The Fox Who Cried Wolf

Chapter 1 - After Him!


"Come on, come on..."

Another book is placed in the ever increasing 'No' pile, placed on the table near-by. The wooden, pale purple bookshelves are scanned again for anything regarding precious stones. His tails flick from side to side in his frustration and urgency. The scarlet, white-tipped brushes threatened to knock over the globe with every swing.

"Dee-der-dee....errm..." He bends low, he stretches high. Another check over his shoulder towards the front door before returning to the search.

Is he feeling warm? He pulls at his white T-shirt collar while stepping back, looking at the top shelf. Weirdly well-organised these books. He pulls off his black shirt, dumping it on the table along side his weapon. Curiously, this creature is wearing jeans. Grubby, worn-down and heavily stained jeans.

Come on...rocks! Gems! Something useful! Nothing had anything on the dangerous ones!

"Hoo-hooo!"

"DAAAAAGH!" The dark brown eyes open wide as he spins on one paw, readying a fist at whatever made that noise. His gaze darts around the room, up at the bedroom, around the tops of the bookshelves before settling on a windowsill. An owl was sitting there, watching with saucers for eyes. The small lump of brown feathers seemed to be perfectly still but fascinated in the new library user. The bird wasn't going for him, no matter how long they stare at each other. All of his muscles stopped tensing immediately as he turned back around to look at the top shelf.

Hmm, that one looks interesting.

He moves to the ladder, dragging it over from one side of the room with a loud grind across the floor. Ladder in place, he climbs up when the front door opens wide.

"And that's why we've got to be prepared for when this fox...arrives..." Both pony's stop in their tracks. He is now clinging to the ladder with a python grip. You can probably hear him start to crush the wood ever so slightly within his anxious grip. The two ponies and the baby dragon that have arrived stare, dumbstruck for a second. Imagine if Satan himself had actually walked into the room after uttering the related phrase.

"Twilight, isn't that-?" The dragon says. The stranger here steps down from the ladder, offering a friendly smile as he inches towards the table with his things on. The time to leave should have been a minute ago but this would have to do.

"Yes Spike, it's him." The purple mare answers, lowering her head. Both Spike and the yellow mare slide behind Twilight as her horn begins to glow.

"Ha, right!" The Stranger laughed nervously, black-furred hand scrambling on the table for his things while keeping both eyes on the horn.

"I'm not looking for trouble so I'm gonna leave." The hand lands on his shirt. He snatches it up before grabbing the weapon from the table as he makes quick steps towards the door. Twilight's horn produces a line of magical rope in the air. It lashes out at The Stranger, tying itself around his wrists before he could leave.

"You are not going anywhere!" Twilight calls at The Stranger. The gang of two behind her cheer.

"Yeah! Nice one Twilight!" Spike says with a good raspberry to the now bound Stranger.

"Is it safe now?" The yellow mare asks. The Stranger inspects his bonds, keeping him tethered to the rest of the rope.

"Huh...Magical manifestations. Really?" he remarks before shutting his eyes, breathes out then sharply breathes in while his arm muscles tense. Within a second or two, the solid form of the magic rope disintegrates. The Stranger pulls himself free with ease while his bonds disintergrate. All three of them are stunned and rightly so.

"Not bad, but I really think I've got to leave. Sorry for the mess!" The Stranger said politely with the air of being late rather than an escaping intruder. He makes hurried slides towards the door with every word. The unicorn steps between the odd stranger and the door, defiant.

"No! You-" Twilight is cut off as the creature simply steps over her, dashing out of the room.

"Excuse me." The stranger adds as he steps away.

Twilight turns to the yellow mare quickly: "Fluttershy! What can you tell me about foxes that could help?"

"Nothing useful. The foxes here don't tend to excuse themselves politely." Fluttershy said in her usual, hushed tones.

"Then we need to read up on them faster than I thought. I've never heard of somepony dissolving a spell like that." Twilight begins scanning the bookshelves herself, pulling relevant ones as she sees them then handing them to Spike.

~~|~~​

Bright daylight slowly makes the street in the town, keeping everything warm while various ponies trot past on their own business. The buildings were all built from brightly coloured wood, randomly spaced along the street towards the town square. Everypony didn't take much notice the fox, who now had the tall task of moving across town without being seen. Or at least raising further alarm. Invisibility is never there when you need it, ay? Today would have been fantastic for the ability to become more of a spectre than a sore thumb but alas. Ignoring everyone and hoping that they ignore you seems to be the best course of action. However, he towered over every single pony here and was bright red in colour. Red is the most visible colour of the spec-

Something pink was hopping up and down in front of his face when the stranger stopped grumbling in his head. It's strange, wide grin; it's untamed pink mane and it's wide, excited eyes.

"Hello! I've not seen you here before! And I don't think I'd forget a face not that I do miss a face ever but I'd never forget a face like yours so that must mean your new. What's your name?" She stares expectantly. The pony seemed to be hopping up and down just to keep eye-contact for as long as possible with each leap.

"Tyro." He reluctantly lets the pony know, with a cautious look over the shoulder. "Now, I should really be-"

"I'm Pinkie Pie!" She declares, bounding up and down in a circle around Tyro. "Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ponyville."

Pinkie stops hopping on the spot to extend her forelegs in a large ta-da, complete with confetti. Tyro couldn't help but question every aspect of the creature behind the grin. Like where the confetti came from when Pinkie clearly had no sleeves. She peers around at something behind Tyro, waving a hoof.

"Twilight! Fluttershy! Spike! Come meet my new friend over here! Come an' meet, Tyro!" She looks back, only to find a Tyro-shaped pocket of nothing. Pinkie took this in her stride, understanding completely.

"I love hide and seek! I'll count!" And with that, Pinkie speeds to the nearest wall and covers her eyes. "One, two, three, four..."

"Oooohh...There must be something we can use in these." Twilight says as the three of them gallop after Tyro.

"The guy's dangerous! Couldn't Applejack round him up?" Spike suggests from behind the stack of books in both arms. Twilight considered this as she suspends two books for herself and Fluttershy to read from. It didn't sound like too bad a plan actually. She'd be able to have things done before this Tyro hurt anyone.

"Good idea. Go find Applejack, she'll be at her store. Quickly!" Twilight urged, watching Spike meander to the side, heading towards the market stalls. The two mares push onwards, reading and running after the fugitive fox.

"Uh, Twilight?" Fluttershy asks. "How do you pronounce this?"

"Hmm?" Twilight moves the book from Fluttershy to in front of her. She canters to a stop, followed by Fluttershy, her eyes scanning the symbols expertly.

"Ki..kits...kistuneh? Kitsoon? Kit, kit..."

As Twilight mutters to herself, Fluttershy watches somepony storm past with a lasso over head.

Tyro could hear hooves behind him. Well, that's the purple and the yellow ones from before, probably. They seem to be keen to collect a bounty maybe? Maybe a little more picking up of the pace should lose them.

And then he found that his face was scraping along the ground. The change was instantaneous. And painful. Why was he on the floor? He was running, wasn't he? Why are all the ponies here out to get him? Why not just leave him alone? Since when were small horses able to cause such harm?

He finds that his ankle had been tied to a rope and this peach coloured pony in a cowboy hat was now around his feet, adding more layers of rope to his ankles to bind them together.

"You be a migh' bigger than the critters I round up but I guess yeh ain't no different." She said through clenched teeth, pulling the rope nice and tight.

"Oh fer..." Tyro mutters darkly.

"Can it, fox! You ain't goin' no-wheres. My knots don't undo!" She said. "Now you gonna play nice?"

"Nnnope!" Tyro raises his ankles into the air, takes in a breath then releases it. It bursts forth as a ploom of fire that engulfs his feet.

"What in the hey!?" Applejack ducks low as the flames dissipate over her hat. With nothing but ashes remaining of the lasso, Tyro rolls to his paws, grabbing his strewn weapon from the ground, working back into a quick pase.

It's at this point that we get Twilight's half-absorbed shout from behind everything: "Applejack! He breathes fire! Be careful!"

His muzzle aches in protest for being smashed against the ground. Tyro skids to a halt, soothing his face while jerking his head one way, then another for a place to hide. He was making sure he still had teeth on the side on his mouth he landed on when a gap in between two buildings caught his eye. Maybe an open window or something to hide in might be there. Applejack was storming straight for him with the other two following on behind. He makes a beeline for it, leaping straight over a largely oblivious grey pegasus and into the alleyway between the two houses.

Applejack easily makes the same jump, brushing the pegasus' saddlebag on the way over before dashing after Tyro.

Fluttershy spots that Twilight isn't paying any attention to what's in front of her and takes immediate action.
"Twilight!"

"Huh?" Twilight does look up from the book to let out a fantastic scream and dig each hoof into the ground. She was able to skid to a halt just close enough for the cross-eyed gaze of the pegasus to meet her full in the face. "Uh...hi!"

Applejack thunders down the alleyway. She looks left and right, coming to a canter then a stop. She looks back. Maybe he vanished or something 'cause there's nothing here. The alley was bare, nothing to hide behind. He couldn't have gotten far, right? The alleyway did open up onto the forest but she couldn't see anything disturbed. There would be a large, trail of smooshed plants if Tyro had-

"FOUND YOU! Your it!" Pinkie? Applejack wheels back around to see Pinkie Pie looking right up at the fox, balanced on a window-sill far above her. "You know, you're pretty good at this. It took me all of five seconds to find you. That's a new record! How about we play again!" Applejack approached slowly. He seems to consider giving Pinkie a whack with the silvery weapon his his hand still but clearly shakes his head at the thought. Tyro drops from the window sill, onto Pinkie.

"I really am sorry." Twilight adds before switching off the grin. Still carrying the book with her magic as she walks into the alleyway.

"Twilight! It's Pinkie! She ain't righ'!" Applejack was standing over the pink pony, face planted firmly into the ground with nothing but her hind legs propping her up. She was inert and quiet. Distressing, to say the least.

"Is she dead?" Twilight asks, moving in for a closer inspection.

"Nah! She's sleepin'." replies Applejack, "That fox guy leapt on her an' did somethin'!"

"What exactly?" Twilight tries giving Pinkie Pie a jab in the side. Nothing. She was truely inert. This was eery...

"I dunno. All he did was put a hand on her head. Ever heard'a ju-ju that does somthin' like this?" Applejack asks.

"The book mentions energy a lot...If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a vampire attack."

"Well then!" Applejack said, drawing herself to full height, "We gotta fluffy vampire to find! No pony sucks mah friends blood and get's away with it!"

Brighter greens gave way to darker tones as Tyro approaches the forest. The wild, overhanging leaves caused pockets of shadow over the bushes. Swamp lakes cut into the straight path through the trees. The maw of Everfree Forest gave no indication of what sat in the dense overgrowth, other than a pony - or fox - was not welcome in anyway.

"Charming..." Tyro mumbles before giving a quick check behind him. A streak of colour catches his eye. Above him, more shapes dart over him. He sweeps one paw along the ground, dropping into a low stance. The weapon still in his hand was raised and readied, sweeping his gaze from one side to the other as four pegasi land in a circle around him. His tails sway backwards and forwards in anticipation.

In two of the pegasi's mouths, there was a rope net, ready and waiting for him. It even had weights at the side too to keep him trapped under it. The two, burly looking colts with it clenched in their mouths seemed to be waiting from the blue pegasus with the rainbow mane. It was like Tyro was a cat they were trying to catch in a towel.
"Easy..." She commanded. "Aaaaand....Now!" The two colts launch the net at unison at Tyro. With a short breath, a new burst of flame incinerates the net and the weights around it smash into the ground. He makes a break for a gap in the pegasus blockade, carrying on towards the forest.

Well today's been even worse than yesterday. That was on a train, hiding in a suitcase which is not recommended for anyone. Stuffy, constant concern of breathable air, wondering whether anyone would notice a fox casually slipping out of luggage to get some water. A long journey in the dark with nothing but inane chatter for entertainment. Still, you pay to get a seat. And he didn't pay. Now this place was trying to capture him. It was a step up in some ways; he could stretch his legs.

A rainbow-coloured streak cuts straight for his leg, knocking it out from under Tyro. He lands on his back heavily.

"Bugger!" He curses through clenched teeth. His hand opens, releasing the metallic weapon and letting it clatter away from him. Ignoring the possible bruising for now, Tyro rolls onto his paws then reaches for the weapon's handle. The rainbow streak returns, snatching the weapon up before he can. The pegaus stops mid-air with the handle in her mouth.

Tyro lets out a long, dark growl. With a click of his fingers, a flame appears in the palm of his hand. He flings it at the blue pony as the rest of the capture gang arrive to help. The blue pegasus easily swoops under the thrown fire. Tyro generates more of these fireballs, flinging them at the pegasi. Every one swerves out of the way but definitely keeps their distance.

Apparently, they're not getting the message...

He reaches for a chain around his neck. It's a blotchy, old looking necklace chain that he pulls over his black, triangular ears and shaggy hair then out from his T-shirt. On the end of the chain is a small, orange gem stone that throbs threateningly. The metal that the stone is seated in has been warped and scorched. You might have been able to tell that they used to look like tails once. He holds the pendant in his palm and points it right at the ground. The pendant glows and belches fire into the ground from the stone in the centre. The heat blackens the dirt, leaving a thin, charred layer there once the second long burst halted. Tyro points the pendant at the pegasi.
"This is a warning! You lot can just hand me back the Tail and I won't roast you, clear?" The pegasi backed up, mostly, at his words. Only the blue one with the rainbow mane stayed put. The one with the weapon in her mouth.
"Did you not hear me?" Tyro barks at the pegasus. "I got a pretty big range with this thing."

Tyro spots two shapes on the horizon. Quite clearly, it's the purple and the peach one from earli-

The blue pegasus zips towards Tyro with the weapon out-stretched. In his momentary lapse of attention, the weapon's blade hits him right in the stomach. All air is squeezed out of his lungs with the force of the blow, leaving Tyro to flop to a crouch wheezing. His arm is only just managing to keep the pendant aimed upwards. The blue pegasus lands, tossing the weapon towards the other pegasi then bolting for Tyro's hand. She catches the chain in her teeth then yanks it out of his grip. Triumphant, she tosses the pendant over to one of the burly pegasi to catch.
"Ain't so tough! I dunno how the guards at Canterlot has so much trouble. I barely broke into a sweat!" The boasting from the pegasi was met with louder growls. "What? You you feelin' bad after I beat you?"

"Rainbow Dash! Get away from him!"

"Huh?" All four pegasi turn to see the arrival of Twilight and Applejack, both breathless from chasing all over town. "Don't worry Twilight, I got him right where I-"

As Rainbow Dash turns back to her defeated opponent, the surprise sets in when she clearly sees that the red-furred fox had gone. The clothes the fox had been wearing - a pair of jeans and two types of shirt - lay strewn along the path into the Everfree Forest. The jeans lay on the road and the black shirt was draped over a bush. "Shoot!"
"Oh, *gasp*, no..." Twilight breathes as she comes to a stop next to Rainbow Dash. "We, lost him." The fitter Applejack seemed to be able to handle the sprint better.
"Is everypony OK?" She asks.

"It's not us you should worry about!" Rainbow Dash answers, throwing jabs into the air. "It's the fox you should worry about! He never saw me coming! He was like "I'll burn you with my necklace!" and I was like "No way!" and then I downed him in one hit with his swordy thingy!"

"Swordy thingy?" Applejack inquires.

"Burn you with his necklace?" Twilight presses further.

"Yeah. We got them right here." Rainbow Dash said.

"I think we might be able to find out more about this fugitive. He might also come back for this things so we'll have to make sure they stay where we can keep an eye on them." Twilight discerns. "Take it back to the library and can someone pick up his clothes too?"

Rainbow Dash pulls a disgusted face: "I'm not touching them. They look like they fit in with the place."


Chapter 2 - High Treason

The worrying thing about this scene was not how the fox seemed to be running for his life or that the entirety of the trees in this gloomy, dangerous place might swallow him up just for fun.

It was that his leg was completely white. At least, as far as Tyro was concerned.

Sure, his paw was a more healthy black raising up to around the joint as though he had long socks on but past that up to his shoulder was snow white. It didn't sting. No, thanks to the blue bint with the crazy mane, it was his stomach that still crackled with new aches and pains. It didn't react differently either but Tyro couldn't produce fire with it. When he had fingers, he could easily create flames with his right hand. With his left, however, all he got was multi-coloured sparks. It's been a bit of a worry since Canterlot.

Now, when he was...umm, smaller, his paws were more for staying upright than throwing fireballs. Being a biped was handy but here, he'd need a smaller profile if he was to stay out of sight. Standing at around six feet tall in a world of small ponies was akin to strapping a rotating light to his head.

He'd just have to be smarter. And breath fire a lot more. It's not a terrible thing; just spitting the stuff is intimidating enough, usually.

~ | ~​

"Pinkie? Pinkie, are you all right?" Twilight asks as Pinkie wearily raises her head. They're back in the Library, surrounded by friends and scattered books. The stricken pony was laid out over Twilight's bed, her friends surrounding her.

"Hi." Pinkie's usually shrill, quick-paced tones were absent. Instead, she spoke with a sluggish, muted voice that barely had the energy to tumble out of her mouth. Her slack face had "exhausted" written all over it. "What am I doing here?"

"Shush, shush, shush!" Rairity said, holding a hoof up to Pinkie's mouth. "There's no need to exert yourself, dear. You're safe now and the nasty monster's run off."

"He ran off before he got his turn." Pinkie had little left to put some emphasis behind the words.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not another word! You can't spare the energy. I would just concentrate on resting and getting better." Rarity said in manner similar to a mother reasoning with a child.

Rainbow Dash covered her mouth with a hoof and whispers to Applejack: "Pinkie Pie sounds a lot like Fluttershy, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah! I was tryin' to figure that!" Applejack replies.

"Figure what?" Rarity inquires, looking over her shoulder.

"Nothin'."

"That means staying put. You'll have to stay in bed the whole day." Rarity explains slowly, returning to Pinkie.

Oh, the face of heartbreak. That quivering lip, those welling eyes! Where Pinkie managed to find the oomph to show her distress, shall likely never be known.

Rarity composes herself has best as she can: "Oh please, Pinkie. It's only for a day...Just...umm..."

~ | ~​

A zebra stops in her tracks. There was a disturbance in the forest. She stood on the vaguely outlined path through the trees to Ponyville. Although, it's only a path because the overgrowth hadn't encroached yet. The new items from her shopping trip might be attracting something that was clearly hungry. This forest was dangerous but the animals could be avoided without too much trouble. If anything though, this appeared to be heading for her. The dense bushes rustle. The rings running up the length of her neck clatter as she looks behind. The slender eyes dart back and forth as the dark bushes of the forest betray the movements of something running past. Dark leaves are kicked up as the creature streaks around her. She takes a hoof forwards and the commotion starts up again.

"Little fillies should come out,
This is not a good place to play and shout.
Large creatures have teeth to bite,
And might think to give a fright.
I will help you get back home,
Away from this dangerous zone." There wasn't any reaction from the damp, dark trees. After a wait of a second or two, she started to move again.

There! She sees a long form. Something darting in front of her.

"Creature, there's no need to distress,
I wish not to cause you further stress." Her eyes dart around, looking for any sort of reaction from the leaves. She gets one. A shaggy scarlet and white head pops its head out of a shrub, staring at him.

"So...Your not from the town? All right..." Tyro hops out of the deep greenery. "I'm looking for a map of the area?"

She watches the fox wonder over to her with his his one white leg. The...well, for want of a better word, hair on his head was ragged and unkept. It had a fringe that seemed to threaten his sight while also travelling down the back of his neck. The black triangles of his ears stick out of this matted mane. He plods over to Zacora, two long, white-tipped brushes sweeping behind him. The zebra takes a step away from Tyro.

"These lands of apple trees and green,
Are not a place where you should not be seen." Her voice had dropped into a displeased decree. The entirety of the zebra's verse went over his head.

"I...what? Sorry? Apple trees? Where?" The zebra recovers the space she backtracked, standing tall in order to lock eyes so that they could burn into Tyro's.

"The likes of you should not be here,
Kitsune create a bad atmosphere.
Farms are drained, wither and die,
Nothing can grow on soil that's dry." The zebra said. A little light of recognition flicked on in Tyro's head. He'd heard all this sort of talk before.

"Oh! Right! Yes, now I'm on the right page. Err...I don't take what I don't need. Don't worry!" Tyro reassures, waving away any accusations with his front paws.

"Then what is the map's purpose,
If not to find an orchard's surplus?" Tyro was beginning to feel even more uncomfortable underneath the zebra's glinting glare. Although, he had to give respect to the consecutive couplets she was getting. Why this pony was doing it? He'd no idea.

"I'm looking for a desert. There's something I need to do and your Princess along with plenty of other people are in danger and I've got around a week before everything goes tits-up. So! If you could be so kind, can I borrow a map, please?" As a finishing touch, a polite smile from the fox, baring lots of teeth. The zebra visibly mulled over Tyro's words. She seemed uncertain of Tyro's intentions, even after she seemed to believe him.

"If lives are at stake,
Then come with me,
But whether I believe you,
we'll have to wait and see." The zebra resumes her journey where it had been interrupted. Tyro bounds to her side in an effort to keep up.
"It sounds like you have more than one good tale,
But the one most recent, you should regale." She said. Tyro spent a good few seconds translating in his head.

"You what? Oh! Right! Yes! Well,err...Ooo...Where to begin? Errrr..."

~ | ~​

Her mane was smog. It curved around her face when she stood in profile, an ever moving wave of black and silver particles. The rest falls down one shoulder, almost to the floor where it vanishes into the air. Her white coat makes her quite visible in the pastel shades of the hallways here. The crest hanging round her neck clicks quietly at regular intervals. Small cogs snap to a new position around the edges of the shiny device every few ticks.
"Your Highness? She will see you now." She silently nods her thanks before slipping through the doors into the room. Her eyes fall instantly to the bed.

There, she saw the rainbow, flowing mane and the weary but pleased expression on that face. Entire legs were covered in plaster casts then hoisted into the air. There was a nurse behind the Princess, tending to a majestic, if battered, wing. Patches of the brilliant white coat had tinges of black. The smell of smoke hung in the air.
"Oh Celestia..." She said, concern flooding her face. "What did he do to you?"

~ | ~​

"You have some interesting furniture." Tyro said, eyes darting all over the room as Zecora returned. The cauldron bubbled in it's position in the centre of the slightly-dark, wooden shack. Masks decorated in feathers and thin paints hang from the walls. Books sit in their shelves and between all the bottles, each one unique in colour, shape and size. Zecora spread the map over a work surface in front of Tyro.
"Thank you, I do my best,
Now your story, please tell the rest." She sat down opposite Tyro. He stares off into the middle distance, trying to recall everything.
"Yeah...Umm....So, I'd travelled from Appleloosa to...Caaaan...Cann...Canterlot! That's it. Heading straight for the palace."

~ | ~​

Tyro steps away from the wall, holding the weapon ready. Every step has as little weight placed on it as possible all the while he treads down the deserted hallway. The light has been lightly coloured by all the stained glass it passes through while entering the room. Little ponies either fly about, or trot around the green landscapes shown with in them. Hanging baskets of flowers adorn every window in the silent place. Tyro reaches the door at the far end. With a delicate touch, he twists the handle, inching the door open. He slips into the corridor through the crack.

The Tiara is supposed to be quite close. Hopefully, this place was planned out with a modicum of sense. From outside, it looked like the architect had gone mad on the plans. This place was all high towers and tall roofs. Builders around here must have a heck of a job while not looking down or minding their step.

The darker corridor is blanker than the lavish one he'd just come from. The high ceilings dominates anything standing inside, making them appear small in comparison. Windows let the sunlight flood in and the off-scarlet carpet was soft under Tyro's paws. The furniture of desks and occasional containers of flowers seemed to be filling the space here. Checking in each direction, Tyro nervously walks in the direction that is almost certainly the treasure vault. With the lightest of fingers he could possibly manage, he grabs the handle of the door. Slowly, shooting glances over his shoulder at the currently quiet and empty halls, he twists and opens the door, slipping into the largest gap he could face making.

~ | ~​

Fluttershy enters the Library to find Spike holding the pendent Rainbow Dash brought back at arms length. Rainbow Dash herself was hovering over the baby dragon with a wide gaze and a bucket of water clenched in her hooves. She was clearly on guard for something. Applejack had the black shirt clenched in her teeth and was beating the last remaining embers sitting in a pile of ash where the table was before she left for food. Beside the wreckage, Rarity attempted to console the distressed Twilight. One hoof was rubbing her back as Twilight caught her breath, holding onto a small pile of charred and tattered books as though morning lost pets. Fluttershy puts down the pot of soup hanging from her mouth.

"What happened here? Has Spike got the hiccups again?" She asks.

"Hey! It wasn't me! It was this thing!" Spike said, watching the stone in the centre for any sudden movements.

"Is everypony all right?" She asks again, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah. Twilight's a little shook up after the whole thing but that necklace should go some place else." Applejack explained, spitting the sooty shirt to the ground.

"The wretched thing decided to explode in her face." Rarity adds. "Perhaps we should place it somewhere where it's unlikely to any more damage? It could have taken the whole library with it. Why not put it in water, Rainbow Dash?"

Applejack shrugs."Better than leavin' it around."

So Rainbow Dash flutters down to a landing, placing the bucket on the floor. Spike turns and drops the pendant, chain and all into the water. It clunks as it hits the bottom. They both peer inside.
"Are those bubble supposed to be there?" Spike asks.

"What?" Rarity looks up with alarm. "Spike! What's happening?" The bucket starts to emit wisps of steam while a soft bubbling rumbles from within.

"Uh...We're gonna need another plan." Rainbow Dash said over her shoulder, "The necklace is boiling the water away."

~ | ~​

"Continue please,
It's unkind to speak then freeze."

"Sorry, sorry. Just...collecting my thoughts. So, I eventually find this thing."

Tyro closes the door behind him. It clicks quietly as he steps through the lines of jewels and onate portraits. They were all of these various horses and ponies in armour or crowns. He still holds his weapon at his side, ready to whack anything that might just try and jump him. All there were was the same plush carpet and velvet ropes keeping him from the glass cabinate. The metal doors at the end was the goal. Electric blue lines are embedded into the dense metal. Their lattice across the doors interconnects and crosses over like a thicket hedge. It even ends in sharp thorns. The cruel barbs are all linked back to a throbbing crystal in the centre of the door. There's a quiet hum in the otherwise still air of dust. He sweeps towards the door, giving it a quick looking over.

"Uh huh..." He moved a hand from his weapon to the door's surface, travelling slowly towards the buzzing blue streams. Blue lightning arcs from one of the thorns, attacking his fingertip harmlessly but enthusiastically.

"Huh...A magic lock. Neat. It's nice that they made it look so pretty." He smugly mumbles to go along with the triumphant smirk. He places all of his finger tips on the doors surface, blue sparks fizzing around the touch points. The thorns and the lines of the lock glow like a cigarette end. The energy that rushes through these leylines of the door fizzle at their brightest around Tyro's hand. The blue of the magical lock starts to ebb away at the edges. The life of the lock retracts towards his fingertips, spitting and hissing at its devoured. The crystal heart of the electric lock dims, flickers then comes to a defeated rest as the fox wins out over it.

"They weren't expecting me." Tyro grabs the edge of the door that now swings gradually open on it's hinges. It would seem the only thing keeping it closed was the magic. The door is swung wide open to show the rest of the vault. Other tiaras twinkle on their small, pristine pillows in this grey vault. There is only a small lamp that came on once the door opened, although the little flames appear to have wings. Tyro walks in, making a beeline for just what he wanted.

"You," began a sudden, female voice from the other end of the wardrobe. "Had better have the most brilliant excuse planned for being here."

~ | ~​

Zecora begins to wince, shuffling uneasily in her seat.
"I don't like where this is going,
Maybe I'm better not knowing."

"No! Look, no-one else has sat down and listened to all this yet. They've either attacked, thrown nets or tried to cast spells on me." Tyro pleads "I know it was stupid now but it's the truth! Someone should hear my side of the story. You know more than anyone else so far, so just hear the rest, all right?. Now...err..."

~ | ~​

"You had better have the most brilliant excuse planned for being here." The vibrant, ethereal mane frames the serious look of the alicorn staring down at him. Tyro sheepishly turns, a tiara of ornate golds and silvers that clutched a large, red jewel in his grip.

"Heh...Look, Princess! If you weren't going to listen to my letters, then I have to take action." Tyro replies as he walks out of the vault, attempting to be as mindful as possible for exits. "Please, let me prove what I said was true."

The Princess stands defiant, guards around her pointing their weapons and moving closer.

"I have heard enough of your slander against my cousin. The stone is not dangerous and she couldn't be more disgusted with your accusations. Put my tiara down if you're truly not looking for any trouble." Celestia orders.

Tyro raises his hand, clutching the tiara. Small black strands form around his fingers. The small, black wisps knit together into a form. They make a fretboard, a neck, a body, a head. Strings pull themselves taught, perfectly in tune. Putting the tiara in his mouth to clutch with his teeth, Tyro starts to play the strange, long necked instrument he held. With each note, the air in the room shifted, swirling around him with increasing voraciousness. He backs up once the guard's steel comes to close. The howling wind lifts him.

"He's trying to get away!" Celestia calls. "Stop him!"

The long blades of the guards swing for him. Tyro throws his weight around in the rising winds, just avoiding the weapons by turning and flipping around while the strong air currents kept him above them. Another swings for him but another aerial shift backwards sees him sink towards the ground. The growing air catches him, raising him back up gently. Then a guard charges forwards for his stomach, weapon cutting through the air fast. Tyro raises his instrument, looking to deflect the attack.

The crunch was horrific. The blade shattered the wood, putting a decent gash in the side. Every string was cut, dangling uselessly from the instrument as the fox crashed to the ground. The wind that had filled the room gave one last, dying shriek before it vanished into tranquility once more.

He looks up to see weapons pointed at him.

"Paws up!"

 

Great...I'm still getting that problem of translating the lights and colours in my head into words on the screen. I'll have to see if I can bother someone to help with that...

Otherwise thanks. And it's the idea what you have no idea why Tyro's being chased...