> Old mare tales
>  by Shenzy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Ponytales
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old blue mare slowly walked towards her red armchair and sat down, while a book levitated out of the shelf nearby and landed on her lap, followed by a cup of tea, landing next to her on a small table – additional two cups of coco also came flown from the kitchen and landed in front of her on the ground.

Of course, the mare was way too old for chocolate milk and the tea was enough anyway - that's why the coco was intended for her young guests, which lay on the ground in front of her, patiently waiting for the mare to start.

The mare had no children or relatives of her own, so usually, she would not get visitors, since most pony's in town just found her a little odd, those two been the only exception. They came here since almost two years now, giving her a visit once a week to tell a story to them.


"Shall the great Trixie start her story?" the mare gave a serious glance, but had an playful smile on her lips doing so.

"I would like the one about monsters!" the deep blue colt said certainly.

"Could we get a love-story instead?" the gray filly asked humbly.

The kids knew there was no point in breaking out in an argument like they usually would - since it was up to her to pick a story. Sometimes she would listen to the colts request... other times to the filly's... making it exciting before she even had started.

"Well... lets see what we got today to entertain you" the mare said and put on her glasses, opening the cover of her old brown book, when she tipped her hoof onto her tongue and browsed the sides till she had found sometimes "Hm... that one will work" she said and paused, waiting for her audience to get a little more nervous, about whose request she had picked today.




"Today i think i can please both of you" she then said to the young ones surprise...

Our today's story brings us back to the start of Equestria... when an evil spirit roamed free in the land... he was nothing you ever have seen in your life... his body wasn't the one of a pony... or lion... or lizard... no – he was like an patchwork out of all these animals and a few more, giving him an monstrous appearance!" she said and with that created an short half transparent illusion of the monster, like it was about to jump out of the book and grab them with his raised paws, making the kids eyes grew big and crouch back a bit "and this monster wasn't any ordinary monster... no! It also was almighty!" with that she made a flower levitate out of a vase nearby and hover in front of the filly's.

"Unlike other monsters, he also had magic and could do anything with it" now the flower turned into a lollipop, then into a key, followed by a feather and back into a flower – to return into the vase "and his magic was incredible strong... stronger than any unicorn there ever was!"

The gray earthpony rose her hoof "stronger than Star Swirl's?" she asked, thinking back on one of her earlier story's.

"Oh.. i think so..." the mare nodded quickly "this monster just had to snap! And all of Equestria was upside down... doing what ever he wanted and playing mean tricks to everypony there was... and that's why Celestia her self stopped him..." with that said, two glass figures landed in front of them,showing an alicorn and that monster from before, both in fighting stance "...and you know what she did to him?"

The filly shook her head, but the blue colt on her side gave it a try "Maybe, she blew him up?" he asked, making his friend show her tongue with an "ewwk".

An laugh was the mares first reaction, but then she shook her head on this "No. Celestia never would do such a thing... she loves everypony... even mean monsters like him...” she told him, waving her hoof like a teacher ”but... she did punish him." with that she used the magic of her horn and the small glass figure lifted up from the ground and slowly got higher and higher, while changing colors, from brown into pink, yellow, blue, white, orange and finally purple before it landed with and "plomp" on the ground – now being gray "she turned him into..." 

"Stone!" the filly said, poking the lifeless figure.

"Yes she did... he was turned into stone for over a thousand years!" 

Now the alicorn got levitated away, but the other one remained.

"So that's it? Didn't you say it was also romantic?" the filly frowned a little.

"Oh don't you worry, our story doesn't end here! You see... he was turned to stone for over a thousand years... but than the spell got broken and the Spirit was set free again... and at first it looked like he would cause chaos once more... so a group of very special pony's had to stop him!"

With that a small chest nearby opened and six mares floated out of it, landing all around the monster, all of them being made of colored wood.

"They wanted to use the same magic like Celestia had to... since he didn't want to listen to them and stop to create chaos. All of them thought he was a very evil and mean monster... all... except one".

With that said the yellow figure began to glow, like a miniature angel.

"She was the most kind pony there is... and she convinced the others to let go of their task and make him a friend..." now the stone statue turned back into glass and floated next to the mare.

"Of course at first he tried to trick everypony, by using their pegasus friend against them..." with that the monster gently floated around the mare... "but soon he fell for the mare and now she was the one who had him under control" now the mare slowly floated around the brown monster in the center.

"And guess what... she even did see behind his appearance and she also fell in love with him" now the figures floated side on side and landed in front of the other mares on the ground.

"So one day, the two married... and the monster made it rain flowers across the land, so everypony could share his joy - can you imagine that?" she said, waiting for the filly's to think about it.

“I can't do it” the filly said sadly, but also the colt seemed to have trouble to image such a strange thing.

“You have to close your eyes” with that she did so her self and the kids followed her example “Just think of a cloud... a big white one... now try to make it pink... and now try to make it snow... but instead of snow flakes... it been flowers of all kind...” the mare peaked a little and see that the filly now could image what she had told her. She just waited a few moments till they opened their eyes by them self's, to continue with a little more serious tone.

“...but there was still a problem...” pausing once so they could take a guess.

"Did he turn evil again?" the colt asked.

The mare shook her head.

"Did she left him?"

Once again the mare shook her head.

"No, she didn't left him - she never would... but she might had to one day... you see... he was immortal, so he would life forever... but she – wasn't... and some day she would be old as me, she said and gently stroke over her white mane “so he did something, everypony thought was impossible, till they had seen it with their own eyes!” now her voice suddenly got down to a whispering - as she leaned forward, like she would tell them a secret “he made her... immortal!”.

With that the yellow statue began to glow in a white shine and the wood turned from top to hooves into what seemed the same glass, the monster was made of.

"Awww.... that's so romantic" the filly said, wishing away a few tears of her face.

"So then they still life?" the colt asked confused.

A last time the mare shook her head, but this time sadly.

"You see... only one of the mares friends, also had become immortal... you might know her - Princess Twilight Sparkle?" she asked on which one the foals nodded.

“I seen her on the trade-market once, she is so beautiful!” the filly said, like it just been yesterday.

“Lucky you...” the colt frowned.

Trixie waited for the two to finish and turned the purple figure into an alicorn, to continue her story after that. 

“Sadly... only a hoof full of creatures can be like this... and so the others had to leave them at some point on their journey" now the remaining four pony figures slowly floated back into the chest, one bye one, but not before they got an last visit from the strange couple.

“What happened then?” the filly asked, pointing on the remaining figures. 

“Well... Princess Twilight was helping her town grow into a kingdom of its own, which took a lot of work and century's to happen” the alicorn floated away and landed nearby on the table, next to her tea.

“The other two lived nearby in a castle as the days passed by... becoming weeks, months, years, decades and centuries... until one day - an unique magic made both mortal.”

“Was it another monster?” the colt suggested “Or a Princess?” the filly added.

The mare taped her chin a few times and gave them a hint “I talk about the strongest magic there is... you know what that could be?”
“... friendship...?” the filly wondered, but surprisingly enough - receiving a nod from the white maned mare.

“The problem was, that the mare really missed her friends a lot... and every year it got worse, as she watched their kids grow and have kids of their own, while also her own kids would grow and have kids of their own” sadness was swinging in her voice as she told this part “her husband noticed this of course and so he decided to do the only thing he could do, to make her happy again” she paused a moment “...he took away her immortality and even got rid of his own... so they could become old together...”

Now the couple turned from glass into wood... “and so” at first the mare levitated slowly into the chest “this story” now the monster left the stage “...ends” and her book closed, as well the chest.




The colt tried to hide his tears, while the filly wasn't afraid to show it, running down her small cheeks.

“You don't have to be sad” the mare said as her hoof tapped on the book cover gently “...they lived a really long and happy life, on the side of their very special somepony... what more you could ask for?” she cheered the two up.

“Now come, drink your Coco, I don't want you two to get home late” she said and nibbled on her own tea “oh... I think we done it again” smiling at the foals, which knew what she was talking about, when the three put down their glasses so she could perform a small spell on them, heating them up again.

“Thanks Trixie” the two said and drunk some of their milk.

“You know... chocolate milk was also the monsters favorite... I guess you taste a little history” she winked them, making the kids stare into their glasses “but you know, there is something he had never thought of... and only I have found out how magic could create even better coco!” she bragged a little.

“How is that!?” the colt asked excited, which made the mare giggle, when small marshmallows floated from the kitchen, directly into their cups.

Now the three laughed together and enjoyed their drinks, when the mare suddenly made an awkward face and looked down into her own cup. She accidental had put some into there as well... but she didn't want to let them know about her sloppy mistake, so she just rushed it down. 

“So, did you two like my story?” the mare checked one more time, already knowing the answer.

“Of course, it was awesome...!” the colt said.

“Yes, it was so very sweet!” the filly smiled, as her ruby like eyes shimmered with glee.

The mare knew her audience well “Maybe next time I read to you something about that Ursa-Minor I met...” 

Now the colt was more than excited to come back again. 

“... and Princess Twilight, when she was an Unicorn”

And with that she had her second customer on the hook.

“Can't you read it to us tomorrow?” the boy tried.

“You got school tomorrow... and you know my rules...” she had to rebuke him.

“To bad, my dad don't have such great books like you...” the filly frowned. 

“Well, my books are unique, that's true... that's why I never would give them away, but... you don't just come here for the story's?” she asked a little concerned.

The colt shook his head “No! You are the bestest story teller there is!” 

“There is no such thing as -bestest-” the filly tried to correct him.

“There is so!” pointing on the old mare, making her blush.

She got a step closer and ruffled the colts black mane a little, as well the filly's blond one “you two are my greatest fan's” giving a little sight from her “but now go, I don't want you to be late home”.


The young ones obeyed and left her house. One walking to the left and one to the right, heading home to their family's, which lived pretty much on the opposite parts of the town. 

Dodge Junction wasn't the biggest town there is - it sure had grown the past years, but still was just about a third of Ponyville, which by now was a city of thousands. 


The mare gave sigh from her. She would had to spend the rest of the week alone, as usual... which made her feel lonely already.

When they started their little meetings, they over did it at times with the story telling and their parents would come to her house and pick them up, but not before scolding her for making them stay so long. She just didn't want any trouble, so the rule was simple: one story per visit and home right after.


Her storytelling was also one of the reasons most pony's thought her to be odd or at times crazy... her story's always spun around things which seemed quite impossible and it was more than hard to find any proof for it, since all of them took place several hundred years ago and the town library was quite small... also nopony did bother to look it up anyway.


She had tried to gather new pony's to listen to them on all kind of ways.

Once she was able to rent a small a small store for a day, hoofing out fliers to mares and stallions, which she knew had kids or had them along, most of them assured her they would give it a try... so the mare sat there and waited all day long till the sun got down, but nopony came to see her.

“We have to close now” the store owner said in an apologetic tone.

“I know” she sighed “thanks anyway” she told him and collected the books she had brought along, to put them carefully into a box. The crate levitated just a few centimeters over the ground, but also her head wasn't further from the ground, since she left it hanging in disappointment, while she walked back home.




The way of life around here was quite traditional, she figured. Most pony's would life here, till the day they die, instead of traveling and discover the world – like they lacked any kind of sense for adventure... “but maybe they just didn't knew any better?” she often thought to her self.

This is why she tried to tell them something about the world outside their city borders, fighting on her own kinda way the stubborn mind of the crowd, with the little she had. 


Whenever a pony would listen to one of her story's from beginning to end, she felt like she had accomplished something. Maybe one day they would tell the story's their children or others? Who knew. 

At least two of them knew better and she loved their visits. They would listen carefully and come back every week for more, giving her the soothing feeling, that she had achieved another little victory. One day she would win all of them over, this was her big dream.

The mare slowly walked through her small house into one of the backrooms, which served her as workshop, having all kind of items and books stored in shelf's around her and a big wooden table in the middle on which a weathercock was laying. 

She got to the table and used her magic on the metal animal to replace his eyes, from a deep blue, to a cyan one, using her magic to do so and casting a spell on it afterward.

“This should do” she said and stepped away a little to cast a small burst of energy onto it, to see the result and this time she was pleased about her work – the spell did withstand her magic and absorbed it completely.


Trixie now left the room as the rooster levitated into a pocket and the pocket on her back, putting on her big hat which would cover her from the temperatures outside, when she left the door and walked down the main-road.

Today it was sunny as usual, since the town was located in small patch of desert, but still the wind blew quite cold at times, since there also was mountains nearby... this kind of weather wasn't made for anypony - another reason why the city was small and didn't had too much travelers attracted to it.




The mare walked past the simple buildings and crossed roads a few times, wondering where she was supposed to go, walking once right back the way she came to take the other direction. The town wasn't to big, but her bad sense of orientation, as well her quite advanced age gave her a hard time to find her self around. So a walk of five minutes, easily could take up ten.

“Hello?” she said, knocking on her customer's door, which got answered by an dark green stallion, who didn't looked to pleased to see her “You fixed it?” he asked grumpily.

“Yes I did and it was an easy task to do so” 

“I didn't ask for the story of your life, just gimme that darn rooster”

She hoofed it over to the stallion “i hope it works this time”.

“I tested it just before I got there...” she said a little ashamed, knowing she had forgot last time.

“I hope so” the stallion said, pointing up to the roof, which had a burned hole in it “if it attracts lighting one more time, I make sure you repair the damage your self … also I don't pay you this time”

The mare let her head hanging. It was just fair he would keep his money and use it instead for the repairs... too bad she was a little short right now, so for the next week it would mean to hold on to her money, till there was another customer.

The stallion slammed the door shut directly in front of her nose and the mare turned and headed back home, since there was nothing more to do here.




On her way back she noticed a few pony's on the other side walk, laughing. She would not wonder if it was about her, since she quite wasn't the star around here. Still, she kinda liked the town somehow... maybe it even was because of that? 

She sure loved some attention - no doubt about that... but she had plenty over the years, which was the reason she had come here... it was quite silent and nice around here for the most part. Some places nearby had a nice sight and nopony would bother her, since nopony really knew her.

Also the wild life around was quite friendly... so an old mare like her could stumble outside of town on her own, without having to be afraid to get eaten by timber-wolf's or to be stomped by an Ursa... also the nearby nearby forest could provide for most of the plants she needed for certain magic brewery, saving her some money when ever she found time to get some herbs her self.


If you took all that into account and put it on both sides on the scale, it was quite a draw, but if you then put in her little fans as well... the scale tipped in the towns favor. 


“Dad i'm back” Clockwork said as she got into the house. 

It just was afternoon and dinner was almost ready as usual at this time of the day. Her father was a mechanic, so precise timing and routine was quite important to him. When ever she would be later than dinner, he would go out and search the howl town and ground her as soon he had found her for at least a week, that's why she had already missed a few of Trixie's story's and her friend Herb had to tell it after school or occasionally during it – bringing her into even more trouble.

That for, whenever Herb had detention, she would do the same for him, so it evened out.

Of course, if Trixie told something, it was like you been really there... not to speak of the small treats which came along with it.

When they asked why she told the story, despite just one of them being there she had told them:

“I want use the little time we have... who knows how much is still left?” 

This often made her think how she meant it. The mare sure was old... but she didn't look like her grandma or anything and when ever she got asked about her age she just would make jokes about it – like when she suddenly browsed through the book in her hooves and said “sorry, I can't find that anywhere!” raising an eye-brow on the kids.

It sure was funny, but no real answer. So they didn't bother to ask at some point. It was her little secret.

“Come to table” her father said and served plates.

Today was healthy Sunday, so he would serve a nice soup and a mixed salad of some sorts... in order to “give her vitamins for school” he said.

“Did you do your homework?” he asked casual, while eating his share.

“Yes, I did.” when she also began to zip on her soup and the usual conversation took place “how was work?” 

“Alright... I got the old crane fixed and tomorrow I was ordered to check an elevator – will bring some fine money” the green stallion grinned.

Her father took good care of the family funds. He always hold an iron reserve, but also managed to save some up for later, when she was supposed to go to Manehatten and study mechanics or whatever her talent would be related to, so it wasn't like he was greedy - he just liked to play it safe and didn't waste money on what he called “nonsense”, that's why her home was quite generic furnished. Everything was nice and clean, but also really functional and common, making it look pale and boring.

“Dad, did you think about my request?”

“We don't paint your room purple. I still don't see why you want that?”

“But... I like purple” the filly sobbed.

“When you got your own home, you can paint it whatever you like... I even will help you on that, but for now – no purple”.

She didn't even know why she tried... when he made up his mind about anything, it was hard to  convince him otherwise, unless she could think of a good argument to beat his reasons, than he would gave in – “fair enough” he used to say, when ever she managed to do so.

Like the one time they had an argument about her spending time with Trixie. He didn't know the mare or had a grudge against her... but he said “Fairy tales have no use, why don't you rather learn something else in this time?”

“...but if she reads them to me, I can really imagine them” she had told him “you didn't even hear one of her story's! She uses all kind of figures... and pictures and other things to do so” she had frowned, not knowing that was a good point in his eyes. 

“Creative thinking, imagination, improvisation... - I think that's of use” he said nodding “It takes more to repair something than blind following instructions. Fair enough, I guess it wont harm if you continue to visit her”.

The filly had tackled him right after that and swung her short legs around his chest and remained there for a while.

“You think this is of use?” she asked, whispering.

“The best there is” he agreed.



Herb was already heading for the front door, when he could see his parents, which was on their way to get inside as well. 

“Hey, i'm home” he said and closed the door behind him, while his father was about to unload himself, by putting two heavy bags onto the ground. One of which was filled with medical ingredients, the other with common supplies. 

“Herb, did you go again to this mare?” his mother teased right away, making him sight.

“Yes, so what?” he said annoyed and got into the usual argument with her.

“I don't like it that you go to her... I told you.” the white mare insisted, but the colt stood his ground “Whats your problem? She just tells story's!”

“She ain't a good colloquial. Most pony's avoid her, because she is awkward.”

“No, most pony's avoid her, because they don't know her any better!” he began to yell.

Now his father stepped in “... both of you calm down.” 



At first he turned to his son, which was huffing at this point “Herb, why don't you go to your room... and if you like, you could help me letter with my work.” the stallion suggested calm.

The colt still was frowning but did as he was told and left upstairs.

Now he turned to his wife Ivy “Honey, why you give him such a hard time, he really likes this mare...”

“I know... but she ain't good for him... I don't want him to dream all day about her crazy story's. Also this mare has a reputation to be quite sloppy, just image what happens if he emulates her!?” she said worried.

“I don't see any signs of that, but what I see is that he became a lot more patient since he visits her... he also got in less fights in school.”

“That could also have other reasons...” the mare said grumpy and tried to change topic “maybe it has something to do with his girlfriend?” 

“I don't think she is his girlfriend” the black stallion said a little unsure “but she also visits Trixie, what about that?” he than added like a smart aleck.

The mare pulled a face of indignation and snorted “you can be such a fancy pants”.

“That's why you love me” the stallion said confident, receiving an angry, but only half serious glance from her, before she left the room to get into the kitchen to end the conversation, on which he shook his head. 



Later that evening Herb got down to his father and they worked as usual on some medicine, using special leaves, powders and other things to create cures for the most common problems. Right now was summer, so potions against hay-fever was a good seller. 

His son was about to weight the right amount of ingredients, while his father observed the procedure.

“So. Now we need a hundred-twenty grams of red-root”

“I know I know...” his son said annoyed, trying to focus on his work, while his tongue wandered from side to side of his mouth, finding a hard time to focus, so when he tried to grab for the small bag, it fell to the ground and spilled the powder over the floor. The colt kicked the table on this - it was just a minor mistake, but still he was so close to burst.. so he buried his face into his hooves for a moment “Damn...” 

His father used his magic to pick up the bag and also clean up the spilled medicine with a small shovel and broom he had nearby.

“Its okay... just, try again.” he said calmly, but his son would take a minute to calm down, so he tried to talk to him, till he could continue his work “Whats the matter pal?” 

At first he said nothing, but than gave in “Mom nag's at me all the time, i'm sick of it...”



His father gestured him to get a little to the side, so he could continue, using partial magic as well his hoofs to weight and mix up the ingredients at the same time, while talking to him, but holding his eyes on the work-steps.

“She is just worried that the old mare might have an... bad influence on you” 

“Mom doesn't even know her, so what does she know!? She acts just like all the other stupid pony's in town...”

“Herb... calm down. Its okay. I won't forbid you to go to her. Neither will your mother.” his father just had the first badge ready “please give me the glasses” he nodded towards the bottles on the side, staying there in three different sizes. 

His son walked over and grabbed the tablet and carried it back, since he was to aroused to use his untrained magic. Last time he tried in anger, he broke half of the bottles, but he had learned his lesson.

“Thanks...” his father carefully filled them all to a mark on the bottleneck, when his son seemed to calm down and helped him on the task, receiving a little wink from his father “You know. I will try to talk later to your mother... I think its time, to know her better, what you think?”
“Oh uhm... I .. I think that would be good...” suddenly there was a smile on the young colts face.

“Than we make it so.” the stallion confirmed while putting the right instructions into the small paper boxes his son had prepared, when he gave his son another glance “What about that... filly... um.. Clockwork?”

“What about her?” he said and put bottle after bottle into the paper hulls, before pushing them to his side of the table.

“Is she... your girlfriend?”

Suddenly there was the sound of shattering glass.
> Friendship was magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old mare was done with her week and could not wait to get into her bed, when she walked trough her living room and looked around her self.

All walls been covered with shelf's with books inside. There must be a few hundred all around her, most of them she actually had written her self over the past years...

who had thought she would do such a thing one day?

When she was still on tour, she only stuck with the necessary things, so the cart would not get to heavy, making her able to travel long distances. Traveling wasn't an option anymore, it would take at least two or three carts to move all her belongings... also she had seen so much and felt to tired to do so. Every book in this room contained at least a dozen story's from her past, so technical they ain't simple storybooks, they been her diaries. 

The mare walked over to her red armchair with the golden frame and sat down on the soft pillow.

She really liked this seat, it was a present of a fashionista she used to know, probably the only pony who could out-brag her.

Her eyes wandered trough the room, while she tried to think on what shelf she had started when it occurred to her and an old brown book floated from the top left shelf and landed on her lap and the sides started to browse them self and a bleached photo of flying animals made her stop.


Back in the day, Trixie tried to get her revenge on Twilight and her friends. She had used an old mystic amulet and forced Twilight to an duel of tricks, which the purple unicorn had lost. It wasn't until she got later outsmarted and defeated, that she had discovered what friendship really meant.

Neither her friends, nor Twilight did punish her. They understood why she did it... they had more or less accidental ruined her show act and driven her to revenge, so if they would continue like this, there was no way to know where it would end one day.

So they offered her forgiveness, which Trixie gladly accepted.

It was the morning after this, when Trixie dropped by Twilight's library, insecure knocking on the door.

“Hello, its me, the great and Apologetic Trixie” she said shyly.

The unicorn smiled at her “Good to see you, why don't you come in?” and the two mares walked inside.

“So, what makes you drop by?” Twilight asked, “I thought you would leave town”.

“The great and pow... I mean...” she tried to be a little more humble, thinking about what her behavior had led to in the first place “I came here to apologize...”.

The unicorn rose an eyebrow “....but you did already yesterday”.

Trixie walked up to her and put her hooves onto Twilight's shoulders and “You don't understand...I have to do better than this...” , this was when Spike stumbled into the room, caring a tablet in his claws, but dropped it as soon he noticed Trixie, slamming him self onto the ground “Everypony in cover! She is back again!” he shouted, crossing his paws over his head.

The two unicorn looked confused on the young dragon. 

“Spike, please stand up, she is just here to apologize...”

The dragon dared to peek from under his claws “Uhm... I … I knew that” he said and quickly got up on his feet, looking onto the scattered glass pieces “Sorry...” he sighed “i get broom and mop...”, but before he could do so, the pieces glowed in a blue touch, levitated onto the plate and the tea puddle landed in a nearby vase.

“I cause chaos where ever I step... I better leave...” Trixie sadly said and was about to leave the room with lowered head.

“No wait Trixie...” the purple unicorn stepped in front of her “Its alright, just some shattered glass, no reason to run off” leading her back to an couch nearby “Spike, would you be so kind and bring some tea?” 

“Uhm, sure” the dragon said and took the tablet and the vase, taking a nibble out of it and giving and thinking glance toward Twilight, which had noticed “Fresh Tea, Spike!” 

The young dragon twisted his eyes and left the room towards the kitchen.

“So Trixie, what you wanted to say?” Twilight said and sat her self to the sobbing pony next to her.

“Well I … I acted like a real jerk and when I want to get on tour, I have to redeem my name again...” she forced her self to a smile “so I thought it would be the best when I start here”.

The blue unicorn shyly rubbed her hooves on one another. Most of her life she would be praised on arrival, showing of all the tricks she had learned over the years... than there was a phase most pony's just pointed at her and laughed her out of town... and now she was just and ordinary pony, who tried to belong.

“I see. I guess it means a lot to you.” the alicorn said and thought about what she could do, when the little dragon once again carried the tablet into the room, but this time really carefully and slowly, switching his sight back and forth between the tea and the blue unicorn - until he was able to place the tablet onto a small table next to them “Right now I cant think of anything...” Twilight said.

Her library was alright, as well the others as much she knew. 

“Whats the matter?” Spike asked.

“Trixie want to help us out a little, but I don't know how...”

“Why don't you let her help A.J.?”

“Who is that again?” Trixie asked. 

“That's the orange mare... the cowgirl”

“Oh. I remember her... she was the one with the age-trick, right?”

“Yes indeed.” Twilight said and got back to Spike “So what she needs help with?”

The little dragon looked a little ashamed “Uhm... you remember we had to paint BigMac for the trick... and we run a little short on paint... so I grabbed some other...”

The purple unicorns face got worried since she could already guess where this was going “Spike, please don't tell me...” she shook her head.

It had turned out the paint the little dragon had used was permanent. So removing it was way more difficult than giving him a long bubble-bath, like on the others. They had to use some more sharp cleaning detergent's... on which he had been a little allergic, so right now he had fur-less patches all over his body... making him to ashamed to leave the house, at least for a few weeks till the fur would grow back a bit.

“So, what you think? Would you like to help them out?” Twilight asked.

“Trixie will do her best!” the blue mare said excited with a smile and run outside but came back just a few minutes later, peeking trough the door “uhm, where does Applejack live?” 

The purple mare giggled “Spike, be so kind and show her the way? I still got a letter to write...”.

The dragon obeyed walked her down the road, but the mare got more than one angry glance towards her, as well some mean jokes.

“Don't mind them...” Spike waved off, but could not help to feel still a bit angry at her himself.

“Actually, Trixie is used to this...” 

The young dragon looked up onto her “What you mean, ain't you a star?” the dragon said a grumpy “performing your fancy tricks” as he quoted his words sarcastically.

He had every right to be mad, like the others. Trixie had used her magic against him, forming him to a basket ball and throwing him trough the air and that was the least of her mean tricks.

“You know, after I left the town the first time, everypony laughed at me where ever I went... and I think I made things even worse” she said sadly “i don't even know if I can perform ever again.”

Now even the dragon felt somewhat bad about his comment, but still wasn't anywhere near to be convinced, so when they got on the border of the farm he just stopped “there, that's the farm” and turned around, with a grin on his face. He hadn't suggested the farm for no reason, since the work there was quite hard.

“Thank you” the mare said to him, making him turn around and give her an unsure glance “okay?” he shrugged and walked off.

The blue unicorn walked up to the door and gently knocked, but not after quickly putting down the big hat she had on as usual, when Applejack answered it, Apple Bloom was standing right behind her, curious as always.

“What yu want?” the cowgirl said with a frown.

“The … apologetic Trixie wanted to help...” 

“The what?” she gave her an close look “so yu say yar here to work?”

The pony nodded quickly “I do what ever you ask me to... and you don't have to pay me”.

The mare tapped her chin. A free worker wasn't too bad and BigMac was knocked out for a while, still... she wasn't to big a fan of her.

Her little sister pocked Applejack “We could need her help” the filly said.

“I don't know sugar-cube” now whispering to her “i'm quite sure this unicorn isn't up to farm work”.

“She just want to help us” her little sister said stubborn.

“But I don't want yer on the farm” A.J. said through her teeth.

Unlike Applejack, Apple Bloom was way more open to new faces, so she didn't listen and walked around her sister “Yu can start right now!” the filly said to her, making the mare smile.

Applejack sighed and played along, but already had an idea how to get rid of her, without having to fight with her sister over it “Well, than I guess ya don't mind to bring the cart to down” she said with a false smile “Apple Bloom, why don't ya be a sweetheart and show her the barn” this sure would put her off. It was one thing to forgive her, but another thing to have her all day around.

The filly didn't see the problem with that until they got into the barn and stood in front of the cart - it was way fuller than usual, since BigMac was the one to bring it to town. The stallion easily would pull it to town and back in not even half an hour. 

“I guess ma sister had forgotten about that” the filly said apologetically.

“Its alright, Trixie is up to the challenge!” she said confidently and strained her self in front of it, but her first attempt didn't work.

“Wait, I will help yu” the filly said and pushed on the other end, when she tried it again, but using a little of her magic to make the start, after that the blue mare managed to pull the apples on her own.

She sure wasn't anywhere fast as BigMac, but she did it and she did it steady.

“We did it!” the filly cheered and quickly noticed that the unicorn was a lot stronger than she looked like, in fact almost strong as her sister “how come yu are so strong?” 

Trixie sure had to put in a lot more strength as usual, but at least she had the endurance to do so.

“I pulled my cart all over Equestria” she huffed “can you imagine how hard it is, to pull it up Canterlot-Mountain?” making the filly smile. 

The cart came about forty minutes later to town and Apple Bloom sealed the deal, selling the apples for a good price to her usual customers as well some traders.

The way back was a lot easier and took not even half the time, but the yellow filly was today a little out of breath herself - she also had to work double time like her sister, to replace her brother.

“Why dont you jump on the cart?”

“Nah, it's alright” she said.

“The great and apologetic Trixie insists!” she smiled at her.

The mare didn't take no for an answer and levitated her onto the cart under some mild protest. Most pony's around still pulled an angry face, but Apple Bloom did enjoy the ride anyway.


“We're back!” the filly yelled loud enough so her sister could hear it, which was caring for her brother, using some creme on his skin spots, until she heard the yelling outside.

She walked to the window and opened it, taking a look down to see her sister standing alone in front of the house. 

“Didn't I told ya to sell the apples?” she said and looked around “I guess she gave up eh?” she said pleased since Trixie was nowhere to be found.

“But we did!” the filly yelled up, showing a bag full of bits, when Trixie now walked from the backside of the house next to the filly, once again putting her hat down, as she sat herself next to the young one “Anything else?” the mare asked with big eyes.

“Hu... how the heck you got the cart to town?” the cowgirl asked, rubbing her head “did ya use your fancy magic?”

“Na ah! But I helped her!” the filly said proudly, receiving a few clops on her back by the mare.

“Well... I guess I got some more to do for ya...” the cowgirl said, scratching her head.

The blue unicorn worked all day on the farm till it was afternoon and Applejack left her of the hook.

“Okay... I guess I see you tomorrow?” the unicorn asked and received an approving nod from the cowgirl “Wait a moment sugar...” the orange mare told her and got back into the house, to come back a minute later with a small bag, putting it in front of her onto the ground. 

The mare picked it up and gave a look inside. It was a hoof full of bits.

“On ma farm, you get yur share for yer work” the mare explained, but the blue mare suddenly began to cry. 

“Whats the matter?” the orange mare asked confused.

“I … I don't know...” the mare sobbed.

At first the cowgirl struggled with her self, but got close to her and put her hoof around her, so the unicorn s head was laying on her shoulder. “There, there... its alright...”

“No its not...” the mare began “you still hate me... and the others too...” 

“I … well... I guess I was a little harsh today...” Applejack admitted “I'm sorry sugar”.

But the mare still could not stop her self, it was like everything she had built up inside would burst out all at once.

“What ya say, we bring your cart here and yu join us on breakfast? Ma Granny makes the best apple-pancake's there are...”

“I... don't have a cart” the mare said huffing”.

“What ya say there? But where ya wanted to sleep tonight?”

The blue mare just shrugged on that question and Applejack could imagine, that even if she had the bits, the hotels in town would refuse her anyway.

“Ya still got time? I think I need ya help on sumething inside...”

Trixie still was a little sobbing, but followed as told, since she stuck to her offer.

Applejack lead the way and got upstairs and down the corridor and got into a small side room.

It looked a little messy, there were some boxes standing around and what seemed to be a few farming tools and some cabinets, which been hidden below blankets in order to protect them from dust.

“Yer job will be to clean up this mess, is that alright for yu?” Applejack said and left her alone, yelling for her sister “Apple Bloom, come here!”.

Trixie slowly began to push the small boxes into one corner and levitated the stack in the middle on the side as well, to get an system into this mess, until her boss would tell her what to do with them.

Applejack and Apple Bloom returned and had what seemed bags along with them.

“So, shall I put the smaller things into the bags?” the mare said – finally she had managed to fetch her self, but could not help to sigh.

“Those ain't bags” Applejack showed her, while Apple Bloom walked into the back of the room, to jump on some fitment, bouncing a little on it “Those are yar blanket and pillow”.

“This was ma old room” the filly cheered - jumping up and down on the bed a little more, until she got down and pulled away the cover.

“Its a bit messy, but if ya want yu could stay here for a while...”

Now unicorn almost had cried again, but just grabbed Applejack and hugged her.

“Hey!” the filly felt left out and walked up to them, just to get grabbed as well.



Trixie worked after this a few weeks on the farm, until Twilight had found a spell to help BigMac on his fur. The first attempt wasn't to lucky and his mane grew like wildfire, but after a second attempt, it was almost good as knew, good enough for him to get outside again.

The blue unicorn wasn't forced out after BigMac had got back to work, in fact Applejack got to know her a little better and even allowed her to call her “A.J.” at some point, like her closest friends would.

Their deal had changed slightly, however, now the blue mare only would help out on weekends, in order to earn her share and spend the rest of her time to work for somepony else, so she could cover other pony's she had treated badly.

Sometimes she would work for them for just a few days, other times she would spend a week or two... of course a few refused it and just took her apology, but it worked out as she hope for and her name wasn't a laughing stock anymore.

Now if she walked to town, might pulling one of the apple carts along with BigMac or to get a little shopping on her own, pony's would greet her nicely or walked up to her for a small talk. It was nice to have some friends and a home, to which she could return in the evening, where somepony was waiting for her.

Trixie had tried to avoid this moment for a while now, but it was time and she already had told the others in town... now just the Apples had been left to break the news to them.

The blue mare got into the room to find a nice smell of apple-pie hanging in the air.

Granny Smith just had served it for lunch.

“Could I have a word with you?” the blue mare asked into the round.

“Whats the matter sugar?” Applejack asked, while the blue mare stepped a little closer to the table, looking on the served food. She would miss this as well, since she wasn't to good a cook herself.

“I wont need the room anymore...” the mare said saddened.

“Don't ya like it?” the filly asked.

How could she not like it? It was maybe a little small, but after a little rework and a few patches of paint it was quite comfortable, they had even replaced the mirror for her, so she could make her mane in the morning.

“No, its fine. It's just...” she took a deep breath “i will leave soon.” as she pulled her lip.

“What, why is that? Ya can stay here if yu want...” Applejack pointed out.

“Yar part of de famly” Granny Smith said in her thick accent.

The red stallion said just an deep “eyup” on this.

“Yeah! Why ya wanna go?” the filly wondered.

“I want to travel again... I have to visit other towns... I still got a lot to make up for I think” the mare explained “so... I bought my self a new cart and will hit the road soon.” giving them her best smile.

Apple Bloom was the first to jump up from the table “I will miss ya” she said sadly as she swung her small hooves around the mares neck.

Applejack was the next to walk up to her, reaching out her hoof to shake hers, but as soon the unicorn rose hers, the cowgirl pulled her close and also swung her hooves around her “I know ya will be alright”.

Granny also gave her a short hug as well BigMac, just a lot more carefully, so he would not hurt her accidentally, but blushed doing so. He wasn't quite the sentimental type, at least not in public.

A few minutes later Trixie was outside and put her few belongings into her cart. It almost looked like her old one, but lacked the posters of her showing off, instead it was just her face on the side, giving a nice smile to everypony who looked upon it.

The green old mare walked up to her “Tere, make sure to eat enugh” she said and hoofed her a small packet with apple treats inside. “I will, thank you”.

The others stood on the side and gave her a last look, when the filly walked up to her for a last time “ya sure ya want to leave?”

Trixie thought about it a minute and grabbed her magician hat, to place it on the filly's head. Of course the hat was way to big for the filly and did hide her almost completely, so not even her red mane could be seen, but after pushing it a little into place the filly could look at her again and smiled.

“You sure grow into it” Trixie said and got into motion.


On her way she heads through town and to her surprise, the streets been full with pony's, almost all of town had come to say her good bye. There been so many familiar faces.

There been the other two cuttiemark crusaders – which threw a little self-made confetti... she had spend days with them to figure out new ideas, even showing her some of her magic tricks, but sadly no new mark had appeared on their flanks.

There was the mare Cheerilee, she had asked her a lot about her journey's in order to form a school play out of it. It was so funny to watch the filly's re-enact it to her.

Mayor mare was also there, she just wanted to make a little chat once in a while, keeping up with some of the gossips.

Junebug, who she had helped to adorn her shop with flowers, in order to attract customers for a big-sale, she walked up to her and put one into her mane. “There, a looks nice on you”.

The mares from the spa winked her also, since she had given them some good tips - being a show-pony, looking good was part of her business.

Derpy... her she had given a special pair of glasses, which she had created with the help of Twilight, helping her to fly less into obstacles in her path.


Then there was the pony's she had spent the most time with, the remaining of the mare six.

Fluttershy – her she had given a special pan-flute, so now Fluttershy could summon some rare birds from afar. The mare even had it with her, blowing it like she had told her and a few colorful birds came flown and sat down on her head, giving her a kind smile “P-please visit us... if, if you want to...” she said shyly

“I will try...”


Pinkie Pie – she gave a salute with her party cannon, five rounds of cupcakes flew through the air, landing into the crowd on the other side of the road. It was fun doing bakery work and she had learned a lot, like how to make her own delicious cake, just with some simple ingredients. “Byeee Byeee! She waved excited.

“Bye bye Pie Pie” she said, making the pink mare giggle.

Rainbow Dash – she was a little harder to convince, but as soon the words “flaming ring trick” came into the conversation, the pegasus was all ear for her suggestions – combining those with her flight tricks to make them more “awesome”. The blue mare gave her an casual wink, along with a whip of her hoof “stay cool”.

“About twenty percent” the mare confirmed.

Rarity - had put on an elegant dress, waving a handkerchief. She had helper her on some important stitch work along with her younger sister, which was right next to her. Since she had a lot of practice with magic, it was not too hard to learn the necessary moves, also she suggested to add some magic onto the gems she often used, so they would even sparkle in the dark – which the mare found fabulous. “Stay classy, won't you?” 

“Of course my dear” she said, making a short pose.

The last one in line was Twilight. They had talked a lot about magic and studied together some books and it turned out the two could learn quite a lot from one another. Twilight had shown her how she could increase her levitation spell for some of her tricks, so she also could pick something up like an Ursa-Minor... that for Trixie had figured out how Twilight might could increase the range of her teleportation spell one day, since she knew a certain type of magic rocks that would help her on that – which later turned out, would work better than expected...


Trixie stopped a moment. “Thanks, Twilight, thanks for everything.”

“Oh, I didn't do anything, that was all you.” The unicorn smiled.

“No... you believed in me... even when I didn't...” the mare lowered her head, as well Twilight, so their head and horns slightly touched. An old gesture of respect, between magicians.

Spike stood right next to Twilight and had to role his eyes on this girly stuff.

“Oh Spike, I almost had forgot about you...”.

She barely had spend time together, the dragon could not find to much in common with the mare.

“We see us some time” the dragon said dry.

An envelope floated out of the mares cart and landed i his paws “Whats that?”

“Just something I saved some bits for”

The dragon opened the envelope and found an rare comic he never was able to afford, since he already spend so much on other issues each week.

“Wow! That's the special edition of -The amazing mare-”! He said and slanted it back and forth, so the hologram on the cover would give him a hoof-kiss as well an wink. “THANKS!” he grinned, while jumping up and down like a rabbit and right away began to browse the sites.

Now the mare left town, but not before looking back an last time. One day she might would return, but there was a long journey ahead of her...

… and with that her book closed.

“And they all lived happily ever after... the end”.
> Sticks and Stones
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Monday morning, when Clockworks alarm clinked in a annoying “wri-wri-wri-wri” rapidly.

The young filly waved her hoof after it and threw it of the table, breaking the clock in the process. Of course she could had turned it off, but she did this almost on a daily basis, just to repair it in the evening, so she could break it once more in the morning - so it was up to her father to get out of bed.

“Wake up Clockwork, you get late for school” he yelled. 

“Its to soon” she said and put the pillow onto her head. 

The stallion came into her room and pulled a leaver next to her bed, but nothing happens. Usual the bed now would slant a little and the filly would drop out, he had built it him self, so it was impossible it was worn out that fast, so he tried a few more times without any effect when a wooden gear flew against his head.

“Just let me sleep” Clockwork frowned.

The stallion got on the side of the bed and lifted up the entire bed him self so she landed on the floor. “Nice try, but i'm not afraid to make my hooves dirty... and now get ready and go down, breakfast is ready” with that he lowered the bed and walked downstairs.

Despite Clockwork being a nice filly, her mood in the morning was quite “rusty” like her father used to put it.

When the filly quickly was done with brushing and making her mane ready, since she didn't mind to look a little more ruff. Her father also never had a flat mane, it was part of the job to look just a bit wild.

“Today I got a mixed salad, honey-bread and green tea” he presented as well “this” he added to place a small gear out of chocolate on the table, making the filly eyes grow wide as she carefully took it “thanks dad!” 

Her mother used to make those once in a while, with a form he had build her. His chocolate mixture wasn't as good as her mothers, but still she loved them and would always save them up to share it with Herb. 

“I guess this fixed your mood?” he asked and the filly nodded with a smile.

“Good” he looked onto a clock on the wall “because i will be out a little longer today – the job I told you about... you have to come back here after school your self” 

“Okay dad” the filly agreed and ate her breakfast, but also packing some bread for school, to leave the house along side with her father. He would pull her every day with his work chariot up to school and back, if he managed to find some time.

This was also where she would met her friend herb.

“Hi herb, how was your morning?” the filly said with a smile.

The colt had quite a similar expression to her, before getting up “the usual” he shrugged.

She knew, that he probably had some fight with his mother again. When ever something was not quite “conform” she would flip out... so even the smallest rumor could make her nervous.

“Hey, cheer up... I got something special today with me...” 

“A gear?” the colt asked curiously.

“Yes” she whispered back to him.

“Yeah, so cool... I like those...” he grinned, already forgetting his ruff morning “your dad is a better cook than mine” showing his tongue “did you ever eat spinach pudding? GROCE!”

The school bell now rang and the two got inside with the others, walking into the class room.

Their teacher Mrs. Wander-Hoof wasn't there yet, so the kids talked wild and stood between their desks and so did they.

Clockwork sat on her table, while Herb stood next to her “You know... we could ask your father to put some mint into it... I guess that would taste even better!” 

“My dad doesn't change the recipe... its from my mom” 

“Oh...” he almost had forgot, so he just stopped right here, feeling a little dumb about this comment.

“Its okay” Clockwork said “but you know, we could try to make our own... I know how it works... and you bring the mint, what you say?”

“Cool! Could we try it right after school?”

She thought about this a moment “My dad won't come home till evening... so sure.”




“Look what we got here, Stop-Work and Derp” a white filly said toward them.

“You two planning something stupid again I bet...” an orange one added “Your last -show and tell- was a nice disaster... what you got planned today?” 

The two bragged and walked off laughing.

“I would like to...” Herb grits his teeth, but got hold back from his friend “they ain't worth it.”




Feather Dust and Topaz picked on them almost ever since. Their parents have been snobby pony's – her father a First Class athlete and her mother was leading a famous jewel boutique and other stores all over Equestria, so it was for them natural to have an ego bigger than Canterlot-Mountain, Clockwork assumed.

At first they just had picked on everypony in class, but after a small accident with a -show and tell- project, which had spilled oil over the filly's, they just picked on the two of them instead.

This was also the day on which they had met Trixie.


This town would be her last station Trixie figured... unable to think of a place she had not visited on her journey, which still was part of Equestria. In fact she even had left this a few times... 

how many years it had been? She could not tell.. but it was way to long already. She felt tired from the travel. All few years, when her path got close to Ponyville she had visited her friends, but overall it was just a hoof full of visits and every time she got there, it was harder to leave and also return for that matter, seeing how everypony got older and older when ever she did visit them.



It was the sobbing of a young mare which tore her out of her daydreams, when she found a gray filly sitting on the side walk - crying at that, trying to wipe away tears of her ruby like eyes.

A deep blue colt stood next to her and yelled onto other filly's who were about to wander off “...and if you come back, I swear you taste my hoof!”.

Trixie didn't need magic to figure out the problem here, so she walked up to the two and parked her cart.

“Whats the matter?” the mare asked carefully.

Now his blue eyes gave her a angry glance “Not your problem!” he said and now put him self between her and Clockwork.

The mare sat down to show she would not dare to get any closer and put down her big magician hat, to slowly stick a hoof into it – when she pulled it out again, she hold two burning sparklers in her hoof, reaching it to him.

The filly noticed this and stopped crying for a moment, but still was sobbing and huffing.

“Here, you can have those” the mare offered.

Herb checked behind him “What you want for those?”

“How about some of your attention?” the show mare replied.

Herb wasn't sure what she meant by that, but grabbed the sparkling sticks from her to pass one towards Clockwork, who was staring at this little thing, like trying to figure out how it worked.




The mare got up again and got over to her cart, levitating a small table in front of them, as she began to perform some simpler tricks with chard's, solid rings which she somehow connected to one another and without the use of her magic – let water disappear in a cone made of paper.

Now the filly giggled a little, she had no idea how that was possible. She never had seen such a thing... all she knew at this point was machinery and facts.

Also the colt lose up his battle stance and was applauding towards the mare.

“You are great!” he said laughing, after she had used some powder to create a illusion of a timber-wolf, who was chased after by a giant bunny with fangs and whings.

“Who are you?” the filly asked, now finally smiling.

The mare got out a wand and tabbed it slowly three times onto her table and it vanished in a cloud,  alongside the other things. The old blue mare put her hat a little back and got into pose.

“I'm... the great and apologetic Trixie!” the mare said proudly.

Now both foals pulled their eyebrows together.

“That makes no sense” Herb said “Why apologetic?” looking towards his friend.

“Wouldn't be... uhm... -powerful- or so be better?” the filly asked, putting her head on her side.

The mare smiled and slowly walked over two the young ones, to sit down in between them.

“Let me tell you a story...” 




Today once again was show and tell. Like always Clockwork and Herb had worked together on a project, which they now presented.

“This... is our motorized Scooter” the gray filly said proudly “it took six works to build and you don't have to push it, to make it drive” 

Now she gave a sign towards her friend Herb, who took a small bottle and filled it into the small tank.

“My friend Herb created a fuel for this... its based on plant-oil and a secret ingredient”.

Now they tried to start the machine and it came stuttering to life, when the exhaust blew out small green clouds, which smelled a little like mint.

Her teacher made a few notes on a check board and nodded approving.

“Did you put mint into the fuel?” the filly whispered.

“I thought it smells better than” he replied.

But just moments later the machine roared up and died away. 

“Whats happened?” Herb asked confused, while Clockwork tried to start it one more time. The machine once again came stuttering to life, but chocked and suddenly a few small gears burst out of the engine and it died in a slow “Chhhhhhhtzzzzzzzzzz.....” this time the smoke didn't came out of the exhaust, but instead the engine it self, forming a small smoke trail to the ceiling.

Once again the teacher made a few notes, but this time shook her head.

“Nice work, Stop-Work and Derp!” the filly-sister's from before shouted and made everypony laugh.

“Silence!” her teacher said sharp and the class got quite again “you two... I really like your idea and … I also see you put a lot of work into it... but right now its not working, so I cant give you a good grade for it.”

“But we can fix it!” Clockwork said.

“Yeah, we can fix it, i'm sure!” Herb said “Come on, Wander-Hoof!” he begged.

The teacher gave him a angry glance “Its MRS. Wander-Hoof...” 

“Right. Mrs.Wander-Hoof … sorry”

The yellow mare stroked through her long red mane, which was constantly hanging partial in her face. “Well. If you manage to present it next week – working... I will change your score... till than you to got a C.”

“Hey, that's not fair! Why they get a second chance and we didn't!?” Feather Dust nagged.

The old mare sighed “Because they worked hard on it...”

“We did too!” Topaz complained and hold up a small golden tree, with tiny apple rubies hanging on it.
“It sure is pretty, but I seen it in your parents show-window...” she scolded them.

“But we had to work really hard to get it!” Topaz did insist.

The other filly knocked on her table “Ye we had too!” 

Mrs. Wander-Hoof put her hoof up her forehead “This is not the point of -Show and Tell- you have to create something your self... I told you this already” she sighed, to add “I think I need to have a talk with your parents about this”
“But...” the two snapped.

“No buts. Tomorrow morning I want to see your parents in here, or I will write a letter”.

“You two. Nice work... but make it a -A-...” and waved them off, so the next pair could present what they had done.




It was in the big pause when the two already tried to figure out what went possible wrong.

Herb hold and chemical formula in his hooves, while Clockwork was looking onto her construction.

“You think your mint blew it?” Clockwork asked carefully but received and snippy glance “no... it was just really little and should had no effect,” he said and pointed onto the formula “maybe it had to do with our secret ingredient?” 

Clockwork thought about that and gave her plans another look. The engine had been so carefully tuned... and it had worked already, so why did it break down after a couple of uses?

It was so annoying, so she decided to get a clear head first before she tried again. 




“Why don't we make make a break, we figure it out later...” she said and grabbed onto her bread-box.

“But I want know why its not working!” he said grumpy, before he noticed what she was waving back and forth in her hoof. It was the chocolate-gear. Now he quickly put away his paper and the two split it up.

He was almost drooling, he loved chocolate but his parents - especially his father, always tried to make him eat healthy. So getting his hooves on some, be it from her or Trixie, was always a small feast.

“Look who we got here, Mrs. Wander-Hoofes favorite students!”

Topaz nagged from afar, while she got closer with her sister right next to her.

“Yeah. I bet her father had built that stupid scooter... she can't do such a thing” Feather-Dust spit towards her.

“Shut up!” Herb said “You lazy pricks have no idea from anything...!”

“Let them talk” Clockwork said and tried to ignore them.

“Hey i'm talking to you, are you deaf?” 

“More like deaf and blind, like her father” the other one laughed “Mother said, he always looks like a walking mess... I wonder if he knows what a mirror”

The gray filly already began to breath heavy. Her father was all she had and he was the greatest in her eyes.

“I warn you, get lost and leave her alone!” Herb said, but the two just blew air through their lips and picked more on her, since it was easy to make her cry.

“What you got there?” Topaz said and slapped her chocolate half out of her hoof and stepped onto it “Hoops, broken, like your invention!”

This was it - Herb jumped up from his seat and before Clockwork could react, he gave Topaz and slap to the face and turned towards Feather Dust, which was about to back off as fast she could. 

Now his friend got a hold to him and pulled him back “Don't...they ain't worth it!”

The sisters ran of – Topaz crying at that... so he let go, being pleased with the result.

“But just this one time” he gave in.

The two sat down again and tried to calm down. It was just a matter of time till their teacher would show up, since the sisters sure would tell on them – without mentioning why he had done it.

A mark on cheek was easier to prove, than the words they just had said.

Herb noticed she still was quite upset “Here. You can have my half” he offered.

Her red eyes gave him a short look “We share.” she said and broke it carefully again in half, so now both of them had a fourth of the original.

They ate their bits and cheered up a little. Nopony could ruin the moment when the chocolate touched their tongues, but today it was a little shorter, due the lose of her half.

“To bad yours is crumbles” he said, starring on the dirty chocolate beneath “I could use some more...”

“Wh.. what did you say!?” she snapped.

“I like chocolate?” he shrugged.

“No, the part about crumbles! That's it... I figured out what we did wrong!”

“And what?” he asked excited.




“For once, you slapped another student” her teacher interrupted them, pointing on the sobbing Topaz, which of course dramatized the howl act, along with her sister. 

The howl thing had brought him one week detention and now his parents had to come in as well tomorrow.




Since he had detention, the howl thing with mint-chocolate-gears wasn't a option anymore. 

Her father didn't allow visitors this late for different reasons. 

“I'm back” her father said, when he was about to get out of his work cloth. A blue trench-coat, which was quite dusty and had oil spills all over it and his emblem on the back – and leaver which was connected to a gear. This was also his cuttiemark.

He cleaned him self off and was about to make dinner, when he noticed she had done this already.

“Its Monday. Today its my duty to do this” he reminded her.

The filly wasn't quite in good mood “I know... I just had some time” she said and put down the plates on the table.

“Anything broken?” he asked, making her sigh.

“Herb as detention again...” she said, listless playing with some sugar-cube's, forming a gear on the table.

“That guy is quite often off-rail, isn't he?”

“It wasn't his fault... those stupid sister's started again... they picked on me and told mean stuff about you...”

“I didn't want to blame anypony, but maybe has other reasons to be so protective?” 

The stallion observed her reaction for a while, but nothing much happened.

“Well... he has detention and you had some spare time... why didn't you do something with it?”
“We had planned to make gears...” she sobbed a little “but it would not be fun without him...”

The stallion said nothing at first. “How about we make some?”

His daughter shook her head “We wanted to make special ones... I mean... I mean other ones...” with that said she got up “i'm not so hungry today” and walked off to her room.




Herb also sat in room, since he was grounded for a week. His mother tried to make it two weeks at first and his father said he should not be punished at all, since he already had detention – so they met in the middle in name of peace.

It was later when his father brought in his dinner and put it on the table he was sitting on, in order to figure out what his friend hat seen, what he had missed, starring frustrated onto his paper.

After the howl ruckus in school, the two didn't had time to talk, since her teacher kept a close eye on all four of the squabblers.

“What you got there pal?” his father asked.

“My fuel formula...” 

His father looked over the signs and numbers on the paper “Its supposed to burn slow, right?” on which his son nodded.

“What you need it for? We also got slow burning candle powder downstairs...”

“No, it has to be fluid... or it wont work with the scooter...” he said thoughtful.

The stallion sat down next to him “Scooter?” and waited for him to answer.

“We had build a self moving Scooter for -Show and Tell- but it didn't work... and than the others made fun of Clockwork...” he said trough his teeth and tried to clam down, taking long deep breaths “She said she had figured it out, but we hadn't time to talk yet...”

“Well, I guess you have to be patient then and wait for tomorrow... no reason to pull a frown” 

He would like to tell him about the mint-gears, but he knew he would get it the wrong way.

“I guess...”

The pharmacist studied his formula now a little closer and thought about it.

“How you got the idea for this anyway?” now his son suddenly had small grin on his face “Did I say something funny?”

The colt looked towards the door, to check if it was closed “but you don't tell mom about it...”

“Its a secret between Patient and Doctor” he said holding up his hoof playful.

“Well... Trixie actually gave us the idea.”

“The story-mare? Isn't she some kind of magician?”

“Yes... but... she had told us about a mare out of her youth -Scootaloo- ...” and with that he began to retell the story good as he could, about how the filly had way to short wings and was made fun of, till she got a Scooter as present and used her wings in order to make it move – which also would make her famous one day, since it became her special talent.

“I see... really clever” his father said proudly and ruffled his mane “This is the kind of thinking I like. Such a idea could help a lot of pony's someday, you realize that?”

“I had not thought about this” his son admitted a little shy “you really think this could help?” as he tapped onto the paper.

“If not this, than the next idea for sure” his father cheered him up.

“I will check for your mother... maybe she had calmed down a little” giving him a wink.

Sometimes his father managed to talk down his mother, to lower the grounding by a day or two, so he still could visit Trixie on the weekend. 



His father left the room, to find his wife next to the door.

“Did you listen again?” he said serious, with a slight shake of his head.

“Maybe a little” Ivy said.

Her husband just looked at her for a while and waited.

“Okay. We make it six days...” she gave in annoyed.

Her husband smiled and gave her a kiss “thank you, honey” and the two left the door, on which Herb had listened on the other side. The colt had to hold his hooves in front of his mouth, so he would not cheer to loud.


The rest of the week was luckily not to harsh for the two.

After the talks between their teacher and their parents, the sisters had to keep a low profile for a while in class and when ever they dropped a stupid comment in between lessons, Herb just had to raise his hoof and they would run away. 

He could not help to grin every time he seen the mark on her cheek, 

also Clockwork had told him what had went wrong and it turned out, she was perfectly right.




The special ingredient the two had used, had been some blue crystals. Those was able to hold big amounts of energy, similar to the Chrystal heart, which had inspired the idea for the fuel in the first place.




“You see. We used the right crystals” Clockwork had told him “but we had to huge pieces” he showed him, holding out her hooves.

On one hooves the crystals had the size of seeds, since they had crushed them down, so they could fit into the fuel tank.

On the other hoof the crystals just been almost dust, since Clockwork and done her best to make them smaller.

“So, that's it?” he said and starred on the powder “we been right all along!?” he said in disbelieve.

“Yes” she put away the crystals into small bags and performed a rubbing motion with her hooves “you see, the crystal got stuck between the gears and locked them or rubbed them off” with this she acted like her hooves had been stuck “so if we make it really thin, like oil...” once again she rubbed her hooves but faster than before. 

The colt grabbed her tight “you are a genius!” 

“Nah. I hadn't figured out without you” she said shyly. 



The two stared at one another for a moment. 

Her blond mane was quite pretty he thought to himself, as well her ruby eyes, but then he shook his head and let go of her. 

“Something wrong?” she asked concerned.

“I'm fine... just a little excited” he blushed “when can we try it out?” he then added to change topic.

“I have to repair the scooter first... could take a few days”

“Hey, maybe we can show it to Trixie!?”

“Great idea... I think you are a genius your self...“then she paused “but wait, ain't you still grounded?”

“Ye, but my father talked mom down” he grinned “so I can make it on Sunday!”

The two rose up on their back feet and slammed her front hooves together.
> A little bit stolen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was Sunday, when Clockworks alarm did go off, she reached out to throw it off the table, but then it came to her it was Sunday, so she just tapped it on the top and it got silent.

She jumped out of her bed and got ready for the day, quickly heading downstairs.

“Oh, you are up already?” her father said surprised.

“Of course” she said with a smile, like it been nothing unusual at all.

“I see you are also in good mood?” he said while flipping some pancakes around in the pan.

The young mare grinned from ear to ear “yes, today I will show our Scooter to Trixie!” she cheered.

“Mhh... I seen your Scooter... interesting construction, but how you make it move, whats the fuel?”

“I can't tell you” she crossed her hooves in front her chest and showed her tongue “That's a company secret” 

Her father served the read pancakes along with some pears and juice “A company secret?” he laughed “since when you got a company?” 

“Herb told me, that his father said that's a good idea... and we might even could sell it some day, so we said we make a company”.

“This really sounds like a useful idea” he smiled.

“You think so too?” she asked hopeful.

“Your mother would be very proud on you”. He nodded.

The filly could not be happier today and shattered some tears of glee. 

“Now better eat up, or you get late” her father said, keeping a eye on the clock.

“Right” she said and hastily ate up her plate, when it already knocked on the door.

“This must be Herb!” she said and answered the door to find him and whats looked like his father.

“Hello?” she greeted a little confused.



“Hi, Clockwork” Herb greeted.

“Hello, Clockwork...” his father reached out his hoof, to shake hers a little “is your father at home as well?”

“Uhm. Yes... daaad!?” 

A minute later a little ruffled black stallion stepped next to her “Morning Herb and...” 
Once again the stallion reached out his hoof “Tonic, Dr. Tonic... i'm Herbs father... “

“Nice to meet you.” he nodded and shook his hoof “You can call me Patchwork... but Patch is also fine...” 

The stallion laughed a little at this.

“Did I say something funny?”

“Dad. His father is pharmacist” Clockwork pointed out.

“I get it” now he laughed too “i guess we are in the same business then...”

“You could say so” the cyan stallion said, since both jobs had a lot of similar trades to it.

Herb already had shown Clockwork the bottle with the fuel he had created and while the adults had their little talk, they snuck away to try it out.

The two got inside and continued their conversation “What brings you here? You need any service?” Patchwork asked.

“No... I don't own to much machinery. I just come along to visit the mare our kids talk so much about.”

“You talk about Trixie right? I have met her a few times...”

He rose an eyebrow on this “So, what you think of her?”

“I think Trixie is … alright, but I just wanted to bring my kid home, so we hadn't a conversation. Once in a while Clockwork forgets the time when she is over there...” he waved it off “aside of that... I mean i'm not so much in magic” he quoted this with hooves “ but Trixie does her job mostly well, from what I heard and her story's...” he pointed towards the open door, which led to his workshop “...the kids built the Scooter after that.”

“My son told me the story to this too... so I thought its time to give her a visit... sadly my wife Ivy wasn't to be persuaded. She thinks the mare is awkward”.

Patchwork could not say to much to this, he never had a direct conversation with her, so how could he judge her?

“Want we take a look?” the doctor said and pointed towards his son who waved towards the adults to get their attention. “Look! Look!”.

The two god in the back and Clockwork just was finished to put in the “secret fuel”.

After a deep breath, the filly pulled the start string and the machine came to life with a steady “tuk tuk tuk” noise, but this time it was way more silent than the last time and once again the air smelled like mint.

“I see, you fixed the scooter” Patch said “And your fuel works well it seems” Tonic added.

After that first demonstration, Clockwork brought the Scooter outside, while Herb put on a helmet since he always wanted to be the test-driver, while Clockwork usual would make notes on her own or comment. She didn't mind to stay back, since she had the better hoof writing anyway.

On this second try, Herb grabbed onto the handle and pulled it back a little, so the roller now moved on his own with him on it, then he opened it a little more up and it got fast and faster, till it almost had gallop speed for a few hundred meters, to return back to the group. 

A few other stallions and mares had noticed this awkward vehicle and already chatted wildly about it.

The two fathers gave a proud applaud to their achievement.

“Great work you two!” Patchwork said as he pulled his daughter close.

“I'm proud on you Herb...” Tonic said when his son stopped next to him “i always knew you got the patience” but unlike Clockwork, Herb still wasn't quite as happy “i just wish mom had seen it too...”

“I will tell her all about it and then we show it to her...”

Now his son was happy too.




“I hate to interrupt,” Patchwork said “but didn't you plan to visit Trixie?” pointing on his leg clock.

“Than we better get on our way” Tonic said and reached out his hoof to Patchwork “See you, Patch, it was nice to meet you”.

Patchwork grabbed and shook it “Same here... feel free to drop by anytime... with one-day prior warning” this time the stallion laughed together.




Tonic was on the side sidewalk, along with Clockwork, while Herb was driving the scooter the road up and down, to put it onto a little stress test... also it just made to much fun.

“... you are in Herbs class, right?” 

“Yes. I sit next to him” the filly said.

“I see you two work good together” he said and observed his son, having fun “And... do you like him?”

“He is nice... just sometimes a little angry” 

The stallion nodded “but I think, you can help i'm on that... he really likes you, you know?”

The filly blushed a little, what the adult just told her was not quite what she wanted to hear, he was -just her friend- … and much as she knew, he thought the same.



On the other side of the street the sisters just walked along, heading for her mother's store, when one of them spotted the colt on his scooter.

“Look!” Feather-Dust shouted, pointing on the colt.

“Damn, they really got it to work...” Topaz said “you got any idea how dumb we look on Monday?”

“Well, than we get sure to get our hooves on it, before Mrs. Wander-Hoof sees it.” she said with a devilish grin.

The sister followed the trio up to Trixie's home.

“Ain't that where this freak lives?”
“Yes... mother said she is quite incompetent... what a fit!”



The door of the mare opened and she was joyfully surprised to find her young visitors to be both there.

“Nice to see you” she said and noticed the green stallion behind them “and who are you?”

The stallion greeted her with a hoof shake “Dr. Tonic, i'm the father of Herb” he said and put his hoof on his son shoulder.

“Well, I'm the great and Apologetic Trixie” she declared with a smile “nice to meet you”.

“Apologetic?” the stallion wondered, but the filly's seem to get the joke.

“I think your son will tell it later to you... but for now I have a story prepared, why don't you come in?”

“We wanted to show you something first” Clockwork said and pulled the mare gently outside, so Herb could show of their new scooter a little, while she would explain, how they had come up with the idea.

The mare smiled from ear to ear “You two are great listener... and Scootaloo sure had loved it!”

Now the young ones blushed both, when Herb suddenly found Clockwork to hold his hoof, making him stop his breath.

“Now... lets get inside, the Coco gets cold...” the mare said and the kids walked in.

“I guess you are a little to old for my story's, but there is still an empty seat waiting”.

“No thanks. I just wanted to meet you in person and...”

“See if i'm crazy?” the mare said sassily.

“What kinda person you are” he chose “my son likes you a lot and that's why I was a little worried... he spends quite a lot time here.”

The mare sat down and took her large hat off, to grab into and get out a deck of cards, forming a fan with them.

“Pick one.” 

The stallion was now confused “You want to show me a card trick?”

The mare nodded.

“I know this trick...” he said and pulled a card. It was ace-heart. Now he put it back into the stack.

“I assure you, you never seen this version” she said and mixed the cards trough, to offer it to him again.  

The stallion picked a card and looked upon it. It was spade-black-twelve. 

“That's not my card” he said.

The mare now showed him the rest of the fan, every single one of the remaining thirty-nine cards was ace-heart.

“It takes more than a single pick, to know somepony.” she smiled “Why don't you come in and I make you a cup of tea?”

The stallion gave short applause “Okay. You won...”

Now the two got inside. She served the filly's her usual coco, as well him some tea.

He later would had to ask his son about the chocolate-milk a few things, but for now he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.




“What you two say, when our new guest gets to pick today's story?” she suggested and the others agreed.

“Uhm... I fear I don't know to many fables.” he said rubbing his chin.

“Dad, you are supposed to tell her, what kinda story you want... “

“Like if you want something about a princess or cute animals...” the filly added.

“Or knights and dragons... you can pick whatever you want! She seen it all!” the colt said.

“So that's how it works?” this sure was odd, but not bad “Uhm...” he thought about for a moment. 

Some kind of love story could not do to much harm... but he sure had like seen how she handled something with monsters in it... if she would scare the kids or anything, than he still could stop her and forbid his son to come here. May even have a talk with Clockworks father.

“I guess I take what Herb said... the one with dragons...”

“Alright than. Good pick” she said and her eyes wandered around in the room, till she got out one of her oldest books.

“This one sure will do fine... she said” waiting a moment for the audience to make it comfortable and raising the tension “You remember, how I told you last week about the monster and the pegasus mare?” she said and the figurines came out of the chest to land in front of them. 

“This story play's right after that... and would you know... it has a dragon in it!” she said like she would surprise her self.




“You see... the monster and his mare both had become mortal... so they could age together...” the figurines danced cheerfully together, at first it was something like a quick cha-cha, but soon turned into a slow waltz. 

“But the monster still had and big problem... one day, he could not be around anymore, to protect his biggest treasure” with that a hoof full of bits floated in a circle all around them over their heads and landed in a small bag next to the monster “this treasure was almost has valuable like his wife to him... so he had to take good care of it” with that a few black dressed pony's floated next to him, engage him in a threatening pose, but the monster figurine knocked against them and fought them off - one by one.

“You see... everypony wanted it, they knew it was worth more than they ever could spend... not even Princess Celestia has something like this...”

“Than why he didn't hide it?” the colt asked

“Or give it to Princess Twilight... she was his friend, right?”

The mare shook her head.

“He had no doubt Twilight could take good care of it... but he could not risk anypony to find it.... also he didn't want to put this burden onto her... being a Princess is a lot of hard work... also... this wasn't just a gold treasure we are talking about here... this one was also magic!”

Now the bag with the coins in it began to glow in a pulsating manner.

“So giving it to anypony or even something like a alicorn was unthinkable... the magic might could harm them one day...” than a statue came flown by, which was ten times the size of the monster “So the monster did the smartest thing he could think of - he hired a big scary dragon to protect it... the meanest and biggest one he could find in all the world...”

Once again thief's came and tried to steal the treasure, but the big dragon statue spit blue fire and scared all of them off quickly.

Tonic felt a little awkward but rose his hoof like a child in class “May I?”

The mare giggled “just ask ahead...”

“Why than he gave it to the dragon... I know they collect treasures but... wasn't the magic also dangerous for him?”

“Good question, glad you asked” she said “your father is really smart” she winked to Herb, which smiled proud.

“You see, there is one thing unique about dragons, which makes them different to all other creatures ...”

With that a small collection of creatures passed by. All sorts of pony's... griffons... changelings... buffalo, Zebra's and a few he didn't even could name.

“but Dragons are way more special than all of them... because when a dragon gets old and grows...” now the statue of the dragon had a blue glow to it and slowly got even bigger than it already was, until the dragon was half the size of a kid and stopped growth.



The dragons statue now was more twenty times larger than the monster, who had hired it... which on itself was already twice as big as the pony figure next to him. 

This sure was some frightening scale to imagine.

“It also becomes immune to magic... which is also a mayor reason most pony's fear them...”

Now one of the alicorn's came floated by.

“So when a old dragon got angry... not even an alicorn could stop it!”

The alicorn circled the dragon and small sparks of blue shot from its horn, but the dragon didn't move at all, like it was just a fly, bothering an elephant.

“Not even all of them?” the filly asked.

“No, not with magic...”

“Darn... than that dragon could just eat them!?” the colt said amazed.

“Probably... but you forget, the princesses got big armies...” 

Now a dozen or two, tin figures floated by and got between them and the alicorn, they looked like they belong to the royal guard, pushing the dragon slowly back with their sheer count.

“...and that's why dragons usual stay away from Equestria, it could end bad for them if they miss behave...” 

The mare paused to wait for the kids to soak all this information up, before she continued.

“So you see...  a dragon is the best guard there is - for a valuable treasure... nopony else in Equestria has an army big enough to defeat it... and the princesses never would use theirs, unless if they had to”.

“What did the monster give him anyway!?” the colt asked “I mean it must be really expensive if he got such a huge dragon for it!” thinking of the countless bits it must been.

“And where did the dragon go?” the filly asked a little worried.

“Well, he ...”

But suddenly there was the sound of shattering glass in the back of her home, at first she thought a glass had dropped from the table or something. Her magic sometimes run wild...

but than another and another shattering of glass was to hear, followed by “ponk plok” like somepony threw stones.

“Wait here” the mare said and quickly got up, to check whats going on, when the stallion followed.

Of course the two young ones could not hold back their curiosity and followed to steps after them.

The mare got into the kitchen and a small rock flew through her window and landed on the wall next to her. The howl glass front was destroyed by now and much as she could tell some stones even flew to the higher windows on the first floor.

She quickly summoned a forcefield, so not more stones would fly in, while the green stallion charged forwards through the backdoor “Who is there!? Come out!”.



While the group was distracted, the front door slit open and an orange filly stumbled carefully in, to find the scooter in the small entrance hall leaning on the side. 

She grabbed onto it and pulled it outside, behind the next bush.

“How does that thing work!?” she wondered and switched a few small leaves on the side and shook it, but it just gave a few tired roars from it. 

“Our scooter!” the colt shouted and run screaming towards the door “THATS OURS!”

“Wait!” Clockwork said and got right after him.


The orange mare could hear the colt come, so she dropped the scooter in shock and run, so she would not get caught. Her sister also had abandoned her post, since Herbs father almost had found her.




Herb got outside and searched quickly the place, to find the roller. It looked okay, so he gave it Clockwork and run onto the street, turning his head in all directions, before he run up to the nearest corner and managed to get a peak onto a green tail which quickly disappeared behind a house, but when he arrived there was nopony in sight. Who ever it was had gotten away.

He felt so angry, like he would explode any moment, so he gave a tree next to him a few strong horse-kicks, before he returned to his friends.




“Whoever that was, is gone.” he said grumpy “Is the scooter alright?”

Clockwork had took a closer look on it already “yes... just the adjustment are off...” now she came back to him “did you see anything?”

“Just a green tail.” 

It wasn't to much detective work to make a guess on that one “a green tail… no idea from mechanics... and there had been two of them... you think what i'm thinking?”

Now Herb also got the idea and slapped his hooves together “Oh I beat them up so badly tomorrow!” he grunted.




The two returned inside and the stallion checked for them “Are you alright?”

“Yes we are... and we got a idea which slime-bags did this!” 

The colt explained quickly their theory, while Clockwork wanted to look after Trixie.




The mare sat in her kitchen and tried to pick up all the pieces, while her head hung sadly to the ground.

“Its all broken...” she sobbed, when she picked up one of her favorite glasses, a old friend had given her a long time ago – it had a big crack on the side and the handle was missing “Why pony's keep hating me?” she now began to cry bitter tears onto the ground “I didn't do a-anything wrooong...” 

The other two now also came in and watched this sad spectacle.

The howl glass front was only pieces on the ground and a lot of other things had taken damage as well. Given the sharp cold winds which used to blow around here at night, it sure would cause even more problems later.

“How i'm supposed t..o pay the rr-eeepair?” she sulked, putting her hooves onto her face.

The green stallion carefully led the young ones outside “give her some time... I try to calm her down... and Herb, why don't you bring your girlfriend home?” 

“But dad I...”

“Now.” he said a little more sharp and his son obeyed.

His father was most of the time on his side, but he also had his moments on which it wasn't a good idea to argue.

“Lets go clockwork.” Herb said sadly and pushed the scooter outside, while she was walking next to him.




When they were a few houses further, Herb made his anger space “Monday, first thing in the morning, I will beat some blue next to her green!” the colt cursed out loud.

“I know how you feel, but right now we can tell it for sure it was them.”

Now he gave her a angry glance.

“What you mean!? Isn't it obvious!? They tried to steal our scooter...”

“Yes... but …” she tried to put it carefully “Trixie hasn't to much other friends as well... I mean maybe the thief just tried to rob the next best thing?”

“Yeah and what about the green mane I seen? Don't you tell me there are other slimy thief's with green mane!”

“You are right... it was most likely them... but I just don't want you to get into trouble again.”

“I don't care! Than I get detention... so what?”

The filly stopped “but I care... also you think Trixie would like this? Didn't you see how upset she was?”

He felt so bad for her, he just wanted to help somehow “I... but we cant let them get away...” he said desperately.

“So, you want me to go alone to her for the next weeks... or months?” Clockworks voice now got saddened “Didn't you notice? Today was the first time, there was somepony else with us! She is quite alone, you know...”



The colt knew that for sure. Whenever he had to knock alone on her door, Trixie's face might smiled, but her eyes gave away how sad she must had felt, that it wasn't both of them.



He tried his best to swallow his anger for the moment “So... what we do than?”

“I think your father will talk to their parents... and I will ask mine to do so too... so they get trouble...” she assured him “but I would like to help her somehow... paying glass is expensive.”

The colt wondered “How comes you know?”

“One time... my dad had to work long again and I wanted to visit him on the construction site... but I accidental knocked over a pole and it broke a big window nearby. He had to work for free about two weeks for that...” she said ashamed, about her clumsiness.

“And I always thought, just I break stuff” the colt said stunned, rubbing his head.




“I don't think my parents could help her out... my mother doesn't like her”

“My dad doesn't know her to good and want to save the money for my studies...”

“You going to study?” the colt asked confused, but the filly shrugged “I think so... you don't?”

“I thought I work with my father... here in Dodge Junction”

A silence had took place, now that both knew, their paths might go different ways one day.

“I … would like to visit you then...” the colt said shy.

“And if you can't... I write you every week...” she promised “you might could read them to Trixie too”




The colt blushed and lowered his head “So” he coughed “what we do than about the money?” 

“I don't have any...” she said “the Scooter was quite expensive”.

“Me neither, spend it for candy...” than he paused “wait... you had to pay the Scooter your self?”

The gray girl nodded “My father always says: that I have to learn to handle my budget”.

This was also new to him, since he was allowed to use items from father for the fuel.

“So we are both broke” the filly summed up and they both got back into thinking how to earn something to help her out.

“What about the treasure?” it occurred to the colt “If we find it, we could buy a thousand windows!” then he added “… and maybe send those snails to the moon with the rest of it”.

“You mean that from the story?” she asked.

“Sure, didn't you listen? Its worth like a bazillion bits or so! We might could buy Trixie howl Canterlot!” 

“But she said it was magic... kinda cursed.” Clockwork said worriedly.

“Don't worry, we don't keep it long... we just get it and sell it...”

“And what about the dragon?” she said, not convinced in the least “he would stomp us like mice!”

The colt shrugged “right, we are small as mice... but that's why we could sneak past him... you did see how big he is... he never notices!” Herb said confidently.

The filly put her hoof onto her face. That was the dumbest plan that colt had ever spit out... and oh boy... he had spit out plenty dumb plans over the years... like that bubble gum incident... sometimes she still could feel the sticky gum in her fur... not to mention the humiliation when the barber had to cut it out of it.




After a long sight she closed her eyes and repeated back to him what he just had said, hopefully, he would notice how dumb it sounded when she did it.
“So you want to steal from a giant dragon - his cursed treasure, who if he finds us, stomps us to a powder like paste, will roast the paste with fire and eat it after... right?”

“Basically... yes” he said unable to notice any flaw in the plan “Oh wait... no... she forgot to tell us where it is...”

For half a second she had thought he came to sense, but she should had known better.

Trixie never told a story twice. She never did, no matter how long they begged or tried to bribe her with their allowance or treats.

Herb put on his best thinking face to crack this nut “Maybe we could lend her book?”




The filly just walked away on that. If the dragon idea was stupid and out of question... this one kicked it with ease from the first place.

When they was the first time in her house and they dared to get close to them, Trixie had quickly put a blue forcefield onto the shelf's. 

“Please, don't touch them... they are all I have...” she had said “... or I cant have you as my guests anymore.” she told them, like she would think about a long lost friend.




“I don't touch her books... she will throw us out forever!”

“But I just wanted to lend it...”

“No chance...”

“You know what... fine. Then I go alone!”

The filly stopped and turned to her friend “What?”
“You heard me! I cant beat up these blockheads... we cant pay the damage... and you play chicken, instead of helping her!”

“But I want to help her...”

“I see how much...” he said sarcastically “you sure think my idea is dumb, but I didn't hear any better coming from you!”

The colt put down the scooter onto the grass and walked off in the opposite direction.




Clockwork didn't know what to do. He was kinda right, but he would do the wrong thing, so she struggled back and forth, but then it occurred to her - his father was still around, he sure would talk sense into him, hopefully.




A few minutes later Herb was the one to sneak around the house. He tried to peek into the windows to spot Trixie and her father. 

The magic mare was still very upset and his father tried to calm her down.

“Today I talked to Clockworks father... you might know he is in hoof-work businesses?”

The mare nodded slightly “I know.” she said dry “And you are pharmacist...”

“I see you don't just tell story's...” he said playful, but the mare just had found a shattered frame, the photo showing her next to a group of six other pony's. The frame was broken and the picture had cuts all over it and she teared up again.

“I'm sorry, we will get the ones responsible for this...” he said “but for now we must close this windows, or you get a cold at night” the stallion said “i will ask Clockworks father if he can help us on this... and don't you worry about the costs... we will figure something out.”

The mare slowly nodded and her father left the house, while she put everything back in his place.



This was his chance. He quickly snuck to the front door and got into the room.

The book was still laying on her seat and she was busy.

He snuck as silent as he could, when the mare came closer and he quickly got down behind the big chair, begging she would not find him.

The mare collected the glasses from the room and levitated them into the kitchen to put them away, since nopony was around to drink them anyway.



Herb quickly got up and grabbed the book under his hoof and did his best to sneak out, but having only three hooves to walk, he forgot to hold the door and it slammed close behind him, so he ran for his life.



“What? Who is there!?” the mare asked into the empty room “Tonic?” 

But there was nopony to be seen than she noticed the book was gone too and she yelled out in anger “BRING IT BACK!” the words hit him like a shockwave.

Herb fell to the ground, to quickly get up again and keep running like he was chased by a wolf.

Everypony in the road had heard the scream as well when they all turned head or stumbled onto the street to look what had happened.

Than the crowed began to point hooves and Herb slowed down to turn around.

Above Trixie's house some kind of dark weather cloud had appeared, while the rest of the sky was blue and sunny... and than there was a beam of blue magic shooting towards the sky, which split up right below the cloud, to unfold like a flower – creating a big forcefield, which slowly sunk down around the borders of her property.



Some curious neighbors tried to get close to the house, demanding she should stop this nonsense, but the storm-cloud above shot lighting right in front of their hooves, to make clear that their next steps might would be their last ones.



One stallion tried to simply break the forcefield with his magic, but the magic got reflected and some blue shot along with it right back, throwing it onto the other side of the street, right into a bush.

“Sweet Celestia!” a mare said “she is crazy!”

“We better call the police” another one agreed, while trying to help up the brave unicorn in the bush.



Herb had no idea she was capable of something like this. 

All the small tricks she had shown over the years... and now this... but there was no way back. 

He had to book in his hooves and could not return it, even if he wanted to.

So he ran. This was all he could do now, running and hoping he could make up for it somehow.
> A precious treasure...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Herb got up into his room and locked the door behind him.

His body shook from all the adrenaline inside, so he put the book onto the bed and had to lay down for a moment, so he could stop his hooves from shaking.

Clockwork was right... it was phenomenal stupid to take the book.

Trixie never would let him come in again... and she might even would get thrown out of town... who knows, maybe they would put her in prison!?

“I'm so stupid! Why i'm so stupid!?” he asked him self.

His head turned to the left and he starred at the book he had stolen. He realized this now. At first he had told him self he would return it and it was just “lending it” … but how to return it? There was no way to do so. She might even would zap him.

The colt got up and leaned him self against the wall behind his bed and put the book onto his lap. 

It looked like any other book he had seen. The edges have been used and the paper smelled a little awkward like some cheap ink had been used to write it, but for some reason, this book was even more precious to Trixie than the pony's around her? 

What was so special about it... she had like … a hundred or two... so why bother if one was missing? It just been story books after all, or not?

So he dared to open it. It wasn't anything like he had expected. Trixie often had shown pictures out of those books, when ever they could not image a thing or so, but the more pages he flipped the less he understood.

Where had been all the great story's, she had read to them? He could not find any.

It was just a collection of hoof drawn pictures... photos... glued in items and notes... along with some other hoof writing once in a while, which looked different to Trixie's.

“I... I don't get it...” he stuttered to him self disappointed and closed the book.

He sat there for about half a hour, trying to think how this all made sense, but his brain was like in gridlock. He was to nervous to have any straight fought, so when it knocked on his door, he got the shock of his life.

Maybe it was Trixie... or his parents!? Either way he was in big trouble.

He jumped quickly from the bed and crouched under it, like he could hide there forever.

“Herb... are you in here?” 

It was Clockworks voice, but still he didn't dare to come up.

He could not look her into the face and tell her that it was all for nothing.

The filly wandered around in his room and got to the bed on which she found his booty.

“Oh Herb... you fool... you really did it...” she said in disbelieve.

The filly carefully touched the book, but she left it closed, to pick it up a moment later and wander towards the door.

She could not take the book with her... he had to figure it out... he had to get something out of it.

“Wait!” Herb shouted and crouched out from under the bed.

The filly got right up to him and as soon he was standing - slapped him in the face “You got any idea what you have done!?”

“I … I know I …” he tried to form a line, rubbing his cheek. 

“Half the town is out there! They think Trixie is crazy! They yell at her house and shoot magic at it...” she tried to calm down but this time could not do it “And just because you could not hold your damn tamper once in your life! You see what this caused!? You come with me and return the book, right now!”

The colt shook his head and received another slap on his other cheek “Don't you dare to hide under your bed again! You come with me and apologize to her, now! Maybe we can end this madness before somepony get hurt...”

The filly turned and was about to walk off, but the colt quickly grabbed the book and backed off.

“What the...? Give it back again!” she shouted “Are you out of your mind?”

“Look, look!” he said and opened the book to her, but she turned her head away.

“Please, look!”

But the filly still didn't listen.

“I'm to dumb to figure it out... please, you are the smartest pony I know... I need your help...” he bagged sobbing.

The filly now gave the book a short glance, to find pictures of -the monster- and the dragon drawn onto it.

“So?” she said and turned her sight away again.

The colt flipped a few pages “you have to look”

Another short glance, she could see some kind of fairy's... some of which looked like pony's... odd.

The colt flipped a few more pages and the filly hold her sight onto the book.

Side after side... barely a word was written down into them, most of the side space was filled with pictures and drawings.

“Isn't this her book?” the filly wondered and the colt quickly nodded “It is - it is! I swear!”

Now she got closer and even browsed her self a little trough it “But... where are all the story's?”

“I … have no idea...” he said insecure “...maybe she really is crazy?”

“No this cant be...” the filly took the book and got onto the bed to study it closer.

Than she found the story she had read to them last week. 

There was a picture of a young mare glued onto the side, showing her in a white dress, next to the monster in a smocking, with a small note below.

-Fluttershy & Discord, forever-together... and a tincy bit longer!-

“There... its them. So they had been real” she flipped the pages to find some other pictures she could recall from her stories, till something caught her eye “this mare... she looks like Princess Twilight but... she has no wings on this one” 

“What, where?” the colt tried to get a better view and sat next to her.

“There” she said and carefully tapped on a photo.

The photo showed Princess Twilight and a few other mares, smiling towards the camera and in between them, stood Trixie, having her hoof swung around the purple mare.

“She knows the princess?” the colt asked confused “... or is that … her mother?” 

“Cant be... the princess is like... a few hundred years old...”

“Maybe we are crazy too?” the colt said concerned.



“I don't think so...” the girl said, flipping a few more pages, when the colt stopped her “go back!” he said aroused.

Clockwork carefully got back a few pages “there!” he pointed on the page.

It was a small Map of Equestria, drawn over two pages, with some notes written all over it.


 	


Changelings



 	


Rodeo



Sonic 	- Rainboom



Treasure


“There!” he repeated himself, pointing onto the word “Treasure” next to the Badlands.

“You don't think...” 

“Oh I do! That must be where the treasure is hidden! I'm sure!”

“Don't yell into my ear” the filly said and rubbed the side of her head... also it could mean anything.”

“The colt grabbed onto the page and changed it one time back – on which it showed the monster, handing over a chest to the dragon, then he flipped two forward to show a dragon, sleeping in a cave.

“You see... it fits...”

The filly repeated that process her self one more time “I think you are right... but it doesn't matter, we have to return the book”

“And if we do, what then? Everypony still think she is crazy...” Herb said calm “But if we find it and bring it to town, we can show them she is not”.


His friend had to think about this for a while. This time it didn't sound so insane like the last time. He had a good point... 

They could show the treasure to prove she was not crazy... might even sell it to come up for all the damage done and... apologize after to everypony. Maybe even Trixie would forgive them after that?



“You are the most stupid genius I know” she shook her head “We don't have much time... and we need a lot of fuel...” 

The colt swung his hooves around Clockwork “Thank you, Thank you, Thank youuu...” he said relieved like a bolder had dropped from his chest.

“Remind me to slap you later, if we are still alive” she sighed.

The two got down into his father's room and put quickly everything together they needed, preparing two big cans of fuel, which they put on a cart, along with some other stuff, which they thought was useful.

Herb tried to write a note, but his hooves still shook to much, so Clockwork did, explaining as much they dared to, so their parents would not worry or even blame the blue mare, than they left and drove as fast her scooter could handle.

Herb was steering on the front, since he had the most practice, while Clockwork sat in the cart they had attached, holding on to the bottles and cans.

The first part of the journey was really easy since the road leading toward the mountain's was in really good shape. It was often used by miners, who would get onto the town-side of the mountains and break up rocks as building material, or dig for raw ores, which they could melt and sell, but as soon they reached the entry and the mountains began to rise to their left and right, higher and higher until they got lost in the sky, they knew they had entered the Badlands. 

Now the road was nothing more than a trail, barely used by anypony, since these are could be really dangerous at night.

Most traders rather would head south first and use the Apple Loosa railway in order to get south then, since they rather took the path around than be eaten by some wildlife.

“Do you see any jackal's?” Clockwork asked concerned.

“No... I think they only come out at night” the colt said, while scanning the horizon.

“Herb...”

“What is?”

“The sky...” 

Now Herb looked up to notice, the sun was slowly going down. They had been driving for hours and had to stop a few times to refuel and eat. Once they had traded places, so Herb could rest from this unused pose. 

Pony's wasn't made to stand this long on two legs he had told her, but they found them self soon in an argument, how Scootaloo might had managed to do it.

Sadly the book they had with them didn't hold anything about her, so the question slowly engulfed in sand.

The couple drove between two big rock, which almost had been big enough to be small mountains - using them to orient them self with it, after they had stopped.


She hold on to the book and he stood in front of her, looking down on the map.

“You see... this are … those rock and” he gestured “… this means we have to go... there” the colt said, pointing in a direction.

“Not quite Sherlock” Clockwork said “You look upside down onto it... so its this direction”

“Ops.”

“We have to be careful. If we get lost here … i'm not sure we can find our way back”.

“Than I got some bad news...” he tapped onto the map “we have to leave the road soon...” 

“Yes, I noticed this. I wish we had brought a compass along with us.

“We did!” he said and grabbed into a small bag next to her, pulling out a compass “i figured we could need it...”

“Good work and I thought you cant work with stress...”

“Its not quite stress... I can handle that...” he said and got up onto the scooter “Its just when i'm angry or sad... than my hooves shakes and I can't help it...”

“So... when we got ready you wasn't angry or so?”

“I … guess not.”

“But what about Trixie... don't you feel bad for her?”

Now his hooves began to shake again a little, when he thought about it “I do...” he let go of the scooter and turned to her “but I... like it when.... you are... around...” he said shyly.

Now the gray's filly's face changed to red “I … um... maybe... we should hurry... its almost night...” she said, avoiding his glance.

The colt nodded and turned on the scooter, driving it towards the mountain's she had narrowed down. 
If she didn't knew any better, the drive now was more turbulent than before.

Maybe the road got worse... but she didn't really believe that was the reason, while she starred less into the book and more often onto his back, while his black mane swung back and forth when ever they hit a bump.

She now wondered if his white highlights been natural or if he just tried to look cool with them. Maybe he had put them in to impress her?

It was awkward, she knew him since kinder-garden, but maybe had took him for granted until now?


There was a long sharp howl in the distance, making her snap out of her thoughts.

“Jackal's” Herb said, but hold the roller straight on track and the speed constant. 

The last thing they could need now was a burned out engine.

A few minutes later there was another howl, this time it sounded way closer, to close.

“You think they know we are here?” the colt asked.

“Maybe they smell us...?”

The colt took a short sniff on himself “All I smell is sand” he said. 

They been out here for quite a while and the wind constantly had blew dust into their faces, so it wasn't to far of to assume they had inherited the desserts smell.

“Oh no.” it occurred to Clockwork “the mint! They smell the mint!”

Herb almost had lost control for a second, cursing into his non-existent beard.

“I'm so sorry..!” he said and tried to think of something “how long you think we need to get there!?”

Clockwork barely could see the pages anymore, so she grabbed one of the mixtures they had took from his father, pulled a string and shook it really quick. Now the small bottle began to glow since the chemicals inside had mixed and caused a chemical reaction. It would glow like this for about half an hour, before they would need a new one... if they had time for this.

Now she could see the pages in the green light, but everything around them was black already. She could barely see the tips of the mountains, while the sun slowly disappeared behind them, leaving no fix point to measure distance.

“Not too long, we are almost there” she lied to him.



Then there was another howl, it was just a couple hundred meters behind them he assumed. The mountains threw around an echo the close they got, so there was no way to tell for sure if they would make it.



Clockwork dropped the light behind them, pulled another one and waited a minute to repeat the process.

“What you are doing” the colt said as he noticed the constant sound of the reacting, which gave a small “shiish” every time she did so.

“Keep your eyes on the road!” she yelled, while she observed the lights in the distance.

Suddenly one of the lights was gone, but it wasn't because the chemical had run out. Something was blocking the line, between her and the light.

“They are coming! Crank it up!” the girl yelled.

Herb did as he was told, it might wreck the scooter, but it was better than being eaten alive and the two shot over the open landscape with full speed and opened up some distance between them and the followers.

“Where is he!?” Herb's mother asked, when her husband found the note the filly's had left behind.

- Hello mom and dad, we are on a treasure hunt... we come back as soon we can, don't worry about us. ps. Don't blame Trixie! It was our idea alone to do this, signed Herb / Clockwork -

“I knew she was a bad influence!” Ivy yelled with a sobbing tone to it “Celestia knows in what danger they are! We have to search them...”

“Honey calm down... we can't afford to panic right now. We have no clue where to start the search, also Herb is a big boy, i'm sure they will return safely”.

“Don't talk me down on this one! How often I told you something like this would happen!? Everypony in town told me, it was dumb to let our kid go there in the first place...” the white mare said and stomped to a window - pulling open the curtains in a ruff motion, pointing towards the sky “just look at this!”

The stallion got over to her and put his hooves around her and she cried thick tears onto his shoulder “I-I... just want our son back” she sobbed, while he stroke her fur and looked trough the window “Me too...” he said and lowered his head onto and prayed for a miracle.

The window revealed a quite disturbing sight - right in the middle of town was big black cloud, spitting lightning beneath itself once in a while and it seemed to grow by the minute in size... if it would continue like this, it probably would reach their own house in a matter of just a few hours.

In the center of the storm' you could find Trixie's home and the mare still was nowhere to be seen.

The cloud grew more and more and forced the pony's to evacuate the nearby houses, or otherwise the lightning would strike them in an attempt to hit the pony's inside and not even a magic lightning-roster was able to deflect those it seems, given that this wasn't any ordinary storm – this was a wild outburst of chaotic magic. Only luck right now was that the lightning yet hadn't caused any fires, or it would be hard to extinguish those since the fire-horse could not get close without getting struck too when they got on the border of the cloud.

If it just had been rumor's before, now everypony used this as prime example to declare her crazy.

Her impossible story's, her strange behavior and now this incident... who could blame them? 

They would had to blame somepony, they might never think of – them selves.

They had to blame them self to listen to rumors and not to her story's... to accept her behavior and admit theirs own was odd for other pony's as well... searching a open conversation in order to know one another better, rather than point hooves and laugh. 

Today, everypony was to blame.

If they only knew, what they thought they do.



Trixie had traveled more than anypony before her and knew, that some things might seem strange and scary at first... and a few of them were indeed... but for the most part, there was so much wonderful things to discover outside the town borders. 

She had made a couple of good friends over the years and was witness to more than one miracle - like the dancing colors above the north-pole, on the last day of spring – the day the Neighagra Falls had been frozen and you simply could walk across them – or the majestic sight of the golden Shrine in the middle of Palomino Dessert... and many more, which never would find its way in any ordinary history book... and still she knew, she had missed a lot more beauty, nopony ever would see.

The mare of Dodge Junction had run out of options... at first he struggled to ask for help from outside, since he thought they would be able to deal with the problem by them self and wasted a lot of pressures time doing so, but half the city was lost already and the other half would follow before the sun would rise again, leaving him no other choice to call for the highest authority – Princess Twilight Sparkle. 

This alicorn was not just a expert in therms of magic, she also was the closest one to town and would arrive in a matter in minutes - where ever she was needed, so no more time got wasted and a magic letter was send after all.

“Your highness” the pegasus guard said, performing a deep bow in front of Twilight “a letter arrived us, its a distress call from Dodge Junction”

“Please, you don't have to bow” the alicorn said to the newest member of her guard, when she used her magic to levitate the letter to her self and began to read it calmly “Hmm... I see.” she said to her self, studying it carefully, before giving him a sign “the task-force shall get ready on the teleportation field... and alarm the rest of the troops, just in case we need them”.

With that said the unicorn vanished in “pfuff” noise and a short flash of light, to reaper in different rooms of the castle one after the other, in order to put down her royal insignia and pick one of her special outfits.

She had several dozen of those, depending on what issue was to be dealt with. Ranging from simple robes for bad weather, gallant dresses for festivals up to golden heavy armor – which was crafted for close-combat battle... but today she picked a long star-hung cape and a west, which was made to reflect magic of all sorts. 

After this she teleported her self on the backside of the castle, onto a round field which span about fifty meters in diameter, made out of black slick stones, which was surrounded by six big menhir's, each of which had a slight touch of color to them: blue, white, pink, purple and yellow.

If you would search all of Equestria for this kind of circles, you could find about a hundred of those scattered everywhere - most of the time nearby the major town's or other important locations in between.

This platforms was meant to help Twilight on her teleportation spell, she could use their presence as fix-point to teleport her self on the other side of Equestria in no time, along with about a hundred stallions alongside with her. It was an incredibly helpful thing to have since it usually would take hours or even day's to respond to a threat otherwise with armed forces. 

Time was essential in time of need.

The princess took a last look around on her troop and was pleased with what she saw. 

Ninety nine of her best trained stallions stood in straight short lines, one third of which belonged to one type of pony. One third earthpony, one third pegasus and one third unicorn. 

No matter what was the case: they had the strength, speed and power to conquer it.

Twilight been the hundred's pony on the field and closing the circle of harmony with this.

“When we arrive, I want everypony to do their best to protect the citizens, while I try to deal with the main issue... much as information's reveal, there is a unicorn gone wild and a magic storm was cast... don't engage the center... the lighting strikes only if you get close to it... so our first objective is to evacuate the area around it and avoid mass panic.”

“Yes, princess!” the troops shouted in unity, giving her a sharp salute. She never got used to this part, since she never thought her self to be any more special than anypony else. For her, everypony was equal to one another, no matter where it came from or what kind it was. 

The unicorn now stepped into the middle of the crowd “Okay, hold your breath and lets go!” she shouted and with that her horn began to glow, when sparks danced between it and the menhir's around them, making them glow almost blinding bright for a few seconds before there was a loud   

“zup” and the plateau was empty – just a split second later the howl process repeated it self and the group reappeared on the platform near Dodge Junction - Twilight immediately created a forcefield so they was not exposed to some kind of surprise attack, until the area nearby was checked.

“The area looks clear” she said a few moments later and dropped the forcefield, when her troops spread out as told, without having her to say any more.

She already could see the problem from here. 

The black cloud was several hundred diameters in size and grew faster the bigger it got, shooting small thin strikes of lightning beneath. 

There was another “-pfuff pfuff-” and the unicorn found it self just a few streets nearby the border of the storm. 

All around her where pony's sitting or slowly walking away from the bad weather, some of which had a few belongings with them, they thought otherwise would get destroyed.

Than the first few of them noticed the alicorn in their middle and bowed down without hesitation in order to show their respect.

They all greeted her in a calm manner, despite the crisis around them “Your highness” “Princess Twilight” “Be welcome...”

Knowing a alicorn was in their middle, made them feel a lot better already, since it was unthinkable that she could possible fail to contain the situation. 

Like Princess Celestia, Twilight was several hundred years old and carried the necessary magic, as well wisdom within – she had fought and defeated the biggest evil's a pony could possible image and most of the time under the worst circumstances there are – but always turned out victorious... able to restore order and harmony in Equestria.

The princess spoke loud and clear, so everypony next to her could hear what she had to say “I want everypony to leave this area in a calm fashion. If you find somepony in need of help, please do so, but don't risk your self... my royal guard is scattered all over town and will protect you if necessary. Now go”.

The stallions and mares obeyed as told. Nopony would dare to talk back on a royal in a situation like this, still one stallion didn't obey and just starred at her.



“Princess Twilight... may I?” he asked as careful he could, with lowered head, but searching for her eye contact. He was obviously really desperate for some reason, since he could not hide the fact his body was shaking nervous.

The princess gave him a short nod and he got a few steps closer, since it was hard to talk over the constant blowing wind, which was created by the storm-cloud.

“I … I know its … I'm searching my daughter, Clockwork. She is gone missing since this has started” with this his hoof pointed towards the storm “i hoped … you might could help me find her...” the green stallion grabbed into his trench-coat and pulled out a letter, the kids also had left on his door.

The princess would like to help him, but she also knew she had to deal with the main-issue at first, before there was time for anything else... still she took the time to read the note he had given her. Everypony's life was valuable, without exception.

The alicorn carefully studied the few lines and hung on one of the last words with her eyes “The mare, which caused this... her name is Trixie?” she asked doubtfully. 

“Yes princess...” the stallion said as calm he could “She is a unicorn”

“Could it be possible?” The princess asked herself, before she put away the note and turned her full attention to the stallion.

“A blue one... with a cusp hat?”

The stallion was baffled, but gave a quick nod “Y-yes... how you know?” 

Twilight turned towards the storm and watched the spectacle for a moment. 

“Even if it was her... why would she do such a thing?” She thought to herself.

“I have to go... but when I'm done, I will come back here and we will find your daughter,” she said certain and wandered into the storm.

The stallion could not follow, so he watched as she passed the border of the cloud and lightning began to strike down onto her, which got reflected by her forcefield and scattered its effect all around the alicorn, which didn't seem to be disturbed by this at all.
> Mice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She already could see one of the jackals, he was not even twenty meters behind the scooter, so she grabbed one of the five red phial's and waited for him to get just a little closer – the jackal made a jump and the girl threw it as hard she could, hitting him right onto the head.

The thin glass shattered and the red powder inside covered the jackals face, which immediately crashed onto the ground and yelled in agony. The powder burned into his eyes and nose like fire – making him temporary blind and short of breath.

The jackal was not alone, half a dozen was still onto their, slowly but surely trying to circle them in, when Clockwork noticed one of them to her left, she took another phial and did her best to throw it, but the beast saw it coming and was able to dodge the throw.

She quickly grabbed one more and gave it another shot, this time the jackal was to slow, since he had to look where he was running for a moment, leaving him open to attack – once more there was a howl of agony and the predator fell head over paws onto the ground and rolled a long a bit, until he was lost in the darkness behind them.

“Mountain! Mountain!” Herb screamed, when they approached the border of the mountain, forcing him to get into a sharp curve. 

The cart on the back shook and one of the battles fell out before she could get a hold onto it, making her curse – just moments later Herb saw a rock coming, but it was to late to avoid it, so the scooter scoured it and he lost control, sending the two filly's to the ground, luckily it was still enough sand beneath to make them fall quite soft.

Herb tried to pull him self together as good as he could and grabbed the bag which was laying next to him, while he stepped over to Clockwork, helping her up.

“Are you okay?” he said concerned, but the filly had to shake her head for a moment to get the focus back. 

“I... yes... what about the scooter!?” she said with a moan.

Herb took a look around and found it nearby a few broken glow-sticks, which had been scattered everywhere “broken” he replied and grabbed her hoof to pull her away after she quickly had picked up a few things from the ground.

Another jackal approached them from behind, but since he stepped over some of the thin  glass, they could hear him coming. Clockwork spun around and threw her last phial she had and hit him on the right cheek. 

At first the effect was just partial there, just one of his eyes was blind, but the short furred beast could not help to rub his snot with his paw, spreading the powder even more over his face until he collapsed, desperate trying to get rid of it.

Not too far away they could see some kind of entrance in the dark, strangely enough, it almost looked like somepony had a fire made in the cave, since there was a constant glow to it.

“We hide in there!” the stallion shouted as they ran for the entrance, but suddenly got cut off by two jackals in front of them and one behind.

They was about the size of a adult stallion. Their fur was a mix of gray and sand, while their legs seemed longer than a wolf's and their body-shape thinner all around. Still both shared the same selection of deadly weapons, sharp long claws and teeth sharp as knifes, four of them fang sized.

The jackals carefully circled in a few meter distance at first, since they knew what had happened to their brothers, so they checked if their pray had run out of luck.

Herb slowly stuck his hoof into his beg and grabbed a blue bottle he had hidden inside. “Hold your breath...” he whispered to Clockwork.

“What?” she asked, but the colt quickly pulled out the bottle and threw it as high as he could, she had just a second to realize his plan, when the colt shot a beam of magic onto the bottle and it exploded in a cloud above them.

The jackals backed off quickly but inhaled some of the powder, while the two filly's ran once again for the cave they had spotted when the jackals behind them realized what had happened.

“What was that!?” Clockwork yelled out of breath, when she noticed the powder had no noticeable effect.

“Tranquilizer!” was all the colt said and ran as fast he could.

On foot usual a jackal had then within seconds, but the remaining ones had inhaled a big enough amount to make them dizzy and partial blur their sight, so when one of them tried to jump on them, he missed them by a few centimeters and stumbled onto his side, to get up a few seconds later, trying to fetch up again.

The filly's barely had made it into the cave, there was still this strange glow to it, but nowhere near was a fire source to be found, instead, the walls looked like they been partially made out of glass, which reflected the light from deeper within the cave.

The colt was almost out of breath and huffing hard, while Clockwork still could keep up her paste. Herb might was a boy, but also a unicorn, she for the other hoof might was a girl, but also an earthpony at that, giving her more strength and endurance – on top of the physical work she often performed when helping her father.

“I … I … can't...” Herb tried to say, while he slowed down. 

Clockwork stopped a moment and turned around - he was almost ten meters behind her when she had realized the problem, so she ran back and pulled him forward, while the jackals walked up and down in front of the cave for a moment, but then decided to run after them, a little wobbly on the legs, but the effect seemed to wore off quickly. 

“Come on, run!”

“Can't … any...” 

This was the moment he wished he had listened to his father and ate less candy. 

Clockwork looked around and found a gap near a rock. It might just was a crack, but better take a risk and have a chance, than have none at all.

The two quickly stumbled towards it and she crouched inside of it and pulled him right after, it was barely enough place for both of them, but it was the only place to hide.

“You got anything else?” she asked Herb, which was still trying to fetch his breath again “Don...t know...” so she grabbed the bag and pulled out a few bottles. 

A green and a yellow one – as well some leaves and something which looked like oil, but there was neither red or blue to be found.

“What is all of that?” she asked “Can we use it!?” 

The colt shook his head “Not like this...”

then there was a claw suddenly waving in front of their faces as one of the jackals tried to reach them. 
They howled and scratched the wall in order to widen the crack and every time they did so, the claws came close, to the point they scratched Herb on his flank, to scratch once again on the wall, trying to stick in their snot, barking and clenching the teeth on the scared children inside.

Then the earth around shook for a moment, like a small earthquake, followed by a strange noise. 

The jackals turned heads towards the sound, which was coming from the depths and suddenly run of a moment later towards the cave entrance.  

“Why... they run!?” Herb asked, moments before Clockwork would stick her face outside, a burst of flames shot right past the hole and she snapped back, pressing her face against the wall behind her. Only two of the jackals made it outside.

The heat was almost to much for the young ones to comprehend, giving their already beaten circulation a hard time to keep up, while gasping for air since the flame had burned it all for a moment until fresh one streamed in from the desert.

“SWEET CELESTIA!” Herb said, after he put down the hoof he had covered his face with “What was THAT!?”

Clockwork just starred at the cave they just had been in and watched the walls partial melting from the heat, to cool down again and reveal some of the black glass they had noticed before.

The two stood hidden for about half an hour, fetching their breath and eating the little there was left in the bag, before they dared to check for the predators.

Herb was the first one to get outside again, but his first look wasn't towards the entrance, instead of the other direction. Until now there had been no further flame bursts and the rest was cool enough to be able to step on it.

The cave was quite, there was only a constant growling to be heard, like they sat on a sleeping volcano.

“I think we have to go in deeper” Herb said to Clockwork, which was crouching out of their hideout.

“I think, we have to go home...” but she gave it another thought, after looking towards the night which was waiting outside “on the other hoof, we came so far” 

The two filly stumbled down the cave and followed their nose. It was just one long path and the deeper they came, the thicker and smoother the glass walls became. It almost looked like some kind of mirror maze, since a dozen filly's and colt's followed them everywhere, to mimic every move.

“What you think this is?” Herb asked.

“Maybe some kind of volcano...?”

“Can't be, the Badlands don't have such a thing” he said certainly. Geography was one of his favorite school subjects since he could learn a lot about far distant places, where all kind of medicine grew his father had mentioned and at times it just reminded him on some of Trixie's story's.

“Then I guess we have found what we have been searching for...” the filly said.

Herb turned his head and looked at her, walking on his side. The dancing reflections and the shimmering light made her almost look magical like she was the center of everything there is.

Clockwork noticed his stare and their eyes met for a few moments and she gave him a small smile, but turned her head away blushing when the two stopped on an edge in front of them. 

The cave ended here, there was only a hole leading down and no other way was to be seen.

“Dead end I guess” she frowned.

The colt starred down and kicked a stone nearby into the hole. The noise was a constant click-clack-clack-clock-click... which got more and more silent the further the stone fell down, until it stopped.

Herb gave Clockwork a bright grin and before she could even say a word he simply jumped down, like on a water-slide.

The filly put a hoof onto her face and sighed “one day...” and jumped down right after him.

After a few meters of free fall, the couple found them self on a giant slide of slick melted glass which made them unable to stop. They rushed deeper down into the mountain, while the light around them flashed faster and faster, forcing them to partial shut their eyes from this sickening effect, when the slide suddenly ended and the two fell another meter and landed ruff on the ground. 

Clockwork had landed on Herbs back and already could feel the marks she would had from this ride.

“Do you remember, what I told you in your room?” she cawed.

“No... what?” he grumbled.

She gave him a quick slap on the back of his head. 

“Ouh...” it followed and rubbed the spot, while she got down from him.

The room they found them self in was some kind of underground cave, at least a couple hundred meters in diameter in all directions.

It was gigantic and they barely could see the ceiling above them, if it hadn't been for the glass reflecting the light everywhere - the light source was a puddle of lava, which was boiling on the other side of the room in a big pit, covering a third of the room borders, filling it with hot thick air and the constant noise of bursting lava bubbles.

Everywhere in the room where big rocks scattered, like parts of the ceiling had crashed down once in a while, ranging from filly big ones, up to rocks big enough to fill a barn with. 

The two walked around in the room and searched for some kind of exit or clue what to do next, but aside of a gap through which some of the heat and smoke escaped, there was not much else to be seen, when Herb made a few quick steps to the side “Look!”

Clockwork followed his direction and found a few skeletons, leaning on a half-molten rock stack. There wasn't to much left to tell what species it was, they looked quite old and half of them was burned to nothing more than ashes.

“You think what i'm thinking!?” Herb said and swallowed hard.

“I think... we should be more silent” she whispered, as they continued their search, sneaking from rock to rock, while scanning the area with their eyes.

They had passed about half the room and discovered a few more skeletons behind rocks, when both spotted something on the end of the room. 

On top of a stone plateau stood a big chest. It looked almost like an old pirate treasure since it had rubies and diamonds scattered on the outside everywhere and golden plates running around the edges. Only odd about it was, that its color pattern seemed like it was sliced diagonal – one half in a deep brown, the other half in a bright yellow.

Herb pocked Clockwork “The monster...” he whispered.

“... and the pegasus” she agreed.

The two now walked a little faster, but soon gained more speed and almost run on the end, but not without checking around them - but for now the room seemed empty.

There was no dragon to be seen or heard anywhere and from what the story had given away, they could not had missed it, so they rushed up a stack of stones, which almost looked like stairs until they reached the last one and got their hooves onto the plateau.

Only ten more meters and they could touch it for real. It wasn't a story anymore, they stood right on front of it. If they just could bring a hoof full, from whatever was inside, they could solve all the problems, so they walked towards it like in trance, starring on the riches on the outside and image the amounts inside.

Just a few steps later, the lava behind the plateau suddenly began to boil up, while the bubbles now burst faster and the fluid shook back and forth, the light pulsated brighter and flames shot out of it towards the sky, making it rain burning hot spots everywhere around them with a sharp “Hiszz” when ever it dropped. The two young ones did their best do back off and dodge the spilled liquid, when the earth began to shake again, knocking them of their hooves.

The earthquake got stronger to the point the two could not fight it anymore and got thrown around like toys, while something rose out of the fire-pit beneath, covered in hot lava, making it look like a giant wave of molten rock would bury them beneath and burn their skin off, but than something even worse got revealed as soon the molten stone dropped down – like a butterfly leaving its cocoon.

The monster stood slightly bowed down and still was over sixty meters in size, big enough to be a skyscraper in Manehatten and throw houses around like playthings.

His scale-skin was something like a deep blue, touched with the orange tone of the flames beneath, which shimmered in oil like manner, whenever he moved. Only his tummy was a more hue color- tone, but still a dark green, with the same oil effect, like the rest of his body.

On his back staggered spikes big as a barn doors back and forth, running down from his head to his tail, while they got bigger until the middle of his back, to get smaller again to the tip of his tail, which was waving up and down, wiping onto the lava beneath, while he got out of the pit to lean over the treasure chest, which obviously was protected by some magic spell, since molten stone dripped over it, but didn't left any damage behind.

His four-fingered claws slammed onto the ground and buried them in it to give him a better hold - each of this claws was long and sharp enough to pierce two meters thick steel, right after his thick legs and three-toed feet followed and he did his first steps like an oversized alligator, walking on all fours, rocking from side to side.

His big bulky skull was turning all around, while his green burning dragon-eyes searched the area. The skale-skins on the side of his head twitched a little, like he would try to listen to something in the distance – hidden behind those you could find the dragon ear holes.

The dragon spread his pair of wings, each about thirty meter in diameter, when he opened his mouth, showing his giant teeth - to release a deep and earth-shattering growl 

“WWUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhouuuuuu!”

The two hold their hooves onto their ears, but still it was deafening loud and the bass squeezed their stomach's together, making them choke for a moment.

Herb looked to his side and saw Clockwork, her lips moved but he could not hear her, she grabbed his hoof and pulled it from his ear and again she said something, but all he could hear was a constant cheeping in his ear ringing.

“... way... re...”

“What!?” 

She pulled him and he ran after. 

The filly and the colt hasted down the platoon, jumped the last bit and ran in cover behind the first big rock they could find, to get in crouch position behind it, while the earth shook in a constant rhythm beneath them, making smaller stones dancing above the surface, when the dragon shouted again “WWUuuuuuuuuuuaaAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhouuuuuu!”

luckily this time it wasn't quite as loud, still enough to make the beeping return for a few seconds, but his hearing slowly came back to him again.

Even if the dragon would not make such a noise and the tinnitus would be gone, they still would had problems to hear one another, over the heartbeat in their chests, pumping blood so fast they could hear it.  

The two did their best to get some more distance between him and them, going sick-sack from rock to rock. It wasn't hard to figure out where he was going, since every step gave a shock through the ground with a massive -WHOMP- noise, which in combination with the rising heat, gave them a feeling to be in a steel factory. 

“What now?” the colt asked.

“What now?” she clenched her teeth “You really ask that?” while having a hard time not to yell at him “What about your sneaking like mice...? I think he seen us.” she said as sharp as possible.

Then there was a sound like a debris avalanche in the room, it was the dragon speaking slowly with a rough voice, which sounded like he had not used it in decades, giving the impression it was strenuous to remember the right words, as he spoke slowly and stretched his words doing so.

“HIIDEEE... AND BUURNNN!”

Suddenly the dragon made another strange noise, like he would try to suck in all the air from the room, just spit it out again in a growling noise, melting down a bunch of rocks in the middle of the chamber.

The two starred on the spectacle, partial covering their eyes from the bright green flame, while the rocks melted down like water to form a steaming puddle of lava.

“... if he had... that had been us.” Herb said, while his face color changed from blue to white.

Clockwork shook him, to snap him out of the shock “Don't you have anything helpful left?”

The colt shook his head and shrugged, but she grabbed the bag he still had with him and emptied it onto the ground in front of it. 

“Come on, you are the chemist... do something”

The colt blinked a few times and looked on what was left. It wasn't much but than he grabbed the yellow bottle and emptied it on the ground, filling some of the green into the glass, along with some of the leafs as well the oil like fluid. He closed the glass and shook it a few times hard. “I have no idea if that works” he said with a apologetic smile.

“I say we run, we might we can find an escape on the other side of the chamber?”

“And the treasure!?” he almost had said this too loud and quickly shut his own mouth, when the dragons head turned in their direction and he made a step towards them, to stop again. Waiting for another noise so he knew what stones to roast.

“It doesn't matter... I just want get out alive...”

Herbs sight slowly wandered to the ground.

“Herb... think of your parents” she said and put her hoof onto shoulder.

The colt nodded, while behind him booming footsteps came closer. 

A moment before the dragon would see them, Herb threw the bottle as far he could over the rock in his general direction and the two run as fast their hooves could carry them.

The glass shattered and a big thick fog formed itself, covering up their escape route, but the dragon flapped his wings a few times and the cover was blown and Clockwork as well Herb almost got blown away, when they crouched behind another one nearby, trying to fetch their breath from the sprint, as well the unwelcome surprise.

“We are done...” Herb said. 

“Don't give up like this... we find a way to get out.”

“Well... I still got one idea left.”

“What is it?” 

“I run to the right... and when I get his attention... you head for the crack over there” he said, pointing on what seemed a possible exit in a wall nearby.

Her face turned into a frown “You know, I think you are a smart guy, but of all the dumb ideas you had today, this is the dumbest by far” 

A small grin run over his face, when he quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek and wanted to sprint off, but she grabbed him on the leg and he fell to the ground before he could get out of cover.

She got a tight grip on him “I don't let you go, never” she made perfectly clear to him, when once again the dragon sucked in air and another burst of flames shot next to them - over the ground and melted the stones to puddles, while the two run away from the heat. The dragon finishes his burning move and the howl in the wall was also hit and closed up by molten stone.

“HIIIDEEEE..... AND ….. BUURNN!” he said once again, slow and booming, giving almost the impression that he could be tired – but of course it was unthinkable a dragon of this size could be tired of anything, since he could stomp entire villages without even taking notice.

The colt gave a short glance around the rock and checked for the crack, but it was gone.

“Now we are done...” he reached out his hoof.

The filly looked down on it and grabbed it “could been worse” she said, surprisingly happy.

Herb gave her a disturbed glance “How?”

Clockwork thought a second about it “Spinach Pudding?”

Now the two giggled, while the dragon once again turned itself around to stomp through the room.

Both starred a little into nothing next to one another, when Clockworks said something to him, but this time she wasn't whispering anymore “Hide and burn...”

The colt starred at her for a moment in confusion “What?”

“Hide... and burn.” she repeated her self, while her eyes grew in size “the skeletons... look at them,” she said even louder.

“Shhh... he might hears you” Herb said as loud he dared, but the filly grabbed his head and turned it, so his face was pointing to one of the bone piles, which was partial showing from behind a molten rock.

“Hide and burn!” she almost shouted and with that she grabbed the colt and pulled him out of the rock, but this time he was the one trying to keep her in cover, making it a tug-war, but she was stronger and so he had to give in.

“DRAGON! WE ARE HERE!” Clockwork screamed out of her lung and the beast turned around in a surprisingly quick motion.

Whomp. Whomp! WHOMP! The steps smashed onto the ground, while the dragon moved closer on all fours, before he rose himself back to his full imitating size, while his gigantic contours in flames, got framed from the fire pits behind.

Even if they would run now, his fire breath still would burn them to ashes and the next hundred meter behind that.
> Reunion of the centuries
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight walked around the corner and the small house came in sight.

It looked quite ordinary. It was painted in a slight touch of blue, the windows been white and the roof was a muddy brown. It had a first floor and two smaller apple trees stood in the garden, which was running around it, but there was one detail which immediately caught her eye, when she walked up to the border of the property – a sign was hanging over the door, showing a star-covered moon with a magic wand on it.

“Trixie!? Are you in there!?” Twilight yelled “Its me, Twilight! Please come out!”

There was no reaction coming from the inside. Maybe the storm was to loud or the forcefield muted the noise from outside, so Twilight stepped back and got into battle stance. If necessary she would break the forcefield with her magic.

The alicorn lowered her head and charged up her horn, shooting the first streak of magic onto it – the field flashed up and sparks shot in every direction, when parts of her energy got redirected toward the sky, while others hit everything around them, when she stopped to check for the result.

“It didn't break?” she wondered - this charge should had been enough to break any forcefield, created by a unicorn. She sure had used the right amount of magic, it could not been because she had to hold a forcefield of her own since she had used this combination of offensive and defensive magic countless times.

The alicorn once again got in battle stance and shot another flashing beam of purple energy on the field, but once again the most part go redirected and hit another house to her left, cutting through it with ease, which made her immediately stop.

Still the field was flickering, but far from being broken. 

Her eyes wandered to the sky and the could above her, she could barely see the border anymore and the storm soon have the strength of a hurricane, which would destroy  the entire town – not to speak what would happen if pony's got hit by the lighting, which at this point rapidly rained down on her in drum-storm.

She had to break the field and was not willing to give up, so she lowered her head once more to give it all her strength when she suddenly hold in and her horn lost his offensive charge.

It just had occurred to her... she was right, Trixie was an ordinary unicorn... so it was impossible for her to create a forcefield of this strength – unless, she was in state magic of shock.

When Twilight was still a filly, Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom had caused this on her self, making her magic run wild and untamed with incalculable consequences until Princess Celestia was able to snap her out of it.

This happened very rarely, but she had read about it and knew, that when she would break the forcefield, the feedback would kill Trixie in the process.

The princess sat down and lowered her head in order to think her next steps trough carefully. an untrained unicorn was already extremely dangerous... but the blue mare was far from that, so it was unthinkable what her magic was capable of. There was a chance the cloud could reach the next closest town, Apple Loosa. 

Celestia had told her “Do whatever had to be done, city's can be rebuilt – life's don't”... but was it right to destroy the home's of thousands for this to happen?

Also there still another problem – a unicorn, trained or not, was not meant to use such raw amounts of magic, his body was simply not capable to hold such a power for a long time... so at some point the unicorn would faint and stop on its own, or it would burn out from the inside - causing internal injuries, which in best case would leave it in constant comatose state, if not kill it over weeks to come, while under full conscious.

The worst kind of death there was.

She had to make a decision... there was no guarantee of her to stop in time - so wasn't it better, if she broke the field? 

Saving somepony else life and sparing her from possible horrible death?

Twilight often had to make hard decision, trying to find the middle road between life and death, but usual only her own life was on state, so she always willing to take the risk, if there was a better chance for it to pay off... but today it wasn't about her... she would stay behind unharmed. 

Today it was about one of her oldest friends and if she was willing to take her life. It might was wrong from a logical standpoint, but she simply could not do it, not today... not tomorrow and not in a thousand years after, she could not life with the guilt.

Next to the stone circle on the towns, hundred's of pony's already had gathered and talked aroused to one another, what would happen next. 

Twilight's royal task-force had brought them here, so nopony could be hurt until the princess would return and declare, if it was safe or not to come back into town. 

In case of emergency the princess would use her magic to teleport them right to Ponyville, group after group, but for now there was no nothing of her to be seen, since the storm still grew in since and strength by the minute, making the crowd even more nervous. 

“I knew that mare was insane! I told you from the start!”

“You are right, we should had kicked her out of town...”

“The princess should banish her! Banish I say!” 

“Our town is lost... all the work, gone”

“And did you hear about her lies? Pah.”

“I wonder of the princess is alright...”

“Right, she tried to feed our kids some of her made up story's”

“Mom, where do we go now?”

“A monster, nothing less.”

Those were just some of the conversations the guards had to listen to.

They had been trained to be emotionally distanced from this kind of talk, still it was painful to listen to the suffering of so many pony's.

Then a shadow swept over them. At first only a few pony's noticed, but after the first looked up and screamed - they all searched and found something far worse - a giant dragon had passed by over their heads, just a few hundred meters above.

This was when most of them began to scream and some ran into the nearby forest, while the guard tried to keep everypony together and calm.

The dragon gave a shout from it, which was loud enough to be heard in the next town “WWRRUUUUUuuuuuuuuuAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaahhhhhhhouuuuuuuu!”

Twilight's head immediately snapped up and her eyes tried to search the sky, but she could not see anything, the cloud was just to thick and the constant lighting coming down on her forcefield additional blocked off her sight, but she knew it must been a very old dragon nearby and since it wasn't migration, this was bad news.

A dragon never would come to Equestria without a reason, be it to find a place to sleep, or to rampage and this one didn't sound sleepy.

Suddenly the cloud layer burst in the east side of town, when the dragon flew deep enough to dive through it, while lightning shot after and hit him with thousands of strikes all over his body, but he didn't bother and turned in a long bow to repeat the fly by above the center of town, breaking through the cloud once more, passing right over Twilight's head, which now was able to see the beast in its full size for just a moment. 

The dragon spit a one hundred meter long flame into the sky, like it tried to tell all of Equestria about its arrival.

She could not possible hope to fight of a dragon of this scale, she would need the combined forces of the alicorn's army's to do so.

The dragon had cleared up most of the cloud like a pegasus and turned a last time, casting his shadow over several street lengths's, while the citizens could not help to stare at him, frozen in motion. 

The cold blood slowed down his flight and landed in the middle of town, since there was anywhere else enough space for it to land, without stomping at least half a dozen houses in the process. His head turned a few times from the left two the right, while it tried to orientate itself. 

Since most of the cloud was gone where the dragon had landed, the biggest part of the guard ran or flew to town, in order to assist the princess. She sure would also be on her way towards this new threat and indeed – she was on her way.

She didn't had to search, Twilight could see the dragon peeking about the houses, while it  stomped unhindered through town, occasionally hitting a house nearby with a whip of its tail or smashing a left behind chariot to pieces, while crossing gardens, to leave deep prints of his paws behind.

“STOP!” Twilight shouted, as soon she was next to the Dragon “IN THE NAME OF EQUESTRIA, I COMMAND YOU TO LEAVE PEACEFULLY, OR WE WILL HAVE TO USE OUR ARMED FORCES AGAINST YOU!”

The dragons head turned down to look at this insignificant pony on his side.

The purple mare just stood there, not willing to back of a step, when he slowly turned his howl body towards her, smashing a well and knocking over an entire oak just by a slight touch of his legs.

Than there was suddenly a noise. At first she wasn't sure if he was about to breath fire, it almost sounded like a huffing steam train, which was about to gather speed – if it was heated with debris... but than she realized - the dragon actually was laughing at her.

All around the dragon her troops gathered with readied weapons, but still a carefully chosen safety distance or in nearby cover, when a giant fist came towards Twilight, but the movement was way to slow if it was supposed to be an attack, then its claw opened and a filly and a colt jumped the last meter to the ground. The alicorn had now even less of a clue what was going on, when the dragon used his centuries old voice to speak to her, after taking a deep breath.

“TWIILIIGHHT..... MY OOLD FRIEEEND!” it echoed through the town.

The young stood between the dragon and her guard, to shield him from an attack like there was any world, in which they could possibly harm him.

“He came to help!” Clockwork shouted excited.

“Don't hurt him, he is a friend!” Herb added. 

Twilight carefully walked towards the monster, despite warning calls from her royal-guards around her, when he lowered himself and buried three gardens below his body.

The filly's still tried to plead towards the alicorn, she should not provoke or harm him, but she didn't pay any attention towards them.

“Ssp...Spike!?” she asked stuttering, while his breath blew her mane back and forth, since she now was close enough to touch him – reaching out with her hoof to do so, while everypony had become silent and watched instead.

The dragon gave an approval grunt from him, when her hoof touched his snot.

“I thought you would be in the land of dragons, my big friend...” she said with tears in her eyes.

She thought he would life there forever since it been over five centuries she had seen him the last time. Back than, his skin was just deep purple, instead of this almost black tone, he hadn't been even half the size and lacked the gigantic wings on his back, so it was no surprise she had not recognized him. 

The princess on the other side hadn't changed at all, she just looked like the day he had left her, in order to protect this most precious treasure. He had spend centuries in between alone to slumber and dream, until he got disturbed by some treasure hunter which dared to enter his cave. He had warned every single one of the, like he warned the young ones, but none of them did listen, instead they tried to trick him or even attack, so he did what he had to do and got back to rest right after in the fire pit below, so the land wasn't filled with the smoke of his. It was his eternal duty and it filled him with proud ever since. Of course he would return soon to his treasure, but for now he had closed the entrance beneath several tons of molten rock, which would take months to clear if somepony tried to get it, while he wasn't around.

The dragon snorted and rose again to his full size and began to walk again. 

“Back off!” the alicorn shouted towards the guards which didn't knew how to respond. Most of them never seen a dragon in their life and still pointed their weapons at him, while his steps left deep prints in the ground next to them or at times cracked the road.

The mare run beneath the dragon, flanked by the filly's to her left and right, down a few roads till they reached her house, which Spike already had seen from afar, since it was the only one with a blue sparking cupola around it.

His giant paw opened again and the alicorn jumped onto it with a flap of her wings.

“Wait princess!” Herb shouted to the princess “We have to return her book!” 

“What book?” She rose an eyebrow at them.

“Its hers, that's why she is so upset!”

The princess nodded and levitated the black diary to her, right after the paw closed again carefully. 

The giant fist approached the forcefield and flames began to spark up, where his scale-skin touched it, when he slowly stuck it through, without shattering it in its entirety. The blue flames around the breach set the nearby bushes on fire, but the dragon seemed unimpressed, while they danced around his arm, when he opened the claw inside and the mare jumped down and ran into the house. 

In the middle of her living room, she found the blue mare, hovering a few feet above the ground, hold by magic.

Her eyes glowed white and a bright blue shine was glowing all around her body, the room looked like a mess but was alright for the most part, like she stood in the literal eye of the storm. 

“I return your book!” Twilight shouted over the noise of the streaming magic, while she approached the mare carefully, step by step.

She levitated the book now in front of her, so Trixie could see it, when suddenly the glowing stopped and the mare snapped out of her state and fell back to the ground, landing on her hooves. She stumbled towards the present the alicorn had brought along, but swept it aside to fall into her arms and faint.

Now some of the citizens cheered as they saw the cloud was about to dissolve into thin air and a hoof full even ran back into the town, but most still wondered what had happened to the dragon. Maybe the princess slain him somehow?

They had seen him walk between houses, but he must be on all fours, since his head wasn't in sight anymore and there was neither flames nor other noises indicating he was still alive. Why else should be their city still in one piece - at least for the most part?

It sounded quite logical, but only since the town's pony knew so little about dragons...

“Its okay... everything is alright” Twilight said calm, while stroking over her mane “i'm there for you” she said with a smile and hold her tight. 

The princess loaded the mare onto her back and walked with her outside.

“Guard” she said, when four earth-pony's carefully walked around the dragon, while he observed them disapprovingly.

“Y-yes princess?” 

“I want this mare in medical attention, as quick as possible and make sure nopony disturbs her, unless I personally allow it, is that clear?”

“Uhm...” the stallion could not help to glance over his shoulder.

“Do I got your attention?” the princess asked.

“Yes mam!” he said with a quick salute “but what about... him?” gesturing with a nod of his head, behind himself.

“He is a friend of mine, don't bother him and he won't bother you.”

On this the dragon blew a small cloud of smoke on the guards back, making him shake.

“Now find me the local doctor, I will wait at the hospital”

With that the mare disappeared and reappeared right in front of the building and brought her friend inside, putting her down on a mobile daybed.

The guards had formed a ring around Spike, which for now just had laid down on his stomach to rest a little, when Clockworks and Herbs parents came run down the streets.

At first they just hoped to be able to ask Trixie, where their kids might be, but was more than surprised to find them staying right in front of her house, in between some of the guards.

They was so relived to see them, that they almost had overlooked the dragon behind them, which made them back off immediately, but their kids had seen them too and waved towards them “MOM!” “DAD!” they shouted and gestured they could come closer, but the parents did their best to gesture the same towards them.

“Get away from that monster!” Ivy cried out horrified.

The dragon just opened one of his eyes a moment, to look who had yelled that, but got back to rest again.

Clockworks father dared to get closer, carefully, but steady, while his sight wandered between his daughter and the beast behind her, till he was on her side and quickly grabbed her for a hug and forgot everything around him “I'm so glad you are safe” he sobbed.

Now also Herbs parents moved closer, while he encouraged them “He is a friend of princess Twilight... its okay” Herb said, when they also closed him into his arms.

“I was worried sick” his mother said teared up.

“Where have you been?” his father asked.

The colt now got sad a little himself, despite he didn't quite understand, why they been so worried. 

“Didn't read you the letter?” he said shyly.

“Oh Herb, we had no idea where you are... we thought we had lost you!” 

Next to him was something similar happen.

“Please don't ever do such a thing again, promise me”.

“I will, dad... but we had to...” Clockwork sniffed “we had to help her...”

“We even found the treasure,” Herb said, since he had heard, what Clockwork.

“You are our treasure” his Ivy sniffed, while she stroke his mane.

His dad gave him a warm smile “Herb, I think we understand now, how important she is to you...” his wife gave him an angry glance on that, but let go of it soon after, since she knew he was right.

Trixie wasn't just any ordinary story-teller or come along magician... 

for the kids, she was part of the family and that for, they would do anything to help her.

After a few minutes their parents had calmed down a now starred on the snoring beast in front of them. 

“You see... her story's all been true!” Herb said proud “She knows the princess and this dragon and the treasure was also real!”

Patchwork looked down to Herb, while he holds his daughter on his side “So, where is it then?” he wondered.

Suddenly the dragon blew a small black cloud in their direction, which gave the adult pony's nearby a little scare. 

“We can't tell you, we promised!” Herb said.

“Its to important...” Clockwork added nodding.

“Can you tell me at least what it is?” Patchwork asked carefully, holding an eye on the guardian. 

“We seen the chest, it was full of diamonds and rubies and gold...” Herb frowned, like this alone was not worth mentioning “but we were not allowed to look inside... I guess only Trixie knows”.

“I wonder if she is alright, we should go to look after her” Clockwork said and pulled on her fathers side, so he would come along.

Herb run a few meters in the direction and turned to his parents “what you wait for!?”

“Herb please, we just have found you...” his father replied.

“I know, but I want see her!” he begged stubbornly.

Tonic turned to his wife “We better follow him, I don't think we can hold him back anyway” the mare just shook her head and got up on her hooves.

A few more stallions and mares had now also returned to town, to check what was going on, since the guards had talked to one another, declaring that the city was safe, with some minor exceptions.

So they returned into their homes or looked for their stores, when also the two sisters walked up to Trixie's house, while their mother yelled in agony - the dragons tail had hit it, when walking by, her father just had rolled his eyes on this, since he wasn't that materialistic or dramatic for that matter.

Topaz poked her sister Feather-Dust and pointed down the road, to see the group nearby this monster, while their jaws dropped and shortly after they panicked and jumped into cover near the next corner, still watching what was going on over there.

“They are friends of THIS beast!?” Topaz gulped shivering.

“They will tell him to eat us!” Feather-Dust sobbed.

“That's your fault! Why you always have to pick on them!?” Topaz accused her.

“Me!? I never would! You always start it!” 

“Nah ah!” 

“I tell mom on you!”

“Not if i'm first!” 

With that the filly ran off, towards her mother.

Herb wanted nothing more to see Trixie, but he had been up all day and run more than usual in a week – so he had a quite great idea... why not ask for a lift? 

So he got over to the dragon and poked it on his cheek “Hey.... um... Spike?” 

The dragon gave a small growl from him.

“Could you bring us to Twilight and Trixie? The hospital is on the other side of city... pleassse...”

Another deep growl was to be heard, when his father grabbed him and pulled him back “Herb, don't bother the dragon, can't you see, he is tired?”

Maybe he had hurt the dragons pride with this... but for some reason or other, the dragon opened his eyes again and got stomping back up on his feet, offering one of his claws to them. 

“No thanks, I will walk!” his mother said as loud she dared, close to the border of tearing up again, but the dragon blew a dark cloud into the air, like he would be angry that they would refuse his generous offer.

“I don't think its wise to refuse his offer” Patchwork said after some pondering, when Clockwork pulled him towards the claw. 

Tonic grabbed his struggling wife and tried to calm her “He took good care of Herb... don't you worry.” he told her, but she moved more or less out of fear to be eaten if she didn't, but then spun around and tried to run off, when the dragon picked her up like a toy figure and placed her carefully on his other paw, where she immediately grabbed her son tight and didn't let go.

They all had sat up and the royal-guards backed off, when the dragon used his wings to lift off again, giving the guards nearby a hard time to stay on the ground, when he finally got into the air and sailed just a few meters over the houses – it was a howl new sight to them, to see their city from above, since none of them were a pegasus, so they enjoyed the short trip and even Ivy dared to peak onto this sight.

A few pony's beneath shouted and screamed and ran scared into their houses, but others had noticed he wasn't here to attack them and stared into the sky.

They reached the border of the town not even a minute later and land with his usual -WHOMP!-
> Once upon a time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trixie slowly woke up and starred on a white ceiling above her. She knew she wasn't at home anymore, but could not remember how she got her or what had happened, after the windows had been broken. Her sight wandered through the room and she found her self in some kind of sick-bay.

Isotonic saline was attached to her leg and she could see her hat hanging on the other side of the room on a hook. 

“Where am I?” she asked, her head still felt dizzy. 

“Oh you are up” an answer came, when Tonic stepped in sight “how you feel?” he asked.

“I … where am I? What happened?” 

“You passed out and we brought you here” he answered. 

The mare blinked a few times slowly “Why?” 

“I think I will call somepony, which can explain this better to you...”

The black stallion walked outside and came back in just a few minutes later, along with a group of pony's.

Clockwork, Herb, Patchwork and Ivy.

They all greeted her and the kids got on the edges of her bed.

“Good to see you” the mare said with glee “And I see you even brought your parents along?” giving them a respectful nod.

“Trixie, we got a big surprise for you!” Herb said excitedly.

“Its a trick... so you must close your eyes” Clockwork grinned.

The parents could not help to smile at this...

“Okay then...” the blue mare agreed and put her hooves onto her eyes.


They foals slowly counted:

“One...”
The door opened.

“Two...”
Hoofsteps. Somepony came in.

“Three...”

“Open your eyes” a familiar voice said.

With some hesitation hooves lowered to find Twilight Sparkle standing in front of her bed.

Her breath stopped for a moment “You...” Trixie's face suddenly became a wild mix out of sadness and glee, while the kids jumped from the bed and the princess walked onto his side, to put her hoofs around her, which could not else to cry big round tears for to many reasons to count.

“I'm sorry I didn't come back...” she sobbed “I wanted, but I couldn't”

“Its okay. I'm not mad at you... i'm just happy to see you again” Twilight whispered with a bittersweet tone in her voice.

She let go of her after a minute or two, giving her a soft smile “I'm glad to see you also found good friends here” pointing towards the others.

The magician huffed a little and nodded with her head “They are great listener and all I could wish for” she cracked a smile. 

It took a few days for Trixie to recover, spending most of her time with Twilight, trying to catch up to one another, but not before she had to explain how it was possible for her to be still alive – doing so under four eyes. The alicorn took it quite well, since she had seen many strange things over the years and this was a at least one of the nice suprises.

When Trixie was finally able to leave the hospital, Twilight offered, that she could stay with her in the Ponyville Castle, but the mare refused.

“You know who I am” the mare said, putting on her big cusp hat.

“I would not expect anything else” the alicorn agreed.

Another day later there was a press conference planned on town square, but it had to be pushed back a week, since Trixie had insisted that Spike had to be there as well,

so the towns pony's got warned and the dragon had landed as careful as he could nearby the stage – still he managed accidental brake a lantern, while guards where placed around them, so nopony would dare to bother him... it turned out this was more than unnecessary, but at least it would demonstrate he was harmless. 

The mayor unsurprisingly agreed on this, after a long talk with Twilight, which had scolded him for waiting so long to call her. Also the dragon had helped to safe their town and he figured he could use this to gain some publicity and forgiveness – declaring, that from now on and of course in his honor, a dragon was the towns banner symbol.

While they waited, Twilight had brought in all sorts of help, in order to fix the damage done to the town and Patchwork had offered his services for free as well.

Pony's at first walked around the place, but after a few days dared to cross it or even get a little closer, making photos or just staring at him for a while. Not one of them had seen a dragon this close before and they never had thought one of them could be this big.

Only his to young friends got past the guards and talked to him, but he barely spoke a word, still he did listen to them. 

Then the day was there and the Mayor got as first onto the stage. A big amount of the city had gathered to see Twilight up close, as well to get informed what would happen now.

“At first I want... to apologize for my hesitation. I know I could had avoided some of the damage done... this mistake won't happen again, I assure all of you” the old red stallion said and paused “and also I want to thank princess Twilight Sparkle” as gestured towards her with a small bow- giving him a small nod “as well Spike the dragon” as he pointed on the fire-breather, also bowing down for him – which replied with a short growl “and last but not least, his friends” giving mannered nod towards the kids “for saving the town”.

With that he left the stage and Twilight walked to the Podium and just a step behind her was Trixie.

If it hadn't been for the Princess and Spike, they had booed her down and thrown fruit at her, but right now they wanted to hear what kind of punishment the princess had thought up.

“Hello everypony. I don't want to waste your time and get straight to the point. I know many of you are mad on this mare on my side and want me to punish her... but before I decide what will happen... I would ask you to listen to her...” with that the mare stepped on the side and the blue one took place.

“Before I start... I want to let you know, I don't want to force anypony to listen to me... if you don't feel like i'm worth your time, you can leave... I won't hold a grudge against you, neither the princess or anypony else” the mare waited and few pony's just walked off, but the most of them stayed, waiting for her to explain her self.

“You might know me, as great and apologetic Trixie, but at this point, i'm just apologetic anymore. 

Most of you called me out strange on my behavior or laughed at me for telling my story's about the impossible” with that she pointed towards Spike “and I never blamed you for doing so... not back than, today, or in future... it was my fault, since I should had explained my self better to you... than my outburst might never happen and I assure you, i'm deeply sorry for this.” the mare looked at her side on Twilight and back to the crowd “the first thing I have to tell you, so you can understand, who I am... is my age.” 

Now the crowd mumbled to one another in confusion, what had her age to do with the howl thing? She sure was a crazy mare.

She had to take a deep breath, before she could go for it.

“I'm… seven-hundred-thirty-three years old” the unicorn said.

The mumbling from before now swung into an uproar.

“That's the biggest lie yet!” a stallion shouted towards the stage and others agreed on this.

“How stupid she thinks we are?”

“You ain't older than my grandmother! And she is seventy-nine!”
“What a pony tale! Did you find this in one of your books!?” 

Now Twilight got back on her side and levitated an old brown book along with her and the pony's silenced again, as she spoke up.

“If anypony want to see, in which book she had found this – its this one!” the princess said loud and clear, showing everypony the brown book.

It was thick and looked like any ordinary history book for the most part, except for the golden unicorn head on the cover, which had a remarkable blue eye.

She used her magic to browse through the pages and stopped on a side with a photo on it, while her guards walked through the crowd and hoofed a copy to everypony who was interested.

“I got this book out of your local-library... the original was a present from me to Princess Celestia – which had placed it in the Royal-Canterlot-Library for everypony to read... so pony's from everywhere could come there and learn something about friendship... it was my personal diary for many years, holding my most precious memory's and adventures, along with the ones of my dearest friends.”

Everypony now had one of the pictures or looked on the one of his neighbors. 

It was the very same photo Trixie had for all those years.

On it you could see the famous mane six... Applejack... Rarity... Pinkie Pie... Fluttershy... Rainbow Dash... and Twilight Sparkle, which was still a unicorn at this point – and in the middle of all of them, Trixie... smiling towards the camera. 

“And if I have to say one thing in a personal remark... i'm more than disappointed to find this book to be untouched for years” with that she quickly closed the book and dust got lose from the cover, creating a dust cloud around it.

Everypony now shrunk in size, ashamed of their stupid comments and miss judgment.

“I know this mare for a long time... and I see her change to something better... so I would ask you to listen to what she has to say... you don't have to, if you still have doubts - but if you do... i'm sure she won't let you down.”

With that the alicorn got back on her place and sat down.

“Now... that you know who and what I am... I would like to offer you the same, I offered the citizens of Ponyville all this years ago... I would like to offer you my services... not just for in therms of magic, but what ever you can think of... to redeem my name... and hopefully get to know one another better...”

In the first row of the crowd, three adults where the first ones to cheer, stomping with their hooves onto the ground when others decided to accept the offer and stomped along, until everypony on the place did so.

Trixie could had not been happier.

Many years later, it knocked on the door and the great and apologetic Trixie opened it.
“Hello Herb, hello Clockwork... good to see you” the old mare said, before she shifted her attention towards her new guest “and who is this?”

It was a mauve furred earth filly, with red eyes and a black mane, lacking yet a cutiemark.

“This is our daughter, Pacemaker” Clockwork said proudly.

“Are you a little troublemaker?” the magician asked in a half-serious tone, giving her a close look.

“And if?” she replied sassily.

The blue mare put down her hat and grabbed into it “it would be too bad, because...”, to get out a big red lollipop “troublemaker's don't get candy” she said with a frown.

“OH OH! I behave, I behave!” the filly promised suddenly. 

“Okay then” she said and passed it down to her “and now get in, the others are waiting already”.

The filly gave her a grin and walked off in little jumps, enjoying her present. 

“I see she comes right after her father” Trixie said towards Clockwork, when she noticed Herb was peeking into her hat.

“W-what?” Herb asked confused, but Clockwork just sighed “Tell me about it”, making the blue unicorn giggle a little.

“Why don't you two come in... I got coco... with our secret ingredient” she winked.

The two agreed and got into the house.

The mare had changed her location and now lived in a bigger house, since she needed the space for all her new guests, but what hadn't changed was the book shelf's covering the walls as well her old red seat with the golden frame was still there.

The house also stood further away from the town, which had its reasons... but none of them had to do with her popularity, since nineteen foals sat on the ground and waited for her to begin today's story's, as well some of their parents sat behind them, to listen to it as well and bring them home later.

Coco and Tea got served, when the unicorn sat down and waited for a moment for everypony to get silent, just to wait another one, to enjoy the (at-)tension.

It was like when she way young - when everypony admired her show, coming from afar to watch her perform, to make the impossible happen under the praise of her fans.

“So... since we have a new guest, I think its just fair for her to pick the story...”

Pacemakers parents had told her many of Trixie's story's over the years, so she also knew how it was supposed to work and already got a question in the back of her head.

“My parents say you are uhmm... seven-hundred and something... how it comes you don't look like this?” the filly asked.

“I think I told this story already once to somepony...” she said thoughtful and the foals as well a few parents frowned “...but... I think this one time I make an exception”.

With this her oldest book came out of the shelf, to land on her lap. She hadn't quite written down everything in order, but she always knew where she had to search the right parts... also it made it more exciting, to stumble over something different in between pages, rather than rattling down her life in a straight string. 

“This time you all have to listen very carefully” she warned them playful “because this is the last part, about the monster and the pegasus... some of you may know the other two chapters?”

Most hooves in the room rose, only a few of the parents didn't know, what this story was all about.

“I see...” the mare said and shook her head, before leaning down to the kids “don't you read your parents good night story's?” giving them an impish wink with her hoof, on which they laughed.

Now she put on her reading glasses, opened the book and tipped her hoof onto her tongue to browse the sites, till she had found the right spot.

“It was very very... very... long ago...” with this a wooden clock came flown by, which spun backwards “it all began on the day I left Ponyville, after one of my visits...”

On this point, she was quite a bit older than before, looking almost as hold she did now. 

Her fur wasn't as shiny anymore, as it used to be and her mane had lost it blue highlight – making it was almost white.

Still she wanted to see so much more and did her best to cover every edge of Equestria there was, traveling with lighter load on her cart... she still was afraid she could not do so, since by this point she wasn't young enough anymore and each journey could take months if not years to finish.

Every time she got on one of her travels, alone the preparations could take weeks, since she had to be sure to plan her journey correct and pack the right things. Once she had left the last town and was heading in the unknown, there was no easy way back. She had to use whatever was available, or trying to use one of the many tricks she had up her sleeve... or to be precise – hat.

Last time she barely had made it back home, since a snow lion tried to catch her, but she managed to fool him with a illusion of hers, so he stepped on thin ice and broke in.

While he struggled to get out of the freezing cold water, Trixie had collected her torn hat and got away as fast she could.

“So, just a few more stitches and its fabulous again” the white unicorn said “How it got ruined again?” Rarity said, while she gave her work a close look through her red glasses.

“A snow lion... quite a mean thing” she reminded Rarity, which at times would forget things and ask twice, since she also had become old.

“Right darling... some of those have no manners” she said and put the finishing knot on her work “There good as new - what you say, you like it?”

The blue mare took over with her magic and levitated it slowly around the axis “Great work, as usual” she agreed. She might had become old, but her work was first class as always, nopony could deny.

The white mare was pleased about her satisfied customer and got up “Uhh... I think I sat to long” she said and bent her back “i guess its time for the spa... care to join?”

“No time, I just load a few things and i'm back on the road again” she said.

Rarity pulled a sulking lip on her, but this time it didn't work “I'm on to your tricks...” she winked “...remember, its my business” with that she put her hat back where it belonged.

The mare shrugged with her shoulders “You can't blame me for trying, can you?” 

Trixie walked up to her and gave her a hug “Till we meet next time” she said.

“Till than, dear” Rarity sobbed.

The magician backed off “You know, I think something about my hat isn't quite right...” she wobbled her head a little from side to side.

“This cant be, I checked everything twice!” Rarity said upset.

She put down the hat and turned it a few times around all sides “I think I found the problem” with that she hold up her empty hoof and waved the hat in front of it, back to her head “there was a something inside of it” and she passed the small box, which had appeared out of thin air to her friend.

“OH, darling, you are such a sweetheart” she said with a smile and carefully opened the present.

It was a small unicorn figure, completely made out of white and purple crystal, with long lures running down its mane and tail.

“I gave the order, when I came by the crystal empire... sorry I missed your birthday”.

“Don't you worry darling, I love it!” the unicorn cheered and gave it a close look “thank you”, before putting it carefully in her elegant showcase, next to her working table.

“But now I really got to go!” the unicorn said and a small smoke cloud puffed up, but the mare wasn't that fast anymore and Rarity still could see her leave through the door, shaking her head with a big smile on her face.

When Trixie was about to store the last apples on the cart, she noticed Spike sneaking out of the castle. The dragon had become way bigger over the years, about three meters in size, so for dragon standards he was something like a teenager. He carried what looked like a paper scroll in one of his paws. The young dragon slowly closed the door, so it would not make any noise and after checking his sides, he ran off.

She knew he behaved odd at times, but today it was just a little stranger than usual, so she got after him, leaving her cart behind. 

The dragon was quick on his feet, but despite she didn't had to pull her cart, she struggled to keep up with him, when he left town and run over the bridge towards what seemed the Everfree Forest, but than he stopped once again and she had to use one of her tricks staying in cover, when he turned around and checked once again around. 

“Odd. I thought I heard something” he mumbled, but after a shrug of his shoulders he continued his mysterious walk, but now was heading more towards east, towards the Rameling Rock Ridge, which was a empty stone plateau.

Nopony ever came here. The rock wasn't to crumbly for building material, it was to close to the Everfree Forest and that for dangerous, since Timber-Wolf's lived there and the sight all in all wasn't to impressive to look at, since it was a brown and gray spot in the landscape, but this made Trixie even more curious than before and she snuck after him.

She knew it wasn't right to spy on one of her friends, but she could not resist seeing what he did here. Maybe he wanted to build his own cave or something? 

But what for he had the paper scroll with him... this was still odd.

The purple dragon was about to leave the forest and stumble onto the plateau, but since he still looked left and right all the time, he had missed a rock in front of him and stumbled over it. 

“Agh... damn...” he cursed, when he rubbed his feet and clenched his teeth “this damn rocks everywhere, he really could picked another spot to meet... its not like he hasn't a castle or something” he nagged to himself.

His claw closed around his paper-scroll and he gave a last angry glance towards the innocent rock, when he spit a short green flame onto it, but it just got partial burned “one day...” he said to him self and ran off.

Trixie walked by the small rock, which was still steaming a little from his flame, when she noticed something he had dropped. It was a small card which might had slipped out of the scroll, so she read what was printed on it.

“Discord – Spirit of Chaos, your local source of mischief” she turned it around “Master of Twister” ...this was odd.

She knew who he was, everypony did... she might never had met him in person, since she wasn't often in town and he wasn't to “social” to make lots of friends, still he had made quite a name of him self, saving howl Empires with a single snap of his fingers.

Torn out of her daydreaming, she did her best to catch up again, luckily she could find the young dragons track again since he had left another burned rock behind, just a few hundred meters from where she had been. 

The mare took of her hat and pushed it together and made it disappear, so she could peak around a rubble pile nearby when she heard the dragon talking again.

“This is my list, what you say!? Can you do it?” the dragon asked excited.

The draconequus stood in front of him and thin glasses appeared between his fingers, which he carefully placed on his nose to study the scroll.

He mumbled most of the things on the list, only a few of which she could understand.

“Hummm...  wings … mhhh cave …. “ he pulled an eyebrow up “i cant read that one” he tapped on the scroll, your handwriting is lousy... didn't Celestia ever told you that?

“I want to breath in lava, so I don't have to get up again”.

The almighty creature gave him an annoyed look “Do you got that out of one of your stupid comics?”

“Maybe...” the young dragon shrugged ashamed.

The draconequus waved one time the scroll and with a flash the letters on it jumped up and re-arranged them self to some sort of contract, with a ink bottle hoovering next to it.

“Fine, deal. Just sign here.... and here.” Discord pointed and the dragon stuck his claw tip into the bottle and wrote his name with his finger onto it.

The draconequus looked pleased and the contract vanished in a bright flash, right after he snapped his fingers and a light flashed once around the dragon, but he looked like before, so when he checked his back and got upset “Hey, what about my wings!?” 

His partner sighed “I thought this should be a secret from Twilight, right? So you get the second half, when I need your services... till then my magic is there” as he pocked his chest in the middle “but on halt”

The dragon frowned “So... I will grow them, when i'm older?” 

“I just said that” the draconequus explained “and now take these and get out of my face, before I lose my patience”. 

With that two golden rings materialized in mid-air, with a pink pulsating shine around them, like they would hold some kind of strong magic within.

The dragon quickly reached his paws and tried to grab them, but burned his paws and they fell onto the ground, one of them rolled to the right, the other bounced through his legs and towards Trixie's hideout, until it stopped behind the edge of her stone.

“Uh... sorry! I get them” the dragon announced and ran for the first one, but before he was able to pick it up, the draconequus shouted at him “DONT you touch THEM...!” Discord warned and the dragon froze in motion, before he could try to pick it up again.

“What you think, you are doing baby-face!?” with that he created a small chest and levitated the first one slowly across the dragons face towards it.

“What? I ain't a baby anymore!” Spike protested. 

“Pah! Try again in a century or so!” Discord turned him down.

Trixie saw the ring in front of her, it was obviously a marriage ring, which had a message written inside of it, but there was no time to read it...

The ring pulsated in an almost hypnotic manner and Trixie carefully reached out with her hoof to touch it, but as she did so, a small spark shot up her hoof and run all the way up her leg, which had a paralyzing effect to it. It was tingling and twitching in her howl body and she had to fight to make no noise, since she could image how mad this guy could get from all the story's she knew about him.

Than the draconequus whistled and waved his finger, like he asked a dog to come closer, the second ring lifted from the ground and levitated to the chest in which he locked both of them – and gave the chest to the young dragon.

“You know how precious those are and what happens to you if you lose them?” he gave him a serious glance. In fact a dead serious one, but the dragon surprisingly didn't let him self get intimidated. 

“By my honor as dragon, I wont let you down!” he said serious “I will keep guard till the world ends!” as he said this word hes eyes sparked up with pride, since this was not just the first treasure he would guard in his life, it already was more valuable than any other dragons and would become even more valuable, when it was “complete”.

Now the draconequus slowly let go of the chest and nodded confirming.

Discord knew that Spike might be young, but his codex would forbid him to act any other way than he had promised... additional - when he would spill a word, the contract would immediately burn up and he would lose all his benefits forever. 

The young dragon still had a lot to learn, what it meant to keep a treasure save, but he had the heart on the right spot, which was the most important reason Discord had chosen him. Spike would do the right thing, not just for the benefits and his pride, but also since it was important for the pony's he loved, which ruled out every other dragon than him.

The dragon gave the last nod towards the draconequus, which replied it, but this time in a respectful manner and Spike ran off, but just hundred meters later he turned to him one more time “but I can breath lava yet?” he checked.

Discord rolled his eyes “...water, tar, lava, whatever...” and waved him off.

“Awesome!” the dragon cheered and ran off “can't wait to try it!” 

And with that he was gone.

The draconequus still stood in place, rubbing his forehead “its hard, to find good personal these days...” he sighed and snapped him self back home to his wife.

“OH, so that's how you got immortal!?” Pacemaker asked brash, interrupting her story.

The mare laughed and shook her head “Wasn't immortal... far from it!” as she touched her wrinkled face “I just aged slower, ever since this day... unlike his pegasus wife, which as I remind you - kept her pretty face and youth, like a alicorn”.

“Any other questions?” she looked into the round and Herb looked a little upset “What for he needed the rings… was this the howl treasure? Just a drop of his magic... sounds a little... well... lousy?” he said disappointed, since when he was young, he had seen the chest and thought it would be full of gold, gems and rare items or so. 

Immortality was all good and dandy, but he had hoped for something more materialistic, from which he could buy stuff.

“Than I better continue the story, maybe it will answer your questions” with that the chest from the first story's came flown in and all the figures got out again and circled above it slowly, so they could get a close look on the pony's.

“As I told you, their friends aged and they had to leave them one day...” with that the pony's lowered one after another into the chest, until only the mare and the monster circled around it, while the alicorn hold itself in the background “and the draconequus decided, to become mortal again, was the only way he could cheer up his wife...” with that the figures swept back and forth between being out of glass and wood. 

“but he could not give anypony else his power... it might had corrupted them and turned them evil... so he used decades of his time to figure out, what to do and how to do it... and used their rings, on which they had sworn their eternal bonds, as … lets say life ensurance...”

With this Trixie hold up one of her hooves and waved over it with her other one, making two small golden rings appear on it “because over the years many evil spirits appeared and it was up to the Princesses and Discord to fight them!”

Now evil monsters came flown by from any direction, the pegasus got in the middle, while the alicorn levitated forward – now Twilight and Discord circled around it, in order to protect her - fighting of the mean spirits with small sparks of light, while some of the monsters sparked back... but soon they all got defeated and vanished.

“You see, he was afraid he could fall in battle and his wife had to life forever on her own... this had made her saddest pony in all the world... and he never would allow her to be hurt like that - not even if it meant the end of the world! 

That's how strong their love was... and still is”. She said sadly, smiling.

The fight was over and Trixie passed down the rings to the filly's, so every one of them could touch them for a moment. Of course those were just copies, still the kids turned then all around and stared at them.

“That's why he used his magic to enchant their rings, so, if he could not return to her side... an alicorn could use those, to transfer the young mares immortality onto them and break his spell along with it”.

She levitated the rings out of the kids hooves, above the couple and the ring above the the pegasus began to pulsate in a pink shine, when the pegasus slowly lowered into her chest “but as we know, luckily they never had to do so” with that the second ring pulsated and also the draconequus followed his wife.

“And this love is still bond in their rings... he had given up unlimited powers and immortality, just be he with her, where ever she went and i'm sure she had done the same thing for him” the mare teared up and took a moment to fetch her self, when some of the other pony's shared her sadness. “Sorry...”

Herb just could not wait till she had calmed down “so, if anypony could get his hooves onto them, it would earn unlimited powers!?” as his eyes grew big, thinking of how close he was “Can you believe it, we been so close!” he poked his wife, which gave him a long sigh “Herb, i know I should had told you this sooner, but... shut up!” now everypony laughed at him, while the stallion blushed and got silent.

The mare chuckled, now she had tears of laughter in her eyes, which she had to wipe away before she continued “...but there was one last thing, I haven't told you yet... this part didn't happen until I met you two” she said, pointing her hoof at Pacemakers parents, when she continued her story.

Twilight and the exhausted unicorn sat in the hospital and she just had told the howl story about the treasure.

“So that's how you got so old, you are connected to the rings and the magic within...” 

“Yes... and I tried to hide it at first... but every time I came back to Ponyville, more of them noticed... that's why my visits got less...” she admitted ashamed “i just wanted to see so much more of the world, but... I also could not take to see my friends age without me... it was” she sulked “it was just to much... so I … I didn't return anymore...”.

Twilight once more had to hold her thigh “I can understand how do you feel... it wasn't easy for me either... and I still miss them a lot...” 
Trixie's breath was hasty, while she buried her face into the alicorn's mane “Twilight... could … could you do me a favor, after... the conference...?” she sobbed.

“What you need?” Twilight asked quite.

“Please, take this curse from me... I want to get old...” her voice was cracked up and nothing more than a whispering at this point “i seen all there is and I... I... just...”

Twilight now was crying her self along with her - she knew one day she would lose her for a second time, despite that she just had found her again... so she sobbed her self, when she spoke to her “I will help you” letting her head resting on her shoulder, just like she did, till they let go of their hug, to lean their heads on one another, so their horns touched slightly.

Spike had met them near the Neighagra Falls, as Twilight had told him to.

She thought this was a fitting place, since it was the same spot, Discord had made Fluttershy immortal. 

It was a huge event to say the least, as he performed his magic in front of thousands of pony's as well all the princesses and their – back than, little friend Spike... and now time has come to close the circle.

Trixie got in position, next to the chest, while Spike stood behind Twilight to watch stay guard, just in case. The mares nodded to one another, to show they been ready.

The alicorn charged up her horn, with the spell Discord had left behind inside the chest...

originally it was meant to be used on his wife, but she used it today for her promise.

The old love couple surely didn't had mind... since it was used to help a friend in need.

Now she was ready and a beam of purple magic shot over the ground and the energy struck Trixie – after which she rose from the ground, while the purple magic dance around her in a sparkling sphere, when the chest opened and the two rings levitated out of it. 

They still had their pink pulsating glow to them, like two hearts beating side on side.

An almost unnoticeable spark of pink now left the blue unicorns body and danced around wildly through the air, shot straight up a couple of meters and straight down again, to devolve equally onto the rings, before those lowered them self back and the chest closed with a flash of light around them – sealing it for the rest of time, while Trixie got back to the ground and landed on all fours.

The mares legs gave in and she had to sit down - gasping for air, like she had a marathon behind her, when Twilight and Spike quickly got closer. The dragon grabbed the chest right away and scanned the area, when the purple pony took care of her friend.

“Are you alright?” she said and gave her a close look, putting a hoof onto her shoulder, to support her, since her body was still shaking “How you feel?”

Trixie's managed to raise her head “i feel... old” she said with a smile on her lips, making the alicorn giggle relieved. 

The mare's now had to say goodbye to their giant friend, as he rose himself up into the air - to fly south-east, for several days to come... day and night in order to cross the land, mountains and the ocean, to go somewhere, nopony ever could find his treasure again.

“Where he is going?” Twilight asked, holding her eyes as long on him as she could, till he got lost on the horizon.

“The land of dragons...” she said, like she would dream about it “he is now one of the oldest...” Twilight gave her a look, while she continued “this means the king of dragons will accept one of his gifts, to his own treasure... so it will be guarded by him and every dragon there is... till time ends.”

The alicorn carefully put a hoof around her, as well Trixie did on her and now both looked dreaming towards the horizon, wishing their friend good luck on his journey and that he might return one day.
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old mare closed her book and levitated it back into the shelf, to take a short nibble on her cold tea, pulling a frown at it “I never get used to this” she said and warmed it up again,  to take another zip, in order to get rid of her dry mouth “much better...” she mumbled and turned to her listeners.

“What you say... did you like today's story?” she asked, looking from side to side into the crowd, when they all cheered at her “That was the best one yet!” “Oh boy, that was awesome” “I have to tell my friends about this” “So romantic...” “I liked the dragon best!” 

“Glad to hear...” she nodded “...and next week... I think I got something very special for you to tell your friends...” she winked, but didn't gave away any more than this, despite several minutes of begging and attempts to bribe her with some of their allowances.

The parents and Trixie had a conversation after this, some of them asked for details to the story and others asked if it was possible if she would come by and read to their kids on their birthday party or at least perform some of her tricks there – and agreed on the second part. “It would be unfair if I kept my story's to such a small audience,” she said apologetic, but still offered, that the kids could come by any Sunday to be here if they wanted to hear another one.

While this the filly's and colts talked to one another about the story and Trixie. 

“I love her story's, I come here since a few years now” a older colt said proudly.

“It was really good... but i'm not quite sure if she didn't made it up...” Pacemaker said and received a lot of disapproving comments to this, but she stood her ground “Oh come on... she is so old and knows the princess and a dragon? Next thing she tells us she knows Santa Hooves” she rolled her eyes. 

This heated up the debate even more and the filly decided to get some distance to this gullible sheep, so she walked to the door and opened it, to find a pony in front of it, which was about to knock “Oh, hi there...” the alicorn said “am I to late for the story?

Pacemaker turned around in an instant and ran to her parents, to hide behind them. 

Twilight slowly walked in “Did I... say something wrong?”. Now the other kids noticed her and got really excited “Its the princess!” “Its really her!” “Oh can I have an autograph, please!” “Me too!!” “You are my favorite princess!” “Do the other come too!?”

The adults lowered their head in order to show their respect to her, only three of them didn't and just gave her a friendly nod, since they knew better.

“Oh please. You don't have to bow and uhm... if you bring me paper I will sign it for you” she announced amused - now the kids turned around and begged Trixie for something to write, which could not help to make a small show-act out of it. 

She grabbed onto her cape and put it onto the table, tapped it three times with her hoof and pulled the cape away, to reveal a stack of paper and a feather with some ink.

Twilight now wrote something for all of them, their names and a few nice words.

Suddenly something tapped on Trixie's side, so she looked down to find a mauve colored filly, which wasn't between the other foals to get her autograph.

“Mrs. Trixie... i'm sorry... I thought you had made up the story...” the filly said guilty.

“Oh... its okay, really... happens all the time” she smiled “Also... just call me Trixie... -Mrs.- makes me feel... old” she giggled.

The filly already felt a little better after this, but still not enough to smile, so Trixie bowed down to her ear “Wanna know a secret - between me and you?” she asked, after checking over her shoulder if her father was trying to listen in.

“Uhm... okay?” Pacemaker said “What is it?” she asked curiously.
“Shh... not so loud... also you have to promise you don't tell anypony...” the mare now said more urgent.

The little mare now got even more curious, about what that might could be “I promise - I won't, but tell me, what is it?”

“You sure? … its something nopony else knows … and I really should not tell you...”

The mare really struggled back and forth if she should do it.

“Oh please! Tell me!” she the filly begged, dancing on the spot and got back to whispering to add “Come on... I wont doubt you ever again, I swear”

The mare thought about this offer for a moment “Okay... than listen carefully” as she put her hoof onto the filly's ear, to make it even more secret “I'm not just over seven hundred years old... but...” the mare made a dramatic pause “...also two years older than Twilight”

The mare pulled back from her ear and watched the filly process this information, which suddenly burst into laughter “Hahahahah... “

“But pshhhht, don't tell anypony” she said once more, laughing along.

The filly shook her head still laughing “i wont!” she grinned from ear to ear.

“Good kid... and now get your autograph,” Trixie said and levitated her a sheet of paper - for the Princess, which already was waiting for her last customer.

The blue mare turned to her parents “Your daughter is quite something...” 

“...a hoof full you mean” Clockwork said, with a caring smile.

“So am I” Herb added proud. 

“I think you are both right on this one” Trixie agreed and gave a glance over her shoulder “...but I love her already” - on which her parents could agree.

A while later, everypony had left and just Twilight and Trixie were together in her house talking to one another, while the alicorn helped her to collect the glasses and cups in order to clean everything up.

“I see your audience got bigger...” 

“... that's why I will miss them next week... but, what about our friend? Is he coming?” she said and walked towards the kitchen, to put everything into the sink.

“Yes. I send him a scroll, which he replied...” it came from the other room.

“He... did write you?” 

The alicorn shrugged “I guess he found somepony to do it for him” now the mare came walked back “I can image, he sure knows how to convince others” she said sassy “than we meet here next week... same time?” 

“Alright with me.” 

A week later, the princess came as promised and Trixie grabbed onto her traveling bag, while they got on their way to their friend, which was waiting on the back of the house.

“When we are there... you have to follow a few simple rules, or we might get in trouble,” Trixie said serious.

The alicorn got a paper and a feather out of her bag “Okay... i'm ready, go ahead.”

“First... don't look them into the eyes... they might interpret it as a challenge”

The bookworm carefully wrote it down, word for word “Anything else?”
“Second... don't use magic... they might can't be harmed with it, but they don't like it either”

“Oh … didn't know that” she nodded and wrote this down as well.

“Third... if they invite you to a lava-bath - you should accept”.

“Lava...bath...” she wrote down “W-ait, what!?” 

Now the blue mare laughed at her and also their friend gave a huffing noise from him.

The mare pulled a frown on the jokers “Very funny, you two...” Twilight said, which crumbled the paper and threw it away, giving them an angry glance, but Trixie quickly pointed to her side “It was his idea!”, but their friend rose his claws in defeat – now Twilight was the one to laugh, shaking her head. 

After they had been done laughing, Trixie turned to the big one “I kept my side, now its your turn.” she smiled, receiving a slow nod as an answer.

About thirty minutes earlier, on the towns border – Herb and Clockwork made them self ready, along with her daughter Pacemaker, which was quite mad at them.

“...but she said, she had something special for us today!” she frowned.

“We told you, she is traveling... but she will be back next week” her mother said strict.

Herb gave his wife a asking glance, but the mare just shook her head a little.

“That's not true, she promised...” the filly said. 

“Pacemaker, we must go now, or we will be late” her mother told her, while Herb got to a table to pick up a camera, which he hung around his neck to take it with them.

The filly crossed her hooves in front of her chest and refused to go anywhere, till her father made a suggestion “Come on little one, I packed us some gears... you can have one if we get there” he winked.

She still pulled a frown, but at least was now listening “... a mint one too?” she asked and received a nod from him. 

“But than I also want to drive my scooter... I don't want to walk so far...” 

“That's okay, but now we really have to go, or we must hurry.”

The three of them left the house and her parents walked down the street, while Pacemaker drove their side on her self moving scooter –  It was built out of shining silver metal with a small flag on the back, showing a orange pegasus on it - which was their company-trademark.

She was always the first one to get the new models and test them, since her parents where the one that produced and sold them in big numbers, as well their special fuel - making a good living and a lot of kids happy at the same time.

They even had models for ponys, that struggled to walk on their own – be it cause of age or due 

The trio was heading south, out of town, while the filly drove wavy lines  “Boooorrrrinnnng” their daughter complained.

“Shouldn't we...?” Herb hinted, but his wife turned it down “Not yet...”

“Where we are going anyway? Out here is nothing, except stupid rocks and trees” the filly moped. They almost had reached their destination, so Clockwork gave Herb a nudge.

“Finally!” he said relieved, like she had forced him to hold his breath for the past twenty minutes.

The stallion walked a little faster to fetch up with his daughter “We got a surprise for you!” he cheered “Trixie will come too!”.

The filly now blinked a few times “Really!?”.

“Yes... we meet her there” he said and pointed to a small hill nearby, which was crowded with a bunch of adults and their kids. She hadn't noticed until now, since she had let her head hanging quite deep over her former disappointment. 

“Ouuh Ouhh! We must hurry, come quick!” she said and speed up to be first on the hill.

Her father wanted to run along with her at first, but got pulled back by his wife, which wanted to have him just a moment for her self, so they arrived a minute later.

“Hey. She isn't here!” Pacemaker complained “I looked everywhere...” pulling a frown.

“Oh don't you worry, she will be there” her mother smiled.

“Yeah?” the filly made a suspicious face “but how we pick a story then, here ain't any books!?” which made both of them shrug on one another.

“You are on to us...” her father admitted, “...but don't you worry, she has thought of a good trick, to make today very special!”

The filly's eyes wandered back and forth between the two adults “it better be...” she grumbled on them, but her father managed to soothe her a bit, when he stuck to his first promise - giving her a mint-chocolate-gear, while he had one of his own... only Clockwork preferred the original ones, the ones without mint. 

The adults talked for a few minutes, while the kids were allowed to play a ball nearby, when their parents called them back, since it was time.

“Pacemaker!” her mother called her back, but the filly just was about to have some fun on this quite boring trip “but Mooomm... i'm about to win...!” but her mother gave a sign, like she always would – right before she would ground her, if she still didn't listen - leaving her no choice to come back, while the stallion on her side fumbled around with the camera “I can't get this thing to work... how do I put in the film!?” 

Clockwork took the camera from him and after a few quick moves it was ready to take pictures, the stallion looked thoughtful upon it, before giving her a glance “What would I do without you?”

“I don't know, but it wouldn't be photos” she replied and hoofed the camera to their daughter, which now stood in front of her “Here sweetie, hold this”.

The filly took the box and gave it a short look, if it might was interesting, but there wasn't any good motive nearby “I want to go homeee....” Pacemaker sobbed, but then there was suddenly a terrifying noise coming from the distance “WWWUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhouuuuuurrrrrrrr!” it yelled earth shattering from afar.

Now all heads turned, starring up to the sky to find a giant really deep purple dragon flying straight in their direction, which simmered in oil like way.

In its entirety - he was around seventy or eighty meters from snot to tail and looked like he could eat a bunch of stallion with a single bite for breakfast.

Pacemakers first reaction was to run away, but Herb grabbed her quickly and to put the filly on his shoulders “Calm down! He is a friend!” he shouted since the dragon still was occasionally roaring, as he approached them “Quick! The camera!!”.

The beast was now just a couple of hundred meters away – when he took a deep breath and spat a hundred meter long bright green flame right above their heads. They could feel the heat even down here, it felt like the sun was about to drop down onto them, since the temperature suddenly rose over ten degree in just a few seconds, despite the distance to him. Pacemaker was shaking all over her body, but managed to make a phew pictures in an almost mechanic move, before the device slipped out of her hooves, since she tried to cover up her head.

An giant shadow passed by over the small hill - blocked out the sun for a few seconds, followed by a harsh wind breeze, which almost blew the pony's of their hooves. 

The stallions and mares managed to press them self on the ground, holding on to their young ones, which struggled a lot more, since they lacked the necessary weight to do so.

“Heeellppp....!” Pacemaker shouted- her mane had got in her face and she couldn't see a thing, but her parents took care of her, till the wind slackened...

right after this, the pony's got up and turned around, to see the dragon - which just had missed them by a few dozen meters in height, flapped his wings and climbed upwards again, but not before he perform a last aerial role to the side, while he slowly shrunk in size on the horizon, till he was gone.

Cameras clicked and clicked again, often as they would allow... but Herb was now the one to do these pictures for their family, since his daughter didn't dare to raise her head again, till her mother tapped her on the side “...are you okay?” her mother asked soothingly.

The filly carefully slid her hoof a little up and dared to peek, before slid the second one also to the side, while searching the land and sky all around her for potential pony eaters.

“W-w-hat was that?” the filly shivered.

“This... was just a old friend - Spike the dragon” her mother said calm, while helping her back on her hooves “...don't you worry, he is harmless.”

“A... a friend...?” Pacemaker blinked confusedly.

“Yes, a friend... we met him many years ago...” 

Her father grinned and rose his hoof, to imitate a standing dragon “We tried to steal his treasure and he almost ate us!” he gave away in a scary tone, but got a slap on the back of his head, by his wife “ouch!”

“What your father tried to say is, ...that he is also a friend of Princess Twilight … and Trixie.”

Herb rubbed the back of his head, but still was grinning “... so, you liked her surprise?”

“Coooooool....!” the filly admitted stunned but pulled her eyebrow together right after “...but where is Trixie then?” she asked and turned her self one time around her self, in order to find her” You... you said she will come...”
Her mother picked up the camera and opened a slid on the bottom, to pull out one of the instant pictures it had taken – passing it to her daughter.

The picture was one of the first Pacemaker had made, on it she could see the fire breathing dragon in his full glory, with wide spread wings and his paws close to his chest and now, after taking a close look – she noticed that from each one of his claws, a pony was waving downwards...

… a purple alicorn - from the left ...and a blue unicorn,

with a big cusp hat - from the right.

The End.