//------------------------------// // To Conquer All the Foes that Stand // Story: The Great and Powerful Slayers: Next // by Belligerent Bindlestiff //------------------------------// All the Foes that Stand “We’ve been at this for days now.“ Trixie said, beginning to lump her head on Lina’s back while they rode. Her floppy hat folded with her spirits. "Hey, you were the one who stole the map, so nomore complaining from you.” Lina said and then shifted her back to throw Trixie off. “Don’t you have something else you should be doing right now besides complaining?” Lina asked. “But Lina, Trixie has already memorized the spell. It’s all she’s been doing this whole time.” She said. “Yeah, she’s been saying those words so much, that even I think I can use the spell Lina.” Gourry said. “Source of all power. Light beyond crimson blood. Gather thy hands.” “Just...no Gourry.” Lina said. “ Anyways, that’s the point of practicing it Trixie. Once it’s basically memorized, you can start practicing your spell casting.” The sorceress looked around. “Well, this place looks good enough for you to try out your magic. Let’s take a break and give it a try. Trixie had brandished her rod. She stared down at a rock that Lina pointed out. “Okay, so there isn’t much around here that can catch fire now that we’re getting closer to the mountains.” Lina said. “Now show that rock who’s boss!” Like so many times she’d recited the incantation before, Trixie spoke the words with her showmareship flair. She put a hand to the brim of her hat and threw her cloak open. “Source of all power.” Think about that angry power. “Light which burns beyond crimson.” Make the magic hot. “Gather thy power in my hands.” Spoken like a princess. “Fireball!” Trixie then pointed her rod, which had begun to glow red at the rock and sent out her spell. The magic whistled and sparkled very differently from Lina’s own spell and the shot went high instead of hitting the rock. It then exploded in a sound not unlike that of an ordinary firework. Lina facepalmed. “And here I thought I was doing a better job of teaching you magic.” “But, but, but,” Trixie said. “Trixie was sure she did it correctly this time!” "Sure doesn’t look that way.” Lina said. “It just looks like those firework spells I saw you use when you were a pony.” “Trixie will do it right, just you wait and see!” she said. “Hey, do you guys hear that?” Gourry asked. “Hear what?” Trixie asked. “Its perfectly quiet.” “No, don’t you hear it?” Gourry asked, pressing the matter. “Its finally happened.” Lina said. “Gourry, you’ve become so stupid that you’re even hearing sounds after everyone else. For your informatinion, that was the sound of fireworks Gourry.” “I’m serious Lina, don’t you hear it coming?” Gourry asked. Lina and Trixie listend for whatever the swordsman was talking about. “Great.” Lina said. “Your spell must have attracted company Trixie.” Dozens of footsteps could be heard with growing intensity, and not long after the sounds of snarling monters. The creatures began circling the group. They had green skin and glowing red puplilis on black eyeballs. They had various weapons and wore scale armor. “Berserkers.” Lina said as she and Gourry had already assume a stance for battle. The two of them placed themselves around Trixie. “Haven’t fought berserkers in a while.” Gourry said. “They usually don’t gang up on you like this unless there’s someone ordering them around.” Lina said. “Wait, somepony is controlling those things?” Trixie asked. “Yeah, otherwise, they would just go about on their own and live up to their namesake and berserk.” Lina said. “Don’t worry, this kind of monster never really gives us too much trouble.” The sorceress turned her attention to one of the monsters. “Flare arrow!” she incanted an arcane arrow of fire and shot it at the closest berserker, igniting it. Gourry lunged with his sword and impaled one of the monsters that had begun to charge. “Just stay here and we’ll keep them off you.” Lina said. “Try not to die, okay?” The words cut deep. They just go about killing in this world. Trixie thought, watching them move from target to target. Trixie can’t believe that’s the kind of world they live in. “Heh.” Trixie laughed to herself. Trixie bets Twilight Sparkle’s little group never had to deal with anything like this. Wait, why is Trixie thinking of that? “Does Trixie really want to live in a world like this one?” she said aloud A berserker was sent flying overhead. “Agh!” Trixie yelled as she ducked. One by one, the berserkers were being defeated at the hands of the two mercenaries. Lina seemed to be enjoying the ease of felling the monsters. She handles herself so well. Trixie thought. If only Trixie could have that same skill to back the confidence. Magic was flying left and right. And Gourry  just seems to battle with power Trixie has never seen before. Theres’ just something about his form. She found herself staring a bit more than she should have. Oh right, Lina, yes Lina. How’s she faring? Oh look, there are a couple of berserkers sneaking up on her flank. She hasn’t noticed them yet. “What?” Trixie said. “Trixie has to help, but will her sad little fireworks be enough?” No, this isnt’ the time!” She readied her rod and aimed lower than she had, unlike her previous attempt with the rock. “Source of all power. Light which burns beyond crimson. Gather thy power in my hands!” The crystal ball at the end of the rod began to glow red and pulsed with magic. “Fireball!” Trixie incanted. Once again, the spell took the shape of the fireworks spell she used in her shows as a unicorn. It whistled as it traveled towards the berserkers. Please be enough! Trixie thought. But instead of a simple pop, there was an explosion of heat. Trixie ducked her faced under the brim of her hat as the air shot past her. Lina had stabbed one of the berserkers with an icy spear just as the explosion hit. She turned around to see two as scorched marks on the ground where the berserkers used to be. “Was that you, Trixie?” Lina asked. The showmare looked up at Lina, wide-eyed at the destruction she’d caused. It didn’t help matters that the berserkers were burned to a crisp. Did Trixie just…did she just…kill something? She thought to herself. The two berserkers were the last of the monsters that had attacked the trio. “Well, well, well.” Lina said with pride, approaching Trixie. “That was an interesting form of the fireball spell. Didn’t expect it to look like your little firework routine, but that’s good enough for me to say you’ve passed.” “Wow Trixie, that spell was almost like Lina’s.” Gourry said. “You’re really catching on, aren’t you?” He noticed Trixie hadn’t relaxed from the position she held. “Hey Trixie, are you okay?” “Its dead.” Trixie said. “They’re  dead because of Trixie’s magic.” “Yeah, and I probably wouldn't be in good shape right now if you hadn’t blasted them.” Lina said. She looked at Trixie. “Look, I know this must be the first time you’ve slain a monster, but you’ve got to realize, its them or us. Especially with thing like berserkers.” Gourry put his hand on Trixie’s should and looked at her with the most genuine concern. “Hey, its going to be alright.” He said. “Its scary at first, but you’ll see you did what you had to do to save someone.” Trixie then wrapped her arms around Gourry and buried her face in his chest. “Trixie didn’t realized how hard it would be to deal with using these spells.” //// That night, Trixie had regained her composure and had finally began to speak normally again. “Trixie didn’t think it would be so easy to do that.” She said. “Yeah Trixie, don’t beat yourself up over that.” Gourry said. “You were just trying to help.” “And besides, with the way you feel about magic, I hardly think you’ll be using it as often as I do.” Lina said. “But that’s because magic solves so many of my problems.” “Trixie supposes you’re right.” She said. “It felt so much different from the time she had the alicorn amulet. There’s no pull or anything.” “See.” Lina said. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.” As the sun fully set, there was a glow from the mountain “Huh, looks like we might be pretty close to that palace now.” Lina said. “We should be getting there tomorrow.” //// Trixie lay awake on her sleeping roll. If Trixie ever uses that kind of magic ever a gain, she won’t use it to hurt anypony. She thought as she slowly descended to sleep. Trixie will make it different this time. She won’t use it to scare them. That’s now what it is to be be great and powerful. The former mare stared at the sky, clear and full of stars. So different from Equestria, Trixie wonders what its like back home. Does anypony even know she’s gone? Are they missing her shows. Trixie twiddled some magic in her hands and brought it to her face. Could she really start over here?