A Scribe's Work: Scribes are Weird

Part one

The young robed unicorn looked at the town with a sense of apprehension and dread, the calm day and quiet, serene path doing nothing to improve his mood.

"What the hay am I doing here?" he asked with a sigh.

A fox poked his head out from under the unicorn's robes . "You forgot, Ghost? The Princess wanted—"

"I know why we're here, Flare," Ghostwriter said, rolling his eyes. "It was a rhetorical question."

"Oh." Flare paused. "What's a rhetorical question?"

"It's a question not meant to be answered." He pushed up the pince-nez glasses that sat perched on the end of his pale gray snout. I'd rather be asleep in my bed. He shook his head, feeling his deep blue robes slide against his shaggy brown mane.

Ghost groaned. "Why me?" He frowned, his mind recalling his experience this morning. "Oh... right... and I thought today was going to be normal."

Ghost lay on his bed, reading. He yawned, looking up from his book to look at the two-tailed fox beside him. His room was large and filled with all manner of writing implements, with the back wall being an entire bookshelf filled with binders, notebooks, and scrolls. While his room was large, it was not all that well furnished. A bed was against the left wall, just under the room's only window, and at the base of which sat a file cabinet. There was also a closet in the right wall, which held his two robes. His walls were bare, save for the painted picture of Ghost himself sitting at a desk, hard at work that hung by the door. The floor was dirty with balled up papers, full of ideas Ghost had abandoned, and several broken quills.

Ghost looked to the desk that sat against his right wall, next to the closet. I'm glad I don't have too much work today.

Ghostwriter worked as a scribe serving directly under the Princess. It was his job to record all historical events for the future generations. There were other roles he served, but that was Ghost's favorite part of the job. To him, it was a humble position, not worthy of any praise, mostly because someone needed to do it regardless.

There was a knock at his door. Ghost got up and put his front legs out while arching his back, like a cat waking up. Ghost yawned as he looked at the sunlight streaming through his window. "I need better sleeping habits," he grumbled. "I'm practically nocturnal."

Ghost walked over and opened his door to see Princess Celestia standing on the other side. The Princess smiled at him. His eyes widened and he threw a panicked glance into his room.

"Uh, Princess, can you give me a sec?" Ghost asked while closing the door just enough so she couldn't see in. He smiled nervously. "There is something I, uh, have to deal with first." Without another word he closed the door and ran to Flare, tripping over some discarded books.

Ghost nudged Flare. "Flare, I need an illusion, fast."

Flare yawned. He spoke while shaking his head to clear out his sleeping brain. "What kind?"

"Make the room look clean," Ghost said, looking around as he bounced nervously. "You can't have a princess in," He waved a hoof at the room, "this!"

"Aw," Flare said, standing. "I thought it was going to be exciting."

"Hurry up, Flare! The Princess is right outside the door," Ghost said fiercely, throwing a glance to the door.

"Okay, okay." Flare closed his eyes. Suddenly, the paper wads and discarded quills wavered out of sight. Once they were gone, Ghost let out a breath of relief.

"Thanks, Flare!"

Ghost trotted to the door, once again opening it to the Princess. "Princess Celestia, I apologize for the wait. There must be things more important to you than visiting a simple scribe. Come in."

"Please, Ghostwriter. Have more pride in your skill," The Princess said as Ghost let her in. A look of concern made its way to her face. "I chose you for a reason."

"I was the only applicant," Ghost said softly and with a small frown.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Ghost said, sitting on the floor. He noticed he had sat on an invisible paper wad, but stayed his ground lest she catch on. "Would you like a seat?"

"I am fine," Celestia said, sitting on the floor as well.

"To what do I owe this early morning visit?" Ghost yawned. "Excuse me."

The Princess smiled while putting a hoof to her mouth as she giggled. "Still a pony of the night, I see."

"Reading and writing in moonlight is my favorite activity," he said, turning to stare at the dawn through this window. "Much calmer than the day."

Ghost's eyes widened. He quickly turned back to the Princess. "But I mean no disrespect, Princess!"

Celestia chuckled. "None taken, Ghostwriter. I am sure my dear sister would be happy to hear that."

She then spoke in a more serious tone. "I am here to ask how your work is going."

Ghost put a hoof to his chin before looking over at his desk. "I've been able to get through a large portion of the backlog," Ghost said.

Ghost was the first scribe employed by the Princess in five years, as such there was a lot of excess work that needed to be done. He had been able to plow through it in the year and a half he had worked there, mostly through working all night and taking two hour naps through out the day. However, because of this, Ghost barely left his room. If he did, it was to attend a party, meeting, or at the Princess' behest. It was only recently that his workload had thinned to the point he could enjoy other pursuits.

Ghost looked back at the Princess. "What's left is mostly busy work." He shrugged. "A few wanted posters," He stamped his hoof and looked back at his desk. "I finished Phantom's poster by the way." Ghost levitated a scroll from his desk and handed it to Celestia.

Celestia opened the scroll. Her eyes scanned the paper before she nodded and rolled it up again. She turned her attention back to Ghost while setting the scroll at her side.

"Good," She said with a frown. "Reports say that Phantom will be coming here."

"Do you know what he's after?" Ghost asked curiously.

The Princess shook her head. "No, but do not worry about it, Ghostwriter." She smiled at him. "You said you had worked through most of the back log, right?"

Ghost nodded.

"So of what is left, there is nothing that you would need to be here for?" the Princess asked.

Ghost raised an eyebrow. "No..."

"Than I have a task of utmost importance for you," Celestia said pointing at him. " No doubt, you have heard of the events with Discord and Nightmare Moon three years ago."

"How could I not?"

"After those events, I had wanted them to be recorded, but did not have a scribe in my employ at the time. While the events were still documented for historical archives, I had wanted to get eye witness accounts of the mares involved, yet, sadly could not trust this task upon just anypony." Celestia smiled. "But there is a scribe in my employ again."

Uh oh, Ghost thought.

"As my best scribe—"

"Uh... I'm... your only scribe, ma'am," Ghost said, staring at the floor while scuffing it with his hoof.

"Confidence, Ghostwriter," Celestia chided him. "As my scribe, I would like you to conduct the interviews and condense all the information into a book."

Ghost sighed, shaking his head. Should have seen that coming.

"So, are you inviting them to the castle?" he asked, looking back up at the Princess.

"No. My student Twilight Sparkle must stay in Ponyville to continue her research," the Princess said, shaking her head. "Therefore, I am sending you to Ponyville to conduct the interviews."

Ghost's eyes widened. "But that means I have to leave the palace!" he exclaimed as he shot up.

Celestia nodded, smiling slightly at Ghost's actions. "Correct. I have contacted Twilight—you remember her, right?"

Ghost nodded and put a hoof to his chin. "Yes... we were never formally introduced, but I do remember her."

Celestia nodded. "I have contacted Twilight Sparkle and informed her that you will be staying with her and her dragon, Spike, in the Ponyville library."

"But surely there is somepony more qualified?" he asked, his eyes shifting nervously between the Princess and the floor.

"You are the only scribe, Ghostwriter," she said with a smirk.

"Foxtrot," Ghost hissed under his breath.

Celestia sat up turning around to the door. She spoke, looking at Ghost over her shoulder. "Then it is settled. You shall leave in a few hours. Get some sleep, Ghostwriter. By the way..." She smiled. "Flare's illusions are getting better."

Ghost eyes widened again. "But, how?"

Celestia lifted her hoof, the sound of crinkled paper filling Ghost ears.

Ghost grinned and shook his head. "That's what I get for trying to fool you."

After an hour of flight by chariot, he was there, on a dirt path, outside of Ponyville. He had asked to be dropped off outside of the town, so as not to draw attention.

Ghost sighed. "I'm not cut out for this."

Flare jumped out of his robes. His small form began to waver and re-form, shaping itself into a near identical copy of Princess Celestia save for a single fox tail.

"Confidence, Ghostwriter," he said, matching her voice in pitch and tone.

Ghost put on a small smile. "Pretty good, but you need bigger wings."

Flare looked to his wings and re-formed them. "This better?"

"Perfect," Ghost laughed. His spirit lifted a little, before sinking as doubt came to the front of his mind. Ghost hung his head, a small frown on his face.

Flare frowned. He shifted back to normal before putting his paws against Ghost leg. He tried to look him in the eyes. "Ghost, what's wrong?" Flare whined. "I thought you would like this. Ponyville can't be worse than Canterlot."

Ghost turned to the town, his eyes scanning it. "It doesn't have to be worse. All it needs to do is be the same as that 'City of Fakers'." He sighed. "What would be the point of that? Going from one place that thinks I'm odd to another?"

Flare darted in front of him. "But you'll never know if it's pointless if you don't try it."

Ghost rolled his eyes. "Who's the idiot that said that?"

"You, when I wouldn't eat spinach," Flare said, sitting down and cocking his head to the side in confusion.

Ghost paused before letting out a chuckle and lowering to Flare's level. "Never claimed to be smart. Who would have thought that would come back to haunt me."

Ghost tussled Flare's hair causing the young fox to giggle.

"Can we have cake after we move in?" Flare asked as he ran a paw across his head to fix his fur.

"We'll see about cake," Ghost said, with a nod. Ghost stood up, a small smile on his face. "Maybe you're right, Flare. This could be good for me. It's a fresh start, a clean slate where good impressions can be made."

His smile fell, becoming a frown. "Or the wrong impressions, and I spend my stay as a social outcast."

Ghost let out a frustrated groan before shaking his head and glaring at the town in the distance. "Well, who cares what they think? I'm here to do a job for the Princess. I have a rare chance to interview the wielders of the Elements of Harmony." Ghost stamped his hoof and Flare jumped on his back. " It's my job as the Princess' scribe to record this." Ghost face split into a grin. "I'm going to be talking to six figures of historical significance. This is why I love my job. This task has been given to me and while there may be better scribes that have come before me, I'll do it all the same!" He stamped his hoof again.

Ghost walked forward, then stopped. "Flare, you know all that confidence I had?"

"Yeah," Flare said.

"It's gone again."

Flare groaned and shook his head.

Ghostwriter looked around nervously.

"Would be nice if I had been told where the library was."

After much sulking, Ghost had finally worked up the courage to walk into town. He was distinctly aware of curious stares from other ponies, something he was less than fond of.

"You were told where it was," Flare said telepathically, as he hid in Ghost's robes, "but you were too nervous to listen."

"Not like you were paying attention either," Ghost grumbled, his head down as he kept walking.

"You're talking out loud," Flare said in Ghost's mind. "Wasn't talking to yourself bad in Canterlot?"

"Who cares," Ghost hissed, glaring at the ground. "I just want to find the library and get out of ponies' sig— Gah!"

Ghost stopped, his path obstructed by an earth pony. The mare had a pink body and curly pink mane and tail. She was staring at him with large, blue, questioning eyes.

"Uh, hi," Ghost said, slightly unnerved.

The mare said nothing, seemingly frozen in place.

Ghost's eyes shifted and he took a step back from the pony. "Uh, I'm kinda new here. Any chance you can tell me where the library is?"

The pink pony screamed and ran in the opposite direction.

Flare popped out of Ghost's robes. He turned his head in confusion. "Well, that was weird."

Ghost smiled slightly, shaking his head. "If that's a norm, I might actually fit in here."

The two chuckled before Ghost's nervousness returned. He looked around, trying to get his bearings in the unfamiliar town. What he could remember told him that the Book and Branches Library was somewhere in the town square and a quick glance confirmed that was were he was, so he must be pretty close. Ghost scanned the buildings lining the street. He knew that the library was a bit of an oddity in town, as it was located inside a living tree.

"Oh, there it is," Ghost said, spotting the tree that housed the library.

Ghost trotted over to the door and lifted a hoof gulping.

"Just need to knock." He knocked on the door.

He waited. Nothing. Frowning, he knocked again.

Flare spoke up while crawling out of Ghost's robes. "It is a library, maybe we should just go in."

Ghost shook his head. "It's also Miss Sparkle's house, so we should not enter without her permission." Ghost wasn't sure how to proceed. His sister had taught him to never enter someplace without permission except for places like public libraries, but this was both somepony's house and a public library. Where did he draw the line?

Ghost raised an eye while putting a hoof to his chin. "Strange, though. The Princess said Twilight Sparkle would be expecting us."

Ghost could feel the staring eyes. He wanted nothing more than to escape them. Flare picked up on Ghost's tension. His muscles were tight, his eyes were shifty, and he was trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Aren't you going to be living here too? That gives you the right to enter."

Ghost shook his head again. "Doesn't work like that." Ghost looked around. "But… maybe… we should head inside."

Ghost closed his eyes and opened the door. "Hello?" he called as he entered. "Miss Sparkle?"

Flare hopped out of Ghost robes and sniffed around.

"No one's here, Ghost," Flare said, his nose in the air. "It definitely smells like a pony lives here. Also, some kinda reptile."

"She does live with a dragon," Ghost said before he opened his eyes and smiled. "Now this," he said, as his face lit up with joy at the sight of the many shelves and books. "This is living in style."

"For you, maybe," Flare grumbled, turning away from Ghostwriter.

"This is fox-trotting awesome," Ghost said, as he started dashing around, pulling out all sorts of books. "The Canterlot library may be bigger and have more books, but this is a decent collection—and to actually live in a library?"

Unfortunately, in his mad dash, he dropped one of the books and subsequently tripped on it.

Ghost groaned, as he heard Flare trying to stifle his laughter.

"Foxtrot," Ghostwriter cursed. When he tripped, Ghost had attempted to roll. Somehow, his horn had become stuck in the floor. Ghost could only guess that his horn had pierced a knothole or a weak spot. He maneuvered himself off of his back to a squatting position, his neck stretched to the floor. He gave it a tug, grunting as his horn stayed stuck. "Double Foxtrot!"

Flare couldn't hold his laughter anymore and collapsed in mirth. He rolled on his back as the laughter flowed out of him,.

"Yeah, yeah," Ghost said, glaring at the floor while still trying to pull. "Laugh it up, fox. Just for that, no cake."

Flare froze. "But, but..." Flare said, struggling.

Ghostwriter continued his endeavor, his hooves sliding on the floor as he pulled. "If you want to redeem yourself, go find Twilight Sparkle and get me out of this."

Flare quickly nodded and moved towards the door, but quickly turned around and cocked his head to the side. "What does she look like?"

Ghost sighed in annoyance as he stopped pulling. "We met her before. You know: unicorn, pale purple body, dark purple mane and tail with pink strip, purple eyes, might be in the company of a young dragon."

"Oh, right," Flare said nodding as his mind was able to recall the encounter. "The one you had a crush on."

Ghost continued struggling. "That was a vicious rumor," he grunted. "I just said that she looked cute. Make any positive comment about a mare and ponies are like 'Oh you like her, you should ask her out.'"

"Right…" Flare said skeptically.

"Just go find her, fur ball."

The unicorn in question, with her assistant, Spike, sitting on her back, was currently walking back to her home. She had just been to Rarity's to help her with a modeling problem which had left her running behind schedule.

"I swear, Spike, Rarity could have asked anypony else," she said, rolling her eyes. Upon not hearing a reply, she stopped and turned to her dragon friend, who's eyes were glazed over as he stared at the sky. "Spike!"

"Huh, what?" Spike said, shaking his head to clear out the daydream.

"Another fantasy about Rarity?" Twilight asked with a roll of her eyes. She shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

Spike blushed, laughing nervously and scratching the back of his head.

"Anyways, we have to hurry and spruce up the library, before our guest arrives. We're already behind," Twilight said, turning around and continuing to walk.

"Who exactly is this big-shot guest of ours?" Spike asked as he crossed his arms.

"He's Princess Celestia's personal scribe. He reports directly to her," Twilight said, her pace increasing.

"Why is he so important?" Spike asked, uncrossing his arms.

"As a scribe serving under Celestia, he has many important duties," Twilight said in a lecturing tone, as she sped up a little more. "He works on important treaties, takes the minutes at certain meetings, and most importantly, Celestia's scribe acts as a historian and records all noteworthy events."

"Sounds like a big job," Spike said, as he steadied himself from Twilight's increased gait.

"It is, Spike. And I want to make sure that his stay in Ponyville is perfect," Twilight said with determination in her eyes as she stared straight ahead. "So let's go, before he get—"

Twilight stopped, nearly throwing Spike off, as they passed a two-tailed fox sniffing the ground.

"You don't see that every day," Spike said with a raised brow while scratching his head.

That fox seems familiar, Twilight thought as her eyes followed it. It's also got two tails, a genetic mutation, maybe? She raised an eyebrow. "What's a fox doing in Ponyville anyway?"

The fox's ears swiviled, picking up Twilight's voice. It frowned, turning to her with a glare as it sat back on its haunches and crossed it's paws. "I'll have you know, I'm a kitsune. I'm five times cooler than a normal fox," he said with a boyish voice.

Twilight eyes widened as she jumped back, accidentally bucking Spike off her back. "It talks!"

The kitsune huffed. "Yes, I talk. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

The twin-tail put its nose to the ground again. "Oh no, I lost the scent." He shook his head. "It's okay. I'll just double back a bit."

Twilight watched the peculiar animal run back a ways. Putting its nose to the ground, it followed Twilight's hoof steps until he bumped into her leg. He sniffed it and looked up at her.

"Miss Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes?"

"Perfect," the fox said, smiling. "I get my cake now."

"Ehr, I'm sorry, what?" Twilight asked, her brow raised.

"My friend needs your help," the fox said as he sat in front them. "See, my name's Flare. I work as an assistant to Ghostwriter, the Princess' scribe."

"Wait, he's here? Where?" Twilight asked, looking around for any new ponies walking the square.

"Oh, he got his horn stuck in the floorboards at the library. He sent me to find you," Flare said, his head motioning in the direction of the library.

Spike tried to hold in a chuckle as he stood up.

"Well, this is off to a great start." Twilight sighed. "Although, the name Ghostwriter sounds familiar."

The two chased Flare back to the library, the young fox in a hurry to help his friend. As they entered, Twilight could hear somepony speaking.

"Alright, instead of waiting for Miss Sparkle, ideally, I want to get out before they arrive; therefore preserving my dignity and blank-slate status. Maybe, if I twist my neck like this— ow, ow, not working. Gah! Great, now I can add neck injury to the list of all the things that are going wrong with this."

Twilight peered into the library, noticing the hunched-over stallion.

"Maybe if I stand on my head, I can do a little bit of reading before they get here. Flare will probably walk straight past them." The stallion propped himself on his head only for his robes to slide down, covering his face. He sighed. "Well, there goes any dignity I might have had left."

Twilight quickly pulled the pony out of the hole using levitation and a spell that temporarily widened the hole, before righting him. Flare ran up to the slightly dazed unicorn.

"I got her, Ghost! Do I get cake now?"

"Later, Flare," Ghost said shaking his head before patting the kitsune and straightening his robes and glasses. "Miss Sparkle-"

"Just Twilight, please."

"Miss Twilight."

Twilight sighed.

"I thank you for getting me out of that situation," Ghost said with a blush while staring at the floor. "However, I apologize for coming in while you were away."

Twilight giggled. "It is a library. I keep my things in the back, so this hardly counts as an intrusion."

"Right." Ghost sighed. "This is off to a flying start," he said, under his breath.

"Anyway, I remember you, now. You were at one of Princess Celestia's parties, two years ago," Twilight said as she got a good look at Ghost.

"Oh," started Spike, stroking his chin. "That pony that sat next to Celestia."

"If I remember correctly," Twilight said, as she put a hoof to her chin, "it was actually a party to celebrate you becoming the royal scribe."

Ghost nodded, a small, nervous smile on his face. "I've only been the royal scribe for a year and half."

"And yet you're the Princess' best scribe?" Spike asked, looking him over with a raised eye.

"Well, actually, I'm her only scribe," Ghost said, as he shrugged, his face indifferent. "I'm the first scribe hired after a five year vacancy."

"Why?" Spike asked.

"After the former scribe retired, there was nopony else to take the position and the former scribe was too old to be taken out of retirement," Twilight explained, turning her attention to Spike.

"I got the position by virtue of being the only applicant," Ghost said, shrugging as he looked at the dragon. "It's not exactly a sought-out position."

Flare frowned and pushed against Ghost's leg. "Ghost, you know it was more than that."

"I think Flare has a point," Twilight said, her eyebrow raised. "The Princess wouldn't fill a position simply to fill it."

"So I've been told. Doesn't help that the position is glorified for some reason," Ghost said with a shrug and a sigh. He shook his head. "Well, anyway, we were never formally introduced so..." He sat up, the nervous smile returning. "My name is Ghostwriter, the royal scribe to Princess Celestia." He pointed to Flare. "And you've already met my buddy, Flare."

Flare smiled. "Hi."

Twilight grinned. The stallion was fidgety and nervous. She had felt the same when she first came to Ponyville, albeit nervous for an entirely different reason. The least she could do was make the transition softer for him.

She held out her hoof. "Twilight Sparkle, faithful student of Princess Celestia, and your guide and host in Ponyville."

"A pleasure," Ghost said as he shook her hoof.

"And this is my assistant, Spike," Twilight said, pointing to her partner.

"Hi," Spike said, waving.

"So let's get you settled in, then. I'll give you the tour," Twilight said, leading Ghost into the basement.

"So how long will you be in Ponyville, Ghostwriter?" Twilight asked, her tone pleasant and curious.

The group, which consisted of Twilight, Ghostwriter and Flare, were walking along one of the dirt paths. Spike had stayed at the library to finish some chores. Ghost was thankful there were less ponies to stare at him.

"Just call me Ghost," he said, looking around. "And I'm not sure. It depends on how long it takes to get all the interviews done. After that, I need to sort out what goes into the book and then write the draft." Ghost shrugged. "Given that I've never done this before, it could take a while." Ghost raised an eye. "I'm not sure why the Princess wants me to do the interviews. There are better ponies for the job."

Flare jumped in front of their path and morphed into Mini-Celestia. "Please, Ghostwriter," the fox-tailed Princess said. "Have more confidence in your skills. I chose you for a reason."

"Again, only applicant, and if you're going to keep using that impression, you need to get the wings right," Ghost said with a frown.

Twilight eyes widened. As Flare returned to his normal form, she spoke.

"What was that? I've heard of creatures that could change form, but never one like a fox," Twilight asked warily, as she took a step back from Flare.

Ghost shook his head and smiled. "Well, as he has no doubt already told you," he said as Flare jumped on his back. "He's a kitsune."

Flare pushed Ghost's head down and put a paw to his chest. "We're five times cooler than foxes."

Ghost flipped his head back. Flare rolled down his back.

"Kitsunes," Twilight said, intrigued. She put a hoof to her chin. "It sounds familiar, but I can't place it."

"Not surprised," Ghost said, shrugging. "They're mostly a myth in Neighpon, a land way down in the south east, past Equestria. Flare is the first one anypony's ever seen."

"That explains where I heard the name. They were in that book of Neighponese mythology," Twilight said. "I don't put much stock in myths, though."

"I do," Ghost said with a smile. "My specialty lies in history, myths, legends, and lore." Ghost's eyes lit up and he looked to the sky. "I don't take any myth at face value. Every one has a kernel of truth that it's founded on. To me, a myth is just an unsolved mystery."

Ghost shook his head. "But back on topic." He pushed his glasses up. "Kitsunes are fox demons."

"Demons?" Twilight looked cautiously at the young fox, who was currently trying to catch one of his tails.

"Kitsune aren't evil or malicious by nature. They're tricksters. They use illusions and shape shifting to fool others and can also use this sort of ethereal flame called fox-fire. Kitsunes can also form telepathic bonds by tasting the blood of a pony." Ghost paused, thinking. "Oh, if you don't want to be pranked, just tell me. Flare won't pull any tricks on ponies I declare off limits."

Twilight smiled. "It's okay. I can take a joke, though Fluttershy is kind of sensitive," she said.

Ghost nodded. While he didn't know who Fluttershy was, it was better to stop Flare before he caused trouble. "Flare." Flare looked to Ghost. "No pranks until we know who can take it."

Flare nodded, then returned to chasing his tails, the task taking priority in his mind.

"If you're worried about it, why let him prank at all?"

Ghost frowned. "If I don't let him prank, he chews up my paper and quills." He looked around again. "So where are we headed?"

"A place right outside of town called Sweet Apple Acres," Twilight said, taking the lead again. "I promised my friend that I would help her out real quick, so I figured you could meet her."

"Meeting new ponies…" Ghost said with a slight frown. "That would be cool."

Ghost looked at the orchard, eyes wide in amazement. "So many trees. So many apples. It's like an ocean."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far." Twilight giggled. "My friend Applejack and her family run this orchard. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Oh Twilight, there ya are."

Twilight turned to the orange pony that rushed up. Her face had white freckles and she wore a cowboy hat over her blond hair. Her mane, along with her tail, were tied at the ends, but looked a little frazzled and Ghost could see worry in her eyes. She seemed very focused and she barely noticed Ghost.

"Applejack, you okay?" Twilight said, noticing her slightly disheveled look. She frowned "You're not overworking yourself again, are you?"

Applejack shook her head. "No. I learned my lesson, but if I don't figure this out soon, there won't be a need to overwork."

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked.

"There's something up with the trees," Applejack said, motioning farther into the orchard. "I ain't ever seen it before, so I thought maybe you could help."

"Show me."

As the two galloped away, Ghost decided to follow them for curiosity's sake and because he didn't want to be left alone.

The tree Applejack led them to looked horrible. Its bark was black and all along its trunk were swollen knots. Its branches hung low and the apples were a dull red. The trees around it didn't look much better.

Twilight looked at the tree thoughtfully. "This requires more research," she said, walking closer to it.

Ghost was also looking at the tree some distance behind the two. With lips pursed in thought, he pulled a book out of his bag, which he always carried.

"You think you can help, Ghost?" Flare asked.

"Maybe." Ghost set the book on the ground and flipped it open. "Nope." He flipped to another page. "Not that one either," he said, flipping the page again. "That definitely won't help."

"Aww, I like that one," Flare whined.

Ghost rolled his eyes and continued his search. "Perfect." Finding what he wanted, he reached into his bag and brought out a blank piece of parchment. The paper glittered slightly when the sun hit it. Ghost looked into his bag again, but soon frowned. "Foxtrot, I forgot a quill. Hmm..." Ghost stamped his hoof and smiled before turning to Flare. "Flare, quill."

"I didn't hear the magic words," The twin-tail responded in a sing song voice, tilting his head up.

"Razza matazz."

"Aww, I prefer Abra Kadabra."

Ghost rolled his eyes. "Abra Kadabra, then."

Flare chuckled, then morphed into a quill. Dipping his friend's quill form into the ink, Ghost began to draw a circle on the paper. He crossed lines through the circle, forming an intricate pattern before putting a small upside down triangle in the middle. It took him about a minute, with him occasionally looking up from the paper to reference his book. When he finished, he lifted the paper up and smiled. Ghost pulled some string and a small pair of scissors out of his bag. He cut himself a length of string and asked Flare to get him a medium sized stick.

"What am I? A dog?" Flare said as he rolled his eyes.

Ghost frowned while attaching the string to the paper. "You still haven't completely redeemed yourself for laughing."

Flare stomped off, his shoulders slumped and his head low as grumbles escaped his throat. He returned a few seconds later with a good sized stick held between his teeth.

"Tis good?" he asked, through the stick.

"Tis perfect," Ghost said, finishing with the string.

Flare spat the stick out and Ghost picked it up. Using the string, he hung the paper on the stick.

"Think you can do anything, Twi?" Applejack asked with a worried frown.

"I'd have to know what I'm dealing with first," she said as she finished her observations. She then noticed Ghostwriter and Flare walk past them further into the orchard. Ghost was carrying a strange sign and looked around, assessing his position.

"Right here should be good," Ghost said sticking the strange sign in the ground. "And for the piece-de-resistance."

"I love this part," Flare said, giggling.

Ghost's horn lit up a light blue and touched the sign. The writing glowed bright green before settling to a dull glow. A green wave pulsed from the sign and worked it's way through the ground and into the surrounding trees. As the wave went up through the trees, they began to regain their color. The wave passed through the branches, perking them up, and and settling in the fruit resting at the tips. The once dull apples brightened to a healthier red. The sign sent out a few more waves before settling. Ghost smiled and nodded.

"What was that, Ghostwriter?" Twilight asked, her eyes wide in shock and awe.

Ghost turned, startled. He had been so absorbed in his work that he had forgotten they were there. "Oh… uh… It's a life rune. All it does is give the trees around it a pick-me-up and help them fight off whatever bug they have. It should last a week—provided it doesn't rain—and as long the trees are taken care of, they should have kicked this bug by that point."

He looked around in thought. "I should probably put a couple more around the orchard, just in case some of the other trees have it. I'd have to come back with better supplies though, if you want me to, of course."

Applejack had gotten over her shock and walked over to him. With a smile on her face, she draped her foreleg over his back. "Stranger, that was a mighty fine trick you pulled. Whatever you did, I'd be grateful if you could do that to the entire orchard, just to be safe." Applejack shook her head. "Oh, hay. Where are my manners? Names Applejack. What's yours?"

Ghost blushed. "Uh... I'm Ghostwriter, Ghost for short." Ghost pointed to Flare. "And that's Flare."

"Hi," Flare greeted, waving a paw.

Applejack's eyes widened at talking fox, but soon settled to a smile again.

Twilight smiled. "Ghost is the Princess' personal scribe. She sent him to interview us for a book."

"Well, you be sure to tell the Princess thanks for sending this helpful guy down here." She moved back to the healthier looking tree. "Now, you just come back when ya can and get these trees all fixed up."

"Uh, sure…" Ghost said, tongue-tied and blushing slightly.

"Where ya off to next, Twi?" Applejack asked, turning to her with a smile.

"I was going to give Ghost a tour, so we're going to head back into town," Twilight said as she motioned back towards the dirt path.

"Well, I got a few things here to do first, but I'll meet you in a little while," Applejack said, turning back to the orchard. "See ya, Twilight and thanks again, Ghost."

Ghost gathered his bag and the group walked out.

"So what was that magic you used?" Twilight asked excitedly, her eyes shining with a curious light. "I've never seen magic like that before."

"It's rune magic," Ghost said, a small smile on his face. "It's kind of a dead practice. It was only discovered three years ago. The Princess has restrictions on who's allowed to know it. She probably would let you learn it, if you asked her." Ghost shook his head. "Anyway I don't have much talent in traditional magic, aside from basic levitation. But rune magic is different. With rune magic, I'm actually fairly competent."

Flare shifted to his Celestia form on Ghost's back. "You must have—"

"That Mini-Princess better have the right wings when I turn around or you're not getting cake," Ghost interrupted, frowning. Flare frowned and shifted back to normal. Ghost turned his attention back to Twilight, his eyes bright. "Anyway, rune magic is the practice of using written symbols to amplify magical energy."

Ghost pushed his glasses up. "Just the smallest amount of power is needed to work a rune, and with the right combination, you can give a spell its own power source which would mean—"

"You could keep a spell going for years," Twilight said, her eyes wide as she thought of the possibilities. "Then why is it considered a dead practice? It seems so useful."

"Well, a few reasons, actually. It has its advantages over regular magic, but it's actually rather inferior," Ghost said, shrugging. "For one, some of the more powerful runes need enormous amounts of prep time, leading to hours of drawing. Not very practical when you need a quick solution. Second, is the amount of precision required. If a symbol is even a hair off, it could backfire upon activation. This is especially problematic if you are trying to make a self-powered rune. You have to flow magic through it as you draw and if you make a mistake, it could very well explode."

Ghost paused for a second. "Third, is that runes were responsible for the complete annihilation of an ancient civilization in a single night."

Twilight nearly tripped. She turned to Ghost with a questioning glance. "What?"

"It's actually an interesting story," Ghost chuckled. He noticed his surroundings and slumped, his face adopting a nervous frown. "But, uh, I'll tell you later."

Twilight picked up on Ghost sudden discomfort. She looked around, seeing they were back in Ponyville. "You okay, Ghost?"

"Hmm." Ghost hung his head low as if trying to make himself smaller. "Oh yeah, fine."

"He's got social anxiety," Flare said, turning to her.

"I have what ponies would consider social anxiety, yes," Ghost said, glaring at the ground. "Thank you for bringing it to light, Flare. Where did you even hear that?"

"The Princess said it while she was teaching me to send letters," Flare said, shrugging.

"I see. Well, I don't have social anxiety." Ghost rolled his eyes before sighing. "I just get nervous when ponies stare at me, is all."

"Well, of course they're staring. Those robes make you stand out." Twilight raised her brow. "In fact, isn't it kind of hot in that thing? It is summer."

Ghost shrugged. "Not really."

"Your back is soaked," whined Flare, lifting his paw and shaking it.

"Again, thank you, Flare." Ghost frowned. "Anyway, I've worn stuff like this all my life. I'd feel off without it."

Twilight raised her brow. "If you're going to live in Ponyville, you need something a little less… restricting."

Ghost's frown deepened. "This is the only set of clothes I brought."

Twilight smirked and led Ghost down another path. "Then I know our next stop."

"I don't know. This place looks a little…"

"A little what?" Twilight asked, with a raised eye.

"Uh, girly," Ghost said, frowning. "Not that there's anything wrong with that," he quickly amended, shaking his head. "It's just that, well, I'm a stallion, so the stuff here might not be for me."

"My friend Rarity, owns this shop," Twilight said, rolling her eyes and smiling, "and her expertise goes beyond just dresses. Tell her what you want and she can make it."

"Well." Ghost smiled and sighed. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

Twilight walked to the door and opened it, a smirk on her face. "Not really."

Ghost bowed his head and walked through the entrance, Twilight soon following.

"Rarity!" Twilight called, looking around the room. "I brought you some work!"

Ghost looked around with a curious expression. He noticed several mannequins meant to model clothes. Some were wearing outfits that Ghost had seen in Canterlot.

Oh, so this must be where they come from, he thought.

"Oh, Twilight," said the white mare that walked into the room. Her mane and tail were purple and curly. Her cutie mark appeared to be three blue diamonds in a triangle. Her blue eyes watched her friend as she walked up. Ghost noticed that she carried herself with an air of sophistication, almost like a Canterlot pony. "To what do I owe this occasion?"

It was then that she noticed Ghost. "Oh, who is this? Not your usual company." Her face adopted a playful smirk. "A coltfriend, perhaps?"

Ghost blushed at the sudden implications, while Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Nothing like that Rarity," Twilight said, shaking her head. She turned her head to Ghost. "This is Ghostwriter, Celestia's personal scribe. He's going to be in Ponyville for a while, to interview us for a book. Ghost, this is Rarity."

Rarity turned to the nervous stallion. "A pleasure to meet someone of such distinguished status."

"I'm not really all that—"

"I'll be happy to help you, but right now, I'm very busy," Rarity said interrupting Ghost.

"What are you busy with?" Flare asked, cocking his head.

"Oh my," Rarity gasped at Flare. "What is this?"

"Sorry," Ghost said. "This is my friend Flare."

Rarity smiled and rubbed Flares head. "Well, little fox, I'm working on some suits Fancy Pants requested for his summer collection."

Huh, so she knows Mr. Fancy Pants. Ghost thought.

Ghost didn't like most Canterlot ponies. They tended to put up a front when talking to him. Ghost could easily tell that they would only talk to him because of his position and wouldn't give him the time of day otherwise. But Fancy Pants was different, at least to Ghost. If he did think Ghost was weird, he hid it very well. Ghost had only met the stallion a few times, but he encouraged Ghost that being a dreamer wasn't a bad thing.

"It was a pleasure meeting you. I must get back to work on some new designs," Rarity said, turning around.

"Actually, I need a favor," Twilight said, turning Rarity's attention back to them. "See, Ghost is going to be living in Ponyville for a while. As such, he needs some better clothes."

Rarity turned to stare at Ghost's attire, her lips pursed in concentration.

"Hmm," she began, "Your position and attire definitely point towards Canterlot. Most of the ponies around here don't wear clothes all the time."

"You're correct, Miss Rarity," Ghost responded with a nod and a nervous smile as he watched her pace around him.

Rarity smiled while her eyes scanned him. "Such manners. You don't see that too often."

Ghost shrugged. "My sister taught me to be respectful. It is second nature to me."

"Do you have any particular requirements for your new wardrobe?" Rarity asked, stopping to levitate a few tailoring tools.

"Well…" Ghost looked to his attire, a hoof to his chin in thought. "Something like this, but more of a focus on practicality, I guess."

"Length?"

"Enough to cover my shoulders and part of my back."

"Anything else?" Rarity asked, looking over some designs.

"A hood," Ghost said, not missing a beat. "It has to have a hood."

"I see," Rarity said, looking back to him. She put a hoof to her chin before closing her eyes and raising her chin. "First things first, I need you to take off those dreadful robes."

"Uh, alright. You are the expert," Ghost said nervously, as he shed himself of his cloak and bag. He folded the cloak before slipping it into his bag.

Twilight watched, as Rarity took some measurements. Twilight could finally see Ghost's cutie mark, which was a blank scroll with a quill.

Rarity closed her eyes in thought. "Aha!" she exclaimed. She quickly levitated some cloth to her side. "Give me a few minutes and I should have the perfect thing," she said as she walked up the stairs.

Twilight and Ghostwriter, still robe-less, spent some time discussing history and how Twilight predicted Nightmare Moon. Ghost actually took notes of the info so he could use it later. True to her word, Rarity returned three minutes later, a folded garment beside her.

"I wouldn't call this my best work, but it should be perfectly suited for your needs," Rarity said, a confident smile on her face. She gave the garment to Ghost and pointed to a hallway. "There is a mirror in the back room. Go on and try it out. If it requires adjusting, just tell me."

Ghost followed the direction pointed out by Rarity's hoof to the back room, Flare a step behind him.

Ghost fiddled with the cloth he had been given. It was dark blue with a slight silver trimming and seemed more like a small cloak compared to his previous attire. There was a small gold clasp where his neck would fit, meant for securing the garment in place. It was clear that it also had a hood. Using his magic, he slipped it onto his back and fit the clasp together. Ghost looked himself over in the mirror.

"Not bad," he said to himself, a smile on his face. "Miss Rarity certainly knows what she's doing. What do you think, Flare?"

The young kitsune looked at his caretaker. He smiled. "You look cool, Ghost."

"This should be just inconspicuous enough for town, and if some evil force kills everything I've ever loved, I can moonlight as a super hero." Ghost smirked as he flicked the hood up, allowing the shade to cover his eyes.

"Beware, Evildoers," he said in a dark, brooding voice, holding part of the cloak in front of his face. "Tonight, you face the spirit of vengeance: Ghostrider!"

Flare giggled, but there was also another giggle, belonging to a certain mare.

Ghost whipped around, throwing the hood off his head.

"Miss Twilight!" he squeaked in surprise. "How… uh… how long have you been standing there?"

Twilight smirked. "I came in around the 'some evil force' part."

Ghost looked to the floor, his ears drooped with embarrassment. "Uh, sorry."

"It's okay, Ghost." Twilight smiled. "I thought it was funny."

Ghost didn't look up. "Uh, thanks," he said as he scuffed the floor with his hoof. "My mind kinda wanders away with me. Most ponies find it weird."

"You should meet my friend Pinkie Pie," Twilight said with a chuckle. " I think you and her would get along." She smiled. "I take it you like the change of clothes?"

Ghost turned back to the mirror, a small smile appearing. "They are certainly what I need, though I can't help but feel like there is an attribute missing." Ghost raised an eye and pursed his lips. "Got it. Flare, go get the small blue box out of my bag."

Flare returned with said box, which Ghostwriter took from him. He opened the box and stared at the object inside with admiration. The object in question was a chain and was meant as a decoration for robes. There were two pins on either side to attach it to the garment with a small open book made of gold with a gold quill in the center. Ghost quickly pulled out the chain and attached it to his cloak's front. The book was positioned in the center of his chest. Ghost looked back at the mirror and smirked.

"Perfect," he declared proudly as he stamped his hoof. "Ties it all together nicely."

The three left the back room and returned to Rarity.

"Well, I must say that looks dashing on you, Ghostwriter," Rarity said with a smile. "Much better than that old robe." Rarity spotted the chain. "And I see you've added a personal touch, too."

"Thank you for the clothing, Miss Rarity. You really know your stuff," Ghost said with a slight blush. "So how much do I owe you?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Rarity said, waving her hoof dismissively. "It was my pleasure to help. In fact you have inspired me to make more of those. There is a certain amount of elegance in its simplicity."

Ghost frowned. "Are you sure? I have enough." Ghost started to pull his bits out of his bag, but Rarity herded him towards the door.

"Come now, accept my generosity." The three were pushed outside. "Anyway, I would love to chat, but I have work that I simply must take care of. Pleasure meeting you Ghostwriter, Flare, and remember what we talked about, Twilight."

Rarity shut the door, leaving a bewildered Ghost and Flare and a slightly blushing Twilight.

"Is she always like that?" Ghost asked with a raised brow.

"Pretty much." Twilight sighed. "Come on. I still have some friends for you to meet."

"Ghost! I want my cake!" Flare whined, his stomach letting out an audible growl.

Twilight smirked. "Then, have I got the perfect place for our next stop."

Ghost smiled. "Wow, a perfect segue."

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle.

End Part 1.