Chapters BZZZZT! BZZZZZT! BZZZZZT! BZZZZZT! –CLICK!
The blaring sound of the alarm clock was silenced by a heavy hoof slamming on top of it. The hands read a quarter past seven. Very gently, the Earth pony resting in the bed pulled the covers off her form, stifling a yawn as she climbed out. The floorboards creaked under her weight. Those were something to fix later. Pain shot up her rear leg but she ignored it for the moment and hobbled over to her bathroom.
Her golden eyes winced at the harsh yellow light pouring at her from above the mirror. Those bulbs would have to go. Grabbing a brush she started straightening out her moppy, cream-colored hair, cringing when the teeth pulled at a particularly stubborn knot. Satisfied with her hair, she squeezed a generous amount of blue paste onto her toothbrush. Brushing teeth never felt right for her and she rushed through as fast as she could, little flecks of froth landing by the hammer adorning her flanks. Like the mercury rising in a thermometer, she could feel pain climbing up her leg again. Standing was beginning to hurt. Before it could threaten tears in her eyes, shee spat in her sink, filled half a cup with cool water, and ook two small white capsules. Gulping them down caused the pain to immediately recede to a dull throb.
Mjolna sighed. It was time to start her day.
***
The market was in full swing this Sunday morning. Mjolna made her way through the stands at a nice, leisurely pace –at her doctor’s order–no trotting or prancing for another eight months. Her shopping list was never quite that long. Carrying anything heavy around was also advised against from her doctor. There was no arguing over that. Another keen suggestion from her doctor was to not think about it. It was a difficult request to honor. Even now the pain from her leg was already threatening to return, broiling under the surface of her skin…all she needed was fruits, flour and seed. The day was going to fly by.
“Howdy pard’ner,” said Mjolna, walking up to a rickety stand at the very entrance to the market. The colt snoozing behind the stall bolted upright. His eyes blinked a few times before settling on his first customer. He immediately broke into a wide grin.
“Well howdy there, MJ!” chuckled Hayseed Turniptruck. “If I must say, yer looking pretty durned beautiful this morning!”
“Oh stop it Hayseed. I’m boring,” blushed Mjolna. “I just need to get some seeds for my garden.” Fiddling with the latch on her saddlebags, she pulled out her garden outline. “I have to get…tomato seed, onion, and some red pepper, if you got them.”
“Shucks MJ. It sure is nice to see ya taking an interest in gardening! Don’tcha worry none. I’ve got the best danged seeds this side o’ Ponyville. Lemme just wrassle them out of this here bag.”
Hayseed opened up his drawers and produced three bags. Grabbing three of the dozen glass jars sitting on before him, he scooped a helping of each into a different satchel. Mjolna tossed six bits onto into Hayseeds bit jar, plus a few extra.
“Thanks a bundle there MJ! Good luck with yer gardenin’ now!”
Mjolna trotted off. Parting with some spare bits wasn’t a problem nowadays. Probably never would be either.
Down the ways she spotted her friend Tammy at her stand.As she was about to approach she slowed to a stop upon noticing that Tammy was currently in a heated argument with one of her customers.
“Two bits for tomatoes is outrageous!” said the pink pony at the stall, grabbing a bit and pulling it towards her. “One bit is the right price!”
“I say it’s two bits,” retorted Tammy, pulling the gold bit back.
Her customer narrowed her eyes and grabbed the coin. “One bit.”
Tammy pointed to her sign. “Two bits!”
“One bit,” the pink mare pulled up her own sign.
“Two bits!” repeated Tammy.
“One bit!” a slamming of the hooves sent the bit spinning to her side of the table.
“Two bits!” Tammy slammed her own hooves down.
“One bit!”
“Two bits!”
“One bit!”
“TWO BITS!”
“TWO BITS!”
“ONE BIT!”
“I INSIST IT’S TWO BITS OR NOTHING!” said the pink pony, practically panting at this point.
“ONE BIT AND THAT’S MY FINAL OFFER,” growled Tammy.
The pink pony pulled her head off the table. “Have it your way one bit it is!” She zipped away to join her friends. Tammy bent over to pick up her money and suddenly realized what happened.
Mjolna couldn’t hold it in any longer. She burst into laughter at her flamboozled friend.
“Oh sure, laugh it up. A big ha-ha all around,” snarled Tammy.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I just don’t laugh much anymore and that,” Mjolna grabbed her side. “Oh, that was too funny, Tammy.”
Tammy snorted, then smirked at the big grin on her friend’s face. “Well, I guess it’s kind of silly to be mad over losing one bit over three lousy tomatoes.”
“Hey! I’m here to buy some of those tomatoes. They’d better not be lousy!” joked Mjolna.
“I’ve got three of the ripest tomatoes you’ll ever eat right over here,” the cream-colored mare turned around, ducking behind the curtain of her stall. Standing around she let her eyes drift over the rest of the market. The asparagus stall was fresh out of produce. Lily’s Pots n’ Pans was still open, but not seeing many customers. She lifted her hind leg off the ground while waiting. No sense in putting any extra pressure. The dull pain from earlier was beginning to grow into a stronger ache. She tried not to think about it.
“Here you go MJ! Three of the freshest tomatoes I got on me!” a trio of plump, ripe tomatoes rolled onto the purple cloth. The sun’s light bouncing off the skin seemed to make them glow. Tammy leaned on the counter. “I got to tell you MJ. I only save the best for my best gals. That’ll be two bits alright?”
“Two?” Mjolna balked, placing her money on the table. “Here, take three. I think these tomatoes are worth a bit each.”
“I can’t! C’mon we’re friends. I’m not overcharging you…”
Tammy pushed the extra bit back.
“Ohhh it’s okay…I’ve got more than I’ll ever know what to do with. Consider it a…donation to make up for getting gypped five minutes ago.”
Tammy smiled, putting the bits in her apron pocket. “You are just too good! I can’t believe that you of all ponies had to be the one hurt by that big lug’s moving company. Darn shame. How’s your leg anyway?”
“It’s…getting better. Therapy is slow but steady.” Mjolna forced a smile. Tammy listened in rapt attention as her friend explained in detail how the daily exercises were going along, her routine for medicine and how her new garden was coming along. Having a pet was too much work and gardening was supposed to be great stress relief. Tammy nodded sagely throughout, only pausing to handle the occasional customer or two.
“If you wanna know something,” said Tammy. “That bozo lost his business last week. He filed for bankruptcy and everything. The moose is over there right now selling his last cherry.”
Tammy grabbed her head and turned it. There was the stocky Pegasus indeed, ever-present 5 o’clock shadow on his muzzle. The hat, apron and little bow tie made him look almost comical from this distance.
“I didn’t know…”whispered Mjolna. “Now he’s picking cherries?”
“Selling. That dope doesn’t pick the cherries. He picks up the product from Jubilee Farms that get dropped off in the morning. So he sells them here at the stand and gets a cut from the profits. Those cherries are either real tasty or he doesn’t get much. Guy runs out of stock every day.” They watched as a unicorn walked by and grabbed his last cherry. “Never had one, so couldn’t tell you about the taste.”
“I didn’t want to talk to him anyway,” Mjolna placed the three tomatoes in her right saddlebag. The left stayed empty -didn’t want any pressure on her left flank.
“Good! Don’t waste your breath on him. Don’t pity him either. Because of that colt you got really hurt. Didn’t have the right latches on his truck and he paid for it when you paid for it. Now don’t let him ruin your day.”
Tammy reached over the counter and hugged Mjolna, careful to not pat her on the back. “Talk to me later if you want. You always can.”
Pain shot up her hind leg. She had lost her balance and rested most of her weight on it. Mjolna bit her lip as the fierce stinging reached her haunches. It hurt! It was like a knife had stabbed her in the side and started twisting around. Trembling from the pain, she asked Tammy to open her saddlebags so she could take her medicine.
“Damnit! I didn’t mean to get you hurting again, MJ. Here have something to wash it down!” Tammy opened the bottle and handed a cup of water to her. The pain eased away, leaving the heavy numbness she felt earlier.
“Are you going to be okay?” Tammy’s’ voice was soft on her ears. “Do you want me to walk you home?”
“I’m fine,” Mjolna pulled away. “Really, it’s okay now. The doctor says I should really be walking by myself nowadays. One day it’ll fully heal and everything will be back to normal.” The hurt expression on Tammy’s face didn’t go unnoticed. “I know…I know…I’m sorry. It’s the pain talking. Just…come have dinner with me later. It’ll be fun. I can cook stew! It’ll be delicious.”
Tammy smiled. “Sure thing! I’ll go see you later after I get off.
***
The evening sunlight beat down on her neck. Bumblebees and butterflies flitted around her sun hat. Sweat rolled down her coat. Mjolna wiped her brow. The row of tomato seed was freshly planted. A spray of cold water from her pail darkened the soil beneath her hooves. That done, it was time to take care of her corn stalks. Diligently, she handled each ear of corn, checking to see if any were going bad or had missing kernels. The radishes were fine. Those never needed checking. She turned to check on the grapevines, not noticing her tail knocking over the water pail. The soil immediately sucked it up, turning to mud. The vines looked good. Nice and green. Watering wasn’t a problem right now. They could take care of that later. Where were those pepper seeds? Those were going to turn out delicious. Mjolna turned around to grab her seed satchel.
She slipped on the mud beneath her hooves and landed on her rear.
For a split second everything was shear, blinding pain. It grabbed her senses and blotted out everything else. Mjolna squeezed her eyes tight; it felt like her leg had been ripped off. The intensity of it was so great she couldn’t even get a scream out. All she could do for a full minute was sit there, stock still in the mud, waiting for that horrible, intense pain to go away. It finally began to ebb. Mjolna grabbed her pill bottle, shaking, and swallowed two of her capsules.
Gulping them down brought the boiling pain to a simmer. The sun beat down on her still. She was faintly aware of a cool, crushed fruit of some kind beneath her rump. It wasn’t so bad though. It was just fruit. She could always grow more. She could still cook a nice stew. Or she could order out again. There were enough bits in her account that she could order out for the rest of her life!
Mjolna sat in the mud, already beginning to dry around her in the heat of the sun, and started to cry.
BZZZT! BZZZZT! -CLICK
Mjolna got out of bed, being careful with the leg. Brushed her teeth. Brushed her hair. Popped her pills. Walked out the door. No braids today as usual. She considered going to the spa or boutique later in the day at Tammys’ recommendation. That would be fun. It’s not like she didn’t have the time or the money. Anything to try and ease the memory of last night.
Last night had been horrible. Mjolna hadn’t had enough time to get herself out of the garden before Tammy swung by and found her where she was –sniffling among her plants in a pile of mud. She’d helped her inside and asked what happened to her, running a hot bath to clean the mud. So like a little foal she cried and told Tammy how much she hated everything. How much she missed her old life. How much she hated the pain. How much she hated feeling weak.
Tammys sympathy helped, but sympathy can only help so much.
Rounding a corner, Mjolna heard the sounds of manual labor and a pounding jackhammer. Flicking an ear, she walked up to the construction site. All her old co-workers going about their business behind the chain link fence.. They were starting from scratch on this project. A month ago the entire structure collapsed thanks to a combination of bad planning, a bad crane malfunction and just plain bad luck. All of them had nearly died, according to the Ponyville Press. If it weren’t for a pair of heroic mares, the lot would have been empty and a memorial constructed in its place.
One of her friends spotted her, trotting over with a smile. Mjolna wondered where those two heroes had been when that crate had smashed into her back.
“Hey MJ! How’s the leg?” bubbled Cindy Block, a cream colored mare with a wrench gracing her flanks. She was consistently upbeat, but not overbearingly so. Her light blue hair framed inquisitive teal eyes, usually half covered with bangs out of work. She propped herself up on the gate. “Has the doc been helping ya along?”
“My leg is killing me,” said Mjolna flatly. Cindys’ ears fell. “Of course, it feels like everything’s killing me lately…”
“Ouch…” grimaced the construction pony.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I had a rough night.”
“No, I getcha. It’s gotta be rough after Mr. Brown dumped that box on ya. I sprained my hoof once. It was awful. It hurts everyday.”
Mjolna sighed, knowing that her friend was just trying to relate and not make her feel worse.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”Cindy smiled.
Mjolna pointed to a stocky young colt on the second floor of the new complex.
“Who’s the little guy?” she asked.
“That’s Split! He joined the crew last week. Tough little colt actually.” They watched him turn around and bump into a pair of stacked tile, the whole thing falling over the side and into wet concrete poured below. Cindy winced. “Split is…learning.”
“My replacement is a kid huh…” noted Mjolna, her brow furrowing at his ineptitude.
“What?!” cried Cindy. “Nonononono he’s not a replacement! Just a temp until you get back on your hooves. Everypony knows you can do three times the job he can.”
“Cindy…I’m not coming back to work.”
The contruction pony sighed, clopping her hooves together nervously. “Is it that bad MJ?”
Mjolna stared hard at her former co-worker. “It’s that bad.”
“I’m sorry.”
Before Mjolna could respond a shrill whistle cut through the air like a knife. The clattering sound of heavy tools hitting the floor followed immediately. Cindy jumped off the fence.
“That’s lunch. I’m going to go get my food. Stick around and we’ll chat for a bit ‘kay?”
Nodding, she sadly watched Cindy join her fellow workers over at the trailer. Not feeling keen on staying around the construction site Mjolna turned tail and headed into town. What she really needed was a glass of water; the pills she took earlier already wearing off.
Another day perhaps.
***
Sundays at the market were total chaos. All the shops had a stall open for business. Occasionally the market would have visitors from out of town. Traveling salesponies looking to make an extra buck would set up their wares along the outskirts. The crafty ones would squeeze in a space somewhere along the stores most visited. Mjolna loved Sunday shopping. It was always fun seeing new ponies and what they were selling. Just last week she purchased another ornate mace to hang over her doorway. Other ponies hung lights above their doorframe. Mjolna had maces. She didn’t know why other than she liked them. But she did.
There wasn’t much new to look at today. The crotchety old book vendor was out selling his wares. Who else but Twilight Sparkle was already standing in line-her pet dragon carting a soon to be filled to the brim red wagon behind. Breezys’ Best Blowers gave her a start when one of the more powerful fans blew a gust of wind at her hair. She gave a wave to Tammy, which went unseen thanks to the throng of ponies buying fruits and vegetables today. The Cakes were out selling hot muffins next to the Sweet Apple Acres apple stand. Last night she had run out of cider drinking with Tammy. Passing by, she made a mental note to buy some before they closed up.
A glint of silver caught her eye. Sitting squarely between Davenports’ Quickest Quills and a very lovely selection of Lyras’ Fanciest Hats was a beat-up tented wagon. There were all manner of silver coins, cutlery and other wares pinned to the tents’ opening. A stylized double V was stitched at the top of the tent flap. The sound of wind chimes faintly emanated Curiosity piqued, she began a slow trot inside.
“Wow…” she whispered. The tent stretched at least three spaces back. Two small tables flanked her on each side. They were each filled to the brim with all kinds if odds and ends. Knick-knacks covered every waking inch of the table. What didn’t fit there was pinned to the walls of the tent or otherwise hanging from the ceiling. Pairs of pliers, crops of purple amethyst, skulls of creatures with too many teeth to think about, dragon hide, manticore venom, kelpie tears, elaborate whistles, collections of jeweled wind up music boxes; the place was stocked with wild things things she’d never heard of, much less seen up close.
Mjolna was inspecting a very fat black book when a hoof tapped her on the shoulder.
“See anything you like?”
“AH!” the unexpected touch almost got her to leap in the air. Pain in her hind leg immediately surfaced from the harsh reaction. Mjolna gritted her teeth, waiting for it to pass before answering. “Well! Sorry! I was just browsing-“
“No, you were glancing,” said the mare, a dark cloak obscuring her features. “Looking around at things before moving on to the next. I assume nothing I have to offer has caught your eye?”
Mjolna scowled at her. “Not yet. I’m just looking around before I start browsing. If you don’t want me to I can just leave.”
“You misunderstand. Please, take your time. There’s no rush,” the mare smiled, a gold tooth visible in her grin.
Mjolna looked around the remainder of the tent. She was being extra careful now to not bump her head on any hanging valuables. The vendor shadowed her every move. It was very uncomfortable. She was starting to feel unnerved at the silence.
“So where do you get all this stuff?” she picked up a ominous black sphere, finding it warm to the touch.
“Here and there. Amazing it is how many treasures there are in this world if one simply stopped for a moment to look around. Even then, you still have to pick it up.” The vendor gestured towards an ornate winged staff. “This I picked up underneath Cloudsdale. If the Pegasi had any foresight they would put up a net.”
“Mhm,” agreed Mjolna, running her hoof at the staff. Her leg was starting to throb.
“My sister lives in Manehatten,” continued the mare. “Sometimes as a courtesy I will receive trinkets and goods she has little success in selling. Vivian always did have trouble with the more unusual goods. Sometimes they scare off the customers.”
A wind up box popped open. Four heavily- browed stuffed hydra heads popped out. Mjolna shrieked and slugged her hoof at it. The wooden toy hit the dirt with a soft thud. The cloaked mare tutted and picked it up with the soft glow of her orange magic.
“No, not a very popular item,” she set the box back on the table. “Are you all right?” The vendor watched as her potential customer opened a pill bottle, gulping down some medicine along with a swig from a water bottle from her saddlebags.
“Fine, just fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes it’s not a problem, really.”
The mare raised an eyebrow.
“If you insist…so, what’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“Your name. I am bad at names.”
“Oh, uh,” she balked, uncertain at the sudden inquiry, “my name is Mjolna, or MJ for short. What’s your name?”
“You may call me Violet, or Ms. Visceri. Whichever you prefer.”
“How about I call you Miss Violet?” offered Mjolna.
The vendor frowned.
“If you insist, MJ for short.”
Hoping she didn’t accidently offend the vendor she continued poking around the room. After a few minutes it was apparent that Miss Violet wasn’t too offended when she struck up some more conversation. They talked for a bit over the weather, travels, odd things she’d found and sold. Violet was particularly interested in her cutie mark of all things. Mjolna explained she didn’t really understand it herself and assumed her talent was work as a construction mare of some sort.
“What’s this?”
An otherwise unremarkable object caught her eye. It looked to be some sort of steel pipe. She picked it up, surprised to find it of considerable heft despite its size. It was very cool to the touch.
“This…this was once the very same stirring stick used by King Minos, the first of the Minotaur. He would use this ladle to stir the spiciest of soups. A very rare item indeed!”
“Uh-huh. Sure it is.”
“Okay okay. You have gotten me. I myself am unsure of this piece. My sister shipped it to me. The original owner said he found it during a walk in Whitetail Woods going through Ponyville. Said he didn’t know what to do with it. It sat in my sisters’ Manehatten store for fifteen years before she shipped it with me. Vivian said I would find a seller for it somewhere.” Violet scratched her frizzy purple mane. “Do you want it?”
Mjolna looked at the odd piece in her hoof. Sliding her hoof down its perfect smoothness, she felt too odd grooves at the tip. It had a nice weight to it. Definitely would be a nice tool. Her heart started thumping a little harder in her chest.
She did want it.
“I will part with it for ten bits.”
Violet pulled her hood down. A quill and parchment appeared from thin air.
“You will need to sign this waiver excusing me from all possible liabilities or injuries that may occur upon purchase of this item...if you do so. It is just business. You understand of course.”
Usually when Violet would pull out the mandatory waiver it would scare away her customers. MJ for short had no such fear in her eyes. She almost seemed at peace with the mysterious object in her hooves.
Mjolna looked up, her eyes unusually intense.
“I’ll take it.”
***
The walk home was agonizing. Mjolna wished she could break into a gallop and just rush through her front door. The pain cropping up in her leg halted that notion. Instead she walked to her house in the fastest half -trot she could muster.
By the time she got home it was late. Collecting her mail she opened the door to her house. It was her neighbors’ mail, again. That could be delivered tomorrow. The cabinets flew open. Mjolna stuck her jars of Apple Family Cider inside. Everything taken care of, she delicately placed the object by her nightstand. She was tired and her scheduled therapy classes were tomorrow. When she had the energy she would dig around for that magnifying glass she never used to really give that thing a look. It was almost exciting for some reason. It wasn’t anything special. It didn’t seem like it at least. Tomorrow would hold more answers for her.
Mjolna yawned and closed her eyes.
Tomorrow.
A week passed. Then another. Despite her best efforts to figure out just what the object was that she purchased, it eluded her. Nopony she showed it to knew what it was. Most of them dismissed it as just her imagination projecting value on the rod. Even the star pupil of Celestia was flummoxed. Twilight Sparkle hovered the bar in front of her from every angle, flipping through every possible book she owned in search of an answer.
“Nothing fits the description!” groaned Twilight, tossing aside a copy of Mythos of the Ancients into Spikes waiting arms. “Mjolna I’m really sorry that I can’t help you. I know you think that this is some sort of special thing but I’m not entirely sure it is. It resembles a piece of broken equipment. For all I know this is something that fell off the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.”
“It looks like stirring stick for cake batter,” piped up Spike. Mjolnas’ ears drooped and she sighed. Twilight gave Spike a cold look.
“Let me just go put these away,” he toddled out of sight with the book. The purple unicorn snorted derisively.
“Sorry about that. Spike can be kind of…blunt about things.”
Mjolna waved her hoof. “No it’s okay. I’m just being stupid over this.”
“Looking into research is not stupid,” there was a harder edge to Twilights voice now. “Having a hunch, a hypothesis or something and then deciding to research it is not in any way a sign of stupidity.”
“Yeah,” a raspier voice chimed in from above. “Researching stuff is cool! You would not believe how the Wonderbolts started out! They did a lot of neat stuff!”
The two mares below looked up. None other than Rainbow Dash was perched above them in the window, her colorful tail lashing about as she perused her copy of The Wonderbolts Abridged Team History.
“Didja know they didn’t start out doing air shows? It says here that Princess Celestia ordered the fastest Pegasus ponies around Equestria to help defend the country from any and all possible aerial assaults. They weren’t even called the Wonderbolts!” quoted Rainbow from a page in the book. “The ‘Royal Equestrian Air Force’ held derbies and started hosting shows to raise funds. Over the years, as threats from bordering lands lessened, they adopted the new name and switched to doing shows full time. Isn’t that the cooles t ?!”
“That isn’t pertinent to our current problem, Rainbow,” said Twilight with a roll of her eyes. “I’ve read that book at least three times.”
“Ugh,” muttered Rainbow Dash. “I’m just saying! You don’t have to be so belligerent, Twi…” Twilights ears perked up.
“What did you call me?”
Rainbow blinked. “I uh-“
“Belligerent? Wow! That’s a word indicative of a stronger vocabulary. I’m impressed! Keep reading and you’ll be an egghead like me in no time.” complimented Twilight. Rainbow Dash groaned and nosed back through her book. Snickering to herself, Twilight returned her attention to the mare before her.
“So, as I was saying before being interrupted, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can help you with,” shrugged Twilight. “This isn’t exactly the most diverse library. Short of pointing you towards the Canterlot Archives, there isn’t anything else I can help you with.”
“That’s alright,” sighed Mjolna. “It’s probably nothing special…”
“It could be! There’s plenty of otherwise innocuous objects that hold magic within. You had a hunch and followed up on it. Perhaps it just doesn’t work unless it’s under proper circumstances?” offered Twilight.
“Do you believe me?” she asked.
“I believe that whatever idea you have is worth the effort to look into considering-“Twilight trailed off at Mjolnas bleak expression.
“Do you?”
“Well in all honesty,” Twilight timidly clopped her hooves together, “no not really. Sorry. It doesn’t hold any magical enchantments within. All my tests proved negative. The material isn’t even that rare –it’s just forged steel with two small indents near the tip of one end.”
Mjolna turned the rod over in her hooves. It didn’t seem mundane to her. Gripping it felt right . It was heavy, and she swore it tingled at her touch. Perhaps Twilight didn’t feel it but when she was holding the steel pole it gave her a comfort she couldn’t comprehend. Explaining that to a pony like Twilight wouldn’t make much sense.
“Canterlot’s pretty far from here,” commented Mjolna, shifting her weight to her right side. Pain was once again creeping up her left flank. She wanted to wait until she left the library to take her medicine. “Do you know how much it costs to get there by train?”
“Forty bits for a round trip,” replied Twilight. “I’ve never had to pay the whole fee though….”
A sharp twinge in her leg made her gasp. The purple unicorn looked at her in concern.
“Are you all right?”
“I-I’m fine,” stammered Mjolna. She put the rod back in her saddlebag. “Just need to get off my ass and move around that’s all.” Pain snaked up her sides and she hissed through her teeth. Rainbow Dash flew down from her perch and hovered by Twilight.
“D’you need some help? I can help you out if you want y’know,” Dash said.
“No,” she choked in reply. “I just need some air. Thanks for the help!”
Mjolna made a valiant effort to the door as the stinging at her side increased with every hoof-fall. Sensing the urgency in her voice, Twilights’ magic grabbed hold of the door and swung it open. The pill bottle in her bag rattled. It was nearly empty at this point. Fighting through the pain she slumped against the trunk of the great tree and popped open the bottle. Her tongue spasmed as she slurped down two of the pills, gasping as the intense pain began to subside.
“Are you okay?”
Mjolna glanced to her right. A very worried looking Twilight Sparkle was poking her head out the door to look at her. Rainbow Dash was just above wearing an equal level of concern on her face.
“I’m fine. Really, I’m glad you’re concerned but I have to go home now,” she kept a straight face despite the tears staining her cheeks. “See you some other time!”
***
Dinner was a halfhearted attempt at a Sunflower Buttercup sandwich with some grape juice. Instead of just eating her meal and getting it over with she ate it bite by bite, staring at the handle on her table the whole time. She popped two of her pain pills and swallowed with a swig of her drink. There were only a few left. A trip to the pharmacy for more was in order. The Ponyville Press blared the usual boring headlines: Canterlot racing derbies and events, a record label folding in Trottingham, more leadership troubles overseas in Ramhalla, the new fall fashion line in town spearheaded by Rarity. She sighed, folding the paper over in her hooves eyeing her recent purchase.
The useless rod sat next to her glass. This was unfair! To think she had paid ten bits for something like that! Last week she had thought it was unreasonable that Tammy had gotten ripped off.
And yet…
The steel rod gleamed in the soft evening light streaming through the window. On her bare wooden table it glowed as if there were life inside it. Mjolna wiped her mouth with a napkin, grabbing the handle and walking to her bedroom. All she wanted to do was put in her dresser and forget that she ever purchased the thing. With her hoof on the handle she pulled open the top drawer to put it in, considered it, and closed it shut.
It would be fine sitting next to her bedside table. That, too, was bare save for her alarm clock and lamp. She placed it in between them and climbed into bed. Mjolna closed her eyes.
***
Sleep never came. Instead of a restful night sleep she found herself tossing and turning under the covers. It wasn’t even hot out. The open window let in a gentle cool breeze that brushed against her face. Mjolna stared at the ceiling. She didn’t even feel tired! Her attention turned to her bedstand table.
It was found by a traveler passing through Whitetail woods outside of Ponyville.
The words of the unicorn that sold her the damned thing passed through her head. She squirmed under her bedsheets. Was there more to this stupid thing? Could there be more to it? Mjolna peered out her window. Whitetail Woods was literally right over there. On the other side of town the mysterious Everfree bordered Ponyville like an impenetrable fortress. It was teeming with wild and dangerous creatures just aching to snack on some unsuspecting pony. Walking through it at night was asking for trouble. On the other hoof everypony in town took walks through Whitetail. She ran though it during the running of the leaves every fall. Used to, in any case.
Mjolna flipped onto her stomach. The clock next to her ticked softly. Try as she might she could not shake the urge to get up. Grabbing her saddlebags, newspaper, pill bottle, canteen, and the mysterious handle she left her room and walked outside.
Luna’s moon hung high in the night sky. The brilliant white orb illuminated the ground like a searchlight lighting up a shoreline. The temperature had dropped close to a comfortable fifty. It was refreshing going out for a night walk. Nowadays getting out for her was a pain, the searing heat in her hind leg a consistent reminder of her handicap. Any other night she would be sound asleep in her home. Tonight felt different. Tonight was different.
She had somewhere to go.
The leaves of the woods rustled quietly in the night sky. Mjolna sniffed the air, the clean scent of pine filling her nostrils. A pair of wooden poles stood upright on the trail. They marked the beginning and end of Ponyvilles’ Running of the Leaves event. Memories of her rushing past the finish line flooded back to her and she turned her head to sigh. It wasn’t worth thinking about.
Trails like this were just one of many littering the woods. The big one of course was used primarily by travelers to cut through the town. Avoiding the notorious Everfree was also important. Whitetail Woods was much calmer and despite spook stories of the Headless Horse it was not dangerous to traverse. Mjolna took a left at the trail, not really sure where she was headed. It was reckless of her to be wandering alone and at risk after sundown. She was low on medication, but would last a while longer. A persistent, dull ache was all she felt at the moment.
Just barely an hour later, the effects of the pills were starting to wear off. She stopped a few times to get her bearings and mark her spot but as of yet nothing had happened. A tall rocky uprising loomed opposite her seat on a rotten log. Pain was beginning to flow into her joints. Grabbing her pills, she popped open her canteen and had a quick sip of water.
CRACK
A dead tree branch snapped off a nearby tree and landed into a bush next to her. Mjolna inhaled in surprise, sending liquid down her lungs. She coughed and sputtered, dropping her canteen in the dirt. After her coughing fit ended she wiped her mouth. Amazing how one little bout of that could make her feel so horrible. She grabbed her canteen.
The pills.
Mjolna moved the leaf litter at her hooves around.
They fell on the ground!
Those were the last two!!
The now soggy leaves crumpled in her hooves as she began to frantically tear about the floor around her. Both capsules were small, dark purple and slippery. Now they were gone. She cursed under her breath, moving aside dirt, rock, twigs and leaves as her frenzied search became more and more involved around her.
Nonononononononnon o .
Gone. They were gone. Had she the keen eyes of a Pegasus both of her pills would be safely in her return but no, thanks to her carelessness they were lost somewhere in the hopeless mess she had created. It was going to be a long, painful walk back home now. If she passed out on the trail she could be in serious danger. Mjolna folded her hooves and buried her head in them. Already that awful prickling was building in her leg. She wanted to scream.
An overhead cloud covering the moonlight finally passed. The light returned to the forest floor. Mjolna picked her head up to renew her search when something shiny caught her eye.
A glint. Brief but there. She squinted at the rock face across from her. It was a nondescript hunk of rock, craggy and broken in all the usual rocky places but something was there. She swiveled her head and out the corner of her eye the light gleamed again.
Something was there.
Very carefully as to not put pressure on her leg she stood up and hobbled across the way. This cliff was made of some kind of rock. Usually Earth ponies had a knack for figuring out the material of objects but this one in particular seemed unfamiliar to her. Foreign. Perhaps she was just looking at it wrong. She began sliding her hoof up and down the cool rock wall. Something was here. It could be a small crop of quartz, or a diamond poking from a crack. The moon was briefly covered by a passing cloud once more, and then moved away with a strong wing. The gleaming caught her eye again and she gasped.
There was a notch in the rock. A small, square, metal hole. It was adjacent to her hoof and completely invisible from her seat on the log! Only right up here from the side could she get a good look at it. She touched it, feeling how cold and smooth the metal was. It suddenly registered how familiar this material was. Her saddlebag flew open and she grabbed the handle out of the newspaper cocoon she wrapped it in. It was a perfect match! Excitedly she turned over the rod until she found the side with the grooves and pushed it into the hole with a sharp snap. Nothing happened. For a few seconds she stared hard at the lever, only hearing the sound of her heavy breathing. Pain was beginning to return and the worried voice in her head was telling her to leave and go home before it got worse.
Mjolna swallowed the saliva collecting in her mouth and pulled the lever.
THUD
The rock to her immediate left fell away into the ground. Clumps of dirt and vine fell around her as a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain appeared. The lever sprang back to its upright position. It creaked, popping out of its place on the wall. Mjolna picked up her handle. A warm wind blew from inside the cave and hit her face.
This is it. It’s do or die.
Furrowing her brow, she stepped inside and descended into the mountain.
***
Her fears of wandering in the dark were alleviated halfway down the tunnel. Colonies of glowing worms gathered in clumps on the ceiling and walls. The light they cast was dim, casting a very faint bluish glow where they congregated together. Although the pain was increasing every minute she did her best to will through it. Using only three legs to support herself was a bit more difficult to get around but she learned to train her body to get used to the gait.
The handle was warm. It almost felt alive in her mouth. It hadn’t felt like this since last week when she first picked it up from the vendor. The winding tunnel led her deeper and deeper into the mountain. Air was stale down here. The luminescent worms were at least consistent the further down she went. The small tunnel began to widen. Mjolna flicked her ear at some distant noise. The sound of running water was unmistakable.
A loose rock gave way under her hoof and she stumbled. An intense spike of pain shot through her leg to her side. She bit her lip, forcing the scream back down her throat. The agony she felt wasn’t going to stop her now. Not when she was this close to the end. Blinking back tears, she stumbled forth. The glow of the worms above her were being slowly diminished by a stronger light source. She stepped through the mouth of the tunnel.
Her jaw dropped.
The cavern was enormous ! A huge clear pool of water laid was laid out for her, reaching hundreds of feet to the other side of where she stood. Three tall thin pine trees grew from the water, the deep green of their branches a stark contrast to the deep blue of the water. Breathing deeply she smelled the extremely rich scent of sap permeating the air. To the right of her was a deep blue pool of water. She surmised that it must have been a spring of some sorts. The whole place was dimly lit, shafts of moonlight shone through the ceiling in various spots. Everything else paled in comparison to the sight in the middle of the grove.
It was a monument of smoothed stone alone on a small island lit by a single shaft of moonlight. Six circular stones led from her spot on the shore to the rock in the middle. Entranced by the rock, Mjolna moved towards the center. Unfortunately, the dark green moss growing on the stepping stones was very slick. Her very first step threw her center of mass forwards. Her knee hit the rock dead center.
Darkness.
For a brief moment there was only darkness. Dark, inky black peppered with flashes of color. When she opened her eyes she found herself floating in the cool water. There was no point in lying about it to herself about what just happened. Blotches of color briefly filled her vision. She had blacked out from the severe pain. It must have been her body’s attempt to spare her the conscious pain she would have experienced if she were awake. The aftershock of the impact was noticeable enough if the pain weren’t indicator enough –the ugly bruise on her coat signaled how bad she fell.
Pain began taking hold once more. Mjolna tried to get up. The pain increased, rattling her senses. The spreading sensations forced her back into the shallow water. Her leg felt like a balloon filled with thousands of glass shards forced inside. She wanted to lie down. Wait for it to go away. Perhaps it would fade…
No
That was being a quitter. For too long this injury and its effects held her back. Too long she had scheduled her days around how she felt. Clenching her teeth and with much effort she pulled herself out of the water. Every fiber of her being wanted to wait, sit immobile, but she forced the urge away. Cool water rolled off her back and dripped quietly into the pool. She marched to the center of that island.
There was a pedestal in front of the smooth black stone. Mjolna eyed it wearily as she leaned against it. A mason would weep at how beautifully cut this wall of black obsidian was. Small gems of varying size and color looked to be embedded in it as well. It was also quite cool. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing exercises. The pressure in her leg continued climbing anyway. She gulped and hobbled over to the mysterious pedestal.
On the smooth flat pedestal was some sort of tool. It was square and looked to be made of metal. Mjolna rested her weight against the small pillar to get a closer look. It was just as marvelously crafted as the wall behind her. She was so near she could even tell that whatever this square object was it certainly wasn’t placed here gently. An edge of it had impacted the top of the pillar leaving deep cracks spider webbing around it. For something so ordinary it was somehow beautiful. Mjolna was compelled to touch it. Even with the growing pain in her limb she admired the piece. It was familiar even. She absently started rubbing her hooves over the surface. She shut her eyes, only wishing she could properly see this object with both of them. At least she hadn’t slipped away in the water. It was okay now. She could pass knowing that at her weakest she fought through the pain and achieved her own goal –on her own hooves.
There was an indentation.
Small, shallow, hardly noticeable but it was there.
Mjolna grasped at her saddlebags. Her hoof was a blur as she tore away the newspaper to grab the handle nestled inside. No wonder the object felt familiar! It was the same material! Sweat rolled down her face as she struggled to find the grooves. The agony was overwhelming. The metal rod danced around the little notch. She closed her eyes. The rod finally found purchase within.
CLICK
There was a burst of light. Mjolna felt herself slip off the pedestal, but was suddenly righted. An unseen force lifted her to her hooves. Magic, like that of unicorns, enveloped her in its pulsing warmth. Wind bellowed around her. It was as if she were standing in the middle of a dust devil. Energy like nothing she’d ever felt filled her body. The howling in her ears increased tenfold. She gritted her teeth.
Silence filled the cavern. Mjolna opened her eyes.
Sitting atop the now cracked pedestal was a hammer. Somehow, she felt she knew more than that. It crackled with energy, small yellow sparks arcing across its surface. It instantly reminded her of the twin hammers on her flanks. Mesmerized by its beauty she grabbed the handle. It was warm to the touch and comfortable in her hoof. The electric feeling traveled up her arm, setting the hairs on her coat straight. It was still stuck. She gave it a strong tug and pulled it free.
Now what? What happened next? Me holding a metal hammer and standing around in some underground grotto with-
Her eyes widened.
Standing.
Her eyes darted to her hind leg. Sure enough she was standing on it, her hoof pressed firmly against the black tile. She lifted it and gingerly brought it down. Then again, a little harder this time. Then once more with as much strength as she could muster, the tile giving a loud crack as her hoof smashed through to the dirt beneath it.
Her heart skipped a beat. The pain was gone. Completely gone. She was free of it. But how? What? Was it the hammer? The magic? What happened to her?
She faced the wall of obsidian behind her. The once dim gems embedded inside, seemingly at random, were glowing fiercely. Lines of white light snaked through the wall and connected each gemstone accordingly. It glowed brighter, a shape taking form on the rock. It was a beautiful depiction of ram, proud and stoic.
The face turned to look at her.
For the second time that day she was speechless. The rock wall changed, depictions of a land far away flashed across it, of turmoil and strife, hostility and anarchy. She saw a cold country ingrained in ice. There were the rams. The citizens of the land under the reign of a cruel leader, tired, hungry, without hope for a better future. There was oppression. False promises. She saw a vision of herself, clad in an ancient armor of brass and steel, wilding the hammer clenched in her jaw delivering righteous justice upon the false leaders spewing their lies to the public.
Then it flipped through her life. Growing up. School. The moment she got her cutie mark. Not knowing why. Signing up for construction. The accident she suffered. The strange vendor at the marketplace.
Here.
The wall faded to black. Two great glowing green eyes blinked on the wall before her. Mjolna nodded. She understood now. Everything was clear.
The eyes nodded sagely, twinkling away into darkness once more. With a swing of her mighty hammer the black pedestal was obliterated. She stood in the center and looked directly up, hammer clutched in her mouth. The ground around her rumbled. It became a circular pillar of stone rising at high speed straight upwards. She swung the hammer again at the ceiling right at she was set to hit it. It broke instantly and cleared her vertical pathway.
Mjolna finally breached the mountain top. She sniffed the cool night air, inhaling deeply. It was refreshing. After all these years she knew now who she was –what her true purpose was, her talent, her destiny. The stars in the inky black sky winked at her. They would show her where to go. Mjolna adjusted herself and faced north on the pillar.
North was where she would achieve her destiny, as directed by Ares himself.
North, towards Ramhalla.
