Migraines

by SwiperTheFox

Chapter One Part Four

“Goodbye Raspberry,” Rarity said with a tender smile, and she returned to her meal. Raspberry walked back over to his table. Well, okay. She’s… she’s the one. One of the ones. One of the six. I know I didn’t get freaking shocked from touching any other pony. But, I mean, the cowpony couldn’t have been right. My heart kind of… tells me he was right. But… no. Seriously. ‘Kill or be killed’? It felt weird but it didn’t feel ‘bad’.

I mean didn’t try to murder the freaking toaster when it static-ed me yesterday. Geez. I think the cowpony was just full of it. He heard this soft but odd sound— something like the clicking of a Snapple cap over and over again. He swung his head around. He didn’t see a thing. The traffic had died down a bit on the middle of the street. He felt pretty alone. Still, that ‘click click click’ kept going and going. Then, he leaned over.

The umbrella— pinned down on the side by his backpack— bobbed gently up and down. What the hell… The umbrella seemed to nudge itself inch by inch to the side as if it was escaping from beneath the backpack. Raspberry extended his right hoof, hesitated, and then gave the backpack a hard shove.

The umbrella shuddered side to side. Suddenly, small white nubs appeared along the middle of its shaft. Two little white tubes jutted out of the bottom of the shaft.

“Oh… my…” Raspberry said. The nubs popped out, making a sound like bubble wrap being popped. The umbrella wiggled its newly grown two little arms and stretched its three fingered hands. Its two little feet kicked helplessly against the ground.

“Ummmm… hi…” Raspberry said, “Welcome to the pony universe.”

The umbrella shoved its feet and hands onto the ground, and then it abruptly flung itself up. It stood up just like a person, pointing its hands now directly at Raspberry.

“So, I guess,” Raspberry muttered. His mind felt totally blank. “You just… got here the same way I did. But… I guess… it was my power or something… bringing you here?” It makes no sense. But I swear that’s what I felt. Like twice now, I know I’ve been used like some sieve. It was almost like I was being raped through my head the first time… but it was so gently this last time…

The umbrella jiggled its hands in place, and then it waved them side to side as if he was dancing ‘the monkey’. Raspberry tapped his hooves on his head. I guess that means… a qualified yes. He heard a ‘meep’ noise.

“So can I—” Raspberry began.

The umbrella bounced in the air, and then it turned around. It sped off down the street.

“HEY!” Raspberry screamed, and he chased after it with Raspberry’s backpack bumping up and down on his side. He jumped onto the curb. “You’re— not supposed to be— you’re supposed to be like— like— shading people and stuff!”

The umbrella bounced and skipped up Market Street, weaving through the thickening crowd of ponies. Raspberry followed just about four steps behind. He bumped horse after horse, and then ducked under a tall filly’s legs— all the while repeating a “Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through!”

He shimmied through two fat looking mares and then got spun around in a bit of a tizzy. He was bumped over rightward by a fancy dresses huge gray colt, and then knocked over the left by these two young greyish-blue fillies holding hands. He popped back on his hooves, and then he spotted out of the corner of his right eye the umbrella ducking down an alleyway.

He sped over diagonally from the left side of the street to the right—jumping over two little green colts playing hopscotch and over what looked like a spilt bag of oranges. He had built up a lot of speed. An old reddish-brown mare wandered out right in front him. He hopped over to the left and his left side hooves landed in a little filly-sized shopping cart.

With his right side hooves up in the air and his left side hooves buried in bags of knickknacks, he tried to swerve the middle of his body a bit. He dodged the front of the bakery by a few inches and veered off down the alleyway. The cart bucked up and down as it went from the cobblestones to the concrete, throwing its contents overboard.

Raspberry bumped several feet in the air, and he landed on the dead end of the alley. His bottom hooves were propped up against the wall. His head, upper hooves, and body were piled up on a bunch of black trash bags that had saved him from smacking against the concrete.

“Ow,” he said flatly. He lied still for a moment, and then suddenly a ‘meep meep’ noise appeared. He curled up, but then fell flat down. He flailed his front hooves helplessly in the air. He heard an even louder ‘meep’. Raspberry braced his bottom hooves against the wall, and pushed hard. He slid backward into the garbage, and then he swung himself to the side. He ambled up until he was standing straight atop the bags.

The alleyway was a dull cut-out beside Market Street that looked to be about twenty feet wide and sixty feet long. Like everything else in Coltsville, it seemed way cleaner than any Chicago equivalent that Raspberry had ever seen. The parade of shoppers on Market Street went on, oblivious to Raspberry. He turned around to the dead end wall beside him. No umbrella… not anywhere…

He stepped out of the trash and started to head back over to the Main Street. He took about two steps before hearing another, quitter ‘meep’. He paused, and then he glanced in all directions. He heard a frenetic sounding ‘meep meep meep meep MEEP’. Raspberry walked to the opening of the large, dark drain in the curb at the end of the alley. He heard some kind of rustling.

Raspberry leaned down with his front hooves flat against the concrete, and he stared into the slit of inky blackness. The drain’s opening looked to be about four feet wide and a foot tall, and he had no idea how deep it went. He heard yet another ‘meep’ from down inside.

“Hey, little guy,” he said, teasing his voice to sound as McCartney-esque as possible, “You know I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to do anything to you. I just want to talk about how we both got here."

He detected a long ‘meeeeeeeeeeep’ with a raised tone at the end. Raspberry thought that it sounded almost like the whimpering of an abused dog. He noticed some kind of a faint ticking noise.

“Look, buddy,” said Raspberry, “I mean… I brought you here. Didn’t I? I kind of gave 'birth' to you, and that makes you like a 'son'. Just like your friend with the… the… socks…” Oh dammit, it just sounds so stupid…

Raspberry heard nothing but silence. Then, some kind of hard metallic clang sounded from down within the drain. He heard a rapid ‘meep meep meep’. A slam occurred like a front door being shut, and then a loud ratcheting like the ticking of a gigantic grandfather clock started up.

“Aren’t we all friends here?” Asked Raspberry. The ratcheting sound went on as Raspberry leaned in as deep as possible without his head falling in, “I guess we’re all in the same boa—”

The ground rocked beneath his hooves. Half of the street that he was standing on suddenly flipped downward at a ninety degree angle. He flipped in a sort of semi-cartwheel, and then he found himself flat on his back falling into the drain— now ten times its former size. He fell about halfway into the moist darkness before twisting around, facing out. He kept sliding down until only his front hooves remained free.

Raspberry scraped his hooves helplessly against the ground. He screamed indescribably. He scrunched the ends of his hooves against the smooth concrete. He kicked and kicked his bottom hooves, feeling them hovering in pure nothingness.

“No! Damn it, no!” he yelled, slipping down into the drain further, “NO! I really— really— miss having some— goddamn— FINGERS!”

A whoosh of moist, cold air shot up from underneath him. He coughed and he lost his grip on the alleyway ground entirely. He slid right down in the drain. He flung about his hooves, gripping or feeling nothing, and descended down until he couldn’t see light anymore. He felt himself being flipped around so that he faced down headfirst. The ratcheting noise came back. It bombarded him from all sides now.

Raspberry suddenly stopped. He couldn’t see a single thing. He seemed to be facing some kind of pony-sized funnel up ahead. His back hooves were spread eagle against the walls, which felt freezing cold and wet. What hell is this?! A giant escape hatch I feel into or something? Please don’t tell me that was to escape dragons! Oh God, just… oh God… I’m stuck here. I’ll die here. Up ahead, a loud ‘meep’ sounded.

“You did it, you BITCH!” Raspberry screeched. The umbrella squeaked in reply. Raspberry’s back hooves strained to hold him still, but then he slipped. He slid down further.

Raspberry then found himself in what seemed like an L-shaped pipe, with his back hooves facing up and his front hooves shoved somewhere that lead either left or right. He breathed hard in and out, in and out, in and out, and so on again and again. He felt as if his brains were melting.

No… No… No… NO! NO! NO! I can’t die here! I can’t be stuck here! Anywhere but here! His flesh seemed to be curling up like a raisin. It felt the walls themselves— coated with something so moist yet also so sticky— poking and prodding him as if he was about to be raped.

He shuddered, kicking the walls hard. He found himself knocked down. He scrambled himself into a crawling position. A rustle seeped through several feet ahead.

“Oh, I’m COMING for you, you little BITCH!” Raspberry yelled, and then he ambled through the space. He seemed to move straight sideways, then upwards, and then sideways again. He detected more ‘meep’ noises far up ahead.

“You’d better run!” he screamed, and then he scurried through at a faster pace. He felt himself moving more and more at an upward angle. He noticed muffled voices and hooves clopping. In just a moment, Raspberry faced straight up. He still couldn’t see a thing, but the commotion up ahead seemed louder and louder. He halted. Then, he heard a distinctive repeating ‘meep’.

He wiggled upwards, and then came across what felt like a metal filter. It felt a bit like a fishing net, and it seemed comfortably warm. He detected the smell of something sweet. He pushed up. The filter shook and twisted up as well. The voices had gotten much louder. He took a deep breath, which tasted so sweet that his teeth almost hurt. Then, he smashed forward his left hoof. He heard a huge bang, saw pure light, and kicked his back hooves to jump out free.

“YES!” he hollered, and he took a deep breath while extending his front and back hooves in a victory stance. He couldn’t see anything except a sweeping, bathing white light everywhere.

“Okay, okay, okay, okay,” he said to himself. The room quickly came too. He saw four ponies— three older looking light gray colts and a younger dark blue filly— all dressed in white aprons and short white bowler hats staring at him. Cabinets adorned the light blue and light pink striped walls. A few spatulas and large pools with purple auras hovered around. Row after row of bright, sparkly clean ovens stretched beside him.

Raspberry went back on his four hooves. He glanced down at his front hooves. He nudged a chunk of floor beside him back to the now gaping hole using his magic. He turned his head up and back to look over himself. A bit wet, but oh thank goodness not worse for wear… I don’t even have a freaking spot of dirt or anything on my tux!

The younger filly put down the bowl in her hands onto the floor and stepped over to him. “Uh… hi…” she said, “Welcome… to Mr. Spoons.”

“It’s…” Raspberry replied, “It’s wonderful. Pleasure to be here.” He rubbed his head with his right hoof. Two of the colts had gone right back to their kitchen work. The other had walked up behind Raspberry. That colt reached its left hoof out slowly, and then poked Raspberry flank. It seemed like it was to check if he was real.

Raspberry noticed a sign reading ‘Serving Room A’ behind the filly, and he strolled over to it. Just act natural… just act casual… I go spelunking in city sewers all the time. I’m sure I burned like 2,000 calories. At least! He tried to keep up a smirk. Raspberry tapped the door a bit open, and then he looked back at the ponies. They had all gone totally back to business except for the one colt. He simply sat in place with his head facing upwards and a totally glazed over expression.

Raspberry stepped into the other room. That first serving room featured a plethora of cakes, cookies, bars, cupcakes, scones, and anything else he could dream of. Table after table and booth after booth haphazardly littered the room, all displaying a wide collection of multi-colored treats.

Raspberry spotted an unmarked door on the other side of the room in front of him as well as another door to his far left labeled ‘Administration’. Beside him, he noticed another sign reading ‘Gentlecolts must maintain proper hygiene’ and a rack of bright white washcloths on top of a cabinet. He picked up about five of them with his magic, and then he rubbed them all over. Face, chest, hooves, back, oh my… that feels really freaking good…

Raspberry inspected himself and smiled at how his suit and label still looked perfect. He stepped through the room, gazing all around him. He took a very deep breath, and his mouth watered profusely. He spied something magical in particular out of the corner of his right eye. He sped over and braced himself against the side of the table. The three layer cake had been cut into thirds. Inside, the caramel frosting couldn’t help but ooze out. Each layer featured alternating chocolate and white chocolate chunks mashed together and saturated with blue sprinkles.

“What’s a sexy, delectable little angel like yourself doing in a place like this?” he whispered, and his body quivered in anticipation. He almost felt tingly down his pants, and his stomach seemed to roar.

He paused, and then he looked from side to side. I have zero bits here… but come on, with everything here already— so much stock, and so much inventory… they should have absolutely no problem with letting me have just a little… He reached out and took the glass case off. He squinted and tried to concentrate. A piece became enveloped in a purple aura and then moved towards him. He rested it gently on his right hoof, and he took in a good scent.

*Splat* Raspberry paused, and then he glanced left and right. He looked back over to the other rows of tables. He saw absolutely nothing. Raspberry shrugged.

*Splat* He surveyed all of the various items around him, and then he spun himself back. He seemed to be completely alone. He peeked down under the table behind him, but again… nothing.

*Splat* He turned back around. He stared at the floor. He noticed two cupcakes resting face down on the floor about a foot to his right. Another cupcake had been smashed on the floor a few inches to his left. Raspberry leaned over and took a breath.

“Hmmm... coconut,” he said.

*Splat* A cupcake plopped out of nowhere right in front of him. Raspberry bucked his legs back. He flung his head up.

The umbrella hung from the still ceiling fan with one hand. It had a cupcake in the other. The umbrella hurled it at Raspberry, who sidestepped to the right.

“YOU!” Raspberry screamed, and he ran off to the end of the room. A trail of cupcakes splattered on the ground behind him. Raspberry braced himself at the wall, looked over to his left, and then smacked the light-switch.

The umbrella squeaked repeatedly, trying to hang on to the spinning fan. Yet after only about four seconds, it tumbled off and fell down on its back onto a pile of white scones on the table below. Raspberry sped over.

The umbrella popped up on its feet, and then it produced a tray with about a dozen cupcakes from behind it. It grabbed a huge chocolate cupcake and threw it straight at Raspberry. The baked good whisked past Raspberry’s right shoulder— splattering a bit of frosting upon his suit.

“NO! Not the suit!” he yelled, and he leaned over to lick off the frosting. He also tied rubbing it off with his hooves, “Not my precious suit! Anything but the suit! Hit me in the face, anything, please!”

A cupcake smashed Raspberry on the temple. He wobbled his head and it fell off of him. “I brought that upon myself,” he said flatly, and he jiggled his head.

The umbrella squeaked and prepared to throw some more. Raspberry ducked down. He spotted an empty silver tray on the floor to his right, and then he popped up in front of him. He shielded himself from three cupcakes. The fourth blew the tray right off of his hooves with a big clang.

Raspberry made an ‘eep’. The umbrella waved its arms. It seemed to be out of ammo for the moment. Raspberry glanced left and right, and then he sized a huge tray of buttered scones, dipped in chocolate.

“Eat it!” he screamed, tossing scone after scone at the umbrella. It sustained a few hits, but then the fifth scone knocked it flat over on the table.

“YES, special delivery bitch!” Raspberry yelled. The umbrella popped back upwards in just a few seconds, holding another big tray of cupcakes in its right hand.

“Dammit,” Raspberry muttered. He ducked under the table to his left. A row of cupcakes splattered on the floor behind him. He jumped out of the other side, and then ducked beneath another row of tables.

He heard a sputtering ‘meep meep meep’. Raspberry glanced back, and he saw a giant strawberry cake smash on the ground behind him. Raspberry began to feel incredibly angry. He flung himself upward, knocking over the table. He made a guttural scream, and then he turned to the other tables behind him with tray after tray of chocolate cupcakes.

“Eat! This! You! Bitch!” yelled Raspberry, hurling a cupcake at each word. Two of the four were right on target. The umbrella made a soft whine. Raspberry seized another tray, and then tossed a bunch more cupcakes.

The umbrella had quickly recovered, and then it began throwing back whatever it could get its hands on. Scones, cupcakes, globs of cake, brownies, and other things flew towards Raspberry. He ducked successful at every one. The food fight went on, with Raspberry losing track of time. Before too long, the umbrella took a direct hit to its right hand, and then it fell back off of the table.

“Ho-HO!” cooed Raspberry, and he waved his hooves in the air in victory, “Oh yeah! Go Raspberry! Who’s the tangy pony with the genius mind? RASPBERRY! Oooooh!”

Raspberry heard an ‘ahem’, and then he spun around. In front of Raspberry stood the younger filly from before as well as a large orange colt with a flowing white apron and matching white chef’s hat. The colt had a name tag with ‘Mr. Spoon’ on his right lapel, a rolling pin seized in his front hooves, and a face scrunched in pure, blinding hate.

“You,” Mr. Spoon calmy said, “Shouldn’t. Have.”

“YOU shouldn’t have had me kidnapped in the floor beneath your kitchen, good sir!” Raspberry hollered, and he made a Phoenix Wright pose as he pointed his right hoof at Mr. Spoon. The younger filly’s blank expression turned into a huge frown with eyes almost tearing, and she looked at Mr. Spoon.

“Tell me it’s—” she began. As Mr. Spoon looked back at her blankly, she began freaking out. She panted, she waved his front hooves about aimlessly in the air, and then he tore off her apron.

“Oh, I am like SO out of here!” she squealed as she ran for the door marked ‘Administration’. Mr. Spoon muttered in protest and followed her over, which only seemed to freak her out even more. She reached the door first, slammed it, and then locked it with a loud click.

Mr. Spoon tapped on the door, paused, and then sped around back to where Raspberry had been standing. Nothing was there. He scanned the room, and then he spotted the unmarked door shutting.

Raspberry stood outside, holding a huge piece of the alternating chocolate and white chocolate cake. He breathed in and out frantically for a moment. He glanced around, seeing that he was in some kind of deserted alleyway without a clear entrance or exit. He heard a rustling from behind him.

Raspberry saw another door a few feet down to his right open up. A tall gray colt leaned out of that doorway and threw something onto the ground. Raspberry ambled over and then popped through right after the colt. He found himself in a very dim room. He backed up to the door behind him, and then he braced it shut with his back. He held himself still.

Raspberry couldn’t see much of anything except for the gray colt eyeing him. Raspberry waved his right hoof and said, “Hi!” He noticed something he hadn’t before. The gray colt had a large mark on his flank with what looked like a dark blue necklace.

“Hi,” the colt replied, still looking at Raspberry.

“I… I like your mark there,” Raspberry said, “It’s pretty beautiful.”

“Hey, thanks!” responded the colt, its voice losing the suspicious tone, “You know, Miss Rarity just told me she thought it looks pretty nice as well. It clearly reminds her of her own one.”

“Rarity, yes, excellent,” Raspberry said. He scooted himself a few feet from the door, and then he eyed the delicious looking cake in front of him. He smashed his face into it. He slurped, licked, and bit all over. In just a moment, only a few bits of frosting were left. He licked his hooves, rubbed his face, and then licked his hooves again. Ooooh, that felt good. Raspberry then got back on all four hooves.

The colt watched him, with a bit of disgust in the colt’s face. Raspberry rubbed the side of his hair. He muttered, “Okay, a bit messy… that…”

“So…” began the colt.

“So then!” Raspberry answered assertively. He stepped forward beside the colt. “Let’s turn those lights on now, shall we?”

The colt turned around, giving Raspberry a good look of his other flank. Raspberry spotted an identical mark. Hmm… interesting… The colt flicked a switch on the wall. Raspberry surveyed the room, seeing stacks up stacks of shelves on the wall. They contained folders, boxes, envelopes, and some other things he couldn’t quite make out.

“Since I’ve accidentally came in from the wrong entrance, then can you bring me to the storefront good sir?” Raspberry asked. The colt smiled, and then waved him over to another door. Raspberry stepped out, and the two of them were standing in a cramped, blank corridor. The colt opened another door Raspberry didn’t see.

Suddenly, the two of them found themselves in the midst of cabinet after cabinet of jewelry. Aside from the old gray mare at the edge of the room gazing at necklaces and the young looking red colt at a register station, everything looked exactly like a Zales or Jared store. YES! YES! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Jewelry store! They’ll know what to do to help me get my gem back. Raspberry stepped out into the center of the store, and then he heard the door behind him. He glanced back and saw the gray colt giving a friendly wave before heading out.

Raspberry looked again at the necklace markings on his flanks. So familiar, so… Wait! Raspberry’s mind flashed back to his meeting with Rarity. She had had similar markings, with blue gems on her flanks. Raspberry paused, and then he thought about the rest of the ponies that he had met.

“It’s been an eventful afternoon,” he murmured. He realized that many of them had had some kind of similar markings, although he didn’t pay much attention to that before. It has to be the clothes. Of course, it’s harder to notice on them while they’re wearing something. It has to be important. It’s something to do with pony lives and pony society, I know it.

“Hello!” said the red colt. Raspberry looked over, and then he stepped in front of the counter. The colt had a flamboyant looking darker red mane and a nametag saying ‘Sparks’ on his plain white shirt. Raspberry shifted his head over right to spy at Spark’s flank. The colt’s flank had three pinkish-yellow lightning bolts shooting upwards.

“Hey, ya,” said Sparks in somewhat of a giggling voice, “I know what you’re thinking. THAT cutie mark and THIS job? It’s actually a funny story of how I found this store. Long though. And hardly believable.”

“It often is the longest and least believable stories that are the truest,” Raspberry said.

“I see you’re a friend of Miss Rarity,” Sparks replied, “Well then, I’ll be sure to do my utmost to help you. However I can.”

“Can I ask... something?” Raspberry began.

“Anything!” Sparks replied.

“Where, when, and how did you get that mark?” Raspberry asked, “The ‘cutie mark’ you said…”

“Oh, I honestly don’t remember much of that at all,” said Sparks, scuffing his thick hair with his left hoof, “I was… on a boat I think… yes, on a boat. And lightning struck. And then… there were… some things… happening. Wow, I can’t really remember a thing, to be honest.” The colt chuckled.

“It’s… okay...” Raspberry said.

“I mean,” went on Sparks, “I do clearly and distinctly recall the actual moment. You know, I was bathed in blue. The light was all around me. My mind was going ‘Bang! Pow! Wizz!’” The colt punched the air. “And then, of course, I looked over, and I had found my talent. I got my cutie mark. I had my life plotted out in front of me for what I could do, and could offer.”

“Interesting,” muttered Raspberry.

“Of course,” Sparks said, making a sly face with his eyes curling, “I was never one to take that thing too seriously. Like my old grandmare told me. You make your own destiny. The mark is just a guideline. It’s nothing more serious than a sign pointing left, when you may need to hang out with the ponies over to the right. That’s what she kept saying to me.”

“Oh,” Raspberry said.

“But I’m ranting, silly me,” said Sparks, and then he leaned over the counter towards Raspberry, “How may I help you?”

“I’m looking for a gem!” he replied.

“Splendid!” Sparks said, rubbing his front hooves together in anticipation. “So, what color?”

“I…” Raspberry began, and he stared down the ground. Can I remember? I can’t remember. What the hell can I remember? I know who I am. Where I grew up, the university, gradation, going for my Master’s Degree, job hunting, getting started at Icontech, statistical modeling of production… And then there was… the explosion. But I had survived that. I wasn’t even supposed to be there… somehow, I guess... Then, I found it. I had it. I had it in my freaking hand. But what the hell was it?

“Sir, everything okay?” Sparks inquired.

“I don’t know the color,” Raspberry said. Damn it, now, remember!

“Okay, what about the size?” asked Sparks.

“Dunno,” Raspberry said, scratching the back of his neck.

“What shape does it have?” asked Sparks.

“No idea,” said Raspberry.

“How much does it usually go for?” Sparks asked.

“Beats me!” Raspberry replied.

“Where do people get it or find it, typically?” asked Sparks.

“That’s what I was going to ask you!” Raspberry yelled. The two of them eyed each other for several seconds, neither saying a word. Sparks leaned backwards and took a breath.

“Well…” Sparks muttered.

“I, I know it’s not much to go on,” Raspberry said.

“It’s literally nothing to go on,” replied Sparks, and then he glanced down at the variety of trinkets under the counter in front of him.

“Wait… just, wait,” Raspberry began, and he held his head with both hooves. He closed his eyes. “It’s small. It’s sized in a way that you can fit it into an amulet. And it was put into one. It’s bigger than what you’d put in a locket or something else. It’s reflective. It looks very valuable from the first glance.”

“Okay, then…” Sparks said flatly.

“And,” Raspberry went on, “It’s clearly beautiful. It looks exactly what you’d think given its power. And its power is massive. It will only really work, or at least work well, for the certain people. Ponies. Whatever. But when it works, it’s spectacular. The gem opens up the entire world. No wait, it goes even farther into another universe.”

“Universe,” repeated Sparks.

Raspberry opened his eyes, and then he leaned over the counter just a few inches from Sparks’ face. Raspberry said, “It’s power is legendary. You’ll notice it without thinking, just by sensing it or instinct. Do you know about this gem?”

“I don’t,” Sparks replied, and he fumbled for words, “Look, I believe you. I really do. There’s no chance you’re not telling the truth. I can see it in your eyes.”

Raspberry sat down on the floor. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he closed it again.

“If that’s what you need, then you’ll never find it in a place like this,” Sparks said, and he motioned around the store with his front hooves, “You need to talk to a historian. A librarian. Something who studies things for a living.”

“Could they know in another store?” asked Raspberry. “Or any place to do with gems, with jewels…”

Sparks shook his head, and he motioned around again. He said, “No place is going to be able to help you in the slightest. You have to talk to some pony that knows history and legends… that sort of thing.”

“Could they know something in, let me see, Canterlot?” asked Raspberry, and he strained to remember what else he had been told, “Manehatten? Ponyville?”

“Everypony in Canterlot is a grade-A moron,” Sparks replied, clenching his jaw. He paused, and then he went on, “Well, that’s not really true. I mean, I guess it clearly is if you’re trying to learn something. You’ll find PLENTY of nice ponies and a LOT of fun things to do. But, praise Celestia, if you’re in need of help— and especially if you need intellectual assistance of any kind— GOOD LUCK! I’ve never been to a more vapid and inwardly focused place in my entire life.”

“Oh, okay,” Raspberry said.

“Manehatten, that’s a good question,” Sparks said, and he seemed to roll his eyes back in remembrance, “I know there are a lot of really intellectual ponies there. Some history buffs to be sure, and then some… But still, no. It doesn’t seem right. It’s too big of a place that will get you too lost. And I think they’d also be clearly affected by all of these recent events. They have the glaring royal spotlight on them far more than we do here in Coltsville, or so I hear…”

“Ponyville?” asked Raspberry.

“I’m drawling a total and complete blank,” Sparks responded, shrugging.

“Look, Sparks,” Raspberry began, “Is there some kind of Yellow Pages I can use? Some kind of city hall database registry. A college with a rare books library?” Sparks shook his head at each sentence. “Is there a pony version of Google?”

Sparks tapped his face with his right hoof, “A goo… goo… gulls? Goo-gull?”

Raspberry picked himself up, and he began to head out of the store. Well, that’s just freaking PERFECT! I can’t get any help from anyone at all. Oh sure, it’s my fault for sure for not remembering crap. But still, then, there’s got to be some way I can look up all this. He poked open the front door.

“Hey!” yelled Sparks, “Just a moment!” Raspberry turned around and stepped back, with Sparks going on, “I really want to help you. And I would be able to help you. Because Coltsville SHOULD be the place where you’d most likely find anything you needed to know about history and legends for gems.”

“If it should, then… why not?” Raspberry asked.

“That’s the thing!” hollered Sparks, “There’s been this ‘Knowledge Lockdown’ these past two days. Those are the two exact words Blackberry June told me, by the way. Knowledge. Lockdown. That’s the official terminology coming out of Canterlot.”

“A lockdown?” Raspberry muttered, “What the hell is this, Putin’s Russia? Mubarak’s Egypt?”

“And it’s only— ONLY— been yesterday and today!” Sparks said, “If you had seriously come up to me saying the exact same thing two days ago, I guarantee I could have pointed you to the Flutter’s Rainbow Club. You’d have talked to two or three dragons, and there’s a good fifty percent chance at least one of them would know the gem lore you’ve been talking about.”

“And Coltsville was like that?” asked Raspberry, “Dragons everywhere?”

“It totally was!” remarked Sparks, “One dragon for every four ponies— depending on where you were of course— but still, yeah! But now they’ve just… just… gone. Gone! They’ve packed their bags and left. Goodness knows where they went.”

“And you don’ t get gem lore from anyone else? Any ponies?” Raspberry asked.

“That is,” replied Sparks, and he narrowed his eyes while lowering his voice, “The oddest thing of all. The grapevine says that everypony that’s anypony with any real knowledge for gems, jewels, and so on is disappearing. It’s not like they died or anything— or at least I don’t hope— but suddenly you can’t get ahold of them anymore. Letters between friends that flew back and forth daily now sit in mailboxes. If all you understand is that these gems are shiny, these are not, and so on— you’re in the clear. But if its legends, lore, history, or anything to do specifically with special gem magic…”

“Why would Celestia do this?” Raspberry muttered.

“I don’t know,” Sparks whispered, “I don’t even know for sure if she has anything to do with it. You know that she hasn’t been seen or heard from specifically in days and days? But somepony is doing some clampdown. I’m only telling you all this because I’m scared… and because you deserve to know.”

Raspberry stared against the wall. He started to feel angry. He turned back to look right at Sparks, and he said, “Now look, why are you putting up with this. Why would anypony put up with this?”

“I’m not going to speak against Princess Celestia,” whispered Sparks, “I’m not going to find myself spending a thousand years banished in a haunted forest.”

“She’s not as powerful as you think,” Raspberry said, feeling his dark, steely sensation rising up through his veins, “She’s not as strong as you think. She’s… vulnerable. Weak. I have an instinct.”

“I’m… I’m done with this conversation,” Sparks said, waving his front hooves above his head. “If you want to take this that place, then I’m done.”

Raspberry began to step away, but he stopped. What the hell was that? It sounded as if someone else was talking to me, as I was talking to him. Like I was repeating someone else’s words… Raspberry said to Sparks, “I’m sorry, just forget it. Forget everything else. Just focus on what I said before. If I really, really, need to ask about legends and history for jewels, I’ll ask a brainiac. Someone wise. Someone that’s an insufferable know-it-all.”

“Oh, that’s easy, go to Mr. Knack’s,” Sparks said, “I probably should have told you before. After all, as a musician you’d appreciate seeing him anyway. He’s the most connected pony you’ll ever meet.”

“I’ve heard that before, but I’m not talking about music here. I don’t care about music,” Raspberry said, “I just need to see the town’s egghead. The one that can’t stop from bragging about learning this thing or that thing. Someone that’s so smart and so intelligent that you want to gag.”

“Again, Knack,” replied Sparks.

Raspberry opened his mouth to say something else. Sparks immediately smashed his right hoof on Raspberry’s mouth. Raspberry gazed back at Sparks intently.

“This— is my intelligence,” Sparks said, and he pointed to a fingernail-sized diamond right under counter. “This— is Knack’s intelligence.” Sparks pointed to an emerald a few feet to the right. It was about the size of a pear and sat atop a small white pillow. “And this— is Knack’s ego.” Sparks reached behind himself and pulled out a globe. He then let Raspberry go.

“Imagine that it’s life-size and you get the picture,” remarked Sparks, spinning around the globe. Raspberry turned around and walked out of the store. Sparks wished him good luck, and Raspberry said thanks.