The Devil Fruits of Equestria

Chapters

Prologue
Discovery in the Woods
Klubba's, er...Klubbo's Kiosk
Some Friends Are Just Gold
Three is a Crowd, Six is a Party

Prologue

Ahh, Equestria, a land full of humanoid-like creatures who majority of them support the Magic of Friendship and live in peace and harmony...

...Unless, of course, you're me.

"AHHHHHHH!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I ran through the Ponyville market with six certain mares on my trail.

"Get back here!" Rainbow shouted as she and the rest ran after me.

You see that guy? That's me, Finn Jackson. And the girls hunting me like a wild animal, are the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I suppose you're wondering why I'm running for my life from some of the most revered ponies in Equestrian history, despite that they're somehow anthro...

I kept running and running, then I briefly looked back, seeing that two of them were missing, specifically Applejack and Pinkie Pie, "Wait...where'd they go?!"

I returned my eyes forward and saw the two aforementioned Earth Ponies standing in my escape route, and I was headed right for them!

"AHHHHHHH--"

[PAUSE]

...If you can just give me a few minutes, I can totally explain how all this happened. Let's rewind a bit, shall we?

[REWIND]

...

......

.........

[PLAY]

One Week Ago...

You see, I was just loafing around my home during my day off from work, same old, nothing special, when suddenly my doorbell rang.

"Huh? I wasn't expecting anyone." I said as I got and headed for the door.

I open it and see nobody around, I began to think it was some punks playing "ding-dong ditch" with me, until I noticed a package on the doorstep.

I began to scratch my head with a finger, "Strange. I wasn't expecting any mail either."

It was a Sunday, so naturally there shouldn't be any mail today. But curiosity got the better of me and I took the box in, I grabbed a little knife from the kitchen drawer and proceeded to cut open the box to see what was inside.

"If this is one of those glitter bomb pranks I've been hearing about, I swear..."

Regardless of my paranoia, I opened all the flaps and saw what was inside.

"A Devil Fruit?" I uttered.

It wasn't any Devil Fruit though, I knew this to be the Ice-Ice Fruit from watching One Piece. Thank you, late-night binge-watching.

"Hm? There's a note." I picked up both the fruit and the note and read the latter.

To whom it may concern,

I have bestowed upon you a real Devil Fruit, no lie, it's really real! You have been chosen to partake in a little project of ours to see what humanity is truly capable of. It will begin in one minute after you've opened this box, what you do with the Devil Fruit we've hand-picked for you is your choice.

Signed,
Lobos Excaliburn

I read and reread the note to make sure I wasn't seeing things, "Pfft, these people must think I was born yesterday."

But I didn't eat the Devil Fruit to prove them wrong, I was lot of things, and arrogant wasn't one of them; arrogance leads to stupidity, and stupidity leads to trouble, which I don't want. So, I decided to humor these weirdoes and count the seconds from when I opened the box with the Ice-Ice Fruit still in my hands.

Opening that box was the biggest mistake I made in my life.

One Minute Later...

I had passed out after receiving a sudden massive headache, like someone had clocked me really hard in the back of the skull. Did I leave the door unlocked and an intruder got in or something? I didn't have long to think on it as I began to wake up, my vision blurry and my mind disoriented. After clearing the fog in my head, I immediately noticed that the Ice-Ice Fruit was still in my hand, albeit surprisingly, then I took stock of my surroundings; I seemed to be in a closet chock full of valuables and gold!

I immediately slap myself before I could think on that any further, "No, this isn't right! I'm supposed to be at home, and last time I checked, I didn't have a closet full of golden objects!" I calmed myself and began to think, "Hmm...if it was a burglar who broke in and robbed me, why did he kidnap me and throw me in here with possibly stolen goods? It doesn't make sense...was it really just a sudden massive headache?" considering my medical history, I got headaches very often, "It's...not ENTIRELY a coincidence, but...something doesn't sit right. Could those people who sent me the Devil Fruit have actually been onto something?"

But alas, there were too many questions with no answers. Thus, I knew what I had to do.

"...I better take a look around."

Leaving behind the valuables, knowing full well they probably belong to somebody, I carefully walked up to the only door in this room and quietly opened it just a crack to make sure no one else was around.

Boy, was I wrong.

I literally had to bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming like a little girl when I saw what was behind that door; humanoid ponies in multiple colors, walking around in fancy outfits within an elegant ballroom as if their existence was completely normal. I had a powerful feeling of where I am, but I didn't want it to be true: I'm in an anthro-version of Equestria!

I suppose you're wondering: "how do you know about Equestria?" Simple question, simple answer; I'm a brony, my brother was a brony and got me into the show by begging me to watch at least one episode, been hooked ever since. But that doesn't explain how I ended up here, of all places!

...Wait.

The box.

The note.

The Devil Fruit.

Was this part of that "project" the note mentioned?

Regardless, I knew I had to get gone, fast.

As I slipped out of the gold-filled closet and sidled along the wall, a tall, white anthro-pony and a shorter lavender anthro-pony suddenly barged in like there was an emergency, I knew these two to be Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle. But what was going on? Why are rushing like there was a barn on fire?

"Attention Grand Galloping Gala guests!" the Princess declared, "A malicious energy has been detected right here in this ballroom! Please vacate the premises until we find the source!"

Everypony began to leave the room, but I tried to go faster and quieter, because I knew all too knew what she sensed: the power within the Devil Fruit.

If I had any doubts that this thing was a genuine Devil Fruit, they're certainly gone now.

I kept inching my way closer to the exit, until...

"HALT!!"

I froze and slowly turned my head to see the princess, Twilight and her friends, and a WHOLE F@%#ING LEGION of armored guards with their weapons at the ready! I may be overexaggerating about the legion bit, but still!

The princess lit her horn as I flinched, then she gasped in shock as she looked at the fruit in my hands, "The energy is coming from that fruit...you! Hand it over, immediately!"

I took a small step back, but the guards took notice of it and tensed themselves for a chase, "Uh, that would be great...if this thing wasn't potentially and extremely dangerous when bitten into."

Celestia's eyes narrowed, "Why?"

I took a deep breath to compose myself, "Sorry, anxiety getting the better of me again..." I cleared my throat, "This thing is called a 'Devil Fruit', when taken at least a single, small bite, the fruit gives the devourer a great power granted to them by the Sea Devil, at the cost of being unable to swim in large bodies of water...and a terrible taste when one eats the fruit."

"Then as Princess of Equestria, I order you to hand over that Devil Fruit!"

"As much as I want to be rid of this thing, I kinda can't."

"And why not?!"

"If somebody bites into this thing, accident or not, they'll be incredibly dangerous; as someone once quoted, 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' I just can't take that chance."

Celestia was deadly silent for a few moments, "...Then I'll take it by force. Guards! Seize him!"

The Royal Guards brandished their spears, swords, and other such weapons at me, causing me to back up in utter fear.

This is bad, this is bad, this is bad! I chanted like a mantra in my head, The guards are blocking every escape route possible! They've got me! What'll I do?! I glanced at the Devil Fruit in my hands, then back at the guards, to the fruit, then the guards, and I audibly gulped, I gotta risk it! "...I'm so gonna regret this."

Before anyone could stop me, I opened my mouth wide and--

CHOMP!

Bit into the Devil Fruit. Everyone around me gasped as I tasted the utter nastiness of the fruit, the urge to spit it out was too strong. NO! SWALLOW IT! I shouted to myself. With every ounce of willpower I had, I forced the vile-tasting fruit down my throat with a massive gulp...and threw the remains on the ground in front of me in disgust.

"My God, that was DISGUSTING!" I screamed, "I heard they tasted terrible, but I didn't think it would be on this degree!"

"What..."

I looked back at the group in front of me as the princess levitated the Devil Fruit remains to her in shock, especially since she was the one who spoke.

"What have you done..."

I noticed that her features began to turn from shock to unbridled rage as she turned from the fruit to me, "...Time to go." I mumbled, fearfully.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?"

I yelped at her using the Royal Canterlot Voice, as was shown from the Nightmare Night episode by her sister, Princess Luna, and ended up subconsciously activating my newfound powers, creating a wall of spiky ice separating me from the others. While the group tried to process what just happened, I took this as my chance to escape; picturing the power of the Ice-Ice Fruit in my mind, I ran away in a different direction as the guards recovered and charged at me, I willed ice walls from the floor to keep them away from me as I bolted through the exit. Unfortunately, even as I ran to find a way out of the castle, my control over my new powers were limited; all I could do was conjure ice walls, some with spikes to scare off the guards, but I couldn't even create weapons to defend myself with, and it's only a matter of time before the guards figure out a way to get through my walls of ice.

Thankfully, Lady Luck was on my side for once as I found the main exit to the castle, I ran as fast as I could to it, but my senses were warning me about some impending danger up ahead, when it became to strong to ignore, I finally skid to a stop, and I'm super glad I did as a bolt of purple magic sailed past the front of my face and blew up a good section of the wall next to me, making me tremble and audibly gulp in nervousness, knowing full well that blast could've killed me had I kept going.

"Huh, guess you're more perceptive than I thought."

I turned to the sound of the voice as a purple armored anthro-stallion stepped out from behind a stone column; he had white fur, blue streaked mane, and cerulean blue eyes, I knew all too well that this was Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard and possesses powerful barrier magic.

"Oh, fuck me..." I utter.

"Don't bother trying to run," Shining began, "I locked the main doors before you arrived and the rest of the Royal Guard are on their way here. You're trapped with no where to go."

Before I could panic properly, I noticed a set of keys on a keyring dangling from his right hip, just waiting to be plucked from his person.

With all the courage I can muster right now, I answer with, "I'm not going down without a fight."

Shining drew a one-handed longsword from his left hip, "Face it, you can't defeat the Royal Guard."

I glare at him in absolute defiance, "Maybe not...but I can defeat YOU."

Shining chose this moment to charge at me with his blade, but I intercepted him with my trademark ice wall, complete with spikes, making him back off and go around it. I tried to create more ice walls to bar him from reaching me, but he simply blasted through them with his magic beams, melting them as it passed through.

I took cover behind a different stone column, "This'll take forever. And I can't reach those keys by fighting defensively." I peered from my hiding place to see Shining looking diligently for me before taking cover again, "There must be another way..." I racked my brain for an answer...then it hit me, "I freeze him, THEN take the keys. But how do I get close...?" I tap my chin with a finger a few times before shrugging, "Eh, I'll just have to wing it."

I run out of my hiding spot and conjure a few ice walls just as Shining blasted them with his magic, I then ran back to my hiding spot and scope out the area, and just as I thought, he was focused on where I made the walls, blasting and melting the ice to get to me. Smirking, I sneak out of my little haven right behind him and leapt at his armored legs, surprising him. With as much willpower as I can muster, I willed his body to freeze and it was working; his entire lower half was frozen to the floor as I grabbed the keyring and made a run for the doors. He tried to swing his sword at me, but I was too far away already for it to hit me, so he switched to his magic to shoot me as I conjured more ice walls to cover me.

I fumbled with the keys, trying to find the right one, but there had to be a hundred keys on this stinking thing! Fortunately, after the third try, I heard the satisfying sound of the lock clicking open and yanked the doors open just the Shining's magic melted through my ice again and I slammed the doors, praying to every deity in existence to not let the doors give way for his power. I heard the sound of a magic beam hitting the doors before the aftershock pushed me on my ass, guess these doors were magic-proof, thank you God.

I suddenly felt like celebrating and did a little dance before running off into the city of Canterlot and hitchhiking on the next train to God-knows-where, hoping to find a place to hide and lay low for a little while. But tomorrow...my journey truly begins. The Ice-Ice Fruit, this "Lobos Excaliburn", everything that's happened so far...

I gotta get some answers.

(stop music)

Celestia's POV

After finally thawing the multiple walls of ice throughout the castle halls and Captain Shining Armor's legs, he began to give us a detailed explanation about what happened when he confronted the being with the "Devil Fruit".

"Once I told him that he was pretty much cornered, he decided he was going to go down fighting and summoned more ice walls to hide behind, then he tricked me by creating more walls as he ran one direction, went back and behind me to freeze me to the floor, took my keys, and made a break for the doors as I swung my blade at him. I made a last ditch effort to blast him with my magic as he called more walls to shield him, but unfortunately, he managed to get the doors open and slam them on his way out, not only that, my magic couldn't pierce through the doors, so I have to assume that he got away."

"Hmm..." Twilight, my prized pupil, hummed in thought, "He may be cowardly, but he's also clever if he managed to deceive Shining like that, plus it seems like his control over that 'Devil Fruit' ice thing is limited. Then again, he just bit into it and hasn't had a lot of time to control his new powers..."

"...Then the longer we leave him be, the stronger he will become." I conclude, before standing straight, "Captain, send the squads out and sweep the area. Leave no stone unturned. Find him."

"Yes, Your Highness." Captain Armor bowed before turning to his soldiers to relay their orders.

"To the guests of the Grand Galloping Gala," I turned to address my people, "apologies to you all, but this year's Gala will have to be postponed for another time." groans of displeasure echoed throughout the ponies, even the other Element Bearers, "For now, if anypony has information on the being's whereabouts or anything that seems important, report it to the crown immediately. As of now, that...'Devil Fruit' creature and any others like him are now wanted in the name of Equestrian Royalty. We don't know if there ARE any others, but the one who had just fled now has a bounty of 10,000 bits." the crowd "ooh'd" at the prospect of gaining more money, "Do NOT approach him. He is now considered extremely dangerous. Send missive to the Guard to apprehend him, and whoever does will claim the reward." the crowd began to murmur to one another, "Now please, return to your homes, and a new date of a new Grand Galloping Gala will be sent to you all as soon as possible."

The guests began to leave one after the other, and some I could almost see the gears in their heads turning about how to catch that "Devil Fruit" creature. Once the last one left, the Guards closed the doors as I addressed Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

"My little ponies, I am terribly sorry that this night was ruined for you all..."

"Don't be, Princess," Twilight interjected, "It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash aggressively agreed, "It was that weirdo who showed up outta nowhere! Now I gotta wait to show the Wonderbolts my skills!"

The other Element Bearers shared their reasons for coming and how they were ruined.

I raised a hand to silence them, "I understand. But it is crucial that we find and capture that creature before something really bad happens."

"What do ya want us ta do, Yer Highness?" Applejack asked.

"For now, return to Ponyville and keep a vigilant eye out for this being. If he managed to make his way down the mountain by chance, then the first he may go is Ponyville for supplies."

"Mm-hmm." The girls hummed before leaving as well.

Now that I'm left with my thoughts, I could almost feel a chill in the air, like something was coming soon. If that was one Devil Fruit, then there must be more, and whoever or whatever brought them to Equestria, it's...

It's monstrous.

Author's Note

Golden Flare Presents

From Hasbro, DHX Media, and the creators of One Piece...

The Devil Fruits of Equestria

Later on, I'll call for Devil Fruit users and list off what Fruits are already taken.

Discovery in the Woods

Finn's POV

It was sunrise the moment the train pulled into the next station and I hadn't slept a wink since my escape, I hopped off the caboose and bolted out of the area before the sunlight could catch up and blow my cover. Soon, I found a creepy looking forest and thought with a smile, Perfect. before running inside the disturbing foliage to use as a camouflage and hide from any wandering eyes that may gaze upon me. It took me several hours as the sun finally reached its peak in the sky, but I found salvation at last; an old castle in ruins, covered almost completely in moss, the perfect place for hiding from the public eye while I try to figure out my next step from this point forward.

Upon entering the ruins, I noticed how sorry-looking it was on the inside, made me wish I had the tools and the know-how to fix it all, but sadly, even if I used my powers over the Ice-Ice Fruit, I'm still inexperienced with them and could end up burying myself under these very ruins. Oh well, I'll put that in my "Things To Do" list once I master these new powers, right now I had to plot my next move: yes, I had the powers of one of the Devil Fruits now, but I still have human needs, like food and water, so I'm gonna have to go either through the woods for food and potentially poison myself or sneak through the nearby town's local market and swipe some decent grub there, and honestly, I was greatly considering the latter option, but my mother raised me not to steal from others.

But your mom's not here right now... the reasonable part of my mind argued.

...Unfortunately, as much as it burns me up inside to admit it, my mind was right, besides, desperate times call for desperate measures. I have goal set, now I need a game plan.

I yawned as I plopped on a nearby rotted mattress.

Eh, I'll sleep on it for now, maybe I'll get some ideas in my dreams.

I'm tired...

"This has got to be, without a doubt, the STUPIDEST idea I've ever had...and I ate a Devil Fruit for God sakes." I mumble to myself, hiding my face deeper into my burlap cloak as I simply strolled through Ponyville's marketplace.

The next day had come, and no ideas presented themselves to me...well, minus one, which I still think is pretty piss-poor. I hid my entire body in a burlap bag that I ripped and resewed into a cloak as a means to hide in plain sight while I did my "shopping". I, sadly, didn't have any bits on me nor did I find any in the old castle, believe me, I looked, so I really did have no choice but to swipe some food and bits as I wandered through the market, and so far, I had gotten a few oranges, a pear or two, a bunch of bananas, and at least 25 bits, I really wish I could grab some apples, but a big burly red furred stallion, who I remember was Big Macintosh, was watching the stall like a hawk while Applejack was with her friends in Canterlot, and I wasn't going to push my luck trying to steal from him.

It wasn't nearly enough to survive on, but it'll have to do for now, time to find a stream where I can grab some drinking water to last me a few days.

Twilight's POV

I stirred awake from my nap in the apple carriage that took us to the Grand Galloping Gala as it came to a stop. I looked around and saw my friends still asleep, except for Applejack, who took over steering the stallions who were pulling the carriage after Spike couldn't hold his eyes open anymore last night, not only that, but we appear to be just outside of Ponyville, near Carousel Boutique.

"Alright, y'all," I heard Applejack say to the stallions, "we'll make our way home from 'ere, y'all get some rest, Ah think ya earned it."

"Thank you..." they both answered tiredly as they unhooked themselves from the carriage and slowly made their way home.

I yawned as I tried to wake everypony up, with Rainbow Dash being the toughest since she was known for napping, eventually they woke up, we all said our goodbyes, and started to head home, with me carrying a still sleeping Spike in my arms. I must've been really tired because I didn't notice that I had just bumped into somepony until they said, "Oh, sorry."

I yawned again, "No, it's okay, I just need to head home and rest..."

I didn't bid the stallion a farewell as I stumbled back home, not noticing him powerwalking away from us or how his voice sounded very familiar...

I yawned for a third time. I'm sure it was probably nothing.

Finn's POV

Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!! What's Twilight doing here?! I thought she was back in Canterlot with her friends! Luck was on my side, however, as she appeared to be so tired that she barely recognized me or my voice under my cloak and was wandering back to her library tree home. But unlucky for me, if she's here, then that means the rest of her friends must be here too.

I had no time to waste.

I powerwalked out of town and into the Everfree Forest before anyone could stop me for any reason, and headed into the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, then collapsed as I tried to catch my breath, my anxiety and adrenaline pumping into my veins like it was going out of style.

Once my brain and lungs caught up with the rest of my body, I found my voice, "Hah...! I'm gonna have to be a lot more careful from now on...I can't risk them catching me..."

I then heard soft hoofsteps on stone floor echoing through the castle as prepared my ice powers.

"Who's there?!"

The intruder jumped at my words, but when I got a good look at who its was, my powers promptly stopped short; it appeared to be a little Pegasus filly with dark grey fur, lavender mane, and pale red eyes, wearing clothes that looked like they were normal once, but now were no more than rags. But above all else, she looked scared, lost...even lonely.

"Um...who are you?"

The filly fumbled with her words, "I...I don't know..."

"You don't know?"

She shook her head, looking fearful of any bad reaction that I might give her.

"Okay, um...do you know where you are right now?"

"N-No..."

"Can you...remember anything? Anything at all? Maybe how you got here?"

"I...I can't...I don't remember..."

A little filly with amnesia wandering the Everfree Forest without a grown-up...something's off here, but not from her. I thought, then spoke, "It's okay...I'm not gonna hurt you..." I slowly approached her, making her tremble, "I know I looked like I was going to, but I thought you were someone else...you're only a child. And I don't hurt children."

"P-Promise...?"

I smile lightly as I stopped a foot in front of her, "Promise."

Guuuurrrrrrgle...

My eyes widened, "Was that you? Are you hungry?"

The filly hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

I dug into my pocket, pulled out a banana from the bunch, and pealed it open, "Here, eat this."

The filly walked slowly towards me and gently took the fruit out of my hand and ate it, when she tasted it, her eyes widened and devoured it outright.

I chuckle, "You must've been hungry."

"Y-Yes..." she answered, "And that tasted a lot better than what I ate in the forest..."

"What did you eat?"

"A funny looking purple fruit with swirls on it."

My blood turned cold as my eyes widened. No...it can't be...

"W-What's wrong?"

"Kid." I kneel down to her, "What exactly did this fruit look like? And spare no details."

Shocked by the seriousness in my voice, she spoke, "Um...it looked like some tiny swirled fruits merged into one big fruit."

I sigh deeply, "...I really wish you didn't eat that."

"W-Why?"

I look deep into her eyes, "What you ate was a Devil Fruit."

She didn't know why, but the name made chills go up her spine, "D-D-D-D-Devil Fruit...?"

"My best guess? It was probably the Dark-Dark Fruit."

"H-Huh...?"

"There are a few types of Devil Fruits and many of those types, all of them are potentially dangerous. The one you ate was the Dark-Dark Fruit; you can now create, control, and turn into darkness itself."

"D-Darkness...?"

"It's a little hard to explain, and I will explain in due time, but right now, it's getting late and we both need food in our bellies and beds to rest on, so let's eat and get some sleep. I'll tell you more after we go 'shopping' for more food tomorrow, Cozma." I stood up and turned around as I motioned her to follow.

"Um...okay..." the filly's ears pricked up, "Wait...'Cozma'?"

I turn my head to her and smirk, "Gotta call you something, don't I? Whataya think?"

"'Cozma'..." she uttered her new name and smiled brightly, "Yes...I love it!"

"Glad you do. Now c'mon, let's eat."

The newly named Cozma followed me into a ruined dining hall of the castle and we ate what little food we had. She followed me into the bedchambers as I made her a makeshift bed out of any decent pillows I could find and a blanket, I guided her to it and she fell asleep almost instantly. I smiled and made my way to my own bed; the ratty remains of Princess Celestia's old bed.

Guess I found another Devil Fruit user, and to make matters worse, it was a filly with no memory of who she is, now I have to teach her how to use her powers...before she or someone else gets hurt.

Several days had passed with me swiping some more food and bits while teaching Cozma about Devil Fruits and Equestria when I'm not doing the former, and I think I'm getting some real progress from her...well, mostly. We had just finished reviewing what she learned about the three main types of Devil Fruits and now we were practicing our Devil Fruit powers; I was finally able to turn into ice as I phased through an ice wall I created, that'll certainly come in handy when the time comes, but Cozma...she's still struggling, I taught her how to use the powers of the Dark-Dark Fruit, but the main issue is that she doesn't understand how to use them, losing your memories will do that to you. I could tell that she was getting frustrated, because she looked like she was trying to force her powers to work, but they don't work that way.

"I think that's enough for now, Cozma," I interrupt, "take a break and rest your body and mind."

She slumped to the ground, "I'm sorry, Mr. Finn..."

"Don't be. I don't expect you to master the fruit's power overnight, I mean, even I can't use my fruit's full power yet. We'll figure it out, okay? Don't push yourself to hard. Remember what I taught you?"

"'Work smarter, not harder'." she recited, then said, "I just wish I understood how this power worked."

"Think of it this way, when the time comes, you'll know what to do."

"Okay..."

"Good. Now I gotta head into town for some provisions, then we'll explore the forest a little more before we press on."

"'Press on'?"

"Move forward. We can't keep staying in this castle, it's only a matter of time before the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony find us and lock us up for having Devil Fruit powers."

"Okay...do you hate them, Mr. Finn?"

I shook my head, "No, but I'm not on their good side right now; I bit into the Ice-Ice Fruit right in front of them after I had explained to them what it was and why I couldn't let it go. Not only that, but I've seen the wanted posters all over town; 'WANTED: Ice-Ice Fruit Creature - DEAD OR ALIVE - Bounty: 10,000 Bits'. The whole town, if not all of Equestria, is going to be gunning for me to claim that reward, and if they find out you have a Devil Fruit power as well..." I took a deep breath, "...Short version of the story, we're not safe here right now, odds are, not every place in this land has heard about me yet, better to take our chances out there than around here."

"Can I come with you?"

"No, you stay here where it's safe. I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay..." Cozma sounded dejected, but I couldn't risk it, plus I had a bad gut feeling about today.

Present Day

You know, looking back on it, I'm glad I told Cozma to stay behind, because I'm in a massive pickle right now.

"Get back here!" Rainbow shouted as she and her friends chased me through town.

I had gotten a good haul of food and bits; fruits, veggies, and at least 34 bits. But my biggest blunder was when I couldn't resist a good apple and tried to swipe one, not realizing who was at the stall today. Care to take a guess?

"I'mma getcha fer tryin' ta take ma apples, ya varmint!!"

Yup, Applejack. Of all the rotten luck...

I turn back to see them gaining on me, but notice two of them were missing, "Wait...where'd they go?!"

As if to answer, I looked back forward and saw Applejack and Pinkie Pie right in front of the path I need to take!

...But luckily for me, I remembered a little trick I learned.

With a smirk, I make a small trail of ice pass the two Earth Ponies as Pinkie proclaimed, "Ah-ha! You missed!"

"Are you sure about that?" I ask before morphing into the ice trail, flowing pass them, and morphing back into human form to run away again.

Okay, phasing through a wall of ice was one thing, but doing THAT felt weird.

No matter, if I can make back into the forest, I'm home free!

Twilight's POV

We were all staring at where the ice trail and the Devil Fruit person was running in distance, our brains struggling to reboot at what we just saw.

"...WHAT THE BUCK JUST HAPPENED?!?" Rainbow yelled.

"Looks like th' varmint learnt ah new trick..." Applejack growled.

"Seems like it, but we can't let him get away!" I rallied the others and we started after him again, "He's headed into the Everfree Forest, we'll lead him to Zecora's and cut him off!"

Finn's POV

Suckers, they thought they could lead me to Zecora's hut and catch me there, but instead, I lead them along the way there and melded into the ice walls I made as I trapped them just outside the hut. But I sincerely doubt it'll hold them forever, I need to get back to the castle and get Cozma before they find us. After making my way across the ravine, I burst through the castle doors, startling her.

"M-Mr. Finn?!"

"Shake a leg, Cozma! It's time to go!" I say, running to our shared bedroom to collect the provisions we've already gathered.

"Why? What happened?"

"The Element Bearers found me out! We're no longer safe here! You carry the jugs of water, I'll carry the food!"

Cozma did as she was told and we headed for the castle's back door, running out into the unknown, and praying to every deity for our safe escape and survival.

Twilight's POV

I was able to melt the ice with my magic faster than my brother's when he fought this ice person and we followed him back to the old castle.

"Why am I not surprised?" Rainbow rhetorically asked, "The guy's probably taken up residence in there."

"Not for long! C'mon, girls!" I declare.

One by one, we all cross the rickety bridge over to the castle and burst inside...only to find nothing?

"Stay sharp, girls, he could be planning an ambush." I whispered, "I'll use my magic to search for him."

I lit my horn, and mentally scanned for him...

...Nothing.

"He's...not here."

"What?!" the girls asked.

"Whataya mean, 'he's not here'?!" Rainbow demanded.

"I mean he's just not here!" I answered again, "I scanned for him and found nothing!"

"It, um, it looks like a few things were here at one point, but..." Fluttershy mumbled out.

"Say..." Applejack looked around, seeing indents in the ground and spots where there were no dust or cobwebs, "Flutters is right! There wuz ah buncha stuff here, but now it's gone!"

"He hightailed it outta here?!" Rainbow shouted, "That coward!"

"Wait..." Fluttershy got their attention, "There are two sets of prints here, one that ice man's, and the other's...a pony?"

"You think he has a hostage?" I asked her.

"I think so...both tracks are fresh..."

"Ah hate ta tell y'all," Applejack interrupted, "But they follow all th' way ta th' castle's back exit."

"Great! Just great!" Rainbow threw her arms up, "They could be anywhere by now!"

"Rainbow's right, girls. Unfortunately for us, the trail's gone cold." I say, dejected.

"Awwww!" the girls whined.

We then heard a Timberwolf howling in the distance.

"We'd better get home, it's not safe here." I rally the others, "I also have to have Spike send a letter to the Princess about our findings, maybe she'll have a clue if we tell her."

"Alright..." Rainbow groaned, then looked fierce, "But once we find that guy and save his hostage, I'm beating him down!!"

We all agreed and left the castle before sunset, still...

Why do I have a bad feeling about all this?

??? POV

I had just came back to the cave I had taken up residence in after searching for supplies. After escaping from Canterlot Castle when Celestia suspended my studies and banished me from the castle, I lived on the run for three years and hearing about the escapades of this Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the new Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Friends...bah!

Who needs friends?! All that matters is being the best! And I would've been the next princess had Celestia not ended my studies! She was obviously afraid of my potential, why else would she have done what she did?!

No matter, I'll get my payback, she'll see! Right now, I need to eat, I'm starving...

"Wait...why does this fruit have weird swirls on it...?" I mumble, confused...then shrugged, "Eh, what's the worst that could happen?"

With no further hesitation, I bit into it...

Author's Note

Uh-oh, looks like somepony found a stray Devil Fruit...but who is it? And what Devil Fruit did she find?

Next time: the beginning of the Devils on the Run arc.

Klubba's, er...Klubbo's Kiosk

Finn's POV

Cozma and I ran as fast as we could through the dense forest to get away from the mares that are trying to catch me. Yes, they don't know about Cozma and her Dark-Dark Fruit powers, and I'd like to keep it that way, the less anyone knows about her, the better it is for us. We ran for a good hour before we finally felt weak enough to stop and rest for a while, we were panting to regain the lost air in our lungs.

"Mister...Finn..." Cozma panted out, "How much...farther...?"

"I think...we're safe...for now..." I tell her.

We sat there panting until we gained our lost air and proceeded to stand up and wander around, hoping to find a way out of the forest without alerting the Element Bearers. After a long while with the sun going down, we found something...rather odd. A weird toll booth surrounded by mostly dead trees, a toxic waste barrel or two, and a muscular bipedal crocodile standing guard on the bridge over a rather unhealthy looking swamp river.

Cozma started clinging to me, scared by his physical appearance, "M-M-M-Mr. Finn...who is that...?"

I narrow my eyes at him, "...I have an idea who it is. Stay behind me." I walk up to him carefully, "Are you, by any chance, Klubba?"

"Do I LOOK like him?" he answered, sarcastically, "Nay, I'm Klubbo, his cousin. Now how do ye know of me cousin? An' don't ye DARE lie to me!"

Yeesh, he even has the pirate dialect... I think before speaking, "Okay, it's like this..." I explain to him how I know Klubba; the game he originated from, his purpose, and the fact that he's just pixels and code on a television screen...at least, that's what I thought, "...And that's pretty much it."

Klubbo leaned in real close and stared into my soul, trying to detect any sense of falsehood from my words, "...Okay, I believe ye."

"R-Really? Just like that?" I say, caught off guard by his answer.

"I don't really get all the talk o' 'video games' or 'pixels and code', but I can tell yer tellin' me the truth. Now that the explanations of me cousin are out o' the way, ear this, landlubbers! To cross me bridge is gonna cost yer many pieces o' eight! An' if yers don't pay up, I'll run yer through like the scurvy dogs ye are, A-harrr! It costs 15...er...whatever currency this world has to cross over, mateys."

"For a minute there I thought you gonna say Kremkoins."

"Yes, but...Kremkoins don't exist in this here land, so a Kremling's gotta make do with what we can find."

"I can understand that." I pull out a small bag of bits and pour 15 bits into my hand, "Will these do?"

Klubbo takes the coins, sniffs them, then takes one tries to bend it with his teeth, but to no avail, "That there's real gold. Thanks for the booty. Ye landlubbers may pass. Just...don't expect me to polish the bridge for ye next time ye come."

"Fine by me. C'mon, Cozma, it's safe now." I say, guiding her pass Klubbo, before he speaks again.

"Just one last thing." we turn to face him as he pulls out something pretty familiar, "Do ye know anything about this here fruit?"

My eyes went wide as I uttered the name, "...The Bomb-Bomb Fruit."

"Ah, so ye DO know. I found this here 'Bomb-Bomb Fruit' growing on one o' me dead trees an' plucked it. I reckon yer gonna find a better use for it than me." he tossed to me as I caught it.

"Why though?"

"I know about them 'Devil Fruits' 'round these parts, so let's just say yer gonna owe me...a favor."

"Well...you already gave it to me, so it's a deal."

Klubbo nods and turns away, "Now get movin'. There are things in that part o' the woods that ye don't want to be just standin' 'round."

"Good idea."

Cozma and I ran ahead as Klubbo simply stood guard at his post once more.

3rd Person POV

Meanwhile, at the Golden Oaks Library, Spike recently just sent Princess Celestia a letter about the Ice-Ice Fruit user's whereabouts, her reply was to keep an eye out and that she was doubling the bounty on him. Now, Spike was helping himself to a midnight glass of milk to try and help him sleep, after he poured his drink, he set the carton down, not noticing what was marked on the side of it...

A picture of a certain dark grey filly with the words:

HAVE YOU SEEN ME?
Lost Filly: Astral Force

Author's Note

Devils on the Run Arc theme:

Oh boy, Cozma's parents are looking for her...

In case you haven't figured it out, this quick chapter was a reference to Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

I am now accepting OC's! Please fill out the character sheet below if you want your own OC to be in future chapters.

Name:
Race:
Physical Description:
Personality:
Moral Affiliation:
Devil Fruit (Optional):
Backstory:

Quick tip: I will be including humans that were forced from Earth to Equestria with their own Devil Fruits given to them by the enigmatic "Lobos Excaliburn", and if you want, you can say your OC is simply carrying the fruit with them instead of eating it outright.

Devil Fruits Currently In Use:
Ice-Ice Fruit
Dark-Dark Fruit
Clone-Clone Fruit (Uneaten)
Bomb-Bomb Fruit (Uneaten)

Some Friends Are Just Gold

Finn's POV

Man, Klubbo wasn't kidding about the nasty wildlife in this part of the forest; first we run into a pack of Timberwolves, trapped them in a doggy pen of ice, then we cross paths with a chimera that wants to eat us, froze the freak of inhuman nature solid, should thaw out at some point...you know, probably, and lastly we meet a manticore, but this one didn't want to fight, so we just walked past it as it was guarding its nest from us, growling all the while. Maybe it was the one Fluttershy tamed in the Season 1 Premiere? Eh, whatever. Right now, we could a bit of light shining from the tree line and I think we were almost out of the woods, literally.

"I think that's the exit, Cozma." I say, pointing to the light.

"Are you sure?" she asked me.

"Pretty sure. C'mon, let's get outta here before something really bad happens."

Cozma held my hand like a daughter would do with a father and we walked towards the light...

"Hold it."

...I think I just jinxed us.

Someone stepped out in front of the path and...it was a human?! He appeared to be a white male in his mid 20s, with a buzz cut, and some mild facial hair, wearing what seemed to be clothing that is greatly resistant to high temperatures. Is he one of those blacksmiths from the "Man At Arms" YouTube series?

"First time I've seen another human since I got here, and with a pony kid to boot."

I stayed on my guard and kept Cozma behind me, she still can't use her Dark-Dark powers yet, so I gotta keep her safe. I know what you're thinking, "Dude, it's a fellow human! Why are you so tense?" Simple answer: he was brought here the same way I was, and that means he has a Devil Fruit on his side, I have to tread lightly here.

"Yeah..." I began cautiously, "And who are you, exactly?"

"My friends call me Khaine," he answered, "I'm a blacksmith, well, I was back on Earth before I came here. And you?"

"Finn. Finn Jackson. Just a guy trying to get by. And the filly behind me is my friend, Cozma." I didn't tell him of Cozma's amnesia, if this guy is evil, I can't take any chances.

"Okay, and judging by the fact that you're a human in this pony-filled land, I'd say you got a Devil Fruit like me."

Damn! He's got me figured out! "So what if I do?"

"As long as you're not bad, I won't forced to use my new powers on you, just laying those cards on the table now."

"And your Devil Fruit power is...?"

He waved his right hand outward, "Look to your left, and you tell me."

I did so, and gasped. Timberwolves, a massive pack, all frozen in solid gold statues, with terror stuck on their faces.

"...The Gol-Gol Fruit." I utter fearfully.

"'Gol-Gol'?" Cozma asked.

"A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows the user to manipulate gold."

Khaine clapped a few times, "Bravo, very good. You're well informed. I was just digging for some ores when a Timberwolf pack attacked me, found a giant gold ore vein, and the rest is history."

"Wait." I began, confused, "Why were you looking for ores? Surely food and water are more important for survival out here."

"Easy, I knew what Devil Fruit I had, ate it, found some gold ore to make some of this world's currency, bought a smithy in town, and now I'm making easy money."

"A smithy? So you ARE a blacksmith."

He raised his hand with a smile, "Guilty. But how'd you know?"

"The outfit alone is a dead giveaway. I used to watch the 'Man At Arms' series on YouTube."

"Cool. So what Devil Fruit did you eat?"

Seeing as he hasn't tried to provoke or threaten us to a greater extent, I think we can trust him, "The Ice-Ice Fruit."

"Wow, a Logia-type? Impressive."

"And Cozma here ate the Dark-Dark Fruit."

"Yikes. But I thought humans were given Devil Fruits."

"I guess there are stray Devil Fruits in this world, because I was given this one by a toll bridge kiosk owner." I pulled out the Bomb-Bomb Fruit.

"Whoa! You better keep that on you unless you're going to give to someone you deem worthy."

"That's what I plan on doing." I put the fruit away, "So you said there's a town nearby?"

"Yup, Dodge Junction is just beyond the trees, that's where my smithy is, too."

"Good, we can restock on supplies. We got 99 bits on us, so..."

"Well...seeing the prices at Dodge, I doubt you'll get enough food and water to last you two a week."

"So what do we do then?"

Khaine walked over to the statues and morphed some of the gold off of them and turned them into bits, they even had the correct insignia and everything, "I took a little bit of gold off the statues to make you some more bits, 30 should give you enough. I can't take too much otherwise the Timberwolves will break free."

I look at the bits given to me, still unable to believe how perfectly accurate Khaine made the bits to be, "...You know, you scare me when you do that."

"A blacksmith must have a good eye, after all."

"Fair point."

"Now, let's head into town and get you two your supplies."

We began to leave the foreboding woods and straight to Dodge Junction...but if we stayed a little bit longer, we would've noticed the cracks forming on the statues and the growling of angry Timberwolves.

We entered the new town, and the first thing I did was take a good look around; luckily for us, I didn't see any wanted posters anywhere, guess Dodge Junction doesn't get news very fast. Khaine guided through town and helped with some of our shopping, suggesting some of the better, more filling foods we could grab, not to mention some more water. Since I didn't see any posters or the locals giving me the stink eye, I could finally relax for once as Khaine started leading us to his smithy.

"Welp, here it is, my smithy, 'The Golden Opportunity'!" he declared.

It was simple on the outside, plain wooden walls and doors, but on the inside when he guided us in was pretty complex; everything looked to be prepped with heat-resistant properties, blacksmith ponies working on the multitude of smelters, assembly lines to gather the metal pieces and put them together, and the air felt really hot, the perfect atmosphere for a smithy. I personally didn't mind it, I was born and raised in a state where it was really hot half the time and the weather was erratic on the other half.

"So, what do you guys think?"

"Very impressive, nice organization you got, and lots of ponies are helping." I compliment.

"It's little hot, though..." Cozma said, sweating like crazy.

"Of course it is, it's a smithy, it's always hot." Khaine added.

Seeing how Cozma was struggling to breathe the hot air, I spoke to Khaine, "I'll take her outside for some water, I don't think she likes very hot temperatures."

Khaine shrugs, "Eh, to each their own."

I took Cozma outside the smithy and immediately heard the shrieks of terror from the other ponies in town as a big pack of Timberwolves were hunting the townsfolk.

I knew exactly why they were here, "Uh, Khaine?! You're gonna want to see this!"

He ran out and saw the chaos in shock, "You don't think..."

"The pack you froze must've broke free and want revenge."

"Aw man..."

"Watch Cozma, I got this!" I pass her to Khaine and run into the fray.

"But why?" Khaine asked, but it was too late as I was already gone.

Khaine's POV

I don't understand, if Cozma has the Dark-Dark Fruit powers, shouldn't she be able to help?

"I can't use my powers yet." she utters.

"Huh? Why not?" I ask her.

"...I lost my memory a week ago, and I don't understand how my powers work. Mr. Finn has been helping me practice them, but I just can't do it."

I sighed, "Come with me. We're going to help him."

"Why?"

"The only way you'll find a way to use your powers is hands-on experience, you'd be surprised what you can learn in the heat of battle. At least, that's what I've heard."

"...Okay..."

"Let's go, it's a hot day today, and I doubt his ice will last very long in this heat."

We ran after Finn to aid him in this fight.

He's gonna need all the help he can get.

Finn's POV

Okay, this is NOT going well; today is a very hot day in Dodge and my ice pens are melting to the point that the Timberwolves are breaking free in minutes, I don't know what else to do and my powers are still limited! I was caught off guard by a random Timberwolf leaping at me and pinning me to the ground, but I was quick enough to freeze certain parts of my body before it could chew them off in its hunger. Unfortunately, the ice was beginning to melt and crack under the sun's heat and the pressure of the Timberwolf's jaws clamping down on my arm.

"It's times like these that I wish I learned the 'Iron Body' technique instead of toting a kid around..." I began to think for a moment, "...On second thought, I like having Cozma around, she's a good kid..." I heard and felt my frozen arms crunching, "BUT I COULD SURE USE A MIRACLE RIGHT NOW!!"

Suddenly, the Timberwolf was blasted right off of me and I felt a slight weakness in my body. But why? I've never felt weak like this...unless...I turned to see Cozma, her body radiating a dark aura around her.

She had finally awakened her power over the Dark-Dark Fruit.

"Coz...ma...?" I wheeze out.

She ran to me and hugged me as hard as she could, "Daddy!" she screeched out.

"Daddy...?"

"Guess she sees you as a father figure now," Khaine remarked as he looked down at us with a smirk, "Don't worry," he turned to see the pack fleeing in unadulterated terror, "Cozma's display of power scared them all off, I don't think we'll be seeing them again anytime soon."

I sigh deeply, "That's a relief..."

The sound of cheering broke out as the ponies of Dodge came out of hiding once the Timberwolves were run out of town and saw mine and Cozma's power and bravery towards them. This was the first time since I've been here that I heard cheers of gratitude instead of cries of fear. I began to pass out with a smile on my face, hoping that this moment wouldn't end too soon...

It's going to end soon.

After spending three days in Dodge's medical infirmary waiting for my wounds to heal, the moment I got out, we had gotten word that the Royal Guard were coming to inform everypony of who I am, especially setting up the wanted posters, also I just found out that the Princess doubled my bounty, now it's up to 20,000 bits. Lucky me...

We were in front of The Golden Opportunity ready to say our goodbyes for now, but let's be honest here, I'm never gonna be able to come back to this place, which is a complete shame, despite its outward appearance, Dodge Junction was actually pretty cool and so were the ponies that live in it. Khaine finally stepped outside so we could wish him well and thank him for helping Cozma figure out how to use her powers, but we were shocked when we saw him lugging a rucksack over his shoulder.

I had a feeling what this was about, "So, you're getting the hell outta Dodge before the Guards show up, too? Wise idea, don't want the Princesses to find out you have the power of the Gol-Gol Fruit."

But he just shook his head at my words, "You haven't figured it out yet?"

"Figured what out?"

"I'm coming with you guys."

"HUH?!?" me and Cozma shouted out.

"I can't just leave you guys out there, besides, I've been wondering what the rest of this world looks like." I tried to persuade him not to come with us, that he'll only have a target painted on his back, but raised a hand before I could speak, "No takebacks either, already left the smithy to my righthand stallion." he turned to an ash grey stallion with a black mane and flame orange eyes, "Coal Burner, I leave The Golden Opportunity to you. Make me proud."

He saluted, "I won't let you down, chief."

He face us again with a smile, "Well, let's get moving. I got a map on me, and I have a powerful feeling where we're headed next."

I stared at him for minute before smiling myself, "Yeah, alright. You're the designated navigator, then."

We follow our newest companion to our next destination, and something tells me this journey won't as lonely as I thought. Khaine, you may have power over gold, but you're a diamond in the rough, and I don't say that about everyone.

3rd Person POV

The Royal Guard had just finished plastering most of Dodge Junction with wanted posters of Finn and even missing filly posters of Cozma, hoping to get a reaction out of the townsfolk, but unfortunately, nopony seemed to pay attention to them or the posters. One would think that they're just busy, but Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, seemed to think otherwise.

They're hiding something...nopony would just ignore a massive bounty like this on the wanted posters... Shining sighed, But I can't force them to tell me what I want to know. "Pack it up, men, we're going home."

Groans rung out from the ranks as they returned to the Pegasi-drawn chariots and flew back to Canterlot with Shining stewing in his frustration.

I WILL find you, Ice-Ice Creature...I swear it.

Author's Note

Looks like Shining Armor has a vendetta against Finn, but why?

The chapter's name is a reference to Mandopony's FNAF song, "Just Gold".

The first OC in my story that isn't mine, credit for Khaine goes to Tearval.

Devil Fruits In Use:
Ice-Ice Fruit
Dark-Dark Fruit
Gol-Gol Fruit
Clone-Clone Fruit (Uneaten)
Bomb-Bomb Fruit (Uneaten)
Flame-Flame Fruit (Uneaten)
Op-Op Fruit
Soul-Soul Fruit
Cook-Cook Fruit
Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Phoenix
Snow-Snow Fruit
String-String Fruit

Three is a Crowd, Six is a Party

Finn's POV

Upon leaving Dodge Junction, we headed west to Appleloosa for more supplies, originally I didn't think this was a good idea since most of Applejack's extended family was living there, not to mention the buffalo tribes, but Khaine insisted, saying that the more good deeds we do for the other ponies, the more allies we'll have. Naturally, I agreed with this, not just for the allies, but something my mom told me once, "What goes around, comes around", so of course I stuck to my morals...well, most of them, and went in the direction of Equestria's apple growing town. But after several hours of walking in the desert heat...

"We passed that coyote skeleton already." I said, pointing to the dead animal.

"Um, I don't think that was a coyote, I think that was a bull." Khaine replied, noticing the horns on the skeleton's head.

"Face it, we're lost."

Cozma looked far ahead of us and said, "Hey, I think I see a town!"

"Finally! This heat's actually getting unbearable for me." I say, happily.

"Race you guys there!" Khaine started to run.

"Wait!" I try to reach a hand out to him, but he was already on the move, "C'mon, Cozma, let's play 'catch-up'!"

She nods and we run after him, heading straight for Appleloosa, and it looks like Khaine won the race since he was jumping in victory, but the town looks deserted.

"Hey...where is everypony?" Cozma asked us.

"You noticed too?" I asked, then said, "I hope we didn't scare them into their houses."

"Nope, look at this." Khaine said, pointing towards a sign.

Appleloosa Banquet Today at the Dining Hall!
In honor of our new human friends!

"Uhh...?" I moan out.

"You think...?" Cozma began.

"Yup, more Devil Fruit users," Khaine answered, "but I think these guys might be friendly. Let's head for the Dining Hall."

After quite a bit of looking around, we finally found the Appleloosa Dining Hall and we were shocked at what we saw; all the ponies and buffalo talking, eating, having a good time, but that wasn't what shocked us, it was the people they were talking to: a tanned young man that looked to be in his 20s with short red hair and blue eyes, wearing a plaid shirt, blue jeans, and blue sneakers was chatting amongst the mares and stallions, a slim, Goth-like 19-year-old woman with light skin, blue eyes, long black hair, wearing a black shirt with a skull on the front, jean jacket on top, black pants, and black shoes was entertaining the colts and fillies with a living puppet show, slightly smiling despite her dark and brooding nature and making me wonder which Devil Fruit she ate to do that, and the last person was an adult male in his 30s, has big, strong muscles, tanned skin, brown eyes, spiky blonde hair, and a small beard, wearing red shirt with Hawaiian flowers, blue shorts, and yellow sandals, talking to the buffalo as he was chopping random objects with a knife and turning them into actual food.

The Cook-Cook Fruit... I thought as I figured out at least one of their Devil Fruits.

Suddenly, all conversations stopped once everyone's eyes landed on us, putting us in a bad spot, I tried to break the silence and the ice, figuratively.

"Umm...hi?" Smooth, dumbass.

The new Devil Fruit users immediately took action as the young man trapped us a spherical field of energy and approached us with the other two following behind him.

I had a bad feeling about what Devil Fruit this guy ate and tried to defuse the situation, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! It's okay! Friendlies, FRIENDLIES!"

The new Devil Fruit group kept their guards up regardless of my words.

"If I tell you what Devil Fruits we ate and have with us, will you PLEASE deactivate your power?!"

They looked at one another as the young man spoke, "We'll see. Shoot."

"I ate the Ice-Ice Fruit, my...adopted daughter, Cozma, who has amnesia, ate the Dark-Dark Fruit, Khaine here, who's a blacksmith, ate the Gol-Gol Fruit, and I have the Bomb-Bomb Fruit in my pocket."

The young man seemed to be debating if I was either telling the truth or if we were trustworthy enough to let go.

"I have no reason to fight any of you! And neither do these two!"

"...And YOUR name?"

"Finn Jackson, just a guy trying to get by, especially in this new world."

He seemed to be struggling to make a decision until the goth woman put a hand on his shoulder.

"You gave us a chance, Nathan. Why not do the same for them?"

The young man, now named Nathan, spoke up, "Alright." he released his energy hold on us, "Don't make me regret this."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"New human friends!!" one of the Appleloosa ponies cheered before they all went, "HOORAY!!!" and went back to their celebration.

I decided to try and make conversation, "So, let me guess, your Devil Fruit is the--"

"Op-Op Fruit? Yes."

"Kinda figured. And big man over there--"

"Akamai."

"--Akamai, he has the Cook-Cook Fruit, right?"

"Hit the nail on the head, kid." Akamai winked while pointing at me.

"And lastly, your lady friend--"

"My name is Sasha." she says in a monotone voice.

"Thank you much...umm...I honestly have no clue what your Devil Fruit is, sorry."

"I'll give you a hint: I took fragments of my own soul to make a puppet show for those kids."

My jaw dropped, "...The Soul-Soul Fruit?"

"Wow. Got it on the second try."

"You seem to know a lot about the Devil Fruits." Nathan said.

I smiled a bit, "Thank late night binge-watching, I watched as much of the One Piece anime as I could."

"Not the 4kids dub?"

"Nah, too weak."

"Sweet."

"So, how you guys get here, anyway?" Khaine asked.

"We've been traveling since we wound up in a forest and met up with each other," Akamai began to explain, "before long, we came to Appleloosa and saved it from a band of pirates calling themselves the Wild Whiplashers, been hailed as heroes and friends ever since."

"But we think they may be back at some point..." Sasha adds.

"Well, try not to get used to your new fame," I started, "ever since I came here, I ate the Ice-Ice Fruit in front of the Princess and the Element Bearers after explaining what it was, and now they're after my scrawny ass, and more than likely anyone else who wields a Devil Fruit."

"Well, that's not good." Nathan comments.

"Let's try to not focus on the negative now," Khaine interjected, "it's a party, let's live a little, okay?"

We all agreed and joined in the festivities with the other Devil Fruit users, the ponies, and the buffalo. But still...

Why do I got a bad feeling about tomorrow?

I woke up really late at night, this happens to me on a weekly basis back on Earth, but this time I couldn't find the will to go back to sleep, so I get up, stretch my body, and scratch myself as I wander into a nearby kitchen of the home that we temporarily rented for a midnight snack, and as I did so, I failed to notice someone sneak up on me until I turned around.

"GAH!!" I yelped, subconsciously freezing my knuckles as I got ready to punch, only to see Sasha.

"Geez, are you really that jumpy?" she asks.

"Hoo!" I huff out in relief, "PLEASE don't scare me like that."

"No promises. Nathan and Akamai had to deal with the same from me. You'll get used to it."

"Yeeeah, sure."

"So, couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"That obvious? It happens at least a couple times a week for me. And you?"

"Just hungry is all. May I...?"

"Oh! Sorry." I step away from the fridge to allow her access.

It was silent between us as Sasha got her food and we began to chow down.

I stop for a moment to speak, "...You really think those pirates will be back?"

"Their captain, 'Wild Whippin' Willy' isn't known for giving up without a fight."

"Oh boy...Wait...'Wild Whippin' Willy'? THAT'S his name?"

"Bastard carries a really long whip."

"Yikes. Maybe he has a weird fetish or something?"

Sasha looked like she was struggling to contain her laughter at my crack by maintaining her brooding nature, "Good one."

"Uh, thanks...I guess."

We finished our food and we headed back to bed.

"Thanks for the talk," Sasha said, "I guess I needed it more than I thought."

"You're welcome. Have a good night."

"Same to you."

As my head hit the pillow, I immediately passed out...

BOOM!!!

The sound of exploding cannon fire woke me right up, Khaine barged into my rented room with a panicked look on his face.

"Finn! We're under attack! It's those Wild Whiplasher pirates!"

I threw the sheets off of me and ran out the door with Khaine as Cozma met up with us, we all ran to the center of Appleloosa, where Nathan and his team were chained up by the pirates, but those chains felt different than normal. Why though?

"Nopony ruins Wild Whippin' Willy's vacation!" a stallion with light grey skin, blue mane, and sky blue eyes, wearing a stereotypical pirate captain's outfit declared, "So we returned, with the power of the sea! We heard that ponies, or people, like you three are weak to the sea, so we fashioned these here chains from underwater stones!"

"Oh no..." I utter, "Sea Prism Stone chains...the only material substance that can block a Devil Fruit user's power...!"

"And now..." Willy reaches into his coat, "To celebrate..." he pulls out...a Devil Fruit?! "I'm gonna eat this here fruit, and gain a power similar to yours, kiddies!"

He leans his head in and his arm closer to bite into it...

"I don't think so!"

I place my hand on the ground, conjure a trail of ice over to him, and an ice spike shoots out of the ground from behind him at breakneck speeds, severing his hand and dropping the Devil Fruit as I pick it up and stuff it into my own pocket. It took him several seconds to realize what just happened, but then finally screams in pure agony as he grips his handless arm, inhumane amounts of blood seeping out of his wound.

"Get the point, asshole?" I joke.

Willy stared at his lost appendage, then glared at me, and roared in anger, "KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH!!"

Two of his crew members each readied a musket, but I was faster, creating ice walls that separated us from them, even keeping Nathan and his friends safe from them. The sun was hot this morning, so my ice was melting pretty quick, not good.

"Ponies of Appleloosa!" I shout, gaining the townsfolks' attention, "Get those chains off Nathan and his companions! They're blocking their powers, and I can't keep the pirates at bay for long! HURRY!!"

They hurried up and used their Earth Pony strength to smash the chains, freeing our new comrades. The ice had finally melted and the pirates made their move, aiming their muskets and flintlock pistols at us.

"What are you idiots doing?! KILL THEM!!" Willy screeched out.

Nathan then sprung into action by using his Op-Op powers to change the pieces of the guns so that they fire backwards, and once they shot, that's what they did; bullets in the arms, legs, or sides, making them fall to the ground, clutching their wounded areas.

Willy groaned in frustration, "If you want something done right, you gotta do it...YOURSELF!!!" he pulled out his whip with right, and only, hand and cracked it at me, only for me to catch it and wrap it around my forearm, "I'll make you regret the day you messed with Wild Whippin' Willy Whipper!"

There was an awkward silence, everybody and everypony trying to process what they just heard.

"Is...Is that your full name?" I asked.

"Uh...no. But don't tell anypony or I'll sue you."

"Whatever you say, gay boy."

"Now DIE!"

Another one of his men readied a pistol, but Cozma reached him before anyone could notice, conjured a black claw, and sliced the gun in two, making all of the pirates who were still standing run away in fear, some even pissed their pants.

"Get back here you cowards!"

I took this opportunity to freeze his whip around my arm and all the way down the length to begin freezing him.

"W-What is this?!"

"The power...of the Ice-Ice Fruit." I say.

"A-A-AHHHHH--" he failed to finish screaming out before his entire body was frozen stiff.

I raise my free arm and smash the frozen whip, breaking it off of my other arm and letting myself loose, "Well...that's that."

Not quite, my friend.

"Huh?! Who said that?!"

I soon got my answer as strange being appeared in a brief flash of light; an amalgamation of multiple animal body parts with a superior look in its eyes and a devious smirk, it was clear that this was Discord, Spirit of Chaos.

"Discord..."

"Finn Jackson," Discord began, his smirk never wavering, "wielder of the Ice-Ice Fruit, most wanted by the Royal Guard and the Princess herself, and caretaker of a filly with amnesia...blech."

"How do you know me?"

"I know a great many things, my dear Finn, I know that Devil Fruits are growing all over Equestria, and not just in the hands of you humans, I also know who the filly you call 'Cozma' really is."

"W-What...?" Cozma muttered, fearfully.

"To quote something from a video game from Finn's world: 'Our most precious memories lie deep within our hearts that they're out of reach'."

Cozma seemed to be deep in thought about this.

Discord raised his talon-hand towards Cozma, "Would you like me to give you...a hint?"

I walked over to Cozma, "Normally I would say 'don't trust him', but these are your memories, Cozma, it's your call. Besides, like my mom told me a few times, 'there's a method to one's madness'. Discord must have a reason for doing this."

"At least somepony, or somebody, gets it..."

Cozma thought for a moment, "Umm..." Discord raised an eyebrow, "I'm gonna figure it out for myself." Cozma created dark claws, ready for a fight, "And if you're in my way..."

"Yeah!" Khaine agreed, "Spirit of Chaos or not, I'll coat you in gold!"

Discord smirked even bigger, "Hmph, good answer. Just what I expected from Finn's little girl." he then looked serious, "But be forewarned: when your lost memories resurface...you might no longer be who you are now. Always remember those close to you, never forsake those beloved memories." Discord turned to me, "Oh, one last thing..." he pull the Devil Fruit out of nowhere and tossed it to me, "That's for you."

I caught it and got a good look at it, it was the... "Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Saber-Toothed Tiger...? Why give me this?"

"One, I don't need Devil Fruits, I have far more power than all of them combined. Two, you might need them for what is to come. And three, I need you alive for when I am chosen to be reformed."

"So you know about that then?"

"As do you, I see. One more message for all of you: Beware of the man with the crooked smile."

With that, he snapped his talon claws and returned to Ponyville, ready to be turned to stone once more. We all looked at one another, wondering what Discord could've meant, "the man with the crooked smile". The sound of cheering from the ponies brought us out of our thoughts, one even declared a celebration as the sheriff grabbed Willy's frozen body and dragged it to ye olde hoosegow, AKA the Appleloosa jailhouse.

Eh, one more party wouldn't hurt. Discord's riddle/warning can wait.

After the festivities, I went to look at the Devil Fruit Willy dropped when I sliced his hand off, sure enough, it was the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Had he eaten this, something real bad would've happened if he didn't learn how to control its power. Speaking of bad things happening, we heard the next train was coming into the station at noon, and it will be full of Royal Guards to place wanted posters of me all over the town...again.

So we managed to gather as many provisions as we could, even a couple cloaks for Khaine and Cozma just in case, and head for the station to slip into the train after the Guards exit it. But before we could make it, we were stopped by Nathan, Sasha, and Akamai and they're all wearing their own cloaks...?

"If the Royal Guard are showing up, we gotta bail, too. You don't mind us tagging along for a while, do you?" Nathan asked.

"The more, the merrier! Right, guys?" I ask my comrades.

"It'll be great to have more friends along for the ride!" Cozma agreed.

Khaine smirked, "Heh, guess our merry, little band of Devil Fruit users has grown bigger."

"'Merry'? Speak for yourself." Sasha argued.

"Well, most of us are, anyway."

The train finally pulled into the Appeloosa Station and, as expected, the Royal Guard came marching out, even saying "Hup" with step they make like in the cartoons. We took this opportunity to sneak onto the train as it began pulling out of the station, with us breathing a sigh of relief once we knew we were in the clear. But one thing still bugged me; what Discord said, "Beware the man with the crooked smile", could he be human?

Whoever this man was, I knew things were about to get tough, real soon.

????? POV

I continued my little trek through the desert as I looked for potential victims to my new power. It's been a few weeks since I was forced here from my wretched little locked up room in that prison for loony-brains they call a psychiatric ward, and I've had quite a bit of fun thus far, minus the taste of the fruit I've eaten, utterly disgusting, but it was worth it. I smile as I remember the faces of the people, or ponies as they're called, who I recently killed, I had almost forgotten how much fun this was, and it's even better now that I have this power!

I remember it like it was mere minutes ago...

3 Weeks Ago...
Earth, Mental Asylum

I kept on brooding at my predicament ever since I was thrown in here since my childhood years; these bastards just couldn't let me have my goddamn fun, slaughtering innocents, drinking their blood, even killing shitty parents, THAT'S what really gave me a kick...and the reason why I started my little genocidal march. But no, they just couldn't let me do it! Before I knew what was happening, I felt my body forcibly ripped out of the room and found myself in a creepy forest that almost felt like home to me. I noticed off to my side a little box with a note addressed to me, naturally I read it...

Dear Nerxco (or Nexco),
I have heard of your little predicament and decided to...intervene, as they say. Let's just say, I'm conducting a little experiment of sorts and I require your assistance. Inside this package is a powerful object called a "Devil Fruit", specifically the String-String Fruit, it will grant you a great power and it will be become even greater once you master it and awaken its true power. All you have to do is eat it, swallow it, no matter how bad it tastes, and the power is all yours.

Consider this a fresh start, enjoy.

Signed,
Lobos Excaliburn

Present Day

I don't know what "experiment" this Lobos guy was talking about, but quite frankly, I don't give a two shits nor two squirts of piss, all I care about is having my fun. But I heard that more humans have arrived here, now normally that would be great news for me, more blood to spill, after all...if they all didn't have Devil Fruits! One of them being a Devil Fruit type more powerful than my type: a Logia, the Ice-Ice Fruit!

I take a breath to compose myself, no sense in losing my cool before I can find something to slaughter. If I'm going to defeat these random Devil Fruit users, I need an army of sorts to oppose them. But where do I...?

"Are we far enough away by now?!"

"I don't know or care! Just keep running!"

I turn to see a small band of stereotypical pirates running in my general direction.

I grin devilishly. Hello army of sorts.

??? POV

This power...I simply willed it, and...an entire forest below the mountain that Canterlot sits on catches fire...no, it's more than that...

It's magma...boiling hot magma, even around my body...

My cyan green eyes narrow as I smirk and I let out a maniacal laughter at this turn of events, my red and yellow hair flowing in the wind. Celestia can't stop me now.

Nothing can.

Author's Note

A :moustache: for anyone who can guess the Toy Story 2, Johnny Test, and Banjo-Tooie references.

For whom it may concern, I hope this chapter wasn't insulting to anyone who is homosexual when the words, "gay boy", was spoken. I wasn't trying to discriminate against homosexuals or homosexuality when making this chapter, please PM me with your concerns if this chapter greatly upset you.

Nathan, Sasha, and Akamai all belong to Zeprto678.

Nerxco (Nexco) belongs to Madforce Entertainment.