Eerie Lantern would be happy to go through the rest of her life without seeing a living soul... after all, she can see ghosts. What could the living have to offer but endless heaps of trouble? Then one fateful evening, one of her worst fears comes true:
A pony wants to be her friend!
Moonlight Raven is a goth pony who doesn't shy away from the dark and grim. Her sister, Sunshine Smiles, is equally unflappable in her optimistic joy. Together, they are easily the most terrifying thing Eerie has ever faced.
So how can she get rid of them, and ensure nopony else ever bothers her again?
Uh... preferably without murder? Sheesh! As if she needed to be haunted by any more disgruntled murder victims...
Death and Violence tags for the sorrowful recollection of a ghost's demise.
Featured October 31st, 2023! Thank you!
Art by the very talented Lola Dotz! Follow her on FimFiction and DeviantArt!
Check out my Spotify playlist for the story.
I don't see many stories with those two ponies, Moonlight and Sunshine, so this should be an interesting read.
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I've always wanted to do a fic with them! They looked like so much fun.
Please continue. This is great.
Oooh, this is real good. Well written with a unique and appealing concept. Following with great anticipation.
What could go wrong?
Oh finally, a character that wants to be a loner. I always hated interacting with people IRL, so it's nice to see a character that agrees.
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Yes! I thought it was such an obvious conflict to explore, considering the entire show is centered on friendship. I don't find enough stories centered on breaking through to someone who is anti-social.
Who are Moonlight Raven and Sunshine Smiles, and where are they from?
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We see them for the first time in the season 5 episode Canterlot Boutique.
Great premise, great characterisation, great dialogue.
Very much looking forward to the next chapter.
In case it wasn't obvious already, I think this is great!
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That's very kind of you! Thank you so much.
Cool.
Nice. Can't wait for more. It's hard to find a good story these days.
I think opera would be more of a wail. Possibly screech?
Very nice premise so far. The ghost gang has a nice bit of variety.
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True! Maybe... a metal scream?
Ugh, now I'm thinking of Scarlet singing Judas Priest or Iron Maiden XD
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Thanks! Heh "ghost gang". I like it. Mind if I use it? Sounds like something Stix would say.
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Go nuts!
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There's also the Phantom Posse, Spook Squad, Apparition Commission, Poltergeist Party and finally the Wacky Wraiths.
I hated having to hold off reading this chapter while I was sick, but I'm so glad I did. Was well worth the wait.
Ooh...I'm intrigued at what you have written. Adding to my list of fics to follow.
Scarlet was clearly well off in life going on how she talks and carries herself. I smell a mystery in how someone like her ended trapped in a bone china teapot, something about things she has said make it clear that this is way more than being too attached to a favorite possession in life.
Can't really speak much for the other spirits as we just met them (Stix though I'm guessing met his end rather abruptly)
And finally Eerie Lantern, that filly's got issues, I was a loner for years mostly due to being rather awkward in social situations (still am to some extent tbh) but what little we know points to much darker implications.
I'll be looking forward to reading more of this delicious mystery inside of an enigma story.
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I think the thing I'm probably having fun with the most is the mystery of everyone involved. Some of those mysteries won't be explored this story-- those are planned for separate adventures in sequels. We'll illuminate some things in this tale though!
Thanks for reading!
Well, I'm hooked. There's a lot of fun stuff going on here. The characters are so delightfully quirky too!
These spooky hijinks just keep getting better!
Aww, these two are such cuties. Here’s to hoping for more!
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Thanks for reading and commenting! You're the best.
I actually have a draft that's 70% done, but I just need to set aside time to really focus on it!
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This is at least a third of every true writer's real writing process.
That went from 0 to 100 real quick. Very good
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Thanks! Glad you liked it
It is criminal that this story does not have more exposure. I rarely read anything that pops back into the feature box, let alone something with so few likes, but I was bored and the premise sounded interesting.
I am very glad that I did not go with my normal habit and actually read this story. It's well written, the OCs are actually interesting, and the story is a hoot.
Faved, and waiting for more!
Sunshine and Moonlight?!
Definitely gonna give this a read.
This is actually surprising good. The characters all have personality, which is defined in greater detail by the perspective shifts. Not to mention the expertly blended comedy and drama. In fact, I believe I'll read some of your other work, as well.
Glad to see you're still alive XD
Joking aside, keep up the good work.
Ooh, this is a great start for my favorite background duo and a pair of adorable OCs. I shall keep reading!
Caught up, this story is great so far. The characters are entertaining and likable and have depth beneath their obvious quirks. Both the comedy and drama hit home. Excellent work. :D
I’m hooked, like seriously hooked.
That and I seriously ship Scarlet with Eerie after chapter 2.
Either way I love it, and I can’t wait for the next chapter.
Hey, I'm just glad to see this continue! And I certainly don't mind the total shift here, there's a lot of emotional weight. Sunshine's profession is surprising, and so is the whole thing with Mister Double. My only complaint is that you seem to fall back on LUS pretty often. Characters have names for a reason: use them. Other than that, this is still excellent stuff overall.
Time to re-read!
Well, I just stumbled across this story, and I must say, I'm rather disappointed! Mostly I'm disappointed that there are so few likes or comments! So have one of each!
I will admit that I find the setting a bit... AU I suppose. I don't think canon Equestria has quite this many murders and violent ends. At least not enough to have "true crime" novels about serial killers. I don't mean that as a criticism mind you, just an interesting point.
Anyway, good luck with your writing! I hope you don't leave us with this cliffhanger for too long!
I'm really happy to see this continue! You hooked me with the first chapters and still happy. It makes sense the humor would drop after a difficult event like last chapter, and I hold out hope this weird trio (and their ghosts) will be good for each other.
With a true crime title like that, I need to read this story.
Mister Double's story sure sounds like a gripping one, nevertheless, I'm glad to have caught up already. I hope you can update again soon; this gang is just delightful in being able to careen from drama to comedy to back again.
I love, love this cute story! I would looooooooove to see more!
What a nice treat for Halloween!
Glad to see that this is still being worked on, it was nice to finally learn about Mister's past.
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I'm glad you're still with us! Mister’s story was so difficult to write, so it's reassuring you found it interesting. I held off on updating just for Halloween. Seemed appropriate
You're back!
Unlike the show, I tend to imagine that Equestria's medical knowledge and technology is akin to the late 19th/ early 20th century in our world. A big city like Manehattan might have early procedures plus whatever bonuses from magic and alchemy. In a little farming community probably just a singular doctor/healer/hedge witch who relies mostly on herbal remedies and the like.
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That sounds reasonable! Are you saying that because Mister didn't receive medical attention?
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Well, I'm no doctor or anything. My parents have worked in the medical field, though, so if I put my mind to it, I can kinda sorta make low-level guesses in situations like this.
Mister almost certainly experienced cranial trauma and after having his legs broken and the subsequent "swim" no small amount of cuts, bruises, and likely internal trauma/swelling/bleeding as well.
Given the status of Equestrian medicine at the time, any one of those might have been treatable in a place with the right resources and ponies. In a village like his, though, the best bet would be sending for help and keeping him warm/comfortable as best as possible. If help arrived quickly enough or a high-level thaumaturge could safely teleport him, great, but I wouldn't have counted on it.
Another factor is communication speed, in our own world during the mid 19th early 20th century the largest cities might have the option of early telegraphy or even telephone boards, but out in the boondocks a messenger would still be your best bet and even then to get from say my house to my grandmother who is around 6-8 hours away by car would be a 2 possibly 3 day journey.
Sure, Rainbow Dash can seemingly fly from Ponyville to Canterlot in under 5 minutes, but she's an outlier, most Pegasi hover around 70-90 mph (I googled it
)so still looking at around a days journey to get a messenger to the city and back. Help itself, who's to say unless said Pegasus could airlift Mister to the nearest city, but given the state of his injuries would be a risky proposition.
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Ah, gotcha! Yeah, he definitely got a pretty devastating hit on the head and it's reasonable to guess that he had internal injuries as well. I was trying to suggest that this is a fairly early stage of modern Equestria. Mister's village would eventually become Dodge City, but at the time it was just this little impoverished settlement. They certainly would have had a healer, but they wouldn't have had the resources to help him, and without the major modes of traffic that current day Equestria takes advantage of, it's just as you say--the odds of him getting help in time would have been slim. If this had happened to him closer to a well-resourced city center, he totally could have been saved, though, you're right.