An Eye for an Eye

Chapters

Magic Jammer
Dweller in the Depths
A Rival Appears!
Dragon Treasure
Emergency Provisions

Magic Jammer

An Eye for an Eye
Chapter 1

Lyra Heartstrings was running late. Her promise of returning home before dark lay in tatters, as did the brown paper bag that had once held her dinner. Once again, she and Bon Bon had ordered far too much take-out, and the flimsy bag had simply given way. The only consolation was that most of the containers hadn't come open, so they would at least have some food to eat that night.

"I wanted to cook," Lyra muttered to herself as she levitated yet another box of rice. It was a bit dented, but it would taste the same. "I offered, but no, Bon Bon's gotta have her weekly lo mein binge." The box flew over to a nearby bench, where Lyra had stacked the other containers she'd managed to recover. The unicorn gave it a thoughtful look, trying to remember what else had been in the bag.

"Speaking of which, where did that lo mein get to?" she wondered aloud. Powering up her horn, Lyra cast her magical light all around where she'd dropped the food, looking for the elusive noodles. "Ah, there you are!" Somehow, they'd wound up all the way across the street, underneath a table at a coffee shop. The lid had come off, and there were noodles everywhere. Lyra groaned; now she had to clean up this mess. As she steeled herself for the task ahead, she was distracted by movement to her left.

"Hello?" she called out, "Is somepony there?" Lyra peered into the night, trying to discern what had caught her attention. As far as she could tell, the streets were completely deserted. Ponyville wasn't exactly known for its nightlife, after all, and most ponies were at home, getting ready for bed. She was about to blow it off as just her imagination, when she saw it again. There, maybe a dozen paces away, stood what appeared to be a pony in a traveling cloak.

"Hello!" Lyra called again, much more warmly this time. The stranger didn't respond. In fact, upon closer inspection, the other pony looked to be off-balance, as though he (or she; at this distance, it was impossible to tell) might simply fall over at any time. "Are you alright?" Lyra asked, taking a few hesitant steps closer. As she did, the light from her horn began to illuminate the other pony, and Lyra suddenly recognized whom she was looking at.

"Trixie?" she exclaimed. Lyra's mind went into overdrive. What was Trixie doing back in Ponyville? Hadn't Twilight run her off? No, hang on, Twilight had claimed she was a better pony now. Something about an amulet?

Trixie, naturally, was unaware of the profound confusion she'd inspired in the mint-green unicorn. She didn't even seem to know where she was; her eyes were unfocused, staring blankly at the ground. The sound of her own name, however, made her ear twitch, and she raised her head to look at the mare standing dumbstruck before her.

"Help," she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper. Then she blacked out.

The next morning, in a library on the other side of town, two unicorns and a dragon were engaged in a bit of spellcasting practice. Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville's resident librarian, had found yet another collection of obscure magical texts, and had invited Rarity over to help her practice them. To be slightly more accurate, Twilight had called Rarity over to be her test subject, and after multiple assurances and much pleading, the fashionista had reluctantly agreed.

"Okay," Spike announced, moving down to the next item on Twilight's checklist. "Next up is magic cancelling. This is from Deffensyve Magicke, Vol. II, by Brick Wall."

The title and author, according to Twilight, helped her to organize the spells in her mind. This particular work, evidently issued for the Royal Guard some centuries ago, had mostly been various shield spells. Magic cancelling, or directly interfering with another unicorn's spellcasting, was right at the end of the book, buried in a chapter on maintaining the proper resolve in the face of danger. Anypony less devoted (less gracious ponies would say "obsessed") than Twilight would have missed it entirely.

"Ready, Rarity?" Twilight asked.

"What do I need to do?" responded Rarity, who was feeling anything but.

"Just use your magic," Twilight explained. "I'm going to try to block the energy from your horn so that it doesn't work."

"Right." Questions and concerns were still racing through her head, but Rarity pushed them aside. Twilight hadn't messed up a spell all morning. She was the most powerful and talented mage Rarity had ever known, after all. Sure, there had been a few mishaps over the years, what with accidentally making the parasprites into a building-devouring plague, brainwashing half of the town into fighting over a doll, that business with the narwhal... No. Twilight was her friend, and she had to trust in her friends.

"I'm ready," Rarity announced. Reasoning that the simpler the spell she used, the less chance there was of anything going wrong, she merely levitated one of the textbooks from the nearby table. It was a simple task to hold it in place just a few feet above the floor.

"Okay, here I go," Twilight said. The spell she was about to perform was, in theory, simple enough. It worked on the principle that a unicorn's magic was merely an extension of her will, given shape by her thoughts, projected by her horn, and empowered by the field of magic that filled every corner of Equestria. A failure of any one of these parts would make a spell fail, and that was where magic cancelling came in. A sufficiently skilled unicorn could temporarily seal another's horn so that it could not tap into the energy field, rendering him or her helpless. Twilight took a deep breath, gathered up her power, and, focusing on the blue aura of Rarity's telekinesis, blocked off her magic.

The book, in blatant defiance of Twilight's efforts, utterly failed to fall. Rarity's magic hadn't been disrupted in the slightest. The librarian blew out her breath in a huff. "Well, that didn't work," she said, annoyed. "Maybe if I..."

Twilight's second attempt met with similar lack of result, as did her third. A momentary falter on the fourth try bolstered Twilight's hopes, but it turned out to have only been because Rarity was distracted by Peewee, Spike's pet phoenix, landing on her head.

"Sorry about that," Spike apologized. "It's time for his morning snack. I guess I forgot to refill his dish, what with all the practice we've been doing." As he hurried into the kitchen, baby bird in tow, Twilight had an idea.

"Rarity," she asked, "could you put that book down for a moment? I need to check something."

"Of course," Rarity answered, setting it neatly back on the table.

"Thanks." She cast the cancellation spell again. This time, rather than trying to stop a spell already in progress, she would instead prevent it from being cast in the first place. "Okay, pick it back up again."

Rarity, slightly bemused, complied. With the ease of a lifetime of practice, she flared up her horn and lifted the book back into the air. Or at least she would have, had it not completely failed to respond to her magic. "That's odd," she muttered, before redoubling her efforts. As before, the book remained firmly attached to the table.

This turn of events was not lost on the young librarian. "It worked!" she declared happily. "Magic blocking. That's one more to check off."

"That's wonderful," Rarity said with remarkable calm, "but can you please un-block it? This is, as I'm sure you can imagine, rather inconvenient."

"Oh, right." Fortunately, ending the spell was much easier than casting it in the first place. After Rarity had made very sure that all her magic was back where it belonged, Twilight was ready to move on to the next spell on her list. Unfortunately, a knock at the door meant that "super-pollination" (from Genetically-Magicked Crops and You: Gardening for the Botanically Impaired) would have to wait.

"It's open!" Twilight called, turning around to see who her visitor was. She still didn't understand why everypony who came to the library insisted on knocking. It was a public building, or at least the first floor was. Sure, Twilight did live there, and even she sometimes treated the shelves of books as though they were her own private collection, but it had been a library since long before she'd moved in, and would continue to be one long after she'd gone.

"Twilight Sparkle?" a familiar stallion said as he stepped into the room. "I'm Doctor Stable, from Ponyville Hospital. I believe we've met before."

"Yes, I remember," Twilight replied. "When Rainbow Dash hurt her wing, wasn't it?"

"Ah, yes. You brought her in, I recall."

"It's good to see you again, Doctor. Are you here for a book?" she asked hopefully.

"No, I'm afraid," Stable answered. "Do you know a mare by the name of 'Trixie Lulamoon'?" At the mention of that name, Rarity, who had been occupying herself riffling through a book on the history of Canterlot, let out a sort of strangled cry, which devolved into a coughing fit. Twilight and Doctor Stable both looked at her questioningly, but she made a dismissive gesture and went back to her book.

Recovering from this unusual turn of events, Twilight said, "Well, I know a Trixie." She hadn't known her second name was Lulamoon, but "Trixie" was hardly a common name. "Why?"

"She was brought into the hospital last night, exhausted and severely dehydrated," Stable explained. "She's been asking for you since she woke up." He peered at the librarian curiously. "Are you a friend of hers?" That got another coughing fit from Rarity, but they both ignored it.

Twilight considered the question briefly. They'd last parted on good terms, sure, but they'd hardly had a conversation as anything other than antagonists. "You might say that," she answered.

"Well, when you have a moment, you might want to consider paying her a visit." Stable said. "She was very insistent that she get to talk to you."

"Yes, I'll do that," Twilight promised. "Thank you for letting me know."

"Not at all. Have a nice day."

"You too." When he was gone, Twilight turned back to Rarity, who was drinking from a glass of water Spike had brought her. "Sorry, but it looks like we'll have to cut things short," she said.

"No, no, it's fine my dear. You had better see what Trixie wants," Rarity replied. "If she's back in Ponyville, I seriously doubt it's anything good."

"Look, Trixie has told you, she's perfectly fine!"

"And I've told you that we can't let you go until your paperwork clears." Nurse Redheart, as with any hospital pony, loved to see her patients leave. When they walked out those doors, it meant that they were well again. They could go back to their families, their jobs, and their lives. It warmed her heart, and made her proud that she'd been able to lend her aid to making somepony well. This patient, though, she'd be glad to be rid of for another reason entirely.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has no time for such things!" Trixie declared, her voice filling the room as only a professional showmare's could. "She must speak with Twilight Sparkle immediately!"

"Doctor Stable said she was on her way," Redheart said, fighting to keep her face cheerful. "I'm sure she'll be here any minute."

"Hmph." Trixie crossed her forelegs over her chest. Apparently, from what the staff had told her, she collapsed in the middle of the street last night. Somepony—what was her name? Harpflings? No, Heartstrings—had brought her to the hospital. She'd been heading for Ponyville on a mission; she had urgent news, and it was imperative that Twilight Sparkle be told immediately. Unfortunately, these incompetent hospital ponies refused to listen to her, and instead she was stuck in this stupid cot, surrounded by sick ponies and the smell of disinfectant.

An announcement over the intercom snapped her out of her sulk. "Trixie Lulamoon, you have a visitor," came Stable's voice. Shortly afterwards, the door to Trixie's room opened, revealing exactly the unicorn she'd come to see.

"Thank Celestia," Redheart breathed. Turning back to Trixie, she said, "Well, I'll just leave the two of you alone then, shall I?" Without wasting another moment, she all but bolted for the door, giving a thankful nod as she passed Twilight in the doorway.

"Hello, Trixie," Twilight said, keeping her voice neutral. "Stable said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Twilight," Trixie replied. Upon seeing Twilight, she'd dropped her usual swagger. Now, her expression was not one of cocky confidence, but one of pleading, and maybe even a little fear. Twilight had never seen her like that before; it made her seem smaller, somehow. When she spoke next, she said only four words. Four little words that threw Twilight completely off balance, and made her think that maybe, just maybe, she should be afraid too.

Looking into Twilight's eyes, as sincere as she'd ever been, Trixie said, "I need your help."

Author's Note

I can't touch-type. Seriously, I can't do it. Stop touch-typing, dumb fingers, you're proving me wrong! Argh, nopony listens to me! I really hope I remember to delete this before I submit this chapter...

(The above is what happens when I hit a creative wall)

Dweller in the Depths

An Eye for an Eye
Chapter 2

"I need your help."

Trixie could only imagine what thoughts were racing through Twilight's head after this bombshell. Here was a mare who had, not two months ago, done her level best to humiliate and show up Twilight, now asking for her aid. Nopony who knew Trixie would have expected the normally-arrogant unicorn to ever resort to that. She'd even referred to herself in the first-pony!

Twilight, to her credit, recovered quickly. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"What do you know of the Seaponies' Tears?" Trixie asked in response.

Twilight frowned. "'The whispering spring, 'neath tall mountains pale, with power to cure near any an ail,'" she recited, quoting from an old poem. "Those Seaponies' Tears?"

"The same," Trixie confirmed.

"They're a legend. A fountain that can mend any injury and cure any disease," Twilight said, wondering where Trixie was going with this. "Nopony's believed in the Tears for decades."

This brought a smirk to Trixie's face. "Trixie thought they were a legend too, at first." She gestured for Twilight to come closer, then said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Then she found this." From within her traveling cloak, the showmare retrieved a small, battered book. The cover was simple wood and cloth, without even so much as a title or author to identify it. It couldn't have been more than a hundred pages long.

The librarian in Twilight nearly burst with excitement. By appearances, Trixie's little book was ancient, as evidenced by the yellowed pages and the quality of the binding. For it to have survived so long, somepony must have taken good care of it, which meant it was clearly important. It was all she could do not to rip it out of the other mare's telekinetic grip and bury herself in reading it. Somehow, though, she managed to restrain herself, waiting instead for Trixie's explanation.

For her part, Trixie didn't disappoint. "This book contains the life's work of famed artifact hunter Dowsing Rod. He traveled all over the world, chasing up every rumor he happened upon in the hopes of finding rare and powerful magics. Most of the time, of course, his searches were fruitless. Sometimes, though, he found exactly what he was looking for. When he did, he wrote it down in this little book. Everything's here: the Elements of Harmony, the Vanishing Stone, Neighgling..." She shifted uncomfortably under the thin hospital sheets, before adding in an apologetic tone, "It's where Trixie learned of the Alicorn Amulet."

Twilight had to hand it to Trixie; she knew how to get a pony's attention. It was probably only to be expected, given that she had made her living as a performer. "And this Dowsing Rod found the Seaponies' Tears?" she asked.

"He certainly seemed to think so," Trixie answered. She opened the book to a page near the end, before flipping back a few pages. "Here," she said, having found what she was looking for. "Read this."

Obligingly, Twilight took the book and looked at the passage Trixie had indicated. "'After a great deal of effort, I managed to break the seal on the passage,'" she read. "'Beyond it lay a massive cavern, the ceiling and floor covered in similarly-proportioned stalactites and stalagmites. A raised section of earth provided a safe—if rather unnerving due to its thinness—path to the center, and to the pool of water therein. It was an impressive sight, perfectly circular and measuring more than fifty feet across. I couldn't tell from the entrance of the cavern how deep it was; though the water was clear, I couldn't see the bottom. The pool glowed softly, as though lit from below, filling the cavern with an eerie light that shifted and shimmered as the water rippled. I could scarcely believe my eyes; the tip had paid off. Here, within my reach at last, was the object that had preoccupied my searching for more than four years:

"'The Seaponies' Tears,'" Twilight and Trixie finished in unison. The latter took her book back and stashed it in her cloak again, as though fearful that somepony else might find it. "So you see," she said, "the Tears are real. What's more, this book tells how to find them."

"Uh-huh," Twilight said, unconvinced. Even if this book really belonged to Dowsing Rod, and his account was true, and he'd accurately explained how to follow in his hoofsteps, it didn't prove that what he'd found was the genuine article. Equestria was full of magical hotspots, after all; a glowing pool at the bottom of a cave, though unusual, was far from impossible. Still, Twilight wasn't ready to dismiss the story completely. If the Tears could be found, their potential for good would be almost unparalleled. "And how do I play into this?" she asked.

Trixie's answer was interrupted by the return of Nurse Redheart. "Trixie," she said, barely keeping the relief out of her voice, "your paperwork cleared. You're free to go."

The showmare reacted immediately, throwing off her sheets and hopping down to the floor. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "Trixie has been stuck here for far too long." Turning to Twilight, she said, "Is there somewhere we can talk more privately? Trixie will explain everything, but this information is sensitive."

Twilight briefly toyed with the idea of simply walking away. It would certainly be the simplest option. Of course, she couldn't deny her curiosity, and she knew that if she turned Trixie down she'd never stop wondering. "Come on," she said, making for the door. "We'll go to the library."

The trip across Ponyville was largely uneventful. The sight of Trixie walking through town made a few ponies double-take, but seeing that Twilight was with her evidently quelled their concerns. It probably helped that, after Trixie's disastrous last visit, during which she'd turned the quiet town into a megalomaniacal dictatorship, Twilight had explained to them that she hadn't been in control of her actions. They'd accepted that explanation, mercifully, but more than a few weren't happy to see her again.

Finally, the pair reached the library. Twilight entered first, with Trixie following closely behind, looking nervously around to make sure they hadn't been followed. "Spike!" Twilight called. "I'm back!"

The young dragon didn't answer. Twilight wondered if he'd stepped out; while Spike didn't normally leave the library unattended, he certainly had his own life outside of their common circle of friends. Her pondering was interrupted by an observation from Trixie: "Twilight, there's a note here for you."

Twilight turned to where the showmare was standing; sure enough, on the lectern she normally used for writing her various essays, there was a folded piece of paper with her name written on it. She recognized the elegant, swooping script as Rarity's, and trotted over to read it. Evidently, after she had helped Spike and Owloysius clean up after their interrupted training session, Rarity had returned to her shop. "Oh, and don't worry about Spike; he ever so kindly offered to lend me a helping hoof. Well, claw, but you know what I mean. I'll keep him occupied while you deal with whatever Trixie wanted. I'd tell you to watch out for her, but I have no doubt you know that already. Ta, Rarity."

Well, that answered that question, at least. Replacing the letter on the lectern, Twilight turned back to Trixie, who had been impatiently waiting for her to finish. "Well, we're here," she said. "Now, what's so important that you couldn't tell me at the hospital? And why were you so desperate to see me?"

Instead of directly answering Twilight's question, Trixie said, "Let Trixie finish the story first. Then you'll understand why she needs your help." She cleared her throat, before launching into her narrative once more. "So yes, Dowsing Rod did eventually find the Seaponies' Tears. For some reason, though, he never told anypony. In fact, he went so far as to seal up the cave so it couldn't be found by anypony but him."

"So he wanted to keep them to himself," Twilight said, not seeing the point. It was only natural, if perhaps a bit cynical, that a pony who found such a powerful artifact would guard it jealously.

Trixie shook her head. "He discovered that the Tears held a terrible curse."

Everypony who knew Pinkie Pie was familiar with her so-called "Pinkie Sense". Somehow, she could predict arbitrary events to come in the immediate future. Mostly it was just small things, like when a flowerpot was about to fall from an open window, or which color of frosting the next customer was going to order. At first, Twilight had been skeptical; no magic could do that, especially not any that an earth pony could do. Evidence began to stack up, and Twilight had decided to figure out what was going on. Eventually, after much pain and embarassment, she'd come to accept that yes, Pinkie could predict the future. She still had no idea how it worked, of course. Strangely, however, as soon as the word "curse" left Trixie's lips, Twilight could have sworn she'd just developed a "Twilight Sense" of her own.

"Let me guess," Twilight said resignedly, knowing exactly what Trixie would say next. "There's some kind of ancient evil sealed away within the Seaponies' Tears, and, according to some ancient prophecy, it's going to break free soon if we don't stop it."

For the first time in quite a while, Trixie found herself at a loss for words. "How did you know that?" she asked, bewildered by this sudden turnaround.

"After the fourth time or so, you get a feel for this kind of thing," Twilight answered. If it wasn't Nightmare Moon, it was Discord, or King Sombra, or whatever villain had its sights on Equestria this time. Somehow, it always seemed to come down to Twilight and her friends to save the day—not that she would ever complain about it, of course. She was, after all, the Bearer of the Element of Magic, and Princess Celestia's personal protege to boot; epic adventures and the constant threat of danger came with the territory. She sighed. "I'll start packing."

Trixie was, once again, taken completely by surprise. She'd fully expected Twilight to shoot her down outright; she was asking her to leave home for an unspecified amount of time based on little more than rumor and speculation, all without any promise of reward. In the hundred times she'd run through this conversation in her head, not once had she considered that the librarian might actually volunteer to join her. All her carefully-crafted arguments had been for naught.

Twilight's voice snapped Trixie back to reality. "So, where did Dowsing Rod find the Tears anyway?" she asked, sorting through a stack of maps and travel guides. "They were in some sort of cave, right?"

"Right," Trixie confirmed. "Dowsing's notes mention a forest trail, leading to a cave at the base of a mountain. Unfortunately, they don't say which forest, or which mountain."

"Why not?"

"How should Trixie know?" asked the showmare, exasperated. "Maybe he didn't want somepony else to steal his credit, or maybe he was just lost at the time. Anyway, Trixie managed to narrow it down to either the Everfree Forest or somewhere near Hollow Shades. She tried to find it in the Everfree, but..."

"You went into the Everfree Forest by yourself?" Twilight asked. Nopony with any sense tried something like that. The Everfree Forest was dangerous on a good day, with unpredictable weather, wild magic, and a blatant refusal to make sense. Then there were the creatures who called it home; timberwolves, parasprites, cockatrices, and things ponies didn't even have names for lurked under its sinister canopy. In short, it wasn't a nice place.

Trixie at least had the sense to look embarrassed. "Well, yes," she admitted. "It's why Trixie ended up in that horrible hospital." That wasn't the full story, of course. What Trixie would never tell anypony, least of all Twilight Sparkle, was that she'd become completely lost almost as soon as she'd entered the forest. Nearly two days later, desperately thirsty and scared for her life, Trixie had managed to stumble across Ponyville. That wasn't the sort of thing that reflected kindly on a pony as amazing as her, so she kept it quiet.

Fortunately, Twilight didn't press her for a further explanation. "So we still don't know if the Tears are in there," she said. "We'll never search the whole forest ourselves. It'd be way too dangerous." She frowned, rubbing a forehoof against her chin thoughtfully.

"Do you have a map of the forest?" asked Trixie.

"No," Twilight answered. "Nopony's ever managed to explore it all." If only they had another clue, some lead to point them in the right direction. Really powerful magic, the kind that would indicate the presence of an artifact like the Tears, always left traces. Stories grew around them, superstitions and folklore from ponies who didn't know what they were looking at. The problem was that nopony went into the Everfree at all; there weren't any stories, because there weren't any ponies who could tell them.

Wait, no ponies? "That's it!" Twilight exclaimed, her sudden outburst making Trixie jump. "I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!"

"Think of what?"

"I know where we can start looking," the librarian answered. "Come on; we're going to see Zecora."

Author's Note

Sweet Merciful Celestia, that's a wall of exposition. Not much happens, event-wise at least, in this chapter. The real action begins in chapter 3.

Fun fact: As before, I have codenamed all the characters I have used/will use in this story. M-Low, V-Win, and B-Rag make a return appearance, with newcomers D-Tof, H-Cap, N-Rim, and L-Sym having shown up so far. There are references to other ponies as well, but I'm only counting ponies who have had a direct appearance in the story.

A Rival Appears!

An Eye for an Eye
Chapter 3

The two ponies made a strange pair. One, the mare, was a short and stocky earth pony. The other, the stallion, was a tall, thin unicorn. She had a coat of dark, rich brown, while his was a bright, gleaming white. Her hair was short and unkempt, in contrast to her companion's middling, meticulously-maintained mane. Where she was bereft of adornment, content in her own skin and coat, he wore a long tailcoat of black silk, expensively tailored and perfectly clean. It was the same silk, in fact, that comprised the eyepatch over his right eye, which didn't quite manage to totally conceal the trio of long, ragged scars running down the side of his face.

In short, had anypony been looking as the pair disembarked the train in Ponyville Station, she might have been forgiven for thinking they'd simply had the misfortune of sharing a train car. She would never have guessed that they were, in fact, working together, and had been for some time. Of course, such guessing was nothing more than hypothetical, as none of the ponies at the station gave the two new arrivals more than a passing glance. Ponyville was, after all, more than accustomed to strangers.

This was partly because nopony could ever be stranger than the bright pink mare currently pronking[1] towards the station at an alarming rate. Pinkie Pie, first assistant baker at Sugarcube Corner, professional party planner, and Bearer of the Element of Laughter, had been tasked by Mrs. Cake with the retrieval of a shipment of various confectionery supplies. It wasn't due to arrive for another hour, but Pinkie never tired of seeing all the new faces coming and going through the Central Equestrian Railway Network. New faces like the aforementioned unicorn and earth pony, who had just retrieved their modest luggage when Pinkie reached their platform.

"Hi!" greeted the baker, having made a beeline for the pair the moment she'd spotted them. "I'm Pinkie Pie, and I'd like to be the first to personally welcome you to Ponyville!"

The mare eyed this strange, new arrival with something like alarm, though any real suspicion she would have felt was swept away by the pink pony's ridiculously cheerful demeanor. "What are you, the tourism bureau?" she asked.

Before Pinkie could answer, the mare's companion spoke up. "Now, Glimmer, where are your manners?" he chided, his voice carrying a refined accent that Rarity would have recognized as Received Pronunciation. Turning to Pinkie, he said, "Please forgive my friend here; she and courtesy had a falling out in her youth, and they've yet to make amends. I am Sir Hammer, and this—" he gestured to the mare "—is my longtime companion Glimmer. It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Pinkie Pie." He reached out a forehoof to shake, which Pinkie took enthusiastically.

"It's great to meet you too, Mister Hammer," she said.

"Sir," Glimmer muttered tersely.

"Don't be silly," Pinkie giggled, "I'm not a knight. I'd be a 'Dame' anyway, not a 'Sir'!" As Glimmer looked on dumbfounded, she changed the subject. "So, how long are you in Ponyville for?"

"Well, that rather depends," Hammer answered.

"On what?"

"On how long you plan to keep shaking my hoof."

Pinkie looked down. Sure enough, she was still gripping Sir Hammer's foreleg between both of her own, pumping it up and down rapidly. "Oopsie," she said, "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, genuine amusement in his voice. A thought occurred to him, and his tone became slightly more serious. "Actually, might you be able to assist us? We're looking for a certain pony, one we believe is currently in Ponyville."

"Oh, sure!" Pinkie said happily. "I know everypony in Ponyville! Who are you looking for?"

Hammer opened his mouth to answer, but Glimmer cut him off. "What are you doing?" she demanded, glaring at her companion.

"I'm asking for help from a friend," Hammer answered. "We'll never find her by ourselves, not in a town this size." Addressing Pinkie again, he asked, "Have you seen a unicorn by the name of Trixie?"

Somehow, Pinkie managed to beam even brighter. Hearing this new pony call her a friend had made her so euphoric she nearly missed the question that followed. Focus, Pinkie, she berated herself, friends don't ignore friends in need. "Trixie?" she repeated, puzzled. "Why would Trixie be in Ponyville again?"

"What do you mean, 'again'?" Glimmer asked. "She's been here before?"

"Oh sure, a couple of times. She wasn't very nice." Pinkie reflected on those words for a second, before remembering something else. "Oh," she added quickly, "but Twilight says she's a good pony now!" Hopefully she hadn't led her new friends into thinking that she didn't like Trixie. If they were Trixie's friends, then that would be a bad impression to give.

"So, do you know if she's here now?" Hammer asked. He didn't seem to have noticed Pinkie's slip, much to her relief.

"No, sorry," she answered. "Unless she just showed up last night or this morning, I don't think she's in town."

Hammer nodded in acknowledgement, his mouth pressing into a slightly disappointed frown. "That's rather unfortunate news. We'd heard she was heading this way." He pondered this development briefly, eventually saying, "Well, I suppose there's nothing to lose by checking around. If she were somewhere in Ponyville, where do you think she would be?"

Pinkie rubbed her chin with a hoof thoughtfully. "If she's performing, she'd probably be in the town square. I didn't see her on the way over, though, unless she was invisible, in which case I wouldn't have been able to see her anyway. If she came to see Twilight, she'd probably be at the library. That's where I'd look. Though she might be invisible there, too, so you'd have to look really hard."

"The library, you say?" Hammer asked. "And where might this library be?"

"It's just a couple streets over on the far side of the market," Pinkie answered. "It's the giant tree; you can't miss it."

"The library is a giant tree? You mean it's shaped like one?"

"No, silly, it is a giant tree. Twilight says it's enchanted so that it can still grow with all the rooms carved into it."

"Fascinating," Hammer mused. "The amount of magic required for a life-sustaining spell big enough for a tree would be enormous. Especially if it had to be flexible enough to allow for new growth..."

"Hammer," Glimmer interjected, "we should really get a move on. We know where we need to go, so let's stop wasting time."

Hammer sighed, his good eye closing as he did. "You're right, as ever." Looking at Pinkie again, he said, "I do apologize for having to say goodbye so soon. Talking to you has been... interesting, to say the least. We shall have to do it again sometime." He tilted his head forward in a shallow bow, before saying, "Have a lovely day, Pinkie Pie." With that, he and Glimmer turned to exit the station, leaving behind a happily waving earth pony and a few amused passersby.

Trixie was profoundly uncomfortable. Here she was, a talented and powerful unicorn, sitting in a dinky hut in the middle of a creepy forest with the pony who'd bested her twice and the zebra who'd helped her to do it the second time. Sure, she and Twilight were almost friends now, and yes, Zecora had welcomed them both warmly into her home, but the entire situation felt awkward and unpleasant. Fortunately, as a longtime performer, Trixie had years of experience working under pressure. Not even a twitch of her ear betrayed her discomfort.

Even so, it was probably just as well that Twilight had taken the initiative, explaining their situation to Zecora quickly and succintly. The zebra listened intently, taking occasional sips from a cup of strong-smelling tea. She'd offered some to both of them, but while Twilight had accepted it gratefully, Trixie didn't trust the dark, mysterious brew. When the librarian had finished her story, Zecora remained silent for a long moment afterwards.

"I know indeed of the object you seek," she said eventually, "the waters that heal the sick and the weak."

"You do?" Twilight asked excitedly. "Where—"

Zecora held up a forehoof, stalling the librarian's questions. "You want to know where the Tears hide away, but heed my words before you rush into the fray. The gift of endless health and life can only bring ponies to pain and strife. There is a reason the fountain was hidden; some things are better when they are forbidden."

Twilight nodded in acknowledgement. Trixie had told her about the curse on the Seaponies' Tears, and this only confirmed it. "We don't want the Tears for ourselves," she said. "We want to make sure they stay sealed away."

"There is wisdom in you beyond your life's seasons," Zecora replied, relief clear in her voice. "I am glad you are acting on selfless reasons."

"Well, that's lovely," Trixie snapped, her impatience and discomfort finally getting the better of her. "Trixie is glad to see that we have your approval. Now, do you know where the Tears are or not?"

The zebra remained infuriatingly calm, her only response being to take another sip of her drink. Trixie was beginning to think she was deliberately winding her up, and was just about to make another outburst when the zebra finally spoke again.

"You came here so you could ask me if the Tears are in the Everfree," Zecora said. "Were you to search these woods, it would do you no good. Many moons I have spent learning this forest's ways; not much that goes on here escapes from my gaze." She shook her head solemnly. "As to where they might indeed be found, I fear you may as well ask the ground. The Tears have been lost for centuries; they will not reveal themselves with ease."

"Well, some help you turned out to be," Trixie muttered, earning herself a sharp glare from Twilight.

"Thank you Zecora," said the librarian, "you've been more than helpful."

"The pleasure is mine, Twilight and friend," Zecora replied warmly. "In your quest I wish you a happy end." As her guests said their goodbyes and stood to leave, she added, "Do say hello to Fluttershy for me, and tell her she's welcome to visit for tea. It's been far too long since I've talked with that mare, but whenever I'm in town it seems she's not there."

Twilight chuckled. Fluttershy wasn't one to leave her cottage unless it was absolutely necessary, so it wasn't surprising that Zecora hadn't seen her. "I'll tell her," she promised. "Thanks again for your help."

1: pronking: form of terrestrial locomotion among certain quadrupeds, characterized by a series of springing jumps or hops with all four limbs leaving the ground simultaneously (pronking, see also stotting or pronging)

Dragon Treasure

An Eye for an Eye
Chapter 4

"So, you mean to tell Trixie that you are not only Princess Celestia's student, but her pen pal as well?" Trixie bore an incredulous expression, evidently not convinced by Twilight's story. It had started simply enough; Twilight had started to outline their plan of action for when they returned to the library. Then she'd made an offhoof remark about sending a letter to Princess Celestia detailing the situation, to which Trixie had responded with a barrage of questions. Eventually, the librarian had caved, explaining how she'd come to be accepted as the personal student of one of the two most powerful and respected ponies in all of Equestria.

"I'm not her pen pal," Twilight scoffed. "We just keep up a regular written correspondence."

"That's what a pen pal is," Trixie countered.

"I'm her personal protege," Twilight insisted. "She's tasked me with reporting to her the lessons I learn about friendship. It's a very serious assignment."

"Right, right. It'd be a shame to disappoint your pen pal."

"She's not—" Twilight began, before realizing that Trixie was deliberately winding her up. The magician had a teasing smirk on her face, obviously pleased at the reaction her words were getting. Twilight took a deep breath, determined not to let Trixie get the best of her. When she felt sufficiently collected, she said, "Anyway, after I've sent that letter to the Princess, we'll just need to pack. I don't know how long we'll be, so it would be best to grab some overnight gear. There's a tent and some sleeping bags in the basement, along with some other supplies. I'll also look up the train schedule, to see when the next train leaves for Hollow Shades. Assuming they leave every couple of hours, we should have about—"

"Twilight," Trixie interrupted, a wary edge to her voice, "are you expecting company?"

With a start, Twilight realized she and Trixie had already reached the library. She was further surprised to notice some rather loud conversation coming from within. "No," she answered. "But it's a public library; Spike must've reopened when he got back from Rarity's." She kept walking, but when her companion didn't immediately follow, she asked, "Trixie, what's going on? You've been anxious and jumpy ever since we left Zecora's."

"Hmm?" Trixie replied, distracted. "Oh, it's... it's nothing. Trixie had a rough night, that's all."

Twilight sighed. "Trixie, I'm taking a pretty big leap of faith in trusting you right now. I hope you appreciate that. If there's something you're not telling me..." She left her words hanging, the implication clear.

"Look, let's just say that Trixie will be happiest when all this is over."

That did little to assuage Twilight's doubt, but she pushed it aside for the moment. There would be plenty of time for a heart-to-heart once the threat of the Tears had been dealt with. "Fine," she said. "Come on, we've lost enough time as it is."

Most of Ponyville's residents held a positive view of Spike the dragon. He was friendly and cheerful most of the time, and could generally be trusted to lend a helping claw. Twilight may have been Golden Oaks' official librarian, but those who frequented the building knew it was Spike's constant diligence that kept all the books on the shelves and the dirt off the floor. He was a decent cook, and his penmanship was peerless. Sure, he liked to sleep late, and he had a few bad qualities—his appetite for gems was excessive even by dragon standards, and there was that time he'd destroyed half the town—but nobody was perfect.

More importantly, if not to Ponyville then to Equestria at large, Spike had connections. Partly because he'd been raised by Princess Celestia herself, and partly because dragons were so rare, Spike was a minor celebrity among the elite of Equestria. He knew his way around the world of high culture and famous names, and had learned over time how to spot an important pony. Thus, when he'd seen Sir Hammer at the library door, he'd immediately judged him as a pony of some distinction, likely from an old family, and, most importantly, probably wealthy enough to afford the tastiest of jewels.

Working on that basis, Spike had welcomed him and his companion in warmly, offered them drinks, and engaged in pleasant conversation. By his reckoning, if he could make a good enough impression, Hammer might see fit to keep in touch with the young dragon. A few carefully dropped hints, maybe a promise of an introduction to somepony famous, and he could be looking at a whole new stream of gems.

By the time Twilight and Trixie returned to the library, Spike had managed to get Hammer talking about his hometown of Trottingham. Specifically, the weather.

"Bipolar, I'd call it," he said. "It'll be clear one minute and chucking it down the next. And don't get me started on the weather teams."

"What's wrong with the weather teams?" Spike asked, grinning.

"Oh, what isn't? There's no consistency, they can't keep to a schedule, and nopony seems to have any idea how to work together." Despite his words, Hammer's tone made it clear that his complaints were in good humor. "I mean, you'll get one team bringing in a cloud bank from the north, only to have the next team clearing it away because they don't like the shapes. For once, you Equestrians actually have it right; there's that committee, what was it? The Cloudsdale something?"

"The Cloudsdale Climate Council," Glimmer offered. She hadn't participated much in the conversation, instead looking over the bookshelves with an air of disinterest. Obviously, she'd heard this particular rant before.

"Yes, thank you. That's what we need in Trottingham: some real organization."

Had Twilight been listening for a moment to appear, she couldn't possibly have found a better one. Unfortunately, the thick, wooden walls of the library made it hard for sound to get through clearly in either direction. Besides, Twilight didn't care for grand entrances, and hadn't been paying attention to the conversation anyway. Thus, her entrance at that particular moment, though dramatically perfect, was entirely coincidental.

"Spike," Twilight announced, "we're back."

"Hey, Twilight," Spike greeted, looking over Hammer's shoulder. "Hi, Trixie." It was several moments before what he'd just said sank in, but when it did, it was with a double-take, a flinch, and a panicked exclamation of, "Trixie!?"

Trixie winced. The last time she and Spike had met, Trixie had been under the influence of the Alicorn Amulet. She didn't like to be reminded of what she'd done during that time. "Hello," she said, rather sheepishly.

That was about when Trixie noticed the other two ponies in the library. More worryingly, she noticed the intense, evaluating looks they were fixing her with. "Did you say, 'Trixie'?" Hammer asked.

There was a moment of silent suspense. Spike, thankfully, recovered first, and had the presence of mind to defuse the situation. "Right," he said, "introductions. Hammer, Glimmer, this is Twilight Sparkle and—" he faltered briefly— "Trixie. Twilight, Trixie, meet Sir Hammer and Glimmer." He gestured to each pony in turn, and they exchanged polite greetings and hoofshakes.

Introductions out of the way, Twilight asked, "So, where are you from? I haven't seen you around town before."

"I imagine not," Hammer answered jovially. "As I was explaining to Spike here, Glimmer and I are from Trottingham. We heard of a possible business venture in town and thought it best to, shall we say, 'explore' it. Funnily enough, it concerns that mare behind you."

"Trixie?" Trixie said, surprised. "You came here all the way from Trottingham to talk to Trixie?" She wasn't sure whether to be worried or flattered. Sir Hammer seemed friendly enough on the surface, but she definitely didn't like the look Glimmer was giving her. She felt like she was being sized up, the way she might gauge an apple's worth at the market.

"Well, not directly. You're not an easy mare to track down, Miss Trixie. But yes, we did come to see you. Or rather," he corrected, "to see that little book in your pocket."

"What?" Twilight and Trixie asked in unison. Trixie instinctively reached for her cloak, to check that Dowsing Rod's book was still there. Twilight focused on Hammer, her expression one of intense suspicion.

"Oh, good," Hammer said, "you do have it."

"How do you know about that?" Twilight demanded.

This time, Glimmer spoke up, cutting off Hammer's reply. "That's not important. Dowsing Rod's journal is the property of the Hammer estate, and we demand that you return it at once."

"Trixie never stole anything," Trixie said, angrily, "if that's what you mean. Trixie bought the book in a curiosity shop in Vanhoover. It belongs to her."

"Vanhoover?" Hammer repeated, surprised. "Really? So that's where the old bugger ended up." He shook his head wistfully, and said, "Dowsing Rod was my great-great-granddad. My own granddad used to tell me stories about him, and how he was always going off on wild adventures, raving about the new discovery he'd made."

"I'm sorry," Twilight said, "but we can't give you back your great-great-grandfather's book just yet. You see—"

"How much?" Glimmer interrupted.

"Um, what?"

"For the book," Glimmer said, as though it should have been obvious. "How much do you want?"

"It's not about money," Twilight answered, slightly insulted.

"Well then, what would convince you?" Hammer asked. He still hadn't dropped his light, conversational tone. "I am quite determined, you see."

Trixie believed him. He'd obviously put a lot of effort, and probably money, into tracking her down. Somehow, she doubted he'd be dissuaded by a simple refusal. Maybe, though, there was another way. "What do you want it for?" she asked.

Her question had been addressed to Hammer, but it was Glimmer who replied, "That's none of your business."

"Now, now," Hammer chided gently, "it's a fair question." To Trixie, he answered, "I trust you've read the book, yes? You've seen the way Dowsing Rod loved finding old artifacts? Well, the way my granddad tells it, in the last years of his life, Dowsing Rod became obsessed with a certain magical relic. A way to live forever, he called it. The Seaponies' Tears."

"Of course," Twilight groaned. How could it have been anything else? "So, you want to find the Tears as well?"

"Well, yes, I—what do you mean, 'as well'? Why do you want the Tears?"

"They're cursed," Twilight answered simply. "Trixie and I want to make sure they stay sealed away. And you want them because...?"

"Well, if what you say is true, then my reasons are rather irrelevant, don't you think?" Hammer put a hoof to his chin thoughtfully. "This is quite a development. What makes you so sure there's a curse?"

Twilight deferred to Trixie, who answered, "Dowsing Rod found the Tears, but he also found something else. Something much worse. His book doesn't go into specifics, but whatever it was, it really scared him."

Hammer sighed. "So be it. I had hoped..." he trailed off, his cheerful demeanor fading for the first time. He recovered quickly, apparently coming to a decision. "Very well," he announced. "You say you want to seal away the Tears? Then allow Glimmer and myself to assist you. What do you say?"

"Um," Twilight said, taken aback. By the expressions on the other mares' faces, she wasn't the only one surprised by Hammer's offer. "You want to help us?"

"Why not?" Hammer replied. "It was my great-great-grandfather who uncovered the Tears, so it's only fitting that I help to seal them away. Besides," he added, "if there's any chance he was wrong about the curse, well, all the better. So, will you allow us to accompany you?"

"Well, I guess I don't have any objections," Twilight answered. "Trixie? What do you think?"

Trixie hesitated. She still wasn't sure she trusted these strange ponies. Still, she couldn't really argue with Hammer's reasons, and it would probably be best to have another few helping hooves. "Alright," she said eventually, "Trixie will allow them to come."

Author's Note

--End of Act 1--

Emergency Provisions

An Eye for an Eye
Chapter 5

In a private booth on the Friendship Express, Twilight Sparkle fumed. They were more than an hour late already, and they'd barely even set off. Even with Twilight's obsessive need to plan for every eventuality, the four ponies should have had ample time to reach the train station. They'd packed all of Twilight's and Trixie's gear—Hammer and Glimmer, not expecting to be embarking on an expedition, hadn't brought much more than their toiletries; they would be purchasing their other necessities in Hollow Shades—and were making good progress. Then, of course, Hammer had made an idle comment about not wanting to eat on the train, which Spike somehow overheard. The dragon, in a final, transparent attempt to curry Hammer's favor, had insisted on making lunch for the group.

As they were finally leaving the library, Spike had taken Twilight aside to ask if she might drop a few hints about his love of gems to Hammer. The way things were going, though, the only thing Twilight was likely to drop was a ton of bricks onto his head. Twilight understood, of course, that the delay wasn't strictly Sir Hammer's fault. That didn't stop her from glaring across their booth at him, nor from muttering darkly under her breath.

As the train rumbled across the landscape, the silence in the booth transitioned from uncomfortable to downright hostile. Hammer was doing his best to hide from Twilight's glare, with only limited success given the confines of the room. Glimmer, next to him, sat stoically, seemingly unfazed by her companion's discomfort. Across from her, Trixie was desperately trying to think of a way to defuse the situation. It was, in a way, her expedition; she couldn't help but feel obligated to mediate her team's conflict. Anything she could think to say, however, was likely to only make things worse.

Mercifully, a knock at the booth's door came to her rescue. It slid open, revealing a stocky pegasus mare in a conductor's uniform. "Tickets, please," she announced, holding out a forehoof expectantly. Twilight finally broke off her glare, turning her attention to retrieving her ticket. Now finally freed, if only temporarily, Hammer relaxed, and pulled out his own pass from his tailcoat.

"Here you are," he said, around the slip of paper in his mouth. The conductor took it, punched it, and returned it with practiced ease, and waited for the next ticket. This turned out to be Trixie's, followed by Twilight's and Glimmer's. The conductor repeated the process for all three, then, assured that everything was in order, moved down to the next booth.

For the first time since they'd all boarded the train, the immense tension in the air lessened slightly. It wasn't much, but it was all Trixie needed. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" she said, raising the pitch of her voice slightly in an imitation of the conductor. It was a reference to one of the most famous book series ever written, and Trixie hoped it would help to lighten the mood.

Twilight snorted. That wasn't surprising; Twilight read everything she could get her hooves on, so there was no way she'd miss a reference like that. Hammer took it a bit further than a snort, though. He put on a dejected expression, spoiled slightly by how he was obviously straining not to laugh. "No thanks; I'm all set," he said, miming pulling out a roast barley sandwich.

Glimmer decided to get in on the fun as well. Dropping her voice to a more masculine tone, she announced, "We'll take the lot."

Not even Twilight's grumpiness could survive that, and she burst out laughing. That set off Hammer, who'd been the closest to breaking already, and soon all four ponies were in stitches. They soon began to calm down, but then Twilight said, in a high-pitched, authoritarian tone, "Excuse me, have you seen a toad? A colt called Neighville's lost one," and they all started right up again.

Finally, breathlessly, the ponies managed to bring themselves back to sanity. When silence settled again, it was cheery and companionable, rather than awkward.

It was late afternoon by the time Twilight and company disembarked in Hollow Shades Station. They wasted no time in leaving the platform, trotting quickly into the main station building. As soon as they were indoors, Twilight took the lead. "Right," she announced, "does everypony know what they're doing?"

"Glimmer and I will pick up the gear we need, as well as enough food to last a few days," Hammer volunteered.

"Good. Remember, it's a full day's hike to the Foal Foothills, and that's if we don't run into any delays. Then we need to actually find this cave, and we only have a general idea of where it is. Five days' food, minimum."

"I know," Hammer answered, with the long-suffering air of a Colt Scout with an overly protective mother. "You said so several times on the train."

Twilight turned to Trixie. "What about you?" she asked.

Trixie sighed inwardly. "You and Trixie will pair up," she intoned. "We will inform the local authorities of our task, and enlist any help or information they might be able to provide."

"And?"

"And Trixie will aid you in securing lodgings for tonight, as –" she changed her tone to an imitation of Twilight's lecturing "– 'it would not be wise to set hoof in the forest after dark without reason.'"

Twilight nodded. Addressing Hammer and Glimmer, she said, "Meet outside the station before sundown. That's a little less than three hours from now. Anything we don't get done tonight, we'll have to do in the morning. Try not to let it come to that." Twilight's tone made it perfectly clear that anypony who left a task to be done in the morning would feel the purple unicorn's unbridled wrath.

Hammer bowed, slightly more deeply than necessary. "I shall not fail you," he pronounced dramatically, before making an about-face and striding towards the nearest exit. "Come along, Glimmer," he called over his shoulder. Glimmer rolled her eyes, but she trotted quickly after him to catch up.

Twilight watched them go, a slightly bemused expression on her face. When they were out of sight, she turned back to Trixie. "Now, did you say you'd been to Hollow Shades before?"

"Well, sort of, " Trixie answered. "Trixie did a show here once, a while ago. She doesn't remember it being especially welcoming." Twilight seemed to be looking for more, so Trixie added, "It's a logging town, the way Trixie understands it. There are a lot of wooden huts in a few big clearings. That's all Trixie really knows."

"Hmm. So you don't know where the mayor's office is?"

"Mayor? For all Trixie knows, Hollow Shades might not even have one."

Twilight groaned. They had next to nothing to go on, and little time to waste. This was rapidly becoming a disaster, but she forced herself to focus. "We just need somewhere to start," she thought aloud. "There must be an information desk or tourism bureau somewhere; Hollow Shades might not be Fillydelphia, but it isn't exactly the sticks either."

"'Visitor Center'," Trixie read aloud, looking at something behind Twilight. Twilight spun around, following Trixie's gaze, and saw a desk in a far corner. A rack nearby held stacks of brochures, and a map of what was presumably Hollow Shades covered the wall behind it.

"Perfect," Twilight beamed. She plowed through the crowd of milling ponies in the station, leaving Trixie to follow in her wake. "Excuse me," she said once she reached the booth. When the pony behind the desk didn't look up, she raised her voice and tried again.

"Hmm?" the earth pony clerk said, finally taking notice of his customer. "Oh, hello. What can I help you with?"

Trixie caught up with Twilight, breathing slightly heavily. Twilight could really move when she had a mind to, and something about the fierce confidence on her face made ponies instinctively move out of her way. Unfortunately, this ability wasn't afforded to Trixie, who'd had to push and shove to keep up.

The clerk was clearly very young, just working a summer job to earn some extra bits. It wasn't a bad job by any stretch, but it was often dull and mind-numbing. The pay, at least, was decent, but as the colt looked over the determined, slightly frazzled unicorn on the other side of his desk, he couldn't help but feel that it wasn't enough.

"I need to find the mayor's office," Twilight stated. "Or, if you don't have a mayor, then whoever's in charge."

"Okay," the clerk said. He produced a pamphlet from under his desk, unfolding it to reveal a smaller version of the map on the wall. "Here's a map of the town; Mayor Oak's office is in the town hall, which is—"

His explanation was interrupted when Twilight levitated the map out of his grasp. She studied it briefly, before folding it up and stuffing it into an already-bulging saddlebag. "Thank you," she said curtly. She knew that she was being rude, but she also knew that time was of the essence. If she neglected a few niceties in the hope of salvaging her schedule, then so be it. "Trixie, let's go."

Trixie had barely caught her breath when Twilight set off again. She spared a sympathetic glance at the clerk, who was currently stammering in shock and mentally cursing his life choices, before once more chasing Twilight's streaked, deep purple tail.

"I need to see him now! It's an emergency!"

"I'm sorry, but nopony sees Mayor Oak without an appointment," Legal repeated evenly. "If you'd like to speak with him, there's an opening in two weeks." Legal Pad, head receptionist for Mayor Oak, was infamous in Hollow Shades' governance for two things. First was her absolute devotion to protocol, followed by her utter unflappability. Ponies had tried everything from threatening her to pleading with her, to no avail. Nothing would get Legal to break the rules, and nothing got past her rolls of red tape.

Twilight Sparkle was beginning to understand this, much to her aggravation. It didn't help that, at home in Ponyville, she had Mayor Mare's ear. There, everypony in the government knew Princess Celestia's personal student, and her aid in saving the town from disaster on a weekly basis meant that they ignored her at their peril. Here in Hollow Shades, however, she was just another pony. Another pony who couldn't get past the bastion that was Legal Pad.

Still, she wasn't ready to give up yet. "Please," she said, abandoning her urgent tone in favor of a pleading one. "I have extremely important information that could prove vital for the protection of not just Hollow Shades, but all of Equestria. All I ask is five minutes with Mayor Oak."

Legal Pad wasn't moved. "Nopony sees Mayor Oak without an appointment."

For Trixie, this was the last straw. She couldn't take another minute of the bureaucrat's ridiculous protocol. She'd been sitting in one of the lobby's uncomfortable chairs, but now she was striding purposefully towards the desk. "Now listen here, you soulless ingrate," Trixie declared. She was using her best showmare's voice; it was powerful, attention-grabbing, and confident. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to? This mare next to Trixie is none other than Twilight Sparkle. The Twilight Sparkle. Do you understand?"

"Ma'am—" Legal Pad began, but Trixie cut her off.

"No, Trixie doesn't think you do understand. The Great and Powerful Trixie has traveled all of Equestria. She's seen amazing things, wonderful things, terrifying things. Not one of them comes close to Twilight Sparkle. This mare is the most powerful unicorn Trixie has ever seen. Twilight once lifted an Ursa Minor clear above several three-story buildings, carried it back to its cave, and threw in a full water tower for good measure. She didn't even break a sweat. This mare has saved the whole of Equestria—saved you—from certain destruction at least twice, and probably more. This mare has her own stained-glass windows in Canterlot Castle. This mare is Element of Magic, and the personal protege of Princess Celestia herself." Trixie leaned forward, pressing her face into Legal Pad's, her voice becoming very serious. "You know what that means? It means that if this mare tells you she has important information that needs to get to the mayor, you let her see the fucking mayor!" Trixie paused, letting her words sink in. "Are we clear?"

"Nopony sees Mayor Oak without an appointment. That's the rule," Legal Pad repeated, unfazed by the mare yelling an inch from her face. Before Trixie could respond with what was sure to be a string of threats and obscenities, however, Legal's expression softened. "I'm sorry," she said, and for the first time it was with actual emotion. "Even if I could let you see him, it wouldn't do you any good. Mayor Oak is..." she paused, searching for the words. "He's a wonderful stallion, but he's not exactly stable lately. The stress is getting to him. He only has a few months left in office, so nopony thinks it's worth doing anything about."

Trixie nodded in acknowledgement, though her frown stayed put. "So what do we do?"

"You said you had important information?" Legal asked, looking at Twilight. When she nodded, Legal said, "If you leave it with me, I can make sure it gets to the right ponies. I can't promise it'll be quick, but it's the best I can do."

"Then that's what we have," Trixie said. "Twilight?"

Twilight stepped forward, and in the course of a few minutes she described the situation. Apart from the occasional point of clarification, Legal was content to listen. Finally, Twilight's story reached the present, and she finished with what she suggested the town should do. "Between the four of us," Twilight said, "we should be able to handle re-sealing the Tears. Just in case we don't, though, I'd have the town on alert, in case they need to evacuate. Princess Celestia also knows what we're doing, so she can step in if things get really bad."

Legal Pad nodded, considering Twilight's proposal. "You said you don't know exactly where this cave is?"

"Right," Twilight confirmed.

"So you don't know how long it'll take you to find it."

"Also right."

"Do you know exactly what will happen if you don't manage to seal the Tears?"

"Um," Twilight looked to Trixie, who merely shrugged.

"Dowsing Rod was a great explorer," Trixie said apologetically, "but he wasn't much of a writer. All Trixie knows is that it'd be really bad."

"That's a no, then." Legal nodded again, then said, "So, you want me to put all of Hollow Shades on high alert for some unspecified amount of time, with no clear way to know what we're looking for, in case of some unknown disaster that, as far as we know, may or may not even exist?"

Twilight shuffled uncomfortably. "Well, when you put it like that..."

Legal Pad sighed. "Look, I appreciate that you're trying to help," she said, "but what you're suggesting just isn't feasible. What I can do is pass on a warning to the town guards. I'll tell them to be on the lookout for anything suspicious coming from the forest." She jotted down a quick note, then said, "That reminds me, you said you were heading to the Foal Foothills?"

"That's our best guess as to the cave's location, yes," Twilight answered.

"Be careful, then. The woods over there are treacherous; even our best logging teams won't go near them. Superstitious nonsense, if you ask me, but it couldn't hurt to use caution anyway."

Twilight brightened considerably at this news. "Thank you," she said, "that's just what I needed to hear. We'll be on our way, then. Thanks for your help."

"Don't mention it," Legal replied, already settling back into no-nonsense mode. "Good luck."

Outside the town hall, Twilight and Trixie stood in silence. Twilight hadn't spoken since they'd said goodbye to Legal Pad, despite Trixie's attempts to start a conversation. Trixie hated awkward silences, almost as much as she'd hated wheels when under the Alicorn Amulet's corruption. Something was on Twilight's mind, however, and the librarian didn't seem to be in a talking mood.

"So, next up is finding a place to sleep, right?" Trixie asked. Twilight remained silent, so she tried again. "Trixie thinks she saw a hotel on that one street we walked—"

"Did you mean it?" Twilight interrupted, throwing Trixie for a loop.

"Mean what?"

"All that stuff you said to Legal Pad. Did you mean it?"

Trixie thought about it. At the time, she'd really only said it to get Legal to cooperate. "Yes, Trixie did," she decided. "It's all true, isn't it?"

"Is that really how you think of me?" Twilight's voice was quiet. "The way you described me, it was... terrifying. You make me sound like, I don't know, like a mythological hero."

"Aren't you, though?" Trixie replied. "You've saved Equestria how many times now?"

"Four, officially," Twilight answered simply. "Though one of those was actually Spike, one of them was mostly Cadence and Shining Armor, and the other two were only because I had my friends with me. I'm nothing special."

Trixie snorted in derision. "Nothing special?" she repeated, as though the idea were laughable. "When you defeated Trixie when she had the Alicorn Amulet, Trixie did some research. It wasn't hard. Saving Princess Luna, defeating Discord; those were all over the news. No names, but when they talked about 'quite possibly the most powerful unicorn since Starswirl the Bearded', Trixie put two and two together."

"Those news stories blew everything out of proportion," Twilight protested. "It was completely different, actually being there. Plus," she added, "they got a lot of details wrong. I'm not the Element of Magic; I represent it." From her tone, this was a bit of a sore point with her.

"That's the point, though; you were there. All the rest of us have are the stories, and what they say is that you're a hero. A hundred years from now, that's how you'll be remembered."

Twilight sighed. "I know. But when I remember that, it's like... Legal Pad wouldn't listen to me at all. Then you came up, told her who I was, and she helped us. That seems wrong, almost."

"In fairness, she still wasn't all that helpful," Trixie joked. "Maybe you're right, though. Maybe you're not all that special."

"Oh?" Twilight said, smiling.

"Yeah. After all, if the Great and Powerful Trixie were in your place, she'd have beaten Discord in half the time."

"Really." Twilight rolled her eyes, but she looked much cheerier than she had a few minutes ago. "Come on," she said, setting off at a trot for a nearby street. "Let's find a room for the night."

The sun had sunk well below the horizon by the time Hammer and Glimmer returned to the station. "Hello," Hammer called to the waiting Twilight and Trixie. Noting their current lack of saddlebags, he added, "You found lodging, then?"

"You're late," was Twilight's greeting. "And yes, we did. You have the food?"

"Right here," Hammer answered, shaking his midsection to emphasize his own saddlebags' greatly increased bulk. "Glimmer talked me out of the Luna's food cake, but the rest of it should be satisfactory."

"Good. The hotel's this way," Twilight said, setting off for their overnight hold. "It's an early night for us tonight; at dawn, we leave for the Seaponies' Tears."