The news traveled fast.
News always travels fast in a small town, though, and so this was to be expected. Ponies are closer-knit when there’s less of them. Interesting stories and events are passed around at an alarming rate, increasing according to the gossip rating or the emergency level.
This time, the news was of the latter kind, and it was not being spread through gossip or the proverbial grapevine, but rather through one particularly loud pink pony, galloping through the streets at top speed, shouting loud enough to be heard in Canterlot.
“Fire! There’s a fire in the Everfee forest!! FIRE!!!”
Reactions were as expected, seeing as the town was Ponyville. Screaming mares ran out into the street and peered from windows to see how close the fire was, and thus, how loud they really should be screaming. Most noticed easily the smoke rising from the Everfree, about half a mile in. This was close enough to incite panic, but not close enough to do much damage; the fire didn’t look like it was spreading. Nopony seemed to know why as of yet, but ‘any excuse to panic’ seemed to be the prevalent opinion.
The pink messenger, meanwhile, had made her way to the large tree in the center of town, still screaming her small head off. When she reached the tree she abruptly stopped, and fell silent. After contemplating the front door for a moment, she knocked her head into it several times. She waited patiently, a smile on her face. The door was opened and a lavender pony stood there, wondering at the chaos going on in the town and the calmly smiling earth pony in front of her.
“..Um, Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie grinned at her. “Hi, Twilight!”
“...Hi? Listen, what’s-”
Pinkie’s eyes lit up memory. “OH! I forgot to tell you! I need to tell you! I need to tell you!”
“What? What is it? And why is the town going crazy?”
Pinkie opened her mouth wide, and screamed, “FIRE!!!!!!!!!”
When the lavender pony had regained hearing, she fixed the once-again smiling Pinkie with a stare. “How? How big?
Where? ”
“Oh, oh! In the Everfree forest.”
“What? What happened?”
Pinkie shrugged. “I dunno! I just thought I should tell everypony.”
“What about Fluttershy? Is she okay?”
“What? What’s happening? Did somepony call me?” A light yellow mare with a saddlebag full of groceries walked up to join the two. “Why is everypony panicking? Did Spike get really big again?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, that’s not it. There seems to be a fire in the Everfree.”
“Oh, my! That’s terrible!”
Twilight nodded in assent. “So, what are we going to do?”
“Well, Rainbow Dash is off in Canterlot with Rarity for the Wonderbolt’s fashion show... Maybe we could call Applejack?”
Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Uh uh. I saw Applejack like an hour ago! She was heading into the Everfree, actually. I wonder if she’s still in there? Oh, I wonder if she saw the fire!”
“Pinkie! Why didn’t you mention this sooner?” Twilight gave the earth pony her best annoyed look. The party pony seemed unaffected.
“I don’t know! You didn’t ask!”
“Well, come on, you two! Let’s go after her!” Twilight closed her door and set off at a gallop down the street, with Pinkie bouncing happily next to her and Fluttershy hiding behind them while trying to keep up.
“...Um, Twilight? Do we have to go in there? It’s scary... and dark...”
Twilight didn’t waste time turning around, but argued as they galloped. “Fluttershy, you live next to the Everfree!”
“Well, um, yes, but I almost never go in there...”
“But this time we need to! Don’t you understand? Applejack could be in trouble!”
“Oh... What if I just stayed here and waited, in case she comes back?”
“There’s enough ponies here to find her if she comes back.”
“Yes, but...”
“Fluttershy, you need to come. You’re the only one that can deal with some of the creatures in there.”
“Well, maybe, but I think-”
“No.” Twilight’s word was final. The timid pony was coming with them, no matter what.
While the purple mare seemed confident on the outside, she too was scared of what they might find when they entered the dark confines of the forest. She was worried for Applejack, and wanted nothing more than to find her friend safe and sound.
*** *** ***
When the trio reached the entrance to the Everfree (Twilight marveled at Pinkie’s ability to bounce the whole way), they paused to consider the seemingly impenetrable darkess. The light of the day illuminated the path only a few meters in, and from then on the forest was covered in shadow from the thickness of the tree cover.
Pinkie was the first to move. “Well! No need to stay here doing nothing like a cupcake waiting to be eaten!” She moved forward into the forest, somehow still bouncing.
Fluttershy whimpered. “...Eaten? Oh, no...”
Twilight swallowed, and then put on a brave fact again. She wasn’t too happy with the earth pony’s analogy either, but the timid pegasus needed the support.
“It’s just Pinkie being Pinkie. Come on, Fluttershy.”
Twilight trotted into the forest purposefully, with the yellow mare slinking behind her. They soon caught up to Pinkie, who had stopped bouncing long enough to wait for them. The three began to follow the path once again. The forest was fairly quiet, but they could hear the fire crackling a small ways off.
I wonder why isn’t the forest being consumed, Twilight thought. What could the nature of that fire be? And where’s Applejack?
Oh my, I hope nothing eats us, or steps on us, or... WHAT WAS THAT? Fluttershy’s thoughts ran wild with thoughts of frightful monsters.
(Efforts have been made to transcribe Pinkie Pie’s thoughts. They failed, as nopony can hope to even begin to contemplate the chaos inside that adorable pink head. What came out was a jumbled mix of smile, cupcakes, candy, friends, bounce, always watching, and PARTY!)
Twilight broke the silence between them first. “Girls, I think we should head for Zecora’s hut first. She may know something about whatever may have happened in here.”
Fluttershy was quick to agree. She wanted to go anyplace where she could close a door and be safe from the forest. Pinkie Pie was always happy to see Zecora (Pinkie was always happy to see any pony), and so the three continued to follow the path towards the zebra’s hut.
Twilight began to feel even more uneasy as they traveled. The sounds of the fire were growing louder... And with the forest seemingly not catching fire, the flames would have to be in some sort of clearing...
*** *** ***
An hour earlier, Applejack had ventured into the Everfree. She had business with Zecora; a potion she had requested to improve her apple seeds was ready. The zebra had a visitor when she had arrived, however, and was not pleased.
“I have told you already, the answer is no! Why will you not just go?”
“No pony denies the Great and Powerful Trixie! Now Trixie DEMANDS that you make her a potion!”
“What you ask simply cannot be done! From what I have heard you were already outdone!”
“Yes, that’s the problem!! I cannot live being beaten! I want a potion to make my magic more powerful than that ugly purple mare’s!”
“Not leaving my house, and now insulting my friends? You belong outside, with the hens!”
“And STOP RHYMING!”
Applejack had recognized the voice, of course, and immediately entered the hut to try to help Zecora. When Trixie had seen her, her response was immediate and harsh.
“Oh, and now it’s the bumpkin farmer pony! Butt out, you imbecilic laborer! Or is that word to advanced for you? Should I explain it?”
Applejack felt her temper rise to a boil faster than even she would have believed. “Now listen here, you lyin’, cheatin’, worthless-excuse-for-a-unicorn mah eyes have eva seen, you got no business comin’ round here no more. Twi ran you off good an’ proper, an’ that’s where you shoulda stayed. And ah know what that word means, an’ the way it looks ta me, you’re the one who deserves it.”
Trixie gaped at the orange earth pony before recovering her dignity and gasping theatrically. “You impudent filly! How dare you address the Great and Powerful Trixie as such! Allow me to show you my true might!”
Trixie’s horn began to glow, and Applejack took a step back. Though she knew Trixie was nothing but a bag of wind, unicorn magic had a funny way of doing unexpected things at unexpected times. This time, Applejack was quite correct.
Almost without warning, the cauldron Zecora had been working in began to bubble. It spurted and sprayed, and soon the mixture was flying everywhere. The zebra, who had come to stand next to Applejack during the brief repartee, was no longer in the line of fire, but Trixie, who had stood her ground, was covered in the greenish mixture. She screamed and began to flail about, knocking over the cauldron completely in the process.
“No! No!” Zecora cried. “It must not be so!”
“What?” Applejack asked. “Wha’s the problem? Ah mean, sorry ‘bout your potion an’ all, but...”
Zecora just pointed, speechless, at where the cauldron had been. The fire under it had been upset, and the logs had spilled this way and that. Normally, this would have been a minor inconvenience, but today, Zecora had been working with a great number of dried herbs. They lay on the ground, set out according to type, and looked very flammable. Meanwhile, Trixie was still thrashing and yelling.
“Help! Help the Great Trixie! I’m covered in goop! Help!”
Applejack ignored the blue unicorn, electing to rush forward to stamp out the fire, but it was too late. The flames spread easily, moving across the dirt floor from herb to herb, until they reached the wall and the shelves there. It had been a dry season in Equestria so far, and the wood was just that much more ready to catch...
*** *** ***
Twilight and company rounded the last bend to see their fears vindicated: Zecora’s hut was indeed in flames, or at least had been. The flames had died down somewhat, with the lack of further fuel; Zecora lived in a clearing, and luckily the wind was not blowing hard enough to allow the fire to jump. The zebra herself was sitting on the ground, her head on her hooves, watching the remains of her shelter smolder. She looked up when she heard the three friends coming.
“...Oh, it’s Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie... Have you three come to say goodbye?”
Twilight shook her head. “What are you talking about, Zecora?”
“Look! Do you not see? There is now a smoldering wreck where my house should be!”
“So?”
“Without a home, I fear, I will not be able to remain in Ponyville another year.”
Twilight smiled. “Don’t worry, Zecora! We’ll rebuild your house. All of Ponyville will want to help!” The lavender pony paused.
“...Was Applejack here?”
Zecora nodded. “Yes, I saw the one you mention. She went off to make an apprehension.”
“An apprehension? What do you mean?”
“Another was here, of a violent disposition... She started the fire with an unlucky collision.”
“Who was it?”
“A unicorn, of color blue... She seemed to know something about you!”
Twilight gasped. “Trixie’s back in Ponyville?”
Zecora shrugged. “If that is what you think, then I’m sure it may be true... As for me, I simply wish for dear Applejack to come through!”
“So Applejack went after Trixie! Which way?”
Zecora indicated a small hoof path off to one side of the clearing. “That is the way the arsonist took. I beg of you, please catch the crook!”
“How long ago?”
“Not long at all, my lavender mare. But do make sure that you take care!”
Twilight nodded. She turned to Fluttershy and Pinkie.
“Fluttershy, can you return to Ponyville and tell everypony that there’s no forest fire? And Pinkie, can you stay here with
Zecora and do what you can to help her? I’ve dealt with this unicorn before, and though she’s not extremely competent, AJ may need help.”
The mares both nodded. Pinkie grinned at Twilight and Zecora and saluted. “Yes sir, ma’am!”
Zecora smiled a little, and the lavender unicorn knew the zebra would be alright. No pony could remain unhappy with Pinkie present. As for Fluttershy, she simply seemed happy to be leaving the forest, and, after saying goodbye to the zebra and her friends, trotted quickly back the way they had come.
Twilight pointed herself at the small path and began to follow it. Time to find Applejack, and very possibly the scourge that she had already rid Ponyville of once.
*** *** ***
“Stop, consarnit!”
“No! The Great and Powerful Trixie refuses! Stop chasing Trixie!”
“You set Zecora’s hut on fire, you prim, snooty, high-falootin’ pain in the flank!”
“I did not! The cauldron did that!”
The two ponies were racing through the forest, dodging brambles and branches as they ran. Applejack had brought her lasso, but she couldn’t use it; the trees were too dense. The orange earth pony could have caught the unicorn manually a while back, but Trixie kept managing to throw things at her, and it was all she could do to avoid the constant debris from the unicorn’s magic.
What ah need, AJ thought, is another unicorn. Somepony like...
“Twilight?”
“YOU!”
The pursuit had rounded a bend in the path, coming to a wider part, and standing in the middle was none other than the purple unicorn. Having tracked around the two using a highly advanced spell Princess Celestia had taught her for survival (should she ever need it), she had readied herself for the galloping duo, and immediately, her horn began to glow.
A purple light immediately suffused the world around Applejack, and she felt herself begin to rise off the ground, slowing her acceleration and keeping her from crashing into anything. A few feet in front of her, Trixie was surrounded by the same aura, but she was thrashing and fighting it, refusing to submit to the other unicorn’s might. Twilght’s eyes closed in concentration, and Applejack felt herself being lowered to the ground so the mare could focus her power on the one giving her trouble.
Trixie spat and cursed and her horn glowed brightly, momentarily breaking the lavender hue encasing her with a bolt of blue. Twilight winced like she could feel the break herself, then regrouped and opened her eyes. They were a brilliant, shining white, glowing with power and control. Trixie gasped and ceased her struggles for a moment, staring at the force clearly visible in the other unicorn’s gaze. Applejack was speechless as well.
The blue unicorn broke free of the enchantment first, renewing her force and vigor.. Though she was not a competent magician, her rage at being caught made up for her lack of experience. The force it lent her magic made her powerful enough to break though Twilight’s force cage once again with a surge, this time not wildly, but straight at the other unicorn.
Twilight took the shaft of magic in the chest, and it knocked her back several steps and to the ground, breaking her concentration and her power over Trixie. The latter combatant regained her hooves and stood to her full height and grandeur, her hat straight and her cape billowing out in full show.
“Gentlemares! Let this day be remembered as the day that you almost caught the Great and Powerful Tri-”
She cut off as Applejack’s back hoof bucked her from the side, knocking her onto her flank. She was back up in a flash, with her horn pointed straight at Applejack.
“You should have left the Great and Powerful Trixie alone. Now you won’t be let off so easy, you meddling hayseed.”
Applejack stood her ground. “Do yer worst, you high-an’-mighty fraud.”
Trixie’s horn began to glow, and Applejack closed her eyes. Just then, a coil of lavender magic wrapped itself around the villian’s legs and tugged.
The blue unicorn tumbled to the ground for the second time in the space of a few seconds, but this time, coils of purple magic formed themselves out of air and wrapped around her, pinning her to the ground. She struggled and fought, letting loose blasts of magic from her horn, but her head was held in one direction, and the projectiles flew harmlessly into the forest.
Twilight trotted up to make sure her bonds were secured, then turned to Applejack.
“Thanks for knocking her down, AJ. She might have gotten away.”
The apple farmer grinned. “‘No problem at ahl, Twi. Thanks for saving mah flank, too.”
“Anytime! Now what shall we do with this unscrupulous wretch?”
“Can you stop her from using magic, first thing? She’s still a little dangerous...”
Twilight frowned. “You mean like a Magic Ban? Only the Princess is supposed to impose those. Although, I am her student... and I do know how to do it... Maybe it’d be okay, just this once?”
AJ nodded. “Yep. Ah’d say it’s almost necessary, seeing of how she burned down Zecora’s hut and then attacked us.”
Twilight grinned. “You know, you’re right! That simply can’t be allowed to be repeated.”
She turned to Trixie, who had heard the whole conversation, and now began to fight and scream again.
“NO! YOU WILL NOT TOUCH THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!! I- I mean Trixie demands you release her at once!!”
Twilight, ignoring the noise, closed her eyes and concentrated. A ball of purple magic separated itself from the glow around her horn and lowered itself to gently rest on the blue unicorn’s horn. The purple covered the blue, and Trixie’s horn was quickly ensconced in a thin purple layer. Twilight opened her eyes, and her shoulders slumped slightly from her exertion. The magical bonds holding Trixie to the ground dissolved, and the magician got up. Applejack, quick as a whip, had her tied before she could start running, and the trio began the journey back to Zecora’s hut, Twilight holding the rope with her magic.
As they walked, Twilight looked over at Applejack. “What should we do with her?”
The orange pony grinned. “Well, ah’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout that. What if we made her rebuild Zecora’s hut? No magic, accourse.”
Twilight grinned back. “That sounds like a great idea! Hear that, Trixie? You’re going to be an earth pony for awhile!”
Trixie scowled. “The Great and Powerful Trixie simply does not work like a common laborer. She refuses.”
“If you ever want your magic back, you’ll do it.”
Trixie’s air of haughtiness collapsed. “Oh, that is low. You are wicked, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Right, because setting fire to somepony’s home is on the good side of things.”
“Don’t push me.”
“Too late.” Twilight turned to Applejack.
“You know what, AJ? I think this could be fun. Maybe we could sell admission to watch her build.”
The yellow-maned mare laughed. “Ah reckon we could.”
“See, Trixie? You’ll be back in show biz!”
“Oh, joy
*** *** ***
