Scootaloo and the School of Ghouls

The planes of death. A lonely, blank field of brown with little more than twisted, jagged black trees to keep one company. Well, that and a massive pair of golden gates that stood looming over all who visited. There, Captain Jack stood, silently observing them with curious, longing eyes.

However, he didn't stay alone for long. For soon, a puff of smoke popped into existence near him, as well as an entity with pitch black eyes.

"Ugh, you again?!" Rainbow Death teased. "Always sleeping on the job. What was it this time: the Daleks, a skydiving accident, or did you just pick the wrong mare to pull your little escapades on?"

Jack rolled his eyes, before giving a sigh. "It's a little more... unusual than that." However, he then gave a chuckle, looking out on the brown fields, distant black mountains on the horizon. "You know, with the amount of times I visit this place... I sometimes wonder if I should just say screw it and set up a holiday home here or something."

Rainbow gave him a blank look. "You know that's not how it works."

"Yeah yeah..." he grunted. "Still, it's actually kind of relaxing." He then gave a slight smile. "Suicide might become a regular past-time for me."

"Oh, what?!" Rainbow snapped. "Seriously?! Why the heck would you do that?! Do you know how many souls I have to reap a day?! I don't need you pulling false alarms!"

Jack gave a slight chuckle, though Rainbow could detect a hint of sadness in it. "I didn't do it just to get on your nerves. I needed to get your attention." He then put on a slight smirk. "Let me ask you a question, Rainbow: Do you fear Death?"

"Hey, that's my line!" Rainbow pouted, before simpering slightly, glancing to the side. "...That I stole from that one squid-faced guy who's charged with sea-deaths." She then glanced back towards Jack with a raised eyebrow. "But why don't I answer your question with a question: what kind of question is that question?!"

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Jack said, grunting slightly. "Well, how about the Death of the past?"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

☼☼☼

Scootaloo's eyes fluttered open ever so slowly, and she immediately wished they hadn't. Every portion of her body ached, especially her chin, which she assumed hit the floor with some force. However, after a second or so she began to take hold of her surroundings. Her ears were the first thing to send information, them picking up a dim, mechanical hum. And next, her eyes.

She was on the bridge of some sort of airship. A floor of metal stretched out from her, with multiple consoles with large, made-for-hooves buttons upon them lined from wall to wall. Working them were a number of individuals who had the same suits as the stallion who had visited her orphanage.

"Hello there, Scootaloo," a cold voice said, doing its best impression of a warm one.

Scootaloo blinked as a yellow mare with folded, pegasus wings, and piercing green eyes filled her sight.

"H-Hi?" Scootaloo squeaked.

She quickly gave a smile. "Don't be afraid. Though your probably wondering where you are. Welcome to the Horsehood Airship Nimbus."

"H-Horsehood?" she whispered. "N-No.."

She then gulped, groaning as she stood upon sore legs as she tried her best to compose herself.

"P-Please. You need to let me go! I'm not a threat to Equestria! Ms. Soulshard's taking me to a school where I can learn how to-"

She then gasped, noticing that who she spoke of was laying besides her, still unconscious.

"So naive," the yellow mare sighed. "But you are just a child. I'm not surprised she would try to use trickery on you instead of taking you by force."

She then gave a smile, however, taking a step closer to Scootaloo, her green eyes still gazing through her. "Not to worry though, I'm more than willing and capable of teaching you how to control your instincts and powers myself. I bet they're calling to you right now, aren't they?"

'Feeeed on her.... DO IT! YOU NEEDS SUBSISTENCE!'

Scootaloo gave a shaky nod.

The mare then gave her a somewhat sympathetic glance. "They can be dealt with in time. And once I'm done with you, perhaps you'll actually learn to appreciate what Horsehood is." She glanced towards a certain limp corpse, it wearing a wool uniform. "Unlike some ponies..."

"W-Who is that?" Scootaloo squeaked. "Why is he... not breathing?"

"I'll tell you why he isn't breathing!" a voice growled.

Scootaloo quickly turned to view a puff of smoke dissipating nearby, a black-eyed blue pegasus quickly revealing herself.

"R-Rainbow Death?!" she gasped.

Rainbow gave a cocky grin with a wink. "The one and only!"

Chick-Chick!

Chick-Chick!

Chick-Chick!

Ten machine-guns were quickly trained on her.

"Oh crap," she gulped. "Guns... why did it have to be guns?"

"Did you honestly think we weren't expecting you?" the yellow mare grunted.

Rainbow shook her head, lowering an eyebrow. "Yeah well, you sure you really want to be shooting those inside a friggin' zeppelin, ‘Starfire’?"

Starfire tapped a hoof on the metallic floor, glaring. "This bridge is solid metal. The only thing that's going to be filled with holes is you!"

Deathie gave a sigh. "Eh, it was worth a shot. But still, go ahead and shoot me all you like, I'm still not leaving this bridge without Scoots here.... and..."

Her eyes widened.

"And wait-WHAT?! T-Twilight?!"

At that, she twirled about and shot the yellow mare a look that could kill.

"What the heck is she doing aboard?! Jack didn't mention her!"

"I have reason to believe she's gone rogue," Starfire growled, narrowing her eyes. "Please don't give me evidence to support that you're with her, Rainbow."

Rainbow's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Are you serious?! Twilight LOVES the other side! She'd never do anything to hurt anypony over here!"

"Then explain what she's doing here!" Starfire growled. "Did she flee after Nightmare Night? Is that what happened?!"

Rainbow shook an incredulous head. "Oh by the night! That's your evidence?!" She took a deep breath. "Nightmare Moon found a way to create a temporary portal using Spike, that's how she's over here! Seriously! How could you possibly think that her student went rogue?! Have you gone insane, Blackfire?!"

The yellow mare's eyes quickly widened.

"Blackfire?" Scootaloo whispered, quirking her head slightly.

"Yeah, that's right! I know who you are!" Rainbow roared, glancing about at the bridge crew. "Your leader may be all Bitch Templar about rounding up rogue ghouls, but wanna take a guess what she is herself?!

They merely chuckled in response. Rainbow lifted an eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter what she is," a pale-green pony wearing a red uniform said. "She’s one of us in the end.” He then turned towards Blackfire. “You've put your neck on the line for us more times than I can count, ma'm."

Blackfire gave a sigh, throwing him her best version of a thankful smile. "Thank you, Skif."

"What Skif said!" another pony called.

"And thank you too, Captain Brannihoof," she moaned, rolling her eyes. She then glared towards 'Jack', letting loose a growl. "But still, when he wakes up, he's going to wish he could die!"

"Jack didn't tell me diddly!" Rainbow snapped, storming before her before proudly stating, "I've actually been doing some research lately, believe it or not!"

Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.

Deathie simpered her way. "Er... well by that I mean Twilight's been doing research while I provided moral support," she coughed, before turning back to Blackfire, her eyes actually filled with a bit of hero-worship. "And after a bit, we learned some pretty crazy facts about you!” She then took a deep breath. “You're the counterpart of this world's Spitfire, and you definitely play the part! Cus you were the reaper before me, and a flank kicking one at that! I mean seriously, do you know how much I looked up to you when I was a foal?! I had like three posters of you in my room!"

Scootaloo raised her other eyebrow.

"Ehehe, alright maybe it was ten," she grinned, scratching the back of her rainbow-maned covered head. "But still! Can you blame me?! I mean seriously, what other reaper could have time to do her job AND lead the friggin' Shadowbolts at the same time?! I don't know how you did it!"

"With the speed of a Wonderbolt's shadow," Blackfire chanted, sighing as nostalgia laced her words.

"But then... you just gave it up," Rainbow practically whimpered. "What happened, Blackfire? Why did you just abandon your post? You were one of the founding members of Bogmorts for the love of the night!"

A beat.

Blackfire glanced away from her, gulping as tears began to form in her eyes. She then took a deep breath, as her fiery red mane slowly turned black, as well as the green orbs hovering about her hooves.

"You... weren't there, Rainbow Death," she whimpered. "You didn't... see what happened to Sleighbell during the end of that horrible battle..."

At that, she closed her eyes.

"And yes, I mean horrible..." She gave a shiver, her eyes practically filled with tears when she opened them. "In a bad way...."

"Talk to me then," Rainbow said warmly. "Tell me what happened. I'm not really... good with the whole heart to heart thing, but I can try!"

"It doesn't matter," she gulped, glancing towards Twilight. "Even if she hasn't gone rogue, I know he has. I can feel it in my heart. He was tainted that day beyond anything you can imagine." Her eyes then narrowed in resolve. "And that means his daughter is coming with me. I can protect her from him and anything else the world throws at us! And I can teach her the ways of the night!"

Scootaloo's eyes widened in awe.

"Then you can teach her... but Horsehood isn't the right place for that," Rainbow smiled warmly, getting looks from the suited members of the bridge crew, to which Rainbow quickly shot glares at in return. "Yeah, that's right! I don't trust any of you rotten bastards! The only good one among you is Jack!" She puckered her lips in thought. "Eh, even if he can't really control that house-sized libido of his."

Scootaloo gave her a curious glance.

Rainbow Dash gave a grin. "Ehehe, I'll explain when you're older, kid."

However, she then took a deep breath, before turning back towards Blackfire.

"Please, if you want to look after her, Twilight's about to bring her to your flank-kicking school! You can come with us. Wouldn't she be safer there than here?"

Blackfire remained silent at that, taking in her words. "I'm not sure..."

She then began to pace in thought for a brief moment, though it didn't last long. To Scootaloo’s sagging ears, she eventually shook her head.

"No," Blackfire said, stamping her hoof lightly. "No, I don't believe so." Her eyes then narrowed in resolve. "The only ghoul I trust to protect her is myself!"

Rainbow began to back away from her. "Blackfire... listen to reason! Please! I don't want to fight you!"

"Then you are wiser than I thought!" she growled, lifting off the ground and shooting Rainbow a glare, tears forming in her eyes once again. "He was my BROTHER for god sake! Scootaloo here is the only piece of him I have left!"

Rainbow desperately shook her head. "Please, Blackfire…” she whimpered, before shivering at the sight of the guns pointed at her. "And did I mention I really hate those things?!"

"Lock and load, gentlemen!" Captain Brannihoof enthused, whipping out a revolver. "If Blackfire wants the kid, Blackfire gets the kid! Let's see if you really should fear the reaper!"

"Hm, and I wonder what will happen if we kill Death?" Skif pondered.

Captain Brannihoof gave a smirk. "Hopefully what both of us hope will happen."

He then grinned, glancing at the bridge crew proudly.

"Everypony! When we're done here, we're going to drink until every One becomes a Ten!"

"Now that actually sounds pretty fun!" Skif grinned.

"And you'll buy the keg, Skif!"

"Ugh..."

CHICK-CHICK!

CHICK-CHICK!

CHICK-CHICK!

Any gun that wasn't cocked became so.

"You can take Twilight and leave," Blackfire said softly, narrowing her eyes. Black orbs then formed once again on her frontal hooves as she hovered above the floor. "But Scootaloo stays with me!"

"R-Rainbow, p-please just listen to her," Scootaloo gulped sorrowfully. "Blackfire can look after me until I can control my instincts..."

Rainbow took a deep breath, smiling at her. "Kid, you've been through enough. You deserve to be with your own kind. And trust me, Bogmorts is a blast! I remember one time I got so drunk that they caught me trying to scare-" She then winced slightly. "Er... actually, that's another thing for when you're older."

Scootaloo shook her head. "Why do you even care?!"

Rainbow paused for a second in thought, before giving her a whimsical glance.

"Ever wondered why you never run with scissors?" she smirked.

The young filly's eyes widened, her mouth parting. "Y-You! You're-!?"

Rainbow nodded.

"That's right! And the only thing better than one Rainbow looking after you is two!" she grinned.

"You! You are the most arrogant reaper I've ever met!" Blackfire suddenly shouted.

"Hey," she pouted in a genuine hurt tone. "I think cocky is a nicer word."

Scootaloo quickly nodded in agreement.

"See, she thinks so too!"

"Alright, enough talk, time to bite the bullet, freak!" Captain Brannihoof grunted, stepping towards her and waving his revolver.

"Careful with that; you'll shoot someghoul's eyes out," Rainbow said, sticking her tongue out before twirling her scythe and grinning confidently. "And since you bastards aren't going to let me do this the easy way, guess we're going to have to do it the awesome way!"

At that, the bridge crew looked at each other, raising eyebrows, before glancing back at Rainbow and glaring, their hooves now on the various triggers of their weaponry.

"Oh crap..." she gulped.

"WAX THE BITCH!.!.!"

RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!.!.!

A thousand pieces of lead sailed across the bridge, Scootaloo shrieking in horror as Rainbow winced. The light of muzzle-flashes danced on the walls, turning the bridge into brightly flashing cage of death, smoke quickly joining in the fun.

The firing continued for three eternally long seconds before...

CLICK!

CLICK!

CLICK!

The gunfire became a rapid-series of clicks, the crew grunting at their weaponry in frustration.

"Bucking short mags!" one growled.

"Meh! Doesn't matter! Nothing could have survived that!"

The smoke then began to clear, every Horsehood eye glancing towards the spot they had fired upon in anticipation.

And every single one soon narrowed.

For there stood Death, wincing with her eyes sealed shut... within a purple bubble shield.

Scootaloo let out a gasp, before smiling wide. "Twilight!"

"Ugh," Soulshard groaned, wincing as she rubbed her head, her horn glowing brightly. "I feel worse than when I went mortal clubbing for the first time... well at least the morning after."

At that, Rainbow began blinking, feeling her body over for holes.

"Ehehe!" she grinned. "Totally knew that was going to happen!"

Twilight rolled her eyes, giving her a glare.

"Rainbow, you are such a stupid, cocky mare!"

Rainbow gave her a frown, to which Twilight soon smiled at.

"But you're my, stupid cocky mare!"

Scootaloo couldn't help but smile.

"Very sweet," Blackfire growled, narrowing her eyes. "But perhaps you'll be a little smarter than your lover. I'm giving you both another chance to leave. However, Scootaloo stays with me!"

"Uh-uh! I don't trust you any more than I could throw you!" Twilight grunted.

"Which is like one inch, egghead," Rainbow said, sticking her tongue out.

At that, Blackfire stamped a hoof as she prepared a throwing arm, her black starbolts pulsating. "Then noghoul leaves this airship!"

"Ma'm! We're reloaded!" a crewmember announced.

“THEN TAKE AIM!”

Twilight gasped.

"OPEN FIRE-"

Scootaloo closed her eyes.

However, before they could do so, a sound soon filled the cabin, it resembling a motor powering down.

"Ma'm, someone just de-cloaked the ship!" another crewmember shouted.

"WHAT?!" Blackfire roared, quickly glancing about... only to notice that Jack's corpse was no longer on the ground.

"Oh son of a-"

Jack gave a grin, him standing near a console. "Gotcha, bitch."

"Yep, that's Jack for ya," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.

"What in the world?!" Scootaloo cried.

The immortal pony merely chuckled.

"Eh, it's kind of complicated, Scootaloo," he smiled. "Let's just say that while the universe may want to get rid of me, it's going to have a rough time doing it."

"He's a 'fixed point in time and space'," Rainbow explained in an annoyed tone, making quotation marks with her hooves. "In other words... he's a cheating bastard."

"Like it matters!" Blackfire roared. "What good does decloaking the-"

At that, a massive roar emanated from the outside land.

Blackfire's jaw practically fell off her face. "Oh... you've GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

Scootaloo quickly glanced out the bridge window, for hovering in front of the Nimbus over a lonely stretch of farmlands was a massive, fifty foot long version of bone-dragon Spike.

"How did you-?!" Twilight gasped, though with a slightly impressed tone.

Jack merely smiled, pressing a button that activated a loud-speaker, his voice emanating into the outside world. "Eh, there was a report of a third target 'flying away.' I went on a hunch that the dragon I saw on Nightmare Night was with you... and was probably looking for wherever you were taken."

"HAH! You bet, whoever you are! Took me a bit to get to this size, too. But guess what?! No sign of Horsey Douchebag Link! I think I'm good for once!" Spike grinned.

However, he quickly glanced about him in a paranoid manner.

"Well, I *think I'm good for once..."* he gulped.

"How the hell did that little bastard get to that size?!" one of the members of the crew shouted, Blackfire shooting him a glare.

"That's his natural size," Twilight smirked. "He just uses shrinking magic for easy travel."

"Yep, and guess who holds the cards now?! This guy!" Spike smirked, every member of the crew now glancing at him at this point. "Now let my friends go before I turn your blimp into my finest masterpiece of care-free pyromania!"

"You won't dare! They'll perish in the flames!" Blackfired roared.

"Will they?" Spike grinned.

He then gestured behind Blackfire.

Blackfire quirked a confused eyebrow as she spun about... only to spy a few wisps of light floating in the air, the sure-fire sign of a unicorn having used a teleportation spell.

"OH NIGHT DAMNIT!" she screamed, her eye beginning to twitch again. "WHY WAS NOPONY WATCHING HER?!"

"Uh... well... the dragon..." Skif gulped. "Was a bit distracting."

Blackfire facehoofed. "UGH!"

"Righto!" Spike continued. "Since you gave us a countdown to doom earlier with your little Dalek thingy, I think I'll return the favor!” He then gave another smirk. “You have twenty seconds! Twenty... nineteen... eighteen... fifteen... ten..."

Blackfire gave a gasp, quickly moving to the intercom. "ALL HANDS, ABANDON SHIP! ALL HANDS, ABANDON SHIP! NIGHT DAMN YOU, SPIKE!

Red klaxons began to blare as a series of panicked shouts echoed about.

"Don't need to tell us twice, ma'm!" a crew-member gasped as a fury of Horsehood members pushed and shoved to get to the various access points of the bridge.

Composing herself the best should could, Blackfire quickly bolted for one of them. However, before exiting, she turned to give the bridge one last look, her eyes filled with remorse.

"I will find a way to protect your daughter from yourself, brother... no matter what. Even if I have to hunt you to the ends of this blasted land."

☼☼☼

As Scootaloo watched from the ground, nearly fifty Horsehood members took panicked flight from the Nimbus, either via pegasus wings, teleportating, or repelling on ropes.

"Three.... two.... one!"  Spike grinned. "Baby won't you light my fire!"

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!.!.!

Flames danced in the little filly's eyes as the zeppelin was turned into a torch, via a jet of fire roaring from the dragon's mouth.

And naturally, both Scootaloo and Twilight collapsed on their flanks.

However, Deathie merely quirked her head.

"Huh," she said. "I wonder if the mortal version of Diedco insures massive war blimps."