//------------------------------//
// Epilogue 
// Story: Apple Bloom's Mansion 
// by Lucar 
//------------------------------//

Apple Bloom looked at Little Ghost slowly floating away from the ruins of the manor, while everypony around her looked at each other wondering what to do. Quickly, Apple Bloom went out of the group hug and ran toward the ghost despite some of the ponies telling her to come back, that it's too dangerous, especially now that she didn't have a Poltergust anymore, but the filly didn't listen to them.

Little Ghost spotted her approaching, and looked at her in both fear, anger, and despair, but she couldn't do anything to her anymore right now, having spent the totality of her energy in this fight, she could barely lift a small object with her mind. She could only look as the other filly approached her.

Apple Bloom eventually reached her. And then she hugged her... "Uh? Whoaa!" Only to pass through her and fall on the ground. "Darn it..."

Little Ghost looked at Apple Bloom in disbelief. "Did you just try to hug me?"

Apple Bloom got back up while answering, "Eeyup."

"Why?"

Apple Bloom looked at her with a sad smile. "Because ya need one."

Behind her, among the ponies looking at them, Smart Spirit gave a small smile before he started running toward the caravan.

"But why would you give me one? I'm a ghost... I... brainwashed everypony... I almost... killed you... B-but now, they are all f-free... You could just c-capture me and return to your home with everypony..."

"Because Ah want t'be yer friend. Isn't that what Ah told ya before the fight? Isn't that what ya want?"

Little Ghost looked at her with wide eyes. "B-b-but... But..."

"Ah know. Ya're a ghost. And ya're right, at first Ah'd have probably run away in fear. But now, Ah'm not running, right? Ghosts aren't scary when we learn to know them. They're just... creatures that are dead but are still here, transparent, floaty, that can pass through objects, and all. And Smart Spirit told me that he's friend with some of them, so why couldn't Ah?"

Little Ghost continued to stare at her in disbelief without saying anything.

"Come on, Little ghost. Is it so hard to believe that Ah want to be yer friend? Ah promise Ah'm not lying. It's not in the habit of the Apple Family to lie. Especially not for something like that."

Again, Little Ghost was just looking. But Apple Bloom could spot her eyes becoming wet.

Smiling, she continued. "Okay, ya're asking for it. Ah Pinkie Promise that Ah want t'be friend with ya. And that ya won't be alone anymore. "Cross mah heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye." It's a special promise. If Ah ever break it, then Ah'll lose yer trust and yer friendship forever."

Pinkie Pie was about to scream, but Applejack stopped her by placing a hoof in her mouth. "Don't ruin the moment."

Pinkie just pouted.

"So..." Apple Bloom began. "Friends?"

She was answered by Little Ghost putting her hooves around her neck to hug her while crying.

Laughing, Apple Bloom said with a roll of her eyes, not minding the cold feeling of the ghost touching her, "Of course. Ah can't hug ya, but ya can hug me. Ghosts."

This made Little Ghost laugh. "I could let you hug me, if I wanted. I was just scared."

"Understood. 'Don't try to hug a scared ghost.'"

"I am glad that this could be ended peacefully," they heard. Beside them now stood Celestia, smiling down at them. Despite Little Ghost still hugging her, Apple Bloom bowed. Celestia giggled at how adorable it looked with the filly ghost still hugging her around the neck. "Rise." As Apple Bloom rose, and Little Ghost ended the hug to look at her in awe, Celestia laid down in front of them. "I wasn't told much about what happened. But from what I know, Apple Bloom, you fought great dangers to save everypony. So, first, let me thank you, and congratulate you, for saving them, despite all the odds."

"Uh... Ya're welcome, Princess."

"And now, despite everything she has done, you still found it in you to forgive your enemy, and to befriend her. I am really proud of you."

"W-well... Little Ghost wasn't evil. She was just very lonely." She looked at the ghost with a giggle. "And she needs to learn what's bad and what's good."

"Uh... Brainwashing ponies to force them to be my friends is bad...?" Little Ghost proposed with a sheepish smile.

"It's a good start."

Celestia gave a small laugh before she looked sadly at Little Ghost. "So, you are Golden Hair's unborn daughter? I wish things could have happened differently, that your life wasn't taken from you before you could even start it. But whatever happened, I now hope that everything will become better for you, and that you will finally have a good life, even if it's in death."

"By the way, I would like to learn of what happened," they heard Luna say as she approached. "I was among the ones who were saddened to learn the disappearance of the Gem Family. They were really loved. Where are they? I would expect to see at least their ghosts."

Smart Spirit drove the caravan toward them and stopped it not far before he entered it and exited it, holding a red crystal and a green crystal. Approaching them, he showed the green crystal. "They're in here! Because of Bogmire's curse, they became hostile spirits who tried to kill Apple Bloom the same way they were killed, and Apple Bloom had to capture all of them."

"Ah was forced to, thanks to a certain little ghost," said Apple Bloom while staring at Little Ghost with a smile, the ghost laughing sheepishly at this.

"The only one who couldn't be captured was Pyrite, the responsible for this whole tragedy. The coward tricked Apple Bloom and escaped to who knows where," continued the prof. He then showed the red crystal. "Speaking of Bogmire, Apple Bloom did a very good job and captured him along with many other dangerous ghosts, all placed in that red crystal, ready to be sent to Tartarus. Among the captured ghosts are many killers, like Sharp Knife the Bloody Cook, Zalor the zebra supremacist, the Mask Siblings, or even Crazy Laugh the mad scientist and her Monster; there's also a windigo, and about half a hundred wraiths, including the nine leaders of the three pony tribes before Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead. Yep, this includes Princess Rose herself."

Luna almost choked. "H-half a hundred wraiths?! And a windigo?!"

Celestia took the crystal with awe. "Impressive!"

Smart Spirit turned to Apple Bloom and smiled while showing the green crystal. "Now, let's release those poor souls."

Smiling widely, Apple Bloom followed the prof inside the caravan, waving at Little Ghost to come. They were quickly followed by the rest of the ponies and the dragon either entering the caravan or looking through the windows to see what will happen.

Inside, Smart Spirit showed the crystal to Apple Bloom again. "You want?"

Excited, Apple Bloom nodded, took the crystal, and placed it in the machine at the place where they normally put the blue crystal from the Poltergust. Pressing a couple of buttons, the screen above the crystal showed an image of all the ghosts currently trapped in it, which were the majority of the Gem Family without Pyrite and Little Ghost, the servants, and the dog. Pressing some other buttons, Apple Bloom then selected the proposal 'RELEASE?' before pressing one last button "YES".

The next instant, one by one, blue lights came out of the crystal and flew outside of the caravan, slowly taking back their real appearance as they landed around the vehicle. Everypony inside the caravan exited it, and they all looked in awe or in happiness as the newly released ghosts, over twenty, looked around in confusion, clearly lost. But after a moment, they seemed to recover their senses, and smiled happily at each other before exchanging hugs with happy shouts of "My dear!" "Mommy!" or different names among barks from the dog who was petted by the gardener and the cook.

Slowly, unsure, Little ghost advanced toward them, and Golden Hair was the first to spot her. Almost immediately, the mare was brimming with joy, and she flew toward the foal to hug her and shouted, "My baby!"

"M... Mo... Mommy?"

"Yes. Yes, sweetie. It's me."

"It's my girl!" Diamond Cup shouted as he joined to hug his daughter.

The rest of the family quickly grouped around them while Golden Hair talked. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. I'm so sorry."

"But now, we are here. And we will not leave you," said the father.

"D-daddy..."

"Hey! Hey! We are here too!"

"Yes! We are here!" shouted Ruby and Sapphire as they bounced in joy beside them before they both nuzzled Little Ghost.

"We are sorry. We were bad big brothers," they then both said.

"Big brothers..."

"And I am sorry too," said then Emerald. "I was making a scarf for you, but I made it too long, and now, it is ruined..." She looked at the ruins of the manor. "Even more ruined now..."

"Don't worry. You can always make another one later," Crystal Ball said.

"Gr... Gran..." By now, Little Ghost could barely say anything with how much she was crying as she looked one by one at the members of her family, all looking back at her with warm smiles.

Apple Bloom was crying too as she watched, but despite this, she said, "S-see? Ya'll never be alone anymore."

At hearing her, all the ghosts looked at her. Upon spotting her, Jump Scare screamed in fear before flying away, causing everypony to look at him in surprise.

"The hay?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Applejack looked at Apple Bloom as the filly started rolling on the floor, laughing. "What have ya done t'that poor stallion to scare him like that?"

"She jumpscared him!" Smart Spirit answered before laughing too.

"She jumpscared a ghost?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Isn't it supposed to be the contrary, ghosts jumpscaring us?" Scootaloo asked.

"Ah just wanted to teach him how to really scare ponies!" Apple Bloom said while laughing.

Golden Hair laughed. "Yes. Jump Scare was never good at scaring ponies despite his name." She then approached the filly, releasing Little Ghost from the hug, before she bowed to her. "I am sorry for trying to kill you."

Looking at his wife for a few seconds, Diamond Cut quickly followed. "I am sorry too for trying to get you devoured by books."

"Say what?!" asked Twilight.

"Yeah, sorry Twilight, Ah had t'burn a few books trying to devour me," said Apple Bloom. "Between the books, the piano, the mad cook, and the dog, Ah had mah dose of things trying to eat me."

Hearing about that, and not minding the lavender mare whose eyes started to twitch, Opal Note approached and bowed saying "Sorry about that!"

And one by one, the ghosts asked forgiveness for their murder attempts on the filly, excepted Platinum Shoes and Crystal Ball, who didn't have this guilt.

"Uh... It's okay! Ya weren't yerselves! Ah'm not angry at y'all!" She looked at Emerald. "But it was really scary with yer eye lasers."

Emerald simply laughed with a 'stop it you' move while everypony looked at her in wonder.

"We must also thank you for saving our family," said Diamond Cup. "Ask anything, and if it's in our mean, we will give it to you."

"Ah... Ah don't need anything."

"We insist."

Smart Spirit then decided to approach. "He-hello everyghosts. I present myself, I am Smart Spirit, the one who invented the Poltergust, the machine that helped stop this nightmare. And... I... I am Prismatic Gem's descendant. Nice finally meeting all of you."

At the pronunciation of the name of the missing son, the family members looked at Smart Spirit is sadness, but also in joy at understanding that the colt who survived had a good life and continued the family duty with his descendants. "Nice meeting you, Smart Spirit," eventually said Diamond Cup while Golden Hair went to hug her great great great whatever grandson.

Taking off his glasses to rub his eyes, Smart Spirit continued. "After your disappearance, Prism understood immediately that this had something to do with Bogmire, and so, he waited for the manor to potentially reappear with all of you so he could capture Bogmire and stop the curse that fell on you. This duty was transferred to his descendants. For over one thousand years, we waited, preparing ourselves to end this curse. Now that it's done, I hope that my ancestors will be more at peace in the afterlife, especially Prism."

"They already are," Crystal Ball said.

Diamond Cup put a hoof on his withers. "Well done, son."

"So... Ah... Apple Bloom was able to find the totality of your fortune, and we placed it in a safe place. And... If you insist on thanking her, then how about I give her all this fortune?" He chuckled as Apple Bloom gasped. "You don't need it anymore, and I don't need it too to continue my researches."

"Good idea, son! So, right now, we, Diamond Cup Gem, and Smart Spirit Gem, bequeath our fortune to the little filly named Apple Bloom!"

"Oh my, that's a lot," Celestia said.

Applejack gulped. "How much we're talking about?"

Apple Bloom took a big breath. "Right, ya still don't remember. Ya'll see once we return to the farm. Maybe Big Mac already saw it."

Diamond Cup then turned to the princesses and bowed. "Your Majesties."

The others quickly bowed too.

"Rise, please." She looked at all of them. "I can't express how much I am happy to see all of you again."

"And how horrified we are to learn that you were trapped in such a horrible curse for all those years," said Luna. "Especially a curse caused because of the betrayal of one of yours. Wherever Pyrite is, we promise that he will get the punishment he deserves for this."

"But why did he do this?" asked Pearl.

"His soul was invaded by jealousy, hatred, and greed," Crystal Ball said.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Pyrite was jealous of Diamond Cup for getting everything while he had nothing, and he freed Bogmire so he could become the new master."

Diamond Cut sighed. "Oh... Pyrite... You poor fool..."

Twilight rubbed her head in thought. "How will we find him? He can be anywhere. And since he's a ghost, it will be even harder. I still can't believe ghosts exist."

"Leave it to me," Apple Bloom said. "Sooner or later, he will probably take his revenge and try to take back 'his' fortune. This day, Ah'll capture him, with the help of Smart Spirit."

"Yes. With the help of the archives you found, I should be able to protect your farm with a way to keep Pyrite and other evil ghosts away."

"And we will help you," Diamond Cup said.

Smart Spirit looked at the ghost in wonder. "You aren't going to go rest in peace in the afterlife now that you are free?"

Diamond Cup laughed. "We could." He looked at Little Ghost. "But I doubt that my little dear will want to go now that she can finally see the world and make friends. Right, sweetie?"

Little Ghost nodded before hugging Apple Bloom. "I don't want to leave yet!"

"Oh, she already has a friend. See? And I refuse to leave her just after finally hugging her for the first time. Goldy will refuse to leave her for the same reason. The twins will not leave us. Clean Order wants to continue to serve us -such a loyal stallion, really-. I think you get it. And I want to have a few words with my dear brother once you finally catch him."

"Count on me!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"No. Ah won't leave ya in harm's way again. Ah'll be the one who'll take that there machine and capture this guy," Applejack said.

"Aww please Applejack, Ah already proved that Ah'm good at capturing ghosts. And ya can't be at my side all the time t'protect me from Pyrite. He'd attack me when Ah'm alone. Or he'd even use ya t'get me. Sorry Applejack, but this time, ya can't do anything to keep me out of harm's way, unless ya force me to remain in the house."

Applejack could only grit her teeth, knowing that Apple Bloom was right.

"Applejack, Ah know that ya want to protect me, but..." She looked at the Gem Family and smiled. "Ah won't let mahself get in harm's way because Ah discovered Ah'm good at capturing ghosts. Ah just went through a whole manor full of ghosts, capturing many evil ones, not only to save y'all but also to save them. And Ah loved it. Knowing that Ah stopped evil ghosts from causing more harms, that Ah saved ponies, both dead and alive, thanks to this, and that Ah even made friends. Ah want to continue this. Ah want to continue stopping bad ghosts and helping good ghosts." Unbeknown to her, a small flash of light appeared on her flanks, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gasped. "This is what Ah want, to become a guardian for and against ghosts!"

Applejack looked at Apple Bloom in amazement, before smiling warmly. "How could Ah say no after that?" She pointed at Apple Bloom's flank.

"Uh?" Apple Bloom looked at her flank and gasped. On her flank, there was now a red shield protecting a white, smiling ghostly figure. From the bottom of the shield was coming the pipe and the handle of the Poltergust in the process of capturing a black, angry-looking ghostly figure. "Ah... Ah... OH, MY GOSH! AH GOT MAH CUTIE MARK!!!"

She was tackled and hugged by Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, the both of them congratulating her, quickly followed by everypony else, with Pinkie already starting to plan her Cute-ceañera, and with Applejack also saying "Alright. Ya can go hunt ghosts. But could ya at least avoid the powerful ones like the windigos until ya're an adult?"

"Ah'll try, but no promise. Powerful ghosts like Pyrite may come at me, like villains and trouble come at ya."

"Darn... Good point..."

Once everypony calmed, Apple Bloom then thought about something and turned to Smart Spirit. "What about the ghosts in the yellow crystal?"

"Oh! Of course! I forgot about them!" He turned to Luna. "Princess Luna, there's a ghost who would like to meet you." He then turned to Diamond Cup. "We will need three circles to trap three ghosts. Ghosts in the yellow crystal are ghosts we aren't sure how to deal with. Apple Bloom captured three in the manor: a thestral mare who killed herself in the name of Nightmare Moon," Luna recoiled at this. "Applejack the Ripper," Applejack looked wide-eyed at this. "And an octopus who attacked Apple Bloom without any seemingly reasons." Fluttershy looked interested.

"And we will also have to find somewhere to go," Emerald said. "This is not because we are now ghosts that we will live in the streets."

"Oh! I know!" Scootaloo shouted. "There's that manor in Ponyville, and..."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "No Scootaloo, you will not ask the ghosts to go haunt the manor of the Rich Family."

"Darn..."

"Well... Ya can come to the farm, Ah suppose," Applejack proposed. "Just, let me warn Granny Smith first. Wouldn't want to give her a heart attack."

Apple Bloom looked at the ruins and started rubbing her chin. "Wait... How about Ah use some of the fortune to build a new manor? The Gems will be able to live here, and we could even have a few rooms for Smart Spirit's lab. A real lab."

"A-a real lab for... Ahem! Good idea, but it will still take months to build it, so until then, you will have to make some place for them," said Smart Spirit.

With a nod, they prepared for the three ghosts, Apple Bloom reminding the prof that they should also do something about all the ghosts she captured in the battle against Little Ghost possessing the manor, but the prof told that they will do something about them later, after some much needed good rest.

Soon enough, with the knowledge of the Gems, three circles were created, each to attract and trap one of the ghosts once they're released from the yellow crystal. After that, they decided that while Luna would talk to the thestral mare, Fluttershy would talk to the octopus and Apple Bloom and Applejack would talk to... Applejack. When Applejack was told that this Applejack was a five times great grandaunt who killed ponies before spending over eighty years in prison, and that she tried to kill Apple Bloom in fear of being sent to Tartarus with the other serial killer ghosts, she didn't know what to think. On one hoof, she wanted the old mare to be sent to Tartarus for trying to kill Apple Bloom, but on the other, she was pitying the mare, and she was still family, so...

She wanted to see her first, and talk to her, and then she would judge her.

And so, Smart Spirit freed the three ghosts, and they all landed in a different circle like planned.

And so, Apple Bloom and Applejack faced Applejack the Ripper, who looked around in confusion before she looked down at the circle. She tested it by trying to move a hoof outside it, only for a mysterious force to stop her, like an invisible wall. She then looked at Applejack and Apple Bloom.

"So, you haven't sent me to Tartarus, but I see I'm still imprisoned."

"What were ya expecting after trying to kill Bloom? Ya were scared, Ah can understand that, but it's still something horrible to try."

The ghost sighed. "Well, then, I'm waiting your judgment. Make it quick. But..." She looked at Apple Bloom. "Know at least that I'm sorry for trying to kill you. I shouldn't have let my fear take over like that."

Apple Bloom looked at the old mare, seeing how tired she was. "Why... don't ya move on?"

The old ghost smiled at the filly. "Because I would join my family up there, and they don't want to have anything to do with me anymore."

Applejack huffed. "Many ponies have folks who hate them for a reason or another, and this doesn't stop them from moving on. Ah don't know what's waiting for ya in the afterlife, but ya may be surprised. And Ah know that we Apples can hold grudges for a long time because we're just that stubborn, and that they've a good reason to hold a grudge against ya, but centuries passed since then, and ya already paid for yer crimes. If even after that, they still don't want ya, then just go elsewhere and find other ponies to be with. Again, Ah don't know how this works up there, but Ah'm almost certain that ya won't be limited to just seeing the family." She saw the ghost looking down in sadness. "There's something else."

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. "For us Apples, family's everything... Are... Are ya sad that ya're left out? That we forgot about ya?"

The ghost looked to her right, seeing Princess Luna hugging the crying thestral Dark Moon before using her hooves to destroy the circle, letting the ghost go. Dark Moon then started floating toward the sky, smiling peacefully, before slowly fading. The octopus was also out of its circle, hugging the yellow pegasus, Fluttershy.

She nodded.

Apple Bloom and Applejack looked at each other and nodded before looking back at their grandaunt.

Applejack said, "Ya did wrong, but Ah must admit that it was wrong from our family to leave ya out like that. No matter what ya did, family's family. So, Ah promise that Ah'll get yer name back in our family tree."

Apple Bloom then used her hoof to destroy the circle. “And even if ya still don't want to move on after that, we're planning to build a manor for the Gems to live in, and for the prof t'have his lab. Ah remember ya said ya were hoping to spend yer afterlife in the manor, but now that it's destroyed, then ya could come and live in this new manor.”

Applejack the Ripper looked at the mare and the filly, almost crying. "You are... too kind..."

"Sorry, kindness is Fluttershy's stuff," said Applejack with a laugh, "If ya think we're too kind, then ya'd be surprised by how forgiving she can be."

The ghost laughed with a nod. "Thank you. And thank you for the offer, Apple Bloom. But I think I will refuse it."

"Oh. Then ya'll go?" asked Apple Bloom. "Okay! Then if ya see yer family, and they forgive ya, can ya tell them that we say 'Hi'?".

She laughed again. "I will." She then hugged Apple Bloom and Applejack, saying "Thank you," again before she started floating toward the sky before fading away, both mare and filly waving goodbye at her.

Apple Bloom looked at her sister. "This is one of the reasons Ah want to continue this 'job'."

As expected, Luna was able to convince Dark Moon to give up her fanaticism about Nightmare Moon, the mare understanding that she killed herself and ruined her life for nothing. The thestral just accepted to leave and find peace, and maybe... one day... Have a second chance at life.

As for the octopus, it wasn't hostile at first, but not long before Apple Bloom entered its room, a group of cloaked ghosts used some dark magic on it to force it to devour her. But in truth, the octopus was just a big softy who loved hugs, and for some reason, it also loved living in jars. So a room full of jars? Perfect home for it. When it was alive, it even was a cook! Having eight arms can be really useful for this post, and some eccentric pony trained it for his restaurant.

Since it didn't want to move on right now, not now that he made new friends, Apple Bloom proposed to it to become a cook for her future new manor, which it accepted, the cook of the Gem Family wanting to join his family in the afterlife, along with all the servants without counting Clean Order, and even the dog.

And so, everypony went to the farm, Applejack warning Granny Smith like she told. The old mare didn't have any problems getting some guests in her house, even if those guests were a whole family of ghosts. Apples are known for their hospitality, and they'll be darned if they don't show hospitality to somepony just because they're dead!

However, she almost got a heart attack, along with Applejack and pretty much everypony outside of Apple Bloom, Smart Spirit, the Princesses, and the Gems, when they saw the fortune that was given to Apple Bloom, making the Apples one of the richest family of Equestria, even richer than most of the nobles. Some ponies even lost consciousness upon seeing the treasure in the barn and the clubhouse. Big Mac was among them when he opened the barn not long before everypony came back from the forest.

When a certain pink filly with a tiara learned about this, she forgot to breathe for so long that she almost died.

When Celestia expressed her worry about all those ghosts that escaped after the defeat of Little Ghost, Smart Spirit and Apple Bloom promised to remain alert and to find a way to know when a ghost was causing problems somewhere.

And not long after, they started planning the new manor.



A few months later.



Apple Bloom returned from school and walked toward the clubhouse along with her friends. When they entered Sweet Apple Acres, they were welcomed by Little Ghost possessing a letter that she immediately gave to Apple Bloom.

The letter told that there was a ghost devouring all the food in a five stars hotel in Manehattan.

Apple Bloom looked at her friends. "Duty calls!"

Her friends waved at her, saying "Good luck!" as she ran to her house, followed by Little Ghost.

Entering her house, she shouted, "Ah must go! Ah'll be back soon!"

"Ya're going to Manehattan, right? So Ah suppose ya won't be back for dinner! Ah prepared a box with yer dinner in yer chamber!" shouted back Granny Smith.

"Okay!"

She entered her chamber, took her box, her Poltergust, then exited the house, still followed by Little Ghost, and ran to the Everfree Forest, toward the hill where everything happened. The ruins of the old manor weren't here anymore, having been cleared a long time ago. In their place now stood a new manor that Apple Bloom entered, greeted by some of the ghosts now living here. She quickly found the prof in his lab, working on a new prototype of Poltergust.

"Prof! Let's go!"

"Oh! Oh! You are here! Alright, let's go!"

They ran to the garage at the back of the manor where Smart Spirit replaced his caravan by a smaller, but faster boxlike vehicle. The three of them climbed in it, the prof taking the conductor siege, before he started it. The door of the garage opened, and the vehicle exited the manor, starting its journey to Manehattan.



The end







Or not...



Not long after Little Ghost's defeat.



The Spiritual World was a strange place, consisting of islands and buildings floating in an infinite purple void.

Among those islands and buildings, there was a castle, looking more like the one in the Everfree Forest than the one in Canterlot, excepted that the entrance was in the mouth of the skull of a dragon.

In this castle, there was a throne, and on this throne, there was a being.

A being extremely bored. So bored that he could die. But since he was already a ghost, he couldn't die, so he was bored beyond death.

He was so bored that he didn't even react when some ghost entered his throne room. The ghost of some bearded yellow unicorn stallion.

So boring.

"All Powerful Lord Thanatos, I am here bearing some news. You see, my name is Pyrite, and..."

"Just get to the point, before I snap you away," the named Lord Thanatos said, preparing to snap the fingers of one of his skeletal claws to teleport the stallion away if he continued to be boring.

"Uh... Yes... Your creation, Bogmire, was captured."

This got Thanatos to raise a non-existent eyebrow on his skull. "Oh? It got captured again? What a shame. But, oh well. It's the game. Is that all?" Again, he prepared his fingers.

"You may be interested to learn how it was captured."

Again, Thanatos raised his non-existent eyebrow. "What do you mean? It wasn't captured by a magic circle again?"

"No. You see, Great Lord, the mortals created a weapon that can actually capture ghosts."

"Oh? Tell me more."

"This is a really powerful weapon. So powerful, that Bogmire was captured by a mere earth pony filly, and this same filly was able to capture a windigo as well as the Nine Lords of Hate! She defeated all my creations, including a dragon and a hydra! She was even able to defeat Little Ghost despite all her powers!"

By now, Thanatos was actually smiling, bending toward the stallion. "Really now? Tell me more about this filly and that weapon." He chuckled. "I may be able to have fun, for once."



To be continued