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// Who you gonna call? 
// Story: Prankstergeist 
// by General Alduin 
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A flash of light ripped through Spike's room, the group appearing in its wake. Discord looked around and scoffed. “Yep, I’m innocent.”

“You can’t just-”

“This is far too tame and boring to be my work.” Discord shook his head. “Either I’m losing my touch or I was sane for once in my life.”

“Regardless, can you investigate anyway? Perhaps that’s why you forgot, it was too tame for you.” Twilight reasoned.

“Hm, good point.” Discord snapped his fingers and was suddenly dressed in a detective outfit, flying up into the air and pulling out a comically large magnifying glass.

He darted about the room for a good minute, looking over every detail of the room. Finally, he poked his finger into the ‘glue’ and looked at it through his magnifying glass. “Ah!” He disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared in the middle of the group. “Bad news, I’m not responsible. Good news though is that I know who it is. Or rather, what is.”

“What it is?” Applejack tilted her head.

“This is ectoplasm.” Discord held a canister full of shimmering goo. “Ghosts leave it whenever they phase through an object, I’m willing to bet you’ll find an assortment of ectoplasm on the walls or doorways of your home. This ghost was pretty clever to use it as glue.”

“A ghost?” Rarity backed up in surprise. “Why in Equestria would a ghost prank all of us?”

“Yeah! And I thought ghosts couldn’t interact with anything.” Rainbow flew up to meet Discord’s gaze. “Not like this anyway.”

“They can, depending on the circumstances, though ghosts like that are far more aggressive. I’d sooner believe a Fair Folk was responsible then a ghost, they’re not usually one for pranks. I’m willing to bet that some sort of Necromancy was used to bring this ghost from its afterlife and gave it enough power to interact with the physical world.”

“Why would anypony go through all that trouble?” Fluttershy asked as she studied the ectoplasm.

“Because it’s funny, duh!” Pinkie Pie answered, a waft of baby powder falling off of her as she jumped. 

“We’ll have to ask them directly, cause we’re catching this thing.” Twilight said confidently as she walked up to Discord. “This ghost isn’t going to stop right? So we have to catch it and send it back home.”

“That will be quite difficult, Twilight.” Discord warned. “Even if this ghost is temporal enough to interact with the living world, it still won’t be easy to catch. Magic is the only reliable thing that can hold onto a ghost, you’re the only one who will be able to send it back home with a spell, and I need to set up a holding circle to keep it in place while you do.”

“I can hold onto it.” Rarity offered. “I’m the only other pony here who can use magic.”

“You’re sure?” Discord asked in an serious tone. “It won’t be easy, ghosts are hard to hold onto: they can fly, phase through objects, and don’t operate the same way a living person does, they’ll pull you along if you hold onto them.”

Rarity looked unsure but nodded. “Y-yes, a simple ghost is no match for a proper lady.”

“Good.” Discord turned to Twilight. “You all figure out a plan, I’ll get the necessary materials to create the holding circle.”

“We will.” Twilight nodded. “Good luck Discord.”

Discord scoffed. “I really wish you wouldn’t say that. You have any ideas how many ladders I have to walk under now?” He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash of light. 





Hours had passed and night had descended over Ponyville, a certain incorporeal white earth pony poking her head through Twilight front doors. She had visited each of the Mane Sixes homes and found that none of them were in bed. It just wasn't as fun to mess with them if they weren't there.

She figured that they were having a sleepover at Twilight's castle, perhaps to prove that none of them were the perpetrator for last night's events. 

She giggled to herself as she thought of what she was going to do. It would be hilarious as they tried to figure out who managed to prank them all in their sleep and not leave a trace, perhaps they might even think it was one of them who was responsible.

She stopped when the lights suddenly came on, temporarily blinding her, as Applejack jumped out and lassoed her.

The ghost was pulled downwards but managed to phase through the lasso, immediately flying higher to escape the lasso's reach. 

"Cannon ball!" The ghost looked up to see Pinkie Pie falling from the sky, crashing into her and bringing her down a few feet. Pinkie Pie phased through the ghost as well and ended up covered in ectoplasm, giggling all the while.

The ghost didn't have enough to to escape as she was surrounded in a blue aura. She strained against it and tried to pull away, looking down to find Rarity's horn glowing. "I've got her!"

The ghost smirked and began flying into the castle, Rarity yelping as she was dragged along. She tried desperately to keep the ghost in place and not let her phase through a wall.

The rest of Rarity's friends ran behind her, Applejack twirling her lasso while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew after the ghost.

Rainbow reached her first and tried punching her, her hoof briefly striking her but quickly phasing through the ghost and covering Rainbow Dash's hoof in ectoplasm.

Rainbow grimaced but moved to wrap her arms around the ghost, briefly bringing her under control before phasing through her again.

This did give Rarity enough respite to gain control and bring the ghost down to the ground. The Mane Six dog piled on the ghost, Applejack futily trying to hogtie her before the ghost disappeared into the ground, reappearing a few feet away.

Rarity just barely managed to encase the ghost in her magic before they took off, Pinkie Pie holding onto Rarity as they flew through Twilight's castle with a huge smile while Rarity screamed.

After zipping around for a few minutes, Rarity saw they were about to pass the library. Using all the strength she could muster, Rarity threw the ghost to the side and right through the open doors.

The ghost turned and was about to fly away, jerking suddenly when her tail was grabbed by an eagle claw. “Not so fast.” Discord said as he pulled the ghost into a ritualistic circle. She immediately flew forward but bounced back against an unseen barrier, flying around to find a way out.

She finally stopped when she realized she couldn’t get out and stared as the rest of the group made their way into the library, giggling lightly. “You got me! I can’t believe you’d catch onto me so soon or manage to capture me so fast! I was thinking I’d get away with this for a week at least.”

“We’re just full of surprises.” Twilight walked over while levitating a book. “Now, who are you?”

“My name’s Willow Trail.” She flashed the group a smile. “Sorry about the pranks, I just couldn’t resist! It isn’t as fun in the hereafter. I’d tell you about it, but it’s against the rules to talk to the living about the afterlife.”

“And how did you get here?” Fluttershy asked. “Did they let you go to the living world for a few days?”

“Of course not silly! Somepony who lives here, I think her name is Starlight or something, was casting spells with her friend the other night. I think they called it a ‘spell off’ and Starlight lost when she casted the spell that brought me here. Apparently they thought it didn’t do anything and I was too distracted to prove otherwise.” Everyone murmured and groaned at the reveal that Starlight was responsible.

“‘Course it was Starlight.” Applejack turned to Twilight. “Yah really need to teach that girl not to use magic so carelessly, next she’ll raise a zombie.”

“Trust me, I’m already planning my lesson about proper magic use with her and Trixie. I’ll ambush her when she gets back from her little trip and desperately wants to go to bed, that seems like a proper punishment.” Twilight nodded her head. “Now, let's send this prankster back home.”

“Hold up, before you send her back, I want one thing answered.” Rainbow Dash took to the air and hovered in front of Willow Trail. “Why did you skip me? Were you trying to frame me for what you did?”

“Skip you? I didn’t skip you, you were the second pony I visited.”

“Wait what?” Rainbow Dash looked worried. “What do you… what did you do!?”

“It wouldn’t be much of a prank if I told you now, would it?” Willow Trail giggled. “Alright, you won, you can send me back. I’m sure they’re looking for me anyway.”

“Well, if you insist.” Twilight looked down at the book and began chanting, her horn beginning to glow.

“Oh and Discord.” Willow turned to Discord. “Try not to turn the ground into pudding again, ok? It was only funny the first time.”

“It’s funny every time, it’s just none of you can appreciate art.” Discord stuck his tongue out which Willow returned, the circle glowing brightly as Twilight chanted and whisking Willow away.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief and stared at the now vacant circle. “Well… at least she was nice?” Fluttershy offered with a smile.

“Ah guess.” Applejack turned to leave. “Ah dunno about the rest of yah, but Ah’m going home. Ah’ve had my fill of bubbly prankster ghosts.”

The others murmured in agreement and turned to leave, saying their goodbyes to Twilight as Discord began clearing the circle away. “You seriously turned the afterlife’s ground into pudding?” Twilight turned to Discord.

“I turned her afterlife’s ground into pudding.” Discord corrected. “What greater chaos is there then to mess with the most sacred places in the universe? Especially to show up those stuffy, snobbish gods.” Discord said with a devious chuckle. “Well, this has been fun. Let’s summon an army of skeletons next time.” Discord grabbed the air and zipped open a tear in reality, his home on the other side. “Be seeing you.” He saluted before jumping in, the tear in reality zipping back up.

Twilight sighed and slammed the book closed, placing it on the table as she blew the candles out and trotted off to her room. 

“Uh, Twilight?” Spike's voice called out, stopping Twilight right as she opened her door.

“Yeah?” She turned to look at him.

“My rooms still, you know… upside down?” He awkwardly gestured towards his room with his thumb, eliciting an annoyed groan from Twilight.

“Oh… yeah.” Twilight turned and walked towards Spike. “Hope you like not sleeping, it isn’t easy to clean ectoplasm.”

“We’re getting Starlight back for this, right?”

“Most definitely.” She walked into Spikes room. “She’ll never see it coming.” Twilight said with an evil grin on her face