Scootaloo and the School of Ghouls

Death's class turned out to be on the grounds in front of the castle, as much of annoyance as it was to the mortals of the group who had to go and grab sweaters. Luckily for them though, it was within a bubble-like snow-shield, which the white fluffy particles disintegrated upon when touching it. It was a pretty large area it covered, perhaps the size of a football field, with a sparse bit of grass sticking up here or there or a few dead trees. To add to the scene, Rainbow Dash had done her counterpart the favor (and most likely somewhat reluctantly) of clearing the storms away from above, so it was a pretty clear sight.

However, though the snow-shield itself was somewhat interesting, it was what was in it that was truly intriguing... and somewhat nerve-wracking. Rainbow Death stood still, her mane flapping in the breeze, full black cloak, scythe and all, with a merry smile on her face that couldn't have meant anything good, along with four, large, rattling wooden cages of some sort.

"Mmmm, what's got you so happy?" Applemoon questioned, trotting up to the scene and perking an eyebrow.

Rainbow Death merely bounced Pinkie Pie style slightly, grinning. "Oh I'm just happy to be teaching, is all! Education is an important factor in creating a horrible society!"

Applemoon lowered a suspicious eyebrow. "Uh huh," she said blankly. "You know, I usually don't see you this jolly unless something something's about to die you don't like... or only sort of like."

"Mwah?" she said, quirking an innocent head. "Don't be silly, Applemoon! I handle my job with emotional detachment and professionalism!"

"Explains those lockets of yours," Applemoon smirked, pointing to her collection of different shaped lockets that swung about her neck: one of a black cross, the other of a coiled serpent, and so-on.

Deathie narrowed her eyes, her tone turning serious. "Hey, that's different and you know it. All wicked souls get what they deserve, because I make sure the law of equivalent exchange is always a law instead of just some cool sounding line on a piece of paper."

"That why were you bouncing off the walls that time Jack the Ripper died in Canterlot?" Applemoon said, her smirk widening. "'Awwww man, he's going to be so delicious,'” she said in a mock Deathie voice. “'BEST. DINNER. EVER!'''

Deathie merely chuckled in return. "Alright, alright, you caught me. Though he was very... tasty," she said, licking her lips.

At that, a voice she had been expecting made itself known:

"Uh... Rainbow. You don't... really eat souls, do you?" Scootaloo gulped nervously, her friends, Void House, and Noctus House coming into view.

Rainbow blinked her soulless, black eyes innocently. "Of course not! What kind of wicked being would feed on something like that?"

Applemoon rolled her eyes. "Right..." she muttered under her breath.

"Anyway! Welcome to the international snow-bubble of awesome!" Deathie beamed merrily to the class before her. "I'm Rainbow Death, who some of you may know as the fastest grim reaper in Edeathstrian history!"

The group let out a few cheers, and for once, Scootaloo was happy there was someghoul around more famous than she was. Though naturally, every group had its neigh sayer...

"Well actually," Metus corrected, holding up a holey hoof. "That title belongs to-"

She quickly closed her mouth when she noticed Scootaloo was frantically making a 'zipper' gesture on her own, looking her way.

"Nevermind..." Metus peeped.

Rainbow, ignoring the comment, grinned widely before saying:

"Now, I know you've all probably been looking forward to this class the most, right? And I can't blame you! Because there's nothing more fun than killing stuff that's trying to kill you! But you know what's even cooler than that? Cutting out the middle-ghoul and having Death herself do it for you!” She soon smiled sheepishly, however. “…Which isn't going to happen that often. So that's why you need to pay attention while I show you how it's done!"

She then cleared her throat before continuing with, "Now, a few of you might be thinking: what in Edeathstria might have us on the dinner plate? We're big, bad and scary! Nothing could touch us! But that's not true. Edeathstria is filled to the brim with non-sentient life who would just love to make little ghoul sandwiches out of each and every one of you, and I’m not just talking about those pesky zombies.”

The group gave a collective gulp, to which Deathie gave a reluctant sigh at in return.

"Don't worry too much though; most of them live in places you won't be seeing as a filly. But I guarantee that each of you will confront at least one monster in your life, and when that happens: you gotsta be ready. Now, for this first class I'm going to be doing something fun: just a simple demonstration, and then, after that, we'll be working on combat techniques designed to up your agility and reaction time, as well as studying every creature that might threaten you to the point where you'll be dreaming about killing them." She then took a deep breath. "Now, can anyghoul tell me what a Felhound is?"

There were a few murmurs of confusion, before a holey hoof leapt into the air.

"Yeah, what's your face, go ahead!" Rainbow called.

"A Felhound is a creature from Null Space not native to Edeathstria," Metus explained. "However, they were brought in bulk as shock troopers by Artharius of Winter during the Great Edeathstrian Civil War, which he controlled telekinetically. When he was defeated, many went feral. And despite the annual hunts for them, many still remain, and usually operate in packs."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom glanced at each other warily.

Rainbow Death nodded her head, impressed. "Haha! The geek is strong with this one!" she smirked, Metus sulking her head slightly, to which Rainbow immediately threw a guilty glance at. "Not that that's a bad thing, kid. You'd make my Twilight proud! Twenty points to Void House!"

Immediately, Metus' mood turned one eighty as various members of Void patted her on the back, a look of mirth coming to her face Scootaloo hadn't seen before.

“Mph, I could have answered that if I lived here,” Sweetie huffed to herself.

“Oh come on, Sweetie... Metus needs this,” Apple Bloom grunted.

Sweetie took a deep breath. “Yeah, you’re right…”

"But yeah, before I get started with the demonstration, there are some very important things to remember," Rainbow said seriously. "Fighting dark creatures is not about having your power levels over nine thousand or anything stupid like that. It's about brains, reflexes, and tactics. Know your enemy: where to hit it to make the thing squeal..."

"Oh dear night, I hope Flutterfright never finds out about this," Applemoon muttered to herself, shaking her head.

"...Know how it thinks and all that jazz, but most importantly: know your own limitations." She then hovered in the air, flapping her single, long black wing. "Myself, for instance, though I hate to admit it: I'm more agility than muscle, so I'm not going to try to be trying to wrestle with these guys, as in hold their attacks in parry and hope I can somehow overpower them. Uh uh, I'd get friggin' killed... as bizarre as that sounds." She then held up a hoof, grinning. "Still, I have the advantage of flight, while Felhounds can only jump about like massive hell-spawned fleas... which means uh, *hint hint*, you might just want to fly away instead of fighting them unless you need to. But yeah, in addition, I also have knowledge of how to use my lovely little scythe here correctly as a melee weapon. She ain’t just for show, kiddos!"

She quickly twirled it to a chorus of 'ooos' and 'ahhhs'.

Rainbow continued to twirl it for a good few seconds, soaking up the fame, before a cough interrupted her from Applemoon.

"Er, right," Rainbow simpered, before sinking the blade-end of it into the ground and continuing with, "So, have any of you ever listened to the radio show, Scarecraft: Terrors from Beyond?"

"Ooo yeah! I listen to it all the time!" Rotten said merrily.

"Zazzs is best Zerg!" Mini-Burns called. "He was most devious in his appearances. Nehehehe."

"Are you kidding?! Daggoth is best Zerg!" Twisted shouted. "He totally outlasted all of the Cerebrates! Go underdog!"

"You're both wrong! Overmind all the way! ‘Awaken my child, and behold the glory that is your birth right!’ BUAHAHAHAHA!"

"Bah, but he turned out to be a wuss in the sequel, though..."

"Guys, guys…. Overmind, Zazzs, and Daggoth are a weird way of saying 'Infested Duran is Best Zerg.'"

"He's not a friggin' Zerg, though! He's a hybrid!"

As the arguing continued, a voice eventually cleared the storm:

"Oi! The lot of ya' are wrong! Infested Kerrigan is best Zerg!"

The group turned towards the origin of the latest voice, that being smiling Pipbossa, looking at him as if he had just said the smartest thing in the world.

"Yeah, that's true."

"He's got a good point."

"Queen Bitch of the Universe! Wooo yeah!"

"I kind of liked Zeratul..." Metus squeaked, a few members of Void House giving her an odd look.

The Crusaders glanced at each other in bafflement.

"You know, I'm not sure if I even want to know what they're talking about," Sweetie groaned, shaking her head.

"Alright, alright! That’s enough," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes, before smiling slightly. "Though I like Kerrigan myself, by the way, so five points to Noctus house!"

"Wooo yeah!"

"Good call, Pip!"

"Ahhh... she's such a lovable bitch," Rainbow Death sighed, before clearing her throat again. "But anyway, Felhounds use similar tactics to Zerglings. Meaning they'll try to Zerg rush your flank into the ground by pouncing on you from all angles like they did to Jim Neighnor, that poor… poor pony space marine. They do not attack one by one by one like Astral Wolves would, showing some weird animistic sense of honor... if you could call it that."

Rainbow Death continued to rattle on and on, and Scootaloo stared intently at the crates containing what she assumed were Felhounds. Something about them was captivating to her... and at the same time, she could feel emotion out of nowhere. Both hatred and anger... each burning like a fire. And it wasn't coming from her. It was coming from… somewhere else.

"Scoots, ya OK?" Sweetie asked, poking her slightly.

The world snapped back into view.

"Er, yeah," Scootaloo said, shaking her head in a daze. "Just... got a weird feeling is all."

"Alright!" Rainbow finally beamed. "Gonna' have to ask you all to step back, now. Don’t worry, though, they'll definitely be going for me, as they have an affinity for Death, but I don't want to take any chances!"

Nervously, the group did as they were told, Applemoon watching Rainbow apprehensively, the rest of the group well, her having their keen attention (it being something she fed on even more than souls.)

“Righto, LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!” Rainbow finally grinned, before crying: "OPEN!"

The gates did as they were commanded, and immediately, the nastiest creatures Scootaloo had ever seen leapt out of them. They were furry, orange, and their nostrils seemed to be shooting a black smoke of some sort. Their fangs dripped with green saliva, and their shrieks sounded like a pony being boiled alive.

"RAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGHHHHHHHHHH!.!.!"

"H-Holy Celestia!" Sweetie shrieked, shivering as she hugged the nearest ghoul in sight in fear... which happened to be Pipbossa, to which he raised his undead eyebrows at.

"They're like the nightmares of the Nightmare Realm," Pipsqueak said breathlessly.

True to his words, even a few of the ghouls of the group gave murmurs of fear.

And then, just as Scootaloo thought she couldn't be more unnerved, a strange, new voice chimed in her head:

'Interesting creatures, aren't they?” it said in a low tone. “Imagine it young lady... imagine having only the company of these types of beings... for thousands of years…'

Scootaloo shook her head rapidly, blinking. At first she thought her instincts may have hit puberty, but the familiarity of it made her doubt that. It sounded like a certain captain. But no, that couldn't be possible... what she had seen on the train... it was just a weird dream. Her imagination and nothing more… probably brought on by Darksong’s cooking.

"Not to worry, younglins'," Applemoon called, trying her best to hide her fear. "Rainbow's hunted these overgrown fleas a few times before."

"H-How many times is a few?" Sweetie squeaked.

Applemoon winced to herself, thinking for a second, before simpering.

…

"Err.... three times," she gulped.

Sweetie's eyes widened.

"Righto!" Rainbow called without the least bit of nerve in her tone, as the Felhounds began circling her, the talons that hung off their shoulders occasionally nipping into the air, as if throwing practice punches. "Now, they're going to all come at me at once any second now. However, be advised that if one was alone, it would probably attack right off the bat. It's just how they roll." She cleared her throat, narrowing her eyes and folding her wing. "But anyway, I'm going to be taking them on without flying since well... a lot of you don't have wings. So watch carefully! Cus here… they… COME!"

"RAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGHHHHHHHHHH!.!.!"

At that, the quartet of beasts let loose their hideous shrieks, before reeling back and charging her from all four angles of a box-like formation, blurs of orange blazing across the ground so quickly Scootaloo thought they were going to set fire to it.

Rainbow took a deep breath, gazing intently at them as she held her ground, their fangs glistening and saliva dripping...

"Keep your fear at bay... and... LEAP AND ROLL!" Rainbow yelled, before leaping between two of them at the last second, rolling on the ground, and leaping to her hind hooves, smirking as she twirled her scythe.

“WOOOO YEAAAAAAH!” the group called.

"Alright, Deathie! Give em two!" Applemoon beamed.

SLAMMMMM!.!.!

The quartet crashed together, actually sending a slight shock-wave outward, hissing and snarling as they did so.

"Heh! Seem pretty dumb, don't they?" Rainbow said with a cocky smile, as the beasts, now dazed, separated themselves from each other. "Well, they are, but they can learn! They won't fall for that same trick twice!"

Then, the first non-dazed beast, now in a blood-rage, charged her, quickly followed by the others.

"Alright, this is where agility and reflex really comes into play!" Rainbow cried, backing away from the hell-spawned monster on her hind legs as-

CLANG!.!.!

She ferociously blocked a talon sailing towards her scalp, sparks sailing into the breeze. Her eyes then widened as the beast's second talon flew towards her, twirling her Scythe downward before...

CLACK!.!.!

Blocking it as well.

“KEEP IT UP RAINBOW! YEAAAAAAH!” Applemoon grinned, before a few ghouls raised an eyebrow her way, to which she quickly coughed at. “I mean uh… this is way too dangerous. Rainbow should be more responsible. Teachers these days, I swear...”

Scootaloo and her friends chuckled, before gazing back at the fight, their eyes widened in excitement.

"Alright, now for a test of your multi-tasking abilities!” Rainbow called. “Keep your opponents separated, make sure only one is attacking you at a time, and keep moving!"

CLING-CLANG-CLACK-CLANG-CLANG!.!.!

A torrent of sparks came from Deathie's scythe as she continued to block a ferocious assault from her opponent, her blade twirling in a blur, quick as lightning. Skillfully, she managed to keep her opponent count as one by quickly speeding backward as she blocked his attacks, the others unable to join in due to their brother blocking their paths, which was until...

WHOOOOOOOOOOSH!

One reeled back like a coiled spring before he sailed into the air, leaping to the other side of Dashie and landing with a terrific THUD!

"Another thing these dickheads like to pull!" Deathie yelled. "Again, to be expected! And it might even work to your advantage!"

The two near her let loose ferocious snarls, their yellow-beady eyes bearing into her, before their two sets of sharpened, blood-red talons slashed out towards her....

"SREEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!.!.!"

"RAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGG!.!.!"

Only for Deathie to smirk, duck, and let them strike the beast opposite from where they leapt. They bounced against each other's armored snouts with two terrific CLACKS!, their owners letting out two hideous screams of agony, before Deathie rolled out from underneath them, wiped off a bit of drool that had fallen on her face, and continued to speak.

"Haha! Alright, maybe they really are just plain ole stupid!” she chuckled, getting back onto her hind hooves. “Now, the next thing to do is-

Suddenly, the viewing group let loose a series of gasps as the third Felhound came from the side, obviously an unexpected move, before leaping forth a single talon and-

“AAUUUUUGHHHHHH!.!.!"

-Piercing it right through Deathie’s wing.

"RAINBOW!" Scootaloo shrieked.

"Oh shoot! Oh shoot!" Applemoon called, shaking her head.

As Deathie winced in pain, now lying on her back, she began to scramble away from the beasts the best she could. Unfortunately, she seemed to be having trouble getting to her feet. She'd rise slightly, seemingly just about to make it, before letting out a gasp and collapsing upon her back, black smoke oozing out of her wing instead of blood. All four beasts were now closing in on her, snapping their teeth as drool dripped from their snouts in anticipation for their ‘easy’ meal....

And again, Scootaloo felt emotions that weren't hers... piercing anger... so much anger... burning like the fires of Tartarus.

'You're feeling it aren't you?' the voice that she could definitely now tell wasn’t her instincts said calmly, Scootaloo letting out a gasp. That's what I felt... so much of it... even if all I wanted to feel was my own sorrow.'

"Ugh! That stupid cocky... DAMNIT!" Applemoon shouted, her yellow Lycan eye twitching in a fury only the Felhounds seemed to have more than. "Hang on, Rainbow! I'm comin!"

"Applemoon! Don't! You'll get ripped apart!" Appple Bloom cried.

"I gotta try! You younglin's just sit tight, ya hear?!" she said sternly, before blowing a puff of steam out of her snout and galloping forth.

“Celestia damnit, Applemoon!” Apple Bloom cried.

Scootaloo gave a gasp, shaking her head incredulously. This couldn’t be happening… Rainbow was supposed to know what she was doing! If she died on her first day…

She couldn’t bear the thought.

"Arthur... if you're real..." she whispered to herself. "Help me somehow!  Help me save Rainbow and Applemoon! Please!”

'What makes you think I can? I'm not real... remember...'

"I can just... feel it."

'Yet you don't entirely trust your feelings...' it said... though it soon let loose a sigh. 'But perhaps... I suppose I can’t blame you… for in the end, only seeing. Is. Believing…'

At that, to Scootaloo’s shock, the world suddenly went into slow motion… a world which she could now see in perfect clarity.

Puffs of snow as they evaporated against the shield...

Applemoon galloping forth, snarling... kicking up frozen dust as she charged...

Deathie's black eyes widening, eight talons readying to slam down on her...

A slight breeze leaping against a blade of grass...

Her friends' mouths parting slowly, awe-struck horror in their eyes...

Droplets of drool sputtering down from the Felhounds' yellow teeth....

And then... suddenly... for the briefest of milliseconds…

Scootaloo’s eyes flashed blue.

The world sped up, yet the Felhounds' were still in pause, glancing about in confused manner.

Silence fell, noghoul said a word, as they slowly turned and galloped into the blackened, snow-shielded Forbidden Forest a bit aways....

A collective sigh of relief came like no other.

"Woah..." Sweetie said, collapsing her on her flank. "Talk about a crazy lesson. Jeez..."

"Ehehehe," Rainbow said, baffled as ever, wincing as her black wing slowly healed itself. "Yep! Totally knew that was going to happen!"

"Arthur... did you do that?" Scootaloo whispered to herself.

No response came, and Scootaloo began to wonder, once again, if he was just her imagination.

Though something very real would soon make itself known.

"Hkkkkkkk-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK!.!.!"