The Ghost: Assorted Adventures

“Oooh, you look so adorable!” Honey giggled as she straightened the bow tie she had been playing with for the past hour. “So much better than that rickety ship, don’t you think?”

Rusty stood before her with a goofy smile. He was patient in enduring all the terribly kind things Honey Hearts had in store, from freshly washed fur to new clothes. True to her word, the violet bow tie around his neck was signed with a cursive ‘R’ behind the knot.

“Perfect! Oh, Silver will hate me for doing this but you deserve it, Rusty. Now, would you please take this tray to him? He’s out in the garden.”

Rusty took the tray from Honey and turned out the bay doors leading to the garden. He could see Silver and Gilda sitting at a white table, overlooking the cliff face. The two shared little more than choice words and firm looks, their eyes dancing across the large and hefty scroll spread across the table. The paper was aged, torn in some areas, and covered in what looked like ancient markings and illustrations attached to the main body of the scroll. Silver dragged the tip of his hoof along the arcane etchings of the parchment.

“So it’s a map?”

“It’s not a map, Gilda, it’s a list. A blueprint, more like. Bronze Hoof had it in his office when Pish Posh allowed me to search it.”

“You’re saying it points to ancient evil treasures, though?”

“Possibly, but he might not have even known where they are. There are clues, though.”

“Then it’s a map.”

“Bubble drink?”

Silver and Gilda looked up to the smug grin of Rusty, leaning over and presenting the tray to them. Gilda’s feathers began to puff out as she slapped a claw to her beak, failing to keep the laughter in. Silver couldn’t help but chuckle before taking a glass from the tray.

“Thank you, Rusty. I see mom finally dolled you up.”

“You look like such a nerd, Rusty!” Gilda’s coarse laughter reached a peak, but Rusty merely turned up his grinning snout at the snickering gryphon, straightening his vibrant bow tie with meaty paws. Silver, however, remained lost in thought.

“Any luck with magic paper?”

“Not yet, Rusty,” Silver muttered before taking a sip. “Half of it is written in Old Equish, but Bronze Hoof left some notation in the margins. He wasn’t kidding when he said ‘powerful forces’.”

“What, like, the Elements of Harmony?” Gilda quipped, finally recovered from her fit.

“I hope not, but Shield Wall did try to tame a wendigo once, so the idea isn’t off the table.” Gilda and Rusty shared a surprised look before he continued. “Bronze Hoof seems to have been working on digging up clues to relics and artifacts. He probably planned to weaponize them.”

“If he was really that crazy, then why did he pull a ‘stupid’ and get you involved?”

“Because my cloak is on this list.”

Gilda and Rusty leaned their heads over the parchment, following Silver’s hoof toward a sketch of the cloak, stretched out and littered with annotations from Bronze Hoof. Silver brought his hoof to his chin and stroked.

“He calls it ‘The Cloak of Eight’, no doubt a reference to the spiders who wove the cloak for Darrox. I shudder to think of what he would do with it if he actually killed me.”

“There are some nasty things on this list, dude. Like, I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure that’s King Sombra’s horn right there.”

“Rusty no like this,” Rusty shuddered. “What will bad ponies do if they find the evil things?”

“Nothing,” Silver declared, standing from his chair. “Because I’m going to find them first.”

“Why bother? The kook’s in chains and you have the map-thing.”

“If somepony as inept as Bronze Hoof can find this much with nothing but ill intentions then somepony else can, too. I won’t leave threats to Equestria out in the open.”

“So, what, are you just gonna keep all the magic-y toys in your secret, dorky colt-cave?”

“... Yes, Gilda,” Silver sighed, glaring at Gilda’s growing smirk. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Chortling arose from both Silver’s friends, threatening to bring a smile out of him, too. Instead, Silver took a step toward Rusty and held his broad shoulders. The diamond dog’s chuckle fizzled out, replaced by concern for the firm expression of his friend and employer.

“Rusty,” Silver began. “I’m stepping out into a larger world, beyond Coltistrano and the plots of mad ponies. Because of that, I’m entrusting my city, my home, to the only other hero she has. You.”

Rusty’s eyes bulged, his jaw dropping lower with each word Silver spoke. His paws began fumbling over each other.

“You have the gall to take risks and the heart to take them for the right reasons. I might not have made it out of Trottingham had you not followed me. Because of that, I’m trusting you to take care of Coltistrano when I’m away. You’ll have the committees and the guard to help you, if you need it. Can I trust you to do this?”

Rusty said nothing, letting out a whimper as he vigorously nodded before squeezing Silver in a mighty hug.

“Rusty not let you down. Rusty vow to protect Coltistrano, Mama Hearts, and all creatures.”

With that, Rusty ran off, a spring in his step. Silver chuckled and turned his attention to a now-stunned looking Gilda.

“You’re serious?”

“Rusty was a great help in Trottingham. He cares, shows good critical thinking, and can take direction. He also digs well, and trust me that helps.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to run patrols with your weather team or something.”

“Would you? I could use your help on this.”

“I…” Gilda choked on her voice, a few feathers coming out of place. “I can’t. Greta and I… it’s not perfect, Silver, but it’s ours. After all the aimless wandering and living alone, having someone to be with you everyday is nice. You’re not mad, are you?”

“Of course not,” Silver said with a smile. “Nopony more than me understands how valuable companionship is.”

“Thanks… that means a lot. Really.”

Silver returned to his seat and stretched his hoof across the table, meeting Gilda’s claw. Her feathers ruffled even more at the errant contact and she pulled away quickly.

“B-But if there’s another ‘end-of-Equestria’ moment, you better call me! You’re not getting all the action.”

With that, Gilda shot a final smile before straightening herself out and standing from her seat. With a beat of her wings she rose from the courtyard and took to the air, soaring over the cliff below and off into the eastern sky. Silver, now alone, sat tapping the parchment spread across the table. For several minutes he sat there. His mind wandered to thoughts of the island he once called home, to heartfelt sunsets along the horizon and endless training. His mind clung to Darrox.
A tightness formed in Silver’s chest. His eyes, though they cast their gaze into the nothing before him, scanned the flood of memories pouring into him. Of Shield Wall and his villainy, of all he had lost to the mad unicorn, and all he gave to overcome him.

“I wish you were here, old friend. You always knew what to do. I wish you could tell me if I’m making the right call, leaving my city and going on this mission. You spoke so much of fate and how much it controls us, and the prices paid for changing it. I just… I’ve paid so much already.”

Silver reached beneath his coat and pulled the dark fabric of the cloak to his hoof. He gazed into its abyssal surface, finding his calm in the swirling blackness.

“But I told you, on the mountain, I won’t hold on any longer. I’ll find these evils and make sure no one uses them to harm others as Bronze Hoof would have. That I promise.”

Silver stood from his seat and returned the cloak to its hiding spot. Reaching over, he rolled up the parchment and held it close to his chest. He took a deep breath and sighed a long, content sigh as he gazed out over the cliffside, smiling.

“Now, what am I going to tell mom?”