//------------------------------//
// Page 57 
// Story: The Purloined Pony 
// by Chris 
//------------------------------//


As you contemplate the large, bulky panes of glass, a shadow falls over you. Turning to see what’s blocking the sun, you find yourself staring at a large pink hot air balloon.



“Hiya, Carrot Top!” cries Pinkie. “Looks like you need some help!” She throws you a rope. “Here, start tying up those windows and let’s go!”



“But... you were in... the Cakes said... how did you...?” you stammer.



Pinkie laughs. “Oh, you silly filly! I came back from Cloudsdale and saw that Sugarcube Corner was closed, so I said to myself, ‘Now Pinkie, why would the Cakes close Sugarcube Corner early?’ And there were only two reasons I could think of: either Applebloom was kidnapped by a band of roving boggies, or else they were out of flour and needed to make a special trip to Hoofington to restock. But then I remembered that there was still an extra bag in the cellar last night, so I came over here to borrow your glass panes, but you already beat me here, so I said, ‘Hiya, Carrot Top! Looks like you—’”



“Yes, yes, I got the last bit,” you hurriedly cut in. “But how did you... you know what? Never mind.” With that said, you take the rope and begin loading sections of your greenhouse roof into Pinkie’s balloon.



Moments later you and Pinkie are floating over the Everfree Forest. “Alright,” you tell her, “we need to figure out where the boggies are hiding. Ponies have been searching these woods all day without finding a trace of them, so it’s sure to be somewhere hard to find. We’ll have to—”



“There it is!” cries Pinkie. Looking down at the spot where she’s pointing, you see several tiny dots (boggies?) moving into a sandstone cave. Looking levelly at Pinkie, you ask, “How did you do that?”



She shrugs her shoulders. In an effort to preserve your sanity, you don’t question her any further.



Using the rope, you carefully lower one of the large, heavy glass panes over the cave entrance. Immediately, you hear shouting and screaming coming from inside. Lowering yourself down to the ground, you untie the rope and guide Pinkie over to several nearby holes; you doubt the boggies would choose a cave with only one entrance or exit. Once you have all the nearby openings covered with glass, you return to the first hole you and Pinkie sealed. You find yourself facing a mass of small but furious boggies trapped inside the cave by your glass. They scream and shout, but you note with satisfaction that they shy away from touching the pane itself. You decide to let them yowl a bit, until they’ve calmed down enough to listen to you.



Then, you’re going to tell them exactly what’s going to happen if they want to be freed...






*****






Go to page 72