> Spamotron said:
> Don't make a fuss that will ruin Moonflower's moment but discretely equip the Lens of Honesty

You roll a 13 (required 10). Success!

Elder: "The Oracle has spoken, and so, the clan must now answer. Each will take a turn, and speak his or her mind.

Those who agree with the Oracle's vision will stand by her side. The rest will stand on the opposing side. The ritual will end once all stand either with her, or against her. Begin."

As soon as the signal is given, three ponies from the crowd step forward.

Shopkeeper: "I like what I heard. Gettin' more visitors sounds good for business, and more business means better food."

Motherly mare: "If my daughter were here, she'd say the same thing. Just imagine, the delicacies she brings in every now and then could be our every meal."

Fretful filly: "I jus' wanna eat somethin' other than mushrooms all the time."

The small minority joins Moonflower's side, leaving the rest of the crowd to challenge her. Seeing as this might take a while, you decide to subtly reach into your sidereal bag, and pull out your lens of honesty.

Skeptical stallion: "Is food all that matters here? We're talkin' about invitin' outsiders into our own homes. In a thousand years, I don't recall them invitin' us into theirs, so why should we?"

Moonflower: "Maybe they didn't. On my travels, I met a siren who got imprisoned by ponies hundreds of years ago, kinda like us. At first, she was super angry, but when we freed her, she realized somethin'.

She realized that the ponies she was angry with were gone. Like you said, it's been a long time. So long that most ponies forgot who we are. That means we got a chance to do what she did, and start over!"

Mindful mare: "You know… maybe she's right. Maybe we've been hidin' for so long, everyone forgot that we're even here. But what if they didn't forget? What if they cast us out again?"

Moonflower: "Equestria's different now. In jus' two weeks, I made friends with all kinds o' ponies. I also met a yak, a griffon, some harpies and sea dogs, and even a dragon! If they can all learn to be friends, then so can we!"

After thinking it over, the mare nods, and joins Moonflower's side. Meanwhile, you casually peek through your lens and take a look around, trying not to draw any attention to yourself. However, the darkness reveals very little.

Sarcastic stallion: "Yeah, what a great idea. Turn our town into some vacation spot for all the other creatures. Traditions don't matter much to you, do they?"

Moonflower: "That's not true! If I didn't care about traditions, I would'a gone and made a better life jus' for myself. But I didn't, and went through my trial instead, because the most important part of any clan is havin' an oracle!"

Intimidated by the bite of Moonflower's response, the stallion winces, then reluctantly shuffles over to her side. While all eyes are on him, you try turning around to steal a glance at the wall behind you.

As you inspect the closest waterfall, something strange appears through the lens. You do a double-take, and behind a curtain of water, you find what appears to be an elephant's head, staring right back at you.

Then, out of seemingly nowhere, a low, monotone voice drawls out.

Creature: "Oh… you found me. Too bad."

The crowd begins to look around in confusion, until the head slowly emerges from the waterfall, becoming visible. Suddenly, a powerful burst of water shoots out from its trunk, and across the entire town.

The impact cracks like thunder, and the warm light from the entrance disappears behind a dusty cave-in. Panicked shrieks instantly fill the air as bat ponies try to flee, running and flying in every direction. Amidst the screams, you barely make out the word "grootslang".

You look back at the creature in horror, only to find its trunk now extended expectantly in your direction. You clutch the Yggdrasil seed against your chest instinctively.

Grootslang: "The jewel… give it to me. And your lives… will be spared."

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