The Stars Will Aid Their Escape

by Drhoz

Flashback One : Rumours & Lies

Trixie ground her teeth, silently, as the meal in front of her went untouched, and the ponies at the table behind her went on and on and on about TWILIGHT. BUCKING. SPARKLE.

"... and then the changelings were swept out of the city. They say it was Shining Armour and Princess Cadenza, but I'm pretty sure it was Celestia's student. After all, she's the bearer of the Element of Magic. They probably didn't want to embarrass the groom, seeing how he was supposed to keep that sort of invasion out in the first place."

"Isn't he Twilight Sparkle's brother anyway?"

"Well, of course. No wonder he could do that spell then, ability just runs in that family."

"I heard she made an entire adult dragon appear and vanish again on her entrance exam to the School for Gifted Unicorns. Her entrance exam, can you believe it?"

"Fancy."

Trixie pushed her table away and stood up, and stamped towards the cafe gate.

"Ma'am?" asked the waiter "Is there a problem?"

"Yes. The quality of your customers."

Twilight Sparkle, Twilight Sparkle, Twilight Sparkle. Even as far away as Appleloosa, the moment anybody started talking about magic, she could practically guarantee someone would bring up the purple unicorn. She'd even heard some of her audience mutter that Trixie was 'almost as good as that Twilight Sparkle'.

The other unicorn avoided publicity, she had never sought a reward for whatever it was she had done to Discord, she was the protégée of Celestia herself but seemed happy to be a village librarian... it defied belief. Wasn't Trixie a better mage? Better stage presence, better dress sense, prettier? Why wasn't she the toast of Equestria?

She returned to her caravan. It had taken her more than a year to replace the one destroyed in Ponyville, and she'd never been able to replace the mementos and personal effects. If only she'd never gone to that bucking town-

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Trixie recoiled, and then regained her poise. It was Herald, leaning against the side of the caravan, his mask, as before, a pale shape against the evening. She was starting to become annoyed with the affectation.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie will share her thoughts when she feels like it, and not before. And what are you doing here, anyway? Trixie does not require an assistant, yet." In fact, she couldn't afford one. Not that she'd ever admit it.

"I was wondering when you were going to use the book I gave you. It's been almost two years, after all."

Trixie fumed. "Your book is useless. The handwriting is next to illegible, it goes on and on about things like stars and 'conjunctions' and other things that have no interest to her, and where it does describe magic, whoever wrote it boasts about how they have discovered spells anypony can use. The Great and Powerful Trixie cannot abide boasting.”

Herald had a slight choking fit.

"Don't mind me, please, go on. Have you used any of the spells in your act?"

"Of course Trixie has not - the Great and Powerful Trixie has no desire to make a foal of herself in front of her adoring audience, gibbering words like fthghn or Yeb. And what use is magic that anypony can use? Trixie prides herself on her mastery of unicorn magic. And if anypony can use it, yet haven't you used it?" she added, suspiciously. "If this has been some ploy to make a foal of Trixie, it won't work."

"Make you look foalish? Of course not. I'm hurt that you think I'm only here to turn you into a laughing stock. As for not using the book myself, I fear the limelight wouldn't suit me. And where else could I find a pony that would attract as much attention as yourself, O Great and Powerful One?"

Trixie was mollified. "Naturally. The Great and Powerful Trixie may allow you to share billing on her posters, if you continue to be properly appreciative of her talents. In small letters, down the bottom."

"I'm overwhelmed. But if you're worried about the new magic, you could always just keep the book to yourself. After all, only you and I know about it. And we can always rehearse the spells beforehand - perhaps some of them would be worth the impact on the audience, even if you have to say such implausible words?"

"Rehearse them? You would assist me? The Great and Powerful Trixie has... some time on her hooves right now." True enough - yet another small town had seemed unreceptive to her talents, and she'd been forced to cut her tour short.

"Excellent! Might I suggest the one on page 147? There's a circle of standing stones in the woods near here - that should give us privacy and a suitable backdrop.

***

Trixie backed against the altar stone, shaking with terror. The things that had emerged from the forest as she had intoned the spell were monstrous beyond belief - nightmares of flowing flesh, and amorphous features, and branching, writhing limbs.

"What.... what are they?!" she shrieked.

Herald looked up at the creatures, utterly unmoved.

"Is something the matter, Trixie? They're trees. You've made the forest walk - well done."

"Trees?! Trees?! Trees?!" The things hooted and croaked, and knelt, spreading out their tentacles on the ground before Herald and the pony. Her mind snapped. "Trees. Of course they're trees. The Great and Powerful Trixie meant to make trees walk."

"Of course you did. And see how obedient they are?" continued Herald, nodding at the things that knelt and drooled and twitched in blasphemous obeisance around him. "I think this new trick will really impress your adoring public, when you show it off."

He smiled down at the wild-eyed mare.

"Can you think of anywhere for the premiere?”

Comments

[Mr. Grimm]

You know, I wonder if Herald ever wondered about his 'Apprentice' turning on him at any point...Alas, that is the downfall of so many villains...

[Drhoz]

940962 I'd considered the possibility - Herald has of course included the possibility in his plans.

[Vinyl Nexus Scratch]

940993 Rule number one of Eldritch horror books: the giver of said book is always a god, demon or alien priest that could make a continent disappear by sneezing too loudly. They're never just some dude or lady XD

[wlam]

The Great and Powerful Trixie cannot abide boasting.”

Herald had a slight choking fit.

Even the dread and terrible outer gods appreciate irony, apparently.

[VikingOtaku6]

7309174 Of course; merely because one is an Incomprehensable being of eldritch and deific power, doesn't mean one can't find humor in hilarious situations... Something has to pass Eternity by, after all...

[Moosetasm]

Herald had a slight choking fit.

Slow clap. Congratulations. You made Nyarlathotep choke.