You head for the front door. “You see what the book says. I’m going to check on our little friend.”

Twilight gives you a concerned look, but doesn’t move to stop you. “Alright, but be careful.”

Out on the streets, you hurry to the alley down which you saw the boggie disappear. Assuming he’s trying to stay out of everypony’s sight (fairy-creatures like to stay out of sight, don’t they? you think to yourself), he won’t have been able to go far; the streets are still full of ponies out shopping or doing their afternoon chores.

The alley is full of garbage bags, one of which looks like it was torn open by a raccoon or somesuch; refuse is scattered everywhere. You make a mental note to have Fluttershy talk to the raccoons about not leaving a mess when they forage. You’re about to continue down the alley in search of your little ‘friend’ when you see an empty pastry box move. Quickly, you dive behind the pile of garbage bags and peek your head out, cautiously looking at the mysteriously mobile container.

From beneath the box, a tiny head pokes out, its heavily-ridged eyes darting every which way. Once the boggie underneath is satisfied that nopony is around, his head darts back under the box. Then, the entire container rises perhaps an inch off the ground, supported by a pair of squat legs. Slowly, the box starts waddling down the alley.

As quietly as you can, you step out from behind the trash bags. Stealthily you make your way towards the box. Once you’re within a couple of feet, you jump and bring your front hooves down on it, trapping the boggie between the box and the ground beneath.

Immediately, the boggie inside begins screaming and cursing, and the box shakes and bucks in your hooves. The boggie is much stronger than something his size really ought to be, but you still outmass him by an order of magnitude at least. Once he realizes he’s well and truly trapped, the thrashing stops. From the box emanates a grumbly, nasal voice.

“Alright, alright, you’ve caught me. Now what, eh? If you want a wish, tough beans. Pots of gold aren’t really my thing either. In fact, the only things I really have to give you are my ire and my indignation. So how about you do us both a favor: set me free, and I’ll pretend this ugly little incident never happened, eh?”

You smile down at the box, though the boggie can’t see you. “Oh no, that’s not how it’s going to work. You boggies have kidnapped my friend’s sister, and I intend to get her back.”

“Oh, is that all? No problem! Let me go and I’ll fetch her for you. Won’t take two minutes!”

“You must think I was foaled yesterday. No, you’re going to tell me where you boggies are camped. Then, you’re going to tell me what your weakness is. Twilight said all fairy-folk have a weakness, and I want to know what yours is.”

“Hah, like I’d share that kind of knowledge with a stupid hick pony like you!”

“Well then, I guess I’ll have to take you back to Twilight’s lab. We’ll just start testing things on you until we find your weakness. Doesn’t that sound like fun to you?”

At that, the box starts shaking again, but you hold it in place. When the boggie inside calms down a bit, he says, “You don’t understand. You can’t do this to me! It’s embarrassing enough that I was caught by a pony, but if you were able to find out anything about boggies from me—which you won’t, by the way!—But, erm, if you did, I could never return to my clan. They’d throw me out on my ear for being so stupid and weak!

“Look, I’ll tell you where us boggies are camped. That’s something you might find out anyway; I can do that. But then you’ve got to let me go. Deal?”

1. If you accept the boggie’s deal, go to page 27

2. If you take the boggie back to Twilight, go to page 30