White Lightning and Daisy walked together for a while, discussing anything that came to their minds. At one point they talked about Daisy's plans for the weekend, another time about White's fantasy hoofball stats. Daisy asked about White Lightning's pet duck, Falafel, and how he was doing. As it turned out, Falafel had twisted his ankle two days before after tripping over a rug, but he was recovering just fine. White Lightning stated she had to buy a custom cone for his neck, because he kept picking at the bandages. She even told a few jokes that she made up, and Daisy had an honest chuckle at one or two of them. At one point, the subject of Princess Twilight Sparkle came up, and they began to chat about the mission she was sent to do. White started with something noteworthy first.
"Um, I'm pretty sure she was asked to come to Canterlot. I heard that there's a super special artifact located in one of the rooms. Something that could generate a portal without help from other ponies!"
"Really?" Daisy's eyes widened in disbelief. The fabric of the universe had been ripped before by some of Equestria's most powerful beings, including Discord, Tirek, and Starswirl the Bearded, but a tear that anypony could access was something of a different matter.
"Well, um, actually, I could've sworn that the artifact itself was the portal, but that's kinda weird, don't you think?"
Daisy thought for a moment, considering.
"Your idea makes more sense, but rumors are usually wrong because ponies change them to what seems right to them before passing it along, you know?"
"That's true, I guess," said White Lightning, nodding. "So maybe it can go between states of being solid and being a portal?"
"Yah, it's possible . . . I think I heard something about what was behind it. Lemon Hearts had overheard Pinkie Pie talking to Princess Twilight, who told Minuette, who told Twinkleshine, who told me. But I'm having trouble remembering what she said . . ."
"Probably because you used most of your brainpower to remember who said what," White Lightning giggled.
"Like I said, that's a lot of ponies, with only a clip of a rather quiet conversation as evidence, most likely explaining why what I heard sounds crazy, but I won't change what I think Twinkleshine said. She said that you sprout mini-hooves from the ends of your old ones, five, no three on each, I think. You can use them to pick stuff up, like Unicorn magic! If you hold something too hard, though, your hooves will cramp up, but if you loosen your grip you could drop things. You also have to know where to put them when you're not using them or you look really weird to everypony else. Your muzzle gets really tiny, and your mouth goes way bellow your nostrils. Oh! You also have to stand up on two hooves instead of all four."
"T-that sounds horrible!"
"I know, right? It kinda sounds like what Lyra was describing a while ago-"
"And . . . and I heard Spike turned into a cat!
"A bat? With wings and stuff?"
"No, a cat!"
"Honestly, I just don't know anymore," Daisy said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Still, I have to wonder why Twilight would've entered the portal in the first place. I mean, probably because of a villain, right? But why would the creature or what ever it is even come to Equestria, cause such a disturbance that others would need to go after it, and then just go back to its own world? It doesn't make much sense! Have you heard anything about that, specifically?"
"No, I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time remembering what was said and- wait! I . . . um . . . I think there was something about Twilight's crown and another pony. A mare named Sunshine Shimmy and- Ugh!"
White Lightning backed away from Daisy, holding her nose. Daisy took a whiff of air, but didn't smell anything offensive. It was possible she'd gotten used to the smell of fertilizer, and decided to check on her supply. She scanned her bags for any holes, as well as the ground, but found nothing. She shrugged and gestured for White to come back over and talk. Perhaps she was holding her nose for some other reason. Another smell she was blind to? White Lightning shook her head violently just as the air finally gave a perceptable scent.
It was the most horrible smell ever known to pony kind. This was far more terrible than any fertilizer Daisy had ever smelled. It was as if some pony transformed death itself into a liquid and sprayed it in the air. Yes a liquid, not a gas. This was something thicker, something stronger.
"Whitey!" called Daisy, her eyes dilated with fear.
"That's Timber Wolf breath!"