Grim Prospects

Back at the castle, Twilight was in a tizzy. She’d asked for Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash to join her in the throne room. The five ponies sat facing one another, as they usually did when there was some sort of crisis.

“But why are all those ponies camping here?” Rainbow Dash puzzled. “We’ve never had them visit Ponyville before, right?”

“Prospectors go where the wind whispers to ’em,” Applejack explained with a shrug. “They hear about a pony strikin’ it rich this way or that, and they’ll be there, staking a claim on it.”

Twilight shook her head. “Have you seen what they’ve done to Ponyville Park?” She flung up her hooves. “Holes dug everywhere!”

“You bet I have!” Fluttershy fumed. Her voice was just slightly louder than its normal volume of a sweet, gentle whisper. “The poor little animals are terrified. Just terrified.” Fluttershy looked like she was going to cry. “Their homes just dug into and ripped apart…”

“So what should we do?” Rainbow Dash looked around to each of their faces. “Ask them to leave?” The blue Pegasus fidgeted with her rainbow mane.

“You can give it a whirl, but chances are they won’t budge,” Applejack cautioned. She looked to Rainbow Dash. “There was a gold rush once in Appleloosa. Took ponies moons to leave, even once the stream dried up.”

“I hope Starlight Glimmer was able to find Trixie,” Twilight Sparkle fretted. “If she is cursed with a Gem Hoof like we fear, we don’t have much time until she’s in danger.… It takes a little bit, but the Gem Hoof eventually affects the cursed pony’s entire body. If we’re too late, Trixie could be completely transformed into a gem statue!” Twilight bit her lip and stared up at the chandelier, pushing the horrible thought from her mind. “I just wish I knew who cursed her and why!”

“Oooh! Oooh!” Pinkie Pie squealed as she squirmed in her throne, hoof raised. “I think I know!”

Applejack frowned. “Well, why didn’t ya say so, sugarcube?”

“Yeah. What happened?!” Rainbow Dash urged.

“Well…” Pinkie took a deep breath and spoke very quickly. “Trixie was bugging Rarity to make her an outfit, but then she tried to mess with the dress Rarity was sewing for Sapphire Shores and got in the way, and Rarity’s magic went all loopsy-doodles! So then Trixie’s hoof was like, ‘gloooow!’ and everypony in town was like, ‘whoaaaaa!’ and now everything she touches is totally turning into Glowpaz!” Pinkie shrugged. “I saw it happen through the window.”

The ponies were all taken aback, but the color drained from Twilight’s face. “It was Rarity? And it was an accident?” Now that she didn’t expect. But Twilight did know magic’s effect worked with intent. Rarity’s magic was intended for the dress—not Trixie. So would the remedy need to change, too? Between Twilight’s and Starlight’s skills, they stood a good chance of figuring it out. But they didn’t have much time.

“We have to find Trixie right away and reverse that spell—before it’s too late!”

If they didn’t, Trixie would soon become nothing more than a great and powerful statue—forever frozen in Glowpaz like a fly in a piece of amber.