//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Ursae Majoris: Eternal Knight // by Draconaes //------------------------------// Notes: It probably becomes the most noticeable in this chapter, so I'm taking this opportunity to explain my take on Trixie's third-pony thing. First of all, she doesn't speak exclusively in the third-pony even in Boast Busters, so it doesn't make sense for her to do so elsewhere. My interpretation is that she is telling the story of her stage persona or alter ego. The Great and Powerful Trixie is a separate character to Trixie, so she speaks in the first-pony when talking about regular Trixie, and speaks in the third-pony when on stage or otherwise speaking about her image or stage persona. She also sometimes slips into the third-pony in stressful situations in order to convince herself that she is in control, or when her "Great and Powerful" character can handle the situation when regular Trixie can't. Chapter 15 ****** Luna read the letter again. She had received it two nights previous from Twilight Sparkle in response to her own missive. Something just didn't add up, however. Twilight said that she thought the disturbance had been neutralized by a unicorn that had been in the forest at the time. The unicorn had reported a loud noise and an encounter with a strange creature. The description provided didn't match anything that Luna had ever heard of. Then again, she had been gone a thousand years. Twilight didn't have an explanation either, however. Either way, it was apparently slain, which wasn't a problem in and of itself. No, the problem came from the fact that there were several other disturbances. As she had focused her attention on the forest that day, she had become aware of a second disturbance, much like the first. This disturbance had vanished at the same time as the first, but the unicorn had reported slaying only a single creature. As if that wasn't enough, she had also sensed the presence of four spellcasters afterward. Two felt almost like unicorns, while the remaining two vaguely reminded her of griffin weavers. These faded quickly as they and the surrounding magic adapted to each other. Something wasn't right. Twilight Sparkle considered the matter closed, and Luna couldn't risk forcing the issue. 'The last thing I need is to lose what little respect I've already reclaimed by appearing paranoid.' She had no other options at this point, however. Except... She could interrogate this other unicorn directly. Twilight had mentioned that she was housing her. She could make a show of congratulating the unicorn for her service. Once she was alone with her, she could see if the unicorn had left out any crucial details. 'Yes, this will most certainly work. It's our only lead.' Luna left her desk and went to inform her escort: they would be making a trip to Ponyville, tonight. ****** Trixie stood in the middle of Ponyville's library, admiring herself in the several reflective planes she had summoned. 'Would it kill that purple unicorn to have more mirrors?' She had just finished her new attire, and wanted to ensure that the illusion spell she had imbued it with worked correctly from every angle. She had decided to try something new, forgoing a pointed hat and instead opting for a pointed, feathered cap (She had "borrowed" one of Twilight's many quills until she could get something better, like a phoenix feather.) She kept the cape the same as before, however, with a high, pointed collar and a gemstone clasp. She felt that the overall effect was quite dashing. 'If only I had a saber to strap to my side.' The color worked even better than she had expected, especially with her turquoise gem. Trixie frowned as she recalled recovering it. She had found it in Rarity's shop, and it had been one of the sparks involved in igniting the subsequent debacle. Rarity might have been a stuck-up, snobbish unicorn, but at least she had given her the gem back for free, along with the white cloth she had wanted, even if it was after she had already "stolen" them. Okay, so she had dropped the theft charges after learning that Trixie had a grand total of zero bits to her name, but it was close enough, and Trixie felt like viewing the exchange generously. Either way, Trixie was once again "The Great and Powerful", and she was ready to perform. Apparently, the cute, pink baker was throwing another party tonight in Trixie's honor, part "Welcome to Ponyville Take Two", part "Wow, You Defeated a Dangerous Monster! Hooray!". It would be a perfect opportunity to tell of how she defeated the creature. Trixie blinked. 'Turn me into a lawn ornament, Luna. I forgot to script and rehearse the fight!' She swore under her breath. Perfect opportunity, wasted. She didn't have enough time to create and practice a worthy fight scene before the party. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea anyway. 'My last performance was filled with me boasting about my skill. Even though Twilight would probably back me up... maybe back me up... it probably wouldn't go over so well. Even if it's part of why the party is being held in the first place.' Trixie decided that playing modest was the best bet. It would win her some points with the town, allow her to avoid describing the fight in detail, and would allow her to relax at the party. As much as she hated to admit it, she was still injured, though she was healing quickly, all things considered. She examined her head injury in one of her conjured mirrors. She had a rather large, unfortunate scab at the base of her horn. Thankfully, her new hat would cover it for the party. She still didn't know how she had gotten the injury. She would have noticed hitting a tree branch with her head, especially hard enough to cause a gash like that. Considering the size, she was also confused as to why it had only started bleeding when she had reached the library. Twilight had said something about having a spell active or not, but she had seemed equally perplexed. It was at that moment that said unicorn entered the library and gasped. Trixie dismissed her mirrors and turned to face her. "Well, Sparkle?" Twilight blinked. "W-Wow. I guess that's what you've been working on. It certainly is... extravagant?" "Trixie was thinking more along the lines of dashing, but that works too. It should be perfect for tonight's party." Twilight started. "Huh?! What party?" Trixie raised an eyebrow. "The pink pony's party? She's throwing another since you ruined the last one, and to recognize Trixie's heroic deeds. I assumed you were in the loop, considering how often you run off into the town." Twilight cringed at this. "Right... about that..." She sighed. "I realized that I've been avoiding you a fair amount over the past few days. It wasn't entirely a conscious decision on my part, and I hope that I haven't offended you in some way." It was Trixie's turn to blink in surprise. 'Why is she so concerned about my opinion of her?' "I hadn't even considered that. You will have to try harder than that if you wish to offend Trixie. Don't worry about it." Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. "Anyway, The party apparently starts in a few hours, and Trixie needs to prepare. I'll be commandeering your bathroom until then." ****** Kelly awoke to Kuthrine shaking his shoulder. He groggily peeled his face off the book he had fallen asleep on and looked around. He spotted Tiamat standing nearby, staring at him. "There is an opportunity for you to learn more. The nearby town is preoccupied with a celebration of some sort. We will be able to enter the town unnoticed and acquire more books." Kelly perked up at that. Sure, he was technically currently hostage to a pair of aliens from an aggressive species which considered him prey, but learning about an alien culture was fascinating stuff! "What are we waiting for? Let's go Kat!" Kuthrine scowled. "That's not my name. You can count me out of this. I don't feel like skulking around some alien town at night. We need to finish reading what books we have anyway. I'm sure you and your girlfriend will be enough for this." "Alright. More fun for me without you breathing down my neck anyway. Let's go Tai." Kuthrine watched them go. Anderson was currently hunting for food, and Tyr was predictably hidden away somewhere, leaving her with only a large pile of books for company. The sun was setting, making reading difficult. Kuthrine cast a simple light spell through her focuser and opened another tome. It was going to be a long night.