//------------------------------//
// Epilogue: Commencement of New Adventures 
// Story: Apple Bloom's Mansion 4: The Castle of Death 
// by Lucar 
//------------------------------//

It was surprising how fast something could be built with the help of both magic and an army of ghosts. In just a few months, a town appeared in Evershade Valley, mainly going from the forest of the Haunted Towers to the desert area of the Old Clockword, and some buildings were even built on the mountain of Secret Mine. And it was only a matter of time before they would spread to the mountains visible around the valley.

The town was given the name Spookane.

All buildings were unique. They all had different shapes and sizes, and some were even built as if the plans had been drawn by a foal. The ghosts just built what they wanted, and as long as it stayed up and they liked the result, they considered it a home. And with dozens, or even hundreds of ghosts sharing the same house, some results could easily be passed as creations of Discord.

Despite this, some buildings were standing out, like the theater, the hotel that was as big as Eternal Rest's hotel (but with a friendlier design, with a giant apple at the top that the ghosts insisted to place), or the newly finished museum that was just beside the hotel.

The museum wasn't as tall as the hotel, but it was easily the largest building of Spookane, and still had several floors. After all, it served as jail for the thousands of evil ghosts captured and turned into portraits, so it wasn't surprising that it was that big, and it could become even bigger if more ghosts-turned-portraits come in the future. Some day, it could even be taller than the hotel.

Apple Bloom was standing in front of it, ready to cut the red ribbon in front of a huge crowd mainly of ghosts but also of a few livings, mainly her family (including her now freed parents) and friends (including E. Gadd and other inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom), but also residents of Ponyville, the princesses, reporters, paranormal lovers, and art lovers, without forgetting Discord (and his new disciple Upside Left).

After a small speech to remind what the building really was, the filly cut the ribbon, letting the crowd enter after a big cheering. She then waited with her family and friends while the biggest of the crowd entered, and once everyone was inside, they finally followed.

Apple Bloom had already seen most of the museum before the opening, so she wasn't searching to explore, not with how crowded it now was. But it didn't stop her to look around at the many portraits littering the walls.

All the portraits were behind glasses, and there were so many that almost no place was left. Each portrait also had a small description below it depicting who was the ghost trapped inside, when they could find info about them. Most portraits were the classic size that E. Gadd's original Ghost Portrificationizer used most of the time, but some were bigger.

Each time that Apple Bloom found the portrait of one of the ghosts she fought in her adventures, she briefly stopped to admire them. She first found Frozen Heart, glaring menacingly as she was sending a blizzard. Beside her portrait was a much bigger one where all the captured windigos had been gathered. A little further was doctor Green Hoof, watering a carnivorous plant. She didn't stop, however, when she passed in front of the stallion who had tried to... do stuff to her. It was with some nostalgia that she admired the portrait of Red Steel, the first really evil ghost she caught, now eternally cloaked in the shadows, only his face being seen, and she got chills when her eyes fell on the portrait of Sharp Knife the Bloody Cook (or Cook of Tartarus), licking his knife while staring in hunger. Blackbeard's portrait was the last one before a staircase leading to a basement, the most feared pirate of all time looking like a demon as he was in a roaring pose, cannon fuses lit and saber brandished. To note that his whole crew had been gathered in a single portrait beside his.

After admiring him, Apple Bloom descended the stairs to the basement. Once in there, she traversed a small hallway only possessing one portrait, Grogar (who was giving a machiavellian laugh) before she entered a huge room.

In this room, on the entrance wall, were Bogmire, Death Widow, Wild Oak, Final Hour, Nature's Wrath, and Dark Magic, all having the same pose, but different backgrounds related to what they did (spiders for Death Widow, trees for Wild Oak, clocks for Final Hour, the four elements for Nature's Wrath, and purple colored magical energy for Dark Magic. Bogmire, however, only had a dark background).

The left wall had a giant portrait of the Abomination (they learned its name from ghosts that worked for Thanatos) in its spherical mass of purple ectoplasm, and on the opposite wall was an as huge portrait of Ω, his long body wrapped around the towers of the castle while purple lightning rained all over it.

Finally, on the last wall, first, at the left, was Toy Maker, the crazy stallion smiling as he was in a pile of toys hugging him. Then, at the right, was Big Brain in his simple pony-self, looking very snobbish while also giving a sadistic smile as he was holding a scalpel.

And in the middle, at the left, Pyrite, the stallion painting a treasure chest while having a look showing that he wished that the chest was real.

At the right, Eternal Rest, now with her Polterkitty (they got her out and put her in a new portrait with the cat). The mare, a shadow of herself, was hugging the cat while visibly growling and crying, her mess of a mane hiding her eyes.

And, in the center, Thanatos, on his throne of bones, but far from looking regal as he was bent, defeated, hopeless.

Apple Bloom could come here everyday to admire this.

And they won't escape anytime soon. The portraits were behind glasses and lasers, normal ones and cruciospectro ones, runes had been graved in the walls so that ghosts couldn't traverse them and no magics could be used, and there was a dozen cameras all around constantly keeping watch.

And even if they escaped, Apple Bloom, with her new powers, would be there to make them regret to not have stayed in their portraits.

They will never be a threat again.



A few hours later, Apple Bloom was returning to her home...

Only to spot a blue and white seafaring-like airship with a star emblem on its bow slowly descending toward Ponyville.

What now?



"Yes, Discord, she has arrived."

«Finally! You want me to bring the popcorn, Discord?»

"Yes. And bring a lot!"

To be continued