//------------------------------//
// Page 16 
// Story: The Purloined Pony 
// by Chris 
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Refusing to be baited by a crop-stealing midget, you turn and trot back to town, ignoring the tiny creature’s jeers.



You soon reach the library to find Twilight Sparkle reading from yet another mouldy old tome, with hundreds more scattered on the floor all around her. Carefully picking your way towards her you say, “Um, Twilight, I think there’s something I should tell you...”



She looks up at you, clearly glad to see you here. “Ah, Carrot Top! I’ve found some very interesting excerpts from Louis Ponyet’s writings concerning the inexplicable material troubles his crew encountered during certain phases of their exploration. It seems it may support my theory that—”



You interrupt, sure that Twilight would continue babbling indefinitely if you let her. “That’s very nice, but I need to tell you something right now. I saw a... thing.”



Twilight cocks her head. “Oh? What sort of thing?”



As you relate your story, Twilight grows more and more excited. “Yes, yes, YES! Your visual confirmation proves that my conjecture was correct!” She pulls out a map, pointing to the mountain ridge west of the Everfree Forest. “The boggies, little mischievous imps like the one you saw, normally live here in the Dragonspine Mountains. However, a group of them have come down to harass Ponyville and play mean-spirited pranks and malicious jokes. Since they came down early last week they’ve attacked Applejack’s farm,” she points on the map to the farm, which lies near the Everfree’s border, “and have destroyed her crops, tampered with her equipment, and now they’ve stolen her sister!”



You think of the crude little monster you just encountered, and imagine a swarm of them holding young Applebloom hostage. The thought makes you shudder.



Twilight continues, “I’ve found out a lot about boggies from my reading, but I still don’t know what their weakness is. They’re a kind of fey, and every fairy species has something which is anathema to them. If you’re willing, I could really use some help researching. Otherwise, perhaps you could go round up some ponies to help search for Applebloom. Applejack, Big Mac, and Rainbow Dash are already out searching, but it can’t hurt to have a few more ponies out combing the woods. You could also go see if Zecora knows anything; she seems to know a little bit about everything.



“Oh, and there’s one other thing that needs doing! AJ and the others still weren’t entirely convinced that my theory about boggies was correct. You could go find them and let them know what you saw. That way, they’ll know what to look for. And if the boggie on your farm ran straight to the woods west of your fields, maybe that’s where they’ve made their lair. That knowledge would certainly help with their searching!” Twilight looks back at her books. “I’m going to stay here and keep reading, but you should do whatever you think will be most useful.”


*****


1. If you go to Sugarcube Corner to fetch Pinkie Pie, go to page 5

2. If you go to Fluttershy’s cottage, go to page 12

3. If you go to Carousel Boutique to fetch Rarity, go to page 11

4. If you go to Zecora’s hut to see what she might know, go to page 21

5. If you decide to stay and help Twilight with her research, go to page 17 

6. If you decide to go find Applejack and the others, go to page 33