Specter of the Netherrealm

by BioBoy619

First published 3rd of July, 2013

The specter known as Scorpion is sent to Equestria to retrieve the soul of Princess Celestia. But, six ponies just might be able to change Scorpion for good.

Scorpion, otherwise known as the Specter of the Netherrealm, has faced many challenges. But, will he be ready for his latest quest? Scorpion is sent by his master, Quan Chi, to retrieve the soul of Princess Celestia in the newly discovered realm known as Equis. Upon arrival, Scorpion makes the acquaintance of six of Equis' citizens. These six ponies at first only see a demon, but over time, they come to realize the truth behind Scorpion. Will they be able to make him realize just how much he's needed a friend, or will Scorpion simply brush them off to complete his task? This is the tale of Scorpion, the Specter of the Netherrealm.

This is my first crossover fic, and I'm doing this based roughly off of my knowledge of Mortal Kombat, which is limited, and more specifically, my knowledge of Scorpion himself. Expect some violent scenes, filled with gore and powerful combos. I may refer to some combos by their names as given to them by Mortal Kombat 9. I will be including Fatalities and X-Ray moves. I hope you enjoy the story, and more specifically, the violence.

I take no credit for the cover art, which I must say looks extremely badass.

Prologue: Scorpion's Mission

Flames, lava, and molten rock covered the landscape. Demonic creatures and the souls of the damned walk the ground. The Brotherhood of Shadow roamed the land, where however, no one knew. The screams and howls of those crying in pain could be heard at any location on this plain. Pillars of fiery rocks contained spears, with bodies of tormented souls speared on, still alive, and crying for help. This was the Netherrealm, otherwise known as Hell.

The ruler of the Netherrealm, Shinnok, could not be found, but his second in command, Quan Chi, sat upon a fiery throne, watching over the Netherrealm, in all its glory. Quan Chi relished in tormenting the souls of fallen warriors, but he found the souls of innocent beings to be even more fun to torment. Quan Chi always had his eyes set on valuable targets, from powerful kings, to stoic thieves and mercenaries. Any soul that he wanted, he could most certainly obtain it. He had many methods of doing so. He could send some of the Brotherhood of Shadow to claim the souls for him, or he could claim it for himself. But, he often found that one specter in particular got the job done the best. That specter is called Scorpion.

Quan Chi watched as Scorpion claimed the soul of another Earthrealm warrior. He could see all of this through his magical portals. Satisfied with Scorpion’s work, Quan Chi called the demon back to the Netherrealm. Within seconds, a fiery portal opened, and through it, came Scorpion.

“I have completed the task, Quan Chi. You will find this soul to be quite fun to torture. He puts up quite a bit of a fight,” Scorpion greeted his master, presenting him with the soul. Using his magic, Quan Chi took the soul in his grasp. He could hear the fallen warrior scream and cry out to be saved, but no such thing would happen. The soul disappeared from Quan Chi’s hand. He would deal with that later.

“Well done Scorpion. You never fail to impress me. But, another soul of great value has come to my attention as of late,” Quan Chi informed Scorpion. The specter seemed interested. Defeating great warriors always brought joy to Scorpion. He relished in a good battle, always assuring himself that he could not be beaten. On very few occasions, he had been beaten, but such occurrences were rare to the demon. Whether the warrior be of Earthrealm, Outworld, or the Chaosrealm, Scorpion did not care.

“Tell me what I must do, and I shall deliver the soul to you, master,” Scorpion said, bowing his head. Quan Chi used his magic to portray a world of color and happiness. “What is this?”

“A new realm. The universe is filled with realms, just waiting to be found. This is one of those realms, Scorpion,” Quan Chi answered. “This realm has a great magical power emanating from it. The dominant species seems to be a race of small horses, commonly referred to as ponies, from what I have uncovered.” Scorpion seemed to cringe at that word for some reason. Something about it made him feel… unmanly, but that word does not necessarily fit his description. Where once stood a man, now stood a demon.

Quan Chi used his magic to show Scorpion one of the denizens of the realm. It was a cream yellow horse, or pony, as he had been told. It had wings, and a pink tail and mane. On the flanks of the pony, there were three pink butterflies. This, Pegasus, seemed to be tending to some animals. Quan Chi’s magic allowed them to hear the pony’s voice, revealing that it was most likely a female. Scorpion could not help but be disgusted.

“With all due respect master, I do not believe anyone of the Netherrealm deserves to set foot in this new realm. It is too… kind,” Scorpion said, his voice showing his hatred of this new realm.

“I understand your feelings towards this new realm Scorpion, but the soul I have found possesses a magical prowess similar to that of even the Thunder God, Raiden.”

“How is that possible? To have such power would make this being a god him or herself.” Scorpion could not believe something of this realm could possess the power of Raiden. He was the God of Thunder, and he had the power to prove it. But, to Scorpion’s own surprise, he was shown the pony that possessed this power. It was a white pony, female, from what Scorpion could hear and see. She was much taller than the last pony he had seen. She had wings and a horn, which according to mythology would make her an Alicorn. On her flank was an image of the sun, and a golden tiara was on her head. Her mane and tail were the colors of the rainbow, but they seemed to be flowing infinitely.

“What is this new realm, master? Who is this pony that she commands such power?” Scorpion asked. Quan Chi whisked away the images and looked to Scorpion.

“This is the realm of Equis, and that pony is known as Princess Celestia. She commands power far greater than even myself. A soul like this should not be left to roam freely. I do not wish to claim this soul, but to tame it, and use its power for the benefit of the Netherrealm. With the soul of Celestia under our command, no one could stop the onslaught of the Netherrealm. I want you to travel to this land and kill Princess Celestia.” Scorpion looked to his master in disbelief. Did he really want Scorpion to fight a Goddess?

“Master, if what you say is true, then I may very well be unmatched against this, Princess Celestia.”

“You have defeated many enemies, Scorpion, have you not? You defeated your nemesis, Sub Zero. You defeated both Cyrax and Sektor in a handicap match. You have defeated so many adversaries, so why should this one be any different? If you wish to prove yourself, bring me the soul of Princess Celestia,” Quan Chi said, his voice almost demanding. Scorpion looked away momentarily to think. But, he knew what his decision was.

“Very well, my master, I shall bring you the soul of Celestia,” Scorpion answered. Quan Chi smiled at his specter.

“I have faith in you Scorpion. Complete your task, and I shall request of my master, Shinnok, for your family and clan to be returned to the realm of mortals. Now, go!” Quan Chi ordered.

Under his mask, Scorpion smiled. Quan Chi used his magic to give Scorpion the knowledge of the location of Equis. Engulfing himself in flames, Scorpion teleported himself to this new realm. Scorpion’s mission had begun.

Princess Celestia sat upon her throne, reading over some of the past letters sent to her by her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. The Princess seemed to enjoy re-reading the lessons that the young Unicorn had learned during her time in Ponyville. It always brought a smile to her face.

However, her reading was interrupted when she felt a sudden surge of magical energy. However, this energy gave off a wicked presence. It was not good, but it was not evil. It seemed disturbed. Princess Luna entered Celestia’s throne room with an urgent look on her face.

“Did you feel it too, sister?” the Princess of the Night asked.

“I did,” Celestia answered.

“What shall we do?”

“The magic seemed to originate from the Everfree Forest. I shall write to Twilight and her friends to investigate.”

“Are you sure, Tia, about sending them in there?” Luna asked, worried for the six ponies.

“They have gone in before, and I currently do not have enough Royal Guards to send in to examine it. I feel that Twilight and her friends will be able to deal with the matter at hand,” Celestia responded, beginning to write her note to Twilight. Luna nodded and looked out one of the windows of the throne room.

“What do you suppose it was?” she asked.

“I do not know sister, but whatever it is, I know that it will not be good.”

Author's Notes:

My first crossover fic, starring Mortal Kombat as the crossover source. I just had the urge to make this story, so I'm making it. I hope you all enjoy the story. Expect some violence, because if you know the Mortal Kombat Universe, you know there will be violence.

If anyone reading this has any knowledge of Mortal Kombat that would help make the story better, please tell me. I'm not a Mortal Kombat enthusiast, and I'm basing this story off of the knowledge I got from play MK9. For this story, think of it as though the MK9 storyline never occurred. However, some events from the game's story will be referenced.

Chapter 1: Arrival

It was another peaceful afternoon in Ponyville. The ponies went about their daily business, from shopping at the market, tending gardens, to just flying about in the skies. It was a beautiful, sunny day, a perfect day for outdoor activities. Young colts and fillies could be found playing about. Some ponies, however, had other plans in mind, ones that required staying indoors.

Twilight Sparkle sat at her desk, reading over one of her books on stellar phenomenon. She had reserved time over the weekend for just this occasion, and she did not want to be disturbed. She knew of one other matter that would come up during the day, and that was a delivery if apple pies from Applejack. But, that wasn’t for a while, so Twilight had all the time she needed to hopefully finish her book. However, one purple baby dragon felt the need to interrupt her.

“Hey Twilight,” Spike called to her.

“Not now Spike, I’m in the middle of reading this book, and I told you I didn’t want to be interrupted,” she responded before Spike could continue.

“But this is important,” he continued, running upstairs and walking up to her.

“What could be more important than me reading my book?” she asked. An awkward silence fell over the room. Spike could easily think of twenty different things that were more important than that, and he had a twenty first reason in his hand.

“How about an urgent letter from the Princess,” Spike said, showing Twilight the scroll. She immediately snatched up the letter with her magic and began to read.

My Dearest Twilight Sparkle,

It has come to my attention that a surge of magical energy has emanated from the Everfree Forest. My sister and I have reason to believe that this surge has come from another being that has arrived in Equestria. We have no way of knowing what it is, and fear the worst. I would like for you and your friends to investigate the Forest for any strange activities or beings that seem out of the ordinary. Please report back to me with anything you find.

Twilight lowered the letter and looked out her window.

“A being from another world?” she asked herself.

“Or just a magical spike,” Spike added on. “Are you really gonna go into the Forest?” he asked.

“Well of course Spike. This task was assigned to me by the Princess, and I have no intentions on letting her down.” Before Twilight could continue, a knock came from the door. Twilight and Spike walked downstairs, opened the door, and found Applejack had arrived early.

“Howdy, Twilight. Turns out, mah family and Ah were able to bake the pies a bit quicker than we thought. Now don’t you worry yer pretty little head, they’ll still taste mighty fine,” Applejack greeted them, presenting her cart of pies to Twilight and Spike. Spike’s tongue fell out of his mouth, but Twilight quickly fixed that by closing his mouth.

“Thank you Applejack, but it seems we have more pressing matters to attend to,” Twilight said.

“Like what?” Applejack asked.

“I’ll explain on the way. We need to find the rest of the girls and head into the Everfree Forest.”

“Now wha in tarnation would we go into the Everfree Forest?” Applejack asked.

“Princess Celestia seems to have found a surge of magical energy emanating from the Forest. She sent me a letter asking for us to go in and investigate. I know that it may seem a bit scary to go in there, but I don’t want to let the Princess down, especially if this magical spike could cause harm to Equestria.” Applejack nodded in response. The three started to set off to find the rest of the Element Bearers, until Twilight stopped them.

“Spike, you can stay home.”

“Thanks,” he responded, and he rushed back into the library. Twilight and Applejack continued on to gather their friends. Twilight hoped in the back of her head that they would find a being from another world. She always wanted to meet an alien. What she didn’t know, however, is that the alien they would find was a demon.

Scorpion arrived in a dark, muggy forest. The ambers from his teleportation still burnt on the ground. He looked around his surroundings, but he could hardly see at all. He could, however, make out that this forest was indeed dense with trees and bushes. He could hear the cackling and cooing of various creatures that lurked in the darkness.

“This is quite a departure from what I was shown. I was told to believe this world was, colorful and peaceful, not dark and depressing,” Scorpion said to himself. He shook his head and started to walk. He had no idea where he was going, but seeing as though his knowledge of this realm was limited, he couldn’t necessarily teleport anywhere. He would first need to learn the landscape.

Walking into an area of more sunlight, Scorpion took a moment to examine the forest more thoroughly. His first impressions were confirmed, and from walking a bit, he found the ground to be mostly muddy. Strange plants seemed to cover the landscape, and it almost seemed like the trees and bushes were alive. Scorpion swore that if a bit of fire and a few demons were added, this place would make for a good Netherrealm replacement. But, nothing would be as good as the original.

Before he continued, Scorpion took a moment to check over his gear, which wasn’t much. He made sure his armor was still sturdy and in place, checked to make sure his mask was on tight, and pulled out one of his black, jagged blades. Checking it over, he found it to be in perfect condition. He let his spear and chain dangle for a moment as he examined it.

“Perfect,” he said to himself, placing the spear back on his belt. Giving himself one more quick look over, and finding everything to be in ship shape, Scorpion continued onward. However, now, Scorpion couldn’t help but get the feeling that he was being followed. Stopping for a moment, he listened to his surroundings. He could definitely hear deep breathing, and a few growls came from the source as well. Scorpion continued to look around, but he found nothing. As he turned to continue walking, he heard footsteps advancing towards him. He readied himself for whatever was coming.

Suddenly, a giant, lion-like creature jumped out and tried to pounce on Scorpion, but he quickly teleported out of the way. Reappearing a few feet away from the beast, Scorpion gave it a once over. He found that this creature was extremely muscular, and it did indeed resemble a lion. What came off as odd was that the creature has a scorpion tail.

“So, this world has a population of manticores as well. It’s as if this world is nothing but a fantasy land. Now then, let’s see what you’re made of," Scorpion said, standing in his fighting stance.

The manticore let out a loud roar and charged at Scorpion with all its might. Just as it was about to bring its fist down on Scorpion, the demon teleported behind the creature. Scorpion quickly delivered a straight punch, a back hand punch, and a round house kick to the manticore, a combo he referred to as Damnation. This only managed to make the manticore stumble a bit. Usually when Scorpion used that combo, his adversaries would go flying back to the ground.

“Alright then, let’s try something else,” Scorpion said, as the manticore came at him with his tail. Scorpion side stepped the attack and readied his right blade. He sliced at the manticore with a downward slice, brought out his other blade, and sliced the manticore again with both blades. To finish off, Scorpion kicked the manticore to the ground with a flaming backflip kick. This was one of Scorpion’s more favorable combos, one he referred to as Doom Blade.

The combo did its job, as the manticore fell to its back. However, it didn’t stay there very long. Getting back up, the manticore let out another loud roar. Before Scorpion could move out of the way, he was hit against a tree by the manticore's powerful fist. Falling to the ground, Scorpion let out a short grunt. He looked back to the charging manticore and growled. He teleported out of the way as the manticore smashed the tree in two. Scorpion stood behind the manticore and summoned his Demon Fire special attack, causing flames to arise from under the manticore. The beast let out a few short cries, but it quickly brushed off the flames, turned to Scorpion, and charged again.

“Let’s finish this already,” Scorpion said, readying himself. The manticore charged at him, but Scorpion jumped over the beast, doing a flip in the air. The manticore wasn’t fast enough to stop Scorpion from grabbing onto its tail. With all his might, Scorpion pulled the tail right out of the manticore. The beast roared in pain, as blood spewed out from its back. The point of connection for the tail to wherever it was connected in the beast still clung onto the slim end of the tail. Blood still dripped from the dislodged tail, as Scorpion threw it up and grabbed it by the slim end.

With the stinger end of the tail now on the ground, and the manticore crawling on the ground in agonizing pain in a pool of its own blood, Scorpion brought the tail behind him. He stomped on the manticore to keep it from moving any further. Stepping back, Scorpion brought his arms up. In one giant swing, Scorpion smashed the stinger of the tail through the manticore’s skull, causing half of the beast’s face to fall off. Blood gushed out of the manticore’s head, it’s eyes had fallen out of the skull, and bits of the beast’s brain lay on the floor. Still holding the tail, Scorpion brought it back around and lodged the stinger into the beast’s back. Scorpion had killed the mighty creature.

Scorpion could sense the soul of the beast floating away from the body. Using a bit of his magic, Scorpion found the soul. He sent the soul of the manticore straight to the Netherrealm, and more specifically, to Quan Chi.

‘My master may be pleased to have a soul such as this. This manticore could pose a challenge for a lesser demon, but I am no such demon. But, if the Netherrealm had small groups of creatures such as this, our strength would grow immensely. But, enough of this folly, I am here to kill Celestia, not petty beasts,’ Scorpion thought to himself, turning to continue on his way through the forest.

However, before Scorpion could continue on, he was faced with six colorful creatures. They were ponies. Each of them was colored differently. One was a velvet color, and had a horn, signifying it was a Unicorn. There was another Unicorn, but it had a white coat. There were two ponies without horns or wings, one of them pink, and the other orange. There were two Pegasi, one which was cyan blue, and the other was cream yellow. Scorpion remembered this pony. It was the one he had been shown by Quan Chi. All Scorpion had to figure out now, was how to deal with them.

Author's Notes:

Straight punch, backhand punch, Roundhouse kick = Damnation
Downward slice, Twin sword slice, Flaming backflip kick = Doom Blade

Chapter 2: Demon vs. Ponies

Twilight and Applejack had gathered the rest of their friends and had set off to the Everfree Forest. Five of them were willing, but one cream yellow Pegasus was a little hesitant. Rainbow Dash was forced to drag Fluttershy by her pink tail to the entrance of the Forest. The six ponies stood at the entrance, or at least, five of them stood, while Fluttershy cowered. She hated having to go in there. It was dark, scary, dirty, and above all, dangerous.

“I know you’re scared Fluttershy, but we have to go in there. Princess Celestia believes that a powerful entity may be lurking in the Forest, and we have to check it out,” Twilight said, trying to comfort Fluttershy.

“I know Twilight, but do we all really have to go in there? Why can’t you five go in, while I just stay home and tend to my animals?” Fluttershy asked, trying to sneak away. Rainbow Dash, however, wouldn’t have any of it.

“Don’t get any ideas Fluttershy. If we’re going in there, we’re going in together,” Rainbow said, pulling Fluttershy to her hooves. The frightened Pegasus stood there, shivering, which only caused Rainbow Dash to groan.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little mane, Fluttershy. We will all be in there together, and we will keep each other safe,” Rarity said, trying to comfort her friend. Fluttershy let out a sigh and nodded.

“Alright then, let’s go girls,” Twilight said. The six ponies entered the forest, five of them walking, and one of them hopping.

The six ponies stuck closely together, making sure they weren’t being followed or going to be attacked by any dangerous creatures. The Forest was always scary, but knowing that there could possibly be a new entity in the Forest rattled them all a bit more. Twilight especially kept a look out for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. Fluttershy was busy hiding behind her mane and looking every which way to make sure they weren’t being followed, and Rainbow Dash remained in the air, keeping a look out in the skies. Applejack remained ready to buck any creature that would try to harm herself or her friends, Rarity was too busy keeping her hooves out of the muck and filth, and Pinkie Pie was still hopping along the way. The other five hoped that she was keeping a look out.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the girls heard a loud roar. Fluttershy immediately fell to the floor and curled herself up into a ball, cowering behind her mane. Rarity walked over and assured her friend that everything was alright, even though it really wasn’t. Rainbow Dash tried looking for the source of the roar, but the Forest was too thick to see anything on the ground from the air.

“I can’t see anything up here Twilight,” she called down. Twilight kept looking around. She gestured for them to continue forward, while keeping a close eye out for anything and everything. Walking a bit further, they heard a voice speak. The voice seemed to have a bit of an echo to it, and it sounded slightly demonic.

“Let’s finish this already,” the voice spoke. Twilight managed to pinpoint the source and started to run towards it. The five other ponies followed her, until they found the source of the noise. What the six ponies saw shocked them. A bipedal creature stood above a crawling manticore. This new being had the tail of the manticore in it’s… whatever it was holding the tail with. The being stomped on the manticore, stopping it from crawling. Bringing the tail up, the bipedal creature slammed the stinger of the tail onto the manticore’s head, taking half of the beast’s face off. The six ponies couldn’t believe their eyes.

To finish of its work, the creature slammed the tail into the manticore’s back. The being stood over the fallen, bloodied beast for a moment, then raised his arm. It looked as if the creature was holding something in its… whatever it was that was connected to the arm at the end. The creature stood up and turned around, stopping when he noticed the six ponies. This was not going to end well.

Scorpion stood there, looking at the six ponies for what felt like an eternity. He felt like he should kill these ponies, just to prove a point, although the only person he would be proving anything to would be himself. He decided against it though, and opted to speak to them, provided they could understand him.

“You would be wise to move out of my way,” Scorpion said to the ponies, but speaking only seemed to surprise them.

“It speaks Equestrian?” the purple coated pony spoke, seeming both surprised and scared. Scorpion let out an irritated groan.

“Must I repeat myself? Move, or would you prefer to fall to my blades?!” he shouted to them. He could sense that they felt genuine terror towards him, but they didn’t move at all. They seemed to be huddling together, scared of the demon that stood before them. Scorpion let out another groan and stepped towards them. But, as he did that, the cyan blue pony stepped in front of the other five.

“You’re not gonna hurt my friends!” it spoke, seeming as though it was ready to fight.

“Is this supposed to be a challenge?” Scorpion asked, letting out a soft chuckle. “If you wish to die, then so be it!” he said, taking a fighting stance. The pony didn’t seem to back down, and kicked up the ground beneath her.

Before Scorpion could send out his spear at the pony, it zoomed away. She had seemingly disappeared, but this was no teleportation spell.

“What is this?” Scorpion asked, but he was answered with a sudden strike to the back. He fell to one knee, and the pony stood in front of him again, with it’s wings at full span.

“It’s called speed, you freak,” it said, and it sped off again. Scorpion stood back up, groaning again. He was getting irritated by this pony. But, he was unable to block her, as she once again zoomed into him, delivering a blow to his hip. While this pony was fast, her strikes weren’t at all painful. They merely caught Scorpion off guard, which caused him to falter.

Before Scorpion could even react, the pony sped into his stomach, tackling him to the floor. She proceeded to try to punch his face in with her hooves, but Scorpion quickly pushed her off. But, before he could strike her, she flew off again.

“Gah! Stop running, coward!” Scorpion shouted, becoming even angrier with the pony.

“Fair enough,” it answered, landing in front of him. It turned around and kicked him in the chest with its hind legs. Scorpion fell to the floor and landed on his back with a thud. He shook his head and kicked up, only to be struck in the face by the pony. Scorpion stood up against a tree, shaking off the light punch to his face.

‘How is this possible?! I am losing to a pony!’ The realization hit Scorpion like one of Sub Zero’s freeze blasts. But, Scorpion was snapped back into reality when the pony flew right at him again.

“Not this time,” he said, side stepping the pony as she flew by. Scorpion was quick enough to punch her in the back, sending her sliding across the floor. She lay on the floor, almost crying in pain. Scorpion let out a soft chuckle.

“You ponies must be pretty fragile, because that wasn’t even one of my hardest hits,” Scorpion mocked, as the pony got back to its hooves and faced him. She still seemed to want to fight. However, now, she couldn’t fly off. Before she could do anything, Scorpion dashed up to her. All with his right fist, he delivered a straight punch, a backhand punch, and a flaming uppercut, a combo referred to as Torment.

The pony fell to the floor on her stomach. It seemed to be whimpering now, but Scorpion could tell that it wasn’t just whimpering in pain, but also fear. He let out another chuckle as he walked over to her.

“Allow me to put you out of your misery,” Scorpion said, drawing one of his blades. He flipped the blade and held it underhand, bringing it high above him and holding it with both hands. “Time to die, pony,” Scorpion said, tightening his grip on his blade. But, before he could bring his blade down, another one of the ponies screamed out.

“NO!” Scorpion turned to see the cream yellow Pegasus had stepped forward, and was now in tears. Scorpion couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy towards the pony, as much as he wanted to kill its friend. However, Scorpion decided against this. He flipped his blade again in his right hand and sheathed it on his back. He stepped away from the cyan blue Pegasus. The cream yellow Pegasus ran up to the fallen pony and started to check if she was alright.

“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow, are you alright?!” the yellow pony asked. The blue pony let out a cough and tried to speak.

“I… I’m alright… Fluttershy,” the one known as Rainbow Dash said.

‘So, the blue one is known as Rainbow Dash. Makes sense on account of the rainbow colored mane and tail. The yellow one is Fluttershy. These ponies have strange names indeed. It seems they each have images on their flanks as well. Curious,’ Scorpion thought to himself. The pony known as Fluttershy looked up to him, still crying.

“You’re a monster!” she said.

“I prefer the term demon. Now then, if you wish to live, then do not follow. If you do, you will not live to regret it,” Scorpion said, walking away from the two Pegasi. Three of the other ponies let him through, but the purple coated one stepped in front of him.

“And where do you think you’re going?” it asked.

“Nowhere that concerns you, pony.”

“Excuse me, but if you’re going anywhere in Equestria, then I’m pretty sure it concerns me,” it spoke back.

“Uh, Twilight, maybe ya jus might wanna let em go,” the orange pony spoke behind Scorpion.

“No Applejack! I’m not going to let this, creature, roam free in Equestria without knowing why it’s here,” the one known as Twilight responded.

“You should listen to your friend, Twilight,” Scorpion said. Just hearing her name being spoken in that voice sent chills down Twilight’s spine. “Remove yourself from my path, or my hands may be forced to snap your neck.”

‘Well, at least we know what those things are called now,’ Twilight thought to herself. “I won’t let you hurt anypony else, so you are not going anywhere until I know why you’re here!” Twilight shouted at Scorpion.

‘Did she just say “anypony”? This world seems to keep on giving me reasons to hate it,’ Scorpion thought to himself. He shook his head and spoke. “Very well then, if you wish to die, so be it.” Scorpion sent out his spear towards Twilight. But, she was quick enough to use her magic and teleport out of the weapon’s path. The spear lodged itself into a tree, but Scorpion pulled it out and put it back on his belt. He turned around and faced the other five ponies.

“Where is she?!” he demanded. He heard a noise from behind him. He turned around to see that Twilight had merely teleported right back to where she was. But, before Scorpion could even react, Twilight shot at him with a blast of magic. The blast had been concentrated towards his skull, and the blast met its mark, knocking him out. Scorpion fell to the ground on his stomach. Twilight walked up to the incapacitated demon.

“What in the name of all the cupcakes in Equestria is this thing?!” Pinkie Pie asked.

“I don’t know Pinkie, but something tells me it isn’t good.” Fluttershy was still checking over Rainbow Dash, but the other four ponies stood over the body of the fallen… demon, as it had called itself. Twilight knew just by looking at this creature that Equestria was now in terrible danger.

Author's Notes:

Straight punch, Backhand punch, Flaming uppercut = Torment

Yeah, I just feel like keeping you guys up to speed with the combos, because I'm going to start to heavily refer to combos by their names soon enough. I don't expect you all to memorize each combo, but at least these are here to help.

Aside from that, Scorpion got his ass handed to him by some ponies. Weird huh? Rainbow Dash just uses her speed, and Twilight managed to knock him out. Yes, I'm serious, and while this all might not make much sense, just roll with it for now.

Chapter 3: A Demon for Company

Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity all looked at the fallen creature. Fluttershy was still busy making sure Rainbow Dash was okay, but the cyan blue Pegasus assured her cream yellow friend that she was alright. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash walked over and looked at the bipedal being that rested, unconscious, before them.

“W-W-What is this thing?” Fluttershy asked, being careful not to get too close to it.

“I don’t know what it is, but it seems to have a natural ability to fight,” Twilight answered.

“If by fight, you mean pummel a Pegasus and rip apart a rampaging manticore, then yeah, it has a natural ability to fight,” Rainbow Dash said with a hint of anger in her voice.

“Wha did ya have to go an attack em Rainbow?” Applejack asked her.

“I wasn’t about to let him hurt you guys.”

“So you let him hurt you instead?” Rarity asked. Rainbow simply let out a huff.

“Fine, the next time he tries to attack you guys, don’t look to me to help you out.” Rainbow continued to look at the creature as it lay on the ground, still breathing apparently.

The ponies took this time to scan over the creature. He was covered in a set of clothing, but with pieces of armor as well. His main torso seemed to have a black body piece of armor, but there appeared to be a sort of sash over it, colored yellow with black accents. His belt buckle had a skull on it. He had black straps around the upper portions of his arms, and on the halves of his arms below his elbows, he was wearing bracers, which were black on the inner side and yellow on the outer side. The upper halves of his legs were also covered in black armor, and the lower parts of his legs had yellow boots that seemed to be quite jagged and sharp. On his back were two crisscrossed, black, jagged blades. The ends of the handles seemed to resemble scorpion tails. He also had two shoulder pads, the tops of which seemed to be layered with black armor.

The creature’s mask was the true icing on the cake. It covered his entire head. Before he turned around and Twilight shot at him, she noticed that the back of his head and spine seemed to have a black scorpion-like design running down it. This design began at his forehead and ran back to just about where his spine began. The portion of his mask that covered his mouth was yellow with black accents, and it seemed to resemble the legs of a scorpion. And, before Twilight knocked him out, the ponies were able to look into his piercing white eyes. They were pure white, but also seemed to have a bit of golden in them. Those eyes seemed so wicked.

Twilight moved closer to the body of the fallen creature, but Rarity quickly pulled her back.

“And just what do you think you’re doing, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“I want examine him a bit further. I don’t think anypony in Equestria has ever seen this kind of creature. He’s so new and unique. I was thinking about taking him back to the library.” All of the girls looked at Twilight with surprised expressions.

“Hold on a second!” Pinkie shouted out. She grabbed a cup of water out of nowhere and did a spit-take. The other girls would have done the same if they had been drinking anything.

“Twilight, not to be rude, but… COULD YOU BE ANY MORE CRAZY?!” the pink mare shouted out. The other ponies covered their ears as Pinkie calmed down.

“I’m serious. We certainly can’t just leave him here to cause more trouble,” Twilight stated.

“Then why don’t we just take him to the Princess?” Fluttershy asked.

“Because I don’t want this thing getting close to her just yet. While she did ask us to report our findings, I’m sure she’ll want to meet him, but not until I know he can be trusted.”

“Twilight, it ripped the tail off of a manticore and used that tail to smash its face in, and then it nearly beat me to a pulp with just four punches! Do you honestly believe for one second that this thing can be trusted?!” Rainbow asked, raising her voice a bit.

“Perhaps he was just acting in self-defense,” Twilight said. “Regardless, I want to take him to the library and study him a bit further. I can put him under a spell so he won’t escape. Maybe we can get him to change.” The girls all looked to each other with concerned looks, but all figured the same thing. They wouldn’t be able to change Twilight’s mind.

“If ya really think ya can change him fer good Twilight, we trust you,” Applejack said. The others nodded in unison. Twilight smiled and looked back to the body of the fallen creature.

“Then let’s get him to the library!”

Scorpion slowly opened his eyes, his head still throbbing from his encounter with those ponies. He let out a soft groan, and went to raise his left hand to his head. But, something was wrong. He couldn’t move his hands. Then, he suddenly got the feeling he was being… looked over. He looked to his side without moving his head and noticed that the purple Unicorn from before was now looking him over. He went to strike her with his right hand, but again, he couldn’t move.

“Don’t try moving, I’ve locked you down with a spell. You can’t move,” the Unicorn spoke. Scorpion continued to try to struggle his way out of the magical grip, but he was securely locked in place on what he assumed to be a floor mat, which was on the floor. He looked over to the pony.

“Release me, now!” he commanded.

“Sorry, but that’s not going to happen, not after what you did in the Everfree Forest.”

“Your friend challenged me, so I gave her a challenge. I did nothing wrong,” Scorpion said, still struggling.

“Yeah, well around here, we don’t hurt anypony else unless it’s necessary. Now, if you would allow me to continue examining you, I’d like to look more into these things you call hands. How do they work?” Twilight asked.

“Release me, and I will show you how they can be used to strangle somebody to death,” Scorpion threatened.

“Well, that’s not going to get you free any quicker. And, I’m sorry, but did you say “somebody”?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, is there something wrong with proper grammar?” Scorpion questioned, still angry and struggling.

“Well, around here, the word is somepony, not somebody. I’m really interested to learn about where you come from, but that can wait until I’m done inspecting you.” Scorpion let out a defeated groan and stopped his struggle. He was being held in the custody of a purple coated Unicorn pony. What was his world becoming? Losing to someone like Liu Kang was one thing, but to these pathetic ponies? Now that was a disgrace, not only to himself, but to the Netherrealm as well.

Scorpion then got a thought in his head on how he might be able to escape from this magical spell.

“I don’t suppose you took into account that I can teleport, did you?” Scorpion asked. Twilight immediately stopped examining him, and her eyes went wide.

“Oh dear…”

With a flash, Scorpion engulfed himself in flames and teleported out of his bindings. He reappeared behind Twilight, who quickly turned around to face him. Instead of standing her ground, she was now quivering. Scorpion enjoyed seeing this pony being so afraid of him. He loved to feel the fear in his enemies before he slew them.

“Now, you shall die for you actions!” Scorpion said, drawing one of his jagged black blades from his back.

“But, why? I haven’t harmed you in any way?”

“You knocked me out and held me captive, pony. You’re lucky you haven’t done any worse, or your death might have been a lot more painful. But, because you haven’t done anything extensive, I shall give you a painless death.” Scorpion stood ready, holding his sword with both hands.

“You shouldn’t have to kill me at all though. I got you here, along with my friends. I kept you safe from the others in Ponyville that might want to harm you or have you kept out. You have no right to kill me,” Twilight said, beginning to stand her ground. Scorpion simply raised an eyebrow and loosened his grip on his sword.

“And, what would you gain from killing an innocent pony such as myself?” Twilight asked. Scorpion simply let out a soft chuckle.

“I would gain the satisfaction of killing something so… peaceful. You see, in the realm that I come from, death is not uncommon. I relish in the heat of a battle, and I gladly eliminate those that would stand in my way.” Scorpion re-tightened his grip on his blade and remained ready to strike.

“That doesn’t make any sense though. You won’t gain anything real from my death, just mere satisfaction. In any case, I would say you owe me for keeping you as safe as I have. Also, while this may not mean anything to you, but the Princess of our land would like to meet you. She assigned me with finding the source of the energy surge in the Everfree Forest, that energy surge coming from you. I’ve already written to her telling her about you, and she is quite interested in meeting you.” Scorpion’s eyes immediately widened.

‘This pony has a connection to the Princess? Perhaps I should spare her after all. She could lead me straight to the Princess,’ Scorpion thought to himself, removing his left hand from his blade, and lowering the blade to his side.

“But, I still don’t trust you enough to bring you to her. If you would like to meet her, you will have to gain not only my trust, but the trust of my friends as well. But, again, you could just kill me, but I still don’t think you’d truly gain anything from it. And, to be honest, I’m interested to learn about you. You are, after all, the newest creature to step hoof, or… foot, in Equestria.”

“I was meant to believe this realm was known as Equis,” Scorpion said.

“That’s the planet we live on. We are in the continent of Equestria, but our land has quite a diversity of creatures… wait a minute, did you say realm?” Twilight asked. Scorpion let out another chuckle.

“Yes. This universe is made up of realms. I, for example, hail from the Netherrealm.” Twilight took a moment to piece that word together, and then the realization hit.

“So, you’re from…”

“Hell,” Scorpion finished for her.

“Yeah,” Twilight said, backing up a bit. “So, does that make you … a demon?” she asked.

“That is what most consider me to be. I have been called a demon, the Specter of the Netherrealm, but you may call me Scorpion.” After the agonizingly long wait, Twilight finally got his name.

“Well, whether it is or isn’t a pleasure to make your acquaintance remains to be seen, Scorpion, but in any case, my name is Twilight Sparkle.” Scorpion let out another chuckle.

“Do any of you ponies in this realm have real names, other than these heavily feminine ones?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, the stallions of Equestria have male names, but I don’t exactly know what you consider to be a normal name,” Twilight answered. Scorpion let out another sigh. “But, anyway, back to the matter at hand. If you want to kill me, I don’t see any way for me to stop you, but, if you do, just remember that I didn’t kill you when I had the chance.”

What Twilight just said was very true. She had an opportune time to kill the demon that stood before her, but she didn’t. If there was one thing that Scorpion had, it was honor, and what this Unicorn had done for him was an honorable thing. He threw his blade back onto his back and nodded his head to her.

“Very well, Twilight Sparkle. I will help you and your friends so that I may gain your trust, so that I may have an audience with your Princess,” Scorpion said. Scorpion did not lose sight of his objective though, even if he wasn’t going to kill Twilight or her friends. He was here for the soul of Celestia, and he’d be damned if he didn’t get it.

“Really?! Oh, that’s great! This’ll be such a great opportunity to learn from somepony from a different world! Oh, I can’t wait!” Twilight said, a smile now plastered on her face. She was about to continue, but Scorpion raised a hand to stop her.

“Just let me warn you, Twilight Sparkle. Should you or your friends do anything to threaten or harm me, I will not hesitate but to send your souls to the Netherrealm myself. Am I understood?” Scorpion asked.

“Oh don’t worry, we won’t do anything like that. Now then, I just have to go get my friends so you can all be formally introduced. For now, you’ll have to stay here while I go get them. This may take a while, because they don’t exactly trust you yet.”

“I understand, but don’t keep me waiting very long. I do not like to have my time wasted,” Scorpion said.

“Well nopony does, but you don’t have anything else to do now do you?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at him and smiling. Scorpion let out an annoyed groan.

“Just go,” he said.

“Right. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Twilight said, walking past him and out the door. Scorpion was left alone to ponder his thoughts. However, that didn’t last very long, because a small, green scaled, purple baby dragon was watching him. Scorpion turned to meet his gaze.

“Twilight!” it cried out. “How could you leave me alone with this thing?!”

“Fear not, dragon. I will not harm you, at least, that is, unless you plan to attack me,” Scorpion said to the baby dragon. It continued to stare at him and slowly started to walk down the stairs.

“Y-You promise?”

“You have my word.” The baby dragon walked down the floor, walking up to Scorpion and looking him over.

“Man, you’re pretty big,” the dragon said. Scorpion simply rolled his eyes and looked down to the dragon. “I’m Spike. From what I heard, you’re Scorpion, right?” Spike asked. Scorpion nodded in response. “Well… I guess it’s nice to meet somepony new around here, even if you did hurt my friend.”

“Like I told your master, the blue pony attacked me first. She challenged me, so I gave her a challenge.”

“Still, you didn’t have to hit her so hard. And Twilight’s not my master, she’s my friend.”

“So what are you to her then?” Scorpion asked.

“Her assistant,” Spike answered. Scorpion couldn’t honestly believe that a dragon was under the control of a pony. “I know what you’re thinking, but yes, I’m really her assistant.”

“This realm continues to amaze me,” Scorpion spoke aloud to himself.

“Trust me dude, you’d be amazed to see or hear some of the crazy things these ponies do,” Spike said to Scorpion, giving him a light tap on the leg.

“Care to enlighten me?” Scorpion asked.

“Take a seat buddy, because I’ve got a long mental record of the adventures those six ponies have had.”

Author's Notes:

Hooray for updates! I hope I did a good job describing Scorpion's look and outfit, but if you really can't understand it, all you really need to do is look at the cover art to see what he looks like for the story. Also, I hope the dialogue between him and Twilight was good and made sense. It all seemed much better in my head, but that's not exactly what I wrote. I think it's okay, but if anyone has a thought on the matter, please share it with me.

Chapter 4: Formal Introductions

“Come on girls, just come with me back to the library!” Twilight begged to her friends. They all looked at her like she was crazy.

“Why, so that thing can just pound me into the ground again? No thank you,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Honestly Twilight, what makes you think we can trust that beast?” Rarity asked.

“He didn’t kill me when he had a clear chance. He even said he was going to, but he let me persuade him into not doing so. I don’t think he means to harm anypony. Can’t you just come with me and meet him at least?” Twilight was having a really hard time getting these ponies to go to the library with her, but a part of her truly did understand why they were so hesitant.

“Twi, ya gotta realize that that thing ain’t meant ta be trusted,” Applejack said. “You saw what it did ta Rainbow, din’t ya?”

“Yes, I did, but he was probably just acting in self-defense.”

“Twilight, it threatened us at first. Why else would I have attacked it?” Rainbow asked.

“Because you’re so stubborn, and we were all so afraid of him,” Twilight responded. Rainbow let out an annoyed groan.

“Twilight, what makes you think we can really trust him?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight just felt like she was getting asked this question over and over again.

“I don’t know, I just feel like there’s something about him that makes him trustworthy. It seems like he’s conflicted about something, but I don’t know what. Please girls, just come with me,” Twilight once again begged. They all looked to each other and then back to Twilight.

“Well, if you think we can trust him, then I’ll go with you,” Fluttershy said.

“Me too, but there’s no way I’m throwing that thing a “Welcome to Ponyville Party”,” Pinkie said.

“I suppose we can find a way to trust him, as much as I despise that fiend,” Rarity said.

“Ah’ll come along too I guess, but Ah sure as sugar won’t like it,” Applejack joined in. All eyes were now on Rainbow Dash. She looked at all of them and let out another groan.

“Fine,” she said. Twilight let out a soft sigh of relief.

“Thanks girls. Now then, let’s head back to the library.

The walk back to the library from Sugarcube Corner was a quick one. Twilight was confident in that she could get her friends to trust Scorpion, but the other five ponies all gave each other concerned looks. Rainbow Dash especially hated the fact that she was supposed to trust this thing.

Twilight opened the door to the library and the six ponies entered. Closing the door behind them, all that the six ponies saw upon entering was Spike, who was sitting on the couch. Twilight looked to him confusedly.

“Spike, where’d Scorpion go?” she asked him.

“Who?” Spike asked back, looking like he was trying to hide laughter.

“Spike, I’m serious! Where did Scorpion go?!” Twilight asked again. Spike pretended to look around the room.

“Honestly Twilight, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Spike responded. He let out a short chuckle.

“Spike, stop joking around! I heard you call out to me before when I left as to why I left you alone with him. Where is Scorpion?” Twilight was losing her patience now with the baby dragon.

“Oh, you mean… the guy that’s right in front of you,” Spike said.

“What are you…” Twilight started, but was interrupted when Scorpion jumped out from the ground in a fiery blaze. Still on fire, he leaned in towards the ponies let out a roar. They all screamed out and huddled together in fear. As Scorpion stopped his roar, the ponies could hear Spike laughing hysterically. They then heard Scorpion let out a short, maniacal laugh. Just like his voice, his laughter seemed to have a sort of echo to it.

While the other ponies were still huddled together, Twilight stood up and gave Spike a stern look. He was now rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter. Seeing as though she was not going to get his attention, she turned to Scorpion.

“Why would you scare us like that?!” Twilight asked Scorpion, giving him a stern look.

“Your dragon assistant thought it might be a good idea to give you girls a scare, and I saw no reason to deny that request. I thought you ponies were fragile before, but this makes it all too true,” Scorpion said, letting out a short chuckle.

“Is this how you want to start gaining my friends’ trust? Scaring them half to death?”

“To be quite honest, their trust doesn’t mean a damn thing to me, other than the fact that I need it to meet your Princess,” Scorpion said, showing no care towards the ponies he had just frightened. Rainbow Dash stood and walked up to him.

“Listen, bub! You think you can scare me and my friends like that?!” she asked him, now hovering and getting in his face.

“Well… yes,” Scorpion said, letting out another chuckle. “Now I would advise you to get out of my face, unless you wish for me to provide you with a second beating.” Rainbow immediately clamped up her wings at his threat and fell to the floor. She knew what this thing could do to her, and she didn’t need any more bruises.

“W-Well, y-you better watch your s-step, creep!” she said, trying to act tough. Scorpion jerked his body forward as a fake threat, which made Rainbow jump back. He let out a laugh as he watched the other ponies cower in fear.

“Twilight, I believe your friends are in need of some assistance,” Scorpion said, gesturing towards them. Twilight turned her back on Scorpion and looked to her friends.

“It’s okay girls, he won’t hurt us, it was just Spike’s idea for a prank on us is all.”

“Well it wasn’t a funny prank at all!” Pinkie shouted. Spike had now stopped laughing and had sheepishly walked over to Twilight.

“Hey, I just wanted to see what you would do,” he said.

“We’ll discuss this later, mister. As for now, we have some introductions to make,” Twilight said.

“I got yer intraductions right here Twilight,” Applejack said, standing up and standing in a fighting position. Scorpion let out an annoyed moan.

“Do you really wish to do this?” he asked. The orange pony started to ease off and shy away from her opponent.

“Ah… ah guess not,” she said.

“Enough of these feeble quarrels. I do not mean any of you ponies harm, at least, not anymore. You can calm down now,” Scorpion said, stepping away from the ponies and presenting himself in a peaceful manner. The six ponies all looked to him with concerned looks. They surely still had no amount of trust for him, but at least he wasn’t attacking them. For now.

“I am Scorpion, the Specter of the Netherrealm,” he said, bowing his head to the ponies. They all looked to each other and then to Twilight. She gestured for them to introduce themselves.

“Ah’m Applejack,” the orange pony said.

“I am Rarity. I would prefer if you stayed as far away from me as possible,” the white coated Unicorn said.

“I’m Pinkie Pie, and like I told my friends, you won’t be getting a “Welcome to Ponyville Party”,” the pink pony said.

“I-I’m F-Fluttershy,” the cream yellow Pegasus said, the one that Scorpion still remembered. They all waited on Rainbow Dash.

“I’m Rainbow Dash,” she said, looking at Scorpion angrily.

“I would say it is a pleasure to meet you all, but I can tell that none of us feel that way,” Scorpion said, looking to the six ponies.

“Clearly,” Rainbow Dash said. Scorpion shot her a glare.

“I understand your distaste for me, pony, but if you continue with this attitude, you may find yourself buried face first in the ground,” Scorpion threatened. She backed up a bit in fear, and Scorpion could feel that fear. Twilight then shot him a glare.

“Scorpion, if you’re going to gain our trust, you need to stop threatening us like that!” she said, raising her voice a bit.

“Perhaps you should inform your friends that I am not to be trifled with then,” Scorpion responded. Twilight let out a sigh.

“Look girls, the Princess would like to meet Scorpion, but I don’t trust him enough to let him do that yet, and I can clearly tell that none of you trust him at all. Until we all trust him well enough, I don’t want him coming in contact with the Princess. So, I want him to help us around Ponyville and get to know us all a bit better,” Twilight informed her friends.

“B-But Twilight, h-how will he h-help us around P-Ponyville if nopony can s-see him?” Fluttershy asked, her voice still shaking in fear. Twilight thought to herself for a moment. Fluttershy brought up a good point. Keeping Scorpion hidden from the rest of Ponyville would be difficult, especially if she wanted him to gain their trust by helping out. There was only one thing Twilight could think of.

“I guess we’ll just have to formally introduce Scorpion to the rest of Ponyville,” Twilight said. The five other ponies, and Spike, all looked at her like she was insane.

“Yeah, uh, Twilight, you do realize how crazy that sounds, right?” Spike asked.

“Yes, I do, but how else will Scorpion be able to roam free around Ponyville to help us and gain our trust if he has to be hidden all the time?” The other ponies and Spike all realized that this might be the only way to go.

“But what happens when everypony in town starts to riot like crazy?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, I’ll probably join in just to yell a lot, but still.”

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll go talk to the Mayor about setting up a presentation for Scorpion,” Twilight said. Everyone in the room, including Scorpion, knew that this probably wasn’t going to end well.

Chapter 5: Ponyville's Newest Demon

Twilight made her way to the Mayor’s office. It would take a miracle to explain what was going to happen and to get the Mayor to agree to get the ceremony together. Twilight entered the office building and headed for the Mayor’s office. She knocked on the door, and a gentle voice called from the other side.

“Come in,” the Mayor called. Twilight opened the door.

“Hello Mayor Mare. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something,” Twilight said, entering the Mayor’s office.

“Of course Twilight, what is it that has brought you here today?” the Mayor asked, as Twilight sat down in one of the chairs in front of the Mayor’s desk.

“Well, you see, my friends and I have found… a new creature. He speaks Equestrian somehow just perfectly, and he’s very different from us. I’ve told Princess Celestia about him, and she wants to meet him, but I don’t trust him enough to let them converse just yet. I want him to help around Ponyville, but I can’t let him do that unless everypony knows about him.” The Mayor seemed both confused and interested in what she was being told.

“So, why have to come to me with this information?”

“Well, I want to formally introduce him to Ponyville. That way, everypony will know who he is and won’t necessarily freak out when they see him helping around. I understand that they will probably freak out when they see him initially, but I hope that everypony will get over that soon enough.” Twilight was trying to put everything delicately. She really had no other way of letting everypony in Ponyville learn about Scorpion in a civilized manner aside from this.

“Well, as long as I can meet him first and determine whether or not it will be safe to introduce him in the way that you want to, I think this would all be fine,” the Mayor said.

“Really?!” Twilight said, getting up and leaning over the Mayor’s desk a bit with a smile on her face.

“Yes. Just take me to wherever it is you are keeping him first so we may meet,” the Mayor responded.

“Oh thank you Mayor! I promise you won’t be disappointed!” Twilight said. The two walked out of the office and headed to the library. Before the two entered, Twilight stopped them outside.

“I just have to warn you, what you see may frighten you at first. Don’t aggravate him, and just try to stay on his good side,” Twilight said. The Mayor nodded her head as Twilight opened the door. The two entered and greeted Twilight’s friends. However, what walked out from behind the post in the center of the room frightened the Mayor beyond comprehension.

“Mayor Mare, this is Scorpion,” Twilight said, gesturing to him. The Mayor was now shaking in fear.

“So, you are the ruler of this city? I expected more,” Scorpion said.

“W-Well, P-Ponyville is a t-town, n-not a city,” the Mayor started, still shaking. “A-And, I assure you, I am m-more than capable for the p-position of Mayor.” Scorpion let out a small chuckle.

“You ponies need to learn how to stand your ground and face your fears. I will not harm you, you have my word,” Scorpion said, nodding his head. The Mayor stopped her shaking and stepped towards him.

“Twilight, what is he?” she asked.

“Well… I don’t know exactly what he is, but from what he told us, he’s a demon from someplace called the Netherrealm, which is basically, well, Hell,” Twilight said, giving the Mayor a sheepish smile.

“Well, I suppose we could introduce him to the town, but I am quite positive that the ponies will not take too kindly to him.”

“I care not what your citizens think of me. All I need is to be able to walk the grounds of your town unhindered by the ponies,” Scorpion said.

“Very well. If you girls can get a setup ready by tomorrow, we can introduce him to the town then,” the Mayor said.

“Thank you Mayor,” Twilight said.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Scorpion,” the Mayor said, nodding her head and backing up slowly. Scorpion simply nodded to her as she exited the library and closed the door.

“Well, she seemed more than excited to meet our new “friend” here,” Rainbow said, looking at Scorpion with a distasteful look.

“You try my patience, Rainbow Dash,” Scorpion said, raising his hand and engulfing it in flames.

“Scorpion, what did I say about making threats like that?!” Twilight said. He looked to her with an angry look.

“Do not talk to me like I am your pet, Twilight Sparkle. It would be wiser of you to inform your friends to cease with their prattling,” Scorpion demanded. Twilight let out a sigh.

“Okay, girls, I understand you don’t like Scorpion, but you can’t keep ticking him off like this. The more you do, the more he’s just going to threaten us, and I’m sure you don’t want him to go over the edge and actually wind up hurting us. Just try to get used to him without getting on his bad side, okay?” Twilight asked. They all nodded and looked back to Scorpion.

Scorpion lent one eye to the one known as Fluttershy. This pony seemed to intrigue him the most for some reason. Perhaps it was the amount of fear she felt towards him, or maybe it was because Scorpion felt a sense of genuine sympathy towards her. He understood that she was a creature of pure innocence and kindness, and he had only spoken about five to ten words to her directly. Her first words to him were that he was a monster. He was able to tell himself that this pony had no reason to die. The others gave off that kind of feeling as well to Scorpion, not in the same way, but they definitely gave off that feeling. Scorpion simply shook his head and looked to Twilight.

“So, shall I wait here while the six of you prepare for the ceremony tomorrow?” Scorpion asked.

“I suppose so. Spike can keep you company, if he wants,” Twilight said, looking to Spike.

“Sure, I’ll hang out with him,” Spike said. Somehow, that little dragon had already managed to forge some sort of a friendship with Scorpion. Scorpion certainly didn’t view it in that way, but Spike did. He had told Scorpion a few of the zany adventures that the ponies had in the past, and somehow, each one of them made Scorpion laugh a bit. Spike didn’t reveal anything too serious, but almost everything that was downright hysterical, to him at least.

“Alright girls, let’s go prep the Town Hall for tomorrow. We shouldn’t be too long you two. And Scorpion, please don’t burn down the library while we’re gone,” Twilight said. Both Scorpion and Spike chuckled at Twilight’s remark. On that note, the six ponies walked out of the library and left the demon and dragon to themselves.

“So, now what?” Spike asked.

“I do not know or care. But, if I am to be staying here, perhaps we should prepare a place for me to rest,” Scorpion suggested.

“Oh yeah, we’ve got a spare room. The bed’s probably too small for you though. Twilight could probably use her magic to enlarge it when she gets back. In the meantime, I guess I could share some more funny stories with you, if you want?” Spike said.

“We don’t really have much else to do now do we?” Scorpion said. The two sat back on the couch as Spike continued to share his stories of the six ponies.

Twilight arrived home a few hours later, alone. Her friends had all gone home, as it had gotten pretty late. Everything was ready for the next day to introduce Scorpion to the town. Twilight found Scorpion sitting on the floor up against the couch, presumably asleep. Spike was also asleep, but he was on the couch. But, as Twilight closed the door behind her, Scorpion’s head shot up.

“Ah, you’re back,” he said, standing up and greeting her.

“Yeah, sorry we took so long,” she said.

“It is no trouble, but your dragon friend mentioned you may have a bed for me to sleep in.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. I just have to make it bigger to fit your size,” Twilight said, walking to the guest room. She used her magic to enlarge the bed for Scorpion. He thanked her and walked over to the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, took his blades off his back, and placed them on the floor. He then laid himself flat on his back on the bed.

“Wow, you must be pretty tired,” Twilight said.

“It is not that, but I cannot remember the last time I actually slept on a real bed.”

“I take it they don’t have beds in the Netherrealm?” Twilight asked.

“Of course not. There is nothing but fire and lava in the Netherrealm. I am usually on missions, so I do not have a lot of time to rest. The last time I think I slept in a real bed was the night before…” Scorpion said, but he stopped himself.

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“It is nothing that concerns you Twilight Sparkle. Leave me be,” Scorpion said. Twilight simply nodded her head to him and stepped out of the room.

“Goodnight Scorpion,” she said before closing the door. Scorpion let out a heavy sigh, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

The beams of the sun gleamed through the shades of the guest room. It was morning in Ponyville. It wasn’t too early in the day, but ponies were already out and about, going about their daily business. Scorpion was awakened by the sounds of birds chirping from outside. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers then sat up in bed. He gave his neck two loud cracks, then shook them off. He sat on the edge of the bed, grabbed his swords, and threw them over his back. He stood up and walked out into the main room of the library. Twilight and Spike were already up, waiting for him.

“Good morning Scorpion,” Twilight greeted him. He gave her a nod and then one to Spike.

“When shall I be presented to the town?” Scorpion asked.

“In about one hour. I would ask you if you would like breakfast, but I realized you probably don’t want to remove your mask,” Twilight said.

“I am fine, thank you. And, it’s not that I don’t want to remove my mask, but if you were to see what is under it, you might not exactly be able to look at me the same way.” Twilight was a little confused, but she took his word for it.

“Why, what’s under your mask?” Spike asked.

“Nothing you need to see, dragon,” Scorpion responded. Spike simply shrugged and took a bite at his gem. Scorpion was a little surprised by this.

“Are you eating a gem?”

“Yeah. Dragons love gemstones. They’re the most delicious thing around,” Spike answered.

“Dragons eat gemstones, while ponies tend to use them as accessories,” Twilight added. Scorpion simply nodded.

“Well, if you will excuse me, I would like to be alone until we must leave,” Scorpion said. Twilight and Spike nodded to him as he returned to the guest room. As he closed the door, Spike looked at Twilight.

“What do you think is under his mask?”

“I would presume his face, but I don’t get why he wouldn’t show us,” Twilight answered. She simply shrugged and sat down on the cough with Spike. They talked for the remainder of the time until they would have to leave. When the time came, they knocked on the guest room door. Scorpion opened the door.

“Time to go,” Spike said.

“Very well, let’s go.”

Twilight and Spike gathered their friends, while Scorpion was told to teleport to the Town Hall. When he was shown the location he was to teleport to, he was able to teleport straight behind the stage he would stand on. When he looked over, he saw a wooden stage with a curtain on it. The curtain had an image of a scorpion on it. After Twilight gathered her friends, she checked to make sure Scorpion was in position.

“You know what to do right?” she asked him.

“Of course, just gather the ponies of this town and begin the ceremony when you’re ready,” Scorpion said. Twilight nodded and left to gather the townsponies with her friends. Once everypony was there, including the Mayor, Twilight took the stage.

“Thank you everypony for coming to this short ceremony today,” Twilight started. “Equestria, and more specifically Ponyville, has recently been visited by a new kind of creature. My friends and I have managed to discover that he speaks Equestrian, and that he does not mean us any harm. Today, we would like to introduce him to you. We ask that you try to not overreact or panic, and please, do not throw things at him. While he will not harm us, he is dangerous. Now, without further ado, I introduce to you, Scorpion.”

On cue, Scorpion teleported out to the front of the stage, standing in full view for everypony in town to see. He was greeted with a loud gasp that came from everypony in the crowd. Scorpion noticed every expression of the ponies. Some were intrigued, and some were afraid. Some were amazed, and some were terrified. He looked out to the crowd, not saying a word. But, he could hear whispers of the chatter going on between the ponies. Then, they began to speak out.

“What is that thing?”

“Where did it come from?”

“Why is it here?”

“How is it walking on two legs?”

“Did Pinkie Pie throw that thing a party?”

“No, I didn’t!”

“Get that thing out of here!”

“Send it to the Everfree Forest!”

Scorpion expected these kinds of remarks from the ponies, but he could care less. Now, everypony in the town knew he was here, and he could go about helping Twilight and her friends, therefore gaining their trust. Gaining their trust, he would get to have an audience with Celestia, and ultimately slay her.

“Please, everypony calm down. I assure you, Scorpion will not harm any of you. He is going to help my friends and I around Ponyville. If anypony else would like to inquire his help, please feel free. I need to gain his trust so I know he will not harm Princess Celestia if and when I bring him to meet her.”

“Silence!” Scorpion called out, seeing as though the ponies were still chattering. Silence befell the crowd. He turned to face Twilight. “I agreed to help you and your friends Twilight Sparkle, not these arrogant ponies who wish to judge me as monster,” Scorpion started. He turned to face the crowd again. “The only reason I have presented myself to you ponies is so that I may help Twilight and her friends without being hindered by any of you. Should you try to cross me, you will most certainly regret it,” Scorpion said, dropping down from the stage, which caused the crowd as an entire group to step back.

Scorpion began to walk towards the crowd. They cleared a path for him, not wanting to get in his way. As he walked through the crowd, Scorpion could notice every glare and hateful looked he was receiving from the ponies. He didn’t care what they thought of him though. He honestly would have slaughtered most of them right then and there were it not for Twilight Sparkle.

Having cleared through the crowd, Scorpion continued to walk towards the outskirts of the town, with all the glares and looks now at his back. They all looked back to Twilight with concerned looks. Twilight assured them all that Scorpion would not harm any of them. A few remarks were given out, but the Mayor quickly put those to an end and sent everypony back to their business for the day. Twilight walked back to her friends, her head hanging low.

“Maybe that wasn’t the best idea,” she said.

“Don’t worry Twilight. We can still have him help us around town, even if everypony doesn’t like him,” Rarity said.

“I know I still don’t like him,” Rainbow said.

“Um, Dashie, you’ve kind of made that clear already,” Fluttershy said.

“Ah just hope that we can trust this varmint,” Applejack said.

“Don’t worry girls! If he tries anything, I’ll blast him with my confetti cannon!” Pinkie said, pulling out said cannon and setting it off on mistake. The five other ponies looked to her. “Oops.” Twilight simply decided to walk to find Scorpion. The five ponies and Spike looked to each other with concerned looks.

Scorpion stood alone on a hill on the outskirts of the town. He looked out to the horizon, thinking about his lost family and clan. He thought of his wife and child being slayed by Sub Zero. This thought always brought anger to Scorpion’s heart, but it was always quelled by the thought of Scorpion slaying Sub Zero in the Netherrealm. Before Scorpion could continue to think, he heard hoofsteps from behind him. He turned to see Twilight Sparkle.

“What do you want?” he asked.

“Why did you leave like that?” she asked.

“The point of that little event was to introduce me to the town, and that’s what happened. I saw no reason to remain there. I came here to be with my thoughts, so why do you interrupt me?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright is all,” Twilight said, walking up to Scorpion.

“I am fine. I care not for what those fools think of me. Now that they know I am here, I can begin to help you and your friends with whatever tasks you have planned for me.” Twilight looked as Scorpion turned back to look out to the horizon. She let out a sigh and turned back.

“Well, when you’re ready to begin, I’ll be at the library,” Twilight said, walking away from the demon. Scorpion turned his head to look to her, but she was gone. He looked back out to the horizon and let out a heavy sigh.

Author's Notes:

Well, now everypony in Ponyville knows about Scorpion. What does this mean for everypony? Probably lots of bad stuff, for one thing.

Chapter 6: Fluttershy's Trust

Scorpion walked across the hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. He was still amongst his own thoughts of his past. The sudden outrage of the ponies seemed to have sent him on a trip down memory lane. He couldn’t help but get the thought of killing Sub Zero of his mind. The thought was not haunting him, in fact, he enjoyed remembering that moment. But, the memory just couldn’t get out of Scorpion’s focus.

Scorpion took a moment to just breathe. He had too many things going on at once. He had the memory of killing Sub Zero in his mind, he had been sent to this new world to murder their Princess, and he was no closer to achieving that goal now than when he arrived. A sudden crack from behind him snapped Scorpion out of his thoughts. He groaned without turning around.

“I thought you left for the library, Twilight Sparkle,” Scorpion said. But, when he turned around, he was greeted by the pony known as Fluttershy. “What do you want, Fluttershy?” Merely uttering those words sent Fluttershy into a scared frenzy. Scorpion let out another sigh.

“Why do you fear me?” he asked her. He had a good idea of what her answer would be, but he just wanted to get her to stop shivering and talk.

“W-Well, y-you’re big and s-scary,” Fluttershy said, peeking out from behind her hair. “Y-You hurt my f-friend,” she continued. “A-And…” but she trailed off in fear before she could continue.

“I will not harm you, Fluttershy. I promise you, you have nothing to fear. Besides, if I wanted to kill you, you would already be dead. The prospect of meeting your Princess sounds… intriguing. I wouldn’t be able to meet her if I killed one of her subjects, now would I?” Fluttershy shook her head in response. She slowly looked up to the tall demon standing before her.

“So, what is it that has brought you to find me?” Scorpion asked.

“W-Well, since you’re going to have to start helping us, I figured I would ask if you could help me with a problem I’ve been having recently,” Fluttershy said.

“Well, you can tell me what you want me to do, but Twilight Sparkle told me to meet her at the library first. Perhaps we should tell her first,” Scorpion suggested. Fluttershy nodded. She turned and started walking back to the library. Scorpion quickly stopped her though.

“I know how to get there quicker,” Scorpion said, walking up to her.

“H-How?” Scorpion knelt down and put one hand on her back. She immediately started to shiver, the look of fear burning in her eyes. Scorpion quickly was able to calm her down.

“This may feel strange for you, but nothing too bad.”

“What are you going to do?” Fluttershy asked. Scorpion responded by teleporting the both of them to the front of the library in a fiery teleport. Fluttershy jumped back when they arrived and started to quiver on the ground. Scorpion couldn’t help but chuckle at the sudden fright the pony had received.

“Fear not. Nothing bad has happened to you,” Scorpion said, standing back up to full height and knocking on the library door. Fluttershy composed herself and walked to the door. It was answered by Spike.

“Oh, hey Scorpion, hey Fluttershy. You here to talk to Twilight?” Spike asked.

“As a matter of fact we are, dragon. Fluttershy here has a task in mind for me to complete.” Spike let the both of them into the library. Twilight walked down the stairs to greet them.

“Welcome back Scorpion, and hello to you Fluttershy. Did you have something in mind for Scorpion to do?” she asked her shy friend.

“Actually I do. Recently, I’ve been having a bit of trouble with… Timberwolves,” Fluttershy said. Scorpion raised an eyebrow to the Pegasus.

“Timberwolves?” Scorpion asked. “Let me guess, wolves made out of tree bark and branches and such.”

“How’d you know?” Spike asked.

“Lucky guess,” Scorpion responded sarcastically. “What have these creatures been doing?”

“Well, every night lately, they’ve been howling a lot on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, close to my cottage. They keep scaring my animal friends, and me,” Fluttershy said. “The other night, one of them almost came out from the forest. It turned back, but I don’t know why. I just want them to go away already.” Scorpion looked at the cream yellow pony.

“So, you want me to dispose of them?” Scorpion asked. Fluttershy nodded to him shyly. “Simple enough, I suppose.”

“You need to be careful with Timberwolves, Scorpion,” Twilight said. “They have a nasty bite, and they can regenerate their forms. They’re easy to track though. They have terrible breath, which gives them away. Just be careful if you’re actually going to try to defeat them.” Scorpion nodded and then turned back to Fluttershy.

“Well?”

“Let’s go,” Fluttershy said. She led him out of the library. Walking through Ponyville wasn’t fun for Scorpion. He was receiving continuous glares from all the ponies. They all backed away, but they didn’t stop glaring at him. But, whenever he looked back, they would all get scared. He would just shake his head and continue walking. He didn’t need any of their opinions, only those of the six ponies he was assisting.

Once Scorpion and Fluttershy arrived at the cottage, Fluttershy directed Scorpion to the area of the Forest that the howls of the Timberwolves were coming from. Scorpion looked to the forest and then back to the pony.

“How close do you suppose these Timberwolves are?” Scorpion asked.

“Pretty close. On some nights, I can smell their bad breath, so I assume their relatively close to the cottage.”

“Well, if these creatures are as dangerous as Twilight informed, then perhaps you should stay here,” Scorpion suggested.

“It’s probably for the best,” Fluttershy said, running into her cottage. Scorpion sighed and shook his head.

‘What have I gotten myself into this time?’ he thought to himself. He shook his head again and walked into the forest. He took in every bit of his surroundings, making sure to not lower his guard. These Timberwolves could jump out at him at any moment. But, he would be ready.

Scorpion turned his head when he heard a sudden growling sound. He drew one of his blades and stood ready. When he caught the whiff of the terrible breath he had been told of, he knew that the Timberwolves were close by. He stood with his guard on, ready for anything.

Suddenly, one of the large beasts pounced out from behind its cover. Scorpion turned too late to stop it, and found himself on the ground beneath the creature. It tried to bite down on his skull, but he quickly dodged the attack. Scorpion then kicked the beast on its back and stood up, his blade still in his right hand. The Timberwolf got up and jumped towards Scorpion. But, this time, Scorpion was able to grab the creature by the neck. He drove his blade through the wooden body of the Timberwolf. He could make out a noticeable hacking sound coming from the creature. Scorpion drew his blade out, flipped it in his hand so that it was now upside down, then stabbed the creature in its head. Drawing his blade out again, Scorpion sheathed the blade, lit up his fist in flames, then punched the creature to the ground.

“One down,” Scorpion said, as the creature broke apart. Scorpion turned to face two more Timberwolves that had appeared. As one jumped towards him, Scorpion drew his right blade again. As the creature drew nearer, Scorpion delivered a high, heel kick to the beast’s head, stopping it in its tracks. Scorpion then used his Doom Blade combo attack, effectively knocking the Timberwolf’s head clean off. The third Timberwolf tried to pounce on Scorpion, but he simply side stepped the attack and drove both of his blades through the back of the creature. But, Scorpion then remembered that these things could regenerate.

He drew out his blades and stepped away from the creatures’ remains. He summoned his Demon Fire Special Attack and burned the remains of the Timberwolves to dust. Scorpion could even swear he heard the agonizing cries of the creatures as they were burnt away. Scorpion was then able to find the soul of one of the helpless Timberwolves. He latched onto the soul and sent it straight to the Netherrealm.

“This realm seems to have quite a supply of dangerous creatures. With a touch of Netherrealm power, these creatures will prove quite useful,” Scorpion said to himself, turning back for Fluttershy’s cottage. As he arrived, he was greeted by the Pegasus pony, who was wearing a smile on her face.

“I can’t believe you did,” Fluttershy said.

“It was quite simple actually. Those “fearsome” creatures shouldn’t be causing you anymore trouble, Fluttershy,” Scorpion said, kneeling down to meet her at eye level. She smiled at him and gave him a hug. Scorpion was extremely confused by this.

“What is this for?” he asked.

“For doing a favor for somepony you barely know,” Fluttershy said, releasing him from the hug. “You helped me out of the goodness of your own heart.”

“Does this mean you trust me?” Scorpion asked.

“To be honest, I kind of started trusting you when we all heard that Twilight trusted you. Twilight is one of my closest friends, and I see no reason to second guess her judgments. If she trusts you, then I trust you. And, now that you’ve done me such a great favor, I see no reason to not trust you… well, maybe if you could just stop threatening us all the time, if that’s okay with you,” Fluttershy said, giving him a smile. Scorpion simply laughed and nodded to her.

“Simple enough, I suppose,” he said. “Thank you Fluttershy. I only hope that the rest of your friends are just as willing to trust me as you have been.”

“I bet they’ll come to trust you just the same as I have. There is good in your heart, Scorpion, they just need to realize it.” Fluttershy hugged him again.

“Why do you insist on hugging me like this?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, friends normally give each other hugs, right?” This question caught Scorpion off guard, and it wasn’t even because of what the question was.

“We are friends?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, I’d like to think so at least,” Fluttershy said.

Friend. That was a word Scorpion had not been called in a very long time. He had mostly been referred to by his name, or as the Specter of the Netherrealm, or just as a demon. He never considered those he fought alongside with as friends, just allies or accomplices. The only friends Scorpion ever had were dead. Did this pony really consider him to be a friend? How could someone so innocent consider someone as dangerous as him a friend?

“Do you really consider me a friend?” Scorpion asked.

“Yes,” Fluttershy answered, not even showing any doubt in her answer. Scorpion couldn’t help but return the gentle hug of the pony.

“Thank you Fluttershy.” After a moment, the two released the hug. Scorpion nodded to Fluttershy and stood back up to his full height. Fluttershy looked up to him with a soft smile on her face. Scorpion smiled to himself as he looked down to her. He then looked out to the horizon to see the sun going down.

“It is getting late. I will return to the library for now. Tomorrow will most likely be a long day, and I will need my rest. Thank you once again Fluttershy,” Scorpion said, nodding to her.

“No Scorpion, thank you,” Fluttershy said. Scorpion nodded to her one more time as he turned and walked away. He looked back once more to see her waving goodbye to him. He turned back and continued walking back to the library.

‘It will most likely not be as easy to gain the trust of the other ponies, but I will do it nonetheless. Even if these ponies want to consider me as their friend, I will not let that get in the way of completing my task. I am here to claim Celestia’s soul, and I will get it one way or another’ Scorpion thought to himself. Even after he was shown true kindness from Fluttershy, he still did not lose focus of his true purpose here in Equis, or Equestria, more specifically. Scorpion suddenly stopped himself and looked down to the ground.

“But why does this all seem so wrong?” he asked himself. He let out a heavy sigh, shook his head, and continued walking. Scorpion had no time to dwell on these feelings, so he decided not to do so at all. But, if he was going to, now was not the time. Besides, he was a demon. He knew he could never have things such as friends and others that cared for him. He was not truly meant to have this. Yet, as much as Scorpion tried to dismiss these thoughts, once again, just like before, he couldn’t get them out of his mind.

Author's Notes:

Hooray for updates! Sorry for the wait, but the current events of my life prohibit me from doing much work on the story. But, hey, look at what we have here. Scorpion has gained the trust of Fluttershy. It's just like me to use her first, isn't it. This did feel a bit rushed, but then again, I did write this over the time span of about 30-40 minutes. Oh well, who cares. UPDATES!

Chapter 7: Rarity's Trust

Scorpion walked through the streets of Ponyville, his mind still floating with his contrasting thoughts. He had gained Fluttershy’s trust, but she had called him a friend to her. He didn’t think of her as such, not in the slightest. He only saw her as a means to an end. Gaining her trust brought him a step closer to Celestia, and killing her would bring his family and clan back.

‘I will not fail them this time,’ Scorpion said to himself, thinking back to when Raiden had promised Scorpion a chance to have his family and clan returned to the realm of the living. However, Scorpion’s lust for revenge had gotten the better of him then. This time, he was going to succeed in bringing them back. Nothing was going to stop him, especially not these ponies.

As Scorpion continued to walk through Ponyville, he continued to receive the glares and stares of the many ponies. Some were amazed, and some, or rather most, were afraid. A good amount of them even glared at him with hatred, but he glared right back at them, which sent them into fearful frenzies. Scorpion still paid little mind to them, as he was set on a path for the Carousal Boutique. He was to meet Rarity to help her next.

Knocking on the door to the building, Rarity answered with a disgusted look on her face.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said plainly, trying not to look at Scorpion.

“I was told by Twilight that you had something for me to help you with. What is it?” he asked her. He tried to enter, but she simply pushed him back with her magic. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

“Well, to start, I hope you don’t expect to be allowed inside my home. That will not be happening. As for the task I have in mind, I will explain on the way. First, we must get Spike,” Rarity said as she started to walk, keeping a distance from Scorpion.

“Spike? What does he have to do with this?” Scorpion asked, following her.

“Well, I recently received an order for a dress line that includes the use of gems. Spike is the perfect candidate to dig them up, but both he is too small to pull the cart I will be bringing, and I refuse to put that dirty thing on me. That is where you come in.” Rarity turned around back to the Boutique and magicked out a large cart.

“If you can use your magic to pull the cart, why do you need me?” Scorpion asked.

“The cart is empty now, Scorpion. When filled with the gems, it will be much heavier. And besides,” Rarity said, pulling out another cart. “I plan to get a lot of gems today.” Scorpion let out an aggravated sigh.

“Very well, let’s go then.” Scorpion started to pull both of the large carts. Unfilled, they were quite easy to pull. Scorpion was strong enough to pull both of them, and he had no doubt that even with the carts filled with gems, he would be able to pull them back home.

As he and Rarity arrived at the library, Twilight was already outside to greet them.

“Oh, hello you two. Rarity, is Scorpion behaving?” Twilight asked.

“I am no child, Twilight Sparkle. Do not treat me as such,” Scorpion said, giving her an angry stare. Twilight looked back to Rarity.

“Well, to answer your question Twilight, he’s been… acceptable, for the most part. He is definitely useful for manual labor.”

“Don’t abuse him Rarity. We don’t need him getting angry at any of us. Just try to get used to him please,” Twilight said. Spike shortly after came outside to greet Scorpion and Rarity.

“Oh, hey guys, what’s up?” he asked, trying to play it cool in front of Rarity.

“As a matter of fact, Scorpion and I will require your assistance for the day, Spikey Wikey,” Rarity said. Scorpion cringed at the hearing of that name. It sounded so unbearably cute and adorable. He wanted to punch Rarity in that moment, just to make sure she didn’t say it again. But, of course, he restrained himself.

“Oh, really, what for?” Spike asked.

“Rarity wants to use you to dig up some gems for her outfits,” Scorpion answered.

“Oh, I can do that, no problem. But… can I at least eat a few of the gems you get?” Spike asked, giving Rarity a puppy dog face.

“Of course you can Spike, I will just need to get enough gems for my order. Once that is done, any leftover or extra gems will be yours,” Rarity said. Spike immediately perked up and rushed back inside. He came back out a few moments later with a hardhat on his head. Scorpion looked at him confusedly, but both Twilight and Rarity giggled at the dragon. Scorpion decided to ignore it.

“Very well, shall we be off then?” he asked, turning to Rarity.

“Of course. Spike, come along.” Spike followed her as she started off. Scorpion looked at Twilight for a moment. She smiled and nodded at him. He surprisingly nodded back to her and followed Rarity and Spike, pulling the carts behind him.

‘Don’t let me down Scorpion,’ Twilight thought to herself, as she walked back into the library to continue with her work for the day.

Rarity led Scorpion and Spike to a prime spot for digging up gems on the outskirts of Ponyville. Rarity and Spike had done this before, except they had a nasty run in with some Diamond Dogs. Scorpion could only see a desolate landscape though. Sure, there were a few trees here and there, but not enough to make the area seem ripe with gems.

“This place does not seem very promising,” he said, still aggravated by the fact that he was left alone to lug around the two carts.

“It may not look like much, but believe me, it is ripe with gems. Now then, onto the hunt!” Rarity said, starting to scan the area with her horn. Scorpion looked confusedly at her, and then to Spike.

“She’s finding gems with her magic,” Spike told him. He simply nodded and continued to watch the mare at her work.

“How long will this take?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, based on the amount of gems I will require, probably about an hour or so. I’m sure you can find something to do. Help Spike dig up the gems that I find,” Rarity said, continuing her search. Her eyes suddenly beamed open, as she had found a spot. “Spike, over here!”

“On it,” the dragon said, walking over and beginning to dig up the gems. Once he had finished, he started to drool over the pile of gems in the ground. Rarity suddenly magicked them into one of the carts.

“Remember what I told you Spike. You will get your gems when we are finished.” Spike simply nodded and continued to follow her. Scorpion, on the other hand, walked over to the cart and pulled one gem out without Rarity noticing. He slipped it in his belt and walked over to the two of them.

Rarity soon found another spot filled with gems. And another, and another, and another. Soon enough, she had filled up one whole cart, and she was already working on filling the second one. Rarity took a moment to check her inventory. Now was Scorpion’s chance. He knelt down next to Spike and showed him the gem. He started to whisper to the dragon.

“Take it, quickly,” he said.

“What, no. You heard Rarity. I don’t get any until we’re done.”

“Stop letting her deny you of what you want and just take the damn gem,” Scorpion said, putting it in Spike’s hands. He looked at the gem, and then to Rarity.

“Well… ah, what the heck.” Spike ate the small gem in one whole bite, savoring every second of it. He quickly swallowed and let out a quiet burp. Rarity looked back at him with disgust.

“Please Spike, have some manners,” she said, turning back to the cart. She didn’t suspect a thing. Spike turned back to Scorpion.

“Thanks.”

“Think nothing of it,” Scorpion responded, standing up to his full height. “Rarity, how many more gems do you require?”

“Well, if we can fill the second cart to its brim, then we should be fine. It shouldn’t take us too long,” Rarity answered, getting back to her search. She didn’t want to admit it, but she almost felt a little safe now in Scorpion’s presence. When they first met, she despised him and wanted nothing to do with him. Now, having worked with him for a while, she had grown to like him a bit. Scorpion still thought little of her, but she thought a bit more of him.

Little did the three of them know, however, that they were being watched. Much like Rarity, there are others that desire the acquisition of gems. Three Diamond Dogs had been watching in amazement as this two-legged creature assisted the pony and dragon in their search for the gems. They spoke quietly to each other.

“That tall creature could help us,” one of them said.

“We should capture him, along with the pony,” another said.

“And this time, we have a muzzle to muzzle her muzzle!” the third said in excitement. The other two looked at with aggravated looks. The third dog simply shrugged and looked back to the unsuspecting trio.

“When should we attack?” he asked.

“Why not now?” the second said.

“Let’s get them,” the leader said.

From behind Rarity, Spike, and Scorpion, the three Diamond Dogs jumped out on the unsuspecting targets. The biggest of the three dogs pushed Spike on his back to keep him out of the way, then grabbed Rarity. The other two dogs started to attack Scorpion.

“What is this?!” he shouted, standing ready to fight. “Do you wish to die?!”

“Oh no, no death is required here. All we require is your undying service,” the leader of the pack said, whipping out a chain and latching it onto Scorpion’s right hand. He grunted in surprise as the second dog whipped out a chain, latching it onto Scorpion’s left hand. They pulled back as Scorpion started to struggle.

“Let him go you dirty mutts, and more importantly, LET ME GO!” Rarity shouted, squirming around in the bigger dog’s grasp.

“Shut it, tiny pony,” he ordered.

Scorpion continued his struggle, trying to pull back on the chains, but it didn’t work. As nimble as these two mutts looked, they were quite strong. Scorpion, however, had the upper hand over them. He teleported into the ground, dragging the chains downward with him. This caused the two dogs to smack into each other. They stood there, dazed and confused. Finally getting recomposed, they started to look around.

“Where’d he go?” one of them asked. He got his answer when Scorpion appeared right in front of them. The two dogs stood in surprise. They couldn’t even react, as Scorpion pulled back both of his fists.

Everything went black and white for Scorpion, Rarity, Spike, and the dogs. As Scorpion brought his fists forward, everything went into slow motion. As Scorpion’s fists collided with the faces of the two dogs, Rarity, Spike, and the third Diamond Dog got a really good look at what was going on inside the skulls of the two dogs that were at the mercy of Scorpion. Every bone in their jaws had been broken, and even their noses had been broken. Even their screams came out in slow motion. They both fell to the floor. Scorpion leaped into the air, doing a flip in mid-air. He landed with a hard stomp on the chests of the Diamond Dogs, effectively breaking every rib in their bodies. The third dog, Rarity, and Spike got a real good look at that too, getting to see every rib crack and break.

Scorpion flipped off the two dogs, who were now crying in pain. They both began to spit up blood as Scorpion drew his blades.

“Enough of this! If you wish to die so be it!” he said, holding his blade underhanded and raising them above his head.

“Scorpion, stop!” Rarity shouted. Scorpion looked to her, as she was still being held in the arms of the third dog. He immediately dropped her and ran off. Rarity cautiously stood and stared at Scorpion. “You don’t need to kill them.”

“They attacked us.”

“Well, I can agree that they deserved the… devious, thrashing that you gave them, but that’s no reason for them to die. Just let them go. Besides, I’m sure they’ve learned their lesson.” As Rarity finished, Scorpion sheathed his blades and looked down to the Diamond Dogs.

“Leave, now,” he said. They didn’t need to be told twice. They groggily got back up and slowly ran off. Scorpion looked to Spike and Rarity.

“How did you do that?” Spike asked.

“What?” Scorpion responded.

“Make everything go all black and white and slow motion,” Spike added.

“I must say Scorpion, that was quite… violent. Did you not see their every bone break beneath your powerful strikes?” Rarity asked.

“I do not understand. I simply delivered powerful blows to those filly creatures. I could feel their bones break beneath my might, but I did not see anything. Are you sure you two are alright and haven’t suffered any head injuries of your own?” Scorpion asked. Spike and Rarity looked to each other in confusion. They both decided, however, to drop the subject.

“Well, for whatever it is worth Scorpion, I thank you for protecting Spike and I,” Rarity said, bowing her head.

“Yeah, you really showed them Scorpion,” Spike said, nudging his leg. Scorpion simply chuckled.

“No thanks are required. What was I to do? Let them capture you and myself? I could not allow it.”

“I never knew you could be so modest Scorpion,” Rarity said. “I assure you, you have done Spike and I a great favor. You helped us get all these gems, and you saved us from those filthy Diamond Dogs. Such efforts must not go unrewarded. I shall have to think of something for you. Besides, you also helped Fluttershy, and her being one of my closest friends, you are indeed in need of a reward.” Scorpion simply chuckled again and knelt down to the pony.

“If you think that a reward is in order, then I shall not stop you. Thank you Rarity,” Scorpion said, nodding his head.

“No Scorpion, thank you,” she said. She turned back to her carts of gems. “Now then, as for you Spike, you’ve been patient enough, and it’s time you got your reward for the day.” She magicked to him two gems.

“Thanks Rarity,” he said, quickly throwing them into his mouth and chewing them to pieces. He swallowed and let out a more noticeable burp than before. “Excuse me.” Both Scorpion and Rarity couldn’t help but laugh at the dragon.

“Well then, shall we be off?” Rarity said.

“I’ve got the carts,” Scorpion said. He pulled on the ropes that were tied to the carts and followed both Rarity and Spike. The now filled carts were a lot heavier than before, but Scorpion expected this. But, as the three walked back, more thoughts started to run through his mind. Rarity was generous enough to offer Scorpion a reward. Sure, she hadn’t presented it to him yet, but she wanted to give him a reward. Why would she do something like that for him? Once again, these contrasting thoughts scrambled around in Scorpion’s mind.

‘Do not lose focus, Scorpion. You are here to kill Celestia. The lives of your family and clan are in your hands,’ Scorpion thought to himself. He would not fail them again.

Author's Notes:

Woohoo! Updates! Again, I apologize that this took so long to get out. But, in any case, it looks like Scorpion's got Rarity on his side now too. But, will his thoughts of his family and clan keep him on track with his mission, or will the continued friendships of the ponies stop him. Who knows?

Chapter 8: Pinkie Pie's Trust

Scorpion lay still in his bed, his thoughts still a mess of contrasting ideals. He knew damn well that he should kill Celestia and save his family and clan, yet somewhere deep inside of him, he knew that doing so would disappoint those who had so eagerly come to trust him. Why did they trust him so easily he wondered? Could they not see that he was a violent being, someone that could take the lives of hundreds without breaking a sweat? Scorpion was truly at odds with himself.

In the main room of the library, however, two ponies were chatting up with Twilight of how their new friend had helped them. Rarity and Fluttershy were both sharing their stories of Scorpion’s true courage and generosity towards them both. Twilight was truly amazed to hear of Scorpion’s deeds, and it only made her trust towards him greater than it already was.

“I say Twilight, we must do something for Scorpion,” Rarity insisted.

“I agree. He seems kind enough to deserve a little something,” Fluttershy added.

“I completely agree with you that he deserves a reward, girls, but maybe we should wait until the others are on the same level as us. I’m not so worried about Pinkie Pie, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash surely will take a bit of convincing to trust him,” Twilight said. She knew her friends well enough to know that Applejack and Rainbow Dash would need a great deal of convincing. And if not Applejack, then definitely Rainbow Dash. After all, Scorpion did pummel her into the ground.

“Well then, where are out three friends. I’d say it’s high time they get to enjoy the services of Scorpion,” Rarity said.

“Well, Pinkie Pie told me she had something in mind for Scorpion, but I haven’t heard from Applejack or Rainbow Dash yet. I’m sure they’ll think of something sooner or later.” Shortly after that, Pinkie Pie cartwheeled into the library. Her three friends looked at her as she landed on her hindlegs and presented herself.

“TADA!” Pinkie said, giving them a smile. Her friends still looked at her with confused looks. “Oh come on! I cartwheeled all the way over here from Sugarcube Corner! At least give me a cheer or two!” Pinkie said, standing on four hooves again. Her three friends simply giggled to themselves and stood up from their seats.

“Um, good job Pinkie?” Fluttershy said, questionably. She didn’t know if that was enough to satisfy Pinkie.

“Thank you Fluttershy,” Pinkie said. “Anyway, I have come to collect my work monkey!” Pinkie said, lifting her head up high.

“Work monkey?” Twilight questioned.

“You know,” Pinkie said, starting to whisper. “Scorpion.”

“I know that Pinkie, but why is he your work monkey?”

“Because, I’ve always wanted one!” Twilight simply rolled her eyes and went over to the guest room. She knocked on the door.

“Scorpion, Pinkie’s here for you,” Twilight said into the room. Scorpion let out a sigh and sat up. He grabbed his two swords, sheathed them on his back, and stood up. He opened the door and entered the main room.

“What task have you for me to complete, Pinkie Pie?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, I actually have a huge order of cupcakes to fill out, but the oven back at Sugarcube Corner is busted. I was hoping that you could use that “flaming” talent of yours to help me,” Pinkie said, letting out a little giggle. Scorpion found no amusement in the joke.

“Sounds simple enough,” he said.

“That’s because it is, my two-legged... acquaintance,” Pinkie said, not wanting to call him a friend. Scorpion looked to Twilight.

“Don’t worry Scorpion, she won’t hurt you,” Twilight said.

“You think I am worried about her hurting me? No, I am more worried about losing my sanity to this pony,” Scorpion said, letting out a low grumble.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve never made anypony go insane, but maybe I should try it sometime. Oh, yeah, I could make them be all “OoOoOoOoO” and stuff. It’d be great!” Pinkie said, snorting a bit while laughing. Scorpion couldn’t help but let out a quick chuckle.

“Very well then. Shall we be off?” he asked.

“Sure thing. I’ll have him back later Twilight,” Pinkie said, heading for the door.

“At least try to have some fun Scorpion,” Twilight said, as he followed Pinkie to the door.

“Provided I don’t go insane first, perhaps I will give it a try,” he said, leaving the library with the bouncing pink pony.

As Pinkie Pie led Scorpion into the gingerbread house, the owners of said establishment took note of the new visitor they had. The Cakes pulled Pinkie aside to have a quick chat with her.

“Pinkie Pie, who, or what is this thing?” Cup Cake asked.

“This is Scorpion. Weren’t you at the town meeting to introduce him to Ponyville?” Pinkie asked.

“No. We were away when that happened, and when we got back, everypony seemed to be quite edgy. Now we can see why!” Carrot Cake said. “Do you want Pound and Pumpkin to see him? They will go nuts!”

“Don’t worry. We’re just going to be in the kitchen. We’re gonna fill out that big cupcake order that we got,” Pinkie said.

“How? The oven is broken,” Cup Cake said.

“Scorpion here can control fire,” Pinkie said, pulling him over. “Why don’t you show them Scorpion?” Scorpion looked at the two ponies, who were looking right back at him with worried expressions.

“Well, what would you like me to burn?” Scorpion asked.

“Hmm…” Pinkie quickly rushed into the kitchen, and just as quickly, rushed back out with a pan filled with cupcake mix. “Here. These cupcakes should be ready to be baked. Light em up!” Pinkie placed the tray on the ground and stood back with the cakes. Scorpion figured well enough that he would have to control his flames in order to not burn the cupcakes. He gathered himself and used his Demon Fire on the pan. In a matter of seconds, the cupcakes were baked. Pinkie and the Cakes looked at the pan, now filled with eight, ready to eat cupcakes.

“How did…” Cup Cake tried to ask, but she couldn’t finish.

“That’s the quickest I’ve ever seen cupcakes get baked in my entire life!” Carrot Cake added.

“Told you he could control fire. So can he stay, please?!” Pinkie asked, using some puppy dog eyes. The Cakes looked to each other and then back to Pinkie.

“Alright Pinkie, he can stay. Just, please make sure he doesn’t burn the place down,” Carrot Cake said, walking with his wife upstairs to their two foals.

“Well, it looks like we can get to work. With my quick ability to put cupcake mix together, and your ability to bake em so fast, we should have this order filled in no time!” Pinkie said, pulling Scorpion into the kitchen.

“Very well. I must say Pinkie Pie, this task that you are providing me with is not at all difficult. How will me helping you bake cupcakes gain me your trust?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, for one thing, I already kind of trust you. You’ve already helped out Fluttershy and Rarity, and from what I’ve heard, they really like you, and any friend of my friends is a friend to me.” Scorpion almost got lost in that phrase, but he managed to piece it all together. “Plus, you look super cool!” Scorpion chuckled at that.

“Well, thank you, I guess. Now then, shall we get to work?” Scorpion said, lighting his hands on fire.

“Wooooow! I didn’t know you could do that. I mean, I knew you could control fire, but I didn’t know you could control it like that!” Scorpion continued to chuckle at Pinkie’s continued amazement of his abilities.

“I can do many things, Pinkie Pie. You have yet to see the full power that I possess, but you most likely will never get to see it all.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I would have to fight someone, or something, for me to unleash my full power. I can be quite… violent, if I am challenged well enough. You and your friends will not have to fear to meet my full wrath, for I have come to accept you for who and what you are.” Scorpion’s words actually left a smile on Pinkie Pie’s face.

“Aw, you’re so cool Scorpion. Come on, why don’t we get started?” Pinkie said, filling up another tray. Scorpion used his flames to bake the cupcakes to a perfect degree. Pinkie took one out of the tray. They were a little hot, but they were very delicious.

“Wow! These are so good! You’d make a good baker Scorpion,” Pinkie said, eating up another cupcake. Scorpion let out a full laugh this time.

“Stop eating the cupcakes, or we will never get our job done,” Scorpion said.

“But they’re so good! Why don’t you try one?” she asked. Scorpion’s happy mood suddenly went a bit more serious.

“Well, I shouldn’t really take off my mask. You don’t want to see what is behind it.”

“How bad could it be? Come on, just a quick peek?!” Pinkie asked, using her puppy dog eyes again.

“No, Pinkie Pie. That is final. You would not be able to look at me the same way if you knew what is under this mask.”

“Hey, no matter how my friends look or act, I always think of them as my friends.” There it was again. That word. Friend. Scorpion had now been called that by three of these ponies. Why did they consider him their friend? They knew his capabilities for violence. They saw him hurt Rainbow Dash. Why did they come to trust him so easily? Scorpion had to quickly put these thoughts aside to argue back to Pinkie Pie.

“I am sorry Pinkie Pie, but I will not remove my mask. Perhaps, in time, I will show you, but now is not the right time. Let us continue our work.” Pinkie Pie gave up her efforts and simply sighed.

“Alright, no biggy I guess. Besides, I’m sure it’d be better if you showed all of us at the same time. Why only show me when the rest of your friends are probably just as curious?” Pinkie said, filling up another pan with cupcake mix.

“You seem to forget that Applejack and Rainbow Dash still do not trust me,” Scorpion said, lighting up the cupcakes and baking them to perfection. Pinkie got another tray filled and ready for baking.

“Yeah, but I’m sure they’ll come to trust you just the same. Applejack is an honest, hardworking pony. I’m sure that if you show her just how hardworking you are, you’ll have her trust in no time. And Rainbow Dash… well, she can be a bit picky, but she’s a loyal friend to the end. She’s such a blast to hang around too. I’m sure she’ll have you helping her with her crazy and zany stunts and flying tricks.” Scorpion baked the new batch of cupcakes. He took one out and examined it. “What? You’ve never seen a cupcake before?”

“Not really, no,” Scorpion answered, sniffing the cupcake. It smelt really good, and he knew for certain that it was delicious. He didn’t even need to taste it to know that. He looked to Pinkie Pie, then back to the cupcake. “Okay, I will try one. However, you are not to look at me while I remove my mask.” Pinkie Pie quickly turned around and leaped over the counter to the other side. Scorpion thought it was a bit much, but he didn’t care. He removed his mask and took a bite out of the cupcake. Pinkie could make out the definite sound of satisfaction coming from Scorpion. He finished the cupcake and put his mask back on.

“That was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted!” Scorpion said.

“I told you it would be worth it!” Pinkie said, coming back around to the other side of the counter. “Now then, we’ve only got a few more batches of cupcakes to bake, and then we should be done.” Scorpion nodded. The two continued their work, until finally, they were left with about one hundred cupcakes.

“This is quite a lot of cupcakes. What pony could consume this many cupcakes?” Scorpion asked.

“A pony with a birthday party, duh,” Pinkie answered. “Somepony in Canterlot ordered all of these. I’m sure they’ll have a great party with cupcakes as good as these.” Pinkie looked at the large stack of cupcakes. “I could eat all of these in one bite you know. I totally would, if only they weren’t for somepony else’s party.”

“You really think you could eat them all, in one bite?” Scorpion asked.

“Oh I know I can. But, like I said, they’re for somepony else. Maybe some other time I could show you.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Scorpion said, letting out another chuckle. With their job done, Pinkie extended her hoof. “What is this?”

“A hoof bump, or in your case, a… fist bump?” Pinkie questioned. Scorpion chuckled again and made his hand into a fist. He bumped Pinkie’s hoof, and they both started to laugh. “You’re definitely not the big meany pants I thought you were when we first met,” Pinkie said.

“I’m glad I have changed your mind about me,” Scorpion said. “So, what shall we do now?”

“Well, I’ve got nothing else to do. You want to see if Rarity and Fluttershy want to hang out for a while? Seeing as though you’ve already gained their trust, I’m sure they’d be up for it.” Scorpion thought about it for a moment, but his thoughts were still a contrasting mess. He needed time to himself again to think.

“Well… not now Pinkie Pie. I need some time to think about some things. Any other time though would be fine,” Scorpion said.

“Oh, that’s okay then. So, I guess I’ll see you later then?”

“Of course. Farewell Pinkie Pie,” Scorpion said, heading for the front door.

“Yeah, see you later Scorpion, and thanks for all your help, you two-legged awesome buddy!” That was a new one to Scorpion. Pinkie could hear him laughing on his way out, which in turn made her laugh.

‘Three down, three to go,’ Scorpion thought to himself, as he walked the streets of Ponyville, heading back to the library. He didn’t consider himself to be in Twilight’s favor yet, but he knew he would gain her trust easily. But, even still, what if she, Applejack, and even Rainbow Dash came to consider him a friend? His mind was already a mess of differentiating thoughts. Three more “friends” might not be the best thing for his mind. All of this was getting in the way of his realization as to why he was here in the first place. He was here to kill Celestia, and more specifically, to make sure that his family and clan could live once again. Scorpion shook his head and groaned to himself.

‘I will not fail them!’

Author's Notes:

This chapter is a little on the shorter side, but honestly, I couldn't really think of much else to do. I was quite surprised to see that I managed to get as many words in as I did. But, anyway, Pinkie Pie has been added to Scorpion's friend list. I wonder who will be next. Oh fuck it, Applejack is up next.

Chapter 9: Applejack's Trust

Scorpion once again sat on his bed, pondering his thoughts. He had been once again mentally arguing with himself over what he should be doing. These ponies and their affections towards him were blinding him to what needed to be done.

‘Why should I care what happens to these ponies or their Princess? I have a chance to bring my family and clan back to the living, and I will see that it happens!’ Scorpion had had enough of these contrasting thoughts. He began to eliminate all thoughts of peace and happiness that involved these ponies. He didn’t care how many of them considered him to be their friend. He no longer cared for their kind words or gifts that they offered him. He was going to get his job done, and that was final.

Scorpion stood up and clenched his fists. He let his hatred rise back up in his body. This hatred was hatred he felt towards the Princess. He didn’t need to know her or who she was. All he needed to know is that she was his target, and that she would fall beneath him, whether it be to his blades or to his fists. Scorpion pounded his right fist into the palm of his left hand.

‘I say it’s time to finish these mundane tasks already! I have a meeting with Celestia that is one week overdue!’ Scorpion thought to himself. He couldn’t believe he had spent one week in Equestria now. The entire time, all he had accomplished was getting a few ponies to trust him. He still had two left that were incredibly stubborn. He didn’t know whether or not to have Twilight’s favor, but if he didn’t now, he would have it soon enough.

Scorpion stepped out from his room and into the main room of the library. His sudden entrance surprised both Twilight and Spike, who were going about their daily business. The look on Scorpion’s face told Twilight that he was in a bit of a mood to not be kept waiting.

“Scorpion, are you alright?” Twilight asked.

“I am tired of waiting! Where are Applejack and Rainbow Dash? They have kept me waiting long enough,” Scorpion said, his tone showing his impatience.

“I don’t know where they are. I’ve spoken to them both recently, but they both seem to want to just stay away from you. Plus, I can’t just make them think of something for you to do,” Twilight said.

“Then I will,” Scorpion responded. He walked out the door to Ponyville, leaving both Twilight and Spike both confused and concerned.

Applejack continued to buck away at the apple trees of Sweet Apple Acres. Cider Season was nearly upon the ponies of Ponyville, and this year, the Apple Family needed to be ready, especially for one rainbow maned Pegasus. Applejack brushed a bit of sweat off of her forehead and continued bucking away at the trees. Her brother Big Macintosh did the same. At this rate, they’d have enough apples to make all the cider they could need for two Cider Seasons.

“Phew, workin up a mighty sweat there, ay Big Mac?” Applejack said to her brother.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered. He was panting a bit, but he trucked on with his apple bucking. The two ponies had been at it since the break of dawn, but they were still just as energized to do the work. They decided to take a short break for an early batch of cider. Applejack took a long swig of the delicious drink and let out a good burp.

“Pardon me,” she said. Big Mac joined her in a laugh. He took a larger swig of his drink and let out an even louder burp. Applejack knew he would excuse himself, and they soon were both laughing together again. But, amidst their laughter, they were unaware of the guest that had joined them.

“Am I interrupting?” a hellish voice asked. Applejack and Big Mac turned to see Scorpion. Applejack immediately shot him a vicious glare.

“As a matter a fact, ya are. Wha doncha just git on outta here? We don’t need any a yer help here,” Applejack said, putting down her cider keg. Big Mac stepped in front of her. He didn’t look to Scorpion with a glare, but more of a reasonable look.

“Don’t mind mah sister here. She can be a bit stubborn at times. As it would happen, we could use a bit a help with the apple buckin. Mind lendin a… hand?” Big Mac asked. Before Scorpion could answer, Applejack pulled her brother aside.

“And just what do ya think yer doin?” she asked.

“AJ, you an I both know that we’re gettin tired out here. We could use his help with gettin the rest of the apples that we need. Besides, you’ve been puttin off his help fer a while now,” Big Mac said, getting serious with his sister. Applejack let out a huff and looked to Scorpion again. Shortly after, she looked back to Big Mac.

“Alright, fine. He can help, but soon as we’re done, he’s gone!” Big Mac nodded in agreement. They both looked back to Scorpion.

“So, must I leave, or do you finally have something for me to help you with, Applejack?” Scorpion asked. She hated hearing her name in that voice. Although, most of the ponies in Ponyville just hated hearing his voice in general. They didn’t hate how it sounded, they just hated how evil and demonic it was. It always would send chills down the spines of the ponies. Unless, of course, you were Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, or Twilight Sparkle.

“Ya can stay. Yer gonna help us with the apple harvest. But, once we’re finished, yer gone! Got it?!” Applejack said. Scorpion only chuckled at her. “An what’s so funny?”

“Your aggression towards me is quite misplaced. Have you not yet spoken with your friends? They seem to have taken a liking to me. You and Rainbow Dash, on the other… hoof, have not. You have been wasting my time here, and I do not like to have my time wasted. I have been waiting for you to come up with a task for me to do, and only now have you come up with something. It seems as though you may have needed some help all along, but you are too stubborn to ask the valuable asset you have available. You’re lucky I have decided to help you at all.” Scorpion could care less what Applejack thought of him. After his little mind cleansing from earlier, he could care less for what any of these ponies thought of him. Applejack merely looked at Scorpion with distaste.

“Like Ah said, yer helpin mah brother and Ah with the harvest. Nothin to it, hot shot,” Applejack said. Scorpion simply nodded at her and followed her back into the sea of apple trees. He could only wonder as to why the ponies of Ponyville enjoyed apples so much. His breakfasts for the past week had been mostly apple based. But, in any case, he continued on with the two ponies through the orchard of apple trees.

“So, what exactly will we be doing?” Scorpion asked.

“This,” Applejack said, bucking a tree. From the tree fell about four dozen apples, or so it seemed. The apples seamlessly filled the two baskets that were placed at the base of the tree. Scorpion could only wonder how the apples fell with such accuracy.

“So, you want me to kick your trees to make the apples fall out?”

“That ain’t a problem now is it?” Applejack asked sternly. Scorpion was getting tired of her attitude towards him. While he didn’t care what she thought of him, he didn’t want her to maintain that attitude towards him. He needed her trust to get to Celestia, so he decided to try being a little nicer to her, as much as it pained him to do so.

“Look, Applejack, I understand that you do not exactly trust me. I can tell, as a matter of fact, that you strongly resent me. But, maintaining your current attitude towards me will hinder both of us. You will continue to slander me, while I may continue to… threaten you. I implore you to try to see reason in this time. While that may seem like a bit of a stretch for you, something tells me that you are the kind of pony who knows the meaning of loyalty and honesty. You do not have to like me, but at least try to rethink your current ways.” With that said, Scorpion walked away from Applejack and her brother. While she still didn’t feel any kind of positive feelings towards Scorpion, his words seemed to have changed something in her. His words helped her realize that maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. Applejack simply shook her head and continued to buck away at the apple trees with Big Macintosh.

Scorpion took a moment to observe the trees that stood before him. They all seemed to be strongly rooted trees, filled with delicious apples. Scorpion took a step back from one and readied his leg. Moving towards a tree, he launched his leg up with a powerful kick. While the kick was powerful indeed, it only managed to get a few of the apples out of the tree. Apparently, his kick wasn’t even as strong as Applejack’s. He rethought his tactics towards the situation and came to the conclusion to use his fists instead.

Taking a step back, Scorpion wound up his right hand for a punch. He remembered that Applejack hadn’t kept her hindlegs in contact with the tree for long. Her kick was short yet powerful, so Scorpion would have to replicate that effect with his punch. Stepping forward, Scorpion threw his fist forward with a powerful punch to the tree. The hit was quick, yet strong enough to get every last apple out of the tree.

‘Well, good thing I know that that works now. Let’s see how many of these trees I can get without breaking a sweat,’ Scorpion thought to himself. He had gone through entire battles without breaking a sweat, so this probably wouldn’t be a problem at all. Scorpion went about his business, delivering punch after punch to the apple trees, causing their contents to fall down into the baskets placed below. Scorpion had quickly managed to alleviate twenty trees of their apples before drawing the attention of Applejack and Big Mac.

“He seems to know how to work hard,” Big Mac said to his sister, who was still trying to pay no mind to Scorpion. But, she couldn’t help but look over to the hard working demon. She watched as he picked up an apple and started to examine it. He looked back to meet the gaze of both her and Big Mac. He stepped behind a tree shortly after.

Scorpion removed his mask and took a bite out of the apple. He had been eating apple-based foods all week, but he hadn’t gotten a bite out of a pure, juicy apple in years. Ever since his demise at the hands of the Lin Kuei, Scorpion rarely ever ate. He was usually off completing missions for Quan Chi. It wasn’t like he never ate, but when he did eat, it was usually alone. And whenever he ate, it wasn’t always good food. Ever since he came to Equestria, he had been treated to some very good food.

Once he finished the apple, Scorpion placed his mask back on and came out from behind the tree. However, while he had been eating, both Big Mac and Applejack had moved in on his position. He looked at them with a confused look. Or, rather, he looked at Applejack with a confused look. She looked conflicted, and Big Mac kept nudging her.

“Go on,” he said to her. Scorpion was still a little confused.

“Scorpion, Ah… Ah’m a might sorry. I’ve been actin like a spoiled sport. I guess I judged ya by yer cover, an I never really took the time to git to know ya. But, Ah’ve seen you workin all day, and I guess yer not as bad as ya look. So again, Ah’m sorry for how Ah’ve acted.” Applejack’s words were completely sincere, and Scorpion knew this.

“It is quite alright, Applejack. I presented myself in a way that gave you a reason to hate me. You had every right to feel the way you did, but I am glad that you have seen the light. I only wish for peace between you, your friends, and myself.” Applejack could hear the sincerity in Scorpion’s voice. She smiled at the tall demon and nodded.

“Well, if it’s peace yer lookin for, you’ve definitely made peace with this pony,” Applejack said, still smiling at the specter. Scorpion smiled under his mask, but his happiness was for a different reason. He played this pony like a card, just as he had played the rest of the ponies. Now, he had his focus on his goal to kill Celestia. He didn’t care if he had to befriend these pathetic ponies anymore. He didn’t need them, at least, not forever. Soon enough, he would have Celestia by the throat, and he would have his family and clan back.

Scorpion put his thoughts away and returned to the moment at hand. He had been doing a great job at lulling Applejack into a false sense of friendship, and he was going to keep that false sense alive.

“Well then, now that we are on the same page, why don’t we continue with this harvest?” Scorpion said.

“You got it mister. And when we’re done, Ah’ll treat ya to some Apple Family Cider. Best Cider you’ll ever taste,” Applejack said. Her new friend was a hard worker, and in the Apple Family, hard work was rewarded. Scorpion, Applejack, and Big Mac continued to harvest the apples of the orchard for another hour or so. While Applejack and Big Mac were sweating bullets, Scorpion would always joke as to how he still hadn’t even broken a sweat. Both ponies would laugh at his jokes, and he would do the same. He had these two in the palm of his hand like puppets.

After their work was complete, both Applejack and Big Mac sat on the ground, tired from the day’s work. Scorpion stood tall and strong, but he had to admit that he was even now getting a little tired. The three of them headed back to the barn for some Apple Family Cider. Applejack served the three of them the cider, then held up her own mug.

“Ah propose a toast. To Scorpion,” she said.

“To Scorpion,” Big Mac added. Scorpion nodded his head in agreement.

“You have my thanks,” he said. Applejack and Big Mac both took large sips of their drinks, finishing with loud burps. They looked to Scorpion, who still hadn’t taken a drink.

“What’s wrong partner?” Applejack asked. She quickly realized that Scorpion was wearing a mask. “Oh, Ah see. Wha doncha take off yer mask and take a drink?” she asked.

“Well, as I told your… our friend Pinkie Pie, you wouldn’t see me the same way if you knew what was behind my mask. I am truly enticed to take a drink, but I do not wish to reveal what is under my mask.”

“We understand, right AJ?” Big Mac said.

“Of course we do. We’ll look away if ya want us to while ya take yer drink,” Applejack said. Scorpion nodded. With that, both Applejack and Big Mac turned away from the demon. Scorpion removed his mask and took a large drink. He managed to finish the entire thing in one go. He slammed the mug on the table, showing that he had completed his drink. He quickly put his mask back on. The two ponies turned around to see his empty mug.

“Yeehaw! Now that’s what Ah call drinkin!” Applejack said, showing obvious signs of joy towards Scorpion. He couldn’t help but chuckle, but he had to admit to himself that even he was enjoying the moment. But, even still, it was just for the moment.

Having finished their drinks, Scorpion bowed his head to the two Apple Family members. They did the same and they all said their goodbyes.

“Come on back anytime Scorpion. We love hard workers, and our friends are always welcome on the farm,” Big Mac said.

“Ya got that right. And don’t you worry about needing mah trust anymore. After today, you’ve shown me just how good of a friend you can be,” Applejack said. Scorpion thanked Applejack for her kind words. And with that, he left for the library. When he was a good distance from the farm, he laughed to himself.

“Another pony in the bag,” Scorpion said to himself. His laughs died down as he made his way through Ponyville. When he arrived at the library, both Twilight and Spike were out for the day, so he simply went to his room. He laid himself on his bed and sighed.

‘You’re next, Rainbow Dash.’

Author's Notes:

Wow, that's a first. I've never written something that heavily based on Applejack. And, it's made me realize something: I hate writing for Applejack. Making everything all western sounding is annoying. But, in any case, Scorpion has bagged Applejack's trust. I hope I got the point across that he no longer cares about these "friendships" with the ponies, because I feel as though it's getting a little tedious with me writing how he's got these conflicting thoughts. So, for now, he just doesn't care for them anymore. If it wasn't clear before, it should be clear now. Up next: Rainbow Dash.
DUN DUN DUUUUN!

Chapter 10: Rainbow Dash's Trust

Scorpion tried to be as patient as he could. He had only one more pony to fool before he could finally get to Celestia, and ultimately kill her. But, Rainbow Dash seemed to be proving that she was even more stubborn than Applejack. Scorpion had waited for two whole days to hear from that Pegasus, and he was getting a little tired. He walked out of his room to meet Twilight and Spike in the main room of the library.

“Where is Rainbow Dash?” he asked.

“Scorpion, I know that you’re getting a little anxious to help Rainbow Dash, but I don’t know where she is or why she hasn’t come to us yet with something for you to do,” Twilight said.

“No offence, but maybe it’s because you pounded her into the ground,” Spike said, chuckling a bit. Scorpion looked at the dragon, which immediately made him stop laughing.

“I do not care what her problem with me is. I have been waiting for too long for this irritable Pegasus to show up. Must I do the same as I did with Applejack and confront Rainbow Dash myself?” Scorpion said, his voice showing clear signs of aggravation.

“You could try, but more than likely she’ll be up in the clouds. And I don’t exactly think you can fly,” Spike said. Scorpion let out an aggravated sigh.

“Don’t worry Scorpion, she’ll show up eventually. In the meantime, why don’t you help Spike and I around the library? Maybe that’ll help you take your mind off of things,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, today’s Twilight’s big reshelving day. She’s basically going to take down every book in the library and reshelf them. Even with her magic, it can take a while,” Spike informed Scorpion. Scorpion simply shrugged his shoulders and then nodded his head.

“Very well, but if that Pegasus does not show up in the next day, I will hunt her down myself.”

And with that, Twilight smiled and lit up her horn. All of the books in the library were held up in the air by her magical grip. A second later, they all fell to the floor. And yet, another second later, many of them were floating once again in Twilight’s magical hold. They began to circle around her as she read off the names and shelved the books. Scorpion picked up a few and read off the names. Twilight told him to place the three books on the table, as she would be reading them again later.

“How often does she do this?” Scorpion asked Spike.

“Too often,” Spike answered, picking up a few books. He read the names and knew just where to put them. With those few books now shelved, Spike and Scorpion continued to help Twilight with her reshelving. But, a few minutes into the whole process, a knock was heard from the door. Twilight continued to look over the books, so Spike naturally answered the door. Standing there was Rainbow Dash.

“Finally decided to show up, did you?” Scorpion asked mockingly.

“Yeah, yeah, just be glad I finally found something for you to do, you freak,” Rainbow mocked right back. Scorpion let out a growl, but the argument caught Twilight’s attention. She stepped in front of Scorpion and shook her head at him, trying to get him to stand down. He calmed down a bit, but he was still just a bit angry.

“Well Rainbow, you think you’ve finally thought of something that Scorpion could help you with?” Twilight asked her friend.

“Sure do,” Rainbow answered simply. Scorpion raised his eyebrow at the Pegasus. He could only wonder what task she had in store for him.

“What did you have in mind?” Scorpion asked.

“Oh, I’ll tell you when we get there,” Rainbow answered back. Scorpion could only shrug and shake his head. He looked at Twilight who simply nodded for him to go with her. Scorpion followed the cyan Pegasus out the door, still not knowing where they would be going.

After a short walk through Ponyville, Rainbow Dash and Scorpion found themselves on the outskirts of the town, far from any viewing eyes. Scorpion now knew where they were, but he had no idea why they were there.

“What task has brought us here?” Scorpion asked. Rainbow walked a few feet away from him, then turned to face him. She stood in a combat ready position.

“It’s time for a little payback, Scorpion,” Rainbow said, kicking up the dirt with her hindlegs. Scorpion let out a chuckle.

“You wish to fight me, again? Do you not remember our last battle?” Scorpion asked.

“Oh believe me, I remember. I remember how I had you beat, but you got a lucky hit on me.”

“Believe me when I say your attacks are nothing but pathetic. Your feeble strikes only did well to bother me. I assure you, you do not want to do battle with me again.” Scorpion was really trying to talk her down, but she showed no signs of letting go of this.

“Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that. I don’t care. This time, I’m gonna win. You’re goin down Scorpion,” Rainbow said, the determination in her voice even greater than before.

“And what will this prove?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, if you win, you’ll gain my trust. If you lose… well, we’ll see.”

“I fail to see where my victory over you in combat gains me your trust,” Scorpion said, still not wanting to fight the eager pony.

“Look, can we just fight already. I’ve been waiting for a while to knock your face in, and I’m finally gonna get to do it,” Rainbow said, kicking up the dirt with her forelegs now. Scorpion simply sighed and looked at the pony.

“You will regret your impulsiveness,” Scorpion said, standing ready to fight.

In a flash, Rainbow was off, charging towards Scorpion. But, Scorpion foresaw this as her tactic, and managed to sidestep her. She flew past, only to loop around and head right back for him. Scorpion was quick enough to block the attack, causing Rainbow to flip around in the air. With her still in the air, Scorpion pulled out his blades and used his Blade Overhead attack to send Rainbow higher into the air. Scorpion jumped up, grabbed her, spun her around, and threw her back to the ground.

“You are outmatched, Rainbow Dash,” Scorpion said, landing on the ground. Rainbow stood back up and spit on the ground.

“I’m not giving up until I’ve beaten you!” she said back to him, kicking up the dirt behind her. She flew into the air, high above Scorpion. He could only wonder what she was doing now. Rainbow started to dive bomb right back down towards him. Scorpion readied himself, but just as she was about to make contact with him, she turned away from him and flew parallel to the ground. She flew right back to him and started to spin around him.

“What is this?” Scorpion tried to lash out and hit her, but she was too fast. She had picked up enough speed to create a small tornado, lifting Scorpion up off the ground and sending him into the air. Rainbow flew up after him. She got enough height that she was now over him. With this advantage, she charged straight down, tackling him in mid-air. Just as they were about to hit the ground, Rainbow let go of Scorpion, sending him crashing into the ground.

“How you like that?” Rainbow mocked, as a small cloud of dust started to appear from the crash. She was answered by a sudden spear that flew right out of the dust. The spear was lodged right into Rainbow’s chest. Oddly enough, it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would, but when she was suddenly yanked over, the pain felt worse.

“Get over here!” Scorpion shouted, pulling Rainbow in towards himself. With her dazed and in pain, Scorpion crossed over his right fist and punched Rainbow in the face with a right hook. He did the same with his left, landing a powerful left hook. To finish off, Scorpion grabbed his right blade and slammed it down onto Rainbow, sending her across the floor. Scorpion’s Brimstone combo proved quite effective, as Rainbow showed signs of her getting weaker.

“As I said, you are outmatched,” Scorpion said mockingly. He used his Flameport Enhanced Attack, teleporting next to Rainbow. Upon reaching her, he landed a left punch, followed by a flaming right uppercut. Rainbow tried to get up, but Scorpion was quick enough to rush over and use his Takedown Special Attack, tripping Rainbow onto the ground with a hard thud. Scorpion rolled back and away from her and stood there as she again tried to get up.

“Enough of this pointless quarreling. This will prove nothing to either of us. I can tell that you are hurt, Rainbow Dash, so I will leave you to regain your strength. When you have a task for me to complete, come find me at the library.” Scorpion turned and started to walk away from the injured mare. But, Rainbow was a lot more resilient than that.

“I don’t think so,” she said shakily.

Everything went black and white for Rainbow Dash, and shortly after, the same happened to Scorpion. Rainbow charged forward towards the unsuspecting demon. With all her might, Rainbow turned around and bucked Scorpion’s back. As her hindlegs collided with his ribs and spine, time seemed to slow down, as Rainbow heard the agonizing cry from Scorpion. Even his cry was slowed down. Scorpion fell to his hands and knees, in pain from the sudden sneak attack. Rainbow used this to her advantage. She flew up into the air and looped back down towards Scorpion. Flying right in front of him, time slowed down once again as Rainbow rammed Scorpion’s skull with her own. Another slow and painful cry came from Scorpion as everything was slowed once again. Rainbow could feel Scorpion’s skull cracking in some places. With her attack completed, Scorpion flew back onto the ground, and everything came back into color.

“I’m sorry, what was that about being outmatched?” Rainbow Dash mocked. Yet, even with an attack as powerful as that, Scorpion kicked up and stood there as if nothing had happened. “What the…” but Rainbow had no chance to finish her statement. Scorpion engulfed himself in flames and teleported behind her. Scorpion landed a powerful punch to Rainbow’s torso, causing her to spin around to face him.

Yet again, everything went black and white. Scorpion got to one knee and landed three powerful uppercuts to the frontal underside of Rainbow’s torso. With each hit, Scorpion could feel the pain erupting inside of Rainbow, and Rainbow could feel her bones breaking. Rainbow’s head fell over, yet she still stood. Standing back up, Scorpion jumped into the air. Coming back down, his left elbow dove down onto Rainbow’s back, cracking her bones. Rainbow’s screams were slowed down, yet they were very audible to Scorpion. Rainbow fell to the ground in an increasing amount of pain. As she fell, everything went back into color.

“I’m sorry, was that too much for you?” Scorpion mocked. Rainbow could only cough and spit up blood. She turned onto her side in pain. She was trying to get back up, but Scorpion simply knelt down on his right leg and put his right hand on her head.

“I’m not… giving up…” Rainbow said groggily.

“I will not allow you to continue with this fight, Rainbow Dash. You have proved yourself well enough to me, but you must stop this pointless banter now. Your body is not meant to take on the full impact of my attacks. Please, cease your struggle.” Rainbow decided for once to listen to the specter and rested her head back down on the ground. She was still coughing a bit, but not as much as before.

“You sure do… pack a punch…” Rainbow said. Her breathing was starting to return to normal, and she was no longer spitting or coughing up blood. To her own amazement, the pain seemed to start to fade away. “Um, do you think I should go to the doctor?” she asked.

“Well, most likely, but the attacks you received were not as strong as I normally perform them. If this were a real fight, you would be dead right now.”

“I feel like I could die,” Rainbow said, laughing a bit. Scorpion couldn’t help but join in the laughter as well.

“I apologize for what I have done here, Rainbow Dash,” Scorpion said, nodding his head to her.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I asked for it anyway,” Rainbow responded, starting to get up. Scorpion allowed her to do so, and to his own amazement, she stood tall with her head held high.

“You are quite the resilient pony, Rainbow Dash.”

“Well, it comes from being an athlete, but I’m probably gonna go to the hospital anyway just to make sure I’m not in any dire trouble.”

“That is for the best.” Scorpion got to his feet and stood over the cyan blue Pegasus. “Will you be able to make it to the hospital by yourself?”

“Yeah, I should be good. And don’t worry about needing my trust anymore, cause you’ve got it Scorpion.” Rainbow’s words greatly confused the demon.

“I do not understand. I nearly killed you, after having already pummeled you into the ground in the forest, yet now you trust me? Why?” Scorpion asked. Rainbow turned back around to face him.

“Because you’re a real fighter. I can respect guys like you. Plus, the rest of my friends seem to trust you, and if I don’t trust you, I’ll look like the bad guy in all of this.” Scorpion chuckled at that. “Anyway, I’ll stop by later at the library once I’m finished at the hospital. See you around Scorpion,” Rainbow finished, deciding to fly to the hospital, even in her current condition. Scorpion let out a heavy sigh. When Rainbow was far enough from him, he started to laugh.

“These ponies truly do have some strange methods and habits, but if it gets me closer to killing Celestia, it’s fine for me. Now all I must do is truly gain Twilight Sparkle’s trust, and I will have Celestia’s head!” Scorpion headed back for the library, confident that he could woo over Twilight Sparkle just as he had her friends.

Author's Notes:

Yes, Scorpion just beat up Rainbow Dash again. And yes, she completely trusts him now because of it. And yes, Scorpion performed Jonny Cage's X-Ray Move. Deal with it, deal with it all!

Chapter 11: Twilight Sparkle's Trust

Scorpion had now been living with Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville for two whole weeks. He had been helping her with all sorts of tasks and chores, yet that purple-coated Unicorn still didn’t seem to have her full faith in Scorpion. Even Twilight’s friends trusted Scorpion now. Rainbow Dash trusted him, and all Scorpion had to do to gain her trust was beat her up. The ponies of Ponyville had even started to like Scorpion a bit, after seeing him help out Twilight’s friends. Yet, for some reason, Twilight still couldn’t trust Scorpion fully, and he didn’t know why.

But, recently, other thoughts had started to creep their way back into Scorpion’s mind. Thoughts of those he had lost, and of those he had killed in the past. One memory stood out, much more so than any others. Scorpion had killed many during his time as a specter and demon, but the killing that stood out the most was the killing of Bi-Han, otherwise known as Sub Zero.

Scorpion thought that perhaps it was because of the oath he had secretly made with Kuai Liang behind Quan Chi’s back. Ever since Scorpion discovered that the Lin Kuei were responsible for the deaths of his and Sub Zero’s families, the two had formed a deadly alliance. Scorpion also saw this recompense for his actions of killing Kuai Liang’s brother, Bi-Han. The two were quite a deadly force to be reckoned with indeed, but the fact still lingered in Scorpion’s mind of the deeds he had committed.

Scorpion had been helping Twilight and Spike with some errands around Ponyville, but the thoughts in Scorpion’s mind drove him to head back for the library. Both Twilight and Spike were confused and concerned for the specter, so they opted to follow him back. Upon arriving at the library, Scorpion went straight to his room. He sat on his bed and sighed to himself.

“Scorpion,” Twilight called to him, knocking on the door. “Are you alright?”

“Leave me be Twilight Sparkle. I am in no mood to talk,” Scorpion replied. Twilight simply backed away from the door.

“What’s eatin him?” Spike asked.

“I haven’t the slightest clue, but I’m going to go talk to him,” Twilight responded, turning back to the door.

“But, he said he didn’t want to talk.”

“I am well aware, but I won’t let him mope over himself like this. I want to know what’s wrong.”

“Alright, but if he hurts you, don’t say I was wrong,” Spike said, walking upstairs. Twilight slowly opened the door to find Scorpion sitting on the bed with his head hanging low. He immediately looked up as she stepped in.

“Did I not tell you that I am in no mood to talk? I wish to be alone? Is that too much to ask of you?” Scorpion asked, sounding quite aggravated.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I just want to make sure everything is okay with you. For the past few days, you’ve seemed a little tense. Is it because of your little duel with Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.

“No, it is not that. The cause for my current state of being is none of your concern.” Twilight was now getting a little frustrated herself. This demon was more arrogant and stubborn than Applejack and Rainbow Dash combined. She was getting to the bottom of this.

“Look Scorpion, moping over your problems like this won’t solve anything. You need to talk it out. Please, I want to help,” Twilight said, advancing towards him. He turned his head and sighed.

“Very well,” he said plainly.

“I understand that… wait, what?”

“Very well. I will share with you my thoughts as of late. Only be warned that what you see may not be to your liking.” Twilight perked up and walked up to him.

“Alright, where would you like to start? Just talk, and I’ll listen.”

“I think it best to show you instead,” Scorpion said. Twilight looked at him confusedly, but then, Scorpion wisped his hand through the air. Before the two appeared a vision of sorts. It was cloud-like screen almost. Being that this had been projected by Scorpion, his mind felt at ease as it was pulled into the visions. Twilight’s mind felt like it was being tugged at, but she finally let go. Her mind was filled with the memories from Scorpion’s participation in the Mortal Kombat tournament. She suddenly gained knowledge of who the people she saw were, and what they were doing there. She saw and knew everything now.

It was a bright, sunny day. The air was crisp, birds were chirping, and sun was high in the sky. The courtyard was filled with robed monks, ready to observe the kombat to come. Shang Tsung sat upon his throne over the courtyard, overseeing everything that happened. His body was frail and weak, his hair had turned white. Yet, even with his old body, he held much power.

The same could be said for the many fighters that stood before the monks and Shang Tsung. Liu Kang, Raiden, Jonny Cage, Sonya, Jax, and Nightwolf all stood together. Many other unnamed fighters stood ready to fight as well. A robed man with a strange mask walked in from the side, standing ready to guard the courtyard.

“Kombatants, the next match will now begin,” said Shang Tsung from atop the courtyard. Suddenly, a fire burned on the ground, and from it came Scorpion.

“Scorpion! Specter of the Netherrealm! Resurrected by the sorcerer Quan Chi! Who among you is worthy of this challenge?” Shang Tsung asked.

“Where is the Lin Kuei, Sub Zero? He killed my family and clan. I will have his head!” Scorpion said, scanning the crowd. The absence of Sub Zero, Cyrax, and Sektor angered him greatly. Scorpion hoped that they were somewhere in the crowd, but it was useless. Suddenly, that same robed guard that entered just moments ago stepped forward, taking off his robes to reveal a slick, black outfit. He suddenly pulled out a round hat that seemed to be sharp around its edges.

“I accept the challenge,” said the man. Scorpion turned to face this challenger.

“Kung Lao?” Liu Kang said to himself in surprise. Kung Lao stood ready in front of Scorpion.

“Never mind the Lin Kuei. Now you face a Shao Lin,” he said, spinning his hat a bit.

“You will regret your impulsiveness,” Scorpion said, standing ready to fight.

In a flash, the memory faded, and the battle was over.

Scorpion stood victorious over Kung Lao.

“You are not yet a warrior.”

“Kung Lao!” Liu Kang said, rushing over to help his friend. Raiden stepped over and stood above the fallen fighter.

“Listen when your elders speak. You could not win this fight,” Raiden said, now helping Kung Lao up. Scorpion turned to face Shang Tsung.

“I have defeated the challenger Shang Tsung. I demand Sub Zero!” Scorpion said, raising his fist.

“You will demand nothing,” Shang Tsung responded, causing Scorpion to lower his fist. “Nightwolf!” Shang Tsung called out. The Native American warrior stepped forward and walked up to Scorpion.

“Your aggression is misplaced,” he said to the demon.

“What would you know of my…” Scorpion started, but he was cut off by Nightwolf.

“You are not the only one whose people have been victimized,” Nightwolf interrupted, moving to stand across from Scorpion. “But I have found new purpose in serving the spirits,” he continued, standing ready to fight. “I do not cling to the past.”

“You no longer seek retribution? You dishonor your kind! I will honor the memory of my fallen,” Scorpion said, standing ready to fight as well.

In another flash, the fight was over, and Scorpion once again stood victorious.

“The spirits have forsaken you, Shaman.”

“An impressive start,” Shang Tsung said to Scorpion.

“You waste my time, sorcerer!” Scorpion said, raising his fist and forming a flame around it.

“Restraint Scorpion!” Quan Chi ordered the Specter. Upon that order, Scorpion lowered both his head and his fist.

“You will fight Sub Zero soon enough,” the sorcerer responded to the demon, standing up and walking away with Quan Chi. The rest of the warriors and monks in the courtyard began to file out of the area, leaving Scorpion with himself. That was, until Raiden walked up to the specter.

“Scorpion. I understand your desire for revenge, but Nightwolf is right. There are other ways in which you may find peace,” Raiden started.

“Sub Zero deserves death!” the demon countered.

“Defeat Sub Zero if you must, but do not kill him. I fear his death will give rise to a more treacherous foe,” Raiden continued.

“I will have my revenge!”

“Spare Sub Zero’s life, and I will request that the Elder Gods return the Shirai Ryu to the realm of mortals.” The offer that Scorpion had just been presented was unimaginable. His people, returned to the living world. While Scorpion hungered for vengeance, it would not be necessary if his people could be brought back. He nodded his head to Raiden, and Raiden did the same in return. The two now had an understanding. And with that, Raiden left Scorpion to be alone.

Scorpion opened the doors to Shang Tsung’s throne room. Every kombatant was present in the room. The Earthrealm warriors stood together, discussing whatever came to mind. The Lin Kuei assassins Cyrax and Sektor spoke together of a secret plan that their Grandmaster had in store for them. As Cyrax was speaking, Scorpion approached the two assassins.

“Scorpion,” Sektor spoke. The demon stepped up to them.

“Your inferior clan is dead. Soon you will join them,” Cyrax insulted Scorpion.

“My clan may walk the Earth once more,” Scorpion said, but he only received a forceful shove from Cyrax. Moving back, Scorpion regained himself and stood ready to fight. Quan Chi and Shang Tsung entered the room.

“A challenge! Scorpion, versus Cyrax and Sektor!” the sorcerer announced.

“Your obsession with Sub Zero ends here,” Cyrax mocked, standing ready to fight with Sektor at his back.

In another quick flash, the fight was over, and Scorpion stood victorious over both Cyrax and Sektor.

“I will have my revenge, but I will not kill Sub Zero.”

The doors to the throne room reopened, and a blue and cold figure entered.

“Will not? Or cannot?” Sub Zero spoke as he entered the throne room.

“You!” Scorpion said, walking towards the cold assassin. Everyone in the room watched as the two rivals faced each other, especially Quan Chi. “The Shirai Ryu are dead. You will suffer as they did.”

“To Hell with your clan!”

“No... to Hell with you!” Scorpion shouted, grabbing onto Sub Zero and dragging him down straight to the fiery place. As the two arrived, Sub Zero freed himself of Scorpion’s grip and looked around.

“The Netherrealm,” Sub Zero said.

“This is where I was reborn. This is where you will pay!” Scorpion replied, as the two both stood ready to fight.

Fight!

In an instant, Sub Zero sent out an Iceball to freeze Scorpion. But, the specter foresaw this, and easily jumped over the attack. While still in the air, Scorpion teleported behind Sub Zero. Upon landing behind the frosty warrior, Scorpion landed a powerful punch, and then unleashed his Torment combo, sending Sub Zero back with a fiery punch. Scorpion then sent Sub Zero to the floor with his Damnation combo, landing a straight punch, backhand punch, and a roundhouse kick.

As Sub Zero got up, he blocked the two fiery spears that Scorpion sent out for his Flame Spear Enhanced Attack. With his quick thinking, Sub Zero used his Power Slide Enhanced Attack to slide towards Scorpion. Making contact, Scorpion was sent flying through the air over Sub Zero. Sub Zero was quick enough to turn around and send Scorpion to the floor with a powerful palm attack.

Scorpion got back up quickly, but Sub Zero was right on top of him with an Icebeam Enhanced Attack, freezing the specter where he stood. Sub Zero moved in and unleashed his Ice Blade attack, crossing over his right arm in a downward strike, then bringing his arm back up with an icy sword in hand, and finally slamming it down to send Scorpion to the ground.

Scorpion was weakening, but he wasn’t about to give up. He unleashed his Hell Fire Enhanced Attack to burn the assassin where he stood. With this to his advantage, Scorpion pulled Sub Zero in with his Spear. Scorpion two powerful kicks on him with his right foot. The first kick was to Sub Zero’s gut, which caused him to bend over in pain. Scorpion then kicked him again in the head. He finished off by using his left leg to send Sub Zero to the floor. Scorpion’s Dead End combo nearly had the frosty warrior finished. But, Sub Zero wasn’t about to give up so easily.

Sub Zero quickly got up as Scorpion advanced towards him. As Scorpion jumped in the air and was about to land a kick, Sub Zero created an Ice Clone. Upon hitting it, Scorpion was frozen. Sub Zero took this to his advantage and froze his own body momentarily. In another moment, he lunged forward towards Scorpion.

Everything went black and white, and time started to slow down. Sub Zero threw his open hand into Scorpion’s gut, freezing his stomach completely. With a powerful grip, Sub Zero crushed Scorpion’s stomach, causing the demon to cry out in pain. Removing his hand, Sub Zero grabbed Scorpion’s shoulder. Bringing his head back, Sub Zero then delivered a powerful head-butt to the specter, causing his teeth to shatter, and his skull to crack. It even managed to cause Scorpion’s mask to crack a bit, revealing his skeleton-like mouth. Scorpion fell down to the floor with a thud as everything came back into color and moved at a normal rate.

Scorpion was far from done, however. He seamlessly kicked back up and stood ready to continue fighting. Sub Zero tried to Slide into Scorpion, but he managed to block the attack. Scorpion used his Blade Overhead attack to send Sub Zero into the air. Just as he was about to hit the floor, Scorpion sent out his Spear to pull Sub Zero back in. Scorpion then pulled out his right blade and slashed it down, then pulled out his second blade and slashed both of them down, and finished with a flaming backflip kick, completing his Doom Blade combo attack.

Scorpion wasn’t done just there though. As Sub Zero stood back up, Scorpion teleported behind him. As he landed, he delivered the usual punch that followed the teleport, and he followed it up with his Gravedigger combo attack. Scorpion crossed over his right arm with a powerful punch, and then switched his body’s direction to deliver a powerful shoulder blast. Sub Zero was sent to the floor.

And even still, Scorpion continued his assault. He pulled Sub Zero in with his Spear, delivered the two starting blows of his Dead End combo, but followed it up with his Takeout Enhanced Attack. With Sub Zero still on the ground, he unleashed his Demon Fire Special Attack to burn the wounded warrior. Sub Zero groggily stood up, just in time to block Scorpion’s next attack. Sub Zero delivered a back hand punch to Scorpion’s face, then created an icy dagger. He slammed the dagger into Scorpion’s chest, and finished the combo with a sweep to Scorpion’s legs, finishing off his Ice Cold combo.

As Scorpion got back up, he was met with an Iceball, freezing him in place. Sub Zero advanced towards him and hit him in the face with a claw-like punch with his right hand. Sub Zero then used his right foot to land a powerful kick to Scorpion’s chest. Sub Zero finished off his Cold Feet combo by using his left foot to kick Scorpion to the ground.

Both warriors were growing tired of the fight, and they were both growing weak. They had both sustained a great deal of damage, but neither one of them wanted to quit. But, only one of them could win, and Scorpion was going to make sure that he won no matter what.

Sub Zero started a combo on the dazed specter, but Scorpion used a Breaker to stop the combo short and send Sub Zero to the floor. Sending out his Flame Spear Enhanced Attack, Scorpion forcefully pulled Sub Zero in towards him. He engulfed himself in flames, disappeared into the ground, and suddenly reappeared at Sub Zero’s side, landing a powerful blow to his stomach.

Everything went black and white again as time seemed to slow down as well. Scorpion pulled back his right fist, clenching it tight with all his might. He lunged his arm forward, delivering a punch to the side of Sub Zero’s face that could make a boulder crack in two. The punch caused Sub Zero to cry out in immense pain, as his teeth and skull cracked from the pressure of the punch. As Sub Zero fell to the floor, Scorpion watched. He stepped over to the fallen warrior, raised his left foot, and brought it down on his chest with great force. Scorpion effectively managed to break every rib in Sub Zero’s body, and the cries of agony he received were a clear indicator of it. Scorpion backflipped away from Sub Zero as everything started to become colored again, and time sped back up.

Sub Zero was finished. He could no longer fight. He had been defeated.

Scorpion wins!

“I have avenged my family and clan.”

Still standing in a kombat ready position, Scorpion watched as his fallen adversary breathed and panted groggily in pain. Suddenly, from behind, Quan Chi appeared.

“This is your retribution? Scorpion. Kill him,” Quan Chi said.

“I… I will not. He has been beaten,” Scorpion replied.

“Have you forgotten?” Quan Chi asked, as he raised his hand and created the images from the day that the Shirai Ryu Clan was exterminated by the Lin Kuei.

“What is this?” Scorpion asked. He saw his village being ransacked by the assassin clan. He saw the huts and buildings of the village being burnt to the ground, will tall and powerful flames that showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. Arrows rained down on the defenseless citizens of the village.

“No…”

Scorpion saw his friends and clan members being murdered and slaughtered at the hands and blades of the Lin Kuei. The assassins were ruthless, stabbing and decapitating any who stood in their way. Blood filled the village as heads went flying and blades went slashing.

Sub Zero sat up as Scorpion was being shown these frightful images.

Scorpion could hear the cries from his people as they tried to run or defend themselves. But, from behind all of the assassins that were attacking the village, one stood out. The crowds cleared to reveal the murderer of Scorpion’s family. Sub Zero.

“Your clan. Your family,” Quan Chi said, changing the images to that of Scorpion’s wife and child. His wife was holding his child close to her. She was in fear. Her husband was nowhere to be found, either out trying to defend his people, or already killed. She could hear every cry and scream coming from outside. The doors suddenly opened, and Sub Zero walked into the home. As Scorpion’s wife raised her hand above her head, Sub Zero pulled out his blade. He raised it high into the air, ready to strike her and the child down. Scorpion could see both her and his child shedding tears.

In an instant, the blade came down. A cry was heard. A splatter of blood painted the wall. The rose that was in her hair broke apart. She and the child had been killed.

“No!” Scorpion cried out. As the images faded away, Quan Chi looked to his now angered specter. Sub Zero was now standing, holding his stomach with one hand, and trying to stop the demon with the other.

“That is not me!” Sub Zero pleaded, but it was too late.

Scorpion gripped his mask and pulled it off, revealing his fiery skull head. His flaming eyes stared down Sub Zero. And in another instant, everything went black.

The other kombatants waited in Shang Tsung’s throne room. They all speculated what was going on down in the Netherrealm right now. Had Scorpion been victorious? Had he killed Sub Zero, or had he spared his life? Had Sub Zero actually won the fight instead? Many questions ran about the room. The answer was received when Scorpion reappeared in the room. All eyes turned to him.

Shang Tsung smiled at what he saw.

Raiden waited, eager to figure out what had happened.

The other kombatants also stood waiting.

The answer was received in whole as Scorpion raised up the skull and spine of the fallen Sub Zero.

“Ouch,” Jonny Cage spoke.

Scorpion dropped the skull to the floor. It broke apart into pieces, with the spine still remaining intact. Scorpion raised his arms in the air and surrounded himself with flames as he cried out into the air. In a flash, he was gone.

The memories started to fade.

Twilight opened her eyes and shook her head. Scorpion sat still on the bed, waiting for her to start speaking. She only turned to him in shock.

“I… I don’t know what to say. I wouldn’t know where to start,” she said, backing away from Scorpion a bit.

“I understand your surprise. You are in need of answers. I have kept a great deal about myself away from you. I know that what you saw may be a lot to take in, but if you have any questions at all, now is the time to ask.” Scorpion waited patiently as the mare before him only stared at him. She didn’t know where to start.

“I… I can’t. Not now at least. It’s just so much to take in. Those people you fought, how they all looked like you. For one thing, you’ve just shown me two totally different worlds that aren’t Equestria. That alone is something to think about. But, all those men you fought. They each had unique powers and abilities. And, not to mention the horrid things that those assassins did to your family and clan. And… well, um, you know. Your face. I guess that’s why you wear the mask. But, even with all of those things, I still have a million questions. I mean that figuratively of course.”

“I understand. I showed you a great deal of my past. I am not all too proud of it, but it is in the past. It is what it is, and it cannot be undone. Whatever you want to ask, go ahead,” Scorpion said, preparing himself for the onslaught of questions he was bound to receive.

“Well… it can wait. Just know that now… you have my trust,” Twilight spoke simply. Now it was Scorpion’s turned to be shocked and confused.

“I do not understand. Even after I helped all of your friends and gained their trust, helped you with whatever tasks you presented me with, and even managed to gain the slight trust of the towns… ponies, you still did not trust me completely. Why do you trust me now?”

“Because you opened up to me. You shared with me knowledge that was personal. Everything that you just showed me was personal, and you should never have to share those things with anyone unless you choose to. That you actually decided to share with me what was causing you to feel grief now is important. It shows that you trust me. You didn’t have to tell me what was causing you to have such a bad mood, but you did anyway. I wouldn’t have asked if I had known it was this serious though, but I thank you for showing me all of this. And… I’m sorry as well,” Twilight said.

“For what?” Scorpion asked.

“For all that you’ve lost.” Scorpion looked to the floor and lowered his head. He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.” What she did next surprised even herself.

Twilight found herself hugging Scorpion. At first, he was greatly surprised, and almost wanted to push her off. But, he managed to find comfort in the hug, and he soon found himself returning the hug. And all the while, Scorpion thought of his clan. He thought of his fallen friends. And most of all, he thought of his wife and child. But then, another thought came across his mind.

‘Now… they all trust me. Soon, my beloved, you shall be with me yet again. Celestia’s soul will be mine, and you shall walk the Earth yet again. We will be together once more.’

With the trust of the six ponies now sealed, Scorpion’s true task could finally begin. It was time to kill Princess Celestia.

Author's Notes:

Wow, this took me way too long to write. Well, at least it wasn't as long as it took me to get that Eagle Eye chapter out. I've just been getting downright lazy about writing recently. And, with school starting again soon, my time for writing will be seriously decreased. But, never fear. I have not given up on any of my projects. Things will just take a bit longer to get out is all.

Anyway, now that Scorpion has gained the trust of all the ponies, he can now meet with Celestia and kill her. I hope the beginning wasn't too rushed. It felt a little like that for me. And don't get me started on how aggravating it was to write the whole fight between Scorpion and Sub Zero. Although, I will say, it was pretty fun to write it. Keep in mind that the MK9 story does not take place at all during this story. The whole thing with Scorpion and Sub Zero is just in some Mortal Kombat Tournament. If the MK9 story had been taking place, I think I'd have more stuff to write about. Anyway, sorry this took so long to get out, but I'm sure it was worth the wait.

Chapter 12: (Totally) Unnecessary Thanks

In the time of about one whole day, Scorpion explained everything there was to explain about himself to Twilight. He told her about who he was before he died, how he was resurrected, who he served, and everything of that nature. He explained a great deal about the Netherrealm, and also about Earthrealm, which is where he originally lived with his family and clan. Twilight found great interest in both realms, but more specifically, Earthrealm. She asked if Scorpion could ever take her there. He made no promises.

But, now that Scorpion had gained the trust of Twilight and her friends, he could finally meet with Princess Celestia and kill her. With her soul in the possession of the Netherrealm, Scorpion’s family and clan would be returned to Earthrealm, and he could be with them all once more. But, the ponies would still not take Scorpion to Celestia, and the only reason for that was because they didn’t want to bring him yet until they had repaid him for all he had done for them. As Scorpion walked with Fluttershy through Ponyville, he tried to explain to her that no thanks were necessary.

“I understand your desire to present me with gifts and such, but I do not want any of that. All I wish is to consult with your leader. She interests me greatly, and I wish to learn more about her,” Scorpion told Fluttershy.

“We understand that, but we simply can’t let your hard work go unrewarded,” Fluttershy responded.

“I assure you that a meeting with your Princess will be reward enough.” Scorpion had to try to get his point across without making himself sound desperate. Too much of a push would make his desire to meet with Celestia obvious, and his true task may be discovered.

“Well, if that’s what you want, I would be happy to do that for you, but I can’t really. The rest of the girls don’t want to take you until you’ve been rewarded. We all know how much you want to meet Princess Celestia, but you’ll simply have to wait.” Scorpion let out an aggravated growl. “Um, I mean, if that’s okay with you,” Fluttershy added.

“No, no, it’s fine, I suppose. You ponies are simply too… caring, for my liking. All of this desire to reward me is… unnatural. Well, at least, it is where I come from. Never in my life have I been given this much appraisal for my actions. At most, I will simply be commended for my deeds, and that will be it. I receive no rewards for what I do, just simple thanks and praise.”

“We understand. Truthfully, if it was up to me, I would just want to give you what you want. But, unfortunately, it’s not just up to me. It’s up to the girls as well, and they just think you should get a reward,” Fluttershy explained.

“I am well aware. I only wish that they would hurry up and decide already. All of this waiting is becoming agonizing.” Scorpion and Fluttershy soon arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Scorpion was meant to believe that Fluttershy needed some help in gathering up some of Applejack’s animals. What he didn’t know was what was waiting for him inside the barn.

As Fluttershy and Scorpion arrived, they were greeted by Applejack. She greeted the two of them, and they greeted her. She led them to the barn to get the animals that needed “help.” What Scorpion didn’t know was what Applejack and Fluttershy knew, and it left the two mares giggling until they reached the barn.

“What is so funny?” Scorpion asked.

“Oh, it’s nothin. Don’t you worry bout a thing,” Applejack replied. As Applejack opened the doors to the barn, everything was dark. There was no light coming into the barn, and any lights that were in there were off. Scorpion looked around, puzzled.

“What is this?” he asked the two mares. Before they answered, about thirty other ponies jumped out from hiding.

“Surprise!” they all screamed to Scorpion. The specter was less than surprised by the mass of ponies screaming out and cheering for him. He simply watched as they all cheered for him. He had never received an honor like this, so it was all new to him. The cheering died down, and the room fell silent. The ponies waited for him to speak. When he didn’t say anything, Twilight stepped forward.

“Well… um, thank you Scorpion, for helping my friends and I around town. You have fully gained our trust, and you should be proud of that. But, not only have you aided my friends and myself, you’ve also been helping the other ponies of Ponyville. For that, you have our thanks.” As Twilight finished speaking, the ponies began to cheer again. But, Scorpion raised his hand to silence them. Once they fell silent, Scorpion spoke.

“I thank you all for this… surprise… that you have put together for me. However, I find this all unnecessary. I require no thanks. All I wish is to meet your ruler. That you all allowed me to stay in your town is thanks enough. Anything more would be too much. So please, disperse now. I will take no part in all of this.” As Scorpion finished, he turned around and left the barn, leaving the ponies confused. Twilight followed him out of the barn. She stopped him before he could get too far.

“Scorpion, what is your deal? Ever since that day that you showed me… well, your memories, all you’ve wanted to do is meet with Princess Celestia. What’s up?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight Sparkle, my reason for being here is none of your concern. However, I find that my task will be easier to accomplish if I was to make the acquaintance of your Princess,” Scorpion lied. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. His task would be easier if he could just meet with Celestia. “All I wish for now is to meet with her so we may discuss my true purpose here. I am sorry for the secrecy, but my patience is once again wearing thin.” Twilight sighed as Scorpion finished up.

“I understand that Scorpion, but you can’t just leave all of those ponies in the barn. We worked hard to put this all together for you. The least you could do is be present for the party. Just go back in there and stay for a while, and I promise that tomorrow, we’ll head into Canterlot and have a meeting with the Princess. How’s that sound?” Twilight asked.

“It sounds like a plan. Very well, Twilight Sparkle. I shall attend these festivities, but only until I see fit. You will not stop me the next time I leave.”

“Not a problem. Now, let’s get back in there.” As Twilight led Scorpion back to the barn, she looked up to him. He simply looked straight ahead as he walked. Twilight found that Scorpion could, at times, be an emotional person. Yet, at other times, he seemed to show no emotions at all. Twilight had read a lot of books in her life, but none were trickier to read than Scorpion.

As Twilight and Scorpion reentered the barn, the attention of the ponies was drawn to the two of them. Twilight stepped forward to speak.

“The party is on everypony!” she announced. The ponies erupted in joy as music started to play. Scorpion decided to make himself comfortable in the seat the ponies had prepared for him. He watched as the many ponies started to dance around, eat the many snacks laid out across the tables, and just talk in general. A few ponies greeted Scorpion, thanking him for all he had done. He simply nodded his head to them in return.

Later on during the party, the six Element Bearers approached Scorpion. Twilight was holding a small box with her magic.

“What is this?” Scorpion asked. Twilight simply levitated the box to him.

“Open it,” she told him. Scorpion looked at her quizzically for a moment before taking the small box in his hand. It was small enough that it could contain something like a ring. And, it contained just that.

Scorpion opened the box to find a diamond ring inside. The metal portion of the ring was made of silver, and the gem in the center was a beautiful diamond. However, the diamond was flat, and the ring looked more like a ring that a man would wear, rather than a woman. And, in the center of the diamond, was a small scorpion.

“The scorpion isn’t real. We just thought it would look cool. But, what’s even cooler is that the diamond gem is pretty much indestructible. You can thank Rares and Twilight for that,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. Scorpion chuckled as he took out the ring and put it on his right ring finger. Immediately, Scorpion could feel a surge of energy course through his body.

“Is there a charm in this ring?” he asked.

“As a matter of fact, there is Scorpion,” Rarity answered. “I had the ring made by a jeweler in Manehattan. But, when the ring arrived, Twilight and I decided that the look of the ring wasn’t enough. So, we decided to enchant this beautiful ring with a spell that will keep you feeling at your best, and also to make the gem itself indestructible,” Rarity explained.

“Yeah, so when you’re fighting those nasty-wastys that you fight all the time, you won’t get all tired. Well, maybe a little tired, but you won’t get as tired as you normally would. But come on, that’s just half of the ring. The other half is the ring itself! Isn’t it cool?!” Pinkie asked in excitement. All of the ponies wondered what he thought of it. Scorpion couldn’t help but smile under his mask as he stared at the ring.

“Thank you for this generous gift,” he said. “As I have already said to you all, I believe all of this to be unnecessary. However, the kindness that you have all shown me is unlike anything else I have ever received. I thank you all for that.” The ponies all smiled at him. After they each thanked him individually for the great help he had been throughout his time in Ponyville, Twilight and her friends returned to the festivities. Scorpion was left alone with the ring he was given.

‘Quite a generous gift indeed. It shall certainly be of great use during my battle with Celestia,’ Scorpion thought to himself. He knew without a doubt that killing the Princess would be no easy task. He would most likely have to face her in kombat, but that was something he was more than willing to do.

‘Everything changes tomorrow…’

As Quan Chi sat upon his throne, gazing across the Netherrealm, he had begun to grow impatient with Scorpion. He knew his specter very well, and he knew him not to take too long with his tasks. Quan Chi would have been able to view Scorpion in Equis, if it were not for the magical barrier around the realm that interfered with Quan Chi’s magic. Before, the barrier was weaker, but now, the barrier had seemed to become stronger. Quan Chi was blind to view the realm.

A thought crossed Quan Chi’s mind, and it became the perfect idea. He raised his fist into the air, using his magic to summon one another of his resurrected warriors.

A dark, black hole opened in the ground before Quan Chi. It emanated its own dark energy. This was the kind of energy belonging only to one of the Netherrealm. From the black hole erupted a fully clothed man, aside from his upper arms. But, though his skin was visible, it was black skin, literally. His eyes were closed, and his head was down. But, when he opened his eyes, they were only pure white spheres. This man… this revenant, was known as Noob Saibot.

Quan Chi looked to the revenant.

“Noob Saibot. I have a task for you,” Quan Chi said.

“Of course, my master. What is it that you require of me?” Noob asked.

“Scorpion has been away on his mission in the realm of Equis for some time now. I expected him to have succeeded by now, but he has yet to return. I want you to go to this realm to see if you can find Scorpion. I have no doubts that he is alive, but I must assume that the species of this realm are causing him a great deal of trouble for him to be taking this long. If you can find Scorpion, help him complete his task. If he is, by chance, dead, then you shall finish his mission for him, which is to kill the leader of the realm, Princess Celestia. If, also by chance, Scorpion has been corrupted and has chosen to perhaps… side with the species of the realm… kill him.”

“Are you sure master?” Noob asked.

“Yes, I am. Now go,” Quan Chi ordered. Noob nodded his head to his master and set off for the realm of Equis.

Author's Notes:

Hey, look at that, a new chapter! About time I got this out!

So yeah, Scorpion is finally ready to kill Celestia. With his new ring, that shouldn't be too difficult. And, we are introduced to Noob Saibot. What will happen with him in the picture now? Well I'm not just gonna tell you. You're gonna have to wait.

Hopefully, that beginning part with Scorpion and Fluttershy wasn't completely trashy. It felt a little tedious to write, but I think I got everything right... for the most part. Meh, whatever.

Oh yeah, and that part with Noob where I describe his skin... please, to any African American (Black) readers, please don't take this as a racist joke. Noob Saibot's skin is black, literally. It is pitch black skin. I realized that if I wrote that, it might be racist, so I left it out. Please, just don't take this the wrong way. I am in no way trying to be racist.

Chapter 13: Scorpion vs. Celestia

As the sun rose on Ponyville, Scorpion eagerly awoke from his slumber. He had gone to bed early the previous night, acknowledging that he would need all his strength for what was to come that day. He could already hear that Twilight and Spike were up, so he silently began to practice his combat moves. When he was finished, he grabbed his swords and sheathed them on his back. He cracked his neck and stretched out his limbs as he exited his room.

“Good morning Scorpion,” Twilight greeted him. “I take it you’re excited for today?”

“Indeed I am Twilight Sparkle,” Scorpion replied.

“We made you a special breakfast buddy,” Spike chimed in, showing Scorpion the table, lined with food. Scorpion smiled under his mask.

“That is very kind of you, but it is not necessary. Besides, you know how I feel about removing my mask.”

“Oh, well, if you’d like, you can eat in your room before we leave,” Twilight said. Scorpion saw no reason to deny the food. He would need to keep up his strength anyway, so he took a plate that Spike made for him and went back into his room to eat.

As Scorpion ate, he went over his plan in his head. He would first meet with the Princess, and he would no doubt be joined by Twilight and her friends. After a hopefully short conversation, Scorpion would try to talk with the Princess alone in a private location. And finally, he would kill her. He hoped to avoid any conflict, but he was ready to duel with Celestia should he have to. When Scorpion was ready, he exited his room and rejoined Twilight and Spike.

“Shall we be off then?” Scorpion said. Twilight nodded.

“Of course. Let’s go!” she said, sounding a little excited. While Scorpion may not have known, Twilight was overwhelmed with joy to be sharing with Princess Celestia her knowledge about Scorpion and his world. Granted that Twilight had shared a bit about the specter with Celestia, it was not nearly as much as she truly knew about him.

As Twilight, Spike, and Scorpion set off, they were greeted by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who joined the group. Shortly after, Rarity tagged along, and after that, Applejack and Pinkie Pie did the same. With the group completely together, they arrived at the train station. When the train arrived, they got on, and were off to Canterlot. As they all sat down, Scorpion enquired Twilight once again about the Princess.

“While you have told me so much about her already, is there anything more I should know about Princess Celestia?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, there’s certainly a lot more I could tell you, but I feel that all of that would be easier to understand if it came from her,” Twilight answered. Scorpion simply nodded, not making a sound.

“Oh, I can’t wait until we get there! Princess Celestia is gonna love you!” Rainbow Dash said ecstatically. “We totally should show off some of your moves to her!”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Rarity said. “What if the Princess feels that Scorpion’s actions are too violent? She may not let him stay.”

“Well, Rarity, you must understand that I do not intend to permanently live here in Equestria. I simply wish to… propose an alliance between my world and yours. I believe both our worlds could prosper from such a thing,” Scorpion lied. Although, thinking on it, it did seem like a better idea than just killing the Princess outright.

“Well, whatever happens, Ah’m sure the Princess will just be happy to finally meet ya Scorpion,” Applejack chimed in. Scorpion nodded to her as the rest of the girls continued to talk. While they did that, he just looked out the window of the train car.

‘So beautiful, this world. I have only been exposed to the area around Ponyville. But, now I see just how magnificent this place truly is,’ Scorpion thought to himself. And soon enough, the thoughts that he had banished from his mind slowly came back to him. ‘Perhaps killing Celestia isn’t the proper course of action. Perhaps peace would grant us something greater than just her soul alone. And, what of the ponies that surround me right now?’ Scorpion looked to the girls as they talked and joked around and laughed.

‘Certainly, they would not want to continue to be my friends.’ Scorpion sighed to himself and looked back out the window. ‘It is of no matter. I have come this far, and will not turn back now.’

As the train pulled into the station, the ponies, Spike, and Scorpion stepped off the train. Scorpion was, truthfully, in awe, as he looked upon the beautiful city of Canterlot. It was nothing like Ponyville, with more, taller buildings, streets made of stones, and the ponies themselves. They all seemed so… proper. It made Scorpion a little sick.

The group was greeted by a group of Royal Guards. Scorpion was a little tense at first, but Twilight exclaimed that they would personally escort them to the castle. Luckily, the route that was taken by the group did not take them through the major areas of Canterlot. While Scorpion certainly wanted to see all that the city had to offer, it would only hinder them if Scorpion was to be seen. There was no telling how these ponies would react to him.

Finally, as the group arrived at the castle, the guards showed the ponies, Spike, and Scorpion to Celestia’s throne room. As they entered, Scorpion was taken aback by just how regal and amazing Princess Celestia truly looked. He was especially stunned by her mane and tail, which seemed to flow endlessly in the colors of the rainbow. And then, his attention was drawn to the smaller, yet still just as regal, dark blue coated mare sitting next to Celestia. Scorpion remembered that Twilight had mentioned Celestia having a sister, Princess Luna. This mare must have been her.

As Scorpion and his “friends” approached the throne, the two sisters rose from their seats. In turn, the ponies and Spike all bowed to the Princesses. Following custom, Scorpion bowed as well. As the ponies and young dragon rose back up, so did Scorpion.

“Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. Allow me to introduce to you, Scorpion,” Twilight said, allowing Scorpion to step forward in front of the group. He bowed his head again to the royal sisters as he stood in front of them.

“It is an honor to meet the both of you at last,” Scorpion greeted the sisters.

“The honor is ours, truly. We never thought we would be meeting with a being from another world,” Celestia said, as Scorpion lifted his head back up to make eye contact with the Princess. Scorpion didn’t know it, but something about his eyes made Celestia afraid of him. But, she remained composed as she smiled at the demon.

“As you are probably both aware, Scorpion has been living with me in Ponyville for just about two weeks now. He’s been helping the girls, me, Spike, and all of the ponies of Ponyville for that matter. While he may have a violent side to him, I assure you, he means no harm to any of us,” Twilight explained.

“I come in the hope that there may be peace between our worlds. While the Netherrealm may not be as peaceful and serene as this world, I assure you, that if peace could be achieved between us, we may both prosper,” Scorpion said. Celestia and Luna both nodded.

“Well, Scorpion, my sister and I would most certainly be pleased to talk about an alliance between our worlds. But, first, we would certainly like to learn more about you,” Princess Luna said.

“Indeed. But, if you all wouldn’t mind, I would like to speak with Scorpion alone for a moment,” Celestia said. Scorpion, as well as the other ponies and Spike, were all a little surprised. Scorpion was especially surprised however, because this seemed to work too perfectly into his plan. But, everypony in the listened to Celestia. Twilight and her friends, Princess Luna, as well as all the guards in the room left Celestia and Scorpion alone.

Scorpion watched them all leave. But, before the doors closed, Twilight looked back and smiled at the specter. She couldn’t hide how proud she was of him to get this far. Scorpion couldn’t help but nod to her and smile under his mask. But it was only because of the fact that without her, he wouldn’t be here now, right in front of Princess Celestia. He would finally be able to complete his mission. The doors closed, and now, the Princess and the specter were truly alone.

“Tell me Princess, how did you figure out my true intentions?” Scorpion asked, not looking at Celestia.

“I could see it in your eyes. You’ve the look of evil in you,” Celestia answered. Scorpion turned to face her, remaining completely calm and composed.

“I am not evil, Princess Celestia. I am here because my master has ordered it, and I obey because of what he has offered for your soul.”

“And what, pray tell, might that be?”

“The lives of my family and clan will be restored once I bring him your soul. Now tell me, what villain wants to do something good for his people?”

“Then tell me this,” Celestia started. “What does your master intend to do with my soul should you manage to obtain it?”

“That is of no concern to me,” Scorpion answered.

“And what of Twilight and her friends? What will they think of you if you kill me?” Scorpion took in a deep breath before he answered.

“I do not care what they think of me. The only thing that matters is that I will be amongst my people once again after I kill you. Nothing else matters but that.” Celestia walked right up to Scorpion, looking right into his eyes.

“I don’t think you believe that Scorpion. Tell me, how long have you been without your family and clan?” Scorpion looked away, saddened a bit with the remembrance of them.

“Too long,” he answered.

“I think that Twilight and the girls have provided you with something that you’ve wanted for a very long time. Friends,” Celestia said, wholeheartedly. Scorpion shuddered a bit. It hurt him just how right Celestia was. But, when he looked back into her eyes, his own eyes were filled with rage.

“You’re wrong,” Scorpion said, lying to himself. Celestia sighed as she walked around him and into the center of the room. She turned around to face Scorpion.

“Is this really how it has to be Scorpion?” she asked.

“I’m sorry Princess, but it is,” Scorpion.

“Then so be it,” Celestia said, standing ready to fight.

“I will make your death a swift one,” Scorpion finished, doing the same.

Fight!

Before Scorpion could make a move, Celestia shot at him with a powerful beam of magic, blasting him into the throne. Scorpion quickly got back up and teleported behind the unsuspecting Princess, followed by a powerful Doom Blade combo attack. But, when Celestia got back up, she surprised Scorpion by using her own form of teleportation. She reappeared above Scorpion, pouncing on the specter and hitting him point blank with a blast of magic.

As Celestia hopped off, Scorpion kicked back up onto his feet and shot his spear forward towards Celestia. It latched on successfully, digging deep into Celestia’s chest.

“Come here!” Scorpion shouted, pulling Celestia in close. He then used his Blade Overhead attack to send Celestia into the air. Before she could even touch the ground, Scorpion dashed to her position and used his Gravedigger combo, crossing over his right fist with a deadly right hook and then shouldering her through the air. Scorpion teleported behind her with a deadly Flameport, sending Celestia sprawling to the floor finally.

“H-How… is that even possible?” Celestia asked. Scorpion’s combo attack practically defied logic after all.

“You should engage in combat more often Princess. You may learn a thing or two about linking attacks into deadly combos,” Scorpion said, mocking Celestia.

The two stared each other down for a moment before the second volley of attacks was started. Scorpion initiated the duel, sending out two flaming spears towards the Princess. Celestia flew into the air, dodging the spears easily. She then flew full speed into Scorpion, ramming him to the floor with her horn lodged into his chest. He let out a faint cry of pain, but not before Celestia slid him across the floor, removing her horn from his chest.

As Scorpion got back up, he was met with multiple slices to the face by Celestia’s horn. Scorpion finally managed to block one attack and engaged her with his Brimstone combo, crossing his left hand for a left hook, a powerful right uppercut, and slamming Celestia to the floor with his left blade. But Celestia didn’t falter, blasting Scorpion’s legs with a blast of powerful magic. It seemed to paralyze Scorpion for a moment, which Celestia took to her advantage.

Celestia charged Scorpion, ramming him in the gut with her horn and slamming him into the wall. She punched him in the face twice with her hooves, then grabbed him and threw him into the air. She sent him into the ceiling with another blast of magic. Scorpion hit the ground with a hard thud, but got right back up.

“How is it you have managed to stay so composed and strong through this fight?” Celestia asked, breathing heavily. She was showing signs of weakness, which Scorpion liked.

“Years of engaging in combat such as this have made me very durable. As I said before, you would be wise to engage in more combat from time to time. But, I guess that won’t be an option for you now, for soon, you shall be dead. Let’s finish this,” Scorpion said, standing ready to fight once again.

Celestia wasted no time with attacking the demon. She used her magic to throw chunks of debris at Scorpion. Several of the pieces connected, and they managed to send him to the floor. But Scorpion quickly got back up and teleported behind Celestia. After an initial strike, he unleashed his Torment combo, delivering three deadly right hand punches.

Scorpion followed up with his Blade Overhead attack, then jumped into the air and grabbed Celestia. He spun her around and sent her to the floor with a loud thud. But, when Celestia got back up, and Scorpion landed, the Princess managed to land a powerful buck to Scorpion’s gut. And moments later, everything seemed to turn black and white, and time seemed to slow down a bit.

Celestia charged up her horn. She then unleashed a powerful blast of magic, engulfing Scorpion’s entire body in what felt like pure sun beams. His exposed skin burned, and his internal organs burnt his insides. It was almost as if Celestia could see it all happening within him. Scorpion fell to his hands and knees, but the Princess didn’t ease off. She punched Scorpion twice in the face, once with each hoof, and could practically feel his jaw snapping. She could even see it too. Finally, she capitalized her attack with a wicked slash across Scorpion’s chest with her horn, sending the specter to the floor. As she finished, everything went back to normal.

But Scorpion just got right back up, to Celestia’s great surprise. And Scorpion was going to get her back. Scorpion used his Flame Spear on the Princess, pulling her in close.

“Get over here!” Then, Scorpion jumped back and teleported out of the area. When Scorpion reappeared in front of Celestia, timed slowed down, and everything went black and white.

Scorpion slid fast on the floor. His heels met with Celestia’s front legs with violent kicks, managing to snap her legs backwards with loud cracks of her bones. Celestia’s cries could be made out as Scorpion observed her bones shattering. He then flipped onto his feet and teleported behind Celestia. He drew his blades and held them upside down, driving them deep into Celestia’s back. His blades connected right at the joints of the Princess’ wings, and Scorpion could see cartilage and bones being shattered. As everything went back to normal, Scorpion grabbed his blade right-side up and flipped Celestia onto her stomach, letting out a hushed cackle of laughter.

Celestia tried to get up, but it was useless. Scorpion had defeated her.

Scorpion Wins!

“You have fought valiantly, and for that, you deserve a warrior’s death,” Scorpion said. He walked over to the fallen Princess, but she had no intention on dying. She looked up to the specter and tried to shoot him with magic. Scorpion simply dodged the attack and grabbed her horn. With a powerful grip around it, Scorpion used all his might to snap the horn from Celestia’s head. This was met with a loud cry of agony.

“Enough of this!” Scorpion said, standing up and unsheathing his right sword. He held it underside and raised it high into the air. “I’m sorry Princess Celestia, but this was the only way it could end.” But before Scorpion could deliver the final blow, the doors to the throne room opened wide, and standing there were Twilight and her friends, as well as Princess Luna and members of the Royal Guard.

“Scorpion, what are you doing?!” Twilight asked, scared out of her mind with what she was seeing.

“I am completing my mission,” Scorpion answered simply.

“Guards, attack!” Luna ordered. But Scorpion burned the guards before they could even advance on the demon. Twilight and her friends looked at Scorpion in pure fear.

“Scorpion, please don’t do this!” Twilight said, begging the specter. Scorpion looked at her for a moment, then looked back to the fallen Princess.

“I am sorry…” Scorpion said under his breath. He gripped his sword with both hands and shoved it through Celestia’s neck. The Princess gagged for a moment before finally passing from the world. The ponies in the room watched as Scorpion took her soul from her body. With his prize collected, and not saying another word, Scorpion engulfed himself in flames and teleported back to the Netherrealm, leaving the remaining ponies in the room with the corpse of Princess Celestia.

“Why would he do this?” Twilight said, breaking down into tears.

Unbeknownst to the group, a dark figure watched from outside one of the windows to the throne room. Noob Saibot had managed to make his way to Canterlot, and had reached the castle just before Scorpion and his friends had entered the throne room. He observed the entire battle that had just transpired between Scorpion and the Princess. He chuckled to himself.

‘It seems as Scorpion hasn’t lost his way after all. Quan Chi will be pleased,’ Noob thought to himself. Opening a black hole, Noob teleported himself back to the Netherrealm.

Scorpion had succeeded in his quest. Princess Celestia was finally dead.

Author's Notes:

Finally! Specter of the Netherrealm is back! And I believe I have delivered quite a powerful chapter. I bet you guys thought I wasn't going to have Scorpion kill her. Well guess what, I did it! What now?!

I'm going to try to update this story regularly now, with chapters going out (hopefully) every day until it's finished. We'll see. I've got at least five more chapters to go until it's finished. I hope you guys are excited, because now is when the story gets really interesting.

Chapter 14: Broken Promises

As Scorpion’s fiery form finally arrived back in the Netherrealm, the specter took a moment to look at the soul that he held in his hand. It floated softly in his hand, but as he looked at it, he could hear the muffled cries of Celestia. However, Scorpion only chuckled as he listened, thinking of how those cries of agony would soon be turned to cries of death. With Celestia’s soul in possession of the Netherrealm, she could be used to perform whatever evil deeds Quan Chi saw fit to perform.

Scorpion walked through the fiery realm, heading towards his master’s throne. When he arrived, Quan Chi looked to his servant with a wicked smile on his face. The sorcerer let out a long cackle of deep laughter.

“Scorpion. You have finally returned. I take it you have her soul.”

“I do.” Scorpion lifted his hand and pushed the soul over to his master. Quan Chi’s smile only seemed to widen to the edges of his face as he looked upon the helpless soul.

“You have done well Scorpion. As promised, I shall speak with my master Shinnok about having your family and clan returned to the realm of mortals. Until that time, I think you have earned a leave of absence. You are free to do as you please for now.” Scorpion bowed his head to his master as Quan Chi continued to observe the soul of Princess Celestia. But, as Scorpion walked away, he couldn’t help but feel like he had lost yet another part of himself, rather than gaining something new.

When Scorpion was far enough, Quan Chi chuckled to himself. His loyal servant had given him a powerful soul to command, and all he needed to do was lie to the specter. Quan Chi had no intentions of even talking to Shinnok about the promised deal. The last thing the sorcerer wanted to do was bring back the Shirai Ryu. After all, he was the one who had them killed.

As Scorpion walked through the Netherrealm, he was greeted by the familiar scene of damned souls, scorching flames, and Cerberus, who guarded the entrance to the realm. Everything seemed to greet Scorpion in a way that he couldn’t help but love. This was his home, and he loved it. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help but despise it. The colors and sounds of Equis were so different from the Netherrealm. They were lively, happy, and fun. The sounds and colors of the Netherrealm were haunting and devilish. Things that Scorpion had grown to love were starting to become hated by the demon.

Scorpion’s train of thought was interrupted by the dark revenant that walked up to him. Noob Saibot stood next to the specter and chuckled.

“What is wrong Scorpion? You have succeeded in your quest, and soon enough, your family and clan may walk the grasses of Earthrealm yet again,” Noob said. Scorpion was still blind to the true identity of Noob Saibot. Noob, the original Sub Zero, held a sedated hatred in his heart for Scorpion. The two had come to blows once before, in battle that Scorpion won, of course. That was when Noob Saibot, or, as he was known then, Bi-Han was killed. Now, along with his limited hatred, Noob had a sort of respect for Scorpion.

However, in his heart, Noob also held a specific hatred towards Scorpion’s clan, the Shirai Ryu. The Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu were fierce enemies in the past, and Noob still felt anger towards Scorpion’s fallen clan. But, even still, Noob held a small respect for the clan as well. Scorpion was his ally now, and he could show some sympathies for the demon.

“While that is true Noob, I still cannot shake this feeling that I have not done them any justice. I killed, no, murdered an innocent being, from a world so pure and graceful,” Scorpion replied.

“Yes, but it was for the ones you love. Besides, what is the life of one pathetic pony worth when compared to the lives of your family and clan?” Noob asked. Scorpion sighed and nodded his head.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I am right. Perhaps what you need is some rest.” Scorpion nodded again and walked away, while Noob walked away in the opposite direction. The revenant smirked under his mask, knowing fully well that Quan Chi’s promise was a complete lie.

As Scorpion rose from his slumber, he felt eager to meet with his master. He hoped that Quan Chi had already spoken to Shinnok about having the Shirai Ryu resurrected. Scorpion exited his chambers and made his way through the Netherrealm, heading for Quan Chi’s throne. Scorpion was pleased to see his master sitting there. He bowed his head to the white sorcerer as he spoke.

“Master,” Scorpion greeted, raising his head back up.

“Scorpion.”

“Have you spoken with your master?” Scorpion asked. Quan Chi’s look turned to one of sadness, but Scorpion had no idea it was all a disguise.

“I have, but Shinnok has refused to resurrect the Shirai Ryu. I am sorry Scorpion.” Scorpion’s face became filled with grief and anger.

“W-What? But, that was our deal! You told me that he would do it!”

“I told you that I would request of him to return your family and clan to the realm of the living. I made no promise that he would do it. And you would be more careful not to raise your voice to me.” Quan Chi’s words tore away at Scorpion. Everything he had done, from the first his first moments on Equis, to the moment that he took Celestia’s life, was all for nothing. And what was worse was that he had betrayed the friendships that he had made with the ponies.

Scorpion practically broke down, falling to his knees in front of his master. He couldn’t believe what he was being told. He didn’t know what to say to Quan Chi.

“Do not despair, Scorpion. Because of your actions, the Netherrealm has become much stronger. The soul of Princess Celestia shall be put to good use in the future. At this time, I have no other form of a reward for you. I shall call you back here once I have found something suitable for you actions. You are dismissed.” Scorpion felt like he was having his heart ripped right out of his chest. But, there was nothing he could do. He got back to his feet, bowed his head, and walked away.

“Scorpion!” Quan Chi called. The specter turned around. “Perhaps you would like to see what the fruits of your labor have gifted us.” Quan Chi used his magic to create a mangled and ruined embodiment of the soul of Princess Celestia. This version of the Princess was not regal, and it was not beautiful. It was something unholy and evil, with her former white coat now dark shade of grey. Her beautiful rainbow mane and tail had become things made of pure fire, burning on endlessly. Her eyes were a pure, fiery white, and they pierced right through Scorpion. Her crown was still colored gold, but the gem in the center was no longer purple, but now colored red. Her image, as a whole, was an image of pure evil.

“What do you think?” Quan Chi asked Scorpion. Scorpion turned around before speaking.

“Better than the original,” he lied. After that, the demon simply walked away, not daring to look back at the mangled pony standing next to Quan Chi.

Author's Notes:

And just like that, Quan Chi bitch slaps Scorpion wit dat bullshit. What was a promise of hope has turned into a lie of hatred. Wow, that was corny.

Now, I know it may seem like I'm rushing to a point where Scorpion is going to have a change of heart, but that's only because this is happening right after Scorpion killed Celestia. The next chapter happens after a bit of time. So, have no fear. While I may not write about it, Scorpion will have more time to beat himself up for what he did.

Chapter 15: The Return of the Demon

Scorpion’s pride and honor had been crippled, and he was the only one to think so. Everyone else in the Netherrealm now viewed Scorpion as either a true warrior, or an ever greater threat than ever before. He didn’t care in the slightest. All he needed to know was that he had been cheated.

Scorpion did not care so much for the fact that he had betrayed the ponies and killed their leader. More so, he cared for the fact that he was promised an unmatchable reward, but that promise was broken, and his reward never received. That was the true source of Scorpion’s grief. During his time in Equis, he went about his mission with the hopes of seeing his family and clan once again. But now he realized that this was never going to happen.

Yet, in the back of Scorpion’s mind, behind the thoughts of his forever lost family and clan, he couldn’t help but feel pain in his heart for the ponies he had betrayed so grossly. He didn’t nearly care as much for them as he did his fallen comrades, but there was just something about the ponies that he just couldn’t shake off.

Scorpion still had the ring given to him by the ponies as well. It was certainly helpful in his battle against Celestia, but now, it seemed like nothing but a painful reminder of what he had done. Yet, with all that he was feeling, he couldn’t get rid of it. He wanted so desperately to crush it or burn it, but he just couldn’t, and he didn’t know why. All he knew was that it meant something, whether that something be good or bad.

The Specter of the Netherrealm was now nothing but a ruined mess of childish emotions. He had gained much in the eyes of his comrades and allies, but had lost everything in his own eyes. And with only one week having passed since his vile deed was committed, he knew that this was only the beginning of his grief. So, the demon started to formulate a plan of revenge.

Scorpion’s plan was simple. He was to make his way to the Soul Chambers of the Netherrealm and steal Celestia’s soul back, destroying any who crossed his path. Once this was done, he would return to Equis, hopeful to avoid any confrontations with the ponies of the realm. Foreseeing that his actions would be discovered, he would face any more warriors from the Netherrealm that decided to oppose him, which would either end with deaths of his opponents or his own. If he was successful in completing his plan, he would flee the Netherrealm, knowing that he would be unwelcomed there and viewed as a traitor.

It seemed simple in Scorpion’s head, but things never do go as planned. Scorpion began to look over every detail of his plan, factoring in any possible outcomes. He knew fully well that Noob Saibot was often charged with guarding Soul Chambers, so the two were sure to clash in one way or another. Scorpion could easily handle any warriors from the Brotherhood of Shadows. And if it came down to facing Quan Chi, Scorpion would hold nothing back and kill his master if he had to.

Scorpion enacted his plan two days after the one week anniversary of Celestia’s death. He knew he would need better gear for the mission, so he dawned his Samurai Armor. His original sash, which was made of cloth, was replaced by a golden sash made of metal. His shoulders were protected by steel shoulder guards, each with the design of a scorpion on top. His gauntlets were made of black bones, with faces of evil protecting the outer portions of his arms, and scorpions on his underarms. His legs were protected by the same kind of armor his sash was made of. His belt buckle was a black skull, with chains wrapped around his waist. Under his armor was a black robe that covered all over his body and head, except for the upper portions of his arms.

His mask was also quite different. It was a large yellow plate covering his mouth, with scorpion arms moving off the plate and onto the sides of his face. The top of his mask was layered upwards with black armor. There was an elegant yellow trim that traced the edges of the top of his head as well.

Along with the visual changes, Scorpion’s blades were different as well. Instead of the jagged black blades he normally used, his blades were made of steel, gleaming in the light. The handles of the blades were black with yellow stripes, and below the handles were jagged dagger tips.

Scorpion readied himself in his quarters, stretching his limbs and sharpening his blades. He checked over his gear once more and made sure his armor was in top condition. Once he was ready, he teleported to the entrance of the Soul Chambers. As soon as he arrived, he was greeted by Noob Saibot.

“What brings you here Scorpion?” Noob asked.

“An errand for our master,” Scorpion lied.

“Do you think me a fool? I cannot simply let you enter without further knowledge. So tell me, what really brings you here?” Scorpion sighed in defeat. He realized that the only way to get through was to take Noob down.

“Very well Saibot. If you must know…” Without saying another word, Scorpion jumped back, lashed out his spear into Noob’s chest, and pulled him in.

“Get over here!” As Noob approached the specter, Scorpion delivered a powerful punch to Noob’s face, knocking him out cold.

“I am sorry Noob, but you will not stop me.” Scorpion entered the Soul Chambers, leaving the unconscious body of Noob behind.

As Scorpion entered, he gazed upon the hundreds of tombs that lined the walls and floors of the Chambers. Held within the tombs were the souls of the fallen. The souls belonged to all kinds of beings, ranging from Earthrealm humans, to Tarkatan warriors, to freaks of the Chaosrealm. If there was a race to be found in the world, the soul of one of its people could be found here. Quan Chi was quite a collector.

Scorpion began his search in the newest area of the Chambers. He figured since it was lined with unfilled tombs, Celestia’s soul was bound to be here. Scorpion searched for quite some time, but was unsuccessful to find her soul. At one point, he managed to find the soul of the manticore he had slain upon his arrival in Equis. It seemed practically hopeless.

And then, Scorpion happened upon a unique tomb, one that was unlike any other in the Chambers. It was riddled with strange markings and evil images, but it let off energy of purity and grace. Scorpion opened the tomb to find the soul of Princess Celestia.

“There you are,” Scorpion uttered to himself, pleased with his find. While the new embodiment of Celestia’s soul was evil and wicked, and seemed not to care for being controlled by Quan Chi, Scorpion could easily hear the cries for help coming from the soul. Scorpion took out a small pouch and deposited the soul into it. It was magically enchanted, keeping Celestia’s soul safely tucked away. With his target acquired, he readied himself to teleport back to Equis.

‘Now to finish the job,’ Scorpion thought to himself, as he teleported to the magical world.

Twilight Sparkle laid in her bed in the library, still sulking over the events of the last week. In one week’s time, she was still unable to let go of the fact that her beloved mentor was dead. What hurt her even more was that Scorpion, someone she had grown to care for and trust, had blatantly betrayed her and her friends. Twilight’s friends did what they could to comfort her, but nothing seemed to help.

“Uh, Twilight…” Spike called from behind the mare. Twilight wiped the few tears that had formed in her eyes out and turned around.

“What is it Spike?” she asked sternly.

“Fluttershy’s here to see you. She said it was something important.” With that, Spike led Twilight downstairs, where Fluttershy was waiting.

“Hello Twilight. How are you feeling?” Fluttershy asked her friend.

“Still the same as yesterday,” Twilight answered. “What did you want to tell me?”

“Um, well, I was outside watering my plants, but I just happened to be looking over at the hill on the outskirts of Ponyville, and I think I saw… you know who,” Fluttershy said. Twilight’s eyes shot open.

“Are you sure?!” she asked hurriedly.

“Well, I think it was him. He did appear out of a fiery teleport and walked on two legs, so I’m pretty sure it was him.” Twilight’s look of shock turned to a look of anger.

“Fluttershy, let’s go get the rest of the girls. Spike, bring the Elements.”

“You sure Twilight?” Spike asked. Twilight nodded firmly. Spike got the Elements, and with them on his back, he and the two mares set out to gather the rest of their friends. Once the group was together, they headed for the hill, where they believed the demon still waited.

When the ponies arrived, they found nothing but a burnt spot in the grass, most likely from Scorpion’s teleportation. Searching around, it seemed like the ponies would be unable to find the demon. But, as Rainbow Dash flew higher into the air, she spotted the specter.

“Get back here you jerk!” she shouted, dashing towards him. Moments before she was about to fly into him, he disappeared. Rainbow landed on the ground and looked around for him.

“Show yourself!” she demanded. As if on cue, Scorpion reappeared.

“Hello Rainbow Dash,” Scorpion greeted.

“Shut up!” she spat at him. As Scorpion stared the furious mare in the eyes, he heard hoofsteps behind him. He turned around to see the rest of the ponies and Spike racing towards him.

“Ya got some nerve showin yerself here again Scorpion,” Applejack said, walking next to Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah! Nopony kills Princess Celestia and gets away with it!” Pinkie Pie shouted, pulling out her party cannon and aiming it at the specter.

“Come back to finish the job have you?” Rarity questioned.

“What are you talking about?” Scorpion asked.

“You’re here to kill Princess Luna,” Fluttershy chimed in, to Scorpion’s surprise. He knew this mare to be so fragile, but what he saw in her now was pure anger towards him.

“It was foolish of you to come to Ponyville, Scorpion. Now, you’re going to pay the price for what you’ve done,” Twilight said, opening the box held on Spike’s back. The Elements of Harmony each went to their respective owner. Scorpion watched in confusion as the ponies circled around him.

“What is this?” Scorpion asked, watching them intently.

“Your end,” Twilight answered. She charged her own Element, and starting from her, a rainbow circled around to the other ponies. Scorpion watched as the combined power of these objects, fueled by the ponies own energy no doubt, spiral over him in a magnificent rainbow beam.

It was unlike anything Scorpion had ever seen or experienced. As the beam struck him down, he was forced to the ground in an immense amount of pain. He could feel the rainbow tearing away at his exposed flesh and burning his insides. The energy from this beam was even greater than the attack Celestia had used on him. When the rainbow had finished its job, Scorpion was left lying on the ground in a small crater created by the blast. The ponies were all surprised as he quickly, but groggily, got back up after the attack.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow shouted, jumping into the air and flying full speed towards Scorpion. Time slowed down, and everything went black and white.

Rainbow struck Scorpion in the back with a vicious head-butt, effectively cracking his back into pieces. Rainbow heard his muffled cries as she listened to his bones break. Scorpion landed on the ground with a thud, but his suffering wasn’t done there. Applejack jumped in front of him and bucked him in the face with her hind legs. Although it didn’t crack his mask, Scorpion’s jaw was cracked in multiple places. Applejack could feel his jaw breaking beneath her hooves.

As Scorpion landed on his back, he tried to get back up, but was met with a sharp pain in his gut. Rarity had blasted him with a violent blast of magic to his stomach. It passed straight through his body, and sent him to his hands and knees. Pinkie then ran up to him with her cannon. As Scorpion stood up without realizing this, his entire body was met with a powerful smack or confetti and streamers. Although it seemed to be harmless, it in fact managed to pierce Scorpion’s exposed skin and sent him to the floor once again.

Fluttershy and Spike abstained from doing anything to the specter, but they were able to make out every cry and crack coming from the demon. And they enjoyed watching him suffer, as sick as it seemed. As Scorpion stood up one last time, he was met with another blast to his entire body from Twilight, who shot him with a blast quite similar to what Celestia had done to him. He burned in every place on his body, and fell to the floor in agony.

As the onslaught was finished, everything went back to normal.

“Now… he’s done…” Twilight said, panting from the amount of energy the attack had taken out of her. But to her and her friends’ surprise, Scorpion managed to get back up, almost shaking off the attacks like they were nothing.

“That’s impossible!” Rainbow Dash shouted in frustration.

“I must say…” Scorpion began, breathing heavily, “you ponies certainly know how to wound an adversary. But I’m sorry to tell you that your efforts to fatally wound me are futile.” The girls and Spike all looked at the demon, with his armor cracked in only a few places, and the burns on his skin healing. Twilight stomped the ground with all her might.

“You’re not getting away with what you’ve done! We won’t let you!” Twilight screamed.

“Yeah!” the others screamed in unison.

“I understand your rage towards me, believe me. But I am not here to murder Princess Luna, as you believe. I am here to resurrect Princess Celestia,” Scorpion told them. The ponies and young dragon looked at each other.

“You can’t expect us to believe that,” Rainbow said.

“Yeah, you just came back fer Princess Luna! We know it!” Applejack added.

“Rest assured, I have no intentions of harming your Princess. If you need proof of what I have told you, here it is.” Scorpion opened his pouch and revealed the soul of Princess Celestia to the ponies, who all gasped in shock at the sight.

“Is that… her soul?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, it is. My mission was to claim Celestia’s soul for my master, Quan Chi. He promised, in return, to bring my family and clan back to life. You are aware of their fate, Twilight Sparkle. However, my master had lied to me, and did not make good on his promise. Therefore, I seek revenge on him. He does not deserve to control the soul of your leader, and so I have decided to bring her soul back to you so that we may resurrect her.” The ponies couldn’t believe what they were hearing. The evidence Scorpion had presented was pretty heavy as well. Still, they didn’t know if they could trust him.

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Twilight asked.

“I have no further evidence to provide you with. You will simply have to take my word for it and bring me to the body of Celestia, so that we may reunite it with her soul,” Scorpion answered. Twilight looked to the rest of her friends in worry.

“I suppose I don’t need to be here when you bring her back. I merely had to deliver her soul to you. So, with that being said and done, I will take my leave.” Scorpion bowed his head to the ponies and walked away. Neither the ponies nor Spike tried to stop him, as he left them behind. However, Scorpion was stopped by a black hole that appeared in front of him. In moments, Noob Saibot emerged from it.

“It was very foolish of you to betray the Netherrealm in this way Scorpion,” Noob said, his voice sending shivers down the spines of the ponies and Spike. “But I’m afraid to inform you that your actions have earned you an early demise.” Scorpion and Noob stared each other down, both of them with rage in their eyes. The ponies and young dragon behind the two warriors watched in horror, not knowing what to expect.

Author's Notes:

Wow, Scorpion got his ass kicked by ponies again. But hey, at least he didn't hit them back.

I hope I made it clear that Scorpion isn't doing this because he feels bad for the ponies. Well, it's kind of because of that, but more so because he was betrayed by Quan Chi. Please do not say he's being a pussy and doing it for the ponies. Scorpion ain't that kind of demon.

Also, I've hope I described the new look that Scorpion had taken on. And if you think my description wasn't that great, just take a look at the new cover art I added for the story.

Chapter 16: A Fire Rekindled

“Just like you to do whatever Quan Chi tells you Noob,” Scorpion taunted the revenant. Noob only laughed it off.

“I do his bidding because I am loyal to the one who resurrected me. You should be the same. After all, he was the one to bring you back after you lost everything,” Noob retaliated. Scorpion felt his anger increasing. The ponies watched the two warriors stare each other down, unable to comprehend what could happen at any moment.

“I am grateful for what he has done, but he betrayed me, and all the trust I had for him when he broke his promise. Now, I have nothing once again. This is my act of vengeance. His precious prize taken from him, right when it was wrongly given to him.”

“You are so weak Scorpion. And here I thought you were better than that. I guess I was wrong. Now then, let’s finish what we started so long ago.” Noob took a fighting stance and chuckled.

“What are you talking about?” Scorpion questioned, truthfully confused.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out yet.” Scorpion looked at his foe, still confused. “My respect for you is decreasing by the moment Scorpion.”

“Noob, whatever it is you are talking about, it does not matter. There is no need for us to come to blows. I will not fight you. Now here, at least,” Scorpion said. Noob chuckled.

“Will not? Or cannot?” Noob said, cracking a smirk under his mask, as Scorpion’s eyes widened in realization.

“You!” Scorpion shouted, flames bursting at his feet from anger. Even Twilight realized what was going on.

“You’re...” she said, shocked beyond all belief.

“What’s going on Twilight?” Spike asked.

“Noob is Sub Zero, Scorpion’s nemesis,” Twilight explained. The rest of the ponies looked in shock as Scorpion stood there, enraged by the discovery.

The fire burning in Scorpion’s heart was unmatched at this moment. Scorpion’s original nemesis had been rediscovered. He clenched his fists, lighting them up in the fires of his rage.

“So you have shared your past with the ponies. Isn’t that sweet. I’ll be sure to treat them properly once I am finished with you,” Noob taunted, still standing ready to fight.

“You will not touch them!” Scorpion yelled at Noob.

“You even have a soft spot for them. This is truly adorable Scorpion. And now, they shall watch you die by my hands.”

“The only one to die here today will be you! I will tear you apart, and vengeance shall finally be mine!” Scorpion shouted. Noob chuckled once again.

“The only one to gain vengeance today will be me!” he declared, as Scorpion stood ready to fight. The ponies backed away from the two as they were about to do battle, with Scorpion to their left and Noob to their right. They watched in fear as the two specters began their bout.

Fight!

Scorpion immediately sent out his spear. But Noob foresaw this, and jumped into the air and teleported into the air. When he reappeared, he came up from under Scorpion and pulled him through a black hole. When the two reemerged, Noob slammed Scorpion to the ground, finishing his Teleport Slam with a vicious crack of Scorpion’s neck.

Scorpion got back up and used his Flameport attack, sending Noob to the ground. As Noob got back up, Scorpion was right on top of him, hammering Noob with a powerful Brimstone combo attack. As Noob got back to his feet, he shot out a Ghost Ball to the specter, rendering him defenseless. Noob used his Shadow Charge attack, sending out a shadowy doppelgänger to send Scorpion to the ground.

Scorpion kicked back up, but Noob charged at him, crossing over a right hand punch, followed by creating another shadowy double to land a left handed uppercut, and finishing off with a downwards right handed punch. After finishing his Assassinate combo, Noob quickly reacted with a Teleport Smash attack, repeating the same teleport move as before, but dragging Scorpion through more black holes than before.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Noob taunted. He threw his arm in the air, creating another double behind Scorpion. Time slowed down and everything turned black and white as the shadowy double grabbed onto Scorpion’s arms.

Noob approached the helpless Scorpion and delivered a powerful punch to Scorpion’s face, cracking both his jaw and his mask. Then, the doppelgänger kneed Scorpion in the back, cracking his ribs. To finish the attack off, Noob delivered a powerful kick to Scorpions gut, causing him to vomit all over Noob’s leg. With his mask broken, the bile was able to cleanly leave Scorpion’s mouth. Noob moved back and chuckled to himself as everything went back to normal.

Scorpion held his injured gut as Noob ran towards his foe. Noob began his attack by sending out his shadow copy to deliver a straight punch to Scorpion’s gut. This was followed by Noob landing a backhand and a downward punch to Scorpion. The Evil Twin combo was finished off with a powerful roundhouse kick. Scorpion simply kicked back up to his feet and sent out his two flaming spears, which successfully connected to the revenant.

“Get over here!” Scorpion shouted, pulling Noob in close. Scorpion used his Blade Overhead attack to send Noob skyward. Before Noob landed, Scorpion used his Gravedigger combo to send Noob through the air, landing with a painful thud. But Noob got to his feet just as Scorpion was jumping towards him. Noob countered Scorpion with his Shadow Upknee attack, knocking Scorpion out of the air.

But Scorpion wasn’t finished just yet. He unleashed his Hell Fire attack beneath Noob, burning the shadowy specter. As Noob was still recovering, Scorpion charged in, delivering a successful Doom Blade combo attack. But just like Scorpion, Noob still had a lot left in him. He got up and managed to land a Spirit Ball on the demon.

“Let’s see if you remember this one, Scorpion.” Noob sent out his doppelgänger once again, and it connected with Scorpion with great force. Time slowed down and everything turned black and white once again.

The shadowy double drove its fist into Scorpion’s gut, clenching it around the demon’s stomach. Scorpion cried out in pain as the copy pulled its fist out and Noob approached Scorpion. Noob took hold of Scorpion’s shoulder and delivered a powerful head-butt, managing to crack Scorpion’s skull. Scorpion fell back to the ground as everything went back to normal.

“Face it Scorpion, you have lost,” Noob taunted. “You have only brought shame and dishonor upon yourself and the name of the Shirai Ryu. And now, like them, you shall perish.” Noob readied himself to finish Scorpion once and for all. But Scorpion got to his feet and stared Noob down with fire in his eyes.

“Never!” Scorpion teleported into the ground and reappeared behind Noob. He slammed his fists into Noob’s torso, and once more, time slowed down and everything went black and white. Before beginning his attack, Scorpion looked to the ring given to him by the ponies. Clenching his fist, he turned to Noob once more.

Scorpion screamed out as he landed a powerful punch to Noob’s jaw, cracking both his mouth and breaking many of his teeth. Scorpion watched as the revenant cried out in pain and fell to the floor on his back. Scorpion walked over to his fallen foe, and unleashed a powerful stomp to Noob’s chest, breaking his ribs. Scorpion flipped backwards as everything went back to normal. Noob was down for the count.

Finish Him!

Scorpion brought Noob back to his feet for the final blow.

“For my clan, and for my family!”

Scorpion pulled out his spear and drove it into Noob’s collar bone, wrapping the chain around his neck. With his victim ready, Scorpion opened a portal behind Noob and kicked him through. Another portal formed in the air, and from it came the skinned Noob Saibot, who was now nothing but a mass of muscle and bone.

Scorpion Wins!
Fatality!

With all his might, Scorpion pulled Noob back through the portals and to the floor. With a loud cry, Scorpion stomped his foot onto Noob’s head, crushing his skull into nothing but mush. Blood splattered all across Scorpion’s right leg, as he stood victorious over his nemesis. Scorpion looked to the sky and let out a loud cry of victory.

Noob Saibot had been defeated, but Scorpion did not fare much better. His armor was broken in many places, ranging from his gauntlets to his sash and chest armor. Along with this, he had large gashes across his body, revealing his cut muscles and broken bones. His mask was cracked, revealing most of his skeletal face. But he did not care, for he had won the battle, and finally, he had avenged his family and clan.

And then he remembered the audience that had been watching the battle. Scorpion turned to see the fearful faces of the ponies and young dragon who had seen the battle in its entirety. Scorpion had nothing to say to them. All he could do was walk away.

“Scorpion, wait!” Twilight shouted to him. He stopped in his place. “Where are you going?” she asked him.

“I… I do not know,” he answered.

“Surely you can’t just leave now,” Rarity chimed in.

“Yeah, not after you totally just destroyed that guy!” Rainbow added, her voice full of excitement. Scorpion turned to see the ponies smiling at him. His wore an expression of confusion.

“I do not understand.”

“Ya may not be the greatest fella around, but ya brought back Celestia’s soul, and you showed yer friend Noob there what for! I gotta say, that was some woopin you gave him!” Applejack cheered.

“You approve of what you just witnessed?” Scorpion asked.

“Your past may be filled with evil deeds Scorpion, but that doesn’t mean you can’t redeem yourself,” Twilight said.

“Yeah! Plus, that fight was awesome! You were like, WOOCHA! And he was like, KATOOWA! It was insanely off the chain!” Pinkie shouted in happiness, causing everyone, including Scorpion to laugh.

“Yeah. Plus, who knows what Noob would have done if you hadn’t stopped him. You practically saved our lives,” Fluttershy added.

Scorpion looked at his admiring friends. At least, if he could call them his friends. He wasn’t so sure at this point. He only hoped that they would trust him once again so that he could see his plan through to the end.

“I thank you all for your praise, but there is still work to be done. That is, if you trust my word,” Scorpion said.

“How could we not?!” Spike said. “You brought back Princess Celestia’s soul, and kicked Noob’s butt to boot! Of course we trust you!” Scorpion nodded his head to them.

“But uh, I gotta ask… what up with your face?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah! Are you a complete skeleton under that layer of meaty flesh?!” Pinkie asked, realizing afterwards how obvious her question was.

“Only my face is like this. If you wish to see, I can show you,” Scorpion told the ponies and Spike. They all collectively nodded, all except for Twilight, who already knew what he was. But now, she was going to see it for real. Scorpion nodded his head and removed his mask, revealing his fiery skull.

The initial reaction was what he expected. The ponies and Spike were completely shocked by what they saw. It was vicious and evil, and it sent fear through their very souls. Yet, as they continued to observe Scorpion, the ponies and young dragon couldn’t help but admire him. Rainbow was the first to speak.

“That… is… awesome!” she said in excitement. “He’s got a whole fire under his mask! How cool is that?!” The ponies and Spike all nodded in agreement.

“You are not afraid?” Scorpion asked.

“Well, I guess at first we were, but not anymore. We know who you really are Scorpion, and that’s all that matters,” Fluttershy said. Scorpion nodded to them and put his mask back on.

“Shall we return to the matter at hand, or should I say, hoof?” Scorpion said.

“Of course. Let’s get to Celestia’s grave and bring her back. But first…” Twilight said, walking in front of Scorpion. She enveloped him in a coating of magic, lifting him off the ground slightly. In a flash, Scorpion landed back on the ground, fully healed and replenished. The ponies smiled at him, and in return, he nodded to them.

“Alright then everypony, let’s go!” Twilight said.

“Gather around me. I can get us to Canterlot faster,” Scorpion said. The girls and Spike gathered around him. And in a few moments, they all disappeared in a fiery teleport.

Author's Notes:

Was that fight long enough? I think it was. Honestly, I feel it was of the appropriate length for a fight. Figure it involved enough painful moments and gorey stuff. And hey, I finally included a real fatality. If you didn't know, it was the Nether Port fatality. I didn't make the fight any longer because I felt like it would get too tedious, both to write and to read. Plus, writing all of Noob's combos would be a real bitch and a half. So, I hope you all enjoyed what I provided.

Chapter 17: Atoning His Sins

The group arrived in Canterlot in a flash of fire, winding up in Celestia’s throne room. As if on cue, all of the guards in the room pointed their spears at the sudden arrivals to the room. Princess Luna, sitting on Celestia’s throne, looked to the group in shock. She was perfectly fine with the ponies and Spike being there, but the arrival of Scorpion greatly displeased her.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Luna demanded, stomping her hoof on the floor. Scorpion turned to the Princess, staring her down. Luna met the demon with her own rage-filled glare.

“Princess Luna,” Twilight interjected, “Scorpion has returned with Princess Celestia’s soul,” she explained. Luna looked at the lavender unicorn with a quizzical look.

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Luna asked. “I find this quite hard to believe.”

“Believe it, Princess,” Scorpion said. She continued to glare at him.

“You are obviously here to kill me, just like you did my sister. Well I assure you, the only one to perish on this day will be you!” With that, Luna stood up from the throne and charged her horn with magic. But before she could do anything, the Element Bearers and Spike stood in front of Scorpion, shielding him. This surprised everyone in the room, including Scorpion.

“What are you doing?! Step aside!” Luna demanded.

“All due respect Princess, but there’s no way in Equestria that we’re movin!” Applejack said.

“Yeah! Scorpion’s here to make everything better!” Pinkie added.

“We’re sorry Princess Luna, but you have to listen to us,” Twilight said. Luna looked at the ponies in both confusion and slight anger.

While Luna looked at the ponies and Spike in confusion, Scorpion looked at them in admiration. They would let themselves take the force of Luna’s attacks, rather than letting him suffer. They cared for him. Scorpion couldn’t even begin to comprehend it, but it was happening.

“Has he truly returned my sister’s soul to us?” Luna asked, her voice lowering in volume.

“He has,” Twilight answered. Luna then looked from the ponies to Scorpion.

“Show me.” Scorpion, who had been given Celestia’s soul to hold on to, opened his pouch and held the soul of the Princess in his hand. Luna looked on in amazement. “Very well then. To my sister’s grave.” With that, Luna stood up and led the group to her sister’s place of burial.

When the group arrived, Scorpion looked at the tomb that had been created for Princess Celestia. It was quite large, probably able to hold more than one corpse. Scorpion watched as the guards opened the tomb and brought out the casket that held Celestia’s body. Upon opening it, Scorpion saw her body, replenished as well as it could be. Celestia’s horn had been reconnected, and her scars and bruises had been tended to. Scorpion then looked to Luna.

“Would you have the honor of bringing her back?” Luna asked. Scorpion looked at her in surprise. He then turned to the ponies standing behind him. They all nodded to him and gestured for him to go on. Scorpion looked back to Celestia’s body as he pulled out her soul.

“Princess Celestia, return to us now.” Scorpion pushed the soul into Celestia’s chest, lighting up the surrounding area with a bright light. As the light began to increase in intensity, Celestia’s body rose out of the casket. Celestia opened her wings and eyes, which amazed everyone. Scorpion watched as the revitalized Princess lowered herself to the ground, her stature unmatched.

Everyone waited patiently for the revived Princess to say something. Celestia turned her head to Scorpion, preparing for the worst. But, to his immense surprise, she walked up to him and bowed her head to him. Scorpion didn’t know what to do, so he simply bowed in return. As the two brought their heads back up, Celestia smiled at the specter.

“Scorpion,” she began, “what is it that has brought you to bring me back?” she simply asked.

“Revenge,” Scorpion simply answered. “The prize I was promised for your soul was not delivered. So, as an act of vengeance, I have brought you back from the dead. It is as simple as that.”

“I believe it is something more than that,” Celestia said. Scorpion didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. As the ponies standing behind him gathered around their Princess and smiled at her, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his heart that he had not felt since that last day he had been with his family.

And when the ponies all smiled at him, especially Twilight, he finally realized what they meant to him. They were his… friends. They were the only thing he had needed in his life for a long time now. What started as a simple act of vengeance had turned to a moment of realization and revelation. The hole left in Scorpion’s heart by his family and clan had been healed. Perhaps not fully, but to some great extent no doubt.

“I… I believe you are right Princess Celestia,” Scorpion said. “While I may not be the easiest person to associate with, I can assure you all that I am eternally grateful for what you have done for me. But now, I must go.” Scorpion turned and walked away. The ponies behind him watched in surprise as he walked away. Twilight ran up to him and stopped him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked sternly.

“Somewhere I haven’t been in a very long time, Twilight Sparkle,” he answered.

“W-Where?” Fluttershy asked from behind him. Scorpion turned to the rest of the ponies.

“Home.” Everyone surrounding Scorpion looked at him with understanding faces. They all nodded to him, smiling all the while. Scorpion nodded back to them, and then turned to Twilight. He knelt down and looked in her eyes.

“Twilight Sparkle, I must express my greatest thanks to you especially. You were the one to house and feed me during my stay here. And above all, you were the one that understood me the most. For that, you have my thanks.” Scorpion nodded to her, and with a tear in her eye, she nodded back. And then, once again to Scorpion’s surprise, she hugged him. Now Scorpion was really lost.

“We’ll miss you Scorpion,” Twilight said. She let go and stepped away from him. Scorpion stood up and turned to the rest of the group.

“And to all of you, thank you. And Princess Celestia, my deepest apologies for my previous acts.”

“While I may not be able to fully forgive you, and I can assure you that you have my thanks for accepting my little ponies as your friends,” she answered. Scorpion smiled under his mask and nodded to them one final time. But when he turned back to Twilight, he couldn’t help but offer her something she had been wanting for a long time.

“Actually, Twilight Sparkle, before we say goodbye, there is something I would like to show you,” Scorpion said to her.

“W-What?” she asked.

“And when I say home, I mean my true home. Not the Netherrealm,” Scorpion added. Twilight looked to the rest of her friends, who all smiled and nodded in approval.

“Well… yes!” Twilight answered. Scorpion nodded to her and then looked back to the rest of the ponies and Spike.

“I suppose this isn’t a goodbye then. I shall return her within a few hours. Until that time, farewell,” Scorpion said to the group.

“Wait, what about me?!” Spike asked. Everyone laughed.

“If Twilight will allow it,” Scorpion said. Twilight looked to her faithful assistant with a smile, gesturing him to jump on to her back, which he happily did. With one final nod, Scorpion teleported himself, Twilight, and Spike to Earthrealm.

As Scorpion, Twilight, and Spike arrived in Earthrealm, they were immediately greeted with the sight of pure destruction. A destroyed village sat in front of them. Twilight and Spike were initially shocked, and couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Scorpion, on the other hand, felt his heart sinking into his stomach. He had not been here for many years, and seeing his home like this only worsened his grief. Twilight and Spike looked up to him.

“Scorpion, are you alright?” Twilight asked.

“I… I do not know,” Scorpion answered. He looked down to the two of them. “Are you sure you wish to join me as I venture through my home?” They both nodded. “Very well.”

Scorpion led Twilight and Spike through the village of the Shirai Ryu. They saw burnt houses and market stalls, crumbled statues, dried up plants, and even a few skeletons of the fallen. It all brought back painful memories to Scorpion. Twilight and Spike couldn’t comprehend how anyone could do something like this. They had dealt with evil in the past, but they had never really seen destruction of this magnitude. Overall, the three were left with heavy hearts.

Finally, the group arrived at Scorpion’s home. They stood at the entrance for a moment. Twilight and Spike watched as Scorpion scanned the outside of his home. He then looked down to his two friends.

“I would request of you to stay out here. I wish to do this on my own,” he said.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked. Scorpion nodded. Twilight and Spike respected his wish and waited outside as Scorpion entered his home.

Just entering his old home was too much for Scorpion. He gazed upon old antiques and furnishings that had been ruined from years of disuse. Scorpion’s gaze quickly turned from the rest of his house to the exact spot where his wife and child were murdered. He walked over and knelt down. The blood left behind was barely there anymore, mostly having dried up, but just a little bit still remained. Scorpion almost felt himself coming to tears.

“Scorpion!” Twilight cried from outside.

“Ghosts!” Spike added on. Scorpion stood up and rushed outside. He saw Twilight and Spike cowering in fear at what was in front of them. But what Scorpion saw did not frighten him in the slightest. In fact, it gave him a slight amount of hope.

“Twilight Sparkle, Spike, I assure you that you have nothing to fear. These are the souls of the fallen Shirai Ryu. But, what brings them here, I wonder,” Scorpion said. He approached the nearest soul, the master of the clan from what he could tell.

“Scorpion,” the elder spoke. Scorpion immediately bowed his head. “You have returned at last. Tell us, what has brought you here?” the spirit asked.

“I simply wished to revisit my fallen home, as well as introduce my new friends to Earthrealm,” Scorpion answered, presenting Twilight and Spike, who nervously waved to the spirits.

“It seems your life has not been in vain after all. But now that you are here, listen to us.” The elder took on a more serious tone and look, to which Scorpion responded with his own serious look.

“You have been deceived,” the elder began. “The white sorcerer you now call master has lied to you Scorpion.” Scorpion listened now with great interest. “It was Quan Chi who saw to our demise. It was he that ordered the Lin Kuei to have our clan destroyed. He is responsible for our deaths.”

“What?!” Scorpion shouted in pure rage. His entire body lit up in flames.

“Heed our orders. Return to the Netherrealm and destroy Quan Chi. Avenge our deaths Scorpion.” And without another word, the spirits disappeared. Scorpion stood there, his fists clenched and shaking in anger.

“Scorpion? Y-You alright there buddy?” Spike asked nervously. Scorpion turned to them with fire in his eyes.

“We are going to the Netherrealm, now!” Scorpion said, with a demanding voice. Twilight and Spike both shyly nodded, afraid of what the specter could do. Scorpion tried to remain calm and lessen his anger, so as not to frighten the unicorn and dragon.

“I am sorry, but with what I now know, I cannot let my master remain alive. Therefore, we are going to the Netherrealm. Would you care to join me?” Scorpion asked.

“We’ll be with you the whole the whole way through,” Twilight said.

“Yeah. We’ll show Chin Chi not to mess with Scorpion!” Spike said proudly. Twilight and Scorpion laughed.

“His name is Quan Chi, Spike,” Twilight corrected.

“Oh… right,” Spike said, chuckling. Twilight and Spike looked at Scorpion with determined looks.

“Very well then. Let us go,” Scorpion said. And as Twilight and Spike gathered around him, they teleported to the Netherrealm.

Author's Notes:

Seems legit to me. Was that good? I thought it was good. So again, seems legit.

Yes, I realize that I made Scorpion seem a little sappy. Get over it. He can have some sweet moments, can't he? Besides, it's not like he's always doom and gloom... mostly.

Chapter 18: The End of the Road

Scorpion, Twilight, and Spike arrived in the Netherrealm in no time. As they arrived, Twilight and Spike looked around in fear, unsure what to make of their new surroundings. Twilight had expected it to be awful, considering that it really was Hell, but she never imagined it would be this terrifying. Fire, lava, demonic creatures, the souls of the damned, and many other horrid things riddled the landscape of the Netherrealm.

“Are you alright?” Scorpion asked his friends.

“Dude, this place is messed up,” Spike answered, cowering behind Twilight.

“And I thought Tartarus was bad. This place is just… evil,” Twilight added.

“I understand how you feel. Whenever there is a newcomer to the Netherrealm, they tend to tense up a bit,” Scorpion told them.

“Really? I never would have guessed,” Spike joked. Scorpion looked ahead to the path that they would be traveling. He had every intention of getting to Quan Chi and making him pay for his gross deeds. Scorpion could feel his hands choking the life out of Quan Chi, but he had something else in mind for his master.

“Let’s go,” Scorpion said, starting to walk. Twilight eagerly stayed close to him, with Spike on her back. The entire distance the group traveled kept adding things for Twilight and Spike to be afraid of. Twilight almost threw up at the image of a spiked pillar, riddled with the upper bodies of the damned. What frightened her most were the screaming and the cries of agony.

“Try not to listen to it, and you will be fine,” Scorpion told her. Twilight did her best, but it really wasn’t good enough.

“I’m sorry, this is just really…” she paused and gulped, “scary,” she finished.

“Scary? Boy, that’s an understatement,” Spike said.

“Do not worry. We are almost there,” Scorpion informed the two. Twilight stuck close to Scorpion as they traveled the rest of the way towards Quan Chi. And in moments, they stood at the base of the white sorcerer’s throne.

“Finally returned, have you Scorpion?” Quan Chi greeted him. “I see you’ve brought your pathetic new friends with you. Trying to please me with lesser souls are you?” He chuckled.

“Silence, you treacherous worm!” Scorpion shouted. Quan Chi only smiled.

“Something wrong Scorpion?”

“You cannot hide behind your lies any longer! I know the truth!”

“Congratulations Scorpion. I must say, I’m surprised you figured it out at all. I’m even more surprised that you managed to kill Noob Saibot. Are you regretting that yet?”

“Not at all,” Scorpion answered coldly. “He still murdered my wife and child. He deserved death. But you were the one behind it all along! And now, you shall pay!” Scorpion yelled, readying himself for battle.

“Do you honestly believe you can defeat me Scorpion?” Quan Chi asked, chuckling once more.

“I don’t believe it, I know it!” Scorpion answered sharply. Quan Chi’s smile only increased as he turned his gaze to Twilight and Spike.

“And what will your friends think of you once you’ve supposedly dealt with me?”

“They have already seen me eliminate Noob. I assure you, they will be quite pleased to see you perish by my hand. Now enough talk! Face me, you swine!” Quan Chi could do nothing more than laugh at Scorpion’s rage. Without saying another word, he opened a teleport beneath Twilight and Spike, teleported them right in front of the sorcerer. He then held Spike by the throat in his left hand, and as he took out his blade, he held it to Twilight’s throat.

“No! Leave them out of this!” Scorpion demanded.

“It was your mistake to bring them here in the first place,” Quan Chi said, smirking evilly at the specter. “Now, if you so much as move an inch, I’ll snap the dragon’s neck, and cut the pony’s throat.”

“If you so much as scratch them,” Scorpion started.

“You’ll do what?” Quan Chi interrupted. Scorpion didn’t know what to do. If he tried anything, Quan Chi would kill Twilight and Spike. He wasn’t about to let that happen. Scorpion lowered his raised fists to his side, not wanting his friends to suffer.

“Very well, Quan Chi,” Scorpion said, which earned him another smirk from Quan Chi. As Scorpion lowered his head in defeat, Quan Chi threw Spike to the floor and kicked Twilight aside. He jumped from his throne and flashed his amulet in Scorpion’s face, blinding him and putting him under a strange trance. Twilight and Spike turned to face the two bipeds as time slowed down and everything went black and white.

From the air, a green-flaming skull dropped into Quan Chi’s hand. He tossed it to Scorpion, who was unable to resist the sorcerer’s control. Scorpion violently smashed the skull into his head, cracking his own skull in the process, and letting out a slow, muffled cry of pain. But Quan Chi wasn’t finished there. Making a motion as if to snap one’s neck, Quan Chi made Scorpion do just that. Scorpion put his hands around his head and snapped his neck, letting out a loud crack, as Scorpion fell to the floor. Twilight and Spike could only watch in horror as everything went back to normal.

“You have lost Scorpion,” Quan Chi said, walking over to Scorpion and kicking him in the chest. Scorpion rolled across the floor, dazed and in great pain. He had dealt with a great deal of pain in the past, but Quan Chi knew how to make his enemies suffer. As Scorpion tried to rest on his hands and knees, Quan Chi lifted his head up and violently kneed Scorpion in the jaw, sending the specter to the ground once again.

“Scorpion!” Twilight cried out.

“There is nothing he can do. He is finished,” Quan Chi said, smiling wickedly as he walked over to Scorpion, his blade at the ready to finish the job. Scorpion rested once again on his hands and knees, awaiting his death. But before Quan Chi delivered the final blow, he knelt down and whispered into Scorpion’s ear.

“And once I’m finished with you, I’ll be sure to attend to your new friends with care.” Quan Chi let out a long cackle of evil laughter as he raised his sword high above Scorpion. But Scorpion was now being fueled by a new rage. Just hearing Quan Chi utter those words tore away at him. It was time to finish this.

“Never!” Scorpion shouted, landing a powerful uppercut to the unsuspecting sorcerer. Quan Chi flew through the air, coming back to the ground with a loud and painful thud, dropping his sword in the process. Scorpion got to his feet and lashed out his spear towards his master. It connected with Quan Chi, and Scorpion pulled him in.

“Come here!” he shouted, grabbing his former master by the throat. Quan Chi could feel Scorpion’s grip tightening, and his own hands clutched at Scorpion’s fist.

“My turn.” Scorpion pushed Quan Chi back, and once again, time slowed down and everything turned black and white.

Scorpion pulled out his blades, flipping them to hold them upside down. Scorpion drove his right blade into Quan Chi’s left leg, shattering his knee and forcing him to the floor with a cry of agony. Then, Scorpion slammed his left blade into the sorcerer’s right leg, doing just the same as the last strike. Quan Chi was on his hands and destroyed knees, but Scorpion wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot. Scorpion violently pulled his blades out of Quan Chi’s legs, and in the same motion, threw the heel of his right foot into Quan Chi’s skull. The white sorcerer fell back to the ground with a painful shout. But as Quan Chi got back to his feet, Scorpion placed his swords on his back and continued his assault.

Teleporting into the ground, Scorpion reemerged beneath Quan Chi, delivering a powerful uppercut to his chin. The uppercut shattered Quan Chi’s teeth, and sent him skyward. Scorpion stood on the ground, pulling his left fist back and engulfing it in flame. As Quan Chi descended, Scorpion threw and powerful left punch into Quan Chi’s back, effectively breaking his spine and shattering his ribs. Quan Chi fell to the ground once more in immense pain. Now was the time to finish it.

Scorpion threw two fiery spears towards his fallen master.

“Get over here!” Scorpion shouted. He pulled Quan Chi back to his feet in front of the specter. Scorpion punched his master in the gut to steady him, and then, looking to his ring, clenched his right fist. He glared at Quan Chi with rage in his eyes.

“For my clan, for my family,” Scorpion started, looking at his former master. He then looked to Twilight and Spike, and then back to Quan Chi. “And for Equis!” Scorpion shouted.

With all his might, and like never before, Scorpion threw an earth-shattering right punch to Quan Chi’s head, unhinging his jaw completely and destroying any remaining teeth. Scorpion could hear the cry of incredible pain coming from his former master, and he could even feel his fist leaving and large dent in the white sorcerer’s skull. Quan Chi fell to the ground, almost having passed out at this point. Scorpion lifted his left leg, and with all his remaining strength, stomped on Quan Chi’s stomach. As Quan Chi cried out in agony, Scorpion could feel his foot leaving Quan Chi’s ribs in pieces, and could even feel the beating of the sorcerer’s beating heart. Scorpion jumped back, having left his master in shambles, as everything went back to normal.

Quan Chi lied on the ground, completely broken and beaten. He was barely breathing, and couldn’t move a muscle. Scorpion looked at the fallen sorcerer with great pleasure. And now, he would finally avenge his family and clan.

“Twilight,” Scorpion said.

“Y-Yeah?” she answered shakily.

“Hold him up,” Scorpion ordered. Twilight composed herself, nodded, and used her magic to lift Quan Chi to his feet. Her magic kept him that way, not allowing him to move at all. Scorpion stared the sorcerer down with fire in his eyes.

“And now, Quan Chi, you shall perish!” Scorpion removed his mask, earning him a fearful look from the fallen master.

Leaning his head back, Scorpion took in a breath of air. As he leaned forward, he threw fire from his mouth towards Quan Chi, starting at his feet. The moment the fire connected with Quan Chi, he started screaming out in pain. But Scorpion didn’t stop. He slowly made his way up the white sorcerer’s body, cooking every inch of his skin to a crisp. As the flames reached Quan Chi’s head, he let out one last muffled cry of agony, until he was nothing but a lifeless husk. Twilight dropped the body as it continued to burn. She and Spike gazed at Scorpion, who threw his arms up into the air and let out a victorious shout, breathing fire into the air.

As Scorpion finished his war cry, he lowered his arms and started to breathe normally again. He lowered his head as he put his mask back on. Once he was finished, he turned his gaze back to Twilight and Spike. Whereas he expected to be greeted by images of fear and terror, he was greeted with a soft smile from the both of them.

“It is done. My family and clan have finally been avenged.” Scorpion walked over to Quan Chi’s body, lifted up what remained of it, and threw it into the nearest source of lava he could find. Scorpion watched the corpse of his former master burn up in the fiery liquid, smiling to himself under his mask. He then turned back to Twilight and Spike.

“What now?” Spike asked.

“Now, I must return you to Equis,” Scorpion answered. Twilight and Spike looked at each other with saddened expressions.

“And… then what?” Twilight asked.

“I… I do not know,” Scorpion replied. Twilight and Spike didn’t say another word as they gathered around Scorpion and teleported back to Equis.

Scorpion, Twilight, and Spike arrived in Equis in a flash. They had emerged at the exact same spot on the hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. The three of them were quite surprised to see the rest of their friends, and the Princesses, waiting for them at the base of the hill.

“Everypony, look! They’re back!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The group ran up the hill to greet the trio. “What happened? What was Earthrealm like?! I bet it was super cool! Was it?!” Rainbow asked excitedly.

“Indeed. Were the surroundings just as beautiful as Equestria’s?” Rarity asked.

“Were there cute little critters and animals like there are here?” Fluttershy added.

“Oh, oh, I know! Did you visit Scorpion’s home, only to be visited by the members of his fallen clan, who told you that his master was the mastermind behind their deaths, and then you totally went back to the Netherrealm, got into a huge battle, and finally avenged your family and clan but killing your evil master?!” Pinkie exclaimed. Everyone looked at her in utter shock. Scorpion even found himself dumbfounded by Pinkie Pie.

“How… did you know that?” Spike asked.

“Just a hunch,” Pinkie answered. Scorpion looked around at his friends in unmatched confusion.

“Don’t worry, it’s just Pinkie being Pinkie,” Twilight told him.

“At this point, I believe that I understand completely,” Scorpion said, laughing. The entire group joined him in laughter a moment later. And then, the tone fell, as all eyes turned to Scorpion.

“So Scorpion, what shall you do now?” Princess Celestia asked him.

“I believe I shall return to Earthrealm and find shelter amongst the people there. I imagine that the Shao Lin Monks will allow me to stay with them,” Scorpion explained.

“Well… w-why not stay here?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah. You could stay with us here in Ponyville,” Rainbow Dash said.

“We’d love ta have ya stay here. Yer already accepted by the folks in Ponyville. What’s stoppin ya?” Applejack added.

“I agree,” Celestia said. “If the ponies of Ponyville could accept you, then I’m sure the rest of Equestria could do the same.”

“As well, it is clear to us now that we are not alone in this universe. We would be honored to have you as a protector of Equestria,” Luna added.

“It is very kind of you to offer, but I do not feel it my place to stay here. I am very gracious for the offer, but I simply cannot stay. I am sorry,” Scorpion said. The ponies and Spike all wore expressions of grief at his answer.

“Then… this is goodbye?” Twilight asked, almost starting to cry.

“I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle, but it is,” Scorpion answered. Scorpion looked at his surrounding friends, each of them starting to shed tears. Twilight couldn’t help but wrap herself around Scorpion’s waist. And, not at all to his surprise, Scorpion returned the warm hug.

“Be strong Twilight Sparkle. This does not mean we will not meet again. I just need some time,” Scorpion told her.

“I… I know,” Twilight said through her tears. She let go and wiped the water from her eyes. She smiled at Scorpion, and everyone else did the same.

They each said their individual goodbyes to the specter. Each goodbye increased the pain that Scorpion was now feeling in his heart. He had grown so close to each of the ponies, and Spike was no exception at all to this. Each of his new friends helped him get to where he was now, and he could never thank them enough for that. As Scorpion said his goodbyes to the Princesses, they expressed their offer once more.

“Remember, our world will always be open to you Scorpion,” Celestia said.

“You have my thanks. And my apologies for wrongly murdering you, Princess,” Scorpion said, bowing his head.

“As long as it never happens again, I think we’ll be fine,” Celestia said, a hint of joy in her voice. Scorpion lifted his head and chuckled. He stood back from the group and looked at them all one final time.

“You all have my sincerest thanks. Until next we meet… this is goodbye.”

Engulfing himself in flames, Scorpion teleported himself to Earthrealm, leaving the ponies and Spike to be with each other. Twilight found herself on the floor, crying. Her friends and Spike gathered around her as they cried together. The Princesses even found themselves in tears. Twilight looked to the spot where Scorpion was moments ago.

“Goodbye Scorpion…” she softly said.

Author's Notes:

I think if there was ever a way to go from violent to dramatic/sad, this would be the way. This chapter was actually a lot of fun to write, and at the same time, a litle sad. This chapter marks the end of Scorpion's journey. Well, I've got an epilogue to write, but you get the idea.

I am fully aware that I made Scorpion look very... You know what, fuck it. I honestly don't care if you guys are pissed that he kind of broke down and got a little sappy and pussy-like. It makes him feel more human to write him this way. He's avenged his family and has left his new friends behind. I'd say that's a lot of stuff to get worked up over. So whether or not you agree with how I wrote this, just keep in mind what is going on, and that not all violent characters have to be violent all the time.

And finally, I shall award ten cookies to the first person to name all four of the X-Ray moves used in the chapter. By that, I mean which X-Ray moves belong to which characters in Mortal Kombat 9.

Epilogue: Here to Stay

Only one week had passed since Scorpion left Equis, and Twilight and her friends still couldn’t believe that he was gone. He changed so much for them, and with him gone, they all felt like they were missing something. Scorpion was anything but the perfect friend, but he was still a friend. That would never change.

Twilight sat at her desk reading through some books and drinking a hot cup of tea. While Scorpion was still very much on her mind, she still managed to maintain focus on what was in front of her. Yet, at the same time, she didn’t want to focus on that. Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard the door open behind her, as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie entered.

“Hey Twilight, we’re getting the girls together for a little hang out session at Sugarcube Corner. Wanna come?” Pinkie asked.

“Sorry girls, but, I’m just not in the mood for that right now,” Twilight answered.

“You sure?” Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded. Then, from upstairs, the girls heard a loud burp, which they assumed was Spike.

“Spike, honestly. Have some manners,” Twilight called up to him.

“Twilight, check this out!” Spike called down. He ran down, holding in his hand a scroll. “It’s from the Princess. She said that there’s something she wants you all to see in Canterlot,” Spike told the three mares.

“What is it?” Rainbow asked.

“She didn’t say, just that we should head to Canterlot now,” Spike answered. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Spike turned their gazes to Twilight.

“Well, I guess we’re going to Canterlot,” Twilight said. Twilight closed her book, got up from her seat, and took her friends to gather the rest of the girls. After that was done, they were off for Canterlot.

Twilight and her friends walked through the Statue Gardens of Canterlot Castle, being led by Princess Celestia. The statues that lined the garden were all beautiful, but on this day, there was a new statue in the gardens that the Elements of Harmony needed to see. Celestia led the group of ponies, along with their young dragon companion, to this new statue. When they arrived, the girls and Spike were left speechless.

A statue of Scorpion was standing tall and proud in the gardens. It was specter himself, dressed in the attire he wore when he first arrived to Equestria. His arms were at his sides, and his hands were balled into fists. He was looking up to the sky with his head to the right. It was a breathtaking sight, and the ponies and little dragon couldn’t believe it.

“Princess… it’s beautiful,” Twilight said, feeling herself coming to tears. Applejack wrapped a hoof around Twilight, and Twilight returned the favor.

“I believe that Scorpion’s memory should not be forgotten,” Celestia said to the group.

“He looks so awesome,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Yeah, just like how we remember him,” Fluttershy added. Even she couldn’t hold back her tears. She found comfort in the form of a warm hug from Rainbow Dash.

“I wish he was here right now,” Spike said, hanging his head low.

“We all do Spike… we all do,” Celestia said. The ponies and Spike all gazed upon the statue, not uttering another word. Then, Twilight’s eyes fell upon the plaque at the base of the statue. Then, the rest of the group stared at it. Twilight read it out loud.

“This statue honors Scorpion, the Specter of the Netherrealm. Scorpion arrived in Equestria to the surprise of everypony in Ponyville. He earned their trust, and made new friends. While Scorpion made many mistakes, including the murder of Princess Celestia, he made up for all of those mistakes. He helped to resurrect the Princess, protected the ponies that he can now call his friends, and avenged his fallen family and clan. Scorpion should never be forgotten, and with this statue standing tall, he never shall be.”

Twilight broke down in tears, and shortly after, so did the rest of her friends. They joined in a group hug, finding comfort from each other. Then, Twilight looked up to Princess Celestia.

“Thank you Princess. Thank you so much,” she said.

“Of course Twilight. Anything for a friend of Equestria,” Celestia replied. The group looked at the statue for a short while longer, until they decided to head back home to Ponyville.

As Twilight and her friends got off the train back to Ponyville, they each had heavy hearts and tear-filled eyes. Fluttershy may have been the worst of all, which was expected by the group. Rainbow Dash held her friend close the entire train ride, and still held on to her as they got off the train.

Twilight wasn’t fairing too well either. She liked to think that she knew Scorpion better than anypony else. She was the one he opened up to, revealing some of his deepest secrets. She and Spike were the ones brought with him to his home in Earthrealm, and they were the ones who witnessed him avenging his family and clan by defeating Quan Chi.

But ultimately, it was the group as a whole that managed to change Scorpion for good. Each of them helped to teach him something different about friendship, just like Twilight’s friends did for her when she arrived to Ponyville. Twilight and her friends couldn’t be happier with what they had done for Scorpion.

As the group walked through Ponyville, heading for Sugarcube Corner, Twilight stopped for a moment in the road. She sighed heavily and looked to her friends.

“Twilight?” Spike said worriedly.

“Are you alright darling?” Rarity asked, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.

“I’m fine. I’m just thinking about all we did for Scorpion. I… I just miss him, that’s all,” Twilight said.

“We all do sugarcube,” Applejack said, smiling at Twilight reassuringly. Twilight couldn’t help but smile back.

“Um, girls,” Fluttershy said, looking in the direction of the setting sun. The girls and Spike looked at Fluttershy, who was pointing to the hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. Each of their hearts jumped up into their throats at what they saw.

“Is that…” Spike started. Standing there, illuminated by the setting sun, was a bipedal figure. The group knew who it was. There was no doubt in their minds. Scorpion had returned.

“It is. And something tells me that he’s here to stay,” Twilight said happily. But suddenly, Scorpion disappeared from hilltop. And just as quickly as he disappeared, he reappeared right in front of the group. They all looked up to him with warm smiles. Scorpion stood tall, looking at his friends with soft smile under his mask.

“My friends... It is good to be home,” Scorpion said, only managing to widen the smiles of his friends.

And as the sun finally set, and night fell upon Ponyville, Scorpion lit a soft flame in his hand. The ponies and Spike smiled gladly at Scorpion, especially Twilight. She gladly stood by his side as the group continued on towards Sugarcube Corner in the night.

Author's Notes:

And so concludes the tale of Scorpion. I expected the story to be a bit longer, but for what it is, I think this story had a good enough length. And let's face it, this is me we're talking about. Of course the story was going to have a happy ending.

This story was a complete blast a blast to write, and I'm very thankful to all of you that followed the story through to the end! I hope you all had fun reading this story! So, until next time my friends!

Long live Scorpion!