My Little Pony: Talismans are Magic

by aoshi19

Rating: everyone
Tags: Crossover, Comedy, Adventure
Length: 18976

An MLP and Jackie Chan Adventures crossover

Twilight Sparkle has been assigned a difficult task by Princess Celestia to find all twelve talismans before they can be claimed by the evil Shendu. Twilight will need all the help she can get in order to conquer the crazy trials that await her in this unforgettable quest.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-03-14 04:01:10 UTC

Prologue

Prologue

It had only been a few hours after the wedding ceremony between Shining Armor and Princess Cadance had come to an end.  Every pony was very joyful to witness the marriage between two lovers that would never depart until death.  Of course, when there's a marriage there's a also a reception.  Eveyone was also hungry for delicious food and eager for some fun party games, especially since the battle against Queen Chrysalis was also something more to celebrate over.

However; unknown to every other pony, there was only one other that did not show must interest in the royal Canterlot event.  That pony just so happened to be Trixie Lulamoon, one of Ponyville's most intriguing unicorns.  “Ugh... out of all the ponies that Candance marries, it WOULD be Twilight Sparkle's older brother.” she groaned in disgust.  She couldn't help but notice Twilight and here closest friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all being very social and having a blast. “First she beats me in magic, NOW she becomes royalty through marriage!”  Trixie had always bared a grudge since the time when Twilight Sparkle subdued an Ursa Minor from terrorizing Ponyville.  On top of that, she also had her so-called powerful magic exposed as simple illusions and tricks.

Trixie wasn't simply in Canterlot to show respect to the royal family.  She was on a mission; a mission that would require stealth, wits, and nerves of steel.  Trixie had become so desperate to outdo Twilight after being outclassed once before, that she planned a heist to sneak in to the Canterlot Castle to find anything that could make her a more powerful unicorn. One can also assume that Trixie was never the type to be a heroic figure to others.  She was always thinking about her own agenda, and wanted to use this opportunity to get the most out of her stay while every other pony was attending the Canterlot wedding reception.  Little did the illusionist unicorn realize that fate would bring her to one of the greatest threats in all of Equestria.

“Now's a perfect time.” Trixie whispered under her breath.  The guards had become so bored of standing at attention that even Princess Celestia and Princess Luna invited them to watch and participate in dancing and karaoke.   She slouched down underneath her table concealed behind the tablecloth.  Her quiet movement and stealthy hooves allowed Trixie to sneak from bush to bush and eventually make it to the unguarded entrance to the castle without being spotted at all.  “Phew, glad that part's over.” she gasped.  As Trixie entered the castle and wondered the empty dark halls, she was both surprised and not surprised at the same time that there were no guards patrolling the area.  “I should have guessed that everyone including the night time sentries would all be attending the reception.” she snickered to herself.  “Security here stinks.”  After about thirty minutes of exploring different halls and rooms, she finally came to the end of a corridor with a very large black and eerie door that had a “Keep Out!” sign hanging off the door handle. “Well well, well, what have we here?”  Trixie said with a slick smile.  “If there's a door, there must be treasure.”  She was in no mood to respect Princess Celestia's private matters, and she had come too far not to go inside.  Without hesitation, Trixie opened the door and proceeded without caution.

It was pitch black inside, but it didn't take long for Trixie to discovered that she was not alone.  “You there!  Come closer...”  A high-pitched sinister voice pierced through Trixie's heart and a chill ran down her spine.  She did not know right away how to react, but her intial thought was to get out of there instantly.  Before Trixie could react, the doors slammed shut and she was stuck in complete darkness.  In about 5 seconds, torches lit up at once and she was in aw and shock as she came face to face with a greenish gold coiled dragon mounted on the wall and bared octagon shaped sockets in its body.  Strangely though, the dragon did not move and it appeared to be made out of some kind of metal instead of flesh and scales.  The red glowing eyes and the wicked mouth indicated to her that this was where the voice came from.  “My name is Shendu, and I am the greatest demon sorcerer to walk this earth.  I command you to become my faithful servant and fulfill my mission to acquire all twelve talismans and allow me to regain my power to rule once more!

“Ha ha ha!  Trixie laughed in amusement.  And why should the great-and-powerful Trixie listen to a talking dragon statue?” Trixie said with an arrogant patronizing tone.  “You have no idea what you're up against, you naïve pony!”  Shendu interrupted.  “I am not just a mere statue! You are in the presence of a demon sorcerer that has lived for several millenia.  One thousand years ago, I was imprisoned by one of the eight immortals and was banished through a dimensional portal leading to this odd universe.  However, things did not end there because as soon as the two alicorn princesses discovered me, they knew that they were dealing with an evil demon.  They scattered all of my powers in the form of talismans so that I would never regain them again, and imprisoned me in this area where I reside as of right now.  Should all twelve come in to my possession, I will become flesh and blood just the way I was before.”

“Hmph!  Too bad for you, I guess the great-and-powerful Trixie will just have to find these magic rocks for herself! “  As soon as Trixie turned her back ready to leave, Shendu shouted back.  “Foolish mortal!  Even if you found the talismans, you wouldn't know how to unlock their magic!  I am the only who understands each of their unique powers, so there's no point in you keeping them for yourself!”  Trixie couldn't help but think Shendu was not sharing all the information he knew.  “So what's in it for me if I find all twelve?” Trixie retorted.  “Quite the demanding one, aren't you?” Shendu said with his eyes glowing a little more red than before.  “During my reign in the human realm, I was the richest and wealthiest demon that possessed the finest riches of the world, enough gold and coin to give you financial power over anybody in the world.  After I was sealed away, the treasure and my castle had crumbled to the dust of the earth.  Fortunately for you, the treasure and my stronghold will be restored when I return to my original form.”  Shendu could tell by the blank look on Trixie's face that she fantasizing just from the idea of having gems, bullion, and artifacts in her possession.

“So, my young Trixie...  Does the reward interest you?” Shendu said with full intention of enticing the blue mare.  Trixie had never liked the idea of being somebody elses pawn to do dirty work, but her fascination of living on a hoard of treasure in her own castle greatly increased her interest in finding the talismans.  “Yes, Shendu.  Your wish, is my command.”  the intrigued unicorn replied  and saluted her hoof with a greedy and lustful smile across her face.  “Ah, very good.  I knew I could count on you the moment you appeared before me.  However, these talismans are very difficult and dangerous to find in Equestria, and I highly doubt that you alone will be able to achieve this task.  I recommend that you find some reinforcements to ensure a successful mission.”  Trixie knew instantly who she would resort to for assistance. “Hmm... I know exactly who will follow every command!”  “A very confident mare you are.”  Shendu replied with more contempt in his voice.  “I too will aid you in your quest for the talismans...  But first things first!  We must relocate somewhere before the alicorns find out about this encounter.  Quickly!  Cast a teleportation spell!”  From the flash of her horn and snap of a blue smoke bomb, she quickly teleported herself and the wicked dragon statue out of the dark castle room and out to a location that she was certain nobody would ever find them.

End of Prologue

Chapter 1: Searching for the Talismans

Chapter 1: Searching for the Talismans

“Good morning Twilight,” Spike said looking down at purple mare who was still in bed.  “Glad you're finally up.”  “Uhhhhhhhh, morning already?...” Twilight moaned with her eyes only halfway open.  One can only imagine how exhausted she was from all the action that went on in just one day.  Making a fool of herself before she exposed the fake Candance, fighting off an army of changelings, attending a wedding ceremony along with the reception and after party.  It was a lot to take in, and the only thing Twilight Sparkle wanted was a day to herself for relaxing in the library.  “I find it hard to believe that you're up before me, Spike.” Twilight said.  “Yeah, it does feel weird being the first one up,” Spike said with a shrug.  “But at least we have the whole day to ourselves.  First we can cook breakfast, then sit outside and watch the birds later today, then take a nice long walk before dinner- oh no, I feel a letter coming!” Spike said all the sudden.  Before he could go on any further about his plans for the day, Spike started to feel the urge in his mouth to let out a huge burp.  He let a stream of green fire which turned in to a scroll with a gold hoof insignia.  “It's gotta be from the Princess.” Spike guessed.  “Here you go, Twilight.” he said while handing her the letter.  It read:

To my faithful student Twilight,

I would like to thank you and your friends once again for saving Canterlot yesterday.  However, it seems that not all bad things have come to an end just yet.  Meet me in the castle throne room, and I'll explain everything there.  By the time you're done reading this, my men should already be outside your door with a chariot ready for escort. -Princess Celestia

“Oh no!  This can't be good!”  Twilight panicked.  Before she could overreact anymore, a knock at the door was heard.  “I'll get it.” Spike said as he hurried over to the door.  “We're here for Ms. Twilight Sparkle,” the royal guard said “Is she here?”  “I'm coming, I'm coming.”  Twilight said while running down the stairs with her saddlebag.  “Our highness requires your presence at once,” the guard continued.  “Come along please and bring anything you think is necessary.”  Twilight glanced back at Spike with a smile and nodded her head to him which showed that she wanted him to come with her.  “He did say anything, so I guess that includes anyone as well.” she said.  “Alright, let's do this!”  Spike exclaimed with enthusiasm.  “To Canterlot!”

It only took about 10 minutes for the chariot to eventually make its way to the Canterlot Castle entrance.  As they were walking down the path to the castle doors, Twilight leaned down to whisper in Spike's ear.  “Remember Spike, don't show any sign of disinterest no matter what it is she wants.” she warned.  “I know we both want the day off, but anything the Princess asks for is always top priority.”  “Understood, Twilight.”  Spike said with a wink.  As they appeared in throne room, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were already waiting and they both looked a bit more relieved that Twilight showed up.  “Thank for very much for being here, Twilight.”  Celestia said with a bit of a smile.  “I am very glad you could make it here as quickly as you did.  I know it hasn't been long since our battle against the changelings, but all of Equestria could be in grave danger if we do not act soon enough.”  Twilight didn't even bother to ask what the problem was since she knew the Princess well enough that asking frivolous questions could sometimes come off as disrespect.  “I'll do whatever it is you ask for, your highness.”  Twilight stated.

“It was only about a year after my sister and I sealed away Discord that an evil dragon descended from a portal leading into our world.” Princess Luna said.  “Luckily for us, it was already in a petrified coiled up state in which it could not harm us.  Not only did we detect magic from another world, but we were able to sense something very dark within.  We took no chances with the demonic dragon statue, so we extracted its magic which took on the forms of twelve talismans.  They were scattered all across Equestria, and each of these stones contains the depiction of a different animal.”  Princess Celestia rolled out a scroll which contained twelve octagon shapes that each contained a picture of a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.  “I have ascertained that these animal signs indicate a unique power to each of the talismans.”  Celestia continued where Luna left off.  “Unfortunately, I do not know what those powers are, and I do not know the exact location of each one.  Thank goodness though there is a way to detect each of the different talismans, but it will require patience for each one.  To ensure safety in our land, we also sealed the dragon away in one of our chambers where it could not unleash any of its powers, and we also put a spell on the door that cannot be penetrated by dark magic.”  Celestia stopped to catch a long breath, while Twilight could tell that there was more on the Princess' mind.  “Your highness,” Twilight asked with concern.  “Is everything going to be alright?”  “I know this might sound very ironic to you,” Celestia said “But even after all these years, we do not even know the dragon's name.  When Luna and I extracted the talismans, the dragon screamed in anger which indicated that it was still alive, despite the fact that it was a statue.  We interrogated the dragon as much as we could but it refused to talk after what we did to the talismans.

Twilight felt a bit more relieved as she started to think that all the trouble she came here for was to help Princess Celestia identify the dragon's name.  “No worries,” Spike interjected.  “I'm a dragon myself so I'll do everything I can to make it talk or else I'll give it a piece of Spike!”  “I applaud your enthusiasm Spike,”  Luna replied.  “But I'm afraid the real reason you two are here is because the dragon is missing.”  Twilight and Spike froze in fear at the same time, both of them realizing a quest would be coming up very shortly.  “That wasn't all that we discovered last night,”  Luna resumed.  “During my night watch, one of my personal guards went to his post to guard the chamber, but then he noticed a light coming from behind the door.  When he opened to check inside, the room's torches were lit up and the dragon statue was no where to be found.”  “Which leads to only one conclusion,” Celestia said sounding a bit agitated.  “An intruder got in to the castle and discovered this room while the wedding reception was going on.  It's the only possible time it could happen since no guards were on duty during the reception and after party.  Additionally, whoever took the dragon statue with them could be in grave danger.  There's no telling what could happen since the dragon is no longer in the room that suppressed its dark magic.”

So what should I do first? Twilight asked sounded a bit more hopeless than earlier. “There's a lot to take in and I'm not sure where to start.”  “I have an idea, but first let's get you back to the chariot where the guards wait.” said Celestia.  When Twilight and Spike were escorted by the princess, Celestia said.  “It would be safer to track down the talismans first before you confront either the interloper or the dragon.  “In the meantime I will find a locator spell to indicate the first talisman.  When I do, I'll send you a letter with further details.”  “Thank you your highness, I won't let you down!” said Twilight as she was getting ready to board the chariot with Spike.  “And  Twilight.”  Celestia said.  “Yes?” asked Twilight.  “Remember that your friends are always there for you, and don't do anything reckless.”  With those last words of advice, Twilight and Spike departed on their chariot back to the Ponyville library.

Meanwhile, in an abandoned facade townhouse in the slums of Manehattan, Trixie had been getting settled in with her new hideout that she teleported Shendu inside; they knew they needed a place where no pony would bother to go.  At the same time, she did not want to be too far from civilization.  “What kind of strange place is this?” Shendu asked sounding a bit confused.  “It's very filthy and dark for a place  that looks somewhat inhabitable.”  “This was the best I could think of, Shendu.”  replied Trixie.  “I had an uncle that used to rent rooms to other ponies, but after a couple umm... bad decisions, he fled from Manehattan and never came back to check in.  Obviously, none one on his lease wanted to live in a townhouse with no water and electricity, which is why it's in a bit of a mess.”  “The cleaning can wait for now; I have to admit you're more cunning than I thought, Trixie.  One that lurks in the shadows is more likely to stay undetected.” Shendu complimented.

“This is only the beginning of our operation.”  Trixie said in return.  “There are also some connections I have here in Manehattan that my uncle knew very well back in the day.  Because he always had a good relationship with them, I know they will gladly serve as my enforcers and search all of Equestria for the talismans.”  “Very good to see that's covered.”  said the demonic dragon.  “But make sure that you do not draw too much attention when you come and go from this residence.”  “Rest assured, Shendu.  Our mission is becoming much more promising the more I put my mind to it.”  said Trixie as she walked out of Shendu's room.

As Trixie quietly walked out the townhouse entrance, making sure that no one saw her,  she growled to herself “I will make sure no other pony gets in my way of domination.  Not even that wretched Twilight Sparkle!...”

End of Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Here Comes the Dark Hoof

Chapter 2:  Here Comes the Dark Hoof

It was already high noon, and both Twilight and Spike had not heard anything back from Princess Celestia.  The purple unicorn was pacing in circles as she worried that someone else might have already found the Rooster talisman.  “The clock is ticking.  The clock, is, ticking!”  Twilight kept saying to herself.  “Snap out of it, Twilight!”  Spike said trying to give Twilight more comfort to her mind.   “Princess Celestia has never let us down, and we should -urp!”  Spike burped out a green flame, which then turned in to a scroll.  “I hope it's from the Princess!”  Twilight said, quickly opening the letter.

Dear Twilight,

The first talisman, which bares the image of a rooster, is located somewhere in Ponyville where a weather vane resides.  I wish I knew the exact location, but I'm confident that you'll find it.  Be very careful Twilight.  There could be dark forces on the move as we speak. -Princess Celestia

“That's one less thing to worry about,” said Spike.  “As long as it's in Ponyville, we'll find it in no time!”  “I wouldn't get too overconfident,”  Twilight said.  “We could be facing some tough opposition, so we can't let our guard down.  But without further to do, Spike;  it's time to find the talisman!”  The duo had officially started what was going to be a difficult and unforgettable quest.

Things were also getting interesting with Trixie and her new affiliates in Manehattan.  “So glad that the three of you could make it.” Trixie said to the odd looking earth ponies.  She turned around to look over at Shendu, whom was probably the real center of attention within the group.  “Shendu, I present to you my uncle's three best enforcers: Finn, Ratso, and Chow.”  Finn was an average sized pony with a slicked back red mane, a white coat, green eyes, and had a disco ball for a cutie mark.  He even wore a gold medallion around his neck to look spiffy.  Ratso was a somewhat bigger pony with a dark gray mane, a light gray coat, and red eyes.  Despite his ghoulish appearance, Ratso had a teddy bear cutie mark which didn't seem to make sense to anyone else.  He also had a white bandage across his muzzle for unknown reasons.  Chow was the only one amongst the three enforcers that was a little below average height for a stallion, but his looks and attitude compensated for his size.  He had a short black mane, a dark gray coat, and wore yellow prescription sunglasses.  His cutie mark looked exactly like the sunglasses he wore.  Chow lowered his sunglasses as his way of greeting Shendu, which revealed his brown colored eyes.  “Does she really think the statue's alive?”  Finn whispered, sounding a bit concerned for Trixie's sanity.  “I think she even talks to it.” Ratso whispered back to Finn.  “Don't think I can't hear you over there!”  Shendu yelled, catching the enforcers off guard.  “You are in the presence of a demon sorcerer, and it would be very wise for all of you not to underestimate my power.”  “Okay Shendude, we're all ears.”  Finn panicked, still in stock from the dragon's anger.  Chow and Ratso were way too freaked out to comment.

“I found Shendu locked in one of Princess Celestia's chambers in Canterlot Castle, which means that he was kept in there for a very good reason.” said Trixie.  “After a detailed discussion of his origins, Shendu has entrusted that we search for his twelve talismans, so that we can then be rewarded the lost treasure of Chin Sheewong.  If that's not enough to persuade you, I will even help cover your travel expenses,” said Trixie.  “Matter of fact, here are some year-long boarding passes each of you can use to travel on any express train in Equestria.  Believe me, you will need these to make the search easier.”  “Thanks for the tickets,”  Ratso said while fidgeting his hooves.  “But shouldn't you also invest in housekeeping and-” “Oof!” Finn and Chow punched Ratso in the chest before he could ask anymore stupid questions.  “Yes I'm aware of the living conditions, but we still have priorities.”  Trixie continued.  “I'm confident that you'll be able to find what we need before anyone else gets in the way.”  Another thought came in to Trixie's head after a quick glance of her henchmen.  “With your help, my leadership, and Shendu's treasure, we can also revive what was lost before and bring back the Dark Hoof!”  “Now you're talkin' Great T” Finn said, sounding much happier.  “We could bring back the greatest crime syndicate that we used to be in!”  Chow exclaimed.  “But for now you all will need to keep a low profile.”  Shendu said in response to Chow. “Once I am out of my prison, you are all free to do as you wish with your so-called crime syndicate.  The first talisman is located in Ponyville where young fillies and colts gather.”  “You heard the dragon, so get to it!”  Trixie commanded.  “We're on it, great and powerful T.”  Finn answered.  Having said that, the enforcers embarked on their way to the nearest train station.

Meanwhile, the heroes continued their search for the first talisman, only to be disappointed with how long their search has been.  “We have to keep looking for any house or building with a weather vane on the roof.” Twilight said. “But that's just about every place in Ponyville.”  said Spike.  “We've been at it for hours, and I'm beginning to think that we're going in circles.”  As much as it pained Twilight to hear Spike's observation, she knew he was right. Just about every single business, home, apartment, etc. had a weather vane on the rooftop.  They were also getting close to the Ponyville Schoolhouse,  when Spike had a thought come to him.  “I really think we should ask our friends to help out on this.”  he said.  “The Princess even suggested that earlier today.”  “Yeah, you're right Spike.  I shouldn't have been too hasty from the get go.  For all the other talismans, I promise I'll let Applejack, Rarity, and-” “Um, Twilight” Spike interrupted.  “I hate to cut you off, but we've got company!”  Twilight and Spike were only a couple feet away from the schoolhouse when they saw three ponies that looked very out of place.  “You guys must be new around here, can I help you?”  Twilight asked.

“As a matter of fact, you can.”  Finn answered back.  “You must be Twilight Sparkle.  I heard many things about you, and just so happened to overhear you talking to your baby dragon about talismans.”  “What interest do you have in them anyway?”  Twilight responded.  It was blatantly obvious to Twilight and Spike that the shady stallions were not there to become allies.  “I'm only gonna ask you once, Sparkle.  Where's the talisman?”  Finn asked with a more impatient voice.  “I don't have it, and I don't know where it is.”  Twilight snapped.  “Very well, have it your way”  Finn replied.  “Ratso, Chow, let's nail her!”  “Spike, keep searching while I keep these guys distracted." said Twilight, while she prepared to defend herself. “I'm on it.” said Spike.

Twilight's first instinct was simply just to run; exactly what she did anyway.  The enforcers pursued after her until they all got to the school playground.  Twilight yelled out to all the young pony children “No more playtime, get in the building!”  All of the children, confused and startled, fled in to the schoolhouse as soon as they saw Twilight's pursuers She did not want to severely hurt the assailants, but at the same time she knew she still had to defend herself.  Finn was the first one to go in for the attack, running at Twilight with a head charge.  Quickly prepared, Twilight kicked over a nearby crate of dodge balls that all rolled towards Finn.  The red haired brute stumbled upon the mess of dodge balls and fell flat on his face.  Ratso and Chow charged in at the same time towards the witty unicorn.  Twilight ran again, and lured both of them through a swing set.  As soon as the two slow-minded enforcers got close enough, Twilight used her unicorn magic to tangle up Ratso and Chow in the swings.  While Spike continued to look around the schoolhouse; avoiding the action going on between Twilight and the enforcers, something caught his attention very fast. On top of the bell tower of the schoolhouse, Spike gazed at a weather vane with a rooster silhouette baring an octagon shaped rock. No doubt about it, Spike was  absolutely certain that it was the Rooster talisman.  With a determined look in his eye, Spike proceeded to climb the back of the schoolhouse to make his way to the top of the bell tower.

Twilight still continued to defend herself, thinking of any means necessary to bide enough time for Spike to obtain the talisman.  Some of her magic techniques on balls and jump ropes were quite affective and entertaining at the same time; even the young colts and fillies inside the schoolhouse watched in amazement as Twilight used all kinds of playground equipment to her advantage.  After enough humiliation, the trio surrendered the fight.  “Let's get outta here!”  Finn cried out, while they fled the scene.  Once the enforcers were no where to be scene, all of the young ponies inside the school came out the front door and cheered for Twilight as they circle around her.  The Cutie Mark Crusaders were also among the children that showed even greater enthusiasm.  “That was some radical butt whooping you did, Twilight!”  Scootaloo complimented.  “You made it look so darn easy, how'd ya do it?”  Apple Bloom asked.  “You didn't even throw a punch or a kick!”  Sweetie Belle said.  Twilight happily looked at her filly friends and gave them strong words of advice.  “When I was your age, my best mentor taught me that sometimes, the greatest battle is never fought.”  Twilight noticed from a distance Spike holding on to something as he got down from the school building “Twilight, I got it, I got it!  Spike said hustling over through the crowd.  As Spike held the object in his claw, Twilight couldn't believe that she was already feasting her eyes upon the Rooster talisman.  “That was very brave of you to climb for that, Spike.”  Twilight said.  “But we need to get back home before we draw anymore attention.”  The young ponies waved goodbye as Twilight and Spike hurried back to the library.

When the Dark Hoof enforcers arrived back to their small headquarters, the self-important mare was not amused at all with the bad report.  "So what you're telling me is that my uncle's three best enforcers, who have years and years of crime experience, were defeated singled-hoofed by one measly mare?" Trixie questioned as she look at her henchmen with a condescending glare.  “She ain't no ordinary unicorn, great T.”  Finn pleaded.  “She's really good with magic, we didn't stand a chance!”  Chow whined in embarrassment.  Trixie nodded with a curt expression.  “Tohru!...”  Shortly after Trixie called out an unfamiliar name, loud footsteps were heard throughout the hideout, and then a gigantic earth pony appeared before the enforcers. He was a cream coated stallion with his black mane tied in to a short ponytail, and had a grape soda cutie mark underneath his brown overalls; his slanted eyes gave him a more serious and intimidating look.  Each of the enforcers was speechless when they looked up at who was mostly liked the biggest pony in all of Equestria.  "Whoa..." Ratso said, feeling inferior to the giant. Without even saying a word, Tohru bear hugged Finn, Ratso, and Chow between his two front hooves, squeezing them tight for two seconds, and then dropped all three of them at once to the floor “Tohru, bring me the talisman.”  Trixie said with a stern look.  "While your Tohru does impress me,” Shendu commented.  “I shall also aid you and your men with my own servants, the Shadowkahn..."  Slowly but surely, a group of black clad figures slowly materialized from the shadows. What really freaked everyone out in the room about these beings was that they were not ponies. They were creatures that stood on two legs, making them at least two feet taller than an average sized pony. Their eyes had a red gaze just like Shendu, and each one had their mouth concealed by a face mask.  “Very well.”  said Trixie.  “And Tohru.  Should you happen to meet our friend Twilight Sparkle... eliminate her.”  “Yes master.”  Tohru answered.

Back in the library, Twilight and Spike rummaged through book after book until they both looked like they were about to pass out from boredom.  The moon was already up in the sky, and Twilight had made no progress on discovering the magic of the Rooster talisman.  “I don't understand what any of this means,” said Twilight, confused and stressed.   “I can't find anything all about about these strange markings on the back of the talisman.” “Do you think anyone can translate it for us?” Spike asked.  “I highly doubt it, Spike.  There isn't anybody in Equestria that could...”  Twilight paused for a brief moment when she had a mental breakthrough all the sudden.  “That's it!  Spike, the only one that can understand these symbols is the creator of the talismans, the dragon demon!”  As Twilight hurried upstairs to write a letter, Spike caught a glimpse of fast movement outside the window through his peripheral vision.  “Um, Twilight.  I know this might sound weird, but I think we're being watched from outside.”  Spike said, getting nervous.  “Don't worry Spike, it's probably an owl or a bat that flew by.”  Twilight said, with her attention on writing back to the princess.  “I dunno, I got a bad feeling about this.”  said Spike, feeling even more frightened.  “Alright, Spike.”  Twilight said walking back down the stairs.  “I'll just take a quick look around to show there are- WHAT IN EQUESTRIA!?!?”  After Twilight opened the front door, both her and the baby dragon were scared stiff when they looked outside to see 10 Shadowkhan ninjas surrounding the library.  To make things worse, the gigantic Tohru stood about 20 feet away across from Twilight.  “The talisman!”  Tohru demanded.  “Spike, stay inside!  I'll deal with the big one.”  Twilight ordered.  “Just don't let any of those fiends get in.”  “Understood.”  said Spike.  “When Spike closed the door, Twilight stepped outside and created a magical barrier that covered the entire library.  Spike knew that he needed to hide the talisman somewhere safe so in case the ninjas got in, they wouldn't find it.  With his dragons wits, he got a clever idea and swallowed the talisman.

As the Shadowkhan continuously attempted to break through the barrier, Twilight was left to face off against Tohru.  “Rargh!”  Tohru roared as he charged full speed ahead, but Twilight acted fast.  She used her telekinesis on a nearby wooden wheelbarrow to intercept Tohru, hoping that it would knock him to the ground.  To Twilight's surprise, the brute smashed through the wheelbarrow without breaking a sweat, and he even gave a cocky smirk at Twilight.  Tohru had also gotten close enough to where he was in reaching distance to grab the unicorn.  His movements were also very fast, even for a pony his size, that he got a hold of Twilight's neck before she could react quickly enough.  The size of Tohru's hooves and the strength of his bear hug put Twilight in a serious bind that she could not maintain the magic barrier, causing it to subside.  The Shadowkhan quickly broke in, forcing Spike to move fast on his feet as he did everything he could to avoid getting caught.  When the ninjas cornered the baby dragon where he couldn't run anywhere else, Spike's survival instincts kicked in.  “Stop!”  Spike yelled when all the sudden, a surge of energy fired up in his stomach, and every single black ninja in the library was suspended in the air.  Spike found it hard to believe that he stopped the Shadowkhan with his mind; nevertheless, he used his new levitation powers to slam the ninjas in to the ground.  Poof!  Each of them vanished into dust, and Spike was in no more danger.  “Oh no!  Twilight!  She needs my help!”  Spike panicked.  He got outside to see the horror of his master getting crushed in Tohru's grasp.  “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”  Spike murmured as he prepared to use his telekinesis on the assailant.    Tohru looked around in confusion, and noticed that he was levitated into the air.  In the meantime, Twilight had used this opportunity to slip from the clutches of her enemy before getting too far from the ground.  “He's big, I can't hold on much longer...” Spike said as his eyes were straining from all the pressure.  To make the best of the situation, Spike hurled  Tohru away from the perimeter of the library, and sent him flying in to a market stand, landing with a loud crash. “Ughhhh...” Tohru moaned and eventually passed out.

“Twilight!  Twilght!  Are you alright!”  Spike cried out.  “Wow, I didn't know you could use magic.”  Twilight said as she laid on the ground.  “Actually, I think it was the talisman that gave me those powers.”  Spike answered back.  “I swallowed it so that the bad guys couldn't find it anywhere else.”  Spike helped Twilight get to her bed since she could barely stand after wrestling with Tohru.  “We need to get you to Ponyville Hospital, those injuries look very severe.”  Spike said with great concern.  “I'll contact Applejack and Big Macintosh to help get you over there tomorrow.”  “We also need to get that talisman out of your belly.”  Twilight joked.  “I don't think the Princess wants to have a magic rock inside a baby dragon.”  Twilight looked up at the ceiling and then looked over to her companion.  “You've been right the whole time about one thing.”  Twilight said to Spike.  “What's that, Twilight?”  Spiked curiously asked.  “Friends really do make a difference.” Twilight said with a smile, before she passed out on the bed.

End of Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Strengths and Weaknesses

Chapter 3:  Strengths and Weaknesses

It was a brand new day for Twilight, and she was very glad to be out of Ponyville Hospital.  Twilight  had learned her lesson from yesterday, which was to allow her five best friends to aid her in the search for the talismans.  This time, she called in her favorite country mare, Applejack, and her sister, Apple Bloom.  “It's mighty fine of ya to invite us to help find the, uh... whatchamacallit.”  “The Ox talisman.”  Twilight answered.  “Princess Celestia already has the Rooster talisman kept safe in Canterlot Castle.”  “How's the little guy doin' anyway?  I thought he was gonna be with ya.”  Applejack commented.  “Spike is still in the hospital because his stomach was pumped.”  Twilight said.  “He swallowed the talisman which actually helped us beat these bad guys last night.”  “Hey, at least ya'll have me to help out!”  Apple Bloom said with excitement.  “Listen sugar cube, the only reason we're letting ya come to Appleloosa is to see Braeburn and other family and friends.”  Applejack stated.  “I know you want to be heroic, but this is a very dangerous mission.”  Twilight warned.  “We also need to make sure we're not being followed.”  As soon as the train arrived, the three ponies boarded and got settled in to their seats.

Shortly after, the Dark Hoof had just arrived to the platform on time to board the train.  “I'm getting sick of trains, can't we just teleport like Trixie does to make things faster?”  Ratso complained.  “Earth to Ratso, we're NOT unicorns, we are earth ponies.”  Finn snapped.  “Quiet you two”  Tohru barked.   “We have only one task, which is to claim the Ox talisman.  We will use whatever means we can, so make the best of it!”  As the enforcers boarded the train, Tohru looked around to make sure there were no unwanted guests.  “You three should go on to the front car.  I will stay in this area.”  Tohru suggested.  “What's the deal, big T?  We have first class year long tickets, and you're choosing to sit in coach?”  Finn asked, wondering what the deal was with their lieutenant.  “I sense there's rats near by.”  Tohru said sounding more serious.  “We'll leave you to it then.” said Chow.  With that, Finn, Ratso, and Chow moved on to the first class car.  As Tohru made himself comfortable in the back seats, he did not realize  Applejack was eavesdropping on the short conversation.  “Um, Twilight.” whispered Applejack, nudging her friend.  “I think we have some trouble near by.”  Twilight looked down the aisle while keeping her head low.  “That's him.” Twilight whispered back.  “He's the one that attacked me at the library.”  “I also heard his other lackies call him by his name, which I think is Tohru.”  said Applejack.  “Tohru... I'll remember that.”  said Twilight.  To avoid being seen, Twilight concealed herself with a blanket and pillow whenever Tohru was nearby.

The entire train ride took only a few hours to arrive to the destination; although the only tricky part was getting Twilight off the train without being seen by the Dark Hoof.  Applejack and Apple Bloom waited until everyone else was out of their car, and then they walked together while carrying a wrapped and tied piece of luggage inside a blanket. They looked around to make sure the coast was clear.  “That was a mighty fine idea ya had, Apple Bloom.”  Applejack said to her younger sister.  “Aw it was nuthin'.”  Apple Bloom said, being modest.  They untied and unwrapped the blanket, which was actually Twilight the whole time.  “Huff.. huff... are they gone?  Twilight asked, catching her breath.”  “Yep, ain't none of them in sight.”  said Apple Bloom.  “C'mon, we should head over to see my cousin Braeburn.”  Applejack said.  The three ponies already had an idea of how to navigate the old-western town, but there had been some changes for the better.  The last time they visited Appleloosa, there was serious tension between the settlers and the buffalo tribe regarding the apple orchards.  With the help of the Twilight and friends, the ponies and buffalo made amends and have lived in harmony.  While Twilight and the apple sisters were coming close to the middle of town, straight ahead they saw cousin Braeburn with another familiar face, Little Strongheart.  “Howdy cuz!”  Applejack greeted.  “Well I'll be darned, it's my apple cousins and Twilight!”  Braeburn said in excitement.  “I know this is going to sound a bit strange to you.”  Twilight said.  “But we're on a mission to find something very valuable.”  “Valuable huh?  We should probably discuss this in private.”  Little Strongheart suggested.  “I recommend we go to Braeburn's place.”  “That will work, thanks for the offer.”  said Twilight.

The whole gang made it to Braeburn's living quarters where they were free to discuss anything without being bothered.  “Little Strongheart, do you or your father know the whereabouts of the Ox talisman?”  Twilight asked.  “I have not seen or heard of anything like that.”  Strongheart replied.  “However, I believe there is one individual that might have something similar to what you're describing.”  “Who do ya think would have it then?”  asked Applejack.  Braeburn got up from the dining room table to fetch a flier that was laying in his bedroom.  “I think this is who Strongheart is talking about.”  Braeburn said.  “This is the Appleloosa hoof wrestling champion.”  “Wait a sec, that's Iron Will!”  said Twilight.  Out of anyone in Appleloosa that could have the talisman, she would have never thought the boisterous minotaur would have it.  “I remember that crazy bull.”  Applejack said.  “Rarity told me that he messed with Fluttershy's head and said all this nonsense about not being a doormat, and making every pony listen to you, and other hogwash.”

“Look here, I found something.”  said Twilight.  She held up the poster for everyone in the room to see, and sure enough, there was a blue ox emblem in the middle of Iron Will's belt.  “Just as my father thought, he IS using magic.”  Strongheart said, feeling a bit angry.  “So far Iron Will has not lost a single match since he arrived in our town.”  Braeburn said in a hopeless voice.  “There's rumors going on that Chief Thunderhooves is afraid to challenge him.”  “I don't believe that one bit!”  Strongheart assertively stated.  “It's true that my father refused to face him in a hoof wrestle.  However, I know for a fact it wasn't out of fear, but because he knows Iron Will is winning with an unfair advantage.”  “Then there's one conclusion I can make.”  said Twilight.  “The ox talisman is giving him super strength to take out his opponents.”  “I'm with you on that, Twili, and there's only one way to find out.”  replied Applejack.  “I'm going to challenge Iron Will to a hoof wrestle  I don't expect to win, but we need to convince him to give us the talisman-”  “Before our enemies get to him first.”  Twilight cut in.  “I have an idea.”  Strongheart said.  “Applejack, during your match against Iron Will, Twilight should use that chance to get the belt off his waist.  Braeburn will stay here to watch Apple Bloom.”  “Aww... but I wanna watch!”  Apple Bloom complained.  “Look sugar cube, this ain't a rodeo or a game.”  Applejack said.  “This is serious business and we need to get this done without drawing too much attention.”  “Alright...” sighed Apple Bloom.”  “The tournament starts at 6:00 tonight, so we need to be there on time.” said Braeburn.  “I wish I could help more, but I need to get back to the buffalo camp.”  Strongheat said.  “Twilight, I wish the best for you and your friends.”  “We'll do everthing we can.”  said Twilight.  Little Strongheart gave her last goodbyes and left the group.

As the day got closer to dusk, Twilight and Applejack managed to get to the saloon without anything stopping them.  There was already a good crowd of tough looking buffalo and stallions ready to take on the champion in the hoof wrestling weekly tournament.  “I'm very surprised we haven't run in to Tohru and his cronies since we got here.”  Applejack commented.  “You're right, it almost seems too easy.”  Twilight said.  “I'm ready for them to arrive any minute since they probably know where to look.”  “Here he comes.”  said Applejack.  Everybody's attention turned to Iron Will as he walked through the saloon doors, each of them anxious to see whom his first challenger would be.  “It's time for everybody's favorite weekly event: the Iron Hoof Wrestle Gauntlet!”  Iron Will shouted.  “As the current champion, each and every one of you has the chance to challenge me tonight.  The matches will keep going until either someone defeats me or when there's nobody left that wants to compete.  So now, the first challenger, please step up!”  “I'll be your first opponent.”  Applejack said standing up to the mohawk haired minotaur.  Everyone in the room except Twilight looked at Applejack in disbelief, thinking that she had lost it completely.  “Then it's settled.  The orange blonde pony will be my first victim.”  Iron Will boasted.

While Applejack and Iron Will were getting settled in at the table, outside the saloon the Dark Hoof enforcers were coming close to the doors, eager to see what was going on inside.  “I hope they got happy hour on cider tonight.”  Ratso said feeling like a kid in a candy store.  “We're all the way out in a desert town and all you can think of is drinking!?”  Finn said, shaking his head.  “Hold on a sec fellas.  I think we may have found a clue.”  said Chow as he and Tohru peaked through the window of the saloon.  Chow's attention was fixed on Applejack and Iron Will, while Tohru saw Twilight spectating the match.  “Alright big T, when you give the signal, Ratso and I will nail the purple gal.” said Finn feeling overconfident to knock out Twilight.  “No, we are not going inside.  Sparkle does not have the talisman.”  Tohru said.  “Well then who does?”  Finn asked impatiently.  “Him.”  Tohru responded, pointing his hoof at Iron Will.”  “We should probably just wait for him to come out when he's alone.”  Chow commented.  “I'm with you on that.”  said Ratso.  The four bad guys saw a dark alley way to hide in so that they wouldn't be seen.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Iron were just seconds away from duking it out.  “On your mark, get set, go!” the bartender exclaimed.  While Applejack and Iron Will were both dead even in the center, a white light started to glow around the edges of the Ox indention, and eventually the front of the talisman beamed from the front of Iron Will's belt.  In the blink of an eye, Iron Will slammed down Applejack's hoof so fast she thought the table was going to break.  “The winner!  Iron Will!”  the bartender proudly announced, raising the minotaur's hand.  “I know he cheated.”  Applejack muttered as she walked away in anger.  “Using the opportunity, Twilight attempted to undo Iron Will's belt with her magic as he proudly stood in front of his audience.  “Thank you for all your support.  Without my fans and friends, I would still be- what the-!?”  Iron Will shifted his attention behind him as he felt his belt trying to undo itself.  It also didn't take long for him to notice Twilight's horn glowing the same sparkly color around his belt.  “So, we have ourselves a thief trying to get my belt!”  Iron Will shouted at Twilight.  As he started to approach Twilight, Applejack intervened.  “You keep your hideous hands away from my friend.”  Applejack barked.  “And while you're here, let's have a rematch WITHOUT yer belt on!”  “You're telling Iron Will what to do?” Iron Will snapped, who then proceeded to laugh in amusement.  “You're out of your league, missy” he bragged.  “Iron Will never removes his belt!  Everyone in here, you can thank the thief and the sore loser for making me angry.  I'm leaving tonight just because of their sourpuss attitudes!”  After making his final speech, the champion left the saloon.  “We still need to talk him into giving up the talisman.” said Twilight.  “Easier said than done, his ego is bigger than his brain.”  Applejack stated.

As Iron Will was walking down the empty town street, the enforcers came out of hiding and approached the already agitated bull.  “Bravo, Iron Will, bravo!”  Finn said, faking his applause.  “That was one heck of a match you had in there, and we just wanted a few words with you.  Iron Will, meet Tohru.  Tohru, meet Iron Will.  Iron Will; Tohru.  Tohru; Iron Will.  Tohru shoved Finn out of the way so he could cut to the chase about the talisman.  “The belt, hand it over.”  Tohru commanded to Iron Will.  “I'm only gonna tell you this once before I get really angry.”  Iron Will said, getting even more ticked off.  “Iron Will never removes his belt!”  “Then I will remove it for you!”  Tohru responded.  As Tohru tried to snatch the belt off of Iron Will's waist, the bull raised his hand to stop the big pony, grabbed Tohru by the neck, and threw him like a small rock in to wheelbarrow of hay.  “Holy cow! No one nails Tohru!”  Ratso said in shock  “Keep the belt, we're outta here!”  Chow said as the three enforcers ran to help Tohru.

The commotion caused enough disturbance for Twilight and Applejack to come quickly out in the open area.  As Iron Will dusted his hands off, Twilight approached him.  “Listen, I know you're still in a hot mood, but more of those guys are after your talisman.”  Twilight said.  “Talisman?  What talisman?” Iron Will said, playing dumb.  “The one on your belt that you use to cheat!”  Applejack snapped.  “Oh, you mean this.  It gives me good luck, that's all.”  said Iron Will, still feigning ignorance. “We know what the talisman does, and if you don't let us help you, more bad guys will come after you one after another.”  Twilight warned.  “So please Iron Will, give us the talisman and we promise not to bother you again.”  “That's nonsense.”  Iron Will quickly said dismissing Twilight's plea.  “I pity the fool that crosses Iron Will!”  “Well you'd better look again.”  Applejack insisted.

Before anymore trash talk could be said, everyone got silent as Shadowkhan ninjas came out of the alleys and from the rooftops.  There were at least 20 of them, which was more than the first encounter back in Ponyville.  “Um, Twili, you got any ideas?”  Applejack nervously asked.  Before the unicorn could come up with a plan,  Iron Will was already eager for a fight.  “Bring it on!”  Iron Will shouted at the top of his lungs.  This initiated the Shadowkhan to attack all at once, but luckily for Iron Will he had backup.  Applejack was very skilled in martial arts, and she easily dispatched of four  ninjas at once.  Twilight was more prepared this time, and fired magic beams from her unicorn; powerful enough to turn some of the Shadowkhan to dust one at a time.  Iron Will also had no problem taking on ten enemies at a time, only because he was still wearing the Ox talisman.  Unfortunately for him, a sly ninja came out of no where with a grappling hook, and hurled it far enough to snag the front of Iron Will's belt.  After a short struggle, the belt snapped off and got pulled back to the culprit.  To make matters worse, the ninja then threw the talisman over to Tohru and the enforcers, who then made a run for it.  With their mission complete, every single remaining Shadowkhan threw down a blue smoke bomb simultaneously.  When the blue smoked cleared away, not a single ninja was in sight.

Iron Will could not believe what had just happened.  He had lost his pride, his confidence, and most of all, his reputation.  “Applejack is right, I am a fake.”  said Iron Will as he slumped down on a nearby bench.  He looked at the ground thinking about how he never won a single hoof wrestle until he found the Ox talisman.  Even though he had hands instead of hooves, he still didn't think he was strong for a minotaur.  “It doesn't have to end this way.”  said Twilight.  “As much as we all like to win, we also have to grow from our defeats.”  “Well said Twilight.” said a familiar voice.  “Apple Bloom?  What in the hay are you doin' here!?  I thought Braeburn was watchin' you?”  Applejack asked, trying not to sound too angry.  “Shoot, I got bored with that guy.  As soon as he turned around, I took off.”  Apple Bloom said with a smirk.  “Hey Iron Will, I found this on the ground!”  Apple Bloom handed Iron Will his belt, but the humiliated bovine did not feel any better.  “That won't help me now.  Without the talisman, the belt's useless.  And besides, I didn't earn it.”  said Iron Will.  “Applejack, find Tohru and the others before they escape.”  Twilight instructed.  “I'm on it, sugar cube!”  Applejack greatly replied.  “Count me in!”  Apple Bloom interjected.  “Alright Apple Bloom, you can help me out now, but just this once.”  Applejack said to her sister as they took off.

The Dark Hoof was just getting ready to board an incoming express train, only to be caught by the two Apple sisters.  “Stop right there!”  shouted Applejack.  “You varmits have somethin' I want, and I'm takin' it back!”  “Um, I think she's with Sparkle.”  Ratso assumed.  “Get her!”  Finn yelled.  Finn, Ratso, and Chow charged at Applejack, not realizing how skilled she was at physical combat.  Applejack dodged every single punch and kick they threw at her, and she would sometimes use her hat as a shield and decoy.  After she gave the trio a good beating without breaking a sweat, Tohru was getting ready to attack her from behind.  Luckily, Apple Bloom made a quick move by sprinting and snatching the talisman from Tohru's back pocket.  “Grrr, give me that!”  Tohru growled as he chased Apple Bloom.  “Gotta catch me first!”  Apple Bloom teased back at her chaser.  Applejack also followed Apple Bloom, leaving the three enforcers dazed and stunned on the ground.

Iron Will continued to sit with Twilight, feeling depressed about losing his lucky talisman, when out of the blue Apple Bloom, Tohru, and Applejack came running to the scene.  “Iron Will, I got something for ya!”  Apple Bloom shouted to him.  She threw the talisman over to Iron Will, who then caught it in his hand.  “Keep the talisman.  I've learned a very valuable lesson today thanks to Twilight.”  Iron Will said with confidence.  “I would rather lose with dignity than win with deception.”  He threw it back to Apple Bloom, who was rather shocked with his reaction.  “Okay, whatever you say.”  Apple Bloom shrugged.  Applejack and Iron Will braced themselves while staring down Tohru for a hefty brawl.  “Raargh!”  Tohru yelled as he charged in with powerful swing from his right hoof.   With incredible strength and speed, Tohru struck Applejack and Iron Will at the same, knocking them both in to the ground.  As they both laid there, fatigued and worn out, Tohru boasted.  “Now who's the mightiest?”  “Wanna take a guess?”  Apple Bloom taunted from behind.  Tohru looked back and was shocked to see that Apple Bloom was wearing the Ox talisman in her bow.  The filly jumped forward in the air, followed with a spinning back kick, and knocked Tohru in to the same smashed up wheelbarrow from before.  “Ohhhh....”  Tohru moaned as he passed out.

“Hey Applejack can I keep the-”  “No!”  Twilight and Applejack said at the same time.  “We've got a late night train to catch, and we're takin' this sucker back to Canterlot as soon as possible.”  said Applejack.  “And if you two want to, we could even stay the night in the castle.”  Twilight said, attempting to make Apple Bloom feel better.  “I have the three of you to thank for tonight.”  said Iron Will.  “From this moment on, I will compete with my own strength and skill.”  “I'm glad you've changed your ways.”  said Applejack.  “I think you've got what it takes to become a real champion.”  Twilight complimented with a wink.  The heroes bid their last goodbyes to Iron Will,   hoping that it wouldn't be the last time they would visit Appleloosa.

End of Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Snake Charming

Chapter 4:  Snake Charming

Twilight started to get the hang of finding the talismans with the help of her trusted friends.  In addition, she was also getting better at defending herself from the Dark Hoof.  This time she was accompanied with timid but very kind friend Fluttershy, who could charm any animal with her power of kindness.  They had been traveling through the small forest that would eventually lead them to Neighagra Falls.  “So why exactly did you need me to come with you again?”  Fluttershy asked.  “Because you're the best when it comes to interacting with animals, and I need a pony that can communicate with the temple guardian, who happens to be a giant serpent.”  Twilight answered while she continued to push branches and bushes out of the way with her magic.  “ME, talk to a big snake!?”  Fluttershy gulped.  “Princess Celestia believes that you are the only one that can convince the guardian to let us have the Snake talisman.”  said Twilight.  “And besides, you already have experience with snakes back at your cottage.”  “That's true.”  Fluttershy said.  “But they're innocent snakes that I've raised since they were born.  I've never seen a big green scary one before.”  “You've talked down a fire breathing red dragon, so I'm sure this will be a piece of cake.”  said Twilight, trying her best to motivate her shy friend.  “I guess so...”  Fluttershy quietly said to herself.  Eventually, the pair got to the river which was connected to a gigantic and powerful waterfall.  “There it is, Neighagra Falls.”  Twilight said with admiration of the site.  “If I remember correctly, the entrance somewhere behind the waterfall rapids.”  They were able to see the outline of a circle in the center of the waterfall, which indicated where they would need to enter.  To make things easier, there was also a cliff edge starting at ground level that was wide enough for them to walk up together.  It even lead all the way to the waterfall entrance.  “Let's get inside before anyone sees us.”  Twilight insisted.

Twilight and Fluttershy managed to get inside the cave, but things weren't as they anticipated. “Hmm, not quite what I was expecting.”  Twilight said.  “Me neither.  Didn't Princess Celestia say that this was supposed to be a temple?”  Fluttershy asked.  “That is true, but from the way things look in here, this appears to be just an ordinary tunnel.”  Twilight and Fluttershy explored deeper in to the cave, which seemed to be only inhabited by rats. When they got to a dead end, Fluttershy saw an image on the wall. “Twilight, look!” she pointed out.  Twilight looked up where her friend was pointing to, and sure enough there was what they though was the Snake talisman.  “Hold on a sec, something's not right.”  Twilight observed.  Twilight attempted to use her levitation magic to pull the talisman out of the wall.  To her disappointment, it was actually a small painting of the talisman; not the real deal.  “Darn it, it's not the real talisman.”  Twilight said, feeling bummed.  “So you're looking for it to, aren't you?” a mare's voice asked from behind.  “Yes we-” Twilight stopped herself from saying anything else when she realized they weren't alone.  When Twilight and Fluttershy turned around, they were confronted by a pegasus pony wearing a pith helmet over her gray and black mane.  “Wait a sec, she looks kind of familiar.”  Fluttershy said.  “Oh my gosh, it's Daring Do!”  Twilight squeaked like a fan girl.  “I thought you were just a fictional character, but Rainbow Dash and I are your biggest fans!  Can I please have your autograph!?!”  Since Daring Do was on her own agenda to get something she wanted, the adventurer was in no mood to talk about her fan base or her adventure novels.  Daring Do was also known for her serious demeanor and her lone wolf personality, and this situation was no different.  “Save the the chit chat for later, I need to get the snake talisman as soon as I can.”  Daring Do said.  “Wait, how do you know about the talismans?”  Twilight urgently asked.   “I overheard my opposition talking about it.  I don't have any real interest in this talisman thing, but the reason I'm after it is to prevent someone else from getting it.”  Daring Do explained.  “And who would this other one be?”  Twilight asked, raising one eyebrow.  “My arch-nemesis Ahuizotl.”  Daring Do continued.  “He's convinced that the talisman will make him more powerful.  Too bad for him, he thinks it's in the jungle domain that he dwells in.”  “Oh thank goodness we won't be seeing him.”  Fluttershy said with relief.

“Then it's settled, let's look for the talisman!”  Twilight declared.  When Twilight turned around, she unexpectedly walked face first into what felt like another pony.  When Twilight looked up, she was staring in to the eyes of her nemesis, Tohru.  “The talisman!”  the big brute demanded.   “We don't have it, honest!”  Twilight said.  “I do not believe you!”  Tohru sneered, as his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed.  “We'll be taking over from her.”  Finn said as he, Ratso, and Chow came walking in to the area.  The enforcers, except for Tohru, were dressed up in safari attire, which made them seem less threatening at first glance.  “You know these guys?”  Daring Do asked.  “Well, Twilight does, but I haven't met them before.”  said Fluttershy.  “Just tell us where the talisman is and we'll take it easy on all you.”  Chow said in a patronizing tone.  “Yeah right.”  Daring Do snapped back.  “You're not getting anything from here!”  “Then I guess we'll have to settle things the hard way.” said Finn.  “Get ready girls, it's time to fight!”  Twilight declared.  The battle royale was on; Daring Do against Finn and Chow, Fluttershy against Ratso, and Twilight against Tohru.  Finn ran towards Daring Do, who then threw her pith helmet at the enforcer's legs, tripping him.  Chow followed up and leaped for an attack, but Daring Do was prepared and back kicked Chow, launching him on top of Finn. Ratso chased after Fluttershy as she constantly kept trying to flee from him. Not looking carefully enough, Ratso crashed face first in to a stalagmite as tall as himself.  “Oh my, I hope he's alright.”  Fluttershy said, feeling a tad bit sorry for him. With full force, Tohru thrusted his back legs at Twilight, who barely managed to dodge the attack.  Tohru's force struck a big solid stalagmite, which caused a chain reaction to his body making him shake and tremble.  The loud noise also woke up a swarm of bats that were sleeping inside a crevice.  Angry and flustered, the bats flew in the direction of the cave entrance.  The Dark Hoof except for Tohru made a run for it.  Instead of fleeing from the scene, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Daring Do ducked down and stayed low on the ground.  As for Tohru, he stood his ground, showing no fear as the bats flew past him.  Finn, Ratso, and Chow jumped at the same time off the edge of the cave entrance and fell about 30 feet down in to the river.  Tohru came walking out of the cave, with a cluster of bats covering his entire body.  He shook off the bats and continued down the narrow pathway, feeling angry that their mission had been thwarted.

“Wow, glad that's over.”  Twilight said with relief.  The three ponies stood back up and brushed the dirt off from their coats.   Although the two friends were feeling cheerful, Daring Do did not even break a smile.  “What a bunch of low life cowards!  They're all the same; each and every one of them!”  Daring Do sneered.  'Whoah, what's the big deal Daring Do?”  Twilight asked; surprised that one of her favorite novel characters would be so hostile.  “Why would you say such harsh things?”  asked Fluttershy as she felt very intimidated by Daring Do's derogatory opinion.  “ I can read them like a book; I know first hand because of the enemies I've made in my adventures.”  Daring Do openly answered.   “They're greedy and could care less about donating to a museum or sharing what they find.   The only thing that matters to them is money and power.”  “You don't really know that about them.”  Twilight argued.  “Because a stronger force is influencing those guys to find the talismans at all costs.”  “Honestly, they might be very nice deep down inside if they weren't after the talismans.”  Fluttershy said with more confidence in her belief.  “Even the big one in their group seems very troubled.”  “I agree, Fluttershy.”  Twilight complimented.  “It's obvious they're working for the demon that the princess told us about, so there's hope for them to change when this is all over.  “I don't exactly catch everything you're saying, but fine, we're all entitled to our beliefs.”  Daring Do said.  “I won't stop you from what you're here for.  The talisman's all yours.  I'm going now; goodbye.”  With that, the explorer walked out of the cave without looking back.  “I feel sorry for her.”  Fluttershy grieved.  “She shouldn't isolate herself like that.  Don't you think we should-”  “We have to keep looking for the talisman, Fluttershy.”  Twilight cut in.    “I'm sorry, but it's the only way.”  “Right...” Fluttershy quietly acknowledged.

Daring Do continued down the rocky pathway leading back down to the river bank, but she still had a lot in the back of her mind.  The things that Twilight and Flutteshy said were stuck in her head, and it was conflicting with her natural state of mind.  “I have to admit, they do seem much friendlier than the average pony.”  Daring Do thought to herself.  “But what difference does it make anyway, I work alone.”  As Daring Do got closer to the forest, she heard a bit of commotion behind some bushes.  “Something's amidst.  I'd better scope things out.”  she insisted.  Daring Do hid behind an enormous willow tree and listened  to the Dark Hoof as they sat around a fire.  “You'd think that annoying Sparkle would've already had the talisman for us to take from her.”  said Chow.  “Yeah, especially since she always seems to be one step ahead of us.”  Ratso complained.  “I'm tired of getting washed up, no pun intended.”  “Hold on guys, I think the boss is buzzin' in.”  Finn said.  He opened his saddlebag and pulled out a white vibrating orb.  In the orb itself the face of Trixie appeared .  “How are things coming along, Finn?”  Trixie interrogated.  “Oh you know, we're doin' a pretty super job, great and powerful T!”  Finn lied.  “Funny, it appears you idiots had to go swimming to get the snake talisman, judging by your wet clothes!”  Trixie fired back.  “Come on, Trix, if it wasn't for- hey!”  Tohru picked up the orb from Finn's hooves and spoke to Trixie himself.  “Rest assured, master.  We will find the talisman before sunset by any means necessary.”  Tohru promised.  Before Tohru continued his conversation, he stood on all fours and back kicked the willow Daring Do was hiding behind.  Fortunately for her sake, the kick did not blow Daring Do's cover.  “And I will break Twilight Sparkle!” Tohru sweared.  Seeing Tohru's desire for revenge was not a pleasant feeling, and Daring Do got a small adrenaline rush from the tremendous force of Tohru striking the tree.  She could not resist the urge to go back to Twilight and Fluttershy to give a fair warning.  Although Daring Do didn't consider herself a friend to random strangers, she did not want to see good ponies get hurt.  “I can't let those two get into trouble.”  Daring though to herself.  “I'm going back!”

Twilight and Fluttershy continued their search in the cave, but the heroes did not make any further progress.  They were going in circles and sometimes kept looking in spots they already scoped.  “I just don't get it.  Princesss Celestia's locator spell said the Snake talisman would be in this waterfall cave.”  Twilight said.  “I know, but we've looked every inch of this place.”  said Fluttershy.  “At this rate we'll never find it.  If only we had-” “Mind if I lend a hoof?”  a voice said.  “Daring Do!?”  Twilight and Fluttershy said at the same time.  Daring Do was standing at the entrance looking at the two helpless ponies with a small polite smile.  “Honestly, I can't just let you two struggle like this for one measly talisman.”  Daring Do joked.  “But what made you come back, if you don't mind me asking?”  Fluttershy inquired.  “The words that came from both of you really got under my skin.  That's something that rarely happens to me.”  Daring Do confessed.  “But in order to look deep, sometimes you have to think outside the cave.”  Twilight's eyes perked open when the adventurer spoke those cryptic words.  Daring Do firmly pressed her hoof on a flat rock.  A crack in the cave wall opened up wide, and revealed a stone door with a painting of a green snake attempting to bite its own tail.  “Over there.”  Daring Do pointed out.  Twilight noticed a panel to the right and pushed it, allowing the door to slowly sink into the ground.  “Follow me, we've got a talisman to hunt for.”  Daring Do enthusiastically said.

The trio walked through a hall with murals of snake imagery  before they got to a round room with a big circle etched in the ground.  “That looks like a secret entrance in the ground.”  Twilight examined.  “The temple guardian obviously needs a large room to accompany his large size.”  The The ceiling was also very high up that it looked like the room was at least 50 feet tall.  “That probably goes all the way up to the top of the waterfall.”  Daring Do ascertained.  “So the temple does exist after all.” Twilight said.  “To think there would be so many thick vines in here.”  “Actually Twilight, I don't think they're vines.”  Fluttershy corrected.  After listening closely, the group heard quiet hissing noises, and then looked up around the room.  On top of pillars and other wall edges were green snakes.  “Why... why did it have to be snakes.”  Daring Do muttered spitefully to herself.”  “Because thisss is our home, foolish mortal.” a serpentine voice spoke back.  “Who said that!?!” Daring Do demanded.  The stone emblem in the ground open up, and then a gigantic green snake came slithering out of the ground.  The hole closed once the snake got out completely.  The guardian was so gigantic that he could swallow a pony just like a regular snake could swallow a mouse.  “I am the temple guardian of thisss hidden domain, and I already know why you're here.”  the giant snake said.  “You ssseek the Sssnake talisman that has been protected by me for many years.”  “Yes your honor, we have been on a quest for all twelve talismans to stop a great evil from coming in to this world.”  Twilight answered.  “That is a fine reason to gather them all, but I'm afraid I can't jussst hand mine over that easily.”  the guardian replied.  “One of you will have to be proved worthy to claim sssuch an ancient power.”  Twilight looked over to Fluttershy, who already looked nervous.  “It's up to you, Fluttershy.  I know you can do it!”  Twilight motivated.  “However, should either of you two interfere or attempt to assist the challenger, you all will faccce sssevere consssequenccces.”  the snake warned.  “I'm ready!”  Fluttershy nodded.  Twilight and Daring Do stepped over to the wall so that they wouldn't get too close to the action.

“Let us begin!”  the guardian declared.  The snake vanished suddenly which Fluttershy was not expecting at all.  “He's using the power of the snake talisman.”  Twilight thought to herself.  “I wish I could help but I'm forbidden to.”  The pink maned pony thought of one way to put the reptile in his place, but she knew that she would have to act at the right moment.  Fluttershy's ears twitched as she listened to the movements of the snake's body slithering on the ground and around the walls and pillars.  Sometimes she could even see specs of dirt and debris vibrate, which gave her clues to which direction he might come from.  “Now die!”  the invisible snake shouted with fangs bared in his open mouth. Right at the very moment the guardian went for the attack, Fluttershy pivoted to her right and flared her eyes which gave off her trademarked move, The Stare.  The giant snake instantly materialized back and froze in fear as soon as he become visible again.  Daring Do and Twilight could not believe what they were witnessing.  “No way!  She won!”  Daring Do said.  “I don't understand.” the snake thought to himself, in bewilderment as he stayed locked in position.  “I could easily devour her right now, but... those eyes... they make me feel numb and powerless!”  The snake relaxed and took a deep breath, and then Fluttershy yielded her stare.   “Well done, noble pony.  I can sssee now that you have a very powerful bond to animals and nature. You have proven yourssself worthy of claiming the power of invisibility.”  The guardian opened his mouth again to reveal the Snake talisman underneath his tongue.  Fluttershy walked up and reached her hoof inside to take the talisman.  “May the power ssserve you well.”  said the temple guardian as he slithered back in to his hole.  The stone symbol in the ground closed completely.

“You did it, Fluttershy, you actually did it!”  Twilight applauded to her friend.  The group walked back through the hall and back outside the temple door.  They knew they were almost out because the loud noise of the waterfall could easily be heard.  As they were about to pass through the open crack, something came to Daring Do's mind.  “I remember now.” said Daring Do “The other reason I came to back was to warn you about the- oof!.”  From the corner, Ratso's hoof punched Daring Do in the cheek knocking her out cold to the ground.  Chow ran over to check her pockets and saddlebag.  “No talisman.”  said Chow as he ran back to his allies leaving the knocked out Daring Do on the ground.  “Fluttershy! Watch out!” Twilight screamed.  “Oof!”  Tohru approached from behind and slammed his hooves down on Twilight's back, knocking her out, and then picked up the unconscious pony. Fluttershy looked in horror as the assailants made quick work of her friends.  “Looks like the hard work is done for us.”  Finn teased.  “So be a good pony and just hand over the talisman.”  “Never!”  Fluttershy retorted.  “Put them down right now!”  “Oh look guys, a pinked haired pegasus is telling us what to do.”  Ratso laughed.  “Yeah, she might break my sunglasses if she gets angry.”  Chow teased.  As the enforcers continued to mock Fluttershy's innocent demeanor, her eyes began to twitch and her breathing started to get heavier.  She still had the talisman in her saddlebag, and did not hesitate to get it out.  “She's got the talisman!”  Tohru said, still holding Twilight.  “I'll handle this!”  Chow insisted.  “You... big... MEANIES!!!”  Fluttershy yelled.  “NOBODY HURTS MY FRIENDS!”

The anger from Fluttershy triggered the power of the Snake talisman, causing her to disappear. “What the-” said Chow.  Immediately, the invisible Fluttershy leaped at Chow and drop kicked him in to the wall.  “Find her!”  Tohru commanded.  Finn and Ratso ran to where Chow got beaten up and tried their hardest to find the invisible pegasus.  Fluttershy quickly got behind the two, and back kicked both of the thugs off the cave edge and sent them falling down the waterfall.  “Grrr!”  Tohru growled as he kept trying to strike Fluttershy, which made him look stupid as he kept missing.  Fluttershy grabbed Tohru's overalls and used all her strength and adrenaline to hurl the giant stallion down the same direction as the other Dark Hoof enforcers.  “Wooooaaahhhhh!”  Tohru screamed as he fell down the long drop.  A loud splash was heard when he landed in the river.   In the cave, Chow got back on all fours but realized he was outmuscled.  “I'm outta here.  Guys wait up!”  Chow cried out as he scurried off and out of sight from the cave.

Twilight and Daring Do slowly gained consciousness when all the enforcers were gone.  “Ow... my head.” Daring Do moaned.  “Hold on, where's Fluttershy?”  Twilight said feeling very worried.  “I'm right here.”  Fluttershy replied.  She became visible again and put the talisman back in her bag.  “Ha!  I bet you gave those goons the biggest butt whooping they've ever had, didn't ya?”  Daring Do joked.  Fluttershy tapped her hooves and blushed.  “Well, something like that.” she said with a modest voice.

“Come on, let's get out of this damp cave.”  Twilight insisted.  The group finally got out of the waterfall, and back to the river bank.  “I gotta say, this has been one of my best adventures yet!”  Daring Do stated.  “I'm just very glad you could help us out in there.  We should do more adventures like this again sometime.”  said Twilight.  “I hope you can visit us in Ponyville.”  Fluttershy invited.  “Well, it's time for us to go separate ways.  I know we'll cross paths again, Twilight and Fluttershy.  I wish the best of luck to you in your quest for the talismans.”  Daring Do said as she crouched down, flapped her wings, and launched herself in to the air. Twilight and Fluttershy waved to Daring Do as she flew towards the sunset and then disappeared in the horizon.  “I think it's time we get back home.”  Twilight said.  “Whaddya say, pal?”  “Yay.”  said Fluttershy with her innocent smile.

End of Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Dragon in Sheep's Clothing

Chapter 5:  Dragon in Sheep's Clothing

It was a beautiful morning for Twilight and Pinkie Pie to search Unicorn Range for the Sheep talisman.  Anytime Twilight needed a pony with a keen sense of unexpected random moments, Pinkie Pie was the ace in her deck.  “I know the talisman is somewhere in this meadow, Pinkie Pie.”  Twilight foretold.  “But only one of these haystacks is covering it.”  “Don't be silly, it's not like we're going to be here forever.”  said Pinkie Pie with optimism.  “And don't you think it's ironic how the one we're looking for is related to all the animals around us?”  No matter how challenging things could be, it was very rare for Pinkie Pie to get discouraged or not smile.  “Yes Pinkie, I am fully aware of all the sheep that inhabit the entire range.”  Twilight acknowledged.  Even if they weren't in sight, it was very easy to hear the baas from all the sheep and ram throughout Unicorn Range.  As Twilight searched one haystack after another, Pinkie pranced around in her happy-go-lucky manner and made an astute observation.  She noticed that all the haystacks Twilight searched had at least one sheep eating the hay, but the only stack Twilight passed by was not getting any attention at all.  It was as if a mysterious force was keeping the sheep away from that one particular haystack.    “Hmm, I'll check this one.”  Pinkie Pie said to herself.  She dug both hooves through the lonely haystack and glanced her big blue eye inside.  Sure enough, in the dead center was the prize they were looking for.  “Oooooo, pretty rock.”  Pinkie Pie said out loud.  Twilight looked over and was very amazed that Pinkie only searched one haystack to get the talisman.  “Great job, Pinkie!”  Twilight complimented.  “Now we need to get outta here before-”  “Oh no, my Pinkie senses are tingling.”  Pinkie Pie alerted.

As Pinke Pie's tail and body trembled, Shadowkhan minions rose from the grass like ghosts coming out of a grave.  Pinkie stuffed the Sheep talisman in her thick curly mane to hide it.  “Um, we don't have it.”  she fibbed.  With no words or emotion, the Shadowkhan brandished their swords, indicating that they called the bluff.  “Well, you know, I thought maybe they'd buy it.”  Pinkie said, looking at Twilight with a guilty smile.  The ninjas rushed forward and attacked Pinkie Pie, keeping their attention only on the gregarious pink pony.  “Missed me, missed me again.”  Pinkie giggled.  She did not feel threatened at all as she continued to dodge every sword attack with very little effort.  Twilight was also charging up a magic missile in her horn but it was too difficult for her to aim at the fast moving attackers, considering that she did not want to blast her friend by accident.  “Pinkie look out!”  Twilight shouted.  A ninja approached Pinkie Pie from behind with a sword, but at the very last moment Twilight fired her magic attack and blasted the ninja into dust.  “Phew, close one.”  Pinkie said with relief.  “Be careful Pinkie, you have the talisman!”  Twilight voiced out.  Unexpectedly, a Shadowkhan ninja sweep kicked at Pinkie Pie's front hooves and tripped her.  The Sheep talisman rolled out of her mane and on to the grass, open for the taking.  Twilight sprinted forward, hoping to get to the talisman, but in rotten luck the attacking ninja grabbed it first.  With amazing power, the Shadowkhan ninja pitched the talisman all the way over to Finn and Ratso, who were riding in a fast moving mine cart down the railroad tracks.  After Finn caught the talisman in his hooves, all of the Shadowkhan thew down their smoke bombs at the same time, and disappeared after the blue smoke subsided.  “Thanks for the freebie, losers!” Finn shouted as he and Ratso were getting away.

“Not on my watch!”  Twilight yelled.  The purple unicorn ran as fast as she could to catch up to the enforcers, but she tired out after about thirty seconds of running.  “Pinkie Pie... it's up to you....”  Twilight painted as she gradually moved as slow as molasses.  “Huh... Pinkie?”  Twilight just realized that her buddy was not close to her.  Finn and Ratso continued their escape until they saw something they did not expect at all.  Pinkie somehow got way ahead of the crooks, and had a big surprise at the end of the railroad tracks that turned the tables around.  “Here's my PARTY CANNON!”  Pinkie Pie shouted.  When the enforcers got within point blank range, Pinkie fired her party cannon and blasted the goons out of the cart and sent them flying into a thick coated ram.  When Finn and Ratso regained there composure, the ram charged and chased them at least a mile away out of harm's reach.  “Hope their not having a baaaad day.”  Pinkie Pie joked.  “Glad to see your sense of humor hasn't changed.”  Twilight remarked as she approached the minecart to reach in for the talisman.  It was a bit surprising that the talisman remained in the mine cart even after Finn and Ratso got blasted away.  “You did a great job today, Pinkie!”  Twilight said gratefully.  “Aw it was nothing!”  Pinkie Pie modestly said.  Twilight secured the Sheep talisman in her saddlebag and suddenly felt her fatigue kick in.  “This really took a lot out of me.  Waking up early in the morning, looking through all those haystacks, fighting the ninjas, going after those brutes, AND hunting down the other three talismans from before, I could REALLY use a nap at this tim!”  Twilight took a deep breath after ranting out everything on her mind. “Now we just need to get back home before I start counting sheep.”  Twilight sighed.  “Well whaddya we waiting for, let's get back to Ponyville!”

Around high noon, Twilight finally made it back to Ponyville in one piece.  When she walked in the library, her head was slouching and her eyelids were heavy.  “Hey Twilight, how did everything go?”  Spike asked.  “Just peachy...”  Twilight said with fatigue.  “You don't sound very good.”  said Spike.  “Hold on!  Please tell me you got the talisman!”  “Yes  Spike, I have it in my bag.”  Twilight said.  “But aren't you supposed to take that to Canterlot right away?  Don't forget what happened last time when we kept the Rooster talisman here.”  Spike said, remembering that unforgettable night.  “Oh no!  I forgot all about it!”  Twilight blurted out.  “About what?” Spike asked.  “Pinkie Pie is having a slumber party at Sugarcube Corner tonight, which means that if I go then I won't have time to make it to Canterlot Castle!  But I don't want to disappoint the others, so that means I have to attend!”  “Calm down Twilight, I'm sure Princess Celestia won't get mad at you over one party.”  Spike consulted.  “I'll be leaving at 6:00 this evening, but first I'm taking a nice long nap.”  Twilight said.  “Spike, please put this in a bookcase drawer.”  Twilight reached in her bag for the Sheep talisman, but her slow reflexes caused her to drop it on the floor.  Spike hurried over, picked it up, and secured it inside a small box to be hidden in the bookcase.  Twilight proceeded to walk up the stairs and then collapsed as soon as she got in her bed.  Spike thought to himself about everything his master could be stressing over.  “Gosh, all of this talisman hunting is taking a toll on Twilight.”  he thought to himself.  “She's forgetting to have fun every now and then.  I think the party will be a good way to get the stress off her mind.”

Meanwhile back in the Dark Hoof hideout, Finn and Ratso were still brushing off the confetti that got blasted on them from Pinkie Pie's cannon.  Trixie was rather annoyed with the mess they were making near her desk and in front of Shendu.  “It would seem that Twilight Sparkle has claimed yet another talisman, giving her a total of four while I have none!”  Shendu yelled.  “There is no excuse for your mediocre efforts.  You are weak, Trixie; and so are your pathetic henchmen.”  “That's it, I ain't takin' no more lip from a statue.”  Finn barked.   “Watch that tone when you speak to me!”  Shendu snapped.  “Even in my current state, you are still at my mercy and should any of you defy me, I will make sure that all of you suffer dearly for insubordination!”  “We're the ones that are searching all of bloody Equestria for these ridiculous talismans.”  Trixie argued. “The least you could do is be a team player.”  “If it's direct cooperation you want, then that can be arranged.”  Shendu insisted.  “If stupidity is hindering your progress, then what you need is the eyes of a dragon.”  A small section of Shendu's body started to liquidate and melt.  Following up, a Shadowkhan ninja walked over and reached his hand in the melted are and pulled out a gnarly pendant.  It resembled Shendu's face with the same sinister expression and the same red piercing eyes.  “When a talisman is near, the eyes will show you the path.”  Shendu stated.  “Finn, you and Ratso should check out Ponyville before going straight to Canterlot.”  Trixie indirectly commanded.  “Hope it's not a repeat of our first encounter.”  Ratso moaned.

Around dusk, Twilight had finally gotten ready for the party after her long nape.  She was also much more invigorated with confidence since her rest had gotten the stress off her mind.  “I'm heading over to Pinkie Pie's party now.”  she said.  “Spike, make sure the talisman stays in that box, okay?”  “Of course I can, Twilight.  You can count on me to hold the fort down.”  Spike assured.  “I'll be back tomorrow morning.  Good night Spike.”  Twilight said, bidding farewell.  As soon as she walked out the door, Spike could not resist his own curious nature to find out the power of the Sheep talisman.  “I can't just sit here doing nothing, and besides, one look won't do any harm.”  he said.  Spike opened the cabinet underneath the bookshelf where he was told to hide it.  He was starting to get just a little bit nervous, but not enough to stop him from getting the talisman out of the box.  The moment Spike put the Sheep talisman in his palm, the sheep image gradually lit up and activated.  Spike's body collapsed on the ground, and his spirit form ejected into the air.  “Wait, what am I doing up here?”  Spike looked back down at his physical body on the ground.  “Oh no!  I'm dead!”  Spike panicked.  He flew back down to his body and regained consciousness.  “I'm, alive?”  he wondered.  “Hmmmm”  Spike thought for a second, and ran up the stairs to his small bed.  Once he got to the bed, he clenched the talisman again and went back to astral form.  “So this must be the ghost talisman.”  Spike concluded.  “Wow, this is awesome, now I don't have to sit around the library forever.  I can fly around all of Equestria.  Yahoo!”  The baby dragon took flight and embarked on an extraordinary adventure.

About an hour later, Finn and Ratso had made it to the outside perimeter of the library.  “Shoot, it's probably locked up in Canterlot Castle by now, let's just call it a night”  said Ratso.  While Finn was wearing the pendant Shendu made for them, the eyes of the dragon pendant  started to glow bright red right after Ratso's suggestion.  “I'm sorry, you said somethin'?  Finn said with a smug look.  Finn and Ratso quietly sneaked through the front door without being seen.  Not saying a word to each other, Finn pointed his hoof at the stairway since the locator indicated that direction.  When the two cronies got to the top of the staircase, they spotted Spike's motionless body lying in his bed with the talisman in his open claw.  “No... way.”  Ratso whispered.  Finn casually walked over to the lifeless dragon and easily took the Sheep talisman.  As the two enforcers walked out the door, Finn came up with a clever idea.  “I know exactly what to tell the boss.” he said with a slick smile.

It only took about an hour for the enforcers to make it back to their informal headquarters.  They also had no qualms with making up an elaborate story to overestimate their achievement.  “And then she fired her magic beam at us, but I used the table to block!”  Ratso said with so much energy in his voice.  “He's right Great T, it was like something out of a comic book if you'd seen the whole fight.”  Finn added.  “I mean it's not like we had any trouble getting the talisman from a sleeping baby dragon- oof!”  Finn punched Ratso in the chest before he could ruin their tall tale.  “Was that before or after she blasted the table?”  Trixie questioned, raising her eyebrow with skepticism.  “Well, regardless of what happened in the library, I know how much this means to you, boss.”  said Finn, as reached in his saddlebag and revealed the talisman with pride.  After Finn handed over the talisman to his boss, Trixie pitched the Sheep talisman into one of Shendu's octagon shaped sockets, which landed perfectly inside.  “Cheers, Shendu, to our first talisman.”  Trixie said holding up her cup of tea.  The talisman gave off the white shine for a few seconds until it settled in completely.  “I'm freeeeeee!!!”  Shendu exclaimed as his astral form slowly came out of his encased body.  Shortly after, the dragon demon retracted back.  “A good start for your first talisman, Trixie.  With the power of the sheep, I am able to use my astral projected form to explore the world as a free spirit.”  Shendu explained.  “I can also use this to my advantage for finding the other claimed talismans.”  Shendu did not bother to say anything else to Trixie, so he instead reverted back to astral projection to carry on his own agenda.  “If there's a sleeping baby dragon, then there's an open vessel for me!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”  As Shendu took off for Ponyville, Finn and Ratso left Trixie alone as she relaxed in her chair with a cup of tea.

Spike was having a great time peeking in on other Ponies in Ponyville since he eventually realized that he could not be seen or heard.  “This is getting boring, there's no fun if no one can see or hear me.”  said Spike.  “I'll go check out Canterlot instead.  I'm curious to see what it's like in the private areas.”  When Spike got to Canterlot Castle, he noticed that Princess Luna was standing on the highest balcony looking through a telescope.  What the baby dragon did not expect was for her to be able to detect his presence.  “Ah, so we have a wondering soul tonight.”  Luna said.  “Wait a sec, you can see me!?!?”  Spike said back.  “Indeed I can, Spike.  Through my lunar powers, I can see into anybody's dreams as well as those who are in astral form.” Princess Luna explained.  “My only guess of thy presence is because thou has unlocked the power of another talisman Twilight Sparkle found.”  “Wow you're good.”  Spike “But why has thy master not returned to Canterlot to safeguard the talisman?”  Luna solemnly asked.  “I know this might sound a bit farfetched, but she had to go to a slumber party.”  Spike answered.  “A slumber party, how charming.  It seems some ponies do appreciate the night life after all.”  Luna sarcastically said.  “But enough of that, I strongly urge thee to retreat back to the library before anybody finds thy lifeless body.”  she advised. “I bid thee farewell, young Spike.  Now go!”  “Yes your highness!”  After giving a quick salute, Spike soared very quickly in the direction back to Ponyville.  “I hope he'll be alright.”  Luna said quietly to herself.  “Both he and the talisman could be in grave danger if he doesn't make it in time.  I shall watch over in case the great evil emerges.”

Spike was racing back to Ponyville as fast as he could, but from the distance he saw that he had opposition.  “Out of my way, little dragon!”  Shendu sneered.  “No you don't, ya big ugly dragon!”  Spike yelled back.  They both dived for the library, passed through walls and headed straight for the body.  Shendu narrowly got in first before Spike could rightfully claim his flesh.  When Shendu gained consciousness, his red piecing eyes glowed.  “Get out, it's my body!”  said Spike as he kept on trying to dive into himself, but each time he tackled his own body, he was deflected back.  “Try all you want, weak little dragon.  My spirit is far stronger than yours will ever be in a thousand years!”  Shendu insulted.  “Now to find my way to Canterlot Castle.”  When Shendu opened to door to go outside, he looked in the distance and saw a familiar face standing firm in the middle of the road.  Princess Luna's blue sparkly mane waved in the moonlight, and she had a very stern look in her eyes.  “Awesome, she's here!”  Spike cheered.  “You... you're one of the alicorns that scattered my talismans!”  Shendu ascertained.  “Thou shall not pass, foul creature.  Relinquish the baby dragon's body or face my anger!”  Luna demanded.  Her anger resonated enough to cause a lightning bolt to strike in the sky, which made her seem even more intense.  Shendu stepped out of the library and progressed to face off against the moon princess out in the open.  “Have it your way then.”  Shendu sneered.  “Even though I am not in my true for, this will prove that I am once and for all... your executioner!”  Shendu opened his mouth very wide and breathed out red hot flames at Luna.  The princess fired back a white beam of light from her horn, and overpowered Shendu's hot breath.  The beam also struck Spike's body, and purged the demon's spirit from the flesh that he temporarily controlled. “Nooooooooo!!!!”  Shendu screamed as  his spirit was ejected from Spike's body, giving the baby dragon the opportunity to get inside his body for good.  The demon was driven all the way back to Manehatten in his petrified encasement.  “Back so soon, aren't you?”  Trixie patronized as she sipped her tea.  “Blasted alicorn spell, I'll get my revenge when I'm free from this wretched prison.”  Shendu swore.

Spike immediately got back in his body, and woke up in the street.  Princess Luna offered her hoof to help Spike off the ground.  “Wow, you're amazing as ever, Princess Luna.”  Spike complimented as he regained footing.  “Thank you for all your help.”  “Tis my duty to help those in need of my aid.”  “Pleasant dreams, young Spike.”  She winked back and took flight towards the moon.  “Aw man, I need to get some rest after all that.”  All the sudden, a thought came piercing through Spike that reminded him of something else.  “Oh no, the talisman!  I'd better get it fast.”  Spike's heart raced as he ran back inside the library and up to his bed on the second floor.  He rushed around looking everywhere but there was no talisman to be found.  “I don't understand, the demon didn't take it with him.”  “Actually...”  Spike had a flashback in his mind of what Princess Luna warned him about.  “Dang it, those thugs must have taken it while I was goofing off.  Twilight's gonna kill me when she finds out tomorrow.”  Spike slumped in his bed and thought to himself as he drifted into sleep.  “If only I had listened...”

The next morning, Twilight came through the door looking very happy.  “Good morning Spike, I hope you slept well.”  Twilight greeted.  She walked over to the same bookshelf that Spike had the talisman hidden inside.  When she opened the box, Twilight froze in fear when she saw it was missing.  “No, the talisman...  Spike, what happened?!?!”  “I'm very sorry, Twilight, it's all my fault, when I took the talisman out of the box, I accidently triggered the power of astral projection.”  Spike confessed.  “I got too carried away with flying around Ponyville and Canterlot, and in my absence the bad guys took it from my body.”  “Did anything else happen while I was gone?”  Twilight asked.  Deep down inside, Spike felt like he had already done enough damage losing the talisman, let alone allowing his own body to be possessed by a demon that only Princess Luna could exorcise.  “Nope, that was it.”  Spike lied.  “Look Spike, you don't have to be so hard on yourself.  “You're still my number one assistant, and we all make mistakes including myself.”  Twilight consulted.  “Come on, let's get some breakfast.”  Twilight walked with her loyal assistant down the streets of Ponyville.  In the back of his mind, Spike was relieved not only for Twilight's forgiveness, but also for her not being overly obsessed about the talismans for a change.  It was the first time that they had lost to their new enemies, but it was an experience that would make them stronger in the long run.

End of Chapter 5

Chapter 6: The Slow and the Steady

Chapter 6:  The Slow and the Steady

Around  the schoolyard of Ponyville Elementary, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were sitting at a picnic table enjoying freshly grown apples for their lunch.  On a typical day, they would discuss ways for each of them to get their cutie marks, but the talk amongst their group became relatively different.  The talismans of Shendu had made a very big impression on them, especially Apple Bloom because of her unforgettable encounter in Appleloosa. “And after Twilight and my sister got knocked down, I stepped in and beat Tohru with the talisman!”  Apple Bloom recalled.  “That's great!  Although I wish Rarity and I get to help find a talisman soon.”  Sweetie Belle hoped.  “Then that means Rainbow Dash and I should get one as well.”  Scootaloo implied.  Before they could share other ideas, a slender colt named Featherweight came out of the schoolhouse with a bag of papers to pass out.  He was primarily known for being the editor in chief for the Foal Free Press.  “Extra, extra, read all about it!”  Featherweight hollered out as he passed out all the copies.  The crusaders eagerly grabbed a paper to look over.  Scootaloo flipped through the articles until they got to the back cover with a huge unique tortoise.  “Cool!  The Baltimare Super Shell Convention.”  Sweetie Belle read out.  “Also known as Shellcon for short.”  Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes and looked closer at the smaller print.  “Aw shucks, it's 30 gold bits per head to get in.”  Apple Bloom said, feeling bummed.  “And it's this weekend, only two days away from today.  No use in goin' at this point.”  “Actually, there's more to it.”  Scootaloo said.  The pegasus pointed her hoof at something the other two overlooked.  In the middle of the tortoise's shell on the flier image was a gray octagon with the insignia of a rabbit.  “I'll be gosh darned!  That's the Rabbit talisman!”  Apple Bloom blurted out.  “Well look what we have here, the blank flanks are getting excited over nothing.”  a voice from behind said in a mocking tone.

When the three Cutie Mark Crusaders looked back, they were face to face with the pretentious Diamond Tiara and her close friend Silverspoon.  “It's no surprise that you three are so desperate to find these so-called magic talismans.”  Diamond Tiara teased.  “After all, you still don't have your cutie marks.”  “Oh dear, I wonder if that Ox guy will show up to help them.”  Silverspoon sarcastically added.  “His name is Iron Will, and besides he lives in Appleloosa, not Ponyville.”  Apple Bloom stated.  “Oh, what's this, a turtle convention?  Seriously, you losers never cease to amuse me.”  Diamond Tiara berated as she noticed the newspaper on the table.  “I guess your only hope of a cutie mark is to wear a shell on your flank.”  Silverspoon ridiculed.  “See ya around, cutie mark losers.”  Diamond Tiara said as she and Silverspoon prepared to leave.  The crusaders did not bother to look back at their enemies since it was bad enough having to tolerate their insults.  “Magic talismans my hoof.”  the two fillies laughed as they left the area.  “I'll never give in to them... ever!”  Scootaloo sneered.  “Honestly, I'm glad they don't know the truth about the talismans.”  Apple Bloom said with relief.  “Yeah, I guess you're right.”  said Scootaloo.  “We should show this to Twilight right after school.”  Sweetie Belle further suggested.  “Hey, aren't you forgetting something? After all, Twilight's not the only one we have to rely on.”  Scootaloo said with a cocky grin.  “This could be the chance for Rainbow Dash and I to step in.”  “Aw, but I wanted to help find one too.”  Sweetie Belle sighed.  “Tell ya what, you and your sister can get the next one, I promise.”  Scootaloo assured.  “You two should go to the library after school to inform Twilight.  I'll find Rainbow Dash.”

When school got out for the day, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hurried to Twilight's library as fast as they could.  When they got close to the door, the door slowly opened as Twilight walked out.  “Hold on girls, what's the big rush?  Twilight asked, hoping there was no trouble.  The two crusaders came to a screeching stop, just barely close enough to prevent themselves from colliding into their friend. “Twilight, we got something to show you!”  Sweetie Belle said.  “Look here, we got ourselves a lucky rabbit.”  said Apple Bloom as she held up the newspaper page.  Twilight's eyes got big when she looked at the image of the big green tortoise with the Rabbit talisman in the center of its shell.  “Wow, I'm surprised you found this before Princess Celestia could inform me.”  said Twilight.  “I believe our best source for help will be Rainbow Dash since she has knowledge of owning a pet tortoise.”  “We got that part taken care of, and we decided that Scootaloo will help ya'll out this time.”  Apple Bloom said.  “You've done a great job, you two.”  Twilight complemented.  “If you don't mind, I'll keep this paper for reference.”  “Good luck getting the talisman, Twilight.”  Sweetie Belle said.  “Let us know what happens.”  said Apple Bloom.  They all waved goodbye, and then Twilight gently shut the door to resume her book organizing.  “How are you going to be able to afford the trip let alone the con itself?”  Spike asked while he was feather dusting a bookcase.  “Hmm, that's a good question.”  Twilight pondered.  “I'm on a tight budget right now but at the same time Princess Celestia is really counting on me to find the talismans as soon as possible.”  “You could always ask for a loan, I'm sure she won't mind doing that for you.”  Spike suggested.  “That might be worth a try.”  Twilight said.

In the dreary hideout of the Dark Hoof, Trixie sat at her desk fidgeting with a small pile of gold bits.  “You know Shendu, these talisman escapades have become quite the burden on my budget, yet I'm not seeing any returns.”  Trixie commented.  “After all, we did score the Sheep talisman recently.”  “When and ONLY when you and your group retrieve all twelve talismans shall you be rewarded the lost treasure of Chin Sheewong.”  Shendu proclaimed.  “You mean the refuted lost treasure.”  Trixie replied.  “So it appears we have a skeptic.”  said Shendu.  “I shall enlighten you.”  A Shadowkhan ninja came out from the left side of Shendu holding a golden goblet.  When the ninja lifted the lid from the goblet, Trixie's jaw dropped open as she gazed at the golden nuggets shining with luster.  The magician was so mesmerized to the point where she would not question Shendu's authority. “I...I don't believe it!  It's magnificent!”  The ninja retreated back into the Shadows along with the goblet and the gold.  “You have my word that the treasure will rewarded to you once this journey is over.”  Shendu promised.  Before Trixie could make any further statement, Finn and Ratso walked in the room next to each other arguing over the morning newspaper.  “Aw c'mon Finn, I wanna read the comic section.”  Ratso begged.  “Hold your tail, I gotta check the results from the Wonderbolts Grand Prix.”  Finn said.  “You two, come closer!”  Shendu demanded.  Finn and Ratso looked back at Shendu with puzzled looks on their faces, not knowing if they did something good or bad.  “Turn over to the very back page.”  the dragon instructed.  Finn did as he was told, and then to everyone's surprise, the same flier from the Foal Free Press was on the back of the Manehattan Times.  “There it is, the Rabbit talisman.  I trust that you will have no trouble dealing with reptiles.”  Shendu said.  “You sure we should be messing with a turtle?”  Ratso nervously commented.  “I heard that when they bite, they won't let go until there's rain.” “It ain't gonna rain this week, Ratso.  And besides, it's a tortoise, not a turtle.  The little guy can't stop us from taking the darn rock off his back.”  Finn said, poking fun at Ratso's lack of confidence.  “Then it's settled.  Let Tohru and Chow know about this.”  Trixie instructed.  “The sooner you all get that talisman, the richer we will all be!  The Great-and-Powerful Trixie will not fail!”  “Patience, my faithful mare.”  Shendu interjected.  “Slow and steady wins the race...”

Scootaloo was racing all through Ponyville on her scooter looking for her favorite idol.  “Darn it, if only I could fly this would be so much easier.”  Scootaloo said as she raced passed pedestrians and moving carts.  It was rather embarrassing to the young pegasus that not only did she lack a cutie mark, but her wings were very underdeveloped for her age.  For that reason, her most reliable way of travel had always been her blue scooter.  “Hold on, I see someone in that cloud!”  Scootaloo observed.  As she got a better view of elevation, she was able to catch sight of Rainbow Dash on cloud control duty.   “Rainbow Dash!  Down here! I need to talk to you!”  Scootaloo hollered while she dismounted from her scooter.  The rainbow maned pegasus easily recognized the young filly's voice, and zoomed down to see her friend.  “Hey, Scootaloo!  Whatcha doin' around here?”  Rainbow asked.  “I need to tell you about something really awesome that happened today”  Scootaloo quickly said.  She had to take a few breaths before she could continue talking.  “Me and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders found a picture of this tortoise in the school paper and-”  “Wait a minute, you came all this way looking for me just to talk about a tortoise!?”  Rainbow Dash asked.  “C'mon, what's so awesome about that?”  “But this isn't just an ordinary one.”  Scootaloo continued.  “The tortoise has a talisman stuck in its shell; the Rabbit talisman to be exact.  We really need your help on this, Rainbow Dash.  You're the only pony I know that has a tortoise, and I'm sure that if you bring Tank, it will be easier to get the talisman.”  “You mean, THE talismans!?”  Rainbow Dash asked with her eyes getting wider.  “The ones that Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie found recently?  Heck yeah I'll help out!  Time for your senior friend Rainbow Dash to make her move!”  “I knew you would be up for it!  Thanks for taking the offer!”  Scootaloo happily said.  “I'll catch up with you and the others after you get out of school tomorrow.  See ya around, kid!”  said Rainbow Dash as she took off for the sky, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.  Scootaloo watched in amazement, feeling inspired to be as awesome as her hero.  “One day, I'll be just like her!”  Scootaloo said with determination in her eyes.

The next day, Twilight hurried to the Ponyville train station around 4 pm to meet Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo.  Tank was also present, equipped with his goggles and flying propeller that he always used to keep up with Rainbow Dash.  “Took ya long enough.”  Rainbow Dash remarked.  “Scootaloo and I got here in a flash.”  “Sorry I'm late.”  Twilight apologized.  “I had to write a letter to Princess Celestia, but at least I convinced her to lend us enough money to cover the costs of the hotel and other stuff.”  “We should get on now, the train's gonna leave any minute now.”  Scootaloo said.  The three ponies passed on their luggage to the baggage porter, and boarded the train.  “The pet will have to come with me to the proper designated area.”  the porter stated.  “Alright, but you better take good care of him.”  Rainbow Dash said back.  The porter escorted Tank to another cabin where other pets were being kept while Twilight and her friends made their way to coach.  When they got settled in their seats, Scootaloo picked up on the conversation again.  “By the way Twilight, why did Spike not come with you on this trip?”  Scootaloo asked politely.  “He seems like the type that enjoys going on adventures.”  “He would've been more than happy to come, but he's still very embarrassed about losing the Sheep talisman to the dragon demon.”  Twilight explained. “He believes it's the best way to atone for his mistake.”  “Poor guy, I hope he doesn't get discouraged from helping us out ever again.”  Scootaloo said.  “Don't you two worry, as long as you got the awesome Rainbow Dash around, there's nothin' that can stop us!”  Rainbow Dash bragged.  Twilight gave a narrow look at her egotistical friend, indicating that the boasting was completely unnecessary.  “Come on, Rainbow Dash, we're on a 2 hour ride to Baltimare, so the least you can do is not get carried away.”  Twilight said.  “Alright...”  Rainbow Dash groaned.  She slouched her head on a pillow and closed her eyes.  Scootaloo turned her head and stared out the window while Twilight decided to read a book for the remainder of the ride.  When the three ponies finally arrived in Baltimare, the only things they wanted to to do were eat dinner and get to the hotel right away.  Twilight and Rainbow Dash did not want to dawdle around the metropolitan city because of the big day to follow.  Scootalloo and Tank were also not in the mood for sightseeing.  When it finally got close to bed time, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were getting ready to get some shuteye when Scootaloo had already passed out on one of the beds.  Rainbow Dash tucked Scootaloo under the blankets and then gently patted the foal on her mane.  “Good night, my awesome friend.”  Rainbow Dash said quietly.

The following day around 10 am, Twilight and her friends arrived at the Baltimare convention center and saw a few groups of ponies that were clearly turtle enthusiasts.  “Come on every pony, let's get in before those bad guys- ugh!”  Scootaloo tried to dart for the entrance but Twilight grabbed her from behind.  “Don't jump in the action just yet.”  Twilight said.  “Slow and steady wins the race.”  “What the heck does that mean?  You're just making up some egghead nonsense.”  Rainbow Dash refuted.  “Actually, it's an old and wise moral from one of Neighsop's fables, The Tortoise and the Hare.  Once upon a time, there was... huh?”  Twilight looked around and noticed that Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo ditched her to get in the convention sooner.  “Hmm, they'll never learn at this rate.”  Twilight said, shaking her head.  To her disappointment, she went on through the entrance alone.  When Twilight got inside, she was impressed with how many ponies were so enthusiastic about Shellcon.  The majority of everyone, especially the wealthy ponies, were showing off their finest turtles and tortoises and bragging about every little detail about them.  “No time to waste, I've gotta find the big fellow.”  Twilight said to herself.

Unfortunately for the heroes, the Dark Hoof enforcers had also managed to get to Shellcon for the same obvious reason.  While searching around, Tohru, Finn, and Chow were not impressed at all with the con, but Ratso was the only one making the best out of it.  They even went as far as searching the dealer's room but with no success.  “No Ratso, you can't have one.”  Finn scolded as Ratso was holding a stuffed turtle plushie.  “But I like Tommy the Turtle.  Please Finn I'll pay you back.”  Ratso begged.  “Be quiet you two.  We're here for the talisman, not for toys.”  Tohru ordered.   “There's the purple one, let's nail her!”  Chow said with spite.  “Not yet, we still have not found the talisman.”  Tohru stated.  “We will follow her.”

Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash, and Tank were still together, but they did not take the time to admire all the shelled creatures.  “Ugh, eggheads, so many of them.”  Rainbow Dash groaned.  She did not feel comfortable seeing young adult ponies dressing up in shell costumes that she imagined would be for colts and fillies.  It also annoyed Rainbow Dash whenever somebody would ask to take a picture of Tank.  They were after one thing and one thing only: the tortoise with the Rabbit talisman.  “Darn, there's so many of these things but not a single one of them is the one we're looking for.”  Scootaloo whined.  “Don't give up yet, my friend.”  Rainbow Dash encouraged.  After about an hour of looking around the convention, a staff member made an announcement over the PA system.

“Mares and gentlecolts, thank you very much for your time and patience.  On the second floor in the ballroom, we will now be showing the main star of the event.  The one and only Neighsop has finally arrived! ”  Just about every pony rushed to the elevators and stairs to get to the panel room on the second room.  Scootaloo was absolutely certain that Neighsop was the tortoise on the back cover of her school paper.  “I definitely know it's him.  He's the one with the talisman.”  Scootaloo said to Rainbow Dash.  “Wow, I guess what Twilight said before wasn't a made-up thing after all.  But she's still an egghead.”  Rainbow Dash chuckled.

Twilight also heard the announcement and got the instinctive feeling to go to the ballroom.  When she got there, she also reunited with Rainbow Dash, Scoootaloo, and Tank.  “Girls, I think I found the one we're looking for.”  Twilight assumed.  “Well duh, that's why we're here.”  Rainbow Dash said.  They looked over and saw Neighsop on a red carpet while he was also surrounded by a huge crowd of what seemed to be his own cult following.  “Now we just need to get the talisman and get outta here.”  said Scootaloo.  Before they could proceed, the Dark Hoof enforcers had cut their way through the crowd to get to Neighsop.  “There the bad guys, don't let them take it!”  Twilight ordered.  The crowd gasped when Tohru was trying to remove the Rabbit talisman with force, but Rainbow Dash flew in to intervene.  With an impressive flying kick, Rainbow Dash struck Tohru in the back of his head and knocked him down.  “Get the rainbow one!”  Chow yelled as the enforcers chased after Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow Dash, keep these guys distracted while I try to remove the talisman.”  Twilight instructed.  “I'll have Tank interact with Neighsop to make it easier.”  Scootaloo added.  “I'me on it!”  Rainbow Dash saluted.  Scootaloo positioned Tank to interact with Neighsop so that the big tortoise would not have to worry about his shell getting tinkered around.  Twilight began to use her unicorn magic to remove the Rabbit talisman, but it turned out to be much harder than expected.  Neighsop's shell had such a tight grip on the talisman that even Twilight's magic was giving her a headache.  “Nah nah.”  Rainbow Dash taunted at the enforcers with her funny facial expression.  Finn, Ratso, and Chow jumped for her but she flew away very quick.  The attackers crashed into each other, and then Rainbow Dash grabbed a table cloth.  She flew in circles around the enforcers and tied them up in the cloth.  Other bystanders were whispering to each other and watched in aw. “She's pretty good.” “I've never seen such speed.”  “I wonder what her name is.” they all said to each other.

Twilight was getting closer to removing the Rabbit talisman from Neighsop's shell, but it was not coming out without a fight.  “Just a little... more.”  she said with her teeth gritting from all the stress.  After a very enduring struggle, Twilight finally popped the talisman out of the tortoise's shell.  However, Tohru had gotten back up on from being knocked out, and was quick enough to tackle Twilight and Scootaloo away before they could claim the talisman.  Afterwards, Tohru picked up the Rabbit talisman and left the two dazed heroes on the ground.  When Rainbow Dash saw what Tohru did to Scootaloo and Twilight, her patience had completely gone out the window.  “That's it, put em up tough guy!”  Rainbow Dash barked.  She spread he wings to full span and readied herself in sprinting position.  Shortly after, a white light traced within the rabbit image on the talisman and activated the magic.  As soon as Tohru moved slightly forward, he zipped away and moved like a blur within reach of Rainbow Dash.  When the large bully realized what had happened, he had a malicious grin across his face.  “Hmm, peppy...”  he said.  “Take this!”  Rainbow Dash shouted when she went for a flying kick.  Tohru zoomed away to another spot, making Rainbow Dash look like a slowpoke.  The process repeated, and every time the spunky pegasus went for an attack, Tohru dodged and struck back each time.  Scootaloo watched in horror as the gigantic stallion was beating down on her hero and not even breaking a sweat.  “Wow, look at the big guy move.”  Finn said while still tied up with the other enforcers.  “If only we could do that to Sparkle.”  said Chow.

It was not a good feeling for Twilight and Scootaloo to watch Rainbow Dash get smacked around by the speed enchanted Tohru.  Twilight had to come up with a practical and fast idea before things could get worse.  She looked behind her and saw a table with cups of ice water sitting around.  Instinctively, Twilight knocked the table over, spilling all the ice water on the ground  Other ponies in the area gasped in shock when she made the mess but it was still for a good cause.  As Tohru came at Rainbow Dash, he slipped on the puddle, and went sliding down the wooden floor.  “Whoooahhh!!!”  Tohru yelled out as he went sliding.  He was heading straight at Finn, Ratso, and Chow who were still tied up in ropes.  “Oh no! Oh on! OH NO!!!”  all three of the enforcers screamed in fright.  The velocity of Tohru sliding on the wooden floor was so fast that when he crashed into the other enforcers, they smashed through the wall.  The whole Dark Hoof gang was knocked out, and the Rabbit talisman rolled out of Tohru's hoof.  The crowd of ponies cheered for the noble mares and took pictures of the aftermath.

Rainbow Dash flew over and grabbed the talisman from the unconscious Tohru and then gave it to Twilight.  “So Rainbow Dash, what have we learned today?”  Twilight asked with a smile.  “Yeah yeah I know.  Slow and steady wins the race...”  Rainbow Dash answered without giving eye contact.  Scootaloo approached the wreckage where the enforcers were unconscious and saw something unusual on the ground.  She picked up a small card from where Finn was lying down and knew it was important.  “Hey Twilight, come see this!”  Scootaloo shouted across the ballroom.  Twilight and Rainbow Dash hurried over to see what Scootaloo had found. On the card, there was an insignia of a black horse hoof with the initials DH in the center.  “The symbol is obviously a hoof, but I can't help but think this has a significant meaning.”  Twilight concluded.  We'd better keep this, it's our only clue to finding out who they truly are.”  “You ladies were incredile, can we please get a picture of ya'll next to Neighsop?” a staff pony asked eagerly.  “Eh, I guess we could do it to celebrate.”  Raimbow Dash said.  “We'd be more than happy to.”  Twilight answered.  With another talisman and another victory claimed, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo stood with Tank and Neighsop as they smiled and posed for the camera.

End of Chapter 6