The Ghost: Assorted Adventures

Rarity’s head snapped up just in time to dodge the carriage rocketing across her path. A gasp escaped her lips, robbing her of the power to shout obscenities at the carelessness of her would-be attacker. Instead, she elected to hurl daggers from her eyes at the dwindling sight of the carriage before continuing on her way with a dainty huff, down the street and toward a familiar storefront.

She loved Canterlot. Big cities, mostly, but Canterlot’s refined nature had always spoken such sweet words to that deep, equally refined part of her soul in ways that convinced her to ignore the otherwise obvious flaws of the city. Her eyes returned to her newspaper, and suddenly the flaws became more apparent.

Canterlot Caper: Royal Reliquary Done In By Thieves

The headline had gnawed at her mind since this morning’s tea. Rarity instinctively turned a corner and pressed her pristine hoof to the familiar coolness of Canterlot Carousel’s front door. The entry bell chimed, it’s gentle ring overcast by sounds of conversation.

“Oh, yes, my lord. This one does wonders for your neckline,” Sassy Saddles, Rarity’s business partner, proudly declared to her customer. “So pronounced, and really brings out your eyes. Would you like to try a cravat?”

“I could be convinced.”

Rarity’s eyes drifted from the newspaper and glided to the form of a stallion, statuesque and with fur to match, draped in a deep sapphire variant of her latest tailcoat design. The argent hairs on his head ruffled as he turned toward the call of the door bell. Rarity’s grip on the newspaper loosened and she rushed toward her visitor.

“Silver, darling!” Rarity called out, her powers of speech returned, before draping her forelegs around Silver’s neck. Her affection was returned in the form of a firm hug and soft chuckle.

“Ooooh, I haven’t seen you in months. How are you? Does Ms. Hearts like the bow tie she ordered?”

“She loves it, almost as much as the dog who’s wearing it.” Silver loosened his hold on the unicorn, sending her a smile. “I’m doing fine. I’m glad to see you.”

“Me too.”

“My lord? Do you have a preference in color,” Sassy asked through a giggle. “Or perhaps you’d like some privacy?”

Silver and Rarity looked toward Sassy, who patiently waited with a row of silk cravats in her magical hold.

“Another day, thank you. I should attend to this.”

Sassy gave a nod to Silver, who handed her a sack of bits as payment for the coat. She trotted behind the front counter, out of sight behind the racks of pristine clothing and finery.

“‘Attend’ to me, hm?” Rarity said, raising a coy eyebrow.

“You’re worth the attention,” Silver returned, huskily, before his eyes turned toward the discarded newspaper. “I take it you’ve heard?”

“Huh… oh! Yes, yes I have. Dreadful business, and to think it only happened last night. Is…” Her voice caught on her next words. “Is that why you’re here?”

“I’ve been following a trail. There’s something here in the city that could be dangerous, if left unchecked, and if it’s been stolen I need to get it back. And, well, I did miss you, too.”

A blush, perceptible only to Rarity’s keen sight, formed a thin line across Silver’s firm muzzle. Her eyes brightened, enough to betray her poised expression.

“Well, I would hate to keep the great and terrible Ghost from his pursuit of righteousness. Perhaps you could tell me about it over dinner?”

“Or you could come with me?”

“You want me to tag along? Well, I… you remember what happened last time I stopped some rabble-rouser with you, yes?”

“Are you saying you don’t want to take back a treasure most fabulous,” he teased, “from the rueful ruffians who now defile it?”

At that Rarity laughed. A light, nasally giggle that spread its warmth to Silver and drew out his own deep chuckle. She placed a hoof to her mouth, laughing into it as she felt her walls of hesitation crumble.

“I said I would stick to dresses, but I suppose a little caper would serve to keep me sharp, wouldn’t it? So…”

Rarity wrapped a foreleg around Silver’s, gently resting her cheek against his shoulder.

“Lead the way, hero.”

--

The towering hallways of Canterlot Castle were pristine as always, meticulously maintained by the legion of caretakers it housed. Every doorway, painting, and window seemed to glimmer in the midday sun as its light cascaded along polished marble floors, meeting with the equally sheen golden armor of the castle guards. It was a sight found nowhere else in Equestria, equal only to the princess this grand display served to please. Only one area of the palace was immune to it’s immaculate display.

In the east tower, through smaller and windowless hallways decorated in a muted blue and adorned with trophies of past conquests, sat the dwelling of Princess Luna, sister of Princess Celestia and Sovereign of the Night. The hall was punctuated by a large door. It’s molding sported ancient symbols depicting the moon’s phases, which served as the intimidating archway leading toward the Royal Reliquary. Before the dark oak of the double doors, alone, stood Rarity. She gave the wooden obelisk a firm knock.

“When I said ‘lead the way’, Silver, I didn’t think you’d leave me at the castle gate.”

“I would never,” said a voice from above. The Ghost was lowered by his cloak, upside down, and brought his head next to Rarity’s. “But you know they would’ve never let Lord Aristo into a crime scene.”

“And, surely, this form won’t cause any problems, either.”

“Should I stop hanging from the ceiling?”

“Oh, no, darling,” she snarked. “I much prefer a stallion’s blood rushing to this particular head.”

The Ghost cocked an eyebrow as Rarity’s hoof patted the top of his head. Their teasing was cut short by a cacophony of clicks and whirs, radiating from the wooden monolith before them, as the doors heaved open. In the dim light of the reliquary stood Princess Luna.

“Lady Rarity,” she began. “We hath heard tell of your arrival. Most pleasing one of dear sister’s champions doth sally to aid us in this affair. Your… companion, though.”

The Ghost willed his cloak to release its grip on the ceiling, landing deftly on all fours before giving a deep bow of his head.

“Your majesty,” he announced, almost in reverence.

“‘Tis no grand surprise you aide Lady Rarity, noble rogue. We recall thee from the trial of the nefarious unicorn, Shield Wall, a terrible affair we are relieved sits behind us, now. Is the matter at hoof what brings you to Canterlot?”

“It is, and I will assist in any way I can.”

“Excellent,” Luna said, stepping aside from the doorway. “Then, please, prithee enter.”

The Ghost motioned his hoof to Rarity, bidding she enter first, and the two were met with the expansive collection housed within the reliquary, illuminated only by dancing magic lights. Every surface, be it shelf or table, housed an equally unique object whose purpose the duo could hardly guess, covered by a dome ceiling high above them. Massive scrolls, clicking contraptions of bronze gears, glass orbs containing everything from firestorms to tiny, preserved worlds of a forgotten time. Their eyes were alight with wonder as Luna led them toward the end of the chamber. Before her sat a single pedestal, stone carved and blackened to some degree, that seemed to emanate a chill from its surface. The princess turned to her guests.

“Here, my fellows, once rested the very object of which we now search. Once thought to be safe, it could spell doom for Canterlot in the hooves of ne'er do wells. You may be familiar, Lady Rarity, but what once lay here was-”

“The heart of the Tantabus, the monster you created to infect your own dreams, once upon a time.”

Both Rarity and Luna stood motionless at the Ghost’s casual interruption. Luna, her eyes locked onto her cloak-clad visitor, took a step forward with an intimidating scowl.

“Prithee, explain the source of your knowledge, lest we are convinced the culprit is thee.”

“I learned about it from one of my enemies,” the Ghost began, calmly. “A lingering member of Shield Wall’s conspiracy, Bronze Hoof, who sought the heart and other objects of power. I’m here to make sure nopony can use it for their own purposes.”

“Verily,” Luna said cooly. Her eyes turned to Rarity with a glare that seemed to pull the words from her mouth.

“I trust him,” she blurted out. “He has done more than enough to prove his allegiance to Equestria, and I don’t think he’s so foolish as to return to the pony he stole from, were he guilty.”

Luna’s gaze, narrow and firm, traveled from Rarity to the Ghost, and back again in a methodical fashion. After a few agonizing seconds she gave a sigh and expelled the tension in her form.

“We find your terms agreeable. Thou hast questions for your investigation, yes?”

“Of course.” Rarity cleared her throat and approached the princess. “I’ll begin by asking when you learned about the break-in?”

“Early. T’was not before the daily offering of sister’s breakfast did we receive missive.”

“How many points of entry does the reliquary have? Are there secret passages?”

“None. A thief may search for hours, yet come up empty hoofed.”

“Magically shielded, then?”

“Of course. Mighty wards left by we sisters. Enchanted to allow entry to those deemed worthy.”

“So you’re saying the reliquary is impregnable?”

“So we believed. Yet here we stand, the heart gone from its mantle.”

“Perhaps guards, then? There must be a security force in place to protect something so dangerous. Are they permitted entry?”

“A hoofful, but yes. They will be gathered for your inquiries.”

“Thank you, your highness,” Rarity said with a nod. “With your permission, might we stay here and search the crime scene? It’s likely the thieves have left some trace of their identity.”

Luna paused for a moment and stared. Her eyes flicked to the Ghost, the empty pedestal, and back to Rarity before granting her a confirmatory nod. She turned toward the towering doors and made her way out into the dim hallway. Rarity approached the pedestal, eyes firm and scanning the stone platform.

“I’ll search the area and see what I find,” the Ghost piped up. “With luck, we’ll find a track or discarded gear.”

“It may be a touch more complicated than that, darling.”

“Oh?” The Ghost turned to Rarity and met her gaze.

“Do you see those markings, around the door?” Rarity pointed a hoof toward the mural depicting the moon’s phases, looming over the entryway. “They’re sporting runes and etchings of the wards Luna spoke of.”

“Hard to miss,” he replied. “I’m still trying to figure out how these thieves forced their way past them.”

“They’ve been rendered inert, Silver. There was no need to ‘force’ anything.”

“Excuse me?” At this the Ghost cocked a suspicious eyebrow.

“The runes on the wall are written as a barrier to keep things in, while the ones outside keep things out. But somehow they’ve both been suppressed. You can tell by the dullness of the runes’ glow.”

“Are you sure?”

“When you adventure with the Princess of Magic and Friendship, you tend to learn a thing or two about ancient spells. Dispelling a ward is fairly straightforward, but the enchantment is still there, just… sleeping.”

Only now could the Ghost recognize what Rarity spoke of. True to her word, the arcane lettering that decorated the mural and door frame emanated a hazy, bluish glow that seemed to pulse rhythmically. He returned his attention to Rarity.

“So we’re dealing with a master of the arcane arts. What are you thinking?”

“I have a theory. It’s not good, but…” Rarity placed a hoof on the Ghost’s shoulder. “Start searching. I’ll tell you once we’re done.