The Ghost: Assorted Adventures

A pony would never know the difference between day and night in the bustling streets of Manehatten. The hollering of ponies, the dazzling lights from ornamental street lamps, and the perceptible energy of the city crescendoed in the heart of Meadow Park. A seemingly endless row of carriages, glistening with golden leaf in the streetlight, lined the front of the Manehatten Museum of Natural and Magical History. One by one the rich and affluent emerged.

The steps leading to the museum were dotted with every manner of popular pony imaginable. Musicians, politicians, artists and more were captured in the blinding strobe of camera flashes as they all made their way up toward the grand entrance of the museum. Some took poses beneath the flowing banner decorating the building’s front: “Glistening Gems of Antiquity: A Royal Exhibit”. The words hung high over an argent-colored mane as he walked through the brass double-doors and onto the museum floor.

“Aristo? Aristo! Over there!”

“Lord Aristo, gorgeous tailcoat! Who are you wearing?”

“What inspired your career change into local politics?”

Lord Aristo waved a dainty hoof in response to the onslaught of questions and flashes, chuckling at the attention his alter ego could draw. Sapphire coat flowing behind him, he walked across the polished stone floor into the main lobby, where he was greeted by the melodious sounds of an orchestra and the sight of ponies admiring the exhibit around them.

The room was tall, very tall. Large stone columns towered over the guests and served as supports for some of the larger pieces on display. Glass cases dotted the floor, each one containing objects of impeccable radiance. His eye was drawn across a row of glass cases housing bisected geodes. Each one, as his vision crossed them, grew larger and was a deeper shade of purple than the last, ending in one that stood at least three ponies’ height and seemed almost voidal in appearance. A firm slap on the shoulder snapped Aristo from his sightseeing.

“Aristo, you old dog, I love the new style. The cravat, especially.”

Aristo instinctively touched his cravat, bronze in color and sporting a small violet gem, before turning to the source of the surprise compliment. Fancy Pants smiled in response and adjusted his monocle.

“Fancy,” Aristo chirped. “It’s been months since I last saw you. How are things in the capital?”

“Much better, to be sure. Quite the turnaround since... well, since last time.” Fancy gave a quick cough to cover his stutter. “But look at you! All dolled up for the event, I see. Who is your tailor?”

“A friend from Canterlot,” he replied with a warm smile. “Best not to go spreading gossip, though. She might not like that.”

“She? Oh, Aristo, you devil. Like it or not you’ll have to at least…” Fancy’s eyes darted elsewhere before flailing his hoof over his head. “Right here, my love, be there in a moment! Forgive me, chap, but I’m needed elsewhere. Drop me a gram, would you? I would love to hear how you’re handling Coltistrano these days.”

Aristo gave a wave and a nod as Fancy trotted into the crowd toward a creamy lavender mare. He turned his attention back to the row of displays and followed them. The sight of Fancy, alive and happy, stoked a warmth in his chest and put a spring in his step. Aristo hardly ever had the chance to see the fruits of his many labors, but in the few moments he did it elated him like nothing else. He rode the emotion all the way to the apex of the exhibit. Before him stood a single pedestal, roped off from the crowd, that supported a massive opaque stone the size of Aristo’s own head.

“The gem’s opacity comes from captured sunlight within the gem’s internalized fulcrum point.” The comment barely managed to capture Aristo’s attention, drained of energy and hardly more than droning.

“I’m sorry?”

“The opacity,” said the mare beside him, mauve mane stiff as she looked to him. “Most gemstones are known to refract light and magic as it enters the structure, but the Eye diffuses it at a point deeper than the surface. That’s why it looks cloudy.”

“Oh, is that unusual?”

“Very. The spherical concave cut is natural, and for a gem like this it should be impossible.”

“Makes it look like a crystal sun.”

“That’s why we named it the Celestia’s Eye.”

At this there was silence between the two. Scant glances were exchanged, but the subtle glow of the gem before them held most of the attention. Finally, Aristo turned and raised a hoof.

“Aristo,” he said.

“Dr. Maud Pie,” she replied, taking the hoof and shaking. Aristo winced through his smile at the force the mare gripped him with. “Are you enjoying my exhibit?”

“Very much. I’ve done some light study into enchanted stones and gems in my leisure, but the amount of history here is honestly astounding. Did you excavate all of these?”

“Sure did.” Her response brought a chuckle from Aristo as he revelled in her brevity.

“Prefer to keep it short and sweet, huh? Most nobleponies would’ve started rambling about their exploits by now.”

“I dug up and carried the most incredible gem ever found in Equestrian history with my own four hooves.” The very edge of her mouth began to curl upwards. “I think it speaks for itself.”

“Where did you find it?” Aristo asked, smiling at the confidence in her monotone words.

“In a cave system along the Crystal Mountains. Evidence showed there was a small civilization of Kirin that idolized it, but after thousands of-”

“That is a mighty big rock. How much?”

Aristo and Maud spun around to the source of the thick native Manehatten accent: a tall, yellow-toned pegasus strutting toward them, black and grey mane slicked back along his scalp and falling down upon a silken white scarf. He was flanked by two ponies of identical teal color and sporting matching black dress coats and ties.

“Excuse you?” Maud asked, deadpanning the newcomer.

“Oh, forgive my manners.” He bowed his head before continuing. “Victory Lane, four-time Equestria Games gold medalist and purveyor of the arts. I’m sure we can come to an arrangement, miss...?”

“Doctor,” Maud stressed. Aristo could see wrinkles begin to form along her brow. “Nothing’s for sale. Stop wasting our time.”

“I’m offering a lot of money for this overrated centerpiece,” the pegasus said, a rumble in his voice. “So, politely, I’d ask you to reconsider.”

“It’s pretty clear she’s not willing to part with it,” Aristo interjected, stepping between Maud and the stranger. “Or perhaps you misread ‘museum’ as ‘pawn shop’.”

“And you are?”

“Lord Aristo. Governor of Coltistrano and a purveyor of the arts, myself.” He held out a hoof. “And as such, I think two like-minded ponies can agree some works are better kept in a museum... and others outside.”

“Tough words,” Victory Lane huffed, firmly shaking Aristo’s hoof. “But I suppose I shouldn’t expect newcomers to appreciate the subtle technique of Manehatten bartering. Let’s go boys, let’s leave the stiffs in peace.”

At that, Victory Lane clapped his hooves together and trotted away from Maud and Aristo. Her face remained unchanged, minus the subtle hints of fury resting within, but Aristo kept his eyes trained on the trio as they disappeared into the crowd. With keen sight, he noticed more than one pony followed Victory Lane’s path through the museum.

“The nerve of some ponies,” Maud finally said.

“I agree, though I must ask. Are you permitted to personally transport any object in the exhibit?”

“Yes,” she said, quizzically. “Why?”

Her ears perked up at a shrill scream from the far end of the exhibit hall, announcing the wave of confused shouting that soon filled her senses. She could see nearly a dozen ponies, clad in dark suits and wide-brim hats, muscling their way through the crowd. Bolts of magic flew, glass cases were shattered, but all the while Aristo’s expression remained as unchanged as Maud’s.

“Would you be able to do that now?”

Without a second’s hesitation, Maud sprinted through the rope barrier and wrested the Eye from its pedestal. When she turned, however, Aristo was nowhere to be found. Another scream shunted the worry from her mind and she made a dead sprint toward the emergency exit. She plowed through the crowd of nobleponies, but not before the thundering sound of wings rang out around her. A yellow blur filled her vision, standing in front of the exit door.

“What part of ‘four-time gold medalist’ didn’t you understand?”

Maud spun around to run again, but the same yellow blur followed her vision. Wherever she went Victory Lane seemed to effortlessly keep pace with her. The beat of his wings was loud, launching him nimbly in all directions, as he danced around the fleeing earth pony like a predator toying with its prey. Finally, Maud found herself surrounded by the rest of Lane’s goons as they slowly crept closer. Lane spoke with a smug grin.

“You could’ve just taken the money, miss.”

“Doctor.”

The offending word startled the crowd of goons. Lane frantically scanned the room until his eyes locked onto a black, wispy shape clinging to one of the large columns. It lunged at the crowd, nimbly gliding through the magic bolts fired desperately from Lane’s henchponies.

The black mass reached out to encompass the crowd, ensnaring three ponies within its veil as the Ghost lashed out with powerful blows. More shots were fired, diffusing against the surface of the cloak, before it reached out to slice at the aggressing unicorns. Victory Lane spun away from the scene and lunged for Maud and the Eye. To his surprise, the impact he thought was his best tackle instead petered out against Maud’s immovable stance. She held the Eye from him, boring holes with her stare, before raising a hindleg and striking with enough force to send the pegasus soaring overhead.

The Ghost barely caught the display as he danced between the swipes and strikes of the goons around him. They were good, coordinated, and moved against him in pairs of two at a time. The Ghost kicked one to his knees and rolled over him, attempting to dodge the oncoming strike of two pegasi as they collided against their ally. Another goon charged the recovering Ghost, but fell to the impact of a large champagne bottle colliding with his head from far away.

“That makes us even, Ghost,” Fancy Pants hollered triumphantly. “Now kick their flanks!”

A smile broke out across the Ghost’s face as he launched himself into the air with renewed vigor. He whipped two tendrils out onto the goons below and landed next to Maud, who still clung to the Eye. The two watched as Victory Lane and his henchponies rose from the floor, all eyes set on Maud and the Ghost. The sounds of sirens began to fill the museum.

“They’re not stopping,” she said, breathily.

“They’re not, but we can lure them to the cops, at least.”

“How do you suggest we do that?”

The Ghost’s eyes fell upon the row of geodes beside them, locking onto the massive voidal stone. He twirled his cloak around his hoof.

“For the record, doctor, I’m very sorry for this.”

The cloak launched from its master’s hoof and pierced the glass case to grip at the geode. With a fierce tug he wrenched the stone from its resting place and caused it to roll out across the floor. The deep purple face landed between them and the thugs, threatening to flatten a few of them, and gave the duo enough time to run. Their head start was enough to reach the exit door without contest, until a yellow gust of wind flew between them. Maud stumbled and gasped when she learned she had landed on all four hooves.

“Looking for something?” Victory Lane stood at the exit door, the Celestia’s Eye in his hoof. “This ain’t your turf, Ghost, so I’ll give you a change to get lost.”

“Return the Eye, Lane,” the Ghost demanded. “The threats of thieves won;t be enough to protect you if you refuse.”

“Oh sure, you’re a big and scary pony, too bad you’ll have to catch me to get it. Let’s move, boys!”

Lane’s gang sprinted after him, losing all interest in their targets. The Ghost, however, was far from done as he launched the end of his cloak out across the floor, snatching the hind leg of a straggling henchpony. He collided with the stone below, kicking against the cloak’s hold as it slowly pulled him closer to its almost phantasmal source. A firm strike against his chin knocked the pony out cold and the Ghost began to carry him through the emergency exit.

“We have to follow them,” Maud blurted out.

“We’ll never catch him, but we can find out where he’s going. Come on.”

“I spent years looking for that gem, I won’t-”

“Doctor, trust me!” The Ghost’s words snared her attention. “We can find it together but I need you to help me.”

The shouting of police traveled into the exhibit hall, but Maud could only focus on the Ghost’s words and the pedestal which once held the Eye. There was a shaking inside her chest, violent and painful, but one she suppressed enough to follow the Ghost out through the exit and into the back loading bay where they ran off into the night, captive in tow.