Guilt of a Phantom

by Powerdrainer

Questions

It was the dawn of a new day, and out on the quiet farm of Sweet Apple Acres nothing seemed out of the ordinary as the Apple family slowly rose to the sound of their roosters. 

All of them, except Granny Smith, whose aged hearing failed to fully register the sound, and she dutifully rolled over while snoring slightly. 

Another exception was Apple Bloom, who sat unmoving under her blanket, her mind pulled into the story of Apple Pie's lifebook. 

With a flash, the book snapped shut, and Apple Bloom fell to her side, breathing heavily, eyes unfocused and stained with tears. 

She would lay like that for a good while, until Applejack called for her to come down for breakfast, all the while reliving those memories, and finding herself starting to ask questions she never had asked before.

A steady beeping filled the otherwise quiet room. 

It was the first thing he became aware of. 

It took him a while to realize this, though. Exactly how long it was where the rhythmic background noise became more than that, he couldn't tell. But he did realize the moment he did, more and more things became known to him. 

He felt stiff, sore, thirsty, and extremely hot. Sweltering, even. 

But more than that, he felt confused. Not because he didn't know where he was, or why he felt the way he did, but because he knew exactly what happened.

The dream, or vision, or whatever it was he went through was still vividly clear in his mind as if it was burned into his neurons, forcing him to remember. 

As the world around him came into focus as more and more of his senses returned, he shifted and groaned, drawing attention to the on-duty nurse watching over him. 

She rushed over to him, unaware of the waging conflict in Rolling Stone's mind as she first confirmed he was coming to, then rushed to get help from the available staff. 

Light from a magical lantern illuminated the uneven walls of a cave. The lamp was placed on a sizable rock while a folder detailing information about Danny Phantom lay splayed out on a simple table. 

Amidst this, a portable console with additional information on the same subject was scrutinized by Maudileena Daisy Pie, who had claimed this cave not too long ago during her search in the Everfree Forest, and now acted as her de facto base of operations. 

Her gear all lay perfectly organized and cleaned on a tarp next to her, ready for her to head out and continue her investigation. 

She grabbed one of the papers, read it carefully, and then proceeded to grab a recording device. 

"Mission log fourteen. Day two of investigation. After having confirmed the identity of one of the ghosts to be Danny Phantom, Terror of Amity Park and murderer of Samantha Manson, and studying the known data on the record of the subject, I find myself with a surprising and unwanted realization," she spoke in an even monotone, blinking once. "Despite the records provided to me, they all date back over seven years and have seen no update since. This is easily attributed to the fact that no known sightings of the subject were reported since its disappearance seven years ago, but this leaves me at a severe disadvantage."

She paused for a moment. 

"It is unknown how long exactly the subject has been present in Equestria, or how it got here, but if we go on the assumption it was the ghost that breached the tear through the use of mister Danny Manson's shadow, the subject has been here for several weeks. If this is not the case, then the subject could have been here for even longer. Both are possibilities that leave me ill at ease," she said with no emotion. 

"If it is the former possibility, that would mean the subject has skills not listed in its record. Making approaching it even more of a hazard. If it is the latter, then how did it get here, and how long has it been able to undermine our safety from the shadows?"

She paused for several minutes, looking at the wall before her without moving a muscle. 

"Further study is required." 

With a groan of equal measures of pain and dread, Jazz opened her eyes, feeling more dead than alive. 

For minutes she lay there, glaring at her alarm clock with as much animosity as she could manage as it blared its alarm at an hour that should be illegal. 

Five o'clock in the morning. 

With herculean effort, she managed to lift her uninjured arm up, only for it to flop down and slap her in the face. 

Muttering several curses under her breath, she tried again and managed to silence the alarm, only to shove it off her bedside table as her arm gave out a second time. 

At least it was quiet again. 

With a wall-shaking SLAM, Valerie kicked open the door and turned on the light. Jazz bolted upright in bed, screaming, then groaned in pain from her body while also trying to block out the light. 

"And good morning, sunshine," Valerie greeted enthusiastically, grinning evilly. "I hope you slept well, cause lazy time is over. So get off your ass, put on your training gear, and get moving." 

"Shower," Jazz protested weakly in sleep-addled speech. 

"You'll end up drenched in sweat before long, so don't bother."

"Food," Jazz said, more clearly now as the horror of the situation jumped-started her mind into overdrive. 

"And give you more to throw up? I don't think so. Here's a protein bar," she threw the bar next to Jazz, "which will give you what you need to start with. And grab some water, 'cause the day has just begun and we're on the clock. 

Jazz looked at the meager bar, felt her stomach churn from both hunger and tension, then slowly looked at Valerie, eyes pleading for mercy. 

Valerie merely grinned while looking at her watch. 

"And you better make it quick, 'cause in five minutes, whether you're dressed or not, your ass will be out on the street for our six-mile run." 

Jazz whimpered, convinced she saw horns sticking out of Valerie's shadow's head. 

The first light of day had only started to show itself, but Soarin was already up and awake, kicking and punching against a training dummy. 

Sleep had proven difficult to get for him. His mind replayed the improvised yet thorough training session with Valerie, and he knew he couldn't just lay there and do nothing. 

After almost half an hour of staring at the ceiling, he jumped out of bed and made his way to the Wonderbolts' training grounds. 

All night long he pushed himself to improve on the things he learned the other day. To find ways to mirror Valerie's fighting style, and modify it to better work for him. 

As such, he now stood balancing on two legs, using his wings for added support, while he punched and kicked at the defenseless dummy. 

'Pegasi can hit ghosts, even if they are intangible,' he threw a series of rapid-fire punches. 'So I better learn to use all of my hooves,' and he tried to do a spin kick like he had seen Valerie use against Jazz. 

His balance was lost, and with a shout he fell to the ground, chest heaving from the exertion. 

"Not good enough," he grunted through his teeth, and he pushed himself back up, eyes burning. 

"I can't let them win again," he secured his stance. "I can't be afraid any longer," he pushed back on two legs again. "I need to get better!" And he threw himself at the dummy once more, not allowing him to back down and let fear hold him back. 

Never again. 

And standing out of sight in the shadows, Spitfire watched it all. 

The day was progressing smoothly and after their familiar morning routines, and one improvised act of such, several fillies prepared for school. 

Apple Bloom, tired but alert, had eaten her breakfast without a word, her mind too lost in all she had just seen. Which worried her siblings, but they reasoned it was most likely due to the terrible ordeal she had recently gone through, and helped her prepare for school the best they could. 

Scootaloo was quite the opposite of her usual self, too. Where normally she would rebel against most of anything Bellflower did for her, she now didn't hesitate to help her set up the table, and then clean up after breakfast was done. Doing so with an awkward, yet honest smile. Still not sure how to ask her… her mother about what her future self had mentioned to ask. 

Devora, in the guise of Sweetie Belle, had struggled greatly. With little idea of the normal routine of Sweetie Belle to mimic, she had to lean heavily into the role of a traumatized filly, while also pretending she could stomach the cooking of 'her older sister'. 

And while it was true that she was able to eat most pony foods, she didn't really like doing so. Especially because it required the use of some of her scarce energy to convert the food into jelly, which would be left sitting in her gut until she could get rid of it to make room for more food later on. 

It was a bitter irony that she now suddenly had a wealth of food to eat, yet it was completely useless to her, and even nauseating at points. 

Then there was Silver Spoon. The gray filly found herself well-rested after a surprisingly calm and deep sleep. Not fully realizing yet that the apology she gave to Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle the previous day gave her peace of mind that allowed her conscience to heal. And she started her day with a happy smile and a spring in her step. 

And then there was Diamond Tiara. 

Still stuck in self-centered anger and disgust, sleep proved to be impossible for her to get, and all throughout the early hours when she prepared for school, she could barely keep her eyes open while wishing doom upon those changelings colluding traitors of pony kind. 

Breakfast went by with no incident, and Danny, Twilight, and Spike all worked together to clean up after themselves. 

With that done, and a secondary check to make sure they didn't miss anything by Twilight, and Danny managing to talk her out of doing a third check, much to the amazement of Spike, they proceeded to plan out the rest of the, hopefully, simple and mundane, day ahead of them. 

This of course meant that Spike proceeded to plant himself in one of the seat cushions with one of his comics before Twilight could pull him away. 

Maybe he could even get halfway through his latest issue before that. 

"So what's next?" Asked Danny. 

"Plenty," Twilight answered with a somewhat forced smile. "I need to study my magic, and find a way to help stop either Discord or the ghosts now with my Element gone." 

"Right," Danny awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "makes sense." 

"And what about you?" Twilight asked in turn. 

"Probably go out and see how things are over at the cafe," he answered. "It's been a few days now since Grill was forced to close the place 'cause of the Crusaders' antics. So I want to see how things are now and probably find out if I can go back to work. Still have rent to pay, after all." 

"That's quite responsible of you," Twilight commented, feeling strangely happy at this display of foresight. 

"I have my moments," Danny chuckled. But his joy was short-lived as he thought about the other thing he also had to deal with. "And I also want to go out there and get some control over the rumor mill working overtime right now. With everything that has happened, I'd rather deal with it now, when I can still give my side of events. Not after things have had a chance to take on a life of their own, and move out of the house and pay taxes." 

He sighed tiredly, all too familiar with the twisted stories getting more and more warped as time passed on. 

"Right, that," Twilight agreed, looking unhappy herself as well. "Maybe I should go out as well, and try to put a stop to it." 

"Maybe not the smartest choice for us both to be out there, trying to stop ponies from talking," he commented. 

"How so?" 

In answer, Danny merely looked at Spike, who was deeply engrossed in his story and didn't notice the sudden attention. 

"What has Spi-" Twilight fell silent, her cheeks rapidly turning crimson as Spike's poor explanation came back to her. "Yes, I can see how that would add to the rumors." 

"Yeah…" 

'Master,' Eclipse suddenly spoke up, and Danny was barely able to keep his cool. 'Your plan for Bon Bon was successful. She is currently in the Hive, coming to terms with everything she has learned. 

'Understood,' he replied. 'And Eclipse. Try not to jump in like that every time.'

'Sorry,' she quickly apologized. 

"Is everything alright, Danny?" Twilight asked, worried. "You just fell silent there." 

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry. Just remembered something important I forgot." 

"Oh, anything I can help with?" 

Danny shook his head. "No, but thanks. It's just something that I need to take care of some other time."

"Okay, if you say so." 

They each smiled at each other, then left the table to go their separate ways. 

Tiredly, Danny sat on the floor, arms resting on his knees and head placed on top of them as he rested his eyes for a moment. 

After Bon Bon re-emerged from the Murgröna, and everything that followed as a result of her learning her whole life had been a lie, he had stayed awake all night watching over her, making sure she would be able to cope after what had happened, and wouldn't make a decision all of them would come to regret. 

Slowly he looked up, suppressing a yawn as he saw Bon Bon lying on a bed, asleep.

Sleep had come for her only a short while ago, and her pillow was noticeably wet from shed tears. There were also plenty of feathers strewn around, blown out of the seams of the same pillow after Bon Bon had struck it repeatedly. 

But now, finally, she had worn herself out to a point where she could no longer continue and she just shut down. She didn't even seem to suffer from any haunting dreams, lying almost completely still while breathing calmly. 

The door to the room opened, and Danny quietly walked in, looking at Bon Bon, then his double. 

"How's she doing?" He asked, voice lowered. 

"Asleep, finally," his other self answered through a large yawn. 

"Good. Let's hope she will feel better once she wakes up." 

"Would you?" 

"No." 

Danny, the one on the floor, rubbed one of his burning eyes with the back of his hand, head bobbing. 

"You go and get some sleep, too. I'll take over." 

The other nodded slowly, then stood up with some effort and stumbled out of the room, almost tripping over Sweetie Belle, entered the room next door, and collapsed on the bed there.

"Is she going to be okay?" Asked Sweetie Belle, looking at the mare she was told was Bon Bon. 

"I hope so, Sweetie Belle. I really do." 

A bit of time had passed, And Danny found himself gradually making his way down to the market, seeing several ponies already at work to set up their stalls or open up their stores. 

He also noticed their reactions, and sudden changes in topic when they noticed him, and a quiet groan escaped him as he knew he had to stop this thing before it got too out of hand. 

But before he could come up with a way to tackle that particular headache, he steered away from the market and headed for the cafe, seeing several crates standing outside, and Quick Grill talking with the well-known, wall-eyed delivery pony as he signed a letter of delivery. 

"Hey Grill. Hey Ditzy," Danny called out to them both, and they turned to look at him as he approached. 

"Hi Danny," Ditzy Doo waved enthusiastically at him, almost slapping Quick Grill in the face. "Oops, sorry," she quickly apologized. 

Quick Grill sighed, said it was alright, and then gave a nod to Danny. 

"I see you're eager to get started again," he commented. 

"I guess so," Danny laughed, looking at the crates. "Replacement materials, I take it." 

"You got it," Quick Grill confirmed. "Took a bit to get it down here this fast. Thanks again," he turned to Ditzy Doo. 

"No problem," she smiled happily. "Well, gotta go. I still have a lot of packages to deliver," And with a flap of her wings, she flew off, pulling a cart with her.

"So we've got everything needed to open up again?" Danny asked, returning their attention to the crates. 

"It should be," Quick Grill grunted, pulling open one of the still-closed crates. "I already inspected the first few crates. While you're here, might as well make yourself useful, if you're not busy." He pointed at one of the crates. "The new glasses and plates are in there. You know where they need to go." 

"That I do," Danny nodded. "What's in the other crates?" He asked, curious. 

"With the damage those three caused, and with everything I had to replace, I figured I might as well get rid of some of the older stuff. So I have new tables, seating cushions, and some other things I think will come in handy." 

"Smart," Danny gave a nod in understanding. 

"Expensive is more like it," Quick Grill muttered. "We'll need to work hard to make up for all the losses, both time and money." 

"No problem there. I'm eager to get started again," said Danny, pulling out two boxes labeled 'fragile'. "So when do you plan to open again?" 

"With luck, tomorrow. But the day after is more likely." 

Danny nodded. "Alright. I'll swing by tomorrow morning and see if we're in business. Otherwise, the day after it is." 

"If only the others were so eager," Quick Grill commented. 

"Guess I just have a lot of energy." 

"So I've heard," Quick Grill said, and Danny could hear the smirk. "Too much for even Princess Celestia." 

Danny almost dropped the boxes as he stood there for a long moment, then he threw his head back and groaned. Loudly.  

With a cheer and pounding hooves, the foals stuck in the classroom all rushed out for recess, while at the back of the group, 'Sweetie Belle', Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom made their way over to their somewhat secluded spot to talk in relative privacy.

Their reason for doing so this time, besides the much-needed pointers for Devora to better keep up appearances, would be Apple Bloom's continuous lack of attention in class, drawing the attention of not just their teacher, but her friends as well.

"Are you alright?" Scootaloo asked, concerned for her friend.

"Ah'm not sure," Apple Bloom answered, looking down. "Ah just…"

"Just, what?" Scootaloo asked.

"It's 'bout that book you told me' bout yesterday," Apple Bloom looked at Devora. 

"Okay…" Devora said, not sure what to do with this information. 

"It's some kind of magical book or somethin'. As in, Ah think it's alive. It showed me thaings. Thaings you and Erlea told us about back in tha Hive. 'Bout Yoke an' such. Ah even saw Apple Pie. And Ah saw…"

"You saw, what?" Scootaloo leaned forward, eager to know. Even Devora found herself intrigued at this point.

"Tha book showed me all tha ponies, an' changelinks that came after them. And Ah… Ah… Apple Pie is mah ancestor."

"WHAT!?" Devora shouted, drawing the attention of everypony around, yet she didn't notice. Instead, she quickly reached out to the rest of the Hive with this impossible revelation.

'Abella. Erlea. This apple pony claims to be the descendant of Apple Pie!'

'Yeah, Danny found out about that a little while ago,' Abella replied almost instantly. Didn't we tell you that?'

'WHAT? No.

'Oh… Well, apparently, all Apples and all Pies are the descendants of Apple Pie and Buzz. Which also means they are of changelink blood, and some of them show the signs through their appearances or abilities.'

'Wait… WHAT?

'We actually have one of those ponies here in the Hive right now. Not one from Apple Pie, though. But she has the gift of change.

'...'

'So, there you have it

A hoof waved past her eyes, and Devora blinked back to the here and now.

"Are you alright?" Scootaloo asked. She and Apple Bloom looked at her in concern. "Ya kinda spaced out there."

"Yes, just telling the others about what she just said," Devora grumbled. "Turns out they already knew and failed to inform me."

"Wait, they knew about me? About Apple Pie?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Apparently so," Devora looked at her. "They said that Danny found out not too long ago and that all Apples and Pies are related to Apple Pie. And also-" she looked around, making sure nopony was nearby- "that means you're of changelink blood. Little as it may be."

Apple Bloom sat stunned, eyes wide as this realization kicked in.

"It would also explain your sister's ability to tell a lie," Devora added. "It's most likely linked to our ability to sense emotions, but far more limited, and focused on this one thing."

Apple Bloom shook her head rapidly, returning back to focus. "Does that mean Ah have powers as well? Like, can Ah climb on walls, or somethin'?"

"How would I know? I only learned about this just now," she grumbled, 'glaring' at her friends through their shared minds. 

Apple Bloom looked at Scootaloo, the pegasus looking back with a growing grin.

"Are ya thinkin' what Ah'm thinkin'?"

"Secret power training Cutie Marks," Scootaloo jumped up, wings buzzing.

"Secret power training Cutie Marks," Apple Bloom jumped up as well.

"SECRET POWER TRAINING CUTIE MARKS, YAY!" They quietly shouted, slamming their hooves together. Once again drawing the attention of everypony around, though what they said was lost over the sound of the foals playing.

"Insane," Devora grumbled, hoof pressed against her face. "All you ponies are insane."

"Move it, Sunshine. You still have sixty more sit-ups to do," Valerie shouted, standing next to the beaten form of Jazz, hands on her hips as she looked down at the struggling woman.

"Mercy," Jazz croaked.

"Mercy is for the weak. Move it!"

A strangled gasp escaped Jazz as she did as instructed, tears running down her face from the pain she was in.

"And after this, we're going on another run to compensate for the lack of push-ups," Valerie shouted, looking at the casted wrist. "So enjoy laying on the ground while you can," she grinned ferally, "cause this is just the easy part."

Jazz looked up at the woman towering over her in absolute terror, certain she heard demonic laughter coming from behind her.

Behind her back, Valerie pressed pause on her phone.

"Play it again!" 

Hitting rewind on the remote, the video wound back, then resumed playing with another press of the button.

"What are we even looking for?" Chris asked, scratching his head and messing up his blond hair. "We've watched this recording a hundred times now."

"That is the ghost that killed our parents," said Emily, seated next to him, leaning forward to a point she rested her head in her hand, supported on her knee, remote held out before her as she stared intently at the screen. "There has to be something we can use here to nail that bastard."

"Or, at the very least, figure out how it got through the shield like it did," Franky added, glaring at the laptop before him as he worked on the same recording, trying to blow up the image without compromising the quality too much. "But we can't go out there and investigate on-site. We're in too much trouble as it is, and this recording is all we've got to work with." 

"And what about that thing the ghost was chasing?" Chris asked, looking at the blur of pixels on his older brother's screen.

"We never got a good look at what, or who it was. And we only got a few flashes of it on the vid. Which is why I am trying to get a better shot of whatever it was. It might give us the lead we need to track that monster down."

"Any luck with that?" Emily asked, still leering at the TV, rewinding the recording yet again.

Franky aggressively hit the keyboard, then leaned back and sighed deeply. 

"You would know when I do," he answered after a moment. "I'm good with computers, but I can't do magic."

"Maybe we could ask for help?" Chris commented.

"And who would be willing to help us with this after the destruction we caused trying to hunt this ghost?" Franky asked through gritted teeth.

"Calm down, bro," Chris placed a hand on Franky's shoulder. "I know I'm not the smartest guy here, but I'm just trying to help."

"I know," Franky sighed. "I know. But that does not change my question. Who would want to help us with this after all that?"

"Maybe this Tucker Foley? I've heard he's good with computers."

Both Franky and Emily turned to look at him.

"You want us to go to Tucker Foley? The guy working for Fenton Corp, our competitor, and ask for his help?" Franky looked at his brother, unable to believe he would even suggest such a thing.

"Well, I mean… We're all trying to fight ghosts, right? Besides, if it means catching this ghost, then why not?"

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Chris is right," said Emily. "Tucker Foley is one of the best out there when it comes to computers and such. I'm sure getting a better image would be child's play to him. And if it means we'd be able to get revenge, I'd do anything."

Franky leaned back, looking at the less-than-great results of his efforts with a grimace.

"Yeah…" He sighed. "But we can't just walk in there either and ask to see him," he shook his head.

"Why not?" Chris asked, confused. 

"We don't want to make more of a mess for our boss. And walking into Fenton Corp would do just that."

"How?" Said Chris. "Wouldn't it make sense for us to reach out to someone else who knows what they're doing? It might even make people think we're trying to be better at our job?"

Both Franky and Emily were quiet at the surprising wisdom their usually dense brother just shared with them.

"That could actually work in our favor," Emily realized, turning off the TV.

"And we might gain new intel. An actual lead on this bastard," said Franky, closing the program on his laptop and opening a new app instead. Neither of them realized their brother had stood up and walked away. "I'll send a mail to Fenton Corp, asking for help in an ongoing investigation. With luck, we could turn all of this around."

"I can't believe it, but Chris, you're a genius." Emily called out proudly, then blinked and looked around as she couldn't find her brother.

"I am?" Chris replied, pulling his head out of the fridge, along with a six-pack of beer. "What'd I do?" 

"Never mind," she sighed, shaking her head.

The school bell rang, and the door outside all but exploded outwards as a figurative geyser of foals burst out, and only the barrier that was the foals' parents or legal guardians stood steadfast against this force of nature as they rallied their children before they could run off and do who knew what.

So too was the case for Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and 'Sweetie Belle', as Applejack, Rarity, and Bellflower were there to collect those three young troublemakers and make sure they would return home safe and sound.

They did allow the three to say some last goodbyes for the day, and the three mares spoke privately a short distance away while the fillies quickly and quietly finalized their plans. Even Devora was involved if only to get a better understanding of the mindset and behavior of the one she was impersonating. 

"So you're gonna try what you can back home and see what works, or doesn't, then report back tomorrow at recess and we'll work from there," Scootaloo summed up, eager to get started, but bummed out she couldn't help directly. Neither their sisters, nor Bellflower would allow them out of their sights for too long, and she and Apple Bloom couldn't really blame them. But if this meant her friend could earn her Cutie Mark, she was fine with that.

Of course, it would be awesome if she could earn her Mark as well, but even she knew this one was very unlikely to happen for her. It was her friend who was related to the changelinks, after all. Not her.

Not to mention, she had some difficult things to ask Bellflower, too. 

"Right," Apple Bloom nodded, but not as enthusiastically as Scootaloo had expected.

"Anything wrong?"

"No," Apple Bloom shook her head. "It's just… Tha more Ah think 'bout this; about them being mah ancestors, tha more Ah keep thinking 'bout mah parents. An' Ah don't know why," she sighed out. 

"Maybe by wanting to find out if you have secret powers," Devora rolled her eyes, "you can't help but wonder about your family history," she suggested. "Seeing how they both go together."

"But Ah don't know anything 'bout mah parents. They died when Ah was jus' a filly."

"Then maybe you should learn more about them so you can learn more about yourself."

Apple Bloom was quiet there, eyes slightly unfocused as she thought about that, which left the group to be silent for long enough for their sisters and caretaker to come and get them.

"All done with your talk, Sweetie Belle?" Asked Rarity.

"Sure thing, sis," Devora said, hoping she got the behavior she was told about right this time.

The small gasp and smile Rarity gave was a good indication she nailed it this time.

"So ya'll ready to go home then?" Applejack asked them, and the trio shared one last look, then nodded and followed after their sisters and adoptive mother.

But after only a few steps they all came to a stop when, blocking their path, Silver Spoon stood there with her father.

"Eh, can we help you?" Bellflower asked while the three fillies looked at Silver Spoon in confusion.

"My daughter wanted to speak to your sisters," Tarnished Silver said, less than pleased as he looked down upon the three fillies he had heard were responsible for his daughter's hospital visit some time ago.

"She does?" Said Scootaloo, confused. The three of them still clearly remember the weird conversation they had with her the previous day.

"I… I just," Silver Spoon tried and faltered, working her mouth, but unable to find the words she wanted to say. Instead, she looked at the three fillies, smiled sheepishly, then said: "Have a nice day," and she quickly left, leaving her moderately confused father to catch up, while all six ponies were left dumbfounded.

"Ain't she one of them bullies who's always makin' fun of ya'll?" Asked Applejack.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom confirmed. "But lately, she's been weirdly apologetic."

"I know what that's like," Scootaloo quietly muttered, looking away.

"Well, I guess she's finally growing out of that phase," Rarity said after a moment, the group watching the filly and her father walk back to town. "Maybe she'll even be your friend, someday."

"Really?" Scootaloo looked weirdly at Rarity. 

"You never know, dear," she replied back.

Shortly thereafter, they left the school as well.

Out in the Far Frozen, hidden underneath a literal mountain of ice, Tree of Life nurtured her seeds with great care, feeling the continuous growth of those chosen to one day wield the powers they were chosen to represent.

And one of those seeds pulsed and grew ever so slightly as its future bearer took another step on the long road ahead of her.

Moving from one part of the palace to the next to check up on her patients, Stable Pulse quietly muttered to the apparent lack of capable medical personnel, as it seemed she was the only doctor available at any given time. 

Of course, she knew this wasn't the case, but it certainly felt like all the attention was on her, leaving her to take care of all medical emergencies more often than not. 

Worse still, with the changelings now gone, she couldn't stop the feeling of disgust. Disgust to what or who, she couldn't quite say. But the thought that critically ill patients under her care were suddenly gone without a trace just left her in an extremely sour mood.

Add to that the very real possibility of the involvement of ghosts, and her stress levels were off the charts. Which, of course, wasn't done any favors either through her other patient, where ghosts were absolutely involved.

Sighing out and shaking her head, she reached her destination, knocked on the door to let those inside know she was there, then entered.

Her stethoscope slipped down her neck and fell to the floor when she saw the patient's bed was empty, and worse, she could see Miss Dani standing before the window, holding onto the wall for support.

"What is going on? What happened?" She rushed inside, worried.

"Hey doc," Dani slowly looked at her, not wanting to make any sudden movements. "Just admiring the view," she said, looking back outside, seeing the city before her, and beyond, the valley where, out in the distance, she could just see Ponyville. And somewhere over there, Danny.

"You shouldn't be standing already. What if something were to happen, and you fell? Please, go back to bed. Now!" 

Dani chuckled quietly, then gave in. Pushing away from the wall, she unsteadily made her way back to her bed, slipping back under the covers with the assistance of Stable Pulse.

"Sorry about that," Dani apologized. "I just wanted to have a look. The view is amazing."

"It is," Stable Pulse agreed, "but that is no reason to put your health at risk. Please ask me, or any of the nurses if you could take a look outside, and we'll be happy to help you. But don't go and do something like this on your own. You're in no state to help yourself if something were to go wrong."

"Fair enough," Dani sighed, eyes closed. "Where is Tuc- I mean, mister Foley? He was gone after I woke up again."

"Mister Foley?" Stable Pulse thought for a moment. "I do believe he was busy with an investigation into certain device failures, but I can't say I know more than that."

"Should have known," Dani chuckled. "Can't keep him away from his gadget for too long."

"Alright," Stable Pulse said after she was sure Dani was situated in bed properly again. "And how do you feel right now? Any pain? Dizziness? Nausea? Anything?"

"Maybe a bit woozy from standing,"  Dani admitted with a small, guilty smile. "Other than that… a bit thirsty."

Stable Pulse ignored her desire to sigh and shake her head and instead poured a glass of water for Dani to drink.

"Better?" She asked.

"Better," Dani confirmed, returning the glass to the doctor, then lying down fully; sighing tiredly.

"Say doc," she said after a moment. "Is it possible for my bed to be placed next to the window? I'd like it to look outside."

"I'll see what can be arranged," she answered. "For now, you should rest."

"Yeah… good idea,"  Dani agreed, already drifting off.

"So if we compare these values we measured out in the forest yesterday against the data we extracted from the device I left out there, then what does this tell us?" Tucker asked aloud, looking at the data on display with a frown.

Technal and Correct Measurement also regarded the new data with growing headaches. 

Just an hour ago, one of the pegasi guards who had originally taken them to the forest had flown back there, retrieved Tucker's scanner, and returned back to them, allowing them to now work with hours' worth of scans. 

It was without a doubt the most comprehensive and detailed scan ever made, and Correct Measurement could barely contain her excitement. But now, an hour later, her excitement had turned to frustration and a desire to burn all the scrolls she once protected fiercely. 

"Is it just me, or does that make no sense at all?" Technal shook her head, blinking away the numbers and graphs.

"The greater the detail, the greater the picture, the more pieces we find are missing," said Tucker.

He moved through the data, finding a key point highlighted by the software as potentially important.

"And then there is this. A sudden and drastic distortion in the field, where a sudden increase of spectral energy is measured, only for it to dip, then return a short while later."

"But what does that mean?" Asked Correct Measurement.

"Obviously, there was a ghost there at that point," Tucker said matter of factly. Correct Measurement gasped. "Which tells us very little, all in all. It was already known ghosts were spotted around that area, so this comes as little surprise," he glared at the data, thinking he saw something. But he couldn't test for that, not with either mare present. "So all we have left is more of the same, just in greater detail. The magical field is growing and simultaneously destroyed by spectral energy at a rate that keeps up with the gradual growth of the magical field. But then what? Where does the energy go? All that energy. All that power. It can't just vanish." 

He turned away from his laptop, rubbing his eyes. 

"I fear that my lack of understanding of the magical field is keeping me from seeing the full picture, regardless of all the help you have provided," he said to Correct Measurement. "And sadly there is only so much time I can spend on this now. I still have equipment to inspect and update, as well as an inspection on the project down below to get everything there back on track. And then there is a matter of severity I need to address back home as well. So even though I know this will be a thorn in my side for a long, long time to come, I can't justify continuing working on this at this time."

He leaned back in his cushion, almost lying down as he sighed out, looking up in defeat. 

"This thing. It makes no sense. No sense at all."

"Perhaps you can't justify continuing working on this," Correct Measurement said, looking at the data as if it had insulted her mother, "but I can. Knowing what I know now, I can't turn away from this. If you can leave me a copy of all this data, I will find a way to crack this mystery while you do what needs to be done to stop those ghosts."

"You're sure?" Tucker asked, and a cold glare was his answer. "Right, sure," he hastily pulled himself back up. "Technal, do you have a laptop around here I can copy this data on?"

"I do," she eagerly jumped up. "Back at the tear facility, we have several laptops. I'll run over and get one right away."

"Make it two. Best to have a backup, just in case."

Technal nodded, then rushed off.

The walk back home had been uneventful, and the time had allowed Apple Bloom to think about what Devora had said. 

It made sense, in a way. If she wanted to know more about herself, and possibly any secret powers she might have, then learning more about her parents would help with that. 

Yet the thing was, she never knew her parents, other than the pictures she was shown, and the things she was told time and time again. And while this painted the picture of kind and loving ponies doing everything they could to provide for their family, all Apple Bloom saw were two unfamiliar ponies in the pictures. 

This was different for her brother, sister, and grandmother, of course. They all looked back with fond smiles and tears, their memories of them still strong. But Apple Bloom, she never really understood. 

She knew she was supposed to miss them, but how could she miss somepony she didn't even know? 

Yet the more she thought about this, and the more she thought about the things that were left behind, the more she realized something was missing. A strange numb sensation which she wasn't sure where it came from, and if it had been there all that time, or if it just appeared then and there. And the more she thought about these things, the more she showed a troubled frown. 

And now, back at the farmhouse, she sat quietly in the living room, looking at a picture of her parents hanging on the wall. 

"Is everythaing alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, worried. She and her brother glanced at each other in concern. 

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said after a moment. "Ah'm just thinking 'bout stuff." 

"Care to share?" Big Mac asked as he sat down next to her. 

Apple Bloom looked up at him, then at Applejack as she sat down on her other side, and then she looked back at the picture. 

"Would ya-" she bit her lip, looking down- "Ah'd like ta know more 'bout mom an' dad. What they were like, and such. 

Applejack gently pulled her younger sister into her side, smiling sadly at her. 

"Sure thaing, Apple Bloom," she said. "We'll tell ya everythaing ya want ta know." 

"And you're certain that's all you saw," Rachel Connor, lead investigator of the Spectral Aftermath Division, or S.A.D., asked one of the scientists. 

"Positive," the woman confirmed her statement. 

"Very well," Rachel typed on her tablet. "Thank you for your time. I will come back should I have any further questions." 

The woman nodded, then left to rejoin her colleagues. 

Sighing, Rachel looked at the carnage around her. 

The guards had made good progress in cleaning up and restoring the cave, which also revealed the actual destruction hidden underneath. 

A lot of the tech brought in was crushed and destroyed, but fortunately, some of the more valuable materials remained relatively unscathed. Even then, it would take some time to replace what was destroyed, and she wondered just what the hell was going on around here. 

But then, that was why she was here. 

Shaking her head, she refocused her attention on the other members of her team. Watching them investigate the area, and take statements from the people and ponies. 

Of course, not all of her team was here, and she briefly wondered how the others were doing with their field promotion to combat instructors, giving emergency training to the Ghost-Keteers. 

Sighing over the mess they found themselves in, she looked up in surprise at the sudden activity coming from a collapsed tunnel; several scientists running in at the word of something being found. 

Moving there herself, Rachel watched as three scientists emerged back out of the tunnel, pushing and pulling a cart in which lay a massive chunk of glowing crystal; the excitement on their faces was unmistakable as they pushed past her. 

And here lay another mystery. One she hopefully didn't have to solve. 

Numerous books lay open or were suspended in a purple glow as they surrounded the studious unicorn. 

Twilight, well within her zone, read through several books at the same time, taking notes of anything she thought would be of use, while redirecting the books she deemed unnecessary at this time to a stack of literature on the opposite side of her study room. 

Dipping her quill, she scribbled down a seemingly promising tidbit of information, as well as the book and page number where she found it, then leaned back, sighed out, and rubbed her tired eyes with a fetlock. 

"Any luck, Twi?" Asked Spike, the young drake collecting the books she had discarded and placing them back on the shelves. 

"Not really," she replied. "While I found a lot of information and spells that would prove useful in a myriad of situations, there is little I found that could help against Discord or the ghosts. I'm hoping that I may be able to combine some of the spells I found, but right now that seems unlikely."

"Maybe you just need to take a break. You've been at it for the entire day," Spike suggested, and Twilight looked outside, seeing the sun was already lowering. 

"I suppose you're right," she agreed, and then they heard the door open and close, followed by the distinct sound of footsteps. 

"Guess Danny's back," said Spike, pushing in place an especially thick book. 

"He is?" Twilight perked up noticeably, jumping up from her spot, and quickly looked at her reflection in the window to see if she was presentable. 

"Why are you doing that?" Spike asked, confused. 

"Do what?" Twilight looked at him, confused as well. 

"That," Spike made some claw gestures at her. "Going all happy and making sure you look good when Danny is around." 

"What do you mean? I'm not doing that, am I?" 

Spike merely crossed his arms, looking at her in silence. 

I- It's nothing. Honestly," she stammered, blushing. 

Spike simply raised an eyebrow. 

"Twilight, you up there?" Danny called out, and they heard him approach. 

"Yes I am," she quickly replied, glad for the interruption. 

"I thought I heard you," Danny mentioned as he showed himself. "Spike," he acknowledged the dragon in the room, giving a nod to him. 

"Danny, how was your day?" Twilight asked quickly before Spike could continue with his weird accusations. 

"Eventful, to say the least," he groaned. "I tried to get a grip on the rumors going around, but honestly, I have a better chance of outrunning Rainbow Dash than stopping that unfolding disaster," he shook his head, sighing. "But at least the cafe will open up soon. Helped out Quick Grill with replacing the glasses, dishes, tables, and all that. The place looks like new. I'm gonna drop by tomorrow morning, to see if Grill's gonna open up. Otherwise, we're back in business the day after."

"That's great news," Twilight smiled, happy for him. 

"Yeah," Danny agreed. "Can't wait to get something of my normal routine back." His stomach then decided to make itself known. "Well, at least that hasn't changed," he muttered. 

"Well, it is getting late. How about we start preparing for dinner?" Twilight suggested. 

"Sounds like a plan to me," Danny agreed gladly, both smiling at each other, with a slight blush on Twilight's cheeks. 

And as they left for the kitchen and started cooking, Spike pushed another book into its place. 

"So, that's how it is, huh?" He smirked. "Interesting. I wonder what Cadance would say about this? Or Shining Armor?" 

"Where are we?" Bon Bon asked, looking around, confused, wide-eyed, seeing the uncountable number of books around her.

"Welcome to the ghost library," said Danny. "A place with more knowledge than you can begin to imagine."

"... Why did you take me here?"

The white-haired ghost looked at her, face set.

"I said I needed your help, which is why I brought you here. So you can understand what I am planning to do. You see these books?" He asked, looking at the endless rows of bookcases all around them. "These are the lifebooks of all creatures alive, and dead. All their stories, written down right here."

Bon Bon once again looked at the many books, unable to believe what he had just said.

"It is where I got the book of Spring Breeze, which I then gave to you," he said as he retrieved said book out of his spectral self.

The book promptly pulled out of his hand, hovered before them, then flew away, returning to its spot. 

"Why am I here?" Bon Bon asked, worried.

Danny looked away, scanning the many books.

"I used the knowledge found here to help you see the truth. It brought you to me and allowed you to see beyond past convictions. But there are others out there. The other ponies Celestia has under her control. I want to set them free. And I'd like you to help me to do this."

Bon Bon took a step back, shocked.

"You want to turn the agents of S.M.I.L.E. against the princess."

"Yes, and for multiple reasons. The first is the most obvious. Like you, they deserve to know the lies they were told. The lie their life is. But I also need help. I need eyes and ears wherever I can. And while I can duplicate myself, the more I do this, the weaker I become. And I have the feeling I need to conserve my power as much as I can, just in case. Not to mention, you and the other agents have a much better understanding of how things work; where things can be hidden, and how to retrieve them. To use what Celestia forced upon all of you against her. To find the skeletons she's hiding, and to help me bring her down."

He looked at Bon Bon, his green glowing eyes filled with determination and conviction.

"So I will need your help to make this happen. You are in a position where you can approach the other agents without suspicion, and give them the lifebooks linked to their ancestors. But I need to know the names of those to call for them. And I need to be sure they can be trusted, because I have no illusion about their loyalty to Celestia, either. Some of them are not ready, or unwilling to learn the truth. Their lives, tragic as it may be, too important to give up on. It's why I am as sorry as I am for having done this to you in the first place."

"You- you do know what you're asking me to do?" Bon Bon said, voice cracking slightly.

"To betray everything you swore to protect and help destroy it. Yes," Danny nodded once. "But knowing what you know now, are you able to walk away from it all?"

"I… I," Bon Bon closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and holding it for as long as she could. "No. No, I can't. Celestia needs to be stopped. But I don't know every single agent by name. Most of us use aliases, for security."

"Not a problem," said Danny, then he turned back to the books. "Please allow me to see the lifebook of Bon Bon of Ponyville."

Bon Bon looked at Danny in confusion, then eeped when a shift around them occurred, and a small wave spread through the books as they moved ever so slightly on their shelves. 

A minute later, a book with a color-shifting cover levitated over to Danny, and he held out a hand for the book to land in. 

"Like I said," he looked at the name on the cover. "These books hold the full story of our lives. That includes all the names we carry." He turned around the book, allowing Bon Bon to see the title on the cover.

Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

Danny gave her her lifebook. 

"As we speak, your story is being written," the book opened on its own, pages flipping through the years, yet never seeming to run out, then stopped in what seemed to be the centerfold and Bon Bon saw he spoke the truth. "But how that story unfolds is entirely up to you."

Bon Bon sat down and held the book in her hooves, staring at the words as they appeared on the paper. Then, sensing the one it was connected to, the pages turned back to the early beginning of her story, and Bon Bon reread the moment when she first met the specialist, and something inside her solidified.

Sensing the change in her, the pages flipped to the very end, and a list of names was written down.

Names she knew.

The aliases of all the agents she knew personally. Even those she couldn't recall anymore.

With a shocked gasp, she looked at the names, then up at Danny as her eyes hardened, giving him a single, resolute nod, and a cacophony of sound filled the library, almost as if millions of pages were turned at once while books jumped from their shelves.