The Last Parasite Returnsby mmonsoon326ChaptersWhere’s Rainbow?MissingInto Everfree ForestIdentity TheftTortureThe Blade of Suran’DalA Challenger AppearsThat’s Not Fair!What is this, Mercy you speak of?The Secret PrisonerShacklesPursuitTrapsRestWhere’s Rainbow?Scootaloo sped through Ponyville on her scooter, magenta mane flowing in the cool, late spring wind. She was eager to meet up with her friend and idol, Rainbow Dash, to help her find her cutie mark, a symbol that appears on everypony’s flanks when they discover that super special talent that makes them unique. The orange filly had anticipated this day for weeks, a day to spend entirely with the most awesome pony ever! The two pegasi had agreed to meet early at 10 o’clock in the morning at the town library, which also happened to be the house of Twilight Sparkle. Scootaloo was running slightly late, something that Rainbow rarely did. Shortly after knocking on the door a purple unicorn answered. “Rainbow! I was wondering when you’d get here,” said the unicorn. “Wait, Scootaloo? Where’s Rainbow?” She seemed puzzled. “Wait, Twilight, you mean she’s not here yet?” Scootaloo was dumbfounded. “And I thought I was late!” There had to be some good reason for Rainbow to be late. “Well, come on in Scootaloo. I can’t leave you out on the doorstep. We can wait a little longer for Rainbow Dash. Whatever she’s doing, it’s probably important.” So they waited for the cyan pegasus to arrive. Five minutes passed, then ten, twenty minutes. After half an hour had gone by the two ponies grew increasingly worried for their friend. “That’s it! We’ve waited far too long!” Scootaloo uttered, her patience at an all-time minimum. “Something had to have happened to her; we have to find her!” “I agree, this is far too unlike her to be this late,” Twilight said, “I fear for her safety. I’ll signal the others to come here, so we can start looking for her.” Just as the words left her lips her horn began to glow, the sign of a unicorn using magic. Scootaloo didn’t know what to think. One of her best friends didn’t show up for an appointment that had been planned far in advance. The only possibilities that she could think of were that either Rainbow Dash was sick and in bed, or... being held captive by something. Scootaloo didn’t want to think of the latter. Within five minutes the other four of Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s best friends, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, arrived at the library. “Whatever is the matter, Twilight dear?” asked Rarity, a white unicorn with a curly purple mane. “I had to pause working on my suit for Fancy Pants and I came right over once I got your message.” “Oh my goodness! I was thinking the same thing! Are you a psychic Rarity? Because that would be so cool! I’ve always wanted my fortune to be told, can you tell it for me? Huh, huh, huh?” That was Pinkie Pie, a pink Earth Pony, who somehow broke the laws of physics and had an extremely vivid imagination. She also was very hard to shut up. “Pinkie, y’all know Rarity ain't a psychic, ‘sides, that’s not what we’re all here for, is it?” Applejack directed the question to Twilight. “Umm, excuse me, but, where’s Rainbow?” Fluttershy, a yellow pegasus, timidly asked. “That’s what I called you all here for, we don’t know where she is. She was supposed to meet with Scootaloo earlier this morning, but even after thirty minutes, she never showed up.” Twilight’s words brought a communal look of shock and worry to everypony’s faces. “She’s late? I hope she isn’t late for our appointment next week, she’s supposed to help me make some of my special cupcakes!” Pinkie was clearly worried. “Now I want you all to start searching Ponyville for signs of where she might be or has recently been. Fluttershy, I want you to go and check her house and ask around in Cloudsdale. Pinkie and Applejack, you two go see what you can find in and around the Everfree Forest, and be sure to see if Zecora knows anything. Rarity, you and Scootaloo go ask in town.” “Wait, what about you, Twilight?” inquired Scootaloo. “What are you going to do?” “I have a mysterious hunch as to what might have happened to her, though I can’t know for certain until after I’ve done a little research and have heard back from you.” So the five of them left the library and set out to find clues as to where their loyal friend could be. Missing“Fluttershy, you didn’t find anything either?” Scootaloo grew more and more worried by the minute. All of the others had finished their searches, reported in, and had left by now. The ‘clues’ that they had all found suggested that Rainbow Dash hadn’t been in or near Ponyville or Cloudsdale for at least two days now. “This just CAN’T be good...” It was later that same day, just after sunset. Everypony had spent their entire day looking for her, even Rarity, who had to finish that suit in another two days. “No, all I found that seemed odd was in her house, a ticket to a race or something like that. But it can’t be relevant to this, can it?” asked Fluttershy. “No, it isn’t relevant. But what’s important is that we know that she hasn’t been around for about two days. And according to what Applejack and Pinkie Pie told me earlier, Zecora said that she saw her three days ago, flying over her house in the forest.” said Twilight Sparkle. “So she’s been injured and stuck inside Everfree Forest for three days now?” Scootaloo’s fears and worries were beginning to become reality. The little filly hoped with all her heart that the pony who was like a big sister to her was okay. “That may very well be the case; the three of us should pack up and get ready to go into the forest,” Twilight suggested. “Once we’ve done that, let’s meet up at your house, Fluttershy, seeing as it’s right at the forest’s entrance. Then we’ll go and talk to Zecora again, and then figure out what to do afterwards.” So Fluttershy and Scootaloo left to pick up their saddlebags while Twilight filled hers with books that she deemed necessary for the trip. Scootaloo didn’t know what to think of all this; after talking with almost everypony in Ponyville, not a single one remembered seeing Rainbow for the last two days. And on top of that, it appeared that she had gone missing in the Everfree Forest, the home of many vicious and deadly plants and animals. She hoped that Rainbow was still alive; it would be too tragic for her to lose the only pony she knew that she could call ‘family’. She had never known her parents, who both died less than a year after she was born. They perished after being struck by lightning in a thunderstorm that was only supposed to be a rainstorm (pegasi are responsible for weather control), all two dozen of the pegasi working on that storm had died. She had no aunts or uncles because her parents were only children, and all of her grandparents were either dead or senile. So she lived on her own, even though she wasn’t even old enough to fly yet. The ponies at the foster home she once lived in agreed that, despite her age, she was mature and responsible enough to live by herself. Tears began flowing from her purple eyes as old memories and the thought of losing her only family came to the front of her mind. When she reached her home, she began packing, leaving a trail of tears behind her. Into Everfree ForestThe three ponies, Scootaloo, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy had been walking through Everfree Forest for about half an hour and were almost at Zecora’s house. There wasn’t much of anything dangerous in the forest this close to the edge, though it still sent shivers up one’s spine at night. Even though she had seen Zecora’s house in daylight, the masks and other foreign decor still made Scootaloo jump at their sudden appearances in the darkness. Twilight knocked on the door, and a few moments later, their zebra friend, Zecora, answered. “Visitors come to see me? Step on in, and save your energy.” Zecora’s odd way of speaking in rhymes and riddles always made Scootaloo smile and warmed up the mood. “I have made my favorite brew, come and try some delicious stew.” “Thank you for the offer, Zecora,” said Twilight, “but we can stay for only a few minutes while we ask you some questions about--” “Rainbow Dash? I know a few things about the mare’s clash.” “Clash, with who, or what?” surprise was painted all over the three ponies faces. “After your friend’s visit from earlier today, I went on my own separate way. To discover Rainbow’s need, I left with great speed.” Scootaloo didn’t understand what their zebra friend was saying. Twilight could see this in her eyes. “So what she’s saying, Scootaloo, is that she saw Rainbow flying over the forest three days ago, but didn’t think much of it, seeing as she often flies does so. But after Applejack and Pinkie Pie asked about her earlier today, she decided to go and find clues as to what happened to her, and it sounds like she discovered something important.” “This is very true; there is something I must tell you,” Zecora told them in her song-like way of speaking of what she had found over a bowl of her stew. After Applejack and Pinkie left, she had decided to go and see what she could find concerning Rainbow’s whereabouts. In a small clearing about an hour’s walk away from her house, she had discovered hoofprints that began in the center and led deeper into the forest, along with some cyan feathers. She assumed that Rainbow had landed there after a wing was injured and began running. The tracks continued for a short time, only about three minutes of running, and mysteriously ended. “Is that everything?” Asked Fluttershy. Zecora only nodded. “Sounds like she was attacked and captured with magic.” Twilight looked thoughtful. “Zecora, was there anything near her tracks that resembled a black goo?” “Black goo? I used some blue goo in my stew. Though now that you mention it, there was something that piqued my interest quite a bit. Some dark goo caught my eye, here is a sample for you to try.” She stood up, pulled a clay jar from a shelf on the wall and gave it to Twilight. The unicorn opened the jar and began studying its contents. “Umm, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the little mare’s room. That is, if it’s okay with you, Zecora.” Fluttershy stepped outside to where the restroom was located. “Oh my gosh! This isn’t good at all. I know exactly what we’re dealing with!” Twilight’s sudden outburst after a few minutes of silence startled the other two. “A very powerful evil has taken Rainbow Dash hostage somewhere in this forest, for what I don’t know. But what I do know is--” “AAAHHHHHH!!!” The scream from Fluttershy. The two ponies and the zebra rushed outside to see a cloaked and hooded figure of a pony hovering ten feet above them in the air. “Where’s Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” Scootaloo yelled threateningly at the mysterious figure. “SILENCE, YOU INSOLENT FOOL!!!” The being’s voice seemed to come from everywhere around them at once. The three on the ground were paralyzed from shock and fear. “ That’s better.” It’s demonic-like voice was quiet, yet possessed the ability to hold them still in terror. “If you wish to see your friends again, come and meet them in my castle. I’ll light a beacon to guide your way, but do not come if you wish to see the light of day. For once in my castle, there is no escape. In my dungeons you will find them both. Though the path to them will not be easy, I suggest you take it slow, and don’t be hasty. Be sure to find the item that can destroy me, or else you all will be for me to feast... MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!” His sinister laugh lingered as he faded away. Twilight, Zecora, and Scootaloo could only stare up at where the thing was floating just seconds ago, stunned at what it had said. A few moments later, Twilight came to her senses, “Zecora, Scootaloo and I need to continue on alone. You have to stay here and send word of what’s happened today to Princess Celestia and tell her to send a search and rescue party in she doesn’t hear from us again by morning.” With that, the unicorn and the pegasus left the zebra and began walking toward the pillar rising in the sky above the forest that somehow glowed with blackness. Identity Theft“So who is it that kidnapped Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and what’s he gonna do to them?” Asked Scootaloo. Twilight and herself had been walking in silence toward the black beacon in the sky for about an hour now. The entire time Twilight had been reading one of the books she packed and told the filly to be quiet so she could concentrate. Twilight put her book back in her bag. “Not who, but what.” Twilight answered, “the creature that captured them is a parasite that’s taken another pony as its host. Thanks to today’s research I’ve learned quite a bit about our slimy friend. Its name is Driknul and is the last of the Drukaan Parasites. It was rumored that over a thousand years ago a famous sorcerer known as Starswirl the Bearded killed Driknul thus exterminating the Drukaan Parasites. Though his death was never confirmed and Starswirl vanished shortly thereafter. The parasites take complete control of their host and gain all of their abilities, including the use of magic. I think that Driknul took Starswirl as his new host and has been gathering strength here in the forest all this time.” “So if you’re right, and you’re almost always right, the most magically powerful unicorn in all of Equestria’s history has been under the control of an evil slug for a thousand years?” “Yes, though I still don’t know what he needs Rainbow and Fluttershy for or what this ‘item’ he spoke of is or what it’s used for. Or for that matter why he would tell us everything he did.” The two ponies continued to walk in silence until the parasite’s castle loomed over them. The walls of the castle were made of a shiny black stone, obsidian. The outer wall blocked all view of the main courtyard and stood to about one hundred feet in the air, with spear-like crenulations at its top. The actual castle appeared to be a massive jumble of towers with spear-like spires, with bridges connecting them from several hundred feet in the air. In the center of the the wall stood a massive archway, sealed by a gigantic portcullis, behind which was a flat cobblestone courtyard. “Well, that sure is intimidating.” Twilight stated in awe. There didn’t seem to be a way to open the portcullis nor did they find another entrance. “Although, it does look like you could squeeze through the gate there.” “Can’t you just use your magic to teleport us through?” Scootaloo seemed annoyed. “Possibly, but he’s probably set up magical barriers to keep me from doing just that. All you have to do, is get in on the other side, and find a lever or something like it to open the gate. “Ugh, fine.” Scootaloo easily slipped through the gate, and into the castle grounds. A short distance to her right were two levers. “There’s two levers here, which one do I pull?” “I don’t know, try them both.” With a sigh, Scootaloo kicked both of the levers and the gate opened. “Alright Twilight, that should do it,” she turned the corner to meet the older pony as she came through the gateway. But Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be found. Torture“Twilight, are you awake?” Flutteshy’s naturally soft voice was made difficult to comprehend with it being so raspy. “Guess not.” Rainbow Dash felt more and more depressed by the minute. How long had she been hanging here? A day? Maybe two? She didn’t want to think about it. When Twilight Sparkle had appeared in the shackles between the other unicorn’s bones and Fluttershy, all hope of rescue vanished. She would die in here. The unicorn’s eyes began to flutter open as she awakened, “Wha, huh? Where am I? Where’s Scootaloo?” Her voice showed signs of drowsiness, not thirst. “You’re awake!” Rainbow was overjoyed, “I thought for sure I was going to die without being able to talk with you again, boy am I relieved!” “Rainbow? Fluttershy? Where are we?” Then she was awake enough to take in her surroundings, and lost Zecora’s stew. “At least you had dinner, I eaten once since being brought in here. It’s kept me healthy, but hasn’t kept me from getting thirsty or hungry. And as for where we are, either at the bottom of some dungeon or, judging by the shape of the room the top of some tower.” “Wait, Twilight, did you say that Scootaloo is still looking for us?” asked Fluttershy. “Yes, she opened the gate that leads into the castle courtyard and I magically disappeared. Oh, I just hope she’s alright.” “HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!” The laugh unmistakably belonged to their captor. The hearts of the three ponies suspended in shackles fell through the floor. “Don’t worry, she’s quite allright. With any luck, she’ll make it through most of my dungeons before succumbing to the evils that reside there. Yes, she’ll make very good sport.” “LEAVE HER ALONE YOU MONSTER!!!” Rainbow yelled in defiance. The figure still hidden in his cloak turned his attention to the cyan pegasus. The glare of his glowing yellow eyes locked with hers. “Need I remind you to stay silent unless spoken to? Or do you require further chastisement like earlier today?” Terror welled inside her as memories from earlier that day rushed to the front of her mind. She cried with a whimper. “I thought not, however, these newcomers require some, lessons...” The joy and anticipation was clear in his voice. A black glow emanated from inside his hood, still revealing no features of his face. The two other ponies began convulsing in their restraints, mouths agape as if to scream in pain. There came no sound from them. Rainbow tried to look away, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t. She was being forced to watch two of her closest friends suffer as she had, and her tears were uncontrollable. The Blade of Suran’DalScootaloo jumped over yet another pit of lava. She had been traversing the underground dungeons for about an hour now. “Just what time is it now?” she wondered. “Ten; eleven? I should be in bed, but no, some evil parasite magician thing just had to kidnap some of my friends. And it’s not even like he’s been all that creative with his traps, I’ve seen all of these in books and movies dozens of times. I mean, was the boulder chasing me down the corridor really all that necessary? And then there’s the lava pits with rock platforms placed perfectly for me to jump across. Oh, and I can’t forget about the floor spikes. It’s like the writer of Daring Do designed this dungeon, and it’s also extremely linear, there’s been only one fork, and both doors led to the same room. What’s next, a giant room where a magical artifact sits on a pedestal in its center, and as I approach it the pedestal will drop under the floor and a giant spider will drop in front of me from the ceiling, and then after I kill it by hitting it on a glowing spot on its back, the pedestal will come back up for me to take the artifact and then use it to save my friends? This place is boring.” As she turned yet another corner down the corridor, a large, dark, empty room opened before her. In the center of the room stood a pedestal with a glowing gold sword hilt on it. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Scootaloo said aloud to herself. As she approached the pedestal however, it didn’t drop under the floor. “Hmm, that’s odd.” On it was a sign, where four words were inscribed: The Blade of Suran’Dal. Scootaloo jumped on top and grabbed the sword hilt in her mouth. She could feel a button with her tongue, and pressed it. Out of where a normal blade should be, came a beam of white energy, that pulsated with the beat of her heart and resonated a dull hum. “Again, very original.” Scootaloo thought. The filly jumped off the pedestal and started toward a door she saw on the other side of the room. What she didn’t notice, was that the pedestal and other loose rocks had begun to move and gather together. As she reached the door a rock the size of her head smashed into the wall beside her and exploded. She turned around to find a massive stone golem advancing toward her. The animated creature launched another stone at her. All she could think of was wishing she had a magic shield, and just as suddenly, one appeared before her, deflecting the rock that would have crushed her head. She was bewildered at the power of the sword. She began running around the room, not wanting to rely on the mysterious power she now possessed. Unsurprisingly the golem was slow to move, so she easily got around to its backside, where she discovered the pedestal. It was glowing, and if books and movies taught her anything, it was that all bosses have a glowing area of their body that is its vulnerable point. She jumped, testing the abilities of the sword by wishing to be able to jump much higher than normal. It worked, and she flew past the pedestal and slashed through it with the sword just as the golem turned to its side. The glowing pedestal was sliced in two, disabling the anthropomorphic being; its components fell to the ground as Scootaloo landed. “Easy as pie,” she thought to herself. “Now it’s time to save my friends!” She opened the door and began the long ascent up the stairs on the other side. As she climbed higher, she could feel the presence of her friends grow closer. A Challenger AppearsThe pain was excruciating. There were no more tears, they had all been depleted long ago. How long since the torture began? Minutes, hours, days? She couldn’t tell anymore. All Rainbow Dash could do was try to stay silent as she convulsed in her chains, try not to give the evil bastard the satisfaction of hearing her screams. “MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! With each passing minute I drain your life force and will to live, and when it’s depleted I shall become truly immortal! Yes, it will be soon, very soon.” “Not if I have any say in the matter!” Scootaloo’s voice reverberated down the corridor toward the spasming ponies. “Well well well, what do we have here?” the cloaked figure said, amused, as he turned his attention to the newcomer. “A pegasus too young to fly has traversed the many perils of my dungeons and now stands defiantly before me. Heh, heh, heh. I rather hoped you would survive most of my traps, however I never anticipated you of all ponies to make it all the way through. Oh well, I guess my immortality will have to wait as I squash this pestering little bug! Worm, meet me in the main hall, I’ll be waiting.” He vanished on the spot, and with that, the three ponies in chains stopped shaking and began to rest. Scootaloo rushed toward the door leading to the cell her friends were held in. The door slammed shut just as she was on the verge of entering. “Now now, don’t be hasty. We’ll make it an honest fight. You with your artifact, and me with my magic.” The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. “Don’t worry guys! I’ll be back soon!” Scootaloo cheered through the iron door. “Just be careful, and don’t do anything stupid!” Rainbow called in response. That’s Not Fair!Scootaloo nervously walked through the maze of corridors that composed the castle, until she found herself in the main hall. It was the largest room she had ever seen, bigger than the entire Canterlot Castle. A forest of pillars thicker than the largest trees she’d ever seen, even in the everfree forest, towered above her into darkness. Torches burned on all the pillars, illuminating the floor and allowing her to see faint outlines of arches connecting them until the shadows swallowed the remainders of the pillars and the ceiling. “Ms. Scootaloo, it is far past time for you to die.” The voice emanated from the darkness, reverberating off the pillars, sending a shiver up the filly’s spine. Without warning, three vague pony forms arose from the millenia-old dust collected on the floor and surrounded her. Scootaloo activated the magical sword and danced, knowledge and skill of how to use it flooding her mind. She ducked under one of them, slicing its hindquarters in the process and beheading another as she entered a roll, only to stab the third in its gaping mouth. They all vaporized the moment her blade of energy touched them. Astonishment was painted across Scootaloo’s face, unsure of how this newfound information came to her, she could only imagine that the sword had somehow given it to her. “Hey! That’s not fair!” Scootaloo yelled into the darkness above. “You said that we’d have a fair one-on-one fight!” “Ha! You’re less perceptive than I thought. I said that we would have an honest fight, yes, but not a fair one-on-one. No! My terms were, ‘you with your artifact and me with my magic’, quite simple once you understand it. I guess you’re just too dumb to comprehend a simple statement.” With that, twenty more conjured ponies arose from the dust. Scootaloo danced with them, flowing in, out and about her foes. Though she soon found them to be without number, for every time she smote one, another two would replace it. “I’ve got to get out of here.” She thought. Glancing up at the pillars above her, she called upon the magic within the sword and leaped into the air, landing on one of the countless arches connecting them. As her hooves touched the stone, she found herself face to face with her opponent. Both of them were overcome with shock and fell to the floor, losing consciousness as they hit the ground. What is this, Mercy you speak of?Scootaloo awakened from her slumber feeling as if she had one too many mugs of apple cider, though thankfully she didn’t seem to have any injuries past a few bruises and cuts. She gazed at her surroundings in a daze, not remembering where she was or why, until her eyes fell on a cloaked pony laying on the ground beside her. Then everything hit her. She speedily grabbed the ancient sword that landed a few feet away and stood up on the other pony, sword blade touching his neck. He awoke with a start. “I should kill you right here and now.” Scootaloo warned. “Yes, you should, and must.” The downed figure replied eagerly, face still shrouded in shadow. His eagerness unsettled her, though it didn’t show. She felt an odd presence within the other pony, almost as if there were two minds within the body. “Well I’m not going to kill you, you pathetic bug! You’re just a parasite that’s been feeding off of an innocent pony for a thousand years. And I’m guessing you needed my friends to replenish your host’s body. Instead, I’m going to show you mercy, I’ll just leave you here, perfectly alone, crippled and helpless. When you wake up next you’ll be missing a limb or two. But still alive. And if I ever see you or have the tiniest suspicion that you’re kidnapping anypony from Ponyville again, I will find you, and I will kill you without hesitation.” With that, Scootaloo rammed the hilt into the side of his head, rendering him unconscious yet again. Despite her gut feeling of complete mercy, she amputated his right hind leg from his body, and chopped it into bite-size pieces. “That should leave you down for a while...I hope.” Scootaloo wasn’t so certain that it would. She left the pitiful leech behind her as she made her way back to the cell her friends were still held in. “When I get back home, I’m gonna sleep for a week.” The Secret PrisonerEpilogue “Why did that pegasus, that child, leave me alive? She should have tried to kill me! Any other sane pony would have, it just doesn’t make sense.” Driknul hobbled back and forth on in his three legs, utter confusion filling his mind. “Perhaps she knows?” whispered a faint voice in his head. “I haven’t heard you in a while, Starswirl.” “I’ve had no need, though now, perhaps I can be free to control my own body once again.” “Oh? And why do you say that?” “The filly, she has a pure heart and strong mind, the likes of which I have not seen for a millenia. Not since my student Celestia banished her sister to the moon.” “And? What does that have to do with knowledge of me and my kind?” “Only one with a mind as strong as hers would could see past the facade you play and sense another mind being held prisoner in its own body, and only one with a heart so pure and clean would show such mercy, that one day the prisoner might be freed.” “Interesting, but we shall see. I’ve waited a thousand years for the revival of my species; I can wait a little longer. But in due time, I will have my revenge!” He put a pause between his last words, anger and hatred welling inside his black heart. ShacklesRainbow Dash awoke in a daze. Her captor had made it quite certain that he wanted his prisoner in good health. For what, she had no idea. She had been stunned with a spell, so he had to be a unicorn, or perhaps an alicorn? Either way, what mattered was that she was suspended by shackles within the very center of a circular room. Her bonds positioned so that her forelegs were held above her head and her hind legs beneath and slightly behind her. They were pulled tight enough keep her from swinging, but loose enough to allow her to move a little. A pony of average height standing in front of her would be looking directly at her stomach. Her cell was locked by a thick iron door with window slits near the top. A lantern was mounted on each side of it, so at least she could see. Her head became less dizzy so she could focus better now. She wished she couldn’t. The scene before her made her want to vomit, that is, if she had anything in her to vomit. Decaying corpses of ponies hung from the room’s five other shackles. Two were nothing more than bones connected by trace amounts of skin and cartilage, these were earth ponies. Another one was simply a pile of bones beneath the irons, and Rainbow could make out a unicorn horn within the pile. The chains closest to her held not a corpse, but another living, breathing pony. A yellow pegasus with a pink mane and tail. “Fluttershy?” Her voice was hoarse; the name came out as a croak. The other pony stirred, revealing the cutie mark on her flank: three pink butterflies. This other pegasus next to Rainbow Dash was, without a doubt, Fluttershy. The cyan pony felt sorrowful for her friend, and yet joyful at the same time; she wasn’t going to die alone. But no, it wouldn’t come to that, would it? Rainbow prayed with all her heart that their friends would come to rescue them. The door swung open, permitting a cloaked and hooded figure, and Rainbow knew that her time was ticking. PursuitThe Last Parasite Returns Written by Michael Monson (Mmonsoon326) Edited by Phase Shift (Jacob Rardin) Can also be seen on Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hneJ8DWf8YodLTR1nKw3Or7eeSLErbMwlRFfmREKpeo/edit?pli=1 Prologue Dread, fear, and pure terror overwhelmed Rainbow Dash as the pony raced through Everfree Forest, rainbow mane and tail rippling behind her. Time slowed to a trickle. She hoped that each step she took would take her farther away from the grimdark horror pursuing her. Little did she know that it only brought her closer. With the last of her hope she glanced back, dreaming that she would find herself safe. There was no sign of her evil pursuer. She thought that she had found safety, though the seconds still felt like hours. The cyan pegasus knew in the depths of her heart that she might never see the beautiful light of day again. Traps“Twilight? Twilight!” Scootaloo’s calls echoed out through the forest, there was no reply. “Dang it! Not Twilight too!” A sense of despair and grief overwhelmed Scootaloo. She was all alone, truly and completely alone. She had never felt so cold and helpless in her life, tears began to well up inside her. “No, I mustn’t cry. That won’t help my friends. C’mon Scootaloo, be brave for your friends.” Her self-given pep talk helped a little, she wasn’t crying. With her new feeling of loneliness, and confidence, the orange filly noticed something odd, there were no guards. She took a closer look at her surroundings. The ground was a dark grey cobblestone, some of which looked to be set a little higher than others, she assumed they were probably pressure plates that triggered some trap or something. Scattered throughout the courtyard stood statues about twice the size of a normal pony, and they all stared into the darkness, all toward the center. In the center of the courtyard stood an ornate and massive fountain, in which flowed a dark liquid. It smelled like blood. The main mass of the actual castle was a collection of low lying buildings, from which, the spear-like towers jettisoned from. She ventured closer to the fountain, being careful to avoid touching any of the suspicious stones. The fountain was spewing blood, she wanted to release the contents of her stomach, yet she barely managed to hold it down. As she circled it she noticed a small button on its side, wondering if it would activate any traps, which it probably would, and gave another close look at the fountain. There were no signs of traps nearby. Even with this knowledge, she knew that she’d probably regret her decision and pushed the button. The statues began to move, their eyes glowed red with the thirst for blood. Fear overwhelmed Scootaloo, having no idea how damage stone with her bare hooves, she looked for a means of escape. The fountain had drained itself, revealing a drain on one end and a trapdoor on the other. Jumping inside, she opened the trapdoor and jumped inside to escape from the statues. The pathway before her led far underground, and was surprisingly well lit, even though there were no torches. “I guess it’s time to go to the dungeons.” Her words didn’t encourage her. RestRainbow Dash rested on a hospital bed in Ponyville, too tired and hurting to fly to her home that floated above the town. The events of the last few days had taxed her mind and body in a way nopony had ever experienced before. The doctor told her that she and her friends should be dead, but at least they were safe. All four of them were staying in the same room at Twilight’s request, and would be resting in the hospital for a full week. But they were safe now, and would continue to be as well. The only thing occupying Dash’s mind was the desire for relaxation. Although, there was one thing that was bugging her, why did that pony need her? Wouldn’t anypony else have suited him, a pony who would’ve gone down with less of a fight? Other similar questions nagged at the back of the other ponies minds as well, like just what was this Blade of Suran’Dal? There was hardly any mention to a magical sword in Twilight’s research. It had been sent to Canterlot for study after they had returned to Ponyville. But those questions would have to wait for another time. And for now, the ponies had to rest.
Where’s Rainbow?Scootaloo sped through Ponyville on her scooter, magenta mane flowing in the cool, late spring wind. She was eager to meet up with her friend and idol, Rainbow Dash, to help her find her cutie mark, a symbol that appears on everypony’s flanks when they discover that super special talent that makes them unique. The orange filly had anticipated this day for weeks, a day to spend entirely with the most awesome pony ever! The two pegasi had agreed to meet early at 10 o’clock in the morning at the town library, which also happened to be the house of Twilight Sparkle. Scootaloo was running slightly late, something that Rainbow rarely did. Shortly after knocking on the door a purple unicorn answered. “Rainbow! I was wondering when you’d get here,” said the unicorn. “Wait, Scootaloo? Where’s Rainbow?” She seemed puzzled. “Wait, Twilight, you mean she’s not here yet?” Scootaloo was dumbfounded. “And I thought I was late!” There had to be some good reason for Rainbow to be late. “Well, come on in Scootaloo. I can’t leave you out on the doorstep. We can wait a little longer for Rainbow Dash. Whatever she’s doing, it’s probably important.” So they waited for the cyan pegasus to arrive. Five minutes passed, then ten, twenty minutes. After half an hour had gone by the two ponies grew increasingly worried for their friend. “That’s it! We’ve waited far too long!” Scootaloo uttered, her patience at an all-time minimum. “Something had to have happened to her; we have to find her!” “I agree, this is far too unlike her to be this late,” Twilight said, “I fear for her safety. I’ll signal the others to come here, so we can start looking for her.” Just as the words left her lips her horn began to glow, the sign of a unicorn using magic. Scootaloo didn’t know what to think. One of her best friends didn’t show up for an appointment that had been planned far in advance. The only possibilities that she could think of were that either Rainbow Dash was sick and in bed, or... being held captive by something. Scootaloo didn’t want to think of the latter. Within five minutes the other four of Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s best friends, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, arrived at the library. “Whatever is the matter, Twilight dear?” asked Rarity, a white unicorn with a curly purple mane. “I had to pause working on my suit for Fancy Pants and I came right over once I got your message.” “Oh my goodness! I was thinking the same thing! Are you a psychic Rarity? Because that would be so cool! I’ve always wanted my fortune to be told, can you tell it for me? Huh, huh, huh?” That was Pinkie Pie, a pink Earth Pony, who somehow broke the laws of physics and had an extremely vivid imagination. She also was very hard to shut up. “Pinkie, y’all know Rarity ain't a psychic, ‘sides, that’s not what we’re all here for, is it?” Applejack directed the question to Twilight. “Umm, excuse me, but, where’s Rainbow?” Fluttershy, a yellow pegasus, timidly asked. “That’s what I called you all here for, we don’t know where she is. She was supposed to meet with Scootaloo earlier this morning, but even after thirty minutes, she never showed up.” Twilight’s words brought a communal look of shock and worry to everypony’s faces. “She’s late? I hope she isn’t late for our appointment next week, she’s supposed to help me make some of my special cupcakes!” Pinkie was clearly worried. “Now I want you all to start searching Ponyville for signs of where she might be or has recently been. Fluttershy, I want you to go and check her house and ask around in Cloudsdale. Pinkie and Applejack, you two go see what you can find in and around the Everfree Forest, and be sure to see if Zecora knows anything. Rarity, you and Scootaloo go ask in town.” “Wait, what about you, Twilight?” inquired Scootaloo. “What are you going to do?” “I have a mysterious hunch as to what might have happened to her, though I can’t know for certain until after I’ve done a little research and have heard back from you.” So the five of them left the library and set out to find clues as to where their loyal friend could be.
Missing“Fluttershy, you didn’t find anything either?” Scootaloo grew more and more worried by the minute. All of the others had finished their searches, reported in, and had left by now. The ‘clues’ that they had all found suggested that Rainbow Dash hadn’t been in or near Ponyville or Cloudsdale for at least two days now. “This just CAN’T be good...” It was later that same day, just after sunset. Everypony had spent their entire day looking for her, even Rarity, who had to finish that suit in another two days. “No, all I found that seemed odd was in her house, a ticket to a race or something like that. But it can’t be relevant to this, can it?” asked Fluttershy. “No, it isn’t relevant. But what’s important is that we know that she hasn’t been around for about two days. And according to what Applejack and Pinkie Pie told me earlier, Zecora said that she saw her three days ago, flying over her house in the forest.” said Twilight Sparkle. “So she’s been injured and stuck inside Everfree Forest for three days now?” Scootaloo’s fears and worries were beginning to become reality. The little filly hoped with all her heart that the pony who was like a big sister to her was okay. “That may very well be the case; the three of us should pack up and get ready to go into the forest,” Twilight suggested. “Once we’ve done that, let’s meet up at your house, Fluttershy, seeing as it’s right at the forest’s entrance. Then we’ll go and talk to Zecora again, and then figure out what to do afterwards.” So Fluttershy and Scootaloo left to pick up their saddlebags while Twilight filled hers with books that she deemed necessary for the trip. Scootaloo didn’t know what to think of all this; after talking with almost everypony in Ponyville, not a single one remembered seeing Rainbow for the last two days. And on top of that, it appeared that she had gone missing in the Everfree Forest, the home of many vicious and deadly plants and animals. She hoped that Rainbow was still alive; it would be too tragic for her to lose the only pony she knew that she could call ‘family’. She had never known her parents, who both died less than a year after she was born. They perished after being struck by lightning in a thunderstorm that was only supposed to be a rainstorm (pegasi are responsible for weather control), all two dozen of the pegasi working on that storm had died. She had no aunts or uncles because her parents were only children, and all of her grandparents were either dead or senile. So she lived on her own, even though she wasn’t even old enough to fly yet. The ponies at the foster home she once lived in agreed that, despite her age, she was mature and responsible enough to live by herself. Tears began flowing from her purple eyes as old memories and the thought of losing her only family came to the front of her mind. When she reached her home, she began packing, leaving a trail of tears behind her.
Into Everfree ForestThe three ponies, Scootaloo, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy had been walking through Everfree Forest for about half an hour and were almost at Zecora’s house. There wasn’t much of anything dangerous in the forest this close to the edge, though it still sent shivers up one’s spine at night. Even though she had seen Zecora’s house in daylight, the masks and other foreign decor still made Scootaloo jump at their sudden appearances in the darkness. Twilight knocked on the door, and a few moments later, their zebra friend, Zecora, answered. “Visitors come to see me? Step on in, and save your energy.” Zecora’s odd way of speaking in rhymes and riddles always made Scootaloo smile and warmed up the mood. “I have made my favorite brew, come and try some delicious stew.” “Thank you for the offer, Zecora,” said Twilight, “but we can stay for only a few minutes while we ask you some questions about--” “Rainbow Dash? I know a few things about the mare’s clash.” “Clash, with who, or what?” surprise was painted all over the three ponies faces. “After your friend’s visit from earlier today, I went on my own separate way. To discover Rainbow’s need, I left with great speed.” Scootaloo didn’t understand what their zebra friend was saying. Twilight could see this in her eyes. “So what she’s saying, Scootaloo, is that she saw Rainbow flying over the forest three days ago, but didn’t think much of it, seeing as she often flies does so. But after Applejack and Pinkie Pie asked about her earlier today, she decided to go and find clues as to what happened to her, and it sounds like she discovered something important.” “This is very true; there is something I must tell you,” Zecora told them in her song-like way of speaking of what she had found over a bowl of her stew. After Applejack and Pinkie left, she had decided to go and see what she could find concerning Rainbow’s whereabouts. In a small clearing about an hour’s walk away from her house, she had discovered hoofprints that began in the center and led deeper into the forest, along with some cyan feathers. She assumed that Rainbow had landed there after a wing was injured and began running. The tracks continued for a short time, only about three minutes of running, and mysteriously ended. “Is that everything?” Asked Fluttershy. Zecora only nodded. “Sounds like she was attacked and captured with magic.” Twilight looked thoughtful. “Zecora, was there anything near her tracks that resembled a black goo?” “Black goo? I used some blue goo in my stew. Though now that you mention it, there was something that piqued my interest quite a bit. Some dark goo caught my eye, here is a sample for you to try.” She stood up, pulled a clay jar from a shelf on the wall and gave it to Twilight. The unicorn opened the jar and began studying its contents. “Umm, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the little mare’s room. That is, if it’s okay with you, Zecora.” Fluttershy stepped outside to where the restroom was located. “Oh my gosh! This isn’t good at all. I know exactly what we’re dealing with!” Twilight’s sudden outburst after a few minutes of silence startled the other two. “A very powerful evil has taken Rainbow Dash hostage somewhere in this forest, for what I don’t know. But what I do know is--” “AAAHHHHHH!!!” The scream from Fluttershy. The two ponies and the zebra rushed outside to see a cloaked and hooded figure of a pony hovering ten feet above them in the air. “Where’s Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” Scootaloo yelled threateningly at the mysterious figure. “SILENCE, YOU INSOLENT FOOL!!!” The being’s voice seemed to come from everywhere around them at once. The three on the ground were paralyzed from shock and fear. “ That’s better.” It’s demonic-like voice was quiet, yet possessed the ability to hold them still in terror. “If you wish to see your friends again, come and meet them in my castle. I’ll light a beacon to guide your way, but do not come if you wish to see the light of day. For once in my castle, there is no escape. In my dungeons you will find them both. Though the path to them will not be easy, I suggest you take it slow, and don’t be hasty. Be sure to find the item that can destroy me, or else you all will be for me to feast... MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!” His sinister laugh lingered as he faded away. Twilight, Zecora, and Scootaloo could only stare up at where the thing was floating just seconds ago, stunned at what it had said. A few moments later, Twilight came to her senses, “Zecora, Scootaloo and I need to continue on alone. You have to stay here and send word of what’s happened today to Princess Celestia and tell her to send a search and rescue party in she doesn’t hear from us again by morning.” With that, the unicorn and the pegasus left the zebra and began walking toward the pillar rising in the sky above the forest that somehow glowed with blackness.
Identity Theft“So who is it that kidnapped Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and what’s he gonna do to them?” Asked Scootaloo. Twilight and herself had been walking in silence toward the black beacon in the sky for about an hour now. The entire time Twilight had been reading one of the books she packed and told the filly to be quiet so she could concentrate. Twilight put her book back in her bag. “Not who, but what.” Twilight answered, “the creature that captured them is a parasite that’s taken another pony as its host. Thanks to today’s research I’ve learned quite a bit about our slimy friend. Its name is Driknul and is the last of the Drukaan Parasites. It was rumored that over a thousand years ago a famous sorcerer known as Starswirl the Bearded killed Driknul thus exterminating the Drukaan Parasites. Though his death was never confirmed and Starswirl vanished shortly thereafter. The parasites take complete control of their host and gain all of their abilities, including the use of magic. I think that Driknul took Starswirl as his new host and has been gathering strength here in the forest all this time.” “So if you’re right, and you’re almost always right, the most magically powerful unicorn in all of Equestria’s history has been under the control of an evil slug for a thousand years?” “Yes, though I still don’t know what he needs Rainbow and Fluttershy for or what this ‘item’ he spoke of is or what it’s used for. Or for that matter why he would tell us everything he did.” The two ponies continued to walk in silence until the parasite’s castle loomed over them. The walls of the castle were made of a shiny black stone, obsidian. The outer wall blocked all view of the main courtyard and stood to about one hundred feet in the air, with spear-like crenulations at its top. The actual castle appeared to be a massive jumble of towers with spear-like spires, with bridges connecting them from several hundred feet in the air. In the center of the the wall stood a massive archway, sealed by a gigantic portcullis, behind which was a flat cobblestone courtyard. “Well, that sure is intimidating.” Twilight stated in awe. There didn’t seem to be a way to open the portcullis nor did they find another entrance. “Although, it does look like you could squeeze through the gate there.” “Can’t you just use your magic to teleport us through?” Scootaloo seemed annoyed. “Possibly, but he’s probably set up magical barriers to keep me from doing just that. All you have to do, is get in on the other side, and find a lever or something like it to open the gate. “Ugh, fine.” Scootaloo easily slipped through the gate, and into the castle grounds. A short distance to her right were two levers. “There’s two levers here, which one do I pull?” “I don’t know, try them both.” With a sigh, Scootaloo kicked both of the levers and the gate opened. “Alright Twilight, that should do it,” she turned the corner to meet the older pony as she came through the gateway. But Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be found.
Torture“Twilight, are you awake?” Flutteshy’s naturally soft voice was made difficult to comprehend with it being so raspy. “Guess not.” Rainbow Dash felt more and more depressed by the minute. How long had she been hanging here? A day? Maybe two? She didn’t want to think about it. When Twilight Sparkle had appeared in the shackles between the other unicorn’s bones and Fluttershy, all hope of rescue vanished. She would die in here. The unicorn’s eyes began to flutter open as she awakened, “Wha, huh? Where am I? Where’s Scootaloo?” Her voice showed signs of drowsiness, not thirst. “You’re awake!” Rainbow was overjoyed, “I thought for sure I was going to die without being able to talk with you again, boy am I relieved!” “Rainbow? Fluttershy? Where are we?” Then she was awake enough to take in her surroundings, and lost Zecora’s stew. “At least you had dinner, I eaten once since being brought in here. It’s kept me healthy, but hasn’t kept me from getting thirsty or hungry. And as for where we are, either at the bottom of some dungeon or, judging by the shape of the room the top of some tower.” “Wait, Twilight, did you say that Scootaloo is still looking for us?” asked Fluttershy. “Yes, she opened the gate that leads into the castle courtyard and I magically disappeared. Oh, I just hope she’s alright.” “HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!” The laugh unmistakably belonged to their captor. The hearts of the three ponies suspended in shackles fell through the floor. “Don’t worry, she’s quite allright. With any luck, she’ll make it through most of my dungeons before succumbing to the evils that reside there. Yes, she’ll make very good sport.” “LEAVE HER ALONE YOU MONSTER!!!” Rainbow yelled in defiance. The figure still hidden in his cloak turned his attention to the cyan pegasus. The glare of his glowing yellow eyes locked with hers. “Need I remind you to stay silent unless spoken to? Or do you require further chastisement like earlier today?” Terror welled inside her as memories from earlier that day rushed to the front of her mind. She cried with a whimper. “I thought not, however, these newcomers require some, lessons...” The joy and anticipation was clear in his voice. A black glow emanated from inside his hood, still revealing no features of his face. The two other ponies began convulsing in their restraints, mouths agape as if to scream in pain. There came no sound from them. Rainbow tried to look away, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t. She was being forced to watch two of her closest friends suffer as she had, and her tears were uncontrollable.
The Blade of Suran’DalScootaloo jumped over yet another pit of lava. She had been traversing the underground dungeons for about an hour now. “Just what time is it now?” she wondered. “Ten; eleven? I should be in bed, but no, some evil parasite magician thing just had to kidnap some of my friends. And it’s not even like he’s been all that creative with his traps, I’ve seen all of these in books and movies dozens of times. I mean, was the boulder chasing me down the corridor really all that necessary? And then there’s the lava pits with rock platforms placed perfectly for me to jump across. Oh, and I can’t forget about the floor spikes. It’s like the writer of Daring Do designed this dungeon, and it’s also extremely linear, there’s been only one fork, and both doors led to the same room. What’s next, a giant room where a magical artifact sits on a pedestal in its center, and as I approach it the pedestal will drop under the floor and a giant spider will drop in front of me from the ceiling, and then after I kill it by hitting it on a glowing spot on its back, the pedestal will come back up for me to take the artifact and then use it to save my friends? This place is boring.” As she turned yet another corner down the corridor, a large, dark, empty room opened before her. In the center of the room stood a pedestal with a glowing gold sword hilt on it. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Scootaloo said aloud to herself. As she approached the pedestal however, it didn’t drop under the floor. “Hmm, that’s odd.” On it was a sign, where four words were inscribed: The Blade of Suran’Dal. Scootaloo jumped on top and grabbed the sword hilt in her mouth. She could feel a button with her tongue, and pressed it. Out of where a normal blade should be, came a beam of white energy, that pulsated with the beat of her heart and resonated a dull hum. “Again, very original.” Scootaloo thought. The filly jumped off the pedestal and started toward a door she saw on the other side of the room. What she didn’t notice, was that the pedestal and other loose rocks had begun to move and gather together. As she reached the door a rock the size of her head smashed into the wall beside her and exploded. She turned around to find a massive stone golem advancing toward her. The animated creature launched another stone at her. All she could think of was wishing she had a magic shield, and just as suddenly, one appeared before her, deflecting the rock that would have crushed her head. She was bewildered at the power of the sword. She began running around the room, not wanting to rely on the mysterious power she now possessed. Unsurprisingly the golem was slow to move, so she easily got around to its backside, where she discovered the pedestal. It was glowing, and if books and movies taught her anything, it was that all bosses have a glowing area of their body that is its vulnerable point. She jumped, testing the abilities of the sword by wishing to be able to jump much higher than normal. It worked, and she flew past the pedestal and slashed through it with the sword just as the golem turned to its side. The glowing pedestal was sliced in two, disabling the anthropomorphic being; its components fell to the ground as Scootaloo landed. “Easy as pie,” she thought to herself. “Now it’s time to save my friends!” She opened the door and began the long ascent up the stairs on the other side. As she climbed higher, she could feel the presence of her friends grow closer.
A Challenger AppearsThe pain was excruciating. There were no more tears, they had all been depleted long ago. How long since the torture began? Minutes, hours, days? She couldn’t tell anymore. All Rainbow Dash could do was try to stay silent as she convulsed in her chains, try not to give the evil bastard the satisfaction of hearing her screams. “MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! With each passing minute I drain your life force and will to live, and when it’s depleted I shall become truly immortal! Yes, it will be soon, very soon.” “Not if I have any say in the matter!” Scootaloo’s voice reverberated down the corridor toward the spasming ponies. “Well well well, what do we have here?” the cloaked figure said, amused, as he turned his attention to the newcomer. “A pegasus too young to fly has traversed the many perils of my dungeons and now stands defiantly before me. Heh, heh, heh. I rather hoped you would survive most of my traps, however I never anticipated you of all ponies to make it all the way through. Oh well, I guess my immortality will have to wait as I squash this pestering little bug! Worm, meet me in the main hall, I’ll be waiting.” He vanished on the spot, and with that, the three ponies in chains stopped shaking and began to rest. Scootaloo rushed toward the door leading to the cell her friends were held in. The door slammed shut just as she was on the verge of entering. “Now now, don’t be hasty. We’ll make it an honest fight. You with your artifact, and me with my magic.” The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. “Don’t worry guys! I’ll be back soon!” Scootaloo cheered through the iron door. “Just be careful, and don’t do anything stupid!” Rainbow called in response.
That’s Not Fair!Scootaloo nervously walked through the maze of corridors that composed the castle, until she found herself in the main hall. It was the largest room she had ever seen, bigger than the entire Canterlot Castle. A forest of pillars thicker than the largest trees she’d ever seen, even in the everfree forest, towered above her into darkness. Torches burned on all the pillars, illuminating the floor and allowing her to see faint outlines of arches connecting them until the shadows swallowed the remainders of the pillars and the ceiling. “Ms. Scootaloo, it is far past time for you to die.” The voice emanated from the darkness, reverberating off the pillars, sending a shiver up the filly’s spine. Without warning, three vague pony forms arose from the millenia-old dust collected on the floor and surrounded her. Scootaloo activated the magical sword and danced, knowledge and skill of how to use it flooding her mind. She ducked under one of them, slicing its hindquarters in the process and beheading another as she entered a roll, only to stab the third in its gaping mouth. They all vaporized the moment her blade of energy touched them. Astonishment was painted across Scootaloo’s face, unsure of how this newfound information came to her, she could only imagine that the sword had somehow given it to her. “Hey! That’s not fair!” Scootaloo yelled into the darkness above. “You said that we’d have a fair one-on-one fight!” “Ha! You’re less perceptive than I thought. I said that we would have an honest fight, yes, but not a fair one-on-one. No! My terms were, ‘you with your artifact and me with my magic’, quite simple once you understand it. I guess you’re just too dumb to comprehend a simple statement.” With that, twenty more conjured ponies arose from the dust. Scootaloo danced with them, flowing in, out and about her foes. Though she soon found them to be without number, for every time she smote one, another two would replace it. “I’ve got to get out of here.” She thought. Glancing up at the pillars above her, she called upon the magic within the sword and leaped into the air, landing on one of the countless arches connecting them. As her hooves touched the stone, she found herself face to face with her opponent. Both of them were overcome with shock and fell to the floor, losing consciousness as they hit the ground.
What is this, Mercy you speak of?Scootaloo awakened from her slumber feeling as if she had one too many mugs of apple cider, though thankfully she didn’t seem to have any injuries past a few bruises and cuts. She gazed at her surroundings in a daze, not remembering where she was or why, until her eyes fell on a cloaked pony laying on the ground beside her. Then everything hit her. She speedily grabbed the ancient sword that landed a few feet away and stood up on the other pony, sword blade touching his neck. He awoke with a start. “I should kill you right here and now.” Scootaloo warned. “Yes, you should, and must.” The downed figure replied eagerly, face still shrouded in shadow. His eagerness unsettled her, though it didn’t show. She felt an odd presence within the other pony, almost as if there were two minds within the body. “Well I’m not going to kill you, you pathetic bug! You’re just a parasite that’s been feeding off of an innocent pony for a thousand years. And I’m guessing you needed my friends to replenish your host’s body. Instead, I’m going to show you mercy, I’ll just leave you here, perfectly alone, crippled and helpless. When you wake up next you’ll be missing a limb or two. But still alive. And if I ever see you or have the tiniest suspicion that you’re kidnapping anypony from Ponyville again, I will find you, and I will kill you without hesitation.” With that, Scootaloo rammed the hilt into the side of his head, rendering him unconscious yet again. Despite her gut feeling of complete mercy, she amputated his right hind leg from his body, and chopped it into bite-size pieces. “That should leave you down for a while...I hope.” Scootaloo wasn’t so certain that it would. She left the pitiful leech behind her as she made her way back to the cell her friends were still held in. “When I get back home, I’m gonna sleep for a week.”
The Secret PrisonerEpilogue “Why did that pegasus, that child, leave me alive? She should have tried to kill me! Any other sane pony would have, it just doesn’t make sense.” Driknul hobbled back and forth on in his three legs, utter confusion filling his mind. “Perhaps she knows?” whispered a faint voice in his head. “I haven’t heard you in a while, Starswirl.” “I’ve had no need, though now, perhaps I can be free to control my own body once again.” “Oh? And why do you say that?” “The filly, she has a pure heart and strong mind, the likes of which I have not seen for a millenia. Not since my student Celestia banished her sister to the moon.” “And? What does that have to do with knowledge of me and my kind?” “Only one with a mind as strong as hers would could see past the facade you play and sense another mind being held prisoner in its own body, and only one with a heart so pure and clean would show such mercy, that one day the prisoner might be freed.” “Interesting, but we shall see. I’ve waited a thousand years for the revival of my species; I can wait a little longer. But in due time, I will have my revenge!” He put a pause between his last words, anger and hatred welling inside his black heart.
ShacklesRainbow Dash awoke in a daze. Her captor had made it quite certain that he wanted his prisoner in good health. For what, she had no idea. She had been stunned with a spell, so he had to be a unicorn, or perhaps an alicorn? Either way, what mattered was that she was suspended by shackles within the very center of a circular room. Her bonds positioned so that her forelegs were held above her head and her hind legs beneath and slightly behind her. They were pulled tight enough keep her from swinging, but loose enough to allow her to move a little. A pony of average height standing in front of her would be looking directly at her stomach. Her cell was locked by a thick iron door with window slits near the top. A lantern was mounted on each side of it, so at least she could see. Her head became less dizzy so she could focus better now. She wished she couldn’t. The scene before her made her want to vomit, that is, if she had anything in her to vomit. Decaying corpses of ponies hung from the room’s five other shackles. Two were nothing more than bones connected by trace amounts of skin and cartilage, these were earth ponies. Another one was simply a pile of bones beneath the irons, and Rainbow could make out a unicorn horn within the pile. The chains closest to her held not a corpse, but another living, breathing pony. A yellow pegasus with a pink mane and tail. “Fluttershy?” Her voice was hoarse; the name came out as a croak. The other pony stirred, revealing the cutie mark on her flank: three pink butterflies. This other pegasus next to Rainbow Dash was, without a doubt, Fluttershy. The cyan pony felt sorrowful for her friend, and yet joyful at the same time; she wasn’t going to die alone. But no, it wouldn’t come to that, would it? Rainbow prayed with all her heart that their friends would come to rescue them. The door swung open, permitting a cloaked and hooded figure, and Rainbow knew that her time was ticking.
PursuitThe Last Parasite Returns Written by Michael Monson (Mmonsoon326) Edited by Phase Shift (Jacob Rardin) Can also be seen on Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hneJ8DWf8YodLTR1nKw3Or7eeSLErbMwlRFfmREKpeo/edit?pli=1 Prologue Dread, fear, and pure terror overwhelmed Rainbow Dash as the pony raced through Everfree Forest, rainbow mane and tail rippling behind her. Time slowed to a trickle. She hoped that each step she took would take her farther away from the grimdark horror pursuing her. Little did she know that it only brought her closer. With the last of her hope she glanced back, dreaming that she would find herself safe. There was no sign of her evil pursuer. She thought that she had found safety, though the seconds still felt like hours. The cyan pegasus knew in the depths of her heart that she might never see the beautiful light of day again.
Traps“Twilight? Twilight!” Scootaloo’s calls echoed out through the forest, there was no reply. “Dang it! Not Twilight too!” A sense of despair and grief overwhelmed Scootaloo. She was all alone, truly and completely alone. She had never felt so cold and helpless in her life, tears began to well up inside her. “No, I mustn’t cry. That won’t help my friends. C’mon Scootaloo, be brave for your friends.” Her self-given pep talk helped a little, she wasn’t crying. With her new feeling of loneliness, and confidence, the orange filly noticed something odd, there were no guards. She took a closer look at her surroundings. The ground was a dark grey cobblestone, some of which looked to be set a little higher than others, she assumed they were probably pressure plates that triggered some trap or something. Scattered throughout the courtyard stood statues about twice the size of a normal pony, and they all stared into the darkness, all toward the center. In the center of the courtyard stood an ornate and massive fountain, in which flowed a dark liquid. It smelled like blood. The main mass of the actual castle was a collection of low lying buildings, from which, the spear-like towers jettisoned from. She ventured closer to the fountain, being careful to avoid touching any of the suspicious stones. The fountain was spewing blood, she wanted to release the contents of her stomach, yet she barely managed to hold it down. As she circled it she noticed a small button on its side, wondering if it would activate any traps, which it probably would, and gave another close look at the fountain. There were no signs of traps nearby. Even with this knowledge, she knew that she’d probably regret her decision and pushed the button. The statues began to move, their eyes glowed red with the thirst for blood. Fear overwhelmed Scootaloo, having no idea how damage stone with her bare hooves, she looked for a means of escape. The fountain had drained itself, revealing a drain on one end and a trapdoor on the other. Jumping inside, she opened the trapdoor and jumped inside to escape from the statues. The pathway before her led far underground, and was surprisingly well lit, even though there were no torches. “I guess it’s time to go to the dungeons.” Her words didn’t encourage her.
RestRainbow Dash rested on a hospital bed in Ponyville, too tired and hurting to fly to her home that floated above the town. The events of the last few days had taxed her mind and body in a way nopony had ever experienced before. The doctor told her that she and her friends should be dead, but at least they were safe. All four of them were staying in the same room at Twilight’s request, and would be resting in the hospital for a full week. But they were safe now, and would continue to be as well. The only thing occupying Dash’s mind was the desire for relaxation. Although, there was one thing that was bugging her, why did that pony need her? Wouldn’t anypony else have suited him, a pony who would’ve gone down with less of a fight? Other similar questions nagged at the back of the other ponies minds as well, like just what was this Blade of Suran’Dal? There was hardly any mention to a magical sword in Twilight’s research. It had been sent to Canterlot for study after they had returned to Ponyville. But those questions would have to wait for another time. And for now, the ponies had to rest.
