Chapter XXVI: Pony Peril

Fluttershy

"Hello, little bird?" I call out hoping to find my friend. I hear him chirping again. "How did...," I saw a couple changelings come forward.

"New orders from Chrysalis, she wants us to bring as many pods outside for the scouts," the changeling in charge looks at him confused. He asks why the change in plans. "There has been a development. Chrysalis says she can lead us to more food than ever...,"the guard looks around.

"There is someone else in here," he changes into a castle guard and searches the area. He lights his horn and searches the area.

I back away slowly hoping to not be seen. "Just don't think...," I hear a clicking sound. I see a secret entrance open up. "Anything is better than being captured by the changelings," I follow the path until I hear something. "Is that music. It sounded like a harpsichord." I follow it until I came to another door way.

A tall being with blue skin was standing behind the harpsichord playing it. "Ah, I do love music. Although this could use a tune up." He stops playing and walks away, "I need to focus on...," he looks around. "NO! NO! NO!," he screams looking around before vanishing from sight.

"Maybe there is some clue in here," I walk into the room and look around. I go over to a shelf when I hear a small sound. I look up and see a spider, "hello little friend, maybe you could help me," the spider crawls down and rests on my hoof.

He tells me that Vlad was here and using a some kind of flute to influence our minds. "That was Vlad?" I gasp. The spider says that when heard me he fled. "I have to get word to the others."

Dani

My heart was beating wildly. It was up to my chest and only my arms were free. I tried to stay calm but all I could think about is dying here. I reach out as far as I could hoping to touch solid ground but only felt mire. I try to fly out but something is blocking my powers. I place my hands on the mud and try to push myself out but before I start I hear a voice call my name. "Help me!" I call out feeling myself start to sink deeper. "Please I don't have much time."

"It's okay Dani," the voice called out. It sounded like Twilight's friend. I ask if she's Princess Cadence. "I see Twilight told you about me." I ask where she is. She tells me that she's in mind and will help me. I plead her to get me out of here. "First calm down, all your fighting is making you sink faster," I feel something soft touch my face. "I am here with you. Just relax your body and let go" I took a deep breath. "I believe your teacher said anything can be solved with a calm mind."

That's right, Sensei Tommy always says that. I close my eyes and relax. I can feel myself stop sinking. Cadence tells me there is a hand-grip on the wall to the right. "I see it," I grab on to it and pull myself out of the trap. My legs feel like noodles as hang onto the wall. Cadence tells me it will be all right. She tells she will alert someone that I am here. "They will fall into the quicksand like...," the princess says it was all an illusion created by Plasmius. "What?" I slowly lower myself and feel solid ground.

"You should also find that your powers are returning as well," Cadence tells me as I conjure a ball of ectoplasm. I ask her what caused them the short out. "Vlad used a powerful item on you." That sounds like Vlad. I look around trying to figure out where I am.

"It looks like some kind vault," Cadence explains it's a store room used to keep supplies in case of an emergency. "What kind of supplies?" She says mainly food and water. "Looks like it hasn't been used in awhile," she says that's why Vlad put me here hoping that I wouldn't be found. "And disappear into that mud," I shudder thinking about it. Cadence tells me not to focus on my fears. "Right."

Shining Armor

"I don't think she could of have gone far," I tell the guards as we search for Fluttershy. "Look for any sign of...," The guards looks at me and ask if I am okay. "We need to get to storage vault #12. There's someone trapped in there."

I race down the corridor until I came to a statue of Celestia. I pull the left hoof down revealing an entrance. I call out if anyone is in her. "Yes over here," I race into the room and see a teenage human clinging to the wall. "Did Princess Cadence send you," I ask her how she knows about Cadence. "She helped me get out of this trap. She's spoke to me through my mind."

"Yes, she sent me," I said walking up to her. "I'm Shining Armor," she introduces herself as Danielle. I ask her how she got here. She said was with Rainbow Dash and Applejack when the floor opened up and fell in here. "It sounds like one of the castle's hidden traps. She says the ground turned to quicksand and she was sinking. I strike my hoof on the floor but it's solid.

I close my eyes and send a message to some nearby guards to find us. I cast a map spell seeing where the nearest guards are at. We are not too far from Twilight. I hear the lock being moved from the outside. "Sir, are you in there?" a guard asks as I tell him we are. "Sir, something is going on?" He tells me changelings are retreating. "They are gathering their forces and transporting food out the palace."

"Why?" I ask curious. The guard says he said something about Chrysalis is look for other sources of nourishment. "I want a platoon of guards to follow them. We can't let them escape."

Vlad

"How in the name of Nate Hackett did they find me," I said as I arrived in a new room. "These ponies are more tricky than I thought. The only good thing is that Danielle is suffocating her muddy grave and no one will ever find her body." I look around and find that I am in a greenhouse of some kind. I snap my fingers trying to summon Skulker but something is wrong. "Leave it that nimrod to bail," I give a whistle and open a portal back to Earth.

"What is this time? You know we're on vacation," the voice of my lead ghost vulture complained as he and his compatriots flew int the room. "Hey this isn't your mansion. Nice upgr...," I grab him by the neck and throw him to the ground. "Hey what was that for?" he asks getting his bearings back.

"I have a task for you," I tell them about the ponies opposing my plans. They look at me and start laugh. I charge up an ectoblast and fry them. "Since it's obvious you won't do this willingly. I will resort to force," I look down at my amulet and cast a spell.

"Hey, vas tut zikh?" Æsc asks as tendrils of magic surround and cocoon them. I smile as my powers reform and reshape them. I snap fingers completing the spell. They emerge from the cocoon as demonic hell birds. I tell them to find the ponies and take care of them.

"Yes, master," they say before teleporting out of the room.

Rainbow Dash

"Behind you!" Scootaloo yelled as I tried to kick the boneheads to the ground. My hoof got caught in that black shadows that surrounds it. "Hang on!" the squirt blasts it with the bracelet. I smile and ruffle her mane. "Is this some ghost trick?" she asks Danny who shrugs. He says that he hasn't seen anything like this before.

"It kind of reminds me of Daring Do and the Demon's palace. Ahuizotl locates the Necromancer's Necklace and uses to raise the bodies of all the foes Daring has ever faced," I explain to Danny as Applejack rolls her eyes. She tells the me that this isn't a Daring Do story. "Well...," a blood curdling shriek fills the air. "What the...," three demonic birds swoops down at us.

"Is that the geezer squad," Danny looked at them disbelief. He says that Vlad often hires three ghost vultures to do his dirty work. "They are normal too feeble to be...," one of them swoops down and snatches Scootaloo. "Hey Moses let my pony go!" he blasts the beast forcing to release Scootaloo. He leaps out and catches the filly before she hits the ground.

"I don't feel well," Scootaloo says as Danny examines her hoof. He says she's been poisoned. I glare up at the birds but Danny tells me to focus on Scootaloo. I look at Trixie for a cure but she says this beyond her abilities.

"There might be a way to slow the poison" Danny says, "it's not pretty but it will give us time." I ask him what it is. "I inject a sample of the blood into her. It's a pretty risky maneuver and I am not sure how it will affect pony physiology."

"It's not worth the risk. Our best bet is to find Twilight," Applejack says as Danny conjures some ice for Scoot's hoof and puts in his shoulders and continue down the path.

Walker

"Damn them all!" I shouted throwing my coffee mug against the wall. "I will have my force hunt them down and bring them to...," Bullet walks in my office. "What is it," he says I am needed in the war room. "This better be important." I followed him to the room where my top officers were gathered.

"Warden, something is happening in epsilon sector," Commander Dulluhan says bringing up a map of the Ghost Zone. "Strange creatures are entering the Zone. We've never seen anything like this before." He brings up an image of a creature. It looked like a cross between a bug and horse. I ask him if the punk;s friends brought them in here. "No, sir there too many of them."

"Have our forces investigate these things and report to me your findings. Try to capture one of them for questioning." Dulluhan nods before phasing out of the room. Whatever these creatures are they will rue the day they crossed Walker.