Chapter 1

The snow had begun to fall again, much harder than earlier that day. The narrow streets were becoming difficult as this latest blanket added to what was there already. Not that there were many ponies still out to notice. Today was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and most everypony with anywhere to go was there already.

Despite this, down the difficult road came a stallion, bundled with a heavy cloak against the cold and storm. He cantered briskly, both to keep abreast of the rising drifts and because he was running very late. He’d promised her he would close the shop early to be home with plenty of time to spend with her.

And though he had done just that, with not too many ponies looking to buy rings outside the rare nervous colts looking to impress a special somepony, he nonetheless found himself far behind schedule. He was locked in a similar situation to his customers; a special mare to impress and nothing to show for all his searching.

Linked Rings was a ring maker by trade, purveying all manner of goods from jewelry to armor. And it was because of this, and the fact that Ivy Rose frequently watched him while he worked, that he had nothing to give her yet. She’d seen everything he had to offer, and though she loved it all he couldn’t surprise her with any of it. The gift had to be something special, and his talents weren’t up to it.

One thing led to another to eventually leave him stumbling through the snow from shop front to shop front. What first began as gift shopping eventually became a hunt for a shop that was still open for business as the hour grew late. The windows promised much, but everything Link’s eyes fell upon failed to meet his standards.

More and more time crawled by, and hope began to run out. He couldn’t return empty hooved. He wouldn’t be made to feel the indignity of dredging through the door this late without the perfect gift. He doubted she cared more about a gift than spending the evening together, and she even swore up and down that she didn’t want anything for the holidays except him. Link knew better than to run that risk though. He set his jaw in determination and plodded on. Shop front after shop front passed, with fewer and fewer remaining lit. Just as he came to the end of his hopes, he also came to the last shop on the street.

It was a squat, greyed building composed of aged wood and rather shoddy masonry, contrasting rather darkly with the cheerful and festive scene displayed by the rest of the street. It more closely resembled a shabby pub from the seedy end of town than a shop. However, it was indeed a shop of some kind, one which Link couldn’t recall having yet seen, and the candle in the window suggested that the owner was still taking business. Out of options and time, he trotted up to the door, feeling an uncanny apprehension creep up his spine.

Despite the building’s appearance, the sign on the door did offer an ounce of hope; Curio’s Curios. Such shops were catch-all’s for unusual and intriguing trinkets, any of which could be the answer to his crisis. He pushed the door open and entered, meeting a dim interior. The light was low enough for Link to feel safer waiting for night eyes than risk knocking something over. As such, the voice greeting him came a little unexpected.

“Greetings, my fine gentlecolt, and welcome to my humble hovel. I am Curio.” The voice was deep, and had the quality to suggest the owner wasn’t on bad terms with his dinner table. As Link’s eyes adjusted, his suspicions were confirmed. The clerk behind the counter was indeed on the heavier side, and clad in garments telling of lands far away east, also supported by his slight accent. Link quickly remembered himself and replied.

“Er, ahem, yes. I was out looking for a gift. Something somewhat uncommon, off the beaten track. Not many places are still open, and fewer yet have anything that seemed right,” he said. The clerk chuckled and nodded in understanding.

“Ah, yeess, I see. Seeking a something special for a somepony special, yes? I have many fine items to offer, some from far and some from near, all of quality not to be found elsewhere,” the stallion said and gestured broadly to shelves and racks heaped with merchandise and antiquities.

Link was instantly lost, and felt some of his prior worry creeping back. He doubted he would ever find the perfect gift in all of this, fascinating though it all was. Rose had little use for hoof-woven silk scarves, nor any of the dozens of incenses offered. The tomes were as appealing as they were dusty, but magic was not something an earth pony herbalist often used. And as far as jewelry went, her tastes were particular and much unplumbed by him for fear of a lukewarm response.

Then he saw it. The most elegant, beautiful pendant he had ever laid eyes on. Silver filigree, gold inlay, all in a flawless disk sporting a crystal of indeterminate hue. Within, a closer look showed a white silhouette of a unicorn mare on her hind legs, encircled by what seemed a vortex of mist, or perhaps snow. Link stood with mouth agape, marveling at the craftsmanship, a skill far beyond his own. This was a work of gracious art.

“This…” he said, struck nearly dumb. Curio looked over and saw what it was that so gripped his customer as to rob him of speech. He paused a moment, as if weighing his options, then spoke.

“For you, a mere seventy-five bits.” This caught Link by surprise. A trinket of this size shouldn’t cost quite that much. But then, when wrought with such skill, it easily should have been a dozen times that amount. There was something else about this pendant that he hadn’t yet heard. Something else Curio had said earlier now seemed unusual.

“Curio… may I call you that? You said that your items came from far… and near. How near? As in ‘just before the foot of the mountains north of town’ sort of near?” he asked. A look of hesitation crossed the face of the clerk.

“I trust then… you know of the tower?” he asked. Link scoffed.

“You would be hard pressed to find anyone here who didn’t know anything about that tower,” he replied, mood taking a slight downturn.

It was plain to see that the merchant was dismayed, but whether at the accusation or the truth was hard to tell. He sputtered and stammered, trying to save the situation, and the sale.

“It’s a simple question, Curio,” pressed Link. “Did you or did you not retrieve this from the tower?” The clerk paused yet again, looking more and more conflicted. Finally, he cleared his throat.

“Why sir, Curio is heartbroken at this questions. Such a low thing, the selling of treasures robbed from others. He would not think of bringing such dirty, dangerous devices into his humble shop. Never, sir, never!”

This outpouring pacified the emerald unicorn, who dug through his bags for his bit pouch. “So very good to hear! Must have brought this from far off then, aye? It was seventy-five, was it?”

The shop keeper swallowed, as trying to clear a knot from his throat. “Yes,” he managed to croak “Seventy-five will do.” He took the sizable stack of coins and watched his sole customer that day trot contentedly back out into the elements with his purchase.

A minute passed before he moved, first performing a complex gesture over himself coupled with a shuddering mantra in a foreign tongue. He then quickly moved to the window, snuffing out the candle and engulfing the shop in darkness.

Author's Note:

Admittedly, this was supposed to have been started last December. As you can tell, this didn't happen. Feel free to comment and critique, no one improves in anything without criticism.

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