Chapter V: Dealing with the Devil

Vlad

"You had one task! ONE! Guard my kingdom. Yet you fail at that like you fail at everything," I yelled pinning the hunter against the wall. I charged up an ectoblast in my hand but held back. If anyone is responsible for this it is me. I continue to hire such incompetent help.

"I do have some good news boss. I took care of two intruders for you," he smiles weakly. Maybe you are not as useless as you seem. He asks me if I am worried about having Samantha is my clutches, "you know the whelp will come for her," I teleport back to the throne room.

"Ah Vlad you are just in time," Trixie said as I arrived back in the room. The guards open the doors as a black, gnarled pony enters the room. She appears more insect like than equine with skeletal legs and torn wings. Her green eyes glowed bright with power. "May I introduce Queen Chrysalis of the changelings," Trixie said as I motioned for her to enter the room. "May I present my benefactor, Vlad Plasmius," the wizard pony said as I bow.

"The unicorn says you wish to form an alliance with me," she asks as I nod. I tell her I deposed of Celestia and Luna and now reign as Equestria's sole monarch. "I wish I had been here to see her face when that happened," she smiles revealing her fangs. I explain to her that I need an army to keep my rule secure. "What is in it for me?" she asks, my type of creature.

"I will allow you to feed on not one but three realms- Equestria, Earth, and the Ghost Zone," her eyes grew wide. I told her to think of all the love her people could harvest from those worlds. She says that her kind haven't fed that well for eons. She agrees to provide us an army to keep the peace and flies off.

Rainbow Dash

"Can you hear me Rainbow Dash?" a voice called as I slowly open my eyes. My body aches and I try to get comfortable but am unable to move. "You're in the hospital," my eyes clear up and see Dr. Horse and Nurse Redheart standing in front of me. I ask them what happened, the last thing I remember was that avalanche on Mt. Canterlot and that thing... The doctor tells me that I was brought here from the mountain with severe injuries.

"How severe?" I ask nervously. The doctor takes off his glasses his blue eyes shining with concern. He explains that I had numerous injuries from the avalanche and an infected wing from a poison dart. "WHAT?!" he tells me to calm down. I look back at my wings they were bandaged to my back.

"We were able to clean out the infection and neutralize the poison. I would take it easy as the muscles are still sore. Some home exercising will help you," the nurse says as the doctor leaves. "You up for some visitors?" she asks as Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy walk in.

"Rainbow! I am so glad to see you doing. When Applejack told me what happened I was so worried," Twilight said as she gently hugs me. I tell them I'm happy to see everyone. She asked me how my wings feel. I tell her that they are numb right now. "That is to be expected," the unicorn says smiling.

"We were all worried RD," Applejack chimes in, "what did the doc say about your wings?" I smile and tell her I will be flying in no time. "That is wonderful to hear sugarcube," I ask Twilight ask how her allergy is doing.

"It's better Dr. Horse gave me some medicine," she says look at a bag floating in front of her. "He gave me some to take to Sweetie Belle when we're discharged," She noticed that I look worried. I tell her about that creature me and AJ fought on the mountain. What if it comes back, "Don...," her eye grows big, "Oh no!" she gasps in terror running off with AJ following her.

Sam

"Can anyone hear me," I call out trying to break free of the slimy prison. My heart beats wildly while sweat drenches me. "Okay calm down, you don't want to use up all the oxygen," I remind myself turning my head so not to suffocate. When I get out here I am going to make Plasmius pay.

"Is someone in here?" a voice asks as something presses on the outside. I tell whoever it is that I need to get out of this case before I run out of air. "Okay hold on, it's going to get hot," I feel the slime heat up as it hardens and shatters. "Whoa!" a voice says as I see a little green and purple lizard standing in front of me. It reminds me of a baby version of Princess Dora. "I've never seen anything like you before," it asks. I tell him I'm from out of town. "I'm Spike by the way. Spike the Dragon," he says proudly as I tell him my name. "How did you get here and why were sealed up in that cocoon?"

I explain to him that I was caught by Vlad and thrown in here. He asks who Vlad is. "A sick fruitloop and the one who put you in here," he shakes his head and says someone named Trixie put him in here after he and his friends crashed on the mountain. This Trixie is most likely working with Vlad. I look at the bars, "Hey Spike can you melt these bars," he shakes his head saying they are made of a metal impervious to dragon fire. "Maybe I can help out," I motion him to come closer

Applejack

"I've never seen you run so fast Twi, " I tell her as she slowed down near my home. She apologizes saying she feels that her brother is in danger. "Are you sure? wouldn't he have sent you a note if that was the case?" Twilight looks nervous, "I am sure everything is okay."

"Why Twilight it's nice to see you up again," Granny says as we walk inside. Twilight smiles and says she's happy to be home and it was just bad allergy. "You know some warm apple cider should clear that up real quick," she says going to the kitchen but tell her that it will have to wait as we go to check on Sweetie Belle upstairs.

"How you doing sugarcube," I walk into her room. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are sitting beside her while she sleeps. They say she's been sleeping like this for hours, "Well from I heard bad magic can do that." Apple Bloom asks how Rarity is doing. "She's doing better sis and will be even better when once she hears Sweetie got this medicine. I walk over to and gently shake her.

"Uh Applejack?" the little unicorn moans as she wipes the sleep from her eyes. I tell her that I have something to make her feel better. I open the bottle of medicine and pour into a small cup. Sweetie looks at it strangely before gulping it down. I tell her that it may taste bad but she will get better now. "I hope so," she says sticking her tongue out in disgust.

Danny

"Always sleeping Daniel, no wonder Lancer says you may have to repeat the grade." A voice chides me as my eyes flutter open. My head feels like it's going to explode and look up to see Clockwork in front of me. I ask him what happened. "You were on the way to Nocturne's castle when you were seduced by the night hags." I grow pale as all kind of unseemly thoughts come to me but Clockwork assures me it wasn't like that. They were feeding on my energy so that's why I feel lousy .I thank him for saving me. "It wasn't I who saved you," he says as Dani walks in the room.

"Dani! it feel likes it's been ages since I've seen you," she hugs me gently and says she has much to tell me but now isn't the time. Clockwork says when I am feeling better he has something important to show us. I slowly get up and try to put a firm foot on the ground. "What's up?" I ask as he waves his hand creating a map of a planet.

"This is Equestria, a land much like Earth," he explains. Vlad has found a way to get there and take it over. "He has acquired a powerful talisman called the Alicorn Amulet." I make a face as Dani punches my shoulder and says I should read more. I playfully push her away laughing as we enjoy each other's company. "That brings me to a key fact about this land- it is inhabited by ponies." My jaw drops, how on earth are we supposed to help them if they "trust me they can talk and have built cities that could rival anything on Earth." Plasmius has ousted the rightful rulers and with the help of an ally planning to conquer the whole world. "Once Plasmius has Equestria he will go after the Earth and Ghost Zone you must stop them and restore the rightful rulers." Dani raises her hand and asks how we were supposed to get there, "Follow me."

Spike

Sam asks me if I am ready, "you bet," I tell her as I start yell for help. The guards race in and ask what is wrong. "It's my friend, she's sick I think she has heat stroke." They enter the room to check her out. It was then that they're were met with her boot. "All right, follow me," we race down the hallways, "there's a secret exit not far from here," I explain as she looks out for any trouble.

"What's wrong with sky?" she asks as we reach the outside. I look up and see the sun being obscured by a large cloud. I thought Rainbow said the weather was...changelings! She asks me what are changelings. I explain they are creatures who can take the form of anyone and feed off love. "Feed off love?" they wreaked havoc at the wedding of a friend of mine. "That must have been some wedding? Okay what's the plan?"

I tell her we need to go to Ponyville and warn Twilight. "Twilight is my friend, she is super smart and can help us out." I look down the mountain trying to figure out how we are going to get there. She grabs some vines nearby and say we can make rope and scale down. She weaves the vines into a strong rope and tells me to hang on.

"How far is Ponyville from here?" she asks. It's not far from here and we can take the train. I ask her if she has any paper and quill. "Yes I do," she reaches into her pocket and hands it to me. "What are you doing?" I explain I am sending a message to Twilight. I take a breath and send it on its way.