//------------------------------//
// Have You Seen Her? 
// Story: The Pony That Fell From The Sky 
// by Zurvan 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 38: Have You Seen Her?

Twilight, Sweetie, and Ash trot up to Zecora's hut and Twilight knocks on the door. Zecora opens the door. "Two of my young friends and the Princess Twilight. Seeing you three is such a delight."

Twilight smiles. "Hello Zecora, we were hoping we could talk with you."

Zecora moves to the side. "Please come and sit. This may be a long visit."

They enter the hut and take seats. "Thanks." Twilight says. "I assume you know why we're here."

"I assume since you wish to converse. That Sweetie told you about my curse."

"I hope that's okay." Sweetie says. "We were just trying to help."

"As you might have devised. I can't say I'm surprised." Zecora says. 

"I'd like to know if you would like me to attempt to remove the curse."

"Some time to contemplate I must take. For that is not an easy decision to make."

Twilight nods. "Of course, and it's your choice. Nopony would ever force you to have the curse removed."

"The other thing." Sweetie whispers .

"Sweetie also mentioned your daughter. Would you like me to attempt to find her?"

"Is this some kind of stunt? How would you even begin such a hunt?"

"There's a spell I can cast with some clippings from your mane." 

"If you can find my child like you say. That will be a debt I can not repay."

Twilight's horn glows as she pulls out a pair of scissors and a jar out of her saddlebags. She trims some of Zecora's mane and places the clippings in the jar. "I have everything else I need back at the castle."

"May I come with you as well? I would like to witness the spell."

"Of course." Twilight says. "We'll all go together." Twilight looks down to Sweetie and Ash. "I'm sure Rarity won't mind if you two accompany me."

"Are you sure?" Sweetie asks.

Twilight nods. "I'd be a good learning experience. I imagine you've never seen a runic spell before."

Sweetie shakes her head. "I've never heard of such a spell."

"They aren't very common anymore." Twilight explains. "I did a couple of them back when I was in Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."

"Did everypony do them?"

Twilight nods. "One of the professors specialized in runic magic and tested all of us to see how we did with it."

"I bet that was an interesting class." Sweetie says.

"If you don't mind scribbling ancient runes for weeks." Ash mumbles.

"You've studied runic magic?" Twilight asks surprised.

"A little." Ash answers. "Our armor is enchanted with a mix of runic magic and normal magic."

Twilight nods. "Those were ancient runes I saw on your armor when I examined it."

"I believe they are 'flight' and 'protection'."

"That would make sense." Twilight says. "Maybe you can help me set up the ritual circle."

"As long as you have a book I can refer to I’d love to help.”

Twilight chuckles. "Of course, I'll need that too, it’s been awhile since I’ve done any runic magic."


*********


The four of them go to Twilight's castle and proceed to the library where Twilight grabs a couple books in her magic before they continue to another room. “This room should be satisfactory.” Twilight says as she places the books down.

Ash walks around the room. “Perfectly circular?”

“As far as I can tell.” Twilight answers, “I measured it every way I could think of.”

“This is nice, we had a tent that I learned in.” Ash says.

“How did you draw the runes?”

“We carved them into stone ahead of time, and then placed them accordingly.”

Twilight nods. “Not as efficient as the traditional method.”

“Harder to change the runes if you mess up too.”

Twilight goes to the center of the room and lights up her horn then uses her magic to inscribe a perfect circle around herself “Now for the runes.”

Ash picks up one of the books in his magic and flips it open. “So how you plan on doing this?”

Twilight draws a line outward and then another circle before inscribing a run in it. “Find.” Then she does the same on the other side of her. “Family.”

“You’ll find any brother’s, sisters, parents, even cousins she has that way.” Ash says. “They’re all family.”

Twilight grins as she draws another rune. “unicorn.” Then she connects the three runs together.

“That’s brilliant!” Ash says. “She can’t have many relatives that are unicorns.”

“I’m hoping only one.” Twilight says. “Or I’ll have to wait 24 hours to refine the spell before I can cast it again.”

Ash walks around examining the runes, comparing them to the book then walking between each one. “Equal distance apart, impressive without measuring.”

“I’ve been practicing.” Twilight says. “Wiping the runes clean each time.”

“Well, the runes all look good.” Ash says before he goes to Zecora and Sweetie who are all standing outside the runed circle. “We’re outside the circle, so we are okay, just don’t move.”

They nod and watch as Twilight closes her eyes and starts muttering. “invenio, familia, unicornis.” The runed circle starts to glow around her. As the circle glows brighter the magic starts to raise up until it forms a wall.  Images swirl by on the wall. A sea-green unicorn filly with a white and gray mane and tail comes into focus.  “Is that her?” Sweetie asks.

The picture spreads out and shows an older stallion unicorn with a beige coat, and a salt and pepper mane and tail wearing glasses.

"I know him!" Twilight exclaims. "That's Ambassador Possum, he taught us a class on diplomacy while he was in Canterlot."

 "Is that him?" Sweetie asks.

Zecora nods. "They're in Canterlot." Twilight says as the image freezes. "I'll write a letter to Celestia to have the guards find them and keep an eye on them."

"Twilight what are you going to do?" Ash asks as they walk out of the room and head for the exit to the castle.

"Me and Zecora are going to confront him and get her daughter." Twilight answers. "What happens to him is up to Celestia."

Twilight and Zecora walk Sweetie and Ash back to the Boutique. "You two take care, hopefully we'll be back soon."

"Good luck." Ash says as he watches the two of them leave.