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...