[Scott's Residence; 27 days till the Summer Sun Celebration]

Scott made no time for hesitation. The moment he woke up to the morning sun's rays shining down on him through the window, he had a feeling that this was the day he needed to get stuff done, before it was too late.

In the front yard, Scott had already started planting those deku seed things he got from his new Hylian friend. While he only did have the one Deku Nut, he intended to make sure it was used wisely and precisely at the right moment, whenever that would be. Scott got up and noticed the dirt on his hands, feeling the sweat drip down his forehead. Scott let out a relieved sigh as he quickly rushed over to the river, washing the gunk off of his hands as he activated the Altnetrix, selecting Smudge's icon.

In a flash of turquoise light, the Plumber was transformed into his Lenopan form. Smudge then shaped his hands into buckets and scooped up a couple buckets full of river water, making sure to quickly and carefully move back to where his seeds were planted. Smudge held the buckets over the ground and created holes in the bottoms of the buckets, letting water cascaded down onto the soil, watering the deku seeds he planted.

As the buckets slowly emptied out the last droplets of water, Smudge looked around carefully, then morphed his form to look human. Scott entered the hut again, and immediately tried to figure out his next move. He looked over to the wall, where the Hylian mask now hung, and nodded his head in approval. "I'll have to wait till the Altnetrix times out before I use the mask, but hopefully I can figure this stuff out soon." Smudge commented, shifting back into his amorphous sludge form.

The Lenopan grabbed the Hylian mask and left the hut, carefully looking around, noting the tranquility of the woods around him. It was peaceful and quiet, not a single pony was around yet, but Scott knew that silence could have its down sides, if yesterday taught him anything. Soon enough, the Altnetrix started beeping, and in a flash of white, Scott was transformed back into his normal self, to which that didn't last for long.

Without a moment's hesitation, Scott placed the Hylian mask upon his face. Blue and purple lights enveloped him, and though the transformation still felt entirely different from when he uses the Altnetrix, he was starting to adjust, even if it was at a snail's pace. In a flash of light, Scott was now in his Hylian form, something he hasn't had the chance to name since he met Jeff.

Scott figured the names would have to wait, and he walked over to a large tree branch on the ground. Carefully, Scott started to break off the smaller limbs till the stick was completely bare, if not for a few broken notches. Scott clutched the stick as if he were holding a blade, giving a few practice swings as he tried to control the makeshift weapon in his hands. While it didn't seem like much, a weapon is as good as any other, depending on how one uses it. In Scott's case, it was to practice that thunder blade spell.

Scott frowned at the stick, but still decided to make use of it while he could. 'It's not a baseball bat, but it'll do, for now,' Scott thought.

Scott gripped the stick tightly, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to clear his mind of distractions. He started to think back to what worked last time to draw that magical power out. 'Hopefully my theory stands to be correct, otherwise this may prove to be painful...' Scott thought.

Scott looked around, and decided to raise his stick to the sky, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate on drawing in magic. Scott tried to keep a cool head, to think about those that matter to him, those he needs to protect. Then, he felt that familiar sensation again. It surged and built up within him, until it almost felt like it would explode out of his chest. With a jolt, Scott’s wooden stick ignited with electricity; crackling fiercely as pieces of park splintered and flew off from the intensity. He felt the courage he had dwelling within him, and it pulsed through him like a familiar rush of adrenaline.

Scott knew he was on the right track, but he needed to keep his focus. Scott kept thinking about how this world was worth protecting, like the world he was born in. He thought about his parents, knowing that he was doing this for them, Scott felt his resolve strengthen, and the electricity started to shape around the stick. Before anything else could happen, however, something tackled the distracted Hylian to the ground, causing him to drop the stick on the ground, and the electricity to fizzle out and vanish.

Scott groaned and opened his eyes, only to see Private Zapp, who now stood over the toppled Hylian. "Scott, good thing I got to you when I did, there's a situation in progress on the railroad!" Zapp informed.

The Hylian frowned and got up, letting Zapp ready his wings. "I was in the middle of training at the moment, but no one said being a Hero would be easy as pie," Scott could hear the faintest sound of Pinkie's laughter in the distance, and he rolled his eyes. "Fine, what's the problem?" Scott asked.

Zapp cleared his throat and pointed to the rising pillar of smoke in the distance, making the Hylian's heart skip a beat as his eyes widened. "Oh no..." The Hylian muttered.

before Zapp could try and explain the situation, Scott already broke out into a full-sprint, making his way to the danger ahead. Zapp sighed and flew after the human, trying to simply come to terms with the madness. "Okay... word to the wise, Private, explain the situation first, ask for his help right after." Zapp told himself.

[Railroad Lines]

Scott and Zapp quickly made it to the scene, where a train has toppled over, and the rails seem to have been damaged. Scott quickly made his way down to the scene, where numerous ponies were worried. The Hylian quickly climbed onto the train, but so far, he couldn't see any signs of passengers, or the conductor.

Scott decided to then put one of the Hylian's abilities to use, and started to think about Celestia, angling his left ear in the direction of Canterlot. "Princess Celestia, I require your help! Your ponies are at a dangerous scene!" Scott called out.

Scott could hear the full-frontal sound of Celestia yelping and sounding surprised. "H-Hello?! Who's there?! Identify yourself, naive!" Celestia cried out.

Scott facepalmed and sighed. 'Right... she hasn't seen me as a Hylian yet...' Scott gritted his teeth and decided to keep going. "Celestia, it's me, Scott Baristo!! I'm calling out to you, because your actions are required at this time!" Scott called out.

Celestia didn't speak for a moment, but then a semi-relieved sigh could be heard. "H-How are you talking to me?! Are you invisible, or is this another thing you learned from your friend?" Celestia inquired.

Scott sighed. "Hylians have a natural ability to listen and communicate with gods. Considering I'm talking to you, that says enough, now please, Princess. Listen to me," Scott kicked open the door to one of the train cars, seeing luggage and numerous stuff tossed around in a messy fashion. "Your ponies are in a dangerous situation. We're at the railroads in Ponyville, a train seems to have toppled over, and so far, I don't seem to be noticing any casualties of the sort, let alone anypony trapped inside thus far. How soon can you get down here?" Scott asked.

Celestia took a moment of silence before responding. "I can be there with a simple teleportation spell. I assume you want me to calm the masses?" Celestia asked.

Scott frowned. "They're your subjects, I'm still a stranger to most of these ponies, with a hefty exception to a couple of them." Scott stated.

Celestia sighed. "I'll be on my way soon. Should trouble arise, update me and I'll be quick." Celestia informed.

Scott nodded his head, and resumed focus on looking through the wreckage. So far, the train was in fairly good condition, albeit for the broken windows. Scott carefully moved around, kicking the next door open, noticing that the next train car had flickering lights. Scott peered into the window, seeing a pony just suspended in the air. From amidst the darkness, the lights soon came on, revealing the Sotoraggian hitman, Seventy-Four, has returned.

Scott kicked the door down and glared at the alien. "I should've figured you'd come, knowing these ponies were in danger. You needn't worry, however, they escaped the train just fine, no injuries, no deaths... because the only one who's going to die today, is you," Seventy-Four crushed the pony's head in his claws, spraying... stuffing everywhere? "I will admit, I never saw this species before. Regardless, you stand no chance against me, Plumber, what do you say to that?" Seventy-Four asked coyly, letting light blue energy blades jut out from the back of its heavily armored hands.

Scott smirked and pulled out the Deku Nut he was saving. "I say, catch me if you can!!" Scott closed his eyes and threw the Deku nut at the Sotoraggian's feet, causing the hitman to be blinded and stunned, growling and snarling out in annoyance. Scott quickly hopped out of the train car and ran out into the field, pulling the mask off his face. Blue and purple lights envelop him, and in a flash of light, Scott was back to his normal self, still running as far as he could as he hooked the mask to one of the belt notches on his pants. Soon enough, he stopped running, and looked back at the toppled train. "Okay, I think this'll be far enough. Time to get serious, this guy is not getting away from me!" Scott firmly stated.

Seventy-Four launched himself through the car, flying very fast towards Scott. "You're going to regret that!!" Seventy-Four exclaimed.

Scott smirked. "I've heard that before!" Scott remarked.

Scott rolled underneath the Sotoraggian and continued to run. Scott looked at the Altnetrix, and saw that it was still recharging. 'No problem, I just need to stall for time, find a weapon and give this jerk a piece of what I'm truly capable of.' Scott thought, immediately running towards Ponyville in the distance.

Seventy-Four launched himself after the human, readying the other weapons he had at his disposal. Back at the train, Celestia had appeared, her very presence was enough to distract the ponies from the craziness happening as they all bowed to her.

[Ponyville]

Scott ran through the streets as fast as he could, all while Seventy-Four fired a barrage of lasers in his direction. Scott jumped, rolled and slid across the ground as laser fire passed him by. For a moment, Scott noticed a small shop to his left, but he didn't have the time or the focus to just go for it, not while the Sotoraggian was on his tail. Scott hopped over a bench, and ran towards city hall, to which Seventy-Four attempted to try and grab the human. Scott ran towards the wall, and immediately jumped on it, then jumped off it, stepping onto Seventy-Four's helmet in the process as he jumped away, continuing his daring escape.

Seventy-Four groaned and rushed towards the human, readying the energy blades as he sliced downwards. Scott leapt forward, causing the blade to only cut through a portion of his jeans, creating a perfectly sliced hole in the Plumber's legwear. Scott quickly came to a stop and turned around, trying to land a punch on his pursuer. Seventy-Four caught the punch and flipped Scott onto his back, earning a sole grunt of pain from the hero. "You seem rather gutsy human, leading me into a populated area like you did. I assure you, death will be swift for you," Seventy-Four grabbed the Altnetrix and pulled at Scott's arm. "But after that cheap trick of blinding me, I make no promises. This isn't personal either, it's just business." Seventy-Four stated.

Scott eventually managed to find his footing again, and once he got to his knees, he sweep kicked the Sotoraggian, knocking the hitman to the ground. Scott pulled his arm free, trying to activate the Altnetrix. Thankfully, he was able to select a form, though he lingered on the icon of his Sotoraggian transformation. Scott just let the watch return to its standby mode. 'Not yet.' Scott thought.

Scott got on top of the Sotoraggian, holding his hands above the alien's head as they struggled. "Now, how's about we have a chat, shall we?" Seventy-Four sneered as he growled at the Plumber. "Should've figured you wouldn't cooperate. At least answer one question, you owe me that much! Who sent you to collect the Altnetrix?!" Scott interrogated.

Seventy-Four managed to shake his hands free and swat Scott away, causing him to skid across the ground. "That's for me to know, and for you to forget about," Seventy-Four then morphed his arm into a cannon with four large barrels, aiming it down at Scott. "It's honestly pathetic, you know. Wasting that watch's power to save people, to do the right thing, I swear, it's like you're trying to make me gag! I'll be doing this planet and its inhabitants a favor painting this town red with your entrails, than to ever let you live another second!" Seventy-Four reprimanded, seeming genuinely disgusted.

Scott smirked and laughed. "Guess I'm just better at my job, than you are at yours." Scott commented.

Seventy-Four roared out, firing much larger lasers at the human, who managed to roll out of the way and notice a small knife on the ground. Scott grabbed it and brandished it like a proper blade, staring the Sotoraggian down. Seventy-Four let one of the energy blades out and rushed forward, to which Scott responded in kind.

The two charged at each other, but before a strike could land, Scott rolled underneath the Sotoraggian and quickly turns the flat side of the blade to his attacker. Scott sees Seventy-Four rushing towards him again, but Scott quickly steps to the side, and tries to slice through the Sotoraggian’s armor. Surprisingly enough, despite the armor being very alien in its origins, Scott’s attack managed to cut into it, if not just make a small gash.

Seventy-Four was now confused, and rightfully concerned. 'W-What!? He managed to cut through my armor, just like that?! How is this possible?!' Seventy-Four came to a stop, and despite the mask obscuring his face, he was very angry, glaring daggers at the human. "I'm not sure how you did that, whelp, but it's of no concern to me! I will collect the Altnetrix, and this world shall fall!!" Seventy-Four declared.

Seventy-Four rushed at Scott and tried to cut into the human with his energy blade, to which Scott was managing to barely dodge and evade for a moment, though parts of his clothes got more and more torn up with every misstep. Eventually, Scott started backing away from the Sotoraggian's attacks, trying to keep his distance. Seventy-Four quickly jumped into the air, launching himself high into the sky with his jetpack, then started hurdling himself down towards the human. Scott went wide-eyed, but tried to keep his composure.

Scott watched as the Sotoraggian hurdled down towards him and tried to slice the Plumber in half, but Scott then made the attempt to try and deflect the attack, just barely knocking Seventy-Four to the side, letting him land onto the ground as Scott backed away. Seventy-Four got up, only to look on in confusion, as well as irritation. It didn’t understand what just happened, or how his attack failed, but by this point, the Sotoraggian could at least recognize that he was being played for a fool.

In a mere moment, Seventy-Four roared out in a display of aggression, firing his cannon at the human, in hopes of ripping Scott to pieces and reducing him to ash. Scott, out of instinct, slammed down on the Altnetrix at the last second, all while a bright light enveloped him, and an explosion rang out through Ponyville. though the blast wasn't big, the sound could be heard from Canterlot.

A large dust cloud formed over where Scott was, and as it cleared out, Seventy-Four was met with a new face. Seventy-Four was already agitated, but now, the hitman was absolutely livid by what he saw.

The new figure stood up, revealing a Sotoraggian, standing a few feet taller than the human, but just barely a foot and a half over the Sotoraggian hitman. Clad in gray armor with black and white shoulder guards, black arm plating, with a bit of cyan-ish blue-gray skin from the exposed arms and fingers. The helmet had two turquoise colored diagonal lines pointing down, with two turquoise colored smaller rectangular stripes pointing diagonally upward beneath them, on each side of the mask. The Altnetrix's badge was smack dab in the mid-center of the Sotoraggian's armor.

The transformed Sotoraggian looked itself over, seeming rather pleased with the outcome. "You're gonna need something stronger if you wanna take me down. I prepared for this, and you're gonna feel the full extent of it!" The transformed Sotoraggian taunted, cracking its knuckles as its synthetic-sounding voice spoke out.

Seventy-Four roared out, the sheer agitation and fury the Sotoraggian hitman felt was beyond mere words, and by this point, he was far from done with his task. The two Sotoraggians ran at each other, getting into an old-fashioned brawl. The two aliens traded and exchanged blows like nothing else mattered in that moment, and all of Ponyville was witnessing the fight from inside their homes and places of business. The two Sotoraggians attempted to choke each other out, but soon enough the Plumber got the advantage in the fight, headbutting Seventy-Four away, then delivering numerous left and right hooks to the hitman.

The transformed Sotoraggian was letting loose everything he had, but unfortunately, he did not keep the advantage for long. Seventy-Four fired his cannon at the hero, sending them flying back, letting them crash into one of the buildings nearby. A large dust could soon formed, and a white flash could be seen among the dust.

Scott, now back in his human form, was really starting to get angry. 'I knew it'd be too risky to immediately try out the new guy... but at least his armor could resist the laser fire well enough. Now I need to take this fight up a notch, but how,' Scott got up and looked around, noticing shelves that were full of cheap and poorly cobbled-together trinkets, as well as other matters of strangeness. Scott looked over a counter, noticing two similar stallions ducking for cover, as well as noticing a bat handle that was sticking out from the bottom shelf behind said counter. Scott smiled and eagerly grabbed the handle of the blunt instrument, and upon pulling it out for him to see in full, the bat was a bit smaller than he initially anticipated, but he could adapt. it was a wooden bat painted black, with white bandage wrap-like material wrapped around the handle. Scott gave it a few test swings, twirled it around with his fingers, and smiled. 'There we go. Now it's time to do some serious damage.' Scott thought.

A shrill scream echoed out from outside, causing Scott to immediately run towards it, leaving the stallions in the shop none the wiser as to what was happening.

As Scott ran back into the empty streets of Ponyville, the human was shocked to see that Seventy-Four was now holding a pony hostage. Seventy-Four had a mare in a headlock, aiming his cannon at their head. Scott gritted his teeth and walked closer, all while the Sotoraggian pressed the cannon against the mare's head. "Stop moving, Plumber. One more step, and the equestrian will be nothing but ash!" Seventy-Four threatened.

The mare yelped, screaming out in panic as the cannon was primarily all the mare could see. Scott stopped moving, though he did clutch the bat tightly in his hands. Seventy-Four aimed the cannon at Scott, the both of them stared each other down in silence. "Using a hostage to put a situation in your favor. Somehow I knew it would come to this, but I never pegged your race as a bunch of hardened sore losers." Scott remarked.

Seventy-Four stood his ground, and continued to keep Scott where he stood. "Shut up, you inferior human! Here's what's going to happen, Plumber. You give yourself up, and hand over the Altnetrix, or this mare's blood will be on your hands till your final hour. Attempt to fight once more, and there will be no mercy for you, or these pathetic Equestrians!" Seventy-Four shouted.

The mare was terrified, practically breaking down in tears. Scott was worried, he knew how the Sotoraggians were always the kind to finish the job, no matter what they had to do, but unlike the Plumbers, the Sotoraggians were willing to get innocent blood on their hands.

Scott took a moment to think, and then took one more step forward, before pointing the bat at the Sotoraggian. 'Haven't had the time to practice this much, but hopefully, this will be enough... I sincerely hope it is,' Scott cleared his throat and sighed. "Unfortunately, you seem to have forgotten something about the Plumbers... we don't make deals with terrorists. Here's what will actually go down. You let the mare go, you go back to wherever you came from, and you tell your benefactor that I won't tolerate such a show of blatant disregard for life," Scott walked closer, gripping the bat as he brandished it like a blade. "However, if you decide to fight back, then I promise, you will regret it for the rest of your life... or for the next few moments when I'm beating you to a pulp, results may vary based on the training I've received." Scott warned, glaring at the Sotoraggian.

Seventy-Four simply laughed. "You have to be joking. Hardly any of your transformations can last against me, and you might be a Plumber, but your training couldn't have prepared you for the likes of someone like me." Seventy-Four remarked, letting the cannon power up.

Scott smirked, pointing the bat to the sky as he closed his eyes. The Sotoraggian was confused, until Scott opened his mouth to speak again. "Who said anything about 'Plumber Training'?" Scott questioned.

Scott tried to to concentrate on drawing in magic. He tried to keep a cool head, to think about those that matter to him, those he needs to protect. Then, he felt that familiar sensation again. It surged and built up within him, until it almost felt like it would explode out of his chest. The Sotoraggian wasn't sure what the human was doing, but could clearly tell that the human either lost all traces of sanity, or had an actual plan.

With a jolt, the bat in Scott’s hands ignited with electricity; crackling fiercely as splinters cracked and flew off from the intensity. Scott felt the courage he had dwelling within him, and it pulsed through him like a familiar rush of adrenaline. The Sotoraggian was aghast by what he was witnessing, and immediately tried to attack, only for the mare he was holding hostage to squirm free and try to flee the scene.

Scott knew he needed to help the mare, but he kept his focus. Scott kept thinking about how this world was worth protecting, like the world he was born in. He thought about his parents, knowing that he was doing this for them, Scott felt his resolve strengthen, and the electricity started to shape around the blunt instrument.

Seventy-Four aimed his cannon at the mare, ready to take them out, but then his attention was drawn back to the human. Scott kept thinking about everything that mattered in this moment. If he kept fighting, he needed to finish this now. Incapacitate or exterminate, either option would work, but Scott then thought about what mattered most... Answers.

Scott could feel his body telling him to stop, but Scott kept going. Soon enough, the bat engulfed in light, now entirely enveloped in a yellow glow, crackling with electricity as it danced around and along the blunt instrument. Scott had no idea if this was supposed to happen, but he didn't care at the moment. Seventy-Four was his problem, and he was going to make sure the Sotoraggian regretted coming to this world.

Seventy-Four was astonished and very confused. 'Is this magic?! How, how can he use magic!? Perhaps I wasn't prepared like I thought... she's gonna be pissed.' Seventy-Four thought, now thoroughly concerned about his chances.

Scott stepped forward, twirling the crackling bat with his fingers, and glared at the Sotoraggian. "I don't even know where to start with you. Do you even know who you're talking to? Do you have any idea, any idea who I am!" The Sotoraggian started backing away, only to feel a strange sensation within his body. His armor was beginning to lock up and shut down, as did his physical body. Seventy-Four tried to move, but he felt as if something was invading his mind. "I'm a force of nature, moron! I hurt the bad guys and save lives from scum like you, and now, you're gonna get whacked!" Scott explained, walking towards the panicking Sotoraggian.

Seventy-Four couldn't handle what was happening, and by the time Scott was standing face to face with his pursuer, they were on their knees. The Sotoraggian didn't do anything, say anything, they didn't even try looking the human in the eye, they were already under attack from the inside.

Soon enough, a mare's voice could be heard echoing from the suit. "Seventy-Four, the human is standing above you, ready to fight, yet you decide to try and run away? Need I remind you what happens to those who try to defy me?!" the Sotoraggian started to scream out, all while the red mist began to burst from Seventy-Four's suit, like steam trying to alleviate excess pressure. The red mist began to swallow the Sotoraggian the more it escaped the suit, all while the Sotoraggian's screams started to become more muffled. "I knew I should've done this myself, but that barrier still has me trapped. Good thing you were always willing to keep a piece of me on your person... makes it easier to do this!" The voice stated.

The Sotoraggian's body started to violently shake and tremble, the red mist had now completely consumed the Sotoraggian, but it now seemed to be undergoing a transformation of some kind... no, a mutation. Scott backed up, watching in confusion as the Sotoraggian stood up, undergoing an unsightly and unforeseen change.

The red mist poured itself back into the suit, only for the suit to start crumbling away. Pieces of the suit fell to the ground with many a clatter, only to then reveal the actual alien beneath the armor. Seventy-Four's skin was a pale white, his eyes were now malformed and obscured by the red mist, all while his jaw became unhinged, riddled with sharp teeth. He spontaneously grew another sharp tooth-filled mouth right where his throat was. Seventy-Four's claws seemed to get sharper, growing numerous smaller spikes and thorns along his arms and torso, as did more smaller stubbier arms. The Sotoraggian's chest seemed to open up, revealing an orb consisting of the same red mist, all while six piercing red eyes opened up on the creature's chest, glaring intensely at the Plumber.

Scott was unsure as to what he was looking at, but he knew it was the Sotoraggian... or at least, it used to be. A guttural and gargled growl escaped the mutated alien, but Scott stood his ground, gripping the Thunder-Bat tightly. "You can change your form all you want, but that doesn't mean I'm letting you go. You still have a lot to answer for!" Scott exclaimed, rushing towards the changed Sotoraggian.

Scott swung the bat across the Sotoraggian's face, letting sparks of electricity fly off upon impact. Scott beat on the alien with his bat as hard as he could, and while it was doing some significant damage, it was also starting to piss Seventy-Four off. The Sotoraggian roared like a mindless creature, and swatted Scott away, causing him to skid across the ground. Scott quickly got back onto his feet, only to be taken by surprise when Seventy-Four was already rushing towards him, swatting him away again, only to land onto a bench, breaking it in the process.

Scott groaned, feeling like he just got hit by a truck, but much to his disappointment, it wasn't. It was something far worse, and Scott saw it trying to stomp on him. Scott rolled out of the way, and swung the bat at the alien's ankles. While it did stun them for a moment, it didn't seem to be hurting him like he'd hoped. Scott quickly looked around, noticing that everypony was still inside their homes, which made him feel a bit relieved, but he needed to take this fight somewhere else, somewhere that would mean Ponyville is untouched by the chaos that follows, then Scott remembered the Everfree Forest, and an idea came to him.

Scott watched as the Sotoraggian monster tried to snap its jaws at him, but Scott quickly blocked its attempt with his Thunder-Bat. The moment the creature's teeth came into contact with the weapon, it reeled back as an electrical current pushed through its body, enraging it even more. Scott started running towards the Everfree Forest, hoping the monstrous alien hitman would follow suit. "Come on, you Sotoraggian sack of garbage! Are you a hitman or a prepubescent bully!?" Scott taunted.

The Sotoraggian monster roared out, rushing after the human. Scott ran as fast as he could manage, trying to avoid any attacks the monster threw his way as it gained on him. Scott looked to the Altnetrix, seeing that it was still recharging. Scott sighed and ran into the forest entrance, all while the beast chased after him, like a predator to its prey.

[Everfree Forest]

Scott quickly ran through the brush, all while hearing the monstrous Sotoraggian leaping and swinging through the trees, trying to catch the human. The Sotoraggian was feral, practically behaving like a beast, rather than a sentient being.

Scott went the same way he did when the petrosapien girl, Crystal, was being chased by a dragon couple days earlier, but the only difference this time, he was the one being chased, and instead of a dragon, it was some sort of monstrous Sotoraggian beast. After a bit of running and swinging through the forest, Scott stopped at a dead end, the same large and high cliff that led down to solid ground, to which the Sotoraggian landed behind him, cornering him with no chance of escape.

Scott turned around, gripping the Thunder-Bat as he held it close, ready to fight with all he has left. The Sotoraggian roared out, and Scott yelled out angrily, then they charged at each other. Scott slammed the bat into the creature's stomach, and then delivered a serious haymaker to the beast's face. The Sotoraggian retaliated by biting down on Scott's arm, blood seeped from the wound as Scott yelled out in pain, but he didn't stop fighting. Scott aggressively pulled his arm away, trying to ignore the pain he was suffering from, and repeatedly struck the Sotoraggian monster's head with the bat. Numerous electrical currents pulsed through the beast's body, staggering and stunning it as the human wailed on it without mercy.

Scott then hit the Sotoraggian with one more strike, and just like that, the beast was knocked out cold. The electrical energy soon faded from the blunt instrument in Scott's hands, but all the same, Scott had won the fight... or, at least, he thought he did.

As Scott backed away from the unconscious Sotoraggian beast, Scott saw the red mist leave Seventy-Four's body. At first, the mist seemed to be looking at the human, but then it trailed off, floating off the nearby cliff, then dissipating into nothingness. Scott had no words for what happened, let alone what he saw, but Scott simply walked over to the unconscious Sotoraggian, who was slowly returning to his normal self again, and dragged his unconscious body back to Ponyville, hoping that without his gadgets, the Sotoraggian would then be at the ponies' mercy, and his mercy.

Scott could feel his left arm getting colder, slowly growing numb to any feeling or sensation, but he chocked that up to the fact that his arm was losing blood, not so much to how a feral alien bit him and punctured the flesh. Scott pulled the Sotoraggian to the entrance, feeling the blood drip down from his wound like rain.

He won the fight, but despite how prepared he was, it still felt like he lost.

[Whitetail Woods]

After a few long excruciating hours of dragging an unconscious Sotoraggian through Ponyville, Scott eventually made it back to his hut, slowly pulling the unconscious alien back to it. Once he knew everything was fine, Scott used the Altnetrix to transform into Smudge. The Lenopan let his injured arm regenerate the damage as long as he was in alien form, and then he trapped the unconscious Sotoraggian in a huge glob of sludge that hardened around the alien, keeping him trapped.

Soon enough, Smudge simply moved over to the river, looking down at his reflection. Despite being transformed, Scott could see a bit of himself in the aliens he transformed into, even in the Hylian form he had access to with the mask... he could hardly believe he was looking at the same person, let alone that he was that person. Smudge let out a gurgled sigh, all while someone landed beside him.

Princess Celestia, the most favored of the two royal sisters in his Equestria, looked at him with curiosity, as well as concern. "I assume everything went well?" Celestia asked.

Smudge scoffed, pointing towards Seventy-Four, who was unconscious and trapped in hardened sludge. Celestia nodded in approval. "Good, he's been captured. I hope you know what do do with him, someone like that can't be allowed to roam free, not after harming innocent ponies," Smudge stayed silent, as if lamenting on the events that happened prior. Celestia noticed the Plumber's silence, and started to wonder if she had said something she wasn't supposed to. "Scott Baristo, forgive me for pointing this out, but you seem troubled. I know I'm not my sister, in terms of considering the feelings of my subjects... but, I am always willing to listen. Pray tell, what troubles you, has something befallen your friend?" Celestia asked with concern.

The Altnetrix starts to beep, and in a flash of white light, Scott is returned to his normal form. "No, it's not that... it's just, nothing seems to make sense anymore, not like how it used to. I never thought I'd see such a vicious display, especially from something so... out of place, it was bizarre, to say the least. The fight was practically standard, something I could've dealt with easily if I had my Plumber gear. Even with alien powers and a magic mask, plus a couple items, it was fairly standard..." Celestia simply let the human speak, though she was listening as well as she could. "Then, all of a sudden, I'm not fighting a hitman anymore... I'm fighting a vicious, mindless monster that's trying to tear me limb from limb. I don't know what that mist inside the suit was, but whatever it was, I think it had me hallucinating. I managed to get it to follow me to the Everfree, just so I could take the fight away from the village... but I never could've anticipated this," Scott was genuinely confused and concerned by what kind of living nightmare he just experienced. "How was this even possible?" Scott questioned.

Celestia seemed confused, but clearly this fight was a bit more than the Plumber could manage, and he was barely able to make it out alive. Scott sighed, looking down at the river flowing by, feeling a sense of calm wash over him. Celestia sighed, standing up as she looked down at the human. "I'm not entirely sure as to what exactly happened during your encounter with this... alien, but Luna and I, along with our faithful students, have the utmost faith in your capabilities," Scott looked at the princess, unsure as to what exactly she was getting at. "Scott Baristo, we are no strangers to tough challenges and close calls with danger, and we know you aren't either, so should you find yourself seeking solace from the unknown, Luna is always willing to listen. I sincerely hope you enjoy the rest of your day, human, I bid you adieu." Celestia stated calmly.

Scott nodded his head. "Farewell, your highness, I wish you have a great day, as well." Scott stated, saluting to the princess.

Celestia's horn glowed in a golden aura, and in a flash of light, the princess teleported away, leaving the human to his own devices. Scott took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, feeling a sense of calm... as well as uncertainty.

Scott looked up at the portal above his hut, debating on what he could do, but then an idea came to him.

[Scott's Residence]

As the sky got darker and darker, Scott walked into his hut and grabbed a small piece of parchment, as well as a small bottle of ink and a quill. Scott started writing down something on the parchment, periodically stopping to think of how to word what he was trying to convey, and soon managed to come up with something to say. He signed the paper at the bottom, rolled it up, and tied it closed with a piece of string from one of the bags.

Scott put the scroll above the doorframe, and laid down on his sofa, not even bothering to look up at the moon as it got redder and redder. From outside the hut, the sound of squirming could be heard, and Scott simply let it be, knowing it was most likely Seventy-Four, who finally regained consciousness.

[Dreamscape]

Scott was back on the farm, and lo and behold, there were a few noticeable differences. One difference was that there was more to the farm than just a simple farmhouse. There was a barn, but it looked old and ancient, as if someone purposefully made it out of stone, metal and magic. The more Scott looked at the farm, the more it seemed to remind him of the howling stone, the one that summoned Jeff to his world.

Another noticeable difference was a couple Hylian children tending to a small patch of Deku seeds. One child was a boy with long messy and very wild brown hair, and the other was a girl with very well-taken care of blonde hair that cascaded down to her back. Scott felt a sense of familiarity about them, but he didn't know why, he never met them before, or even heard of anyone like them.

Scott looked to his side, noticing a small white ocarina with a familiar turquoise hourglass symbol painted on the side of it. Scott wasn't sure why he had it, but at the same time, he didn't mind it, he always wanted to play an instrument. Scott decided to sit down on the steps of the farmhouse, and decided to play the song he heard from the howling stone before, just for the hell of it. As Scott slowly played the song, and trying to figure out how to hold the damn thing and play the notes right, Scott slowly figured it out.

As he played the final note, that was when all hell broke loose, and the nightmare began. The world around him began to shake, which provoked Scott's fight or flight response. Scott looked over to the kids, wondering if he could save them, but upon seeing their hollowed eyes, as if their faces were just masks they wear, Scott tried to leave and make his way to the barn.

The world around him got redder, all while some strange tune echoed out, playing in-reverse. As Scott ran to the barn, that's when he saw it. A hand burst out from the ground a few feet in front of him. From out of the ground, a familiar figure was back to enlist torment. The man who looked like him, only now he was rotting, his skeleton was out for all to see, his rotting and discolored skin, coupled with the lifeless milky white eyes he had, a mixed look of hunger, anger, disappointment, and excitement was something Scott wasn't prepared for.

The man, despite his lack of lips, smiled, rushing towards Scott, all while storm clouds rolled in, sending down large bolts of blackened lightning to rip the ground apart. The man grabbed Scott and held him still. Scott frantically tried to escape, but soon felt them bite into him. Scott opened his mouth, but nothing seemed to come out, not a single sound.

Soon enough, a black bolt of lightning struck Scott where he stood, and everything seemed to just stop.

Scott sat up screaming, panting heavily as he wiped his face with his shirt. His face drenched in sweat, his eyes full of tears. Scott slowly looked out of the window, only to be met by the mare in the moon, looking down upon him as the blood moon intensified.

Author's Note

Well, this chapter certainly had an ending, probably the darkest I've considered making it.

I would explain why he has this kind of nightmare, but that's for another chapter. Soon enough, business will return to normal as usual, but for now, Scott needs answers, and Seventy-Four has them.

Also, I was going to include a whole nightmare scenario in this chapter, to show that this fight had left some serious mental scars on the Plumber operative, but I decided to not do that... yet.

We're gonna take this as slow as possible, but I'm at least satisfied with how this chapter ended up being... because now, we're starting to get into the first major arc of Scott's story.

For simplicity's sake, we'll call it the Blood Moon Arc, and it's only gonna go further into mayhem from here. For now, however, Scott has plenty of time to figure out what's been going on, particularly with the unnaturally frequent blood moons.