Chapter 6
They're Called the Ghostbusters
He had no intention of failing his master again.
He observed Gwenevere, watching her habits, waiting for the right moment to strike and bring her before his lord. He had tried earlier to ambush her in her home, only to literally bounce off the walls. Resisting the urge to call for a siege, he watched and waited.
Soon now… his lord would be reborn. It was only a matter of time.
See it coming from a mile away Savin' the day
Savin' the day
When you're getting to the point
where it's driving you insane
Savin' the day
Savin' the day
Slimer was groovin' to the music coming from Rarity's laptop as Sunset Shimmer continued to do research on every little bit of information they could get their hands on. There were a few dirty looks shot between the ghost and Spike, but for the most part its been peaceful.
"Ugh..." Sunset groaned. "This is worse than trying to find out about the Cult of Eternal Night."
Applejack lounged in a nearby chair and pushed her hat up as she looked over at the redhead.
"Well… we're dealin' with somethin' a lot older than the Cult," she pointed out.
"Not only that, we're not on our home field," Rainbow Dash added as she looked out the window of the hotel room. "We're the visiting team here."
Sunset leaned back in her seat and ran a hand through her hair. Back in Canterlot they would be able to rely on getting calls if things kicked up. But here… they were flying blind. Everything she could find on this mysterious King Sombra was ancient stuff. And that's assuming he's even involved at all. They had no proof. The only thing pointing in that direction was a medieval ghost and Sunset's counterpart being called Gwenevere.
Throwing her hands up, Sunset stood up and stretched.
"I'm gonna go get some fresh air," she said. "Come on Slimer."
As the redhead and the spud left the room, Spike stretched and padded over to Applejack and jumped up onto the arm of the chair.
"Guess things are pretty rough right now huh?" he asked.
"No kiddin'," Applejack replied.
"Maybe you just need to catch something. I know I feel better after catching a ball."
Applejack blinked before looking over at Rainbow Dash. The chromatic haired girl had a thoughtful look on her face as she turned and leaned on the windowsill.
"I think Spike's on to something," Twilight said as she walked in from the little kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate. "We're beating our heads against a wall right now. We need a lead. You think Sunset's magic will work on a Ghost?"
"Not a clue," Rainbow Dash replied, bringing a hand to the pendant hanging around her neck. "We've never tried since we got it back at Camp Everfree."
"Assumin' the spook will sit still long enough fer Sunset t' touch it," Applejack drawled.
Sunset leaned against the Ecto-Van as she looked up into the sky. They needed something to work off of, and soon.
While she did turn a few heads in the parking lot, it was Slimer who got the most attention. The spud just took it all in stride, being used to it from his time with now three teams of Ghostbusters. Out of all the teams he's worked with, this one certainly was more interesting. While he had fun with the original team, and with the second team that Kylie was a part of, Sunset's team was certainly unique.
Sunset looked at Slimer as he drifted closer and smiled. After a minute she actually reached over as if to put a hand on the ghost's shoulder. The second she did…
Sunset Shimmer gasped as her eyes lit up.
She saw the original Ghostbusters as they attacked Slimer at the Sedgewick Hotel. She then saw how he helped out against Vigo, then worked his way to becoming a member of the team in his own right. She then saw him working with Kylie's team until that day that sent her and Slimer to Canterlot…
Pulling her hand back, Sunset shook her head to clear it. That was a new experience.
"Well… I guess my magic does work on ghosts too..." she trailed off. "You kinda miss them don't you Slimer? Egon and the other Ghostbusters?"
Slimer blinked before nodding.
"If… if my magic can work on you… then maybe..." Sunset trailed off. Slimer snapped his fingers, pointed at Sunset, and said a bunch of gibberish. But it was clear he was on the same track as Sunset. They COULD learn more! They just needed to catch a ghost.
Motioning for Slimer to follow, Sunset bolted back into the hotel.
"So… we catch one of the ghosts, then somehow restrain it so that Sunset can..." Twilight was cut off as Sunset burst into the room.
"My magic works on ghosts!" she exclaimed, getting everyone to look at her. Slimer floated up next to her and nodded, pointing at the redhead as if to say "what she said".
"How do you know?" Fluttershy asked.
Sunset just had a confident smirk on her face before hiking a thumb at Slimer. The girls looked between the two before they all facepalmed. They completely forgot they had a ghost to test on that wouldn't move.
"Well… that solves one problem," Rarity said. "Now… how to restrain a hostile ghost so you can use your magic?"
"Capture Stream?" Applejack suggested.
"Too random," Twilight replied. "Sunset would run the risk of getting burned by the stream as it wraps around the ghost."
"Stasis Stream then," Sunset suggested. "Pretty much puts them on ice. I should still be able to touch 'em."
"Would it last long enough?" Pinkie asked.
"Guess we'll find out," Rainbow Dash replied as she went to get her Proton Pack. "Now all we need... is a not-so-friendly neighborhood ghost."
Starlight watched as the Ghostbusters pulled up into Main Street and got out of their van. She was surprised that there were seven of them in total. One seemed to be wearing a hat as if to hide her identity. Although that fire hair was rather distinctive. Starlight knew of only one person on the island with hair the color of fire.
Each member of the team was wearing a gray jumpsuit with a patch on the shoulder, and were wearing some kind of pack. They soon spread out, producing the same devices that she remembered seeing Twilight and Rarity using at the church.
Narrowing her eyes, Starlight shadowed the group.
Finally deciding to take out the trash, Sunset Shimmer stepped out the door with a couple bags and made her way to the trash can at the end of the driveway. Things had been quiet, but she was still on edge.
She dropped the bags into the can and took a deep breath. Shaking her head, Sunset reached for the lid, only for it to suddenly slam down. Jumping back, Sunset found that armored ghost in front of her with an evil grin on its face. Taking a couple steps back, Sunset turned to run towards her house, only to find she had been cut off by at least three others.
"Someone wants to see you Gwenevere..." the lead ghost said evilly.
Backing away from the group, Sunset turned and bolted down the road towards town.
"Bah! Not even a blip!" Rainbow Dash groaned as she opened a bottle of soda she bought and took a drink.
They had spent a couple hours doing a sweep of the area and came up empty handed. Sunset had returned to the Ecto-Van a few minutes ago. The rest of the team was sitting around a table trying to figure out their next move.
"Well… guess not every job will have obvious hauntings," Fluttershy said meekly.
"I'll take the obvious ones," Rainbow Dash protested. "At least we'd know what we're up against!"
Twilight pushed her lips to the side in thought before having to adjust her glasses again. Fluttershy was right. This wasn't an easy case. With virtually the whole island to go over and no one willing to call them… it was a needle in a haystack.
Without warning six PKE Meters went off at the same time. The girls pulled them off their belts and looked at them. Before anyone could say anything, there were several screams, and at least two large bangs. Twilight looked up, and saw the Ecto-Van was now pinned between two other vehicles, with Sunset inside trying to get out. There were several ghosts swooping around the street as if setting up barricades. Just as Sunset tried the rear door, a car was shoved up against it.
"Uh… well… we wanted a ghost..." Rarity said as she stood up slowly.
"Lets… get… BUSTIN'!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she jumped out of her seat and drew her Neutrona Wand.
The pink haired party girl leveled her wand at the closest ghost and cut loose with a Proton Stream, catching the spirit off guard. The attack didn't go unnoticed however, as the rest of them suddenly turned and charged. Rarity raised her hand almost reflexively to put up a shield, but Applejack put a hand on her shoulder.
"Too many people around Rares," she said before unleashing a Shock Blast from her Proton Pack.
"Right," Rarity replied before joining the battle.
Twilight tossed her trap out into the middle of the street, alerted the other girls, and cut loose with her own Proton Stream.
"We still need to isolate one!" Twilight called out as she wrangled her ghost into the trap.
Starlight ducked as the battle raged. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. These girls were somehow fighting ghosts with some kind of energy weapons! Shaking her head, Starlight made her way over to the van, as she saw some movement inside. Probably a member of their team trapped by the cars. While not trusting of these mainlanders, Starlight decided it was better to let them do the fighting as they seemed to know what they were doing. Also Starlight didn't have her staff and could only manage some basic offensive spells. Nothing that would help against this many ghosts.
Just as Starlight made it to the van, the occupant came back to the front and started trying to roll down the window. The problem was there was still a vehicle in the way. As Starlight tried to find some way to help, the occupant looked up and their eyes met. Recoiling in shock, Starlight couldn't believe her eyes. The occupant of the van… was Sunset Shimmer! Before she could say anything, Starlight caught sight of a group of ghosts chasing someone into town. Once again… Starlight was in shock as she was finally able to identify the victim as… Sunset Shimmer?
How could one person be in two places at once?!
Applejack wrangled her latest victim into Twilight's trap when she looked to her left and saw the chase in progress. She did a double take when she saw Sunset Shimmer, but remembered what Twilight and Rarity said about their friend's human counterpart being here. And that ghost leading the chase matched the descriptions they got from Father Michael and human Sunset.
"Dashie! Rares! Incomin'!" Applejack called out before shifting her aim. "That center one! Ice 'em!"
"I'll get… Sunset clear," Rainbow Dash said.
"I got her! You two handle the ghosts!" Rarity countered, hoping to prevent the athlete from using her magic. Running ahead, Rarity grabbed Sunset and pulled her to the side as Applejack and Rainbow Dash cut loose, scattering the formation. Focusing on the lead ghost, Applejack tossed her trap and switched to the Capture Stream. Rainbow Dash worked to cut off the others.
"You ok?" Rarity asked.
"What the bloody hell is all this?" human Sunset asked, clearly still freaked out.
"Guess you could say this is what we do darling," Rarity replied with a smile. "Stay close to me."
"Like I got many options right now..." Sunset replied as she kept her head down.
Fluttershy switched the Dark Matter Generator on her Pack on, and unleashed a Stasis Stream at the ghost Applejack was trying to wrangle, slowing it down as what looked like ice formed on it.
"Hey! You want some of this?" Rainbow Dash challenged a pair of tough looking ghosts. "Come get some!"
"Stupid bloody git… you can't hope to defeat our lord!" one of the ghosts countered… before getting a Boson Dart to the face. Rainbow Dash just stood there with a confident smirk as she vented her pack.
"Baka," she shot back before tossing her trap out and unleashing a Proton Stream. The ghosts split up, but the one who had spoken was a bit too slow and soon found itself in a tug of war with the chromatic haired athlete. Just as its buddy turned to help, a wild Pinkie Pie appeared in its face and triggered a trap in her hand, sucking it in point blank.
Sticking her tongue out the corner of her mouth, Applejack pulled the lead ghost towards her trap. After a moment she decided she had enough of it fighting and started slamming it against the ground and a nearby wall. Combined with Fluttershy's Stasis Stream, the lead ghost was eventually sucked into Applejack's trap. Fluttershy dashed over and kicked the trap back over towards her before rejoining the fight. Picking it up, Applejack reattached it to her belt and vented her pack. This was sorta reminding her of the hectic pace they had back in Canterlot during the Nightmare Moon Incident.
The ghosts started to scatter after a few minutes, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor. Pinkie Pie stood in the middle of the street and shook her fist at the departing ghosts.
"Yea! You'd better run!" she yelled before whooping several times in victory. The rest of the team, minus Applejack, gathered around and gave a group high five. The resident country girl was checking on the Ecto-Van. Inside, everyone's favorite baconhair just shrugged. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Applejack carefully grabbed the front bumper of one of the cars, and levered it to the side a foot. She proceeded to do the same to the back, and the other two cars. Unlike the other girls, with the exception of Fluttershy and Sunset, Applejack's magic wasn't as useful in combat with ghosts due to the fact that it was enhanced physical strength. With the Ecto-Van no longer pinned, Sunset tried to come out, only for Applejack to wave her off, pointing over in the direction of Rarity and Sunset's counterpart. Getting the message, Sunset just ducked back inside to avoid being spotted.
Starlight blinked from her hiding spot. Did that cowgirl just move those cars? By herself? After a moment to make sure she wasn't spotted, Starlight made her way over to the group. Rarity was checking on Sunset Shimmer as the pink haired girl just rested the business end of her weapon on her shoulder.
"Who are you people?" Starlight asked.
"We're the Ghostbusters!" Pinkie Pie said proudly.
"My lord… we have failed to capture Gwenevere… again."
"She is but one human girl! Why can you not..."
"She had help my lord."
"Who helped her? That Mage Order rumored to be on this island?"
"No my lord. Six young women with weapons unlike any we have ever seen. I believe they called themselves… Ghostbusters."
Narrowing his eyes, the dark being shifted. This was an unforeseen complication. He anticipated the Mages getting involved, but these… Ghostbusters were a wildcard.
"I don't care what must be done. Bring me Gwenevere's descendant! The Island's power will be at its height tomorrow night!"
"As you command… King Sombra. Gwenevere will be brought before you as you decree."
