As the week waned so did Twilight's enthusiasm for her research, blunted by both the exhaustion of her available research material and the total dearth of any hint or clue to guide her. Not even the books she had ordered from the Canterlot library and Royal Archives had helped, and around Ponyville life continued uneventfully much as it always had. Princess Celestia's recent letters had suggested she take more of a watching brief which, although reassuring that the mysterious killer hadn't shown up anywhere else in Equestria, rather reinforced Twilight's disheartening feeling of failure.

To distract herself from her mood, she had started the new week by spending the day exploring Whitetail Wood with Spike, just taking a picnic basket and following a stream. The bluebells were flowering beneath them, the birds were singing in the trees, and they were lucky enough to find a small stand of cherry blossoms to host their picnic; even Spike had been forced to admit that the scene was perfect as the occasional petal drifted down around them. And they were delicious!

Today, she had given Spike the day off and was contemplating joining Rarity and Fluttershy for their weekly session at the Spa when she heard the main door of the library open.

“Oh, hey! What are you doing here?”

She recognised the familiar brash voice, and sighed. Rainbow Dash.

“Howdy, girls, I might ask you the same?”

Applejack, too.

“Oh, Applejack, it's great to see you! Um, we're here to see Twilight. I mean, when you're finished?”

And Fluttershy? Wow, it was quite a gathering.

She magicked the kettle off the stove before nosing the door open and trotting out to meet them. “Hi, everypony!”

Applejack and Fluttershy were by the returns desk, and in keeping with her occasionally-hyperactive native Rainbow Dash was in a hover near the door. There was a chorus of greetings from her friends, and then an uncharacteristic silence as they all looked at each other; seemingly, nopony wanted to go first.

“So, uh, are you all here together, or what?” Twilight tried.

Applejack took charge. “No, I was just passing through an' thought I'd drop your arboriculture book back on the way. It's in Spike's return tray. What about you two?” she asked.

“Oh, um, well, I remembered what Twilight was talking about last week with the big scary mysterious monsters and she wanted us to tell her if anything strange happened and I think,” Fluttershy's voice dropped so much it was almost inaudible, “I think it might have.”

Twilight blinked, then sprinted upstairs to her study. Rummaging furiously, she unearthed her notebook and a quill and raced back onto the landing to find Rainbow hovering in front of her.

“Whoa! Where's the fire?” she asked as Twilight plummeted headlong down the stairs, sliding to a halt in front of Fluttershy with the quill poised expectantly and the light of hope in her eyes.

Unfortunately, the shrinking pony looked quite thoroughly intimidated, hiding her eyes behind the long fringe of her mane. “It's probably nothing.”

“Fluttershy, please, I'll take just about anything right about now,” Twilight begged.

“Oh. Well, I was expecting a package in the mail today but I had to go out for a few minutes this morning to check on how the blue jays down at the edge of the forest are getting on with their new nests, and when I got back I found Ditzy Doo waiting for me. She said that Mr. Breezy had made a complaint that a package of his had gone missing, but she distinctly remembers delivering it the day before when he was out. Now she's worried that if she leaves any packages like she usually does and they go missing, she'll be blamed for it, so she's only delivering them right into ponies' hooves.”

“Is that it? A missing parcel? Ditzy probably just left it next door,” snorted Applejack, but Twilight was still scribbling furiously.

“Maybe, and maybe not. Do you know what was in it, Fluttershy? Or where it was left, or how long it was between-”

Fluttershy was shaking her head. “I'm sorry, but I really don't know any more. I think you'd need to talk to Mr. Breezy, and probably Ditzy, too.”

“Finally, finally, just perhaps we're getting somewhere. Thank Celestia!” said Twilight fervently, before the realization of exactly what that could mean hit her. “Oh, horseapples!” She stared into space for a minute, thinking hard, before snapping back to the present. “Thank you, Fluttershy, I'm really grateful that you told me.”

“See? Told ya!” said Rainbow, giving Fluttershy a playful nudge.

“You did, and thank you for coming with me,” said Fluttershy meekly, “But wasn't there something you wanted to see Twilight about?”

“Oh yeah!” said Rainbow.

Here it comes, thought Twilight resignedly. To her surprise Rainbow folded her wings and dropped onto her hooves in front of her. She seemed to be having trouble meeting Twilight's eye.

“Look, um, I... I came here to apologise for teasing you about the party,” she said in a low voice, “I didn't mean to upset you, but uh, maybe I wasn't being a great friend about it.”

“Oh!” Twilight was caught completely off-guard by this unexpected admission. “Um, well maybe I was overreacting a little.”

“So we're cool?”

Twilight smiled. “Of course!”

She reached out a hoof to her friend, and Rainbow shook it. “Awesome!”

“See, Twilight? Like I told you, if you didn't go gettin' a burr under your saddle about it, we could have avoided all this tomfoolery!” said Applejack firmly. “I'm right glad the two of you have finally seen sense. Even if it's taken you more'n a week.”

“So... what happened, anyway?” asked Fluttershy timidly. “I was in the kitchen with Pinkie.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Twilight flaked out on that sofa in the corner and nopony noticed until Silver Braise went over. He went and spoke to Mrs. Cake, who brought a blanket down for her from upstairs. When they pulled it up over Twilight she grabbed the blanket in her sleep – and Silver's leg as well! Took him a while to prise it away from her.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Oh, that's so sweet!”

Twilight felt her cheeks burning. “I was asleep!” she hissed.

Applejack chuckled. “Yeah, well you were real grabby and didn't want to let go! And you, of all ponies, must know how many books there are about the shy librarian and the tall, dark, handsome stranger.”

There was a sudden silence as they all slowly turned to stare at the farm pony.

“Um... actually, Applejack, I don't. Care to share?” said Twilight carefully.

Suddenly, Applejack's face matched Twilight's. “Uh, well, so I heard. Y'know, from Rarity, an' all,” she giggled unconvincingly and gave her friends a very fixed-looking smile.

Twilight tried to hide her grin; Applejack was the world's worst liar! She decided to let her off lightly.

“Anyway, that didn't mean you had to tease me about it the next day.”

Rainbow Dash, who had slowly been turning red as Applejack recited the tale, couldn't contain herself any longer. “Yes it did, you should have seen your face!” she burst out, roaring with laughter, “I haven't seen you look like that since that time Pinkie threw a custard pie at Princess Luna!”

“Oh, fer Pete's sake, Rainbow!” Applejack sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, come on, it was hilarious! OK, I'm going, I'm going!” She zipped to the door under the stony gazes of Twilight and Applejack. “See ya later!”

“I thought she said she wasn't going to tease me,” Twilight muttered.

Applejack coughed. “I guess she did, sugar cube, but she didn't say that she didn't find it funny!”

Twilight muttered a few choice words under her breath before pulling herself together. “Right. Fluttershy, I was hoping to join you and Rarity for your afternoon trip to the spa?”

“Oh, Twilight, that would be wonderful!” cheered Fluttershy softly, hovering a few inches off the floor in excitement.

“Great! But first, I need to pay a visit to Mr. Breezy and our favourite mail mare.”

Dear Princess Celestia,

So begins possibly the most ridiculous letter you will ever receive. It has come to my attention that a package of beaten wicker has disappeared from the home of one of our local craftsponies, Mr. Breezy. Having spoken to Ditzy, the mail mare who delivered the package, it was left at the back door of Mr. Breezy's workshop, as usual, in the late afternoon. Mr. Breezy did not return to his workshop until the following morning, and saw no sign of his package although the invoice was in his mailbox. I have spoken to his neighbours but nopony remembers seeing anything out of the ordinary on this day.

On making further enquiries in the neighbourhood, there was also a rumour that Bon-Bon's favourite mane clip had vanished, but this evening I received word that she'd found it down the back of her dresser.

Yes, this really is the news I have for you. I can only hope that you find it of some significance. I have of course asked my friends to keep their ears open for any similar stories and I will report further should the need arise.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

My beloved student, Twilight,

On the contrary, I find your letter of great importance and can only hope that this is an isolated incident, not the beginning of a terrible tragedy befalling Ponyville. I commend your diligence in pursuing this matter, and can only encourage you and your friends to be as vigilant as possible. Any further incident should be treated as an emergency and I await your letter at any time of day or night. The resolution of this matter is of critical importance to the future of Equestria and the well-being of all my little ponies.

Cordially yours,

Celestia
Goddess of the Sun
and
you can stop that, Dip Quill, she knows who I am

Despite the best efforts of Lotus and Aloe, Twilight was too keyed up to sleep properly that night, and she remained on tenterhooks for the next few days. Her five-pony intelligence network were all on alert, but given that three of them spent most of their time out of the village she was uncomfortably dependent on Pinkie and Rarity. Of course, things would have been simpler if she could have told everypony to be on the lookout, but Princess Celestia was adamant that this should only be a last resort.

A few days later, just as she was starting to relax again, Applejack paid a visit which did little for her peace of mind.

“I know where I would have left it, sugar cube, it's where I always leave it. But bein' months ago I can't remember if I really did put it back there at the end of autumn or if it's just what I expect because that's where it should be.

“In fact it ain't just that, because Mac or Granny or even Apple Bloom mighta taken it since I saw it last and left it someplace else. Of course, they say they didn't, but I don't know, Twi, I just don't know.”

“Is that a yes or a no, Applejack?” Twilight had demanded in frustration.

The Earth pony had hesitated. “It's a maybe. I'm sorry, Twilight.”

And so the whetstone that Applejack kept for her pruning knife became another possible trophy for their mysterious thief. It was a depressing reminder that not everypony would know if something vanished; how many ponies had things they used a few times a year, or even less?

Twilight was also uncomfortably aware that she had made little progress in learning more about Summer Clip and Silver Braise. She had meant to try at the party, but had fallen asleep before she could do so. Since then she had seen them at a distance, usually in the evenings, trotting around Ponyville together and sometimes with Junebug or more frequently Cloud Kicker, but not found the chance to talk to them. Rarity and Pinkie were probably closest to Summer out of her friends, but like Silver and Applejack it was only really as tradespony and customer.

An unexpected solution to the second problem came in the morning's post, in the form of a letter from Princess Celestia:

To our trusty and well-beloved subject, Twilight Sparkle; Greeting!

It has come to Our attention that maintenance works on the Public Library in Ponyville have been neglected for a number of years and are now overdue. This work should have been funded by the Ponyville town council, however We understand that until recently Ponyville has not had a suitable craftspony to carry out the work, and the cost of hiring in such from outside the town to be prohibitive. In this instance, any additional funding required will be provided by Our office to ensure that Ponyville continues to receive an excellent library service and that the tree housing the library is properly conserved.

Celestia
Goddess of the Sun
and
Princess co-Regnant of Equestria

Twilight had been halfway to the door before Spike had finished reading when she realised that she needed to plan not just her questions but also what she wanted him to do. The little dragon hadn't been much help, either.

“So Ponyville hasn't had a suitable craftspony until recently, huh?” he said, grinning. “Nope, still can't think of who she could mean.”

“Spike!” Twilight protested, rolling her eyes.

“Shall I write back and tell her we can't find one?”

She gave him a stern look, which failed miserably when she started to giggle. “Stop that!”

“Ooh! Ooh! I know! How about we ask Rarity to redesign this place? Might need somepony else to do the dirty work, though, now who could that be?”

“OK Spike, very funny, I get the point! I'll be back in half an hour or so, and we'll call it lunch. Shall I meet you at the café? I'll buy?” she offered.

“Eh, you had me convinced at 'lunch'. Have fun!”

She found Silver in his workshop, carefully planing down some unidentified object. The workshop looked rather more lived in now, with stacks of lumber piled against the walls and a growing heap of wood shavings swept into a corner. He readily agreed to work on the library and promised to stop by in the afternoon to discuss it in detail. Twilight quickly found herself back to the road to Ponyville knowing just as much as she did about him as when she arrived.

Exactly how she was supposed to interrogate somepony – especially without telling them why or tipping them off – was a question she pondered over her carrot and coriander soup with Spike. Some of the questions were a little personal and while it was the sort of stuff you might tell a friend over time, she wasn't that friend yet and didn't have the time to spare. She didn't especially want to pry, and to be caught at it could not only be embarrassing for her but also insulting for him, implying that she thought he was a thief – or worse.

“...Hallo-o? Equestria to Twilight?”

“Sorry, what?”

Spike gave her an exasperated look. “You were miles away. I said, Daisy was passing by and dropped into ask whether you can get her that book on Fillydelphian Phytophagous Aphids sent down here from the Canterlot Library. I told her I'd ask you and let her know.”

“Oh. I'm sorry, Spike, I guess I'm a little pre-occupied.”

“Somepony on your mind, huh?”

“Yes. But not the way you're thinking.”

Twilight pushed her bowl aside and went in to pay the bill. When she returned, she paused by their table, “Come on, Spike, jump up.”

With the little dragon perched on her back, she explained her earlier thoughts as she trotted back to the library, taking the long way around.

“I don't know what to do, Spike. It's all just a bit... cold and manipulative, I guess, and I don't want to do that to somepony.”

Spike was silent for a moment. “You could just tell him.”

“But Princess Celestia swore me to secrecy. And what if he really is the mysterious killer?”

“You don't believe that though, do you? Otherwise I really hope you're not running some sort of weird psycho outreach program.”

“No! Of course not! And Applejack likes him, too, and she trusts him.”

“But,” Spike added.

“But,” Twilight agreed, with a sigh, “I don't think we can afford to rely on 'probably'. If I knew more about him, and Summer Clip...”

“You wouldn't be worried about putting the cart before the pony,” Spike finished for her. “Then I guess you have to ask yourself whether what Princess Celestia's asking you is important enough to risk upsetting him.”

“It is. Of course it is,” said Twilight, more to herself than anything, “But that doesn't mean I have to like it.”

Watching an Earth pony write was a curiously frustrating experience. Not only did they have to push their parchment around or clutch it awkwardly in one hoof, having their lips wrapped around a pencil made them more or less immune to conversation. Silver followed her around the library making note of the areas scuffed and worn by years of busy hooves, the charred engraving by Spike's favourite chair where he'd been caught by surprise by a particularly violent sneeze, even the peculiarly bubbled varnish on her basement workbench where a beaker of some forgotten experiment had gotten away from her. He was mostly confined to nods and monosyllabic grunts, but she suspected that at least once he'd deliberately taken advantage of it to avoid answering.

She had almost given up by the time Silver spat the nub of his pencil into a saddlebag and rolled up his parchment, giving her a friendly smile.

“I'll write all that up later and prepare a proper quote. Should I address it to you, or to the Mayor, or somepony else?”

“To me is fine; I'll pass it on to the right ponies from there,” said Twilight resignedly. She could see him looking around her private quarters, where they had finished their survey, with polite interest.

“OK, I'll drop it in for you tomorrow.”

She saw his eyes narrow a little at the tall tripod sitting on the little balcony, her telescope folded down out of the way.

“Keeping an eye out for pirates?” he joked with a grin.

Twilight had to laugh. “No, looking for stars. I do a little amateur astronomy as a hobby. I don't suppose you're a stargazer, too?”

Silver shrugged. “I don't mind looking at them, but I couldn't tell you their names.”

Twilight was struck by a sudden thought, and shrugged mentally. It was worth a try, nothing else had worked. “I could teach you some, if you like? The weather's supposed to be nice tonight, so I was thinking of going up to a favourite spot of mine.”

“There won't be a test at the end, will there?” he asked, and laughed when Twilight couldn't resist rolling her eyes. “Well, I've got nothing better to do. Who knows, it might be educational.”

Twilight couldn't keep the shock off her face. “Oh! Um, great! Is it OK if I come by your place around dusk? It's just about on the way from here.”

“Of course. I'll probably just be tinkering, so whenever you're ready.”

“I'll bring cupcakes,” Twilight promised, before smirking. “Just not pink ones.”

Silver grinned. “Whoa, sinking to bribery already, eh? If it's going to be that bad, perhaps I should bring a book. Know where I can lay my hooves on one?”

Twilight was still trying to work out how to answer that without facehoofing when he left.

Second thoughts had started to creep in as the shadows lengthened and the light began to fade. Going out all alone in the dark to an isolated spot with a potential killer? Granted, she had her magic to defend herself, but this was monumentally stupid by anypony's standards.

Stop it, she told herself firmly as she slung the tripod and telescope over her back, he's just a perfectly ordinary pony. You're being ridiculous. Even so, she couldn't help the little voice in a corner of her mind telling her to turn tail and slip back to the safety of the library.

Bright light seeped out around the shutters of Silver's workshop as she approached, and she could hear a deep whirring noise and a rapid, rhythmic creak. Cautiously, she made her way down the little path and put her head around the door.

Silver was poised in front of one of his machines, one hind leg pumping like a piston on a treadle as a block of wood whirled in its jaws. He was breathing hard, almost snorting with effort, and judging by his foam-flecked coat he had been at it for quite some time. She watched as, ears pricked in fierce concentration, he struck showers of shavings from the block with the chisel clenched in his teeth.

Reluctant to interrupt him, she stood quietly and watched him work, head darting and dipping deftly to change the angle of the blade. She tried to move unobtrusively, curious to see what he was working on, when he took his hoof off the treadle and let it free-wheel under its own momentum. He added some final touches as the machine slowly ran down before he carefully set his chisel down, his panting breaths ringing around the workshop in the growing silence.

Trying not to startle him, Twilight deliberately scuffed a hoof to get his attention, but it still made him jump.

“Twilight! I'm sorry, it's late, isn't it? I guess time got away from me a bit,” he exclaimed, spinning around. He took half a pace towards her and stopped, glancing down at his chest and forelegs which were plastered with sweat and sawdust. “Ugh! Sorry, I stink.”

Twilight had to laugh. “It's OK, Silver, there's no rush. What were you doing?” she asked curiously, coming over to peer at his machine. He tapped the object held in its jaws gently, making a hollow tock. The block narrowed sharply to a long, slender stem before swelling to a bowl shape which tapered gracefully, almost like a rosebud; a goblet was in the process of emerging from the raw wood.

“Just making stuff,” he said casually, “I was all set up to make some bobbins for Shoeshine's spinning wheel, so I thought I might as well do some other stuff, too. This one still needs some work, but it'll keep until tomorrow.” He led her over to a workbench where four other identical goblets lay, this time fully formed with spiral stems and covered with pencilled patterns and lines. “It'll be part of a set.”

“They're beautiful!” she said softly, deeply impressed at his skill.

He shrugged. “They're not too bad, they should look all right when I decorate them up a bit. Maybe I'll give them to Applejack; they're made from some wood that she gave me.”

“Applejack would love them!” Twilight said adamantly. “You're working for Shoeshine as well? I didn't know she had a spinning wheel.”

“Yeah, well I guess she does. She came here in a panic because all her bobbins had disappeared, could I make her some new ones as soon as possible, blah, blah, blah. She's a pushy little thing, isn't she?”

Twilight's brain latched onto only part of what he had said. “Wait, something's gone missing? When, how many of them? When did she see them last?” she fired off before she managed to reel herself in. She cursed mentally at the bewildered look that Silver sent her.

“I haven't the faintest idea, I just make what ponies ask me,” he said.

“Right! Of course! Sorry, I, uh, got a little carried away,” said Twilight awkwardly, trying to laugh it off. “So, stargazing! Are you ready to go?”

Silver sighed. “I think drastic action is called for. Excuse me.”

He sidestepped her and trotted outside. Alone in the workshop, Twilight let out a dispirited sigh. Not only had she made a fool of herself-

There was a splash and a strangled yell from outside. What the hay was that, thought Twilight, panicking. Was it the killer? Had something happened? She was nearly ready to bolt for Ponyville when Silver sauntered back inside, dripping wet.

“Wow, I've really got to think of something better before winter,” he gasped, shivering. “Won't be a sec.”

The sodden pony disappeared into his living quarters before emerging, damp but reasonably presentable, a few minutes later. “Well, I think that's as close as fit for equine company as I'm going to get; do you want me to take any of that stuff?”

“No thanks, I think I've got it,” said Twilight.

“Then lead on,” said Silver with a mockingly grand bow, “And I'll try to stand downwind.”

It was quite a long trek southwards before veering off to the south-east past the large rocky outcrop and up the long, gentle slope to her favourite stargazing spot. The hill gave an impressive view back towards Ponyville and the Everfree, but its biggest asset was being just high enough to be out of the haze which sometimes formed over the town. Tonight, the moon was at its lowest ebb, leaving the darkness to be broken only by the spectacular web of stars scattered like dewdrops across Luna's night. She ditched her saddlebags and started fussing with the tripod while Silver flopped onto the grass and rolled on his back, staring upwards.

“What a great night for it,” said Silver quietly. “We're not really built for looking upwards, are we?”

Twilight beamed; there was something about a clear night and the silence, save the chirp and rustle of the night insects and the occasional whisper of the wind through the grass, which always made her feel reluctant to talk loudly on these expeditions, as if by doing so she would break the spell. She hoped from his tone that he could feel it, too.

“I know, isn't it fantastic? We're not going to see anything special like the Pegaseid meteors tonight, but everything ought to be really clear.”

She chattered on, pointing out famous constellations, but while he made a point of looking interested she could tell he wasn't really all that bothered about names and histories. He seemed to prefer a more languid appreciation of the sky as a whole rather than just its individual elements.

As her confidence rose, she decided to try asking him some questions. “So, have your family always been woodworkers?” she asked brightly.

He didn't answer for a moment, but contemplated her in silence. Finally he said, “Twilight?”

Oh, what have I done, she thought. “Yes?”

He waited until she turned to look at him, although she could only really make out his silhouette in the darkness. “Twilight, what's going on?” he asked gently.

Her heart plummeted into her horseshoes. “Wh-What do you mean?” she asked, cursing the waver in her voice.

“I mean that it seems like suddenly everypony's interested in me, wants to know my life story, or whatever. Well, I say everypony, it's more like you and your friends. So, what's going on?”

“Oh, well, I guess they're just being friendly and want to know more about you,” Twilight squeaked desperately.

“Uh-huh,” said Silver, unimpressed, “Twilight, have you ever seen Applejack trying to be evasive?”

“Oh, err-”

“Never mind. Thanks for the company,” he said in a resigned voice, getting to his hooves.

“Wait!” Oh, great Celestia, this was beyond foolish! But did she, could she, trust him? She took a deep breath. “Silver, look, I'm really sorry about this. There's... there's something going on at the moment that I can't tell you about. In fact, I can't tell anypony about it, I promised Pr-... I promised somepony really important that I wouldn't talk without their permission. I even had to fight to be able to tell my best friends, because I need their help.”

She could see him looking at her by the flash of his eyes in the starlight. Silently, he slowly sat down again, and she continued.

“I need to know what's going on all around Ponyville. You and Summer are new here and nopony knows a thing about you, so... so we've been trying to find out.”

“Taking a risk, then, aren't you?” he said coldly.

Twilight winced. He had joined the dots instantly; whatever else he might be, nopony would ever call him stupid. “No. No, I don't think I am.”

After a moment, Silver sighed. “Well, the answer to your original question is, No. My name's a bit of a give-away, isn't it? I guess you could say I'm the family disappointment.”

Twilight gasped. “What a terrible thing to say! I'm sure you parents are really proud of you!”

Silver waved a dismissive hoof. “Eh, don't get me wrong, Mum and Dad love me just as much as any parents do, but everypony in my family has been a metalworker of some description as far back as we know, and I do mean everypony. My mother's a Hammerbuck and they're all famous metalworkers, too, so I'm really the odd one out.”

“That's why you know all that stuff about metalworking,” said Twilight, things starting to fall into place in her mind.

Silver paused. “I know how it's done, and I can do most of it because my folks tried to teach me, and Celestia knows I did my best to learn. But somehow it's just not my thing. I don't have the same feel for metal as I do with a piece of wood. I don't think I can explain it any better than that.”

“That's not exactly your fault, though,” said Twilight tentatively, “It's part of who you really are.”

“I know, but I'm an only foal, so when my parents die the forge will pass out of the family's hooves and the line will end. They had to take on an apprentice to fill the role that I was supposed to take, so you can see what I mean by a disappointment.”

“Is that why you left Fetlock Bath?”

Silver shrugged. “Not really. I've always wanted to see a bit more of the world and Sums has her heart set on opening a salon in Canterlot and making the big time, so why not? At least we're giving it a go.”

“She must be a really good friend of yours.”

“She's more of a twin sister, really. My mum was friends with her mum, and the forge is no place for a newborn foal rolling around on the ground and chewing his tail, so I spent a lot of the time growing up at Swift's place. Sums and I are both the same age, so we've sort of always hung out together.” She saw him grin in the darkness. “Of course, now that I have my own place I can roll around on the floor and chew my tail as much as I want!”

Twilight laughed, shocked at the unexpected humour. She hoped the smile meant that his anger was waning, but the dark made it difficult to tell. “So I guess you got to go to school together, too? It must have been so great to have your best friend with you.”

Silver sighed. “Yeah, for all the good it did.”

He was silent for a while, and Twilight was wary enough of his despondent tone not to risk say anything. She couldn't work out what she'd said wrong, but eventually he continued, “You know I said that Fetlock Bath is nearly all Earth ponies?”

Twilight nodded in the dark, not sure if he could see.

“Summer's family were the only Unicorns in the village, and she's an only foal, too. She's never exactly been the biggest, either, so you can guess who the number one target for the bullies was. The colts weren't so bad once they realised that if they picked on her too much there'd be a scrap at break time, but the fillies... colts aren't so bad, we tend to be pretty straightforward when we don't like somepony, but fillies? Fillies can be mean.”

Twilight was rather shaken by his description; it didn't sound all that different from some of the foals she'd gone to school with. “I know exactly what you mean. Did you have to do a lot of fighting?”

Silver snorted. “Not really. I didn't win that many, but they probably got sick of beating me up after a while. Of course, I was the troublemaker, so my teachers hated me. And there really wasn't much I could do about the fillies other than bluster.”

Once again, Twilight found herself tongue-tied. What she wouldn't have given for somepony like that, some days in her foalhood!

“So, that's my life. Short but remarkably boring, isn't it?” he said with forced cheerfulness.

“No. I think Summer was a very lucky filly to have had such a good friend. I know how hard it is to keep control of your magic when you're a filly, especially when you're upset,” said Twilight softly.

Again, there was an awkward pause. “Yeah, well... that's never been much of a problem,” he said reluctantly. Twilight strangled the impulse to ask why; given a moment's thought, it was pretty self-explanatory. And wasn't it time that she returned the favour by sharing more about herself?

“Sometimes it's not all it's cracked up to be. You should have seen some of the things I put my parents through.”

“Really?” he asked with a sidelong look.

“Oh yeah!” Twilight explained some of the strange and terrifying things that had plagued her until her acceptance into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, culminating in her entrance exam. Silver's face became more and more disbelieving as she went on.

“Pot plants?!” he burst out, “But how is that even possible?! What on earth had they done to you that you'd turn them into pot plants?”

“Nothing; that was the problem! And seeing what I'd done to them only made me panic even more, so my magic got even more out of control!” It had taken Twilight years before she had been able to laugh about this. “The problem with a foal's unfocussed magic is that it's just that; completely unfocussed. In a way, it's Chaos magic, so anything can happen. What I had to learn was focus and control, to remove the chaos element and direct my magic to do what I wanted it to do.”

“And that took the Princess herself to teach you? Yikes! Well, if we ever fall out just... don't send me to the moon, okay?” From the sound of his voice, she couldn't be entirely sure if he was joking or not. He turned his head away from her, looking up at the stars again. “I wonder what it's like?”

“What?”

“The moon.”

“Unbelievably cold, incredibly boring, and very, very lonely, or so I'm told.”

Silver turned and looked at her in stunned silence for a moment. “Sometimes I forget that you actually know these ponies,” he muttered.

Twilight coughed uncomfortably and changed the subject. “Well, uh, something else we've forgotten is the cupcakes. How about a midnight snack?”

Sitting and munching on the cupcakes allowed some of the tension dissipate, and afterwards they both seemed happy to return to discussing the stars. Twilight was pleased and a little saddened to find him rather more enthusiastic about knowing which star was which than he had been earlier.

Eventually she felt her eyelids start to droop and, judging by the jaw-cracking yawn that Silver was attempting to hide behind one large hoof, it was time to call it a night. He agreed readily enough and, after packing up their little camp, they trotted down the rolling hills together to the outskirts of Ponyville.

He stopped at the foot of the bridge north of the Carousel Boutique. “Well, I think this is where I say goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Silver, and thanks for coming out with me tonight,” said Twilight. She paused for a moment, and the apology she had half-formulated earlier came tumbling out again. “Look, I'm really sorry about some of the stuff I asked you but it really is important, I swear, and I didn't just-”

“Goodnight, Twilight,” he said firmly, gently cutting off the flow of words. He raised a hoof in farewell and, with a half-smile, started north towards his workshop. Twilight watched him go for a minute before making her own way back towards the library, thoughts churning in her head.

Twilight's eye reluctantly dragged itself open as the tempting smell became too strong to resist. It smelled hot and sweet and-

“It's alive!” came the sarcastic voice of her assistant. She mumbled a curse under her breath and tried to turn over, but Spike wouldn't conveniently go away.

“Toast! Tooooasst!” he moaned theatrically in a grating, spooky voice.

“That's the last time I let you read those zombie books, Spike,” she groaned, sitting up.

“Fine! Be that way! Obviously you don't want my coffee, either. Huh, see the next time I cook you breakfast in bed.”

Spike made a show of setting down the tray he was carrying in mock-disgust, making her smile.

“Thanks, Spike,” she said, settling back against her pillows and snaring the mug of coffee with her magic.

“No problem, Twilight. So, how was your date last night?”

Twilight was just taking her first sip of the lifesaving beverage and nearly spat it across the room. “It wasn't a date!” she spluttered, before seeing the mischievous look in Spike's eye. She sighed; the little dragon was well and truly immune to her evil eye these days, too.

“It went about as well as could be expected,” she admitted. She shuffled over and patted a spot beside her for Spike to hop up, then passed him a slice of the toast that he'd cooked while she related what she'd learned the previous night.

By the time she was finished, she could see him frowning in thought. “I never did think he was all that likely, to be honest, but now... you don't think he was just pushing your buttons, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you had a tough time at school and that. Isn't it just a little convenient that he should come out with the sort of stuff that you probably identify with?”

Twilight sat back and thought for a minute. In truth, she had taken his words at face value. Could Spike have a point? “No, I think he was being honest, even if perhaps it did strike a chord with me. I guess we could keep trying to think up scenarios where he's this amazing master-criminal-killer but I don't see it, Spike, I really don't. In the end, we've got to go on what's in front of us and I think we're going to have to take his word for it.”

“You're probably right,” the dragon conceded. “Unless... Twilight, we know where he comes from, right? And we know his name and what he looks like?”

“Well, yeah?” She looked at him curiously, wondering where he was going with this.

“So why don't you write to the mayor of Wherever-it-was and ask them for information? If it really is a small place, they'll know all about him and Summer Clip.”

“That's going behind their backs, though, isn't it?” she protested half-heartedly.

“Maybe, but it puts the whole thing to bed. The end, no doubts. And if you really want an answer as soon as possible, get the Princess to send one of her express messengers. After all, this is supposed to be one of the most important things in Equestria right now, isn't it?”

Twilight mulled it over. He was right, it would put paid to any possible lingering doubts; not just hers, but anypony else’s, too. “Spike, have I ever told you that you're a genius?”

“Not nearly often enough,” he preened, jumping down from his perch. “Shall I get a quill and parchment?”

“Not just yet,” said Twilight, sliding herself out of bed with renewed purpose. “First, I need to go and see Shoeshine about her spinning wheel.”

It wasn't just Shoeshine who was missing things. Twilight found a number of ponies across the village in various stages of puzzlement or annoyance at the disappearance of their belongings. The biggest item was the carcass of an old sofa from behind Quills and Sofas, the smallest was a brass buckle from the harness that Coarse Grind the miller used to pull his wagon. Worse, none of them had seen anything to hint at the cause of the disappearances.

In a panic, Twilight galloped back to the library to write to Princess Celestia and was momentarily surprised to see a little cart parked out the front with the owner's name freshly painted on the side.

Silver Braise
Woodworking & Carpentry

Of course! The quote for renovating the library! She hurried inside and went straight to her study. Below her, she could hear a burst of laughter – Spike and Silver, by the sound of it. Snatching up a quill with her magic and pillaging her writing desk for fresh scrolls, she dashed off letters to Princess Celestia and the mayor of Fetlock Bath, ignoring the ink flecks and splotches from her frantic writing.

Her task done, she barely waited for the ink to dry before rolling the scrolls up and plunging headlong down the stairs. She slid to a stop in front of a startled Silver.

“Morning! You're in a rush?” he said uncertainly. Twilight gave him a bright, false smile.

“Hi, Silver! Do you have that quote for me?”

“Um... yeah, there you go,” he said, nodding at a scroll in Spike's claws.

“Great! Spike, I need you to send these for me immediately,” said Twilight, floating the other two in front of him. Spike, bless him, took his cue perfectly.

“No problem, Twilight,” he said, holding his scroll up with the others, “They're already there.”

He took a deep breath and sent them on their way with a burst of magical green flame.

Silver took a step backwards, eyes wide in shock. “Suddenly I see what happened to that carving!” he said.

“Yeah. Sorry, I gotta go. 'Bye!” With that, Twilight turned tail and fled for the door, leaving a very confused Earth pony behind her.

Twilight quickly found out that her panic clashed with everypony else's everyday reality. Pinkie was hard at work with the Cakes, Rarity had gone gem-prospecting in the hills, Applejack had gone to see a seed supplier, and neither Rainbow Dash nor Fluttershy could be found. Frustrated, she had left messages to meet her at Fluttershy's place that evening and pressed on into the Everfree Forest.

The heavy gloom of the forest was familiar to her by now, given her repeated (if reluctant) visits, but the still, dank air and grasping foliage never failed to make her skin crawl. Vines hung from the twisted, gnarled branches of ancient trees which seemed to jealously tangle together to prevent any light from reaching the forest floor. Patches of fungus bloomed here and there on decaying wood, giving off a sickly glow, but as ever it was the oppressive silence which was most unnerving. She pressed on quickly to her destination, trying not to think of the wild creatures that could be watching her.

She rapped carefully at the heavy door set into a pot-bellied, blasted oak, but received no reply. She knocked again, and just as she was thinking that all her efforts that morning had been in vain, the door opened and the friendly, black-and-white striped face of Zecora appeared.

“Twilight Sparkle! You have travelled far out of your way! What brings you to my hut this day?”

“Hi Zecora! How've you been? I haven't seen you since Winter Wrap-up. Err, if you've got some time, there's a few things I need to tell you about.”

“Of course, my dear! Step right through into my lair,” Zecora joked in her heavy accent, leading her down into the large central room festooned with painted wooden masks and bottles of maturing healing potions. The Zebra seated her at her worn table and lifted a steaming kettle off the fire. The sweet smell of jasmine rose from the cups as she poured, joining the mingled scent of the herbs drying in bunches in the rafters.

“Jasmine is an uplifting balm for those whose souls are far from calm,” she noted, “And yours, I see, is one of them.”

Twilight warmed her hooves around the steaming cup in silence for a moment, watching the leaves dance in the eddies in the bottom of her cup. “You're right,” she said, “But I've got plenty to worry about. Recently, I was let in on what I suppose you could call a state secret; something has been hunting ponies across Equestria.”

She outlined the background to the disappearances, and listed the sudden spate of petty thefts around Ponyville. “Whatever it is, it seems to keep very close to wooded areas like the Everfree. So, I have to ask; have you seen anything unusual around here recently.”

Zecora flashed a toothy smile. “Yes. Everything!” she chuckled smokily, but her amusement soon faded and she looked at Twilight gravely. “I have felt the presence of the thing of which you speak in the forest, felt the unquiet even in the ancient things that haunt these trees and never rest.”

Twilight sat forward, her ears pricked intently. “Do you know what it is?” she asked urgently. “The biggest problem is that until we know what we're dealing with it's hard to know what to do about it.”

Zecora took a long draught of her tea and shook her head gently, setting her earrings and necklets chiming gently against each other. “I do not know what it could be, but wish I did not truly see,” she chewed her lip for a minute before continuing in a low, intense voice. “It is a creature of ancient pain, wreathed in shadow, a miasmic stain. It lurks upon the periphery, if one knows how to look truly, moving against the prevailing light or still amongst the whirling night.”

Zecora paused for a moment before adding, “Beware, Twilight Sparkle! I have seen its eyes watching from the dark, red as blood, and even the most fell creatures of the deep forest have fled this place in the face of its unfathomable rage.”

Twilight swallowed heavily. She was used to the jovial, knowing Zebra who spoke in rhyme, and the flat delivery and heavy deliberateness with which she chose her words drove them home like sledgehammers.

“You say it's angry?”

“It is not angry, Twilight Sparkle. That emotion is but a weak, puny spark in the face of a raging inferno. Its sheer, visceral hatred of ponykind and all living things bleeds into the very air and taints the forest around it. That is how the creatures know it, and why they flee it. Ponyville is, as you say, in very grave danger.”

Twilight's tongue seemed stuck to the roof of her suddenly-dry mouth, and she needed another mouthful of tea to free it. “If we're in danger in Ponyville, then what about you, stuck out here all alone? Zecora, you've got to move somewhere safe! You're welcome to stay with me at the library, or maybe we can find something else in town?”

Zecora laughed, the surprising sound cutting the tense atmosphere. “My spells and wards I wove with care, and thus I have no need to fear. It once pressed close my border zone, but could not breach and take my home.”

Twilight felt an urge to protest, to try to drag the Zebra to safety if needs be, but Zecora had shown her uncanny wiles before and nopony knew the Everfree better. If she felt comfortable staying, Twilight had to trust that she knew what she was doing. “But you've seen it,” said Twilight slowly, “Can you describe it?”

Again, Zecora lapsed unnervingly into plain speech. “No more so than I have already done. Its true nature and form I do not know, but you do not forget those burning eyes. What I can say is that its essence is evil, and bodes evil for any pony that crosses its path when its hatred overcomes its fear.”

“Fear?” Twilight asked, confused. From what the Zebra had said, it didn't seem that such a creature would be overly bothered by fear.

Zecora gave a grim, enigmatic smile. “Why, yes, Twilight Sparkle. How else is it so constrained? If it were to give free rein to its basest instincts there would surely be a trail of death and destruction across Equestria a mile wide and whole cities laid waste in its wake. Instead it satisfies its urge with trinkets until it summons enough courage to strike with its real purpose before fleeing again across Equestria. What governs it if not fear?”

Twilight sat silent in thought. In truth, she had wondered why the creature would bother taking such silly trophies when its end game was to kill. It seemed strange and somehow demeaning of the victim, reducing them to a token in a game. Zecora's explanation made an uncomfortable amount of sense. A thought came to mind from all she had heard.

“You said that you've warded your home here against the creature, and it works. Is there anything you could do for Ponyville?”

Zecora shook her head sadly. “Such spells would take ten thousand hours, and the magic is far beyond my powers.”

“I'm sorry, but I had to ask,” said Twilight despondently, pushing her cup around on the table in front of her. To her surprise, Zecora reached out and put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Be stout of heart and keep faith strong. With such friends as yours, you shan't go wrong.”

Twilight gave her a fleeting smile. “Thanks, Zecora. I guess I should be heading back to Ponyville, but thank you so much for telling me all this. Every extra piece of information is invaluable.”

She paused at the door, and turned to her Zebra friend again. “Remember, you're always welcome at the library.”

Zecora smiled. “Farewell, Twilight Sparkle.”

The music pulsed and swirled in her head, an imaginary tuba providing a backbeat which drove her skipping hooves down the path to Fluttershy's house. There were no words yet – lyrics tended to come when they were needed – but the basic tune had popped into her head that morning and refused to leave, so she had set herself to embellishing and improving it while she worked throughout the day.

Despite the overcast and the steady breeze, she couldn't resist throwing her head back and letting the music out, singing a few notes of what would probably be the chorus. Sure, sometimes she got a few strange looks when that happened, but most ponies were used to her now. Even better, sometimes her tunes stuck in their heads, and it was such a thrill to come across a busy pony absent-mindedly whistling something that she'd created. Octavia wasn't the only musically-inclined member of the extended Pie clan!

Her heart leapt at the sight of Applejack and Twilight talking to a timid and confused-looking Fluttershy – although Fluttershy looking timid or confused wasn't unusual, silly filly, it wasn't all that often the two were combined – three of her very best friends! Wait, scratch that; three of the very bestest, most fab-er-iffic friends anypony could ever ask for! Cymbals crashed and the music's stirring throb surged, turning her skip into an exhilarating, joyous bounce.

“Hey gang!”

Her friends looked around and gave her welcoming smiles.

“Hey Pinkie! I see at least you got my message?” said Twilight.

“Sure did! And I couldn't wait to see you all again, so here I am, even if I am a little early. Is there a problem?”

“No, not really, but I left a note for Fluttershy and she didn't get it.”

“I still say it was that rabbit of yours, Fluttershy,” said Applejack stubbornly.

“And Angel Bunny says he never even saw it!” said Fluttershy, stamping a front hoof in an uncharacteristic demonstration of anger.

“Sure-” Applejack began, but Twilight cut her off with a look.

“Well, maybe it just blew away or something, then,” she said soothingly.

“Or maybe your creepy, sneaky, sneak-thief took it,” said Pinkie before she could stop herself. Fluttershy's ears drooped and she shuffled backwards into her doorway, eyes darting around nervously, and the other two gave Pinkie annoyed looks. Whoops! Her apologetic grin didn't seem to cut much ice, either.

“I think it blew away,” said Twilight firmly. “I hope you don't mind, Fluttershy, but we need to have another meeting and your place is quietest.”

“Oh, that's OK, Twilight. I was expecting Rainbow Dash any minute, anyway. She's moving in for a few days to help with the animals,” said Fluttershy in her soft voice. Movement caught Pinkie's eye, and she spotted the light blue Pegasus zooming towards them with bulging saddlebags on her back.

“Great! You and Rainbow were the only two I couldn't find this morning. Where were you, anyway?”

“We went to Cloudsdale for the day. It's been ages since I've seen my family! It was great, but I'm glad to be home.”

By this time, Rainbow was in a silent hover just behind Twilight with an evil smirk on her face. Feeling that she ought to help out, Pinkie dived right in.

“Yeah, Cloudsdale! You know, silly, where all the Pegasuses – Pegasi – Pegasus ponies live!” she chirped, trying desperately not to look at Rainbow and give the game away.

“Yeah, I kinda know that, Pinkie,” said Twilight slowly, sharing one of those sidelong, Pinkie's-being-Pinkie, looks with Applejack.

Rainbow reached out her front legs to bonk Twilight gently on the head with Tank, her pet tortoise, shouting “Beep-beep!”

Twilight let out a shriek and took off like a bee-stung Pegasus. She landed with all four legs braced, looking about wildly with her mane and tail standing on end. Rainbow Dash collapsed out of the sky in hysterics, holding her sides with her wings as she beat her hooves on the ground and howled with laughter. Applejack jumped too, but nothing like Twilight, and soon joined in with Pinkie and Fluttershy's more restrained amusement.

“Rain-bow!” Twilight forced out through clenched teeth when she'd recovered the power of speech, panting heavily.

“Whoa, somepony's a little uptight today!” Rainbow choked through her tears of mirth.

Twilight let out a strangled scream of frustration and stomped past her into the cottage, mane and tail gradually returning to more normal proportions. Giggling, Pinkie held out her hoof to pull Rainbow back to her hooves while Applejack winked at her.

“Warn a gal next time, will ya?!”

Pinkie threw a foreleg over each of her friends shoulders and together the three of them made their way inside where they found Fluttershy consoling Twilight, who was slumped at the kitchen table. To her shock, the lavender Unicorn had tears in her eyes when she looked up at them.

“I'm sorry about that, girls, I guess I really am a bit on edge about this,” she whispered forlornly.

The others shared an uncertain look, and Rainbow Dash stepped forward tentatively to apologise.

“I'm sorry too, Twilight, it was just a joke. I didn't think-”

“It's OK, Rainbow,” Twilight cut her off. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep, calming breath. “Now, if Rarity shows up we can get on with this.”

Applejack grunted. “Late. She's always late! 'Fashionably tardy, dahhhling!'” she grumbled, mimicking the missing Unicorn.

“She's also standing right behind you,” said Rarity, tapping one hoof impatiently in the doorway.

“Oh. Uh, I knew that!” blustered Applejack, as Pinkie spun around to see her missing friend.

“Rarity! How's everypony's most awesomely stylish fashionista today?”

“Simply divine, Pinkie darling!” said Rarity, sweeping forward into the room with a glare at Applejack. “Good evening, everypony, I... oh dear. What did I say about remembering to relax, Twilight?”

“I've just had a bad day,” grumbled Twilight, before determinedly changing the subject, “Well, we're all here now, so how about I begin? There's been some developments, and I think we have a major problem.”

Pinkie and her friends listened intently as Twilight outlined the sudden rash of disappearing articles around Ponyville and Zecora's warnings. As much as Zecora was friendly and harmless and stuff, that was still one creepy Zebra!

When she'd finished, Applejack summed up with her usual propensity for straight talking. “So whatever-it-is is here and living in the Everfree, and Zecora thinks she's seen it. Be helpful if we knew what it was; all that hooey about shadows don't really help us none.”

“Maybe, but it's all we've got. I've written to the Princess, but I don't know that we're that much further forward,” said Twilight.

“But surely if we know it's here, the Princess could have the Royal Guard sweep the forest and flush it out?” said Rarity.

“Not unless they know what they're looking for. And if it's as bad as Zecora says, what would happen if they found it, especially if it was cornered? If we can just find out what it is, then there might be a safe way of dealing with it.”

“So it's definitely not those two new ponies? Summer Clip and her coltfriend?” asked Fluttershy.

“No. And he's not her coltfriend,” said Twilight, before shaking her head. “Boy, was that ever an embarrassing conversation!” she muttered. Pinkie laughed.

“Silly, I thought everypony knew that? I mean, it was obvious, even if Rarity did make the same mistake!” said Pinkie.

Rarity shuffled uneasily. “Now Pinkie, that's enough of-” she started, but Pinkie ploughed straight on through her protests.

“Rarity was like, 'So you and Silver?', and she was all, 'Eww! That's just wrong!'” Pinkie snickered. She was delighted to see a small smile break out on Twilight's face, the first time she'd seen her bookish friend smile today. Success!

“So...?” Applejack looked confused.

“So they grew up together. They're not related, but they've been best friends since they were foals,” supplied Twilight, “I got him to tell me a bit about himself.”

Applejack gave her a sceptical look. “Really? Mighty forthcoming all of a sudden, ain't he?”

Twilight wriggled uncomfortably. “Well, sort of. He'd noticed everypony asking questions and kinda put me on the spot. I had to tell him.”

“Well, now what in Eq-” Applejack stood up, bristling, but Twilight cut her off.

“He's not stupid, Applejack! And somepony wasn't exactly the soul of discretion, was she? I didn't go into specifics, just that there was something important going on. He wasn't all that pleased about it, but he did talk.”

“Sure he did. And I bet he told you exactly what you wanted to hear.”

Twilight shot to her hooves, her stool scraping across the floor. “And just what is that supposed to mean?” she demanded angrily, “Damn it, Applejack, if you think I'm wrong then spit it out, don't just stand there and snipe at me! You probably know him better than I do so if you've got anything to say then let's hear it!”

Thankfully, Applejack backed down slightly but didn't lose her blunt forthrightness. “You're right, I do know him. He's a good worker and a likeable fella. But that don't mean we can afford to take his words at face value when there's a killer runnin' loose which just so happens to tie in with him showin' up in Ponyville!”

Pinkie, who had been hopping absently from one hoof to another as the music wound on in her head, tried to jump in before the situation got out of hoof. “So we know it's not them, great! Unfortunately that means it could be anypony, right? Even me!” she chuckled. “Heh, how about it? The Ponyville Cupcake Killer?”

There was an awkward silence as Twilight and Applejack glared at each other while the other ponies were doing their best to stay out of it. “It isn't me, is it?” asked Pinkie, with a trace of uncertainty creeping into her voice. Whoa, that would be massively creepy if she was somehow transformed into a raging psychopath by night and wasn't even aware of it. Not to mention weird. And wrong. But didn't she just mention weird and wrong? Oh no!

Unaware of Pinkie's internal monologue, Twilight kept her eyes fixed on Applejack as she rattled off what Silver had told her about himself. “And if that isn't enough, I've sent a messenger to the mayor of Fetlock Bath about the two of them. But I guess you won't believe anything from them, either.”

“That's enough!” cried Rarity firmly, stamping a hoof, “I cannot believe that the two of you would indulge in such unseemly behaviour, especially in the midst of a crisis! We are friends here, no matter if we disagree, and you two seem to have forgotten that. Now sit down, the pair of you!”

Silence descended in the kitchen as Twilight and Applejack continued to stare each other down. Finally, it was Applejack who spoke. “I don't mean to rag on ya, Twi, but there's things that need to be said, an' I'll say 'em. Yes, I do know him an' as far as I can tell he ain't a bad pony, but I don't know her from a hill o' beans. They're suspects – through circumstances which ain't their fault I admit – but I can't believe you'd risk tellin' them anything you wouldn't tell nopony else, nor put any weight on their words that you can't verify someplace else.”

“You think I don't know that, Applejack?” Twilight hissed, “You think I haven't worried myself sick about whether I'm doing the right things, and how much I can trust anypony outside of you five? What he told me tallied with everything that you've told me, and Rarity's told me, and Pinkie's told me about those two. Short of the word of Celestia, that's about as good as it's going to get, so if we can discount Silver and Summer and move on we might just have a shot of solving this before somepony gets killed!”

“I said, 'sit'!” barked Rarity, a burst of magic hauling the two opponents' chairs forward and sweeping them off their hooves. “Now, perhaps we can discuss this like proper, civilised ponies! Applejack, darling, I understand your concern but I think I must side with Twilight on this occasion. What exactly is it about them that worries you so?”

Applejack leaned down to rub the backs of her hind legs where the chair had caught her, looking decidedly grumpy. She gave Rarity a dark look, and sighed. “That's just it. There ain't nothing particular, but they're about the only solid lead we got in this mess. T'ain't personal, Twi, but if we ain't got them, we ain't got nothin'!”

“I know how you feel,” said Twilight in a calmer voice, “Believe me, I feel the same way. But we can't close our eyes and hang on for grim death when the evidence is that they're no more likely than anypony else in Ponyville. We've got to go where the evidence leads us.”

“But all we got is Zecora's red eyes and a bunch o' mystical shadows,” said Applejack in frustration.

“Then we'll just have to keep looking until we find something more,” said Rainbow. “It almost sounds like you're not up for a little challenge – and that's not the A-J that I know!”

“Yeah! And you're wrong, Applejack, we've got each other!” Pinkie chipped in. She was relieved to see Applejack's cheek twitch up into a brief smile. Applejack and Twilight almost never argued like that, and she had felt uncomfortably lost to see them so at odds. “So long as we all stick together we'll have this pesky petty-pilfering polter-ghostie pummelled into a pudding, pronto! Ooh! I can even supply the pudding! Does anypony know what polter-ghostie goes with?”

“Ice-cream, I think,” Fluttershy giggled.

“Correct-amundo! Then again, ice-cream goes with everything! Mmm, ice-cream!” Pinkie trailed off, thoroughly distracted by the thought of cool, sweet, milk-based nirvana. The others laughed, perhaps a little louder than normal, and the tension started to evaporate.

The anger between her friends hadn't entirely dissipated by the time the meeting broke up. Pinkie watched Rarity and Applejack head off towards Sweet Apple Acres talking intently in low voices, as she and Twilight started back towards Ponyville. She had seen Twilight beckon Rainbow Dash to come with them, and the Pegasus made an excuse to Fluttershy and slipped out behind them.

“Looking after the cute, fluffy little animals, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, amused.

Rainbow scuffed her hoof in the dirt. “It was the best I could come up with at short notice. Either way, I'm not leaving her all alone out here. I was thinking I should spend some time with my old Flight School buddy, anyway.”

“Thanks, Rainbow. I feel a lot better for knowing the two of you are looking out for each other. Just don't forget; bar the door and make sure the windows are locked at night. Don't take any chances – if you see anything weird-”

“Then it's Sonic Rainboom-speed for the library, yeah, yeah, I got ya. Don't sweat it, Twilight, just try to solve this thing before I catch feather-flu from one of Fluttershy's flying pests!”

Twilight laughed. “I'll do my best, Rainbow,” she promised.

“That's all I can ask. See ya!”

With that, Rainbow leapt into the air and swooped away towards Fluttershy's cottage. As Pinkie and Twilight trotted back into town side by side, Pinkie found herself watching her friend out of the corner of her eye in case she stumbled. She didn't, but she had definitely looked tired and overwrought all evening. Eventually, she couldn't contain her thoughts any longer.

“Twilight?”

“Yes, Pinkie?”

“You know, you are looking a tikky-tad stressed out about everything, are you sure you're OK?”

Twilight sighed. “I'll be all right, Pinkie, but thanks.”

“Do you know what you need right now?”

Twilight snorted. “Thanks, but I really don't think I'm up for a party.”

Pinkie couldn't help but roll her eyes. “Well, duh! You'd be all tired and worn out and not enjoy yourself, and a party's not a party unless you're having fun, so if you're not having fun then it's not a party. In fact, it's worse than that – it's a waste of a party, and parties are way too much fun to waste!” she gasped, horrified at the thought of a party falling flat around a bunch of somnolent ponies. “No, what you need is an early night and a lie-in tomorrow morning.”

“You know, that sounds really good about now,” Twilight admitted. “Spike even made me breakfast in bed this morning, too. I really don't know what I'd do without him, sometimes!”

“I think the only party you're good for right now is a sleepover party. With an emphasis on sleep. Ooh! Ooh! Here's an idea! Wanna have a sleepover party?”

Twilight turned her head and grinned. “Not tonight, Pinkie.”