Spirit Trouble. Part 2
Edits done (partially) by Vates Despero, and Cynatas Scribbler.
And a special thanks to AnonymousMaterials for allowing me the use of his character, Mort.
Spirit Trouble.
Part 2.
<<>><<>><<>>
Small black hooves crushed the leaves littering the ground in rapid succession as the being they belonged to ran as fast as she could through the thick foliage of the forest. Labored breaths escaped her mouth, her energy fading, and she was forced to slow down, or succumb to fatigue and hunger.
Her stomach rumbled loudly, and a holed hoof rubbed over the green chitinous plating covering her abdomen.
"So hungry," she hissed, trying to pick up on the strange waiver of emotions she had felt some time ago.
Leaves crunching underneath her hooves, she slowly moved deeper into the forest. Unaware of the glowing green eyes observing her every move.
<<>><<>><<>>
Snow crunched underneath their hooves as Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom stepped through the portal; followed shortly thereafter by Wind Chill. The two timberwolves guarding the Everfree side gave a quick growl as they came, but remained otherwise silent.
"Wind Chill?" Avalanche, one of the two frost giants guarding the portal from within the Zone, said as Wind Chill entered the chilly embrace of the Far Frozen, "What brings you here, and with the three young ones?"
"Avalanche, Snow Front. I bring troubling news of which Frostbite must be made aware, while the young spirit is in need of additional training," his statement was punctuated by Sweetie Belle's front legs phasing through the snow covered ground.
"Indeed," Snow Front muttered. "And what news do you bring that worries you so?"
Wind Chill looked at the distant village, a worried frown on his face, "The Dark One."
Avalanche and Snow Front shot each other alarmed looks at Wind Chill's mention of the evil Vlad Plasmius, "What of him?" Avalanche asked, a noticeable chill in his voice.
"What I fear is something I should discuss with Frostbite, in private," he answered, glancing back at the timberwolves standing stoically on the other side. Yet he knew they were listening.
"I see," Snow Front replied after a short moment, "Then make haste, and inform Frostbite of what you know."
Nodding, Wind Chill scooped up Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, placing them on his shoulders before moving for the village; Sweetie Belle flying behind him. "Stay vigilant, my brothers," Wind Chill called out to them. "And hope that I am wrong."
<<>><<>><<>>
"Are you sure?" Frostbite asked, concern heavy in his voice as he looked out of one of the windows found in his home, watching the young spirit, Sweetie Belle, sparring with one of the teachers.
"I am," Wind Chill confirmed. "I crushed one of his machines myself." He showed the broken pieces of the destroyed drone he carried with him.
Turning away from the window, Frostbite looked at the pieces now placed on a table. A crushed metallic shell, meant to protect the more delicate circuitry inside, and several small wires which used to connect the various components all lay in a broken heap beyond repair.
Bending down a bit, Frostbite studied the drone in greater detail, using the tip of one of his frozen fingers to shift the pieces.
Grunting in anger, he stood back up and faced Wind Chill.
"This is indeed one of Vlad's constructs, there is no doubt about it," he said, before blasting the broken pieces, completely destroying them until nothing remained, "This is worrying. Very worrying. If he has these drones scouting in the young ones' world, he must know the Great One is out there. He wouldn't risk such a thing for any other reason."
"Then what should we do? If he knows, it stands to reason he will come for Danny Phantom. Or, more likely, he will send others to do it for him. If that happens…"
"Then chaos will come to the young ones' world, and Danny's life will be disrupted once more," Frostbite finished. "We can't let that happen."
"Nor can we allow him to learn of young Sweetie Belle," Wind Chill added.
"Indeed," Frostbite mused as he stroked his beard.
They were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door, and Scootaloo stepped inside; ears hanging low, and heavy questions unasked showing in her eyes.
"Scootaloo," Frostbite said, "What brings you here?"
"... My mom…" Scootaloo answered with a small voice, looking down.
"Your mother?" Frostbite repeated, seeking clarification.
Nodding her head, Scootaloo looked up at him, "Yeah. Back in Ponyville, Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and me got into some trouble with those ghost hunters who are looking for Danny," she said. Frostbite's eyes widened as he turned to look at Wind Chill, who gave him an awkward, apologetic look.
"Ehh… I might have forgotten to mention some other developments," he spoke up, scratching the back of his head while smiling sheepishly.
"We'll discuss this later," Frostbite muttered, then turned back to Scootaloo, "My apologies. Please continue."
"Uhh… Right. Like I said, we got in some trouble with those ghost hunters, when my mom came to help us, and, well…" Scootaloo muttered, scratching one leg with the other, unable to find the words.
"Your mother came to help when you were in need? An admirable act, but I fail to see why this troubles you so," Frostbite said, trying to put the pieces together.
"The reason for her being troubled by this, would be because her mother has passed away," Wind Chill spoke up, surprising Frostbite.
"She, what? But then..."
"That would mean there are more ghosts on the young ones' world than we originally thought there to be," Wind Chill finished.
"But how did we not know about this sooner. Surely, if more ghosts exist on this world, we would have heard stories about this. At the very least there would have been rumors," Frostbite argues.
"But what about my mother?!" Scootaloo said loudly, cutting in between the two giants.
"Your mother is exactly where she needs to be," a sage like voice answered, and the three beings turned towards The Elder, who had somehow managed to enter the room without being noticed.
"Huh?" Scootaloo said, head cocked in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked, before her eyes widened in realization, "Do you know where my mother is?"
"No, child. I do not," The Elder answered, extinguishing the small ember of hope Scootaloo had.
"Oh…" she mumbled as her head dropped down.
"Elder, what is all of this about?" asked Frostbite.
The Elder didn't reply immediately. Instead, she looked off to the side, seemingly looking towards the wall. For her, however, it was a different story.
Looking through the many layers of existence, seeing the truths, and the lies. Everything she could see, that she was allowed to see. As well as the shadow covering the path of Destiny of those around her. Obscuring everything even from her. A path still unwalked, waiting for those meant to walk it to take the first step.
"Just another complication in a growing list, it would seem," she eventually answered, "Nothing you need to worry about right now, though."
"Then, forgive me for asking, but why are you here?" Frostbite inquired.
"Her," The Elder answered, pointing a finger at Scootaloo.
"Me?" Scootaloo said, surprised, looking up at the hood covered face of the female frost giant; whose glowing orange eyes stared down at her.
"Yes, Scootaloo. I saw that you are burdened by heavy questions, and I believe I am able to answer some of them. Or, in the very least, point you in the right direction to find some answers."
"You can?" Scootaloo replied, ears perked up.
"Come," was The Elder's only reply as she motioned for Scootaloo to follow, and together they left Frostbite and Wind Chill behind. The two frost giants stared at one another, trying to figure out what that was all about.
For a moment The Elder just walked, followed closely by Scootaloo, who was impatiently waiting for an answer. Yet, nothing actually happened, and Scootaloo's hope slowly faded when The Elder came to a stop to watch Sweetie Belle's progress.
"She's quite the talented filly, isn't she?" The Elder finally spoke up, surprising Scootaloo.
"Uhh… I guess?" she replied, unsure, looking at Sweetie Belle herself; seeing the transformed pony disappear and fly, before blasting ectoplasm at the other guy.
"Yes…" The Elder said, pausing for a moment as she observed, "But still such a long way to go. So many questions left to be answered. Questions she doesn't even know she has, yet."
"What's any of this got to do with my parents?" Scootaloo asked impatiently, her voice betraying her building frustration.
The Elder didn't answer immediately. Instead, she shifted her gaze towards Apple Bloom, seeing her standing on the sideline of the sparring ground as she watched her friend train with the frost giant.
Humming slightly, "So many questions, indeed. But some don't want to find the answer, too afraid of what they might find."
Grumbling, Scootaloo turned tail as she walked away, deciding that The Elder wasn't going to answer her at all.
"And then there is you, Scootaloo," The Elder said, causing Scootaloo to halt in her tracks. "You, too, have questions. Important questions," she continued, and the filly turned to look at The Elder, "But you are asking the wrong ones."
"I- wha?"
"You believe the one who helped you was your mother. And because of that, you want to seek her out. But do you even know where to begin?" The Elder asked, looking at Scootaloo with her glowing orange eyes.
"Well, yeah. I guess. I mean… I think she's a ghost, so shouldn't that mean I can find her here? My dad too?" Scootaloo answered, unsure.
Sighing, The Elder lowered herself so she wouldn't tower as much over the young pony, "And that is the first mistake you've made, child," she said, and Scootaloo looked at her in confusion, "You believe you heard your mother, but did you actually see her?" she asked, and, hesitantly, Scootaloo shook her head, "So is it not possible that the one you heard was someone else?" Scootaloo stared at The Elder for several seconds, before shaking her head again. This time with determination.
"No! I know it was her. I just do."
"Good," The Elder replied, "Uncertainty often leads to nowhere, as it causes us to continue to ask ourselves the wrong questions. Now that we know it was your mother for certain, there is something else you must ask yourself."
"What's that?" Scootaloo asked, eagerly.
"Why did she come back now?"
"Huh?"
"Think, child. Is it not strange for her to suddenly come back to the world of living so shortly after your friend became a spirit?"
"... Wha… You mean she came back because Sweetie Belle became a spirit?"
"I do not know, for I am not the one meant to reveal these answers," The Elder replied, rising once again to her full height.
"Then, who? Who can answer these questions?"
"That is for you to find out. You, and your friends, together," The Elder replied, looking into the distance at the border separating the Far Frozen from the rest of the Ghost Zone. "But I do know that the answers cannot be found here."
"Huh… Then where do I go?"
"The path already lies before you, Scootaloo. You just need to take the first step," The Elder answered in a vague, enigmatic manner, before walking away. Leaving behind a rather confused filly, who dropped down to her haunches as she tried to make sense of what she had just been told.
A scream followed soon thereafter. The cold of the snow and ice making her jump up.
<<>><<>><<>>
Sitting in a dimly lit room, were two young ponies. The curtains were pulled shut, and the door was closed tight as they discussed their latest plan. A plan to bring down those stupid Blank Flanks down into the dirt where they belonged, and return that what was lost—Diamond Tiara's tiara.
"So, how are we going to get in there without anypony noticing?" Silver Spoon asked, wondering how they would get into Sweetie Belle's room.
"Simple. We just have to get rid of that pony who thinks she is so special, with her dresses and such. Then, when it's clear, we slip into that loser's room and get back my tiara. Maybe break a few things while we're at it," Diamond Tiara explained.
"Okay. And how are we going to stop them from using that weird magic against us again?"
"I… I'm not sure," Diamond Tiara huffed in annoyance, "But we'll figure it out. Surely, the two of us, being far better than those Blank Flanks, are capable of coming up with something to deal with them. For now though, this will at least get me back my tiara."
Nodding in understanding, Silver Spoon stood back up, stretched a leg, and moved towards the window. Pulling away the curtain to peek outside, she stared into the distance in roughly the direction of Carousel Boutique.
"Well, looks like now would be the best time to do it."
"How can you tell?" Diamond Tiara asked flatly.
"Everything is quiet," Silver Spoon answered with a lopsided grin, "Since when is everything quiet with those three around?"
Diamond Tiara looked at her friend for a moment, before the same grin grew on her muzzle, "Never. Which means they are not here."
"So, are we going to do this, or what?" Silver Spoon asked, smirking.
"Oh, it's on," Diamond Tiara replied, a shadow falling over her eyes.
<<>><<>><<>>
Rolling Stone and his team of three were once more out and about the town of Ponyville to scan for any spectral activity, doing everything they could to track down the spectral signatures they had recently encountered.
For now though, the civilians were still unaware of anything sinister transpiring in their fair town, so they had to maintain their cover, lest they start a panic.
Moving around the alleys, or mingling with the crowds to pick up on any rumors that might suggest ghost activity, they moved through town, ever vigilant.
"Honesty, Lyra. I can't believe you did that," they heard somepony say, and they noticed a beige earth pony shoot an annoyed look, laced with embarrassment, towards the mint green unicorn walking by her side.
"What? What did I do?" Lyra asked, confused, as the two of them walked through town. Followed from a distance by Sound Wave with her Ghost Gabber.
"Do you even need to ask?" the beige mare replied, receiving a nod from her horned companion.
Sighing, she facehoofed for a moment, "Alright, in order. First there is that strange, and quite frankly disturbing obsession you have with those hands, a—" she began, when her friend interrupted her.
"Hey, I'm not that one dimensional," Lyra said, annoyed, earning a flat look from the beige mare. "I like feet too."
The force with which her friend's hoof met her face could be felt by everypony in a half mile radius of the impact, and Sound Wave flinched visibly, before quickly retreating to a safer distance.
"Second, that 'list' you are constantly carrying around," she could faintly hear the beige mare continue. "Third, those 'visits' you make to the cafe to just 'order' something to eat every time Danny is working." Now that caught her attention.
"So?" the mint green mare asked, shrugging, "I've been doing that for a while now. Why bother bringing it up now?"
"Why? Because, of all the things you have done, what you did last night was just, just…."
"Last night?"
'Last night?' Sound Wave mused, thinking back. Faintly recalling something involving the unicorn mare at Danny's party.
"Oh, you know what I mean. Shaking your tail around while trying to dance on two legs," the beige mare continued, and suddenly Sound Wave knew exactly what it was these two were talking about, a blush staining her cheeks.
Silence settled down between the two, and the only sound came from the group of crickets sitting on Fluttershy's head and back as she walked by.
"PFHAAAHAHAHA!" Lyra burst out in laughter. "That's what's gotten you all worked up?"
"Of course it is!" her friend replied, ashamed.
Lyra chuckled a little while longer, before turning to her friend, her muzzle almost touching her companion's, indicating that they were most likely in a relationship with one another. "Oh, but I thought you liked it when I shake my tail around like that?" she said in a husky voice, eyes half-lidded, and her friend sputtered as she stepped away, face burning bright red.
'Yeah, definitely a couple.'
"B-but that was different," the mare sputtered.
"Different? Different how?" Lyra asked, amused.
"You know what I mean," she replied, and Lyra looked to the side as she recalled last night's festivities, a grin forming on her face.
"Oh, that," Lyra said with a chuckle.
"Yes, that. Honestly, what were you doing?"
"Partying," came her honest answer, "Cutting loose. Something you should try sometimes."
A roll of the eyes was all the answer Lyra got from her beige companion, when, without warning, two earth pony fillies came running by. Knocking over Lyra's friend without so much as an apology, before running around a corner, disappearing from sight.
'Hmm, what was that about?' Sound Wave wondered as she watched the two fillies head towards Carousel Boutique, 'And wasn't that the filly involved with the incident some days ago back at the school?'
"Whoa! Are you alright?" Lyra asked, concerned, as she helped her marefriend back on her hooves.
"Yes, I am. But what is up with those two?" she replied, dusting herself off as she shot a glare after the two fillies.
Lyra shrugged in answer, before a grin returned to her muzzle, "So, about cutting loose…"
A throaty groan of frustration reached Sound Wave as she silently moved away.
<<>><<>><<>>
Spike was fast asleep, nested warmly in his basket. Dreams of a certain white unicorn, along with the largest diamonds he'd ever seen, filled his mind as he slumbered. Dreams that came to an abrupt end when, in a strange turn of events, Rarity married the largest diamond, named Tom.
Screaming in horror, Spike woke up to the tell-tale feeling of a magical burst in his gut, signaling the arrival of a message.
A loud belch escaped him as a burst of magical green fire spewed out of his mouth, a letter materializing in front of him.
Scratching his lower back, he watched with lazy eyes as the rolled up paper fell to the ground, bounced once, and rolled for half a meter before coming to a stop.
"Sheesh," he slurred, "What's a guy gotta do to get some sleep? It's barely past noon." Sighing, he stepped out of his basket, only to get stuck as something held him tight. Looking back, he saw the part of his body that was ensnared in his blanket; his groggy mind still trying to move into second gear as he observed the problem with half lidded eyes, the full map of his anatomy slowly coming back to him.
Shaking his head, he pulled himself out of his bed and picked up the letter, seeing it was addressed to him.
Raising an eyebrow, he unfurled the scroll, reading it. His eyes widened with each sentence. And, before long, he rushed out of the library.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Hey, Scootaloo," said Apple Bloom, "Where've ya been? Ya missed Sweetie Belle fightin' that giant."
"Well… She did most of the fighting," Sweetie Belle muttered, rubbing a sore spot on her leg.
"Yeah… I know," Scootaloo replied vaguely, not really paying attention.
"Is everythaing alright?" Apple Bloom asked, looking at her friend with an expression of concern.
"Yeah… I think," she replied, but not really answering anything as she was more lost in thought.
"Hellooohoo~" Sweetie Belle called out, waving her hoof in front of Scootaloo's face, trying to snap her out of whatever thought she was stuck in, "Equestria to Scootaloo."
Blinking a couple of times, Scootaloo focused on the silver hoof wagging in front of her; her eyes following it to the filly it belonged to.
"... Eh… Wait, does that still work here? We're not in Equestria anymore," Sweetie Belle mused, looking at Apple Bloom for her thoughts on the matter. But all she got in reply was a shrug, and their attention returned to their orange friend.
"... Ehh?" she said, before shrugging herself.
"Anyhow, movin' on," Apple Bloom spoke up. "Mind telling us what's got ya all zoned out on us?"
Giving a kick against the snow, knocking away a small piece of ice, Scootaloo looked down with a slightly irritated frown, "Have you forgotten why we came here?" she asked, looking up at her earth pony friend with a hint of anger.
Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's eyes widened in realization, "Your parents!" they said simultaneously.
"I completely forgot about that," Sweetie Belle confessed with a guilty tone, looking at the ground, "Being busy figuring out how to control my powers and all."
"You forgot!?" Scootaloo said, angry, "You forgot!? Sure, why not. We're only talking about my parents who came back from the dead. What's the big deal?"
"Hey, that's not fair!" Sweetie Belle called out.
"Yeah, she was havin' trouble with her powers," said Apple Bloom, defending her unicorn friend.
"So what?" Scootaloo huffed, "There's always something with those powers."
"That ain't fair, either," Apple Bloom replied, frowning.
"You know what isn't fair? It isn't fair that we were all there when my mom helped us, but you two are more concerned about Sweetie Belle's powers than looking for her," she snapped at her friends, "And you"—she pointed at Apple Bloom—"of all ponies should know what it's like. Your parents are dead, too. Aren't you the least bit curious to find out if they are around here as well?"
"Ah- ehh," Apple Bloom muttered, looking away as she kicked the snow.
Snorting in annoyance, Scootaloo turned her back to them, "I see… Well, I don't care about those stupid powers. I'm going to look for my mom and dad!" and before Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle could say, or do anything, Scootaloo ran away, angry tears brimming in her eyes as she sped out of the frost giants' village.
<<>><<>><<>>
Out in the distance, on top of one of the many icy hills, stood The Elder. Looking down on the village she called home, she watched young Scootaloo run away, clearly distressed.
Her friends, standing dumbfounded for several moments, hurried after her, trying to catch up with the orange filly, who had managed to gain quite some distance between herself and them.
"Hmmm… Another seed has been planted," she mused, her glowing orange eyes observing all, "Now, I wonder. What might grow from it?"
<<>><<>><<>>
Rarity was hard at work, wearing her hazmat suit, as she aggressively scrubbed at the many dye stains Sweetie Belle had left behind.
An unlady like growl left her when yet another stubborn stain refused to vanish beneath the many strokes of her brush, yet she refused to give up.
More and more effort went into getting her room clean, and heat began to build up in the stuffy suit from her efforts. Drops of sweat began to run down her face, while her mane, placed carefully inside the suit when she put it on, turned scruffy. This went unnoticed by her as all her focus was placed on a particularly stubborn red spot on the wall, as well as on all the other spots, scars, and marks covering her once pristine atelier.
This changed though, when, without any ceremony, Spike came rushing in, out of breath, a letter in his claw.
"Spike?" Rarity spoke up, fogging up the visor of her hazmat suit, and she quickly removed it.
It was at this exact moment she started to notice something was off. And, after a quick glance at the mirror in the room's corner, she could see the damage all that hard work had done to her appearance.
Seeing her reflection, mane messy and sweat covering her face, her pupils shrunk to pinpricks before she shrieked in horror. In a blur, she ran to the bathroom, leaving Spike spinning on the spot.
As he finally came to a stop, eyes still spinning for a moment, he shook his head to refocus, and searched for the pristine white mare of his dreams. What he found, however, was a messy room, with no Rarity in sight. The sound of running water drew his attention to the bathroom, and he quickly made his way to the closed door, knocking on the wood.
"Eh, Rarity. Are you in there?"
"Just a moment," came the mare's hasty reply, and the clanging of various small jars could be heard coming from the other side.
"Oh, you can take all the time you need, Rarity," Spike replied with a dreamy voice, just the sound of her voice enough to make his heart flutter.
"Oh, but Spike, dear. If you don't mind me asking through the door like this... Why are you here? Didn't you go to Canterlot with Twilight?"
"Huh? Oh, no. Twilight went with Danny, and the-" he started to answer, when he was abruptly interrupted by the bathroom door swinging open.
"What? Twilight and Danny went to Canterlot together? As in, just the two of them? Together?" Rarity asked excitedly, her head sticking out of the open door with a towel wrapped around her mane.
"Uhh… Yeah?"
"Ooh, how marvelous," she cooed in glee over this bit of gossip, "I already suspected there was something was between those two, and now they are out to Canterlot, just the two of them. Aahh~" she swooned, "Just imagine what those two might be doing right now, bringing them closer together as a result?"
*****
Meanwhile, sitting in the royal library, Danny found himself back in school as Twilight decided to lecture him about something called the Elements of Harmony. Which, apparently, also included Twilight's personal story from when she first came to Ponyville.
"—Of course I was not at all interested in mingling with the crowd, but the Princess tasked me with overseeing the preparations for the coming Summer Sun Celebration, so some interaction was unavoidable. And that is how I first got to meet Applejack, when—"
*****
"... Yeah," Spike said slowly.
"Oh, but what do you have there, dear?" Rarity asked, finally noticing the scroll in Spike's claw.
"Huh, wha?" he stammered, having completely forgotten about the letter, "Oh, right. It's a letter Twilight sent me just a moment ago. Kinda important, too," he said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head as he handed the letter over to Rarity, who took it in her magic.
For a moment she stood silent as she read the message her dearest friend had sent, only for her eyes to widen as she neared the end. And as the last line was read, a look of urgency showed on her face. Not wasting any time, she scooped Spike up and placed him on her back, much to his joy, and rushed away; the door of the boutique slamming shut before her towel landed on the ground.
A few seconds ticked by with nothing happening, then Rarity returned, only to shout at Sweetie Belle for her to stay in her room as she was still in a lot of trouble for what she had done. Then the door slammed shut once again, only for two young ponies to sneak inside after they were sure Rarity wouldn't come back again.
<<>><<>><<>>
Small orange hooves raced across the snowy ground as their owner ran as fast as she could, wings buzzing rapidly in an attempt to keep herself from sinking into the frozen fluff.
Where she was going, she didn't know. All she knew was that she needed answers, and she wasn't going to find them back where she came from. So, with no clear destination in mind, no help from her friends, and generally no idea what she was going to do, she just ran. She ran, and ran, before coming up to a dead end.
Coming to a stop, digging a small trench in the snow and ice, Scootaloo looked up at the massive wall of ice which seemed to rise up without end. Clearly this wasn't the way to go, but, looking around, she couldn't find any other path, save for the way she had come. Not wanting to turn back until she had found some answers, -or, better yet, her parents- she glared up at the immovable wall of ice, wishing she could just fly up and over it. Just as Sweetie Belle was able to do, with her powers.
Another spark of anger ignited in her chest as she looked at her own useless wings, and she found herself wishing it was her who got those powers, if only so she could fly herself. Not finding any answers in the feathers of her wings, Scootaloo looked back up again, and noticed something different.
High above, the wall of ice seemed to give way to something else. A spot of green, too far away to make out any details, but still clearly there.
'Is it a way out of this place?' she wondered.
Looking around for any way to get up there to find out, her gaze fell on a rough path carved into the ice. A path which, even to her untrained eye, looked like it hadn't been used for many years. Not that it mattered to her if it was used recently, or not. But all the same, it looked… treacherous. 'But,' she thought, 'Would Rainbow Dash let something looking treacherous stop her?'
The answer was all too clear, and taking a few hesitantly brave steps, she began the climb up.
The moment she touched the ice the rough path was made from, a violent shiver went down her spine. The ice was much, much colder than the snow and ice found in the village. Almost as if it was older, wilder than anything she had felt before.
Shrugging it off, she continued on her way, not wanting to give up just because the ice was a bit colder. Eyes steeled with determination, she took the next step, and the next. Slowly progressing up, heading towards the strange spot of green.
Each step she took brought her closer to her goal. Each step carefully placed so she wouldn't slip. Each step hinting at the danger facing her should she fall. Each slow step passing without incident, until she was halfway up.
A patch of ice gave way, cracks racing deep throughout its structure. Pieces broke off, and fell down, bringing down even more chunks with them. And before she knew what happened, the ground vanished from underneath her hooves.
A loud scream echoed off of the walls as she fell to her doom.
<<>><<>><<>>
Two pairs of eyes scanned the seemingly empty building as they snuck inside.
Positive there was nopony there to catch them, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon quietly moved deeper in, careful not to make any sound.
"Do you think there is still anypony in here?" Silver Spoon asked, feeling rather nervous. Sure, they had done several things to the Crusaders, but never before had they broken into somepony's home.
"Of course there isn't," Diamond Tiara answered confidently, no longer trying to stay quiet, "You saw that dressmaker leave yourself. And we both know that that loser Blank Flank isn't here, seeing that everything is calm. So, let's just get my tiara and get this over with," she continued with a grimace, looking as if she had stepped in something unpleasant. She walked up the stairs, heading towards a closed door which, to no surprise to her whatsoever, had colorful hoofprints leading to it.
"Too easy," she remarked, snorting at the mess, knowing who was responsible, "Let's go," she called out to her friend, and they entered the room, unaware that their stealthy break in hadn't gone as stealthily as they thought. As, spying on them through the windows, Sound Wave kept a close eye on them; ghost scanner in hoof. A scanner which showed strong spectral activity.
Because of this, she chose not to interfere with the fillies' obvious crime in favor of getting a proper scan of them. She may be a guard, but she was also a ghost hunter. And in favor of keeping the masses safe from any undead activity, she ignored the fillies illegal incursion; a worried frown on her face as the results of her scanner came up. Results which worried her to no end, as the spectral activity seemed to increase. Especially close to the gray filly, Silver Spoon, who unbeknownst to all, stood nearest to the spot where Sweetie Belle's powers had manifested themselves again, indicated by the large blot of dye on the floor.
Of course, seeing the readings on her scanner, which seemed to point towards the young gray filly, Sound Wave came to a shocking, and seemingly impossible, realization.
'This… This can't be,' she thought as she looked at the young pony, 'Is.. is she…?' her shocked mind struggled as she saw Diamond Tiara kick over a few things, clearly angered. Focusing her attention back on Silver Spoon, she slowly backed away from the building, 'I need to alert Rolling Stone.'
<<>><<>><<>>
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hurried after Scootaloo, trying to catch up with her. Following her was easy enough though, as her hoofprints were clearly visible in the snow. Yet the snow also proved to be a hindrance, as Apple Bloom kept sinking deep into the white pack of frozen water.
Sweetie Belle, still in her spirit form, flew above it, and didn't face such problems. But she was forced to stop every now and then to pull her friend out of the white whenever she got stuck.
"Seriously, how did she not get stuck?" Apple Bloom asked, annoyed, as Sweetie Belle had to help free her yet again.
"I don't know," Sweetie Belle replied, "Maybe because she's a pegasus? You know, she's always been light on her hooves."
Apple Bloom took a second to think about that, and in that time Sweetie Belle pulled her out of the snow.
"Ah guess that makes sense," she replied, kicking off some snow that had stuck to her leg, "But where did she run off ta?"
"Only one way to find out," Sweetie Belle answered, nodding to the hoofprints.
Suddenly, the wind made way for a fearful scream, and the two of them snapped their heads towards a tall mountain range, eyes wide.
"SCOOTALOO!" they shouted.
No longer wasting any time, Sweetie Belle grabbed Apple Bloom and flew off towards the source of the scream. Yet despite the situation, Apple Bloom still found herself with a hint of irritation.
"Ya know, ya could have done that from the start, right!?"
Ignoring it in favor of staying airborne, Sweetie Belle flew towards the icy mountains, seeing Scootaloo's tracks heading inside what looked like a large cave. Darting inside, she dropped Apple Bloom to the ground before landing herself.
"Scootaloo! Where are you!" she called, her voice echoing off of the walls.
"UP HERE!" Scootaloo yelled her answer, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked up to find their friend hanging on for dear life.
"SCOOTALOO!" they shouted in shock at the sight of their pal's perilously precarious position.
Hanging high above, holding on to a jagged piece of ice sticking out from the side of the wall, was Scootaloo. Hindlegs dangling above the vertical drop without support, wings buzzing like crazy in an attempt to generate enough lift to get back to safety. But to no avail.
"HELP!" Scootaloo shouted as, to her rising fear, the ice which she was holding on to began to shift, cracks starting to form within its crystalline structure.
The frightening sound of cracking ice grew louder and louder, and Scootaloo felt the ice grow weaker by the second. She also noticed she was slowly dropping as the ice lost its strength. Then, with a loud snap, the ice broke, and the young pegasus found herself in a sudden free fall once more.
Acting on nothing more than reflex, Sweetie Belle flew up, fast. Intercepting her friend halfway in her fall, and catching her. Yet a looming shadow fell over them, which grew bigger and bigger at an alarming rate.
"GET OUT OF THERE!" Apple Bloom yelled as she saw the giant slab of ice plummeting towards them, "NOW!"
Taking the advice to heart, Sweetie Belle dropped down, Scootaloo holding on to her tightly. Yet gravity proved to have a greater pull on the heavy chunk of frost than it had on the inexperienced spirit, and the distance between them diminished faster than she was able to fly away from it.
Apple Bloom looked up with eyes wide in horror, knowing that her friends couldn't get away in time, and she herself was unable to help. It took a split second longer for her to realize her own precarious position, but it was already too late by the time it occurred to her to move from the spot she was standing.
Looking down, and seeing the fear in her friend's eyes; feeling the tightening grip her other friend had on her, and sensing the crushing weight of the ice falling towards them, Sweetie Belle found herself acting on nothing more than blind panic.
Her eyes began to glow a heavy green. Not just the irises, but the whole eye. She sped up enough to reach her grounded friend just before the frozen rock did, and grabbed hold of one of Apple Bloom's legs.
The ice slammed into the ground a split second later with earth shattering force.
<<>><<>><<>>
"It wasn't there!" Diamond Tiara screeched, "Why wasn't my tiara there!?"
She had been going on like that for more than ten minutes after they had returned to Silver Spoon's place, much to the gray filly's displeasure, as her lingering headache suddenly came back with a vengeance.
"Maybe she hid it somewhere?" she offered.
"Of course she did," Diamond Tiara sneered, "She must have realized who's tiara it was, and gotten jealous because she doesn't have one herself."
"Are you sure?" Silver Spoon asked, unsure. A sliver of doubt about her friend began to form deep within as Diamond Tiara seemed to care more about her tiara than the ever growing headache she had.
"Of course I'm sure. Since when have I ever not been sure?"
Silver Spoon was about to reply, when Diamond Tiara cut her off to continue with her rant, "She hid it, I know she did. But were? Not in her room, that much is obvious, seeing we looked everywhere."
"Then where do you think she keeps it?"
"How should I know? I'm not a loser Blank Flank like her. Thinking like her means lowering myself to her level, and we both know that is impossible."
Silver Spoon frowned at this. Yes, she too picked on the Crusaders. Called them all sorts of things, and made fun of them for trying to earn their Cutie Marks. And yet, there was something that didn't sit right with her. Something she began to notice some time after she'd gotten home from the doctor. Something small, a feeling deep within. Faint at first, but growing ever so slowly. What it was she didn't know, nor did she understand it. And at first she just ignored it as she continued her normal routine with her friend. But now, especially after having been in Sweetie Belle's room, this strange feeling seemed to have gotten stronger. Not by much, but enough to cause her to pause and wonder if what she was doing was the right thing.
"Maybe... Maybe if we stop being so hard on them Sweetie Belle will give you back your tiara?" she offered, unsure, confused over the words that came out of her mouth.
Diamond Tiara, too, was confused by what her friend had just said. And she looked at her as if she had seen a ghost.
"What!?" she exclaimed, her voice clearly conveying her disgust at her friend's suggestion, "Why would we do that? Be nice to them? You’re not going soft on me are you, Silver Spoon?"
Silver Spoon didn't answer. Instead she looked down to the ground as her headache became worse, making her flinch visibly.
"I think I need to lay down a bit," she said, and Diamond Tiara showed a rare look of genuine concern, "I'm not feeling too well. Maybe we can continue this tomorrow?"
"... Sure," Diamond Tiara answered, backing out of the room as she gave her friend a strange look. "You'll need it," she added with a sour tone. "Suggesting being nice to those losers," she finished as she closed the door behind her.
"Yeah…" Silver Spoon muttered as she climbed onto her bed, "Losers?"
As she drifted off, her mind mulled over one final question: Who were the real losers here?
<<>><<>><<>>
"What!? You can't be serious!"
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but the scanner's result was clear," Sound Wave assured her commander. "Blue Ice calibrated the scanners to filter out all interference, and the results all point to the same thing."
"You do realize that if what you are saying is true, we're facing a situation more complicated and dangerous than anything we have faced before. With the only possible exception being the changeling invasion," Rolling Stone replied gruffly.
"I know. Believe me, I know," Sound Wave answered. "But the scans were clear… There might have been a mistake, I know. But the scan's readout was clear. There was a lot of spectral activity centered around this filly. Even some coming off of her, as if she was emitting it herself. It was faint, but clearly there."
"So, you're saying..."
"Sir… I think she might be a ghost in disguise."
<<>><<>><<>>
A howling wind pierced the otherwise tomb like silence, blowing the fresh, powdery snow away in large, billowing clouds. A similar cloud of frozen powder slowly descended, both on the ground and the slab of ice which had blown it away. A slab of ice which now lay in its own shallow crater, with fissures running through, and away from it.
Cracks littered the ground, and even continued up on the wall it had fallen from, causing small chunks of ice to fall down every so often.
A strained, muffled grunt came from within the ice. A moment later Sweetie Belle pulled herself and her friends out of their icy tomb. Dropping her friends to the ground, joining them a moment later as her powers gave out, the three of them lay unmoving, save for the terrified tremors that coursed through their bodies.
Minutes ticked by in terrified silence, none of the fillies having the strength to move, even with the cold that slowly crept up their bodies, numbing their flanks.
Eventually their breathing returned to normal, and their bodies stopped shaking. The numbing cold that was hard at work freezing their rear ends also began to register in full, and the three slowly, clumsily, got back to their hooves.
"Scootaloo…" Apple Bloom said after a while, "What were ya doin' up there?"
Looking down at the ground, Scootaloo muttered a reply as she kicked a small piece of ice away.
"What?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I was looking for my parents," she replied slightly louder, though still in a whisper.
"Up there?" Apple Bloom replied, confused. "Why?"
"Hey, what's that?" Sweetie Belle asked as she noticed the green glow coming from above. "Is that where you were going?" she asked her orange friend, seeing her nod as she stared up as well. "Then let us help you. It's the least we can do."
"Really?"Scootaloo asked, surprised.
"Of course," Sweetie Belle replied, "Just because we had a bit of a fight doesn't mean we're not friends anymore."
"Yeah," Apple Bloom agreed. "We're Tha Cutie Mark Crusaders. We stick together no matter what. We'll find yer parents, together. You'll see."
A bright smile broke out on Scootaloo's face as she saw her friends' confident smiles, yet one question remained. "But how do we get up there? The path collapsed," she pointed out.
Rolling her eyes, Sweetie Belle trotted up, "Easy," she said, lifting off of the ground.
Another pang of jealousy shot through Scootaloo.
"I'll fly us up there," Sweetie Belle said with confidence, before realizing her limited strength when it came to carrying somepony up. "Uh, one at a time, though."
This seemed to be agreeable to her friends, and, slowly, Sweetie Belle flew up with Scootaloo. Once the orange pegasus was dropped off on the ground above, she returned for the earth pony Crusader.
And as she flew back down, Scootaloo took the time to look down at her friend as she moved through the air. A displeased frown on her features as she ruffled her small, useless wings.
'Why can't I do that? she thought, '…. I wish I had spirit powers, too.'
<<>><<>><<>>
"Woow" three pairs of voices piped up as Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle observed the strange expanse before them. Dark green, endless, with chunks of land floating throughout it.
Nothing about it made any sense, and the three ponies stood frozen on the spot, trying to wrap their minds around what they were seeing.
"Ya know…" Apple Bloom begun, "This kinda reminds me of that time we tried ta get our pottery Cutie Marks."
"... It kinda does, doesn't it?" Sweetie Belle agreed.
"Yeah. There's stuff floating everywhere," Scootaloo added.
"Welp, where should we go now?" Apple Bloom asked, already getting used to the weirdness of the Ghost Zone. Which, after all the strange things they had gone through already, wasn't all that weird.
"I dunno," Sweetie Belle answered with a shrug, "Pick a rock, I suppose."
"Ah guess," Apple Bloom replied, "Hey, Scoots. Whadda ya think?"
Narrowing her eyes, the filly in question scanned the many possibilities they had among the free floating chunks of land filling the green expanse, trying to figure out where would be best to start.
Many different options presented themselves, yet none of the mostly lifeless rocks seemed to be of any interest to her. But then, out in the distance, on one of the larger chunks of land, she saw several green flashes.
"Hey, what's that?" she said, pointing her hoof at her discovery.
"Huh?" was all Apple Bloom said on observing the glowing lights.
"Hold on," Sweetie Belle said as she held up a hoof, an orb of ectoplasm glowing in its crook, "It looks just like this stuff."
Looking at the glowing orb created by their friend, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had to agree about the similarities.
"Well, I guess that's where we go," Scootaloo said, "Maybe it's a signal, or something?" She began to walk towards the light, only to be stopped when her hoof met nothing but empty air.
Looking down, she stared into the green void which surrounded the frozen land she stood on. Blinking several times, she took a large step back, sighing.
"Looks like you'll have to carry us again," she said to Sweetie Belle, who groaned in annoyance as she observed the distance between them and the nearest piece of land.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Okay, so everypony has read Twilight's letter?" Rarity asked as she, Spike, and the rest of the Elements, save Twilight, had gathered in Golden Oaks Library.
"Of course we did!" Rainbow Dash said brashly, hovering in the air, "Some bad guy is causing trouble, and we need to kick his sorry flank to the other side of Equestria. So, what are we waiting for?"
"Rainbow Dash," said Rarity, her tone similar to that when she would scold her younger sister when she had caused some kind of trouble again, "If you had read the letter, you would have known that, although there is the possibility of a serious situation, not much is known about what is happening. At least, Twilight doesn't seem to know anything more than what she has told us."
"Which isn't a whole lot," Applejack cut in.
"Indeed," Rarity agreed. "But we also know Twilight wouldn't send such a message unless she believed it to be absolutely necessary."
"So, what are we going to do then?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Just wait here till something blows up, or something?" And at that exact moment Pinkie Pie set off her party cannon, scaring Fluttershy.
"Oh, I know. Let's throw a party!" the hyperactive pink sugar rush proclaimed with an eager smile.
"Ah don't think that's tha best thaing ta do right now, Sugarcube," Applejack replied with a small smile.
"Aaaww," Pinkie moaned in disappointment.
"Girls, please," Rarity called out, drawing everypony's, and dragon's, attention back to her. "Perhaps it would be wisest to gather the Elements, and head over to Canterlot. That way, should we be required to use the Elements, we will have them with us, while also being present when any new information becomes available."
"That sounds like a mighty fine plan there, Rarity," Applejack agreed. "But what 'bout Sweetie Belle? We don't know how long we're going ta have ta stay away, and she'll need somepony ta look after her."
"I know," Rarity answered, her voice tense. "After all, she's still in a lot of trouble," she said, thinking back to the mess still in her atelier. "... Applejack, dear," she began, when a hearty chuckle from the farm mare cut her short.
"Sure, Rares. She can stay on tha farm while we're gone. Ah'm sure Big Mac can handle her fer that long."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Rarity said, humorously, recalling the mess her younger sister had made just that morning.
"Yeah, she an' Bloom can be a real hoof full. Especially if Scootaloo is with them."
"Don't we all know it?" Rarity answered, receiving multiple acknowledgements from the ponies and dragon around her.
Turning to the display case holding the Elements, Rarity used her magic to levitate them out, and towards herself and her friends. "Alright, we all take our respective Elements," she then turned to Spike, "And why don't you hold Twilight's?"
"Sure thing, Rarity," he answered dreamily as he took hold of Twilight's tiara, and Pinkie Pie suddenly snorted in laughter.
"Does this mean you're the new Twilight now, Spike?" she giggled.
Blinking dumbly, Spike turned to look at the pink pony as he processed what it was she had said. Then a memory about a certain draconequus resurfaced, and he couldn't help but snort as well.
"You know what, maybe I am," he stated boldly, placing the tiara on his head. Everypony burst out laughing, which doubled as the tiara slid off of his head, and hung lopsided on one of his spines.
<<>><<>><<>>
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle ran over the barren rock towards the source of the strange green flashes, hoping to find some answers as to what they were.
Scootaloo, however, wanted to find out where her parents were more than anything. She hoped that she could find some clue as to their whereabouts up ahead.
Sweetie Belle had also transformed back into her mortal self after transporting her friends from one rock to the other, one at a time, and felt that her powers were severely depleted at the moment.
The drop in energy also showed, as she struggled to keep pace with her friends, who ran ahead of her, with Scootaloo leading.
"Come on!" she shouted, looking back as she ran. "It's over here."
"Ah'm coming!" Apple Bloom shouted back.
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle wheezed. "Coming."
Their run continued for several more minutes, until they entered a rough area, with rocks of various sizes littering the ground. Scootaloo, running ahead, came to a screeching stop, much to the surprise of Apple Bloom, who noticed too late. And despite her best efforts, she crashed into her pegasus friend.
Sweetie Belle, however, already out of energy and lagging behind her friends, saw what happened and came to a gradual stop before she came anywhere near the two downed, tangled up ponies.
"Having trouble?" she asked in light humor, earning herself two annoyed groans as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo tried to untangle their legs.
"Very funny," Apple Bloom muttered as she and Scootaloo got back to their hooves.
Carefully, the three continued on their quest to find the cause of the green flashes. They clambered over the loose rocks and boulders, almost tripping here and there when something shifted, until they reached the edge of the floating island they were on. Peeking over the side, the three fillies looked down. Several murmurs of amazement coming from them as they observed what was happening.
Two beings, locked in combat. One, an armor clad human, standing on a flying board of some kind; the other, a large metal behemoth with glowing green eyes and weapons coming out of his body.
"Wow! Who is that?" Scootaloo asked, amazed as she saw the human dodge the other entity's attacks with an air of grace, ease, and even a hint of aggression.
"And what is that?" Apple Bloom wondered, staring at the metal being.
"Skulker," a hooded figure standing between Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle answered.
"And why are they fighti-" Sweetie Belle began, only to fall silent. A silence that also took hold of her two friends. And slowly, reluctantly, they turned to look at who it was that was standing with them.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
All three fillies screamed at the sight of the dark, cloaked pony. A bone white horn sticking out from underneath the hood covering his head, while a scythe floated by his side in a pale white glow. His eyes were glowing red pinpricks piercing the shadows obscuring his face, while, to the fillies' growing horror, two wings lay folded at his sides.
Wings without any feathers, flesh, or skin. Only bones.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
They screamed once more as they backed away, the cloaked individual rearing back in fright at the sudden assault on his nonexistent ears. It soon lost its balance, and fell to the ground. The blow dislodged its head, and an ever grinning skull rolled out from underneath the cloak, its piercing red eyes staring at the three frightened fillies.
"Ehh… Please don't scream," the skull asked, while its body stumbled around in search of its lost head.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
"WHAT IS THAT THAING!?" Apple Bloom cried in fright, backing away to cower behind Sweetie Belle.
"HOW IS IT TALKING!?" shouted Sweetie Belle.
"SHOOT IT, SWEETIE BELLE!" Scootaloo yelled, mirroring Apple Bloom.
"Don't shoot!" the skull said, alarmed, raising its front hooves in a vain attempt to shield the empty space where its head usually sat.
"GHAAAAA!" Sweetie Belle shouted as she blindly fired several green beams at the talking skull, which bounced around as it tried to dodge the poorly aimed blasts of ectoplasm.
Apple Bloom, completely freaked out by what she was seeing, backed away even further. At least until she suddenly bumped into something. Something that strangely felt like legs. Very tall legs… Very thin legs.
Shuddering, she slowly turned her head to see what was behind her. Her pupils shrunk to pinpricks as she saw the tall, dark cloaked figure standing behind her. Skeletal hands poking out of its sleeves, with a scythe held in one of them. The other, however, steadied the human they saw before, now slumped over its shoulder.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
Her scream grabbed the attention of Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and the skull. The former two feeling their blood run cold at the sight of another creature similar to the first.
The tall being gazed down at the fillies with piercing red eyes, slowly walking around the trio as it kept its gaze on them.
Apple Bloom pressed closer to Sweetie Belle, while Scootaloo swallowed a dry lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. The being's scythe tapped on the ground with each step he took, while Sweetie Belle stared at him with fearful eyes.
The being moved to a sizable rock near them, and Scootaloo's wings fluttered nervously. The being deposited the unconscious human on the ground without effort, and Sweetie Belle braced herself for what was to come. The being turned to them, tightened its hold on its scythe, and promptly sat down on the rock.
"Aren't you going to say anything!?" the skull groaned, sounding irritated.
The being simply shifted its gaze to the skull, tilting its head slightly.
"Are you going to hurt us?" Scootaloo asked with false bravado. "Because if you're going to, Sweetie Belle here will use her spirit powers on you."
The being's red eyes widened, and Sweetie Belle braced herself. Apple Bloom whimpered in fear, and the skull sighed while rolling its eyes. Scootaloo gritted her teeth, the fillies' image was reflected off of the unconscious human's visor, and the being's piercing red eyes bore into them.
"You try it, and someone's going to get hurt," the being answered in a serious, male voice, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo pressed together in fear.
"Oh yeah," Sweetie Belle stammered, "and who's that?"
"Me, of course," the being answered simply.
"What!?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shouted together, their surprise breaking through their fear. "Are you kidding me?" Scootaloo added.
"Don't try any tricks, you hear me, " Sweetie Belle said, holding up a shaky, glowing green hoof. "Where are we, and who are you?"
The being's red eyes widened once more, and he stared at the fillies with an intense gaze. Sweetie Belle felt a shudder go down her spine, Scootaloo's wings twitched in nervousness, and Apple Bloom 'eeped' in fright.
"You've got some nerve, filly. It's only polite to introduce yourself before asking a question to someone you've just met."
"Ehh….?" Sweetie Belle stammered, sharing a seriously confused look with her friends. "O-kay," she began, slowly, "I'm Swee—"
"If you must know. My name is Eddie, and I am the reaper of the human world. I'm as old as time itself. Gemini."
"Is this guy serious!?" Apple Bloom shouted, irritated. No longer afraid of the clearly kooky individual.
"You’d like to know where you are. But your constant shouting leaves me disinclined to accommodate your curiosity, except that you are trespassing in a realm where you do not yet belong. Besides, I think it's pretty obvious where you are, seeing all the ghosts that inhabit this realm," Eddie told them.
"So, this is the ghost world?" Scootaloo asked.
"Ah thought they only lived in that frozen village?" Apple Bloom added.
Eddie's red eyes widened as stared intently at the trio, and the skull sighed in frustration.
"OH WILL YOU JUST STOP DOING THAT!" the skull shouted.
"What?" Eddie replied in a casual tone. "Haven't you ever heard of a running gag, Mort?"
"Eddie," Mort said in a flat voice, "do you ever take anything seriously?"
"Yes, my work," Eddie replied. "Which is why we are here now." Standing up, he proceeded to scoop up Mort's head, and place it back on his spine. Then the two of them turned to the three fillies, who huddled together as the two skeletons looked at them. "Now, what to do with you three?" Eddie wondered aloud.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Where are they!?" Wind Chill asked in panic. "Where are the children?"
"Have you looked everywhere in the village?" Frostbite replied, worried.
"Of course I have."
"Then why have they not shown up?"
"Because they are no longer here," a calm, wise voice replied, and The Elder approached the two frost giants with a slow gait.
"They're no longer here?" Frostbite repeated questioningly. "Then where did they go?"
"Did they return through the portal?" Wind Chill queried.
"No, they did not."
"Then, whe-..." Frostbite asked, when his eyes widened in horror. "Don't tell me that..."
"Indeed they did," The Elder confirmed.
"We must gather all frost giants and search for the young ones at once," he bellowed. "The Ghost Zone isn't a safe place for them."
"You shall do no such thing!" The Elder stated as she blocked Frostbite's path with her staff.
"What!? But, Elder. Surely you can't mean to leave them to their fate out in the Zone?" Wind Chill asked, staring at The Elder in disbelief.
"No, I do not. But neither shall you interfere with what needs to be done."
"Interfere? With what?" Frostbite asked.
"They follow the path which lays before them, while we walk a different. Our paths cross, and even join together from time to time. But they still have their own Destiny. One which we can not, must not, interfere with," she explained. "But fear not. They are safe. The soul's shepherds for both their world and the human world, are with them."
"The reapers?" Wind Chill and Frostbite said in unison.
"Yes," she answered, looking away into the distance. "You best return to the young ones' world, Wind Chill. For now, that's the best place to be for you. They will return… in time," she mused sagely. "Hmm… There is more to this than even I can see. Much, much more," she muttered, more to herself, leaving Wind Chill and Frostbite with more questions than they had answers.
<<>><<>><<>>
Small, black hooves crunched on the leaves littering the ground in rapid succession as the being they belonged to ran as fast as she could through the thick foliage of the forest. Labored breaths escaped her mouth as her energy wanned due to fatigue and hunger. But slowing down was not an option, as the timberwolves chased after her, and she could feel their green eyes boring into her with their haunting glow.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed with a distinct echo, as if there were two voices speaking at once. She then gave a high pitched yelp as she almost tripped over a tree's root. "MOM!" she called out, all the while knowing she wouldn't be able to come.
<<>><<>><<>>
"So... you're tha Pale Pony?" Apple Bloom asked, weirded out, but no longer afraid of the two skeletons. Who, after some proper introductions by Mort, turned out to be quite kind… Although Eddie was a strange one. Serious one moment, weird the next.
"That's one of the many names given to me throughout the ages, yes," Mort answered.
"And you're the same, ehhh… thing like he is?" Scootaloo asked Eddie, who gave a single nod in answer.
"Yes, although I'm not referred to as a pony. Grim Reaper is the most commonly given name the humans have for me."
"And you collect souls?" Sweetie Belle asked, unsure.
"Oh, no no no no," Mort replied hastily, shaking his head. "No, we do not collect souls. What we do is guide the souls of those who have passed away, and help them move on."
"Yes," Eddie agreed. "And where Mort takes care of all ponies, I am responsible for the souls of the humans."
This piqued Scootaloo's interest. But before she could speak up, Apple Bloom beat her to the punch.
"You help them cross over? To where?"
"It differs from soul to soul," Mort explained. "When someone dies, their soul enters a plane of existence referred to as Purgatory."
"Purgatory?" Sweetie Belle repeated.
"Yes," Mort nodded. "It's a plane of uncertainty. Existence between life and death, but neither. And only by making a choice is one able to leave this plane."
"They can return there once a year if they feel like the choice they've made was wrong, or for whatever other reason might make sense to them," Eddie added.
"What kind of choice do they have to make?" Scootaloo queried.
"Whether they wish to move on to eternity, or to remain behind, and continue their lives as a ghost, or other spectral entity," Eddie answered.
"Then, it is possible they are here?" Scootaloo asked, hopeful.
"Who is?" Mort asked, suspicious.
"My mom and dad!" Scootaloo exclaimed eagerly, as she looked around the green void, as if expecting her parents to be standing right behind her.
There it was, and Mort closed his eyes, while Eddie muttered a worried: "Oh, dear."
"What?" Apple Bloom said, noticing the shift in their behavior.
"Scootaloo," Mort began with a hesitant tone, "your parents aren't here, in the Ghost Zone." The moment he said that, Scootaloo's hope shattered into thousands of pieces, which clearly showed in her eyes.
"What?" she said, hurt.
"Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider," Mort said softly. "Those are their names. I know. I met them. I reaped them. I helped them cross over…" he looked up at Scootaloo, seeing tears starting to form in her eyes. "They chose to move on."
"NO!" Scootaloo yelled, shaking her head to clear away the tears which she refused to admit were there. "You're lying!" she said accusingly, angry. "I know what I heard. I know that voice, of the one who helped us. It was my mom who helped my friends and me, I just know it! My pare—" she suddenly stopped when Eddie placed his hand on top of her head. And, despite the clearly comforting gesture, the feeling of a skeletal hand caused her to shiver.
"Mort didn't say this to upset you, Scootaloo. He only did this so you wouldn't waste your time looking for them here."
"But I know what I heard," Scootaloo whimpered.
"If there is one thing I've learned throughout the ages, is that mortals tend to seek comfort in the tiniest things. Even going so far as to convince themselves of a certain fact, while they don't have anything to prove it," he told the troubled filly, who looked up at him in confusion. "You think you heard your mother's voice. And maybe this is true. But are you sure about this? Or are you hoping it to be true; holding on to this tiny sliver of hope against all odds?"
"I, ehh…"
Standing up, Eddie took a step back from Scootaloo, looking down at her. "Rushing into something because you think you know something is a foolish thing to do. I know. Many of the souls I have guided came to me by rushing into things."
"Ehh... Rushing into things is kinda what we do," Sweetie Belle said, sheepishly, while Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her head as she confirmed this as well.
"Yes, I know," Mort said, flatly. "I've run into you three several times."
"You have?" Apple Bloom said, surprised. A look which was mirrored by her friends, and even Eddie.
"Yes. Most recently during your attempt to earn a manticore taming Cutie Mark," he answered, and the memory of the manticore which almost killed them resurfaced in the fillies' minds.
"Hold on a minute," Eddie said, seriously. "You mean these three have gotten themselves in a situation where they managed to attract your attention, multiple times?"
"You have no idea," Mort replied, when a groan brought their attention to the human who was starting to regain consciousness.
"We'll have to cut this short," Eddie said as he turned to the armor clad human. "Time to return you home," he muttered as he picked her back up.
"Wha…?" came a groggy reply in a warped voice, before Eddie phased a skeletal finger through the human's helmet, knocking her out again.
"Mort," —Eddie gave a small nod— "girls, I'll be taking my leave," he said, a chipper tone in his voice. "Time to return this lost soul to her home." Lifting the human over his shoulder, he walked away, heading towards the edge of the floating piece of land they stood on. But, as he stepped over the edge, he simply vanished into thin air, taking the human with him.
"I suppose I'll have to take you back home as well," Mort said after a moment.
"But, wait," Scootaloo piped up. "What about my parents? Aren't they here? I mean… Maybe… They could-"
"No, Scootaloo. They are not here. I'm sorry. But if it is any conci—" Mort told her, when he stopped mid sentence and stared out into the distance.
"Ehh… Mort?" Apple Bloom said hesitantly, waving her hoof in front of him.
"Sorry," he said as his attention returned to the three fillies before him. "But I have to cut this short as well. Come with me, and stay close by my side. I will guide you back to your world."
"Huh, wha? What happened?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Mort looked up and into the distance again, a saddened look in his eyes. "Somepony is nearing the end of her life," he explained in a grim voice. "Now, come on. I'll drop you off near your village."
Together the four of them walked to the edge of the floating island. Mort with a task to fulfill. Apple Bloom with answers to questions she didn't dare ask. Sweetie Belle with new knowledge about the ghosts, and their world. Or, Ghost Zone, as they preferred. And Scootaloo left with the answers she wasn't looking for, and crushed hope as a result.
A saddened sigh escaped her lips as she looked back behind her one last time before the four of them vanished into thin air. One last look, which would be burned into her memory.
For out in the distance, standing on a rock, were two figures.
Their glowing green eyes reflecting in Scootaloo's wide eyes.
Then, everything vanished.
<<>><<>><<>>
Near the edge of Ponyville, under the cover of several trees, and close to the Everfree Forest, four beings suddenly materialized in a burst of green light.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked around in confusion as they tried to figure out where they were, while Mort stood by their side, making sure no one, pony or otherwise, had seen them.
Normally he would remain hidden from view as he passed between the layers of reality separating the Ghost Zone and the mortal realm. But this time, due to his passengers, any mortal around would be able to witness what had just transpired.
"Okay… Your town is over there," Mort said, pointing a bony hoof towards Ponyville. "I need to go this way," he added, indicating the Everfree Forest, "so, eh... Bye," and with that, he vanished, leaving the three fillies behind.
"Well… That just happened," Apple Bloom said, bewildered.
"So, what do we do now?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Go home, Ah guess. We're still grounded, after all. But maybe they ain't noticed we were gone," Apple Bloom suggested.
"I guess," Sweetie Belle replied, shrugging, and she and Apple Bloom headed back to their homes. Only to stop after a couple of steps as they noticed Scootaloo wasn't moving.
"Hey, Scootaloo. Aren't you going home?" Sweetie Belle asked her friend.
"I saw them!" she said, barely audible.
"Huh?"
"I saw them!" Scootaloo repeated, a bit louder.
"You, what?" Sweetie Belle queried.
"I saw them!" Scootaloo repeated once more.
"Ya saw who?" Apple Bloom asked, curious.
Slowly Scootaloo turned her head to look at her friends, eyes wide. "I saw them! My parents. Just before we left that weird place."
"WHAT!?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle chorused.
"Are you sure? You heard what that Eddie guy said," Sweetie Belle said.
"I know…" Scootaloo muttered as she turned her head to look at the Everfree Forest, "what I saw." She frowned deeply. "But why did they say they weren't there?"
"... Maybe it wasn't them?" Apple Bloom suggested, "Ah mean, m—"
"Yes, it was them!" Scootaloo interrupted. "So why did they say they weren't there?" she asked again.
"Maybe they just didn't know?" Sweetie Belle offered, and Scootaloo gave a snort in reply.
"I don't know," she said, moving for the forest, "but I'm going to find out."
"Hey, where're you going!?" Apple Bloom asked.
"To find Mort," Scootaloo called back. "And get some real answers," and she ran into the forest.
Apple Bloom shared a worried look with Sweetie Belle, before they, too, ran into the forest, once more chasing after their friend.
<<>><<>><<>>
While their friends made ready to depart for Canterlot, Rarity and Applejack still had to take care of some business. Mainly, two of the three Crusaders, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
Of course Apple Bloom was already taken care of, seeing that Big Mac and Granny Smith would watch over her... and make sure that her punishment would stick. Sweetie Belle, however, was a different story since Rarity was the only adult around back home. So it was agreed that she would stay over at the orchard with Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith.
Of course this wasn't supposed to be a friendly sleepover either, but, as Applejack said: "Don't ya worry, Rarity. Mah brother'll be able ta keep those two youngsters in check… mostly. An' if all else fails, a harsh talkin' ta by Granny Smith should do tha trick."
Of course this also meant that Sweetie Belle had to be brought to Sweet Apple Acres, because should she simply be told to go there herself, who knew where else she would stop on the way? Therefore, Applejack and Rarity now found themselves in Carousel Boutique.
"Woohee," Applejack said as she saw the colorful mess. "What in tarnation happened here?"
"Sweetie Belle," Rarity sighed, reminded of the mess she still had to clean up, and which would have dried up completely by the time she returned. "She was playing around with my dyes." she said as she stomped towards Sweetie Belle's room, irritated.
"Sweetie Belle, come out, now!" she said loudly to the closed door, but received no reply whatsoever.
"Sweetie Belle," she said warningly, but still silence was all she got.
"Swee—" she began, only to stop as she noticed the door stood slightly ajar. And, with a push of her hoof, the door swung open. The mess she saw in the otherwise unoccupied room was all that greeted her.
"SWEETIE BELLE! You are in more trouble than you can possibly imagine!"
<<>><<>><<>>
Deep in the Everfree Forest, in pursuit of her orange pegasus friend, Sweetie Belle felt a sudden chill go down her spine.
"What was that?" she asked out loud.
"What was what?" Apple Bloom asked, running by her side.
"... Nothing. Never mind that," she replied after a moment, shaking off the ominous, foreboding feeling. "Let's just catch up with Scootaloo."
"’Kay," Apple Bloom replied, following the trail Scootaloo had left behind in search of Mort, who proved to be difficult to find.
A loud, fillyish scream made them halt in their tracks; heads turning towards the general area the primal cry for help came from.
"Was that Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked, unsure.
"No, that was a different voice," Apple Bloom replied, and then her eyes widened. "Maybe it's tha pony Mort said was gonna die?"
"You think?" Sweetie Belle said with a gasp.
"Ah don't know. Maybe?" Apple Bloom shrugged as she replied.
"Shouldn't we help?"
"An' what about Scootaloo?"
"Knowing her, she'd go looking for whoever screamed. Probably to get bragging rights if she saves a pony, or to impress Rainbow Dash," Sweetie Belle responded.
"...True," and with that, the two of them hurried towards the source of the scream. Searching for who it was that needed help, and what was causing her distress.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Where did that filly get to?" Rarity fumed, stomping down the stairs.
"Uhh, Rarity. Maybe ya need ta calm down a bit," Applejack suggested. "Ah mean, sure, things look bad. But maybe Sweetie Belle has a good reason fer all of this?"
"A good reason? Applejack, what reason could she possibly have for making a complete mess of her room, and leaving the house despite being grounded?"
"Ehh…" Applejack stammered, a hoof half raised, which she slowly set down as she failed to come up with an answer.
"And what if it was Apple Bloom who had done this back at your home?"
"...Then Ah reckon Ah'd be right mad at her," Applejack admitted.
"Exactly," Rarity stomped a hoof, nodding once. "Now, let's find that filly so I can teach her some proper manners."
<<>><<>><<>>
They were expecting many things.
But not this.
They thought that, maybe, it was a manticore who had cornered its prey. Or a hydra wandering through the forest in search of a meal before returning to its bog. Perhaps a dragon whose sleep was disturbed. Maybe a cocaktrice was causing a ruckus... or Angel, Fluttershy's rabbit. But, as they had just discovered, it was a trio of timberwolves closing in on their prey.
So far things didn't seem all that much out of the ordinary. Scary forest. Dangerous creatures who could gobble you up in a single bite. And then there was the prey cornered by the wolves, which proved to be something they weren't expecting. A young changeling filly, with her back pressed against a wide tree.
She had a teal mane tied up in a ponytail, with a sea green ribbon on the side, next to her crooked horn. A small black crown tipped with blue orbs sat on top of her head.
Apple Bloom glanced at Sweetie Belle in confusion and nervousness at the unusually bizarre situation. Then, the two of them shared a look with Scootaloo, who they found sitting on the small incline of terrain, hidden under a dense bush after having thought it would be a good place to spy on whatever was going on themselves. Neither of them knowing what to make of the situation, or what they should do.
On one hoof, they should help the filly in need. But, on the other hoof, they didn't know what would happen if they did. Their sisters and friends all made it abundantly clear to stay far away from changelings, should they ever come across one. And they did come across one, right here, and were unable to turn away.
"Whadda we do?" Apple Bloom said in a whisper, not wanting to draw any attention to their hideout.
"Shouldn't we help her?" Sweetie Belle said, uncertain.
"But she's a changeling!" Scootaloo pointed out. "Didn't everyone tell us not to get near those?"
"But we cain't jus' walk away from this either, can we?" replied Apple Bloom. "Ah mean. What if she was a pony like us, we'd help her then wouldn't we?"
"... She doesn't look all that evil," Sweetie Belle muttered.
"What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked.
"I mean that she doesn't look like an evil witch, with a hideous body, Tartarus bent on destroying all of Equestria like Rarity said about that changeling queen, whatshername?"
"Ah guess…" Apple Bloom replied, unsure as the three of them stared at the scene unfolding. "So, what should we do?"
Before anyone could respond, one of the timberwolves jumped at the changeling, and the filly screamed in fright; green sparks of weakened magic flickering off of her horn, while her wings buzzed frantically in a desperate attempt to escape, but to no avail.
"She can't fly!" observed Scootaloo.
"She can't use magic!" Apple Bloom noted.
"She needs our help!" Sweetie Belle proclaimed.
The three looked at one another, and shared a determined nod.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS, CHANGELING RESCUERS. GHAAAAAAAAA!!!" they yelled as they rushed down, taking the timberwolves by surprise, and startling the already terrified changeling; who yelped in fright, pressing herself even harder against the tree.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Apple Bloom shouted as she ran to one of the wolves, planting her front hooves in the dirt and swinging her hind quarters around, delivering a bone crushing blow with her rear hooves against the wolf's wooden jaw, splintering it.
"PICK ON SOMEPONY YOUR OWN SIZE!" Scootaloo yelled, slamming into the side of the second wolf, knocking it over.
"AND BY THAT, SHE DOESN'T MEAN US!" Sweetie Belle screamed, firing a bolt of glowing green destruction from her horn, shattering one of the legs right out from under the final wolf.
The three quickly formed up in front of the terrified changeling, shielding her while securing their stances.
"Ha!" Scootaloo huffed victoriously, "They didn't stand a chance," and the wolves got back on their paws; the damage done by their attacks regrowing in seconds. "... ehhh…. or not," Scootaloo added meekly.
Growling menacingly, the wooden trio slowly moved towards the four fillies; eyes glowing with anger. Their Alpha's order was clear in their minds: 'Stop the interloper, and kill her.' But the attack of these ponies had to be answered in kind.
They moved in closer and closer, eyes glowing whilst feral growls rose up from the back of their throats.
Apple Bloom lowered herself in a fighting stance, while Scootaloo stepped closer to the changeling, shielding her to the best of her abilities. Sweetie Belle, however, stepped forward defiantly; staring into their glowing green eyes, a strange sensation coming over her.
"Don't worry," Scootaloo told the black filly. "We won't let them hurt you."
"Yeah," Apple Bloom agreed.
"Uh-huh," hummed Sweetie Belle, and the changeling stared at them in shock and surprise. A strange mixture of emotional energy coming off of the three ponies who were risking their lives for her.
Yet, despite the bravado of their words, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle could feel their own anxiety rise with each step the wolves took towards them. Especially Sweetie Belle, who felt herself grow increasingly strained. Her eyes flickered green as the wolves stepped even closer, and the feeling grew, trying to get out.
Then, finally, with a growl, the wolves launched themselves towards the four fragile fillies.
Apple Bloom watched with widening eyes as the wolves came closer and closer, swallowing loudly as she prepared for the fight to come.
Scootaloo spread out her wings as far as she could, glaring daggers at the timberwolves as she mentally pumped herself up.
The changeling, already terrified, screamed out, calling once again for her mother.
And Sweetie Belle stumbled on the spot, shaking her head as a strange sensation overwhelmed her. Opening her eyes to look up at the wolves, she saw an open maw move in for the kill, and she acted on the most basic of fear induced instincts.
She screamed.
"AAAHHHHHH! LEAVE US ALONE!"
The wolves flinched as if they'd been kicked, and dropped to the ground on unsteady legs; shaking their heads as if they were trying to shake something loose.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and the changeling, too, were affected by whatever it was that had happened, and they dropped to their knees as a result; a flicker of green in all of their eyes.
The wolves were the first to recover, and they looked up with a growl. Only to fall silent at what they saw, who they saw standing behind the three ponies and one changeling. Glowing red eyes piercing into their glowing green, his scythe gleaming in the stray beams of light penetrating the canopy overhead. They slowly backed away, the reaper's message clear.
Shaking her head, Sweetie Belle looked up. Only to be surprised to find the wolves were gone, leaving her, her friends, and the changeling standing there, free to go.
"Ugh…" Scootaloo groaned. "What happened? Where did the timberwolves go?"
"Ah don't know?" Apple Bloom groaned in reply. "Sweetie Belle?"
"I didn't do anything," she answered, looking down guilty. "All I did was scream."
"... Well, whatever," Scootaloo remarked. "They're gone." She turned to look at the changeling they had set out to rescue. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, receiving no reply. "Hello?" she said, nudging the prone form laying on the ground.
"Looks like she's unconscious," Apple Bloom observed.
"You think?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking down at the black filly herself.
"Must be from exhaustion, or somethin'?" Apple Bloom thought out loud.
"Makes sense," Sweetie Belle admitted. "Now what?"
"Well, we can't leave her here," Scootaloo pointed out.
"Obviously."
"So, what do we do with her? We cain't bring her ta Ponyville. You know how they feel about changelings. Who knows what'll happen if we show up with her?" said Apple Bloom.
"Good point," Scootaloo replied.
"Maybe Wind Chill can help?" Sweetie Belle offered, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's eyes lit up.
"Hey, yeah. He can totally help."
"Then we jus' need ta get her back to tha orchard without anypony seein' us," Apple Bloom said with a hinting tone, looking at Sweetie Belle, who let out a groan as she knew who would have to do that.
"Fine, but hurry it up. I'm still tired from carrying you two back in that ghost world," Sweetie Belle replied, sighing, as her two friends helped to place the changeling on her back. She was, however, surprised to find that, despite her size, the changeling weighed less than one would think.
Together the three of them walked to the edge of the forest, before Sweetie Belle used her powers to fade from view. And, together, they walked back to Sweet Apple Acres. Unsure what this unexpected visitor would bring them.
<<>><<>><<>>
Rarity stomped down the streets of Ponyville, Applejack following along with Bellflower.
They had just been over at Bellflower's guesthouse to see if Sweetie Belle was there, only for them, and Bellflower, to discover that Scootaloo was not in her room either. Thoroughly angered, Rarity and Bellflower were now looking for the troublesome fillies, while trying to come up with new, creative ways to make sure their punishment would stick.
Of course, seeing that both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were nowhere to be found, the next logical step was to see if Apple Bloom was still where she was supposed to be. Something Applejack wanted to believe, but doubt crept its way into her mind.
"Ah… Ah'm sure she's still in her room, Ah tell ya," she said, more to convince herself than her friends.
"We'll find out soon enough," Rarity muttered. "Either she is, and Sweetie Belle is there with her and Scootaloo. Or she isn't, and..."
"She is. Ah'm sure of it," Applejack stated once more, the three of them entering Sweet Apple Acres.
"We'll see," Rarity muttered, stomping ahead, "But I'll make sure Sweetie Belle knows that I ruined a perfectly good hooficure because of her."
<<>><<>><<>>
"We're in so much trouble!" Scootaloo said, concerned, as she and her friends watched Rarity, Bellflower, and Applejack walk past them and towards the farmhouse.
"I don't think trouble even begins to describe it," Sweetie Belle muttered sourly, keeping herself, her friends, and the changeling invisible.
"You're in trouble?" Apple Bloom said, worried. "When Applejack finds out Ah'm not in mah room, she'll ground me till Ah'm as old as Granny Smith, an' make me do all tha dirty chores, an' that's just fer starters."
"You think that's bad," Sweetie Belle replied, "Rarity will make me work as a model for years to come." She shuddered, continuing their slow journey to the barn where Wind Chill resided.
"Maybe Ah can still get home in time, an' come up with a good cover story?" Apple Bloom offered weakly.
"How?" Scootaloo argued. "They're closer to the farm house than we are. And even if you managed to beat them there, you'd still need to stay hidden, and manage to get into your room, all without them noticing. Face it, we're all screwed."
"Yeah, we're screwed," Sweetie Belle muttered in agreement. "... Let's just get to Wind Chill first, then we'll figure out how to deal with this."
A nervous silence settled down over the trio as they made their way through the many tall trees, only the gentle breeze rustling through the lush green leaves producing any sound.
"Say…" Apple Bloom spoke up after a moment. "Didn't we leave Wind Chill back in tha Far Frozen?" They all came to a stop, a throaty groan coming from Sweetie Belle.
<<>><<>><<>>
"Now, you'll see that she's right here in..." Applejack said to her friends, opening the door to Apple Bloom's bedroom, only to fall silent as nopony was inside.
"APPLE BLOOM!"
<<>><<>><<>>
A shudder went down Apple Bloom's spine as her ears swiveled towards the farmhouse, Applejack's voice clearly audible even here at their clubhouse.
"Ah'm dead," Apple Bloom said with dread. It was a thought shared by her friends, who knew they faced a similar situation upon returning to their homes.
"Well, at least things can't get any worse," Scootaloo mentioned weakly, taunting the well known cosmic force which always shows up to ruin one's day when such words are uttered. "Might as well make the most of the time we have left before they find us."
"I guess," Sweetie Belle agreed. "So, what do we do with her?" she asked, redirecting their attention to the unconscious changeling lying on the floor.
"Ah don't know, is she hurt?" Apple Bloom replied, nudging the prone form.
"She doesn't look like it," Scootaloo replied.
"Well, that's good, I guess," Sweetie Belle said.
"So, uhh…. Now what?"
The three ponies shared a look of uncertainty, unable to come up with any ideas that could be of any help to them, or the changeling, in this situation.
Unfortunately for them, the well known cosmic force which Scootaloo challenged mere moments ago came knocking on the door, disguised as Applejack, Rarity, and Bellflower.
"YOU THREE GET DOWN HERE, RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Applejack's enraged bellow came through the walls, freezing the trio on the spot as they looked at each other with fearful eyes.
"They're here!" Scootaloo moaned.
"They're angry," Sweetie Belle muttered, while Apple Bloom's blood ran cold with a horrible realization.
"Tha ground is still all tore up, and tha trees are still scorched," she said, on the brink of hyperventilating.
They looked at each other once more, realizing just how much trouble they were in. Then they heard the distinct sound of hooves clopping on the wooden ramp leading up, and their eyes locked on the changeling.
"We're dead," Apple Bloom said. The others saw no reason to argue with this.
<<>><<>><<>>
Voices around her. Voices filled with confusion, wonder, concern, fear, and compassion.
Voices filled with emotion.
The young changeling could feel herself lying on a hard wooden surface, felt the shadow covering her form, and she knew she was inside. Of course this wasn't hard to deduce, given that she was already awake when they brought her in. Yet she chose to play possum in favor of avoiding a fight. She knew what these ponies thought of her kind, what they did. Her mother made sure she'd known before letting her leave the hive. And she didn't want to waste the sparse amount of energy she still had trying to fight off multiple opponents.
But that was not the only reason she'd chosen to play dead.
They'd helped her. These ponies had actually helped her.
Why?
Her mother told her that ponies never helped changelings. Their history was filled with proof of this fact. And yet, they did. And, most confusing to her, they seemed to care about her. Genuine concern, and it radiated off of them.
But there was also fear coming from them. Fear of being found out by their elders, she easily deduced. Clearly these three put themselves in a whole lot of trouble, and she could feel every single emotion coming from them.
Emotions she could feed upon.
True she, like most other changelings, prefered the more potent, better 'tasting' positive emotions. Love being the most powerful of them. Yet, her extreme hunger, and the chance of this being her only chance to eat in a long time to come made her ignore the usual bitter taste the more negative emotions produced. Still, the concern they felt for her did prove enough to mask the negative taste sufficiently for her to enjoy the rather sizable meal she had, and she could slowly feel her strength coming back to her.
However, with a furious shout, and an accompanying spike of fear, the arrival of these young ponies' elders made itself known.
The fear washed over her like a wave, drowning out any other emotions, and nearly making her gag from the terrible taste. But she managed to maintain her cover, like any properly trained changeling should, and the ponies around her never noticed a thing.
She then heard the trio of fillies around her stand up and move towards the door, muttering in a lowered voice about what to do, and how to explain why there was a changeling with them. Not that she cared about that, as she now had a window of opportunity to escape. They had their backs turned to her and she didn't waste any time.
Her eyes shot open, her slit like pupils dilating in the shadowy interior of the treehouse. Quickly looking around, she scanned for any exit not leading her near any of the ponies.
There, a window. It would be a tight fit, but it should work. Taking a quick moment to check on the ponies who had brought her here, she saw they were still debating what to do, while somepony pounded on the door, almost as if he or she was trying to kick it in. Seeing the large numbers of them, and only the one of her, she knew she couldn't just crash through the window and run for it. Despite the meal she had gotten from those fillies' emotions, she was still weak, and nowhere near strong enough to fly for any extended duration. So, stealth was the key.
She slowly got up, and quietly made for the window. Or at least she would have, if it wasn't for one tiny detail she had overlooked. She had been lying down for so long, two of her legs had gone numb, causing her to collapse back on the ground with a loud clattering thud.
She heard an "Uh-oh." and, turning to the source, her eyes met those of her rescuers.
"APPLE BLOOM! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE. OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"
Their eyes shifted between each other and the closed door, each trying to figure out how to get out of this unfolding disaster. When a sudden swell of concern brought her attention to the white unicorn filly.
"Hide!" she said, urgently.
She blinked, not understanding what this pony was doing.
"Hide!" Sweetie Belle urged her once again.
Not understanding why this pony was trying to help her, but deciding that it was a good idea nonetheless, she scrambled with her two good legs to pull herself behind some of the worn out furniture. She managed to hide from view just in time as the door suddenly slammed open, revealing three very angry mares. Their emotions swiftly began to make her gag once again, and she quickly stuffed a hoof in her mouth to stifle the nausea.
"SWEETIE BELLE!"
"APPLE BLOOM!"
"SCOOTALOO!"
"""YOU THREE ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"""
<<>><<>><<>>
Several long tense minutes ticked by as she sat in hiding, not sure whether it was safe for her to leave yet. Although worrying about that was not the only thing keeping her busy. The other thing, and something quite confusing to her, was what this Sweetie Belle had just done for her.
'Why did she help me?' she thought, peeking out of hiding in the now empty room; the door standing slightly ajar. 'Didn't mom say all ponies were heartless, and wouldn't help us even if we asked?' Slowly she stood up, her legs no longer numb. 'Then why did she tell me to hide? And why did they help me back in the forest?'
The more she thought about it, the less sense it made. Ponies never cared about changelings, with the Solar Tyrant setting the standard. She drove them to this state of endless hunger and barbarism, which made them more and more desperate with each passing year. Both these facts were proven not too long ago, when her mother was out of options and she was forced to lead a desperate attempt to steal the emotions they hungered for; only to be crushed by those mares who followed the Solar Tyrant.
Of course she didn't know what those ponies looked like, but she knew their names. And if she ever got the chance to face them… well, she didn't know what she'd do, but it would be bad… ish.
'Oh, who am I kidding. I don't have the energy for that. I don't even have enough strength to fly very far.' She sighed, only to lift her head in surprise as she noticed a strange emotion coming from near her. Intrigued, she sought out the source and was surprised to find a silver tiara.
Picking it up, she carefully sampled the energies coming from it.
"Ugh… narcissism," she muttered. "What pretentious schmuck does this belong to?"
Still, food is food, and she was not going to be picky. Draining the inanimate object of the energies its owner had infused it with, probably over many, many years, she could feel her strength, as well as her confidence, grow.
Now, with the issue of her hunger momentarily dealt with, she could finally get out of this place and continue her search for any food to bring home. After all, they needed it. Her mother needed it. Ever since the failed attempt to 'harvest' enough food for the entire Hive, and the poisonous wave of emotion she and her soldiers were blasted with, they were growing weaker and weaker. Leaving only her and a few other changelings in less than rough shape, and placing the burden of bringing in any food on their backs.
Yet, as she placed the tiara back where she found it, she couldn't help but pause and wonder about the motives of the ponies who had helped her.
Again, why did they do that? They didn't have any reason to do this, they had nothing to gain. So, why?
Torn between her responsibility to find food, even if it was just scraps, for her hive and figuring out why those ponies helped her, she was unable to make any decision at all. So she stood staring at her reflection in the jewels mounted inside the tiara for more than an hour.
'Mom said no pony would ever help us. But they did. And if they did, would others do so as well?' she thought, slowly turning her head to look outside. '... Maybe...?'
Uncertain, she slowly pushed open the door and stepped outside.
"I… I need to know, I need to find out… If they can help us," she muttered to herself.
'Mom, please hold on,' she thought, her plea reaching far and wide.
<<>><<>><<>>
"... An' you'll stay in here 'till puberty is over!" Applejack shouted angrily as she shoved Apple Bloom back in her room, "An' Ah don't wanna hear a single peep outta ya, missy. Ah don't know what you and yer friends did ta tha orchard, and tha trees, but Ah'll find out," and with that said, she slammed the door shut.
Apple Bloom, wincing as she stood back up, her flank a burning red after Applejack's punishment, slowly moved to her bed.
"It's not fair," she whined as she collapsed onto the soft mattress. "Ah didn't even make that mess."
Meanwhile, over at Carousel Boutique, Rarity was shouting furiously while Sweetie Belle stared in disbelief at the mess in her room. Of course Rarity didn't believe her when she said she didn't do it, and now she was forced to clean up everything. Everything, including the dye stains.
Rarity on the other hoof, after having called in a favor with a friend to keep watch over Sweetie Belle, and then bring her over to Sweet Apple Acres so Granny Smith and Big Macintosh could watch over her, left to meet back up with her friends and head on up to Canterlot.
"It's not fair," Sweetie Belle whined. "I didn't even make most of this mess."
Meanwhile, over at Bellflower's guesthouse, the eponymous mare was absolutely livid. A rare sight for the young pegasus Bellflower's anger was aimed at, and she tried to hide behind her mane in a similar fashion to Fluttershy. But her wild, spiky hairdo provided little to no cover from the four legged force of nature before her.
"... And stealing the spare keys as well. And don't pretend like you don't know anything about it, missy! I found them lying in your room. Now go to bed, and I don't want to hear from you for the rest of the day."
Flinching as if she'd been hit, Scootaloo turned to the stairs and headed up, sulking as she did so. Once she entered her room, she could feel Bellflower's eyes bore into the back of her head as she had followed her up to make sure she did as she was told.
The door closed behind her, and with a click, Bellflower locked it for good measure.
Moving to the window, Scootaloo sighed out as she slumped down; her head resting on the windowsill.
"It's no fair," she breathed out, "How did I get in this mess?"
Meanwhile, over at Wind Chill's barn, the frost giant paced around, a hand rubbing the top of his head in worry.
"... At least they returned safely. I just hope they are alright. Meeting a reaper, and living afterwards is not something that is supposed to happen," he mused as he opened the barn's door, peering outside, "Still, they did manage to get themselves in a rather large mess."
<<>><<>><<>>
Far out to the edge of Equestria's border, moving beyond the habitable, fertile land, and entering a desolate wasteland where dead, dried up trees reigned supreme, there was a city. A large city. A proud city. A changeling city.
Deep below the cracked soil, underneath a rough, dark brown hill, lay The Hive. A name which distilled pride in any changeling who heard it. Their greatest triumph. Their legacy. A city for the ages, to last long after they were gone.
Sadly, it would seem such times were rapidly approaching onto them.
In part the name of their city was responsible for this, albeit a little bit. The main reason for their problems were the ponies, and the reputation they forced onto them.
Changelings. Abominable creations who live together in a hive, and suck the very life out of you should they ever get their hooves on you.
The ponies know very little about the changelings, and what they do know is twisted into a amalgamation of the changelings worst qualities, traits, and legends.
The very notion of 'the hive' for one. All context about their city had been stripped away over the passage of the years, and fear created the image of mindless drones crawling over the walls and ceilings of deep carved tunnels, bringing food to their queen as she lay more and more eggs to hatch new drones.
It disgusted the changelings, but they let them keep their theories and judgements. The more the ponies feared them, the less likely it was they would come for them. They didn't want the ponies to find their proud city. They didn't want the ponies to learn those mindless drones were all fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, and more. They didn't want the ponies to learn, because they themselves didn't forget. They couldn't forget. Not what had happened so long ago, back when they called out for help. When they cried for help. Even begged for it.
But mostly, they didn't wanted the ponies to find their proud city, because there wasn't any pride left to find.
They were a proud race once, long ago. Now, families fought each other for the smallest scraps of food. Love.
It was something a changeling could not produce on its own. At least, not in the way any other might know it.
Contrary to most of the ponies belief, changelings are capable of feeling every emotion a "normal" being is capable of feeling. But their unique physiology made them immune to the emotional energies they themselves produce. This, so they wouldn't accidentally drain any emotion from those around them. Though they wished they could.
The Hive. Once a proud city, now as hostile and barren as the ground above. Barren, with only the faintest of life to be found.
Deep within the city's heart lay the once shining pride of the The Hive: the Queen's castle. Within its halls were those who had not succumbed to the hunger, or the poisonous wave of emotions at Canterlot, and were now wandering the city, taking care of those in need.
Sitting slumped to one side on her throne, sat Queen Chrysalis. She had taken the brunt of the blast, and therefore had suffered the most damage from it. Yet she refused to give in, to allow this illness to claim victory over her. Not while so many of her subjects were suffering like this. They needed someling to look up at. Someling who could tell them everything was going to be alright, even if it would be a lie. A lie she had no right to tell, given her current state.
The Queen would not give in to the hunger and illness that had drained her of all energy; nor did she want to, despite the fact that she was so weak her daughter had to fulfill the tasks she, the Queen no longer could. For what seemed like the millionth time, Chrysalis once more wished the King was still alive. However, he had died long ago, having given up his meager meals to ensure their daughter's survival.
A parents love for one's child. Sadly, his love was something they could never use.
Chrysalis sat slumped on her throne, eyes closed, and mouth slightly ajar while her breath came out in shallow gasps. Her body weak, her mind fragile. Yet she pressed on, and she listened in on the shared mind her kind were all connected to. If only to 'be there' for those leaving this world for a better place.
Then, a voice. A voice she knew like no other, speaking to her through their shared link.
"Mom, please hold on."
Chrysalis eyes slowly opened, the words of her daughter giving her a small spark of strength.
"Erlea," she rasped, wishing her child to be here, with her, "Please… be careful."
"I will, mom." Erlea whispered as she spied through the window of the earth pony filly, "I will."
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5825842 Seeing that this story is a major part of the other fics, and that they are connected with a reason, that is not really possible.
I enjoyed this whole chapter, but there was one scene in particular that caught my attention...
...you took that from One Piece, didn't you? This scene just screams "Crocus".
5825884 img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130721131127/mlp/images/4/42/Pinkie_Pie_with_a_mustache_rubbing_her_hooves_together_S3E09.gif
5825902 finaly what took so long
5825902 next please
5830089
5830146
What took so long. Simply put, Vates Despero, one of my editors, is going through a lot of personal problems. I will not say what, but it is substantial. As for the next chapter. Shees, I just released this one, as well as the next chapter for GoaP, with a combined word count of 40K. Give me a little bit of time to write out the next chapters. I will try to get them out faster than these. Probably should make them a bit smaller than 20K as well......
5830189 ask ur for the next chapter and part please
5830189 I always wanted to ask, what is your regular speed of writing? I calculated that during the first year of writing the fics it was about 23k words a month, and thats not counting SS and The Baltimare Incident. So whats your actual speed? Do you write the chapters in, like, 2 weeks and let them rot for months in the editor's "to do" box?
5834721 My writing speed is not really fixed. It has more to do with how I'm feeling when I'm working on the fics. Of course I now have to work on multiple chapters, but the main problem is that, due to some medical reason which the doctors can't really determine what is causing it, I'm basically suffering from chronic fatigue. I'm constantly tired, and my job is not helping with it, seeing how labor intensive it is. So, at the end of the day, I'm drop dead tired most of the time, so any motivation to work on my fics is low at best because of it. Even in the weekends I'm almost unable to pull myself out of my bed, and I spent over 12 hours a day in bed as a result. Not really healthy, I know, but I can't really help it. I tried using supplements to help increase energy, coffee, not to mention all the test in the hospital. So far, nothing seems to help.
Of course my editor also seems to be going at it at a slow pace.... Not really sure why?
5835199 The writer is suffering from chronic fatigue, the editor is going through a lot of personal problems... Yeah, I better go bury my hopes of the next chapter being completed in at least a little less than a month... ><
Speaking of the next chapter, please tell me that there will be (I can't believe I'm saying this) some development in Twilight and Danny's relationship?
P.S. Since when spending 12 hours a day in bed is not healthy?...5835336 There might be some character development, or not. This supposed development, which may be there or not, may be revolving around Danny, Twilight, and/or others. As for the next chapter, I am doing my best on them. I've already decided to make smaller chapters, so things should not take as long as they did before. (I hope.) The next chapter for GoaP is already under construction, and over 1K. Furthermore, I just finished the chapter for The Baltimare Incident, and have given it to the new guy who is now also editing for me. He certainly works a whole lot faster than Vates. As for the next chapter for SS. I have the rough story planned out, and only need to put it on paper and fine tune it to make it a smooth experience. At least the two stories are now on two different paths, so there shouldn't be much overlapping. This will make things easier for me as well. It may even make it possible to update the stories on different dates, instead on the same time as I am doing now.
Admittedly, I seriously overestimated my own skills when it comes to writing massive amounts of text, for two separate stories. 20K for one fic is work enough. But two... Yeah, I did not really think that through. Still, I hope to get some more work done, especially now that we're getting to an arc which I have been looking forwards to. For both GoaP and SS. That will help me get some more writing done.
5835336 I thought I let you know that the next chapter for GoaP is now almost 3K. I put in some more effort, just to give you a little bit more hope.
5835614
>2k words in 1 hour img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140810131406/thefakegees/images/9/91/Lil-sanic-classic-sanic-sanic-cult-37276128-234-263.png
5835664 i.imgur.com/yMfzc.gif
To point out some mistakes:
5835773 Thank you.
6060054 Actually, Chrysalis appears as the imposter Cadance during the season 2 finale. The Crystal Empire showed up during the season 3 beginning. So the timing does work out.
That was a perfect way to introduce them to saving the Changling. Of course mort would go.
You did this on purpose didn't you?
9690691
I have no idea what you're talking about.