NOTE BEFORE ANYONE ON EITHER SIDE GETS THEIR NIPPLES IN A TWIST: This story does take place in Israel but it specifically takes place in Safed in the Galilee. An area that's been predominantly Jewish since before the first crusade. Regardless of your opinions on the Israel Palestine crisis the jews have just as much of a right to be in Safed as the Mandeans do to be in the Iraqi marshes

Rabbi Yhitzak Nahum's Sunday began like almost every other Sunday, with a mild hangover. It wasn't that Rav Nahum was an alcoholic or at least not on purpose, it was just sort of hard to stay sober as a very well liked Yeshiva teacher and Baal Shem (analogous to Shaman) who tried to be in touch with his students and community. He had a lot of gratitude points stored up and the place most accepting of said points was the local bar+. Not that he ever complained, his wife had perished long ago, and his son much more recently in the war so he really didn't have anyone else to do Havdalah with besides his students and their families. After a garbled morning Shema spoken through parched lips Rav. Nahum reached for his phone, an old Nokia flip unceremoniously thrown across the sheets. The messages were as expected, gratitude, minor favors, legal interpretation. After a minute of this slog, he was almost tempted to put the phone away and go for a morning walk down to the cafe near the old olive farm, until his finger landed on a very different set of messages. All of them were In big capital letters with only one word in the title, 'Exorcism'.

Of course, it just had to come to his attention before breakfast, not that these things could really wait. He supposed it was his curse as the only Baal Shem in town who owned and checked his phone. Apparently, a shirtless stranger was running around town and accusing random non-frum inhabitants of having PER sympathies. Usually if someone came to him claiming they or a loved one were possessed he'd tell them to see a Psychiatrist, especially if it revolved around an understandably traumatic event. If it actually was a spirit the Psychiatrist would send them to him, and he'd get started. But according to witnesses, poltergeist activity followed this man like dogs followed a sloppy butcher. When he was a younger man this would've excited him, now it was just tiring. Supernatural threats happened all the time, especially in an old and mystical place like Safed, everyone here believed in it even if they didn't keep Halakah or Sharia. So, one would think they'd learn how to take care of things themselves, but alas they didn't.
Not that their attempts were that impressive either. Just last week, supposedly Rainbow Haired lilin had wandered into town, frightening children, drinking the blood of farm animals and leaving bloody footprints all over town. The townspeople, fidgety as they were chased her off with rocks and waved red hot iron pokers. Rav. Nahum respectfully didn't tell them that the latter only worked against werewolves, or that lilins are only semi corporeal after they told him. Not that the lilin seemed to know either, as surprisingly the attempt in fact worked and the poor monstrosity was seemingly sent packing. One last chicken for the road carried in her arms.

Still, it seemed this wretch had a dybbuk, and a Dybbuk was very different than a demon. Demons were for the most part rather stupid things, not very complex in there wants and reasoning. Something that was expected of beasts created as grunts or through unguided Psychic turbulence. A Dybbuk was a person, a disembodied human soul, one that though crazed and desperate still had enough intelligence to make them very dangerous. The fact that this one seemed to have an agenda, and preternatural knowledge made him much more worried. Worried enough that his Tefilin were crumpled and uneven as he walked past his humble abode and toward the ruins of a block destroyed by Luna's troops on their way towards her final battle. Recently it had become something of a memorial to those lost in the war, a bitter reminder to temper the sweetness of life for those who survived.

A crowd had already gathered around the building, it was so thick that the only sign of the demoniac were his crazed shouts in English. Clearly, he was making quite a big show as those who knew the language were rapidly translating to the best of their ability to the audience. "YOU HAVE DAMNED US, THOSE AMONGST THEE WHO YOU CALL FRIENDS HAVE SOLD OUT THEIR BRETHEREN!", the voice was an unearthly wail, the man's hoarse rasp overlayed with an inhumanly loud woman's contralto. As Rav. Nahum pushed past the stunned and mesmerized crowd he got a better look at the man. He was young, short hair, thin face gaunt with hunger, and an overall Sephardic look about him. His only clothing was a pair of tattered blue-jeans which stayed on through sheer tightness as he alternated between bipedal stumbling and a hideous crawling movement.

The figure pointed at a woman, a local artist lured here from Tel Aviv by the 'Kabbalah Craze' of the 2000s, his voice switched to an old Cordovan dialect of Hebrew. "SARAI FREIDMAN, IN THE ANONYMITY OF THE INTERNET THOU HAST GIVEN THY SUPPORT TO HUMANS IN LEAGUE WITH CELESTIA! YOU HAVE TAKEN COMISSION FOR THEIR WORKS, YOUR HANDS ARE RED WITH BLOOD MONEY." Sure enough, poor Sarai's hands became covered in thick oozing blood causing her to scream and faint, probably shouldn't have gone to see a possession case if she had those kinds of reactions. If he was interpreting its antiquated linguistics correctly, then she was most likely talking about art Sarai had been commissioned to make posters for PER Jerusalem. This was before the war of course, but even then, it was an act that left her reputation here somewhat tarnished.

One by one Rav Nahum found his students and coworkers and pulled them to the front with him, a few civilians now hiding behind the holy human shield. A good exorcism like many other complex tasks took more than one man, ideally it should have at least ten and said men should know what they were doing. In his heart of hearts Rav. Nahum was confident that he truly had brought ten men with him. Most of them students trying and failing to hold up images of bravado for each other, and a few befuddled older men with long bears. Their mouths hanging open as they didn't expect something this bad. Indeed, the only one who seemed to have an heir of true determination to him was a student named Benjamin who had the unfortunate genetics which barely enabled him to grow a beard even as an adult. At the moment Benjamin seemed to be his shadow, and the second line of defense if anything happened to him. With heavy steps Rav. Nahum approached the demoniac until he stood face to face with the mad creature. Its head swiveled with inhuman agility towards him, it's only response being an inhuman screech. As if it was trying to make noises not meant for the primate vocal chords which it was using.

"Ma'am.", Said the Rabbi, making sure to address the entity currently in charge, "What is your business in possessing one of the sons of Adam who still breaths upon this earth?". The Dybbuk gave a snort and shakily stood on its legs, body swaying in the breeze but feet anchored to the floor.

"I am doomed to Gehenna! yet traitors such as the one I inhabit go unpunished!" Its body lurched into the light, the blood from a bitten tongue that dripped from its mouth becoming clear for a moment. Then, the Dybbuk once again fell upon all fours and slowly crawled backwards away from the Rabbi. "Where is the justice in that?" its voice was quieter but no less hateful as it slunk back further into the shadows of a chunk of wall held clumsily aloft by iron rebar. From what Rav. Nahum could gather this woman most likely fought in the war for earth, did some rather unsavory and unnecessary things in defense of her species, and found herself floating earthbound and suffering until she had served her time. Dead soldiers were always the hardest especially when the war itself was just, even if there actions in it were not.

The Dybbuk began to circle the two men, Benjamin seemed ready to spring but Rav Nahum's hand stopped, his protege. One of the things a lifetime experience taught you is that more could be done with dialogue then exorcistic formula. "And what of this man? What did he do that caused someone who given her life for mankind decide to harm a human like this?". Usually it was adultery or breaking religious violations, very good sins to vent on as many bad people didn't do both, or at least thought they didn't. Right now though, he doubted either was the case

"This beast." The Dybbuk spat out those words in a spray of blood and spittle, "Tis not fit to be called a man.". "He hath taken the minds of the youth, he hath given poison to the mouths of mothers and babes against their will, yet refused to drink of it himself."
As the Rabbi stared deeper into the man's visage, past the contorted grimace, blood stains and starvation a bullet of recognition hit his. Staring right at him was the face of the leader of PER Haifa, who had mysteriously disappeared a week after Luna's attack ended. An attack which he was supposedly quite involved with facilitating. Though Rav. Nahum had never met the man before his face had been all over the News from Ashdod to Lebanon. At this point Rav. Nahum wasn't sure what was more disconcerting, the Dybbuk or the fact that a genocidal terrorist had been living in town and no one noticed until today. "I see, and did you know this man?". In exorcism as in detective work, getting information was always the first and potentially most important step.
This prompted a fit of bitter, mirthless, bone chilling laughter from the Dybbuk, its eyes flashing a dark eerie turquoise. "Know him? Know him! He was our partner! If it were not for him facilitating us, our burden would surely be lighter!" More information added, this person whoever she was presumably held a very high position in the PER if she could influence the head of second largest branch in Eretz Israel.

Rav. Nahum turned to look at his compatriots, the laugh clearly taking away some of what little resolve they had in the first place. "And what did this man do for you?" He asked, making sure his voice remained calm and even so as not to betray fear or anger. Things that could no doubt make him quite vulnerable to the spirit's machinations.

An equally chilling, "Everything." was the only response he got from the spirit. He gave the Dybbuk a disappointed stare and reached for his anointing oil and prayer book. Ceremonial gestures he didn't intend to use quite yet but that nonetheless showed he was very much in control of this situation. The Dybbuk sighed, "Information, transport, he told us the weak points and led us to them. It was him who made it so we could get past thy fabled 'dome of iron'."
This person seemed to be quite high up then, though suspicions were starting to emerge on whether the possessing spirit was indeed human? "I notice you're saying us? Is there more than one of you in there?" The dybbuk shook its head. "I don't want to be a pest but I should warn you that in our language, the royal plural is usually reserved for G-d and their angels."

The Dybbuk rose, not stood up but levitated, for a moment a flash of blue light and in the shape of phantom wings formed around it before it came falling back to the ground. An eerie, bitter smile still lodged it's face. "We were a god. Once-.". Normally this talk was reserved for arch-devils and sorcerers, but what would they care for the destruction wrought by the conversion war? From what he knew the cults of that like were prone to infighting and he doubted they'd cow-tow to the ponies. No, there was only one option, and she was definitely not human.
"You can come out now." He said with a deep breath, "Princess Luna." The crowed gasped as was expected. The Dybbuk's face contorted again, it's expression a mix of anger and condescension that it took him that long to figure it out.

"No." The former Princess said in a much calmer voice than before, "Why would you help a creature so base who went unpunished?" The last part showing those old hints of anger.
"Because everyone deserves the right to repent, and atone for their actions." Part of him didn't agree with what he said. Standing there before him was a genocidal hypocritical species traitor, and a mortal being who had declared herself equal to the divine and used said authority to kill billions. But that wasn't up for him to decide. The Talmud said, "You should not take revenge or nurse hatred against your countrymen." Many would consider the countrymen part not to apply to either of them but like it or not, they were part of an international community after the war, and ponies were the most literal resident aliens in history.

"We are atoning!" Luna roared, taking a swipe at him likely intended more to intimidate than harm, "WE ARE PUNISHING HIM FOR HIS SINS, SOMETHING YOUR YAHWEH HAS FAILED TO DO FOR EONS." Alright blasphemy too now, but to be fair she was a gentile and most likely didn't know any better. If he remembered rightly the PER guy was Jewish but at the moment someone else making him to Adonai's name in vain was probably the least of his karmic worries.

"But are you truly making the world better by doing this?". With a flicking gesture the nine other men began to surround the deceased lunar tetrarch. She didn't seem to notice as her rage was focused on him and not the other less experienced members of the motley Minyan. "Is all you wish to do cause more harm?". She roared at him, tears of blood squirting from the mans eyes as obscenity after obscenity at him exited her host's mouth. Comments about his love life, his manhood, his family, his religion, anything she could latch onto she hurled at him as hard as she could in her blind fury. As the rest of the Minyan began to chant and she began to involuntarily writhe he realized just how bad he felt for her. Here was a creature... no a woman so consumed by guilt, anger and self hatred that she tried to avenge her own sins on any person she found who could help her. Very few people were born raving madmen, or diabolical tyrants, and he suspected the same of ponies, and though she didn't want to admit it the wounded child was showing.

Rav. Nahum's mouth began to follow his comrade's chant while he studied the aura which was flowing from the man's body. To anyone else it looked as if the man was being assaulted by a neon blue cloud, but to one whose eyes had grown accustomed to the Ynne Velt the picture was much clearer. Beyond the bullet holes, swirling mane and snarling mouth Rav. Nahum saw a scared filly putting on a mask of aggression. What she truly wanted was attention, acceptance, love and forgiveness most likely from her older sister Celestia. In fact, it was quite possible that the only reason she went along with the war was to win the approval she felt she desperately lacked. Thinking that if she delivered the Holy City to her sister on a silver platter she'd finally feel worthy in Celestia's eyes. Rav. Nahum had no idea whether Celestia purposefully played on these feelings but he had his suspicions if what he read about her had been true.
With a scream and a torrent of blood from the left thigh the two voices separated, the man falling to the ground unconscious. Luna, though her nefesh was now bound in chains of fiery Hebrew letters continued to struggle. Though with each jerk her movements grew more sluggish. He turned to the stunned of Minyan, "Say a Kaddish."
"But Rabbi!" Said Benjamin clearly upset that he was intending to ease the suffering of a nonhuman who had attempted to destroy them. This wasn't Benjamin's fault, for all his intelligence and dedication he was still young and impetuous just as Rav. Nahum once was before.
"Say a Kaddish." He said to the group a little harsher, their faces giving away the fact that most of them held the same reservations as Benjamin. Yet as the senior Rabbi in this situation appealing to tradition they did as told and began to pray. The fiery letters tightening around Luna's form and her body seeming to stress and shrink. To the few of them who could see more than an amorphous miss it appeared as if Luna was writhing in agony, all her sins hitting her at once, her body becoming softer, rounder and smaller. Then with a gasp, it was over. Her eyes had their hatred and anger, instead taking on a look of vulnerability, sadness and regret. As they got to the final syllable the being that floated before them was half the size and intensity of the Dybbuk that came out. It floated dejectedly, eyes not daring to look into the eyes of the one who defeated her.

"What are you going to do to me?" She squeaked clearly terrified for what he may have had in mind for her. Even though she no longer possessed a circulatory system she was still shivering. Both from the constant cold of a dead sinner and the sheer terror of her situation.

"I'm not really sure." He said stroking his rather prodigious beard, hands tracing the many paths of grey amidst the black. "You can't pass on yet, but it appears to me you're almost as much Celestia's victims as the people you killed.". Then a thought came to him, it was not uncommon for a Baal Shem to 'sponsor' a earthbound soul and shorten their sentence. Both as a good deed and as a way to get a bit more supernatural strength on their side. He was pretty sure there was nothing about written about not being able to do it for a pony, or at least nothing clear about it. In that moment he reached out his hand to Luna's face stroking its misty contours. "Actually,", He said with a warm smile, the first Luna had seen since before the war, "I think I may have an idea."

Author's Note

J Jewish Terminology List

• Tefilin=Ritual prayer shawl
• Lilin=Vampiric succubus or night hag
• Dybbuk=Possesing ghost
• Minyan = Group 10 adult Jews usually gathered for a ritual purpose.
• Ynne Velt=Spirit world
• Nefesh=analogous to ectoplasm
• Kaddish=Prayer for the dead