Malady and Freeloader

Balancing on my hind hoofs, i try to paint a moldy mark on the ceiling while staying on a wobbly set of folding stairs with nothing to hold onto. My last adventure proved to have been a little too wet for my floor's taste, so it decided that enough was enough and i woke up the next day to find a good amount of filly juices dripping down on my kitchen. Thanks Celestia i managed to snag some paint from the ship's storage, otherwise this would have been bothering me forever.

It's been a month since my last outing with the gushing little fright, and she's chosen to recluse herself from me. I'd take a guess that it's because of the whole fucking her while on a filly state of being, but she seems more sad then anything else. Some days she'd pop her head from a wall or ceiling, say hi and asking how i'm doing before vanishing. I started to get worried but she gives me no time to talk, whenever i asked how's her situation, she'd ghost on me.

I found out that Ollie and Load were in fact reading the book, but they didn't had much time since then because they had to go back to Canterlot and manage their businesses and families. I often forget that those perverted sods had those. Actually, it just makes them worse. They said that once they find out how to help the little girl, they'd come talk to me post-haste, so I've tired to stop getting so anxious about that and focused on work.

Speaking of which, i got paid in advance, like i asked. The sleazy fucker Dirt Cheap the audacity to come here personally and charge me for the bill or he would call the guards on me. His face when i paid everything upfront almost made for having to see his disgusting face again. Maria toasted to that, opened bottle of wine for the night, and while it seems like she can hold her liquor, she gets mighty flirty when drunk. Figures.

And, there. The last spot was painted over, now the ceiling's good as new, just gotta make sure to not leave the filly faucet on next time. Now to get off this death trap...

"Look out!"

"Wha-"

The stairs give under me, making me loose my footing and fall down, but somepony's hoof catches onto me before i can fall down. Unfortunately for me, their hooves aren't strong enough to hold my adult body afloat, so i fall down to the ground nonetheless. Fuck dude, my rump.

"I'm sorry, i couldn't help you..."

Wait, who is this? It's... Her. Her voice, it's so more... Mature. Looking over at the ceiling, i can't find her, only when i move my vision to besides me is that i find her. She's grown... She looks like she's on her early teenage years now, her mane is coming up to her neck, her hoofs are lanky and long but she still has that same cute face. No to mention those sad black eyes that won't leave me...

"Oh... Hey there, uh, missy..."

"Hey, mister... Is your rump alright?"

"Oh, it's, well, it's alright i guess, the pain will go away soon, i just have to sit comfortably for a while."

"Mhm."

... Well, this is awkward. I start out with a little girl and now i have a grown up filly in my hoofs. I'm... not the greatest at handling them, ever since my, uh, first accident. I sit down on the chair next to the dining table while she stays sitting down on the floor, instead of floating. She's still there, that's a first in these few weeks. Quick, think of something to say you-

"You want to get rid of me, don't you."

Fuck

"Where did you hear that from?"

"The boys, they were saying how hard can it be to find a spell to get rid of ghosts. I get it, you don't want a dumb ghost haunting your place. I'm sorry."

"Wait, you know that you're a ghost?" that gets a shocked face from me.

"Now i do. Everything feels fuzzy. Before, all i could think was to wait for dad to come back home so that we could play together, but after you came, everything felt more and more wrong. Dad shouldn't take this long to get back home, you shouldn't be staying in his room and... and..."

Tears form in her eyes. This is breaking my heart, she never expressed herself like that before, what did i do to her? Has she gained sentience because of some stupid shit i did? I'm not even a unicorn, i don't know jack about magic!

"... He went away, didn't he? Dad moved on. And now i can't get out of this house, i go through walls, and i spook ponies away. This is why everypony ran away screaming wasn't it? It's why you want me out, isn't it?"

"...Look, girl, I'm sorry. You never seemed to be aware, and you never talked like you knew you were dead, so i left at that. Sorry."

"So you do want me out." She says, with a glare in her eyes direct at me.

"Look, it's not you, it's... it's me alright? I can't handle being around you."

"If you hate me so much, then why have you loved me like that? It finally felt like i wasn't alone..."

"Missy, look... Ugh, i hate having to explain this. I'm sorry you felt alone, i really do. But i want to help you."

"By getting rid of me!"

"By letting you pass on!"

I realized i shouted that. I didn't mean to. She looks at me with uncertainty in her eyes, likely scared. I don't blame her, i'm a sick pony.

"I want you to pass on to whatever after life you should have gone to instead of being chained to this place. I'm sorry i took advantage of you, that's one of the reasons i want you to go, because i don't want to take advantage of you. I'm a horrible pony you hear me? I'm not supposed to stay with a filly like you in the same house. It's wrong of me."

"... I'm sorry for making your life difficult." says the ghost, casting her eye downwards, ears flattened and her voice crackling. My voice is already pained from this conversation, so our tones match.

"It's ok, i'm partially to blame, and you can't blame yourself for what happened. I promise you, things'll be better once you pass on, alright?"

"...You promise me?"

"I do." I hope.

"Please stay with me until then, please. I feel cold without you around."

"... I will. If that makes you comfortable , i'll give you that."

"Thank you. Thanks a lot mister."

"You're welcome, missy. And i do have a name, it's..."

My name forms a smile from the not-so-little ghost. Her tears started flowing again, but i hope that this time it's not because of sadness. The suns rays are shining through the front windows, glaring through her, making her more and more transparent, giving away that she's going to be away for a while"

"Mine's Cookie Cutter. Thanks mister..."

Is all she could say before disappearing. This isn't what i was expecting to get from this morning, but at least we made up. Picking up the folding stairs from the ground, i put it in the pantry. The ceiling is done, so i better get going for work-

*Knock knock*

"Mail! Please tell me the ghost is out please, just take this mail so i can go away please!"

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*Knock knock knock knock*

"Yes yes yes, i'm going, i'm going. Is it you, hombre? What do you want, it's too late at night to be knocking at my door!"

As soon as she opens her door, i go straight to her kitchen and open the cupboards, there i find another bottle of unponed wine. Grabbing the cork with my teeth, i open it and take a few gulps down before grabbing two glasses and settling everything on the table, where Maria slowly walks to and fixes an questioning glare at me.

"This isn't exactly the best time for a candlelight dinner, neither for you to be drinking until you're shitfaced. What is it that happened to you?"

"This" I pound a crumpled letter on the table. Sighing, Maria sits down and starts reading it before getting mad and hoofing the table herself.

"He wants another payment upfront?!"

"Yeah. This time, the entire payment plan in one go." I say, filling both glasses with wine, giving one to the donkey before downing more straight from the bottle. Fuck glasses, fuck that asshole and fuck fuck.

"He can't do this again to you! What are you going to do?!"

"Nothing. I'm broke, i can't borrow that much money, and if i loan it all, i'll be paying it off for the rest of my life. I'm essentially homeless. Fuck, i need more booze." The bottle is empty, and so is my glass. Grabbing hers and drinkign in one go, i go back to try and find more alcohol, but a hoof holds me firmly in my shoulder.

"No, this is enough. We don't need you drunk out of your balls right now, we have to handle this situation."

"But how, Maria? I ai'nt got nuthing. I'm going to get kicked out, i'm going to lsoe my house, i'll be just like my shitshow cousins leeching off their parents with a dead-end job, and Cookie's gonna be all alone again."

"Cookie? Who's that?" asks the donkey, with a puzzled look on her face.

"Cookie, Cookie Cutter. The filly."

She stands there, aghast. She isn't reacting at all for a few before getting a big motherly smile to her.

"She told you? She remembers? Oh, that's so sweet!"

"Yeah, not that it matters, cuz i'm going to get kicked out soon." i say, playing the the empty bottle, trying to get any stray droplets from inside into my mouth.

"Oh, when is the pendejo coming over to charge you?"

"Hmm? Two days, why?"

Oh, her face went all dark. Shit, that smile isn't the good kind of smile, that's downright creepy on her face.

"Consider it done, dear. We'll solve this little problem of yours, so that the little Cookie can be at peace."

"But, how are you going to do that? No offense, but i don't have that kinda bits to borrow from you."

"Oh, don't worry dear, we'll make do. Trust me. We'll make do."

I want more alcohol to forget the face she made.