Once school was over, Starlight and Blueblood returned to the castle, and the rest of the evening was spent by him telling Twilight and Spike how things went and how much fun he had at school.
When he was finished, Twilight smiled and said, "I'm so glad that you enjoyed your visit.”
"Yeah, it was great!” Blueblood nodded. “But that makes me wonder, why didn't you let me go there instead of sending me to Miss Cheerilee's school? Are you ashamed of me?"
"What? No, of course not! It's just…" She sighed. "Look, New Blood, I understand what you’re saying, but unfortunately, my school isn’t what you need at the moment. My friends and I teach about friendship exclusively, and you need more than just that. That’s why it was necessary for you to go to Miss Cheerilee's class, because she can teach you subjects I can't."
Spike nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what she said. I mean, sure, Twilight's school looks cool and is awesome, but if you don't know how to read and write, you would have had a hard time there."
"I see," Blueblood replied, although he looked a little blue.
"Hey, cheer up, New Blood," Starlight said with a gentle nudge in his shoulder. "You can still go visit, remember? There are still a lot of things I can teach you, and, like today, we can go visit some other lessons."
"You think so?" Blueblood asked, looking up at her.
"I know so," Starlight replied. "Today we might have gotten a bit carried away, but tomorrow I'm sure we can do a lot more."
"That’ll be great! I would love to hang out more with Gallus and the others!" Blueblood said with a smile.
"But only if you don't get in the way of their own activities," Twilight reminded him.
"Oh relax, Twilight, I'm sure everything will be fine," said Starlight.
Spike looked at her with a deadpan expression, before sighing and walking away, muttering about the universe having spies everywhere.
As soon as Spike left they heard a bell ring, and when they looked up they saw a clock in the wall announcing the hour of midnight. "Oh, ponyfeathers, it's already this late?" Twilight murmured.
"Looks like that story of yours really made time fly, eh New Blood?" Starlight asked with a chuckle as she ruffled up Blueblood’s mane.
"We better all go to bed now; we all have work to do tomorrow morning and we wouldn't want to be sleepy,” Twilight announced as the three of them left for their respective rooms.
"I'm not going to argue against a nice good night's sleep," Blueblood mentioned as he followed her.
Just before he reached his room, however, Starlight reached out and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "New Blood, please wait."
Blueblood craned his neck towards her. "Yes?"
She sighed. "Listen, I'm not going to probe into your life because I promised Twilight I wouldn’t do it," she began, causing his body to tense. "But I wouldn’t be doing my job as a counselor if I didn't at least tell you this: whatever you’re dealing with, you can share with us." Her lips curled upwards into an understanding smile. "I know that this might be scary, and that you’re probably thinking that it's best to keep what’s going on in your head to yourself, but trust me, you won't feel better until you let go of whatever it is you’re holding onto."
"I...d-don't know what you mean, Starlight," Blueblood said with some measure of nervousness.
Starlight's smile disappeared and she let out a short, resigned sigh. "Fair enough, I won’t press the issue," she replied, and turned to leave. "Just know that it’ll keep getting worse the more you keep quiet," she warned him.
He glanced to the floor in contemplation of her words. "Really I'm okay. There’s nothing to talk about."
Starlight did not believe him for an instant, but she kept her word and nodded. "Then I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, New Blood."
"Goodnight, Starlight," he responded in kind, watching her leave. When she was out of sight, he touched his necklace, and became his true size once again. "I'm sorry..." he whispered to himself, feeling a small tear crawl down his cheek. "But if you knew the truth, you would just scream and run from me." After waiting a moment to compose himself, he headed straight for the kitchen.
No more sidetracking...
Once there, he inspected the cabinets until he found just what he was looking for. He removed a roll of plastic wrap and a nearly-empty cereal box, and then walked back to his room. It's time to get to work.
He grabbed a knife from the kitchen, then quickly headed to the library and borrowed some masking tape, before finally heading back to his room. Once there, he closed and locked the door, and began his project.
After eating the contents of the cereal box as a late-night snack, he proceeded to cut the front and back of the box, making a hole in both, and then placed a piece of the plastic wrap in-between the two pieces. Finally, he stuck them together with tape, creating a transparent frame for him to use.
Once that was done, he opened the book where he had written the two alphabets in the previous night and started to concentrate on the other spell Starlight taught him, remembering her lesson.
"If you focus, your magic can be tangible energy for a bit. If you visualize what you’re writing in front of you, letters can easily appear. By holding said letters and placing them on a surface, they can remain in there, hidden to the naked eye until you place a little magic on them again, and they will show. Like secret messages."
As his horn glowed, the letters started to float and he then translated them into the frame, making it shine brightly for a second before returning to normal. Panting, the prince took the frame and put it in front of the word 'ghost' in his notebook. Once reflected, the frame revealed the word but this time in English, making the prince smirk and chuckle at his new invention.
Equestria, meet your equivalent of Google Translate.
Satisfied with his work, and once he made sure that there was no one in the hallway, the prince took his pencil and notebook and made his way to the library once more. Turning on the lights and going straight to the 'G' section, he inspected the bookshelves with his new invention, which allowed him to see the titles in perfect English.
Okay, let's see here…”Ghost Towns”, “Ghost Writers”, “Ghost Stories”, “Histories and Origins of Ghosts”, “Ghost Projection Spells”, “Ghostly Magic Residues”, “Ghost...Food”?
He raised an eyebrow at the last one. Must be a diet thing.
He kept scanning until he found the books he was looking for. “Classification and Habitats of Ghosts”, and “Detection of the Paranormal: How To Exorcise and Completely Eradicate a Ghost”. The last book made the prince flinch and gulp. It was like he was seeing a guillotine specially made for him, face to face. Nevertheless, he steeled his nerves and took the book along with the other two.
As much as it scared him, he knew that the third book could be used against him if he was discovered, but more importantly, there was also a chance that it could hold a clue into how to get out of the possession without killing him or his host. With a determined look, he took the dreadful book alongside the other two, before continuing exploring the bookshelf.
“Preventing Possession”? Kind of late for that one. “Repealing the Undead”? Oh boy, I hope I was the only one that came here. Hey, what’s this one? Blueblood raised an eyebrow at one book whose title caught him off guard. “Times and Adventures of My Beloved Ghost”?
Ponies were weird.
He kept inspecting the book, not really understanding its meaning. A pony became friends with a ghost? If so, maybe there’s still a chance for me. Blueblood smiled and opened the book at a random page intrigued into what was the story behind the book.
“…Mary Ann took a shaky step into the mansion once more as she had done too many times in the past, and with each step she gained more determination as she approached the chambers of her beloved. In there she saw him standing in the middle of the room, admiring the full moon as its light bathed him like a spotlight for the world to see. At the sound of his door opening, he looked back and their eyes met. She was scared and he was nervous, both of them knew they were worlds apart, yet their passion was impossible to ignore. With determination, The Baron took a step forward and caressed her cheek. His hoof was cold yet comfortable. Mary Ann could feel her heart race as he started to move his hoof lower and lower until his ghostly hoof grabbed and got a firm grip of her…”
WHOA-HO-HO, NOPE! Immediately Blueblood closed the book, his face as red as a tomato with steam escaping his ears. He tried his best to ignore what he just read.
Yep, ponies were definitely weird.
How did THIS end up here?! Twilight, come on, kids could have reached this book with ease! Blueblood stared at the book in alarm before looking at a picture of Twilight on a coffee table, glaring at it. "If I wasn't on a secret mission right now, you and I would be having a serious talk," he whispered at the portrait, putting the scandalous book away (much higher on the shelf this time) and continuing his work.
Unfortunately, there weren't any other books that could help him with what he needed. So, deciding he was finished, he took the two that were his best bet and went to a podium to start reading, starting with the one about classifications.
"Ghosts, also known as specters, are the stubborn undead beings that refuse to move onto the afterlife. Low-level unholy creatures whose only purpose is to spread misery and eat the flesh of who they possess.”
Wait, WHAT?!
Blueblood looked at his body in alarm. Am I…eating this pony?! Oh God, I need to get out of him before it's too late! Shivering, he returned to his reading:
"Their classification can be divided into ten levels, with Level One being the weakest and easy to repel, and Level Ten being the most dangerous there is. In such cases, the Elements of Harmony must be used to eradicate the ghost immediately.
"Level One: the Shaker/Poltergeist --- No intelligence whatsoever, and like the name implies, only able to shake small objects like plates and glasses. Dangers: miniscule and minor, as they are mere annoyances at worst. Use salt to burn them."
Blueblood shivered at the idea of him burning alive a second time.
“Level Two: the Trickster/Clown Ghost/Troll Ghost --- Known for always laughing in a low voice and making objects float and change places. It's unknown if they are conscious of what they’re doing or, like the Shaker, just do things out of instinct, but oftentimes their actions can be viewed as some sort of prank. Use salt to burn them.
“Level Three: the Banshee --- Always screaming or weeping, and mostly found in cemeteries. They are the last remaining emotion of a sorrowful soul that fears death. It's uncommon for them to attack ponies unless their resting place is disturbed, in which case, they will hunt the responsible one relentlessly. DO NOT engage with, anger, or mock them. Their screech can be deadly, and in the worst cases you would turn it into a level four ghost. Don't use salt. Instead, say a prayer to Faust and light a candle for it to follow and burn like a moth to flame.”
“Well…so much for being kind to them…” he whispered, almost feeling sorry for the ponies and how their only solution with ghosts was to immediately seek them out and destroy them.
Almost. The level of detail in this book was still disturbing.
He began to turn the pages more rapidly.
”Level Four: the Raging Ghost --- The result of fools messing with the paranormal or a soldier dying in a battle full of regrets. Warning: this ghost is far more intelligent than Levels One through Three and knows how to fight. They can possess hollow armor and multiple weapons at the same time, and they will attack anypony that gets near their territory. Oftentimes found in abandoned castles that were the target of battles or wars. Unlike the others, this ghost retains their original bodies at the time of their death and can even speak some words, oftentimes some sort of insult or a swear word. Trick them into walking into a circle of salt to capture them, and then strike them down with a sword bathed in Dawn Water* (see page 96) to eliminate.
“Level Five: the Druid Ghost --- Can possess animals, evil intentions when alive…kill with a Dawn weapon…
“Level Six: the Baron --- Can turn solid for periods of time. Don't look them in the eyes, because it can hypnotise…kill with Dawn weapon…
“Level Seven: the Elemental --- Possesses one of the four elements…travel long distances…force him into Dawn Land to eliminate…
“Level Eight: the Nightmare --- Feed on fear…traps victims in dungeons and takes the form of their worst nightmare. Only advice: escape the dungeon by spraying Dawn Water into the walls, then destroy the structure…
“Level Nine: the Mimic --- Can shapeshift into tangible objects and possess whoever touches it…feeds on their life energy…destroy their current possession to destroy…
“Level Ten…”
Blueblood froze and stared at the last classification entry in horror and alarm. His eyes widened, and try as he might, he could not look away from the words before him.
“Level Ten: the Possessed --- Maximum level of danger. The unholy union of Demons and Nightmares. This monster can possess any living being without a problem, and destroy both the victim and their loved ones slowly until there is nothing but dust. Extremely intelligent and capable of fooling even a family member. Very difficult to destroy; all previous methods of destruction are inefficient on them, since they can adapt and find out how to avoid the dangers quickly. Dawn weapons do not work because they use the victim's body as a vessel. If encountered, DO NOT let it know that you’ve discovered its identity, and contact Princess Celestia as fast as you can. The Elements of Harmony are the only thing that can destroy it without harming the host.”
The prince backed away from the podium and promptly sat down on the floor, holding his head in fear. “I'm...I’m a Level Ten...I'm the most dangerous of them all. Am I…am I feeding off everyone I meet? Oh, dear God, the princesses...those children...Starlight! What have I been doing to them?!” he whispered harshly, his hooves shaking. Then he shook his head, trying to regain some semblance of bravery. “No! I refuse. I will not become a parasite! I would rather jump into an entire barrel of salt before letting anyone else suffer. This book is probably old, since it said to contact Celestia for the Elements, so maybe it was written before Nightmare Moon. Yes, that’s it.”
Convincing himself that the book was just a little out of date, he put the book away and opened the other one, hoping to find more clues.
"There are four effective methods to exorcise a ghost from a pony or an object, the first and most efficient one being the Elements of Harmony, which would burn the monster immediately."
Well, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, he hoped.
"The second method is using the Soul Divider spell* (page 56). Take note: if the caster has the ghost inside, it can't be performed on itself, since the specter will immediately cancel in self-defense. It must be used by a second unicorn."
So, I need a unicorn I can trust to cast it. Starlight, maybe? Okay, let’s see how this one goes.
Blueblood flipped to page fifty-six and started reading the details of the incantation, right until the point where it said that, if successful, the ghost will be exposed to the Elements of Harmony and will burn as a result of the spell.
So, the spell not only will yank me out, it will also burn me out. No thank you.
“The third method would be a dream duel, where, with the assistance of Princess Luna or some herbal teas, the victim would confront the ghost in their dreams and destroy it from there.”
Blueblood stopped and looked at his reflection on a nearby window. "Okay, I know you’re probably angry at me right now, but I'm trying to make things right here, sooo no need to fight, okay? Look, there’s still the fourth option. Let's see what it says."
Shaking his head, he returned to the book.
"The fourth and final option is a special potion* (page 87) that can expel the specter. Warning: once out, there is a window of time before the ghost goes back into its host or possesses another, so you must…”
That’s it! Blueblood cheered as he quickly flipped to the needed page and, using his notebook, wrote down all the ingredients on it.
Finally, a silver lining. I can use this to get out of your body, and once out, I’ll just have to find a way to possess something else, and we’ll both be free, Blueblood. Just hang in there, buddy, we almost have a solution.
The door creaked, and whatever color Blueblood had in his face drained away and his eyes widened.
"Twilight?"
Spike’s voice nearly caused Blueblood to have a heart attack as he closed the book and made a mad dash behind a nearby sofa, just in time for Spike to enter the room. In his scared state, the prince realized now that he not only left the book on the podium, but had also kept the lights on.
This was sooooo not good...
The young dragon rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around the library, confused and looking for the princess "Twilight?” he called again. “You here?"
Please don't see me, please don't see me, please don't see me... Blueblood chanted in his head, begging for a miracle as he heard the steps of the dragon approaching.
"I swear, I heard somepony muttering in here," Spike mused as he looked around with a yawn. Eventually, he noticed the book on the podium, but instead of inspecting it, the prince only heard Spike sigh. When peeking from his hiding place, Blueblood saw the dragon shaking his head.
"Greeeat, she's sleep-learning again..." he grumbled, picking the book up in his claws. “I’m gonna have to ask Zecora to up the strength of those sleeping potions again tomorrow. Dang things don’t work as advertised.” He quickly put the book back into the bookshelf and then left the room with another yawn, turning off the lights as he went.
Signing in relief, the prince held his chest and tried to keep his poor heart from evacuating his rib cage in a fit of fright while he took several deep breaths. The moment he managed to relax, he stood up again and looked at the entrance where Spike left.
Okay, that was too close...
Stifling a yawn of his own, the prince realized that it was late, and that if he kept going, he was going to have a hard time keeping himself awake, his most recent scare notwithstanding. He could already feel his eyes closing.
Damn it, I’ve used too many spells for far too long. I'm at my limit.
He had to shake his head once more before heading to his room. Once there, he hid his notebook and invention in his saddlebag before going to bed with a satisfied smile on his face.
One step closer to solving this problem once and for all. Don’t worry, Blueblood, you’ll be free soon.