Once the group had returned to the shop, Jackie immediately took the Talisman into the back room with Uncle to research its powers. Jade and the girls, meanwhile, put their focus instead on the basket of candy on the table in the center of the shop. "Chinese New Year rocks!" Jade spoke up happily, reaching into the covered basket to pull out a bag. "Especially the sweets."
"Jade!" Jackie called out without bothering to look up before Jade had even managed to grab one of the bags. "Leave it be. Two more days till New Years."
Grumbling, Jade pulled her empty hand back amidst the giggles of the fillies. "How did he know-"
"And that goes double for the rest of you," Jackie added absently. "I'd like to go at least one year without having to buy a second basket the day before New Years when the prices are highest, Scootaloo."
"Hey!" Scootaloo complained as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled. "I'm not the only one to empty the basket before New Years!"
"No, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have the courtesy to give me a full week in which to get a good deal on a replacement basket," Jackie responded, again without looking up.
"So...is there anything I can do in the way of mischief you three haven't already done?" Jade asked hopefully.
"One more thing!" Uncle called out without looking up from his tome. "Sweetie Belle, make sure Rhino doesn't get into the candy! Too much sugar not good for hamsters!"
Sweetie Belle giggled as she caught the mischievous rodent in her magic, stuffing him back in his hamster ball. "We'll let you know if we come up with anything."
"Hatcha!" Uncle spoke up quietly, catching Jackie's attention. "The Tiger Talisman possesses the power of Balance!"
"Physical or spiritual?" Apple Bloom asked quickly before Jade could try something crazy and likely make a mess of it.
"Good thinking, Apple Bloom," Uncle praised. "It is spiritual balance. Within each and every one of us lies conflicting forces, Yin and Yang. Light and Dark. Good and Evil."
"And what sort of power is that for a magical Talisman?" Jade demanded grumpily.
"Dunno what it does on its own," Scootaloo spoke up, "but if my theory about the Talismans being meant to be used together is true, that one's probably what lets someone use the other 11 at the same time without overburdening their chi."
"Exactly!" Uncle praised. "According to my research, Tiger Talisman is the glue that binds the other Talismans together. Other Talismans can be used one at a time, or interchangeably...but with rare exception, should not be used together without the Tiger Talisman. To do so would be to court Chi Exhaustion."
Scootaloo's eyes widened considerably. "Then...the Immortality and Youthful Energies of the Dog Talisman would be channeled through the Tiger Talisman to become the fuel on which the other Talismans ran, keeping the wielder's own chi stable?"
Uncle nodded. He then raised his hand. "One more thing! You should not try to combine Dog, Horse, and Tiger Talismans in an attempt to empty out the hospital. Too much magic applied to someone in bad health state can be lethal before any magical effect can take place as their chi paths are overloaded."
"In other words, for someone to survive using the Horse/Dog/Tiger combination to recover from any illness, they need to be well enough that just the Horse Talisman would do it?" Sweetie concluded acerbically as Scootaloo's face fell.
"More or less, yes," Uncle allowed. "As I have said many times, magic is not a fix all."
Scootaloo idly kicked at the floor. "...I'll be on Cumulo," she offered softly, taking wing and heading for the second floor window.
Uncle sighed softly as he watched her go. "The important lessons are rarely pleasant," he allowed sadly.
Jackie nodded, taking the Talisman from Uncle. "For now, I will take this powerless Talisman to Section 13," he explained softly. "Uncle, are you certain I cannot take it through the warp spell the girls use?"
"Aiyah! You want take dangerous magical artifact through magical warp you do not fully understand?" Uncle demanded in terror. "Even Jade knows enough of magic to not do that!"
"Yeah-hey!" Jade shouted out, her cry quickly shifting from pleased to angry, much to the amusement of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.
Chuckling to himself, Jackie turned to go. "Then I will walk. It is a pleasant day, after all, and it will be nice to finally put this quest to rest."
"And Jade and fillies make tea for dear old Uncle?" Uncle suggested eagerly. "Has been tasting especially good as of late."
Jackie chuckled as he watched the girls go to the kitchen as he walked out into the shop. As he walked, he noticed a brief flare of light from the Tiger Talisman. "What?" Examining it closely, he saw a crack running in a curved line the whole length of the Talisman. "A crack? How did that-" He paused as he remembered the sound the old man's dentures had made as they had cracked down on the Talisman. "Maybe...but that doesn't make any sense. Talismans are magical stones. They wouldn't have survived this long if they were that fragile..." His voice trailed off as he got a closer look at the shape of the crack. "Wait...that looks a lot like the dividing line in most Yin/Yang symbols-"
His words were interrupted as the Talisman split down the middle, shedding some stuck on dirt and stone chips as the two tigers - one in each half of the Talisman - glowed brightly, and the world went white.