Gathered friends, listen again to the legend of how a Lord helped a Lady rise.
In a hut, several figures were in a circle with only one of them standing as the rest were sitting down.
In the time before time, there was one who wielded shadows and acted as a guardian.
On the walls, the shadows created by a fire in the hut moved as the tale began. A tall figure with shadows around him, stood in front of smaller ones with a weapon in both hands, ready to fight other figures in front.
A duty he performed through out the ages, opposing any who would dare bring harm with nothing able to withstand his might for long, especially when united with others.
The scene changed many times where the figure fought others, sometimes he was alone and other times there were figures beside him.
Until one day, a great threat arose to spread its will over our home and defeated the protector.
A towering creature appeared and caused the tall figure to fall as the others beside him still fought.
Yet the guardian was not destroyed, but banished to where the legend of another had begun…
"That was fun ride." A 14 ft tall, red-eyed, black masked being whose onyx armor had gunmetal hands, feet and joints said sarcastically after falling out of a portal on his back with his broadsword clattering on the floor while his Midak Skyblaster landed with a thud. "Now where am I?" He asked, looking around after sitting up, and sensed something, "A curse, whatever this place is, it has a curse on it, a powerful one with only one way to dispel it, find the caster and destroy them." He said before shrinking himself into a half sized version of his Shadow Titan form just as ghosts appeared… And heeeeere's welcoming committee… pity they won't survive encountering me. He thought, unleashing his Shadow Hand against them, one of the few abilities that can affect ghosts with an… acceptable degree of success.
"There's one last thing, little filly." Crystal Ball said.
"What's that?" Apple Bloom asked.
"A warrior commanding the darkness that gave him birth has arrived."
"Will he help me?"
"I cannot see any further." Crystal Ball replied before she asked the filly to imprison her as her mind left her.
"Weak, that's what all of you are." The armored warrior told the ghosts while using his other abilities after finding out that they're more effective against ghosts than normal, much to his surprise, Probably a result of the darkness that permeates the place thanks to the curse. He thought, slashing a ghost with his sword encased in shadow while blasting another with his skyblaster, laying them back to rest permanently as he wandered through the place, deeming it to be a mansion… though he when he saw familiar faces, he paused and entered their minds, Something or someone is influencing their minds to where they're blinded by it. He thought after pulling out of their minds and vowed to hunt down and destroy the culprit, then maybe he'll destroy the mansion… possibly by burning it down or blowing it up depending on the mood he's in after everything's said and done. Oh, the many methods of destruction to choose, from plowing through the walls like a bulldozer at full height to igniting the decor with my heat vision. He thought before a roar snapped him out of his musings, causing him to run towards the source and found a filly facing a ghost of a chimera. Apple Bloom? He thought, surprised though, he determined that the filly was doing a good job of taking care of it with the vacuum cleaner she wielded. He decided to help anyway…
"Stupid chimera. Jus' give up already." Apple Bloom grunted as she attempted to defeat the ghost before a bolt of darkness hit the ghost, stunning it, What in tarnation? She thought as the following barrage of bolts pounded ghost before she looked at the culprit.
"Well, aren't you going to finish the job?" The armored warrior asked as electrical energy shocked the ghost, snapping the filly out of her surprise with her defeating the ghost and held a conversation with someone on the other end of a communicator with one word catching his attention.
Ugh, Bogmire… even this reality has that pest, even though he's a ghost, unlike mine. The figure thought, remembering the pathetic creature he crushed back home. I hope I'll return. He thought before looking at the filly, "Little one, what would one young as you be doing here?" He asked before Apple Bloom explained everything, "Well then, since I'm stuck here thanks to events beyond my control and need something to do, you have my aid."
"Thank ya!" The filly replied, "With the two of us workin' together, we can free my friends and family!"
"And, I get the satisfaction of crushing Bogmire again."
"Ya faced him before?"
"When he was flesh and bone in my dimension."
"Ya came from another universe?"
"And stuck here until a friend finds me." The armored warrior replied, "But, I think it's time for introductions."
"Name's Apple Bloom."
"Most call me Makuta, the name of my species, but with how brave you are, you've earned the right to call me by name, Kratus, with my title being Lord and Master of Shadow." The Makuta told the filly before kneeling down, "As for how brave you are to face a challenge alone until now, your fire of courage burns as bright as a Toa's." He added with the filly not knowing what a Toa is, but guessed they're some sort of hero.
"But, I'm still scared."
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to conquer it." Kratus replied as the two left the room, though the filly took note of the lack of reaction from her imprisoned friends and family towards the armored warrior whose form phased through the walls, "Density Control allows me to change how solid I am." He told the filly after noticing her confusion, not wanting to reveal that he could turn into a pony if he wanted to, but something told him his half-sized Shadow Titan form would do as they encountered another ghost, Pearl, who led them into the dining room with the filly eating the food uncontrollably, at least before the Makuta disintegrated the food, angering the ghost. Yep, these aren't normal ghosts. He thought as he distracted the angry ghost long enough for Apple Bloom to capture the obese ghost and entered the kitchen and noticed one of the cooks. Oh, it's… okay, who's that pony again? I forgot. Kratus thought, despite his excellent memory thanks to him being a Makuta, couldn't remember the name. Must be this universe's version of some idiot that thought he could boss me or one of my agents around that I killed when they were too stupid or arrogant to back down after I taught them humility. He thought as Apple Bloom learned about the ghost's past who noticed the filly and started to chase her with her throwing a chair at the ghost but before she could activate her weapon of choice to capture the first cook, a beam of plasma roasted the cook, sending it to the afterlife with the other cook returning with a chainsaw with the Makuta stepping between the filly and the deranged cook after revealing himself, "Hmm… looks like you neglected to maintain it." He said as the tool died, confusing the ghost. In reality, the components fused together courtesy of Makuta's magnetic and sonic powers, allowing the filly to capture the ghost before water pegasi appeared. "Great, more pests." Kratus said, rolling his eyes, but before Apple Bloom could use her weapon, the Makuta's Shadow Hand burst from his chest, pulling one towards him, the ghost didn't have a chance to scream as the Makuta absorbed it, crushing its will as he nailed another with a barrage from his skyblaster, sending it to the afterlife.
"Looks like Makuta could clear this place by himself." Apple Bloom told Smart Spirit.
"I wonder if he's dealt with ghosts before." He replied.
"I'll ask him." Apple Bloom replied, walking up to the Makuta, "Hey, Mister."
"Don't add Mister in front either Makuta or Kratus." The armored warrior interrupted, "Now, what do you need?"
"Have ya ever dealt with ghosts before?" She asked, earning a nod from the Makuta.
"More times than I can count with both hands." He replied, "Most of the time, it was because they annoyed me, or I was bored and looking for a challenge. Most were found wanting in the case of the latter." He added.
"An' the other times?"
"They asked me to put them back to rest or help them with their unfinished business, despite that's not what I do."
"I take it yer a warrior?"
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." Kratus replied.
"Say what now?"
"It means." The Makuta began as they went back to the kitchen and dealt with a griffon that appeared. "Therefore let him who desire peace, prepare for war."
"Why do ya prepare ta fight if ya want peace?" Apple Bloom asked.
"There're times when you have to show another that a fight against you would be a fight too costly for them with a show of arms." Kratus replied as they headed back to the kitchen and found the family dog with Apple Bloom making a comment before the dog spotted them with the Makuta shooting it as it attacked, stunning it long enough for Apple Bloom capture it. With the gate to the graveyard opening with a creak. "Another gateway for me to enter… yay." He said unenthusiastically after a portal appeared with the filly wondering how many gateways her companion went into before they entered it with lightning striking ten of the eleven gravestones with skeletons' eye sockets glowing with an eerie, unworldly purple light that reminded a Makuta of an acquaintance of his that he hasn't seen in eons with the filly looking like she wanted to flee, something the Makuta noticed. "It's okay to be afraid, but conquering that fear shows how strong you are." He told her with a smile, crushing a skeleton underfoot with a stomp after kicking it onto the ground, "Spooky, scary skeletons don't send shivers down my spine." He said, crushing the head of another in his hands with a satisfying crunch and blasting another in the head at point-blank range with his skyblaster.
"Hey boneheads!" Apple Bloom said as she rushed towards the skeletons, "Take this!" She added as she sent one flying to the Makuta who sent a burst of compressed air towards it, shattering the skeleton into fragments of bone as he cut another in two and reduced the rest into nothing with tendrils of shadow as he exercised his control over them. Show off. She thought as she approached the Makuta.
"Ready to face Bogmire?" He asked Apple Bloom who nodded before the two faced the fiend who spoke with the Makuta releasing a bark of laughter.
"You dare laugh at me golem?!" The fiend asked.
"Fear? Despair? You know nothing of them." Kratus replied, returning to his 14 ft height with Bogmire darkening the area with its power, transporting them to a battlefield, then darkened it after creating a clone… mistake number 1.
"Ya'd be scary if it weren't for the fact that yer helping me, since I can only see yer eyes." Apple Bloom told the Makuta, "Somethin' funny?" She asked after the Makuta chuckled.
"Appearing in the darkness with only my eyes visible is how I usually appear to another in this form for the first time." He replied, though the filly couldn't help but notice that the Makuta fought in a similar manner as Bogmire, his eyes disappeared, reappearing only to attack the fiend and its clone from behind, confusing it. Something that Apple Bloom took advantage of with the battlefield brightening before another clone chased the filly with the battlefield darkening once more with skeletons appearing, only for the very darkness to crush them with more appearing, though each took a different appearance for the two of them with Bogmire screaming as a result of its second and more costly mistake. For when someone enters the mind of a Makuta, the Makuta tends to enter their mind, and the only Makuta present is taking full advantage of it by attacking the fiend's mind by sending a wave of fear through the direct route while telling the creature to fear him, leaving the fiend defenseless with Apple Bloom activating her weapon as Kratus pulled out with Bogmire speaking as the vacuum pulled it in, though when it called the Makuta a golem again… "I am no golem, I am Makuta Kratus, Lord and Master of Shadow, and you are nothing more than another crushed insect." He told the fiend, summoning tendrils of shadow that silenced the fiend… once and for all.
"Why do I think that ya coulda ended the fight the second it began after that display?" Apple Bloom asked after remains of the fiend disappeared into the device, though the filly didn't see the point in imprisoning them.
"You're not wrong about that." The Makuta replied with a smile, "I could've impaled the thing, or torn it to shreds, do both, fried it." He added, using his fingers to number the ways while starting to list the methods he could use to defeat the fiend as he halved his size.
"Okay, okay, I get it, ya held back ta help me." Apple Bloom said, annoyed as they headed towards the mansion after returning to the graveyard as a means of returning to the lab with the filly sleeping on the couch.
"We gotta find someplace ta hide." Apple Bloom said, as she and her companion heard approaching steps, only for the Makuta to smile before grabbing the filly and disappearing, much to her surprise. "What about me?"
"Quiet." Kratus said, as the mind controlled bearers and the filly's friends approached, and much to her surprise. Walked right past them.
"How'd?" The filly asked after the Makuta set her down once they left the hallway after knocking Pinkie Pie out.
"Illusion and chameleon." He replied as Apple Bloom failed to open a few doors with the key she acquired earlier except for a door that led them to the courtyard with them dealing with the gardener and ghost deer, the latter's shear crushed by the Makuta after catching it in his and with the latter's vines either turning against them or died to after the Makuta slashed them with his sword that glowed with a sickly green aura allowing Apple Bloom to catch one while the Makuta destroyed the other with a barrage of bolts from his skyblaster before more ghosts appeared, including fish. "How do you want your ghost fish, medium or burnt to a crisp?" He asked the confused filly before she noticed the electrical energy around the sword before he unleashed it with the lightning leaping between the fish, frying one after the other with more ghosts appearing, with them dealt with appropriately either sent to the afterlife, or captured by the filly, though one wasn't a pony, diamond dog, deer or a zebra, and attempted to drain Apple Bloom of something, only for the Makuta to respond in kind, allowing for Apple Bloom to catch it with her asking the professor what it was, both the Makuta and the professor answering at the same time.
"A centaur."
"Ya coulda told me that sooner."
"Fair enough." Kratus replied as Smart Spirit provided her more information about them before they dealt with the remaining ghosts with more appearing and dealt with by the two of them before they dealt with another of the Gem family, Topaz with the Makuta knocking him out after a good 'ol fashion fist-fight with the ghost with Little Ghost appearing to give another key but as she told the Makuta that she hoped to be friends by joining her… "When Makika Toads fly, as I'd rather let my Antidermis disperse." He told the ghost before they encountered Apple Bloom's controlled friends and family, who then attempted to chase them down, only for the Makuta to turn them against each other before unleashing a wave of red energy, paralyzing them with fear, "No matter how hard you try, you'll always fail in that goal whether I'm around or not. And most of all." He said before they felt their strength leave them, "Pray that we're able to undo what is done to you. For I will not hesitate to destroy you even if I have to burn this place to do it." He added before releasing them from his power, though they didn't bother chasing them down, too busy recovering from what the Makuta did, and contemplated his warning.
"Did ya really mean what ya said?" Apple Bloom asked after several minutes of silence as they walked through the second floor."
"I hope I don't have to." He replied, his eyes gained a look of sadness.
"Well, I hope ya don't have ta either." Apple Bloom said after a few seconds of silence as used the key to try to open doors, with one opening on the second floor with a ghost that appeared to be a part of the Apple Family, something she confirmed.
"But I don't want ta go ta Tartarus." She said, putting a scalpel to Apple Bloom's neck, resulting her on turning on her device after the conversation ended.
"You won't." Kratus said.
"Yes, I will."
"The device will contain you until they store you in a crystal, and there's another option."
"And what's that?"
"Do you know about familiars or weapon spirits?"
"I seem to recall the former, but I don't know about the latter."
"How would you like to become one and aid your descendant with my help, redeeming yourself in the eyes of an Apple family member?"
"Ya can do that?" The filly and the ghost asked at the same time, with Smart Spirit intrigued.
"Despite my lack of magical power, thanks to a friend of mine, I know how I can substitute my lack of magic for my abilities."
"The downside?"
"Either choice means that you're bound to someone until they release you from their service."
"By that, ya mean that I'll be somepony else's servant after she dies."
"Not if they completely release you." Kratus said, turning to Apple Bloom, "Something I can teach young Apple Bloom to do."
"Can I think about it?" Applejack The Ripper asked.
"We don't have the time for you take long." Kratus replied, with the mare considering her options before speaking
"Well, since the latter option means I can do something about this curse, I'll take it."
"Weapon spirit, or familiar?"
"Familiar." The deceased Apple replied, with the Makuta starting the process, starting by carving a pentagram and embedded his Antidermis into it with the deceased Apple entering it as the Makuta spoke in a strange tongue, one forgotten by Equestria and other lands with the pentagram glowing a greenish black as his very essence surged out touching the mare who gained a slightly darker coloration.
"Do you, Applejack The Ripper, swear yourself to serve as a familiar? To follow your master's commands?"
"I do."
"Then, may you find yourself a master worthy of you and master your worthy of." Kratus said, the pentagram glowing brighter before dying down with the ritual completed with the mare's coat returning to normal.
"Now what do I do?" The deceased mare asked, before gaining the basics, and offered to form a contract with her distant descendant.
"I accept." Apple Bloom said, signing the contract, with the ghost turned familiar disappearing into her shadow.
"I'll be in here 'til ya need me." She told her distant descendant, "Gotta get used to some of the information, including what abilities I have."
"Like what?"
"Manipulating darkness, including weaponizing it on yer behalf… huh, there're many types of familiars, some with elemental abilities, though that's their attribute."
"And what's yers?"
"Darkness." The mare replied.
"And it's not always evil." Kratus pointed out.
"Case in point?" Apple Bloom asked.
"I consider myself neither good nor evil. Besides, I don't see darkness as evil, corruptive? Not if you don't let it." The Makuta said as the group left the room and brushing aside any ghosts including a servant with the ghost turned familiar helping her descendant using her control over darkness. Not bad… for a beginner. The Makuta thought, impressed by how the familiar used her power as they entered the third floor and encountered a ghost taking a bath. The Makuta gained a mischievous look in his eyes, something the filly didn't notice until too late as the ghost screamed in pain after water heated up, courtesy of the Makuta's Heat Vision who laughed before Apple Bloom captured the ghost.
"I think yer friend has a sadistic sense of humor."
"Says the mare who sadistically put a scalpel ta my neck."
"Touché." The familiar replied as the group left the bathroom and encountered Emerald, the matriarch of the Gem family, her body impaled by her knitting needles with her attacking with laser beam eyes, that the Makuta countered with ones of his own before using his sword to deflect the mare's, something he could only do temporarily with them resorting to running as Apple Bloom with them encountering her brainwashed friends and family with them defeating the ghostly mare, with a glare from the Makuta along with a red aura surrounding this blade stopping them making their usual attempt.
"Why'd they… ya know?" Apple Bloom asked Kratus.
"They fear what I may do to them after the last time."
"Did ya read their minds or someth'n?"
"While I can read minds, that was not the reason. No, it was because they didn't want to go through the same experience the last time we encountered them. That, I've used that method of intimidation before."
"I see." Apple Bloom said as they entered a room painted in a checkerboard pattern with a pentacle at the center with five candelabra at each end with a fire unicorn lighting them, resulting in more ghosts appearing, including some with hoods
"I got a bad feeling about this." Kratus said before a group of ghosts appeared, including an elemental one, and some chanting as the two companions dealt with the ghosts before the cloaked ponies left with a laugh with another appearing, with its cloak unable to hide its skeletal nature with Apple Bloom asking the professor what it was, only for the Makuta to speak. "Wraith!"
"Took the word right out of my mouth." The Professor said, as the wraith attacked them both starting with a howl that the Makuta countered with one of his own, though it only mitigated the wraith's for it induced fear into the filly with the professor explaining what a wraith is at the still frozen Apple Bloom until she moved.
"Courage is not the absence of fear." She began, remembering the Makuta's words, "It's the will ta conquer it." She finished as the wraith howled again and attacked with crystals and using its own shadow to attack hers, with the Makuta only able to mitigate the effect on the filly by turning it into a glancing blow with his power over shadow, causing the wraith to change targets, starting a duel of shadow users that turned into a stalemate as neither side could gain an advantage despite the difference in age and experience between the two. I gotta help him, but how? She thought before her ancestor spoke.
"Wraiths can't use their control over their shadows when there's no light." She told the filly with the Makuta coming to the same conclusion, using his power over shadow to turn the area dark by blocking all light with only the Makuta's red eyes showing as he scanned the room before locking on something.
"Perish foolish creature." He said before wraith screeched, its cries muffled before Apple Bloom shone a light where the shrieks came from, revealing the creature struggling in the grasp of the Makuta who slammed the creature into the ground and stomped on it then picking it up again before pinning it to the wall and pounded it with his fist, the creature unable to fight back before the Makuta threw it with a flick of his wrist with it landing in front of the filly and looked at her and lunged at her as she retaliated with her device and it struggling before it noticed the Makuta bearing down on it, ready to destroy it before the creature decided to accept defeat at the hoofs of the filly, allowing her to capture it with another key appearing as they realized something, the hooded ponies could invoke another wraith, resulting in the Makuta melting the method used to summon it.
"Glad I decided to accept the deal instead of resisting." The familiar said.
"Ya said it." Apple Bloom said with the professor praising the two of them before she held a conversation with the professor before the two of them left the room and encountered a thestral mare with Helpful Spirit providing info before the confrontation started and ended with the mare captured, the Makuta decided to let the filly do it on her own who held a conversation with the professor before they dealt with more ghosts before encountering Platinum… who died in her sleep with Apple Bloom talking to the filly before capturing her without a struggle.
She has a big heart. The familiar and Makuta thought at the same time, the former proud to have her as a family member while Smart Spirit listed off the remaining family members as they left the room and headed back to the third floor and encountered Pinkie Pie ….who bonked herself on the head, knocking herself out upon seeing the two of them with the duo walking past her with the two of them entering a trophy room with the filly asking the professor something about the trophies before more ghosts appeared, centaur included that the Makuta dealt with while Apple Bloom dealt with the others, resulting in a key appearing and them leaving the room and unlocked a door that led to a balcony with a party of ghosts appearing after they took in the scene.
"PARTY TIME!" Kratus exclaimed, drawing his sword with the filly calling for her familiar, the trio attacking wave after wave of ghosts before another one appeared, a dragon.
"Not good." The familiar remarked, though the Makuta had other thoughts.
"I'll distract it." He said.
"How ya gonna do that?" She asked, her answer came in the form of the Makuta jumping off and changing into a 40 ft. armored, green creature with a tail that looked like can destroy most of Camelot with one swipe, its name...
"Tahtorak, a Rahi that hasn't wandered the world I call home in eons." He told the filly after she asked what he was, his voice having a slight growl. "Their hide is strong as their brute strength, and they had the intelligence to use it." He added, turning to the dragon and roared a challenge with the fight between creatures starting, both sides exchanging blows, a dragon's hide was tough enough to stop a steel spear, a Tahtorak bite was stronger with claws capable of tearing through Metallic Protodermis, though the dragon landed damaging blows of its own before a group of ghosts watched the fight, something that would've lasted longer had the Makuta not been there to distract and weaken the ghost, allowing Apple Bloom to capture it.
"Ya gonna change back now?" Apple Bloom asked, only for the transformed Makuta to offer a claw that the filly jumped into with the Makuta setting her down onto the ground before he transformed back into his half-sized Shadow Titan form and headed back to the lab for the filly to recover from her wounds.
"Oh, great. A clown, creepy one too." Kratus said before the professor gave information on the ghost, "He's just as bad the more…. despicable scum I've dealt with."
"Yet, yer willing ta kill foals." Apple Bloom pointed out, her ancestor agreeing.
"I try to avoid having to do that." Kratus replied, "Even I have standards despite some morals I no longer have."
"I see." Apple Bloom said, unsure after she captured the clown with a conversation starting between the professor and the filly as they climbed the stairs and heard voices, Apple Bloom's brainwashed friends and family, talking about her and the Makuta, their fear of what the latter would do them gone. For they were discussing how they'd get them to join them as they hid inside the room where her ancestor joined them before a shadow earth pony appeared, the Makuta quietly dealing with it before Apple Bloom could speak, though it was for naught as the brainwashed ponies heard the noise with them entering the room with the Makuta hiding the two of them with the filly's friends and family leaving after failing to locate the duo with the two of them leaving the room with the filly cursing Pyrite before duo avoided the brainwashed friends and family of the filly, eventually arriving the balcony with centaurs appearing along with…
"Gargoyles, interesting." Kratus said before Smart Spirit gave information as the duo attacked, both swapping targets to confuse the ghosts that the two sent to the afterlife or captured, clearing the balcony before two more ghosts appeared, a pair of actors that turned out to be murders that the two defeated before leaving the balcony, and entered the attic with its air growing cold. "Another wraith… wonderful." He said after blasting it with his skyblaster with another appearing. "You deal with one. And I deal with the other?" He asked the filly. Who nodded, shutting off her flashlight in order to force the two wraiths to appear, making them vulnerable. But the window in the room prevented that plan from working, something the Makuta remedied by engulfing the room in shadow, his eyes the only source of light except for when the filly used her flashlight. Though these wraiths were smarter than the last one, remaining hidden until they struck, both going for the Makuta who let loose a barrage of light from his skyblaster against one, "So, light energy hurts them more than shadow… interesting." He said, seeing that his attack disintegrated a limb on one of the wraiths despite only barely touching it, though both wraiths learned from it by reverting to their shadow forms as the Makuta let light back into the room, for the Midak Skyblaster needed light energy to charge when using light as ammunition. With the only source of light energy being from the night sky, barely able to charge the weapon thanks to the permeating darkness due to the curse.
"Looks like we have ta do it the hard way." Apple Bloom said, the Makuta nodding in agreement before the two played peek-a-boo with their respective wraiths before the Makuta slowed the wraith he faced, and unleashed a barrage of light energy from his skyblaster, reducing the wraith to nothing before help for the remaining wraith arrived and destroyed the filly's cover. The Makuta remedied that by using his power over shadow to create barricades that blocked the wraith's retaliatory attacks against the filly and her ancestor, though the Makuta had his attention divided between taking care of the ghosts and providing cover for the filly. But the fight ended shortly after with the room warming again with the lack of a key, frustrating the two of them with the filly opening a chest and found another ghost, one named Jump Scare, with both unimpressed by his attempts to scare the two of them.
"Actually, let me do it." Kratus said after the filly decided to teach the stallion.
"Yeah, let him be the one ta scare ya." Apple Bloom told the stallion after thinking about the suggestion before the Makuta disappeared.
This is going to be fun. The Makuta thought before moving around, sometimes tapping the stallion on the shoulder, causing him to turn around and grow more scared each second before the Makuta appeared from behind, shouting in a way the caused the stallion to jump in fright, the filly couldn't help but join in, doubling the effect of scaring the ghost stiff, with the Makuta laughing at sight before Smart Spirit laughed at what the filly told her with the familiar sighing as a result before her mistress and her companion left the attic and walked down an unlocked hallway before the armor moved, the Makuta rolling his eyes as a result before he punched the nearest armor. "I love the sound of my Protosteel fist colliding with an inferior metal." He said before a ghost appeared out of the armor as the filly caught it with Makuta punching another armor with another ghost appearing, a process that repeated until the Makuta reduced the last suit of armor to crumpled metal with the filly catching the last ghost until another wraith appeared with Makuta blasting the creature with light from his skyblaster, disintegrating it.
"That's the third wraith we dealt with in two rooms." Apple Bloom said.
"Meaning we dealt with four. And in my experience, that's a very bad thing." The Makuta pointed out.
"He's not wrong." The professor said before remarking how amazing that the achievement was, but also reinforced the Makuta's point before the two continued on their way and entered a room full of jars and vases along with a chimney with an appendage grabbing the filly from a jar, one that she swiftly cut in two before catching it with more appearing, the Makuta dealt with them all before the main body appeared. A ghost of an octopus with the filly capturing it and made a remark as another key appeared with the filly pointing out it was one to a room on the basement, forcing them to descend to it, something that proved to be a trap as the brainwashed ponies appeared from the trophy room. The Makuta growling as he used his vacuum ability to send them flying allowing him and the filly to enter the basement without further trouble with the key unlocking the room on the right with it filled with all kinds of ghosts, the Makuta growling again, unleashing his power over shadow to destroy every one of them before another wraith appeared with the Makuta unleashing a wave of energy that disintegrated the spirit and nearby ghosts before a key appeared, one that unlocked the room across the hall with a fence, the duo taking a detour with piles of dust that proved to be a hindrance when more ghosts appeared with the Makuta unleashing a wave of compressed air sending them flying into the wall, including a wraith that appeared with the Makuta destroying them with electrical energy allowing them to enter another hallway with the filly dealing with the ghosts that appeared allowing them to enter a room, this one with Zircon whose corpse was covered with the same ice that covered the room with a wraith with a sword appearing after Apple Bloom tried to escape after Zircon attacked with ice breath with the Makuta using his heat vision and plasma abilities to counter Zircon's ice breath while the filly used the wraith against the ghost, capturing both of them.
"Another wraith to deal with." Kratus said as a wraith appeared after they left the room, the Makuta growing annoyed. Sliced it in two with his sword, sending it into the afterlife with them encountering two serial killers afterwards, one pony and one griffon, both dealt with appropriately before the two returned to the first floor with the filly's friends and family appearing, "I'm growing tired of this." He said, unleashing his power of fear that stopped the would be interlopers in their tracks long enough for the two to pass by them and entered the second floor with them entering the room where they encountered the first wraith and fought two wraiths and other ghosts, the Makuta using his Shadow Hand to absorb one of the former into his own self, crushing its will. Extinguishing its existence as the Makuta used the energy to empower himself while the filly dealt with the other ghosts along with the other wraith and entered the balcony for the second time and fought a former noble and guard who was oppressive before dealing with more wraiths and normal ghosts before entering a room with ghosts bound to objects.
Just as I would've been had I chosen to become a weapon spirit. AJ The Familiar thought before the Makuta destroyed the objects releasing the ghosts trapped inside that the trio defeated before heading to the roof and dealt with the ghosts there, including wraiths, a mad scientist and her monstrosity, a teenaged dragon, a sea serpent, a chimera, an alicorn, a three-headed dog, another monstrosity and a roc, with the Makuta back into a Tahtorak to deal with the larger ghosts before more ghosts appeared, the summoners with one distracting them allowing the others summon crowned wraiths that turned their summoners into wraiths with Apple Bloom asking the professor about them before a chill went down her spine.
"I. Have. Had. Enough!" Kratus growled as his armor darkened as he heard something telling him unleash his power to its full extent in a voice of one long dead, the first one to bear a Kanohi Krahkaan, an usurper, his… savior. But he knew it was the embodiment of the darkness inside of him.
"Am I really the embodiment of your darkness?" It asked before the Makuta tuned it out as he turned his attention to the wraiths, the fight lasted only three minutes before his armor returned to normal with Little Ghost appearing to help Apple Bloom down by sending her down the chimney while the Makuta shapeshifted into a snake-like creature he called a Bog Snake and followed the filly down the chimney that led to a room full of riches, the wealth of the Gem family that the filly happily sent to the professor as the Makuta shoved his way through the door, allowing them to exit the manor with them encountering Applejack and the others with the Makuta freezing them with fear again and entered the lab shortly after, though the power boost he gave himself earlier did something...
"Found him!" A hooded figure told the pair of Makuta and the gathered ponies inside a white realm.
"Can you retrieve him?" A white alicorn asked.
"Not yet."
The windigo was confused, there wasn't another of its kind here feeding off the beacon that called it here before it found the other feeding, a golem made of metal with a period of tense silence as the two locked eyes, both waiting for the other to make the first move with the windigo making it, the Makuta dodging as he retaliated with the filly providing aid along with her friends and family, at best they were distractions for the windigo appeared focused only on its nemesis, though that proved to be a mistake as focusing on the Makuta allowed the filly sneak up on it, resulting in its capture before the duo went to face Pyrite.
"How pathetic." Kratus said near the end of the stallion's rant, "So what if you had to ask your family for help, there's nothing wrong with that. And you couldn't swallow your pride and get over the fact that your family chose another? How weak, the easy life of the rich isn't as easy as it seems, and you've gained nothing, for by placing a curse you lost any right to the riches of your family and condemned your soul. And Bogmire? In my universe, I crushed him like the bug he was. A fate… you will share!." He added before the fight began, the Makuta crushing every ghost sent against him and the filly aided by her familiar with the stallion frightened, "Really? I feel fine and there's not a dent or scratch on my armor." The Makuta said, interrupting the stallion's second rant.
"You dare mock me?!"
"Mock you? Maybe not, looking down on you like the whiner you are? Certainly." The Makuta replied, enraging the stallion.
Ouch… burn. Apple Bloom thought before the stallion transported them to another realm, the battlefield being a giant canvas.
"Least it's not some giant drum." The Makuta remarked as the stallion released four ghostly hydra heads, "Oooh, I'm scared….. not!" He said before the heads attacked, with him playing around with the two he faced before destroying them after a barrage of light energy from his skyblaster with the filly dealing with the remaining two heads and the rest of the hydra with Pyrite floating down in disbelief, "As I said, you're weak." He told the ghost before Apple Bloom captured him, returning them to the mansion with them heading towards the lab to rest before the final battle, though a surprise disturbed them. They didn't catch the traitor, only a copy with them failing to find the coward after reentering the mansion to look for him, meaning the only thing to do is to go confront Little Ghost and headed towards the basement where everyone waited with a party starting along with a conversation with the Makuta remaining silent… until one part.
"Apple Bloom is right, forcing another to be your friend is wrong." He said after said filly told the ghost what she's doing is wrong.
"But I don't want to be alone!" Little Ghost shouted.
"For the love of… there's always someone out there who won't be afraid, you have to keep trying." Kratus said, but his words fell on deaf ears as the ghost ranted about how she'd never succeed in finding friends who'd look past her appearance as Apple Bloom attempted to convince the ghost otherwise, She's been alone for too long without anyone to teach her how to be a friend. He thought before the fight began, including sending them to another dimension, though Little Ghost noticed the look of pity in the eyes of the Makuta… pity towards her during the fight through a twisted dimension with him dealing with the brainwashed each time they attacked, allowing Apple Bloom to fight the ghost without interference as rooms from the mansion merged and divided until Apple Bloom caught the ghost, ending the fight and returning them to their dimension, with Smart Spirit holding a conversation before Apple Bloom's friends and family awoke, groaning as they spoke "Maybe because all of that did happen." Kratus said in deadpan tone, gaining the attention of the bearers, "That herd of buffalo was a Makuta with Protosteel alloy based metal matrix composite armor smacking you around, and that Makuta happens to be me." He added looking at Applejack before noticing the Poltergust vibrating "Karzahni." He said as Little Ghost exited the device, screaming in rage as she disappeared as the group held a conversation before the building shook, "Time to vacate the building!" He told the group before grabbing them with his Shadow Hand and teleported them out and dropping them in front of Smart Spirit's caravan who gave an explanation as the mansion levitated and used trees to gain legs as Little Ghost opened a portal, the realm of the dead. This day gets more and more interesting. He thought as the professor panicked, saying they needed the help of an alicorn, "Yep, that filly's fire of courage burns as bright as a Toa's" He said as the filly ran to enact her plan.
"Aren't ya gonna help her like ya did before?" Applejack asked, earning a chuckle from the Makuta after Apple Bloom returned and left with another poltergust.
"She could've saved all of you on her own." He replied, surprising the group, "And she can defeat that monstrosity on her own." He added before noticing something, "We have company." He said before Celestia spoke, demanding what was going on with an explanation given the Makuta listening in, "And that fight is where I was doing the smacking around." He said, the smile worrying the ponies, "I held back a lot because if I didn't, they'd be in the ECU ward instead of talking, maybe even dead." He added, though it didn't reassure the group, "This is her fight, one that she's about to finish." He said, turning back towards the fight that ended shortly with the mansion collapsing into a pile of rubble the filly soon congratulated and scolded by her friends and family before Little Ghost appeared from the pile of rubble, weakened by the fight with Apple Bloom speaking to… and befriending the ghost and released her family the Makuta looking on silently before they released the two yellow ghosts into circles who they dealt with appropriately with a certain familiar appearing from the Apple Bloom's shadow with Celestia turning towards the filly.
"Where did you find a darkness attribute familiar?"
"That would be my doing, I know how to create them from spirits. But it's not something I do willy-nilly, even then I make sure that it's voluntary."
"Is that so?" Celestia asked, not believing the Makuta who brushed it off as he turned to the familiar.
"You have two choices, remain a familiar to Apple Bloom and possibly the rest of the family."
"I'm setting her free." Apple Bloom interrupted, Applejack The Familiar smiling as a result, "I think yer family's waited long enough." She added before her familiar hugged her as a thank you.
"Well then, come here." Kratus told the two of them and knelt down and whispered something into the filly's ear, "Can you remember all that? You might find ones unwillingly turned familiars."
"I can." Apple Bloom replied before unbinding her distant ancestor, but before she could ascend, the Makuta spoke.
"May your journey be filled with light and peace." Kratus told the spirit, who nodded despite not knowing what he meant, though before the ponies and dragon ask what he meant, a portal opened in nearby with Makuta grinning as he recognized that his friend found him. But before he entered, he froze and gained a distant look for a few seconds before snapping back to reality and turned to Apple Bloom. "I have foreseen that you have a greater power awaiting you, where it lies I know not. Nor do I know when or how you gain it." He told her before he heard a voice from the other side, "I've got one last thing to do." He replied before turning to Little Ghost, "If you asked me, I would've become your friend even though I'd have to return home. But I'd find a way to keep in contact." He told the ghost.
"But you refused to become my friend, and you were afraid of me." She pointed out.
"Only because you were trying to force me and Apple Bloom to become friends." Kratus countered before smiling, "And I never was afraid of you." He added, surprising the filly.
"You weren't?" She asked, still surprised.
"I've fought creatures that can drive any unprepared into madness and horrors that instilled fear into those before me." Kratus replied with a smile before they heard the voice of his friend again, "Yeah yeah, I'm coming." He told his friend before turning to the group "Farewell little ones." He said before entering the portal that closed behind him.
