//------------------------------//
// Ghostly Soulmates 
// Story: Ghastly Mistakes = Ghostly Soulmates 
// by Robipony 
//------------------------------//

The world around you was warm, wet and wriggling. Even as you stirred from your slumber, you could feel small, slimy worm-like creatures, caressing your flesh. Something sticky rested behind your head and neck providing some sort of support, a few worms rubbing your neck. The massage was almost relaxing, if it wasn’t for the pain coming from your side as more of the worms rubbed against your injury. 

Your eyes shot open from the agony, yet even then the world around you was a blur. After a brief moment, you realized that you were missing your glasses. Even then you could make out the faint green glow illuminating the chamber with countless appendages wriggling along the slimy walls. Immediately you realized that you were inside the creature you had seen in the abandoned basement. 

While you couldn’t see clearly, you were able to make the educated guess that this chamber wasn’t filled with worms but with tentacles. Were you being consumed and digested? Were you going to die here?

As you pondered this horrific fate another terrible idea began to form in your mind. In your research of the paranormal and the supernatural, you had read tales of monsters possessing numerous tentacles and tendrils, kidnapping young mares and filling them with their eggs. While you had heard of such monsters you had thought they were just the crazed imaginings of mad fisher mares or the adult entertainment industry, not that they were real. 

Now here you were, imprisoned inside such a horrific beast, helpless to stop it from forcing itself upon you. Was this your fate, to be the broodmother of some otherworldly being? To have your womb filled with the offspring of this monstrosity?

Even as you considered this reality, your eyes began to swell with tears. Then almost as if in response to your fear, the chamber around you let out a slight gurgle and the tentacles’ movements became softer. For a moment you could have sworn they were trying to comfort you. In fact, thinking back on it, none of the tendrils had acted aggressively toward you.

Come to think of it, if this creature had wanted to breed with you, why hadn’t it tried while you were asleep? 

While your body was covered in a thin layer of slime, it would seem that the tentacles had left your marehood unmolested. If anything, the tendrils seemed more interested in the area where Glasgow had stabbed you with her scissors. Another wave of pain rippled through you as more tentacles directed their attention to the spot.

"W-what are you… doing?"

Another gurgle echoed through the chamber as if in response and for a moment you thought you felt something touching your mind. Then again, that might have just been the slimy tendrils massaging your scalp. 

‘Tending to your injury.’ A strange masculine voice spoke as if answering your question. Still it was an answer nonetheless. 

“Who’s there? W-what's your name?" 

‘I have none.’ The room seemed to ripple with the response, the tentacles wriggling intensified. The feeling of the tendrils’ increased movements sent shivers up your spine.

“W-what do you want from me?” you moaned. 

‘The other flesh bound creature attacked you,’ the entity answered, ‘since you were dying I decided to save you.’

“S-save m-me…” 

More of the tentacles directed their attention to your wound, eliciting a hiss of pain from your lips.

‘Your injuries were substantial so I enveloped you for safe keeping. In order to save your life, I had to give up my freedom and form symbiosis with you.’ 

Did that mean that this creature was connected to you somehow? The idea wasn't exactly an appealing one. Especially since you weren't quite sure what this "symbiosis" might entail. Some of your prior fears came back to the forefront of your mind.

"What d-do you mean by… s-symbiosis?"

Another jolt of pain went through your body as more tendrils massaged the site where you'd been stabbed. Your back arching from the agony. Instantly tentacles withdrew from the injury, the other tendrils that were tending to your body, increasing their activity, moving in a nurturing manner like a mother tending to her sick child. 

'Without the other, neither one of us can continue to exist.'

Well, if this creature was going to keep hurting you like this, then maybe death wasn't so bad. Maybe you'd turn into a ghost or be reincarnated as some other sort of creature. Perhaps another pony or maybe a tree. That might be nice. Then again there were some ponies that said that when you died that Celestia and Luna would judge you for your sins, granting you either access to eternal paradise or invoking justice and sentencing you to damnation in the depths of Tartarus. Considering your life choices, more likely than not your spiritual fate would be the latter if that were the case. 

However, that didn’t matter now. For better or worse, your new… friend had saved your life. 

'I am almost done. While you will still need to recover from the attack, your life is no longer in danger.'

That was a relief to hear. The cavity vibrated as if the entity you were inside was humming happily. The combined rhyme of the tentacles and the chamber’s movement provided a relaxing sensation like laying down on a water bed. 

‘Alright, this will have to do for now.’

As the voice rippled through your surroundings, several longer tentacles reached out, grabbing a hold of your limbs and belly. 

“W-wait!” you exclaimed, terrified at what was about to happen. 

Despite your protests the tendrils wrapped around you, holding you secure. Then there was a strange noise that sounded like a bag being unzipped combined with a wet, slippery sound. It was then that you felt the cavity peeling away and gravity pulling you down. Thankfully the entity’s tentacles held you in place, before slowly lowering you to the cold concrete floor. 

Immediately you shivered as the cold air came into contact with your slime covered coat. The world was still blurry. However, with the soft green glow coming from above you, you were able to look around and make out a bundle of out of focus items next to you, as well as something that seemed to be reflective. Carefully you reached out with a hoof toward this item, the familiar feeling of your spectacles against your hoof. Instinctively, you picked them up and put them on your face. 

The world came back into focus and immediately you realized that you were down in the basement, with your jacket and saddlebags resting next to you. However, considering the fact that you were covered in slime, you figured it probably wouldn’t be wise to put any of them on. There was also that strange blur tint you had seen when you first saw this creature. 

“Ewww… gross!” you grumbled as you tried to wipe some of the sticky slime off of your body. No doubt it would take a lot of soap to clean it all off. 

As you groaned over how sticky your body was, you noticed the glow of the creature above you wavering. Looking up, you could see that the entity was having difficulty staying afloat. 

‘I grow weary.’

While you didn’t know this being well, a part of you did feel concerned for it. After all, it did save your life.

“Are you okay?”

The creature’s body appeared to shrink in size even as it drew closer and closer to the ground. 

‘I have expended a great deal of energy to ensure your survival. Now in order for me to continue to exist, I will need to merge with you.’

“Merge?”

Now your savior was the size of a small cat. As it drifted to the floor, you reached out and took it into your forelegs, cradling it like a mother would their own child. In a weird way, it reminded you of what this entity, in its own strange manner, had done for you. 

‘I enveloped you in order to save you, now you must do the same for me,’ the creature answered, ‘You must take and swallow my body completely.’

“Wait, what?!” 

This seemed like a highly bizarre request. Not only that, but the idea of taking this thing into your mouth and swallowing it whole was rather off-putting. Now this being was the size of a decently sized rabbit.

'It is complicated, however, when I saved you, both of us ceased to be solely of our own respective planes, but a mixture of both. Once strictly physical now you are partially linked to the astral plane. In my case it is the opposite.'

"B-but why does that mean I have to swallow you?"

Now the creature was the size of… a smaller rabbit. Even as it rested in your grasp it was clear that time was running out.

'We are linked now. If you don't do this I will die and your body will undergo rapid degeneration. Please…'

A part of you wanted to save this thing, another part of you was disgusted by the idea. This thing was covered in slime after all, like a weird ghostly jellyfish. You swallowed the excess saliva in your mouth and took a deep breath.

“Fine,” you grumbled, as you took the small, mouse sized being in your hooves. 

After gulping once more, you put the entity into your mouth and attempted to swallow it. Admittedly, your taste buds were repulsed by the bitter taste of this slimy thing and it took all your willpower not to gag as the entity slid down the back of your throat.

You gasped for breath, as you felt the creature hit the bottom of your stomach, your insides feeling heavy. Then, slowly, the weight seemed to dissipate before disappearing entirely.

'T-thank you.'

While the being went silent, you could still feel their presence. You also noticed that the slime that was covering your body was disappearing, evaporating into the air and that strange blur tone vanished completely.

Now that the entity was gone, there was no light in the room except for the flashlight that was flickering next to your saddlebags. Walking over to it, you picked up the flashlight and after hitting it a couple times, the beam of light coming from it stabilized. 

Looking down at where Glasgow had stabbed you, you could see a jagged scar. A hiss escaped your lips as you hoof grazed the injury.

Even as you put on your jacket and saddlebags, you knew you couldn’t stay here. That mysterious mare, Glasgow, had nearly killed you, and if you stayed around there was a chance that she might learn that you hadn’t died like she had intended. 

“I must leave immediately,” you murmured as you made your way out of the room toward the stairs. Tired and sore, you pulled your way up the stairs toward the hotel’s entrance. 

Something about the world felt off somehow as you left the abandoned hotel. The shadows seemed to crawl and every light you saw seemed to be watching your every move. While you couldn’t see what lurked in the darkness, you could make out their shapes as they moved. Things that either were not there before or perhaps they were but you just never noticed them before. How did you never notice the maggots crawling through the darkness before?

As tempting as it was to run, you kept calm, not wanting to draw the attention of the things in the shadows. Slowly and calmly, you made your way back to your apartment. 





You took a deep breath as you stepped into your apartment and closed the door behind you. Slumped against the door, you tried to catch your breath. 

“What’s going on?”

Somehow, you’d managed to see real ghosts, get murdered by a monstrous pony with a long neck, were revived by some sort of tentacle monster that had stuffed you inside its body, had swallowed said tentacle monster, and after escaping the hotel, had managed to see numerous creatures squirming through the shadows. What had just happened?

Looking around your apartment, you were glad to see that everything was still in order. Nothing was out of place, indicating that it should be safe, at least in theory. 

Anxious, you took a quick look around the apartment, checking to make sure that the sinister mare that had attempted to take your life wasn’t hiding somewhere. After checking all the closets, cabinets and curtains, you were satisfied that the interior was safe. That meant there was only one area left to check. The balcony. 

After gulping down some excess saliva, you walked over to the glass sliding doors that connected your apartment to the balcony. With the curtains pulled aside you could see that, for the most part, the area looked vacant. Taking a deep breath, you pulled one of the sliding doors aside and stepped out onto the balcony. Once more you examined the area to discover that nopony had disturbed it. 

As you investigated, you thought you saw somepony looking up at your apartment from the street below. Looking down, you expected to see Glasgow looking back up at you with her terribly wide smile; instead you just saw a mare in a white kimono walking on the street, seemingly oblivious to your peering eyes. 

Stepping back into your apartment, you closed the glass door and, for the first time in several months, you turned the latched, locking balcony door. As you heard the mechanism of the lock, click into place, a heavy breath that you had just realized you had been holding escaped your lungs. 

Walking over to the couch, you set down your saddlebags and jacket, before rubbing your sore eyes.

"I need to clean up."

Even after the entity's slime evaporated, you still felt a little dirty. Also, your side was still sore from Glasgow's attempt on your life. A warm bath would be wonderful.

“I just need to relax is all.” 

Walking into the bathroom, you stepped up to the sink and turned the faucet. Taking some cold water, you splashed your face. Once you were cooled down and felt reasonably clean, you looked up from the water and into the mirror. Immediately you recoiled in shock as you noticed that something was different. 

Your eyes were no longer like that of a pony but instead resembled that of an octopus, a large iris with a black rectangular pupil in the center, its long shape positioned horizontally.

"What is this?" you asked, examining these strange new eyes.

Even as you looked at them, you considered how you might explain them, and perhaps even use them in your job. Given time, you’d probably think up something that would work. 

Stepping over to the tub, you turned on the water and with a hoof felt its temperature. Once the water was at a decent temperature and a good level, you turned off the faucet and pulled your sore body into the bathtub. You hissed a little as the warm water touched your side, however, after a few seconds, the pain faded and you were able to rest reasonably in the bath.

As you lay in the water you couldn't help but wonder about the creature that was now apparently inside of you. When it had communicated to you, there were two things that stood out to you. It sounded male and it apparently lacked a name of its own.

"Shame. Well, we can't have that."

Perhaps you could come up with something clever to call it.

"Maybe squid… no. Jelly… nah, that seems pretty lame."

While it might look like a sea creature or a jellyfish, that didn't necessarily mean you should call it something like that. It was definitely something to ponder very carefully. 

The warm water was nice and relaxing as you lay there in the tub. It didn't take you long to be lulled by the water's gentle embrace. Gradually your eyes closed and you drifted off to sleep.





Looking around you found yourself in complete darkness, the only thing that could perceive was the sound of water dripping. You tried to move, but discovered that your limbs were bound with tight ropes. As you struggled, you realized that you were rocking slightly, that your bindings were holding you aloft. 

Your ears perked up as you heard hoofsteps in the distance. With each step there was an echo that was drawing near. Instinctively, you tried to call out for help, but you couldn’t as something rubbery in your mouth prevented you from speaking. Only a muffled cry escaped around the thing obstructing your mouth. 

The hoofsteps grew louder until suddenly the sound stopped. There was then the sound of metal touching metal, followed by a giggle that made your blood run cold. 

“So you’re still alive…”

A shiver went up your spine as you recognized Glasgow’s voice. What had happened? Did she follow you back to your apartment? Another chuckle echoed through the room. 

“Let’s take this off,” your captor said, “let you see what situation you’re in.” 

Your vision returned as a black blindfold was lifted from your eyes, revealing where you were. The room was made completely of concrete, with metal pipes running along the walls. Red ropes were tied to your body, the crimson strands woven in intricate and cruel patterns, holding it secure and suspended above the ground, in a manner that left your abdomen completely exposed. The bindings were attached to metal rings drilled into the concrete ceiling. 

Before you was Glasgow Oil, no longer wearing a business suit, but instead a gray kimono with a pattern composed of red hourglasses. Next to her was a metal table, with a metal tray resting upon it. On the tray was a collection of scissors of various sizes. 

“Is that better?” 

With a giggle, your captor turned her attention to the tray. 

“Now, which one should I use first?” Glasgow said as she picked up one of the scissors and examined it. Remembering what had happened before, it wasn’t hard to guess what she intended to do to you. 

Setting the instrument down, Glasgow turned back to you, a wide smile on her lips. 
“What do you think?”

Even as your tormentor asked the question, you couldn’t help but look at the horrific collection of scissors on the table. A pair of rusty garden shears stood out to you. Looking back to Glasgow, you realized, to your horror, that she had been watching your eye movements. Her smile grew wider filled with sharp teeth. 

“So you want that one,” Glasgow said, “you have taste. I like it.” 

Picking up the shears with her magic, the sinister mare walked over to and rubbed a hoof along your belly. The way she moved her hoof was both tantalizing and unnerving. 

“Don’t worry, once I’ve plucked that meddlesome creature from your body, you’ll be joining my collection, my little marble.” 

You watched as the shears drew closer and closer to your stomach. Seeing this, you tried to struggle against your bonds, but to no avail. The ropes binding you seemed to grow tighter and tighter. 

All you could do was watch as the sharp blades of the garden shears drew closer and closer to your stomach.

'Hello?'

It was the entity's words rippling through the space around you, that made your eyes open, awakening you from the nightmare. Looking around, you saw that you were still resting in your bathtub, only now the world had that same underwater atmosphere as before. There was also a bizarre sensation as you realized that something slimy was lodged in your throat and was now hanging out of your mouth. 

Stretching from your mouth was a dimly glowing tentacle, which reached down into the water. Needless to say, you were a little surprised by this, as well as the fact that your breathing didn't seem to be hindered by the tendril's presence. Despite that when you tried to talk, your words were muffled by the spectral appendage.

'I know you probably have some questions for me,' the entity said, 'eventually there will be a time that I can answer them. Unfortunately, I am still tired from our sudden symbiosis.'

Not that it really mattered. With its tentacle poking out of your mouth, you couldn't really ask it any questions anyway. You rolled your eyes.

'I just thought I'd say, thank you. I'm sure this experience has been a little frightening for you as well. You could have chosen to reject me, resulting in both of us parishing, but instead you took me into your body, preserving us both. So thank you.'

Did that mean that this was a scary situation for this creature as well? Slowly the tentacle began to recede back into your throat.

'My body is still adjusting to our merging,' it said, 'I must rest now.'

Once the entity had completely receded, the world around you returned to its original tone. The taste of the slime continued to linger on your tongue and throat. You still weren’t fond of that slimy bitter taste. 

Now the water that surrounded you was on the verge of changing from lukewarm to cold. Feeling slightly annoyed, you pulled yourself from the bath, water dripping from your body as you emerged. 

Picking a towel off of the rack, you proceeded to dry yourself. Once you were satisfied, you placed it in a hamper so that it could be cleaned later. 

Putting on your warm, fuzzy bathrobe, you stepped out into the living area. That was when you noticed that something was off. A beam of blue light flickered from your saddlebags. 

Slowly you approached the saddlebags, worried about what potential horror was waiting inside. Carefully you peered inside, relieved to see that it was just a beam of light coming from your flashlight. An annoyed sigh escaped your lungs as you pulled the device from your bags. 

“I guess it must have been damaged when I fell,” you grumbled. Well, you knew at least one thing that might fix it. 

Pulling out the flashlight, you noticed that the contraption was oddly cold to the touch. Sitting down on the couch, you took your other hoof and proceeded to smack the faulty flashlight a few times. Suddenly there was a spark as a pale blue orb shot out of the device, warranting a surprised yelp from your throat. You watched on as the sphere floated in front of you. 

“Uh, hello?” 

Immediately in response, the ghost orb changed, transforming into the filly you had seen earlier that night. At first she seemed shocked, before her expression turned to that of pure joy. “I-it worked!” 

This event was a little shocking for you, seeing a filly that you were now fairly certain was a ghost, coming out of your flashlight. 

“What worked?” you asked. 

The filly floated around excitedly. 

“My possession,” she answered, “I wasn’t sure I would actually be able to possess this flashlight, but I was, and now I’m free of that place.” 

So she had possessed your flashlight, that would probably explain why the vapor trail that was coming from her back half was connected to the lens. 

“Okay… first off, what’s your name?” you asked, “and second, why did you want to possess my flashlight?” 

With a happy smile, the filly ghost flew over to you. 

“My name is Marionette,” the ghost answered, “but my mom called me Mara… when I was still alive...” 

While you wanted to ask Mara further questions, you figured it would be good to avoid any questions pertaining to her death and prior life, at least for now. 

“So, do you always show your presence to ponies that enter the hotel?” you asked.

“No,” Mara answered, “in fact I only recall a few other ponies actually being able to see us.” 

“Interesting.” 

So somehow you were able to see the spirits within the hotel, however, you couldn’t recall ever being able to do that before. Was this a latent ability, or caused by something else entirely?

“Hey, what’s this?” Mara asked, pointing to the flower that Mistmane had given you. As you looked at the flower you noticed that the petals were now glowing with a vibrant blue light. 

“Oh, that was just a gift from somepony,” you answered. 

“It’s a lovely flower.” 

Seeing the flower, you remembered what Mistmane had said about the lotus blossom, about how sometimes ponies who touched it could see into the spirit realm. Immediately your eyes turned to slits. 

Had this been a part of her plan all along?

“Yes, it certainly is.” 





The bell rang as you stepped into Misty Potions and Herbal Shop. Immediately, the scent of fresh herbs filled your nostrils and the sound of some bubbling could be heard. There were herbs in bottles and plants hanging from pots that were anchored to the ceiling.

Your journey to the herbalist's shop had been a bizarre experience. Like the night before, you had seen strange shapes out of the corner of your eyes, some with strange appendages, others with numerous eyes, and a few that appeared to be an amalgamation of numerous animals. You had even seen a few ghosts similar to Mara floating about. However, unlike the night before, the feeling of dread and hunger that had permeated the atmosphere was gone. 

As you pondered this, you heard a few things rustling in the backroom before the mare you had expected to see emerged.

"Hello, what may I do…" Mistmane's inquiry was cut short once she realized that it was you who had entered and not one of her customers. The elderly mare looked kind of shocked to see you.

"Good morning, Mistmane," you said, "didn't expect to see me again, did you?" 

While you had expected Mistmane to give you an annoyed look in response to your irritation, instead her expression was a sad one. Even as you observed Mistmane, something felt off about her. She looked more youthful somehow.

"I had hoped I would," Mistmane answered, "but I had my doubts."

"So you knew!"

“Why don’t we talk about this in private?”

Using her magic, Mistmane turned the store sign to CLOSED and locked the door. 

"Yes, I've known about Glasgow,” Mistmane said, “or at least creatures like her."

As Mistmane said this, she approached you and as she drew near, a quizzical look crossed her face. She blinked a couple times as if trying to reverify what she was seeing.

"Your eyes are different."

"Yes, they are…" 

"Something tells me that both your new eyes and your survival are linked," Mistmane stated, "am I correct?"

You couldn't help but sigh and roll your eyes in response. "Yes, that is correct."

Mistmane nodded a couple of times, as if confirming her suspicions, before she began walking to the backroom. With a hoof, she motioned for you to follow. Entering the room, you discovered that it was filled with more shelves holding herbs and potions, some even more bizarre looking then those in the main room. Old, dusty books and scrolls rested on ancient looking shelves. There was also a pot holding a large tomato plant, or at least that was what you thought, until it blinked back at you.

“Please take a seat,” Mistmane said as she motioned toward a wooden table in the center of the room with a couple chairs next to it. 

Taking her advice you sat down at the table. As you sat there, Mistmane began looking through the contents of her shelves. 

"Around the time that you encountered Glasgow and learned her true nature, did you see anything strange?"

Admittedly, you had seen a lot. Ghost orbs, a murderous mare with a long neck and a fetish for scissors, but you were pretty sure that what she was talking about was the spectral, tentacle monster that had saved your life. You could feel your cheeks growing slightly warm as you recalled how the entity had saved you.

"I had encountered… a spirit," you answered, trying to be as vague as possible.

“Did it look like it was wearing a cheap Nightmare Night costume?” Mistmane asked, giving you a knowing look. 

“Y-yes.” Quickly you used a hoof to adjust your glasses, hoping to conceal the fact that you were blushing. 

Mistmane nodded as she looked at one of her bookshelves. “Sounds like an Ashikushu.”

“An Ashu… what?” 

Pulling a book off of the shelf, Mistmane began to examine its contents.

“Ashikushu. They’re a being that resides in the astral plane,” Mistmane explained, “they usually try to conceal their bodies using blankets, masks, anything they can find. There are only a few tomes that document their existence. It would seem that the one you encountered made a connection with you.” 

“Yep, you could say that.” 

After setting the book down on the table with her magic, Mistmane walked over to another shelf and fetched some sort of box.

“This might help,” Mistmane said, as she set a wooden box on the table. 

“What is it?”

“It’s tea.”

You furrowed your brow as you looked at the elderly mare and the box she was offering. Was she offering you tea for your troubles?

“Really, just… tea?”

Mistmane shrugged. “There might be a few special ingredients.” 

Taking the wooden box, you examined it more closely. Carved into the box’s surface was the image of a slender, shapeshifting dragon, his body composed of various parts from different animals. Sliding the lid partially aside, you could see the teabags resting inside, their scent filling your nostrils, so inviting and pleasing to the senses. You closed the box. 

“Is it poisoned?” you asked suspiciously. 

“No,” Mistmane answered, before she mumbled, “as tempting as it might be.” 

While you considered commenting on Mistmane's hushed statement, you decided to refrain for now.

“So… how does it work?” 

“The tea should help strengthen the Ashikushu,” Mistmane explained, “no doubt it’s weak from bonding with an annoying brat like you.” 

“Hey!!!” 

As much as the two of you seemed to enjoy annoying each other, you weren’t fond of Mistmane calling you a brat. While you were annoyed with her, you also knew that Mistmane might have some important answers for some of your questions in regards to this… Ashikushu. 

“This… Ashikushu, when it spoke to me before it sounded male,” you stated, “do Ashikushu have a gender?” 

Mistmane looked at you questioningly as if you had asked a silly question, before she began rifling through the pages of her book. For a moment you had thought she might have been ignoring you, until she spoke again. 

“Technically spirits and entities of the astral plane don’t have a gender unless they were once living,” Mistmane answered, “however, all accounts of Ashikushu, as limited as they are, mention them as being male.” 

So it was very likely that the entity inside of you was male. That definitely didn’t make you feel awkward and any way shape or form. Nope, not at all. Your blush DEFINITELY didn’t become an even deeper shade of red… well, maybe just a little. 

“Just remember to take care of it,” Mistmane said, “out of all the books and scrolls I have there has only ever been one account of an Ashikushu binding with a pony before. The fact that it is joined to a fraud like you is a disgrace.” 

How dare this mare call you a fraud! She was just as guilty, pretending to be the great Mistmane, legendary sorceress from the past. 

“Oh, don’t give me that!” you barked, “you’re just as much of a fake as I am!”

“On the contrary I am a genuine sorceress,” Mistmane answered, “if it wasn't for the flower that I grew, you probably wouldn’t be alive right now.” 

Even though you could sense that Mistmane was perturbed by this argument, there was also a hint of concern. She may not have liked you, but she certainly didn’t hate you. Reaching forward, you took the box of tea and put it into your saddlebags. 

“Fine, I’ll do it!” Slowly you stood up as you prepared to leave. 

You were almost at the door when Mistmane called out. “Wait!”

Turning you faced the so-called sorceress, who continued to look at you nervously. 

“While I’m sure that you are aware that your eyes are different now,” Mistmane said, “you should be aware that they have been opened to things that few other ponies can see. Creatures of the astral plane and things from other realms.”

That made sense considering what you had been seeing in the streets, the strange sights that you hadn’t noticed before today. Looking back over at the tomato plant, you saw it blink once more. Green eyes with red eyelids looking back at you.

“I will keep that in mind,” you answered. 

“Just please be careful,” Mistmane continued, “some of those things don’t wish to be seen and might retaliate if they are made aware of your eyes.” 

You nodded in return. “Thanks.”





You sat on the couch looking at the teapot resting on the coffee table, a cylindrical teacup sitting on a saucer next to it. The scent of chamomile and lemongrass filled the air. Carefully, you lifted the teapot and poured some tea into the cup. 

Both the teapot and cup were gifts from Blossom Burst that she had given you when you moved here.

“So, what is this?” Mara asked, as she hovered around the room. 

“Just some tea that somepony gave me,” you answered, “apparently it is supposed to help me interact with the creature inside of me.” 

Once you were sure that the tea was cool enough to drink, you lifted the cup up to your lips and took a sip. You could taste the chamomile and lemongrass as well as a hint of something else as you drank. It was a strange, sweet, fruity flavor that you couldn’t seem to identify. 

“Do you think it’s okay?” Mara inquired. As she said this, you remembered that Marionette was a spirit and might have actually been able to interact with the Ashikushu before you had arrived at the haunted hotel. Perhaps the ghost might have some insight on this entity. 

“Well, supposedly this tea will help it to grow stronger,” you answered, “out of curiosity what do you know about this creature?” 

Mara floated down to the teapot and examined it. “Not very much. It just showed up one day and most of the other ghosts chose to avoid it.” 

“I see.” Well, that didn’t help much. You took another sip of your tea.

“It didn't seem harmful. It just floated around the area. Though I'm not sure why anypony would want to hang out around that cursed hotel."

Sipping more of your tea, you considered what she had said. Glasgow had referred to the hotel being one of her reservoirs and Mara stated that the place was cursed. Were they linked somehow, and was this connected to her possessing your flashlight?

"I was wondering, why did you possess my flashlight?" you asked, sipping your tea.

"Well… I just hoped that somepony would take it out of that place."

"Somepony?"

"Yeah, after I saw the mean mare stab you, I thought the spirit might help you," Mara explained, "but then the creature ate you and I thought that maybe somepony would come looking for you, so I took possession of your flashlight. Then maybe somepony would pick it up and take it out of that dreadful place."

Fortunately for both of you, the Ashikushu hadn't eaten you, as it was very unlikely that anypony would have come looking for you. Mara would have been stuck in that flashlight for a long time.

"Since you've possessed the flashlight, are you bound to it?"

"Sort of," Mara replied, "I can leave it, but I can't wander too far from it."

So she was, in fact, bound to the flashlight. Well, that wasn’t too bad. Maybe she could be helpful in any of your future exploits… actually, having a legit ghost on your side would be great. Perhaps you could teach her a few hoof signals so she could help you convince some ponies at your next seance or investigation. Yes, she could be very useful. 

You couldn’t help but smirk at the idea. “So, Mara, how would you like to work with me?”

The ghost filly looked at you in a confused manner. “Work?” 

“Yes, I’m sort of in the… entertainment department,” you answered, “ponies come to me looking for… specific types of amusement and I act out the role for them.”

Mara gave you a puzzled look. “You’re not… a courtesan are you?” 

“Uh… no.” While you were trying to be vague about your job, you didn’t think that Mara might misconstrue what you had said for you serving as a courtesan. Though you were aware of a few mares that would probably accept this as a compliment. Then again, you had found her in an abandoned love hotel, so that was probably where she learned it. Though that did raise some questions as to why she was there. 

“So you’re an actual actor?”

You took another sip of your tea. 

“Sort of. Ponies come to me thinking that I can speak with the dead,” you answered, “though most are either fools or just want to be entertained.”

“Okay…” It was clear that Mara wasn’t convinced. No doubt, it would be best to try to redirect her attention to something else. 

“Well, if you help me, I will consider it as recompense.” 

“Re-re-co-um…” 

Why was it that this little ghost knew about courtesans but not what recompense was. Now, that was just weird. Perhaps another word would be better. Maybe a little honey on the tongue to make your proposition more appealing. 

“Or maybe a favor would be a better word.”

“A favor?” Mara looked a little confused. 

“Yes, you are possessing my flashlight,” you replied, “and while I don’t mind you possessing it,  it would only be fair if you could return the favor and help me with my job.” 

Normally this might be considered a violation of Neighpon child labor laws, however, you weren’t too sure if they would apply in this case. For one thing depending on how far back the murders were, Mara might not technically be a young filly, that and she was a ghost. Also it wasn’t like you were going to wear her out running errands left and right, you would probably have her move some stuff around during one of your fake seances and the rest of the time just leave her be to do whatever it was that ghosts do. Surely, that would be okay. Right? 

At first, Mara seemed to ponder what you were saying, then after a moment a happy smile graced her face. “Sure, I guess that’s fair.” 

Excellent, you now had a little ghost to help you with your little schemes. You smiled as you drank some more of your tea. 

“Then I guess we have an agreement,” you said, "now we just need to disc…"

You were cut off as you felt something lurch inside your stomach, pushing its way up your throat. It would seem that the Ashikushu had gained back some of its strength and was now wanting to make its presence known. Strangely enough, it only caused you minor discomfort.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" It was right as Mara asked this that two rubbery tentacles emerged from your mouth.

Now that the tendrils were partially outside of you, they wiggled a little as they felt the atmosphere. Mara looked wide eyed at the squirming tentacles.

'Hello?'

Well, this was just great. Sure, the Ashikushu was stronger, but you still weren't able to converse with it due to the slimy tentacles lodged in your throat.

"Uh, hello." Mara replied, pulling you from your thoughts. So she could hear it too. 

'Hello,' the Ashikushu replied, 'so you must be the ghost that was hanging around my host's belongings while she and I were performing symbiosis.'

The way it said that sounded almost dirty. 

"Uh, I guess. My name's Mara."

'It's a pleasure to meet you, Mara.'

It was then that you had an idea. While you couldn't talk with the Ashikushu, Mara could. Looking around you spotted a notepad and a pen sitting on the coffee table. Quickly you grabbed the pad and wrote down, tell him I have some questions for him. Once you were finished writing you showed your message to her. 

Confused, Mara looked at the paper before giving you an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, miss, but I don't know how to read."

Hearing this, your countenance, shoulders and ears drooped. Of all things, it just so happened that the ghost who was possessing your flashlight, and could also speak with the Ashikushu, was also illiterate. That was something you would need to address somehow. Could ghosts learn new tricks even if they were dead?

"So, what's your name?" Mara asked.

'I have none.'

Well, you could have told her that, but we're unable to due to something obstructing your throat.

Mara scratched her chin with a spectral hoof. "Hmmm… that's a little odd. Do you want one?"

'If that would please you.'

A smile stretched across Mara's face in response to the Ashikushu’s answer. This was cut short as Mara scratched the side of her head, her face scrunched up in a quizzical manner. 

“Though come to think of it, you are bound to the mistress,” Mara said, “so maybe she should be the one to name you.” 

‘I see.’

Great, so it still didn’t have a name. What a waste of time.  

“But if you would like, I’d suggest Shreel.”

What? Shreel? What kind of name was that? Well, at least it was something. If this Ashikushu was in fact male, then Shreel might actually work. While Mistmane had said that all the documented accounts of Ashikushu said they were male, you didn’t want to be rude and assume, especially considering that the two of you were linked. Somehow you had to find a way to have Mara ask the Ashikushu its gender. 

Looking back at the notepad an idea popped into your head. Marionette might not be able to read, but she could still see whatever you put down on paper. Quickly you sketched two pony stick figures onto the paper, one with a long mane with a bow and the other with a short mane and holding a buckball. After you finished the sketch, you presented the drawing to Mara, eliciting a smile from the ghost. 

“That’s a nice drawing, miss!” 

Really? After giving her an annoyed look, you pointed at the two figures on the drawing before pointing at the tentacles hanging from your mouth. Looking at the drawing, Mara’s face brightened with a realization.

“Uh, sir, are you a filly or a colt?” Mara asked. 

Finally you were getting somewhere. 

The tentacles in your mouth wriggled. ‘While I don’t technically qualify as either a filly or a colt, I can say that I am male.’

While you were pleased by this revelation, you also couldn’t help but feel a little self conscious about it. Your cheeks felt slightly warm.

“Ma’am, are you okay?”

Admittedly, that was a difficult question to answer, not just because of the tendrils in your mouth. You were about to try to protest and cover up the fact that you were embarrassed, when suddenly you heard the doorbell ring. The sound drew Mara’s attention away from you to the door. Your heart froze as you heard somepony knock at the door and a familiar voice called out from beyond the door. 

“Hey, are you there?” 

Shoot! Apparently, Blossom Burst was at the door, and here you were with tentacles emerging from your throat. How were you supposed to explain that? Assuming that Blossom couldn’t see Mara or the tendrils in your mouth, you still wouldn’t be able to talk with her. Maybe if you didn’t answer the door, Blossom would just leave. 

“If you’re there, please let me in,” Blossom said, “I haven’t heard from you since you went to that hotel.” 

So that’s why she was so adamant. No doubt your friend was worried sick that you really had vanished inside the Fury Love Hotel. The tendrils wriggled, almost as if the Ashikushu had sensed your concerns. 

‘I will take my leave for now,’ the Ashikushu said, ‘I will rest until later.’

Slowly the tentacles withdrew from your mouth, back down your throat, a trail of slime left in its wake. With a slight cough, you cleaned your lips before walking over to the door. 

As soon as you opened the door, you saw Blossom standing there, ready to knock once more. At first her expression was that of panicked worry, but once she saw you, a cheerful smile appeared. 

“You’re okay!

You gave a small cough, still feeling some of that slime in the back of your throat. "Uh, yes, I'm fine."

Blossom was quite giddy, probably from seeing that her friend was still alive.

"So I guess your investigation must have been successful," Blossom said happily.

While it was very tempting to tell her that you had found and exorcised all the ghosts residing within the Fury Love Hotel, the fact was that you lacked the bits to prove it. Furthermore, there were actual ghosts there, none of which you had expelled. Quickly, you racked your brain to come up with a clever white lie that might sate her curiosity.

“Sadly, the client changed their mind,” you answered, “they decided to cancel the job.” 

Technically, it was true. After all, Glasgow had used the gig to lure you into a trap so she could kill you. 

“Well, that’s a shame,” Blossom replied, “but I’m glad you’re safe at least.”

“Yeah, me too.” 

Yes, you were safe, but for how long? How long would it be until Glasgow realized that you weren’t dead and perhaps that you had somehow managed to take a spirit from her reservoir? If she found out, would she seek you out and finish what she started? Would she use those cruel scissors on you once more?

“Hey!” Blossom spoke, pulling you from your grim thoughts. The kirin smiled at you happily. “Let’s go get something to eat, it will be my treat.” 

Despite your concern, you had to admit that a meal might be kind of nice right about now. You returned Blossom’s smile, before pushing your glasses further up your nose. 

“Sure.” 





The shop was bustling as Blossom and you sat down to eat. The restaurant your friend had taken you to was none other than Alicorn of Ramen, a pretty fancy noodle joint. Admittedly you felt a little bad that your friend was paying.

"Are you sure this is okay?" you asked.

"It's fine," Blossom answered, "I got a really nice tip at work yesterday, so this is no big deal."

The interior of the restaurant had tan walls, a floor covered with gray stone tiling, and a stainless wooden bench area where the cooks would serve bowls filled with ramen and noodles of many varieties. Hanging from the ceiling were black chalkboards with many dishes and their prices written down. Behind the counter was a unicorn who used his magic to fry the noodles, stir the broth, and cook the other ingredients that would be added to the meals. 

After the two of you made your orders, Blossom and you sat patiently, waiting for your food. As the two of you waited, you could see out of the corner of your eye a few ponies that were looking at you and your friend with interest. That wasn’t too surprising, at least in Blossom’s case; she was a beautiful kirin after all. 

“The other day I was at a client’s house,” you said, “and they had this cute kirin stallion that served as a guard there.” 

“Oh, that’s nice.” Blossom blushed slightly. 

“If you wanted, I’m sure I could arrange for you to meet him.” 

“I don’t know,” Blossom chuckled, “it’s not like I’m the only one sitting here who lacks a special somepony.” 

The truth of the matter wasn’t that you didn’t want a special somepony, rather it was the combination of trying to keep up your image and not finding anypony that interested you that had stifled your love life.

“Here are your dishes,” the cook said, as he placed a bowl of noodles down on the counter in front of you. 

As you pulled the dish closer to you, Blossom picked up one of the bottles of hot sauce and poured some onto her dishes. The kirin really liked her meals to be nice and spicy. You remembered one time eating some of her ramen only for your mouth to be filled with near unquenchable fire. 

“Maybe I should be the one finding you a coltfriend,” Blossom teased as she finished adding hot sauce to her dish and pulled out some chopsticks.  

You couldn’t help but laugh playfully, as you fetched a new pair of chopsticks for yourself. “Like one of your customers?” 

Blossom ate some of her noodles before responding. 

“At least it would be better than dying an old hag.” Judging from Blossom’s snicker, you were pretty sure she was still teasing you. Not that you minded that. Sometimes it resulted in you giving the greatest comebacks. 

“Perhaps I’ll just marry a ghost instead, my dear.” 

Even as you said this, you kind of pondered what such a relationship might be like. For the most part, you were under the impression that ghosts were incorporeal. That was, until your recent discovery with both Mara and the Ashikushu. They were both able to interact with their environments to some extent and in the case of the Ashikushu, you could still remember how he had cared for you when you were injured. How it’s tentacles had gently caressed your body as you lay inside that slimy cavity. 

As you pondered this, you wondered what sort of things the Ashikushu might do to you if it was actually romantically interested in you. What sort of pleasures might you feel within the grasp of his tentacles? Those tendrils gracefully massaging your body in ways you had never dreamt of. Your body coated with his slippery slime. 

You shook your head trying to pull your mind out of the clouds, your cheeks burning red. 

“Wait,” Blossom said, “have you already found a special somepony?” 

“N-no!” you stuttered. 
Seeing you blush, Blossom smiled mischievously. “Are you sure? You seem rather nervous.” 

“Y-yes!” 

You might have been a bit nervous, but it wasn’t for the reasons she had in mind. The fact was you were a little bit surprised that you had thought of the Ashikushu that way, you hadn’t even given him a name yet. What would mother have thought?

The kirin looked at you a little longer before suddenly her eyes went wide. “It isn’t one of your customers, is it?” 

“No!” you said, denying Blossom’s claim. 

As you spoke, something out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. Turning your head to the left, you gazed out of the windows of the restaurant and there you saw a familiar mare. Beyond the glass was Glasgow looking back at you. Sweat dripped down your head as you saw the mare that had once tried to take your life. 

At first, Glasgow looked surprised, before she smiled and shot you a wink. Then suddenly she vanished into the crowd. Fear gripped you as you realized that Glasgow now knew for certain that you were still alive. As you stared at the window you could feel your stomach churn as if something was moving inside. 

“Are you okay?” Blossom asked, pulling you back to the present. Turning back to your friend, you saw that she seemed quite concerned. 

“Uh, yeah,” you replied. 

“I’m sorry if I offended you. I was just having some fun is all.” 

“N-no, you’re fine,” you tried to reassure her. “Something just distracted me is all.”  

“Oh, okay,” Blossom smiled, comforted by your statement. However, in the end it was you who needed to be encouraged. 

Even though you continued to eat with Blossom in peace, you didn’t feel secure in the restaurant. Glasgow had clearly seen you and had chosen to walk away. Was she waiting for an opportunity to catch you by yourself or was there something else that kept her from pursuing you? 

“Here, I bought you this,” Blossom said, as she placed a cell phone on the table. 

“Thank you, but you really shouldn’t have,” you replied, “you’re already paying for my meal, you shouldn’t be buying me a cell phone too.” 

You tried pushing the cell phone back to your friend, but she put a hoof out and blocked the motion. 

“Just take it, you can pay me back later.”

Normally you would have tried to refuse the gesture, however, with Glasgow skulking about it could be useful having a cell phone at your disposal.

“Uh, thank you.” 

Blossom smiled as you accepted her gift. As you enjoyed your meal with Blossom you kept a pleasant face, even if your mind was focused elsewhere.





Returning to your apartment, you felt restless. After wishing Blossom farewell, you had tried making your way back home. However, in addition to the strange aberrations that wandered the streets, you had also kept your eyes out for Glasgow, fearing that she might be hunting you from the shadows. Your heart beat loudly in your ears as you locked the door to your abode. 

It had barely been a day and the world around you had changed so drastically. One day ghosts and monsters were just delusions and then suddenly the veil was pulled back and your reality was thrown upside down. It was stressful and excruciating. Your heart trembled as you wandered over to the couch, fear gripping your insides. 

Sitting down on the couch, you started to feel overwhelmed with emotions as the events of the past two days flowed through your mind. Tears began to well up in your eyes from the pain and mental exhaustion of it all. A part of you just wanted to lay down on the couch and cry your heart out. The world you had known was changed forever and to make matters worse there was a killer on the loose. A killer that was no doubt familiar with this alien world. 

Lying down, you took off your glasses and set them on the coffee table before rubbing your eyes. Despite your efforts the tears continued coming. Curling up into a ball, you started to sob. 

You were so emotionally distraught that you hadn’t noticed the three tentacles that had moved their way up your throat and into your mouth. You weren’t really aware of them until you felt one of the slimy tendrils touching your cheek, stroking it in an affectionate manner. 

‘Don’t worry, my host,’ the Ashikusku spoke, ‘I promise I will protect you.’ 

The way the tentacle touched your cheek felt reassuring. As you opened your eyes, you could see the blurred shape of one of the tentacles stretching out further than the others and moving in an almost serpentine manner, like a cobra ready to strike. 

While you observed the tentacles, you could feel your eyelids drooping. 

‘Please rest, I will watch over you.’

Eventually you could resist the call of sleep no longer as mental exhaustion kicked in and your eyes closed. Glasgow might be a problem, but that could wait for another day and then you would have this Ashikushu to defend you as well. For now, it was time to rest.