Why does it always have to be undead was the first thought that came to my mind while staring at the creature. It even has to be of a type the fire won’t work on. It’s just not fair I think as the thing approaches the doorway. As it hits the threshold of the door it vanishes leaving a blast of cold to surround me with clattering sounds sounding throughout the house.
Closing the door I turn towards the hallway and bolt towards the master bedroom, glad that I hadn’t left my packs anywhere. Upon arriving I enter and slam the door closed before digging into my packs for the special bag of gemstones I have hidden in it. Quickly digging it out I dump the bag onto the bed and unwrap and rewrap the individual stones until I find the one I am looking for.
When the chosen stone, a moonstone, falls from its wrapping it shines out into the room and brings with it a sense of peace. At that feeling I give a sigh of relief even as pounding starts to sound at the doorway to the room. “Glad I still have mother’s stones. I never could get the protection charm to work right on this kind of stone,” I say as I levitate the gem up to the chandelier in the center of the room and attach it to the base of it.
Once the gem is set I head over and open the other two doors in the room to let the light flow into them as well, expanding the protection to this area until I can find a way to deal with the ghost in the rest of the place. “The one house that catches my eye and it has to be haunted, I knew my luck was too good to be true,” I say as I move towards the window and look outside towards the forest. “I’d rather handle the creatures out there than have to deal with undead again.”
While observing the forest I notice the light is starting to fade, that combined with how long I’ve been going tiredness has started to set in. Yawning as I open the window I levitate over the covers of the bed and flap them out the window, removing all the dust that had built up over the years. Returning them to the bed, I remove the last of the food I had stored in my packs and finish it all off, while getting water from the bathroom sink to wash it down.
Exploring the bathroom I find that it is currently empty of any supplies, but luckily the plumbing still is in working order. Starting up a warm bath I head back to my bags to retrieve my towel, Glad to think I always keep one of these around at all times traveling, and bring it into the bathroom with me. I slowly climb into the large tub and relax as for a while as I let the heat soak in regardless of the noisy ghost outside.
“First thing I need to do tomorrow is stock up on a bit of food for a few days. Then I need to figure out what type of ghost that is and how to get rid of it, hopefully there is a good book shop or library in town,” I plan out while using my magic to brush out the dirt from my hide as well as possible. “If those options fail I’ll need to find somewhere that can get me the information I need, that castle in the forest looked old, even if it’s abandoned it may have something I can use If all else fails. Between all that I need to get that garden cleared out for use so I can get some of my seeds planted and growing. I really hope that ghost isn’t a complicated one though, the more that they are the harder they are to remove.”
Sighing I pull the drain on the tub and levitate over my towel to dry off as I get out of the tub. Heading back into the main room I climb up onto my bed and bring over my packs for a quick inventory. After this latest trip on the road there isn’t much left in it that doesn’t need to be replaced or refilled in some way. Other than the special bag, I have one other pouch of unenchanted gemstones to work with, as well as some chalks to assist in the matter. A dozen empty padded vials lay next to the one with the flower I retrieved from the forest, as well as a few various collection tools gathering samples of larger items. Those along with the remains of waxed wrappings are all that are left in the one bag.
The other bag contains a few of my more important items and is therefore better padded. The crystal I use for predictions and minor locator spells is safe in its box container, alongside my new bag of bits, containing eight hundred bits after the five hundred for the manor, as well as the map I used to get to where I am. The last and most important items though are my personal journal that I use to note down the spells and tricks that I have learned, as well as a stone plate engraved with my family emblem. Embedded in the cover of the book are various gem fragments, each with a minor enchantment on them to protect the book from damage. The plate though is naturally resistant to damage and has the ability to store magic in it for the purpose of maintaining a single spell.
Sighing at how few items I have on me, I store them all back into the packs before I set it down at the foot of the bed and crawl under the covers. Through all of this the ghost is still making a racket, likely in anger at being blocked out, which is starting to annoy me. Sighing I rest my head on the pillows and drift off to a restless sleep.
<><><><><><><><>
Awakening the next morning I grumble at the doorway as that blasted ghost is still at it. The night was not very restful with that thing causing all that racket constantly and it is starting to make me think it wants me gone. Stretching as I leave the bed I gather my packs for another trip into town to gather a few things I need.
I get an idea on a way to get out without it having to go by the thing after I fasten my packs securely. “If that thing is bound to the inside of this place then the window might be the best way to enter and exit. I’ll need to pick up a ladder for getting back in though.” Heading over to the window I open it and look down along the wall noticing that it is clear before setting my hooves on the window’s edge.
Concentrating I cast a light version of a glue spell on my front hooves and bring one around to the wall on the outside of the window before sticking it to it. I then swing out and latch my other hoof to just below the window and hang there a second as I close the window. I then proceed to alternate dispelling and reapplying the spell to my hooves as I climb down the wall until I reach the ground.
“I love how versatile this spell is, I wonder if I can find a way to make it even better,” I ponder as I make my way around my home and off towards the town. Judging by the sun it is still early morning so while most places may still be closed at least there should be something for food.
As I enter the town I spot a few ponies going about their business doing whatever they do around here. Passing a flower shop I notice two of the three I saw running around panicking yesterday, so my hunch at them being close in some way looks right. Passing the shop I keep an eye out for some sort of eatery that is open right now. The first I spot seems to be some sort of bakery judging by the smells, but its odd appearance makes me wary of it for now. Instead I find a café that is open a few blocks away that is just outside what appears to be a market area.
Taking a seat at an open table I am soon greeted by a waitress who leaves a menu for me to peruse. Taking note of what the place offers, I am pleased to note that, while most fruits, grains and other plant matter, there appears to be fish as an option during later hours. Making note of this to check why, I order a simple meal of oatcakes with a strawberry topping, and a glass of water.
The meal passes quickly and is better than I expected. Standing I pull out the cost of the meal from my pouch plus a little extra and set it on the table before heading into the market. Making note of a few things to look at later I first stop at a nearby book store I spot.
After browsing and questioning the person working inside, I am disappointed to find that the closest thing to what I am looking for they have is a book on ghost stories. A quick glance into it proves that it is a simple entertainment type book, though I do happen to get directions to the library which should be of more use.
Exiting the store I decide to hit some of the nearby stalls for a couple days’ worth of food so I don’t have to constantly eat at restaurants. Glancing around I am surprised to see the orange mare from yesterday running an apple stall. Getting a better look this time I make note of her hat and blonde mane as well as the three apples for a mark on her flank before heading over cautiously. Seeing as apples can last a while I decide to cautiously approach the apple stall.
As I near the stall I am greeted by the mare, “Well, howdy there. Ah don’t think ah’ve seen ya around these parts before.” I raise an eyebrow at the strange accent, but reply, “Yeah, I arrived in town yesterday and am in the progress of cleaning out my new place. Unfortunately I have a bit of a pest problem keeping me from using my pantry so I’m running around for a few things to last until I can clear it out.” I glance over the price list and hand over enough bits for a half dozen apples.
“Well glad ta hear about someone new in town, what kind of pest problem is it? Ah may be able to point you ta the right pony for the job,” the mare replies while gathering up some up the produce. “I’d appreciate the help, but I doubt there is anyone in town skilled at clearing out a ghostly pest problem,” at this statement the mare stumbles and would have dropped my purchases if I hadn’t caught them in time, “Wait, YOU’RE the mare who bought the Old Bloody Manor? Ya are either the craziest mare ah know or the bravest.”
My ears perk up at this, “Old Bloody Manor? I didn’t know the place even had a name, let alone a ghost that causes a large enough racket to keep me away most of the night.” The mare brings a hoof up to rub her chin, “Well the thing is that nopony knows what happened there, just that one day the owner up and vanished leaving a room covered in blood and the ghost appearing as we… Wait. You actually STAYED there all night? Nopony has been able ta do that before, how’d ya manage that?”
“Not easily. After finding the ghost I ran to the master bedroom and locked myself in. I was lucky enough to have a gem with a protection spell on it that I could keep in the room keeping it out of there and the adjoining rooms,” I respond to her question causing her jaw to drop at the mention of the gems. “Those must be some strong gems to be able ta do that, guess ah should let the betting pool know the results and that Twilight won, though not because of the lack of ghosts.”
The unfamiliar name and mention of a betting pool catch my attention, “Betting Pool? And who would this Twilight be?” I ask. “Well every time that house sells bets go out on how long they last in there, not one has lasted overnight ‘til now. Also that mare would be Twilight Sparkle, the current librarian in town that moved in the day before you arrived. Speaking of which, my name is Applejack, part of the resident Apple family and owner of Sweet Apple Acres,” she reaches a hoof out to shake which I accept.
“I’m Flarenza, random traveler and I guess current new pony in town.” The mare vigorously shakes my hoof almost causing me to fall over at her strength, afterwards I realize part of what she said, “Did you say librarian? I was meaning to head to the library once I gathered a few things. I was hoping to find something on ghosts there but judging from what you said asking for help finding it might not be a good idea.”
“Well Twilight is of good sorts and well-read, she does tend ta block out certain things. Best ta ask her assistant for help if ya need it.” I ponder this for a second and nod to the mare, “Well thanks for the advice, I need to make a few other stops before I head over there, especially for a ladder to get back in my home,” I wave to her as I head off. “Not a problem, and don’t be a stranger, especially livings all the way out there,” she calls as she waves back.
I stop at a couple other stalls to pick up some bread loaf and cheeses as I head through the market. While going through it I stop by a store called Sofas and Quills, seriously who thought that was a good combination, and pick up some quills and ink before finding a hardware store. There I was able to pick up a ladder that, while longer than needed, still fits the purpose I needed it for. Deciding to not carry all this stuff around I carry it all back to my home and set up the ladder for entry into the bedroom window.
Once I stash most of the food in a drawer, with a turquoise stone to keep them cool, I climb back out while ignoring all the pounding and wailing. Once down I examine the ladder and use a glue spell on all four legs of it to make sure it stays in place for now before heading off to the library. As it seems to be around midday I also chew on one of the apples I kept with me, “Huh, this thing is pretty good.”
Finishing off the apple, core and all, I make my way back into town. Finding the library was easier than I thought, though I thought the book store owner was joking about it being in the tree. Heading to the front I look at the sign and see that it is called the Golden Oaks Library and seems to take up a few levels, yet somehow the tree is still alive. “I’m going to have to figure out how that was done some time.”
Approaching the door I notice the handle turning and dodge to the side as a purple unicorn streaks on by from inside of it. Turning back to the library I see Applejack coming out of the place, followed by a baby dragon to which cause a raised eyebrow as, while having seen a few, aren’t overly common in non-dragon areas. “I’m guessing that was the Twilight Sparkle you mentioned before,” I mention to Applejack to which she nods then motions to the dragon. “Yep that was, and this is her assistant I mentioned, Spike. Spike this is the new owner of that manor ah mentioned Flarenza.”
We both greet each other and then head inside the library. “So I hear that you are the one to see for help on finding information on my little pest problem,” I say to him. “Yeah, Twilight doesn’t believe in those things, which makes it a wonder that she won that bet,” he states while looking through the shelves. “Don’t know how much help I’ll be though, haven’t seen anything yet that could help, though I’ve only been here a couple days.” I nod to him and start looking through the shelves on the opposite side for anything that may help.
Over the next hour we find a few possible books, like Ghosts and Ghoulies of the World, and Undead Abominations and You but nothing on how to remove them. They do at least help narrow down what exactly caused the ghost, but even then the results are not promising.
“So the best case scenario, the ghost is just some restless spirit that has a nasty grudge. At worst it is either guarding something voluntarily to prevent others from getting to it, or involuntarily bound there through creepy magic. The first and third will try to kill, while the second only to scare away though the first is easiest to deal with but with no mention of how,” I plant my head into the table trying to wrap my head around this.
“Well at least you know a bit more about it and if you do find a solution you can tell what would work best on which type of ghost,” Spike says as the library door starts to open. “Spike I thought I told you there are no such things as gh- Oh hello, I didn’t know we had visitors,” I hear from the doorway. Looking up I see the purple unicorn has returned from where she went, her bags looking a bit heavier.
“Yes, I’m Flarenza, owner of the building containing the transparent nothing that kept me up all night,” I say half sarcastically to her, “Also the one that seems to have won you a good amount of bits I hear, assuming you are the Twilight Sparkle I’ve heard about.” My second comment interrupts her train of thought from my original response causing her to blush at that. “Well did get a little something, but what do you mean by transparent nothing? Do you mean to tell me you actually saw something in there?”
“Yeah, even heard the scream it made too. I was a pale white form of a pony that I could slightly see through, yet where its eyes should have been were just black holes,” the description causes her jaw to drop, then she pauses and brings her hoof up to rub her chin. “This is the first sighting I’ve heard of directly from a witness, whatever it is I want to check it out,” she nods and starts gathering things into her saddlebags while I just stare at her.
As she rushes out the door she stops for a second to turn and ask, “Are you coming?” I turn to Spike who just shrugs and shakes his head at this to which I just sigh and join in on the head shaking, “If you insist, but I hope you are ready for this crazy thing.” I stand and proceed to follow her out while waving to the dragon. Turning to Twilight she seems to be a bit too excited about this as she trots along the path leading to the side of town the manor is on.
I only half listen to what she is saying as I think on what to do when we get there, not wanting to be caught unprepared. The number of spells I know that can help in this situation are limited and I make note to research some new ones for later use, if there is a later. As we near the manor she rushes ahead to the door but is stalled as it is still locked from when I was last here. I motion around towards the back, “the keys are still up in the bedroom, I had to make… alternate plans for entry for now,” I explain. She shrugs and trots around to the back ahead of me while I follow after, noticing how quiet it is right now.
As I round the building I find her prodding at the base of the ladder trying to move it yet failing due to the spell still on it. “What is holding the ladder down, I don’t recognize this spell,” she questions while examining it. “It’s nothing much, just a simple timed glue spell I made. I just apply it to one surface then it sticks to whatever touches it. I’ve been meaning to try and modify the limits on it a bit to stick only to things I want it to,” I respond. Her eyebrows rise at this and she goes into her thinking pose again.
Just shaking my head at her I pass her and climb up the ladder and into my bedroom again. Soon afterwards she finally makes her way up through the window, looking around curiously. “Sorry about the mess, but I haven’t had a chance to clean up what with that crazy thing in the house,” I mention as I head over and unlock the door before peering out.
The hallway is clear, yet I still can feel the sense of unease from last time I was here. I turn towards Twilight to ask, “So do you want to lead the search for it or should I?” She ponders this and responds, “It’s probably best that you do so seeing as you’ve seen it before.” She pulls out a quill and parchment and starts jotting things down as we walk out into the hall.
I decide to start with the room I found it in originally, but unfortunately it seems to have moved elsewhere. None of the other rooms on the top floor yield any results either and the look on Twilight’s face suggests she is getting a tad annoyed. Heading downstairs we start with the living room and study and find nothing as well and I reluctantly head towards the room a dread we will find it.
“Well obviously there is nothing here and this is a waste of time. As I’ve been saying there are no such things as ghosts and there is nothing wrong with this house. There is no way anything like that can exist and cause the problems you have claimed,” she rants as I open the door to the kitchen and freeze.
“Um, Twilight?” I say gesturing her towards the ghost in the kitchen. She peers in as it starts to turn its eyeless face towards us along with all the drawers in the kitchen opening with every sharp implement contained in them floating out of them. I turn towards her with wide eyes as she looks at me and I say one word before the ghost shrieks, “Run…”