//------------------------------//
// Chapter II - Connections 
// Story: Ballad of the Dawn 
// by Takarashi282 
//------------------------------//

Canterlot loomed above Trixie, and she gulped. The kingdom was always very intimidating to her, with its soaring towers and other huge structures. She felt like an insect comparatively.
The grate to the brick-walled tunnel fell open, Discord catching it with his magic before it fell. He carefully set it to the side. As he passed the tunnel, he held is nose. "That's ought to wake you up in the morning!" he exclaimed, turning a comical shade of green.
The magician narrowed her eyes, looking deep into the cavity's gullet. "The sewers, Discord?" she asked with distaste.
The draconequus shrugged. "Hey, it's effective. I didn't promise it'd be all that original... or smell like fresh flowers."
She rolled her eyes. A deep sense of foreboding twisted her gut. She'd been at low points before, but she hadn't been this low. "Did Trixie hear a volunteer?" she raised her eyebrows.
Discord batted his eyes, placing his claw on his chest. "Who, me?" he asked in a flirty voice. "Why, I have to insist, darling!"
"That was a horrible impression of Rarity," she deadpanned.
"You're a horrible impression of Rarity." The draconequus stepped into the sewer. "Isn't our show host coming?"
"Right behind you," Trixie mumbled, climbing the tunnel's lip. Even the sewer's exit was gargantuan.
"Do speak up dear," Discord said. "For someone who's familiar with the stage, your projection really stinks."
Trixie lit her horn to light up the thick darkness. The sewers were massive, the main line they were going through stretching farther up than she could see. The running water was almost black and rotten, with the overpowering smell of waste choking her. Her stomach twisted sourly.
The draconequus took a left. "This way," he said.
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Do you even know where you're going?" she growled.
"Hmph!" he huffed. "Have a little faith in me! How do you think I infiltrated the Castle of the Two Sisters a thousand years ago?"
She shrugged. "I dunno, magic, maybe?"
Discord put up a claw, but stopped, letting out a vocal fry. "That too, but I know my back ways."
The farther she went, the narrower the passages got, not as gargantuan as the main line, but still bigger than what she imagined they needed to be. Some yellow light passed through the pony-holes from above, lighting up little spots on the ground. She could catch little snippets of conversation above her.
“That drunkard scuffed my hardwood floors! How in the world am I…”
“I’m afraid my sister has had too much wine, officer. We’re headed right home…”
“Have you heard about the attack in Ponyville?”
Trixie stopped in her tracks. She backed up, looking up the pony-hole.
“Yes. Horrible that. And it was at Twilight’s castle too, correct?”
“That’s what I’ve heard.”
Trixie scowled. The voices were too calm. Too nonchalant.
“Why in Equestria hasn’t she hired a guard for that castle of hers? If she’d done that, the attacker couldn’t have…”
A claw grabbed at the nape of her neck. She jumped, her horn letting out a small spark. Discord gave her a stern look, pushing her forward. Reluctantly, she relented, trudging forward.
She must’ve been walking for a little under a half an hour when suddenly Discord stopped in his tracks. "Here," he said, pointing upwards. "This is our stop."
Trixie breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally. So, what's going to happen from here on out?"
He counted off on his claw. "One, don't get caught. Two, you're going to go in and talk to her."
She narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second. You're not coming with me?"
Discord shrugged. "As much as I'd love to, she and I are not... what's the word... oh yeah, friends."
She raised an eyebrow. "So you're afraid of going to talk to a mare that you're not friends with when we're clearly not friends?"
"I'm not afraid," he said, folding his arms. "I'm just reasonable. She’d be much more keen to share information with you than I."
She rolled her eyes, huffing out a puff of air. "Okay. I'm asking what she knows about the attacker. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Make a good impression." Discord leaned against the wall of the sewers. "Smile. Show her your good side, and don’t mention me."
She sighed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t model for anypony,” she grunted, whipping her flank into Discord’s side. She meant it to hurt, but Discord’s body deformed away from it, and she stumbled to the side. She huffed. “I will gain her respect through other means.”
Discord shrugged. “Just saying. She likes plump flanks like yours.”
She knit her eyebrows. "Wait, you mean she's—"
"No more questions," the draconequus interrupted, snapping his fingers. The magician felt lighter, and her hooves were inches off the ground. She fretted as if trying to bring the ground to her, but to no avail. "The only thing you need to know is that the inn she operates is going to be directly to your left. Ta-ta, now!"
"Discor–AAGH!" She shot through the air straight upward, heading straight for the metal lid of the pony-hole. She braced herself for impact... but none came. The lid moved on its own, and she landed on her hooves in the streets of Canterlot, the lid shutting behind her.
She turned about face. "Hey!" she yelled, lighting her horn. She imagined a giant claw prying the hole open, but it didn't budge. Her mind exploded in a headache, and she glared down the tiny holes. Suddenly, Discord's eye popped out of one of them. She yelped, rearing and backing away.
Another eye and his maw popped through the holes. "Already forgotten what you came here for, dear?" His talon popped out of another, pointing behind her.
She turned. The inn was unexpectedly meager. It wasn't decorated and high-class as the rest of the royal city. It's warm and almost cottage-like look stood out like a sore hoof against the elegant towers of the rest of the buildings. That's not to say it didn't look impressive; it still stood higher than the normal inn one would see in Ponyville. But its walls were an off-white plaster, the roof's fascia decorated with a rolling motif. The many windows were lit up against the darkness of the night, plain, but oddly pleasing to the eye.
"It came from over there!" a voice exclaimed far to her left, the clinking sound of armor and swift hoofbeats following in suit. Light grew off the sides of the gargantuan buildings, slowly but steadily.
"You'd better think of something fast," Discord mused, before all of his different appendages popped back into the sewers.
Her heart jumped. She cast her eyes about, looking for somewhere to hide. Inside the inn! she thought, galloping to the door. She yanked and pulled on the door, but it wouldn't budge. Anxiety hammering away at her chest, she thought of teleporting up to the roofs, but the structure of Canterlot was such that if she did, she would be level with another streetline, and she would be caught there. Not to mention that she was horrible at teleporting to begin with. The light at the end of the street grew ever brighter, the guard's sounds getting louder.
A cold breath caught in her chest. There was nowhere to run to. Her heart hammered in her chest. What was she going to do?
Slowly, she was washed away in a memory. She stood on a stage, unable to breathe as the auditorium of ponies stared expectantly at her. Tears had stung at her eyes, and she wanted for dear life to hide behind her cloak and hat. Suddenly, the act had seemed impossible and intimidating. Her knees shook under her.
"Trixie," a voice had whispered to the side for the third time. She looked, and her mom stood against the wall stage left. She remembered her warm smile, as if she was saying, "You can do this, my little moonlight."
Suddenly, the anxiety washed away. That was her stage, a window into what she was all about: tricks, magic, entertainment. But it was as if the crowd disappeared. She wasn't doing this for them, necessarily, but herself. She wanted to express what she had been practicing to no one but herself.
The memory melted away, and her heart stilled. This was her stage. No matter what happened, she was the star of the show: The Great and Powerful Trixie.
The guards galloped up to her, both female. Their armor glistened in the moonlight, their eyes fierce as the sun's rays. "Halt!" one commanded. "What are you doing out past curfew?"
For the first time, the show-pony smiled. "I was just getting a fresh breath of air," she said, forming into the character she desired: an overwhelmed Canterlotian mare. It was as if her thoughts had switched directions entirely, making new connections, melding into something entirely different from what she was.
"Do you know what time it is, ma'am?" the other guard asked.
"Yes," the show-pony groaned, feigning irritation. "It's time for me to catch a break. My husband works in the sewer system, you know, and upon being an absolute blah, he wants to snuggle with me with that infernal smell of his! I need to get a breath as he washes up so that I don't vomit all over the hotel room."
"Excuse me, ma'am," one of the guards said, her words choked. "You don't smell very much different."
She snapped. "How dare you! You would insult the Great and P..." She swallowed her words. "Perfectest mare that has stuck with her husband through thick and thin?"
"Ma'am, I didn't mean to --"
"Oh-ho-ho, you didn't mean to, but your thoughtfulness is very apparent." The show-pony scowled and glared at them. "Now, get out of my sight or I'll report you to your superiors."
One of the guards scowled back. "Let's leave this one alone. But if we see you one more time..."
The show-pony raised her eyebrows. "Superiors."
She snorted, turning about face and trotting away.
A door opened behind her. "Wow, you know how to play quite the witch, do you?"
She turned. Behind her was a mare with a greenish-blue coat, and a deep purple mane that was kept up in a bun. Her tail was wide and long with streaks of a lighter color. Her eyes, however, were just captivating. They were a dark blue when viewed from far away, but from where Trixie was at, she could see flecks of lighter silver.
"Y-yes," Trixie stammered. "But, oh my gosh, your eyes. They're..."
She chuckled. "Yes, I've been told that a lot. They're my namesake."
"Then what is your name?" She walked closer.
"Opal," she answered. "I'm the innkeeper here. And you are the 'Great and Powerful Trixie', I presume?"
The magician's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
She gave a sly smile and tapped her muzzle. "I have my connections. Also, trying to rule over Ponyville helps your notoriety."
Trixie winced. She must be the mare that Discord sent me to talk to, she figured. "Yeah, that's a path Trixie has left... far behind."
The smile grew. "Talking in third person, are we? Don't worry, you don't have to impress anypony. Let's just say that you already did with that display over there." She gestured inside the inn. "Come in."
Her jaw locked open, preparing a retort, but the words clung in her throat. She let out a small fry and closed it, her face burning. She didn't know if she liked Opal, or if she would regret the rest of the visit. Regardless, she followed her in suit.
The inside of the in was very homely. There was a fireplace at the far side of the room, rocks tracing the flue up through the ceiling and into the outside. Many oak chairs and tables stood empty as most of the tenants had went to bed, besides one pony that sat at the bar. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, again, not too fancy, but still pleasing to the eye. Her hooves struck damply on the hardwood floor, the sound surprisingly solid.
She followed Opal to the bar, where she lifted a gate, closing it behind her. "Just one second," she said, moving in front of the drunken stallion. "Another glass of Cedarsville, I assume?"
"You know the one," the stallion said in a slightly-slurred tenor. In Trixie’s mind, he was the epitome of depression; he was sulking, his coat dirty, his mane messy. She felt a pit in her stomach. Poor colt, she thought, walking past.
The innkeep walked behind the bar, popping off a cork of a green bottle. She titled it, a caramel-colored liquid sloshing in the glass. She slid it back to him. “That’s your third and last glass, mind you,” she said firmly. “But if you need anything else, I will be in my office.”
The colt nodded slowly. “Will do.”
The innkeep gave a warm smile. She capped and shelved the drink, and caught Trixie’s eye. She nodded toward the door and walked. Trixie followed suit, clicking the open door shut behind her.
On the surface, the office looked friendly enough. It was the same homely atmosphere as before, and the room smelled of a faint vanilla. A lone lamp that sat on her desk illuminated the room brightly enough to see the filing cabinets behind her and the bookshelf to the left side of the room.
A metallic spark met her eye from the depths of the bookshelf. From what she could see, it had a hook on the end. But upon closer inspection, she realized it was not a hook, but a lock, clamping a small chest shut.
Trixie gestured to it. “What’s that?”
Opal turned, looking to where she was pointing. Her posture visibly slouched. “That’s something that I wish I could forget,” she sighed. “Please don’t mention it again.” She took a seat behind her desk, gesturing to the one across her. “Have a seat.”
Trixie complied. She sat in the chair, which was cushier than it was at first sight.
Opal brought her hooves together, covering her lips. “So,” she started. “First thing’s first. What is a pony from Ponyville doing in a city under quarantine?”
Trixie felt a stirring feeling in her chest. She placed her hooves in her lap. “I’d like to find the attacker that hurt my friend.”
Opal’s eyes narrowed, her hooves lowering. “I assume that you’re talking about the castle bombing there, then?”
Trixie nodded.
“Hmm…” her eyes fell shut. “And I assume that Discord sent you here, didn’t he?”
Her heart stopped. She felt her body tense. “H-he told me not to mention you.”
“A wise decision,” Opal admitted, opening her hooves in a wide gesture. “But he underestimates me. He’s one of my only contacts in Ponyville, and considering that his girlfriend got caught up in all of it, it’s only natural for him to want to seek out and destroy the attacker.”
“What happened between you two?” Trixie asked.
Opal let her hooves down, letting out a small chortle. “Nothing happened. We've never had a good relationship with each other. He's just an ass.”
Trixie gave a shocked laugh at her vulgarity. “Yeah, I can definitely see where you're coming from.”
She raised her eyes to heaven. “Anypony who's anypony knows that,” she sighed.
Opal crossed her hooves out on the table in front of her. She gave Trixie a solemn look. “However, as for the attacker, I've no idea who the culprit is. But there have been reports of different ponies with mysterious black boxes, about the size of their hooves.” She traced a line around her hoof. “It’s a stretch, but if I were to assume, that’s the biggest lead I have.
Trixie’s heart sunk, her posture slouching. All this for nothing? “It’s really abstract,” she sighed.
“Pft,” she huffed. “Tell me about it.” She rested her head in her hooves. “But that’s all I have. We don’t even know how those ponies with the black boxes came to be. Just that they’re around.”
Trixie closed her eyes. Was her journey really over before it began? She felt her chest begin to burn. No, she thought, it can’t be.
She stood, sliding in the chair under the desk in front of her. “Well, we’ll just have to make due with what we have.”
Opal let out a small laugh. Her hooves clopped back down on the desk, one extended the farther than the other. “You remind me of my niece,” she reminisced. “She was always determined to get things done.” She sighed, pausing for a split second before reaching under her desk. “Tell you what.” She straightened back up with an envelope in her mouth, letting it down on the desk. “This is an enchanted envelope, the same that I share with Discord and all my other clients. Put a letter inside of it and it will appear here in my office.” She tapped the letter with the tip of her hoof, sliding it toward Trixie. “I will try my best from my end to help you out and keep you informed, just as long as you do the same.”
Trixie lit her horn, picking it up and hovering it in front of her eyes. It was a little heavier than she’d originally anticipated, and it was made of a thicker paper than normal. “I’ll keep you updated, then,” she resolved. “Thank you.”
Opal smiled, raising her hoof square with her head. “It’s my honor to serve,” she recited as if from memory. She put her hoof down. “Also, kindly tell Discord to go hoof himself.”
Trixie nodded devilishly. “Will do.”
The innkeep stood and walked to the doorway. She pushed it open as Trixie opened her saddlebag, putting the envelope in carefully. “Before you go, can I offer you a room or anything?” she asked, her tone much higher and affable than before. “Maybe a drink to calm your nerves?”
Trixie turned and waved a hoof in dismissal. “No thanks. I’ve got to go.” The corner of her mouth curled up in a smirk. “But maybe next time?”
The innkeep returned the smile. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Smiling, she turned to the exit. She took a deep breath as she turned the doorknob and opened the door. Back into the wild, she thought, closing the door behind her.
She held back a gasp. Three guards stood at the doorway. The same ponies as before. The show-pony adopted her Canterlotian persona once more. "I had thought I said I would report you to your superiors."
The third stepped up. She was about the same size as them, but wore her stature such that she dwarfed both of them. "I am one of their superiors." She gave a knowing grin as Trixie's eyes widened. She reached back to a sack suspended from her armor. "Now, I want to make this process as smooth as possible." In her hoof was a gnarly iron ring with a clear crystal embedded into it.
Trixie’s heart jumped. A suppressor. She shot her gaze back and forth, tempted with broiling fear to run. However, she knew without a doubt that she would be caught if she ever tried.
The superior placed the ring on Trixie’s horn, and all feeling retreated from it. “Good girl,” she taunted. “Typically former convicts try to run.” She turned to the guards. “Chain her up. It’s about time that Trixie Lulamoon was apprehended for her crimes.”
The guards nodded, procuring cuffs from their body armor. They surrounded Trixie, fastening them around her hooves. Afterward, they shoved her forward, and she followed them down the street. I'll figure something out... she thought. I hope.
The guards brought her farther up the side of the mountain, Canterlot Castle becoming plain in view. It towered above her, no longer in the friendly light, but she was certain this would become her tomb. Her criminal history was such that it would definitely be a factor in her jail time.
They entered into the castle, taking a right down a spiraling staircase below the first floor. The farther down they went, the more damp and clammy it got. Moss started growing in the plaster between rows of bricks. When they landed at the bottom of the staircase, the dungeon was dark, lit only by four torches at each corner of the room. There was one other pony, a stallion, that stared at the ground, eyelids drooping.
The guards brought her to stand in front of one cell, the one she was sure would be hers. "Name?" the superior asked.
"Trixie," she responded bitterly.
The guard raised her eyebrows. "Current residence?"
"Ponyville."
The superior nodded. "So, you left Ponyville against direct orders from the Two Princesses not to. Do you realize the weight of that situation?"
"I realize," she sighed.
The superior opened the door to the cell, ushering her in. "Private," she said to the pony on her right, shutting the cell door with a clang. "Go tell the Princess that we have one Trixie of Ponyville in our cells." She looked to the one on her left. "You, come with me. We need to find other riffraff that decided to stay out past curfew."
The other nodded, following her out as the first one she spoke to galloped up the staircase.
Trixie backed up against the damp wall, shivering. Things weren't looking auspicious. First she had no idea who the culprit was, and now she was trapped in the dungeon and couldn't ever know. She sat on her haunches, burying her head in her hooves. I probably deserve it, she thought, bringing her hind legs close to her. She was, after all, the one who had instigated rule over Ponyville, if not only for a brief moment.
"Could Twilight ever forgive me?" she remembered saying to Starlight in the castle kitchen a few days back. She could see it vividly; she was preparing dinner for both the Princess and her loyal dragon Spike. The counter lined the walls, and Starlight was kneading bread dough, a silly chef's hat on her head.
Her friend cocked an eyebrow, her hooves stopping in place. "Where did that come from?" she had asked, turning toward her.
The magician had cracked an egg and dropped its contents into a big yellow bowl. "I-I don't know. I mean, the Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't need approval of everypony she meets... but seeing you and Twilight together, well, you've grown so close... and..."
Starlight had nodded. "You want to have that type of relationship with her, too."
Trixie had huffed. “No, no, no. The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t need a friend out of Twilight Sparkle.” She’d sighed, resting her head on her hooves atop the counter top. “Just… her respect.”
Her friend had put a hoof on her shoulder, and Trixie looked at her, and was greeted with a smile. "Don't worry. You've only been here for a month or two. She'll warm up to you like she did for me. It wasn't quite smooth sailing for us either."
She couldn't have avoid smiling too. "You're sure?" She felt the tears well up in her eyes.
Her friend's smile had grown a little wider. "Positive." She’d pulled her into a hug, her heart warming and her fears quelling.
The memory broke as hoofsteps grew louder in the staircase to her left. She perked up, listening closely. No talking. This pony was alone.
A white-coated alicorn appeared from the doorway. Her mane was like the morning mist. "Trixie Lulamoon," she said, her voice calm and warm.
Trixie scrambled to her hooves, bowing before her. "Princess!" she yelped.
"You are relieved," the Princess said, and Trixie stood. "I have no doubt that you are here because of what happened in Ponyville."
She nodded. "Yes. I need to figure out who did this."
The alicorn nodded, her horn lighting, illuminating the cell with blinding light. "I understand, and I admire your determination. However, the Celestial Guard is on its way to figuring out who this pony is. You should not have left your village in defiance of my rules." The light faded, leaving the cell darker than it was. "Do you understand?"
Trixie’s heart shattered. After all of the stories she had heard about Princess Celestia, this is what she got? A warm princess turned cold? "... I understand," she said, tears stinging at her eyes.
"Good." Celestia turned to the staircase. "I will see you later, then." She ascended, her hoofsteps fading in the distance.
Trixie heaved out a sob, her chest turning to stone. She backed up against the wall, bringing her hooves in close as the tears flowed freely from her eyes. Why did I do this? she thought, her mind burning. Why did I have to fail?
"H-hey, miss...?" a voice came from across her. "Miss?"
The magician lifted her head, sniffing. The stallion stood, pointing to her head. "I hope I'm not bothering... but aren't unicorns supposed to have suppression rings around their horns?"
She lifted an eyebrow. "What?"
The stallion pointed again. "Your suppression ring. It's not there."
Trixie knit her eyebrows, lowering her head and feeling at her horn. She recognized the familiar buzz it had, and the ring was nowhere to be felt. She caught her breath in her chest. Princess Celestia, she thought, remembering the blinding light she’d cast. She must've broken it! She gathered herself to her hooves, lighting her horn. She imagined the street in front of the inn, a string connecting her and it together. She ignored the oncoming headache. "Teleportation spell, go!" she muttered under her breath, her horn sparking, surrounding her with a strange aura. She heard a big pop, and suddenly she was in front of the inn again, the cool night air surrounding her once more.
Dizziness suddenly overtook her, and she waddled to the side of a building, catching herself on it before she fell. She blinked, and she saw the night sky, and the cool night air brushing along her coat. She finally did it!
"This was an interesting place to pick." Princess Celestia appeared in front of Trixie, and she twitched to take a knee. "No need to bow this time," she reassured. "Once is quite enough."
Trixie stood up straight. "Thank you, Princess," she expressed, rubbing her front leg. "I thought you were going to leave me there.” She knit her eyebrows. “Why though?”
The alicorn nodded, walking up to her. "I suppose I owe you an explanation." She sat against the wall next to her, gesturing her to do the same, and she did. "When I heard about the attack, I was devastated. I knew that Twilight and her friends were gravely injured, especially Fluttershy." She gestured widely with her hooves. “But because of that, we made sure that guard was increased in both Ponyville and here, and we’re sending assistance to the Crystal Empire as well. However, we’re also facing fire from places like Manehattan and Vanhoover, and they want protection, too. We haven’t gotten any of them in the audience hall, but if enough of them call for materia importare, we’ll have no choice but to send our guard to those places, too.”
Trixie frowned. "So you’re guard will be spread thin.”
Celestia nodded. “You see my dilemma. At this point, I’ll have slim to no guard to investigate this attacker.” She turned to look at Trixie, her eyes deep with conflict. “That’s why I need ponies like you. Vigilante or not, I don’t care. I just need all the help I can get.”
The Princess stood. "Anyway, I must be off. There are more things I need to do before my day is up." She looked at Trixie and smiled. "But you have my blessing. Go find this criminal, and bring him to justice."
Trixie smiled. "Thank you, Princess." With that, the Princess vanished, and Discord appeared shortly after.
"Finally!" he said. He stretched, smelling the fresh air as if it was a bouquet of flowers. "I was wondering when you would finish up. What happened?"
The magician shrugged. "Oh, you know, only had a run in with the Celestial Guard, talked to Opal, got thrown into the dungeon, and was able to get out because of Celestia."
The draconequus folded his arms. "Oh. Well, that explains it." He narrowed his eyebrows. "Even though I don't think we're going to have that much luck again. They will be more aggressive, and besides, we won't have a Princess to bail us out next time."
Trixie's face went hot, anger bubbling up in her chest. "Wait a second, us? That was all me! I talked to your contact, got thrown into the stupid dungeon while you sat down there and twiddled your thumbs!" She butted her head into his. "You said you needed my help, but so far all you've done was leave all the dirty work to me! Even in the village with Fluttershy! Why on earth couldn't you have just used your magic there?" 
Discord halted, his playful countenance gone in an instant. He scowled. "What would you have felt if you saw Starlight dying in front of you, like Fluttershy?" he asked, his words dripping poison. 
Trixie hesitated. This wasn't the same Discord as a second ago. She cleared her throat. "Panic," she croaked, the mere thought of Starlight in Fluttershy's place making her heart freeze in anxiety. 
Discord nodded slowly, his eyes aflame. "So you understand my situation. But remind me who came up with the idea of tracking down the attacker in the first place. Remind me who had a contact we could go to for more information. Remind me, dear Trixie, who led you through the sewers so that we could talk to her.” His eyes burned with fury. “I’m sorry the guard harassed you, that my stupidity caused you pain, but let me remind you who’s done all the dirty work so far.” He leaned in to Trixie’s ear, covering the other side of his mouth. “Let me give you a hint.” He leaned in closer. “IT’S ME!”
Trixie staggered to the side, her left ear ringing. She flicked at her ear with a hoof to no avail. “That reminds me,” she grunted through her teeth. “Go hoof yourself.”
Discord snarled. “Well, gladly.” He lifted a leg in a 4-position, brushing his inner thigh as if attempting a tree pose. “It would be a lot easier if I had more than one hoof.”
He huffed out a puff of air. “Anyways,” he said, floating in the air once more. “We’d better get moving. Walking is a lot better than listening to your incessant whining.”
Trixie sighed. “Where to now?” she groaned, dragging a hoof down her face.”
“I’ve an errand to run just outside of town,” Discord replied. “Fortunately, it’s with much... friendlier company.”