What Hath Joined Together

Chapter 20

                                                                                   What Lies Past

"... And then I said, 'That's no miner—that's my dad!'" Quartz finished.

Apt Drop and Flash Sentry smacked their forehooves against the table as they rode out their laughter. Precise Jot's chuckles, interspersed with the occasional cough, rang out throughout the doughnut shop.

Twilight Sparkle found herself laughing, too.

"Oh, wow, Quartz," Flash said, wiping a tear from his eye, "no wonder you aren't allowed in Tall Tale anymore!"

Quartz grinned and crossed his forehooves behind his head. "The look on my dad's face... If I hadn't taken the fall for him, we might have had to explain more than just the cheese factory. Ah well. It was their loss!"

"Indeed it is." Laughing again, Flash glanced at the stallions. "You never told me Quartz was such a comedian, Apt."

"One of his many talents, sir," Apt replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

Precise Jot picked up her own cup, which trembled slightly in her grip. "The most talented of Apt's friends, Sir Flash Sentry. I'm glad my son picked a good one this time."

Apt's ears flattened as a blush sparked on his cheeks. "Mother, please..."

While the rest of the table erupted into chuckles at the blushing stallion's expense, Twilight felt herself smile as she looked down at her saddlebags. Within waited another dusty tome—the only other book in the entirety of the Empire's library that was written in Old Equestrian and had the quintessence scrawled amongst its pages. This one appeared to be as lengthy as its counterpart.

As the others began to settle down—Quartz sticking his tongue out at Apt, who received a raspberry in response—Twilight seized the opportunity to offer yet another thanks to her companions.

"Thank you all so much for helping Flash and I this morning. I'm sorry we forced you to open up on your day off. And that we took you from your rehearsal," Twilight added, meeting Quartz's eyes.

The aquamarine stallion smiled and ran a forehoof through his chestnut mane. "It was my pleasure, Your Highness," he said with a bow of his head. "I'm just glad we were able to find what you were looking for."

"That was all you were looking for, wasn't it, Princess?" Apt interjected, obliviously relieved by the change of subject. "Just those two old books and the ones I gave you on crystals last Sunday, correct?"

Twilight nodded. "Correct. I haven't finished with those, but will be sure to return them before—"

"Oh no, no, Your Highness!" Precise Jot dismissed that notion with a forehoof. "Please, keep the books as long as you need. Especially the two with that symbol—er, the 'quincy,' was it?"

"Quintessence. And thank you. I will make sure to return them in good condition once they are finished." Twilight sparked her horn, then began to dig through her saddlebag. "That reminds me, actually. There was another reason I was wanting your help."

As she trailed off, Donut Joe approached their table. "Princess Twilight, Sir Flash Sentry, honored guests, is there anything else I can get for you?"

Murmurs of polite refusal followed. Upon retrieving the algem from her saddlebags, Twilight answered him, "Actually, I was wondering if you could test something for me, Joe?"

Joe placed his forehoof over his heart and bowed slightly. "But of course, Your Highness! What would you like me to test?"

The others watched as Twilight turned towards Joe and levitated the crystal on its chain. The shopkeeper stared at the strange object as it hovered in front of him.