Chapter XXVII: Double Cross

Rarity

"I thought nothing could be more powerful than Alicorn Amulet," I asked Twilight picking up a book on Lunar Magic. She says that is true but there always a counter charm or spell. If Trixie hadn't banished her from Ponyville, she would have come here to get information on it. "What exactly are we looking for? A charm? A spell?" Twi says there should be book on how to dispel...the wall begins to glow as the black creatures come out of it. "Uh, I think we should hurry up," I was blasting them but they reform as quickly as I can attack.

"I found it," Twilight says but before she could read the book the creatures grab the book. Their leader says that this will be our final resting place. Twilight teleports away just as it pounces. She looks up and notices a crystal on the ceiling. "Rarity can you lure the creatures over to that spot?" I nod and herd the skeletons to the spot. Once they are in place Twilight hits the crystal with magic. Light shines throughout the room dispelling the fiends. "How's that for a plan," she smiles as her horn glows. "We have to go."

"What's wrong?" I ask her. She says Shining Armor needs our help. She flips through the book and finds a teleport spell. "Come on!"

Skulker

"Easy there," the whelp says as the filly collapses. He gently picks her up and carries on his shoulders. I tell them she is as good as dead. "Don't you ever shut up frog face," the ghost boy taunts me as his glow bright. He looks like his going to attack but the four ponies hold him back.

"He's just goading you sugarcube. He wants you to lose your temper so he can make a getaway," the orange pony says as Danny calms down. She looks at Scootaloo, "We better rest she doesn't look good." Trixie casts a spell saying there is a spare room not far from here. "Then lead the way!"

The blue pegasus places the cage in her mouth and follows Trixie. As they are going I thought I something out of the corner of my eye. It was tall with red eyes. "Boss?" I ask as I feel strange and am teleported out of the cage. "What's going on?" I see the figure running down the hall hoping to catch up and find out what's going on.

"I would slow down if I were you mighty hunter," a voice says as Chrysalis comes out of the darkness. I aim my ectopistol at her as she smiles saying I should hold off on firing it. "You're Plasmius' pet aren't you," she asks as I tell her Skulker is no one's pet and does...," Oh please, spare me the dramatics. He pays your bills and gives you toys" I lower my weapon and keep an eye on her. "Are you happy working with Vlad?"

"What do you mean?" I ask her curiously. She says that I am a hunter and want to skin the human. "Yes," she transforms into Vlad and says that the boss won't let me as he wants the boy as his protege. "What are you getting at bug?"

"I think we can help each other out. You came from Vlad's world?" I nod. She says she wants my help to find a way back to the human realm and in return I will get the boy. I laugh, the whelp has outsmarted some of the most powerful ghosts. I doubt her bug army would stand a chance. She smiles and turns into the female human, "Unlike you, I can take any form. He is only boy and they can be so easily manipulated. What do you say Skulker, help me find food for my subjects and be rewarded with the boy's pelt."

Princess Celestia

I stretch my wings slow and yawn. The fight with that Walker took more out of me than I thought. Dr. Hooves looks over to me and asks If I am all right. "I just need to rest." He tells me to relax while the four of them work on the portal. "As...," the lights swing as the sound of hooves running could be heard.

"What was that?" Tucker asks looking up nervously. I tell him I will take care it while they fix the portal. "Do you need any help?" I shake my head and slowly walk up the stairs to the bedrooms when that Box Ghost appears out of nowhere.

"We got em this time, Sweetie" Apple Bloom says as she and her friend race out the door. They were wearing strange equipment, no doubt to catch ghosts. "He went this way!" she says as they bump into me. The young Apple removes a pair of goggles and looks up. "Oh hey Princess Celestia!" she says sheepishly. "We were just..."I tell them that they were supposed to stay out of trouble. "We were, but that Box Varmint escaped and wanted to catch him for you."

"And how in the name of Starswirl the Bearded did he get out," I ask them as I use my magic to carry them down the steps. "It's all right it was just Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle," I says as Tucker asks how they were causing so much noise. "They were ghost hunting."

"I think I may I have something to keep them occupied," Tucker says walking up to the closet and takes out a blue box. The word 'Perfection' was written yellow blocky letters. He opens it revealing a red box with a time and a blue tray with all kinds of shapes. "The goal is to get all the pieces in before the time runs out." he takes out a plastic bag filled with yellow shapes. "You know I think the one with fastest time might get a certain reward for winning." The little fillies eyes light up realizing they could earn their cutie mark. "Just one rule to keep it fair- no magic," he pushes the tray turn and sets the timer for sixty seconds.

"Nicely done," I tell him smiling. He blushes and says you just have speak their language. "How is the portal coming along?" he sighs saying it's more difficult than he thought. He said that his friend's parents invented while still in college. "Is there anything I can do?" he shakes his head and says just to get some rest.

Danny

"Hang in there squirt," Rainbow says as I gently place the little filly on a nearby table. "You said they are normally not that dangerous?" she ask as I nod. Vlad must used the amulet to change them. I examine Scootaloo's shoulder. I ask her and Applejack to look around for something that could help us. "Like what?" I tell them this castle is large and might have a first aid kit somewhere in case of emergencies.

"Don't worry Danny we'll round it up for you," the earth pony says as Trixie and I tend to the young one's wounds.

"You said that injecting your blood would help her," Trixie asks curiously. I tell her it might but I am not sure what halfa blood would do to ponies. She frowns and looks down to the ground. "This is all my fault. I just wanted to the best at something and..."

"That's how the Fruit Loop works. He exploits your weakness and twists it to his plan," I tell her as she sighs. I could tell this was weighing on her. "A wise friend once told me that everyone deserves a second chance," she smiles at me and thanks me for my advice.

"When Vlad used that fear spell, what did you see?" she asks curiously. "It really shook you to your core," I tell her it was just a bad memory. "Well, I am sure we can...," the floor begins to glow as skeletal hands stick out.

"More of Vlad's flunkies!" a group skeletons craw out from the floor and head our way. "You weren't invited," I say blasting them to bits. "Hit them in the center of the spine. It will prevent them from reforming." The unicorn nods and blasts them. The bones begin to glow and reformed. "Vlad must have used some spell on them." I continue to blast them but more of them come. "Trixie, I have an idea but only if you agree to it." I tell her as she blasts the boneheads.

"Trixie is open to anything," she says. I ask her if I could overshadow her. "Overshadow?" she asks as skeleton grabs her hoof but I blast her free. I tell her I can enter body and she would be able to use my powers. "Like mind control?" I tell her not exactly and I would ensure her that I wouldn't make her do anything she doesn't want to. "Okay," she says as I smile.

Queen Chrysalis

"We may found something, my queen," one of the drones says projecting an image of Mt. Canterlot. "A gateway, it might be the one that Vlad used to get here," Several squads were entering it. "We have encountered no resistance," he says as the hunter laughs.

"A false sense of security," he says studying it. "It leads to the Ghost Zone," my ears perk up at that. It was one of the worlds the human promised us when he first got here. "No doubt Walker has already sent his goons to find out what's going on." I ask him about this Walker and his intentions. "He's the warden of the Ghost Zone and rules It with an iron fist."

"Maybe we could strike a deal with him?" the drone asks as the hunter shakes his head. He says Walker teams up with no one and is probably planning to lock our forces up. "Your orders?" he asks as I think for a second. I order to Skulker to lead our forces through the Ghost Zone and to capture any of this Walker's forces. Both the drone and the ghost look at me confused.

"If Walker will not cooperate then he shall provide sustenance for us," I tell him as the drone salutes me and follows Skulker to the portal. "A queen always trumps a warden," I say laughing manically.

Vlad

"How charming, a greenhouse," I say arriving in a room filled with plants."I bet some of these are extremely rare and on the verge of extinction. It would be a pity if something were to happen." I use the amulet's power to mutate them into monsters. "I bet all that magic has made you hungry," I hold out my hand as vine wraps around my finger. "How would you like some ponies to eat," I could hear a couple approaching. "Don't worry dearest little plant, I will make sure they find they find their way here," I say casting a spell capturing the nearest ponies to us.

"Easy Dani," I heard the prince's voice say as I frowned. Hoe did that little mistake escape from the trap. She should be suffocating right now. "Why don't we rest up for a minute he says," She may have escaped sinking into the darkness but they will not survive my friends here.

"Step into my parlor," I said smiling before phasing through the walls into another room. "I haven't heard from that miserable hunter yet." It's unlike the nimrod to remain silent. I was about to summon him when my ghost vultures flew into the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Good news, shef one of the ferd is going to that big stable in the sky," Anacletus says smiling. "We ran into the ghost boy with some of those ponies. Æsc manged to inject poison in the little orange one." It seems for once they actually succeeded "She should be leaving this world anytime now." I congratulate them and tell them to find the purple unicorn. "Why?"

"She is clever, too clever. I want to make sure they don't get too far," They look at each other and nod before teleporting off. "One little pony down!"