Your Soul Will Learn!

"He-yah! Awwrgh!" shouted a man dressed in attire that greatly resembled that of a Japanese ninja, though with an extravagant theme of a poisonous insect and a color of a rustic gold. He was in the midst of an arduous life-or-death struggle against another man in a grassy field in front of the smoldering remains of an unknown building.

"You will pay for the destruction of the temple of my brethren, foul demon!" proclaimed the man who'd just attacked the ninja. This man bore long, shaggy hair, a crimson red headband, spiked wristbands, and stylish black pants with large stripes on the outer sides of them that shared the same shade of crimson as his headband. "WAAAAAAAAWW!!" he shouted in a falsetto voice as he spontaneously launched himself foot-first at the ninja. Evidently, he and this presumably-demonic ninja were locked in kombat for something within the ballpark of revenge.

*THUMP* "AAAWGH!" the demon shouted in agony as he was propelled back from the force of the other man's flying kick. "You cannot harm me, Liu Kang! The wrath of Scorpion burns deeply," the demon known as Scorpion said as he gingerly stood back up. "The White Lotus aided the Lin Kuei in the deaths of my clan, and for that, they paid with their lives! And soon, so will you!!" screamed Scorpion as he disappeared in a flash of fire.

*SMACK* "OHH!" The enraged ninja hit his mark as he appeared behind the bare-chested man and punched him in the face, forcing him to stumble back. Seeming none too hurt, but all the more livid, Liu Kang brushed the blood running from his lip off with his fist. "I do not fear you, demon. You are a fool to believe everything Quan Chi tells you. You may send your treacherous master my regards when I send you back to the Netherrealm where you belong for killing my brothers and burning down my sacred temple!!" With that announcement, Liu Kang launched into action, charging at Scorpion with the intent of tearing the wraith to shreds.

The two interlocked in a heated close-quarters battle, exchanging blow for blow with neither kombatant able to best the other until Scorpion jumped back and threw a tipped kunai linked to a chain at the opposing warrior.

*SKSH* Scorpion had plunged the blade into the sternum of his opponent, stunning him momentarily.

"GET OVER HERE!!" Scorpion shouted as he, with a strong tug, pulled Liu Kang over to him, pulling the knife out in the process. Liu Kang, disoriented by Scorpion's attack, was unable to defend himself. Capitalizing on this, Scorpion delivered a jaw-shattering uppercut to Liu Kang's chin, sending the shirtless fighter barreling into the sky before landing flat on his back.

"TOASTY!" shouted a mysterious man (wearing a shirt that depicted a plate of buttered toast) from out of nowhere before disappearing as quickly as he appeared.

Liu Kang, however, miraculously recovered from the grisly blows, his resolve to defeat Scorpion undeterred. Scorpion tried again to spear Liu Kang, but the headband-adorning man was prepared. He deflected the knife into the ground and in Scorpion's surprise, Liu Kang unleashed a flurry of vicious punches and kicks, screaming like a girl with every attack he launched. The aggressive assault sent Scorpion reeling back and falling onto the ground in severe agony. He motioned to stand, but found keeping his balance hard, as Liu Kang had just beaten him senseless. In a defeated stupor, Scorpion groggily danced around as if he were drunk, thus symbolizing that he had no strength left to fight.

"FINISH HIM!!" demanded a demonic voice from the sky, presumably urging Liu Kang to deliver a finishing move to Scorpion.

"Now you will feel the power of the Shaolin, accursed hell-spawn!" Liu Kang proclaimed to a dizzied and thoroughly-incapacitated Scorpion before leaping into the air to kick him again; only he was pedaling his feet like he were on a bicycle as he levitated toward the defeated specter, shouting incoherent falsetto-toned gibberish.

"YODEOLYONEWIDDAYIBBODEBOAL!" the monk shouted as he delivered six devastating kicks to Scorpion's chest, knocking the specter out cold.

"Liu Kang Wins!" the inexplicable sky voice announced as Liu Kang turned to his left and took a respectful bow toward no one in particular. In that moment, Scorpion's unconscious body vanished in a flash of light...

"Scorpion! Awaken!" shouted an authoritarian voice.

"Uurgh... Wha...?" the golden-armored ninja came to, still feeling discombobulated from the beating he'd just received at the hands of a shirtless, headband-wearing monk who screamed like a frightened child throughout their bout. Nonetheless, he found himself somewhere entirely new. He seemed to be at the top of a mountain where he'd been standing in the middle of a platform, which bore a marking of a dragon in profile. He looked around to see a luminescent starry night sky, pillars with flames burning atop each of them surrounding the platform he'd found himself standing on, and that he was totally alone. Suddenly, in a flash of lightning, a being appeared before him, seeming very displeased.

"Scorpion! Your relentless, unbridled wrath has landed you in tremendous disfavor with the Elder Gods," admonished the being, a man dressed in ceremonial white garb with a blue cloth over the middle of it and wearing a straw hat.

"Raiden...?" Scorpion inquired in surprise as he rose to his feet. "Why have you summoned me here? Where is Liu Kang?"

"You need not worry about Liu Kang, Scorpion," Raiden answered in stark anger. "You should be more worried about the temple you burned down in your fit of rage. You have transgressed against the rules of Mortal Kombat and you will be punished, so decree the Elder Gods!"

"Transgression? I have done nothing of--!"

"Silence! You slaughtered countless innocents of Earthrealm and dared to assault the Mortal Kombat Champion without formally challenging him to battle in your torrent of blind hatred. This is the fifth time I've had to bring you up here, and I've all but lost my patience with you, specter! It is clear you are in need of some training in terms of self-restraint."

"You cannot subject me to your frivolous admonishments, God of Thunder! I am a resident of the Netherrealm!"

"I can when you repeatedly invade Earthrealm with the help of your master Quan Chi!" Raiden fervently countered. "Your punishment will be one totally unique in its quality, but one you desperately need. You are to be sent to an entirely different realm to learn how to control yourself and you may not return to the Netherrealm until you do."

"You will not subjugate me to your judgments!!" Scorpion angrily yelled, already losing his temper. "RAAAGH!!" he tried to attack the Thunder God, only to have him electrically teleport himself behind him. Before Scorpion could react, Raiden dove at Scorpion.

"JONNYGOTACAWWWW!!" Raiden incoherently hollered, goring Scorpion in the back and carrying him toward a swirling mass of magic and sorcery with a black hole in the middle that had been conjured up as the two men were talking. With a mighty electrified push, Raiden sent the ninja specter hurtling into the portal, where it closed after he was forced in.

"Hopefully, a stay in a land that prides itself on peace will set him straight," Raiden mused.

"WAAARGH!!" Scorpion shouted in a mixture of surprise and anguish as he was ejected from the portal Raiden forced him into. He flew from the entry point and barreled across the ground a few feet. As he slowly picked himself up and looked around, he realized he had no idea where he was. The landscape looked recognizable enough, as he'd been standing in the middle of a meadow where the sun shone brightly, animals were frolicking in the distance, and the air was fresh and cooling. It seemed as if he'd been sent back to Earthrealm. Just when he was about to make an effort to explore...

"Hello! I've been expecting you," greeted a new voice as its owner approached him. Scorpion turned to see that he was being approached by a tall, white winged unicorn with effervescent, multicolored hair that flowed seemingly in-tune with the breeze. This creature was wearing jewelry and bore a disarming smile that made her seem like she may have been someone of importance.

"Who are you, beast!?" Scorpion hastily asked in alarm, taking a stance of battle. "Do you intend to do battle?"

"At ease, friend. You must be Hanzo Hasashi," the horse-like creature said as she looked him in his pupil-less glowering white eyes. "I am Princess Celestia. I was made aware of your visitation into Equestria by the Gods of universe MK-10892. Apparently, you're here to... Hmm, let's see your transcript here..." the creature known as Princess Celestia trailed off. In an instant, however, her horn began to glow a brilliant gold and within seconds, a sheet of parchment materialized in front of her. "Humility... Patience... Pyromania..."

"What business do you have with me, beast!?" Scorpion rudely asked, never leaving his battle stance due to his wariness.

"...not to mention Manners," Celestia concluded as she made the list she'd been reading disappear as she focused her attention back on the already-irritated ninja. "As I was saying, you're apparently in need of some sort of domestication training. According to the God of Thunder in your world, you have an explosive temper, a dangerous penchant for starting massive fires, and an unhealthy obsession with revenge. My, you're quite the hothead, aren't you?" she joked, incurring the specter's wrath.

"You dare ridicule me!?" Scorpion indignantly shouted as his fists went aflame, thus proving all of Celestia's points in a matter of two seconds. "You will regret your impulsiveness! I challenge you to Mortal Kombat! FIGHT!!" Scorpion charged at Princess Celeatia with murderous intent. Celestia seemed unfazed however, as she expected such hostility, thanks to Raiden's warning. Scorpion tried to punch Celestia in the face, only for her to conjure up a magic shield to block his vicious onslaught. His determination unhindered, Scorpion tried again and again to attack the horse that just injured his pride. However, no matter how hard he fought, he couldn't breach her impregnable magical defenses. So, the reserves of his patience thoroughly dried out, Scorpion tried to teleport punch Celestia. Just before he could reach his target once he got behind her, however, she enveloped him in her aura and suspended him in the air. "What sorcery is this!? Release me this instant, foul creature!" Scorpion demanded as he tried vehemently to free himself by flailing around like a fish out of water.

"And yet, you call ME the beast..." Celestia mused. "Hanzo, calm down. You are here because Raiden thought it necessary for you to take a small vacation from the brutish, barbaric toils of your universe. I will explain further if you agree to stop fighting." Hearing that convinced Scorpion to relax, prompting Princess Celestia to gently put him down.

"Vacation? What is this talk of 'vacations'?" asked a reasonably-out-of-the-loop Scorpion.

"Simply put, Raiden informed me that he was sending you here for today so you'd spend some time learning how to control yourself. Anger Management, if you will."

"Damn that treacherous Thunder God... He will pay for his insolence...!"

"I know you're upset, but the sooner we talk about your assignment, the sooner you can go back home."

"...Elaborate, beast. Where am I? What am I to do in order to return to my realm of origin?"

"My name is Princess Celestia," the royal creature chided. "You are in a magical land known as Equestria. This world, Equestria included, is dominated by what you may know as 'horses' in your world. Here, we call ourselves 'ponies.' As I mentioned before, you are here because, from what information I was given, you need to learn some self-restraint, and Raiden thought there'd be no better place for you to learn such a quality than here. So, as your assignment, you are to tag along with a graceful volunteer and learn everything they have to teach you about patience, consideration, humility, and respect."

"And if I do not comply?" the specter dared to ask.

"Then, by decree of the Elder Gods in your world, your immortal soul is to forever suffer in the deepest, darkest pits of Tartarus, wallowing in unrelenting despair." Scorpion merely shrugged.

"I already know eternal suffering. As you may not know, I am a denizen of my universe's Netherrealm. I am no stranger to torment."

"Ah, but you will also be stripped of your special abilities and forced to become a chew toy for the guardian of Tartartus, named Cerberus." At that, the ninja weighed his options... Be forced to learn how to control himself better with the aid of ponies at the behest of the Elder Gods, or lose his powers and be stranded in this arcane world for eternity as the chew toy for the guardian of this realm's Hell? If his memory served to recall anything given the guardian's name, said guardian was most likely a colossal, ferocious three-headed demon dog.

"...I... accept your challenge," Scorpion complied, although he didn't like the circumstances of his stay in Equestria. However, if he was to return to the world of Kombat to exact his vengeance on Liu Kang and the Elder Gods, he'd obey this strange talking winged horse.

"Good," Celestia commended. "The pony I'm sending you with has graciously volunteered to help you and is very enthusiastic about making new friends. Her name is Pinkie Pie." Hearing the name of his newest comrade sent a wave of dread into the ninja wraith's gut.

"Fine. Take me to this... 'Pinkie Pie,'" Scorpion acquiesced in a tone of high disdain. Nonetheless, Celestia touched a hoof to the hell-spawn's shoulder and with a *POOF*, the two were off...

*POOF* The Princess and the specter instantaneously arrived in front of a structure that seemed to be a giant gingerbread house. Scorpion was notably displeased, as his clenched fist had been engulfed in flame.

"I do not like jokes, equine creature...!" Scorpion spat in annoyance.

"I assure you, this is no joke," Celestia let him know as she approached the door and knocked. Soon enough, another equine creature, much smaller in stature than Celestia and bearing no wings or a horn, answered. The pony was pink in color with hair far too tangled and messy for it to be considered normal by any means.

"Hiya, Princess! Did you bring our new friend?" the pink horse brightly asked.

"That I did, Pinkie. He's right over there," Celestia answered, turning and pointing a hoof at the irritable ninja. Pinkie Pie was instantly enraptured by Scorpion's look and made it known by approaching him without fear. Scorpion, of course, glared fiery death at her, but his glare went unnoticed as Pinkie inspected the ninja with utmost curiosity. She climbed onto him and sat atop his head to get an idea of what he was, which caused the specter to wrathfully try to harm her. He ignited his hands and tried to clamp the mare's head in between them, only to find that he'd hit nothing.

"Wow, you can set your claws on fire?? Neato-Mosquito!" Pinkie complimented, safely on the ground.

"These 'claws' will find your heart, filthy a--!" Scorpion almost warned, his rage building as he approached the space-encroaching pink mare with the intent of strangling her with his spear chain.

"Hanzo!" Celestia shouted, bringing the ninja's attention to her.

"Hanzo is dead! I am Scorpion!" he proclaimed.

"I'll make note of that, but I'll have you know that you are not to harm any of my subjects during your stay here. If I find a hair on any pony out of place and find that you were the cause of it, it's off to Tartarus for you. Understand?"

"...Yes," the demon built up the nerve to calmly say, his rage curbing for the time-being at the mention of his punishment.

"Good. Pinkie Pie, make sure our new friend learns how to handle himself. He's quite the hothead."

"Okie Dokie Lokie, Princess! I won't let you down!" Pinkie confidently assured. With an affirming nod, Princess Celestia charged her horn and within a second, disappeared in a flash of golden light.

"So... Hi!" Pinkie addressed Scorpion. "My name is Pinkie Pie! But you can just call me 'Pinkie'. All my friends do!"

"I have no desire to make your acquaintance, horse woman. I must return to Earthrealm to have my revenge," he coldly informed, hurting Pinkie's feelings.

"Revenge? That's no fun. Holding grudges never makes anypony happy, you know. But you know what does make ponies happy?"

"..." Scorpion said nothing, as he'd already been getting annoyed.

"Partying! And making friends! And baking things! And going on adventures, and..." As Pinkie continued to ramble on about what they could do other than get revenge, Scorpion ran out of patience yet again.

"Enough of your useless prattling, mare! You will teach me how to sublimate my aggression or your soul will burn in an endless swirl of agony and despair!"

"Oh yeah!" Pinkie cheerfully said, being reminded of the task assigned to her. "I was supposed to teach you how to be happy and not such a Sourpuss McRageyPants!" she unwittingly insulted him. Knowing he was not to harm anyone in this strange, horse-ridden world, he steeled his resolve and resisted the urge to stab his comrade to death with the swords sheathed on his back.

"...Fine. What must we do?"

"Well I've got a list of errands to run and judging by what I need to get done today, I think each one is supposed to give you some sort of lesson in... um... what did Princess Celestia say...? Gimme a sec..." she contemplated, scratching her head with a foreleg until a rolled-up sheet of parchment fell from her mane. She picked it up and unfurled it. Scorpion, clueless, impatiently waited for her to explain his tasks to him. The bright, jovial smile on Pinkie's face communicated to him that his wait wouldn't be long.

"...Well, horse woman?"

"Seriously, just call me Pinkie. But yeah, you're supposed to learn humiliation, respect, conspiracies... and pastries!" Scorpion eyed the mare as if she were illiterate, as what she said to him made no sense whatsoever.

"Let me see that," he commanded, prompting Pinkie to give him the parchment. The list was as followed:

Hanzo Hasashi's "Scorpion's" To-Do List:

1. Assist Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres to Understand Patience

2. Help Rarity Find Jewels to Learn Humility

3. Cheer up Scootaloo to Comprehend Consideration & Compassion

4. Spend Quality Time with Pinkie Pie to Gain Respect

Postscript: Failure of Any One of These Tasks Results in Automatic Punishment. In Addition, They Must be Completed Within the Span of 24 Hours, Starting at the Time of His Arrival in Equestria.

Reading the small to-do list made Scorpion instantly burn the parchment in his grasp, as he was infuriated that he'd been commanded to do such namby-pamby deeds in order to fulfill his accomplishments.

"Uh-oh! Looks like somepony had an accident!" Pinkie remarked as she watched the ashes of the list litter the ground. "Good thing I made a spare!" she cheerily informed as she took another sheet of parchment from out of her mane that presumably contained the same writing as the first. "Seeing as you read it for yourself, let's get cracking like some firecrackers, huh?"

"...As you wish... Pinkie..." Scorpion disdainfully acquiesced, as his only hope for escape from this eccentric plane of existence came in the form of a scatterbrained, hyperactive talking horse with colorful balloons branded on her backside.

"That's the spirit, um... Hans... Sorry, what was your name again?"

"I am Scorpion, ninja wraith from the Netherrealm, former member of the Shirai Ryu clan of assassins, embodiment of vengea--!"

"I'll just call you Scorpie!" Pinkie interrupted the demon's monologue. Hearing his new nickname made his eye twitch and a vein protrude ever-so-slightly from his forehead as he growled in contempt, his fists catching fire again. "You should probably do something about that flaming claw thing, Scorpie. That looks like it hurts. Anyway, enough lollygagging! Let's go see Applejack!" With that decree, Pinkie grabbed Scorpion by his flaming appendage and dragged him off with unprecedented strength. It took all the power in him not to rip his own face off and burn this perturbing pony alive where she stood. He had a mission to accomplish, and failure was not an option...

Author's Notes:

Why? Because fuck it, that's why.

Task #1: Patience

As Pinkie and the newly-dubbed 'Scorpie' traversed the humble town of Ponyville together, Scorpion had been drawing in frightful stares from the indigenous townsfolk. Many whispered disparaging things about him in their fear of him, others simply cowered in petrified terror. Considering his hands were still on fire as a result of his seething inherent hatred of everything surrounding him, they may have been right to do so. It didn't help that Pinkie was constantly yapping on about the mundanity of life in Equestria and calling him 'Scorpie.' There was only so much the specter could take before...

"Filthy barn animals!! All of you!! I will scorch your precious town into a pit of smoldering ashes if you--!!" Scorpion snapped.

"Scorpie!" admonished Pinkie Pie. "That is NO way to talk to ponies! And no scorching things into smoldering pits of ashes!"

"These repugnant horses berate and shame me without regard to who I am. Am I not to show them why it is wrong to cross me?"

"No, silly! The townsponies just aren't used to you yet. You gotta give them time to warm up to you. Haven't you ever been somewhere new where nopony recognized you before?" Scorpion thoughtfully pondered this question, actually considering a legitimate answer. It'd been a while since he actually had a casual conversation with anyone.

"Yes. My first day in the Netherrealm after my resurrection, in fact."

"How'd it go?"

"At first... it was unpleasant. However, I soon demonstrated to the denizens of Hell exactly why they should dare not trifle with me."

"Oh?" Pinkie naively asked, seeming not to catch that he mentioned that he was resurrected in the pits of Hell. "How?"

"Some, I merely beat to death with my bare hands. Others, I mercilessly drowned in the Lake of Fire. A select few met their gruesome ends by way of me driving my spear through their heads and decapitating them. On a special occasion, I'd slice them to bits with my swords and bathe in the blood of my victims. There are numerous way to slaughter those who defy me. Of course, my favored method of killing is--!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, Scorpie!" Pinkie stopped him, feeling a bit sick. "I asked you how you get comfortable in a new place. Not how you used to do bad stuff to ponies!"

"You will refrain from addressing me by that name or else you will join the tortured souls of the Netherrealm in unrelenting anguish!" Scorpion chided, getting angrier.

"Ah ah ahh~! Princess Celestia said if you do any bad stuff here, you're going to get punished. Take a chill pill, Scorps!" Speechless and checkmated, the livid ninja refrained from digging into Pinkie Pie and tearing her head off with his bare hand.

"You are fortunate that I cannot murder you, horse woman, for you are becoming almost as perpetual a nuisance as Sub-Zero...!" Scorpion muttered in contempt.

"Ooh, look! We made it!" Pinkie pointed forward, seeming not to hear Scorpion's violent threat to kill her as they approached what seemed to be a homestead rife with apple trees. The two entered the farm through the front gate, where they met with an orange mare with blonde hair that was wearing a cowboy hat and had a branding of apples on her backside. This sight only confused Scorpion further. Were there NO normal horses in this world?

"Howdy, Pinkie Pie!" the mare greeted before noticing the foreboding figure standing next to her; his eyes completely white and filled with aggression and his hands ablaze as if he'd been holding lit matches. "What in tarnation...? Who is this??? Where'd ya find this... this thing?? What is 'e??" Of course, the farm mare's reasonable curiosity earned her a death stare from the golden-garbed bug warrior, causing her to gulp in fright.

"This is the help I said I was going to bring to you today, Applejack!" Pinkie nonchalantly, yet cheerfully informed her friend. Of course, Pinkie got an incredulous stare from the farm pony.

"*sigh* Doggone it, I KNEW I shoulda asked Twilight instead..." Applejack shook her head in disappointment, mentally kicking herself for trusting Pinkie Pie. "Did she have somethin' t' do with this?"

"Nopey-dopey! Princess Celestia asked me to watch over him so he would learn not to be so angry at everything to the point that he wants to burn Ponyville to the ground without even finding out if he likes it here or not! If you didn't notice already, Scorpie here is a bit of a Grumpy Grump. We're working on it by having him make some friends while he helps me run errands." Pinkie turned to the demon. "Go ahead and introduce yourself, Scorpie!"

"My name is SCORPION, you insufferable cur!!" Scorpion shouted, alarming Applejack, but surprisingly doing nothing to startle Pinkie.

"You might wanna work on your tone of voice there, buddy. At least we've gotten somewhere, though. You'll be reformed in no time at this rate! Hoof pound!" the mare requested, oblivious to the fact that the fire surrounding Scorpion's hands had amplified in intensity as he thought of various ways to brutally eviscerate the irksome mare. Despite this, he was relieved to get an inkling of the idea that this would be easier than he thought. So, he extinguished flames in his hands, but didn't take Pinkie's friendly offer.

"So... Scorpion, huh? Ma name's Applejack. Where ya from?" Applejack had the nerve to ask, making evident her rural accent in the process.

"I hail from the depths of the Netherrealm, plane of eternal suffering and home to lost, tortured souls," the wraith casually answered, thus frightening Applejack further.

"...Er, I reckon yer... from Tartarus, then...?"

"It is a safe enough bet to assume we speak of the same place, albeit under differing names."

"...Rrrrright..." Applejack uneasily nodded. "Ma stars an' garters, where does Pinkie FIND these crazy characters...?" she mumbled to herself. "Jus' last month, she brought in some weirdo in a jumpsuit an' a hockey mask that carried a machete an' did nothin' but scare the livin' daylights outta Apple Bloom..."

"You are contemplating," Scorpion said, hearing Applejack's soliloquy, thus shaking her out of her train of thought. "Is it about me?"

"*AHEM* Kinda... I jus' don't know ya all that well, but ya look strong so I uh... I figure ya'd be a good help t' the farm." Scorpion merely stared at her, his constantly-angry glare never faltering. "Anyway, er... Nice t' meet ya, pardner."

"Likewise, horse wom-- Awgh!" Pinkie jabbed Scorpion in the shin, causing him to stare hot death at her.

"We have names, silly! Stop with this 'horse woman' mumbo-jumbo! Her name is Applejack! Say it with me now! Aaaa-Plllle Jaaaa-ck."

"Were it not for my arrangement to be here, you would be the first to die by my hand. Your death would be slow and excruciating," Scorpion threatened.

"Glad you see it my way!" Pinkie agreed for no reason at all before turning to Applejack. "You might wanna be careful around Scorpie, A.J. He's a little shy, so he doesn't know how to express himself very well. He's also a little sensitive, so go easy on the poor fella if he gives you a hard time." Scorpion was very close to cutting Pinkie in half with one of his swords; to the point where he'd caught himself reaching for one with his left hand, which he contemptuously clenched into a fist before resting it at his side.

"I don't reckon 'shy' is the right word for it..." Applejack observed.

"What word WOULD be right then, horse woman?" Scorpion asked, his tone aggressive, causing Applejack to purse her lips shut for fear of agitating the hell-spawn.

"Okay, A.J., when are getting started?" Pinkie asked in an effort to curb the mounting tension.

"Now, actually..." A.J. uncertainly answered, bewildered by the being Pinkie Pie presumably dragged from pony Hell to help them. "Lemme take y'all where I need ya t' be..." and with that, the three commenced their task.

"Scorpion?" beckoned Applejack as they strolled into a field of apple trees.

"What do you request of me, Applejack?" Scorpion inquired, actually managing to use the farm pony's name to address her.

"You familiar with apple buckin'?"

"I am afraid not. Is it part of my reformation training?" A.J. shot him a look of befuddlement, but was careful not to let the expression linger for fear of agitating her assistant further.

"Er, sure, I guess. Anyway, what I need y'all t' do is kick these here trees t' make the apples fall out of 'em int' these baskets."

"Is that all? That hardly seems a daunting task, as ridiculous as it sounds."

"It ain't as easy as it looks, pardner. Try for yerself." Taking up Applejack's challenge, Scorpion approached the nearest tree and gave it a mighty roundhouse kick.

"HAH!!" *CRACK* The ninja sent the poor, unsuspecting thing flying off into the distance like a football, thus flabbergasting his partner. Applejack could only hope that tree didn't land on some unsuspecting pony or their home... "How was that?"

"Um... Not quite what I meant. I only need ya t' make the apples fall down; not the whole darn tree," A.J. informed, trying not to sound upset that Scorpion had done damage to her merchandise. Nevertheless, Applejack approached another tree and demonstrated how apple bucking actually worked. Scorpion was a little shocked to see that she'd done no visible damage to the tree's trunk, yet made every fruit it bore fall into the baskets down below.

"I see. You calculate how much power you use before delivering a precise, expertly-aimed attack to the trunk in order to garner the results you seek," Scorpion theorized, catching on quickly.

"Sounds about right, Scorps. Can I call ya 'Scorps'?" At Applejack's request, Scorpion scowled... or at least, he would've had it not been for his mask hiding most of his face. Still, the message came across clearly when his eyes narrowed at the innocent hardworking pony.

"Not unless you would enjoy walking around with a sword plunged deeply into your abdomen...!" he warned. "The foolish pink one is already testing my patience. Do not join her."

"Noted," A.J. frightfully agreed. "Good luck to ya," she added before swiftly leaving him to his portion of the acres to work with. It was here that Scorpion would learn his first attribute of self-restraint: patience. He began by trying to gauge his strength before testing his might against the trees. If he was to garner the same results as the pony he was helping, he was not to use his full power to kick the trees. This proved no easy task, however...

*SNAP* Scorpion inadvertently sent his next tree tumbling down. He would not give up in mastering the art of apple bucking, however. He tried again and again, trying to find the necessary amount of power to pull off a successful buck. However, nothing he was doing seemed to be working. Sometimes, he'd used too much strength, which would either send the tree flying miles away or toppling down. Other times, he'd use too little strength and whether or not he made any apples fall, he'd hurt his foot. He'd been at this for as little as 15 minutes before...

"DAMN THIS ACCURSED TECHNIQUE!!" He yelled, whipping out his swords in preparation to slice apart every tree in sight. "I will show you to disobey me, insubordinate fruit!!"

"Scorpie!!" a voice called to him. Before he could question it, a pink blob fell from the tree he was about to tear into pieces of fruit-bearing lumber. "You gotta relax! I hate to say it, but you're not doing a very good job so far. You're ruining Applejack's farm! At this rate, you're gonna fail your test!" Hearing this news made Scorpion sheathe his blades in pensive thought. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.

"Tell me, Pinkie. What am I to do?"

"Believe me, I know apple bucking isn't easy. I still don't know how to do it very well myself. But a quick word of advice when you're mad: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and once you're all calm, try again."

"I... I will," he agreed with a nod as he clasped his hands together in such a way that only his thumbs, index, and middle fingers were sticking up while the others were interlocked with one another. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath to relieve himself of his self-imposed tension.

"Good boy! Now I'm off to finish my part of the field before checking up on you, okay?" Scorpion wordlessly nodded. "Okie dokie! Don't you go doing any more bad stuff." And with that, she bounced off in glee, humming to herself as she went along. Soon, Scorpion was left alone again to redouble his efforts to complete his task. Remembering Pinkie's words, he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together once again after approaching the next tree. He took a few deep breaths in preparation when he heard...

"TEST YOUR STRIKE!" commanded that same ethereal booming voice from nowhere. Seeming to be unfazed, Scorpion prepared to strike the tree. He envisioned some sort of meter that accurately measured how much strength he needed in relation to how focused he was. Each breath he took would bolster his resolve to land the perfect strike. He had to be careful not to take too many breaths, however, or he'd fail. Within a few seconds, Scorpion synchronized his mind and body and with a calculated attack...

"YAWW!" *THUMP* He did it. He'd landed the perfect strike. He saw the fruits of his efforts (no pun intended) rain down into the baskets set below the tree's branches. As an added bonus, he saw that he did no damage to the tree's trunk. He looked up to inspect how thorough a job he'd done and all seemed well... until he caught a glimpse of one tantalizing apple, still hanging from a branch as if to mock the ninja for his ineptitude. The sight of this made Scorpion's temper boil over like a tea kettle from Hell.

"You DARE mock me!!?" the ninja cried in frustration as he drew a sword and sliced clean through the tree, sending it hurtling into the ground. As if that weren't enough, he raised his hands as they caught fire, causing the tree he'd just chopped down to instantaneously engulf in hellfire and burn to smithereens. As soon as he did this, however, he realized that he needed not only to master Applejack's sacred technique, but also to retain the patience necessary to do so. With that, he shook his head to curb his wrath, performed another breathing exercise, and moved on to the next tree, keeping in mind not to lose his temper again for fear of his punishment. Of course, he walked away not knowing that he didn't extinguish the embers burning so subtly on a nearby patch of grass.

Eventually, with much perseverance and careful calculation, Scorpion mastered the elusive apple buck technique. He, Pinkie, and Applejack met up just outside of the orange mare's home after they'd spent the last two hours or so clearing the trees of apples, carrying buckets of apples with them.

"Thanks fer yer help, y'all," Applejack gratefully thanked her friend and the ninja. "I honestly didn't think we'd pull it off so quick, but we did it... whew!"

"No problem, A.J.!" Pinkie assured. "With me and Scorpie on the case, there's no room for failure!"

"Y'all are tellin' me..." she gratefully responded before turning her attention to Scorpion. "I'm glad ya could tag along t' help, Scorpion. Ya might seem a bit rough around the edges, but I can tell yer a good pony... or whatever you are..." Just as A.J. finished her sentiments, she caught scent of something. She sniffed into the air as the stench grew stronger. It wasn't long before she noticed a menacing cloud of smoke billowing into the sky. "What in tarnation...? There a fire somewhere?"

"APPLEJACK!!" cried another rural voice from the distance. "THERE'S A FIRE IN THE SOUTH FIELD!! COME QUICK!! AND BRING SOME WATER!!"

"Oh ma stars!!!" Applejack screamed in horror as she bolted off toward the direction the distress call was coming from. After she departed, Pinkie put two and two together and eyed Scorpion.

"Scorpie... You were in the South Field. You don't have anything to do with that... do you?" she asked, suspecting him to be the culprit.

"Of course not. I currently have no reason to raze this primitive prairie into oblivion," he lied. He thought back to when he set that tree ablaze out of frustration and quickly made the judgment that he unwittingly started the wildfire Applejack was now responsible for putting out. Knowing that might have jeopardized his chances, he chose to bend the truth a little. "I spent my time learning to be patient and from there, I mastered Applejack's sacred technique."

"Alright!!" Pinkie cheered as she leapt up to hug the dishonest specter. She squeezed him so tightly that she'd inadvertently choked him, forcing him to teleport out of her grasp. "Nice job, Scorpie!" Scorpion was tempted to mouth off to the party pony for her disregard toward his wishes not to be called 'Scorpie,' but refrained from doing so to prove that he'd not be so easily perturbed as a result of him learning to be patient.

"...Right. Onward to the next task, then," Scorpion calmly ordered.

"Ooh, aren't we eager? Alright, let's go! Onward, to the Carousel Boutique!" Pinkie announced, again taking Scorpion by the hand and dragging him off...

Author's Notes:

Hanzo Hasashi's "Scorpion's" To-Do List:

1. Assist Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres to Understand Patience

2. Help Rarity Find Jewels to Learn Humility

3. Cheer up Scootaloo to Comprehend Consideration & Compassion

4. Spend Quality Time with Pinkie Pie to Gain Respect

One Down, Three to Go!

Task #2: Humility

After Scorpion successfully burned down a sizable portion of Sweet Apple Acres learned how to temper his aggression by learning the meaning of patience, he and Pinkie Pie were on their way to meet with another one of the pink pony's friends for their next task. It wouldn't take very long for Scorpie and Pinkie to make their journey to the Carousel Boutique, but Scorpion, even with his newly-refined sense of patience, was of course irritated when he scoured the environment to see nothing but extravagantly dolled-up buildings that very nearly provoked the ninja to roast the entire town from the bottom up in a hellish inferno if it meant soothing his anger. He couldn't, however, as he had a mission that prevented him from doing so. The inane decadence of just about every aspect of this heinous world of girly candy-colored horses was working his nerves to no conceivable end. His insufferable "vacation" was only made worse by the fact that his only ally in this entire realm was a loquacious bouncing pink horse he wanted OH-SO badly to slaughter just to shut her up.

"This... entire world..." Scorpion began, unsure of what words to choose next. "Is... everything this...?"

"Spectacularly, glamorously, awesomely awesome?? You bet your sweet apples everything is this way!" Pinkie jubilantly answered, inadvertently reminding Scorpion of his most recent blunder. "How do you like it so far?"

"'Like'?" Scorpion scoffed. "I would prefer to relive my final moments before my death at the hands of Sub-Zero," he remarked, clearly not finding enjoyment in his tour of Ponyville.

"That reminds me, Scorpie..."

"Call me that again and my blades will find refuge impaled into your entrails...!" Scorpion REALLY didn't like Pinkie's nickname for him, although she didn't acknowledge his many, MANY brutish objections.

"You're from Tartarus or something like that, right?"

"...Yes."

"How'd you wind up there?"

"You are certain you would like to hear of how I entered the Netherrealm?" he asked, curious about her interest in him despite him doing nothing but threatening to mutilate her as they journeyed together.

"Of course! You're my friend! It'd be nice to get to know you a little better!" she informed, smiling with naive joy at the hell-spawn. Pinkie's perpetual signs of intrigue in Scorpion struck a chord with him. He had not been addressed as 'friend' since some time before he met his violent end at the hands of a different ninja who had the power to control ice, aptly named Sub-Zero. Since his rebirth in Hell, he'd only been known as 'servant,' 'demon,' and on rare occasions, ''roid-raged asshole' (a name once given to him by a certain movie star-turned Earthrealm defender).

"...I was murdered in cold blood," he confessed, causing Pinkie to gasp.

"Whaaaaaaa??? Who would want to do such a terrible, horrific, unfriendly thing like that to someone as sweet and lovable as you??" Scorpion's hatred of Pinkie Pie dwindled a little, but he still would find enjoyment in watching her writhe in scorching agony as she burned to death. However, she'd begun having a strange effect on him. The effect was unfamiliar in its quality. He was struck speechless by Pinkie's friendly words as he stared at her. "Aww, it's okay if you don't wanna talk about it, Scorpie... I know you're still a little shy about showing your feelings," she consoled him as she jumped up to hug him. Instantly, Scorpion's wrath returned as he was ready to take Pinkie by the neck and set her ablaze as he clutched her choking mortal husk in the palm of his burning hand. He would not get that opportunity, however, as they'd arrived in front of another hideously-overdecorated building. Pinkie happily released Scorpion from her love grip and bounced to the door of the establishment.

"Helloooooo! Rarity!" Pinkie sang as she knocked on the door. Within mere seconds, the door opened to unsurprisingly reveal yet another one of these abominable mutant horses. This one in particular, however, had a horn adorned on its head, meaning that it was a unicorn. It also seemed substantially less intolerable to look at as the rest, as it appeared to be one who enjoyed dolling itself up.

"Good afternoon, Pinkie Pie! So pleasant for you to drop by," the mannerly alabaster mare greeted. "I assume you've brought the help I needed since Spike couldn't tag along?"

"Yuppers! He's standing right behind me!" Pinkie answered as she showed Rarity the to the menacing ninja. As expected, the fancy indigo-haired mare's jaw dropped in a mix of shock and horror as she laid eyes on Scorpion. It took a second before the mare regained her composure and, with unprecedented mettle, approached him, albeit VERY warily. She was reasonably frightened like a mouse who'd just come across a house cat from the bowels of Hell.

"Er... H-how do you do...?" Rarity fearfully stuttered. "I-I am R-Rarity... Um... Oh dear, excuse me... I-I am a little..."

"...scared?" Scorpion finished for her to her surprise, though his unwavering death glare did nothing to soothe her fear of him.

"...To be honest, good sir... very..."

"It is understandable," he curtly replied.

"Aw, don't be scared of good ol' Scorpie, Rarity! He's harmless!" Pinkie unwittingly dared to call him by that wretched name again...

"You will halt your reckless tongue, pink horse woman, or I will tear your lungs out and feed them to the hell hounds!" Scorpion predictably threatened, thus completely appalling Rarity. So much for a first impression...

"Aww, Scorpie... I love you, too..." she affectionately responded, blissfully unaware that Scorpion just threatened to kill her again. She once again encroached upon his personal space by hugging him, causing him to growl in seething contempt as his hands lit up again. He reached to grab the pink nuisance and throw her face-first into the dirt, but the second his hand made contact with her lower back... "Wow, your claw thingies are so warm! Like, a pleasant sunbathing kind of warm..." she cooed as she snuggled into him. At this point, Scorpion's patience was running thinner than a sheet of paper as his skin had begun to redden with hatred. How badly he wanted to end this mare's life in the slowest, most violent fashion he could imagine... but he couldn't. He couldn't even punch her in the mouth to shut her trap without being reprimanded. Instead, he stood there motionless, allowing Pinkie to finish out her awful hug before jumping down to notice Rarity's petrified and outright baffled facial expression.

"...S-so your name is Scorpie?" Rarity mistakenly pressed the 'Scorpie' button...

"RAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Scorpion roared in rage as his entire body was ignited in flames. He whipped out his chain-linked kunai knife and proceeded to rush toward the now-terrified diamond-branded mare before he realized that carving the innocent pony into giblets with his knife would likely earn him a one-way ticket to Tartarus. Rarity was lucky, as the knife was prodding ever so gently on her windpipes. Plus, if he were to murder Rarity, Scorpion would've gone back a step in his training. Nevertheless, Scorpion subdued the flames, put the knife away, stood upright, and went through another breathing exercise before articulating an actually reasonable response. "No. I am Scorpion."

Of course, Rarity said nothing, as she was aghast and frozen in sheer terror at the fact that Scorpion was about to kill her for mistaking his name, which she didn't even know before the incident.

"It is... a pleasure to make your acquaintance, elusive one..." he said, mistaking her name as some sort of description of her. Of course, Rarity was much too afraid to do anything, as she hadn't recovered. If anything, she'd begun to weep in aggregate fear as she curled up into a pitiful ball on the ground.

"Scorpie... I think you should apologize to her. You hurt her feelings..." Pinkie somberly informed him.

"Why should I? I have done nothing to harm her."

"Yes you did... You scared the living confetti out of her. That's why she's crying right now. That wasn't very nice. Say you're sorry." Pinkie's accusation infuriated the specter.

"I have done nothing!" Scorpion vehemently defended. "Were it not for you referring to me by that insipid name, she would not be sullying the ground with her pathetic tears!"

"Just say you're sorry!" Pinkie yelled, losing her patience. "It goes in tune with what you were supposed to learn from helping Rarity, anyway!"

"And if I refuse...?"

"Then you're going to enjoy losing your powers and being fed to Cerberus, Scorpion!" a regal voice admonished from the sky. The two mares and the ninja looked up to see another humanoid creature flying down at a high velocity. The being soon landed with a voluminous *BOOM* of his feet on the ground.

"Raiden...?" Scorpion muttered as he turned to face the Elder God responsible for banishing him to Equestria.

"I have come to check on your progress. It seems you still have a ways to go before you are to return to our world, Scorpion. Have you learned nothing?" the Thunder God inquired. Though Scorpion would love nothing more than to slash Raiden into pieces with his swords and incinerate his remains as he did that tree on the presumably-charred remnants of Sweet Apple Acres, Scorpion realized that showing any hostility toward him would terminate his mission.

"...I have learned to be patient," he calmly objected, trying to hide his obvious anger.

"Well then... That is good. However, your most recent mistake of upsetting this mare in conjunction with your stern refusal to apologize to her proves to me that you are not yet ready. Only when you master the remaining qualities of self-restraint may you return."

"...You will pay for wasting my time, dastardly Thunder God..." Scorpion mumbled under his breath. Seeming not to hear him, Raiden approached Rarity, knelt down and caressed her cutesy little pony face with a hand.

"I apologize for the brashness of my associate here. He merely lacks conventional social skills, but he should hopefully come around." Scorpion growled at Raiden's blunt insult as the blood in him came to a boil.

"Understood," Rarity nodded, awed by the presence of Raiden, yet still upset at Scorpion. "What shall I do if he intends to harm me like he almost did?"

"Merely shout the word 'Kombat' and I will send you some reliable assistance," he informed. "That goes for you too, Pinkie Pie. I know his words to you haven't been the kindest."

"Okie dokie lokie, Mr. Thunder Guy! Say, you wouldn't happen to know Princess Celestia, would you?" Pinkie curiously asked.

"I do, in fact. She and I are the reasons Scorpion is embarking on this journey for self-restraint. Now if you'll excuse me, Fujin and I are in the midst of a chess game that will decide the fate of a particularly-sinful city in Earthrealm..." and with that bizarre confession, Raiden disappeared in a flash of lightning.

"Who was that??" Pinkie Pie asked in astonishment.

"Raiden...!" Scorpion spat, his desire for vengeance growing.

"Raiden...? That's a weird name... So he's the guy that sent you here, huh?"

"That he is. In any case, I am ready for my next assignment, Pinkie," he affirmed before turning to Rarity, who'd been done crying, yet still looked a bit disheartened. "You. You seem to be finished crying. Shall we assist you in your mission?" Rarity pouted at Scorpion's rudeness, but was still very afraid of him.

"Yes," she simply replied, clearly still upset. "The sooner we get this over with, the better." Scorpion read the coarseness in her tone, but did not know what to make of it. Still, Rarity went into her home to fetch a bucket and before long, the three jewel hunters soon departed to complete the next task...

The three had arrived in a wide open, empty field away from the town that was largely devoid of grass or any form of plant or animal life. The area appeared desolate, given that there were no civilized structures in immediate sight and there were rock formations of various sizes around the landscape. Scorpion pondered how they would be looking for anything relating to jewelry in the midst of some barren badlands.

"What is this...? How are we to find your jewelry in this desolate wasteland, elusive one?" Scorpion addressed Rarity, who had still been upset from their altercation earlier. Rather than speak to him, she simply charged up her horn. Its translucent blue glow soon highlighted the ground as she began to search their immediate surroundings as if she were a living metal detector redesigned to find shiny rocks. Scorpion and Pinkie followed suit until she came across a pile of rubies buried beneath the rocky earth.

"Dig," Rarity coolly commanded as she turned to Scorpion, though her voice was dripping with contempt. Her command befuddled the ninja.

"Why do you not fulfill this task yourself? You appear to harness the ability to locate your target objects on your own."

"Hmph. Hooves as delicate as mine are not suited for digging. I am a lady." Scorpion found her tone irksome and condescending, but he sort of understood. With that, he turned to Pinkie Pie.

"Will you be assisting me, Pinkie?"

"Sorry, Scorpie. I can't," she plainly denied. "I have to keep my hooves clean for later. Plus, I've got a really bad history when it comes to working with rocks, so coming back to it makes me a little sad..." Her reasoning made little sense, but Scorpion, being the astute warrior he was, knew to expect a challenge. So, with a perturbed sigh, he raised his hand as some arcane orange aura other than fire surrounded it, causing the spot Rarity was highlighting to erupt in flames. The sight startled Rarity yet again, whereas Pinkie was merely impressed.

"Oooh, wowie-zowie! Nice trick, Scorpie!!" the bubbly mare commended, much to the specter's chagrin.

"Oh, how I would relish ripping your throat out with my spear, you obnoxious little wretch...!" Scorpion mumbled as he and the two mares accompanying him looked into the hole he created, only to find the treasure scorched beyond all usability. The formerly-crimson jewels were blackened, smoldering piles of dust. Rarity was not pleased.

"Oh, no!! You've ruined my rubies!" she shouted, appalled at the demon's shoddy excavation work. She groaned in annoyance. "What kind of help are you, anyway?"

"You will watch your tone with me, horse woman. I am not to be trifled with," he warned, his fists catching fire.

"That sort of attitude will provoke me to call in the assistance your handler generously provided for me," she stood up to him, having no tolerance for his unwarranted rudeness and having faith in Raiden's promise.

"You dare speak back to me, you hideous quadruped!?" Scorpion's rage intensified as he drew one of his swords. Rarity and Pinkie were alarmed he would be provoked to pull out a weapon on them for a simple argument. Rarity was especially shocked that he called her 'hideous.'

"You insufferable brute! You actually have the nerve to threaten a mare?? What kind of abominable, vile creature are you??"

"You will cease your irreverent derision or I will introduce you to the fire of the Netherrealm!!" he shouted, seeming ready to fight. He finally lost his temper. He'd already forgotten that harming any ponies would result in his eternal punishment taking place. Luckily...

"KOMBAT!!" Rarity yelled to the heavens. Instantly, with a crackling *CRASH* of lightning, another humanoid creature was spawned near them. The warrior donned a red headband, black pants with a sash around his waist that bore a menacing golden dragon symbol, and golden spiked wrist guards.

"You!!" Scorpion spat, his grudge against the warrior holding strong.

"I heard you were being reprimanded for your crimes against my brethren, demon. It comes as no surprise that I have to stop you from destroying another world." Rarity and Pinkie were shocked at the sight of Liu Kang. They were even more shocked to see that he and Scorpion were about to fight (again).

"Excuse me, kind sir..." Rarity addressed her security guard. "May I... ask who you are...?" she requested, notably wary about approaching him.

"I am Liu Kang, my friend," the Shaolin monk introduced himself as he knelt down to shake Rarity's hoof. Seeming to trust him, she welcomed the gesture. "I was told that I'd be of assistance to you should Scorpion get out of hand. What seems to be the problem?"

"That horrifying brute has been inconsiderate, impertinent, insubordinate, and outright nasty to me since the moment we met!" Rarity complained. "He has threatened my friend and I on numerous occasions, drawn a dangerous weapon against us, and has ruined an especially enticing supply of rubies! The worst part of it all is that he isn't even sorry for anything he's done! He arrogantly assumes we're wrong for being upset with his horrendous behavior!"

"I see..." Liu Kang nodded, comprehending Rarity's numerous complaints. After a moment of thought, he stood and faced Scorpion. "You seem to have offended these two, er... um..." he turned to Rarity. "Excuse me, but... what exactly are you?"

"We are ponies, my good extraterrestrial bodyguard. Mares, to be exact." Hearing this news took Liu Kang by surprise, but he understood once he got a good look at Pinkie and Rarity (despite the fact that they looked nothing like horses in Earthrealm).

"Ah, okay..." He nodded again, turning back to Scorpion. "You seem to have offended these two mares, Scorpion. Apologize to them," he demanded.

"You are in NO place to give ME orders, monk! Your meddlesome interference with my quest will cost you your life!!" he sternly refused.

"*sigh* I knew it would come to this..." he mumbled as he did a few minor warm-up stretches.

"What must you do to tame him?" Rarity asked.

"If reason doesn't work, then I will have no choice but to do battle with him," he answered as he prepared himself, alarming Pinkie.

"You're not gonna hurt him, are you? I know he seems really mean and angry all the time, but that's because nopony understands him!" Pinkie reasoned, unwilling to see her friend in pain.

"I... cannot make any promises," Liu Kang said, unable to comprehend how Pinkie could call Scorpion her 'friend.' Still, Pinkie Pie turned to the ninja specter, hoping to get him to calm down.

"It isn't too late, Scorpie! Maybe if you apologi--!"

"FIGHT!!" commanded the mysterious announcer voice. Pinkie's plea fell on deaf ears as Scorpion, at the mention of his nickname and the behest of the disembodied announcer man, had aggressively launched into battle.

He and the monk were ensnared in a heated series of expertly-executed punches and kicks, wherein the two were exchanging blow for blow with no signs of relent. Eventually, Liu Kang backed off and as Scorpion pursued him, the headbanded fighter's arms engulfed in flame as he struck a pose. Scorpion swung a sword at Liu Kang, only for him to vanish in a flash of fire.

"YA-KA-KODEH!!" *THUMP* "Awrgh!" Scorpion was propelled forward a little and brought to his knees as Liu Kang reappeared behind him and delivered a devastating punch to the specter's lower back while spouting more childish falsetto gibberish. Not one to be outdone yet again, Scorpion disappeared in his own flash of fire. Liu Kang had fallen victim to this once before, so he was prepared as he turned around... or so he thought.

*SKSH* "AGH!" Liu Kang was caught off guard as Scorpion had implanted his spear firmly into his back after luring him into a trap.

"COME 'ERE!!" the demon bellowed as he once again victimized Liu Kang with his signature move. Scorpion was intent on making the monk pay for defeating him before. He drew both of his swords and brought them hammering down on Kang's shoulders, inexplicably making him bounce high into the air. Scorpion followed up by jumping and kicking the monk before grabbing him and throwing him to the ground. Liu Kang was surprised at Scorpion's technique, but he was far from done. He rushed the specter, prompting him to teleport. Scorpion appeared behind Liu Kang and attempted to strike from behind. The Shaolin warrior anticipated this and delivered a powerful backhanded fist to Scorpion's face (while screaming like a hyperactive child, of course) sending him stumbling back in pain. While the ninja was stunned, Liu Kang ran up to him.

"DOPAPOYOPADOOOAAH!!!" Liu Kang shouted, seeming to try out his impression of a turkey as he delivered a devastating butterfly kick. Scorpion's head was almost brought into the rocky terrain from the sheer force of one of Liu Kang's deadliest techniques. Just before he fully recovered, however...

*CRRACKK* Liu Kang followed up with an earth-shattering uppercut to Scorpion's jaw, sending the ninja hurtling into the sky as he cried in pain. As he came back down, Liu Kang thrust his leg upward, the bottom of his kung fu shoe colliding hard with another cringe-worthy *CRACK* into Scorpion's chin, sending the specter flying once more before he fell flat on the ground on his back.

"Give up now, Scorpion! You cannot win this battle," Liu Kang suggested as the ninja gingerly recovered from the terrifying experience that should have shattered his jaw into a thousand pieces. Scorpion would hear none of it, as his rage was beyond its peak.

"You damn mortal...! I will rip your beating heart from your chest!!" Scorpion yelled as he ripped off his mask, revealing that he had no face; in the place of an actual human-like visage, a frightening skull that caught fire the instant his mask came off. "BURN, FOOLISH MONK!!" In unadulterated anger, Scorpion proceeded to release a torrent of fire breath all over the place, putting the two spectating ponies at risk. Liu Kang, attentive to his surroundings, was quick to dodge the erratic blasts of oral hellfire as he grabbed Pinkie and Rarity and dove out of the way. Seeing this, for some reason, halted Scorpion from continuing his pyromaniac assault.

"Scorpie, stop!!" Pinkie called as she was being held under one of Liu Kang's arms, seeming to be on the verge of tears. "You don't have to keep doing this! You're already hurt and angry and if you keep fighting, you're gonna fail your test and get punished!" she sniffled and wiped her eyes as she fought her inexplicably-overwhelming sadness at seeing Scorpion so upset that he'd try to kill someone. "Please stop...! I don't want to see you so mad that you'd hurt somepony by roasting them like a marshmallow that stole your lunch..." Scorpion was stricken by Pinkie's sentiment as he froze. He was reminded of his mission, but for some strange reason, that wasn't the only thing keeping him from attacking. With great resolve, Scorpion once again practiced his breathing exercise, thus extinguishing the flames surrounding his clearly-visible skull.

"You... you are right," Scorpion said, much to the surprise of the monk and Rarity as he put his mask (and his face) back on. "I concede," he added as he took a bow to notify that he'd regained his sense of reason. Seeing this display of humility prompted Liu Kang to set the two mares down.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Liu Kang, sir..." Rarity smiled cutely as she thanked her bodyguard.

"Call me 'Liu'," he respectfully replied, taking a bow to acknowledge the white unicorn mare's courtesy. "What may I call you?"

"I am Rarity," she introduced herself. "My friend's name is Pinkie Pie. It was a pleasure making your acquaintance."

"Likewise, Rarity," he replied before taking a look at a now-docile and catatonic Scorpion. "It seems my work here is done... for now. Do not be afraid to summon me again should another problem arise." With that, Liu Kang took a few steps away from the ponies and took another bow before disappearing in another flash of lightning, leaving the three jewel hunters to their task. The two mares approached the ninja, who'd been standing in silence as he was approached.

"Are you okay, Scorpie?" Pinkie asked, which would have provoked him to threaten her life once more had it not been for his contemplation of why he stopped fighting at Pinkie's behest.

"...I am fine," he dismissed before turning to Rarity. "Elusive one..."

"Rarity is my name," she corrected.

"Rarity... I... I apologize," he managed to say despite barely being able to. Apologizing for ANYTHING was normally not in Scorpion's modus operandi, as he'd never made any mistakes... at least, not ones he'd openly acknowledge as mistakes. His sense of pride wouldn't let him most of the time.

"Oh my! Um... for what, exactly?" she asked, wanting to know if he meant it. Unsurprisingly, this irritated the hell-spawn as he growled in frustration that his apology wasn't immediately taken.

"Do not test me," he bluntly stated. "I said I apologize." At that, Rarity merely scoffed.

"Hmph... Well, I suppose that's as good as it's going to get with someone like you... Fine, I accept your apology. But please, no more of this talk of maiming or bringing torment upon ponies. It's very frightening..." Scorpion immediately wanted to drive one of his swords through her throat for her reckless demands, but if he was to learn the concept of humility, he would first have to learn how not to lose his temper so quickly. His lessons of patience he'd learned from Applejack were absolutely necessary in accomplishing this task.

"I... I will comply..." he obediently stated after taking a deep breath. "Shall we continue with our mission?" he asked, wanting to get things moving along.

"Yes, let's." With that, Scorpion, Pinkie, and Rarity continued their search for jewels...

"I appreciate the help, Mr. Scorpion," Rarity thanked the ninja as they arrived back at the Carousel Boutique. "I especially appreciate how... persuasive you were when those diamond dogs attacked us..." she added, levitating the bucket full of fine jewelry into her abode.

"The repulsive, obnoxious hounds will think twice before laying their claws upon you again..." He replied, adjusting his new and authentic fur scarf.

"That's great and all," Pinkie Pie began. "...But did you REALLY have to skin them alive with that knife thingy?"

"It was necessary in bestowing upon them the lessons I learned about humility."

"What about the one you set on fire and dragged into the ground?"

"I did not drag him into the ground; I dragged him into the Netherrealm where he will know eternal suffering and endless torture for his foolish attempt at pilfering one of my swords."

"And the one you angrily and belligerently stabbed to death with your sword?" Rarity dared to question, although she feared the response.

"...He reminded me of someone I despise..." he hinted, glaring at Pinkie Pie, who mirthfully giggled as if she didn't get the message.

"Aww, you're such a kidder, Scorpie!" she obliviously said as she jumped to hug him again. He was of course, disfavoring of this invasion of his personal boundaries.

"If you do not wish to become an article of clothing I would have to massacre to obtain, you will release me this instant!" he threatened. He... still had some work to do on minimizing his incessant urge to kill Pinkie Pie. In any case, she nuzzled into him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"I'm proud of you and the progress you're making, Scorpie..." she informed him in a sweet, caring tone before letting him go. He growled and clenched his fists tightly as his hands went aflame to notify that she was pissing him off again. Rarity, taking humor out of the situation, but knowing she might be forced to call her bodyguard again if they pushed the specter too far, spoke up.

"Well at least the diamond dogs you DIDN'T mercilessly maim apologized. In addition, I'm glad you and I are on better terms," she said, which helped Scorpion's resolve not to carve Pinkie up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

"Your sentiments are acknowledged, Rarity. Again, I... I apologize for the inconveniences," he gathered up the courage to say again. He even managed to take it a step further by actually hinting at what he was apologizing for.

"I accept your apology," she smilingly responded. "Well, I must be going now. I've some work to do on some fashion designs for next week's quota. Au Revoir!"

"Bye, Rarity!" Pinkie saw her friend off as she waved.

"Nice meeting you, Scorpion!" With that, she entered her home and left Pinkie and Scorpie to continue their journey.

"Alright, Scorpie! Next on the agenda: Cheering up Scootaloo!"

"I told you not to call me by that intolerable na--!"

"Leeeet's go~!" she excitedly stated as she, as per usual, grabbed Scorpion by the hand and rocketed off to their next mission. Though his growth was slow, Scorpion had been making substantial progress in learning self-restraint. Of course, there were kinks to be worked out, but progress is progress...

Author's Notes:

Hanzo Hasashi's "Scorpion's" To-Do List:

1. Assist Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres to Understand Patience

2. Help Rarity Find Jewels to Learn Humility

3. Cheer up Scootaloo to Comprehend Consideration & Compassion

4. Spend Quality Time with Pinkie Pie to Gain Respect

Two Down, Two to Go!

Task #3: Consideration & Compassion

Scorpion and Pinkie Pie were well on their way from the Carousel Boutique after completing their task of helping Rarity find the jewels she coveted. An added accomplishment was Scorpion's newly-obtained ability to put his strong, albeit-obstinate pride aside for the sake of others. Although, Scorpion pondered deeply on whether this could be considered an 'accomplishment' or a sign of this horse-littered world beginning to take its toll on him. He HAD been here since the early morning and well into the late afternoon... at least, so far as he could tell by the waning sun, considering he had no idea how time moved in this world. Naturally, he assumed it flowed similarly to that of his own world. In addition, it had been VERY long since the ninja last showed any signs of thinking about anyone but himself, as he'd only ever made moves toward his own motives (even while under the servitude of someone else since his rebirth in Hell). He thought back to his battle with Liu Kang... Pinkie Pie's tearful pleas as the specter tried to barbecue the monk with his flamethrower breath... his hesitation and resulting unwillingness to bring harm to Pinkie Pie...

"What's the matter, Scorpie?" Pinkie asked in concern. "You seem a little blue."

"...I am fine. You need not worry about me," he curtly responded, unwilling to converse with his comrade.

"I dunno... I feel like you're thinking about something that's really bothering you... Something having to do with what happened when we were helping Rarity..." Little did she know, Pinkie hit the nail on the head.

"...The issue is none to be concerned about. I am okay," the ninja confirmed despite being a little shocked that Pinkie sensed exactly what was wrong without needing to prod it out of him.

"...If ya say so. I just hope you know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for ya." She flashed him an adorably jubilant smile that nearly made the already-addled wraith freeze in his tracks. Such caring... such generous consideration from someone he'd just met and had wanted to stab with his kunai before strangling with the chain attached to it... Even odder, he'd made it known he'd wanted her dead using the most excruciatingly gruesome, macabre methods imaginable. Yet, this enigmatic talking pink horse creature still found it in herself to openly show him nothing but friendly compassion. Scorpion had not been shown this sort of affection from anyone other than the family he so dearly missed... After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"Your thought of me is to be commended, pink one..." he reluctantly said, not sure if he still hated Pinkie enough to kill her. Pinkie took this compliment as the highest praise, as she jumped into his arms and squeezed him tight. She continued her gesture by snuggling her face into the specter's neck. It was at this moment, of course, that Scorpion's will to violently end Pinkie returned. He wanted to drag her into the same plane of the Netherrealm as he did that diamond dog and force her to watch said dog get Drawn & Quartered, and then eaten by the ravenous souls of those doomed to forever dwell in that miserable, forsaken cesspool of a realm before making her go through the same ruthlessly brutal procedure.

His luridly grotesque death fantasy was interrupted when the duo heard sniffling in the distance as they traveled into what seemed to be a park. Pinkie jumped down from Scorpion's clutches (a wise move on her part), and rushed toward a nearby oak tree to find a quivering ball of burnt orange and byzantine purple.

"There you are, Scootaloo!" Pinkie excitedly announced before noticing the mood of the ball she was talking to. "Aww, you're still upset..." the ball unfurled and revealed itself to be another equine, much smaller in stature than Pinkie, yet bearing wings that looked too small to support its weight should it have decided to take flight. The only notable difference to be seen of this particular specimen was that, unlike the rest of this race of sentient equines, she'd had no branding on her backside.

"*sniffle* Hey, Pinkie..." the filly somberly greeted, seeming to be in no mood for idle chatter in the wake of her profound sadness.

"Turn that frown upside-down, Scoots!" Pinkie shouted in her usually-excitable tone as she began using her tail as a makeshift spring. "I brought you a new friend to play with!" The young winged horse took a look at Pinkie as if she were insane (which is debatable, as she'd been spending most of her day with a homicidal demon from an alternate universe's Hell that made it known that he wanted to slaughter her).

"Pinkie, I said I DIDN'T want new friends..." the young pegasus known as Scootaloo dismally replied. "In fact, I remember telling you to just leave me alone..."

"I know a cry for help when I hear one, Scoots, so here I am, helping you in the bestest, most fun-tastic way I can! C'mon, lemme introduce ya!" With that, Pinkie dragged the unwilling filly from her sulking spot and pushed her to where she was standing at the feet of a volatile demon who'd kill without a second thought. Predictably, the apprehensive filly slowly backed away in whimpering fear.

"Do not be afraid, little one," Scorpion spoke first, the unusual sound of his voice freezing her in place. "I will not bring harm to you."

"Wh-wh-wha...?" Scootaloo had been stricken speechless as she wiped the tears from her violet-colored eyes. "Who... a-are you...?"

"I am Scorpion. I am here to assist you."

"Assist me?? Wha...? H-How?"

"You will explain to me what brings you grief and I will lend you a hand in relieving your dejection." Scorpion's explanation, being just a little too wordy for a school-aged foal, baffled the already-startled and thoroughly-discombobulated Scootaloo.

"I... I didn't understand any of that..."

"Scorpie said he'd help cheer you up!" Pinkie translated, though she said the magic word again.

"You are fortunate, pink one, that I am unable to rip your tongue from your putrid face and tie your irritating mouth shut with it...!" he threatened yet again. It only comes as a surprise that he didn't threaten to kill her this time; only to horrifically disfigure her. A sign of progress if one is to be observed. His death stare at Pinkie was only interrupted when he heard giggling coming from down below. Pinkie and Scorpie took a look at the source of the giggling, each taking a different aspect of surprise when they saw it.

"Heh, that's pretty funny..." Scootaloo muttered, seeming to find humor in Scorpion's violent threat.

"What do you find humorous, little one?"

"Oh, nothing... just the thought of you tying Pinkie's mouth shut with her own tongue..." she answered, giggling a little more.

"I see... Are you feeling devoid of your previous sadness?" he asked, hoping to the Elder Gods who'd forsaken him that this task would be THAT easy.

"Kinda, now that you mention it..." the spiky-haired little pony answered, her spirits seeming to fall again. "I'm... still a little bummed, though..."

"Don't you worry, Scoots! We're gonna do whatever it takes for you to cheer up and be that happy-go-lucky, scooting, tooting--!"

"Pinkie Pie, please..." Scootaloo interrupted, not wanting to hear Pinkie ramble. "I'm not in the mood to play right now. I just need someone to talk to..."

"Okie dokie, then. So watcha wanna talk about? We could talk about our days, our favorite flavors of ice cream, or..." she trailed off, immediately following with a huge, theatrical smiling gasp. "We could talk about things we could do to cheer you up! Doesn't that sound fun??" Scootaloo sighed in annoyance at Pinkie missing the hint.

"Pinkie, I said no...!" Scootaloo reiterated, growing impatient with the bubbly pink mare's persistence. What little progress that had been made by Scorpion's perceived 'joke' had effectively been undone.

"Well how are we supposed to cheer you up if you don't let us, you silly filly? C'mon, don't be such a Grumpy McMopeyPants!" she remarked, hugging the pegasus without her consent. The mare's remark only served to further irritate the filly, whose facial expression went from sadness to contempt at the belligerent pink pony's efforts. Scorpion, noticing this, finally spoke up.

"Enough of your babbling, Pinkie. You are jeopardizing the mission," Scorpion admonished to Pinkie's surprise. "You will release her this instant."

"Okie dokie lokie!" she obeyed, letting the filly go. Scootaloo took the opportunity to dust herself off as she turned to walk away in annoyance.

"What is it that plagues you, young one?" the wraith asked, stopping her in her tracks. Scorpion seemed to genuinely want to help the filly out despite Pinkie Pie exacerbating her bad mood. It was one thing for him to be doing it to complete his mission, but a curiosity crept over him, seeing as this was the first pony he'd encountered that didn't immediately address him with impudence.

"Why would YOU wanna help me?" the filly skeptically asked. Scorpion had the common sense not to answer her question with anything that might refer to his contractual obligation to help her.

"As I previously stated, I am here to offer you my assistance. It is... most unsatisfactory to see you upset," he half-lied.

"But you don't even know me. Why would you care?"

"...Your plight interests me, to say the least..." he reasoned, trying to get to the point as he approached her. "Explain to me what bothers you."

"Aww, Scorpie! You've grown up so much already!" Pinkie exclaimed, proud to see Scorpion actually trying to cheer Scootaloo up. She jumped to hug him again, only for the specter to catch her by her midsection with one hand. He'd been prepared this time.

"You continue to test my patience, pink horse woman, and I have had enough of your foolish games. You are becoming a liability," he said, thoroughly fed up with Pinkie's antics, though still aware that he could do nothing to physically harm her. In addition, he'd observed that Pinkie was having the same perturbing effect on Scootaloo, which endangered his mission. He was NOT going to lose his powers over Pinkie Pie's oblivious incompetence. He'd come too far for that.

"Don't be silly, Scorpie!" Pinkie shot back in cheerful disbelief. She did nothing to fight his firm grasp, despite his fingers digging into her coat, which demonstrated that he was practically squeezing her out of anger. "We're in this together. I'm supposed to help you."

"I do not require your assistance. You are no longer of use to me. I demand that you leave me with the little one so that I may complete my mission in peace." With that, he callously released her from his grip to let her to fall flat on her flanks, a bit hurt by his blunt demand.

"Oh... Well are you sure? I mean, I could help you in talking to Scootaloo or maybe we could do something fun together like--!"

"Leave. Now...!" the agitated ninja enunciated in a contemptuous growl. Pinkie was mortified by Scorpion's callousness as she froze in shock, her jaw opening ever so slightly as her eyes began to water.

"Pinkie..." Scootaloo beckoned, seeming unsure herself of how to speak her mind. "I think he means it."

"Oh... Well alright, Scorpie!" she said, seeming to cheer up almost instantly, despite the prevalent hint of dejection in her tone. The tears welling up in her eyes told a different story altogether. "I'll just uh... go and check around the town to see if my hidden ball collection is still intact or something... Have fun!" With a wan smile and a wave, she simply turned and walked away without another word or so much as a glance over her shoulder... an unusual feat for the normally-hyperactive pink pony as she'd almost always been bouncing like her legs were made of springs. Scorpion, being none too ignorant of her change in behavior, mentally noted this before focusing his full attention on Scootaloo.

"...You think she'll be okay?" asked the dark orange filly in concern.

"She is fine," the specter shallowly dismissed, avoiding deviation from his goal. "As I previously asked, what brings you grief?"

"Oh, well um..." Scootaloo withdrew a bit, unsure of where to begin telling a total stranger (a non-pony stranger at that) her woes. "I-it had to do with... other ponies... and stuff..." Scorpion was intent on coaxing the problem out of her, so he proceeded to sit down next to her.

"Has someone murdered your family and clan?" he guessed.

"WHAT?? No, nothing THAT bad..." she denied in astonishment at his arbitrary estimate. "It's just... well, these two bullies at school keep calling me a 'blank flank' and making fun of me for not being able to fly." The specter nodded in understanding.

"So it is a matter of conquering your enemy in Mortal Kombat?" Scorpion guessed again, widely missing the mark once more. This time, the filly giggled at Scorpion's cluelessness.

"Y'know, something tells me you're not very good at the whole 'making ponies feel better' deal..." she mused, unknowingly to the ninja's chagrin. Although, if there was one piece of information Scorpion took with him beyond the boundary of death, it's that children tend to speak without thinking. His own son used to have a habit of doing just that. The fond memory of his only child brought the ninja an odd sense of mirth.

"I... suppose it has been too long since I have last interacted with the young..." he uneasily quipped.

"Heh, I'll say... Who are you, anyway? WHAT are you? Where are you from? Why would Pinkie Pie bring you of all ponies here to cheer me up?" Scootaloo's curiosity got the better of her.

"I am Scorpion. I am a demon from a place known as the Netherrealm. I am trapped here and am assigned to fulfill a series of tasks so that I may return to my own plane of existence. The pink one was merely an escort of sorts." Scootaloo's jaw dropped in total awe at the fact that she was interacting with someone from a whole different world.

"Whoa... So you're not even from Equestria???"

"I am not."

"Wow... That's so cool!"

"...'Cool'?"

"Yeah! Of all the things that find their way into Equestria, something like you has never been here before! Can you do anything awesome? Like, do you have any special powers or something?" Scorpion was aware that her curiosity was missing the point of the task, but her interest in him persuaded him to amuse her.

"Yes. In fact..." Scorpion stood and showed Scootaloo some of the basic powers he possessed. Lighting his hand in flame, opening a small portal to the Netherrealm (he was unable to access one big enough to jump into himself. Raiden accounted for that) and pulling out a small piece of brimstone, and even demonstrating some of his signature moves like his ability to teleport and summon fire from the ground. Scootaloo was astounded.

"Whoa... You're the most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life! Well... Next to Rainbow Dash, but other than that, you're totally rad!" Scorpion nodded at her approval of his abilities, reveling in her adulation of him.

"I appreciate your admiration."

"No problem... Makes me wish I could do HALF that stuff to show those snotty rich kids not to mess with me..." Scootaloo's complaint gave Scorpion a much-needed clue.

"Ah, so it is revenge you seek?"

"I... don't think so..." she uneasily answered. "I was always told that revenge isn't a good thing because it doesn't make anypony happy; it only makes everypony sad or angry. That and doing to them what they do to me only makes me as bad as them..." Her words hit the ninja. He prided himself on vengeance, as it was the whole reason he was resurrected. Though, he remembered the day he fought his killer to the death and exacted his rightful vengeance upon him... but Scorpion didn't remember being happy with his results... even as he stood in front of a crowd of other fighters, holding the brittle, charred remains of Sub-Zero's skull in his hand, he felt... strangely remorseful for taking the ice ninja's life in retaliation for his own murder at the cryomancer's hands. Her words held merit. Vengeance wouldn't be the right path to take... especially not for one so young.

"I see..."

"...Buuuut, I'd still like to see them scared out of their poofy, overdone manes for a change." Scootaloo grinned mischievously at her thought. "Maybe you can... I dunno, talk to them and tell them to stop bothering me or something? And if they don't listen, you can use your powers on them?"

"I am afraid I cannot bring harm to your kind for the duration of my stay here. If it were a possibility, the pink one would have been nothing more than a pile of ashes the moment I entered this realm."

"You don't have to actually HURT them; just give 'em a good scare." Scorpion wondered if this was the best idea to go about cheering Scootaloo up. He was supposed to learn how to understand the filly, but he hardly believed that scaring her bullies off for her would teach him or even her at all.

"Perhaps... Or I could demonstrate to you the art of Kombat so that you can stave off your aggressors yourself."

"No way, man! You'd probably roast me like a batch of hay fries!" she rebuked out of fear. "Plus, I'm not too crazy about beating ponies up to stop them from bothering me. I'd get in a lot of trouble..." With that, Scorpion was stumped. None of the methods he deemed suitable were good enough to help Scootaloo. How could one turn down the golden opportunity to rigorously train under the tutelage of a vindictive, short-tempered, undead Shirai Ryu assassin who was also a raging pyromaniac?

"Hmm..." Scorpion began to ponder, but no ideas were coming up.

"...All I need is somepony to talk to that understands me..." she mumbled in dejection as she sat down and sighed after a moment of silence. Scorpion took this confession of hers as another clue. If all else failed, talking would surely do the trick and get him that much closer to escaping punishment. Though, it'd be an added bonus to see this young orange pegasus in higher spirits.

"If you are willing to talk, then I will listen," he extended his courtesy to her; something he'd NEVER thought he'd do. However, with no other options, he decided to go this route.

"Th-thank you, Mr. Scorpion."

"Yes. Where shall you begin your tale?"

"Hmm... Well... I guess I'll start by explaining what happened the other day... So me and my friends were out playing and having a good time trying to discover our talents like we always do. Just minding our own business and not doing anything to harm anypony, y'know? Then these two spoiled-rotten fillies named Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon showed up. They went about their usual thing by harassing us, making fun of us, and calling us 'blank flanks,' which got really old really fast. I was already in a bad mood that day, so I shouted at them to leave us alone. All they kept doing was egging me on, telling me what a worthless excuse for a pegasus I was for not being able to fly, and really cranking the cruelty dial to 11. I lost my temper and tried to hit one of them, but they pushed me into a puddle of mud and laughed at me, telling me that I was a good-for-nothing mule with chicken wings... That really hurt..." she confessed, her eyes wellng up with tears again.

"Hmm..." Scorpion merely nodded as he sat beside her, listening to her every word.

"I... *sniffle* I just don't understand why they treat me like that... it really hurts... It's worse that they pick on me for my wings... Is it too much to ask to be able to fly like Rainbow Dash?"

"Who?"

"Oh right... You're not from here... Long story short, Rainbow Dash is my big sister and the fastest pony in Equestria. She can fly at supersonic speeds and do amazing tricks, and simply put, she's just plain awesome... I wish I could be anything NEAR as great as she is... I try my hardest almost every day to even lift myself off the ground with my wings, but it just... never works. Watch..." she stood up and demonstrated her flying skills by rapidly flapping her miniscule feathered appendages. Scootaloo lifted a meager few inches off the ground before landing, seeming short of breath. "See?"

"...Hm..." Scorpion nodded, intrigued by what he'd observed.

"My only alternative is my scooter, which lets me feel just like I WAS flying... only, low to the ground. It's the closest thing I can get to flying because I can move really fast on it and do some neat tricks just like Rainbow Dash..."

"I see... I can identify with your dilemma," the ninja politely informed the filly.

"So you know what it's like to be harassed by other ponies for not being able to do something you know you'd love and being powerless to stop them?"

"Not quite. If I were in your place, I would have viciously decapitated all those who dared to ridicule me, then scorched their bleeding, decaying skulls after impaling them on pikes for the rest of the pitiful residents of this land to carefully observe before feeding them to..." he trailed off as he realized he was beginning to frighten Scootaloo again with the vivid, excruciating detail of the hell-bent wrath he'd wreak as a reaction to simple taunting and name-calling. "I... I mean you uh... remind me very much of my son..."

"Your son? What's he like? How come you didn't bring him along?"

"He was an excellent young boy... intelligent, enthusiastic, and very outgoing... he was my only child... he was the light in my life when I was human..." Scootaloo didn't know what a human even was, but she disregarded it in the wake of Scorpion's use of past-tense when describing his son.

"Was? What happened to him...?"

"...He was murdered..." Scorpion's confession made the orange filly gasp in total astonishment.

"Oh... wow, I'm... I'm sorry..."

"It is... it is fine, young one. You need not worry about me."

"I-if you say so... How do I remind you of him, anyway?"

"In life, he was an energetic child who always aspired to be just like his father; a master assassin... Though, because he was young, he hardly had the discipline necessary to follow the path of the Shirai Ryu. His indomitable enthusiasm landed him in many compromising situations with his peers. They would jeer him, physically assault him, and torment him until either I stepped in to stop it or he went home to his mother when I was not present. Despite those who discouraged him, however, he would train in private, challenge fellow clan members to sparring sessions, and on occasion, observe me as I honed my skills. What he lacked in skill, he made up for in determination and spirit."

"Wooooow..."

"Yes, he was an admirable boy... I can tell you share these traits with him. I believe that, with some discipline, you will eventually reach your goal."

"You think so??"

"I do. Had my son been alive to this day, there would be no telling how strong he might have become. Your road may be long in your situation, but it will never be traveled if you do not take the steps necessary to complete your journey."

"Wow... Thank you, Mr. Scorpion!"

"Your gratitude is appreciated," he acknowledged as he gently laid a hand on Scootaloo's head. "As for those who dare to hinder your growth... My best word of advice to you is to train hard so as to astound them with your skills if you are not to directly challenge them to a fight to the death. Their actions and words of discouragement will only harm you if you allow them to."

"I... I will. But no matter how hard I try, I just can't fly... I get so frustrated because it feels like I haven't gotten anywhere close to it after so many tries..."

"Some skills take time above all else to master. As I have learned, patience is a virtue..." he advised, making note of his own lesson he learned from Applejack. "There is no accurate prediction I could make in regard to you gaining the ability to fly. Though, you must not surrender to hardship, nor should you try to rush your development. Merely train, and your skills will grow as you do."

"You're right... Thank you."

"Yes. How do you feel now?"

"A lot better, thanks to you," she said, smiling as she finally perked up. "I should get going now. It's getting late and I'm sure my parents are worried about me. Thanks again, Mr. Scorpion, and I hope you can find Pinkie and cheer her up, too," she said as she hugged the specter, which surprisingly garnered no hostility from him. He instead laid an arm over her as, for an instant, he saw an image of his son in Scootaloo's place... how he missed such a warm, disarming sensation...

"...So THIS is what compassion feels like... how long it has been since I lost familiarity with it..." he mumbled in contemplation. Before long, Scootaloo and Scorpion separated.

"Bye!" Scootaloo bid farewell as she dashed away, waving at the ninja as she disappeared into the distance in much brighter spirits and with a bolstered sense of determination to improve herself. Once he was alone however, Scorpion thought back to when he told Pinkie Pie to leave him alone... the harshness of his words... the drastic change in her behavior as she trotted away in evident sadness... and even before that, all the violent threats he made to her... all the unwarranted animosity he'd built toward her for simply wanting him to be happy... Another known, yet unfamiliar emotion welled up in the fiery wraith's heart thanks to his re-acquaintance with the awareness of the feelings of others... guilt.

"...I must find her..." He muttered as he teleported away to search for his estranged comrade...

Author's Notes:

Hanzo Hasashi's "Scorpion's" To-Do List:

1. Assist Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres to Understand Patience

2. Help Rarity Find Jewels to Learn Humility

3. Cheer up Scootaloo to Comprehend Consideration & Compassion

4. Spend Quality Time with Pinkie Pie to Gain Respect

Three Down, One to Go!

Task #4: Respect (Pt. 1)

Scorpion spent the later part of the afternoon wandering the streets of Ponyville trying to find his presumably-disheveled companion. He'd had no idea where she'd gone and without Pinkie Pie's guidance, he was more lost in this realm than the time he wandered through the Living Forest in his universe's Outworld in search of a rumored gray-garbed clone of him that randomly attacked travelers, using all of the golden bug warrior's moves and techniques. The specter roamed aimlessly, feeling gradually worse for his... 'friend' as the waning sun descended over the horizon, its cascading light diminishing along with it. He tried asking other denizens of this horse-laden town about Pinkie's whereabouts to no avail, as those who didn't immediately run away screaming bloody murder at the sight of a menacing, volatile demon emitting flames from his skull out of frustration and guilt panicked and tried to 'help' him by throwing buckets water at him. Luckily for him, he did not easily forget his lessons on self restraint. Unluckily, some of Ponyville's residents didn't relent, which wore the ninja's patience out very quickly.

A fit of hellish wrath, a few burned-down buildings, and a couple of decimated businesses later...

*CRASH* "Good tidings, Scorpion. I trust your tasks are coming along well?" Raiden asked after he spontaneously appeared via lightning bolt, though Scorpion did not stop to talk to him.

"...Yes," Scorpion reluctantly lied, unwilling to admit his situation as he strolled past him without so much as a passing glance.

"That is not an answer I would expect of someone who was certain of it. Does something trouble you?" the Thunder God asked as he walked with the specter.

"It does not concern you," the ninja dismissed.

"Now I KNOW you're hiding something. Tell me what it is, Scorpion. What is the matter?"

"As I said: It does not concern you, Raiden," Scorpion reiterated, the irritation clear in his voice as he stormed away from the electric deity to try and rectify his mistake. Of course, he didn't get far before Raiden electro-ported himself in the wraith's path.

"Stubbornly insisting that nothing is wrong when evidence of the opposite demonstrates itself through your mood will earn you nothing but an early punishment. Do not try my patience. Tell me what troubles you," Raiden demanded as he calmly placed a hand on Scorpion's shoulder to keep him from trying to walk away again. Were it not for the fact that it was an Elder God he was dealing with, Scorpion would have torn Raiden's arm off and tried to beat him to death with it. Of course, he learned from the last time he tried to take his aggressions out on Raiden; it was what got him here in the first place. With no other choice, he spoke.

"*sigh* I... I cannot locate my escort..." Scorpion disdainfully admitted, looking away in disappointment.

"Your escort? You lost Pinkie Pie?"

"Yes."

"What happened? Why would she abandon you in the middle of your quest for self-restraint?"

"...I made her."

"Oh?" Raiden nudged, curious as to how Scorpion made Pinkie Pie abandon him.

"I was helping the horse creature named Scootaloo, but Pinkie insisted on being a nuisance. I demanded that she leave my presence and that I grew tired of her insipid antics. She complied, but never returned to examine my progress," Scorpion confessed.

"Hm. Well that was an unwise move. She was supposed to be the pony you assisted for your final task. You KNOW what happens if you cannot find her by tomorrow morning, do you not?"

"Yes, I know...!" Scorpion rasped in anger at the mention of his punishment. "Why do you not assist me in finding her instead of wasting my time with idle yammering?" he asked, glaring at the entity of electricity in annoyance.

"Helping you locate Pinkie is not within my jurisdiction. You caused her to disappear from you, so it will be your responsibility alone for locating her."

"What sort of Elder God are you, refusing to assist the very being you condemned to this despicable plane of existence when he is doing what he was instructed to do?" Scorpion contemptuously inquired, his frustration building further.

"Watch your tongue, Scorpion," Raiden warned, none too fond of his authority being questioned. "If it is assistance you need, then you know how to request it."

"*sigh* Will you assist me in locating Pinkie Pie?" Scorpion politely asked.

"No," Raiden bluntly denied, tempting the specter to drive his kunai into the Thunder God's throat with extreme prejudice. "...However, I will clue you in as to where she may currently be."

"What? So you know where she is?"

"Yes, but for the sake of seeing you succeed in the right way, I will not outright disclose her whereabouts to you."

"And why in the Netherrealm will you not?"

"She told me herself not to, and I agree. You make a mistake by yourself, Scorpion, and you rectify it by yourself." If Scorpion had an actual face, there would be veins protruding so definitively from it that his eyes may very well have burst from the surge of blood running to them. Learning that Pinkie was aiding in Raiden's abysmal mind games made him want to tear Raiden's arm off and beat him to death with it... and then find Pinkie in order to strangle her by making her swallow the charred remnants of it while his spear chain was wrapped firmly around her obnoxious equine throat.

"Give me the hint this instant, Raiden, so that you may leave me alone. I am sick of your disreputable, trifling games."

"The seeds of knowledge are planted so that a mighty tree of intelligence may rise." And with that and an ominous musical cue, *CRASH* Raiden disappeared, leaving Scorpion to ponder his message.

"Seeds of knowledge...?" Scorpion muttered to himself. "Trees of intelligence...? Hmm..." After a few silent moments... "Applejack. She must be taking refuge with Applejack." With that realization, Scorpion teleported himself back to Sweet Apple Acres in a hurry.

"Y'all got SOME nerve showin' yer face around here again!" A justifiably-irate Applejack chided as she saw the specter magically appear via a spontaneous burst of flames and approach through the front gate. With her hair disheveled and singed at the ends, her coat dirtied, and a portion of her business completely incinerated by the incompetent wrath of the demon she reluctantly recruited, Applejack marched up to Scorpion.

"I require your assistance," Scorpion obliviously informed the infuriated orange mare, taking no note of her mood.

"After you threatened ta kill me, set my farm on fire, an' almost got me put in the hospital tryin' ta put out the blaze you set? I lost a good quarter o' my south field cuzza you an' yer Tartarus voodoo fire tricks! It's gonna take months ta repair that damage! Why would I help you with anything!?"

"It is of utmost importance. I need your help."

"Nope, I ain't helpin'! I don't offer a hoof ta nopony that goes around threatenin' ta kill ponies an' settin' forest fires! Go on an' git! Ya ain't welcome here!" Applejack ranted. Scorpion was thinking of simply leaving, getting the message loud and clear that Applejack wanted nothing to do with him. He acknowledged the gravity of his mistake, realizing how much harm he'd inadvertently caused the farm pony chewing him out. However, if he deciphered Raiden's hint right, then Pinkie Pie HAD to be here.

"You... you have every right to be upset with me, horse woman..." Scorpion (sort of) apologized.

"My name is Applejack! Just like y'all don't like ta be called 'Scorpie,' I don't take kindly ta bein' called 'horse woman!'"

"Right," Scorpion nodded, acknowledging his mistake. "Applejack... I offer to you my condolences for your loss," the specter managed to utter, which shocked the mare. "It was wrong of me to raze your property. I understand that I have brought misfortune upon you and I ask for your forgiveness." Applejack was honestly expecting the ninja to bark a hostile order at her, demanding that she stop yelling or he'd do something horrible to her. This apology of his was the last thing she'd expected. Although...

"An apology won't fix my farm! It won't un-traumatize my little sister! And it sure as hay won't make me change my mind about you! Do yerself a solid, make like an egg, an' beat it, pardner!" Applejack demanded, standing her ground. Under any normal circumstances, Scorpion would have taken this as a challenge and thus, forcibly dunked the farm pony's head in a magically-conjured up pool of Netherrealm lava. However, he did realize that he'd warranted her anger. He also deduced that, from the lack of mention of his obnoxious escort, she must not have been there.

"I do not have time for this... I need to find Pinkie Pie now," Scorpion mumbled, though Applejack heard him. The bug warrior turned to leave, his frustration exacerbated by Applejack's hostility. Just as he left through the front gate...

"Wait!" Applejack called to him, realizing for herself that Pinkie, whom she was aware was this demon's keeper, was not present. "I thought Pinkie was s'posed ta be yer tamer...? Why ain't she here?" Scorpion's eyes briefly flickered with flame at the suggestion that Pinkie was his 'tamer.'

"She left me to one of the tasks I was assigned and I have not seen her since. I returned here in hopes that she came back to you."

"Nope, ain't seen hide nor tail of 'er since y'all were here earlier."

"Damn...!" Scorpion cursed under his breath.

"Y'all sure she's not just playin' a game o' Hide 'n' Seek with ya?"

"This is no time for games," he replied, a bit incredulous of Applejack's sincerity. "That inquiry makes no sense."

"Clearly, y'all don't know Pinkie too well... Anyway, do ya have any clue as t' where she might be?" Scorpion didn't know what to tell Applejack aside from the hint he had. The only place he could think of that had to do with trees (to his knowledge) was Sweet Apple Acres. If Pinkie wasn't here, then what other tree-related place could she possibly be? It would be a long shot, but he had to know if Applejack could help him decipher the cryptic code.

"The seeds of knowledge are planted so that a mighty tree of intelligence may grow," the ninja specter recited, thus discombobulating Applejack.

"Uh-huh... That some kinda secret message or somethin'?"

"It is intended to be a clue as to where Pinkie is located."

"And... yer absolutely positive that this ain't a game o'--!"

"No!" Scorpion yelled, his frustration brought to a brief head by Applejack's repeat question.

"Alright, alright, relax. Why would she give ya a riddle ta work with if y'all ain't playin' any games, though?"

"It is... a long, troublesome story... but it is irrelevant. Do you have an idea on what it could mean?" Scorpion asked with a hopeful sense of curiosity. Who would know this riddle better than one of Pinkie's own friends? After a silent moment of thought.

"Hmm... Well, I can't say I got too much for ya in terms o' leads, but... seeds an' trees... plants and intelligence... I'm thinkin' y'all should try Fluttershy's house."

"Fluttershy? Who in this forsaken abyss of equine debauchery is named Fluttershy?" Scorpion asked, becoming more confused and frustrated that he had to find someone he didn't know for an affirmation of Pinkie's location.

"Fluttershy's one of mine an' Pinkie's best friends. Ya can't miss 'er. Pegasus, yellow, long pink hair, practically afraid of everything, but probably the nicest pony you'll meet 'round these parts."

"And where might I find her?"

"Her house is on the outskirts of town, far west of here. She lives in a cottage near the Everfree Forest. It's the only one in the area, so ya can't miss that either."

"I see... Thank you, Applejack."

"Don't go thankin' me, pardner. I ain't doin' this for you. I'm doin' it because I have reason ta believe y'all did somethin' t' muck up yer deal with Pinkie. I'm still mighty upset with both you AND Pinkie fer what you did..." Applejack reasoned before realizing what might happen to Fluttershy if this murderous alien psychopath was left alone with her. "Matter o' fact: I'm comin' along. Maybe we can find her if'in we work together." Scorpion merely nodded.

"Lead the way." With that, Scorpion and Applejack hurriedly departed Sweet Apple Acres, with Scorpion being grateful that he obtained a new lead and a search partner. The sooner he found this 'Fluttershy,' the sooner she would help him locate Pinkie...

The walk to Fluttershy's house was a largely silent one, which Scorpion appreciated. Having a comrade that didn't shoot her mouth off like a wayward police officer's handgun that somehow never ran out of ammo allowed Scorpion some small peace of mind. Although, even an undead assassin from the bowels of the Netherrealm was susceptible to the feeling of awkwardness. While never being a man of too many words, he at least acknowledged when a tag partner talked to him. Applejack, however, wouldn't even so much as look in his direction as they traversed the path to their next destination. It made him almost... sort of miss Pinkie's insipid loquaciousness. Aware that Applejack was still upset with him, he still chose to speak.

"The weather in this realm is much like that of Earthrealm's," the specter broke the silence in hopes of striking up a conversation.

"Eeyup," the mare blandly replied, not even taking a second to glance at Scorpion. No luck in the conversation department.

"...Pinkie Pie is an unusual being."

"She gets that a lot," Applejack curtly responded, thus shooting down another one of Scorpion's attempts at distracting the two from the tension in the air.

"For mere horses, your species is--!"

"Look, pardner: I see what you're tryin' ta do, but it ain't workin'," Applejack cut him off as she finally looked at him, her mood still sour. "Ya ain't gotta pretend like we're friends, cuz we ain't. I'm only taggin' along so ya don't do somethin' ta hurt poor ol' Fluttershy and ta make sure y'all didn't do anything violent ta Pinkie. I'm also none too fond o' you for what ya did ta me, my farm, and my family. So, with all due respect, just keep yer yap shut till we get there. The sooner, the better." Scorpion didn't appreciate Applejack's blunt tone in the least. It was only worse that she was telling him off without any provocation.

"Hmph. You act as if I relish your company, horse woman. I do not enjoy our alliance any more than you. I would sooner be forced to listen to the obnoxious shouts of that detestable monk Liu Kang for an eternity. You are only needed for the task of finding Pinkie Pie. Once she has been found, you may leave as you please," Scorpion retorted, equally as blunt.

"Fine by me," she simply answered, though she did wonder who he was talking about. "Oh, and when we get ta Fluttershy's, TRY not ta be such a brute. She scares easy and if y'all say or do anything ta upset her, yer dealin' with me. Got it?"

"Is that some sort of challenge?" the wraith inquired, resisting the urge to scoff.

"And what if it is?" Applejack dared, her initial fear of him long since gone and replaced with vindictive enmity.

"You are fortunate that I, by contractual obligation, am unable to bring physical harm to you or your kind. Elsewise, you would regret your impulsiveness," he warned, unusually calm. He knew she would never be able to take him in a fight, but he never backed down from a challenge unless there was something in his way.

"Contractual obligation?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yes. I was brought to this plane of existence against my will and put into a contract that disallows me from harming you while I am fulfilling my tasks."

"Uh-huh... and who might this contract be with?"

"The ruler of your world, Princess Celestia."

"Whoa, YOU have a contract with Princess Celestia?? An' she's makin' you tag along with Pinkie of all ponies?? For what?"

"So that I... *sigh* So that I may control my anger more effectively," Scorpion shamefully admitted, expecting Applejack to laugh at him. However, she didn't.

"I see... This some kinda punishment from whatever world you're from?"

"Yes. There was a deal struck without my knowledge or consent between your Princess and one of the Elder Gods of my world, Raiden."

"Now ain't that somethin'...? If y'all don't mind me askin', why'd ya wind up havin' ta come here? I mean, what'd ya do ta wind up havin' ta come to Equestria?"

"I burned down an Earthrealm temple after I was informed that a clan of monks had a hand in the slaughter of my family and clan."

"Whoa nelly, that's deep..." Applejack replied, wide-eyed with shock at what she was hearing.

"I was defeated in battle by one of the monks after the job was completed. This monk happened to be the lapdog of the Elder God Raiden and my attack on him was viewed as a transgression against the rules of Mortal Kombat. As a result, I was sent here."

"Huh..." The discombobulated mare could hardly fathom what he was telling her. It was one thing to observe that he was a powerful and violent demon, but to find out that he was from a different realm entirely and was only here under a contract with Princess Celestia that Pinkie Pie was somehow involved in? "So... what's bein' here s'posed ta do for ya?"

"Under the tutelage of the insufferable menace known as Pinkie Pie, I am supposed to complete a list of tasks that are designed to, as Pinkie would put it, teach me the concepts of patience, humility, compassion, and respect. Aiding you in the apple kicking--!"

"Apple buckin'."

"...apple bucking task taught me to be more patient. I only learned my lesson after I..." Scorpion hesitated, knowing what was coming next. However, he didn't hesitate out of fear; he hesitated out of remorse for his misdeed. "...after I started the blaze that damaged your merchandise. I sincerely apologize. I may be able to see to it that your property be restored to its original state."

"Y'all can? How?"

"I believe it is possible to persuade Raiden to do so. However, I can only speak to him if I complete my final task, which has to do with me assisting Pinkie."

"Alright then... That's mighty noble of ya, Scorpie!" Applejack praised before realizing she called him by his trigger word. "Oh! I-I mean uh... Scorpion."

"It is nothing to fret about," the specter forgivingly informed his temporary ally. "How much farther is this Flluttershy's residence?"

"Not long at all. Just a little while longer."

"Hmm..." Scorpion was growing anxious to see Pinkie again. He was still agitated that she chose now of all times to play a silly game of tag to teach him a lesson (which he was very unclear on), but there was a growing semblance of yet another unfamiliar feeling in his stomach. It was akin to excitement, but it also came with a bit of fear, which Scorpion had never shown since he was a mere mortal. This feeling tantalized his gut, sending an exhilarating, albeit unsettling sensation throughout his body. The wraith once again questioned the effects of this world on his psyche. Was he going soft by being around a bunch of rainbow-colored horses? Was he becoming weaker as time progressed? Or was it that he'd simply been reintroduced to concepts of morality that he'd long since lost touch with?

"Hey, Scorpion?" Applejack called to the specter, breaking concentration.

"Yes."

"Y'all mentioned somethin' about yer uh... yer family... Pardon the intrusion, but I was wonderin'..." the mare started, unsure of how to pose her inquiry.

"You want to know what happened to them." He guessed. The bug-eyed expression the farm pony's face took served as confirmation.

"Y'all don't gotta share if ya don't want to... I mean, if it's too painful or--!"

"They were murdered in cold blood," he bluntly interrupted her. Without giving heed to Applejack's astonishment, he continued. "Before I begin, I will let you know that I was once counted among the living. I was also murdered in cold blood. Soon after my arrival in the Netherrealm, I had received word that the clan of assassins affiliated with the warrior responsible for my death ambushed my homeland and killed everyone there. Men, women, children... their lives brutally stolen away from them by heinous, despicable Lin Kuei scum... My entire family... even my own wife and son..."

"Say it ain't so...?" Applejack whispered in horror, hoping that this story had a happy ending.

"...They were no exceptions. To make matters worse, they were slaughtered by the same man responsible for my demise. As a result, I struck a deal with a Netherrealm sorcerer in order to resurrect me, as well as enhance my strength, tenacity, and fighting capabilities at the cost of my eternal servitude under him."

"Gosh, Scorpion..." Applejack shakily replied, her heart sinking as she heard the gruesome tale of Scorpion's unholy rebirth. Applejack herself had lost her own parents in a rather unspeakable manner, so she could relate to him... but to have everyone she'd ever loved KILLED? In conjunction to being killed herself and being revived as an inconsolable wicked spirit bent on revenge against her murderers, forever at the beck and call of a malevolent magical entity? She couldn't even begin to fathom it... but she did come to understand Scorpion's constantly-disgruntled demeanor.

"My soul forever burns with vengeance, hatred, and unbridled wrath... at least, that is what I thought before coming here..." he added, revealing his internal conflicts.

"...I-I feel for ya, Scorps..." the mare began, feeling deeply saddened by the story. "I was gonna tell ya that I've lost ponies I'd loved very much, too... but they sure as hay never went through what you and your family had ta go through. I'm... I'm sorry..." she choked out, turning away to wipe a tear from her eye.

"You do not need to pity me. I honor my fallen through Kombat and the promise of righting the wrongs they were dealt. However, you have my condolences for your own losses. While you may not honor your fallen in the same fashion that I do, honor them in a way that you know will soothe their souls," he advised, going as far as to reach down and pat her on the back. The mare was thrown for multiple loops. She didn't expect a wrathful demon to be so... so compassionate. So honorable. So... so dedicated to his family (even though she acknowledged his dedication as somewhat grim, considering his motives). Applejack had lost her previous vitriol toward Scorpion for what he did to her farm.

"...Yer a better pony-- er, demon-thing than I thought," Applejack admitted after a moment of melancholy silence. "I respect ya, Scorpion."

"Respect?" he questioned, alarmed by the sentiment. He hadn't been treated with respect that wasn't laced in aggregate fear in ages... He just HAD to know why.

"Yessir. Knowin' what you've been through an' how it gotcha where you are right now... I know it ain't the best o' situations ta be in an' I know y'all got a lotta trouble ta work out in the long run, but I can tell you've got good character. I only wish ya didn't have ta be miserable. Fer someone reborn in what I think is Tartarus, y'all didn't deserve ta have so much taken away from ya. I won't pretend I understand everything about you now or tell ya that I agree with your idea of rememberin' all yer loved ones, but... yer a real dedicated, earnest feller, I can tell. I respect ponies who work hard, even through the roughest o' times, in order ta get a job done. It's somethin' I've done an' still am doin' fer me, my siblings, and my granny, not ta mention my ma an' pa."

"I see..." Scorpion got the idea fairly quickly. Applejack respected him because they shared something in common. It was a bit of a stretch to compare his life to hers for many reasons than he cared to think about, but he acknowledged that a sort of connection had been made between he and his formerly-bitter comrade. It was this thought that bestowed upon him the thing he needed in order to complete his final task. "The feeling is mutual, Applejack."

"Glad ta hear it, pardner," the mare acknowledged with a grateful grin. "Now, not ta be pushy about it or nothin,' but are you sure Raiden can fix my farm?"

"I am certain. He is an Elder God."

"What about my little sister? She was pretty shaken up... She could hardly speak when I took 'er to the hospital..." Hearing that made the specter feel guilty.

"I... I will atone for that misdeed myself, if possible. It is my mistake for bringing harm to your kin."

"Y'all sure you're able ta get through to 'er?"

"I may try..." Just as Scorpion finished his statement, a lone, very decorative cottage came into view. From the looks of it, the duo had finally reached the home of Fluttershy...