Foundations of our nation

Colgate's conundrum

"Will do Zecora!" Colgate called to the zebra mare standing in the door of her forest home.

Turning to face the mountain she could just barely make out through the trees, Colgate trotted off into the forest.

"If I can't make my cutie mark change with magic, I'll have to trust Zecora's instructions and go on this quest to find the... Ah well, I'm sure I'll know what I'm looking for when I find it like Zecora said." Thus resolute, Colgate leapt over a large root that was bordering the path back to Ponyville and pushed her way through the jungle.

Soon after leaving the path, Colgate came across a large stone wall. The wall went all the way up to the tree tops and had stairs on the side, Colgate decided to climb them and see what she could see from up higher.

She had only just started looking around the tree tops from the top when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Hey! Toothpaste mane!" called the voice, rather rudely.

"Who are you calling toothpaste mane!" Colgate cried indignantly at the voice, unsure where it came from.

"Up here dummy" Trixie called from her hot air balloon, a few feet above Colgate.

"Trixie!? What are you doing in that balloon in the middle of the forest?" Colgate was surprised to see anypony in the Everfree forest, let alone the annoying actress.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie does not have to explain her presence on public property to you!" Trixie boomed in her stage voice. "But if you must know, The Great and Powerful Trixie is here to sell you her Amazing Products for Ridiculously low Prices!" Trixie almost screamed at Colgate, scaring a flock of birds into flight nearby.

"You don't have to capitalize so many words Trixie" Colgate grumbled, thinking how annoying she would be to write. "What do you have anyway?"

Trixie immediately began to talk Colgate through a long list of products, each one sounding more fake than the last.

"Horn Enlarging Serum! Scientifically proven to make You Horn at least 20% larger~ Wings for a Week! Take this potion Once and get a pair of Fully Working Wings as good as any Pegasus's for a Whole Week!" She ranted on.

"What do you have for three bits?" Colgate interrupted Trixie halfway through explaining a wonder machine called the 'AB Mare PRO'.

"THREE BITS!!" Trixie shrieked, causing Colgate to jump. "Three bits wouldn't even pay for my time telling you what I don't have for that much!"

"Well I only have three bits on me right now, I didn't expect to be buying anything in the middle of a forest." said Colgate firmly. "In fact, I'm only going to be going into the Ursa cave for a short time and I can buy things back in town afterwards."

Trixie paled at the mention of the Ursa cave and did some quick calculations in her head.

"Alright, tell you what. I'll give you the Ponyville news for three bits and then you can go away, hows that sound?" All pretense of a fancy accent was gone from Trixie's voice.

"Deal!" Colgate exclaimed before Trixie could change her mind.

There was a flash of magic as Trixie powered up her horn and cast a spell. Suddenly, Trixie was wearing a news presenters outfit and glasses, holding some papers in front of her while miming talking to an invisible pony beside her.

Then she turned to face Colgate (sort of). Trixie faced an area somewhere above Colgate and a little to the left and began talking.

"Good morning everypony, the time is ten thirty AM and its another bright and sunny day in ponyville. In today's news: Strange cries have been heard from the Everfree forest and ponies are warned to stay away from the base of the Canterlot mountain area, more at eleven. But now here's sport with Soarin..."

Colgate waited for Trixie to say more but she just stared off into nothing while apparently listening intently to a voice Colgate couldn't hear.

Backing away slowly, Colgate turned towards the Canterlot mountain and glanced around for more landmarks. To the east she could see the Unicorn range and to the west, the Foal mountains.

Colgate carefully stepped down the steps on the wall, leaving Trixie (who had started talking to herself again) behind her as she carried on.

About half an hour later, by Colgate's reckoning, Colgate started to hear some odd animal sounds from the forest ahead. Roars pierced through the silence of the trees, echoing between the silent trunks, sending shivers up Colgate's spine.

"Now's not the time to turn turtle Colgate!" she exclaimed, climbing the rise in front of her to look into the next gully.

"Timber-wolves!" she gasped and indeed, there were several wooden wolves running around in the gully. They seemed to be chasing ghosts or just running around aimlessly. Whatever, thanks to the wolves aimless running, Colgate should be able to sneak past without detection. Strengthening her magical grip on her brush, Colgate started across the clearing cautiously.

Several times during her crossing, a timber-wolf would nearly run into her, but they took no notice of Colgate.

Until she accidentally clobbered one on the head with her brush.

Snarling the wolf orientated its body on Colgate and rushed towards her, jaws agape.

"Take that, monster!" With a cry, Colgate smacked the wolf on the head again with her brush. Several other wolves took notice of this and started towards her in a line. Colgate spun her brush around through the air, smacking all three wolves repeatedly as her brush spun through them.

"Ha! Your bark is stronger than your bite it seems" Colgate yelled at the dazed wolves. Now would be a good time to note that Timber-wolves can understand the pony language, it also seemed that they had heard this joke before. It was not funny the first ten times so why would it be funny now?

The three wolves gather together and started to fall apart, Colgate cheered at this as she thought them defeated. She was therefore shocked when a HUGE Timber-wolf stood from the pile of wood, glaring at her with glowing crimson eyes.

The Wolf let out a howl of what sounded remarkably like pain and charged towards Colgate, Its large body allowing it to reach her in seconds. Colgate just stared at it with wide eyes until it was practically on top of her, then took one tentative step to the left.