Pinkie paused for a moment to catch her breath. Even her nearly boundless energy reserves were running low after the long, oppressive trek. Glancing around nervously, ears and tail twitching under her cloak, she listened intently to the sounds of the forest around her. This deep in, it paid to be alert.
 
After a few moments, she sighed gently in relief, satisfied that no predators lurked beyond the verge. Reaching into the folds of her cloak, she drew out a small semi-sphere carven from a dark hardwood. Lifting it high into the air, she smiled, raised her chin, closed her eyes, and confidently exclaimed, “Zubida, Neho!”
 
She kept her dramatic pose for a moment, then cracked one eye open. The half-orb continued to sit quietly on her hoof, being woody as a piece of hardwood could be.
 
Lowering her hoof to eye level, she pursed her lips in thought.
 
“Zubida, Ne-co?”
 
Nothing.
 
She squinted at the lifeless almost-ball accusingly with one eye. Then switched to squinting at it with her other eye, tongue sticking slightly out the opposite side of her mouth. Finally she gave it her best disapproving glare.
 
“Zoo-nih-daaa, Neeee-cohhh!” she enunciated slowly, voice dripping irritation.
 
As the final Zebrican syllable passed her lips, the orb suddenly blazed into life. Pinkie did her best imitation of Fluttershy’s, “Eep!”, dropping the device but quickly snatching it again before it could hit the ground.
 
Finally! she thought. Ohh… They’re so close now! But, wait- what is…
 
Ice gripped her chest as she saw one of the tiny lights had turned a dull red. She didn’t know exactly what it meant, but she was sure of one thing:
 
I need to hurry!