The box that Green Leaf held could get him jailed for life.

He set the wooden box down on the counter. He brushed his hoof along the top, feeling tingly heat within. This case definitely isn’t up to safety standards. That wasn’t surprising, given the shady old pair of stallions he purchased it from. The metal lock dropped to the floor.

Tendrils of red light leaked through the box like a warning signal. He edged the lid open, red and heat spilling out. Glaring light assaulted his eyes, forcing him to block it with a hoof.

He stepped away from the box and scoured the mess of items strewn about behind him. Pawing through a pile to find some sunglasses turned out to be rather difficult in the near-darkness, only the red light aiding him. Wait a moment…

Jumping up, he slammed the box shut, breathing heavily as anxiety swarmed his chest. Could anypony have seen the light from my windows? Strange red magic flashing in his windows was sure to cause questions.

He stood in the darkness with his hooves planted on the warm box, calming down. “Why did I have to take this job?” He wailed, letting out a tremulous sigh.

The sound of the shop door opening reminded him of the answer.

Moonlight carved out the silhouette of the tall pony standing at the entrance. A bright wisp of magic closed it again. The pony walked up to the counter and turned the lights on with a spark of the horn.

Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Green Leaf tried to smile like he did to any customer, no matter how rare they were, but only succeeded in displaying an uneasy one. His eyes locked to hers. Cold eyes that were absent of the same spark of light that everyone in Ponyville shared, eyes that held many years of experience and age. Dark circles rested under them, and rebellious locks of hair jutted out from her mane. She wore no regalia or attire.

“Your m-majesty,” Green Leaf stuttered, “Did you receive the latest shipment of materials?”

“Yes.”

“Right...” He spun the box around. “I’ve procured your Dragonspark Gem. It wasn’t easy… or cheap.” Twilight opened the box with her magic, causing Green Leaf to recoil from the light. “Agh!” The light died to a faint flicker as she channeled a beam of purple magic into it.

A large red crystal sat in a sheet of packing foam. Stubs of black rock pierced into it, with sparks of crackling red magic dancing across the surface. “What does it do?” The stallions he bought it from didn’t know either—and there was surely a reason that the Canterlot Institute of Magical Artifacts listed it as a “highly dangerous artifact”.

Twilight shut the box. “Payment.” She said, placing a golden scepter onto the counter. With that, she turned around and walked out the door, spreading her wings and taking off in flight.

As usual, he got no answers out of her. He glanced at the golden scepter lying on the counter. But he did get money! And that was more than enough for him not to start asking questions. Still, a Dragonspark Gem? He’d never heard of such an artifact before, but he usually didn’t deal in highly illegal items either.

After stowing the scepter away, he went upstairs to prepare for bed. Before going to sleep, he opened the ledger at his bedside. Expenses: Dragonspark Gem — 8,000 bits, he wrote. His eyes jumped to the profit category. Empty. Flipping the pages, he was only greeted by more empty columns.

He sighed and hopped into bed, suppressing his worries as he drifted into slumber.

---

Green Leaf wiped the crumbs off his mouth after taking a final bite of his muffin. The frail old face of Derpy smiled at him from behind the bakery counter as he walked out the door.

Brisk air enveloped him when he walked down the street. Although the sun was shrouded by clouds and the weather wasn’t welcoming, the inhabitants of Ponvyille still filled the streets, cheerful as ever.

Finally, he reached the Ponyville library. The corner of town was devoid of denizens at this early hour. He walked up to the large monument in front of the library.

Statues of five mares stood heroically atop the stone base, emblems of the Elements of Harmony adorning them. The Element of Magic claimed the center, but with no statue of its bearer accompanying it. His eyes found themselves drawn to the golden plaque.

In memory of the Elements of Harmony, saviours of the realm.

As always, clumps of flowers rested below it. Another bouquet floated over from behind him. He turned around to see Twilight Sparkle. “Your majesty,” He said in surprise.

She gave no reply, staring up at the statues.

After moments, her violet eyes moved to meet his. She quickly averted them, looking down. Her face showed no emotion. “I’m busy,” was all she said before soaring into the air and out of sight.

Green Leaf watched her disappear into the sky. He never saw her anywhere outside of his shop before. Why didn’t she want to be seen? Dismissing his questions, he trotted into the library.

Warm air greeted him kindly. The librarian—a quirky brown stallion, immediately greeted him. “Hi! Welcome,” he whispered excitedly, “What are you looking for?”

“Uh, I’m wondering if you have any books on rare gems or magical artifacts.”

“Yes! Be right back!” The librarian zipped behind one of the many bookshelves and returned a minute later with a large tome. “Compendium of Crystal Magicks,” he said.

Green Leaf placed the book on a nearby table and flipped through the pages. Diagrams and illustrations of all sorts of stones and crystals filled them. His eye caught a page titled: The Dragonspark Gem. An illustration of the red crystal jumped out at him. “Yes, this is what I’m looking for.”

He sat down on the other side of the table and moved the book closer.

The Dragonspark Gem is an immensely rare artifact found in the Dragon Lands. Knowledge about the magical properties of this gem are rare. Dragons have been observed using this gem for various magical rituals, specifically the selection of a new Dragon Lord. It is believed that the gem has the capability for mind control and other dark magic, and for this reason use in Equestria has been strictly prohibited.

Mind control? Dark magic? That did not sound like something the Princess of Friendship would concern herself with. She didn’t seem to be very friendly, or Princess-like, though.

He dived back into the book for more answers.

---

Opening the door, he hopped inside his shop for the embrace of warm air. Taking off his saddlebag, he walked over to the stairs. He halted mid-step and turned around.

Twilight Sparkle stared at him from the counter.

“Your majesty? I wasn’t expecting you!”

She opened a pouch sitting next to her, spilling a pile of crystals onto the counter. He recognized them as Mana Crystals, imported from the Crystal Empire through him and purchased by Twilight recently. He walked closer and examined them. They were a deep dull blue, instead of the gleaming teal that they originally came as.

“Drained.” Said Twilight.

“What? How?” He couldn’t believe it. It would take a massive amount of mana to drain all of these crystals—he knew from his readings earlier. “What did you do?”

“I need more.” She said plainly.

He studied her expressionless face, her dulled violet eyes. “I don’t think I can get more until the next shipment—a week, at least.”

“No, no, no...” She shook her head, “I need them now. Right now.”

“I just told you, I can’t do that. They would take at least a week to arrive.”

Her right eye twitched. She started murmuring.

“Twilight? Are you okay?” He put a hoof on her shoulder.

She recoiled, swatting it away. “No, no! Don’t call me that!” She backed up and put a hoof to her chest, shutting her eyes and breathing slowly.

Green Leaf didn’t know what to say. After moments, she opened her eyes and trotted back up to him, recapturing her cold, expressionless demeanor.

“If you cannot deliver,” She lit up her horn, and the golden scepter she gave to him yesterday appeared in her magical grasp. “I will no longer require your services.” With a flash of light, she appeared at the exit, and spread her wings to take flight.

“Wait!” He shouted. “You can’t take that!” It was too late. She flew away.

“Oh no...” He leaned against the wall and put a hoof his head. “What am I going to do?” Twilight was the only thing keeping his shop afloat, and she just flew off with his last payment. It’s not like he could report this to the authorities—he’d only land himself in prison. He rubbed his hoof against his head. That golden scepter could be worth thousands upon thousands of bits!

There was only one way he could resolve this, and that was to get Twilight what she needed—and quickly.

---

Green Leaf stepped off the chariot, and threw a bag of bits over to the pegasi. He never thought he’d ever be able to take a flying chariot to Canterlot, but desperate times called for desperate measures—and “investment” of a lot of bits.

He trotted unto the street, staring in awe at the white and golden spires that jutted into the sky. Canterlot’s beauty enthralled him. He shook his head. He wasn’t here for tourism, as much as he’d like to be.

For minutes he paced the streets, swinging his head to look for somewhere he could buy crystals. Canterlot was the closest city that could have them. An idea struck his head: I should probably ask somepony.

A fancily dressed white stallion and mare pranced the street near him. He jumped in front of them. “I’m sorry, er, excuse me—do you know where I could buy some Mana Crystals from the Empire?”

They stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing. “You?” The mare giggled, waving a hoof at him—

“Buying Mana Crystals from the Empire?” The stallion finished. “Spare me.”

Green Leaf rolled his eyes. Right. Canterlot folk. “Can you please just tell me where I can get some?”

“The Crystal Emporium, right at the end of the street.” The stallion pointed.

Green Leaf burst off in the direction. He entered the shop—a spacious room with all kinds of glittering gems being showcased. He walked up to the pony at the counter, an old grey pony with a stubby beard.
He got straight to the point. “I need to purchase a large bag of Mana Crystals. Do you have any?”

“Yes, of course.” The pony replied, disappearing behind a door. A moment later he produced a large leather pouch. “That’ll be 2,000 bits.”

Green Leaf gulped as he produced the bits from his saddlebag. It was a lot of money, but the return would be far greater. After counting the money, the pony pushed the pouch up to him. He took it and turned around.

“Now wait,” the pony said, “where do you think you’re going?”

“Huh?”

The pony pulled out a few pieces of paper. “I need to know why you are purchasing these.”

“What? Why?” Green Leaf asked.

The pony gazed at him unamused. “I’m required by law to document any purchases of something like Mana Crystals. Authorities have taken quite a crackdown on anything having to do with powerful magic recently. Especially since we don’t have the Elements on our side anymore.”

Oh. So that’s why Twilight didn’t purchase from an official vendor. “Er, I’m a researcher… doing research on Mana Crystals.”

The pony raised an eyebrow. He didn’t look convinced.

“My name is uh, Emerald Heart. I’m a researcher from the Crystal Empire. I need them for—I mean, we’re collecting Mana Crystal samples from vendors all around Equestria to test their quality… That’s all I can say.”

The pony scribbled it down unto the paper and nodded. Green Leaf ran out the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Phew. He bought it.

The same couple from before were chatting nearby. He ran up to them again. “Hey, do you know where I can fetch a chariot flight?”

---

The chariot left him in front of Twilight’s castle. He looked up at it. The gleaming crystal walls glittered in the sunlight. A neglected banner hung above the balcony, in tatters from age. He climbed the steps to the large yellow door and gave it a hefty knock. Splinters of paint cracked off the door as he struck it. The castle clearly wasn’t at it’s prime.

He waited and looked around. The area was devoid of any life or buildings, a long path leading from the castle to the town.

After minutes of waiting with no response, he raised his hoof and struck the door hard. It swung open. He peeked his head inside. “Hello? Twilight?” No response. He walked through the dark halls, past countless doors and portraits obscured by dark.

He reached a door at the end of the hall and pushed it open. “Hello?” A table sat in the middle of the dark room, surrounded by stone chairs. He walked up to it and brushed his hoof against it. The crystal table lit up with magic, illuminating the large room.

A staircase leading down was at the far end of the room. Light pooled out of the end of the passage. “Twilight? Are you down there? I have your crystals!” He called as he started down the staircase.

He shivered and blinked as he stepped inside the room. Bright lamps hung from the ceiling, showering the cold room with glaring light. The floor and walls were made of nothing but stone. He nearly tripped over a wire after taking a step. What is all this? Navigating past the mess of wires, pipes, and machinery, he found the center of the room.

The Dragonspark Gem sat atop a pedestal, crackling with malicious energy. Wires ran out of it and branched off into several rectangular boxes. His heart came to an abrupt halt when he saw what was in one of them.

The unrecognizable body of Rainbow Dash.

He’d seen her statue countless times, her cutie mark illustrated in many emblems and books. The blue pegasus rested limply in the stone box, wires and needles running out of her skin. Her head rested on a pillow, and a short blanket covered her lower half. He reached his hoof out, only to be blocked by a purple barrier of magic surrounding the coffin.

His heart beat faster than it ever did in his life. Adrenaline filled his veins. I need to get out of here. Running frantically back to the staircase, he cursed himself for ever coming here. For ever agreeing to Twilight’s offer. What did he ever think would come of it, dealing with illegal items and shady artifacts?

He hopped onto the staircase step and smacked into a soft barrier, sending him flying back down. Rubbing his head, he got up and looked up at the offender.

Twilight Sparkle beamed at him from above.

She offered him a hoof, and he hesitantly took it. Her violet eyes sparkled with friendliness he never saw before. He opened his mouth to say something, but was paralyzed.

“I see you have the crystals. Thank you, Green Leaf. Would you like some tea?” She gave a warm smile.

He stared at her in confusion. “Uh… yes, sure.”

“Great!” She teleported up the staircase. “Come!”

He reached the top and found the room illuminated by the giant wooden chandelier hanging from the top. Twilight sat at the table, pouring tea with her magic. She motioned for him to sit down.

Walking up to the table, he picked one of the white chairs and sat down. “No!” Twilight shouted, teleporting him in front of the table. “That’s not your chair!” A wooden stool appeared in a flash of light across from her.

“O-okay,” he said, sitting down. His heart ran a marathon in his chest.

“Have some tea,” said Twilight calmly, “Chamomile. It’s Celestia’s favorite.”

He stared into the teacup. It was normal red tea. He carefully raised the cup and took a sip. The hot water stung his tongue, but he drank it anyway.

“How is it?” Twilight asked. “I haven’t had tea with someone in a long time.”

“It’s g-good.” His eyes darted around the room, looking for an exit.

She nodded. “Good, good.” Their eyes locked. Moments passed. Tears seeped out of Twilight’s eyes, and soon she started sobbing. “I’m sorry,” she said between sobs, “tea usually calms me down.” She suppressed her sobs and took a deep breath. “I remember when I used to spend the evenings having tea with Celestia. Such a long, long time ago. I was just a little filly… no wings!” She giggled, spreading them open for effect.

He took another sip of the tea under Twilight’s gaze. It cooled down a bit.

“I was her favourite student. She told me I was smart, I was talented, that I had great magical potential... I thought I had everything in the world,” she sniffled, “but I didn’t have friends.”

Her face drooped, and she looked mournfully at the stone chairs surrounding the table. “And I don’t have them anymore.”

Green Leaf’s heart had slowed. As strange as it was, he could understand her pain.

“I wish more than anything to have them back. I need them. I’m not the same—you can see that. Celestia and Luna tell me to let go. But I don’t need to listen to them anymore. They think they’re so smart and high and mighty, but they couldn’t save them. They didn’t let me save them!” Twilight roared, slamming the pot of tea against the wall.

Moments passed as Twilight calmed. Green Leaf sat still, paralyzed, his heart back in the race. “I’m sorry,” she finally said, looking up at him with those large violet eyes. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to, you know?”

Green Leaf nodded weakly.

“It’s nice to have a friend… Green Leaf, will you be my friend?”

The question caught him off guard. He opened his mouth to reply and held it open. “Yes,” he staggered. It was the only thing he could say.

Twilight smiled. “Good. I’ve been so lonely, so very lonely.” She took a sip of her tea. “I could use a new friend in my group.” Purple sparks flared from her horn and crackled around his cup of tea.

“Wha—?” He choked out. He felt lightheaded. Pressure pooled in his chest. His face hit the floor. No muscles obeyed his command. Weight built on top of his eyelids.

Twilight stood above him. “I haven't made a friend in a long time!” She sat on the side of the chair next to her. “I remember when I met Rainbow Dash...”

Her words faded into nothing as darkness claimed his eyes.