He realized that with his hooves clopping on the rough stone floor of the cavern he had found himself in, stealth wasn’t going to be an option. They joined the sound of dripping water and of the wind as it blew through the cave and sent a faint shiver up his spine. The auburn earth pony’s hazel eyes swept the cavern as he carefully moved forward, using the light from a small crystal to see where he was going. He tucked his gray bangs behind his ears so they wouldn’t obscure his vision as his eyes darted around the damp cave.

When it became apparent that nothing was going to jump out at him, a soft sigh escaped through Wanderer’s nose and he walked openly down the cavern—an eager smile growing across his face.

He examined the cavern ceiling for a moment before smiling to himself; finding the cave had been a stroke of luck. He had only stumbled on its entrance when he had been out foraging for food. Despite the Everfree Forest’s nasty reputation—as well earned as it was—it did grow a number of edible plants and mushrooms. With the supplies they had purchased running low, he and his friends had turned to foraging to sustain their exploratory trip.

Of course, his foraging had turned into a side trip on its own when he had found the cave. The tunnel had turned and twisted at times, but it seemed straight forward without any meandering paths. As he walked, his nose flared at a peculiar odor drifting through the cave. It wasn’t anything he recognized, so naturally his curiosity took hold and he followed it.

His thoughts drifted to the many things he and his friends had seen since they came to Ponyville a week ago to explore. He smiled fondly as he remembered Princess Twilight and her friends showing them the Castle of the Two Sisters. Exploring it had been an adventure in and of itself! During that time, he had gotten to know the ponies who had saved him from a horrible fate. While it was true he had met Twilight and the others after the ordeal with Tyranny, it was never in a more relaxed setting—and one could not get more relaxing than visiting Ponyville he thought with a chuckle.

Turning a final corner, his thoughts were interrupted as the smell’s strength neared overpowering levels. He tapped his crystal again to make it brighter and found the light reflected back at him from countless angles. The sparkling of the various gemstones and gold coins reflected off his wide eyes. There were mounds of treasure right in front of him!

Barely able to contain his laughter, he dug out a hooffull of the treasure. As the gems fell listlessly from his hoof, a giggle similar to that of a madstallion escaped him.

“I can’t believe this. How lucky can I get?” he said to himself, picking up another hooffull of gold. “There’s enough here for me and the others to live in luxury for the rest our lives!”

He gagged and covered his muzzle in disgust as the odor got even stronger. “What is that horrible smell?”

He stood straight with shock as a wave of warmth washed over his back, and he heard the puffing of something large’s breathing. He whirled to find himself muzzle to muzzle with a giant green-scaled, yellow-eyed, very angry dragon.

“Oh…” Wanderer’s irises shrunk to mere pinpoints, and his ears were pinned to the sides of his head.

The dragon glared down at the cowering earth pony with narrowed eyes. “What are you doing in my cave?” it asked in a deep, growling voice.

Wanderer was not sure how he managed to find his voice. “…Would you believe me if I told you I was just exploring?”

The dragon’s enraged roar shook the very mountain to its roots.

As Wanderer explored the nearby cavern, a pair of other ponies was on their way back to their campsite. The blue-green pegasus mare with a long slightly-curled, teal mane led the way, while a rust-colored unicorn stallion with a short orange mane followed behind. The two carried saddlebags full of food as they made their way through the thick foliage of the forest.

“All of this should last us a while yet,” the unicorn said, using his magic to part the foliage as he walked. “I was beginning to wonder if we were going to end up eating our tents.”

“You exaggerate, Tormod,” the pegasus said. “We had enough for a few days at least. You worry too much.” She shook her back, resetting the saddlebags so they wouldn’t rub at her wings.

The unicorn scoffed. “With as much as you and Wanderer eat in a day, I’m surprised there’s any foliage left at all.”

She glared back at her brother, her tail swishing irritably.

He sighed, looking away. “Sorry, Tourmaline, I’m just frustrated.”

“What about?” she asked as she lifted a low-hanging branch out her way.

He used his magic to keep the same branch from smacking him in the face. “Nothing important.”

She looked back at him for a moment, a worried frown crossing her face at something in his tone. She shrugged after a moment, promising to ask him about it later, and continued on. “I hope Wanderer made it back to the camp. I still can’t believe he managed to get lost even when he was with us.”

Tormod snickered. “You know him best. Are you really surprised by that?”

She smiled, shaking her head. “No, not really.”

They walked on for a bit before they found their camp. The two tents were still standing, though the campfire had burned low. Tourmaline set her bag inside her tent and sat on her bedroll for a moment. She reached for a nearby comb and tried to sort out the tangles in her mane and tail. She might have been out in the woods, but that didn’t mean she could let her mane go. It was a terror when it got matted, so she avoided that at all costs.

When she finished, her hoof brushed against the opal-beaded necklace that adorned her neck. She looked down at the piece of jewelry with a fond smile. Much like her three-coin cutie mark, she was never without her necklace. She remembered the night she had gotten it from her best friend and smiled. No matter what, she would never part with it.

Her nose flared as the scent of cooking food snapped her out of her musings, the smell of sautéed greens and mushrooms nearly causing a bit of drool to escape her. She poked her head out of the tent to see Tormod busying himself with the preparation of lunch.

“That smells good, Tormod. What are you making?”

The unicorn mixed leaves and mushrooms with a sauce he had made from berries. “It is a recipe I learned from Zecora. If we are to eat from the Everfree, best we learn to cook from somepony who lives here.”

She emerged from her tent and sat across from him, taking a deeper sniff of the food’s aroma—she was very glad Princess Twilight had introduced them to the Everfree Forest’s sole inhabitant. “It’s making me hungry.”

A wry smirk crossed her brother’s face. “You were born hungry.”

She flattened her ears but didn’t argue the point. “Wanderer better show up soon or he’ll miss lunch.”

The unicorn nodded, glancing around the nearby trees. “He will show up. The smell of food usually brings him running.” He finished stirring the food and set aside the spoon. “It just needs to cool.”

She sat back comfortably on her haunches and looked around the forest surrounding the campsite. She hadn’t seen the gnarled trees and odd plants anywhere else. The Everfree forest was an amazing place, but it wasn’t nearly as exciting as the Castle of the Two Sisters, and she couldn’t help but grin at the memories.

“Hopefully we get a chance to go back to the Castle of the Two Sisters. There was so much more to find there than what we saw. I’m sure of it,” she said as she watched her brother fill the plates of food for the two of them.

Her brother smiled. “I agree. I could spend days in the library if given the chance. Princess Twilight was more than happy to show us around.”

She took a plate of food and eagerly scooped up a forkful of the seasoned greens. “There has to be more hidden passage we haven’t found yet. I bet not even the Element Bearers have found them all,” she said past a mouthful of food.

Her brother’s smile was not as wide as she expected. “Maybe…”

She swallowed the food and looked at her brother with a concerned tilt of her head. “What’s wrong, Tormod?”

He lifted his fork to take a scoop of food. “After we eat.”

After they had finished their meals—Tourmaline easily eating twice what Tormod had—Tormod set aside his plate.

“There is something I wanted to talk about.”

She finished picking at her teeth and gave him her full attention. “What is it?”

The unicorn glanced to the side for a second before looking back at her. “Tourmaline, have you written to Dad lately?”

She sat up straighter, shaking her head. “I… haven’t. Why do you ask?”

The unicorn’s horn glowed, and he levitated a folded piece of parchment to her from his tent. “I received a letter from him back when we were in Ponyville.”

She took the offered letter and quickly scanned its contents. Finally she looked back to her brother. “Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“Because I didn’t want to bring it up at the time. We had only been in Ponyville for a day when I got the letter. I didn’t want to put a damper on the trip we have been looking forward to for a while.”

Tourmaline looked back at the letter and reread the last line. Her ears pinned back against her head as she read.

Hope you are all doing well, and we hope you come home soon. We miss you all.

Tormod spoke softer. “It’s been a few years now, Tourmaline. Don’t you think we should go back home for a while? We know Dad misses us, and I’m sure Wanderer’s mom misses us too.”

Tourmaline frowned softly, her gaze still on the paper. During the earlier years of their adventuring across Equestria, they would return home to visit with their family and share their stories, but when they started exploring further abroad, they hadn’t returned home as often. During that time, they had written letters to home as they traveled, but they hadn’t visited their parents in years. Then there was the time they had gone south into the jungle beyond Equestria.

She sighed, not liking to recall that particular adventure. Besides being the only one of the three to make it out of there on her own power, they were inadvertently responsible for the release of Tyranny. It was not something they liked to talk about, though it was something none of them denied having a hoof in.

Still, it had been a couple of years since they had last been at home.

Finally, she nodded to her brother. “Yeah, it’s been too long since we last saw Dad. We should go home.”

Before Tormod could reply, they both looked around at the sound of thunder. “It’s not going to rain, is it?”

She sniffed the air and shook her head. “No, I don’t smell any rain. Maybe it was just the forest.”

He seemed to accept that and continued with their conversation. “We’ll have to let Wanderer know. I’m sure he would want to see his mother again.”

Her ear flicked and turned at a low buzzing that was steadily growing louder and more high pitched. “What in Equestria is that?” She turned in the direction the sound was coming from.

Tormod frowned, rubbing at his ears. “Whatever it is, it’s annoying.”

She looked back at him. “What do you think it is? Parasprite swarm? Changelings?”

He frowned at her. “Seriously?”

She shrugged, a faint smile on her face before it faded into a troubled frown. “Wait…” She quickly got on her hooves. “That’s somepony screaming.”

The sound grew to a steady scream of a voice they both knew well. “Is that—“ Tormod began but stuttered as the ground shook in rhythmic quakes. He took a wider stance, struggling to stay on his hooves. “What in Equestria is going on!”

They whirled as Wanderer burst from the foliage in a dead gallop, his eyes wide with panic.

“Wanderer? What are—“ Tourmaline began.

“Run for it!” He never broke stride as he galloped past them, his hooves tearing up the ground as he fled.

Before she could ask another question, an enraged roar shook the trees around them. The two started and dashed after the fleeing earth pony. Moments after they fled, the dragon’s pursuit tore through their campsite, their tents and supplies flying up in smashed and torn bits under rending claws.

Tourmaline frantically flapped her wings to catch up to Wanderer. “What did you do this time?”

“I just went exploring!”

“In a dragon’s den!”

“How was I supposed to know?” he shot back.

“I swear, when we get out of this, I’m going to kick your—“

“Save the flirting for later!” Tormod interrupted as caught up to them. “How are we going to get out of this?”

Wanderer shot a glance over his shoulder and saw the dragon was still hot on their fetlocks. “We gotta lose him somehow!”

“Over there!” Tourmaline pointed towards the rocky outcroppings of the nearby mountains as they came into view.

The three turned for the cliffs. The narrow confines of the rockaways benefited the ponies more so than the great lizard. It was not deterred, however, as it took to the sky and flew above them.

“There!” Wanderer turned and dove into a hole in the rock face, his two friends close behind him. The three slumped, gasping for breath as the dragon roared from above.

Tourmaline whirled and punched Wanderer hard on the shoulder. “You jerk!”

“Ow!” He clutched at his sore shoulder, glaring back at her. “What was that for?”

“You!” she yelled, grabbing at the sides of her mane. “You always manage to get us in more trouble than we can get out of. What were you thinking?!”

“Look, I…” he sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry, alright? I didn’t know.”

She huffed, letting go of her mane, and gave him a quick hug. “I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”

Tormod peeked out from under their hiding place and quickly ducked back. “He’s flying around. It doesn’t look like he has found us yet, but I don’t think he is going to give up either.”

The two walked up and took a quick peek themselves. “Is there any way we can outrun him?” Tourmaline asked.

Tormod shook his head. “Doubtful. Even if we did get to the trees, he would burn them down around us.”

“We can’t lead him back to Ponyville anyway. We can’t do that to them.”

Tormod nodded his agreement and looked nervously beyond their shelter as the dragon’s roar shook the stones around them. “We have to either wait him out or find some way to make him give up the chase.”

A sudden blast had them all struggling to stay on their hooves. The tremor shook the stones dangerously loose around them. They looked out to see the dragon breathe another burst of flame on the mountain side, bits of blasted stone flying in all directions.

Wanderer looked up to see their overhang about to give way. “Move!” He grabbed them both and leapt away, just in time for their shelter to collapse in.

Tormod waited for the dust to settle before standing. “We have to do something now! Before he kills us!”

“Over there!” Tourmaline pointed towards a boulder that stood precariously over an overhang.

Wanderer’s eyes lit up. “Tourmaline, do you think you can get it loose?”

She looked at him, inwardly cringing at his expression. “I think I can. Why?”

“I’ll lead him there, and you drop that boulder on his head.”

“Are you insane?!” she screamed at him.

Tormod cut off any argument. “It is all we have. We have to take the risk.”

She looked between them, a knot of dread forming in her gut. “You guys…”

Wanderer gave her a firm nod. “We’ve gotta do this. Let’s go.”

She bit at her lip before she took off for the boulder. Luckily for her, the dragon was facing away when she flew, but that didn’t stop her from scrambling behind the boulder when she landed. A quick peek around the rock and she saw the dragon breathe another fireball at the mountain. The boulder next to her shook from the blast, its base cracking, but it didn’t otherwise give.

Looking at the stone, she saw that it was supported by a number of smaller stones that she would have to kick loose. Before she could get started, the enraged roar of the dragon took her attention. She looked again and saw that the dragon was swooping down where she had left her friends.

“Oh no!” She began bucking the stones, trying to dislodge the heavier boulder. The stone cracked some from each kick, but she felt she wasn’t doing enough.

Her ears stood upright as she heard Wanderer shout, “Isn’t this going overboard a bit? I didn’t even touch anything!”

She looked over the cliff and saw him fleeing from the dragon through a narrow pass. She sucked in a breath as the dragon breathed a fireball at him. Luckily, he ducked under the gout of flame and scrambled away. “Hey! That was close!”

As much as she wanted to fly down and take the attention off her friend, she knew he was depending on her to get the boulder loose. She returned and kicked at the stubborn rock. While the stone base continued to splinter, the boulder itself didn’t move.

A pained yelp caused her to look back. She saw Wanderer skid across the rocky terrain and bounce against a rock face. She screamed in terror as she saw the dragon’s head rear back to snap at the prone earth pony.

He managed to roll away at the last second and the dragon smacked its face against the stone. She turned as she felt the large rock give some as the ground shook. It started to lean but away from the cliff edge she needed to drop it.

She flew to the stone and flapped her wings hard to get the stone to lean the other way. Her wings and forelegs strained with the effort.

She caught sight of Wanderer receiving a glancing blow from the dragon’s foreleg. Hearing his groan of pain as he hit the wall below her caused the panic to well up in a rush.

“Wanderer!” She flapped her wings as hard as she ever had, and the stone started to sway in the other direction.

Her blood froze as she heard the dragon speak. “You should never have come here, pony.” Its intake of breath told her that Wanderer was in dire danger. His fearful scream echoed through her mind.

“NO!” she screamed and gave all she had in pushing the stone.

With a loud crack, the boulder gave way. It rolled over the side and bounced off a lower cliff. Just before the dragon could breathe its killing flames, the boulder smashed into its head. The resounding thud caused all other sound to cease for a second. The boulder split in half and fell to the side with a pair of loud crashes. The dragon stood still for a moment before its eyes rolled into the back of its head and fell over.

Tourmaline looked at the dragon in shock before she looked down at Wanderer. His expression caused an impish smile to cross her face.

“Cut it a little close, don’t you think?” he called.

She breathed in relief, letting all the tension out in a shuddering breath. “Oh, don’t be such a wimp.” She hopped off the cliff and flew down to his side. “You survived it, didn’t you?”

He stood up, favoring his left foreleg with a hiss of pain. “That hurt.”

She stood next to him, letting him lean on her for support as they walked past the knocked-out dragon. Her gaze darted around as she finally realized something was missing. “Where’s Tormod?!” she asked, the knot of dread forming in her gut again.

He nodded ahead of them. “I had him hide while I had the dragon chase me. He should be up ahead.”

When they found the unicorn on the ledge they had separated at, they found him removing large briars from his coat. He just removed one of them with a painful hiss when they approached. One look at Wanderer and his gaze turned harsh.

Tourmaline looked at her brother in surprise. “What happened to you?”

He pointed an accusatory hoof in Wanderer’s direction. “He happened to me. The moron pushed me over a cliff and told me to hide!”

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. “You pushed him off the cliff?!”

Wanderer gave her a pleading look. “I wanted to make sure the dragon only chased me, so I pushed him over the cliff.” He looked back at the irate unicorn. “There were bushes below for you to land in. I didn’t do it because I thought it’d be funny.”

The unicorn gave him a fierce glare. “You pushed me into a briar patch!” He gritted his teeth and used his magic to remove another large thorn from his flank. “You will pay for this, Wanderer. Mark my words.”

The earth pony tenderly rested his injured foreleg to the ground before trusting it with a bit more weight. “If it is any reconciliation, there is a dragon’s hoard that is currently unguarded.”

The other two looked at him quickly, smiles crossing their faces. “You remember where?” Tourmaline asked.

He smiled a roguish grin. “I remembered to mark my trail before I found it. Just have to find my marks and it will lead us to it.”

Tormod stood with a wince, the majority of the thorns removed. “That will make up for pushing me off the cliff.” He glared at his snickering friend. “But only a little.”

As they finally managed to make it out from under the branches of the Everfree forest, Wanderer admitted he was never happier to see a dirt path again. He trudged alongside his friends as they started down the path that left the woods and entered the town of Ponyville.

“Ugh…” He rubbed at his face, smearing the dirt across his cheeks. “That was the worst three days of running I’ve ever done.”

Tourmaline tugged at a stubborn vine that clung to her leg. “You’re telling me. Maybe stealing the dragon’s treasure wasn’t the smartest thing we’ve done.” The vine finally gave an audible snap as she freed her leg of the entangling foliage.

Tormod adjusted the heavy saddlebags on his back. “At least we finally lost him. I thought he’d never give up.” He glanced to the stuffed saddlebags that the other two wore, and a small grin crossed his face. “And we’ve finally earned some real money this time.”

Wanderer grinned as well as he looked to his saddlebags and the gleaming of gold and gems beaming right back at him. “So what are you guys going to do with your shares?”

“Spend it, likely,” Tormod said with a roll of his eyes.

“Aren’t we funny?” Wanderer grumbled and bit out a burr that had clung to his coat. “Come on, let’s get to the inn so we can get cleaned up.”

Tourmaline ran a hoof through her mane, hissing as she caught a tangle. “Don’t have to tell me twice. I need a bath so badly.”

As they walked past the thatched-roof houses of Ponyville and towards the inn, they couldn’t help but notice the odd stares they were getting from the locals. Muffled conversation and curious glances followed as the three walked along the dirt road of the small country town.

Wanderer watched as one pair of ponies hurried past them. “Are we really that exciting to talk about?” he asked his friends.

Tormod shifted his heavy saddlebags. "Have you seen yourself, Wanderer? You've still got that cut on your shoulder." He sniffed the air. "Maybe our smell hit them first. We haven't had a real bath in days."

Tourmaline looked at her tangled mane with a mournful frown. “It’ll take a lot of painful brushing to get through this…” She threw her head back to settle her mane back behind her. “I might try that spa that Rarity told me about last time we were here.”

The auburn earth pony gave her a teasing smile. “Is that how you’re gonna spend your share?”

She flicked her tail, her gaze leveling. “You might like your mane looking like a mop, Wanderer, but I’m not letting mine go.”

He lowered his head, his ears laying flat. “Hey now, I was just joking.”

She smiled and bumped his side. “I know.”

Tormod shook his head at them. “There is something I wanted to talk about, Wanderer,” he said as they turned down a street.

“What is it?” Wanderer asked as they made their way through the crowd.

“Have you decided where we are going after we are done in Ponyville?”

He nodded easily. “I had thought about going home to see Mom again.”

Tormod stopped and just looked at his friend in shock. Finally, he snorted a helpless laugh and followed after them. “And here I thought I would have to convince you. Why are you deciding to go home now?”

Wanderer waved the question away. “We really haven’t been home since before… you know.”

The other two gave serious nods.

“Besides, we found a good haul this time. Think it’s time we got to enjoy a success for once.” He smirked wider. “Though, I was hoping to spend a few days visiting Princess Twilight and the others. I really owe them a lot.”

They nodded, silently agreeing not to pursue the subject further. “A few days then. I was hoping to speak to Princess Twilight myself,” Tormod said.

Tourmaline looked at him with a curious tilt of her head. “About what?”

He shrugged at her question.

She snorted at him. “Well, we should get back to the inn before we do anyth—“

“Hi, guys!”

All three of them jumped back and fell to their haunches as a pink earth pony appeared out of nowhere to greet them.

“Tourmaline, Tormod, Wanderer, it’s good to see you all again,” Pinkie Pie said with a wide, friendly smile. “When did you guys get back from the Everfree? I was starting to worry about you.” She wrinkled her nose and covered it with a hoof. “And why do you stink so badly?”

Wanderer stared at her for a stunned moment before he stood up, and helped his friends to their hooves. “Hello again, Pinkie Pie. We actually only got back today, and we’re on our way to get a much-needed bath.”

“A really needed bath,” she agreed. “I saw you walking and it looked like a dragon’s been chasing you, so I wanted to be the first to say ‘hi.’ Did you find anything fun to do in the Everfree Forest?”

Tormod muttered as he dusted himself off, “I wouldn’t have called it fun.”

Pinkie giggled. “So what are you going to do after you’re all cleaned up?”

“We’re likely going to stay around Ponyville for a few days before we head home,” Tourmaline said.

The party pony deflated some at the news. “You’re leaving?” She then perked right back up. “Well, we’ll have to throw you a big farewell party before you leave.” She began to bounce away with a wide eager smile on her face.

“Wait a minute, Pinkie,” Wanderer called after her.

She stopped and bounced back to join them. “Yes, Wanderer?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Do you mind if I make a request?”

Her smile busted out wider than he thought possible. “Sure! What do you want for the party? Cake or cupcakes? Pies or fritters? Party games or a DJ? ‘Cause I know a DJ that plays some of the most jamming tunes you’ve ever heard.” She started dancing in place to whatever song was in her head.

The three stood there and watched her dance with perplexed expressions.

“Is that dancing?” Tourmaline whispered to her brother.

“Looks more like she is having a seizure,” he whispered back.

“...Actually, I was hoping for a smaller party this time,” Wanderer said.

Pinkie stopped her ‘dancing’ and gave him a sad frown. “You didn’t like my last party?”

“No, no,” Wanderer said quickly to alleviate her fears. “I just…I… Oh, how do I say this?” He cleared his throat to speak. “I was hoping to have a party with you, Princess Twilight, and the other Elements of Harmony together before we leave.” He smiled as an idea struck him. “How about a bonfire party? We used to have them all the time in Greensborough.”

Pinkie’s eyes lit up instantly. “Ooh! A bonfire party! We can have roasted marshmallows and s’mores and other campfire goodies. I like the way you think!” She bounced off before he could get in another word.

Tourmaline prodded him curiously. “Why a bonfire party? Her welcoming party was a lot of fun.”

His serious expression was unlike his usual cheerful one. “I still haven’t had a chance to thank them all for helping me, and they deserve that.”

She nodded slowly before gagging from breathing too deeply. “Alright, you really need a bath, Wanderer. Let’s go.” She trotted for the inn.

He turned his nose up at her. “Hey, it’s not my fault I sweat…”

As beautiful as the forest was, Trixie was no fan of the late summer’s humidity. It seemed as if the trees were bent on holding the heat in and making her drench her coat with sweat. Even as a paper fan held aloft by her magic tried to cool her, it did little to alleviate her misery. At least she was the only one walking down the dirt road that meandered through the forest on its way to the town of Greensborough.

She levitated a bottle of water from her wagon and took a hearty drink. She sighed as the cool water sent a wave of relief to her parched throat. As she recapped the bottle, she thought about what she would do once she got to the city. First thing she should do was get cleaned up. No sense in performing a show road-weary and smelly. The town of Greensborough might have been a backwoods sort of place, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give them her best. She then would mingle with the townsfolk before putting on a show. More to get a feel for their taste in entertainment and to see if any recognized her outright than anything else.

Her thoughts then turned to her act. She planned to open with the explosive lights and streamers display—they never failed to grab the attention of the crowd. A few paltry acts would follow then some requests from the audience. She frowned softly as she thought on her final act. It was always the final act, the grand tale of her heroism and bravery, complete with visual illusions to awe the crowd, which gave her concern. The ursa major tale used to be the crowd favorite, now it only turned them into an unruly mob. She realized after Trottingham that she needed to change her act. Finding a replacement that would amaze the crowd like the ursa major story was not going to be quick or easy. The story and magic had to be just right, or else her show was a sham.

As she continued down the road, her ears perked up at the sound of a train whistle in the distance. A train blaring its horn all the way out here signified that she was getting close, and she couldn’t wait to park her wagon so that she could bathe and wash the sweat and grime from her coat.

She started as she heard a crashing sound. From the trees along the road stumbled an older stallion with a tan coat and brown mane pulling a cart full of canvas bags. The sudden lurch caused the cart to bounce and one of the bags to fall out, scattering its contents all over the road.

“Ahh, dagnabbit!” he swore as acorns spread everywhere.

After calming her heart from the startle, she pulled her wagon near. “Trixie wonders if you are all right?”

The old stallion squinted at her for a minute. “Yeah, I’m fine, miss. Just didn’t need mah acorns ta scatter everywhere. Now I gotta collect ’em again.”

Trixie glanced over the fallen acorns for a moment before sighing inwardly. Normally she wouldn’t deign to help collect nuts, but if the old timer was from Greensborough, she might get some useful information out of him.

She stepped out of her harness. “Trixie will help.”

He gave her a toothy grin of appreciation. “Thank ya kindly, young miss. These old bones don’t bend like they used ta.”

“Mm.” The pink aura surrounded her horn and the acorns. With a simple thought, the nuts were deposited in the canvas bag the old stallion held.

“Boy howdy. Ain’t unicorn magic mighty useful? Not that I mind using mah hooves ta work, but that saved me an hour or more.” He tied the bag tightly and tossed it into his waiting cart.

“The name’s Acorn Cap, but most folks call me Ol’ Nut.” He hitched himself back into his harness. “Not sure why they call me that. I ain’t old.”

“So you are from the town ahead?” she asked as she tied the strap of her wagon to her barrel.

“What? Greensborough? Aye, been livin’ there for sixty years or more. Been collectin’ acorns for all that time. I use ’em to make acorn flour.” He smiled brightly as they walked down the dusty road.

‘Now we know why he’s called Old Nut.’ She thought to herself. “Trixie wonders what Greensborough is like,” she said aloud. “Can you tell her of it?”

He gave her an odd look before he spoke. “Greensborough’s always been a small town. Plain, hardworkin’ folks all. Mostly we get earth ponies comin’ ta getta feel for the forest. It ain’t like nothin’ else in Equestria I tell ya.” He scrutinized her hat and cape combo. “You a travelin’ comedian or somethin’?”

A dark scowl erupted across her face. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is no travelling comedian! She is a showmare of unrivaled talent! She performs amazing feats of unbelievable magical prowess for the enjoyment of the ponies of Equestria. Her talents are world renown!” Despite her apparent outburst of rage, she still watched him for a reaction to her name.

He only looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t mean no offense, miss. Was just askin’.”

She scoffed, but inwardly she felt a little spark of hope take hold. “So you haven’t heard of Trixie?”

He shook his head. “Can’t say that I have. But I feel that I should have with the way ya talk.”

A proud smile crossed her face.

“But ya picked an odd time ta be headin’ ta Greensborough.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why do you say that?”

A troubled look crossed his face. “As I understand it, some ponyfolk have gone missin’. Ain’t anypony seems ta know where they’ve gone ta. First it was one’a the lumberjacks, then it was that sweet mare who sold the daisies around town.” He sighed. “The guards can’t seem ta find hide or mane of them.”

Trixie muttered as her wagon struck an exposed root and jostled the wagon. Her mutter grew darker as she heard a few things crash around inside. “How long have they been missing?”

The older pony considered the question a moment. “Couple weeks now, I think. They’re still searchin’ for ’em.”

She nodded slowly, though for some reason, she was pleased by the news. Not that there were ponies were missing, but if the town was on edge over the disappearances then a show is just what they need.

But what if it goes wrong again?

Trixie lowered her head as the thought ran through her mind. She was so excited to give a good show and make the ponies of Greensborough happy that she had forgotten the reality of her situation. What if Greensborough turned out to be—no, she was not going to think like that. Greensborough would be the rebirth of her career. It would be a small start, but the start to putting her back on her chosen path.

“Ya all right there, miss Trixie?” Acorn Cap asked, looking at her with concern.

She looked up quickly, realizing that her worry must have been obvious. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is fine. She was merely thinking.”

“Musta been somethin’. Ya had a sad look ta yerself.”

She turned up her nose. “Trixie doesn’t know what you mean.”

He looked at her for a moment before speaking. “So nothin’s botherin’ ya, huh?”

“Indeed. She is thinking how best to entertain the masses with her greatness,” she said, not looking at him fully.

He hummed. “Well, if ya do know anypony who’s got somethin’ on their mind. Ya might wanna let ’em know that avoidin’ what’s troublin’ them ain’t goin’ ta help none. Dwelling on things isn’t goin’ ta make things better. Might make it worse before it does.” He shrugged to himself. “But it’s their choice ta make.”

Trixie looked away. “Trixie will remember to tell them.”

“Right then.” He slowed to a stop as they came to a small path that branched from the main road. “This is where I turn for home. Thank ya kindly for yer help with mah acorns. Hope yer show goes good fer ya.”

She nodded to him in thanks. “Trixie thanks you for your company and words.”

“And I hope she remembers ’em,” he said as he turned down the path, his cart bouncing along the uneven path.

She watched him go for a moment before starting down the main road. Maybe the old geezer was right—maybe she dwelled too much on her past failures. It was time to look to the future and embrace her dreams again.

Author's Notes:

Those three just keep getting into trouble, don't they? Think they'll ever learn?