A Library's Secret

Chapters

Twilight Sparkle: Dreams and Discoveries
Rarity: Extra Plans
Spitfire: The Search
Bon Bon: Early Morning Investigations

Twilight Sparkle: Dreams and Discoveries

The same vivid dream twenty-one days in a row and counting consumed Twilight Sparkle's thoughts. The ghostly figure and the resurrected Golden Oaks Library all played a role in each dream, Twilight certain a hidden meaning lied within each vision. The cryptic messages the figure provided, however, were hazy to Twilight. On the other hoof, the cracked grin and razor sharp teeth which appeared eager to pounce on her flesh had an unmistakable look to them, Twilight able to describe the figure's form to the last detail.

As she opened her crusty eyes, the crystalline walls of her bedroom clearing up and sparkling like stars, she merely let out a brief yawn. Twilight never yearned to crawl out of her bed today; the plush mattress and silky smooth blankets acted as the perfect antidote for her stiff limbs.

But if the horn atop her head and the wings on her side were anything to go by, Twilight inevitably had important duties to attend. And alicorn princesses, as she figured out from day one, had to be in tip-top shape for the job and attend to all sorts of tasks or missions. Whenever she had a chance to take a breather, there would be some pivotal quest determining the fate of Equestria popping up half the time. She sometimes wondered if Spike would be up to the task, though she'd rather forget the last time he tried performing her duties.

And despite all of this, she grew to enjoy such a title and occupation, even as she forced a smile across her face. Twilight pushed herself off the bed; she peered out the nearby window, gazing at the growing town of Ponyville below. Each day, passersby would halt and gawk at her castle, even if they did so yesterday. Flowers sprouted around it as if by magic, their petals the color of the rainbow. And most important of all, Rainbow Dash wouldn't come crashing through the window—most of the time.

"But why am I dreaming about Golden Oaks so much?" Twilight asked herself. She rubbed the top of her head; the princess paced back and forth across the floor. "Ever since it was refurbished into the castle's chandelier, I've come to accept its new role." She peeked out the window once more, focusing on the distant crater where the library once resided. "Is there something else I'm missing? Maybe I left a little something back there. A book, perhaps?" Twilight sighed. "Well, better get some breakfast before checking out the ruins."

Stretching her legs and wings, Twilight trudged toward the door, pushing it open with her hooves. She traversed down the winding, albeit brief, staircase and found herself within the back hallway. The green carpet tickled her hooves, the four yellowish doors to her left and right only used for extra storage. Nothing there would solve her conundrum, at least for the moment. She continued trotting ahead, passing the crystal throne room before making a left and reaching the dining room. And to her luck, a young and purple dragon was perched atop the table; a grin was planted on his face.

"Hey, Spike," Twilight said. "How are you?"

"I'm well," Spike replied. He hopped off the table and wobbled about a bit upon landing. "Did ya get enough sleep today?"

Twilight shrugged. "Sort of. I mean, I feel awake and all, but I don't have a lot of energy."

"Let me guess." Spike arched an eyebrow. "You had that dream again, didn't you?"

"You'd be correct. Three weeks and counting, yet I still can't figure out what's going on."

Spike shivered; his teeth clacked like maracas. "You think somepony made the Tantabus again?"

"Of course not, Spike." Twilight rubbed the dragon's head, his purple scales a rough texture. "Princess Luna learned an important lesson that night and helped vanquish the Tantabus. And she's the only one who has powers over dreams. Even Celestia and I lack such unique magic."

"Yeah, but what about Trixie or Starlight Glimmer?"

"Powerful, but they don't have the capability to mess with dreams. If Star Swirl couldn't do it, I doubt either of them could meddle with dreams. Plus, Trixie hasn't done anything nefarious in a long time. I think I told you that." Twilight sighed. "Still, I understand your anxiety."

"So are we gonna write a letter to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna? Celestia might know about the figure you mentioned before, and Luna might be able to figure out what's going on with your dreams."

"You make an excellent point, Spike. I'll definitely get to that." Twilight ruffled her wings. "But first, I want to investigate the ruins of Golden Oaks Library myself."

"How come?" Spike cocked his head. "I mean, I can't think of a reason why there would be something there? That big centaur—Tic Tac or whatever his name was—blew it to smithereens. Anything that was there has to be dust now. Unless a friend of yours dropped a contact visiting it afterwards."

"It's still worth a look." A soft grumbling sound reached Twilight's ears; her cheeks flushed. "But first, I need to get some breakfast."

"Pancakes this time, right?" Spike licked his lips. "They're my favorite!"

Twilight bobbed her head. "Correct."

"Well, just don't sleep on yours like last time, okay?"

Twilight giggled. Even she had to admit the scenario was humorous, though the thousand or so jokes Pinkie Pie cracked about it since grew dull. "I'll try my best, Spike."

Trotting into the nearby kitchen, a cool breeze swirling past, Twilight opened the fridge. A bright purple aura brought the necessary ingredients toward her, but as she checked over them thrice, her eyes widened at a faint shuffling sound. She peeked over her shoulder; nothing appeared within her sights. Perhaps her imagination played tricks on her once again.

"Spike, did you hear anything?" Twilight asked.

"What do ya mean?"

"I thought I heard somepony trotting about." Twilight worked on the pancakes, mixing the ingredients as per the instructions. "Is somepony visiting the castle?"

"Well, I know the Wonderbolts are visiting later in the afternoon. I don't know why they'd go to you since you don't even give them orders." Spike paused for a second. "And I think Mayor Mare is dropping by in the evening."

Twilight poked her head out of the kitchen. "Spike, they're going to discuss Ponyville's security with me. Well, at least the captain is, though I don't know if anypony will be joining her. As for Mayor Mare, it's budget stuff. You know, the boring part of being a princess."

"Yeah, those talks work better than any sleeping medicine I've heard of." A yawn escaped Spike's lips. "Just talking about it makes me want to snooze."

"So then, did you hear that noise?"

"Of course not!"

As Twilight poured the mixture into the frying pan, the sizzling reaching her ears, another set of those peculiar noises followed soon after; Twilight's throat tightened in response. "There! Did you hear that?"

"The sizzling?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, the shuffling."

"Nope! I didn't hear anything suspicious."

Shrugging, Twilight brought her eyes back to the pancakes cooking in the pan, a warm aroma tickling her nostrils. Glancing behind her one more time, nothing out of the ordinary resided out the window. She scanned the perimeter of the kitchen; nothing leaped out in surprise or made itself known. The sink, cabinets, and shelves were all closed as they should be. A sparkling sheen covered every square inch of the kitchen, no grime or dirt left by somepony to report. And the shelves were all compact enough to where nopony could squeeze inside, especially with the plates and silverware taking up space.

But maybe Golden Oaks Library called out to her. An urge to gobble up her breakfast in one bite reached Twilight, her brain restraining her from doing so. She only hoped there were some answers buried in the rubble. At least it'd make for some pondering time during breakfast.

Pondering time accomplished little to nothing as Twilight stepped out of her abode and onto the dew-covered grasslands. While the filled stomach pleased the princess, the repetitive questions of whether somepony spied on her and the meaning behind her dreams were like sharp thorns prodding her.

Twilight took a quick sniff of the air, the crisp freshness cleaning her nostrils. The sun glowed just above the horizon; few ponies trotted about from what she noticed. Today being a weekend coupled with the early morning gave most ponies no reason to be out and about. But if the dancing pair of unicorns told her anything, Ponyville's energetic spirit marched in unison with time.

"Well, Ponyville won't be quiet for long," Twilight muttered. On cue, a trio of fillies donning red capes came into view and skipped across the road; all three of them bore radiant grins and giggled incessantly. Fun and games were among the only intelligible phrases she heard from them; their identities were also known to everypony in town at this point. "I give it a few minutes before everything gets much louder."

Making her way through the rest of the street, she arrived at her former home's ruins, the obliterated and charred Golden Oaks Library. A wide crater scarred the earth as Twilight predicted; some pieces of oak shrapnel poked out of the earth. The putrid scent of ash, hints of sulfur, and the last remnants of leather bound books made up the rest of its aroma. It urged Twilight to sneeze. Even the faintest hint of smoke bellowing from the crater's maw made itself known, refusing to be swept away by any rainstorms which passed by. Twilight nudged closer toward the pit's edge.

"Excuse me," a voice said. Twilight sensed a soft tap on her shoulder, her body twitching in surprise. "I know you're a princess and all, but I'd recommend not getting too close unless you want to burn your nostrils."

Twilight shrugged. "How come?"

"A hole in the earth bellowing smoke well after it was incinerated? Yeah, nothing suspicious at all." She paused for two seconds. "It's probably not safe in there."

"Well, at least I know you're the sarcastic type." Twisting around, Twilight locked gazes with the mare, a cream colored earth pony with a cobalt and pink mane. A second later, Twilight focused on the saddlebag on the mare and the rope wrapped around her waist, a grappling hook attached to the rope's far end. "I have three questions. First, who are you? Second, how do you know something terrible is in there? And lastly, what's with all the fancy gear?"

"My name is Bon Bon." She bowed to the princess and then straightened her posture. "And you'd be crazy to think a monster was living in there. I'm referring to any gases which may be lingering within the crater. I've done enough research on such things to know the possible dangers before me." She cleared her throat. "Oh, and zero guesses as to what the grappling hook is used for." Bon Bon raised her brow. "And it's not the newest fashion trend."

"I'd imagine you use it for spelunking. Funny, as I always thought you just made candy whenever I saw you helping out in Sugarcube Corner. I mean, your cutie mark would also point toward that. Still, maybe spelunking is a hobby of yours."

Bon Bon rolled her shoulders. You're right on the spelunking part, but there's more to it." She paused and pursed her lips. "Look, it's complicated. Stuff about going on secret missions, stopping monsters I can't even let you know about, and so on define some of my life. I used to be out of action for some time, though I've kinda been thrown back in. It's all of that plus the aforementioned candy job. It's—not as amazing as it sounds." She puckered her lips for a moment, brow sagging. "Trust me."

Stepping back an inch, a bemused expression formed across Twilight's face. "Well, I guess I'll take your word for it, even if it came out of nowhere."

Bon Bon released a soft chuckle. "Funny. You're one of the few ponies other than Lyra to believe me at first. Of the five or so I've told this to, including you, three of them needed a lot more convincing. Usually, it was the medals I've earned and the fake mustaches which tipped them off."

"I—see." Twilight shrugged. "Trust me, that's not the strangest thing I've heard. Twilight turned around once more; she focused on the crater's bottom, torn up pages and shattered glass resting atop the dry soil. "But what brings you here?"

"I have my reasons."

"Let me guess, this is another secret mission, isn't it?"

"Not exactly. Ponies know I've planned on investigating this site when Princess Celestia got a tip from a local resident."

Twilight returned eye contact with Bon Bon, the former's eyebrow arched. "What was the tip?" Her head approached Bon Bon's until the two were inches apart. "Can I hear it, please?"

"Supposedly, there's something suspicious buried within the rubble. It's not anything you can see at the moment, though this pony did have proof to back it up."

"What proof? I'm looking to see if I left anything important there. Am I right in that I forgot something?"

"Don't worry, Princess Twilight." As Twilight backed away to give both of them more breathing room, Bon Bon approached the crater. "Well, at least I don't think you should worry. See, you didn't leave anything behind if the report is anything to go by."

"The reports, huh?" Twilight feigned a snicker. "Well, I think I should first ask about the part where I might end up worrying."

"What's inside is supposed to be some sort of artifact that's quite old. Supposedly, it has been underneath Golden Oaks Library for a while. I don't know if it's worth anything, but that's why somepony needs to check it out."

A cold sweat poured down Twilight's brow. Whenever the mention of an old treasure or relic reached her ears, something frightening or dangerous lurked from behind. She wondered if destiny used her like a toy at times, always willing to see how far she'd go before succumbing to pressure or physical force. Every mention of an ancient artifact or threat, especially since the mess which saw the passing of her former home, turned the blood in her veins into ice.

"Well, we better check it out before anything bad happens," Twilight blurted out with a cracked voice. She forced a wide, crooked smile. "After all, if we just wait on it, who knows what will happen next?"

"Well then, let's not waste any time." Reaching into her saddlebag, Bon Bon pulled out a mask and donned it, adjusting the strap over her fluffy mane. She then continued in a muffled voice, "Princess Twilight, can you do me a favor?"

"What do you need?"

Bon Bon rummaged through her saddlebag once more; this time, she acquired a folded up piece of paper. "Since you were interested in the tip we got, read this first. It should get you caught up on what's going on."

With her magic, Twilight brought the letter closer to her and unfurled it. She squinted at the small writing, all done in a neat cursive, and shifted her eyes across the wrinkled page.

To whom it may concern,

An old hermit from a faraway land once told me there's supposed to be something important buried underneath Golden Oaks Library. I don't know if he's telling the truth, and I doubt he is, but something about his snake-like voice turned my hind leg numb. Why that instead of the whole body, I don't know. Maybe there's more to him than I thought.

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if anypony is able to excavate any artifacts or items buried within the library's rubble. If something does come of it, please let all of the princesses know as soon as possible. I hope it's nothing too serious.

Sincerely,

A Pony

Twilight dropped the letter; the sheet of paper descended toward the brown dirt like a leaf during autumn months. "So you're going off the word of an ominous hermit?" she asked.

Bon Bon nodded. "Well, maybe there's something worth investigating in there. The letter did kinda just appear out of nowhere, and any clues regarding its origin and the hermit's identity are unknown." She shrugged, then shook her legs a tad. "Unless you want to risk another last minute victory, Princess Twilight. Because we all can't get enough of those, right?"

"I can understand being cautious, though there has to be a rational limit, right?" Subtly rolling her eyes, a sigh escaped Twilight's lips. "But how could anypony bury a treasure underneath Golden Oaks Library without being caught? It doesn't make sense."

"A lot of things don't make sense." Bon Bon took a short breath. "I learned this quickly living with Lyra for some time." Bon Bon cleared her throat. "Anyway, if the treasure is real, maybe it'll lead to more answers. Then again, we could be wasting our time while getting our hooves dirty. That would be lots of fun."

"Well, here's hoping it all goes well, whether it exists or not."

"Precisely. And since I'll be digging into the rubble, I want you to make sure everything goes smoothly. If I look like I might be in trouble, pull me out of there as fast as you can."

Twilight stretched her forelegs. She never successfully lifted anything too heavy with them during her lifetime; the muscles already aching at the mere thought of pulling a whole pony off the ground. And any time where lifting something large with said forelegs needed to be performed, it'd end with strained muscles or no progress made.

Darting her head around, Twilight noticed not a single soul which oozed physical toughness. There was Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's friend, the one with the voice powerful enough to tear eardrums, but finding where he lived and convincing him to help out had to be a waste of time. With a deep breath, Twilight ruffled her wings and nodded.

"I'll do it," she said. "I'll try my best."

Bon Bon latched the hook to the crater's edge. Tugging on it, she then lifted the rope and saddlebag off of her and dove into the abyss, her hooves clinging onto the rope. In the blink of an eye, the mare slid to the bottom and planted all four hooves on the ground, a cloud of dust gently rising around her.

"Everything okay?" Twilight asked.

Bon Bon nodded. "Of course they are!" she shouted. "Do I look ill or unconscious to you?"

Twilight shook her head. "You don't."

"Then all is well!"

Another minute passed since Bon Bon's digging escapades. Still intently watching her, Twilight's ears twitched as she noticed a huddle of ponies standing behind her. None of them seemed out of the ordinary, all being residents of Ponyville, though all of them surveyed the process as if they were involved as well. More ponies passing by joined the crowd, growing in size each passing second until the world behind Twilight was a miasma of pastel ponies. And yet, other than a few murmurs here and there, the world fell silent.

"Are you keeping an eye on me, Princess Twilight?" Bon Bon asked. As Twilight swiveled her head back to where the earth pony worked, she noticed Bon Bon tossing dirt, soot, and ash into the air. "Because I have a hunch you're distracted if those whispers are anything to go by. Can't blame you, but don't leave me hanging here!"

"I'd never just leave you here," Twilight responded. She giggled, cheeks colored a hot pink. Even before knowing what the magic of friendship was, she knew abandoning somepony in such a situation would be frowned upon. Trixie might do it if reeled in, but she was Twilight Sparkle. "Well, I'm focusing on you now. Oh, and a number of other ponies are watching us as well. That's where most of the whispers are coming from, by the way."

Bon Bon's limbs froze in place; her scowling face turned toward Twilight. "Well, could you make sure none of them do anything stupid?" A groan escaped her lips. "Trust me, I've seen how this town operates at times, and just because I'm guilty of it myself at times doesn't change anything."

"Okay then." Twilight shrugged.

"And—" Bon Bon ceased speaking; Twilight's gulped as a dim green light shone where Bon Bon stood. "Well, I've found something peculiar. I think I did." She tapped a hoof against the dirt. "Either that or it's absolutely nothing. Only one way to find out."

Thrusting her hooves into the dirt, Bon Bon tugged some sort of object whilst her veins bulged like they'd explode and her grunting polluted the air. The object's dimensions and appearance were obscured from where Twilight stood. She rubbed the top of her head, the strands of her mane tickling her hoof's tip. Nothing too noteworthy was abandoned when she leaped out of the library a split second before its demise—other than Golden Oaks itself.

With the beating of her heart filling her ears, Twilight shuffled a few inches closer to the edge. She exhaled. "Bon Bon, do you need help getting it out?"

"Do I look like I'm having no trouble?" Bon Bon released her grip from the buried object; she huffed and puffed upon turning toward Twilight, tongue sticking out and beads of sweat cascading down her face like rain. "Try lifting what has to be all of Tartarus with you bare hooves." Rolling her eyes, she collapsed onto the earth with a soft thud, though she retained eye contact with Twilight. "Trust me, it's terrible."

"Well, I could use my magic to pull it out." Twilight scrunched her muzzle for a second. Why she bothered to use her muscles for heavy lifting in the first place at times crossed her mind; perhaps it was a side effect of being in a hurry. Yet, she needed to cut her habit of forgetting just how strong her magic was. "But if it's as big as it sounds, maybe you should climb out of the crater."

Crawling toward the grappling hook, Bon Bon grasped onto the rope, climbing up inch by inch before returning to where Twilight resided. She made eye contact with the princess once more, Bon Bon now reclining on her back. "If—you think I made that look easy, you'd be mistaken." She took another deep breath and wiped her forehead. "You may continue, Princess Twilight."

Twilight licked her lips; her focus solely on the crater's excavated portion. There was a small, gray piece of stone sticking out of the earth, though its texture looked too smooth to be bedrock. At least something rested within the soil all those years, Twilight silently praying for it to be nothing major. The mess with Tirek not too long ago still hung over her head like a storm cloud. She firmly believed things always could escalate or become worse at any moment; her dangerous adventures in Ponyville and Equestria as a whole proved such a theory.

If extracting whatever rested in the dirt before her could solve the problem before it happened, she'd rather run the risk than wait for it to become worse.

A violet aura glowed around Twilight's horn; the same aura reached the stone. Lifting her head as high as she could, the world's weight pressing down on her shoulders, the stone budged a few inches higher. It kept ascending, the aura now enveloping Twilight and shining brighter than a star. Twilight closed her eyes shut. Sharp twinges coursed throughout her body. The stone kept rising and rising and then, a minute later, fully emerged from its former resting place.

Twilight opened her eyes; the aches slowly faded away. With the bright glow dissipating, the stone crashed into the earth. "That was—a lot harder than I expected," Twilight said, her muscles loosening at last. Without a second thought, she leaped into the crater and approached the rectangular slab; her eyes widened. "Don't worry about me. I'll be out in a few seconds." Yet, for reasons she couldn't explain, the air became thinner as she trudged toward the chiseled tablet. "So then, what do we have here?"

Cryptic symbols were etched onto the slab's face, all highlighted with a green substance of some sort. Images of a few ponies scattered about, all apparently organized by certain scenes, defined much of the stone. Some scenes showed a joyful, prosperous civilization almost identical to Ponyville, complete with an accurate depiction of Twilight's new castle in the background. However, as Twilight worked her way down the depicted story, the images churned her stomach. Illustrations of fires, rubble, and ponies in a state which turned the princess' face pale constituted the latter half of the tablet.

And it all ended with a unicorn standing amongst the rubble, a ring circling her, and followed by an exact copy of the first image. Beneath these pictures appeared to be a string of words, much of it faded away or minuscule, though what Twilight noticed by squinting at it featured words which had to belong to an ancient language.

"Bon Bon, I-I think the letter you got has a point," Twilight stuttered. She took a deep breath; her body shivered. "I'm going to write a note to Celestia and Luna to see if they can figure out what's going on here."

"So what you're telling us is that something awful might happen in the future?" Bon Bon questioned. "And why should we place our trust in a heavy rock?" She cleared her throat. "Because cryptic messages on old stones are definitely trustworthy. Maybe it's an elaborate prank."

"Better safe than sorry." Twilight gulped. Flapping her wings, she glided away from the stone and placed all four hooves back on the cold, high ground. "I'm going to write the letter to the princesses and get my friends up to date on what's going on."

"Well, okay then. But still, you're acting really dramatic over some junk we don't know a thing about."

Twilight pursed her lips for a moment. "There have been way too many coincidences for it to be just some dumb rock."

Rarity: Extra Plans

The upcoming Fashion Tour in the heart of Canterlot ranked among the most anticipated days for Rarity; it also was one of the most dreaded days for her. While she could whip up something in a few hours the experts would gawk at and gossip about it for years, surveying and scrutinizing each detail and stitch for hours at a time froze Rarity's spine. Checking it thrice, fixing up a misalignment invisible to the naked eye, and rinse and repeat until it was ready.

At least she had three dresses all sewn up and ready for the occasion days early. The problem was that Fashion Tour only allowed one dress per each pony on a team for the preliminary rounds. She had little time to think it all over. Rarity would rather wade through an aisle selling crimes against fashion than dump two works of art or leave them to rot.

Rarity paced back and forth across the upper floor of Carousel Boutique, clacks filling her ears and the sun outside causing the aquamarine floor to glow like a gemstone. Against one of the walls were three mannequins, each one donning one of the dresses Rarity could choose for the grand occasion.

"The rose-colored dress would fit well in an outdoors setting," Rarity muttered to herself. She glanced over to the one on its left. "But the gold trim of the second dress just fits the posh, royal lifestyle of Canterlot so well." Her head swiveled an inch further to the left; Rarity's eyes focused on the third and final dress. "And this dress has such exquisite detail sewn to the last millimeter, not to mention how its green accents highlight the gold, flowery decorations I put so much time into making." She pursed her lips. The ticking of the room's clock drowned out the rest of the world's noise.

In a flash, her eyes widened. "And with Coco Pommel being my partner, I can't let her down. I'd never want to show my face again if I show up with something that's ghastly!"

Rarity sat down on the floor, forelegs crossed. "It's going to be okay, Rarity." She took a number of deep breaths; the tension throughout her body dissipated bit by bit. "It's only one of—no—the most important event for designers throughout Equestria. There's no need to worry, right?" She feigned a chuckle. "Right?"

Her eyes glanced over to the green dress once more, the designs stitched on the fabric catching her eye. A second later, she focused on the rose-colored dress. "Hmm. Maybe I'll go with—"

A series of loud knocks rang into Rarity's ears. Jumping up in surprise, a lightheaded sensation taking hold of her for a moment, she landed on all four hooves. "Someone's here? Is it Coco?"

Less than a second later, Rarity dashed down the staircase, her legs wiggling as she leaped over some of the steps as if they were hurdles. Upon arriving at Carousel Boutique's first floor, she spent no time observing the neatly arranged furniture, paperwork, or anything unrelated to the door waiting for her. Rarity reached for the doorknob; the beating of her heart seemed loud enough to echo in the room.

Three more knocks arrived. Rarity opened the door, only the fourth knock bopped her forehead as opposed to the wooden frame.

"Hello," a familiar, albeit agitated voice said. "Sorry about poking you there."

Rarity rubbed her stricken forehead, the soreness disappearing a second later, and locked eyes with the visitor before her. It was Twilight Sparkle, the alicorn princess' eyes wider than dinner plates and her cheeks pale.

"Rarity!" Twilight shrieked. She nudged closer to Rarity until the two were an inch apart. "I need your help!"

"It's nice to see you, Twilight, but what's the commotion?" She arched an eyebrow and took a step back. "Did you see something hideous like an overly colorful shirt? Is another monster attacking Ponyville?" Rarity shuddered and gasped. "I hope it's not something dreadful like that. Now's not the best time to get my hooves dirty, dear. However, I'm willing kick a bugbear or manticore for my dear friends and Equestria if needed."

Twilight violently shook her head. "It's none of those things. See, it's a stone tablet found under the ruins of Golden Oaks Library."

Shrugging, Rarity then tapped Twilight's shoulder. "So a dumb rock? Well, I do have lots of experience with those." She glanced over to her cutie mark and released a soft giggle. She'd lost count of how many bemused expressions she received whenever she told the story of her cutie mark. Rarity then brought her attention back to Twilight. "What's so frightening about this one?"

"Well, it's more about what the rock says than it being some old rock," another voice replied. Peeking behind Twilight was a light blue pegasus mare, her mane in the colors of the rainbow. She flapped her wings at a steady pace as she hovered above the soil. "It's kinda boring at first, but what it says later on sounds awful."

"Greetings, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied. "And how bad are we talking here?"

"Cataclysmic," a third voice said, her tone having the slightest drawl to it. Emerging into Rarity's eyesight was an orange earth pony, a familiar brown hat atop her head. "And I'm not talkin' about somethin' that happens quickly. It's gonna be long and painful if we don't do somethin' quick."

"Since when did you become a dictionary?" Rainbow teased. Nudging Applejack, she donned the slightest of smirks. "I thought you worked all day on the farm."

"I told you, I sometimes read in my free time. Ya learn words and stuff when ya read. It ain't the hardest thing to understand."

Rainbow nodded and then shrugged. "Point taken, but hearing that—that word come out of you is kinda surprising."

Applejack cocked her head, brow ruffled. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Rainbow snickered. "Don't worry about it."

"Anyway, it's nice to see you too, Applejack," Rarity said. She rubbed her muzzle. "Twilight, I'm guessing you've rounded up your friends. Do you know where we'll be headed?"

"What we need to do next is still a mystery," Twilight muttered. Pursing her lips for a second, she then took a quick breath. "I wish it wasn't. Anyway, I still need to get Fluttershy and Spike up to date, and Pinkie Pie is doing her part at the moment around Ponyville. Also, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stopped here at the same time I was, so I guess it's kind of a strange coincidence we're all here."

"Well, coincidences are a funny thing, darling. However, what's Pinkie's part in this?"

Twilight nodded. "See, we're going around Ponyville to spread the news, then asking other ponies to let their friends know about it. This way, we'll get the news all over Equestria as quickly as possible. Maybe we'll figure out the identities of some key figures and what to do from here. It's the best method I could think of in a flash, so sorry if it's not optimal."

"It sounds reasonable to me." Rarity forced a smirk, her widened eyes clashing with it. Twilight's plan sounded rational, but it was everything around it which froze her blood, namely the slab's ominous inscriptions. "Wise as always, darling."

"If overly nervous at times," Rainbow added. With a nervous chuckle, cheeks colored a hot pink, she rubbed the back of her neck. "But to be fair, we've all been there before. And—and I don't blame her this time."

"Yeah," Twilight and Applejack said in unison.

"Well, I hope we're able to solve this," Rarity said. She quietly hoped she wouldn't have to drag her fainting couch out again. Magic or no magic, getting it from Carousel Boutique to just the right spot sometimes wore her out more than whatever stunning revelation she heard. "I'm supposed to be heading over to Canterlot in the near future, so maybe I could spread the word over there when I make my grand appearance. I'd hate to not help out in some way, and I'm willing to miss some of the festivities for the safety of my friends."

"That sounds like a great plan," Twilight said. "The Royal Canterlot Archives will also have tons of theories and answers about the past, so maybe that's one place to look at. Just ask one of the librarians there for information on relics, as looking through everything will take too much time."

"Sounds like your kind of paradise." Then again, visiting such a prestigious room filled with knowledge intrigued her. It'd also serve as a nice break from the duller, longer parts of the festival where even the most dedicated of fashionistas would yawn every minute. Rarity had attended enough to know which parts to avoid like an alternative fashion event. "Anyway, let's not waste any time. What's the current situation?"

"Well, the tablet that was excavated shows Ponyville like how it is right now. I'd not think much of it in most instances, but it even has the new castle etched onto it." Twilight blew some air out; her body shivered. "That's not exactly a coincidence."

"It does?"

Twilight nodded, her lips sealed.

"Most unusual, but I'd like to know more, please." Rarity tapped her hoof against the floor; she gazed up for a second. "I wouldn't count out a coincidence just yet, darling, but what's the dreadful news?"

"Supposedly, something is going to send Equestria into ruin, and it seems to place a lot of emphasis on this unicorn."

"Ruin?" Rarity gulped. While she knew better than to trust whatever reached her ears, hearing it from Twilight's voice turned her pale. Her horn lit a faint, blue aura as she readied the fainting couch. The cold, hard floor was no place for anypony to pass out on; she needed some comfort. However, as she took a few deep breaths, the lightheaded sensation went away. Rarity ceased casting the spell. "I-I'm sorry, but are you sure this rock is telling the truth?"

"There's no evidence suggesting it's fake." Twilight sighed. "Then again, there's no evidence supporting it's telling the truth. All we can do is brace for the worst as best we can."

Rarity wiped her brow and breathed a sigh of relief. Beads of sweat clung onto her foreleg. "So we still have time. It could be a hoax, right?"

"We have plenty of time to get to the bottom of this. I-I think we do." Twilight sulked, her head hung low. "But exactly how long is still a mystery. We have to find out who the unicorn depicted is as well as whoever sent the letter suggesting its existence. I think we'll need those if we're going to have any hope of solving this in time."

Stepping back, Rarity's face tautened. "First you say we have plenty of time, but now it sounds like you're unsure?" She moaned, almost toppling over as the world became darker for a second, though she regained her composure. "But—but what if we're almost out of time? Are there any telltale signs of impending doom?"

"Well, seeing half of Ponyville on fire might suggest something's wrong," Rainbow said, shrugging. "I mean, it should be obvious, right?"

"I-I guess so." An image of Carousel Boutique consumed by an inferno reached the tip of Rarity's mind, the scent of charred fabric and a sulfuric stench touching her nostrils at the thought. Even the flames' crackling reached her. Turning pale and with her pupils shrinking, Rarity blinked, then finding herself in reality once more. "I hope that doesn't happen."

"And you've got the fastest, strongest flier on your side." Rainbow winked; she flapped her wings and hovered an inch above the outside grassland. "You've even got the best friends in the world, so we'll be able to stop this disaster even if it happens!"

"I appreciate your little speech, dear." Rarity blushed. Even the corniest of motivational speeches tickled and warmed her heart. After all, if material goods or a helping hoof proved to be unhelpful, then words of wisdom or support did the trick more often than not in Rarity's eyes. "So then, anything else I should know about?"

"That's pretty much the gist of it," Twilight said. "I wish I could tell you more."

Rarity chuckled. "If your descriptions were anything to go by, dear, I think hearing more would do as much harm as good. I'd have a panic attack for the ages if anything worse came up." She took a deep breath; a few seconds of awkward silence passed by as the four of them assumed blank, static expressions.

"Anythin' else you need, Rarity?" Applejack asked. "I'm willin' to help out if ya need an extra set of hooves."

"I'm fine, everypony." Her cheeks tautened. "A bit nervous about the rock, but I'll get over it."

"Well, we all wish you the best of luck on your trip to Canterlot and Fashion Tour," Twilight said. Ruffling her wings, she then gently waved to Rarity. "Well, we do have to get going. Goodbye, Rarity. And thanks for offering to help out."

"You're welcome." Rarity placed a hoof to her chest. "I promise I'll do anything I can to spread the word." Stretching her foreleg out, she then returned the wave to Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. "Goodbye, darlings!"

"Goodbye, Rarity!" the trio shouted in unison once more.

Once the three mares disappeared in the horizon, Rarity plopped her hoof back on the earth, closing the door shut a second later. A clack rang in her ears; Rarity then pressed her back against the door's wooden frame and treated it like a mattress. The smooth, ice-like texture metamorphosed into a warm, rugged surface.

Warm like a bonfire.

Screeching like an agitated bat, Rarity smacked herself across her cheek. The serene setting of Carousel Boutique reappeared, no smoke in sight.

"I cannot let Ponyville turn to ashes," Rarity murmured. Her breathing quickened. "But if I'm stuck in Canterlot, what will I do next? And it's not like I can abandon Coco Pommel. We need each other for this event." Her cacophonous heartbeats reached her ears; the color in Rarity's cheeks turned pale as if the blood rushed away from them. "And even though Twilight and her friends said I could help while in Canterlot, what if Ponyville needs me?" Rarity pursed her lips. "What do I do? What do I do from here?"

With the tension in her limbs crushing her bones and her head about to float away, Rarity plopped onto the floor, her lips kissing the sparkling tile as the world turned into a pitch black void.

The interior of Carousel Boutique was a hazy blur when Rarity regained consciousness. A splitting pain pulsated on her forehead and the faintest stream of saliva glanced the floor. Groaning, she rubbed her eyes and pushed herself upright, gravity seemingly returning to normal. Rarity knew it was far from the first time she fainted, Rainbow reminding her of the fact whenever she caught her doing so, but each time still embarrassed her. Lily Valley passed out much more often, but said mare shrieked and shook at rabbits or wilting flowers. Those were not the most flattering quirks a pony could have.

"I hope I wasn't out cold for too long," Rarity said. She glanced at the clock to her right, the time reading 2:50. Blinking, her jaw then slowly fell, eyes widened. "I've been unconscious for a little over an hour?"

Just then, a series of knocks reached her ears. They were followed by another series of knocks set to the tune of a familiar, out of tune song she heard during a school play. Rarity twisted her body to face the door; she then forced it open to where a gust of wind blew past her mane.

Before she could gaze at the visitor, a white filly with a cotton candy-like mane jumped toward Rarity, enveloping her in a warm hug. The high-pitched giggles and hugging prowess confirmed it was indeed Sweetie Belle.

"Hiya, Rarity!" Sweetie chimed, her voice squeaky like a mouse's. "How are ya?"

Rarity paused for a few seconds. She glanced at her sister's shining smile and glowing eyes. Rubbing Sweetie's head, Rarity cracked a smile, her mane as soft and fluffy as ever. "I'm—I'm well. I was a tad anxious not too long ago, but I'm getting over it."

"Nervous? I'd be nervous, 'cause aren't you heading to Canterlot for the show soon?"

With frozen limbs, Rarity felt as though the wind was knocked out of her. "The dress!"

Sweetie cocked her head. "You mean you haven't decided which dress to bring with ya? That's not like you, Rarity. I mean, weren't you gonna head out to the train station in ten minutes?"

"I know, dear!"

Leaping up into the air, Rarity then skedaddled upstairs, her legs flailing about as she teetered on the edge of staying upright and toppling over. She tackled the door open with her shoulder and a sickening thud split her eardrums. Rarity grasped onto the nearest dress she could, brought a bag of supplies toward her with her magic, and made her way down the stairs like somepony galloping for her life.

All of this while not even spending a second to see what she brought with her.

"Everything okay, Rarity?" Sweetie asked from afar.

Rarity shook her head. "I'm running late!" she screamed. Upon reaching Sweetie Belle once more, she pecked the filly's forehead with her lips, then exhaled. "One more thing," Rarity said, tone lowered. "Fluttershy agreed to help look after you while I'm gone, and the trip shouldn't take too long. I have my hotel's address written on the counter if you need to mail me anything, and I'll see if I can pick up something special for you while I'm there."

"Thanks, Rarity."

"You're welcome," She then pranced in place; her tail swished about like a skipping rope. "Sorry, but I have to get going now. I can't be late, even fashionably late!"

"Understood!" Sweetie nodded. "See ya, Rarity!"

"Goodbye, Sweetie Belle!"

Not bothering to close the front door, Rarity then galloped across the dew-covered grass. She weaved around a variety of ponies trotting about. Most of them were in groups gossiping about less public matters or even the slab, though a select few were on their own with tote bags or hefting up something their size.

Rarity glanced up at the sky, the sun's location moving about like a nagging clock. She noticed three pegasi descending into Ponyville. Something about their forms appeared familiar, two of them causing her to blush and sheepishly smile. If it was the Wonderbolts, a late apology would be in order. The first time she directly encountered them was a memory she'd rather forget.

However, apologizing and explaining her behavior in the Best Young Fliers Competition would take too long. Rarity sped her legs up, dust kicking up behind her.

Taking a sharp left, Rarity spotted a wooden structure towering above the nearby abodes with a train parked behind it. Her eyes glowed like stars, Rarity dodging the ponies trotting toward her, yet one of them happened to be a familiar, pale-yellow pegasus. Her flowing, pink mane showed her as being none other than Fluttershy; she was the last pony Rarity would ever think of risking being rude toward.

"Rarity," Fluttershy said. She glided toward her with a concerned expression. "Did—did you hear what Twilight found?"

"Yes!" Rarity screamed at the top of her burning lungs. She slid across the dirt, panting and forcing her legs to remain static. "I'm so sorry, but I have no time to chat! I must be on my way!" She glanced over to the train station. The large clock's minute hand crawled toward the departure time. "You can understand, right?"

Fluttershy nodded. "I do." She scuttled away from Rarity, cheeks flushed. "I'm so sorry if I'm slowing you down. I don't want to be a burden."

"No need to apologize, but I must be going."

Fluttershy paused. Twirling her hoof around her mane, she bobbed her head once more. "Okay. I have to tell some of my friends about what's going on. You take care, Rarity."

"Same to you, Fluttershy."

Kicking her forelegs up, Rarity sprinted toward the train station, a white cloud of smoke bellowing from the train and a high-pitched whistle polluting the air. Rarity eyed the clock on the station's exterior; the minute had rested mere inches away from the departure time. She'd loathe having to explain to everypony why she arrived later than planned. Coco would understand, even if she wore a somber expression while waiting for her, but others would scowl and scold her.

And getting scolded from a fellow fashionista was a fate Rarity wished on nopony.

With a graceful dive toward the ticket counter, Rarity pulled out a small sack of bits with her magic in the blink of an eye. She locked gazes with the attendant, then shouted, "One ticket to Canterlot, please!"

"The train leaves in less than a minute," he replied. "Do ya wanna get the later—"

"No thanks!"

Shrugging, the attendant traded a small stub for the ten bits in the sack, Rarity swiping the ticket and charging at the nearest open door. She stumbled about, almost tipping over and landing flat on her face, but she soon planted all four hooves onto the train cart's familiar, fuzzy carpet.

Rarity took a deep breath, collapsing onto an empty, plush seat and dropping her supplies next to her. Huffing and puffing, she watched the cart's doors close by themselves as if by magic, a click indicating they were locked. She cracked a slight smile and let her body sink into the green cushions.

"Thank Celestia I made it!" she yelled, almost out of breath. Sensing the tension in her limbs dissipating at last, Rarity propped herself upright. Then, a sudden jolt pushed her forward a second later. She glanced out the window; the train chugged away from the station's wooden frame inch by inch. All of it was soon replaced by a blurred view of Ponyville's cottages which vanished from her sight seconds later.

"Well, at least something positive happened today." Rarity pressed her weight on the wall. "The thing is, how am I going to spread the news while in Canterlot?" Coco would believe her, even if she needed a few pieces of evidence, but getting the others at the Fashion Tour to do anything other than bat an eye at her would be an uphill battle. If only more fashionistas were like her and Coco. "And what about the library? What am I going to do there? I'll be lost on what to do without Twilight."

Rarity pursed her lips. Lowering her head, she studied the supplies with her. Everything from the necessary paperwork to stylish trinkets she could wear while out and about were accounted for, though the green fabric atop the bags sent a chill down her spine.

"I-I wanted the blue one." Rarity sighed; she rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess I'll have to make do with this one. At least Fashion Tour will go well, win or lose. I wish the same could be said about letting everypony know about the mysterious stone."

But unbeknownst to her, Fashion Tour would have something else up its sleeve.

Spitfire: The Search

Being a Wonderbolt had its perks. The prestigious title also came with unwanted baggage. To Spitfire, the joyous sections involved routine flying sessions; the cool breeze against her mane and the dazzling, sparkling sights all around her just a sampling of the many highlights training and shows involved. The more dangerous missions involving stopping a ne'er-do-well or a mischievous monster varied on how tolerable they were. The tasks they were prepared for got her blood pumping; being thrown in the middle of the action or getting a vague order from the Royal Guard, however, turned her pale.

Not even the most brutal of assignments could compare to the tedium of sitting in a cold, bright room. Light bounced off of the crystalline walls and all about the room, creating a dazzling array of colors and patterns. Its luster faded with each passing second, however. The thrones emblazoned with cutie marks felt akin to rubbing her back against a glacier. And the library off to the side kept teasing her with its mere presence. Perusing through all those trinkets of knowledge would be better than meandering through a checklist with Princess Twilight Sparkle. The alicorn princess had a charming aura and was somepony she would love to know better, but bland business wasn't exactly opportune for forging friendships.

"If I'm getting this right, you're hoping to send a word to the Royal Guard in about improving their training regimen," Twilight said. She fiddled with the sheets of paper in her hooves and then made eye contact with Spitfire. A quill dipped in ink and surrounded by a violet aura floated past her. "And with this more intense training, the experienced guards will be stationed in Ponyville and more prepared if anything goes wrong, right?"

Spitfire nodded. "That's correct," she replied. "I'll confess, I could do a better job myself."

"Well, your record seems to indicate the Wonderbolts have been doing quite well." Cracking a soft smile, Twilight then placed the papers on the table before her. "Look, don't take the newspapers' words too seriously. Trust me." She rolled her eyes; a groan left her mouth. "They love to spout hyperbole."

"I'm not too worried about that. I just see a lot of room for improvement." Spitfire straightened her seating posture. "Now then, as I was saying, these plans I've devised are based on what the griffons do for their training, and I've made a few modifications to better accommodate ponies. For example, the exercises in the midst of climates more extreme than the norm will take place, but the types of exercises performed are ones ponies are used to." Spitfire caught her breath. "Given that the griffons are known to be seasoned fighters, partly due to how they practice in these tough conditions, I feel as though we'll be able to help make Ponyville and all of Equestria safer."

"You make a strong argument." Twilight rubbed her muzzle, eyes closed. "Still, that does leave the question of how some of the guards will handle it." Opening her eyes, lips pursed, Twilight gazed back at the papers. "I know the Wonderbolts will get used to it due to how you train them, but I'm concerned if this tougher routine will drive some guards away. My brother does a different regimen than you do, after all."

"Tough love is sometimes needed, Princess Twilight. I know your brother should be able to handle what comes his way." She pressed her hooves together, teeth clenched and cheeks tautened. "While we're not on the best of terms, he's still somepony I can trust."

Spitfire knew her trust of him wasn't exactly high. Despite this, she always considered Shining Armor to be a kind, likable stallion. His playful nature with both Cadance and Twilight along with his nauseating attempts at puns hinted at this. But ever since she became entangled in a few of his less successful plans, she only grew more critical of him. Spitfire only hoped any future meetings with him would be minor in the grand scheme of things.

Twilight's eyes widened; a worried expression adorned her face. "Well, while he's a moderately wise stallion and has proven to be quite tough, he does make boneheaded mistakes at times. The changeling mess at his wedding is an example. I'd talk with him regarding the plan, just so that there's nothing lost in translation. He's still a great captain and all, but he's just—classic Shining Armor." A deep breath escaped her lips. "I worry about him at times."

"I understand."

Twilight nodded, the breeze echoing from outside all anypony's ears caught for at least a few seconds. Just then, she exhaled once more, wings opened up. "Anyway, I'll let Princesses Celestia and Luna know about your plan. I've annotated the notes you've given me, so they'll be all caught up in no time."

"Sounds like a plan." Spitfire pushed herself off the chair. She wiggled her legs about, pacing around the circular table for a brief moment until her muscles woke up. "Anyway, Soarin and Fleetfoot are waiting for me outside. They wanted to do some other activities while I was busy, so I let them tour Ponyville." Snickering, Spitfire's lips then curled into a warm smile. "Though I am making them help clean up the Wonderbolts Academy in return."

"Yeah." Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. "I can understand why they'd feel that way. Some of my close friends have tried to get out of meetings before. Hopefully, we can have a more exciting conversation."

"Definitely. Well, it was nice talking to you." Spitfire bowed; she then stood upright once more and faced the towering, golden front door. "See ya."

"One more thing!"

Spitfire froze in place; she then swiveled her head toward Twilight, the latter's hoof raised. Blinking, Spitfire wondered if this would be an innocent request or setting up another meeting on the subject, the former much more preferable. However, the glint in the princess' eyes and her slightly shrunken pupils suggested another story, one Spitfire knew where it was heading.

There was trouble ahoof.

"Could you do me a favor?"

Nodding, Spitfire arched an eyebrow; a bemused formed across her visage. "What's the problem?"

"You know about the tablet just found in Ponyville, right?"

"I do. Thunderlane told me about it when we trotted past each other." Spitfire paused for a moment, lips pursed. "It doesn't sound good."

"Precisely, but could you spread the news if possible? It'd be helpful in solving the mystery."

"I'll try my best." Stretching her wings out, Spitfire retracted them seconds later. "While I'm not as quick as Rainbow Dash, I do know my way around town." It was a claim she could easily testify to if needed, one of her friends even claiming she had a map of Equestria tucked deep within her brain's crevices. "If somepony is still unsure of what the commotion is, I'll let them know what I heard." She shuddered as though a snowstorm swirled past. "I—I'm not forgetting it any time soon."

"Thanks, Spitfire."

"You're welcome. Anything else?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'm good."

"Understood, but let me know if you need any help. It'd be an honor to lend a helping hoof." Spitfire turned back to face the dimly lit hallway and door, trotting across the cold floor as clicks and clacks polluted the air. "Goodbye, Princess Twilight."

"Goodbye, Spitfire!" Twilight waved her hoof, Spitfire looking back and responding in kind. "Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

"Understood!"

Spitfire placed her hoof on the door's smooth, golden surface; a chill coursed down her spine. Gazing up at the stylized etchings decorating the door, Spitfire couldn't help herself from gliding upward. Pre-Equestrian floral designs seemed to be the case, at least based on the thickness of the lines and how the plants were arranged and stylized.

However, as she continued ascending and studying the door, a cacophonous roar pierced her ears. Spitfire planted both hooves on the ground; the earth shook as the doors creaked open. Extra sunlight seeped through the growing slit between the two doors, Spitfire shielding her eyes until the shaking ceased at last. Blinking, she noticed the somewhat blurred forms of cottages and gawking ponies residing in the distance.

"Well, I think Princess Twilight should go get that fixed," Spitfire whispered. A chuckle left her lips. "Maybe I'll tell her when I see her next time."

Spitfire stepped outside, the dew-covered grass cooling her worn hooves. A slight smirk adorned her face; something about being able to see Ponyville without the populace flailing, shrieking, and running amok. Instead, everypony meandered about with shopping bags in tow and conversed with friends or passersby, foals out and about as they laughed all across the fields. Other than the rose-maned pony gazing at her pink friend, the latter resting on her back with shrunken pupils, everything had a calm aura to it.

It was a state Spitfire yearned would be the case more often. Seeing a letter from the princesses, Shining Armor, or somepony else asking for help every other day tensed her muscles at the thought. Anything that was unlike the Tirek incident was considered a positive letter, but the possibility of something like it always reared its head.

"Hey, Spitfire!" a familiar voice called out. Spitfire twisted her head toward the voice's source, two light blue pegasi smoothly striding toward her, both of them wearing relaxed visages. "Ya came out at the right time. Fleetfoot and I were gonna go wait for ya."

Spitfire released a chuckle. "I guess so, Soarin," she replied. "So then, how was Ponyville?"

"It was okay, I guess," Fleetfoot murmured. She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you didn't miss much. The places to visit were okay at best, but most of what caught my eye was under construction. It's supposed to be because the town's growing in size, but whatever. At least Sugarcube Corner was cool." She cleared her throat. "Also, some of the ponies in this town are crazy." A groan escaped her mouth. "Half of the ponies were going on about this rock, a quarter of them made me look like a gentle angel, and the other quarter were too busy or occupied to talk with."

"Well, Ponyville is quite the diverse town, huh?"

"No kidding," Soarin added. "Though I wish there was something I could've bought. A souvenir, ya know?"

"You bought a pie." Fleetfoot nudged her teammate; a smirk formed across her visage. "Ya got something."

"But I always buy at least one pie per week."

"At least it was something," Spitfire added. She arched an eyebrow; her head cocked to the left. "Other than that, there was nothing to do?"

"Unless they have another festival—one where they don't shoot fireworks at you—the answer is that there was nothing to do." Fleetfoot shuddered, cheeks burning a hot pink. "I'd rather forget about that day—please."

"Well, at least you weren't too banged up that day," Soarin said. "Even if it was awkward for everypony."

Shrugging, Fleetfoot then nodded. "I guess so."

"Now then, I do have a few things to say about that stone," Spitfire said. She assumed a stark glare; her eyebrows ruffled. "Princess Twilight is worrying about what the tablet is proposing, and it's not hard to see why."

"The awful things drawn on it, right?"

"Yes. See, because Ponyville is a diverse town, then it stands to reason that somepony must know something about the tablet." She lifted her hoof up, almost as if she knew her teammates would make a remark. "I know that they won't have all the answers we need, but any leads or information we can get may prove valuable."

"Then why didn't Princess Twilight just do that in the first place?" Fleetfoot swiveled her head about. She then brought her attention back to Spitfire. "I mean, there's a lot of ponies trotting right now, and there are plenty more in those cottages. You'd think she'd have talked to somepony who knows a lot about archaeology, right?"

"You do make a fair point, Fleetfoot." Spitfire peeked behind where Fleetfoot stood, the conglomeration of ponies only growing by the second. "Then again, it's somewhat understandable given my experiences with Ponyville."

Spitfire sighed. Of the three other times she visited Ponyville, two of them involved the town screaming in unison and bumping into each other. Spitfire was accidentally knocked out in one instance, her cheeks turning pale upon recalling the hazy memory. At least the other instance was a rousing success in calming the populace. The third meeting featured empty roads and a world where she could hear her heartbeats. It was supposedly something about an enigmatic shaman which turned into the misunderstanding of the millennium, Spitfire rolling her eyes as she remembered it.

And those were just her experiences.

"Even if some of them are a bit empty-headed, somepony has to know something, right?" Soarin questioned, rubbing the top of his head.

"But who?" Spitfire whispered to herself. She rubbed her muzzle. "Asking the whole town will take too long, and it's not as though we can waste time with a random sample. And doing one might cause us to miss the pony we need." Her hoof tapped the ground; Spitfire ruffled her wings. "Think, Spitfire. There has to be a—"

Without warning, her eyes widened and glowed brighter than the sun. "Wait a second."

Soarin tilted his head. "Did ya think of something?"

Spitfire nodded, grinning. "As a matter of fact, I have. Remember how everypony in town was spreading the news?"

The pair of pegasi bobbed their heads in unison.

"Here's the plan." Spitfire caught her breath. "We go around with some sort of sign letting everypony know we're looking for facts about the stone. We'll patrol the area for an hour. Once that time has passed, we'll meet up by the fountain to our right." Spitfire extended her foreleg; her hoof pointed toward the marble sculpture of what appeared to be a unicorn spewing water from its hooves, its pose much like a ballerina's. "That's the fountain we'll congregate at once we're done."

"Yes, ma'am," Soarin and Fleetfoot said in unison.

"Alright, we'll take some time getting everything ready, and then we'll initiate the plan." With a smirk on her visage, Spitfire nodded. "Let's do a wonderful job, team."

Spitfire roamed the open streets of Ponyville, her eyes darting about and surveying the cottages sprawled across the grassland. While most homes had a garden or some decorations wrapped around it to add some flair, Spitfire noticed a few of them appeared twice or thrice, always in the same order. And despite asking those possibly knowledgeable about the subject with politeness and clarity, all she received were shrugs, shaking heads, or blunt answers. None of them yielded any results. Other ponies out and about were either too busy or going around asking their own questions, a pink, meandering unicorn being among those catching Spitfire's attention.

The sun approaching the horizon with each passing second taunted her. What were once bright blue skies turned to a radiant orange.

"Somepony has to know even the smallest detail," Spitfire muttered; her head hung low. Her hooves ached, wings opened up and inches away from dragging along the ground. "Just because the stone is thousands of years old doesn't mean a historian or archaeologist wouldn't have a clue about some of its origins."

Spotting an empty bench, Spitfire released a sigh, throwing her weight onto the oak frame. The curved, wooden beams prodded her back, though it was akin to a rough massage if anything. "I know somepony has to have something to share about the tablet. Anything would be appreciated at this point." She gritted her teeth; her brow ruffled. "I better not be wasting my time." Spitfire groaned, then raised her head.

"Excuse me," a soft voice said. "Is there something wrong?"

Approaching Spitfire was the pink unicorn from before, a straight expression adorning her face. The stuffed bag she wore captured Spitfire's attention, the brown leather seconds away from bursting. Why this mare checked up on her from nowhere, however, eluded her. Most ponies tended to avoid such issues. Spitfire then assumed eye contact with the mare; she slowly nodded.

"Yeah, things could be better," Spitfire confessed in a deep tone. Her shoulders drooped a tad. "My friends and I have been scouting for information, and nothing has turned up."

"What is it?" the mare asked, eyes widened. She leaned toward Spitfire. "I might know something."

"We've been trying to get information about the tablet." Spitfire paused; she then adjusted her seating position. "You know, the one discovered in Golden Oaks Library."

"I've been trying to do the same thing." The mare sat next to Spitfire; she wrapped a foreleg around her. "The name's Amethyst Star. I'm a professional organizer, researcher, and archaeologist."

"That's quite the resume." Spitfire cracked a smile. "I wish I had a wide array of talents like you."

Amethyst gently waved her hoof; a chuckle escaped her mouth. "Trust me, I didn't get them through dumb luck." Her pupils dilated. "And let me tell you, there's a lot I'm still learning." She blinked, eyes somewhat strained. "I've come close to tearing my mane out."

"Yeah, studying and research can be complex at times." Spitfire pressed her hooves together. "It's fun—for me at least, but I can understand how frustrating it'd be."

"I thought I'd grind my teeth to dust one day." Clearing her throat, Amethyst shimmied an inch to the right, giving the pair more breathing room. "So, what's your name?"

"Spitfire."

"Captain of the Wonderbolts, right? I mean, the full-body uniform is a giveaway that you're a Wonderbolt."

With sealed lips, Spitfire nodded.

"Sounds exciting. I don't follow such things often, so forgive me for my ignorance in not recognizing you."

"It's okay, Amethyst."

Amethyst wiped her forehead; she breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad I didn't offend you." A second of silence flew past. "You're not offended, right?"

"Not at all."

"Good. Anyway, as I was getting to, I actually know a bit about the tablet."

A flame lit within Spitfire's pupils; a quick gasp leaving her. "You do?" She leaned closer to Amethyst. "Can you tell me, please?"

"It's—it's not much. Does that bother you?"

Spitfire quickly shook her head. "Not at all!"

"Okay then." Amethyst exhaled. "See, the stone tablet appears to originate from pre-Equestria Canterlot. Why? The etchings—the little pictures and diagrams to be more precise—are drawn in a style similar to known etchings and sketches of that location and time period."

"Then how come few ponies knew about that?" Spitfire arched an eyebrow. "Sure, it's not a fact most ponies would know about, but I'm still unsure as to how so few ponies know that."

Amethyst chuckled; she rubbed the back of her neck and sheepishly smiled. "To be fair, archaeology, especially the small parts like that, bore lots of ponies."

"It's rather interesting to me." Then again, most texts which landed in her hooves attracted Spitfire's attention, even if the topic mostly earned cursory glances or groans. "At least in my opinion."

"I guess that makes you unique."

Spitfire shrugged, a slight smile returning to her. "Yeah, I guess so." She snickered for a second. Such phrases reaching her ears became common enough to where anypony would lose count. "Soarin and Surprise let me know about that quite a bit, and Misty Fly likes to remind me how proud she is of me."

"Yeah, that's Misty Fly for you." Amethyst twiddled with her mane, lips pursed. "Anyway, back to the main topic." She sighed. "I don't know much else about the slab. Sorry."

"No need to apologize. It's a start, and it's all I needed."

Placing her hooves on her lap, Amethyst's grin widened; her glowing teeth looked like white mirrors. "I'm so glad to have helped, Spitfire."

Spitfire pushed herself upright. Studying her surroundings, she noticed a larger concentration of ponies filling the roads, a storm of voices polluting the air. At least those outside trotted and kept to themselves; not one of them flailed about or pierced eardrums with a cacophonous shriek. While the wide-eyed, bemused expressions tickled Spitfire's chest, everything else seemed normal.

"Looks like Ponyville woke up late," Amethyst commented. Rubbing the top of her head, she then raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what they're talking about. Maybe something weird or crazy happened again."

"I just hope nopony is hurt," Spitfire added. She turned back to Amethyst. "Say, do you want to tag along? I think we could learn a lot from somepony with your expertise."

Amethyst sprung up. "I'd love it! Please tell me I'll get to meet Misty Fly again!"

Spitfire bobbed her head.

Squealing with delight, Amethyst clapped her hooves. "Awesome!"

Motioning toward Amethyst, Spitfire then extended her hoof to the right. "We're going to be meeting up with Soarin and Fleetfoot at the fountain. Let's get going."

Amethyst performed a quick salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

With her destination set, Spitfire trotted across the grass with slow steps, Amethyst following close by. With every few inches of progress, the cluster of ponies around them grew in size, Spitfire soon finding herself brushing shoulders with passersby on occasion. Some ponies hollered about the stone's discovery, though all they spouted included the same basic details she knew from the start.

And it wasn't as though she'd be able to hear them, all of the voices soon indistinguishable among the sea of chatter.

"Did something happen without us noticing?" Amethyst asked, pitch heightened. She squeezed through a small gap, two plump ponies flanking each side. "W-what's all the commotion about?"

Spitfire shrugged; she arched an eyebrow. "Maybe everypony is spreading the news at the same time," she replied. "Knowing this town, your guess is as good as mine."

As the pair trudged through the miasma, the crowd dispersed, Spitfire softly smirking with the extra breathing space. Perhaps a town meeting was in order; the enigmatic slab and its depictions a good reason to quell fears or get everypony up to date. Spitfire ruffled her wings. She gazed at the sky above and then back to Amethyst. Abandoning her partner just for some room would only cause trouble.

"Sorry about the crowd," a raspy voice said. "That may have been partly my fault."

Spitfire swiveled her head toward the voice's source; her eyes widened. A cloaked unicorn, the hood down to reveal her pinkish face and glowing eyes, shuffled her hooves toward Spitfire. The brown cloth she wore was tattered and covered in grime. Either this mare had a horrible sense of fashion, or she was expecting a catastrophic rainstorm. Spitfire wished for the former.

"Who are you?" Spitfire asked, head cocked. She sniffled, a pungent aroma akin to ashes and sulfur reaching her nostrils. "And what's with the cloak? If you're trying to blend in, you're not doing a good job at it."

"Yeah, why are you looking all mysterious?" Amethyst added. "No offense."

The mare laughed, white smoke bellowing from her nostrils. "It's because this world, this surprisingly saccharine world, is not ready."

"Ready for what?" Spitfire shuddered. Harsh twinges coursed through her veins, almost as if she were set aflame and left to rot. "W-who are you? What's your name?"

"You'll discover it soon enough." The unicorn sighed; her brow ruffled as she scowled. "You're not the only persistent pony to ask me this today. Another pony wanted to know. A blue, nomadic wizard trying to find her place in the world wanted to know; she received the same answer."

"And why does looking at you make me feel—nauseous?" Amethyst questioned. She placed a hoof to her chest, cringing. "You're not ugly or anything." The mysterious mare cocked her head, pupils locked onto Amethyst; the latter quivering. "I-I mean, you look just fine. It's just that I have this strange feeling. That's all."

"It's a winding story, one which spans across dimensions, time, and a wide array of circumstances. I'll explain that soon enough." The mare shuffled an inch away from Spitfire. "Feel free to mention my presence—and my strange ways. I won't care. All I can say is that interesting times are ahead."

Spitfire blinked, the figure vanishing from her sight. She rubbed her eyes, but no matter how long she scanned the environment surrounding her, the brown cloak refused to show up. Even the sensations and the repulsive scents disappeared, replaced with calmed muscles and the flowery aroma she was used to.

"Spitfire, you saw her as well, right?" Amethyst quickly asked, cheeks pale. "Tell me I'm not crazy." She took a deep breath.

"You're not crazy," Spitfire answered. "I saw her, too."

Shivering as though a blizzard swirled past, Amethyst's teeth chattered like maracas. "I-is she a g-ghost?"

"I'm certain she's not a ghost." Spitfire pursed her lips; her breathing sped up. "She had the shape of a pony, that much I know. Still, I wish I could've learned more about her."

"You did what you could, Spitfire. Don't be so hard on yourself, please."

Spitfire perked up. Her cheeks strained a tad as she forced a smile. "I'll try. I'm just a bit disappointed we couldn't find out more before she fled. I—I guess it's not our fault."

"Yeah, it's kind of disappointing."

"Spitfire!" Soarin shouted from afar. "Over here!"

Both Spitfire and Amethyst shifted their gazes to the right. Soarin and Fleetfoot sat by the marble fountain; forced smiles decorated their faces.

"We couldn't find a thing!" Fleetfoot moaned. "How about you?"

Spitfire made her way over to where her teammates sat, Amethyst still following close behind. "I found out a little, but Amethyst Star here knows about archaeology."

"Pleased to meet you," Amethyst said. She firmly shook hooves with both Soarin and Fleetfoot. "Anyway, I'll get you caught up on what we've found, but first, have you seen a strange, pink pony trotting around here? And no, it's not Pinkie Pie."

"I haven't," Fleetfoot said. Yawning, she then rubbed her eyes. "Do you think she might be connected to the tablet? Or is she just some weirdo?"

"I think she is," Spitfire answered. "Her demeanor is rather suspect. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but she might be somepony to keep an eye on."

"Shall we inform Princess Twilight?" Soarin asked.

"Well, the figure did expect us to, but we probably should just to be safe. Who knows what she's up to?" With a quick nod, Spitfire then gazed over to a distant mountain, a castle's silhouette precariously hanging off the side. "When that's taken care of, we'll be heading over to Canterlot. Amethyst Star is confident we may discover something there, and I have the strangest hunch we will."

Spitfire could only hope the answers lessened the tension in the air. However, she knew such a discovery wouldn't be the case. Those almost never happened when dealing with strange phenomena in Equestria.

Bon Bon: Early Morning Investigations

Early mornings always prodded Bon Bon's coat. From crawling out of bed early to seeing the normally bustling Ponyville look like a ghost town, mornings were almost always a tiring and sometimes surreal experience.

Bon Bon rubbed her eyes, muscles still a bit stiff. It wasn't as though she wanted to be awake early in the morning, but it was the time assigned to her.

As she watched the sun looming above the horizon, the sky turning into a clash of blue and orange, all Bon Bon mustered was a yawn. The brightest stars were still visible, scattered across the sky. The chirping birds soothed her ears with their melodies. Numerous ponies were out and about at this time; they performed morning errands or were meeting up with friends. And much to her delight, there was a lack of chatter polluting the air. Some voices did reach her, but they were all tolerable for the most part.

Bon Bon stretched her forelegs; snaps reached her ears and she felt a comforting looseness. A mild scent of roses brushed across her nostrils.

Opening up her saddlebag, she quickly procured a crumpled note. It arrived with plenty of creases; keeping it smooth and neat wasn't important. The messy writing irritated her eyes a little and looked more like random scribbles, but as she squinted at the letter, the words slowly became comprehensible.

Bonnie,

Meet me by the fountain at eight in the morning. I heard about what happened yesterday, and I think I found something cool that might help. A friend told me this, and while she's kinda odd, I think I can trust her. Even if it doesn't help, it's probably worth a look. Maybe you could investigate that as well.

Your best friend,

Lyra Heartstrings

Bon Bon rolled her eyes. Nicknames always struck her nerves and Lyra knew this. However, if Lyra proved to be especially tricky with her pranks and poking, she'd get something particularly pungent for dinner. Lyra was always the unwitting subject in those cases, and watching her dive toward her glass of water after ingesting some fiery wasabi earned chuckles from anypony watching her.

Maybe she'd order some this evening. Bon Bon donned a mischievous grin for a moment; it was replaced with a blank visage seconds later.

"Where is she?" Bon Bon murmured. She tapped her hoof. "She's supposed to be right here."

The locale was correct; Bon Bon had no doubt about that. To her right was the special bench they sat on and further ahead was none other than the fountain, a popular meeting point for ponies. A few ponies of all shapes and sizes gawked at the sculpture adorning the fountain. It was one of the few constants within Ponyville.

Something soft then gently poked Bon Bon's shoulder.

"Heya!" a familiar voice greeted.

Bon Bon turned to her right. Standing next to her was a mint unicorn; a radiant grin decorated much of her visage.

"Hey, Lyra," Bon Bon said, smirking. "What's up?"

"Not much," Lyra replied. "Just did some trotting around and stuff." In a flash, she pulled out a book from her saddlebag, thrusting it toward Bon Bon until it was an inch away from crashing into her muzzle. "But I also found this awesome looking book!"

Bon Bon pushed the book away. Her hoof glanced a thin layer of dust. "Careful with that thing."

"Sorry." Blushing, a giggle left Lyra's lips. "I kinda got carried away."

Bon Bon made eye contact with Lyra; she smiled. "It's okay." She paused for a second. "Anyway, will it help solve the mystery of the tablet I told you about?"

"You bet!" Lyra brought the leather-bound book closer to her chest. "It looked and felt so mysterious and stuff."

Glancing down at the book's cover, Bon Bon read the words The Myths of E: The Crystal Empire's Last inscribed on it in faded gold letters, some of the words too damaged to make out. What seemed to be the outline of another letter next to the 'E' was also on the cover, though it wasn't enough to decipher the word.

Two letters wouldn't help her either way.

However, the book missed what she needed to know. The Crystal Empire and what was inscribed on the tablet weren't meshing together.

With an arched eyebrow, Bon Bon brought her gaze back to Lyra. "Excuse me?"

Lyra shrugged. "Um, what?"

"How is this supposed to help? It totally looks useful."

"It's mysterious and stuff." Another shrug was Lyra's next response. "I bet there's something totally related to what the tablet said."

Sighing, Bon Bon planted a hoof to her face. "Lyra, did you just assume it'd help just because it looked old?"

"Maybe." Lyra's eyes shifted about. A sheepish grin ran across her face. "Okay, I got it because the book was old. But ya gotta admit, something mysterious about the Crystal Empire does sound interesting. Maybe it has something to do with the slab after all."

"Nothing I said about the slab has anything to do with this E." Bon Bon trotted over to the bench and sat down. The smooth, wooden beams cushioned her back, though her muzzle was scrunched nonetheless. Physical comfort wasn't going to help her get anywhere. A elongated sigh left Bon Bon's mouth, a hoof pressing against her cheek. "Besides, what if E never even existed?"

"Maybe this book will answer that question." Making her way over to the bench, Lyra sat down next to Bon Bon. Then she flipped the book open to the first page. "Let's see what we have here."

A full two minutes passed by; neither Bon Bon nor Lyra uttered another word during this time. If by some miracle Lyra found something relevant to the tablet, Bon Bon figured she'd be allowed to call her Bonnie for at least a week. The odds of finding anything in such a book were slim to none.

As she thought more about it, the question of how Lyra even got the book crossed Bon Bon's mind. There was a grayness clinging to the cover. Some of it was dust, but most of it had a darker color and grainier texture to it. A burnt aroma even tickled her nostrils. Bon Bon's muzzle twitched as she came close to sneezing.

"So she's a unicorn," Lyra said. "And she held a position in government. Interesting."

"What was her name?"

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "You're not gonna believe me, but it doesn't say her name."

"You're serious?" Bon Bon tilted her head; a confused expression was painted on her face. "How could it not say her name?"

"The book just isn't mentioning it for some reason. But it does say she highly enjoyed her position and partied at times."

"Maybe she had an ego to attend to," Bon Bon teased. Wearing a smirk, she nudged Lyra's shoulder. "So was she the master of parties before Pinkie Pie?"

"It says she ruled the Crystal Empire for a brief period." Lyra cocked her head. "I guess that explains the title, but it's still odd."

"How so? That shadowy stallion—Sombra was his name if I recall—didn't rule it forever."

"It's just that when it comes to the Crystal Empire, most of its history before he showed up is well-documented. I can't recall anypony with a name starting with 'E' that governed all or part of it."

Bon Bon nodded. Most ponies learned of the Crystal Empire's history during their time in school, mainly the recorded history before Sombra's seemingly endless reign over the region. There was Queen Stalactite, Princess Sapphire, Prince Regalia, and others, but nopony notable who ruled the area had a name fitting the book's cover. And it wasn't as though somepony was missing. Such a history did stick with ponies who learned about it. Its lost documents and how the last three years of its recorded history before Sombra came to power had completely vanished, a topic that puzzled many ponies.

However, it was probably just another mystery to look at later.

"While the lost parts are interesting, I don't think it'll help us one bit," Bon Bon bluntly said. "It doesn't even give the mare's name. You can keep it if you want, but we'll have to look elsewhere for clues."

Lyra nodded. "Okay."

"By the way, where—" Bon Bon twisted her head to face Lyra "—where did you find that book?"

"I found it in one of the makeshift libraries after Golden Oaks got destroyed. Maybe it was damaged in the fight that day."

"Fair enough." How the book survived that skirmish wasn't entirely logical, but it didn't gnaw on Bon Bon's head enough for her to care. "I'm surprised it managed to stay mostly intact if that's the case."

"So then, where should we start?" Bouncing into the air like a spring, Lyra landed on all four hooves and then trotted a few hoofsteps away from the bench. "Wandering around isn't gonna help."

"Agreed." Aches returned to Bon Bon's hooves in a flash. Her throat was slightly sore as well; memories of shouting the tablet's discovery to everypony trotting past her reached the tip of her mind. "The less wandering about, the better. Because I definitely didn't have enough of that."

As for Lyra's question, all Bon Bon drew were blanks. In her view, climbing the tallest mountain in Equestria would've been easier than knowing where to begin the investigation. And while some of Bon Bon's friends were well-read given the days they sometimes spent reading books together, it wasn't as though any of them studied archaeology. One was a cellist and the other was all the way over in Manehattan as a fashion designer. The process of understanding old artifacts was the least of their worries.

There was always Princess Twilight, but despite her vast knowledge, Bon Bon knew she was likely in the same boat.

"Did ya think of something?" Lyra asked.

Bon Bon shook her head. "Not yet. I'm kind of at a loss as well. Maybe—"

"Bon Bon!" a voice shouted from afar. "Is that you? I need help! Please!"

"It is," Bon Bon bluntly replied, recognizing the voice. "What's the matter this time?"

Glancing to her right, Bon Bon spotted a pale yellow mare trudging toward her, the mare panting with her tongue out. Beads of sweat poured down her coat like raindrops from a storm. The mare's legs wiggled about as she struggled to stay upright. Her bright, raspberry colored mane was a familiar sight, as was the rosy aroma surrounding her. It tickled Bon Bon's nostrils, though the scent was surprisingly comforting and natural.

It was indeed Roseluck. If her pale cheeks and shrunken pupils were anything to go by, she probably saw another bunny skipping across her garden or received a colossal order for bouquets. While she wasn't as melodramatic about things as Lily Valley was, fretting over small things was what everypony knew her for. Bon Bon wished she could slap some sense into Roseluck and her gardening friends.

"It's something so horrible!" Roseluck shrieked. "It's so frightening! Lily passed out at the sight of it!"

Rolling her eyes, Bon Bon softly sighed. "Well, it isn't going to be solved until we know what happened."

"Can ya explain it, please?" Lyra asked.

Roseluck nodded; she then pushed herself upright. "I'm getting there." Taking a deep breath, she shook her forelegs for a moment and stood as tall as she could. "See, I was taking a walk with my friends by Sweet Apple Acres."

"Sweet Apple Acres?" Lyra leaned closer, eyes widened. "I love that place! They have the best apple cider, you know."

With a sagging brow, Bon Bon poked Lyra.

"What?"

"Now's not the time to gush about cider, Lyra," she whispered. Sighing, she brought her attention back to Roseluck. "So what happened next, Roseluck?"

"It wasn't what happened, but—" Roseluck cringed "—but it was what I saw."

"What did you see?"

"Vampire fruit bats!" Roseluck shrieked. Both Bon Bon and Lyra took a step away from her. In a quieter voice, Roseluck repeated, "Vampire fruit bats."

"Vampire fruit bats?"

Everypony who knew a little about vampire fruit bats noticed they arrived in Ponyville during the summer months. However, the trees' leaves were brown and orange. If anything, the bats would've abandoned Sweet Apple Acres and moved back to their homes in the Everfree Forest, plucking fruits indigenous to that region before huddling up in caves for the winter. Recalling what she once learned about them in her environmental studies for the agency, Bon Bon noted how they'd only leave their natural habitats if disturbed by something like a hydra.

All the information did for her was that it posed new questions about how vampire fruit bats found their way back to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Their eyes were huge and their teeth were so sharp!" Roseluck continued, almost out of breath. "They blotted out the sun! I saw them gobbling up an apple and panicked! Lily was unconscious for a few minutes and I had to carry her to safety!"

"Okay, I see where you're going with this." A bemused expression was painted across Bon Bon's face; she rubbed the top of her head. "But why did you come to see me? Don't you want somepony more qualified for the job? You know, like Fluttershy?"

"But you're the best when it comes to stopping monsters, right?"

"Wait a second." Bon Bon's muscles all froze in unison, cheeks cold. "Did you—did you just say what I think you said?"

If Bon Bon took one thing away from the Equestrian Monster-Hunting Agency, it was how everypony yearned to keep it a secret. Nowadays, it was the worst kept secret to where even Bon Bon shared a few basic details with her closest friends. How one could even keep such activities hidden didn't make sense to her. But it was tradition for the agency's first fifty or so years; tradition was something ponies always took seriously.

"Is everything okay?" Roseluck asked. She pursed her lips for a moment. "Sorry if I struck a nerve."

"I'll be fine." Bon Bon took a quick breath. "I'm just surprised you knew."

Roseluck nodded. "I promised to keep it a secret."

Squinting, Bon Bon swiveled her head and glared at Lyra once more. "Did you tell her that I used to be in the Equestrian Monster-Hunting Agency? Did you tell her without my permission?"

Lyra blushed, gently kicking the grass with her forelegs crossed. "I kinda blurted it out by accident when I last saw her, but I didn't tell her everything. Plus, she's good with secrets."

"I haven't told anypony else," Roseluck added.

Bon Bon wiped her forehead; she released a relieved sigh, her muscles loosening. "Good. Let's keep it that way."

"Got it."

Trotting forward, Bon Bon glanced back at Roseluck. "And since the cat is out of the bag, what do you need me to do?" She arched an eyebrow. "How many are we dealing with? One? A hundred?"

"I don't know," Roseluck said. "All I know is that it was scary."

"I think I got that part." She paused. Bon Bon then waved at Roseluck. "Say, can you do me a favor?"

"What?" Roseluck shrugged.

"Can you come with us?"

A gasp left Roseluck's mouth, her jaw dropping. "Come with you? Are you crazy?"

"Everypony in this town is crazy, Roseluck."

"But what good am I here? I'm as lost as you are!"

"Just stay calm. I think you giving us more details at the site will be helpful. You can show us what happened more clearly that way."

"Oh." Pouting, Roseluck quickly nodded. "O-okay. I just hope the horrors won't shock you."

"We'll see."

Bon Bon wished she knew what she was exactly getting herself into; a little information wasn't enough. Handling one vampire fruit bat was manageable, but dealing with over a hundred would probably suck the energy out of her before the bats sucked on the apples. However, somepony needed her help. And even if the problem was embarrassing or simple, she couldn't turn her down.

Of all the different locales scattered throughout Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres was one Bon Bon wasn't too enthused about. It brought one particular memory back to her uninvited, even if said incident didn't take place at the farm. She recalled not apologizing to the Apples for the whole apples in the bag incident. While apologizing wasn't in her blood, something about scoffing at a filly and trotting off with a mountain of apples rubbed her the wrong way.

At least the fresh air swirling around Sweet Apple Acres pleased her nostrils. The leaves crunching underneath her hooves also produced a serene sound as if they were musical instruments. All of the apple trees sprouting from the earth gently swayed in the slight breeze. The apples they bore shone like gemstones, the leaves still affixed to the branches shuffled as the wind flowed past, and the grass was a bright shade of green. Even the soil which made up the dirt path leading to the Apple family's home had a smooth, warm quality to it. Perhaps Sweet Apple Acres had its fair share of soothing features after all.

And aside from two mares huddled around a tree, nothing stuck out or jumped out at her.

Bon Bon shot a glare at Roseluck. "So, where's the swarm of vampire fruit bats?" she asked. She ground her teeth for a brief moment. "Because if these clear skies are telling me anything, it's that there's nothing to worry about."

"I told you, they were somewhere around here," Roseluck said. Her head twisted from left to right; she shrugged. "Maybe they went somewhere else."

"And we're going to comb the entire farm just to find them?"

With tautened cheeks, Roseluck then quickly shook her head. "I never said that."

A sigh left Bon Bon's lips. "Okay." She paced about the dirt path, swishing her tail back and forth. "So then, where do you propose we start?"

"We could always ask those two over by the tree," Lyra suggested, pointing to the scene in question. "I bet they saw the vampire fruit bats."

If finding the whereabouts of the vampire fruit bats was ever going to happen, asking Applejack or any of her family members was the most obvious choice.

There was just the problem of the last time she directly spoke to them. She wondered if Applejack was still bitter about the whole apples in the bag incident.

Bon Bon recognized her abysmal first impression, but she figured Applejack would be willing to share some information with her. She wasn't the kind of mare to hold a fierce grudge as far as she knew. And as for the mare beside her, something about her long and curly mane seemed familiar.

"Okay, we'll go meet up with them," Bon Bon said. She trotted across the grassland, the dew cooling her hooves as she traversed forward. "Follow me, everypony."

Both Lyra and Roseluck nodded in unison, the pair traversing behind Bon Bon. However, Bon Bon's chest tightened a tad as she approached the pair. There was an uncertainty as to how Applejack would respond. Drama was the last thing she needed. And as for the mare next to her, her yellow coat and pink mane didn't belong to any member of the Apple family Bon Bon ever heard of. The mare's wings were also spread out.

It was Fluttershy.

Bon Bon clenched her teeth. Given that Fluttershy was involved, maybe Roseluck was correct all along. It wasn't as though there needed to be a molten wasteland in order to deem something a catastrophe.

A few hoofsteps later, both Applejack and Fluttershy turned to face the trio. They waved with nervous grins; Bon Bon and company responded in kind.

"Hey there," Applejack said. "I think I remember ya."

"You do?" Bon Bon blurted out.

"Yeah, I've seen ya around town a lot. And I couldn't forget when ya had too many apples in your bag. That sure was an awkward moment, huh?"

Blushing, Bon Bon rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, I remember that day as well."

"So then, anythin' I can help ya with?"

Exhaling, Bon Bon wiped her brow. "I assume you've heard about the vampire fruit bats that appeared, right?"

Applejack and Fluttershy nodded.

"We have," Fluttershy murmured. She pressed the tips of her hooves together. "There were a few of them near this apple tree, and I helped get them back to where they needed to be."

"Were they lost?" Lyra asked.

Fluttershy shrugged. "I don't think so. It's not like vampire fruit bats to get lost as a group." She folded her wings and then approached the apple tree, placing a hoof on the trunk. "And they're not even supposed to be in Ponyville at this time of year."

"That's correct," Bon Bon said, rubbing her muzzle for a moment. "And they're only forced out if disturbed."

"You're right." Fluttershy twiddled her mane; her lips were pursed. "But—but when they're disturbed, they only go a few hundred meters at most."

Bon Bon's heart skipped a beat. "What? I thought they went wherever they could."

"Vampire fruit bats only go miles away from their homes when scavenging for food. They also follow a strict schedule and never deviate from it. I understand why you'd think they went wherever they pleased."

"Well, they've broken that schedule from the looks of things." Bon Bon gazed up at the apple tree. Dark, mushy, and rotting fruits dangled above her and churned her stomach at the mere sight of them. A putrid scent burned the hairs in her nose.

Nodding, Fluttershy then donned a grim expression. "And that's why I'm worried."

"Gettin' these vampire fruit bats away was almost too easy as well," Applejack added. "When Fluttershy came by to help me get 'em back to where they needed to be, they packed up immediately. She didn't even have to stare at them. It was as though they wanted to leave." She tapped the ground. "It's never that easy. Somethin' tells me this ain't natural."

"So somepony did this on purpose?" Roseluck asked, squirming. "How horrible!" With a slight frown and shimmering eyes, she trotted up to Applejack and patted her back. "As somepony who knows how tough it can be, I offer you my deepest sympathies."

"Aw, shucks." Applejack smirked and blushed. "But don't worry, 'cause the damage is quite small. I only lost three apples, which is a shame, but it could've been much worse."

"Maybe." Roseluck's lips curled into a faint smile. "At least the problem's behind us now."

"Not exactly," Bon Bon and Fluttershy said together. Making eye contact, the two soon averted their gazes from each other.

With an arched eyebrow, Lyra cocked her head. "How so?"

"Doesn't anypony else think this is a little too strange?"

"Now that ya mention it, I agree," Applejack responded. She pressed her weight against the tree, pouting. "Somethin' just doesn't add up. If the vampire fruit bats were moved here on purpose, then somepony must've had ill intent."

"But who'd do such a thing is the next question," Fluttershy said as a matter of fact. Flapping her wings, a slight and cool gust formed below her as she hovered above the ground. "And why? I can only think of Flim and Flam doing such a thing, and do they even have the means to move vampire fruit bats like that?"

"Flim and Flam might be sneaky, but they don't have the brain power to pull that off."

"How so?"

"They're much more impulsive if anythin'. I've dealt with 'em twice before."

Bon Bon raised her hoof up as though she was in a classroom. "Hold on a second. Maybe we should investigate them just to be on the safe side. They're supposed to be a shady bunch, after all."

"Be my guest." With her eyes peering into Bon Bon's, Applejack assumed a straight posture. "But y'all should keep two things in mind."

"Which are?" Lyra blurted out. "They can't be too bad, right?"

"I'd rather not get involved with them again, especially since they kinda creep me out."

Of the little Bon Bon heard or saw regarding Flim and Flam, the aura surrounding them tickled her coat. It wasn't a comfortable or funny feeling, but rather one which made her hair stand up and send a chill down her spine.

Flim, Flam Fined for Facetious Formula was what the headlines about them typically noted. It was a surprise to almost everypony the brothers still managed to have a business. Bon Bon wouldn't doubt that they'd do anything to get an advantage over somepony, resorting to nefarious activities if they needed to. At the same time, they also behaved like average ponies on most days. The most heinous actions they did were petty crimes.

But why did thinking about them disturb her?

Bon Bon sensed the spine-chilling sensations returning to her, teeth clacking.

"I know what you mean," Bon Bon murmured. "What's the second point?"

"They'll try to trick ya if y'all aren't careful." Applejack sighed. "We fell for a scheme of theirs again after their failed cider business."

"Got it. Thanks for the advice."

"No problem, sugarcube."

"And one more thing." Bon Bon's throat tightened. She'd have to get an apology out there eventually. Now was as good of a time as any to do it. She'd have to make amends for something at some point, after all. "Sorry for behaving so rudely to you at one of your stands some time ago."

Waving her hoof, Applejack cracked a soft smile. "It's nothin' to worry about, but I accept your apology."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Applejack nodded. "Anythin' else ya need."

Looking back at Lyra and Roseluck, both of them with content expressions, Bon Bon then shook her head. "I think we're good for now."

"And we'll do our best in finding out what happened, too," Fluttershy said. "Write to us if you need anything."

"We'll keep that in mind," Roseluck said.

"Okay." Fluttershy paused for a moment. She donned a sheepish expression and waved her hoof. "Well, take care, everypony. Good luck!"

"Goodbye!" Bon Bon and company shouted.

As the trio trotted away from Sweet Apple Acres, Bon Bon couldn't help but bring her mind back to the mysterious tablet. While the odds of it being connected to the vampire fruit bats reaching Ponyville too early were slim to none, the possibility poked her nonetheless. She pursed her lips and hoped things wouldn't escalate from there.

But this was Ponyville. Fate had a habit of making things worse there.

The sky was colored a light blue. Fluffy, white clouds rested above Ponyville and cast small shadows on the world below.

As Bon Bon glanced at the horizon, she noticed a figure wearing a brown cloak standing from afar. Her blood froze at the sight. The dark fabric flowed like a flag caught in the wind. Everything around the pony-shaped figure was somehow darker than the rest of the world, almost as if by magic. All of the figure's features were perfectly concealed.

Except for the wide, sinister smile she wore.

There was some mingling about the figure, and it wasn't difficult for Bon Bon to see why.

"Um, everypony, can we meet with Princess Twilight now?" Bon Bon asked. Her heart jammed itself into her throat for a second. "I need to talk with her."

"Why?" Lyra questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you gonna ask about my book?"

"We could do that." Taking a deep breath, echoing heartbeats reached Bon Bon's ears. "But I need to talk to her about the tablet."

"Did something come up?"

"I think it, the cloaked figure, and the vampire fruit bats are connected."

One mystery just had to be expanded with another one. It was another day in Ponyville.