Our Haunted House

Chapters

Chapter 1: That fated day
The friendly Ghost
Chapter 3: Blue, Red, and Purple
Nightmares and Zecora.
Chapter 5: The Soul and The Moon
A Fire?
Chapter 7: Shaman Trouble and Buffalo Tribes
Captured
Chapter 9: Dark Survivor
Punches. They Aren't Wise. Nor is Wooden Spears and Pies For That matter.

Chapter 1: That fated day

"People's hearts are like wild animals. They attach their selves to those that love and train them."
-Ali ibn Abi Talib

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It had been three months since that day in the meadow. Since his evolution, that is, with all the new urges it brought forth. The being whom he had consumed to evolved now lingered in his mind, too strong to die, or perhaps it was the curse that was attached to the soul of the Basilisk. Either way, the chandelier like entity that now wandered didn't care, he was in pain. Pain from hunger, hunger for not devouring what it needed to survive. The souls of those who had cheated death. It wasn't that there was a short supply of them, no. It was more of the fact that despite he was playing host to one of Equestria's most dangerous and vicious minds that constantly egged him on to kill innocent ponies who had already as a majority had seen at least one death cheating incident with their reckless kingdom's lack of proper security and their outrageous medical technology that would allow an pony on the brink of death to return fully healed within a weeks time.

It was also the fact that it was raining, something that the fire in soul disliked intensely now that he no longer had that comforting brim of his hat to block from hitting his life force, his flame. Yet there he still stood, with a melancholy expression on his face as another set of urges struck at him trying to get him to kill a school filly not fifty meters away who had cheated death by a simple use of medicine to prevent some strain of feather flu from killing the go lucky girl. He kept his internal debate to himself though, floating silently away from the broken window of the abandoned house he was now dwelling in for the rain, his internal debate with the snake as it attempted to force Soul to move in the other direction settling in,

No, for the last time, I refuse to kill a child. the Chandelure's argument was weak, he knew just like the snake within him that he was weakening the longer he went without siphoning off the energy of the living, or devouring those he was supposed to reap, he would eventually starve out and die.

Do not starve us, just look at him, the brat keeps tempting us by walking the same route five days of the week. He's taunting you. Kill him and feed us, or do you like to fight a war with this shared body that you would eventually lose? The strangely masculine yet still serpentine voice continued, with all the regal and dark tones that would make a Dusknoir shiver in fear.

Once more Soul denied himself, though his basic instincts agreed, he couldn't let this hunger grow, less he die or worse, loose his weakening mind to the basic urges that hunger brought forth. The all too familiar ache of one crudely wrapped eye coming forth once more. The organ had been taxing both his body and mind over the last few weeks, constantly attempting to rouse anger and drive the urge to hunt into his body, it was only with the power of his own mind that he hadn't already succumbed to the urges. He needed to hunt; he had to hunt. With the morning sun still blocked by the rain clouds and not a pony, or animal in sight. Soul left the house instead going towards the swamp that was ever so close to Dodge city, briefly wondering what had happened to his old friends after that last horrid day.

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Three months ago...

It was just after Soul's early departure that Celestia and Luna arrived with an entire regiment of the Royal guard in tow. Celestia hopping off her carriage to meet the embrace of her shell shocked yet seemingly untouched student and her friends helping each other out of their locks. What struck her as odd however, was the lack of a certain particular statue in which Basilisk rock was named for. An eerie gloom had descended on the party as well as a certain look of confusion among her little ponies, "Hello everypony, did I miss anything?" That was when chaos ensured.

With almost barbaric yet childish scream a dozen or so Pegasus ponies and a half dozen unicorns and Earth ponies descended upon them, most of them flinging pies and a unicorn even tickling her guards with magically carried feathers of all things, The two largest even tossing a giant blue cotton candy mass out from behind their cover in the clouds. Yet as all this chaos descended upon the co-ruler of Equestria, she simply smiled, her horn lighting up and catching all of the descending food in their arc's and neatly stacking it next to her in the air and crushing the cotton candy into a small basket ball sized compressed orb that also hovered near her. Yet still it wasn't over, the next attack came from the pony who was wielding feathers but they failed to even touch the princess of the day as she encased each magical aura covered feather with her own, halting the feathers before turning them back on the unfortunate unicorn who would then be shortly begging for mercy from the relentless tickling that ensured. All of this happened within five seconds.

"Why thank you for the gifts of food my little ponies." Celestia said with an eyebrow raised noting the looks of dismay at the wannabe rebels faces, "Though I am afraid I must return these... gifts."

Each of the rebels eyes widened in sudden fear, and their leader, presumably, due to how he was wearing a silly looking hat that said leader in bold letters, shouted, "Retreat!" and fled with his comrades back into the woods in which they came.

Rainbow dash had an incredulous look on her face, "Was that Thunder lane we all just saw leading those ponies?"

Applejack had a similar look, albeit toned down compared to her rainbow maned friend, "I believe so sugar-cube."

Pinkie pie however, was more focused on the cannonball like Cotton candy sphere, attempting to grab at it from it's position in the air barely out of reach of her pinkie hooves, all the while shouting, "Blue cotton candy? Don't they know that pink is the best color to launch a surprise attack with?!"

Luna and Twilight shared an raised eyebrow at Pinkie's antics while the others laughed. It was interrupted by Twilight as she had to ask, while looking up to her seemingly infallible mentor, "Why did Soul leave?"

With a careful facade of a neutral expression Celestia asked, "I do not know Twilight, but what is important now is that no one was hurt."

"Couldn't say the same for these horrid... things." Came the voice of Rarity who was staring at one of the several Pokémon, Arbok to be more precise, who had been seemingly knocked out by their rescuer.

The strange Pokémon didn't move. They hadn't even stirred since Soul had hit them. Their breathing was at bare minimal expected of something who was in deep sleep. Though their features failed to hold any of the personality they once had. The longer any of them stared at one of the various unconscious Pokémon, the more of the feeling of something not being right struck at them. Even Celestia felt the unease, separating herself with a gentle touch from her students embrace, she trotted over to one, the duo of orbs that had once been Wheezing, his eyes were still open, missing their pupils, it breathed but only the bare minimal expected of one who was close to death or in a coma. Inwardly Celestia sent a mental probe of magic towards the creature, an act she didn't take lightly as it was highly intrusive towards the host, and found... Nothing. Not one trace of who the Wheezing had been. As if it's soul had been removed, something that had not been seen since the days of King Sombre a bit less than a thousand years ago in the little remembered Crystal empire.

It worried her, however she didn't show any signs of it, instead calling to her guards, "Take these... Things in. I will wish to study them myself as soon as possible. Have them monitored for any sign of consciousness and report directly to me if they do."

Her students voice echoed her own question back to Celestia, "What about Soul?"

A chorus of agreement from Twilight's friends came with it and Celestia didn't hide the grim look that was now on her face, "I am afraid, my little ponies, that Soul needs to be... arrested."

"Soul arrested?!" Rarity dramatically shouted, "Whatever for?"

Applejack quipped in, "Sorry for speaking out your highness, but what in tarnation for? Soul saved us from those things."

Celestia sighed and waited as an massive argument battered against her ears and waited until the voices calmed down before speaking again, "I'm afraid that Soul has committed a federal crime, he removed their soul's from their bodies, which is a forbidden black magic by any standard of the law."

"Wait what?" Rainbow asked, "How in Equestria does hitting things with purple fire remove their soul's?"

Celestia raised her eyebrow, she had not heard of such a way of removing soul's, only a talented unicorn or Alicorn could remove the soul through directly ripping it out in a crude yet effective method and stuff it elsewhere. The fact that this creature had left absolutely no trace of any form of soul was spectacular in it's own right, yet it was weaponized for combat? Such a thing was unheard of in Equestria and it's neighbors. This sort of threat was too much to risk and she would have to assign her elite force into taking the creature down.; else risk more equestrian citizens to another incident that reminded her bleakly the same as King Sombra's rule that had happened almost a thousand years ago. In a bleak sense it was funny how similar they were in a way. Returning her mind to the present Celestia guided the conversation through until the sun began to set and then gave them a ride home on the spare carriages that she had been insightful enough to bring.

They were also put under guard in case of a follow up attack from any of the remaining forces of the lion mafia. However forgotten, a piece of the machine in the tree line that had once been the shape of Darkrai had crumbled to dust, the remaining energy from the cursed metal forming a dark wisp of black smoke slithering off like a snake. No one did notice the pair of green eyes with purple after trail that had leeched off the dark material and rejoined the living. Though it would take at least two years to get to and find it's body and the only thing on it's mind was of the crystal kingdom he once ruled with an iron hoof.

The friendly Ghost

"I'll never be nothin' but a scary ol' ghost without any friends..."
-Casper the Friendly Ghost

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Another day, another haunt. Thus was the life of a ghost, though she didn't mind it. After an almost countless amount of years there were always ghosts about the world somewhere, be it in an lonely attic or basement of some unfortunate who had died early in life. Some with things left undone, others with no knowledge on how to pass on, or rather a guide. Some of these ghosts just like their living counterparts would be able to cause great harm, and make another ghost to join them in this lonely version of the forgotten afterlife. Other fellow ghosts would wish only to be left alone, scaring the young and naïve foals when they trespassed upon their haunts at night from badly done tests of courage. Some even, offered help or companionship to the few who would stay long enough to see them but like all ghosts of her knowledge, they all had one thing in common. They flourished in the darkness.

The night of the ever graceful princess of the same name, it was only in these times that the ghosts of the world would appear to the living. Some of these would appear more so or not, as a ghost could choose to not present themselves upon the world. Some would take the form of a specter, a morbid type of a ghost who looked similar to a ponies skull and grey robes, which reached unsettling heights matching that of ,or more often then not, taller then the princess of the day. These ponies were often the case for most accidents that lead to death in the peaceful land of Equestria.

She however, wasn't one of those creepy old child molesters or vengeful spirits. Thinking back there were still dozens of different types of ghosts. From harmless little wisps who were once little more than children when they perished, to the growling feral ghosts who wished nothing but malice on those who lived in their old dwelling. There were all sorts for this reason. Some of them more sane then others and certain few strong enough to even exist during the day, oh how she wished. Instead of all those cool things however she was a Markless, a pony of adult age who had died before getting her cutie-mark. Doomed as well to seek out her mark until she found it before she could pass on.

While rare the 'Markless' types didn't exactly have a reputation on passing to the actual afterlife at any sort of rate. The fastest one having taken the unfortunate stallion almost a thousand years before he found his cutie mark in the midst of a rainbow color explosion from the sky that had happened only a few years ago. All but one however, one who had lost her life because of the rainbow explosion and became one of the last Markless ponies in the spirit world while the rest drifted off to their eternal peace.

She wished her life hadn't ended so unfortunately that day, she did however like the perks. Being able to fly and phase through stuff was a plus. Being a Markless had it's own perks as well, she was able to do about anything she wanted within a reasonable expanse. Her ghostly body not bounded down to one particular spot like most ghosts and to some measure copy their abilities to see if it were her talent as well. Though that usually had it's own downsides as nothing she copied from her ghostly brethren was quite as effective as the original, some, like a hypnotic lullaby of the Sirens(1) would put her to sleep as well if she ever copied it and put it to use.

Her mind was drawn back to the present, her current haunt an old building she had found around the edge of a rather peaceful town, the sun was setting and the resulting twilight had begun to allow her to manifest upon the world once more, her long slender light blue body complete with a darker blue mane and tail, the pair of red stripes that decorated her mane sticking out about an inch from the rest of her straight mane that had bangs that ended in an abrupt bowl like cut to clear her vision, a haircut she had done often herself instead of messing with the snooty hair salon ponies when she was alive. Her gentle hooves floating ever so softly an inch above the ground, she glided throughout the house she had decided to live in for a while, if only for it's change of scenery. Though a rather odd, purple light gave her pause as she passed towards an doorway, something which was unnatural for sure but what? She listed off the things in her mind with purple light sources only coming up with a blank, something new perhaps. Well she wasn't one to back down from exploration, she was already dead! Though the sight she came across was far from what she expected...

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Meanwhile in Ponyville Library...

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Twilight C. Sparkle, once just a student of Princess Celestia, and now the bearer of the element of magic and student of friendship as well had taken on a new role at her mentors request. The Pokédex that had been given to her gave few answers to Twilight's innumerable questions, but one thing was for sure; nothing was as it seemed. After the mass kidnapping that had taken her best friends as well as herself, she had felt the need to increase her own protective spells. Combat spells, however, were in short supply for study. Having since the last war been more than a thousand years ago when the Griffon Empire had attacked and been beaten off as the Elements of Harmony turned their cruel dictator Emperor Chip, into stone(2).

Thus the spells she would have to find would be based off any possible thing she could find. As a result the Pokédex, with it's massive amounts of data had been optimal for research. She had already figured out things such as Calm mind, which she had already learned from watching Soul teach the Crusaders what seemed like forever ago. Now however she had to apply her own magical style of thinking, forming spells to suit her needs as she observed and tried to copy the effects of the Pokémon attacks into Unicorn magic. Though she was met with a limited success thus far. But on with her free time she would try, she would not want the same mistake to happen again, and while Celestia's guards searched for Soul, her mixed feelings about the situation persisted. Soul had saved her friends as well as her own life, yet in the act had committed a crime that was deemable by something Equestria had not seen since Nightmare moons banishment. Execution; oh how she shivered at the word, the cold feeling as the remains of an army was dead, killed by Soul in his quest to save them.

But she would have to put that out of mind for tonight, her research would also have to wait, she had a event to attend, a young fliers competition that Rainbow had entered. Though she held no doubts rainbow would win, after all, what other Pegasus pony could clear an entire sky in ten seconds flat? None that she could think of at least. Leaving the unfinished spell she traveled off, unaware of the dozen royal guards stealthily hidden in the room. As the mare left, all but one of these shadows would follow her out, the last having an bright pink fur around her light blue eyes giggling lightly as if an inside joke, scanning over Twilights paper before fixing an error or two with the help of one of her many strange items and bouncing along in a quiet sing song, "Super ninja guard Twilight safety troopers go!"

The Pink mare would lead the expert patrol team everywhere and anywhere, sometimes even between where's. That was always fun as well, though she had been told to double if not triple security on her friends by the royal highness herself. No one would suspect that she, Pinkamena Diane Pie was actually, a member of the S.N.G.S.T. Even though she did give Twilight hints towards it now and then. Sad, how nopony would know how many times the seemingly carefree pony had done one or two little things to save the world with her super sensitive patented Pinkie Sense. Though a party pooper would occasionally spoil her mood again as a annoyed Pegasus who had previously gained leadership in one of the largest attempts to overthrow the princesses had stated yet again, "Pinkie, for the last time we are not S.N.G.S.T. We are just-"

Whatever Thunder Lane had been about to say was interrupted as the eccentric mare shushed him with a oddly muffin scented hoof to the mouth, "Shusshhhhh she'll hear us!" the third member among them whispered, her yellow crossed eyes momentarily both concentrating on the ex-rebel-leader.

Thus Twilight went on towards her rented hot air balloon, where many of her friends(3) were waiting to head up to watch the competition and perhaps get a tour of Rainbow's home town, their leader, having already changed out of her outfit on a seconds notice also waiting at the balloon with impossible speed having been right next to the rest of the guard less than a few seconds ago. Though none of them questioned it, Pinkie pie was, and always would be a mystery to the rest of the squad.

Author's Note

(1)The Sirens,who's type generally consisted of Mares who had been thrown overboard during a storm at sea and drowned thinking that their husbands didn't care for them and ended up with a grudge against sailors everywhere, often leading a unfortunate sailing ship to crash into the reefs of it's haunt. Sadly, however, the sea-pony Unicorns of the world are often blamed for this despite having no noted ability to sing such a hypnotic song that a siren does each and every time a boat larger than a plank passes their home.

(2)The statue of which still sits in Canterlot gardens as a constant reminder to why you should not attack Celestia's 'Little ponies'. Though a rather tasty dip involving fried fish and a local dip was developed in his memory by his son during the after years.

(3) And key figures for the well known Elements of harmony which would put them on the protected list as decreed by Celestia and Luna to their respective guards to make sure no more mass kidnapping or attempted murder would happen while leaving said guards out of the picture as so not to hinder development of friendship. Leading to the creation of the Equestrian Spec Op's headed by the best Equestrian agent of the current times, Pinkie pie.

Chapter 3: Blue, Red, and Purple

“Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

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"Come on out!" the Markless ghost of a mare all but yelled across the room, "Come out, whatever you are!"

For a moment all was quiet. Very quiet. Except for the noises of the outside as the rain fell and water trickled down the hill in a stream towards Dodge's own flooding riverbank. began to settle down for the night. The source of purple light had been coming from behind a broken tipped over antique table, though she didn't dare go towards it, less it be something that could actually affect the spiritual realms.

"Come on out!" she would ask again, louder, trying a bluff, "Or do I have to come and fetch you?"

A strangely young yet male voice would answer back though not through vocal words but into her mind, something she could tell the difference of given her circumstances, it said simply, "Go away..."

The voice had been a warning, to be sure, though it hadn't hold any malice in it. Instead there had been sadness. She approached a few more steps asking, "Hey, it's alright. Is something the matter?"

There was some rustling, and then something absolutely amazing raised up into the air from behind the table. A chandelier of black metal with a light purple stained glass looking panels covering it's central bright glowing flames had risen up. It was turning and she could see two metal arms branching off from under the strange creature, two long slender frames only disrupted as two smaller torches on small arms were held up by smaller variants connected halfway down the magical thing's arms. If the Markless ghost pony was to describe it in one word, she would describe it as, gothic. Though the effect was slightly ruined by the bandage that had been wrapped crudely over one of the chandelier's eyes.

The other unveiled eye of the creature was a yellow orb, which was staring at her, "Are you an extra-terrestrial?" she would blurt.

The creature would stare at her, in thought for a few minutes, as though wresting with a decision, "In a way..." Though it would comment, "Please... just go away... before you get hurt."

His voice was still full of warning, though none of it genuine, while it was alien to the Markless pony she could recognize a conflicted tune in the mental voice. She would ask, unable to not stare at the fire that filled the creature, "You don't seem alright yourself." she would say to him, finding the ever growing depths of the purple spiritual flames that filled it.

The flaming being would give her a impatient blank glare, not emitting a word but instead floating around the table and through a joining doorway to another room to go brood elsewhere. As he left the hypnotic effect snapped and the pony's eyes widened as understanding of what just happened flooded to her. Now she was really curious about the strange creature that had tried to shut itself away from her. Though a happy thought made note of itself in her ghostly head, she had something to do.

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Three days later...
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This ghost was starting to really get to Soul, at first it had been nothing major on the first day of meeting the ghost pony unicorn. Fang, as the Basilisk had named himself, tried to convince him once more to consume the spirit mare who's heart had been absent of any attempt to defy death's calling, Eat the spirit... Let us gain strength and power as well as silence from this insufferable babble! It's giving me a migraine...

Your one to talk, it's my head. Soul would reply, mentally of course. But to be fair it was a tad annoying to have the ghost around, being a ghost alone could label a death warrant for consumption by the few Chandelures that wandered freely back in the world of Pokémon, though he also wasn't going to end another ponies existence, dead or not, if he could help it. Though his opinion of her was slowly changing, in a way she reminded him of Pinkie pie and Fluttershy, her voice was calm and she was rather sincere in her kindness. Though that's where the pinkie side began to come in, thinking back to the first day was a nightmare. The ghost had spewed an endless stream of questions and in hope to stem the tide after the first half hour if only to get her to shut up. It didn't work, instead only making the pile of questions break through the roof in a figurative sense of the words. At least the rain had stopped by the second day and he had the chance to go hunting, gaining himself some peace.

Though if the ghost mare was anything like the last few, bound in one place, he would be gone soon enough once he moved on to the next city. But for now the ruined house was the closest thing he could call home without upsetting the ever so delicate populace. On the fourth day, the spirit had seemed to learned that bugging him constantly seemed to just make him ignore her, instead settling down for a quiet watch over him. It was kind of creepy in a way, the looming silence as she simply stared at him with a look bordering on boredom and mild interest. His flame was much smaller now, having lacked a rather large supply of souls to drain energy from, though he didn't care. What was there that wouldn't fear him now if it learned all that he could do. He decided to close his eyes, to sleep. Something that wasn't needed for ghost Pokémon like himself, though it was preferred when they had the chance in the long hours of the day and night brought. With an slight change of a vanishing pale blue light he could tell that the ghostly mare had floated away, leaving him to his rest. Though Fang had to comment, Finally... as Soul drifted off to a very unpeaceful slumber on the cold, hard, and rotten floorboards.

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The realm of dreams was not for him on this night, instead nightmares plagued his dreams. All he could see were the horrified looks as he took judgment upon another fully alive member from his own universe. The look of utter terror and fear as he covered his victims in spiritual flames. removing their souls to burn and be lost for all eternity.

The dream shifted, changing and he was once more a Lampent, his prior evolution which had been more of a gothic lamp then a chandelier with a much different roll as well. Instead of being both judge and executioner he had once been one to send a pony off for judgment by his ever gracious lord Arceus; a black lantern with two limbs and the only identifiable face was two orbs that decorated his front for eyes. But he was in the center of an empty town square that looked shockingly similar to that of Ponyville's own. Twilights library was torn in half, destruction having littered the entire town in a straight path into the house. Burns were present everywhere, the bits of metal that may have once been acting as a frame around the house had been warped and twisted beyond recognition.

Inside the center of the ruined library was a small piles of six stone statues equating each to a ponies body in size. His dread started to grow, the bodies were crushed but the heads were still intact. Each holding the same horrified expression Twilight sparkle had shown him when he had approached her after the battle, her mouth slightly agape in a small horrified frown. Petrified eyes staring up into something that must of been huge and with ears splayed back against her head in a negative manner which he had came to identify with sadness and more probable...Fear...

The word reverberated through him, the world turning darker as clouds filled the sky. A dark shadow loomed over him and he turned around, coming face to face with large, red eyes that had yellow slits all surrounded by pitch black instead of the usual white around the pupil. What was more terrifying was the black scaled monster of a snake that was attached to those eyes. He didn't even have time to react before it lunged swallowing him whole into it's dark poison dripping mouth. Though this was only the beginning of his nightmares.

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Meanwhile in real Ponyville...
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It was still surprising to say the least for Rainbow Dash's latest development of speed. During the young fliers competition Rainbow had saved Rarity as well as several of the Wonderbolts (who said Rarity accidently knocked unconscious with her flailing hooves as they tried to save her...) in completion with a scientific phenomenon that defied all of Twilights books. While it wasn't as big as the one that had happened all those years ago, it was in fact, a sonic rain-boom that had occurred. Of course afterwards Twilight had put pause to her earlier studies in order to investigate her friends new latent abilities.

The Sonic Rainboom had some rather destructive properties to itself as well, if the spiral ring was anywhere within twenty feet of a cloud, the cloud would be pulverized. With a smaller radius of two to twenty miles recorded in descending order as Rainbow became more and more tired of replicating it. The second was that if the user hit the ground a rather devastating explosion would occur, while relatively small it was able to knock down several of the surrounding trees with the force equivalent of a Ursa Major smashing the ground with both paws.

With her study completed and both research and her experimental notes completed, she sent copies of both off to her mentor for review and additions with the help from spike. Twilight couldn't help but frown though, her original research wasn't nearly as fruitful as she had expected. It was impossible to replicate the Pokédex's example with such power as the small red gadget showed her. Unicorn magic was fundamentally different then a Pokémon's. Maybe she was being too narrow or maybe there was someway she hadn't thought about. But who would be of help in this scientific topic? No pony was nearly as educated as she was in research or Unicorn magic. Rarity certainly was great at what she did, sure, but that was a specific blend of magic meant to make fashion... Who could she go to who was near ponyville for an open view. Somepony who knew more then the average pony about this stuff...

A quiet glee filled Twilight as she realized there was actually one pony who could help, a certain Zebra who would want to ensure the Equestrian nation's safety. With target in mind and the evening moon rising in the sky, Twilight prepared to visit someplace she hadn't had visited since Soul had left. A certain hut in the Everfree forest. Little did she notice the team of ponies that still quietly stalked her throughout the world, even going so far as to clear the way of any hostile creatures that Twilight would of run into in her reckless beeline to Zecora's.

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Western Canterlot Gardens...
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It was lovely to see that something never did change besides her sister in the thousand years of banishment she had taken. The western wing of the Canterlot Gardens, as it was called in this era, was still full to the brim of night blooming flowers and lightly glowing plants which decorated the place. It was almost like a fairy tale. As she trotted the age old cobble pathway lined with ever so delicate and beautiful flowers known as 'Heaven's mirror'. While they wouldn't bloom until much later into the night, Luna didn't mind. It would be well worth it as she watched other flowers slowly blossom into their nocturnal states and dominate the garden in an breath taking display. Though the flowers weren't the only thing on her mind. As the Princess of the night she often found it a duty of hers to visit the dreams of others and make sure they slept soundly. As a result she would be hunting for nightmares that would plague the minds of ponies and other animals and sooth their worries, fears, and grant them a true nights rest.

Though that was only part of the reason she was so quickly scanning dreams and nightmares of late with such fast pace. She had to check a massive population compared to the old days, so many more ponies now existed then there had been back when the kingdom was recovering from Discord's rule. What used to be a single night to take care of the kingdom was now several to take care of one town. Not only that but after three months of searching she could still not find the Soul burning Criminal known as 'Soul Light' despite searching Equestria, and it's neighbors twice. Somethng was missing. A signature of spiritual energy as large as that couldn't hide itself so well. Her sister was of no help at all, claiming to be patient. After all there was only so many hiding spots in the world where something as strange as a flying chandelier of purple fire could hide without drawing notice. None of those in society either.

However it still frustrated Luna to no end, being unable to take any further action to protect their citizens. Especially with one who knew forbidden magic. It wasn't helping that her power over nightmares had diminished in comparison to the realm of dreams of which her mind currently wandered(1). She would stop here and there to apprehend a nightmares as she saw them. Though they tended to deal with more mundane problems of daily living then what she was searching for. A few one's did stand out however, a stallion who was worried about his particularly well known mare-friend's affections towards him, and a particularly unlucky mare, whom she had visited constantly since her return, over her fear of social activities(2).

Luna couldn't help but smile though at how peaceful every ponies dreams were as a whole in comparison to a thousand years ago. Discord and Sombra had made such a mess of things both physically and spiritually back then. Though now she had to worry more about every ponies safety. Much had changed in the thousand years, and every ponies ability to think in a unusual situation has made a lot of ponies outside the royal and night guards more timid then rabbits at an abrupt change.

As hours progressed the garden became more and more full of gently glowing plants of all shapes and sizes in a masterpiece of gardening. Each flower intricately grown and the singular tree that decorated the center of the garden, where she rested under it's hanging branches glowing of a midnight cherry blossom whose petals slowly drifted away in the gentle cool night air. The only way the night could be more perfect would be if a gentle song had been playing ever so softly to complete the mood. There amongst the plants of the night she stared at her own sky and relaxed in the peace of her garden of night.

Author's Note

(1): Luna's connection with the 'Nightmare Realm' having been severed with her alternate personality, Nightmare Moon as a result of their forced separation from the Elements of Harmony. limiting Luna's connection with it and as a result Sealing the mare of the moon in the second worst realm that the global residents know of. The worst being Tartarus's pit for the 'damned' where evil beings are forced to do labors for their sins.

(2) The first of which had been Twilight's older brother who was in a particular nightmare that included being dumped for buying Cadence the wrong brand of chocolate for a two and a half year dating anniversary, and the later which is dedicated to the worlds most shy and adorable Pegasus having to run for mayor... Poor dear Fluttershy.

Nightmares and Zecora.

"The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws."
-Ayn Rand

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Nightmares... That was what this was, the only explanation as Soul went through horror after constant horror. He knew not what pulled the strings, instead blaming it on his own guilt. Though there was at least a few anchors that kept him sane amongst the horrid scenes of death and decay that attacked him so. His arms blasting fire as well as his head as he protected his anchor, his hope. A Basket containing the few faces that his mind wasn't able to bring into clarity of the chaos, a small filly who he had cared for, a Zebra who spoke in rhymes, as well as a various assortment of creatures who lived in the Everfree forest. Though a persistent voice whispered sweet nothings of power that could be gained if he harvested them. He ignored them and endured as a demented looking Ursa minor charged him from out of nowhere in his nightmares and he continued to fight.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Outside Zecora's hut.
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The moon was now clearly in the night sky when Twilight arrived at Zecora's hut. It was rather faster to get there then in the past considering how the way to the hut and Soul's previous homestead had been literally carved through the Everfree forest leaving a path of solid wood trees to block the dangerous creatures from entering. Even then though Twilight maintained her guard, after all things could climb the trees, reach over them, or perhaps even just go through them, with ease. A once smooth pathway was a bit more rugged without their previous owner's care though enough travel on the road would take care of that in months to come. That is if a lot of ponies did travel the path.

The 'Homestead' as Soul had once called it still had it's equestrian members and it's resident Sea Serpent, Steven Magnet, though it's more animal like members had fled back into the forest shortly after Soul had left. No doubt to search for the user of forbidden magic and rejoin him. The castle, however, was left untouched. Even the princesses didn't want to claim it, mostly due to it's nature of being centered in the Everfree forest. However, that wasn't to say it was left completely unchanged. Guards were now around the Homestead in case, by some poor chance, Soul came back. This as a side effect also allowed the residents of the Homestead to live without much fear from the occasional random animal that would try to vault the tree walls that had been constructed prior to Soul's departure.

Bringing her mind back to the present Twilight approached Zecora's tribal hut, still complete with decorations from her far away home, and knocked on the door. It took only a few moments for the Zebra herbalist to answer, though instead of greeting Twilight inside she closed the door behind her and gestured toward the nearby pond, quietly answering Twilight's greeting, "Ah, Twilight I greet you Hello; though I hope this visit is mellow. Quite busy we have been, so let us please try not disturb the song who dwells within."

It was a well known fact that the filly Soul had been taking care of was under Zecora's care, Twilight assumed she had gone through the proper legal paperwork though the truth was a mystery best left for another day, "Zecora, I wanted to ask for your advice on something in regards to Equestria's safety as of late..."

They trotted over to the pond, the quiet sounds of the local frogs making an ambient noise gathering in volume as Zecora readied her response, "What troubles you Twilight dear, to confide in me your fears? Shouldn't your friends be first to hear, instead of first coming to me here?"

Twilight sighed, "I need a different view Zecora, while ordinarily I would turn to my friends for such matters, I think that you're much more open minded then they are about these matters."

Zecora raised an eyebrow, seemingly pulling a cup full of hot tea from nowhere and passing it to Twilight before getting her own, "What matters are grabbing you like a vice, that I could solve with my advice?"

Twilight nodded her thanks, taking a sip before it cooled and started the conversation up again, "It's about Equestria's safety, I've been researching Soul's universe though I can't help but feel something is missing from what I have been researching..." she cut Zecora off before she could respond, "It's the abilities these 'Pocket Monsters', as they are sometimes called, use. They are extraordinary, to say the least, even a turtle like species of theirs at some point would be able to spew a beam of energy made of pure sunlight as a destructive attack. Yet all attempts to translate some of their various arsenals that the Dex offers has come out with minimal results. A gout of flame turns into a small little spew of embers, an beam of ice turns to a string of hail..."

Twilight looked down to the pond at her own reflection glimmering in the moonlight, "I've been trying to master these spells and abilities and convert them so that we would be better prepared for in case any other... monster. Showed up with hostile intentions... But, that's why I'm here, I was hoping to see if you would join me in my search for a solution."

Zecora took a sip from her own tea, judging Twilight's words and formulating a response, a minute later Zecora put her cup down and started, a tone much more serious, "And what of the child whose task is most Grim? The reaper of souls who's knowledge here is but slim?"

"Soul Light?" Twilight asked, getting a nod of affirmation from Zecora, "The princesses have their guards seeking him out all over Equestria. They said that they were going to bring him in for judgment of his actions and crimes."

Zecora's calm look flustered into a frown with slight anger, "What crime is it that he has commit, to rescue you and your friends shouldn't make a ruler throw a fit."

Twilights voice took on a slightly harsher tone, "Soul used magic that erased the Souls of those he fought Zecora, that's worse than murder. Murder being a crime that hasn't happened in hundreds of years let alone this black magic which hadn't been used since the rise of Nightmare moon a thousand years ago!"

Zecora responded in turn no mirth or welcome in her eyes as the topic took a grim turn, "Do you punish a bee for it's sting, or the weather here for spring? You're ignoring the deeds that Soul has done, rescuing those who side bears him shun. Restoring the sight of a filly blind, and helping those who were in a bind." it was Zecora's turn to cut off Twilight before the purple mare could begin to retaliate verbally, "I would suggest talking to those of the Homestead, before making a decision that I think you will dread. Goodnight, and as they say, don't let the real monsters bite." Zecora rose from her seat on the mossy ground and went back inside, leaving Twilight to stare at the pond's reflective water, mulling over what Zecora had said.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Meanwhile In The Realm of Nightmares...
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The realm of nightmares was a black horrid place in comparison to it's sibling realm of dreams. Few creatures willingly called this place home as horrors of all sorts of imaginations often flooded here after being 'cured' by the princess of the Night or forgotten about by their respective dreamers. to say this was a place of violence and death would be an understatement, though there was still a ruler of this realm who farmed these nightmares for a day long planned in the future. That ruler didn't like those who messed with her realm.

The crude tugging was coming from a red orb overlapping a smaller purple orb was rather infuriating, to say the least, the fact that the creature so casually tugged nightmare and yet more nightmares into another soul would of been amusing if it weren't for the careless sloppy manner which the spirit, a snake she realized, shoved it into the smaller one. So she took control of both, subjecting the red one with tortures and horrors from around the realm though little did it affect the emotional output from the red orb. First there was confusion, then anger, then malice as the orb fought back and devoured the nightmares, interesting. She proded the purple spirit getting an feeling that the younger of the two was but a child in comparison with this snake. Just what bound them together? She had to see. Curiosity was her worst enemy besides Celestia after all.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Soul's unconscious mind...
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

It had to be a miracle, when the nightmares had stopped coming one after the other and wearing him down bit by bit. though the peace lasted only momentarily when he felt a new form of uneasiness reach his mind, not the cruel and harsh eyes of Fang, instead a colder, dimmer feeling of night air and moonlight who hid no shadows, a pair of dark judging eyes of radiant blue color emerged and stared at him, he could feel something akin to fog brush across his entire being as it studied him, "Who and what are you?" both Soul and a feminine demanding tone demanded at the same time.

Both remained silent for a short while, the amount of stars in the darkness growing as the set of eyes stared at him and drew Soul into her own, with no response incoming Soul began, "I am Soul... A Pokémon, and a Reaper of those who cheated death...You are?"

The voice chuckled darkly; briefly the image of a mare's head in the moon, appearing and vanishing as soon as it had came. The voice replied cold as steel, "Do you not recall the terror that we were not so long ago? We, who are the true queen of Equestria, she who would rule a world with the beauty of the night sky and say goodbye to the ever 'precious' sun? We, who would make Celestia kneel before us and have her claim our light as better than her own?"

Soul began to sweat, which shouldn't be possible considering he was a flaming chandelier made of metal, but then again this was a dream, anything was possible. Though he had the strangest feeling he had heard bits of this before, albeit from Twilight and the citizens of Ponyville when he had first arrived, "We are..." the voice began, forming into a solid figure equaling Celestia in shape and size with a starry mane of the night sky, "Nightmare Moon."

She held herself proud and tall, a regal dominance and massive intimidation through sheer size all but flooding his mind as she stood over him, a giant compared to an ant. If Soul had a jaw, it would of dropped, as is however, he managed a quiet, "Why me?"

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Meanwhile within Fang's unconsciousness....
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Go away, go away, go away! Fang all but screamed in anger and frustration as the giant lumbering monsters behind him ruthlessly chased him down. They didn't care what Fang said or did, they didn't care. They just ran on after him anyway, occasionally clawing and biting the end of his tail, inducing a wave of pain rocking throughout Fang's show of a body, he had tried to bite them, poison had no affect, he had also tried to turn them to stone to no avail. They didn't give a buck to what he tried, all they wanted was to rip his throat out and eat him for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. Maybe all four at once.

As Fang threw up a labyrinth between him and the giant monstrosity's that were chasing him, they didn't even slow down so much as an inch as they rammed through it like it was nothing. Shrink down and hop into a hole? they dug through it in no time! try and fight them? There was no way to win! Surely a nightmare to contend with and all he could think about was how much he hated the pair of beasts chasing him.

But the Honey badgers didn't care, like most of their species, Giant monstrous nightmare, or real, they didn't give one buck to poisons, spells, violence, or even obstacles in their way. They only cared about the next meal, and that was currently the snake slithering as fast as it could away from them while it spewed profanities that fell upon their deaf ears. The latest of the snakes creative vocabulary consisting somewhere along the lines of 'Oh, Buck you both with all the dragons sharp filthy claws!'

As one of the two finally took a good chunk out of Fang's tail. This causing the 'fearsome' Basalisk to leap through the air squirming like a worm who just had been stepped on, while falling into a pool of lava that he had created to escape. The honey badgers didn't care, they hoped on in anyway and continued chasing the poor thing. As the nightmares that had been reversed onto Fang, continued, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Soul.

Author's Note

Once again, thanks Slyph and Eli for editing, sorry it seems a bit random though I thought it would be a nice start to the next few arcs and also the start on where exactly 'Nightmare Moon' went after Luna was 'cured' by the elements of harmony. I'm aware of the Nightmare Rarity comics but from lack of those on both the show and online readability, I offer my own theory instead. See you next time on our mistress of the night.

Chapter 5: The Soul and The Moon

"You have to know who you are, if you don't you have nightmares."
-Stephen Rea

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

To say her appearance was enchanting would be an understatement. Her mane was literally filled with stars and ever changing constellations for Arceus's sake! Her grin of teeth, the canines sharpened to a point and a tad bit extended, giving her a cat like smile. A coat as black as tar and her eyes which spoke of unseen cleverness framed by the helmet of lighter blue that she wore.

At the same time one could say she was scary, however, a being of nightmares who had a posture that bespoke only royalty and a well kept appearance that could outdo Rarity's elegance with the simple design. Her voice was undeniably both alluring and terrifying. He realized to his embarrassment that she had been asking him something, repeatedly and her mane made a snapping gesture in front of his face before he came to, "What. Is a Pokémon." Nightmare Moon asked again.

Soul couldn't stop himself if he had wanted to, the comforting shadow of the world providing a comforting embrace and all but pulling the response from my mind, he showed her the lands of his world, the rough short life as an childish Geodude, to becoming a Litwick in post death under Lord Giratina's insistence. Soul Light gave her all he knew in a flurry of images flashing around him, the various battles he'd fought, the creatures he had sent to his boss, and the performances of the almost forgotten past. Then came the second death, as well as his third chance at life. Now in Equestria, the many memories of those who Soul had befriended in his adventures, the unearthly being before Soul scowled with some recognition to Twilight and her friends, as well as surprise to the company of creatures beyond the pony race that stayed with hi in the Homestead. All the events that lead up to the current point, within ten seconds flat.

She looked at him, my limbs felt locked in place as she peered down into my form. He felt like his younger self, weak, scared, alone. Staring into the deep eyes of the golem that had once called me son, and deeper still she pierced me with her eyes. Soul shivered, not in fear, but in worry. What did she see? A murderer? A coward? A monster?

Soul reasoned that all of the Pokémon were monsters in their own way, but not in a way that it meant to him. Too soon, she leant back, giving Soul some space before tilting the head ever so slightly, a gesture of curiosity, "You're not afraid of me." she stated simply in that glorious yet menacing tone of hers.

The Chandelure sighed, "My fears aren't towards you. For death claims all. My fears, however, are for others, for I've done wrong and taken the life of one who's time had not yet come."

"Guilt is not the same as fear." she replied sternly, not an ounce of compassion in her voice, "Do not tell me what you fear. We can sense it easily, for we are Nightmare Moon."

"Yes we- I mean, I, know." Soul replied in a slight stammer, "Why are you here anyway?"

"You are different than most ponies." Nightmare Moon replied idly, "One of few who are both alien to this world, and merged with another's consciousness. We think you refer to him as Fang."

"Yep... Anything else?"

"We know you're the most well known criminal in hiding as well." She remarked, "So we both want to watch, and see what you do about it."

"What am I?" Soul responded, "Reality television?"

"Television?" she shot back.

"Human invention, never mind..." Soul brushed it off, " Surely there are better things to watch..."

"Not really no," Nightmare moon replied in turn, "Every other being in this realm of nightmares tends to have a boring worry over friends and family opinions, others over their job and daily needs. You're the first one I've encountered with a truly fascinating aspect. Not only are you unique in species. But have a large knowledge of abilities for one so young." The mare of the moon mused, "Hyper beam, such a deadly ability... Makes a standard beam spell look like a stick in the wind..." she snapped back to the present, "Besides it's better for you either way."

"How so?" Soul remarked.

"Well it's either I watch you and Fang, see what you do for some entertainment, or I leave you in here with him again until either your both dead, or you decide to let me stay." she threatened, somehow Soul knew this wasn't a bluff.

There was no point in being stubborn, "Fine. Though don't expect to remain entertained for long..."

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
The Homestead
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Twilight had the creeping feeling she wasn't supposed to be here, it was directly physical in a way, the gloomy silence of the village as she wandered through it, only the occasional guard greeting her formally by name interrupting the stark silence that threatened to overtake the entire place. All the houses she had come across didn't have a light on, which meant they were closed. She was about to head back and try again in the morning when she spotted the lights of Berry Punch's Tavern were still on along with the dim noises of several ponies talking.

It was rude to eavesdrop, but Twilight couldn't resist as she heard their topic of choice. Several ponies, including Red Wood, a lumberjack who had moved in at Steven Magnet's suggestion, spoke up, "Still. It's just not right on what the guards are doin' to Soul. What's the deal on this magic anyway? Those critters were violatin' every basic law by kidnappin' and attemptin' to murder that little lamp boy."

Berry's voice responded in turn, it was no surprise though that she was there, it was her tavern after all, "You and I both know there are certain types of magic unallowed by the government. Though it should of been obvious that the end was in good measure the court can't ignore the means that got to that conclusion. Even if such a creature would of been 'put down' by the government anyway."

"Still though," a third voice interjected, a new one for Twilight, "Doesn't anything Soul has done in the past count for any favor on his behalf? I mean he did save several critical figures for the elements defense. From what I heard he has been nothing but extremely caring in consideration of what happened here."

Several other voices interjected with similar agreements. Twilight frowned as the conversation went on, each voice attributing a different story of the lamp they had come to know, but it didn't add up to the index in her Pokédex, at least until she noticed a reoccurring theme among several of their stories. Combat. Usually it was subtle, the use of an ability to manipulate the area, or fight an swarm of insects that had plagued a neighbor, or repel several of the creatures that had tried to invade the Homestead over the months soul had stayed in the forest. Most of the time the creature responsible didn't survive. Though it wasn't until Soul had evolved that the first evidence of the Souls being taken began.

Twilight turned and began trotting away as the conversations shifted towards more mundane things like Red Wood's Carvings and another's music production. She was going to mull over Zecora's words as well as the Homesteads and Celestia's verdict for the rest of the night, perhaps until the next afternoon.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Canterlot Castle Infirmary
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

A pair of bright pink eyes stared down upon the limp forms of the several strange creatures that now filled the room. Monitors now giving the quietest 'Beeps' as their hearts beated idly, the slight movements of their chests as they breathed shallowly with life support. Nurse Redheart had informed her that they were alive if barely, reduced to no more than a vegetable in mind. The results of the battle from three months ago. The nobles had tried to convince her to let them just die for both monetary budgets and for dissection of the soulless creatures for a medical examination of their inner workings. But she had refused, even now she looked over them for any change, but they hadn't even so much as moved since the day she had taken them into custody.

However the reason for her visit was much different. Beside her, the stone remains of another Pokémon, Carnivine as the copies from Twilight had described, was almost finished being reassembled. The plant look alike had spent the past three months being recollected and put together again. Out of all the bodies, the plant like Pokémon had the best chance at recovery. Though one other body had been accounted for, though she was sure that the missing one would show up sooner or later.

A loud thud drew her attention, one of her guards had entered the room, "We found him princess." he stated firmly.

"Which one?" her clear belled voice answered in turn drawing a sheepish wince from her guard.

He replied hurriedly, clearing it up, "The one who carries a mask underneath him. Ma'am."

Celestia nodded to her guard, "Bring him to my living chambers. I'll speak to him myself. Alert Luna to this as well. My sister has been very curious to the nature of one of these creatures kind. Should prove interesting to speak with it."

"Very well Princess." The guard replied in turn before leaving, shutting the door quietly behind him. Celestia sighed. How busy it had became since the events of three months prior. The subtle bags under her eyes were only just hidden with heavy amounts of makeup and she had lost count of how many cups of coffee and slices of coffee cake she had to of ate in order to of stayed awake long enough to deal with the nobles outrage. It was no secret that the actions of the little lamp that had lived in her sisters old castle had caused quite the stir in the noble courts who sought to squash anything even remotely dangerous. She was barely able to satisfy their needs for increased protection with the surplus of Royal guards that now patrolled both Ponyville and Canterlot. It still, however, didn't prevent several of the nobles, arrogant as ever, from recruiting various beings of all shapes and sizes to hunt down the misfortunate child that was now ranked five on Equestrias most wanted.

She sighed and began to leave, preparing herself mentally for her new guest upstairs.

A Fire?

"An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself."
-Charles Dickens

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul awoke to the smell of burning wood, all around him was a blaze of red fire and he instantly knew why. He had toppled over during his sleep and some of the fire on his arms had grasped the ancient dry floorboards with all the hunger of a hungry snorlax, The ghost who had been bothering him not hours prior was now flying about the place with buckets of water but her aim was far from extraordinary. How he had ended up toppled over however was a mystery for the naturally floating Pokemon. Perhaps someone had disturbed him in his sleep, and he had an idea on who. Apparently however, so did the other residents of his metaphorical brain.

The room is on fire. Not big surprise. rang the great serpents voice in Soul's head, causing the Chandelure to groan a little bit, he was less than enthused about having him back, especially after the torment Fang had put him through. What? A serpent gets bored after... What year was it again?

One thousand and two after Celestia cheap shotted me with the elements. Apparently it was so spectacular that they remade the calender years from AD to AL and threw a celebration to this day for my defeat. There she was, the mare of the moon, holding his also metaphorical mental chain of his dreams in the tight vice.

He rubbed his good eye, the one without an eye-patch, and sighed to himself, the blaze was almost comforting, considering how his body absorbed fire, but as great as it was, there were consequences for lighting a supposedly abandoned house on top of a hill on fire. Already he could hear the lame sirens of a fire-wagon approaching stock full of firefighters and he could only assume that close behind would be the curious sort of townsfolk who would spread rumors like no tomorrow if they were to see this wanted figure leaving the direct way.

The spirit spilled another bucket of water over the ground and glared at Soul, it was tempting to put the flame out but then again, you could always eat her for a snack before the start of our next trip. No, that just wouldn't do for him, She might of disturbed us during our sleep, but she's already saw the result of accidentally making me light fire to the place... Better just to leave without anypony else noticing...

Your loss. Fang declared, already bored of the situation, and the other voice in his head just chuckled, giving Soul the impression of a very interested mare watching his actions atop of a bean bag chair by the use of a television, or would it be Soul-o-vision?

Soul began to leave, Absorbing whatever he ran into as he approached towards the back door of the abandoned mansion, hearing the spirit cry out, "Help me put out these flames dang it!"

He paused, long enough to consider the spirit's request before saying, "Unlike you, I can't hide after putting the fire's that drew their attention out. A result of somepony messing with my sleep. I know somepony messed with it, because we don't naturally end up touching the ground sideways unless we purposely set ourselves there beforehand..."

"Well it wasn't me! I swear!" The spirit threw the bucket aside and began to beat another vicious looking flame with the remains of a also on fire carpet, it only accelerated the flames and made the situation worse, "There was a Poltergeist who tipped you over after doing a few things to your face!"

"Still need to hide... I would recommend moving elsewhere." Soul turned and began floating away, "As much as I wish I could...Help... I'd rather not draw the eye and curiosity of everypony in Equestria by the house that somehow magically unignited itself."

She sighed vehemently, "And where am I supposed to go then?"

"Don't know." Soul left without adding another word, barreling off into the treeline as a purple and black streak throughout the night right before a red wagon pulled by four ponies which was almost comically overstuffed with their fellow fire fighters came around the bend. He hid as much of his flame as possible, managing to work himself deeper into the tree lines without anypony noticing him. He supposed their night vision was horrid after looking at the blazing mansion but he didn't need to risk them seeing a purple light near the edge as well in case they would investigate him as well.

He sighed in relief, relaxing once he had gotten miles away from the burning beacon. It always amazed him how a fire could be seen from a long distance away at night, probably because it was the brightest source of light in the night sky, that and without any technological progress on their part, these ponies lacked basic electric lighting. He began to progress, tirelessly floating towards the west. Mayhaps he could find another refuge elsewhere, the other voices agreed. Though he knew not why. A voice behind him yelled out, "Hey wait up!"

Soul turned to see that it was the spirit from the house again easily recognizable from her bright blue fur, deeper blue mane and twin red highlights that pointed down at her eyes, Now will you kill her? Fang groaned immediately.

Soul ignored him, "What do you want?" He asked the spirit directly.

The ghostly transparent mare harrumphed, "You owe me a new mansion."

"Correction." Soul started, "The 'Poltergeist' owes you a new mansion."

"Well he's gone thanks to touching your purple things in your sleep." the mare declared, "So unless you can spit him back out here, it was your flames that destroyed the place."

Well that explained the slight decrease in hunger, Soul had thought it had just been the excitement of the moment, "Well it's not my fault this ghost put your mansion on fire and then died to me in my sleep."

"It's your fire." the Ghost retorted, "And until you find me a new haunt equally as awesome or better I'm going to haunt you, your family, and every last waking moment of your day until it happens."

The declartion she had made was enough to make Fang comment one more time on eating the ghost, Soul sighed, both annoyed with the snake and the spirit, "You're not going away unless I do it, huh?"

"Yep!" She replied with a grin, and Fang figuratively bashed his head into a figurative wall repeatedly, Ms.Moon, as Soul had came to call Nightmare Moon, just laughed.

Soul began to float across the swamp water, a few inches above it's surface, it wasn't enough to get him wet, but the ways the purple core of his spirit lit the water below him was enough to make the ghostly mare stare with slight entrancement, "Fine. But good luck finding my family, most of them are in another world. Most of them also aren't as merciful towards ghosts as I am. Also a little word of warning, don't look into the fire too much."

"Alright then," The ghost-mare retorted, a smile breaking on her face as she flipped upsidedown in the air, "I'm End Result. Friends call me Enda, well they would if I had any. Markless type, meaning you're not going to be wandering out of my range any time soon."

"Isn't End Result a Stallions name?" Soul asked.

"I don't know, I've met a stallion once who was named 'Daisy Buttons'." Enda retorted, and Soul found himself smiling despite himself, "What about you?"

"Soul Light."

She eyed him up and down, "How original for a talking light decoration."

Soul just chuckled as they lapsed into a comfortable silence, progressing towards the western edge of the swamplands before eventually breaking out of it and into the plains beyond.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Meanwhile in Sugar cube corner
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"Gun powder?" A black hoof reached in and pulled out a medium sized barrel that reeked of Sulfur, "Check!"

"Cannon?" Another voice added in, only for a bright blue cannon with pink wheels three times bigger than the average party cannon to be uncovered, "Check!"

"O.P.B.?" A third voice questioned, "What's an O.P.B.?"

The owner of the first voice, a small filly earth pony who's features were hidden behind a black suit shrugged, "Don't know, but Pinkie said it was needed for this."

"For what though exactly?" The second voice questioned, this one belonging to another filly who was wearing a similar outfit, only with a hole poked out for her white horn to fit through.

"don't know. But she said she was too busy planning a party or something to deploy it." The first one replied again, "Streamers?"

The third member of their party, a pegasus filly who had neglected the costumes all together and had instead donned a rainbow wig as a disguise came out of the pile of party supplies with a few dozen rolls of it balanced on her back, "Found it!"

"It's check you Dodo." the second filly told the third.

"What are you a Dictionary?" the pegasus filly replied before looking back to their earth pony friend, "Is that everything?"

"Yep. Accordin' to pinkie we need to set this thing up so it faces to the right of Soul's place and fire it at..." she paused to read the fine print of a note she was carrying, "High noon...?" she shrugged.

They all grinned as they readied the items on their list, "Cutiemark Crusaders O.P.B.A.S. yay!"

"Seriously though," Scootaloo added, "What does it stand for?"

Chapter 7: Shaman Trouble and Buffalo Tribes

“Life comes and goes. …If you know that, you know it all.”
― Sandra Harner

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Traveling as an giant glowing chandelier of a Pokemon across an open plain, even if it was mostly rolling hills, probably wasn't Soul's best idea. The fact that his unending light made him a beacon for those who had kept an eye out for other dangers in the night also didn't do him any good as he felt like he was being watched during the travels. Unlike the spirit who accompanied him, Enda, he wasn't invisible to mortal eyes and occasionally he spotted brief silhouettes of large bulky figures that would somehow manage to disappear completely when he turned his attention to them in the distance.

This had begun after traversing a few miles out of the swamp, and was increasingly annoying Soul as again and again he tried to spot his would be observers but eventually his calm was broken by paranoia, "Enda?" he finally asked after several moving several more meters forward.

The spirit moved up into soul's vision, adopting a lazy pose as if she was leaning back on an armchair, "What is it soul?"

"Do you see what's been following us for the past hour or so?"

She shook her head, "you mean the big black lumps that keep popping up and going back down into sneaking?"

Soul nodded and she shook her head, "Too far away for me to make out any details but if I had to guess it's a member of one of the Buffalo tribes that inhabit these plains."

That was a new one for Soul, so far he had only heard about a few of the races of Equestria, and seen even less, occasionally there was an odd griffon or horse that had visited Ponyville back when he had ruled over the Homestead. While he knew what a Buffalo was, mostly from history books and his ex-friends accounts on them, he had yet to actually have met a buffalo.

Another shadow popped up at the very edge of his vision and he resisted the urge to turn towards it, it'd only go back down first thing he did. This was getting annoying, and Soul tried devising a solution. Then it struck him, if it wouldn't let him find it beyond his peripheral vision... There was always... "Double Team."

Soul split into several copies of himself, each an illusion of his own form and they fanned out in an instant, boosting themselves forward with a secondary cast of Flame Charge, lighting up the night ground as a dozen pinwheels of fire lit the surrounding areas from overhead in ghastly purple flames. There they were. Several Buffalo dips and dives throughout the rolling hills to hide their bulk.

Somehow Soul had been expecting creatures similar to Tauros, but what he was met was something much different. They were hunchbacked for one, at least in comparison to ponies, but for that they were much larger, about four times taller than any pony he knew. That and one of them was carrying a strange long stick that had a hole through its length like a pipe, and it was being pointed right at-

Duck you idiot.

Soul obeyed, and dived down, just in time to miss a Dart flying through where he had been floating not moments before. That was something that he understood, and he darted through the air as his doubles went to circle around the buffalo, forming a quickly moving and changing circle around them, "Flash" A bright light emitted out, blinding the rough furred tribesmen and ruining whatever night vision they had left, and making them lose their track on their target as well.

Now Finish them off while they're open.

No, rather, interrogate them, there might be more in these plains, and then you can indulge in that desire. Nightmare Moon added in unhelpfully.

With both voices pressing against himself, he found himself drawing closer, and closer to the buffalo. There were three in all, the youngest, looking scared out of his wit as the approaching blurred walls of soul-burning fire and blackened gothic metals shrunk their standing room until they were back to back. Thought of interrogation vanished underneath a rising bloodlust.

A single ghostly demanding chime of a shout rang out, "Stop!"

His eyes broke away from his prey, and the rapid spinning began to slow, again End yelled, and he...Obeyed? His eyes darted between the buffalo, one who had passed out and was now lying limp on his side, the faint odor of wet fur reeking off him, the second let a burnt pipe, worn away to the stub and smoking like a cigar, fall to the ground. while the third was completely deadpan.

Quickly the blow-pipe Buffalo grabbed his unconcious buddy, slinging the massive bulk up and over his own hump before running off, the deadpan one however, stayed. But Soul's attention was fixed on End Result, who said her voice outraged, and her eyes practically alit in anger, "What do you think you're doing?! Good Spirits do not harm the living!" She said indignantly.

"But..." Soul's voice was quiet, his flame drew dimmer, but not smaller, the expression of uncertainty for the chandelier, "My very role is to-"

"I don't care what your 'role' is." End interrupted him, "You do not harm the living, Soul, Never-ever-ever. Especially when all they've been doing up until you attacked them was looking at the strange creature upon their lan-"

Soul felt something prick against his back. A second later, a second dart impacted End Result. We turned, and saw the remaining buffalo, his expression as stoic as before, with another of those pipes. Soul made to say something, but his mind couldn't come up with anything else than a quiet whistle of a yawn. Was he drugged? Think Soul, think. He passed out.

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Unknown Buffalo Tribal

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The Buffalo waddled up to him, his expression stern. At least until the Chandelier Shifted, His expression turned to one of mild shock, this strange floating spirit shouldn't be moving after the spiritual tranquilizers the shaman had given him to hunt this creature and bring it back, he rose his pipe to shoot it with a second dart when it heard from the Lamp, quiet as a whisper on the wind, "Sleep Talk."

Something inside the lamp began to glow, a small bright yellow ball? That didn't make any sense. He shot the unconscious chandelier again, just to be sure.

It didn't move much after that, so he pulled a rope out of his fur, where he hid it no one but he knew, and tied it to the floating base of the Lamp, and started to pull it, and with it came the spirit that was attached to the lamp, being pulled with this strange abomination of pony lighting furniture as though locked in a dome with it.This was mission accomplished by his standards anyway.

The Chandelier muttered something illegible,"Solar Beam." to the Tribal, and he rolled his eyes. He regretted turning his attention away as a massive beam shot up into the sky, the general direction the unconscious chandelier had been facing as he pulled it along, and he felt his eye spasm. Now he was running with this lamp, so he could drop it off to his Shaman and be done with this task. He also resigned himself to never volunteering to help the Shaman ever again, this was just too... unnatural. for his tastes.

Captured

"Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know."

-Charles Kingsley

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Meanwhile In the spa of pokemon deity's.

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"Ugh... Finally a break from all the dying birds." Arceus groaned, finally having the chance to relax, the day had been a relatively slow one, and for once, without a single bird type pokemon strangling itself on pieces of plastic, breaking its neck while running into a window, flying into another bird on accident, choking on a piece of rock or live pokemon, and etc.

Instead there had been a minor complaint about an abundance of ghost pokemon appearing within Giratina's favored lampents new nation wide post. Something he had completely made sure would be taken care of by their minion after contacting the nearest spiritual leader and informing them to the situation. However, Giratina only found comedy in the situation, and now he had adopted a miniature realm within his own distortion world for the damn bird pokemon to live in where they wouldn't be able to kill themselves a second time on accident or purpose. It was the same Giratina who was sitting next to him and occasionally messing about with his newest toys through a portal. Much to the annoyance of the three other giant birds in the giant hot tub, and the two in the lava bath.

[Seriously Giri. Leave the poor things alone] Articuno grumbled, [Those things already died once, you don't need to add permanent mental scarring to their list as well.]

Zapados, bitter and sarcastic as always took a second side to the argument, [Why did they even end up dying in the first place? Back in our days bird pokemon were respected, worshipped even.]

Lugia sighed, speaking in the modern language, unlike the others who were too lazy to learn to speak the human tongue, "Once again, that was the old days of the legendary three birds. What with all these upstart gods. Even humans have been trying to produce more of us. To mixed results."

[Hey, hey Arceus,] Giratina stated, completely ignoring the other two legendary birds, and looking to his father, [Speaking of legendary pokemon that are man made, remember that purple guy? Apparently hes unlocked a new stage of evolution and now completely out classes you in awesome, what do you think about that?]

Arceus rolled his eyes, [I made the universe. And I can just as easily undo the universe Giratina. Now stop teasing your relatives with your new subjects and just relax. Our break ends in a celestial cycle, and for once I'd like to actually get some stress off my back.]

[Hah, those idiots deserved it,] Moltres cawed over from the magma pool, [Anyone who can't figure out common sense that they need an entire week long holiday to slapping it into them clearly needs a reality check.]

Giratina Chuckled, while the other birds went into an uproar on the inhumane treatment of pidgeys, [Thanks for that Molt, I should probably be checking up on my minions progress, perhaps pay them a visit instead while the realm grows.]

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Meanwhile in a tent in another dimension, somewhere in the great plains south of everfree forest...
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The sound of arguing was what awoken soul, an angry End Result was yelling at a buffalo that had a bone through its nose along side a pair of masks similar to the ones Zecora had back in her hut, only it was being worn hanging off one of its curved tipped horns. Soul however, didn't really like how this buffalo was treating his spiritual companion, "For the last time you Markless pest! Sit on down and give it a rest!"

Great, another rhymer.

"Not until you apologize for having your warriors ambush us in the middle of the night!" End roared equally as loud, almost bashing heads with the shaman elder, if only it wasn't for her incorporeal, as the tip of her mane swayed in and out of the tribals forehead, their eyes almost causing sparks. Judging from how the fire inside the tent was starting to die, they had been at this for a while at least.

"A task I have been set, by one who can cause quite a large amount of unrest." The buffalo told her, as he looked to me, noticing my eyes were open, and that I had been burning away at the rope that was tying me to the ground quite passively. Soul didn't even notice the rope till it was already half burnt off him.

"Who in Arceus's name are you?" Soul asked, tugging himself free, wary of being shot yet again with another of those strange darts.

"Little light, I am but one who halts the blight." the shaman said unhelpfully, "The blight that is caused by problems of spirits, in which your creator has offered clearance."

"Uh, what?" Both Soul and End said.

He sighed, cutting out of rhyme, and getting to the point, his nerves frayed from talking to End for who knows how long, "Look, my tribe has a problem with spirits from another world, as well as with some bandits who are hunting us for Hawk knows reason or other."

"Ohhhh..." both Soul and End replied.

"Couldn't you of just... asked?" End replied, moodily, "Instead of you know, shooting The flaming chandelier with a tranquilizer dart?"

"I can't feel my face." Soul added to End's statement.

"It'll wear off." The shaman replied, "And you must understand we are a very wary people. Its not every day you see a flying pony chandelier that produces purple flames.

End sighed, "Yeah, he certainly caught me by surprise as well when I first met him."

The buffalo nodded, "I am shaman Long-Horn. Your masters Arceus and Giratina have asked you to help with our problems personally."

Soul looked surprised, "Wait, how do you know them?"

Long-Horn nodded at the question, "They contacted me a few nights ago, they said a chandlier that contains purple flames would be able to help with our problems and gave us a description and something to give you to confirm this."

Long horn turned around, and dug through his various drawers of herbs for something, before turning back around and handing over a a small box. Soul opened it and pulled out a tag covered in strange markings. More specifically written in that of his native world. "A spell tag..." Soul confirmed, and the shaman nodded, "That's what he called it."

Soul tied it to his right arm with a small smile, at least they hadn't given up on him, he nodded, "How can I help?"

"Well..." Long horn began, before he began to explain the situation.

Chapter 9: Dark Survivor

“The piggies were not to be disturbed-”
― Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead

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The North East Outskirts of Appleloosa
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Over the course of the night it was explained that a set of bandits had taken over Appleloosa as well as the neighboring tribes of buffalo. They were supposedly lead by a strange creature that none of them had ever seen before, and they had enough power in numbers and strength to subdue the poorly armed citizens of the town as well as meet the leaders of several tribes in combat and had taken their various leaders as hostage.

Equestria as a whole didn't know this operation, because while there were still several tribes of buffalo free, none of them had a mailing system to alert another town other than the one that was being occupied. The next nearest town was weeks of traveling away and by the time the reinforcements got back, several folks would be dead. That, however, was a minor problem in comparison to the other problem of restless spirits that they had. Apparently the intruders had been trampling sacred burial grounds as well, and that was causing massive unrest among the dead community, causing shamans to freak out at a coming catastrophic wave of unrest that only the communicators with the dead as well as a few selective warriors of the tribes could see.

Soul was effectively the solution with both problems, it seemed. With his unnatural combat style as well as assigned job that came with his form, if Arceus had ordered so, he had naught more to do but follow to the best of his abilities. His resolution towards the pokemon Deity was what had kept him going towards the pony filled town afterwards, despite his own reservations about approaching the town. Should word of his sighting leave this place, provided that he succeeded, he would have to make haste towards another sector of Equestria before the guards and other innocents came hunting for him. Behind him, Enda floated about, easily visible to him in his gaze, but otherwise invisible to the untrained in the rising light of the sun.

"Almost there, a bit father and we should see the town any moment now." the ridge they were climbing was a bit steep, but if Enda's predictions we're true, they should be arriving in town about a half hour before noon...

"Indeed and with them, a number of other things, no?" Soul replied, with a tone of slight depression, he would rather not approach a pony settlement if he could help it, especially since his kind of 'magic' was typically what ended up getting him hunted in the first place back in his region of reaping of departed souls, he really didn't want to think overly much about it though.

"Ahah, there it is!" Enda shouted from above, and Soul redoubled his pace, going from a walking pace to a jog, and eventually becoming a full on charge.

He'd rather not deny the inevitable, and lose the temporary notion of surprise. What with being a large flaming chandelier of purple fire and all. Just what had caused this amount of turmoil that his boss had called him anyway...?

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---
Equestrian Palace, Anti-Magic Ward 03.
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"It can understand us, correct?" The tall mare towered over the nearby stallion, aside from him was a massive pile of parchment that was scattered regarding the strange creature across a window length, which was peacefully polishing its mask occasionally casting a furtive glance towards the mirror, as if it had been on both sides of such things on more than one occasion.

"Indeed, though he, or it, as we can't really tell its gender from lady Sparkles notes, isn't really able to talk that much back. Nor does he have the capability to write, as we asked and only got a body shake of a general no, before it repeated its own name... again." The guard assigned to watch the cell was none other than lieutenant Grounding, a promising officer who showed potential of replacing Shining Armor should the later be somehow end up preoccupied. Celestia noted the page he was on, already three quarters done with the packet mere hours after having handed it to him. He was another unicorn, not out of preference but because of a number of reasons including the sheer amount of paperwork he'd eventually go through as with this occasion.

Celestia's gaze took back towards the creatures mask, that it refused to be parted with, for very good reason. As her guard reminded her, "Gotta admit, your highness, this creature is among the more disturbing variety that I've read about in my studies, a soul of a deceased human being, praytell what those are, turned into a being with all its memories yet none of its voice, and carrying away from their deceased transformation a mask of their likeness."

"Truly a gruesome fate, Lieutenant. Though have magic been devised for two way communications rather than just one way?" Celestia asked again, calmly replacing the focus on her original intent, "I'd very much like to have pleasantries exchanged before I'm wisked away to deal with the matters of the court till the night falls."

"Research is being studied as we speak your highness," The Grounding affirmed, "There is a number of spells that promoted early day speaking between various species of sentient races, we've been at work converting them to allow an enchantment to happen upon this... Pokemon. Its a wonder that any of them can speak at all, let alone two that we've witnessed so far speaking. The dex entries says that they aren't known for... vocabulary."

"Keep me updated then lieutenant." Celestia nodded to the smaller stallion, and turned to trot off, sighing as she thought over the various intricacies of the world around her, too much work to do. Plans for her student, insufferable nobles, the signs of greater trials ahead, and the general chaos of everyday life was getting to her. Maybe she could just grab a bit of cloud cake before heading back to the throne room...

Punches. They Aren't Wise. Nor is Wooden Spears and Pies For That matter.

“Give them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they will eat like wolves and fight like devils.”
-William Shakespeare (1564-1616) ‘King Henry V’

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Appleloosa
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It was an eventful week for Appleloosa. Soon after their issues with wandering buffalo tribes had passed by simply clearing a route through the apple orchards they had planted for them to roam through, they had thought their troubles over. Though that was, as was apparently, just the beginning of it. Their latest rodeos so far have been a disaster as it was said a terrible bandit named troubleshoes was wrecking them, and between one such rodeo and their planning for another one, another disaster had spouted up.

A strange creature of bipedal nature had taken over a band of outlaws from the southern fringes of the Everfree Forest and then set about conquering Appleloosa in a single punch. A single punch to their resident sheriff Braeburn that was now comatose and resembling a hairless well cooked dinner for carnivores than a pony. That punch had lighted itself on fire and scared the civilians and resident mayor into submission as well as assured the bandits loyalty to their new master. They weren't really afraid of the group following the leader as so much as the leader themselves mainly because the worst his minions offered in comparison to the firey fist to the face, was a torture by feather.

It was this state of mind that the mayor found himself questioning what else could go wrong, before he spotted a purple light rapidly growing from a pinprick on the horizon to a full on ghost, "I knew we shouldn't of let those six visit our town." he grumbled, "Their ponyville weridness rubbed off on us too. Great. Just Great." he was done, and went inside his cousins home to drink, seeing as his own home and office was currently occupied by the gang that took them over, "First the buffalo and then the bandits and now some purple fire is going to make things worse. What else world? what else?"

Meanwhile the leader of the bandits was making himself at home, he didn't quite like this atmosphere, he was a fighting master not a western gunslinger like those projectile firing Pokemon he had heard about back home. Nor did the desert like plains around him appeal very much in comparison to where he now sat. He thudded his fist on the table, an empty glass within it that needed filling again. He grunted as some of his new servant poured him another glass of cider. He was entirely sure why their manes weren't on fire, but he didn't particularly care. He had found where to place his new Dojo, and when fighting types came before him and fell to him, he would become their teacher, and train them to become as great as a fighting type as he was. That is, if ANY SHOWED UP. His frustrated train of instinct had made him take up what the humans would call alcohol. But all they had was freaking apple juice. At least it was a tasty beverage in the blazing heat of the day, and with his fists he could keep discipline in this makeshift dojo of human-speaking horses. His nerves were on edge though, and they weren't to be underestimated, he had cheated death with his nerves, and they rang that he was about to fight something, something horrifying.

"Uh, your most honorable and ferocious boss-sir?" the weakling pony he had first met spoke to him, he had been mourning the loss of a feather when the Pokemon had found him, not that it was important. He replied with a grunt of his name, still sitting in the stool that was far-too-low for his liking, "A purple fire has been spotted approaching your town... Um... Sir."

Purple Flame? That sounded familiar, a challenger maybe? The boxer like Pokemon rose to his feet, giving a curt fist pump before heading on out of the mayors meeting room, if it was a challenger he would face this flame face to face and head on. As was his creed. Less he be a dishonored Pokemon, and sacrifice his right to becoming a potential master. He had beaten death to come to where he was and if he turned back now his incredible honor would be besmirched. He still chuckled at the thought of disrupting his reapers work with a well placed ice-punch to the glass dome it called a head. Would serve it right for trying to take him a bit too early.

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Soul's Perspective
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Entering the town was far easier than he had thought. The doors were all shut, the windows likewise, and while a few ponies watched from window slits the latest probable invader of their town, others wondered what was about to happen, would it be an epic war? Judging from the pies scattered about the town, either a pie convention fell out of the sky or they had been throwing them at the creature that had invaded. But then again, think of the devil and he shall appear.

As a tumbleweed rolled by minding a business that no one should ought to know about, past it a humanoid figure stood. With a crown of brown spiky hair, and a purple, almost gray shirt that covered just above the knee line that had matching shoes and a set of shoulder guards that looked out of place with the boxing gloves that is its hands. The species was easy enough to identify, a Hitmonchan, also referred to as the 'punching' pokemon by the trainers pokedex. Seriously though, Soul wondered why it was called the 'punching' pokemon rather than the 'boxing' pokemon. It seemed like it would fit far more considering the atypical motto of the species was to punch the living heck out of something like a boxing champion. Mentally a little snippet played in the back of his imagination, wondering if the punching pokemon got its name from punching a professor in the face when it was first discovered.... Probably.

"Hitmonchan!" the causer of pony grief declared allowed, in the native tongue of his species, it seems he was not blessed with the equis speech, which sealed that he was the intruder he was here for, of course in the native language of their species it would of said, ' Another challenger comes to my Dojo to claim what is rightfully mine?'

Great, just great it was one of those occasions, where wild hitmonchan sought out greater challenges in their attempts to become the best fighting pokemon around, returning in kind with the same languages the chandelure spoke its own name, delicate shifts of fire and gestures of its many faceted limbs going to work expressing the exact intent, 'I am not here to challenge you, but free the people around here from fear Hitmonchan! This is not the world of pokemon, and the problems you are causing will reflect negatively among these people!'

Of course to the town ponies, it looked like the mad boxer thing was shaking a fist at a flying purple chandelier and the chandelier was making weird dancing motions, they could neither hear what was being exchanged, nor would they have understood it without years of practice.

To Souls quiet dismay however, the Hitmonchan refused with a shake of its head, and another stalwart cry, 'I have claimed these folk under my domain as my pupils, and I will make them train, until my honor has the satisfaction of a well fought victory, rather than the paltry defense that was offered before me. You will have to make me leave! En Guarde purple-lighted Foe, for I shall surely defeat thee in battle!'

'The heck is with the olden tongue all of a sudd-!?' Soul asked, but then had to swiftly fling himself to the side, as a bullet speed punch flew past him. Already the boxer had closed the distance, and still in the motions of the first dodge, the hitmonchan grinned, 'Ice Punch!'

"Protec-" Soul started but it was far too late, with the lightning fast second shot soul's voluntary flight became an involuntary one as he was launched across the street and into a barrel of apples.

The now upside down chandelier had incidentally set the entire barrel on fire with its flame, and with a cracked head everything was blurry... no, wait, that was the ice... As he recovered, the Hitmonchan waited, gesturing tauntingly with one of its gloves while it waited for Soul to get up. With a wash of heat, the ice melted, and the chandelure used recover to repair the damages, and clear away his concussion as he floated upward into right position. That being said and done, the Hitmonchan smirked and charged forward again, another one two ready.

Soul was ready this time, and with a swift flight upward he managed to avoid the straight and get out of the way of the follow up swing of ice, Then he felt the after lash of the second punch, even a indirect blow that missed by an inch or two, an arm had frozen, he needed to go faster if he was to keep up with this darn boxer, "Flame Charge!" With a whirlwind of fire, Soul flew toward the hitmonchan, who swiftly duck and weaved out of the way, but the fire served two other purposes. The first cleared away the ice on Soul's arm, and the other raised his speed up. If this Hitmonchan really wanted to play the speed game, it would return in kind.

Another flame charge, and more ice punches, some missing, others colliding, with each attack Soul was getting faster, but the Hitmonchan was still as fast as a bullet and faster still with his ice punches, the fight progressing from the center of town, and down the streets as reaper and boxer fought to maintain a position of dominance, but then on the fifth flame charge, the Hitmonchan changed attacks with a grin, 'rock slide!' With that the battle for distance was negated as the boxer punched the ground, and from underneath Soul, tons of rocks flew out, catching the fiery ghost by surprise, and nearly knocking the consciousness out of him with the sudden strike from afar.

"Recover!" The brink of death was narrowly avoided, but the heavy injuries still existed, but the time spent healing gave the Hitmonchan time for another move, more precisely a change in environment that was being incurred from a wild dance, causing rain to start falling. Here, fire type moves would be doused and Soul needed to be careful of taking in too much rain, mud or a mixture of both as a heavy downpour came on to try and douse his flame. How he missed his lid, his flame protecting wonderful lid that was in his old form!

The Hitmonchan was grinning wider now that the rain had set in, and with the fires being hampered, he charged onward, delivering elemental punch after elemental punch, each faster than the last as the flying chandelier was forced skyward to avoid all of them, time to go on the defense, and with that thought in line Soul decided the best course of action with the bullet speed puncher was to make enough targets that he wore himself out, and with a, "Double Team" or four, the quickly growing number of illusioned copies flying about, Soul started to work his upperhand, relying upon darker moves like Dark pulse to create waves of shadow that would be incredibly hard to avoid when the duplicates were also doing likewise making the real attack hard to find among the duplicates. It sent him flying backward into a wall, but he was far from done and out.

But as he emerged he was using a move, a speed boosting one as he called out the word 'Agility' rapidly, then he was out, as a burst of speed, rapidly he began to punch out faster, and faster, hitting duplicates down in rapid order with 'Bullet Punch!

Now he was punching through duplicates as if no tomorrow, and I could barely raise the green shield of the protect move before he had worked his way to me, about half finished through all the doppelgangers. When my shield and his fist met, there was an explosion of smoke from the force of the blow, and I had to follow up with a spin of fire as I turned into a wheel and charged him, 'flame charge'

It was clear he hadn't been expecting to actually find me until he worked himself through the rest of my doppelgangers, and caught in surprise he wasn't able to avoid me as I rammed into him. The fire seemed to burn him greatly, but that was probably because of how powerful my fire was. I didn't relent however, as I continued to charge into him while shouting the same move over and over again. Eventually he punched us in the side with an ice infused fist and we were sent rolling away from him.

Duplicates scattered once more around me as I recovered and reemerged into the crowd of floating chandelures as he got up clutching his burned gut. The rain had kept him from having a worse fate but now my speed had caught back up to his. "Thy have proven to be a powerful foe! Have at thee miserable ghost! For we have now decided to unleash our most powerful weapon!" He brought back his fist as it started to be coated in electricity, and in the rain it was amplified.

Worriedly I was starting to prepare my own strongest attacks, but then the fist unignited as he clutched with both hands into his stomach wound. Curiously I saw the clocktower behind him and saw that three minutes had passed. He needed rest and with his injuries it would be a long one. "Surrender now and you will not be harmed."

The Hitmonchan gave a slow wheezing laugh, "No need to ask that, thou hast won thy victory...We only wish we could've followed up with our words... He chuckled as he stared at the falling rain. By rights of the Dojo under us, we hand our keys and service to thee."

A single thought of confusion was painfully obvious on Souls face and the hitmontop continued, "You have beaten us in a fair duel, that makes thou our master until such a time we have proven to be your superior in combat."

As the rain began to part Soul looked from the hitmontop to the sky. Wondering what he was supposed to do now. He had won, and it had ended in a way he hadn't expected. Well he couldn't leave the hitmontop here to torment the folk of the village, so he guessed he would have to take the pokemon with him.

"Then welcome under my fold then, I guess." Soul replied after a short bit, "Do you have a name?"

"Name? What, like the trainers of our world?" Hitmontop replied, a bit in disbelief at the question.

"Yeah, I'm Soul Light." Soul readily replied, "And what should I call you?"

The hitmontop thought about it and looked around at the town, seeing little to no good inspiration by his viewpoint he thought for a longer bit before saying, "Call us Rain Storm. For our habit of punching up a storm we guess."

It would have to do until he either thought of a better name, or it stuck on as much as Souls name. Eventually Rain Storm had rested enough to move, and as they were talking ponies had begun to creep out of their homes and shops to see if the fight was well and truly over.

Noticing the attention Soul was getting nervous, and then he heard a whistling sound. Looking up it was too late to dodge.

A metric ton of party supplies rained down from the direction of the everfree forest, and the town was decorated in a spectacular fashion for a victory party. The sudden bombardment sent the two Pokemon scurrying off in panic and left the townfolk stunned. Several minutes passed and one stallion, Braeburn asked, "What now?"

Somewhere in the crowd another pony asked, "Time to party?"

"Time to party!" the rest of the crowd joined in a shout as the strange boxer, and flying purple chandelier that was plaguing their town left in a massive hurry. One asking, "What in Arceus names was that?!" and the other replying, "Pinkie Pie." as they scurried off into the plains back the way Soul came.