//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: YogLabs: Quest for the Golden Horseshoe // by Prisoner 24601 //------------------------------// "Are you familiar with The Golden Horseshoe?" Princess Celestia asked. "No." Simon responded "It is an artifact of Equestrian mythology. It holds immeasurable power. Enough to destroy an army, or give it life." "Life?" Jesse asked. "Yes. It is said to have legendary healing abilities. Enough to even bring back the dead. But it is just a legend." "Are you sure?" Simon asked, "They called Bigfoot a legend, and now he's a national attraction!" "Bigfoot?" Celestia asked. "Nevermind. Continue with the Golden Horseshoe." "Well, it was believed to be only a legend, until Howard Carter discovered evidence of the Horseshoe's resurrection abilities. He believes that the legend could exist, somewhere lost in the Wilderness of Equestria. If you could find it, it could bring life to your friend." Simon was overjoyed at this second chance to save his friend's life. "Where do we start?" He asked. "That's the problem." Celestia continued, "Carter spent the rest of his life searching for the Horseshoe, but disappeared a few year later. We found his journal, which described him nearly finding it, but it was nowhere to be seen. We don't know the exact location of the Horseshoe, but I would suggest Neighagara falls." "Where's that?" Simon asked. "I can arrange a private airship ride, mister Lane. And Mister Cox. Are you in?" Jesse thought it over, "Sure, we're in. But we'll need backup." "How do you plan to get backup?" Simon asked. "You see," Jesse said, "When I landed, I landed with my laptop. It should still be where I fell; if we can get it, we can call in backup." ******** The twelve (Simon, Jesse, Sjin, Rainbow, Pinkie, AJ, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle) Ventured to the city center, and searched for the Laptop. But it was nowhere to be found. They searched under rocks, in tall grass, but it was nowhere. "Where could it be?" Jesse asked. "Are you sure you landed here?" Rarity questioned. "Positive." he confirmed, "Right here." he pointed to the spot on the ground where he first impacted. He could see the discoloration of the grass where the laptop must've landed, but it wasn't there. There was only one explanation: It was stolen. "If we're going on this quest," Jesse said, "We'll need the backup the laptop will bring." "Then we have to find it." Sjin said. "Precisely." Jesse replied, "Twilight. Any ideas?" "Well," Twilight said, "I can only think of one pony with a lust of technology in Ponyville. He's a newcomer, who arrived about the same time Simon did, actually." "What's his name?" Sjin asked. "Everypony calls him Silvertongue." Twilight explained. "Where can we find him?" Simon asked. "Follow me." Twilight galloped away, the eleven other in tow. ******** Silvertongue stood there, in his dimly lit house, staring at his wall of monitors. He clacked away on his newly found laptop, trying to break into it and decipher the secrets it held. His hacking was legendary, and it took him no more than a few minutes to bypass Jesse's password and enter his computer documents. Each and every one appeared on the screens, and he slowly collected everything there was to know about Jesse Cox. It would help him immensely on his mission. And then he found it: the jackpot. The JLC.Une file. he opened it, and it came up with every known fact about Jesse Louis Cox. His age, Place of Birth, strengths, weaknesses, greatest fears, everything. Silvertongue couldn't help laughing maniacally as he devised many ways to destroy him. And then he noticed his YouTube Connection. He found every one of his YouTuber friends, and through the magic of technology, got each of there .Une files. SRL.Une, JHB.Une, etc. And he found out everything there was to know about Jesse Cox and his friends. He had served his master well, and now was the time to contact him. But video connection was impossible. He would just have to visit him in person. He dragged every .Une file onto his jump-drive, put it in his saddlebag, exited every open page, (Over 300 pages), and prepared to leave. He flung the saddle over his back, and opened the door, ready to meet his master. Then he was faced with the nine ponies and three humans coming for Jesse laptop. He recognized each and every one from there .Une files, and quickly shut the door. If they discovered what he had done, his master would kill him for sure. There was a clanging on the door as Jesse knocked rigorously. "Hey!" He shouted, "Open up, thief!" They knew it was him who stole the laptop. It wouldn't take them very long to get in, so Silvertongue devised a plan. He hooked up his smoke machines to a trip wire, and laid it a few inches above the bottom of the door. Then, he galloped backward, and pressed the button to unlock the large metal bar holding the door closed. The door swung open, breaking the wire, and turning on the smoke machines. they spewed smoke at the twelve, and blinded them. Silvertongue then broke through the confusion, and galloped away from the house. He had escaped. When the smoke cleared, Silvertongue was nowhere to be found. "He must've gotten past us in the smoke!" Sjin said, "Where did he go?" Simon turned, and saw the silver and grey pony galloping away, "There!" He pointed, "Trying to leave town!" Rainbow Dash took off in pursuit, saying, "I've got this punk." The rest now searched the massive stockpile of electronics for Jesse's laptop. It was massive. The biggest collection of technology Jesse had ever seen. It had everything. iPhones, laptops, Surface Tablets, Supercomputers, Amplifiers, everything. Then they found the wall of monitors, and connected to it, Jesse's Laptop. "Finally." Jesse said, yanking it from the cords, "Time to call in the cavalry."