Friend
It was a young lavender unicorn mare maybe a year or so younger than me with purple and pink streaked hair. Her Cutie mark was a compass like star but I wasn't really paying much attention to anything but her face at the moment.
It was a look of concern that covered it but also an almost military like stern expression which made for a very strange look. I myself had my jaw hanging open and was frozen still. I didn't feel like giving up anymore but I wasn't sure what I felt now though I knew that I certainly felt shocked that somepony could see me.
Just to check I looked behind the throne and back at the mare then at the few guards in the Throne room. "Are you talking to me?" I asked fearing that suddenly somepony would come leaping out from behind the throne and confirm my fear of being alone forever.
She looked at me with an odd expression and asked "Who else is there to talk to sitting on Princess Celestia's throne?" I looked at the throne and quickly hopped off not wanting to offend her and ruin the conversation if you could call it that.
"Look you can hear and see me?" I asked excitedly and not sure if this was a dream although as far as I knew I couldn't fall asleep since I never felt tired. "She didn't seem to have a great first impression of me and asked "Why are you on the Princess's throne? Why haven't the guards taken you down?"
I wasn't really sure what this mare was seeing but to her I obviously looked nothing like a ghost otherwise she would have probably not been talking so casually. I looked over at the guards and although their heads never moved their eyes were fixated on Twilight and probably the empty space she was talking to.
"Look am I glowing white to you? What do I look like?" I asked and she just stared at me. "You want me to describe you? Don't you know what you look like?" she asked sarcastically. "Look do I look like a normal pony to you?" I asked but she seemed to be losing patience and sympathy for me by the second and asked "Look tell me who you are and why you are here or I will call the guards on you." She threatened me.
Normally I would have been hurt but I was just delighted to talk to somepony. So delighted I forgot to even cry. However I also saw that the guards were looking this way fairly suspiciously but some concerned obviously for Twilight and I asked "Do you think we could possibly go talk somewhere more private?"
Twilight slatted her eyes and shook her head sitting down on her haunches and crossing her fore-hooves. "I'm staying right here until I get an explanation" she said fairly determinedly. Although it was nice to have somepony to talk to I couldn't help but notice the guards whispering to themselves.
"Look Miss uh what's your name?" I asked trotting quickly down beside her. She sighed and uncrossed her hooves replying "Twilight Sparkle's my name ok… now tell me who you are and what you are doing here!" she almost yelled bringing more attention to herself.
I put my hoof to my muzzle and begged her to be quiet. "Look you are attracting a lot of attention and oh dear…" I said when I saw a guard stroll over. He was a textbook guard but his expression seemed softer than if he were dealing with an ordinary pony.
"Uh Twilight is uh, everything quite alright over here?" he asked her worriedly. Twilight shook her head and pointed to me explaining "This pony here has done a great job at sneaking past you guys I mean didn't you see him sitting up there?" she asked.
The other guards were looking between themselves a little bit confused and the guard in front of Twilight asked "I'm sorry Twilight but I don't quite understand what you mean" he said trying not to look baffled.
Twilight held her hooves up in disbelief "Are you saying that I am the only pony here that can see this guy" she said trying to prod me on the chest. That of course would never work and her hoof sunk right through me and she unbalanced and almost fell over.
She looked at me confused and then did the predictable thing and screamed really loudly. The guard next to her hopped alert and held Twilight still. "What's the matter Twilight?" he asked worriedly looking for trouble.
Twilight breathed rapidly and exclaimed "Didn't you just see that!" But the guard who had been fairly reserved began to lose his temper a little. "Twilight what are you talking about please tell us!" he demanded as other guards came over to see what the situation was all about.
"He's still here just staring at us all please can't you see him he's right there! My hoof went right through him like he was… a ghost" she shouted finally hitting the nail on the head and getting the right answer.
Twilight began to back away from me and I moved to try and stop her but the other guard was angry at the threat that was seemingly not there and shouted "Twilight there is nothing there! I think you need to go lie down and we will tell the Princess to come see you, you are delusional."
Twilight tried to shake her head but already two guards had took hold of her and had begun to take her away. It was a little awkward for me just standing there and doing nothing but I didn't think I could make the situation any better by making Twilight Sparkle think she was crazy.
The guard staying behind wrinkled his muzzle and looked at where I was and then behind the throne and shook his head. "That girl works too hard" he muttered to himself before he walked on out of the room and out of my sight.
I was silent for a few more moments and so was the room now that Twilight had left and the other guards but I was still very happy. "Maybe Twilight Sparkle can help me" I said to myself and quickly galloped out of the throne room to catch her up, not wanting to lose her in this big castle.
She was easy to find as she was arguing with the guards about me and complaining that the could let her go now. They didn't respond and kept that same typical Stoney expression and stare as they marched her away.
I kept my distance though, not wanting to cause any more trouble and waiting for the right moment to leap in and try and calmly explain my situation to her. Well that was how it went in my mind but since I hadn't parted on great terms with her seeing me again might make her a little bit unhappy to see me again so soon.
They eventually left her alone after they got to a set of stairs and told her to return to her chambers and await the Princess's visit. "Miss Sparkle must be quiet important if she gets private visits from the Princess" I thought as I followed stealthily behind.
She was looking a little skittish as she walked up the stairs alone and would look over her shoulder occasionally. She seemed to be muttering to herself repeatedly and probably trying to tell herself it was all a dream.
She didn't seem to stay on course for long as after just a few minutes walking there was a large flash of purple which enveloped her and then she was gone. I was no Unicorn but I knew that not many ponies knew how to do those sort of spells and if they did it took years of practice.
I'd heard there was a school of gifted Unicorn's in Canterlot but I didn't really know much beyond that. Maybe Miss Sparkle was a student… or a teacher but maybe her magical prowess was why she could see me.
"That can't be it" I told myself. It was obvious that Princess Celestia was the most powerful magical user in all of Equestria so that theory was out. Or maybe Twilight Sparkle was different and had an ancient family gift, which let her see ghosts and maybe even talk to the dead.
But judging by how freaked out she'd been that wasn't true. Well now with no trail to follow I was totally lost and had no idea where I was. I wondered for a bit in search of Twilight or at least somepony else but nopony presented themselves as the corridors began to get unfamiliar and I became lost.
"Well I guess this is why my Cutie mark isn't a compass and a quill" I muttered annoyed at my lack of sense of direction. I chose a random room and passed inside. It seemed like the office of somepony although I didn't stop to scan any documents and instead looked out the window.
There were many towers, courtyards and guards everywhere and I could see the bridge I'd walked over but still had no clue about where I was. I wondered if I should keep searching the corridors when an idea hit me.
I could just reach the ground floor and start over and get a reference point. Normally I'd have to walk but now I could just pass through the window and fall a storey or two to the ground below. For a normal pony it spelled certain death but for a ghost it would be a snap.
But it still freaked me out the idea of even thinking it. I wouldn't even need to jump I just had to walk until I was far enough away and then I could let gravity do the rest of the work for me. So I took a tentative step into the wall and breathed out loud. Then I leapt out and to my surprise felt no air hit against me as I plunged.
The lack of air made me forget all about the ground and suddenly was falling downwards a bit slower than I think a pony was meant to fall but still too fast to see much. Except for the guard that was standing directly below me and whistling.
I prepared for the unpleasant experience of seeing inside of him as I plunged further and further down but as I hit him I didn't pass through him. Then something strange happened and I could feel the slight chill of the air and the heaviness of the armour on my back, the itch on my neck and the feeling of boredom before it all past and I shot outwards from the guard like a cannon.
I landed rough but it didn't hurt but looking back it appeared that the guard wasn't having the most splendid of times. He was looking quite dizzy and without much ceremony he promptly vomited. I cringed and breathed heavy as he stopped and sat down, looking like he was trying to clear his head of a terrible headache.
"Did I just? What? Was I like in his mind?" I asked myself standing up and looking at the now very pale looking guard. I hadn't watched many ghostly movies but what I would have described that as would have been possession.
I forgot about Miss Sparkle for a minute and looked at myself and then the guard who was still shaking his head and recovering from his ordeal. "Maybe I can use his body to talk to the Princess!" I thought excitedly and stepped into the guard to see if I possessed him.
Instead I just went right through him and all he did was shiver. So then I tried jumping on him and once more my body just fell through him like air. I was confused as to why this didn't work again since I was positive that I felt blood running through me and his thoughts in my head and it was the most incredible feeling ever.
It made me slightly jealous that he was experiencing living right now but I had to remember that it wasn't his fault that he was alive and I wasn't. I tried concentrating and then once more stepped into his body but still nothing happened and I became a little down trodden.
"Maybe it only works once?" I asked but then there was no one to answer me so the question was left unanswered. "Sunshine are you ok?" asked a sudden voice coming along the side of the castle. It was another guard but dressed in slightly better armour with a star decoration on it.
Sunshine shook his head and weakly stood to salute. "No Captain Armour sir I suddenly got this feeling of being cold and almost like I couldn't feel anything sir… but I wasn't numb it was… it was like I was dead on my feet sir." He said looking scared and pale.
The Captain held a hoof to his chin for a few moments before walking through me to support the guard. "You certainly look terrible; I'm taking you to the infirmary. Somepony else will cover your shift but you need to be checked out" he said walking in another direction and supporting Sunshine.
I felt a little guilty for being the pony that caused the poor fellow to be sick but then I remembered the feeling of life and if my mouth was still wet it would have watered in want. Then again the other pony felt like death when I had control of his body and that certainly wouldn't be the kind of thing you'd want to experience twice.
I decided to get on with the search for Twilight but it wasn't particularly hard as I saw her walking out of the palace's main doors with none other than Princess Celestia. I hung behind them partly was a little curious at what Miss Sparkle had to do with the Princess and also because I didn't want to freak Twilight out and make another scene with the Princess of the sun watching her this time.
Celestia was very tall I noted now seeing her up close and her mane waved and sparkled quite nicely but there was also an air about her of not just power but also of Royaliness that nopony else quiet had. I stopped admiring Princess Celestia and focused on what she was saying.
"Twilight I understand that you don't want a break but I am telling you that you need one. You work so hard my faithful student and you never get any time for yourself. I've heard that Moon Dancer is having a party later on so why not go spend some time there and get to know some ponies" suggested the Princess, revealing more information about Twilight in a few seconds than the time I had spent with her.
Twilight seemed a little calmer now and shook her head saying "Maybe I am a little tired Princess but I definitely saw a pony in front of me and he definitely saw me as well, he even talked to me! He was not a figment of my imagination!" she said a little crossly.
It seemed that she was still having trouble accepting what she's seen but I was amazed how sure she was. What also amazed me was how casually she spoke with the Princess, without bowing of grovelling or bowing again like I would. Well if I weren't dead.
"Twilight you are an amazing student but you are working too hard so for the next week I order you to take time off" said the Princess smiling warmly. "Twilight was about to argue against this but she sighed and nodded her head. "Yes Princess Celestia" she replied within the sigh and frowned.
"That is good Twilight… now if you can excuse me I must go and prepare my speech for the Summer Sun Celebration, I am already behind schedule as it is" she said turning away from Twilight. Twilight sighed and looked at a book she had with her in a Saddlebag. "I understand Princess; she said trotting away a little saddened.
"Indeed there is more to this mare than meets the eyes" I thought as I stalked followed Twilight. She crossed over a few of the bridges around the little river of the gardens and at first I believed her to be heading outside the castle when she took a turn and stopped by the grassy part next to the bridge and nestled down by a tree.
She levitated the book out of her saddlebag and began flicking through the chapters of the book. I glimpsed at some of the writings from behind the tree I was hiding and it seemed like an ancient lingo.
I guessed along with the fact she was the Personal student of Princess Celestia that she was very smart and probably being trained to be like second in command to Celestia or Mayor of some city like Manehatten in the future.
I wasn't quite sure how to approach this but I decided before she immersed herself in the book she was reading I should start. I stepped out from the tree without any "ta-da" and prepared for the screams of panic and terror.
Nothing happened and looking down I realised Twilight hadn't just immersed herself in the book but lost herself in it. I scratched the back of my neck and coughed quietly. Nothing happened so I did it again and still nothing happened.
I stared ludicrously at this mare and decided to just get the worst part over with. "Miss Sparkle!" I yelled to get her attention. I sure got it as Twilight almost leapt through the air and suddenly I saw a large flash of purple pass through me.
"Wait did she just try to blast me into teeny tiny pieces?" I asked myself. She certainly knew how to handle herself but right now she wasn't doing too well mentally with the whole ghost thing. "What in the name o-of Equestria are you!?" she asked backing up to the tree and looking a little scared.
I held my hoof up and tried to calm her down begging "Please don't scream so loud or you'll make a scene like you did this morning. I'm just an ordinary pony like you that needs help" I said keeping my tone low.
Twilight stopped hyperventilating but her eyes darted all over me. "What are you?" she asked again and I supposed that I may as well tell her if she was to help me. "Well I'm not exactly sure but I think that I'm a ghost" I said a little bitterly in fact.
"More like and evil spirit trying to trick me" she said not exactly helping but I shook my head. "Look my name is Far Gone and I'm just a quill salespony that lives and worked in Ponyville… at least I used to" I said feeling my emotions come over me again.
Twilight seemed to get less jumpy as I got sadder and she asked "What do you mean? What happened?" I didn't really feel like answering that but I supposed she had to know everything to help but still I couldn't stop my voice breaking a little as I explained "I'll tell y-you but a-all of this is really new to me so I have to take it slow."
Twilight nodded and stopped looking like she was about to kill me… again and settled down. I took a pause to get everything together before explaining "Last night I was at a party and well… I think I might have drunken too much and basically I got home and fell down the stairs. I didn't think anything was wrong when I woke up but then I saw my dead body and looked down and I was all sparkly and white." I said fairly amazed that I hadn't started crying yet.
Twilight's eyes softened slightly as I kept up the tale if you could even call it that. "It was shocking and at first I tried to get help but nopony seemed to listen to me and I worked out that I was a g-ghost." I sat down and steadied myself trying to keep talking. "I figured that Princess Celestia could help me so I travelled here. It wasn't easy but I had to do something and it was a plan but I was wrong and so I almost gave up there and then… But then you came along and asked me why I was crying and now here we are" I finished smiling and feeling genuine gratitude for Twilight's timing.
Twilight had remained silent throughout but even her eyes were watery when she said "Oh Far Fire I'm so sorry" sounding genuinely sad for me. It was nice to get some sympathy but at the same time it was a little upsetting and made me feel stupid for losing my life in the first place and having to put Twilight out now by getting her to help me.
I wiped my eyes and smiled. "But hey it's not like it's your fault or anything, so don't you act sad or else I'll just sink into a deeper depression than already." Twilight tried to fix her expression a little but she still seemed sad for me.
"So Twilight Sparkle will you help me to be free of this mortal world?" I asked, not sounding dramatic at all. Twilight looked from her book to me and nodded almost happily, which surprised me but made me glad as she could have just told me no.
"I already began to try and find out something about you since this morning." She said, pointing to a picture in her book that resembled a crudely drawn ghost. "I'm Princess Celestia's personal student and although I thought that evil spirits and ghosts were an old pony-tale I still couldn't deny what my eyes saw."
I was surprised how quick this mare was to learn what she didn't know. "Found anything interesting?" I asked hopefully but she shook her head, smiled and replied "I only started reading five minutes ago." I shrugged "Maybe five minutes was all that you needed?"
She looked at me and chuckled "No I don't think that it's going to be that simple. Ghosts don't even have a section in the Canterlot Library, which isn't a good start. I can check the archives but I still think that it'll be a long search before I find anything."
"Why not just go to Princess Celestia and ask. Maybe she'll know something?" I asked, but Twilight seemed to go into a fit of indecision and leaned her head from one side to the other. "I could try, but I think she would believe me like this morning when I just put my hoof through your body. Also just want to point out how freaky that was" she said a little crossly.
I'd have laughed had I not been having the worst day of my life... Or death (it was all still a bit confusing). "Isn't there a way to convince her I'm real or maybe make her see me?" I asked hopefully but Twilight shook her head. "That's what I'm saying. Maybe if I can study you and keep looking for references in books then something might pop up but until then it would not look very well for me to point you out to everypony."
"Well I'm not exactly going anywhere since you are the only pony that can see me and I can't do anything on my own except watch other ponies live." I said a little glumly. Twilight didn't really notice and smiled "Looking on the bright side this'll be a great opportunity for me to write notes on ghosts for future ponies to understand!" She almost cried in nerdy joy.
"Yay" I said trying to contain my false and very sarcastic enthusiasm. Twilight picked up on this and apologised "I'm sorry this must be very hard for you right now and I'm here laughing like this is all some big joke." I appreciated the sentiment she took towards me but I was still a little depressed. "Yeah well maybe if we can hurry and figure out a way to help me be seen or even better go to pony heaven then that would be best." I said trying to sound optimistic.
Twilight shrugged her shoulders and chuckled "I'm not even convinced there is such a place." I almost leapt out of my ghostly skin and yelled "What!?" Twilight was taken a little aback and pointed out "Well there isn't really any evidence to point towards the existence of that place, no texts or evidence it's just the stories we were all told as fillies and colts and we just accept it like that."
I couldn't believe that Twilight was taking this so lightly and acting like it was no big deal. "So what happens when we die? Please explain that!?" I asked angrily but Twilight already had an answer. "Well that's easy we just die and that's that. No afterlife just darkness."
Twilight had a fair point but I still felt like kicking her in the jaw. "But I… Well how do you explain me then?" I asked and Twilight grinned "That's just it I can't that's why this is an opportunity for not only me but all pony kind to find out what happens after death. Now since it's only reached afternoon why don't you tell me everything you've experienced so far and what you feel right now… assuming you can feel." She said taking out a notepad and quill.
I just stood there staring at Twilight ludicrously. "Well now where the hay do I even start!?"