//------------------------------//
// The Smooze 
// Story: Sparkling Field Research: RotE Episode 10 
// by Dream Volt 
//------------------------------//

	So far everything was going great.  I had a few places I needed to go, and starting here would result in a little backtracking, but it was the ideal starting point.  Celestia teleporting us all here also saved so much time for everypony.  It had taken a few days to get everything set up but I think we were finally ready.  Spike was still complaining about this being boring but he was now sitting securely on my back regardless.  Besides today would be anything but boring.  Though I was sure he wouldn’t like it once he knew what I was going to do, and even less when I left him behind.

I walked out of the inn to be greeted by the roiling purple goo not too far away.  It pressed against the invisible barrier, making its contours clear.  There were actually quite a few buildings around the barrier that sealed the valley and surrounding land that was also infected.  The Smooze was an utterly fascinating subject, and thanks to the barrier a relatively safe one.  I felt a little guilty staying in the inn while Luna's guard were in the tents outside, but catering to small groups of scholars is in no way enough hotel space for an army, even a small one.  Firecracker then appeared next to me in a fiery flash.  Like the rest of the Lieutenants the color changing spells had been stripped from her armor so she was her normal teal and her mane orange and yellow.

"Hey Twilight.  We totally have everything ready.  We were just waiting for you to wake up.  Sweets and Blossom have their girls in position too."

"Excellent.  You can take Spike while I get started."

"Huh, started with what?" asked Spike  "Are we finally going to do something?"

I levitated Spike to Firecracker's back.  "No, we are not.  I want you here where it's safe.  I have confidence in my abilities, and in Luna's soldiers to pull me out if I'm wrong."

"And faith in my armor too obviously." Added Firecracker

"But I want you here, where it's safe."

"Safe?  Aww, that's so nice."

Then Firecracker hugged me.  I sighed.  I'd come to trust Firecracker a great deal more as I got to know her, but she still had her issues.  Honestly if Spike wasn't fireproof I might still be a little worried.  I would have really have preferred Trixie was here, instead on some secret mission with Captain Sky.  In retrospect it's obvious, but I still can't believe that tough military mare is Fluttershy's sister.  Still Firecracker has proven herself very professional despite some of the things she says, and her fire mastery worked well for adding the glass runes around the barrier I needed.  The pegasai were also far more use with that than I thought.  Precision lightning can be very useful.

"Uh, I'm still confused."  Spike scratched his head.  "Where exactly are you going?"

Firecracker laughed.  "Where do you think you awesome little fire starter.  She's gonna go through the barrier.  You can make a workable array without a center point, but not one this big.  But don't worry, she'll just burn that purple goop away."

"I'm actually just using my brother's shield spell.  Specifically the banishment version.  Anything meeting certain criteria is pushed out instantly.  It's mostly used for crowd control, but it can be modified for anything.  Including the Smooze."

"Wait, you're going in there?"

I nodded and tapped the gem on the torq around my neck.  Instantly I was in full armor very similar to Firecracker's.  The only major difference was instead of the moon emblems on the breastplate it was a six pointed star just like my element and cutie mark.  Then I cast the shield spell, followed by teleporting to the other side of the barrier.  Nothing else would work.  The only reason the loophole existed at all is because one of the fail-safes was teleporting anything remotely jelly like near the barrier to the other side just in case there was a leak of some type.  Which is also why I couldn't get jam on my toast for the duration of this visit.  Getting out was possible, but not remotely easy.  I looked down to see a small patch of stone cleared of Smooze.  This near the edge the layer on the ground wasn't that thick, though very quickly the bubble was attacked by probing tentacles.  I took a breath.  From here it should be easy.

"Twilight!" shouted Spike

"I'm fine.  It's not getting in."

"Yea, and even if it did our armor is super awesome.  If she can't get out herself we can pull her out right quick if need be."

"From here it's just a pleasant walk down to the center of the valley, I carve six runes to finish the array, and then we see if I'm right."

"Right about what?"

I rolled my eyes.  He really hasn't been paying any attention at all, has he?  I mean sure I hid this part of the plan from him, but he should know the rest.  I then started walking.  I could try to teleport in deeper but that wasn't the best plan.  The terrain underneath the Smooze might have shifted, and it's been a long time since anypony has seen Dream Valley.  Who knows what it's like now?  Well all except the area around a certain wooden bowl.  Thanks to scrying I know what that's like exactly, but that is by far the riskiest place to teleport.  Or at least I am nearly certain it is.