A Lampent's Lament in Equestria

Chapters

The Mare and the Lamp-Post
I am Lampent?
Chapter 5: Party Shy
Rainbows and Wolves
Chapter 7: Twenty Thousand Apples Under the Basket
Boast Burners
Chapter 9: Dragon Fire
Look Before you Bite
Chapter 11: Gossips of Stripe
The Castle and the Snake(A Problem at sea part 1)
Chapter 13: Reoccuring pest (problem at sea part 2)
Winter is coming and Village Drunk
Chapter 15: A hearths warming Visit (Part 1)
A Hearths Warming Visit (Part 2)
Chapter 17: A Hearths Warming visit (Part 3)
Winter Wrap Up
Chapter 19: Technical Difficulties
Another Gear Falling into Place
Chapter 21: Vanishing Ponies.
The Note
Darkness
Chapter 25: Hunger
Chapter 3: The Dragon, The Mare, and The Lampent
Chapter 23: The Value of a Soul
Link to next book, and Authors Note
Chapter 1: Rebirth again?

The Mare and the Lamp-Post

“That there were other worlds, invisible, unknown, beyond imagination even, was a revelation to him.”

― Kim Edwards, The Memory Keeper's Daughter

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Pain, which was the first word that came to mind as Lampent regained consciousness. Slowly the Lampent up righted itself using its long hard black metal arms to rebalance himself. Fully up righted, Lampent began floating back into the air taking stock of his surroundings. This world was a brighter place missing a lot of shading that made Lampent wince until his eyes could adjust. He had woken up next to a bridge with the sound of ringing in his ears like he had just been in a close range explosion, highly probable since he was launched into here with a rip in space and time. His hearing was gradually returning and he heard the sound of water gently rushing by, looking around he noticed a small stone bridge and under it a small creek running through it the water gushed by in a large depression several feet wide when the water itself was about half a foot wide.

Instinctively Lampent shot back away from the stream only a few feet away from him. Still paranoid about water after his recent encounter with the liquid killing him, he wasn't quite ready to be near it so soon. His frame bumping into the trees above and causing his panic to launch himself sideways into the bridge before coming to a halt with the tip of his helmet like lamp rim stuck there, "Owwwwwwww." he whined in a British accent of a young male, "Wait what? No not this voice ugh..."

Lampent changed the pitch and speed of his voice as well as the accent and tried speaking again, this time in a deep western country cowboy of a voice, "Howdy Y'all; No this will never do..." He changed his voice again this time sounding more like a musical bell than an actual voice, "Chime... wait what?" sighing Lampent decided he would figure out what voice he would use after meeting the citizens of this world rather than before. He survived a few years before without it what would another few days be to him?

Lampent floated up, above the tree line, to examine where the nearest source of civilization was, he could see white cloudlike smoke from a few miles away trailing upwards. When there was fire there was either two things he knew, either there was a fire someone had started or a fire type pokemon was burning something or someone. Either way he lowered himself back down and began following the path towards that same said smoke. The path he followed, however, did not end up at the source of the smoke but rather stopped short in a dead end. With the Intent to reacquire how far away he was from the smoke he floated upwards.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in Equestria was flying at high speeds over the everfree forest. she was attempting to reach max speed on a horizontal axis rather than a vertical descent and perform a few more tricks she had thought up. One particular trick that she was attempting right now, a double corkscrew loop de loop near the tree top levels. Normally Rainbow Dash wouldn't be over the Everfree forest but the other areas around Ponyville weren't as challenging to fly in and if she was to join the Wonder Bolts then she wanted to train herself the hardest way possible with the Everfree's chaotic weather that moved by itself and its untamed environment.

Of course she didn't see the Lamp like creature until it was way too late to change course and rammed it at top speeds. Rainbow Dash was flung off course into the cloud layers where she hanged until she regained consciousness pulling her upper half of her body out of its cloud burial. Lampent in contrast was launched through a tree and into the ground. Gradually Rainbow Dash looked around, not seeing what she hit and that this forest was indeed creepy enough to leave now. If another pony was around Rainbow would bluster and pretend to be brave for them to make herself seemed more awesome, as is she didn't feel safe enough being alone over the chaotic Everfree forest, so she left trying to recall what she had hit, only recalling the black slanted top of the Lampent.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Lampent was tense, suspecting that he was going to get attacked by the bright blue rainbow maned pony again. Usually when something rammed into the poor thing it would be the initiation of combat, not just a hit and run that had just occurred. It didn't look human or like any pokemon he knew of. This must be one of the strange dominate races that Lord Arceus had mentioned. Slowly and more cautiously this time Lampent raised himself slightly above eye level with the tree tops spotting the bright blue Pegasus racing away slightly to the right of the smoke clouds. Quickly Lampent began to follow the Pegasus.

Eventually the forest came to an end, and Lampent arrived at the edge of the everfree, he could see a cottage built into a tree, quietly he faded out of sight as only a ghost could and moved on to examine the strange inhabitants beyond. Stopping to hastily replace a oil lamp and replace it with himself and watch as a yellow Pegasus with a pink mane came and tended to her animals. Lampent noticed a lack of Pokeballs, extraordinarily abilities and actual type of these animals the Pegasus cared for. There were way more than six of them and he had no idea why they hung on her every word and listened to her commands still though.

He decided to eve's drop on the animals conversations translating their voice and subtle body movements into english. The first he heard was an bunny in an extremely deep voice fitting more that of a sumo wrestler or a Machoke then the bunny he was looking at, "Right, just listen to the pony guys, you know the drill."

"Yep." stated a bored looking beaver chewing on the wood he was given.

"Anybody find anything new happening around town since that whole Discord visiting event?" asked a humming bird who was resting on the beavers head.

Angel looked directly at Lampent, "Well besides the funny looking lamp staring at us?"

Uh oh, busted. Angel threw his carrot at the Lampent and the pony made a startled sound and looked where it hit, Lampent fell and began to panic, a battle was the last thing he wanted. The timid pony reached out and made a very quiet, "Hey, wait!" which Lampent ignored as he barreled off down the path in panic a small shriek emitting from him involuntarily.

He didn't stop until he was in an alley way between a house that he could hear heavy Techno music coming out of and a Victorian style house. He calmed down taking several deep breathes and looking around. He needed knowledge of this world, preferably in the form of a book. He noticed a pony with a horn instead of wings walking out of a... Tree? with a small pile of tomes hovering around her. Well apparently the horned species also knew telekinesis, what else would they know? Since he saw her come out with so many books being carried alone by the strange purple pony with gothic hair. He wondered if there were more inside the Tree…House…Building...Thing… Well, one way to find out.

I am Lampent?

“Just because you didn't put a name to something did not mean it wasn't there.”

― Jodi Picoult, Handle With Care

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"Um... I asked for your name, you already listed what your species is..."

"My name is Lampent." Lampent stated again.

“What's your name," Twilight asked the Lampent. "Look, I'm Twilight Sparkle. Okay?"

"Pokemon don't have names, only nicknames from the trainer that caught it occasionally." Said Lampent.

"No Names?" said Twilight

'No,' said the Lampent. 'Now you ponies have names. That's because you don't know who you are. I know who I am, so I don't need a name.”

"But what would I call you if you and another Lampent were in this room."

"..."

"See?" Twilight stated putting a hoof down to emphasize her statement, "What do I and other ponies call you then?"

Lampent thought, If he was to have a name, he would want one that had a meaning and fitted. He discarded a series of names including Tamashii and Signal Lamp. He drew in a deep huff of air increasing his flame for a second before it returned to normal size. He wanted a name that defined him. His job was to collect the souls of those near death to send them for judgment; he was also a guide in that respect that he directed them towards Lord Arceus. Like a light, he realized.

Mentally he spoke aloud again his voice completely serious, "If a name is what you want to call me by, I would like to be called.... Soul Light... Ms.Sparkle."

Lampent sighed, tension in his metallic limbs dropping as he said those two words, Twilight smiled, relaxing from an offensive stance she had let herself fall into whenever she argued with somepony, "Well nice to meet you Soul Light."

Lampent shivered at being called his new name his serious demeanor fell apart around him and worriedly he looked around, "T-Thanks... M-Ms. Sparkle..."

"Please just call me Twilight, all my friends do."

"F-Friends? What’s a friend?"

Twilight looked at Soul Light as if he had the word idiot written in big bold letters on his hat. "You’re kidding, right?"

"Sadly not." Soul Light stated, feeling rather awkward at Twilights stare.

Twilight took in a deep breath, causing Spike to wince and he waddled away back up the stairs to escape the torrent of words that would arrive with rapid pace, Friends are those ponies outside of family that you enjoy and spend time with to form bonds that you can talk to about innermost feelings and receive the same back. Don't you have anypony like that?"

Soul stopped and considered, "Not really...My job was not the most accepted one in the community I came from, and I was highly misunderstood there."

"What was it?" Twilight inquired the reek of curiosity thick in her voice deciding to get to know Soul Light better.

"I'd rather not say." Stated soul stressing the words into a serious monotone.

"It can't be that bad."

"I'd rather not say." he stated again.

"Fine, if your 'job' is off limits, what about your hobbies?"

"Never had time for one."

"What do you do in your free time then?"

"Rarely had free time until now, usually just looked up at the night sky and pondered various things."

"Like what kind of things?"

"Like what it feels like to be alive."

Twilight stopped her stampede of questions looking at Soul Light in shock, "you’re not alive? But you’re talking to me right here."

"I am a ghost and fire type pokemon known as a Lampent," Soul Light stated boredly, "As such I already died once at least. While I do not have most bodily needs I still need to eat and drink to live."

"How do you eat and drink without a mouth?"

"Got a cup of juice and a berry?"

"Not on me, but I have some in the kitchen..."

A few minutes later Soul light found himself showing Twilight how he ate, while he simply yet impossibly pushed the berry through the glass frame holding his soul the berry vanishing into it; twilight was taking notes fervently to his discomfort, "Are those notes really necessary?"

"Huh?"

"Those notes... do you really need to take those on me..."

"Oh, sorry does it bother you? I’m a student of Princess Celestia so I'm rather used to writing a lot of notes on something new."

"You mean you have never seen a Pokemon before?"

"That’s another question I have, what exactly is a pokemon?"

"It's a type of creature, where I’m from there are three kinds of creatures, your basic animal, which is rare and hard to come by so far only livestock still exist I think. Others no longer exist but rather went extinct since before Kabutops, a dinosaur pokemon, came around. Humans, which were the dominate race where I came from, who enslaved the third race with small mechanical balls called Pokeballs. The final type was Pokemon, or creatures capable of extraordinary feats and abilities. I think your companion who was hiding from you looked like a deformed purple version of a fire type lizard known as a Charmander."

"What Spike? He’s just a baby dragon. Not a Pokemon."

"He is a dragon type pokemon?"

"No. Just a baby dragon...."

"Oh... What about that green thing attached to your tail?"

"What green thing attached to my ta-" Twilight began while turning her head to look at her tail. Sure enough a small green alligator was stuck to her tail gumming on it, "Oh... That's Gummy, Pinkies pet... wait. If gummy is here, that means..."

"SURPRISE!” shouted a bright pink pony causing soul light and twilight to fall out of their chairs backwards in respective startled motions.

"Pinkie p-" Twilight began before being interrupted by the extremely hyper bright pony, "Hey Twilight, who you hiding, my pinkie-senses told me there’s another new pony here who I haven't seen before! which is odd since you’re the only pony in this house, I found it odd that you were holding a one way conversation with a lamp that was glowing, though you should of seen mine and Gummy's faces when it moved to eat that berry! It was almost as surprising as when Princess Luna came out of that Nightmare moon meanie after we blasted her with a rainbow!" Pinkie pie shot off more words picking up speed.

In the meantime while Twilight after being drowned out by her friend finally shouted at the top of her lungs, "PINKIE PIE!"

The bright pink pony went quiet instantly and turned to stare at twilight and asked, "Yes Twilight?"

"First, there isn't a new 'pony' so to say," Twilight stopped pinkie from interrupting her with a hoof to the mouth before starting again, "Because he isn’t a pony but a Lampent."

"Ohhh, what’s a lampent?"

"Well why don't you see for yourself, you scared the colt, err guy witless I think with that surprise."

Soul Light gave Twilight and pinkie a small wave from his knocked over position on the floor, "Don't mind me, Luckily I can't be scared to death otherwise I think I would of had a heart attack from that, funnily enough I don’t have a vital organ called that."

Soul Light got up only to be knocked down again as Pinkie Pie tackled him over pinning him down and bringing her face uncomfortably close to his own, "Ooh who are you? What’s your name? I'm Pinkie pie, though you look like a lamp, or a messenger, is your name Messenger Lamp? That would be so cool!"

"Uh... no?"
"Aw how about Gregory or Alonso! I always wanted to say Allons-y Alonso to somepony or somelamp, Ooo or better yet is your name all dark and mysterious like black glow or night shimmer? That would be so cool!"

"No... My name is Sou-" Soul Light was interrupted again by the over enthusiastic mare that was slowly crushing him with her eagerness.

"Souji? Sanji? Soul world? Souja boy!"

"-l...Light..." he finished

"Soul Light? Cool! Well I’m off to go get your Welcome-to-Ponyville party ready! See you in ten minutes flat!"

Gradually Soul Light recollected his scattered thoughts, "What the heck was that?"

Twilight snickered, "That, Soul, was Pinkie Pie, Ponyvilles resident party pony; and she’s going to throw together a party for you in welcome. It’s a local thing; all ponies were given a party by Pinkie when they came here. Looks like you're no exception."

Author's Note

This was fun to write haha. Open for a vote on how this party should go or if you want to be in the party. Since these ponies have welcomed a Zecora after being terrified of her; and ran for their lives or fainted from a Bunny stampede.

Chapter 5: Party Shy

“Clearly she was expected to say something, but panic at having to speak stole the thoughts from her head.”

― Shannon Hale, The Goose Girl

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"No no no no no no no no no no!" Lampent quietly screamed repeatedly as Twilight dragged him, "For the last time no! I do not want to be center of attention to a large group!"

"What’s the big deal?" Twilight asked, "It is just some ponies who want to welcome you to town."

Lampent dug his metal arms already an inch into the ground even deeper in, resulting in a trench right for planting being left in two rows as Twilight dragged the resisting Lamp towards Sugar Cube corner. "Crowds and me don't mix!" Soul Light stated his voice managing to raise an octave in tone but not loudness, "Not good, not good at all!"

Twilight sighed oblivious to his complaints, "Listen, do you want friends or not? This party is an opportunity for you to make friends."

Soul light went quiet for a few minutes as Twilight continued to drag him closer to sugarcube corner. Well.... Soul considered, there can't be THAT many ponies in that building...right? His mind had no response to that. Sighing aloud Soul let go and without the expected force of resistance was launched right past Twilight and into a street Lamp, bouncing off of it and coming to a halt less than three feet from Sugar Cube Corner....Upside-down.

Twilight trotted up to him, "You alright? Didn't mean to throw you like that, it was an accident. Sorry."

Wordlessly Soul flipped back over, looked at Twilight, then at the hole in the ground where his frame had impacted, "No harm done it seems... No harm no foul..."

Twilight brushed a bit of dirt stuck to Soul's frame off and apologized again, Soul shrugged it off stating that he had worse things happen on accident and this wasn't nearly as bad. Eventually they both recomposed themselves and went into Sugar Cube Corner.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Pinkie pie had successfully invited over three quarters of PonyVilles population into the welcoming party. How all of them had fit into the small store was anyponies guess. All of these buildings seemed bigger on the inside anyway. She had gotten everypony who came into the plan of surprising the misfortunate Lampent named Soul Light. What Pinkie didn't expect was the reaction it would draw out of Soul Light.

As Twilight and Soul came in, the room was pitch black yet Soul's flame lit up enough to be able to see the ground nearby and the dim outline of Twilight. Nervously Soul spoke, "It s-seems nopony is here..."

It couldn't be farther from the truth, at the moment soul began to turn around he saw a creepy smiling face an inch from his causing him to leap back in fright falling over backwards as the light flicked on revealing dozens of ponies crowded into the room. Soul Light felt like that if he had a heart, it would stop. So many... his pupil-less eyes widened, Pure panic began to overtake him as several ponies looked at him slightly confused. Pinkie pie looked from the ponies to Soul Light somewhat oblivious to the impromptu awkward standoff she had created; Twilight was in similar disposition but for different reasons.

Soul Light knew he had to say something, but his mind was devoid of words besides the rather strong want and need of fear and paranoia shoving unpleasant images into his mind. He took a deep breath in, involuntarily flinching as several of the front row did the same before stating barely within hearing range of everypony in the room, "H-Hi...?"

A majority of the faces he saw smiled and with a blast before his eyes the party was back in full swing. Ponies were talking animatedly with each other and Pinkie and Twilight approached him. Twilight smiled, "Now that wasn't so bad was it?"

Soul stared at her. A single stare that showed how terrified he was and Twilight was blind to it. Pinkie grabbed him by his arm, "Let's introduce you to everypony!"

His mind let out a small internal scream as he was dragged at inhumane speed into a group of bright contrasting ponies as Pinkie pie pointed at each and every pony; momentarily catching their attention as she stated their names and offering various forms of greeting from a wave to a hello, "Lyra, Bon-Bon, Mr. Cake, Ms. Cake, Ditzy Doo," Ditzy waved her other foreleg around a brown stallion with a hour glass symbol on his flank, "Doctor Whooves, no he isn't a real doctor he is just called that, Rose Luck, Thunder Lane, Twilight Sparkle," Twilight face-hoofed, "Gummy, Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Author, Sweetie bell, Scootaloo, Apple bloom, Reader, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Feather Weight, and berry punch!"

Pinkie pie lost grip on him as he phased though it managing to escape to under a nearby table in a corner of the room. This was way too much information for him at one time, and he was still completely stunned with a mix of fear and paranoia at the same time going on. As he floated in reverse under the table keeping an eye out for any more unwanted attention he felt something soft brush into his arm. Followed by both him and whoever it was under the table with him to let out a terrified Squeak and leap up... Into the table above them causing them both to fall back down groaning and the heavy punchbowl on the table to rock its contents back and forth a few times, him in an groans as the tip of his hat like top had bent slightly and the pony he had startled from the minor headache impact had induced.

After a small bit of groaning he looked at what he had brushed against, it was the same bright yellow pony with the Pink mane and a trio of butterflies as a mark on her flank. Mentally he noted to ask Twilight about the marks but before he could do anything the quiet Pegasus in front of him stated as quietly as he had been talking also scared but with eyes that spoke volumes, "H-hi..."

"Hi..." he replied quietly back," Sorry about startling you, didn't see you there..."

"It's fine..." Fluttershy began her eyes subtly taking in the shape of the figure before her, "H-hey we met this morning...."

She must be referencing when he ran away after her Bunny had noticed him, "Y-ya sorry about that, a bit paranoid... W-where I come from p-people aren't exactly welcoming due to misunderstandings..."

Soul Light saw a motherly face take form on the Pegasus’s face, before he could speak he was wrapped up into a hug, "W-wha-"be began before being cut off by the pony the same type of tone taking form in her voice, "Oh you poor dear, I'm Fluttershy... “She let go of him, blushing crimson red momentarily before hiding behind her mane again, "Um... No offence, but um... what are you? I haven't seen that type of body from any of the creatures I've seen over the years."

Soul Light was starting to cheer up, his first hug and all, "I'm a Lampent, a Pokemon, or creature with 'elemental abilities' if you will. I take it you like...Um.. Animals correct?"

"Oh yes, I love animals. I actually take care of them in my house that you saw."

"Oh? How so?" Soul asked, wondering if this was going to at all be similar to how the trainers trained their pokemon.

Fluttershy cheered up talking now at almost half speaking volume, "well I take care of them when they are sick, tend to them when they are injured. Comfort them when they are confused and well feed and house many of my animal friends."

"Oh..." Soul was reminded of Nurse Joy, in fact, now that he thought about it they did share similar hair colors though Nurse Joy wasn't one to be keeping a large amount of pokemon besides the odd hard worker, "Do you have a sister perchance with a similar interest?" he mentally slapped himself for speaking that impulse.

"No...Why?" Fluttershy asked looking curious and confused at the same time; still adorable.

"Just reminded me of someone, well lots of someone’s from where I came from..."

"Go on." Fluttershy urged him quietly.

Soul sighed, "Where I came from there was a family called the Joy family, they have a set of oddly identical sisters, one at least for every town, and they took care of trainers pokemon in mass numbers similar to how your taking care of animals." Soul took a deep breath back in as he thought to himself, Not that it helped when they dislike you prematurely killing off their unrecoverable death bed patients by sending their souls off for judgment...

He felt himself being dragged, he looked around and saw a pair of pink hooves grabbing around his arms pulling him out from under the table, Oh Arceus!

Soul waved goodbye to Fluttershy as he was dragged out from under the table and she waved back quietly saying, "See you around," before resuming her watch over the crowd.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The next few hours passed by in a blur of activity as Pinkie pie continued her long introduction of the Lampent to the various equestrian citizens. It wasn't until everypony was starting to leave that he met Rarity. Immediately he could see that she was a true Noble among ponies from the way she carried herself. Gracefully parting through the crowds. If Soul had a jaw it would have dropped. As is, he simply stared. He was still staring as she asked Pinkie pie and Twilight, "Who's this simply gothic creature? He Looks...Commendable in the creepy sort of way."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at her friends less-than-subtle approach at commenting on Soul's body, "His name is Soul Light and he is a creature called a Lampent."

"A what?"

"Lampent!" Pinkie sang out, "Lamp-Lampy Lampent!"

"Eh?" Soul finally managed to reply snapping out of his trance to stare at the party pony.

"That sounds kinda...Tacky, no offense."

"As if were ones to talk." Pinkie stated while bouncing up and down around them, "Unicorns, Earth ponies, Pegasai, only Pegasus is original. I mean seriously Earth ponies? Who the hay came up with that? Just because most of us are ground bound doesn’t mean we live in the ground! Not to mention Uni-CORNS. How does corn even relate to that particular species? Nothing! It would be better just to say Uni-HORNS and surface ponies, but then it would suggest that there are some underground ponies as well! Twilight is there such thing as ponies that live under the ground purely? Like moles perhaps?"

She stopped, noticing all three of them were staring at her as well as several of the remaining guests, "heh... EVERYPONY look a Pie throwing machine!" as if on Cue a pie impacted on a nearby stallions head as one of pinkies traps went off, Soon it was an all-out food fight and chaos ensured, Rarity had gone into rage from pie ruining her hair and was now taking vengeance using more pies as a weapon on unsuspecting stallions and mares in the room, quietly Soul and Twilight left the building to the party chaos and trotted towards the library, halfway there Soul thought of an excuse to leave, "Fun party...and all... Well if you excuse me Twilight, I have to go for rest."

Twilight looked at him, "See you tomorrow?"

Soul thought, it had sure been a hectic day today, and he was met with mostly warm welcome, His mind tried to slap him before he made another mistake that could be fatal but his gut, if he could call it that, said otherwise. He went with his gut, "Sure, though don't wait on my account. I might...explore a bit beforehand." He waved goodbye and floated off as quietly as a calm breeze into the night. Only to get hit by a Blur of bright blue that had a very short colorful trail behind it; this time he crashed into a wall on impact hurt enough to quickly fall unconscious.

"RAINBOW!" he heard Twilight shout as he lost consciousness and fell into the black comfort of his dreams and the ability use, Rest.

Rainbows and Wolves

"Some accidents there are in life that a little folly is necessary to help us out of."
-Francois de La Rochefoucauld

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Twilight had seen the rainbow maned pony collide into her new lamp friend with an expression of mixed shock and horror. Watching the Lamp hit the wall with a sickening crunch and stay there completely knocked out from the roughly hundred miles an hour impact from behind. She turned an furious glare onto the Pegasus pony she knew as Rainbow Dash, who from impact was half buried face first in a cloud. Twilight shouted, "RAINBOW!" sending a signal into her horn to gather energies required to drag the rainbow maned Pegasus cloud and all down.

"Woah!" Rainbow Dash struggled and pulled herself out from the cloud which promptly disintergrated by itself, "Somepony catch a number on that carriage?"

Twilight glared at her friend, "That wasn't a carriage you hit. That was Ponyvilles newest resident and now look at him!" She gestured with a hoof at the knocked out Lampent known as Soul Light.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow staring between Twilight and the Lampent, "A Lamp Twi? Are you sure you’re okay? How is a Lamp 'Ponyvilles newest resident'. Very funny Twilight."

"First of all, he is not a Lamp, but a Lampent! Secondly he was conscious and moving until SOMEPONY," she glared at Rainbow Dash, who in turn folded her wings and looked slightly off to the side sheepishly, "Knocked him out with that crash! I am starting to think you like crashing into ponies and birds and other creatures!"

"Well throw some water on him an-" Rainbow dash began, but was cut off as Soul's subconscious registered it and his eyes shot back into their rounded shapes as he launched up into the air leaving a small streak of fire behind him eliciting a pair of startled exclamations of the word 'whoa'.

Twilight stared at the steam of fire that had come out of Soul as he rocketed up into the sky, she could hear him shouting quite loudly, "AHHHH WATER EVIL!" Rainbow Dash realizing her own jaw had dropped open shut it with a hoof before turning to Twilight and stating in disbelief, "What the hay was that?"

Twilight shook her head and looked at rainbow, "That was Soul Light, the Lampent. I also think you scared him away."

Twilight and Rainbow Dash watched the trail of fire arc off into the distance. Twilight's eyes widened as she realized something, "Uh...Rainbow?"

"Ya Twilight?"

"Isn't he flying towards the Everfree Forest?"

"Uh...I don't know. But if he can use fire, don't think we need to worry about him as much as him burning it down. I think Fluttershys bear friend would be upset with that."

"What? Why him of all of her creatures?"

"Don't you ever read magazines? Smokey, the bear?"

"Uh...No? Magazines aren't books. They are gossip and badly written news reports..."

"Geese Twilight, you need to spend less time with books and read up."

Twilight stared at Rainbow, "Since when did you read something other than Daring Do?"

Rainbow stared back and deadpanned, "Wonder Bolt issues, Duh. I love the pictures and posters they put in the magazines."

Twilight deadpanned as well her tone practically dripping with the tone of 'I should of guessed’, “Of course. Wonder Bolts how silly. Now if you excuse me I have a letter to send to Princess Celestia. And you have an apology to give to Soul Light." Twilight trotted off leaving Rainbow Dash to eventually fly back on her merry way home after the typical dash response of, "I'll do it later" to nopony in particular.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul first became aware of his subconscious reaction to the word water as he was rocketing down towards the forest. As his mind caught up with his body he slowed down the fire trail behind him extinguishing as he stopped using a Fire Charge. As he came down he slowed himself coming to a gentle halt inches away from the ground. He blinked; rather glad he had not made yet more damage to the environment. Scanning around him he could see that he was already halfway between Ponyville and the bridge he had first woken up by. Well he was heading off towards the bridge anyway; might as well keep going to it.

Soul Light started off at a brisk pace towards the bridge. The task before him was not one that would take a lot of concentration and he found himself pondering the events that had happened today. Positives... Soul began, Inhabitants friendly, no slave culture of Pokemon known, potential....friends? He paused over the word, considering it,No, Acquaintances, reserving personal judgment for later date. The darker side of his mind pointed out the negatives much to his own displeasure,Not many Pokemon here, Inhabitants are capable of extraordinary feats including magic and flight.He was completely unaware of the three pairs of glowing eyes watching him and slowly surrounding him.

Soon he arrived to the simple stone bridge that crossed the still pitifully small stream and sighed, breaking out of his thoughts and floating up to rest on the top of the bridges half wall that prevented ponies from falling off the edge. He pondered if he should make a form of bed, and if so where. On the bridge would be no good for ponies or animals would easily see him there. Under it wouldn't work, for if there was a storm he would be flooded out. He pondered about making a bed next to the bridge instead when his train of thoughts were interrupted by a smell worse than a Muk, "Oh Palkia forbids what is that smell!" he exclaimed aloud, it was bad enough that he could see it too! Following the direction he could see it coming from he found himself staring into a pair of glowing eyes. He heard a pair of growls around him and he looked to and fro seeing another pair of eyes on his left and right. They slinked towards him in predator growls of a hunting beast revealing their forms.

The beings surrounding him were all made of wood that had no source of connection points or similarity. Each was a assortment of different types of wood piled up and floating to resemble that of a wolf. Vaguely he remembered what one of the books he had read called them Timber Wolves, while not the strongest or fiercest creature in the Everfree forest, they were the most infamous of it. The leader of the trio of Timber Wolves was closer to a house in size, how he had missed something that large following him was beyond him. Either it had waited here for him or that these wolves were a lot sneakier than the book had let on. He braced himself for combat entering a defensive pose with his metal arms.

The first wolf, the alpha raised and smashed a claw downward towards Soul. Soul flew backward putting all three wolves in front of him, his speed surprising the wolves. The alpha was unphased and used his attack as an opportunity to start moving forward and paused as Soul's eyes glimmered with a mischievous side of him breaking through with the starting of combat, "Flame Charge."

Instantly Soul was cloaked in flames and began charging forward towards the trio of wolves. The smaller wolves had a look of shock at the sudden appearance of their mortal enemy of fire was introduced into the combat. Both still had a look of shock as Soul plowed through their leader leaving a gapping hole on fire in the biggest ones chest. Soul twisted around in the air starting flame charge again and blasting back into the Alpha Timber wolfs head as it began to turn around still not dead despite the giant hole in its torso. If it wasn't dead before, it was certainly dead now.

As the Alpha began to collapse its remains catching on the hungry fires of Soul Light's the two smaller wolves began to run until an invisible force knocked them back into the zone of battle. Their shadows were preventing them from leaving, as if caught by an rope to stay in radius of the now Battle crazed Lampent. Soul raised his arms and began forming a large black ball in between them before sending them out in a scattering shotgun effect speaking rather excitedly, "Dark Pulse."

The wolves tried their best to dodge the scattering of dark fragments but only one survived the barrage presented to them. The other was completely shattered into a small assortment of wood that began to piece itself back together before being burnt to a crisp by a pillar of fire from the terrifying Lamp before it. It had its back turned, and it was floating down low enough to be struck at. The remaining wolf lunged slashing rapidly with its clawed frontal paws in a fury of swipes... That phased right through the Lampent as if it was not there. This is just not fair! The wolf growled as the Lampent turned to face him, It's lust for battle that the alpha had started was ending after killing the other two wolves. The Timber wolf was very afraid. What had started as a hunt of a seemingly insignificant creature had turned out worse than if they had tried to challenge a dragon. Less than ten seconds had gone by and now the situation they had so cleverly thought of had been reversed. The Timber wolf was at the mercy of this strange being, and it didn't look like much of a future was ahead of it.

The Lampent shook its frame from side to side clearing the blood colored haze that had clouded his vision as he fought; he stared upon the remaining wolf. He let go of his shadow tag and floated away, still facing the wolf, back to the bridge and sat on it. He almost laughed at the look of disbelief on the remaining wolf's face and stated in the universal language of those who couldn't speak the civil tongue but rather one word, "Lamp." [Go now, and you may live, do no harm to equestrian citizens or I will find you and personally end you and send you off for judgment to the underworld.]

The wolf whined in response, [What about Meat birds?]

"Lampen?" [What? you mean the normal birds? Don't want to know about that. But try not to harm those either. While souls like those are gathered automatically I tend to dislike seeing bones everywhere.]

The dog barked looking slightly cheered up, [Will do. What about my pack?]

The disgruntled Lampent rolled his eyes conveying with body language, [What about them? I sent their souls off to my lord for judgment during that fight.]

The Timber wolf looked at him quizzically as if he was stupid or something before making a formal growl, [You beat pack leader and his mate, by pack law that makes you pack leader.]

Soul Light took on an expression between shock and disbelief, "Pant." [You can’t be serious, Me a Leader to a Grass type dog? I am not even of the same body type let alone elements.]

The timber wolf shook its head, [I am serious, you’re a pack leader of well... Me now...]

Soul sighed, [Let me guess, you won't go away either?]

The Timber Wolf let out a toothy smile, [Yup.]

[Fine then, tell me do you have a name?], Soul asked feeling curious of whom his new companion was called.

[A name? What is a name?]

This was going to be a long night...

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Twilight sparkle read over her third letter that evening again; she had checked it for spelling errors, after the first one had turned out a mess. She had also checked it for ink stains since that was the fate of her second letter when she prematurely rolled it up then unrolled it to sign it finding out that the ink was not dry yet. In the candle light it read.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This is both a friendship report and an letter of request. Today I have discovered that the strangest creatures can still be friends if they want to be, even if they are not a pony or griffon. This is also why I have decided to ask you about the creature I am intending to make friends with. It is called a Lampent but it won't say where it is from though. He says he is something called a pokemon, or creature with extraordinary power. While that type of creature is not exactly uncommon bearing with Timber Wolves, Ursa Minors, dragons and etc. I want to ask you if there is a book on these creatures and if so why haven't I found any in the library here or ever heard of such a creature before now?

I will be sending my compiled notes with this letter in chance something similar shows up. In the mean time I have checked the map and I have not found the place it said it had originated in. "Kanto Region."

I hope to learn more and will inquire more with this entertainingly shy creature in hopes to learn more.

-Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

P.S. How is my big brother Shining armor doing in the guard? Mind sending my B.B.B.F.F. a hello if you’re not busy?

Satisfied Twilight stapled her notes to the scroll and had spike send it off to her mentor before heading to bed herself. Hopefully there will be more answers in the morning to the dozens of questions that were running through her head. Research would have to wait for once, since her subject was in an unknown location at the moment. Time to get some sleep; sleep sounded nice…

Chapter 7: Twenty Thousand Apples Under the Basket

“Aures habent et non audient-They have ears but hear not”
― Jules Verne

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

It had taken most of the night to explain names to the young timberwolf, even longer for Soul and the Wolf to come up with a name that fit. So far they were having hard enough luck that there was three meters of names crossed out in the dirt as they went through them. As Soul called out more names the young wolf kept shaking her head from side to side in negatives. He had ran out of traditional human names for her a few hours ago and was now rattling off different combinations of plant names.

[Ivy fang]

[No]

[Stark wood]

[No]

[Apple bark]

[No]

[How about Night Lily?]

[Hmm.... maybe. beats all the others you have rambled off.]

[Night Lily has a certain ring to it doesn’t it?]

[I agree, Oh hey the all-kind-of-talking-ones is raising the sun now. Wow we missed an entire night of sleep.]

Soul wished he had a mouth so he could smirk, [You mean you did, I am a ghost remember? I only rest to restore my health and that only takes a short amount of time. Three hours at most for a fatal injury provided I can heal enough during it.]

[Whatever Alpha, I’m going to stay here and sleep, unless you have a 'nest' elsewhere.]

Soul shrugged and started to move off after watching the Timberwolf trot over to the bridge's side, turn about three times and collapse into a pile of wood indistinguishable from the other twigs and pieces of wood that often littered the forest floor. He was about to leave the range of hearing before he turned around on a dime and faced the pile again, gesturing he stated, [and Lily, call me Soul Light or Soul for short. I don't like formalities.]

[Whatever you say Alpha.] Was her piles response.

He rolled his eyes and went back, it was early morning, the two souls he had sent off had made his Lord Arceus rewarded him with the usual increase of power, though it was seemed to be the reward for four souls rather than two. He took a moment to send a message to Lord Giratina and was awaiting a mental response back as he explored. He got his answer soon enough. So there was three wolves that made up the Alpha... Huh...Like a dugtrio then...weird...

After an hour exploring the forest from ground level the sun was beginning to shine brighter as it slowly made itself over the ridge. He could not believe that one pony was able to Raise and lower the sun and moon. But then again his own world was far too strange for him to be surprised. When you lived in a place that had deities who controlled space and time, a deity from another plane of existence who ruled the dead, and the all-powerful Arceus who created all life and have met each one at least once in his two deaths so far, the fact that a pony could move one sun and one moon was hardly a surprise anymore.

Before he knew it he was floating in front of the library. He checked the sun registering it as early morning and resided to wait a few hours before knocking as to make sure Twilight was actually awake instead of accidently waking her up.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Last week...At apple acres

"Whoa nelly" the famous orange mare with a golden yellow mane and cowpony hat stated, looking down from the hill at an orchard of apple trees, “I got my work cut out for me. That there is the biggest bumper crop of apples that I ever laid eyes on.

"Eeyup." her big brother Big Macintosh replied switching the side his typical straw was on and shrugging slightly from the bandages wrapped around him between his front and hind legs, "Too big for you to handle on your own."

"C'mon big brother you need to rest up and get yourself better. I haven't met an apple orchard yet that I can't handle." she replied finishing each statement with a hoof to her older brothers bandages causing the stallion to flinch twice and back away glaring at his younger sister, "Oops. Sorry."

Applejack gestured to the rather large apple orchard in front of them, "I'll take the bite out of this job by the end of the day."

Her brother decided to quote a few words of wisdom to her younger sister, "Biting off more than you can chew is just what I'm afraid of."

It was Applejack's turn to glare at her brother, "Are you saying my mouth is making promises my legs can't take?"

"Eeyup."

"Why of all the." Applejack raised her hoof up before putting it back down noiselessly, "This is your sister Applejack remembers? The LOYALIST of friends and the most DEPENDABLE of ponies?!" Applejack exclaimed getting up close and personal on her big brothers face crushing the tip of her hat upwards and making him go bug eyed n keeping her within his sight radius.

He looked away awkwardly not budging an inch, "But still only one pony" His ears flicked back as he averted his gaze again, "And one pony plus hundreds of apple trees just doesn’t add up."

Applejack pushed herself away from her big brother shutting her eyes in anger eyebrows furrowed, "Don't you use your fancy mathematics to muddle the issue. I said I could handle this harvest and I'm goin' to prove it to you! I'm going to get every apple out of those trees this applebuck season all by myself!" She looked down at the orchard below and gulped, frowning. This was going to be a lot of work.

She was about to start harvesting apples half an hour later with buckets prepared, and a few trees already bucked to make sure everything could be harvested fine, "Well might as well get started, these apples aren't going to shake themselves out of these trees." Her words seemed to tempt fate however, as the earth started to rumble and apple fell and hit applejack square between the eyes. As the earth kept rumbling applejack noticed it wasn't just a sporadic earthquake, there was a stampede heading by, and right past Apple Aches was.... Ponyville; Applejack's eyes widened at her own revelation and ran grabbing her rope from the barn and calling Wiona.

Little did she know her actions would gather a series of tasks that would regret taking on as well during the season her family called Applebuck season.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul waited and waited, not caring that several ponies were cantering off towards the center of town towards a large stage that was in front of the town hall. It wasn't until he heard the voices coming towards him, "No Spike that is what she keeps saying! Apparently Applejack Doesn't want any help despite having worked a week straight without any rest. She is insane in that regard."

"But Twilight..." the baby dragon began becoming visible as they rounded the corner of the tree house of a library coming face to face with Soul.

Soul gave them a gloomy look, "Friend troubles?"

Twilight stared at him in surprise, “How did you guess?"

"I could hear what you were saying right before you rounded the corner. Who's this Applejack anyway?"

"Oh she’s a friend of mine and the bearer of the element of honesty, I was convincing spike that if Applejack needed help she would of let us know because were her friends."

"Her profession?" Soul Light stated unimpressed with the statement.

"Apple Farmer. why?"

"Farmer. Who doesn’t need or want a little help?"

"Well she does have the rest of the apple family to help out..."

Soul would have raised an eyebrow if he had one but settled for a quizzical stare instead, "Did she specifically say that they could help?"

"I...uh...."

"Keep that in mind next time you see her tired today. Seen something similar happen where a trainer would work his pokemon day and night for long periods of time only to overwork both him and the pokemon into a coma or worse."

"Right... if something happens I'll talk to her... In the meantime," Twilight unlocked the door and held it open, "Come on in, I have some questions for you. Since it is a nice day out we will have our discussion on the balcony if that is alright."

"Alright. lead on." Soul followed twilight through the library past her neat organized room and out onto the balcony that overlooked a majority of the street around the library and well over the majority of the two stories houses when matched against the libraries four. Outside they could see pegasai flying about and ponies going about their business in an overly cheerful demeanor for an average morning.

"So what’s your first question?" Soul asked somewhat curious and half regretting coming here as Twilight pulled out several blank sheets of paper and a set of various types of writing equipment ranging from a pencil to an ink and quill.

Twilight thought for a moment before asking, "Well firstly where is this Kanto Region?"

Soul shrugged, "If it’s not on your world map, then logically where would it be?"

"Another planet? That is not physically possible..."

"Coming from the student of an alicorn who can raise the sun and moon."

"Good point... Next question, how did you get to equestria?"

Soul thought for a moment before sighing and beginning an explanation in a cold and serious tone that he had not used before, he could see Twilight shiver once from it but he continued on anyway, "Where I came from, my job was not the most liked. In fact it was hated by the dominate race due to a misunderstanding. Unlike now where I could communicate with you verbally most of my kind is a mono-worded. or lacking of sentient language. exchanging words by using a different pronunciation of the word and a body movement over complex sentences and words. Due to this, Trainers had cornered me in the middle of another attempt to do my job, killed me sending me off to my lord Giratina and Master Arceus. Due to it being my second death and my time on the realm of the living too short again, they sent me off here seeing as the world of pokemon would be too harsh for me with its set rules and guidelines. Now I am here after less than three hours of life, and two years of being a ghost doing a job."

Twilight looked more than slightly disturbed by learning that he had come here after dying twice, nervously she asked, "And this job what exactly is i-" she was interrupted as another voice entered their realm of hearing, "APPLLLEEEEJJACCCCKKKKKKK!" before soul was launched forward by a blue and rainbow blur both masses ending up smack into the wall next to Twilight Sparkle scattering blank paper and the few papers with notes on them everywhere.

"Hello Rainbow, let me guess, Applejack?" Twilight replied cleaning the mess that had been created from the impact of the out of control Pegasus.

Rainbow looked up from her slumped position on Soul, her mane a mess, "Eeyup." and fainted.

Twilight pulled rainbow off Soul so he could get back up, Twilight packed up her papers and put them back inside, "Why don't you go to sugar cube corner? I need to have a talk with applejack. Pinkie pie said there were some free samples today so go enjoy."

Soul nodded and hovered off down into the street while Twilight sighed and went inside to go grab her sleepy assistant and trot off towards apple acres. It was time to have a chat with applejack.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Was it just him or had the town changed overnight, Soul traveled through the streets of Ponyville completely lost. A half an hour into his search he stopped, he could feel several dozen life forms nearby Rounding the corner he saw several dozen ponies with sickly green faces in fetal positions next to the location he sought. As well as several discarded muffins, his eyes seemed too widened as an ambulance carriage rapidly flew past him landing and unfolding into a tent. He wanted to help but he was not a medic, so instead he flew off back towards the library. He needed Twilight Sparkle.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Twilight was just sitting down on her bed when Soul burst into her room talking frantically, "Dozens of I'll ponies are outside Sugar cube corner, an ambulance has set up a tent though I think they might need you Twilight!"

Twilight stared at soul incredulously, "What."

"I think they all ate a bad muffin or something, are ponies allergic to muffins? Or is it something else?"

"What?"

"Twilight c'mon! Please!" Twilight was practically pulled out the front door with spike, alerted to the situation by Soul's frantic rambling, following closely behind.

This time it took less than five minutes to get the three of them to Sugar Cube Corner, or more precisely the medical Tent parked right next to it. Twilight all but marched right into the tent with Spike and Soul on either side of her, "Anything we can do to help? What happened here?" she said to Nurse Redheart.

"Oh thank goodness you came, we need all the help we can get," Nurse red heart began all but diving to get a
bucket to a sick grey Pegasus who promptly puked into it, "These ponies had some baked goods but now are all 'll from it."

Spike picked up a muffin and stared at it as a worm came out ignored by everypony but Soul who stared at it curiously as well, Pinkie pie exclaimed from a bed, "No, not baked goods, Baked bads..." and pinkie puked into a bucket.

Twilight stared at Pinkie pie and then at all the sick ponies, Applejack wasn't among the sick but she had promised to help at Sugar Cube corner today as well as helping Rainbow with a trick. Twilight Marched off wordlessly to have a word with Applejack, again, leaving spike to eat a muffin and soul to try one soon after as spike declared they were good. Soul went to help Spike collect them after having a similar response as spike did. Meanwhile back in Twilight's library Rainbow had finally regained consciousness and flew off to clear the clouds again and dismantle the contraption that Applejack had launched her so badly off of.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

It was midafternoon when the third disaster from the tired Applejack struck. It began almost creepily similar to how the event happened last week, Rainbow dash shouted at the top of her lungs as a cloud approached over the horizon being prewarned by an earthquake of the same namesake, "STAMPEDE!"

Within seconds everypony had repeated the similar lock up of doors, shutting of windows, and pulling in of welcome mats. Some of the unluckier ponies, also ironically gardeners, too far from their homes just stared in shock at the incoming stampede's creatures. Baby Bunnies, a stampede made of them. Lily, the first pony in their way sighed, swayed and fainted. Baby bunnies rushing around her into the streets beyond consuming various gardens in their path. It was late into the consumption that Flutteshy arrived trying hurriedly to stop them, and even later when Twilight arrived back in town finally back from her second talk with Applejack.

Twilight's eyebrow twitched at a trio of shell shocked ponies laying on the ground, "What the hay happened here?"

Desert Rose, another gardener, started, "The horror, the horror!"

Lily joined in, "It was awful."

Daisy, the final gardener inside ponyville; stopped putting her hoof on her face to gesture aloud, "A disaster. A horrible, horrible disaster."

Twilight looked around, seeing all the buildings intact and the street relatively empty of destruction, "I don't get it."

Lily began again rushing over to a barren garden that had naught but a few bulbs left in it, "Our gardens, destroyed!"

Desert Rose gestured to her empty flower pots, "Every last flower, devoured!"

Daisy pointed out miserably down a street, "By... by... THEM!"

Twilight looked down the street to see a figurative army of bunnies everywhere, chewing leaves of various plants and flowers while her shy friend was trying to corral them away from the plants by herself frantically calling out to her bunny friends with little to no results, "Oh my. Oh... Please stop, little bunnies. Oh no! Please, let's go home. Oh my goodness." the bunnies ate through another ponies gardens faster than a swarm of locusts and moved on in all directions while Twilight simply sighed and stated in a cold voice, "Alright. Enough is enough."

Soul floated down next to her, "What?"

Twilight stared at him, "This is the third time Applejack has messed something up from overworking to the point that it has hurt others. I think it is time for her to admit to needing some help."

Soul considered, "I may have an Idea, though mind if I try it? If it fails by all means confront her again."

"What do you have in mind?" Twilight asked, curious towards Souls approach.

"Well..." Soul began putting the end of one of his arms in a thinking pose on where a chin would be if he had one, "I was thinking to induce some 'Hallucinations' I made a companion last night though I'd have to ask her if she wants to help first."

"Who is she?" Twilight asked not completely agreeing with the plan but still willing to try since her last two attempts to convince applejack were failures.

"Not exactly Who, but rather What." Soul began holding a hand up to stop Twilights stream of questions, "She is a Timberwolf who is calling me her Alpha after beating her pack last night. We came up with the name Night Lily last night and I think she could scare Applejack as an 'illusion'."

"How in the hay did you talk to a Timberwolf let alone beat up a whole pack?!"

"I’m a ghost and fire type. Timberwolf is a Normal and grass type. Fire beats grass and Normal can't hurt Ghost types."

"What?"

"I'll explain later. Mind if we try that plan first though?"

"Uh, go ahead?"

"Great, meet me at the western edge between the Everfree forest and Apple acres in half an hour." With that Soul flew away towards the bridge he had left his first companion, Night Lily, at to explain and hopefully get her to agree to.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

It took only a few minutes to arrive back at camp, then even less to wake Night Lily up, with slight complaints on her parts that she wanted to eat the pony rather than scare her. Something that Soul had told her repeatedly, [No, you cannot eat or hurt the Pony, you have to simply scare them without touching them. We want her to think you’re a hallucination. A very realistic hallucination.]

[Aww....]

[Consider it a test, scare the pony without hurting them or letting them know you were actually there in the first place and good job I’ll let you have this muffin I found, it tastes rather sugary and salty but it’s good.]

[Fine.] Night Lily begrudgingly accepted the offer of reward for her new assignment, as the prospect of free food to her was an appealing one that she did not want to pass up.

When they finally made their way out of the forest and into the located spot, Soul had just finished explaining the plan and why Twilight Sparkle was involved. Luckily for Soul, Timberwolves could see color unlike their flesh and bone dog brethren which allowed more distinction between the two. Never the less Twilight made a small squeal of terror as the Timberwolf and Soul entered range of smell from the Timber wolf's breath, Soul light sighed as the pony jumped up two meters from the scare and stated, "Geesh Twilight, I said I was bringing Night Lily to help, and you still jump? Are all ponies this jumpy?"

"Only when something unexpected and possibly dangerous happens."

"Like a baby bunny stampede?"

[Baby what? Really? That snack food made the ponies faint?] was Night Lily, joining the conversation.

"What did she say? And that was rather strange incident since last week it was a cow stampede."

"she was commenting on the fact that ponies fainted on what was considered insignificant." Soul stated looking uncaused.

"Oh...Well it gave the gardeners a scare cause their gardens were devoured. Are you ready for whatever it is you’re planning to do?" Both Night and Soul looked at each other before responding

[Yes.]

"Yes."

"Well... Go give it a shot then... um... Night Lily..."

Lily nodded and leaped up into a tree sneaking her way through the trees towards the scent of the only other pony in the orchard of apples.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Night Lily spotted her target within minutes, recognizable from the description that soul had conveyed to her and with the cowboy hat as per usual. she snuck behind the pony, the wind blowing the smell of her breath away from the pony. She took in a deep breath as the pony began to turn around and roared right into Applejack's face.

"Oh another tree to buck. that’s funny I don't remember there being a tree here. well give me your apples tree. Applejack turned around and bucked Night mist in the face, sending her flying back through the treetops and into the bushes in pieces next to them. Twilight's jaw was dropped. Souls would have been too if it weren't for the lack of one. Slowly Night Lily pulled herself back together her parts making a feeble, [Owwwwwwww.]

"Alright Twilight..." Soul began unnerved by that feat of strength, "Your turn."

Twilight sighed and trotted over to applejack who was busying herself with trotting towards another tree to buck it speaking rather loudly as she strained herself, " Must... keep... buckin'... just... a few... more. Must finish harvestin'."

Twilight trotted in front of applejack as she turned around to buck the tree she had arrived at, "Alright, Applejack. Your applebucking hasn't just caused you problems, it's over-propelled Pegasus', practically poisoned plenty of ponies and almost a dragon as well as a Lampent, and terrorized bushels of brand new bouncing baby bunnies into a stampede across ponyville ruining many a gardeners life. I don't care what you say, you. Need. Help.

Applejack grunted kicking another tree emptying it, "Ha! No I don't. Look, I did it. I harvested the entire Sweet Apple Acres without your help. How d'ya like them apples?" as she gestured to a large portion of empty trees that made up half the orchards.

Big McIntosh approached and pointed at the other half, still full of apples stating with more words than Twilight had ever heard the stallion speak before, "Um, how do you like them apples?"

Applejack mumbled incoherently, there was no way that she had missed an entire half of the orchard, "Where'd all the apple...?" She fainted spilling the apples in her basket everywhere. Nervously Twilight ran to her friend and prodded her with a hoof, "Applejack? Applejack!" continuously she prodded away at Applejack trying to get a response from her friend.

Applejack eventually recovered from Twilights less than tender ministrations and groaned, "Huh?" Twilight stopped poking Applejack long enough to start her argument with the stubborn farm pony, voice setting in its own stubborn tone and bringing no argument, "Oh, good, you're okay. Now Applejack, I completely respect the Apple family ways. You're always there to help any pony in need, so maybe you can put a little of your stubborn pride aside and allow your friends to help you."

"Okay, Twilight."

Twilight continued ranting as if Applejack had said no instead, trotting in a quick circle, "I am not taking 'no' for an answer", Twilight stopped as she comprehended that applejack had not say no but rather the contrary, “What?"

Applejack grabbed a hoof of Twilights from on the ground her tone heavy with Begging, "Yes, Twilight. Yes, please. I could really use your help." Twilight chuckled.

"Alright then, but first you’re going to go Apologize to Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie pie for the trouble you have caused with this nonsense. Then we can all help you with this applebucking season, Okay?"

Applejack was passed out again dead asleep, "Well maybe later then..." Twilight chuckled and summoned a blanket to put on her friend.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Many hours later Twilight checked her letter yet again ready to send it off to her mentor Princess Celestia. This was her third friendship report she was sending and she wanted to make extra sure it was completely ready for sendoff before spike sent it. She read it aloud this time.

Dear Princess Celestia,

My friend Applejack is the best friend a pony could ever have, and she's always there to help any pony. The only trouble is, when she needs help, she finds it hard to accept it, so while friendship is about giving of ourselves to friends, it's also about accepting what our friends have to offer. While someponies are set into family tradition and ways, they should not be afraid to change it to allow friends in to help. I have also learnt that Soul Light, the Lampent, May have come from another world. I will send you a copy of the page of notes I was able to get done with on the subject.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle

P.S. can you please figure out an antidote for the sickness this muffin i sent you created. Everypony who ate one of these baked bads that are a pony seemed to have gotten ill from it.

Twilight wrapped up the scroll muffin and research page with it and sent it off.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Princess Celestia was just getting ready for bed when the letter appeared in front of her, Instinctively she caught it with her magic making sure it didn't drop to the ground like the first few letters Twilight had sent her as a filly. Unwrapping it; her eyes sparkled at a muffin that was contained in the letter, if Twilight had sent it to her, then it must be good. Taking a bite out of it she read through the letter stopping as she read the P.S. right as she swallowed. Celestia rushed to the balcony where her royal highness would be found puking her guts up unceremoniously until Princess Luna and the royal doctor arrived from the noise and the contents of a sick stomach hitting a royal guard below causing startled surprise. This was not going to be a good night for the Princess.

Author's Note

I never figured out why Applejack said Loyalist over Honest in the show, must of been an Derp moment on Lauren's team after they aired it. Also anypony notice how much Ditzy doo helped during winter wrap up as well as Discorded and normal doctor whooves? Eh, Guess rewatching the first season of mlp after discorded whooves and lovestruck derpy Tumblrs does that I guess.

Oh and sorry this chapter took so long, had to rewatch season 1 episode four to make sure certain bits of dialog were correct. that and this is probably the longest chapter yet for this series.

Boast Burners

“None but a coward dares to boast that he has never known fear.”
― Ferdinand Foch

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

It had been two weeks since Applebucking season had ended, Soul had spent a majority of the first week explaining everything he knew about his universe to the scholarly Twilight Sparkle, only to be yanked away by the second from the overly eager Timber wolf Night Lily who wanted him to hunt with her. While he refused to kill anything he did send off more souls of the various creatures Lily would catch. Some of these creatures she caught were outright dangerous to even look in the eye or meet, Like a cockatrice Lily had ripped apart outright without looking at it or the venomous cobras that she had taken a liking to eating after one failed to ambush and bite through Souls' frame. An attempt that costed the snake its life as Soul fried it with a well-placed flamethrower; Lily coincidently had also learnt about freshly cooked food that night. Needless to say he had finally calmed down from the events of his first few days and settled back into his normal demeanor he used to be in before being sent here.

Two weeks in, and now as he had promised Twilight on the day of his departure into the forest he was heading back to town. There was not very much difference in Ponyville when he arrived. The place seemed a bit neater and greener since the plants had a chance to sprout again after being eaten by a stampede of baby bunnies but that was about it. Though as he traveled through the town he noticed the lack of ponies in the streets or lights in the windows. Something was happening, he decided. So he turned off and headed toward the town square. As he had guessed a majority of the town was at the hall but something new was in front of it. On the stage was a Unicorn with a cold blue coat and a purple star covered cloak and hat was on the stage performing various magical tricks though the audience looked mostly disgruntled in the back and happy in the front. Some of the audience was already leaving with various looks of contempt on their faces. Others, mainly the younger ones, had looks of awe or astonishment at the number of magical tricks she performed. He scanned the crowd and sure enough at the front row he spotted the cowboy hat adorned by only one pony he knew.

He phased into the ground and arose out of it next to Applejack spotting the rest of the group around her he stated quite calmly unimpressed with the fireworks and minor tricks the unicorn on stage was performing, "Hello."

Their conversation barely disrupted as they returned the greetings he had given and they went back into disgruntled comments while Twilight kept stopping Spike from commenting with slowly increasing severity from a hoof to flat out zipping his mouth shut with magic. Soul commented when one of them paused in their conversation, "To be precise, I'm guessing that you’re all unimpressed with this Unicorn showing off parlor tricks and small scale magic and boasting about it?"

"That about sums it up." Applejack stated raising a hoof to fix her hat back straight rather than angled slightly upward. Rainbow dash had her own reply in mind, "Ya, Ponyville already have one show-off and that’s me." At the look of her friends Rainbow looked awkwardly away, "Uh ya, magic smagic... Boo."

The stage mare looked upon her audience, "Well it seems we have some Neigh-Sayers in the audience, who has the audacity to challenge the great and powerful Trixie?" She flourished a hoof earning a roll of the eyes from Soul Light, "Do they not know that they are in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of equestria?"

Soul resisted the urge to shout out a challenge, he didn't want to show off as to speak and he noticed that Twilight had a hoof over spikes mouth again. He had learnt enough about Unicorns to know that Twilight was one of the stronger Unicorns he had met, her cutie-mark being magic or astrology if the few dozen books he had read on the subject during his stay was correct. Rainbow Dash unsurprisingly dashed into the air and stopped a few feet from Trixie, she asked with extreme sarcasm while giving her a stink eye, "So 'great and powerful' Trixie. What makes you think you’re so awesome anyway?"

Trixie gestured to herself, "Why only the great and powerful Trixie would be powerful enough to vanquish the dreaded Ursa Major!"

As fireworks went off Soul ignored it his mind processing, Ursa Major? Is that a relative of Teddy Ursa or something? He looked up seeing an animated firework of a badly drawn Trixie defeating what looked like a fat bear with a star on its forehead barely three times taller than her. He was unamused by this, he would be more impressed if she had fought off an onix bare hoofed. Even the wand in the fireworks hoof was incorrect since it was sticking straight out and hovering away from the characters hoof that was 'wielding' it. He noticed ponies all around him were gasping in shock and awe except for Twilight and her friends and his eyes perked into an inquisitive stare. He asked spike, the only one who looked neutral on the subject and wasn't paying attention, "What’s the deal with an Ursa major?"

Spike shrugged, "Supposedly they are a living star constellation bear that lives in a large cave in the Everfree forest, it is said to be taller than houses or something. That and even the princesses wouldn't take one on in combat without a full regiment of Unicorn and Pegasus guards with them. Though most of the time," spike sighed as if envious, "They sleep."

"So a Snorlax bear." Soul spoke aloud to himself deep in thought, before noticing spike was giving him a strange stare, "oh sorry, a Snorlax is a pokemon where I come from that sleeps a majority of his or her life waking up only to eat two to three hundred pounds of food. I heard an island somewhere nearly starved to death once from a Snorlax that lived there. Luckily for them some trainer, I think his name was Soot, or Chimney, or something captured it before it could eat everybody who lived there out of house and home. Literally."

"Whoa," Spike stated, "That’s kinda freaky."

"Yes." Soul agreed, "Yes it is."

Soul's interest was reacquired on the show pony as she stated loudly, "I challenge you ponies of Ponyville to challenge. Anything you can do, I can do. Better."

Spike complained to Twilight after unzipping his mouth again, "Please! She’s unbearable!"

Twilight whispered to spike barely audible to Soul's keen hearing, “I can't use my magic now Spike, especially sinc-"

Trixie walked towards the edge of the balcony staring at them, "how about you?" pointing down at them.

Twilight looked like she was going to have a panic attack before Trixie continued, "Well how about it little hayseed?"

Applejack ran up onto the stage grumbling to herself pulling a lasso out of seemingly nowhere, "Let’s see you do this!" she proceeded to perform tricks with her Lasso much similar to what Soul had witnessed back in his world by traveling cowboys. Jumping through her own loop three times before adding a trick he had yet to see, she sent her lasso into a tree pulling out an apple and launching it without the lasso into her mouth where she proceeded to eat and swallow it core and all, "Let’s see you top that."

Trixie smirked and made her rope dance like a snake on one end distracting applejack while the other end went and grabbed an apple and then it rapidly tied Applejack up sticking an apple in her mouth to silence any complaints. She sent Applejack off the stage with a magic push and Rainbow dashed forward, "You may be flashy but there’s only room for one awesome pony in Ponyville!"

Soul ducked for cover as Rainbow Dash proceeded to perform fancy aerial tricks making a windmill spin and plowing through several clouds before racing back through them drawing water out and landing back on the stage, the water splashing off her back creating a small rainbow above her. Soul stood back up after Rainbow had landed. Too many collisions with the rainbow mane Pegasus had made him learn to duck whenever Rainbow was airborne. Trixie simply smiled and her horn glowed again, the rainbow that was over Rainbow Dash surrounded her instead of being over her and spun her out of control into the ground off stage, the audience laughed as Rainbow was deposited in a very uncomfortable dazed position as Trixie continued again, "Is there anypony else that wishes to challenge the great and powerful Trixie?"

"What we need," Applejack began giving Twilight a smug look, "Is a powerful Unicorn to show this stage mare what real magic is."

"Ya," Rainbow began catching on to what Applejack was intending and giving Twilight a similar look, "Someone who knows way more magic than this show-mare."

They both leaned closer in towards Twilight before Rarity pushed through the three of them, "I can take a hint."

Rarity began her lecture trotting onto the stage and pulling down one of Trixie’s curtains with magic, "You’re not a unicorn unless you have both Elegance," The curtain covered her, "and grace!" the curtain seemed to vanish as now rarity wore an rather well made saddle dress. Rarity smirked smug that nothing could possibly beat that. Trixie simply casted a rather demented look her way and her horn again, a cloud of smoke poofed around rarity’s' head and when it faded everyone in the crowd, Soul included, Winced and moved unconsciously a step back. "What did she do to my hair? I know she did something to my hair!" Rarity shouted with worry.

"It looks fine." Applejack said failing to disguise a look of distaste on her face.

"It looks cool..." Rainbow dash also failing to disguise her similar look.

"It's...Green." Spike stated getting a glare from Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack.

"And has a twig in it..." Soul stated tactlessly feeling the urge to wink out of sight as the glare trio transferred to him, "What it's true."

"GREEN HAIR? of all the worst possible things? Green?! I look ugly!" rarity cried as she bolted through the audience past a earth pony known as Carrot Top who also had green hair of a similar shade, "Why I never." she stated before trotting away insulted.

Soul sighed, "Twilight, would yo-" Soul turned noticing Twilight and spike were gone. "Huh?"

Trixie resumed her show without any more challenges, so Soul went off to search for Twilight and Spike.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

It was properly nighttime by the time he had found spike heading off for a walk through a path near the Everfree, he floated by and nudged the baby dragon after he got no response. Spike looked up a slight expression of surprise on his face, "Oh hey Soul Light. What brings you here?"

Soul looked at him like he was asking a redundant question, "I was looking for you and Twilight, wanted to ask her why she did not beat that show off. I was under the impression that her cutie-mark and element were magic."

"She didn't want to 'boast'." Spike stated with a tone full of sarcasm, "I tried telling her it wasn't the same thing if she beat Trixie but she wouldn't listen. So now I’m out here thinking of a way to convince her."

Soul nodded, bobbing up and down through the air in the process his ghostly light sending shadows into the trees dancing, "Nothing like a nighttime stroll to give you ideas. I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day anyway."

Spike nodded, "I think the same way too. Though your light certainly puts things into brighter contrast and makes shadows look funny dancing like that when you move. Though I still can't figure out how to get Twilight to show up that show-pony."

Well, Soul began, "If Twilight doesn’t want to show her up. Then I suggest finding a way to discredit Trixie."

Spike thought for a few seconds a claw under his chin before replying gesturing towards Soul, "But that would require an Ursa Major. It's not like one is just going to appear out of nowhere and walk up the street to Trixie."

They both stopped and looked into the path ahead, they heard hoof steps rapidly coming closer and louder, Snips and Snails were Galloping franticly towards them, "Run! Problem, Big Problem!" Snips shouted as he bolted past them Snails followed behind with a look of glee on his face, "Ursa Major incoming!"

Both spike and Soul looked at each other and then at the path. There was a giant bear just as spike had described, a sweat mark appeared on the back of Soul's head as he stared at the giant bear. Spike’s jaw was dropped. It wasn't until the bear decided to raise a claw to crush them that they ran away, Soul dragging Spike into the air as he carried the small dragon faster than Spike could run towards the library, both shouting the same name a few octaves higher than normal, "TWWWWWIIILLLLIGGGGHHHTTTTTT!!!"

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

They made it into the library while the Ursa chased snips and snails to Trixie’s stage. Soul slowed down to catch his breath as Spike ran up the stairs "Twilight come quick!" they both shouted at the same time, "For the last time spike," Twilight stated not looking away from her book, "I am not going to show up Trixie."

"It's not like that!" Spike began but his statement was finished for him by a loud roar.

Twilight raised her head from her book and turned to face them, "What was that?"

Soul came in still gasping for air from the three mile sprint he had pulled off while carrying someone nearly as big as he was, "Ursa... Heading towards... Town..."

Twilight teleported them outside towards the town hall, seeing the trail of destruction that the Ursa had left in its path on Trixie’s cottage and the large mound of blue fur heading off west still chasing snips and snails as well as Trixie. They began to run towards the Ursa. It roared again and they passed by frantic citizens, the Pegasus, Unicorn, and earth ponies’ alike running away screaming from the credible threat instead of something silly for once. Oddly soul noted that the pegasai were running instead of flying. He would have thought they would be airborne in this instance but he ignored it for now, "Twilight do you know anything that could help against this?"

"Maybe, I don't know if it will work but..."

"Do it!" Spike shouted, accidently drawing the attention of the Ursa Major to them.

Twilights horn started to glow as the Ursa raised a paw to smash them, The cattails in the nearby river started to creek and emit music but it seemed too late as the claw started to come down on her; only to be deflected by Soul as he got in the way and a bubble formed around him blocking the attack, "Protect." He stated quite calmly, his nerve had snapped making his fear completely gone. Twilight had started to solve the problem, and to him that meant he had to simply defend her until she was done.

The music went in one of the Ursa's ears and out the other and he could see it visibly calm and look sleepy. The same result as if a Jiggly puff had used sing. It slowly closed its eyes and swayed, it was about to crush Trixie in its falling path when an Aura enveloped the bear lifting it into the air as a large what seemed like a water barrel meant for storing massive amounts of water came out of a barn of surprised mooing and went into the bear’s mouth. It almost looked like a baby as she floated it back into a cave into the Everfree Forest.

"Wow That was amazing!" Spike stated amazed.

Soul waved as the rest of their friends, except for Fluttershy who wasn't there but dead asleep in her cottage, came running after the Ursa was gone. Applejack was the first to speak with a slightly awed tone, "Heavens to Betsy! We knew you had ability, but not that much!"

Twilight looked ashamed and stated with a miserable tone, "I'm sorry. Please, please don't hate me."

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity all bore surprised looks on their faces as well as Spike and Soul. The Three other mares of the group responded, First was Rainbow, "Hate you?

Rarity stated next as if part of the statement adding to it, "Why, whatever do you mean, darling?"

Twilight shifted nervously drawing small circles in the ground with the tip of her hoof replying nervously, "Well, I know how much you all hated Trixie's showing off with her magic tricks, and I just thought--"

Rainbow interrupted her stating with a slightly mad look, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Magic's got nothing to do with it. Trixie's just a loudmouth."

"Most unpleasant." Rarity agreed fixing her back to normal purple hair.

Applejack stated quite plainly, "All hat and no cattle." To which Soul couldn't help but add, "And no barn too."

They all laughed and it was a good half of a minute before Twilight could ask, "So, you don't mind my magic tricks?" a rather hopeful look growing on her face.

Applejack smiled and hugged Twilight reassuringly, "Your magic is a part of who you are, sugarcube, and we like who you are. We're proud to have such a powerful, talented unicorn as our friend." Rainbow Dash continued the statement not giving a second of space after Applejack, "And after whuppin' that ursa's hind quarters, we're even prouder."

Twilight beamed at them a smile in size reminding Soul of a child trainer who had received a rare candy as a present from a delibird crossing his mind, "You are?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Uh-huh."

"I can't help but wonder," Soul began interrupting the sentiment that was going on and on it seemed in a loop, "How did you know what to do to beat that Ursa Major?"

"That’s what I was doing when you found me," Twilight began a proud and scholarly look crossing her face, "Trixie's boasting about beating an Ursa Major got me curious. Also that wasn't an Ursa major it was a baby, or should I say... Ursa Minor."

"WHAT?! That was an Ursa Minor?!" Trixie shouted in disbelief all but forgotten on the sidelines.

"Yes, and it was not rampaging through the streets, it was grumpy because some pony. Woke it up."

Snips and snails shrunk down looking guilty as a bunch of ponies stared at them singling them out.

"Whoa." Spike and soul stated before spike continued on, "If that’s an Ursa Minor, then what’s an Ursa Major."

"Trust me," Twilight stated quite cool and collected, "You don't want to know."

"I am in agreement there." Soul added.

Soon punishment was given to snips and snails in the form of cleaning up the wreck that was left of Trixie’s stage and Spike as well as soul were given the punishment of Mustaches as well. Spike commented that Soul looked quite 'Swag' with his muttonchops. Trixie had escaped but it wasn't her fault for the Ursa anyway, Twilight had hoped that she would have learned her lesson for this entire ordeal. Soul was more calmly Pessimistic, "She'll be back." Soul had warned, "No stage m-...Pony... Likes to be upstaged. in such a dramatic fashion that ruins their reputation."

Twilight shrugged and said, "Well I hope she comes back to be friends after she thinks over it and figures out that her fake boasts were the reason Snip and Snails did this. Now excuse me I have a letter to write."

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---Dear Princess Celestia,

I have learned a very valuable lesson about friendship: I was so afraid of being thought of as a showoff that I was hiding a part of who I am. My friends helped me realize that it's okay to be proud of your talents, and there are times when it's appropriate to show them off... Especially when you're standing up for your friends
I also learned that friends are sometimes stronger than they appeared. I thought for sure when an Ursa major was bearing down its claw on me that I was done for, but Soul Light, the Lampent in case you forgot, blocked it without taking a single scratch! Also he seems to be adjusting well to living in the Everfree forest though I have offered to let him stay in the library. He has that Timberwolf for a friend in the forest so I guess he will be alright for a while.

Though I might have to force him to take shelter when winter comes in a few weeks; If not the storm that is due in a few days.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Chapter 9: Dragon Fire

“Speak politely to an enraged dragon.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

[So just how strong is a dragon to an Ursa Major?] Soul asked his wooden companion leaning on the bridge he called home for now.

[A dragon is easily dwarfed in size by a Ursa, but a dragon has fire which could even out the odds I guess.] Was Night lily's response, [Never actually seen the two fight each other. Why?]

It had been three days since the Ursa Minor had come to town, Soul had assisted in the reconstruction of the destroyed property for the rest finally coming back into the forest to rest his tired frame. Now he saw smoke coming from a mountain but none of them were labeled volcanos on the map. Which lead to his questions about dragons here, [Smoke from the mountain a few miles west. Heard they were smart and sentient but that smoke cloud its causing looks like it could cause problems.]

Lily lost interest, obvious from how she was cleaning herself with her teeth rather than responding. Soul sighed, [Guess since it is a fire breathing dragon you don't want anything to do with him or her?] Lily nodded.

Soul Sighed after a minute or so of watching lily not give further comment, [I am going to explore a bit, and I will try to be back by tomorrow if something happens along the way]

Lily ignored him as Soul left and he floated through the woods further down the path. He could see the mountain covered in smoke and he assumed that the town in ponyville could as well. Following the path deeper Soul found that the path had lead directly onto a side path up the mountain. A plan formed in his mind, "Let’s just see how bad this could possibly be..."

Off he went around the mountain to go up.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

In contrast to Soul's ambient wandering along the same path not even a half mile ahead Applejack was dragging Fluttershy up the mountain along the same route. Twilight had stated that the smoke being caused by the dragon would be a potential problem, what with it covering Equestria in smoke that would choke it for a hundred years. Princess Celestia had assigned the bearers of the elements of harmony a mission to get the dragon to nap elsewhere. While Applejack didn't like the notion of simply pushing off the problem to another nation, she really didn't see another way to deal with it.

This lead her to her current state, dragging her timid friend who was still scared stiff, literally. Fluttershy was in the same state some goats Applejack had once seen were. Fainting goats, she recalled. They froze up and fell over much like how her friend had when scared. Applejack dragged her friend another yard pausing for breath before continuing again. This was a lot like dragging a fragile plow through the dirt, it was a miracle that her friend wasn't covered in dirt and stains at this point. Looking behind her Applejack could see the past hundred yards of the miniature trench right for planting, She sighed and stared at her friend, "Sugar cube, you sure you don't want to walk? It would be a might bit easier than being dragged through the ground like is."

No response from Fluttershy, Applejack sighed and grabbed her friend by the tail again and resumed dragging. Half hour later applejack had covered another half mile with the stiff pony. It had impressed her that Fluttershy had managed to maintain the entire time. There was a roar and Applejack saw her eyes dilate to even smaller pinpricks of fear and she face hoofed, "I should have brought earplugs."

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul was curious, there was a trench in the middle of the path coming off from another route that started not far away for any reason. unable to recognize the miniature trenches purpose he floated up the path at a moderate pace. In less than half an hour he spotted why. Applejack was dragging Fluttershy up the mountain, curiously he watched for a minute as Applejack pulled on the stiff pony groaning all the while for the effort. Soul floated up behind them for a time curious, wondering briefly if Fluttershy was dead or comatose, neither of which was evident as she was still full of life. A few yards further and Soul decided to speak up, "Need some help there Applejack?"

soul thought the earth pony somehow learned to fly at how high she jumped, Fluttershy likewise came out of her stiff position screaming in a high pitched but quiet squeak. similarly running in the air but not going anywhere but down. Both ran into a tree, "Relax it's just me."

"Celestias' beard, Soul light, you scared the apple out of me." Applejack stated bluntly looking rather annoyed while fixing her hat, "Not funny, now how is I to get Flutters here over to Twi and the others?"

"Twi who now?" Soul asked, "I don't think I know a Twi."

"Twilight." Applejack stated getting back up, "Flutters and I were going to head up the mountain and meet Twilight and the others so we could take care of that dragon that’s causing a smoke problem."

"Ah, I see. Why do you need a timid pony as Fluttershy for this? She looks scared stiff before I even arrived," Soul spoke aloud politely trying to inquire why they would need the towns' most timid pony for such a thing as a giant dragon.

"She is good with animals, I've seen her walk up to a manticore like it was nothing as well as other various dangerous creatures." Soul noticed Fluttershy's lips move when applejack mentioned that, but no words came out.

"Sorry, how about this, tell me where your meeting up? I'll bring Fluttershy for you Applejack. I think Fluttershy needs a talk if that’s okay." Applejack pointed at the summit barely half a mile up with a hoof, "up there. Though I don't think you’re strong enough to drag that pony with those stick arms of yours." Applejack commented.

"Who said I was going to use my arms? Want a demonstration?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow, "Sure though I don't see how you’re going to."

"Telekinesis." Soul stated and he lifted applejack into the air with the ability.

"Whoa nelly!" Applejack exclaimed before she was launched up onto the alcove she had pointed at. Soul turned towards Fluttershy after he let go of his grip.

He gently tugged Fluttershy out of the tree she was hanging from, "Fluttershy, would you like to talk about what’s scaring you?"

He waited as the timid Pegasus quietly worked up the voice to reply. Quietly just on the edge of his hearing spectrum he heard her, "I'm afraid of dragons..."

"Understandable fear." Soul started earning a slightly relieved look from Fluttershy, "Though your friends are depending on you it seems. Do you wish to let them down?"

Fluttershy struggled for a response looking torn two ways and Soul waited for a few second before patting her on the head, "A fear is hard to deal with yet your depended on at the same time. The experience can be pushing I know but you may find pushing onwards more rewarding than running from your fear."

Fluttershy squeaked out slightly louder, "I...don't know..."

"Hmm..." I paused to consider what would get her moving, "What would happen to your animals if smoke clouded the skies? That can hardly be healthy right?"

Fluttershy stood up suddenly, a reaction I wasn't expecting from the normally timid mare, "M-my animals?"

"Yep. wouldn't the smoke cause drastic harm to nature?" I recalled the city pokemon, where grass types and plant pokemon tended to get sick from the smog if they stayed there too long if they originally came from a smog free environment.

Fluttershy stood still for a few moments before letting out a pent up breath, "fine..." she whispered.

"Jolly good, and don't worry we will all be there every step of the way. Now then, Telekinesis." With that Soul carried Fluttershy up to the edge that he had taken applejack to not five minutes before, floating alongside her himself in the process.

When they landed he took in everypony was waiting for them, Rainbow hovered down and stated quietly enough that Soul almost missed it, "Told you it would take forever."

Soul's yellow orbs of eyes narrowed slightly at that rude comment, but cheered right up as he greeted everypony and was greeted back. They took off again at a steady pace, Soul occasionally doubling back to pick Fluttershy back up whenever the sound of the dragons loud snoring filled the air. They came across the first obstruction faster than if Applejack had just simply head-butted Fluttershy there. A small gap. Rainbow leapt over it easily enough as well as Applejack, Pinkie and Twilight soon after. That left soul who could only float in the air, and Fluttershy who was cowering behind a rock from the most recent snores of the beast above. I watched her inch to the edge and prevented my yellow orbs from rolling. That would be too rude for this. But at least she was trying. I muted the next sound by the use of a safeguard and she prepared herself to jump. Albeit a bit slowly enough to make Twilight to comment, "We don't have time for this... Come on Fluttershy."

Fluttershy jumped, at the same moment Twilight smiled and stated, "Now don't look down and your fine." Soul face palmed with the edge of his stick like metal limbs, of course when told to not look down the first reaction is to actually look down. Soul Light sighed as Fluttershy squeaked in terror and her limbs spread out in an attempt to catch herself. Causing her to get stuck on the two sides of the cliff as her rear hooves met the first side and the front met the side with her friends. Soul nudged her to safety with rainbow dash and we continued onwards.

As we walked on eventually we ended up in what Twilight called 'the avalanche zone' it looked no different than any other part of the mountain and both soul and Fluttershy made to comment but was interrupted with her Shushing us and the rest of her friends. Soul sighed resigning himself to simply floating behind Fluttershy. Rainbow brushed through a tree branch halfway there causing two leaves to fall slowly towards Fluttershys' flank. Soul noticed this and knocked them away with a small burst of heat pushing the leaves away. Considering how easy this pony is to scare... Soul thought grimly only for Twilight to trip with a loud, "Oomph." that echoed throughout the canyon. Soul sighed as rocks started falling down, "Avalanche!" Everypony screamed causing more rocks to start falling. I looked at the incoming storm of rocks. As the rock descended I charged a familiar ball of energy that dark and ghost type pokemon were infamous for, shouting out as I started the move my body had started, "Dark Pulse!" with that soul sent a scattering of explosive darkness into the rocks pulverizing the first wave of it into a dust cloud but it wasn't enough to but buy a few seconds of time. soul spun drawing more energy into his claws before firing off his next move, "Hidden Power!" using the next wave of rocks to destroy the ones behind it and shatter the wave behind that with residue energy.

He noticed everypony was clear at that point and he himself floated hurriedly out of the way, counting everypony he saw he sighed relieved that everypony had made it and they watched as the rest of the rocks tumbled down flooding their path with dirt and stone. Occasionally Soul would deflect a stray rock back into the fall but it mostly just flooded the path where they had been rather than where they were now. Soon it came to a halt and Twilight was able to speak no longer silenced by the sound of the avalanche, "That was a close one."

"No kidding, what the hay was that Twilight." Was Rainbow, flapping her wings and shaking off the dust and dirt that had collected on her during the fall. Soul copied the motion, spinning off a layer of dirt that had formed on him. Rarity spoke up taking out a bright pink and white striped scarf, "Lost my scarf but luckily a lady always packs extra Accessories, oh please tell me I have the tiara that goes with this."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and flew up to her, "I think we have bigger problems than seeing if our hair bows match our horseshoes." she stated voice thick with sarcasm for her friend as she gestured to the large rock and dirt pile.

Soul looked up, the smoke was getting awfully close, which meant that the cave was nearby this height, "Actually." he began loud enough to be heard, "I have a solution to this problem judging if the height is right."

"Oh do you now?" Rainbow stated, her voice challenging.

"Ever seen an Earth pony or unicorn fly?" Soul asked and Applejack grinned in understanding and Fluttershy even looked a tiny bit smug as she knew where this was going.

"Hey Rainbow." Applejack stated, "Bet ya twenty bits that soul can get us up there by the count o' a hundred." Applejack stated pointing up towards the cliff above the group.

"Heh, you’re on!" Rainbow stated.

"Great. now everypony mind standing close together before we start this timer, Rainbow is exempted of course since your flying. “Soul stated and Rainbow flew up to the next cliff face to watch.

Soul sighed as they lined up side to side and collected the energy that would be needed, he shouted out, "Start Timer!" and Rainbow began counting slowly, thinking that there was no way that he could move five ponies one by one up to her. Well that was swell, since Soul hadn't been planning to do that. Instead, he said quietly, "Calm Mind, Telekinesis." His special attack and special defense went up and he grabbed all five of the ponies and heaved them into the air, in the distance he saw Rainbows' eyes bug out at the sight of five flying ponies who weren't moving to fly and Soul heaved the five upwards into the air depositing all five right next to Rainbow in ten seconds flat.

When they had regained their bearings on the ground Applejack stated smugly, "Seems somepony owes me twenty bits. Rainbows' jaw was still dropped open and Twilight moved closer to shut it, only for it to come open in speech a second later, "How in the hay?! How did you do that."

Soul spoke without hesitation, "In my world some races of pokemon have mastery of the mind to the point that they are able to interact Psychically with the world and cause differences in the physical spectrum. Unicorns here seem to operate on the same way albeit on the smaller scale than most psychic pokemon, Twilight exempted of course."

A loud snore from the cave with smoke coming out of it interrupted their conversation. Twilight took the opportunity to restore order while Applejack collected her bits from Rainbow, "Alright girls. This is it, now we confront this dragon."

Twilight turned pacing in pace in front of them, everypony else and Soul Light lined up at this militaristic voice Twilight was using, "Rainbow Dash, I want you to scout out the cave from the smoke." Rainbow bolted off into the smoke layer after it was ordered as Twilight continued, "Applejack, I want you ready with your apple bucking skills in case the situation gets violent." Applejack tossed two apples from her bag into the air with her mouth and kicked them into the tree breaking the apples, Soul's left eye twitched in disbelief at this...weak offensive. That would stun smaller pokemon for sure but something producing that much smoke would be much larger than apples could do to harm.

Twilight turned towards Pinkie pie and Rarity, "Pinkie pie, Rarity I want you two to serve as distractions in case negotiations break down." Pinkie started shaking a rubber chicken to and fro while rarity stared at Pinkie then at Twilight before giving a confused and disgruntled look while pointing at herself as if saying without words, "me and her, really now?"

Twilight looked at soul and Fluttershy, " you two will be coming with me to confront the dragon. Soul I need your light to light the cave as we go in and Fluttershy your skills with animals will prove handy." Fluttershy squeaked and Soul started, "About that Twiligh-"

"Now with rolls assigned lets go." Twilight marched in. A minute later after realizing that neither Soul nor Fluttershy had followed her in she came back looking annoyed as Rainbow came back out of the smoke layer, "Come on Fluttershy." she stated pulling her by the wings out of the ground she had buried her face in. The amount of dirt this pony was avoiding despite having been dragged through a mile of it and pressing her face in it was amazing to say the least, "Every second we waste is another acre of Equestria covered in smoke!" Fluttershy dug her hooves in as Twilight tried pushing her. Soon joined by the other ponies as they pushed her, Soul tried commenting but was drowned out as the friends tried encouraging her to go on.

Soon as they had stopped talking, all of them crunched together behind Fluttershy she said quietly, "I...I can't..."

All five of them dived out from different directions with the same word groaned, "Ughh...."

"Why the hay not?" Twilight asked in frustration.

Fluttershy spoke inaudibly.

"What was that Sugar cube?" Applejack asked.

She spoke inaudibly again.

"Huh?" both rarity and Pinkie stated.

Soul sighed and floated over to Fluttershy, touching her shoulder with a Metal arm in an attempt of comfort, she looked at him with an expression completely close to tears and begging for help, he nodded and said the words for her, "She is afraid of dragons." Soul stated for her.

"Fluttershy, I've seen you walk up to a full grown enraged manticore like it was nothing." Rainbow stated from the air face hoofing in the process.

Fluttershy turned and looked at him, "That’s because he was not a dragon."

"But Fluttershy," Twilight reasoned, "You have skills dealing with all kinds of animals."

"Because they aren't dragons." Was Fluttershys’ logic speaking again.

"But Spike is a dragon and you’re not afraid of him." Pinkie pointed out hopping to and fro bouncing.

"yes, because," Fluttershy began taking a deep breath in before saying out quickly, “he is not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite, totally all grown-up dragon!"

The dragon snored and Fluttershy whimpered an adorable sound while grabbing soul from his floating position and hiding behind him. He was shocked momentarily by the sudden action but didn't move away seeing as she was using him as cover. Twilight sparkle raced around to look at her before exclaiming, "But, if you're so afraid of dragons, why didn't you say something before we came all the way up here?"

Fluttershy whimpered and stated quietly, "I was afraid to." Rainbow dash made an 'Augh' sound in disbelief in the air and the earth bound ponies face hoofed.

"Listen here sugar cube." Applejack stated calmly, recovering first by far, "We are all afraid of that dragon."

"I’m not!" Rainbow stated.

Applejack rolled her eyes, "Well most of us anyway, but we've got a job to do. So, get in there with Twilight and soul and show them what you're made of."

"I..." Fluttershy began cringing behind soul a bit more as her friends leaned in, "I..." they started to smile encouragingly, "I...Just can't..." All of them face hoofed at the same time.

"Oh Fluttershy..." they heard Twilight murmur, "I Guess... I'll go in... Maybe he just doesn’t know what he is doing in his sleep."

Soul shook his head in disagreement moving Fluttershy to behind a boulder for safety. It took less than two minutes for Twilight to come out coughing, "No luck."

Rainbow Dash flapped once landing next to Twilight, "So much for persuading him."

Applejack joined in Rainbows' statement baffled, "Now what?" Luckily Rarity had an idea, "Obviously, this situation just calls for a little 'pony charm'. Allow me, girls."

It took one minute before an angry roar was heard and Rarity sprinted out of the cave diving behind an rock half the size she was. Twilight went to confront her as Pinkie pie ran past a tree momentarily hiding herself and coming out the other side in a completely ridiculous costume. Everyone stopped to stare at her. "What is that supposed to be?" Rainbow asked looking confused at the gift wrapped flipper wearing balloon totting pony with sunglasses and a party blower.

"Well I was thinking to get him to laugh. Getting somepony to laugh always gets them on your side." Pinkie pie stated before going into the cave. less than five seconds had passed before she came back out her costume a wreck, "He didn't want to laugh." she stated disappointed and earning a face hoof from Rarity. Rainbow yelled out stomping a hoof before taking to the air, "We tried Negotiations, we tried charm, and we tried whatever pinkie pie did. Now it comes to force!" Rainbow rocketed into the cave. I went to watch and was in time to see her kick a giant red dragon in the nose only causing it to sneeze once before it roared. The roar alone knocked Rainbow into the rest of the group knocking them over not stopping until everypony but Fluttershy(who was still behind the boulder) was knocked over. Vaguely I recalled a bowling game term, "strike!" I said to nopony in particular a bit woozy from the recent ram.

Before we could even recover We were all knocked into a boulder by a large force of smoke. pushing him and everypony into a rock. Rather hard. breaking the rock Fluttershy had been hiding ignorant of the scene unfolding. The following video unfolded.

Soul just looked at what had just happened, his response was mainly consisting of the same four letter word being repeatedly stated in slowly increasing tones of disbelief at what had just happened, "What?!"

the expressions he had taken with his body had also slowly slouched by the end of the crying he was slumped over holding his front in both his frames. He dimly recalled a quote he heard once whispering it to himself, "Always the quiet ones you need to watch. For they are the real threat in the group four times out of five. No matter what they show outwardly, hurt their friends and you’re a dead man."

Soul wondered what the Pegasus pony had done to terrify a full groan dragon to tears, but then again he didn't want to know. It worked he guessed as the dragon flew off a large bag of jewels and gold around the dragon. He realized something then and there, "Hey wouldn't that dragon's snoring now be another nations problem?"

"Oh i'm sure everything is going to be completely fine." Twilight assured Soul, she was too busy thinking of her latest friendship report to send to Celestia.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meanwhile in the land of the griffon empire.

The king was a very busy man, constantly sorting out new treaties with the various griffon tribes and uniting them under his rule, the entire operation was extremely fragile and one wrong move could start a large war within its own borders. The last thing he needed was the dragon to land in the cave next to his castle which refused to move stating that the equestrian ponies were a lot scarier and going back to sleep. Covering the griffon kingdom with what would be smoke for a hundred years. Many griffons would come and try to stop the dragon and it's nap but none would succeed in beating the giant beast. It was truly a glum hundred years from then on.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am happy to report that the dragon has departed our fair country, and that it was my good friend, Fluttershy, who convinced him to go. This adventure has taught me to never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can help you overcome even your greatest fears.

Always your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.

Author's Note

This is hopefully the first and last time I use video to sumerize the STARE fluttershy gave without making Soul completely aware of it. Allons-y towards the next chapter to write... After some sleep. Whatever that is.

Look Before you Bite

"Sublime upon sublime scarcely presents a contrast, and we need a little rest from everything, even the beautiful."
-Victor Hugo

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

[So I have been thinking.] Soul had stated to Night Lily who was munching on yet another of the Everfrees predators, three days after the dragon incident in which Fluttershy had surprisingly glared down, [We really need to find or build a real shelter.]

[What makes you say that?] Lily had replied before resuming her meal of Cockatrice meat.

[Well Twilight said there was a storm scheduled for tomorrow. Though I do not know if that would include the Everfree Forest.]

Lily yawned, [It wouldn't. The Everfree does its own thing without Pegasus aide. Freaks most of them out so they tend to stay away in the first place.]

[Well it would still be nice to have someplace to live inside of in case it is ever stormy here.]

[It is called a cave.] Lily snorted unconcerned.

[Or a house or hut,] Lampent argued back ideas forming in his head, [Think about it, sleeping on a nice soft pillow instead of the ground all the time or having a nicer place to store food so your diet isn't as sporadic as it has been.]

Lily rolled her eyes as well as her head, [Whatever you say Boss. If you’re looking for a building there’s an old abandoned one that the ponies made a long time ago.]

[Great where is it?]

[Deep in the Everfree, I can take you there if you want. Though the place was pretty beaten down compared to it in its glory.]

[Alright show me.]

Without further words traded Lily stood up and trotted towards the North West with the Lampent in tow. Eventually after a mess of vines and bushes being cleared away Lily came to a halt behind the last set of trees blocking their line of sight. She quietly spoke up, [I do not know why this was built where it was but powerful magic remains there, I would tread carefully for a while until we have completely claimed this area for our own. We are not alone in the Everfree forest Boss.]

[Well it’s a no brainer that we aren't alone. Though thanks for the warning about the castle. Now let’s see it.]

Night Lily shook her head smiling at Soul's lack of tact, she pushed forward into the rising sunlight of the day momentarily blinding Soul into the process, as his eyes adjusted he was stunned by the view from the hill they were on.

When soul had finished taking in the image his brain pointed out the various flaws with the state of it, nothing that couldn't be repaired with time but still a problem [Wow that is an impressive building alright though there’s just a few problems with it...]

[That would be what boss?]

[Well from here I can see all of it lacks a roof, and that it is more of a ruin than a castle. I will have to see if we can get a few ponies to help us reconstruct it if we want to use it.]

[Okay then... so you are serious about this huh?]

[Yep. Now let us see if it is occupied or not.]

Together, Soul Light and Night Lily headed off down the hill towards the castle ruins.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The Manticore pup couldn’t have found a worse day to explore his surroundings. Today she had gone out of her cave to explore the forest in search of her next meal only to run into, literally, a trio of hungry Lions. While a full grown Manticore like her father would be able to take care of this easy, a pup could at most handle one of the three that had chased her. Unlike her Father, she wasn't big enough, strong enough, or producing venom from the tip of her scorpion like tail as a full grown Manticore could. The only reason why she was outside in the first place was because her father had vanished from the forest over a week ago and she had no sign of him ever returning again.

She had managed to elude the lions through the Everfree for half an hour, not an easy feat by any means, but her arms and legs were tiring and becoming sore from exertion when she had spotted the abandoned ruins. She gave it her remaining strength to charge into the half destroyed ruins and knock open a door only to shove it shut behind her and put the entirety of her weight against it. Three thuds followed not a second after of three bodies ramming into the door. a Paw scratched at the door loudly while a sneering blood thirsty voiced whispered menacingly from the other side, [Come out, come out and play with us little one. We promise to make your death swift and eat you with respect.]

The young manticore shivered but didn't respond. Her ears picked up the sound of the other two lions moving around for another entrance. This wouldn’t be hard providing the state these ruins were in. What struck her as odd though was how there was no more force on the door just scratching on the large rotted oak construction. Quietly the manticore took a few halting steps towards a set of stairs that lead deeper in, the only choice left for her. She was halfway there when a set of wooden doors opposite of her and the lion started to move. She dived behind a pile of fallen stones nearby, the sound causing the lions to burst through the door she had previously been blocking not minutes before.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Both the lions and soul were surprised by each other, however Lily was not. Sensing danger from these three Lions from the hungry looks on their faces and their threatening pose, she lunged forward for the first strike, almost casually leaping across the room and landing on the closest' back ripping at the back of its neck under its fluffy circular mane. Soul and the lion being attacked were the next to recover, one floating up higher into the air and the lion with lily on his back trying to knock the aggressive Timber Wolf into the wall to get her off. The attempt was in vain as the lion was wider than the wolf only halting Lily’s attack for a fraction of a second before she resumed clawing and biting with all the fervor of a rabid bear attacking a trapped fish.

Soul in contrast was beginning to have a frustrated time with the lions he was fighting. Normally he would use fire for such an encounter but with his wooden friend nearby he didn't dare. Instead he resorted to some of his less standard attacks, "Acid". He stated before spraying hide-melting quality acid from where his mouth would be onto the lions. Causing them both to yowl in pain as they burned and their defenses went down. They also seem blinded from the acid attack, flailing about with their eyes shut as they roared at him. Unimpressed soul took a deep breath in before starting his next attack, "Smog."

He spewed a cloud of poisonous smoke directly into the roaring lion’s mouths’ choking them with the smoke cloud and causing them to retch and gag on the foul air. One turned green from becoming poisoned and demoralized they hightailed out of the building, running into each other constantly. The lion that was being attacked by Night Lily fell down at last under her brutal ripping and tearing collapsing into a bloody heap under her ministrations. Soul felt himself relax, while he floated over and collected the lion's soul before sending it off to be judged by Lord Arceus. This world was a lot easier than the one he came from, not that he was complaining.

The sound of a soft scuffling made itself apparent to them and Lily wasted no energy all but flying across the room in a single bound and landing on something behind a pile of stone that made a loud Squeak of fear. Curiously Soul followed to what Lily had landed on, [Who is it?]

[Manticore Pup.] Lily stated growling at the Manticore that was about as tall as a pony that she was standing on.

[Relax Lily, if she was hostile she would of attacked first. Why don't you carve up that lion and eat your fill while I talk to this... Pup.]

Lily sighed and stepped off the pup, turning around towards the lion who was still bleeding all over the floor, [Whatever you say boss.]

Gesturing for the Pup to stand up, Soul floated down before resting on the remains of a stone pillar nearby, [Hello, I am Soul Light, friends call me Soul. What's your name.]

There was a lack of response as the young manticore paused to consider this act of mercy instead of becoming lunch for the two potential predators that had easily handled the life threatening situation she had been in, she spoke up her tone betraying her gender and youth, [I... am Rose Roar. Daughter of Manny Roar and Pearl Roar...]

[Where are your parents? Surely they would want to know where their daughter was in these dangerous woods.]

[... I don't know, Mother died giving birth, and Father left a week ago and never returned. I lived perfectly fine alone before those Lion's showed up. Thanks but don't think this will be over, those lions will probably be back with reinforcements.]

Curious, an organization of animals in the Everfree perhaps? He inquired, [What do you mean reinforcements?]

His response came from Night Lily instead of the Manticore, [Lions tend to live in large Packs or Prides as the ponies call them. Life is harsh in the Everfree though so most Prides have united long ago into a central Pride almost a hundred lions strong. They give my kind a bad name by leaving dead bodies half eaten everywhere and having the blame put on us instead. A pack however wouldn't just leave a dead body, we would bury the bones for later if we wanted them after stripping it of its flesh.]

[Oh...]

[So boss,] Lily asked aloud, [What are you going to do about that pup?]

[I was thinking actually about having her come with us. Unless either of you have any objections.]

Lily and Rose considered the statement, Lily nodding first a minute later,[Could always need a new pack member.]

Rose thought, but the more she thought the more she was resigned herself to joining. Manticores, even young ones, did have a code of honor. If someone or thing had saved or helped a Manticore, the Manticore would be duty bound to do the same. Manny Roar her father was helped by a yellow pony and as a result that pony and her friends were allowed free way across his territory for a few days. Having her Life saved even on accident indebted her to them. She spoke her tone a mixture of both a quiet wind and a church bell, [You two saved my life, by Manticore code I will do as you ask and join until such a moment as I can repay that debt.]

Soul would of smiled if he could, instead he patted her on the shoulder, [Congrats your our third member. Lily mind telling her the rules with dealing with ponies while I check out the rest of this place?]

[Sure Boss,] Lily paused from eating to gesture the Manticore to come closer before resuming her feast while explaining how they interacted with ponies.

Soul glided away while they chatted, Exploring the rest of the castle for inhabitants. Luckily enough the rest of the ruined castle only had plant life in the form of vines and weeds. Upon his return he found the two having fun joking with each other.

[So then I said, Oatmeal? You crazy?] The two burst out laughing.

[Sorry to interrupt, but I will be clearing a path to Ponyville. Just to let you two know.]

[How do you plan to do that?] Rose and Lily asked at the same time.

Soul grinned with his eyes, [Replanting.]

[What?] Lily asked.

[You'll see. Come get me if you run into anymore Lions and what not.]

Soul looked in the direction of the stormy clouds in the distance and left the building, starting to clear a path with his powers of Calm mind to boost his power temporarily and Telekinesis to move the trees. Elsewhere a trio of ponies would be having a sleepover in Twilight's library.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"There’s a tree in my tree. This isn't how trees reproduce!" Twilight shouted at the tree in her house that Applejack had lassoed in.

"Well if Applejack hadn't of underestimated her brutish strength maybe it wouldn't of happened in the first place!"

"Ah said I’m Sorry!" Applejack retorted.

The argument went on for several more lines before Twilight butted in, "Enough! This is the worst sleepover ever and it's the only one I've ever had..." Twilight looked miserable and trotted downstairs leaving the two friends of hers alone to their argument.

The argument had halted with Twilights statement and the two felt ashamed with how they were acting towards their friends. In a normal tone devoid of rage and sass, Applejack started conversation with Rarity, "Look, I'm sorry, alright?"

"What was that?"

Applejack took a deep breath from her makeshift burial of a giant tree in the tree house before starting again, “I said I'm sorry! I should ‘a listened to you when you noticed where this here branch would end up. Yer annoyin' attention to detail would'a saved us from this whole mess. But right now, ya need to stop bein' so dang fussy pickin' up all the little things and help me move the one big thing in here that actually matters! Please!"

Rarity shook her head in a negative and stated her voice slightly disgusted, "But I'll get all icky."

Applejack had to resist stomping a hoof at that, continuing on in a voice of one would tell a filly Applejack replied in turn to her friend, "Yes, ickiness is often a side effect of hard work. But y'all need to get over it, on account I just can't fix this mess I made myself. I need your help."

Rarity considered for a moment, before giving way as another branch flew in through the obstructed open window and whacked her in the face, she shook her head to clear it and glared at the offending tree, "Oh. Let's do this."

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Moving well set trees in the Everfree was harder than it looked. For one the trees were firmly rooted against being moved so he had to quietly inch his telekinesis around the roots and give them a subtle tug to dislodge each of the tall trees, then displace the well set ground as he moved the tree into the pair of lines with a path wide enough for three carriages to go through easily. So he attempted such bursts of energy in short periods rather than a constant flow. He was halfway between the castle and Ponyville when he decided to take a break. Looking behind him he winced at the upheaved dirt and cleared away ground that looked significantly uglier than when he had started but also felt pride at the neatly arranged trees that each had enough space between each one to be able to grow comfortably but also keep out any threats bigger than a few inches.

A noise in a nearby brush to his left disrupted his thoughts on the path he was carving out of the forest; quickly he rotated in place to come face to face with a cloaked pony like figure with glowing yellow eyes, her face cloaked in the darkness of her cowl. Both stared at each other for several minutes of rising intensity before Soul broke the silence, "Who are you?"

Chapter 11: Gossips of Stripe

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”
― Socrates
---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

He waited for a response from the cloaked pony, when no come he moved closer a few inches. The cloaked one took a step back the light catching a glimpse of her face, "A Zebra?" Soul stated surprised. So far he had only met ponies, the fact that Zebra's might be here as well never crossed his mind.

"A Zebra I indeed be, but your kind I have yet to see." came a serious yet singsong reply from the cloaked zebra, "I am Zecora of the Everfree, who do you be?"

"Soul Light, A Lampent of a place far far away from here. Guess a resident of here and the nearby village too now." Soul stated back, again surprised due to her ryhmes as the zebra took off her hood, no longer seeing the need to hide.

"Tell me then why, that you do not run and cry?" The Zebra stated cryptically.

"Pardon?"

Zecora raised an eyebrow, "The ponies of ponyville run and hide, for reasons I can not abide. I simply wish for herbs and cures, with my intentions pure."

Soul face-palmed with his black metallic length of iron like substance for an arm, "Haven't you noticed that these ponies freak out at the most rediculous things?"

"How so, do you know?" Zecora leaned in now curious.

"Well for one they ran from a stampede of baby bunnies."

Zecora deadpanned, "Oh I see, these ponies are not as courageous as can be."

Soul had no comment, he didn't want to be completely rude by this conversation to the residents of ponyville, not behind their backs anyway. A conversation change was in order, "So you live in the Everfree?"

Zecora nodded before replying in her own questioning voice, "Yes I be living in the Everfree, As do you as you say to me."

"Moving into that ruined castle up the path I am making through the forest, How about you?"

Zecora shook her head, "That castle has a dark past, worse than a broken ship mast. Be careful where you tread, lest you end up one of the dead."

Soul chuckled at that statement, drawing Zecora to continue not understanding, "Be warned that I make no joke, my warning is not a hoax."

Soul motioned with his arms in soothing gesture, "No, it's not that. I am merely laughing at an inside joke on the subject of joining the dead."

"How pray tell, would that be funny at all to laugh as a chiming bell."

"Because technicly I am already dead."

Zecora backed away suddenly, "Spirits and Ghosts, be what I dislike most."

"No I am not a Spirit or ghost in your traditional terms of being a maliginate being. I would tell you my roll in this world if it didn't make others hate me for it in the last place I have been."

"Hate and fear, be things familar this year. What be your roll, child called Soul."

"Well..." Soul started, unsure if to continue or not. He wasn't a liar at heart but he hardly knew this pony. In contrast she was suffering under the same superstitions supposedly as the rest of the community, "I am the collecter of souls for the Everfree and Ponyville. Though very little actual death goes on in Ponyville so the Everfree is the real one in need."

Zecora's stripes seem to pale and Soul stated quickly seeing the response several wild pokemon in the past had given him before, "No your not dead, I am in the realm of the living as well as a ghost of my formal self under my lord Arceus and Lord Giratina to collect the souls of the fallen that get left behind."

She recovered quicker than most ponies he knew would of if ever, "Your voice rings true, yet I do not believe you.I know Mort be reaper of the dead, not a lamp that looks wanting for bed."

"If you choose not to believe me it is fine. What do you do then?"

"I am a Alchmenist true to my work, brewing potions to cure ill if eaten with spoon and fork."

"Noble profession you have chosen then." Soul commented, "Why they fear one who practices medicine and creation through herbs in a land so peaceful then is beyond me."

"This land be paranoid from Nightmare Moon's brief return, a threat that would of left many stones turned."

"You mean that mare in the moon?" Soul shot the question at Zecora, "Thought she was a 'old ponies tale'."

"Not so, it was a tale of woe. Luckily however the bearers of the elements of harmony arrived, with all due haste and they strived. Come lets rest at my hutt, a tale we have much to discuss."

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The leader of the small army of Lions looked down on the survivors of the sudden fight with Soul and his party as they explained themselves through choking coughs and dissolved fur. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes for the third time through the half hour long explaination of the same things over and over again. Growing tired the king of the pride, Gold Fang cut the conversation with a loud growl, [So your basically saying that a strange lamp that spewed acid and poison and a timberwolf prevented you three from killing a young manticore and you were forced to retreat or die. Correct?]

The small hunting group's living second in command, now first due to their first being the one to die at the Timberwolfs' stuttered and stopped talking, nodding once. Gold Fang continued, [Go back to hunting then. I will send someone to take care of the situation.]

[But sir, we are severly injured with acid and the scent of poison still reeks out of us.]

gold fang roared,[Do you challenge my orders Runt!?]

[...N-No sir...]

[Good, then go back to hunting before I gut you like a deer.]

With that theat, the two lions bloody and wounded mustered up their strength to run from the cave their leader held 'court' in. When they had left he turned to his advisor, a thin bipedal like cat with a gem on his forehead. The cat could speak both the language of animals and the race it had called pokemon. As well as some race called humans but that was equestrian in Gold Fang's book. The cat had simply called itself a member of some gang called Team Rocket but the crew it wore around him, from the shoulder to the opposite waist held balls it had aquired that held creatures of incrediable powers and magic. The creature had refered to itself as Meowth, and one of the divine advisors at that. With proof of its powers from forming gold coins out of nowhere to summoning a giant snake that dwarfed even the largest pythons Gold Fang had seen and a Strange purple pair of conjoined balls in the second of six, he was easily beaten his strongest warriors save goldfang himself who almost killed the purple ball known as 'Wheezing' before the match came to a close.

Now Meowth was his advisor and strike team when something stronger than a hunting group of lions targeted his forces. The cat had asked for a lot in return of service, in the form of all the female cats he could find and any 'electronic' devices the pack had found in the forest. All of which was situated a room away from Gold fangs own. Now he called upon Meowths service for the second time since the cat had joined him not less than a few weeks ago, [Go exterminate this threat, and prove your worth yet again. Do so and you will find yet more of the cats and a few more bits of technology stolen from pony kind.]

The cat replied in plain english, "Ya,ya. I'm on it." and left with at a walking pace without another word.

Meowth already knew where to find these creatures due to the ramblings of the idiots that had just left. They had already called him once to displace a rather violent Quarry eel that had robbed a cave meant for storage, blind. This sounded a lot easier. Oh how wrong Meowth would be.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"I wish to see how they react to you Zecora first hoof. Sometime tomarrow if you don't mind." Soul stated, it had been a day since they had first met and the two already knew each other as much as soul knew lily.

"If first hoof you wish to see, then it will be." Zecora nodded glancing back towards the Manticore and Timberwolf, normally the two of the most feared and reowned creatures of the forest chatting with each other through a series of barks and bodily gestures.

While Lily and Rose were busy with getting to know each other he had already introduced Zecora to the two. While he had to translate... everything... They all seemed to get along quite well for a Zebra, a Manticore, and a Timberwolf.

Hours had passed leading day into night when the conversation finally died down to the four of them resting by a simple campfire outside of the ruins. Soon Zecora bid them goodnight and left the group to their own conversation. Both Lily and Rose gave similar sentiment before falling asleep as Soul offered to stay up for guard duty as usual. Sometimes being a ghost who dosen't need sleep is convient. He floated up high, stopping to rest on the highest point of the ruined mess hall they were camping in. Even ruined how it is he could see across the trees to Ponyville not very far away, he could also see the dim light of Zecoras' hut and the path that was still half way to ponyville.

Two hours passed by with nothing coming even close to the building. A few times he saw a faint glimpse of a seperate pack of Timberwolves and a few Panthers but a majority of what he saw during the night were bats of all shapes and sizes. Some of the bats were even made of fruit! Gradually an odd feeling came to him. The feeling of being watched with malicious intent. At once he scanned the area around the edge of the forest with his night adjusted eyes. But as soon as he started the feeling was gone. Yet his suspicion didn't lower. Instead it raised, his body stood up at attention and he looked away. Sure enough the feeling was back. Using the edge of his periphrials he spotted a pair of almost triangular eyes glaring at him with all the greed of a money grubber eyeing a new dollar. He began to plot what to do.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meowth was crouching in the bushes, belt of pokeballs around him looking achingly like they wanted to be used. Pokemon unlike humans, he noted, could carry more than six pokeballs. A feat which he had repeated throughout his carreer with stealing them by the bag loads. While he currently had six of his previous owners pokemon choosen as if by random (including pokemon who were even released before he had came here). He could not believe that yet another had showed its face in this dimension. Now he wanted it. Quietly he backed off choosing two on his belt and throwing them on the ground not five feet away. With a red outline fading as they were released from their pokeball, Wheezing and Arbok materialized in front of him. Meowth pointed in the ruined castles general direction stating in english, "heres the plan, go in, beat up the Timberwolf and Manticore those lions mentioned, and subdue the Lampent comrade for capture."

Wheezing looked at him curiously, [An Lampent? Here?]

Arbok had the same look on his snake like face, [This world holds the collector of the fallen?]

Meowth nodded, "Another member for Team Rocket once we capture him. I will personally take care of the Manticore pup. Wheezing, use your aerial abilities and smog to distract him long enough for Arbok to shatter the Timberwolf that was mentioned. Once both are subdued we will all gang up on the Lampent and capture him. I wont be using our other allies due to the lions watching us on the other side of the clearing. Keeping a few hidden weapons in reserve wouldn't hurt."

Both nodded at Meowths tactics. Revealing too much about their group to the unsteady alliance with the lions would be foolish at best. The three were already experianced fighters and used to working togther from their past work togther. With a quick nod the plan began to take action.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Likewise Soul was mentally speaking to his comrades who were preparing to ambush any would be ambushers. Their own plan intended they took up to surrounding the door and windows while Soul maintained his motionless post. Several minutes passed before he spotted the first one. The skirmish began. Both Wheezing and Lampent spewed a smoke cloud into each other at the same time both deflecting harmlessly up into the air as a resultant miniature tornado and Lampent leapt forward in a fire spin smashing forward into the wheezing as it attempted to ready another Smog through its two faces. The Wheezing halted its own attack seeing the encoming fire and narrowly dodged to the side before spewing yet another cloud out at the Lamp. Down below however Meowths plan began to fall apart before it even began.

Lily lunged upon the smaller of the two creatures who dived into the window, seeing the smaller to do the least damage but still be annoying with its attacks and leaving the larger of the two for the far stronger but slower Manticore pup. When the giant purple snake tried to attack the Timberwolf it was grabbed and thrown bodily into the middle of the floor where it was forced to fight it's Manticore Combatant. The snake lunged forward only to be uppercutted under the jaw snapping shut its jaw and sending it flying over the pup with a bruise. It turned and skidded circling around the Manticore pups powerful blows that reminded the Arbok of a fighting type. Narrowly the snake dodged and took the oppertunity to wrap up the pup forcing it to struggle while he readied his fangs to bite.

Meowth in contrast was extremely thankful his Pay day now worked. He didn't know if it was the curranecy change or that he was in a universe that was fundamentally differnt but he all but shotguned the paydays into the timberwolf standing on him shattering it in every which direction. He got up brushing himself up before he noticed the twigs quickly reforming back into the wolf, he was too late to react as the reformed wolf lunged at him again slashing every which way. The first slash made impact on the cat like pokemon but Meowth quickly replied in turn blocking each slash with a fury swipe. Jumping back he shot forward another payday which Lily promptly avoided by diving behind a pillar. Dashing around Meowth threw yet another of the pay day attack her way. It missed completely as the Timberwolf was no longer there, "Huh?" he said before he was tackled into a wall from behind.

Upwards the air was getting difficult to navigate as the clouds of smog were solid after use, Wheezing found itself using less of smog and more of poison gas and Sludge. Soul on the other hand was forcing the unfortunate gas bag to dodge constantly with wide fire attacks such as a flamethrower and a blast of fire that spread out in five different directions. The Wheezing regretted being pitted against this one sided match as it was forced to the ground to avoid yet another well aimed fire elemented attack. Only to get hit by a thrown Arbok as the snake was sent flying yet again by Rose throwing the just as misfortunate snake. Arbok had found out the hard way that a Manticore couldn't be poisoned which all but destroyed his attack strategy as a Poison type. The group was forced to recover again as the leader of the trio was thrown into the two poison types and a final blast of fire sent them skyward off into the distance before they could retaliate. The words, "Team Rocket is blasting off again!" was heard in both english and the pokemon language as they vanished.

overall three minutes had passed. Not five seconds later Lily and Rose were back asleep and Soul had resumed his post.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The next day Soul watched how the townspeople treated zecora, with amused results. Everywhere she went they treated her like she was the plague or a rampaging charizard and cowered in their houses. Noticing how a Confused looking Twilight was pulled in by a terrified pinkie pie. Soul floated to the door and knocked on it, hearing a series of surprised gasps and screams before it calmed down and he simply floated through the door as if it weren't there. Calmly he spoke up to the group of terrified friends, "Hey, we need to talk."

The Castle and the Snake(A Problem at sea part 1)

“The first glance at the pillow showed me a repulsive sentinel perched upon each end of it--cockroaches as large as peach leaves--fellows with long, quivering antennae and fiery, malignant eyes. They were grating their teeth like tobacco worms, and appeared to be dissatisfied about something. I had often heard that these reptiles were in the habit of eating off sleeping sailors' toe nails down to the quick, and I would not get in the bunk any more. I lay down on the floor. But a rat came and bothered me, and shortly afterward a procession of cockroaches arrived and camped in my hair. In a few moments the rooster was crowing with uncommon spirit and a party of fleas were throwing double somersaults about my person in the wildest disorder, and taking a bite every time they stuck. I was beginning to feel really annoyed. I got up and put my clothes on and went on deck.
The above is not overdrawn; it is a truthful sketch of inter-island schooner life.”
― Mark Twain, Roughing It

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

It had taken a while to convince the six terrified ponies but oddly enough it was Fluttershy who had been the first to be drawn out to go meet the herbalist. Under Soul's coaxing soon everypony but Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were talking to the Zebra. After Zecora had explained her profession and why she lived in the Everfree Twilight and Rarity were able to get Rainbow and Pinkie to warm up to her. Hours later most of Ponyville was warmed up to the Zebra as Pinkie pulled an all-out party. He waited for Twilight to free herself from conversation with one of the several Stallions that no doubt held interest in her that wasn't returned before speaking up in a conversational direct mental tone to her in the loud music from a DJ stand nearby, "Hey Twilight can you spare a few minutes? I have a question to ask."

"Sure Soul," Twilight shouted over the loud music that was playing, "Though mind if we go somewhere quieter?"

"How about the library?" Soul mentally shot her way again.

Twilight nodded and they went off, the sound of music fading away into ambient noise several blocks away. Twilight unlocked her library door with a key from under a mat and trotted in. Soul followed quickly after shutting the door quietly behind him before starting the conversation again with a question, "What is the currency system here?"

"Bits." Twilight stated surprised, "You mean you don't know?"

"Never had to buy anything in the Everfree." he shot back.

"Oh, right..."Twilight trailed off before standing perfectly straight, Soul winced as she took up a scientific pose and began in the voice of a teacher, "Bits are coins we ponies use to purchase items. They come in Gold, Silver, and bronze bits. They are worth quite a lot internationally due to the rarity of certain metals. The rate of bits goes one hundred Bronze for a silver, one hundred Silver for a gold, or ten thousand bronze bits for a gold bits all bits look the same as well as not to confuse anyone."

"What does a bit look like?" Soul asked intrigued. Vaguely he remembered the Meowth pokemon using Pay day, but it had shot a different currency.

Twilight pulled a bit out of a nearby bag and brought it to Soul for his inspection. The markings on it were plain and simple, the Equestrian flag decorated one side and a picture of a unicorn head was on the other side. Vaguely he recalled the various coins Meowth had shot out when attempting to dislodge Lily. His thoughts were interrupted as Twilight spoke up, "Um... Why do you want to know about it suddenly? Do you need to buy something?"

Soul would have grinned if he had a mouth, "Want me to show you what I am planning instead?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow, something that would require bits and the Everfree, "Yes." she stated.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Twilight stood in disbelief as she walked into the still in construction path towards the ruined castle. Her mouth had hanged open as they arrived at the castle that she and her friends had defeated nightmare moon in. "This would require a small fortune to fix if anypony was willing to even visit here to do reconstruction!"

"Small fortune huh?" Soul asked, "Give me a second."

Soul floated in and gathered up all the bits scattered around he could see about the place. wrapping the bits up in the remains of a decayed curtain he floated the makeshift bag outside and dropped it at Twilights feet before coming outside again himself. Curiously Twilight undid the curtain and she shouted out, "How the hay did you manage this?!"

"Would you believe me if I said a cat pokemon appeared out of nowhere, and shot gunned bits it made from a special ability called pay day at Lily scattering those everywhere three times?"

Twilight shook her head in a negative, speechless from the sheer amount of money that was in front of her. She closed her jaw with a hoof before speaking, "A third of this would fix this castle to a state that would envy Canterlot! Why the hay would a cat throw that much money at you?"

"usually the winner of the battle automatically gets the rewarded currency from pay day. My guess is that he used it in hopes of winning and getting richer. Sadly he failed and fled with his comrades. Though I am surprised that there are pokemon other than me here in the first place." Soul calmly said with his arms behind him, "would you mind um... contacting somepony to dispel any lingering harmful spells and some Masons and builders for reconstructing the castle?"

"Um... I can handle dispelling a few old spells though none should be left after this long. Stone Masons however will take a while. I will... get right on it."

"Thank you Twilight. Take what you need. I guess I will figure out what to do with the rest." Soul nodded to her and looked around stating thoughtlessly, "Wonder If I could start a small homestead or something. You know, a place for creatures and ponies alike to gather and live if they have naught else to go..."

Twilight beamed at Soul much to his own confusion, "What?"

"Oh, nothing. Just glad to see you’re not just planning to live in a castle with just yourself and a select group of friends."

"Why would I do that?"

"Not you specifically, some kinds of people dislike society enough to do any means to avoid them."

"Whatever, but Twilight I do have three requirements for if you want to take this on."

"What would that be?" Twilight asked leaning in curiously.

"The first thing is to make sure everything is fire-proof and tear resistant when decorating." Soul began, "I dislike accidently setting things on fire from touching them."

"That shouldn't be much of a problem, fire-resistance spells are common for castle decor." Twilight stated plainly, "The next two?"

"The second is to let me personally decorate my own room rather than the standard of the average castle. While I do not mind letting the mason workers repair the floor, walls, and ceiling. I would prefer to be able to decorate it personally."

Twilight nodded a notepad appearing from seemingly nowhere with quill and ink writing both down, "The third?"

I would like you personally to restock the library and repair any books that are left of it if any..."

Twilight nodded, "No problem, come visit my library in a week, I will have contacted a few ponies by then."

Soul nodded, "See you in a week."

Both parted ways to do their own tasks, Soul in his own work of finishing the tree clearing and ground smoothing path to Ponyville; Twilight to her studies and writing.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The next day Lily grabbed his attention as he was cleaning out the castle of rotten furniture, [Boss! Boss! a sea serpent needs your help! He won't take no for an answer.

The word sea alone brought shivers throughout soul's body, [Pardon?] he asked hoping that he had simply misheard her.

[A sea serpent named Steven Magnet needs your help. From the looks of what he showed me, for good reason too.]

[By sea serpent you mean a giant water dwelling lizard that could sink cities with a splash of his body?]

[Steven magnet isn't one of those kind.] Lily started, [For one he lives in a river, and he is a complete fashion diva. His problems are within your fire-power to solve. Literally.]

[For one I hate water.] soul stated resuming lifting out ruined moth eaten furniture, [And two I hate things that spew water with lethal force. You’re not getting me within thirty feet of him.]

[Really now?] Lily replied with a wolfy grin and a wag of her tail.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Two hours and twenty nine feet and ten inches from Steve Magnet later, [How did you get me to agree to do this again?] Soul asked Lily in an annoyed undertone as they stood in front of the very busy fashionist of a sea serpent.

[Well I won that bet of twenty questions, told you how Equestria was made, and found the card you buried under the tree. You agreed to do it if I did all of that successfully and I did. Now keep your word.]

[Still hate water.] Soul mumbled before coughing loudly to catch Stevens' attention.

"Oh I’m absolutely sorry, I must be wasting your time with my movements to and fro! You are Soul aren't you? Word is in the Everfree you’re the guy who repelled those Lions and their strike force!"

"Strike force?"

"The cat like creature and its strange exotic creatures with supernatural powers."

"Oh you mean pokemon."

"Whatever they are they certainly have made themselves a pest. They even threw the current problem of mine in my home." he whined, "and they are just awful!"

"What are...This 'they' that you speak of?"

"The most horrible thing, they look so cute and harmless at first but as they eat and multiply they start showing themselves as the real pest they are!"

"Okay? What do they look like?"

"Oh I have one captured in a jar for you to look at, dreadful things."

Steven Magnet reached in with one of his scrawny arms pulling out gingerly the pest that had plagued him. Soul looked upon the jar wondering what horror would be inside it. What could make a sea serpent run from its home and make it so afraid? Soul and Lily took in its appearance.

"You’re kidding right?"

Author's Note

Also since meowth Is level 50 or so in game-mans terms this means that Soul had 750 gold bits (level x 5 = payday, 3 paydays) now down to 500 for repair costs and refurnishing of the house.

Also anyone think that soul should try to get a job? If so what do you think he would be good at besides his reaper duty?

Chapter 13: Reoccuring pest (problem at sea part 2)

“I believed in immaculate conception and spontaneous combustion. I believed in aliens from outer space and vampires, prophecy, and the resurrection of the dead. I had deja vu many times each day. I was thirteen.”
― Kate Braverman, Small Craft Warnings: Stories

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"You can't be serious..." Soul had stated for the third time in a row as Steven magnet had his little diva style look of repulsion at the small creature that was working furiously to get its small cuteness out of the jar.

"Oh but I am, these little menaces eat everything that’s even remotely related to food and multiply! Even if you don't give them food they will if resting in one place multiply to two or three more quickly!" Steven shouted, "They do nothing but eat, multiply, obstruct you, and make your life as disrupted as possible!"

Soul gave Steven a quizzical stare, "how many of them were in your dwelling when you left?"

"After the first night there was hundreds!" Steven stated emphasizing his statement by making a large circle with his hands.

"And how long has it been since then?" Soul stated, starting to understand why this diva of a sea serpent was freaking out.

"The situation is worse than I thought then, very well show me where they are. Though Remember I am going to use fire to purge it so any damages done to flammable objects will probably happen." Soul gestured for Steven to lead on, Lily hanging back for a few moments, looking around as if for something, before continuing on.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meowth was plotting, he wanted that Lampent now. The thought of Lampent offering itself as a source of light for the boss to read and write in was irresistible fantasy that he could see himself being rewarded for such a useful and strong pokemon that he would make Meowth his personal assistant. As such he had told the Lions he needed information on this Lampent. Through the crows that had joined them months ago, he learned that Soul had pony friends of whom he could use to get to soul. Though he would have to study them first. In the meantime he had this portal back to his world to work on.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul found himself staring into the window of a house, built into the side of a cliff, complete with door and windows as well as an oil lamp hanging above the doorway that was more than three times bigger than him. A truly huge house worthy of being called a castle in size or a really large mansion if not. What struck him as odd was that it wasn't in the water as he thought but over it. Steven could apparently slither around like a giant snake while keeping his torso upward. He looked at his companion of wood then back towards the opposite side of the river was Steven was hiding behind a large boulder, then at the key that was bigger than Lily and him combined. It was rather surprising none of them escaped through the lock but then again the lock was a deadbolt. and the lock designed so that nothing small could come in or out of the lock.

Soul heaved the key into the lock and turned it with a resounding series of clicks and thuds turned and the lock came undone. Nodding to his companion he waved her off towards Steven, [Get back over to where he is hanging out, don’t want to accidently set you on fire as well. You and Steven can handle any that escape.]

[Got it boss.] Lily leapt onto the water, floating with her wooden body, and off onto the top of the boulder before laying down on it like a guard dog poised to strike.

Soul rolled his eyes and stated quite calmly,"Heat Wave" The air around him seemed to catch on fire almost instantly in heat while he opened the door.

Hundreds of Parasprites died at once in the intense heat as his head in, none escaping alive before he could shut the door behind him. Thousands upon thousands of the small insects were everywhere inside. Once lavish furniture for a giant now nests for the small creatures. What were once dark blue walls, covered in rips and tears showing the smooth stone beneath as miniature nests were formed. It was the Parasprite equivalent of walking into a hive of Beedrills, he compared. Several of the small bugs flew towards his flame drawn in before being burnt to death by the remainder of his heat wave. His eyes grinned in a dark way causing several of the creatures to shiver while emotionlessly maintaining their little smiles, "Well what's stopping you from eating you now? The fact that you’re out of food? Well here I am you little pests. COME AT ME!" soul shouted to the swarm of bugs.

Soul's yell had drawn the attention of almost every Parasprite in the room. As if one they all turned to face him and flew at him, each stretching their little mouths to many times their original size. Soul smiled with his eyes and fire formed around him as he started forward, "Flame Charge."

Soul spiraled though the small bugs with a covering of fire leaving several hundreds dead in his wake and the tightly packed swarm setting each other on fire as it spread from the proximity each was to the next. More than a tenth in the one room house had died now littering the floor in flaming corpses before they could unpack and spread out to avoid their flaming brothers. The swarm lunged again as Soul spun in a circle, spewing fire everywhere he looked as his internal flame grew from collecting the fallen, while miniscule, and souls of the Parasprites had offered a massive increase in mass numbers with the rate they had died in. With the collection Soul's inner flame grew quickly almost doubling in size as he continued on. Spinning to swat some of the sneakier bugs away from him he all but shouted, "Flamethrower!"

The Parasprites once again scattered in every direction from the pillar of fire that erupted from the front of his flame originating from his inner flame, while most got out of the way initially the cramped quarters of a single large room flooded with tens of thousands if not millions of Parasprites found themselves once again suffering heavy causalities, with more than half of their swarm gone they were getting more desperate. At one point they all tried rushing Soul from every direction to their own dismay as he carved another chunk out of the swarm, their flaming bodies bouncing off him harmlessly and the fires increasing his own strength as well. Several managed to try and bite him but failed to pierce his metal frame with their toothless jaws. Shaking them off Soul brought his metal limbs together in front of him before spreading them out a dark ball forming between the tips, "Dark Pulse!" he stated sending a scattering of dark fragments in every direction, felling the current front rank of Parasprites around him.

Soul collected their souls as well as he backed away as a wave of the creatures tried to ram him. The creatures instinctively backed away as his voice started again defending by scattering everywhere, "Calm mind," Soul's concentration increased exponentially and the Parasprites seeing no attack incoming dared another attack only to get halted at once by Soul with his almost deadly quiet, "Psychic" wrapping the remaining masses up together into a ball covered in a light pink glow.

Gathering his energy for a final attack Soul gathered his power and seemed to grin at the squirming rainbow of ball shaped Parasprites, their noises were gibberish showing a lack of true sentience of that of a single cell organism in degree. This wasn't murder, it was pest control. He was going to finish this in the next attack, his internal flame, a tad bit too large at this point to fit comfortably into his frame shrunk as he began his next move,"Overheat." His frame turned red as a pillar of pure white destructive hungry fire with red spirals around it shot out of him like a Sharpedo after its prey and rammed into the masses blowing a hole through it.

The resounding explosion of flaming bugs broke his hold over them as death took the masses of parasites that were called Parasprites in a blinding and deafening roar of white light. The windows shattered and the front door was thrown off its hinges as the explosion took hold and when it cleared the room was a barren cave with several feet of ash covering the floor like a black beach. He felt weakened from using such a destructive move, but then again it was vital none of these creatures had fled elsewhere to cause their havoc. His soul however was still a good deal taller than it once was however.

As he turned to leave he didn't notice an act of a Parasprite, badly burnt, eating the ashes next to its decaying form and spitting out a new one before it died. The new Parasprite taking to the air after he had left and heading off and away unknowingly towards Ponyville.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meanwhile in the room of judgment...

"What in my name are these things and why are there millions of them in my court room!" Arceus shouted, blasting aside several hundred of the bugs that had attempted to land on him for the umpteenth time.

"I don't know boss but I think they are dead awaiting judgment!" Giratina shouted unsuccessfully trying to shake off all of the Parasprites that had landed on him as well, the scene was completely ridiculous.

Giratina looked like someone had glued a rainbow made of tennis balls and small wings on him and Arceus had to keep shaking the things off as they kept landing on him in an imitation of undergarments that he deemed highly inappropriate. Dialga and Palkia, visiting on Arceus's behalf were no better, an argument sparking up while they developed afros and mustaches made of the Parasprites. Order had been broken completely and Arceus's patience wore thin. As yet more of the creatures did as they pleased rather than listen to any orders given by the creator of the pokemon universe, he finally lost his patience with the small things, "Judgment. Guilty." At once all of the bugs vanished into the plane of greed, leaving the room depressingly normal in gold and red hues and leaving nothing but Arceus, Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga in the room present.

With a curt order from Arceus, Dialga and Palkia shut their newest argument for later and Giratina sighed, "Next one boss?"

"Yes, though if it is another of those bug things I am going to take the rest of the day off."

It was yet another Pidgey, "Okay this is getting ridiculous." Arceus stated with as much of a ticked off expression he could pull without a mouth, "Who keeps killing these things. This bird is an endangered species in all but one region now because of how many have been killed off by trainers. Who killed you?"

[Oh? I died by suffocation when I tried to eat a Weedle.] The Pidgey stated with slightly crossed eyes.

"What?"

[I died choking on a Weedle?]

"..."

[Lord Arceus?]

That day many Pidgeys were slapped in the face by their creator whenever they tried to eat the poisonous bug pokemon known as a Weedle.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Looking back Soul noticed that the house had a green like gas leaking out of it, a after effect of burning countless amounts of things made of something not quite flesh or plant. The expressions on Steven and lily's face confirmed it for him. The place must stink of burnt material and death currently. Even though he had succeeded and wiping the swarm from existence in this world the house would probably stink for several years before something that could smell would even consider going in there.

"Well, they are dead now." Soul stated, wiping some soot off his lid.

Steven sighed, "As well as my house, where will I live now..."

Soul shrugged, "You could always move into the castle with us in the Everfree, it is not so far away after all."

Lily nodded backing a few more feet away to avoid the smell a bit better with her sensitive nose, [Agreed here boss though I think that was a tad bit overkill for a swarm of bugs.]

"Didn't want any of them escaping and causing havoc for somepony else." Oh how wrong Soul would be.

Steven Magnet, the sea serpent of the river spoke up, "Would you mind if I moved in and built a hut next to the castle? I need my own space for crafting and I dislike the way bricks feel on my scales. I will give you my services if you need them when I move in however, I am a master of designers among my kind. Mostly because a majority of us tend to be fishermen of a sort for a country far far west of this land."

"Would be honored, welcome aboard." Soul nodded bodily towards the giant sea serpent. Maybe not all water creatures were that bad. Maybe, Soul reminded himself, maybe.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meanwhile less than three miles away the new Parasprite floated towards an picnic basket only to be intercepted by a yellow mare with a pink mane, putting on its best cute face he was adored by the mare, "My aren't you the cutest thing ever!" Fluttershy began.

Author's Note

Ran a mock battle with several newborn weedles vs a level 50 Lampent using my friend for help. He's a decent breeder and had six with Attract, bite, Recover, and tackle. Lampent fought them in a tripple battle and won in two turns killing all three each turn. Considering the birth mechancis a ton of level 1 parasprites arent that challenging if they die like bugs to a bug zapper. The fact that they were only able to eat non-food stuff like wood and metal only happened after Twilight changed them entirely to not eat food but instead eat non-food materials. While I skip pretty much rewriting an entire episode that lacks Soul (as he is busy with steven) I leave it to you to know what happened with the very first season of My little pony friendship is magic.

Winter is coming and Village Drunk

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
― Edith Sitwell

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As it turns out not only the castle but Ponyville as well had to be reconstructed, an act that took up the entire fall leading up into the start of winter. Now with it only a few days away and Soul was out searching for something to do as the Masons worked on the castle. He had already tried to help once before and the result was turning a third of the ruins into rubble. There wasn't much to begin with but he was still felt guilty from accidently increasing their workloads. Instead he looked out for more cases like Steven magnet to help populate the castle, or Homestead as they were starting to call it. So far with no success sadly however once Steven had set up shop they had attracted a Large Earth stallion called Red Wood. The stallion was a friend of Stevens apparently. While he didn't talk much his actions more than spoke for himself. Early on Applejack had met the stallion and both she and Soul had looked in shock at his method of taking down trees.

Unlike most ponies that would use an axe, Red wood would simply buck the trees out of the ground roots and all before tying a rope around it and dragging it away to the workshop he had set up next to the eccentric sea serpent. The Lumberjack would then practice his wood working for the rest of the evening, often churning out a wooden statue of somepony he had seen or a random piece of furniture or a tool. It wasn't a week before ponies regularly came to him for all his wood working goods. Over time Applejack would visit Red more and more often with the lack of farming due to the incoming winter season. The two got along quite well remarkably.

He was wandering Ponyville greeting various ponies as he went on through the streets in the early evening three days before winter began before his next adventure would begin. The nearby tavern, labeled "The Drunken Apple" had recently went out of business from a combination of Competition, a lower in prices for hard Apple cider, and an apparent rumor that the owner had been hospitalized a while ago and by the time she had returned to business her monthly taxes had all but bankrupted the pony involved. Outside of the tavern he looked around, ignoring the sign that said condemned he knocked twice on the door. No response, not even window lighting up. Looking left then right Soul checked the alleyway next to the locked Tavern. Sure enough, there was a slouched form of an equine leaning on a wall with several bottles of booze next to her.

"Excuse me?" Soul said aloud earning no response from the slouched figure who took another swig of the bottle, "Are you the pony they refer to as 'Berry Punch'?"

"Who," she hiced, "wants to know? Another ga-" She hiced again, "-te crasher to the failure of my pub?"

"No rather the opposite actually." Soul stated, not recognizing the apple cider as an alcoholic beverage but rather the attitude, "Are you drunk?"

"Luna's right flank I am!" The drunken berry colored earth pony replied getting up, several more of the empty bottles around her being seen, "Got a problem with that?" she challenged.

"No rather, I had a proposition if you’re willing to think about it. Though I might come back later instead if your one of those who forgets everything that had happened when you were drunk."

"I am perfectly able to remember everything I do when I am drunk as well as the back of my hoof!" She stated, gesturing with her hoof before staring at the back of it and questioning vaguely, "Hey that’s new."

"Right. Anyway I was wondering since you seemed out of work would you like to start a new tavern at the Homestead up in the Everfree? I heard you have quite the knack of brewing spirits." Soul didn't know what brewing was but he knew what a Spirit was.

A soul of the dead right? If somepony could brew those then he could ease up a bit on his collection duty or get his job easier. Sometimes he would need the extra kick a departed soul would give him in combat. No telling when trouble could stir and a boost would be appreciated if something larger came around that he couldn't handle. With all the dragon and Ursa major caves around the forests in Ponyville he was surprised it hadn't been destroyed yet by a grumpy dragon or a wandering Ursa Major. While he doubted a single spirit would even the odds every bit helped in his view. Her response however wasn't expected, "Only if you three do me a favor."

Three what? There was only him in front of her, "Okay... what did you want me to do?"

It was unexpected somepony would want him to do something before they would accept a new lodging. Berry punch took another swig and started her own speech in a drunken slur mixed with anger, "Some ponies owe meh' a bar tab they haven't repayed. Most of 'em are wannabe bandits who do nothing actually evil but minor thefts and debts. It adds up though over time. Acquire my sum of 50 silver bits from them and I'll join ya Home-stead-whatsis."

"Where exactly do I find them then?" Soul asked agreeing to her request.

"Just south of White-tail woods, ye'd find 'em in a stone cottage. Don't look like the houses from 'round 'ere. If you really get lost, just follow the mini-map!"

"Mini-what?" Soul asked confused.

"Ya know, the mini map, hangs out around the top right or bottom left of the screen. Tells ya where ponies need ja help?"

Soul stared at her blankly, "Ah never mind, if you’re really curious about such things ask pinkie or Lyra. Both of them know what I am talkin' about," Berry finished with another drink of the bottle cheering it towards a wall in front of her to Souls confusion.

Maybe she was the kind of drunk that got insane when intensely drunk, he wasn't going to stick around to find out but neither could he just leave the drunken pony to the street alleyway, his mind quickly thought of a solution but he hoped that it would work, "Well berry, let’s find you a temporary stay while I get your issue resolved, agreed?"

"What-eva ya silly six eyed lamp thingy."

Soul floated over and grabbed the pony from under her forelegs, lifting the earth pony off the ground with a heavy effort. Luckily Twilights tree of a house wasn't far away, though he was still was tired after the workout. He couldn't just mentally lift everything all the time and carrying eighty pounds of deadweight two to three hundred yards was still a decent weight. He sighed as he reached the front door, hoping Twilight would still be here rather than off with a friend on yet another adventure. Unluckily it was Spike the baby dragon who answered, "Heya Soul."

"Hi spike..." Soul said with a slight groan, "Is Twilight in?"

This drunk was still almost four times heavier than he was after all, and he carefully put Berry Punch down. Spike nodded looking curiously from Soul to the pony who was now singing a song about beers on the wall quietly, "Why is berry punch acting like that?"

"The reason I am here, unfortunately. I really need to speak to Twilight. Alone, if that is okay."

Soul raised an eyebrow, "Alright, she’s in the study. Planning on staying for dinner? Always room for one more"

"Not... Exactly. Thanks for the offer though." Soul nodded to spike before heaving the drunken mess of a Berry punch back onto his back and dragging her upstairs to Twilights study and bedroom.

Spike stared at the scene wondering briefly what was wrong with Berry Punch before moving back to the kitchen to cook dinner. Tonight would be mashed potatoes and cucumber salad he decided.

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Twilight was reading a book in her study. Judging from the larger pile to her right she had been reading for quite a while. Not really that strange when he thought about the mares obsession with the things. So he coughed once to draw her attention, only to fail miserably. He remembered a trick Applejack had showed him one time when they both came in to introduce her to Red Wood not so long ago. He bumped an inkpot on her desk disorganizing it with a clank. The response was instant, Twilight fell backward out of her pillow of a chair with a little exclamation in surprise. The book she was reading fell onto her chest as if hugging her, no longer coated in her magic field to hold it up any more in the air. Sheepishly she grinned at Soul upside-down, "Oh hi Soul. What brings you here?"

Soul shrugged off Berry punch again, who was now knocked into a Drunken stupor of unconsciousness. Gesturing to her Soul politely began, "Berry here is out of house and home, I was hoping you wouldn't mind... um... housing her in a guest room while I do her request? She said I had to collect some tavern debts from some ponies who owed them to her before she would move into the Homestead."

"Hm, alright." Twilight responded quite calmly, "Though why is she passed out?"

"She’s drunk." Soul stated with an unamused stare at the intoxicated Berry, "Kind of the reason I went to you rather than leave her. Got a spell for removing that?"

Twilight shook her head in a negative, "I don't have any spells like that. I can see if there is one though. Just leave her here."

"Thank you Twilight." Soul nodded to her and turned to leave, before pausing, "Do you need any help tomorrow with anything?"

"Nope, everything’s already been organized for the winter. Thanks for asking though."

Soul nodded and left, setting his path towards the whitetail woods.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The house itself couldn't be marked more plainly or more noticeably. Above the simple wooden hut was a series of bright neon signs pointing to it and a giant sign bigger than the house if two of the hut was stacked up reading, The Fantastic Revolution!

Soul looked at the hut unamused, he knocked on it three times before a slit opened on the door showing a quizzical green eye surrounded with dark grey fur looked at him, "Password?" a nasally voice questioned in the space of half a second.

Soul resisted the urge to roll his yellow orbs, "I am here to collect a debt for Berry Punch the former tavern keeper. She says you still owe her fifty silver bits."

"That's not the password."

Shut went the slide and utter silence followed. Again soul knocked for the same pony to ask again with the following slide of the eye visor, "What's the password?"

"I don't know. I just want to collect the debt owed to Berry Punch."

"Wrong," again the visor shut with a satisfied click.

soul sighed, "Just what are you guys revolting from anyway."

The doors visor opened yet again, "You don't know? I was under the impression everypony had heard. Then again you’re not a pony and you’re interested so..."

Soul raised a metallic limb to respond for a mismatch of five different ponies rushed out of the door, grabbed him, and dragged him inside before he could respond. He found himself in a well lit room in front of a messy blackboard that was mounted on a simple rotating stand as the same grey stallion, a Pegasus from his wings and recognizable as the only one with the same grey fur color. The leader, also from how everypony else sat down while he remained standing began, "We 'The Fantastic Revolution' are those who saw through the clever political ploys and schemes that the government has created."

Soul raised his eye brow as the Pegasus continued, "For example isn't it odd that Discord, the Crystal Empire, and Nightmare moon all happened all almost a thousand years ago, with Nightmare moon signaling Celestia's solo reign of this nation and the complete lack of technology being discovered since?"

"Not reall-" Soul began before he was interrupted.

"Technology has been the same for over a thousand years!" the Pegasus proclaimed, "Not one war or multicultural change has happened since. In fact if this nation was attacked, I doubt the plastic the royal guard calls armor would go down in a heartbeat."

The stallion took a deep breath in before continuing, "that’s why we have developed a plan to fix the situation."

"A plan?" Soul asked half curious to what it was.

"Yes, we are going to sneak into the palace." the leader stalwartly proclaimed.

"And then!" several of the others, a unicorn, two earth ponies and another Pegasus joined in.

"We are going to access Celestias royal quarters."

"And then!" they all but shouted again.

"We are going to do the most dastardly thing we can think of to get her to stop ruling the country."

"Which is what exactly." Soul questioned.

The leader of the group gave a coy grin and slammed a hoof on the bottom of the blackboard causing the large board to spin over to its other side while dropping its chalk and eraser showing the picture of their master plan. "A cake?" Soul asked, confused.

"Not just any cake, cloud cake." The Pegasus went on, "A particular favorite of the tyrant. We will smash it with a hammer in front of her if she doesn’t comply with what we ask. Perfectly legal mind you."

"We have already looked into acquiring the cake." the earth pony next to soul stated happily.

"Right... Can I just get the bits owed to Berry Punch now?"

"Oh about that, if you want those bits you’re going to have to do us a favor first."

Soul lit a flame on one arm, he knew where this was going. They were going to send him on a quest for another item that would lead into another item and so on. He had read it before, seen it before, and had to do it before in another world. Nervously the leader smiled, and wordlessly they came to an agreement of just handing over the owed bits and the place wouldn't be burnt to the ground.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul left and the leader resumed his plotting pulling out elaborate maps for such a simple torture of a loss of a cake for the probably misjudged princess. Last Soul checked, Princess Celestia wasn't a glutton if her student was an indicator. Meanwhile it was getting late, he would return to Twilight and Berry Punch in the morning... Tiredly, Soul flew towards his room, dark purple and themed in the same color schemes as he was himself. He didn't need sleep. Rather it was a habit that took up some of the hours of the night was to ponder over his thoughts and meditate or read a book. Opening a book at random from a bookshelf that decorated the wall next to his bed (largely in thanks to Twilight for repairing and sending them back as well as a healthy variety of textbooks for casual reading).

Flipping to a random page of the book he began to read aloud to himself, "Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg," Soul stopped and considered for a moment before continuing on curious himself over this beast, "hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."

Soul read on for several more entries on the mysterious snake like creature. Soon enough the beginning of the sun was shining yet again. Soul shut his bed, while the book went over the various species of animals that could paralyze, Kill, or even petrify other beings who looked them in the eye. It failed to mention one creature that wasn't 'Run away on sight.' Pointless advice if a stare could end up getting you killed to begin with. Maybe he would ask Twilight about it when it was time to pick up Berry Punch.

Author's Note

Who wants to see Soul's first attempt with those 'Spirits' he was mentioning. Though I have no experiance with such substances myself to judge on, I will write it as I have seen others write it before in my own blend.

Chapter 15: A hearths warming Visit (Part 1)

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

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After the incident with the Revolutionaries resolved; the now-sober Berry punch had apologized for her crazy behavior in a completely different tone of voice. Where the drunken Berry Punch was a lunatic when drunk, the sober version was more formal than some of the stricter than Soul thought possible. For one, Berry had secretary glasses she would pull out whenever she had to read something and her demeanor had went from a playful drunkard to a stereotypical assistant. Never the less she joined the Homestead setting up shop as far away from Red and Steven as possible in the clearing in front of the restored castle.

Red Wood and Applejack had gotten closer than ever, enough that even Rarity had begun to gossip about a possible relationship between the two. They would often disappear at the same time after completing their work often seen talking to each other. At one point Soul had seen Red wood sneak off to hang out under the moon light (not that he told any-pony about these midnight excursions). Everypony also seemed to take extraordinary measures to not mention this to the only occupants who seemed unaware of their knowledge. So far Spike, Granny smith, and the Cutie mark crusaders(Whom he had yet to meet the later two) were the only ones who didn't know.

Where love flourished between Red Wood and Applejack, Steven Magnet and Rarity were at odds. The two fashion Divas, after meeting each other again had struck up a several week argument over a hair bows color. It wasn't until the two had settled on a third color that was a mix between the two that they were able to move back onto important things like eating and sleeping. Or making another dress. Hearths warming (or Christmas as the humans had called it in their world), was coming and with it the pony equivalent of Santa or saint nick in its likely hood. Soul had a problem, a big problem he had been trying to solve for a while now. What to get everypony for Hearths warming.

Pinkie pie was easy enough, Soul had purchased a small oven for the party pony, having heard a while ago that pinkie wanted her own stove separate from the Cake family she lived with. Fluttershy had also been easy to figure out, having already selected a few different brushes normally owned by Pegasus types for taking care of their wings. Rainbow Dash in contrast would get a pair of goggles fashioned in the likeness of the Wonderbolts. For Spike and Rarity he had acquired a few heart rubies which were being sold for cheap with the increase of prices for food, the rest of the market had dropped dramatically. Even Applejack had been easy to figure out, the heavy metal horseshoes that were used by the farm pony was worn out and Soul had paid for a new set and wrapped all the presents himself. Which left him with the one he had been plaguing himself with; Twilights gift.

What would Twilight want or need? She already had all the books she could ever want, for goodness sake she worked in a library! Besides her books Soul wasn't sure what Twilight liked that was material. Soul had three options here; Guess, ask somepony else, or give up. Souls wandering throughout the Snow covered Ponyville suddenly changed course towards Rarity's store. Surely she would know the best gift to get the magical prodigy.

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Meowth sniffed, the cave the lions had provided for him all that time back wasn't as well insulated or able to keep in the heat as he had thought. With winter nearing its peak, he and the others had to spend less time planning their devious and brilliant plans and more time huddled up in a corner with a pile of blankets and the food for the winter. The fire was hardly providing enough heat and Arbok was taking the worst of the situation due to being cold blooded. Evident as the snake was inches from the fire and still sneezing and shivering as if he was a human in ice water. Wheezing had retreated into his pokeball, the weather making it impossible for him to stay afloat for long periods of time. The only one who was comfortable with the ice and cold was the resident ghost Pokémon among them, Yamask.

Meowth glared at the cheerful ghost as it messed with the icicles that had formed from his and Arboks snot that was frozen solid into somewhat greenish but mostly blue spikes. Watching the ghost Pokémon mock joust with frozen snot lances and using its mask as a shield was only entertaining for so long. Every Pokémon here already knew that there was no Christmas here so there was nothing but the start of spring to look forward to. Something that irked the cat like Pokémon to no end. The only thing that Irked him more was the hibernation of the Lion mafia that had halted all productivity for him. Winter was such an unnecessary set back. Meowth sneezed, he must be coming down with a cold as well.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Cold... It was cold. A young filly struggled through the snow filled woods of white tail with no place to go, and no place to return.

Weakened with time throughout winter with no shelter or place to call home, cursed was she without family or friend. All because she was different from the rest. Just because she was blind and half Windigo she had been treated miserably. Unable to see she couldn't tell where she was going beyond escaping the horrible place she had been raised from, a orphanage of the cruelest type located on the northern equestrian border. Forced to survive on grass and what water she ran into. Her wintery blue coat long since covered in frozen snow and ice as she stumbled by. Her mane was semi transparent dark blue, turned frozen white by the cold though still identifiable as nearly the same substance the full grown Windigos had. She couldn't be older than seven and yet she was here, alone, climbing through the woods in search of shelter.

"So... cold..." the half frozen filly whispered, her strength failing her before she collapsed into the snow, halfway across a small forest clearing. She groaned, trying to get up. Begging her legs to go once more before giving up, what was the point? It was not like she had anyplace to go. Or any reason to live... She shut her unseeing eyes and fell asleep. Death was not so unpleasant anymore. Was it?

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Elsewhere Soul halted in his progress, he could feel the familiar presence of one who was close to deaths door. His job was calling, and this time it was a pony. The first one he had experienced. He had just left Rarity's boutique, a bag with some bows in a metal limb. He had purchased them for Lily and Rose for Hearths warming, an Idea that Rarity had given him not five minutes before to get for a gift. While the bow wasn't the only thing he had gotten from her (The other being a fantastic cloth bookmark, seeing as it was time Twilight got rid of the unfortunate paper one that was wrecked apparently beyond restoration. While the bag was bigger than he was(Due to the usual size of orders the fashion loving mare had), it was light. All of this detail flew out the window as Soul went towards the fading light of life that was outside of town.

It took ten minutes to enter the same woods as the unfortunate filly and five to find her. Soul brushed away some snow off a small mound of snow sighing sadly as the top of the mane was revealed. Setting the bag of gifts aside he used both metal limbs to pull out the pony, suspecting a much larger size but surprised when it was just a youngling smaller than he was. What was a child doing out here? Soul pondered that noticing that the small foal was still breathing. Her soul upon closer study was almost the same as his when he had died. Much too young to have such a fate befall on her. Soul paused, his job was to deliver the fallen souls to his lord Arceus. Yet this child, who was breathing faintly, was due to deaths door without even the minimum age for a proper send away to judgment. The Parasprites he had killed were another matter due to reaching maturity on birth. This filly was not even in her preteens. He knew the offer Arceus would give her, maybe she could be saved instead.

Soul picked the freezing unconscious filly up, a look of pain momentarily crossing her face as Soul placed the frozen heap into his bag nearby and flew off to the castle. His flame had begun emitting heat in a attempt to warm the air around him and the bag as he flew, he could only guess by the slight increase in the young mares Soul that it was working for some part. He rushed, begging mentally to Dialga that he wouldn't be too late to save the filly from the fate that was before her. The castle was in sight.

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The Fantastic Revolution were happy, their shipment for a Cloud cake had finally came in, after three tries with each shipment ending up smashed by an postal accident on several accounts they had finally were able to start the next stage of their plan. Marching the cake back towards home their youngest member, a young white with brown spot earth pony named Pip cheered, "Huzzah! We finally have the cake to take down Celestia don't we boss?"

"Yes Pip, yes we do, with this cake we will take her down!" Their leader stated with a smug grin.

One of his comrades stated still ponderous over the large cake that their leader was carrying, "It is interesting ... how weapons reflect the soul of the maker. Right boss? Like this cake was made specifically for our fight against this injustice. I mean look how heavy it is, one could say this wasn't even made of clouds."

"Now that you mention it..." A Pegasus of the bright yellow variety began, "This cake isn't very cloud like..."

"Nonsense," Their leader began, "This cake was paid to a very trusted maker of the delicacy."

"I don't think a bright red pony wearing a black overcoat in a dark alleyway is a 'Very trusted' source boss." Their Pegasus comrade shot back.

"As I said, very trusted. Just take a look at this cake." Their leader flapped his wings annoyed, lifting the cake above his head for all to see, "Cloud... Cake."

Not five seconds later a black lamp flaring with all the heat it could raced by, the cloud cake, actually well decorated snow, melting within seconds as the frantic lamp raced by. Drenching their leader in liquid slush and the dried glue that was used for fake frosting. The leader spit out a mouthful of slush and stated in a tone that beckoned no argument from the smug Pegasus near him, "Okay, maybe your right about it. Now that we know it is fake. Lets get our bits back from that fraud."

He looked to Pip stating lowly, "Bring out the secret weapon! Time to make that fake pay!"

Pip pulled out a extraordinarily large feather from under his vest. There was a tickle torture to be done, and it was going to be done tonight.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul was in a hurry, while he wanted to pause and say sorry to the ponies he had just passed, he hadn't the time. Raising his elevation he flew over the trees before arcing to the door to the Homestead castle. He barely paused to yank open the door and shut it behind him as he entered and all but rushed up the doors to the restored guest room. quickly yet gently he pulled the filly out of the bag, drying her with a towel rushed from the nearest bathroom while his flame focused on the bed, making it toasty warm rather than cold. Quietly he tucked the filly in before rushing out yet again, he would need to feed her something hot. At least that was what he had read somewhere before. Mentally he shouted a message for the nearest being, Lily fortunately to hear while he rushed to heat up some soup that was stored in one of the many jars from when the kitchen was restocked. It might of been how close he was or the sense of urgency in Souls' tone, but Lily was in the same room as him within minutes.

[What is it b-] Lily began before getting interrupted by the furiously working Lamp.

[Brought a half frozen filly home, she needs medical attention,] Soul began, juggling cooking with writing something on a napkin nearby before all but throwing it at Lily, [Take this letter and deliver it to Twilight Sparkle as fast as possible, or it might be too late.]

Lily nodded and took up the letter with the clanking of wood on stone rapidly retreating as Soul refocused purely on cooking. He had to save this filly, he didn't know why he cared so much. After all his job was to reap those who were near death and send them to Arceus for judgment. He knew she would be given the option to be revived as a Litwick in another world if she agreed to work for Arceus instead of going on to the better or worse places. So why did he care so much? Then it struck him, she reminded him of himself. Just having gained life outside the egg (or Womb as it be for the filly) and old enough to understand before being sentenced to death by outside forces. Soul redoubled his efforts unaware of Those who were watching him from above.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Giratina was curious, Soul had refused to take the soul of someone near death. The action was not understood to him. Not one Ghost Pokémon under his and Arceus employment had done this. Not a Dusknoir, Dusclops, Shedninja, Litwick, Chandelure, or Lampent. Yet Soul was the first. Such an action went against their job description. He could see why Soul did it, to be sure. Having known soul throughout the younglings entire life. But the action itself was unusual for the reaper of the dead that they had employed to the equestrian world. Maybe he was growing soft, or rebelling. Giratina wasn't sure. He turned to his father, Arceus for advice.

Arceus was a lot less stressed since Pidgey slapping day had become a national Holiday. The spike in Pidgey deaths to eating habits had died down exponentially since it was announced by the annoyed creator of the Pokémon universe and now he could perform his lesser known duties in peace. With winter around the death count had lowered further for the god as Pokémon went into hibernation. His peace was disturbed as Giratina chirped something to him. Sighing he opened his eyes for the first time in three days, "What is it Giratina."

"Just wanted to ask you what to do with Soul sir. He is attempting to save a pony from death though his job was to collect those who are near it." Giratina nudged the orb he was looking into Arceus which had both a video of Soul and of the pony in question.

Arceus studied it for a moment. Staring at the data before him, "She is young to die, just like he was. I presume he is trying to save her either the same fate he has or the eternal rest beyond. Commendable effort but from her status she wouldn't survive for much longer anyway. Even their best doctors wouldn't be able to save her."

Arceus stood up to stretch, "Their version of the Christmas holiday is coming up. Hearths warming I believe. This time I will deliver that world a present instead of sending a Delibird to Soul instead. I solve the issue personally as well."

Giratina nodded, returning back to checking up on all of his workers. A tendril prodding a button on some of the various orbs that were showing live views of the workers beyond. Arceus was about to leave when Giratina interrupted, "New one waiting my Lord."

"Send them in. I have time for one more Judgment before I get ready to go."

With a audible pop and the usual burst of cosmic dust, the souls of a Sparrow and a Caterpie appeared. Once they gained their bearing Arceus asked quite plainly as he had done before countless times, "How did you two die?"

[Well sir,] The sparrow chirped, [I choked on this Caterpie]

Arceus and Giratina face-clawed, It was starting again.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Author's Note

Well the spell checker now in this thing is nice, saved me time editing this chapter. Though I am personally not pleased with my own work (As always) It was about time I got done writing this. Posted as the best version of three different stories. Removing the filler dialogue between Soul and Rarity that got boring... Rather fast... was the best Options I think. If it bugs you guys enough I will stab a needle and thread into this and force that particular conversation back in.

A Hearths Warming Visit (Part 2)

“I'm falling apart, one part after another. Falling down on the world like snow. Half of me is already on the ground, watching from below.”
― Ashly Lorenzana

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Soul had stayed up through the night taking care of the young filly, Twilight had came over at souls urgent request if only to find out what was going on. She had left and returned with all her medical books and Zecora. Hours later both had resigned in defeat This filly was too close to death to escape with their medical care. They had estimated the Filly had a week at most. That was with optimism. Twilight doubted the filly would even wake up at all, so it was up to Soul to take care of her the only ways he knew how from watching Nurse Joy in the Pokémon centers of his old world.

It was midnight on the dot that the first signs of life besides the shallow breathing had started. Soul, ever vigilant of the small filly and long since sent off Twilight with a small wagons load of gifts for her and her friends(Seeing as he was going to miss tomorrow to take care of the foal) and Zecora had spent the night in a castle guest room nearby. While he didn't know Pony biology he did know the norms for treating frostbite (having been frozen solid on more than one occasion by ice types) Some color had returned to her face and mane. Turning her from the frozen ice blue to an darker healthier color. Her hair had gone from a similar state to a much more colorful one. Almost like a peacock. Soul rushed to the kitchen and back, expecting the mare to be hungry and in need to warm her insides. Balancing on a tray a large cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of Vegetable soup. By the time he was back she was just waking up.

"Ugh..." The filly began, her voice sounding weary and weak but very alive.

"Hello..." Soul said when she was good and awake, "I am Soul, I found you in Whitetail woods passed out and near death from frost bite... Who are you?"

The filly opened her eyes, blindly letting them stare forward, before whispering out a croaked reply, "I-I'm... Glacier Song..."

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Tonight was a good night, Arceus decided. Well except for the other reason he was here anyway. Might as well do them in cheeriest to saddest order. Arceus turned his mind to the self assigned task at hoof and pranced gracefully in the traditional legendary run. It was said that the legendary run was so powerful in its influence that not even being put to sleep could stop the Pokémon participating in this type of run. The quiet, snow filled, streets of Ponyville was silent as he advanced through the town, a gift for every pony in every house forming as he willed it. With each house he passed snow seemed to fall slightly harder. Unscheduled for the Pegasus weather ponies, but it completed the appearance of a hearths warming eve. Sparing a glance towards the towns library, he finished the rest of his work with less than a glance and headed off to the still lit building where a purple Unicorn could be seen reading into the night.

There was something he had to give in person to the Unicorn who was a student of the governing body here. This so called ace student of a rather old friends daughter. A daughter of whom he had yet to meet face to face but had heard a lot of when they talked to each other. So the researcher of one of his creation gets to meet Its creator. It would only be more ironic if Faust was here as well. Speaking of Faust... Wonder how she is doing. It has been a thousand years or so since we last spoke. I should invite her over for some tea like old times... Shrugging off his thoughts he knocked on the door, and wincing at the resulting bangs that would be able to wake the dead.

No response...

"..." Arceus knocked again, sending a trio of loud bangs that he canceled out after they had passed the Unicorns range of hearing, as to prevent it from disturbing her neighbors. Again no response.

He was losing patience, if she wasn't going to pay any attention to him, he was going to get her attention. He was prepared to fire it when the student shut the book, done reading it and looked up meeting eye to eye with Arceus. Her scream was unexpected causing Arceus to flinch on accident at the sudden motion causing a discharge of energy without purpose to go flying off into the distance. "Opps." Arceus stated in what he thought was a commendable understatement.

Soon enough with a flash of light the Student had teleported to a balcony that was high enough to make the two eye level and breathlessly asked, "What the hay are you?!"

"Right to the point I see," Arceus began before adding a slightly smug tone of voice at the next part of his sentence, " Twilight Cornelia Sparkle."

Arceus smirked mentally as the Unicorn took a step back and Arceus sat down in the snow quite casually, "To answer your question I am called Arceus the almighty creator of the Pokémon world and species."

Twilight was at a loss for words. Though her academic mind picked up where she failed for her, "You're the creator of Soul? What are you doing here, let alone why!?"

"well..."Arceus began quite calmly, "I am here for three reasons."

"And those are?"

"One. You are a friend of the Lampent I sent here, and a student of a daughter whose mother was a friend of mine."

"What?" Twilight asked not sure if she heard the second part correctly. That was impossible, she decided, only Alicorns lived that long and Celestia was the oldest one she knew about followed closely behind by Luna.

Arceus sighed, "I am a friend of Celestias mother. Anyway, the second reason I am here concedes with the first. The second reason is I know you have been interrogating my employee for information regarding my subjects. Such a activity when the information comes from a foal by your standards in age is limited. So I would appreciate it if you would stop."

"But then how will I learn more about Pokémon? How did you create them anyway?" Twilight pressed back.

"That's the third reason I am here. While I won't provide you information on how to create life, another species called humans have studied them for a long time. Even a while ago figuring out a way to capture my creations. Another such object they made was a electronic dictionary of sorts that had every single Pokémon they had discovered and studied in its list. While not a hundred percent accurate, it holds a lot of data that will take you a while to get down for your teacher."

"Wait, so you're here to tell me to stop researching Pokémon but at the same time you want me to continue studying a dictionary of them?"

"More like read a book over study a single species of among hundreds." Arceus created a present infront of the mare, "Anymore questions?"

"Just one." Twilight stated blandly, "How do I know your really the creator of Pokémon and not some fake?"

Arceus sighed. He had heard this question thousands of times in the past. "Well if I wasn't real I wouldn't be able to do this."

Before Twilight could respond she was teleported to the outer reaches of space. Within the spand of a few seconds she was back where she was sitting not five seconds ago. Unsurprisingly she was speechless at what she had just saw. Arceus got up and left with only four more words, "Happy Hearths Warming eve." Leaving the mysterious gift behind. He had reached the edge of the woods that lead through the everfree before he realized something. Just what had happened to that bolt of energy he had sent out? Eh, probably nothing important.

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Meanwhile in a place not so long ago...

The bolt of energy had left Arceus formed a thoughts on its own. The majestic energy was alive! I live! it thought, Something non-solid... yes... But not a gas or liquid... I am energy!

The energy thought about the wind rushing by, What am I doing... hmm.... I am... whats the word... moving? that sounds right. Moving! Brilliant! I am moving energy! But how am I detecting this? Senses? Hmm... that's a good word. Senses. Almost like Expenses. Wait that's money... whats money?

The energy bolt sailed on questioning this before realizing something important, Wait... where am I going? It wanted to know so it formed an eye on its front, seeing the ground rushing by as he arced over the town of Ponyville, No idea, what am I supposed to do? again the energy couldn't figure it out.

The sensation of the wind was finally setting itself in regularly to the energy when it thought to itself,What a wonderful... what is it called? Life? Flying free and straight with no obstacles except for that white puffy thing ahead. Wait... White fluffy thing? What is that?

The energy bolt pondered on this as he neared it before finding out the word for it, Cloud! That's it a cloud!

That was the last words it thought as it hit the cloud at Mach seven and dispersed changing the cloud with its death into something new... Right above a blue police box with the sound worthy of a grenade in power. When a Grey mare with a yellow mane and a set of yellow walled eyes stuck her head out and investigated the cloud had started to snow muffins. Not just any muffins; banana muffins, the grey pony exclaimed in delight, "Doctor it's snowing MUFFINS!"

A voice inside the blue police box stated, "Don't be silly, that's impossible," Though Ditzy doo (or Derpy whooves as others called her) was joined by a brown stallion with a wicked Mohawk and bow-tie, "Oh wow it is, would you look at that. Ha, just when I thought I have finally figured this world out. BAM! Another unexplainable thing happens to blow it all away."

"Don't be silly Doctor. it's a Hearths warming miracle." Ditzy stated proudly.

"You're just calling it that so you can get some of those muffins aren't you?" the Doctor stated bluntly.

"Yep." Ditzy replied in turn before giggling and snatching one of the falling muffins out of the air and eating it.

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Soul found this situation ironic. Here he was, reaper of the dying, sender of souls off to Arceus when they were in their death bed. Now here he was, feeding a cute filly (who could be older than he was literally) some soup when she was being shy. While there was an unspoken silence in the air that formed into an awkward silence at the situation at hand. They hadn't progressed beyond a few words. Though he had noticed she was blind rather quickly, he made no attempts to touch her in case his metal limbs would freak her out. He also restricted his tone of voice to that of a gentle deep tone matching that of a young gentleman.

Glacier Song, or Song as she preferred, was in a contrasting state of silence. She was glad to be indoors away from the cold, away from her problem with ice and snow for the time being. Song was also grateful towards Soul, though she couldn't tell where she was or what Soul was. She was still mulling over the fact that Soul seemed hotter in temperature to emit heat. Either that or he was carrying fire or another heat source on him at all times. She didn't move much because she didn't know her surroundings. For all she knew she could be in a humble hut or a stone dungeon but the bed was comfortable at least. Figuring she all but sunk into the thing as it were into the fluffy oversized pillow that was the mattress. Another problem was that she didn't want to move from the warm confines of the blankets over her from a combination of its warmth and the fact that she had been in the snow for she didn't know how long.

It took ten minutes before the silence broke with a awkward start from Soul, "So...Um...Why were you in the snow on Hearths Warming eve alone?" Soul inquired hesitantly.

"..." Song was quiet.

"No real parents or family too?" Soul asked suddenly, suspicions being confirmed as Song winced at the words 'parents or family'.

Soul rambled on this one sided conversation"Well... I think you could stay for a while and recover. Even Twilight and Zecora, friends of mine, aren't optimistic. But I hope you can recover from this...I think you can if you rest for a while under care..."

"why..." Song asked quietly.

Soul was confused, "Why what?"

"Why do you..." Song trailed off too quiet for him to hear.

"Pardon?"

"Why... do you care..."

Soul would of raised an eyebrow if he had one. Sadly he lacked one so instead he rolled his glowing orbs for eyes, "Oh gee. I find a mare freezing to death in the middle of the woods. Why wouldn't I try to help?"

"Because...I am half Windigo...

Soul barely made out the words and was slightly surprised. He had read the books, Windigos were monsters that fed on hatred and in turned produced cold weather to freeze their victims. Though he had read the tale of Hearths Warming and how equestrian was made. He doubted it was all true. Heck his own entry was only partially true. Soul sighed audibly, only causing the filly to wince and make Soul regret that action entirely. Soul gently elaborated, "No need to fear harm here. I understand that fear very well where I came from... If it helps I pinkie promise not to cause you harm intentionally. If you need anything just ask, okay?"

"Um..." Glacier Song started, "Can I ask something that might seem weird?"

"Mhm."

"Can you please explain how you can understand... If that's alright..."

"Well..." Soul started unsure of how to go on, "I guess I could start by showing you the difference."

Soul reached out to touch Songs hoof hesitantly, "if that's okay with you Ms. Song."

"yes..."

Soul leaned in and touched her hoof with a gentle pressure, the metal conforming slightly to adjust to the curved surface the fur and flesh had. Soul gauged her response to his metal arm he had for a limb, "I am not exactly a pony either. I am a strange creature from another land, and owner of the Homestead in which you are currently residing. Over half my residents are exotic or strange by this land's definition and came here of their own will. I myself am a floating Oil Lamp of a being with two metal limbs for arms. I know there is a Timber wolf and a young manticore, as well as a Sea serpent here and some pony folk are here as well who were looking for a place to start anew."

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While inside the castle the two younglings had started a conversation, going easier on the longer it progressed. They were unaware of the eminent creator of Pokémon nearing the end of the path to the castle. While the two were becoming fast friends, Arceus had progressed throughout the strange woods without a care for the snow, it was getting old fast. Though it seemed to be progressing from a blizzard to a gentle snowfall as he reached the clearing that had held the small collection of buildings called the Homestead. He considered it a waste of dramatic flair. For when he exited it looked rather badass to the creator to leave such a whirlwind of snow with a dramatic flair. It would of probably caused some Pidgeys and Sparrows to faint if they had saw such a thing and if he had been glaring at them when he did it. Oh well. He was approaching the castle. A storm was brewing overhead it seemed, judging from the clouds, and Arceus was holding his Ice plate.

Author's Note

my friend wanted me to call the filly Shoal for some reason. Ended up with how it went. Also Arceus would technically fall within the Faust range of age due to Pokémon history going back up to thousands of years ago in contrast to celestia and luna who have lived up to what? 1030 years ago with discord, Nightmare moon, and Sombre being defeated 1000 years or so? Also with the current status on season one of MLP in this fiction Twilight doesn't know about Sombra or Discord yet. So huzzah.

Edit: Wow gave this a once over recently for some fun and cringed. Fixing what errors I spotted.

Chapter 17: A Hearths Warming visit (Part 3)

"No man goes before his time - unless the boss leaves early."
-Groucho Marx

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Arceus was in the castle, having shrunk himself as needed with another move he had invented a long time ago called Minimize. He had proceeded throughout the halls the size of an average pony winding up throughout the castle towards the warmth of fire and the only real life in the castle. As he drew near he heard an unexpected sound, laughter... Laughter from two voices, as if they were sharing a joke. What a situation to walk in on. Instead he strayed near the door and listened in. The two were rambling like old friends about various celebrations of winter, an low gentlemanly tone, Soul of course, and the would be dead pony. What surprised Arceus however was the youth that the second sounded of. No wonder soul was reluctant to send her off.

This puzzled Arceus, he hadn't seen a Lampent willingly not harvest a soul before when it was near death. Was he hoping to save her? Arceus sent a Cursory scan over the room scanning her vitals. The result he got back on the child of a mare was not pretty. Major genetic damage, frostbite on most of her internal organs, and the presence of a lump of a tumor starting made of the same strange substance a Windigos whooves were made out of building up in a mismatch around her hooves. As well as blind from yet another genetic error on whoever the father was.Yet here she was quiet about it and even laughing through her pain. No doubt grateful for whatever aide soul was giving her. Arceus was starting to pity the child, she was a wreck of two halves of different incompatible beings that were trying to destroy each other. A grim fate for a young foal. Arceus came to a decision.

Calling upon the forces that were originally belonging to him he sped up time to a point where the filly was asleep and soul standing silent vigil over her before stopping it altogether. He made note to give an apology to Dialga later but now was a time of Christmas miracles. Gently he moved the filly from her bed without disturbing the covers. All the while focusing on the various spell work that this would take. Such a process would draw attention of the other divine creations of his but he didn't mind. He could always turn any interference with his work into Magikarp and hire a new one if needs be. Tonight was going to be a miracle, and it was going to require his full size to do so.

Arceus levitated the filly into the hallway in the middle of the air, it was decidedly less cramped than trying to perform the same type of thing in a bedroom more befit of the small lamp than it was for the Creator to work in. Stretching Arceus pulled out something he hadn't used in a very long time, a small pedestal forming in the air under the filly with three circles around its edges and a fourth one in the center. A monument originally meant for him to create the eggs of Pokémon who couldn't breed. It would also serve as a focal point for his divine power.

He set to work fixing the mess of genetic code that had not been set right. Was this really Faust's excuse for a creation? A being destined to die from so much error? He couldn't figure it out as he fought and changed the fillies genetic code to work in harmony with each other rather than try to form two beings in the same body. This code was sloppy even for her. Almost as If she had copied the same thing that allowed Humans and their animals to survive through genetic evolution had taken its pay on the foal in front of him. Something he knew shouldn't of happened since Faust had literally made sure each and every newborn was perfectly crafted for the growing stages of pregnancy. While it was a subtle magic it was one that should of worked before this kid was born. In essence he was now redesigning this filly from the womb to her current stage of growth. Though he had to stop himself repeatedly from fixing the eyes.

He couldn't remove the blindness of the filly without changing how her brain had grown to accommodate the lack of nerves there. Her central nervous system was also the hub to the mind and Soul. So while he wished he could perform this miracle onto Glacier Song, he knew better than to change it in case he also changed who she was and effectively erased her soul and made a new one. Which would defeat the purpose if he did.

The magical disturbance was not undetected. Though it wasn't a Pokémon that had detected the disturbance.

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Princess Luna turned her head towards the general direction of the Everfree Forest. All the dreams and energy it had seemed to have halted. Luna could still sense the slumbering creatures but none were progressing throughout their dreams or thoughts, as if frozen in time. Something that should be impossible. Yet amidst the frozen thoughts was one still moving. Curiously Luna sent her mind towards it, she was the princess of the night and as such one of her many abilities were to be able to read the minds of the sleeping and those of long age who were awake. The older they were the easier it was to interact with an mind for her at least. Though she heard it was the other way around for the few unicorns who were able to mimic the feat.

She sent a gentle prod into the mind only to be blasted out by a wave of uncomprehend able knowledge in the form of strange runes and images of living strange shapes with eyes. Her probe for its worth a mere seagull to a angry ocean wave was tossed out mercifully only stung rather than seriously wounded. Withdrawing back into herself she shielded her own mind just in time as a returned probe crashed down in exchange for the intrusion. Luna's shield bulged inwards as the drill of a mental probe nearly shattered her defense within a few seconds. She barely had time to think before the probe withdrew to Lunas confusion. Never the less Luna kept her guard up, waiting for another blow that would never come. If she couldn't win mentally. Then she was going to go to this strange creature who was awake in her night herself.

Luna called out to one of her many bat pony guards, "Awaketh our sister, there are strange things afoot and we may need her assistance with this."

"Yes your highness." The guard curtly replied before leaving without another word.

It couldn't be soon enough before her sister came in, her mane still frizzy from bed head, and her coat ruffled rather than the sleekness it usually was. She was carrying a pillow on her head where her crown would normally be located, and instead of her usual grace she was swaying as if a zombie like so many years ago. Luna withheld a giggle due to the situation, Celestia wasn't the best at waking up. Despite a thousand years to master the art she still needed time to master her consciousness again after sleep. Luckily Luna knew a faster easy way to wake her sister up completely. Her horn glowed and a nearby cloud outside, one full of water, was grabbed by Luna's magic and was tugged inside through an open balcony door above celestia. Luna removed her sisters pillow from her head and squeezed the cloud into the shape of a towel being twisted releasing its contents of water. Immediately Celestia let out an indignified yelp as cold water hit warm fur and jumped back as the rest of the contents splashed harmlessly onto the tile floors where she was standing not half a second ago, "Awake Tia?" Luna asked coyly, cleaning up the water with her magic and having the cloud reabsorb it before putting it back.

"Why Lulu..." her dear sister asked expression wide awake and glaring. Though the princess of the day didn't look nearly so threatening with her mane covering her eyes due to it falling when completely drenched.

"So thou are awake dear sister," Luna resisted the urge to smile despite the situation, "Tell me, what do you see in the minds of the Everfree?"

Luna waited as Celestia read the situation, watching as she had similar look of confusion she herself had not a few moments ago, "There is no movement but one..." Celestia pondered, "What could be causing that?"

"That's why I had thou awoken dear sister." Luna retorted switching out of her formal 'we' to the self describing 'I', "I wanted to know if thou had known which creature has this power since thou do have a thousand years more experience on this world than I. Seeing as how there is hardly anything alive on the moon."

Celestia shook her head in a negative, "I have not seen this before. Shall we investigate?"

Luna nodded, and together the royal sisters took off the balcony, flying towards the Everfree forest in the distance at speeds that would impress Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolts at least.

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Arceus was finishing his work, the filly's genetic code less of a scattered mess and more uniform, organized and efficient. In other words he had turned a jumble of garbage into a closed Zipper of both halves perfectly interwoven. Allowing the filly to live well into adulthood and even to old age if she could keep herself sustained on either sides diets and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Of course there would be something he couldn't cure, like death by unnatural causes. But that was unpredictable at best.

Arceus slipped the healed filly back into her bed in the exact position he had put her and checked the position of time outside of the bubble of frozen time, preparing to adjust it accordingly. He had done this times before whenever he had to stay for a while in a certain area of time and to those who were in the radius he would bet at least one would think of the famous saying, 'Time flies when your having fun'. He would start it again after he had left, no point starting it now, besides he was a bit tired from the ordeal, the art of genetics wasn't easy even for one who had created hundreds of species of magical creatures.

As he left the castle he became aware of a dull sound of parting air, odd since the world around him was frozen in its position in time. He shrunk back to his pony sized form, no point in scaring any unfortunate being who had entered inside this pocket of stopped space and time. His plate type changed to normal and Arceus took the liberty of relaxing in the lingering chill of winter around him as the noise grew louder. He opened his eyes as two extraordinarily large (At least for their kinds species general size.) Ponies landing in front of him. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions, it was his friends children, Luna and Celestia. Either that or some other ponies had became Alicorns, which was highly unlikely to ever occur.

Arceus stared at them while they stared back. A staring contest forming between the three. Neither said a word towards each other. The stares he was giving the two was motionless, his eyes unblinking compared to theirs, for all it was worth Celestia and Luna took turns in blinking one never losing sight of him at a time. It reminded Arceus of some creatures he had once seen, a statue which wouldn't move unless no one was looking at it and a angel of stone that was indestructible and locked in place in every dimension when looked at by even one source. Happily for him though he had no restriction but found this contest interesting. Gradually, however, he became bored with this after ten minutes before he finally asked the two, "Didn't Faust ever tell you it was rude to stare?"

Celestia seemed a little shocked that he had spoken without a mouth, while Luna took a step back and looked off to the side with slight embarrassment prominent in her cheeks. Celestia was the first to recover, asking hurriedly, "How do you know that name?!"

"Doesn't.... Everypony?" Luna asked her sister confusion obvious in her tone, "Why wouldn't everypony know our mother?"

"I am Arceus," the creator of Pokémon replied before Celestia could respond, "To answer Lunas question, No, everypony doesn't know, in fact most don't know about your mother, my friend, it seems after a glance."

"What are you?" Celestia asked while Lunas jaw was slightly dropped in disbelief.

"The question is not What I am, but why I am here should it not?" Arceus retorted before continuing on giving neither sister a chance to respond, "I am the same as my name in species, the creator of a world of extraordinary species much different than Faust's here. What I am doing here is my own business, how is your mother doing anyway? Still working on those Elements of harmony and their bearers and what not?"

"She is dead..." Luna stated slowly.

Arceus rolled his eyes, "Like death would keep your mother down, last I saw little Avianna couldn't keep a bug down, let alone her parent in the realm of spirits."

"Pardon?" Celestia asked confused, "Tartarus has been one way over the thousands of years. Ponies go in for death, not out."

"That is what you would like to think." Arceus shot back, "If that was true, why is their a guardian for the gate to keep them in?"

Neither sister had a response, so Arceus answered in response, "I guess I'll go seek her out after I start up time in this area again and allow it to continue on course. Sorry for any inconvenience but I had to perform a miracle of medical science for a filly to save her life in the long run. Anyway I bid you Adieu." With that Arceus vanished instantly leaving the princesses alone in the snow meadow.

Celestia turned and looked at her sister, "We should never speak of this again unless we are alone in our chambers together."

Luna looked at Celestia quizzically, "Speak of what again?"

"Exactly."

The two princesses turned around and flew back, as the clouds above began to snow again and the forest resumed its normal patterns, by morning there would be no traces that any of them had ever been there. Though some would say they heard the sounds of a deep laugh as the rest of the gifts were delivered as due for Hearths Warming Eve.

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It had taken Twilight most the night to figure this strange machine out, by now she had translated the strange runes into equestrian and figured out how to turn it on. Pressing a few buttons with the hard end of some of a dry Quill she reached a new screen. A mechanical voice began to emit from the machine that the strange giant had given her for Hearths warming, the number one appearing next to a set of strange runes and a picture of a strange plant like turtle as the device declared, "Bulbasaur. It bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and very difficult to capture in the wild." Twilight began to scribe down the translation using the alphabet translation slowly scribing down all the information the Pokédex had on the strange creatures entry, including several notes and the various information on the species that was crammed into it. She had a lot of work to do, but she wouldn't begin until after Hearths Warming.

Author's Note

Presumed that Faust has been forgotten about in the MLP universe seeing how they use Celestia for swears that could easily be swapped for the word God.

Also Excuse me if this chapter isn't satisfying. While the dramatic meeting between Soul and Arceus was cut off, it was more...Fitting than simply having the two dish it out in a Lampent vs Arceus fight for the filly. That would make no sense. So instead used the local, "Its a Christmas(Or Hearths Warming in this case) miracle" type to fix this situation. It also opens up the questions of Who's Avianna, and where's Faust as well as the situation with the Pokédex.

Winter Wrap Up

“To live at all is miracle enough.”
― Mervyn Peake

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Hearths warming had passed and with it the rest of winter drew smoothly to a close. Zecora had left after a few days more of staying. After the night had passed Zecora had checked on the filly again completely dumbfounded and confused, upon questioning her she had stated that Glacier Song was perfectly healthy. Something had happened over the night to have fixed all the ailments that Song had. Soul was also puzzled, he had watched the filly and taken care of her throughout the night, nothing had happened, in fact the most was just the complete stop of coughing and sweating. Yet now here Song was, healthy as can be except by eyesight.

Of course it was also might of been helped as Soul took the time to go out and purchase a gift, a teddy Ursa (no not the Pokémon, the bear mind you), and had wrapped it up himself on the way back. By the time Zecora had finished he had brought both mares their hearths warming gifts back to the room, as well as a table in the warm living room for a group breakfast and hearths warming present unwrapping. The memory was one he would of smiled at if he had an mouth, the filly had been confused at first, before slowly getting a spreading grin and had seeked him out before grabbing Soul in a tight hug as she realized the present was for her. Zecora had chuckled at this. Even going so far to give the filly instructions in her rhyming speech with her new hooded cloak, the present soul got the practical mare, swirling gently from a breeze of a window in the warm room.

Later on Twilight had come with her friends to check on the mare and a small party had ended up coming out for the filly as Pinkie started a celebration that dragged in the rest of the Homestead as it went on. Even so far to include Steven Magnet as the Sea serpent stood outside with an arm on a balcony as he had conversation with Rarity. As day progressed to night Red Wood and Applejack 'mysteriously vanished' later on, presumably to spend more time with each other as the party drew on. Glacier Song had taken the party similarly as Fluttershy had initially, both ending up under a table after an explosion from a cannon had redecorated the room in party items. However both came out at relatively the same speed as they began to converse with each other, timidly at first, but slowly growing more open as time went on.

His mind going back to the future Soul pondered on the irony of Winter wrap up as it was for him. He had wanted to help with Winter Wrap up but due to the tradition of not using magic for the day he found himself instead looking for a job as the festivities went on. He counted himself in the magic category for being a fire using creature of extraordinary abilities who would die if his inner soul flame got wet after all. He had already witnessed a miniature avalanche at applejacks farm and he was in no hurry to be the victim of the next one if it came. So here he was... searching for a job that could possibly turn long term, going with him to watch however was none other than the cutie mark crusaders. While having no prior experience with the Crusaders thus far he was quickly finding out why the populace was so keen to avoid them as the trio shouted out their current adventure, "CUTIEMARK CRUSADER JOB MATCHERS!"

Soul winced wishing their was a way to muffle his own hearing, Applejack had drilled it into the trio of young mares that they should try helping soul find a job in Ponyville. They were enthusiastic in the idea and dragged him off before Applejack could offer any suggestions where to start. Now he was just following them around as they spewed out various ideas of where to look first. However the first idea that actually came to came from Sweetie Belle; Spa helper. Off they went to Lotus and Aloe's spa.

First things had gone smoothly, Lotus and Aloe had accepted the offer for extra help around the spa, and quickly had assigned him to incineration and water heating duty. What Soul didn't grasp however was the massive amounts of steam that would force him to regularly clean his frame dry with a towel consistently. Still however he didn't give up with the urging of the crusaders. Eventually however one customer request forced him to quit. That customer was a stallion named Filthy rich, who came with his daughter Diamond Tiara. Both of which were slacking off for the Winter Wrap up transition from winter to spring.

The request was deceptively simple, heat up the water to one hundred and twenty seven degrees. However somepony, probably the crusaders since they intensely disliked Diamond Tiara, had tampered with the order adding an extra zero to make it not one hundred and twenty seven but One thousand two hundred and seventy degrees. The water in the tub that was requested disintegrated at such heat into a massive cloud of angry steam of hot air that made fire hard to stay lit and breath hard to draw. As a result the Spa had to be vented out of all the excess hot air and Soul had to consume a rather large amount of fire to survive the close encounter with death by heated air-water. Easily enough however the steam ended up shortening out the wrap up process as it reheated the clouds above. It was Scootaloo who came up with the next idea.

Ponyville had a horrible traffic problem that persisted throughout the years. ponies would block off bridges with carts when chatting, unaware of the problem they were creating and others would random time collide into each other. With the equestrian guard's permission they tried having soul act as a traffic instructor. The task was a boring job, it was basically to hover above the street in a neon orange vest with a pair of lamps meant to flag down airplanes in his world. While there was no planes in Equestria there was however other flying objects. Who would of guessed that a bird like race of ponies would be attracted to 'shiny things' in midflight as not only one but two ponies crashed into him at highspeeds at the same time.

Ditzy Doo and Rainbow Dash had been returning to Ponyville after Rainbow had to grab Ditzy from her fly east instead of south for the birds. It was out of the corner of her eye that Ditzy saw something flash from the streets below and her curiosity gathered as Rainbow continued her rant to the mare and cutting her off with a, "Ooh shiny!" and dive bombing towards the ground.

"Ditzy wait!" Rainbow had shouted before diving after the grey and yellow Pegasus.

Soul was simply directing a small herd of local cows to move on down a street while a bunch of ponies in sleds waited on the corner directly to their right when he became aware of a whistling sound. Curiously he looked around seeing nothing to make the source before he became aware of a yell of, "Ditzy Wait!" It was at that moment he looked up and was impacted into by a full grown grey and yellow streak that impacted with enough force to make a Wonderbolt wince. A rainbow streak also impacted not a few seconds later completely knocking out what was left of soul's consciousness as the two mares began to bicker and traffic, left unkempt, erupted into chaos.

By the time Soul regained consciousness the crusaders had dragged him away and to the clubhouse where they were confused on what to try next, curiously Applebloom asked the newly awake soul a crucial question, "What are you good at anyway? We have tried spa and traffic direction based on your appearance but Applejack always said not to judge somepony based on appearances."

Soul considered, limb over where his chin would be if he had one, "Well I absorb fire, spew fire, phase through walls and can dismantle ghosts. I stand a fair chance against even Timberwolves and Lions as well as a few of the stranger creatures in the Everfree. While I don't think I have a chance against Ursa majors or Dragons, having not tested that at all, I can handle other things just fine."

"That would put you either as a Guard or a Fire Fighter." Scootaloo shot out excitedly flapping her small wings rapidly enough to keep herself in the air for a few seconds before landing again.

Soul raised an eyebrow, "Wouldn't being a Guard require training first?"

Applebloom backed her friend up, "But fire fighting wouldn't!"

"Fire Fighting it is then I guess." Soul shrugged before he was dragged off by the crusaders unaware of a certain purple snake that was hiding on the roof above them.

[A job huh...] Arbok slithered off the roof when they were well and gone, [What should we do boss?]

"Ruin his chance at getting a job of course," That was Meowth's voice on a headset he had made for Arbok and the rest, "Follow him, I'll send our resident ghost and gas bag to cause some trouble."

[Yes sir.] Arbok hissed back into the headset before slithering through the snow after the three small fillies and their target.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul and the crusaders ended up in strict military position as the fire fighting chief, a Pegasus of bright red and yellow called Fire Joe, Eyed them over and barked an order as if an drill sergeant, "Drop and give me twenty!"

"Twenty what?" Soul inquired.

The stallion face-hoofed, "Push ups of course."

The crusaders groaned and started, while Soul simply fell down onto his bottom spike and pushed himself upright and fell back onto his face in a fast erratic fashion. The instructor was kind of silly in his opinion asking a creature who primarily flew for a mode of transport to do pushups. Though he couldn't hope but wonder, "Why are you three doing push ups with me again? Thought your goal was to get job matcher cutie-marks."

Scootaloo stood up, done the fastest of the three crusaders, "Might as well try as many things as possible. Who knows, maybe we will get a mark in Fire fighting as well."

Sweetie belle shot out in a voice of sheer wit, "Or one in Pyrotechnics if we fail exponentially."

Everyone, including the instructor burst out laughing at that, Fire Joe adding, "and that's why Fire Fighters are on the job. Not much of the problem in winter though."

As if fate was listening suddenly a fire bell went off alerting the station to a fire in the white tail woods. "Well Lamp and Mares time to get moving, for some on-hoof training!" Fire Joe plopped three Fire fighter helmets down on the crusaders and threw a fourth onto Soul, about covering him entirely in its depth before rushing to a Fire-wagon and hitching himself up to it, "C'mon lets go!" he rushed out with the rest as they proceeded towards a certain 'base'.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The Fantastic Revolution base was on fire! To think things had started out so well on winter wrap up until a purple gas bag and some strange black creature with red eyes carrying a mask had come to visit. Setting the place ablaze. Their leader suspected those annoying creatures to be part of Celestia's army, perhaps they were attempting to force his hoof and retaliate back before their time. In any case it wasn't going to work because he was currently on fire and the most primary thing on his mind was pain as he rolled around in the snow like some sort of steam roller trying to put the fire out before he was completely burnt to a cinder with his fellow group members. The ones that weren't burnt were throwing rocks and snowballs at the two in attempts to get revenge and fight back but so far with no, or limited success.

Though so far it was a battle for time, already he could hear the sirens of a Fire-wagon and Ambulance closing in, and with it hope in the form of a black lantern in a Fire Fighting helmet. "To arms comrade!" he shouted out to Soul, "There be monsters most foul setting the place aflame!"

He was completely ignored as the fire wagon rushed by him without stopping for so much a word. Though Soul did however stop himself in front of the purple gas bag that was attempting yet another spew of fire that had set the base on fire. Noticing the rest of his group attempting to help put the fire out he rushed to help put out the fires.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul grabbed the wheezing glaring at the trouble maker reverting to the Pokémon languages he asked with hostility, [Why are you burning innocent houses?]

A voice behind him answered for the wheezing, [Because the Boss ordered us to do so. Shadow ball] A dark ball of energy hit Soul from behind knocking him away towards the fire, at the same time showing both Yamask and Wheezing together prepared to fight him.

Soul floated up unsteadily, another ghost type could prove a serious problem. The fact that the Yamask had used a ghost type move against another was super effective not to mention the mastery of using ones own type had given the ghost. The situation worsened when Arbok appeared as well slithering out from a bush wearing a strange looking headset. This was planned, he realized as he fought down a rising sense of fear. Last time they fought he had an ally at least, and one of them was a normal type. Now the odds was more uneven with three versus one.

The sound of the fire finally drew his attention, an idea forming in his head. He started to back away towards the fire as the two poison users fanned out to stop retreat and the Yamask floated directly towards him readying another of the lethal balls of shadow energy. "Flame Charge" Soul suddenly lit on fire, but instead of launching forward as Team Rocket expected, he launched backwards into the fire vanishing into the flaming house behind him as ponies scrambled out of the way for the unexpected brawl that was unfolding.

Yamask looked confused, so he turned and asked Arbok, [Did he just commit suicide?]

Arbok shook his head, [I don't think so, be on your guard.]

Wheezing drew slightly away from the fire, [Not getting near that anyway. Lets increase the heat.Flamethrower] Wheezing drew in a breathe, his mouth flaming as he spews out a stream of fire into the house to be met with no response.

Arbok shook his head and was about to turn away when suddenly the fire all vanished, or well was sucked inward by something. As Yamask peered into the suddenly dark burnt house he became aware of the purple flame and two yellow orbs staring at him narrowed into half circles of anger. Soul resumed the conflict with a simple word, "Double Team" As sudden as the words, the air was filled with Lampents, dozens of them each flawlessly emitting their own light and everything, each one moving seemingly on its own accord. The hunted had become the hunter.

Looking at the dozens of lampents Arbok was unamused, [Don't fret, only one of these are real.]

Wheezing however was still worried, [But how do we tell which one is?]

The three backed up into each other then, but it was Yamask that was first to fall as a Shadow ball was delivered into his side from what seemed to be a decoy but as they took aim at the real one Soul vanished into the crowds of doubles again leaving just Arbok and wheezing.

Arbok shouted out, [Why don't you fight us like a real Pokémon you coward.]

Soul's voice came from the left, [Why don't you fight me one at a time?]

Wheezing worked up the pollution in his gullet and stated, [Toxic] Before spitting a glob at where the voice came from, simply dispersing yet another of the duplicates instead of hitting its targets.

[What's wrong?] Soul taunted, [Can't find the real me? Too cowardly to figure it out the old fashioned way you big gas bag.] Soul had seen this strategy work in battles before, though he didn't expect the Wheezing to actually fall for it.

[That's it.] Wheezing was getting annoyed by all these Duplicates, [Gyro ball.]

Arbok looked in disbelief at his best friend as he spun away tackling duplicates all of the ones in his way either moving away or dispersing when hit as Arbok shouted, [No you fool! that's what he wants!]

His jaw dropped however as the multitude of duplicates spun once chanting, [Fire Spin] sending a various amounts of flame tornadoes to capture his buddy and subject the unfortunate wheezing into a fire tornado. Wheezing quickly fell, knocked out as the flames vanished onto the ground next to Yamask.

Now Arbok was all alone, slashing his tail at whatever duplicate made mock to attack, unsure of which was the real one. Soul let the Arbok tire himself out over time, dozens of duplicates fading only to be replaced by more as another Double Team was used. Eventually the Arbok stopped and growled menacingly, [I know your in there brat, come out and face me.]

Another Lampent arose next to the Arbok and he looked at it unamused, [Another fake?]

Soul's eyes turned to a happier expression, [Nope, Fire Blast] The following spew of fire knocked Arbok out as the snake only had time to recoil back in surprise before being knocked unconscious from flame and pain collapsing onto the small pile of its comrades.

Wheezing opened its eyes seeing soul close but not its comrades around it before stating,[Explosion] as the wheezing knocked itself unconscious with an explosion sending the trio of Pokémon flying with the faint scream of, [Team Rocket is blasting off again!] Heard despite the knock outs before they vanished into the skyward distance.

Unluckily however the explosion destroyed the rest of the Fantastic Revolutions base leaving nothing but a crater. Luckily nopony was caught by the explosives, having long chose to hide behind a series of trees to watch the fight go on. As soul dusted himself off he was joined by the trio of crusaders, all of which were yelling along the lines of, "That was awesome!" Though he winced as he considered the amount of destruction that had resulted in a simple Fire Fighting job. Fire Joe was giving him the look that was terrified. He tried approaching only to get a wordless shriek from the Fire Fighter as he ran away abandoning his wagon as the stallion ran for the hills as if an angry dragon was after him. Soul sighed, now somepony was going to be afraid of him. Inevitable given his strange appearance and control over fire but now...

Soul was pulled out of his thoughts as a trio of hoofs pulled him down to ground level and ended up looking in the eyes of all the crusaders. Apple bloom, who was in the middle, spoke first, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Soul was a bit confused, "You're not afraid?"

"Afraid? Why would we be?" Scootaloo asked excitedly, "That was awesome, not as awesome as Rainbow Dash, but still awesome!"

"Well... I used a lot of force for that... didn't I? Most ponies around here tend to... well... no offense, scare easily."

"No offense taken, right girls?" Sweetie belle shot out the comment earning nods from the other two crusaders.

"Totally, most ponies around here don't appreciate a good can of whoop flank!" Scootaloo said mocking a ninja pose and earning a raise of eyebrow in disbelief for a brief second at the pose before Scootaloo continued, "I mean did you see that you were totally like, 'I am over here, no I am over here woooOOOoooOOOooo" Scootaloo made to mock out the battle that had just taken place while Sweetie Belle asked her own question over their friends mock recreation of the fight, "I honestly want to know if we can learn to do such things as well! Can we try?"

"I don't know..." Soul began, but seeing the resulting widening pouting eyes and stuck up lips he relented, "Only if your sisters approve, and I won't teach you girls anything dangerous. Not that I even know if such a thing is possible for non-Pokémon...hmm..."

That was all the crusaders needed, they made various yips and yays before spreading out in different directions, each presumably homing in on their own families locations. Thus began his real official job for months to come, foal sitter and teacher of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders.

Chapter 19: Technical Difficulties

"You can never plan the future by the past."
-Edmund Burke

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meowth found himself frowning in disgust once more, it was the tenth time this week that the lions had served his meal as a small woodland creature, spring was thawing and the bigger game had yet to replenish the healthy fat leaving the smaller creatures more desirable. None the less even a cat could get sick of eating the same things for a long time. Meowth sighed and pushed against the table with his hind legs causing his chair to roll and slowly spin to a table on the opposite side of himself. Unlike the dining table this one was stocked full of improvised technology he had constructed out of the many various parts that the Lion's had provided him with. As he idly worked he tapped the headset back on for a status report on his teams latest activity. Spying on the annoyance that was a Lampent.

[All accounted for boss, Six Adult Equines, two of each primary race to be precise, four fillies, one Zebra, a Manticore, and a Timberwolf.] That was Arbok, the more studious of the two he had assigned to spy duty.

[Um...]Was Wheezing's voice, [Also the Stallion Red Wood and tha' sea serpent and spirit brewing pony.]

Meowth nodded to himself before realizing that they wouldn't be able to see the action, "Good, Combat assessment Arbok?"

[The purple one with the horn is the leader of the six equines it seems. Magical feats tremendous. Should be easy to subdue by using her curiosity against her and putting her to sleep.] Arbok thought to himself for a moment, [the other horned one doesn't have combat experience but based on what I have seen she is a whiner when captured, recommend a gag.]

"What about the others?" Meowth asked, scribbling some notes onto a spare piece of parchment.

[The two Winged Equines are very different. The blue one with the eccentric hair colors boasts her speed and agility. But if we can ground her all of her combat strength should become nonexistent. However for the yellow and pink one there is a fear factor as she can produce a mean look that would scare a Gengar out of its ghostly skin if she stared at it with it. There is also the possibility of her animal friends attacking. Recommend Smoke screen to obstruct sight and toxin until fainting.]

"Go on..." Meowth commanded and the next few hours the only sounds would be Arbok's voice droning on everything he had learned and the scribbling sound of a pen on parchment as Meowth took notes.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"Are you sure this is safe?" Soul asked for what must of been the thousandth time this morning.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Scootaloo shot back exasperated with the endless repetition of this conversation.

"Well lots of things..." was the quiet voice of Glacier Song, mimicking similar distrust at the prospect ahead.

"We're only trying to get our cutie-marks in Animal Tracking after all." That was Apple bloom, head of the small group of fillies and the floating lamp.

"Field guide." Scootaloo shot out the comment, bringing Sweetie Belle to bare a rather old book they had borrowed from Twilight containing the information about various wild creatures. The crusaders diligently stalked the large paw prints soon bored and rather wanting to see what it was for themselves as Soul and the newest crusader, Glacier Song (who had been forced into tagging along by the sheer enthusiasm the crusaders had given her when they found out she didn't have a cutie-mark. The filly in question was now sitting on top of Soul's frames hat, having wrapped her hooves around the spike that was dead center and hanging onto it rather pleasantly while Soul gave her his version of a 'pony back ride'. The overall effect it gave however was for some reason a bunch of weird "D'awww" sounds from the grown mares in town as the little filly had pointed out in a random direction like a ship captain from atop his hat when asked to choose a direction to wander first by the crusaders.

Soul couldn't help but to chuckle quietly at the memory despite the situation as his advantage of flying made it apparent who they were going to run into. To not the spoil the surprise he gave a clear chirp drawing some interest but no suspicion from the crusaders as he spoke in his native universal language of the non-language beings, [Hey there Rose.]

The young manticore pup got up from her sleeping position, apparently up from a nap in the middle of the Everfree and responding in a small quiet rumble of her own, ['Sup Soul? What are you doing here?]

Soul rolled his eyes bringing out another quiet chirp and a slight gesture to the crusaders who were about to go through the bushes and end up right face to face with Rose, [Helping the Crusaders along with their quest for tracking cutie-marks.]

At this point Applebloom turned her head and stared at Soul, "What's with the chirping?"

"Oh nothing." Soul stated, "Just speaking to a friend."

"A friend?" Scootaloo shot back, attempting to clear a path through the bush ahead of her, "Why there's nopony around here but us four and none of us understand bird.

"you'll see." Soul stated crossing his metal limbs behind his back in a waiter like fashion.

"Whatev-" Scootaloo had cleared the brush out of her way and looked onwards before reeling back at a grinning face of Rose inches away from her, "MANTICORE!" she screamed running past the crusaders eliciting similar screams from the other two girls; oddly enough Song remained quiet and even joined soul in a chuckle as the crusader trio dived into the nearby bushes.

"Relax, it's Rose, a friend of mine, and to be precise she's a Manticore pup."

The crusaders sighed at the same time and Sweetie Belle was the first to speak up, "We were setting ourselves up for that weren't we?"

"As Big Macintosh would say, eeyup." Applebloom mimicked her brothers voice almost perfectly.

Soul rolled his eyes, "Look at it this way, at least it wasn't something with hostile intent."

[Excuse me, I'll be going back to napping.] Rose nodded back to them and curled back up on the spot without waiting for a response from him.

"Lets leave her to her nap," Soul stated bluntly before noticing the disappointed looks of the crusaders and adding, "Want to try something else? How about Cutie-mark crusader dog walkers?"

"Tried it." Scootaloo brought out a hoof waving it dramaticly, "Got dragged through half the town."

"Cutie-mark Crusader..." Soul pondered for a moment before gathering an Idea, "Ice cream tasters."

They perked up at that, "Wouldn't hurt to try that one out!" Sweetie Belle started cheerfully.

"Mhm!" Everypony, including Glacier Song agreed with the prospect of ice-cream, and off they went towards Ponyville for some of the frozen delicious deserts sold at Sugar Cube Corner.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meowth had finished writing down everything his spies had told him about Soul and his friends. He had even thought up a plan that would surely beat the annoying floating collector of Souls. Now it was only a matter of time, first he would take care of the current Lion mafia leader and replace him personally to get complete dominate control of the pack, and then the plan would start. Meowth hopped off his chair and began walking towards a corner of the cave, where a large construct the size of a small cottage was covered in a layer of patchwork cloth. The pieces were coming into play. Now it was time to merely finish this project and take over first the mafia then the town and perhaps even the world.

Only then would he be able to continue researching the portal technology to go home and maybe even open a permanent link between the two worlds allowing team rocket to gain control of the entirety of Equestria and its planet for the boss. He could imagine the boss now, happy aboard a throne carried by equines beating the Pokémon trainers everywhere with a literal army of the various creatures that lived here. He already had a few giant secret weapons in reserve in case things accidently went south. Meowth took a few minutes to be in bliss with the image of the boss calling him the best member of team rocket and replacing that annoying Persian that always loomed at the bosses side as a pet.

Soon enough he snapped back to reality and released the rest of his team mates that were stored in their Pokéballs. Giving his comrades an menacing grin he stated, "Time for plan Lion takeover. Everyone on board it's time to take charge."

Another Gear Falling into Place

"The world is made up for the most part of morons and natural tyrants, sure of themselves, strong in their own opinions, never doubting anything."
-Clarence Darrow

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

[Another!] demanded Gold Fang, laying lazily on his throne made of the bones and fur of past prey. He had finished eating a deer and he was still hungry. He growled in pleasure as another of his brood dragged a deer to their mighty leader. It was a good day as all days were except for the snow-months. His mafia, or pride as ponies called it, had captured a small tribes worth of deer and with the royal talky-cat of his advice, they had invested in long term breeding and keeping of the deer to 'domesticate' them for resources. Frankly he didn't care for it but after all these results the talky-cat had invented for the mafia they were infinitely better off than before.

He smiled Idly to himself, it was good to be king. Though his luxurious haze was disrupted as he became aware of a dull repeating sound getting louder and louder. The sound of metal hitting stone, several of his thralls stopped in their various chores and looked down the hallway, something was coming. The thuds just got louder and the side wall to the main hall that was the cave 'palace' of the den collapsed in a explosion of rocks sending any nearby thralls and warriors alike everywhere in the process. When the dust settled he saw first claw the giant machine that dwarfed even that purple ponies tree-cave. It was a mecha in the shape of a dark ghostly being, hovering impossibly in the air with a dark radiance about the machine. It was as if something had taken the grim reapers of stories bottom half and expanded it to the size matching that of a dragon. It wasn't however the form but the eyes that struck cold fear into Gold Fang, however, but it was the eyes. Mechanical sure but the red light spoke of dark energies worthy of Tartarus. Though the head was wrong, it was covered in a very gothic look of smoke clouds as if it was on fire on the inside giving it a creepy hair-do.The effect was spoiled however by the giant red R that was in the middle of the machine-thing's chest and in the circle of the R was a small glasslike bubble showing the pilot...Meowth.

[You've outdone yourself Talky-cat.] Gold fang sneered in half amusement and half anger, [Another toy? Did you really have to destroy the cave walls to show me this instead of taking it around like normal?]

Meowth's voice was full of his own loathing for Gold Fang as he growled back, "Guess you're too stupid to get the memo. I am done working for you, instead I challenge you by the right of the Jungle. Strongest is king and the loser is dead."

Gold Fang now felt uneasy, he himself was a lion who could easily dwarf most of the usual trees in the forest. But this construction dwarfed him and was made of that pesky metal the whining cat had demanded in return of his services. But then again he was Gold Fang the mighty, slayer of three giant smoke lizards (albeit they were teenagers) and five packs of wood-dog-who-smell-bad. But any show of weakness and he would lose the packs respect. With a snide growl he agreed, [Come at me then you mangy runt.]

Internally Meowth smiled, His invention was complete, dark and ghost enchantments worked into the metal with the aid of Yamask, the teams prominent ghost pokemon, and a power supply already stocked up and easily replenished by Wheezing's fire attacks had proven useful in construction and maintaining the device. However one scratch from the hands coated by the teams poison type Pokémon would render even a Charizard dead within seven minutes. The design of the machine was a clever twist. Never had the greedy cat invented something for purely destructive purposes instead of capturing. Leading him to design a giant mechanical Darkrai. It was easy enough to mimic most of the actual nightmare Pokémon's attacks. Having once even built a nightmare machine out of nothing but spare radio parts and scrap metal, with the internal crew as well. This machine was the deadliest thing he had ever made.

As the king warily closed in on the machine, slowly working himself towards the rear of it in a clockwise pattern he pondered when it would move. Though he almost missed it as a dark purple cloud suddenly ejected from a single red spike that was one of many on where the neck would be surrounded. Agilely he dodged to the side and lunged at the machine striking claw against dark ghostly metal. As soon as the blow struck he knew something was wrong, he wasn't moving. His claw was turning purple, and the image of a golden mask flooded his mind. He felt deathly i'll as he heard a creepy monotonous voice whisper, [Curse.]

Gold Fang visibly paled but as nothing seemed to happen his confidence regrew and he struck again at the hard metal, [That all you got kitten? A word? Hahah-!]

That was when the king of lions was knocked five feet deep into a solid stone wall by the force generated by the giant black clawed hand like a cat swatting a fly. Fang felt his mouth open out of shock a small splatter of blood erupting from him as his lungs and ribcage was forced inward. His conscious gone momentarily as he fell and hit the ground before it returned and he opened his eyes between forced breathing and got up. It was gone, [What trickery is this? Did they run away.]

"Oh of course not you dolt." That was the challengers voice, sounding nowhere yet everywhere at the same time, "I can kill you at any time I please, no restraints for capturing other pathetic excuse for Pokémon or other safety limitations now. I am not capturing you but partaking in the ancient art of war."

[Fight me like a Lion you coward!] Gold Fang roared angrily at the voice attempting to pin point it.

"Want to know our secret you pathetic excuse for a leader? Before you die of the curse anyway."

[No, come out and fight me claw versus claw you fiend.] Gold fang retorted.

"Shame. Hm, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten..." The voice trailed off counting as several of the lion thralls looked spooked.

[Come on out you son of a mouse! Fight your own battles!"

"Nineteen, thirty two, forty seven."

[What's with the counting!?]

"Just counting how many will be still alive."

[What?]

"You said no to the secrets see, and I grow bored. So here's a taste of your own medicine for needless slaughter of creatures."

Gold Fang could only look in shock as one by one Lion thralls began to fall like stacks of bricks. His face paled further as the feeling of a giant ragged spike of pain began to take hold of him as if someone was driving a large railroad spike into his claw and towards his heart. He began to stagger and sway searching out for some clue to where the monstrosity had been, [Fine what is your secret?] It was a vague hope but maybe he could draw out the cursed thing once more and hit it when it's guard was down, sure enough it worked.

The giant monstrosity appeared before him, eerie music beginning to play from it as Meowth smiled, "Good to see you up for something spectacular. This is how we survive in our very nasty world. Hit it!

A song sung by seven very different yet similarly minded creatures including the cat began to sing to the song which was growing rather catchy in the irritating sense for Gold Fang.

[First you see us,

Now you don't.]

The mecha vanished as suddenly as it appeared not a second too soon as he lunged at it.

[Now you hear us,

Now you won't!]

The machine appeared again leaning down to him in a menacing fashion causing Gold Fang to back peddle to a stop as the metal being locked its gaze on him.

[It's our secret of survival,

in a very nasty world!

It vanished again as the music played a dark tune one would expect from an evil unicorn wizard falling down stairs made of piano keys as he fell and the music picked up again with him getting hit by several dark needles covered in smog and ghostly like mist.

[Now you feel us,

Now you can't!]

On the words can't the needles vanished again and he braced instinctively but opened his eyes after feeling nothing hitting him. He looked down only to find he was now shaved like some silly poodle. The pain in his head was spreading to his neck and shoulders, it was even harder to think straight now through the pain. His mind was In haze and he saw as the cat, alone and unmanned appeared before him. "Are we Real?" Meowth taunted as the Lion lunged and went through the illusion and collided into a wall, "Perhaps we aren't"

[It's our secret of survival,

in a very nasty world!]

The chorus repeated itself once more and Gold Fang groaned, his voice sounding funny from where his nose broke on the wall, [Is it really such a nasty world?]

[Yes it's a very nasty world.] Wheezing spat through a speaker of the machine.

[Nastier than you could ever dream of!] Was the rest of the team in a chorus of agreement.

[From up above!] Yamask appeared over Gold Fang taunting him with a cheerful yet creepy face of such repulsiveness one would think he had used the skill known as mean look and done a Gengar proud with it.

The ground rumbled and a plant like creature resembling a Venus flytrap with eyes, limbs and tentacles erupted out from underneath Gold Fang surprising him and causing him to leap back, [From down beneath!] shouted Carnivine.

[Eyes and Jaws] whispered Arbok into his ear from behind causing the now completely terrified Lion to jump high enough to reach the ceiling and stick his claws in it like a extremely shocked cat.

"Claws and Teeth." Meowth added from the illusion Fang had run into inspecting his own claws cheerfully.

All vanished as the once proud and mighty leader tried to make a run for it and the song progressed on. The pain was almost to the heart now, but the exit was insight. When suddenly he was backhanded by a giant black claw again.

[Ready to attack you,

You're a snack...

You better run!]

The lion hit the ground back first dazed and the voices continued on. His heart was beating erratically from the pain, adrenaline, fear, and terror that was going through him. Meowth taunted, "You shouldn't go to my world if you haven't got a move!"

Gold Fang didn't care anymore, he was too terrified to move and the laughing started, a demoralizing tactic against the already defeated leader but then again Meowth was aiming to maim psychologically before deciding what to do.

[Every creature for survival,

Has to look out for their team.]

No more friends here,

No more grannie's here,

To look out for your health.

If your in our world,

Every child could,

Tell you got no business,

To be THERE!

Gold Fang was swept off his back by the giant claw grabbing him his life was coming to a close rapidly but it wouldn't be one to be collected by a shade or Soul, but by something more evil.

[Now you see us,

Now you don't.

Now you hear us,

Now you won't!]

Gold Fang whimpered for mercy as the machine squeezed and the cocky lion felt the pain beginning to drain into his heart, the pain elsewhere collecting on it and increasing exponentially.

"It's our secret to survival, in a very nasty world." Meowth sang by himself softly as if to a newborn babe.

The effect was horrifying on what remained of the broken lion, who whispered bleakly, "Now I feel you... Now I can't...?"

"Are we real?" Meowth asked

"Perhaps we aren't..." The lion whispered quietly the movements of his chest slowing down as he crossed death's door.

[It's our secret to survival.] Arbok sang quietly.

[It's our secret to survival...] Joined Yamask glumly.

"It's our secret to survival in a very nasty world." Meowth finished.

"Wobbuffet!" shouted their blue companion unnecessarily overly cheerful as usual to the point of being obnoxious.

[Wob's you just killed the mood.] Arbok retorted.

"Let him do as he pleases. First we have a mess to clean up, troops to prepare, then it will be time to take care of that pesky Lamp, his friends, and then plot world domination. Arbok and Wheezing with me the rest of you can get everything sorted out."

Not a single Lion resisted them as they passed, the machine now piloted by Yamask working on cleaning up with the other sub pilots still inside. None spoke or moved, whether it was out of fear or respect they didn't know. Their resident pair of dragons looked very uneasy after such a display of power and Wheezing couldn't help but scare it with a simple "Boo" and earning himself a smack upside the heads as Arbok reprimanded his best friend for making a giant menacing swamp dragon pee himself in fear.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Zecora shifted her stance looking up as birds fled in every direction away from a hill deep in the Everfree Forest. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted several of the more docile animals running in fear and even a Bear running for it's life. She couldn't help but talk to herself, "Something of great change has been made, but what is there that yet remains to be sayed." Without another word, she took the wisdom of many who have ventured the Everfree before and found something potentially dangerous had done before her, she ran for home and locked the door to her hut behind her.

Author's Note

to clarify some things Gold fang when he refrenced "three giant smoke lizards" he means dragons. and "Wood-dog-who-smells-bad" means Timber Wolves.

Chapter 21: Vanishing Ponies.

"I said to my soul, be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love, for love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, but the faith and the love are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.”
― T.S. Eliot

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"This is boring." Scootaloo complained once more stretching out each word, once again ruining the meditative trance that momentarily taken Soul as he tried to teach them the move 'Calm Mind' through the art of meditation. While sweetie Belle and Applebloom took to the art well considering they were getting bored as well, the over active Scoot's had a problem with staying still. Oddly enough it was Glacier Song and Rose that perfected it the fastest however only in two hours.

"Patience and a calm mind is a basis for all combat." Soul droned in the tone of a old man he had heard mention the very same words.

The group of six resumed their meditation unaware of the pair of snake eyes spying on them from the bushes. "He's presently preoccupied, initiate first stage of the plan Pony napping." Arbok stated to the microphone link to his leader, Meowth.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Fluttershy was just taking care of her animals, just like every other day, giving her various pets their proper food and the injured or sick their medicine or redoing their bandages. Angel bunny was on the top of her head directing her occasionally to those who needed extra attention and readjustment. She had just gotten done with the work needed for all of her animals and stepped out for a break and some air when the first oddity struck. There was heavy smoke around the skies of the cottage. Instantly she was reminded of the dragon wondering briefly if there was another of the giant scaled reptiles Twilight would force her to tag along to deal with. A cough drew her attention to a purple set of orbs with various craters decorating both in the form of two heads the larger of the two even bearing a pirate insignia for poison under its mouth. Though her eyes had time to widen before her face was covered in the dark smog that it spat from it's mouth.

Instantly Fluttershy was coughing and wheezing with her eyes squeezed shut from the foul smog that just hit her in the face. But the more she tried to breathe the more smog came instead forcing more and more rounds of coughing as she blindly bolted running directly into her fence sending her sprawling over it and crashing into the ground. She turned, the smog temporarily dislodged to stare at the orb and ask why but there was a golden mask infront of her face with a series of rings coming out of it's eyes as it lulled the poor kindly Pegasus to sleep. Fluttershy was captured.

Yamask smiled, such little resistance it had been once they had intoxicated her animals and knocked her out as well. After tying a piece of cloth over the ponies eyes and binding her legs together with a similar cloth Yamask left a note on the front door of her cottage before they carried the unconscious Pegasus away.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Elsewhere at about the same time Rainbow Dash was performing a new trick that involved a triple loop followed by a series of aerial dives that would cause air impacting craters in the nearby lakes water surface for an awesome effect of parting the sea. While it didn't have enough power yet she was practicing. Though a strange blue thing ended up catching her attention. The blue thing was simply staring at her, she didn't mind an audience but the way it was staring at her was what made her go towards it, it was bright blue with a simple face and a tail that had a face that reminded Rainbow of Ditzy doo. What she also noticed as she got closer was a sign written in white chalk in front of the strange being. it read simply, "You're too slow, bet you can't hit me."

"Oh you're on!" Rainbow shouted speeding up enough to leave an rainbow after trail.

What Rainbow didn't expect was what happened when she impacted on the blue punching dummy like Pokémon. She stopped dead in her track when the momentum hit the Wobbafet. As it's body went backwards without it's feet moving and the thing smile grew slightly as it ricocheted all the force back into a head to head bash knocking the Pegasus out cold and finishing the blue thing's bide. It picked up the now unconscious Pegasus and walked off with her. The pleasant smile never vanishing for even a second.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Applejack was bucking with Red wood. To be more precise, she was bucking apple trees with Red Wood. when Carnivine struck. It had started when Red Wood discovered A plant that completely filled up the Apple bucket. When he showed her the plant like Pokémon sprang up like a trap wrapping both of them into binds with it's tendrils and simply dragged them screaming into the Everfree forest struggling with the two muscular ponies by himself. It was rather anticlimactic for the plant so he lightly bit the male one on the head lightly much like he usually did James back in his own world. The rodeo mare one tried to bite him but he simply hung her in the air upside down tied up tighter than a hog could be lassoed. Carnivine went on after leaving another note on a tree for later discovery by the family.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Each captured pony was brought back to the Lion's den to be chained properly and restrained in individual cells but not separated due to each cage being next to each others just barely out of reach of one another. With the as many of the physical side of Soul's friend's captured Meowth could now plan to take on the more... Magical and child sides a well as the few members of the physical category that would be harder to capture such as the Sea-serpent, Timber-wolf, and Manticore. It had been less than a week before every lion had bowed down to Meowth as well as the deer which were now the new working class of the mafia whereas the Lions were the military. The only one missing was Yanmega who had taken the role of thief and was going to get a pair of Magic restraint rings so that the two Unicorns wouldn't be able to simply magic themselves and their friends out when captured. In the same night his squad would split into three forces to each nab the two unicorns and the party pony. At least that was according to plan if it went right. After examining the Party Pony, he wasn't sure a Master ball would be able to capture her but it was worth a shot.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Twilight was both horrified and intrigued at the same time, she had gone through six hundred of the Pokémon listed in the Pokédex and every ghost Pokémon she had encountered had something about their entries that sent shivers down her spine. Now she was staring at the picture of an adorable looking candle Pokémon that had a cute face and a purple flame similar to soul's on the top of it's head as the Pokédex rambled on, "Number Six hundred and seven. Litwick, the Candle Pokémon. Litwick appears to be helping to guide the way of people by illuminating areas that are darkened, but in reality they are actually leading them to the Ghost World. They feed off the life energy of people and Pokémon, and use it as fuel for the flames on their heads."

Twilight shivered again writing down and translating notes. No doubt that the evolutions would be next but first she would have to write every detail the Pokédex showed and spend hours drawing the picture of the candle Pokémon as well. When a subtle trio of knocks emitted from her balcony. Putting the Pokédex that Arceus had given her in her desk drawer and putting the newest note in her desk as well she turned around, "Come on in it's unlocked." She also noticed it was already late at night, curiously she pondered over who it would be at this late hour.

Her answer was found as a large dark green dragon fly came in, a Yanmega by the looks of it, as well as a purple smoke ball known as a Wheezing. Her eyes widened in amazement as two of the dex entries she already had done entered. Though the look quickly turned to shock as the two attacked.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul was heading home, it had been less than three hours after sending the various crusaders home and he had been walking past Twilight's library when he heard the fight break out. The first sign something was wrong in the library was when a plume of smoke, several discharges of magical energy and a Soot covered spike shot out of the second floor window and landed in front of him. Startled Soul did nothing but stare at the sudden event as Spike sat up and pointed at the window, "Soul! Twilight's in trouble with some werid animals!" Before fainting.

"What..." Soul asked the unconscious baby dragon before shrugging and moving spike off the road before flying towards the window.

Twilight's bedroom was in ruins. various pieces of furniture had been blasted to bits and others were slowly dissolving into puddles on the floor. Twilight and her assailants were no where to be found however. The only thing intact was a note reading, "Gone out of town to do some research, I'll be back soon. -Twilight."

Soul sighed, "Do you really think I would buy that?" He said to no one in particular. Obviously there was no response back. He floated back out and down to spike attempting to revive the dragon through the old fashion wake up move known as "Wake up Slap" While he couldn't actualy perform the move he slapped the baby dragon awake again anyway allowing most the force to dissipate against Spike' scales similar to being stung by a bee, only a lot less lasting.

After two or three slaps Spike regained consciousness with a groan before jumping up, almost colliding with soul in the process, and looking around desperately, "Twilight!"

Soul restrained the baby dragon with a metal limb around Spike's shoulder, "Calm down and tell me what happened. Twilight and those 'strange animals' you mentioned weren't up there."

They proceeded to go back inside, searching for any trace of Twilight or the Attackers as Spike relayed his side of the story of simply being asleep until he had been awoken by the fight Twilight had with Yanmega and Wheezing. But soon choked and with vision obstructed by a thick grey smog and the following series of loud bangs and a tail end of the dragon fly punting Spike through a flame thrower from the Wheezing. "I'm surprised you're not burn't." Soul commented.

"Eh, we dragons are fire proof." Spike retorted before finishing up with, "Then I landed in front of you and you know the rest."

"What was Twilight studying before they came in?"

"Don't know." Spike spoke up, "she has been working on something she got for hearths warming from somepony I didn't know. It was some red device that spoke about different creatures. I thought it was fiction but Twilight seemed intent on translating the entire thing."

"What was the ponies name perchance?" Soul asked, hoping to gain some clues about the situation.

"Don't remember, something that starts with Ace or Arcy..." Spike pondered for a moment, "Wait where am I going with this, I need to send a letter to the princesses Twilights been Mare-napped!"

"Go ahead then, I'll check on the others."

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The first two he checked on were Pinkie pie and Rarity. Both were missing from their homes and the lack of Sweetie belle was also present in Rarity's house and shop. While Pinkie pie's showed signs of struggle in the form of three broken party cannons and a room flooded with party supplies. There was also the outline of a Yamask present on a wall that was the only spot not covered in whip cream on the wall.

Quickly Soul rushed to Apple acres only to find the entire Apple family missing as well as a very disgruntled Wiona locked under a apple barrel. Upon reaching fluttershy's all the animals were still knocked out except for Angel bunny who was frantic with worry and also attempted to boss Soul around. Though the bully didn't have his way with Soul like Angel wanted to, Soul still comforted the small bunny before rushing back to the homestead only to find out from Berry Punch that a giant machine had grabbed Steven Magnet, Lily, and Rose in combat and that Scootloo's parents had come by earlier wondering where their foal was. Only Berry punch had remained uncaptured due to having hidden in a empty booze barrel when they busted down her door. He noticed a light in the castle, one coming from his room that he had given Glacier Song, and he hurried bolting straight towards the light.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul sighed in relief, Glacier Song at least was still safe in her bed with Zecora nearby as well. So three had escaped the kidnapping spree. Wasting no time he gathered Berry punch up into the castle as well as Spike to explain the situation. Spike sent off another scroll to the princesses with the words written down as well. There was an emergency at hand.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Quietly Twilight spat a bit of blood out of her mouth from the tail that had smacked her across the face in their brawl. She had managed to hold her own long enough to secretly tie the Pokédex from it's location into her tail and while she was knocked unconscious she was dismayed to notice that a majority of her friends, Zecora, Spike, Soul, and Berry punch and the princesses exempted of course, were each taken too. A majority of them except for Applejack and Red wood were still concussed. The couple had looked extremely worried with Twilight, she was the most beat up out of all of them after all. After calming their worries about her health she took stock of their surroundings. They were in a big cave of sorts each pony in individual cages with unique shackles to each one. Rarity for example had been gagged and Fluttershy blinded. Both unicorns wore a horn brace But sweetie belle didn't have one due to her youth making it imposable for her to need one. Rainbow and Flutters had restraints on their wings also in the form of metal bands clamping the appendages down.

What was more terrifying was the fact that there were Lions periodically stationed without keys to each cell. about four to each to be precise. Twilight seriously hoped that spike was able to get a letter to Celestia or Luna or somepony else. Otherwise they were going to be lion food. The sound of smaller footsteps came up and an unexpected individual crossed Twilight's vision, staring her down, "Well, looks like you're awake again." Meowth commented.

Author's Note

Lot's of different events had happened at the same time. Meowth being portrayed as a strategic genius to have set this plan up and little resistance due to the Mane six being studied for weaknesses beforehand as well as every pony/creature Soul made friends with. Luckily however there are certain thing's he would of overlooked. Like Spike burning scrolls was considered to be waste removal not magical letter transport.

The Note

“If man could apply half the ingenuity he’s exhibited in the creation of weapons to more sensible ends, there’s no limit to what he might yet accomplish”
― Mark Frost, The List of Seven

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

There was a note on the front of the castle door that morning, it was a note to come alone. It was a note addressed to Soul. A note from the same kidnappers who had taken a majority of his friends. The same friends he had spent almost a year with. The same friends who were now in danger from Pokémon because of a Pokémon. Soul sighed, tugging the note off his door and returning inside. The paper itself was unnaturally rough, and rigid in structure as if processed crudely by manual unskilled labor; noticeable for how it wasn't even square but a pentagon in shape with an uneven shape and at points flaked off as if it was falling apart. As a result it was rather delicate In some areas and rather sturdy in others. Soul considered it a miracle that It didn't fall apart simply bringing it up the stairs.

Song was asleep, peacefully slumbering in the bedroom soul had provided for the filly, while the room was much too small for holding everypony they could still see her from the adjoining living room that may had once served as a waiting room or another ridiculously short hallway that would of left a pointless position to place more guards. Though the castle was filled with empty rooms that were exactly like this, leaving Soul with the feeling that whoever had previously lived in the castle and ruled from it was extremely paranoid of Earth ponies or Unicorns. As nearly every room that was linked to the outside walls had at least one window large enough to allow Lord Palkia inside the room with space to spare. Zecora had opened one of such windows in the living room to allow the spring night breeze flow into the usually warm room and cool them as Spike awaited anxiously for a reply from the princesses.

Soul threw the note on the family sized circular table that stood in the center of the purple themed living room incidentally drawing Zecora's attention. Soul explained, "Found it on the front door."

Zecora nodded, "Do you know what it says, it may clear things up as bright as day."

Soul shook his frame left and right in a negative drawing a gesture from Zecora as if asking to read it herself. Soul nodded and resumed watching Spike who was pacing nervously back and forth in front of the window, already there was signs of a small trench being dug into the stone from the rate he paced back and forth muttering to himself inaudibly for the kidnapped ponies and creatures safety. Soul was distraught himself, he wanted to tell the baby dragon everything was going to be alright, but how could he say something like that in a situation like this? Pondering on his own thoughts he withdrew to what he knew about such situations before with Skarmory, a large steel bird Pokémon, kidnapping other trainers and Pokémon but the only successful cases had been using it's weakness to electric Pokémon to shock it into submission. Nothing as large scale as this however, but it may work. What did Soul know about the kidnappers? Well he had met four of them at least. Meowth, who was unaffected by ghost's because of his type, Arbok and wheezing, who were Poison users who were, ineffective against ghost types. As well as the major threat in combat, Yamask. He also knew they had built a machine, something that reminded him of the early days of his time in Cerulean City, towards the end of his career he had spotted several giant machine versions of different Pokémon in junkyards, those machines usually had contained some form of explosive inside it as a power source. Assuming from the description it was another of those, that would explain the origin of them at least.

But that couldn't be only that. There would still be how they got the resources and if there were additional members of the crew. Team Rocket had been notorious in it's time as professional thieves of other trainer's Pokémon. His mind pondered over the details before he heard Zecora's cough in attempt to draw Soul back to the present. Probably wasn't the first time Zecora had attempted to draw the lamp out of his stupor. Sheepishly Soul apologized, "Sorry Zecora, I was thinking about the kidnappers... something you wanted to tell me?"

"I just have grim news to mule, you have been challenged to a Duel. An army you must fight, for else our friends will be bite." Zecora responded cryptically holding the note out for Soul to read.

Soul felt the temperature of the room drop five degrees from the expression on Zecoras face. Quietly he took it up and read it himself.

To Soul,
If you want your friends to live come to Basilisk Rock at four AM. Alone.
We have business to settle.
-Team Rocket

He put the note down, looking Zecora in the eye, "I have to go." The time was already was three hours after Midnight. Basilisk Rock was a landmark deep in the Everfree, about half an hour by air and twice that on hoof.

"You can't be serio-" Zecora started before they were interrupted by a loud belch. Spike had coughed out a scroll.

Spike opened it, reading it over, "State of emergency... blah blah blah.... extremely worried, stay calm... blah blah blah.... Coming personally, with an entire regiment of royal guards... be here in two hours... that's great news"

Spike looked up from the scroll noticing their glum expressions, "What did I miss something?"

Zecora turned to look at Spike, before looking to Soul again. But Soul was gone, the note on the floor. Outside a storm was beginning to brew, The Everfree had become oddly quiet and a strong gust of wind was coming, almost as if the Everfree was anticipating the fight. Zecora sighed, "I don't mean to whine, but let us hope the princesses arrive in time."

Spike shut the window and Zecora joined him looking out towards the deeper section of the Everfree forest, Spike started to write a new letter, addressing it once more to Princess Celestia with the location of the conflict, having read the note. With it sent soon after there was nothing else they could do but wait. A set of light hoof-steps however broke the silence, when a quiet, gentle voice asked, "Soul?"

Darkness

“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things.”
― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"KICK HIS FLANK!" Pinkie pie shouted from the cage, drawing an awkward silence throughout the grounds which was broken as Applejack looked at her usually cheerful party friend.

"What's with the language Sugar cube?"

Pinkie pie shook the bars of her cage madly as if trying to escape the cage to strangle the cat, "He broke three of my party cannons! THREE! You know how hard it is to build those?"

Applejack sighed, "Calm down pinkie. If it helps when we get out of here I'll help you rebuild them."

"Wait, really?" Pinkie pie was cheerful again, "Pinkie promise?"

"Ah pinkie promise. Now lets just watch as event's unfold."

Both became silent with equal stares of interest that were near identical, drawing a chuckle out of Red Wood before a bang on all three's cages by a Lion got them to be quiet.

"Now. Let us see here, your all alone, eh?" Meowth started the conversation with Soul, "no allies, no weapons on limb. Nothing but the frame and spiritual fire within. Risky." Meowth made a cocky lean with his body closing one eye and waggling a single clawed finger at soul like a teacher or parent would to a foolish child.

"As well as you came with all your pawns it seems. What's the matter too afraid to fight me by yourself?"

"No, Meowth smiled, just not foolish."

"Shame, shall we begin this battle to the death?"

Meowth made his way behind his forces, smirking lightly, "Lets."

Soul readied himself into battle position just in time as the first wave of Lion's began to crash down upon the Single lamp. their wet claws however came upon nothing as the Lamp shot up instead knocking several Lion's upward with the force of his frame's top colliding with no fewer than three jaw's simultaneously. A follow up set of lions however jumped and bounced off the backs of their allies reaching with lethal water and poison covered claws to strike at the still rising lamp, unable to dodge Soul instead countered, "Flame Charge" An eruption of fire coming out of his limps and face as he span upwards burning the lion's around him in a inferno of fire.

Soul's he felt leave their bodies but instead of collecting them they sank into the ground. He had no time to ponder this but rather begin to panic, where were they going? His thoughts were interrupted as a cloud of smog nearly hit him forcing Soul to retreat back into the conflict below with a vengeance of flames burning and in return waiting for it to spread and kill the lions before sucking it back in to himself. While it was hardly self sufficient in this weather. While he wished to be able to use Sunny Day that fell under Princesses control of the sun. He dived around a series of claw swipes landing his own personal flames on each lion manually grabbing soul after soul In a whirlwind of death to consume it before it was dragged into the ground. Though with each soul that he missed the feeling of dread grew more present.

Meowth smirked pointing towards an ally and nodding him towards the combat field. soundlessly the giant insect zipped off into the smokescreen that had been planned previously to mix into the smog under best of circumstances. Soul soon became aware of a whistling sound followed by a harsh bite that ripped a good chunk of his frame's pointed spike off. Spinning up into the air under another Flame charge he became aware of the flying bug responsible. Yanmega spat out it's resultant bug bite's left over of metal before beginning a series of complex hovering moving from one spot to another in the way of a tipped over hour glass before making another lunge at Soul. He barely had time to respond and as a result used the first thing that came to mind, "Fire Blast!"

Yanmega already dedicated to his charge couldn't stop himself fast enough so instead he picked up momentum, charging through the fire clearly burn't enough to eat but still buzzing as he rammed into Soul again ripping off another chunk of his hat like section of his frame. It was the last bite it would get however as Soul's arm, in it's blinding haste had come up over the head of the metal ripping insect. Right in the way of it's wings. With a bang that would bend a lesser metal in two the wings came clear off from the maximum speed and the immobile metal limbs that sent Yanmega, crippled into the ground. Soul winced as the bug gave a few last twitches and died the metal frame that was once the left side of Soul's hat falling out of it's dead mouth. He wasted no time grabbing the soul and consuming it before he was forced to rejoin the battle. Meowth was now unsure. Already he had just lost one of his comrades as well as almost an entire third of his forces in mere minutes. He radioed in the next two waves simultaneously. Unlike what his reports had said, Soul wasn't as peaceful as normal. This time he was pulling out all the stops.

Soul questioned the looks on the Lion's faces, they were terrified, many turn tailed and fled but the reason was not because of Soul but of something, or rather two something's that blocked out the rain. He turned around to see what the commotion was about, before he felt himself pale. There was two dragons. One of dark brown with scales that glowed dimly in the light of the raining clouds, the other was a bright blue with a necklace of skeletons around it's necks of all sorts of creatures. Soul would of gulped if he had the throat but as is he could only dodge to the side in time to escape a hail of torrential smoke that threatened to blow Soul out like a candle at a birthday party. The second however was more threatening, his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as the blue one Spewed boiling water instead of fire or smoke with the same lethality forcing Soul to use another heavily expensed Protect to defend himself from being drowned and snuffed out as a torch in the ocean.

When it ended Soul knew he would have only a brief opportunity to strike back, what he would use was beyond him for this situation, he had heard of fire types beating water only rarely. But the backhand swipe the smoke breathing one delivered from behind sent soul deep into the ground below causing a small crater with the force of it. Causing many shouts for the concern of Soul from the cages of his trapped friends. Even Meowth was surprised when the Lamp, frame a complete wreck and falling apart, half it's glass gone with the flame dimming rose back into the air, a slight murmur was said and both dragons paled as it began to take effect. the words made sense in Meowths head, the Lamp had just used Pain split after using endure to survive the blast. Instantly both dragons collapsed wounds developing at rapid pace and their massive bodies failing as Soul, a creature who normally needed much less energy to live absorbed and healed to full health while the dragons life itself shortened to the amount maximum a Lampent could hold. Meowth could only gasp in shock as the small amount of energy left for the dragons could only amount to three heart beats before they fell. His gaze went left and right as he saw the lions begin to turn and flee in every direction in fear. They didn't understand but they saw a small lamp take down two dragons in five seconds after being dealt a fatal blow that would of killed even Gold Fang in one hit.

Meowth gestured for his team to proceed to their final plan. Leaving the few still loyal guards to keep at the cages while they proceeded to the machine that they had all so cleverly buried the night before. As Soul recovered his frame he became aware of a dull rumble. Followed by an eruption of sheer darkness and ghost as a giant metal limb clawed itself to the surface. It must be the final stage Soul considered, The giant machine that Berry punch had mentioned. Though he wasn't prepared for what he saw as it fully erupted. Once again his eyes widened to dinner plates and his arms fell limp, if he had a jaw it would of touched the ground on the distant floor below, as is he made a small amount of cursed language, "For the Love of Giratina is that a giant Darkrai?!"

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Arceus became aware of a loud sneeze in between judging of the dead, a time he normally called for nap time but this time it wasn't some mere spirit or ghostly Pokémon. No, this time it came from the lord of the dead and the phantasmal world itself, Giratina. "Excuse you." Arceus muttered dryly to his companion.

Giratina nodded at the tradition, "Thanks Arceus, Must be someone talking about me behind my back again or something. I've felt fit as a fiddle for the last thousand years and counting, you know that of course."

"Want to check who it is this time who used your name in vain?" Arceus pondered. Usually someone evoked a legendary Pokémon's name for one of three reasons. The first reason would of been those climatic 'oh my Arceus' moments when something stupendously horrifying had just happened. Like someone had spilled Arceus's Kool-Aid, or when Giratina had scared the pants off a crowd of cocky children who had tried to catch ghost Pokémon for Halloween with no intention of training and becoming friends with said ghosts. The second reason would be Melodrama, For example finding out that your girl friend Nurse joy was seeing another man only to find out after break up it had been another Nurse Joy. The third reason would be a prayer to the Legendries name in an attempt to summon them. Rarely however those would be answered by them else they get prayers every day like a mob of rabid fans with their idols phone number.

Giratina shrugged his tendrils, "Why not?"

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul barely had time to dodge as the machine moved with insane swiftness almost catching Soul in a uppercut as it struck. As is he would of been a goner from a direct hit from the machine. before him. It reeked of Ghostly properties and he could see the soul's he had been unable to collect fueling it's punching blows and movements in his spectral vision. With another Flame Charge he dodged yet another blow his speed picking up even more as he tried to match the mecha's insane movement and agility as well as dodge the brute spiritual strength that it was using. He could already see without a doubt that the thing had a ward of Curse around it. Ghost Pokémon were sensitive to the super natural after all. Being super natural themselves. Though he was surprised as the machine's own speed started to pick up as well leading to Soul resorting to a Double team to stay safely out of harms way for a few moments as it butchered the illusionary copies faster than a starving Snorlax could eat pie.

Meowth was growing frustrated, why wouldn't the cursed dang Lamp die? He forced himself to calm however quenching his rage by systematically taking out as many copies per swing as the machine could when suddenly he got a brilliant idea. "Aim a primary missile at the captives."

Arbok and Wheezing looked shocked so he explained, "Do as I say, you'll see why in a moment."

Soul dodged another blow before the machine curiously stopped moving, instead one of the red spikes caps opened and Soul's growing questions were answered as a missle launched out of it's housing and into the air. Soul braced himself before noticing where it was going, it was heading straight for his friends! Soul rushed, using as much energy as possible to put himself between the missile and his friends. Yelling aloud, "PROTECT!" before a large explosion of sheer darkness and poison obstructed him from sight of the friends below. Followed by a second and a third from the same missile going off multiple times In a chain elemental explosion of darkness, poison, and ghost.

"Soul!" A series of shocked voices chorused at once, shocked at the cowardly tactic and the fact that Soul had to get hit or let his friends die.

Soul was still hovering, his arms were gone, as well as his front half leaving the dimming flame blind and exposed. drops of water sizzling on the open spiritual flame that was barely bigger than a peanut. the edge of a determined eye was connect by a sliver of glass like substance and the Lamp began to fall. The remainder of the frame that had contained Soul's soul flame shattering on the serpent statue's serpentine tounge and the small fire rapidly depleting falling into the mouth of The Basilisk's statue. The rest to Soul was only darkness and the familiar feeling of falling he had felt twice before.

Chapter 25: Hunger

“Bloodlust – the disease that makes us the monsters we are known to be; it is what wipes away the last of our humanity.”
― Daniele Lanzarotta, Bloodlust

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Darkness, the feeling of death's door coming for him again, his soul was diminishing and his will fading. His flame, flickering, blind now without the eyes of his frame. Unable to move without the body that had contained it and dying quickly. His mind was growing slower and slower as his flame grew smaller and smaller. He hadn't been strong enough. It was his fault, in the long run of things if he hadn't shown up his friends wouldn't of been in danger to begin with. Now there was nothing he could do... That terrified him, the inability to do nothing more to save his friends as they were left to the mercy of that horrid machine and it's pilots. His flame drew even smaller, though soon enough he felt something unfamiliar. Something ancient, feral, imprisoned, and... alive... brush against his soul. It was the Soul of the snake that had been petrified by it's own stare. The Basilisk's, but it wasn't dead...

Soul pushed with what little strength he had left towards it, maybe there was something that could be done... But it would come with a price. He would have to merge with it, effectively merging the soul with his own. The side effects would be unknown but what choice did he have? His friends needed him. His time to return to the darkness wasn't just yet, after all his friend's stories were all just beginning.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Meowth roared in victory, as did his comrades. One less threat to deal with and after this sort of fight, there was little stopping him from taking over the world but the princesses. He already had captured the Elements of Harmony's bearers. Ironically Soul's friends. Six more lives to add to the machine, particularly the powerful Unicorn mare who was holding a small red Pokédex. Wait, a Pokédex? Grabbing up the steering control's he swerved the machine to face Twilight's cage and made to reach toward the mare causing her to pale before the machine spat out quite loudly a few sentences driving all the other noise to a halt as it spoke aloud, "New Pokemon recognized, Number 608 Chandelure, the Luring Pokémon and the evolved form of Lampent. Chandelure uses its dancing flames to hypnotize opponents. Chandelure's flames do not burn physically; rather, they burn up the victim's soul leaving the untouched body behind. The spirits burned up in its ominous flame lose their way and wander this world forever. It is said that Chandelure actively seeks out those who have cheated death and are the strongest of the non-legendary tree for special attacks. Even being higher than Mewtwo, who had the ability to destroy the planet if he so wished with his mind."

"I-Impossible..." Meowth muttered, but the rumbling of stone behind the machine drew his attention. A long slithering spiritual howl with the distinct edge of a snake's hiss was heard as the statue began to fall apart. Clouds of dust and ash billowing out. The sky seemed to turn a vibrant red. A series of purple flames lit from the center of the dust and suddenly the area of the ground darkened and a ring of spiritual fire surrounded the area in a circle leaving the cages out but trapping the machine inside it. As the smoke cleared Meowth could clearly see what had caused it. A black chandelier like being with a round striped head filled with an intense purple flame. His arm's were adorned with four more short appendages attached to where the elbows would be each holding their own flames. Each of which swayed in a creepy yet hypnotic manner. The newly evolved form opened it's right eye. Attached to it's 'mouth' it was completely normal. Then the other eye opened. The entire machine's cockpit glass cracked under the menacing force of it. Soul combined this with a Mean Look before raising the ends of both appendage's to his mouth. A ball of dark energy that made the ground under him crack forming.

Meowth pulled at several levers and the machine barely made it as a destructive Dark Pulse obliterated the spot where the machine had been momentarily hovering before. He was about to ready a counter attack when a metal limb broke through the cockpit and into the seat barely an inch away from his throat. Soul had breached the cockpit. With a curt order to his comrades they ejected out of the emergency exits below. Leaving just the seven of them. Soul, Meowth, Yamask, Wobbuffet, Arbok, Wheezing, and Carnivine. The menacing eye first claimed Carnivine, after looking at Soul in the eye his comrade began to slow before realizing he was turning to stone, with a single swing the statue shattered and the soul was absorbed. Bringing it down to five.

Arbok and wheezing teamed up, taking turns spewing poison based attacks and smog to cover them but it was futile, there was no escape. A well aimed Nightshade left the two withering in agony before he attempted to finish them off. He was interrupted as Wobbuffet attempted to counter with a Bide only to Meowth's horror, be consumed ina colossal Flame Thrower Made of flames that took all three down in the same purple fire leaving nothing but soulless husk's behind. Now there was only two.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Bloodlust had overtaken Soul, the Basilisk was still very well alive in his head, urging him on to strike at the cat next, oh how it had cheated death countless times. With falls that should of killed him countless times, failed inventions, beatings and even wounds that would be fatal to the cat it had withstood. This one had also harmed his friends, and forced this situation onto himself. The look of sheer fear on the cat's face was exhilarating. The coward was alone now, his comrades having fled or died in the field of combat, all out of tricks and now it was a greedy self serving cat versus a enraged reaper of death, as his prey attempted to flee he whispered menacingly loud and echoing, "No Escape.

Yessss... Strike him! the new side of his mind had spoken, it was a new conscious, completely in tune with his needs as of currently. The Snake had merged with him and as a result had shared in Soul's memories and experience in return granting his power, experience, and most of all his curse. The curse of Medusa's eye. The eye of a cockatrice but stronger, more primal and powerful without the ability to reverse itself. He gave in, Charging at the cat in a gout of purple unholy flames. The flames itself taking the temporary form of a lunging snake's head around him as he charged the cat. Meowth dodged if by barely, ending his movements in a skid he brought up his claws charging up a trick he had learned recently when experimenting with his powers, "Oh ya, lets see how you like this, Thunderbolt!"

With a swing Meowth summoned his arch enemy Pikachu's age old signature attack and threw a bolt of lightning at the Lamp causing a explosion of electricity with tendrils of overcharged electrons spiraling out in every direction, his smirk grew into a frown of disbelief though when he saw the protect bubble around the Chandelier like Pokémon, it hadn't even spoken or moved to activate it. A whistling sound to his right had Meowth instinctively dodge to the side as a arcing fireball exploded where he had been standing moments before. Though the expanding wave of heat that followed after caught him by surprise, igniting him on fire.

Soul watched as the threat screamed, thrashed, and withered in agony as it burned. Soul didn't care, it got what it deserved. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the screams as only a insane sadistic hunter would before silencing it with a meaty thud as one of his four smaller appendages clamped down on Meowth's mouth and burnt the soul out of it's former body and consumed it as fuel. It was over, but it was still hungering. More.... The Basilisk's Soul demanded once again. The purple flames of the arena's boundaries fading as he approached the next nearest source of prey... The one's helpless in their cages of metal... Wait.

That wasn't prey it was his friends. But the voice insisted that It was not, it was just more fuel to keep him strong and alive in case another hunter came. Soul resisted, his mind clearing and horror taking form on his face as he realized everything he had just done. How carelessly he had taken the lives of so many and left an enemy to such a grisly burning death before burning away his soul to wander forever. He closed his cursed left eye before his friends could see it, lest they turned to stone. It was harder than it looked to close it but once it was closed he could feel some semblance of influence lessen on his mind. The urge to kill however came as he looked upon his friends with his good eye. He could see every time each had risked their lives, some in fantastic ways as defeating Nightmare moon, or where Soul had helped them with the dragon and Ursa Minor. Others in ways that were much more mundane, an accident of Scissors that could of cut a blood vein, a Scooter Accident that could of broken several a Crusader's necks. Then there was just the plain stupid, risky high diving stunts and attempts to imitate professional fliers at life daring tricks where the slightest error could result in Pegasus pancakes.

Soul reached out, feeling the cage that held Twilight, it was easy enough to melt the bars down, having lacked a key and not wanting to search the wreckage of the battle that had started before. All the guards had fled and tracking down which had a key would of been too time consuming. With a strike of his arm the chains broke giving Twilight full movement of her legs before he noticed the small red device with an image of him on it's screen with two normal eyes and a series of reports listed under it. His eyes widened at that and now he understood the strange look Twilight was giving him, it was the same look that countless trainers had given him in his earlier forms. Looking to his left and right he saw similar looks varying between fixation of his hypnotic flames, mistrust, fear, and shock. The only one not in shock was Fluttershy, having been blindfolded the whole time. Lily and Rose didn't recognize his new body and the instinct of self preservation grew ever stronger. as well as the urge to run. Instead he whispered quietly, "I'm sorry..." and away he fled, leaving Twilight to undo her horn brace and free her friends before she could attack him just as so many trainers before had done upon learning about his family evolution tree from that infernal machine.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

"Where's Soul going Twi?" Applejack asked moments after his departure, "He looks scared stiff, for a... whatever he is."

"I... Don't know..." Twilight muttered quietly, her mind snapping back to the present as she turned away from the rapidly receding purple light, instead focusing on the red machine as she undid the magic halting clamp on her horn, "His... Pokédex entry is contradictory but, this is the top research from his own dimension's primary ruling race. There is no way that he could be a reaper of death, or another Mort, is there?"

"No way egghead," Rainbow assured her, "Soul is no way that kind of guy to be out reaping the recently deceased. Seriously, that guy can't even watch where he's going. Much less reap every-pony who dies in the world."

"Aww, I was going to throw him a Yay-we-got-rescued-by-Soul party." Ironically Pinkie pie was already out of her cage without any help, in her place inside the cage was a rope tied giant rubber ducky.

Twilight shook her head at her friends antics, "Well let's get everypony out of their bindings then, We will head to the castle and ask him ourselves and," she raised a hoof to interrupt Pinkie, "Yes, we will throw a party afterwards."

Though a familiar sound of flapping wings interrupted her attempts as her mentor who was also the princess of the day landed on the ground in front of them, "Hello every pony, did I miss anything?" Celestia asked before promptly getting attacked by a group of Pegasus rebels with Carrot Pies, Feathers, and even a large, inert mass of blue cotton candy.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul had to see her one last time, Song. The filly he had felt a link to, he merely stopped and hovered in, smiling at the sleeping forms of Spike the Dragon and Zecora both on separate couches in the room connected to the bedroom. Quietly he wrote a note explaining his absence and left it on the table, signed. With the same noiseless glide he moved into the room, ignoring the much smaller details of how Song had cheated death and carefully brushing back a strand of hair out from in front of her face. It was adorable for the filly, It was also probably the last time he would see her. He would give her a hug, and tell her goodbye but the flames that now decorated him were unwieldy to his new body so he would probably instead accidently set the room on fire if he tried. Instead he focused the excess power of the Soul's he harvested into his limb for one final gift to the little filly he had the privilege to call his friend. He would leave, only after giving her the ability to see. The problem was so obvious now, only in the form of a long lasting illusion casted on the eyes with a tremendous source of energy, or more precisely the cost of a soul.

The price was minor compared to all that he had taken in his short time in Equestria. Now it was time to go, smiling sadly to himself he left, with no objective in mind of where to go but away. He knew he wasn't going to be welcomed very long anymore anyway. Maybe a change of scenery as he attempted to master the new persistent bloodlust that kept battering at his mind. A tear escaped his good eye, as he waved goodbye to the castle, to his friends, and his bright life as he left for the presumed north. It was goodbye.

Chapter 3: The Dragon, The Mare, and The Lampent

“To add a library to a house is to give that house a soul.”

― Marcus Tullius Cicero

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Okay so sneaking through broad daylight into a library wasn't easy as he had thought. As fun as invisibility was, it rapidly drained Lampent to use it for long periods of time. So instead he went from cover to cover going through bushes and shrubs to approach the giant tree which was his target for his thirst for knowledge. He arrived at the door only to find it locked. There was a sign on it with red letters that read, "Out for lunch" every few seconds in a feminine voice of a mare, very well educated judging from the tone of voice it had. Though the paper that was actually saying it was more of a curiosity itself. He hadn't heard of talking paper before... He resided himself to wait, hiding himself as a lamp hanging next to the real one above the Libraries door. Buzzing out the random conversation and keeping its flame's light hidden in a self hug around his frame.

An Hour later of patiently waiting and shifting through the various voices of those he had heard passed by, all of them mares oddly enough. Stallions seemed rare and rarely spoke it seemed to him as he had watched a bright red stallion identifiable from his different shaped muzzle, the yoke on his shoulders, and his one word responses to questions usually consisting of, "Eeyup" or "Eenope". Again Lampent was tempted to simply phase through the building and access its archives, but Lampent considered himself Law abiding and saw that act as breaking and entering, even if he didn't technically 'break' in. Eventually the gothic styled unicorn came back, her nose buried deep in a large tome as she read while walking, two separate piles of books were around her, one stack presumably what she had already read. Though it was outrageous to think that the unicorn had read so many thick tome's in such a short time.

Lampent opened an eye and examined the unicorn as she unlocked the door and silenced the sign turning it into a green side that read open instead of closed, "May I come in to read a book?" Lampent asked, in the voice that was a mixture of the mint colored unicorn and a small red and yellow filly she had heard excitedly going on about Dental work and cutie-marks respectively, whatever those were.

"Yep, come on in." The unicorn said without taking her eyes off the book and continuing on, Lampent floated down and entered, shutting the door behind him.

"I'll be upstairs if you need Me." the unicorn continued still not looking away from her book much to Lampent's relief. The unicorn left without ever looking at Lampent, too absorbed in reading her books to take notice that the visitor wasn't even a pony.

Lampent began to search the shelves for anything to do with these pony creatures. By the time anyone would come to check on him, He would already be done with 'elements of harmony, a reference guide', 'Magic 101', and 'A Tale of Hearths warming Eve'.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Spike had been having such a pleasant dream too... he was raritys knight in shining armor as he rescued her from various dangerous situations and dangerous villians who all cowered before him in the end. He was just being crowned as the highking of the land of heart rubies as he was awoken by somepony accidently stepping on his tail. Loudly he let out a unmanly squeal of pain.

"opps sorry spike", was the offender, his big sister and his motherly figure, Twilight Sparkle who closed her book with a book mark sheepishly.

"Seriously Twilight? This is the third time this week you've been so absorbed in books that it has resulted in something bad happening."

"Actually twice spike." Said Twilight matter-of-factly.

"The not paying attention and letting me work for applejack due to the incident with the well, and since you claimed that you didn't need me, Walking into the cake's latest giant wedding cake causing them to start over again, and now walking on my tail?"

"Oh... Right...Whos’ wedding was that anyway?"

Spike deadpanned, "The wedding ceremony between Dr.Whooves and Ditzy doo? Come on Twilight the whole town was talking about it! How did you not notice?"

Twilight grinned, "Books, lots and lots of new books. Speaking of, somepony is in the library looking for a few books. Want to go help them with what they are looking for?"

Spike sighed, "Well since i can't go to sleep now, sure. Who is it this time?"

Twilight gave Spike that sheepish grin again looking slightly embarrassed, "um... Don't know... didn't sound like somepony we knew nor did I look at them due to reading a section on how to stop Azure Draconis from eating lions during their... No-bugging-time-of-month."

Spike face clawed with an audiable smack, "Great, so somepony we don't know is looking through the various bookshelves for a topic you don't know of. Then you left him or her alone?" Spike started stomping down the stairs, "I'll get it."

Spike cracked the door open a smidge and was welcomed with the sight of the lantern like creature with a purple flame in its center flipping through pages of 'Nightmare Night, how it came to be'. Spike shut the door quietly as he had opened it, walked back up the set of stairs quite calmly, and at the top of the staircase he dissolved into a torrent of screams as he ran to twilight, jumped over her onto her desk, slammed her book shut making her lose her place in the book and simply said four words a few octaves higher than he should of, "Monster in the library!"

Twilight looked at him annoyed until Spike calmed down, "What?" she asked when spike had finally calmed down.

"There’s a strange creature in the shape of a black Oil Lamp with two yellow glowing eyes and a purple Flame instead of a normal one in the library!"

"And it is hostile?"

"Well... Uh..."

"Did it do anything mean Spike?"

"No... It was reading a book..."

Twilight stared at spike as if he just declared that a Squirrel had done the laundry, "That’s not scientifically possible. All of the species sentient enough to read either have been bipedal, or equine in shape. A Lamp is neither, nor is a Lamp a biological item."

Spike just looked at her confused, "Bio-what? Twi, please just take care of it..."

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Are you sure you aren't making something out of nothing, don't you remember the Doctor? You claimed his little blue box in Ditzy's house was a time machine..."

Calmly Twilight restacked her books with a sigh, and began trotting down the stairs while a nervous Spike followed closely behind her. She shoved open the door looking into the room of her visitor within.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Lampent jumped up in surprise as he heard the door creak open, spinning around he saw a very surprised looking unicorn with a small deformed looking Charmander without a flame on its tail. At least he assumed it was a deformed purple Charmander. What surprised him most was that the dragon thing had actual finger like claws rather than a blunted edge as useful as Lampents own fingerless limbs.

"Who are you?" Asked the Unicorn tone between caution and curiosity.

Lampent was surprised he wasn't being attacked and that half a dozen books were now floating around the unicorn flashing through every species that inhabited the land of Equestria, Stunned, he simply replied in his British gentlemanly tone, "What?"

"Where did you come from?"

"What?!"

"What are you?!"

"What?!"

"Can all you say is what?", asked Twilight, annoyed at the creatures singular answers.

"Um... No?" Lampent began, but was cut off by Twilight, "Okay, and you are?"

"I am a Lampent... ", Lampent stated the slight annoyance that came from being interrupted well hidden in his voice.

"Where did you come from?" The unicorn asked, bringing a parchment and quill with magic to take notes.

"The Johto Region I think..."

"Lastly what is your name?"

Lampent stared at her like she asked if the sky was blue.

"My name is my species, Lampent."

Chapter 23: The Value of a Soul

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds."
-Orison Swett Marden

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Soul had a lot to ponder on during his trip toward Basilisk Rock. Judging from the rate his friends had been captured it was obvious that Meowth was a professional snatcher or had way too many resources to waste on kidnapping. Though it was quite clear that he was going to be facing an army alone. He was convinced heading to the rock alone was a trap yet he had to go anyway. What choice was there? Soul chuckled grimly to himself, not to long ago he would of been waiting on the sidelines as similar misfortune had befallen on someone else and ready himself to collect their soul when they died. But now he was at the interesting yet dreadful unavoidable conflict of taking a life intentionally. He saw it as a necessity, not as something he would choose from normal methods. But it was clear to Soul that Meowth did not intend to stop until one of them were dead.

Soul shuddered at the prospect of death. Death wasn't pleasant experience even for one who reaped the souls of the fallen. Soul had purposely avoided killing except in extreme circumstances or when the creature involved had no noticeable conscious mind or reason behind it's brain. Soul also began to worry about how his lord Arceus would view this situation. He must be furious that Soul had ended up risking so many mortal lives like this when the goals of draining was his prior evolution and the form of the law bringer was his future. He was merely a collector versus an probable army of animals and six-to-seven Pokémon. The chances were slim at best, considering the opposition that he had come across that far. He could see it now, the battle grounds far away as he flew over the treetops towards the inevitable bloodbath ahead.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Basilisk rock had to be one of the more infamous spots of the Everfree Forest. While not as widely renowned as the Lunar Republic castle. Which had been so recently reconstructed by Soul's expenses, the rock itself was renowned by the creatures of the Everfree just as the castle used to be renowned by ponies. It's own story was long and terrible. Every creature in the forest knew the stories of the Basilisk that once lived in the broken ruins of a cave that had held a serpent many a hundred years old. The creature who's statues still lay to this day in the Canterlot gardens.

The Basilisk, as it was known, preferred indirect killing through reflections to petrify it's prey rather than outright kill them. Though this one was known as a different breed of Basilisk. The basilisk was said to have descended from Medusa Swirlhoof herself, a monster of a pony who had the upper body of a women, and the lower body of a snake. Her hair a mess of smaller snakes and a face so beautiful that all had cursed her with the eyes of a Cockatrice. Her resulting brood when sitting atop a snake's egg was a Basilisk with all the lethality of it's kind and a pair of mismatched eyes. One that would turn it's victims to stone, and the other that would kill. Countless brave ponies had tried to slaughter Medusa's spawn, sometimes alone, sometimes in small groups. Once even a battalion had marched upon the snake. It was the last that had claimed the life of the Basilisk that had grown to the size of a dragon. With the desperation of a single survivor who had the chance to reflect the stare back into the snake's own eyes petrifying and killing it at the same time into a statue locked in pain that still decorated the middle of the clearing in which it had fought so ruthlessly to have petrified hundreds and leave twice as many dead in it's wake.

That mare had been Starswirl the Bearded's youngest daughter, Night Star. A pony who had a humble origin as a mere maid to princess Celestia had resulted in many speculation and the title of 'Basilisk Slayer' being bestowed to the end of her name. Meowth didn't care for it however, he saw the wide clearing of gravel that may have once been the petrified statues of once valiant warriors as a perfect battleground for the incoming fight that was due today, though his mood was dampened slightly by the current drizzle of bleak grey rain and the low haunting sound of the wind passing beneath the stone solid stone serpent's wide open mouth and reverberating in a strange melody that would do a Ghastly proud. Everything was in place, three squads of Lions neatly organized into battle position, his machine waited to erupt from the most unlikely of places. Looking to his left he could see two of his friends that had long since traveled with, some for years others for shorter. Arbok and Yanmega waited, tense in their new gear that had been developed by Meowth to improve their combat capabilities. Similarly to his right was Wheezing and Wobbuffet bearing their own armor. Meowth smiled, if anything went wrong he had trusted Yamask and Carnivine with the Darkrai machine to erupt from it's hiding spot and load them into it during the fight. Though first it would be a battle of attrition to weaken the soon-to-be-deceased Ghost Lamp.

His gloating was interrupted as a feminine voice spoke up, "Why are you doing this?!"

Meowth sighed, turning around to face the insufferable purple mare who had done nothing but interrogate him with questions since she woke up, "To make sure your friend shows up to die, just like the last thirty seven times you have asked me." Meowth groaned holding up a claw to stop the mare in mid sentence, "Do you not even know what he is?"

"A Pokémon like you of course." Twilgiht responded in a know-it-all manner, "Still doesn't explain why you wish to do ill on your fellow beings."

Meowth sighed, "It would be pointless to try and explain in detail. So I will just say it this way, he is a menace in my way to conquering this world in the name of Team Rocket." He noticed Twilight about to interrupt so he continued on louder, "No it is not a space company, it is a mafia organization of the best type for villainy. I can only imagine how happy my boss will be when I take your 'princess' dictator off her royal throne and claim it for Giovanni, my boss. Now shut up before I gag you like your other unicorn friend."

Twilight promptly stopped talking to Meowth turning around he heard her start quietly talking amongst her friends, but he no longer cared. Let them talk, they can't get out of this one even if they tried. Though he was curious to why the lions were staring so meekly at the giant statue of a snake that decorated the middle of the open field.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Zecora had just finished comforting Glacial song and putting her back to bed, Spike had also been a nervous wreck but after a small bit of convincing he was now relaxing in a bubble bath. Though why soul had such a product when his lamp relied on the flame that could be extinguished on water was beyond the zebra. Though the lamp did, oddly enough, have a lot of cleaning products meant for metal as well in a separate drawer. Zecora smiled lightly as little miss song turned in her sleep, hugging a teddy Ursa almost as big as she was tightly to herself before resuming her reading. Zecora had found the most curious book on mythological and magical creatures and had just reached the Basilisk section when something caught her eye. It was the story of Basilisk Rock but there was an addition to it in a margin written in old pony language. While Zecora was no grand master of the language she knew enough to read what was there.

It is rumored that the basilisk can be killed with it's own stare, this is false. Enough strife or force will reawaken a petrified basilisk to the way of life and release it from it's prison. It is for that reason that Basilisk Rock still stands to this day and that none of the creatures of the Everfree dare to fight in it's presence. In case the dreaded monster were to reawake once more.

-D.

Her eyes widening she ran to the desk, pulling a paper, quill, and ink pot out. Scribbling down what she had learned and tying it neatly before rushing towards the bathroom spike was currently inhabiting. Knocking on the door she waited until spike gave her permission to enter before bringing the letter to spike, "Grave new's I must send, so that future events may bend. Celestia must be warned, in case a threat is reborned."

"Huh?" Spike stated brilliantly at Zecora's rhymes.

Zecora sighed, "Send this letter to Twilights mentor, because strife is at the center."

Spike raised an eyebrow but didn't question Zecora further, simply grabbing the letter and sending it off to Celestia.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Celestia stood upon her sky chariot being drawn by four Pegasus type royal guards grandly and majestically, her younger sister, still small as the average mare had timidly agreed to come with her, most unusual of her sister but then again they had missed each other's company for a thousand years. Luna was under her sister's orders to just watch and aide from afar. While Celestia was still at full strength, due to not having to raise the sun for many an hour yet, her sister was still recovering the magical power that had been so previously drained from the Mismia that had formed Nightmare Moon's core. While still stronger than an average unicorn, Celestia didn't trust her sister's current state to allow her to perform in such a scenario. Celestia herself was out of shape from so many years of sitting on her throne. Not that her body showed it. Though she did feel slightly pudgy lately, must be all the cloud cake. Turning the matter of strength in her head she was promptly interrupted by a scroll appearing in front of her before promptly hitting her in the face as the chariot made it seemingly fly into her royal vision. Squawking indignantly she took the thing out of her face with magic and raising an eyebrow as her younger sister giggled still after seeing her sister being hit in the face with a random scroll. Slap stick humor, celestia rolled her eyes, sitting down to read the letter.

"Interesting..." Celestia thought, "Maybe the show won't be so boring after all."

"What is it my sister?" Luna asked once her laughter had calmed down.

"Change of plans," Celestia motioned for her little sister to move closer so she could put a wing over Luna, "Look's like a third side is going to enter the fray. How Twilight's friend, Soul, handles this will be very interesting indeed."

"What do you mean sister dearest," Luna questioned, "Aren't we going to help rescue your student and her friends?"

"If needed, but I wish to see just how this is going to go down before we intervene."

Celestia pondered for a while, she still was trying to create a elite force of supernatural soldiers in case of invasion or hostile actions like Nightmare Moon had been raised again. But so far only Soul had proven as non-dangerous to her ponies. Though this combat would prove if she was right in her assumptions based on her student's reports, "Guards, when we get within five miles of Basilisk Rock, go down to tree lines and land a quarter mile from the clearing. I will want to see this myself. When I give the signal, if I give the signal, that will be the moment to strike."

"Yes My liege" several guards, Pegasus, Unicorn, and Earth Pony alike shouted.

Celestia had a small smile as the guards flew over the tree line of the Everfree Forest.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

From the bushes the Fantastic Revolution watched the three forces from a series of tree tops. Their informant had told that the princesses were heading to this stupid looking ugly snake of a rock for some reason, though he would never have imagined the army that was now staring Soul down. Their leader, the Fantastic Pegasus himself, was watching with under anticipation as the chaos unfolded. Such was the way of things, he thought, all they had to do was wait for Princess Celestia and Luna to come before they could strike with their latest secret weapon. Oh no, this was no mere cake or feather. Or even a pie! This was one hundred percent grade A killing machine of a weapon. This time he would steal their soul's with the most brilliant device yet... A CAMERA! custom built with Alicorn soul stealing flashers and special paper that could hold the soul of it's victim forever locked in a moment of time to be disposed or kept at his own leisure. Such a fate would be befitting of the tyrant. Forced to work under his orders until the end of time or have her soul torn up and burnt. Hah!

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Soul drew close to the clearing, landing at the edge, or more promptly going to a hover feet from the ground, and moving towards the giant snake statue that he could see many lions in the tree lines around him. The snake itself was horrifyingly realistic in stone, almost as if it still had the ability by appearance alone to petrify it's target in fear. Though he was not distracted by the statue for long. After all it was a statue, not a living being, was it? His eyes widened slightly as he reached his senses out and felt the still living, indomitable inferno of a soul trapped in stone within. But as he strode up towards the smug looking cat of a Pokémon who was standing next to it with four of his friends he didn't expect a shout from a very unexpected source.

Link to next book, and Authors Note

I would like to thank the dedicated fans who read this book, and also wish you good tidings with your own levels of fandom of the Equestrian world of My little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I feel pleasure in knowing that so many people have read my work, albeit as crude as it is, and have made it to this point. It seemed like yesterday that I started this fiction and now, well. We are onto the second book! ha. I try to write as... what's the word? Correctly? As possible with grammar and I know that there is a lot of errors I may have overlooked. But thank you for giving your time to read my the product of my writing and I hope to see you all in the next book.

Also, with the introduction of Soul complete, it is now time to get onto the real conflicts, romance, and possible Shenanigans that you may have been waiting for, I present to you book two, "Our Haunted House." Taking place a few months before the Discord event.

Our Haunted House Link: here

As Always, I am open to suggestions from the readers, and in look of for Editors. If you wish to submit an ordeal or mission for Soul to complete, and it is within reason I am always open to suggestions, otherwise I will be simply writing away with Soul. See you all next time in the next book and all that.

Chapter 1: Rebirth again?

“Such a shame, I was having such a pleasant evening before they showed up.”

— Nando

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

To think that death would come so soon to me again. I stared at deaths door again, it was the same method I had lost my last life and became a ghost pokemon too. Only the reasons were different, To begin with, instead of being a Geodude in some dark damp cave in life, I had become a Litwick in death, slowly consuming the souls of the plants around me rather than those of people and other fellow pokemon, most wild pokemon knew I didn't have a choice. Though the water types found it fun to try and extinguish my flame. Trainers however took great prejudice at my kind and slaughtered my brethren with water types. My First death had been at the end of a Squirtals water-gun. Now my second was going to be at the end of a Blastoise's hydro pump.

I was a mere Lampent. Under Orders from my lord Arceus and Giratina to collect the souls of the dying and send them on to the better place. Every soul I collected and sent in return grew my flame brighter. Which grew the infamous misconception by humans that my kind devoured souls; a misconception which was causing the danger he was currently in with these trainers. The last few hours of my life had flashed by my eyes as the trainer shouted out a command and I watched the Blastoise who had trapped me under large meaty claw blast extremely concentrated water into me.

I had peacefully been around the Cerulean City Pokemon Center for weeks, when a pokemon I had been alerted was going to die I had simply took their soul saving them from a life of being a ghost pokemon and whisked them up to my Lord Arceus's judgment. I had been oblivious to the glares weaker trainers would give me as I hovered around the roof of the center out of range of a majority of the weaker pokemon except for the occasional Pidgy or Sparrow who couldn't touch me anyway for being a normal type.

It was one of these trainers who stood around me with dark looks upon their faces various pokemon lined around me who owned this Blastoise, I recognized all five of these trainers as trainers whom I had sent a pokemon to judgment from. A fiery red haired female who I had sent her Houndoom out to the grave. A Pompous rich kid who had lost his Bulbasaur after he had pretty much death warranted it against a trio of fire types, An Bird trainer who had lost not one but eight pidgys to Caterpies. There was also a bug maniac who pretty much fed his weedle to a flock of grudge bearing sparrows as he ran away to avoid being pecked to death. Then there was the man who owned the Blastoise.

Gary Oak, Lampent recalled from the various Pokemon center TV's. A ex-champion of the 'Pokemon League' of whom a year ago he had took the soul of a very angry sparrow from him. He silently cursed the trainers as he died, Lampents flame extinguished and his soul floating silently out of his old ghostly husk. Who would collect a dead ghost?
Lampent asked himself before his question was awnsered. He dispersed, summoned elsewhere by his Lord Arceus and Master Giratina for presumably his judgment and fate.

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

Giratina was sitting on his giant pillow he called a chair next to Arceus, He had long since given his hunt of Palkia and Dialga up since Ashe had visited him, and now he was helping his newly freed lord Arceus out with the modern world. Arceus Sighed, "Another Pokemon dead, another two born, Fifteen more evolved, and three thousand two hundred and nineteen concussed and fainted in this last minute alone."

"Who died this time?", asked Giratina, "Another Pidgy? I swear, those things die left and right nowadays almost as bad as Pidoves a few years ago."

"Nope, This time it is one of our faithful collectors, the Lampent that was previously a Geodude. Same one you sent to the Human Nest known as Cerulean City.

"Ah the one who died of drowning from a Squirtal water-gun? How did he die this time?"

"...Hydro pump by a Blastoise. Ouch."

"Well he's going to have a phobia of turtles probably if he didn't have one before."

"Yes he probably will," Arceus stared at Giratina, "Really? Just Really?"

"What?" Giratina had reshaped himself into a turtle like shape.

"We don't need him freaking out when he reforms in the court of judgment again."

"Aww... Fine," Giratina reverted his shape stretching his limbs out in his iconic stance before laying back down on his fluffy pillow.

It was several more seconds before a bright purple flame appeared in the center of a room followed by a slow construction of a lamp around it that slowly animated into the ghostly Shell of Lampent's body.

The Lampent looked gloomily depressed understandably; "Lamp..." the Lampent stated signifying his depression at just trying to do his job and getting killed for it.

Arceus looked down at the lampent, trying to decide what to do, "You won't be buried honorably and put to rest, as the ignorant trainers see you as being dead to begin with so you will not find true peace as of yet. Just like your previous self a Geodude that had died of the same pokemon in different evolution. While this means that the arrogant trainer and Blastoise involved is going to hell twice I still have to decide what to do with a pokemon who has never slacked off on the job acquiring the naturally deceased and those who fell from combat without causing loss of life himself. Do you disagree with the above statements?"

"Lampen...” stated the Lampent, knowing that defending the Blastoise and his trainer was futile from the discussion once before.

Arceus thought hard, This Lampent was still a young soul who had yet to grow to a reasonable age, so far there had been his short life of being born then murdered. Then his three years of service since then growing from a Litwick to a Lampent before being killed again. Arceus sighed, causing the Lampent to shiver as his open soul and heart even as dead was pushed from the breath. There had to be something he could do for this soul, who couldn't live in this world a third time due to certain rules he himself had put in place. Giratina's dimension was no good as there was already plenty of lampents, and Cerulean City was the only place that needed a lampent anyway. Lavender town was reserved for Cubones and Ghastlys so he had one last trick. Arceus reached out with his mind towards other sections of the multiverse and looked for a new position.

He found one, it was strange with its dominate race being techno-colored ponies, but it would work. All of his searching had happen in a fraction of a second. Returning to normal time Arceus stated slowly, "You have been judged robbed of life a second time way too early in your overall life. While I cannot send you to the world of the living, you also have not been judged to the underworld, Heaven, or Limbo. I offer thee my dear Lampent, a third and final chance on a completely different planet far away from the Humans and their enslaving balls they use to combat each other for sport. This realm has been more peaceful than most and it is devoid of a collector of the souls of the dying and an exorcist of the ghosts of the deceased that you shall become with time."

The Lampent nodded silently, agreeing to this as was his duty to his ever kind lord Arceus. Arceus took the nod as a sign to continue, "You will also be an emissary for the pokemon races and as such I will grant you some new gifts before I send you there. My first gift will be to teach you all the moves your kind can know and allow them to stay without being forgotten." Arceus paused seeing the Lampent cheer up considerably, "The second gift will be that of mental communication. Similar to how I am speaking to you right now. The range however will be limited to that of normal talking distance as if you had a mouth that was fully operational. The voice itself is subject to your whim." With that the Lampent was positively glowing at the concept of being able to communicate its own intentions.

Giratina commented in as well, "My gift will be a gift of survival; you will no longer drain your overall life lower than half way to death without collecting souls for a while. While your power will remain the same as if it were drained, you will now be able to eat food purely if you so wished to survive. Though this doesn’t excuse you from your duty, mind you."

Arceus detected another death and knew he must draw this to a close, "Now go, and do your job collector of Equestria's souls."

With that Arceus and Giratina opened a rift in space and time, threw the Lampent into it, and shut it behind him as a confused looking Pidgy formed into the room. Giratina chuckled, "Look another Pidgy!" Arceus glared at his son, "Who keeps killing these birds, seriously."

---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---∞∞∞---

The Unnamed Lampent was aware of an intense pain as he was thrown across the universe in seconds. It was a burning pain he thought he would never feel again, The pain intensified as his molecules were thrown into the void between universes and reemerged inside another. He screamed as he hurtled past solar systems and galaxies at a speed faster than time. Eventually he passed out as he entered the gravitational pull of the world of which Equestria resided and came out of another rip in space and time that closed behind him leaving the unconscious Lampent in a tree with his purple flame flickering with a dim light of similar color. He was in Equestria, in the woods also known as the Everfree forest. He was also alive once more.

Author's Note

And thats how a Lampent entered equestria! Can't wait to see you next chapter.