Determined not to let up until the city is safe from nightcrawlers, you ask Justice if there is any way you can help with setting up the defences.

Justice: "Not one to leave work for others, hm? Let's see, then...

Novelty is leading the research team that's studying the diamagicite we gathered. We're counting on them to provide us with the last piece of the puzzle we need — the antimagic fields themselves —, but despite having our best minds on the task, progress is slow, and we're running out of time.

If you're so intent on lending a hoof, then why not pay her a visit? I suspect that your familiarity with magic might come in handy. You'll find her holed up in the factory."

You agree to help, and following Justice's directions, you begin making your way west to the factory.

As you walk the crowded streets of the Work district, you think over the events that transpired last night, and decide that after watching her fight, your sword would better fit your dragon friend's claws. You look over to Smoke, and tell her that if it pleases her, then you would like her to have it.

Smoke: "Heh, already? Oh, you mean that sword. Really? I mean, I'm not saying no, just that it's a really nice sword. If I didn't know any better, I'd think it was dragon-forged."

You nod, and say that she is a really nice dragon herself. Then, you add that after seeing her put it to such good use, it feels only right that she keeps it.

Smoke: "Well, I'll take it! Thanks, Blazer."

You give Magic Sword Scabbard to Smoke.

The dragon fastens the belt around her waist, then repays you with another ruffling of your mane. By the time it takes you to tell her all about the enchantments on the sword's blade and scabbard, your party has arrived at the factory.

You enter the newly opened diamagicite research lab, drawing the attention of the few ponies working there — Novelty among them —, though you somehow get the impression that you are not actually interrupting anything.

Atop every table and counter, you find several containers filled with a lustrous green powder, which you recognize as the mineral mined by the expedition team earlier. A few small crystals of the same colour stand apart from the rest, each held in some kind of adjustable support.

Novelty: "Come to meddle with my experiments again, have you? Well, that might just be what we need at this point."

You ask Novelty how the research is coming along. She looks over some papers, visibly displeased with what's written on them. Or rather, what isn't.

Novelty: "(sigh) I won't pretend like it couldn't be going any better. We've managed to identify a number of the diamagicite's properties: its density, hardness, lustre, crystal habit... but nothing on antimagic fields so far.

Even with Subject Eleven's help, we weren't able to make any conclusive observations. Urgh! There has to be some way to observe ambient magic. How did the Order do it?"

You remark that the air around the Yggdrasil tree was so thick with magic that it was visible to the naked eye, and looked like a colourful star field, even in broad daylight. If only you had the means to recreate this effect...

Moonflower: "Ooh! I know!"

Struck by an idea, Moonflower rummages through her satchel, and pulls out her glow stick. After giving it a vigorous shake to turn it on, she brings it close to one of the diamagicite crystal on a nearby table.

As she approaches the crystal, green light begins to leak out of the dimming far end of the glow stick, scintillating glitters swirling around the surface of an invisible bubble. Then, as the bat pony pulls back, the magic immediately gravitates back into the object, filling it with light once more.

The entire room goes silent, every unicorn's attention glued to the new information in front of them.

Novelty: "What in the name of...? Is this a magical light source?"

Moonflower: "Yuh uh! You can keep it if ya want. You jus' gotta shake it to light it up!"

Without a hint of hesitation, Novelty accepts the glow stick, and begins to try using it near several crystals and powders, taking measurements with all kinds of devices with each attempt, and mumbling to herself out loud all the while.

Novelty: "... So the magic is being pushed outside of the field's radius, which is... hrm... proportional to the volume of the crystal formation... mhm... and when its source leaves the field, the magic returns to it. Of course, it all makes sense!"

Novelty scribbles down some calculations, and hooves it over to one of her excited assistants.

Novelty: "Here. Take this quantity of powder to the crystalization press. These are the configurations that should match our needs, but have Bright Logic double-check them just to be sure. And deliver the products to the generator as soon as they're ready."

With a salute, the research team swiftly grabs the required materials from the laboratory, then hurry out of the door in high morale.

Moonflower: "Yay‼ We helped!"

Novelty: "It all seems so simple... and yet, it raises so many more questions. Either way, your knack for being unpredictably useful has served us well once again.

Now, all that's left is to wait for the diamagicite crystals to be produced, and we'll be well on our way to a secured generator. With enough luck, your work here is done."