Hammer & Anvil

The pencil clattered against the counter top as Jackboot dropped it from his hoof. He had spent the past half hour writing, “I will never lie to my mother ever again, no matter the reason” one hundred times, without using his horn. Earlier he had told Emerald what had happened to his watch. His mother was understanding for the reason of why he had to give that dragon his watch, but she didn’t take to kindly to that fact that he had lied to her about what had happened and writing that he would never lie to her even again till his hoof went sore was his punishment, along with not being allowed anything sweet until tomorrow.

As he began to caress his sore hoof, the door opened and entered Frosted Cookie carrying a Hay Burger bag.

“Afternoon, Cookie.” Jackboot said. “How’s it going?”

Before Cookie could answer, a red blur zoomed passed her and stopped at the counter. This blur being Dive bomber.

“Hey Dive Bomber, how…”

Before Jackboot could finish his question, Dive Bomber grabbed him by the collar and pulled him where they were now muzzle to muzzle.

“Why did you do it?!” Diver Bomber asked with anger.

“What do you…?”

“Tell me why!” Dive Bomber said, interrupting Jackboot again.

Cookie set the bag on the counter and pulled her coltfriend off of Jackboot.

“Dive Bomber just calm down, please?”

Dive Bomber took a breath and let Jackboot go.

“Sorry.”

Jackboot’s eyes were wide after what had just happened.

“You want to explain why you got into my face like that?” He asked.

“He just heard about what happened to your watch.” Cookie answered. “And he’s a little…”

“I spent all these years feeling guilty for breaking your watch and you go and give it away?” Dive Bomber asked, cutting of his marefriend. “How could you do that?!”

“Dive Bomber!” Cookie shouted.

Dive Bomber immediately went quiet.

“How about you let Jackboot explain?”

Cookie then turned to Jackboot.

“Jackboot could you please explain? Because Dive here didn’t hear the whole story.”

Jackboot cleared his throat.

“As you know, the Electric Pentagon requires several command crystals.” He explained. “This process involves soaking crystals of a certain size in a special concoction. I managed to accomplish this thanks to the local Zebra by the name of Zecora.”

“There’s a Zebra here?” Cookie asked with interest.

“There is, yes. She’s in the Everfree Forest, I’ll introduce you sometime.” Jackboot said. “Anyway…” He continued. “…she required certain ingredients for it to work. As I was looking for one certain ingredient until I fell down this hole and into a cave where I found the ingredient I was looking for. While I was looking for a way out, I came across this large part of the cave that was just packed full of these gems and treasures of all kinds. Thankfully this part of the cave had the way out.”

“Well that’s good.” Cookie said as she took a hay burger out from the bag. “What happened then?”

“Well as I made my way toward the opening, this large tail just came and slammed down in front of me, blocking me in.” Jackboot explained. “Apparently that cave was the den of a dragon, which explains the gems. He thought I had taken something of his so he told me to empty my pockets. Despite that I didn’t take anything, he still wouldn’t let me leave unless I give him my watch.”

Dive Bomber’s eyes went wide.

“I told him I wasn’t going to give it to him, but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. But then he offered me this if I gave him the watch.”

Jackboot entered the work room and returned with something in his hoof.

“The black crystal.”

The stallion and mare were amazed by the large crystal.

“This right here is what makes the Electric Pentagon possible.”

“And you traded your watch for that?” Dive Bomber asked. “I mean, I’m glad you’re okay, but still, you could have just run away when you had the chance.”

“Do you really think I could have out run a dragon?” Jackboot asked as he set the crystal down. “Besides, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. I think father would’ve understood.”

“How do you know that for sure?” Dive Bomber asked.

Jackboot sighed.

“I don’t know.”

Dive Bomber thought for a moment.

Just as Jackboot reached his hoof into the bag and pulled out a hay burger, something clicked in Dive Bomber’s head.

“I have an idea.”

Ballpin opened the door to the metal shop and found no pony there. With him was Soarin, one of the Big Three of the Wonderbolts. He had acquired Ballpin’s assistance with repairing his goggles; otherwise he’d get into some hot water with Spitfire. While they were talking back at the Clover Café, Ballpin was approached by a stallion named Noteworthy, the coltfriend of Ballpin’s former crush, Octavia Melody, who had come to Ballpin to say how grateful he was for Ballpin helping Octavia when she scraped her knee when she had gotten caught in the rainstorm the other evening. Since then, Ballpin had no more feelings of sorrow in regards finding out his crush was already taken.

“Jackboot, you here?”

Ballpin got no answer.

“Must be out.” He said. “Follow me, Soarin.”

The Wonderbolt followed him into the workroom. He then handed Ballpin the goggles. Ballpin then set the goggles down on the work table and took a closer look. The crack wasn’t large but was still noticeable.

“This just needs a little sealant and some paint to cover it.” Ballpin said. “This’ll take a moment.”

Ballpin retrieved a bottle from a shelf and squeezed a small amount of white liquid into the crack.

“Just let that dry for a moment.” He said as he re-tightened the cap on the bottle of sealant.

As Ballpin returned the bottle to its original place, Soarin caught his attention.

“So, Ballpin…” He said. “…what kind of mares are you into?”

Ballpin turned.

“Pardon?”

“What kind of mares are you into?” Soarin asked again.

Ballpin didn’t see this coming, and then again he wasn’t expecting to being talking to one of the Wonderbolts today so what else is new?

“Well…” Ballpin was trying to think of an answer. “…they have to be a mare for one thing.”

Soarin laughed.

“Well that’s obvious.” He said. “What I mean is, what do you like in a mare?”

Ballpin thought for a moment.

“Let’s just say I’ve often aimed a little too high when it comes to mares.” He said. “You know, the ones that are clearly out of my league but I go for anyway them… …I mean, them anyway.”

“I know what you mean.” Soarin said. “It really is heart breaking when they say no to you.”

“You do realize Octavia didn’t say no, right?”

Soarin understood and returned to subject at hoof.

“Define “too high”.” He said.

“You know, smart, pretty, well mannered.” Ballpin said, listing off the traits that one would tribute to a Canterlot pony. “Like I said, out of my league.”

Soarin nodded.

“I hear ya.” He said. “I’m asking because I got this friend of mine who’s in the same position you’re in.”

This caught Ballpin’s attention.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.” Soarin said before continuing. “She's this friend of mine who's been having trouble in the dating game. She can't seem to find the right stallion, ya know? How would you like to...?"

“Meet up with her?” Ballpin asked, finishing Soarin’s sentence.

“Yeah, that.” Soarin said. “What do ya say?”

Ballpin thought for a moment.

“Where do you want me to meet her?”

“How ‘bout the Clover Café?” Soarin suggested. “Sound good? Even though you already had lunch there?”

“Well...”

Ballpin took a moment to think.

“…why not? I’ll need a break after Jackboot and I finish the Pentagon.”

“Geez, it’s creepy around here.” Dive Bomber said as he looked around at the surrounding wilderness.

“Yes, I found the Everfree rather unsettling myself.” Jackboot said.

The two stallions trotted their way through the Everfree Forest. Dive Bomber’s earlier idea involved going back to the cave which the dragon, who Jackboot gave up his watch too, lived and try and steal the watch back. The current trouble that they were having was finding the cave itself and avoiding the local wildlife.

“This is a really stupid.” Cookie said who had tagged along.

“You know, you don’t have to come if it’s so stupid.”  Dive Bomber said.

“I’m only coming along in the event one of you messes up.” Cookie responded.

Dive Bomber was about to say something when Jackboot suddenly flinched backward.

“Here we are.” He said as he looked down into the dark cave. “This is it.”

Jackboot began to descend into the cave when Dive Bomber grabbed hold of Cookie.

“Hold on.” He said as he wrapped his legs around the mare.

The three made it to the ground floor of the cave without incident.

“Alright, follow me.” Jackboot said as his horn began to light. “And stay close, it’s easy to get lost down here.”

It took what felt like almost ten minutes searching the cave before the three found where they were going.

“Shh, be very quiet.” Jackboot said.

He then poked his head into the large cave that was pile high with gold and other treasures. Behind one large pile had a large green mass behind it.

“There’s the dragon.”

Jackboot then turned and saw the tunnel that led to the other entrance, or exit in this case.

He then turned his attention to his friends.

“Alright, here’s the plan.” He began to explain. “I’m going to encase the dragon in a bubble of silence, that way we can look through each of the piles until we find the watch without waking it up.”

“And maybe we can sample some of the treasures as well.”

Dive Bomber and Jackboot immediately looked at Cookie.

“What?” She asked. “Can you blame a mare wanting nice things?”

“That explains the bags you brought.” Jackboot said, looking at the saddle bags Cookie wore.

“Well the lot of these treasures were already stolen.” Dive Bomber said. “So maybe it’s not a bad idea. After all, ponies pay a lot for gems.”

“You two can trot out of here with a million bits worth of gems.” Jackboot said. “As long as we find my watch, I don’t care what either of you take. Either way, let’s get this over with before big green over there wakes up.”

Jackboot walked ever so quietly over to the dragon with his horn at ready.

The loud breathing of the dragon caused shivers to go down Jackboot’s back.

He then swallowed as his horn began to glow, until finally, the dragon was encased in a large white bubble.

“Okay you two, let’s start looking!” He called over to his friends.

Dive Bomber dove into one pile while Cookie began stuffing her saddle bags full of gold and gems, while looking for the watch at the same time.

Gems and gold clattered against the cave floor as the three searched.

“Find it yet?” Dive Bomber asked Jackboot as he tossed gem after gem over his shoulder.

“Nope, not yet.” The latter answered. “I did find some sapphires, though. You think Rarity would like them?”

“Maybe she would.” Cookie said. “Toss them in my bag for later.”

As Jackboot put the sapphires into Cookie’s bag, Dive Bomber called over to them frantically.

“Jackboot! I found it! I found it!” He called, waving his hooves around with a metallic object in one of them.

Jackboot rushed over to the red pegasus.

“Are you sure?!” He asked as she screeched to a stop.

Dive Bomber allowed the gray unicorn to look at the watch, who instantly recognized it.

“It is!” He shouted as he embraced the red stallion before. “Thank you! Thank you!”

“Um… …Jackboot…” The pegasus said. “…I need air!”

“Oh sorry.”

Jackboot let Dive bomber go and began to secure the watch to his vest. He then clicked it open, finding that it was still ticking.

“Still works.” He said as he closed it again. “Now let’s get…”

He was suddenly cut off by the sound of something breathing. Breathing deeply and loudly.

Jackboot, with widened eyes, slowly turned his head to find the giant green head several feet away.

“What are you doing here?” The dragon asked with anger burning in his voice.

Jackboot took a step back.

“Well you see…”

Jackboot then teleported to where his friends were, standing right next to the exit tunnel.

“…RUUUN!!!”