Chapter XXIV: Pitfall

Fluttershy

"It's not like Chrysalis to retreat after one hit," Shining says as we walk down the hall. I ask him if she has something planned. "I wouldn't doubt it," He takes some more pods down and frees his comrades. He tries to cast a healing spell but is still a little weak.

I walk over to them and give them healing potion, "What's going on...sir," one of them bolts to attention. Armor tells to be at ease. "Sir, we failed, the changelings have invaded the castle." Shining Armor tells him to go around and free more guards. We'll need them to take out Vlad and Chrysalis. "Yes, sir," he salutes Armor before helping is compatriot up.

Shining looks at the ground, "the trail is more worn over here," he walks over to the wall and reveals a secret passageway. I ask him how he knew about it. "I have patrolling these halls since I was a colt. I can spot a secret entrance when I...," he stops seeing a form coming towards us.

"How did you catch up with us?" Pinkie's voice asked she and Sam race up to us. Armor looks over Sam still a little weary of her.

"So you're the one who helped Spike escape," he says as his glance softened. "Any friend of Spike and Twily is a friend of mine." He holds out his hoof as the human shakes it. "Prince Shining Armor," he bows Sam introduces herself and says he's much better than...his horn starts to glow. "It's from Twilight, she wants us to meet in the emergency throne room. Follow me," he says as he take off.

Danny

"I thought this place would be crawling with Ghost Changelings," I looked at the hunter in his glowing cage. Out side of his armor he's nothing. "That is Plasmius' plan you said," he glares at me and sits down. I could tell the wheels in his head were turning.

"That weasel isn't going to say anything else," Applejack says as he sticks his tongue out at her. Trixie suggests that a truth spell will make him spill the beans. The earth pony says as we don't have time for that and..."Trixie? Why is your horn glowing?" she asks curiously.

The unicorn closes her eyes and says she's getting a message from Twilight. She wants us to meet her...The floor opens and swallows up Dani.

"Hang on!" I say racing over to grab her but am too late. I try to phase through the floor but something is blocking my powers. "There has to be...," a pair of red eyes stared at me in the darkness. "No it can't be!"

"Surprised to see me?" a dark voice asked. I refused to believe it. He's locked up outside time and space. "You really didn't thin...," a burst of light struck my foe forcing him to vanish.

"It's was an illusion spell," Trixie explains as I snap back to the present. "No doubt cast by Vlad," I look down at the floor. I try to move the stones but they are fixed in place. "It's no use they're magically sealed. We need to meet up with Twilight. She'll know how to get your cousin back."

"Rainbow Dash! Applejack! Come here!" Scootaloo calls out as she taps on the wall. "This stone sounds strange," she places her ear on it. Dash also places her ear on it and saw it's hidden passage. "How do we open it?"

I notice a strange hole in the wall, "I think I found a keyhole," Trixie explains she can unlock in with her unicorn magic. She closes her eyes as her horn starts to glow. She places it in the hole. Magic shines on the wall as the passage slides open.

"Who knows where this leads," Applejack says trying to peer into the darkness. "This Vlad varmint probably has some nasty traps in store for us."

"I can race ahead and clear the way," the little orange filly chimes up as Dash shakes her head. "I made it this far," she reminds her friend as she weighs the options. I tell her I might be able to help," I roll up my sleeve and remove a silver bracelet from my wrist. "What is that?"

"It's a communicator, it will allow you to report back to us if there is any trouble," Scootaloo's eyes grow wide as I place it on her left hoof. Dash looks at me skeptically. "We can listen in using these," I remove a Fenton phone and place in the blue pegasus' ear.

"I still don't like this," Dash said, "promise me you'll be careful," Scootaloo nods and races into the passageway to clear it.

Sweetie Belle

"What is this place?" I asked as Jazz opened the speeder door. She says this is her parent's lab but not to worry they are at a ghost hunting convention. "Your parents hunt ghosts?" I ask as she rolls her eyes and nods. "That is so cool." I tell her as she orders me and Apple Bloom to stay out of trouble while they work on something important.

Apple Bloom looked around and smiled, "Hey Sweetie how would you like a cutie mark in ghost hunting?" she asks as I tell her it's a bad idea. "We're not going after anything big and strong just one powerful enough to warrant a cutie mark." She walks over to a table and see's a soup can. "I wonder what's in here," she presses a button and ray of light shoots out.

"At last I am free!" a voice said as a portly blue human dressed in overalls and a cap appeared. "Hey you are not the ghost kid," he said looking at us strangely. Apple Bloom she never seen him before. "I am the all powerful Box Ghost!" he said laughing.

"Box Ghost? You mean you haunt boxes?" Apple Bloom asked as the ghost looked at her. He says does it evilly, "How do you even haunt boxes? Did you die in some horrible box accident?" the ghost says he got a paper cut. "Seriously?"

"Hey I am more powerful than...," he began to say until something froze him in place.

"Curiosity get the best of you?" Princess Celestia asks walking in the room. I smile and tell her we were just looking for some way to earn our cutie marks. She smiles and tells me next time to find something that doesn't involve getting into trouble.

"Do you think they can actually rewire that thing to get us home," I ask Celestia. She says if anyone can do it it's Dr. Hooves and Tucker. "Can we do something to help," she says just relax and stay here.

Vlad

"Isn't that cute," I watched the orange pony race ahead of her friends. She thinks she can warn them of danger. "I think we welcome them, don't you," I look down at the amulet around my neck. It begins to glow with red energy as it produces a book for me. "What is this? The book of living shadows," I flip through it until I find a spell. "Let's try it," I snap my finger causing a group of liches to appear.

Magically energy hits the undead warriors. It envelops them changing them into demonic creatures. "What is thy bidding," the leader says kneeling before me. I smile at this new creation. I order them to take care of the ponies and the ghost boy. "Yes, my master," the leader turns to his troops and order them to capture the ponies.

I look around the music room and see a strange flute like instrument. The sign in front of it says it has the power to subdue any foe. "I wonder," I remove it and place it to my lips. I play an enchanting melody curious to see what would happen.

Rainbow Dash

"You will never see her again," the hunter says from his cage as I glare at him. "I merely speak the truth," he says as I try to think of a comeback for this jerk. "I see your wing's healed. I am surprised you were able to keep it." I growl at the creature as Applejack places a hoof around me.

"Easy, sugarcube," she says as I take breath, "We need to focus and find Twilight." She's right this anger won't help us or Danny. "Trixie where does Twilight want to meet up?" she turns to the unicorn who focuses on Twilight.

"She's near a library of sorts. Figures," Trixie says as her horn starts to glow. "We should stick together," we start walking down the hallway. "I hear something coming, it sounds like hooves," Trixie says as shadow comes our way.

"Hey guys I, I cleaned up a bit for you," Scootaloo's voice says as the squirts races towards us. "I ran into those bone heads but there was something strange about them."

"What do you mean?" Danny asks confused. She tells us that they were able talk. "That doesn't make sense, they are mute...unless...," I ask Danny what he's thinking. "Vlad is always experimenting on them. Did you notice anything else about them?" She says there glowing with a black light.

"How can light be black?" Applejack asks confused. Trixie explains that certain magics can imbue a creature or think with a black light. Danny pales realizes what Plasmius is up to. "Don't worry, hon, whatever that snake has in his coils we will cut him to size." She places a hoof on the boy's back as he looked down the passage.

"Follow me I found a door," Scootaloo points ahead leading the way.

Dani

"What happened," I said as I got back on my feet. "Danny! Applejack! Rainbow Dash!" nothing. I looked around and found myself in a dark chamber. I try to use my powers but something is making go haywire. I hear a noise it sounds like laughing. "Show yourself Plasmius!" I demand as his image appears in front of me.

"Quite a nice place. Reminds of me of your old quarters, you remember it?" I glare at him balling up my fist trying to summon my powers. "I thought ahead and made sure you can't use your powers and your friends can't hear you," he laughs as I go to punch him as he laughs. "Nice attempt, Danielle."

"Go to Hell you perverted old fruit loop!" I shout as he laughs saying it's cute I think I could stop him. "Danny and the others are looking for me. They are going to send you back to Wisconsin!" Vlad wipes a tear from his eye saying I am cute when I'm angry.

"If you want to stop me you have to catch me," he says as I start racing to the other side of the room. Halfway across the room it feels like my feet are stuck. I look down and see them trapped. I try to pull them free but I am not strong enough. I feel myself start to sink. "Rather fitting, no one knew you were created and no one will know you died." I start tyring to move but all it does is make me sink deeper. "Now, now, you not to struggle," he says as my knees disappear into the quicksand.