Chapter 7
Great and Powerful Journal entry forty.
Ro-Siing returned just as Trixie was starting to pack up to leave. Against Trixies’ pleas, Ro-siing decided to set up camp where we were. Trixie is not comfortable being so close to Ponyville. She would be ridiculed if she was found here all because of Twilight Sparkles’ slander. The nerve of that mare is astonishing to Trixie.
Anyhow. Trixies’ companion seems stranger than normal. Trixie is unsure of what exactly it is that’s different, but she knows something is different. Perhaps he could not find his friend? Trixie is unsure. However, Trixie aims to find out either way.
Please forgive Trixie for her previous post oh worshipping reader. Trixie had to do something and writing that down was the only thing Trixie could think of doing. When Trixie finally gives this Journal to her biographer to draw upon, Trixie just might be seen as an idol afterall. Or, more of one. Trixie is quite satisfied with that thought.
Anyhow, Trixie needs to prepare something to eat before her companion starts to. He might be an okay distraction with his music and his rather lack of emotion when Trixie speaks to him, but a dyslexic bunny with half an arm and no legs could cook better than he could.
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Entry 254. Beginning of Autumn.
I found Zecora exactly where she’d said she’d be in her letters. She still talks the same way. I haven’t heard her voice in some years, and that was almost the only thing that had changed other than the clear cut signs of aging. Of course, nopony here would recognise an aged zebra if their lives depended on it. But I do not judge. Many of them have never seen one of the people of the plains before. Even fewer have seen the plains themselves.
Anyway.
She gave me little advice, save for seeking out her friends in Ponyville, which I know I cannot do due to the nature of my companion. Perhaps another time? I’m not sure, but I do hope so. If they made friends with Zecora, it’s likely they are good ponies with good hearts. Ah, but she spoke in riddles often and it’s difficult to decipher them. She spoke of a clear sky covered by blue clouds. Said this sky was closer than it seemed. I can only begin to guess at what she means. Tis difficult indeed.
She also spoke of my pride being wounded. Now what on Equestria could possibly do that? That is ever more puzzling than her last riddle. What does it all mean? Ugh, Zecora, why is it only you speak in riddles when you read the smoke?
Bah, I’ll figure them out over dinner perhaps. Trixie has begun to cook and the smell is, as usual, heavenly. I really must ask her for lessons. Can’t go about incapable of cooking all my life.
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Great and Powerful Journal entry forty-two
Trixie is starting to get annoyed at her companions’ scruffy appearance. His mane is unkempt, his coat is scruffy and needs a trim, his tail is as scruffy and unkempt as his mane and his horn is in serious need of a filing. It’s much too long, it must hurt him terribly over time. Trixie is not about to let her companion look so terrible!
At the next available water source, Trixie shall spend however long it takes to get him looking exactly as The Great and Powerful Trixie wants him to look. If Trixie can push him towards the closest source of water... we’ve been travelling for two days now and Trixie swears her hooves are beginning to itch just looking at him! Trixie can’t stay long, she’s writing this on a short break her and her companion are having. We’re leaving now, Trixie must go.
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Entry 256. Beginning of Autumn.
I cannot say I’m terribly impressed. Trixie found some sort of excuse to get a bath in a nearby stream and dragged me in with her. Don’t get me wrong, I like baths as much as the next pony, but her version of a bath included ignoring herself and focusing entirely on cleaning me up.
I swear I will find out how she managed to fit all those different soaps and shampoos in that saddlebag along with the three combs of varying sizes, two mirrors, a pair of scissors and a horn file as well if it cost me my life. The file was the last straw. I drew the line at that file. Or, I tried to. She cleaned and trimmed my mane and tail, groomed my coat to a shine. I didn’t mind that. Oh, I forgot to mention the brush from those saddlebags. But when she brought out that file I swear I flipped. No way was she filing down MY horn!
You see, in my culture, the horn is sacred. Zebra magic users have a pair of horns, and the longer the horns are, the more power you’re said to have. Filing ones’ horn was the ultimate sign of failure and loss of respect. My magic will fail if she files it.
Now, I won’t hit a mare of any description. It’s simply not how things work. A stallion that hits mares is the ultimate low life form. It’s pathetic, wrong and disgusting. As a result of this, I now write this entry to the sounds of my horn being filed by Trixie. She’s sitting on my back humming as she works. Now I know what Zecora meant by wounded pride. Never have I felt more humiliated in my entire life, not even when Poison joke threw me off balance and made my actions uncontrollable and impulsive.
Although I must say, Her scent is intoxicating. I never noticed before. But then, I’ve never had her sitting on my back before, especially not whilst filing my horn. That’s the only thing ruining thi- [at this point the journal entry is cut off by a small amount of scribble before returning]
this... I’m sorry for that, Trixie, for reasons known only to herself, decided to pull on my ears. She said it reduces the stress from the muscles around that extra piece of bone used to hold up my horn. It felt... it felt amazing. I didn’t think my cognitive thought could get any clearer now. I didn’t even realise there was tension in that spot.
That doesn’t make it any easier for me to forgive her for this though! My horn was, essentially, a symbol for my pride and now it has taken a fall and it’s because of her silver tongue. Dammit, this sucks.
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Great and Powerful Journal entry forty-three.
Trixie is much more satisfied with her companions’ appearance now. As it seems, he’s rather dashing under all that scruffiness. Not that Trixie is looking at him often! No way, Trixie isn’t attracted to him at all. Trixie is much more interested in those with status and money! Not to say Trixie is shallow either, for they must have class. One could say Trixie is picky.
Ahem. Anyhow. Trixie is not sure that Trixie wants to go to Canterlot now. It’s so far away see and Trixie isn’t used to going anyplace far without her caravan. Trixies’ hooves are really sore. There’s been a few time where Trixies’ hooves have bled from all her walking!
They haven’t bled in front of her companion yet and Trixie is thankful for that. Can’t have Trixie looking weak now can we?
Anyhow, Trixie must go. Trixie does not wish to fall behind on her beauty sleep.