Finders Keepers

by Knick Knack

Rating: everyone
Tags: Original Character, Comedy, Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 14624

Twilight is trusted with looking after a bag with a magical property: the ability to give its wearer whatever he or she desires. After having it stolen, she will have to reclaim it before any havoc is wreaked in Ponyville.

Twilight is trusted by Princess Celestia with looking after and studying a mysterious, yet mundane-looking artifact: a rucksack. However, it has the ability to give its wearer whatever he or she desires. After having it stolen by a pony with an unknown agenda, she will be on a race against time to reclaim it before any havoc is wreaked in Ponyville.

Published 2017-10-09 20:50:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-10-09 20:50:06 UTC

Chapter - 1 - Spike

On a sunny afternoon in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle and her loyal companion Spike are taking a stroll on the outskirts of town in search of a wide open area. In the little dragon’s claws he clutches a green rucksack to which he hasn’t been told anything about other than: ‘be careful with it’. “Twilight,” Spike begins. “I still don’t understand what the deal is with this bag.”

“It’s more than just a bag, Spike,” says Twilight. “It’s an assignment by Princess Celestia, and that on its own is already a big deal.”

“But it’s just a bag.”

“To the untrained eye, but if you knew the story behind it, perhaps you’d change your perception of it.”

“. . . So, what’s the story?”

“I have no idea.”

Spike groans. “Why would you tease me with some kind of awesome story if you don’t even know what the story is? I was expecting something about dragons and creatures of the darkness; and a hero who wielded this great . . . bag . . . to save the world!”

“It might be something like that.”

“You don’t have a very vivid imagination, do you?”

“Well then, since ‘you’ seem to have such a vivid imagination; then perhaps you’d be a perfect subject for my experiment.”

“I hate this part of our talks.”

“According to Princess Celestia, this bag possesses an incredible, magical power.”

“Go on. . .”

“It can grant whoever wears it whatever they wish. So, if I wore it, and I wanted a book on Fairy Pony Folklore; then by reaching inside, it’ll give me exactly that.”

“Why would you want a book on Fairy Pony Folklore?”

“Spike, did you not hear what I said?”

“No, I heard you. I’m just curious as to why, out of everything you could think of, ‘that’ is what you would want from this bag.”

“Who cares?!” Twilight boils from frustration. “It was just an example! I don’t know what I’d want if I were given the opportunity!”

“See? No imagination.”

“Well,” she sneers. “Mr. Imagination, why don’t you stand there with the bag while I stand back and observe.” Twilight readies her clipboard and writing utensil.

“So, are there some kind of ‘magic words’ I need to recite for this thing to work?”

“Nope. Just think of something you want, and reach inside. Start with something small, then I’ll have you try and think of bigger things as we go along. I need to gather some notes on the limits of what this bag can bestow, assuming there are any limits at all.”

“Okay, here goes nothing.”

“Twilight! Over here!” Twilight turns to see one of her best friends, Rainbow Dash, fluttering and waving her hoof from afar.

“Huh, I wonder what Rainbow needs,” says Twilight. “Spike, stay here, and whatever you do—”

“Be careful with the bag.” Spike jokingly attempts to mimic Twilight’s voice. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Good.” Twilight walks over to Rainbow Dash, leaving Spike to sigh as he examines the bag.

“Hm. . . Sure don’t look like anything ‘incredible’.” Suddenly, something knocks into Spike, sending him down to the grass. He sits up to find a young stallion looming over him with curious eyes. His coat of fur is gray, and his mane is a dark-brown color, the same as his eyes. He’s wearing a dark-blue vest, and takes a step backward in fear upon discovering he’s bumped into a dragon.

“Ah! Dragon!” He shouts.

“Hey, what’s the big idea?”

“A talking dragon!”

“Will you take it easy? What’s your deal?”

“Are . . . Are you not going to cook me alive?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I uh . . . I just thought that’s what dragons do.”

“Oh, so just because I’m a dragon you just assume I’m some kind of monster, huh?”

“Um, I mean . . . i-it’s not like that, you know?” The stallion nervously chuckles. “I’ve never met a dragon before. I’ve only heard about them. I’m uh . . . sorry for jumping to conclusions. I’ll just . . . be on my way.” He lowers his head, and walks passed Spike. He halts upon noticing the town that sits just ahead of him, and his eyes immediately dart from side to side.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“There’s a town over there. It’s probably filled with other ponies.”

“Yeah . . . as towns usually are.”

“Well, I suppose I might as well turn back.”

“Huh? Why? The next town is miles from here.”

“I . . . I just want to be alone. I left my town because I just couldn’t seem to get along with just about anypony. Ever since I was a little colt, I struggled with making friends. I figured it’d be best I just avoid ponies all together.”

“Woah, what town are you from?”

“Oh, what does it matter? I don’t want to bore you with my story. You’re probably in the middle of something more important anyway.” The stallion turns and starts to walk back in the direction he came.

“Wait! Where are you going to go? Like I said, the next town is miles from here! Like . . . a lot of miles! You wouldn’t be able make it to the next town by nightfall!”

“I’m sure I’ll find a ditch to sleep in.”

“Jeez, this guy’s gloomy. There’s gotta be some way I can help. . . Hey! I’ve got an idea!”

“I told you to forget about it.”

“Yeah, I got that; but I think my friend can help you get a place to stay for the night!”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Oh, come on!” Spike cuts off the stallion’s path and puts his claws on his hips as he glares at him. Fearful, the stallion lifts up one of his legs to help shield himself from the tiny threat. “What’s your name?”

“I-It’s Knick Knack.”

“My name’s Spike, nice to meet you.”

“Um. . .” Knick Knack slowly lowers his guard. “You too”

“Now, honestly!” Spike shouts, causing Knick Knack to hide and quiver behind his hooves. “Do you really want to spend another night out in a ditch?”

“I mean . . . I’m getting used to it—”

“No! You don’t! Now look, I’m going to go convince my friend to find you a place to stay, you just wait here.”

“Listen, I really don’t—” Before the stallion can finish his sentence, Spike runs off towards Twilight who is still occupied with Rainbow Dash. The stallion sighs. “—want you to pity me.” Figuring he just might need a good night’s sleep in an actual bed, he stands and waits for Spike to return. However, something catches his eye: the rucksack Spike had been holding onto is lying in the grass nearby. Knick Knack pokes and examines the rucksack to find it seems to be completely empty. With one last glance to Spike as he converses with Twilight, he picks up the bag and puts it on. “This could be of some use. . . Thanks for trying, little dragon; but I think it’s for the best I stay away.” Knick Knack turns and gallops across the field of grass away from Ponyville, hoping not to be spotted.

Chapter - 3 - Rarity & Rainbow Dash

Knick Knack soars through the sky uncontrollably as he flares his legs frantically. Fearing the inevitable, he covers his eyes with his hooves. “How do I make it stop?!” He screams. Taking a peek as he lowers one of his hooves, his eyes widen as he can see somepony in his flight path unaware of his presence. Rainbow Dash is flying with her attention towards the ground as she appears to be looking intently for something. “Hey! Look out!” Rainbow Dash looks up and spots him, and nearly collides with him as her body spins around wildly from his intense speed. Dizzily, she slows herself down as she tries to reorient herself. She watches Knick Knack fly straight towards Ponyville, and she curiously changes her course to following his flight path.

Begging it all to stop, Knick Knack smashes into a tree with a loud thud as he causes many leaves to fall to the ground far below. The rocket thrusters retract back into the backpack, and Knick Knack takes one look down as he is instantly overwhelmed with vertigo. He gasps as he clutches onto the tree trunk as tightly as possible while trembling from fear. “Oh, my! Are you alright up there?” Knick Knack glances down, and sees a mare looking up at him.

“Uh . . . n-no!”

“Here, I’ll help you down.” Knick Knack’s body is enveloped in an aura of blue magic, and is carefully carried down to safety.

“Phew, thanks for the lift, Miss.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble darling; but how in the world did you get up there in the first place?”

“I . . . I climbed.”

“Ah . . . why?”

“Oh, you know. Don’t you get that sense of adventure every once in a while?”

“I suppose. Anyway, I’ve never seen you around town before, are you visiting?”

“Yes, I’m here to visit. . .” Knick Knack thinks hard as he tries to come up with a bogus name, and all he can think of is that mare he passed by before crashing into the tree. “Uh . . . Rainbow . . . something.”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Ah, yes! That’s the one! Totally what I meant.”

“Really? Are you a friend of hers?”

“Oh, yeah. Rainbow and I go way back. That crazy pegasus, it’s been so long since I’ve seen her that I don’t even think she’d recognize me if she saw me.”

“Well, she is most definitely a forgetful one, but I’m sure she’d never forget a dear friend.”

“Yeah . . . you’re probably right. Friends definitely shouldn’t forget each other.”

“Dear me, you look tired. You must’ve been travelling an awful long time.”

“Yeah. I’ve been wandering for days.”

“Then please, come inside! I can prepare you a cup of only the finest tea in Ponyville.”

“That . . . that would be great,” Knick Knack stammers from her generous offer.

“Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Rarity, and it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister. . ?”

“Uh, Knick Knack’s the name.”

“Well, Knick Knack, please follow me.” Rarity guides Knick Knack back to her home which isn’t too far from the tree he had crashed into. He walks up to Rarity’s Carousel Boutique, and is intrigued by its exquisite design. “Please, come in.” Rarity opens the door, and Knick Knack anxiously steps inside. She sits him down at a dining table, and prepares the tea as he restlessly glances at all the fancy decor. “If it’s Rainbow Dash you’re looking for, she’s more than likely sleazing on a cloud somewhere.” Rarity sets a steaming, porcelain tea set down onto the table. “I can help you look for her if you’d like.”

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

“Oh, dear me. I’ve forgotten the sugar. Just a moment.”

“Nah, I’ve got this.” Knick Knack reaches into his backpack and pulls out a little bowl full of cubes of sugar. “Ah, there we go.”

“Oh . . . you just happen to have a bowl of sugar in your backpack?”

“Uh . . . yup.”

“Well, you can never be too prepared I suppose.”

“Right? That’s exactly what I told Applejack.” Instantly, Knick Knack covers his mouth with his hooves realizing what he had just said.

“Ah, so you’ve already met Applejack?”

“Eh . . . more or less.”

“So, if you already spoke to Applejack, then why didn’t you ask her to help you find Rainbow Dash? Instead, you . . . climbed up one of my trees.”

“Remember what I said about being adventurous?”

“Yes, that wasn’t too long ago, darling.”

“In all honesty, I was just enthralled by your tree.”

“. . . Is that so?”

“Yes! It’s just so . . . tall and majestic. I just simply had to stop and admire it. So, in order to truly appreciate its beauty, I had to view the world how it sees it; and that’s at the tip top.”

“Huh . . . interesting. So, you’re a nature lover?”

“Um . . . more or less.”

“Then I simply ‘must’ introduce you to my friend Fluttershy! She shares the same love for nature as you do.”

“Well, that sounds like a plan. I’d be delighted to meet her.”

“Perfect! Then if we’re going to be headed back outside, I’m going to need to re-curl my mane. I fear the breeze might have disrupted my shape.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.” Knick Knack reaches into his backpack and pulls out a curler.

“You . . . not only have sugar, but you also have a curler in your backpack?”

“. . . I’m going through a phase.”

“I see.” Rarity turns her head at the sound of a knock at the door. “Huh, I wonder who that could be. I’ll be just a moment.”

“No, no, take your time.” Rarity gets up from her seat to answer the door as Knick Knack takes sip of his tea.

“Knick Knack! You won’t believe who stopped by!” Rarity reenters the dining room as Knick Knack spits out his sip of tea at the sight of the mare she brought in. “What a coincidence. Knick Knack here says he’s been looking for you.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash asks. “Because I don’t—”

“Rainbow Dash!” Knick Knack shouts with delight as he leaps out from his seat to embrace Rainbow Dash. “I’ve longed for the day we would meet again!”

“Uh, what’re you talking about?” Rainbow Dash squirms uncomfortably. “I’ve never—”

“Shh,” Knick Knack covers her mouth with his hoof. “I know. You never would’ve expected me to come back, but I’m here now.”

“Aw, how precious!” Rarity melts. “You two must’ve been close friends indeed.”

“What? No!” says Rainbow Dash flabbergasted.

“Come on, Rainbow, don’t do this,” Knick Knack begs. “I made a mistake by leaving without so much as a goodbye, but it’s only because I was afraid of what you’d say.”

“Huh?!”

“Oh, this is getting serious,” says Rarity excitedly. “This feels like one of those late-night drama plays I used to watch in the theatre. I can just feel the emotion.”

“Rarity, you don’t understand,” says Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, no darling, I completely understand.” Rarity takes a seat at the table. “Please, continue.”

“Rainbow Dash?” Knick Knack stares into Rainbow Dash’s disgusted face.

“W-What?” Rainbow Dash asks fearfully.

“I’m sorry for what I’ve done. You have no idea how much I’ve been hurting since that day.”

“No . . . I really don’t.”

“Words can’t even begin to describe my regret. Which is why I’ve come back . . . to finally tell you the truth.”

“This is getting a little weird!”

“I know, it’s weird for me too. It’s weird for me to believe that for a second that a colt like me would ever have a chance in the world with a mare like you. That’s why I left. I just couldn’t continue being just friends with this fire building up inside me, suffocating me. I feared that. . .” Knick Knack dramatically turns his head away. “If I told you, you’d want absolutely nothing to do with me ever again. I felt the only way to rid myself of this pain was to just run away, and pretend like you never existed; but I was wrong.”

“You really should stop. . .”

“No!” Rarity interjects with teary eyes. “Please, keep going.” Rainbow Dash groans as Knick Knack turns back with a smirk.

“I could never convince myself I made the right choice. After so many cold and rainy nights, the sun finally tore through gray clouds, and what did I see? I saw a rainbow light up the sky, and I instantly thought of you. You, Rainbow Dash, are the light that pierces through that dreadful storm in my life. I can’t run away from my feelings any longer, so I’m just finally going to say it.”

“Please, don’t,” she mutters.

“I’m in love with you, Rainbow; and I can only hope you’ll forgive me for the mistake I’ve made.”

“Forgive him, darling!” Rarity breaks down in tears as she tries to wipe them away with a handkerchief. “Tell him how you feel!”

“With pleasure!” Rainbow Dash breaks free from Knick Knack’s grasp, shoving him to the floor. “Firstly, gross. Secondly, I’m only here to ask you about that backpack you’ve got.”

“What, this old thing?” Knick Knack nervously asks.

“Yeah. That crazy rocket-backpack.”

“Oh, you know. . . Got it on sale.”

“Really? Because a friend of mine says that she had a backpack just like that one.”

“Well, let’s be honest here, there were plenty of green ones during the sale.”

“Some kinda magic backpack that somepony stole from her!”

“Now you’re calling me a thief? I pour my heart out to you, and you’re only interested in my backpack? You’re tearing me apart, Rainbow!”

“Why don’t you just give up that backpack before I really do tear you apart?” She scowls.

“Is this because I didn’t bring any flowers?”

“That’s it!” Rainbow Dash angrily lunges toward him, but a propeller on a long, metal rod shoots out from his backpack. It spins rapidly, causing him to lift up off the floor and Rainbow Dash to fumble.

“Sorry, I hope I’m not moving too fast.”

“You think ‘you’re’ fast? I’ll show you fast!”

“Oh, boy.” Rainbow Dash flies up and chases Knick Knack around the room as Rarity watches from below. Despite Knick Knack doing a fair job at dodging her, she manages to grab hold of the backpack. “Hey! Let go!”

“No way!” Rainbow Dash starts to whirl him around. “You’re going to give me that backpack, or else!” Knick Knack can feel himself growing sick as she continues to spin him around faster.

“Or else what?!” She releases him, and he flies and smacks directly against a wall. His body peels off the wall, revealing a large dent and several cracks, as he falls straight to the floor.

“Or else I’m gonna have to take it from you!”

“I . . . I get it.” Knick Knack struggles to his hooves. “I’m sorry about forgetting the flowers, but I didn’t forget the chocolate!”

“Huh?” From the backpack, a pair of water-gun-like cannons extend and fold out. Through the clear plastic chambers, huge doses of chocolate can be seen. “What the—?” Before she can finish processing what she’s seeing, two powerful streams of chocolate fire from the guns straight toward Rainbow Dash. Frantically, she darts and dodges as the streams of chocolate follow her all around the room. Rarity uses her magic to grab and open an umbrella as chocolate spews and coats her room. Rainbow Dash can feel herself tiring, and unable to keep up with the unpredictability of the streams of chocolate. Knick Knack focuses, and manages to land a hit on her. Her chocolate coated wings cause her to fall to the floor, and Knick Knack continues to spray her down with chocolate. Completely captured in a glob of chocolate, Knick Knack ceases fire as the guns retract back inside the backpack. Rainbow Dash pokes her head out from the glob, and glares straight at Knick Knack.

“You think some chocolate is enough to stop me? Just wait ‘til I get outta this!” She desperately tries to break free, and finds that the chocolate is rapidly hardening, trapping her in a solid shell of chocolatey goodness. “What—? How—?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think it would do that,” says Knick Knack. “But hey! Now you’re sweeter than ever!”

“You’re not gonna get away with this!”

“Yeah. . . Except I totally am. Sorry, my love, but we’ll have to talk another time. Farewell!” Knick Knack whistles as he happily trots out of the boutique, leaving Rainbow Dash to angrily continue struggling.

“Rarity! Will you get me out of this?!”

“I would darling, but all this chocolate would be catastrophic for my figure.”

“You don’t have to eat it! Just break me out!”

“Now, now, let’s not be too brash. I’ll go get my hair-dryer and we’ll thaw you out.”

“Ugh, fine.”

“You know, you only made this more difficult for yourself.”

“How is this my fault?!”

“The first decent stallion that professes his love for you, and you shut him down. I know he’s not a Wonderbolt, but come now, you can’t keep your head in the clouds forever. . . No pun intended.”

“Just get the hair-dryer!”

Chapter - 4 - Twilight

Back in the outskirts of town, Twilight is vigorously shaking Spike for answers with a crazed look in her eyes. “What do you mean it just vanished?!” She screams.

“W-What else could I possibly mean?!” Spike retorts dizzily.

“Spike, rucksacks don’t just get up and walk away!”

“Well, this one’s magical, so maybe it’s possible!”

“Ugh!” Twilight drops Spike to the ground and pouts with her hooves over her eyes.

“Look, there’s nothing to worry about. You’ve already got Rainbow Dash on the case. With an eye in the sky like her she’s sure to find it in no time.”

“And what if she doesn’t?!”

“If she doesn’t, then somepony’s sure to report a pony with a green, magical backpack.”

“What if it’s already far from Ponyville?! It could take days, weeks or months before we track it down!”

“Twilight, you’re overreacting like usual. We have plenty of time before we—” Spike burps up a scroll tied by a red ribbon from the green flames of his breath.

“Spike, what’s that?” Twilight trembles.

“It’s a letter from Princess Celestia.” Twilight instantly gasps. “Now hold on, we don’t know what it says. She could just be asking about some kind of friendship thing.” Spike unravels the ribbon and opens up the scroll. His eyes scan across the paper as his confident smile quickly vanishes.

“What does it say?!”

“Umm. . . She says, she hopes the testing’s going well.”

“Uh-huh, go on.”

“And that she’s excited to hear what you’ll discover about this magical artifact.”

“Oh. . . Is that all?”

“She’s . . . very excited.”

“Okay, Spike, does it say anything else?” Twilight asks quickly growing impatient.

“She’s so excited, that she’ll be coming down to Ponyville shortly to observe and discuss what you’ve found out.” She screams at the top of her lungs nearly shattering Spike’s ear drums before collapsing to the ground. “Welp,” Spike sighs. “That’s no good.”

“It’s awful!” Twilight picks Spike up and stares into his eyes insanely. “Do you have any idea what she might do to me if she found out I lost the rucksack?!”

“Uh . . . maybe?”

“I’ll give you a hint! It’s the opposite of good!”

“Well, that narrows it down pretty good.”

“Spike!” Twilight drops Spike to the ground. “You’re not helping!”

“Maybe I’d be more helpful if you’d stop dropping me like that.” Spike wipes the dust off his shoulders. “Look, I’m sure something’ll come up to give us a lead as to where the backpack is. . . Oh, look!” Spike points his claw to a pony galloping towards them. “It’s Applejack! Maybe she knows where the runaway backpack is.”

“Twilight!” Applejack shouts.

“Applejack, what’s the matter?” Twilight asks.

“What kinda crazy experiment are ya doin’ now?!”

“What do you mean? And why are you soaking wet?”

“We just got paid a visit by some colt with some kind ‘a cursed bag! He hosed me down, picked a fight with Big Mac then took off! An’ I literally mean he took off! He shot through the sky like a bottle rocket!”

“Ah-hah!” Spike cheers. “You see? I knew something would come up!”

“Applejack,” says Twilight. “Where did he go?”

“He went down over yonder,” says Applejack as she points her hoof. “But I figured I’d track you down first an’ see if you could explain this nonsense to me.”

“Alright, then let’s get moving. You said he attacked Big Mac?”

“That’s right.”

“Then we should be cautious. This pony could be dangerous.”

“Um, Twilight?” Spike pokes at Twilight’s leg.

“Oh, don’t worry,” says Applejack with a smirk. “I ain’t afraid ‘a some colt with a fancy bag. When I see ‘em, I’ll show ‘em what for.”

“Twilight, I don’t think—”

“Not now, Spike,” Twilight interrupts. “We don’t have a lot of time. We need to stop this pony before he causes any more trouble.”

“Agreed,” says Applejack as they both take off galloping in the direction Applejack alluded to, leaving Spike behind.

“Oh, this is not good. . .” Spike mutters to himself. “I gotta find him before they do.”

Galloping at full speed, Twilight and Applejack come to a halt as they come across Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “Woah, what happened to y’all?” Applejack asks noticing Rainbow Dash fur is coated in splotches of chocolate.

“What happened?!” Rainbow Dash exclaims. “Some crazy pony with that green bag Twilight told me about trapped me in chocolate!”

“A pony ‘crazy-in-love’,” Rarity teases.

“I said we’re never talking about that again!”

“Chocolate, huh? This pony must be more deranged than I thought. Quick! Which way did he go?” Twilight asks anxiously.

“I do believe he went into town,” says Rarity.

“Good, then let’s go track him down! We need to stop him before things get out of hoof!” The four of them team up and gallop straight into Ponyville, checking every corner for any sign of the thief. “Let’s split up! We’ll cover more ground that way!”

“Good thinkin’!” Applejack agrees as they all diverge, each of them taking a different road to explore and investigate. By herself, Twilight gallops down a road lined with produce stands. Everything seems normal, aside from a gathering of ponies that blocks off the entire road. Twilight moves in to investigate, and comes across several ponies with loads of things stacked up on their backs. “Excuse me, Sir.” Twilight gets the attention of a random stallion with a stack of cardboard boxes on his back.

“Yes?” The stallion asks. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“As a matter of fact, there is. What is that you’ve got there?”

“These? They’re just cardboard boxes.”

“Oh. . . Well, where is everypony getting all this stuff?”

“Oh, there’s a stallion I met over there who’s giving away all sorts of free stuff!”

“Really? What kind of stuff?”

“Just about anything, really! Whatever you ask for, he’s pretty much got it! Hey, maybe you should go ask him for an ice cream or something, you look a bit sweaty.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Twilight leaves and approaches the crowd. “Excuse me. Pardon me.” Twilight apologizes as she squeezes through the group. As soon as she makes her way to the front, she points her hoof toward the stallion she sees accusingly. “Ah-hah! I’ve found—!” Twilight stops herself upon seeing a stallion pulling a huge cart with a big sign that reads: Carriage Sale. “—you. . .”

“Um, you lookin’ for somethin’, Miss?” The stallion asks.

“A . . . A carriage sale?”

“Yup! I’m givin’ away all my old junk to make room for my new junk! Whatever you need, I just might have it!”

“Oh. . . I see.” Disappointedly, Twilight smiles awkwardly before lowering her head in shame. Feeling defeated, she takes a seat in the middle of the road. “Who am I kidding?” she mutters. “I might not ever catch this thief, and who knows what sort of punishment Princess Celestia will have in store for me?”

“Hey,” somepony asks, approaching her. “What’s the matter?”

Refusing to look up at the pony speaking, Twilight sighs. “Nothing.”

“Oh, come on. Nopony takes a seat in the dirt like that unless something’s bothering them. Trust me, I should know.”

“Thanks, but I’d rather not talk about it. I just need to try and clear my head.”

“Maybe I can help! I’ve got this—!”

“I appreciate it, but whatever it is, it’s probably not enough to cheer me up.”

“Oh . . . well . . . would you just like somepony to talk to? I remember whenever I had a problem, I never had somepony to talk to. I always wonder what kind of difference it would’ve made if I did. So, whaddya say? Wanna talk?”

Twilight smiles. “Thanks, you’re too kind. Well, I lost something very important. Somepony trusted me with it, and I let somepony go and steal it. The pony that lent it to me will be here at any minute, and I’m at a complete loss.”

“Please, you were robbed. How can that be your fault? I’m sure whoever you’re talking about will understand.”

“I doubt it. I was supposed to keep it under close watch, and I failed. That thief can anywhere by now. I might as well just not even bother.”

“Well, sitting in the dirt isn’t gonna do you much good. I say you pick yourself up and keep moving forward. I mean, I came across something incredible today, probably the best thing to ever happen to me! I could’ve done what you’re doing, sit in the dirt and just give up, but I’m glad I didn’t. I bet that if you keep looking, you’ll find something eventually! Maybe your lost thing! If not, then just explain to the pony that it was just an honest mistake, and that you tried your best to get it back. I’m sure that ‘this’ isn’t your best.”

“You know . . . I think you’re right.”

“Then, that pony might not be that mad at you after all!”

“Yeah,” Twilight stands face forward brimming with confidence. “Giving up’s never the answer! I need to do everything I possibly can!”

“There you go.”

“I’m glad you bumped into me. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Don’t mention it! Oh, and here, have an ice cream. You look a bit sweaty.”

“Wow! Thanks!” Twilight uses her magic to grab the ice cream cone from the mysterious pony with a gleeful smile, then is struck with a sudden realization as her heart nearly skips a beat. She turns her head to see Knick Knack smiling at her, and notices the green rucksack strapped to his back. “W-What is that?” she stammers as she points at the rucksack.

“Oh, this is what I was talking about! It’s a special backpack I found just lying on the ground!” Twilight’s jaw drops. “Anyway, I’d love to stay and chat, but you’ve got something to go find! So, I’ll just leave you to it. Good luck!” Knick Knack hops away, leaving Twilight in pure shock. She shakes her head to wake herself from her hypnotized state, and dashes for Knick Knack. They collide and tumble across the dirt path of the road kicking up dust and catching everypony’s attention. Fearfully, Knick Knack lays on the ground as Twilight lays on top of him with a furious look in her eyes. “O-Or we can talk more if you like.” Knick Knack nervously smiles. “Has uh . . . anypony told you how pretty your eyes are?”

“That rucksack! It belongs to me!”

“Oh. . . Well, ain’t this a coincidence?”

“It most certainly is, and you’re going to give that back right this instant!”

“Umm. . .” Suddenly, Twilight is thrust off of him as something explodes from his rucksack: a huge, colorful tarp that quickly starts to inflate. Twilight, disoriented from the impact, watches as Knick Knack is lifted up into the air by a huge, red balloon as his body hangs helplessly from the rucksack. “Gee, I won’t be afraid of heights anymore when this is all over.” Twilight scrambles to her hooves, focusing her magical power as her horn glows with a bright, pinkish hue. A beam of magic shoots from her horn and straight through the balloon, creating a gigantic hole that causes it to dart crazily in the air. Knick Knack screams as he is helplessly carried by the wild balloon. “Never mind! Still afraid! Still afraid!” Twilight watches as he shoots through the air, and chases after him.

Chapter - 5 - Pinkie Pie & Twilight

Knick Knack sighs. “Well, I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m actually hanging by a ginormous, gingerbread house,” he says as he dangles by the torn, deflated remains of the balloon. “At least that mare is nowhere in sight.”

“What mare?!” A pink mare asks, suddenly appearing before his eyes.

“Ah!” Knick Knack jolts and waves his legs crazily. The mare falls back down to the ground, but is sprung right back up by her fluffy tail.

“What mare are you talking about? I’m a mare! Is it me? I bet it’s me! But I don’t know you! Who are you?!”

“Woah! Just hold on a second!”

“M’kay!” The mare freezes in midair, causing Knick Knack’s eyes to widen in disbelief.

“Wha—? How are you doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“Never mind. . . You can stop holding.”

“Holding on to what?”

“That's not—!” Knick Knack smacks his face with his hoof. “Can you just please help me down?”

“Sure! Mr. Snips should do the trick!”

“Mr. Snips?” Knick Knack looks around for mare, and finds she is now sitting on the rooftop of the gingerbread building where Knick Knack is hanging from, armed with a pair of shears.

“Wait!” He cries, but the mare snips the rope that kept the balloon tied and attached to the rucksack. Knick Knack falls straight to the ground face-first with a loud thud.

“That’s a strange place to take a nap,” The mare asks, now suddenly back on the ground. Knick Knack grumbles, muffled since his face is pressed against the ground.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t quite catch that,” the mare asks leaning in with her hoof held up to her ear to aid her in understanding him. Knick Knack grumbles even louder, but still inaudibly. “Hmm. . . Ah! I know how to fix this!” She pulls out a rather large spatula seemingly out of nowhere gripped in her tail, and slides it underneath Knick Knack’s body. “Just like breakfast!” The mare scoops him up and flips him into the air like a flapjack. He lands on his hooves, wobbling from lack of balance and dizzy eyes. “My name’s Pinkie Pie!” She grabs one of his hooves and violently gives it welcoming shake. “Nice to meet you, Knick Knack!”

“Yeah, it’s. . . Wait. How do you know my name?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Your name’s all over the place!” Knick Knack looks around in confusion, unsure of what she could be talking about.

“. . . I don’t know what you mean.”

“It’s everywhere! Eleven times to be exact!” Knick Knack raises an eyebrow, still trying to piece together what’s going through her head. “See! There it is again! That makes twelve!”

“You know, after what I’ve been through today, you’ve gotta be the most unusual thing that’s happened so far.”

“Speaking of unusual, you must be new in Ponyville! Welcome!”

“Thanks.”

“Did you come in by that giant, red balloon?! Are you a clown?”

“Don’t clowns have make up and crazy clothes?”

“Are you a clown in training?” Knick Knack, choosing not to answer her ridiculous question, looks to her in annoyance. “Wait! I get it now. You’re a traveling clown! That’s what the backpack’s for! But there’s just one thing missing. . .” Pinkie reaches into her mane, and pulls out a big, red, clown nose and sticks it directly onto Knick Knack’s snout. “There! Now, you’re ready for some serious clownin’!” Knick Knack can feel himself about to boil over with frustration from their conversation. Just as he’s about to burst out with anger, he stops himself before he reaches his breaking point by taking in a deep breath. He reaches into his backpack, and pulls out a clown horn which he sticks in his mouth. Using his teeth, he squeezes the rubber end to honk the horn, and Pinkie giggles with delight. “Oh, this is perfect! You’ve come at a great time!”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m in the middle of a party for all the kids in Ponyville! They’re summer break just started, so I decided: why not celebrate?!”

“Well, that’s nice of you.”

“And I was wondering if you’d be our clown for the day!”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he chuckles. “Uh, clowns got busy schedules, you know?”

Pinkie immediately gets to her knees, looking up at him with a sorrowful expression. “Please!” she begs. “The kids would be so happy to see you! You’d bring this party to a whole new level with your clowniness!”

“Uh. . .” Knick Knack glances behind him, wanting to escape her proposal, and is stunned to see Twilight down the road in a mad search for him. He turns back to Pinkie with a nervous smile. “What can I say? It’s a clown’s duty to serve the kids, am I right?”

“Yippee!” Pinkie jumps back up to her hooves. “Thank you so much!” She then grabs him by the collar of his vest. “Come with me around the back, and we’ll get you suited up for action!”

“Suited up?”

“Every clown needs that special ‘clown look’! Duh!” Pinkie yanks and drags him around to the back of the building, safe from being discovered by Twilight.

Inside, Pinkie returns to a dining room filled with all sorts of party decorations like balloons and celebratory banners; but also impatient and restless fillies and colts who all turn excitedly from her presence. “Alright everypony!” Pinkie greets. “You won’t believe what I found hanging around outside!”

“Yeah, what made that noise?” one of the fillies asks.

“Was it a bird?” another asks.

“Only a ba-gillion times better!” Pinkie pulls out a giant, gift box that couldn’t have possibly fit behind her back, and slams it on the ground. She madly cranks the metal handle sticking out from the side of the box, and a musical tune begins to play. Once the song finishes, the lid flies open with an explosion of confetti. Knick Knack pops out and leans over the edge of the box desperately trying to catch his breath.

“You. . ! You didn’t say you were gonna stuff me in a box!” Knick Knack shouts exasperated. “I couldn’t breathe in there!”

“That’s funny, that explosion should’ve been much bigger.”

“What do you mean? How much big—” A second, grander explosion sends Knick Knack flying upward into the air, then painfully down on his rump.

“Look! A clown!” one of the fillies points and shouts. Knick Knack looks down at himself, and sees he’s been given a completely new look. He’s dressed in a striped shirt of bright colors with his vest worn over it. Along with the clown nose, Pinkie appears to have coated his face in white makeup, and hidden his mane with a puffy, orange wig. In a panic, he rushes over to Pinkie and shakes her by her shoulders.

“What did you do to me?!” he asks.

“A clown can’t perform unless he’s in uniform! That’s like . . . clown one-oh-one.” Knick Knack struggles and fumbles with his words as he tries to form a coherent response. “Anyway! That’s right everypony! This clown just flew in to town by a balloon, and he’s going to do a show for us!” The children all cheer with glee, and Knick Knack glances to them as his heart begins to race.

“Pinkie,” he whispers. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Sure you can! Just get out there and clown it up!”

“No, I’m serious. I—” He turns to look at Pinkie, but finds she’s vanished. He looks to the crowd, and is immediately overwhelmed. Knick Knack chuckles nervously as the children watch him with anticipation. “Well,” He clears his throat. “Hey there, kids! My name’s Knick Knack The Clown . . . apparently; and I’m here to liven this party up a bit!” The children cheer once again, along with Pinkie. “Okay, clown things. . . What are some clown things I can do?” He whispers to himself. Standing without a clue how to proceed, a paper airplane flies into his wig. He pulls it out and opens it up to see a note written in pink that reads: ‘Do some tricks!’. He looks out the crowd, and sees Pinkie waving to him from a table. “I’m not a dog!” He shouts.

The children laugh. “Are you sure?” one of them asks.

“Yes, I am!”

“So, you are a dog!” The children’s laughter grows louder.

“What? No! That’s not what I meant! Do I look like I’m joking?!”

“Well, you do look like a clown!”

“Oh . . . right.” The kids laugh. “Well, dogs eat from a bowl and chase Frisbees! You don’t see me doin’ anything like that now, do ya?!” Another paper airplane flies into Knick Knack’s wig, and he furiously removes it and reads the note. ‘Go with it!’ the note says, striking Knick Knack with an idea. “I mean. . .” Knick Knack reaches into his backpack and pulls out a Frisbee. “If I threw this, there’s no way I’d go chasing it like a dog. Watch.” He tosses it to one of the fillies, and instantly chases after it like a wild animal. Imitating a dog, he waits for the giggling filly to throw the Frisbee.

“Sit!” she commands, and he obeys. “Good boy! Now, fetch!” The Frisbee flies from filly to filly as they take great joy in watching Knick Knack scamper around the room barking like a dog.

“Alright! It’s feeding time!” Pinkie exclaims with a huge feeding dish in her hooves. She sets it down to the floor, and everyone can see it’s filled with all sorts of sweet treats. Excitedly, Knick Knack gallops over and sticks his face in the bowl. “Hey! Save some for me!” Pinkie starts to dig her muzzle into the mound of treats as well, and the children all lose control of their laughter. In the middle of their feeding, somepony opens up the door and rushes inside.

“Pinkie!” Twilight calls in a panic. “I need your help! Have you seen—?” She then spots Pinkie and Knick Knack eating from a bowl, and is overwhelmed with bewilderment.

“Hiya, Twilight!” Pinkie greets with her cheeks full and coated in candy.

“Hey . . . have you seen a stallion with a—?” She spots the backpack on the clown. “It’s you!” she accuses as she angrily glares at Knick Knack.

“W-What do you mean?” Knick Knack asks, getting to his hooves. “I’m just a kooky party clown! Can’t you tell by my wacky get-up?” With an unamused look on her face, Twilight uses her magic to grab and carry a can of soda from a nearby table over to her. She gives it a good shake, and pulls the tab, allowing a harsh stream of fizzy fluid to douse Knick Knack’s face. The soda removes the make-up from his face, and the soaked wig slips and falls from his head to reveal his mane. Twilight uses her magic to pull the red nose off Knick Knack’s snout, and he smiles embarrassingly. “. . . Surprise?”

“You know, that look was pretty fitting for you.”

“Oh, you’re too kind,” Knick Knack says, flattered.

“Because only a clown would think that disguise would fool me.”

Knick Knack chuckles nervously. “Then I suppose I’m doing my job well!”

“Listen, I’m going to ask you nicely only once.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Hand over the rucksack.”

“You see, that’s where the problem is. I . . . can’t.”

“And why is that?”

“Look, I don’t care who you are or how important this bag is to you; it’s mine now. This thing is gonna change my life forever! Luck is finally starting to turn my way for once! I don’t expect you to understand, but there is something that I do know you’ll understand.”

“And what’s that?”

“Well, it’s like the old saying goes. . .” Knick Knack leans towards Twilight as he points his hoof accusingly at her. “Finders. Keepers.”

“Is that your final answer?”

Knick Knack darts his eyes left to right confusedly. “Y-Yes!”

“Then, I’m sorry, but you leave me no choice.”

“Huh?” Knick Knack’s backpack is then enveloped in a pinkish aura of magical light, and his body levitates up off the floor high into the air. “No! Please! Not in front of the children!” Twilight whirls him around, trying to yank the bag right off of him, but it proves unsuccessful. She then hurls Knick Knack across the room as he crashes into a table sending the children nearby scattering. Knick Knack groans as he finds himself covered in party punch. He moves his soaked mane away from his eyes, and stands to face off against Twilight. “You wanna play?! Alright, let’s play!” The flap to the backpack flies open, and a colorful, polka-dotted, plastic cannon emerges from it. “I hope you were good in gym class! ‘Cause it’s time for some dodgeball!” One after another, huge, colored balls fire out from the cannon straight towards Twilight. She gasps and barely manages to dodge the first few shots, but it unable to keep up as one smacks her in the chest. Dazed with the wind knocked out of her, she is continuously pelted by more dodgeballs. She falls to the ground as Knick Knack celebrates with a dance. “Oh, yeah! You’re out!” Furious, she gets to her hooves and uses her magic to gather all the balls that were shot her way. “. . . You’re kidding.” Knick Knack observes the mass of dodgeballs as Twilight grins dubiously. The dodgeballs are sent hurdling towards Knick Knack in a barrage. No matter how hard he tries to dodge, he is pelted by nearly all of them. He falls to the ground after a smack in the head, immediately regretting his choice of weaponry. “Yeah, I should’ve seen that coming. Gym class was never my strong suit.”

“Give up yet?” Twilight smiles confidently.

“Far from it, honey!”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Sorry, that just slipped out. Hey, one quick question. Are you . . . single?” Twilight then lifts up another dodgeball with a glare. “Well, it didn’t hurt to ask.”

“Not yet.” Twilight hurls the ball towards him, and a wooden arm pops out from the backpack. Attached to it is a wooden, artist’s palette that is used like a shield to deflect the dodgeball as Knick Knack cowers in fear. Realizing he’s unharmed, he looks to the palette as he is struck with an idea.

“Now, this is more my speed. Art class was always my favorite! So many ways to express myself! And you. . .” The wooden arm retracts back into the backpack, and Knick Knack stands on his hind legs as the arm brings out a toy-like weapon that he holds in his hooves. With a huge tube of paint loaded into the top and his hoof resting on a crank sticking out from the side of the weapon, he looks to Twilight with a smug look on his face. “You will be my canvas. Now, let’s make you beautiful! Or . . . more so in your case.” He blushes. Twilight’s eyes widen with fear as Knick Knack cranks the handle wildly, sending bursts of paint flying towards her. Commotion fills the room as the children scamper about screaming, Twilight is unable to counteract the storm of paint, and Knick Knack has unexpectedly lost all control over his weapon. The entire room becomes coated in globs of paint, along with everypony inside. The commotion settles as the room grows quiet aside from the sloshing of paint. Twilight and Knick Knack both open their eyes as they find themselves right next to each other, and completely covered in paint. Knick Knack’s backpack suddenly explodes with a puff of sparkly glitter that sprinkles over the both of them. Twilight scowls at him as he grins nervously. “Heh. What’s an art project without a little glitter, huh?” Twilight growls at his remark. “Wait! Wait! I know what’ll help.” Knick Knack reaches into his backpack, and pulls out a pink, paper heart that he sticks directly onto Twilight’s forehead. “There! Perfect.” Infuriated, Twilight jumps up and tackles Knick Knack as they tumble along the floor in a quarrel.

“Give . . . me . . . back . . . the bag!” Twilight demands as she tussles with Knick Knack.

“No . . . way!” Knick Knack breaks free, and the both of them are at yet another standoff. “Come on, think of something!” he mutters to himself. The backpack opens up, and a large net shoots out to capture Twilight; but she dashes out of the way. Sweating and struggling to keep a cool head and organize his thoughts, he continues to struggle for new ideas to fight her off. His backpack shoots out just about anything that comes to his mind that he can possibly use as projectiles. Things like fruits, vegetables, water balloons, pillows and more are all shot at Twilight as a final attempt to stand his ground. Everything either misses, is caught, or deflected by Twilight’s magic. “Come on! What else can I use?!”

“Woo!” Pinkie cheers as she pokes her head out from the backpack. Knick Knack looks back to her, and is shocked to see her somehow nestled in the bag.

“What—? How the—?” Knick Knack watches as she is fired off into the air.

“Wee!” She hurdles through the air, headed straight for Twilight as she is engulfed by her shadow.

“Pinkie!” Twilight screams. Pinkie crashes into Twilight as they both tumble across the floor.

Pinkie stands and poses. “A perfect landing!” Twilight groans in agony as she rubs her head. “Nice job, Twilight! You were the perfect landing pad!” Twilight ignores Pinkie’s remark as she scans the room for Knick Knack, but he is nowhere to be seen.

“Pinkie! Where did he go?!”

“Beats me! Probably had another party to go to! He must be a very busy clown.” Twilight gets herself together and bolts out of the building. Pinkie turns to the children who are all grouped together and covered in paint. “Well? Was that party awesome? Or was it awesome?!” The children look to her in silence, then burst into an explosion of cheer and laughter.

Chapter - 6 - Fluttershy

Knick Knack gallops through town, too afraid to look back. He apologizes profusely as he nearly crashes into several ponies along the way. Gaining the courage to take a glance back, he sighs with relief as Twilight is nowhere in sight. Still in a full-on dash, he turns to look at what’s ahead of him, and his eyes immediately widen with surprise as a mare in the middle of his path bares the same expression. He collides into her as they tumble across the ground. The mare’s basket that’s strapped to her back spills all sorts of fruits onto the ground. Knick Knack quickly gets to his hooves and brushes the dirt off of his clothes, ready to take off galloping until he notices the mare he bumped into looking solemn as she sits on the ground with her long, pink mane now a complete mess. “Oh! Uh. . . Sorry, Miss!” says Knick Knack, eager to leave. The mare peeks through a split in her mane, then hides and lowers her head once her eyes meet his. “L-Look, it was an accident! Are you alright?” The mare refuses to answer, filling Knick Knack with a siege of guilt. He looks down the path which he came from once again, anticipating Twilight to appear, but is unable to force himself to leave the mare to the mess he made. He can even hear the mare softly sobbing to herself, pushing him over the edge. “Alright!” He gives in. “Let me help!” Frantically, he gathers all the fruit off the ground and returns it to the mare’s basket. “Okay, that takes care of that; and how about you? Are you hurt?” The mare shakes her head. “Well, let me help you up.” Knick Knack offers his hoof, only to have it refused as she helps herself up. “Hey, I said I’m sorry, alright?”

“It’s fine,” says the mare as she turns her back to him. “I’m fine, so you can just leave me alone.” The mare continues down the path towards a stone bridge that arcs over the creek.

“Oh, brother.” Knick Knack rolls his eyes as he chases after her. “I said it was an accident, what’s it gonna take for you to understand?”

“I told you, it’s fine.”

“Well, it’s clearly not since you won’t even look at me while we talk. It’s pretty rude, you know?”

“You’re saying I’m the rude one?”

“N-No! That’s not what I meant. It was just a joke.”

“Well, I didn’t find it very funny.”

Knick Knack groans. “Hold it!” He holds out his hoof as he stands in her way. With the both of them stopped on the bridge, the mare looks to him impatiently. “Now, I’m not giving up until I make it up to you. So, what’ll it take?”

“Can you please move out of my way?”

“Other than that. There’s gotta be something else, and I have just the thing! Whatever you want, just name it! It can be anything! This trusty backpack of mine’s got it! Just . . . think of something quickly. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“Is that so?”

“Well . . . yes.”

“In that case, I don’t care what you’ve got in that backpack; and since you’re in such a hurry, why don’t you just go?” The mare sassily lifts up her head and strolls passed Knick Knack. She swings her tail at him, causing him to lose balance and fall backward over the bridge into the creek with a splash. Completely drenched and clean of the paint and glitter from the quarrel with Twilight, he depressingly looks down at his soaked clothing. He watches the mare continue down the road, and is suddenly filled with a drive to pursue her. Dripping wet, he climbs out from the creek and catches up to her.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me right. When I said ‘anything’, I meant ‘anything’! Go ahead, just say the first thing that pops into your head!” The mare simply presses on, and doesn’t seem to show an ounce of interest. “Hard to believe, I know; but trust me, this is the real deal. Watch.” Knick Knack reaches into his backpack, and pulls out a fluffy pillow. “Need a place to rest your head? Boom, got it!” He then pulls out a frosted cake with a lit candle. “Got the munchies? Boom, got that covered too!” Knick Knack’s confidence is slowly dwindling as his attempts to show off the power of his backpack don’t seem to interest the mare in the slightest. “O-Or how about this?” He then pulls out a cube lined with stickers of many different colors.

“. . . What even is that?”

“Some kinda puzzle thing!” Knick Knack stops as he twists and turns the sections of the cube to try and match the colors, then gives up rather quickly. “I haven’t the slightest clue how to solve it, but it sure is cool, huh?” He turns to look back at the mare, but he finds she has moved on without him noticing. Again he tries to keep up with her as she approaches a series of bushes. “Come on! There’s gotta be something!”

The mare stops. “Why does it matter so much to you anyway? You don’t even know me.”

“Because. . ! Because this always happens!” Knick Knack takes a seat in the grass, feeling defeated. “Every time I meet somepony new, I always make the worst first impression. Either I . . . say something wrong, mess something up, or just make a plain fool of myself! No matter what, something goes wrong.” The mare turns, and sees him with his head hung low as he weaves his hoof through the grass. “Ever since I was a little colt, I just couldn’t seem to make any friends. At first I thought it was just the kids in my school, then it seemed like nopony in town wanted anything to do with me. Every time I tried to show them what kind of pony I am, it only seemed to steer them even further away from me. So . . . I assumed it was just me. I caused nothing but trouble wherever I went, and I couldn’t fix any of it. I was the reason I couldn’t make any friends then, and I’m the reason I can’t make any friends now.” The expression on the mare’s face drastically shifts as Knick Knack speaks, tugging at her heartstrings. Knick Knack stands, looking to his backpack as he brims with sorrow. “And I thought this stupid bag would make some kind of difference. I should’ve gone with my first idea and just turned back. Now, I’m sure everypony in this town will start to view me just like all the rest.” Knick Knack then takes off the backpack. “If this thing can’t help me fix this, then I guess there really isn’t any hope for me after all.” He drops it the ground, and starts to walk away. The mare covers her mouth with her hoof, heart-broken by Knick Knack’s words and the sudden shift in his character. She retrieves the backpack with her mouth, and hurries to his side. “Keep it,” says Knick Knack. “It’s not like it’s mine anyway.”

“What’s your name?”

“Why does it matter? I’m leaving town anyway. Now, I won’t be anypony’s problem.”

“Well, if you’re going to make friends with somepony, you should probably introduce yourself first.”

“Oh, now you want to stop and chat with me. All because you feel sorry for me, is that right?”

“It’s not that. I just feel more comfortable now that I know more about you.”

“Right, and you should also know I’m a travelling, birthday clown on the side.” The mare giggles, and Knick Knack raises an eyebrow in confusion. “Did you just laugh?”

“Of course! That was funny!”

“I . . . I don’t believe it. You actually liked my joke?”

“Mhmm! You see? Now, I know you’re funny. Instead of trying to focus on this backpack, you should’ve focused on the things that make you . . . you!”

“But all this time I thought that’s what my whole problem was. Nopony in my town would ever give me a chance. They’d always shun me after just seconds of meeting me.”

“Well, we’re still talking aren’t we?”

“I guess so.”

“And you didn’t need this backpack at all.”

“You’re . . . right! I didn’t! This is incredible!”

“So, why don’t we start over? My name is Fluttershy.”

“Fluttershy. . . Wow, i-it’s nice to meet you! My name’s Knick Knack.”

“Oh, I know.”

“You do? How?”

“Umm I—I heard somepony talk about you in town!”

“Oh, word gets around that quick, huh? So, where are you headed?”

“I’m just on my way to go berry-picking. Those bushes are always loaded with clusters of sweet, ripe berries.”

“Nice! Hey, can I help? I used to be a master berry-picker back in the day!”

“Really?”

“Nah, I totally made that up, but let’s go anyway!” Knick Knack dashes for the bushes ahead, but Fluttershy blocks him off as she spreads her wings.

“Uh, maybe we shouldn’t try those bushes today!”

“But you said—”

“Yes! But I think I already checked those bushes earlier this morning, so we should try the bushes way on the other side of Ponyville.”

“Aye-aye!” Knick Knack salutes as the two of them turn back.

“We should probably make a stop by my cottage first. I need to drop of these groceries.”

“Not a problem! Hey, on the way there, wanna hear about the party I just came from? It was my first gig as a travelling clown!”

Fluttershy laughs. “Sure!” As the two of them head for Fluttershy’s cottage, a few ponies are waiting anxiously behind the series of bushes.

“What could be taking Fluttershy so long?” Rainbow Dash asks as she taps the ground impatiently with her hoof.

“Truly you have no semblance of patience, do you Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asks.

“That crook was leaving Sugarcube Corner just minutes ago! Maybe he caught on to our trick.”

“Oh, come now. Nopony can resist Fluttershy’s natural charm; and with my advice, she should have him up here in due time.”

“I agree,” says Applejack. “Ya just gotta be patient, and not be too quick to judge. Fluttershy’ll get the job done.”

“I just hope she remembers the signal,” says Rainbow Dash.

“Well, she’s surely not as forgetful as you, darling,” Rarity teases.

“I told you! I have no idea who he is!”

“Oh, but he most definitely knew you. Nopony just pulls heartfelt emotions like that out of nowhere.”

“But he did! And stop talking about it!”

“Are you turning red out of anger, or are you just blushing?”

“You’re crazy!”

“What are you three doing?” somepony asks from behind them. Rainbow Dash jumps up and screams, only to find Spike looking to her in confusion.

“Spike! What are you doing?!”

“Hey, I asked first. What was all that about?”

“For the last time! Nothing!”

“Okay, okay, sheesh. So, why are you three hiding in the bushes?”

“We’re waitin’ for Fluttershy to bring that no-good thief to us,” says Applejack.

“I see. . . How’s that working out?”

“Fluttershy will be here soon,” Rarity assures. “Just give her some time.”

“Okay, well, I haven’t seen Fluttershy at all.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Take a look for yourselves.” Like moles, the mares poke their heads up from the bushes to find not a single sign of Fluttershy or Knick Knack.

“Well, that’s unfortunate.”

“He captured her!” Rainbow Dash declares.

“You can’t be serious,” says Spike.

“We have to find her before anything bad happens!”

“Rainbow Dash, just wait a second!” Ignoring Spike’s plea, she spreads her wings and takes off in a bolt of speed.

“Wait up there, partner!” Applejack shouts as she leaps out from the bush and chases after Rainbow Dash.

“Applejack! Stop!” Spike throws down his tiny arms in frustration. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

“I know,” says Rarity. “Those two must be working up quite a sweat with all this galloping and flying. I’m just going to make a quick stop at Icy Cream’s Shop to get something cool to help take the heat off them.”

“Rarity! Can you please just—” In a flash of light from her horn, Rarity disappears. “. . . Get me a raspberry-vanilla smoothie?” Spike sighs. “Great, just great. More running.” He then chases after them as fast as his little legs will let him.

Chapter - 7 - Twilight & Knick Knack

Back in the streets of Ponyville, Twilight trudges onward still coated in a mess of paint and glitter. She catches the eye of every pony she passes by as they gawk and chuckle; but she keeps her eyes fixed forward in an attempt to block them out. “Paint, Twilight, you were beaten by paint and glitter,” she mutters to herself. “All that studying and hard work really paid off didn’t it? You had him cornered, and he still beat you. Was he a unicorn? Did he have any spells? No. Well, was he a pegasus? Did he just fly away? Oh, no. He just shot paint, glitter, and a Pinkie at me and he won! Can you believe that?! Well, that’s just ridiculous—that’s what I said! Now, not only will Princess Celestia be furious I lost the artifact; but now, she’ll feel like a failure once she finds out what happened. Think about it: The Princess’ pupil, defeated by arts and crafts. . . That’ll make headlines.”

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash calls with Applejack following closely behind. They meet up with Twilight, and the urgent looks on their faces shift to baffled expressions upon getting a better look at her. “Woah, what happened to you?”

“I’m really not in the mood to talk about it. What’s the matter with you two?”

“It’s Fluttershy! Have you seen her anywhere?”

“No, I haven’t. Why? What’s wrong?”

“We have to find her! That crook—!”

“Everypony, look!” A citizen calls, pointing to the sky. Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Twilight look up to see a golden carriage being flown by two armored pegasi; and sitting in the lavish, velvet cushioning is the Princess herself. The carriage lands, and one of the royal guards steps out from his harness to open up the door to the carriage. Princess Celestia steps out, and stretches out her angelic, pure-white wings. The sunlight bounces off her golden crown, necklace and shoes; giving her a heavenly glow.

“Oh, that’s bad.”

“Well, it’s definitely not good, Rainbow!” says Applejack.

“Not to worry, everypony!” Rarity gleefully calls as she skips towards the group carrying tall, plastic cups filled to the brim with ice cream with her magic. “I got some nice, cold treats for all of us!” Applejack and Rainbow Dash look to Rarity in disapproval. “Well, don’t be shy, there’s plenty for—” Rarity pauses upon noticing the Princess. “Ah . . . maybe this isn’t the best time.”

“Are you kidding?!” Pinkie Pie asks as she pops up from behind Rarity, startling her. “This is perfect timing!” She grabs one of the ice cream cups and immediately sucks up the chilly sweet through the straw.

“Pinkie! Where in the world did you come from?”

“Well, if you took a Mommy Pie and a Daddy Pie, and they loved each other very much—”

“Too far back, darling.”

“Good afternoon, everypony,” Princess Celestia greets. “And how are we on this fine day?”

Rarity chuckles nervously as Pinkie sneakily takes another cup of ice cream after quickly finishing the first. “W-We’re all just peachy! Thank you for asking!”

“Yeah,” says Rainbow Dash. “Everything’s totally cool.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re all doing well,” says Princess Celestia. “I’m just here to see what Twilight has discovered regarding our project. I’m a bit eager to know how much progress has been made.”

“Actually, Princess Celestia. . .” Twilight sorrowfully begins. “I haven’t made any progress.”

“Is that so?”

“I was going to run some tests on the rucksack earlier this morning, but I took my eyes off of it for too long. I let it get stolen, and now it could be anywhere. I did everything I could to get it back, but it just wasn’t enough. If I had just kept better track of it, instead of leaving it out carelessly, this would never have happened.”

“I see.”

“I deserve whatever punishment you have in store for me. Go on, just say it.”

“Twilight, I have no reason to punish you.”

“W-What do you mean?”

“Well, if my eyes serve me correctly, the rucksack is just over there.”

“What?” Twilight and the others turn to see Fluttershy and Knick Knack approaching them from down the road. “Fluttershy?!”

“And look!” Pinkie shouts. “It’s the clown from the party!”

“Hello, everyone,” says Fluttershy as they both come near the group.

“Good afternoon, Fluttershy,” says Princess Celestia. “And who is this you’ve brought with you?”

“Everypony, this is Knick Knack, and he has something he wants to say to you all.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Rainbow Dash scoffs.

“I agree,” Applejack adds. “He’s got a lot of explainin’ to do if ya ask me.” Fluttershy looks to Knick Knack, and he gives her a nod. Stepping forward, the group of mares wait and listen.

“I know I’ve caused nothing but trouble for all of you, but it’s not what I intended,” Knick Knack begins. “I swear I didn’t come here to cause havoc or hurt anypony, and I didn’t mean to steal this bag. When I found it, I didn’t know whose it was, but I took it because I thought it would be useful since I’ve been walking aimlessly for days ever since I ran away from my town.”

“And why would you do a thing like that?” Rarity asks.

“Because it seemed like nopony wanted anything to do with me. Since I was little I had trouble making any friends, and it only got worse as I grew up. It seemed like no matter what I did or how hard I tried, nopony would give me a chance because they thought I was weird, obnoxious, a nuisance or just a flat-out annoyance.” The expressions on the mares’ faces start to turn from scornful to a more sympathetic tone as Knick Knack goes on. “I just couldn’t take it anymore, and I thought it was hopeless to even try. So I left to try and find someplace I could just be alone, and not have to worry about trying to make friends. When I found this bag, I thought I had finally been given my chance. I thought that if I could give anypony anything they wanted, or helped them in ways I never could before, then they’d maybe want to become friends. I guess it didn’t really work out the way I hoped, and instead I made all of you dislike me even more.”

“Why, I never would’ve thought. . .” says Applejack as she rubs the back of her head.

“Indeed,” Rarity adds. “I just feel terrible about this whole thing.”

“If you girls had just given Knick Knack here a chance, instead of making quick judgements, then maybe all of this could’ve been avoided,” says Fluttershy.

“Then, why did you have a go at my brother?” Applejack asks.

“He saw you lying on the ground, and he thought I was trying to cause trouble,” says Knick Knack. “I didn’t mean to hurt him or anything; I was just afraid, and I tried to think of a way to get out of the situation. I should’ve tried to explain myself better instead of making a joke of it, that’s when it got real bad. I’m sorry for what I did, and please, tell your brother I’m sorry too.”

“Will do, partner. I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have accused you of anything until I was sure.”

“Rarity? Pinkie Pie? I’m sorry I made a mess in your homes, I just didn’t know what else to do. I shouldn’t have tried to fight back. I relied on this bag so much that I just couldn’t give it up. I feel so stupid thinking it would’ve helped.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all, darling!” says Rarity. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“Yeah!” says Pinkie. “Besides, you made our party even more awesome than awesome can be!”

Knick Knack chuckles. “Thanks.” He then looks to Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Oh, no,” she says.

“I’m sorry I coated you in chocolate.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine—just don’t mention ‘anything’ about you-know-what!”

“Will do. . . And there’s one more thing I’d like to say.” Knick Knack retrieves the backpack from Fluttershy, and approaches Twilight. “It was wrong of me to take this bag without making sure it didn’t belong to anypony, and after you told me how important it was to you, I should’ve given it back right then and there; but I was just too stubborn.” He sets the bag down before Twilight’s hooves. “I’m so sorry for everything. . . I must’ve been a real headache, huh?”

Twilight smiles. “Just a little. Only a little.” Knick Knack raises an eyebrow, and Twilight chuckles as she rolls her eyes. “Okay, a big headache.” They both laugh, and Twilight levitates the backpack up off the ground with her magic. “I’m sorry too, I should’ve just tried talking it out with you like we are now. Just like when we spoke earlier. I didn’t react so aggressively until I saw you had my bag. Before that, I felt like I was talking to somepony completely different, not some cold-hearted thief.”

“Well, it sounds to me that all of you had something valuable to learn today,” says Princess Celestia. “And I’m happy to see that all of you were able to settle this all on your own. Knick Knack, thank you for returning this bag to us.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” says Knick Knack. “But I feel Fluttershy deserves all of the credit. She showed me what it’s like to actually make a friend, and it doesn’t take material things for that to happen.”

“Absolutely. Now, what are your future plans, Knick Knack?”

“Uh. . . Well, I guess I could just go back home; or maybe make my way to the next town.”

“Are you crazy?!” Pinkie Pie shouts.

“Why in the name of Equestria would you want to do that?” Rarity asks.

“I don’t know. I . . . I figure it might just be for the best.”

“An’ why in tarnation would ya think that?” Applejack asks.

“After all the trouble I’ve caused, and the mess I’ve made, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable staying here. I know all of you forgive me for it, and I’m grateful for that; but I really should go. Fluttershy showed me that it’s possible for me to make friendships, and I’m ready to carry on with that in mind. Wherever I end up, I’ll always have that knowledge with me.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Twilight asks. “This can be your home too, you know?”

“She’s got a point,” Rainbow Dash reassures.

“We can find you a cottage, and you won’t have to worry about travelling or food. Not only that, but you’ve already got a friend in all of us.”

“You’re right about that,” Applejack adds.

“Definitely, you mustn’t leave now,” says Rarity.

“You were the best clown ever!” Pinkie shouts.

“Do you really want to leave?” Fluttershy asks.

Knick Knack smirks as he is overwhelmed by their support. “I really—truly—appreciate your offer. I’ve never felt anything like this in my whole life. I can’t explain it, but it just wouldn’t feel right. Thank you all, but I just can’t.”

“Oh, come on!” Pinkie shouts in disappointment.

“Pinkie Pie, I just realized I’ve still got this shirt you lent me for my clown outfit—”

“Keep it! Just keep it!” she says melodramatically as she covers her eyes with her hooves.

“Well, if you’re sure that’s what you want. . .” says Twilight as she reaches inside the backpack, and pulls out a near identical bag. “Then you might as well take this.” She uses her magic to give the bag to Knick Knack, and he puts it on himself. “My name is Twilight, by the way.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Twilight. My name’s Knick Knack, but you already knew that, huh? You know, it’s funny. I never thought I’d say goodbye by introducing myself.” He chuckles. “Oh! You know Spike, don’t you? He spoke about you when I first met him.”

“Yes, I do. I’m not too sure where he is though.”

“Well, when you see him, let him know I said thanks for trying to help. He’ll know what I mean.”

“I’ll make sure I tell him.”

“So, this is goodbye I guess. . . Hey, maybe I’ll come and visit someday.”

“Please do, and if you ever change your mind, you’re always welcome to stay.”

“Good luck, Knick Knack,” says Princess Celestia. “Do be careful out there.”

“Thanks, Your Highness; and all of you, thanks again.”

As Knick Knack heads down the road out of Ponyville, he takes one last glance back. Twilight and the rest wave him goodbye, filled with mixed feelings. They’re happy that all their problems were solved, and lessons were learned, but watching their new friend leave sets a bitter feeling in their hearts. Even Knick Knack can’t help but feel the urge to turn back, however, he presses on. Headstrong and fearless for whatever he might run into next. Disheartened, everypony except for Twilight and Princess Celestia all head back to their homes. Princess Celestia puts her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, sensing the sadness within her. “Don’t let this hang over your head for too long, Twilight.” says Princess Celestia. “It was his decision to make.”

“If I hadn’t acted the way I did. He would’ve stayed.”

“Don’t blame yourself. It will only make this worse for you. Try and view this from a different perspective, the both of you learned valuable lessons today. See it as a good thing. I’ll leave you be, go and spend some time with your friends. Save the experimenting with the rucksack for later, there’s no need to rush. Take care of yourselves.” Princess Celestia returns to her carriage, and is carried off into the sky towards the mountains. Twilight lowers her head, and lumbers back towards her home.

“Twilight! Wait!” Pinkie calls as she trots toward Twilight.

“What’s the matter, Pinkie?”

“Here,” Pinkie holds out a pink, paper heart. “It’s the heart he stuck on your head back at the party. It had your name and some other stuff written on it, I figured you’d want to see it.”

“Thanks, Pinkie.”

“Do you think we’ll see him again?”

“I don’t know. . . Maybe.”

“Okay. . . Well, I’ll see you later, Twilight. Good luck with the backpack.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Pinkie hops back in the direction she came, and Twilight examines the paper heart. Suddenly, she hears the sounds of somepony panting, trying to catch their breath. She takes her eyes off the heart to see Spike dragging himself along the dirt.

“Twilight!” He calls. “I’ve finally . . . found you!” He then collapses, falling face-first onto the ground. “I’m late, aren’t I?” Spike asks with his voice muffled from speaking into the dirt.

“Unfortunately, yes. Knick Knack already left town. He said thanks for all your help.”

“Oh . . . what a swell guy.”

Twilight giggles. “You must be exhausted. Let’s go home and rest for a while. I think you could really use it.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Spike rolls over on his back. Twilight sees her name written on the surface of the paper heart, and flips it over to reveal even more writing. She curiously reads through it, and her cheeks instantly turn rosy. “What’s that. . ? Twilight?”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“What’s that you got?”

“It’s umm . . . just a note from a friend.” Twilight hides the heart behind her back with her magic.

“Yeah, sure. Come on, let’s go. I need a nap after a day like this.”

“I’ll meet you there, I just need a moment to myself.”

“Alright.” Spike gets to his feet and wearily starts walking back home. “I hope that guy comes back.”

“Me too, Spike. . .”

The End.

Chapter - 2 - Applejack

Exhausted from galloping, he slows down to catch his breath. Glancing back, he sees he’s gained a fair amount of distance between him and the spot he met Spike. While taking a moment to rest, he wonders if he made the right choice by leaving so suddenly. “I appreciate you trying to help, little dragon,” he mutters to himself. “But I need to keep moving. . . Although, I wish I had a map to help me avoid any more towns like this.” Knick Knack looks to the backpack he found on the ground, and reaches his hoof into it. “Maybe there’s something useful in this thing.” He is surprised to feel something inside, and pulls out his hoof to find just what he needed: a map of the surrounding area. “Huh. . . Well, that’s lucky. I wonder if there’s anything else in there.” He takes the rucksack off his back and sets it on the grass, lifting up the flap to peer inside. Disappointingly, he finds nothing else. He sighs as he raises his hoof to block to harsh sunlight. “If only I had a pair of—” His eyes are then drawn to the rucksack as a vibrant, blue-greenish light emanates from it. It twinkles as the hue becomes brighter for only a few moments before completely subsiding. Curiously, he reaches back inside, and is stunned to feel something has somehow appeared inside the bag. He pulls out his hoof, and gasps as he gapes at a new pair of sunglasses. “There’s no way. How—?” He sets down the sunglasses, and examines the bag in confusion. “Okay . . . how about a hat?” Anxiously, he reaches inside and pulls out the exact hat he had in mind. One after another, he pulls out object after object as his face lights up with pure joy. “This is incredible!” He frantically gets to his hooves. “It gives me anything I want! This . . . this could be my chance!” He grabs the rucksack and puts it back on him. “This could change everything for me! I can’t even begin to imagine the possibilities! But . . . where to begin?” He scans the area for a place to start, and his attention is caught by a bright, red barn sitting on a hilltop surrounded by fields of orchards. Knick Knack smiles as he dashes headfirst towards the barn.

Going through her daily routine of collecting apples from the trees, Applejack uses her hind legs to buck the trunks as apples come raining down into a large basket. She tips her hat and wipes the sweat from her forehead as she glances back at all the baskets she’s managed to fill so far. She turns back to pick up the basket she just filled, and is met by Knick Knack staring directly into her eyes. Applejack yelps and jolts from fear as she takes a few steps back while Knick Knack simply looks on with a gleeful expression. “Woo! Gave me a fright there, stranger!” Applejack greets with a laugh. “You sure snuck up on me real quiet-like. What brings ya here?”

“Oh! Forgive me, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Nah, it’s alright.”

“Well, I just . . . saw your barn and decided to stop by! I’m new around here, you see.”

“In that case, welcome to Ponyville! This here’s Sweet Apple Acres.”

“It’s a beautiful place.”

“Thanks! My name’s Applejack by the way.”

“It’s a pleasure! I’m Knick Knack!”

“Well, Knick Knack, welcome.” Applejack grabs the brim of the basket with her teeth, and hurls it into the air before landing right on her back. “So, is there somethin’ I can help you with?”

“Me? No. How about you? Did you need help with anything?”

“Uh . . . nothin’ I can think of right now; but boy, am I parched.”

“Oh! I have just the thing!” Knick Knack reaches into his backpack, and pulls out a glass of water as he holds it out to her.

“Well, I’ll be! You just happened to have a cup of water in there?”

“Gotta be prepared, right?”

“But wouldn’t it just . . . spill?”

“Oh, no. This bag’s got . . . special pockets inside for this type of thing.”

“Well, I ain’t complainin’.” Applejack accepts the glass of water from him, and drinks it down. “Ah, much better. I outta get me one ‘a those fancy bags.” She then pulls down the brim of her hat to help hide her face from the sunlight. “It’s a hot one out today, huh? I’d give anything for a dip in some ice cold water right now.”

“Hey! I can help with that too!”

“Whaddya mean?” Knick Knack reaches into his backpack, and pulls out a long, green water hose. “What the. . ? How did you—?” Before she can finish her question, icy cold water shoots out from the nozzle of the hose sending Applejack flying backwards.

“Is that better?!” Knick Knack asks as Applejack yells whilst flying through the air. She slams against the wall of the barn, and falls down into a puddle of water. “Too much, you think?!” Knick Knack rushes over to her giddy with excitement. She lifts her head up out of the water as her soaked mane droops down over her face.

“Look out everypony!” Applejack’s eyes swirl around from dizziness as she slurs her words. “The tide’s comin’ in!” Her head plops back down into the puddle, and Knick Knack puts his hoof under his chin from bewilderment.

“What in the. . ? Applejack!” Knick Knack turns to see a stallion rushing over to the now unconscious Applejack. “Just what have you done?! Who are you?” he asks vehemently.

“Well, which question would like answered first?” Knick Knack asks.

“Just tell me who you are!”

“O-Okay,” Knick Knack trembles. “I’m Knick Knack, and I was just trying to help.”

“What did you do? Hose her down?!”

“Pretty much. Hey, I guess it was a real ‘hose-down’. . . Get it? It’s kinda like hoedown, but I said hose-down instead.”

As Knick Knack nervously chuckles at his own joke, the stallion doesn’t appear to be amused. The stallion’s shadow looms over Knick Knack as his eyes widen and his body freezes in fear.

“Please! Don’t hurt me!” Knick Knack drops to the ground with his hooves covering his head. “I-It was only a joke!”

“Really now? I must’a missed the punchline!”

“Punchline?” Suddenly, a red, boxing glove launches out of his backpack by a metal spring, punching the stallion straight into his chest and sending him falling flat on his back with a grunt. Knick Knack sighs with relief, and Applejack is now lifting herself up and out of the puddle of water.

“Ugh, what . . . what happened?” Applejack mumbles. “Oh, no! Big Mac!” She scrambles to her hooves and rushes to the stallion’s aid. “What’s happened?!” Big Mac rubs his head with his hoof as he groans from the pain.

“That kid over there up an’ knocked the daylights outta me!” Big Mac claims.

“Really?” Applejack sneers and looks to Knick Knack with a glare.

“Uh-oh,” says Knick Knack, realizing the danger he is now in. Frantically, he gets up and gallops around the barn.

“Hey! Get back here!” Applejack and Big Mac chase after Knick Knack, and with one quick glance backward, he sees that they are closing the distance very quickly.

“Oh, come on! I’m gonna need a rocket to outrun these two!” Suddenly, the flap of the rucksack flies open, and a pair of thrusters deploys as they shake and rattle while smoke starts pouring out from the exhaust ports. “Uh . . . this might not have been a good idea!” Knick Knack shouts, immediately regretting his choice of words. The thrusters shoot out flames from the exhaust ports, and Knick Knack screams as he rises up off the ground and soars through the air. Applejack and Big Mac slow to a stop with their eyes glued to Knick Knack as he shoots across the sky.

“Applejack?” Big Mac asks.

“Yeah?” says Applejack

“How . . . how did he do that?”

“I don’t know, but I think there’s a certain somepony who might know a thing or two about that boy and that bag.”