Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria.

by Powerdrainer

Making Preparations

Author's Note:

And here we are with a new chapter. Let me know what you think, or if you found any mistake that needs correcting down in the comments.

~Powerdrainer

Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder.

Making Preparations

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

It had been several hours since Danny's unfortunate encounter with Maud, forcing him to leave her behind after she discovered his identity.

Well, one of them. But also the one he really didn't want to be found out… more than it already had.

Now though, with the windigos back where they belonged, Danny himself returned to the Hive; and with the night slowly moving in to claim the land, he and Sweetie Belle were busy reading the books he had brought back, sitting on the bed in their guestroom; Cujo lying asleep on a cushion behind them.

"You know, I could have really used this back when I was still trying to figure things out," Danny remarked as he flipped a page in the Ghosting For The Recently Departed he was reading. "We can store items within our spectral self?" he said, blinked, then realization struck. "Like my clothes, your boots… and the thermos I recently acquired. How did I not notice this before?"

Sweetie Belle, lying next to him, busy reading the book detailing about sirens, as much as she disliked doing so, glanced up at him.

"You never went to this library to learn about your powers?"

"No," Danny shook his head. "Didn't even know it existed back then, or that the Ghost Zone existed for that matter. Had to figure things out the hard way, like you did, too."

"Oh," Sweetie Belle thought about that for a bit.

"None of this makes any sense," the fourth occupant of the room called out, staring at the open book before her with wide, confused eyes.

"What doesn't?" asked Danny, looking at Erlea; the young shapeshifter having joined them after some of the, still healthy, adults arrived to take care of her mother.

"Just… all of it," she pointed at the book. "Spirits, specters, poltergeists, phantoms, shades, genies, jinns, so many more. And all of them are ghosts, but different. And the powers this book says they have… how is this real?"

"Well, you did get a first-hand look at what Sweetie Belle and I can do. And of course Eclipse and Fenris, too. Is it really that difficult to believe?"

"The power to grant any wish, warping reality to accomplish this," Erlea read aloud, then looked back at Danny. "I only know of one creature who can warp reality, and he does not grant wishes."

"You do? Who?"

"Discord," Erlea and Sweetie Belle said as one.

"Discord? Astina has mentioned him, who is he?"

"And THAT is another thing!" Erlea said loudly, ignoring Danny's question. "Astina is nothing more than a myth, a story we tell those who are dying. How can she be real?"

Ignoring his own need for answers, Danny put his book away as he looked at both Erlea and Sweetie Belle.

"I cannot answer about Astina," he told them. "I only learned reapers were real after I encountered Mort, the ponies' reaper, who also told me about the reaper we humans have. Eddie, apparently," he shrugged. "As for ghosts who can bend reality; they are real, though as far as I know, they are also rare. I only encountered one such ghost, pretty sure she was a genie. Maybe a jinn? But she did grant wishes, as that book said."

"Really?" asked Sweetie Belle. "Anything you wish for?"

"Yes," Danny replied grimly. "But never the way you want it to. Her name's Desiree, which is a play on the word desire, which links to the wishing thing she does. But whatever you wish for, she corrupts. You wish to fly, you can fly, but are never able to land again. You wish to be known around the world, she makes you a most wanted criminal," he looked at Erlea. "You wish for the changelings not die of the sickness, she makes them immortal. They aren't cured, but they won't die."

"That's horrible," gasped Sweetie Belle.

"You tell me," Danny sighed. "She caused a lot of trouble for my friends and me back then. A lot of it. But that was then. More importantly," he turned the attention back to the book Erlea was reading, "us ghosts come in many varieties with many strange and bizarre powers to match. I could spend all night telling you about all the crazy things I've seen and done; all the strange and insanely powerful ghosts I have fought, but what you two need to know; what you need to understand is that there are ghosts who are powerful to the point they can be considered a force of nature. And as powerful a ghost who can warp reality to fulfill corrupted wishes might seem, Desiree is not even close to the strongest ghost I have encountered."

Both fillies felt a shiver go down their spines at his words, and Erlea hesitantly pawed at the open book before her.

"Ghosts are scary," she eventually said, pushing the book away.

"No," Danny countered. "It ain't ghosts you fear, but what they could do to you. Unfortunately, the only ghosts this world has encountered so far, are those who enjoy hurting. Not including Wind Chill, Sweetie Belle, Eclipse, Fenris, Cujo, and I. Truth is, the ghosts who are either kind or uninterested in mortals keep to themselves; rarely showing themselves. Only once did I encounter such a ghost in my world, and only because he felt the need to help me after I got caught by Vlad… The first half-ghost, half-mortal," a deep sigh escaped him. "And a real scumbag in every sense of the word."

Neither filly asked what he meant, the frustration, anger, and hurt clearly noticeable in his voice.

"But none of that matters now," he continued, picking up his book. "What does is getting a better understanding of what we are, and how our powers work," he aimed at Sweetie Belle. "And it certainly wouldn't hurt to learn about ghosts in general, too," he looked at Erlea. "Like it, or not, but this is our reality now. So better be prepared for when the next near-disaster comes knocking on our door."

"How many more could there be?" asked Sweetie Belle, worried.

"Always one more than you expect."

It wasn't Danny who said this, and he and Sweetie Belle looked at Erlea, the young shapeshifter sighing deeply.

"Yes," Danny agreed, voice soft. "Always one more. Which is why we need to be ready for when it comes."

Erlea was silent, staring at the book before her with slightly unfocused eyes.

"Fine," she sighed, almost begrudgingly turning to look at Sweetie Belle. "I'll teach you. Maybe some good will come out of this."

"You will?!" Sweetie Belle perked up, elated Erlea had decided to help her control her changeling like hunger.

"Just don't make me regret this, pony," she added.

"I won't. I promise."

Erlea didn't say anything more, for now returning to her book while she thought, glad she had decided to tune out of the Hive mind, lest she accidentally shared just exactly what she thought of this insane mess her life had become.

'But at least everyling is safe now,' she glanced at both Sweetie Belle and Danny, the latter explaining something to the former from the book he was reading. 'I guess I owe it to her.

Shaking those thoughts away, she returned her attention to the book, and the one line she has been reading over and over again.

'But seriously. This does not make any bucking sense!'

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

Emerging from the forest without a wrinkle or stain on her suit, Maud surveyed the quiet town before her; the anger and disgust she felt ever since learning the identity of the ghost expertly hidden behind a mask of apathy.

Both her scanner, thermos, and blaster were stored away for later examination. The time the ghost, no, Danny Phantom had them in his possession far too long for comfort, and their use was most likely compromised.

Even so, after his shameful retreat, she did attempt to track his position, if only to gain new, useful intel. Unfortunately, any hint or trace to the Terror's current position proved fruitless.

Backtracking to where the mass gathering of ghosts were, proved just as much a waste of time, as the ghosts themselves were long gone by then. She couldn't scan for any energy signature left behind, due to the possible compromised state of her scanner, and the ghosts had the foresight to wipe clean any tracks they might have left behind.

All that she was left with was a general direction where they could have gone, based on her own position when they first approached. But without knowing just how far into the forest they went, she could not make any conclusive assessment if they even were still in the forest.

With no other option available to her, she had to admit that, for now, the ghosts had gotten away from her. But at the least, a key player was now identified, which meant she now had access to a detailed dossier detailing Danny Phantom's modus operandi.

But this also meant she needed time. Time to read, to plan, and for now, rest; as princess Luna had already begun the task of raising the moon and starting the night.

A slight frown compromised her otherwise stoic expression. She knew that time was against her, and that finding out who one of the ghosts was most likely accelerated whatever plan these undead fiends had.

She just hoped she still had time enough, before another Baltimare happened.

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

The night was running at its end as the first light of the day began to brighten the land, but Diamond Tiara was already wide awake.

Twisting and turning on her bed, unable to shake the images of what she had seen. Two of each of those Blank Flanks. And even worse, the betrayal of one she thought was her friend. Of course, the later realization that changelings had to be involved did little to lessen her turmoil, but it at least gave an answer to why Silver Spoon did what she did. Either she was mind-controlled or replaced, and the only one who even knew something was wrong was Diamond Tiara herself.

Of course, the timing of yesterday's ghost scare was far too convenient, too. She was sure those Blank Flanks had something to do with it as well. Most likely to cover their traitorous schemes. And had the school not been closed as a result as well, she would have exposed those three, seen them punished, and be hailed as a hero herself. Just as it should be.

"Soon," she told herself. "Soon things will be back to normal, with me on top."

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

Silver Spoon lay still in bed, staring up at the ceiling while worry gnawed at her.

'What happened? Really? What did I see? What was that weird magic Sweetie Belle used? Why are they helping a changeling? And why did I choose to keep their secret?' she tilted her head, looking at the quietly ticking clock on her nightstand, a faint beam of light penetrating through the curtains providing enough illumination to see the time.

'Diamond and I always picked on them, and I never felt bad about it,' she shook her head with a groan, then grabbed her pillow and pulled it around her head. 'So why do I feel so terrible now, thinking back on it? And why… Why do I feel like a bad pony?'

'And why do I feel like I did the right thing keeping their secret?'

And as she lay nearly unmoving, her mind throwing more and more questions of doubt and growing guilt at her, the feeling of shame and regret manifested itself stronger and stronger. Yet hidden underneath all of this, the spark she felt the day before, a sense of warmth she hadn't truly felt until recently, began to grow. And with it, something else resonated, too.

Hidden under a mountain of ice, Tree of Life sensed this growth, and one of the two separated seeds reacted in kind; growing slightly with a faint glow. A glow that didn't fade once the seed stopped growing.

A clear sign Silver Spoon had just made the first step on the long road ahead of her.

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

Rolling Stone lay unmoving on a bed, bandages wrapped tightly around three of his legs and torso. Numerous thick blankets lay over him as much as possible, while an IV bag hung next to his bed, slowly feeding its contents through the tube leading to his right foreleg. A heart monitor's slow and faint beeping filled the room, while magical heaters were working overtime to prevent the stallion from slipping into hypothermia.

The other occupant of the room, one of the night shift nurses, sat quietly on a stool; watching over him and ready to leap into action at a moment's notice while ignoring her own discomfort; wiping away the stream of sweat trickling into her eyes.

It was unknown if or when Rolling stone would come to. His injuries were severe and his core temperature dangerously low. The fact he still clung on to life gave hope he would survive, but his vitals were poor and he stood before death's door.

Or it stood next to him.

Mort, looking at the injured stallion, sighed as he shook his head sadly; his scythe hovering beside him, while his horn glowed with a pale light.

"What the!?" Rolling Stone uttered, looking around in confusion, then saw Mort.

"Please don't be afrai-"

"GHOST!" Rolling shouted aggressively, and he leaped at the threat; phasing harmlessly through the skeletal pony, then the bed he still lay on.

"What?" he gasped as he pushed himself back up, and saw his own beaten and broken body lying unmoving on the bed; the heart monitor still beeping at a slow rhythm.

"This must be difficult for you to understand," the same meek voice pulled his attention, and steadily growing anger back to the skeleton in the room; standing before the nurse, who was completely oblivious to what was happening in front of her.

"What did you do to me?!" Rolling Stone said through gritted teeth.

Shrinking into himself from the aggression aimed at him, Mort fumbled for words.

"Not... Nothing. Well, nothing much. I mean... Eh," pausing to collect himself, he straightened his posture, locking eyes with the enraged stallion. "Rolling Stone," he said, "I am the Grim Galloper, the Pale Pony, or as you guards have come to call me, Early Retirement," the piercing red dots in his otherwise empty sockets vanished as he blinked. "But you may call me Mort."

"WHAT!?" Rolling Stone shouted, almost rearing back in shock, only for his training to keep him from doing so.

"I understand you must have a lot of questions, and no reason to trust me to even ask them, but-"

"DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I WOULD BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU SAY, GHOST? I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF MIND GAMES YOU'RE PLAYING, BUT I'M NOT FALLING FOR IT!"

Mort almost fell apart from the force of the stallion's voice, and he backed away in a hurry, only to trip over his own legs and fall to the floor.

This time he did fall apart, and as his bones scattered around, his skull rolled away under the bed.

"Oh, Thanasia," Mort muttered.

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

With a grunt of exertion, Frostbite dug his heels in the snow, leaving deep gouges in the already upturned frost as he was shoved back forcefully.

Slowly lowering his arms, which he held crossed before him to shield his head, he took an unsteady step forwards before finding his balance while clumps of ice broke off his fur.

"I must say," he grunted, "you managed to learn this skill far faster than I expected. " He looked at the ghost before him, the ice fading from his body. "But you still lack the finer control, which resulted in this unintended ice blast."

Looking at his still frozen arm, and the visible bone, Danny flexed his hand as his flesh slowly returned.

"Still more control than I had yesterday," he commented, reflecting on the intense training he put himself through throughout the night. "But yes," he looked at the ravaged terrain, "still a lot of collateral damage."

"Perhaps it would be wise to take a break for now. You need to rest and allow your powers to recharge. Especially in your duplicated state."

"Agreed," Danny nodded, then yawned mightily.

"And while we rest, there is an urgent matter you need to be made aware of."

"Oh? What?"

"Vlad," Frostbite answered, face set.

Danny stiffened noticeably, "And I already know I'm not going to like this."

"Come, Great One. Let us return to my home. There is much to discuss."

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

Just like any other day, the Apple Family was up early. This time though, it was not to prepare for a long day of work ahead of them, nor was it because of the terrible ordeal Apple Bloom had gone through the day before, but because Twilight Sparkle had rushed in to gather Applejack, offering a hasty explanation regarding Discord which set all present on edge; save the lone human who was, by the looks of it, dragged along without really understanding why.

Apple Bloom, standing behind the legs of her older brother as he stood protectively before her, glanced up at Danny; the human giving a small nod in turn before turning his attention back to Twilight as she finished her explanation.

While he didn't understand much of it, Applejack gave a firm nod, rushed to her room to grab her Stetson, and before he even knew it Twilight pulled him along using her magic.

As the door slammed shut behind the three, Apple Bloom looked up at her older brother.

"They'll be alright, right?"

Big Mac did not answer.

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

Once properly seated, and a steaming mug of hot cocoa to warm their bodies in hand, Frostbite began.

"I should start by apologizing it took me this long to bring this to your attention, and on Wind Chill's behalf for not informing you sooner. While there have been a lot of developments demanding your attention, this is something you should have been told about far sooner," he said with a grave voice, pausing only a second to take a sip of his drink; then continued with a chocolate mustache.

"Not too long ago, when Wind Chill brought young Sweetie Belle and her friends here, he also encountered something most worrisome; one of Vlad's spy drones."

"What!?"

"Indeed," frostbite agreed with his outburst. "So far, he only encountered one, which has since been destroyed. But you know Vlad well enough to know it is never just one."

"But that means… Oh, shit."

"Yes. There is a good chance he is aware of your whereabouts, as well that Sweetie Belle is a half-ghost like you. Of course, there is no way to know for sure what exactly he knows or how far he has spread his influence, but even encountering one such device of his is cause for alarm."

Danny was silent for a good minute, staring at the slowly cooling liquid held in his mug.

"And here I honestly thought he couldn't mess with my life any more than he already had; that, at the least, he was a nightmare that would stay in my past," he took a long swig. "Of course he would find a way to spread his corruption to other worlds as well."

"It is troublesome, yes," Frostbite agreed, shaking his head with a sigh.

"Troublesome doesn't cover the load," Danny grunted in reply. "But in the end, it doesn't change much. At least not in the way I must go on about things. He was already present during all of what happened, changing things now would only draw his attention. But knowing his drones are in Equestria does mean I may be able to use them against him," he took another sip from his drink. "I need to think about this."

"It is troubling, though," Frostbite looked at his drink. "It is no secret to us Vlad is one to scheme and manipulate. And while it has become difficult, almost impossible at times, word from your world does reach us," he sighed heavily. "With you gone, and humanity having increased their defenses against ghosts, in no small part after the crime you're being accused of, Vlad has used the chaos to tighten his invisible grip over your world."

"I know," Danny said, bringing the cup to his lips, then stopped halfway and stared at the liquid. "I saw it happen, from a distance… when I was hiding from everyone. Maybe I could have stopped him, but…" He put the cup down, no longer thirsty.

"What is done is done," Frostbite said. "And no-one here blames you for what you did. A tragedy like that would affect everyone, but you especially. You have, after all, a kind heart," Danny looked up at him, confused. "You could have done anything you wished for when you gained your powers," Frostbite explained. "Yet you chose to help others; dedicating yourself to the path of a hero, despite the cost to your own well-being. Going out of your way to defend and protect anyone and everyone, even when they hated you, hunted you. And doing so with confidence and a smile, because you knew that others would live their lives without needing to worry. And asking for nothing in return, because you knew, deep down, they were thankful; even if they didn't know this themselves."

"I'm not so sure about that," Danny murmured, thinking back to all the times he was hunted and shot at.

"The good has long been overshadowed by the bad, but you can't truly believe that yourself? But if you need a reminder, why do you think we frost giants call you Great One?"

"Because I defeated Pariah Dark."

"No," Frostbite shook his head. "While your victory over Pariah Dark certainly plays part in it, it was not just this fight that earned you your title. You see, Danny. Shortly after you started your path of the hero, word began to spread. We, too, heard of this. And while at first we thought nothing more of it than over-exaggerated stories from some insignificant ghosts looking for attention, when the stories continued to come from more and more ghosts, some of us began to look further into this. And when they did, more accurate accounts of your accomplishments started to come our way. Before long, vague stories detailing a ghost of questionable appearance became tales of great adventure and discovery; a single being, a mere child, half-ghost, half-mortal, doing things far beyond anyone would have expected. And as the stories grew so did your fame, or notoriety depending on who you ask," he paused, allowing his words to sink in.

"You, Danny, became something more than just yourself to us. You became a symbol, an ideal; someone to follow and someone to compare ourselves with as we strived to be better. You are a natural leader who inspires confidence in those around you, who will go through any length to help and who will not hesitate to do what is right. You are the Great One because you are one who is great."

"You… I… what?"

"Then let me ask this of you: since your arrival on the ponies' world, what is it you have done to help others?"

Danny was silent as he thought back, eyes shifting from left to right as he tried to find some flaw in Frostbite's reasoning, yet all of it leading back to where he was right now.

Slowly he grabbed his luke-warm cup and took a long, slow drag.

"Damn."

"Damn, indeed," Frostbite agreed with a chuckle.

"Do I really mean that much to you guys?"

"You most certainly do, Great One," Frostbite grinned. "And the way you are going at it, not only to us. You are, after all, doing everything you can to save a species for no more reason other than that they need the help."

"... Yeah. Pretty sure I've already been elevated to the rank of Great One among the changelings," Danny shook his head. "And I didn't even cure the sickness. Fenris did. And it was Sweetie Belle and her friends who found him to begin with."

"Yet Fenris merged with you… Which, admittedly, is something I'm still ill at ease about. But regardless of my own feelings on that matter, there is no denying you played a vital role in all of this. So stop looking for reasons why you aren't deserving of the praise coming your way. You wouldn't have gotten it if it wasn't earned."

Danny looked at the mug before him, picked it up, and drained the last of its contents in one go.

"Thanks," he replied, setting the mug down with a clang.

"You are most welcome," Frostbite finished his own drink. "Now, with what needed to be said, said, what will you do now?"

"I'm not sure, but for now-" he fell silent.

"Yes?"

"Something's happening back in Ponyville," he said suddenly. "Eclipse is removing herself from me and the others so she can move on her own over there."

Looking down at his shadow, both saw it was no longer present.

"Let us hope it isn't anything that would cause trouble for you."

Danny flinched, then gave a deadpan stare at Frostbite, the giant quickly realizing his mistake.

"And now we can be sure it will be," Danny groaned.

"Yes… perhaps a refill is in order?"

"Please do," Danny pushed his mug over to Frostbite. "And make it extra decadent."

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

A near-continuous stream of changelings moved back and forth, carrying the newly brewed elixir Zecora had made.

This time, when she had begun her work, Danny quickly joined her; sharing with her all he knew about changeling physiology from his time in the Murgröna, allowing Zecora to change her recipe to better suit the ill.

Already a noticeable improvement could be seen in the first group who were given the brew, spurring the many foals on to rush back and forth with as many flasks they could carry.

Unfortunately, with the amount Zecora made, the limited supply of ingredients Danny had retrieved from her home was already beginning to run out.

With the knowledge he had to go out and find more materials, Danny spent a good portion of time studying the various plants and herbs Zecora used.

Cujo, too, was there to prepare; taking a good whiff in order to learn the scents.

A trio of changelings, some of the few young adults still standing, were also busy preparing for the same reason to maximize their efficiency.

While they worked, Danny did feel his mind wander; questioning what was happening in Ponyville, and, in extension with all the other versions of him.

Eclipse had only been with him for little more than a day, but she had proven to be an invaluable asset, far more than Shadow had been, and right now he was really missing her.

At least he had some idea what his most recent duplicate was up to, having split himself an hour prior to staying with Sweetie Belle while going out to help Zecora.

About ten minutes ago, though, Eclipse informed him Sweetie Belle, Erlea, and his other self were leaving as, being told by Erlea, Abella had just woken up and she needed to check up on her friend.

Sweetie Belle, too, wanted to go, with much reluctance, but a clear need to apologise for what she had done when the fear had consumed her.

Naturally, Danny went along to make sure nothing too bad would happen when Abella and Sweetie Belle would meet.

Not long after that, Eclipse left to do her thing in Ponyville, cutting him off from the rest.

Shaking his head, Danny refocused on the hand full, orange, marble-sized berries Zecora had said needed to be resupplied more than anything else, lying amidst the other ingredients Zecora required.

"You guys all know where to find these things?" he asked the trio of shapeshifters with him, to which they nodded.

"Most of these materials can be found in the Everfree Forest," one of them answered. "But the vine root only grows in a few swamp-like areas, and the haze berries can only be found near manticore territory as far as we know."

"I'll be taking care of those," Danny told them. "And anything else in hard, or dangerous to reach places. It's less of a threat to me than it is to you. You go for the easier stuff," he moved some of the materials aside, "I go for the rest. This way we will get most of what we need, without risking anyone getting hurt, or worse."

All three nodded in understanding.

"Also, when you're out there. If you find anything in terms of food, berries, fruit, or something like that, and you're not overburdened with anything else, please take some of that as well. The apples I brought the other day are not going to last much longer with how much Wind Chill ate, and Zecora, Sweetie Belle, and I can only go so far on apples alone."

"Hey!"

"And Cujo, too," Danny added. "... What do you even eat?"

"I'm a dog. What do you think?"

"So anything found at the bottom of a trashcan. That's simple enough."

Cujo's teeth gleamed, then became much larger as he bit at Danny's behind.

"Right, sorry," he hastily apologised. "Just focus on the ingredients Zecora needs," he quickly focused back on the changelings. "But if possible, take whatever kind of food you may come across that would be edible to Zecora and Sweetie Belle. Cujo, Wind Chill, and I will be fine with that as well, for the most part, but it is not a priority."

Again the three shapeshifters nodded, though with some confusion after his interaction with Cujo who, to them, only barked.

"Okay then, let's go out there," Danny stepped away from the table, transforming as he did. "And good luck."

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

With a flash of green, runes surrounding a door lit up, and the onyx portal melted away, allowing entrance to the three individuals outside.

Erlea, the glow around her horn winking out, stepped inside without a word. Sweetie Belle, however, only managed half a hesitant step.

"I know this is difficult for you," said Danny, easily picking up on her discomfort. "But the longer you wait, the harder it will be."

"I know," Sweetie Belle said quietly, hanging her head.

Lowering himself, Danny put a hand on her back.

"I have said this before, but I'll keep saying this as many times as it will take. You are not a bad pony. Yes, you did something bad, but you weren't in your right mind. And right now you are trying to make it right by apologizing."

"But what if she doesn't accept my apology?" Sweetie Belle asked while the door closed before her.

"Then you will need to try again, as many times as it would take. After all, if apologizing was easy, it wouldn't be worth much. Believe me, I know. I still have a lot to apologize for running away as I have done, but I honestly don't know how I would do that. But that is a future problem for me, and this is a present problem for you. And I will do something for you I wished someone had done for me years back. I won't let you run away from this. So chin up, take a deep breath, go in there and tell Abella you're sorry for what happened."

"Right," Sweetie Belle said, looking back up as her confidence grew. "I can do that. I will do that."

"That's the spirit," Danny remarked, paused, then chuckled while Sweetie Belle gave a flat stare.

"Please just open the door," Sweetie Belle said, and Danny obliged, allowing the two to step inside the city's hospital.

instantly, any good feelings vanished as they entered, and it should have come as no surprise to Danny what they found, but both he and Sweetie Belle came to a grinding halt only a couple of steps in.

"Of course, this is where the worst of the illness played out during the first days," Danny said, voice hollow as they both saw the great number of beds pushed in every free spot available; all incredibly filthy, yet all occupied with the weakest of the ill. "But I don't remember being here when Fenris cut out the hate. They must have brought them here sometime after."

A large collection of empty flasks lying scattered near the door gave some indication of the reasoning behind this.

"Gather them all in one place, making it easier to orchestrate a supply run for the elixir Zecora makes," Danny murmured as he watched some of the foals leaping from bed to bed, helping those bedbound to drink the contents in the flasks they carried with them. "Clever, but horrible. This should never have been allowed to happen to begin with," his eye then fell on the multitude of vines snaking around the walls and ceiling, interacting with the bed-bound whenever they weren't helped to drink the elixir.

"The Murgröna's busy too, I see," he added, then spotted Erlea and Abella, sitting side by side on one of the beds at the far end of the room, one of them clearly showing bandages around her barrel as they watched the others work in complete silence.

"There they are," Danny pointed out, failing to realize Sweetie Belle, being much shorter, was unable to see past the first few rows of beds and moving vines.

"Where?"

"Right, sorry," he shook his head. "Just follow me," he told her, then flew up, moving close to the ceiling to avoid bumping into anyone.

Sweetie Belle looked up at him, then down at the changelings moving from one bed to the next, then back up at Danny who looked down expectantly at her.

Biting her lip, she steeled herself for what she knew would happen and slowly flew up to join him.

Almost instantly, the changelings took notice of her and those closest to her hurried away in a scramble of flailing limbs, tripping over unconscious bodies and vines in their way.

"I'm sor-" Sweetie Belle squeaked, tears already forming.

"STOP!" Erlea shouted, standing at full height on the bed, eyes slowly taking in the chaos erupting before her. "She may pass…" her eyes settled on Danny who held a hand on the filly's back to keep her from retreating. "... unhindered."

Under the watchful eyes of numerous foals, Danny pushed Sweetie Belle closer to Erlea and Abella; the latter, surprisingly, not reacting with any fear or hate towards Sweetie Belle, but looking at her with a calculating gaze as she moved closer.

Slowly lowering herself to the bed, Sweetie Belle sat down in front of Abella with her eyes firmly locked on the stained mattress.

Danny chose to stand instead. Using his intangibility to do so, as there was no room otherwise, and his legs were hidden from view as they phased through the bed.

"I'm… I want to say…"

"I'm impressed."

"Wha?" Sweetie Belle derailed, looking up at Abella, confused.

"Even with the feral state you were in, you managed to devise a working strategy against two opponents by pretending to only focus on Erlea, then attack me when I got close enough that I wouldn't be able to dodge," Abella summed up. "Cracking my chitin with it as well. Impressive. Painful, but impressive."

"Y… You're not angry or… or afraid?" Sweetie Belle stammered.

"What good would that do? Besides, it looks like you've got a grip over yourself again," Abela said simply. "Plus, that stuff the zebra makes really takes the edge of things."

"But I attacked you, hurt you. I almost ki-" Sweetie Belle looked sick, "I almost killed you."

"A lot of changelings have died here. And more would have died, if you and your friends hadn't shown up and did--" she made a vague hoof gesture "--any of that."

"Gotta say, you seem to be far more relaxed about things than you were before," Danny remarked.

"I can't move too much with my chitin cracked," Abella turned to him, "which means all I really can do is watch," she gave a nod at the room in general. "And what do I see? A room packed with beds full of changelings; changelings who have been freed from the hate poisoning them; who are receiving what medical care is available; who are actually recovering. Slowly. Very slowly. But they are getting better. There hasn't even been a death since last night, I've been told," she paused, blinking slowly.

"Just a day ago, we as a species were standing on a crumbling edge. But now, somehow, you four have done what none of us thought possible; what we did 't even dared to hope was possible. And then you somehow awakened the Murgröna."

Danny cocked an eyebrow, surprised.

"You're rather up to date with what has happened."

Abella carefully turned to the wall closest to them, looking at the cluster of vines snaking their way into the room.

"Of course," Danny said in realization. "The Murgröna. With it awake, it can interact with you again; take in the memories of those dying, or provide comfort through the memories of those you've lost."

"It was nice seeing my family again," Abella said with a sad smile. "But the Murgröna also showed me something else," she turned back to Danny and Sweetie Belle, through her eyes locked on Danny's and didn't let go.

"What?"

"That you are someone who can be trusted without question; someone who will go through any length to help us. I am relaxed about things because for the first time in my life, I know I can be."

A silence fell, with Danny unable to find a response, and Erlea and Sweetie Belle not wanting to interrupt. But before it could lapse into awkwardness, Abella blinked and looked at Sweetie Belle.

"As for you. I don't harbor any ill feelings for you. Not after having seen all of this," she gestured into the room with a hoof. "But you will need to learn to control yourself before it happens again."

"Erlea already agreed on teaching me to control this hunger," Sweetie Belle quickly pointed out.

"She did?" Abella flicked an ear. "Huh."

"What of it?" Erlea shot back at her friend.

"Oh, nothing. Just the thought of you teaching a pony," Abella said, her calm, relaxed posture beginning cracking as she started to chuckle. "It's just… just, pfhhhaha-" she couldn't finish her sentence as she fell down backward on the bed laughing and wincing at the same time, holding a hoof against her chest, over her injury.

"Wonderful," Erlea groaned, looking at her friend's mirth with tangible annoyance, ignoring the many stares of all the other changelings in the room as they watched Abella writhe in humor and pain.

Her laughter would continue for many minutes to come.

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

Wind Chill released a groan as he stretched his back. Several pops and cracks came from his vertebrae as he worked out the kinks, the low ceilings and tight passages in the city paying him no favors.

Now out in the city and with ample room to stand to his full height, he made himself useful in whatever way he could.

True, his first priority was to aid and protect young Sweetie Belle. But with the rooms and hallways too narrow for him, this became a difficult task. Luckily, the Great One aided where he could not, which allowed him some leeway within his honor-bound.

As such, while separated from Sweetie Belle, but both in the same city, he instead decided to use his skills to aid the changelings; and in extension Sweetie Belle as well, by removing the worst of the destruction the filly had caused.

And so, with another grunt from exertion, he lifted up a large chunk of stone; formerly a piece of one of the stalactites.

With heavy footfall, he carried the rock back to the entrance of the city, placing it on the grand mosaic he hadn't noticed until he brought the first of many chunks; by now a sizable pile of destroyed real-estate.

Once more he found himself drawn to the now partially hidden image of a changeling and pony shaking hooves and wondered how such a seemingly friendly interaction could become hostile intent, where the shapeshifters were pushed to the brink of extinction.

He turned his attention back to the city, remembering the steel he saw in Danny's eyes upon his return. He didn't say much on the matter, but it became obvious he had learned something, and Wind Chill worried for what was to come.

The signs had already been there; some obvious, others more obscure, but when all put together; young Sweetie Belle becoming a spirit, the portal in the Dead Zone, the Saldēti Zirgi, everything that had happened with Danny…

A storm was coming. One like which this world has never seen before.

A storm that would wreak great havoc, and which the survivors would only barely be able to overcome once it has passed.

Question is though. At the end of it all, who would be left standing to rebuild with the pieces left behind? And how would this come to affect the world in the days, months, and years to come?

But with all these questions rising up, there was one question louder than any other; a collection of voices resounding throughout the years; echoing within the city as nothing more than a whisper, yet deafening all the same: Why?

It was a question that demanded an answer, and they had found the one to find it for them.

But if the answer was found, would it be enough?

No, of course not. Whatever the answer would be, it could never justify the horrors inflicted. And with that realization, at least one question was already answered.

Regardless of how this would come to its conclusion, it would not be a happy end.

Comments

[Clopian26]

This is an awesome chapter I always look forward to new chapter in your stories

[Powerdrainer]

10663661
Thanks for the suggestion, but it's a bit late for that.