Hammer & Anvil

Jackboot and Spike followed Applebloom through The Everfree Forest. The stallion looked around at the surrounding wildlife. He’s been in forests before, but nothing like this. The forests he’s been in at least had more sunlight for one thing.

Spike decided to come and help as Rarity had decided to take a nap after their crystal hunt. Jackboot had the crystals he needed, now he was taking them to Zecora so she can help him turn some of them into the command crystals he needs.

“It’s just a little further.” Applebloom said. “Just stick to the path and y’all will be fine.”

“You seriously come out here by yourself?” Jackboot asked. “Have you ever gotten lost?”

“I did once.” Applebloom said. “Granted it was the first time I came out here to see Zecora.”

As the three trotted along the path, Spike got Jackboot’s attention.

“Hey Jackboot.” He said. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” Jackboot said. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well it’s… …what do you think of everypony?” Spike asked. “You know, Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, you know…”

Jackboot had no trouble answering.

“I like them all.” He said. “I’ve always admired Twilight from the start; I like Applejack’s work ethic, not to mention she’s a good friend to talk to. I like Rainbow Dash’s attitude, Fluttershy is as sweet as she can be, Pinkie Pie is… …well Pinkie Pie; and Rarity...”

Jackboot paused.

“…well, what isn’t there to like about Rarity?” He asked. “She’s friendly, generous, obviously, has a good work ethic like Applejack, and she’s, well…”

He was embarrassed to say at first.

“…she’s just plain pretty. Not just pretty, beautiful.”

This caught Spike’s attention.

“And then, there is you.” Jackboot continued. “You’re loyal to your friends and a hard worker. I like that in a pony. Or well, dragon, if you will.”

Spike’s mood immediately.

“Thanks Jackboot.” He said.

“What about me?” Applebloom asked, listening to their conversation.

“I like your enthusiasm.” Jackboot said. “After all, you and your friends didn’t get a cutie mark for helping other ponies by doing nothing.”

Jackboot was amazed by the inside of Zecora’s hut that resided within a tree. He admired the many masks, jars, bottles, and books around the hut. What really caught his attention was the cauldron in the center of the room. What was inside of it?

Before Jackboot could ponder anymore, he saw a newcomer enter the room. The newcomer was Zecora herself. And what amazed Jackboot more is that Zecora wasn’t a pony, she was a Zebra.

Zecora saw Jackboot and greeted him.

“Jackboot, meet Zecora.” Applebloom said, introducing her friend. “Zecora, meet Jackboot. He was wondering if you could help him with somethin.”

“I will be happy to be of assistance.” Zecora said. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Jackboot said, shaking Zecora’s hoof. “I was hoping if you knew how to make a command crystal. Or in this case, six of them.”

Zecora smiled and nodded.

“You can’t find this practice just anywhere.” She said. “Fortunately for you, I am aware.”

“That’s good, very good.” Jackboot said. “So do you need to perform some sort of spell or something like that?”

“I don’t need to perform any spell, but there is a method I know quite well.” Zecora explained. “This method is a potion that requires ingredients of a certain kind. Thankfully, they are easy to find.”

“Okay then.” Jackboot said thankfully. “Where can we find these ingredients?”

The ground crunched and squished as Jackboot walked along the path. He, Applebloom, and Spike were all tasked in getting five ingredients.

These ingredients he was told to find are poison joke and a certain fungus that can be found in a certain cave.

“Poison Joke.” Jackboot said. “Zecora said that it’s a blue colored flower. Applebloom said that the girls got into a weird situation with it, so I must be careful.”

A question then came to mind.

“Why am I talking to myself?”

He scanned the ground around him and saw something that caught his eye.

“Gotcha!”

He then approached the blue flower and used his magic to pick it up and put it into his saddlebag.

“Perfect.” He said. “Now for the fungus.”

He then proceeded down the path.

“What color did Zecora say it was?”

He then thought for a moment.

“That’s right it’s… …WHAO!”

“Here Spike, I found some the berries!”

Applebloom had found one of the five ingredients, the ingredient being an assortment of different colored berries.

Spike said nothing as Applebloom picked the multicolored fruit.

Applebloom took notice.

“Spike, y’all alright?”

Spike said nothing.

“Spike?”

Applebloom then tapped him on the shoulder.

“Spiiiiiike?” She said. “Helloooo.”

Spike snapped out of it.

“Oh sorry Applebloom.” He said. “I was deep in thought.”

Applebloom understood and picked the last of what she needed.

“Applebloom, can I ask you something?” Spike asked.

“Sure Spike, what is it?”

Spike was hesitant at first but went for it anyway.

“Have you ever, well, liked somepony but was afraid to fully tell her, I mean them, how you really feel?”

Applebloom caught on.

“You mean Rarity right?” She asked.

Spike’s eyes went wide.

“How did you…?”

“It’s pretty obvious.” Applebloom said. “I’m surprised Rarity doesn’t really know.”

Spike was quiet with embarrassment.

“That’s why you ask Jackboot about what he thought about everypony, huh?”

Spike nodded.

“It’s alright Spike, I understand.” Applebloom said. “But, I don’t see a reason why you should feel threatened by him. I mean, I’m pretty sure he knows about your crush on Rarity.”

Spike slowly produced a smile.

“You’re right.” He said. “I shouldn’t assume that he’d ignore how I feel about Rarity.”

“Ow…”

Jackboot rubbed the back of his neck. He had fallen into a hole when he wasn’t paying attention.

He looked up and saw the mouth of the cave like hole as he dusted up his suit jacket.

“How did I not see that?” He asked himself.

He looked around the cave and was amazed by what he saw.

“Maybe that fungus is down here.”

He then lit his horn to light the way.

“One way to find out.”

He trotted down the cave and looked around, shining his horn where he could.

Suddenly, something caught his eye on the wall.

“Is that it?”

He then approached the wall and saw that it was a dark red fungus.

“Dark red of course!”

He then used his hoof to carefully scrap the fungus off of the wall. He then caught the fungus with his magic before it hit the ground and put it in his saddle bag, in the pocket opposite of the one with the poison joke.

“Good, I got what I need.” He said. He then looked around the cave. “Now how do I get out of here?”

He scanned the cave with the light from his horn. As he did so, he caught sight of a light of a different sort, coming from a different part of the cave.

“What is that?”

It suddenly came to him.

“It must be a way out.”

He then trotted over to the source of the light, but was met with rather amazing sight.

“Sweet Celestia…”

What he had found was a cavern, completely filled from the floor to the ceiling, full of crystals of all different shapes, sizes, and colors.

He then walked toward the large stockpile of crystals.

“This is incredible.” He said. “Had I known about this place I would have come here for crystals. But then again, I wouldn’t have spent time with Rarity.”

He then shook his head.

“Right now I need to get back to Zecora.”

He then turned around and saw another passage way.

“This must be it.”

As he trotted towards the passage way, but he was then stopped by, to his shock, a giant green tail which smashed into the ground.

“Just who are you?” A deep, booming voice.

Jackboot slowly turned around and saw the origin of the giant tail. That being a giant green dragon.

Jackboot’s eyes went wide with shock.

“Uh…”

He didn’t know what to say.

“…hello?”

The dragon then put his head closer to Jackboot, staring the stallion down with his giant orange eyes.

“What are you doing in my cave?” He asked. “What did you steal from me?”

Jackboot almost forgot how to speak.

“Well?”

Jackboot then snapped out of it.

“I didn’t steal anything, I swear Mr. Dragon, sir.” He said frantically.

Jackboot was terrified for his life.

The dragon was unconvinced.

“Prove it.” He said. “Empty your pockets.”

Jackboot was still with terror.

“NOW!”

Jackboot then frantically pulled everything from his pockets and his saddlebag. The poison joke, the fungus, his handkerchief, whatever bits he had on him, and finally his watch.

The Dragon eyed the watch greedily.

“I’ll make you a deal, pony.” He said. “You give me that watch, and I’ll let you go unharmed.”

Jackboot was shocked by this demand. Give up his watch? The very watch his father gave him, the same watch he repaired after it was broken, the very watch that he had cherished all of his life since colthood, and this dragon wanted it.

Jackboot picked up the watch.

“No.” He said. “No deal.”

The dragon snorted.

“Give me the watch or you’ll never see day light again!”

“NO!” Jackboot shouted.

The dragon sighed. This stallion was rather stubborn, even with his life on the line.

Suddenly the dragon thought of an idea.

“I’ll tell you what…”

He then reached his claw into his giant pile of treasure and loot.

“…you will trade me the watch for your freedom. And I will give you this as well.”

Before Jackboot could protest, what the dragon had to offer caused his jaw to hit the ground.

That something in the dragon’s claw, was a round crystal that was as black as night.

“That’s, that’s…”

Jackboot was at a loss of words.

“…the black crystal!”

Applebloom led Jackboot and Spike out of the Everfree Forest. Zecora’s potion was successful in turning the crystals into command crystals, a process that didn’t take long at all. The potion turned all of the six crystals completely clear, as opposed to their original color.

“Thank you again for introducing me to Zecora, Applebloom.” Jackboot said. “It was a great help.”

“Now all you need is that black crystal, right?” Spike asked. “You said it’s the most important part.”

Jackboot rubbed the top of his head, which his cap covered.

“Yeah, the most important part…”

The three entered town.

“I’ll see you two later.” Applebloom said. “Good luck on your Pentagon thingy, Jackboot.”

“Thank you.” Jackboot said.

The little filly smiled and left the two.

“So what do you want to do now?” Spike asked.

Before Jackboot could answer, he heard somepony calling his name.

“Jackboot!”

He looked around and saw no pony, other than the passersby.

“Did you hear that?”

Before Spike could answer, they heard Jackboot’s name again.

“I heard it that time.” Spike said.

The dragon then looked up and spotted something rocketing towards them.

“Look out!”

Spike then rammed in Jackboot, knocking him out of the way, which was followed by whatever it was coming at them crashing into the ground.

“Ouch…”

Spike and Jackboot saw that it was none other than Ballpin and rather familiar gray mare.

Before Jackboot could say hello, he realized that his hat had fallen off.

He looked and saw it on the ground and rushed over to it and put it on his head.

“You two okay?” Spike asked Ballpin and the pegasus.

That’s right, his co-worker and the local mail pony just crashed.

“Yeah, we’re okay.” Ballpin said as he adjusted his handkerchief. He then turned to the mail mare. “Are you okay, Derpy?”

The gray mare nodded.

“Sorry about that.” She said. “I just don’t know what went wrong.”

Ballpin then turned his attention to Jackboot.

“Right.” He said. “Jackboot, I got great news!”

“Since you two flew to us, it must be great news.”

Ballpin turned to Derpy.

“You want to do the honors?”

Derpy nodded.

“I dropped my toaster so I went to get it fixed at your shop.” She explained. “So when Bally fixed it, I paid him twenty two bits for it.”

“Good job Ballpin.” Jackboot said. Before he returned his attention to Derpy, he realized what she had just called him. “Did you just call him Bally?”

“Jackboot, you reached your goal!” Ballpin said. “You can get your domes!”

Jackboot took a moment for his brain to calculate what Ballpin just said before his jaw hit the ground.

“I can get my domes.” He said. “I CAN GET MY DOMES! YES!”

He then turned to Derpy and hugged her.

“Thank you so much Miss Derpy!”