Chapter 16: The Dead, Kind of Dead, and Dead but Not Really
It was 12:14 in the morning on a school night. By all accounts, Apple Bloom had no reason to be awake at such an unnatural hour. True, she wasn’t exactly a natural filly, but she still wanted to get a full night’s sleep, darn it!
“What the hay is wrong with you? Just let me get some sleep already!” Apple Bloom cursed her stomach.
Alas, the sense of wrongness in her gut refused to acknowledge Apple Bloom’s very convincing argument and continued to prove too aggravating to allow glorious rest. Tired and extremely frustrated, Apple Bloom tossed aside her sheets and made her way to her window.
“Ah know Ah didn’t eat nothin’ funny. Is this a ghoul thing? Maybe that ability to sense dark magic? What, is there another ghoul creepin’ on our farm?” She grumbled.
Looking around, there appeared to be no shadowy figure sulking about. Everything seemed normal enough, but…
“Yeah, there’s definitely something wrong out there tonight. And it’s comin’ from… oh,” mumbled Apple Bloom.
Now more than a little concerned, Apple Bloom headed to her closet and pulled out a fancy looking candle. This didn’t quite feel like dark magic, but Princess Luna had insisted on being informed on any unusual activity from the Everfree Forest.
The two of them meet near the edge of the forest. Though Apple Bloom was happy to see the Princess, seeing said Princess wearing a full set of armor did little for her nerves. Even if the massive battle ax was pretty cool.
“Greetings, young Apple Bloom. How fare you this evening?” asked Princess Luna.
“Uh… ok, Ah guess? Though to be honest, Ah felt a lot better before ya got here lookin’ like we’re goin’ to war or something,” admitted Apple Bloom.
“Oh no, I suspect I shall not get to wield Star Cleaver tonight. I am merely being… I believe the modern expression is ‘better safe than sorry.’ Ghoul infestation or not, the Everfree is not to be underestimated. If not for your curse, I would never have requested you join me,” reassured Luna.
“Right… and Ah guess we’re probably goin’ way off the roads tonight. But are ya sure it’s something to be worried about? Going on a late night adventure just because of an upset stomach seems like a bit much,” said Apple Bloom.
“No, young one, I did not decide to venture forth this evening solely because of your message. I felt something amiss as well, and your confirmation merely affirmed my desire to investigate. But speaking of certain dangers, did you inform your family of this outing? Though I do not doubt your capability, I’d rather not drag you into the forest without Honesty’s approval,” said Luna.
“Applejack sleeps like a log, Princess. Unless Ah do something drastic that’ll probably get me grounded, she ain’t gettin’ up. Besides, Ah’m the undead ghoul here. Ah’m in far less danger of gettin’ hurt in the forest than her, anyway. Ah just left her a note,” answered Apple Bloom.
“Hm. That is hardly ideal, but I suppose it shall have to suffice giving the urgency, if only to ensure that backup will indeed be coming if this turns out to be far worse than I anticipate. Though I certainly hope this matter can be resolved before it becomes an issue. Now then, are you able to guide the way?” asked Luna.
Apple Bloom turned towards the forest, trying to pinpoint where that sense of unease was coming from.
“Ah think so,” she answered.
“Come then, young one. There is no time to be lost,” said Luna.
And with that, the two of them made their way into the Everfree Forest.
For most of her life, Apple Bloom had believed the Everfree Forest to be a dangerous, hostile place that nopony who entered ever returned from. But after the Element Bearers returned from their first adventure, the danger of the forest was brought into question. And with Zecora’s help, the truth was finally determined: the danger varied. It varied a lot.
There were half a dozen or so factors: time of days, which part of the forest you were walking through, the current season, ect. If you knew all the factors and traveled correctly, the Everfree was as safe as the Whitetail Woods. But if you messed up even one of them, it would quickly become apparent why the forest had such an infamous reputation.
By Apple Bloom’s reckoning, they were violating at least four rules: they were off the marked roads, they were traveling at night, this time of year some predators in the area were extra aggressive to invaders, and they were actively going towards whatever was causing them such unease instead of running the other direction.
While the battle ax was a bit much, Apple Bloom had to admit she was glad Princess Luna was traveling with her. She did not want to be out alone in a place like this.
“Ah… this brings back fond memories of my younger years. Perhaps constructing an entire castle here was a bit much, but I did always enjoy exploring this place,” said Luna with a smile, swinging her ax like an oversized machete.
“Uh, Ah wasn’t goin’ to say anything, but since ya brought it up, Ah still don’t really get why ya built that thing,” admitted Apple Bloom.
“To prove that we could, I suppose. An act of hubris by youthful alicorns who believed themselves invincible. Alas, if only we could have recognized such bluster as it was. Perhaps many regrets and misdeeds could have been avoided,” said Luna with a sad shake of her head.
The two of them fell silent for an awkward moment. Apple Bloom was worried that maybe this conversation had stirred up unpleasant memories, but then Luna chuckled.
“But in retrospect, I suppose I have no right to complain. What was a thousand years imprisoned, compared to a thousand years of bureaucracy? There are days when I ponder if my fate was an act of generosity,” said Luna with a smile.
“Wait… did ya sneak out here in the middle of your court?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Perhaps. But I doubt there will be much consequence for not being there to listen to arrogant fools beg me to give them their own constellations,” said Luna with a roll of her eyes.
They were pretty deep in the forest now. Whatever was drawing them forward seemed to be getting close.
“So… what exactly do ya think it is? If it ain’t dark magic, how come Ah can feel it?” asked Apple Bloom, nervously eyeing the surrounding darkness.
“Some form of undeath, I suspect. One hopefully forged from something far more pleasant than dark magic,” answered Luna.
“Wait, there’s more kinds of undead than ghouls, zombies, and liches?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Not the sort of undeath you are thinking of, young Apple Bloom. There are other ways in which a spirit may yet linger on the mortal plain past their natural time. Lingering wills yet to find their eternal rest, souls trapped in powerful seals, or beings that were never truly alive to begin with, yet somehow became more,” explained Luna.
“So… ghosts?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Possibly. Though that alone would not draw you here. There must be something more to consider,” said Luna.
“Ah guess. I mean, Ah didn’t even know ghosts were real, but considering everything else Ah’ve learned about it ain’t… wait!” cried Apple Bloom.
There was a strange, otherworldly sensation, as if some fundamental aspect of the world had just shifted. The two of them stopped, as Apple Bloom focused on a nearby shrub. Luna drew up her ax, taking a battle stance in anticipation of the worse.
“What is it? Have you identified something?” asked Luna.
“For a second there, Ah could have sworn Ah saw somethin’ bright orange” answered Apple Bloom.
“Oh. You spotted me…” came a soft and otherworldly voice.
And then from the bushes came a small filly. She was young, roughly about Apple Bloom’s age, with a gray coat, bright orange mane and tail, and a magnifying glass for a cutie mark. But her eyes were glowing with a strange light and, to Apple Bloom’s surprise, she was transparent.
“Greetings, young spirit,” said Luna in a rather calm and surprisingly friendly tone.
“Er… Hello? Are you… not scared of me?” asked the filly.
“Well, not really. Hard to be scared of something a little spooky when ya see something terrifyin’ in the mirror every mornin’. But that said, have we met before? Ah swear there’s something familiar about ya,” answered Apple Bloom.
“Um… not really? I don’t think we ever had the chance to talk last time we crossed paths. I mean, well…” the filly trailed off, her head hung low.
Then it finally clicked in Apple Bloom’s mind.
“Wait a minute, aren’t ya that pony Ah saw that night Ah got cursed? The filly those ghoul ponies murdered?” asked Apple Bloom.
The filly was silent for a moment, but then looked up, giving Apple Bloom an expression that she was all too familiar with, but never directed at her: shame and regret for deeds done to the one she was looking at.
“Yes. That was me. And it’s because of me that you…” the filly stuttered as ghostly tears started to fall from her face.
“Nay, young one. The blame does not lie with you. You are not bound by the vile hate that binds those souls to this world. And if not young Apple Bloom, some other poor soul would surely have stumbled upon that ghoulish trap,” reassured Luna.
“Yeah. And, Ah mean, Ah was told so many times not to wander into the Everfree, but Ah did it anyways. All ya did was give me direction to wander into, and at least Ah didn’t get eaten or nothin’ by followin’ ya. Yeah, Ah’m cursed, but Ah ain’t dead. And Ah’ve gotten used to it. It ain’t that bad, really,” added Apple Bloom.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better…” mumbled the filly.
“Well, yeah. That’s the point of tryin’ tah cheer somepony up. And ain’t it up to the one who got hurt to decide on who to blame when something goes wrong?” said Applebloom.
“I would disagree with such a rule of hoof, but here and now the point stands. Young Applebloom wishes you no harm, little one, and neither do I,” said Luna.
The ghost filly let out a sniffle, but gave a friendly smile.
“So… Ah never really caught your name,” said Apple Bloom.
“Oh, right. My name is…” said the ghost.
Apple Bloom blinked, then looked around in confusion. She was back at the edge of the Everfree, and the sun was due to rise in less than an hour. But she’d just been… wait, what had she been doing again?
“Ah, so we’ve returned to the realm of the living, it seems,” said Luna.
Apple Bloom gave a jump, and turned towards Luna, very much confused and worried.
“No need to panic, young Apple Bloom. Such loss of memory is inevitable when communicating with lingering wills. Our physical forms cannot truly recall interactions with that which does not truly dwell within our realm,” explained Luna.
“Uh… come again?” asked Apple Bloom.
“To be blunt, the living cannot recall their encounters with the dead,” said Luna with a roll of her eyes.
“Really?” asked Apple Bloom in disbelief.
“Oh yes. It’s actually fairly common for ponies to speak with the dead, but such interactions are inevitably forgotten afterwards. In fact, It’s very possible that this was not your first encounter with such an entity, young one,” said Luna.
“What?! Ah might have been talkin’ tah ghosts all this time and not even know?!” exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“Well, it’s not as if we have the means to prove it to be true or otherwise. But back to our encounter this evening. While we cannot recall our encounter itself, there are a great many clues we can use to deduce what happened. Tell me, young one, can you guess what we've forgotten?” asked Luna
“Um… well, we don’t look hurt or tired, so the ghost must have been friendly, right?” guessed Apple Bloom.
“Indeed. And as it appears that our spirit escorted us to the very edge of the forest, we must have gotten on rather well with whoever it was. Furthermore, the sense of unease that drew us here has passed, so the matter must have been adequately resolved,” said Luna.
“Huh. You’re right. Mah stomach finally calmed down. But… What the hay did we even do?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Alas, we shall not know until our mortal days are over. Not even the undead are immune to this effect, even those brought back after their passing. While I am uncertain as to the reason for spirits to be unrecalled by the living, I've always suspected it to be a sort of safeguard to the great beyond, whatever that may be,” said Luna.
“Ah’m… not sure how Ah feel about all that,” admitted Apple Bloom.
“Neither do I, to be honest. Unlike ghouls, knowledge of ghosts is fleeting not due to efforts to keep such knowledge out of the wrong hoofs, but simply because most ponies do not wish to dwell on such things. On that note, it may be wise not to dwell here for much longer. I believe your sister will awaken soon, and neither of us desire for her to learn of this journey,” said Luna.
“Oh, Horseapples, you’re right! See ya later, Princess!” exclaimed Apple Bloom as she ran home.
“Language!” called Luna.
Thankfully, Apple Bloom managed to get home and remove the note before Applejack woke up. And honestly, considering she couldn’t even remember the most important part, Apple Bloom saw no reason to tell her sister anyway. And definitely not because she’d probably get grounded.
But, as Apple Bloom climbed into her bed to try and get at least a little rest, she couldn’t help but wonder about what Luna had said: if ghosts were real, and you could never recall actually meeting them, was it really possible that Apple Bloom had encountered other ghosts before tonight?
Apple Bloom jumped as she heard the rooster crow. She could have sworn she had a little more time before the day started, but apparently not. With sigh, she dragged herself back out of bed, and headed to the bathroom to start her day.
“Darn it. Hope being a ghoul means Ah can get away with no sleep…” grumbled Apple Bloom.
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Good more
I promise I will read the story the moment it is finished
Dawww how adorafying
Nice
I love this fic, keep up the great work! You are on a roll, I hope it continues.
Well that was wholesome.
Dr Choppy is always a valued team member
BIG mood.
I mean, yeah, fair.
That's a good explanation. Forests are alive. And the Everfree more than most.
We'll see.
Well, hopefully.
Huh. That's, really interesting.
Yep.
I mean, she kinda has a point.
Deduction. Smart horse.
Yeah, probably not.
Only one way to find out.
Time is relative except on a geological scale.
I do love the princess's having weapons with their own names and legacies.
Also, fascinating wrinkle in the nature of the Equestrian supernatural. Thank you for it.
11280712
Glad to hear she got her doctorate while Luna was indisposed. Unlike that layabout Mr. Smashy.
Given the Greco-Roman influences on this world in general, that just means you weren't around to explain to them how constellations work. And then draw Star Cleaver meaningfully.
This is why some of us always wear GoPro when go adventuring. In order not to miss anything during the ordeal.
I always remember the ghosts I meet.
I absorb their entire remaining existence to fuel my unearthly power.
Please keep updating
Yay!
If I was Luna, knowing I might be about to encounter something I won't remember, I would have taken a notepad. Screw the Great Beyond's defenses, we have the power of the pen!
… so, they have met the ghosts of their parents?
Here I thought the chapter title was referring to the Crusaders, but no!
Immortals are kind of dead, I guess?
----
Typo:
bright orange” > bright orange.”
offical > official
Hello anyone home
11281208
Next time I have a conversation with a ghost, I'll be sure to bring a Twilight with me.
Oh hey. A reference to "Story of the Blanks." And I believe the ghost is none other than Ruby. It reminds me of the time when I first played the game a long time ago....
*pokes the story with a stick*
More good
11331164
You mean best pony? Ruby is the greatest mare in all of Equestria. Or filly, I suppose.
To the author, I'm angry I didn't come across your story sooner. Most of my stories are Story of the Blanks related.