The sun is resting on top of the blue sky at Sweet Apple Acres, with Applebloom, Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Twilight Sparke, all gathered together  at the front gates of the barn.

“Gosh darn it you kids!” Granny Smith hisses, “Why’d y’all let Applejack go out into the desert, then lie to me to where she’s been off to? For Pete’s sake!”

“She wanted to prove that the Ghost Pony was real,” Twilight responds, “I told you this morning.”

“Snitch…” Big McIntosh mumbles.

“Well I didn’t know that this was some sort of sneak-out.”

“And besides,” the old Earth pony adds, “everypony knows that he’s real. So this quest of hers was meaningless in the first place!”

“Really? Everypony?”

“Why yes. Why do you ask? Don’t tell me you don’t accept the facts.”

“Accept the facts? What fact is there to a flaming skeleton that turns ponies to stone upon eye contact?”

“Plenty of it I rest assure you.”

“Nope.” Big Mac disagrees, “I’m sorry to say this, but the Ghost Pony’s just a false myth.”

“False myth, my flank!”

“See Granny,” Applebloom pipes in, “this is why Applejack left. She’s probably got hard evidence with her as we speak.”

“I don’t care if she went to find evidence. You kids should’ve known better then to let her wander out into the dangerous barren wasteland to prove something that the lot of you should know!”

“Oh my,” Big Mac hollers, “I tried to reason with her not to go, but she just ignored me and moved on! And for the last time, there is no way that the Ghost Pony is-”

“I’m back!” A fifth voice exclaims from outside the arguing huddle. Everypony turns their heads to see Applejack both with great joy and great concern. Her mane and tail are an unbraided mess, her knees are bruised, her back right hoof is in a limp, and her face is worn and weary.

“Applejack!” Granny joyously barks, “I’m so happy you’re okay!”

“I’m fi-”

“Yet, I’m also so crossed at you! What happened to you? What gave you the gall to give your grandma a heart attack like that? Why did you need to search for the Ghost Pony? We all already should know he is real!”

“I’m sorry, I had my doubts. I wasn’t too sure so I went for a short while to find some hard evidence. I didn’t expect for the trip to be so difficult, but I managed to come back home safe and sound. These bruises will heal in no-time, I rest assure you.”

“Speaking of which,” Twilight replies, “what did you find out there? Is the Ghost Pony real or not?”

“Well…”

“Well… what?”

“I don’t necessarily have physical or eyewitness proof that he exists,”

“HA!” The large red Earth pony howls in pride. “Yep I knew it.”

“However, during my travels, I met this stallion who recognizes himself as the Ghost Pony. He told me that the Ghost Pony is actually nowadays a title self-given by ponies that help others out there in the desert. They create an influence in the form of the Ghost Pony for others to look up to. So, in a way, he is real.”

“So wait,” Applebloom asks with a look of confusion, “does the Ghost Pony exist?”

“Sort of… He exists in many good ponies out there, you can believe in him and draw a good influence from him like many of the real heroes we know of.”

“So, does that mean I can become the Ghost Pony?”

“I guess, maybe when you’re older and have straightened a few things out. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“Good, now run along you.”

“Hmph,” Big Mac snorts, “still doesn’t explain the flaming skeleton…”

“Well you don’t have to believe in the tale of the ‘original’ Ghost Pony, but you do have to admit something.”

“What?”

“Seeing Applebloom wanting to follow a role model that help other ponies and even become a role model herself, you want that to be her future right.”

“I guess. I will admit, he is real in the sense as a role model, there I said it. Happy?”

“Very.” Big Mac and Applebloom head away from the group and go into the apple orchards to play, leaving Applejack, Twilight, and Granny Smith in front of the barn.

“So Applejack,” Twilight sheepishly states, “I guess you’re going to have to face some punishment for this whole thing?”

“Oh she sure will.” Granny sternly replies. “However, I will give a little curve for her, seeing that she’s learned a bit it seems.”

“Yeah… I’m sorry for blowing your cover AJ.”

“It’s fine,” Applejack responds, “I did deserve it in the long run.”

“Oh, before I go, I read up on some history on the magic art of necromancy while you were gone, and I found this very interesting article about something called Hades’ Breathe.”

“What about it?”

“Well, although most of it is based upon loose theories and ancient mythological recordings, there is a solid basis on what Hades’ Breathe most likely is. It is, and I quote, ‘Whenever a massive creature of great magic power dies, as their soul depart from their body, a large pulse of powerful magic of often chaotic properties, reminiscing of the creature’s most prominent usage of their magic powers is spread throughout a vast area over a vast amount of time. This magic pulse is known as Hades’ Breathe.’”

“What does that all mean?”

“If this Hades’ Breathe thing is real, and if a powerful magical creature with a heavy usage of fire were to die a long time ago, then the Hades’ Breathe created could have created the fire tornado that created the Ghost Pony.”

“Do you think that it’s possible?”

“I’m not too sure, I may have to do some more research due to the poor amount of corroboration backing up this concept. Let alone that necromancy is an often disregarded topic in the common knowledge of magic, I have many reasons to doubt this theory.”

“…Uh… …Simplify it please?”

“Hehehe…”

“Oh, don’t be usin’ your fancy words to confuse the poor girl.” Granny replies, “Get to whatever princess business you need to take care of.”

“Okay, bye Applejack!”

“Goodbye Twilight!” Applejack cheers as the purple alicorn flies away. “Hey Granny.”

“Yes?” Her grandmother responds.

“While I was gone, something happened.”

“What was it?”

“The stallion I met, his name is Eldur, and he helped me out with an important issue.”

“Better not be what I think it is…”

“No-no, well, at least I hope it isn’t what you’re thinking. What he helped me out with, was, was… Dealing with the loss of my parents, and how it cause me trouble sleeping at night.”

“You said you were over it and slept perfectly normal.”

“I thought that as well, but Eldur pointed out that and that I lied to myself without even knowing it. He helped me coop with the issue and make myself a better pony out of it.”

“How so?”

“By listening and asking help from you. You know so much more about the world than I do, and I should not let my stubborn pride hurt myself instead of an easier solution. Granny, I love you, and I never wanted to hurt you by requiring myself to be helped by ponies like my parents, ponies that could get hurt because of me. But what I did instead was too much, and I made an idiot of myself. Granny, can you please forgive me, and help guide me?”

“Applejack, I know how you feel, back then and now, and I am so proud of you for coming to me about this. You were never an idiot, you had good intentions. And now, you’ve fixed your intentions, admitting they had flaws instead of being stubborn about it. You’ve grown up so much, and have become such an amazing granddaughter, but no matter what, no matter how old you get, you can always come to me for help and guidance.”

“Really?”

“I love you too Applejack, and I will always be there for you.”

“Thanks Granny.”

“…Actually, now that you mention his name…”

“Who? Eldur?”

“Yes, him.”

“What about it?”

“There was always this little known Apple family secret that was passed down from generation to generation, about the Ghost Pony.”

“What was it?”

“The Ghost Pony’s name, Blaze Rider, his middle name was Eldur…” Next Chapter: Bonus: The Watcher Estimated time remaining: 3 Minutes