Chapter Eight
“She tried to…blow you all up?” Spike repeated, a mix of surprise and fear upon his features.
By now, the group had placed their belongings in their respective rooms, and assembled in the deserted lounge to catch up. The inn was small, but cozy; their rooms were only slightly larger than the space needed for their beds, but it was more than enough for their brief stay. The lounge – a collection of couches and floor pillows positioned around a large fireplace on the ground floor – was well beyond their expectations, however.
“But Twilight was having none of it!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, doing a dramatic loop in the air above them.
“I did manage to stop her attack before it hit the ground,” Twilight conceded, giving them a tentative but prideful smile.
“I’ve seen a lot of cool things in my life – mostly involving me, of course – but I have to say, Twilight,” Rainbow explained, hovering a few feet in front of Twilight. “That was pretty cool.”
“I still have no idea how in the hay that nutcase found us to begin with,” Applejack added, speaking mostly to herself.
“I can’t believe she’s still like that,” Spike replied, shaking his head. “I mean, after what happened the last time we saw her, I thought she’d get better, not worse!”
Sometime before they reached the inn, Rainbow and Applejack had taken Trixie to the local sheriff’s office and explained the situation. As they spoke, the crazed mare was being held there in a cell, unconscious with little sign of activity. Spike had sent a message to Princess Celestia shortly after, detailing the incident.
“What do you think will happen to her now?” Fluttershy asked lowly.
“She’ll probably be sent back to Canterlot for questioning,” Rainbow replied with a shrug. “After that, I guess it would be the Princess’s call.”
“I do hope they find some help for the poor girl,” Rarity said with a short sigh.
“I’m sure they will. Either way, it’s out of our hooves now,” Twilight said, rising. “I think it’s time I get some sleep, and I encourage all of you to do the same. We have a big day tomorrow.”
As the assembled ponies voiced their agreement, Spike jumped to his feet to intercept Twilight.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Spike said as he caught up with the retreating unicorn. “What time are we all leaving for the Pigmy place?”
“We will be leaving shortly after sunrise,” Twilight replied, “but I’m afraid you can’t come with us, Spike.”
“Come on, Twilight!” Spike insisted, clearly offended. “Didn’t I already show you guys I can help, back at the Crystal Empire?”
He did have a point.
“It’s not about that, Spike,” Twilight explained, giving him a stern look. “I need somepony here to keep an eye on Trixie.”
“She’s already locked up. You’re just making excuses!”
“I’m not, Spike,” the unicorn replied, frowning. “She’s much more dangerous than she was before. I’m afraid that when she wakes up, the sheriff here in Appleloosa will have more than he can handle. Please, I need you to do this for me.”
Spike was a bit taken aback by the unicorn’s sincerity.
“Alright, fine,” he conceded, hanging his arms at his sides in mild disappointment. “I guess it sounds cool enough. ‘Spike takes down crazed criminal.’”
“Absolutely dashing, darling,” Rarity added as she passed the two, giving Spike an encouraging wink. The dragon immediately puffed out his chest with renewed gusto.
“Thank you,” Twilight said, resting her head against the little dragon’s in a small gesture of affection and gratitude. “And I promise, after we finish up, you and I are spending a little vacation time together.”
“As long as it’s not another ‘sorting party’, I’m game.”
Twilight seemed a little bit taken aback by this, but nodded.
“…I’m sure I’ll think of something by then,” she replied with a smile, earning a playful swat from Spike.
The next morning came faster than any of them expected. In the case of Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn felt as though she had awoken from the dead. She had fallen into such a deep sleep that her body downright refused to rise for the first few minutes; only the demand for food finally coaxed it into the waking world.
“Trixie is still out cold,” Twilight explained as they made their way to the outskirts of town. Aches and pains aside, they had a job to do. The six ponies were definitely off the beaten path from this point on; the route to the Pygmy lands from there was over the sprawling savannah that surrounded Appleloosa. “Celestia’s guards should be here to pick her up soon.”
“I’ll hold down the fort until then,” Spike replied with a determined salute.
“I’m counting on you Spike,” Twilight said with a soft smile. “But if things get too crazy, you get out of there, ok?”
“Right,” Spike muttered, looking away. Twilight trusted him, that was sure, but he still felt he was more than capable of handling things himself; he felt as though she didn’t think he could make it if things got rough.
“Alright girls,” the unicorn said, her voice echoing around the rugged expanse that stood before them. “We’ve got a long journey ahead of us. Let’s move out!”
The assembled ponies voiced their approval in varying degrees of enthusiasm. Each was not only carrying saddle pads filled with supplies, but were also equipped with the gleaming golden armor Princess Celestia had bestowed upon them.
“I sure hope the Pygmies don’t take these getups the wrong way,” Applejack commented with a frown, fidgeting with her own armor. “This is a peaceful mission, right?”
“The Pygmies are known to respect power and confidence,” Twilight replied, though she didn’t exactly sound very convinced either.
“A tough bunch like them? They’ll probably be wearing the same thing!” Rainbow Dash said as she hovered overhead, her head poised proudly as she showed the world her impressive headgear.
After saying their goodbyes to Spike, the group set off into the savannah with only a rough map to guide them. Although the subject of their mission – a renegade faction of Pygmies stirring trouble for the rest – was, indeed, located in their ancestral lands, their base of operations were unknown to any Equestrian mapmakers. Princess Celestia had extracted as much information as she could from the Pygmies concerning the location of the renegades, but it was all very imprecise.
They would need to rely on their own skills to find them once they arrived.
Meanwhile, Spike would encounter problems of different sort.
The little dragon had taken up residence near the sheriff’s office after seeing his friends off. He had expected a painfully uneventful experience, one that would swiftly end with the arrival of Celestia’s guard. But even after an hour and a half of waiting, the illustrious royal guard was nowhere to be found.
“Just my luck,” he muttered, falling onto his side on the bench he was seated upon in dramatic despair. “I get to sit here for hours while Twilight and the others save Equestria.”
He had hoped he would be able to get the Trixie business sorted out quickly and catch up with the others in Pygmy territory. Twilight would definitely not appreciate him traveling alone like that, but he was sure she’d appreciate his help in the end.
Spike was violently ejected from his self-pity by a loud crash. Nearly jumping out of his skin, the young dragon scrambled to his feet and peered over the side of the bench in the direction of the sheriff’s office. Faintly – which was a feat in itself, considering his distance from the building – he could make out the sounds of voices.
“She’s awake,” Spike stated the obvious. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. He really wanted the time to shine, but Trixie was definitely not the harmless bragger she once was. It didn’t really matter either way, though; Twilight put her faith in him to keep Trixie in check.
Swallowing what remained of his anxieties, Spike hopped down from the bench and made his way to the site of the disturbance. As soon as his foot touched the stoop, the door exploded open and slammed against the side of the building with a thunderous bang.
Trixie, in all her terrible glory, stood in the doorway. The mare was covered in bruises, her mane singed and unkempt. The look upon her face caused the little dragon to freeze in terror; indeed, if looks could kill, all of Equestria would be dead. Scanning her surroundings, Trixie’s piercing gaze lingered over each and every Appleloosan standing before her, all of which hastily returned to their work as if nothing had happened. Spike, to the mare’s side, was spared her terrible glare for the moment.
Spike had anticipated the mare might cause some trouble, but this was ridiculous. In the minutes following her recovery, she not only freed herself from the Appleloosan jail, but incapacitated its sheriff – a loud groan coming from the door behind her confirming the notion – in one fell swoop. And this was after having a terrible battle with the most powerful unicorn he knew! How did he have any chance against a power like that?
“Twilight…Sparkle…” Trixie muttered as she descended the small set of stairs at the front of the building, her legs wobbling unsteadily as she did. The extent of the battle the day prior was more than just cosmetic, it seemed; the mare was definitely suffering, but apparently not enough to render her completely harmless.
Spike found himself unable to move as the battered Trixie stumbled past him. This was way out of his league! But…Twilight trusted him. If he didn’t act now, Trixie would get away and it would be all his fault. Until the guards from Canterlot arrived, he was the only one capable of stopping her now; the Appleloosans clearly did not want to get involved.
“T-Trixie!”
The mare stopped. Spike found it difficult to continue.
“I-I can’t let you leave!”
At this, Trixie turned. Her gaze, filled to the brim with malice though it was, was laced with curiosity. The broken unicorn’s eyes lingered on him for several moments, and he found it painfully difficult to tell what she was thinking.
“You…” she began, her voice dripping with venomous intent. “You are Twilight Sparkle’s…pet,” she concluded, practically spitting the name of her rival.
“Twilight is my friend,” Spike confirmed, trying to swallow his fear. “And that’s why I can’t let you leave!”
Trixie merely stared at him for a few moments, her gaze that of surprise more than anything. The mare suddenly drew closer, until her face sat inches from his own. He could see the veins in her eyes, and the stare alone made him want to flee in terror.
“She sent…you…to guard…me?” Trixie said at last, saying each word slowly and carefully. She sounded as if she were going to explode at any moment.
“Y-ye-“
“Where is she?” the unicorn cut him off suddenly, seemingly suppressing her own fury as she looked around. “Where is the magnificent Twilight Sparkle hiding? We have a score to settle.”
“She’s gone,” Spike replied simply.
Trixie stared daggers at Spike for several moments, as if daring him to lie to her. Evidently, something about his own gaze back told her he was telling the truth. At this, her anger sharply turned to despair.
“Th-this isn’t right!” she lamented, wrapping her hooves around her head. “I can’t lose her now! The Princess said I won’t be able to continue my studies if I can’t beat her!”
“Princess?” Spike muttered, staring thoughtfully at the ground.
“I have to find her!” Trixie cried, pulling herself together. The shift in mood was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. Her gaze suddenly shifted back to Spike, and the dragon felt himself shrink a little. “Where did they go?”
“I’m n-not saying anything.”
“Dragon, do not test me,” Trixie warned, giving him another deadly stare. “I won’t ask you a third time. Where are they?”
Spike took a deep breath and puffed out his chest in dignified defiance.
“You asked for it,” Trixie growled, her horn glowing brightly. Spike shielded himself with his arms instinctively, but the attack never came. The unicorn cried out in pain, her eyes tightly shut and her mouth half-open in a pained snarl. Spike, frozen in his state of self-defense, took a few moments to figure out he was not yet under siege.
“Maybe she isn’t feeling as well as she thought,” Spike mused to himself, watching Trixie struggle to lift her head. The unicorn seemed to be experiencing quite the fierce migraine, and Spike guessed her previous battle may have had something to do with it. “It’s not worth it, Trixie. You’re hurt. Just go back to your cell and wait until the guards show up.”
“I don’t…think so…” Trixie replied through clenched teeth, heaving as if she had just run a mile. “I will…not be kept from this…any longer…”
With a cry of pain, Trixie’s horn erupted into a shower of light and sparks. A moment later, a cyan bolt of magical energy exploded against the ground to Spike’s left, leaving a small crater and scorched earth in its wake. Realizing he may not be as safe as previously thought, Spike took off down the street just as another bolt smashed into the ground where he had been standing moments before.
“Why do they always have to run?” Trixie growled, straining to maintain her magical attack. And continue it did; every so often the ground behind Spike would explode in a shower of dirt and sparks. Much to his dismay, however, he quickly noticed that each subsequent blast was sooner and more accurate than the last. Either Trixie was overcoming her pain, or had found some way around it.
Not wanting to wait until the unicorn fully honed her accuracy, Spike turned sharply and darted down a side street between two Appleloosan buildings. The dragon had no intention of fleeing the city, and knew that he was the only connection Trixie had to where Twilight had gone. The unicorn would likely be in hot pursuit no matter where he went, and he definitely couldn’t take her head on. He needed to come up with a plan, and do to do that, he needed to be alive.
Turning another corner, Spike gradually slowed to a halt in an alley between another pair of structures. He had noticed that the lull in combat since he disappeared from the unicorn’s sight. As well, the streets around him seemed completely deserted. But he wasn’t naïve enough to believe he had escaped; no…she was planning something.
As if in response, the space in front of the exhausted dragon exploded into a fountain of light and sound. A moment later, the battered form of Trixie stood before him, her horn glowing brightly and her eyes glaring daggers at him. A moment after that, the unicorn nearly collapsed in a fit of pain.
Taking his chance, Spike ran over to the unicorn’s side, turned, and launched himself onto her back, wrapping his hands around her neck to ensure his position. The pony struggled under his grasp, bucking a few times to try and rid herself of her attacker.
“Get…off!” Trixie snarled, trying and failing to cope with her own problems while simultaneously trying to buck him off.
“Never!”
Trixie bucked one last time, but was unable to maintain her footing during the recovery. Stumbling awkwardly to the side, the unicorn thumped against the wooden barrier making up one side of the alley. Letting out a renewed gasp of pain, Trixie swayed uneasily on her hooves, and Spike knew it was time to leave. Launching himself further down the alley, the little dragon narrowly escaped the unicorn’s resulting collapse.
And with that, it was over.
“Geez,” Spike muttered, picking himself up off the ground walking hesitantly over to the prone form of the Great and Powerful Trixie. “She must be really hurting.” The dragon paused, then sighed. “Alright, let’s go…”
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They own him big time!!!
I love this story glad you survived, I my self had a crazy stretch of time starting in the middle of April.
And a chalk another point for Spike.
I like to know what Trixie is talking about.
Trixie being trained by princess? Either something is going on big time or Trixie has lost what little connection was left to reality...
Okay... something nasty is going on here. I suppose it could be Luna who is behind this; using a patsy to act as a live-fire test isn't excactly Celestia's style. Either way, somepony is seriously cold if they have programmed Trixie to be a wind-up-and-go lethal force 'test' for Twilight Sparkle, knowing that the magical overload would probably kill her. Of course, I'm assuming that it's a princess we know and there is no particular reason for doing so. The Big Bad's shadowy hand may have been seen at last!
Nice job giving Spike a moment in the sun, by the way. Dragonhide is highly magically resistant so a direct hit from one of those blast spells would be more painful than harmful. Still not the sort of thing you'd want to experience, of course. Overall, though, with Trixie half-dead already and clearly no longer even in telephone contact with sanity, she wasn't much of a challenge.
I've no doubt she'll wake up next in Canterlot with a high-end magical suppressor on her horn and Celestia looking at her with such... compassion and forgiveness... that Trixie will know that she is doomed to experience the full wonderful, terrible, horrible length, breadth, majesty, love and blinding, penetrating light of an Alicorn's mercy.
Glad everyone is enjoying the new chapter.
And I do love it when the theories come out
So, Trixie is being trained by a Princess who sicked her on Twilight. So, one of the following is probably the case:
1. This is what Celestia was talking about in previous chapters, when she was having a sparring with Twilight and threatened to remove her from the Special Forces. She Probably trained Trixie as a replacement. Or maybe it's a test for Twilight. Both of these are very cruel of Celestia.
2. Trixie is being trained by Luna, who for some reason wants to undermine Celestia. Probably because she's still jealous of her older Sister and wants to show her up.
3. Trixie is being trained by Cadance. That is the least probable one, because we know that Cadance loves Twilight like a little sister. But hey, everyone else in your fic is already acting largely out of character, so why the heck not?
4. Trixie is just delusional.
5. There's a fourth Princess we don't know about?
6. Trixie misunderstood something that either of the Princesses said and believes that she must defeat Twilight, when she actually doesn't.
2771858
Again, love the theories, but...
Why must you hurt me so?
2772145 Wha-? No! I would never!
It's just, Celestia really does act out of character. Too forceful, too cold. Although maybe it was just for the sake of making Twilight's training more serious...
2772206
Celestia can be pretty harsh when the need arises. In Lesson Zero, despite believing Twilight was fairly innocent, she maintained the belief that Twilight would be sent away just to scare her friends into drumming up a lesson about friendship.
I was aiming for Celestia's behavior to be a bit jarring, as I thought it would convey she wasn't messing around. But maybe I took it too far, I dunno :S
2771858
Or 7, Trixie is being trained by someone she thinks is one of the Princesses.