she drained from Apple Bloom, although filling, was far from enough to compensate for a lifetime of starvation. Add to that the energy spent in what proved to be a lopsided fight against a being until recently believed to be nothing more than fantasy, she felt her power dwindle rapidly.

She thought it was enough. Knew it had to be enough, as neither she, nor anyling else, were in any position for a prolonged fight of any kind. Yet reality once more proved just how wrong she was and now not only she, but her friend falling down in the abyss below the Hive were about to pay the price.

'NO!'

She would not allow that to happen.

Eyes narrowed to slits as she focused her all on her falling friend, the knowledge of everything that had happened to them, to her, to everyling flashing before her mind's eye and with it she found new strength.

All those years of hiding away from a world that feared them.

All those years of fighting for scraps, just to still be hungry.

All those times they asked, cried and begged for help, unanswered.

Her father, giving up what meal he had so she could eat.

Her father's death and her mother's plan that followed.

The invasion and its failure.

The disease.

All those who died.

"NO!" she growled, anger burning in her chest and eyes as their glow intensified. "NO MORE! NEVER AGAIN!" And with a burst of speed she closed the distance, caught her friend and forced her wings to beat faster than she had ever done before; crying out from the strain, but unwilling to give up. She would never give up. Not after everything she had managed to survive.

She would win.

She will live.

<<>><<>><<>>

With a grunt of strain, Erlea pushed herself up, holding the unconscious form of Abella in her legs as she finally reached the nearest bridge; seeing, but barely noticing the group of changelings and two ponies, rushing to them, as she allowed gravity to finally take hold over her, and the two of them fell to the carved stone of the, thankfully, unyielding construct.

Flopping to her side, Erlea sucked in air with labored breath, her wings feeling like they were about to snap off and her body burning from exertion.

Yet she did it. She saved her friend and herself.

Now she only had to save everyling else.

She heard murmuring, or was it shouting, she didn't know. She was too tired to fully register what was happening around her, other than the intense beating of her heart that she could both hear and feel.

"Oh, this is bad," Scootaloo stammered after they failed to get a reply from Erlea. "What do we do now?"

Looking at Apple Bloom, who in turn looked up and into the distance, to where Sweetie Belle was continuing her rampage, able to see streams of red, even from this far as Sweetie Belle feasted on the fear she caused.

"A- Ah don' know," she said without hope. "We need Danny, now!"

"Danny!" Scootaloo said.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom nodded as she sank to her haunches. "But he's gone doin' somethin' else."

"No," Scootaloo countered her, pointing with a hoof. "Look, it's Danny!"

All heads turned to where she was pointing, seeing the white haired ghost hover some distance above the main entrance to the city.

Eyes widening, Apple Bloom jumped up despite her body’s protest, still tired from a long, agonizing day and allowing Erlea to eat from her emotions.

Scootaloo, in a similar state, also ignored her body's plea to rest and instead, the two pushed themselves to run as fast as they could, towards the ghost slowly looking around with a worried frown.

""DANNY!"" The two shouted in full blown panic, drawing his attention.

Dropping down to the ground, a strange looking thermos clipped to his belt rattling slightly, Danny waited for the pair to cross the distance.

Coming to a screeching stop before him, both fillies sucking in air with great heaves.

"Girls, what is going on this time?" he asked, only sounding slightly worried.

"It's Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo managed between breaths.

"Somethaing's seriously wrong with her!" Apple Bloom added in urgency.

"She's gone all evil spirit on us and she doesn't even recognize Apple Bloom and me!"

"WHAT!?" Danny shouted. "What are you talking about?!"

A chance to answer, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo didn't have, when at that moment a bone chilling screech shook the city.

"... Oh, that can't be good," Danny remarked as he looked wide eyed at the approaching group of changeling younglings; and pursuing them from the air, Sweetie Belle.

"What happened to her?" he asked, shocked as he took in the changes Sweetie Belle had undergone.

Again, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo prepared to deliver their answer in unison, only for Danny to interrupt rather loudly.

"YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?!" Danny yelled, seemingly at himself, only adding to the chaos unfolding. "No, never mind. Can you stop this?"

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shared an uneasy look, not sure what was going on this time.

"... So, it has come down to this then, huh?" Danny muttered grimly, his hand moving for the strange thermos before he caught himself and let his hand fall to his side, slowly closing it into a fist. "Fine."

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, looking up at Danny, before shifting their gaze to Sweetie Belle, missed Danny looking down at them with worry and pity.

"Apple Bloom, Scootaloo," he said authoritatively. Both fillies turned to him with a snap. "You go help the changelings. I'll deal with her," he instructed, as he flew up and towards Sweetie Belle.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT HER!" Scootaloo yelled after him, and unintentionally alerting Sweetie Belle who hissed and snarled at Danny, as he approached with speed.

Whatever reply Danny gave was lost as the distance between them had already grown too large and all the fillies could do was to watch with fear, and worry gnawing at them.

<<>><<>><<>>

All able to do so watched as bright flashes illuminated the city, as beams and bolts of searing green were fired wildly, impacting on walkways, walls, or were lost in the darkness below the hanging city. Watching as Sweetie Belle fired attack after attack in an increasingly wild manner, all of them dodged with almost shocking ease by Danny, which only served to further agitate the filly.

Some could hear Danny yell something at Sweetie Belle, but what he said was lost amidst the distance and sounds of more attacks fired by the young pony.

One of such attacks, a beam of energy fired from her horn, was once again easily avoided by the human and some watched, as the bright streak of green flew down into the city, before losing sight of it in the depths below.

Again, Danny said something and everyone tried to catch even a sliver of the one sided conversation, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

Looking with wide eyes as Danny suddenly held up an arm, some gasped out in shock, or amazement as a green shield flashed into being around him, absorbing the trio of spectral orbs Sweetie Belle had flung at him.

Seeing the futility of her attacks, Sweetie Belle growled as she instead flung herself at him, slamming into his shield, knocking into it with hooves aglow; trying to brute force her way through the energetic sphere with little success.

With a sigh, Danny lifted his left hand and Sweetie Belle found herself with no time left to react as, in an instant, he let his right hand fall, the shield flickering for a moment, before dissipating and a small orb of icy blue impacted on her body, flash freezing the pony in a block of ice which Danny quickly caught; his blue glowing eyes looking at the frozen filly with sadness.

"Wow," Scootaloo breathed out in awe. "He just stopped her like that."

"Yeah…" Apple Bloom muttered. "Jus' like that."

"So now we can help her and the changelings!" Scootaloo said, wings and ears perking up.

"Ah hope so, yeah."

"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked, wings slowly folding to her side, watching Apple Bloom chew on her lip.

"Don't ya think that… Ah dunno. It was ta easy. Sweetie Belle did all of this," she gestured with a hoof all around the city. "And then she's jus' stopped like tha'? Don't get me wrong, Ah'm glad. But… it's ta easy."

Both she and Scootaloo looked at the slowly descending human, seeing him talking to himself. Then their eyes shifted to the block of ice he carried underneath an arm and both their breaths got caught in their throat.

"Uh-oh" was all Scootaloo managed to say, when a burst of green slammed into Danny's unguarded back.

<<>><<>><<>>

Deep in the sanctum of Tree of Life, a radiant light shone in between her branches, as one of the two separated seeds grew exponentially, its weight slightly bending the branch and Tree of Life shuddered.

One more had grown.

And as her growing roots reached out far underneath the ice towards the portal she allowed to open, she hoped it would be enough.

Comments

[gagaking]

Wait, am i the first to comment on this chapter? Wow.

So, everyone is still out looking for the crusaders and Danny. Will they be find them before Sweetie bell is fixed? or will the secret be revealed? Find out next t- 5 chapters from now in silver spirit! What happened to Twilight and the others after Sam messed with them at Zecora's? it's been a while and I forgot.

How tired is Danny at this point? did he get any chance to recover after getting rid of the ice?

How quickly do ponies recover from active feeding? Will Apple Bloom suffer from being drained twice in a relatively short period of time (2 days or so)?

Keep up the good work PowerDrainer!

[Acadians6545]

9691803
Sure you don't.