Equestria World, Book 2: The Rise of Harmony

Chapters

Prologue
Ch. 1 - A New Team
Ch. 2 - A New Mission
Ch. 3 - Making A Choice
Ch. 4 - The New Normal
Ch. 5 - The Masters' Past
Ch. 6 - The Next Step
Ch. 7 - To Train Or Not To Train
Ch. 8 - Lesson Zero
Ch. 9 - A Leaf in the Wind
Ch. 10 - A Diamond in the Rough
Ch. 11 - Sour Rage. Sunset Rises.
Ch. 12 - A Powerful Sense
Ch. 13 - First Strike

Prologue

Hello, my name is Jack Diamond. Now you might think I’m just your typical teenage boy, but I’m not. I carry a special gift called soul resonance. It allows me to read other people’s souls, or more likely, their feelings. It also allows me to do things I can’t normally do as a human. I started to learn about my gift back in the seventh grade, which I used that time to learn how to read other people’s feelings. By the eighth grade, I was able to use this gift to help others who were in trouble. But I kept it a secret from everyone, even my own family.

By the time I started high school, my family moved to Manehattan for a big project that my father was in charge of. He’s a construction foreman for a big name company called D.I.Y. Inc, which works on tons of city based projects, so my family moves around a lot. So every time I move to a new city, I have to leave my old friends behind and make new friends.

My gift started to play a new role when I started to help out one girl named Coco Pommel. She had a hard time making friends, and I was glad to call her my friend. But this would also lead to other students joining us and forming the Manehattan Knights, a group that works to maintain the balance of power between those who possess it, and those with don’t. But it was also used to help keep my gift a secret from those who would want it for their own personal gain. But when Coco moved away, it was Professor River Song who helped fill her place and became the adviser of the Manehattan Knights. But River Song would put the wheels in motion when I moved to Ponyville after my sophomore year of high school when my father got a new job from the company.

That was when my real adventure started.

I started my junior year of high school at Canterlot High, one of the most diverse schools out there. It was also where I met Twilight Sparkle, one of the best students in the school, and her closest friends, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. It was also where I met one girl who has caused trouble to the school in the past, Sunset Shimmer. Turns out that Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were paired up with most of the classes that I was also in, thanks to Principal Celestia and her sister, Miss Luna. The reason for this was that Celestia learned about my gift from River Song, who has been helping her in finding her old mentor and friend, Professor Star Swirl, who might hold the key to understanding my gift. The only problem was that he mysteriously disappeared, leaving a book behind that would explain soul resonance, the gift that I possess.

Principal Celestia requested that I help Sunset Shimmer make a change for the other students to see, and to do so, I had to work on breaking down a wall that surrounded her own soul. But I would need help to make this happen, and I was lucky to be reunited with an old friend who knew about my gift, Coco Pommel. But I would need more help to make this happen. One student was Chrysalis, a girl who has fallen behind in her classes and was living by herself in a broken down house, with the loss of what family she had. Students thought she was a witch because of the goth clothes she worn, but I was able to prove that there was good in her and was able to help her make friends this time. Another student was Moon Dancer, a bright student, like Twilight, who caught on to my gift and was hoping that it would help bridge the gap between Twilight and Sunset after last school year’s rivalry between each other. Thanks to them, I was able to learn more about my problems.

But I wasn’t the only one who possess these powers. Turns out that their rival school, Crystal Prep, also had students who possess similar gifts to what I have. And one of those students was Indigo Zap, both a friend and sparring partner from the eighth grade in Fillydelphia. She was also a part of a group called the Elite 5, the best students in their school who also possess the gift that I carry. The only way to find out who else possess this gift was to be part of the football team, which was forced on to me by Principal Celestia. Thanks to this, I started to become one of the popular students in Canterlot High, and a big target from some students in Crystal Prep.

One of these students was Lightning Dust, who felt I would destroy Crystal Prep’s perfect sports record. She put her focus on taking me out of the game, but when Sunset Shimmer decided to intervene, Lightning Dust decided to make sure that she was punished by using her high school past to black list her. When everyone started to side with Twilight and blame Sunset for the destruction of the fall homecoming, I knew that I couldn’t keep my gift a secret any longer. Thanks to the support that I had, we were able to clear Sunset’s name and deal Crystal Prep a blow in their football season.

But that didn’t stop Lightning Dust and her group from getting in my way. With the championship game coming up, we had to pull our weight together to overcome what Crystal Prep still have. But in that process, we learned that there was more to this than some simple rivalry. Turns out that during the Great War decades ago, there was a group called the Dark Star Organization who was experimenting on kids to be used as weapons of destruction, hoping to create the perfect solider. But if failed when a black ops group, called the Equestrian Knights and Riders, was able to stop them from completing their mission. But the group disappeared before the war was over. Now we think that someone is using students from Crystal Prep for their research.

But I was able to get in touch with Indigo Zap and learned that her friends, the Elite 5, were looking for answers to what they possess. But in that process, we started to learn that what they possess was nothing from what I possess. Turns out that Miss Luna’s master from college, Master Blades, also possess the same gift that I carry, and that it was rare for guys to carry this gift. This raised more questions about my gift. But the bigger issue was that Lightning Dust and her group was still off the hook in the crimes that they committed to our school. And the only way to expose them was to take on Crystal Prep, which meant that we would have to take out their star quarterback, Long Shot, who was able to keep his gift for so long.

With a plan in place, we were able to deliver a blow to Crystal Prep’s football team on the field, but this left me injured as well. With me out of action, Crystal Prep was able to make a comeback to win the game. But during that time, and with Sunset at my side, we were able to access the Realm of Souls. This allowed me to learn that I was Master Blades original master in a past life, Master Edge. It also allowed me to gain a new power with the bond that I share with Sunset Shimmer. Thanks to this, I was able to recover and return to the game and help defeat Crystal Prep to win the championship.

But that wasn’t the end. Confronted by Principal Cinch of Crystal Prep, she accused us of tampering with their team with false claims of vandalizing our school. This forced me to use my powers as a Manehattan Knight and challenged Principal Cinch to a deadly duel. This allowed Lightning Dust to confess to the crimes that she committed. With the truth revealed, Principal Cinch was convinced that her students committed crimes to our school and accepted defeat.

Now with football season over, and a team assembled, we plan to work on finding out where the Dark Star Organization is doing their experiments and hope to stop them before another Great War breaks out. Because this is no long just my story…

This is our story.

Author's Note

From this point forward, the story will be told from a third person point of view.

Ch. 1 - A New Team

It’s been a week since Canterlot High won the football championship, and Jack and his new friends took this time to relax before going back to work again. It was Saturday, and everyone who knew about Jack’s gift were meeting at Jack’s home while his parents are at their businesses. But this time, they were able to gain a few new members who were willing to help: Sandalwood, Micro Chips, and Bulk Biceps.

Over at Chrysalis’ new mini house, Rarity, Coco Pommel, Trixie Lulamoon, and Lemon Zest were looking over the place with Chrysalis. At the front porch, Fluttershy, Tree Hugger, and Sandalwood were mediating. Inside the garage, Coach Iron Will, with Flash Sentry, Thunderlane, and Soarin, were looking over the tools that Jack’s family had so that they can work on Ms. Shimmer’s car tomorrow. In the living room, Cadence was with Shining Armor, who was still recovering from his injuries. Rainbow Dash, Roseluck, Vinyl Scratch, and Octavia Melody were with them to keep them company.

But in the backyard, it was more intense than ever. After their time apart, Jack Diamond was sparing with Indigo Zap. But this time, they were testing their powers to see where each one stood. Coach Spitfire and Coach Fleetfoot were watching over them, trying to get an idea of what each one possessed. Applejack decided to help Sunset Shimmer in her new training. Bulk Biceps volunteered to assist with holding the training pad for Sunset to apply the blows to. So far, it was a work in progress.

But our story begins in the kitchen area. While Pinkie Pie was busy baking some cookies, Twilight Sparkle, Moon Dancer, and Sugarcoat were busy looking over Star Swirl’s book to get a better idea of the powers that they possess. Across from them was Lyra Heartstrings, Sweetie “Bonbon” Drops, and Micro Chips, looking for clues online as to the whereabouts of the Dark Star Organization’s place of operations. Nurse Redheart was also there, looking through medical records on her tablet in hopes as to how members of Crystal Prep have been gaining these powers.

“I don’t even understand,” Nurse Redheart said. “I’ve looked through every possible case and can’t find anything that could explain how you acquired these gifts.”

“I’ve tried every theory to mind, but I can’t find a reason that we have these gifts as well,” replied Sugarcoat.

“Sugarcoat, there has to be a way that some students have these gifts and others don’t. And we can guess genetics would play a part of this,” explained Twilight.

“Just because women would naturally carry this gift than men doesn’t give us a reason that genetics would be a part of this,” explained Sugarcoat.

Moon Dancer replied, “Girls, focus! We have to take any ideas we can get if we plan to solve this mystery.” Moon Dancer looked at Lyra and Bonbon and asked. “Any info on finding out what happened to the Dark Star Organization?”

“Nothing,” replied Bonbon. “We’ve looked through possible sites and can’t find anything that would talk about Dark Star, or the Equestrian Knights.”

“We even checked any black-listed sites and found nothing,” added Lyra.

“Maybe not,” replied Micro Chips. “I’ve found something that might be a lead, but it doesn’t say any specific names. Someone on a conspiracy theory site talks about the Axis nation having a shadow group that experimented on people for their own weapon research, but couldn’t complete their job because of some black ops group that got in their way. Military forces deny any knowledge of a military group that helped them in the Great War.”

“What replies did you find on there?” asked Twilight.

“Just a moment.” Micro Chips skimmed through the replies on the post, looking for something that stood out. “Some think it was Navy Seals or a bunch of citizens with a death wish. A few think it’s just a ghost story that someone made up. But there’s one reply that really stood out. It says, ‘There are some secrets that are best left unknown. You might end up erased.’ My guess is that someone knows more about this and wants to leave it buried.”

“Is there a name that we can look up?” asked Moon Dancer.

“RadiantHope94. And the post was made earlier in the springtime.” Micro Chips decided to look up the user name’s profile to get some more info. “It looks like this was the last post that was made, because the user hasn’t been online since that time. And all this user has done was post replies. Never created any post.”

Nurse Redheart was curious about the user name and started a search on her tablet. This got Sugarcoat’s attention.

“You know something?”

“Maybe,” replied Nurse Redheart. “The name sounds familiar. Someone that was brought up but my fellow nurses that I worked with. I’m trying to look up the nurse database for that name.” She looked through the database of registered nurses, but found nothing. Then decided to look up student nurses and got a hit. “Now I remember the name. Radiant Hope. Born in 1994. Could explain the user name. Top rank student in Equestria University’s medical department.” There was a brief pause as the next batch of details worried her. “Looks like she was to graduate in the spring, but was a no-show for her final exams.”

Twilight asked, “Does it say why?”

“Not really,” replied Nurse Redheart.

“Let me try something.” Bonbon started to do a search on Radiant Hope, and was able to find a news article. But she was shocked at what the article was about. “This news article I found said that she died in a car accident overnight. But look at the picture listed in the article.”

Bonbon turned her laptop around to show it to the other girls. The picture only showed the metal frame of a car, which was burnt, down the hill on the side of the road.

“I’m guessing something happened while she was out at night, and died in the car fire,” explained Moon Dancer.

“That’s just it. There was nothing left but the frame of the car and several metal pieces. No human remains,” explained Bonbon.

“They could have been turned to ashes, which was lost in the mess,” explained Twilight.

“The heat would have to be extreme for that to happen,” explained Sugarcoat. “Most car fires would still leave human bones behind.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” said Bonbon.

“Bonbon, let me see when the article was posted.” She turned the laptop around so that Micro Chips could look at the posted date. “This happened days after the replied post was made.”

“You think there could be a connection,” asked Lyra.

Twilight started to think for a moment. “Maybe. Let’s keep that in mind for the meeting later on. Maybe it’s a lead we can look into.”

Back outside, another car pulled up and parked on the curb where the other cars were parked. Driving the car was none other than Sunny Flare. And with her was a close friend of hers, Sour Sweet. They got out of the car and looked at the only completed house that was in the subdivision.

“Is this where Coach Fleetfoot told us to meet?” asked Sour Sweet.

“Well, besides the small house next to it, I think so,” replied Sunny Flare.

Another car drove up and parked behind it. A man and a woman came out of the car. The man went to the trunk to get some items out while the woman walked up to Sunny and Sour.

“Sunny Flare? Sour Sweet?”

“Yes,” replied Sunny Flare.

“Ms. Raven. I’m Principal Celestia’s secretary.” She extended her hand to shake each of their hands one at a time. “You must be here for Jack’s meeting.”

“You’re on Jack’s team?” asked Sour Sweet.

“More like watching over the team,” said the guy behind the trunk. “Can you help me for a moment.”

Sunny Flare went over to help him. When she got there, she saw some video equipment in the trunk.

“Name’s Doctor Whooves. Can you help me carry this gear to the house. We need it to get in touch with the others for the meeting.”

“What is it?” asked Sunny Flare.

“Video projection unit. It’s something Professor River Song gave me for something like this,” replied Dr. Whooves.

“She’s the one who stepped in during that challenge after the game a week ago,” said Sunny.

“Yep. And we’re glad that it ended peacefully. Now we have some work to do,” replied Dr. Whooves.

Dr. Whooves and Sunny Flare grabbed the gear and begin to carry it to the house, while Ms. Raven grabbed the laptop that was in the bag and walked with Sour Sweet to the house. When they made it to the front porch, Sandalwood got up and opened the door for them, in which they thanked him in return. They set the gear on down, and the doctor began getting everything set up. Ms. Raven put the laptop next to the gear and made her way to the kitchen, with Sunny Flare following her. Sour Sweet just took a seat on the floor next to the couch.

“So, how’s the shoulder?” Sour Sweet asked Shining Armor.

“It’s healing nicely,” he replied. “In a few weeks, I should be out of this sling and have it moving again.”

“Just as long as he’s ready for baseball season later in the spring,” Cadence added. “This is the time for him to relax and heal.”

“Well, at least you don’t have to worry about Brick Wall,” Sour said. “And not because you’re graduating, but turns out that his family is moving to Baltimare in a month. They plan to have him finish up the semester, but they were displeased with his action on and off the field.”

“One less worry for Jack, that’s for sure,” explained Shining Armor.

Roseluck looked at Sour and said, “You’re not like were you were before.”

“That’s because I’m taking meds for my bipolar disorder,” explained Sour.

In the kitchen, Ms. Raven and Sunny Flare joined the others to see what progress they made.

“Anything new?” asked Ms. Raven.

“Nope. Just a bunch of dead ends,” replied Twilight.

“But we might have come across a cover-up story. But we won’t know until we discuss it with the others,” explained Bonbon.

“Sunny, there’s something I wanted to show you.” Moon Dancer got up and grabbed the book, turning to a certain page she had tabbed. “Sugarcoat was explaining to me about the Soul Rage that Sour experience, so I thought you should see it.”

“Soul Rage”

When a person is pushed to their mental limits, it could cause them to go into anger. Their strength, speed, and reflexes are multiplied to a great amount, but it blinds their powers from sensing danger. This rage can only be contained if someone or something important to them can help calm their soul.

“So this what she experienced that one time,” Sunny said. “We’ve been friends for a long time, and I was always there for her whenever she had one of her outbursts. That could explain why I was able to calm her down.”

“She should be glad to have you by your side,” said Nurse Redheart. “By the way, Sugarcoat tells me that she’s on some meds?”

“The therapist said that it could be schizophrenia, but it’s very rare in her case,” Sunny explained. “She’s taking lithium pills to help control it for now.”

“Let’s hope it keeps on working,” said Indigo Zap, as she and the others walked inside.

“How was training?” asked Twilight.

“Tiring,” replied Jack. “I hope the data from the armbands that you gave us help.”

Jack and Indigo took off their armbands and handed them to Micro Chips. He took the data chips and inserted them into a small device that was connected to his laptop. It started to translate the data so that Micro Chips and Nurse Redheart can understand.

“All the levels seem the same to me,” explained Nurse Redheart. “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary between both of you.”

“Maybe we’re looking at it the wrong way,” Applejack explained. “We tried physical and mental training, and it’s like how anyone can usually train. There must be another way of explaining how you got these strange powers.”

“I have to agree with Applejack on this,” Sugarcoat explained. “Going through the basic research can only lead to more questions, unless you were to think outside the box, then we may never know the answers that we are seeking.”

“Maybe it’s magic,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, I can hardly see it to be magic,” replied Twilight.

“I don’t know about that, Twilight. We did enter the Realm of Souls and saw things that were hardly real,” explained Sunset Shimmer. “Maybe we need to do what Sugarcoat says and think outside the box.”

“I agree with Sunset. You can work out and build up strength, like me,” as Bulk Biceps flexed his arms. “Or you can run as fast as you can, like Flash. But what I can see with Jack is out of the ordinary. No human can move like Jack and Indigo did today.”

“Something tells me that Principal Celestia is not going to like the lack of results we’re finding,” said Ms. Raven.

Back outside, Chrysalis, Coco, Rarity, Trixie, and Lemon left the small house feeling like they made some accomplishment in their work.

“As soon as you have power installed, you’ll be ready to move in,” explained Rarity.

“Yea. Then you can be rocking it big time, dude,” Lemon added.

“Well, I thank you for helping out with what can be done. I’m sure we can get the lighting done another day,” said Chrysalis.

As they were walking to the house, they noticed a big white truck drive up to the house. On the side of the truck said “Manehattan Zoo”. A familiar face stepped out of the passenger’s side waving.

“Hey Rarity.”

“Derpy! What are you doing here?” asked Rarity.

“Oh, this guy stopped by the post office where my dad works and wanted directions to Jack’s place. So I offered to take him here. I think this area isn’t in the GPS,” explained Derpy.

The guy stepped out of the driver’s side, carrying a clipboard. Coco was able to recognize him.

“Mr. Keeper.” Coco started running up to him as he looked to see who called out his name.

“Coco Pommel,” he replied. Both of them hugged each other before letting go. “It’s been over a year since I’ve seen you.”

“It has,” replied Coco. “What brings you all the way over here.”

“Well, I’m here to deliver a special package to Jack Diamond. Does he live here?” Mr. Keeper asked.

Before Coco could answer, there was a loud growl coming from the back of the truck.

“Oh my. Is that a wild animal in there?” asked Rarity.

Coco looked and said, “Is that…hold on, and I’ll get him for you.” Coco started to make a mad dash inside the house and into the kitchen. “Jack, there’s someone to see you. I think you’re going to be impressed.”

Jack rushed outside through the garage to open the garage door. Everyone followed to see what was going on, expect for Cadence, Shining Armor, and Dr. Whooves. Jack was surprised to see who was waiting for him.

“Mr. Keeper. What brings you here.”

“Making a special delivery for Double Diamond and the gang,” he replied. “There’s someone who misses you a lot since you left.”

Mr. Keeper walked up to the truck and opened the side door, allowing a white tiger to leap out and tackle Jack to the ground. Everyone was in shock, except for Coco. The tiger went up to his face and started licking it like crazy.

“OK Whiteblaze, that’s enough. Now get off of me, OK?” The tiger got off of him so he could sit up. Jack started to scratch behind the tiger’s ears. “Did you miss me?”

“I think that’s a yes in my book,” Mr. Keeper replied. “The boy was wondering why you never showed up these past few months. I don’t think he could understand the reason for you moving here.”

Coco walked up to the tiger and said, “Do you remember me?” The tiger looked at her and smelled her. Then he gave her a big lick on her face. “Oh gross.”

“Looks like he does remember you,” said Jack.

“That’s not how I wanted him to respond,” said Coco.

“Well, if you don’t mind, but I need you to sign some papers saying that he belongs to you.” Mr. Keeper walked up and gave Jack his clipboard and pen. Jack signed the papers and handed the clipboard and pen back to him. “Double Diamond was able to cover the cost for his shots and transport, so you can thank him when you get a change.” He looked around and saw the big group of people around. “Forgive me for asking, but were you having a party?”

“Just a…get-together, that’s all,” replied Jack.

“Yea. His school won the football regional championships and he was listed as the MVP of the game,” said Coco.

“Really?” replied Mr. Keeper. “Bet is was nothing like the big game that was held in Fillydelphia. The Dragons were behind at halftime, but made a big comeback in the second half. Our QB threw a hail mary pass to make the game winning touchdown.”

“Really? You mean they beat the record? Who was at quarterback in the game?” asked Jack.

“Blaze Lionheart. He really pulled his weight around the team and was the MVP of the game himself. Mane Coast Academy couldn’t be any prouder. Well, I need to head on back. Got to make sure the zoo runs smoothly.” Mr. Keeper walked to his truck and closed the side door. As he was making his way to the driver’s side door, he stopped and said, “One more thing. I know that Ponyville doesn’t have a vet for wild animals, but I was told that there was someone who works with animals really well.”

“Oh, that would be Fluttershy,” replied Twilight.

Fluttershy just waved back.

“Well, I hope things work out for you and Whiteblaze.”

Mr. Keeper and Derpy got back into the truck and started to drive off, giving Jack one more wave goodbye. Before anyone could respond, another car pulled up and parked at the curb on the other side of the street. It was a familiar dark sedan that everyone knew so well.

“How do you think we’re going to explain this to Miss Luna?” asked Coco.

“We just tell it like it is,” replied Jack.

Miss Luna appeared from the driver’s side while Mrs. Harshwhinny appeared from the passenger side of the car. They both noticed that there was a white tiger on the driveway next to Jack.

Luna spoke in a loud voice. “OK. What’s a white tiger doing all the way out here in this town?”

Jack got on his feet and said, “Master Luna, say hello to Whiteblaze.”

“Whiteblaze?” replied Luna. “That’s not a pet tiger you have there, right?”

“Actually, he’s practically family,” replied Coco.

“His parents rejected him back at the Manehattan Zoo. So me and the knights were able to nurse him ourselves,” explained Jack.

“Well, Jack did most of the work,” Coco corrected. “He’s gotten attached to him since then.”

Luna walked forward, saying, “Well, as long as he’s not a problem around here.” She extended her hand to Whiteblaze, and he sniffed it before placing his paw on her hand. “Well then, welcome to the team, Whiteblaze.”

“Ah, how cute.”

Everyone looked back to Luna’s car to see a girl who just came out of the back seat door.

“Gilda!” yelled Rainbow Dash. “What’s she doing here?”

“I’m here to help your precious little team,” Gilda replied as she walked forward.

“Mrs. Harshwhinny decided to have her on our team,” explained Luna.

“She might have surrendered her gang to Sunset, but we can use them to assist us in places we can’t get to,” Mrs. Harshwhinny explained as she joined the group. “Just like the gang in Manehattan who helped us.”

“Consider them your Black Ops group,” Luna added.

“And I’m aware of your ‘gift’, and I’m sure everyone can agree with me on this. Power like that can be dangerous in the wrong hands,” explained Gilda.

“Noted,” Jack said. “Just remember, you pull any stunts on us, and you might be Whiteblaze’s next meal.”

Gilda raised her hands and said, “No problems there.”

“Then welcome to the team.” Gilda and Jack shook hands.

“Fluttershy, you think you can handle a tiger well?” asked Twilight.

“Well, I did help a baby bear one time, which his parents were grateful in what I did. A tiger shouldn’t be a problem.” Fluttershy walked up to Whiteblaze, kneel down, and rub his back, which gained a response of a purr. “See. No problem at all.”

Sour Sweet walked up to them and said, “I’m sure he can be very helpful.” As she went down to pet him, Whiteblaze responded with a growl and a swipe of his claws. Sour was able to pull her hand back to miss getting scratched. “Or maybe not.”

Fluttershy started at Whiteblaze and said, “Now, now. She’s our friend, OK?”

“That’s not like him to act that way unless he feels threaten,” said Jack. He knew something wasn’t right and wanted to test a theory that he had in mind. “Sunset, why don’t you pet him.”

“Me?” Sunset said looking confused. “Are you sure?”

“Just go with me on this,” said Jack.

Sunset went with Jack’s suggestion and approach him, extending her hand out nervously. Whiteblaze sniffed her hand and placed his paw on hers.

“OK. Indigo, you do the same.”

“No problem.”

As Sunset walked back, Indigo walked up to him. But Whiteblaze started to growl before she could extend her hand, causing her to walk backwards.

“OK. Now it’s a problem,” said Indigo.

“You’re right. That would be strange for him to act this way,” said Luna.

Jack tried to think of a reason for Whiteblaze’s actions, but was drawing a blank. Then he remember Applejack talking about thinking outside the box.

“Can anyone think of a way to sense what makes one person different from another?”

Everyone looked at each other trying to find an answer. It was Tree Hugger who spoke up.

“A person’s aura.”

Jack started to think about what she just said. That’s when an idea came to mind.

“Master Luna. A person’s aura emits a different color. Is it possible that I can see it with soul knowledge?”

Luna placed her hand on her chin. “Maybe. Since you returned from the Realm of Souls, your powers have grown. It’s worth a shot.”

“Tree Hugger, I’ll need your assistance.”

Tree Hugger was in her mediation stance. Jack planed to tap into her and see if he can see the aura from others, if it was possible. Tree Hugger closed her eyes and began to mediate. That’s when Jack placed his hand on her back, closed his eyes, and began using his soul knowledge powers. When he opened his eyes, he could see different colors coming from each person. Tree Hugger did the same and was surprised to see it more clearer than before.

“You seeing what I’m seeing?” asked Jack.

“Yes. This is, like, groovy,” replied Tree Hugger.

“Explain to me what each color means, staring with Rainbow Dash.”

“The red aura means that she’s energetic. It’s proof that she is full of energy and ready to take on, like, anything.”

“How about Applejack?”

“The orange aura means vitality. She has a lot of stamina in her and is willing to do all the hard work.

“What about Fluttershy?”

“The pink aura tells me that she’s sensitive, but has compassion in her as well.”

“I know there are others colors, but I want you to focus on one of the Shadowbolts this time,” explained Jack.

“OK.” Tree Hugger decided to focus on Indigo, and her mood started to change. “This energy. It’s like…it’s…strange…mysterious…evil. It’s…it’s…IT’S…”

She started to panic and tried to shake it off. That was when Jack decided to sever the connection, causing her to nearly faint. Sandalwood and Nurse Redheart rushed over to her.

“You OK?” asked Nurse Redheart.

Tree Hugger tried to regain her balance. “I…I think so.”

“We better get her inside,” said Sandalwood. “Bulk, can you help us?”

Bulk Biceps went over and carried Tree Hugger in his arms. Both he, Sandalwood, and Nurse Redheart started to go inside.

“Did she called us evil?” asked Sour Sweet.

“I think she did,” answered Sunny Flare.

“Could this explain Whiteblaze’s actions towards us?” asked Indigo Zap.

Jack started to think. “Maybe. We better go inside and see if Dr. Whooves has everything ready. I want to talk to the others about this.”

“Agreed,” said Twilight. “We have a few things that need answering as well.”

Everyone started to go inside, except for Jack, Luna, and Whiteblaze.

“Jack, you seem to handle the issue well,” said Luna.

“I remember Applejack saying that we need to think outside the box. But I have a feeling that we’re dealing with something that isn’t normal. And it has Dark Star written all over it.” Jack looked at Whiteblaze and said, “Think you can handle what’s to come?”

Whiteblaze responded with a roar.

“Good. Because we’ll going to need all the help we can get.”

Ch. 2 - A New Mission

Everyone was inside the living room, waiting for the meeting to start. Bulk Biceps was able to lay Tree Hugger on the couch to recover from her previous episode. As everyone got their gear connected to what Dr. Whooves was working on, Shining Armor and Cadence were wondering what happened outside.

“What happen to Tree Hugger? And what’s Gilda doing here as well?” said Cadence.

“And why is there a white tiger in the house?” Shining Armor nervously asked.

“We’ll explain during the meeting on both questions,” responded Twilight. “Where do we stand?”

“Almost ready,” replied Dr. Whooves. “Micro Chips, make sure we have any computers we need to use connected to my computer.”

“Yes sir.”

Once everything was connected and ready to go, Dr. Whooves turned the unit on, producing an image on the wall. A camera was up on the wall so that the other groups would see Jack’s group. Three video images soon appeared in what was a chat room. One image displayed Professor River Song and the remaining Manehattan Knights. Another was of Principal Celestia and Mr. Discord coming from the his office, and the third one was one that Coach Iron Will brought up to Jack after the game, Coach Tirek.

Celestia asked, “Is everyone accounted for?”

“Yes sister,” replied Luna. “We also have Gilda on our team as well.”

“That’s good,” replied Celestia.

Discord said, “I’m sure you all know Coach Tirek from Equestria University.”

“Nice to see you again, Tirek,” said Spitfire.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Tirek replied. “And it’s nice to see Iron Will as well.”

“Iron Will is glad to see Tirek again.”

“And we have Professor River Song with us as well,” said Celestia.

“Good to join you all today,” replied River Song.

“So with that out of the way, we can-” Celestia stopped for a moment and took a closer look. “Is that a white tiger in the room?”

“This is going to be a long day,” said Jack.

“I see that Whiteblaze was able to get there today,” said River Song.

“You could have told me that he was missing me in the first place,” replied Jack.

“And where’s the fun in that,” Double Diamond responded as he showed himself on the screen.

“It’s a good thing you brought him here, because he just helped us find something important about our fellow Shadowbolts,” explained Twilight.

“We believe that they are emitting some kind of raw aura, which Whiteblaze reacted to as a threat,” explained Jack.

“Can you explain what you mean by this…aura?” asked Discord.

Twilight and Jack looked at Tree Hugger, who was still trying to recover. But Sandalwood got up and decided to explain it to them.

“An aura is like this cosmic force that comes from each of us. It’s what define us for who we are.”

Luna explained. “Jack was able to read Tree Hugger’s aura senses and saw the aura that came from everyone.”

“And what about the Shadowbolts’ aura?” asked Celestia.

Luna said, “It was…well…”

“Evil,” said Tree Hugger. “It was dark, negative…I don’t know how to, like, explain it.”

“I think I do,” said Jack. “When I saw my life as Master Edge, I noticed something similar that came from the Mane-iac when she revealed herself.”

“A soul eater,” River Song replied. “I got the report that you sent to me, Jack. That could only mean that the Dark Star Organization is responsible for all this.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Jack replied. “Did you get any info on these soul eaters?”

“Just a bit, but my source is looking into more about them. It could take some time,” explained River Song.

“Give us what you know,” Celestia said to River Song.

“From what he told me, they are dark creatures that are from some unknown realm, feeding off the souls of those who are weak or emitting negative energy. And from what Jack has told me, my guess is that they take the soul’s body to use it as a way to blend in with the world, looking for their next victim until they no longer need it.”

“Sounds like a bunch of shadow hunters if you ask me,” said Applejack.

Lemon Zest responded. “Dude, what does that make us?”

“Yea, there can’t be soul eaters in us, are there?” added Sour Sweet.

“I don’t think that you would be in control if a soul eater was inside you,” explained River Song.

This got Jack to start thinking. Then something came to mind. “Luna, Indigo, a word with you in private.” Luna and Indigo followed Jack back to the kitchen to talk. “Indigo, you remember what to told me about that strange feeling you got from Principal Cinch.”

“Yea. There was some barrier coming from her that was blocking whatever I was sensing.”

“Jack told me about this after the game,” said Luna. “You think a soul eater could be inside her?”

“I don’t know,” replied Jack. “It’s just that…I was able to break through that barrier of hers. Could be due to my time in the Realm of Souls, I’m not sure. But what I sensed inside of her was not usual.”

“What do you mean?” asked Luna.

“What I sensed was…two souls.”

“Two souls? That can’t be possible. I mean, we’re talking about Sunny Flare’s mother here,” explained Indigo.

“I know. If one of them was a soul eater, it must be keeping Cinch’s soul alive,” explained Jack.

“Could it be because of Sunny?” asked Luna.

“That’s my best guess,” replied Jack.

“She won’t believe it,” said Indigo.

“That’s why we won’t say anything about it for now,” said Jack. “It’s best to keep this info limited on who should know it. I’ll explain it to the professor later on.”

“And I can tell my sister when I get home,” said Luna.

“OK. I’ll leave it to you two for now,” said Indigo.

All three of them went back to the living room with the others.

“Anything you wanted to add?” asked Celestia.

“I do, but not on this open channel. I’ll tell you back at our house,” explained Luna.

“Agreed,” replied Celestia. “Anything else that you’ve discovered?”

“We have,” replied Twilight. “There’s a good chance that someone is trying to cover up the knowledge of Dark Star. Micro Chip was able to find a post talking about what could be the Equestrian Knights fighting against Dark Star. Someone on those boards posted what could have been a warning, we’re not sure.”

“Do we have an ID on this person,” asked Tirek.

“We might,” said Nurse Redheart. “The user name listed could be Radiant Hope, a nursing student from Equestria University. She was supposed to have graduated last spring, but didn’t show up for the finals.”

“Because she died in a car accident, I know,” replied Tirek. “A student of mine was friends with her. He was shocked when he learned what happened.”

“Well, there’s more to it.” Twilight noted Bonbon to pull up the news article. “We found out that there were no remains at the crash site.”

“If they were turned to ash, it would require intense heat, like in cremation,” explained Sugarcoat. “This here wasn’t the case.”

Twilight continued. “We think she knew something about the Dark Star Organization, and someone wanted to keep it a secret. And if there weren’t any remains, then maybe she’s still alive and in hiding.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” replied Tirek. “Send me what you found on this and let me look into it. I have better sources on my end.”

“I’ll see to it that you get them,” said Spitfire.

“That’s about all that we know on our end,” said Twilight.

“Then allow us to fill you in on what we know,” said River Song. She looked at Party Favor to explain.

“Remember when you told us about that mysterious woman you saw two years ago?” A picture came up on the screen showing a lady wearing a long coat, long hat, and shades. She was with two men in black business suits. “Showed up a couple of days after your big win.”

Jack and Coco recognized who they were looking at.

“That’s her. That’s the one we saw back then,” said Coco.

“And guess what she was ask for from Professor Digger…in detail?” said River Song.

“Masamune and Muramasa,” replied Jack. “So she was looking for those blades all this time.”

“Either she was at the game, or someone that works for her was there,” explained River Song.

Jack had a feeling that the person that was there was Principal Cinch herself, but he would need more proof first.

Celestia said, “Do you have a better picture of her?”

“Glad you ask,” replied River Song. She pulled up a close-up picture of the same woman in the hallway.

“How were you able to get a picture of her that close?” asked Jack.

“Spoilers!” River Song replied, holding up a pair of shades.

“Spy glasses. We have a couple of pairs ourselves,” Lyra said as she was pointing to Bonbon.

“They have a mini camera and USB port on them,” explained Bonbon.

“I guess that explains how you got the picture,” said Jack.

Celestia said, “Micro Chips. Is that ID program ready to go?”

“Yes. But I only have access to the school database to work on.”

“We got that covered,” replied Fleetfoot. She nodded to Sunny Flare.

Sunny walked up and took out a USB cord from her pocket. She attached it to one of her data bracers and handed the other end to Micro Chips.

“Hook this up, and I can get you access to a national database that we can use.”

“Thanks.” Micro Chips plugged it into his laptop, then asked, “Is that the Model 2500?”

“You know your gear well,” Sunny replied as she was working on her datapad. “I hope the next model has the cords in them.”

“Sunny can hack into any database with those,” Indigo explained. “Sugarcoat designed the program and had them installed.”

Celestia said, “Would that include-”

“No,” Fleetfoot hastily replied. “She wouldn’t do that unless I asked her to.”

A beep came from Sunny’s bracers. “There. You should have access now.”

“OK. But I can only rely on what is visible in the picture,” explained Micro Chips. “It could take some time.”

“Do what you can,” replied Celestia, allowing Micro Chips to begin his search. “If we’re lucky, we can find out who she is.”

“Forgive me for asking, but what does this have to do with the Dark Star Organization?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“We believe that both blades may possess the souls of their creators,” explained Moon Dancer. “And if Dark Star is working on anything related to souls…”

“Then having these weapons would be useful to their cause,” Gilda finished saying. “Just like having the same powers you have, Jack.”

“Exactly,” Jack said. “And my guess is that they want to start another Great War after what happened during the last one.”

“That’s why we created the Manehattan Knights in the first place,” added Coco. “To keep his gift a secret from others that want power like that.”

“If there’s a connection to all this, then it could be our best lead we have,” Jack explained. “Just one question. How were you able to keep tabs on the museum when she showed up, professor.”

Night Glider said, “We asked for Scar’s Night Watchmen to monitor the area for anything suspicious.”

“And I might have filled Professor Digger a bit about what you possess,” added River Song.

Jack and Coco sighed and grunted, shaking their heads.

“Sooner or later, he would have to know about it,” said Chrysalis.

“She’s right,” said Twilight. “If I remember him well, he’s an expert in anything mysterious. Even the stories that come with the artifacts. Even I couldn’t believe what he said, but they were stories in the past, and those people once believed in that stuff.”

Sugar Belle decided to step in. “Speaking of artifacts, he has asked for the knights to assist him on transporting some old items to the museum.”

“Any reason why?” asked Jack.

“All we know is that they are well preserved. But the metal on some of them are not of this world. He’ll know more once it gets to him,” explained River Song.

Twilight started to question this strange metal and make a recommendation. “Jack, I think it’s best that he fully knows about your gift. If there’s any connection to this, he might know more about what we’re dealing with.”

Jack thought about this. “The Soul Art scrolls were also well preserved. I wonder how far back we would have to go to find people who had powers like me.” That’s when he came to a decision. “Professor, bring him up to speed, including the blades. Somehow, he had a reason for giving them to me, so I think it’s best that he understands what we know as well.”

“Let him know that I’m helping him out,” explained Twilight. “He should still remember me.”

“Will do,” replied River Song.

“I don’t mean to change the subject, but this ID program. Was this created because of my past actions?” said Sunset.

“Yes,” replied Micro Chips. “But think of it this way. Having created a program like this could get me into EU’s computer science program. I haven’t had a challenge like this in months.”

“And if we didn’t have this program, we wouldn’t be able to find out who the mysterious woman is in the first place,” explained Celestia.

It was then that a sound came from Micro Chips’ laptop. “I got nineteen hits.”

“Let’s see them,” ordered Luna.

Nineteen faces came up in four rows. All of them women with a pink to lavender skin tone and similar features.

“Wow. That’s a lot to look into,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Yea, how do we know who to look for?” said Applejack.

Coco came up to Jack and whispered, “Look at the second row. Second one from the right. Doesn’t she look familiar?”

Jack looked at the selected picture and whispered, “Your right. She does look familiar. I wonder…” He said, “Micro Chips, can you limited the search by location?”

“Yes, but it can only be their current location.”

“Set it to residents of Manehattan,” ordered Jack.

Micro Chips placed the location parameters and it limited the list to four profiles.

“Sugar Belle, you think you can look up those four profiles?” asked Jack.

“Already on it.”

Twilight came up to Jack and whispered, “You think she would be behind this?”

“You know what we’re talking about, right?” whispered Coco.

“Yea, but it can’t be her. She’s done a lot for the city,” whispered Twilight.

“Still, anything’s possible,” whispered Jack.

“I got them,” said Sugar Belle. “One lives in a retirement home for over a year, another has been a resident of the city for four months. I got one who have lived here for several years, but works at one of the smaller hotels on the cleaning staff. Which leaves us to this.”

A lone profile showed up on the screen. She had pinkish skin and purple and teal hair.

“Starlight Glimmer?”

“If she’s the one, then I say lets bring her in and question her,” said Sour Sweet.

“Like good luck with that,” said Sandalwood. “You need a lot of money and powerful allies to get to her.”

“And what makes you say that?” asked Sunny Flare.

“Because she’s the mayor of Manehattan,” replied Twilight. “And a big hero of the city.”

“Yea. She like exposed some dirty politicians for corruption, including the former mayor,” explained Sandalwood.

“You must have heard the reports back then,” said Twilight.

“Oh yea,” replied Sandalwood. “It’s best to know who you plan to take on, even if it’s a politician.”

“So, what’s her story anyway,” asked Rainbow Dash.

Twilight explained. “She worked in the city capital back then as a normal worker, just like Mayor Mare did. When she came across some illegal dealings with other businessmen, she brought it to the media anonymously. When the news reports came out, lots of pressure came across the former mayor, which led to his impeachment. A temporary mayor was put in place until the next mayor was elected, which was in a few months.”

“I remember that happening,” said Double Diamond. “Several politicians filed to have their name in the next vote. Even the temporary mayor. Calls were coming in asking for my parents to support one of them. But they weren't sure who to support.”

“Because all of them had some kind of dirt on them,” said Twilight.

“If they were dirty, why not take a shower to wash it off?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“She means they did something bad in their life that no one wanted to know,” explained Sunset.

“Oh.”

Twilight continued. “Anyway, Starlight did the same thing to each one as well without any of them noticing. It wasn’t long before the media came up to them, pressuring them to the reports. When all except the temporary mayor dropped out, she quit her job and decided to run for mayor herself. That’s when the city learned that she was submitting the reports that she learned about the other politicians. She promised to clean up this city of all of its problems and won the support of the citizens. Thanks to that, she won the election in a landslide.”

“And to this day, she’s done a good job doing so,” added Double Diamond.

“But how was she able to afford the money need to run a campaign in such a short time?” asked Rarity.

“You don’t know the Glimmer family that well, do you?” Everyone looked at Ms. Raven. “I remember Starlight Glimmer well. I was her babysitter when I lived in Manehattan. Looked over her for her foster parents when they were out on business.”

“You mean she was an orphan back then?” Twilight asked Ms. Raven.

“Yes. Mr and Mrs. Glimmer were known as the richest couple in Manehattan. Their ancestors were the ones that founded Manehattan, which is why it’s a big name in the city. But they were only children. They had no family members living, and to make matters worse, Mrs. Glimmer was unable to bare children. So they adopted Starlight to their family. She took the family name later on.

“They hired me as their babysitter while I was attending Manehattan University at the time. Kept on doing so after I graduated. But it was early in her freshman year, that we received the bad news. Her foster parents were killed coming back from a theater performance. She was shaken up, but she recovered a week later. Their will listed her as the sole heir of the Glimmer estate, but listed me as the caretaker of the estate until she was eighteen and graduated from high school.

“So I stayed on and took care of her until then. She graduated from Mane Coast Academy as the top of the class and got a dean’s scholarship at Equestria University. Asked that I watch over the house while she went to college, allowing her to come home about every weekend. Major in politics and finished college in four years with honors. During that time, I got married and divorced twice in my life. When she decided to run for mayor, I decided to move on. Her dream was to take down corruption and make the city equal to all. I didn’t want to hold her back, so I decided to moved here. You all know the rest.”

“Do you think she would do something like this?” asked Twilight.

“I doubt so,” Ms. Raven replied. “She the smartest, brightest lady I know. She would never do something like this.”

“I have to agree as well,” said Twilight. “I looked up to her and wanted to be just as smart as her.”

“There’s even a plaque of her at Mane Coast Academy,” added Shining Armor.

“But if it’s her, then why would she be interested in the blades that Jack has?” asked Applejack.

“I think I know why,” said Spitfire, “and we might have just given it to her.”

“Would this have to deal with the national high school basketball tournament?” asked Discord.

“It does,” replied Spitfire. “Before coming to this school, I was on the sports council along with Coach Tirek. We were approached by Starlight Glimmer, who’s an EU alumni, about starting a national tournament for high schools in all regions. We talked to the rest of the sports council about it and agreed in doing so, since Tirek has heard about Crystal Prep’s perfect record, and another heard about the rivalry between Mane Coast and Filly High. We started to select cities to hold this tournament, and Starlight was able to add Manehattan into the list, which we thought it would be hard to compete. But when the plans were laid out for that city, a majority of votes went to Manehattan.”

“I’m sure that Manehattan University is the second largest school in the nation,” explained Twilight, “but there’s not a lot of hotels in the area. It’s mostly apartments.”

“Not anymore,” Jack said. “It now has the biggest hotel in the city, and I think my dad’s company might have also played a role in this. Double Diamond, pull up the plans to the Mane Central Hotel.”

A display of the hotel plans appeared on the screen, slowly rotating around.

Jack continued. “We were able to keep records of its development since my family moved to Manehattan. The hotel is about nine square blocks, which were acquired after relocating the small stores that were in the area promising them that they can move back in if they wish to.

“The first floor has the main lobby, a restaurant, jazz bar, and enough convention space for two, if possible. It also has new small shops that allowed the old owners to move back in. Second floor has several meeting rooms, as well as a swimming pool and weight room for hotel guest, plus a balcony for others to enjoy the view. Third to tenth floors carry about a hundred rooms on each floor, and the eleventh and twelfth floors hold about 30 suites.

“Project started the summer two years ago, and was finished a week before Christmas. Interior teams took over and completed the hotel by spring break.”

“But how can you finish construction of a place that big?” asked Applejack.

“Yea, you have to have a lot of money, workers, and resources to do so,” added Rarity.

“That’s because Mr. Fix-It owns the hotel,” replied Jack. “He placed the bid to the city and plan to take ownership of the place as well. This is a business tycoon we’re talking about who like to give back to the people. And he knew how to get what was needed to make it happen. Was able to hire new workers to work with experienced workers, and my father was in charge to oversee the project. With the company’s clean record, it was a win-win for everyone.”

“And since then, the city has become a tourist magnet to everyone,” explained Double Diamond. “Lot’s of conventions and business meetings have been planned in advance, and they were able to hire enough staff members during the winter and spring seasons before opening day.”

“Mr. Fix-It knows how to get the money and resources to make anything happen,” said Jack.

“But why put all the effort to have a tournament anyway?” asked Twilight.

“To test Crystal Prep against some more experienced teams than what they have faced,” explained Fleetfoot. “Crystal Prep has a perfect record before this school year, and a basketball tournament is all they need to make sure that what they have been creating really works.”

“And after what we just did to them a week ago, they’ll be pressured in making sure this tournament is a success for Crystal Prep,” added Shining Armor.

“So if she’s the one pulling the strings on all of this, how do we stop her?” asked Applejack.

“By making it to the national tournament,” replied Tirek. “It’s the only way we can verify her motives in all of this.”

“He’s right. And there’s a good chance that Principal Cinch could be a part of this as well.” Luna turned to Sunny Flare and said, “I hate to say this, but she could be caught up in this mess and doesn’t even know it.”

Before Sunny Flare could respond, Indigo placed her hand on Sunny’s shoulder and said, “She might be right. Your mother has been acting strange as of late. And I have been getting some bad feelings from her since then. We need to be careful as to what’s going on right now.”

“There’s also that story about what happened after she lost her husband before you were born,” explained Sunset. “That could have had an effect on her as well.”

“Don’t forget what I had to do when I challenged her after the game,” explained Jack. “I don’t want to bring you into this again like last time, after she tried to do whatever she could just to be victorious.”

Sunny looked down, trying to take in what they were talking about. Then she came to a conclusion. “OK. I’ll keep my guard up for now. Just make sure my mother isn’t harmed in all of this.”

“We’ll do what we can to resolve this matter, somehow,” said Twilight.

Tirek said, “Jack, I have a request for you. I want you to take part in the boys and girls basketball teams. I’ve been told how well your powers have grown physically. But now, we need to improve them mentally. Trying to support both teams is needed if they plan to make it to the tournament. They don’t have to win, but they need to qualify in doing so. Spitfire can fill you in on the details.”

“I have to agree,” Luna said. “He also needs to learn how to handle a sword in battle, as well as the remaining soul arts. This might be the perfect time to do so.”

“Then I leave all oversight of this group to you and Spitfire from here on out,” explained Celestia. “Twilight, I’ll leave Star Swirl’s book in your hands.”

“Thank you Principal Celestia.”

Celestia said, “If that’s all, then-”

“One more thing,” Jack interrupted. “Double Diamond. Where do we stand on Project Dragon?”

“It’s still a no go, captain.”

“Damn.” This got Jack to start thinking again.

“What’s Project Dragon?” asked Luna.

“It’s a skilled group, designed to look into the high ranking businessmen and politicians,” explained River Song. “We think the students of Mane Coast Academy are best fitted for this task.”

“With the Night Watchmen handling the dirty work, and the knights in the spotlight, we need someone to handle the big wigs,” explained Double Diamond. “And my connections with some of those kinds pf people would be too easy to uncover.”

“That why we created this project before I left Manehattan,” explained Jack. “Shining Armor, you went to Mane Coast Academy your freshman year. Do you think they would be just as good as Crystal Prep?”

“Maybe. But what makes you ask that anyway?”

Jack explained. “I heard that they won their regional championship last week for the seventh straight time, breaking the record in the school’s history. I’m just wondering…”

“You think they could be a target as well, like Crystal Prep?” asked Twilight.

“My thoughts exactly,” Jack responded. “And if Starlight Glimmer has ties to the school, that makes it easier to work with. Double Diamond, have you talked to Blaze about the operation?”

“No. His focus was on winning the championship for the school, so I didn’t want to distract him with it.”

“Well, that’s your new task,” said Jack. “Talk to him about forming the Manehattan Dragons. Tell him about what my gift and that his school could be a target as well. Take what necessary steps you need to make this happen…captain.”

Double Diamond looked confused. “Excuse me, but did you just call me…captain?”

Jack looked at Coco and both of them nodded.

Jack ordered, “Double Diamond! Night Glider! Step forward!”

Both of them stood up and made sure they were visible on the screen.

Jack said, “Due to recent events, I hereby transfer my role as captain to you, Double Diamond. I know you can fulfill the role well.”

Coco said, “Night Glider, I hereby transfer my role as second-in-command to you. Support Double Diamond in leading the knights to glory.”

Both of them saluted, saying, “Yes sir!”

“We well be acting as advisers from this point forward,” said Jack. “Do the knights proud.”

“YES SIR!”

River Song said, “Jack, I’m guessing that you will be leading a new team in Ponyville, right?”

“I already have. And I’m requesting for Twilight be my second-in-command on this team.”

Twilight was shocked. “Really? But wouldn’t Coco be best suited for this role?”

“I was when I was a part of the knights. But this team is different. And I think you can help support the team better than me.”

Jack said to Twilight, “You have resources in this school that I don’t have. And you have a way to bring others together when needed the most. That’s why I need you at my side to help me.”

“Well, do we have a name for this team?” asked Twilight.

“Good question.” Jack thought for a moment before he saw Fluttershy raise her hand.

“Um, how about…soul guardians?”

“I think that sounds wonderful,” replied Twilight.

“Then Soul Guardians it is,” said Jack.

“If that’s the case, then you have the Talons’ full support in this,” said Gilda.

“Same goes for the Shadowbolt Five,” said Indigo Zap. “We’re done being called the Elite 5 that everyone likes to call us.”

“We know our talents aren’t normal, so being called as elite doesn’t fit us anymore,” added Sunny Flare.

“If we’re all in this together, then what should our next move be?” asked Applejack.

Luna said, “Jack, this is your team, your call.”

Jack took a moment to plan everything out in his head.

“Here’s the deal. If Starlight Glimmer is working for the Dark Star Organization, then the only way we can prove this is to get into the tournament. We need to find a way to block the Shadowbolts’ powers on their team.”

“Dude, we can just let you guys win,” said Lemon Zest.

“We still have the guys on the team, Lemon. And we can’t let our guard down in front of the school,” said Indigo Zap.

“She’s right,” Jack said. “There has to be another way that they can’t sense us. Shadowbolts, do what you normally do, just be careful around Principal Cinch. We still don’t know if she’s connected or not.”

“If we plan on doing this, we’ll need support from the team to find that weakness,” explained Twilight.

“Agreed,” replied Jack. “But how?”

“I can work with Mrs. Harshwhinny and Rainbow Dash on the girls’ team,” said Spitfire.

“And Iron Will will work with Soarin on the boys. If we can find a way to have them work with us without exposing your gift, that should make things easier for you.”

“Good enough,” replied Jack. “Sunset, work with Gilda on understanding the Talons. Find out what strengths and weaknesses they have. I don’t know when we’ll need them, but I want you to be ready to issue the orders to them when the time comes. Twilight, can you work with Master Luna on understand how dreamscape works? If me and Sunset plan on returning to the Realm of Souls, we’ll need a way to do so and bring her along as well.”

“We’ll do our best,” said Twilight.

“Jack, be aware that the Dark Star Organization has been looking for the Tree of Harmony during the Great War. If it’s in the Realm of Souls, then you need to be careful that they don’t know its location,” explained Tirek.

“Noted. Everyone else, just play it safe for now and let it play out,” explained Jack. “If we’re lucky, we might find out where Dark Star is located.”

“Jack, I just remember one more thing,” said River Song. “My inside source is sending a lady on his team back over here with a few items. I might be able to make them as tools that you can use once they get here. I was also told that she would have ties to Ponyville, so I want to send her your way to help out. The only thing I know about her is that she’s into rocks and minerals.”

Pinkie Pie went up to Jack and said, “I know who she’s talking about. But it’s a surprise.”

Jack rolled his eyes and said, “I’m guessing most of you know as well.” About everyone nodded. “Well then, any questions before we leave?” Everyone shook their heads. “Then the game is set.”

Ch. 3 - Making A Choice

It’s been a day since the group had their meeting. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Coach Iron Will were with Jack in the family garage, waiting for the others to arrive to work on Ms. Shimmer’s car. Flash and Thunderlane were to bring the replacement parts, while Sunset and her mother were to bring the car. With nothing much they can do about the main problem, it was business as usual. But that didn’t stop some of them from thinking about it. Applejack and Iron Will were two of them, and Jack was able to catch on to them.

“Coach, something on your mind?”

“Yea. The Tree of Harmony. What purpose does the Dark Star Organization have for wanting it if it’s in a realm that no one can get to?”

“That’s a good question,” replied Jack. “It’s strange enough for me to enter that realm with Sunset, but how is it possible to enter there through dreamscape?”

“Let’s hope that Twilight and the others have an answer about that,” said Applejack.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” replied Jack. “But I can sense that there’s something on your mind as well.”

Applejack let out a sigh. “It’s about that realm as well. If it’s a bridge-way between here and where people die, I’m just wondering if…”

“You would be able to talk to your parents again,” replied Jack.

“Yea.”

“I doubt it. It’s supposed to allow the souls of those who have the same gift that I have to be reborn, or so I think,” explained Jack.

“So it’s possible that there are others that have powers like you out there?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“That looks like it. And so far, we can guess that two more masters could have been reborn, but we don’t know who or where they are.”

“How come you never brought up about these masters at the meeting yesterday? Maybe Dark Star already got to them,” said Soarin.

“I doubt that. Besides, Master Luna wants to talk to Master Blades before adding that to the long list that we already have, if we can enter the realm of souls through dreamscape.”

“You still sticking to this master thing, right?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“She’s earned the right to be called master and take Jack in as her student. I think it is best to respect that,” explained Iron Will.

“Well, maybe it be best to keep the master stuff on the low end around school. No sense bringing more attention on yourself like you already have,” explained Applejack.

“Noted.”

Just then, they could hear someone drive up. Jack went over to look through the garage window to see who it was. He could see a tan car pull up to the curb and two people coming out of the car.

Applejack asked, “Is that Ms. Shimmer?”

“No. It’s…Mrs. Harshwhinny and…Gilda?” replied Jack.

Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle. “Figure she wouldn’t pass up something like this. Gilda was always into cars. Wanted to customize her own one day.”

“Too bad that she couldn’t focus on school work to make that happen,” replied Applejack.

“Yea, yea. I’ll go and check on them and see if that’s why they’re here.” Rainbow Dash left the garage and went to the living room.

In the living room, Mrs. Candle Heart was waiting for Ms. Shimmer to show up, hoping to have a nice conversation again since the last time they met. Whiteblaze was in the corner of the room, resting, but perked up when he hear the sound of the doorbell. Mrs. Candle Heart went to the door to see Mrs. Harshwhinny and Gilda at the door.

“Mrs. Harshwhinny! This is an unexpected surprise.”

“Forgive me for coming unannounced, but I figure this would be a good time for Gilda here to do some community service for the school, after what she did weeks ago.”

“I figure that was the reason for you coming here,” Rainbow Dash said as she walked in. “Gilda! Garage! Now!”

Gilda followed Rainbow Dash’s orders and made her way to the garage with her.

“I’m sure everything has been fine over here?” Mrs. Harshwhinny asked Mrs. Candle Heart.

“After what happen at the championship game, it’s nice to see things calm down. But seeing Whiteblaze here was a bit unexpected when me and my husband came home. I never thought he would have bonded with my son so soon. It does add some security to the home.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine here. And thanks for letting us use your home to celebrate our school’s victory. After all the drama unfolded, we figure that the students would need some time to recover before celebrating,” Mrs. Harshwhinny explained. She knew the real reason for having the meeting there, but needed an excuse to make it happen.

Mrs. Candle Heart asked, “Would you be joining me and Ms. Shimmer when she gets here?”

“Thanks, but I need to keep an eye on Gilda and make sure she does her part.” Mrs. Harshwhinny made her way to the garage to join the others.

“So the reason you’re here is because you have to do some community service before you can return to school next semester?” asked Applejack.

Gilda sighed and replied, “Yes. Because of the damage I did to the school, I have to help out at Mrs. Harshwhinny’s request.”

“And this is just the first of several tasks,” Mrs. Harshwhinny said as she walked in the garage. “Plus, we need to get you up to speed on what we’re dealing with. I’ve only explained the basics yesterday.”

“It better be worth it,” replied Gilda. “I just gave up my gang to another girl, and now they have to take part in this…mission in secret.”

“As long as you follow her lead, then it will be worth it,” replied Jack.

I wasn’t long before they heard a loud squeal outside, as if someone had bad brakes on their car.

“I’m guessing that’s them right now,” said Applejack.

Jack walked over to the garage door opener and pressed the button, opening one of the doors in front of them. Right there was Ms. Shimmer’s car. And just pulling up was Flash’s car, which parked on the other side of the driveway. Jack motioned Ms. Shimmer to pull her car inside, which still squealed when she applied the breaks inside. Once the engine was turned off, both Sunset and her mother got out of the car. Flash and Thunderlane got out of the other car and went to the back to get the parts that were needed.

Gilda checked out the car and was surprised. “Wow! A Supra Mark II. And in dirty brown too. Can’t believe you still have something like this still running.”

“Well, it’s all I have for a ride.” Ms. Shimmer took a moment to remember who the girl was. “Gilda, right?” Gilda nodded. “You gave my daughter a hard time a few weeks ago.”

“Sorry. It’s just-”

Mrs. Harshwhinny placed her hand of Gilda’s shoulder. “There was some communication issues between her and the school. I’m trying to make sure she makes up for the damages that she has caused.”

“As long as my daughter doesn’t have to suffer again, I’m OK with that,” replied Ms. Shimmer.

“Mother, I’m going to be fine this time,” replied Sunset. “Besides, I have Jack with me now.”

“I know, I know.”

“By the way, my mother’s waiting for you in the kitchen,” said Jack.

“Oh good. It’s been a while since we talked. Are you going to be OK here, Sunset?”

She sighed and said, “Yes mom.”

Ms. Shimmer nodded and made her way into the house.

Jack was able to remember something. “Sunset, you told your mother about Whiteblaze?”

Just then, there was a scream from inside the house.

“Guess that answers your question,” replied Applejack.

Sunset sighed and said, “I got this,” and made her way inside the house.

In the living room, Ms. Shimmer had her back to the wall while Whiteblaze was nearby being friendly to her. Mrs. Candle Heart was trying to reassure Ms. Shimmer.

“It’s OK. He’s gotten along with my son.”

“B-B-But that’s a w-w-white tiger you have t-t-there,” Ms. Shimmer nervously replied.

As Whiteblaze walked closer to Ms. Shimmer, Sunset walked in and yelled, “Whiteblaze! SIT!!!”

Whiteblaze did what he was told and sat in place.

“Sunset, how-”

“Sorry mom. I forgot to tell you about him,” explained Sunset. “He’s close to Jack, and I think he’s gotten used to me as well so fast, since I’ve been with Jack often. Whiteblaze! Go to Jack’s room.”

Whiteblaze did what he was told to and ran up the stairs and into Jack’s bedroom. Ms. Shimmer tried to catch her breath after what she just experience.

“How about we talk about it over some tea,” said Mrs. Candle Heart.

“That…that would be nice,” replied Ms. Shimmer.

Both of them walked to the kitchen while Sunset returned to the garage.

“Everything OK?” asked Jack.

“Oh, just my mother freaking out. That’s all,” replied Sunset.

“I know I would freak out if a tiger just showed up out of nowhere,” Flash said as he was bringing in some car parts.

“At least this one is on our side,” Thunderlane added as he was bringing in some tools.

The guys placed the parts and tools on the work table, while the others started to prep the car ready for repairs. As Jack was about to close the garage, he started to sense someone coming. He went up to the doorway and saw someone on a motorcycle riding on up the road. The others could hear the motorcycle and joined Jack to see who it was. As it was coming up to the driveway, they were able to make out the signature goggles over the eyes.

“Is that Indigo Zap?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Looks like it,” replied Soarin.

Once the motorcycle pulled up and parked on the driveway, The girl took off her helmet and lifted her goggles over her head.

“Yep, it’s her,” replied Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, am I early?” asked Indigo as she was walking into the garage.

“You’re just in time,” replied Jack.

“Good. I figure you could use another pair of hands,” explained Indigo. “Besides, Sugarcoat’s helping out with Twilight on that, what is it, dreamscape stuff?”

“That’s what she’s supposed to be doing,” replied Jack.

“Then how about we put all that aside and focus on my mother’s car. The brakes sound terrible,” explained Sunset.

Jack finally went to close the garage door, and the guys started working on the car. Iron Will went to lift the car with his jack so that Jack and Soarin can place the car stands underneath once that was done, Applejack and Thunderlane went to work on removing the wheels and break pads, while Flash went under the car with an oil pan to drain the oil. Rainbow Dash, Indigo Zap and Gilda went to work on the engine.

As they were working on the car, Sunset was sitting next to Mrs. Harshwhinny, thinking a lot about what has happened in the past months.

Mrs. Harshwhinny looked at her and asked, “You OK?”

Sunset looked back with a worried look on her face and said, “Kinda. I mean, look at what has happened in the past months. I was just a villain when the semester started. Now, I’m supporting one of the biggest stars in our school. Maybe beyond.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” replied Jack.

“Jack, you’re one of three masters who gave their lives back at that temple many years ago. That’s why you have these powers that made you who you are. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

“Forgive me for asking, but who are these masters that you’re talking about?” asked Gilda.

Mrs. Harshwhinny explained. “Based on Jack’s report while he was in the Realm of Souls, there was a temple somewhere that housed people who have powers that involve a person’s soul. One day, they were attacked by a group called the Dark Star Organization. Everyone who had this gift were captured except for four. Three of them were masters who died in the attack. The fourth was a student who escaped. Anyone else that didn’t have this gift were killed.”

Gilda asked, “And this person that escaped was…”

“Miss Luna’s master and friend. Master Blades,” Mrs. Harshwhinny responded.

“How come he was the only one who escaped?”

Iron Will explained. “A solider from a black ops group was given sanctuary in the temple after seeing what the Dark Star Organization was doing to kids during the Great War. My father was also part of this same black ops group when he was young.”

“And I’m guessing that there’s no record about any of this since you mention about a black ops group,” Gilda responded.

“You catch on fast,” replied Iron Will.

“Some of the boys like to play Call of Duty at times,” explained Gilda. “I just like to watch.”

“Well there’s a good chance that the other two masters could have been reborn, but we don’t know where to look for,” explained Sunset.

“How come it wasn’t brought up in the meeting?” asked Gilda.

“Yea. Shouldn’t we be looking for them?” Rainbow Dash added.

“You want to go and ask every living soul if they are a master? Be my guess,” explained Applejack.

“Hey. What if Dark Star already has them and is looking for Jack? What then?” Rainbow Dash responded.

“Right now, our first goal is returning to the Realm of Souls,” explained Jack. “Once we’re there, we might be able to get some more questions answered, including the other masters. So for now, let’s focus on getting this car fixed. There’s nothing we can do about it at this time.”

But as they were working on the car, Gilda decided to ask another question.

“I’m just curious, but what can these powers do?”

Jack explained. “It’s called soul resonance. It allows me to detect another person’s soul, or more likely, their feelings. Anger, pain, sadness, suffering. Anything negative.”

“What about happiness, or excitement. Just like that one girl…what’s her name?”

“You mean Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash responded, which Gilda nodded. “I don’t think it works like that.”

“But it can let you detect others that you can’t see nearby,” explained Indigo.

“So it can act like an anti-stealth system?”

“As long as it has a soul,” Sunset responded.

“Yea, but the ones that raided the temple were soulless machines, right?” said Applejack.

“Automatons,” Jack corrected. “And yes, that how the temple fell to them.”

“You mean there were robots back then?” asked Gilda.

“More like magical puppets, I think. And it was a soul eater that controlled them,” explained Sunset.

“Dang. This just keeps getting weirder and weirder,” Gilda responded. “But going back to your powers. What else can you do?”

Jack explained. “Well, with the help of the Soul Arts, I can do things that can’t be normally done by any human. Run faster, become more accurate, enhance strength, even shift my body from one point to another.”

“As long as you’re not dizzy in doing it,” added Indigo.

“Wait, you mean you can teleport?” Gilda responded. “Cool! I bet you can get into any building.”

“Not really. It’s more like traveling at the speed of light for a short distance,” explained Jack. “I can’t go through objects.”

“Can I ask you something? What’s it like to soul shift?” asked Indigo. “I can’t remember how it happens except for the fact that it happens.”

“It’s more like time slowing down from my view. At least when I use the soul arts that require a soul shift,” explained Jack.

“So you can control time, right?” asked Gilda.

“I guess,” responded Jack.

“Then do you think that you can control reality itself? I mean make things do what you want to do?”

“I doubt that’s even possible, Gilda,” said Rainbow Dash.

“But think about it. You can rob a bank without getting caught. And you can take down the police when they try to stop you.” Everyone stared at Gilda. She raised her hands and said, “Not that…I would want to do anything like that.”

“Wait. Maybe she’s on to something.” Flash came out from under the car with the oil pan. “Oil’s drained.”

“Good. I can start working on the oil filter. Hand me the oil pan.” Indigo took the pan from Flash and begin working on the oil filter. “Now what is it that you were about the explain?”

Flash explained. “Well, think about it this way. What if you can do something like that. I mean, having that kind of power can be deadly if it was in the wrong hands. Wouldn’t Dark Star do something like that?”

“What? You think they can invade our nation that easily? Good luck with that,” explained Thunderlane.

“But what if they can do that? Remember? Think outside of the box,” explained Flash.

“Look. If they did invade long ago, we wouldn’t be here in the first place,” explained Thunderlane.

“Not really.” Sunset got up from her seat. “Think about it. When the axis group was on the verge of failure, Dark Star decided to disappear. They laid in hiding until the attack at the temple. And right now, they could be tied with Crystal Prep. Maybe with Starlight Glimmer as well.”

“So some of them could have invaded long ago without us knowing it?” Soarin asked Sunset.

“It’s possible. And they could be finding a way to create new soldiers.”

“If they think I’m going to work for them, forget it,” said Indigo.

“You don’t have to,” Sunset responded. “All you need is anyone who would be loyal to Dark Star. Look. I now control the Talons, which means they have to be loyal to me.”

“Be careful what you say,” said Gilda.

“Just go with me on this. The Talons are like Dark Star. You give them powers like Jack and you have the army needed to make it happen.”

“But we know that they have yet to perfect these powers. Long Shot was proof of that,” explained Rainbow Dash.

“That’s where the students of Crystal Prep come in.”

“Of course.” Indigo explained. “With our school being perfect at the time, they would have to believe that it’s perfected. But they need a wider base to test our powers.”

“And that’s where the basketball tournament comes in,” said Applejack. “It’s like the apple farm. You can’t prove that you have the best apples if there are no other apple farms out there. What good would that be to say that you’re the best.”

“And with other schools like in Manehattan and Fillydelphia, Crystal Prep can’t really be the best in the nation unless you face them,” explained Sunset.

“Then I guess we’ll find out when we face them in the tournament,” said Indigo.

Rainbow Dash let out a chuckle. “Well, you’re going to have to get past us first.”

“You think you can beat us? Good luck.”

“Hey. After what our football team did to yours, we can do anything.”

“Really. You can’t have Jack on your team, so how do you think you can win without powers like his?”

Sunset looked at her left hand and saw the scar that was made back then. “Not unless I join the team.”

“Sunset, I don’t want to be rude, but you don’t have powers like Jack’s. And I’m not even sure you can play basketball as well,” explained Rainbow Dash.

“I may not have powers like Jack, but I have played some basketball back in the 8th grade,” said Sunset. “And Flash knows it.”

“She’s right about that.”

“Plus, this might be a good time to learn more about Soul Link,” said Sunset.

“Well, if Sunset plans to try out for the team, I might as well do the same,” said Applejack. “Besides, we need trusted players to help Jack out with his mental training. Who else but the three of us to do it?”

“I was hoping you would finally try out for the team,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Don’t think I’m doing this for you,” Applejack said to Rainbow Dash. “We have bigger fish to fry, remember?”

“Yea, yea. I know.”

“Well, once we enter the Realm of Souls, we can ask Master Blades how it can truly work,” said Jack.

“Let me call Miss Luna and tell her what we just discussed. I think the idea about his powers affecting reality would be something to look into.” Mrs. Harshwhinny got up and left the garage for a moment.

Just then, Jack’s cell started to go off. It was next to well Sunset was sitting at. Sunset went over to look at who was calling.

“It’s Fleur.”

Jack let out a sigh. “Must be guy problems again. Can you answer it for me? My hands are still dirty.”

“Sure.” Sunset picked up Jack’s cell and pressed the answer button. “Hello, this is Jack’s phone. Sunset speaking.”

“Oh. I sorry. Is Jack busy?”

“He’s helping out fixing my mother’s car. Do you need any help on something?”

“Well…it’s just…”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure I can help you with whatever is on your mind.”

“Well, I’m going out for an early dinner with Long Shot, and I’m trying to figure out what to wear. This is the first time I’ve been out on an actual dinner date and I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of him.”

Sunset showed a look of shock on her face. “That’s your problem!? You really have no experience with guys, do you?”

Jack asked, “What is it, Sunset?”

“Dinner date with Long Shot. Need to make a first impression.”

Everyone in the room let out sighs and groans.

“For heavens sake. You would think she would have it figured out by now,” said Applejack.

“Well, Long Shot is doing better since the big game,” said Indigo. “I’m sure he would want to take her out for dinner before basketball tryouts take place.”

Sunset asked on the cell, “Do you know where you’re going to eat?”

“I don think so. He wanted to make it a surprise.”

Sunset face-palmed after hearing that. “Gosh. I wish Rarity was here.”

“Did someone call my name?”

Sunset looked over her shoulder to see Rarity waking in, with Chrysalis behind her.

“Just finished up some fashion designs and took Coco back home. Decided to do the same with Chrysalis and figure I check up on you girls,” Rarity explained. “So what seems to be the problem?”

“Dinner date with Long Shot,” replied Sunset.

Rarity held out her hand and said, “Hand it over.”

Sunset gave Rarity Jack’s cell.

“Fleur? It’s Rarity. What seems to be the problem.”

“Going on a dinner date, and I don’t know what to wear.”

Rarity sighed “First Impressions. I totally understand. Do you know the location?”

“No.”

Rarity thought for a moment, then placed her hand on the mic. She whispered, “What can you tell me about Long Shot…besides being a health nut.”

“He can be a gentleman, that’s for sure,” whispered Indigo. Rarity gesture for more. “He’s works hard. How am I supposed to know. I don’t get into his personal life.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. She removed her hand from the mic. “OK. Just go with this. Remember what you wore when you tried to get Jack’s attention back then?”

“Yes.”

“Just go with that, or at least something like that in another color. And just be yourself. You don’t need to do anything fancy, OK? He’ll fall for your charm.”

“OK. I understand. Thanks.”

The call came to an end, and Rarity handed the cell back to Sunset.

Rarity raised her hands and shook her head. “Why is it that I have to handle a fashion emergency like that?”

“Because you’re the fashion expert, that’s why,” replied Applejack.

“Oh yea, that’s right. Well, as long as she doesn’t dress sexy.” She realized what she just said and closed her mouth.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Sexy? What do you mean by…sexy?”

“Oh, nothing,” Rarity replied quickly.

Sunset got up and looked straight at Rarity.

“Rarity? If you’re trying to hide something from me, I’m going to destroy all of your dresses that you’ve created at school and at home.”

Rarity tried to keep her composer, but broke down and quickly said, “Fleur sent Jack a pic of her in some sexy clothes just to get his attention.”

Sunset grabbed Jack cell again and started to look through it.

“Forget about it. I’ve already deleted it,” said Jack.

“I can’t believe that she would send you something like that,” said Flash.

“Well, we did exchange numbers back then,” Jack explained. “Did you or the others do that?” Flash and Thunderlane shook their heads. “Thought so.”

“Besides, Jack was a bit surprised at what he saw when he got it,” said Chrysalis.

Sunset looked at Jack and said, “Really? And how surprised were you really when you saw it.”

Rarity held up her cell to Sunset, which displayed the same picture of Fleur that was sent to Jack back then. Sunset looked at the picture and her jaw dropped as she was stunned. Jack saw this and face-palmed, remembering that he gave Rarity a copy of it. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Gilda, and Indigo Zap were curious to all of the reactions and decided to go over and look at the picture that Sunset was looking at. And all four of them were in the same state at Sunset.

“WOW!”

The girls looked to see Soarin behind them. Rainbow Dash tried to cover his eyes, saying, “Hey! You can’t see that.”

“And why not? She already tried to flirt with the others except me,” replied Soarin

“Because you’re a guy,” replied Rainbow Dash.

“If I didn’t know better, it sounded like you were jealous,” said Applejack.

“I’m not jealous.”

“I think you are jealous,” said Jack.

“I’m not jealous!”

“I think you really are jealous,” said Sunset.

“I SAID I’M…OK, we’re not going through this again.”

Everyone else laughed.

“See, they really do make a great couple,” said Thunderlane.

“Indeed so,” Flash responded.

“And what do we have here?”

The girls looked to see Mrs. Harshwhinny return to the garage. Rarity took her cell and placed it in her purse.

“Nothing,” replied Rarity.

Mrs. Harshwhinny raised an eyebrow. “Nothing? Looks like someone decided to grow up a bit too fast.”

“Just a misguided mistress that tried to flirt with me back then,” replied Jack. “Nothing more. Sometimes, I wonder why I keep getting caught up in these kinds of messes.”

Mrs. Harshwhinny sighed and said, “They all grow up so fast. And to think, we were nothing but trouble.”

Iron Will let out a small laugh. “Yea. You’re busy fighting for woman’s rights while Iron Will is fighting for our freedom overseas.”

“And then we’re burning bras while you guys are getting drunk. How times have changed.”

“True. But now, we could be on the brink of another Great War. And Iron Will isn’t fit to go into battle again.”

“Then we have to do all that we can to avoid one,” said Jack.

“Then let’s hope that Miss Luna and the others can find some answers for us,” Mrs. Harshwhinny explained. “I talked to her about what we discussed. She’s going to talk to Twilight and Sugarcoat about this theory. But don’t expect an answer soon.”

“Sugarcoat can be a heavy thinker. I’m sure she’ll figure it out,” said Indigo.

“Well, if everyone is doing well, I’ll be on my way.” Rarity started to walk out of the garage, but stopped and whispered into Sunset’s ear. “If you want to impress Jack with something that Fleur has, I’ll be happy to help with that.”

“RARITY!!!”

“Gotta go.” And Rarity left the garage and out of the house.

“I swear, that girl can be trouble at times,” said Applejack.

“Well dud. She’s you friend anyway,” said Rainbow Dash.

“True, but there are time when I wonder what goes through that head of hers,” said Applejack.

“You should know. You tried to pull a few Rarities on me before,” said Jack.

Sunset started to stare at Applejack, to which she reacted.

“Hey, that was before he started to help you out, OK?”

“Fine. Now can you please finish fixing my mother’s car before we get sidetracked again.”

So the guys went back to making the repairs on Ms. Shimmer’s car. When they were done, Ms. Shimmer came into the garage and started it up. It sounded better than before. She thanked the others for what they did and decided to take Sunset home with her. All the others started to pack up their things and left the home, except for Indigo, who was sitting on her bike. Jack was leaning on the wall outside next to the garage door.

“It was nice to do something together, just like old times,” said Indigo.

“Yea. But I have a feeling that there’s something on your mind,” Jack explained.

“I’m just wondering. Having all this power…why would anyone want to do something like this?”

“Experiment on others to find the perfect soldier? I wonder the same thing. What’s the purpose in all this?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t like it. Being some test subject is not how I wanted to live my life.”

“Speaking of which, how’s Long Shot doing? He’s taking Fleur out on a dinner date, so he should be fine.”

“He’s normal, that’s for sure. But as for his powers, I won’t know until I practice with him tomorrow. With tryouts being this Thursday, we try our best to practice together. Did so last year. But with how Principal Cinch has been acting last week, and what you told me about her having another soul, things are getting really tense at Crystal Prep.”

“Well, keep your guard up, girl. You and the others will get through this.” Jack raised his hand in a fist. “Never give up. Never give in.”

“Always fight til the end.” Indigo did the same and fist bump Jack’s. “Can’t believe you still remember that motto.”

“You created it, remember?”

“Yea, yea. I know.” Indigo placed her goggles around her eyes and put on her helmet before starting up her motorcycle. “Well, I’m off. I’ll keep you posted if anything happens.” She backed up to the road, waved back to Jack, and rode off.

Jack looked as Indigo went out of view. Then he looked up to the sky.

“Twilight, I hope you and the others have something that can help us.”

Ch. 4 - The New Normal

Over at Celestia and Luna’s home, Twilight Sparkle, Moon Dancer, Sugarcoat, and Nurse Redheart were working with Miss Luna on looking through her research notes about dreamscaping. Luna had to step aside when she got a call from Mrs. Harshwhinny, leaving the others to the research. They would have a theory about using dreamscape with Jack and Sunset’s soul link powers, but it would require some medical equipment for the job.

“So how long will it take to get the equipment?” asked Twilight.

“A couple of days, at least,” Nurse Redheart replied. “I can contact the chief staff at the hospital tomorrow and see if they have the equipment available. If I’m lucky, I should have it by Wednesday.”

“That would be wise, since basketball tryouts will be held Thursday afternoon for both schools, and we need to know more about our powers and how got them if we plan to confront Starlight Glimmer when the tournament comes around,” Sugarcoat plainly explained.

Twilight let out a sigh.

“You still think that she’s not a part of the Dark Star Organization?” Moon Dancer asked Twilight.

“She’s done a lot for Manehattan. More than anyone else. I’ve even met her a couple of times in person. One of those times was when I won the nation spelling bee while I was in the 6th grade, and that was when she was starting off as mayor.”

“Twilight, she’s a politician. Politicians will do what they can to get what they want,” Sugarcoat explained to Twilight.

“You don’t see Mayor Mare doing that, now do you?”

Moon Dancer looked at Sugarcoat and said, “She’s got a point.”

“Then why do you think Jack and the others created the Manehattan Knights?” The girls looked at Nurse Redheart. “It was to make sure that Jack’s powers were kept secret. Whether they are good or bad, it would make Jack a big target towards everyone else. I think he wanted to stay out of the spotlight until all this happened.”

“And now there’s a chance that he could be a target,” Moon Dancer added.

“Then lets make sure he’s not a target, because I just got some new theories for you girls.” Luna walk into the study where the others were at. “I just got off the phone with Mrs. Harshwhinny. There’s a good chance that Dark Star might have come into our nation sometime after the raid of the temple, and has been around for a long time.”

“Well, it can be possible to enter as an immigrant back then,” said Sugarcoat. “Security was lax back then, and it would be hard to keep up with those who have entered back then.”

“You would have to have a valid visa to enter, and I doubt that it can be forged for them to enter,” said Twilight.

“Not unless you were a soul eater,” said Moon Dancer. “Remember Jack’s report? It was a soul eater who invaded the temple. And soul eaters feed off the souls of those in distress and take over their bodies.”

“And the only soul eater we know is the one called the Mane-iac,” said Luna. “She could have even taken another body after she came through. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more soul eaters hiding in plain sight.”

“You don’t think that Starlight Glimmer could be a soul eater?” said Sugarcoat. “She already lost her foster parents when she was young. That would make her an easy target.”

“Can’t be. She was with Ms. Raven at the time, and she recovered from her loss very fast,” explained Twilight. “What about Principal Cinch. Indigo said that she’s been acting strange as of late.”

Luna almost had a look of shock, but did her best to hide it.

“Sunny Flare would have caught on to her, so I doubt that would be the case,” explained Sugarcoat. “Unless you know something that we don’t know, Miss Luna.”

Sugarcoat was able to catch a hint of shock from Luna before it disappeared.

Luna rubbed the back of her neck, saying, “Not…that I know of.”

Sugarcoat raised an eyebrow to her remark.

“Besides, it might be best to wait until we hear back from River Song about the soul eaters in detail.” Luna went to clear her throat. “But there’s another theory that I want to run by you, Sugarcoat. Is it possible to bend the fabric of reality with your powers?”

“What are you saying?” asked Twilight.

“It’s only a guess, but if Dark Star was creating super soldiers back then, one possibility would be to have them control whatever is around them.”

“Well, we know that whenever someone soul shifts, time slows down for them, which makes them look quick from our view,” explained Moon Dancer.

“But the problem we have, from Indigo’s view, is that it leaves us dizzy in the process,” Sugarcoat added. “But the idea to control what’s around us…well…” She placed her hand of her chin and started to think about it. She started to think about elements, theories, equations, changes…whatever could come to mind. Each question led to another question, and another, and another until…

“Sugarcoat!”

Twilight’s voice snapped Sugarcoat out of her train of thoughts.

“You’ve been deep in thought. Are you OK?” asked Twilight.

“Yea. It’s just…I need to step outside.” Sugarcoat walked out of the study and went outside.

“What’s gotten into her?” asked Moon Dancer.

“I don’t know. Maybe I should find out.” Twilight left the study to check up on Sugarcoat, leaving Luna, Moon Dancer, and Nurse Redheart in the room.

“Well, if you don’t need me for anything else, I think I’ll head home,” said Nurse Redheart.

“Thanks for getting this prepared. It would be nice to see Master Blades again, even if it’s in the afterlife,” said Luna.

Nurse Redheart nodded and left the room.

“Miss Luna, Jack told me about Principal Cinch. Do you think she could be possessed by a soul eater?” asked Moon Dancer.

“I hope that’s not the case. But we can’t take anything to chance. I would like to know more when we meet Starlight Glimmer, see if Jack can sense anything different between her and Principal Cinch. I have a feeling that this would be a long road ahead of us.”

Outside, Sugarcoat was sitting on the steps at the back of the house, staring at the sky. Twilight was able to step outside and sit next to her. Both of them were staring at the sky in silence until Twilight spoke up.

“Is everything OK with you?”

“I’m surprised that someone like you would care for me, after what we have done to each other in the past. You never really cared about anyone from a rival school,” explained Sugarcoat.

“Because everyone there were either stuck up or focused on themselves,” said Twilight. “But even I can be wrong sometimes.”

Sugarcoat let out a sigh. “I’m been thinking a lot. About our powers, our school, our lives…I don’t even know what to make of this.” She looked to Twilight and said, “I’m the top of my class among all the students over there. I’ve even made the Dean’s list in our city twice. And yet, the only other person on that list that matches my level is you. And you were planning to attend Crystal Prep, but changed your mind and went to Canterlot High.”

“I did that because I wanted to challenge myself,” replied Twilight. “I couldn’t see the challenge at Crystal Prep like I wanted to see at Mane Coast Academy. And so far, it’s worked in my favor.”

“But when I saw you on that list, I thought that you couldn’t be that smart because you attended what we believed to be a second rate school. But every time I try to do something, you were able to match my skill level. And now with these…powers, I don’t know if I’m truly smart after learning more about this gift.”

“Sugarcoat, powers or not, you’re just as smart as me. So far, we read that they affect physical and mental skills. They don’t make someone smart.”

“But my tactical strategy-”

“Is your mind at work,” Twilight said, cutting Sugarcoat off. “You might be able to sense what’s coming, but you have been able to plan it out easily without using your gift. Something like that is never easy for most people.”

Sugarcoat let out another sigh.

“You remember that one summer after our freshman year?” Twilight asked.

Sugarcoat nodded. “It was a student debate program, which allowed some of the best students to debate on various problems and how to resolve them.”

“We were debating heavily against each other that we were at each others throats,” said Twilight.

“And then people started to say that both of us would make great leaders in the future,” said Sugarcoat. “I wasn’t sure if that was a compliant or a joke.”

“I’m pretty sure it was a compliant. But I feel better not to face you head on if it was for president.”

Both of them laughed.

“Agreed.” Sugarcoat started to think again, then asked, “I’ve been wondering. How were you able to deal with Sunset Shimmer last year? I heard about what she was trying to do to you online. But how I see her now is completely different.”

“You can thank Jack for that.” Twilight let out a sigh herself. “I had friends who came to my aid when it all started. And it might have taken a year to catch her in the act, but if it wasn’t for Jack who stepped in these past few months, I would have never knew the reason for her actions in the first place. I have to learn that I can’t judge a book by its cover until I read the story inside.”

“Even if that book has magical powers?”

Twilight let out a chuckle. “Yes, even if it has magical powers.” They were quiet again before Twilight spoke. “Have you ever wished that things would be normal? I mean getting caught up in this mess.”

“I don’t think anything can ever be normal. But being a part of a mess this big is something I wish never happen. But now, I don’t have much of a choice. I have to learn more about these powers, while you have to piece together the were-a-bouts of a lost professor that studied this stuff. Maybe one day, things would return to normal, but there’s no telling when that will happen.”

“Then I guess we have to enjoy what we have one day at a time,” said Twilight. “No telling what could happen next.”

As things went quiet again, it was then disturbed when Moon Dancer came outside.

“You two might want to come inside. There’s someone who wants to talk to us.”

All three of them went inside and joined Luna in the study. She was on the computer talking to someone on the other end. When they went to see who was on the monitor, it was Professor River Song and another man with her. He had tan skin and short, white hair, and was wearing a white lab coat. It was Twilight who recognized the man in the lab coat.

“Professor Digger!”

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my brightest student who likes to help me out with my work,” replied Mr. Digger. “Your vice principal has been telling me about you and Jack. It’s nice to see both of you working together. It’s too bad that this meeting couldn’t be on friendlier terms.”

“I’ve filled him in on what we discussed yesterday,” said River Song.

“And if it’s who you think it is, then this could get more problematic,” said Mr. Digger. “I’m grateful to give Jack those two blades as a parting gift. And now that I know one possible story with those blades, it was wise to do so.”

“You weren’t one to part with a treasure like that without a good reason,” said Twilight. “Oh, I can see that you met my friend, Moon Dancer. This girl here is Sugarcoat. She’s a student of Crystal Prep.”

“So I have been told,” Mr. Digger replied. “And with this group called the Dark Star Organization out there, it’s a surprised that they would be using students like her to experiment on for their research in secret.”

“I’m guessing that you have no info on the soul eaters, right?” said Sugarcoat.

“Spoilers, dear,” replied River Song. “You can’t expect this stuff to come in a day. But there’s something else you need to see.”

The two professors stepped aside to show a table with several oriental weapons on display.

“These are the items that came in yesterday,” Mr. Digger explained.

“They look like weapons that samurai and shogun warriors would use during the Feudal Era,” said Luna.

“Indeed so. But there’s something different about these weapons.” Mr. Digger brought up on of the small katanas to show.

Twilight took a closer look on the screen. “Is it made of…silver?”

“That’s what they want you to think it is. But take a closer look.” Mr. Digger took the blade and reflected it off a light, revealing a hint of blue in it. “This is not your typical metal that we know. My guess is that it’s mythril.”

“Mythril?”

“Yes.” Mr. Digger explained. “From what I have learned in various records, it’s an ancient metal that existed back in the dark ages, maybe before it. It’s light, yet powerful, and very rare. To see something like this exist is mind blowing.”

“How come we never heard about this metal in science classes,” asked Sugarcoat.

“Because it became extinct long ago. Some even think a metal like this would not be from this world. No one knows the truth about this.”

Twilight asked, “Do you know where this was found, professor?”

“An ancient temple in Japon that has been long abandoned,” he replied.

“It’s also hundreds of miles from where the temple was that was raided by Dark Star,” River Song added.

“Hold on.” Luna remembered something and went to her cabinet, where she kept all of Master Blades’ belongings. She went into a drawer and took out what was to be a silver dagger. She took it back to the desk for the others to see as she shined the lamp on it, revealing a hint of blue like the others.

“A mythril dagger?” replied Twilight.

“Yes. It was something that Master Blades had with him. I thought it was a silver dagger that he got somewhere, but the blue that can be revealed was proof enough that it wasn’t silver,” explained Luna.

“How did he get his hands on it?” asked Moon Dancer.

“I don’t know. But I plan to find out when I get to see him in the Realm of Souls.”

“Now this is a surprise,” Mr. Digger said. “Perhaps the temple would have something like this as well.”

“Sorry, but my inside source never really found any weapons around,” said River Song.

“That could be a problem,” said Mr. Digger.

“Why is that?” asked Twilight.

“Because another shipment of these items was to come to me from the UK. They were weapons that had a tint of blue on them. But the items were stolen before they could be shipped. I was lucky enough to get the pictures from the team before they were stolen. And these weapons were from the middle ages, medieval weapons.”

“Could it have been grave robbers that did this?” asked Moon Dancer.

“That was my first thought. But in light of certain events, I think this Dark Star group is behind this. And they could be looking for one weapon of choice, Excalibur.”

“You mean the legendary sword of the king of Canterlot? Why would they be looking for that?” asked Sugarcoat.

“I don’t know. But it could be the same reason that they were looking for Masamune and Muramasa. There could be a connection, but I’m not sure what that would be,” Mr. Digger explained.

“They’re all sacred weapons of this world, that’s for sure,” said Twilight.

“Well, whatever it is, I can’t leave these weapons here, in case they were to come and take them,” said Mr. Digger.

“Miss Luna, I think it would be best if you hold on to these weapons, since you would have better knowledge of what style they are,” explained River Song.

“How soon can you bring them to me?” asked Luna.

“It won’t be until I come over for your Christmas party. I’ll have them stored away at Double Diamond’s place until then. I’ll also see to it that you get the pictures of the stolen weapons as well.”

“Thank you, River Song. I’ll see to it that I have a place to keep them safe when you arrive.”

“Twilight, see to it that Jack is kept safe. I know he can handle himself, but it’s best to have friends at his side during all of this. We can’t take any chances with this group around,” Mr. Digger explained.

“I will, professor.”

“And tell him I said hi, OK?”

Twilight let out a chuckle. “I will, professor.”

“River Song, keep me in touch if you learn anything new,” said Luna.

“Will do. Take care.” River Song turned off the video connection.

“Mythril weapons. What purpose would they have, besides being so rare?” asked Twilight.

“I don’t know. But until we get them here, we will have to put that aside for later,” said Luna. “I’ll bring the dagger later on in the week to show the others. I need to talk to Master Blades about how he got this.”

“Good. Because I have some questions that I hope he can answer me as well,” said Twilight.

Luna stared at Twilight and said, “Excuse me?”

“Look. I’ve been dragged into this mess because you needed my help. At least let me join you to the realm so I can see it for myself.”

Luna placed her hand on her face, shaking it side to side.

“She does have a point,” said Moon Dancer. “If she’s going to be studying Star Swirl’s book, then I think she deserves to join you guys on this trip. Getting an idea of what she’s dealing with could help her.”

“Thank you.”

Luna looked at Twilight and said, “OK. You can come with us to the Realm of Souls. But we’ll have to make sure that the four of us can travel there safely.”

“Miss Luna. I want to run this theory about bending reality with the other Shadowbolts. Since we all have powers, maybe we can see if what was brought up can work,” explained Sugarcoat.

“Alright. But be careful. We don’t want to tip the rest of the school off about this,” said Luna.

“If you learn about something, let me know,” said Twilight. “We might be able to run it by with Jack if possible.”

“I will,” said Sugarcoat. “And Twilight…be careful. With you holding on to Star Swirl’s research, you could become a target if they were to find out.”

“Don’t worry. I have my friends with me. And that includes Jack and his gift. If Dark Star wants to start something, then we’ll be ready for them when the time comes.”

Luna looked at them and said, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Ch. 5 - The Masters' Past

During the middle of the week in Luna’s office, Twilight, Sunset, Jack, and Luna were preparing to enter into dreamscape. All four of them were sitting on the floor with their backs against each other. Nurse Redheart was attaching several nodes onto their foreheads while Micro Chips was making sure that the machines were ready to go. Spitfire and Applejack were also there to monitor over the situation, should anything goes wrong.

“You sure you want to go through this, Twilight?” Applejack said.

“Definitely. I need to know what I’m facing if we plan to take on Dark Star. And someone over there owes me some answers, since I got mixed up into this.”

Luna decided to intervene. “Twilight, the reason that me and my sister wanted you in all this is that you might be able to understand what Professor Star Swirl was trying to work on. And while Jack has learned several skills, there are still some things that we don’t even know. We don’t even understand why Dark Star wants people like Jack, of even who’s in charge.”

“Twilight, I’m just like you,” Sunset explained. “I now have to share a special bond with Jack, but this new power that we both have still leaves us with questions about its use. Twilight, you’re the smartest girl I’ve ever know. You were able to get friends on your side and worked hard exposing me for what I was doing back then.”

“But now we have a bigger picture to deal with,” Spitfire said. “And with you helping us, we might be able to get some answers to all of this and hope that we don’t enter into another Great War.”

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the opened them and looked back at the others. “I understand.”

“We’re ready,” Micro Chips said.

Nurse Redheart explained. “What’s going to happen is that we plan to send signals into you brain to help you go to sleep. Once that happens, it’s up to Jack and Sunset to get all four of you on the other side.”

“Remember. It’s going to be bright when we’re there. Give it a moment for you to adjust to your new surroundings,” Jack explained.

“Everyone ready?”

All four of them grabbed on to the person’s hands next to each other, with Jack and Sunset holding on to Twilight’s and Luna’s hands. Luna gave the signal to start the process.

Micro Chips was looking at the screen in front of him. “Vital signs are normal. Sending sleep commands to the brain.”

As the process went on, they closed their eyes, but were able to hear what the others were saying. The voices were starting to fade away until it was nothing but darkness and silence. Before long, Twilight was starting to see a light shining and opened her eyes. The light was bright, but it soon adjusted and she was able to see what was around her. She soon realized that she was alone.

Twilight got up and yelled, “Miss Luna? Sunset? Jack? Where are you?” There wasn’t a response. “Oh please don’t let this happen to me.”

“Twilight!”

She could hear a voice in the distance, and started walking towards that direction.

“Twilight!”

Twilight was able to recognize the voice. “Miss Luna?” It wasn’t long before she could see her close by.

“Twilight. There you are,” Luna said.

Twilight started to look around. “Where are the others?”

“Over here?” echoed from afar.

Twilight and Luna went towards the direction of the voice calling to them. As they got closer, they could see what looked like a shiny tree with no leaves. The closer they got, the clearer it was. They soon found Jack and Sunset with another person at the tree.

“Thank goodness we found you,” Twilight said.

“I guess we got separated entering this realm,” Jack said. “Might not be as strong having to send four people here.”

“Well, we’re here. That’s all that matters,” Luna said.

“Indeed it does.”

The group looks over to see a familiar red haired kendo master with a goatee turn around.

“Master Blades!” Luna bowed towards him.

“Master Luna.” He responded by bowing back to her. “It is nice to see that you made it here.”

“Thank you master, but I’m not sure that I deserve the title that you have given me.”

“Luna, I have taught you all that I know. Now all that once belong to me, now belongs to you, including the title. Use it well in training Jack for what’s to come.” It was then that Twilight cleared her throat that caught Blades’ attention. “And this must be Twilight Sparkle. I am surprised that you would join us as well. I’m guessing that you have a lot of questions that require answering.”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Twilight said.

Jack decided to intervene. “Before you begin, we have a bit of a problem on our end.”

“Of course. Soul Link,” Blades replied. “I was able to see the problem that you two encounter during the game. It was meant to work between two gifted people, but this is the first time a bond was made between one who is gifted and one who is not. There was never any knowledge about an event like this in the records during my time. So it is best that you use this power wisely.”

“About that. How does it benefit me in its use?” Sunset asked.

“I believe you already know the answer to that question. In fact, the two of you experience it twice.”

Jack and Sunset looked at each other, trying to understand what Blades was talking about. So Blades decided to help them understand.

“Perhaps it would help better if you were able to see more of Master Edge’s past. He once told me how he met Master Flare and Master Moonlight before they all were masters. I am not clear of the details, but it involved a battle with the changelings at that time. And I think the tree can help you see more about how it works… and more about those three masters as well.”

“We were hoping to learn more about them before discussing it with the rest of the team,” Luna said.

“Then all of you, touch the tree, and let it explore into Jack’s soul to find the memories of my master.”

Following Master Blades’ advice, all four of them touched the tree and closed their eyes. The next thing they saw was the memories of Master Edge’s past during his youth.

A young samurai with white skin and short, red hair, bearing dark blue armor, was walking through the forest. During his journey, he stopped and sensed someone was nearby, ready to strike. With his hand on the blade’s handle, he sensed the shadowy creature who came lunging towards him from behind, allowing him to draw his blade and slashing it in two. It looked like a ninja, but the creature soon dissolved into nothing. It wasn’t long before more showed up, surrounding him.

Several of the creatures rushed and attacked, but the samurai was able to slash each one, ending their lives like the first one. But as the battle went on, two of them came and locked blades with each other, allowing a third one to strike from behind. He sensed it coming, but his blade was caught between the creatures’ blades. But the third creature was stopped by another shadowy figure that appeared out of nowhere, striking the creature in the chest, causing it to dissolve into nothing. The samurai didn’t see the other person coming to his aid, but saw that it was a ninja in black. The ninja came around and strike one of the creatures in front of the samurai, killing it like the others. This allowed the samurai to strike down the other creature.

A few more creatures showed up to attack. During the battle, one of the creatures was able to throw a small knife at the ninja while being distracted by a couple of creatures. The ninja was able to move out of the way, but the knife was able to strike its arm, leaving a gash behind. But the knife was able to strike one of the creatures. So the ninja grabbed the knife as the creature dissolved and threw it back to the other creature, killing it.

As the last of the creatures were destroyed, they faced each other with their blades towards the other person. The samurai could see the goodness in the ninja’s eyes, and shed his blade. The ninja saw this decided to do the same, then removed the mask, revealing a young girl with orange skin and long, red hair. But before they could exchange greetings, both of them sensed more creatures coming their way.

With her hand on her blade, the ninja was ready to attack. But the samurai grabbed her hand as said, “Best we save our strength. There are many more out there.”

The ninja nodded in agreement, and both of them begin to run off and make their way through the trees and into the mountains, out of the creatures’ sight.

As day became to night, the two finally reached the mountains to find a small cave that was out of site of the woods. They went in and made sure they were deep in the cave before resting for the night. The samurai was able to find some twigs in the cave and pulled out some tinder from his small pouch and began to start a fire. Once the fire was going, he went to check up on the girl.

“We need to take care of that wound before it gets worse.”

She nodded and begin to slide off the side of her top to expose her arm. She was wearing a long bandage around her chest, and had a tattoo of a fang on her should, just above her wound.

“At least you’re decent,” the samurai said.

“Don’t want to pervs to get too close to me,” the ninja replied.

He begin to wash away some of the blood before taking a hot twig and placing it on the wound, causing her to flinch for a moment, but soon started to adjust to the pain that was applied to the wound. After that was done, he started to wrap the wound in a bandage until it was tight and secured.

“That should do for now, miss-”

“Solar Flare. My name is Solar Flare. But you can call me Flare.” She begin to slip her arm back in her top.

“Jagged Edge. But you can call me Edge.” He pulled out some beef jerky and offered it to her. “I am grateful for your assistance back there.”

“I saw that you were in trouble and decided to step in,” Flare said, accepting the offer and taking a strip of jerky to eat.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle, but those changelings can be quite clever,” Edge responded.

“So, you’re after the changeling queen, am I correct?”

“That is correct, Flare. Are you planing to do the same?”

“Of course.”

“Is there a reason a member of the Shadow Fang Clan wants to hunt down the changeling queen?”

Flare was surprised. “How do you know?”

“The tattoo on your shoulder. It’s the mark of the Shadow Fangs. Assassins, to be exact.”

“So, you going to do something about it?”

“I’m not sure, since all of them are dead. Or are there still some out there?”

Flare looked away. “No. They’re all dead… by my blade.” She looked back at Edge. “I killed them all after they planned to back stab me for being the best of the best. A hundred successful kills, and this blade is proof of that. Muramasa. Given to me by my former master. Now it bears the blood of assassins who have killed others. I thought my talents were being put to good use, but now I was just a tool for the clan. Now I’m trying to redeem myself by hunting down the changeling queen, who was known to be a big rival of the clan.”

Edge let out a chuckle. “And to think that someone from the clan would be the ones to assassinate the emperor. But it looks like I was wrong at that time when I saw the bodies over there. But when I return to report my findings, I found a changeling hidden in plain sight, waiting for his chance to strike. But he never got that chance when I found him. My senses told me that something wasn’t right about him. Now I know who was planning to assassinate the emperor and take over as him.”

“And that’s why you’re here, Edge? To take down the queen and her hive?”

“That… and the fact that it was them that killed my parents in the first place.”

“I’m… sorry for your loss. I never knew my parents. I was taken by the clan when I was little. Now I have nothing but this blood stained blade to remind me of my past.”

“Then that would make me your opposite.” Edge drew his blade to show her. “This is Masamune. A blade that has been passed down by my family for generations. Created by the sword maker of the same name. And has been rivaled by the sword maker of the blade that you hold.” Edge shed his blade. “But that’s a story that was told long ago.”

It was quiet for a moment before Flare spoke. “Tell me. Are you able to, you know, sense threats when they are coming out of nowhere?”

“That is correct. But for some reason, I didn’t notice you coming to my aid at that time.”

“I was wondering about that as well. I sensed hostile forces attacking, but couldn’t sense who they were attacking. It’s like I have this gift to sense danger before it happens. It was how I became the number one assassin in the clan back then. And… how I sensed the clan to back stab me in the process.”

Edge was curious. “I wonder why. I mean, this sixth sense that we have. It has helped me in defending myself, and solving problems that are coming from others.”

“Maybe we can use this to our advantage,” Flare said. “I heard that the changeling queen and her army live in a temple concealed in trees and vines.”

“I’ve heard that as well. And I believe I know where it’s located,” Edge said. “But getting in there could be a problem. It could be heavily guarded.”

“Leave that part to me. I have a way of finding other entrances that they may not know.”

“Then we should get some rest. If anyone decides to attack us, I’m sure we can sense them coming.”

Flare nodded in agreement. So both of them decided to get some rest for the night.

When morning came, they made their way to the hidden temple. They were able to see it from above while hiding in some bushes. They could see that the entrance was guarded. So Flare motioned Edge to follow her in finding another way in. They made their way to the side of the temple and saw a possible window opening. Flare took out a rope with a hook on it and threw it to the window, locking it in place. She tied the other end to a branch of a tree so both of them could cross undetected. Once they made it across, she yanked the rope loose and pulled it in before going inside.

Edge and Flare went through the dimmed hallways, avoiding any changeling guards patrolling the area. But as they were about to come across an intersection, they sensed two guards coming their way. Edge motion to Flare to go back the other way, but started to sense another pair of guards coming around the hallway on the other side. With both pairs coming their way, they needed to find a way to hide so that the guards wouldn’t alarm for more.

But before they could act, a couple of hands came from behind and grabbed them, covering their mouths and pulling them into a room behind them before quietly closing the door. They saw an old man with gray skin and white hair and a goatee and a young girl with lavender skin and purple hair. Both of them were dressed like temple priests. The old man placed his finger on his lips, telling them to be quiet. They could sense the two pairs of guards meeting each other and stopping in front of them, talking.

“You see anyone?”

“No. You?”

“Not us. But the scouting group hasn’t reported in since yesterday. We think that someone might be on their way here.”

“I heard that it could be the legendary detective? He already took out the spies that were stationed in the emperor’s castle.”

“Just stay on guard and report on anything strange. The queen doesn’t want to take any chances.”

“Yes sir.”

They could sense the guards leaving the area in front of them. That was when the two priest removed their hands off of Edge and Flare’s mouths.

“I guess I can forget the element of surprise,” Edge quietly said.

“You mean your the detective they were talking about?” Flare quietly said.

Edge nodded, then looked to the two priests. “Thanks for pulling us out of there.”

“We were just glad to see you outside,” the lavender girl said. “I’m Star Moonlight. And this is my master, Master Fates.”

“Star Moonlight? As in Dr. Moonlight, the youngest female doctor out there?” Edge asked.

“I can see that you’ve heard of me,” Moonlight replied. “I have heard of you as well. But I was expecting someone older.”

“Well, I don’t know what to say about that. I’m Jagged Edge. This is Solar Flare.”

“You must be here to take on the changeling queen, am I correct?” Master Fates asked.

“After her attempt to assassinate the emperor, he wanted me to make sure that the threat was removed.”

“We were sent from the temple to remove the threat as well, before things got worse,” Fates explained.

It was then that Moonlight sensed something different about them. “Master, something’s not right about these two.”

“You’re right. I believe that we have found more like us.”

Edge and Flare were confused about what they were talking about.

“I can assure you that we’re not changelings,” Flare said.

“It’s not that,” Fates said. “Tell me, were you able to sense us before we grabbed you in here?”

“Now that you mention that, I don’t think we did,” Edge said.

“Then you share the same gift that we do as well,” Fates said.

“What you possess is called soul resonance. The power to read souls,” Moonlight explained. “The only catch is that we can’t sense others who possess this gift.”

Flare was more confused. “Soul resonance? I never heard about it.”

“Perhaps we can explain it later. We do have a queen to take care of,” Fates said.

“Agreed.” It was then that Edge looked around the room and saw that it contained strange weapons. He looked at one, which raised some questions about it. “What kind of metal is this? Silver?”

“We’re not sure. We thought the same thing, but noticed that it had a blue tint in it,” Moonlight explained. “It’s very light, but also tough to break. We think it’s not from this world.”

“Whatever it is, it poses a greater threat from the changeling army. We have to see to it that they are stopped,” Fates explained.

“I don’t sense anyone close to us outside this room,” Moonlight said. “This might be the only chance we have to make it to the queen’s room.”

“Then let us hurry,” Fates replied.

All of them started to leave the room, but Edge stopped and grabbed a small dagger that he saw and placed it on his belt. He figured that he could use it against the changeling army if it comes to that, hoping that he could find out what kind of metal it is later on.

The group was able to avoid being detected by the guards patrolling the hallways and made their way to the main room from above. The room was big and had a single rock bridge over some kind of fiery pit that lead to what would be the queen’s room ahead. There was also a statue of a six armed lady that was half snake, holding swords in each hand. They ducked their head when they could see a dark figure with green hair walking from the room and towards a pair of guards from the other side.

“Report!”

“No signs of any intruders, my queen.”

“Stay alert! I know he’s coming here. I want to make sure this… problem is dealt with.”

“Yes, my queen.”

The guards left the room while the queen started to walk back to her room. She stopped and looked around, sniffing the area. She lightly growled before going back to her room.

“Looks like this isn’t going to be easy,” Edge quietly said.

Flare when into her small bag and pulled out a pair of climbing claws. “Any of you have these with you?”

Fates and Moonlight nodded as they pulled out the same things. But Edge shook his head, not having a pair.

Flare pulled out a second pair and handed them to Edge. “I always keep a spare if needed.”

“Thanks.”

The group gripped on the rock walls and climbed across until they were over the bridge. Then they climbed down the wall and made it onto the bridge. Putting the climbing claws away, they made their way to the queen’s doorway, standing next to the wall behind the room. Edge and Flare drew their blades, while Fates brought out his triple wooden nunchuck, and Moonlight grabbed her chakram ring blades. All of them were ready to go in, but were stopped when they heard a voice.

“No need to surprise me, detective. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Realizing that it was the queen calling for Edge, all of them walk on in with their weapons still drawn, seeing the queen backside.

“No need to be hostel. I don’t plan to harm you… just yet.” The queen turned around to face the group. She had dark gray skin, long green hair, and green glowing eyes, and was wearing a black dress with small holes in them and a black tiara with a horn on it. She looked at the group and displayed small grin on her face. “I’m surprised that you would bring a small party with you, detective. Not a bright move to make.”

“We came on our own will, queen,” Moonlight replied. “And we plan to take you out before you could cause any more harm.”

“Oh really?” The queen let out a chuckle. “Well let’s just see how well you know each other.” She pulled a level from one to the pillars, opening a trap door below the group. The group fell in and were separated in the room below.

Edge looked around in the dimmed room and saw that he was alone. ‘I need to rejoin the others,’ he thought. He grabbed his weapon and started to walk around. He noticed that it looked more like a maze than just some room. As he kept walking, he sensed someone around the corner. With his blade ready, he went around the corner and came across Flare.

“Thank heavens, it’s you.”

“Flare, have you seen the others?”

“Not yet. I was hoping that you would have seen them as well.”

“Let’s keep looking. I’m sure we’ll find them.”

Flare nodded and lead the way with Edge behind her. But something was off about Flare. ‘How was I able to sense her this time?’ Edge thought. Then he remembered what the queen said before. ‘A changeling perhaps? I better be on my guard.’

As the two walked around, Edge was able to sense another figure around the corner. When they came around, they saw Fate and Moonlight together.

“You two are OK,” Moonlight said.

“We need to find a way out of this maze,” Edge replied.

“I might know a way. Follow me.” The group followed Moonlight, but Edge looked at Fates, who looked back at him. Both of them were able to sense Moonlight and Flare, but not each other. Both of them nodded, knowing to be ready for anything.

As they came towards the exit, they came across a mirrored version of Flare, Moonlight, and Fates.

“Edge, those are changelings that you’re with. Get away from them,” Fates said from the other group.

“Don’t listen to him. He’s just trying to confuse you,” Moonlight said from his group.

“And what makes you so sure about that,” Flare said from the other group.

But Edge was able to sense only Fates from the other group. ‘Then they are changelings,’ he thought. So with his blade in hand, he quickly went behind Moonlight from his group and thrust his blade in her back. Moonlight turned into a changeling guard before dissolve into nothing.

It was Fates from Edge’s group who yelled, “Moonlight! Now!”

Moonlight took her ring blades and attacked Fates from her group, revealing him as a changeling and dissolving him as well. Edge then took his blade and slashed at Flare from his group, but she was able to dodge the attack and fall back from the others.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Save it, queen. We know it’s you,” Moonlight replied. “You can’t disguise yourself.”

The girl that dodge the attack was shocked as her eyes glowed green. “It can’t be.” A green flame went through her, revealing her as the changeling queen. “The soul society!”

“Yes queen. We have heard about you and are here to send you back to where you belong,” Fates explained.

“I like to see you try!” The queen’s hands and horn glowed. Then she shot a blast of green energy to the others, who were able to evade the attack.

“Magic,” Fates said. “No doubt she’s not from this world.”

“Then let’s see her handle this.” Flare took out a few throwing knives and threw them towards the queen. But the queen shot more magic energy from her hands, destroying the knives in the process.

“Your weak weapons are no match for my dark magic,” the queen said, then shot more magic from her hands.

All four of them were busy dodging each attack, but couldn’t get close enough to attack the queen. Twilight tried using one of her ring blades, but the queen’s magic knocked it down. Edge knew that he had the dagger that he acquired from the weapon’s room, but was never skilled in using throwing weapons. But he decided to take a chance and drew the dagger from his belt. In one quick motion, he was able to throw it straight to the queen like an arrow. The queen sot her magic at the dagger, but it went straight through the magic blast and struck the queen in the shoulder, crying in pain.

“Mythril! Damn you!” The queen ran off into the next room in pain.

Seeing this as an opening, they made chase into the next room. It was also dimmed lilted and had pillars in a row. They looked around and could sense many creatures in the room, masking the queen’s presence. But they also saw the dagger with green blood on it, and drips of green blood on the ground. Edge grabbed the dagger and carried it in his free hand with his blade.

“So, you’ve been into my stash of weapons,” the queen echoed in the room. “For that, I will see to it that this room becomes your own grave!”

At that very moment, changeling guards came out of the shadows and attacked the group. Each one of them were too close to take out each guard and decided to split up. Knowing that they cannot sense each other, they made sure to use that to their advantage and attack each threat that came to them at close range. They were able to take out each of the guards until their numbers became thin.

But in that process, the queen was able to attack and strike Flare from the back above. Flare sense the attack coming and defended herself with her blade, blocking the queen’s sword. Flare was locked into battle with the queen, trying to block each attack that the queen was giving.

“What’s wrong, assassin? I figure you would attack from the shadows,” the queen said. “Your master did train you well before I told him that you were nothing but a threat to the clan.”

“So it was you who wanted me dead by my own clan,” Flare replied.

The queen egged on. “The Shadow Fang Clan was a lost asset to my master’s cause. But they served their purpose. And I should be thanking you for helping me.”

“Then I will see to it that you die here and now,” Flare replied.

“Then why are you defending instead? Strike me down… if you can,” the queen said.

“I don’t have to.”

Before the queen can make sense of her words, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down and saw another blade came through her from the back. She looked back and saw Edge behind her.

“But… how did…”

“While you were busy attacking Flare, I used the shadows to attack you from behind,” Edge explained.

“But you’re… a samurai. How can… you do… this?”

“I don’t know, but-” Edge removed his blade from her chest. “-what matters is that my job here is done.”

Fates and Moonlight finally joined the others, just as the queen fell to the ground. But at that point, she started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Flare asked.

“You might have… defeated me. But… my master… will… return… one day. And… so… will… I” At that point, the queen faded away into nothing.

“What did she meant by that?” Moonlight asked.

“Who cares. Let’s get out of this pit,” Flare said.

The group decided to make their way out of the underground area and back to the entrance to the queen’s room. As they were crossing the rock bridge once again, Edge stopped and looked back at the statue of the snake-like lady.

“Guys. Do you think this could be the queen’s master?”

The others looked at the statue and wondered the same thing.

“I’m not sure,” Fates replied. “I will have to talk to the scholars at the temple and see if there are any records about her. You two are willing to come along if you like.”

“Yea! This way, you can learn more about the gift that you have,” Moonlight added.

“You mean soul resonance?” Flare replied. “What’s that all about anyway?”

“It allows you to tap into your own soul and feel the souls of others around you,” Moonlight explained. “I was surprised at first, but I’m learning more about it while training with Master Fates.”

“The powers that you possess is at the same level as Dr. Moonlight,” Fates said. “If you like, you can join the Soul Society and learn more about your gift in the process.”

“The queen knew who you were. How come it hasn’t been heard about in any of the cities that I’ve been to?” Edge asked.

“The Soul Society is a secret group composed of students and their masters who possess these same powers that we all have,” Fates explained. “Our job is to find others who’s powers have awaken and see to it that they are trained to use it for good. We are also responsible in taking out threats that could endanger our world.”

“The only other members of the society are the scholars,” Moonlight added. “They don’t possess powers like us. But they do have other talents that help us live a normal and safe life. And they help keep records of various events that happen all around us. It’s like a new home for us.”

“Other talents? Like what?” Flare asked.

Moonlight explained. “Well, there are farmers, doctors, blacksmiths, teachers… even some former samurai warriors that help in our students’ physical training. Although, we never had a ninja assassin in the temple. So you would be a first.”

“Especially someone from the Shadow Fang Clan,” Fates said. “This would be a great chance to help redeem yourself after what you did to the clan that raised you. We were there to stop the clan, but sensed people getting killed before we could enter. We thought everyone was dead… until you came out of their hideout alone.”

Flare was in shock. “You mean… you were there?”

“That is correct,” Fates replied. “When we saw you come out, we could only guess that you had the same power we have. It was only a matter of time before our paths crossed.”

“And with your knowledge of the Shadow Fang Clan’s teachings, we might be able to use those talents for stealth and recon,” Moonlight said, then added, “But not to kill anyone unless we have to. It would be against our code.”

“But Edge was able to do the same as well. I’m sure he would be a better asset to the society than me. I was able to feel his presence with my natural senses,” Flare said.

“I’m not sure about that,” Edge said, which got the attention of the others. “I never knew how to throw a dagger like that before until today. And acting on stealth alone is something that I can’t do with this armor alone. Plus, you were able to defend yourself very well back there.”

“I don’t even know how to defend like that,” Flare said. “I’m used to sticking to the shadows and taking out my targets with stealth.”

This got Fates to thinking. “I wonder… Tell me, how long have you two known each other?”

“Only a couple of days,” Flare replied. “Why?”

Fates started to stroke his chin. “Interesting. To bond like that so fast. What both of you have witness was a form of soul bonding.” This left Edge and Flare to question what was going on. “Let me explain. When two gifted students share a kind of bond between each other, they are able to share skills that the other doesn’t know. This is but the first phase of the Soul Link process.”

“Soul Link!?”

“Yes. Both of you have started to learn what skills that the other knows. Once the bond becomes strong enough, then they are given the power to Soul Link. With that power, both of you can share each others power to strengthen the other, as well and working in synch with each other. But the bonding process takes time to develop. What you two have done is beyond normal. Somehow, destiny must have brought both of you together.”

“Which is why both of you should live with us,” Moonlight said. “This will be the only time that we will have a male student in the group.”

“What do you mean by that?” Edge asked.

“I’ll explain more when we get there,” Fates said. “But first, I think it would be wise to inform the emperor about the changeling threat being resolved.”

“Agreed. Plus, we need to explain to him about the weapons they had.” Edge took out the dagger that he use against the queen. “I think she called it… mythril. I’ve never heard of a metal like this.”

“I’ve heard about it,” Fates replied. “But this is the first time I’ve seen it… and with it being forged. I think it might be wise to keep it a secret from others. If it’s as powerful as they say it is, then it could lead to more problems in the future. This kind of metal doesn’t even belong in this world. And the queen’s magic is also proof that she could be from another realm. We will use our time in the temple to learn more about what’s going on while I train you personally.”

“I know you wanted to train me personally,” Moonlight said, “but can you train three students personally?”

“It can be done, Moonlight. I feel that the three of you would play a bigger role in the future.”

As the vision faded, they opened their eyes and saw themselves back in the realm of souls in front of the crystal tree.

“So that’s how all three of them met?” Sunset asked.

“Yes,” Blades replied. “During their time, they learned a lot more about their powers… and each other. Edge and Flare were able to strengthen their bond and went through the ceremony that you two have gone through just weeks ago. Moonlight was also able to learn more between each other, and became masters at the same time when they were older.”

“Then, the reason we can use Soul Link is because we share a bond with each other,” Jack said. “And the first time it happened was when we were breaking in to Crystal Prep. She was able to learn the same soul art that I used to help us get in.”

“Now you are learning more about it,” Blades replied. “She has been able to learn more about the powers that you carry and can use them with you. That is why you were able to go through the ceremony when both of you were here.”

“And that must have been how I knew how to use Chi Boost before he could use it. We were in synch at that time, right” Sunset said.

“That is also correct,” Blades replied. “But I understand that your soul energy cannot recover faster like Jack’s. So it should be wise to avoid using any soul arts unless you do it together.”

“I also saw the same mythril dagger that Edge used in the temple that you once carried,” Luna said. “Master Edge gave it to you during your time there.”

“That is correct,” Blades replied. “I’m guessing that you found it in my belongings, right?”

“Yes. But there is more about those kind of weapons.” Luna turned to Twilight to explain.

“An old friend and professor of mine had a couple of teams overseas looking for relics from the past. Two of the groups were able to find weapons like the dagger that Miss Luna now has. One set was oriental, and the other was medieval. They were able to acquire the oriental weapons, but someone stole the medieval weapons before they were to be delivered. We think that the Dark Star Organization is responsible for this and could be looking for select weapons. But we’re not sure what they are really looking for.”

“There is more,” Luna said. “I received the pictures from the professor which included where they were found. From that vision that we just saw, I think the weapons that he has came from the same changeling temple that the three masters met.”

“How many did he collect?” Blades asked.

“Over a couple of dozen, and in various kinds,” Luna replied. “I know that there were a lot more in the vision, but that was what they could acquire.”

“They could have been raided in the past, or lost. It’s unclear what’s happened to those,” Blades said. “But to hear that there were more weapons like this elsewhere raises more concern. And if Dark Star has them, then our situation has gotten much worse. I learned that mythril is a magical kind of ore that only exist in another realm. And I believe that it involves the origins of the guardians of harmony and the tree that now stands before you from long ago. That could only mean that the Mane-iac is behind this and is there somehow.”

“We’re not sure, but we might know some people that could be a part of this,” Luna said.

“Then tell me all that you know so far.”

Ch. 6 - The Next Step

Luna, Twilight, Sunset, and Jack told everything that they were able to learn in the past couple of weeks to Master Blades. About Starlight Glimmer looking for the two blades, to the planning of the basketball tournament, to Radiant Hope’s warning, and the theory of bending reality. But Luna and Jack decided to leave out what they learned about Principal Cinch until they can learn more about the soul eaters. And Master Blades took it all in and decided to give his input about all of it, starting with the theory.

“The idea of bending reality to the user’s own will is new to me,” Blades said. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a new power that gifted students can unlock. It has been known that new skills and powers have been discovered over time and were recorded in the archives back in the temple. The Soul Arts are proof of that.”

The others were confused about this, so Luna decided to get some clarification of this. “I do not understand. We can see that they were made long ago due to the paper that it is on.”

“Is that what you truly think?”

They looked to see what looked like a temple priest, but the vision was blurred for a moment. But when he finally came into view, they noticed that he had gray skin and white hair and a goatee. That was when they recognized who it was.

“Master Fates. I did not expect you to return so soon,” Blades said.

“Forgive me then. But I figured that I come anyway to see Master Edge’s new form,” Fates replied. He turned his gaze to Jack.

Jack saw this and decided to respond with a bow. “Forgive me if I do not have any memory of Edge’s past.”

“It is OK,” Fates replied. “We knew that Edge’s memories would be locked away in his soul. Only the Tree of Harmony can access these memories.”

“Master Fates was the former guardian of the Realm of Souls,” Blades explained. “He was able to witness the souls of Edge, Flare, and Moonlight come through here before being reborn.”

“And so far, they have been the only souls that I have come across,” Fates added. He then turned his gaze back to Blades. “I believe that I have… mixed news from the afterlife. I was able to find some of the scholars that died in the raid. The others were sent back in new lives, due to the Almighty God’s decision. But I was able to find the one you told me about, Blitz Wing. And he is doing find with some of the soldiers that he served with during the war in the afterlife. But I have learned some disturbing news that could explain why I have yet to see the souls of our students for some time.”

“It involves what happen during the Great War, correct?” Blades asked Fates.

“Yes. He recalls seeing tubes of liquid in the room that was being transferred to kids that were experimented on. If these kids were being used to become the so-called super soldiers that you have been hearing about, then it is possible that the liquid could contain the souls of gifted students that have been lost. I have no way to understand all of this, but there are great spirits that made these theories and fear that something big is going on here.”

“Liquid?” Twilight spoke to herself. She thought about it, then had a theory of her own. “Of course! Genetic mutation! It could be the only possible reason that it could be done.”

Master Fates looked at Master Blades, wondering who the girl was.

“Forgive me. This is Twilight Sparkle, and friend of Jack’s. And this is Sunset Shimmer, who has bonded with Jack. And the lady with us is-”

“Your student, Luna,” Fates finished. “I am glad that you now bare the title of master and is willing to train Jack to the best of your ability.”

Luna bowed and said, “Thank you, master. I will do what I can help Jack prepare for what’s to come. As for Twilight, she’s been working on Professor Star Swirl’s research so that we can understand what all is going on.

“Ah yes. Star Swirl. Blades has told me about him. And yet, I have yet to find his spirit as well. It’s possible that he has been captured by this… Dark Star group. He could also be a lost soul. We may never know.”

Jack looked at Twilight to get an explanation on what she was talking about..“Twilight, you think it could be genetic mutation?” Twilight nodded. “When you and the others first brought up about Crystal Prep, I was talking to Principal Celestia about the idea. But we’re not sure how it was being done.”

“Well, remember when we talked about how it more common with females than males. The only difference about them is the X/Y chromosome in our genetics. If they were injected in students with some kind of liquid, then maybe it could be put into a drink. And with who we know that have or had this gift were athletes, then you could add it to the drink coolers on the field, or an energy drink that they carried.”

“But Sugarcoat isn’t an athlete, yet she also has this gift,” Sunset said.

“She could have drank the stuff one time with the teams. And it could be possible that some people couldn’t be effected by it. Genetics can be a complicated issue to explain, so I’ll need to look into it some more before I can explain it better to everyone.”

“I’ll leave it to you to look into it, Twilight,” Luna said. “But I want to go back to the Soul Arts. What makes you think that they can not be as old as it looks?”

Fates explained. “The Soul Arts have been around for generations, long before my time. But back then, there were only ten arts. More scrolls were made for new arts to be written on, but no one has been able to create them until my time. It wasn’t until Flare, Edge, and Moonlight each created five new arts.”

Jack counted the numbers in his head and knew how many there were. “You mean there were 25 Soul Arts in total?”

“Yes,” Fates replied. “But it looks like the last five arts were lost in the raid. These one’s were created by Moonlight herself.”

“And the other ten?” Jack asked.

“Flare created the next five, followed by Edge. Each one were unique in their style,” Fates explained.

“I was wondering about that when I looked at them,” Luna said. “Can you explain more about them?”

“Indeed.” Fates explained. “When Flare created the next fives arts, she relied on her ninjustu training. Mainly, the use of three ninjustu elements. Fire, water, and lightning. With it, she was able to create five new arts that she referred to as the Spellblade Arts.”

“Wait, how are you able to create five arts with just three elements?” Twilight asked. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Wait a minute, Twilight. One of them is water, right?” Sunset asked.

Twilight snapped her fingers. “Of course. Water can be a liquid or a solid. So it could be fire, water, ice, and lightning. But what would the fifth art be that she created?”

“Shadow,” Blades replied. “I learned from Master Flare that when fire, water, and lightning can be combined, it creates shadow magic.” He looked to Luna and asked, “You found the three scrolls with my belongings, correct?”

“Yes master,” Luna replied. “Fire Veil, Water Veil, and Swift Bolt. But I’m not sure if they could be of any use in this era.”

“I was wondering that myself. But I decided to hold on to them, just in case,” Blades replied. “But as for those five arts, and with what Jack knows so far in the soul arts, I think now will be a good time to focus on these five arts.”

“What about the next five arts?” Twilight asked. “If Master Edge created these, wouldn’t Jack know them when he sees the scrolls?”

“I am not sure about that,” Fates replied. “What Edge created were called the Swordmaster Arts. Advance weapon techniques that I fear Jack has yet to master.”

“I believe he has a point,” Luna said. “He would have to learn how to use a katana better before he could use these arts.”

“Master Fates. It is believed that Jack holds the last Masamune and Muramasa that were created, and that someone is searching for them,” Blades explained.

Fates thought about this before he gave his response. “Have you had a chance to look inside the handle?”

“Not yet,” Luna replied. “But since you were carrying the same two katanas that belonged to Edge and Flare, I think I can find out as to when each blade was made.”

“Wait a minute. You now have another set of those two blades?” Jack asked.

“That is correct,” Blades replied. “It was one of Master Edge’s final requests that I take both katanas with me in hopes that I can train myself in the soul arts to the best of my ability. But even so, it was hard to do this. Without a master to guide me, I wasn’t able to master these arts. I hope that Master Luna can help you to the best of her ability to teach you these remaining arts.” He turned his gaze to Luna. “And since you have those blades, I think it is best that they use these two katanas for future training and keep the ones that Jack has out of site.”

“What about the last five arts that were lost? What were those?” Sunset asked.

“The Mystic Arts,” Fates replied. “Master Moonlight studied long and hard to create these arts and asked Edge and Flare for her assistance. They are very powerful arts and are hard to master alone.”

“Would they be powerful enough to stop Dark Star?” Jack asked.

“Perhaps. But with them lost, and no sign of Moonlight’s soul around, it would be had to remember what they were,” Fates replied.

Sunset started to rub her hand on her chin. “Maybe not. Remember when we learned about Radiant Hope? She was a nurse in training. If Moonlight was once a doctor, then…”

“She might be carrying Moonlight’s soul,” Twilight finished. “If we can find her, then maybe we can bring her here and access her soul to find out what they were.”

“But if she carries this gift, then she could have been captured over a year ago. Making it look like an accident would be a way to cover up her capture,” Jack explained.

“This Radiant Hope person, you believe she carries the same gift?” Fates asked.

“Maybe,” Luna responded. “We think she knew about info related to this, but we’re not sure. But an ally of ours, Tirek, is looking into this. If she was in the afterlife, then maybe you can find her there. That would clear things up for us.”

“You might be right,” Fates replied. “I will look into this, but it will take some time.”

“Well, we have enough time before the basketball tournament later on,” Luna said.

Blades explained to Fates about this. “They believe that this tournament is a way to test Dark Star’s test subjects with average athletes without giving themselves away.”

“I see. A clever tactic to work with. And do you know who’s in charge of all this?”

“A lady named Starlight Glimmer,” Luna replied. “She’s the mayor of a city called Manehattan, which is outside the region that the tested students are in. We also believe that she was looking for the blades that Jack now have.”

“If they contain the souls of their swordmakers, as told in the stories, then they could be looking for others,” Blades explained. “One of them is a sword called Excalibur, the sword of legend.”

“Do you have proof of this?” Fates asked.

“Another set of mythril weapons were found in another location. But these ones were not designed like the ones you found in the changeling temple,” Luna explained. “They were designed for knights, not samurai.”

This got Fates curious. “More mythril weapons. And no doubt these would have to be in different eras. While the weapons that we found were about a century ago, the story of the last Masamune and Muramasa were several centuries ago. Weapons like Excalibur would be over a millennium ago. This changes everything. We learned that the material wasn’t made from this world, so our best guess was from another realm. If that’s the case, then there’s only one realm that would carry such an ore. Equestria.”

Twilight, Sunset, and Jack were curious.

“Equestria? Like the same place that the elements come from?” Twilight asked.

“That is correct,” Fates replied. “The same elements that you see on the tree as of now.”

Twilight was in shock. “I can’t believe it. I thought they were just fables in the stories that I read.”

“You know something about this?” Jack asked.

Twilight explained. “It was just a fable, but it said that the Guardians of Harmony came from another realm called Equestria. They were called Equestrians, creatures with pony like features. It said that they helped the Knights of Canterlot after losing their own world in darkness and chaos, and believed that they would be coming to our world to do the same. So they worked together to keep the light of hope shining in the land. But as time went on, most of the Equestrians were disappearing, until the six guardians were left from that world. So they took their elements and disappeared to another realm to help keep the world safe from the darkness. If the tree is here, then this was the realm that they took them to and became the Tree of Harmony.”

“And it was this same tree that helped created gifted students to carry the power of soul resonance, which were to be awaken at a certain time when they were ready to use this power for good,” Fates explained. “While some of them were reborn, others were new souls. But the reason for all this is still unclear. That’s why the Soul Society was created, to care and train for these students.”

“And if the guardians were working with the knights, then the sword of legend could exist. Maybe others,” Blades said.

“Lost souls. Legendary weapons. Do you think we can take care of all this?” Sunset asked.

“Now that I think about it, I might know someone who can look into the weapon issue,” Jack said. “He was the first knight to be recruited, and has a way of working out theories. I’ll ask professor River Song to have him look into it. That would be one weight lifted off our shoulders. That leaves us with finding Flare and Moonlight.”

“Do not worry about them. If they are around, they will find you,” Fates explained. “For now, focus on your training. You must me ready if Dark Star plans to attack. And since you are bonded with Sunset, we must find a way to strengthen her own soul if she is to help out.”

“Agreed,” Blades said. “Master Luna. Try to see if she can use the ninjustu spells that I have. If she has bonded with Jack, maybe she can learn how to use those instead. They were once used by the ninja, so she doesn’t need soul resonance to do this. I know this will be a great undertaking, but-”

“I understand,” Luna quickly replied. “I will do what I can to train them both. I can have my friend, Spitfire, help me with this. If Starlight Glimmer is behind all this, then we must be ready to take her on when the time comes.”

Hearing these words raised more doubt about Starlight Glimmer, and Master Fates could see it in her face.

“Is something bothering you, Twilight?”

Twilight looked up at Fates, wanting to explain. But it was Luna who decided to explain it instead.

“Twilight believes that Starlight Glimmer wouldn’t do something like this, since she looked up to her and the good she has done to the city that she lives in.”

This got Fates to thinking. “While some good people do good deeds, there are others that use that kind of goodness as a way to fool the weak minded. If you think that way, it could lead to more harm to yourself… and those close to you.” That was when Fates had an idea. “Master Luna, I have another request for you.”

“What would that be, Master Fates?”

“I want you to train Twilight the same way you plan to train Jack and Sunset.”

“Me? Train?” Twilight waved her hands, saying, “Oh no, no, no, no. I don’t know how to fight. I just let my mind do all the work, not my fist like Sunset would. No offense.”

“None taken,” Sunset replied. “I’m used to it.”

Fates continued. “I understand what you mean. But this was the same for Moonlight. But I helped her to find a way to defend herself, and gave her the ring blades as a training tool, which she was able to master in a short time. And right now, it seems that you are having a hard time accepting what is in front of you. Sometimes there’s a difference between what you see in front of you and what is the truth. That kind of judgment can cloud the mind. And right now, there’s a good chance that they could be hunting you as well, like they did for Star Swirl. This training can help clear your mind and prepare you for what’s to come. I have trained three students at the same time. I’m sure Master Luna can do the same as well.”

Twilight was concerned in doing this training. So Luna decided to ease her fears.

“Twilight, do not worry about it now. I will find a way to train you that will fit you right. If Master Fates found a way for Moonlight, I can do the same. With what we have to face ahead, I need you to be ready for this as well.”

“Unless you know someone else who could be pulling the strings,” Fates said.

“Well, not really,” Twilight replied.

Jack started to look at Luna, believing that they know who else is behind all this. But they needed to learn more before confirming what they only know. And if there was a time to know, that time was now.

“We might know of one other,” Luna said, perking Twilight and Sunset’s attention. “But we need to know something that you might know, master.”

“The soul eaters, right,” Blades said, to which Luna and Jack nodded. “It’s no doubt that the Mane-iac is a part of this. But knowing where she’s at is still the problem.”

“We might know where she is… or more importantly, who she’s possessing. But we need to know more about them,” Jack said.

“We learned that they feed off those that are weak or emitting negative energy,” Luna said. “But we were wondering if they can control another person’s soul?”

Blades started to think for a moment. “I know that they feed off the souls of humans to survive. But I don’t recall anything like that from them.”

“I do,” Fates replied. “But you won’t find it in the records because it happened before I joined the temple.”

“Can you explain this to us then?” Blades asked.

“Certainly,” Fates replied. “It happened a long time ago when I was just a samurai that decided to retire at a young age and married the love of my life. We both decided to live out on some farmland, away from the others, but close to the local village for supplies. I never knew anything about my gift except that it has saved my life many times. But I wanted to leave that life behind. Unfortunately, it has a way of finding me. One day, my wife returned from the village to gather some supplies for the night. But something was off about her, and I could only sense it. I tried to shake it off, thinking it was just feelings from my past.

“But as I was asleep that night, she tried to kill me. My gift sensed the danger and I was able to react. Somehow, she wasn’t the same woman that I married. But as I was battling her, I could sense another soul inside of her. And it was that soul that I remembered so well. She was able to reclaim her body, but only for a short time. She said that she worried about me, about the fact that there will be others out to hunt me down since my samurai days. And it was that feeling that allowed some demon to possess her and control her. Then she asked for me to kill her, so that she, or anyone else, can be harmed by this demon. I couldn’t bring myself to doing this, so she did it herself. Not only did she died in my arms, but the demon inside her died as well.

“I started to feel lost without her, until I met someone from the temple who carried the same gift that I carried. She took me to the temple to learn more about my gift, and what the soul society does for the world. It was then that I learned about the soul eaters and how they hunt certain souls with negative feelings. Everything about them described how my wife was infected by one. But the missing detail was how they would control them as well. While they can eat the souls of others, they cannot obtain the memories of them. So controlling them would be the only way to do so.

“But during my time with the society, we would encounter a group of soul eaters that have consume several souls. We were able to destroy them, but one of them escaped. The one called… Mane-iac. We would cross paths several more times before age would take my gift, and later my life. She was a powerful foe and it was without a doubt that she was looking for the temple as well. But I do not know about her were-a-bouts about her. But it looks like you have encountered her, is that correct?”

Blades was the first to answer. “That is correct. With the help of Jack and the soul of Master Edge, we were able to witness his final days. It was in battle with the Mane-iac inside the temple during the raid. And she had what she referred to as cyber mechs, soulless robots. Plus, we learned that she was working for the Dark Star Organization.”

“So it seems,” Fates replied. He turned his attention to Jack. “You said that you know who she’s possessing. Can you explain who it is and how you know this.”

Jack explained. “Just weeks ago, I confronted and challenged the principal of Crystal Prep, Principal Cinch. During that time, I felt two souls inside of her. And with what you have told us as of now, we truly think that the Mane-iac is controlling Principal Cinch.”

Twilight and Sunset were stunned at what they just heard, causing Twilight to react. “What a minute! You knew this and didn’t even think to bring this up at the meeting!?”

“Twilight, remember that this is Sunny Flare’s mother that we’re talking about,” Luna said. “How do you think she would react?”

Twilight thought about this and realized why it wasn’t discussed at the meeting. “I understand, but you can still tell us at another time.”

“We couldn’t risk having others know about it, or it could lead her to disappear once again,” Jack replied. “And now that we know more about the soul eaters, we can’t risk Cinch’s life while the Mane-iac is controlling her.”

“I think he’s right,” Sunset added. “Now that we know anyway, if others knew about this, then it could put many lives in danger. We need to find a way to remove the Mane-iac from Cinch without killing her.”

“I do not know if there’s a way to do so,” Fates said. “There was talk about a method to remove the person’s soul from the body, but no one has been able to perform this technique for ages. This is a complicated issue that we have here.”

“Jack, who else knows about this?” Twilight asked.

“Coco Pommel, Moon Dancer, Chrysalis, and Indigo Zap, who sensed something odd about her at the time. And that was back at the park when her teammates were with her. But somehow she was the only one who sensed a wall around her, to which I was able to break through.”

“I already talked to my sister about it as well,” Luna said. “It’s a good chance that Indigo’s powers are stronger than any of the others that only she could sense it.”

“But if the Mane-iac is in Cinch, then wouldn’t she be the cause of the problem and not Starlight Glimmer?” Twilight responded.

“The last time I crossed paths with her was two years ago,” Jack replied. “And back then, my gift wasn’t as strong as it has become now.”

“What he says is right,” Fates said. “The Mane-iac would be strong enough to hide herself from anyone who has the gift, real or not. But those whose gift are strong could discover them easier. There’s a good chance that she could also be controlled by another soul eater as well, one that Jack couldn’t detect back then. Plus, I believe that someone else is pulling the strings in this, a dark master.”

“What makes you say that?” Luna asked.

“I recall her worshiping to someone, but I do not know who. This could have been the same with the changeling queen as well. But we have not found anything that could explain all this. There are still questions that have yet to be answered. But I must ask. How do you know that a soul eater would control this lady?”

“I can answer that,” Sunset responded. “We learned from someone that she lost her husband before the birth of her daughter decades ago. And we also learned that Starlight Glimmer also lost her foster parents when she was still in her teens. So those could be reasons that a soul eater would take control of either of them. They would need their memories to make sure that they are not discovered by common people like us. But I have to ask, when did you encounter the Mane-iac back then?”

“It was long before the Great War took place,” Fates replied. “I was never around when it happened, but Edge, Flare, and Moonlight were a part of the temple when it happened. So it looks like the Mane-iac is no mere mortal if she is around at your time.”

“Plus, if Starlight Glimmer is looking for Masamune and Muramasa that Jack now has, and they do contain the souls of their creators, then it would be something that they would look into for their task,” Blades said. “It could be one reason they wanted to raid the temple as well, since Edge and Flare had the same two swords. But she must have found out that they weren’t the ones they were looking for. That’s why you need to look into the handles to find the key markings that prove this.”

Twilight started to think some more and came up with another idea. “Miss Luna was able to tell me the story about how a mysterious lady took the souls of the swordmakers into their own blades after we heard about Excalibur. I remember also reading about how Excalibur was found, from various sources. The key thing was that it came from the lady of the lake.”

“I thought the sword was found in a stone and that couldn’t be removed but the person who would be king,” Sunset said.

“That was part of it,” Twilight said. “But it given to the first king by the lady in the lake. But his wizard wasn’t impressed with him wielding it and took the sword into a stone, to which he couldn’t remove. That was when a young boy looking for a sword found it and pulled it out, not knowing that it was Excalibur. But after others realized this, he was crowned their new king. But when the king was challenged by a noble knight for passage, the king went to deliver a final blow, only for the sword to break into two. So he cast it into the river, only for the lady of the lake to return with the sword renewed, accepting the king’s guilt for his actions. What if the mysterious lady that Masamune and Muramasa came across is the same lady of the lake in the stories?”

“That might be possible,” Jack said. “And if that’s the case, judging by the time periods in each story, she could be somewhere on this planet and might know how to access the souls of Masamune and Muramasa, not to mention where Excalibur could be located.”

“It could also explain why the Mane-iac is looking for these swords,” Twilight said. “They must have some special purpose for the organization. And from what we have just heard now, she could have been living since the days of Canterlot. She could have been in charge of Dark Star during the war and hid herself in a body during that time.”

“It could explain why they never caught the leader of the organization when the war ended,” Jack said.

“But still, if she’s working for someone else, who would that person be?” Sunset asked.

“My guess would be someone from Equestria. Someone that took over the realm back then that lead the Equestrians to come into our world,” Twilight explained. “But this is just theories to me.”

That was when Jack had an idea. “Twilight, can you put these theories into writing?”

“Yea. You think your friend can look into this for us?”

“It can give him a place to start on,” Jack replied. “Hopefully, by the time the tournament comes around, he might have some answers that can help us.”

“If this is the case, then preparing for this tournament should be your top priority,” Blades said. “Who among your group plans to attend this event?”

“I am,” Sunset said. “I plan to try out for the team, along with several others. Jack and Twilight will be working on the sidelines, watching over us.”

“One of our allies is looking into finding a way to avoid being a step ahead in the game. But it won’t be easy,” Luna said.

“Maybe not.” They looked at Fates for an explanation. “Twilight, if you can go through with this training, then practice with Jack, perhaps you can find a way to make this happen. Master Luna, how many styles have you learned during your time with Master Blades?”

“Many, including some styles that I picked up from other teachers afterwards,” Luna said. “I noticed in the practice gear that there were some practice rings along with the items. Should I use those to help train her?”

Fates looked to Blades for his answer. “Do so. If she learned how to support her friends in battle from behind, it can be very useful for Jack, should Dark Star start coming for him. If Twilight is as smart as she is, then she can use a weapon like that to battle with strategical thinking, using what is around her to give her an advance. She wouldn’t have to confront the enemy up close unless she has to.” He turned his gaze to Twilight. “I know this will be hard for you, but I think this style will suit you well if you give it a chance.”

“I… I’ll try,” Twilight responded.

“Good,” Blades replied. “Now, I believe it is time to return to your own world. Just remember that any knowledge about the Mane-iac’s were-a-bouts must be kept secret. We cannot afford her getting away again. She might be the only one who would know where their operations are being held, if all of our questions are to be answered.”

“Agreed,” all of the them replied.

“Before you leave, there is something I wish to ask of you.” They looked at Fates for his request. “Are any of you friends with a girl name Applejack?” All of them nodded. “Good. Since I have been a farmer in my time, I was able to meet with a couple of farmers that gave their lives to save a young girl years ago. I believe you know who I’m talking about.” They nodded. “They wanted me to tell you that they are proud to see her help you all in this task and are watching over her during these tough times.”

“Thank you master,” Luna replied.

“Now go. Since you have been here, I will do my best to contact you if you are in need of advice” Blades said. “Until we meet again.”

At that moment, everything turned white and their vision started to fade away.

In Luna’s office, Nurse Redheart and Micro Chips were watching over the vital signs of the four, waiting for them to return. It was then that they saw some activity on the screen.

“Guys, I think they are starting to wake,” Micro Chips said.

Spitfire and Applejack went up to the group, ready to help them recover. The four started to open their eyes and came around.

“Luna, you OK?” Spitfire asked.

“Just about,” Luna said as she and the others removed the nodes from themselves. “How long were we out?”

“About thirty minutes,” Nurse Redheart said.

“It felt… much longer than that,” Twilight said. “I guess time does flow differently over there.” She started to get up, but almost stumbled in doing so, causing Applejack to grab her by the side.

“Easy there, girl. You gotta learn to crawl before you can walk.”

“Very funny, AJ. Very funny,” Twilight said.

“So what all did you learn while in the so-called afterlife?” Applejack asked.

“A lot of things. And right now, our goal is that tournament,” Twilight explained. “There are other things, but I think Jack and Miss Luna plan to get that worked out for us.”

“Not to mention three of us have to train together,” Sunset added.

“All three? As in Twilight included?” Spitfire asked.

“Yea,” Twilight replied with a hint of sadness in her voice. “I’m not to sure about it either.”

“Well, you can explained it to us over lunch,” Applejack said as she took Twilight out the door.

“Good, because there’s something we need to tell you as well,” Sunset said as she joined them.

“Well, if you don’t need me, I got some stuff to work on,” Micro Chips said.

“Go on ahead, I can handle the equipment from here,” Nurse Redheart said, and Micro Chips left the room.

“So, we need to get into the tournament, right? What for?” Spitfire asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Luna said. “Right now, I need to get in touch with Fleetfoot and River Song later on. We’re going to need their help on a few things.”

“I can contact my friend tonight as soon as Twilight sends me the theories that she had in mind,” Jack said. “I’m hoping that he can help us with the weapons issue that we have to deal with. But how do we plan to handle with the training from this point forward?”

“I might use it as an excuse to have you and Sunset prepare for the Samurai Club,” Luna said. “I can see if Twilight can join us in a secluded location where no one can find us. Right now, we know where we need to train on. Just leave it to me to bring the equipment this time. Right now, you and Twilight have to prepare for the tryouts tomorrow after school. You need to understand what Twilight looks into when that happens.”

“It’s just me and Twilight overseeing the tryouts from the stands, right?” Jack asked.

“That’s right,” Spitfire said. “Me and Coach Iron Will will be on the floor with the students.”

“Actually, Photo Finish will be there with you as well,” Luna said. “She has to record the tryouts from there for you to look at, since she’s in charge of the video gear.”

“I guess we have to keep things on the low with her around,” Jack said.

“Maybe not,” Luna said. “I’ve been thinking about bringing her on the team, but wasn’t sure if she can keep things secret like the others. But since she keep copies of the teams games, she might be able to help Twilight with reviewing some of the games against Crystal Prep from last year. And maybe help Twilight’s confidence with her training.” Jack raised his eyebrow to this. “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to my sister about this and get all this worked out. You join the others for lunch. I’m sure they want to know about what’s going on as of now.”

Jack nodded and left the room to join the others.

“Think we can pull this off?” Spitfire asked Luna.

“I hope so, Spitfire. I really hope so.”

Ch. 7 - To Train Or Not To Train

Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Sunset Shimmer, and Jack Diamond were able to join up with some of their friends for lunch: Rarity, Coco Pommel, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Flash Sentry, and Moon Dancer. They simple explained to the others what they now learned and what would be the next step. And the reactions to each issue was mixed.

“I can understand that the basketball tournament is the main goal for the group,” Rarity explained. “But having Twilight go through the same training as Jack and Sunset is a bit harsh. I mean she was able to stop Sunset Shimmer with her brains, but she wouldn’t last a second against her.” Rarity looked over and remembered that Sunset was already with the group. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Sunset replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m really used to it.”

Rainbow Dash responded differently. “Well, I think it’s a good idea. What if Dark Star comes for her and what she’s discovered about Jack’s powers. Professor Star Swirl wasn’t able to defend himself what they came for him. I think Twilight needs to be ready in case trouble comes along.”

Applejack had a different view. “While I’m not sure if it’s something that she can do, I think learning some self defense could help her defense herself. Not all of us can’t be there to protect her. Not even Flash.”

“She might be right,” Flash added. “With everything that we’ve learned so far, we don’t even know what to expect when they decide to show you.”

“Not to mention what they know as of now since the championship game,” Soarin also added.

But Pinkie had a response that only Pinkie can think of. “I think it would be cool. She could do a flying five finger one arm eight pole shaolin exploding death touch.”

Everyone just stared at her.

“Have you been watching too many classic kung fu movies?” Jack asked.

“Now what makes you say that?” Applejack asked.

“The Flying Guillotine, Five Fingers of Death, The One-Armed Swordsman, The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin… do I need to go on?”

Everyone just shook their heads.

“But still, I’m not sure that Twilight can handle being trained by Miss Luna,” Rarity explained again. “She is a master to Jack, and now to Sunset.”

“She’s going to be the master of the samurai club next semester, so I’m going to have to go through this as well,” Applejack explained.

“Then why don’t we do it with Twilight together,” Rainbow Dash recommended. “We’ve been by her side against Sunset last school year, no offense. So we should just as well train with her.”

Pinkie started to get excited. “Oh, oh, oh. I want to train as well. I can be a ninja, right?”

“It’s not like that, Pinkie,” Sunset said. “We have to train under Coach Spitfire as well. She has experience in physical contact.”

“Well count me out,” Rarity said. “I don’t mind helping Twilight out, but I’m not cut out for something like that.”

“What about you, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash asked.

Fluttershy looked down and touched both fingers together. “Well, I’m not sure about all this.”

“But you were able to handle those Crystal Prep bullies that took Angel,” Pinkie said.

“Well, that because… they took Angel,” Fluttershy explained. “He’s an animal, and I care for my animals. But like Rarity said, this is much different.”

“Well, If Rarity and Fluttershy wants to stay out of this, then I’ll be happy to take their place,” Flash said.

“Me too,” Soarin added. “Since Coach Spitfire is going to be a part of this, maybe learning from her could help us focus better with our game.”

“Speaking of which, how are we going to figure out who has the gift and who hasn’t on Crystal Prep’s team,” Rainbow Dash said. “We know five of them do, and they’re on our side for now.”

“Not to mention how they are able to get these powers,” Applejack added.

Twilight’s focus changed when the topic came up. “Well, we have an idea, but I need to do some research. Moon Dancer, I’ll need your help as well.”

“What do you need to find?” Moon Dancer asked.

“Genetic mutation,” Twilight replied. “We think it could be the reason for these powers. And it’s possible that they could be using whatever they drink for sports games.”

“You mean they’re spiking their own drinks?” Pinkie asked with a shock on her face.

“That could be the case, but we’re not sure how,” Twilight said.

“Do you think Coach Fleetfoot should be told about this?” Fluttershy asked.

“I think Miss Luna has that part covered,” Jack explained. “She said that she needed to contact Coach Fleetfoot and Professor River Song. And if I’m correct, the professor might just know someone that can analyze the liquid if it was acquired. We’ll leave it to them to do the work. We just need an idea as to how it’s being done, what they are looking for to make it work, that stuff.”

“Speaking of which, you said that you knew someone who can look into the weapon issue once I get my theory written down and sent to you,” Twilight said.

This really caught Coco’s attention. “Oh, you mean Gear Works?”

“You know the boy?” Applejack asked.

“That’s right,” Coco responded. “He was the first knight to earn the first star since the knights were created. Gears, as we like to call him, was with Night Glider one day while he was still a prob when a case came up. Gears had an idea to resolve it and explained it to Night and was able to get the cased resolved. Another one came up when he was with Sugar Belle to which he did the same thing. So Jack was given a recommendation to give him his first star. And since none of members have yet to received a star since we started the knights, he became to first knight to receive a star. Last I recall, he was ranked a two star before I left.”

“Three star,” Jack corrected. “He was doing a lot of work the next year and earned his third star before the school year ended. I have heard that he’s been doing more work for the knights, and since we can’t be there as of now, there has been talk about selecting him as a four star knight and part of the council.”

“Anything else that you can tell us about him?” Twilight asked Jack.

“Well, his school grades are average, which is something that we take into for the knights. But he has had perfect attendance since he started school, which has made him very useful as well. And he keeps an open mind about what’s around him. That’s why he’s one of the best that we have for the team.”

“Do you think he can keep your gift a secret?” Applejack asked.

Jack and Coco looked at each other, to which Coco needed an update on one other issue from Jack.

“Have you heard anything about Blaze?”

“Not yet. But I’m hoping for a response about him by this weekend.”

“Maybe he’s focused on something else,” Rainbow Dash said. “Is he into anything else over there?”

“I believe he was also on the basketball team last season,” Jack said. “But Double Diamond and Night Glider plan to try out for this year’s teams. That could be why we haven’t heard back from them.”

“Maybe we should bring Gears into all this,” Coco recommend. “He might be able to help get Blaze to help us.”

“With what we have to deal with, he might be the best person that can work with Professor Digger on the weapon theory,” Jack said. “I think we can trust him on this.”

“Seems like we keeping adding more people into this hunt,” Flash said. “Anyone else we should add while we’re on the topic?”

“Miss Luna is working on that as well,” Jack said. “Photo Finish.”

“Seriously?” Rarity responded. “I know she’s good with pictures and videos, but what if she tells everyone about what you carry?”

“I can understand what you mean, Rarity,” Twilight said. “But she does keep a record of every game. And she will be with us during tryouts. She might be able to find anything that can stand out in the videos.”

“But how do you plan to make sure she doesn’t reveal his secret?” Rarity asked.

“Maybe Principal Celestia can help us with that?” Twilight explained.

“I think that’s what Miss Luna had in mind,” Jack said. “Let’s see what they can do, and we can go from there.”

Fifth period was coming to and end, and Jack quickly explained to Chrysalis, Vinyl Scratch, and Octavia Melody about getting the teams into the tournament and Twilight’s training.

“Twilight training?” Octavia said. “You think she can do it?”

“We won’t know until we find out,” Jack said.

“I can understand her dealing with what she’s faced, but this might be the biggest challenge that she has to deal with,” Vinyl explained.

“I know. I’m worried about this idea,” Octavia said.

“We don’t have much of a choice. But some of the others plan to help out with her,” Jack explained.

“Even Rarity?” Octavia said.

“Nope. Not even Fluttershy wants to help,” Jack explained. “But we have to do what we can.”

“If it means having to survive what is coming, then it will be a challenge,” Chrysalis said.

“Well, we need to get to our next class,” Octavia said.

Jack and Chrysalis waved to Vinyl and Octavia as they went their way.

“Jack, is it possible that I can join you in training as well?” Chrysalis asked.

“That’s up to you,” Jack said. “You might have to stay with me if it’s after school if necessary. But you’ve gotten lucky surviving on your own before we met. Maybe you might be up to the challenge. But I have a feeling that this could be bigger than we know. There could be a risk if you want to help out.”

“Well, keep me posted on what you will be doing later on. I still want to help out anyway,” Chrysalis said.

Jack nodded, and both of them went their separate ways. Jack made his way to Principal Celestia’s office. As he entered the office, he was greeted by Ms. Raven.

“Jack, you have a moment? Miss Luna is talking to Principal Celestia for a moment.” He nodded and took a seat nearby. “I’ve been told that Starlight Glimmer could be controlled by a soul eater. Is that true?”

Realizing that she wasn’t told about Principal Cinch, he decided to respond. “We’re not sure. I know I sense something odd about her, if it was her. But until I cross paths with her again, I can’t be sure. Have you ever noticed anything odd about her since the death of her foster parents? Something that you haven’t told us?”

Ms. Raven shook her head. “Not that I can catch on to. She recovered later on when I was became her caretaker after that day. But now that you think about it, she was focused on her schoolwork that she didn’t have enough time to be with friends.”

“She never had any friends that she wanted to be with?” Jack asked.

“Not in high school,” Ms. Raven explained. “But she did make one friend in college. A nice man just her age. He was also smart as her. Name was Sunburst. I remember him coming over with her over every spring break. But I think they went on different career paths after college, so I’m not sure if they still keep in touch. You think he could have any part of this?”

“Hard to say. But if they first met in college, but went their separate ways, he may not be a part of this. Maybe Starlight changed after you left her so that she would focus on politics. To many question to figure out right now. We should focus on what’s in front of us and figure out who’s really doing this. If the Mane-iac is around, we need to know where and with who.”

Ms. Raven nodded in agreement. Just then, the office door opened, revealing Principal Celestia in the doorway.

“Jack, forgive me, but we need to talk.”

Jack went inside as the door closed behind him. Celestia went to her desk and sat down.

“My sister has told me what has transpired in the Realm of Souls. And while I understand what our goal is, I worry about having Twilight go through this training that has been requested.”

“I explained to her about making it to the tournament, and the fact that the Mane-iac could be inside Principal Cinch,” Luna explained. “But she’s worried that Twilight wouldn’t be able to handle my style of training, to which would be slightly different from what I will be training to both you and Sunset.”

“I know she’s smart. But I don’t want her to do something that she has no experience in when you are able to do for yourself,” Celestia explained.

“I can understand what you mean,” Jack explained. “But we could be dealing with something bigger than what we first knew. If the Dark Star Organization is hiding in plain sight, then we may have already shown our hand too soon. And if Twilight is going to take over for Professor Star Swirl, then it won’t be long before they come for her for what she trying to discover the same way Star Swirl did with Master Blades. We already learned about the changeling army who tried to do something similar long ago. And now that we’re dealing with a soul eater that may have lived longer than you average human, not to mention cyber mechs from what I first saw, we may not have much of a choice. Besides, some of us have gotten on board with training with us.”

“We?” Celestia said, being concerned about what was to come. “Who else is in on this?”

Jack answered. “Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Flash Sentry, and Soarin.”

“Rarity and Fluttershy doesn’t want to help out?” Luna said.

“They think that they won’t be able to handle it,” Jack explained.

“See. What did I tell you,” Celestia responded.

“But Chrysalis wants to join in, since she’s been able to survive on her own.”

“At least another is willing to step up,” Luna responded. “But you would think that Rarity and Fluttershy would be willing to be by Twilight’s side like before. All six of them have been glued to the hip since they came here.”

“That’s because what’s being discussed here is something that I didn’t even expect to happen,” Celestia said. “It’s too dangerous to let it take place.”

“May I add something here,” Jack said. “I know when we started this, it was to find out about the were-a-bouts of Star Swirl and what’s been going on with Crystal Prep. But when I went to the Realm of Souls the first time during the championship game, I learned that there must have been more about this than what know. And with what little history that there is about the Great War’s secret team and the Dark Star Organization, plus what we now know since our meeting, well… from what we know about the temple raid, if the Mane-iac is a part of this, then there’s a chance that we could encounter those cyber mechs, to which I will not be able to sense when they come for me, or anyone else that has ties to this. This is going to be a challenge in the making, and we need to be prepared for this. Mane-iac is going to make her move, that’s for sure. Where and when is up in the air. And I would like for Twilight to have a clear head when we make it to the tournament.”

Celestia let out a sigh and clasped her hands together, realizing what had to be done.

“OK. I’ll go along with this. But both of you need to make sure that no one gets hurt.”

“We’re do our best,” Luna said. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to send a message to River Song and see if she knows someone that can help us with our genetic mutation problem.”

Luna started to go towards the door before Jack interrupted. “Master Luna. If you plan to send her a message, I need you to let her know that I want to bring Gear Works into all this.”

“Is he the one that you were talking about to look into the weapons?” Luna asked.

Jack nodded. “Yes. I’m hoping that he can learn about Excalibur, and maybe any other weapons we should be looking into. I also want him to help Double Diamond in getting Project Dragon off the ground. I know that it will be a small group, and once Blaze is on board, he will have to find those that he can trust to help. That’s not going to be an easy task to take. I’ll talk to her later when I get my info from Twilight to send to Gears.”

“I’ll see to it that she is aware of this.” Luna opened the door and left the office, closing the door behind her.

“So, we’re bringing more outsiders to our group?” Celestia asked.

“Gears was the first knight to earn the first star, and has been a big help to the team to make it to three stars. I might look into making him a four star knight and part of the council, seeing that I have a new team to work with here.”

Celestia let out a sly grin. “If I didn’t know any better, I think you have finally become a real leader for the team.”

“After what just transpired, I don’t have much of a choice,” Jack said. “Besides, I just think that there’s more to this, and I want to get to the bottom of it before it gets worse. And you need to get Photo Finish to make sure she can help us without revealing any secrets.”

“I think I can find a way to make that part happen.”

It was Thursday, and Jack was in the library’s study rooms learning from Twilight about how the basketball tryouts are done. During that time, they heard a knock at the door. They looked to see Photo Finish and motion her to come in.

“Forgive me for being late,” Photo Finish said as she closed the door behind her. “I have to deal with ze gear before ze practice. Or I can never do… ze magics.” She sat down and placed her book bag to her side. “Besides, I’m not ze only one here with ze magics?”

“I guess you’ve been told about our mission,” Twilight said. “You understand that this has to be kept secret from those that are not part of the team.”

There was a smug smile on Jack’s face. “Tell her what you told me yesterday, Photo.”

“This would be a big story. But only tabloids would use that, and that is trash. I do not do trash.”

“And to think that your father is in charge of the photography department for the local newspaper,” Twilight said.

Jack was surprised. “I never knew about that.”

“You never noticed who took the pictures in the paper from the football games,” Twilight explained. “He does a lot of the pictures for the paper that involves the local area, and finds any from other sources for the national stories. The sports and life sections are what he works on the most.”

“And I learned all of ze talents from my father,” Photo added. “Which brings me to ze next topic.” She pulled out a big photo book from her book bag. “I hear that you are to train, correct?”

Twilight let out a sigh. “Yes. Not that I’m proud of it.”

“Then allow me to show you where I started in pictures.” She opened the book to the front page. There was a single picture that featured a thick forest from the inside. Notes were written around the photo.

“Is this your portfolio?” Twilight asked.

“It is,” Photo replied. “This is ze first picture that I submitted to my father as ze first assignment. I took many pictures and chose this one. He asked me why this one, and I gave no answer. I was confused as to what to look for. He explain that when I decide on ze picture, it must have ze magic, ze story, of what is around it. I knew that it takes time to find the right picture, and to look close to ze picture to find ze story. Over time, and months of practice, I understood what he met. But I knew that I must learn more.”

“And what does this have to do about me?” Twilight asked.

Photo started to flip through each page of her book. “It means that time, practice, and ze will to do this is needed to make ze magic happen.”

Photo Finish kept flipping through each page for Twilight to see how much her pictures improved. But it was one set of pictures that caught her attention.

“Stop right there,” Twilight said. She pointed at a picture of a lady dancing with two scarfs. “What is that?”

“That was ze first sports assignment that I did with my father,” Photo explained. “It was a martial arts tournament.”

Twilight was confused at this. “How can that be part of martial arts?”

Jack looked at the picture and had the answer. “It’s a team martial arts tournament. I remember hearing about these. It involves four events: style, skill, strength, and endurance. They judge each event and award points for each one. That one would be more of a style event.”

“How does style be used in martial arts?” Twilight asked.

“It’s more like a ritual dance,” Jack said. “You’re bound to see it at oriental temples that are home to shaman priests and their students.”

“That is correct,” Photo said. “I saw ze use of ribbons, fans, rings, and even thin swords. Ze other weapons that I saw were used for skill than style. Miss Luna was grateful at what she saw from this. It brought memories when she was a part of ze tournament in college.”

“So, if I was to practice with the ring blades, I would be focus on the style than skill, right?” Twilight asked.

“I think it would be more of technique than style,” Jack said. “You would be using your surroundings to your advantage with a weapon like that. And your quick thinking will help make it happen.”

Twilight started to understand what she would have to do. “I see. But I’ll have to deal with Coach Spitfire’s physical training.”

“Then you have yet to see ze magic of that.” Photo flipped over a few pages to see some of the competitors in strange forms. “I was puzzled at what I saw. But someone watching ze event explained it to me. Some of them were in ze styles of ze crane, ze tiger, even ze dragon. It was hard to tell ze story about these, but ze guy helped me understand what they are.”

This got both Jack and Twilight to start thinking.

“Do you think that Coach Spitfire would know these styles?” Twilight asked Jack.

“We might have to ask her when we see her. But I can guess that she would want to see what you are made of before going to this route. We’re just have to wait and see.”

“There is something I must ask. Why does Rarity and Fluttershy not want to help?” Photo asked. “Ze six of you are inseparable in ze toughest of times.”

“They think that they would not be up to the challenge. But now that I think about it…” Twilight placed rubbed her hand on her chin until an idea came to mind. “Jack, could a fan be used as a weapon?”

“If it’s a metal fan, then yes.” Jack started to catch on to Twilight’s idea. “If Rarity and Fluttershy focused on style than skill, do you think that they could be helpful to us, like they did before?”

“I was just thinking about that,” Twilight said. “Maybe Miss Luna can help us out with that.”

“I can see about asking her during 6th period,” Jack responded. “This can give her some time to think about it before we have practice Friday after school.”

“Is that when she wants you, me, and Sunset to practice?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. And I have just the place to practice at where we won’t be disturbed,” Jack explained. “Chrysalis might be joining us as well, since she still has to ride with me until she gets her license. But she did want to train with us, so this could be a good start for her.”

“Good enough.” Twilight turned her direction to Photo Finish. “Is there any way I can get a copy of those pictures?”

“I see if I get them ready for you tomorrow,” Photo said.

“Good. Because I might need some proof to show them that there are other ways to help out, as long as I can understand how they work.” Twilight then started to remember something that was brought up between Jack and Pinkie. “Say, you knew some of those kung fu movies when Pinkie went on that weird idea back at lunch yesterday. You wouldn’t by any chance have them on hand?”

“I have some that my dad got for me the past couple of years,” Jack replied. “They were filmed decades ago, but were remastered as of late. I think I can find the ones that rely on those fighting techniques to look at. And you don’t have to worry about them being bloody like most movies. They had a different set of special effects that made it look like they were wounded. Very clever back in the 1960s and 1970s.”

“Good,” Twilight said. “Because I want to look at some of them and maybe get an idea of some of these styles that were used. Not to mention any kind of weapons that can also be of some help. It may not be something I’m used to, but maybe I can get a better picture of what I plan to learn when the time comes.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I think you’re starting to understand what we have to do to find the answers we seek,” Jack said.

“I guess with what’s at stake, I might as well be prepared if Dark Star decides to make their move,” Twilight said. “Besides, if we’re also dealing with these… mechs, then we need to find a way to take them on, without the use of your soul senses.”

“Duly noted.”

Author's Note

First off, Gear Works was a character that I created for Aria's Challenge. I figure I give him a cameo in this story.

Second, that quote that Pinkie said early in the chapter. If you don't have the El Rey Network, then you wouldn't understand.
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Ch. 8 - Lesson Zero

Twilight was able to make a deal with Miss Luna to go along with her part of the training as long as she can get Rarity and Fluttershy to join the others that want to train. Seeing that Luna and her partner, Spitfire, would have their hands full with a group of students, she decided to rely on Master Blades for advice. While she was sleeping, she entered into dreamscape and was able to reach her master and explain what was going on.

“I’m impressed to see that you will be training more than what was planned,” Blades said. “This is better than expected.”

Luna had a questionable look on her face. “Better?”

Blades explained. “Jack’s going to need more help than he already has to take on this threat. Having Sunset and Twilight take part in his training would be needed for certain reasons. But if others were willing to join in this, then the odds would be more in Jack’s favor. But forcing two students into the group is something I wouldn’t do unless there was a reason for it. And that reason would be the bond that Twilight shares with the other five girls.”

“So how should I handle this?” Luna asked.

“How about you tell me more about these students,” Blades requested to Luna.

“Well, you know that Applejack’s family runs a farm. She’s strong and honest, and from what Spitfire has told me, she can handle combat easily. Rainbow Dash is a fast and loyal athlete to the team. Plus she was selected as the team captain for the girls basketball team. Soarin is just about the same as Dash and was selected as captain for the boys team. Flash Sentry is quick, agile, and focused, and has been a team player. Both he and Jack got the MVP award at the championship game weeks ago. Pinkie Pie is more unpredictable than anyone else that we know. She’s full of energy and can keep others happy. Rarity is more of a fashion expert and can be generous in helping others. Fluttershy is the timid one, but can be kind, even towards animals. Somehow, she has a way to understand them better than anyone else. And Chrysalis has been a loner until Jack stepped in. She’s learned how to survive on her own, and has worked with Jack on his powers early on.”

“An interesting group, that’s for sure,” Blades said. “I might have a way to get Rarity and Fluttershy to take part in this… with the right weapons and fighting styles. But I must ask. Does Spitfire knows all the animal styles that her master was able to train her?”

“She does,” Luna said. “In fact, she told me that after having one last duel with her master, Master Copper returned to his homeland to help out the monks at the temple where he did his own training.”

“I figured that he would do something like that one day,” Blades said. “He brought this up to me years ago that he was thinking of retiring and returning to his homeland. If that’s the case, then he’s leaving all of his training to her from here on out. But I have one question. Has she been able to learn the Iron Palm style?”

“You know that everyone in our class had a hard time with that style, including Spitfire. I don’t think she ever had the time to practice since that time. Is there a reason to know this style?” Luna asked.

Blades explained. “If they were to face these… machines like the ones at the temple raid, they would have to do so without the need for weapons, since your school forbids it. But now, they would have to rely on what they have to get by.”

Luna understood what Blades was saying, then thought of something. “Master, there might be someone that would know this style. One of River Song’s inside sources was at the temple researching the place. He’s sent someone that works for him back here with some items. She was a student who graduated a couple of years ago and has learned how to break rocks for her family. If that style is the Iron Palm style, then there could still be hope in this.”

“These items? Do you know what they are?” Blades asked.

“Not really,” Luna replied. “But she said that they could be used as tools for Jack.”

Blades started to stroke his chin. “Then perhaps there’s still a chance. Luna, what I’m about to tell you must be followed as I requested. If all goes as plan, then there might be a chance that we could stop Dark Star in the process.”

The school week finally came to an end, and all the students left to go home. But it was also time for training to begin for some. Jack took Sunset, Twilight, and Chrysalis to the secret location for them to train. When they got out of the truck, they were wearing silk oriental suits that were button-up and in different colors. Twilight was wearing lavender with purple trims. Sunset had red with yellow trims. Chrysalis had black with white trims. And Jack had white with gold trims. They also had black shoes that have little protection like the usual shoes.

“Seriously! Why do we have to wear these kind of shoes?” Twilight asked. She looked at Chrysalis and said, “I mean, having you and Rarity make the outfits was nice, but the shoes that Coach Spitfire lend to us feels uncomfortable.”

“You and me both,” Sunset added. “But at least it’s better than walking barefoot.”

“This is how the masters walked around back then at the temple,” Jack said. “You don’t see them complaining.”

“Very funny,” Twilight said. “I just hope this is all worth it.”

“I just hope that Master Luna has a plan in place just to get you to practice with us,” Jack said to Twilight.

“Getting Rarity and Fluttershy to train with us will be no easy task,” Chrysalis said. “We just have to trust her for now.”

Twilight looked around the area and could see the city in the distance. “How were you able to find a place like this?”

“I was exploring the area and found a barely used dirt pathway that led up to here,” Jack explained. “I figure it would be a good spot to take Sunset to after the dance.”

Twilight had a shocked look on her face. “Here? You didn’t… by any chance…”

Now Sunset was shocked. “No! We didn’t do anything crazy here. Just watch the city lights at night. Came here again after the championship game again.”

Now Twilight was furious and mumbled, “Flash, why couldn’t you find this spot after our first date.”

“What. Surprised that Flash couldn’t make it the… best night ever?” Sunset mocking Twilight.

“Shut up!”

Two more cars finally pulled up. One was a Luna’s dark sedan. The other was a blue sedan, which could only be Spitfire’s. Once they were parked, both of them got out of their cars. Luna went to her trunk and got out the weapons that would be needed for training.

Spitfire was stunned at the view. “Wow! Nice location. The open space and the surrounding trees will work well for training.”

Luna joined the group, carrying two katanas and two practice rings. “You did very well, Jack. This place is perfect from prying eyes.”

“Is that Masamune and Muramasa that belong to Blades’ masters?” Jack asked.

“Yes. And I hope it helps with your training for what’s to come,” Luna said. “So let’s get started. We have to make sure you get started before the sun sets.”

But just as the others were about to close the truck’s doors, Jack’s cell started to ring.

“Might as well leave a message,” Spitfire said. “You can talk to them later.”

But Jack saw who was calling and said, “Hold on there. Looks like the professor wants to talk to us.” When the others joined around to listen, Jack answered his cell and placed it on speaker. “Professor, I have Twilight, Sunset, Chrysalis, Miss Luna, and Coach Spitfire around. I hope you have some good news.”

“Sweetie. You know I always have good news,” River Song replied.

“As if,” Luna said.

“Please, Luna. This is truly good. Now, Gears has looked over the data that Twilight sent and is looking into it. He understands what you have, Jack, and understands how important the blades are. He has a few ideas about weapons to look into besides Excalibur. Gunginr, Mjölnir, Caladbolg, Ragnarok…”

“Wait a minute. I thought Ragnarok was a dragon?” Everyone looked at Chrysalis. “What. I like to read dark fantasy books and the like.”

“Are you talking about the story of The Dragon of Ragnarok?” Twilight asked.

“That’s one of the stories that I liked years ago,” Chrysalis responded. “But I don’t recall a weapon called Ragnarok in that story.”

That was when Jack had an idea. “I remember hearing about various games that would either have Ragnarok as a weapon, dragon, or location. I wonder if something like that would be true to use in these games. Professor, have Gears look into Ragnarok, as well as any other ideas.”

“I’ll let him know that when he returns from his meeting with Blaze today.”

“Is that where he is right now?”

“Along with Double Diamond. But he does have one concern about this project.”

“The fact that we need people who we can trust and keep all this a secret. I know.”

“What you might not know is that there could be concern if the students there have been affected or could be affected later on. You did say that it could become another place for Dark Star to work on their experiments.”

“I think she might have a point,” Twilight said. “We can assume that Crystal Prep is one test site. But how do we know if it’s the only test site at this time?”

This got Jack thinking. And the outcome was something that he didn’t think clearly about. “You’re right. I’ve only talked to Blaze, and I’m surprised that he still remembered me after that time. But I don’t know anyone else from that school. And I’m sure that Double Diamond doesn’t either. That complicates things.”

“Well, you’re lucky to have me on your team,” Twilight said. “Professor, does the name Silver Justice ring a bell?”

There was silence before River Song could respond. “Is she related to someone from the Justice & Justice Law Firm?”

“That’s the one,” Twilight said. “She’s the daughter of the owners of that law firm, and a friend I knew from middle school. We were supposed to attend Mane Coast Academy together before I learned about the move to Ponyville. If she’s still there, she might be able to help out with Project Dragon and find some trusted members to help out. She also might use her knowledge of the law to find any loopholes that the team can get around on wherever they go. See of you can let Gears know about this. Tell her that you’re friends with Twilight Sparkle. She’ll understand.”

“She might have to understand about my gift and what we learned about the Shadowbolt’s gifts, in case their school is in the same situation as Crystal Prep,” Jack added.

“I’ll message him when I get off the line. And I also have some info on Sunburst that you brought up.”

“What can you tell us?” Jack asked.

“For starters, I wouldn’t worry about him.”

“Think you can explain why?”

“Remember that inside source that I know at the temple?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Why do I have a feeling I know where this is going.”

“Yep. He’s my inside source. He also had a class with Professor Star Swirl back then. When he heard that I was looking for him for a few friends of mine, he jumped in and decided to help out. When he learned about what he was researching, he felt like the best way to look for him was to find any place that would have people like the one he was researching.”

“And that’s when he found the temple,” Luna said.

“Correct. Since he now knows about the gift you have as well as the two blades, he’s been focusing on the temple and helping out with the group’s restoration project. He hopes that he could find more answers to not just Star Swirl’s location, but maybe more about Dark Star as well.”

“When was the last time you talked to him?” Jack asked.

“Much before we had that meeting a week ago, so learning about Starlight Glimmer became new to us. I should be hearing from him soon, since his assistant already showed up last night. And the items that she brought will come as a surprise to know. Luna’s told me about the old temple that we got those mythril weapons from and how more were missing at that time. And guess what?”

“WHAT!!!”

“Our assistant found them hidden in the temple, or what was mythril weapons. Turns out that they were melting them back then and making them into metal plates.”

“Is that even possible?” Twilight asked. “I mean, sure you can melt down most metals, but this is not your usual metal. And it’s not even raw.”

“I think I can answer that,” Luna said. “Master Blades knew about the metal that was hidden away. Somehow, they found a way to melt the metal into a liquid form and had molds made to make plates for them and stored them away for later use. I think it involves the use of a blacksmith’s skills and soul powers, but he never had a chance to learn this. So this could be a lost art as of now. He never knew why they kept them at plates and didn’t bother to take them, but they did come from the weapons at the temple that they would recover during student trials. If I was to take a guess, it would have to be used more likely as armor, or some kind of shielding.”

“Well, these plates are thin enough to help create armor with the tools that we have today,” River Song explained. “In fact, the guys in shop class wanted to do something for you, Jack. When they learned about Whiteblaze being transported to you, they wanted to make some carrier armor for him to wear. They’ve worked with sheet metal, but having a hard time getting it done right. And it’s hard to use other metals for different reasons. Since mythril can be mistaken for silver, I was thinking of using this to help make the armor. I already have an excuse in place for this. Just need your OK to use it.”

“Is there enough to make this armor?” Jack asked.

“More than enough. We can use some of the plates to test some tools on it before the guys can begin on it.”

“Professor, you have a green light on the armor,” Jack answered. “See to it that it has a place to carry two katanas on. I want Whiteblaze to help deliver them to us on short notice.”

“Will do.”

“I was wondering. How were they able to keep all that mythril hidden when the raid took place back then?” Sunset asked.

“She said that she felt something odd on the floor in what was the blacksmith’s shop. One of the stones in the floor was used as a cover to a hidden storage unit to hold the plates. It’s a surprise that anyone didn’t know that it was there. Easy to overlook is what she said.”

Chrysalis started to think. “Stone cover? Easy to overlook?” And that was when a light bulb went on. “Twilight, this girl that you and your friends know. Does she have an emotionless look on her face?” Twilight nodded. “And does she carry a small rock with her named Boulder?” Twilight nodded again. Chrysalis slapped her hand in front of her face. “You have got to be kidding me. MAUD PIE!?”

“You know her?” Twilight asked.

“I had a couple of minor classes with her back then,” Chrysalis explained. “She was as dull as a brick wall. Almost drove me crazy one time.”

“Is Maud Pie related to Pinkie?” Jack asked.

“Yep. That’s Pinkie’s older sister,” Twilight explained. “She graduated from CHS over two years ago. I was able to meet her when she came to visit the family one day. Heard that she got a job as an assistant to some researcher instead of going to college. Never knew it would be this Sunburst that we just heard about. She has a lot of knowledge about rocks. I’m sure your father would like to meet her as well.”

“I guess we just spoiled Pinkie’s surprise,” Sunset said.

“I guess so,” Twilight replied.

“Well if that’s the case,” Luna added. “River Song. I need you to ask Maud if she knows the Iron Palm fighting style.”

“Iron Palm!?” Spitfire responded. “That’s a tough style to learn. Even I haven’t been able to master it.”

“What’s the Iron Palm style?” Sunset asked.

“It’s supposed to be a fighting style that makes your hands, or palms, as strong as iron, causing it to destroy most things that can’t be broken,” Jack explained.

“You got that right,” Spitfire replied. “It requires the palm of your hand to be strong that it can break anything without feeling any pain. But what makes you think that she would know this style.”

“I know,” Twilight said. “She can break rocks easily on the rock farm. Did it when she was younger. And better than any of her sisters, including Pinkie. But what makes this style important?”

“Master Blades wants Applejack to learn this style,” Luna explained. “She’s strong enough and skilled enough to handle herself in battle. But this style can give her an advantage against the mechs that we could be facing.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll ask her about this and see if she could be of any help to you,” River Song said.

“Thanks. Was there anything else that she also found?” Luna asked.

“Yes. A green crystal that was found in another hidden storage place in one of the rooms. Maud was able to sense a strange rock in there and found it. It’s not an emerald, but there seems to be some strange power coming from it, but I’m not sure what. I was hoping that I can use it as a power source for a new tool that Jack can use.”

“River Song. What you have there is a soul crystal,” Luna replied. “It’s supposed to help those who have the gift find threats that come into this world. They used one to find the changeling queen location. It’s like a soul amplifier. Blades said that they couldn’t find any of the crystals when he returned after the raid. Then he learned from Master Moonlight that they were all taken in the raid. Without them, there was no way to find the Mane-iac that was at the raid. Somehow, the group must have overlooked that one just like the mythril plates. That crystal might be what we need to find and stop the Dark Star Organization.”

“Do you think Jack will be able to know how to use it?” Twilight asked.

“I’m hope so,” Luna replied.

“If it’s supposed to do what you say it does, then the tool I plan to make to make with it can help him even better,” River Song explained.

“What kind of tool is it?” Luna asked.

“I would say Spoilers, but it’s best that you talk to Doctor Whooves to see it for yourself. He has one similar to what I plan to make. I’ll let him know to show it to you, since he’s going to need to gather Jack’s brain waves in order for this to work.”

“Alright. I’ll hold you to that.”

“Then let me get started on all of this so that I can have it ready by the winter break. Just make sure you mail me those samples that we discussed earlier, and I’ll keep you posted on Project Dragon.”

“This has been a big help for all of us,” Jack said. “Thanks professor.”

“Not a problem, sweetie.”

Jack went and ended the call on his cell.

“Looks like we’re making better progress than we hoped for,” Luna said.

“I’ll say,” Twilight said. “As long as Silver can help out with Project Dragon, and Gears can learn more of the weapons that could connect with what we have…”

“Plus Maud’s help on the team, and the new gear that we would be getting…” Sunset added.

“We could be able to take on any challenge,” Spitfire finished.

“But still, what about Ragnarok,” Chrysalis said. “First Excalibur, now this. Most weapons that were just brought up were created and used by gods or demigods. Masamune and Muramasa were created by blacksmiths and used by soldiers. And Excalibur was found by a future king, unknown to who made it. What do we really know about Ragnarok? Is it a weapon, dragon, or something else.”

“Not to mention that stolen crystals that were taken from the temple,” Jack added. “What would Dark Star need with those if it only worked on gifted students?”

“Maybe just to cover their tracks?” Twilight recommended.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to buy that idea,” Jack said. “Master Luna. Can you bring this up with Master Blades and see what he has to say about this?”

“I’m not sure if he’ll have an answer, but I can try,” Luna said. “But for now, we need to train.”

Jack closed the driver’s side of his truck and the group went to the center of the open field to warm up before training. After a few minutes of warming up, it was time to lay out the group’s practice session.

“OK. We know what we plan to do on weapon training. But we also have to train each of you in a fighting style,” Luna explained. “Master Blades wants the three of you to learn a certain animal style of kung fu from Master Spitfire.”

“Jack, since you are well balanced and have learned how to use your gift properly, you will be learning the dragon style. It is a rare form of animal style, but it will make you stronger and faster than before without the need for the chi boost art. Sunset, you will be learning the tiger style, since you have some fierce fighting in you. It will improve your strength and rely more on your fingers than just your fist. And Twilight, since you have little experience in fighting, you will learn the crane style. Instead of strength like the others, you will rely on agility and skill, and focus on the weak points that can impact your opponent.”

“Coach, I mean, Master Spitfire. What about Chrysalis? Is there a style that she will have to learn?” Twilight asked.

“I haven’t decided on her style, nor on the others as of yet. I was only told on teaching these three styles to each of you,” Spitfire explained.

“While Applejack would have to learn on the Iron Palm style, she will also learn an animal style along the others,” Luna added. “We will split up in two groups. I will be working with Jack and Sunset on weapon training, while Spitfire will work with Twilight and Chrysalis on physical training.” She tossed both katanas to Jack and Sunset. “I believe you would know what you are now carrying, right?”

Both of them drew the blades to see what they were. Jack answered, “This is Edge’s Masamune and Flare’s Muramasa.”

“I figure that Masamune would like to be returned to the person that carries the owner’s soul,” Luna said. “And I’m sure that Master Flare would be grateful to let you carry her Muramasa for now. Both of you need to get a feel of the weapon. Not to mention that Jack will need it to learn the next five arts.”

“Come on, you two. Let’s leave them to their sword practice,” Spitfire said, referring to Twilight and Chrysalis.

With both groups in separate areas, Luna started to teach Jack and Sunset the basics of using a katana and instructed them to be in sync with their moves. Spitfire went to show Twilight how to use the crane style by showing her how her hands and arms to act just like a crane’s beak. Chrysalis was instructed to mimic Twilight’s moves just to see what she was capable of doing. During this time, she was staring to understand how it works and learned that she can use this style to defend herself and focus on the soft spots like the eyes.

But Twilight kept getting distracted from what was going on with Luna’s group. Sunset started to fall behind and couldn’t stay in time with Jack as he was ordered to speed up, which got on Luna’s nerves. Spitfire saw this and made sure that Twilight focused on her own training and not on theirs. But as it kept going on, Twilight started to think more about Soul Link and started to develop an idea on how it could help with Jack and Sunset’s training.

“Of course.”

“Twilight. Is there something that you want to say,” Spitfire requested.

“I think I know why Sunset is not in step with Jack on their training. They didn’t use Soul Link to do so.”

Spitfire took this into mind. While Sunset needed to learn things on her own, she needed Jack to help her learn from his view. Spitfire yelled to Luna what they needed to do. After Soul Link was establish, Sunset started to keep up the pace and was mirroring all of Jack’s moves. With that out of the way, Twilight was able to focus on her own training. After about an hour of training, both groups got together.

“How were you able to figure out what was wrong with me?” Sunset asked Twilight.

“Well, after we were explained about Soul Link, I figure that whatever Jack was able to learn can be transferred to you. Somehow you learned about the soul arts that Jack already knew back at the final game, including the tenth art. And Jack has a way to learn very fast in this kind of stuff because of his evolving gift. Did you realized what you were doing wrong before Soul Link?”

“Yea. Somehow, my stance was wrong and I was pushing myself too hard,” Sunset explained.

“At least you’re starting to get a picture on how Soul Link works,” Jack said.

Luna went back to her car and got the case that carried the next five arts.

“So these are the next five arts that Master Flare created,” Twilight said as Luna opened the case with the next five scrolls in it.

“That is correct,” Luna replied. “Jack has already looked them over during 6th period. I’m hoping that he can execute these arts easily.” She took out the first scroll and displayed it for the others to see. “Art number eleven is called Fire Blossom. It allows the user to create petals of fire to encircle the blade, creating a fiery tornado to burn what is in front of the user. Are you ready Jack?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Jack went to the center of the field with blade in hand. He stood still and held the blade in the upright position. He started to focus everything on summoning this attack. He felt a breeze behind him, and that was when he felt it inside him, the same calling since he felt his first art. As tiny petals of fire started to appear around his blade, he yelled, “SOUL ART #11: FIRE BLOSSOM!” Making an upper slash with his blade, causing the fiery petals to grow in a tornado as it went forward, leaving a trail of burnt grass in front of him for a short distance.

“To quote Rainbow Dash, that was awesome!” Sunset said.

“I’m impressed,” Twilight added. “So what’s the next art?”

“The twelfth art is called Aqua Wave,” Luna explained. “As the name suggests, it creates a small, yet powerful wave of water that can wash away what’s in front of the user.”

“Like the waves that approach the beach,” Twilight said. “It can knock down anyone that can’t stay on their feet by the waves that when someone is in the water.”

“You catch on really quick, Twilight,” Luna responded.

They looked at Jack as he started to prepare for the next art. This time, he kept the blade horizontal, waiting to feel the same thing as before. This time, a small liquid started to form from the blade. He yelled, “SOUL ART #12: AQUA WAVE!” and slashed the ground in front of his feet, creating a wave of water that grew as it went father in front of him, but only for a small distance.

“Now for number thirteen,” Luna said. “This is called Thunder Cut. It creates a bolt of lightning from the blade, causing it to travel in front of the user to it’s target.”

“Are you sure that it will be safe?” Chrysalis asked. “This is lightning we’re talking about.”

“I would have to agree,” Twilight said. “But if he can control it like the others, then he should be fine.”

They looked at Jack again as he placed his blade in the upright position. But this time, it was to his side. He felt the same feeling like before and yelled, “SOUL ART #13: THUNDER CUT!” Lightning struck the blade, causing him to slash the blade downward, causing the bolt of lightning to travel in front of him for a short distance.

“Three for three,” Sunset said. “Looks like he might know these better than we thought.”

“Let’s hope he can do the fourteenth art,” Luna said. “This is called Blinding Blizzard. This one allows the user to create a strong blizzard that can blind, and maybe freeze what’s around him.”

They started to look at Jack as his stance was different from before. This time, he stood like he was about to strike, with his blade pointing back from him. He started to feel the same thing and yelled, “SOUL ART #14: BLINDING BLIZZARD!” and pulled his blade forward, creating a horizontal slash. But only a light breeze and small flakes came by him.

The girls just stared and blinked, stunned to see nothing happen.

“What just happened here?” Twilight asked.

“How should I know,” Jack replied. “Did I do something wrong?”

“I don’t think so,” Luna responded. “Try it again.”

Jack did what Luna asked and tried the art again, but got the same result. Unlike the others, something was wrong with the fourteenth art. And they needed to find out why. Jack shed his blade and went back to the group.

“Do you have those three ninja skills with you?” Twilight asked Luna.

“I got those,” Spitfire replied and went back to her car to grab them. She came back and laid the three pieces of paper in front of them. “I was looking into the hand signs that explain how each skill works. Basically, it involves the twelve zodiac animals for each sign, something I learned from my master to help me focus. But I think you will need to tap into your inner self and find the energy to make this happen. This kind of stuff hasn’t been used in a long time, so I’m not sure if it can still be done.”

“If we could just see these in action, maybe we could understand how Master Flare used these to create the five art that she made,” Twilight explained.

“If I’m supposed to learn these three on my own, how do I make that even happen if it’s been a lost art?” Sunset asked.

Twilight took a moment to think about it before an idea came to mind. “Remember what Jack did with Tree Hugger before we had our group meeting? He was able to see the aura of others, to which Tree Hugger was able to see better than before. What if he tapped into Sunset’s inner self and find the energy to make it happen?”

Luna took this into mind. “With the fact that Jack and Sunset have bonded to each other, it might work. Let’s work on Sunset’s training for now so that we can get a clearer picture before we can continue with the remaining arts. Start with Water Veil for now.”

Spitfire decided to quickly work with Sunset on the hand signs for Water Veil before letting Jack tap into Sunset’s soul. Once she was ready, Jack placed his hand on Sunset’s back and started to focus. Sunset had her hands on the first symbol that was listed and waited until she felt this power inside of her. Jack started to look for this energy that would be inside of her. Then, he felt a small pulse, a spark.

“Sunset?”

“I feel it Jack.”

Sunset started to do each hand sign in order, repeating it faster and faster, causing that spark inside of her to grow. When she finally felt it, she went through the signs one more time with full force, making an impact with the last symbol. A small blast of water came shooting out of nowhere and hitting the ground farther up from her.

“I… did it?” Sunset was a bit stunned at what she just saw. “I did it! I can’t believe that I did it.”

“I was hoping that it would be bigger than that,” Twilight said.

“It’s a start, Twilight,” Spitfire said. “But she’s going to need to make this energy grow inside of her to reach her full potential. This could take some time.”

“Let me work on that part with her,” Jack said. “That spark that was inside of her was small, but somehow, it started to grow. If it was stronger, then maybe she could do it much better.”

Luna saw that the sun was started to set. “Let switch groups and focus on the rest of their training. I want Twilight to learn how to use the ring blades before it gets dark.”

“Good idea,” Spitfire said. “Maybe some time learning the dragon and tiger styles could also help build up that energy inside of them.”

Jack and Sunset set their blades aside and over to the other side of the area with Spitfire so that they can learn their fighting styles. Luna grabbed the practice rings and decided to start training Twilight with Chrysalis’ help.

Luna asked the girls, “Tell me, have any of you ever heard of ultimate frisbee?” Both of them looked at each other before looking back at Luna and shaking their heads. Luna let out a sigh and said, “Figured that it would be a college freestyle sport. Throwing these rings are like throwing a frisbee. But you don’t throw it and let it land somewhere. It has to glide through the air and come back to you like a boomerang.” Luna decided to take one of the rings and tossed it through the air, causing it to glide around and come back straight back to her hand. “I learned this from Master Blades when I tried out for ultimate frisbee with a group of students in college.”

“So I have to throw it like that and catch it as well?”

“That is correct, Twilight. But we’ll be taking it step by step.” Luna handed one of the rings to Twilight. “Now let’s see you throw it.”

Twilight took the ring and threw it in an awkward fashion, causing it to land on the ground not far from them. Luna sighed as she placed her hand on her face, shaking it at the same time. She went to retrieve the ring and handed it back to Twilight so she can try again. Twilight threw the ring with more force, casing it to land farther than before. Chrysalis decided to run out and grab the ring and went back to the group.

“Twilight, I think you’re trying too hard,” Chrysalis said. “Look at how my arm works.” Chrysalis decided to take the ring and held it up near the side of her head and threw it with a curved motion of her arm. The ring was able to glide much farther than before until it bounced off a tree and land on the ground. “You need to try and aim upward to make it glide farther. You’re just throwing it like a ball.”

Twilight decided to take the other ring and did what Chrysalis asked her to do. This time, the ring was able to go farther than before, just like the ring that Chrysalis threw.

Luna responded. “Good catch, Chrysalis. Now go to the other end and throw the rings back to us. This way I can teach her how to catch them.”

Chrysalis went to the other side and grabbed the rings and tossed one of them back to Luna. She caught it while moving her arm backwards in the process. Luna looked at Twilight to have her do the same. Chrysalis threw the other ring to Twilight, but she panicked and rushed backwards, grabbing it with both her hands.

“You need to be ready to catch it in time,” Luna said. “The real blade rings are sharp, and can cut your hands if you don’t know how to properly catch them.”

“Sorry. I just never done anything like this,” Twilight replied.

Luna tossed the ring in her hand to Chrysalis, who caught it like a frisbee, since she was never used to catching it like a sharp weapon. But she knew that she was only there to assist Twilight in her training. Twilight made sure she was ready before Chrysalis threw the ring back to her. This took several tries before Twilight started to get the hang of it. Then she started to throw the rings to Chrysalis, then have her tossed it back to Twilight so she could properly catch them.

Luna could see that Twilight was starting to understand how to use the rings and thought that it would be a good time to work throwing the ring and have it come back to her by herself. But that was going to have to wait, because they heard the sound of a car horn and saw a lemon yellow car pull up with Fleetfoot at the wheel. Three students were also in the car with her, Indigo Zap, Lemon Zest, and Sugarcoat. Once the car was put in park, all four of them got out of the car.

“Do you know how hard it is to find this place?” Indigo yelled.

“I though you knew this town so well?” Jack replied.

“Very funny.” Indigo stuck out her tongue at Jack.

Luna, Chrysalis and Twilight went up to the rest of the group.

Luna asked, “Did you get the sample I requested?”

“Right here,” Fleetfoot said as Sugarcoat held up a sealed vial with a blue fluid in it.

“I was able to get some that was there during tryouts,” Sugarcoat explained. “I hope your friend can find anything that could give us some answers about our powers.”

“I’m hoping the same thing,” Luna said.

“So, how’s the training going?” Fleetfoot asked.

“Small progress, so far,” Spitfire replied. “But there’s hope in this, that’s for sure.”

“Give us enough time to practice, and we might have these three ready for anything,” Luna explained.

“Dude, what about goth chick over there,” Lemon Zest asked, causing Chrysalis to respond with a mean stare.

“She’s been helping Twilight out with her training,” Luna said. “I still trying to decide what weapon she should focus on for her training.”

“Well, I have a couple of ideas on what fighting style she can work on after seeing her along side Twilight,” Spitfire said.

“Speaking of which, how do you plan on getting Rarity and Fluttershy to be part of the group,” Fleetfoot asked.

“We have a plan in place,” Twilight replied. “I’ve already asked Miss Luna and Photo Finish if they can help me in convincing Rarity to train with us. Miss Luna said that she has a certain weapon and fighting style that Rarity might enjoy.”

“And I plan to take Whiteblaze with me to Fluttershy’s place so that he can get a checkup,” Jack explained. “Coach Spitfire plans to join me and maybe get Fluttershy on board with something that would fit her surroundings.”

“Speaking of which, I still need to look into those blades that you have, Jack,” Luna said.

“No need to worry,” Chrysalis replied. “I’ll can bring those with me to Rarity’s place for him. You can look into them while you’re there. Coco will also be there as well.”

“By the way, I’m guessing that you have your players in place?” Sunset asked.

“The same four as before on the girls team,” Sugarcoat replied. “Plus some old and new faces on both teams. I’ll know more about the new ones as time goes by. What about your teams?”

“Me and Applejack are on board with Dash,” Sunset replied. “And we still have the same three guys on the boys team as planned. All six of us plan to do some practice tomorrow at the park, just to get us on the same page.”

“Speaking of boys,” Jack added. “How’s Long Shot doing?”

“He’s on the team as their captain,” Indigo replied. “But he’s not at full speed like I remember seeing him before. I’ve helped him on his recovery since you gave him that blow two weeks ago. But I don’t even sense any of that gift in him yet.”

“If there’s something in that drink that could be giving us these gifts, we should be seeing some development in him again like before. But it may be a week to know for sure,” Sugarcoat explained.

“Keep an eye on him,” Jack said. “If his gift comes back, I want to know. Somehow, Dark Star must still be trying to improve what they need to make their super soldiers.”

“So far, the pieces are starting to fall into place,” Twilight said. “Only one question. When will Dark Star strike?”

Sugarcoat replied. “That’s a good question. If I was to take a guess, they would be seeing how well our teams do after several games. And if the boys team isn’t as good as the girls, then-”

“Then, there could be a chance that they would be coming for me soon,” Jack finished. “And I won’t be able to detect them coming unless I see them from afar.”

“I was wondering about that as well,” Indigo said. “How can you sense a machine coming out of nowhere. You said that they were ninjas back in the temple raid. How could they be hiding in plain sight for us to see?”

“Well, Professor River Song is working on some new tools that could help us,” Luna said. “Let’s hope those help us out against them. Otherwise, all this training will be worth nothing against them.”

Ch. 9 - A Leaf in the Wind

It was Saturday morning, and Jack was transporting his white tiger, Whiteblaze, and Coach Spitfire to Fluttershy’s home in the woods. Fluttershy offered her time during the weekend to take a look at Whiteblaze to make sure he was fine since coming to Ponyville.

“This is the first time seeing Fluttershy’s house, right,” Spitfire said.

“Yea,” Jack replied.

“Would be nice to see how Rainbow Dash was able to help her have a home that she felt comfortable in. Dash was always protective of Fluttershy since they lived in Cloudsdale. I still remember it when I was Dash’s soccer coach.”

“Well, Dash didn’t do this alone, remember?” Jack reminded Spitfire.

“I know, I know.” Spitfire had some glances at the side mirror and started to get curious as to the white truck that was following them. “Is anyone else supposed to be meeting Fluttershy today?”

Sensing the concern in Spitfire’s soul, Jack replied, “What do you see?”

“A white truck following us. Can’t make out who’s driving?”

A grin came across Jack’s face. “Wave to them.”

Seeing that there was no concern in Jack’s voice, Spitfire lowered the window next to her and wave her hand. That was when she saw someone waving back at them for the passenger’s side of the truck.

“That must me Roseluck,” Jack said. “And the truck would be Bulk’s. He wanted to make something for his mother, and I offered to do so for him. Something that I used to do when I helped my mother out over the summer with her online business. I asked Roseluck to come along and bring some items from her nature club that I would need to make something that Bulk can fix later on.”

Spitfire was a bit surprised with what Jack was doing for Bulk.

“What? I used to do this myself to help me sleep. Couldn’t rely on candles at times,” Jack explained.

They finally arrived at Fluttershy’s log cottage. It wasn’t like any home that Jack has ever seen. The size was big enough to double as an animal clinic. There was even a chicken barn and fence around it with chickens. And parked in front of it was a small, old yellow van with a white top that Fluttershy would drive to and from school, along with a second van that was all green. Jack and Spitfire got out of their truck, and jack went to let Whiteblaze out from the back. Bulk’s truck parked nearby and he and Roseluck, with a bag, also got out.

“Surprised to see the place?” Roseluck said.

“I’ll say,” Spitfire replied. “The gang did a great job on the outside. Hope it’s the same on the inside.”

“Oh it is,” Roseluck said. “We like to work on projects for the nature club when we couldn’t do so at school. Even for floats for the school parade.”

“You brought the items I requested?” Jack asked Roseluck.

“That and a bit more, just in case.”

“Good.”

All of them started to walk up to the house. Roseluck knocked on the door, to which Fluttershy nervously answered.

“Oh. Um, hello. I didn’t expect that you were coming as well,” as she was referring to Spitfire.

“I figure I see the place for myself after Rainbow Dash and her friends were able to help out. So, can we come in?”

“Well, um… you see… it’s just…”

Fluttershy was trying to come up with an excuse for what was going on inside. But Spitfire started to catch on when she smelled something foul.

“What in the-” Spitfire forced herself inside to identify the smell, but Roseluck had an idea what it was.

“Bad time for her to be doing this.”

Jack wasn’t sure what she was talking about. “Who?”

“Tree Hugger.”

“Doing what?”

But that answer quickly came when Spitfire yelled, “TREE HUGGER! WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING!?”

“I believe the words, getting high, would answer that,” Roseluck said to Jack.

The others went inside to see Sandalwood sitting in one chair while Tree Hugger was on the couch with a colorful bong in her hand. Spitfire snatched the bong away from her.

“Hey. I was inhaling that.”

“I believe that you are too young to be doing this stuff.” Spitfire took a whiff and almost gagged at the smell. “That stuff is bad for you.” Jack went up and also too a whiff of what was in the bong and had the same reaction. “See. He can’t stand it as well.”

“Yea. You’re inhaling the wrong stuff,” Jack added.

“That’s right.” Spitfire then stared at Jack and said, “Wait. What did you just say?”

“She’s inhaling toxic materials.” Jack took the bong and went to the open kitchen nearby. “Roseluck, bring the items over here. I need something to crush them with. And I’ll need some hot water as well.”

Roseluck placed the items on the table and knew where the items were in Fluttershy’s home. She grabbed a small bowl and pestle grinder while Jack went to rinse off the bong. Jack then placed it on the counter and called Bulk over to show him how to crush the dry petals that Roseluck brought in the bowl. Roseluck went to work on the hot water with a kettle. Once it was hot, he was able to take the kettle and pour a bit of hot water into the bowl. He placed the kettle aside and went back to more crushing to blend it with the hot water. Once that was done, he poured it into the bong and handed it back to Tree Hugger to inhale. Spitfire was about to protest, but Jack raised his hand, asking her to wait. Once Tree Hugger inhaled the new product, her eyes were wide open, and a sense of pure energy went through her.

“Wow. This is better than what I used before.”

Spitfire had a look of confusing to what just happened, because what she started to smell was much better than before. “Can someone explain to me what just happen?”

Jack asked Spitfire, “Have you heard of potpourri?”

“Yes.”

“Well, what I just created was something like that from dried-up petals. I would use this to put in a small bowl of water and have a tea light candle underneath to warm up the water. The steam from the water fills the air and releases its own smell until the water runs dry. I used to do this when I didn’t have my usual candles to help me sleep. I just applied that to what she was doing.”

Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s all there is to that?”

“Well, there was another way to inhale it. Night Glider helped me with this process whenever we were sparring. Her grandfather was a smoker, but preferred pipe smoking than anything else. When he quit smoking due to his age, Night Glider wanted to keep the pipe to remember him, since she was close to her family, and he was the only grandparent that she knew. She never smoked. Just kept it in the box. So, she saw that I was stressing out, she learned about making potpourri that I learned from my mother. And decided to use it in a pipe for me to… inhale. I was hesitant at first, but after trying it, I started to have a clearer head and was able to focus better whenever I sparred with her. I think that whenever I’m stressed out, my powers don’t work as well as they use to. It was nothing toxic, just the pure stuff and proper work on it.”

“So, you used to… inhale whenever you were stressed so that your powers would work properly?” Spitfire asked.

“That’s right,” Jack replied. “Even Professor River Song was aware of this and learned about its benefits. She just made sure I didn’t do it in public. I’m going to have to go back to the old way now that I’m here.”

Sandalwood reacted to what he just heard. “Wow. That is like, deep, man.”

“If you do something like that just right, there is some benefits to it. But you need the right materials to do so and a lot of work. I’m just glad that I learned how to do this. All those summers helping out my mother for her online store has been quite helpful.”

“I really need to work with your mother sometime,” Roseluck recommended.

“YEAH! Me too,” Bulk added, which brought some stares towards him. “What. My mother likes potpourri as presents.”

“Is that why you came here?” Spitfire asked, to which Bulk nodded. “I feel like I need to get caught up in the loop.”

Everyone found a place to sit in the living room, except for Bulk and Fluttershy. Bulk decided to work on crushing his own dried petals, while Fluttershy went back to her examine room to grab her medical tools so that she can examine Whiteblaze.

“So, you ready for the Fall Harvest Festival?” Roseluck asked Jack.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. What is this Fall Harvest Festival about and why do they have it around Thanksgiving?” Jack asked. “I know that my father is working with the mayor on the setup in the town square. But I never heard anything about it.”

“I know I’ve heard a bit about it,” Spitfire said. “But I’ve been used to Cloudsdale’s local events. I know it involves the Apple family and Rich family in how they founded the town.”

“That’s right,” Sandalwood replied. “It was over a hundred years ago when members of the Apple family left Appleloosa to find new land to farm in. When they came here, they found small ponies living off the land. They believed that the land that they found was just right to live and farm on and started planting apple seedlings so that the trees would grow in about a year. When they finally had their first harvest, they were having a hard time collection the apples and finding a place to sell them. It was when one of the ponies came up to one of the trees and kicked it, knocking the apples on the ground. This sped up the process of collection the apples to sell.

“But they still needed to find a buyer to help sell the apples elsewhere. That was when they met a member of the Rich family who had connections to other big cities. He offered to help sell the apples to those cities, but needed help in transporting them. Turns out that the ponies were strong enough to carry the load of apples to the cities and helped out. After one successful harvest, people starting to move to the area and begin building what would become Ponyville. It was named after the strong ponies that lived off the land. But there haven’t been any sign of those kind of ponies living outside of the city and have believed to be lost.”

“And that’s why they hold the Fall Harvest Festival around this time?” Jack asked, to which Sandalwood nodded. “I guess they want to make sure this year is the best festival ever with my father’s help. He’s supplying the materials for the festival, with Mr. Fix-It’s approval.”

“Mr. Fix-It’s a generous man to do something like that,” Spitfire said.

“That’s his nature,” Jack responded. “He just believes that something good will come back to him later on, so long as they know who made the donation.”

“Whatever works,” Spitfire said.

Fluttershy finished examining Whiteblaze. “Well, looks like he’s in good health. I guess he was feeling depressed after you left Manehattan. How are you on food?”

“We just feed him a bowl of adult cat food once a day. And we keep an eye out for raw meat that’s on sale for him to chew on.”

“Good. I think cat food is suitable for tigers like him.”

Spitfire started to look around the inside of the house. She was impressed that the room around her was an open living room/dinner room/kitchen. “Looks like Rainbow Dash did a good job with this house.”

“Oh, thank you,” Fluttershy replied. “Applejack, Big Mac, and some of his friends helped with the work. And I have my own bedroom, a full bathroom, and another room to help check up on animals whenever they come in. It makes me feel right at home, even if it’s in the woods.”

“And they made sure every legal issue has been taken care of for her to live here,” Roseluck added.

“One less worry, that’s for sure,” Jack said.

That was when Spitfire found the opening that she needed to get Fluttershy on board with Twilight. “But do you feel… safe.”

“Of course I do,” Fluttershy replied. “I have my animal friends in the forest. And Rainbow Dash likes to check up on me.”

“How do you know for sure,” Spitfire said, trying to get her to start worrying.

“Oh, I’m confident of my surroundings.”

Somehow, Spitfire wasn’t getting her to break. But Jack decided to make a point.

“What if it’s the Dark Star Organization. We don’t know when they will show up. And there could be a chance that they would try to take someone else in hopes to lure me in.”

That started to make Fluttershy worry, but only for a moment before she could catch on to what they were scheming. “You’re just trying to get me to join you and practice on fighting like Twilight. Well it’s not going to happen.” She snubbed her nose at them.

“Well, there goes that idea,” Jack said.

“You know that she’s willing to protect her animals, but what you guys are facing would be a whole different game,” Roseluck explained.

“Speaking of which, what kind of training are you working on?” Bulk asked. “Are you trying to use your sword like some super samurai?”

Jack looked back at Bulk in the kitchen. “I wouldn’t go that far. But learning the remaining soul arts is part of my training. But our main focus will be to combat Dark Star without the use of weapons. So far, coach here has been teaching me the dragon style kung fu.”

“What about Twilight, Sunset, and Chrysalis?” Roseluck asked. “They were there as well.”

“I haven’t thought about what style to teach Chrysalis,” Spitfire replied. “But Sunset is learning the tiger style and Twilight the crane style.”

Now Fluttershy was curious. “You mean that there are animal fighting styles?”

“That’s right,” Spitfire replied. “It how the shaolin monks, like my master, train to protect themselves from outsiders that want to do harm. There are various fighting styles, but five of the animal styles are most common: Tiger, Dragon, Snake, Leopard, and Crane. There are other styles like mantis or monkey.”

“So your master was a shaolin monk? What was his name?” Jack asked.

“Master Copper Shield. Born and raised from Chineigh,” Spitfire replied. “And I’m sure you have heard of the 36th Chamber of Shaolin from various kung fu movies. Well that is where he learned the art. Monks there are allowed to leave that chamber to teach the outside world some of their teachings. It’s where he lives right now after retiring years from when Master Blades disappeared.”

“Was Master Blades from there as well?” Roseluck asked.

“No. He was from Japon, where he learned the art of the samurai. Both countries have different fighting styles and weapons. So we learned a lot from both nations and their histories.”

“So, what did they teach while at Equestria University?

“Master Shield majored in mathematics, while Master Blades focused of geology.”

“Do you think he would have known Master Blades’ gift?” Jack asked.

“I don’t think so. Last I heard when he retired was that he was returning to where he was trained to help out the elders there. I doubt they would even know about the soul society.”

Fluttershy was still curious about the animal styles. “Um, do you know what you plan to teach the others, like Rainbow Dash or Applejack?”

Spitfire gave this some thought. “Well, I’ll have to see how Flash, Soarin, and Dash do in basic training. Something that would involve speed or agility. Monkey, eagle, and leopard styles would do best. Maybe mantis style, but that’s more of a challenge from what I remember. Applejack is going to have to learn Iron Palm Style later on if we plan to take on any mechs, but my best guess would be the bear style, since it will involve strength. I’m not sure what would fit Pinkie Pie, since she’s unpredictable. I was hoping to teach you deer style. But if you’re not interested in it, then…”

“Deer style? You mean there’s a deer style?”

“Yes. It involves the use of the legs by kicking from behind. The hand would play a role like the antlers of a deer, but balance would be key to defending. You would be acting like how a deer would defend itself.”

Now it was Fluttershy who was doing the thinking. “Well, I know that deer would use their hind legs to kick their predators away. And the antlers are used for deer to challenge each other. I… guess it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

“I was hoping you would say that. If you’re done with Whiteblaze, then meet me outside and I’ll show you.” Spitfire got up and went outside.

“Well, there’s nothing I need to worry about with Whiteblaze, so… I guess I’ll go outside and join her.” Fluttershy went to put her medical equipment away before join Spitfire outside.

Roseluck just looked at Bulk and said, “You wanted to bring up the animal styles just to get her to give it a try, right?”

“Hey, Flash has told me how those girls were joined to the hip last year. I think Twilight could use the same help like before with what we’re dealing with,” Bulk explained. “I’m just glad that Jack and coach were able to catch on.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you did that,” Jack said as he got up. “Because Twilight could use all the help we can get. And I think Fluttershy has some untapped potential in her just waiting to come out.”

Everyone went outside to see Spitfire and Fluttershy at work. Spitfire started to show Fluttershy how to maintain balance on one foot while extending her leg horizontally in line with her body. After adjusting her balance, she started to learn how to execute a rear kick by lifting her leg up by the knee, then extending the leg out while bending forward. After working on that several times, Spitfire decided to find a thin piece of wood for Fluttershy to break.

“Alright Fluttershy. I want you to break this board with what I showed you.”

Fluttershy was a bit hesitant about doing this. “Are you sure? I mean, what if I can’t break it. What if I hurt myself in doing so.”

“It’s an old, thin piece of wood, Fluttershy,” Jack replied. “The weather would have made it weak to handle any kick.”

“Oh alright.” Fluttershy took a deep breath, then made a rear kick like before, breaking the board in the process. “I… I did it?”

“Yes you did.” Spitfire now went and grabbed two boards. “Now, I want you to break both boards at the same time.”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide open. “Really?” Seeing what she had to do, she took another deep breath, and kick the two boards together, breaking them. “I did it again.”

Now, Spitfire decided to grab three boards. These one were in better condition than the last one, but she wasn’t going to tell her. “Now, you’re going to break three boards.”

Fluttershy started to feel hesitant again. “Um, I… I don’t know… if I can.”

“What if it was someone who wanted to harm your animals,” Jack said to Fluttershy.

When she heard that, a change started to come from her. It was almost like what happened when they confronted Lightning Dust and her crew before their match-up with Crystal Prep. But this time, Jack can feel something coming from her.

‘What is this that I’m sensing? Is it coming from Fluttershy? It’s not the usual anger that I sense from most people. I’ve never felt this kind of power coming from someone. I wonder why.’

With one fierce kick, Fluttershy was able to break all three boards together. Everyone was either shocked or stunned at what they saw. Spitfire looked at the boards and saw that it was a clean break on all three boards.

“I knew you can do it,” Spitfire said. “Maybe with that kind of motivation, you can actually help Twilight out.”

Fluttershy started to become her old self again. “Well, I don’t know if-”

Spitfire quickly replied, “Oh come on. Don’t back out now.”

Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to do. But things started to change when Whiteblaze came up to her, rubbing on her leg, trying to get her to understand what’s at stake. She then looked at the doorway and saw her bunny, Angel, looking at her with sadden eyes. That was when she decided to make her choice. “I’ll do it. But… I don’t know if I can use a weapon like Jack can.”

“That’s already covered.” They looked to see Jack go to the back seat of his truck and pulled out a couple of paper like fans that Spitfire brought, displaying one in full effect.

Fluttershy was confused. “A… paper fan?”

“Not quite,” Spitfire replied. “These are practice fans. There are some paper fans that can be used to affect the vision of their opponent. But metal, or sharp fans are more likely used for battle. These practice fans are used to help in how to attack or defend, based on the type of fan that they would use.”

Jack brought the fans over and handed them to Spitfire. She took one fan and handed the other fan to Fluttershy.

“We’re going to work on how to use a fan for display, then how to defend with it. Once I feel confident in how you can use it, then we can plan to use it to fight back.”

Fluttershy replied, “Um, OK.”

Spitfire held her fan in her right hand and started to dance with it, allowing Fluttershy to mimic her moves. While that was going on, the others were just standing next to Jack’s truck, looking at the display. While it looked graceful, Roseluck was wondering the reasoning for this.

“So what can she use with just a simple fan?” she asked Jack.

“Actually, she will be working with two fans, once she’s ready. From what I know, it’s like a leaf. It might be beautiful at first, but it can be sharp, like a piece of paper when it can create a paper cut. And maybe down the road, she can use it to create a blast of wind, which can be used to put out a simple candle. There are possibilities in how she can use a fan for battle. It just depends on what she can do with them. Just watch.”

It was then that Spitfire increased her speed, displaying quick actions, to which Fluttershy was able to mimic. At times, the fan would be displayed in front of them with the fan pointing up, then down in quick fashion. Other times, it would be pulled back or to the side. As Fluttershy was in tune with Spitfire’s motions, Jack started to get that same feeling just like before.

‘There it is again. That same feeling. It’s like whenever she makes an effort in doing this, another side of her comes out. Something more… great. I wonder if she’s even aware of this?’

As it went on, what happened next caught everyone by surprised. Both of them rotated their bodies, displaying the fan in a full circle. But Fluttershy effort caused her to lose her grip of the fan, flying towards Jack. Jack was able to duck under it as it went by.

“Oh my. I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean to do that,” Fluttershy said.

“That’s OK. You were lost in the moment that you could have forgotten that it was in your hand,” Jack said.

But Jack didn’t expect what would happen next. The fan caught a breeze of wind while in the air, causing it to rotate the fan back at Jack’s direction, hitting him in the back of the head.

“Jack, are you OK?” Fluttershy said, concern at what just happened.

“No. I’m fine,” Jack replied, rubbing the back of his head. “Just didn’t see it coming.”

“I thought you can sense any attack coming,” Bulk said.

“Not unless it was planned,” Jack explained. “Fluttershy just lost her gripped and I just reacted by seeing it. But I couldn’t see it come back to me like that.”

“Can a fan do something like that,” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, come back like a boomerang?”

“It’s rare for it to do so, unless you’re skilled in it. I wonder…” Spitfire decided to take her fan and use it just like the ring blades by tossing it in the air, causing it to rotate in the process. The fan acted just like the ring blades and started to come back at her with the wind’s help. “It was slow, but it looks like the wind is needed to make it possible. I’ll have to look into it later on.”

“I just didn’t know I could do that,” Fluttershy said. “I guess it just… happened.”

That response sent Jack’s mind into motion.

‘It just… happened? I wonder…’ An idea came to mind, but he needed to see if it would work. “Coach, is there a way to repeat the process? I want to test something.”

“OK.” Spitfire took her fan, waited for the wind to come by, and tossed it at Jack. He ducked, letting it go by. The wind that Spitfire planned on coming brought the fan back, which Jack was able to catch it.

“Did you plan that?” Jack asked Spitfire.

“Yea. I knew I needed the wind to help and timed it right.”

Jack walked over to Fluttershy and handed both fans to her. “I want to do what you just did before. Don’t think. Don’t plan. Just do it.”

“Um, OK.” With Jack back in his usual place, Fluttershy went and threw the fan at Jack, to which he ducked, letting it go by. But the fan landed on the ground behind him.

“It didn’t come back,” Fluttershy said.

“Maybe there wasn’t any wind. Try the other one,” Jack said.

Fluttershy nodded and took the other fan and threw it at him. The same reaction happened before, but the fan was caught in the wind and started to fly back to Jack, hitting him in the back of his head again.

“Jack, I have a feeling there’s a reason for this,” Spitfire said.

“I think so,” Jack said. “And I think it could explain why I can’t sense an animal’s actions. Instinct.”

“What do you mean by… instinct?” Roseluck asked Jack.

“Coach Spitfire was able to plan her attack on me. Something that even Twilight would do. But what Fluttershy did was just by chance. She didn’t know she would lose her grip, of that it would come back to her. If I was distracted before she lost her grip, the fan could have hit me before I could see it. I think that might be the key piece we’ve been looking for when facing the Shadowbolts.”

“I think I understand,” Sandalwood said. “An animal knows when to hunt for food, but it just waits until it sees the chance to strike, waiting for that one moment. So, if you know who you plan to throw the ball to and they see that it would be coming their way, the Shadowbolts would know it and intervene. But just throw the ball anywhere, hoping that someone will come and grab it, then they couldn’t catch on before it’s too late.”

“Exactly,” Jack said.

“So, how do we plan to apply that to both basketball teams when we face them?” Bulk asked.

This got Spitfire thinking. “Let me fill that in with Twilight later on and see what she has in mind. It might take some time, but maybe we can come up with… something before the end of the season.”

“Since she works the plays, it might be best to leave it with her,” Jack said. “I would like to see this idea used during practice as well. See how I can react to just instinct alone.”

“That’s going to be a tall order to fill,” Spitfire said. “But, if they can hone in to their fighting talents, then they wouldn’t have to plan their attacks in the first place.”

“Um, if it’s OK, can I borrow the, um, fans for me to work on?” Fluttershy asked.

Spitfire said, “If you do, then I want you to do it with the right music to sync with, OK?”

Fluttershy nodded and made sure she grabbed both fans before going back inside, scooping Angel up. Roseluck and Bulk went back inside so that they can finish what they were working on.

“Well, I think we got Fluttershy on board,” Spitfire said. “Now if Luna and Twilight can do the same with Rarity, I think they can practice together on an equal level.”

“You think Fluttershy is up to this?” Sandalwood asked.

“Like, I believe so,” Tree Hugger replied. “In fact, I could see it in her.”

“You mean you can see her aura well?” Sandalwood asked, to which Tree Hugger nodded.

“Rrrriiiight,” Spitfire said, rolling her eyes. “I think you need to lay off the smoke for once.”

Tree Hugger protested. “I mean it. I could, like, see it from her when she kicked the three boards at once. And again as she was dancing with you with the fans like a mirror image. It was, like, strong.”

“Wait a minute. You were able to see a strong aura coming from her?” Jack asked.

“She’s been able to since we had that meeting last weekend,” Sandalwood replied. “But only when she is better focused.”

“Who else knows this?” Jack asked.

“Just Sandalwood,” Tree Hugger replied.

This got Jack thinking. “Interesting. For some reason, I was able to sense a strong power coming from her at those times. And it was something that I never even felt before. I just wish I knew what it was.”

“You don’t think Tree Hugger now has your gift?” Spitfire asked.

Jack quickly replied, “No. This is something different. And I think I might know what it is.” Jack went back into his truck to grab his cell.

“You’re not going to call Twilight now, are you?” Spitfire asked.

“Not really, since she’s working with Rarity. But I think Moon Dancer might still know the book by heart. And I think it was listed on the next page when I read about soul knowledge.” Jack placed a call on his cell. “Hello? Moon Dancer? This is Jack. How well do you know Star Swirl’s book? … Good, because I think we might have stumble across another one of its powers.”

Author's Note

Just so you know about the countries that have been called or will be called:
Japan -> Japon
China -> Chineigh
France -> Prance
Germany -> Germarey

Ch. 10 - A Diamond in the Rough

While Spitfire and Jack were busy getting Fluttershy on board, it was up to Luna and Twilight to do the same with Rarity. But they would have to take a different approach to make this happen. And they would need the help of one other student.

“Thanks, Photo Finish. I’m hoping you can help us with this task,” Twilight said as Photo got into the back seat of Luna’s car with her bag in tow.

“Nonsense. You need help with your problem. And I plan to deliver,” Photo replied as she patted her bag that she brought with her.

“Is that the set of photos that you showed me and Twilight before,” Luna asked as she finally put the car in gear.

“It iz,” Photo replied. “But I much ask. How do you plan to make her join? These photos might inspire her, but it will not convince her to join on ze spot.”

“Well, since I need new clothes for the samurai club in time for the Harvest Festival, she said that she would be willing to help out,” Luna explained. “She just need some ideas that could inspire her, and I’m hoping that your photo book would help as well. I just have to explain to her what’s going on in each photo.”

“But that would not be enough to convince her,” Photo replied.

“Look at the floor next to you,” Luna said.

Photo Finish looked and saw something wrapped in a gray cloth. When she picked it up and revealed the item, she took a quick glance and had an idea what she was looking at. “Is this-”

“It is,” Luna quickly replied. “I’m hoping that it would help inspire her to make the clothes I need for Jack, Sunset, and Applejack, with the use for combat.”

Photo Finish wrapped it back up and placed it on the floor. “Most impressing. You are brilliant.”

“Let’s just hope our plan works,” Twilight said.

When the group finally came up to Rarity’s house and parked by the curb, Twilight looked over to the cars parked in the driveway.

“Looks like Coco is here as well,” Twilight said.

“Well, she was bringing Chrysalis over here with the blades that Jack has been holding,” Luna explained.

All three of them grabbed their own bags and got out of the car. Luna went to the back seat and grab the wrapped item that she brought with her. All three of them went up to the door and rang the doorbell. It wasn’t long until Rarity opened the door to greet them.

“Miss Luna. I’m glad that you could make it.” Rarity looked over to see the others with her. “Twilight. Photo. I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Photo’s here to help with the new clothes for the Harvest Festival,” Luna explained. “She has a photo book that might help give you some ideas.”

“And I was hoping you could make some adjustments to my uniform that you made me for my training,” Twilight added. “It’s a bit tight in some places.”

“Oh my,” Rarity replied in shock. “Please, come in,” she said, waving them inside.

All three of them went inside before Rarity could close the door. They took off their jackets and hanged them on the wall hooks nearby before making their way to Rarity design room, where Coco and Chrysalis were working.

Chrysalis was the first to respond. “Miss Luna. It’s nice to see you.”

“Same here,” Luna replied. She looked around and asked, “Is Sassy around?”

“Oh no,” Rarity replied. “She’s taking the week off to visit family for the Thanksgiving holidays. She does deserve it anyway.”

“Good.” Luna replied. “Did you bring Jack’s blades?”

Chrysalis nodded and went to grab the case that held both blades. Luna and Photo Finish went to a nearby table and sat down, while Twilight got out her clothes and handed them to Rarity to be worked on. Chrysalis laid the case on the table, allowing Luna to open it and remove both katanas from the case.

“Tea?” Rarity asked the others. “I just made a fresh batch for us.”

“If you will, please,” Luna replied.

Rarity laid the clothes on a tall table before going to the kitchen. After a moment, she came back with a jug of warm tea and several tea cups. She poured the tea into each cup for the others to take. Luna was the first to take a sip and was pleased with the result.

“Rarity, you do know how to make a fine cup of tea.”

“Why thank you,” Rarity said. “Perhaps you could interest me in some green tea in the future? I’ve always wanted to try some of that.”

“I think I have some back in the house. I’ll remember to bring them to school Monday,” Luna said.

Luna put down her cup and went to grab Masamune first. She started by lightly hitting the handle, loosing it so that she could remove it to reveal the inscription within. Then she pulled the rest of the blade out and laid it on the table. She did the same thing with Muramasa and laid it next to the other. She took a look at each inscription on one side, then flipped them over to find the other inscription.

“So what is it that you are looking for,” Twilight asked as she sat down next to Luna.

“Anything that could explain if they were the last katanas that were made,” Luna explained. She flipped them back over to show the first inscription. “While each blacksmith has their own style, which is shown on the blade, they would add their name and the date of when it was made. The ones on this side translate ‘Masamune’ and ‘Muramasa’, which mean that they were the makers of these blades. On the other side-” She flipped each blade over. “-show the date, most likely by the era, year, and date. But I can’t find any positive proof that they were truly the last blades that were ever made, or that they would be used for the challenge.”

“How would you know what they would be used for?” Rarity asked.

“I remember Professor Digger telling me about that,” Coco said. “Sometimes, they would add a message of what it would be used for. Sometimes as a sign of who they would be protecting. Other blacksmiths would add symbols on it to show that it would be used for a challenge. Professor Digger would ask for an expert on the language to help translate and explain where and when it was made.”

“I’m glad that you learned that from him,” Luna said. “They would have inscribe a message saying that they would only use them for their challenge alone. But there’s nothing that would say that.”

Rarity walked up to the blades and picked up Masamune by the exposed handle.

“Be careful with that,” Luna said.

“Oh I will,” Rarity replied. “I just don’t understand why most of it is shiny, but this part looks like a mess.”

“If you see the hole at the end, that’s proof that it wasn’t cut short,” Luna explained. “As for the blade, it takes a lot of work to forge, then glaze before it can be perfected. Otherwise, the blade would easily break. The handle is use to hold while doing the rest of the process. It wasn’t made to be all shiny.”

Rarity, understanding this, started to lay the blade back on the table. But her hand nearly slipped, making contact with Muramasa, causing a slight glow to come from them.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” Rarity said.

“It’s fine. But…” Luna was curious about the strange glow that only happened for a small time. She looked closely at each blade and could see a faint sign of dried blood on them. “If only he kept the blades clean,” Luna said to herself. That was when something came to mind.

It’s possible that there are other steps in awaking them.

“Could it be…” Luna had to be sure. So she decided to put the sharp end of the blades next to each other when the blood marks were located. Once contact was made, both of them started to glow. Everyone was staring at the glow coming from them, allowing Twilight to react.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. But-” Luna stopped when a new inscription appeared on both handles, replacing the old ones.

“What does it say?” Twilight asked Luna.

“Let me see.”

If you wish to bond with the blades
Then find the keys to set us free

At that moment, the blades stopped glowing, and the inscription disappeared.

“What does it mean?” Rarity asked.

“I’m not sure. But I think the souls of Masamune and Muramasa were just talking to us,” Luna explained.

“Then, these must be the last blades that were created by them,” Coco said.

“And if that’s the case, then the story that you learned from Master Blades is true,” Twilight said. “They must have been dueling with these before their souls were transferred into them.”

Coco said, “Then, if it was Starlight Glimmer who was at the museum to look for them, and she works with the Dark Star Organization, then-”

“Then, finding weapons that contain souls would be needed to complete their goal,” Luna explained. “Someone who has that gift could be able to unlock that soul’s power from within the weapon. But somehow, they need a key to unlock it.”

“What could that key be?” Chrysalis asked.

“I’m not sure,” Luna replied. She started to put all the parts of each katana back together and placed them back in the case, closing it in the process. “I think it would be best to hold on to these for now on.”

“I have to agree,” Twilight said. “If Dark Star is looking for these weapons, then having them in Jack possession would make it easier to complete their goal.”

“And with Jack being in the spotlight, and the fact that he had the blades displayed during the knight’s challenge, they would also know that he now carries them,” Coco added. “I was afraid of this.”

“You still think that issuing the challenge wasn’t worth the risk, right,” Chrysalis asked, to which Coco nodded. “We knew what needed to be done. And now that the wheels are set in motion, we have to keep on going if we hope to find the answers that we seek.”

“Once we find out where Dark Star is located and what their motives are, then we can take action to taking them down,” Luna added. “Until then, we take it one step at a time.”

Rarity decided to change the subject. “Well then. How about we focus more on what you need for the Harvest Festival. Maybe get our mind off of these things and more on promoting the samurai club for the school. Now, show me what you have in mind for me to look at.”

Luna agreed and took the case off the table and to the side so that Photo Finish can display her photo book. She opened it up and went straight to the photos of the people who were using weapons in a dance like format. Rarity’s eyes went wide open at the designs of clothes that each person was wearing.

“Oh my. These are simply marvelous. Where were these taken?”

“At a martial arts tournament years ago,” Photo replied. “I was on assignment with my father there. These were taken during the dance stage.”

Rarity was a bit surprised. “You mean there was dancing in martial arts?”

“It was one of four events in the team competition,” Luna explained. “One followed a person’s skill with a weapon, while another was a sacred dance with another weapon, like a thin sword or a paper fan. The other two focus on strength by breaking a stack of cement blocks and competing against an opponent in one-on-one combat. Everything was scored on a point system for the team.”

“Did you compete in one of these?” Rarity asked.

Luna nodded. “Both me and Spitfire competed for the club. She took part in the one-on-one combat, while I was assigned for the sacred dance.”

“And what did you use for your dance?” Rarity asked, allowing Luna to lay on the table the wrapped item.

“This.” Luna unwrapped the item to reveal what looked like a sabre in its case. “We called it the twin sabres.”

“Twin sabres?” Rarity said, looking confused. “But there’s only one sword in its case.”

“Are you sure about that?” Luna got up and took the sabre out of its case before walking to an open area in the room. At first, she swung the sabre around her until she had it pointing forward with one hand. Then she slight loosen the grip, causing another sabre to fall into her other hand. “It can be used as one weapon or two. But because of the thin blades, it would be stronger to use them together. Otherwise, they can be more flexible during battle by themselves.”

“I see,” Rarity replied. “Did they come from Master Blades’ belongings?”

“No. It was a gift from Master Copper Shield, Spitfire’s master,” Luna explained, putting the sabres back on the table before sitting down. “He was much younger that Master Blades. When me and Spitfire started attending college, she went with the karate club while I went with the kendo club. But when it started to look like the numbers were declining and finding the time and space to practice was becoming a problem, Spitfire went to Master Shield and recommended merging both clubs and working together. This combined cultures from both Chineigh and Japon, since there were some similarities between the two.”

“And that would be why you competed in the martial arts tournament, no?” Photo asked.

“It was,” Luna replied. “Our first year and a joined club became the first year to compete in that tournament. And our team won second place on our first year. The winning team congratulated us and hoped that next year would be more of a challenge for both teams to win.”

“So what happened the next year?” Rarity asked.

“We won first place next year and the year after that. But… those years didn’t feel like the first year we competed. The winning team withdrew the next year for personal reasons, then came back the follow year. But that time, they weren’t the same like before. So we decided to withdraw what would be our fourth year so that others can enjoy winning for their own teams without having to worry about competing us. Me and Spitfire would later step aside from the club for others to take a role in the tournament the next following years while we finish up with college classes. Since then, the club focused on performing than competing in tournaments.”

“Did Master Shield knew about Master Blades’ gift?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t think so,” Luna explained. “Even when Professor Star Swirl disappeared and Master Blades retired, Master Shield took over the club with new masters to help out before he decided to retire so that he could help out back in his hometown in Chineigh.”

“Did he show up at Blades’ funeral?”

“No. Spitfire told me that he was working back in the shaolin temple where he trained before moving to the states to be a math professor and martial arts instructor. I could only guess that word of Blades’ passing would be hard to deliver to him where he was at, so I can understand if he didn’t show up. Shaolin monks would be cut from the outside world, unless they were selected as a traveling monk to teach and help others, which he was back then.”

“It would be nice to meet him,” Rarity said. “He must have been a generous man to help others outside of the temple.”

“He wasn’t just generous, but was the fastest to learn all the shaolin teaching in a faster time than any other monk there,” Luna explained. “He told us that when he was allowed to select one of the temple chambers, he elected to revive the 36th chamber, which allowed him to journey outside the temple walls.”

“I heard that there were many challenges to pass to become one of those kind,” Coco said.

“I believe that was true,” Luna explained. “While we never learned all of his teaches, since certain items would be needed to make it possible, and the fact that most students wouldn’t be able to handle the brutal work that would be needed to learn it all, we did learn the basic training styles and select styles that would fit each one of us. Hopefully, Spitfire will come up with other training style for the others in our group.”

“While it would still be nice to meet him, I for one would not want to face that kind of intense training that he would give,” Rarity said as she got up and collected the empty cups.

“I’m sure he could find a style that would be right for you,” Luna explained. “I was hesitant at first to accept this style of dance for the tournament, since I wanted to compete in the weapon display by using the bo staff, but that task was given to Spitfire with the nunchuck. But after working with him in this, I was able to learn something new that I never knew existed. That’s why he gave these sabres to me as a going away present. I use the summer nights to practice with them while school was out, since it was the only way I could maintain my focus and clear my head after the stressful months of working at CHS.”

As Rarity took the cups back to the kitchen, Twilight leaned up to Luna and whispered, “Think she’ll join us still?”

“I’m not sure. But I think you might have need to convince her.” Luna gazed at Twilight’s uniform, to which Twilight was able to catch on and nodded back.

Rarity came back into the room asking, “So, what would be a good idea about what would help for the festival with the photos that you have already?”

Luna took a moment to think about this. “Well, I’m sure that Jack and AJ would be able to display their physical talents like before when they duel in the workout room.”

“Oh I still remember that day,” Twilight said. “It was the only way for Applejack to get a date for the dance.”

“Oh I remember her telling me that,” Rarity said. “She wasn’t pleased with the outcome at the time. But I can understand the reasoning for his actions now. I just wish she would go up to him and just ask the question. That’s all she needed to do.” She let out a sigh. “Well, there’s the spring homecoming next year. Maybe she’ll finally get her chance by then, if the right boy came around. Anyway, would they be the only ones on display?”

“Well…” Luna took a moment to think about it. “I want to have Sunset do her part, but I’m not sure how?”

“Why not have Jack and Sunset go against each other,” Chrysalis recommended. “Maybe it will be a good test of their soul link powers.”

“I like the idea,” Twilight replied. “As long as the process is kept in secret, it would be a way to learn more about how it works. They just need to know the same style, and it should be second nature to them.”

“You might be right, since you were the one who gave the idea yesterday about them,” Luna said. “Maybe I could have Applejack go against Spitfire in hand to hand combat, and have Jack and Sunset battle with a bo staff.”

“A bow staff?” Rarity asked, raising he eyebrow.

“Bo. B. O. It’s like a quarter staff,” Coco explained.

“Oh, I see. Like the staff that one guy uses in Robin Hood,” Rarity said.

“Yea. Like that one,” Coco replied.

“Well then…” Rarity took a moment to think about it. “Maybe something without sleeves?” Then she shook that idea out. “No, no, no. They would be getting too cold at this time of the season.” Another idea came into mind. “Maybe big sleeves instead, right?”

“That could be a problem if you were using a staff,” Coco recommended.

Rarity looked at her and said, “Well, how would you know, Coco. It’s going to be getting colder when the festival comes around, and they will be outside. I’m sure what I made for them wouldn’t work for an event like this. Unless I can figure out how to fix the sleeves. I do need to fix Twilight’s uniform.”

Twilight knew she found the opening she needed. “Why don’t you try using Miss Luna’s weapons to get a feel of it with your own arms. Then you can figure out how they would use something like that. I am using a grip like those, not to mention the fact that I have to swing with my arms to throw.”

“Well…” Rarity took a moment to think about it before she started to catch on to their act. “Oh no, dear. I’m not going to fall for it. If you think you’re going to get me to train with you and the others, then you can forget about it.” She crossed her arms and snubbed her nose in the air.

“Rats!” Twilight replied. “I almost had it.”

Rarity looked back at her and said, “Trust me Twilight. I’m not a fighter like Applejack or Rainbow Dash. I’ll make the clothes, but nothing more.”

Now Twilight felt defeated. “I hope Jack has better luck with Fluttershy.”

“Oh? I doubt she’s going to fall for the same trick that you tried to do to me,” Rarity replied. “It’s just not going to work.”

“Hey! Not only do I have to learn how to throw some bladed discs, but I have to learn some kind of… crane style of fighting,” Twilight snapped back. “It’s not easy when you feel tight in all the wrong places.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Crane style? What does that have to do with fighting?”

“It’s one of the five main animal styles of fighting,” Luna explained. “There’s tiger, leopard, snake, crane, and dragon. There are other animal styles of fighting, but these are the main styles that most shaolin monks train in. It was something that I learned from Master Shield.”

“Coach Spitfire said that it would allow me to mimic the animal and how they were able to attack or defend themselves,” Twilight explained. “I had to keep my knees together while my feet apart and my arms spread out like wings.”

“She’s right about that,” Chrysalis added. “I went and mimic what she was doing, and it wasn’t easy.”

“If that’s the case, then why don’t you work on her clothes instead,” Rarity replied.

“I don’t have that much experience in detail fashion the way you do,” Chrysalis replied. “I can draw the ideas, but making the adjustments for someone else is still new to me.”

“Rarity? You always know how to make the dress that feels just right for the person who wears it,” Coco explained. “You even try to find every detail that is also needed so that the wearer doesn’t complain about it. And Twilight is complaining about hers. At least try to mimic what she could be doing so that you can find out what you need to do to make the clothes better for her.”

Rarity, understanding her fashions habits, gave in. “Fine. I’ll do it. But don’t think for one second that I’m going to join your group of trainees.” She grabbed the sabres and felt the weight of it. She wanted to move it around, but noticed that there wasn’t enough room to do so at the moment. “This will not do. I simply going to have to try this outside. Let me grab my coat.”

“Hold on there,” Twilight said. “I don’t wear coats when I’m practicing. I doubt that’s going to help in my case.”

“And what do you expect me to use while outside? It’s a bit chilly out there,” Rarity said.

“Use my jacket,” Chrysalis said. “It should be easier to work with for now.”

“You mean that green old jacket you always keep around?” Rarity asked, to which Chrysalis replied with a mean stare. “Alright, alright. I’ll use that thing outside. Coco, grab my notepad.”

While Chrysalis and Photo Finish stayed inside, the others grabbed their jackets and went outside to the backyard. Rarity went into the center of the backyard where it was more open. She started to swing the sabres in various directions and explaining to Coco what details would be needed for the adjustments. She thought that just basic swings would be enough to work with, but Twilight wasn’t satisfied with what she would be doing.

Seeing this, Rarity knew that she would have to go the extra mile to satisfy Twilight. She started to swing and rotate more, finding details that would also be needed. It wasn’t long before she started to get carried away with her research and slowly enjoyed playing with them. She was displaying side swings, full circle swings, and also rotating her body with the sabres stretched out. It became more of an art to her than just fighting. But the style that she was displaying was all too familiar to Luna.

“That style. Is that the… shark fin style?”

But Twilight experienced something different from Rarity. It was something that she never experienced in her life.

“What is this feeling that I’m sensing? It feels… strong. Positive. Pure. Could I… could I carry this same gift as Jack?” Twilight shook her head. “No. It only works on negative energy. This is much different. Maybe… the realm of souls? The tree of harmony? Could something like this have a part? This is just… strange.”

Rarity started to feel tired and stopped what she was doing, and that energy that Twilight sensed faded away.

“Wow! That was… tiresome, but fun,” Rarity said.

“Rarity, where did you learn how to do that?” Luna asked.

“I don’t know,” Rarity replied. “It just… felt fun. Why?”

“That style you just displayed what the same style that Master Shield taught me,” Luna explained. “The Shark Fin style.”

“What is that?” Twilight asked.

“It’s more of an aquatic style of fighting, relying on moving like a shark on land.” She went up to Rarity and asked for the sabres, to which she agreed. Luna went up to one end of the backyard and bend forward with her head facing forward and her arms straight out, but lower, allowing the tip of the sabres to touch the ground. Then she started to run forward, dragging the sabres with her. She lifted her right arm and started to turn left. Then she swung her right arm forward, lifting her left arm and rotating her body in a full circle before striking the sabres to the ground.

Twilight was surprised. “Wow! That was great. Just like how a shark moves in the ocean as it hunts for food.”

“That’s right,” Luna replied as she rejoined the others. “It relies on speed in order to strike. Plus, if done on sand, you can use it to blind your enemy. Those who don’t have the strength to attack with most weapons or fist would use this style to affect your opponent in combat. The main key in this is to relax and let it happen.”

“Is that… is that something that can be taught?” Rarity asked.

“I thought you didn’t want to take part in any of this?” Twilight said.

“It’s just… felt fun, that’s all,” Rarity hesitantly replied.

“It can be fun if it’s used as a dance,” Luna explained. “But it takes a lot more if used in combat. I do remember most of the shark fin teachings that were given to me, so I might be able to teach you that style, if you’re interested.”

“Well…” Rarity took a moment to think about this. She knew if she went along with this, she would have to go through the same training as the others. But doing this gave her a better idea as to what Jack and Sunset would also go through as well. And if Jack was in the spotlight, he would need to be ready, in case the worse happens. “I guess it would help get an idea for your club. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are going to be a part of the club, so they would also need something to wear without them complaining. Alright, I’ll do it.”

“That’s the spirit,” Luna said. “And you don’t have to worry about the two girls’ uniforms now. I hope to fully bring them in to training next semester. For now, they plan to watch during the Harvest Festival. It will be just Jack, Sunset, and Applejack with me and Spitfire for the performance.”

“I see. And since I have a better idea, I can work on new uniforms for the performance.” At that moment, an idea came to Rarity’s mind. “That it! I just have a new idea for Sunset and Applejack to wear in the future. I have to draw it now before I forget. Coco, we have work to do.”

“Coming Rarity.”

Rarity and Coco went back inside, but Coco stopped for a moment and looked back to the others, giving a wink before going inside.

“Well, looks like we got her on board. I hope Jack and Spitfire do the same with Fluttershy.” Luna Luna looked at Twilight and noticed that something was on her mind. “Something wrong?”

“I… don’t know,” Twilight said. “It’s just that… maybe it’s just me, but for a moment, I felt… something. Like…”

“Like pure energy coming from Rarity?”

Twilight looked at Luna and was surprised. “You mean you felt it too?”

Luna nodded. “It was strong, and pure. And there had to be a reason we felt it.”

“Could it be related to our time in the realm of souls? Or even the tree of harmony?” Then another idea came to mind. “Maybe it’s related to this awakening that Jack told us about.”

Luna placed her hand on her chin. “Good question. I’ll have to talk to Master Blades about this. Until then, we don’t talk about this to anyone. Even Jack and Sunset.”

“Why?” Twilight asked, only to understand why. “Oh, I see. They would have to experience something like this for themselves. Otherwise, our we can’t prove our theories about what we experienced.”

“You catch on quick,” Luna said. “But since you brought it up, I would like to know more about this awakening. And if what we have in the school library has anything to say about it, then I want to know how this process works, before Dark Star catches on to us.”

Ch. 11 - Sour Rage. Sunset Rises.

Sunset Shimmer was at the basketball courts at the park, facing off against Flash Sentry while bouncing the basketball on the court. Rainbow Dash was having to deal with Soarin while Applejack was dealing with Thunderlane in a game of 3-on-3.

“What’s wrong, Sunset. Afraid to make a move?” Flash said, taunting her.

Sunset maintain her composure and started to shift left, which Flash was able to follow suit, only to to shift right with the ball and made her way to the basket. Flash was quick to react, but so was Rainbow Dash. Sunset saw the opening and passed the ball to Dash. Dash started to move towards the basket, but Soarin was able to get in her way as she shot the ball towards the basket. The ball bounced off the backboard, but Thunderlane and Applejack were both quick to react by jumping up and reaching the ball. Applejack was able to outreach Thunderlane and tip the ball in the basket.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

A single clap came from the bench near the court that they were playing at. “Good job, girls,” Gilda said.

Thunderlane grab the ball and passed it to Soarin. This time, Sunset went up to guard him, while Dash started to guard Flash. Applejack stayed on Thunderlane due to their similar height.

Soarin said to Sunset, “Alright, let’s see what you can do now.”

Soarin bounced the ball to the right, which Sunset was able to keep pace. So he moved back to the left, which she was still able to keep on him. He then decided to go back to the right, staying in three point range, and decided to make the shot. But Applejack was able to reach high enough and swat the ball away from the basket. The ball slowly bounced away from the court and landed in front of the shoes of a girl at the gate entrance.

“Nice one, cowgirl,” Sour Sweet said. “Like to see you do that when you face us.”

Indigo Zap was quick to slap Sour Sweet in the back of the head. “Knock it off, Sour.”

“I’m just trying play the part,” Sour replied. “What if someone is watching?”

“Sour dearie. We would be aware of it,” Sunny Flare replied.

“Dude! Indigo and Jack are good friends. And just about everyone knows it,” Lemon Zest added. “So just chill.”

Sour went up to Lemon and said, “Don’t tell me to just chill.”

“Hey Sunny. Is she still taking her meds?” Gilda asked. “Because if she isn’t, I’m sure the boys can make sure of that.”

“What, these losers?” Sour pointed to the three boys on the court.

“I think she means the other boys,” Sunset said.

Sour took a moment before she realized what they meant. She went into her bag and pulled out bottle of pills and a water bottle, got a pill out and took it into her mouth and taking a gulp of water to sallow the pill.

Sunny said, “Dearie, stop skipping on your meds…” and went up to Sour’s face, “and I will be forcing them in your mouth.” Sour simply smiled and nodded.

“Remind me not to get on her bad said,” Applejack said.

“Trust me. You don’t.” Indigo walked up to Applejack and said, “That was some nice jumping you have there. They got you on center for the team?”

“Eeyep.”

“Not bad. Gift or no gift, I could use the challenge.”

“What? No high jump powers to help the team?” Applejack asked sarcastically.

“You know how I hate to soul shift,” Indigo replied strictly.

Applejack crossed her arms. “I would figure that with those powers of yours, you could do whatever you want on the court.”

“There are still limitations to our powers from what we know,” Sunny replied. “And we’re still trying to figure out what else we can do.”

Sunset looked around and noticed that one girl was still missing from the group. “Speaking of which, where’s Sugarcoat?”

“She’s busy trying to move anything with just her mind,” Sour explained.

Sunset nodded in agreement. “Twilight told me and Jack about this. Something about bending reality to a person’s will. We’re not sure if that’s even possible.”

“Dude, they’ve done it in the movies,” Lemon said.

“But that’s just it. It’s a movie,” Dash replied. “This is real life.”

“But still, there’s are some things we don’t know about these powers,” Sunset replied before she looked at her scar on her hand. “Not to mention the fact that there are bound to be new powers that we don’t even know.”

“Well, we have to just leave it to Twilight and Sugarcoat to find those answers,” Applejack said.

Everyone started to make their way to the bench where Gilda was at so that some of them could rest.

“So, how’s Long Shot doing?” Flash asked Indigo.

“Yea. We know he got banged up a couple of weeks ago. And that he’s on the boys team,” Thunderlane added. “But is he his own self again?”

Indigo took a moment to get her thoughts in order. “Well, he’s doing better. Enough to help lead the team. But…”

“But he doesn’t have his gift like before, right?” Flash said, which Indigo nodded.

“Hey, maybe our boys team will have a better chance this time,” Dash responded.

“That’s not what I meant,” Flash snapped back. “Long Shot has been working on EU’s full time scholarship just as hard as I have. Image what would happen if it started to go downhill real fast.”

Sunset just looked at Flash with pure worry. “Flash. What’s gotten into you?”

“Sorry. It’s just… Ever since I wanted to get into sports, Shining Armor told me about how he was working hard for EU’s biggest scholarship, which he shouldn’t have that much of a problem to get this spring. He even brought it up yesterday after school. Back then, Twilight was helping me out with my classes that I had problems with. And when I was able to play in sports, I was able to play in football, basketball, and baseball. I heard about the scholarship not just from Shining Armor, but from Long Shot himself before baseball season came to an end during the spring. I knew that if I was going to earn that scholarship, I had to work just as hard as he did. And I also knew I would also have to take a big role in leadership. That might be a bigger challenge now that Jack’s on the football team. But if Long Shot isn’t like he used to be, then… well…”

“I think I understand,” Indigo replied. “I keep telling him that he’s still trying to recover from that hit that Jack gave him. But if he’s not back to his old self, gift or no gift, then I don’t even know what excuse I should tell him. I just don’t want his dreams of earning that scholarship to be crushed so easily if I told him that he was just some test subject.”

“I have to agree with you there,” Applejack added. “Long Shot seems like a good boy who just got caught up in this mess the same way you girls are. It’s hard to know what he would have been if he wasn’t exposed to that stuff that Dark Star has been issuing.”

Sunset started to think about all this and had an idea of what could happen next. “I think I’m getting an idea about all this. If Long Shot isn’t like what he used to be, and Flash becomes the better athlete then him, That could also raise red flags with Dark Star. Have you figured out if any other players on both basketball teams have similar gifts?”

“We’re not sure at the moment,” Sunny replied. “Sugarcoat still needs time, and research, to find out who has it and who doesn’t.”

“What about during tryouts?” Soarin asked. “Wouldn’t you have sense it in some way?”

“We were… having some problems there,” Sour replied.

“Emotions were becoming more mixed when tryouts were going on,” Indigo explained. “I think what happened after the championship game had some effect on the school. Everyone trying to make the team this season, or those returning, were on everyone’s mind. Maybe we’ll have a clearer idea when the Crystal Harvest Tournament happens after Thanksgiving.”

“At least we know that Lightning Dust doesn’t carry any special powers,” Dash said. “And Jack was able to prove that months ago.”

“Not to mention that she’s not on your team this year,” Gilda added.

“She may not be part of the school much longer,” Sour explained.

“Why’s that?” Applejack asked.

“Rumor has it that she could be getting expelled soon,” Lemon explained.

Rainbow Dash started to go on the defensive. “Hold on. Expelled? Seriously? I don’t even recall CPA even expelling a single student in over 25 years. And what Lightning Dust did wasn’t legally a crime, since it was handled by the Knight’s code. Otherwise, that would make them look bad. Why would they go that route?”

“I was wondering that myself,” Sunny explained. “I don’t know if they needed an excuse to blame someone for losing the championship game back then. And Brick Wall wouldn’t do because his family is working on their move out of the city. So the transfer request has already gone through and will be complete at the end of the semester.”

“But right now, all that we’re hearing is just a rumor,” Indigo added. “Coach Fleetfoot is trying to look into it right now. But the only other reason they would avoid it to go public is to transfer her to another school. And CHS is the only other school in the neighborhood to attend.”

“If that was to happen, I’m sure Principal Celestia would know about it,” Applejack explained. “For now, we just need to get our game together if we plan to make it to the nationals in the spring.”

“Say Sunset. What position are you playing on the team?” Lemon asked.

“Forward and Guard.”

“WHAT!?” Sour replied in shocked. “You too?”

Sunset stared at Sour, saying, “What’s wrong? Nervous?”

“Nervous!?” Sour replied. “If they put you on the same court as Cloudy Kicks, then we might as well be screwed.”

“Dearie. We won’t be as long as you can keep your head in the game like we tell you to,” Sunny replied.

“How in the heck am I’m supposed to know what role she’s trying to play when we play them,” Sour explained.

“Because there are times you don’t think with a clear head,” Indigo explained. “And since you have your anger issues at times, no doubt it clouds your senses when that happens.”

“She does bring up a good point,” Applejack added. “We know that anger is one weakness to using your gifted powers. I’m just surprised that you still kept that perfect record in basketball.”

“Only because we would have to bench her when she takes the foul count up too soon on herself,” Lemon said, referring to Sour.

“And don’t go arguing about it, dearie, because she’s right about that,” Sunny added.

Sour wanted to argue about it, but gave up because the other girls were right about that. Her bipolar like condition was a part of that.

“Besides, Sunset and Applejack have been working hard to prepare for the girls team and the Fall Harvest Festival with this new samurai club,” Sunny continued. “And somehow, that’s no easy feat.”

“You got that right, sugarcube,” Applejack replied.

“Miss Luna and Coach Spitfire want to get the samurai club going in our school,” Sunset explained. “While this is a way for me and Jack to go through our special training, it’s also a way to teach some discipline with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”

Applejack let out a small chuckle and said, “Silver Spoon shouldn’t be a problem. But Diamond Tiara? She’s got a lot more to learn, even if she she stood up to her mother due to that social status stunt. And I think some discipline will do the job.”

“It’s a good thing I did some looking up on the club.” Sunny Flare started to go through her bag.

“And here we go,” Indigo said. “Since I’ve been talking to Sunny about the scholarship programs at EU, she came across the college’s samurai club and started looking up more about it.”

“Would this have to deal with Master Blades?” Sunset asked.

Indigo sighed and answered, “It does.”

“I hope you don’t mind, dearie, but I needed the distraction,” Sunny replied.

“And you thought I was crazy,” Sour said. “She’s been worried about how her mother has been acting lately.”

“Please. Can we not talk about my mother for once.” Sunny finally pulled out some papers that she had printed out. “Look. We know that Master Blades was gifted like Jack. And he went to Professor Star Swirl when the temple fell. I saw that the samurai club was founded by him and another master from the former karate club before the merger happen. His name was Copper Shield, who is known as a shaolin monk.” She pointed to the picture of a young bald man in a robe with beads and six dots on his forehead. “He came to the states around the same time as Master Blades, but was from Chineigh instead of Japon.”

“Aren’t shaolin monks known to keep to themselves in temples to train and worship,” Dash asked.

“They are, dearie. But he was known to be part of what they called the 36th chamber of shaolin.”

“Now where have we heard that before?” Sunset said, looking at her friends.

“The 36th chamber was known to be composed of traveling monks, so they can help train others outside the walls of their own temple who needed help. But going back to the club. When they made the merger, they decided to compete in a martial arts tournament and won second place on their first year.”

“Wow! Who won first place?” Gilda asked.

“A martial arts group called the Burning Fists. They were one of the best martial arts schools in the nation who believed in respect and honor. But this is where it gets interesting about both groups. The next year, EU’s samurai club won first place after the Burning Fist bowed out from the tournament after the passing of their master. The club wasn’t the same the following years. But it was when the Burning Fist made their return that exposed another top rank martial arts team of using forbidden techniques call the Lotus Fangs.

“It said that it was during a match between members of the Lotus Fangs and the Burning Fist when it happened. And the one who noticed it was Master Blades of the samurai club. But he didn’t file a protest until they faced the Lotus Fangs in a match. Master Blades needed to expose them, and Master Shields had an idea how. Once they were able to force their opponent to act, the protest was filed, and the Lotus Fangs were disqualified from the match. They later looked into past matches and found the same actions being made by the team, resulting in the banning of the Lotus Fangs. The only problem was that no one else was able to catch on to what they were doing or how they did so.”

“So why wait until that time to catch on?” Dash asked.

“I was wondering about that, but it doesn’t say,” Sunny replied. “I wonder if he caught on to this, but wanted to keep his gift a secret at the time?”

“Usually, it’s the one who’s in charge of the group that should take the blame for their team’s action,” Applejack said. “Does is say who was in charge of the Lotus Fangs?”

“Was hoping someone would ask me that.” Sunny displayed another article that had a picture of what looked like an old, gray man dressed in a white robe with long white hair and a white goatee. “His name was White Fang, who comes from the same nation as Master Shield, Chineigh. I couldn’t find much about him, except for the fact that he was an experienced martial arts master who was skilled in the tiger fighting style. Plus, there was talk that he had no weak points on his body.”

“Weak points? What’s that supposed to mean?” Gilda asked.

“Something that Coach Spitfire told me about yesterday,” Sunset replied. “She said that there are… pressure points in a body that can weaken a person to where they can no longer be a threat.”

“Would kicking at the guy where the sun don’t shine be one of those points?” Applejack asked Sunset.

“Basically, yes. But she hasn’t gone into detail about it. She wants to wait until I’m more ready in my training. But I’m guessing that this Mr. Fang wouldn’t be harmed with an attack like that.”

“That’s right, dearie,” Sunny continued. “He was also a rich and powerful man back then, but nothing else about him. I can only guess that what happen with the Lotus Fangs left him to disappear from the public eye.”

“No doubt that’s how Dark Star works when something doesn’t go their way,” Indigo explained. “They decided to disappear and wait for their time to reappear.”

“And it’s up to us to make sure they show themselves to us,” Applejack added.

“The only catch is that Jack is the bait,” Sunset added with concern in her voice.

Applejack placed her hand of Sunset’s shoulder. “Now don’t you worry, Sunset. That’s why we agreed to help out and make sure that he’s not alone in this battle.”

“Speaking of which, any news about Rarity and Fluttershy joining in on the fight?” Indigo asked.

“They might be working on that right now,” Flash replied. “So it’s too soon to say until we hear back from Jack and Twilight.”

“I don’t even see why you want to force them to help,” Sour explained. “Fluttershy’s just a timid girl. The only other time she would get upset is when her animal friends get hurt. I don’t think she has what it takes to face off against what Dark Star has in store for us.”

“And not to be rude, dearie, but Rarity is more of a fashionista,” Sunny added. “I don’t know if she has what it takes to fight back.”

“You have no idea what she’s been through after having to deal with that self-centered Blueblood at the spring homecoming during her freshman year,” Applejack explained. “It was a big mess, and it really got her mad with how she was treated.”

“Yea. And Fluttershy knows that her animal friends will be in harms way if she doesn’t do anything about it,” Dash added. “They’ll fight with us in this battle.”

“This battle involves all of us,” Indigo said. “And we’ll need all the help we can get if we plan to find and take down the Dark Star Organization and get our lives back to normal.”

“Then how about we play some 3-on-3 instead.” Lemon Zest grabbed the basketball and went on to the court. “I want to see what you girls are made of.”

“You just want to see what we can do so that you girls can do better against us,” Applejack replied.

“Actually, we want to know what both sides can do against each other,” Indigo corrected. “Since a couple of you are new to your school’s team, and with the fact that we may not be in sync with each other after tryouts, I would like to see if we can get both teams into the national tournament without any problems. Lemon Zest, Sour Sweet, and Sunny Flare, versus Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Sunset Shimmer. I’m going to sit this one out and see what I can make out of all of it.”

“If that’s the case,” Flash replied. “Thunderlane and Soarin can act as the refs in this match up.”

“Works for me,” Dash replied.

As the others made their way on to the court, Indigo yelled,” And don’t even think about using your powers to sense the others. I want you to use sight and sound, OK?”

Sour mummer, “Whatever mother.”

“WHAT WAS THAT, SOUR!?”

Sour jumped and replied, “Whatever you say, Indigo.”

Indigo sat on the bench between Gilda and Flash as they watched the court. “I swear she’s going to cause nothing but trouble this year. Sunny’s been on her case with her meds, and if she doesn’t keep her emotions in check…”

“She could go into a rage. Or more likely, a soul rage,” Flash replied. “Twilight filled us in on that part. Wanted to make sure Jack doesn’t go into one with all the pressure that he has to deal with.”

“Sour already went through one back then,” Indigo replied. “And I hate for her to do so again with what’s she’s going through with all this.”

“Is this… soul rage that dangerous?” Gilda asked.

“Maybe,” Indigo replied. “Sunny said that it happened over the summer. I wasn’t there, but she said that she just went berserk when a few guys kept bugging her when she wanted to be by herself on the beach. Sunny was there to calm her down after scaring the guys off, but she said that Sour looked liked a monster when it happened. All she wanted was to get away for a while after our team won the girls basketball tournament and the harsh school year that she had to deal with, which Sunny was able to provide.”

“Sound’s like she was under a lot of pressure last school year,” Flash said.

“We all were,” Indigo replied. “And something tells me that this school year will be tougher than before.”

The girls on court were busy playing 3-on-3. Whenever one of the Wondercolts played the ball, they would either have the ball stolen or their shot blocked. And when one of the Shadowbolts had the ball, they were able to make the shot. But most of this was due to Sour Sweet using her gift, which Indigo yelled at her for doing so. Sunny Flare was still trying to grasp the idea of relying on sight and sound, but would use her gift by accident to sense what was going on. It was Lemon Zest who started to find a way to rely on more of her natural talents because it was something she was accustomed to when it came to listening to music before attending Crystal Prep.

Rainbow Dash had the ball again and was feeling nervous about how this practice session was playing out. And Lemon Zest started to catch on to her feelings.

“Dude. What’s wrong? You look nervous.”

“I’m not… nervous. Just…” Dash took a moment to rethink her comments. “Look. Every time we try to play the ball, you find a way to stop us. And we can’t get an advantage when you have the ball as well.”

“Well, besides the fact that someone can’t stop using her gift,” as Lemon glared at Sour, “you’re thinking too much. It’s raises too many red flags for us to catch on. You need to relax. Chill out. Go with the flow, dude.”

Sour yelled, “Hey, stop helping her, will you?”

“Dude, you’re not helping,” Lemon yelled back at Sour. She looked back to Dash and said, “Dude, whenever I get stressed out before a major test in junior high, I pop in some music, relax, and find my groove. So all you need to do is find your own beat, relax, and just have fun.”

Rainbow Dash simply nodded and went to center court and started to take a few deep breaths so that she could clear her head. ‘Just relax and have fun. I can do that. I CAN DO THAT!’ She took a few more deep breaths, then turned around to face the others as she started to dribble the ball. ‘I. CAN. DO. THIS.’ She started to make her move towards the court. Lemon Zest was already in front of Dash, trying to block her. Dash shifted her body left and right a few times before seeing an opening and passing by her, making her way to the basket.

Sour Sweet, who was covering Applejack, decided to make a break and went towards Dash, trying to stop her. Dash stopped for a moment and tried to shift right, then left, which Sour was able to catch on, before Dash faked right and went left, catching Sour off guard with the fake and making her way towards the basket. Dash leap and tossed the ball into the basket with ease.

“AWESOME!!!”

“Hey! Way to go, Dash,” Indigo replied.

Sour wasn’t in a good mood and mumbled, “Good job, Lemon.” And it started to send off some warning signs to her teammates.

“Sour dearie. Don’t even go there,” Sunny warned her.

But during that moment, Sunset Shimmer was thinking about what what just happened earlier on. ‘What was that feeling that I sensed from Dash before? It was… strong. How can I sense something like that? Could it be related with my soul link with Jack?’ She shook her head. ‘No. It would have been negative, and this wasn’t. Then why would I be sensing it in the first place?’

“Sunset? Are you feeling OK?” Sunny asked.

Sunset was snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh. Sorry. Just… thinking, that’s all. It’s nothing.”

Sunny Flare grabbed the ball and said, “Think you can cover Sour this time?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Sunset went to the side of the court where Sour was located, while Sunny motioned Dash to cover her, leaving Lemon with Applejack. Sunny decided to test Dash this time, after seeing what she was able to pull off earlier.

“Alright, Dash. Let’s see if you can stop me this time,” Sunny requested.

“Bring! It! On!”

Sunny started to dribble the ball with Dash in front of her. Sour started to make her move, waving her hands so she could get the ball, but Sunset was able to keep her eyes on her and stayed close. Lemon and Applejack were staying tight on each other, so Sunny wasn’t sure who to pass it to. So she decided to test her 3-point skills, since she was good in that area to be part of the girls’ team. She made her way to the angled end of the 3-point line and made the shot. Applejack saw this and made her way to the basket, leaving Lemon at a disadvantage. With a simple jump, Applejack was able to leap high enough and swat the ball away from the basket and straight towards Sour, hitting her in the face.

Applejack covered her mouth before she spoke. “Oh my gosh! Are you OK?”

Sunset went to look at her to see if Sour was hurt. But what started to develop next raised reds flags to Indigo, Lemon, and Sunny. And it was something that Sunny picked up on over the summer.

Sunny ran to Sour, yelling to Sunset, “Get away from her!”

Sunset was confused as to what Sunny was talking about. But before she could get over there, Sour looked over to Applejack, and pure, uncontrollable rage started to show on her face. She quickly got up, knocking Sunset out of the way, and ran towards Applejack with her arms in the air like an angry bear. Applejack didn’t know what was going on and wasn’t sure how to react, but Indigo quickly responded and got off the bench and made her way to stop Sour. But in that process, she created a soul shift, causing her to transport herself in front of Sour, leaving her a bit dizzy. Sour easily knocked her down in the process. Sunny and Lemon were able to make their way to Sour, trying to restrain her. But she threw them to the ground and made continued her way towards Applejack’s location.

But those small delays were enough time for Applejack to prepare herself for Sour’s onslaught. As Sour made her way to Applejack’s location, she swung her arms towards her, only for Applejack to grab them and hold Sour in place from striking her.

“Sour! What the hay is wrong with you!”

As the struggle was going on, Flash and Rainbow Dash went over to check on Indigo on the ground.

“Are you OK?” Flash asked.

“Yea. What the heck just happened?” Dash added.

Indigo quickly shook her head before she could answer. “I think… this is the soul rage that Sunny told me about before. But the power… I never felt anything like it.”

Sunny was quick to respond. “It’s much more powerful than before. I don’t think I can get her to calm down this time.”

“Well, you better do something. Because I’m not sure if I can hold her in place.”

“AJ! Try knocking her to the ground!” Gilda ordered. “Maybe we can pin her down until she calms down!”

Applejack nodded and pulled Sour towards her as she started to fall back towards the ground. With her back on the ground, she pushed her legs on Sour’s chest and flipped her over, landing on her back. Gilda, Flash, Soarin, and Thunderlane quickly jumped into action and each grabbed one of her arms or legs, pinning her down. But Sour’s rage became too strong for them to hold on to, causing them to be tossed around in the process. Sour quickly got back up and went back to attacking Applejack. But she was able to roll forwards and gave a swift kick to Sour’s chest, pushing her back. But the kick barely phased her.

Applejack, seeing that the odds were against her, had no other choice. “Alright. If it’s a fight you want, then it’s a fight you get.”

Sour went back on the attack. But this time, Applejack went on the offensive. She was able to grab Sour’s arms whenever a punch was thrown, applied knee kicks whenever Sour’s body was exposed, and pinning her arms in the back whenever possible. Any attack that Sour executed, Applejack was able to counter. It was almost like her duel with Jack months ago when she decided to challenge him in the workout gym.

But during that process, Sunset was getting those same feelings again, just like before. ‘That feeling again. But now it’s coming from Applejack. Where is this energy coming from? I don’t even understand it.’

But Applejack own counterattacks were barely making an impact on Sour. She was able to toss her afar, only for Sour to land on her feet. Applejack had the strength and stamina, but her efforts were barely making an effort. “Does anyone know how long she can stay like this?”

Sunset quickly put her thoughts aside and had to do something. And it became clear to what was going on. ‘Sour should be able to pick up on what Applejack is doing, but instead, she’s just in a blind rage. That means…’ “Applejack! Try to keep her busy!”

“What do you think I’ve been trying to do here!”

Again, Sour quickly charged towards Applejack. Sunset knew that she had to strike while she was in a rage. She got on her feet and charged towards where Sour was and was able to sweep her leg in front of Sour’s feet, causing her to trip and fall to the ground, face first. Sunset was able to stop and looked back, seeing that she hit her mark. But it was only for a second before Sour slowly got up. This time, her attention was towards Sunset. With rage still inside her, she began to lunge towards Sunset’s location. With no time to react, she quickly clasped her hands together with her index fingers pointed up and yelled “WATER VEIL!!!”

At that moment, and full blast of water splashed on Sour’s face, causing her to chock with some of the water inside of her. She fell on her knees, trying to cough up the water and regain her breathing. As she was heavily breathing, Sunny, Lemon, and Indigo noticed that her rage had subsided. Sunny was the first to check on her.

“Sour! Are you OK?”

“I (cough) I… think… so. What… what happened.”

“Dude, you tried to kill Applejack,” Lemon replied.

“I WHAT!?”

“You went into a soul rage,” Sunny explained.

It took a moment to understand what Sour just did. “I… Oh no. It happened again, did it.”

Sunset noticed that she was still wet. “Gilda, get my jacket!” Gilda nodded and made her way to the bench and grabbed Sunset’s black jacket that was on her gym bag and brought it over to her. She took her jacket and wrapped it around Sour, trying to make sure she didn’t get cold. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be alright.”

Sunset was able to bring Sour on her feet and escorted her to the bench to sit down. The others were able to join them and made sure that it was all over.

Sour was a bit confused. “What… How did it happened?”

Applejack was the first to answer. “Well, I was able to hit the ball that Sunny shot, and… well, the ball just hit your face. Surprised that you don’t have a bloody nose in the process.”

“Bloody nose!?” Dash replied. “You just gave her a beat down in the process, and she doesn’t even looked hurt.”

A thought just went through Indigo’s head that almost made her panic. “Sunny. Lemon. Check the area. I want to make sure no one saw what happened.”

Sunny and Lemon went in different directions, scanning the area. Not only did they not see anyone else, but they didn’t sense any panic as well. They went back and gave the “all clear” sign, meaning that no one knew what happened.

“That was close,” Indigo replied. “If anyone saw what just happened here, it would have been bad for all of us.”

“I have to agree,” Soarin added. “Without knowing who’s part of Dark Star, we can’t avoid to tip them off.”

“And it looks like the Soul Rage power could be really deadly if they were to find out,” Flash added.

The gears in Sunset’s mind started to turn again. And it started to raise questions about what was going on. Not just was she just saw, but what she felt as well. She went up to Indigo and said, “A word, if you will.” Indigo nodded and joined her in private. “What all were you able to sense in the process.”

“All I could fully sense was Sour getting mad while the girls were practicing. I didn’t even expect that she would go into a rage until that ball slammed her in the face.”

“Were you able to sense Applejack’s actions when they were fighting?”

Indigo took a moment to think about it. “Now that you brought that up, I don’t think so. I was able to pick up on you going for the feet with that low kick you did there. But the water attack was unexpected. How were you able to pull that off so powerful?”

“I’m not sure,” Sunset replied, placing her hand on her chin. “I just… panicked, that’s all. But what felt off was what I was sensing from Applejack during the fight.”

“Wait a minute. You… sensed something? From her?”

Both of them looked at the others at the bench. They were explaining to Sour what just happened, which brought tears to her eyes at times. Some were able to respond to her with hugs, trying to calm her down after all that happened.

“Not just her, but Dash as well,” Sunset explained. “And that happened when she was able to make that shot. I don’t know if it has any connection to Soul Link or what.”

“Now that you think about it, I couldn’t sense what Dash was doing when she finally made that shot. I don’t know what happened, but that’s the first time I couldn’t get a read on what another player was about to do before doing it. Could this be our gift’s… weakness?”

“I don’t know. It’s too soon to say unless Jack was here to sense it. But I’m more concerned to what I just sense earlier.”

“Might be best to not bring it up unless it happens again. And maybe with Jack around, just in case. Maybe it was a one time event you experience.”

“Maybe so. But all this just brings up too many questions as to what’s going on.”

“WHAT IN TARNATION!?”

Sunset and Indigo looked over for a moment.

“We better see what’s going on,” Sunset said.

“Agreed,” Indigo replied. “Best that we keep this discussion a secret for now. No sense worrying the others until we get a better idea what’s going on.”

Both of them went back to the others to see what the commotion was.

“Something wrong, AJ?” Sunset asked.

“Yea. Rarity just sent an image of one of her designs for me to wear in our club. And I’m not pleased with it.”

Sunset noticed that the others were looking at either Applejack’s cell or Dash’s cell, with the exception of Sour, who was sitting on the bench. Sunset went to get her cell from her bag and sat down next to Sour, with Indigo next sitting next to her. She found the group text that was sent to the others and could understand why she would complain about it. It looked like a short, white robe with no sleeves with a black cloth belt tied to hold the robe in place. Black pants were with the outfit.

“How in the hay am I supposed to walk around in a stupid robe with just a tied-on belt to hold it in place,” Applejack explained. “I’ll take jeans and a button-up vest, thank you very much.”

“It is a bit different from what we were wearing yesterday, that’s for sure,” Sunset added.

But Rarity wasn’t done displaying her new designed. She told Sunset that she had a wild idea for her. And the picture that was sent gave little room for imagination. The figure had on red pants and only a wrapped-on bandage around her chest. Sour and Indigo were looking on Sunset’s cell, trying to figure out what it was.

“Is that… a bandage on her chest,” Sour asked.

“I… think so,” Indigo replied.

“Leaves… little… to the imagination, doesn’t it,” Sour added, trying to catch her breath.

But Sunset was just staring at the image, trying to picture her wearing something like it. And it caused her cheeks to turn red in the process. Rainbow Dash took this moment and took a picture of the trio looking at the picture and sent it in the group chat with the message:

Looks like your gf is speechless.

When Sunset saw this, she panicked. “RAINBOW DASH!!!”

But Jack replied, saying:

That makes two of us.

But he soon added:

But why is Sour all wet?

Applejack decided to respond.

Sour went into a rage.
Sunset blasted her with water.

Pinkie was following along and texted:

WAS IT SUPER EFFECTIVE?

“Should have saw that coming,” Applejack said.

Twilight, who was also following all this, wanted to know what all happened. So Sunny Flare asked for Applejack’s cell so that she could explained. She wrote on there about Sour going into a soul rage and attacking Applejack, and how Sunset was able to step in and used some water attack to calm her down. Twilight was unsure how Sunset was able to pull off a strong water attack. But Jack might know the answer and asked for a picture of the page that was next to Soul Knowledge. When she sent the picture, everyone looked at was was written, and it started to make some sense.

“Soul Awakening”

When someone uses Soul Knowledge, there’s a chance that they could awaken a spiritual power within them. This could be based on a person’s bloodline, or a special power that lies from within. It is not clear how, but there are others out there with special talents that only gifted people could help awaken.

“Jack was able to use Soul Knowledge on me to tap into myself when I was trying to learn how to use water veil,” Sunset explained. “But how does this help in letting it grow so powerful so fast?”

And at that point, Twilight was asking the same question in the group chat. Jack quickly responded.

Something awaken inside Tree Hugger.
Moon Dancer is looking into it.
This might be the key we need to find who’s been affected in CPA.

After reading this, Sunny was able to respond on Applejack’s cell.

We’re unsure who has the gift and who hasn’t.
Ask Sugarcoat as to why, since she’s not with us now.

Twilight responded.

I’ll talk to Sugarcoat and Moon Dancer tonight.
See if I can piece all this together.
There is good news.
The blades that Jack has ARE the ones who contain the souls of the makers.
They sent us a message.

“A message?” Sunset said.

If you wish to bond with the blades, then find the keys to set us free.
That was the message they sent.
We think there must be some keystone needed to free them.
But we don’t know what that is.
Until then, the blades stay with Luna.

Jack quickly responded.

Then I leave this matter with her.
Spitfire wants to work with Sunset tomorrow on the other two attacks.
She thinks that she could be ready to learn them after what just happened.

Sunset replied.

Have her call me tonight so we can plan to meet.
I have nothing much to do tomorrow anyway.

When all was said and done, they started to put their stuff away and begin to leave the park. Sour gave Sunset her jacket back, which was a bit wet on the inside.

“Sorry for what I did back there,” Sour said. “I was just-”

Sunset placed her hand on Sour’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. Just… consider yourself lucky that I broke you out of that spell. For now, focus on the bigger picture. We both have a tournament to get into. And it’s going to take both of us to find out what’s really going on here. For now, just relax, and make sure you’re taking your meds. It’s going to take some time before we find the answers that we seek. And we should be grateful that we have some time to prepare for what’s about to come.”

Sour nodded and left the court with Sunny next to her. As the other started to leave, Indigo came up to Sunset alone.

“For some reason, you’ve been taking all this seriously, haven’t you?”

I have,” Sunset replied. “Ever since Jack came to CHS, and into my life, he brought me out of a hole I was in and stood by my side when I was at my worst. And learning about his gift was a big shock to me as well. And now that he’s more of a target, I want to do all I can to keep him out of harms way. Without him… I don’t even know what I would do without him in my life.”

“I don’t think anyone will know what to do if he wasn’t around to help. I would be lost and confused with what I possess without him to help me,” Indigo explained. “I might have to talk to him about Long Shot and figure out what to do about his situation. If he doesn’t have his gift anyone, I really need to know how best to confront him on this issue.”

“If what Flash said about himself and Long Shot fighting for the scholarship next year is true, then I think Jack needs to know this as well,” Sunset said. “You talk to him about it tonight while I bring it up with Coach Spitfire. Since she worked at EU, maybe she can offer something that would help him, if possible.”

“Anything to make things easier for us, that’s for sure.”

Ch. 12 - A Powerful Sense

“I understand your concern, Luna. But I am not sure how you or Twilight can sense this power.”

“But Master Blades. There has to be a reason we can sense this… positive energy. And just from one girl. Could it be connected with this realm? Or even the Tree of Harmony?”

“Unless Jack and Sunset has encountered something like this as well, I have no answer to this.”

“Perhaps I can explain…”

Jack and Twilight already made it to school at about the same time Monday morning. And with good reason. After learning what all went on over the weekend, Twilight started putting a plan in place for the Crystal Harvest Tournament. All that was left was to confirm Moon Dancer’s information.

“I still can’t believe that you awaken some kind of power in Tree Hugger,” Twilight said. “This might be the best tool that we need to find out who has what at Crystal Prep.”

“I’m just surprised that Professor Star Swirl couldn’t even prove this theory with Master Blades,” Jack added.

“But look at us. We were able to prove that theory for him,” Twilight replied. “Well, almost. Moon Dancer said that she had to look into some history about a group that she came across that could be related to Tree Hugger. But what’s better is that she can help us in finding out which students have been given the gift and which hasn’t.”

“Did you talk to Sugarcoat?”

“Yes. And it sounds like she has a lot on her plate. I still can’t believe that Crystal Prep is in disarray since we beat them in the championship game. And she’s just focusing on that one idea that we brought up weeks ago as a distraction from what’s going on.”

“She’s not the only one who’s distracted,” Jack replied. “Indigo called me yesterday about Long Shot. She’s worried about his playing ability with the team. I’m just hoping that I didn’t deal a serious blow to his future, from what she told me.”

“I hate to say this, but I think all that should be left up to them. They’re the ones who got caught up in this mess. And I hope that it will bring them out of hiding in the process.”

“We got a good ways to go, Twilight. Let’s make sure we don’t put them in a hole that no one can get them out of. Then we could have our hands tied in the process.”

“For some reason, I think we all have been making too many holes in all of this.”

Both of them went inside and straight to their lockers to put their coats away, joining the others in the process.

So, how was you training practice,” Twilight asked Sunset.

“Better than I expected,” Sunset replied, with the sound of joy in her voice. “I don’t know how, but working on that one skill a few times helped me figure out how to do it with ease.”

“And the other two?” Jack asked Sunset.

“Coach Spitfire said that I must be a fast learner, because I seem to have a handle with all three this time. It’s not as strong, but it should be enough to make an impact if we need it. She wanted to spend some private time with me on Sunday’s to help focus on this kind of power. Hope you don’t have a problem with that.”

“No need for me to complain,” Jack replied.

“I’m just wondering about how we plan to face Crystal Prep,” Applejack said. “I mean, seeing Sour Sweet going into a rage is something I don’t want to see at all from them.”

“And having Tree Hugger look into who has these powers worries me,” Fluttershy added.

“I have to agree,” Rarity added. “She nearly fainted when she looked at one of them.”

“I think I might have gotten that part covered,” Jack said. “As long as she uses what I gave her over the weekend.”

That got Twilight thinking. “Speaking of which-”

“Don’t even bother bring it up,” Jack interrupted. “Especially here, OK?”

“That’s not what I was about to talk about,” Twilight said. “Well, I did had that in mind. But here is not a good place to talk about it. What I want to know is this tool that Doctor Whooves has that could benefit you later on with that crystal they have. I mean, what does it look like? How does it work? Is it big or small?”

“How about we ask him after class today?” Sunset recommended.

“Good idea!” They looked to see Doctor Whooves walking by in a cheerful mood with his finger pointing upwards. “See you after class.”

“Something tells me that Professor River Song gave him the heads up,” Jack said.

“By the way. Were you able to bring any gym clothes for later on?” Flash asked Jack.

“Still have the ones from my old school. Never figure I be wearing them again here.”

“At least we don’t have club meeting today,” Soarin said. “This might be the only chance that we get to practice with Miss Luna and Coach Spitfire.”

“You think we’ll get to use some real gear?” Pinkie asked.

“Only practice gear,” Jack replied. “They still want to figure out what would be best suited for each of you.”

“At least Rarity and Fluttershy already got their gear and styles,” Twilight said. “Just a matter of what to do with the rest of you.”

Everyone finished putting away their stuff and closed their lockers, carrying their books to their first class. That was when they saw Moon Dancer walk out of Mrs. Harshwhinny’s class room.

“Twilight! I’m glad I came across you. I just found out something big about Tree Hugger’s past. I’ll explain it later on after Science class.” She quickly left the area and made her way to her first class.

“What was that all about?” Sunset asked.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” They saw Mrs. Harshwhinny at the doorway to her class room with a grin on her face. “Now get to your seats. We have a short class week, and I plan to make sure we get a lot covered before exams come around in a few weeks.”

History class was coming to an end, and Jack, Sunset, and Twilight had little time to learn about this tool and Doctor Whooves had with him before the next class of students.

“OK. Do you know what kind of tool that the professor was talking about?” Twilight asked.

The Doctor grabbed the small rod from his jacket pocket. It was made of a silver like metal, with a blue glass top on it and a black pointed part on the bottom.

“That’s… a pen,” Sunset said.

“Is it?” the Doctor replied.

“I’ve seen you write with it.”

“Really? Open and close the draw on my desk.”

Sunset went and simply open and close one of the draws.

“Now. Watch and learn.” He pointed the blue tip of the tool and pushed a button, emitting a small hum from the tool for a small moment. “Try it again.”

She went to open the same draw, only for it to be stuck. She tried it a few times, with no effort in opening. Twilight was surprised at what she just witnessed.

“This… is a sonic screwdriver,” the Doctor explained, while waving the tool in his hand. “It can operate mechanical gears and electronics, and analyze data of any material or living being. It can do just about anything. Well, expect for wood. Never could figure out why. And it’s synced to my brain waves, allowing it to do what I want it to do.”

“That’s amazing!” Twilight replied.

“How would I be able to use something like this with the crystal that was found?” Jack asked.

“That’s a bit more completed to explain at the moment, and in such short time. But the main thing is that I have what is needed to get the brain waves needed to sync the device to yourself. And I believe that you plan to be practicing later today?”

“After 4th Period,” Twilight replied. “We plan to learn about Tree Hugger’s special power before we practice. I’m sure that will be enough time to get it done before we start practice.”

“Consider it done.”

4th Period classes were coming to an end. And due to a short school week, Monday club meetings were canceled for the day, allowing students to do what was needed for free study. But the gym was closed off for the time being so that it would be used for a private practice session for the team. Coach Iron Will and Coach Spitfire went to lay out mats to allow the others to practice, while the students went to get changed into their gym clothes. Tree Hugger, Moon Dancer, and Doctor Whooves were waiting in the gym for the others to show up, each with their own reasons. But as the team finally showed up, three other staff members came into the gym: Miss Luna, Mrs. Harshwhinny, and Principal Celestia.

Celestia clasped her hands together. “Well. It looks like a lot of things have been going on over this weekend that no one expected to see coming. Would anyone want to fill in on all the details?”

Everyone looked at each other, wondering who should start first. But Mrs. Harshwhinny decided to step in.

“Perhaps it’s better that we focus on what we have just discovered right now.” She nodded towards Moon Dancer.

“I was looking into this aura reading stuff and came across some old articles of a group that had something like this.”

Doctor Whooves interrupted. “Is this going to take a while?”

“Maybe. Why?”

He took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it towards one area of the bleachers, causing it to expand after hearing a humming sound.

“Now I really need one of those,” Twilight said.

“Is that by chance the tool that River Song was talking about?” Luna asked.

“It’s one of them. But what she plans to make might just be far advanced than this one.” The Doctor looked at Jack. “If you will kindly take a seat, I can start getting those brain waves in the process. Hearing what Moon Dancer has to explain will help with the process.”

Jack went to the bleachers and sat down. The Doctor placed some nodes on his head, which were extended by wires that attached to a strange metal box.

Moon Dancer continued. “As I was about to explain, I found some articles that would relate to what Tree Hugger has. They’re call the Spirit Readers, a group of… peace keepers, if you want to call them, that can… read the energies of others and contact the spirits of those who are lost. And Mrs. Harshwhinny knows very well about this group.”

“Indeed, I do,” she replied. “I’ve heard about this group during and after my college years when I got married. The group was more of a peace loving group. But there were some who thought it was more of a propaganda group or a cult. I had a friend back in college who helped the group out with… explaining who the group really was. She didn’t have anything special like some of them in the group. But she helped with getting to word out about them and how they wanted to help others who felt troubled.

“But it was on one day that things turned tragic. My friend was working there with making fliers when a fire broke out at the building. Everyone that was there died in the fire. Media reports at first said that the “Cult” was doing this to enter the afterlife to gain eternal power. But something in my gut said otherwise. I was able to walk by the place to see what all went on, but the area was blocked off because the investigation was still pending. I was able to tell the detective in charge about my friend, and he took down the information for his investigation.

“But while I was there, I saw a young lady who was looking at the scene the best that she could. I asked her why she was there, and she said that she knew someone who was to be at that building. I told her my reason as was hoping that the media reports were wrong. Turns out that it could be the work of arson, but no other details were released days later. When I came across the same lady later in the month, she confessed that she was one of the Spirit Readers that had the gift and saw that I was looking for the truth. She, and some others, couldn’t making it to the meeting when the building went ablaze that same night. When they learned what happened, the others went into hiding. But she had to find out what happened. And it pointed to a letter that she was able to save at one time.”

“A letter?” Applejack said.

“More like a message from a hate group,” Mood Dancer corrected.

“The letter could have been a key point of who could have set the arson,” Mrs. Harshwhinny continued. “I tried to convince her to report it to the police, but she felt that they wouldn’t believe her. So I went to my husband, who worked as a private detective. He was able to get in touch with the police detective in charge of the case and arrange a meeting with him. She showed him the letter and it confirm his own suspicions. He told us that a homeless veteran was able to witness some hooded guys locking the doors with chains and throwing what looked like a molotov cocktails into the building. It was no doubt a hate group that did this.”

“Dark Star perhaps?” Twilight said.

“Looked into that idea,” Moon Dancer said. “But it was a group called the Order of the Light.”

“I remember hearing about that group,” Doctor Whooves said. “They believed that our nation was being transformed by so-called radical groups that wanted to change the way we live in. But all they were doing was dividing the nation for their own ideas. Killing those that opposed the old ways was the only action that they would do.”

“Horse apples!” Applejack replied. “Sure it’s best to remember the old ways. But there be times when we need to change with the times. The entire Apple family knows this.”

“Not everyone is willing to change,” Jack said. “Most will accept it and move on with their lives. But there are always a few that prefer the lives that they like and think that it’s the only way to live. Life… is never easy.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Mrs. Harshwhinny said. “But this group was not so easy to take down. With laws in place, they had a right to voice their opinion. But proving that they did the crime was another issue. My husband worked with the police detective on the case to find any proof that this hate group did it. The best that the city police could do was take the lady, and any other members of the Spirit Readers, into witness protection for their own safety. So I don’t know who else was still alive from the group that knew of this hate group, or where they live now.”

“What happened to the Order of the Light?” Flash asked.

“After a couple of years of work, they were able to bring enough proof to file charges for mass murder on their leader and members of his group. But all of them were given life sentences, because there were no proper laws for the death penalty at that time. But as the leader was walking out of the court house in cuffs, he was encountered by an old lady who pulled out a small gun and shot him point blank, killing him, before she surrendered herself to the police at the same time.”

“Talk about bold… and crazy,” Rainbow Dash said.

“It was. And she got off lucky but pleading insanity for what she did. But that didn’t matter to her. She passed away a few years later due to poor health. She said that she’s seen lives destroyed by that hate group and decided to make sure they paid for what they did when they were finally brought to justice. “An eye for an eye” was the last words that she said in public. The Order of the Light became no more.”

A ping like sound came from the box that was attached to Jack’s head.

“Looks like it’s done,” Doctor Whooves said. He started to remove the nodes from his head. “Were you doing a lot of thinking about what was told?”

“I was,” Jack said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Order of the Light was being used to keep Dark Star in hiding for some time.”

This got Twilight thinking. “Doctor, can you use that… sonic screwdriver and do a reading on both Jack and Tree Hugger and see if they have anything in common?”

The Doctor nodded and pulled out his tool and started to use it to scan Tree Hugger first, then Jack. When he was done, he looked at it and was able to have an answer. “Well this is interesting. They don’t have anything special in common. But Tree Hugger has some kind of power that is flowing in her DNA. Nothing like what Jack possesses.” He looked at Celestia. “Do you know who the parents are?”

“Flax Seed and Wheat Grass,” Rarity replied. “I know this because they own the Earthbound shop in the mall. Been in there a few times for some… unusual fabric that they carry.”

“Don’t think I know those two,” Mrs. Harshwhinny said, rubbing her hand on her chin. “But I never knew who the other survivors were, nor the were-a-bouts of of the lady that I helped. And I can’t force my husband to look into it, since he quit being a detective after what happened that day when the case came to an end. Said that it was too much to take, seeing all that happened. And I don’t blame him for it. We left that old town and moved here, where I started my teaching career that time. He went to take a regular job like everyone else.”

“Let Iron Will look into it,” Iron Will replied. “Iron Will might know someone who can look into that.”

“If those two were part of the Spirit Readers, then it could explain why she has this kind of power, and why Jack was able to bring it to life inside of her,” Doctor Whooves explained.

“Can this kind of power help us out with Crystal Prep?” Celestia asked.

“Now that I know more, I think so,” Twilight explained. “Crystal Prep is in disarray, and Sugarcoat is having a hard time trying to figure out who has gifts similar to Jack. If they show some kind of… tainted aura around them, then Tree Hugger can find out who carries it, with Moon Dancer’s help.”

“And what about avoiding the panic response like last time?” Celestia asked.

“Roseluck is working on the… stuff to help her focus,” Jack answered.

Celestia, curious, raised in eyebrow. “Stuff?”

“Stuff for her to, um, smoke,” Twilight said.

“It is not SMOKING!” Jack and Spitfire responded in unison.

Spitfire explained. “It’s a form of incense. Similar to what some monks use in meditating. Or more likely during training. And right now, if this works, she could be able to control her actions with this method. It’s purer than the usual stuff that we usually hear about in the news.”

Mrs. Harshwhinny placed her hand on Celestia’s shoulder. “If Roseluck is making this, then we should trust them in this judgment. We can talk to her and see what is used for Tree Hugger to inhale.”

“She has the recipe that I gave her over the weekend,” Jack said. “You can check with her and see it for yourself.”

“I’ll look into it. I want to make sure that we don’t have any problems with this plan.” Celestia started to make her way out, with Moon Dancer, Tree Hugger, and Mrs. Harshwhinny following her.

“I’ll get to work on transferring the data to Professor River Song so she could get started on your own sonic screwdriver.” Doctor Whooves went to make sure the bleachers were back in place before leaving the gym with his device.

“Let Iron Will know when you are done with the gym.” He was the last person to leave the gym.

“Well, let’s get started.” Luna went to grab several wooden staffs and handed them to each student. “We’ll be using practice staffs for your training. Since some of you have weapons to use, this will help refine you weapon based skills. Plus, they’re the only ones I could bring without others noticing. We’ll put you in pairs to duel each other. Twilight and Fluttershy, Rarity and Sunset, Dash and AJ, Flash and Soarin, and Jack and Pinkie.”

Luna and Spitfire began showing each of them how to use the staff at a basic pace before letting them practice in a freestyle like pace. Twilight and Fluttershy took to a light pace, for Fluttershy’s sake. Rarity and Sunset was more of an average pace, since Sunset wanted to take it easy, but soon caught on to what Rarity was able to do. Flash, Soarin, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash each displayed a stronger style. But it was Pinkie Pie and Jack that became more unique. Something that Luna wanted to see for herself.

Luna learned a bit about this Pinkie Sense from Twilight and wanted to see if Pinkie could react quickly on short notice. It was nothing like what Jack carried because Twilight believed that it was more towards instinct in a way. And if the only weakness was instinct, as told by Spitfire, she needed to see if it could work both ways.

Jack and Pinkie started with striking the ends of their staff at first, before Pinkie decided to change it up a bit. She went and extended her staff and swung it at Jack. But he was able to duck the swing and respond with a poke jab from his staff, only for Pinkie to quickly bounce backwards. Jack did another poke jab, only for Pinkie to respond by tangling her staff with his in a circular motion. It only lasted a moment before Jack was able to break off from the attack. Pinkie then made a forward leap and swung her staff vertically towards Jack. He quickly stepped aside, allowing Pinkie to strike the ground next to him. This allowed him to quickly make a vertical swing at Pinkie’s staff, only for her to retract it away from him.

This pattern kept going on and on. One moment, Jack makes an attack that Pinkie was able to dodge and counter. Then Pinkie does that same, only for Jack to dodge and counter. But at one moment, Jack quickly makes a vertical swing again, only for Pinkie to use her staff to block the strike. But once the strike was made, it broke Pinkie’s staff into two, missing her in the process. Everyone stopped to see what just happened.

“Pinkie, you OK?” Luna asked, running up to her.

“My staff broke into two,” Pinkie replied with a grin.

Luna took the staff pieces and noticed that the break was clean and smooth. This was a bit odd at first. But Luna soon started to display them like carrying two wooden sticks, rotating and swinging them in the process. Then she had an idea. “Pinkie. I want you to treat these as two smaller weapons instead of one.” She handed the sticks back to her.

“Okie dokie.”

Pinkie took the sticks and faced Jack again. But this time, she started to feel a rhythm inside of her and started to bounce a bit back and forth. Jack swung his staff behind him and opened up his palm, taunting her to attack him. Pinkie agreed and came rushing, swinging her sticks at Jack, only to be blocked by Jack’s staff. Jack was able to block each strike as fast as he could, but couldn’t counter because of how close Pinkie was to him. She even swung her whole body to strengthen her attacks, almost like how Rarity was able to display the shark fin style in front of Luna and Twilight days ago. But it wasn’t the only thing that looked familiar to what was going on.

“That feeling. It’s happening again.” Twilight was sensing the same energy that she felt when Rarity was showing off with the twin blades before. “First Rarity. Now Pinkie Pie. How can they display such strong energy when they act like this?”

But Twilight wasn’t the only one who could sense it.

“Such power. It’s… intense.” Sunset could also sense the same energy. “It’s just like how Applejack was able to fight off Sour Sweet. Is it because she’s determine to win?”

The battle kept on going before Luna decided to step in. “That’s enough!” Pinkie and Jack stopped sparring and looked at Luna. “I think that would be all for today. Go get cleaned up before you head to the cafeteria. Twilight, Jack, Sunset. Can I have a word with you?”

As everyone started to turn in their staffs, including Pinkie’s broken staff to Luna, they went on to their respected lockers, leaving Twilight, Jack, and Sunset with Luna and Spitfire.

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” Spitfire asked Luna.

“I am. And the tonfa sticks would be best for her to use.”

“Then I might add the leopard style of fighting to improve her odds. That would make her a fierce warrior,” Spitfire added.

“Um, forgive me for asking, but what is a tone-fa, whatever you call it,” Twilight asked, not knowing how to say the word.

“Police nightsticks,” Jack answered. “If you remember them from the 80s and 90s.”

Twilight nodded, saying, “Oh, I see.”

“Alright. Did anyone sensed anything… unusual about what just happened just now?”

Jack and Sunset looked at each other, trying to understand what Luna was just asking, before Jack first answered.

“When I was battling with Pinkie, there was a mixture of energy going on. I could sense what she was doing. But there was another kind of power coming from her. It was… strong… and powerful.”

“I was able to sense that kind of power as well,” Sunset added.

Twilight was shocked. “You mean both of you could sense it as well?”

“Wait, you sensed it also?” Sunset replied.

“With Rarity,” Twilight answered. “Happened when she was dancing with those twin sabers. When did you experienced it?”

“First, it was when Rainbow Dash was focusing on making the basket against some of the Shadowbolts,” Sunset explained. “And again when Applejack was battling with Sour Sweet during her rage.”

“Jack was able to experience it from Fluttershy when I was showing her the deer style and later with the fans,” Spitfire explained. “Tree Hugger was able to see the aura emitting from her at that same time.”

“And with Pinkie Pie, that makes five,” Luna said. “It’s starting to make sense.”

“What does?” Sunset asked.

“Our role in all this,” Luna explained. “I had a talk with Master Blades in the Realm of Souls about what we just experienced. And at that time, he didn’t have an explanation of it. But someone else did.”

A figure appeared in front of the Tree of Harmony. It was covered with a dark purple robe with it’s face covered in a hood. The only feature that was visible was a lavender snout from the hood. And judging by the sound of it’s voice, it was female.

“Who are you?” Luna asked.

“My name is of no relevance to you. I am but the guardian of this tree. That is all you need to know about me. But as to answer your previous question, it is simple. You, and your friends, have been chosen to find the next Guardians of Harmony. Those who are worthy to be the next elemental bearers to face the threat that is coming?”

“The Dark Star Organization?” Luna responded.

“A dark threat that no mere human could defeat alone. One that can test the limits of your world. And only the Guardians of Harmony would have the power to defeat it.”

“A dark threat? It has to be Dark Star,” Twilight answered. “That’s the only threat we know.”

Jack looked away from the others to think a moment. The words that he just heard from the guardian were like a hunted memory to him.

“Maybe it’s someone that Dark Star works for,” Sunset said. “We don’t know a lot about them, expect for the fact that they might be tied to Crystal Prep. And we still need to figure out if Starlight Glimmer is connected to all this.”

“Maybe it is Dark Star,” Twilight said. “We just don’t know the chain of command in all of this. And we can’t confirm if all this ties into each other until the tournament comes around.”

That was when Jack responded with his back facing them. “The being that you were talking to. Do you know what she was?”

Twilight was quick to respond for Luna. “An Equestrian. I remember reading about them through Professor Digger’s research about the lost land of Canterlot. Something about horse-like creatures from another realm that came to our world, looking for a new home after their home was lost.”

“I heard about them.” The others looked to see Coco in the gym, with Chrysalis trailing behind her. “Just figure we check and see if you were finished with practice so you can join us. You were talking about the Equestrians?”

“Oh yes. I think Miss Luna was able to meet an Equestrian spirit that was guarding the Tree of Harmony,” Twilight explained. “Did you read up on his research as well?”

“I did,” Coco replied. “But don’t expect much help from mister “Jack of all Trades” here. He was more into samurais and such than the medieval times. But I did help out with some new items when I was there.”

Twilight went up to Coco and clasp her hands in front of Coco’s. “You have to tell me right now. Was there anything big that he discovered?”

Coco nodded, then looked down at their hands. Twilight realized this and let go of her hands so Coco could explained.

“Alright. On of the scrolls that came in to the professor’s office had an image of six horse-like creatures. They were referred to as Equestrian ponies. Two of them were just regular ponies, another two had wings, and one had a horn.”

“Those would be the earth ponies, pegasus, and unicorns,” Twilight explained. “What was believed to be the key Equestrian races… or breeds, as they were referred to.”

“But those five were surrounding the six one, which was bigger than the other five. And it had wings and a horn,” Coco explained. “Professor Digger said that it was called an alicorn, the supreme breed of all Equestrians. It represented all three breeds from their world. But nothing else about their kind is known from what is found.”

Twilight was star-struck. “An alicorn!? This is the first I’ve heard about them. I have to see this when I get back to Manehattan. If I can get there.”

“I’m sure we get there, Twilight.” Applejack, and the others reappear from the lockers. “I hope you don’t plan to eat while wearing that.”

“Oh, sorry. We were just… talking about stuff. Important stuff.”

“Anything we should know?” Applejack asked Twilight.

“Nothing you need to know now. Why don’t you go on ahead, and we’ll join you a bit later.”

“Don’t be too late,” Rarity replied.

The others joined Coco and Chrysalis and started to make their way out of the gym, until Spitfire stopped them for a moment.

“Chrysalis! I have something that I wanted to give you before you leave today. I think you will find this very useful.”

Chrysalis nodded before they all finally left, leaving the same five in the gym.

Twilight breathe a sigh of relief. “That was close. I hate to tell them what we just experienced about them.”

“I have to agree,” Luna said. “They don’t need to know this. Not yet. All we know is that we found five possible candidates to be the next guardians. There could be more.”

“It have to be,” Sunset said. “We have compared Twilight’s friends to the legend in our school. And those are the same elements that are in the Tree of Harmony. All that’s left would be the element of friendship. Which would be…” That was when reality started to set in. “Oh boy. This could be a problem.”

“A… problem?” Twilight took a moment before she understood what Sunset was thinking about. “That… would be a problem. How can I be the six elemental bearer if I’m assigned to find them.”

“That means someone else has to be the sixth and final bearer,” Sunset said.

“Well, Coco did said that the sixth Equestrian was an alicorn,” Twilight said. “Maybe it has to be someone who has a… higher power, right?”

“How about you let me finish what I have to say,” Luna explained. “These are still candidates we’re talking about. And there could be more. I was told that they would have to be… tested before they could become guardians. And some of them may not become guardians, but more like… protectors.”

Twilight had a confused look on her face. “Protectors?”

“Those who would protect the guardians from harm,” Luna said. “But that’s all I know. I wish I knew more, but that is all that I was told before she disappeared.”

It wasn’t long before they noticed that Jack was still somewhat quiet, lost in thought.

“Jack. Are you OK? You’ve been quiet about all this,” Sunset said.

“Yea. You wanted to know about the creature that Luna saw,” Twilight said. “Why was that?”

Jack looked at them to answer. “A dark threat. The last time I heard that was just days before my gift came to life. And I don’t think it was an Equestrian that said that before.”

Twilight had a worried look on her face. “What makes you say that?”

Jack explained. “Months before my gift came to life, someone came to me… in my dreams. At first, I thought it was a dream, but I think it was through the same dreamscape that we used to enter into the realm of souls. And he told me lots of things. Things that helped me understood what I was about to experience when my gift came to life.”

“He? As in a male creature?” Luna said. “What was he?”

“Something… much more powerful,” Jack said. “That’s all I can say for now. But it was his last words that made me think a lot. A dark threat-” He looked at them. “-that no human could face alone. I took those words to heart. And after hearing what the Equestrian said, I feel that there’s a darker threat that we have yet to learn about. That all we have been, or could be facing, are nothing but pawns in a bigger game here. I want to think that I’m wrong in this. But deep down, I think that something bigger is in play in all this. Something… that we have yet to see.”

“Jack, you worry too much,” Twilight said. “We have Dark Star, and maybe Starlight Glimmer. I doubt there could be anything that would be worst than them.”

Jack looked straight at Twilight. “Then pray… that I’m wrong.”

Over at Crystal Prep, Sugarcoat left her last class for the day and made her way to her locker. When she made it to her locker, she was busy with the locker combination that she kept getting it wrong. She had a lot on her mind, and it was distracting her. So she stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. She looked at the combination and started to vision the code process in her mind. And she was thinking about the first part, the dial started to move on its own, moving clockwise three times before stopping on 16. She was surprised to see what just happened and decided to do the same with the rest of the combination. By looking, she saw the dial move counterclockwise one time before stopping on 6, then moved clockwise to 24. That was when she was able to unlock it.

“Dude.”

Sugarcoat was shocked when she saw Lemon Zest behind her. With all that was going through her mind, she didn’t realized that Lemon came up behind her. She regained her composure and said, “Please don’t do that.”

Indigo Zap, Sour Sweet, and Sunny Flare soon joined up.

“Dearie, did you just sneaked up on Sugarcoat?” Sunny asked Lemon.

“Dude, I’m surprised that she didn’t see it coming. But you have to see-”

Sugarcoat placed her hand on Lemon’s mouth. She whispered, “There could be others listening to us.”

Indigo was able to glance around, noticing nothing that would stand out. “You’re overdoing it again, are you?”

“You really need to take it easy,” Sour said. “Otherwise, you’re just going to cause trouble.”

“Like what you did Saturday?” Sugarcoat plainly replied, causing Sour to display a fake grin. “Look, I think I just found out something and… need to look into it.” She grabbed what books she needed and placed them in her book bag before closing her locker. “Look. I got some work to do. So let Coach Fleetfoot know to send me the tapes of what goes on during practice and I’ll look into it when I get a chance.” She was quick to leave with her book bag in tow.

“What was that all about?” Sour asked.

“Lemon, did you see what just happened?” Indigo asked.

“Yea. She just… moved the dial without even touching it.”

“Moved the dial?” Sunny said. “Do you think-”

“Let’s not go there. Not yet,” Indigo said, waving her hand. “If she’s unlocked a new power, this could benefit Jack, I hope. For now, let’s just focus on basketball practice.”

Ch. 13 - First Strike

Wednesday was know to be a short day of a short week. But Jack and his team knew that it wasn’t going to be short for them, because they had some serious training to go through. And Miss Luna and Coach Spitfire plan to make sure they were ready. Now wearing the silk uniforms like before, they decided to have practice back in the clearing just outside of the city that Jack and Sunset knew well. And this time, Doctor Whooves and Whiteblaze were in tow.

“So this is where you two love birds went to after homecoming,” Rarity said. “The view is simply breathtaking.”

“Glad you like it,” Sunset replied. “And it’s nice that you made some improvements in our uniforms for this kind of weather. It has gotten cooler than last time.”

“Oh believe me. I realized that I need to add some padding to the uniforms to handle the colder temperatures. I’ll have some time to make more of the summer uniforms later on.”

“As long as it’s not as… revealing as what you had in mind.”

“Oh come on,” Dash responded. “We’re here to practice. And get some new gear this time.”

“Well, some of us will be,” Applejack corrected. “Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight already have their weapons. The rest of us are still waiting for our own.”

“And Jack and Sunset have those katanas assigned to them,” Soarin added, pointing to the blade on Sunset’s side.

“What about Chrysalis? Isn’t she going to have a weapon as well?” Rarity asked. “She’s a part of the team as well.”

“She’s gone to get her driver’s license with Jack’s mother,” Applejack answered.

“And she already has her weapon in tow,” Spitfire added.

Almost everyone responded. “SHE DOES!?”

“You wouldn’t even know she was carrying it,” Spitfire replied. “When you see it, you’ll be surprised.”

“Speak of which, how does she plan to get here without Jack’s mother knowing of this place?” Flash asked.

“I already have Coach Fleetfoot covering that part,” Spitfire replied. “She’ll be bring the girls along later on.”

“Not that I want to sound rude,” Applejack said, “but are you sure it’s a good idea to have them here? I mean, they are here to help us out.”

“And they do know about this place,” Sunset added.

“But wouldn’t it be best to stay out of the loop in this?” Applejack continued.

“The less they know, the better,” Twilight said. “I can understand your concern. But Sugarcoat might have unlocked a power that could benefit Jack, if he can unlock it. And she said it would be easier to display it in a private setting. And this place it all we have at this time.” Her eyes started to light up. “Plus, I was to see what kind of power it is. I mean, it can be something that Professor Star Swirl has yet to discover in his research.”

“At least Whiteblaze was able to join us,” Fluttershy said, with their white tiger companion next to her. “He’s been wanting to find an open spot to enjoy.” This got the tiger to let out a roar.

As the others were talking, Luna, Jack, and Doctor Whooves were unloading some of the equipment.

“I’m glad that you were able to come, doctor,” Luna said. “I’m sure that once you have the readings of the Shadowbolt Five, maybe we can get some answers, now that we’ve seen this… Sonic Screwdriver of yours.”

“I’m glad to be of service,” the doctor replied. “And if what Twilight said about Sugarcoat’s discovery is true, I might be able to get some readings on her power growth.”

“I would like for Indigo to do some Soul Shifts as well for you to read,” Jack said. “I want to know why she’s having those dizzy spells afterwards.”

“If there’s a reason for that to happen, I’ll figure it out,” the doctor replied.

“At least, you, Sunset, and Applejack are ready for the Harvest Festival,” Luna said to Jack. “I think this will be the best way to help recruit new members in the future.”

“Seeing as to what’s going on, there might come a point when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are going to have to understand why we took this move,” Jack said.

“I can understand your concern,” Luna replied. “But it’s best that they don’t know… for now. If I feel like they should know, then I’ll be the one to tell them that. SO you don’t worry about them knowing, understand?”

“Understood… master.”

The trio started making their way to the others with the equipment in their hands. Sunset saw this and yelled, “Everyone! Line up!” Everyone did as they were told and stood in attention, side by side. Sunset went to grab the equipment that Doctor Whooves was holding and waited next to Jack as Spitfire and Luna began their session.

“Alright. Today, you will be given your assigned weapons,” Luna ordered. “These weapons are to be used in combat only. They are not some silly toy.” Luna stares at Pinkie, who keeps a straight face. “There’s no telling with our enemy will strike. So we must be ready. I believe that each one of you have a certain talent in combat. Rarity has been assigned the twin sabers and will be learning the shark fin style.”

“And Fluttershy has the twin iron fans and will be learning the deer style,” Spitfire added.

“Plus Twilight has been given the twin ring blades and is learning the crane style,” Luna said. “It is time to make sure each one has a weapon that would fit themselves.” Luna first grabbed a spear-like weapon with a one sided blade on the tip of the spear and walked up to Dash. “Rainbow Dash, this is the naginata. It may look like a spear, but it’s curved blade and long staff can allow you to strike and stab from a distance.”

“Awesome!” Dash soon reclaimed her composure. “I mean, thank you master.”

“You will also be learning the eagle claw style in hand-to-hand combat,” Spitfire added. “It will allow you to maintain a tight grip on your enemies, as well as your weapon of choice.”

Luna then grabbed a pair of gloves with spikes on the knuckles and went up to Applejack. “Applejack, these are the fighting knuckles. I know you are skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and these weapons will give you an edge in close combat. I’m also hoping that with future training in the iron palm technique from Maud, you will be able to break rocks with ease.”

“Until then, I will be teaching you the bear style technique,” Spitfire said. “It will help you build your strength in combat.”

Applejack slip on the glove-like weapons and said, “Thank you, master.”

Luna then grabbed a pair of baton-like sticks and went to Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie, these are the tonfa. They are like a baton, but they can be used to either strike, or guard. After seeing how you were able to wield the pair of sticks against Jack, I feel like this would be the best weapon of choice.”

Pinkie took the weapons and started to swing them for a moment. Then she said, “Cool. What kind of animal style will I be learning? Dog? Frog? Roadrunner?”

Applejack stared at Pinkie, saying, “Seriously?”

“I’ve decided to teach you the leopard style,” Spitfire responded. “I think your fast pace and quick thinking will make this style more… suitable for what we are dealing with.”

“Sweet! I’m a leopard,” Pinkie replied.

Twilight started to clear her throat. “Excuse me, but what about Flash and Soarin?”

“We need more time to decide what would be best for them,” Luna answered. “So for now, they will each be assigned the staff.” She handed both of them a long staff.

“I want to experiment with them in one-on-one combat on a couple of styles to see what would best fit them,” Spitfire added. “A couple of styles do come to mind, but it would matter if they have the endurance to learn it.”

“We understand, masters,” Soarin replied.

Jack soon walked up to Spitfire. “Coach. You mention over the weekend a few other styles.”

“If you mean the mantis style, that’s know to be a challenging style, and requires strength and stamina. Monkey was another style, and with the practice of the bo staff, I can figure out who would be best with what.”

“Then I think Flash would be best to learn the mantis style,” Jack recommended. “He has the strength, agility, and stamina to overcome anything.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Working with him during the championship game made me see what talents he has. And I think with he role in most sports, the mantis style would be the best fit for him.”

Spitfire took a moment to this about this, to which Flash decided to step forward.

“I can do this… master.”

Spitfire saw the determination in his eyes and came to a decision. “Alright. I will teach you the mantis style. But don’t expect me to go easy on you. Soarin, you will learn the monkey style. I have a feeling that combined with Rainbow Dash’s eagle style, the two of you can make a formidable team.”

“Looks like we’re almost set,” Luna said. “Once we get started with practice, then-”

Whiteblaze quickly growled and was in an attack stance. Fluttershy was quick to respond.

“Whiteblaze. What’s the matter?” She looked at the direction that the white tiger was staring at. “I don’t see anything.”

The others started to look at the same direction, only to see the wind blow the tall bushes in front of them, just not far from where they walk up, seeing their cars parked in the distance.

“I don’t see anything either,” Dash added.

Twilight walked up to Jack and asked, “Sense anything?”

Jack took a moment to look around, getting a feel of what was around the team. “No, I don’t-” He stopped short of his answer, second guessing himself as he started to tighten his grip on his blade’s handle. If he wasn’t sensing anything, but his white tiger was alarmed, then he knew it could be one thing. He waked up to Doctor Whooves and whispered, “Scan the area.”

The doctor, knowing that his sonic screwdriver couldn’t scan wood, but would scan other things. He pulled it out of his pocket and started to scan the area without it being visible to anyone. When he completed his scan and looked at it, he gave a stern look at Jack. This caused Jack to grip the handle of his blade even tighter. The doctor put his finger on his lips, asking for the others to remain quiet. Then he started to get out hand signals about what he discovered. Four to the left, four to the right, and five to the entrance. The other side was clear, but that was only because it was more of a cliff like view. This caused all the others to worry.

Luna decided to bring these creatures out of hiding. She walked up to Twilight and requested one of her ring blades. Once she held it, she flung it to the direction of the bush that they were looking at. The blade cut through the bush, taking the top off of it, and coming back to Luna. But a blurred figure quickly jumped out of it and landed in front of the bush in an attack stance. It was covered in camouflage from head to toe.

“A ninja!” Luna said.

“A ninja?” Dash replied. “I thought they were dressed in black.”

“Looks like this one knew how to blend in to the forest,” Applejack replied.

Soon then, more camouflaged ninjas appeared from the bushes and trees. They looked around a saw a total of thirteen ninjas surrounding them. Jack and Sunset were quick to draw their blades.

“I think the odds should be in our favor,” Dash said.

“Not to mention they don’t have any weapons on them,” Pinkie added.

“Works for me.” Applejack was the first to attack, striking one of the ninjas in the face with her knuckle gloves. But the strike tore off some of the mask, reveling a metal face, causing her to back up. “What the hay?”

“They’re… robots,” Dash replied.

“Not just any robots,” Twilight corrected. “Cyber-mechs.”

Soon then, the cyber-mechs were able to draw out blades from their arms.

“Forget about practice, everyone,” Luna said. “This just got serious.”

“Sunset looked at Jack and said, “Think we can do this?”

“We knew that they would be coming for us. Only one way to find out.”

Just down the road, Indigo’s motorcycle was making it’s way to the meeting spot, with Lemon sitting behind her. Behind them was Fleetfoot’s car, with Chrysalis in the passenger’s seat, and Sour, Sunny, and Sugarcoat in the back seat. Chrysalis was still looking at her new driver’s license.

“So, you going to be driving Jack’s old truck, now that you have a license?” Sour asked, then whispered, “Just hope it doesn’t fall apart.”

Sunny jabbed her elbow into Sour’s side. “Dearie, she’s been long overdue for this. Now she has some freedom to go where she wants to, if she needs to.”

“And that truck is never going to fall apart,” Indigo said on the speaker. “Man I love this new earpiece. I can hear everything you girls say. And I mean EVERYTHING, Sour.”

“Knew that they would come in handy” Sugarcoat said. “Now we have our own design.”

“Not to mention a main speaker to keep tabs on all of you in the car,” Fleetfoot added.

“But it doesn’t allow us to listen in to any of Twilight’s earcoms,” Sour said. “What good is that?”

“It’s called fair play, Sour,” Fleetfoot replied. “And I would like to leave it that way.”

Sunny reach over and tapped Chrysalis on the shoulder, causing her to turn around. “So, would anything be done to the truck, dearie, or do you plan to leave it as it is.”

“Not sure, right now,” Chrysalis replied. “I’ll have a better idea when I take it to auto shop class with Coach Iron Will, since I plan to take the class with Jack.”

“Well, I’m sure that it will need a fresh coat of paint to start with,” Sunny replied.

“Hey girls. Hate to interrupt, but it looks like someone has broken down on the road,” Indigo said.

The girls looked ahead and saw an old, gray truck with the hood open in the distance.

“OK, now that’s old,” Sour said.

“It sure is,” Sunny added. “But who would be out on this road? It doesn’t really go anywhere.”

The face of a young lady appeared from behind the hood. She had gray skin and straight, violet hair that reached her shoulders. Chrysalis was the first to recognize the lady.

“That can NOT be who I think it is.” She let out a sigh and said, “Better pull over and see if she needs any help.”

“Roger that,” Indigo said.

“You know her?” Sunny asked Chrysalis.

“Surprisingly, yes.”

They pulled over to the side of the road behind the old truck. Indigo and Lemon got off the motorcycle and removed their helmets. The others got out of the car behind them.

“You need any help?” Indigo asked.

The gray lady walked up to Indigo. She was wearing a grayish blue dress and black boots, and had a plain look on her face. “Dad’s truck broke down,” she replied with no emotion in her voice. “I think it’s the engine.”

“Wow. You don’t have to be excited about us being here,” Lemon replied.

“She’s always like that.” Chrysalis walked up to the lady and said, “Hello Maud.”

“Hello Chrysalis,” she plainly replied. “Pinkie tells me that you’re still in school.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Yes I am.” She turned to the other girls and said, “Everyone, this is Pinkie’s older sister, Maud Pie.”

Maud simply waved, saying, “Hi.”

“Wow. I know Pinkie is full of energy,” Sour said. “But this girl is the complete opposite.”

Chrysalis turned back to Maud and asked, “I’m guessing you’re here to see Pinkie and the others at the training spot, right?”

“That is correct,” she plainly replied. “I can guess that these are the test subjects that I have been told about.”

This got Sour’s blood boiling. “I AM NOT A TEST-”

Indigo quickly turned around. “SOUR! That’s enough!” This got Sour to back off. “Sorry about that,” she said to Maud. “She can be… a loose cannon at times.”

“So, you’ve been informed about what going on?” Fleetfoot asked Maud.

“Yes. I am fully aware of what is going on. And I am here to help where I am needed. But my dad’s truck is another story.”

Indigo rolled up her sleeves and went to the hood of the truck. “Well, let’s see what the problem is.” As she was looking at the engine, sounds of blades striking each other could be heard in the distance. “Sounds like Jack and Sunset must be training hard. They’re the only ones who have swords with them.”

“The sounds of the metal are different to each blade,” Maud plainly replied.

“You must be skilled in this kind of stuff,” Sugarcoat said.

“I study rocks,” Maud explained. “Metals are like rocks, but in a forged state. They can produce a certain sound based of it’s texture. Like the two blades you hear in the background. One of them is made in a forged form of steel. But the other blade is not.”

This brought confused looked on the girls faces.

“What makes you say that?” Sugarcoat asked.

“The other blade is made of a rare metal. It is one that is unknown in this world. But I was able to find this metal in a temple that I was researching. It is very light, but very strong, and can be hard to bend without the right tools.”

The girls were trying to make sense to Maud’s logic. Lemon was the first to respond. “Dude, that’s doesn’t make any sense.”

It was Chrysalis who responded next. “Wait a minute. Are you referring to… Mythril?”

“I believe that is what the professor said that it was,” Maud replied. “I never read anything about it in any books. But I was told that there would be new minerals to discover that has not been found.”

“OK. Now it doesn’t make any sense,” Chrysalis replied. “None of the weapons that we know of are made of Mythril. Unless we need to have them looked closer by an expert.”

“Maybe Maud can look at the blades and see if one of them is made of Mythril,” Sour recommended.

“That would be highly impossible,” Sugarcoat replied, matter of fact.

But during that time, Indigo was trying to shake a strange feeling that she was sensing. It was light, but it kept nagging her. She decided to ask her friend a question. “Hey girls. Sense anything… odd going on?” The girls responses were mostly related to a “No.”

“Why? Do you sense anything, dearie?” Sunny replied.

“Maybe it’s just me, that’s all,” Indigo replied.

But that quickly changed when someone yelled out “JACK!” in the distance, causing everyone to look at the direction of the sound.

Indigo said, “Did you-”

“Already did,” Sugarcoat quickly replied. She looked at Sunny, who was having problems with her data bracers. “Something wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Sunny replied. “I’m having a problem readying any life forms. Including us.”

“Scrambler perhaps?” Sugarcoat asked.

“Maybe.”

“Then we need to move. Truck’s going to have to wait.” Indigo started to make her way back to her bike, but was stopped by Chrysalis.

“Hold on. If they’re in danger, then it could be the robots that we were hearing about.” Chrysalis look at Maud and asked, “Have you been told about your role in all this.”

Maud nodded. “Yes. I’ve been trained in the iron palm technique. I use it to break rocks on the family rock farm.”

“What about metal?” Chrysalis asked.

“Depends. If it is the metal known as Mythril, then I am not sure.”

Indigo started to catch on to Chrysalis’ thinking. “Then we have to take a chance. Lemon, hand Maud your helmet and ride with the others.”

“Why?”

“Because I can get there faster than coach’s car. And I’m hoping that Maud can strike on the fly in the process.”

Chrysalis went up to Lemon and said, “Ride shotgun. I’ll hold on to the roof.” She grinned and added, “I have something special that could help us.”

So Indigo and Maud grabbed their helmets and got on the motorcycle, while the other girls got into Fleetfoot’s car, with Chrysalis jumped onto the roof, holding on. The motorcycle quickly raced off, with the car slowly behind them. As they disappeared from view, a man in a yellow robe appeared from the trees.

“So, it is finally time.”

Jack was thrown back after a failed attempt on striking one of the cyber-mechs. Sunset quickly went to Jack’s side to check on him.

“Are you alright?”

“Yea,” he replied as he got back on his feet. “It’s that one mech that keeps getting in my way.”

“They all are getting in our way,” Dash corrected.

“Not that one,” Twilight said, pointing to the one who was in a different attack stance. “Every time he tries to attack one of them, that one keeps getting in his way.”

“You think it’s the lead unit?” Applejack asked Twilight.

“Maybe?”

“Whatever it is, there’s something different about that unit,” Jack explained. “I don’t know what, but something is... coming from it.”

“Whatever it is, that should be the main target,” Spitfire recommended.

“Where’s help when you need it,” Dash said.

That was when Jack’s senses started to go off. “Ask, and thee shall receive.”

A motorcycle started to pull up with two riders. This got the lead unit’s attention, causing it to turn it’s focus to the incoming motorcycle. But as the motorcycle started to pass the unit, the second rider jumped off and tackled the lead unit to the ground. In a quick motion, she pressed her palms into the center chest of the unit, destroying the clothing and leaving a dent in the robotic armor. The unit saw this and decided to strike back, causing her to grab the unit’s bladed arms. The other rider took her motorcycle and came up to a few of the cyber-mechs and lifted the rear wheel, swinging it around and hitting the mechs in the face before landing on both wheels and removing her helmet.

“Sorry we’re late,” Indigo said. “Truck broke down on the road.”

“Who’s truck?” Sunset asked.

Indigo pointed to the other person who was still struggling with the lead unit. Another unit started to make it’s way to the lead unit, preparing to strike. It leaped in the air, about to strike, only to be push back by an invisible force. Everyone looked to see Sugarcoat with her arms pushed forward, nearly out of breath. Her friends were following behind her, joining up with her and making their way to the main group. The lead unit was distracted by this, causing the other person to release her grip and fall back to the main group, removing her helmet.

“Nice of you to show up, Maud,” Luna said.

“Sorry for the delay,” Maud plainly replied. “Dad’s truck broke down.”

“We’re just glad that you’re here,” Luna said. “But it looks like your attack didn’t do much.”

“It’s... because... they’re made... of... Mythril,” Sugarcoat replied, still out of breath.

“What’s wrong? Can’t keep up with the others,” Dash taunted.

“Now’s not the time,” Twilight yelled at Dash. “Sugarcoat, what was that new power you just did back there?”

“Bending... the fabric... of reality... so to speak. But something... of that size... takes to much... energy... to do.”

“And Maud was able to catch on to the robots being made of Mythril,” Sunny added. “Not to mention that they are scrambling my data bracers.”

“That would be me,” Doctor Whooves replied, holding up his sonic screwdriver.

“We’re trying to make sure they don’t get any messages sent about what’s going on, if they are able to do that,” Luna added. “But are you sure that they are made out of Mythril?”

“It is,” Maud plainly replied. “The dent I made is proof that-”

“Not now, Maud,” Twilight quickly replied. “We just need to find a way to stop them.”

“Aim for the spot that I made the dent,” Maud replied, pointing to the lead unit. “The power supply is located there.”

“But how-” Twilight shook her head. “Never mind. Jack! Take that unit out! Maybe we can finish off the others with it out of the way!”

“On it!”

Jack knew who his target was, and where to aim. And only the Blade Cutter art would be needed to make it’s mark. He stood in an attack stance and quickly Soul Shift himself in front of the lead unit. But as he was able to strike, the lead unit retracted one of its blades and grabbed Jack’s arm, releasing an electric shock on him. The shock caused him to lose his grip on his blade, falling to the ground, and leaving him weak, but still conscious.

“Jack!” Sunset, without any hesitation, took her blade and ran towards the lead unit. But she was stopped when another cyber-mech jumped in front of her, retracted one of its blades, and grabbed Sunset’s arm, releasing the same electric shock that was given to Jack. This caused her to lose her grip on her blade and leaving her unconscious.

“Sunset!”

“I HAVE ACQUIRED THE SECOND TARGET,” the cyber-mech responded, still holding on to Sunset.

The lead unit looked at the blade next to Sunset. Then turned it’s focus on the blade next to Jack. “THESE ARE NOT THE SWORDS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.” It looked at Jack. “WE WILL FIND THE SWORDS YOU ARE CARRYING.”

“WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?” another cyber-mech asked.

The lead unit looked at the group. “ELIMINATE THEM ALL. BUT CAPTURE THE TEST SUBJECTS IF POSSIBLE. OUR MASTER WILL WANT THEM ALIVE.”

Sour responded, “I am not a TEST SUBJECT!”

“Dude, we need to do something,” Lemon responded.

“Like what?” Dash replied. “Most of us can’t even make a dent. And you girls don’t even have weapons.”

The one cyber-mech picked up Sunset over its shoulder and walked up to join the lead unit. But as the lead unit was about to pick up Jack, a mysterious man in a yellow hooded robe appeared out of nowhere and strike the lead unit, releasing his grip on Jack. The lead unit had both blades out of its arms again, ready to attack. But the mysterious man grabbed his white thin bag from his back and pulled out a three pole nunchuck, displaying it in attack formation like a pole. The lead unit lunged its blade toward the man, but he took a part of his nunchuck and wrapped it around the blade and make a clean break of the blade, disarming a part of the lead unit. It then lunged its other blade at the man, but he was able to repeat the same trick and break off the other blade, disarming the lead unit.

“He just broke those blades with ease,” Rarity said.

“And not just any blade,” Applejack added.

“His style. Is that… who I think it is?” Spitfire thought.

The man quickly put all three pole pieces together and thrust it into the dent of the lead unit, pushing it farther back. He spread it back out like a pole in an attack stance. Seeing Jack still awake, he said, “If you wish to save your friends, then fight like you mean it! Or they will share the same fate as your students did long ago!”

Hearing those words cause something to snap inside Jack. Something so powerful, that it created an aura glowing around him. He grabbed his blade, Masamune, near him in his right hand and rose to his feet. He looked out at the distance to where Muramasa was laying and reached out his left hand to it. The blade shook before it flew into the air and straight into Jack’s left hand. Sugarcoat was shocked to see what just took place. The same style that she was able to discover. But this also raised concern to the lead unit.

“POWER LEVELS RISING. EXECUTE-”

“BLADE CUTTER!!!”

In one quick motion, Jack took both blades and sliced the lead unit across the middle of the body where the dent stood in two. The top part fell off, exposing electric sparks from the body, before it fell to the ground. Both parts of the lead unit finally lost power.

“LEAD UNIT TERMINATED. EXECUTE OMEGA PROTOCOL.”

The cyber-mech that was carrying Sunset went to strike Jack with its blade, but Jack blocked it with one blade and lunged the other into the center of the mech, creating sparks before it lost power, releasing its hold on Sunset and falling to the ground in the process.

“THREAT DETECTED. KILL, KILL, KILL.”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Indigo said.

All the other cyber-mechs in the area focused on the rest of the group. This caused Jack’s focus to be moved to the remaining cyber-mechs. He crossed his blades in front of him, and the wind started to blow in the area.

“Um, is it getting colder around here?” Fluttershy asked, starting to shiver.

A shocked look came across Luna’s face. “It can’t be. He’s… doing it. The fourteenth art.”

“SOUL ART #14: BLINDING… BLIZZARD!”

In one swift motion, he swung both blades in front of him, creating a fierce blizzard storm around the area in front of him. The blizzard was so fierce that no one could even see the other around them.

“VISIBILITY NEGATIVE. SWITCH TO SENSORS.”

“NEGATIVE. SENSORS JAMMED.”

“How is anyone supposed to see in this mess!” Rarity yelled.

“That’s the point of Blinding Blizzard,” Luna explained. “To blind your opponent.”

“But we can’t see in this mess either,” Dash said.

“We don’t need to,” Applejack replied. “Just shut up and listen.”

Everyone went quiet as the blizzard went on. But Applejack was able to catch on to something in the distance. Something that she was able to hear. A creaking sound. She focused her direction to the sound, but was stopped when a hand touched her shoulder. She quickly looked and saw Maud next to her. Maud was also able to pick up on the creaking sound. Applejack pointed in the direction of the sound, to which Maud simply nodded. They went towards the sound until they could see the shadow of someone. When they noticed the blades from the shadow’s arms, they knew it was a cyber-mech, and quickly pouched on it, pinning the arms to the ground. Maud saw this chance and thrust her open palm into the chest in full force, this time breaking through the metal armor. She was able to grab a box from inside and pulled it out with the same full force as before, causing sparks to fly before the cyber-mech lost all power.

“Was that made out of Mythril as well?” Applejack asked Maud.

“Yes.”

“That means…” Applejack turned towards where her friends were. “The blizzard must have weaken their armor! Now’s the time to take them all out!”

“But we still can’t see,” Twilight replied.

“Not for long,” Flash replied. “Look.”

The blizzard started to let up.

Spitfire turned and yelled, “Chrysalis! Now’s the time to put your training to the test!”

Chrysalis nodded and placed her hands on her belt, opening it up and revealing small throwing knives inside the belt. She grabbed one in each hand and looked for one of the cyber-mechs. When she saw one, she threw the knives at it, striking the eyes to blind it. She kept repeating the process until all the remaining cyber-mechs were blinded. When the blizzard was lifted, the group could see that all of them had small knives in their eyes and frost around their bodies. They also saw one on the ground with a hole in it, with Maud holding a small box in her hand.

“Everyone, aim for the center chest,” Luna ordered. “That’s where their power source is located.”

The entire group nodded and went into action. Rarity was the first to attack, finding one of the mechs and lunging her swords into the chest, breaking the armor and striking the battery unit inside, disabling the unit in the process. Fluttershy saw one wandering towards her and just started to fling her metal fans at the mech, shredding the armor in the process. When she stopped and saw what she did, Whiteblaze quickly leaped on the mech and ripped the battery unit out with his teeth, shutting down another unit. Rainbow Dash was busy with another one that was flinging its bladed arms. Indigo and Soaring were quick to respond by grabbing its arms from behind and holding it still, allowing Dash to stab the mech in the chest. Pinkie Pie leaped over a mech and struck it in the rear, finding the battery unit and destroying it. Flash was able to trip another mech to the ground and ram his pole into the chest, destroying its battery unit. Twilight was able to throw her blade ring at another mech with Sugarcoat’s help, forcing the blade into the chest and through the battery unit. Applejack went to another one and forcefully punched through the chest plate and grabbed the battery unit, ripping it out. Both Sunny and Sour were able to grab another mech, allowing Maud to repeat her attack and grab the battery unit from it. Spitfire and Luna decided to work together and grabbed another mech, easily ripping the arms off and lunging the blades into the chest. Lemon went for the last one and started to call it towards her, distracting it so that Rarity could attack it from behind, lunging her swords in the back. All the cyber-mechs were defeated.

“We… we did it,” Rarity said out of breath after taking out two mechs. “I… never knew it could be that hard.”

“We should be glad that Chrysalis was able to blind them while the doctor scrambled their sensors,” Applejack added. “That was some good work you did there.”

“Thanks,” Chrysalis said as she was recovering her small knives. “When coach showed me the hidden belt, it was easier for me to be armed if something bad would happen wherever I go. Throwing the knives was easier to use when I started to work on them.”

“I knew you had a special talent,” Spitfire added.

Twilight and Luna ran over to where Sunset was laying, checking on her. “Jack, how were you able to do all that?” Twilight said. But Jack was in a bit of a daze, wondering what just happened. “Jack. Are you OK?”

Jack shook his head. “I’m… not sure. The last thing I remember was hearing that man’s words. Then, everything went black.” He soon saw that he was also holding Muramasa in his other hand. “And how did I get a hold of Sunset’s blade?”

“Dude, you just called it to come to you,” Lemon explained. “And it flew into your hand.”

“As if you just repeated what I just discovered,” Sugarcoat added.

“Speaking of which,” Dash said. “Where is that man anyway?”

Everyone looked around to see that the mysterious man disappeared.

“HE’S GONE!!!” Everyone looked at Pinkie. “No, seriously. He’s gone.”

“She’s right,” Indigo added. “I can’t sense his presence anywhere. Whoever he is, he’s good.”

“But who was that guy anyway?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know,” Dash replied. “But he looked like on of those monks that we learned about back on the basketball court Saturday.”

“That… is correct,” Spitfire explained. “The clothes, the fighting style, all of it was the style of a shaolin monk. And something tells me that it’s not the last time we’ll be seeing of him.”

Sunset started to wake up and looked around. She was shocked to see the cyber-mechs all destroyed and all her friends still alive. “What… did I miss?”

“It’s kinda a long story, partner,” Applejack replied as she walked over to help Sunset on her feet.

But before anyone could explain, Maud went up to the top half of the lead unit and grabbed its head, ripping the top part off. “HEY! We need it intact so we can find out where they came from!” Twilight yelled.

“Don’t even bother.” The doctor finished scanning another mech with his sonic screwdriver. “All the units memory banks are fried.”

“Must be a safety measure if they were destroyed,” Sunny explained. “Just like hackers not leaving a trace of their work, dearie.”

“There was something different about this unit.” Maud reached in the unit’s head and pulled out a green crystal. “I felt it when I struck it earlier.”

Luna’s eyes went wide open. “A soul crystal.” Everyone went up to see the crystal.

“This one is bigger than the one I found in the temple,” Maud plainly explained.

“So that’s how it caught on to Jack’s actions. That could explain why all the soul crystals were taken.” Twilight looked to Maud. “How were you able to know about the battery packs in the robots?”

“We found part of a robot in a river near the temple. We only saw the shell and parts, but the electronics were rusted and of no use. Sunburst believed that this was the power source.” Maud pointed to the box that was sliced in half inside the unit’s body. “The metal plating was the same as the plates that I also found in the temple.”

“That same metal. Were you able to work on it as requested?” Luna asked.

“I was able to bend the metal as requested,” Maud replied. “The others at the school are working on the other details. They believe they should have it complete in a month.”

“You think they can work on metal like that?” Applejack asked.

“The metal plates are much thinner than this robot,” Maud explained. “They have the tools to make it work. And Professor River Song is overseeing all work in this.”

Spitfire carefully picked up the two broken blades off the ground. “The detail on this is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. Feel the weight on it.” She handed one of the blades to Luna.

“Your right,” Luna said, lifting the blade up and down. “It’s very light.”

“But how could have it been easily broken,” Indigo said. “We saw how the frozen conditions made Mythril weak to break.”

“Only because it become more like ice,” Twilight explained. “Maybe intense heat would also weaken it as well.”

“So we could guess that extreme temperatures would be a weakness, right?” Sugarcoat asked.

“It’s possible. But this… I don’t know what to make of it. A clean break like this would be-”

“Possible,” Spitfire quickly finished Twilight’s sentence. “It was a focused break. Only trained monks would be able to do something like this. That’s what my master taught us back then.”

“So Mythril would be strong and light, but it’s not invincible,” Flash said. “Could the crystal enhance that?”

“I don’t think so.” The doctor pointed to the other cyber-mech that attacked Sunset earlier. He asked Maud, “Can you do the same with this one?” Maud nodded and grabbed the other mech and ripped off the top half of the mech’s head. It didn’t reveal a crystal inside. “Just as I thought. That’s why this one,” as he pointed to the earlier mech, “was known as the lead mech. It was calling all the shots and issued the orders to the others before I could scramble their signals. When the lead mech was destroyed…”

Twilight snapped her fingers. “The omega protocol. A fail safe program designed to take out all targets that are believed to be a threat, overriding all goals to the mission. Jack was the prime target to capture. And it also knew that the Elite 5 were targets to be taken in, since they were known as test subjects. No offense, Sour. But this proves that your school is being used as a testing site for students who could carry the gift that Jack has. And if they were after Jack, then they need him alive to complete their project.”

“Just like they tried to do when they raided the temple long ago,” Sunset explained. “They needed a male with the gift alive. When Master Edge was killed, then any chance of completing their goal back then went south.”

“But why did they wanted Sunset as well?” Soarin asked. “She doesn’t have the gift, right?”

Jack placed his blades into the ground and decided to grab the crystal, looking at it as if it was calling to him. As he was staring at it, it started to glow, and a flash of light emitted from it. Jack started to see random images of various events at the same time. The flash quickly died down and Jack started to blink and shake his head.

“What the hay was that?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know,” Twilight replied. Maybe a reaction to Jack’s powers.”

“I saw it,” Jack said. “Images. Scenes. Lots of… memories.” He seriously looked at the others. “This mech was at the game.”

“The championship game?” Luna asked, to which Jack nodded.

“It was during the fourth quarter when I returned. It was also at this spot when we first practiced. And… it was at the basketball court at the park.” He looked at Sunset. “When Sunset attacked Sour with water.”

An idea came to mind in Luna’s head. “Soul Link! It wanted Sunset to find out the bond they had through Soul Link. That’s why they wanted her as well.”

“Were there any other images that you could see,” Twilight said. “Maybe a location, or-”

“I’m… not sure,” Jack quickly replied. “There were too many to make out right now. Those three images were the only ones that I could-” Jack stopped short when he was able to match another image with a picture that he saw back during their meeting. “Radiant Hope! There was another image of her being taken from the car off the side of a road.”

“That could mean that she’s alive, right?” Sour asked.

“I don’t know,” Jack said. “But it might be proof that she has the gift. If she was alive or not is another story.”

“And if she’s-”

“Let’s worry about the other details later,” Spitfire said, cutting off Twilight’s train of thought. “We need to do something about all of these mechs. Can’t let anyone find this stuff.”

“Maybe we can take it somewhere safe,” Twilight said. “I can see if I can-”

“To risky,” Luna interrupted. “We need to dispose of it. Chances are that Dark Star would know about Jack’s gift already. And if they don’t report in, it could be bad news for all of us if they saw this.”

And idea came to Jack’s mind. “Gather all of it to one clear location,” he ordered, clutching the crystal in his hand. “I’m going to try something.”

Everyone started to grab all the pieces of the cyber-mechs and laid them in the center of the field. Some of them were about to throw in the intact battery pack when Doctor Whooves intervene.

“Hold on there. I can use those battery packs.”

“What for?” Twilight asked. “Miss Luna said that-”

“I understand the reasoning for that,” the doctor quickly replied. “But these three battery packs can still be useful to us.” He looked at Luna. “If they were able to use that crystal to find students that carry the same gift that he has, then I think I can do the same a maybe shield them from being scanned. With the battery packs and that crystal, I can create a device that could generate a protective field that might protect Jack from being detected by others like the ones we faced. If so, you can use the school grounds to continue your training with the students.”

“He’s right,” Spitfire said. “We can’t rely on this area again to train if they know about this place. We have to assume the worst.”

“How long will you need to create this device?” Luna asked Doctor Whooves.

“A little over a day. I just need to get with River Song on the plans and make the device with what I have back home. And I’ll need time to install it without anyone knowing. The battery packs are harmless, while the rest of the parts could be traced if active.”

Luna nodded. “I’ll let my sister know of what you’re doing.”

“Would the broken blades be safe as well?” Spitfire asked.

The doctor took his sonic screwdriver and scanned the blades. “It’s nothing by metal. And it’s unclear if they would be able to scan metal. But, since Whiteblaze will be wearing armor like this, I don’t see any problem with it.”

Spitfire looked at Luna. “I need it for a few days, at least.” Luna nodded.

With the exception of the broken blades and intact battery packs, all the broken cyber-mech parts were placed in the pile on the field.

“Everyone stand back.” The others backed far away from the mech pile as Jack went to grab his blade, Masamune. With his blade in one hand, and the soul crystal in the other, he displayed the blade in front of him, pointed up and started to focus. A glow started to emit for himself as some kind of energy started to appear around the blade.

“SOUL ART #15”

The energy around his blade turned into a black orb.

“SHADOW… FLARE!!!”

With one forward slash, he flew the black orb towards the pile of cyber-mechs, making contact with them. The black orb started to swallow every part of the cyber-mechs until there was nothing left of them. Then, the orb grew big, and shrunk and exploded into nothing, leaving no trace of the mechs anywhere.

“He’s done it,” Luna said. “All fifteen arts.”

Jack looked at the crystal. “I think this might have something to do with what just happened to me earlier. As if it was telling me who I was and what I was able to do.” He went up to Doctor Whooves and gave him the soul crystal.

“Somehow, I think that crystal, and what the man said, must have awaken Mater Edge from within,” Luna said. “And now that you have mastered the fifteenth art, I think it’s time to work on the next five arts soon. If you and Master Edge are now one, then learning these arts shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I’m still surprised that he was able to call Sunset’s blade to him,” Twilight said. “Sugarcoat, do we have a name for this new power? You did discover it, right?”

Sugarcoat took a moment to think of a name. “Let’s see. How about… Soul Force.”

“Dude, that’s a cool name,” Lemon responded. “The power… of the force.”

“You have been watching too many sci-fi movies, Lemon,” Sour said.

“I think we’ve done enough work here,” Indigo said. “How about we get back to Maud’s truck and get it running again. I could use some help on the engine.”

“You said it,” Pinkie replied in agreement.

As they all started to leave the area, Sunset went to grab her blade and join Jack. She looked back and saw Luna, Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Doctor Whooves. “You coming?”

“We’ll catch up. You just get that truck going,” Spitfire said.

Sunset nodded as they went to catch up with the others. Applejack and Rainbow Dash started to explain what all happened as they made they way to cars and started to drive off, with some members of the Shadowbolts riding in the back of Jack’s truck.

“You know that man,” Doctor Whooves said, causing the others to look at him. “I can see that look in your eyes.” He pointed at Spitfire.

“No doubt it had to be him,” Spitfire said. “I can recognize that fighting style of his anywhere. And his weapon… No doubt it was him.”

“But how does he know about Jack’s connection with Master Edge,” Luna asked. “Or that we would be here.”

“You think he would have known about Blades’ gift?” Fleetfoot asked.

“I have a feeling that we’ll get our answers tomorrow,” Spitfire replied. “At the Harvest Festival. If I know him well, he’ll show up.”

Luna started to walk forward for a moment, then looked back. “Doctor, you got to Friday to have that device ready. If Spitfire’s correct, something tells me that he’ll be needing the school to train a couple of students for what’s to come.” She then looked forward, into the distance. “The stakes have changed. If Jack has evolved in some way, and Dark Star has made its first move, then we all need to be ready… for what’s to come.”