//------------------------------// // A new challenge // Story: Repercussions of the past // by TheArcher20 //------------------------------// A new challenge on the horizon Trixie snored openly in her sleep; she had passed out reading the book and finding nothing but random gibberish about the Hyacintho Resurrexit Creatura and her stubborn attitude made her continue until she could take no more. There was no rush, despite the fact Trixie’s rent officially ended at noon that day, which was about two and a half hours away, but she was far too deep in slumber or cared enough to notice. A small clicking in the wood was heard, as it seemed a small mouse just crawled its way through a hole where a nail was once imbued on the decrepit wood which very much needed repair. It scurried across the room to where Gelian laid sleeping. He raised his head slightly at the sound of the mouse nearby sniffing at the air for food. He couldn’t help but sit upright and giggle at the small creature scavenging for food. Gelian raised his left appendage and playfully nudged the mouse, the small rodent jumped slightly and attempted to run back into the safety of its hole. This was thwarted by another appendage poking it’s head causing it to turn in the opposite direction and scurry that way. Unfortunately, the mouse ended up on a straight path for the little blue blob Gelian, this caused it to run straight into his gelatin form, ripples forming around where he entered. The mouse managed to pull itself out of Gelian and get away this time, entering the little hole in the ground it called home, shivering in fear. Trixie cracked her eyes open and yawned as she stretched herself out, slowly raising from the cot. She looked around the room with disinterested, groggy eyes. She turned and went over to the curtains and pulled them away with her magic. She cringed and put a hoof over her eyes to cover them from the painful morning light. Her eyes fixed to the lighting and she looked out once more, then she realized what time it was. She started rushing around and putting her things that were in the room into bags and other such things, looking around and snatching up whatever she was able to immediately discern as hers. After a while, the bag got full and she double checked to make sure she had gotten everything. ********** After Trixie’s rush was halted by Maribel, whom informed her she could take her time, she was able to finish packing the things rather than just tossing them in a random bag. After loading up her cart, it was one in the afternoon by her rough estimate so she started hooking herself up to her stage wagon. After a bit of a tussle with it, she managed to get it down and started heading for outside of town. Along the way ponies gave her a small smile as she passed by, news travelled fast in the small town it seemed. A few passing ponies stopped and thanked her or shook her hoof. She was almost at the town’s edge when that same old stallion from the mayor’s office came into view. He came up to her and walked along spouting questions and thank you’s. “So how did you do it? Was it easy stopping them? Were you scared? How ab-” Trixie stopped moving and put a hoof to his mouth, making him stop talking. “Trixie does not have time for your bothersome questions, go away now.” Then she was off again, expecting the stallion to huff and mutter to himself before leaving. Much to her chagrin, something else less to her expectations happened. The stallion did mutter to himself a bit, but ultimately decided it best to catch up to her and continue talking. “Sorry, uh, if i’m bothering you. The name’s Rusty Track, but everypony calls me ‘Ol Rusty.” He gave Trixie a small smile before speaking up, “so what is that uh, creature on your back, if I might be so rude as to ask a fine mare such as yourself?” “Gelian.” She answered a tad annoyed. “Ah,” he muttered before facing Gelian and giving him a smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Gelian.” He used one of his hoofs to pat the hyacintho on the head, which in turn caused Gelian to giggle. Trixie was losing her patience with this ‘Ol Rusty.’ Why couldn’t he just leave and stop bothering her? She spoke up, “Trixie is sorry, but she must be leaving. She has a long journey to Moonshire and she should not waste the time dilly dallying.” ‘Ol Rusty looked to be digesting what the blue unicorn had said in his mind. After a dramatically long minute of waiting, he changed his facial expression and spoke up. “Well, if you’re in a hurry...” He paused again, “I-if you insist, sorry for bothering you, Miss Trixie. May you both have a safe journey.” He turned and trotted away, slightly disappointed. Trixie resumed her journey, a bit cheerier now that the stallion had left her alone. ********** Location unknown A pair of red eyes watched the hollow darkness with a sense of anger and knowledge, waiting for something. Those eyes kept their focus, not breaking its gaze to even blink, just staring, waiting. A slight breathing was heard, more of a panicked inhalation of air after a long sprint from a manticore. A pair of torches from either side of the dark room lit themselves and the place where the breathing was heard from was a stallion. Those eyes watched in silent contemplation as the stallion caught his breath, once he did, the eyes didn’t give the stallion a chance to speak. “So you have the gaul to visit again. What do you have you to say after your scouts failed in retrieving that which is mine?” The stallion bowed in respect before standing back up and speaking, “Apologies sir, but it was an unexpected surprise, they got cocky and went to steal from another pony before coming to give you the book. It-” “Enough.” He said. “Who has it?” “A pony named Trixie, she had just left the town with the book in her possession. From what I can tell, she has been reading it.” The stallion said, a grimace prepared on his face for what was to come next. A full minute passed as the eyes finally shut, allowing darkness to reign in where they once were. Finally the eyes reopened and, in a calm and sinister voice, the eyes responded: “You have one chance Rusty, do not fail me again.” “Y-yes sire.” ‘Ol Rusty said before he turned and ran for the entrance to the strange home of those demonic and monstrous eyes. The light from the torches snuffed themselves out as the voice behind those eyes spoke up again to itself. “Do not make me involve the shadow, you old fool. You are not as useful to me as you think.”