The Stink Bug

by Some1Else

Chapter 6

The reality of her situation did not become fully evident until Twilight finally appeared in the middle of a circle surrounded by a group of disgruntled natives who didn’t want her there. The Salamanders hissed at them while their chief stood motionless a few hoofs from Twilight. She regretted having teleported so close to him, but there was no turning back now. Those with staffs held them up in the air and shook them. A few arrows had even been notched, but they were pointed at the ground. Retreating to safety would require minimal effort, but it would paint them as cowards in the eyes of their hosts. Their reception was much more negative than Twilight had anticipated. If the chief wasn’t standing there, a fight would break out in an instant.

Biggs and Wedge stepped closer to her. Standing so close to the Salamanders revealed something to her that she did not notice in the air. They weren’t as muscular as they were in the book. Some of them were quite lean. The chief looked like he could bench Bulk Biceps, but that was only natural since being the person in charge meant he got first dibs on all the carbs.

The chief waved his hand through the air and the noise that the crowd produced died down. He shrugged at Twilight. She would have to make the first move since they could not speak to each other naturally. The sight of her horn lighting up sent a ripple through the crowd. Twilight decided to put all her bits on her third choice regarding how to proceed and cast the modified language spell she had created earlier. She amplified it to include their immediate area so some of the crowd could listen in. A few of them touched their lips as a ticklish sensation brushed across them. Several notched arrows were sent straight into the ground.

She noticed the chief was eyeing the saddlebags that her guards were carrying. Twilight levitated the saddlebags off her guards and let them hang in the air for a moment before pulling the discs out, causing the crowd to stir. Tension mounted at the revelation that they were armed. Twilight sent the weapons back to the cargo hold. She had hoped a pleasant murmur might go through the crowd, but she received no audible credit for disarming her guards.

Biggs had his mouth in her ear in a flash. “What are you doing? Do you expect us to spit at them?”

“Relax,” Twilight replied. “Everything will be fine.” she took a step closer to the chief. “My name is Twilight Sparkle. I am a princess of Equestria. Can you understand me?”

“I can,” the chief replied. “I am Aramak, leader of this village.”

Twilight’s ears twitched at the sound of the untranslated word. If the pronunciation of the name was any indication, Salamanders were fond of emphasizing their vowels and their R required them to roll their tongues.

“Where is the white horse?” Aramak asked.

Twilight frowned. She could tell he meant for horse to be derogatory, but it sounded so silly she couldn’t find it offensive. “She is safe in her castle.”

“You’re beneath her, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but I am speaking for her. My words carry just as much weight.”

Aramak scoffed. “At least you are easier to understand. Unless I’m mistaken, it hasn’t been five years since you equines last graced us with your presence. So, tell me. To what honor do I owe your early return?”

“I have traveled this far to return something to you,” Twilight said.

“Oh?”

Twilight sent a signal to Fluttershy, allowing her friend just enough time to get in one belly breath to calm her nerves before she was dropped on the stage. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Shelly joined the festivities. Twilight had been sure to contain the smell that Shelly was emitting with a barrier spell. The crowd went into an uproar of irritated shouts. Shelly squealed at the sight of the Salamanders. They knew each other. Some of them began throwing mud at her. She scooted a little closer to Fluttershy, which brought the mud flinging to a halt. It was a promising result.

“We found this bug outside of Ponyville, a village a little larger than yours that is in the suburbs of our nation’s capital, Canterlot,” Twilight explained. “We decided it would be best to return the bug to its homeland after seeing the effect it has on its immediate environment.”

“Then why did you bring it back?” Aramak demanded. “It is good that it was sent away. That thing is a pest! They reek, they eat away at our wall, and they have reduced our village to twigs in the past.”

“I’m afraid that none of that matters.”

A vein in Aramak’s forehead bulged out. “Why not, horse?”

This wasn’t going according to any of the plans she had spent so much time making during her downtime on the flight, but she still had plenty of cards to play. “I think you might have misunderstood me. I’m sorry. Let me start over. We did not bring Shelly back because she ate our homes. We brought her back because she started turning our valley into a swamp.”

“Are you certain that wasn’t due to your own voodoo?”

“You were not aware that Shelly’s kind can turn any environment into a swamp?”

“No. That’s preposterous. This swamp has been here since before we came down into it from the jungle. Do you actually expect me to believe that a kiburigo is responsible for creating and maintaining our swamp?”

“I can prove it to you. While I was in what were once your wetlands, I gathered some branches from a dead tree. I fed some of them to her, but I saved one just so I could show you how important she is. I’m going to take the spell off her that restrains her influence, so you might want to hold your breath.”

Twilight grabbed the branch she saved and lowered her barrier spell. She held the branch in the air as some members of the crowd screamed. The sound their feet made as they all shuffled back a few steps filled the air. Shelly looked up at the branch hopefully, but Fluttershy put a hoof on her shell and shook her head.

“When a unicorn uses magic, their horn is illuminated by their aura,” Twilight said. “This is always the case. You will always know when a spell is being cast. I am not going to use any magic for what I am about to do.”

She tossed the branch next to Shelly. Fluttershy held Shelly back as the branch sprouted with life violently enough to cause it to shake. Fluttershy took her hoof off Shelly and Applejack gave her a swat on the back to ease her forward. Shelly gobbled up the branch eagerly while Twilight put the barrier over her again.

“Horse voodoo!” someone in the crowd shouted.

“Quiet!” Aramak yelled back.

Aramak covered his mouth for a moment as his eyes narrowed. She had gotten him to think. Twilight had to hold back a smile. She had him where she wanted him.

“That bug could fix our wetlands?” Aramak had a hint of hope in his voice.

“Absolutely. She is an enchanted creature. I know that you have had problems with these bugs in the past, but if you wish to continue living in this swamp, you will have to learn to live with them as well.”

Twilight took a moment to look back at the crowd. Those who could understand what was being said relayed the information to those who could not. Arrows had been returned to quivers. Staffs were now held at ease. Something would ruin this. She had to be sure it didn’t come from what she said.

“I can’t say that the wetlands will look the same as they did when they were alive, but at the very least they will be an extension of your current environment. Were there other members of Shelly’s species in the wetlands?”

“That is none of your concern. Let us worry about that,” Aramak had brought his defenses back up.

Twilight wasn’t fazed. If she needed to make him squirm, she had a way to do so. “That’s fine. However, returning Shelly is not the only reason for our visit. Shelly was forced into Ponyville with a poorly executed teleportation spell. I must find whoever cast that spell. I know you would not allow unicorns to live around here, but is it possible one or more of them could be living out there without your knowledge?”

“In the wild? That’s highly doubtful. Our random encounters with the less civil beings we share this swamp with have increased dramatically over the past few years. It has taken everything we have to contain them. I do not think a pony would last very long out there.”

“Are any of those beings magical?”

“Only in regards to the rate a few of them reproduce.”

Twilight kept herself from snickering. “What about your kin, then? Is there one among you who can use magic?”

“I’m afraid we don’t have that gift. It probably has something to do with the lack of a calcified boil protruding from our skulls.”

The answers she was given were not up to par. “Is that so? I guess you wouldn’t have to worry about your village vanishing from existence, then. Magic is not always kind. I’ve personally seen it corrupt ponies to the point where they are driven to harm those they love. If you think that you have problems now, an inexperienced mage would only add to them. Exponentially.”

“Then I am glad we have no mage,” Aramak said. “Are you finished?”

Twilight looked at Applejack, who shook her head. She hadn’t bought any of it either. That would have to be enough to go on. The next round wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“You are hiding something,” Twilight said. It sounded much better than directly accusing him of lying.

“Am I?” Aramak said.

“You sure are,” Applejack said.

“Did you find a relic?” Wedge asked.

Twilight shushed her team gently. Their eagerness was admirable, but they would do more harm than good by participating in the current argument.

“Horse, you can waste your time searching our swamp for another one of your clan if you would like,” Aramak said. “None of us will stop you. Consider that my way of repaying you for your lesson regarding the kiburigo. Unless you have something else to say, I’m afraid it is time for you to leave.”

She could tell she was on to something and she couldn’t believe how easily he had jumped into her trap. “Really? I had been hoping to stay for dinner.”

“A pity. I guarantee you our diets are not the same.”

“They aren’t?”

She closed her eyes and sent her energy back to the airship. The crates packed with food were her target. A container of apples appeared beside Twilight’s party. She popped the lid off and levitated several of them into the air. The crowd cried out in surprise. Twilight sent the crate back after they had all gotten a good look at its contents, which was an action met with howls of horrified confusion from her audience. It had been a little brusque, but the act would almost guarantee Aramak would change his tune.

A Salamander came running from the crowd right at Twilight. Biggs and Wedge reeled up, kicking their hoofs out at him. He backed away and threw up both of his hands to surrender. Twilight spotted a red X on his hip.

“That’s close enough, pal,” Wedge said.

“Speak to her from where you’re standing,” Biggs ordered.

The comedian dropped to his knees. “Please give us food, Princess.”

“Have you not been eating well lately?” Twilight asked.

“Not at all. It has been horrible,” the comedian was struggling with his admissions. “Will you give us food?”

“We do have some with us right now that we can spare, but we might not be able to feed all of you. If you would be willing to cooperate and help us find who we are looking for, we could fly in more later.”

X ran to Aramak and knelt in front of him. “Aramak, this is not worth it. Not when food is involved. Please tell them about your son!”

An alarm went off. Uneasiness spread through the crowd as they began looking around. Twilight spotted a single Salamander running towards them. He tripped and fell hard on his face in his haste, but got right back up.

He waved at them as he approached. “A zasoi has --- ” A tremendous crash came from behind him, interrupting his warning. Color drained from the messenger’s face. “--- just broken through the weak section in the east wall.”

Ponies were no longer the stars of the show. The crowd dispersed as each occupant of the village rushed to take care of the problem. Twilight knew of no creature in the world going by a name as goofy as zasoi, but it had to be a formidable foe. She followed the Salamanders, ready to do whatever she could to help.

Screaming could be heard in the distance. It was quite different than the kind she was immediately familiar with. Mortal terror was evident in the pitch. She did not know what she should expect, but she knew she could deal with it. She had to. Archers began popping out on the roofs. Children carrying extra quivers filled with arrows accompanied them. A few Salamanders ran past Twilight and her party, heading in the direction they had come. They were after something else.

Twilight did not have to travel very far to meet their new opponent. It came barreling down the street right towards them. Those in front of Twilight scattered to avoid getting run over. The minx known as the zasoi was handsome enough to get Twilight to lower her ears, drop her mouth, and stare ahead in fascinated horror.

It kind of sort of looked like a plant if she titled her head right, but it didn’t get most of the energy it needed to survive via photosynthesis. The zasoi was large enough to make an easy living inspecting roofs and determining if they needed new shingles if it could ever manage to control its appetite. Its body was a mass of writhing tentacles it used to move around like an octopus on land. A tremendous, gaping maw lined with teeth meant for something less refined than vegetables and fruit sat atop the writhing appendages. Some of its teeth were missing and a few of its tentacles had been reduced to stumps during previous heated disagreements with its swamp mates. Two black orbs that Twilight figured were compound eyes sat in the middle of the circular mass that made up its face. Mucus poured from its nose, which was a small concave hole just beneath its eyes.

Twilight noticed it had caught two Salamanders in its tentacles. They were both struggling to break free. In a single fluid motion, the zasoi brought the head of a Salamander close to its teeth. Delicious close. Her magic surged forward in an unrestrained burst of power. The adrenaline coursing through her veins instantly alleviated any strain involved with teleporting the captives to safety next to an archer on a nearby roof. The tentacle that had been curled around its prey went into its mouth as its jaw slammed shut. It howled in pain and disbelief, emitting a noise that reminded Twilight of fillies shouting at each other through wrapping paper tubes.

The zasoi checked its wounded tentacle to see if it had missed the appetizer it had held. There was no tasty snack waiting for it in any of its slimy appendages. Perplexed, the zasoi scanned its surroundings to see what bogus brand of tomfoolery was afoot. Twilight felt its gaze settle on her. Her valor had been rewarded.

Wedge gulped. “Our colors are brighter than those Salamanders, so that thing should think we are poisonous and ignore us, right?”

What hope his assumption inspired was quickly swallowed by the grin the zasoi produced. Twilight knew she and her friends would be considered delicacies to the creature. It would stop at nothing to have a bite. Before it could charge them, a pegasus pony wearing full armor bounced off its body. The soldier hit the beast with enough force to produce a loud crack. Three more followed. One was brave enough to hit it directly above its right nostril. The zasoi moved back as welts formed where it had been hit. It held a few tentacles in front of its face while it tried to process the new threat.

Arrows began raining down on it from the rooftops. Not even one missed its mark. The archers aimed for the zasoi’s tentacles and the inside of its mouth. Since their arrows were limited, it was not a total onslaught. The giant creature was not having a good time, but it was a wild animal. It would endure pain rather than go to bed on an empty stomach.

“Princess!” Biggs shouted, finally managing to get her attention. “We would really like our discs back, please!”

“Wait,” Applejack interjected. “Ah’ve got a better idea. Twilight, take yer spell off Shelly ‘n throw her right in front of that thing. That should send it right back to where it came from!”

Twilight’s eyes lit up in stupefied amazement. “Applejack, that’s absolutely brilliant!”

Applejack clicked her tongue and grabbed Twilight’s horn with her hoof. “Before we’re lunch, Twi!”

They turned around, expecting to find Shelly. She and Fluttershy were gone. They had managed to sneak away during all the excitement. Applejack’s grip on Twilight’s horn went limp.

“Oh, dear,” Twilight said.

Wedge chuckled nervously. “Who could have known that we should have put bells on her?”

“It will be incredibly easy for me to locate her since my magic is still on her,” Twilight said. “I’ll give you your discs back, but don’t use them unless you have to. We have to show the Salamanders that they need Shelly!”

Twilight returned their weapons and located Shelly. She was close enough that they could just go and get her, which Twilight found preferable to using more of her power since the boost the potion had given her was about to reach its peak and begin tapering off.

“Shelly ran into that house right over there,” Twilight said, pointing at the home.

The zasoi charged right for them. It wasn’t going to leave the village without at least one head to bite off and the food on the ground wasn’t giving it as hard of a time as the food on the roofs and in the air.

“Forget what I just said, hit it only once!” Twilight ordered.

Wedge took the disc out of his saddlebag with one hoof. “Please work, please work, please work.”

The disc shot out of his hoof like a bullet the moment he threw it, leaving a blue trail in its wake. An odd sound like a bell being struck emitted from the disc the second it collided with its target to confirm the hit. After delivering the blow, the disc traveled back to Wedge, only slowing down enough for him to catch it once it was a mere hoof from his face. The zasoi recoiled and roared in fury.

Twilight imagined it was endlessly frustrated by the fact that its food always fought back. “One more time! Knock it off balance and make a run for Shelly!”

Biggs threw his disc and hit his target. Twilight’s desired effect was achieved. She made a break for the house they needed to get to and kept an eye on the zasoi as she galloped. It stumbled into a house as its tentacles fought to regain stability from the sudden lethargy that had overtaken them. The structure withstood the tackle. Pink flowers that had been decorating the home sent petals flying into the air. The house offered support for the monster to steady itself, which was an effort that was interrupted by another flurry of strikes from the pegasus soldiers determined to bring it down. A single tentacle almost caught one of them as he broke away, but a split-second change of direction ensured the zasoi only came away with muggy air.

Twilight jumped up the small set of steps leading up to the front of a house decorated entirely with white roses. She stopped, looked up, and used a spell to amplify her voice so she could address the soldiers in the sky. “Keep it busy! I only need five minutes and then I’ll have that thing running out of here!”

The pegasus soldiers spun to the right to indicate they had heard her. Twilight darted inside the front door, which had been left open. The entrance was a storefront that had been marred by mud as Shelly had rushed through it looking for a place to hide. Most of the barrels and shelves were empty. Supplies were low. Twilight jumped over a counter, slipped through a doorway, and darted into a living room. She had enough time to identify an overturned rocking chair as she rushed towards the bedroom where Shelly was hiding.

In a room with a few windows where the entire family slept on mats that had been knocked out of position, Twilight found Fluttershy. Tears flowed freely down her face as she faced a closet Shelly had decided was a relatively safe place to be. Their attention was drawn to their new arrivals.

“Twilight, I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy said. “I promise I didn’t run away. Shelly got scared and I --”

“Shelly,” Twilight said, ignoring Fluttershy for the time being. “You’ve got the power to drive that monster away.”

At least, Twilight was pretty sure she did. If not, two or three more hits from Luna’s discs would get their fiend to call it an early night and then she would have to think of another way to get the Salamanders to love something that stunk to high heaven.

“Fluttershy, tell her that!” Twilight demanded.

Fluttershy didn’t doubt her for a second. “Shelly, I know it’s really hard, but it’s time to be brave. You don’t have to be afraid. You can make that nasty plant go away. Don’t worry, I’ll be right by your side when you do, I promise.”

A tentacle came crashing through a window, groping desperately for a prize. It found its way into the closet and grabbed Shelly, who squealed in an ear-splitting pitch of absolute terror. Fluttershy jumped on the tentacle, trying to find a way to unravel it as it withdrew towards the mouth of the beast. Twilight leapt through the new hole in the wall, pushing through a curtain of falling white roses.

With her jaw clenched in determination, Twilight seized control of Shelly and teleported her out of the grip of the zasoi. Shelly struggled against Twilight’s aura, her pointy legs flailing in a desperate attempt to escape. Before more of a reaction could be had, Twilight levitated Shelly directly underneath the zasoi’s nose. She took a deep breath of humid air tainted by the smell of her sweat and sweetened by the flowers nearby while it was still safe to do so, held it, and shut off the spell that suppressed Shelly’s natural odor.

Fluttershy dropped out of the sky like a wet brick. A few pegasus soldiers joined in, making it far less embarrassing for her. Twilight provided all of them with soft landings.

“Make sure they’re okay,” Twilight said to her guards, using as little as the breath she had held as possible.

The monster made a gagging noise and backed away from the carnage it had caused as if it had been caught doing something terrible by its mother. Applejack took off her hat and held it in front of her nose as she made her way towards Fluttershy’s inert body. Wedge and Biggs followed her example and popped their helmets off while they went to check on their fallen comrades. Twilight moved towards the zasoi and sent Shelly sailing through the air after it. The monster continued backing away, but Twilight’s magic was faster. Enough fun had been had for one day. She wedged Shelly in the left nostril of the monster. The zasoi turned away from Twilight, screamed, and threw some of its tentacles into the air as it fled.

Twilight kept her breath held as she followed the retreating behemoth. A few stray arrows crushed under her hoofs. Shelly seemed to understand what was going on and dug her legs into the flesh of the creature, making it easier for Twilight to keep her cradled. Twilight eventually had to exhale and take in another filling of air if she wanted to keep galloping. Since it was now apparent they were going to be using Shelly to get through the swamp safely, Twilight decided against shielding herself from the odor and breathed in without using a filter.

In defiance of logic, Shelly smelled even worse than she had before. Twilight’s tongue tried to jump out of her mouth in a desperate attempt to try to get away on its own, but she fought through it. Twilight could see the gate the zasoi had created coming up in the distance. Lurking just beyond the new entrance was a second zasoi, who had sensed something was up and hadn’t decided if it should go hunting elsewhere just yet. It was quickly brought to a decision to go home early after seeing the state its friend was in. Twilight pulled Shelly out of its nose as it slithered across the broken wood of the wall and set her down nearby. Shelly turned to watch the zasoi flee and kicked up the wet ground beneath her at it.

A peaceful silence came over the village. Elation soared through Twilight’s soul, rising to such a height that Shelly’s unpleasant smell wasn’t even noticeable. Her wings rose slightly. She didn’t bother trying to restrain them. She had helped save an entire village with no casualties and minimal violence. Even better, she had directly demonstrated why it was necessary to keep Shelly around. It was perfect. Being absolutely filthy had never felt so great. A white petal that had been stuck in her bangs fell in front of her face, landing quietly on the ground beneath her.

Twilight turned around to see if anyone needed help. A large group of Salamanders had followed her. They had brought axes, swords, and a catapult with them. There was no longer a need for their weapons. All at once, they began bowing. To show their appreciation, they knelt on one knee, held their right hand against their heart, and tucked their left hand behind their back. The archers on the rooftops also bowed.

Aramak made his way to the front of her congregation. Without taking his eyes off her, he also bowed. There was nothing hasty or rigid in his open display of submission. He had performed the gesture willingly.

Applejack appeared, took one look at the scene, and looked at Twilight. Her little smile did a poor job of hiding the zinger she had on her lips. “You think your kids will ever get tired of your stories?”

Twilight blushed a deep shade of red and burst out laughing along with Applejack. Children had been the last thing on her mind. She didn’t have too much time to think how many kids it would take to break the average stallion before her brain decided that it was time to stop releasing enough serotonin to cover up Shelly’s scent. She put the barrier around Shelly again and rubbed her nose to get it to find something else to focus on and earned a far wetter muzzle soaked in the sweat that had been hiding in her coat.

“Is Fluttershy okay?” Twilight asked

“Right as rain,” Applejack replied. “Looks like you were right to get us here as fast as you did. That tussle wouldn’t have gone nearly as well if you hadn’t.”

“You’re right,” Twilight said. “I hadn’t thought of that quite yet.”

Even though she had been waiting to hear her decision hadn’t been foolish, it did not come to her with as much relief as she had hoped. When one problem was solved, ten more came to occupy the space it had taken up. Her mounting exhaustion and the headache she was suffering from were slightly alleviated by the realization they had not been for nothing. That would not last long. Twilight looked towards the mess the zasoi had made when it had barreled into town like a bat out of Tartarus. Another section of the wall was in desperate need of repair.

“Looks like they left the backdoor open,” Applejack said. “Anything could just waltz right in. How about lettin’ Hocus or some other unicorn close it for them?”

“I can do it,” Twilight replied.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t.”

“I’m right here. I’ll do it.”

Twilight wandered forward to get closer to the area she would be working in. Aramak and Applejack chose to follow her. A bow and an empty quiver had been discarded at the bottom of a watchtower that had been left intact. Twilight stepped on the handle of an axe that had been sleeping in the mud. She watched a stray Salamander enter the area and pick up a weapon he had left behind when he had fallen back. His jaw dropped when their eyes met.

“Don’t gawk,” Aramak said. “She’s my guest.”

The Salamander nodded and scuttled away. No spare lumber was nearby this time, but there were plenty of trees just beyond the gate within her range. Some of the logs could be easily repaired, which would lessen the amount of work to be done. She closed her eyes and her horn lit up. More energy was needed then what she started with. Twilight grunted in pain. A sharp spark shot out of her horn and sizzled on the ground before it dissipated. Applejack had seen the entire show.

Twilight grinned sheepishly. “It happens.”

Applejack didn’t look impressed. Twilight didn’t let it bother her and conjured her magic. She had to be careful. In addition to what the repair would cost, she now had to worry about the loan she had taken out earlier that her body was just beginning to pay off. She triple-checked her confidence and concentration before moving on to the next step. Her endurance wavered in confusion, wondering where the boost it had been given had gone. A few of the logs she was manipulating dropped unexpectedly. Twilight lowered her head and willed the magic to hold, strengthening her control over the spell.

Rather than let her spectators watch her bumble around like she was intoxicated, she pulled from her reserves and risked a serious backfire by forcing the spell to finish instantaneously. A purple explosion erupted from the area she had targeted. The wall was back to what it had been, although portions of it were still glowing with her aura. Sloppy. C minus. Then again, that was a bit harsh. She had accomplished her objective without any adverse side effects. The logs were even properly aligned. That deserved a solid B. Minus.

Aramak stepped forward and put his hand on the wall. He pinched a bit of her aura a couple of times before he learned he couldn’t grab it. Aramak slammed himself against the wall, testing it. He nodded and looked at Twilight. “Thank you.”

They were making good progress. Twilight smiled slightly. “Not a problem, Aramak.”

“Your command over magic is impressive. How long did it take you to get this good?”

“Getting good with magic is the same as getting good with anything else. It takes a lot of practice and commitment. Basic proficiency can typically be achieved within two years, less if the subject is naturally gifted.”

“Can someone with basic proficiency do what you just did with the kiburigo and our wall?”

“The kiburigo, yes. The wall, maybe.”

“And I’m guessing not every mage is capable of being as good as you, are they?”

“That’s correct. There are some users out there who will never be experts. The schools we have that teach magic are very good at finding a happy balance for nearly everyone.” Twilight figured that now was as good a time as any to coax out his secrets. As gently as she possibly could, Twilight brought up the subject Aramak had wanted to avoid. “How long has your son been able to use magic?”

Aramak sighed and did not answer immediately. He crossed his arms and bit his bottom lip.

“I am here to help, Aramak,” Twilight said. “I promise you can trust me.”

“Three months,” Aramak said.

That explained everything.

“Aramak, I want to teach your son how to use magic properly. He will hurt himself or those around him if he is left ignorant. He does not have to come back to Equestria with us. We can send some instructors here if you would feel more comfortable with that.”

“I would, but I doubt any of them would want to come here. Our village isn’t exactly safe any longer.”

“We would be happy to send some soldiers here to help you get your land under control.”

“This sort of generosity rarely goes unpaid,” Aramak said. “Nothing is free. Are you going to ask us for land in return for your services?”

Twilight almost snickered. “Aramak, I don’t mean to be rude, but I can say with full authority that you can keep every millimeter of this place to yourself.”

“Then what do you ultimately hope to get out of all of this?”

“Your friendship.”

Aramak laughed at her. “Do you take me for a fool?”

“No. I am being serious. It would be nice if you could provide us with compensation through trade, but we will do all of this for free if you are truly desperate and we would only expect you to return the favor if we were in trouble.”

“Because that’s what friends do, right?”

“Exactly. Aramak, let us help you. Let us help your people. Let us help your son. Will you be my friend?”

Aramak grabbed the back of his neck and sighed again. “Yes, Princess Twilight Sparkle. I will.”

Applejack gave Twilight a nudge, clicked her tongue twice, and smiled. They had him in the bag. From here on out, it was sure to be smooth sailing.

“Do we shake, or do you not do that?” Aramak asked.

Twilight temporarily removed her boot and made sure the hoof of her left foreleg was clean before offering it to him. “We can shake.”

He grasped her hoof and shook it. “This feels a little weird.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

Twilight put the boot back on with magic when they were finished.

Aramak pointed behind his shoulder. “Let’s go to my house. We can talk more in there.”

“Sure. Will I get to meet your son?”

“Eventually. He’s. . .” Aramak hesitated.

The pleasant glow that had been hugging Twilight’s chest was chased away.

“Izu is out in the wild right now,” Aramak said.

“Do you know where?”

“I do not. I would rather talk about that in private, Princess.”

“I understand. Lead the way.”