The Baltimare Incidentby PowerdrainerChaptersFirst contact.Rookie No More.Table for Two.A Reaper's SoulA Royal Pain.A Day In The Life Of A Royal GuardSolar WrathConsequencesDeadly BeginningsEpilogue. AftermathPrologue. If I Had The Chance, Would I Do Things Differently?First contact.I would like to thank Vates Despero for his help with this chapter. His help is greatly appreciated, as he pointed out many flaws, and gave useful tips to help fix this chapter. First Contact. <<>><<>><<>> "Now leave my town alone!" a trio of voices shouted simultaneously as Danny, and his two duplicates, stood before the prone Pariah Dark, seeing him struggle to push himself up, raising his head to meet the eyes of the human ghosts standing before him. While Danny and his duplicates raised the large fist of their Ecto-skeleton, and they delivered a bone crushing downward strike with a loud WHAM! The ghost king's head slammed into the floor, bouncing hard and causing his hold on the city to slip momentarily, and the dark green void Amity Park found itself in faded back to the blue of their sky, before the Ghost Zone's ghastly shades of green reasserted themselves around the beleaguered city. Pulling himself up, Pariah gave the three Dannys a death glare, before he flew up and landed on his feet. Holding his mace tightly in his hands, a glowing red surrounding the ancient weapon. Shooting a beam of malevolent red energy at them, he managed to hit one of the Dannys, causing him to vanish in a burst of energy. "Surrender child. You can not possibly win," he said with an evil smile. "I don't have to win!" Danny said defiantly, and the mechanized hands of his battle armor glowed an icy blue, and twin bands of energy crossing in an X surrounded them. Shooting at the wall in the back of the king's ancient castle, he exposed the sarcophagus hidden behind it. "I just have to make sure that you lose!" Danny yelled defiantly, his hands smoking from the energy spent, while the other him flew towards the sarcophagus, opening it. Pariah stepped back in shock as he saw the instrument of his imprisonment, his mouth open in a silent scream. The Danny standing next to the sarcophagus lifted his hand. Pointing a single finger at the king, he shot a tiny beam of energy at him, knocking off the Crown of Fire, depriving him of its power. The crown flew into the waiting hands of the other Danny, who looked at it with a shadow over his eyes, a victorious smirk on his face. "NOOOO!" Pariah yelled, and Danny threw away the crown and used his armor thrusters to shoot forwards. Hitting Pariah in the back, he pushed him towards the sarcophagus, using everything he had. With the thrusters in overdrive, Danny shot forwards, hurling Pariah Dark into the sarcophagus while his duplicate slammed the sarcophagus shut. The two joined together again while Danny held onto the king's prison, making sure he wouldn't break free while it was putting him back into his eternal sleep. A bright flash surrounded Danny, and twin rings of glowing blue crossing in an X surrounded him, before expanding outwards in the blink of an eye, surrounding the entire city of Amity Park. Sweat poured down his face as he held onto the sarcophagus, watching with a worried expression as the suit's energy meter dwindled rapidly. Energy drawn from him. Pariah bellowed in rage as he struggled to break free, and Danny closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he poured the last of his strength into this final effort, hoping it was enough. The world went dark, and Danny slid down to the floor as Vlad Plasmius inserted the key into the sarcophagus' lock, sealing the king inside. Another burst of energy surrounded the sarcophagus as Pariah let out his last screams of defeat, and all of Amity Park finally returned to its proper place on Earth as the king's hold over the reality shift vanished. However, at the threshold between the living world and the Ghost Zone floated a single door. A door that had drifted there at random, and was caught in the transition from one reality to another. The door, long forgotten among the literally countless numbers of floating doors found in the zone, was torn into pieces, and a massive burst of energy detonated from it as it was forcefully moved into the world of the living. It was a wild energy, something that was powerful enough to break through the layers of reality that separated worlds. And now it was running wild. It spiraled and looped through the world, trying to reassert itself and continue its task of leading from one world to the other. And, as Amity Park finally stabilized its existence on Earth, the wild energy also found a foothold, right in the center of the city. A burst of light erupted from the location, and the few humans there screamed in fear as they ran away from the rippling air. A massive ripple in the fabric of reality moved over the Earth as electrical sparks shot out of the center of the forming tear in reality, and the sound of a vacuum in reverse echoed throughout the streets. A couple of brave, or, more likely, foolish people stood there gawking, watching the air open up before them, and another world revealed itself to them. A world full of panicking ponies. <<>><<>><<>> Trottingham, it was a large bustling city. Home to many ponies, some griffons, even a few minotaurs and the other rarer creatures found in the magical world of Equestria. Ponies walked through the streets, giving a kind word to their fellow pony as they went on their way. Shops and stalls were found all around in the busy streets, and more than one passerby stopped to take a look. Others were running around in a hurry, running late for an important appointment or something else equally urgent. Muttering some complaints under their labored breath as they were forced to dodge around the more laid back ponies in their path. Griffons and pegasi flew overhead, some carrying mail bags as they delivered the residents' mail or packages, while others just flew around the tall buildings, enjoying the sights. Younger ponies and griffons were also in the mix, and they were weighted down by their saddle bags, or other means of carrying all those heavy schoolbooks they were told they needed, but weren't so sure about themselves. Laughter sounded from several of the groups of ponies and griffons packed together as they shared their plans on what to do now that they were free of their school obligations. All of them were busy doing their thing. And all of it would come to a grinding halt when the unexpected happened. In the center of one of the more busy market streets a spark of lightning shot out of empty air, scorching the side of a building, while all of those present looked between the black mark and the spot it came from in confusion and fright. Another lightning bolt came out of thin air, and another. All of those present were now panicking in the streets as they tried to flee to safety, not wanting to get hit by this unexplained freak lightning storm. With the sound of a vacuum sucking in reverse, a tear started to form in the fabric of reality itself, adding to the panic and fear they already felt, and causing a lot of ponies to run over each other as a strange alien world opened up to them. A city could be seen through the tear. A city that seemed severely damaged, and where the green skeletons of unknown creatures littered the streets. There were other creatures as well, very much alive, and looking at the tear with wide open mouths. One of them, though, did something that would inspire others to follow its lead. It stepped through. <<>><<>><<>> "Cosmo, what on Earth do you think you're doing!?" a red haired woman shouted after the man who was moving towards the tear, panic and anger clear on her face. "Ahh, Wanda. Don't worry. I'm only looking," he answered without a care, and he stepped through the hole in reality and into the realm of Equestria, "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" "Don't get me started," she grunted as she crossed her arms. The careless man stepped through the shimmering tear, looking around with awe and wonder, but not a moment of hesitation, fear, or second guessing himself. The ponies, and the few griffons and a single minotaur, that remained after the tear formed, however, looked at the strange alien with either fear, in case of the ponies, or a mixture of curiosity and apprehension in case of the griffons and minotaur. They stayed in hiding everywhere they could, however, as they didn't want to interact with anything that was capable of doing… whatever it was that had just happened. "Hey, that guy just went through!" someone shouted while pointing at Cosmo, before following the man through the hole himself. Followed shortly thereafter by several more men and women. Wanda, meanwhile, facepalmed hard enough to leave a red mark on her face, making her groan as she now had to deal with the throbbing pain that it caused on top of the rampant stupidity. "Idiots. They're all idiots," she muttered under her breath as she, too, followed her husband. Not because she thought it would be a good idea to step through this thing, but to make sure he wouldn’t get into trouble… Something she already knew was just wishful thinking. Wherever Cosmo got involved, trouble would soon follow. Sighing explosively, she stepped through the shimmering tear in reality, absentmindedly taking note that she didn’t feel anything when she stepped through, but mostly just ignoring it as she was more focused on her idiot husband. And there she was, along with her partner and a group of other people that either thought it wise to step through, or those who found themselves in a similar situation as herself. And, together, the lot of them looked around in wonder and surprise as they took in the strange, yet familiar sight of a city so similar to their own, slowly spreading out through the street as they did so. “Wow," someone said, amazed, “Where are we? Who build this?” “Was it ghosts?” a woman asked, frightened. “I don’t know, but look at that," yet another said after several tense minutes, pointing at a large statue near them. “Is that an unicorn?” “No, it has wings too.” “Maybe it's a wingycorn!” Cosmo offered happily, earning him several stares while others continued with their exploration of the strange city. The sound of something falling over drew their attention away from Cosmo and towards the young pony that had fallen out of cover. “What is that?” “Is it a horse, like a small one?” “You mean a pony, or something?” “Yeah, that.” “I guess.” “Look, it's running away!” “Is it someone’s pet?” “How should I know?” “Maybe you can google it?” “Hey yeah, that might work," one man replied, and he pulled out his phone to access the internet. "Hey, I've got no connection!" he shouted a moment later, causing others to pull out their phones as well to try themselves. "Me neither!" another called out after her own phone failed to connect. "Does anyone have a signal?!" "It doesn't look like it. Maybe if we move ba—" someone else replied, only to be cut off by the sound of a vacuum sucking, and they all turned to look at the tear they had come through, seeing it close. Panic settled in, and they all began to shove and push one another as they tried to go back through the hole in reality, only to fail. There they were, a group of humans stranded on a world not their own. Trapped with no idea where they were, what to do, or if there were ghost here. And, most importantly. Where were the people that had built this city. Certainly there had to be someone there, and maybe they could help them, they hoped. The sound of wings flapping could be heard, and they all turned to look and see what it was. None of them expected to see the sight that awaited them. Flying high above them, wearing shining armor while holding spears and swords in their hooves, were horses. <<>><<>><<>> Half an hour earlier. Celestia and Twilight were sitting in a private room, chatting idly with one another. It had been a while since the last time they were able to just sit down and talk, as most of Celestia's time was spend with either teaching the young purple pony, or her various royal duties. But for now they had the chance to just chat, as friends. Something Twilight had a hard time with, as the concept of friends was somewhat difficult for her. For her to 'cut loose', as Celestia told her to do, was a difficult thing indeed. Something she couldn't find in her books. And she tried, Celestia knew she tried. Literally. But now they were just talking. Celestia was happily talking about anything and nothing, just enjoying her time with the growing mare. While Twilight, always eager to learn, and not fully understanding the concept of a friendly chat, shot question after question about anything that she could think of. And that was a lot, as Celestia soon discovered. But she didn’t mind one bit, and she happily answered any question her student had with a smile on her face, finding the dedicated drive she showed a wonderful source of amusement. But their moment was cut short when, in a burst of dark orange fire, a scroll materialized before Celestia, and gravity pulled it down before she grasped it in her magic; gasping as she recognized the dragonfire as that of the emergency communication system she had established in each city. A small bottle of dragon’s fire, given in small amounts to each major settlement, and to be used only in the most dire of emergencies. "Princess, what is it?" Twilight asked, curious. "Something troubling, Twilight," Celestia answered as she unrolled the scroll, "This letter was sent to me through the emergency dragonfire system. No pony would do such a thing unless it was absolutely necessary," she told her young student before reading the letter. Her eyes widened as she read the contents of the short and hastily written note, and she stood up in a flurry of movement, startling Twilight as she did so. “Guards!” she called out, and the two guard ponies standing outside the door hurried inside. “Your majesty, what is it?” they replied with a bow. “Bring acting Captain Shining Armor here, right now!” she ordered, knowing Captain Sharpened Edge was currently unavailable due to a severe case of horn rot. The two guards obeyed with a salute, turning and leaving the room with haste. “Princess, what is going on?” Twilight asked, concerned. “I have just received an emergency message from Trottingham. There has been a disturbing development, and what appears to be a portal of sorts has opened," she answered without a thought. "And, if the note is to be believed, an unknown force has already started to move in.” Twilight gasped in shock at the news, a frightened look on her face, and Celestia mentally kicked herself for saying such a thing to the young pony, and she quickly reassured the young mare. “Oh, don't worry, Twilight. I do not know what to believe about this myself, and it might very well be nothing," she said, 'But they wouldn’t send this through the way they did if it wasn’t serious.' she finished in the safety of her own head. Both of them turned to look at the door when the sound of galloping made its way down the hallway and through the still open doors. “Your highness," Shining Armor called out with a salute as he came to a stop before his monarch, “You summoned me.” "BBBFF!" Twilight called out happily, and she hug tackled her big brother, who had a brief look of bewilderment, before a small smile found its way onto his face. Celestia, although concerned about the urgent matter the letter raised, couldn't help but to smile herself as she saw the young pony firmly attached to the royal guard's captain. Who, himself, had a hard time not breaking character and remaining professional. "Twily," Shining Armor said as he used his magic to pry the aforementioned pony off of him, "You know you can't do this while I am on duty, remember?" Twilight's eyes widened in shock as he said that, finally realizing what she had done, and who else was there as well. "I'm sorry," she said as she started to panic, looking at both her brother and the Princess. "It is alright, Twilight. But right now I must discuss some important matters with your brother. So, if you would be so kind as to go back to your room. I'm sure Spike would be happy to see you again." Nodding furiously, and then running away while tripping over her own legs several times, Twilight hastened out of the room, leaving the two adults alone behind her. "Ahum. Sorry, ma'am," Shining Armor apologized, "You summoned me?" “I did, Captain. I have received an emergency message from Trottingham, and it would seem an unknown force has entered the city through means of a portal. We must send in the guards at once, and we have no time to waste. Mobilize all able bodies, and gather them out in the courtyard. I will then use a mass teleportation spell to send everypony to the city.” “Ma’am," he replied with a crisp salute, before turning around and galloping towards the guard's barracks to mobilize the guards. <<>><<>><<>> "Are you guys seeing what I am seeing?" one of the people in the crowd asked as they looked up at the flying horses. "If by that you mean small horses flying while wearing armor and such, then yes," came the answer. “Oh, good. For a moment I thought I smoked something weird." "Yeah. Just watch out for the magical unicorns, then you know you’ve had enough," Cosmo said in light humor, and a flash of light blinded them all. Looking down below the flying horses, on the ground before them, they saw rows and rows of yet more horses. All wearing armor and weapons, and a lot of them had horns. “You just had to open your mouth, didn’t you?" Wanda groaned as she slapped her husband on the back of the head. "Well, yes. How else am I supposed to talk?" he answered in return, completely oblivious, and Wanda could only stare at him with an absolutely bewildered expression, before slapping her hand against her face, hard, really, really hard, and all the humans, and even some of the small horses flinched in response. “Cosmo, you idiot," she groaned in annoyance and pain, dragging her hand down, revealing a bright red mark on her face. He was about to reply, most likely making his wife groan in even greater irritation, but he was silenced when one of the small armored horses stepped forward and started to talk. "You... beings. You are all under arrest for trespassing and invading this city. Come quietly, and nopony gets hurt," the small horse said in an authoritative male voice. "Wait, did that horsey talk?" "Did it just call us ponies, or something?" "Who cares about that?! They're pointing those spears at us." "Are you serious, we have nothing to defend ourselves with." "Well, I'm not going down without a fight!" one particularly angry man called out. "Neither am I." "Let's show these horses who's boss!" And with a battle cry, the humans prepared for the coming fight. **** "Are you serious, we have nothing to defend ourselves with." That drew Shining Armor's attention, and he took a good long look at the creatures before him. Their long, slender build. Two legs, which indicated they wouldn't be as fast as them. No claws or fangs to speak of, and only those glowing devices in their stubby claws. "Well, I'm not going down without a fight!" one particularly angry creature called out. "Neither am I." "Let's show these horses who's boss!" It was clear to Shining Armor that the situation was escalating, and that a messy fight would be inevitable if he didn't act soon. It was obvious that this group of individuals were of an unknown origin, which meant this was, most likely, a first contact scenario. Something that had not happened since the days of old, when the ancient ponies came in contact with the Diamond Dogs who, living underground, had gone unnoticed for many millennia, until after the events of Nightmare Moon, which forced them out of hiding. Knowing full well that any aggression towards these creatures could be misinterpreted, yet with an order to contain the situation, Shining Armor was left with few options. Clearly the creatures were agitated, and his guards were partially responsible for that. But, they needed to act. He just hoped things wouldn't spiral out of control. "Yeeaahh!" the majority of the alien group yelled as they prepared for a fight, and the guards did the same. Raising their spears and swords, while the horns of the unicorns started to glow in many bright colors, and the pegasi started to circle the small band of aliens. "Guards, only fight them if you have to! Try to incapacitate them, but don't severely injure them," Shining Armor ordered. The guards aimed their spears and lifted their swords, but didn't move in any other way. The unicorns charged their horns with shield spells, so they could deflect whatever these creatures could throw at them, and they waited for what would happen next. The creatures, seeing the guards ready their weapons, do something with their horns, and completely missing the order given by their leader in the ensuing chaos, took this as an act of aggression towards them, and they acted before the guard could strike first. The guards, however, merely blocked the crude attacks, which only seemed to make the creatures more agitated, as they felt more threatened by their stoic, and from their point of view, taunting stance. And, just like any wild animal that found itself trapped, the creatures began to fight the guards with everything they had. <<>><<>><<>> Soarin slowed down his flight, drifting on the wind as he angled his flight path towards the distant building before him that housed the tear found in this city. He, like all other ponies in the service, knew what happened during, and after, the fight that had occurred between the humans and the guards. Mainly, a mess. To call it anything else would have been a lie. The humans, stranded in a world they didn't understand, feeling threatened by a force that didn't know a thing about them. The humans, of course, had no way to defend themselves. But when they saw the guards prepare for, what they believed to be an attack, the humans tore apart and took whatever they could find to use as a weapon. There was also the issue of the humans 'glowing devices' they held in their 'stubby claws'. The guards, never having seen these things before, and not knowing what they were used for, had to assume they could potentially be used as a weapon. Of course, these days, they knew better. Long distance, multifunctional communication devices. Something that was unheard of before the humans arrived in their world, and something that many still had a hard time understanding. But back then, before anypony knew about the humans and the technology they'd created, the guards saw, and acted accordingly, towards a potential threat they knew nothing about. The humans fought back, of course. Who wouldn't? But without any way to defend themselves, despite the crude weapons they made from anything they could find, they were quickly stopped and captured. It took less than an hour, and, with the exception of a few cuts and bruises, there were no injuries to be reported, on the guards side. The humans, however, weren't so lucky. True, the guard were ordered to keep any injuries to a minimum. But with the wild, uncoordinated, messy fight the humans threw at them, some injuries were unavoidable. Most of them had multiple bruises, some scratches, or a small cut here and there. But a small group of the more aggressive humans ended up with a few more serious injuries. Nothing life threatening, but enough to stop them. A well placed buck against a pair of legs resulting in broken bones. Or the flat end of a sword slamming against the back of some human's head, knocking him out, and giving him an concussion. A few cracked ribs, and a few shallow cuts on their arms and legs. The very worst of the injuries were one woman who ended up with three broken bones in her right hand and a severe concussion resulting in a six day coma. The guards overpowered the humans in less than an hour, and captured them for interrogation. A couple of medics tended to the injured. But without any knowledge about human anatomy, the best they could do was bandages and simple splints. And, after all was said and done, the guards helped to restore order in the city. Guards were stationed around the point of entry. Placed there to help restore the peace, and help out any of the civilians if needed. They talked and joked with each other about the strange creatures they'd stopped, and how incredibly weak they were. And, most surprisingly, how they didn't use any magic against them. But they were quickly silenced when, with a flash of light and the sound of a vacuum in reverse, a tear opened in the air, showing a world never seen before, and a large army ready to step through. This time the strange and weak creatures that came through proved to be anything but defenceless. The soldiers of the other world crossed the tear without any hesitation, and they were quick to secure a perimeter, while even more of them came through. Then, the machines came. Large green vehicles, each with a long, narrow cannon on the front, seemingly weighing many tons, and stopping for no pony at all. The humans, clad in an armor that was much stronger and lighter than any of the armor the guards had, quickly captured and secured all the guard ponies stationed near the tear, keeping injuries to a minimum, while relieving the ponies of any weapons they might have. The glowing horns were something they weren't expecting, or what the ponies could do with them. So, in order to neutralize the potential threat, each of the unicorns were knocked out by a swift blow to the back of their heads. It was over in no time at all, and things did seem to go swiftly for the humans, when, after only twenty minutes or so, a flash of light and the sound of a vacuum's suction brought their attention to the rip in reality; seeing the way home closing, leaving a part of the military back on Earth. Those who were now stuck on the other side, however, prepared for anything that might happen. They knew the portal reopened before, and they hoped it would do so again. In the meantime, they had to get their people back. So, despite being cut off from their main forces, they continued securing the perimeter, and neutralizing any of the small horse like creatures wearing armor of sorts who might pose a threat. So, there they were. Humans captured by ponies, and ponies captured by humans. And it was clear from the power displayed while securing their bridgehead that any fight would be long, and devastating. So, a more peaceful solution had to be found, and Princess Celestia went to negotiate the release of her ponies, in exchange for the return their own advance force. Things didn't go as they expected. <<>><<>><<>> "Hold it right there!" the officer in command of the advance team said as he, along with the soldiers by his side, aimed their weapons at the approaching figure. They immediately saw this creature was larger than the other horses, ponies, whatever. Sporting both a horn and wings, and a set of regalia to boot. It was obvious this creature, snow white, with a multi colored mane and tail that waved in an unfelt breeze, was the leader of the enemy force, and the soldiers wouldn't let her get too close. "That will be close enough!" the human commander said, and the larger pony complied. "I am here to negotiate the end of all this hostility, and the release of my ponies in return for your own," the large white pony said as she stopped her advance, her voice making it clear to the humans they were dealing with a woman. The officer looked at the female before him for a long, tense minute, before relaxing his stance a bit, though not enough to be caught unaware should she try something. "I'm listening." "I propose an exchange of my ponies for your… mans and womans. And that you call off any invasion that you might have planned," the female pony said, using those unfamiliar words. "Invasion? What are you talking about?" the commander asked, confused. "What do you mean? Your kind invaded this city, and we responded to your threat," she said sternly, stepped forward a bit. "Our threat? What kind of a threat do a bunch of curious civilians pose?" "Civilians?" the large pony female said, shocked, as she looked at the human in confusion, "What do you mean?" "As I said. Civilians. And none of us invaded your city. But a bunch of civies went through whatever that hole in the air was, which formed after a massive ghost invasion in one of our own cities." The large pony stood silent for a moment, watching the humans in confusion, seemingly wanting to comment on the ghost remark, but deciding against it in favor of resolving this incident without any further difficulties. "I… see," she said, unsure, "So you are not responsible for the opening of this portal? And what about those glowing devices your kind had on them, did those have anything to do with it?" "We opened nothing. And what do you mean, glowing devices?" "Well, those glowing objects they all had in those stubby claws of yours." "Sir, I think she is talking about their phones," a private spoke up. "Phones?" she said confused, "What are phones?" The humans all shared a puzzled look with one another, confused over the fact that she didn't know what a phone was. "Uhh, you know. A phone. A small, multifunctional communication device," the private spoke up, and the large pony looked at him in confusion, before looking at the rest of them. **** Celestia looked at the strange creatures before her, both shocked over the fact that the invading force was nothing more than a group of civilians, and the description she'd gotten for the weird devices found with the creatures. If what they said was true, then not only did they take down a group of civilians, but they were a species capable of a magic they have not encountered before. Devices such these must contain a very powerful magic indeed. And if they were capable of magic in such a way, then what else were they capable of? She felt a shudder go down her spine as she was forced to reevaluate the potential threat, and she knew she had to contain the damage before it resulted in a full scale conflict. So, while experiencing an unusual feeling of fright inside, she answered wearing a mask of strength and neutrality. "It would seem we've missjudged the situation, but my ponies acted according to their training against a potential threat, and responded in such a way as to keep any injuries to a minimum. However, that does not mean that what has happened is not an unfortunate turn of events. I shall order the immediate release of your mares and stallions. But, please, I ask you to do the same for mine." The major gave her an odd look over the weird way the men and women were referred to, but didn't mention it as he observed the white pony, trying to read her and decide if she was lying or not. But the fact that he didn't know a thing about the creature before him did make this a difficult task. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked after a moment. "You'll have my word," the white mare answered. "To be honest, that is not much to go by. I would like to know if those in your possession are in good health, and are in no way seriously harmed." "That can be arranged, yes. However, you should know that, despite my guards best efforts, some injuries were sustained. Our medics have done the best they could, with the limited knowledge they have of your kind, but some of your mares and stallions have either broken bones, or superficial cuts and bruises. The most serious injuries appeared to have been self inflicted. That female still hasn't woken up." "Woken up from what?" "She, eh… Face clawed?" "I see," the commanding officer muttered, and he called for a couple of medics over his radio. "You bring our people here, and my own medics will take a look at them. Then, if everything checks out, I will release your ponies. Okay?" She regarded the being for a moment, trying to read his face, and determine if he was telling the truth. But a complete lack of experience regarding this species made it a more difficult task than she would have liked, and her gaze dropped down to the weapon he was holding. She didn't know what this weapon was capable of, nor did she intended to find out. And, looking at the large vehicles with the cannons on the front, she felt a shudder go down her spine. Should things go wrong, it was obvious any conflict as a result would be devastating indeed. Knowing that she had to tread lightly, and ensure the safety of her ponies, she had to take a leap of faith. "Very well, I shall have your, eh, people brought here. Meanwhile, could I know the name of the being I am talking to?" she asked, trying to defuse any tension that was there. Lowering his weapon, he looked at the large female pony before him. Clicking on the safety of his weapon, he gave her a nod in response. "My name is Connor. Major John Connor." "Greetings, Major John Connor. I am Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria." <<>><<>><<>> He wasn't there himself, true. But he heard about what happened from those who had been there. As a rookie, still in training, he was not yet allowed to go out in the field as such. Not that he minded, considering everything that he heard. It was a mess he was happy he didn't have his hooves in, but it was a mess that would manage to taint him all the same. It just took a little more time. Now though, as he stood in the embarkation room, staring at the tear that would bring him back to Equestria, he couldn't help but question if, had they taken the ghost talk more serious, would they have been more prepared for what was to come? Then again. The humans took the ghost threat more than serious, and even they were unable to do anything much when it was needed. It was, incidentally, also the reason their worlds first met. The attack on the city he had just left, plus a certain ghost that held the top spot on the world's most wanted list. To be brought in, dead, or undead. Soarin shook that out of his mind, it wasn't something he liked to think about. He, like all other ponies, heard about what this ghost had done. And he, just like everypony else, was horrified and appalled by those actions. And if it wasn't for this ghost, this Danny Phantom, that horrible ordeal wouldn't have happened. But, also, if it wasn't for this ghost, he wouldn't have met Jazz either. He let out a sigh, not knowing how he should feel about that contradictory situation. On one hoof, that ghost was indirectly responsible for the worst ghost related incident on his world. On the other, it brought him to the woman he loved. It was a conflicting feeling, and he just didn't know what to do with it. He tried talking about it with Jazz, given her profession. But she acted rather… evasive whenever he brought up anything related to Danny Phantom. But he just guessed it was because of her own personal experience with the ghost. The ghost responsible for the death of one of her friends, and the disappearance of her brother. Sighing again, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he stepped through the tear, arriving back in Equestria; seeing a griffon waiting for the group to come through to lead them to the scanner room. 'I guess it's just like Jazz once said,' he thought as the group was led by the griffon, 'All that is good is overshadowed by that which is bad. And all that is bad is brightened by that which is good. They each balance out the other.' Soarin sighed, 'So much bad happened because of him, but I also got so much in return. I don't know what I would do if I ever met this Danny Phantom, but I hope I never find out.' Rookie No More.I would like to thank Vates Despero for proofreading and editing this chapter. Rookie No More. <<>><<>><<>> The Wonderbolts. Once a dream he had as a small colt, now a dream he lived. Soarin looked at himself in the mirror, watching himself as he wore the signature flight suit all members of this elite team wore. The blues and yellows, along with his cutie mark displayed on the suit where it covered his mark. He liked it, a lot. He had worked so hard to get here, going through some of the hardest training any pegasi worth his or her feathers could go through. Most washed out, but he didn't. And now, here he was. Looking at his own reflection with a large, proud smile as he shifted angle every now and then, taking it all in. "Well, hello there, stud," a hot voice said, and Soarin turned around to the open door, a blush showing on his cheeks as he saw the orange and yellow pegasus mare standing there, smirking at him over his flustered behaviour. "Spits… How long have you been standing there?" he asked with a stammer. "Long enough to enjoy the show," she answered in a low, slightly lusty voice. Circling around him, she observed how the flight suit clung to his body, showing off his toned muscles underneath, while Soarin stood frozen on the spot. "Uhh… What are you doing?" he asked after she had completed a full circle. "Just inspecting the new recruit for the team," she answered with a smirk, "And I like what I see." "... Isn't this a bit inappropriate? You know, seeing how we are teammates and everything," Soarin remarked, not sure how to deal with the situation as, on one hoof he didn't wanted to endanger the hard earned position he had gained, while on the other he had trouble keeping his wings under control. "Maybe if I was the captain of the team, it would be," Spitfire purred as she brushed her tail against his muzzle, "But I'm not, yet," she breathed hotly in his ear, grinning deviously as Soarin swallowed loudly. Stepping away from him and turning to leave the room, she looked back at the frozen, sweating stallion, smirking as she looked at him. "Oh, and nice suit," she added with a wink, before she left the stallion alone; putting a bit more sway in her hips as she walked away. Still standing frozen on the spot, Soarin felt a cheeky grin spread across his muzzle as he finally relaxed his stance. Seeing his grinning reflection in the mirror, he looked at himself once more. 'Heh, I guess it's true what they say. Mares love a stallion in uniform.' <<>><<>><<>> 'If only things could have remained as simple as that,' Soarin thought with a sigh as he stepped out of the tear compound, looking up at the sky, 'Things are never that easy, it would seem,' he added as he spread his wings, taking to the sky. Looking down on the city of Trottingham, the city where the first tear opened, he felt a pang of regret over his chosen words. Yes, he wished for things to have remained the same, but some of the change had been for the better. The sudden and large leaps forward in their technological understanding from their interactions with the humans. Even though there were those ponies who believed those inventions, or the humans themselves, to be untrustworthy. Mainly because of the fact that they also brought those ghosts to their world and most, if not all, technology found on this world is related to stopping ghosts in some way or another. The humans helped them to improve their technology, because it was needed to stop the threat of ghost attacks. An improvement that wouldn't even have been necessary if the humans hadn't shown up in the first place. But, then again, it wasn't like they had much of a choice in that matter themselves, as it was a ghost that first brought their worlds together. A bridge between worlds that allowed the crossing of many unwelcome visitors, who would become responsible for one of the most devastating attacks in recent history. Even taking into account the chaos unleashed by Discord some years ago. At least no pony died when he broke free. Injured, scarred, and afraid, yes, but alive. The same could not be said for a lot of ponies who were in Baltimare on that fateful day. Including somepony from his team. <<>><<>><<>> It had been several months now since the ghost boy had last been seen, and everyone was afraid if, when, and where he would show himself again. Everyone was burdened by a constant fear, afraid that they might be the next victim of this menace. To make matters even worse, since the terror of Amity Park had vanished the ghost hauntings had increased tenfold, and were still rising. Why this was, no one knew, save a very select few. But they were unable to tell anyone else, afraid of completely ruining the life of their friend. But, with Danny Phantom gone, the ghosts now had a lot more freedom, and they were eager to use it. Sure, there were those government groups, like the Guys in White. But they were mostly amateurs pretending to be experts, and, more often than not, they just ended up getting caught in their own traps. Yes, it was truly a good time to be dead for any ghost that gained enjoyment from tormenting the mortals. And, to make things even more terrifying, ever since the first tear opened in Amity Park, more started to show up, opening up the world of Equestria for the ghosts. And right now this problem was repeating itself. It was a seemingly normal day, with people going about their everyday lives, minding their own business. Until, completely unexpected, a ghost portal opened, bringing forth a large group of ghosts, who were quick to terrorize the humans they found there. And, unfortunately for the humans, the village they lived was too far away from any city to have any of the more advanced forms of anti ghost tech lying around. Instead, all they could do was scream and run away in panic, while the many ghosts wreaked havoc in town; not seeming to care when the portal closed behind them. People ran through the streets, ghosts following after them, while sirens blared loudly through the streets. No matter where they went. No matter where they hid. The ghosts would be there with them, scaring them... or hunting them, in Skulker's case. Then, without warning, a ripple moved through the air, distorting reality wherever it passed. Everyone stopped whatever it was that they were doing, except Skulker, who tightened the knot on the rope he had tied around the net holding several humans, before he too looked at what was going on. The ripple continued on its way, collapsing in on itself a short distance from the village, warping and shifting as it tore a hole in the fabric of reality, opening a passage to the newly discovered world of Equestria for all of them. Meanwhile the ponies on the other side looked with fearful eyes at the humans and ghosts. "Well, this hunt just got more interesting," Skulker growled eagerly. Looking down at his captured prey, he let loose a huff of irritation, not at all satisfied with this less than thrilling capture. "You're lucky," he said as he cut the rope and retrieved the net, "It would seem a more interesting hunting ground has just opened up." The humans previously trapped in the net scampered to get away from the menacing ghost, screaming as they ran away. "And it would seem it is open season," Skulker added with a harsh laugh, activating his weapons as he, along with the all the other ghosts, flew through the tear, beginning the event that none dared to speak of, except in hushed whispers. <<>><<>><<>> Ponies were milling through the streets, going about their day to day lives as they navigated the urban jungle of Baltimare. They were chatting with one another, enjoying the many sights the city provided, or taking a moment to enjoy some of the food the many vendors provided. Yet, all of that changed when the air tore open, showing the human world, Earth. And a silence not unlike that found in a tomb settled down over the city. Large, fearful eyes watched the swarm of spectral entities as they flew through. And, in an instant, the silence was shattered when the screams started. The ponies scrambled and ran for their lives, not knowing where they should go, or how to hide from the horrors that came through. And, in the ensuing chaos, many ponies tripped and fell, getting trampled under the hooves of those that managed to remain standing, and were running away in a blind panic. A wave of color spread through the city, moving away from the tear as fast as they could, but the ghosts proved to be faster, even for the pegasi, as they were slowed down by the buildings blocking their paths. Something the ghosts didn't have any trouble with. And, without anything they could do, the trap closed around them, sealing the ponies in the city. A city now under the control of an army of the dead, who looked down at the cowering ponies with malice in their glowing eyes. <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie Pie wasn't having a very good day. No siree, not at all. It started out well enough, as she woke up in the guest bed, her older sister, Maud Pie, lying in the bed adjacent to hers. She and her older sister were staying with their grandmother, Granny Pie, for a few days, while her mother, father, and her two other sisters stayed at the rock farm. Pinkie had wanted to visit her grandmother for a while now, and, thanks to her older sister agreeing to go along with her to keep an eye on her, as Pinkie was well known to be quite a hoof full, especially for someone of such advanced age, they were now enjoying their time with grandma in the city. Pinkie couldn't be happier, as not only could she spend time with the bestest grandmother in the world, save for her other grandmother, but she could also go around the city with her big sister, looking at all the cool things and parties the grown up ponies had. Plus, she knew her sister liked the more hectic city life as well, as she had grown a bit bored of all those rocks on the rock farm, and together they walked through the city. Or, Maud walked anyway, Pinkie bounced, earning her many strange looks, which she returned with a large, toothy smile. Or they simply sat down with their grandmother, enjoying a snack while she entertained her grandfoals with the stories of her youth, which was something Pinkie found both amazing and strange. Her grandmother was young once too? Now though, she wasn't having one of those super duper funeristicly great days. How could she be? First there was that strange sensation, with her body feeling all weird. The pinching in all four of her legs. The clattering of her teeth. The flapping of her ears. The twitching of her tail. The rumbling of her belly. The itching of her back. And her mane and tail, usually poofy and curly, suddenly deflating all at once. Then the screaming started, and ponies began running and screaming in fear while being chased by those big mean meany-pants ghosts. And they, too, were swept up in the stampede as several ghosts headed their way. "Pinkie!" Maud shouted as she grabbed hold of her younger sister, pulling her onto her back and running away at full speed, "We need to get outta here. Hold on!" Using her earth pony strength, honed through years of grueling labor on the farm, she ran through the crowd; even jumping over a pony or two, as she hurried to return to their grandmother's. "Big sis," Pinkie said in a small voice, holding tightly around Maud's neck with her front legs, pressing her face into the purple mane while peeking up with fearful eyes, "What's happening?" "I don't know, Pinkie. Just hold on tight. I will get you out of here!" Maud answered through her heavy breathing, eyes scanning the area before her for any clear path for her to slip through. "BEWARE!" somepony suddenly shouted, and Pinkie let loose a scream of fright as she saw the strange creature flying next to her. Pale blue skin, with a white glow surrounding his body, his hands raised up in the air, fingers wiggling. "I am the Box Ghost, and I will be your doo— GHAAA!" he shouted, cut off when a massive buck in the groin toppled him to the ground. "That is for scaring my little sister, jerk," Maud huffed in anger, before spotting the approaching mass of spectral entities, and she turned tail and ran away as fast as she could. Pinkie, absolutely devastated by all the scary things happening around her, pressed herself closer to her sister, crying into her mane, eyes shut tight. "Don't worry, little sis. I won't let them hurt you. I promise." "You... do?" Pinkie asked with a sob. "I cross your path, and we walk a mile. I'll do everything to see you smile," Maud answered. "What was that?" Pinkie asked, managing to giggle a bit over the silly rhyme. "It's a Maud Promise. It's an unbreakable promise," she answered, hoping it would help her sister to get her mind off things for a while. Pressing herself closer once more, Pinkie giggled again, but a hint of sadness was still present. "It's silly. I like it." <<>><<>><<>> "HIYA!" a feminine voice shouted as two hooves made contact with a glowing green skeleton, breaking it apart, "Ain't so tough now, hah," the light yellow orange mare said as she readjusted her stetson on her golden blonde mane, a red ribbon tying her mane into a ponytail. "E-yup," a sunset orange stallion replied with a muffled voice, a lasso in his mouth, which he used to pull down yet another spectral entity, "They ain't as tough as they look," he said as he wiped his brow, his two toned brown mane sticking to his head from the perspiration. "That's only because they're simpleminded fools who don't even know how to properly use their powers," a cold, menacing voice said, and they turned to see a large, metallic ghost hovering behind them, his arm raised, and a weapon of some sort coming out of it. "I assure you, I won't make the same mistake," and with that he fired his weapon. "LOOK OUT!" the stallion shouted, and he pushed his wife out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blast of glowing green himself. "Gleam, are ya alright?" the mare asked frantically, afraid for her husband's safety. "Ah am. Don't worry, Sweet," Apple Gleam replied, his eyes, already locked on the ghost that had shot at his wife, narrowing in anger. "Ya've got some nerve, shootin' at mah wife. Somepony oughta buck some sense inta that thick skull of y—" Apple Gleam said angrily, before he was cut off by a blob of green goop being shot over his mouth. "Don't waste my time with pointless talk! I have much more interesting things to do. And you're in luck, as you and your wife are part of it," Skulker said, a twisted smile growing on his face, "Now, I have been itching for a good hunt for a long time now, and it would seem I am in luck. So, here is what is going to happen. I will give you a five minute head start, then I will come for you," he explained with an eager voice, several weapons deploying from his armor, making the ponies' eyes widen in shock and horror, "So, run! Oh, and do try to make things difficult for me. I like it when they struggle," he added, laughing uproariously as the two ponies ran away as fast as they could. "Four minutes and thirty seven seconds," he muttered, inspecting the large knife coming out of his left wrist. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!" <<>><<>><<>> Alarms were blaring through the compound, and Soarin raced through the corridors to meet up with the rest of his team. It was fortunate that he was already in his flight gear, as he knew that, whatever it was that was going on, it was bad. The alarm, this alarm, would only go off in the most dire of situations. The sort of situation where the standard forces of the Royal Guard were not sufficient enough to deal with whatever threat had arose. So, hearing that alarm blaring through the building, and knowing the urgency behind it, he wasted no time at all, and he all but flew to ready room, expecting the worst. "Hey, rookie!" he heard the familiar voice of Spitfire call out to him, and he briefly glanced to his side to show he heard her, while she caught up with him and matched his pace. "You know what's going on?" she asked, dead serious, eyes narrowed a bit. "No. You?" he answered quickly, turning a corner. "No. No idea what this is about, but it's bad, I know that much." "Yeah, I figured," he answered, his tone indicating the alarm still blaring all around them. "Yeah," was all she said in reply, and the two of them rushed to the ready room, joining the rest of their team. Fleetfoot, Blaze, Fire Streak, High Winds, Lightning Streak, and several of the other newly joined ponies were standing at attention along with the more senior members of the unit, and both Soarin and Spitfire were quick to join their ranks; looking at, and waiting for instructions from their captain, Rainbow Blaze. A wonderbolt who had more than earned his place, as well as the respect of those under him. The light blue stallion with his rainbow colored mane and tail, was already in his flight suit, and looking at all the mares and stallions standing at attention, a dark, serious look on his face. "Alright, everypony. Here's the situation," he started, a displeased tone in his voice. "Approximately three hours ago, an unknown force entered and captured the city of Baltimare. We have no idea what it might be, as our intel is lacking. The royal guards responded to this unknown threat, as dictated by protocol, but contact with them was lost mere moments after they'd arrived. The last we heard from any of them, was through emergency dragon's fire, and the message we received was torn and incomplete," Rainbow Blaze's voice reverberated through the room, "Only one word was legible enough to read, and it doesn't bode well," he continued, and everypony in the room held their breath, waiting for him to continue. "Ghosts!" he stated, and a shock rippled through those in the room. "Now, we don't know for certain if this unknown force is what we now fear it to be. However, if it is, then we are in a very bad position, as we don't know anything about those things. But that is where we come in. We have been called in to assess the situation, and to help any and all citizens, while aiding any of the royal guards that are there. If it is indeed ghosts, then under no circumstance are we allowed to engage the hostile force. We are not prepared, nor are we trained to deal with such a force, and trying to fight them would be an act of suicide. Am I clear!?" he bellowed. "Sir! Yes, Sir!" everypony responded. "Good. Now, everypony, team up and prepare to depart. We leave in five," Rainbow Blaze ordered, and they all scrambled into action. Rainbow looked around the room with a trained eye, seeing all those under his command get ready to fly out. Yet, as he began to prepare himself, he couldn't help but feel sad for letting down the one who meant more than anything to him. 'I'm sorry, sweetheart. Looks like daddy isn't coming home for your birthday today afterall.' <<>><<>><<>> It had taken them hours to reach the apartment, instead of the few minutes it usually takes. The terrified mass of fleeing ponies, plus those ghosts popping up everywhere and nowhere, made it an all but impossible task to get anywhere directly, and they had to make a detour more than once. But finally, Maud and Pinkie made it back to their grandmother's home at the edge of the city. Maud, hoping that their grandmother was alright, and fearing what it was they would find, tried her best to reassure her younger sister while keeping a brave face for her. But, shaken by what she had seen so far, whenever she turned away from Pinkie her face turned into an emotionless mask. Pinkie, mane still flat, rushed to the closed door of the small apartment. Standing on her hind legs, she racked her front hooves against the door, making a lot of noise while she cried out for her grandmother. Maud, flinching and looking around in fright when her younger sister started making such a ruckus, quickly moved to the pink filly, stopping her attempt to break down the door, and potentially give them away. "Pinkie, be quiet. We don't want any of those… things, to hear us," Maud said in a quiet, scolding tone. "But… But what about grandma?" Pinkie asked sadly, lower lip trembling. As if on cue, they heard a grunt of effort and the sound of something heavy being moved, before the sound of the lock being turned could be heard. With a creak, the door opened slightly, and the elderly eyes of the earth pony mare Pinkie Pie knew as her grandmother peeked through the gap. A gasp left her, and she opened the door completely, motioning for her grandfoals to hurry inside. Wasting no time, Maud and Pinkie rushed inside the relative safety of their grandmother's home, while Granny Pie looked around in fear before closing the door, straining herself to push the heavy dresser back in front of the door. Turning to her two grandfoals, Granny Pie wasted no time in embracing the two, and inspecting them for any injuries. "Are you two alright?" she asked as she hugged Pinkie and Maud for dear life, "What happened?" "I don't know," Maud answered in a monotone as she pulled away, the shock making it impossible for her to feel much of any kind of emotion. "It was those meany ghosts," Pinkie piped up, still holding her grandmother tightly, "They scared everypony." Feeling the tremors running through Pinkie, Granny Pie pulled her even closer, shushing quietly while brushing a hoof through her flat mane in an attempt to comfort her frightened granddaughter. "Don't worry, Pinkie. Everything is going to be alright," she told her, and Maud as well, as she saw the scared look in her eyes, while a mask of emptiness covered her face. "But I'm so scared," Pinkie squeaked, eyes shut tightly. "Oh, Pinkie. Don't you remember what I taught you, about those scary things?" Pinkie looked up at her grandmother, a confused look in her tear rimmed eyes, and her grandmother leaned down to nuzzle the top of her head. "Remember, when you were a little filly, and the sun was going down?" she started to sing, and a smile grew on Pinkie's face, while even Maud seemed to relax a bit. "The darkness and the shadows, they would always make you frown…" she continued, and Pinkie joined in happily. "I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw," Pinkie sang. "But then I said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all…" Granny Pie sang. "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall. Learn to face your fears. You'll see that they can't hurt you, just laugh to make them disappear," the two of them sang, Pinkie laughing as she felt her fear evaporate into thin air; her mane and tail slowly inflating. "So, giggle at the ghostly," Granny Pie said. "Guffaw at the grossly," Pinkie continued, smiling. "Crack up at the creepy," Granny Pie spoke again. "Whoop it up with the weepy," Pinkie said with a giggle. "Chortle at the kooky," Granny Pie replied with a chuckle. "And snortle at the spooky," Maud finished with a sad smile, tears showing in her eyes, and Pinkie and her grandmother pulled her back into the hug she had pulled away from moments before. <<>><<>><<>> They flew through the air at top speed, their signature goggles covering their eyes, allowing them to see clearly even at such high speeds. They'd been flying for almost an hour, and they were finally nearing the city. Rainbow Blaze, signalling the group to slow down, took a long look at the distant city, seeing several columns of smoke rising in the air. He, as well as the rest of the group knew from that first glance that things were very wrong indeed. And he signaled the group to continue their flight in a slow, stealthy manner. Both to recover their stamina from the flight, and to avoid being detected by any hostile forces in the city. Soarin shared a glance with Spitfire, before banking to the left along with the rest of the group, using the clouds as cover to hide their approach. A nervous knot tightened in his stomach as he saw the city growing closer and closer with each flap of his wings, as he didn't know what to expect. This was his first real mission as a Wonderbolt, and he didn't want to make a mess of things. But, more importantly, he didn't want to let down his team as they headed into the unknown. "Hey, rookie!" Spitfire called as she flew next to Soarin, "Keep your head in the game, alright," she told him, seeing the nervous look on his face. "Just keep a clear head, and everything will work out, 'kay?" she said, and Soarin gave her a nod in confirmation. "Besides, after all this is done, I don't think you'll be a rookie anymore," she said with a wink, "Now, come on. Time to earn those figurative wings," she added with a winning grin, and they all angled down to the city. Not knowing what they were heading into, but not slowing down a bit. After all, they were the Wonderbolts. The best of the best. And now it was time to prove it. Author's Note Well, hello there. I see you made it to the bottom of this chapter, and, hopefully, are waiting for more. Well, let me just tell ya. You will need to wait a bit longer. Right now I am working on two chapters for my fics Guilt of a Phantom, and Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria. And they're big. Combined it is coming close to 40k, and I am still working on them. So this fic is currently waiting for me to continue, while I finish up the other two chapters. Anyhow, moving back to this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this little addition to this ever growing world I have created, and that you will be with me as more will come in the future. Now, as you should be used by now, tell me about any and all mistakes, what could be better, or what you liked. And a thank you in advance. And now, on to the next one! Powerdrainer. Table for Two.I want to thank Vates Despero for proofreading and editing this chapter. Table for Two. <<>><<>><<>> Two blurs shot through the air, flying at high speed to get away from the entities chasing them, the ominous glow of their pursuers reflecting in the many windows they shot past. They'd been at this for the better part of an hour now, and despite their numerous attempts to escape the deceptively open city, they found themselves thwarted each and every time they tried to make a run for it. This time was no different, and they were now trying to shake off their pursuers in a now distressingly familiar game of cat and mouse. Of course they were more than agile enough to maneuver through the urban jungle of Baltimare without any trouble. And it might have saved them, if it wasn't for the fact that the beings chasing them could simply phase through the buildings they were forced to avoid. But flying over the buildings wasn't an option either, as it left them exposed. Exposed to the many green beams and bolts the ghosts shot at them. Bolts and beams that, once more, narrowly missed them, and damaged and scorched the buildings behind them. This was also the reason they found themselves trapped in this open city. Any who dared cross the city limits, and step out into the open was just a large target for the ghosts to shoot at. Not that staying inside the city was much better. There were just more places to hide. For as much as that helped against entities that can move through walls, disappear, and fly. Another sizzling beam was fired at the escaping duo, and again they managed to avoid the attack, leaving the beam to pass harmlessly underneath them and blast through the window of a skyscraper ahead of them. However, although the beam missed them, the young unicorn stallion cowering inside the room was not so lucky. He saw them approaching. He saw them shooting his way. He saw the pegasi dodge the attack. He saw the beam of energy heading his way, and he reacted to it. With a burst of magic he projected a shield in front of him, meaning to deflect the ghost's attack. The window was struck, and the beam melted its way through, passing through it without slowing down, before it finally hit the glowing yellow shield. The unfortunate stallion only had a split second to realize something was going horribly wrong. Energy met energy, clashing together in a violent reaction of opposing forces, with a catastrophic chain reaction occurring in the center of the diametrically opposed energies, and the room with the stallion in it exploded in a massive ball of energy and fire. The explosion tore away a large portion of the building's wall, opening up several more rooms with screaming ponies, while several rooms closest to the blast were also obliterated. The two pegasi looked on with wide, horrified eyes, unable to respond in time when several massive chunks of wall were blasted their way. One of them was hit in the gut by a couple of broken bricks, and the air exploded out of his lungs as he dropped down. The other, however, was knocked out by a portion of wall hitting her head, and she plummeted down accompanied by a trail of blood. <<>><<>><<>> Small orange hooves grasped happily at the smiling face of the teal pegasus mare as she leaned in to nuzzle the filly, making the foal giggle in response as she tried to give a full body hug to her mother's face. "Thanks again for looking after her, Bell. We really appreciate it," an orange pegasus stallion, the filly's father, says to the light blue earth pony standing next to him. "Oh, no problem, Sky," Bellflower replies, smiling as she looks down at the happy foal, "It's always a pleasure having her over." Smiling, the filly's mother hugged her daughter, "Now, are you going to be a good filly while you stay with aunty Flower, Scootaloo?" she asks, and Scootaloo nodded her head enthusiastically while giggling, trying to catch one of the loose strands of her mother's wild mane. "Alright. That is a definitive yes," Scootaloo's father proclaimed with a laugh as he leaned in to give his daughter a nuzzle on her head, "You be good now, little Mayfly. Mommy and daddy will be back soon." Scootaloo quickly grabbed her father by the muzzle, hugging his face as she held him with her tiny hooves, much to the amusement of the two mares standing next to him. "Come on, Scootaloo. Let your father go," Bellflower says as she picked up the foal, placing her on her back, "You don't want them to be late, do you?" Shaking her head in response, Scootaloo looked up at her parents over Bellflower's head, while the three adults walked outside of Bellflower's guesthouse. Looking back at their friend and daughter, the two pegasi opened their wings and flew up, waving at Scootaloo and Bellflower as they left. "Bye Scoot Blaze, Sky Rider," Bellflower called out, waving back at them, "We'll see you soon." "Bwye mom. Bwye dad," Scootaloo shouted happily, waving, while also flapping her wings at her parents, who kept waving back at their daughter and friend until they were nothing but a small dot on the ground. Scoot Blaze sighs as she and her husband set out for their intended destination, drawing Sky Rider's attention, "Is everything alright?" he asks her. "Yeah. Just wishing Scootaloo could come with us. You know how much she likes getting to see her uncle." "Heh, I know. But you know she can't come with us right now." Silence settled down between them for a moment, as Scoot Blaze looks forward, deep in thought. "Hey, Scoots. You're alright?" Sky asks after a moment, his voice, although directly next to her, also sounding very far away. "Yeah. I'm alright," she answers, but he didn't seem convinced. "Scoots!?" he almost shouted, to her confusion. But just as she was about to reply, she found her world darkening, while the pull of gravity took hold of her. "SCOOTS!?" Sky's voice echoed loudly around her. And yet, it sounded as if he was miles away. So close, yet so far away. "SCOOTS!" Her eyes snapped open, and the rapidly approaching ground filled her vision. Blood flowing down her head and into her eyes blurred her vision, while she desperately tried to stop her uncontrolled fall. But a searing pain, as if somepony had plunged a burning knife into her side and then twisted it around, made her scream in agony, and she knew something was horribly wrong with her right wing. "SCOOTS!!" Sky Rider desperately shouted as he dove down after her, wings beating faster than he had ever thought possible as he saw his wife hurtling towards the ground, a rain of blood following her down. Yet, no matter how fast he went, no matter how much he forced his wings to beat faster, it was as if the air had grown thick and was actively resisting him. It was almost as if he was moving in slow motion, while she seemed to fall at an accelerated pace. And, for a single, horrific moment, his eyes locked with those of his wife, seeing the absolute terror in them. A terror that was mirrored in his own as he saw her falling form close in on the ground. He tried to look away, but he couldn't. He tried to force himself to go even faster, but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything, but watch. Watch as his love plummeted down. All the while, back behind him he could hear the cold, harsh laughter of the ghosts who were responsible for all of this. But he couldn't care about that now. Not now while one of the two ponies who meant everything to him was falling to her death. Time slowed to a crawl as his vision narrowed. Everything fading away to the background, save for his wife as she stared back up at him. He felt his heart pound in his throat, its sound impossibly loud as he strained to push himself just a bit further. His leg stretched out, desperately trying to grab his wife, wishing against all odds he would be able to grab hold of her, to save her; denying the harsh reality his eyes were seeing, even though, deep down, he knew he wouldn't be able to reach her. Bolts of green destruction soared past him, narrowly missing the plummeting pair, and impacted on the street below, shattering the pavement in an almost mocking form of softening the ground for the falling mare. But he payed the emerald bolts no mind. Their destructive force paling in comparison to the burning hot spike he could feel wedged in his heart as Scoot Blaze neared the ground, with no escape from the cold grip of impending death. "SCOOTS!!" he shouted a final time, knowing her fate was sealed. When, in a blur, a figure shot underneath her, grabbing her mere inches from the ground, her tail touching the unforgiving stone of the street for a moment before, it too was dragged along by the blurring figure. 'What the...' Sky Rider thought for a split second, before his own precarious position started to register, and he pulled up sharply, flapping his wings with all his might to keep from slamming into the street below. He landed hard, his legs buckling under the force, but he was able to right himself in an adrenaline fuelled instant. Whipping his head back and forth, he searched for his wife, and whatever it was that had taken her, expecting it to be a ghost of some sort. What he wasn't expecting, however, was a single pegasus, clad in the all too familiar blue spandex suit known to all ponies. A Wonderbolt. A Wonderbolt who carried his wife on her back, shaken, but alive and well. "SCOOTS!" he yelled as he ran to her, only to be stopped by several green bolts and beams slamming into the ground around him. He dodged and rolled out of the way, before looking up, noticing out of the corner of his eye that his wife's saviour had also taken notice of the overhead threat, staring up at the small gathering of ghosts who stared down at them with malice in their unnaturally green glowing eyes. Several more blurs shot past, drawing the ghosts' attention as they were taken by surprise, and their assault on the ground below came to a stop. Wasting no time, Sky Rider hurried over to the Wonderbolt and his wife, seeing the former helping the latter back on her hooves, while also keeping a watchful eye on the sky. "Thank you," Scoot Blaze said with a tremble in her voice, wincing as she shifted her injured wing, while her husband rushed in to make sure she was alright. The Wonderbolt gave a nod in return, making her wild, fiery mane wave in response, while also taking notice of Scoot's injured wing. "We can't stay here," she said as she removed her flight goggles from over her eyes, revealing two bright orange irises, "My team is drawing them away for us to escape, but we don't have long."—she then turned to Scoot Blaze—"Any chance you can fly?" Scoot tried opening her wing, but faltered when a sharp pain shot through her entire side, making her wince as a result, "No- gha- No, I can't." "Hayseed!... Right, looks like we're hoofing it out of here then," she says, observing their surroundings, "Follow me, and stay low. There is no telling where these things might show up next." "Hold on," Sky Rider cuts in, "Where are we going? Isn't the entire city overrun by these things?" "Mostly, yes," the Wonderbolt replied grimly, "But small groups of royal guards are still putting up a fight here and there. There's a restaurant not too far from here where more refugees are. Most of the guards are there too. It's the best place for you to be right now. At least to get somepony to take a look at that wing of yours," she says while nodding at Scoot's side. "But how is that place any safer than any other place? Can't they move through walls, disappear, and fly?" Scoot asked as she and her husband looked in the direction indicated by the Wonderbolt. "I never said it was safe," she started, "Just that it was the best place to be right now. Now, come on. We can't stay in the open like this," she finished and with that began walking towards the restaurant, followed a few seconds later by a hesitant Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider. Sky staying at his wife's injured side, keeping a watchful eye out for anything that might be a threat to her, when he turned to the Wonderbolt. "Hey," he called out, drawing her attention, "Thank you. For saving my wife, that is." "Don't sweat it. It's what I do," she replied with a small smile. "May we at least know your name?" Scoot asked, "I would like to know what to call the one who saved me." Looking forward again, then up, the sun reflecting off of the flight goggles, the Wonderbolt took a moment to look around before answering, "My name is Fire, Spitfire. And we really should hurry," she answered, and picked up the pace, followed a moment later by the two grateful pegasi, "It seems my team's diversion is played out." <<>><<>><<>> The sound of hooves hitting the paved road in rapid succession reverberated throughout the abandoned streets as two ponies ran for their lives. Apple Gleam and Sweet Apple were moving as fast as they could, not stopping for anything, knowing just what horror was following them. This large metallic ghost, who they knew was out there, maybe just around the corner? They knew, as they had encountered him several times now. Indeed, whenever they tried to hide, rest, or even just catch their breath he would show up. Allowing them no respite, and forcing them to keep running or face him. This was a hunt, and they knew it. He had made that perfectly clear from the start. And He was also making sure it would continue for as long as he liked. Which also meant they had been running for the better part of two hours now. And even though they were used to working until their muscles were sore, and their legs weak from yet another day of intensive labor, a continuous all out run like this was something they were not accustomed to, and their muscles were screaming in protest. Sweet Apple was the first to go down, tumbling to the ground with a yelp as her hind leg cramped up. Apple Gleam didn't waste any time helping his wife, and he quickly scooped her up on his back before continuing their miserably unsuccessful escape. His wife's added weight draining his waning strength even more. Not that he would ever mention that, of course. This ghost was horrible, yes. But his wife when she was angry? Now, that's a scary thought. Still, the split second delay caused by his wife's fall caught up with them, and now both he and Sweet Apple could feel a haunting presence nearby. Their fears were realized mere seconds later, when, with a twisted grin, Skulker faded back into view. Raising his arm, he fired several glowing green globs of some sticky substance that they had already discovered would trap them if it hit. Apple Gleam dived to the left, his wife falling off of his back as he did so, while Skulker took aim at the two downed ponies. Apple Gleam and Sweet Apple looked up at the metal behemoth, anger and fear showing in their eyes, while Skulker wore displeased frown. "I must say, I'm disappointed. Your physical form made me believe you'd be capable of more than this, but it seems I was mistaken. Perhaps I need to find better, more suitable prey for me to hunt," Skulker says, slowly moving his weapon back and forth between the two ponies. Apple Gleam, seeing this madman finally aim that infernal weapon at his wife, having chosen a target, surged into motion. Tapping into his earth pony magic, he focused it all into his right front leg as he reared up and delivered a bone crushing blow with all of his might. Gleam's hoof hammered into the metal. Magical energy coursing through his veins, connecting with Skulker's armor, and the spectral energy it was infused with. Energies clashed, and Skulker was launched back, his armor dented from the blow. Apple Gleam suffered a similar fate as he was blown away, the bone in his leg shattering from the force. His body dropped to the ground with a thud, rolling briefly before the momentum was spent. And all the while, he screamed in agony as the bones in his leg shifted and turned. Splintered bone sticking in the muscle, sending burning spikes of pain to his brain as he was lying limply on the ground, unable to move from the pain. Sweet Apple, seeing her husband in such distress, quickly made her way over to him, ignoring her own discomforts as they paled in comparison. Quickly, but carefully, she pulled him onto her back, before hurrying away. Not wanting to be there when Skulker showed himself again. … "Excellent," Skulker muttered after a moment, fading back in to view, "Looks like they have a few surprises in them after all"—he grinned evilly as he looked down at the dent in his armor—"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this." <<>><<>><<>> Cries of desperation. Frightened screams. Shouts of pain. A suffocating aura of these and more horrific emotions hung thick in the air, and Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider were having a difficult time moving through the rather sizable mass of ponies, trying to reach the makeshift medical post located in the restaurant's kitchen. Ponies were either frantically running around, seeming too afraid to stay in one place for too long, but not knowing where to go. Others were hiding underneath whatever piece of furniture they could find. Foals were crying, with the more fortunate among them clinging to their parents, whereas others were wandering around aimlessly in search of their mother, father, or an older sibling. Several medically trained ponies were also busy trying to treat the injured; treating the most seriously injured first, and leaving the minor injuries for some other time. And, in a few horrible instances, all they could do was place the injured soul in a relative quiet place to die peacefully. As much as that was possible, anyway. It was truly a horrible sight to behold. A scene that would haunt your thoughts forevermore, and one they would all be revisiting in their nightmares for years to come. Why the ghosts hadn't yet attacked this place was anyones guess. But, looking around, one might suspect they simply choose to leave this place be to let the suffering continue for as long as possible. It was hard to believe that there could be anyone so cruel. Yet, looking around, it seemed one of the more logical answers to a question none dared to ask. Yet, as horrible as it all was, Sky Rider just couldn't let this get to him if he wanted to get his wife the help she needed. And, together, they slowly pushed their way through the mass of bodies, seeing a rather sizable line of ponies lying on the ground, with bandages covering various portions of their bodies. Most of them seemed to be royal guards. "Hello! Anypony?" he called out as they reached the medical post, "Could anypony help us?" One of the ponies helping the wounded turned to them. A beige earth pony mare with a dark red mane, a deep blue streak mixed in with it, as well as several crimson splotched staining the fur on her chest and hooves. "What is it? Are any of you injured?" she asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush, a clear tone of desperation present through her clearly forced calm. "It's my wife," Sky Rider said, "There is something wrong with her wing." Hurrying towards her, the medical pony inspected the indicated wing. But due to either inexperience, or frayed nerves, she completely lacked any gentleness as she pulled the wing open, causing Scoot Blaze to cry out in pain. "Multiple fractures. Bone is broken in two places. Several primary feathers damaged or missing…" she mutters in a flurry, "Nothing too serious." "What?! How is that not serious!?" Sky Rider shouted angrily. "Just look around!" the mare snapped, "We have more urgent injuries to deal with. At least your wife's isn't dying!" she spat, before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down, "Look, I'm sorry, but things have been very hectic, in case you haven't noticed. Although your wife isn't able to fly, her life isn't in any danger," she said before flinching, as she looked at the many wounded lying around, "No more than the rest of us in here anyway, considering everything that has happened. In fact, she's better off than some who have come through here. Just… Just don't use your wing. I can put it in a splint, but that's about all that we can do for right now." Sky Rider was about to protest, when Scoot cut him off, "That will do. Thank you," she said in a small voice, barely audible over the many pained groans of the ponies lying around them. Nodding, the medical pony grabbed some bandages from the saddle bag she carried with her, as well as a ladle lying nearby, and used it to secure the wing to the best of her ability. Still, it was a patch job, and it wouldn't be able to endure much. But for the time being, it would prevent Scoot Blaze from shifting the bone by accident. No sooner did the mare finish her work, than a new commotion drew their attention. Ponies were screaming, while several guards moved in on the source of the disturbance. Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze both stared with wide eyes at the spectacle, along with everypony else, as two earth ponies stumbled in. A stallion and a mare, the former barely conscious and being carried on the back of the latter. "Somepony, please help!" the mare pleaded as she limped in, nervously glancing behind her. The guards quickly helped the stallion off the mare's back, while calling for a medic, while others secured the perimeter, keeping a watchful eye out for anything not living. One of the medics, the mare who had helped Scoot Blaze, hurried towards the earth pony mare to assist her in any way needed, while her colleagues tended to the stallion. "Is everything alright? What happened?" she asked the heavily panting mare. "It's t- this ghost. It's been -gha- huntin' us since this whole thang started, never lettin' Gleam an' me rest. Gleam tried ta fight it, but somethin' happened, Ah ain't sure what," Sweet Apple replied, slowly catching her breath as she looked at her husband lying on the ground, "... Is he gonna be alright?" A unicorn mare looked up at her words, her horn aglow as she magically scanned Gleam's body. "He isn't in any immediate danger," she replied, pausing a moment as she bit her lower lip in thought, "Still, he isn't in the best of shape. His leg is completely shattered, with bone splinters causing internal bleeding. It is entirely possibly that he might not ever be able to use it properly again if he doesn't get immediate medical treatment. And then there is his magic..." she trailed off for a moment, trying to find the right words, "His magic, it's almost completely drained. It will recover, I'm sure, but he'll be severely weakened for quite some time." "WHAT!?" Sweet shouted, "But how? How'd somethin' like that happen?" she asked, worried, but the mare only shook her head sadly. "I don't know. I have had no idea what has been going on today ever since those ghosts showed up. None of us do. But the more pressing matter is your husband's leg. We don't have the equipment to treat him here, not for an injury as severe as this. Not, unless…" she trailed off, looking away from Sweet Apple. "Unless, what?" Sweet asked after a few tense seconds, a quaver in her voice. "... Not, unless we perform the most... basic of procedures." The tone of the mare's voice sent chills down Sweet's spine, and she struggled to swallow the thick lump which had formed in her throat before asking with a fearful voice, "What kinda procedure?" "... Amputation." The ground seemed to fall away from beneath Sweet's hooves, and she stood there mute in shock. That one word. That one simple word felt like a buck to the gut. If they did that, and if they managed to get out of this ordeal without any other severe injury, Gleam would still be crippled for the remainder of his life. A life he wouldn't be able to live to its fullest missing a leg. Sweet's eyes slowly drifted to her husband, still lying on the ground while the medics worked their magic, literally and figuratively. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Looking at Gleam again, she knew that the odds of him getting the proper treatment was almost non-existent. But if they did this, maybe he had a better chance. Maybe she could take over some of his chores back at the orchard. Until their son was old enough to help out with the more labor intensive tasks, at least. But would he want this? And what if somepony, anypony, was able to save them in time and get Gleam the medical treatment he needed? What if by doing this she was making a mistake? And what if she was making a mistake by waiting. But whatever the case, she knew it was a mistake to wait too long for either of those choices. "... What… What da you think is best fer him?" she asked in a small voice. "He doesn't have much time in this condition. We are able to stabilize the bleeding with our magic, but unless he gets treated, one way or the other, it will not make much difference. We'll put him in the back where it's quieter, and tend to him as best we can, but if we don't get out of here soon, we won't have much of a choice but to amputate… I'm sorry." "I… It's alright," Sweet Apple murmurs, looking down at Gleam. "The best thing for him now would be some peace and quiet," the mare says as her colleagues levitate Gleam up, and carry him to one of the back rooms, a small storage room they had cleaned out earlier, and placed him the ground. "We'll need to have a decision soon, though. Please don't wait too long, for his sake." Sweet Apple nodded sadly as she grabbed Gleam's uninjured hoof in her own, holding it tightly while quiet sobs escaped her. The few ponies still there quickly left the couple to help their other, and hopefully more fortunate, patients, while also giving the couple some time to think. Celestia knew they need it. But during all of this, nopony noticed the pair of glowing green eyes, or the quick flash of an evil grin hanging in thin air. <<>><<>><<>> "What was all that about?" Sky Rider wondered as he and Scoot Blaze watched the injured stallion being carried away. "I don't know," Scoot replied, looking around the restaurant with a saddened expression, "Guess just another injured pony among the many others," she finished with a sigh as she looked at her injured wing. She opened her mouth to add something else, when she was roughly bumped into by some stallion who seemed to be having difficulty walking. "Hey!" Scoot and Sky shouted simultaneously at the unknown pony, who only grunted in annoyance at them as he stumbled away, leaving behind two irritated and somewhat confused pegasi. The irritation for obvious reasons. The confusion because of the weird green glow coming from the pony's eyes. <<>><<>><<>> "Oh, Gleam. What should we do?" Sweet Apple asked sadly, holding her husband's hoof while he lay unconscious. No answer came to her as she sat there in silence, trying to figure out what to do. The silence was abruptly interrupted, however, as a stallion roughly opened the door and looked at the pair with a sickening grin. "Can- Can Ah help you?" Sweet asked nervously, as she stared at the strange stallion. "Oh, I think you can," he replied in an all too familiar voice, and a wavering aura of pale light surrounded the pony's body as Skulker slipped out of him, activating his weapons, "I'll be your waiter this evening. The special of the day is mayhem and destruction." Stunned by this development, Sweet Apple could only stare in silence at the horror before her. A silence that would only survive for a few tense seconds. <<>><<>><<>> A loud feminine scream echoed from the back of the restaurant, drawing everypony's attention to the horror that was about to unfold. The ghosts had finally come. And with them, chaos broke loose. Author's Note And here we are again, and with a new chapter as well. Sorry it took so long. It is completely my fault. I've got stuck with this chapter, and for the longest of time I couldn't figure out how to continue with this, so I just focused on my other fics instead. Now, I hope you enjoyed this new addition to this ever growing world my imagination has produced, and are eager for the next installment to the world of our Phantom. Also, inform me about any mistakes which might have slipped past my editor, or just leave a comment for the heck of it. See you next time. ~Powerdrainer A Reaper's SoulEdits done by Cynatas Scribbler and Vates Despero. And a special thanks to AnonymousMaterials for allowing me the use of his character, Mort. A Reaper's Soul <<>><<>><<>> Soarin looked over the crowd gathered in the restaurant, a weary look in his eyes. Never in his life, not even during his training, had he ever considered something like this could happen. Sure, he always kept the possibility that something could go wrong in the back of his mind. Maybe a dragon's attack, or some long forgotten ancient evil alicorn would come back to enact some sort of nefarious scheme… Okay, so maybe not that last one. But anything other than this. No, ghosts. It had to be ghosts. Entities which, until very recently, only existed in scary stories around the campfire. 'Well,' he thought, 'I better start believing in ghost stories, 'cause I'm in one.' No sooner had he finished his mental debate, than a loud feminine scream came from the back of the restaurant. Soarin whipped around in a blur; as did the rest of his team, along with every conscious pony present. Another scream filled the now tense and otherwise silent air, before a stallion came rushing out of one of the back rooms, revealing himself to be the one who screamed. Soarin stared at the pony in utter bewilderment, unable to believe that sound was produced by him. Not that he had long to dwell on this strange occurrence, as the source of the pony's distress revealed itself a moment later when a bulky, metallic ghost burst through the wall backwards. Panic broke out the moment the ghost hit the ground, and terrified screams filled the air. <<>><<>><<>> A mere moment before... "Oh, Gleam. What should we do?" Sweet Apple asked sadly, holding her husband's hoof while he lay unconscious. No answer came to her as she sat in silence, trying to figure out what to do. The silence was abruptly interrupted, however, as a stallion roughly opened the door and looked at the pair with a sickening grin. "Can- Can Ah help you?" Sweet asked nervously, as she stared at the strange stallion. "Oh, I think you can," he replied in an all too familiar voice, and a wavering aura of pale light surrounded the pony's body as Skulker slipped out of him, activating his weapons, "I'll be your waiter this evening. The special of the day is mayhem and destruction." Stunned by this development, Sweet Apple could only stare in silence at the horror before her. A silence that would only survive for a few tense seconds. Standing unsteadily on his hooves, the stallion shook his head to clear the fog from his mind. Then, looking up, he was greeted by the menacing sight of Skulker, weapons primed and ready. The stallion's legs, already unsteady, now shook rapidly in fear. Skulker, having taken notice of the pony who stared up at him with large frightened eyes, only grunted in annoyance. "Beat it," he grunted, "You're not worth my time." A loud scream was the only answer he received as the pony turned tail and ran, the sound he had just produced taking Skulker and Sweet Apple completely by surprise. "..." "..." Neither one of them said anything for a moment, too dumbfounded by what had just happened. Then, grunting in annoyance, Skulker turned back to the mare and stallion his aim was set on, a menacing grin on his face. A grin which soon morphed into a look of shock, as he suddenly found a lasso being thrown around him and pulled taut. Then, with a strength that took him by surprise, Skulker was flung around by the angry mare, who spun him around for a moment, before releasing her hold over her husband's trusty rope, sending the metal behemoth flying through the wall and into the restaurant. The screaming started mere seconds later. <<>><<>><<>> Grunting, Skulker pushed himself up, coming face to face with a young pony, who stared at him in absolute terror. Noticing the wet puddle forming underneath the terrified child, Skulker could only snort in disgust. Not wanting to waste his time with such a cowering wretch, he levitated himself off of the ground; his green eyes scanning the crowd for his prey. However, his attention was quickly drawn to a small group of the four legged vermin who had gone on the offensive. Clad in form fitting, blue latex suits, this group surrounded Skulker while also keeping the crowd at a distance as they ran around in blind panic, while any able-bodied guard tried to guide them to safety. "Hmmm," Skulker hummed as he studied the opposing group, "Disciplined and trained, yet lacking any real combat experience. Interesting. I already had chosen my prey, but I find myself tempted to see what challenge you might provide me with." a large knife slid out one of his wrists, and he used it to gauge their reaction. Several of the blue clad ponies flinched, stepping back a bit, and confirming Skulkers initial assessment of the potential new prey. One, however, seemed to be more hardened than the others, and Skulker's green eyes locked on the rainbow maned stallion, "Now, let's see who makes the cut. You, or them." <<>><<>><<>> Present day Pinkie Pie was working diligently in Sugar Cube Corner, hard at work on a fresh batch of muffins for her dear friend Ditzy. Suddenly, without warning, her body began to shake and twitch in a seemingly random pattern, before stopping just as suddenly as it had started. The pink mare stared at the wall for a moment as what had just happened settled in, before sucking in a breath for what she was going to say next… Only to fall silent. "Wait!" she shouted at the ceiling, "I forgot my line." She then proceeded to pull a large stack of papers out of the oven, which had been active for a while, and quickly scanned the contents of the next scene, "Oooh… Righterino." "Huhum… Ghaaaa." <<>><<>><<>> Some time before the restaurant crisis. Pinkie Pie was not a happy filly. Normally she would be sharing a bright, radiant smile with everypony around her. But today there was nothing to smile about. No, instead of smiling and throwing amazing parties, she, her sister Maud, and her bestest granny, Granny Pie were sneaking through the now abandoned streets in an effort to get to safety. Of course this wasn't anywhere near safe, going out like this, but Granny Pie knew that doing nothing would be even worse. Still, she and her two granddaughters were careful not to draw any attention to themselves, lest they be detected by any of those weird creatures roaming the town. Still, despite her strong will, and her rock solid commitment to keeping Maud and Pinkie -two of the most important ponies in her life- safe, she wasn't the youngest pony anymore, and her age showed. Her pace was slow, accented by a couple of missteps every now and then. Her aching joints, and somewhat blurry vision due to dirty glasses the danger didn’t allow her the time to clean were just some of the issues she faced. Still, this did nothing to stop Pinkie and Maud, who looked after her just as much as she looked after them. Maud lead the three pony group, Pinkie keeping close to their grandmother, occasionally nudging her gently from behind to help her with her speed. Everything seemed fine for a while, until they heard loud shouting. A cacophony of sounds erupted soon afterwards, strange sizzling sounds and explosions further breaking the silence ruling the empty streets. Diving behind cover, they looked up to see two pegasi being chased by multiple ghosts, green beams and bolts shooting from the ghosts' various assortment of limbs. The Pies watched in horror as one of the many beams blasted through the window of an upper story apartment, knocking them off of their hooves when an explosion occurred that destroyed a large portion of the building. Dazed, they shook their heads, hearing somepony shouting in fear and panic. Not wanting to look up, but unable to stop themselves from doing so, they saw one of the pegasi plummeting towards the unforgiving ground; the other desperately trying to catch her, only to fall short. Pinkie Pie pressed herself into her grandmother's chest, sobbing as she looked away in fear. Maud stared in numb shock, until her grandmother turned her head away from the grisly sight unfolding before them. Their ears pressed flat against their heads to block out as much of the sickening sound they knew they were about to hear. But it never came. Carefully, hesitantly, Granny Pie peeked through one eye, seeing some blurry shapes moving in the distance. Yet no form could be seen lying on the ground. Slowly opening her other eye, and focusing intently for a moment, the image began to clear and revealed the two pegasi, both alive, and in the presence of a third. A Wonderbolt. The Wonderbolt appeared to say something to the two pegasi, before they seemed to reach some kind of agreement, and left on hoof. "Come, children," she said to the two ponies huddled close to her, "We need to go. Now!" But before they could so much as take a single step, the ghosts overhead, who apparently were being distracted by several other Wonderbolts, returned and were looking for new prey. Diving back into cover, the three ponies had no other choice but to wait for the ghosts to go away, and to search for the Wonderbolts for the help they needed. Granny Pie just hoped they would be able to find them, before the ghosts found them. <<>><<>><<>> Back at the restaurant, shortly after Skulker came flying through the wall starting a blind panic amongst all the ponies present. Said ponies were now all running in a wild, chaotic way, whilst any and all able guards tried to guide them to the nearest safe exit. Ponies were screaming as they tried to escape the confines of the restaurant; the doors shattering from the many bodies trying to squeeze through at the same time. Several unlucky ponies were trampled when they were knocked to the ground in the chaotic mass. Pinkie, Maud, and Granny Pie looked horrified as they watched the scene unfolding before them. They had followed the Wonderbolt Granny Pie had seen some time ago and, after several guesses as to where to go at several intersections, they arrived here, hoping to find a safe haven. Instead, all they found was… this. "What's going on?" squeaked Pinkie Pie, cowering behind her older sister. "I… I don't know, dear," her grandmother told her, trying to sound as calm as she could for Pinkie's sake. "But it's not safe for us to be here. Come, let's find a safe place to hide," she urged them on, noticing the way Maud was staring at the chaos unblinkingly, a tense look on her face. "Maud, sweetheart. Come on!" and with some effort she managed to pull Maud away with her. "I... " was all Maud muttered in reply, a haunted look in her eyes. "It's going to be alright," Granny Pie comforted her, but having trouble believing her own words, "Just you wait and see," she continued, trying to ignore the screams, 'May Celestia protect us all.' <<>><<>><<>> Life. It's fragile, and filled with uncertainties. It might end tomorrow, or continue on for fifty more years. Some might say they don't get enough. Others say it lasts too long. And yet, everyone gets the same amount. One lifetime. The thing is, one lifetime may not always be all there is. This is a truth he knew all too well. He'd seen it happen countless times over an equally countless number of years. The mortals live their life, they die, and then they choose. And whichever choice they made would determine the next step on the path of their destiny. That is where he came in. He was there to help those who had died, and guide their souls as they made their choice. It was a task he was made for, literally, and which he carried out each and every day and night. A task both simple and complex at the same time. A task which, right now, overwhelmed him. Ponies were dying in large numbers, the ghosts' assault relentless. All he could do was watch in sorrow and grief. "Oh, Thanasia," Mort said, his voice filled with despair, "How has it come to this? What purpose does this serve?" he asked to no one, staring with wavering eyes at the death and destruction. Even for Death himself, such sights were a horrible ordeal. But he couldn't stand still, nor could he run away and hide. It was his job as the Pale Pony, the Grim Galloper, the Reaper of Souls to make sure each and every pony that died today would be guided along the path to their ultimate destiny. He moved through the chaotic mass of moving bodies as ponies were trying to get to safety, an unseen entity. Of course he didn't have to go to the trouble of avoiding everypony, seeing how he could phase through solid objects at a whim. But he considered it an invasion of privacy should he move through anyone's body. Coming to a stop before the prone form of an elderly earth pony mare, his horn gave a short flash, and the mare, still lying on the ground, now also stood beside him. "Wha…? What happened? What is going on?" she asked, noticing her own body lying on the ground before her, "I… Is that… Is that me!?" she started to hyperventilate as she backed away, unable to stop staring at her dead body. "Not anymore," Mort answered, and she finally noticed who was there with her. She screamed out loud a moment later. Mort, used to such reactions from the unprepared, still flinched away from the haunting scream echoing from mare's non existent lungs. "NO! IT CAN'T BE! YOU'RE NOT REAL… I'M NOT.. not…." "I'm afraid you are, Daisy Tail," Mort told her in a calm, caring voice, and the mare fell to her knees as the harsh reality came crashing down on her. Sobbing, she asked: "Why…? Why did I…? And wh-... what about my family?" "I can't tell you why you died. Just that it happened. As for your family?" Mort answered, a nervous edge to his voice as he looked at the devastation around him, wondering if the mare's family was also in the middle of all this, "They will be hurt, heartbroken, and they will mourn you. But they will move on, eventually," he told her, 'If they live, that is,' he mentally added. Wiping her eyes, Daisy Tail slowly returned to her hooves and moved to where her cooling body lay on the ground, staring at it with a numb look. "What will happen now?" she mumbled. "That is for you to decide," Mort answered, taking his place next to her, "You have a choice to make," Daisy Tail turned her head slightly towards him, indicating she was listening. "What kind of choice?" "To move on to eternity, should you feel you're ready for it. Or, if not, you may stay here; gaining a new body of a spectral nature, and continue walking this world." "A body of a spectral nature?" she repeated, not understanding. In answer, Mort shifted his gaze to two ghosts flying overhead, completely oblivious to them. "THAT!?" Daisy screeched, disgusted and appalled, "You want me to become one of those things? After what they did?!" Flinching away from the suddenly furious mare, Mort quickly shook his head, "No no no no. That was not what I meant. You have the choice, not me. If you want, you can continue your existence on this wor—" "Like a ghost!?" Daisy huffed, "Over my dead body." "...Eehh…" Mort uttered, shifting his gaze to the mare's lifeless form. "You know what I mean," she quickly added, "And I refuse to become one of those things. Not now, not ever. Not after all of this!" she motioned at the chaos all around, making her point. "If that is what you wish…" Mort said in a meek tone. "It is," Daisy stated, and gasped as her form suddenly became much, much lighter; floating up in the air as light began to shine from her form. Then, in a burst of pure energy, she was gone. Sighing, Mort shook his head, staring at the many souls still waiting for him, "If only all of them would go this 'easily'… Oh, Thanasia, what plan has destiny for this world?" he asked, but his question remained unanswered… For now. <<>><<>><<>> Moving through the mass of ponies who were running wild through the streets, all searching for a safe place to hide from the ghosts tormenting them, Pinkie, Maud, and Granny Pie found themselves pushed inside a desolate store, unable to move out without the risk of being trampled. "Wha- What do we do now?" Maud asked nervously, as she peered through a broken window. Peering around through her hazy vision, Granny Pie tried to come up with an answer. "Maybe we can just stay here?" Pinkie Pie spoke up in a small voice, yet there was a distinct edge to it as she looked around the store, "At least, maybe for a little bit," she added as she slowly moved through the empty aisles. She knew this store, better than most save the party store some blocks away. Your Littlest Pet Shop, that was the name of this place. Pinkie knew mainly due to the fact that she frequently visited to play with the animals; making them smile just as much as they made her. Now though, the animals were gone, the cages open and a messy trail of food, hay, and other contents one might expect from any animal lay strewn across the floor. "What happened to all my animal friends?" Pinkie asked sadly, giving a small kick against a ball she knew belonged to a young puppy. "Don't you worry, dear," her grandmother said, gently pulling her into a comforting hug, "I'm sure they're fine. But right now we need to worry about ourselves, do you understand?" Giving a sob, Pinkie nodded her head. "Good. Now, let's go see if there's a way out of here through the back," Granny Pie suggested, and the three of them quietly headed for the employees' door in the back; Maud still not having spoken single word, much to Granny Pie's growing concern. The sudden sound of a small bird cage falling over, and clattering on the ground took them by surprise, and they all reacted in fright; Maud reacting the strongest as she screamed loudly. "Don't worry, big sis," Pinkie said reassuringly, a smile beginning to grow on her muzzle as she saw the culprit who knocked over the cage, "It's just a baby alligator." There, sitting on the shelf that had previously held the bird cage, sat the very creature Pinkie was referring to: A small reptile, staring at them with unblinking eyes. "Hello there, little guy," Pinkie chirped happily, glad she had found at least one of the animals here. Although she didn't ever remember there being baby alligators here, "Are you lost? Where are your friends?" Silence. "Pinkie, we don't have time for this," Maud hissed through her teeth, eyes shifting around nervously. "But- but… I can't leave this little guy alone like this, can I? He has no one else to look after him," Pinkie said, saddened, her lower lip trembling, "He needs someone to take care of him…" she added, trailing off as she stared into the alligator's unblinking eyes. "You're coming with me," she stated firmly, but gently, scooping the animal up in her hooves and placing it snugly in her bouncy mane. "Pinkie, you can't do that," Maud argued. "I just did," Pinkie replied matter of factly, "Now, let's go find a way out of here," and she quickly moved through the employees' door, entering the back room while Maud and her grandmother shared an uneasy glance with one another. "She'll never change," Granny Pie eventually relented, following behind the youngest of her grandchildren, "no matter what kind of situation she's in." Maud followed after her in silence, 'I just wish I could say the same of you, my dear Maud.' <<>><<>><<>> Celestia was pacing anxiously through the throne room. It had been several hours since her guards' last message, before all contact stopped. And now, after the Wonderbolts responded to the unclear distress call, she found herself without any knowledge as to what was happening in Baltimare, and to her little ponies. As the Princess, it was her duty above all else to ensure her subjects' safety. And sitting by while others were fighting an enemy of unknown capabilities went against every instinct she had. Unfortunately, due to the importance of her station, those very guards who were now fighting for her ponies also wouldn't allow her to go and face this enemy. As they saw it: Should anything happen to her, then who would lead the country? 'I don't care about any of that! All I want is to protect my ponies, and to Tartarus with my crown. How can I do nothing while so many are going through who knows what kind of horrors?' The fear and uncertainty was clearly visible on her face. Coming to a stop before one of the many windows of the throne room, she looked outside in the general direction of Baltimare, "I need to do something," she stated, horn alight, "I can no longer stand by and do nothing!" and with that she vanished in a burst of magic. <<>><<>><<>> They were watching. Many eyes observing the world they were tasked to oversee. They didn't speak. They didn't question. They didn't judge. They simply carried out the task given to them. As they watched unblinkingly, a fluctuation in the world's magical field presented itself to them. A small ripple at first, growing stronger in moments. Someone was coming. Someone powerful. Someone out of place. They watched, endlessly. A new force presented itself, pushing away the one coming. They watched; watched as destiny unfolded itself. <<>><<>><<>> "What!?" Celestia shouted in shock at finding herself back in the throne room, "How… What caused this?" A pensive look on her face, she struggled to understand what had happened… and what she had felt. A presence, meeting her half way during her teleportation. A presence, meeting her in the magical field of Equestria itself. A presence which forced her back to whence she came. "Whatever it was that did this, it must have been something of great power to accomplish such a feat," a shudder went down her spine, "If this... If this is the doing of the ones my ponies are now facing…" no more words were wasted, as, with a flash of her horn, and a mighty flap of her wings, she opened one of the many windows and shot towards the distant city. <<>><<>><<>> Ponies were screaming as they were trying to flee the scene, the Wonderbolts acting quickly to steer them away per their Captain's orders, not wanting them anywhere near the fight occurring between him, and the massive, metal ghost. A sickening grin on the latter's face. A look of steeled resolve on the former. In their deadly dance, Rainbow Blaze threw everything he had into the fight; however, he was forced to stay on the defensive for the most part, as Skulker's finesse with a blade was too great. He had sustained a few injuries, the cuts in his suit and the steady flow of blood seeping out of them a testimony to this. "Not bad," Skulker grunted, "but I expected more from you." He glanced down at the sizable dent in his armor, "He certainly knew how to deliver a blow. So, what is it? Are you holding back, or did I overestimate you?" "Stop talking, you freak!" Blaze breathed through clenched teeth, and Skulker's grin fell, "I will beat you down, and then the rest of you abominations who dared to hurt the citizens of this city." "All bark, but no bite," Skulker stated, "You're trained, that much is obvious. But training does not equal experience." Blaze's eyes narrowed in response, but he remained quiet, observing his foe, expecting everything… "I'm done wasting my time with you," except what Skulker did next. Acting quickly, Skulker raised his arm and fired a glob of glowing green goop. Unable to fully avoid the sudden attack Blaze's flank was struck by the ectoplasmic mass which burst on impact, glueing his hindquarters to the floor. "That should hold you down for a while," Skulker said, turning around and deploying his thruster pack, "I've got to find my prey," he finished. Without another word he shot off in a cloud of smoke, leaving Rainbow Blaze coughing and hacking as the pollution forced its way into his nose and mouth. "HEY… gha… Get back here!" he coughed, glaring daggers at the ghost, unable to free himself, "I will bring you down!" he shouted, straining to break the hold the green stuff had over him. <<>><<>><<>> Sweet Apple was hastily moving from cover to cover, her husband placed securely on her back. After the restaurant proved to be unsafe, and after she had thrown Skulker through the wall, she didn't waste any time getting to safety. But despite the need to flee as fast as she could, she couldn't put on as much speed as she would have wanted. Mainly due to her husband; still unconscious, but starting to slowly awaken, if his pained grunts every time his injured leg moved as a result of Sweet's movement were any indication. Yet, they weren't alone. Moving with them were two other ponies who had ended up with Sweet in the ensuing chaos of the ghost's assault. They were pegasi, one with an injured wing, the other shaken, but otherwise unharmed. They didn't talk, and they didn't stop to introduce themselves. They just ran, knowing what to do with nothing more than a single glance, their ancient herding instinct guiding them, with the stallion leading the way, as he was the only one uninjured or unburdened by the weight of another pony. Together they moved through the mass of ponies cluttering the streets, not looking back towards where they came from, even as a cacophony of screams and battle assailed their ears. Eventually, they got a lucky break when they came across a small store hidden away in a narrow alley. It was a strange store, shelves covered in dust and filled with various exotic looking items whose purpose they couldn't begin to imagine. Not that this was of any interest to them. What was, however, was that it was out of view, and seemingly unnoticed by the ghosts. Slamming open the door, and retreating inside, three of the four ponies let out a nervous sigh as they closed the door behind them. "Did they follow us?" Sweet Apple asked, nervously, shifting her husband's weight. "No, I don't think so," the pegasus stallion answered, peering through a narrow window. "Thank Celestia for that," the pegasus mare breathed out. "Better not stay here too long, though," the stallion muttered, moving away from the window. The mare's uninjured wing twitched nervously over that, a shudder moving down her spine. Breathing out loudly, she then turned to Sweet Apple, "And what about him? Is he alright?" "He…" Sweet Apple muttered, looking back at Gleam, "Mah husband got injured fightin' off that ghost we saw in tha restaurant. Messed his leg up really bad. He…" she stuttered, biting her lower lip in anxiety, "He's been unconscious fer a while now," she sighed. "But what about you?" she asked, looking at the pegasus' wing. "I've been better," she replied, "but at least I am still standing…" an awkward silence settled down over them, "Um… I'm Scoot Blaze," the pegasus mare introduced herself, trying to break the tension, "And this is my husband, Sky Rider." "Sweet Apple," the earth mare offered with a slight nod, "Apple Gleam," she added, nodding towards her husband. "...So, what do we do now?" Scoot Blaze asked after a short moment of silence. "Now…" Sky Rider replied as he moved to his wife's side, "Now we wait for things to be safe enough for us to move. Until then, let's see what we can use in this place," he said as he took a look around, before turning to Sweet Apple, "Maybe there is something to help your husband as well." "Ah hope so," Sweet sighed, gently lowering Apple Gleam to the floor, "Ah really do," but deep down she knew this was something that couldn't easily be 'fixed'. <<>><<>><<>> Mort wandered through the abandoned streets, a hollow sigh escaping his equally hollow chest. His eyes were downcast, barely registering what was happening around him. So much death, so much suffering. It was just too much, even for him, Death. True, he came to be the reaper for those who died. His job was to guide their souls, and comfort those who needed it, although his form wasn't really suited for that particular job. Nonetheless, he carried out his task with all the care and responsibility he could. At least, that is, until today. "Why is this happening?" he asked to no one, "What good can come from this?" he stopped for a moment to help and guide the souls of a young colt and his mother, whose bodies he found huddled together in a corner. "I know there is a plan," he looked up as the mother and her son ascended into eternity, "more direct for some than for others. But this, how does this fit in?" He sighed again, shaking his head, when the faint sound of clip clopping hooves on the streets reached his non existant ears. "All of this is happening, because of my actions," an unknown voice said. Mort turned to see a young unicorn stallion standing behind him. The stranger had a pitch black coat, with a fiery blue mane and tail; a snow white streak running through it. Yet there were two features which captured Mort's attention most. The stallion's glowing green eyes, and an eerily familiar medallion around his neck. "What!?" Mort exclaimed, shocked, "You can see me?!" The stallion only gave a single slow nod, his eyes downcast, "I never wanted this to happen, but I had no choice." He rubbed a hoof against the medallion, "So much has happened…. is going to happen," he sighed, "This is a sacrifice which will steer events back on track… I do wish this never needed to be done, though." "What are you talking about? Who are you?" Mort asked, a frantic edge to his voice. "What am I talking about? You will find that out soon enough," the stallion answered as he turned around and walked away, "As for who I am. I'm just a pony from another time… a happier time," he stopped on the spot, head turning to Mort, "... I'm sorry," he said softly. With that, he vanished. Leaving Mort where he stood, unmoving, unable to understand what the pony meant. Yet one thing slowly became apparent to Mort as he thought over what had just happened. Something he noticed, but which he failed to truly process at first because of his surprise. This stallion, this pony. He wasn't dead. A heart was still beating in his chest. "Thanasia," Mort breathed out, "What is happening to this world…? What is going to happen?" The empty streets provided him with no answer. <<>><<>><<>> Mort was moving from street to street, never resting. His mind in a state of constant turmoil, especially after what that strange pony had said; not to mention what he carried with him. "That was one of his medallions, I'm sure of it. Then, is he involved with this as well?" Mort received no answer, and he continued his task of guiding the souls of those who had died in this horrid haunting. However, turning the corner, he came upon a scene which made his metaphorical blood run cold. Three ponies, one an elderly earth pony mare, and two young earth pony fillies. All three trapped in a corner by a trio of skeletal ghosts, which Mort recognized as those commanded by the ghost king. With swords drawn, they closed in on the three ponies, and Mort knew their end was drawing near. He watched with saddened eyes, knowing he wasn't allowed to interfere. Still, seeing the fear in the eyes of those three, especially the two fillies, he couldn't help but feel a stab in the core of his very being. He knew the rules; and he had obeyed them from the very first moment he set hoof on this mortal world. But right now, he questioned them. Could he, maybe just this once, break the rules, and allow these ponies to continue with their lives? Thanasia would be furious, for sure, but perhaps it would be worth it, in the end. However, his internal debate took too long, and with a scream from the ponies, he saw the ghostly trio lunge towards them, only to stop in mid air; swords held high, shaking slightly as the ghosts stared down at the ponies. At the pink filly's mane to be precise. "It can't be!" Mort murmured breathlessly, eyes widening as he saw what caused the ghosts' pause, "How…?" Sitting within the curly confines of the pony's mane, was a baby alligator. Although, Mort knew its form was deceptive. Its unblinking eyes stared at the ghosts, the faintest narrowing of the eyes just barely noticeable, and fear struck the unbeating hearts of the undead. Their swords fell to the ground, and the ghosts fled with all the speed they could muster. Recovering from their near death experience, the ponies looked up in relief and confusion. "Wha- what just happened?" the young grey mare asked, huddled close to the elderly mare. "I- I don't know?" the pink filly spoke up in a small voice. Suddenly her eyes lit up, "Maybe it was my new friend who scared them away?!" Scooping up the alligator in her hooves, she smiled proudly at him, "Did you?" Silence. "You did! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed happily, hugging the alligator tightly. "What just happened?" Mort asked himself, unheard by all, save for one, and he felt a shudder travel down his spine as the alligator's unblinking eyes turned to him. No words were spoken, yet the message was all too clear. They are protected! Author's Note And now that we are here, I ask you to please tell me about any and all mistakes you might have noticed, or just leave a random comment for the fun of it. Powerdrainer. A Royal Pain.Edits done by Vates Despero and Clayton the Hunter. And a special thanks to AnonymousMaterials for allowing me the use of his character, Mort. A Royal Pain. <<>><<>><<>> Rainbow Blaze's wings were a blur as he and his squad followed after the hostile cybernetic ghost, refusing to allow him to escape. First and foremost in order to make sure this dangerous entity didn't hurt anypony else. And secondly… Rainbow's eyes narrowed as he focused on the last thing Skulker said to him, before flying off: 'All bark, but no bite… I'm done wasting my time with you.' Rainbow had taken his shameful defeat personally. He would not allow that to stand. He would face this abomination once more, and beat him down with his own four hooves. If only it hadn't taken so long to free himself from the sticky goop Skulker had shot at him. His eyes narrowed even further as he stared down at the city below; the dark orange glow of the setting sun reflecting off his flight goggles. <<>><<>><<>> The sun was setting, and twilight began to cover the streets, giving the already desolate and eerie city an even more ghostly aura. "Is it safe?" Scoot Blaze asked her husband, who in turn was peeking through one of the windows. "Doubt it," he muttered in response, slowly moving back. "Haven't seen any of those freaks, but they're bound to be out there," he continued as he turned to look at the three ponies with him. "How's he doing?" "Could -ugh-,could be worse," Apple Gleam forced through a pained grunt, having only awoken a short hour ago. "An' it could be better. A whole lot better," Sweet Apple interjected, working to secure her husband's leg with some of the materials they found lying around the arcane store. It had become clear to them that this was most likely a Zebra's shop, if the ancient tribal masks and obscure potions were any indication. Despite getting a fright every now and then when they ran into one of the masks, nothing else was found that could have been of any use to them. Sweet Apple had rummaged through the potions for a while, knowing all too well about the zebras' understanding of natural remedies for all kinds of ailments, yet only finding what proved to be a pain killer of sorts. And one that's numbing effects had diminished over time, as this place showed signs of neglect, having accumulated several years worth of dust. Whoever had owned this place had left long ago. Still, they were able to use some of the junk lying around to craft a makeshift splint for Gleam, and Sweet Apple was currently in the process of securing her husband's leg, aided by Scoot Blaze. "So, what do we do now?" Scoot asked after a moment. "Think you can run?" Sky Rider asked Apple Gleam, frowning. "No, he w—" Sweet Apple started to reply, when Apple Gleam interrupted. "Yes. Don't worry none, Ah'll keep up," he replied with his usual hardheaded stubbornness. "Gleam!" his wife shot back in worry and irritation. "Ya cain't strain yerself like that. Ya been unconscious fer several hours on accounta yer injury." "Exactly," he replied irritably, not liking that he had passed out, leaving his wife to fend for them both. "So Ah'm well rested ta take on anythang them... things try an' throw at us." "Gleam!" Sweet Apple said again. "Sweet, don't worry. Ah've been through worse, and Ah'll sure 'nough live through this as well," Gleam told her reassuringly, and his wife, wide eyed, gave a single slow nod. Yet one thought haunted her mind as he looked at her. 'Gleam, ya've always been a bad liar.' <<>><<>><<>> They moved slowly through the back alleys, avoiding any main roads. They had been trying to stay under the radar ever since they had escaped their near death through means they didn't understand, although Pinkie was adamant in her belief that the baby alligator she had picked up in the pet store was the one who had saved them. They deliberately kept their pace slow. Though this was mostly due to Granny Pie, who wasn't as quick on her hooves as she used to be. Pinkie Pie led the group with her newest, bestest friend, the toothless alligator sitting snuggly in her bouncy mane. His unblinking eyes, seemingly unmoving and staring into nothing, scanned the immediate surroundings incessantly. Maud, already affected by the events that had transpired since the tear opened and let the ghosts into the city, had taken her brush with death the hardest out of all of them, and thus kept close to her grandmother. Her eyes were wide, anxiously peering at her surroundings to check for anything that might be lurking in the shadows. She tried to keep a strong face for her family, not wanting her fear to affect the others as well. Her grandmother wasn’t fooled by her performance, however. After raising several foals, she could tell when somepony was hiding something, and she worried greatly for her eldest granddaughter. "Come on, dear. It isn't far now," she told Maud, reassuringly. "Yeah, big sis," Pinkie Pie piped up, smiling and bouncing behind Maud, "you don't have to be afraid anymore. Our new friend will protect us, so turn that frown upside down." "Pinkie…" Granny Pie started, only to come to a startling realization. Eyes widening, her head snapped around to see if Pinkie was still walking up front, only to see the small alligator sitting on top of a trashcan, staring towards the exit of the alley. "Wha… How did you get behind us, deary?" "Oh, I walked." "You... walked?" Granny Pie repeated, confused by Pinkie’s response. Her bewilderment soon spread to Pinkie as well. Pinkie stopped hopping mid-bounce, hanging in the air for a moment before dropping down to the ground, a hoof pressed against her chin as she pondered her own answer. "Huh, yeah. That is weird. I could have just bounced… Oh well. Guess I'll just have to put an extra extra spring in my step from now on to make up for it," she concluded, much to the confusion of her grandmother and sister. "Now, come on sis, we're almost there!" Pinkie exclaimed as she bounced away, scooping her new friend from the trashcan and placing him back in her mane. "That filly," Granny Pie muttered, disbelievingly, before turning her attention back towards Maud and placing a comforting hoof on her withers. "But she's right. I know things may look bad, but we'll be alright. You'll see," she said, giving her frightened grandchild a caring smile. "Now, come. It isn't much farther now. Just a little bit longer." Nodding her head, Maud forced herself back into motion, following her grandmother and sister's lead. 'Why am I so terrified?' she asked herself, looking at Pinkie. 'Earlier, Pinkie was the one who was afraid, and I was the one who lead the way. But now, everything’s different,' she thought as her gaze dropped down to the ground. 'Now Pinkie is the brave one, while I could barely move.' The tiniest of sighs escaped Maud's lips. 'Pinkie, Grandma. They're strong, just like the rocks that mom and dad grow on the farm. While I'm weak, like a tiny sedimentary pebble about to meet a sledgehammer. I’m like gravel; just falling apart under pressure.' Her gaze wandered up to her younger sister once more, watching her face the unknown with a confident smile. 'I need to be strong like Pinkie. Strong and sturdy, like a rock.' <<>><<>><<>> The wind howled past her, her mane, normally billowing in an unfelt breeze, now whipped around wildly as her wings pushed her forward with ever increasing speed; a golden contrail in her wake. She had to hurry, this much had become abundantly clear after even the Wonderbolts failed to report in. The fact that an unknown force managed to stop her mid-teleport only increased the worry she felt. So much so that she didn’t stop even when she had to lower the sun and usher in the night. It took a lot of effort, and the sun's path was more than a little wobbly, but she managed. Her eyes, covered in the golden glow of her magic to protect them from the cutting wind while also enhancing her vision in the darkening sky, narrowed as she began to see the first shapes of the tall buildings which her destination was known for. Though the skyline was marred by several large columns of smoke rising high above the city. "By Luna's grace…" she breathed as the devastation slowly became clearer to her. 'Whoever, or whatever, has done this will pay dearly,' she thought, pushing herself to go even faster. 'Just hold on, my little ponies. I'll be there soon.' <<>><<>><<>> Mort moved through the streets, his hollow eyes observing the devastation all around him. For the umpteenth time that day his non-existent lungs released a weary sigh. As the embodiment of death, he had seen his fair share of the passing of souls, and was more than used to the more... messy demises. Although 'used' wouldn't be the correct word here. For eons, he had watched over the ponies, watching them evolve and grow from mere primitive animals, and had grown with them through the passing of time. Throughout the ages, he watched from the shadows, always present when one's life would come to an end. During the first few hundred millennia the numbers were high. The world was untamed and harsh, claiming many as they discovered, explored, and learned. Then the ponies discovered the magic of their world, and used it to tame the lands and skies around them. Life flourished, and death could rest, even if only for a short while. Life might grow more resilient, but never invincible. He still needed to traverse the world, gathering the souls of those that passed, but the numbers had dwindled to those taken by age or disease. Then there were those times when the many species who called this world their home first encountered each other. More often than not, the differences between cultures sparked conflict rather than peace. The greed of the dragons. The warrior mentality among the griffins. The simple minded, but territorial, urges of the diamond dogs. The racial conflict among pony kind. And many others. Of course there were those who would declare themselves better than those others, if it wasn't for the heavy blow fate dealt them. Still, for a time the changelings were superior among the species. Their ability to take the form of others, and sense the emotions of those around them made them more peaceful than the other species. But even with their gifts and abilities, they still weren’t able to stop the inevitable clash between the other cultures. Wars were fought, lives were lost, and Death's rest came to an end. Once more hurrying from one soul to the next, reaping them, and guiding them as they made their choice. In time, the different species came to an understanding between each other. Racial tensions diminished, and the illusion of peace returned once more. Settlements were built, which then expanded into villages soon after, and perhaps grow to become cities. Their minds grew, expanded by the knowledge they shared with each other, and Death could rest once more. But then the corruption entered the world. It roamed around for some time. How long, even Mort didn't know, but eventually, it found what it was looking for. A suitable individual to act as a vessel. Someone to infect. Someone touched by the essence of death, yet still among the living. Death's rest ended once more. The destruction brought by the darkness was impossible to comprehend. The deaths were numerous and too gruesome to describe. And what happened to the changelings still made Mort's old bones shake in horror. He ran into the changelings reaper numerous times in those days, but they never had a moment to talk or catch their breath. To this day the changelings hadn't recovered from that devastating blow. Not through any lack of their own efforts, but through the mistakes and misunderstandings of others. Eventually the corruption was stopped, and Death wandered the blood-soaked ground trying to comprehend; trying to understand how this was even possible. The barrier around the world should've made such an incursion all but impossible. And only those allowed could leave and enter. But now, looking around, Mort knew that the barrier had lost its protective power, forever. The destruction of the backdoor, one of the very few portals still leading to this world, and the subsequent rips in reality that formed between Equestria and Earth had allowed many horrors entry to this world once more. A loud scream shook Mort out of his downward mental spiral, and he beheld a peculiar sight. Running past him was a young, azure filly, wearing a star printed cape and pointed hat, both a bit too large for her frame, forcing her to use her unsteady magic to keep the hat on her head. She screamed once again, and the source of her distress revealed itself to Mort as the... thing that was chasing her came around the corner. "..." "Is that a wheel?" Mort asked dumbly, watching the obviously possessed wheel roll and bounce around; crashing through windows, and leaving skidmarks on the ground in its pursuit of the terrified child. "Leave Trixie alone!" she screamed, almost tripping over her cape. "Aaahh... I hate you! Trixie hates wheels!" she decreed as she jumped into a nearby trashcan in an attempt to hide from the circular horror. Mort stood in silence, eyes wide in confusion, until the grinding of gravel near him brought his attention to the wooden carriage wheel, slowly rolling towards the filly's hiding spot like a predator stalking its prey. Mort's gaze shifted between the hidden filly and the wheel. He needed to intervene, and fast! "No!" he cried, and he flowed into motion. Thanasia would have his head, but he couldn't take it anymore. "NO!" he shouted, raising his scythe high in the pale glow of his magic; his voice drawing the wicked wheel's attention, it finally noticed the reaper as he materialized before it. It barely had any time to react as Mort's scythe cut through the wheel as if it was made of wet paper. A sickening glow surrounded the wooden construct, before a pained, haunted wail escaped from it. A twisted, broken form rose from the wheel, unrecognizable, and it wailed once again, before being grabbed by Mort's magic. "Your soul was lost long before I destroyed you," Mort told the shattered entity, before opening a small portal with his scythe. "Now you will join the rest, trapped forever between the planes of existence," and with his part words said, he released the lost soul into the portal, sending it on its way to the Ghost Zone. "... I'm sorry," he added, disgusted by his own actions, but unable to stand by any longer. "... It's safe to come out now," he called out to the filly. "Go and find a safe place to hide," he said, and vanished just in time for the filly to miss him as her head poked out of the trashcan. "Who's there? Who said that?" Trixie asked in a frightened voice, looking around and seeing the broken wheel lying on the ground. "Trixie demands you show yourself!" she demanded, but to no avail. Feeling that she was safe for the moment, she clumsily climbed out of the trashcan, shaking off the filth clinging to her coat, and ran off. But just before she turned the corner and left this place behind, she stopped, looked back, and whispered a soft: "Thank you." <<>><<>><<>> Night was slowly claiming the lands, the first stars already visible, as Soarin and Spitfire flew through the abandoned streets, with only the occasional scream or wail to fill the otherwise eerie and unnatural silence. Flying in front of them, Rainbow Blaze scanned the immediate surroundings, trying to find his target. The fact that night approached was not slowing him in the slightest. While anyone else would bunker down, and pray to Celestia, hoping to survive through the night, Rainbow Blaze saw the darkening of the sky as an opportunity. They knew from previous encounters that the ghostly entities' eyes glowed in the dark, which would help the group spot them much easier and avoid them in order to maintain the advantage of cover in the darkness. Still, this did nothing to ease the nerves of either Soarin or Spitfire. They were both well acquainted with Blaze's reputation. A tough, hardheaded fighter. Loyal to boot, and never letting his team down. But when his pride was on the line, he had a tendency to lose sight of the objective. Of course, this didn't happen often. His training allowed him to keep his cool under even the toughest of challenges. But his fight with Skulker, first sustaining several injuries while seemingly not even able to scratch his opponent, combined with Skulker leaving the fight after deeming Rainbow Blaze unworthy of his time, that was something he couldn't ignore. And even though Soarin and Spitfire had voiced their doubts about their captain's current course of action, they also knew their duty was to protect the citizens of the city; especially now, as those imprisoned in this city would try to find a safe place to hide, and potentially fight each other over the safest places. They needed to protect everyone from both the ghosts, and from themselves. Glaring down, scanning every street and alley they passed, Rainbow Blaze came to a sudden stop as he spotted a bulky figure hovering near a side street. The fiend seemed to be busy working on some kind of gadget built into his arm, and was clearly interested in an obscure store located a bit further ahead. "Found you," Rainbow Blaze growled as he dived down at max speed. "You're not getting away this time." To his shock, however, his opponent merely glanced at him over his shoulder. A cold shudder traveled down his spine upon noticing the cold grin plastered on the ghost's face. And, pushing a button on his arm, the hunter's trap deployed. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and Blaze could hear the mechanical whirr of several small devices activating. Small constructs, their purpose unknown, placed on the walls of the buildings around him, locked onto him. He was vaguely aware of Soarin and Spitfire shouting for him, yet their words didn't register as the small machines, made of a shining metal similar to the hunter ghost himself and with a protrusion shaped roughly like a three pronged fork, with significantly wider outer prongs feeding into a longer central focus, began to glow a sickly green. Then, in a split second in which time seemed to move faster than physically possible, a multitude of highly charged beams struck the pegasus, burning through his fur and skin; the air rushing out of his lungs in a tortured wail. His smoking form dropped down to the ground; watched by the horrified eyes of his team, and the victorious, but dead eyes of Skulker. The last thing Rainbow Blaze saw before darkness consumed him, was Skulker approaching him; a massive blade sliding out of his wrist. Author's Note There you have it, a new chapter. It's a short one, I know. But you can't say nothing happened in it. Now, as I always ask of you, tell me about any mistakes, what you liked, or just a random comment for the fun of it. ~Powerdrainer A Day In The Life Of A Royal GuardThis chapter was brought to you, slowly, by Powerdrainer editors inc. A Day in The Life Of A Royal Guard <<>><<>><<>> Ten minutes before the invasion. It was a nice, sunny day. Not too much wind, and just a few clouds in an otherwise clear sky. The local weather pegasi certainly delivered yet again. Strong Will trotted with his chest puffed out through the streets, his armor clanking a bit from his movements as he and his fellow guard were moving through one of the most busy streets of the city. It was a necessary show of power, despite the peaceful nature of ponies. There is always a rotten individual within the bunch, and with a city as large as Baltimare, there would always be somepony, somewhere, causing a ruckus over something. It could be worse: Somepony could be causing a ruckus over nothing. Still, despite the occasional disturbance, the city was pleasantly peaceful. This was something Strong Will took pride in, knowing he and his fellow guards were responsible for making this happen. Today, though, was proving to be a rather slow day. Little to no incidents were reported, with only one notable case of a drunken griffin going amok in a sleazy bar known for their lower standards. Not much of an issue, and the featherbrain was quickly apprehended by a team of unicorns, before being carried off to the drunk tank to sober up. Strong Will, however, was nowhere near that part of the city. He and his brother, Flash Lightning, weren’t even on an active patrol. Instead, they were on a break, idly chatting over the latest developments concerning the strange and unusual creatures calling themselves humans who suddenly appeared one day when the first tear formed. Of course this topic of conversation soon shifted to the numerous reports they received about strange, translucent entities terrorizing the populus anywhere a tear could be found. Which, of course, sparked a heated debate about what these unknown entities could be. "I'm telling you. I'm not buying that explanation!" Strong Will said with a grunt of annoyance, "Ghosts, really?" "Hey, it's what those humans call them." "Right," Strong Will rolled his eyes. "The humans, creatures who suddenly showed up when reality tore apart and who we know almost nothing about, are saying those things are ghosts." Flash Lightning shrugged, "Hey, don't look at me. All I'm saying is what they told us. Besides, when you think about it, it kinda makes sense." "...I'm still not buying it," Strong Will replied in a mutter. "I figured as much. Still, what if-" "-I'll believe it when I see it," he cut him off. It was then that they had heard screaming and both their heads snapped towards the source of the disturbance: a massive tear in the air some distance away with glowing, intangible entities spewing forth out of the shimmering hole. "Well, you just had to open your mouth, didn't you?" Flash Lightning shot at his brother, flexing his wings before launching towards the threat. "Well, you're the one who brought it up," Strong Will replied to no one, envying his brother's wings at the moment, and cursing his lack of a horn. Shaking those thoughts off, he hurried to catch up, making sure his sword was well within reach for a quick draw. <<>><<>><<>> Five minutes before the Invasion. 'Your will is mine. Your thoughts are mine. Everything you are, everything you do you do through my will.' His victims stiffly nodded in response. 'Now, let's have some fun shall w-' His mental command was halted before he could finish. The reason? A sudden rupture appearing near the edge of the town. He and his undead brethren were invading, ripping open the air, revealing a world untouched. 'Well, what do we have here?' he mused, stroking his black goatee, white streaks running through it. The creatures on the other side of the tear stared with wide, fearful eyes at the hovering force of undead entities. The invasion then shifted from one world to the next; the ponies and other species to be found past the shimmering hole screamed and ran away in panic. 'How very interesting,' he idly observed, then shot a sideways glance at his slaves standing below him, eyes and minds blank. 'No need for you to get off easily.' he thought. 'Make a mess, cause as much mayhem as you can. Show them why it is I who they should fear the most. Show them the might of Vesper!' and so he flew through the rip in reality, joining the chaos unfolding in this new haunting ground, the hole sealing shut behind him as he passed. <<>><<>><<>> Numerous ghosts were descending down upon the ponies, making their screams fill the air as Vesper hovered above it all, watching, thinking, plotting. 'Very interesting,' Vesper mused, observing the unfolding chaos with the faintest of grins. 'I've heard rumors from some of the ghosts, but to actually see it… Hmmm.' His eyes followed a small, young looking pony with wings as it flew over one of the taller buildings in an attempt to chase off a duo of ghosts following it. He was unable to tell if it was a boy or girl. The presumed child cleared the roof, and immediately dived down, while the two ghosts, lagging behind, missed the child's evasive action and continued in a direct line, flying over their target, leaving it to pant behind a hoof to keep the sound to a minimum. 'This one seems to have at least some semblance of a mind,' he thought, eyes glowing with twisted glee and curiosity, 'A perfect pawn to see just how well my powers work on these equine creatures.' The young pony carefully flew back up to the roof, peeking over the edge to make sure no more of those... things were hiding in wait. Seeing nothing there, a sigh of relief escaped the pony, before gently landing upon the flat surface of the tall building; he failed to notice the grinning Vesper hovering directly behind him. With deliberate slowness, the pony crept its way towards the other side of the roof, intending to peek over the edge and see if there were any other of those monstrosities. Noticing this, Vesper approached the small pony with the same slowness; his shadow stretching out further and further until it grew to cover the pony. Stopping mid-motion, the pony turned around with terrified slowness. Looking up with wide, fearful eyes, expecting the worst, and… and… and seeing nothing. "Hello, is anypony out there?" the pony spoke, her fearful voice giving away to Vesper she was a girl. Looking around with fear, the girl was unable to see anypony… until she looked down. "Wha…?" she uttered, sounding both confused and surprised, but not afraid, much to Vesper’s chagrin. This would not stand! "Behold, child," he spoke with a dramatic voice, "And tremble in fear before the greatest and most fearsome of ghosts, Vesper!" "Uhh… Aren't you a bit small for that?" the pony girl asked, looking down upon the miniature ghost who hovered just above the roof, almost a head shorter than the child. Vesper's eyes narrowed as their red glow intensified; his right eye, however, was dimmer than the left, as a long scar cut through it, and he snarled in response. "You dare mock me?" he seethed. "Me, the greatest and most fearsome of all ghosts?" his aura intensified, and he closed the distance between himself and the pony, the latter backing away from the miniature ghost, until she could feel her haunches hit the roof's border. "You think you're better than me? Greater than me…?" Vesper halted his advance, a menacing grin creeping onto his face, and his eyes burned a deep red, reflected in the eyes of the young pony. 'So, just like all the others, I will take away your ability to think...' The pony's eyes, their color once a light blue, now burned with the same red found in Vesper's eyes. 'Your will is mine. Your thoughts are mine. Everything you are, everything you do will be my will.' The pony stiffly nodded. 'Now, let's have some fun, shall we?' The pony stiffly nodded once more, and Vesper laughed loudly. <<>><<>><<>> "What the hay are these things!?" Strong Will shouted, swinging his sword at one of the apparitions yet unable to score a single hit as the metal passed cleanly through his enemy. Jumping back to avoid the glowing green orb of destruction the entity shot from his stubby claw, Strong Will readied for another attack. "Don't waste your energy fighting these things!" Flash Lightning yelled at him, "Our swords are useless!" and he raced in to push his brother out of the way of yet another bolt of sizzling green energy. "Then what do we do?!" Strong Will shouted back, glaring at both his brother and the impossible to hit enemy hovering before them. "The one thing we can do!" Flash Lightning shot back, "Protect the citizens." "That’s what I am trying to do!" Strong Will shot back heatedly, the both of them jumping away from their position just in time to avoid another beam of destructive green coming from behind them. "Oh, great. Here comes ugly's friends." Strong Will glowered. A scream then brought his and Flash Lightning's attention to a group of civilians, several of the glowing creatures closing in upon them. "Damn it," Strong Will swore. "Fine, if we can't hit them, we'll draw them off." Nodding, his brother turned to face the three slightly translucent beings who had attacked them. "I'll deal with them. You go take care of those over there." Their eyes met, and a single nod gave confirmation to their thoughts. With a mighty flap of his wings, and a wicked slash of his sword, Flash Lightning gutted the beings he knew to be ghosts, only for his sword to pass cleanly through them. Still, such an invasion of personal space granted him the full attention of the ghosts, and he flew away with speed, followed by the trio of the dead . "Good luck, bro." Strong Will muttered through teeth, sword clenched tightly in his jaw. With a gallop, he threw himself at the impossible beings, slashing away at them with no effect. "Yeah, you like that?!" he shouted at them as best he could, (and with years of practice, he did a rather good job in speaking with his mouth full,) gaining the beings' attention, and giving the ponies with their backs against the wall a window to escape. "Well, if you want more, come and get it!" Taking his invitation to unbeating heart, the glowing beings swarmed the lone guard; his sword cleaved the air, but never hit even one of them. 'Celestia damn it,' he thought as he swung his sword once again, taking notice through the corner of his eye that the civilians were gone. 'Well, that's about the only good thing happening right now.' With a defiant roar, he swung his sword one more time, somehow managing to clear a path. Not wasting this chance, he jumped through and ran away as fast as he could, sword still in his mouth and the glowing beings hot on his tail. 'That's right. Follow me. It's just a matter of time before I find a way to cut you down.' <<>><<>><<>> Panting heavily, Strong Will peeked past the wall he was hiding behind, making sure he had lost his pursuers. Grumbling to himself, he retreated back behind his cover and took a moment to inspect his sword. 'Why didn't I hit them?' he asked, slowly angling his sword from one side to the other. 'No matter how much I try, I just can't seem to hit them.' His mind returned to the conversation he had with his brother shortly before the tear formed, and he sighed aloud wearily while resheathing his sword. "Ghosts…?" he muttered, frowning. "...I'm still not buying it, but I can't deny what I've seen either." His head snapped around as he suddenly heard soft hoofsteps coming from behind the wall. Peeking past the wall once more, Strong Will's eyes widened as he saw a lone pegasus filly walking through the seemingly empty street. However, being well aware of the abilities these 'ghosts' had shown him by passing through solid objects as well as being able to turn invisible, he knew that he couldn’t be sure that she could be safe, himself notwithstanding. Despite that, being out in the open, wandering around like she seemed to be doing was just asking for trouble. "Hey, kid!" he called out, catching the filly's attention, missing the flash of red in her eyes, or the momentary grin as he looked around for any of those 'ghosts', "It's not safe out there. Get in here quick. While those… things are not here." Giving a nod, the filly hurried behind the wall Strong Will was hiding, taking notice of him being the only one present. 'Perfect," Vesper thought, seeing through the pony's eyes. "Are you alone, is anypony else with you?" Strong Will asked after he was sure no one else was coming. "N-no.." the filly answered in a whimper, huddling down a bit, "I lost my parents when those… those things attacked." and she whimpered again. "Hey now, it's going to be alright," Strong Will said, trying to sound comforting, "I'm sure they are around here somewhere," he then shook his head as he sighed out, knowing he couldn't just leave the filly alone. "Just.. Just stick with me. I'll keep you safe while we look for your mom and dad, okay?" Nodding weakly, the filly stepped closer to the lone guard, head held low; a menacing grin on her face mirrored the one on Vesper's, hidden from view by her light blue mane obscuring her face. "Do you know where you last saw them?" Strong Will asked, and the filly nodded before running off towards the way he had recently managed to shake off his pursuers. "Hey, wait up!" he shouted after the filly, yet she didn't seem to hear him as she hurried around the corner, and out of sight. "Damn it," Strong Will muttered, before hurrying after the child, sword at the ready as he knew, deep down, he would need it. <<>><<>><<>> "This way, mister." The filly ran through the streets without pause, leading Strong Will to where she last saw her parents. "Hey, wait up!" Strong Will shouted after her, scanning the suspiciously empty streets with a wary glance. "It isn't safe!" With his sword at the ready, he chased after the filly, swearing over the fact that the pegasus child was able to stay ahead of him. A fact that didn't seem logical, but which he didn't give much thought due to the current crisis unfolding. Instead, he followed the child, hoping she wouldn't run into any more of those… things before he was able to catch up with her. Rounding a corner which he saw the child's tail vanish behind, he came up onto a confusing scene, and all his instincts screamed at him something was seriously wrong. Standing out in the open in the center of the street amidst abandoned saddlebags and other personal belongings, stood the filly, who smiled a visibly fake smile. "Hey, kid… Is everything alright?" Strong Will asked warily, slowly approaching the child. "Oh, yes mister. Everything is alright now that you are here." Faltering for a moment, Strong Will's eyes narrowed slightly, his ears swiveling around to pick up any sound, only to come to the startling realization everything was quiet. Too quiet. "Oh yeah, how so?" he asked her, voice thick with suspicion. "Because you've walked right into my trap." she answered sweetly, giving a large, fake smile while her eyes glowed a deep red. "What the-" Strong Will shouted, only to fall silent as a miniature being faded into view, hovering just above the filly, grinning menacingly with its eyes glowing darkly. "KID, WATCH OUT!" Strong Will yelled, rushing towards the filly; only to come to a sudden and involuntary stop. "What- ghnn- is going on?" he grunted as he willed his legs to move. "Oh, don't worry too much about that," the small ghost told him, slowly hovering towards the stallion. "Losing control over your legs is the least of your worries." Grinning smugly, Vesper slowly circled around the struggling stallion, studying him. "Yes, you'll do nicely," Vesper mused, stroking his goatee. "I can't wait to see just how many pawns will fall before my might using you, a trustworthy being of importance, as a lure.” "I.. won't ever -ghn- do such.. a thing," Strong Will grunted, struggling against whatever power was keeping him immobilized. Chuckling darkly, Vesper hovered right before Strong Will, "Like you have a choice," and his eyes' glow increased slightly. 'Your will is mine. Your thoughts are mine. Everything you do shall come from my will.' Strong Will's eyes flickered between his natural yellow eyes and a glowing red. Gritting his teeth, and shaking his head, he tried to get rid of the voice in his head. Vesper, taken aback by his resilience, had to increase the force of his mental control, determined to enslave this lowly mortal. 'You will listen! You will obey! My thoughts are your thoughts. My will is your will. I speak, and you listen. I control, you are controlled. Resistance is futile!' "GHA!" Strong Will screamed as he felt the miniature being's voice snake its way into the deepest recesses of his mind; a dark tendril obscuring all thoughts of free will. He felt it, and he fought it. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he roared, severing the mental link forced upon him by Vesper and launching the ghost back through the backlash. Panting loudly, Strong Will glared at the being with murder in his eyes, feeling his legs listening to his commands once more. Vesper, shocked by what had just happened and slammed into the ground from the unexpected blow, righted himself as he slowly levitated himself off of the ground. A look of disbelief clearly showed on his face, before it was replaced by something all the more sinister, rubbing his goatee. "My my. You certainly are strong willed," a murderous grin growing on his lips. "How very interesting..." And so, his eyes' glow increased once again. "Oh no you don't!" Strong Will shouted, launching himself at the small pest before he could try the same trick again. Yet in the blink of an eye, Vesper was gone, and Strong Will glared around as he searched for this proven threat. "Where are you!?" he growled. "Oh, I'm right here," the filly answered, her voice no longer sounding innocent. Instead, a mischievous grin had grown on her face, and her deep red eyes bored into Strong Will's. "What the-" Strong Will replied, shocked, taking a step back. "And here!" another voice said, drawing Strong's attention to another pony walking up on him from behind, his eyes also a glowing red. "And here as well!" a mare replied, stepping out of an abandoned building, eyes equally red. "And I am right here," Vesper answered, directly next to Strong Will. Shocked, and eyes wide, he slowly turned to look at the small being hovering next to him. However, the moment their eyes locked, a concussive blast sent him flying with a scream to crash into a wall and drop onto the ground in a heap. Groaning, he opened his eyes, struggling to get them to focus as he saw several blurs stand before him; one hovering above the rest, all their eyes aglow. "My powers are absolute, and no mind is capable of withstanding my control," Vesper hissed as he lowered himself before the stallion. "You are no exception." His eyes glowed a dark red, mirrored briefly in Strong Will's own before unconsciousness claimed him. But before he blacked out, he could hear the last few words of the small being, "You just need some more pushing before your mind gives in to my will." <<>><<>><<>> An unspecified amount of time later. "Ugh." With a low groan and surprisingly stiff joints, Strong Will drifted back into consciousness. Blearily opening his eyes, he tried to figure out where he was through the unfocused images his eyes were showing him. Blinking multiple times, he pushed himself up with another groan before looking up and seeing things clearly again. "What happened?" he muttered, rubbing his aching head with his eyes closed. "How did I get here?" the memories came flooding back, and adrenaline started coursing through his veins upon remembering who he fought, and what that... thing, had done. "Where are you!?" he yelled, looking around with glaring eyes, sword at the ready, only to find himself completely alone. "What the-" he muttered, not trusting the situation one bit. "Strong, is that you?" Flash Lightning called out as he dropped down, looking worse for wear. "Flash?" Strong Will answered, surprised. "What are you doing here?" "Looking for you. There’s a mass evacuation ongoing, and they need all the help they can get." "Wait, what?" Strong Will replied. "Evacuation?" "Yes. Those ghosts have taken over the city, and we're getting as many ponies, griffins, and others out as we can. Now come on!" Flash Lightning said urgently, spreading out his wings and taking to the sky. "Hold on!" Strong Will shouted as he hurried after his brother. "When did all of this happen?" "Not long after we split up," Flash Lighting called back. "We've sustained heavy losses, and are mostly on the defensive." "Damn it," Strong Will swore. "It's not all bad news, though," Flash Lightning continued. "Those horn heads managed to inflict some damage to the ghosts, allowing us to gain a few small victories." "Horn heads?" Strong Will repeated, confused and even a bit shocked his brother would use such an insult. It wasn't like him at all, and he glared at the pegasus as he ran along side him. "What the…?" Strong Will muttered, almost tripping over his own legs as, for a moment, it almost looked like his brother was flying without any wings. Blinking, and shaking his head, he looked again, only to find nothing wrong with his brother's wings. "Over there!" Flash Lightning pointed. "Some others of this outfit have managed to capture some of those ghosts," and he dropped down with speed, coming to a stop next to a unicorn stallion Strong Will had the strong feeling he had seen before, but couldn't quite place when or where. And, as he took a moment to study his fellow guard, the armor he was wearing seemed to fade away. Only for the protective gear to be fully present after he blinked a few times in confusion. "What the-" he murmured as he shook his head. "... That blow must be messing with my mind," he deduced, shaking his head a final time before focusing on the trio of ghosts somehow contained by the other guards. Looking at him with an irritated frown, Flash Lightning stepped closer to his brother. "Those are some of the ghosts responsible for attacking the civilians," he said, voice surprisingly light. Then a sinister tone took over. "Time for a little payback, wouldn't you agree, Brother?" "What!?" Strong Will looked at his brother in shock. "What are you talking about? We don't attack a defenseless opponent, no matter who they might be or what they have done." He glared at his brother. "And even though I'm still not buying the whole ghost thing, I am not attacking them when we already have them captured," his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "and neither should you!" A sudden blow from behind send his world spinning, and Strong Will stumbled on the spot as he tried to regain his bearings. Shaking his head, he growled in anger as he looked back to see who delivered that low blow; his eyes widened as he saw the frightened eyes of a young filly, only for a spike to shoot through his brain. The next moment he looked again, all he saw were the 'ghosts' surrounded by the guards; one of which was holstering his sword while glancing at Strong Will for a split second. "What the hay…?" Strong Will muttered loudly, glaring at those around him with ever-increasing suspicion. As he took a slow step back, his burning eyes never left the group of guards. "What the BUCK is going on!?" he demanded, only to flinch and groan loudly in pain as a painful throb shot through his brain. Grunting, he looked back up with angry eyes, only to have them widen in shock and disbelief as he saw the group of supposed guards were no longer wearing their armor. When he blinked, he saw that the entities that were being held at sword's edge weren’t the freaks he was fighting. Instead, they were replaced by the fearful, pleading eyes of a young family, one of which was the filly he remembered trying to help a while back; they were begging without words, praying for somepony, anypony to help them. "WHAT THE-" he roared, only to be struck by eerily familiar concussive blast. "Impressive," Vesper's heavily irritated voice spoke up, indicating he was anything but pleased. "Even now, you seem to be able to defy my control." He gritted his teeth for a moment, before a soulless smile replaced it. Turning to the helpless ponies, a short and hollow laugh escaped him. "Yes. No more kidding around." Here he glanced at Strong Will, who clambered back to his hooves, glaring at the ghost and taking notice his brother was no longer to be found. The guard frowned as he connected the pieces. Vesper turned his attention back to his pawns, "No need to go easy on them. Show this world that it is I they should fear. Show them the might of Vesper… Kill them, and make him watch. Then kill him too," he ordered as he flew away. "I can't have someone like him running around, defying me," he muttered afterwards. Growling at the small being, Strong Will once more cursed his lack of either a horn or wings. All he could do was glare murder at the small entity as he flew away. Looking at the ponies before him and now knowing that they were not in control of their own actions, he prepared himself to take them on. Watching with narrowed eyes, he saw the controlled ponies split up into groups. Two of them came for him, a mare and stallion, with the rest moving in on the family. Growling, Strong Will launched himself at the approaching threat, knowing he was at a disadvantage as he was unable to go all out. They weren't in control of themselves, and had to be subdued with minimal force. The controlled ponies, however, had no such reservations, and they readied the weapons they were carrying. The mare held a sword, the stallion a spear, and they charged Strong Will with blank gazes. Strong Will dived underneath the mare’s magical swing of her sword, before jumping back up and delivering a bone-shaking punch at the attacking stallion's jaw with enough force for him to lose grip of the spear, which fell to the ground. Not having time to rest, Strong Will jumped back, narrowly avoiding another wild swing from the sword, and he set his sights on the mare. A scream of fear then grabbed his attention, and he swore as he saw the other controlled ponies heading for the family; the controlled ponies were almost on top of them in the time he had wasted trying to defend himself. Swearing, he dodged yet another swing, before running at full speed towards the family in need. Jumping into the fray, he kicked the legs out from underneath one of the attackers, sending him tumbling to the ground. Acting quickly, he grabbed the spear that the pony had dropped, using a quick stomp of the hoof to snap off the tip of the weapon. He then brought the shaft up in a blur to block an incoming attack, nearly breaking the wood from the force of the blow. 'Damn it,' he grunted. 'What is going on with this piece of junk? This isn't any of the equipment we use,' he thought, before shaking those questions away, focusing on the problem at hoof. Swinging the halfway broken, pointless spear wildly around in an effort to push back the approaching force of mind controlled ponies, he slowly made his way to the huddled forms of the endangered family. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here!" he yelled through clenched teeth as he kept his eyes firmly on the approaching ponies, his back towards the family. "Oh, that's alright!" the filly spoke up, her voice light, yet hollow at the same time. Strong Will's eyes widened at the belated realization that it was her who had lured him in to begin with, and he had just enough time to turn his head to look at her before the back hooves of the stallion connected with him. With a groan and blood dripping from his mouth, Strong Will collapsed in a heap, barely conscious. "Well, isn't this something?" a now eerily familiar voice spoke up, chuckling darkly. In his rapidly blurring vision, Strong could see the small form of Vesper hovering before him, grinning madly "Why, it is almost as if you can't trust anyone these days." Strong Will groaned, struggling weakly, before slowly sinking away into darkness. "Oh, don't you worry. We'll break you, eventually. It isn't a matter of if, but when. Now, you just lay here while I go gather more pawns. I'm sure we’ll meet up again soon enough." Strong Will stilled as he finally fell unconscious. "The question is, will you be ready when we do?" Vesper slowly flew up, looking down at the blank minded pawns under his control. "Leave him for now," he ordered, then grinned evilly. "Now, you all know what to do. Make a mess, cause as much mayhem as you can. Show them why it is I who they should fear the most. Show them the might of Vesper!" The ponies all stiffly nodded, and Vesper laughed loudly, wickedly; his red eyes burned darkly in the minds of those he controlled. "Now, let's have some fun, shall we?" Author's Note Okay, it has been a long time. Far too long, in fact. So long even, that even I don't want to wait any more. I have send numerous messages to my editors, and waited and waited. Some of them, they know who they are, did a splendid job. Others never wrote back, or showed much of any other sign of still being among the living. Also, yay. Season six has aired. Unfortunately, it also contradicted my idea of the guards being responsible for the local law enforcement, seeing we were introduced to our ponies in uniform in episode 3. But seeing I had written this chapter more than six freaking months ago, I say fuck it. I'm just glad this is finally published. That said, I'm not so sure who has edited, and who hasn't. I kinda lost track after so long. So, if you spot a mistake, leave a comment or something. I dunno. I have already put in too much effort getting this edited, and even finding new editors as well. Now I'm just hoping things will not take so damned long with the next chapters... The way it is looking, though, it will probably be during the premiere of season 7 that there is going to be another update. I'll see what I can do about that. Now, back to the story itself. What did you like, what didn't you like. Let me know in the comments, and I hope you enjoy this new addition to my ever growing world. ~Powerdrainer Solar WrathEdits done by Halusm, Clawder, Clayton the Hunter, and Slayerseba. Solar Wrath <<>><<>><<>> The first light of the moon rose up past the horizon; the heavenly object's path wobbly, as the one raising it pushed herself far past what was normal. Celestia’s wings beat heavily, leaving a golden contrail in her wake; her eyes narrowed in a determined glare; she descended into the city slamming to the ground, with enough force to crack the road's surface. She had arrived... and it hadn't gone unnoticed. Numerous lifeless eyes watched her from the ever increasing darkness, while she herself looked around with growing concern and anger. All around her, Celestia saw empty streets, abandoned buildings and not a pony in sight: something which should not be. Not in a bustling city like Baltimare. So the fact there was no one concerned her greatly. That and the grisly sight she witnessed during her flight to the city. Now though, even if there wasn't a pony in sight, she could still feel herself being watched; and she herself glared with hot glowing eyes at the numerous green orbs staring back at her. "Ghosts," she muttered, angrily. She knew what they were, having heard about these creatures from the humans, as well as several slight incidents with only a hoof full of spectral entities in the past. Nothing as large as what was happening now. And despite the knowledge exchanged with the humans, she knew her ponies, the guards, and the Wonderbolts, were all poorly equipped to deal with such a threat. In fact, she herself also lacked any useful knowledge to effectively deal with these things. Nor did she, or her ponies, possess any of the weapons the humans used to combat this threat. With hardened eyes, Celestia slowly scanned her surroundings; her horn aglow, illuminating the area with golden light. A loud screech suddenly filled the air and a ghost launched itself at her; mouth wide open, showing rows of razor sharp, saliva covered teeth. Celestia, turning to face this abomination fully, waited until the thing was almost on top of her, then she blinked out of existence. The ghosts, confused that their prey had vanished without a trace, slammed into the ground, looking around in confusion. Then, in a flash of gold, a gold-clad hoof connected with its head, a sickening crunch accompanying the impact. Dropping to the ground, green glowing goop flowing out of the caved in hole in its head, the ghost looked at its attacker. Celestia, eyes ablaze, stood clad in brilliantly polished golden armor, a long and slender sword held aloft in her magical hold, and a blazing, burning aura of righteous fury surrounded her; the street below slowly beginning to melt. Flicking her hoof clean from the goop still clinging to it, she slowly, deliberately set it down, bringing her sword to bare. "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES!" She shouted in royal decree, her voice carrying far and wide. "ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" Numerous roars, cries, screeches and other unholy sounds came in answer, and the ghosts attacked en mass. "So be it," Celestia stated, and brought her sword down on the ghost still lying before her; cutting its head clean off. <<>><<>><<>> "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES! ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" "Did ya hear that?" Sweet Apple asked, ears perked up. "Hear it? Ah felt it," Apple Gleam grunted; himself, his wife, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider hiding in a side alley a short run away from the store they'd hid in just the moment before. "It's the Princess," Scoot Blaze gasped, hopeful they'd be saved at last. "Let's not celebrate just yet," Sky Rider said, ears swiveling around. "If we heard her, so did everything else. And I don't want to be where all those things are going to." Apple Gleam, Sweet Apple and Scoot Blaze had to agree with him. As powerful as the princess was, even she would have a hard time with the large number of ghosts. Even more so if she had to keep them, or others safe. So, begrudgingly, they had to agree that, in their current situation, broken wing, leg, and nearly depleted stamina, the last place they wanted to be was where they knew all the ghosts would go to. "But then, where do we go?" Scoot Blaze asked. "Is there any other place like the restaurant, with guards and such?" "If ya ask me, I'd stay as far away from such places," Sweet Apple grunted. "You saw what happened when that ghost showed up. No way Ah'm risking gettin' swept away 'n such a mess again. 'Sides, tha smaller the group, tha more difficult we're spotted." "That may be true," Apple Gleam replied gruffly, "But we're still bein' chased by that Celestia damned ghost ourselves." "Speakin' of that damned ghost," Sweet Apple said. "Any idea where it is now?" "No, and Ah rather not find out either," Apple Gleam answered, flinching slightly from a stab of pain in his leg. "... Let's just get outta here," he grunted and awkwardly stepped towards the end of the alley, peeking past the corner to make sure it was safe. A horrific scream froze them all in their tracks, fear clenching their hearts. <<>><<>><<>> Soarin and Spitfire, after seeing their commanding officer go down, were only able to stare in shock when the metallic ghost got to Rainbow Blaze's smoking body before they had the chance to do so themselves. And it was with horror, anger and rising bile that they watched how Skulker unsheathed a wicked blade from his wrist, cutting off Rainbow's tail at the base. "A fine trophy," Skulker said, putting the bloodied, still twitching appendage in a storage compartment build in his armor. "YOU MONSTER!" Spitfire screamed, diving down with speed, fully intent to dive bomb the ghost. With a mocking smirk and taunting ease, Skulker simply hovered to the side; waiting for the enraged mare to fly beside him, then swatted her out of the air with a backhand to the head. "DON'T YOU DARE!" Soarin shouted, enraged, having snuck up on the ghost while Spitfire distracted him. Or so he thought. Swinging his body around and slamming his hind legs into Skulker's unprotected back, Soaring was shocked when he simply phased through; Skulker's image distorting. "Too easy," Skulker grunted, turning visible behind Soarin, weapon aimed at his head. "Fooled by a simple holographic decoy. You're young, inexperienced and not worth my time," he said, almost sounding bored and fired his arm mounted blaster. "THINK AGAIN!" Spitfire roared, slamming into his side; Skulker's shot narrowly missing Soarin as the sizzling bolt seared a hair's breadth over the pony's head. "Impressive," Skulker grunted, then an evil grin of renewed interest set on his face. "You actually managed to do what he couldn't," he said, noticing the small dent in his armor where Spitfire's hooves connected. "Maybe I'll add you to my collection as well." Both Soarin and Spitfire roared their outrage as they attacked again. "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES! ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" Skulker glanced behind him, a wicked grin showing as he dodged yet another swing from the enraged pair of pegasi. "Or maybe not," he grunted, easily avoiding the pair. Activating one of his secondary weapons, Skulker fired a blob of green ectoplasmic goop at the two pegasi. Unable to dodge as they were still trying to turn around, the projectile flew in between the two, exploded and connected with Soarin and Spitfire in a webbing of incredibly sticky goop; binding them together, forcing them down to the ground. "You two stay here for a while, while I decide what to do with you. There are still others who demand my attention and a possible new prey has just revealed itself," Skulker told them, hovering in place with his thruster pack just above them. "If you're lucky, you won't see me again. If you're really lucky, you will. Until then," he grinned darkly, a shadow covering his glowing eyes, "This should keep you occupied." Showing a metallic orb held in his hands, he pressed a button and the orb beeped; a single, pulsing red light lighting up the reflective surface. Extending his arm out towards the two ponies, he tilted his hand and allowed gravity to take hold. With a clang, the orb fell to the ground, then rolled closer to the trapped pair; both of them watching the pulsing orb roll towards them, then come to a stop several hoofsteps away. "If you live, consider yourself worthy of my attention. If not… well, I don't think I need to explain what would happen if you don't." Slowly, Soarin and Spitfire looked from the orb up to Skulker, eyes wide with anger and fear. "Let's see who steps forth victorious in this battle of the fittest," Skulker proclaimed. "May the strongest of you survive… Long enough to face me." Activating the boosters of his thruster pack, Skulker shot off into the night; the two flames of the thruster's exhaust revealing his path to the pegasi, before their attention was drawn back to the still pulsing and now also beeping orb. "Spits… you don't think that's a-" "I think and I know," she replied tensely, struggling wildly to break free. "Now, quit your jabbing and break free before that thing blows us all up," she barked harshly, eyes narrowed and almost glowing with burning anger. "Yes, Ma'am," Soarin yelped, the new chain of command asserted, only to be silenced by a terrifying scream echoing through the darkened streets. <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie Pie, Maud and their grandmother slowly, carefully stepped out of one of the buildings where they'd been hiding in after seeing several ghosts flew overhead. Now though, unable to stay in the abandoned, overturned sofa store (where, for some reason, they also sold quills) they risked venturing out in the open once more. "Is it safe?" Granny Pie asked from inside the store, staring hard through her smudged glasses. "It sure looks like it," Pinkie Pie replied readily, bouncing out on the streets, seemingly without a care in the world; her new best friend, the baby alligator whom she still had to give a name, involuntarily bobbed his head with each bounce as he sat snugly in Pinkie's mane. "Maud?" She turned to her sister. Maud, unable to find any form of amusement in their current situation, stared at Pinkie blankly; slowly blinking once. "I don't see any of those things," she answered monotonically. "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES! ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" The rumbling voice of their princess took them by surprise and all three flinched back in fright. "By the Choosing Stone's mercy. It's the Princess," Granny Pie realized, a spark of hope beginning flickering to life. "Children, let's go. The Princess is sure to get us out of here." "... okay," Maud agreed without emotion. "Oki doki lok-" Pinkie chirped happily, only to come to an abrupt stop, eyes crossing as she looked up at the baby alligator in her mane. "WAIT!" She shouted. "We can't go there. Our new friend says it isn't safe." "Pinkie, what are you talking about this time?" Granny Pie asked, the slightest hint of irritation born from despair tainting her voice. "Our new friend, the baby alligator with no name says it isn't safe," Pinkie repeated. "What?" Granny Pie asked, flummoxed. "Yeah, I know, right," Pinkie nodded her agreement. "What is his name?" Granny Pie and Maud stared blankly at the pink filly. Pinkie Pie, scooping the small reptile out of the tangles of her mane, held him before her; looking at him quizzically. "Do you have a name?" She asked, staring at the alligator without blinking. A staring contest joined by the baby reptile as, with a seemingly vacant stare, he looked at Pinkie without pause or blink. "Well?" Pinkie urged on. Slowly, the alligator's mouth opened, and he bit down on Pinkie's muzzle; taking firm hold with his toothless jaws. Then, after several awkward seconds ticked by, his tongue flashed out of the corner of his mouth, licking over one of his eyes. "GUMMY!" Pinkie shouted happily, detaching the reptile from her muzzle and hugging him tightly. "Pinkie?" Maud stepped forward, concern cracking through her otherwise emotionless voice. "Maud, meet Gummy," Pinkie said, holding Gummy out towards her older sister. Gummy stared unblinkingly at the gray earth pony. "Pinkie, what's this all about? I know you're excited to have found a new friend, but this is not the time, nor place to sit around. There are horrible monsters everywhere and we must go to the Princess," Granny Pie stepped up, trying to talk some sense in her exuberant grandchild. "But we can't!" Pinkie stated firmly. "Gummy says that's where all the ghosts are going to." "What!?" Granny Pie gasped. "Gummy says the Princess was super loud and all the meany mean ghosts heard her, and are going to her. So we can't go to the Princess, because it isn't safe." Granny Pie blinked rapidly, taken aback. "... Gummy, eh… said that?" She asked. "Hmhmmm," Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. "Well, talking alligator aside, you do raise a valid point," Granny Pie realized. "She does?" Maud asked. "Yes," Granny nodded stiffly. "If we heard the Princess, so did everything els—" a loud, horrifying scream interrupted her. And as they all looked up with wide, fearful eyes, they saw a literal wave of green glowing entities fly overhead in the dark skies; all heading towards the Princess. "Stars above," Granny Pie gasped, a terrified tremble rocking her to the core while her grandchildren pressed closer to her in fear. <<>><<>><<>> With a swift, clean swipe, Celestia's blade sliced through the necrotic flesh of the unholy abomination before her. An angry screech escaping the blackened, cracked lips of the vaguely reptile like ghost, before it transformed into an incoherent gurgling; its head severing from its body, dropping to the ground with a muted, wet thump. Turning her burning eyes up, she patiently awaited the ghosts' next move while she stared at them with a heated glare of solar wrath. Power rolled off her in waves, slamming into the horde of undead entities closest to her, pushing them back. She watched as they conversed with one another, glowing eyes watching her unblinkingly; their luminosity matched by the rapidly increasing numbers of orbs the ghosts held in their grasp. Yet, as she watched them, she realized something was off. They weren't so much looking at her, but to the body of the slain ghost at her hooves. Following their collective gaze down, a gasp of shock and fright escaped her, and she took an involuntary step back as the dead, glowing eyes of the disembodied head stared back at her; a vicious scowl on its face. "Impossible," she gasped as a wisp of spectral energy flowed from the head to the lifeless body, connecting to the spine, tapping into its nervous system. With horror, Celestia watched as the still body started to twitch and move; pushing itself upright, then move for its head. "CEASE YOUR ACTIONS RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Celestia demanded, aiming the sharpened edge of her sword at the headless body. Unimpressed, the body proceeded to grab its head, which had levitated itself up from the ground and towards its body's waiting hands, before reattaching itself with a sickening squelch. Rolling its head and cracking its neck several times, the horror looked at Celestia, who herself felt a tremor of fear run down her spine. Then, the ghost screamed, loudly, terrifyingly, its voice echoed away through the mostly abandoned streets and buildings. Recoiling in reflex, Celestia went into a defensive stance, not allowing her fear to stand between her and her ponies' safety. Securing her stance, she glared down at the ghost before her. And, in extent, those surrounding her. Yet a sudden dimming of the moon's light drew her attention up and she almost dropped her sword when she saw the figurative tidal wave of spectral entities descending down onto her. "By Luna's mercy," Celestia gasped. Dark chuckling, low at first, but gradually growing into a loud, maniacal laughter, pulled Celestia's widened eyes down to the ghost she'd beheaded unsuccessfully; it glaring back at her with a wicked smile, showing numerous rancid, needle-like teeth. Pointing a single, claw-like finger at her, the ghost screeched incoherently and the night lit up with toxic green light. <<>><<>><<>> Time seemed to slow to a crawl and Celestia acted in reflex well before any coherent thought could shape or form. With golden luminosity from her horn, a shield of the same color flashed into existence, fully covering her from the onslaught brought down upon her. Yet as powerful as she might be, even her strength had its limits. And a barrage of more ghosts than she could count in the sparse few second before their attack proved a severe strain on the solar princess. With a grunt, which quickly turned into a shout of exertion, Celestia gritted her teeth as her shield was struck continuously; her horn glowing brighter and brighter as she fed more and more power into her defenses. Her shield, in turn, became brighter also, until it glowed with such radiance night turned to day and the ghosts all screamed out as they were blinded by the golden light. Yet this didn't stop them from firing their searing blasts of undead green at the dazzling sphere of light. They fired more and more of their energy into the deflective, shimmering surface of Celestia's shield, who, in turn, channeled more and more of her solar powers into maintaining her defense. Yet as they did, each and everyone of them became aware of something most… unusual. The more of their energy the ghosts unleashed, the more it seemed to react with Celestia's magic. Though, not in the same way they had experienced throughout the day, with all the other of their victims. Whereas their spectral energy collided and clashed most violently with these ponies' energy, often resulting in a devastating explosion, or other cataclysmic occurrence, causing severe injury, or worse, now the two opposite forces almost seem to mix; blending together in an unnatural combination which made all involved weak and nauseated. Gasping, Celestia swayed unsteadily on her hooves, her magic faltering while, at the same time, the ghosts closest to her dropped to the ground, their attacks failing. With a flicker and crackle, Celestia's shield failed, exposing her to the dangers outside. Panting heavily, sweat drenching her fur, she slowly looked around while trying to determine what had happened. Immediately, she noticed the numerous ghosts closest to her in a similar state like her. Some of them even lay on the ground; unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated. Those further back, however, seemed to be mostly unaffected by this new and unexpected development; though they warily looked back and forth between Celestia, and the affected ghosts. Grunting, Celesta forced herself to stand tall, despite her body's protest; readying herself for whatever new trick these ghosts would throw at her. "Hmmm, interesting. Very interesting," a strong and eager voice spoke up. Slightly turning her head and looking behind her through the corner of her eyes, while still keeping an eye on all the ghosts around her, Celestia took notice of the metallic ghost hovering behind her, grinning just a bit too much. "And here I thought this world wouldn't be able to deliver a proper challenge. But here you are," Skulker said, a shadow falling over his eyes. "I must say, I wasn't expecting that trick you just pulled. But, then again. Neither were they," he looked at the downed ghosts. "You're different; stronger, more disciplined. Your power, more… refined." —a sudden explosion went off in the distance, rattling and shattering the remaining, unbroken windows, while Skulker's grin widened considerably— "Now, I wonder—" he said, paying the detonation of his bomb no mind, typing in a line of commands in his arm mounted computer. "—Just how much of a challenge will you be? You're strong. You have demonstrated as much. But you have also shown clear signs of weakness—" a weapon deployed from his left arm, green glowing light burning at the tip. "—not to mention the strain you've endured against all these weaklings combine-" During the distraction caused by Skulker, his words rapidly increasing the anger Celestia felt, she failed to notice the ghost she'd beheaded get back up and lunge for her. In a flurry of motion, the ghost attacked. Caught unaware, Celestia only had time to turn to look with widening eyes; realizing her mistake when, quite unexpectedly, a searing bolt of green flashed past her head with no room to spare; singing a line of black fur over her cheek, impacting dead center into the ghost's chest, burning a hoof sized hole through and through. The ghost gurgled, coughing up ectoplasmic blood, splattering some of it over Celestia's face, then it dropped to the ground, unmoving. Then, a wildly wavering aura spread out over the fallen ghost, consuming it, leaving nothing behind. Eyes wide in shock and horror, Celestia slowly looked back at the metallic ghost behind her, seeing him with his arm raised and weapon still smouldering. "Weakness disgust me," Skulker grunted angrily. "Don't let it happen again." Steeling herself, Celestia turned fully, glaring up at the monster who saved her life for his own gain. "What do you want?" she asked tensely, eyes and horn aglow. "To weed out the weak and challenge the strong. To hunt and kill, and hone my skill. And you are going to help me with this." "NEVER!" Celestia yelled with fury, boiling heat radiating off of her. "Oh, but you will," Skulker grinned. "Like I said, you've shown both strength and weakness. Weakness I can exploit." His grin now turned into a truly evil smile. "You shall do no harm to my ponies. Isn't that what you said? Any who do, shall be struck down before me. Isn't that the promise you made?" With each word he spoke, more and more shadows covered his face, until all that could be seen was his silhouette with green glowing eyes. "Oh, I've done a lot of hurting your ponies," he told her, pulling out and revealing the blood smeared, rainbow striped tail in his possession. Celestia flinched back in horror, recognizing this all too familiar color scheme. Then, her anger exploded much like a supernova and her mane, and tail burst out into fire. "YOU TAKE OVER THIS CITY, HURT MY PONIES, AND FIND ENJOYMENT IN THEIR SUFFERING!?ENOUGH!!!YOU WILL BE MADE TO PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!" Celestia roared, her mane a billowing inferno. "Oh, I'm counting on it," Skulker grinned, deploying his weapons. "May our fight be long and worthy." He grinned, his face reflected in the polished metal of Celestia's sword. <<>><<>><<>> A few minutes prior. Soarin and Spitfire struggled in their bonds, desperately trying to break free before the explosive device would detonate. "GHAAA!" Spitfire grunted, managing to pull one of her front legs free from the sticky goop. With the same strenuous effort, Soarin followed suit and pulled free his left hind leg. Now both pegasi had some leverage to help them in their escape and they quickly set to work; Spitfire using her leg to grab and rip off several strands which immobilized her wings, while Soarin scraped free his other leg. Though it was slow going, because each and every time they did so, their hooves would get stuck again. But with their increased movability, it became easier and easier to break free. And after far too much time had passed, both pegasi were able to stand up; no longer stuck to the ground, though they were still connected to one another. Time to remedy that situation they didn't have however as, with a sudden and rapidly increasing beeping, the pair looked at the metallic orb near them, it's pulsing light now flashing faster and faster. ""RUN!!!!"" They both yelled. Not wasting any time fumbling around, they quickly matched each other's pace and dove for cover behind an overturned carriage. The night lit up a sparse second later, joined by a deafening blast; its shockwave knocking into the pair through their cover, splintering the wood and filling the air with dangerous projectiles. Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes as the two pegasi lay lifelessly on the ground. The carriage they hoped would protect them, destroyed completely. Their bodies, still connected by numerous strands of slightly luminescent green goop, now also were spotted with red blotches, slowly growing as they bled from the numerous cuts and gashes the barrage of splinters inflicted. Spitfire was the first to twitch, then groan as she sluggishly tried to push herself back up; her vision hazy and the world around her blurred, and dizzying. Soarin followed soon after, not faring any better than his team mate. "Ca- gha- Can you move?" Spitfire grunted, trying her hardest to stay on her hooves. "I-... I'm not sure," Soarin groaned, struggling to push a leg behind him and pull himself up. A sudden tearing noise, almost unheard through the ringing in their ears, snapped their attention to their flight suits. Their weak struggles to push themselves back up, along with the damage caused by the numerous splinters cutting through the fabric, had weakened them to the point they now tore apart, and large patches fell to the ground; taking with them most of the strands of green the ghost had trapped them in. "Well- ghnnn- that solves that," Soaring groaned, then a singular thought suddenly sharpened in his mind. "Wait! What about the captain?" Spitfire's breath got caught in her throat, eyes widening in alarm and she tore off the rest of her suit in a sudden burst of adrenaline induced strength; not even noticing the many sharp stings of all the splinters she dislodged and even forced deeper into her body. Soarin, too, didn't waste any time freeing himself. But his attempts to free himself from the suddenly constrictive grasps of his suit slowed him down greatly. So much, so, that Spitfire had already dashed into the darkness to their captain's last known position. A sudden, strangled gasp, followed moments later by an cry of absolute outrage gave Soarin the remaining strength he needed to break free and he didn't waste any time joining his partner. He only made it halfway to her, though, as, partially illuminated by the moon's light, he could see what had caused Spitfire such distress. There, lying on the ground several impossibly far steps away, lay Rainbow Blaze; his eyes glazed over, numerous burns and gashes marring his body. A dark patch of blood at his hind body, flowing from the stump where his tail once was. And, lodged deeply into his chest, was a large piece of the carriage. Soarin felt his already weak strength fail completely and he fell to the ground; trying to avert his gaze, but impossible to do so as he stared at the mutilated corpse of his captain. A static crackle filled the air and Soarin finally was able to pull his sight away from his captain, only to come up to a sight which scared him even further. Spitfire, her entire body shaking, teeth grinding, slowly turned away from Rainbow Blaze, looking towards where Skulker had flown off to; her pupils so small they were barely perceptible and several small arcs of electricity lancing off her mane. With a cry, which sounded more than a feral roar, she shot off into the night with a thunderous boom, leaving behind her fallen captain and injured comrade; only one thought clear in her rage addled mind. Revenge. <<>><<>><<>> A large group of ghosts stood, hovered, or otherwise occupied their chosen space as they surrounded the two combatants in a large circle; watching with rapt attention and wicked grins as Skulker fought with the powerful, white pony. Yet none of them dared to intervene and get an easy shot at the pony; their fear of Skulker keeping them at bay. Celestia, however, did not fear him. She hated him, loathed what he had done and acknowledged him as the skilfull adversary he was. But fear… After everything she had lived through, everything she had experienced, the fiend now facing her didn't even phase her. She did, however, fear for her ponies' safety. And the knowledge so many had already been injured… and worse, killed, focused her mind on her enemy; her sword cleaving through the air with lethal skill and precision. Her horn was ablaze with solar magic; eyes glowing with the same fury; the night lit up by the living inferno her mane had become. Her motions were a blur, none of the ghosts could keep up. None, but Skulker. His trained eye capable of keeping track of each and every step Celestia took; calculating his every move based on what she did and vice versa. Yet for all her righteous anger, Celestia moved with grace and determination; not allowing her anger to get the better of her, lest she made a mistake. She moved with a fluidity, more akin as if she was dancing than locked in mortal combat. Her blade swung, precise and lethal, yet with an unmistakable grace only one most skilled could show. And Skulker reveled in it. Here she was, the one prey he'd looked for. Strong, powerful, trained, skilled, determined and oh so angry. Each swing of her blade, he dodged with a grin. Each searing beam of her magic, he evaded with a laugh. And with a true sense of completion, he watched as his own attacks collided with Celestia's shield; only managing to injure the ghosts closest to them as his shots ricocheted. Though sometimes, when Skulker used his weapons powered by his own energy, the same, strange, nauseating wave would occur when their energies clashed. It was strange, no doubt about it. During his time here, hunting and killing, he had encountered several strange occurrences. Most noticeable of them, the more than sizable dent still in his armor left by that stallion he'd first encountered. This new development, however, puzzled him. Not so much he'd put too much thought behind it. But enough for him to hold back with his spectral based weaponry and primarily use his basic, kinetic weapons, as well as his wrist blade. Celestia, for her part, stood steadfast, not allowing this nauseating wave to slow her down. Yet she noticed her opponent, as well as all the other ghosts were affected by this unusual energy as much as she was. Maybe even more. She also noticed Skulker took exception to this and changed his tactics; avoiding the use of certain weapons. Though it didn't do much to help her. She was still surrounded by a mob of ghosts, all of whom seemed to hold back for now. Either afraid by what Skulker had done to their suspected leader, or waiting for a possibility to strike themselves. Of course, despite her disadvantaged situation, she continuously analyzed every instance of the battle and surroundings. After all, a good understanding of any battle makes the difference between victory and defeat. And she wasn't unaware of her own involvement relating to the debilitating wave of nauseating energy. She soon picked up that when her magic interacted with their spectral might, this strange energy was unleashed. And as much as it debilitated her, it was also an effective weapon against these unholy abominations. Realizing this, she charged her horn; aiming her concentrated might at Skulker, forcing him on the offensive; hoping that, if they could do it to her, she could do it to them as well. Skulker, however, quickly saw through her plan and opted instead to dodge out of the way; unleashing a barrage of rockets, forcing Celestia to project a shield over herself instead. "This will not be an easy victory," Skulker grunted, revving up his small, arm mounted gatling gun. "And don't think you can force me to make a mistake. I'm not so easily foole-" So busy was he focusing on the princess, he made a critical mistake. He left his back wide open. And with a roar of primal rage, moving so fast her form was nothing more than a blur, Spitfire slammed full force into his back; the both of them crashing into the unyielding ground, each bouncing once, then skidding off in separate directions. Skulker, roaring in surprise and anger; his armor critically damaged from behind. Spitfire, screaming in debilitating pain; both front legs broken from the impact with Skulker and numerous other bones cracked, broken, and shifted with the subsequent collision with the ground; a long smear of blood left in her wake. "SPITFIRE!" Soarin cried out for his comrade, having been able to force himself into motion and only now catching up with her. Too late, he quickly realized. "Ghrrr," Skulker grunted, slowly pushing himself up with his right arm, his dark green glowing eyes piercing the shadow covering his facade. A spark shot out of a critically damaged component in his armor and a quick system's check later revealed his left arm was disabled. Slowly turning around, his murderous gaze locked onto the downed pegasus. "How disappointing," he spat. "So much potential, wasted on a single, rage blinded strike, which may have damaged my armor, but crippled you completely." He snorted in disgust. "I'm done wasting my time with you," he said, lifting his right arm, aiming his blaster at Spitfire. Then, nothing. He dropped his arm, grunting. "You're not even worth killing now. It would only be a mercy." He then quickly jumped to his left, avoiding the swift strike of Celestia's blade descending down on him. Looking at the enraged princess and carefully considering his position, Skulker roughly grunted in anger, and annoyance. "You can have them, for now," Skulker barked at the gathered ghosts. "Keep them busy while I repair my armor." Numerous barks, roars, screeches and other unholy sounds replied in answer; the many glowing eyes burning just a bit brighter. "Coward," Celestia hissed. "Stand and fight." Grinning, Skulker slowly turned to face her. "Or else?" He asked. "The way I see it, you only have two choices. Either we continue our fight, here and now, and leave that one for my… associates," he said, giving the faintest of nods towards Spitfire. "Or you focus your attention on that weakling, defending her while fending off any and all attacks." Celestia narrowed her eyes, charging her horn with a spell. In a flash, Spitfire's body was gone and Soarin, still standing on the side with empty eyes, suddenly grunted from the unexpected weight on his back. Looking behind him, he saw Spitfire draped over his back; unconscious, front legs held in unnatural angles and bleeding severely. "Private," Celestia called out to him, never averting her eyes from Skulker, who slowly shifted his gaze from where Spitfire was, to where she is now. "Take her away someplace safe, while I deal with this filth." Soarin sputtered, unable to put his broken thoughts in alignment. "THAT'S AN ORDER!" Celestia barked harshly and this time something clicked in Soarin's mind. More on autopilot than conscious thought, his wings snapped open and he quickly shot away. "... Matter transportation capabilities," Skulker grunted, surprised, almost impressed. "None of the others have demonstrated this ability," he said, more to himself, as he turned back to face the enraged alicorn. "Suddenly this engagement has become that more interesting." "You shall not hurt any more of my ponies!" Celestia seethed through teeth. "Oh, I shouldn't worry about me… much," Skulker grinned darkly. "After all, my previous threat still stands." Glancing to his side, he saw the many evil smiles from his spectral brethren. "After all, you may be able to hold your own against me. But against us all?" "You shall not win!" Celestia stated, readying her sword. "We'll see," Skulker replied eagerly. "But no matter the outcome for me, you've already lost." And with those words, Skulker fired his still functioning right arm blaster. It was a wild shot, easily dodged by Celestia, but Skulker continued firing and thus allowing the ghosts surrounding them to fly off into the night; a sizable group following after Soarin. "Now we're going to find out just how big of a loss this truly is for you," Skulker laughed. Author's Note Wow, will you look at that. A new chapter, and after such a long time of inactivity. Well, it had to happen someday, right? Anyhow, regardless of how much time has passed, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and the continuation of this story. Let me know in the comments. And speaking of comments, should you spot any mistake, or anything else that seems wrong in one way or the other, please let me know. ~Powerdrainer ConsequencesAuthor's Note And here we are yet again, with a whole new update. As I mentioned a while back in my blog post, I planned a multi-update for my fics. Four in total, to celebrate the completion of my twenty ninth lap around the sun. And I somehow managed to pull it off, too. Seriously, two of my fics I left to gather an unholy amount of dust, this being one of them, and it took a while to clear out the mess I allowed it to become. But here we are, with the multi-update I promised. Now, as per usual, please inform me down in the comments about any mistake you spotted, or to tell me what you liked/disliked. Enjoy, ~Powerdrainer Consequences Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder. Consequences <<>><<>><<>> With beating wings and a heart rate to match, Soarin shot through the sky, forcing his already strained muscles to squeeze out every last bit of speed he could manage to propel him, as well as his passenger, as fast as he could, away from the ghosts; forcing himself to ignore the feeling of Spitfire's misaligned legs and the flow of her warm blood staining his fur, while also pushing the pain of numerous injuries he had sustained to the back of his mind. Aided in this task, by some twisted sense of irony, by the ghosts in pursuit. Loud explosions coming from where he'd just left, told the story of a battle started anew and he knew his princess stood facing the ghosts and more specifically, that one ghost, head on, buying him the time needed to escape with Spitfire, as long as he could outfly the group still hunting him down. Shrill screams, accompanied by a rapidly increasing number of glowing green bolts and beams flying in every direction, but a significant number also aimed towards him, disappeared into the night's sky, or blasting holes in the buildings and street illuminated his retreat, and he knew he was not out of danger yet; so he pushed himself harder than he had ever done before, heart pounding in his ears and wings screaming in protest from over exertion, yet he kept pushing and pushing, the outer edges of his vision darkening as he desperately sought for a way to escape with both their lives intact. Then, without warning and, taking him by complete surprise, everything lit up as bright as day. A shock wave of heat and raw power slammed into him moments later, and both ponies fell to the ground below. <<>><<>><<>> Meanwhile "Come on, y'all," Sweet Apple waved the group over with a hoof after scouting ahead and the three other ponies moved as fast as they could, to cross the distance separating them from the next relatively safe place. "LOOK OUT!" Sky Rider shouted as quietly as he could, having spotted a group of ghosts on approach and he, his wife, and Apple Gleam ducked for cover, while Sweet Apple jumped back into the dark entrance of the high rise hotel she'd just scouted the lobby of. Back pressed against a wall, Sweet Apple glanced back out, watching as the sizable group of ghosts flew over; shouting, screeching and laughing wickedly, as they passed. It didn't take long for her to realize that they were indeed moving in the direction of where they had heard their princess shout. That realization alone made her worry more than she suspected. Yes, these horrible creatures were now distracted, giving the four of them, as well as who knows how many others a chance to escape. But at what cost? Their princess was powerful, no question about it. But there were so many ghosts and the things they could do, have done… Running the other way was the right thing to do, but she also felt deep down it was not the right thing to do. 'An Apple doesn't run, dangit' Shaking that thought away, she watched as the ghosts moved away, then waited for several tens and unbearingly long seconds more to make sure everything was clear, before quietly calling the others of her group. With as close to a mad scramble as they could, the three moved into the relative safety of the, assumedly, empty hotel; moving as far away from the doors and windows, and quickly seeking additional cover behind the check-in counter; the floor behind littered with logbook pages, keys to the various rooms, as well as a couple of decorative potted plants; trampled in the panic to escape. "Are y'all alright?" Sweet Apple asked after a moment. Neither of them had time to answer, as right then and there, a blinding burst of light lit up the night, before a tremendous shockwave slammed into the hotel which shook, groaned and rumbled in protest, before failing in its entirety. <<>><<>><<>> Meanwhile Stepping out of yet another side street, moving around an overturned carriage, Granny Pie carefully scanned the streets and sky for any sign of ghosts, ready to send her grandfoals running, while drawing any undead attention to herself if need be. Luckily, once again the path they had chosen proved to be free of any ghosts. Nor did they seem to run in any other pony, griffon, or other creature living in, or passing through the city at the time of the invasion. Though such a thing would be strange, considering the large number of creatures in Baltimare at any given time, but right now such matters meant little to her. The street and sky were clear, and it was safe, for now at least, for Pinkie and Maud to step out in the open. "Come children, we can't stay out here for too long," Granny Pie urged the two on, making haste to get as far as they could away from where every ghost would undoubtedly go to; nervously watching the sky for any sign of these undead abominations, while she waited for Pinkie and Maud. Pinkie with her newest friend, Gummy, still planted snugly in the confines of her mane, quickly picked up her pace while Maud lagged behind, hesitating as she herself looked out for any sign of danger with large, haunted eyes. Noticing this, Pinkie rushed back to her older sister. "Come on, Maud. Gummy says we're going to be fine, so don't worry." Maud, currently at eye level with Gummy, blinked slowly, then looked down at her sister; forcing a weak smile, then nodded. "Okay," she said monotonously and took a hesitant step out on the street. "Everything is going to be fine, dear. You'll—" A sudden, blinding burst of light cut Granny Pie off and all three cried out in fright. Then a shockwave slammed into them and the city shook. <<>><<>><<>> Meanwhile Celestia glared with narrowed eyes at the ghost before her; sword before her, held aloft in her golden glow. Skulker grinned darkly, his left arm hanging limply by his side, aiming a wrist mounted weapon with his right. Slowly, both combatants circled around, waiting for the other to strike first; surrounded by a thrashing mob of undead beings, some of which were making wagers on the outcome. Celestia moved first, swinging her sword, followed by a quick jab, as Skulker easily avoided the first strike as expected. Channeling her magic, she fired a bolt of destructive might towards the cybernetic ghost while he was forced to dodge the sharpened edge of her sword. Seeing what came to him, Skulker twisted at the last second, presenting the already dead arm of his to catch the bolt; destroying his arm past the point of repair, but sparing everything still functional. Jumping away, he caught Celestia's sword with his wrist mounted blade; sparks shooting from the clashing metals on contact. Grinning, he fired several rockets from his back towards Celestia, who quickly deployed a shield to protect herself. With her attention shifted and blinded by the explosions before her, Skulker used this opening to knock away the sword and circle behind his foe. "Too easy," he taunted, priming yet another of his weapons. Whirling around, Celestia swung her sword, only to realize her mistake as she sliced through the now wavering image of Skulker, before it flickered out of existence. "Too easy," Skulker grunted, this time annoyed as he faded back into view, aiming a weapon point blank at Celestia's head from the side. With a shout of anger and frustration, Celestia shover him away with as much force as she could; blasting Skulker away with blurring speed, while his weapon discharged from the sudden shock. Though knocked off aim, the fired projectiles still hit home and struck Celestia in her torso; blood spewing out as she collapsed with a cry. The ghosts surrounding her, a path carved through them revealing which way Skulker was launched, slowly looked back from the hole in some distant building to the struggling mare as she forced her hooves back under her; gritting her teeth as she forced the pain to the back of her mind, focusing all her anger and grief at the ghosts around her, and the one pulling himself out of the wall in particular. Reaching out with her magic, she looked for her sword, only to find it too, was flung away, and she now faced this force without it. No matter. She stood in defiance against many horrible entities endangering her ponies, with, or without her weapon before. This would be no different. But as Skulker finally pulled himself free and his damaged form was revealed, the mixture of excitement, and anger burning in his eyes send a terrifying shiver down her spine. This truly was a monster. Driven by one thing, and one thing only. To kill. With a roar, Skulker aimed the full extend of his still functional arsenal at Celestia, while every ghost around her charged their own attacks; the area lighting up with toxic green light, and Celestia knew that, in the state she was, she couldn't run, or dodge. And with no time left to think, she acted on instinct alone and casted the strongest shield she could around her. The ghosts fired. Skulker could barely be heard roaring an insult at the other ghosts' action when the combined might of all spectral entities connected with Celestia's magic. The shield flared. Energies clashed. The night lit up with blinding light. Then everything exploded. Deadly BeginningsEdited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder. Deadly Beginnings <<>><<>><<>> Ghost attacks had become fairly common over the years. Each hit becoming increasingly more destructive as more and more spectral entities found their way to Earth and its inhabitants. As such, newly formed response teams to counter this threat could be seen investigating these sites more and more often, as their previous secrecy was undone to give the world's citizens a sense of security; knowing their government cared and that in no way, their taxes were wasted on unnecessary items, such as better education for their children, or healthcare improvements. To show them that they would respond, maybe not in time to help when it mattered, but in an overwhelming force after the fact. As such, a large contingent of soldiers had worked around the clock to secure the area; the latest attack of the ever present ghost plague only serving as a reminder their fight was still far from over. Special operatives, those trained in the use of spectral based weapons, accompanied by the suits of the Guys in White methodically sweeped one building after the next, leaving no stone unturned, while testimonies were taken from the victims who, according to them, were simply let go after something quite unexpected happened. Now, nearly a day later, with the city locked down and the streets full of military forces, they waited; waiting for the shimmering point of distorted reality in the air to open up and reveal the newly formed tear to the ponies' realm, and the ghosts who went through it when it first appeared. "White One, what's your status?" A dark skinned, cleanly shaved man, sharply dressed in a fitted white suit asked over his earpiece; the red and orange light of the rising sun reflecting in the dark lenses of his shades. "White Two, all clear," a slightly tan man with neatly combed dark blond hair, dressed in the same white suit and wearing similar shades replied, fingers pressed against his earpiece. "White Three?" "No suspicious activity on my side," A slightly nasal woman replied over the communications chanel; she, too, wearing a matching white suit and shades, contrasted sharply by her curled mess of fiery red hair. "White One, remind me again. Why-" "White Two. SJW." "White One, copy." "White Two, affirmative." Meanwhile, the soldiers around them watched the exchange with growing confusion. First and foremost for their apparent desire to use the radio, even though the white dressed individuals were all standing next to one another. "Ehh… should we, I don't know, say something?" one of the soldiers asked his brother in arms, keeping his voice low enough so they wouldn't hear. "Way above our paygrade," the other replied, giving the white dressed 'professionals' an incredulous look. "... Somehow." "White One, roger." "White Two, we're not on a first name basis yet." "White One, I meant Ten Four." "White Two. Understood. Apologies.” "White One. No problem." "White Three here, get a room." Both men turned to the woman, eyebrows raised high above their shades. "White Four here. Men, right?" "White Three here. You know it, sister," White Three looked to the surprisingly short, somewhat chubby woman to her side, also dressed in white with shades and, shoulder length brown hair, nodding approvingly to the woman who seemed out of breath just from standing there. White One and White Two shared an uneasy, disapproving look with one another, both shaking their heads in resignation. "White Two. Did they even pass the physical exam?" White One asked with a sigh. "White One. SJW," White Two muttered. "Copy, White Two," White One replied grimly. "SJW." Any retort that might have come from the two women in white was promptly cut off when, with a sound of a vacuum pulled in reverse, the newest tear linking their world with Equestria opened, revealing to them the city of Baltimare, and the destruction wrought upon it. "White One to all units. Move out!" With a chorus of affirmatives, the mass of military might quickly and effectively moved through the tear with the pounding of feet on the ground and the roar of engines from their tanks as they entered Equestria, covered under the unmoving blanket of night. <<>><<>><<>> Silence had claimed the city, with only the faint howl of the wind as it blew through the abandoned streets; picking up dust and soot left behind from the destruction, billowing unseen in the darkness of the night. Some of which was slowly working to coat the forms of the two pegasi lying in a heap, partially covered with odd pieces of debris and blood. With a weak, pained groan, Soarin stirred; eyes blinking blearily as his strained mind desperately tried to figure out where he was and what had happened, as his gaze slowly moved from left to right. "Wha-" he groaned, trying to coordinate his legs and push himself to a sitting position, when he felt a weight shift on his back. Blinking slowly, he struggled to turn his neck; his beaten muscles screaming in protest at his attempts to move. Eventually he managed, and what he saw kickstarted his brain into overdrive as all the memories leading up to the here and now, returned with a vengeance. Spitfire, body broken and limbs splayed at impossible angles, lay unmoving over his hind body, with only the faint rasp and bubbling blood covering her nostrils, as well as most of her body, revealing to him she was still breathing, if barely. As if a switch was flicked the muted sounds around him, obscured through confusion, snapped into focus with blood curdling clarity. Now aware of the cries of anguish filling the air all around him, coming from all over the city as the stone, brick and concrete groaned in protest and anger, in response to the glowing red crater, which had forced its way into the city; standing within the smouldering slag of molten stone, Princess Celestia, wings flared, stance wide, panting heavily, mane and tail a livid inferno and eyes aglow with burning hatred towards those opposing her. Even from the distance between them Soarin could feel the heat slam into him, and he felt his heart both come to a stop, and try to force its way out of his chest in a painful squeeze of conflict as fear dug its chilling claws deep into the core of his being as, he now realized, the still present screams weren't just from pain, or fear, but malicious intent as well. And some screams came from terrifyingly nearby. With his breath stuck in his throat, Soarin slowly turned towards the screams, guttural groans and wet squelches, closest to him; watching with wide eyed horror, as numerous ghosts pushed, clawed, or phased their way out of the rubble covering them, rising up in the air and illuminating it with their unholy glow; their sickly green glowing eyes, burning with rage, locking onto him one pair at a time. Outnumbered, outmatched and with his instincts at war with his training to protect and serve, all Soarin was able to do was throw himself over Spitfire in a desperate attempt to keep her from further harm, eyes clenched shut as the ghosts surrounding him began their attack. <<>><<>><<>> "SCOOTS!" Sky Rider shouted in panic, desperately looking for his wife ever since the collapse of the hotel they fled into to seek shelter. How he managed to escape out of that place, unharmed no less, he would probably never know. Not that this mattered to him, now. All he could focus on was that, when he came to, Scoots was not with him and everything that followed after that realization, passed in a blur of fear, and anxiety. "OVER HERE!" her, Celestia praised reply, called out, cutting through the confusion, as well as the all obscuring dust still clouding the disaster zone, making it all, but impossible for Sky Rider to see anything other than the debris two steps before him. "ARE YOU OKAY… INJURED?" he called out, turning to where he had first heard her. "NO, I'M…. NOT?" there was a clear tone of confusion laced in her voice, but went ignored as Sky slowly made his way through the debris on hoof; not wanting to try his luck with flying and risk hitting some unseen, overhanging piece of metal, or otherwise, on which he could seriously injure himself. "I'M COMING YOUR WAY. JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" "OKAY… PLEASE HURRY." Grunting his agreement with that sentiment, Sky clambered over a large chunk of wall, some of the windows still in it; the glass shattered, however, leaving numerous sharp and hazardous blades for him to cut himself on should he misstep. With a low groan, the segment of masonry he tried to traverse shifted and upset his balance, forcing him to catch himself with a controlled flap of his wings before setting down on the, hopefully more stable debris beyond. "Are you alright?" Scoot called out, much closer now, and Sky quickly looked around to find his wife. "Scoots!?" "I'm here!" she replied, stepping out from behind an unhinged door of a surprisingly intact room. "Oh, thank Celestia," he cried out as he rushed to his wife, holding her in a tight embrace. Returning the affection in full, Scoot Blaze allowed herself a moment of peace, releasing a shuddering breath as tight knotted tension flowed out. But all was not well, and much sooner than either of them liked, or wanted, she pulled away; nervously biting her lip as she looked down at the ground in between them two. "Right," Sky said nervously, back in the here and now and trying to get a grip on things. "Do you know where Apple Gleam and Sweet Apple are? Celestia, I hope they aren't buried underneath all of this," he muttered, turning around and trying to find any sign of the two earth ponies. "No…" she replied, shaking her head. "I lost them when the place came down. But there is something else that happened… I just don't know how." Turning back to his wife, Sky gave her a questioning look, urging her on to continue. Mouth opening, then closing without sound, Scoot Blaze was unable to find the words she needed. Instead, she eventually opted to just show, and opened her injured, broken wing without issue. "What the-" Sky exclaimed. "My wing… it's no longer broken… I think," Scoot Blaze said, demonstrating this by folding and unfolding her wing several times. "Even my primaries are no longer damaged." "How…. How is that even possible?" Sky breathed out, unable to believe what he was seeing. "I- I… I don't know. It was like that after this place collapsed. It… it doesn't make any sense. None of this makes any sense." "But how-" "GLEAM, ARE YOU THERE!?" The voice of Sweet Apple cut through the dust still obscuring most of everything, interrupting the pair and forcing their minds back on track. "We…. We'll figure this out, later. First we must get out of here. Fast." Sky Rider said, clearly forcing himself to say so. Just as forced, Scoot Blaze nodded in agreement; folding her wing shut while trying to ignore the fact she could do so without issue, and instead the two made their way over to where they could hear Sweet Apple call out for her husband. Unbeknownst to them, though, were the two red pinpricks of light glowing in the hollow sockets of an eternally grinning skull, as he observed the two make their way over the rubble and towards the other two, who shared in their fate. <<>><<>><<>> "Gleam," Sweet Apple called out desperately, unable to find her husband in the chaos all around her. How she had managed to survive the collapse of the building, she did not know. Nor did she know how she managed to do so without a scratch, or wasn't buried under who knows how much tons of stone. Though she did lose her hat, none of this mattered to her now because what she did know was that, when she came to, Apple Gleam was nowhere to be found. "Gleam!" she tried again, her fear only growing with each passing moment no answer came. "Glea-" "Sweet Apple!?" With a snap, she turned around, eyes wide and hopeful. And though she felt a faint hint of relief upon seeing the stallion who called out to her, even more so, she felt her rising hope crushed underneath trampling hooves when she realized the pony clambering down a mixture of what was once a wall, a bookcase with some books still in it, broken glass and more dust than during a yearly bison migration was not her husband. "Sk- Sky Rider," she blinked, forcing away the moisture brimming in her eyes. "Scoot Blaze," her eyes flicked to the mare following after him. "We heard you call," Sky Rider spoke up, then yelped as the unstable surface he tried to traverse shifted and he lost his balance. Only with a quick flap of his wings did he manage to avoid any injury as a small avalanche of destruction threatened to pull him down. Seeing this, Scoot Blaze unfurled her wings in instinct and quickly joined Sky Rider without a second thought. "Wh- What… How did ya…?" Sweet Apple gasped, wide eyed as she stared at the broken, but not broken wing she knew the pegasus had. Realizing what she did, Scoot Blaze looked at her wing, slowly folding in to her side. "Honestly, I have no idea," she answered with noticeable worry. "It was like that when I woke up." "But how- No, tha ain't important. Did any of ya see Apple Gleam?" she asked in despair. Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider looked at one another, then both answered with a solemn shake of their heads. Trying her hardest to hide her disappointment, Sweet Apple averted her gaze from the two pegasi; instead willing her eyes to see through the darkness of night, obscured further by the ever present dust of structural collapse. "He… he has to be here, somewhere," she said, more to herself than the two beside her. "Then we better hurry and find him," Sky Rider stepped up, putting a reassuring hoof on the distraught mare's back. Forcing a small smile in thanks, Sweet Apple nodded in agreement and, together, the three ponies slowly pushed through the debris in search of the last member of their group, oblivious to the pair of piercing red dots watching their every move. <<>><<>><<>> With a wheeze which quickly turned into a rough coughing fit, Apple Gleam came to; his legs flailing without control as he tried to regain his bearings while suffocatingly dry dust coated his eyes and lungs, blurring his vision while struggling for breath. Grunting in strain while blinking the tears from his eyes, he tried to sit up only for a nauseating pain to shoot through the core of his being, and he discovered his already broken front leg lay pinned underneath some obstruction or another. Faint light flickered somewhere off to his side, and he turned to see a small decorative, magical lamp which had managed to survive; mercifully providing him with some light to see with. "Ghraa," he grunted, reaching out for the light and pulling it closer to him. "Sweet, are ya there?!" he called out through labored breath, moving the lamp from one side to the other, both hoping to find his wife, and wishing she wouldn't be trapped in here with him. After numerous hour long minutes, without answer, or sight of his wife, nor of the other two ponies he had fled with, he used the light to see just how bad a shape his leg was in. It was bad. Really bad. As he soon learned his leg was trapped and by the look, and feel of it, crushed underneath the weight of a massive support beam, making it impossible for him to free himself alone. Taking several deep breaths to calm his nerves and push back a fresh bout of panic, he instead focused on where he was. What he found, quickly made him realize his leg was the least of his problems. As, all around him, there was nothing, but destruction, completely covering him under the rubble of the collapsed hotel. The only reason he was even still alive being the sturdy desk of the reception, which seemed to have caught the very same support beam, which had trapped him in the first place, which in turn kept enough of the collapsing structure at bay, to create a small haven, for him to survive in. Finally understanding the situation he was in, Gleam slowly worked his way through each profanity he knew with rapidly rising volume until he was shouting his anger to the heavens, had the thick shell of destruction around him not muted his voice for anyone else out there. After enough time had passed for him to run out of words, he finally turned back to his leg. Alone as he was, and afraid for his wife's life as much as his own, not knowing just how deeply buried he was, and if his air would run out or not. He knew if he would have any chance of living through this and find Sweet Apple, he first had to free himself. Of course, this was easier said than done. And as he soon rediscovered, merely trying to pull himself free only resulted in him crying out in pain as the pinned, broken and, most likely crushed, bone shifted and moved, while everything else did not. After numerous deep breaths while forcing the pain away, Gleam once more shone his light around his surroundings, hoping he could find something he would be able to use to free himself. The first thing he found this second round was his rope, all tangled up and covered under some debris, lying only just in reach of him. It took him several attempts and reaching further than he initially thought he would, (which only added to the strain on his broken leg,) he managed to just grab the rope with the tip of his hoof; slowly pulling it to him and taking firm hold over it once it was close enough to do so. Not sure how it would help him, but glad to have his rope all the same, he gave it a good pull to free it from underneath the junk covering it, only for it to get caught on something. Frustrated, he tightened his grip. Before he could try again, however, a sudden shift within the precariously unstable rubble around him caused pieces to break, fall and groan in protest; dust falling down in great heaps before everything stilled. Realizing time was not on his side and knowing he would have to find a way to free himself, he quickly turned his attention back to the rope still held in his hoof. Gritting his teeth he pulled again with more strength, freeing his rope, but pulling out something else as well and he froze upon what he saw lying before him, gleaming in the light. A sword. A damaged, bent and jagged sword which clearly was from a royal guard. He did not know how it ended up there with him, nor did he question it as, right then and there, while the damaged metal laid just out of reach, (but was partially snagged in his rope,) an idea came to mind. A terrible idea. A horrible idea. A way to free himself. With a lump stuck in his throat he slowly looked from the sword to his pinned leg, then to the walls, floors, woodwork and anything else of the former hotel entombing him just waiting to collapse completely on top of him. And as three ponies up above slowly moved through the devastation, calling out his name in hopes of finding him, the same debris kept them from hearing his tortured screams. <<>><<>><<>> Soarin shook. Still covering Spitfire with his body, surrounded by ghosts expecting the worst to happen at any given time and unable to do anything, but wait, the inevitable fear had clung to his very being and it took every ounce of willpower he had to keep from curling up into a ball while the ghosts surrounding them took their time to play with their victims. How much time had passed, he didn't know. The pain wrecking his body was too consuming to his senses; every breath a struggle as smoke wafted from the numerous black marks of singed fur and burned flesh. Yet despite his torture, he forced himself to stand as strong as he could, willing to take as many hits it would take to save his partner. Hoping, wishing, praying to any who were out there for help. Then an explosion shook the ground, lighting up the air, and breaking though his crumbling defense with concussive finality. Dazed, Soarin weakly struggled to reach out to Spitfire, unaware if she, or even himself were still alive as darkness clung at the edges of his vision; the world growing darker and darker as his trembling hoof tried and failed, to reach the blood drenched mare, just out of his reach. "We've got a live one over here!" And as his leg fell down to the ground, and darkness pressed in completely, the last he saw through the haze of blissful unconsciousness were numerous bright flashes which drove away the ghosts, before a pair of strange looking boots filled his vision. <<>><<>><<>> How much time had passed they didn't know, but Sweet Apple, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider had spent every minute since they found one another searching for Apple Gleam, while also diving for cover time and again when one, or more ghosts drew near. Fortunately for them, none of these unholy beings took notice of them, not even when one especially horrific looking ghost hovered not even a leg's length above their impromptu hideout. With their breaths stuck in their throat, and with no more sound than a whisper, they searched the disaster site of what was once a moderately luxurious hotel. And though they weren't able to find Apple Gleam, to the ever growing fear of Sweet Apple, they did find other ponies. Or… their bodies. Partially covered by the debris, crushed to death when the hotel collapsed, the now soulless husks stared back at them with glassy eyes as the three ponies slowly backed away from yet another destroyed room, unwilling to look, but unable to tear their gazes away from the young mare, probably not older than fifteen as her broken and beaten body hung impaled on the twisted and broken rebarb of what had been a ceiling; her now cold blood, still dripping slowly to the large pool of red below her. Backing away around a pile of concrete, the stone mercifully broke their line of sight. With a loud, body wrecking sob, Scoot Blaze collapsed to the ground; eyes wet with tears as her entire body shook. Sky Rider, not faring much better, put a comforting wing on her back, yet lacked the words to talk to her. The horrors they'd seen this terrible day and night scarring them deeply. And despite it all, they knew Sweet Apple was worse off, for as much as they felt like drowning in despair, at least they had each other. Breathing heavily, clearly trying to keep from throwing up, eyes clenched shut, Sweet Apple slowly turned her back to the mangled corpse just behind the corner. "We…. he…. he must be here… somewhere," she muttered weakly, forcing her eyes open and looking at her hooves. "He has to…. he has…" In the silence that fell, it was impossible for them to not hear the faint, but sudden shifting of rubble. With their ears at attention and their breathing all, but stopped, they listened. A faint tremor followed, which grew stronger and stronger with alarming speed, and all three ponies looked at one another with wide eyes, as all around them loose debris began to shift and slide, while the ground underneath their hooves shook in turn with the tremor, and roar of some unseen beast that had descended upon the former hotel. "CONTACT!" somepony shouted, followed a split second later by a cacophony of numerous booms, then a massive explosion which nearly knocked the three ponies from their hooves. Numerous flashes of toxic green lit up the air in retaliation. "FOCUS FIRE!" another voice could barely be heard over the deafening noise. All three ponies, having dived to the ground on reflex, had to force a lump down their throat when, quite damning to their safety, a mound of debris shifted, then collapsed completely. Now with a sudden clear field of view, the previous unseen warzone was revealed, and all three felt their breathing stop as they watched with massive eyes at the carnage, a stone's throw away from them. Humans, before only heard about, were present in great numbers; wearing some kind of strange olive drab colored armor, firing even stranger weapons which created a multitude of bright flashes and thunderous explosions in rapid succession. All of this destructive force was aimed up towards a group of ghosts, who did not seem the least impressed by this show of power as they fired beams and bolts, with shrill laughs, and wicked grins. Another massive explosion rocked the night, pulling Sweet Apple, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider's attention to the metal behemoth with a long narrow barrel angled up towards the ghostly threat; a multitude of toxic green bolts impacting on its heavy armor with minimal damage. A flash of light illuminated the air, and the ghosts' attack came to a sudden halt, as they screeched out in pain and anger. Slight movement caught Sweet Apple's eye and from some dark alley, she saw a small canister being thrown towards the ghosts which exploded seconds later in their midst with a strange burst of energy that managed to knock two of the undead entities down. Both of which were suddenly caught in a beam of bright blue, before being sucked towards and into an odd looking canister held by a white suited human who stepped out of the alley. Not pausing for a moment, this new arrival quickly fired another bright blue beam towards the rest of the incapacitated ghosts, capturing the group within a minute. Slapping a cap onto the ghost capturing object, he brought a hand to his right ear. "White One here, area reached. Ghosts present, neutralized and captured. Continue sweep." Eyes wide in shock, all three ponies were unable to believe what they had just seen. After all they've gone through, their nightmare was finally at an end. Realizing they would be safer down there with these humans than out there on their own, they wordlessly agreed on their next course of action and slowly pushed to their hooves, and began their careful approach to the human guards. <<>><<>><<>> With a cry, shout and tortured groan mixed into one, Apple Gleam broke through the debris burying him; breathing heavily and laboriously past the small lamp held within his mouth, as he reached out with his hoof to find purchase, and pull himself further out of his deathtrap. A new cry of torture escaped him as he grinded over the numerous jagged pieces of destruction, most of it becoming slick with dark red blood which smeared out of the jagged stump where his leg used to be, tied off with the rope he first found. The lamp falling away from his mouth in the process. Even then, tied off as the remainder of his leg was, blood still escaped him at an alarming rate. And most of his strength had been lost during his escape from his would be tomb. Now though, free from his prison and with the first breath of sweet, refreshing cool air filling his lungs, after far too long, he allowed himself a moment to recuperate; lying on his uninjured side, as his chest heaved and shook; his vision blurred and darkened as a puddle of red began to spread out. Knowing time was a luxury he didn't have, he rolled back upright and tried to get up on his remaining hooves, when he saw something. Something which, despite the blur the world around him currently was, stood out on perfect focus and clarity, illuminated by the miraculously still working lamp: Sweet Apple's stetson. His once laborious breath came to an abrupt stop as he slowly hobbled over to his wife's possession, reaching out with a hoof he no longer had. More on autopilot than conscious thought, he sat down and used his freed hoof to pick up the stetson. A scream full of anguish escaped him as he pushed back, the stetson falling to the ground as, now revealed to him, was the broken and bloodied face of his wife as her lifeless eyes stared unblinkingly back at him, from the debris she was buried underneath. <<>><<>><<>> Exactly what happened after was lost to him. Sounds were muted. Colors were drained. The world around him had lost all focus. Even time seemed to have stopped completely as he moved one hoof after the other. Not knowing where he went, just that he couldn't stay. A misstep forced him to put weight on a leg he no longer had, and the weight carried on his back shifted and almost fell. No. Not a mere weight. The body of his wife, the mother of his children, the other half of his being. What little he remembered working to dig her out of her deadly prison was reduced to a blur and now, while he pushed himself well past the limits of his long spent body, he realigned his wife to regain his balance, then continued onwards without sense, or destination in mind. He just had to get out of there. Somehow. A harsh light suddenly glared down on him, yet he barely noticed and pushed onwards with dragging, cracked hooves. "WHO GOES TH- OH, SHIT!" Blurred shapes quickly closed in, surrounding him as he pushed onwards without acknowledgement, putting one hoof after the other until, eventually, he could continue no longer and collapsed into darkness. <<>><<>><<>> Sweet Apple, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider slowly scampered down the mound of destruction, surprised they hadn't managed to gain the attention of the human guards while doing so when, with a sudden clang a large light activated, shining blinding light to some area off to their side. "WHO GOES TH- OH SHIT!" Startled by the loud voice, and even more worried by the sudden shift in tone, all three ponies stopped in their tracks, looking off to what had gathered the human’s attention. Following a number of humans who broke formation rushing to whatever had happened, the others aiming their weapons and sweeping the area with rapidly rising anxiousness, it took the group of three a moment to realize what was going on. Only when two humans rushed back, carrying somepony on a stretcher, did they understand what had occurred. With a cry, and foregoing any of her former carefulness, Sweet Apple rushed towards the humans carrying her husband; able to see even from the distance she stood the horrific shape he was in. In her panic she did not realize how odd it was no human reacted to her rushing in, or that no human even acknowledged the fact she desperately tried to see Apple Gleam's condition as he was rushed towards a medic. Though while she did not notice, Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze could only stare in confusion, which rapidly turned into an all consuming sense of horror when they saw the two more humans move back, also carrying a stretcher holding something, somepony that could not possibly be. And as these humans moved back into the relative safety of their ranks, none of them saw, or heard the panicking mare as she frantically paced around her husband's beaten and broken body. But as they reached the medic and lowered the deceased form of her to the ground, Sweet Apple froze; staring into her own, still open, lifeless eyes. Only Sky Rider, Scoot Blaze and one other heard her scream, but a chill went down the spine of all present. <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie, Maud and their grandmother lay on the ground as a result from the concussive blast which took them by surprise, unmoving, but breathing as they slowly gathered their with. Pinkie was the first to recover, sluggishly returning to her hooves, blinking owlishly while trying to regain her bearings. Second was Maud, who slowly sat up, looking none the worse as she shook off the disorientation, then turned to her younger sister to make sure she was unharmed. Seeing she was already up and oddly prodding at her mane, Maud released a quiet sigh of relief, then quickly turned to her grandmother who began to move with a strained groan. With a gasp, Pinkie rushed to her family, helping her sister help their grandmother back to her hooves. "Oh, good grief. What happened?" Granny Pie asked, voice woozy. "I don't know," Maud said quietly, voice once again bereft of emotion while Pinkie began to fidget on the spot, looking around worriedly. Steeling herself, Granny Pie forced herself to focus and stop the world from wobbling before her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she slowly pushed away from her grandchildren, looking around for any sign of danger. What she found, however, forced the air out of her in a large gasp. Numerous buildings were severely damaged; their windows blown out, numerous cracks running along the walls, personal belongings found within the numerous rooms blown out and onto the streets below, joined by several large chunks of wall, that had been broken loose by whatever had just happened, spreading even more carnage all around them. Literally, as she saw with blood chilling realization that several large chunks of masonry had fallen around them, encircling them on almost all sides yet never hitting the small spot they had fallen to the ground. One especially jagged looking piece hung precariously over them, yet seemed to ignore gravity's ever demanding pull as it swayed up and down much like a seesaw. "How…" she breathed out, shocked. "Gummy," came Pinkie's subdued response, her mane, having lost some of its luster, as it sagged down into itself. "He said we were going to be fine, remember?" "Pinkie," Granny Pie said nervously, never looking away from the overhanging doom waiting to come crashing down on them. "I don't understand anything that has happened today, but please tell your friend to do whatever you say he does for a little bit longer and get out of here, NOW!" she shouted, frantically shoving Pinkie away while pulling Maud along by a leg. No sooner had they left, the jagged segment of wall crashed down, instantly killing them, had they still been there, as the three ponies leapt away from danger. Looking back, wide eyed and disbelieving, neither Granny Pie, nor Maud, were able to form any words to what had just happened. Pinkie, however, released a strangled sob as she stared teary eyed at the pile of debris. "Gummy," she squeaked out, the tiny reptile nowhere to be found. Though shocked, maternal instinct was stronger still, and Granny Pie reached out with a hoof to her granddaughter, pulling her closer to comfort her, when a faint clatter could be heard. All three ponies turned back to the pile of rubble, as some smaller pieces of stone started to shift and fall; gradually picking up, until a small avalanche of concrete and other assorted pieces of destruction clattered down. It lasted for nearly a minute, then stopped and fell silent. Then, to their complete shock and astonishment, seemingly out of nowhere Gummy popped up, dust covered, but ultimately unharmed. The tiny alligator slowly looked around, both eyes slightly misaligned. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, which he then flopped up and over his right eye, licking away the dust with a long, slow drag. He then repeated the process for his left eye. "GUMMY!" Pinkie cried out in relief, rushing to her reptilian friend in what, to her grandmother and sister, appeared to be a pink blur. Scooping up the alligator up and hugging him tightly to her chest. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You kept us safe, just like you did by scaring away those meany ghosts." Both Maud and Granny Pie were at a loss for words, their mouths hanging slightly open as they tried and failed to figure out what just happened. Much time to do so, they didn't have, as, with a sudden and rapid pounding on the ground, numerous strange bipedal creatures came rushing in; cutting through the darkness with numerous flashlights as they began to surround the three ponies and an unblinkingly watching, baby alligator. <<>><<>><<>> Celestia was burning, the literal embodiment of the sun. The ground underneath her, molten and red. Her mane and tail a living inferno and her eyes, glowing hot with anger, and hatred towards these abominable ghosts who dared to hurt so many of her subjects. One in particular, Skulker, grinned evilly, as he kept a calculated distance between himself and the enraged princess, while she never let this monster out of her sight. The other ghosts who first dared to attack her, lay either burned and beaten on the ground, or had left out of self preservation; instead seeking out others to torment. Celestia would have hunted them down, had it not been for this one ghost. She soon discovered he longed for this fight, seeking out any way to induce her, to force her to push past her limits. Limits which, fortunately, were much greater than Skulker first anticipated. This was something that only made him all the more eager to fight. And keeping her from directly stopping all the other ghosts ensured their fight would last. And Celestia knew that, should she try to save her ponies, turn her back on this threat, he would use the opening to strike, doing who-knew how much damage to her and in extent, anypony else. No, as much as it pained her, she had to stop this monster before she could focus on the rest. She just hoped what remained of her guards were able to hold their own against these unholy abominations. With a mechanical whirr, Skulker brought out yet another weapon out of his armor's shoulder; aiming a now familiar looking box shaped device at her, from which he fired numerous small missiles, which flew towards Celestia on numerous different paths. Before any of them could hit, however, the searing heat emitted by her form, melted and detonated the tiny explosives, before they could do any harm to her, just as they did the last several times. "Come on. Show me what you are made of!" Skulker demanded with feral glee. With a growl escaping her mouth, Celestia once more powered her horn with a most devastating spell, releasing it the instant it was charged; bringing forth a soccer ball sized orb of golden light, which shot from her horn in a blurring streak of light, lighting up the night in its path, while its light also reflected off the dented and charred armor of Skulker, as he narrowly dodged the spell. Even then, the mere proximity to it, caused his armor to heat up and dimly glow red; his already damaged arm finally reaching the breaking point, as some internal component exploded and blew off the limp appendage. Then, the orb struck an already damaged tower complex and a sizable portion of it, disintegrated in the ensuing explosion. Celestia breathed heavily. She knew something had to change, soon, or they would be stuck in this endless fight to see who will break first. An explosion detonated off of Skulker and the ghost slammed into the ground with a massive crash, joined by a victorious roar coming from the street behind him. Shocked by this sudden turn of events, but not allowing herself to waste this opportunity, Celestia flew up, while charging her horn once again; looking down on the cratered ghost with pure hatred as she fired her spell with all her remaining power. Skulker did not have time to move, and the spell slammed into his unguarded back with absolute destructive power; the ground around his armor flexed, cracked, then exploded from the sudden intense heat, before it, along with the armor, melted, until nothing of the metal construct remained. Dropping down, Celestia kept her horn aimed towards the lava filled crater, waiting for any sign of Skulker to rear his head, not even acknowledging the creatures who hesitantly approached. "You think she got it?" some unseen stallion asked, his voice a mix of shock and awe. "Fuck if I know," another replied. "It's fucking ghosts. I'm amazed our rocket even manage to knock him down." "Then I suggest you keep your weapons aimed and at the ready, Lieutenant," a white dressed, dark skinned man slowly stepped into view of Celestia. "And allow the lady some much needed rest while we make sure this ghost is indeed gone." "Sir," a chorus of confirmations was heard, and numerous armored humans rushed in to surround the slowly cooling puddle of rock and metal, while White Two slowly moved forwards, a strange, beeping device held in his hand. For almost a minute, nothing happened as White Two worked with his device; the beeping ever present, but gradually slowing down. "White Two here," he spoke up, two fingers pressed to his ear. "Sector reached, hostile presence found and engaged. Unable to capture. Scan shows it may have escaped, invisible and, or intangible, but no further presence is detected, and the signal is fading. Be advised, Royal White is present." The human soldiers present all shifted nervously, clearly not liking what they heard. "Affirmative," White Two replied to whatever response he got, then lowered his hand to the side. "Men, secure the perimeter and begin search, and rescue." "Sir yes Sir." As the marines moved away to perform their duty, White Two turned to Celestia. "I would say you can relax, but I doubt this is a luxury you would allow yourself in such a dire time," he began. "Do know that human forces have arrived through the tear and are in the process of securing the area, neutralizing as many ghosts as we can." Celestia, still standing tense and ready to fight, suddenly found her strength leave her as she fell to her haunches; breathing heavily and not even trying to fight the tears escaping her. "You… I… Thank you." "Of course," White Two gave a curt nod, then tilted his head to the side, listening to a new transmission. "We'll have to wait with the formalities until this crisis is resolved, I'm afraid," he said. "Lieutenant," he called over his earpiece, "combine efforts with the princess, ask for any useful intel to this city. We're going to need it. Keep the spectral containment units your unit has at the ready should more hostiles approach, while I go and tend to another matter that has popped up." White Two listened to the reply for a moment, then grimaced before sighing. "SJW," was his cryptic response. "White Two out.” <<>><<>><<>> Within the ruins of the apartment complex which took the full force of Celestia's might during her fight with Skulker, the aforementioned ghost stood in one of the more intact buildings, glaring down at the humans milling about like ants. Skulker, now without his armor, went completely unnoticed as his true diminutive green blob like form, was too small to be seen from such a distance. "Unfortunate," he grumbled, trying to sound menacing but only managing to sound like a squeaky toy. "But not unexpected. That tear had to open up sooner, or later. Still, I've been sloppy, letting my guard down like that," he reflected, clenching his left fist. "And now I am without my armor," his eyes moved to his right hand, "but at least I was able to secure my trophy." Rainbow Blaze's severed tail lay on the ground beside him, its bloody length thrice the size of Skulker as he held a tuft of multicolored hair in his grip. "Now, how do I get out of here?" Scanning his surroundings, he took notice of one human in particular. A white dressed, dark skinned male. Recognizing the outfit and the less than impressive challenge they posed, an evil smirk grew on his face as he followed after the individual from a safe distance. <<>><<>><<>> Stepping over the remains of a burned down chariot, careful not to get any stains on his white suit, White Two made his way over to the allocated area of White Three and White Four, frowning deeply while keeping a close eye on his active scanner. The sound of footfall came from his right and he turned to see White One approach, also holding his scanner at the ready. "White One," White Two said, his scanner aimed at the man. "White Two," White One returned, also running a scan. When both devices gave the all clear, they closed the distance. "SJW, right?" White One sighed out. "You've heard the same call as I have," White Two replied tiredly. "Indeed I have," White One confirmed with a resigned sigh. "To no one's surprise, honestly." "Let's just get this over with." "Affirmative." Both men continued onwards, while White One put away his scanner and pulled a small spectral blaster from within his suit, quickly moving to the area White Three and White Four insisted they were more than capable of securing on their own, regardless of any objections given. But, as White One and White Two entered through a demolished door into a storage area of sorts, neither man was surprised by the sight that awaited them. Both women hung upside down, stuck to the wall with spectral goop gluing them in place. The same material also had them gagged, making it impossible for them to call for help. Though as both men slowly approached, White One with his blaster at the ready and White Two performing a detailed scan, while reaching for his own blaster held within his suit, no hint of joy could be found in the heated glares the two women shot at them. "It's clear," White Two said after a moment. "Guess whoever did this lost interest a while ago." Nodding, White One approached the two captured women; putting his blaster away and pulling the goop covering White Three's mouth away. "Oh, sure. And here come the men to show us how it's done, huh? As if we, strong independent women can't fend for ourselves. In fact, we were doing just fine before you two showed up. Getting really close to freeing ourselves as well before yo- mpfhmmf." White One promptly reapplied the gag. "White Two to all White units. White Three and White Four have been located. Be advised, their objective has failed and their recovery..." he paused for a moment, looking at White One who gave him a so so gesture, "Their recovery may take some time." White Three and White Four started to increase their struggle upon hearing that, loud mumbling coming from behind their gags. Waiting for a moment to think it through, White One eventually pulled away the gag from White Three again. "You're going to leave us here?! Without help?" "Didn't you just say you were close to freeing yourselves and, that you don't need help from us men?" White One asked in return, completely serious. "What… but.. you are-" "A man who worked hard to reach the position I have and someone who doesn't appreciate it when others join this outfit, not through hard work, but by the rule of ‘who can shout the loudest.’ Let this moment here serve as a reality check for the both of you. This is not some fancy desk job, with classy clothes and an excellent dental plan. We're soldiers, first and foremost. We fight, we get hurt, and possibly even die. But when we do head out, we do so with the knowledge that our brethren in White have our backs. But not you. No. You see us wearing a fancy suit and immediately think that we're leser than you; that we didn't deserve to wear this outfit. But that is where you are wrong. White Two, he earned his suit. So did I. Earned through years of hard work and sacrifice and having the scars to prove it. But you two, what did you do to earn them? Properly earn them? Whose lives did you serve except your own?" White Three's mouth opened and closed like a fish on dry land, but no sound came from her. "But no, we're not going to leave you here," White Two stepped up. "However, do know that when we free you, it will not be from one White unit to another. You're civilians in way over your heads, without the proper training, or physique and who should not have been sent out in the field in the first place. And you know it, even if you don't want to admit it." "Now, let's get this stuff off of you and get you two back to base." Not waiting for an answer, or rebuke, White One and White Two began to pull the women free, making sure they wouldn't fall to the ground when their bonds were removed. But as they worked and with their scanners put away, they were unaware that the miniature ghost that Skulker truly was, had watched the exchange with interest and a wicked grin. Author's Note And here we are again, moving closer and closer to the finale of this fic. I hope you've enjoyed this latest addition, and please inform me about any mistakes you encountered while reading this work of mine. ~Powerdrainer Epilogue. AftermathEdited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder. Epilogue Aftermath <<>><<>><<>> Time had stopped. The world's colors faded to dull gray. And everything Sweet Apple thought she knew, no longer made sense, as she stared into the unblinking, glassed over, lifeless eyes of herself. She had stopped screaming a while ago, her throat raw, yet she couldn't look away from her own corpse. "H- h- how…" she numbly mumbled. She heard shouting, far away and a sudden jolt passing through the medical tent she was in, finally snapped her out of her morbid trance, as several humans rushed to her husband. A new shock slammed into her when one of them ran straight through her without hindrance and she leaped back in fright, only to pass through another human standing on the side, before falling onto her back. "This cain't be happ'ning! THIS CAIN'T BE HAPP'NING!" she shouted in distress, flailing around, in a mad scramble to get back on her hooves. "WE'RE LOSING HIM!" a shout of alarm cut through her fear stricken mind and it was then, she remembered why she was here, and her eyes shrunk down to pinpricks, as she realized the humans were all fighting for Apple Gleam's life. "This… this is impossible." She didn't know if it was her who said that, or if it was either one of the pegasi slowly stepping besides her, nor did it matter, as the glaring truth was exactly as was seen, what they were witnessing was indeed absolutely impossible. "I am afraid not." None of them replied, at a loss for words while watching the team of humans doing all they could while also trying to figure out what is going on for themselves. "Though I understand why you would think it is. Death always has an impact, on both the living and, the departed. But most of the time it can be seen coming, by with it then provides some understanding to those passed after it happened. The way it happened for you, however… You don't yet fully realize the situation you are in right now, because it all happened so suddenly." None of them reacted, too transfixed on the horrific absurdity of it all. Even more so when some human rushed through all three of them and all three reacted in a similar fashion Sweet Apple did the first time it happened to her. This time, however, as the three ponies lay upside down on the floor, they finally noticed the individual standing behind them. A pony wearing a cloak blacker than black, which turned into an equally black mist the closer to the ground it got; hiding his hooves in billowing obscurity, much like the hood did for his face; its shadow hiding everything, save the two points of intense red light, which stared intently at Apple Gleam. Even then, it did nothing to hide the pale white, somewhat curved horn sticking out from underneath, nor did they miss the pair of bone wings folded up by his sides. And then there was also a scythe held in his grasp. Held with a bone hoof. "His time is running out," the monster spoke with a somewhat meek voice. He then looked down at the three ponies on the ground before them and then, a sudden beam of light coming from one of the humans holding a lamp for the medics chased away the shadow obscuring the being's face for a flash of a second. A white, bleached, grinning skull stared back at the three unfortunate, terrified souls. With unexplainable flickering lights, three screams rose up in the air, only heard by the four of them. <<>><<>><<>> They screamed. With flailing limbs they tried to move away from this monster, another ghost out to hurt them in ways they didn't even want to think about. The horror of the situation only made worse when in their mad scramble, continuously pulling each other back down again, the skeletal ghost slowly moved closer, slowly shaking his head. He let go of his scythe, holding it upright in a pale white glow coming from his horn, and he reached out with his now free hoof towards the closest of the three; Scoot Blaze. "SCOOTS, NO!" Sky Rider shouted as his struggle to pull himself up intensified to save his wife. Seeing the entity move closer still, Scoot Blaze clenched her eyes shut and pulling back into herself as far as she could, expecting the worst to happen, while the fervent struggle of both Sky Rider and Sweet Apple continued in full. "STAY AWAY FROM HER YOU MONSTER!" Sky Rider bellowed, finally managing to get his hooves underneath him and leaped at the ghost threatening his wife; slamming into it with all his weight, then crashed onto the ground amidst a pile of bones. "Oh, Thanasia," the ghost said meekly after his skull bounced, then rolled away before coming to a stop several body lengths away, lying upside down underneath the table which held Sweet Apple's body. Screaming in fear, Sky Rider scurried away from the pile of bones as they began to glow and twitch, slowly rising up as they began to reassemble. "Please don't be afraid," the skull said. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise." The fact it was a skull that said it, and a beheaded skull at that, only served to escalate the panic and fear, which taken hold over the ponies. Escalating matters further was the skull's body, which had now fully rebuilt itself with accompanying cracks and pops; the cloak it wore reforming around it from the shadows, which rose up like a thick fog to cover his skeletal frame, revealing the true, ominous nature of their situation… … Which was shattered almost immediately when the still beheaded skeleton began fumbling around with a fore hoof patting the ground in search of its head. "No, to your left. Yes, that way. Yes. No, stop, go back," the skull called out to his body, unable to stop a sigh escaping when his body went the wrong way, fell down a slope and broke apart once more. Sweet Apple, Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze could only watch events transpire in stunned shock and confusion as the skeleton started to rebuild itself again. "I do so dislike it when this happens," the skull groaned, then his red dot like eyes shifted to the three ponies now staring back at him. With a pale flash of his horn, the skull rolled himself over. "Eh… I'm sorry for scaring you like that. This doesn't usually happen," he told them. "Right… uuhmm, right. My name is Mort, also known as the Grimm Galloper, or the Pale Pony. Now, before anything else you need to know this: You are dead. Worse, you don't realize this and are stuck in between states of being, because of this, and I am here to guide your souls to the afterlife…. as soon as I get back on my body that is," for a second the red dots glowing in his sockets vanished, almost as if he blinked. "Of course you must be confused with what is going on, especially considering the already dire circumstances you find yourself in, so if you have any questions about… well—" his eyes flashed up to the dead body lying above him, "—I'll do my best to answer them." All three ponies stared at the skull with wide eyes, pupils shrunken to pinpricks and stuck in a state of being either perpetually frozen or hyperventilating. With an uncoordinated stumble, Mort's body zig zagged its way back to its head, missing several times in which Mort had to call out directions to steer it back on track, before it finally found its target and picked up the skull with a hoof; reconnecting the skull to the spine with a satisfying pop. "Well, that was unpleasant. Let's not do that again," Mort said as he experimentally twisted his head left and right. Satisfied everything was back where it was supposed to be, he turned back to the three ponies exhibiting clear signs of rigor mortis and sighed out in defeat, while pulling up his hood to mask his skull, while his scythe came to him in the pale white glow of his magic. "So… questions?" At first neither of them seemed to be able to formulate any form of response, but just as Mort was about to clarify the situation some more, Sweet Apple hesitantly raised a trembling hoof. "Wh-h… What?" With a small nod, Mort sat down; lying down his scythe besides him as he looked the three ponies in their eyes. "There was an explosion, a clash of power, which collapsed the hotel you and others were hiding in. A collapse, which your husband somehow survived, but at a cost," Mort began, turning to look at the horribly injured stallion still being operated on. "Gleam," Sweet Apple gasped, reminded she wasn't the only one in terrible danger right now. "I'm sorry to say this, but he will be with you soon," Mort said heavy hearted, then continued his explanation. "He survived the collapse, but the three of you didn't. Worse still, it happened so fast, so unexpectedly, I was not able to get to you in time, and your souls ended up split from your mortal shell, lost and confused. It's also why your wing is no longer broken," he aimed at Scoot Blaze, who instinctively flexed the mentioned wing. "Your body, broken wing and all, is still buried underneath the debris of the hotel. The same for you," he looked at Sky Rider. "While your husband managed to dig out your body," he told Sweet Apple. "And that is where I come in, as my task is to guide the souls of those departed to the afterlife and to help them understand what befell them, you, in times when answers are difficult to come by. And these are truly difficult times," he finished with a sigh and a sad shake of the head, looking down at the ground. Looking back up Mort believed to have answered the most important parts of what had happened to the three ponies so far. Though he did expect them to have several more questions with it all laid out in the open. What he didn't expect, but probably should have, were the looks of disgust and boiling anger, as the three ponies seemed to shake with barely contained rage. "WHAT KIND OF IDIOTIC FOALS DO YA THINK WE ARE, GHOST!?" Sweet Apple yelled. "Oh, thanasia," Mort squeaked as he shrunk down into himself, unable to tear his gaze away from the three rejecting souls' burning eyes. "Wha-... what is going on…? Wait, Sweet?" all four turned to the stallion standing off to the side, confusion plastered on his face, while behind him several humans backed away from the table on which the same stallion lay unmoving, shaking their heads. "SWEET!" Apple Gleam cried out, rushing over to embrace his wife, while she and the two pegasi looked at him, his body, then back at Mort; fear and growing realization clearly showing in their eyes. <<>><<>><<>> With a sluggish pace, the sun started to rise many hours too late. A small sign of hope to those surviving the horrors brought down upon the once bustling city, while also kicking up a fresh storm of panic and worry among the still blissfully unaware citizens of the other cities who started their day not knowing what terrible fate had befallen their fellow ponies, griffons, donkeys, friends, family, or loved ones, while rumors already ran rampant about what caused princess Celestia to be so late with changing night to day. It would be a true nightmare in the literal form once the news reached out, but right now, sinking back down to her haunches with a saddened sigh, Celestia could not focus on such matters, as all around her, humans and a sparse number of royal guards were working without pause to weed out any ghost still running rampant, find any and all survivors in hiding, and recover those for whom help came far too late. She herself helped too, naturally. Exhausted as she might be, her very instincts screamed at her to keep going, until she knew for certain that all were safe. And so, still wearing her battle damaged armor, she used her incredible magic to assist a group of human soldiers to clear the rubble of what used to be a hotel; moving several pieces of concrete, wood and destroyed furniture at once, while making sure the sudden shift of material wouldn't cause another collapse. It was a difficult task, as with each room's worth of debris they cleared, more and more bodies were found. A stab went through Celestia's heart with each unfortunate soul they carried off, yet she steeled herself and continued working, not allowing the tears stinging her eyes to escape this time. A shout of warning came from within the collapsed structure and Celestia paused her magic, leaving numerous chunks floating in mid air, already knowing what this meant as she waited. It felt more like the lifetime she had already lived through all over again, but in reality took only the better part of fifteen minutes, as eventually, four humans slowly stepped out and away from the search area, two stretchers carried in between them as they carefully moved the bodies of two pegasi they had uncovered; one of them, a mare, with a bandaged and splinted wing. Unbeknownst to any of them, those same ponies also watched in shock and horror as their bodies were carried away. <<>><<>><<>> Several hours later The tear which had first brought the ghosts to this city was open once again; the intervals between it opening and closing still an unknown, making it difficult to reliably cross when it opened, and quite a mad scramble when it did lest it closed on any unfortunate individual while passing through. Still, the combined efforts of the military and the Guys in White did ensure that a significant force managed to cross before the tear closed. And now, following a schedule unknown to any, once more a rift in the layers of reality joined their world with Equestria, allowing a more specialized force to move in as several choppers flew through, sent out to scan and guard the city from all possible angles, and making sure no ghost still present would escape the city unnoticed. It was an unknown how many, if any had already done so. Though it would stand to reason that at least a portion of the invading ghosts would venture out instead of haunting the easy prey they found in this unprotected city. And so, with the loud whine of their engines and telltale sound of their rotors slicing through the air, a great number of them rose up to begin their task, while preparing the anti ghost weapons installed in place of the more conventional weapons systems. Down on the ground, in a hastily built command center, several high ranking officers and Guys in White coordinated their hunt, while a new group of soldiers moved through to bolster the numbers already present and replace those who were injured in the line of duty. Several of them, either with rudimentary bandages to cover up wounds such as spectral burns, deep cuts, or broken bones, already awaited their chance to move back through and receive medical attention, when three more individuals joined them: White One and the two former Gals in White, whose actions severely stained their outfit, both literally and figuratively. Only White One still wore the shades synonymous to their outfit, while the two women refused to look up, instead glaring at the ground with misplaced anger. "White Actual, White One and Stained White Three, and Four. Standing ready and await further instructions?" White One reported in, fingers pressed to his earpiece. Standing almost completely still, the light of the rising sun reflecting off his glasses, he listened to his commanding officer, while watching the last of the reinforcement pass through the tear. "Understood," he confirmed, hand dropping down. "Soldiers," he addressed the injured men and women. "All of you have been scanned and cleared for passage?" He asked in drill sergeant style. "Sir, yes Sir," they all replied as one. "Good," he said. "Move out," he instructed, keeping a close eye on the group as they walked through the tear on their own, or were carried out by others, when unable to do so. Once the last had passed, he turned back to the two women still glaring at the ground, pulling a scanner from his jacket and scanning the two a final time. Satisfied, he nodded as the scan showed they were clean. "Okay ladies, time to head back," he instructed, stepping closer to the tear and motioning for them to follow; stopping an arm's length shy of the rippling tear and looking back at the two to make sure they were following. One by one the two women stepped through under White One's watchful gaze, not looking up, even after they had once again set foot on Earth. Sighing out his displeasure, White One shook his head as he, too, stepped through while putting back his scanner; no one noticing the tuft of multi colored fur that flashed out from his jacket, which he quickly shoved back in, nor the green glow of his eyes hidden behind his shades. <<>><<>><<>> "This can't be real," Sweet Apple said, repeating herself over and over again, as she stared at her lifeless body. Standing beside her, Apple Gleam did the same to his own body once Mort had explained the situation to him... after he had calmed down from his panic attack upon seeing Mort and, again upon noticing his own body. And now, once the human guards had begun to search the former hotel and the numerous bodies within were recovered. It didn't take long for Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider to find themselves in the exact same situation, as they watched in horror, as their mortal coils, bruised and beaten, were brought in and laid down, in an ever growing line of white sheet covered corpses. Adding to the surreality of the situation, others who had perished sat beside them, crying, screaming in denial, or lying on the ground in a fetal position, while oblivious humans moved through their intangible forms with stretchers in hand. A throat being cleared drew the attention of some, but not all of the ponies and those who did, all flinched back upon seeing Mort. "I know this is all a lot to take in," Mort began. "Believe me, this is not how these things are supposed to happen. But the explosion that caused all of this, also took everypony by surprise. Myself included. Even then, the way your souls were left to wander, or worse, still trapped in your mortal form is unforgivable and I deeply apologize for that," he lowered his head in shame and took notice of the hushed silence that had fallen over the room, despite the sound of boots pounding on the ground, and debris being moved, coming from all around them. Looking back up, he saw that now all ponies looked at them, most of them with tears running down their faces. All of them shellshocked. "Wh-... What happens now, to us?" a young stallion asked suddenly, his voice cracking. Despite a lack of lungs, Mort exhaled a deep sigh before answering. "As of now, you're all within a state between life and death. Purgatory, as it is often called. As for what happens to you. It all depends on you. You can choose to move on, leave behind this plane of existence and go to the Elysium Fields. Or you can choose to remain, but not as a living being of flesh and blood." "And what does that even mean?" Sweet Apple demanded to know. "Sometimes a soul is unable to find peace because of certain matters left unfinished, or find themselves unable to move on because of other personal reasons which makes them choose to remain, becoming an entity of spectral nature. Disconnected from the mortal realm, but part of it all the same," Mort answered with some hesitancy, recent experience having taught him what to expect. "You mean ghosts," Sweet Apple stated, not asked as she shot a burning glare at the animated skeleton. Again, a sigh escaped Mort as he nodded. "That is what these beings are called, yes." A riot of yelling, screaming, shouting and even louder crying rose up in an instant as the ponies openly rebelled to this very possibility and Mort flinched back from the sudden assault to his non existent ears, while waiting for them to calm down enough for him to explain. "YOU EXPECT US TO BECOME LIKE THOSE THINGS!?" a mare shouted her disgust, all of the ponies sharing her sentiment. "Of course not," Mort answered simply. "Why would you become anything other than who you are?" he asked in turn, and everypony fell silent, confused. "Who you are won't change, just what you are. And even then, any changes to your physical self will be limited to the choice you make." "THEN WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE GHOSTS WHO ATTACKED US!?" The same mare cried out. The red dots in Mort's skull faded, then returned as he blinked, slightly tilting his head. "You have prisons," he stated simply. "Houses of holding to keep those who broke your laws and possibly even hurt one, or more while doing so." "And?" Scoot Blaze scoffed. "Does that mean every pony present is a criminal who should be locked up in there?" Mort asked in general, slowly looking at them all. "Of course not," Scoot Blaze rebuked, offended. "So only the select few who would do harm to others," said Mort, to which Scoot Blaze gave a slow nod, confusion clearly noticeable on her and the others. "Ghosts are a lot more like you than you think. Physical differences aside, they can do either good, or bad. Just like any of you. The difference is that they," he gestured a hoof around, indicating the city as a whole, "are those who are considered to be the worst and their prison isn't always able to hold them I'm afraid," he informed them, while keeping his thoughts about said prison, and its warden to himself. Shaking his head clear of such thoughts, he continued. "If you were to choose to remain, you will remain true to the being you are now. Your soul can't change. What your new physical form will be may vary, depending on the choices you make after." "You mean… We can stay, here, with our loved ones?" Sweet Apple asked, hope brimming in her eyes while Mort, Death itself, once again felt that horrible feeling of dying himself, when asked that question again. Again a sigh escaped from him before he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. There are rules in place. Rules that even I can't break. And one of these rules is that no ghosts are allowed to exist here. The fact that such a large number has found its way here is not something that will go unnoticed and forces, more powerful than you can imagine, will respond to this," his mind returned to his unexpected meeting with one of them, posing as an unassuming baby alligator and protecting those three mares. "But then where would we go, if not moving on?" A young mare asked, who Sweet Apple realized as the one they found impaled on several beams of rebar. "The Ghost Zone," Mort answered, struggling to find the words for a more proper explanation but failing after a moment. "It's a place not easily described. But once there, you will be able to get to know the new you, and traverse to various places within the mortal realm." "But not home?" the mare asked, to which Mort shook his head. "Then what's the point?" "That is for you to find out," he told her, though without much conviction, already seeing the tell tale signs of a choice made among most of them. Crossing her arms with a huff, the mare glowered at Mort as she made up her mind. "Well, I won't have it. I refuse to become a ghost, no matter what you say." To her great surprise, as well as all others save one, she slowly began to levitate up, a white glow surrounding her body. "Then go in peace," Mort said calmly as he looked up at the fading form, his scythe held up and its blade aglow. In seconds it was over and the young mare was gone. "What. What happened to her?" A stallion who stood next to her asked, terrified. "She chose to move on," Mort explained. "But she didn't say so!" The same stallion countered. "You don't have to. You merely have to accept that, which brings peace to your soul. And for her, it was moving on," said Mort, looking at those still there. "But how could we possibly make such a choice?" Apple Gleam asked, devastated. Mort shook his head. "I don't know." <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie Pie, her sister Maud, their grandmother and Gummy, had been brought to a nearby park, joining numerous other survivors as human medics tended to those injured. Other humans, armed with weapons none of them had ever seen before, guarded the perimeter. The relatively open space giving them a clear field of view, while the few trees, benches and decorative rocks provided ample cover, should the need arise. Several of those humans moved around, sweeping the area continuously with scanners to catch any invisible ghost trying to get the drop on them and relaying all findings to the rest of the human guards. Pinkie, Maud and Granny Pie, fortunately having been spared any physical injury, found themselves sitting underneath the shade of a chestnut tree; Maud looking off into the distance, her eyes unfocused, while Pinkie held Gummy in a hug, tightly pressed to her chest. Their grandmother, sitting in between the two, looked at her granddaughters with concern. Especially Maud. While Pinkie had been afraid and rightfully so, she also seemed to have gone through this ordeal better than she could have hoped. Maybe the small alligator played a role in this, she didn't know, but how these events would affect her youngest granddaughter only time would tell. Maud on the other hoof had changed. While not the most expressive of ponies, there had always been a spark in her eyes. A spark of joy, adventure. A spark which drove her to seek out more in life than her parent's rock farm could provide. A spark which, to Granny Pie's great fear, was gone, as Maud continued to stare off into the distance without any hint of emotion on the blank mask her face had become. Pulling both Maud and Pinkie closer to her, startling both, she held them close in a loving hug. "It's going to be okay, children. It's going to be okay." "I know it is," Pinkie quipped, looking at her grandmother with bright blue eyes. "Gummy said so himself.” Chuckling lightly, Granny Pie nuzzled Pinkie on the top of the head, glad for her youthful imagination to help her through this ordeal. Shouting came from someplace behind them and a ripple of panic moved through the improvised camp, as humans started to communicate through their strange devices at an increasing pace, while rushing to strategic defensive positions. Then the explosions started and screams rose up higher, drowning out anything else, other than the horrific sounds of the humans weapons firing and the now all too familiar sound of spectral discharge. Panic stricken, all survivors began to flee in fear induced survival instinct; moving without thought, or plan and trampling over everything, and everypony, or human, in their need to escape. Pinkie Pie, Maud and Granny Pie, caught in the middle of it all, were forcefully separated in the mass of bodies, and only through an act of Celestia blessed fortune, was Granny Pie able to push her way through and reach Maud, who herself looked wildly around with wide, fearful eyes for her younger sibling. A green flash filled their vision, followed seconds later by a tremendous blast which knocked everypony flat to the ground, while also destroying the chestnut tree they sat under and blasting up large amounts of dirt, and even some of the larger rocks scattered around the park. A scream cut through, rising over all other deafening sounds and, both Maud and Granny Pie watched in horror, as they finally saw Pinkie, lying on the ground in a crumpled heap, shivering, covering her head with her hooves while fearfully looking up at the ghost responsible. It was a monster in every sense of the word. Somewhat reptilian, with filthy brown scales for a hide, though torn in various places and leaking glowing green blood. Easily three times the size of a pony and with a pair of wicked, glowing a diabolical red eyes, while his three fingered clawed hand held up a glowing orb of toxic green might, ready to unleash its destructive desires all around it. And its eyes were locked on the frightful filly who had screamed, seemingly uncaring of the glare shot at it by the small alligator sitting in her mane, as it threw one of the glowing orbs in its claws at Pinkie. The world slowed to a crawl as Maud's eyes shot open, watching the sphere of death descend upon Pinkie and all forms of coherent thought stopped, as in that exact moment, she knew what she had to do. Looking up, she spotted one of the more sizable rocks still in the air, already pulled back by gravity and she sped off in a blur almost impossible to see. Running for the destroyed stump of the chestnut, all that remained of the once proud tree, she spun around and kicked it with the full strength of her earth pony boosted hind legs and sisterly love. The stump all but exploded out of the ground, flying as if shot from a cannon as it intersected the ghost's attack, catching the blast before it could harm Pinkie. Not slowing down, Maud leaped for the stump, kicking off of it with the same strength she had demonstrated a second prior, destroying the stump into splinters which clattered to the ground without causing any further harm while she flew up to the boulder she had set her eyes on. Surprised, eyes wide, the ghost watched as the gray pony missile flew past it, slamming with all four hooves onto the plummeting rock, spinning it around until she stood on top while her strangely blank, yet burning gaze promised it a world of pain. With a strength she herself didn't know she possessed, Maud hammered into the boulder with her hooves, breaking the rock into smaller pieces which launched at the ghost with terrifying speed, striking into its undead flesh before it even had a chance to react and turn intangible. Hammered by the sudden, unrelenting assault, its body bruising and breaking from the shockwave inducing impacts the ghost fell to the ground underneath a growing layer of fragmenting stone until it was buried in a second grave. Landing on the ground with a solid 'THUD', Maud glared at the pile of rock, not even breathing heavy as several humans hesitantly approached, eyeing her with the same trepidation they did the now buried ghost. A shift in the rocks drew everyone's attention and a bloody claw burst out from underneath; the ghost pulling its way out from its prison with a feral scream, promising a slow and agonizing death to the one who dared to offend it like that. A spiraling beam of bright blue washed over the unholy entity and with another screech of defiance it was pulled into a cylindrical container held in the hand of a white dressed, black skinned human who slapped a cap on top of it the moment the ghost vanished inside. "White Two here, threat subdued and captured. Scan the area for more hostile activity and commence with damage control," the man said, fingers pressed to an ear. Almost immediately, the other humans sprung into action to do as they were told. Maud, however, didn't pay this any attention as she rushed over to Pinkie, holding her in a tight hug. "Are you alright, Pinkie?" she asked, the concern in her voice, the most emotion she had been able to show since this nightmare started. "I.. I am, sis," Pinkie sniffled, looking up at her older sister with wide, watery eyes. "Thank you," she mumbled as she snuggled into the fluff of Maud's chest, then giggled quietly. "Did you see the look on that ghost's face when you went all zoom, kick, jump, ghaaa, crash, pow, blam on him? Where did you even learn to do that?" “I would like to know as well," Granny Pie stepped closer, looking at Maud with large, disbelieving eyes. Maud, giving the faintest of smiles, nuzzled Pinkie on the top of her head. "Don't you remember, Pinkie? I promised I would do anything to see you smile." The bright smile Pinkie gave her in answer made her feel everything was going to be alright, when something fell out of her mane and onto the ground beside them. Looking down, they saw a small piece of the rock, which she had used to fight the ghost, still wobbling slightly. Gingerly picking it up, Maud looked at it with, once more, blank eyes. "Boulder," she said simply, refusing to put the small rock down from there on out. Off in the distance, White Two, fingers once more pressed to his ear, was discussing something over the radio, while watching Maud intently. "Yes Sir. A valuable asset indeed." <<>><<>><<>> It had been nearly a full day since the events that brought such destruction to a once prosperous city, took the lives of so many and injured even more. The amount of injured was counted in such large numbers, that they had to be distributed among the various cities and villages hospitals. One of them, Spitfire, now lay in a coma in Fillydelphia medical, her injuries severe to such an extent, that she had to be teleported, in order to receive the care she needed, before it was too late. Soarin, while injured himself in the line of duty, miraculously walked away with relatively minor injuries. Though he would be wearing bandages and applying healing ointments on his numerous burns for some time to come, nor would he be able to use his wings for at least a month, as they recovered from the muscle tearing strain he forced himself through during his escape while carrying Spitfire. None of that mattered to him as he watched the mare and the state she was in. Lying on her back, barely any fur could be seen, as her body was completely covered with a solid cast; her hind legs held up in a natural angle and supported by ropes attached to a suspending rack over her bed. Her front legs, positioned to her sides and lying on the mattress in an as comfortable position as possible, while her wings, clipped of all her feathers and completely immobile, extended out on both sides. Her tail, also, didn't escaped unscathed as numerous bones were found to be fractured as well, leaving barely any of her fiery orange and yellow skirt to slip through the cast. The same also held true for her mane, as bandages were tightly wrapped around most of her head, leaving only a hole for her right eye and muzzle while a tube fed into her mouth, to assist her with her breathing; a steady beeping coming from the heart monitor, beside the other machine, which pumped the life sustaining oxygen. How long Soarin stood there he didn't know, but eventually, he noticed he wasn't the only one present. "How's she doing?" Fleetfoot asked, she herself showing clear signs of injury, with her right hind leg in a cast and kept off the ground being the most prominent. "Fleetfoot, how did you-" She cut him off by pressing a hoof to his mouth, before quickly setting it down to regain her balance. "Same way you got here, I'm afraid," she said ruefully. "Haven't heard much from most of the others," she looked down to the floor, her unkempt mane falling before her eyes. "Lightning Streak is here too, though. They're still operating on him. Most likely he will never fly again," she told him, shaking her head with a sigh. "Then I heard you and Spitfire were here, and hoped that maybe you got out better than we did," she fell silent as she looked at the nearly mummified body of Spitfire. "It… It's too soon to tell," Soarin belatedly answered her question. "She took a hard hit. A very hard hit…. after what happened to Captain Blaze, she…" his voice got stuck, and he closed his eyes, shaking his head to remove the images he didn't want to remember. "Is… Is it true. Is the Captain…?" Soarin's pained stare was all the answer she needed and she slumped to the ground, lacking the strength to cry out as she put pressure on her broken leg. "What are we going to do now?" she asked, looking up with teary eyes. Sitting down himself, Soarin could only look at the broken form of Spitfire, unable to find an answer, as the gentle beeping of the heart monitor filled the otherwise silent room. <<>><<>><<>> The search and rescue was now fully underway, as many sought through the damaged and destroyed buildings for any survivors, or victims of the attack. Yet the trauma of what had transpired had cut deep and the mere hours, which had passed, were nowhere near enough to start healing the wounds inflicted upon all affected, both physical and mental. Even then, with the aid of the humans, the first effort towards recovery had already begun. Though it would be a very, very long time before the wounds would become scars and even longer before they would fade. Even so, the first step towards recovery was accepting that it happened; as well as accepting the failures, which enabled it to happen in the first place. And now, as princess Celestia oversaw the rescue effort, she could not ignore the seeming ease with which these humans dealt with such a threat. True, they also struggled. But compared to how they faced this adversary, it was obvious to her how she failed in properly preparing her ponies, as well as the other species living within the borders of her kingdom. Of course none could have expected a tear to open in the middle of the city, but they knew tears were opening up all across the world, Earth and Equestria alike. So, just how unexpected was it really? No, looking back on it all, she knew she failed to realize the true potential of the ghosts' threat, as well as the unpredictable nature of these tears, which have proven they could open up anywhere, anytime, opening them up to a threat they were ill suited to defend against. "Mister White," she addressed the white suited, white haired elderly man with a neatly trimmed mustache standing next to her, while following the flight path of a distant helicopter, as it patrolled the city. "Princess Celestia," the man replied, his voice sharp and in contrast to his apparent age, as he turned to the royal mare. For a moment, Celestia studied the man before her; the commanding officer of the white suited group of humans, realizing that unlike those under him, he did not wear any shades. She also saw his left eye was blinded from a bisecting scar running from his eyebrow to his cheek, yet still showing a vigor one would expect of one half his age. Looking back out at the city and the destruction now clearly visible in the full light of day, it was obvious it would be many years before the city would return to its former splendor, assuming it ever would. Sighing, she returned her gaze back to the human in white. "I would like to thank you, as well as every human involved, for all the help you've given us. I can't begin to imagine what might have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did." "Of course, ma'am," Mister White replied, he too taking a moment to observe the destruction. "We know all too well what those unholy abominations are capable of. And, while the relationship between our two worlds is still young, we can't just stand by knowing that others are in danger of these ghosts." "Indeed," she replied. "Yet all that has transpired has revealed to me a critical flaw in our defences. We don't have any," she looked towards the now closed tear, a shimmering point in the air. "A tear opened without any warning, catching us unprepared. A worrying thing on its own, as history has shown the problems this can bring to the inhabitants of both our worlds. But worse still, when it opened, it also allowed a mass of ghosts through, to which none of my ponies knew how to fight, resulting in the devastation all around us." "I see your problem. I also see the question still unasked," he replied analytically. "We can't stop these tears from forming. None of us know how this Phantom created the first tear in the first place. But, with your help, at least we can be prepared." "What is it that you suggest?" "Train my ponies, teach them how to fight these ghosts. Give them the knowledge to prevent a disaster such as this from ever happening again." Mister White stood silent, his face an unreadable mask as he watched a distant group of humans and ponies working together, searching through the remainders of a destroyed store. "There is much to gain from a mutually beneficial partnership. The knowledge we have, the knowledge you have and everything in between. But you know, just as well as I do, that merely training your ponies to fight ghosts, will not prevent this from happening again, should ghosts find their way back here again. You will need our weapons and defensive technology just as much." "I am afraid so, yes," Celestia confirmed. "But I can ensure you will be equally compensated. As you said, a mutually beneficial partnership." "I scratch your back, you scratch mine." "What?" "Just a saying. Do know that I am not at liberty to promise you anything, but I assure you your request will be brought to those who can." "That is all I can ask." For a moment, both stood in silence, watching. "I don't envy you," Mister White said suddenly. "I'm sorry?" "Carrying such a burden," he clarified. "I know the weight of command, what it is to send out others into combat, knowing they could come back injured, half dead, or not at all. Yet we do it, because that is what's expected from us. But where I command a relatively small group of highly trained professionals… for the most part, you do so with an entire country and for far longer than I have lived. A terrible curse of power to have. Yet it pales in comparison to having such power and being completely helpless, despite it. Especially when it’s civilians, that are paying the price. Fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, sons and daughters… I hate to say I am no stranger to this and worse, that I have never found a proper way to inform those left behind. And now, with so many missing and dead… I do not envy you, Princess Celestia. Not at all." <<>><<>><<>> Nothing made any sense anymore. Upon meeting Mort and learning of the fate that befell them, with the subsequent choice that they had to make; Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider knew that they just couldn't leave like that, yet Mort was quite insistent, when he told them that it was impossible for them to remain here, the world they called home. Naturally they, as well as most others who were with them, revolted against this notion; unwilling to make a choice, one way, or the other, which meant they would leave everything they loved and cared about behind. At least, most others did think so. Some, as they witnessed, made the choice to move on, like the young mare before them. Their reasons for doing so unknown to them, nor did it matter. What did matter were the lives they unwillingly lost and those connected to it. At least Mort informed them that, while a choice had to be made, it didn't have to be made immediately and that they had some time to go, and say their goodbyes. Which to him was often a thing those passed had to do to find the peace they needed to make the choice laid out to them. Though he was also quite insistent not to take too long, as those who refused to choose would meet a fate he was unwilling to explain any further than worse than death. "Choice has always been the problem," they heard him murmur to himself. Nothing of that sentence helped them put their minds at ease. Still, at least one thing he told them sparked a sense of longing among those still present and all went their separate ways, with Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider taking flight back to Ponyville; not noticing Sweet Apple and Apple Gleam following the same path back, running as fast as they could. Unfortunately, even as they were now, the flight back to Ponyville took a long time. But without stopping for rest, not willing to rest, they arrived some hours after sunrise the next day, four days after they had left. Now though, standing before the closed door of Bellflower's guest house, both ponies were unable to move; frozen on the spot as their fears and nervousness were locked in conflict with their desire to see and hold their daughter. With a faint squeak coming from the front door's hinge, the door swung open and a royal messenger stepped out; his helmet removed, and held against his chest, as he said a respectful goodbye towards the distraught mare following him out. Bellflower, having just received the worst news anypony could possibly receive, nodded numbly, simply going through the motions as she closed the door. Shaken out of their stupor, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider looked at one another, then moved for the door; looking at the closed portal with hesitation, before Sky reached for the knob. To their shock and further cementing their fate, his hoof phased cleanly through the metal. Leaping back in fright, looking at his limb as if it was diseased, he slowly set his hoof back down, gulping loudly. "So…. what now?" he asked, at a loss. "Can we… I don't know…. just walk through… maybe?" A cry came from inside; the voice all too familiar to them and they stormed the door without thinking; phasing through the solid object without hindrance and running in towards Bellflower's personal living room, where they found Bellflower, broken down, while trying her hardest not to show it and their daughter. Scootaloo cried, loudly; the full extent of what had happened to her parents lost on her, but the knowledge that her mommy and daddy wouldn't come back for her, was heartbreaking. The sight of their daughter in tears hurt Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider deeply and they rushed for her without a thought, other than to comfort her. Yet try as they did, their efforts were wasted as their attempts to pull her into a loving, comforting embrace failed each and every time, as they phased through her, the same way they did the door. Unable to keep herself from breaking down any longer, Bellflower pulled the distraught filly into a tight embrace, the both of them crying over the horrible loss they've suffered. "It's alright. It's alright," Bellflower said again and again, gently rubbing the filly's back, "I promise I will take care of you. I promise," she told Scootaloo, hoping that her parents would approve of her decision, unaware that both ponies looked at them with tears running down their faces. Unable to stand the sight of her daughter and friend any longer, and unable to do anything to help them, Scoot Blaze ran away, eyes clenched shut; Sky Rider following closely behind, not noticing as a filly, looking surprisingly similar to their daughter, spied inside through one of the windows. <<>><<>><<>> Standing before the age worn door of their home, Sweet Apple and Apple Gleam could already tell something was wrong. Running into and subsequently, phasing through a royal messenger leaving the orchard as they rushed in, and the tomb like silence that now hung over the orchard; no sounds of apples being bucked, the squeaky wheels of the cart full of produce being pulled, or the laughter of their children as they played, all confirmed to them their worst fears. It was real. They were dead. Before they had the faint hope that maybe, maybe this was all some horrid illusion a ghost put them through. But they knew their farm and they knew their family, and this, this spoke directly to their hearts. Swallowing loudly, Apple Gleam held out a hoof for his wife to hold, which she accepted immediately; giving him a squeeze as they walked to, then through the door together. Immediately they became aware of one thing above all others. The silence inside was much, much worse than it had been outside, as they found their children and Apple Gleam's mother seated in the living room, cheeks wet from tears spilled and still flowing, but no sound escaping them as they stared out at nothing, with Apple Bloom being the only exception as she lay curled up besides her sister, holding onto her tail, asleep. "Mom," Apple Gleam stepped closer, yet his presence was completely missed by the elderly mare. "Macintosh, Applejack, Apple Bloom," he tried, turning to his children. They too did not show any sign of having seen, or heard him. "Please say something," Sweet Apple pleaded, trying to grab Applejack's hoof in her own, and failing completely. "Please." No answer came, no matter how much she tried. To their children, their family they were gone, unseen and unheard, unable to interact in any shape, or form. Setting down her trembling hoof, she sought comfort by the one pony she could still hold, crying into Apple Gleam's neck while he did the same with her; together with their family, yet separated all the same. For a long time they held each other, letting their tears flow, until no tear was left to be shed and all they could feel, was a hollow void within. Sniffing and wiping her nose with a fetlock, Sweet Apple looked at her children. Choking back another sob, before stepping closer and giving them a nuzzle as best she could, planting a kiss on their cheeks and on top of Apple Bloom's quietly slumbering head. Apple Gleam followed her lead, realizing deep down they had made a choice. A choice they did not truly wanted, but a choice all the same. "Mom," he turned to the mare who had raised him, giving her a kiss on the cheek as best he could. "Please look after them. Sweet and Ah, we," he paused to take several calming breaths, "we've got to go now. I'll bring your love ta dad," he showed a small sad smile. "... Things'll get better. We're Apples. Nothing keeps us down fer long, right?" Stepping away, he rejoined his wife's side, both of them looking at their family with saddened, but love filled eyes, then turned around, seeing Mort seated a respectful distance away, waiting for them to leave. "Are you ready?" he asked. "No," Sweet Apple shook her head. "But they've ta move on… just like we must do, too." Nodding in understanding, Mort rose up to all fours, his scythe at the ready. With a glow surrounding them, Sweet Apple and Apple Gleam rose up, never letting go of each other's hoof. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what has happened. Now, go in peace," Mort said, his scythe held high and both ponies vanished in a flash of light. <<>><<>><<>> Running through town, passing through everything and everypony on their path, Scoot Blaze, and Sky Rider tried to put as much distance between them, and the heartbreak that awaited them back at Bellflower's. Only after they had left Ponyville proper and found themselves standing at the edge of Whitetail Woods, did they stop; collapsing to the ground in an undignified heap, at a loss for what to do while their tears wouldn't stop coming. "How," Scoot Blaze sobbed. "How could we run away like that? Why couldn't we just hold our daughter?" Sky Rider, his body shaking from anger over the unfairness of it all, stomped a hoof on the ground. "There has to be something, someway for us to stay." "Maybe there is." Both ponies gasped and leaped away from the tall, hovering figure emerging out of nowhere, pressing closer together as the ghost approached, while they slowly retreaded backwards. "What would you do if I told you there might be a way for you to still be a part of your loved ones' lives?" the ghost asked and Scoot Blaze, and Sky Rider stopped in their tracks, while looking up at the adult human ghost, who had a broad chest, and a ticking clock imbedded in it, wearing a light purple suit which narrowed down towards his waist, where a black belt looped around with a gold pocket watch on a chain attached to it. The being had no legs, but an etherially moving, intangible tail. Gray gloves covered his hands, extending almost to his elbows, with three watches showing a different time on each wrist and a dark purple cape, which billowed behind him, and extended into a hood, leaving only his face visible, while he held a strange staff with a stopwatch attached to the tip. "Wh- what?" Sky Rider gasped, looking up at the ghost. From behind the ghost, stepping out of the shadows of the forest, Mort approached, eyes downcast. "Eh… hi," he said meekly, looking at the two scared ponies, not liking any of this. "Mort?" Scoot Blaze said, confused. "So, uhm, yeah. You remember those rules I told you about?" he asked awkwardly, shuffling on the spot as both pegasi nodded once. "It turns out there might be a way to circumvent the rules due to some exceptional circumstances. Not something that has happened before to my knowledge," he trailed off, looking off to the side, deep in thought. The strange ghost cleared his throat, snapping Mort out of his stupor. "Right, yes, uhmm. Clockwork, an old friend of mine," he introduced the ghost hovering next to him, who gave a curt half bow to the two increasingly confused ponies. "Eh, you also remember those forces more powerful than you can imagine would get involved that I mentioned?" again both ponies gave a single nod. "Well, Clockwork is something of an extension of these forces and may have a solution for you." "Not the best way to put it," Clockwork spoke up, "but close enough," he then suddenly morphed into an aged man, a long beard reaching down and both ponies shrieked out, leaping back. "Most unfortunate timing," Clockwork observed as he stroked his beard, "but not something that could be avoided either way. Please, do not fear. My sudden transformation is merely the fact of an age old curse inflicted upon me, and has no effect on the both of you. It's just something that happens to me from time to time." "W-w-w-what are you!?" Scoot Blaze stammered, pointing a trembling hoof at Clockwork. "Someone who can offer you a third choice… Or to be precise, an extension to one of the two choices given to you. Slowly putting her hoof down, Scoot Blaze tried to force the lump stuck in her throat down. "What… what do you mean?" "Certain events have been put into motion, the recent tragedy you got caught up, is the latest in this chain, but most certainly not the last. And, while what has happened can't simply be undone, what follows might be influenced into a more favorable outcome. Which is where you come in." "And what does that even mean?" Sky Rider asked suspiciously. "I'm afraid I am unable to answer that at this time." "Then why would we even bother listening to you!?" Sky Rider shot back. "Because I am in a position where I can help you to become a part in your daughter's life once more," Clockwork repeated and both ponies gasped out. "We… are listening," Sky Rider said with some trepidation. "I require your help, the both of you. But for you to do so, you will have to remain and not move on." "But Mort said we wouldn't be able to stay here!" Scoot Blaze replied heatedly. "And he was telling the truth," Clockwork calmly interjected. "Then how would we be able to stay with our daughter?" Scoot Blaze shot back. "Because some rules can be bent. Some can be broken. And sometimes, sometimes the rules need to be wiped out," he said with a shocking hardness to his voice. Reaching out with his staff at a point behind him, a swirling green portal opened in the air. "But I do promise you this: Help me and I will make sure you will be reunited with all who you hold dear. But I won't lie to you either. Should you choose to remain and help, a difficult time will await the two of you. As ghosts, you must master the skills you will acquire. This will take time. Time where you will be gone from the lives of those who stay behind and where you will learn things you wouldn't have even thought possible," he looked both ponies in the eyes, one after the other to instill the seriousness of their next course of action. "Knowing this, you must now choose. Do you trust me and the promise I made? Or do you refuse to believe the word of a ghost? Choose to help, follow me through the portal and I will reveal all I can to you, and the role you will come to play in the events still to come. Choose not to, remain here and Mort will see to it you will move on in peace." With nothing else to say, Clockwork flew backwards through the portal he opened, never breaking eye contact until he was gone, leaving Scoot Blaze, Sky Rider and Mort alone at the edge of the forest. Stunned into silence, both ponies could only stare at the swirling green portal before them, with barely blinking eyes; standing frozen and silent for the better part of five minutes, until Mort cleared his throat. "So, ehhh," he made a vague hoof gesture. "I know this is rather sudden and not what you were expecting. Nor did I, for that matter, but Clockwork is one of the more trustworthy ghosts. Though he can be vexing at times as a result of the, eh, role he plays in the greater scheme of things, if he says he can get you back to your daughter, he means it." Slowly, Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze broke their staring contest with the portal, looking at Mort, then each other, clearly conflicted. Then, closing her eyes, Scoot Blaze took a step forwards. "For Scootaloo," she said, eyes snapping open with burning conviction. "For my little Mayfly," Sky Rider joined her, taking hold of her hoof and together they stepped through the portal. It closed immediately after they vanished. Now alone, Mort sat down, head held low and shaking it slowly, a saddened sigh escaping him. "Oh, Thanasia. What has Destiny planned for this world?" <<>><<>><<>> Several weeks later With a nervous sigh, Soarin used a hoof to comb back his mane out of his face, the unkempt mess already longer than regulation would allow. Seated in a small, but high room, the furniture too large and all, ill fit for him, he tried to keep himself occupied, and not thinking about that, by sifting through the many old looking magazines laying on a table before him; the images on the cover and inside as he leafed through one of them alien and confusing. Warm light reflected off the glossy pages, coming from the decorative lamps hanging on the ceiling, as he stopped and read one of the articles at random. A full faced blush overtook him seconds later, and he threw the feminine hygiene article back on the pile, instead focusing his attention on the tall plant standing in the corner of the room. Time ticked by, and eventually he returned to fidgeting in his seat, unsure of what to do, or if he even wanted to be here. But just as he made up his mind to leave, a door opened and a tall, slender, red haired human woman stepped out; looking at him with a kind smile and approached. "Mister Soarin?" she asked, to which he numbly nodded. "My name is Jasmine Fenton and I'll be your psychiatrist. Please, follow me and we'll get you the help you need." Slowly, Soarin slid off his seat, standing only a head taller than the table and magazines, he looked up at Jasmine. "How?" Still smiling that warm smile, she beckoned him to enter her office. "That is what we will find out, together" and the door closed behind the two. <<>><<>><<>> Unblinkingly they watched, pulling the threads of Destiny to see those connected to it and the consequences which flowed from their choices selected. Images passed by in a blur, the lives of countless individuals, their paths in life changed, steered off course, damaged. "We are in agreement, yes?" a soundless male voice asked, pulling up the images of six young fillies marked for greatness still to come. "Much has changed, there can be no denying that. But this course of action you're suggesting can't be done. It goes against all our rules," an equally mute woman replied. "Yet it is not impossible, much as he has proven," a second male countered and another image rose up; that of a young pink pony, the same as shown in the first image, with the mentioned being nestled in her hair, posing as a baby alligator of all things. "Which will not go unpunished," Another woman objected. "You have seen what will happen should we not interfere directly," the first male calmly replied. "Either we break our rules, steer events back on track, through direct intervention where needed, or everything will fall apart." "Everything will fall apart regardless of what we do, or not do," an irate male soundlessly cut in, bringing up yet another image for them to study. "Indeed it does, and yet it doesn't" the first male countered matter of factly. "We can't change what's to come. But we can change how it will end. You know just as well as the rest of us, Destiny works its plans over many years and generations," and he pulled up the image of a young child who had a doll signed by the ghost he idolized. Then the child became an adult, and was subsequently killed by Necronomicon, who acted by the directions given by the human he just killed, all so he would set upon the path which led him through pain and suffering, leading him to become the Embodiment of Time so that one day he would be in the position to save the life of the ghost boy he idolised as a child and set the circling chain of events in motion once again. "But if we do nothing, the generation where it all comes together will not be there when needed." Then the images shifted to this white haired boy and moved forwards through time until it ended in the same vision where everything falls apart. "So my brothers, sisters, I ask of you. Are our rules worth the damnation of everything we've observed for so long, or will you help steer Destiny back on track?" "One could make the argument that us breaking the rules is part of Destiny as well," a mute woman playfully purred. "Ridiculous!" the irate male snapped. "We exist outside of Destiny, it does not affect us?" "Not as we are, true. But if we go there, just like Gummy has done," the mirth in her voiceless voice was unmistakable. "Destiny would guide us just as it would the mortals. And as such, one could reason that, if we are going to become a part of Destiny, aren't we already?" The irate male glowered at the images, not replying. The first male, Gummy, looked at those gathered with him, repeating his first question. "So, we are in agreement?" One by one, those present nodded their agreement, the irate one being the last and most hesitant. "I do not like this," he complained. Moving closer to the images, he pulled another image from Destiny, glaring at the pony presented. "And what about him?" he asked. "He will be the most important of all," Gummy replied, and all watched the white maned, black furred pony sitting on a hill outside the destroyed city; staring at the destruction with remorseful eyes. <<>><<>><<>> "Child, we must go. We don't have much more time left before he finds us," a glowing medallion around his neck pulsed in tune with the voice that came from it. "I know," the stallion replied, voice flat and bereft of emotions, never taking his eyes off the destruction he knew he was partially responsible for. "None of this is your fault. You know this." "Isn't it?" "No, it isn't." "Feels like it though." A sad sigh came from the medallion. "Child, you had no choice. Neither of us did. Had you not done what you did, he would have, but on a much greater scale." "Ponies died." "And more will live." "But what kind of lives will they have?" Silence. "Ray, sometimes there are no good choices. Only bad ones, and worse." "There had to be another way, something we missed?" "Maybe there was, but we did not have the time to find one." "But what if we did? What if we tried just a bit harder!?" the stallion snapped, finally tearing his gaze away from the still smoking city. "It's because of choice," the medallion sighed. "Choice has always been the problem," and with a desolate howl from the wind, the two vanished from the world in a flash of green. Author's Note And with that, this story has ended. You have been given a glimps in the lives of some of the ponies' their lives, and witnessed how for some it was cut short. All of which will have an impact on the lives of those who survived and remained, and will shape the events to come. And with it, not one but several worlds will change as well. I hope that you all have enjoyed this tale of ghosts and magical ponies at odds. It certainly has been a ride for me to get this far. But now, with this story told and complete, my attention can now return to the rest of my works still waiting for continuation and a proper finish. All in due time, of course. Please share your thoughts in the comments below, and thank you for reading. ~Powerdrainer Prologue. If I Had The Chance, Would I Do Things Differently?I would like to thank Vates Despero for proofreading and editing this chapter. If I Had The Chance, Would I Do Things Differently? <<>><<>><<>> He moved through the hall of the house they'd just arrived at, carrying a bag on his back. It was an odd design, and not made to be carried by ponies, but that was hardly an issue for him, as it wasn't his, and he was merely carrying it inside to place it on the living room table. Looking around the home, he couldn't help but feel a bit small, as everything was much larger than any furniture designed for a pony. Which was to be expected, as humans were twice the height of any ponies, save for the Princesses. Using his wings to fly up a bit, he dropped the bag on the table, before dropping back on his hooves and heading back to the open door to help her carry inside more of her luggage. Why a mare… No, a woman, needed so much luggage with her for only a short trip he would never understand. But he would help her carry it nonetheless. She had him wrapped around her fingers, and he would do anything to see her smile. A small happy chuckle escaped him as he shook his head a bit. Never in his life could he have imagined that he would end up in a relationship with a human, especially considering the way they met. But, as he stepped back outside, Soarin couldn't stop the smile growing on his face as he saw Jazz wave at him, pointing at a suitcase filled with various items he would probably never be able to name. Mares. Woman. Some things don't change, no matter which world you're on. <<>><<>><<>> Everything was put inside, and the door closed behind them. The taxi they arrived in drove off, leaving the street empty and quiet once more. It had been a hectic few days for the both of them, as Jazz had to attend the conference to give a lecture about ghost induced PTSD. Something he was quite familiar with. Most of the suitcases she had with her were filled with books and paperwork about ghosts, her research, and anything else she believed might be useful. Soarin asked why she didn't used one of those computer thingies they had, but he only got a muttered response about books never running out of power. But he didn't complain, and he and Jazz carried the various books back to her study, leaving them there to be sorted out at a later time. Jazz also put away the bag with the clothes, knowing there was a lot of laundry to be done in her near future. Something Soarin didn't have to deal with nearly as much as she did. Hearing some odd sounds coming from down the hall, Jazz walked down and into the kitchen, seeing Soarin sitting on a chair at the table, his muzzle buried in the leftover pie she had stored in her fridge. Sighing and rolling her eyes, she slowly shook her head, a small grin on her face. "What?" he said with his mouth half full, giving a shrug, "I was hungry." "I can tell," Jazz said with a chuckle, and Soarin swallowed the last of the pie he still had in his mouth. "So, all done?" he asked after he cleared his mouth. "I am. Still need to do a lot of laundry, though. But that can wait for another time," she answered. "Yeah, what is it with humans and all their clothes?" he asked for the umpteenth time. "You know the answer to that, as I have told you that many times before," Jazz answered, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, but I know you don't care much about clothes around me," he said with a suggestive tone, a devious smirk on his face while he gave her a suggestive eyebrow waggle. "SOARIN!" Jazz said loudly, a heavy blush staining her face. His only response was to give her a wink. Feeling the heat in her face slowly diminish, Jazz decided to just play along, for now. "Oh, so you have something in mind?" she asked seductively as she walked to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind as she kissed his cheek. "Maybe," he said playfully. "I'm amazed you're still up for it, after all those long nights at the hotel," she breathed into his ear. "Hah, you know me. I'm always up for it," he replied, his wings slowly rising in response to his excitement. "I can tell," Jazz said smirking, kissing the top of his head. "Unfortunately, I have a headache, and I really don't feel like it." "WAIT, WHAT!?" Soarin shouted as he turned to look at her, his wings at full display. Looking at her, he saw the devious, humorous, smug, and somewhat seductive smile on her face, and he knew he had just been played. Still, his wings didn't seem to care, as they remained at rigid attention. "Oh, you're evil," he said, pointing a hoof at her. "Oh, shut up. You love me," she replied and blew him a kiss. "Eeeeeevviillllll," he repeated, and Jazz stuck out her tongue in response, before giving a giggle as she saw Soarin trying to push his wings down with a hoof. "Need any help?" she asked, not even trying to contain her chuckles. "I think you have helped enough already," he said, trying to sound serious, but the small chuckle coming from him ruined this, "I'm going to get back at you for this," he said, and his wings finally folded flat at his sides. "Hmmm, I hope so. But it has to wait. I still have a lot of catching up to do, and you need to return to Equestria as well. Or did you forget about your training?" "I didn't, I didn't," he said, jumping off the chair and onto his hooves, "But can you blame a stallion for trying to get some lovin' from his girlfriend?" "Like you missed out on any during the last few days," Jazz replied with a wink, kneeling down to his level, and giving him a small kiss on the lips. Instead of replying, Soarin returned the kiss. They remained like this for a full minute, before they parted and Jazz slowly stood back up. "So, I guess I have to go back, huh." "It looks like it." "Well then, I better not let them wait too long for me. I don't want them to start getting the wrong idea about why I'm taking so long now," he said with small grin. "Would that be so bad?" Jazz asked smiling. "It is if there's nothing going on. They would never believe me if I said so, though." "It would seem some things between our worlds are the same," Jazz said with a laugh. "Yeah, I figured," Soarin replied with a short laugh of his own, "Well, best get going now," and he walked to the front door, followed by Jazz. Stepping out, Soarin took a moment to look up at the clouds, finding it strange no pony was in control of them, before his attention was drawn back to the woman standing behind him. "Well, this is it, I guess." "I'll miss you," Jazz said, and she knelt down to give him one last kiss. Having the breath stolen from him, he could only give her a cheeky grin in return. Giving a powerful flap of his wings, Soarin flew up and away, heading to the nearest tear facility to return to Equestria. Flying through the sky, feeling the wind rush through his mane and tail, the grin slowly fell off his face. He was happy with how his life had turned out. A job he loved doing, and a ma— woman as special as her in his life. He was truly lucky. Still, it was also because of his job that he met her. Or, more precisely, something that happened as part of his job. True, he was a Wonderbolt at heart. Somepony who would entertain the crowds with stunts, each more insane than the last. But it was the other portion of his work that was a bit of a sore spot after those events. Being a Wonderbolt also meant you could be called into service when a situation arose no normal team could deal with. They were the special forces, the best of the best. Although he wasn't all that sure about that, considering… Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he picked up the pace. Yes, he was a stunt flyer at heart, but he also took great pride in the task of serving and protecting his fellow ponies. But, after what happened that day, even knowing what he would gain later in life because of it, he couldn't help but wonder: 'If I had the chance, would I do things differently?' As he thought this, his mind wandered back to that day, all those years ago. To the time his world first met the humans, and what would be the beginning of the events that would scar him for life. The Baltimare incident. Author's Note Well, here we are again, and with a new fic. I hope you liked this piece of work, and expect more to come. Now, as I always ask at the end of the chapters in my other fics, tell me what I did wrong, what was good, and what could be better. Or leave some random comment for the fun of it. -Powerdrainer.
First contact.I would like to thank Vates Despero for his help with this chapter. His help is greatly appreciated, as he pointed out many flaws, and gave useful tips to help fix this chapter. First Contact. <<>><<>><<>> "Now leave my town alone!" a trio of voices shouted simultaneously as Danny, and his two duplicates, stood before the prone Pariah Dark, seeing him struggle to push himself up, raising his head to meet the eyes of the human ghosts standing before him. While Danny and his duplicates raised the large fist of their Ecto-skeleton, and they delivered a bone crushing downward strike with a loud WHAM! The ghost king's head slammed into the floor, bouncing hard and causing his hold on the city to slip momentarily, and the dark green void Amity Park found itself in faded back to the blue of their sky, before the Ghost Zone's ghastly shades of green reasserted themselves around the beleaguered city. Pulling himself up, Pariah gave the three Dannys a death glare, before he flew up and landed on his feet. Holding his mace tightly in his hands, a glowing red surrounding the ancient weapon. Shooting a beam of malevolent red energy at them, he managed to hit one of the Dannys, causing him to vanish in a burst of energy. "Surrender child. You can not possibly win," he said with an evil smile. "I don't have to win!" Danny said defiantly, and the mechanized hands of his battle armor glowed an icy blue, and twin bands of energy crossing in an X surrounded them. Shooting at the wall in the back of the king's ancient castle, he exposed the sarcophagus hidden behind it. "I just have to make sure that you lose!" Danny yelled defiantly, his hands smoking from the energy spent, while the other him flew towards the sarcophagus, opening it. Pariah stepped back in shock as he saw the instrument of his imprisonment, his mouth open in a silent scream. The Danny standing next to the sarcophagus lifted his hand. Pointing a single finger at the king, he shot a tiny beam of energy at him, knocking off the Crown of Fire, depriving him of its power. The crown flew into the waiting hands of the other Danny, who looked at it with a shadow over his eyes, a victorious smirk on his face. "NOOOO!" Pariah yelled, and Danny threw away the crown and used his armor thrusters to shoot forwards. Hitting Pariah in the back, he pushed him towards the sarcophagus, using everything he had. With the thrusters in overdrive, Danny shot forwards, hurling Pariah Dark into the sarcophagus while his duplicate slammed the sarcophagus shut. The two joined together again while Danny held onto the king's prison, making sure he wouldn't break free while it was putting him back into his eternal sleep. A bright flash surrounded Danny, and twin rings of glowing blue crossing in an X surrounded him, before expanding outwards in the blink of an eye, surrounding the entire city of Amity Park. Sweat poured down his face as he held onto the sarcophagus, watching with a worried expression as the suit's energy meter dwindled rapidly. Energy drawn from him. Pariah bellowed in rage as he struggled to break free, and Danny closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he poured the last of his strength into this final effort, hoping it was enough. The world went dark, and Danny slid down to the floor as Vlad Plasmius inserted the key into the sarcophagus' lock, sealing the king inside. Another burst of energy surrounded the sarcophagus as Pariah let out his last screams of defeat, and all of Amity Park finally returned to its proper place on Earth as the king's hold over the reality shift vanished. However, at the threshold between the living world and the Ghost Zone floated a single door. A door that had drifted there at random, and was caught in the transition from one reality to another. The door, long forgotten among the literally countless numbers of floating doors found in the zone, was torn into pieces, and a massive burst of energy detonated from it as it was forcefully moved into the world of the living. It was a wild energy, something that was powerful enough to break through the layers of reality that separated worlds. And now it was running wild. It spiraled and looped through the world, trying to reassert itself and continue its task of leading from one world to the other. And, as Amity Park finally stabilized its existence on Earth, the wild energy also found a foothold, right in the center of the city. A burst of light erupted from the location, and the few humans there screamed in fear as they ran away from the rippling air. A massive ripple in the fabric of reality moved over the Earth as electrical sparks shot out of the center of the forming tear in reality, and the sound of a vacuum in reverse echoed throughout the streets. A couple of brave, or, more likely, foolish people stood there gawking, watching the air open up before them, and another world revealed itself to them. A world full of panicking ponies. <<>><<>><<>> Trottingham, it was a large bustling city. Home to many ponies, some griffons, even a few minotaurs and the other rarer creatures found in the magical world of Equestria. Ponies walked through the streets, giving a kind word to their fellow pony as they went on their way. Shops and stalls were found all around in the busy streets, and more than one passerby stopped to take a look. Others were running around in a hurry, running late for an important appointment or something else equally urgent. Muttering some complaints under their labored breath as they were forced to dodge around the more laid back ponies in their path. Griffons and pegasi flew overhead, some carrying mail bags as they delivered the residents' mail or packages, while others just flew around the tall buildings, enjoying the sights. Younger ponies and griffons were also in the mix, and they were weighted down by their saddle bags, or other means of carrying all those heavy schoolbooks they were told they needed, but weren't so sure about themselves. Laughter sounded from several of the groups of ponies and griffons packed together as they shared their plans on what to do now that they were free of their school obligations. All of them were busy doing their thing. And all of it would come to a grinding halt when the unexpected happened. In the center of one of the more busy market streets a spark of lightning shot out of empty air, scorching the side of a building, while all of those present looked between the black mark and the spot it came from in confusion and fright. Another lightning bolt came out of thin air, and another. All of those present were now panicking in the streets as they tried to flee to safety, not wanting to get hit by this unexplained freak lightning storm. With the sound of a vacuum sucking in reverse, a tear started to form in the fabric of reality itself, adding to the panic and fear they already felt, and causing a lot of ponies to run over each other as a strange alien world opened up to them. A city could be seen through the tear. A city that seemed severely damaged, and where the green skeletons of unknown creatures littered the streets. There were other creatures as well, very much alive, and looking at the tear with wide open mouths. One of them, though, did something that would inspire others to follow its lead. It stepped through. <<>><<>><<>> "Cosmo, what on Earth do you think you're doing!?" a red haired woman shouted after the man who was moving towards the tear, panic and anger clear on her face. "Ahh, Wanda. Don't worry. I'm only looking," he answered without a care, and he stepped through the hole in reality and into the realm of Equestria, "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" "Don't get me started," she grunted as she crossed her arms. The careless man stepped through the shimmering tear, looking around with awe and wonder, but not a moment of hesitation, fear, or second guessing himself. The ponies, and the few griffons and a single minotaur, that remained after the tear formed, however, looked at the strange alien with either fear, in case of the ponies, or a mixture of curiosity and apprehension in case of the griffons and minotaur. They stayed in hiding everywhere they could, however, as they didn't want to interact with anything that was capable of doing… whatever it was that had just happened. "Hey, that guy just went through!" someone shouted while pointing at Cosmo, before following the man through the hole himself. Followed shortly thereafter by several more men and women. Wanda, meanwhile, facepalmed hard enough to leave a red mark on her face, making her groan as she now had to deal with the throbbing pain that it caused on top of the rampant stupidity. "Idiots. They're all idiots," she muttered under her breath as she, too, followed her husband. Not because she thought it would be a good idea to step through this thing, but to make sure he wouldn’t get into trouble… Something she already knew was just wishful thinking. Wherever Cosmo got involved, trouble would soon follow. Sighing explosively, she stepped through the shimmering tear in reality, absentmindedly taking note that she didn’t feel anything when she stepped through, but mostly just ignoring it as she was more focused on her idiot husband. And there she was, along with her partner and a group of other people that either thought it wise to step through, or those who found themselves in a similar situation as herself. And, together, the lot of them looked around in wonder and surprise as they took in the strange, yet familiar sight of a city so similar to their own, slowly spreading out through the street as they did so. “Wow," someone said, amazed, “Where are we? Who build this?” “Was it ghosts?” a woman asked, frightened. “I don’t know, but look at that," yet another said after several tense minutes, pointing at a large statue near them. “Is that an unicorn?” “No, it has wings too.” “Maybe it's a wingycorn!” Cosmo offered happily, earning him several stares while others continued with their exploration of the strange city. The sound of something falling over drew their attention away from Cosmo and towards the young pony that had fallen out of cover. “What is that?” “Is it a horse, like a small one?” “You mean a pony, or something?” “Yeah, that.” “I guess.” “Look, it's running away!” “Is it someone’s pet?” “How should I know?” “Maybe you can google it?” “Hey yeah, that might work," one man replied, and he pulled out his phone to access the internet. "Hey, I've got no connection!" he shouted a moment later, causing others to pull out their phones as well to try themselves. "Me neither!" another called out after her own phone failed to connect. "Does anyone have a signal?!" "It doesn't look like it. Maybe if we move ba—" someone else replied, only to be cut off by the sound of a vacuum sucking, and they all turned to look at the tear they had come through, seeing it close. Panic settled in, and they all began to shove and push one another as they tried to go back through the hole in reality, only to fail. There they were, a group of humans stranded on a world not their own. Trapped with no idea where they were, what to do, or if there were ghost here. And, most importantly. Where were the people that had built this city. Certainly there had to be someone there, and maybe they could help them, they hoped. The sound of wings flapping could be heard, and they all turned to look and see what it was. None of them expected to see the sight that awaited them. Flying high above them, wearing shining armor while holding spears and swords in their hooves, were horses. <<>><<>><<>> Half an hour earlier. Celestia and Twilight were sitting in a private room, chatting idly with one another. It had been a while since the last time they were able to just sit down and talk, as most of Celestia's time was spend with either teaching the young purple pony, or her various royal duties. But for now they had the chance to just chat, as friends. Something Twilight had a hard time with, as the concept of friends was somewhat difficult for her. For her to 'cut loose', as Celestia told her to do, was a difficult thing indeed. Something she couldn't find in her books. And she tried, Celestia knew she tried. Literally. But now they were just talking. Celestia was happily talking about anything and nothing, just enjoying her time with the growing mare. While Twilight, always eager to learn, and not fully understanding the concept of a friendly chat, shot question after question about anything that she could think of. And that was a lot, as Celestia soon discovered. But she didn’t mind one bit, and she happily answered any question her student had with a smile on her face, finding the dedicated drive she showed a wonderful source of amusement. But their moment was cut short when, in a burst of dark orange fire, a scroll materialized before Celestia, and gravity pulled it down before she grasped it in her magic; gasping as she recognized the dragonfire as that of the emergency communication system she had established in each city. A small bottle of dragon’s fire, given in small amounts to each major settlement, and to be used only in the most dire of emergencies. "Princess, what is it?" Twilight asked, curious. "Something troubling, Twilight," Celestia answered as she unrolled the scroll, "This letter was sent to me through the emergency dragonfire system. No pony would do such a thing unless it was absolutely necessary," she told her young student before reading the letter. Her eyes widened as she read the contents of the short and hastily written note, and she stood up in a flurry of movement, startling Twilight as she did so. “Guards!” she called out, and the two guard ponies standing outside the door hurried inside. “Your majesty, what is it?” they replied with a bow. “Bring acting Captain Shining Armor here, right now!” she ordered, knowing Captain Sharpened Edge was currently unavailable due to a severe case of horn rot. The two guards obeyed with a salute, turning and leaving the room with haste. “Princess, what is going on?” Twilight asked, concerned. “I have just received an emergency message from Trottingham. There has been a disturbing development, and what appears to be a portal of sorts has opened," she answered without a thought. "And, if the note is to be believed, an unknown force has already started to move in.” Twilight gasped in shock at the news, a frightened look on her face, and Celestia mentally kicked herself for saying such a thing to the young pony, and she quickly reassured the young mare. “Oh, don't worry, Twilight. I do not know what to believe about this myself, and it might very well be nothing," she said, 'But they wouldn’t send this through the way they did if it wasn’t serious.' she finished in the safety of her own head. Both of them turned to look at the door when the sound of galloping made its way down the hallway and through the still open doors. “Your highness," Shining Armor called out with a salute as he came to a stop before his monarch, “You summoned me.” "BBBFF!" Twilight called out happily, and she hug tackled her big brother, who had a brief look of bewilderment, before a small smile found its way onto his face. Celestia, although concerned about the urgent matter the letter raised, couldn't help but to smile herself as she saw the young pony firmly attached to the royal guard's captain. Who, himself, had a hard time not breaking character and remaining professional. "Twily," Shining Armor said as he used his magic to pry the aforementioned pony off of him, "You know you can't do this while I am on duty, remember?" Twilight's eyes widened in shock as he said that, finally realizing what she had done, and who else was there as well. "I'm sorry," she said as she started to panic, looking at both her brother and the Princess. "It is alright, Twilight. But right now I must discuss some important matters with your brother. So, if you would be so kind as to go back to your room. I'm sure Spike would be happy to see you again." Nodding furiously, and then running away while tripping over her own legs several times, Twilight hastened out of the room, leaving the two adults alone behind her. "Ahum. Sorry, ma'am," Shining Armor apologized, "You summoned me?" “I did, Captain. I have received an emergency message from Trottingham, and it would seem an unknown force has entered the city through means of a portal. We must send in the guards at once, and we have no time to waste. Mobilize all able bodies, and gather them out in the courtyard. I will then use a mass teleportation spell to send everypony to the city.” “Ma’am," he replied with a crisp salute, before turning around and galloping towards the guard's barracks to mobilize the guards. <<>><<>><<>> "Are you guys seeing what I am seeing?" one of the people in the crowd asked as they looked up at the flying horses. "If by that you mean small horses flying while wearing armor and such, then yes," came the answer. “Oh, good. For a moment I thought I smoked something weird." "Yeah. Just watch out for the magical unicorns, then you know you’ve had enough," Cosmo said in light humor, and a flash of light blinded them all. Looking down below the flying horses, on the ground before them, they saw rows and rows of yet more horses. All wearing armor and weapons, and a lot of them had horns. “You just had to open your mouth, didn’t you?" Wanda groaned as she slapped her husband on the back of the head. "Well, yes. How else am I supposed to talk?" he answered in return, completely oblivious, and Wanda could only stare at him with an absolutely bewildered expression, before slapping her hand against her face, hard, really, really hard, and all the humans, and even some of the small horses flinched in response. “Cosmo, you idiot," she groaned in annoyance and pain, dragging her hand down, revealing a bright red mark on her face. He was about to reply, most likely making his wife groan in even greater irritation, but he was silenced when one of the small armored horses stepped forward and started to talk. "You... beings. You are all under arrest for trespassing and invading this city. Come quietly, and nopony gets hurt," the small horse said in an authoritative male voice. "Wait, did that horsey talk?" "Did it just call us ponies, or something?" "Who cares about that?! They're pointing those spears at us." "Are you serious, we have nothing to defend ourselves with." "Well, I'm not going down without a fight!" one particularly angry man called out. "Neither am I." "Let's show these horses who's boss!" And with a battle cry, the humans prepared for the coming fight. **** "Are you serious, we have nothing to defend ourselves with." That drew Shining Armor's attention, and he took a good long look at the creatures before him. Their long, slender build. Two legs, which indicated they wouldn't be as fast as them. No claws or fangs to speak of, and only those glowing devices in their stubby claws. "Well, I'm not going down without a fight!" one particularly angry creature called out. "Neither am I." "Let's show these horses who's boss!" It was clear to Shining Armor that the situation was escalating, and that a messy fight would be inevitable if he didn't act soon. It was obvious that this group of individuals were of an unknown origin, which meant this was, most likely, a first contact scenario. Something that had not happened since the days of old, when the ancient ponies came in contact with the Diamond Dogs who, living underground, had gone unnoticed for many millennia, until after the events of Nightmare Moon, which forced them out of hiding. Knowing full well that any aggression towards these creatures could be misinterpreted, yet with an order to contain the situation, Shining Armor was left with few options. Clearly the creatures were agitated, and his guards were partially responsible for that. But, they needed to act. He just hoped things wouldn't spiral out of control. "Yeeaahh!" the majority of the alien group yelled as they prepared for a fight, and the guards did the same. Raising their spears and swords, while the horns of the unicorns started to glow in many bright colors, and the pegasi started to circle the small band of aliens. "Guards, only fight them if you have to! Try to incapacitate them, but don't severely injure them," Shining Armor ordered. The guards aimed their spears and lifted their swords, but didn't move in any other way. The unicorns charged their horns with shield spells, so they could deflect whatever these creatures could throw at them, and they waited for what would happen next. The creatures, seeing the guards ready their weapons, do something with their horns, and completely missing the order given by their leader in the ensuing chaos, took this as an act of aggression towards them, and they acted before the guard could strike first. The guards, however, merely blocked the crude attacks, which only seemed to make the creatures more agitated, as they felt more threatened by their stoic, and from their point of view, taunting stance. And, just like any wild animal that found itself trapped, the creatures began to fight the guards with everything they had. <<>><<>><<>> Soarin slowed down his flight, drifting on the wind as he angled his flight path towards the distant building before him that housed the tear found in this city. He, like all other ponies in the service, knew what happened during, and after, the fight that had occurred between the humans and the guards. Mainly, a mess. To call it anything else would have been a lie. The humans, stranded in a world they didn't understand, feeling threatened by a force that didn't know a thing about them. The humans, of course, had no way to defend themselves. But when they saw the guards prepare for, what they believed to be an attack, the humans tore apart and took whatever they could find to use as a weapon. There was also the issue of the humans 'glowing devices' they held in their 'stubby claws'. The guards, never having seen these things before, and not knowing what they were used for, had to assume they could potentially be used as a weapon. Of course, these days, they knew better. Long distance, multifunctional communication devices. Something that was unheard of before the humans arrived in their world, and something that many still had a hard time understanding. But back then, before anypony knew about the humans and the technology they'd created, the guards saw, and acted accordingly, towards a potential threat they knew nothing about. The humans fought back, of course. Who wouldn't? But without any way to defend themselves, despite the crude weapons they made from anything they could find, they were quickly stopped and captured. It took less than an hour, and, with the exception of a few cuts and bruises, there were no injuries to be reported, on the guards side. The humans, however, weren't so lucky. True, the guard were ordered to keep any injuries to a minimum. But with the wild, uncoordinated, messy fight the humans threw at them, some injuries were unavoidable. Most of them had multiple bruises, some scratches, or a small cut here and there. But a small group of the more aggressive humans ended up with a few more serious injuries. Nothing life threatening, but enough to stop them. A well placed buck against a pair of legs resulting in broken bones. Or the flat end of a sword slamming against the back of some human's head, knocking him out, and giving him an concussion. A few cracked ribs, and a few shallow cuts on their arms and legs. The very worst of the injuries were one woman who ended up with three broken bones in her right hand and a severe concussion resulting in a six day coma. The guards overpowered the humans in less than an hour, and captured them for interrogation. A couple of medics tended to the injured. But without any knowledge about human anatomy, the best they could do was bandages and simple splints. And, after all was said and done, the guards helped to restore order in the city. Guards were stationed around the point of entry. Placed there to help restore the peace, and help out any of the civilians if needed. They talked and joked with each other about the strange creatures they'd stopped, and how incredibly weak they were. And, most surprisingly, how they didn't use any magic against them. But they were quickly silenced when, with a flash of light and the sound of a vacuum in reverse, a tear opened in the air, showing a world never seen before, and a large army ready to step through. This time the strange and weak creatures that came through proved to be anything but defenceless. The soldiers of the other world crossed the tear without any hesitation, and they were quick to secure a perimeter, while even more of them came through. Then, the machines came. Large green vehicles, each with a long, narrow cannon on the front, seemingly weighing many tons, and stopping for no pony at all. The humans, clad in an armor that was much stronger and lighter than any of the armor the guards had, quickly captured and secured all the guard ponies stationed near the tear, keeping injuries to a minimum, while relieving the ponies of any weapons they might have. The glowing horns were something they weren't expecting, or what the ponies could do with them. So, in order to neutralize the potential threat, each of the unicorns were knocked out by a swift blow to the back of their heads. It was over in no time at all, and things did seem to go swiftly for the humans, when, after only twenty minutes or so, a flash of light and the sound of a vacuum's suction brought their attention to the rip in reality; seeing the way home closing, leaving a part of the military back on Earth. Those who were now stuck on the other side, however, prepared for anything that might happen. They knew the portal reopened before, and they hoped it would do so again. In the meantime, they had to get their people back. So, despite being cut off from their main forces, they continued securing the perimeter, and neutralizing any of the small horse like creatures wearing armor of sorts who might pose a threat. So, there they were. Humans captured by ponies, and ponies captured by humans. And it was clear from the power displayed while securing their bridgehead that any fight would be long, and devastating. So, a more peaceful solution had to be found, and Princess Celestia went to negotiate the release of her ponies, in exchange for the return their own advance force. Things didn't go as they expected. <<>><<>><<>> "Hold it right there!" the officer in command of the advance team said as he, along with the soldiers by his side, aimed their weapons at the approaching figure. They immediately saw this creature was larger than the other horses, ponies, whatever. Sporting both a horn and wings, and a set of regalia to boot. It was obvious this creature, snow white, with a multi colored mane and tail that waved in an unfelt breeze, was the leader of the enemy force, and the soldiers wouldn't let her get too close. "That will be close enough!" the human commander said, and the larger pony complied. "I am here to negotiate the end of all this hostility, and the release of my ponies in return for your own," the large white pony said as she stopped her advance, her voice making it clear to the humans they were dealing with a woman. The officer looked at the female before him for a long, tense minute, before relaxing his stance a bit, though not enough to be caught unaware should she try something. "I'm listening." "I propose an exchange of my ponies for your… mans and womans. And that you call off any invasion that you might have planned," the female pony said, using those unfamiliar words. "Invasion? What are you talking about?" the commander asked, confused. "What do you mean? Your kind invaded this city, and we responded to your threat," she said sternly, stepped forward a bit. "Our threat? What kind of a threat do a bunch of curious civilians pose?" "Civilians?" the large pony female said, shocked, as she looked at the human in confusion, "What do you mean?" "As I said. Civilians. And none of us invaded your city. But a bunch of civies went through whatever that hole in the air was, which formed after a massive ghost invasion in one of our own cities." The large pony stood silent for a moment, watching the humans in confusion, seemingly wanting to comment on the ghost remark, but deciding against it in favor of resolving this incident without any further difficulties. "I… see," she said, unsure, "So you are not responsible for the opening of this portal? And what about those glowing devices your kind had on them, did those have anything to do with it?" "We opened nothing. And what do you mean, glowing devices?" "Well, those glowing objects they all had in those stubby claws of yours." "Sir, I think she is talking about their phones," a private spoke up. "Phones?" she said confused, "What are phones?" The humans all shared a puzzled look with one another, confused over the fact that she didn't know what a phone was. "Uhh, you know. A phone. A small, multifunctional communication device," the private spoke up, and the large pony looked at him in confusion, before looking at the rest of them. **** Celestia looked at the strange creatures before her, both shocked over the fact that the invading force was nothing more than a group of civilians, and the description she'd gotten for the weird devices found with the creatures. If what they said was true, then not only did they take down a group of civilians, but they were a species capable of a magic they have not encountered before. Devices such these must contain a very powerful magic indeed. And if they were capable of magic in such a way, then what else were they capable of? She felt a shudder go down her spine as she was forced to reevaluate the potential threat, and she knew she had to contain the damage before it resulted in a full scale conflict. So, while experiencing an unusual feeling of fright inside, she answered wearing a mask of strength and neutrality. "It would seem we've missjudged the situation, but my ponies acted according to their training against a potential threat, and responded in such a way as to keep any injuries to a minimum. However, that does not mean that what has happened is not an unfortunate turn of events. I shall order the immediate release of your mares and stallions. But, please, I ask you to do the same for mine." The major gave her an odd look over the weird way the men and women were referred to, but didn't mention it as he observed the white pony, trying to read her and decide if she was lying or not. But the fact that he didn't know a thing about the creature before him did make this a difficult task. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked after a moment. "You'll have my word," the white mare answered. "To be honest, that is not much to go by. I would like to know if those in your possession are in good health, and are in no way seriously harmed." "That can be arranged, yes. However, you should know that, despite my guards best efforts, some injuries were sustained. Our medics have done the best they could, with the limited knowledge they have of your kind, but some of your mares and stallions have either broken bones, or superficial cuts and bruises. The most serious injuries appeared to have been self inflicted. That female still hasn't woken up." "Woken up from what?" "She, eh… Face clawed?" "I see," the commanding officer muttered, and he called for a couple of medics over his radio. "You bring our people here, and my own medics will take a look at them. Then, if everything checks out, I will release your ponies. Okay?" She regarded the being for a moment, trying to read his face, and determine if he was telling the truth. But a complete lack of experience regarding this species made it a more difficult task than she would have liked, and her gaze dropped down to the weapon he was holding. She didn't know what this weapon was capable of, nor did she intended to find out. And, looking at the large vehicles with the cannons on the front, she felt a shudder go down her spine. Should things go wrong, it was obvious any conflict as a result would be devastating indeed. Knowing that she had to tread lightly, and ensure the safety of her ponies, she had to take a leap of faith. "Very well, I shall have your, eh, people brought here. Meanwhile, could I know the name of the being I am talking to?" she asked, trying to defuse any tension that was there. Lowering his weapon, he looked at the large female pony before him. Clicking on the safety of his weapon, he gave her a nod in response. "My name is Connor. Major John Connor." "Greetings, Major John Connor. I am Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria." <<>><<>><<>> He wasn't there himself, true. But he heard about what happened from those who had been there. As a rookie, still in training, he was not yet allowed to go out in the field as such. Not that he minded, considering everything that he heard. It was a mess he was happy he didn't have his hooves in, but it was a mess that would manage to taint him all the same. It just took a little more time. Now though, as he stood in the embarkation room, staring at the tear that would bring him back to Equestria, he couldn't help but question if, had they taken the ghost talk more serious, would they have been more prepared for what was to come? Then again. The humans took the ghost threat more than serious, and even they were unable to do anything much when it was needed. It was, incidentally, also the reason their worlds first met. The attack on the city he had just left, plus a certain ghost that held the top spot on the world's most wanted list. To be brought in, dead, or undead. Soarin shook that out of his mind, it wasn't something he liked to think about. He, like all other ponies, heard about what this ghost had done. And he, just like everypony else, was horrified and appalled by those actions. And if it wasn't for this ghost, this Danny Phantom, that horrible ordeal wouldn't have happened. But, also, if it wasn't for this ghost, he wouldn't have met Jazz either. He let out a sigh, not knowing how he should feel about that contradictory situation. On one hoof, that ghost was indirectly responsible for the worst ghost related incident on his world. On the other, it brought him to the woman he loved. It was a conflicting feeling, and he just didn't know what to do with it. He tried talking about it with Jazz, given her profession. But she acted rather… evasive whenever he brought up anything related to Danny Phantom. But he just guessed it was because of her own personal experience with the ghost. The ghost responsible for the death of one of her friends, and the disappearance of her brother. Sighing again, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind as he stepped through the tear, arriving back in Equestria; seeing a griffon waiting for the group to come through to lead them to the scanner room. 'I guess it's just like Jazz once said,' he thought as the group was led by the griffon, 'All that is good is overshadowed by that which is bad. And all that is bad is brightened by that which is good. They each balance out the other.' Soarin sighed, 'So much bad happened because of him, but I also got so much in return. I don't know what I would do if I ever met this Danny Phantom, but I hope I never find out.'
Rookie No More.I would like to thank Vates Despero for proofreading and editing this chapter. Rookie No More. <<>><<>><<>> The Wonderbolts. Once a dream he had as a small colt, now a dream he lived. Soarin looked at himself in the mirror, watching himself as he wore the signature flight suit all members of this elite team wore. The blues and yellows, along with his cutie mark displayed on the suit where it covered his mark. He liked it, a lot. He had worked so hard to get here, going through some of the hardest training any pegasi worth his or her feathers could go through. Most washed out, but he didn't. And now, here he was. Looking at his own reflection with a large, proud smile as he shifted angle every now and then, taking it all in. "Well, hello there, stud," a hot voice said, and Soarin turned around to the open door, a blush showing on his cheeks as he saw the orange and yellow pegasus mare standing there, smirking at him over his flustered behaviour. "Spits… How long have you been standing there?" he asked with a stammer. "Long enough to enjoy the show," she answered in a low, slightly lusty voice. Circling around him, she observed how the flight suit clung to his body, showing off his toned muscles underneath, while Soarin stood frozen on the spot. "Uhh… What are you doing?" he asked after she had completed a full circle. "Just inspecting the new recruit for the team," she answered with a smirk, "And I like what I see." "... Isn't this a bit inappropriate? You know, seeing how we are teammates and everything," Soarin remarked, not sure how to deal with the situation as, on one hoof he didn't wanted to endanger the hard earned position he had gained, while on the other he had trouble keeping his wings under control. "Maybe if I was the captain of the team, it would be," Spitfire purred as she brushed her tail against his muzzle, "But I'm not, yet," she breathed hotly in his ear, grinning deviously as Soarin swallowed loudly. Stepping away from him and turning to leave the room, she looked back at the frozen, sweating stallion, smirking as she looked at him. "Oh, and nice suit," she added with a wink, before she left the stallion alone; putting a bit more sway in her hips as she walked away. Still standing frozen on the spot, Soarin felt a cheeky grin spread across his muzzle as he finally relaxed his stance. Seeing his grinning reflection in the mirror, he looked at himself once more. 'Heh, I guess it's true what they say. Mares love a stallion in uniform.' <<>><<>><<>> 'If only things could have remained as simple as that,' Soarin thought with a sigh as he stepped out of the tear compound, looking up at the sky, 'Things are never that easy, it would seem,' he added as he spread his wings, taking to the sky. Looking down on the city of Trottingham, the city where the first tear opened, he felt a pang of regret over his chosen words. Yes, he wished for things to have remained the same, but some of the change had been for the better. The sudden and large leaps forward in their technological understanding from their interactions with the humans. Even though there were those ponies who believed those inventions, or the humans themselves, to be untrustworthy. Mainly because of the fact that they also brought those ghosts to their world and most, if not all, technology found on this world is related to stopping ghosts in some way or another. The humans helped them to improve their technology, because it was needed to stop the threat of ghost attacks. An improvement that wouldn't even have been necessary if the humans hadn't shown up in the first place. But, then again, it wasn't like they had much of a choice in that matter themselves, as it was a ghost that first brought their worlds together. A bridge between worlds that allowed the crossing of many unwelcome visitors, who would become responsible for one of the most devastating attacks in recent history. Even taking into account the chaos unleashed by Discord some years ago. At least no pony died when he broke free. Injured, scarred, and afraid, yes, but alive. The same could not be said for a lot of ponies who were in Baltimare on that fateful day. Including somepony from his team. <<>><<>><<>> It had been several months now since the ghost boy had last been seen, and everyone was afraid if, when, and where he would show himself again. Everyone was burdened by a constant fear, afraid that they might be the next victim of this menace. To make matters even worse, since the terror of Amity Park had vanished the ghost hauntings had increased tenfold, and were still rising. Why this was, no one knew, save a very select few. But they were unable to tell anyone else, afraid of completely ruining the life of their friend. But, with Danny Phantom gone, the ghosts now had a lot more freedom, and they were eager to use it. Sure, there were those government groups, like the Guys in White. But they were mostly amateurs pretending to be experts, and, more often than not, they just ended up getting caught in their own traps. Yes, it was truly a good time to be dead for any ghost that gained enjoyment from tormenting the mortals. And, to make things even more terrifying, ever since the first tear opened in Amity Park, more started to show up, opening up the world of Equestria for the ghosts. And right now this problem was repeating itself. It was a seemingly normal day, with people going about their everyday lives, minding their own business. Until, completely unexpected, a ghost portal opened, bringing forth a large group of ghosts, who were quick to terrorize the humans they found there. And, unfortunately for the humans, the village they lived was too far away from any city to have any of the more advanced forms of anti ghost tech lying around. Instead, all they could do was scream and run away in panic, while the many ghosts wreaked havoc in town; not seeming to care when the portal closed behind them. People ran through the streets, ghosts following after them, while sirens blared loudly through the streets. No matter where they went. No matter where they hid. The ghosts would be there with them, scaring them... or hunting them, in Skulker's case. Then, without warning, a ripple moved through the air, distorting reality wherever it passed. Everyone stopped whatever it was that they were doing, except Skulker, who tightened the knot on the rope he had tied around the net holding several humans, before he too looked at what was going on. The ripple continued on its way, collapsing in on itself a short distance from the village, warping and shifting as it tore a hole in the fabric of reality, opening a passage to the newly discovered world of Equestria for all of them. Meanwhile the ponies on the other side looked with fearful eyes at the humans and ghosts. "Well, this hunt just got more interesting," Skulker growled eagerly. Looking down at his captured prey, he let loose a huff of irritation, not at all satisfied with this less than thrilling capture. "You're lucky," he said as he cut the rope and retrieved the net, "It would seem a more interesting hunting ground has just opened up." The humans previously trapped in the net scampered to get away from the menacing ghost, screaming as they ran away. "And it would seem it is open season," Skulker added with a harsh laugh, activating his weapons as he, along with the all the other ghosts, flew through the tear, beginning the event that none dared to speak of, except in hushed whispers. <<>><<>><<>> Ponies were milling through the streets, going about their day to day lives as they navigated the urban jungle of Baltimare. They were chatting with one another, enjoying the many sights the city provided, or taking a moment to enjoy some of the food the many vendors provided. Yet, all of that changed when the air tore open, showing the human world, Earth. And a silence not unlike that found in a tomb settled down over the city. Large, fearful eyes watched the swarm of spectral entities as they flew through. And, in an instant, the silence was shattered when the screams started. The ponies scrambled and ran for their lives, not knowing where they should go, or how to hide from the horrors that came through. And, in the ensuing chaos, many ponies tripped and fell, getting trampled under the hooves of those that managed to remain standing, and were running away in a blind panic. A wave of color spread through the city, moving away from the tear as fast as they could, but the ghosts proved to be faster, even for the pegasi, as they were slowed down by the buildings blocking their paths. Something the ghosts didn't have any trouble with. And, without anything they could do, the trap closed around them, sealing the ponies in the city. A city now under the control of an army of the dead, who looked down at the cowering ponies with malice in their glowing eyes. <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie Pie wasn't having a very good day. No siree, not at all. It started out well enough, as she woke up in the guest bed, her older sister, Maud Pie, lying in the bed adjacent to hers. She and her older sister were staying with their grandmother, Granny Pie, for a few days, while her mother, father, and her two other sisters stayed at the rock farm. Pinkie had wanted to visit her grandmother for a while now, and, thanks to her older sister agreeing to go along with her to keep an eye on her, as Pinkie was well known to be quite a hoof full, especially for someone of such advanced age, they were now enjoying their time with grandma in the city. Pinkie couldn't be happier, as not only could she spend time with the bestest grandmother in the world, save for her other grandmother, but she could also go around the city with her big sister, looking at all the cool things and parties the grown up ponies had. Plus, she knew her sister liked the more hectic city life as well, as she had grown a bit bored of all those rocks on the rock farm, and together they walked through the city. Or, Maud walked anyway, Pinkie bounced, earning her many strange looks, which she returned with a large, toothy smile. Or they simply sat down with their grandmother, enjoying a snack while she entertained her grandfoals with the stories of her youth, which was something Pinkie found both amazing and strange. Her grandmother was young once too? Now though, she wasn't having one of those super duper funeristicly great days. How could she be? First there was that strange sensation, with her body feeling all weird. The pinching in all four of her legs. The clattering of her teeth. The flapping of her ears. The twitching of her tail. The rumbling of her belly. The itching of her back. And her mane and tail, usually poofy and curly, suddenly deflating all at once. Then the screaming started, and ponies began running and screaming in fear while being chased by those big mean meany-pants ghosts. And they, too, were swept up in the stampede as several ghosts headed their way. "Pinkie!" Maud shouted as she grabbed hold of her younger sister, pulling her onto her back and running away at full speed, "We need to get outta here. Hold on!" Using her earth pony strength, honed through years of grueling labor on the farm, she ran through the crowd; even jumping over a pony or two, as she hurried to return to their grandmother's. "Big sis," Pinkie said in a small voice, holding tightly around Maud's neck with her front legs, pressing her face into the purple mane while peeking up with fearful eyes, "What's happening?" "I don't know, Pinkie. Just hold on tight. I will get you out of here!" Maud answered through her heavy breathing, eyes scanning the area before her for any clear path for her to slip through. "BEWARE!" somepony suddenly shouted, and Pinkie let loose a scream of fright as she saw the strange creature flying next to her. Pale blue skin, with a white glow surrounding his body, his hands raised up in the air, fingers wiggling. "I am the Box Ghost, and I will be your doo— GHAAA!" he shouted, cut off when a massive buck in the groin toppled him to the ground. "That is for scaring my little sister, jerk," Maud huffed in anger, before spotting the approaching mass of spectral entities, and she turned tail and ran away as fast as she could. Pinkie, absolutely devastated by all the scary things happening around her, pressed herself closer to her sister, crying into her mane, eyes shut tight. "Don't worry, little sis. I won't let them hurt you. I promise." "You... do?" Pinkie asked with a sob. "I cross your path, and we walk a mile. I'll do everything to see you smile," Maud answered. "What was that?" Pinkie asked, managing to giggle a bit over the silly rhyme. "It's a Maud Promise. It's an unbreakable promise," she answered, hoping it would help her sister to get her mind off things for a while. Pressing herself closer once more, Pinkie giggled again, but a hint of sadness was still present. "It's silly. I like it." <<>><<>><<>> "HIYA!" a feminine voice shouted as two hooves made contact with a glowing green skeleton, breaking it apart, "Ain't so tough now, hah," the light yellow orange mare said as she readjusted her stetson on her golden blonde mane, a red ribbon tying her mane into a ponytail. "E-yup," a sunset orange stallion replied with a muffled voice, a lasso in his mouth, which he used to pull down yet another spectral entity, "They ain't as tough as they look," he said as he wiped his brow, his two toned brown mane sticking to his head from the perspiration. "That's only because they're simpleminded fools who don't even know how to properly use their powers," a cold, menacing voice said, and they turned to see a large, metallic ghost hovering behind them, his arm raised, and a weapon of some sort coming out of it. "I assure you, I won't make the same mistake," and with that he fired his weapon. "LOOK OUT!" the stallion shouted, and he pushed his wife out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blast of glowing green himself. "Gleam, are ya alright?" the mare asked frantically, afraid for her husband's safety. "Ah am. Don't worry, Sweet," Apple Gleam replied, his eyes, already locked on the ghost that had shot at his wife, narrowing in anger. "Ya've got some nerve, shootin' at mah wife. Somepony oughta buck some sense inta that thick skull of y—" Apple Gleam said angrily, before he was cut off by a blob of green goop being shot over his mouth. "Don't waste my time with pointless talk! I have much more interesting things to do. And you're in luck, as you and your wife are part of it," Skulker said, a twisted smile growing on his face, "Now, I have been itching for a good hunt for a long time now, and it would seem I am in luck. So, here is what is going to happen. I will give you a five minute head start, then I will come for you," he explained with an eager voice, several weapons deploying from his armor, making the ponies' eyes widen in shock and horror, "So, run! Oh, and do try to make things difficult for me. I like it when they struggle," he added, laughing uproariously as the two ponies ran away as fast as they could. "Four minutes and thirty seven seconds," he muttered, inspecting the large knife coming out of his left wrist. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!" <<>><<>><<>> Alarms were blaring through the compound, and Soarin raced through the corridors to meet up with the rest of his team. It was fortunate that he was already in his flight gear, as he knew that, whatever it was that was going on, it was bad. The alarm, this alarm, would only go off in the most dire of situations. The sort of situation where the standard forces of the Royal Guard were not sufficient enough to deal with whatever threat had arose. So, hearing that alarm blaring through the building, and knowing the urgency behind it, he wasted no time at all, and he all but flew to ready room, expecting the worst. "Hey, rookie!" he heard the familiar voice of Spitfire call out to him, and he briefly glanced to his side to show he heard her, while she caught up with him and matched his pace. "You know what's going on?" she asked, dead serious, eyes narrowed a bit. "No. You?" he answered quickly, turning a corner. "No. No idea what this is about, but it's bad, I know that much." "Yeah, I figured," he answered, his tone indicating the alarm still blaring all around them. "Yeah," was all she said in reply, and the two of them rushed to the ready room, joining the rest of their team. Fleetfoot, Blaze, Fire Streak, High Winds, Lightning Streak, and several of the other newly joined ponies were standing at attention along with the more senior members of the unit, and both Soarin and Spitfire were quick to join their ranks; looking at, and waiting for instructions from their captain, Rainbow Blaze. A wonderbolt who had more than earned his place, as well as the respect of those under him. The light blue stallion with his rainbow colored mane and tail, was already in his flight suit, and looking at all the mares and stallions standing at attention, a dark, serious look on his face. "Alright, everypony. Here's the situation," he started, a displeased tone in his voice. "Approximately three hours ago, an unknown force entered and captured the city of Baltimare. We have no idea what it might be, as our intel is lacking. The royal guards responded to this unknown threat, as dictated by protocol, but contact with them was lost mere moments after they'd arrived. The last we heard from any of them, was through emergency dragon's fire, and the message we received was torn and incomplete," Rainbow Blaze's voice reverberated through the room, "Only one word was legible enough to read, and it doesn't bode well," he continued, and everypony in the room held their breath, waiting for him to continue. "Ghosts!" he stated, and a shock rippled through those in the room. "Now, we don't know for certain if this unknown force is what we now fear it to be. However, if it is, then we are in a very bad position, as we don't know anything about those things. But that is where we come in. We have been called in to assess the situation, and to help any and all citizens, while aiding any of the royal guards that are there. If it is indeed ghosts, then under no circumstance are we allowed to engage the hostile force. We are not prepared, nor are we trained to deal with such a force, and trying to fight them would be an act of suicide. Am I clear!?" he bellowed. "Sir! Yes, Sir!" everypony responded. "Good. Now, everypony, team up and prepare to depart. We leave in five," Rainbow Blaze ordered, and they all scrambled into action. Rainbow looked around the room with a trained eye, seeing all those under his command get ready to fly out. Yet, as he began to prepare himself, he couldn't help but feel sad for letting down the one who meant more than anything to him. 'I'm sorry, sweetheart. Looks like daddy isn't coming home for your birthday today afterall.' <<>><<>><<>> It had taken them hours to reach the apartment, instead of the few minutes it usually takes. The terrified mass of fleeing ponies, plus those ghosts popping up everywhere and nowhere, made it an all but impossible task to get anywhere directly, and they had to make a detour more than once. But finally, Maud and Pinkie made it back to their grandmother's home at the edge of the city. Maud, hoping that their grandmother was alright, and fearing what it was they would find, tried her best to reassure her younger sister while keeping a brave face for her. But, shaken by what she had seen so far, whenever she turned away from Pinkie her face turned into an emotionless mask. Pinkie, mane still flat, rushed to the closed door of the small apartment. Standing on her hind legs, she racked her front hooves against the door, making a lot of noise while she cried out for her grandmother. Maud, flinching and looking around in fright when her younger sister started making such a ruckus, quickly moved to the pink filly, stopping her attempt to break down the door, and potentially give them away. "Pinkie, be quiet. We don't want any of those… things, to hear us," Maud said in a quiet, scolding tone. "But… But what about grandma?" Pinkie asked sadly, lower lip trembling. As if on cue, they heard a grunt of effort and the sound of something heavy being moved, before the sound of the lock being turned could be heard. With a creak, the door opened slightly, and the elderly eyes of the earth pony mare Pinkie Pie knew as her grandmother peeked through the gap. A gasp left her, and she opened the door completely, motioning for her grandfoals to hurry inside. Wasting no time, Maud and Pinkie rushed inside the relative safety of their grandmother's home, while Granny Pie looked around in fear before closing the door, straining herself to push the heavy dresser back in front of the door. Turning to her two grandfoals, Granny Pie wasted no time in embracing the two, and inspecting them for any injuries. "Are you two alright?" she asked as she hugged Pinkie and Maud for dear life, "What happened?" "I don't know," Maud answered in a monotone as she pulled away, the shock making it impossible for her to feel much of any kind of emotion. "It was those meany ghosts," Pinkie piped up, still holding her grandmother tightly, "They scared everypony." Feeling the tremors running through Pinkie, Granny Pie pulled her even closer, shushing quietly while brushing a hoof through her flat mane in an attempt to comfort her frightened granddaughter. "Don't worry, Pinkie. Everything is going to be alright," she told her, and Maud as well, as she saw the scared look in her eyes, while a mask of emptiness covered her face. "But I'm so scared," Pinkie squeaked, eyes shut tightly. "Oh, Pinkie. Don't you remember what I taught you, about those scary things?" Pinkie looked up at her grandmother, a confused look in her tear rimmed eyes, and her grandmother leaned down to nuzzle the top of her head. "Remember, when you were a little filly, and the sun was going down?" she started to sing, and a smile grew on Pinkie's face, while even Maud seemed to relax a bit. "The darkness and the shadows, they would always make you frown…" she continued, and Pinkie joined in happily. "I'd hide under my pillow, from what I thought I saw," Pinkie sang. "But then I said that wasn't the way to deal with fears at all…" Granny Pie sang. "Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall. Learn to face your fears. You'll see that they can't hurt you, just laugh to make them disappear," the two of them sang, Pinkie laughing as she felt her fear evaporate into thin air; her mane and tail slowly inflating. "So, giggle at the ghostly," Granny Pie said. "Guffaw at the grossly," Pinkie continued, smiling. "Crack up at the creepy," Granny Pie spoke again. "Whoop it up with the weepy," Pinkie said with a giggle. "Chortle at the kooky," Granny Pie replied with a chuckle. "And snortle at the spooky," Maud finished with a sad smile, tears showing in her eyes, and Pinkie and her grandmother pulled her back into the hug she had pulled away from moments before. <<>><<>><<>> They flew through the air at top speed, their signature goggles covering their eyes, allowing them to see clearly even at such high speeds. They'd been flying for almost an hour, and they were finally nearing the city. Rainbow Blaze, signalling the group to slow down, took a long look at the distant city, seeing several columns of smoke rising in the air. He, as well as the rest of the group knew from that first glance that things were very wrong indeed. And he signaled the group to continue their flight in a slow, stealthy manner. Both to recover their stamina from the flight, and to avoid being detected by any hostile forces in the city. Soarin shared a glance with Spitfire, before banking to the left along with the rest of the group, using the clouds as cover to hide their approach. A nervous knot tightened in his stomach as he saw the city growing closer and closer with each flap of his wings, as he didn't know what to expect. This was his first real mission as a Wonderbolt, and he didn't want to make a mess of things. But, more importantly, he didn't want to let down his team as they headed into the unknown. "Hey, rookie!" Spitfire called as she flew next to Soarin, "Keep your head in the game, alright," she told him, seeing the nervous look on his face. "Just keep a clear head, and everything will work out, 'kay?" she said, and Soarin gave her a nod in confirmation. "Besides, after all this is done, I don't think you'll be a rookie anymore," she said with a wink, "Now, come on. Time to earn those figurative wings," she added with a winning grin, and they all angled down to the city. Not knowing what they were heading into, but not slowing down a bit. After all, they were the Wonderbolts. The best of the best. And now it was time to prove it. Author's Note Well, hello there. I see you made it to the bottom of this chapter, and, hopefully, are waiting for more. Well, let me just tell ya. You will need to wait a bit longer. Right now I am working on two chapters for my fics Guilt of a Phantom, and Silver Spirit, Ghost of Equestria. And they're big. Combined it is coming close to 40k, and I am still working on them. So this fic is currently waiting for me to continue, while I finish up the other two chapters. Anyhow, moving back to this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this little addition to this ever growing world I have created, and that you will be with me as more will come in the future. Now, as you should be used by now, tell me about any and all mistakes, what could be better, or what you liked. And a thank you in advance. And now, on to the next one! Powerdrainer.
Table for Two.I want to thank Vates Despero for proofreading and editing this chapter. Table for Two. <<>><<>><<>> Two blurs shot through the air, flying at high speed to get away from the entities chasing them, the ominous glow of their pursuers reflecting in the many windows they shot past. They'd been at this for the better part of an hour now, and despite their numerous attempts to escape the deceptively open city, they found themselves thwarted each and every time they tried to make a run for it. This time was no different, and they were now trying to shake off their pursuers in a now distressingly familiar game of cat and mouse. Of course they were more than agile enough to maneuver through the urban jungle of Baltimare without any trouble. And it might have saved them, if it wasn't for the fact that the beings chasing them could simply phase through the buildings they were forced to avoid. But flying over the buildings wasn't an option either, as it left them exposed. Exposed to the many green beams and bolts the ghosts shot at them. Bolts and beams that, once more, narrowly missed them, and damaged and scorched the buildings behind them. This was also the reason they found themselves trapped in this open city. Any who dared cross the city limits, and step out into the open was just a large target for the ghosts to shoot at. Not that staying inside the city was much better. There were just more places to hide. For as much as that helped against entities that can move through walls, disappear, and fly. Another sizzling beam was fired at the escaping duo, and again they managed to avoid the attack, leaving the beam to pass harmlessly underneath them and blast through the window of a skyscraper ahead of them. However, although the beam missed them, the young unicorn stallion cowering inside the room was not so lucky. He saw them approaching. He saw them shooting his way. He saw the pegasi dodge the attack. He saw the beam of energy heading his way, and he reacted to it. With a burst of magic he projected a shield in front of him, meaning to deflect the ghost's attack. The window was struck, and the beam melted its way through, passing through it without slowing down, before it finally hit the glowing yellow shield. The unfortunate stallion only had a split second to realize something was going horribly wrong. Energy met energy, clashing together in a violent reaction of opposing forces, with a catastrophic chain reaction occurring in the center of the diametrically opposed energies, and the room with the stallion in it exploded in a massive ball of energy and fire. The explosion tore away a large portion of the building's wall, opening up several more rooms with screaming ponies, while several rooms closest to the blast were also obliterated. The two pegasi looked on with wide, horrified eyes, unable to respond in time when several massive chunks of wall were blasted their way. One of them was hit in the gut by a couple of broken bricks, and the air exploded out of his lungs as he dropped down. The other, however, was knocked out by a portion of wall hitting her head, and she plummeted down accompanied by a trail of blood. <<>><<>><<>> Small orange hooves grasped happily at the smiling face of the teal pegasus mare as she leaned in to nuzzle the filly, making the foal giggle in response as she tried to give a full body hug to her mother's face. "Thanks again for looking after her, Bell. We really appreciate it," an orange pegasus stallion, the filly's father, says to the light blue earth pony standing next to him. "Oh, no problem, Sky," Bellflower replies, smiling as she looks down at the happy foal, "It's always a pleasure having her over." Smiling, the filly's mother hugged her daughter, "Now, are you going to be a good filly while you stay with aunty Flower, Scootaloo?" she asks, and Scootaloo nodded her head enthusiastically while giggling, trying to catch one of the loose strands of her mother's wild mane. "Alright. That is a definitive yes," Scootaloo's father proclaimed with a laugh as he leaned in to give his daughter a nuzzle on her head, "You be good now, little Mayfly. Mommy and daddy will be back soon." Scootaloo quickly grabbed her father by the muzzle, hugging his face as she held him with her tiny hooves, much to the amusement of the two mares standing next to him. "Come on, Scootaloo. Let your father go," Bellflower says as she picked up the foal, placing her on her back, "You don't want them to be late, do you?" Shaking her head in response, Scootaloo looked up at her parents over Bellflower's head, while the three adults walked outside of Bellflower's guesthouse. Looking back at their friend and daughter, the two pegasi opened their wings and flew up, waving at Scootaloo and Bellflower as they left. "Bye Scoot Blaze, Sky Rider," Bellflower called out, waving back at them, "We'll see you soon." "Bwye mom. Bwye dad," Scootaloo shouted happily, waving, while also flapping her wings at her parents, who kept waving back at their daughter and friend until they were nothing but a small dot on the ground. Scoot Blaze sighs as she and her husband set out for their intended destination, drawing Sky Rider's attention, "Is everything alright?" he asks her. "Yeah. Just wishing Scootaloo could come with us. You know how much she likes getting to see her uncle." "Heh, I know. But you know she can't come with us right now." Silence settled down between them for a moment, as Scoot Blaze looks forward, deep in thought. "Hey, Scoots. You're alright?" Sky asks after a moment, his voice, although directly next to her, also sounding very far away. "Yeah. I'm alright," she answers, but he didn't seem convinced. "Scoots!?" he almost shouted, to her confusion. But just as she was about to reply, she found her world darkening, while the pull of gravity took hold of her. "SCOOTS!?" Sky's voice echoed loudly around her. And yet, it sounded as if he was miles away. So close, yet so far away. "SCOOTS!" Her eyes snapped open, and the rapidly approaching ground filled her vision. Blood flowing down her head and into her eyes blurred her vision, while she desperately tried to stop her uncontrolled fall. But a searing pain, as if somepony had plunged a burning knife into her side and then twisted it around, made her scream in agony, and she knew something was horribly wrong with her right wing. "SCOOTS!!" Sky Rider desperately shouted as he dove down after her, wings beating faster than he had ever thought possible as he saw his wife hurtling towards the ground, a rain of blood following her down. Yet, no matter how fast he went, no matter how much he forced his wings to beat faster, it was as if the air had grown thick and was actively resisting him. It was almost as if he was moving in slow motion, while she seemed to fall at an accelerated pace. And, for a single, horrific moment, his eyes locked with those of his wife, seeing the absolute terror in them. A terror that was mirrored in his own as he saw her falling form close in on the ground. He tried to look away, but he couldn't. He tried to force himself to go even faster, but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything, but watch. Watch as his love plummeted down. All the while, back behind him he could hear the cold, harsh laughter of the ghosts who were responsible for all of this. But he couldn't care about that now. Not now while one of the two ponies who meant everything to him was falling to her death. Time slowed to a crawl as his vision narrowed. Everything fading away to the background, save for his wife as she stared back up at him. He felt his heart pound in his throat, its sound impossibly loud as he strained to push himself just a bit further. His leg stretched out, desperately trying to grab his wife, wishing against all odds he would be able to grab hold of her, to save her; denying the harsh reality his eyes were seeing, even though, deep down, he knew he wouldn't be able to reach her. Bolts of green destruction soared past him, narrowly missing the plummeting pair, and impacted on the street below, shattering the pavement in an almost mocking form of softening the ground for the falling mare. But he payed the emerald bolts no mind. Their destructive force paling in comparison to the burning hot spike he could feel wedged in his heart as Scoot Blaze neared the ground, with no escape from the cold grip of impending death. "SCOOTS!!" he shouted a final time, knowing her fate was sealed. When, in a blur, a figure shot underneath her, grabbing her mere inches from the ground, her tail touching the unforgiving stone of the street for a moment before, it too was dragged along by the blurring figure. 'What the...' Sky Rider thought for a split second, before his own precarious position started to register, and he pulled up sharply, flapping his wings with all his might to keep from slamming into the street below. He landed hard, his legs buckling under the force, but he was able to right himself in an adrenaline fuelled instant. Whipping his head back and forth, he searched for his wife, and whatever it was that had taken her, expecting it to be a ghost of some sort. What he wasn't expecting, however, was a single pegasus, clad in the all too familiar blue spandex suit known to all ponies. A Wonderbolt. A Wonderbolt who carried his wife on her back, shaken, but alive and well. "SCOOTS!" he yelled as he ran to her, only to be stopped by several green bolts and beams slamming into the ground around him. He dodged and rolled out of the way, before looking up, noticing out of the corner of his eye that his wife's saviour had also taken notice of the overhead threat, staring up at the small gathering of ghosts who stared down at them with malice in their unnaturally green glowing eyes. Several more blurs shot past, drawing the ghosts' attention as they were taken by surprise, and their assault on the ground below came to a stop. Wasting no time, Sky Rider hurried over to the Wonderbolt and his wife, seeing the former helping the latter back on her hooves, while also keeping a watchful eye on the sky. "Thank you," Scoot Blaze said with a tremble in her voice, wincing as she shifted her injured wing, while her husband rushed in to make sure she was alright. The Wonderbolt gave a nod in return, making her wild, fiery mane wave in response, while also taking notice of Scoot's injured wing. "We can't stay here," she said as she removed her flight goggles from over her eyes, revealing two bright orange irises, "My team is drawing them away for us to escape, but we don't have long."—she then turned to Scoot Blaze—"Any chance you can fly?" Scoot tried opening her wing, but faltered when a sharp pain shot through her entire side, making her wince as a result, "No- gha- No, I can't." "Hayseed!... Right, looks like we're hoofing it out of here then," she says, observing their surroundings, "Follow me, and stay low. There is no telling where these things might show up next." "Hold on," Sky Rider cuts in, "Where are we going? Isn't the entire city overrun by these things?" "Mostly, yes," the Wonderbolt replied grimly, "But small groups of royal guards are still putting up a fight here and there. There's a restaurant not too far from here where more refugees are. Most of the guards are there too. It's the best place for you to be right now. At least to get somepony to take a look at that wing of yours," she says while nodding at Scoot's side. "But how is that place any safer than any other place? Can't they move through walls, disappear, and fly?" Scoot asked as she and her husband looked in the direction indicated by the Wonderbolt. "I never said it was safe," she started, "Just that it was the best place to be right now. Now, come on. We can't stay in the open like this," she finished and with that began walking towards the restaurant, followed a few seconds later by a hesitant Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider. Sky staying at his wife's injured side, keeping a watchful eye out for anything that might be a threat to her, when he turned to the Wonderbolt. "Hey," he called out, drawing her attention, "Thank you. For saving my wife, that is." "Don't sweat it. It's what I do," she replied with a small smile. "May we at least know your name?" Scoot asked, "I would like to know what to call the one who saved me." Looking forward again, then up, the sun reflecting off of the flight goggles, the Wonderbolt took a moment to look around before answering, "My name is Fire, Spitfire. And we really should hurry," she answered, and picked up the pace, followed a moment later by the two grateful pegasi, "It seems my team's diversion is played out." <<>><<>><<>> The sound of hooves hitting the paved road in rapid succession reverberated throughout the abandoned streets as two ponies ran for their lives. Apple Gleam and Sweet Apple were moving as fast as they could, not stopping for anything, knowing just what horror was following them. This large metallic ghost, who they knew was out there, maybe just around the corner? They knew, as they had encountered him several times now. Indeed, whenever they tried to hide, rest, or even just catch their breath he would show up. Allowing them no respite, and forcing them to keep running or face him. This was a hunt, and they knew it. He had made that perfectly clear from the start. And He was also making sure it would continue for as long as he liked. Which also meant they had been running for the better part of two hours now. And even though they were used to working until their muscles were sore, and their legs weak from yet another day of intensive labor, a continuous all out run like this was something they were not accustomed to, and their muscles were screaming in protest. Sweet Apple was the first to go down, tumbling to the ground with a yelp as her hind leg cramped up. Apple Gleam didn't waste any time helping his wife, and he quickly scooped her up on his back before continuing their miserably unsuccessful escape. His wife's added weight draining his waning strength even more. Not that he would ever mention that, of course. This ghost was horrible, yes. But his wife when she was angry? Now, that's a scary thought. Still, the split second delay caused by his wife's fall caught up with them, and now both he and Sweet Apple could feel a haunting presence nearby. Their fears were realized mere seconds later, when, with a twisted grin, Skulker faded back into view. Raising his arm, he fired several glowing green globs of some sticky substance that they had already discovered would trap them if it hit. Apple Gleam dived to the left, his wife falling off of his back as he did so, while Skulker took aim at the two downed ponies. Apple Gleam and Sweet Apple looked up at the metal behemoth, anger and fear showing in their eyes, while Skulker wore displeased frown. "I must say, I'm disappointed. Your physical form made me believe you'd be capable of more than this, but it seems I was mistaken. Perhaps I need to find better, more suitable prey for me to hunt," Skulker says, slowly moving his weapon back and forth between the two ponies. Apple Gleam, seeing this madman finally aim that infernal weapon at his wife, having chosen a target, surged into motion. Tapping into his earth pony magic, he focused it all into his right front leg as he reared up and delivered a bone crushing blow with all of his might. Gleam's hoof hammered into the metal. Magical energy coursing through his veins, connecting with Skulker's armor, and the spectral energy it was infused with. Energies clashed, and Skulker was launched back, his armor dented from the blow. Apple Gleam suffered a similar fate as he was blown away, the bone in his leg shattering from the force. His body dropped to the ground with a thud, rolling briefly before the momentum was spent. And all the while, he screamed in agony as the bones in his leg shifted and turned. Splintered bone sticking in the muscle, sending burning spikes of pain to his brain as he was lying limply on the ground, unable to move from the pain. Sweet Apple, seeing her husband in such distress, quickly made her way over to him, ignoring her own discomforts as they paled in comparison. Quickly, but carefully, she pulled him onto her back, before hurrying away. Not wanting to be there when Skulker showed himself again. … "Excellent," Skulker muttered after a moment, fading back in to view, "Looks like they have a few surprises in them after all"—he grinned evilly as he looked down at the dent in his armor—"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this." <<>><<>><<>> Cries of desperation. Frightened screams. Shouts of pain. A suffocating aura of these and more horrific emotions hung thick in the air, and Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider were having a difficult time moving through the rather sizable mass of ponies, trying to reach the makeshift medical post located in the restaurant's kitchen. Ponies were either frantically running around, seeming too afraid to stay in one place for too long, but not knowing where to go. Others were hiding underneath whatever piece of furniture they could find. Foals were crying, with the more fortunate among them clinging to their parents, whereas others were wandering around aimlessly in search of their mother, father, or an older sibling. Several medically trained ponies were also busy trying to treat the injured; treating the most seriously injured first, and leaving the minor injuries for some other time. And, in a few horrible instances, all they could do was place the injured soul in a relative quiet place to die peacefully. As much as that was possible, anyway. It was truly a horrible sight to behold. A scene that would haunt your thoughts forevermore, and one they would all be revisiting in their nightmares for years to come. Why the ghosts hadn't yet attacked this place was anyones guess. But, looking around, one might suspect they simply choose to leave this place be to let the suffering continue for as long as possible. It was hard to believe that there could be anyone so cruel. Yet, looking around, it seemed one of the more logical answers to a question none dared to ask. Yet, as horrible as it all was, Sky Rider just couldn't let this get to him if he wanted to get his wife the help she needed. And, together, they slowly pushed their way through the mass of bodies, seeing a rather sizable line of ponies lying on the ground, with bandages covering various portions of their bodies. Most of them seemed to be royal guards. "Hello! Anypony?" he called out as they reached the medical post, "Could anypony help us?" One of the ponies helping the wounded turned to them. A beige earth pony mare with a dark red mane, a deep blue streak mixed in with it, as well as several crimson splotched staining the fur on her chest and hooves. "What is it? Are any of you injured?" she asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush, a clear tone of desperation present through her clearly forced calm. "It's my wife," Sky Rider said, "There is something wrong with her wing." Hurrying towards her, the medical pony inspected the indicated wing. But due to either inexperience, or frayed nerves, she completely lacked any gentleness as she pulled the wing open, causing Scoot Blaze to cry out in pain. "Multiple fractures. Bone is broken in two places. Several primary feathers damaged or missing…" she mutters in a flurry, "Nothing too serious." "What?! How is that not serious!?" Sky Rider shouted angrily. "Just look around!" the mare snapped, "We have more urgent injuries to deal with. At least your wife's isn't dying!" she spat, before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down, "Look, I'm sorry, but things have been very hectic, in case you haven't noticed. Although your wife isn't able to fly, her life isn't in any danger," she said before flinching, as she looked at the many wounded lying around, "No more than the rest of us in here anyway, considering everything that has happened. In fact, she's better off than some who have come through here. Just… Just don't use your wing. I can put it in a splint, but that's about all that we can do for right now." Sky Rider was about to protest, when Scoot cut him off, "That will do. Thank you," she said in a small voice, barely audible over the many pained groans of the ponies lying around them. Nodding, the medical pony grabbed some bandages from the saddle bag she carried with her, as well as a ladle lying nearby, and used it to secure the wing to the best of her ability. Still, it was a patch job, and it wouldn't be able to endure much. But for the time being, it would prevent Scoot Blaze from shifting the bone by accident. No sooner did the mare finish her work, than a new commotion drew their attention. Ponies were screaming, while several guards moved in on the source of the disturbance. Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze both stared with wide eyes at the spectacle, along with everypony else, as two earth ponies stumbled in. A stallion and a mare, the former barely conscious and being carried on the back of the latter. "Somepony, please help!" the mare pleaded as she limped in, nervously glancing behind her. The guards quickly helped the stallion off the mare's back, while calling for a medic, while others secured the perimeter, keeping a watchful eye out for anything not living. One of the medics, the mare who had helped Scoot Blaze, hurried towards the earth pony mare to assist her in any way needed, while her colleagues tended to the stallion. "Is everything alright? What happened?" she asked the heavily panting mare. "It's t- this ghost. It's been -gha- huntin' us since this whole thang started, never lettin' Gleam an' me rest. Gleam tried ta fight it, but somethin' happened, Ah ain't sure what," Sweet Apple replied, slowly catching her breath as she looked at her husband lying on the ground, "... Is he gonna be alright?" A unicorn mare looked up at her words, her horn aglow as she magically scanned Gleam's body. "He isn't in any immediate danger," she replied, pausing a moment as she bit her lower lip in thought, "Still, he isn't in the best of shape. His leg is completely shattered, with bone splinters causing internal bleeding. It is entirely possibly that he might not ever be able to use it properly again if he doesn't get immediate medical treatment. And then there is his magic..." she trailed off for a moment, trying to find the right words, "His magic, it's almost completely drained. It will recover, I'm sure, but he'll be severely weakened for quite some time." "WHAT!?" Sweet shouted, "But how? How'd somethin' like that happen?" she asked, worried, but the mare only shook her head sadly. "I don't know. I have had no idea what has been going on today ever since those ghosts showed up. None of us do. But the more pressing matter is your husband's leg. We don't have the equipment to treat him here, not for an injury as severe as this. Not, unless…" she trailed off, looking away from Sweet Apple. "Unless, what?" Sweet asked after a few tense seconds, a quaver in her voice. "... Not, unless we perform the most... basic of procedures." The tone of the mare's voice sent chills down Sweet's spine, and she struggled to swallow the thick lump which had formed in her throat before asking with a fearful voice, "What kinda procedure?" "... Amputation." The ground seemed to fall away from beneath Sweet's hooves, and she stood there mute in shock. That one word. That one simple word felt like a buck to the gut. If they did that, and if they managed to get out of this ordeal without any other severe injury, Gleam would still be crippled for the remainder of his life. A life he wouldn't be able to live to its fullest missing a leg. Sweet's eyes slowly drifted to her husband, still lying on the ground while the medics worked their magic, literally and figuratively. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Looking at Gleam again, she knew that the odds of him getting the proper treatment was almost non-existent. But if they did this, maybe he had a better chance. Maybe she could take over some of his chores back at the orchard. Until their son was old enough to help out with the more labor intensive tasks, at least. But would he want this? And what if somepony, anypony, was able to save them in time and get Gleam the medical treatment he needed? What if by doing this she was making a mistake? And what if she was making a mistake by waiting. But whatever the case, she knew it was a mistake to wait too long for either of those choices. "... What… What da you think is best fer him?" she asked in a small voice. "He doesn't have much time in this condition. We are able to stabilize the bleeding with our magic, but unless he gets treated, one way or the other, it will not make much difference. We'll put him in the back where it's quieter, and tend to him as best we can, but if we don't get out of here soon, we won't have much of a choice but to amputate… I'm sorry." "I… It's alright," Sweet Apple murmurs, looking down at Gleam. "The best thing for him now would be some peace and quiet," the mare says as her colleagues levitate Gleam up, and carry him to one of the back rooms, a small storage room they had cleaned out earlier, and placed him the ground. "We'll need to have a decision soon, though. Please don't wait too long, for his sake." Sweet Apple nodded sadly as she grabbed Gleam's uninjured hoof in her own, holding it tightly while quiet sobs escaped her. The few ponies still there quickly left the couple to help their other, and hopefully more fortunate, patients, while also giving the couple some time to think. Celestia knew they need it. But during all of this, nopony noticed the pair of glowing green eyes, or the quick flash of an evil grin hanging in thin air. <<>><<>><<>> "What was all that about?" Sky Rider wondered as he and Scoot Blaze watched the injured stallion being carried away. "I don't know," Scoot replied, looking around the restaurant with a saddened expression, "Guess just another injured pony among the many others," she finished with a sigh as she looked at her injured wing. She opened her mouth to add something else, when she was roughly bumped into by some stallion who seemed to be having difficulty walking. "Hey!" Scoot and Sky shouted simultaneously at the unknown pony, who only grunted in annoyance at them as he stumbled away, leaving behind two irritated and somewhat confused pegasi. The irritation for obvious reasons. The confusion because of the weird green glow coming from the pony's eyes. <<>><<>><<>> "Oh, Gleam. What should we do?" Sweet Apple asked sadly, holding her husband's hoof while he lay unconscious. No answer came to her as she sat there in silence, trying to figure out what to do. The silence was abruptly interrupted, however, as a stallion roughly opened the door and looked at the pair with a sickening grin. "Can- Can Ah help you?" Sweet asked nervously, as she stared at the strange stallion. "Oh, I think you can," he replied in an all too familiar voice, and a wavering aura of pale light surrounded the pony's body as Skulker slipped out of him, activating his weapons, "I'll be your waiter this evening. The special of the day is mayhem and destruction." Stunned by this development, Sweet Apple could only stare in silence at the horror before her. A silence that would only survive for a few tense seconds. <<>><<>><<>> A loud feminine scream echoed from the back of the restaurant, drawing everypony's attention to the horror that was about to unfold. The ghosts had finally come. And with them, chaos broke loose. Author's Note And here we are again, and with a new chapter as well. Sorry it took so long. It is completely my fault. I've got stuck with this chapter, and for the longest of time I couldn't figure out how to continue with this, so I just focused on my other fics instead. Now, I hope you enjoyed this new addition to this ever growing world my imagination has produced, and are eager for the next installment to the world of our Phantom. Also, inform me about any mistakes which might have slipped past my editor, or just leave a comment for the heck of it. See you next time. ~Powerdrainer
A Reaper's SoulEdits done by Cynatas Scribbler and Vates Despero. And a special thanks to AnonymousMaterials for allowing me the use of his character, Mort. A Reaper's Soul <<>><<>><<>> Soarin looked over the crowd gathered in the restaurant, a weary look in his eyes. Never in his life, not even during his training, had he ever considered something like this could happen. Sure, he always kept the possibility that something could go wrong in the back of his mind. Maybe a dragon's attack, or some long forgotten ancient evil alicorn would come back to enact some sort of nefarious scheme… Okay, so maybe not that last one. But anything other than this. No, ghosts. It had to be ghosts. Entities which, until very recently, only existed in scary stories around the campfire. 'Well,' he thought, 'I better start believing in ghost stories, 'cause I'm in one.' No sooner had he finished his mental debate, than a loud feminine scream came from the back of the restaurant. Soarin whipped around in a blur; as did the rest of his team, along with every conscious pony present. Another scream filled the now tense and otherwise silent air, before a stallion came rushing out of one of the back rooms, revealing himself to be the one who screamed. Soarin stared at the pony in utter bewilderment, unable to believe that sound was produced by him. Not that he had long to dwell on this strange occurrence, as the source of the pony's distress revealed itself a moment later when a bulky, metallic ghost burst through the wall backwards. Panic broke out the moment the ghost hit the ground, and terrified screams filled the air. <<>><<>><<>> A mere moment before... "Oh, Gleam. What should we do?" Sweet Apple asked sadly, holding her husband's hoof while he lay unconscious. No answer came to her as she sat in silence, trying to figure out what to do. The silence was abruptly interrupted, however, as a stallion roughly opened the door and looked at the pair with a sickening grin. "Can- Can Ah help you?" Sweet asked nervously, as she stared at the strange stallion. "Oh, I think you can," he replied in an all too familiar voice, and a wavering aura of pale light surrounded the pony's body as Skulker slipped out of him, activating his weapons, "I'll be your waiter this evening. The special of the day is mayhem and destruction." Stunned by this development, Sweet Apple could only stare in silence at the horror before her. A silence that would only survive for a few tense seconds. Standing unsteadily on his hooves, the stallion shook his head to clear the fog from his mind. Then, looking up, he was greeted by the menacing sight of Skulker, weapons primed and ready. The stallion's legs, already unsteady, now shook rapidly in fear. Skulker, having taken notice of the pony who stared up at him with large frightened eyes, only grunted in annoyance. "Beat it," he grunted, "You're not worth my time." A loud scream was the only answer he received as the pony turned tail and ran, the sound he had just produced taking Skulker and Sweet Apple completely by surprise. "..." "..." Neither one of them said anything for a moment, too dumbfounded by what had just happened. Then, grunting in annoyance, Skulker turned back to the mare and stallion his aim was set on, a menacing grin on his face. A grin which soon morphed into a look of shock, as he suddenly found a lasso being thrown around him and pulled taut. Then, with a strength that took him by surprise, Skulker was flung around by the angry mare, who spun him around for a moment, before releasing her hold over her husband's trusty rope, sending the metal behemoth flying through the wall and into the restaurant. The screaming started mere seconds later. <<>><<>><<>> Grunting, Skulker pushed himself up, coming face to face with a young pony, who stared at him in absolute terror. Noticing the wet puddle forming underneath the terrified child, Skulker could only snort in disgust. Not wanting to waste his time with such a cowering wretch, he levitated himself off of the ground; his green eyes scanning the crowd for his prey. However, his attention was quickly drawn to a small group of the four legged vermin who had gone on the offensive. Clad in form fitting, blue latex suits, this group surrounded Skulker while also keeping the crowd at a distance as they ran around in blind panic, while any able-bodied guard tried to guide them to safety. "Hmmm," Skulker hummed as he studied the opposing group, "Disciplined and trained, yet lacking any real combat experience. Interesting. I already had chosen my prey, but I find myself tempted to see what challenge you might provide me with." a large knife slid out one of his wrists, and he used it to gauge their reaction. Several of the blue clad ponies flinched, stepping back a bit, and confirming Skulkers initial assessment of the potential new prey. One, however, seemed to be more hardened than the others, and Skulker's green eyes locked on the rainbow maned stallion, "Now, let's see who makes the cut. You, or them." <<>><<>><<>> Present day Pinkie Pie was working diligently in Sugar Cube Corner, hard at work on a fresh batch of muffins for her dear friend Ditzy. Suddenly, without warning, her body began to shake and twitch in a seemingly random pattern, before stopping just as suddenly as it had started. The pink mare stared at the wall for a moment as what had just happened settled in, before sucking in a breath for what she was going to say next… Only to fall silent. "Wait!" she shouted at the ceiling, "I forgot my line." She then proceeded to pull a large stack of papers out of the oven, which had been active for a while, and quickly scanned the contents of the next scene, "Oooh… Righterino." "Huhum… Ghaaaa." <<>><<>><<>> Some time before the restaurant crisis. Pinkie Pie was not a happy filly. Normally she would be sharing a bright, radiant smile with everypony around her. But today there was nothing to smile about. No, instead of smiling and throwing amazing parties, she, her sister Maud, and her bestest granny, Granny Pie were sneaking through the now abandoned streets in an effort to get to safety. Of course this wasn't anywhere near safe, going out like this, but Granny Pie knew that doing nothing would be even worse. Still, she and her two granddaughters were careful not to draw any attention to themselves, lest they be detected by any of those weird creatures roaming the town. Still, despite her strong will, and her rock solid commitment to keeping Maud and Pinkie -two of the most important ponies in her life- safe, she wasn't the youngest pony anymore, and her age showed. Her pace was slow, accented by a couple of missteps every now and then. Her aching joints, and somewhat blurry vision due to dirty glasses the danger didn’t allow her the time to clean were just some of the issues she faced. Still, this did nothing to stop Pinkie and Maud, who looked after her just as much as she looked after them. Maud lead the three pony group, Pinkie keeping close to their grandmother, occasionally nudging her gently from behind to help her with her speed. Everything seemed fine for a while, until they heard loud shouting. A cacophony of sounds erupted soon afterwards, strange sizzling sounds and explosions further breaking the silence ruling the empty streets. Diving behind cover, they looked up to see two pegasi being chased by multiple ghosts, green beams and bolts shooting from the ghosts' various assortment of limbs. The Pies watched in horror as one of the many beams blasted through the window of an upper story apartment, knocking them off of their hooves when an explosion occurred that destroyed a large portion of the building. Dazed, they shook their heads, hearing somepony shouting in fear and panic. Not wanting to look up, but unable to stop themselves from doing so, they saw one of the pegasi plummeting towards the unforgiving ground; the other desperately trying to catch her, only to fall short. Pinkie Pie pressed herself into her grandmother's chest, sobbing as she looked away in fear. Maud stared in numb shock, until her grandmother turned her head away from the grisly sight unfolding before them. Their ears pressed flat against their heads to block out as much of the sickening sound they knew they were about to hear. But it never came. Carefully, hesitantly, Granny Pie peeked through one eye, seeing some blurry shapes moving in the distance. Yet no form could be seen lying on the ground. Slowly opening her other eye, and focusing intently for a moment, the image began to clear and revealed the two pegasi, both alive, and in the presence of a third. A Wonderbolt. The Wonderbolt appeared to say something to the two pegasi, before they seemed to reach some kind of agreement, and left on hoof. "Come, children," she said to the two ponies huddled close to her, "We need to go. Now!" But before they could so much as take a single step, the ghosts overhead, who apparently were being distracted by several other Wonderbolts, returned and were looking for new prey. Diving back into cover, the three ponies had no other choice but to wait for the ghosts to go away, and to search for the Wonderbolts for the help they needed. Granny Pie just hoped they would be able to find them, before the ghosts found them. <<>><<>><<>> Back at the restaurant, shortly after Skulker came flying through the wall starting a blind panic amongst all the ponies present. Said ponies were now all running in a wild, chaotic way, whilst any and all able guards tried to guide them to the nearest safe exit. Ponies were screaming as they tried to escape the confines of the restaurant; the doors shattering from the many bodies trying to squeeze through at the same time. Several unlucky ponies were trampled when they were knocked to the ground in the chaotic mass. Pinkie, Maud, and Granny Pie looked horrified as they watched the scene unfolding before them. They had followed the Wonderbolt Granny Pie had seen some time ago and, after several guesses as to where to go at several intersections, they arrived here, hoping to find a safe haven. Instead, all they found was… this. "What's going on?" squeaked Pinkie Pie, cowering behind her older sister. "I… I don't know, dear," her grandmother told her, trying to sound as calm as she could for Pinkie's sake. "But it's not safe for us to be here. Come, let's find a safe place to hide," she urged them on, noticing the way Maud was staring at the chaos unblinkingly, a tense look on her face. "Maud, sweetheart. Come on!" and with some effort she managed to pull Maud away with her. "I... " was all Maud muttered in reply, a haunted look in her eyes. "It's going to be alright," Granny Pie comforted her, but having trouble believing her own words, "Just you wait and see," she continued, trying to ignore the screams, 'May Celestia protect us all.' <<>><<>><<>> Life. It's fragile, and filled with uncertainties. It might end tomorrow, or continue on for fifty more years. Some might say they don't get enough. Others say it lasts too long. And yet, everyone gets the same amount. One lifetime. The thing is, one lifetime may not always be all there is. This is a truth he knew all too well. He'd seen it happen countless times over an equally countless number of years. The mortals live their life, they die, and then they choose. And whichever choice they made would determine the next step on the path of their destiny. That is where he came in. He was there to help those who had died, and guide their souls as they made their choice. It was a task he was made for, literally, and which he carried out each and every day and night. A task both simple and complex at the same time. A task which, right now, overwhelmed him. Ponies were dying in large numbers, the ghosts' assault relentless. All he could do was watch in sorrow and grief. "Oh, Thanasia," Mort said, his voice filled with despair, "How has it come to this? What purpose does this serve?" he asked to no one, staring with wavering eyes at the death and destruction. Even for Death himself, such sights were a horrible ordeal. But he couldn't stand still, nor could he run away and hide. It was his job as the Pale Pony, the Grim Galloper, the Reaper of Souls to make sure each and every pony that died today would be guided along the path to their ultimate destiny. He moved through the chaotic mass of moving bodies as ponies were trying to get to safety, an unseen entity. Of course he didn't have to go to the trouble of avoiding everypony, seeing how he could phase through solid objects at a whim. But he considered it an invasion of privacy should he move through anyone's body. Coming to a stop before the prone form of an elderly earth pony mare, his horn gave a short flash, and the mare, still lying on the ground, now also stood beside him. "Wha…? What happened? What is going on?" she asked, noticing her own body lying on the ground before her, "I… Is that… Is that me!?" she started to hyperventilate as she backed away, unable to stop staring at her dead body. "Not anymore," Mort answered, and she finally noticed who was there with her. She screamed out loud a moment later. Mort, used to such reactions from the unprepared, still flinched away from the haunting scream echoing from mare's non existent lungs. "NO! IT CAN'T BE! YOU'RE NOT REAL… I'M NOT.. not…." "I'm afraid you are, Daisy Tail," Mort told her in a calm, caring voice, and the mare fell to her knees as the harsh reality came crashing down on her. Sobbing, she asked: "Why…? Why did I…? And wh-... what about my family?" "I can't tell you why you died. Just that it happened. As for your family?" Mort answered, a nervous edge to his voice as he looked at the devastation around him, wondering if the mare's family was also in the middle of all this, "They will be hurt, heartbroken, and they will mourn you. But they will move on, eventually," he told her, 'If they live, that is,' he mentally added. Wiping her eyes, Daisy Tail slowly returned to her hooves and moved to where her cooling body lay on the ground, staring at it with a numb look. "What will happen now?" she mumbled. "That is for you to decide," Mort answered, taking his place next to her, "You have a choice to make," Daisy Tail turned her head slightly towards him, indicating she was listening. "What kind of choice?" "To move on to eternity, should you feel you're ready for it. Or, if not, you may stay here; gaining a new body of a spectral nature, and continue walking this world." "A body of a spectral nature?" she repeated, not understanding. In answer, Mort shifted his gaze to two ghosts flying overhead, completely oblivious to them. "THAT!?" Daisy screeched, disgusted and appalled, "You want me to become one of those things? After what they did?!" Flinching away from the suddenly furious mare, Mort quickly shook his head, "No no no no. That was not what I meant. You have the choice, not me. If you want, you can continue your existence on this wor—" "Like a ghost!?" Daisy huffed, "Over my dead body." "...Eehh…" Mort uttered, shifting his gaze to the mare's lifeless form. "You know what I mean," she quickly added, "And I refuse to become one of those things. Not now, not ever. Not after all of this!" she motioned at the chaos all around, making her point. "If that is what you wish…" Mort said in a meek tone. "It is," Daisy stated, and gasped as her form suddenly became much, much lighter; floating up in the air as light began to shine from her form. Then, in a burst of pure energy, she was gone. Sighing, Mort shook his head, staring at the many souls still waiting for him, "If only all of them would go this 'easily'… Oh, Thanasia, what plan has destiny for this world?" he asked, but his question remained unanswered… For now. <<>><<>><<>> Moving through the mass of ponies who were running wild through the streets, all searching for a safe place to hide from the ghosts tormenting them, Pinkie, Maud, and Granny Pie found themselves pushed inside a desolate store, unable to move out without the risk of being trampled. "Wha- What do we do now?" Maud asked nervously, as she peered through a broken window. Peering around through her hazy vision, Granny Pie tried to come up with an answer. "Maybe we can just stay here?" Pinkie Pie spoke up in a small voice, yet there was a distinct edge to it as she looked around the store, "At least, maybe for a little bit," she added as she slowly moved through the empty aisles. She knew this store, better than most save the party store some blocks away. Your Littlest Pet Shop, that was the name of this place. Pinkie knew mainly due to the fact that she frequently visited to play with the animals; making them smile just as much as they made her. Now though, the animals were gone, the cages open and a messy trail of food, hay, and other contents one might expect from any animal lay strewn across the floor. "What happened to all my animal friends?" Pinkie asked sadly, giving a small kick against a ball she knew belonged to a young puppy. "Don't you worry, dear," her grandmother said, gently pulling her into a comforting hug, "I'm sure they're fine. But right now we need to worry about ourselves, do you understand?" Giving a sob, Pinkie nodded her head. "Good. Now, let's go see if there's a way out of here through the back," Granny Pie suggested, and the three of them quietly headed for the employees' door in the back; Maud still not having spoken single word, much to Granny Pie's growing concern. The sudden sound of a small bird cage falling over, and clattering on the ground took them by surprise, and they all reacted in fright; Maud reacting the strongest as she screamed loudly. "Don't worry, big sis," Pinkie said reassuringly, a smile beginning to grow on her muzzle as she saw the culprit who knocked over the cage, "It's just a baby alligator." There, sitting on the shelf that had previously held the bird cage, sat the very creature Pinkie was referring to: A small reptile, staring at them with unblinking eyes. "Hello there, little guy," Pinkie chirped happily, glad she had found at least one of the animals here. Although she didn't ever remember there being baby alligators here, "Are you lost? Where are your friends?" Silence. "Pinkie, we don't have time for this," Maud hissed through her teeth, eyes shifting around nervously. "But- but… I can't leave this little guy alone like this, can I? He has no one else to look after him," Pinkie said, saddened, her lower lip trembling, "He needs someone to take care of him…" she added, trailing off as she stared into the alligator's unblinking eyes. "You're coming with me," she stated firmly, but gently, scooping the animal up in her hooves and placing it snugly in her bouncy mane. "Pinkie, you can't do that," Maud argued. "I just did," Pinkie replied matter of factly, "Now, let's go find a way out of here," and she quickly moved through the employees' door, entering the back room while Maud and her grandmother shared an uneasy glance with one another. "She'll never change," Granny Pie eventually relented, following behind the youngest of her grandchildren, "no matter what kind of situation she's in." Maud followed after her in silence, 'I just wish I could say the same of you, my dear Maud.' <<>><<>><<>> Celestia was pacing anxiously through the throne room. It had been several hours since her guards' last message, before all contact stopped. And now, after the Wonderbolts responded to the unclear distress call, she found herself without any knowledge as to what was happening in Baltimare, and to her little ponies. As the Princess, it was her duty above all else to ensure her subjects' safety. And sitting by while others were fighting an enemy of unknown capabilities went against every instinct she had. Unfortunately, due to the importance of her station, those very guards who were now fighting for her ponies also wouldn't allow her to go and face this enemy. As they saw it: Should anything happen to her, then who would lead the country? 'I don't care about any of that! All I want is to protect my ponies, and to Tartarus with my crown. How can I do nothing while so many are going through who knows what kind of horrors?' The fear and uncertainty was clearly visible on her face. Coming to a stop before one of the many windows of the throne room, she looked outside in the general direction of Baltimare, "I need to do something," she stated, horn alight, "I can no longer stand by and do nothing!" and with that she vanished in a burst of magic. <<>><<>><<>> They were watching. Many eyes observing the world they were tasked to oversee. They didn't speak. They didn't question. They didn't judge. They simply carried out the task given to them. As they watched unblinkingly, a fluctuation in the world's magical field presented itself to them. A small ripple at first, growing stronger in moments. Someone was coming. Someone powerful. Someone out of place. They watched, endlessly. A new force presented itself, pushing away the one coming. They watched; watched as destiny unfolded itself. <<>><<>><<>> "What!?" Celestia shouted in shock at finding herself back in the throne room, "How… What caused this?" A pensive look on her face, she struggled to understand what had happened… and what she had felt. A presence, meeting her half way during her teleportation. A presence, meeting her in the magical field of Equestria itself. A presence which forced her back to whence she came. "Whatever it was that did this, it must have been something of great power to accomplish such a feat," a shudder went down her spine, "If this... If this is the doing of the ones my ponies are now facing…" no more words were wasted, as, with a flash of her horn, and a mighty flap of her wings, she opened one of the many windows and shot towards the distant city. <<>><<>><<>> Ponies were screaming as they were trying to flee the scene, the Wonderbolts acting quickly to steer them away per their Captain's orders, not wanting them anywhere near the fight occurring between him, and the massive, metal ghost. A sickening grin on the latter's face. A look of steeled resolve on the former. In their deadly dance, Rainbow Blaze threw everything he had into the fight; however, he was forced to stay on the defensive for the most part, as Skulker's finesse with a blade was too great. He had sustained a few injuries, the cuts in his suit and the steady flow of blood seeping out of them a testimony to this. "Not bad," Skulker grunted, "but I expected more from you." He glanced down at the sizable dent in his armor, "He certainly knew how to deliver a blow. So, what is it? Are you holding back, or did I overestimate you?" "Stop talking, you freak!" Blaze breathed through clenched teeth, and Skulker's grin fell, "I will beat you down, and then the rest of you abominations who dared to hurt the citizens of this city." "All bark, but no bite," Skulker stated, "You're trained, that much is obvious. But training does not equal experience." Blaze's eyes narrowed in response, but he remained quiet, observing his foe, expecting everything… "I'm done wasting my time with you," except what Skulker did next. Acting quickly, Skulker raised his arm and fired a glob of glowing green goop. Unable to fully avoid the sudden attack Blaze's flank was struck by the ectoplasmic mass which burst on impact, glueing his hindquarters to the floor. "That should hold you down for a while," Skulker said, turning around and deploying his thruster pack, "I've got to find my prey," he finished. Without another word he shot off in a cloud of smoke, leaving Rainbow Blaze coughing and hacking as the pollution forced its way into his nose and mouth. "HEY… gha… Get back here!" he coughed, glaring daggers at the ghost, unable to free himself, "I will bring you down!" he shouted, straining to break the hold the green stuff had over him. <<>><<>><<>> Sweet Apple was hastily moving from cover to cover, her husband placed securely on her back. After the restaurant proved to be unsafe, and after she had thrown Skulker through the wall, she didn't waste any time getting to safety. But despite the need to flee as fast as she could, she couldn't put on as much speed as she would have wanted. Mainly due to her husband; still unconscious, but starting to slowly awaken, if his pained grunts every time his injured leg moved as a result of Sweet's movement were any indication. Yet, they weren't alone. Moving with them were two other ponies who had ended up with Sweet in the ensuing chaos of the ghost's assault. They were pegasi, one with an injured wing, the other shaken, but otherwise unharmed. They didn't talk, and they didn't stop to introduce themselves. They just ran, knowing what to do with nothing more than a single glance, their ancient herding instinct guiding them, with the stallion leading the way, as he was the only one uninjured or unburdened by the weight of another pony. Together they moved through the mass of ponies cluttering the streets, not looking back towards where they came from, even as a cacophony of screams and battle assailed their ears. Eventually, they got a lucky break when they came across a small store hidden away in a narrow alley. It was a strange store, shelves covered in dust and filled with various exotic looking items whose purpose they couldn't begin to imagine. Not that this was of any interest to them. What was, however, was that it was out of view, and seemingly unnoticed by the ghosts. Slamming open the door, and retreating inside, three of the four ponies let out a nervous sigh as they closed the door behind them. "Did they follow us?" Sweet Apple asked, nervously, shifting her husband's weight. "No, I don't think so," the pegasus stallion answered, peering through a narrow window. "Thank Celestia for that," the pegasus mare breathed out. "Better not stay here too long, though," the stallion muttered, moving away from the window. The mare's uninjured wing twitched nervously over that, a shudder moving down her spine. Breathing out loudly, she then turned to Sweet Apple, "And what about him? Is he alright?" "He…" Sweet Apple muttered, looking back at Gleam, "Mah husband got injured fightin' off that ghost we saw in tha restaurant. Messed his leg up really bad. He…" she stuttered, biting her lower lip in anxiety, "He's been unconscious fer a while now," she sighed. "But what about you?" she asked, looking at the pegasus' wing. "I've been better," she replied, "but at least I am still standing…" an awkward silence settled down over them, "Um… I'm Scoot Blaze," the pegasus mare introduced herself, trying to break the tension, "And this is my husband, Sky Rider." "Sweet Apple," the earth mare offered with a slight nod, "Apple Gleam," she added, nodding towards her husband. "...So, what do we do now?" Scoot Blaze asked after a short moment of silence. "Now…" Sky Rider replied as he moved to his wife's side, "Now we wait for things to be safe enough for us to move. Until then, let's see what we can use in this place," he said as he took a look around, before turning to Sweet Apple, "Maybe there is something to help your husband as well." "Ah hope so," Sweet sighed, gently lowering Apple Gleam to the floor, "Ah really do," but deep down she knew this was something that couldn't easily be 'fixed'. <<>><<>><<>> Mort wandered through the abandoned streets, a hollow sigh escaping his equally hollow chest. His eyes were downcast, barely registering what was happening around him. So much death, so much suffering. It was just too much, even for him, Death. True, he came to be the reaper for those who died. His job was to guide their souls, and comfort those who needed it, although his form wasn't really suited for that particular job. Nonetheless, he carried out his task with all the care and responsibility he could. At least, that is, until today. "Why is this happening?" he asked to no one, "What good can come from this?" he stopped for a moment to help and guide the souls of a young colt and his mother, whose bodies he found huddled together in a corner. "I know there is a plan," he looked up as the mother and her son ascended into eternity, "more direct for some than for others. But this, how does this fit in?" He sighed again, shaking his head, when the faint sound of clip clopping hooves on the streets reached his non existant ears. "All of this is happening, because of my actions," an unknown voice said. Mort turned to see a young unicorn stallion standing behind him. The stranger had a pitch black coat, with a fiery blue mane and tail; a snow white streak running through it. Yet there were two features which captured Mort's attention most. The stallion's glowing green eyes, and an eerily familiar medallion around his neck. "What!?" Mort exclaimed, shocked, "You can see me?!" The stallion only gave a single slow nod, his eyes downcast, "I never wanted this to happen, but I had no choice." He rubbed a hoof against the medallion, "So much has happened…. is going to happen," he sighed, "This is a sacrifice which will steer events back on track… I do wish this never needed to be done, though." "What are you talking about? Who are you?" Mort asked, a frantic edge to his voice. "What am I talking about? You will find that out soon enough," the stallion answered as he turned around and walked away, "As for who I am. I'm just a pony from another time… a happier time," he stopped on the spot, head turning to Mort, "... I'm sorry," he said softly. With that, he vanished. Leaving Mort where he stood, unmoving, unable to understand what the pony meant. Yet one thing slowly became apparent to Mort as he thought over what had just happened. Something he noticed, but which he failed to truly process at first because of his surprise. This stallion, this pony. He wasn't dead. A heart was still beating in his chest. "Thanasia," Mort breathed out, "What is happening to this world…? What is going to happen?" The empty streets provided him with no answer. <<>><<>><<>> Mort was moving from street to street, never resting. His mind in a state of constant turmoil, especially after what that strange pony had said; not to mention what he carried with him. "That was one of his medallions, I'm sure of it. Then, is he involved with this as well?" Mort received no answer, and he continued his task of guiding the souls of those who had died in this horrid haunting. However, turning the corner, he came upon a scene which made his metaphorical blood run cold. Three ponies, one an elderly earth pony mare, and two young earth pony fillies. All three trapped in a corner by a trio of skeletal ghosts, which Mort recognized as those commanded by the ghost king. With swords drawn, they closed in on the three ponies, and Mort knew their end was drawing near. He watched with saddened eyes, knowing he wasn't allowed to interfere. Still, seeing the fear in the eyes of those three, especially the two fillies, he couldn't help but feel a stab in the core of his very being. He knew the rules; and he had obeyed them from the very first moment he set hoof on this mortal world. But right now, he questioned them. Could he, maybe just this once, break the rules, and allow these ponies to continue with their lives? Thanasia would be furious, for sure, but perhaps it would be worth it, in the end. However, his internal debate took too long, and with a scream from the ponies, he saw the ghostly trio lunge towards them, only to stop in mid air; swords held high, shaking slightly as the ghosts stared down at the ponies. At the pink filly's mane to be precise. "It can't be!" Mort murmured breathlessly, eyes widening as he saw what caused the ghosts' pause, "How…?" Sitting within the curly confines of the pony's mane, was a baby alligator. Although, Mort knew its form was deceptive. Its unblinking eyes stared at the ghosts, the faintest narrowing of the eyes just barely noticeable, and fear struck the unbeating hearts of the undead. Their swords fell to the ground, and the ghosts fled with all the speed they could muster. Recovering from their near death experience, the ponies looked up in relief and confusion. "Wha- what just happened?" the young grey mare asked, huddled close to the elderly mare. "I- I don't know?" the pink filly spoke up in a small voice. Suddenly her eyes lit up, "Maybe it was my new friend who scared them away?!" Scooping up the alligator in her hooves, she smiled proudly at him, "Did you?" Silence. "You did! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed happily, hugging the alligator tightly. "What just happened?" Mort asked himself, unheard by all, save for one, and he felt a shudder travel down his spine as the alligator's unblinking eyes turned to him. No words were spoken, yet the message was all too clear. They are protected! Author's Note And now that we are here, I ask you to please tell me about any and all mistakes you might have noticed, or just leave a random comment for the fun of it. Powerdrainer.
A Royal Pain.Edits done by Vates Despero and Clayton the Hunter. And a special thanks to AnonymousMaterials for allowing me the use of his character, Mort. A Royal Pain. <<>><<>><<>> Rainbow Blaze's wings were a blur as he and his squad followed after the hostile cybernetic ghost, refusing to allow him to escape. First and foremost in order to make sure this dangerous entity didn't hurt anypony else. And secondly… Rainbow's eyes narrowed as he focused on the last thing Skulker said to him, before flying off: 'All bark, but no bite… I'm done wasting my time with you.' Rainbow had taken his shameful defeat personally. He would not allow that to stand. He would face this abomination once more, and beat him down with his own four hooves. If only it hadn't taken so long to free himself from the sticky goop Skulker had shot at him. His eyes narrowed even further as he stared down at the city below; the dark orange glow of the setting sun reflecting off his flight goggles. <<>><<>><<>> The sun was setting, and twilight began to cover the streets, giving the already desolate and eerie city an even more ghostly aura. "Is it safe?" Scoot Blaze asked her husband, who in turn was peeking through one of the windows. "Doubt it," he muttered in response, slowly moving back. "Haven't seen any of those freaks, but they're bound to be out there," he continued as he turned to look at the three ponies with him. "How's he doing?" "Could -ugh-,could be worse," Apple Gleam forced through a pained grunt, having only awoken a short hour ago. "An' it could be better. A whole lot better," Sweet Apple interjected, working to secure her husband's leg with some of the materials they found lying around the arcane store. It had become clear to them that this was most likely a Zebra's shop, if the ancient tribal masks and obscure potions were any indication. Despite getting a fright every now and then when they ran into one of the masks, nothing else was found that could have been of any use to them. Sweet Apple had rummaged through the potions for a while, knowing all too well about the zebras' understanding of natural remedies for all kinds of ailments, yet only finding what proved to be a pain killer of sorts. And one that's numbing effects had diminished over time, as this place showed signs of neglect, having accumulated several years worth of dust. Whoever had owned this place had left long ago. Still, they were able to use some of the junk lying around to craft a makeshift splint for Gleam, and Sweet Apple was currently in the process of securing her husband's leg, aided by Scoot Blaze. "So, what do we do now?" Scoot asked after a moment. "Think you can run?" Sky Rider asked Apple Gleam, frowning. "No, he w—" Sweet Apple started to reply, when Apple Gleam interrupted. "Yes. Don't worry none, Ah'll keep up," he replied with his usual hardheaded stubbornness. "Gleam!" his wife shot back in worry and irritation. "Ya cain't strain yerself like that. Ya been unconscious fer several hours on accounta yer injury." "Exactly," he replied irritably, not liking that he had passed out, leaving his wife to fend for them both. "So Ah'm well rested ta take on anythang them... things try an' throw at us." "Gleam!" Sweet Apple said again. "Sweet, don't worry. Ah've been through worse, and Ah'll sure 'nough live through this as well," Gleam told her reassuringly, and his wife, wide eyed, gave a single slow nod. Yet one thought haunted her mind as he looked at her. 'Gleam, ya've always been a bad liar.' <<>><<>><<>> They moved slowly through the back alleys, avoiding any main roads. They had been trying to stay under the radar ever since they had escaped their near death through means they didn't understand, although Pinkie was adamant in her belief that the baby alligator she had picked up in the pet store was the one who had saved them. They deliberately kept their pace slow. Though this was mostly due to Granny Pie, who wasn't as quick on her hooves as she used to be. Pinkie Pie led the group with her newest, bestest friend, the toothless alligator sitting snuggly in her bouncy mane. His unblinking eyes, seemingly unmoving and staring into nothing, scanned the immediate surroundings incessantly. Maud, already affected by the events that had transpired since the tear opened and let the ghosts into the city, had taken her brush with death the hardest out of all of them, and thus kept close to her grandmother. Her eyes were wide, anxiously peering at her surroundings to check for anything that might be lurking in the shadows. She tried to keep a strong face for her family, not wanting her fear to affect the others as well. Her grandmother wasn’t fooled by her performance, however. After raising several foals, she could tell when somepony was hiding something, and she worried greatly for her eldest granddaughter. "Come on, dear. It isn't far now," she told Maud, reassuringly. "Yeah, big sis," Pinkie Pie piped up, smiling and bouncing behind Maud, "you don't have to be afraid anymore. Our new friend will protect us, so turn that frown upside down." "Pinkie…" Granny Pie started, only to come to a startling realization. Eyes widening, her head snapped around to see if Pinkie was still walking up front, only to see the small alligator sitting on top of a trashcan, staring towards the exit of the alley. "Wha… How did you get behind us, deary?" "Oh, I walked." "You... walked?" Granny Pie repeated, confused by Pinkie’s response. Her bewilderment soon spread to Pinkie as well. Pinkie stopped hopping mid-bounce, hanging in the air for a moment before dropping down to the ground, a hoof pressed against her chin as she pondered her own answer. "Huh, yeah. That is weird. I could have just bounced… Oh well. Guess I'll just have to put an extra extra spring in my step from now on to make up for it," she concluded, much to the confusion of her grandmother and sister. "Now, come on sis, we're almost there!" Pinkie exclaimed as she bounced away, scooping her new friend from the trashcan and placing him back in her mane. "That filly," Granny Pie muttered, disbelievingly, before turning her attention back towards Maud and placing a comforting hoof on her withers. "But she's right. I know things may look bad, but we'll be alright. You'll see," she said, giving her frightened grandchild a caring smile. "Now, come. It isn't much farther now. Just a little bit longer." Nodding her head, Maud forced herself back into motion, following her grandmother and sister's lead. 'Why am I so terrified?' she asked herself, looking at Pinkie. 'Earlier, Pinkie was the one who was afraid, and I was the one who lead the way. But now, everything’s different,' she thought as her gaze dropped down to the ground. 'Now Pinkie is the brave one, while I could barely move.' The tiniest of sighs escaped Maud's lips. 'Pinkie, Grandma. They're strong, just like the rocks that mom and dad grow on the farm. While I'm weak, like a tiny sedimentary pebble about to meet a sledgehammer. I’m like gravel; just falling apart under pressure.' Her gaze wandered up to her younger sister once more, watching her face the unknown with a confident smile. 'I need to be strong like Pinkie. Strong and sturdy, like a rock.' <<>><<>><<>> The wind howled past her, her mane, normally billowing in an unfelt breeze, now whipped around wildly as her wings pushed her forward with ever increasing speed; a golden contrail in her wake. She had to hurry, this much had become abundantly clear after even the Wonderbolts failed to report in. The fact that an unknown force managed to stop her mid-teleport only increased the worry she felt. So much so that she didn’t stop even when she had to lower the sun and usher in the night. It took a lot of effort, and the sun's path was more than a little wobbly, but she managed. Her eyes, covered in the golden glow of her magic to protect them from the cutting wind while also enhancing her vision in the darkening sky, narrowed as she began to see the first shapes of the tall buildings which her destination was known for. Though the skyline was marred by several large columns of smoke rising high above the city. "By Luna's grace…" she breathed as the devastation slowly became clearer to her. 'Whoever, or whatever, has done this will pay dearly,' she thought, pushing herself to go even faster. 'Just hold on, my little ponies. I'll be there soon.' <<>><<>><<>> Mort moved through the streets, his hollow eyes observing the devastation all around him. For the umpteenth time that day his non-existent lungs released a weary sigh. As the embodiment of death, he had seen his fair share of the passing of souls, and was more than used to the more... messy demises. Although 'used' wouldn't be the correct word here. For eons, he had watched over the ponies, watching them evolve and grow from mere primitive animals, and had grown with them through the passing of time. Throughout the ages, he watched from the shadows, always present when one's life would come to an end. During the first few hundred millennia the numbers were high. The world was untamed and harsh, claiming many as they discovered, explored, and learned. Then the ponies discovered the magic of their world, and used it to tame the lands and skies around them. Life flourished, and death could rest, even if only for a short while. Life might grow more resilient, but never invincible. He still needed to traverse the world, gathering the souls of those that passed, but the numbers had dwindled to those taken by age or disease. Then there were those times when the many species who called this world their home first encountered each other. More often than not, the differences between cultures sparked conflict rather than peace. The greed of the dragons. The warrior mentality among the griffins. The simple minded, but territorial, urges of the diamond dogs. The racial conflict among pony kind. And many others. Of course there were those who would declare themselves better than those others, if it wasn't for the heavy blow fate dealt them. Still, for a time the changelings were superior among the species. Their ability to take the form of others, and sense the emotions of those around them made them more peaceful than the other species. But even with their gifts and abilities, they still weren’t able to stop the inevitable clash between the other cultures. Wars were fought, lives were lost, and Death's rest came to an end. Once more hurrying from one soul to the next, reaping them, and guiding them as they made their choice. In time, the different species came to an understanding between each other. Racial tensions diminished, and the illusion of peace returned once more. Settlements were built, which then expanded into villages soon after, and perhaps grow to become cities. Their minds grew, expanded by the knowledge they shared with each other, and Death could rest once more. But then the corruption entered the world. It roamed around for some time. How long, even Mort didn't know, but eventually, it found what it was looking for. A suitable individual to act as a vessel. Someone to infect. Someone touched by the essence of death, yet still among the living. Death's rest ended once more. The destruction brought by the darkness was impossible to comprehend. The deaths were numerous and too gruesome to describe. And what happened to the changelings still made Mort's old bones shake in horror. He ran into the changelings reaper numerous times in those days, but they never had a moment to talk or catch their breath. To this day the changelings hadn't recovered from that devastating blow. Not through any lack of their own efforts, but through the mistakes and misunderstandings of others. Eventually the corruption was stopped, and Death wandered the blood-soaked ground trying to comprehend; trying to understand how this was even possible. The barrier around the world should've made such an incursion all but impossible. And only those allowed could leave and enter. But now, looking around, Mort knew that the barrier had lost its protective power, forever. The destruction of the backdoor, one of the very few portals still leading to this world, and the subsequent rips in reality that formed between Equestria and Earth had allowed many horrors entry to this world once more. A loud scream shook Mort out of his downward mental spiral, and he beheld a peculiar sight. Running past him was a young, azure filly, wearing a star printed cape and pointed hat, both a bit too large for her frame, forcing her to use her unsteady magic to keep the hat on her head. She screamed once again, and the source of her distress revealed itself to Mort as the... thing that was chasing her came around the corner. "..." "Is that a wheel?" Mort asked dumbly, watching the obviously possessed wheel roll and bounce around; crashing through windows, and leaving skidmarks on the ground in its pursuit of the terrified child. "Leave Trixie alone!" she screamed, almost tripping over her cape. "Aaahh... I hate you! Trixie hates wheels!" she decreed as she jumped into a nearby trashcan in an attempt to hide from the circular horror. Mort stood in silence, eyes wide in confusion, until the grinding of gravel near him brought his attention to the wooden carriage wheel, slowly rolling towards the filly's hiding spot like a predator stalking its prey. Mort's gaze shifted between the hidden filly and the wheel. He needed to intervene, and fast! "No!" he cried, and he flowed into motion. Thanasia would have his head, but he couldn't take it anymore. "NO!" he shouted, raising his scythe high in the pale glow of his magic; his voice drawing the wicked wheel's attention, it finally noticed the reaper as he materialized before it. It barely had any time to react as Mort's scythe cut through the wheel as if it was made of wet paper. A sickening glow surrounded the wooden construct, before a pained, haunted wail escaped from it. A twisted, broken form rose from the wheel, unrecognizable, and it wailed once again, before being grabbed by Mort's magic. "Your soul was lost long before I destroyed you," Mort told the shattered entity, before opening a small portal with his scythe. "Now you will join the rest, trapped forever between the planes of existence," and with his part words said, he released the lost soul into the portal, sending it on its way to the Ghost Zone. "... I'm sorry," he added, disgusted by his own actions, but unable to stand by any longer. "... It's safe to come out now," he called out to the filly. "Go and find a safe place to hide," he said, and vanished just in time for the filly to miss him as her head poked out of the trashcan. "Who's there? Who said that?" Trixie asked in a frightened voice, looking around and seeing the broken wheel lying on the ground. "Trixie demands you show yourself!" she demanded, but to no avail. Feeling that she was safe for the moment, she clumsily climbed out of the trashcan, shaking off the filth clinging to her coat, and ran off. But just before she turned the corner and left this place behind, she stopped, looked back, and whispered a soft: "Thank you." <<>><<>><<>> Night was slowly claiming the lands, the first stars already visible, as Soarin and Spitfire flew through the abandoned streets, with only the occasional scream or wail to fill the otherwise eerie and unnatural silence. Flying in front of them, Rainbow Blaze scanned the immediate surroundings, trying to find his target. The fact that night approached was not slowing him in the slightest. While anyone else would bunker down, and pray to Celestia, hoping to survive through the night, Rainbow Blaze saw the darkening of the sky as an opportunity. They knew from previous encounters that the ghostly entities' eyes glowed in the dark, which would help the group spot them much easier and avoid them in order to maintain the advantage of cover in the darkness. Still, this did nothing to ease the nerves of either Soarin or Spitfire. They were both well acquainted with Blaze's reputation. A tough, hardheaded fighter. Loyal to boot, and never letting his team down. But when his pride was on the line, he had a tendency to lose sight of the objective. Of course, this didn't happen often. His training allowed him to keep his cool under even the toughest of challenges. But his fight with Skulker, first sustaining several injuries while seemingly not even able to scratch his opponent, combined with Skulker leaving the fight after deeming Rainbow Blaze unworthy of his time, that was something he couldn't ignore. And even though Soarin and Spitfire had voiced their doubts about their captain's current course of action, they also knew their duty was to protect the citizens of the city; especially now, as those imprisoned in this city would try to find a safe place to hide, and potentially fight each other over the safest places. They needed to protect everyone from both the ghosts, and from themselves. Glaring down, scanning every street and alley they passed, Rainbow Blaze came to a sudden stop as he spotted a bulky figure hovering near a side street. The fiend seemed to be busy working on some kind of gadget built into his arm, and was clearly interested in an obscure store located a bit further ahead. "Found you," Rainbow Blaze growled as he dived down at max speed. "You're not getting away this time." To his shock, however, his opponent merely glanced at him over his shoulder. A cold shudder traveled down his spine upon noticing the cold grin plastered on the ghost's face. And, pushing a button on his arm, the hunter's trap deployed. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and Blaze could hear the mechanical whirr of several small devices activating. Small constructs, their purpose unknown, placed on the walls of the buildings around him, locked onto him. He was vaguely aware of Soarin and Spitfire shouting for him, yet their words didn't register as the small machines, made of a shining metal similar to the hunter ghost himself and with a protrusion shaped roughly like a three pronged fork, with significantly wider outer prongs feeding into a longer central focus, began to glow a sickly green. Then, in a split second in which time seemed to move faster than physically possible, a multitude of highly charged beams struck the pegasus, burning through his fur and skin; the air rushing out of his lungs in a tortured wail. His smoking form dropped down to the ground; watched by the horrified eyes of his team, and the victorious, but dead eyes of Skulker. The last thing Rainbow Blaze saw before darkness consumed him, was Skulker approaching him; a massive blade sliding out of his wrist. Author's Note There you have it, a new chapter. It's a short one, I know. But you can't say nothing happened in it. Now, as I always ask of you, tell me about any mistakes, what you liked, or just a random comment for the fun of it. ~Powerdrainer
A Day In The Life Of A Royal GuardThis chapter was brought to you, slowly, by Powerdrainer editors inc. A Day in The Life Of A Royal Guard <<>><<>><<>> Ten minutes before the invasion. It was a nice, sunny day. Not too much wind, and just a few clouds in an otherwise clear sky. The local weather pegasi certainly delivered yet again. Strong Will trotted with his chest puffed out through the streets, his armor clanking a bit from his movements as he and his fellow guard were moving through one of the most busy streets of the city. It was a necessary show of power, despite the peaceful nature of ponies. There is always a rotten individual within the bunch, and with a city as large as Baltimare, there would always be somepony, somewhere, causing a ruckus over something. It could be worse: Somepony could be causing a ruckus over nothing. Still, despite the occasional disturbance, the city was pleasantly peaceful. This was something Strong Will took pride in, knowing he and his fellow guards were responsible for making this happen. Today, though, was proving to be a rather slow day. Little to no incidents were reported, with only one notable case of a drunken griffin going amok in a sleazy bar known for their lower standards. Not much of an issue, and the featherbrain was quickly apprehended by a team of unicorns, before being carried off to the drunk tank to sober up. Strong Will, however, was nowhere near that part of the city. He and his brother, Flash Lightning, weren’t even on an active patrol. Instead, they were on a break, idly chatting over the latest developments concerning the strange and unusual creatures calling themselves humans who suddenly appeared one day when the first tear formed. Of course this topic of conversation soon shifted to the numerous reports they received about strange, translucent entities terrorizing the populus anywhere a tear could be found. Which, of course, sparked a heated debate about what these unknown entities could be. "I'm telling you. I'm not buying that explanation!" Strong Will said with a grunt of annoyance, "Ghosts, really?" "Hey, it's what those humans call them." "Right," Strong Will rolled his eyes. "The humans, creatures who suddenly showed up when reality tore apart and who we know almost nothing about, are saying those things are ghosts." Flash Lightning shrugged, "Hey, don't look at me. All I'm saying is what they told us. Besides, when you think about it, it kinda makes sense." "...I'm still not buying it," Strong Will replied in a mutter. "I figured as much. Still, what if-" "-I'll believe it when I see it," he cut him off. It was then that they had heard screaming and both their heads snapped towards the source of the disturbance: a massive tear in the air some distance away with glowing, intangible entities spewing forth out of the shimmering hole. "Well, you just had to open your mouth, didn't you?" Flash Lightning shot at his brother, flexing his wings before launching towards the threat. "Well, you're the one who brought it up," Strong Will replied to no one, envying his brother's wings at the moment, and cursing his lack of a horn. Shaking those thoughts off, he hurried to catch up, making sure his sword was well within reach for a quick draw. <<>><<>><<>> Five minutes before the Invasion. 'Your will is mine. Your thoughts are mine. Everything you are, everything you do you do through my will.' His victims stiffly nodded in response. 'Now, let's have some fun shall w-' His mental command was halted before he could finish. The reason? A sudden rupture appearing near the edge of the town. He and his undead brethren were invading, ripping open the air, revealing a world untouched. 'Well, what do we have here?' he mused, stroking his black goatee, white streaks running through it. The creatures on the other side of the tear stared with wide, fearful eyes at the hovering force of undead entities. The invasion then shifted from one world to the next; the ponies and other species to be found past the shimmering hole screamed and ran away in panic. 'How very interesting,' he idly observed, then shot a sideways glance at his slaves standing below him, eyes and minds blank. 'No need for you to get off easily.' he thought. 'Make a mess, cause as much mayhem as you can. Show them why it is I who they should fear the most. Show them the might of Vesper!' and so he flew through the rip in reality, joining the chaos unfolding in this new haunting ground, the hole sealing shut behind him as he passed. <<>><<>><<>> Numerous ghosts were descending down upon the ponies, making their screams fill the air as Vesper hovered above it all, watching, thinking, plotting. 'Very interesting,' Vesper mused, observing the unfolding chaos with the faintest of grins. 'I've heard rumors from some of the ghosts, but to actually see it… Hmmm.' His eyes followed a small, young looking pony with wings as it flew over one of the taller buildings in an attempt to chase off a duo of ghosts following it. He was unable to tell if it was a boy or girl. The presumed child cleared the roof, and immediately dived down, while the two ghosts, lagging behind, missed the child's evasive action and continued in a direct line, flying over their target, leaving it to pant behind a hoof to keep the sound to a minimum. 'This one seems to have at least some semblance of a mind,' he thought, eyes glowing with twisted glee and curiosity, 'A perfect pawn to see just how well my powers work on these equine creatures.' The young pony carefully flew back up to the roof, peeking over the edge to make sure no more of those... things were hiding in wait. Seeing nothing there, a sigh of relief escaped the pony, before gently landing upon the flat surface of the tall building; he failed to notice the grinning Vesper hovering directly behind him. With deliberate slowness, the pony crept its way towards the other side of the roof, intending to peek over the edge and see if there were any other of those monstrosities. Noticing this, Vesper approached the small pony with the same slowness; his shadow stretching out further and further until it grew to cover the pony. Stopping mid-motion, the pony turned around with terrified slowness. Looking up with wide, fearful eyes, expecting the worst, and… and… and seeing nothing. "Hello, is anypony out there?" the pony spoke, her fearful voice giving away to Vesper she was a girl. Looking around with fear, the girl was unable to see anypony… until she looked down. "Wha…?" she uttered, sounding both confused and surprised, but not afraid, much to Vesper’s chagrin. This would not stand! "Behold, child," he spoke with a dramatic voice, "And tremble in fear before the greatest and most fearsome of ghosts, Vesper!" "Uhh… Aren't you a bit small for that?" the pony girl asked, looking down upon the miniature ghost who hovered just above the roof, almost a head shorter than the child. Vesper's eyes narrowed as their red glow intensified; his right eye, however, was dimmer than the left, as a long scar cut through it, and he snarled in response. "You dare mock me?" he seethed. "Me, the greatest and most fearsome of all ghosts?" his aura intensified, and he closed the distance between himself and the pony, the latter backing away from the miniature ghost, until she could feel her haunches hit the roof's border. "You think you're better than me? Greater than me…?" Vesper halted his advance, a menacing grin creeping onto his face, and his eyes burned a deep red, reflected in the eyes of the young pony. 'So, just like all the others, I will take away your ability to think...' The pony's eyes, their color once a light blue, now burned with the same red found in Vesper's eyes. 'Your will is mine. Your thoughts are mine. Everything you are, everything you do will be my will.' The pony stiffly nodded. 'Now, let's have some fun, shall we?' The pony stiffly nodded once more, and Vesper laughed loudly. <<>><<>><<>> "What the hay are these things!?" Strong Will shouted, swinging his sword at one of the apparitions yet unable to score a single hit as the metal passed cleanly through his enemy. Jumping back to avoid the glowing green orb of destruction the entity shot from his stubby claw, Strong Will readied for another attack. "Don't waste your energy fighting these things!" Flash Lightning yelled at him, "Our swords are useless!" and he raced in to push his brother out of the way of yet another bolt of sizzling green energy. "Then what do we do?!" Strong Will shouted back, glaring at both his brother and the impossible to hit enemy hovering before them. "The one thing we can do!" Flash Lightning shot back, "Protect the citizens." "That’s what I am trying to do!" Strong Will shot back heatedly, the both of them jumping away from their position just in time to avoid another beam of destructive green coming from behind them. "Oh, great. Here comes ugly's friends." Strong Will glowered. A scream then brought his and Flash Lightning's attention to a group of civilians, several of the glowing creatures closing in upon them. "Damn it," Strong Will swore. "Fine, if we can't hit them, we'll draw them off." Nodding, his brother turned to face the three slightly translucent beings who had attacked them. "I'll deal with them. You go take care of those over there." Their eyes met, and a single nod gave confirmation to their thoughts. With a mighty flap of his wings, and a wicked slash of his sword, Flash Lightning gutted the beings he knew to be ghosts, only for his sword to pass cleanly through them. Still, such an invasion of personal space granted him the full attention of the ghosts, and he flew away with speed, followed by the trio of the dead . "Good luck, bro." Strong Will muttered through teeth, sword clenched tightly in his jaw. With a gallop, he threw himself at the impossible beings, slashing away at them with no effect. "Yeah, you like that?!" he shouted at them as best he could, (and with years of practice, he did a rather good job in speaking with his mouth full,) gaining the beings' attention, and giving the ponies with their backs against the wall a window to escape. "Well, if you want more, come and get it!" Taking his invitation to unbeating heart, the glowing beings swarmed the lone guard; his sword cleaved the air, but never hit even one of them. 'Celestia damn it,' he thought as he swung his sword once again, taking notice through the corner of his eye that the civilians were gone. 'Well, that's about the only good thing happening right now.' With a defiant roar, he swung his sword one more time, somehow managing to clear a path. Not wasting this chance, he jumped through and ran away as fast as he could, sword still in his mouth and the glowing beings hot on his tail. 'That's right. Follow me. It's just a matter of time before I find a way to cut you down.' <<>><<>><<>> Panting heavily, Strong Will peeked past the wall he was hiding behind, making sure he had lost his pursuers. Grumbling to himself, he retreated back behind his cover and took a moment to inspect his sword. 'Why didn't I hit them?' he asked, slowly angling his sword from one side to the other. 'No matter how much I try, I just can't seem to hit them.' His mind returned to the conversation he had with his brother shortly before the tear formed, and he sighed aloud wearily while resheathing his sword. "Ghosts…?" he muttered, frowning. "...I'm still not buying it, but I can't deny what I've seen either." His head snapped around as he suddenly heard soft hoofsteps coming from behind the wall. Peeking past the wall once more, Strong Will's eyes widened as he saw a lone pegasus filly walking through the seemingly empty street. However, being well aware of the abilities these 'ghosts' had shown him by passing through solid objects as well as being able to turn invisible, he knew that he couldn’t be sure that she could be safe, himself notwithstanding. Despite that, being out in the open, wandering around like she seemed to be doing was just asking for trouble. "Hey, kid!" he called out, catching the filly's attention, missing the flash of red in her eyes, or the momentary grin as he looked around for any of those 'ghosts', "It's not safe out there. Get in here quick. While those… things are not here." Giving a nod, the filly hurried behind the wall Strong Will was hiding, taking notice of him being the only one present. 'Perfect," Vesper thought, seeing through the pony's eyes. "Are you alone, is anypony else with you?" Strong Will asked after he was sure no one else was coming. "N-no.." the filly answered in a whimper, huddling down a bit, "I lost my parents when those… those things attacked." and she whimpered again. "Hey now, it's going to be alright," Strong Will said, trying to sound comforting, "I'm sure they are around here somewhere," he then shook his head as he sighed out, knowing he couldn't just leave the filly alone. "Just.. Just stick with me. I'll keep you safe while we look for your mom and dad, okay?" Nodding weakly, the filly stepped closer to the lone guard, head held low; a menacing grin on her face mirrored the one on Vesper's, hidden from view by her light blue mane obscuring her face. "Do you know where you last saw them?" Strong Will asked, and the filly nodded before running off towards the way he had recently managed to shake off his pursuers. "Hey, wait up!" he shouted after the filly, yet she didn't seem to hear him as she hurried around the corner, and out of sight. "Damn it," Strong Will muttered, before hurrying after the child, sword at the ready as he knew, deep down, he would need it. <<>><<>><<>> "This way, mister." The filly ran through the streets without pause, leading Strong Will to where she last saw her parents. "Hey, wait up!" Strong Will shouted after her, scanning the suspiciously empty streets with a wary glance. "It isn't safe!" With his sword at the ready, he chased after the filly, swearing over the fact that the pegasus child was able to stay ahead of him. A fact that didn't seem logical, but which he didn't give much thought due to the current crisis unfolding. Instead, he followed the child, hoping she wouldn't run into any more of those… things before he was able to catch up with her. Rounding a corner which he saw the child's tail vanish behind, he came up onto a confusing scene, and all his instincts screamed at him something was seriously wrong. Standing out in the open in the center of the street amidst abandoned saddlebags and other personal belongings, stood the filly, who smiled a visibly fake smile. "Hey, kid… Is everything alright?" Strong Will asked warily, slowly approaching the child. "Oh, yes mister. Everything is alright now that you are here." Faltering for a moment, Strong Will's eyes narrowed slightly, his ears swiveling around to pick up any sound, only to come to the startling realization everything was quiet. Too quiet. "Oh yeah, how so?" he asked her, voice thick with suspicion. "Because you've walked right into my trap." she answered sweetly, giving a large, fake smile while her eyes glowed a deep red. "What the-" Strong Will shouted, only to fall silent as a miniature being faded into view, hovering just above the filly, grinning menacingly with its eyes glowing darkly. "KID, WATCH OUT!" Strong Will yelled, rushing towards the filly; only to come to a sudden and involuntary stop. "What- ghnn- is going on?" he grunted as he willed his legs to move. "Oh, don't worry too much about that," the small ghost told him, slowly hovering towards the stallion. "Losing control over your legs is the least of your worries." Grinning smugly, Vesper slowly circled around the struggling stallion, studying him. "Yes, you'll do nicely," Vesper mused, stroking his goatee. "I can't wait to see just how many pawns will fall before my might using you, a trustworthy being of importance, as a lure.” "I.. won't ever -ghn- do such.. a thing," Strong Will grunted, struggling against whatever power was keeping him immobilized. Chuckling darkly, Vesper hovered right before Strong Will, "Like you have a choice," and his eyes' glow increased slightly. 'Your will is mine. Your thoughts are mine. Everything you do shall come from my will.' Strong Will's eyes flickered between his natural yellow eyes and a glowing red. Gritting his teeth, and shaking his head, he tried to get rid of the voice in his head. Vesper, taken aback by his resilience, had to increase the force of his mental control, determined to enslave this lowly mortal. 'You will listen! You will obey! My thoughts are your thoughts. My will is your will. I speak, and you listen. I control, you are controlled. Resistance is futile!' "GHA!" Strong Will screamed as he felt the miniature being's voice snake its way into the deepest recesses of his mind; a dark tendril obscuring all thoughts of free will. He felt it, and he fought it. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" he roared, severing the mental link forced upon him by Vesper and launching the ghost back through the backlash. Panting loudly, Strong Will glared at the being with murder in his eyes, feeling his legs listening to his commands once more. Vesper, shocked by what had just happened and slammed into the ground from the unexpected blow, righted himself as he slowly levitated himself off of the ground. A look of disbelief clearly showed on his face, before it was replaced by something all the more sinister, rubbing his goatee. "My my. You certainly are strong willed," a murderous grin growing on his lips. "How very interesting..." And so, his eyes' glow increased once again. "Oh no you don't!" Strong Will shouted, launching himself at the small pest before he could try the same trick again. Yet in the blink of an eye, Vesper was gone, and Strong Will glared around as he searched for this proven threat. "Where are you!?" he growled. "Oh, I'm right here," the filly answered, her voice no longer sounding innocent. Instead, a mischievous grin had grown on her face, and her deep red eyes bored into Strong Will's. "What the-" Strong Will replied, shocked, taking a step back. "And here!" another voice said, drawing Strong's attention to another pony walking up on him from behind, his eyes also a glowing red. "And here as well!" a mare replied, stepping out of an abandoned building, eyes equally red. "And I am right here," Vesper answered, directly next to Strong Will. Shocked, and eyes wide, he slowly turned to look at the small being hovering next to him. However, the moment their eyes locked, a concussive blast sent him flying with a scream to crash into a wall and drop onto the ground in a heap. Groaning, he opened his eyes, struggling to get them to focus as he saw several blurs stand before him; one hovering above the rest, all their eyes aglow. "My powers are absolute, and no mind is capable of withstanding my control," Vesper hissed as he lowered himself before the stallion. "You are no exception." His eyes glowed a dark red, mirrored briefly in Strong Will's own before unconsciousness claimed him. But before he blacked out, he could hear the last few words of the small being, "You just need some more pushing before your mind gives in to my will." <<>><<>><<>> An unspecified amount of time later. "Ugh." With a low groan and surprisingly stiff joints, Strong Will drifted back into consciousness. Blearily opening his eyes, he tried to figure out where he was through the unfocused images his eyes were showing him. Blinking multiple times, he pushed himself up with another groan before looking up and seeing things clearly again. "What happened?" he muttered, rubbing his aching head with his eyes closed. "How did I get here?" the memories came flooding back, and adrenaline started coursing through his veins upon remembering who he fought, and what that... thing, had done. "Where are you!?" he yelled, looking around with glaring eyes, sword at the ready, only to find himself completely alone. "What the-" he muttered, not trusting the situation one bit. "Strong, is that you?" Flash Lightning called out as he dropped down, looking worse for wear. "Flash?" Strong Will answered, surprised. "What are you doing here?" "Looking for you. There’s a mass evacuation ongoing, and they need all the help they can get." "Wait, what?" Strong Will replied. "Evacuation?" "Yes. Those ghosts have taken over the city, and we're getting as many ponies, griffins, and others out as we can. Now come on!" Flash Lightning said urgently, spreading out his wings and taking to the sky. "Hold on!" Strong Will shouted as he hurried after his brother. "When did all of this happen?" "Not long after we split up," Flash Lighting called back. "We've sustained heavy losses, and are mostly on the defensive." "Damn it," Strong Will swore. "It's not all bad news, though," Flash Lightning continued. "Those horn heads managed to inflict some damage to the ghosts, allowing us to gain a few small victories." "Horn heads?" Strong Will repeated, confused and even a bit shocked his brother would use such an insult. It wasn't like him at all, and he glared at the pegasus as he ran along side him. "What the…?" Strong Will muttered, almost tripping over his own legs as, for a moment, it almost looked like his brother was flying without any wings. Blinking, and shaking his head, he looked again, only to find nothing wrong with his brother's wings. "Over there!" Flash Lightning pointed. "Some others of this outfit have managed to capture some of those ghosts," and he dropped down with speed, coming to a stop next to a unicorn stallion Strong Will had the strong feeling he had seen before, but couldn't quite place when or where. And, as he took a moment to study his fellow guard, the armor he was wearing seemed to fade away. Only for the protective gear to be fully present after he blinked a few times in confusion. "What the-" he murmured as he shook his head. "... That blow must be messing with my mind," he deduced, shaking his head a final time before focusing on the trio of ghosts somehow contained by the other guards. Looking at him with an irritated frown, Flash Lightning stepped closer to his brother. "Those are some of the ghosts responsible for attacking the civilians," he said, voice surprisingly light. Then a sinister tone took over. "Time for a little payback, wouldn't you agree, Brother?" "What!?" Strong Will looked at his brother in shock. "What are you talking about? We don't attack a defenseless opponent, no matter who they might be or what they have done." He glared at his brother. "And even though I'm still not buying the whole ghost thing, I am not attacking them when we already have them captured," his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "and neither should you!" A sudden blow from behind send his world spinning, and Strong Will stumbled on the spot as he tried to regain his bearings. Shaking his head, he growled in anger as he looked back to see who delivered that low blow; his eyes widened as he saw the frightened eyes of a young filly, only for a spike to shoot through his brain. The next moment he looked again, all he saw were the 'ghosts' surrounded by the guards; one of which was holstering his sword while glancing at Strong Will for a split second. "What the hay…?" Strong Will muttered loudly, glaring at those around him with ever-increasing suspicion. As he took a slow step back, his burning eyes never left the group of guards. "What the BUCK is going on!?" he demanded, only to flinch and groan loudly in pain as a painful throb shot through his brain. Grunting, he looked back up with angry eyes, only to have them widen in shock and disbelief as he saw the group of supposed guards were no longer wearing their armor. When he blinked, he saw that the entities that were being held at sword's edge weren’t the freaks he was fighting. Instead, they were replaced by the fearful, pleading eyes of a young family, one of which was the filly he remembered trying to help a while back; they were begging without words, praying for somepony, anypony to help them. "WHAT THE-" he roared, only to be struck by eerily familiar concussive blast. "Impressive," Vesper's heavily irritated voice spoke up, indicating he was anything but pleased. "Even now, you seem to be able to defy my control." He gritted his teeth for a moment, before a soulless smile replaced it. Turning to the helpless ponies, a short and hollow laugh escaped him. "Yes. No more kidding around." Here he glanced at Strong Will, who clambered back to his hooves, glaring at the ghost and taking notice his brother was no longer to be found. The guard frowned as he connected the pieces. Vesper turned his attention back to his pawns, "No need to go easy on them. Show this world that it is I they should fear. Show them the might of Vesper… Kill them, and make him watch. Then kill him too," he ordered as he flew away. "I can't have someone like him running around, defying me," he muttered afterwards. Growling at the small being, Strong Will once more cursed his lack of either a horn or wings. All he could do was glare murder at the small entity as he flew away. Looking at the ponies before him and now knowing that they were not in control of their own actions, he prepared himself to take them on. Watching with narrowed eyes, he saw the controlled ponies split up into groups. Two of them came for him, a mare and stallion, with the rest moving in on the family. Growling, Strong Will launched himself at the approaching threat, knowing he was at a disadvantage as he was unable to go all out. They weren't in control of themselves, and had to be subdued with minimal force. The controlled ponies, however, had no such reservations, and they readied the weapons they were carrying. The mare held a sword, the stallion a spear, and they charged Strong Will with blank gazes. Strong Will dived underneath the mare’s magical swing of her sword, before jumping back up and delivering a bone-shaking punch at the attacking stallion's jaw with enough force for him to lose grip of the spear, which fell to the ground. Not having time to rest, Strong Will jumped back, narrowly avoiding another wild swing from the sword, and he set his sights on the mare. A scream of fear then grabbed his attention, and he swore as he saw the other controlled ponies heading for the family; the controlled ponies were almost on top of them in the time he had wasted trying to defend himself. Swearing, he dodged yet another swing, before running at full speed towards the family in need. Jumping into the fray, he kicked the legs out from underneath one of the attackers, sending him tumbling to the ground. Acting quickly, he grabbed the spear that the pony had dropped, using a quick stomp of the hoof to snap off the tip of the weapon. He then brought the shaft up in a blur to block an incoming attack, nearly breaking the wood from the force of the blow. 'Damn it,' he grunted. 'What is going on with this piece of junk? This isn't any of the equipment we use,' he thought, before shaking those questions away, focusing on the problem at hoof. Swinging the halfway broken, pointless spear wildly around in an effort to push back the approaching force of mind controlled ponies, he slowly made his way to the huddled forms of the endangered family. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here!" he yelled through clenched teeth as he kept his eyes firmly on the approaching ponies, his back towards the family. "Oh, that's alright!" the filly spoke up, her voice light, yet hollow at the same time. Strong Will's eyes widened at the belated realization that it was her who had lured him in to begin with, and he had just enough time to turn his head to look at her before the back hooves of the stallion connected with him. With a groan and blood dripping from his mouth, Strong Will collapsed in a heap, barely conscious. "Well, isn't this something?" a now eerily familiar voice spoke up, chuckling darkly. In his rapidly blurring vision, Strong could see the small form of Vesper hovering before him, grinning madly "Why, it is almost as if you can't trust anyone these days." Strong Will groaned, struggling weakly, before slowly sinking away into darkness. "Oh, don't you worry. We'll break you, eventually. It isn't a matter of if, but when. Now, you just lay here while I go gather more pawns. I'm sure we’ll meet up again soon enough." Strong Will stilled as he finally fell unconscious. "The question is, will you be ready when we do?" Vesper slowly flew up, looking down at the blank minded pawns under his control. "Leave him for now," he ordered, then grinned evilly. "Now, you all know what to do. Make a mess, cause as much mayhem as you can. Show them why it is I who they should fear the most. Show them the might of Vesper!" The ponies all stiffly nodded, and Vesper laughed loudly, wickedly; his red eyes burned darkly in the minds of those he controlled. "Now, let's have some fun, shall we?" Author's Note Okay, it has been a long time. Far too long, in fact. So long even, that even I don't want to wait any more. I have send numerous messages to my editors, and waited and waited. Some of them, they know who they are, did a splendid job. Others never wrote back, or showed much of any other sign of still being among the living. Also, yay. Season six has aired. Unfortunately, it also contradicted my idea of the guards being responsible for the local law enforcement, seeing we were introduced to our ponies in uniform in episode 3. But seeing I had written this chapter more than six freaking months ago, I say fuck it. I'm just glad this is finally published. That said, I'm not so sure who has edited, and who hasn't. I kinda lost track after so long. So, if you spot a mistake, leave a comment or something. I dunno. I have already put in too much effort getting this edited, and even finding new editors as well. Now I'm just hoping things will not take so damned long with the next chapters... The way it is looking, though, it will probably be during the premiere of season 7 that there is going to be another update. I'll see what I can do about that. Now, back to the story itself. What did you like, what didn't you like. Let me know in the comments, and I hope you enjoy this new addition to my ever growing world. ~Powerdrainer
Solar WrathEdits done by Halusm, Clawder, Clayton the Hunter, and Slayerseba. Solar Wrath <<>><<>><<>> The first light of the moon rose up past the horizon; the heavenly object's path wobbly, as the one raising it pushed herself far past what was normal. Celestia’s wings beat heavily, leaving a golden contrail in her wake; her eyes narrowed in a determined glare; she descended into the city slamming to the ground, with enough force to crack the road's surface. She had arrived... and it hadn't gone unnoticed. Numerous lifeless eyes watched her from the ever increasing darkness, while she herself looked around with growing concern and anger. All around her, Celestia saw empty streets, abandoned buildings and not a pony in sight: something which should not be. Not in a bustling city like Baltimare. So the fact there was no one concerned her greatly. That and the grisly sight she witnessed during her flight to the city. Now though, even if there wasn't a pony in sight, she could still feel herself being watched; and she herself glared with hot glowing eyes at the numerous green orbs staring back at her. "Ghosts," she muttered, angrily. She knew what they were, having heard about these creatures from the humans, as well as several slight incidents with only a hoof full of spectral entities in the past. Nothing as large as what was happening now. And despite the knowledge exchanged with the humans, she knew her ponies, the guards, and the Wonderbolts, were all poorly equipped to deal with such a threat. In fact, she herself also lacked any useful knowledge to effectively deal with these things. Nor did she, or her ponies, possess any of the weapons the humans used to combat this threat. With hardened eyes, Celestia slowly scanned her surroundings; her horn aglow, illuminating the area with golden light. A loud screech suddenly filled the air and a ghost launched itself at her; mouth wide open, showing rows of razor sharp, saliva covered teeth. Celestia, turning to face this abomination fully, waited until the thing was almost on top of her, then she blinked out of existence. The ghosts, confused that their prey had vanished without a trace, slammed into the ground, looking around in confusion. Then, in a flash of gold, a gold-clad hoof connected with its head, a sickening crunch accompanying the impact. Dropping to the ground, green glowing goop flowing out of the caved in hole in its head, the ghost looked at its attacker. Celestia, eyes ablaze, stood clad in brilliantly polished golden armor, a long and slender sword held aloft in her magical hold, and a blazing, burning aura of righteous fury surrounded her; the street below slowly beginning to melt. Flicking her hoof clean from the goop still clinging to it, she slowly, deliberately set it down, bringing her sword to bare. "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES!" She shouted in royal decree, her voice carrying far and wide. "ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" Numerous roars, cries, screeches and other unholy sounds came in answer, and the ghosts attacked en mass. "So be it," Celestia stated, and brought her sword down on the ghost still lying before her; cutting its head clean off. <<>><<>><<>> "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES! ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" "Did ya hear that?" Sweet Apple asked, ears perked up. "Hear it? Ah felt it," Apple Gleam grunted; himself, his wife, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider hiding in a side alley a short run away from the store they'd hid in just the moment before. "It's the Princess," Scoot Blaze gasped, hopeful they'd be saved at last. "Let's not celebrate just yet," Sky Rider said, ears swiveling around. "If we heard her, so did everything else. And I don't want to be where all those things are going to." Apple Gleam, Sweet Apple and Scoot Blaze had to agree with him. As powerful as the princess was, even she would have a hard time with the large number of ghosts. Even more so if she had to keep them, or others safe. So, begrudgingly, they had to agree that, in their current situation, broken wing, leg, and nearly depleted stamina, the last place they wanted to be was where they knew all the ghosts would go to. "But then, where do we go?" Scoot Blaze asked. "Is there any other place like the restaurant, with guards and such?" "If ya ask me, I'd stay as far away from such places," Sweet Apple grunted. "You saw what happened when that ghost showed up. No way Ah'm risking gettin' swept away 'n such a mess again. 'Sides, tha smaller the group, tha more difficult we're spotted." "That may be true," Apple Gleam replied gruffly, "But we're still bein' chased by that Celestia damned ghost ourselves." "Speakin' of that damned ghost," Sweet Apple said. "Any idea where it is now?" "No, and Ah rather not find out either," Apple Gleam answered, flinching slightly from a stab of pain in his leg. "... Let's just get outta here," he grunted and awkwardly stepped towards the end of the alley, peeking past the corner to make sure it was safe. A horrific scream froze them all in their tracks, fear clenching their hearts. <<>><<>><<>> Soarin and Spitfire, after seeing their commanding officer go down, were only able to stare in shock when the metallic ghost got to Rainbow Blaze's smoking body before they had the chance to do so themselves. And it was with horror, anger and rising bile that they watched how Skulker unsheathed a wicked blade from his wrist, cutting off Rainbow's tail at the base. "A fine trophy," Skulker said, putting the bloodied, still twitching appendage in a storage compartment build in his armor. "YOU MONSTER!" Spitfire screamed, diving down with speed, fully intent to dive bomb the ghost. With a mocking smirk and taunting ease, Skulker simply hovered to the side; waiting for the enraged mare to fly beside him, then swatted her out of the air with a backhand to the head. "DON'T YOU DARE!" Soarin shouted, enraged, having snuck up on the ghost while Spitfire distracted him. Or so he thought. Swinging his body around and slamming his hind legs into Skulker's unprotected back, Soaring was shocked when he simply phased through; Skulker's image distorting. "Too easy," Skulker grunted, turning visible behind Soarin, weapon aimed at his head. "Fooled by a simple holographic decoy. You're young, inexperienced and not worth my time," he said, almost sounding bored and fired his arm mounted blaster. "THINK AGAIN!" Spitfire roared, slamming into his side; Skulker's shot narrowly missing Soarin as the sizzling bolt seared a hair's breadth over the pony's head. "Impressive," Skulker grunted, then an evil grin of renewed interest set on his face. "You actually managed to do what he couldn't," he said, noticing the small dent in his armor where Spitfire's hooves connected. "Maybe I'll add you to my collection as well." Both Soarin and Spitfire roared their outrage as they attacked again. "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES! ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" Skulker glanced behind him, a wicked grin showing as he dodged yet another swing from the enraged pair of pegasi. "Or maybe not," he grunted, easily avoiding the pair. Activating one of his secondary weapons, Skulker fired a blob of green ectoplasmic goop at the two pegasi. Unable to dodge as they were still trying to turn around, the projectile flew in between the two, exploded and connected with Soarin and Spitfire in a webbing of incredibly sticky goop; binding them together, forcing them down to the ground. "You two stay here for a while, while I decide what to do with you. There are still others who demand my attention and a possible new prey has just revealed itself," Skulker told them, hovering in place with his thruster pack just above them. "If you're lucky, you won't see me again. If you're really lucky, you will. Until then," he grinned darkly, a shadow covering his glowing eyes, "This should keep you occupied." Showing a metallic orb held in his hands, he pressed a button and the orb beeped; a single, pulsing red light lighting up the reflective surface. Extending his arm out towards the two ponies, he tilted his hand and allowed gravity to take hold. With a clang, the orb fell to the ground, then rolled closer to the trapped pair; both of them watching the pulsing orb roll towards them, then come to a stop several hoofsteps away. "If you live, consider yourself worthy of my attention. If not… well, I don't think I need to explain what would happen if you don't." Slowly, Soarin and Spitfire looked from the orb up to Skulker, eyes wide with anger and fear. "Let's see who steps forth victorious in this battle of the fittest," Skulker proclaimed. "May the strongest of you survive… Long enough to face me." Activating the boosters of his thruster pack, Skulker shot off into the night; the two flames of the thruster's exhaust revealing his path to the pegasi, before their attention was drawn back to the still pulsing and now also beeping orb. "Spits… you don't think that's a-" "I think and I know," she replied tensely, struggling wildly to break free. "Now, quit your jabbing and break free before that thing blows us all up," she barked harshly, eyes narrowed and almost glowing with burning anger. "Yes, Ma'am," Soarin yelped, the new chain of command asserted, only to be silenced by a terrifying scream echoing through the darkened streets. <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie Pie, Maud and their grandmother slowly, carefully stepped out of one of the buildings where they'd been hiding in after seeing several ghosts flew overhead. Now though, unable to stay in the abandoned, overturned sofa store (where, for some reason, they also sold quills) they risked venturing out in the open once more. "Is it safe?" Granny Pie asked from inside the store, staring hard through her smudged glasses. "It sure looks like it," Pinkie Pie replied readily, bouncing out on the streets, seemingly without a care in the world; her new best friend, the baby alligator whom she still had to give a name, involuntarily bobbed his head with each bounce as he sat snugly in Pinkie's mane. "Maud?" She turned to her sister. Maud, unable to find any form of amusement in their current situation, stared at Pinkie blankly; slowly blinking once. "I don't see any of those things," she answered monotonically. "YOU SHALL DO NO HARM TO MY PONIES! ANY OF YOU WHO DO, SHALL BE STRUCK DOWN BEFORE ME!" The rumbling voice of their princess took them by surprise and all three flinched back in fright. "By the Choosing Stone's mercy. It's the Princess," Granny Pie realized, a spark of hope beginning flickering to life. "Children, let's go. The Princess is sure to get us out of here." "... okay," Maud agreed without emotion. "Oki doki lok-" Pinkie chirped happily, only to come to an abrupt stop, eyes crossing as she looked up at the baby alligator in her mane. "WAIT!" She shouted. "We can't go there. Our new friend says it isn't safe." "Pinkie, what are you talking about this time?" Granny Pie asked, the slightest hint of irritation born from despair tainting her voice. "Our new friend, the baby alligator with no name says it isn't safe," Pinkie repeated. "What?" Granny Pie asked, flummoxed. "Yeah, I know, right," Pinkie nodded her agreement. "What is his name?" Granny Pie and Maud stared blankly at the pink filly. Pinkie Pie, scooping the small reptile out of the tangles of her mane, held him before her; looking at him quizzically. "Do you have a name?" She asked, staring at the alligator without blinking. A staring contest joined by the baby reptile as, with a seemingly vacant stare, he looked at Pinkie without pause or blink. "Well?" Pinkie urged on. Slowly, the alligator's mouth opened, and he bit down on Pinkie's muzzle; taking firm hold with his toothless jaws. Then, after several awkward seconds ticked by, his tongue flashed out of the corner of his mouth, licking over one of his eyes. "GUMMY!" Pinkie shouted happily, detaching the reptile from her muzzle and hugging him tightly. "Pinkie?" Maud stepped forward, concern cracking through her otherwise emotionless voice. "Maud, meet Gummy," Pinkie said, holding Gummy out towards her older sister. Gummy stared unblinkingly at the gray earth pony. "Pinkie, what's this all about? I know you're excited to have found a new friend, but this is not the time, nor place to sit around. There are horrible monsters everywhere and we must go to the Princess," Granny Pie stepped up, trying to talk some sense in her exuberant grandchild. "But we can't!" Pinkie stated firmly. "Gummy says that's where all the ghosts are going to." "What!?" Granny Pie gasped. "Gummy says the Princess was super loud and all the meany mean ghosts heard her, and are going to her. So we can't go to the Princess, because it isn't safe." Granny Pie blinked rapidly, taken aback. "... Gummy, eh… said that?" She asked. "Hmhmmm," Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. "Well, talking alligator aside, you do raise a valid point," Granny Pie realized. "She does?" Maud asked. "Yes," Granny nodded stiffly. "If we heard the Princess, so did everything els—" a loud, horrifying scream interrupted her. And as they all looked up with wide, fearful eyes, they saw a literal wave of green glowing entities fly overhead in the dark skies; all heading towards the Princess. "Stars above," Granny Pie gasped, a terrified tremble rocking her to the core while her grandchildren pressed closer to her in fear. <<>><<>><<>> With a swift, clean swipe, Celestia's blade sliced through the necrotic flesh of the unholy abomination before her. An angry screech escaping the blackened, cracked lips of the vaguely reptile like ghost, before it transformed into an incoherent gurgling; its head severing from its body, dropping to the ground with a muted, wet thump. Turning her burning eyes up, she patiently awaited the ghosts' next move while she stared at them with a heated glare of solar wrath. Power rolled off her in waves, slamming into the horde of undead entities closest to her, pushing them back. She watched as they conversed with one another, glowing eyes watching her unblinkingly; their luminosity matched by the rapidly increasing numbers of orbs the ghosts held in their grasp. Yet, as she watched them, she realized something was off. They weren't so much looking at her, but to the body of the slain ghost at her hooves. Following their collective gaze down, a gasp of shock and fright escaped her, and she took an involuntary step back as the dead, glowing eyes of the disembodied head stared back at her; a vicious scowl on its face. "Impossible," she gasped as a wisp of spectral energy flowed from the head to the lifeless body, connecting to the spine, tapping into its nervous system. With horror, Celestia watched as the still body started to twitch and move; pushing itself upright, then move for its head. "CEASE YOUR ACTIONS RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Celestia demanded, aiming the sharpened edge of her sword at the headless body. Unimpressed, the body proceeded to grab its head, which had levitated itself up from the ground and towards its body's waiting hands, before reattaching itself with a sickening squelch. Rolling its head and cracking its neck several times, the horror looked at Celestia, who herself felt a tremor of fear run down her spine. Then, the ghost screamed, loudly, terrifyingly, its voice echoed away through the mostly abandoned streets and buildings. Recoiling in reflex, Celestia went into a defensive stance, not allowing her fear to stand between her and her ponies' safety. Securing her stance, she glared down at the ghost before her. And, in extent, those surrounding her. Yet a sudden dimming of the moon's light drew her attention up and she almost dropped her sword when she saw the figurative tidal wave of spectral entities descending down onto her. "By Luna's mercy," Celestia gasped. Dark chuckling, low at first, but gradually growing into a loud, maniacal laughter, pulled Celestia's widened eyes down to the ghost she'd beheaded unsuccessfully; it glaring back at her with a wicked smile, showing numerous rancid, needle-like teeth. Pointing a single, claw-like finger at her, the ghost screeched incoherently and the night lit up with toxic green light. <<>><<>><<>> Time seemed to slow to a crawl and Celestia acted in reflex well before any coherent thought could shape or form. With golden luminosity from her horn, a shield of the same color flashed into existence, fully covering her from the onslaught brought down upon her. Yet as powerful as she might be, even her strength had its limits. And a barrage of more ghosts than she could count in the sparse few second before their attack proved a severe strain on the solar princess. With a grunt, which quickly turned into a shout of exertion, Celestia gritted her teeth as her shield was struck continuously; her horn glowing brighter and brighter as she fed more and more power into her defenses. Her shield, in turn, became brighter also, until it glowed with such radiance night turned to day and the ghosts all screamed out as they were blinded by the golden light. Yet this didn't stop them from firing their searing blasts of undead green at the dazzling sphere of light. They fired more and more of their energy into the deflective, shimmering surface of Celestia's shield, who, in turn, channeled more and more of her solar powers into maintaining her defense. Yet as they did, each and everyone of them became aware of something most… unusual. The more of their energy the ghosts unleashed, the more it seemed to react with Celestia's magic. Though, not in the same way they had experienced throughout the day, with all the other of their victims. Whereas their spectral energy collided and clashed most violently with these ponies' energy, often resulting in a devastating explosion, or other cataclysmic occurrence, causing severe injury, or worse, now the two opposite forces almost seem to mix; blending together in an unnatural combination which made all involved weak and nauseated. Gasping, Celestia swayed unsteadily on her hooves, her magic faltering while, at the same time, the ghosts closest to her dropped to the ground, their attacks failing. With a flicker and crackle, Celestia's shield failed, exposing her to the dangers outside. Panting heavily, sweat drenching her fur, she slowly looked around while trying to determine what had happened. Immediately, she noticed the numerous ghosts closest to her in a similar state like her. Some of them even lay on the ground; unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated. Those further back, however, seemed to be mostly unaffected by this new and unexpected development; though they warily looked back and forth between Celestia, and the affected ghosts. Grunting, Celesta forced herself to stand tall, despite her body's protest; readying herself for whatever new trick these ghosts would throw at her. "Hmmm, interesting. Very interesting," a strong and eager voice spoke up. Slightly turning her head and looking behind her through the corner of her eyes, while still keeping an eye on all the ghosts around her, Celestia took notice of the metallic ghost hovering behind her, grinning just a bit too much. "And here I thought this world wouldn't be able to deliver a proper challenge. But here you are," Skulker said, a shadow falling over his eyes. "I must say, I wasn't expecting that trick you just pulled. But, then again. Neither were they," he looked at the downed ghosts. "You're different; stronger, more disciplined. Your power, more… refined." —a sudden explosion went off in the distance, rattling and shattering the remaining, unbroken windows, while Skulker's grin widened considerably— "Now, I wonder—" he said, paying the detonation of his bomb no mind, typing in a line of commands in his arm mounted computer. "—Just how much of a challenge will you be? You're strong. You have demonstrated as much. But you have also shown clear signs of weakness—" a weapon deployed from his left arm, green glowing light burning at the tip. "—not to mention the strain you've endured against all these weaklings combine-" During the distraction caused by Skulker, his words rapidly increasing the anger Celestia felt, she failed to notice the ghost she'd beheaded get back up and lunge for her. In a flurry of motion, the ghost attacked. Caught unaware, Celestia only had time to turn to look with widening eyes; realizing her mistake when, quite unexpectedly, a searing bolt of green flashed past her head with no room to spare; singing a line of black fur over her cheek, impacting dead center into the ghost's chest, burning a hoof sized hole through and through. The ghost gurgled, coughing up ectoplasmic blood, splattering some of it over Celestia's face, then it dropped to the ground, unmoving. Then, a wildly wavering aura spread out over the fallen ghost, consuming it, leaving nothing behind. Eyes wide in shock and horror, Celestia slowly looked back at the metallic ghost behind her, seeing him with his arm raised and weapon still smouldering. "Weakness disgust me," Skulker grunted angrily. "Don't let it happen again." Steeling herself, Celestia turned fully, glaring up at the monster who saved her life for his own gain. "What do you want?" she asked tensely, eyes and horn aglow. "To weed out the weak and challenge the strong. To hunt and kill, and hone my skill. And you are going to help me with this." "NEVER!" Celestia yelled with fury, boiling heat radiating off of her. "Oh, but you will," Skulker grinned. "Like I said, you've shown both strength and weakness. Weakness I can exploit." His grin now turned into a truly evil smile. "You shall do no harm to my ponies. Isn't that what you said? Any who do, shall be struck down before me. Isn't that the promise you made?" With each word he spoke, more and more shadows covered his face, until all that could be seen was his silhouette with green glowing eyes. "Oh, I've done a lot of hurting your ponies," he told her, pulling out and revealing the blood smeared, rainbow striped tail in his possession. Celestia flinched back in horror, recognizing this all too familiar color scheme. Then, her anger exploded much like a supernova and her mane, and tail burst out into fire. "YOU TAKE OVER THIS CITY, HURT MY PONIES, AND FIND ENJOYMENT IN THEIR SUFFERING!?ENOUGH!!!YOU WILL BE MADE TO PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!" Celestia roared, her mane a billowing inferno. "Oh, I'm counting on it," Skulker grinned, deploying his weapons. "May our fight be long and worthy." He grinned, his face reflected in the polished metal of Celestia's sword. <<>><<>><<>> A few minutes prior. Soarin and Spitfire struggled in their bonds, desperately trying to break free before the explosive device would detonate. "GHAAA!" Spitfire grunted, managing to pull one of her front legs free from the sticky goop. With the same strenuous effort, Soarin followed suit and pulled free his left hind leg. Now both pegasi had some leverage to help them in their escape and they quickly set to work; Spitfire using her leg to grab and rip off several strands which immobilized her wings, while Soarin scraped free his other leg. Though it was slow going, because each and every time they did so, their hooves would get stuck again. But with their increased movability, it became easier and easier to break free. And after far too much time had passed, both pegasi were able to stand up; no longer stuck to the ground, though they were still connected to one another. Time to remedy that situation they didn't have however as, with a sudden and rapidly increasing beeping, the pair looked at the metallic orb near them, it's pulsing light now flashing faster and faster. ""RUN!!!!"" They both yelled. Not wasting any time fumbling around, they quickly matched each other's pace and dove for cover behind an overturned carriage. The night lit up a sparse second later, joined by a deafening blast; its shockwave knocking into the pair through their cover, splintering the wood and filling the air with dangerous projectiles. Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes as the two pegasi lay lifelessly on the ground. The carriage they hoped would protect them, destroyed completely. Their bodies, still connected by numerous strands of slightly luminescent green goop, now also were spotted with red blotches, slowly growing as they bled from the numerous cuts and gashes the barrage of splinters inflicted. Spitfire was the first to twitch, then groan as she sluggishly tried to push herself back up; her vision hazy and the world around her blurred, and dizzying. Soarin followed soon after, not faring any better than his team mate. "Ca- gha- Can you move?" Spitfire grunted, trying her hardest to stay on her hooves. "I-... I'm not sure," Soarin groaned, struggling to push a leg behind him and pull himself up. A sudden tearing noise, almost unheard through the ringing in their ears, snapped their attention to their flight suits. Their weak struggles to push themselves back up, along with the damage caused by the numerous splinters cutting through the fabric, had weakened them to the point they now tore apart, and large patches fell to the ground; taking with them most of the strands of green the ghost had trapped them in. "Well- ghnnn- that solves that," Soaring groaned, then a singular thought suddenly sharpened in his mind. "Wait! What about the captain?" Spitfire's breath got caught in her throat, eyes widening in alarm and she tore off the rest of her suit in a sudden burst of adrenaline induced strength; not even noticing the many sharp stings of all the splinters she dislodged and even forced deeper into her body. Soarin, too, didn't waste any time freeing himself. But his attempts to free himself from the suddenly constrictive grasps of his suit slowed him down greatly. So much, so, that Spitfire had already dashed into the darkness to their captain's last known position. A sudden, strangled gasp, followed moments later by an cry of absolute outrage gave Soarin the remaining strength he needed to break free and he didn't waste any time joining his partner. He only made it halfway to her, though, as, partially illuminated by the moon's light, he could see what had caused Spitfire such distress. There, lying on the ground several impossibly far steps away, lay Rainbow Blaze; his eyes glazed over, numerous burns and gashes marring his body. A dark patch of blood at his hind body, flowing from the stump where his tail once was. And, lodged deeply into his chest, was a large piece of the carriage. Soarin felt his already weak strength fail completely and he fell to the ground; trying to avert his gaze, but impossible to do so as he stared at the mutilated corpse of his captain. A static crackle filled the air and Soarin finally was able to pull his sight away from his captain, only to come up to a sight which scared him even further. Spitfire, her entire body shaking, teeth grinding, slowly turned away from Rainbow Blaze, looking towards where Skulker had flown off to; her pupils so small they were barely perceptible and several small arcs of electricity lancing off her mane. With a cry, which sounded more than a feral roar, she shot off into the night with a thunderous boom, leaving behind her fallen captain and injured comrade; only one thought clear in her rage addled mind. Revenge. <<>><<>><<>> A large group of ghosts stood, hovered, or otherwise occupied their chosen space as they surrounded the two combatants in a large circle; watching with rapt attention and wicked grins as Skulker fought with the powerful, white pony. Yet none of them dared to intervene and get an easy shot at the pony; their fear of Skulker keeping them at bay. Celestia, however, did not fear him. She hated him, loathed what he had done and acknowledged him as the skilfull adversary he was. But fear… After everything she had lived through, everything she had experienced, the fiend now facing her didn't even phase her. She did, however, fear for her ponies' safety. And the knowledge so many had already been injured… and worse, killed, focused her mind on her enemy; her sword cleaving through the air with lethal skill and precision. Her horn was ablaze with solar magic; eyes glowing with the same fury; the night lit up by the living inferno her mane had become. Her motions were a blur, none of the ghosts could keep up. None, but Skulker. His trained eye capable of keeping track of each and every step Celestia took; calculating his every move based on what she did and vice versa. Yet for all her righteous anger, Celestia moved with grace and determination; not allowing her anger to get the better of her, lest she made a mistake. She moved with a fluidity, more akin as if she was dancing than locked in mortal combat. Her blade swung, precise and lethal, yet with an unmistakable grace only one most skilled could show. And Skulker reveled in it. Here she was, the one prey he'd looked for. Strong, powerful, trained, skilled, determined and oh so angry. Each swing of her blade, he dodged with a grin. Each searing beam of her magic, he evaded with a laugh. And with a true sense of completion, he watched as his own attacks collided with Celestia's shield; only managing to injure the ghosts closest to them as his shots ricocheted. Though sometimes, when Skulker used his weapons powered by his own energy, the same, strange, nauseating wave would occur when their energies clashed. It was strange, no doubt about it. During his time here, hunting and killing, he had encountered several strange occurrences. Most noticeable of them, the more than sizable dent still in his armor left by that stallion he'd first encountered. This new development, however, puzzled him. Not so much he'd put too much thought behind it. But enough for him to hold back with his spectral based weaponry and primarily use his basic, kinetic weapons, as well as his wrist blade. Celestia, for her part, stood steadfast, not allowing this nauseating wave to slow her down. Yet she noticed her opponent, as well as all the other ghosts were affected by this unusual energy as much as she was. Maybe even more. She also noticed Skulker took exception to this and changed his tactics; avoiding the use of certain weapons. Though it didn't do much to help her. She was still surrounded by a mob of ghosts, all of whom seemed to hold back for now. Either afraid by what Skulker had done to their suspected leader, or waiting for a possibility to strike themselves. Of course, despite her disadvantaged situation, she continuously analyzed every instance of the battle and surroundings. After all, a good understanding of any battle makes the difference between victory and defeat. And she wasn't unaware of her own involvement relating to the debilitating wave of nauseating energy. She soon picked up that when her magic interacted with their spectral might, this strange energy was unleashed. And as much as it debilitated her, it was also an effective weapon against these unholy abominations. Realizing this, she charged her horn; aiming her concentrated might at Skulker, forcing him on the offensive; hoping that, if they could do it to her, she could do it to them as well. Skulker, however, quickly saw through her plan and opted instead to dodge out of the way; unleashing a barrage of rockets, forcing Celestia to project a shield over herself instead. "This will not be an easy victory," Skulker grunted, revving up his small, arm mounted gatling gun. "And don't think you can force me to make a mistake. I'm not so easily foole-" So busy was he focusing on the princess, he made a critical mistake. He left his back wide open. And with a roar of primal rage, moving so fast her form was nothing more than a blur, Spitfire slammed full force into his back; the both of them crashing into the unyielding ground, each bouncing once, then skidding off in separate directions. Skulker, roaring in surprise and anger; his armor critically damaged from behind. Spitfire, screaming in debilitating pain; both front legs broken from the impact with Skulker and numerous other bones cracked, broken, and shifted with the subsequent collision with the ground; a long smear of blood left in her wake. "SPITFIRE!" Soarin cried out for his comrade, having been able to force himself into motion and only now catching up with her. Too late, he quickly realized. "Ghrrr," Skulker grunted, slowly pushing himself up with his right arm, his dark green glowing eyes piercing the shadow covering his facade. A spark shot out of a critically damaged component in his armor and a quick system's check later revealed his left arm was disabled. Slowly turning around, his murderous gaze locked onto the downed pegasus. "How disappointing," he spat. "So much potential, wasted on a single, rage blinded strike, which may have damaged my armor, but crippled you completely." He snorted in disgust. "I'm done wasting my time with you," he said, lifting his right arm, aiming his blaster at Spitfire. Then, nothing. He dropped his arm, grunting. "You're not even worth killing now. It would only be a mercy." He then quickly jumped to his left, avoiding the swift strike of Celestia's blade descending down on him. Looking at the enraged princess and carefully considering his position, Skulker roughly grunted in anger, and annoyance. "You can have them, for now," Skulker barked at the gathered ghosts. "Keep them busy while I repair my armor." Numerous barks, roars, screeches and other unholy sounds replied in answer; the many glowing eyes burning just a bit brighter. "Coward," Celestia hissed. "Stand and fight." Grinning, Skulker slowly turned to face her. "Or else?" He asked. "The way I see it, you only have two choices. Either we continue our fight, here and now, and leave that one for my… associates," he said, giving the faintest of nods towards Spitfire. "Or you focus your attention on that weakling, defending her while fending off any and all attacks." Celestia narrowed her eyes, charging her horn with a spell. In a flash, Spitfire's body was gone and Soarin, still standing on the side with empty eyes, suddenly grunted from the unexpected weight on his back. Looking behind him, he saw Spitfire draped over his back; unconscious, front legs held in unnatural angles and bleeding severely. "Private," Celestia called out to him, never averting her eyes from Skulker, who slowly shifted his gaze from where Spitfire was, to where she is now. "Take her away someplace safe, while I deal with this filth." Soarin sputtered, unable to put his broken thoughts in alignment. "THAT'S AN ORDER!" Celestia barked harshly and this time something clicked in Soarin's mind. More on autopilot than conscious thought, his wings snapped open and he quickly shot away. "... Matter transportation capabilities," Skulker grunted, surprised, almost impressed. "None of the others have demonstrated this ability," he said, more to himself, as he turned back to face the enraged alicorn. "Suddenly this engagement has become that more interesting." "You shall not hurt any more of my ponies!" Celestia seethed through teeth. "Oh, I shouldn't worry about me… much," Skulker grinned darkly. "After all, my previous threat still stands." Glancing to his side, he saw the many evil smiles from his spectral brethren. "After all, you may be able to hold your own against me. But against us all?" "You shall not win!" Celestia stated, readying her sword. "We'll see," Skulker replied eagerly. "But no matter the outcome for me, you've already lost." And with those words, Skulker fired his still functioning right arm blaster. It was a wild shot, easily dodged by Celestia, but Skulker continued firing and thus allowing the ghosts surrounding them to fly off into the night; a sizable group following after Soarin. "Now we're going to find out just how big of a loss this truly is for you," Skulker laughed. Author's Note Wow, will you look at that. A new chapter, and after such a long time of inactivity. Well, it had to happen someday, right? Anyhow, regardless of how much time has passed, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and the continuation of this story. Let me know in the comments. And speaking of comments, should you spot any mistake, or anything else that seems wrong in one way or the other, please let me know. ~Powerdrainer
ConsequencesAuthor's Note And here we are yet again, with a whole new update. As I mentioned a while back in my blog post, I planned a multi-update for my fics. Four in total, to celebrate the completion of my twenty ninth lap around the sun. And I somehow managed to pull it off, too. Seriously, two of my fics I left to gather an unholy amount of dust, this being one of them, and it took a while to clear out the mess I allowed it to become. But here we are, with the multi-update I promised. Now, as per usual, please inform me down in the comments about any mistake you spotted, or to tell me what you liked/disliked. Enjoy, ~Powerdrainer Consequences Edited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder. Consequences <<>><<>><<>> With beating wings and a heart rate to match, Soarin shot through the sky, forcing his already strained muscles to squeeze out every last bit of speed he could manage to propel him, as well as his passenger, as fast as he could, away from the ghosts; forcing himself to ignore the feeling of Spitfire's misaligned legs and the flow of her warm blood staining his fur, while also pushing the pain of numerous injuries he had sustained to the back of his mind. Aided in this task, by some twisted sense of irony, by the ghosts in pursuit. Loud explosions coming from where he'd just left, told the story of a battle started anew and he knew his princess stood facing the ghosts and more specifically, that one ghost, head on, buying him the time needed to escape with Spitfire, as long as he could outfly the group still hunting him down. Shrill screams, accompanied by a rapidly increasing number of glowing green bolts and beams flying in every direction, but a significant number also aimed towards him, disappeared into the night's sky, or blasting holes in the buildings and street illuminated his retreat, and he knew he was not out of danger yet; so he pushed himself harder than he had ever done before, heart pounding in his ears and wings screaming in protest from over exertion, yet he kept pushing and pushing, the outer edges of his vision darkening as he desperately sought for a way to escape with both their lives intact. Then, without warning and, taking him by complete surprise, everything lit up as bright as day. A shock wave of heat and raw power slammed into him moments later, and both ponies fell to the ground below. <<>><<>><<>> Meanwhile "Come on, y'all," Sweet Apple waved the group over with a hoof after scouting ahead and the three other ponies moved as fast as they could, to cross the distance separating them from the next relatively safe place. "LOOK OUT!" Sky Rider shouted as quietly as he could, having spotted a group of ghosts on approach and he, his wife, and Apple Gleam ducked for cover, while Sweet Apple jumped back into the dark entrance of the high rise hotel she'd just scouted the lobby of. Back pressed against a wall, Sweet Apple glanced back out, watching as the sizable group of ghosts flew over; shouting, screeching and laughing wickedly, as they passed. It didn't take long for her to realize that they were indeed moving in the direction of where they had heard their princess shout. That realization alone made her worry more than she suspected. Yes, these horrible creatures were now distracted, giving the four of them, as well as who knows how many others a chance to escape. But at what cost? Their princess was powerful, no question about it. But there were so many ghosts and the things they could do, have done… Running the other way was the right thing to do, but she also felt deep down it was not the right thing to do. 'An Apple doesn't run, dangit' Shaking that thought away, she watched as the ghosts moved away, then waited for several tens and unbearingly long seconds more to make sure everything was clear, before quietly calling the others of her group. With as close to a mad scramble as they could, the three moved into the relative safety of the, assumedly, empty hotel; moving as far away from the doors and windows, and quickly seeking additional cover behind the check-in counter; the floor behind littered with logbook pages, keys to the various rooms, as well as a couple of decorative potted plants; trampled in the panic to escape. "Are y'all alright?" Sweet Apple asked after a moment. Neither of them had time to answer, as right then and there, a blinding burst of light lit up the night, before a tremendous shockwave slammed into the hotel which shook, groaned and rumbled in protest, before failing in its entirety. <<>><<>><<>> Meanwhile Stepping out of yet another side street, moving around an overturned carriage, Granny Pie carefully scanned the streets and sky for any sign of ghosts, ready to send her grandfoals running, while drawing any undead attention to herself if need be. Luckily, once again the path they had chosen proved to be free of any ghosts. Nor did they seem to run in any other pony, griffon, or other creature living in, or passing through the city at the time of the invasion. Though such a thing would be strange, considering the large number of creatures in Baltimare at any given time, but right now such matters meant little to her. The street and sky were clear, and it was safe, for now at least, for Pinkie and Maud to step out in the open. "Come children, we can't stay out here for too long," Granny Pie urged the two on, making haste to get as far as they could away from where every ghost would undoubtedly go to; nervously watching the sky for any sign of these undead abominations, while she waited for Pinkie and Maud. Pinkie with her newest friend, Gummy, still planted snugly in the confines of her mane, quickly picked up her pace while Maud lagged behind, hesitating as she herself looked out for any sign of danger with large, haunted eyes. Noticing this, Pinkie rushed back to her older sister. "Come on, Maud. Gummy says we're going to be fine, so don't worry." Maud, currently at eye level with Gummy, blinked slowly, then looked down at her sister; forcing a weak smile, then nodded. "Okay," she said monotonously and took a hesitant step out on the street. "Everything is going to be fine, dear. You'll—" A sudden, blinding burst of light cut Granny Pie off and all three cried out in fright. Then a shockwave slammed into them and the city shook. <<>><<>><<>> Meanwhile Celestia glared with narrowed eyes at the ghost before her; sword before her, held aloft in her golden glow. Skulker grinned darkly, his left arm hanging limply by his side, aiming a wrist mounted weapon with his right. Slowly, both combatants circled around, waiting for the other to strike first; surrounded by a thrashing mob of undead beings, some of which were making wagers on the outcome. Celestia moved first, swinging her sword, followed by a quick jab, as Skulker easily avoided the first strike as expected. Channeling her magic, she fired a bolt of destructive might towards the cybernetic ghost while he was forced to dodge the sharpened edge of her sword. Seeing what came to him, Skulker twisted at the last second, presenting the already dead arm of his to catch the bolt; destroying his arm past the point of repair, but sparing everything still functional. Jumping away, he caught Celestia's sword with his wrist mounted blade; sparks shooting from the clashing metals on contact. Grinning, he fired several rockets from his back towards Celestia, who quickly deployed a shield to protect herself. With her attention shifted and blinded by the explosions before her, Skulker used this opening to knock away the sword and circle behind his foe. "Too easy," he taunted, priming yet another of his weapons. Whirling around, Celestia swung her sword, only to realize her mistake as she sliced through the now wavering image of Skulker, before it flickered out of existence. "Too easy," Skulker grunted, this time annoyed as he faded back into view, aiming a weapon point blank at Celestia's head from the side. With a shout of anger and frustration, Celestia shover him away with as much force as she could; blasting Skulker away with blurring speed, while his weapon discharged from the sudden shock. Though knocked off aim, the fired projectiles still hit home and struck Celestia in her torso; blood spewing out as she collapsed with a cry. The ghosts surrounding her, a path carved through them revealing which way Skulker was launched, slowly looked back from the hole in some distant building to the struggling mare as she forced her hooves back under her; gritting her teeth as she forced the pain to the back of her mind, focusing all her anger and grief at the ghosts around her, and the one pulling himself out of the wall in particular. Reaching out with her magic, she looked for her sword, only to find it too, was flung away, and she now faced this force without it. No matter. She stood in defiance against many horrible entities endangering her ponies, with, or without her weapon before. This would be no different. But as Skulker finally pulled himself free and his damaged form was revealed, the mixture of excitement, and anger burning in his eyes send a terrifying shiver down her spine. This truly was a monster. Driven by one thing, and one thing only. To kill. With a roar, Skulker aimed the full extend of his still functional arsenal at Celestia, while every ghost around her charged their own attacks; the area lighting up with toxic green light, and Celestia knew that, in the state she was, she couldn't run, or dodge. And with no time left to think, she acted on instinct alone and casted the strongest shield she could around her. The ghosts fired. Skulker could barely be heard roaring an insult at the other ghosts' action when the combined might of all spectral entities connected with Celestia's magic. The shield flared. Energies clashed. The night lit up with blinding light. Then everything exploded.
Deadly BeginningsEdited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder. Deadly Beginnings <<>><<>><<>> Ghost attacks had become fairly common over the years. Each hit becoming increasingly more destructive as more and more spectral entities found their way to Earth and its inhabitants. As such, newly formed response teams to counter this threat could be seen investigating these sites more and more often, as their previous secrecy was undone to give the world's citizens a sense of security; knowing their government cared and that in no way, their taxes were wasted on unnecessary items, such as better education for their children, or healthcare improvements. To show them that they would respond, maybe not in time to help when it mattered, but in an overwhelming force after the fact. As such, a large contingent of soldiers had worked around the clock to secure the area; the latest attack of the ever present ghost plague only serving as a reminder their fight was still far from over. Special operatives, those trained in the use of spectral based weapons, accompanied by the suits of the Guys in White methodically sweeped one building after the next, leaving no stone unturned, while testimonies were taken from the victims who, according to them, were simply let go after something quite unexpected happened. Now, nearly a day later, with the city locked down and the streets full of military forces, they waited; waiting for the shimmering point of distorted reality in the air to open up and reveal the newly formed tear to the ponies' realm, and the ghosts who went through it when it first appeared. "White One, what's your status?" A dark skinned, cleanly shaved man, sharply dressed in a fitted white suit asked over his earpiece; the red and orange light of the rising sun reflecting in the dark lenses of his shades. "White Two, all clear," a slightly tan man with neatly combed dark blond hair, dressed in the same white suit and wearing similar shades replied, fingers pressed against his earpiece. "White Three?" "No suspicious activity on my side," A slightly nasal woman replied over the communications chanel; she, too, wearing a matching white suit and shades, contrasted sharply by her curled mess of fiery red hair. "White One, remind me again. Why-" "White Two. SJW." "White One, copy." "White Two, affirmative." Meanwhile, the soldiers around them watched the exchange with growing confusion. First and foremost for their apparent desire to use the radio, even though the white dressed individuals were all standing next to one another. "Ehh… should we, I don't know, say something?" one of the soldiers asked his brother in arms, keeping his voice low enough so they wouldn't hear. "Way above our paygrade," the other replied, giving the white dressed 'professionals' an incredulous look. "... Somehow." "White One, roger." "White Two, we're not on a first name basis yet." "White One, I meant Ten Four." "White Two. Understood. Apologies.” "White One. No problem." "White Three here, get a room." Both men turned to the woman, eyebrows raised high above their shades. "White Four here. Men, right?" "White Three here. You know it, sister," White Three looked to the surprisingly short, somewhat chubby woman to her side, also dressed in white with shades and, shoulder length brown hair, nodding approvingly to the woman who seemed out of breath just from standing there. White One and White Two shared an uneasy, disapproving look with one another, both shaking their heads in resignation. "White Two. Did they even pass the physical exam?" White One asked with a sigh. "White One. SJW," White Two muttered. "Copy, White Two," White One replied grimly. "SJW." Any retort that might have come from the two women in white was promptly cut off when, with a sound of a vacuum pulled in reverse, the newest tear linking their world with Equestria opened, revealing to them the city of Baltimare, and the destruction wrought upon it. "White One to all units. Move out!" With a chorus of affirmatives, the mass of military might quickly and effectively moved through the tear with the pounding of feet on the ground and the roar of engines from their tanks as they entered Equestria, covered under the unmoving blanket of night. <<>><<>><<>> Silence had claimed the city, with only the faint howl of the wind as it blew through the abandoned streets; picking up dust and soot left behind from the destruction, billowing unseen in the darkness of the night. Some of which was slowly working to coat the forms of the two pegasi lying in a heap, partially covered with odd pieces of debris and blood. With a weak, pained groan, Soarin stirred; eyes blinking blearily as his strained mind desperately tried to figure out where he was and what had happened, as his gaze slowly moved from left to right. "Wha-" he groaned, trying to coordinate his legs and push himself to a sitting position, when he felt a weight shift on his back. Blinking slowly, he struggled to turn his neck; his beaten muscles screaming in protest at his attempts to move. Eventually he managed, and what he saw kickstarted his brain into overdrive as all the memories leading up to the here and now, returned with a vengeance. Spitfire, body broken and limbs splayed at impossible angles, lay unmoving over his hind body, with only the faint rasp and bubbling blood covering her nostrils, as well as most of her body, revealing to him she was still breathing, if barely. As if a switch was flicked the muted sounds around him, obscured through confusion, snapped into focus with blood curdling clarity. Now aware of the cries of anguish filling the air all around him, coming from all over the city as the stone, brick and concrete groaned in protest and anger, in response to the glowing red crater, which had forced its way into the city; standing within the smouldering slag of molten stone, Princess Celestia, wings flared, stance wide, panting heavily, mane and tail a livid inferno and eyes aglow with burning hatred towards those opposing her. Even from the distance between them Soarin could feel the heat slam into him, and he felt his heart both come to a stop, and try to force its way out of his chest in a painful squeeze of conflict as fear dug its chilling claws deep into the core of his being as, he now realized, the still present screams weren't just from pain, or fear, but malicious intent as well. And some screams came from terrifyingly nearby. With his breath stuck in his throat, Soarin slowly turned towards the screams, guttural groans and wet squelches, closest to him; watching with wide eyed horror, as numerous ghosts pushed, clawed, or phased their way out of the rubble covering them, rising up in the air and illuminating it with their unholy glow; their sickly green glowing eyes, burning with rage, locking onto him one pair at a time. Outnumbered, outmatched and with his instincts at war with his training to protect and serve, all Soarin was able to do was throw himself over Spitfire in a desperate attempt to keep her from further harm, eyes clenched shut as the ghosts surrounding him began their attack. <<>><<>><<>> "SCOOTS!" Sky Rider shouted in panic, desperately looking for his wife ever since the collapse of the hotel they fled into to seek shelter. How he managed to escape out of that place, unharmed no less, he would probably never know. Not that this mattered to him, now. All he could focus on was that, when he came to, Scoots was not with him and everything that followed after that realization, passed in a blur of fear, and anxiety. "OVER HERE!" her, Celestia praised reply, called out, cutting through the confusion, as well as the all obscuring dust still clouding the disaster zone, making it all, but impossible for Sky Rider to see anything other than the debris two steps before him. "ARE YOU OKAY… INJURED?" he called out, turning to where he had first heard her. "NO, I'M…. NOT?" there was a clear tone of confusion laced in her voice, but went ignored as Sky slowly made his way through the debris on hoof; not wanting to try his luck with flying and risk hitting some unseen, overhanging piece of metal, or otherwise, on which he could seriously injure himself. "I'M COMING YOUR WAY. JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" "OKAY… PLEASE HURRY." Grunting his agreement with that sentiment, Sky clambered over a large chunk of wall, some of the windows still in it; the glass shattered, however, leaving numerous sharp and hazardous blades for him to cut himself on should he misstep. With a low groan, the segment of masonry he tried to traverse shifted and upset his balance, forcing him to catch himself with a controlled flap of his wings before setting down on the, hopefully more stable debris beyond. "Are you alright?" Scoot called out, much closer now, and Sky quickly looked around to find his wife. "Scoots!?" "I'm here!" she replied, stepping out from behind an unhinged door of a surprisingly intact room. "Oh, thank Celestia," he cried out as he rushed to his wife, holding her in a tight embrace. Returning the affection in full, Scoot Blaze allowed herself a moment of peace, releasing a shuddering breath as tight knotted tension flowed out. But all was not well, and much sooner than either of them liked, or wanted, she pulled away; nervously biting her lip as she looked down at the ground in between them two. "Right," Sky said nervously, back in the here and now and trying to get a grip on things. "Do you know where Apple Gleam and Sweet Apple are? Celestia, I hope they aren't buried underneath all of this," he muttered, turning around and trying to find any sign of the two earth ponies. "No…" she replied, shaking her head. "I lost them when the place came down. But there is something else that happened… I just don't know how." Turning back to his wife, Sky gave her a questioning look, urging her on to continue. Mouth opening, then closing without sound, Scoot Blaze was unable to find the words she needed. Instead, she eventually opted to just show, and opened her injured, broken wing without issue. "What the-" Sky exclaimed. "My wing… it's no longer broken… I think," Scoot Blaze said, demonstrating this by folding and unfolding her wing several times. "Even my primaries are no longer damaged." "How…. How is that even possible?" Sky breathed out, unable to believe what he was seeing. "I- I… I don't know. It was like that after this place collapsed. It… it doesn't make any sense. None of this makes any sense." "But how-" "GLEAM, ARE YOU THERE!?" The voice of Sweet Apple cut through the dust still obscuring most of everything, interrupting the pair and forcing their minds back on track. "We…. We'll figure this out, later. First we must get out of here. Fast." Sky Rider said, clearly forcing himself to say so. Just as forced, Scoot Blaze nodded in agreement; folding her wing shut while trying to ignore the fact she could do so without issue, and instead the two made their way over to where they could hear Sweet Apple call out for her husband. Unbeknownst to them, though, were the two red pinpricks of light glowing in the hollow sockets of an eternally grinning skull, as he observed the two make their way over the rubble and towards the other two, who shared in their fate. <<>><<>><<>> "Gleam," Sweet Apple called out desperately, unable to find her husband in the chaos all around her. How she had managed to survive the collapse of the building, she did not know. Nor did she know how she managed to do so without a scratch, or wasn't buried under who knows how much tons of stone. Though she did lose her hat, none of this mattered to her now because what she did know was that, when she came to, Apple Gleam was nowhere to be found. "Gleam!" she tried again, her fear only growing with each passing moment no answer came. "Glea-" "Sweet Apple!?" With a snap, she turned around, eyes wide and hopeful. And though she felt a faint hint of relief upon seeing the stallion who called out to her, even more so, she felt her rising hope crushed underneath trampling hooves when she realized the pony clambering down a mixture of what was once a wall, a bookcase with some books still in it, broken glass and more dust than during a yearly bison migration was not her husband. "Sk- Sky Rider," she blinked, forcing away the moisture brimming in her eyes. "Scoot Blaze," her eyes flicked to the mare following after him. "We heard you call," Sky Rider spoke up, then yelped as the unstable surface he tried to traverse shifted and he lost his balance. Only with a quick flap of his wings did he manage to avoid any injury as a small avalanche of destruction threatened to pull him down. Seeing this, Scoot Blaze unfurled her wings in instinct and quickly joined Sky Rider without a second thought. "Wh- What… How did ya…?" Sweet Apple gasped, wide eyed as she stared at the broken, but not broken wing she knew the pegasus had. Realizing what she did, Scoot Blaze looked at her wing, slowly folding in to her side. "Honestly, I have no idea," she answered with noticeable worry. "It was like that when I woke up." "But how- No, tha ain't important. Did any of ya see Apple Gleam?" she asked in despair. Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider looked at one another, then both answered with a solemn shake of their heads. Trying her hardest to hide her disappointment, Sweet Apple averted her gaze from the two pegasi; instead willing her eyes to see through the darkness of night, obscured further by the ever present dust of structural collapse. "He… he has to be here, somewhere," she said, more to herself than the two beside her. "Then we better hurry and find him," Sky Rider stepped up, putting a reassuring hoof on the distraught mare's back. Forcing a small smile in thanks, Sweet Apple nodded in agreement and, together, the three ponies slowly pushed through the debris in search of the last member of their group, oblivious to the pair of piercing red dots watching their every move. <<>><<>><<>> With a wheeze which quickly turned into a rough coughing fit, Apple Gleam came to; his legs flailing without control as he tried to regain his bearings while suffocatingly dry dust coated his eyes and lungs, blurring his vision while struggling for breath. Grunting in strain while blinking the tears from his eyes, he tried to sit up only for a nauseating pain to shoot through the core of his being, and he discovered his already broken front leg lay pinned underneath some obstruction or another. Faint light flickered somewhere off to his side, and he turned to see a small decorative, magical lamp which had managed to survive; mercifully providing him with some light to see with. "Ghraa," he grunted, reaching out for the light and pulling it closer to him. "Sweet, are ya there?!" he called out through labored breath, moving the lamp from one side to the other, both hoping to find his wife, and wishing she wouldn't be trapped in here with him. After numerous hour long minutes, without answer, or sight of his wife, nor of the other two ponies he had fled with, he used the light to see just how bad a shape his leg was in. It was bad. Really bad. As he soon learned his leg was trapped and by the look, and feel of it, crushed underneath the weight of a massive support beam, making it impossible for him to free himself alone. Taking several deep breaths to calm his nerves and push back a fresh bout of panic, he instead focused on where he was. What he found, quickly made him realize his leg was the least of his problems. As, all around him, there was nothing, but destruction, completely covering him under the rubble of the collapsed hotel. The only reason he was even still alive being the sturdy desk of the reception, which seemed to have caught the very same support beam, which had trapped him in the first place, which in turn kept enough of the collapsing structure at bay, to create a small haven, for him to survive in. Finally understanding the situation he was in, Gleam slowly worked his way through each profanity he knew with rapidly rising volume until he was shouting his anger to the heavens, had the thick shell of destruction around him not muted his voice for anyone else out there. After enough time had passed for him to run out of words, he finally turned back to his leg. Alone as he was, and afraid for his wife's life as much as his own, not knowing just how deeply buried he was, and if his air would run out or not. He knew if he would have any chance of living through this and find Sweet Apple, he first had to free himself. Of course, this was easier said than done. And as he soon rediscovered, merely trying to pull himself free only resulted in him crying out in pain as the pinned, broken and, most likely crushed, bone shifted and moved, while everything else did not. After numerous deep breaths while forcing the pain away, Gleam once more shone his light around his surroundings, hoping he could find something he would be able to use to free himself. The first thing he found this second round was his rope, all tangled up and covered under some debris, lying only just in reach of him. It took him several attempts and reaching further than he initially thought he would, (which only added to the strain on his broken leg,) he managed to just grab the rope with the tip of his hoof; slowly pulling it to him and taking firm hold over it once it was close enough to do so. Not sure how it would help him, but glad to have his rope all the same, he gave it a good pull to free it from underneath the junk covering it, only for it to get caught on something. Frustrated, he tightened his grip. Before he could try again, however, a sudden shift within the precariously unstable rubble around him caused pieces to break, fall and groan in protest; dust falling down in great heaps before everything stilled. Realizing time was not on his side and knowing he would have to find a way to free himself, he quickly turned his attention back to the rope still held in his hoof. Gritting his teeth he pulled again with more strength, freeing his rope, but pulling out something else as well and he froze upon what he saw lying before him, gleaming in the light. A sword. A damaged, bent and jagged sword which clearly was from a royal guard. He did not know how it ended up there with him, nor did he question it as, right then and there, while the damaged metal laid just out of reach, (but was partially snagged in his rope,) an idea came to mind. A terrible idea. A horrible idea. A way to free himself. With a lump stuck in his throat he slowly looked from the sword to his pinned leg, then to the walls, floors, woodwork and anything else of the former hotel entombing him just waiting to collapse completely on top of him. And as three ponies up above slowly moved through the devastation, calling out his name in hopes of finding him, the same debris kept them from hearing his tortured screams. <<>><<>><<>> Soarin shook. Still covering Spitfire with his body, surrounded by ghosts expecting the worst to happen at any given time and unable to do anything, but wait, the inevitable fear had clung to his very being and it took every ounce of willpower he had to keep from curling up into a ball while the ghosts surrounding them took their time to play with their victims. How much time had passed, he didn't know. The pain wrecking his body was too consuming to his senses; every breath a struggle as smoke wafted from the numerous black marks of singed fur and burned flesh. Yet despite his torture, he forced himself to stand as strong as he could, willing to take as many hits it would take to save his partner. Hoping, wishing, praying to any who were out there for help. Then an explosion shook the ground, lighting up the air, and breaking though his crumbling defense with concussive finality. Dazed, Soarin weakly struggled to reach out to Spitfire, unaware if she, or even himself were still alive as darkness clung at the edges of his vision; the world growing darker and darker as his trembling hoof tried and failed, to reach the blood drenched mare, just out of his reach. "We've got a live one over here!" And as his leg fell down to the ground, and darkness pressed in completely, the last he saw through the haze of blissful unconsciousness were numerous bright flashes which drove away the ghosts, before a pair of strange looking boots filled his vision. <<>><<>><<>> How much time had passed they didn't know, but Sweet Apple, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider had spent every minute since they found one another searching for Apple Gleam, while also diving for cover time and again when one, or more ghosts drew near. Fortunately for them, none of these unholy beings took notice of them, not even when one especially horrific looking ghost hovered not even a leg's length above their impromptu hideout. With their breaths stuck in their throat, and with no more sound than a whisper, they searched the disaster site of what was once a moderately luxurious hotel. And though they weren't able to find Apple Gleam, to the ever growing fear of Sweet Apple, they did find other ponies. Or… their bodies. Partially covered by the debris, crushed to death when the hotel collapsed, the now soulless husks stared back at them with glassy eyes as the three ponies slowly backed away from yet another destroyed room, unwilling to look, but unable to tear their gazes away from the young mare, probably not older than fifteen as her broken and beaten body hung impaled on the twisted and broken rebarb of what had been a ceiling; her now cold blood, still dripping slowly to the large pool of red below her. Backing away around a pile of concrete, the stone mercifully broke their line of sight. With a loud, body wrecking sob, Scoot Blaze collapsed to the ground; eyes wet with tears as her entire body shook. Sky Rider, not faring much better, put a comforting wing on her back, yet lacked the words to talk to her. The horrors they'd seen this terrible day and night scarring them deeply. And despite it all, they knew Sweet Apple was worse off, for as much as they felt like drowning in despair, at least they had each other. Breathing heavily, clearly trying to keep from throwing up, eyes clenched shut, Sweet Apple slowly turned her back to the mangled corpse just behind the corner. "We…. he…. he must be here… somewhere," she muttered weakly, forcing her eyes open and looking at her hooves. "He has to…. he has…" In the silence that fell, it was impossible for them to not hear the faint, but sudden shifting of rubble. With their ears at attention and their breathing all, but stopped, they listened. A faint tremor followed, which grew stronger and stronger with alarming speed, and all three ponies looked at one another with wide eyes, as all around them loose debris began to shift and slide, while the ground underneath their hooves shook in turn with the tremor, and roar of some unseen beast that had descended upon the former hotel. "CONTACT!" somepony shouted, followed a split second later by a cacophony of numerous booms, then a massive explosion which nearly knocked the three ponies from their hooves. Numerous flashes of toxic green lit up the air in retaliation. "FOCUS FIRE!" another voice could barely be heard over the deafening noise. All three ponies, having dived to the ground on reflex, had to force a lump down their throat when, quite damning to their safety, a mound of debris shifted, then collapsed completely. Now with a sudden clear field of view, the previous unseen warzone was revealed, and all three felt their breathing stop as they watched with massive eyes at the carnage, a stone's throw away from them. Humans, before only heard about, were present in great numbers; wearing some kind of strange olive drab colored armor, firing even stranger weapons which created a multitude of bright flashes and thunderous explosions in rapid succession. All of this destructive force was aimed up towards a group of ghosts, who did not seem the least impressed by this show of power as they fired beams and bolts, with shrill laughs, and wicked grins. Another massive explosion rocked the night, pulling Sweet Apple, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider's attention to the metal behemoth with a long narrow barrel angled up towards the ghostly threat; a multitude of toxic green bolts impacting on its heavy armor with minimal damage. A flash of light illuminated the air, and the ghosts' attack came to a sudden halt, as they screeched out in pain and anger. Slight movement caught Sweet Apple's eye and from some dark alley, she saw a small canister being thrown towards the ghosts which exploded seconds later in their midst with a strange burst of energy that managed to knock two of the undead entities down. Both of which were suddenly caught in a beam of bright blue, before being sucked towards and into an odd looking canister held by a white suited human who stepped out of the alley. Not pausing for a moment, this new arrival quickly fired another bright blue beam towards the rest of the incapacitated ghosts, capturing the group within a minute. Slapping a cap onto the ghost capturing object, he brought a hand to his right ear. "White One here, area reached. Ghosts present, neutralized and captured. Continue sweep." Eyes wide in shock, all three ponies were unable to believe what they had just seen. After all they've gone through, their nightmare was finally at an end. Realizing they would be safer down there with these humans than out there on their own, they wordlessly agreed on their next course of action and slowly pushed to their hooves, and began their careful approach to the human guards. <<>><<>><<>> With a cry, shout and tortured groan mixed into one, Apple Gleam broke through the debris burying him; breathing heavily and laboriously past the small lamp held within his mouth, as he reached out with his hoof to find purchase, and pull himself further out of his deathtrap. A new cry of torture escaped him as he grinded over the numerous jagged pieces of destruction, most of it becoming slick with dark red blood which smeared out of the jagged stump where his leg used to be, tied off with the rope he first found. The lamp falling away from his mouth in the process. Even then, tied off as the remainder of his leg was, blood still escaped him at an alarming rate. And most of his strength had been lost during his escape from his would be tomb. Now though, free from his prison and with the first breath of sweet, refreshing cool air filling his lungs, after far too long, he allowed himself a moment to recuperate; lying on his uninjured side, as his chest heaved and shook; his vision blurred and darkened as a puddle of red began to spread out. Knowing time was a luxury he didn't have, he rolled back upright and tried to get up on his remaining hooves, when he saw something. Something which, despite the blur the world around him currently was, stood out on perfect focus and clarity, illuminated by the miraculously still working lamp: Sweet Apple's stetson. His once laborious breath came to an abrupt stop as he slowly hobbled over to his wife's possession, reaching out with a hoof he no longer had. More on autopilot than conscious thought, he sat down and used his freed hoof to pick up the stetson. A scream full of anguish escaped him as he pushed back, the stetson falling to the ground as, now revealed to him, was the broken and bloodied face of his wife as her lifeless eyes stared unblinkingly back at him, from the debris she was buried underneath. <<>><<>><<>> Exactly what happened after was lost to him. Sounds were muted. Colors were drained. The world around him had lost all focus. Even time seemed to have stopped completely as he moved one hoof after the other. Not knowing where he went, just that he couldn't stay. A misstep forced him to put weight on a leg he no longer had, and the weight carried on his back shifted and almost fell. No. Not a mere weight. The body of his wife, the mother of his children, the other half of his being. What little he remembered working to dig her out of her deadly prison was reduced to a blur and now, while he pushed himself well past the limits of his long spent body, he realigned his wife to regain his balance, then continued onwards without sense, or destination in mind. He just had to get out of there. Somehow. A harsh light suddenly glared down on him, yet he barely noticed and pushed onwards with dragging, cracked hooves. "WHO GOES TH- OH, SHIT!" Blurred shapes quickly closed in, surrounding him as he pushed onwards without acknowledgement, putting one hoof after the other until, eventually, he could continue no longer and collapsed into darkness. <<>><<>><<>> Sweet Apple, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider slowly scampered down the mound of destruction, surprised they hadn't managed to gain the attention of the human guards while doing so when, with a sudden clang a large light activated, shining blinding light to some area off to their side. "WHO GOES TH- OH SHIT!" Startled by the loud voice, and even more worried by the sudden shift in tone, all three ponies stopped in their tracks, looking off to what had gathered the human’s attention. Following a number of humans who broke formation rushing to whatever had happened, the others aiming their weapons and sweeping the area with rapidly rising anxiousness, it took the group of three a moment to realize what was going on. Only when two humans rushed back, carrying somepony on a stretcher, did they understand what had occurred. With a cry, and foregoing any of her former carefulness, Sweet Apple rushed towards the humans carrying her husband; able to see even from the distance she stood the horrific shape he was in. In her panic she did not realize how odd it was no human reacted to her rushing in, or that no human even acknowledged the fact she desperately tried to see Apple Gleam's condition as he was rushed towards a medic. Though while she did not notice, Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze could only stare in confusion, which rapidly turned into an all consuming sense of horror when they saw the two more humans move back, also carrying a stretcher holding something, somepony that could not possibly be. And as these humans moved back into the relative safety of their ranks, none of them saw, or heard the panicking mare as she frantically paced around her husband's beaten and broken body. But as they reached the medic and lowered the deceased form of her to the ground, Sweet Apple froze; staring into her own, still open, lifeless eyes. Only Sky Rider, Scoot Blaze and one other heard her scream, but a chill went down the spine of all present. <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie, Maud and their grandmother lay on the ground as a result from the concussive blast which took them by surprise, unmoving, but breathing as they slowly gathered their with. Pinkie was the first to recover, sluggishly returning to her hooves, blinking owlishly while trying to regain her bearings. Second was Maud, who slowly sat up, looking none the worse as she shook off the disorientation, then turned to her younger sister to make sure she was unharmed. Seeing she was already up and oddly prodding at her mane, Maud released a quiet sigh of relief, then quickly turned to her grandmother who began to move with a strained groan. With a gasp, Pinkie rushed to her family, helping her sister help their grandmother back to her hooves. "Oh, good grief. What happened?" Granny Pie asked, voice woozy. "I don't know," Maud said quietly, voice once again bereft of emotion while Pinkie began to fidget on the spot, looking around worriedly. Steeling herself, Granny Pie forced herself to focus and stop the world from wobbling before her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she slowly pushed away from her grandchildren, looking around for any sign of danger. What she found, however, forced the air out of her in a large gasp. Numerous buildings were severely damaged; their windows blown out, numerous cracks running along the walls, personal belongings found within the numerous rooms blown out and onto the streets below, joined by several large chunks of wall, that had been broken loose by whatever had just happened, spreading even more carnage all around them. Literally, as she saw with blood chilling realization that several large chunks of masonry had fallen around them, encircling them on almost all sides yet never hitting the small spot they had fallen to the ground. One especially jagged looking piece hung precariously over them, yet seemed to ignore gravity's ever demanding pull as it swayed up and down much like a seesaw. "How…" she breathed out, shocked. "Gummy," came Pinkie's subdued response, her mane, having lost some of its luster, as it sagged down into itself. "He said we were going to be fine, remember?" "Pinkie," Granny Pie said nervously, never looking away from the overhanging doom waiting to come crashing down on them. "I don't understand anything that has happened today, but please tell your friend to do whatever you say he does for a little bit longer and get out of here, NOW!" she shouted, frantically shoving Pinkie away while pulling Maud along by a leg. No sooner had they left, the jagged segment of wall crashed down, instantly killing them, had they still been there, as the three ponies leapt away from danger. Looking back, wide eyed and disbelieving, neither Granny Pie, nor Maud, were able to form any words to what had just happened. Pinkie, however, released a strangled sob as she stared teary eyed at the pile of debris. "Gummy," she squeaked out, the tiny reptile nowhere to be found. Though shocked, maternal instinct was stronger still, and Granny Pie reached out with a hoof to her granddaughter, pulling her closer to comfort her, when a faint clatter could be heard. All three ponies turned back to the pile of rubble, as some smaller pieces of stone started to shift and fall; gradually picking up, until a small avalanche of concrete and other assorted pieces of destruction clattered down. It lasted for nearly a minute, then stopped and fell silent. Then, to their complete shock and astonishment, seemingly out of nowhere Gummy popped up, dust covered, but ultimately unharmed. The tiny alligator slowly looked around, both eyes slightly misaligned. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, which he then flopped up and over his right eye, licking away the dust with a long, slow drag. He then repeated the process for his left eye. "GUMMY!" Pinkie cried out in relief, rushing to her reptilian friend in what, to her grandmother and sister, appeared to be a pink blur. Scooping up the alligator up and hugging him tightly to her chest. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You kept us safe, just like you did by scaring away those meany ghosts." Both Maud and Granny Pie were at a loss for words, their mouths hanging slightly open as they tried and failed to figure out what just happened. Much time to do so, they didn't have, as, with a sudden and rapid pounding on the ground, numerous strange bipedal creatures came rushing in; cutting through the darkness with numerous flashlights as they began to surround the three ponies and an unblinkingly watching, baby alligator. <<>><<>><<>> Celestia was burning, the literal embodiment of the sun. The ground underneath her, molten and red. Her mane and tail a living inferno and her eyes, glowing hot with anger, and hatred towards these abominable ghosts who dared to hurt so many of her subjects. One in particular, Skulker, grinned evilly, as he kept a calculated distance between himself and the enraged princess, while she never let this monster out of her sight. The other ghosts who first dared to attack her, lay either burned and beaten on the ground, or had left out of self preservation; instead seeking out others to torment. Celestia would have hunted them down, had it not been for this one ghost. She soon discovered he longed for this fight, seeking out any way to induce her, to force her to push past her limits. Limits which, fortunately, were much greater than Skulker first anticipated. This was something that only made him all the more eager to fight. And keeping her from directly stopping all the other ghosts ensured their fight would last. And Celestia knew that, should she try to save her ponies, turn her back on this threat, he would use the opening to strike, doing who-knew how much damage to her and in extent, anypony else. No, as much as it pained her, she had to stop this monster before she could focus on the rest. She just hoped what remained of her guards were able to hold their own against these unholy abominations. With a mechanical whirr, Skulker brought out yet another weapon out of his armor's shoulder; aiming a now familiar looking box shaped device at her, from which he fired numerous small missiles, which flew towards Celestia on numerous different paths. Before any of them could hit, however, the searing heat emitted by her form, melted and detonated the tiny explosives, before they could do any harm to her, just as they did the last several times. "Come on. Show me what you are made of!" Skulker demanded with feral glee. With a growl escaping her mouth, Celestia once more powered her horn with a most devastating spell, releasing it the instant it was charged; bringing forth a soccer ball sized orb of golden light, which shot from her horn in a blurring streak of light, lighting up the night in its path, while its light also reflected off the dented and charred armor of Skulker, as he narrowly dodged the spell. Even then, the mere proximity to it, caused his armor to heat up and dimly glow red; his already damaged arm finally reaching the breaking point, as some internal component exploded and blew off the limp appendage. Then, the orb struck an already damaged tower complex and a sizable portion of it, disintegrated in the ensuing explosion. Celestia breathed heavily. She knew something had to change, soon, or they would be stuck in this endless fight to see who will break first. An explosion detonated off of Skulker and the ghost slammed into the ground with a massive crash, joined by a victorious roar coming from the street behind him. Shocked by this sudden turn of events, but not allowing herself to waste this opportunity, Celestia flew up, while charging her horn once again; looking down on the cratered ghost with pure hatred as she fired her spell with all her remaining power. Skulker did not have time to move, and the spell slammed into his unguarded back with absolute destructive power; the ground around his armor flexed, cracked, then exploded from the sudden intense heat, before it, along with the armor, melted, until nothing of the metal construct remained. Dropping down, Celestia kept her horn aimed towards the lava filled crater, waiting for any sign of Skulker to rear his head, not even acknowledging the creatures who hesitantly approached. "You think she got it?" some unseen stallion asked, his voice a mix of shock and awe. "Fuck if I know," another replied. "It's fucking ghosts. I'm amazed our rocket even manage to knock him down." "Then I suggest you keep your weapons aimed and at the ready, Lieutenant," a white dressed, dark skinned man slowly stepped into view of Celestia. "And allow the lady some much needed rest while we make sure this ghost is indeed gone." "Sir," a chorus of confirmations was heard, and numerous armored humans rushed in to surround the slowly cooling puddle of rock and metal, while White Two slowly moved forwards, a strange, beeping device held in his hand. For almost a minute, nothing happened as White Two worked with his device; the beeping ever present, but gradually slowing down. "White Two here," he spoke up, two fingers pressed to his ear. "Sector reached, hostile presence found and engaged. Unable to capture. Scan shows it may have escaped, invisible and, or intangible, but no further presence is detected, and the signal is fading. Be advised, Royal White is present." The human soldiers present all shifted nervously, clearly not liking what they heard. "Affirmative," White Two replied to whatever response he got, then lowered his hand to the side. "Men, secure the perimeter and begin search, and rescue." "Sir yes Sir." As the marines moved away to perform their duty, White Two turned to Celestia. "I would say you can relax, but I doubt this is a luxury you would allow yourself in such a dire time," he began. "Do know that human forces have arrived through the tear and are in the process of securing the area, neutralizing as many ghosts as we can." Celestia, still standing tense and ready to fight, suddenly found her strength leave her as she fell to her haunches; breathing heavily and not even trying to fight the tears escaping her. "You… I… Thank you." "Of course," White Two gave a curt nod, then tilted his head to the side, listening to a new transmission. "We'll have to wait with the formalities until this crisis is resolved, I'm afraid," he said. "Lieutenant," he called over his earpiece, "combine efforts with the princess, ask for any useful intel to this city. We're going to need it. Keep the spectral containment units your unit has at the ready should more hostiles approach, while I go and tend to another matter that has popped up." White Two listened to the reply for a moment, then grimaced before sighing. "SJW," was his cryptic response. "White Two out.” <<>><<>><<>> Within the ruins of the apartment complex which took the full force of Celestia's might during her fight with Skulker, the aforementioned ghost stood in one of the more intact buildings, glaring down at the humans milling about like ants. Skulker, now without his armor, went completely unnoticed as his true diminutive green blob like form, was too small to be seen from such a distance. "Unfortunate," he grumbled, trying to sound menacing but only managing to sound like a squeaky toy. "But not unexpected. That tear had to open up sooner, or later. Still, I've been sloppy, letting my guard down like that," he reflected, clenching his left fist. "And now I am without my armor," his eyes moved to his right hand, "but at least I was able to secure my trophy." Rainbow Blaze's severed tail lay on the ground beside him, its bloody length thrice the size of Skulker as he held a tuft of multicolored hair in his grip. "Now, how do I get out of here?" Scanning his surroundings, he took notice of one human in particular. A white dressed, dark skinned male. Recognizing the outfit and the less than impressive challenge they posed, an evil smirk grew on his face as he followed after the individual from a safe distance. <<>><<>><<>> Stepping over the remains of a burned down chariot, careful not to get any stains on his white suit, White Two made his way over to the allocated area of White Three and White Four, frowning deeply while keeping a close eye on his active scanner. The sound of footfall came from his right and he turned to see White One approach, also holding his scanner at the ready. "White One," White Two said, his scanner aimed at the man. "White Two," White One returned, also running a scan. When both devices gave the all clear, they closed the distance. "SJW, right?" White One sighed out. "You've heard the same call as I have," White Two replied tiredly. "Indeed I have," White One confirmed with a resigned sigh. "To no one's surprise, honestly." "Let's just get this over with." "Affirmative." Both men continued onwards, while White One put away his scanner and pulled a small spectral blaster from within his suit, quickly moving to the area White Three and White Four insisted they were more than capable of securing on their own, regardless of any objections given. But, as White One and White Two entered through a demolished door into a storage area of sorts, neither man was surprised by the sight that awaited them. Both women hung upside down, stuck to the wall with spectral goop gluing them in place. The same material also had them gagged, making it impossible for them to call for help. Though as both men slowly approached, White One with his blaster at the ready and White Two performing a detailed scan, while reaching for his own blaster held within his suit, no hint of joy could be found in the heated glares the two women shot at them. "It's clear," White Two said after a moment. "Guess whoever did this lost interest a while ago." Nodding, White One approached the two captured women; putting his blaster away and pulling the goop covering White Three's mouth away. "Oh, sure. And here come the men to show us how it's done, huh? As if we, strong independent women can't fend for ourselves. In fact, we were doing just fine before you two showed up. Getting really close to freeing ourselves as well before yo- mpfhmmf." White One promptly reapplied the gag. "White Two to all White units. White Three and White Four have been located. Be advised, their objective has failed and their recovery..." he paused for a moment, looking at White One who gave him a so so gesture, "Their recovery may take some time." White Three and White Four started to increase their struggle upon hearing that, loud mumbling coming from behind their gags. Waiting for a moment to think it through, White One eventually pulled away the gag from White Three again. "You're going to leave us here?! Without help?" "Didn't you just say you were close to freeing yourselves and, that you don't need help from us men?" White One asked in return, completely serious. "What… but.. you are-" "A man who worked hard to reach the position I have and someone who doesn't appreciate it when others join this outfit, not through hard work, but by the rule of ‘who can shout the loudest.’ Let this moment here serve as a reality check for the both of you. This is not some fancy desk job, with classy clothes and an excellent dental plan. We're soldiers, first and foremost. We fight, we get hurt, and possibly even die. But when we do head out, we do so with the knowledge that our brethren in White have our backs. But not you. No. You see us wearing a fancy suit and immediately think that we're leser than you; that we didn't deserve to wear this outfit. But that is where you are wrong. White Two, he earned his suit. So did I. Earned through years of hard work and sacrifice and having the scars to prove it. But you two, what did you do to earn them? Properly earn them? Whose lives did you serve except your own?" White Three's mouth opened and closed like a fish on dry land, but no sound came from her. "But no, we're not going to leave you here," White Two stepped up. "However, do know that when we free you, it will not be from one White unit to another. You're civilians in way over your heads, without the proper training, or physique and who should not have been sent out in the field in the first place. And you know it, even if you don't want to admit it." "Now, let's get this stuff off of you and get you two back to base." Not waiting for an answer, or rebuke, White One and White Two began to pull the women free, making sure they wouldn't fall to the ground when their bonds were removed. But as they worked and with their scanners put away, they were unaware that the miniature ghost that Skulker truly was, had watched the exchange with interest and a wicked grin. Author's Note And here we are again, moving closer and closer to the finale of this fic. I hope you've enjoyed this latest addition, and please inform me about any mistakes you encountered while reading this work of mine. ~Powerdrainer
Epilogue. AftermathEdited by Slayerseba, Halusm, and Clawder. Epilogue Aftermath <<>><<>><<>> Time had stopped. The world's colors faded to dull gray. And everything Sweet Apple thought she knew, no longer made sense, as she stared into the unblinking, glassed over, lifeless eyes of herself. She had stopped screaming a while ago, her throat raw, yet she couldn't look away from her own corpse. "H- h- how…" she numbly mumbled. She heard shouting, far away and a sudden jolt passing through the medical tent she was in, finally snapped her out of her morbid trance, as several humans rushed to her husband. A new shock slammed into her when one of them ran straight through her without hindrance and she leaped back in fright, only to pass through another human standing on the side, before falling onto her back. "This cain't be happ'ning! THIS CAIN'T BE HAPP'NING!" she shouted in distress, flailing around, in a mad scramble to get back on her hooves. "WE'RE LOSING HIM!" a shout of alarm cut through her fear stricken mind and it was then, she remembered why she was here, and her eyes shrunk down to pinpricks, as she realized the humans were all fighting for Apple Gleam's life. "This… this is impossible." She didn't know if it was her who said that, or if it was either one of the pegasi slowly stepping besides her, nor did it matter, as the glaring truth was exactly as was seen, what they were witnessing was indeed absolutely impossible. "I am afraid not." None of them replied, at a loss for words while watching the team of humans doing all they could while also trying to figure out what is going on for themselves. "Though I understand why you would think it is. Death always has an impact, on both the living and, the departed. But most of the time it can be seen coming, by with it then provides some understanding to those passed after it happened. The way it happened for you, however… You don't yet fully realize the situation you are in right now, because it all happened so suddenly." None of them reacted, too transfixed on the horrific absurdity of it all. Even more so when some human rushed through all three of them and all three reacted in a similar fashion Sweet Apple did the first time it happened to her. This time, however, as the three ponies lay upside down on the floor, they finally noticed the individual standing behind them. A pony wearing a cloak blacker than black, which turned into an equally black mist the closer to the ground it got; hiding his hooves in billowing obscurity, much like the hood did for his face; its shadow hiding everything, save the two points of intense red light, which stared intently at Apple Gleam. Even then, it did nothing to hide the pale white, somewhat curved horn sticking out from underneath, nor did they miss the pair of bone wings folded up by his sides. And then there was also a scythe held in his grasp. Held with a bone hoof. "His time is running out," the monster spoke with a somewhat meek voice. He then looked down at the three ponies on the ground before them and then, a sudden beam of light coming from one of the humans holding a lamp for the medics chased away the shadow obscuring the being's face for a flash of a second. A white, bleached, grinning skull stared back at the three unfortunate, terrified souls. With unexplainable flickering lights, three screams rose up in the air, only heard by the four of them. <<>><<>><<>> They screamed. With flailing limbs they tried to move away from this monster, another ghost out to hurt them in ways they didn't even want to think about. The horror of the situation only made worse when in their mad scramble, continuously pulling each other back down again, the skeletal ghost slowly moved closer, slowly shaking his head. He let go of his scythe, holding it upright in a pale white glow coming from his horn, and he reached out with his now free hoof towards the closest of the three; Scoot Blaze. "SCOOTS, NO!" Sky Rider shouted as his struggle to pull himself up intensified to save his wife. Seeing the entity move closer still, Scoot Blaze clenched her eyes shut and pulling back into herself as far as she could, expecting the worst to happen, while the fervent struggle of both Sky Rider and Sweet Apple continued in full. "STAY AWAY FROM HER YOU MONSTER!" Sky Rider bellowed, finally managing to get his hooves underneath him and leaped at the ghost threatening his wife; slamming into it with all his weight, then crashed onto the ground amidst a pile of bones. "Oh, Thanasia," the ghost said meekly after his skull bounced, then rolled away before coming to a stop several body lengths away, lying upside down underneath the table which held Sweet Apple's body. Screaming in fear, Sky Rider scurried away from the pile of bones as they began to glow and twitch, slowly rising up as they began to reassemble. "Please don't be afraid," the skull said. "I'm not here to hurt you, I promise." The fact it was a skull that said it, and a beheaded skull at that, only served to escalate the panic and fear, which taken hold over the ponies. Escalating matters further was the skull's body, which had now fully rebuilt itself with accompanying cracks and pops; the cloak it wore reforming around it from the shadows, which rose up like a thick fog to cover his skeletal frame, revealing the true, ominous nature of their situation… … Which was shattered almost immediately when the still beheaded skeleton began fumbling around with a fore hoof patting the ground in search of its head. "No, to your left. Yes, that way. Yes. No, stop, go back," the skull called out to his body, unable to stop a sigh escaping when his body went the wrong way, fell down a slope and broke apart once more. Sweet Apple, Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze could only watch events transpire in stunned shock and confusion as the skeleton started to rebuild itself again. "I do so dislike it when this happens," the skull groaned, then his red dot like eyes shifted to the three ponies now staring back at him. With a pale flash of his horn, the skull rolled himself over. "Eh… I'm sorry for scaring you like that. This doesn't usually happen," he told them. "Right… uuhmm, right. My name is Mort, also known as the Grimm Galloper, or the Pale Pony. Now, before anything else you need to know this: You are dead. Worse, you don't realize this and are stuck in between states of being, because of this, and I am here to guide your souls to the afterlife…. as soon as I get back on my body that is," for a second the red dots glowing in his sockets vanished, almost as if he blinked. "Of course you must be confused with what is going on, especially considering the already dire circumstances you find yourself in, so if you have any questions about… well—" his eyes flashed up to the dead body lying above him, "—I'll do my best to answer them." All three ponies stared at the skull with wide eyes, pupils shrunken to pinpricks and stuck in a state of being either perpetually frozen or hyperventilating. With an uncoordinated stumble, Mort's body zig zagged its way back to its head, missing several times in which Mort had to call out directions to steer it back on track, before it finally found its target and picked up the skull with a hoof; reconnecting the skull to the spine with a satisfying pop. "Well, that was unpleasant. Let's not do that again," Mort said as he experimentally twisted his head left and right. Satisfied everything was back where it was supposed to be, he turned back to the three ponies exhibiting clear signs of rigor mortis and sighed out in defeat, while pulling up his hood to mask his skull, while his scythe came to him in the pale white glow of his magic. "So… questions?" At first neither of them seemed to be able to formulate any form of response, but just as Mort was about to clarify the situation some more, Sweet Apple hesitantly raised a trembling hoof. "Wh-h… What?" With a small nod, Mort sat down; lying down his scythe besides him as he looked the three ponies in their eyes. "There was an explosion, a clash of power, which collapsed the hotel you and others were hiding in. A collapse, which your husband somehow survived, but at a cost," Mort began, turning to look at the horribly injured stallion still being operated on. "Gleam," Sweet Apple gasped, reminded she wasn't the only one in terrible danger right now. "I'm sorry to say this, but he will be with you soon," Mort said heavy hearted, then continued his explanation. "He survived the collapse, but the three of you didn't. Worse still, it happened so fast, so unexpectedly, I was not able to get to you in time, and your souls ended up split from your mortal shell, lost and confused. It's also why your wing is no longer broken," he aimed at Scoot Blaze, who instinctively flexed the mentioned wing. "Your body, broken wing and all, is still buried underneath the debris of the hotel. The same for you," he looked at Sky Rider. "While your husband managed to dig out your body," he told Sweet Apple. "And that is where I come in, as my task is to guide the souls of those departed to the afterlife and to help them understand what befell them, you, in times when answers are difficult to come by. And these are truly difficult times," he finished with a sigh and a sad shake of the head, looking down at the ground. Looking back up Mort believed to have answered the most important parts of what had happened to the three ponies so far. Though he did expect them to have several more questions with it all laid out in the open. What he didn't expect, but probably should have, were the looks of disgust and boiling anger, as the three ponies seemed to shake with barely contained rage. "WHAT KIND OF IDIOTIC FOALS DO YA THINK WE ARE, GHOST!?" Sweet Apple yelled. "Oh, thanasia," Mort squeaked as he shrunk down into himself, unable to tear his gaze away from the three rejecting souls' burning eyes. "Wha-... what is going on…? Wait, Sweet?" all four turned to the stallion standing off to the side, confusion plastered on his face, while behind him several humans backed away from the table on which the same stallion lay unmoving, shaking their heads. "SWEET!" Apple Gleam cried out, rushing over to embrace his wife, while she and the two pegasi looked at him, his body, then back at Mort; fear and growing realization clearly showing in their eyes. <<>><<>><<>> With a sluggish pace, the sun started to rise many hours too late. A small sign of hope to those surviving the horrors brought down upon the once bustling city, while also kicking up a fresh storm of panic and worry among the still blissfully unaware citizens of the other cities who started their day not knowing what terrible fate had befallen their fellow ponies, griffons, donkeys, friends, family, or loved ones, while rumors already ran rampant about what caused princess Celestia to be so late with changing night to day. It would be a true nightmare in the literal form once the news reached out, but right now, sinking back down to her haunches with a saddened sigh, Celestia could not focus on such matters, as all around her, humans and a sparse number of royal guards were working without pause to weed out any ghost still running rampant, find any and all survivors in hiding, and recover those for whom help came far too late. She herself helped too, naturally. Exhausted as she might be, her very instincts screamed at her to keep going, until she knew for certain that all were safe. And so, still wearing her battle damaged armor, she used her incredible magic to assist a group of human soldiers to clear the rubble of what used to be a hotel; moving several pieces of concrete, wood and destroyed furniture at once, while making sure the sudden shift of material wouldn't cause another collapse. It was a difficult task, as with each room's worth of debris they cleared, more and more bodies were found. A stab went through Celestia's heart with each unfortunate soul they carried off, yet she steeled herself and continued working, not allowing the tears stinging her eyes to escape this time. A shout of warning came from within the collapsed structure and Celestia paused her magic, leaving numerous chunks floating in mid air, already knowing what this meant as she waited. It felt more like the lifetime she had already lived through all over again, but in reality took only the better part of fifteen minutes, as eventually, four humans slowly stepped out and away from the search area, two stretchers carried in between them as they carefully moved the bodies of two pegasi they had uncovered; one of them, a mare, with a bandaged and splinted wing. Unbeknownst to any of them, those same ponies also watched in shock and horror as their bodies were carried away. <<>><<>><<>> Several hours later The tear which had first brought the ghosts to this city was open once again; the intervals between it opening and closing still an unknown, making it difficult to reliably cross when it opened, and quite a mad scramble when it did lest it closed on any unfortunate individual while passing through. Still, the combined efforts of the military and the Guys in White did ensure that a significant force managed to cross before the tear closed. And now, following a schedule unknown to any, once more a rift in the layers of reality joined their world with Equestria, allowing a more specialized force to move in as several choppers flew through, sent out to scan and guard the city from all possible angles, and making sure no ghost still present would escape the city unnoticed. It was an unknown how many, if any had already done so. Though it would stand to reason that at least a portion of the invading ghosts would venture out instead of haunting the easy prey they found in this unprotected city. And so, with the loud whine of their engines and telltale sound of their rotors slicing through the air, a great number of them rose up to begin their task, while preparing the anti ghost weapons installed in place of the more conventional weapons systems. Down on the ground, in a hastily built command center, several high ranking officers and Guys in White coordinated their hunt, while a new group of soldiers moved through to bolster the numbers already present and replace those who were injured in the line of duty. Several of them, either with rudimentary bandages to cover up wounds such as spectral burns, deep cuts, or broken bones, already awaited their chance to move back through and receive medical attention, when three more individuals joined them: White One and the two former Gals in White, whose actions severely stained their outfit, both literally and figuratively. Only White One still wore the shades synonymous to their outfit, while the two women refused to look up, instead glaring at the ground with misplaced anger. "White Actual, White One and Stained White Three, and Four. Standing ready and await further instructions?" White One reported in, fingers pressed to his earpiece. Standing almost completely still, the light of the rising sun reflecting off his glasses, he listened to his commanding officer, while watching the last of the reinforcement pass through the tear. "Understood," he confirmed, hand dropping down. "Soldiers," he addressed the injured men and women. "All of you have been scanned and cleared for passage?" He asked in drill sergeant style. "Sir, yes Sir," they all replied as one. "Good," he said. "Move out," he instructed, keeping a close eye on the group as they walked through the tear on their own, or were carried out by others, when unable to do so. Once the last had passed, he turned back to the two women still glaring at the ground, pulling a scanner from his jacket and scanning the two a final time. Satisfied, he nodded as the scan showed they were clean. "Okay ladies, time to head back," he instructed, stepping closer to the tear and motioning for them to follow; stopping an arm's length shy of the rippling tear and looking back at the two to make sure they were following. One by one the two women stepped through under White One's watchful gaze, not looking up, even after they had once again set foot on Earth. Sighing out his displeasure, White One shook his head as he, too, stepped through while putting back his scanner; no one noticing the tuft of multi colored fur that flashed out from his jacket, which he quickly shoved back in, nor the green glow of his eyes hidden behind his shades. <<>><<>><<>> "This can't be real," Sweet Apple said, repeating herself over and over again, as she stared at her lifeless body. Standing beside her, Apple Gleam did the same to his own body once Mort had explained the situation to him... after he had calmed down from his panic attack upon seeing Mort and, again upon noticing his own body. And now, once the human guards had begun to search the former hotel and the numerous bodies within were recovered. It didn't take long for Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider to find themselves in the exact same situation, as they watched in horror, as their mortal coils, bruised and beaten, were brought in and laid down, in an ever growing line of white sheet covered corpses. Adding to the surreality of the situation, others who had perished sat beside them, crying, screaming in denial, or lying on the ground in a fetal position, while oblivious humans moved through their intangible forms with stretchers in hand. A throat being cleared drew the attention of some, but not all of the ponies and those who did, all flinched back upon seeing Mort. "I know this is all a lot to take in," Mort began. "Believe me, this is not how these things are supposed to happen. But the explosion that caused all of this, also took everypony by surprise. Myself included. Even then, the way your souls were left to wander, or worse, still trapped in your mortal form is unforgivable and I deeply apologize for that," he lowered his head in shame and took notice of the hushed silence that had fallen over the room, despite the sound of boots pounding on the ground, and debris being moved, coming from all around them. Looking back up, he saw that now all ponies looked at them, most of them with tears running down their faces. All of them shellshocked. "Wh-... What happens now, to us?" a young stallion asked suddenly, his voice cracking. Despite a lack of lungs, Mort exhaled a deep sigh before answering. "As of now, you're all within a state between life and death. Purgatory, as it is often called. As for what happens to you. It all depends on you. You can choose to move on, leave behind this plane of existence and go to the Elysium Fields. Or you can choose to remain, but not as a living being of flesh and blood." "And what does that even mean?" Sweet Apple demanded to know. "Sometimes a soul is unable to find peace because of certain matters left unfinished, or find themselves unable to move on because of other personal reasons which makes them choose to remain, becoming an entity of spectral nature. Disconnected from the mortal realm, but part of it all the same," Mort answered with some hesitancy, recent experience having taught him what to expect. "You mean ghosts," Sweet Apple stated, not asked as she shot a burning glare at the animated skeleton. Again, a sigh escaped Mort as he nodded. "That is what these beings are called, yes." A riot of yelling, screaming, shouting and even louder crying rose up in an instant as the ponies openly rebelled to this very possibility and Mort flinched back from the sudden assault to his non existent ears, while waiting for them to calm down enough for him to explain. "YOU EXPECT US TO BECOME LIKE THOSE THINGS!?" a mare shouted her disgust, all of the ponies sharing her sentiment. "Of course not," Mort answered simply. "Why would you become anything other than who you are?" he asked in turn, and everypony fell silent, confused. "Who you are won't change, just what you are. And even then, any changes to your physical self will be limited to the choice you make." "THEN WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE GHOSTS WHO ATTACKED US!?" The same mare cried out. The red dots in Mort's skull faded, then returned as he blinked, slightly tilting his head. "You have prisons," he stated simply. "Houses of holding to keep those who broke your laws and possibly even hurt one, or more while doing so." "And?" Scoot Blaze scoffed. "Does that mean every pony present is a criminal who should be locked up in there?" Mort asked in general, slowly looking at them all. "Of course not," Scoot Blaze rebuked, offended. "So only the select few who would do harm to others," said Mort, to which Scoot Blaze gave a slow nod, confusion clearly noticeable on her and the others. "Ghosts are a lot more like you than you think. Physical differences aside, they can do either good, or bad. Just like any of you. The difference is that they," he gestured a hoof around, indicating the city as a whole, "are those who are considered to be the worst and their prison isn't always able to hold them I'm afraid," he informed them, while keeping his thoughts about said prison, and its warden to himself. Shaking his head clear of such thoughts, he continued. "If you were to choose to remain, you will remain true to the being you are now. Your soul can't change. What your new physical form will be may vary, depending on the choices you make after." "You mean… We can stay, here, with our loved ones?" Sweet Apple asked, hope brimming in her eyes while Mort, Death itself, once again felt that horrible feeling of dying himself, when asked that question again. Again a sigh escaped from him before he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. There are rules in place. Rules that even I can't break. And one of these rules is that no ghosts are allowed to exist here. The fact that such a large number has found its way here is not something that will go unnoticed and forces, more powerful than you can imagine, will respond to this," his mind returned to his unexpected meeting with one of them, posing as an unassuming baby alligator and protecting those three mares. "But then where would we go, if not moving on?" A young mare asked, who Sweet Apple realized as the one they found impaled on several beams of rebar. "The Ghost Zone," Mort answered, struggling to find the words for a more proper explanation but failing after a moment. "It's a place not easily described. But once there, you will be able to get to know the new you, and traverse to various places within the mortal realm." "But not home?" the mare asked, to which Mort shook his head. "Then what's the point?" "That is for you to find out," he told her, though without much conviction, already seeing the tell tale signs of a choice made among most of them. Crossing her arms with a huff, the mare glowered at Mort as she made up her mind. "Well, I won't have it. I refuse to become a ghost, no matter what you say." To her great surprise, as well as all others save one, she slowly began to levitate up, a white glow surrounding her body. "Then go in peace," Mort said calmly as he looked up at the fading form, his scythe held up and its blade aglow. In seconds it was over and the young mare was gone. "What. What happened to her?" A stallion who stood next to her asked, terrified. "She chose to move on," Mort explained. "But she didn't say so!" The same stallion countered. "You don't have to. You merely have to accept that, which brings peace to your soul. And for her, it was moving on," said Mort, looking at those still there. "But how could we possibly make such a choice?" Apple Gleam asked, devastated. Mort shook his head. "I don't know." <<>><<>><<>> Pinkie Pie, her sister Maud, their grandmother and Gummy, had been brought to a nearby park, joining numerous other survivors as human medics tended to those injured. Other humans, armed with weapons none of them had ever seen before, guarded the perimeter. The relatively open space giving them a clear field of view, while the few trees, benches and decorative rocks provided ample cover, should the need arise. Several of those humans moved around, sweeping the area continuously with scanners to catch any invisible ghost trying to get the drop on them and relaying all findings to the rest of the human guards. Pinkie, Maud and Granny Pie, fortunately having been spared any physical injury, found themselves sitting underneath the shade of a chestnut tree; Maud looking off into the distance, her eyes unfocused, while Pinkie held Gummy in a hug, tightly pressed to her chest. Their grandmother, sitting in between the two, looked at her granddaughters with concern. Especially Maud. While Pinkie had been afraid and rightfully so, she also seemed to have gone through this ordeal better than she could have hoped. Maybe the small alligator played a role in this, she didn't know, but how these events would affect her youngest granddaughter only time would tell. Maud on the other hoof had changed. While not the most expressive of ponies, there had always been a spark in her eyes. A spark of joy, adventure. A spark which drove her to seek out more in life than her parent's rock farm could provide. A spark which, to Granny Pie's great fear, was gone, as Maud continued to stare off into the distance without any hint of emotion on the blank mask her face had become. Pulling both Maud and Pinkie closer to her, startling both, she held them close in a loving hug. "It's going to be okay, children. It's going to be okay." "I know it is," Pinkie quipped, looking at her grandmother with bright blue eyes. "Gummy said so himself.” Chuckling lightly, Granny Pie nuzzled Pinkie on the top of the head, glad for her youthful imagination to help her through this ordeal. Shouting came from someplace behind them and a ripple of panic moved through the improvised camp, as humans started to communicate through their strange devices at an increasing pace, while rushing to strategic defensive positions. Then the explosions started and screams rose up higher, drowning out anything else, other than the horrific sounds of the humans weapons firing and the now all too familiar sound of spectral discharge. Panic stricken, all survivors began to flee in fear induced survival instinct; moving without thought, or plan and trampling over everything, and everypony, or human, in their need to escape. Pinkie Pie, Maud and Granny Pie, caught in the middle of it all, were forcefully separated in the mass of bodies, and only through an act of Celestia blessed fortune, was Granny Pie able to push her way through and reach Maud, who herself looked wildly around with wide, fearful eyes for her younger sibling. A green flash filled their vision, followed seconds later by a tremendous blast which knocked everypony flat to the ground, while also destroying the chestnut tree they sat under and blasting up large amounts of dirt, and even some of the larger rocks scattered around the park. A scream cut through, rising over all other deafening sounds and, both Maud and Granny Pie watched in horror, as they finally saw Pinkie, lying on the ground in a crumpled heap, shivering, covering her head with her hooves while fearfully looking up at the ghost responsible. It was a monster in every sense of the word. Somewhat reptilian, with filthy brown scales for a hide, though torn in various places and leaking glowing green blood. Easily three times the size of a pony and with a pair of wicked, glowing a diabolical red eyes, while his three fingered clawed hand held up a glowing orb of toxic green might, ready to unleash its destructive desires all around it. And its eyes were locked on the frightful filly who had screamed, seemingly uncaring of the glare shot at it by the small alligator sitting in her mane, as it threw one of the glowing orbs in its claws at Pinkie. The world slowed to a crawl as Maud's eyes shot open, watching the sphere of death descend upon Pinkie and all forms of coherent thought stopped, as in that exact moment, she knew what she had to do. Looking up, she spotted one of the more sizable rocks still in the air, already pulled back by gravity and she sped off in a blur almost impossible to see. Running for the destroyed stump of the chestnut, all that remained of the once proud tree, she spun around and kicked it with the full strength of her earth pony boosted hind legs and sisterly love. The stump all but exploded out of the ground, flying as if shot from a cannon as it intersected the ghost's attack, catching the blast before it could harm Pinkie. Not slowing down, Maud leaped for the stump, kicking off of it with the same strength she had demonstrated a second prior, destroying the stump into splinters which clattered to the ground without causing any further harm while she flew up to the boulder she had set her eyes on. Surprised, eyes wide, the ghost watched as the gray pony missile flew past it, slamming with all four hooves onto the plummeting rock, spinning it around until she stood on top while her strangely blank, yet burning gaze promised it a world of pain. With a strength she herself didn't know she possessed, Maud hammered into the boulder with her hooves, breaking the rock into smaller pieces which launched at the ghost with terrifying speed, striking into its undead flesh before it even had a chance to react and turn intangible. Hammered by the sudden, unrelenting assault, its body bruising and breaking from the shockwave inducing impacts the ghost fell to the ground underneath a growing layer of fragmenting stone until it was buried in a second grave. Landing on the ground with a solid 'THUD', Maud glared at the pile of rock, not even breathing heavy as several humans hesitantly approached, eyeing her with the same trepidation they did the now buried ghost. A shift in the rocks drew everyone's attention and a bloody claw burst out from underneath; the ghost pulling its way out from its prison with a feral scream, promising a slow and agonizing death to the one who dared to offend it like that. A spiraling beam of bright blue washed over the unholy entity and with another screech of defiance it was pulled into a cylindrical container held in the hand of a white dressed, black skinned human who slapped a cap on top of it the moment the ghost vanished inside. "White Two here, threat subdued and captured. Scan the area for more hostile activity and commence with damage control," the man said, fingers pressed to an ear. Almost immediately, the other humans sprung into action to do as they were told. Maud, however, didn't pay this any attention as she rushed over to Pinkie, holding her in a tight hug. "Are you alright, Pinkie?" she asked, the concern in her voice, the most emotion she had been able to show since this nightmare started. "I.. I am, sis," Pinkie sniffled, looking up at her older sister with wide, watery eyes. "Thank you," she mumbled as she snuggled into the fluff of Maud's chest, then giggled quietly. "Did you see the look on that ghost's face when you went all zoom, kick, jump, ghaaa, crash, pow, blam on him? Where did you even learn to do that?" “I would like to know as well," Granny Pie stepped closer, looking at Maud with large, disbelieving eyes. Maud, giving the faintest of smiles, nuzzled Pinkie on the top of her head. "Don't you remember, Pinkie? I promised I would do anything to see you smile." The bright smile Pinkie gave her in answer made her feel everything was going to be alright, when something fell out of her mane and onto the ground beside them. Looking down, they saw a small piece of the rock, which she had used to fight the ghost, still wobbling slightly. Gingerly picking it up, Maud looked at it with, once more, blank eyes. "Boulder," she said simply, refusing to put the small rock down from there on out. Off in the distance, White Two, fingers once more pressed to his ear, was discussing something over the radio, while watching Maud intently. "Yes Sir. A valuable asset indeed." <<>><<>><<>> It had been nearly a full day since the events that brought such destruction to a once prosperous city, took the lives of so many and injured even more. The amount of injured was counted in such large numbers, that they had to be distributed among the various cities and villages hospitals. One of them, Spitfire, now lay in a coma in Fillydelphia medical, her injuries severe to such an extent, that she had to be teleported, in order to receive the care she needed, before it was too late. Soarin, while injured himself in the line of duty, miraculously walked away with relatively minor injuries. Though he would be wearing bandages and applying healing ointments on his numerous burns for some time to come, nor would he be able to use his wings for at least a month, as they recovered from the muscle tearing strain he forced himself through during his escape while carrying Spitfire. None of that mattered to him as he watched the mare and the state she was in. Lying on her back, barely any fur could be seen, as her body was completely covered with a solid cast; her hind legs held up in a natural angle and supported by ropes attached to a suspending rack over her bed. Her front legs, positioned to her sides and lying on the mattress in an as comfortable position as possible, while her wings, clipped of all her feathers and completely immobile, extended out on both sides. Her tail, also, didn't escaped unscathed as numerous bones were found to be fractured as well, leaving barely any of her fiery orange and yellow skirt to slip through the cast. The same also held true for her mane, as bandages were tightly wrapped around most of her head, leaving only a hole for her right eye and muzzle while a tube fed into her mouth, to assist her with her breathing; a steady beeping coming from the heart monitor, beside the other machine, which pumped the life sustaining oxygen. How long Soarin stood there he didn't know, but eventually, he noticed he wasn't the only one present. "How's she doing?" Fleetfoot asked, she herself showing clear signs of injury, with her right hind leg in a cast and kept off the ground being the most prominent. "Fleetfoot, how did you-" She cut him off by pressing a hoof to his mouth, before quickly setting it down to regain her balance. "Same way you got here, I'm afraid," she said ruefully. "Haven't heard much from most of the others," she looked down to the floor, her unkempt mane falling before her eyes. "Lightning Streak is here too, though. They're still operating on him. Most likely he will never fly again," she told him, shaking her head with a sigh. "Then I heard you and Spitfire were here, and hoped that maybe you got out better than we did," she fell silent as she looked at the nearly mummified body of Spitfire. "It… It's too soon to tell," Soarin belatedly answered her question. "She took a hard hit. A very hard hit…. after what happened to Captain Blaze, she…" his voice got stuck, and he closed his eyes, shaking his head to remove the images he didn't want to remember. "Is… Is it true. Is the Captain…?" Soarin's pained stare was all the answer she needed and she slumped to the ground, lacking the strength to cry out as she put pressure on her broken leg. "What are we going to do now?" she asked, looking up with teary eyes. Sitting down himself, Soarin could only look at the broken form of Spitfire, unable to find an answer, as the gentle beeping of the heart monitor filled the otherwise silent room. <<>><<>><<>> The search and rescue was now fully underway, as many sought through the damaged and destroyed buildings for any survivors, or victims of the attack. Yet the trauma of what had transpired had cut deep and the mere hours, which had passed, were nowhere near enough to start healing the wounds inflicted upon all affected, both physical and mental. Even then, with the aid of the humans, the first effort towards recovery had already begun. Though it would be a very, very long time before the wounds would become scars and even longer before they would fade. Even so, the first step towards recovery was accepting that it happened; as well as accepting the failures, which enabled it to happen in the first place. And now, as princess Celestia oversaw the rescue effort, she could not ignore the seeming ease with which these humans dealt with such a threat. True, they also struggled. But compared to how they faced this adversary, it was obvious to her how she failed in properly preparing her ponies, as well as the other species living within the borders of her kingdom. Of course none could have expected a tear to open in the middle of the city, but they knew tears were opening up all across the world, Earth and Equestria alike. So, just how unexpected was it really? No, looking back on it all, she knew she failed to realize the true potential of the ghosts' threat, as well as the unpredictable nature of these tears, which have proven they could open up anywhere, anytime, opening them up to a threat they were ill suited to defend against. "Mister White," she addressed the white suited, white haired elderly man with a neatly trimmed mustache standing next to her, while following the flight path of a distant helicopter, as it patrolled the city. "Princess Celestia," the man replied, his voice sharp and in contrast to his apparent age, as he turned to the royal mare. For a moment, Celestia studied the man before her; the commanding officer of the white suited group of humans, realizing that unlike those under him, he did not wear any shades. She also saw his left eye was blinded from a bisecting scar running from his eyebrow to his cheek, yet still showing a vigor one would expect of one half his age. Looking back out at the city and the destruction now clearly visible in the full light of day, it was obvious it would be many years before the city would return to its former splendor, assuming it ever would. Sighing, she returned her gaze back to the human in white. "I would like to thank you, as well as every human involved, for all the help you've given us. I can't begin to imagine what might have happened if you hadn't shown up when you did." "Of course, ma'am," Mister White replied, he too taking a moment to observe the destruction. "We know all too well what those unholy abominations are capable of. And, while the relationship between our two worlds is still young, we can't just stand by knowing that others are in danger of these ghosts." "Indeed," she replied. "Yet all that has transpired has revealed to me a critical flaw in our defences. We don't have any," she looked towards the now closed tear, a shimmering point in the air. "A tear opened without any warning, catching us unprepared. A worrying thing on its own, as history has shown the problems this can bring to the inhabitants of both our worlds. But worse still, when it opened, it also allowed a mass of ghosts through, to which none of my ponies knew how to fight, resulting in the devastation all around us." "I see your problem. I also see the question still unasked," he replied analytically. "We can't stop these tears from forming. None of us know how this Phantom created the first tear in the first place. But, with your help, at least we can be prepared." "What is it that you suggest?" "Train my ponies, teach them how to fight these ghosts. Give them the knowledge to prevent a disaster such as this from ever happening again." Mister White stood silent, his face an unreadable mask as he watched a distant group of humans and ponies working together, searching through the remainders of a destroyed store. "There is much to gain from a mutually beneficial partnership. The knowledge we have, the knowledge you have and everything in between. But you know, just as well as I do, that merely training your ponies to fight ghosts, will not prevent this from happening again, should ghosts find their way back here again. You will need our weapons and defensive technology just as much." "I am afraid so, yes," Celestia confirmed. "But I can ensure you will be equally compensated. As you said, a mutually beneficial partnership." "I scratch your back, you scratch mine." "What?" "Just a saying. Do know that I am not at liberty to promise you anything, but I assure you your request will be brought to those who can." "That is all I can ask." For a moment, both stood in silence, watching. "I don't envy you," Mister White said suddenly. "I'm sorry?" "Carrying such a burden," he clarified. "I know the weight of command, what it is to send out others into combat, knowing they could come back injured, half dead, or not at all. Yet we do it, because that is what's expected from us. But where I command a relatively small group of highly trained professionals… for the most part, you do so with an entire country and for far longer than I have lived. A terrible curse of power to have. Yet it pales in comparison to having such power and being completely helpless, despite it. Especially when it’s civilians, that are paying the price. Fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, sons and daughters… I hate to say I am no stranger to this and worse, that I have never found a proper way to inform those left behind. And now, with so many missing and dead… I do not envy you, Princess Celestia. Not at all." <<>><<>><<>> Nothing made any sense anymore. Upon meeting Mort and learning of the fate that befell them, with the subsequent choice that they had to make; Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider knew that they just couldn't leave like that, yet Mort was quite insistent, when he told them that it was impossible for them to remain here, the world they called home. Naturally they, as well as most others who were with them, revolted against this notion; unwilling to make a choice, one way, or the other, which meant they would leave everything they loved and cared about behind. At least, most others did think so. Some, as they witnessed, made the choice to move on, like the young mare before them. Their reasons for doing so unknown to them, nor did it matter. What did matter were the lives they unwillingly lost and those connected to it. At least Mort informed them that, while a choice had to be made, it didn't have to be made immediately and that they had some time to go, and say their goodbyes. Which to him was often a thing those passed had to do to find the peace they needed to make the choice laid out to them. Though he was also quite insistent not to take too long, as those who refused to choose would meet a fate he was unwilling to explain any further than worse than death. "Choice has always been the problem," they heard him murmur to himself. Nothing of that sentence helped them put their minds at ease. Still, at least one thing he told them sparked a sense of longing among those still present and all went their separate ways, with Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider taking flight back to Ponyville; not noticing Sweet Apple and Apple Gleam following the same path back, running as fast as they could. Unfortunately, even as they were now, the flight back to Ponyville took a long time. But without stopping for rest, not willing to rest, they arrived some hours after sunrise the next day, four days after they had left. Now though, standing before the closed door of Bellflower's guest house, both ponies were unable to move; frozen on the spot as their fears and nervousness were locked in conflict with their desire to see and hold their daughter. With a faint squeak coming from the front door's hinge, the door swung open and a royal messenger stepped out; his helmet removed, and held against his chest, as he said a respectful goodbye towards the distraught mare following him out. Bellflower, having just received the worst news anypony could possibly receive, nodded numbly, simply going through the motions as she closed the door. Shaken out of their stupor, Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider looked at one another, then moved for the door; looking at the closed portal with hesitation, before Sky reached for the knob. To their shock and further cementing their fate, his hoof phased cleanly through the metal. Leaping back in fright, looking at his limb as if it was diseased, he slowly set his hoof back down, gulping loudly. "So…. what now?" he asked, at a loss. "Can we… I don't know…. just walk through… maybe?" A cry came from inside; the voice all too familiar to them and they stormed the door without thinking; phasing through the solid object without hindrance and running in towards Bellflower's personal living room, where they found Bellflower, broken down, while trying her hardest not to show it and their daughter. Scootaloo cried, loudly; the full extent of what had happened to her parents lost on her, but the knowledge that her mommy and daddy wouldn't come back for her, was heartbreaking. The sight of their daughter in tears hurt Scoot Blaze and Sky Rider deeply and they rushed for her without a thought, other than to comfort her. Yet try as they did, their efforts were wasted as their attempts to pull her into a loving, comforting embrace failed each and every time, as they phased through her, the same way they did the door. Unable to keep herself from breaking down any longer, Bellflower pulled the distraught filly into a tight embrace, the both of them crying over the horrible loss they've suffered. "It's alright. It's alright," Bellflower said again and again, gently rubbing the filly's back, "I promise I will take care of you. I promise," she told Scootaloo, hoping that her parents would approve of her decision, unaware that both ponies looked at them with tears running down their faces. Unable to stand the sight of her daughter and friend any longer, and unable to do anything to help them, Scoot Blaze ran away, eyes clenched shut; Sky Rider following closely behind, not noticing as a filly, looking surprisingly similar to their daughter, spied inside through one of the windows. <<>><<>><<>> Standing before the age worn door of their home, Sweet Apple and Apple Gleam could already tell something was wrong. Running into and subsequently, phasing through a royal messenger leaving the orchard as they rushed in, and the tomb like silence that now hung over the orchard; no sounds of apples being bucked, the squeaky wheels of the cart full of produce being pulled, or the laughter of their children as they played, all confirmed to them their worst fears. It was real. They were dead. Before they had the faint hope that maybe, maybe this was all some horrid illusion a ghost put them through. But they knew their farm and they knew their family, and this, this spoke directly to their hearts. Swallowing loudly, Apple Gleam held out a hoof for his wife to hold, which she accepted immediately; giving him a squeeze as they walked to, then through the door together. Immediately they became aware of one thing above all others. The silence inside was much, much worse than it had been outside, as they found their children and Apple Gleam's mother seated in the living room, cheeks wet from tears spilled and still flowing, but no sound escaping them as they stared out at nothing, with Apple Bloom being the only exception as she lay curled up besides her sister, holding onto her tail, asleep. "Mom," Apple Gleam stepped closer, yet his presence was completely missed by the elderly mare. "Macintosh, Applejack, Apple Bloom," he tried, turning to his children. They too did not show any sign of having seen, or heard him. "Please say something," Sweet Apple pleaded, trying to grab Applejack's hoof in her own, and failing completely. "Please." No answer came, no matter how much she tried. To their children, their family they were gone, unseen and unheard, unable to interact in any shape, or form. Setting down her trembling hoof, she sought comfort by the one pony she could still hold, crying into Apple Gleam's neck while he did the same with her; together with their family, yet separated all the same. For a long time they held each other, letting their tears flow, until no tear was left to be shed and all they could feel, was a hollow void within. Sniffing and wiping her nose with a fetlock, Sweet Apple looked at her children. Choking back another sob, before stepping closer and giving them a nuzzle as best she could, planting a kiss on their cheeks and on top of Apple Bloom's quietly slumbering head. Apple Gleam followed her lead, realizing deep down they had made a choice. A choice they did not truly wanted, but a choice all the same. "Mom," he turned to the mare who had raised him, giving her a kiss on the cheek as best he could. "Please look after them. Sweet and Ah, we," he paused to take several calming breaths, "we've got to go now. I'll bring your love ta dad," he showed a small sad smile. "... Things'll get better. We're Apples. Nothing keeps us down fer long, right?" Stepping away, he rejoined his wife's side, both of them looking at their family with saddened, but love filled eyes, then turned around, seeing Mort seated a respectful distance away, waiting for them to leave. "Are you ready?" he asked. "No," Sweet Apple shook her head. "But they've ta move on… just like we must do, too." Nodding in understanding, Mort rose up to all fours, his scythe at the ready. With a glow surrounding them, Sweet Apple and Apple Gleam rose up, never letting go of each other's hoof. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what has happened. Now, go in peace," Mort said, his scythe held high and both ponies vanished in a flash of light. <<>><<>><<>> Running through town, passing through everything and everypony on their path, Scoot Blaze, and Sky Rider tried to put as much distance between them, and the heartbreak that awaited them back at Bellflower's. Only after they had left Ponyville proper and found themselves standing at the edge of Whitetail Woods, did they stop; collapsing to the ground in an undignified heap, at a loss for what to do while their tears wouldn't stop coming. "How," Scoot Blaze sobbed. "How could we run away like that? Why couldn't we just hold our daughter?" Sky Rider, his body shaking from anger over the unfairness of it all, stomped a hoof on the ground. "There has to be something, someway for us to stay." "Maybe there is." Both ponies gasped and leaped away from the tall, hovering figure emerging out of nowhere, pressing closer together as the ghost approached, while they slowly retreaded backwards. "What would you do if I told you there might be a way for you to still be a part of your loved ones' lives?" the ghost asked and Scoot Blaze, and Sky Rider stopped in their tracks, while looking up at the adult human ghost, who had a broad chest, and a ticking clock imbedded in it, wearing a light purple suit which narrowed down towards his waist, where a black belt looped around with a gold pocket watch on a chain attached to it. The being had no legs, but an etherially moving, intangible tail. Gray gloves covered his hands, extending almost to his elbows, with three watches showing a different time on each wrist and a dark purple cape, which billowed behind him, and extended into a hood, leaving only his face visible, while he held a strange staff with a stopwatch attached to the tip. "Wh- what?" Sky Rider gasped, looking up at the ghost. From behind the ghost, stepping out of the shadows of the forest, Mort approached, eyes downcast. "Eh… hi," he said meekly, looking at the two scared ponies, not liking any of this. "Mort?" Scoot Blaze said, confused. "So, uhm, yeah. You remember those rules I told you about?" he asked awkwardly, shuffling on the spot as both pegasi nodded once. "It turns out there might be a way to circumvent the rules due to some exceptional circumstances. Not something that has happened before to my knowledge," he trailed off, looking off to the side, deep in thought. The strange ghost cleared his throat, snapping Mort out of his stupor. "Right, yes, uhmm. Clockwork, an old friend of mine," he introduced the ghost hovering next to him, who gave a curt half bow to the two increasingly confused ponies. "Eh, you also remember those forces more powerful than you can imagine would get involved that I mentioned?" again both ponies gave a single nod. "Well, Clockwork is something of an extension of these forces and may have a solution for you." "Not the best way to put it," Clockwork spoke up, "but close enough," he then suddenly morphed into an aged man, a long beard reaching down and both ponies shrieked out, leaping back. "Most unfortunate timing," Clockwork observed as he stroked his beard, "but not something that could be avoided either way. Please, do not fear. My sudden transformation is merely the fact of an age old curse inflicted upon me, and has no effect on the both of you. It's just something that happens to me from time to time." "W-w-w-what are you!?" Scoot Blaze stammered, pointing a trembling hoof at Clockwork. "Someone who can offer you a third choice… Or to be precise, an extension to one of the two choices given to you. Slowly putting her hoof down, Scoot Blaze tried to force the lump stuck in her throat down. "What… what do you mean?" "Certain events have been put into motion, the recent tragedy you got caught up, is the latest in this chain, but most certainly not the last. And, while what has happened can't simply be undone, what follows might be influenced into a more favorable outcome. Which is where you come in." "And what does that even mean?" Sky Rider asked suspiciously. "I'm afraid I am unable to answer that at this time." "Then why would we even bother listening to you!?" Sky Rider shot back. "Because I am in a position where I can help you to become a part in your daughter's life once more," Clockwork repeated and both ponies gasped out. "We… are listening," Sky Rider said with some trepidation. "I require your help, the both of you. But for you to do so, you will have to remain and not move on." "But Mort said we wouldn't be able to stay here!" Scoot Blaze replied heatedly. "And he was telling the truth," Clockwork calmly interjected. "Then how would we be able to stay with our daughter?" Scoot Blaze shot back. "Because some rules can be bent. Some can be broken. And sometimes, sometimes the rules need to be wiped out," he said with a shocking hardness to his voice. Reaching out with his staff at a point behind him, a swirling green portal opened in the air. "But I do promise you this: Help me and I will make sure you will be reunited with all who you hold dear. But I won't lie to you either. Should you choose to remain and help, a difficult time will await the two of you. As ghosts, you must master the skills you will acquire. This will take time. Time where you will be gone from the lives of those who stay behind and where you will learn things you wouldn't have even thought possible," he looked both ponies in the eyes, one after the other to instill the seriousness of their next course of action. "Knowing this, you must now choose. Do you trust me and the promise I made? Or do you refuse to believe the word of a ghost? Choose to help, follow me through the portal and I will reveal all I can to you, and the role you will come to play in the events still to come. Choose not to, remain here and Mort will see to it you will move on in peace." With nothing else to say, Clockwork flew backwards through the portal he opened, never breaking eye contact until he was gone, leaving Scoot Blaze, Sky Rider and Mort alone at the edge of the forest. Stunned into silence, both ponies could only stare at the swirling green portal before them, with barely blinking eyes; standing frozen and silent for the better part of five minutes, until Mort cleared his throat. "So, ehhh," he made a vague hoof gesture. "I know this is rather sudden and not what you were expecting. Nor did I, for that matter, but Clockwork is one of the more trustworthy ghosts. Though he can be vexing at times as a result of the, eh, role he plays in the greater scheme of things, if he says he can get you back to your daughter, he means it." Slowly, Sky Rider and Scoot Blaze broke their staring contest with the portal, looking at Mort, then each other, clearly conflicted. Then, closing her eyes, Scoot Blaze took a step forwards. "For Scootaloo," she said, eyes snapping open with burning conviction. "For my little Mayfly," Sky Rider joined her, taking hold of her hoof and together they stepped through the portal. It closed immediately after they vanished. Now alone, Mort sat down, head held low and shaking it slowly, a saddened sigh escaping him. "Oh, Thanasia. What has Destiny planned for this world?" <<>><<>><<>> Several weeks later With a nervous sigh, Soarin used a hoof to comb back his mane out of his face, the unkempt mess already longer than regulation would allow. Seated in a small, but high room, the furniture too large and all, ill fit for him, he tried to keep himself occupied, and not thinking about that, by sifting through the many old looking magazines laying on a table before him; the images on the cover and inside as he leafed through one of them alien and confusing. Warm light reflected off the glossy pages, coming from the decorative lamps hanging on the ceiling, as he stopped and read one of the articles at random. A full faced blush overtook him seconds later, and he threw the feminine hygiene article back on the pile, instead focusing his attention on the tall plant standing in the corner of the room. Time ticked by, and eventually he returned to fidgeting in his seat, unsure of what to do, or if he even wanted to be here. But just as he made up his mind to leave, a door opened and a tall, slender, red haired human woman stepped out; looking at him with a kind smile and approached. "Mister Soarin?" she asked, to which he numbly nodded. "My name is Jasmine Fenton and I'll be your psychiatrist. Please, follow me and we'll get you the help you need." Slowly, Soarin slid off his seat, standing only a head taller than the table and magazines, he looked up at Jasmine. "How?" Still smiling that warm smile, she beckoned him to enter her office. "That is what we will find out, together" and the door closed behind the two. <<>><<>><<>> Unblinkingly they watched, pulling the threads of Destiny to see those connected to it and the consequences which flowed from their choices selected. Images passed by in a blur, the lives of countless individuals, their paths in life changed, steered off course, damaged. "We are in agreement, yes?" a soundless male voice asked, pulling up the images of six young fillies marked for greatness still to come. "Much has changed, there can be no denying that. But this course of action you're suggesting can't be done. It goes against all our rules," an equally mute woman replied. "Yet it is not impossible, much as he has proven," a second male countered and another image rose up; that of a young pink pony, the same as shown in the first image, with the mentioned being nestled in her hair, posing as a baby alligator of all things. "Which will not go unpunished," Another woman objected. "You have seen what will happen should we not interfere directly," the first male calmly replied. "Either we break our rules, steer events back on track, through direct intervention where needed, or everything will fall apart." "Everything will fall apart regardless of what we do, or not do," an irate male soundlessly cut in, bringing up yet another image for them to study. "Indeed it does, and yet it doesn't" the first male countered matter of factly. "We can't change what's to come. But we can change how it will end. You know just as well as the rest of us, Destiny works its plans over many years and generations," and he pulled up the image of a young child who had a doll signed by the ghost he idolized. Then the child became an adult, and was subsequently killed by Necronomicon, who acted by the directions given by the human he just killed, all so he would set upon the path which led him through pain and suffering, leading him to become the Embodiment of Time so that one day he would be in the position to save the life of the ghost boy he idolised as a child and set the circling chain of events in motion once again. "But if we do nothing, the generation where it all comes together will not be there when needed." Then the images shifted to this white haired boy and moved forwards through time until it ended in the same vision where everything falls apart. "So my brothers, sisters, I ask of you. Are our rules worth the damnation of everything we've observed for so long, or will you help steer Destiny back on track?" "One could make the argument that us breaking the rules is part of Destiny as well," a mute woman playfully purred. "Ridiculous!" the irate male snapped. "We exist outside of Destiny, it does not affect us?" "Not as we are, true. But if we go there, just like Gummy has done," the mirth in her voiceless voice was unmistakable. "Destiny would guide us just as it would the mortals. And as such, one could reason that, if we are going to become a part of Destiny, aren't we already?" The irate male glowered at the images, not replying. The first male, Gummy, looked at those gathered with him, repeating his first question. "So, we are in agreement?" One by one, those present nodded their agreement, the irate one being the last and most hesitant. "I do not like this," he complained. Moving closer to the images, he pulled another image from Destiny, glaring at the pony presented. "And what about him?" he asked. "He will be the most important of all," Gummy replied, and all watched the white maned, black furred pony sitting on a hill outside the destroyed city; staring at the destruction with remorseful eyes. <<>><<>><<>> "Child, we must go. We don't have much more time left before he finds us," a glowing medallion around his neck pulsed in tune with the voice that came from it. "I know," the stallion replied, voice flat and bereft of emotions, never taking his eyes off the destruction he knew he was partially responsible for. "None of this is your fault. You know this." "Isn't it?" "No, it isn't." "Feels like it though." A sad sigh came from the medallion. "Child, you had no choice. Neither of us did. Had you not done what you did, he would have, but on a much greater scale." "Ponies died." "And more will live." "But what kind of lives will they have?" Silence. "Ray, sometimes there are no good choices. Only bad ones, and worse." "There had to be another way, something we missed?" "Maybe there was, but we did not have the time to find one." "But what if we did? What if we tried just a bit harder!?" the stallion snapped, finally tearing his gaze away from the still smoking city. "It's because of choice," the medallion sighed. "Choice has always been the problem," and with a desolate howl from the wind, the two vanished from the world in a flash of green. Author's Note And with that, this story has ended. You have been given a glimps in the lives of some of the ponies' their lives, and witnessed how for some it was cut short. All of which will have an impact on the lives of those who survived and remained, and will shape the events to come. And with it, not one but several worlds will change as well. I hope that you all have enjoyed this tale of ghosts and magical ponies at odds. It certainly has been a ride for me to get this far. But now, with this story told and complete, my attention can now return to the rest of my works still waiting for continuation and a proper finish. All in due time, of course. Please share your thoughts in the comments below, and thank you for reading. ~Powerdrainer
Prologue. If I Had The Chance, Would I Do Things Differently?I would like to thank Vates Despero for proofreading and editing this chapter. If I Had The Chance, Would I Do Things Differently? <<>><<>><<>> He moved through the hall of the house they'd just arrived at, carrying a bag on his back. It was an odd design, and not made to be carried by ponies, but that was hardly an issue for him, as it wasn't his, and he was merely carrying it inside to place it on the living room table. Looking around the home, he couldn't help but feel a bit small, as everything was much larger than any furniture designed for a pony. Which was to be expected, as humans were twice the height of any ponies, save for the Princesses. Using his wings to fly up a bit, he dropped the bag on the table, before dropping back on his hooves and heading back to the open door to help her carry inside more of her luggage. Why a mare… No, a woman, needed so much luggage with her for only a short trip he would never understand. But he would help her carry it nonetheless. She had him wrapped around her fingers, and he would do anything to see her smile. A small happy chuckle escaped him as he shook his head a bit. Never in his life could he have imagined that he would end up in a relationship with a human, especially considering the way they met. But, as he stepped back outside, Soarin couldn't stop the smile growing on his face as he saw Jazz wave at him, pointing at a suitcase filled with various items he would probably never be able to name. Mares. Woman. Some things don't change, no matter which world you're on. <<>><<>><<>> Everything was put inside, and the door closed behind them. The taxi they arrived in drove off, leaving the street empty and quiet once more. It had been a hectic few days for the both of them, as Jazz had to attend the conference to give a lecture about ghost induced PTSD. Something he was quite familiar with. Most of the suitcases she had with her were filled with books and paperwork about ghosts, her research, and anything else she believed might be useful. Soarin asked why she didn't used one of those computer thingies they had, but he only got a muttered response about books never running out of power. But he didn't complain, and he and Jazz carried the various books back to her study, leaving them there to be sorted out at a later time. Jazz also put away the bag with the clothes, knowing there was a lot of laundry to be done in her near future. Something Soarin didn't have to deal with nearly as much as she did. Hearing some odd sounds coming from down the hall, Jazz walked down and into the kitchen, seeing Soarin sitting on a chair at the table, his muzzle buried in the leftover pie she had stored in her fridge. Sighing and rolling her eyes, she slowly shook her head, a small grin on her face. "What?" he said with his mouth half full, giving a shrug, "I was hungry." "I can tell," Jazz said with a chuckle, and Soarin swallowed the last of the pie he still had in his mouth. "So, all done?" he asked after he cleared his mouth. "I am. Still need to do a lot of laundry, though. But that can wait for another time," she answered. "Yeah, what is it with humans and all their clothes?" he asked for the umpteenth time. "You know the answer to that, as I have told you that many times before," Jazz answered, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, but I know you don't care much about clothes around me," he said with a suggestive tone, a devious smirk on his face while he gave her a suggestive eyebrow waggle. "SOARIN!" Jazz said loudly, a heavy blush staining her face. His only response was to give her a wink. Feeling the heat in her face slowly diminish, Jazz decided to just play along, for now. "Oh, so you have something in mind?" she asked seductively as she walked to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind as she kissed his cheek. "Maybe," he said playfully. "I'm amazed you're still up for it, after all those long nights at the hotel," she breathed into his ear. "Hah, you know me. I'm always up for it," he replied, his wings slowly rising in response to his excitement. "I can tell," Jazz said smirking, kissing the top of his head. "Unfortunately, I have a headache, and I really don't feel like it." "WAIT, WHAT!?" Soarin shouted as he turned to look at her, his wings at full display. Looking at her, he saw the devious, humorous, smug, and somewhat seductive smile on her face, and he knew he had just been played. Still, his wings didn't seem to care, as they remained at rigid attention. "Oh, you're evil," he said, pointing a hoof at her. "Oh, shut up. You love me," she replied and blew him a kiss. "Eeeeeevviillllll," he repeated, and Jazz stuck out her tongue in response, before giving a giggle as she saw Soarin trying to push his wings down with a hoof. "Need any help?" she asked, not even trying to contain her chuckles. "I think you have helped enough already," he said, trying to sound serious, but the small chuckle coming from him ruined this, "I'm going to get back at you for this," he said, and his wings finally folded flat at his sides. "Hmmm, I hope so. But it has to wait. I still have a lot of catching up to do, and you need to return to Equestria as well. Or did you forget about your training?" "I didn't, I didn't," he said, jumping off the chair and onto his hooves, "But can you blame a stallion for trying to get some lovin' from his girlfriend?" "Like you missed out on any during the last few days," Jazz replied with a wink, kneeling down to his level, and giving him a small kiss on the lips. Instead of replying, Soarin returned the kiss. They remained like this for a full minute, before they parted and Jazz slowly stood back up. "So, I guess I have to go back, huh." "It looks like it." "Well then, I better not let them wait too long for me. I don't want them to start getting the wrong idea about why I'm taking so long now," he said with small grin. "Would that be so bad?" Jazz asked smiling. "It is if there's nothing going on. They would never believe me if I said so, though." "It would seem some things between our worlds are the same," Jazz said with a laugh. "Yeah, I figured," Soarin replied with a short laugh of his own, "Well, best get going now," and he walked to the front door, followed by Jazz. Stepping out, Soarin took a moment to look up at the clouds, finding it strange no pony was in control of them, before his attention was drawn back to the woman standing behind him. "Well, this is it, I guess." "I'll miss you," Jazz said, and she knelt down to give him one last kiss. Having the breath stolen from him, he could only give her a cheeky grin in return. Giving a powerful flap of his wings, Soarin flew up and away, heading to the nearest tear facility to return to Equestria. Flying through the sky, feeling the wind rush through his mane and tail, the grin slowly fell off his face. He was happy with how his life had turned out. A job he loved doing, and a ma— woman as special as her in his life. He was truly lucky. Still, it was also because of his job that he met her. Or, more precisely, something that happened as part of his job. True, he was a Wonderbolt at heart. Somepony who would entertain the crowds with stunts, each more insane than the last. But it was the other portion of his work that was a bit of a sore spot after those events. Being a Wonderbolt also meant you could be called into service when a situation arose no normal team could deal with. They were the special forces, the best of the best. Although he wasn't all that sure about that, considering… Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he picked up the pace. Yes, he was a stunt flyer at heart, but he also took great pride in the task of serving and protecting his fellow ponies. But, after what happened that day, even knowing what he would gain later in life because of it, he couldn't help but wonder: 'If I had the chance, would I do things differently?' As he thought this, his mind wandered back to that day, all those years ago. To the time his world first met the humans, and what would be the beginning of the events that would scar him for life. The Baltimare incident. Author's Note Well, here we are again, and with a new fic. I hope you liked this piece of work, and expect more to come. Now, as I always ask at the end of the chapters in my other fics, tell me what I did wrong, what was good, and what could be better. Or leave some random comment for the fun of it. -Powerdrainer.
