The Ties that Bind

by the7Saviors


A Truth Uncovered

Ancient Scroll eyed the book Fia had brought to his attention with a heavy frown. After a moment he sighed and pinched his nose as he floated the book over to the nearby desk.

"Oh, Trixie," he muttered to himself as he shook his head, "if you'd just asked, I would've been happy to teach you all about changeling Mind Magic."

"Really?" Corona asked, her eyes slightly widening in surprise, "isn't that kind of magic like, y'know, more dangerous than pony magic?"

"Not necessarily more dangerous," Ancient Scroll replied with another shake of his head, "just different is all. Though emotions do have a part to play in the casting of pony magic, we've never actually found a way to harness magic to specifically control emotions like the changelings have—at least not until I wrote that book."

He turned back to a still slumbering Fell Wind with a grimace before addressing Fia and Corona once more.

"It's their unique biology that allows them to use Pathokinesis—or Emotion Magic—so effectively," he continued, "unlike general Mind Magic, which changes emotion indirectly by directly altering the mind in drastic ways, Emotion Magic can twist and manipulate emotions in a much more direct and visceral manner without permanently affecting or harming the mind."

"Wait," Fia replied with a frown, "so Trixie—"

"Didn't get that spell from this book, no," Ancient Scroll finished, "in all honesty, things probably would've turned out better if she had used a spell from that book," he sighed, "but no, I don't know how Trixie learned this 'Mind Walking' spell."

"And that's not all," Corona added, "she mentioned something about a second spell too."

"A second spell?" Ancient Scroll asked, "what second spell?"

"We don't know," Fia replied with a shake of her head, "we didn't get a chance to find out, but..." she glanced towards Corona, "I think Sunset might have an idea as to how she learned the spell."

Ancient Scroll raised an eyebrow and turned to the filly in question. Corona winced and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, maybe not how she learned the spell so much as who she learned it from," she corrected, "it's gonna sound weird, but... you see, Trixie—"

Just at that moment the door opened and Rouge and Yojimbo stepped in, followed by a hesitant Trixie.

"Brought our little wayward pony home for ya," the husky exclaimed, leaning down to ruffle Trixie's mane before pushing her towards the others, "she's got some things she wants to say."

Trixie stumbled forward and looked back to the cat and dog with a pleading expression. Yojimbo merely stood back up and winked at the filly before walking over to and leaning against one of the walls, his arms crossed as he waited expectantly. Rouge gave Trixie one last encouraging nod before taking her place on one of the other cots in the room.

The azure filly sighed in resignation before turning back to Ancient Scroll and the other two fillies. Ancient Scroll furrowed his brow and waited for the filly to speak, the other two fillies doing the same, but with much more nervous expressions.

"Trixie... I... I'm sorry," Trixie began, her ears flattening, "I didn't mean for all this to happen, I just wanted to help make sure Fell Wind didn't capture Twilight," she cast a glance at the sleeping mare before continuing, "nopony had any ideas, so I suggested one, a-and I thought it was a good idea, at the time anyway."

"It most likely would've been, had you the experience required for such an endeavor," Ancient Scroll pointed out, giving the azure filly a level look, "instead you were reckless and took it upon yourself to do something that was far beyond your current level."

Trixie hung her head and said nothing in her defense. Ancient Scroll's expression softened for a split second before going back to that of a stern mentor. He decided to move on with his own line of questioning.

"What I want to know," he continued, "is how on Equus you were able to cast such a spell in the first place. Not even I could do such a thing without having studied for years," he shook his head and glanced at Corona before looking back to Trixie, "Corona thinks somepony might've taught you how—"

Trixie's breath hitched in her throat and she turned a look of betrayal in Corona's direction, causing the maroon filly to wince and look away. After a second Corona frowned and turned back to Trixie, her expression telling Trixie she had thought it was the right thing to do.

Ancient Scroll raised an eyebrow at the exchange, but decided not to comment, instead continuing from where he left off.

"...But that only raises more questions," the old stallion said slowly, "how would you have gained another teacher when you've been with me and everypony here the whole time?"

Trixie looked away and bit her lip nervously, her tail twitching in agitation as she thought on what to say. Eventually she gave another heavy sigh of resignation. She figured it would be best to just tell Ancient Scroll and let him sort it out.

After all, it had been because she listened to that Mare that she had gotten ahold of this magic to begin with.

"...A few days ago, just before we got to the Sour Apple," Trixie began morosely, "Trixie... heard a voice in her head."

She paused to see if Ancient Scroll would say anything, and when he didn't, she continued.

"Trixie... can't remember what the voice said, but... the night before, Fell Wind attacked us, Trixie had a dream."

"A dream?" Ancient Scroll repeated, furrowing his brow in bemusement, "what kind of dream?"

"Well..." Trixie shifted uncomfortably for a moment before replying, "in the dream, I was visited by this... strange mare," she frowned thoughtfully, "she was really tall, and powerful, and pretty, and dark, and had all these stars in her mane and tail, and she had a really long and super sharp horn and these huge wings!"

"Trixie," Ancient Scroll pressed, setting aside those very troubling details for the moment, "please continue if you would."

"Right, s-sorry," Trixie replied with a slight blush, "well anyway, she called herself the Mare of Dreams, and she was the one who taught Trixie how to use the Mind Walking spell."

"That... doesn't make any sense," Ancient Scroll muttered more to himself as he thought, "how did this Dream Mare manage to..." his eyes suddenly widened in realization, "of course! If this mare had direct access to your mind, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that she imprinted the spell within your memory!"

"So that's how she was able to pull it off," Fia muttered with a slight frown, "I never thought about something like that..."

"And what about that other spell?" Corona asked, "I'm guessing you learned it the same way?"

"The Memory Weaving spell," Trixie replied with a single nod, "that spell was... a bit more difficult to understand," her tone turned tentative, "but yes, the Mare basically gave me these spells."

"But why?" Fia asked, frowning in bemusement, "why would this mare just give you spells? Why you? Why now?"

"I..." Trixie hesitated for a moment as she looked past the disguise and to Twilight Sparkle. Her mind went back to what the Mare of Dreams had said about the lavender filly, "...I don't know. She didn't tell me," she finally replied, "I think she has some kind of plan, but she didn't tell me what it was."

That, at least, was partly true.

"Well, in any case," Ancient Scroll replied after a moment, "I don't believe any good will come of these plans of hers, and using you to further whatever goals she may have does not bode well. From what little I was able to gather, that Mind Walking spell is dangerous and in no way should've been given to you to handle."

"I know," Trixie replied, looking back over to Fell Wind with a guilty expression, "I wish I hadn't learned it, but it's too late now."

"That it is," Ancient Scroll replied with a contemplative frown, "if the spell has been imprinted in your memory, then there isn't anything I can do right now."

"You can't just, I don't know, erase it from her memory or something?" Corona asked with a bemused tilt of her head, "it doesn't seem like it'd be that hard."

"On the contrary, little filly," Ancient Scroll replied with a slow shake of his head, "I imagine this spell is extremely complex in it's design, and to imprint a spell of that magnitude no doubt took a large amount of power and finesse—something I don't possess at the moment."

"What? But you... oh, right," Corona responded, remembering what the old stallion had gone through just yesterday, "I almost forgot about that."

"Right," Ancient Scroll said, "and even if I did have the power to remove the imprint, I don't know how the spell works, and trying to remove a spell I don't understand would be a very unwise decision."

"So... what, you'd have to study the spell first?" Fia asked with a worried frown, "but... I checked all the spellbooks here, and none of them mention that spell at all."

"I know, little filly," Ancient Scroll replied with a sigh, "I've never encountered this spell before, and I don't even know if a record of it exists. The soonest I'll be able to find out is when we get to Canterlot."

At that, the room fell into a heavy silence—every one the room wrapped in their own thoughts on the matter. Eventually Rouge stood up from the cot she had been sitting on and brushed off the front of her dark violet dress.

"Well, since no one has anything else to say for the moment, I think it's about time we all got something to eat," she suggested, "I'm sure Trixie and Ancient Scroll are starving after not having eaten for so long."

The two in question looked at each other before looking back to the Abyssinian.

"I... suppose you're right," Ancient Scroll slowly replied, a small smile spreading across his muzzle, "I am a bit peckish," he glanced at Trixie one more time before focusing his gaze once more on Rouge with a nod, "alright, we'll discuss the rest later," he turned to the three fillies before him, "for now, let's all get something in our stomachs, shall we?"

Fia and Corona nodded eagerly and Rouge chuckled before heading towards the door. She stopped next to Yojimbo, who had been oddly silent during the entire exchange.

"Are you okay?" Rouge asked the quiet husky, "you've been rather subdued all things considered."

"Nah, I'm fine," Yojimbo replied with a dismissive wave of his paw, "just not good in conversations like these, so I figured I'd let them talk it out," he pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against and flashed the feline a toothy grin, "dinner sounds great though—especially if it's bein' made by you."

Rouge rolled her eyes and gave the husky a flat stare. Yojimbo just chuckled deeply and raised his paws in defense before walking out of the room after Ancient Scroll, Fia, and Corona.

"That mongrel, I swear," Rouge muttered under her breath before starting to follow after the others, "still, it's nice to feel appreciated I suppose."

"Um... Rouge?"

The Abyssinian stopped in her tracks and turned towards the small voice behind her. Trixie stood a little ways away, looking lost and a little afraid. Rouge frowned and made her way over to the filly before leaning down to her eye level.

"What is it, little one?" she asked softly, "something is still bothering you, isn't it?"

Trixie nodded before looking into Rouge's eyes.

"I... what if... what if there comes a time when I have to use this magic again?" she asked, "if I did it to save a friend... do you think they'd forgive me?"

Rouge opened her mouth to response and stopped. She furrowed her brows contemplatively and spoke again in a careful, but warm tone.

"That depends, Trixie," she replied with a motherly smile, "if it truly would be to save a friend, and if there's no other way... then if they truly did care about you as much as I know they do, I'm certain they'd forgive you."

"You think so?" Trixie asked hopefully, "you think they'll know that I tried my best, a-and that I only did it to protect them?"

"I do," Rouge replied simply before rising to her feet, "now come on, let's get out there before Yojimbo and the others get impatient," she turned to leave and stopped, looking back to Trixie over her shoulder with a smirk, "perhaps you can show them all what you've learned in the kitchen."

Trixie smiled after a moment and gave a haughty huff and a single nod.

"Trixie will show them that her culinary skills are not to be underestimated!"

With a small chuckle, Rouge walked out of the room, Trixie following close behind her. The door closed behind them, cutting off their chatter and bathing the room in relative silence. Fell Wind frowned contemplatively as she lay in her cot, staring at the ceiling.


The mare had a quite a lot to think about.