Time and Masks

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Information Quest

Dinky let out a sigh of relief as she caught sight of the library. Her breath puffed out in a cloud of as it hit the cold winter air. The filly pushed through the snow further, feeling relief as it thinned out to let her walk without having to push through the cold powder up to her ankles. Walking up, she opened the door and stepped inside.

Ruby sat on the floor, leaning forward. Her horn glowed with green energy as she used her magic to hold onto some bandages. Her face tensed with concentration as she worked to wrap the bandages around the front leg of a blue pegasus with rainbow colored mane and tail. Twilight Sparkle stood back watching the two closely. Off to one side of her stood Spike with a first aid kit.

"What'cha doing?" Dinky asked as she walked toward the others.

"Rainbow Dash twisted her ankle," Ruby explained as she continued, "So Twilight is having me practice on wrapping a sprain." She glimpsed at her friend for a second but kept nearly all of her attention on the task before her.

"It's not necessary," Dash groaned, shifting her position other than the hoof being wrapped. "I just have to be careful for a few days and I'll be fine."

"That's part of why it's good practice," Twilight explained. "Ruby needs to learn how and it's better to do so when it's not as important so she can perform the act when it is necessary."

"Miss Twilight," Dinky said, "When Ruby is done, I could use your help looking for some books."

"Well, I can help you now," Spike spoke up. He set the first aid kit down and started walking for the shelves. "What do you need?"

"Any books about Poison Joke that isn't Supernaturals." Dinky's statement caused Spike to stop, he and the other ponies turning to look at her curiously.

"Why?" Spike asked.

"You know about what happened in Canterlot on Nightmare Night?" Dinky got several nods in response. "Well Princess Celestia thinks that it would have taken a LOT of the flowers to make so much powder. So Princess Celestia asked me to talk to Zecora and see if she saw anypony collecting a bunch of the flowers."

"I take it that she didn't," Twilight said, moving around the others. Dinky shook her head.

"No. She remembered seeing some collecting one or two but not what would have to be an entire field of them."

"So why the books?" Spike asked again. He turned back to the shelves, looking through them quickly.

"To see if Poison Joke grows in other places. Then Princess Celestia can send other ponies to ask around there."

"What if it doesn't?" Rainbow Dash asked. The normally physical pegasus seemed to be getting interested in the events going on.

Dinky closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. She tried to relax her body and think. Princess Celestia had said a lot on the matter, and she tried to listen to it all. Now the filly tried to remember as best she could. Without realizing it, she adjusted her stance, mimicking the way the princess held herself.

"Should Poison Joke have neither been harvested from The Everfree Forest no grow elsewhere in Equestria," Dinky said, her tone and pattern shifting to try and match Celestia, "We shall be forced to conclude that the unicorn responsible collected a small sample and has been cultivating the plant on her own. If that were the case, it will mean that we will not have enough to find the unicorn, much less arrest her, until she decides to strike again. Assuming she ever does."

Dinky stopped and opened her eyes. She blinked a moment, looking around. She took a few steps, holding herself the way she normally did once again. Her gaze drifted around the room, looking at the others in the room.

"So," Ruby said slowly, "if it doesn't grow anywhere else, she has to be growing it?" She got a a nod. "And if she's growing it, no one can catch until she does it again?" That got a second nod.

"Ruby," Twilight stated, "You help Spike look for books that might help and Dinky look through them. I'll join you as soon as I check your bandaging."

"Okay." The red filly moved over to the shelves and began to look through the books. She was joined by Spike and Dinky, the three of them searching for and pulling any that looked to be related to plants. They also collected a few that were related to legends in Equestria. After checking Rainbow Dash's leg, Twilight joined them.

After the better part of an hour, the options were not looking good. Almost none of them had anything related to Poison Joke. The one or two that did were legends speaking of a strange plant that grew only in The Everfree Forest.

"Well I guess I should get going," Dinky said. "Mom should be home from shopping now." She set the book she had been looking at down with the others. She turned to Twilight "Are there any other books?"

"No," the alicorn responded with a shake of her head, "I can look again, but I'm pretty sure that's all of them that could possibly have anything."

"Okay." Dinky moved away from the table they had been using. "I can come back tomorrow just in case."

"May I be excused for the day, Twilight?" Ruby asked.

"I guess so. By the way, you did quite well with Rainbow Dash's sprain."

"Thank you." The red unicorn turned and joined her friend. "I'll walk home with you for a while." Stopping at the door, the two put their winter gear back on. Covered and ready, the friends headed out, leaving the library for the day.

Comments

[Luckyfanisaac]

The Everfree Forest nor grow elsewhere in Equestria,"