//------------------------------// // Act Three Chapter Eight // Story: Burnt Offerings // by Spike the Scribe //------------------------------// Sandpoint, 4 of Rova (Presumably 27 of October 1000 SR), Noon Remember how I hoped Twi's task wasn't going to be a pain? Well, let's just say that I haven't been so disappointed since that time it became clear we weren't going to go to Moondancer's party. You may ask then: what was it that I was 'the only one Twilight trusted enough to handle the responsibility of', and what made me feel so bitter? The answer to that one is very simple. Twilight, in her infinite wisdom decided that I was the perfect candidate to keep an eye on Trixie. Seriously, when I learned what I was going to be spending the better part of the day on I nearly flipped. Here Twilight was, asking me to keep tabs on whatever that annoyance Trixie was planning on doing for the next six to ten hours while she was out there with Rarity, doing something actually important like keeping my fair lady from the evil clutches of that sleazy bastard that dared call himself a noble. This was so totally unfair! It didn't help that Twi had some solid grounds to ask me to do that in the first place. As much as she was generally trusting, Twilight wasn't stupid (or at least I assumed she wasn't), and Trixie's usual behavior and character did point to her not being the most trustworthy pony out there. Most probably, if given the occasion, the magician wouldn't hesitate to skip town and leave us to fend for ourselves, arrogantly and completely groundlessly assuming she was better off without us 'dragging her down' and trying to strike it out in this new world alone, in doing so possibly dooming us to spending the rest of our lives here. Not that Twi put it like that, no. She may have phrased that as 'checking up on Trixie and seeing if she was over that yesterday's incident', but I knew how to read between the lines. *sigh* At least there was some sense in this errand. After that was all said and done, and my begrudging cooperation was secured, Twi, Flutters and Rarity left to prepare for the day, leaving me to do as I was asked. Dragging my feet and silently cursing my lot in life, I made my way to the cathedral square and waited. Sure, I had a task to complete, but that didn't mean I really wanted to be anywhere near that annoying fraud. Especially in light of what my treacherous brain came up with yesterday. Seriously, I was still weirded out by that. If only I could avoid having to interact with her. And that, ladies and gentlecolts, is how you come up with a brilliant idea. Why interact with Trixie when you can keep an eye on her from afar? It was the perfect solution! I wouldn't be forced to listen to her constant tirades on how 'great and powerful' she was and avoid her prodding as to how I managed to surpass her in terms of gaining magical abilities, all the while fulfilling Twilight's task. With that in mind I sought out a nice, secluded place and prepared to shadow Trixie as soon as she was going to leave the threshold of the holy house. I didn't have to wait long. In a manner of minutes the silver-maned magician strutted out the cathedral, casting her violet eyes on the square as if expecting some sort of audience. None of the passersby spared her any of their attention though, which had the comical effect of Trixie visibly deflating, her pompous stride shifting into a more neutral, if not slightly dejected one. Stiffening a chuckle, I proceeded to follow her from what I deemed a safe distance, suddenly far less annoyed than moments before. That was about four hours ago. Ample time for me to get bored, especially since to my great shock Trixie wasn't as attention-seeking as I initially thought. And yes, I know that sounds like a load of horseapples, so before anyone accuses me of spewing nonsense let me reiterate: Trixie wasn't as attention-seeking as I initially thought, which doesn't mean she didn't bask in the attention some were giving her. It just meant she wasn't actively tooting her own horn for a change. And truth be told, she wasn't the only one getting such attention, but more about that later. All in all, I was half-expecting Trixie to try something funny during the day, or at least sufficiently suspicious to warrant a reaction. What I got instead was a fairly normal morning following a magician that for once wasn't acting all that infuriating and was simply going about with her life, or at least what constituted for it given the circumstances. A visit at the tavern, where she ate and if I'm not mistaken inquired about our whereabouts; a walk around town, probably in an attempt to memorize the topography; and last but not least: a prolonged practice session with the new magic she wielded now, its entirety taking place in a small, secluded, out of the way part of town. Nothing truly suspicious. I have spent the vast majority of my life with Twilight, a mare whose interest in magic bordered on obsession. I've seen her conduct research, study for hours on end, and run experiments. Heck, since I was six and knew how to write I was an integral part of the latter, either jotting down her rapid-fire observations or serving as a test subject/dummy. I liked to think of myself therefore as one well versed in the theory behind the study of magic and a Twilight Sparkle behaviorist. As such, watching Trixie of all ponies act in a way similar enough to my lavender companion to remind me of her made me feel slightly unnerved. The first thing Trixie did was apparently attempt to access her unicorn magic, or at least I assumed it was that. Standing in one place for a few moments with a look of concentration painted on her face, it wasn't that hard to deduce. Especially after she started to ball her hands into fists and clench her eyes shut. Unfortunately, that proved to be nothing more than a waste of her time and effort and only served to unknowingly confirm Twilight's earlier assessment. Having run into a dead end, Trixie let out an dejected huff and settled to studying her copy of that book from a mysterious 'well wisher', where the similarities to Twilight really started to come in. Just like Twi, Trixie started out by carefully reading whatever were the contents of her spellbook, taking her time and if necessary reading certain passages several times. Only after fifteen to twenty minutes of that did she even consider attempting whatever new magic the book divulged to her, and even that was punctured with consulting the text and/or several dry runs. Seriously, the amount of prep work Trixie was putting into her attempts at spellcasting was very reminiscent of Twilight's work ethic. Probably the most noticeable difference between the two was the fact Twi was known to smile during the whole process, while Trixie allowed herself to smirk only after accomplishing what she set out before herself. Watching what little magic the silver-maned magician managed to accomplish since the start of this practice session I was beginning to see a pattern. The very first spell she tried was to my knowledge a sort of magical firework shooting out of the tip of her wand. Half an hour later, and she was literally spraying a cone of brilliant, almost blindingly so, colors from it. Several minutes later and a multitude of disembodied balls of light sprout from her star-tipped wand and floated around her like a group of fireflies. So yes, the pattern was easily noticeable: all the spells Trixie practiced had something to do with light, color, or more broadly with flashiness. I really shouldn't be that surprised by that. I was slowly getting bored by the whole thing. I mean magic is always interesting to watch, there's no denying that, especially since the moment I realized I could do it too, but having to endure several minutes of preparation work only to be rewarded by a single spell would make anypony consider seeking entertainment elsewhere. Unfortunately, I didn't really have anything else to do, and my accursed devotedness towards whatever Twilight told me to do prevented me from just leaving. Slowly getting bored out of my mind I was starting to wish something, anything really, would happen to finally break the monotony. "What're ya doin' here Spike?" Thank whatever higher power that watched over me, a distraction! "Oh, you know, nothing much." I replied, turning to face my very much welcome guest. "Just wasting my time on pointless little things that don't benefit anypony whatsoever. How about you AJ?" I sent her a slightly strained smirk. Applejack, who I realized was going to be my conversation buddy for the time being the moment she opened her mouth didn't look particularly impressed with my poorly veiled sarcasm. She was in her town watch uniform, signifying she was still on duty, but her relaxed body language seemed to point out she wasn't on duty strictly. "Ya sure you're alright sugarcube? 'Cause from where Ah'm standin' it seems you're sore as a saddle-burnt cowpony after Canterlot State Fair about somethin'." Way to hit the nail on the head there AJ. "It's a long story." I replied shrugging and stepped away from the corner I used as cover, sitting on a nearby bench and mentioning her to join me. Having nothing to do at the time being she did just that, and sensing an ear willing to hear me out I launched into an abridged version of this morning's events. By the time I ended, Applejack was giving me a peculiar look. It wasn't one of sympathy to my plight, at least not entirely, but it wasn't an annoyed one, so at the very least I was certain I didn't bore her. Problem is, I couldn't really tell what was it that she was thinking. Fortunately, AJ wasn't one to hide what was troubling her and soon enough voiced her problems. "So ya mean ta tell me that you've been tailin' Trixie since this morn? Don't ya think that's a bit on the creepy side?" "It's not like I'm stalking her or something!" I defended myself, maybe a bit too fervently seeing the raised eyebrow on the farmer's face. Seriously though, once she alluded that, I immediately switched into defensive mode. "I'm just keeping an eye on her so she doesn't try anything funny, just like Twilight asked me to." "But didn't Twi ask ya just ta check up on her?" As the raised eyebrow on AJ's face was joined by a smirk I suddenly realized something. Actually, I realized several somethings, the key one being the reason my face suddenly became a passable imitation of a stove. "I… I'm not… I mean, I don't even…" Okay, I admit; I spluttered there for a few moments, but who can blame me, right? This came completely out of left field and I was as prepared for this as I was prepared for a mid-June snowstorm. Fortunately, I was spared from having to endure this much longer. "Calm down there sugarcube, Ah'm just messin' with ya." Applejack chuckled good-naturedly, ruffling my hair (still can't get over the fact I have those) as she did. For a second there I wanted to be annoyed at her for even insinuating something like that, but one look into her deep green eyes made me swallow my words. I really wish I knew what was going on with me. "Har har." Was all I managed in response, trying to look irritated and probably failing exceptionally at it if AJ's chuckle was anything to go by. Fortunately, that was the moment the second most prominent something came to my mind, making me scowl in quite real irritation. "You mean to tell me I just wasted the whole morning doing something I really didn't have to do? Well this is just fan-friggin-tastic!" "Come now Spike, it wasn't that big of a deal. Ya did what ya thought ya oughta be doin', ain’t nopony gonna say ya did wrong." "Yeah, because what I did wasn't just wrong. It was more like the biggest blunder since the Canterlot Tea Party." I muttered. Seeing the lack of recognition on Applejack's face I elaborated. "Once I accidentally spilled the contents of a sugar bowl and refilled it with salt lick instead of sugar." "That doesn't really seem all that bad…" "It was in Canterlot Palace and Princess Celestia was currently receiving a delegation from Saddle Arabia. And let's just say they like their tea sweet." The wince AJ pantomimed told me she understood the gravity of that particular blunder. Suffice to say from that day forward the Saddle Arabian ambassadors always brought their own sugar. Still though, this was one thing that really annoyed the hay out of me, and like the blabbermouth that I am I couldn't keep my thoughts to myself. "I can't believe I got myself so duped by this! I mean I could've done all this in five minutes and went with the girls, but no, I just had to make up a whole story behind what Twi told me. Can't believe I'm so stupid." There's no telling how long I would've went on like that if not for Applejack's intervention. The moment she realized what I was doing she stood from her seat and faced me with a rather intimidating look, forcing me momentarily to shut up. Having accomplished that much, AJ used the pause in the torrent of my self-degrading laments and launched a counteroffensive. "Now don't go telling yourself that Spike, ya ain’t any of that! If anything, Ah would've done the same thing in your horseshoes. Just between the two of us: Ah don' trust that Trixie gal further than Ah can throw 'er." "But I could've went with Rarity and Twilight and help them out with that creep Foxglove…" I countered weakly, trying I don't know why to cling to my self-pity. Fortunately AJ had an answer to that as well. "Lemme put it like this: Twi's a sweet gal an' all, but she's a bit on the naïve side. She may have asked ya only ta check up on Trixie, but what ya did was the smart thing." She reasoned. "An' if Ah remember right Twilight said somethin' 'bout needin' her around ta make sure we can repeat whatever magical mumbo-jumbo sent us here in the first place. If lil' miss important over yonder decided ta skip town, we'd be as stuck here as an applecart in the middle of a mudslide. Ya at least made sure that didn' happen. An' Ah could'a picked a better time ta tease ya." She added as an afterthought. That however made me think of something. "So what you're saying is that I really was supposed to keep an eye on Trixie?" By this point I really wasn't sure what I was supposed to be doing, so I rather make sure. And the answer I received was at the very least encouraging. "Ah recon so. Twi mighta worded it different, an' Ah don't think she had ya sneakin' behind her in mind, but as Ah see it ya were doin' good." She nodded with finality, giving me an encouraging smile I couldn't help but return. Seeing she managed to save the situation Applejack plopped herself back on the bench, the chain shirt she wore letting out a soft jingle. "Say" I started, only now realizing something about this whole situation "Aren't you supposed to be on duty right now?" "Eeeyup." She nodded. "And yet you're hanging out with me." I stated, rising my eyebrow at her. "Eeeyup." She nodded again and shot me a sideways glance. "Want me ta leave?" "No, no, it's nothing like that." I assured. "It's just… I was expecting something like this from Rainbow Dash, not you. What's with you being the most dependable of ponies?" That seemed to get her attention. Applejack, who until now was leaning back in her seat and resting her back on a nearby wall straightened in her seat and readjusted her hat on her head in slight agitation. I'm starting to get the impression that I unknowingly prodded where her where I shouldn't be prodding. "Ah'm still the dependable one Spike, Ah'm just on break." She made sure I got the point, looking a bit affronted by what I was suggesting. Either that, or she didn't appreciate being compared to Rainbow and her legendary laid-back disposition. However there was still something that didn't seem quite right to me. "The watch force here gets to have breaks?" I couldn't help but ask. "Normally nah, but since Ah'm still new to this whole guard-business Ah get to have a break. Mah partner's taken over for the time being." AJ replied simply, leaning back again and covering her eyes with the rim of her Stetson. If she didn't do that however she would've witness how I just came up with a devious idea for payback. "Your partner, huh?" Seeing her momentarily stiffen at the tone of my voice was precisely what I wanted to see. It took Applejack a moment to come up with a response. "Ah deserved that one, didn't Ah?" She smirked. "Oh yeah, totally." I nodded between chuckles and was soon joined by a short one from AJ herself. A moment later however I continued more seriously. "Seriously though, you, Pinks, and RD are being paired up with the locals? Didn't that whole sheriff guy say something about having his forces spread thin or something?" "Yup, he did. But he can't just give us uniforms an' expect us ta automatically know everythin' 'bout the trade." AJ explained, shifting once more to look at me. "So the first few days we're havin' his men show us the ropes. Ah lucked out and ended up with Titus… ya know, the fellar that was with us yesterday in the lab." She added once she noticed the look I was giving her. I shook my head hearing this. "Oh, I know who he is. I'm just wondering why you claim to have 'lucked out' with getting him to work with you." "That's simple Spike: it was either workin' with him, Asper" I remembered the guy from two days back from the Rusty Dragon "or that Ernie fellar. As far as Ah'm concerned Rainbow got the short end o' the stick." "Really? Who's she working with?" "Ernie." She replied shortly, the name being said in such a way it was on the verge of being spat out. "You still don't like him, do ya?" "Doubt Ah ever will." AJ muttered, a bit of anger spilling into her voice. "Ah mean Ah get it: the guy's a difficult one ta get along with and all 'round a pain for no reason, but after the way he talked 'bout mah Ma an' Pa ah have ta force mahself not ta lay a hurtin' on 'im." "Yeah, I hear you." I nodded, imagining myself in her position. I'm really not sure how I would react if somepony one implied my folks were drunk when naming me. Then again, if something like that were to happen the guy would have the whole Royal Guard on his tail, not only just me to deal with. Perks of being given a name by Princess Celestia herself. "Still, Ah got a few moments ta spare, so Ah decided ta kick back an' look for any of y'all. Happened ta run into ya first." Applejack concluded our earlier topic, letting me know that she didn't want to talk any more about the grump known as Ern. Truth on the matter, I didn't want to continue it either, so the change in the subject was a welcome one. We chatted like that for a while more, touching upon a multitude of subjects. I brought AJ up to speed for example when it came to our predicted return date, or rather the lack there of. To say Applejack didn't take that well was an understatement of the century. She immediately started to worry about her family and how they were going to manage without her help. Listening to her, I was led to believe that she was the main pillar upon which Sweet Apple Acres stood, and that without her the old family business was doomed to fail. And since this was coming from the Element of Honesty herself, it was quite possible this was truly going to be the case. That, or AJ simply exaggerated her role in the functioning of the farm and everything was going to be fine. Realizing bringing this up was a mistake I quickly steered the conversation somewhere else, hoping to take Applejack's mind off home. Thankfully, I managed to do just that. The first thing I thought of was the strange behavior of the locals. Truth be told it all started since the day after the goblin raid, or more specifically after guard Asper let it slip that we were involved in stopping the green menace from burning the town to the ground. Many Sandportians since then were staring at us, muttering amongst themselves and generally acting weird in our presence. It even would've been creepy, if not for the nature of those stares and hushed conversations, and what they morphed to over the next two days. It started out simple enough. The locals started to greet us on the streets, no matter how many of us were present or which of us it was. Some even went as far as to go out of their ways to pass us by and insisted on shaking hands with us. Others took it a step further and straight up congratulated us on our exploits, thanking us for what we did and in many a case grossly exaggerating our contributions. There were also those that decided it was a good idea to shower us with compliments or even in a few cases flirt with the girls (which by the way irritated me to no end). Then again, I wasn't being left out on that front and a few of the smaller folk, either my own 'new' race or Pinkie's acted a similar way around me, and at least one taller woman acted like that too. No, I'm not stroking my ego, what gave you that idea? There was also a small percentage of those that really were going too far with it by actually giving us gifts. Some we managed to refuse, especially those that seemed to be a bit too expensive to accept, others we weren't even given the chance to refuse, those being pressed into our arms by individuals that hurriedly walked away without giving us a chance to even say anything. Among the assortment of small knick-knacks we ended up with this way there were even some genuinely funny ones, like a small wooden figurine depicting a goblin running around with its head on fire that Pinkie took a liking to. My favorite however were the more edible gifts, especially since my new body was a fair bit skinnier than my normal chubby self and made quite a few women fawn over how malnourished I looked. Even now I still had half a loaf of garlic bread I readily shared with AJ. Having all that happen to us, the locals acting as if we were some sort of local heroes worthy of praise (we really weren't) made for a quite fun topic to discuss. Especially considering there were times where the locals took it upon themselves to really make us feel special, usually ending in their attempts comically backfiring. Sharing those stories, reminiscing more spectacular ones, sharing personal experiences, or talking about the experiences of others led to a few laughs and successfully distracted Applejack from her worries, at least for a time. Unfortunately, it couldn't last forever, and soon enough we ended up exhausting what little stories we had. Finding ourselves again without any conversation topic I decided to allow AJ to pick what to talk about next. Sadly for me, that meant listening to Applejack ramble about the proper methods of caring for apple trees. The moment I realized what I had unleashed upon myself I already knew more about dendrology than I care to think about. Just as Applejack was getting to the juicier parts of the morphology of a recent apple tree crossbreed named Jonagold or something like that I realized I couldn't really take much more of this. I mean come on -how much can one dragon take of tree-talk? Seeking a way out of this that wouldn't seem offensive to AJ I quickly found something that might prove helpful. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think I should check up on Trixie." I said, silently hoping the second-grade magician really did something I'd need to investigate. Fortunately Applejack was none the wiser and without even the smallest of complaints allowed me to do my thing. Getting to my corner I once again peered from behind it at the magician. To my chagrin, everything seemed to be perfectly normal. Trixie was still sitting there, nose buried in her book and probably trying to grasp the intricacies of yet another spell. I was about to turn back to Applejack and surrender myself to another onslaught of apple knowledge when I was struck by a sudden realization. "That's odd." I stated, loud enough for Applejack to catch that. "What is?" As expected she got interested once I said that. Seeing nothing against sharing what I found I filled AJ in. "Trixie's still reading." Okay, maybe not exactly fill her in, but that was a start. Too bad Applejack didn't share my sentiment. "And what exactly is strange 'bout that?" She asked, joining me at my corner and peering over me to look at the still, reading form of Trixie. "Maybe somethin' interested her, or tickled her fancy another way. That's her version of Twi's magic book, right?" "Yeah, it is." I nodded. "And it's strange because until now no spell took her longer than half an hour to crack. I'm quite sure I didn't hear her cast anything since you showed up, so that would mean she's been at it for an hour at the very least." "Maybe whatever she's studyin' ain’t as easy as whatever she tried castin' earlier?" Applejack suggested, now more interested in what I was seeing in this situation. "Maybe. Or maybe there's something else going on." I mused, an idea forming in my head. It would mean forgoing my peace and interacting with Trixie, but choosing between that and learning the difference between a golden delicious and a lobo, I was weighing my options. Finally, I decided to risk it. Walking around my protective corner I started making my way towards the magician, leaving a surprised Applejack behind me. As soon as I made myself visible I was expecting Trixie to notice my approach and at the very least scowl in my direction, but she seemed to be completely oblivious to my presence, too engrossed in whatever it was that she was reading. Only after I got close enough to comfortably talk with her had she reacted to my presence, looking up at me and narrowing her eyes, still staying silent. It was in that moment that I realized I hadn't the slightest clue what I wanted to accomplish by this. I hadn't planned for actually interacting with the magician, too focused on the oddity that I first noticed to really stop and think. I knew I couldn't just straight up ask her what was up: that would no doubt make her realize I've been tailing her, and I doubted she'd take kindly to that little revelation. So instead I did the first thing that came to mind. "Err…" If you were expecting a brilliant master plan then Twilight's sadly out of town. The greatest height of the noble art of oratory I was capable of at that moment had just been dotted down by yours truly. Trixie seemed to agree with me on that one and instead of just giving me the stink eye she now was giving me one with her eyebrow arched questioningly. She still didn't bother to say anything, just staring at me in complete silence. It was unnerving to say the least. Having just about enough of her silent treatment I finally managed to force something out of me that wasn't on par with the vocabulary of a retarded puppy (with apologies to any dogs suffering from retardation): "What? Never had a dragon walk up on you?" Genius Spike, genius. I was expecting some sort of smug retort from the magician; actually, I hoped for one. Still, Trixie stayed silent, the only response she gave me being a roll of her eyes and turning her attention back on her book. This infuriated me to no end, and I didn't shy away from making her know just how I felt. "Will you stop ignoring me for five seconds and say something?! What, you suddenly did a one-eighty and figured silence is golden or something? Or did you figure we're too good for you and you don't dare speak to us? Because if that's the case then I welcome this change." "Spike! What're ya doin'?!" Applejack finally caught up with what I was doing and was rushing towards me, looking between me and Trixie. It was obvious she didn't know what I was aiming to accomplish by what I said, and truth be told, I didn't know either. All I did know was that I wanted Trixie to react, no matter how, and figured egging her on was my best bet to accomplish just that. It seems I was wrong. Even though in any other situation the silver haired magician would've retaliated to what I was saying, either verbally or physically, the most Trixie did was give me a massive, hateful glare. Seriously, not a peep was heard from her, not even the slightest. It was odd enough to confuse even AJ, who stopped once I was in reach of her arms and just looked dumbfounded at the con mare. "Okay, this' some really freaky horseapples going on." I heard her mutter, eyes still on the magician. As for my part, I focused on the silent form of Trixie, seeing her fuming at me and… wait, something's not right here. "What the…" I started, eyes glued not to Trixie herself, but to the crate she was sitting on. There was something odd about it, or rather there was something odd about the way it interacted with the mare. At first I couldn't place it, so I instinctively stepped forward to investigate, ignoring the fact I was intruding on Trixie's personal space. The reaction I got from the magician wasn't exactly what one would expect from such an action. Still silent, Trixie didn't protest or question what I was doing, but instead slipped off of the crate and started to backpedal away from me, the look on her face changing from utter contempt to nervousness quicker than one can blink. The thing is, all that happened in complete silence, with absolutely no sound of either the magician snapping her book shut, the fabric of her clothes rustling, or even her footfalls, which should be audible on the dirt road. In other words, the silence was clearly unnatural, or rather supernatural in its origin, which only served to further fuel my suspicions. Making a split-second decision I rushed forward, catching 'Trixie' off guard. My goal was simple: check whether or not the mare in front of me was really her or some sort of elaborate trick I almost fell for. Unfortunately, Applejack wasn't on the same page as me, and the moment I rushed forward she must've thought I wanted to somehow attack 'Trixie', which in the end wasn't that far from the truth. Using her superior reach to her advantage, AJ managed to grab me by the back of my shirt and with a surprised 'whoa Nelly' effectively stopped me from tackling the magician. I did manage to reach 'Trixie's' retreating leg with a wild swipe though, and that was all I really needed. It didn't however make this any less weird than it already was. My hand literally passed through her. I momentarily stood still, eyes wide in shock. I was half expecting to be wrong, my little theory being nothing more than something a madman would come up with. But in the advent of what just happened, the fact my very own hand passed through 'Trixie' like through air, encountering no resistance whatsoever, it made me question reality. I was literally starting to suspect I lost it when to my great relief Applejack asked, in a tone both confused and slightly scared, a simple question: "Did your claw just done passed through 'er?" So I didn't go mad. Good to know. AJ and I both stared at what we thought was Trixie with uncomprehending looks, confused out of our minds. In the meantime 'Trixie' stopped her retreat mid step, literally freezing in place, her violet eyes staring at us. And then, without any warning her whole frame, from the tips of her pointy ears to the very soles of her feet started to dissolve, like if a mass of colorful gas that until recently was held together by some sort of magic in a likeness of the magician was suddenly released. She literally dissipated in thin air, leaving nothing behind save a quickly vanishing multi-colored mist. "What… just… happened?" Applejack prodded unsure. In response I shook my head, trying to get my brain to function properly. "I… think she disappeared into thin air?" My answer was laced with enough doubt to fill a Equestria Games pool. "Ah noticed. Just… how?" "I… think she wasn't here to begin with." I started, and once AJ's eyes fell on me asking me to continue I did. "She probably knew I was tailing her and waited for an opportunity to ditch me, and that spellbook of hers must've contained a spell that helped her. What we saw here… it was some kind of illusion, and a darn good one. I literally didn't know it wasn't really Trixie until I noticed the shadows." "What shadows?" Applejack asked, looking surprised at my unusually insightful explanation. Seriously, even I was surprised I figured it out so fast. Still, her question needed answering. "The illusion, it didn't really cast any shadow. It might've been darker on one side and lighter on the other, emulating the presence of a source of light, but it didn't actually cast any shadows itself. And then there was the fact it was completely mute, to the point of lacking even the sounds of movement…" I trailed off, looking around. "Well shoot Spike, Ah didn' take ya fer such a perceptive fellar. Ah didn' notice a darn thing of what ya just described." The praise given to me, although pleasant, wasn't able to distract me from the realization that slowly crept on me. My eyes narrowed and an angry scowl made its way onto my face as I glared around myself. Noticing that, Applejack did the obvious thing. "What's a matter with ya Spike? Somethin' wrong?" "Trixie's not here." I stated simply, my words coming out more like a growl. "She tricked me. She tricked me and I don't have the slightest idea where she's at! Damn it all to Tartarus! How am I gonna explain this one to Twilight?!" I really messed this one up, didn't I? Letting myself be duped so easily. I was slowly starting to wonder how long ago had Trixie slipped away. Probably the moment she realized I was more focused on Applejack than her, which would make it over half an hour. Ample time for her to get a serious head start on me. Only hope I had on ever gaining on her would be if I'd recruit Rainbow Dash, and that's only if she was still as fast on land as she was in the air as a pony. Not to mention I didn't have the slightest idea where Trixie ran off to in the first place. So yeah, there was no way I was going to fix this. I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sensation of a hoof hand being placed on my shoulder. Looking at its owner, I was greeted by Applejack, giving me a reassuring look. "Don't ya fret none Spike, Ah'm sure it'll end up fine. Iffin ya want Ah can help ya look, and Ah suppose Ah can convince the guys from the watch ta help out as well." That was a nice gesture, to be sure. Still, I had my doubts about whether or not this would help in any way, but AJ didn't have to know that right now. "Thanks, I think I'll need it." I replied after a moment, taking a deep, calming breath. If I was going to do this, I needed to approach this calm and collected-like. Having accomplished that, I opened my mouth to suggest we get to work, when something happened that threw a wrench in my plan. "Stop you thieving scum! Stop I say!" The voice, though distant, was still familiar enough to place with a face, in this case the guard known as Asper. Judging by his words he was in the middle of an intervention, and then judging by the racket we could easily deduce they were coming our way. Great. Applejack quickly realized that the situation probably would require her involvement, so, after giving me an apologetic look, she turned in the direction of the ruckus, drawing her sword as she did. Not wanting to leave her on her own however, as well as figuring this was the right thing to do, I pushed the thoughts of the missing magician to the back of my head and joined AJ, attempting to act as support. Without a weapon, with no armor on, and not knowing what I should be expecting, I really doubted I would be of any use. We didn't have to wait long for the source of the commotion to come into view. Making a sharp turn from a nearby alley, a short (for a human) figure emerged, skidding to a halt upon noticing the two of us. The individual was clad in some loose, colorful clothing, disheveled by all the running he was doing, contrasting with his tan skin and raven black hair. He looked like he'd just passed his teen years and entered into adulthood, with a short, scraggly beard covering his chin like moss just starting to cover a rock. The supposed thief was scanning the alley frantically, looking for a way to avoid us. His dark eyes darted from one side of the street to the other, searching for an opening, but to his chagrin there wasn't one within reach. The closest exit was right behind AJ and me, and he didn't seem too thrilled with the prospect of having to get past a guard and her midget companion. And judging by the shouting coming from the alley he came from, backtracking wasn't an option. A short standoff ensued between us and the pilferer, neither wanting to make the first move. Weighing his options, the thief was getting more frantic by the minute, and it was clear he would make a mistake sooner rather than later. All we had to do was wait. That's when things took a turn to the bizarre. "Surrender and repent you scoundrel! Your days of evildoing are coming to a swift end!" There was only one voice I knew of that could possibly reach such volume, and it belonged to Pinkie Pie. Momentarily stunned by her sudden entrance into the fray and confused by her unusual phrasing I began searching for the pink mare. The odd thing was that her voice seemed to come from up above rather than from ground level, and… I immediately looked towards a nearby roof, and sure enough, that's where I found Pinkie. She was standing on the very edge of a one storey building, hands on her hips and the short mantle billowing in a wind I was sure wasn't really there, looking down upon the stunned thief. Her face seemed to radiate conviction and one would be hard pressed to find any of her usual playfulness, which put me slightly on edge. Last time Pinkie wasn't smiling, she was near depressed and Applejack almost accused me of being the reason for it. But the thing that was most noticeable was the tirade she was delivering. "The long arm of Law and Justice is unavoidable, and I, as its proud agent, shall put an end to your evil ways! Yet, as I am bound by the Laws of peace and amnesty I am required to issue you a final warning: surrender now and turn yourself in peacefully, or suffer the consequences! Remember, you can always change your ways, all you need do is allow it to happen!" That was… the cheesiest thing that ever came out of Pinkie's mouth, that's for sure. It didn't help that she struck a 'heroic' pose at its end, flashing a brilliant yet mirthless smile down on the young thief. Suffice to say everypony and everybody within hearing distance of the pink party planner ended up completely frozen, giving her incomprehensive looks. Since the thief, as utterly confused by what just happened as we were, didn't say a thing, Pinkie must have taken this as a refusal. Straightening up and giving the young adult a remorseful look she shook her head in disappointment. "If this is what you have chosen then I cannot but pity you. And remember: you have brought this upon yourself. For Justice!!!" Aaand she leapt off the roof. Why am I not surprised? "Whoa Nelly!" Applejack immediately reacted to the sight of her falling friend, tossing aside her weapon and speeding towards where she figured Pinkie would land. It didn't help that the jump performed by the pink menace wasn't just your typical leap of faith, but instead an unnecessarily elaborate, highly acrobatic jump, like something straight from a gymnastics show. Not only catching her would be incredibly difficult, but also judging where she was going to fall. It was a stroke of luck that Applejack managed to end up at the right place at the right time. Just as Pinkie was about to reach the ground, face first might I add, AJ performed an equivalent of a slide tackle and managed to cushion the fall. It did knock the wind out of her, and the two mares ended up in a tangle of limbs, but at least Pinkie was unhurt. Unfortunately, all that served to make an opening for the young thief, one that he was quick to utilize. Even though he was as confused as anyone else by what just happened, the pilferer didn't lose track of his surroundings. The moment Pinkie and Applejack collided was the moment guard Asper cleared the corner and rushed towards the youth, followed by two beefy individuals that themselves looked like some sort of thugs. That's when the diminutive-looking runner sprung into motion. He nimbly dodged guard Asper, who tried to tackle him, sending him sprawling to the ground, and just as easily got out of the way of the no-necks, sprinting in the direction of the only other way out of the alley. As could be expected, AJ and Pinkie weren't able to stop him, still trying to untangle themselves. The thief just ran past them, not even bothering to look at them, and sped towards me. Of course, being small for a human meant he was still twice my size, which made his charge all the more menacing in my eyes. He could probably bodily shove me out of the way and get past me without breaking a sweat, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to put up a fight. Once again willing myself to work what little magic I knew, I hastily conjured up the see-through magical shield, positioning it to receive the charge and hoping it was going to be enough. I stood my ground, trying to determine if and if so then how would the robber adjust his charge to my actions. As expected, he bound to the side, trying to use his long legs to his advantage and gain some distance. I wasn't about to let him do that though and without thinking I jumped in the same direction, hoping I'd manage to catch up to him. It didn't seem that way though, at least at first, and I was starting to acknowledge my failure when something unexpected occurred. It happened in a blink of an eye. The young man, formerly tall enough to easily tower over me suddenly shrunk, in moments becoming an inch or two shorter than I was. I saw momentary confusion blossoming on his face as he stumbled in shock, almost tripping on his now shorter legs. Admittedly I too was surprised by this turn of events, but I managed to work through the confusion and continued my countercharge. In less than half a second I felt my invisible shield connect with the thief, the shock of the contact traveling up my arm, and he finally tumbled to the ground, scrambling to his legs and trying to get away. I wasn't about to let him though, and trying to recreate my feat from the goblin invasion I jumped onto him, positioning the magic forcefield underneath my feet. Fate is a curious thing. At times it showers you in its favor, blessing you with good fortune and allowing even the most ludicrous plans to work. Other times it bashes you on the head with a tree branch and shoves you into a snake pit. And guess whose fate has just changed? For reasons I'm still not entirely sure my shield decided not to cooperate with me, and instead of pinning the thief to the ground it shifted upwards, like an invisible magical umbrella. That of course meant my jump ended up with my feet connecting with the thief's gut, or at least they would if he didn't prove to have reflexes quick enough to roll out of the way. Avoiding the blow, the thug tried to get away, pushing himself onto his feet. I wasn't about to let him get away though, and quickly grabbed him by his colorful shirt, trying to get a hold on him. The pilferer seemed to have finally gotten over his initial shock and managed to think clearly. Feeling my hold on his shirt he grabbed the front of it and made a ripping motion, buttons flying in every which way as he slipped out of my hold, leaving only his garment in my grasp. Now bare-chested, the thief spun around to face me, pulling a dagger out of seemingly nowhere and slashed at my face. Thinking quickly, I managed to grab his dagger-wielding arm and move it out of the way, the blade harmlessly sailing above my head. Seeing this the thief tried to yank his hand free, but that was when another surprising development took place. Seemingly out of nowhere a small ball of what I could only describe as pure light materialized, and started to rapidly expand. Seeing this occur I instinctively closed my eyes. Judging by the pained yelp and a torrent of curses in a language I understood only thanks to whatever brought us here, I made a good call. Risking it, I opened my eyes and was greeted by the sight of the thief blinking rapidly, trying to clear his vision. Seeing this, I decided to pounce on the opportunity. Using one of my legs as leverage and pushing forward with the other, I bodily slammed into him and managed to trip him onto his back. Unfortunately, he managed to grab my shirt with his free hand and pulled me with him, though if that was a good thing or a bad was up to debate. The impact his back made with the ground managed to knock the wind out of the thief's lungs. Then, once I fell on him and quite accidentally drove my knee in his gut he let out a strangled yelp, trying to curl into a ball. With me on top of him however, that was a difficult endeavor. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed my opponent was still holding onto his dagger, so I decided to remedy that. Using one of my hands to keep the guy in place, I grabbed at the offending limb and started to bash it against the ground. After two or three such slams, the weapon fell out of his grasp and clattered to the ground. Satisfied with my accomplishment, I allowed myself to lose concentration for a split second. Big mistake. I didn't even notice when the shrunken pilferer managed to plant his foot against my midsection until it was too late. With as much force as he could muster, the thief pushed me off himself, making me roll right off his frame and a couple of hoofs away from him. Still blinking and squinting his eyes to see, the man, who I only just noticed had a number of what I initially assumed was some sort of elaborate cutie marks (do humans even have those?) on his chest area stumbled onto his feet, blindly trying to get away from me. A bolt of frost to the face quickly changed his mind for him. Stumbling back to the ground and moaning in agony, the thief soon found himself surrounded by the watch and those two large thugs I mentioned before. Pinkie even went as far as to plant her hoof foot on the man's torso, pinning him to the ground, and pointing the… ugh… spoon at his throat threateningly. Sensing he lost, the man stopped struggling, only bringing his hands to his eyes and rubbing at them furiously, but even that was soon stopped by a surprisingly gruff and domineering order from Pinks. "Yield, or taste the wrath of Justice!" And still with the cheese. This was starting to get weird. I clambered onto my feet, patting myself down in search of any injuries and dusting myself at the same time. Everything seemed to have ended up well, but I couldn't help but wonder what had actually happened. At the very least I was sure those spells i.e., the inexplicable supernatural occurrences that came to my aid were not of my doing. Question is then: who? "Not so wordy now that you're small, are you?" I glanced at the group surrounding the thief. The man was brought back to his feet and firmly held in place by the two gorilla-like beefcakes while guard Asper was fumbling with something at the pilferer's belt. "Go plough yourself." The thief barked back, glaring at one of the two towering men. His face was red from the intense cold that slammed into him, and his scraggly beard seemed completely covered in frost. Taking my eyes off the thief and turning my attention to the men holding him, I just noticed the two giants weren't like any other humans or humanoids as Twilight calls them I have ever seen before. Aside from the obvious unusual tallness of the duo, the two of them had, and I kid you not, a greenish tint to their skin. Their eyes were beady with yellowed 'whites' and seemingly slightly slit pupils; their noses seemed comically small and flat in proportion to their massive jaws, and if I'm not mistaken then actual tusks jutted out from beneath their lips, giving their visage an animalistic, wild appearance. They were also almost identical, the only visible difference being that one of them wore an earring in his short yet pointed earlobe. My attention was drawn back to guard Asper once he found what he was looking for. Pulling away from the thief, the member of the watch held a money pouch, one that swiftly grew to its normal size once out of touch with the shrunken individual. "Give that back!" The thief barked at the guardsman, giving him a hateful glare. "You have no right…" "Shut your trap or I'll shut it for you." He was quickly silenced by one of the big guys roughly jerking his shoulder. "Ya should 'ave thought twice 'for stealing from Mr. Kesk." "So, bling's all there man, or did the little prick stash away some of it?" Asked the second one. In response guard Asper shrugged and poured the contents of the pouch onto his hand. "You tell me, I just chased him." The one that asked the question peered over to look at what now rested on the guard's palm, and I too took the opportunity. What was on it though… In Equestria the contents of his hand would be a small fortune onto itself. Two silver ruby rings, a golden signet, a golden emerald ring with a perfectly cut stone, a silver necklace with a plain pendant, a solid golden neck chain, and several rhinestones cut into imitations of diamonds. With the exception of the last one all of those items would fetch a really high price anywhere back home, especially those made out of gold, for obvious reasons. The gems and their imitations -not nearly as valuable, the market is overflowing with precious stones as it is. What? You try living off of gemstones without knowing how the market works. "Get your filthy hands off of that! It's my mum's…" I'm not entirely sure who Shorty there wanted to fool, but it didn't matter. The two muscle men quickly silenced him by growling menacingly at him. Having that taken care of, the one that checked the contents of the pouch nodded. "Seem aright. 'Least we don't have to pull the bugger's pants off and search…" "Ah rather y'all don't do it with me around." Applejack muttered. Seems she adapted to the laws of decency of this world far quicker than I gave her credit for. "Anyways, ah get it the vermin stole from y'all?" She added a question, looking at the two jolly green giants. The two of them exchanged a look. "Huh, didn't know Belor started to allow chicks into the guard." One of them commented, earning an annoyed look from Applejack. "Nah, the little shit here didn't steal from us." The other ignored his companion and answered the question. "We're workin' as… uh… what'd tha boss called it again?" The first one turned to his companion for help. "Hired security specialists or some other garbage. And it's Mr. Kesk, not 'boss'. You remember how prickly he gets if you call him that, right?" "Ulomur and Kilumur here work at Maver Kesk's jewelry store, they keep an eye out for anyone trying to steal from the man." Guard Asper supplied. "Which frankly is enough for me to lock up anyone they're chasing." He added, glaring at their captive. "I told you already: I didn't steal anything!" He once again protested. "Those two are trying to rob me and just used their position to frame me…" "Uhuh. And I'm a half orc. No offence guys." Asper added apologetically to the two green guys, who just shrugged, and in doing so almost dislocated their captive's shoulders. "Either way you're going down to the garrison. Have enough evidence to lock you up for attempted assault, even if by some stroke of fate you really didn't steal those jewels." That seemed to grate on the thief's nerves. He glared at the guard hatefully and through gritted teeth he said: "My family's going to hear of this, dog. And once they do, you're going to be a dead man." "And you just added a charge of criminal threats directed at an officer. Congratulations!" The guard mocked the young criminal. "Also thanks for tipping me off. Now I know you're a Sczarni bastard. Oh, Belor's gonna be ecstatic once he hears this!" "I take it there's going to be a reward for the involvement in capturing this low-life?" Another voice questioned, and I was about to simply dismiss it as an offhand question until I realized who it belonged to. I whipped around in the direction the voice came from, and couldn't help but stare. There, from behind the same corner I used as cover not too long ago stepped none other than Trixie herself. How she got there, or how long had she been there was a mystery, and I momentarily felt a shiver run down my spine. On the plus side, at least she didn't skip town, so that was a relief. The magician stepped forward towards our small gathering, her gait confident and her eyes locked on guard Asper. "So, is there a reward or not?" She asked again, stopping not too far from me. "Possibly, but from what I can tell only the little guy here would get one." He replied, pointing with his chin at me as he poured in the assorted jewelry back into the pouch. "Didn't really see how you contributed to this…" Trixie scoffed at that, glaring at the guard. "And do you honestly believe the lizard brain over here would manage to stop him if he was still his actual size? Please, don't make Trixie laugh." At first I wanted to be offended by this, but the combination of relief I felt once it became apparent she didn't ran off and realization that it was actually her that helped me out from the shadows made me stop. Also, I got the answer to a question I had since the day before yesterday: no, Trixie did not bluff and she in fact really did have a shrinking spell in her arsenal now. Why do I feel like I'm going to get the nickname 'querterling'? "That would explain where all that magic came from, yes." Surprisingly it was Pinkie Pie who agreed with the magician. "It would be only right if Trixie would get a part of the reward as well. After all she did contribute, even if from the shadows. What do you think?" "What I think is that you need to reign in the theatrics and not jump from any more roofs." Asper deadpanned, looking at the pink firecracker. In response she gave him a sheepish smile. "Well, at least I stalled him so you had the chance to catch up to him." She defended. "Same thing could've been accomplished by letting those two" here he pointed at me and Applejack "block off his path. But seeing as you're still new to this thing I'll let it slide… provided you make it worthwhile for me." He added in what we (as in Applejack, Trixie, and I) thought a suggestive way. Pinkie's smile on the other hand widened upon hearing that. "A dozen jelly donuts with extra glaze seems fair, don't you think?" "Seriously?!" I couldn't help but ask out loud. That was like the most stereotypical thing she could suggest to the local equivalent of a police officer period. And the strangest thing was that guard Asper actually seemed to get excited at the prospect, and didn't get why we were looking at him oddly. "What? Those sweet rings of goodness are literally to die for! I haven't eaten anything so good in all my life!" Well, technically they were products of Pinkie Pie's uncanny baking abilities, so I guess he did have a point, and… argh! My brain hurts just thinking about this. "So~?" Pinkie didn't forget what all this was initially about and prodded her partner with her elbow (which by the way reached somewhere around his upper thigh). Rolling his eyes, Asper replied with amusement: "Yeah, whatever. I guess you count in for a commendation as well." He replied towards Trixie, who still was trying to wrap her head around the absurdity of a donuty bribe. Hearing this however made her snap out of her daze and flash a cocky, self-satisfied smirk. And in the meantime… "Oi, Kil! You think we'd get a piece o' that reward if we told we helped out too?" "Nah bro, no way in hell that'll work. We've been chasing the git since it's our job, not like we went out of our ways ta help 'em." "So… no reward?" "No reward. Though Mr. Kesk will probably pay us extra for a successful capture and shit." "Sweet! Haven't been in the Pixie's Kitten in a while, it'd be nice ta relax some with tha girls." Why do I feel like this whole Pixie's Kitten was such a place that if I went there and Twilight ever found out I'd be the second Equestrian to walk the surface of the Moon? Everything seemed to be settling down just fine. The thief was caught, Trixie was found, and I didn't need to think up an excuse as to why I lost her for Twilight. All seemed to finally be entering a calm period. That is until I noticed something. Our Sczarni (whatever that means) 'friend' has been suspiciously silent for some time; the most he did since Trixie came into view was glare at her, and alternately at me, as if he wanted to kill us with his eyes. While disturbing to be on the receiving end of such a hate-filled look, I didn't make much of it, until the burglar started to speak that is. And once he spoke, I realized this was only the beginning. "You two are going to die. Mark my words, I'm not going to sit in the big house for long, and once I'm out, I'm going to personally cut your balls off and feed them to you, you little shit. And as for you, cunt, I'm gonna have my way with you before I round those pointy ears of yours. And once I'm bored with you I'll see if it's true what they say about witch burning being as fun as they make it out to be." For some reason I felt like those threats were far more sincere than the ones the man directed at guard Asper, not to mention they were far more vulgar than any other. The curious thing was that neither of the others seemed to notice, or rather none of them understood what the guy was saying. It took me some time to realize the guy wasn't talking in whatever was the common tongue around here, nor that dialect I knew he used, but something completely else. It sounded far more guttural, yet at the same time it was far more hissing, and for a reason I didn't understand it felt more… personal. Like a language I knew since I was born, like a home language that I heard for the first time after several years abroad. I wasn't the only one that found his threats disturbing. Trixie seemed to have understood him as well, and while I couldn't really tell if she was as strongly affected as I was, it was obvious she was quite livid hearing him address her how he did and imply what he implied. Returning his hateful glare with an icy one of her own, she cleared her throat and said: "You two muscle men may want to tighten up your hold. The shrinking spell's about to wear off." Seeing the grins on the two green guys faces the thief momentarily blanched. "Thanks for the heads up luv. We'll hold on to 'im real thigh now." One of them replied, after which the two lifted the short man by the arms, interlocked their own with his despite his attempts to squirm from their grip, and squeezed. And by squeezed I mean 'how the hay are his arms still in one piece' squeeze. "Well, it's all fine and dandy but we need to take this rat downtown. You guys mind giving me a hand in this?" Guard Asper asked the two half orcs (?), completely unnecessarily to be honest. Both held the thug in such a manner and were enjoying themselves so much, it was clear they weren't going to let him go anytime soon. Still, the green duo nodded in response. "Great. Pinks, you take up the rear, I'll go up front. Think of this as an exercise in escorting convicts." "Yes sir!" Pinkie saluted, immediately taking the designated position and focusing the attention on the thief dangling between the two giants. "And as for you, uh…" He turned to Applejack but stopped, seemingly having no idea how he should address her. Rolling her eyes, the apple farmer helped him out. "Applejack. AJ for short. And Ah'm technically on break. Should go an' look for Titus, get the rest o' mah shift over an' done with." "Fair enough. You do that." "Trixie supposes it's in her best interest to go as well. She rather receive her reward sooner than later." The magician proclaimed. Seeing that guard Asper didn't seem to mind, she was about to start walking before she stopped. Her eyes narrowing, she called out. "Just one more thing before we go." And then she hit me upside the head. "Hey! Why the hey did you do that for!?" I cried, scratching at the place of impact. For a former unicorn she has a mean slap. "Oh, you know what that's for, half pint." She replied simply and without elaborating started to walk, calling back to the slightly surprised guard: "Come on, Trixie doesn't have all day!" Shrugging, Asper gave the order to move out and the procession started heading towards the town garrison. Seeing them go however, especially with Trixie joining them, I couldn't help but feel I should be going there as well, if for nothing else than to ensure I didn't screw up Twilight's request again. Although… "Hey, Pinkie, wait up!" I called out, running after the procession. Pinkie for a second there faltered in her steps, giving me an opportunity to catch up to her, but didn't seem to acknowledge me until I was close enough to hold a hushed conversation. "Make this quick, okay Spike? I don't want to fail an order that early in my career." I was momentarily surprised by the tone and devotion in the party pony's voice, but brushed it off as one of her many random episodes. "Listen, can I ask you a favor?" I asked. "Sure, what do you need?" Nope, still odd. "Can you keep an eye on Trixie for the rest of the day for me? Twilight's worried she may want to skip town, and I have to agree with her on that." I didn't get an answer immediately, Pinkie still watching the dangling form of the thief as she marched behind the group. Only after a moment had she decided to grace me with a reply, though not with a look it seems, her eyes still glued to what she was supposed to be doing. "I think I can manage that. The formalities with her receiving her reward should take some time, and I need to brush up on the paperwork aspect of the job too. Not to mention I'll take your part of the reward for you, it'll be faster that way. And after that I probably will go back on patrol, I could adjust the rout to keep tabs on her. So yes, I can manage that." "That… sounded suspiciously like a plan." I stated, now seriously weirded out. This was easily the first time I saw the more pragmatic side of Pinkie ever, and I didn't know if I liked it or not. It didn't help that Pinkie nodded once I said that. "That's because it is one. Now go, I'll take care of Trixie for you." And with that she rushed forward to make up what little distance she lost while walking at my pace, bringing up the rear of the procession once more. Weird. "Well, that was one way ta handle things." I nearly jumped out of my skin hearing that. Whipping around I found that Applejack tailed me, her face scrunched up in as much confusion as I felt not five seconds ago. "Dunno if Ah approve o' shiftin' responsibilities like that though." "Jeez, AJ, don't creep on me like that!" I admonished, trying to bring my heart rate back to normal. "Sorry sugarcube." She replied, though doing that she looked at me carefully. "You're lookin' more nervous than a sheep 'fore a shearin'. Come ta think of it, ya look like that since that thievin' vermin started ta spout gibberish at Trixie and ya." "Yeah, that's because I know what he meant by the gibberish." I replied and seeing AJ's curious look I decided I might as well tell her. Because quite frankly, despite the guy being just a simple thief I got the feeling I unknowingly made a powerful enemy.