“Hello!” Twilight smiled. “I'm sorry I almost missed you. I just got back with the girls from solving a friendship problem in Hoovesville.” She tripped, and Rarity caught her with her magic.
“She's dead on her hooves from all the effort and magic she used and can't keep a clear thought in her head is what she is politely saying,” Rarity stated, as she helped Twilight along.
“Those look heavy, Princess. Let me take them for you.” Fierce took the saddlebags from Twilight. He paused and hefted the bags. “These weigh as much as Bonsmara's pack. What is in these?”
“Books and supplies.”
“Mostly books,” said Spike. He dashed to Rarity's side. “Can I carry your bags for you?”
“If you wouldn't mind.” Rarity levitated her saddlebags to him.
“Anything for you,” Spike said, taking the bags from her magical hold.
Puca covered her mouth, smothered a giggle, and grinned.
“Dear, whatever are you chortling about?” Rarity asked.
“Nothing. He's just being so sweet it's adorable.”
Bonsmara opened the castle door wider and waved the tired pair through. “Get her comfortable. She looks like she could use a good meal and some rest.”
“You cooked this morning. I will prepare lunch.” Fierce looked to Spike. “Would you be as so kind as to point me to the kitchen?”
“You can cook?” Spike asked, sounding more than a little surprised.
“Of course I can cook. What kind of ruffian do you take me for?”
“A diamond dog.”
Twilight snapped her head towards the young dragon. “Spike! You know better than to think something like that, much less say it!”
“It would seem you have had an encounter with my rougher kin,” Fierce said, addressing Spike.
“They ponynapped Rarity and tried to make her show them where gems were hidden with her magic.”
“Ah, they stole this gem of a mare to find more gems. I can see why you thought so of me. Dragons do tend to guard their treasure tirelessly.” Rarity and Spike both blushed. “I assure you, not all of us diamond dogs are so base.”
“You appear to be living proof of that,” Rarity said. “You strike me as quite refined.”
“Thank you. I do not know if I am worthy of such a description, but I try. Spike, my good dragon, would you show me where I can put these?”
“Sure, follow me. There's a closet just down this hall. It's on the way to the kitchen too.”
The rest of the group followed Twilight and Rarity into a sitting room. Rarity helped Twilight settle into a well cushioned reading chair. “Poor dear, it's a wonder you're still awake.”
“It's like pulling an all-nighter. You just have to keep your thoughts together enough to function.” Twilight looked to the others. “Please sit down anywhere you'd like.”
Bonsmara and Cobalt shared a couch. Grayson occupied a floor cushion, after stomping on it and making three circles on it. The only seats left was the unoccupied space on the couch and a love seat.
“I'll share the loveseat with this strapping fellow.” Rarity batted her eyes at Stone. “I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name.”
Stone snapped his eyes away from the loveseat. “Corner Stone.”
Rarity offered her hoof in a ladylike manner. “I am Rarity. It is pleasure to meet you.”
Stone took her hoof and bowed over it.
“Such a gentlecolt.”
“You're supposed to kiss her hoof,” Cobalt whispered.
“Not necessarily.” Rarity looked to Cobalt, as she withdrew her hoof from Stone's. “You know about kissing a lady's hoof?”
“Granddad taught us.”
“You're brothers then.”
Cobalt nodded.
Rarity smiled. “Show me what your grandfather taught you.”
Cobalt jumped off the couch and stood before Rarity. He put a hoof to his chest and bowed. “Lovely mare, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?”
Rarity's smile grew. “Of course, young sir.” She offered her hoof to him. “But only if you tell me yours.”
Cobalt took her hoof and gave it a light kiss. “I my name is Cobalt.”
“I am Rarity.”
“You are as lovely as your name.”
Stone slapped a hoof to his forehead. “You can stop there, Cobalt.”
“Your grandfather must have been quite popular with the ladies,” Rarity said. “I'm sure you will be too.”
“What you both did is considered correct. The difference between what you did and what Stone did is that he did not actually kiss her hoof, signifying courteous respect. Kissing the hoof indicates respect, but can also have a flirtatious element to it.” Twilight smiled at Cobalt. “I have a feeling your grandfather didn't explain that part.”
“He didn't.” Cobalt looked up at Rarity and blushed. “You are pretty, though.”
“Why thank you. Your grandfather taught you well. Next time you see him, thank him for me. There are far too few gentlecolts like you in the world.”
Cobalt grinned, nodded, scampered back to the couch, and sat beside Bonsmara.
“Now the question is, does your brother wish to share a seat with me or no?”
“Please don't play with him like that,” Puca said. “You're making him feel uneasy.”
Rarity gave Puca a look. “I don't believe that I caught your name.”
“Puca,” Stone said. “Her name is Puca.”
“Wait, I've heard that name before.” Rarity stiffened and drew back. “You're the changeling that's been living with Cranky!”
Puca swallowed. “I am.”
“Forgive me, that was quite rude on my part. It's just my first encounter with a changeling was an unpleasant experience.”
“I know. You have a mean left.”
“A lady does have to know how to defend herself.” Rarity extended her hoof. “I harbor no hard feelings. Twilight told us of the plight that you changelings are facing. No one should ever be denied love. I hope you don't hold anything against me.”
“Of course not. You were defending yourself and your friends.” Puca took the offered hoof and shook it. “Thank you for considering me a pony. Too many others don't.”
“You're welcome.” Rarity moved to the couch and asked Cobalt, “Is this seat spoken for?”
His eyes widened and he shook his head.
“Offer her the seat,” Bonsmara prompted, with a whisper.
“Oh! Right!” Cobalt turned back to Rarity. “No, it is not. It is yours, if you would like.”
“Thank you.”
Cobalt helped her to her seat.
“You are too kind.” She looked to the pouch around his neck. “May I ask what you are carrying?”
“It's a crystal piece of Princess Amore.”
Rarity blinked. “Excuse me, but did you just say that you have a piece of a princess in there?”
“That is why we are here,” Grayson said. “We are helping revive Princess Amore of the Crystal Empire.”
“She was the princess Sombra turned to crystal and shattered, is she not?”
“She is.”
Rarity asked Cobalt, “How did you come by it?”
“That is a story that can be told over lunch, which is served,” Fierce said, as he rolled a serving cart into the room. Spike followed on his heels, carrying a tea set. “Spike, if you would be so kind as to pour the tea, I will serve the meals.” He looked at Puca and Stone. “Why are you two still standing?”
“There was a bit of a debate as to the seating arrangements,” Rarity said. “I was offered a seat by this gentlecolt and accepted.” She captured Puca and Stone in a meaningful glance. “Those two seem to be working things out between themselves.”
“Get on the loveseat you two,” Grayson ordered. “Twilight needs to eat, and you're holding up the process.”
Puca and Stone quickly made their way to the loveseat. Stone paused just long enough to offer a helping hoof to Puca, before sitting beside her.
Fierce presented Twilight her meal first. “I prepared daisy sandwiches. Spike was kind enough to tell me they are your favorite.”
“Thank you.”
Fierce and Spike made a circuit of the room, pouring and serving respectively. As soon as everyone got their meal, Grayson told of their trek to find the crystal.
“That's so cool, Cobalt,” Spike said, from his spot beside Twilight, after Grayson finished. “You've gone on your own adventure now.”
Cobalt grinned. “It was awesome.”
“I'm glad that you're here, Princess,” Grayson said. “I have some concerns about what happened.”
“Sounds like everything went well, thanks to this brave colt.” Rarity patted Cobalt on his shoulder. “You did very well, but you should not have worried your mother so.”
Cobalt nodded and looked towards the floor. “I know.”
“It was a trap,” Grayson said. “We were very lucky that we weren't the ones that it was meant for or we wouldn't have gotten out of there.”
“What do you mean?” Puca asked.
“The webs outside the door were meant to keep curious creatures or ponies from getting too close to Luna's study. The traps that should have kept us from going down that hallway had been tampered with or had been disenchanted.”
“Those spells would have been ancient and could have faded and the traps could have had mechanical failure after sitting there for a thousand years without somepony to keep them up,” Stone said.
Grayson shook his head. “I doubt any spell of Luna's would have dissipated, and the mechanisms had been disabled deliberately. While I thought other adventures may visited the site before us a while back, the state of the door is what clenched it for me. That door should have been guarded with several spells and an almost flawless lock. The spells were gone and the lock had been made so that it would be easy to open.”
“They wanted us to think that we had accomplished something by getting to the study,” Bonsmara said. She paused in her scratching of Fierce's ear. “They didn't want to make it too easy and give themselves away.”
“The state of Luna's study made it even more obvious that it was a trap. The spiders could not have brought the crystal to that room by themselves, and the other crystals were put there deliberately to interfere with anyone who used magic.”
“I have to ask, Princess, why hadn't you gotten everything out of the study already?” Puca asked.
“Luna wanted to be there when I did. She wanted to share what she had been working on with me. You shouldn't have been able to find her study. The hallway leading to it had a powerful misdirection spell on it. Had you looked at it, you wouldn't have seen or recognized the hall being there.”
“That gives more credence to it being a trap,” Stone said.
“Can I see the crystals?” Twilight asked. “They could tell us a lot.”
Grayson pulled a pouch from his belt, and poured a few of the crystals into his talon. “Here they are.”
Twilight's horn lit, and there was no reaction. She paused, looked at the stones as if they confused her, and her horn lit again. “I can't touch them with my magic!”
Rarity's horn lit, but nothing in the room changed. “I can't either. They feel too slippery, if that's even the right word to describe it, to get a hold of. I can't even pick one out of the lot to focus my grip on.”
“That's exactly what I was feeling.” She looked to Grayson. “Would you mind if I borrowed these? I'd like to study them.”
“Sure.” Grayson scooped the crystals back into the pouch and placed it in front of Twilight.
“Then there is no doubt. It was a trap.” Fierce nodded to Twilight. “I would guess that it was meant for you and the Elements.”
“What about the spiders?” Cobalt said. “What were they doing there?”
“Star spider bites knock ponies out.”
“They wanted hostages,” Fierce all but growled. “How distasteful.”
Bonsmara began scratching his ear again. “We cannot know what their purpose was. We know there was a trap, we know they were there when we took the crystal from the nest, and we know that they let us go without pursuing us too hard. We cannot even say for certain where it's a group or an individual.”
“Considering the amount of effort that was involved to set everything up, I would guess it was a group,” said Grayson.
“Are Mom and Zecora going to be alright?” Cobalt asked, his voice shaking a little. “They might have seen us with them.”
Rarity hugged him to her. “I'm sure they will be just fine.”
“You don't have to worry about either of them,” Grayson said. “Grown dragons would be wise not to mess with Zecora. Your Mom and your house are safe too. Zecora told me that she was going to put the same kinds of protection around your house that she has around hers.”
“What about everypony else? They have to have figured out we're from Ponyville.”
“It wouldn't make sense for them to grab random ponies from the street,” Twilight said. “That would bring Celestia and Luna down on them pretty quick.”
“You're leaving yourself out, dear,” Rarity said. “You're no slouch in the monster fighting and saving ponies categories yourself.”
“I'm not as good as they are.”
“I just thought of something,” Stone said, his voice heavy. “They did grab somepony, and it wasn't random. They had Amore. They used her to draw us in.”
A hush fell over the room.
“Oh no. No, no, no!” Twilight got to her hooves. “There are lots of other groups looking for fragments! What if yours wasn't the only one that walked into a trap!”
“Twilight, calm down, and sit back down.” Rarity said. “You can hardly stand, you're in no condition to walk, much less go on a rescue mission. We don't know if anypony is in trouble, or where they would be. Send a letter to Cadence, Celestia, and Luna asking about the other teams. This might have been a one time thing.”
“You're right. We need information.” Twilight turned. “Spike, I need you to take a letter.”
“On it!”
*****
Rarity put a blanket over Twilight. “Poor thing. She couldn't stay awake any longer. Even wanting to hear something back from the princesses couldn't keep her up.”
“She made a valiant effort at it though,” Fierce whispered. “Let us settle elsewhere, she needs to rest.”
“Follow me,” Spike said, his voice low. “We can go to the library. It has lots of places to sit.” Spike led them to the library and waved a claw. “It's not quite as cozy as the last library, but we've got a larger collection now.”
“Oh, wow.” Puca looked around the library, a look of awe on her face. “I would have never thought a collection of this size would be in Ponyville.”
“You haven’t come to the library?” Cobalt asked.
“No, I haven't.”
“Why not? It's got everything! I like the Daring Do stories, and there's all kinds of other things to read too.”
“It feels weird, coming into the home of someone you fought with.”
“Twilight would never hold such a thing against you,” Rarity said. “She has made friends with Discord and Trixie, both of whom were her personal enemies. The only thing that Twilight might give you trouble over is not having a library card.”
“That sounds about right,” Spike said.
“You didn't feel anything hostile from her tonight did you?” Bonsmara said.
“No,” Puca said. “Actually, see seemed curious about me.”
“You want to be friends with Twilight? Talk with her about being a changeling. You will get to know her, and she can write a book on it.” Spike pulled out a chair from one of the reading tables. “Would you like to sit with me, Rarity?”
“Of course, Spike. Let me grab a some light reading first.”
Bonsmara walked alongside Rarity, as she headed into the stacks. “Would you mind if I bothered you for a minute?” Bonsmara asked. “I know that you are a famous designer. I need your expertise on something.”
“Well now, I'm not exactly famous quite yet, but I hope to be someday. How can I be of assistance?”
Fierce watched them go, one of his ears perked. “Bonsmara's up to mischief. I can feel it in my tail.”
Puca laughed. “Your tail feels funny because she was scratching your ears and making your tail hit the floor for so long.”
“That might be part of it, but I know her tactics.” He sighed and smiled. “I will have to remain vigilant for a pleasant ambush.”
“You sound like you're looking forward to it,” Stone said.
Fierce nodded. “She keeps me on my toes, and I try to do the same for her.”
“Has there been any new Daring Do books come out?” Cobalt asked.
Spike shook his head. “Nothing since the Forbidden City of Clouds. I can show you a couple of other series that are pretty cool, though.”
“Alright!”
“Wait, before you two run off, where is the section on military information?” Stone asked.
“You don't know? I thought you read that stuff all the time?”
“I haven't been in the new library.”
“Don't tell Twilight that.”
Puca laughed. “What about the magic section?”
“Second floor level, over there.” Spike pointed a claw. “There's a big table in the middle of it since it's where Twilight spends a lot of time researching.”
“Thanks.”
Cobalt and Spike raced off.
“I didn't know where that section was in the old library, so I wouldn't have been any help there either. Being an earth pony, I never needed it.”
“You should stop thinking like that,” Puca said, leading the way. “It's not good for you, and it tastes sour.”
“Sorry.” He moved so that he walked beside her. “I should stop it all together anyway. After what Cobalt and Zecora showed me, it looks like anything's possible.”
Puca smiled. “Much better.”
“What do you want with the magic section?”
“Sharing with the timberwolves got me thinking about what exactly Changelings are. We're from the Everfree Forest, but we're different from the other creatures there. We're too pony like.”
Stone raised his nose. “There is nothing wrong with being a pony. Sure, we don't have fangs, claws, or anything else like that, but we're good folk.”
She bumped into his side. “That's not what I meant, you goof.”
“I know. Speaking of not having claws, or anything like that, why did you pick to be an earth pony?”
“Ponyville is mainly earth ponies. I blend in better that way.”
“That makes sense, but wouldn't you rather be a unicorn or a pegasus?”
“I can't disguise myself as a unicorn all that well. Changeling magic doesn't work like unicorn magic. I can only affect things I touch directly. Ponies notice when a unicorn only uses their hooves or can't levitate something. Only Chrysalis can do that kind of thing.”
“Aren't we boring, though, compared to the others?”
“Stop.”
“But, we're nearly...” He stopped talking as Puca wrapped her forelegs around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“I'm giving you a hug.”
“I got that part. But why?”
“You needed a hug. The polite thing to do would be for you to hug me back, and it will make you feel better.”
After a moment's hesitation, he put his forelegs around her. “I'm not feeling bad.”
“Don't lie to me about what you feel,” Puca said, her voice tinged with anger. “It's insulting to me, and it's not healthy for you.”
“I didn't lie to be nasty. I didn't want you to worry about me.”
“You think being an earth pony is bad.”
“No, just less than the others.”
“You are so wrong. Could a unicorn have carried me, a full field back, and a set of armor through miles of wild forest like you did? No. Could a pegasus? No. Earth ponies are the builders, growers, and providers of strength that everyone needs.”
“But we're so limited.”
“You are not! What happens when an earth pony can't fly? They build an airship that can not only fly, but carry much more than a pegasus ever could. Need something moved that a unicorn can't lift? Get an earth pony. If the they can't lift it themselves, they'll make a machine or tool that can. Earth ponies build, design, and grow new things. Pegasi and unicorns manipulate things that are already there, for the most part.” She shook his shoulders. “If you think about it, they're the ones that are limited in their abilities, not earth ponies.”
Stone smiled. “I guess that means that Changelings have the best of everything?”
Puca let him go, stepped back, shifted to her natural form, and shook her head. “No. We don't have magic at the level of unicorns, we can't fly as well as pegasi, and we're not nearly as strong or creative as earth ponies.” She held up on of her hooves and smiled sadly. “Maybe that's why we have holes. We're not complete no matter how you look at us.”
“Now who needs cheering up?” Stone pulled her into a hug. “I don't know about all Changelings, since I've only met you, but you keep things level emotionally for everyone and keep us honest with ourselves. At least, you have with me.”
Grayson landed on walkway not far from them. “That was sappy. True, but sappy.”
Puca and Stone moved apart. “Sorry. I got too personal too quick.”
“I'm the one that hugged you first. You don't have to apologize for anything.”
“Puca, can I borrow him for a moment?”
She glanced at Grayson and then at Stone.
“It's alright, I'll be right there,” Stone said.
Puca gave Grayson a meaningful look.
Grayson held up his talons as if showing he was unarmed. “I'm not going to be nasty to him. We're just going to talk, I promise.”
She turned and continued on. She gave them a brief look, before rounding the corner.
“I know, sir. I've only known her for a little bit. I didn't mean to make a move on her, I was just trying to help.”
“If you wanted to make a move, I wouldn't try to stop you.”
Stone stared at him.
“Not the answer you were expecting from me, I take it.”
“No, it wasn't.”
“I am a hawk, in more than one sense. I watch for small details and trouble.” Grayson pulled a book from a nearby self. “You find her attractive, that much is obvious.”
“I like her, but we just met yesterday. What I know about her wouldn't fill a cup. She might not even be interested in me.”
“Do you need to know the whole history of something, when you see it, to know that it's valuable?”
“No.”
“If she allows it, pursue her. Don't let the opportunity to gain a treasure pass you by.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“You and I are almost two sides of the same coin. We both look out for patterns and dangers, but we approach how to take them on differently.” He patted his mace. “I knock them over the head before they can become a threat. You use defenses and feints to avoid or withstand attacks and strike back when you see an opening, if I had to guess from your mark.”
“Then why are you not knocking me in the head?”
“To protect her?” Grayson snorted. “She doesn't need protection. Don't let her demeanor fool you. She is a hardened fighter. She also is naturally able to tell whether you are sincere in your affections or not, so she has no need for me to protect her on that level either.” After looking over the cover of the book, he slid it back to its place on the shelf. “What I am trying to do is keep you from making a similar mistake to one that I made. I subdued my affections for someone, thinking it would cause trouble, and doing so cost me. If you want to make a try at a relationship with her, don't rush it, but don't the opportunity get away from you either.”
“I thought you were a jerk. I was wrong.”
“I am a jerk. I'm grouchy, sarcastic, and territorial. I'll admit, when we first met, I thought you were an impetuous young fool playing hero. You're green, but you're also more insightful, mature, and more steady than I gave you credit for. I would have tried to hire you away from your parents, even if your mother hadn't pushed you into this.”
“That's a high compliment. Thank you.”
“I know a useful asset when I see one. Don't think anything more of it than that.” Grayson turned, spread his wings, and put his talons on the railing. “A bit of advice. If you want a chance with her, and like your ears attached to your head, never lie to her about your emotions. In fact, never lie to her at all.”
“I won't. I don't like lying. It just make things worse, and trying to lie to someone that can feel emotions seems like terrible idea.”
“You better go. She's going to think you've forgotten her, or I did something horrible to you.” Using the railing as a boost, he jumped and glided down to the lower floor of the library.
“And I know a friend when I have one,” Stone said.
*****
Stone made his way to the magic section of the library. Puca had gathered a small pile of books on a table and was studying the text of one of them. As stone approached, she looked up from the book she had been reading. “How bad was it?”
“He told the truth. We just talked.”
“You are a jumble of emotions right now. What did he say to you?”
“That I shouldn't let good opportunities pass me by.”
“Took him a bit to say something that simple.”
“He also told me that I was making a good impression and not to mess it up.”
“That sounds more like Grayson.”
“I think he needs help with something.”
Puca shut the book. “How quick do we need to move out?”
Stone winced. “It's nothing like that. I feel bad. I made you loose your place.”
Puca shrugged. “It didn't look like the book had what I needed anyway. What does he need help with?”
“Talking to someone important to him.”
“He told you about that?”
“Not directly, but I picked up on it.” Stone took a seat across from her. “You have to know who it is by now.”
“I do, but he doesn't want anyone else to know.”
“What are the chances that I could pull it out of him?”
“Nil.”
“That's what I thought you were going to say. What are the chances I could get you to tell me?”
“About the same. I don't give away others' secrets.”
“I understand. You'd be in rough spot if you did.” Stone leaned back in his chair and looked towards the ceiling. “I guess I'll have to try to pull it out of him somehow then.”
“Good luck with that. It's going to be a painful process for both you and him.”
Stone dropped his head back down. “You don't seem that enthusiastic about me trying to help him.”
“I've tried to get him to open up, but it doesn't work. He gets defensive and clams up even more. Bonsmara and Fierce have tried to help too, but they didn't get anywhere either.”
“Then there's little chance he's going to say anything to me, and I don't want the abuse. I'll have to take a different approach then.”
“Why do you want to help him so bad? You just met him.”
“He's giving me a chance to prove myself. I haven’t had many chances like that, and I want to repay the favor.”
“You're sweet, but don't let that get you into trouble.”
“I won't. Is there anyone else he could have told?”
“Cranky would be the only one that I could think of.”
“I've met Cranky, but I don't know him all that well. He took a liking to Cobalt, and even invited him to his wedding. I'm not sure why Cranky's that friendly to him. I guess I should ask Cobalt about that.”
“Grayson and Cranky are similar, but the way that they handle others are completely different. Cranky is ornery at times, but he appreciates it when you try to help him. Grayson takes being offered help as a sting to his pride and pushes you away. He's a grouchy cuss, but he's got a soft side. It can be hard to get him to show it, but it's there.”
“I guess I'll have to take a chance with Cranky then.”
“Speaking of taking chances, I think I might have found something for you.” Puca grabbed one of the books from the pile, opened it to a page she had marked, and gave it to Stone. “How do you feel about eating rocks?”
“You're kidding.”
“I'm not. Go ahead, read it. Turns out the phrase 'tough enough to eat rocks' has some truth to it.”
After a few seconds, Stone looked up at Puca. “This is crazy. I can't eat rocks.”
“Have you ever tried?”
“No. I like my teeth.”
“I would be willing to put bits on it you can. You match the description of the kind of earth pony that can and needs to eat rocks perfectly. You're strong, without being bulky, you have endurance, and you have an unexplainable desire to seek out things magical in nature.”
“Incoming scroll!” Spike announced.
“I have a feeling things are about to get interesting,” Puca said.