The old blue mare slowly walked towards her red armchair and sat down, while a book levitated out of the shelf nearby and landed on her lap, followed by a cup of tea, landing next to her on a small table – additional two cups of coco also came flown from the kitchen and landed in front of her on the ground.
Of course, the mare was way too old for chocolate milk and the tea was enough anyway - that's why the coco was intended for her young guests, which lay on the ground in front of her, patiently waiting for the mare to start.
The mare had no children or relatives of her own, so usually, she would not get visitors, since most pony's in town just found her a little odd, those two been the only exception. They came here since almost two years now, giving her a visit once a week to tell a story to them.
"Shall the great Trixie start her story?" the mare gave a serious glance, but had an playful smile on her lips doing so.
"I would like the one about monsters!" the deep blue colt said certainly.
"Could we get a love-story instead?" the gray filly asked humbly.
The kids knew there was no point in breaking out in an argument like they usually would - since it was up to her to pick a story. Sometimes she would listen to the colts request... other times to the filly's... making it exciting before she even had started.
"Well... lets see what we got today to entertain you" the mare said and put on her glasses, opening the cover of her old brown book, when she tipped her hoof onto her tongue and browsed the sides till she had found sometimes "Hm... that one will work" she said and paused, waiting for her audience to get a little more nervous, about whose request she had picked today.
"Today i think i can please both of you" she then said to the young ones surprise...
Our today's story brings us back to the start of Equestria... when an evil spirit roamed free in the land... he was nothing you ever have seen in your life... his body wasn't the one of a pony... or lion... or lizard... no – he was like an patchwork out of all these animals and a few more, giving him an monstrous appearance!" she said and with that created an short half transparent illusion of the monster, like it was about to jump out of the book and grab them with his raised paws, making the kids eyes grew big and crouch back a bit "and this monster wasn't any ordinary monster... no! It also was almighty!" with that she made a flower levitate out of a vase nearby and hover in front of the filly's.
"Unlike other monsters, he also had magic and could do anything with it" now the flower turned into a lollipop, then into a key, followed by a feather and back into a flower – to return into the vase "and his magic was incredible strong... stronger than any unicorn there ever was!"
The gray earthpony rose her hoof "stronger than Star Swirl's?" she asked, thinking back on one of her earlier story's.
"Oh.. i think so..." the mare nodded quickly "this monster just had to snap! And all of Equestria was upside down... doing what ever he wanted and playing mean tricks to everypony there was... and that's why Celestia her self stopped him..." with that said, two glass figures landed in front of them,showing an alicorn and that monster from before, both in fighting stance "...and you know what she did to him?"
The filly shook her head, but the blue colt on her side gave it a try "Maybe, she blew him up?" he asked, making his friend show her tongue with an "ewwk".
An laugh was the mares first reaction, but then she shook her head on this "No. Celestia never would do such a thing... she loves everypony... even mean monsters like him...” she told him, waving her hoof like a teacher ”but... she did punish him." with that she used the magic of her horn and the small glass figure lifted up from the ground and slowly got higher and higher, while changing colors, from brown into pink, yellow, blue, white, orange and finally purple before it landed with and "plomp" on the ground – now being gray "she turned him into..."
"Stone!" the filly said, poking the lifeless figure.
"Yes she did... he was turned into stone for over a thousand years!"
Now the alicorn got levitated away, but the other one remained.
"So that's it? Didn't you say it was also romantic?" the filly frowned a little.
"Oh don't you worry, our story doesn't end here! You see... he was turned to stone for over a thousand years... but than the spell got broken and the Spirit was set free again... and at first it looked like he would cause chaos once more... so a group of very special pony's had to stop him!"
With that a small chest nearby opened and six mares floated out of it, landing all around the monster, all of them being made of colored wood.
"They wanted to use the same magic like Celestia had to... since he didn't want to listen to them and stop to create chaos. All of them thought he was a very evil and mean monster... all... except one".
With that said the yellow figure began to glow, like a miniature angel.
"She was the most kind pony there is... and she convinced the others to let go of their task and make him a friend..." now the stone statue turned back into glass and floated next to the mare.
"Of course at first he tried to trick everypony, by using their pegasus friend against them..." with that the monster gently floated around the mare... "but soon he fell for the mare and now she was the one who had him under control" now the mare slowly floated around the brown monster in the center.
"And guess what... she even did see behind his appearance and she also fell in love with him" now the figures floated side on side and landed in front of the other mares on the ground.
"So one day, the two married... and the monster made it rain flowers across the land, so everypony could share his joy - can you imagine that?" she said, waiting for the filly's to think about it.
“I can't do it” the filly said sadly, but also the colt seemed to have trouble to image such a strange thing.
“You have to close your eyes” with that she did so her self and the kids followed her example “Just think of a cloud... a big white one... now try to make it pink... and now try to make it snow... but instead of snow flakes... it been flowers of all kind...” the mare peaked a little and see that the filly now could image what she had told her. She just waited a few moments till they opened their eyes by them self's, to continue with a little more serious tone.
“...but there was still a problem...” pausing once so they could take a guess.
"Did he turn evil again?" the colt asked.
The mare shook her head.
"Did she left him?"
Once again the mare shook her head.
"No, she didn't left him - she never would... but she might had to one day... you see... he was immortal, so he would life forever... but she – wasn't... and some day she would be old as me, she said and gently stroke over her white mane “so he did something, everypony thought was impossible, till they had seen it with their own eyes!” now her voice suddenly got down to a whispering - as she leaned forward, like she would tell them a secret “he made her... immortal!”.
With that the yellow statue began to glow in a white shine and the wood turned from top to hooves into what seemed the same glass, the monster was made of.
"Awww.... that's so romantic" the filly said, wishing away a few tears of her face.
"So then they still life?" the colt asked confused.
A last time the mare shook her head, but this time sadly.
"You see... only one of the mares friends, also had become immortal... you might know her - Princess Twilight Sparkle?" she asked on which one the foals nodded.
“I seen her on the trade-market once, she is so beautiful!” the filly said, like it just been yesterday.
“Lucky you...” the colt frowned.
Trixie waited for the two to finish and turned the purple figure into an alicorn, to continue her story after that.
“Sadly... only a hoof full of creatures can be like this... and so the others had to leave them at some point on their journey" now the remaining four pony figures slowly floated back into the chest, one bye one, but not before they got an last visit from the strange couple.
“What happened then?” the filly asked, pointing on the remaining figures.
“Well... Princess Twilight was helping her town grow into a kingdom of its own, which took a lot of work and century's to happen” the alicorn floated away and landed nearby on the table, next to her tea.
“The other two lived nearby in a castle as the days passed by... becoming weeks, months, years, decades and centuries... until one day - an unique magic made both mortal.”
“Was it another monster?” the colt suggested “Or a Princess?” the filly added.
The mare taped her chin a few times and gave them a hint “I talk about the strongest magic there is... you know what that could be?”
“... friendship...?” the filly wondered, but surprisingly enough - receiving a nod from the white maned mare.
“The problem was, that the mare really missed her friends a lot... and every year it got worse, as she watched their kids grow and have kids of their own, while also her own kids would grow and have kids of their own” sadness was swinging in her voice as she told this part “her husband noticed this of course and so he decided to do the only thing he could do, to make her happy again” she paused a moment “...he took away her immortality and even got rid of his own... so they could become old together...”
Now the couple turned from glass into wood... “and so” at first the mare levitated slowly into the chest “this story” now the monster left the stage “...ends” and her book closed, as well the chest.
The colt tried to hide his tears, while the filly wasn't afraid to show it, running down her small cheeks.
“You don't have to be sad” the mare said as her hoof tapped on the book cover gently “...they lived a really long and happy life, on the side of their very special somepony... what more you could ask for?” she cheered the two up.
“Now come, drink your Coco, I don't want you two to get home late” she said and nibbled on her own tea “oh... I think we done it again” smiling at the foals, which knew what she was talking about, when the three put down their glasses so she could perform a small spell on them, heating them up again.
“Thanks Trixie” the two said and drunk some of their milk.
“You know... chocolate milk was also the monsters favorite... I guess you taste a little history” she winked them, making the kids stare into their glasses “but you know, there is something he had never thought of... and only I have found out how magic could create even better coco!” she bragged a little.
“How is that!?” the colt asked excited, which made the mare giggle, when small marshmallows floated from the kitchen, directly into their cups.
Now the three laughed together and enjoyed their drinks, when the mare suddenly made an awkward face and looked down into her own cup. She accidental had put some into there as well... but she didn't want to let them know about her sloppy mistake, so she just rushed it down.
“So, did you two like my story?” the mare checked one more time, already knowing the answer.
“Of course, it was awesome...!” the colt said.
“Yes, it was so very sweet!” the filly smiled, as her ruby like eyes shimmered with glee.
The mare knew her audience well “Maybe next time I read to you something about that Ursa-Minor I met...”
Now the colt was more than excited to come back again.
“... and Princess Twilight, when she was an Unicorn”
And with that she had her second customer on the hook.
“Can't you read it to us tomorrow?” the boy tried.
“You got school tomorrow... and you know my rules...” she had to rebuke him.
“To bad, my dad don't have such great books like you...” the filly frowned.
“Well, my books are unique, that's true... that's why I never would give them away, but... you don't just come here for the story's?” she asked a little concerned.
The colt shook his head “No! You are the bestest story teller there is!”
“There is no such thing as -bestest-” the filly tried to correct him.
“There is so!” pointing on the old mare, making her blush.
She got a step closer and ruffled the colts black mane a little, as well the filly's blond one “you two are my greatest fan's” giving a little sight from her “but now go, I don't want you to be late home”.
The young ones obeyed and left her house. One walking to the left and one to the right, heading home to their family's, which lived pretty much on the opposite parts of the town.
Dodge Junction wasn't the biggest town there is - it sure had grown the past years, but still was just about a third of Ponyville, which by now was a city of thousands.
The mare gave sigh from her. She would had to spend the rest of the week alone, as usual... which made her feel lonely already.
When they started their little meetings, they over did it at times with the story telling and their parents would come to her house and pick them up, but not before scolding her for making them stay so long. She just didn't want any trouble, so the rule was simple: one story per visit and home right after.
Her storytelling was also one of the reasons most pony's thought her to be odd or at times crazy... her story's always spun around things which seemed quite impossible and it was more than hard to find any proof for it, since all of them took place several hundred years ago and the town library was quite small... also nopony did bother to look it up anyway.
She had tried to gather new pony's to listen to them on all kind of ways.
Once she was able to rent a small a small store for a day, hoofing out fliers to mares and stallions, which she knew had kids or had them along, most of them assured her they would give it a try... so the mare sat there and waited all day long till the sun got down, but nopony came to see her.
“We have to close now” the store owner said in an apologetic tone.
“I know” she sighed “thanks anyway” she told him and collected the books she had brought along, to put them carefully into a box. The crate levitated just a few centimeters over the ground, but also her head wasn't further from the ground, since she left it hanging in disappointment, while she walked back home.
The way of life around here was quite traditional, she figured. Most pony's would life here, till the day they die, instead of traveling and discover the world – like they lacked any kind of sense for adventure... “but maybe they just didn't knew any better?” she often thought to her self.
This is why she tried to tell them something about the world outside their city borders, fighting on her own kinda way the stubborn mind of the crowd, with the little she had.
Whenever a pony would listen to one of her story's from beginning to end, she felt like she had accomplished something. Maybe one day they would tell the story's their children or others? Who knew.
At least two of them knew better and she loved their visits. They would listen carefully and come back every week for more, giving her the soothing feeling, that she had achieved another little victory. One day she would win all of them over, this was her big dream.
The mare slowly walked through her small house into one of the backrooms, which served her as workshop, having all kind of items and books stored in shelf's around her and a big wooden table in the middle on which a weathercock was laying.
She got to the table and used her magic on the metal animal to replace his eyes, from a deep blue, to a cyan one, using her magic to do so and casting a spell on it afterward.
“This should do” she said and stepped away a little to cast a small burst of energy onto it, to see the result and this time she was pleased about her work – the spell did withstand her magic and absorbed it completely.
Trixie now left the room as the rooster levitated into a pocket and the pocket on her back, putting on her big hat which would cover her from the temperatures outside, when she left the door and walked down the main-road.
Today it was sunny as usual, since the town was located in small patch of desert, but still the wind blew quite cold at times, since there also was mountains nearby... this kind of weather wasn't made for anypony - another reason why the city was small and didn't had too much travelers attracted to it.
The mare walked past the simple buildings and crossed roads a few times, wondering where she was supposed to go, walking once right back the way she came to take the other direction. The town wasn't to big, but her bad sense of orientation, as well her quite advanced age gave her a hard time to find her self around. So a walk of five minutes, easily could take up ten.
“Hello?” she said, knocking on her customer's door, which got answered by an dark green stallion, who didn't looked to pleased to see her “You fixed it?” he asked grumpily.
“Yes I did and it was an easy task to do so”
“I didn't ask for the story of your life, just gimme that darn rooster”
She hoofed it over to the stallion “i hope it works this time”.
“I tested it just before I got there...” she said a little ashamed, knowing she had forgot last time.
“I hope so” the stallion said, pointing up to the roof, which had a burned hole in it “if it attracts lighting one more time, I make sure you repair the damage your self … also I don't pay you this time”
The mare let her head hanging. It was just fair he would keep his money and use it instead for the repairs... too bad she was a little short right now, so for the next week it would mean to hold on to her money, till there was another customer.
The stallion slammed the door shut directly in front of her nose and the mare turned and headed back home, since there was nothing more to do here.
On her way back she noticed a few pony's on the other side walk, laughing. She would not wonder if it was about her, since she quite wasn't the star around here. Still, she kinda liked the town somehow... maybe it even was because of that?
She sure loved some attention - no doubt about that... but she had plenty over the years, which was the reason she had come here... it was quite silent and nice around here for the most part. Some places nearby had a nice sight and nopony would bother her, since nopony really knew her.
Also the wild life around was quite friendly... so an old mare like her could stumble outside of town on her own, without having to be afraid to get eaten by timber-wolf's or to be stomped by an Ursa... also the nearby nearby forest could provide for most of the plants she needed for certain magic brewery, saving her some money when ever she found time to get some herbs her self.
If you took all that into account and put it on both sides on the scale, it was quite a draw, but if you then put in her little fans as well... the scale tipped in the towns favor.
“Dad i'm back” Clockwork said as she got into the house.
It just was afternoon and dinner was almost ready as usual at this time of the day. Her father was a mechanic, so precise timing and routine was quite important to him. When ever she would be later than dinner, he would go out and search the howl town and ground her as soon he had found her for at least a week, that's why she had already missed a few of Trixie's story's and her friend Herb had to tell it after school or occasionally during it – bringing her into even more trouble.
That for, whenever Herb had detention, she would do the same for him, so it evened out.
Of course, if Trixie told something, it was like you been really there... not to speak of the small treats which came along with it.
When they asked why she told the story, despite just one of them being there she had told them:
“I want use the little time we have... who knows how much is still left?”
This often made her think how she meant it. The mare sure was old... but she didn't look like her grandma or anything and when ever she got asked about her age she just would make jokes about it – like when she suddenly browsed through the book in her hooves and said “sorry, I can't find that anywhere!” raising an eye-brow on the kids.
It sure was funny, but no real answer. So they didn't bother to ask at some point. It was her little secret.
“Come to table” her father said and served plates.
Today was healthy Sunday, so he would serve a nice soup and a mixed salad of some sorts... in order to “give her vitamins for school” he said.
“Did you do your homework?” he asked casual, while eating his share.
“Yes, I did.” when she also began to zip on her soup and the usual conversation took place “how was work?”
“Alright... I got the old crane fixed and tomorrow I was ordered to check an elevator – will bring some fine money” the green stallion grinned.
Her father took good care of the family funds. He always hold an iron reserve, but also managed to save some up for later, when she was supposed to go to Manehatten and study mechanics or whatever her talent would be related to, so it wasn't like he was greedy - he just liked to play it safe and didn't waste money on what he called “nonsense”, that's why her home was quite generic furnished. Everything was nice and clean, but also really functional and common, making it look pale and boring.
“Dad, did you think about my request?”
“We don't paint your room purple. I still don't see why you want that?”
“But... I like purple” the filly sobbed.
“When you got your own home, you can paint it whatever you like... I even will help you on that, but for now – no purple”.
She didn't even know why she tried... when he made up his mind about anything, it was hard to convince him otherwise, unless she could think of a good argument to beat his reasons, than he would gave in – “fair enough” he used to say, when ever she managed to do so.
Like the one time they had an argument about her spending time with Trixie. He didn't know the mare or had a grudge against her... but he said “Fairy tales have no use, why don't you rather learn something else in this time?”
“...but if she reads them to me, I can really imagine them” she had told him “you didn't even hear one of her story's! She uses all kind of figures... and pictures and other things to do so” she had frowned, not knowing that was a good point in his eyes.
“Creative thinking, imagination, improvisation... - I think that's of use” he said nodding “It takes more to repair something than blind following instructions. Fair enough, I guess it wont harm if you continue to visit her”.
The filly had tackled him right after that and swung her short legs around his chest and remained there for a while.
“You think this is of use?” she asked, whispering.
“The best there is” he agreed.
Herb was already heading for the front door, when he could see his parents, which was on their way to get inside as well.
“Hey, i'm home” he said and closed the door behind him, while his father was about to unload himself, by putting two heavy bags onto the ground. One of which was filled with medical ingredients, the other with common supplies.
“Herb, did you go again to this mare?” his mother teased right away, making him sight.
“Yes, so what?” he said annoyed and got into the usual argument with her.
“I don't like it that you go to her... I told you.” the white mare insisted, but the colt stood his ground “Whats your problem? She just tells story's!”
“She ain't a good colloquial. Most pony's avoid her, because she is awkward.”
“No, most pony's avoid her, because they don't know her any better!” he began to yell.
Now his father stepped in “... both of you calm down.”
At first he turned to his son, which was huffing at this point “Herb, why don't you go to your room... and if you like, you could help me letter with my work.” the stallion suggested calm.
The colt still was frowning but did as he was told and left upstairs.
Now he turned to his wife Ivy “Honey, why you give him such a hard time, he really likes this mare...”
“I know... but she ain't good for him... I don't want him to dream all day about her crazy story's. Also this mare has a reputation to be quite sloppy, just image what happens if he emulates her!?” she said worried.
“I don't see any signs of that, but what I see is that he became a lot more patient since he visits her... he also got in less fights in school.”
“That could also have other reasons...” the mare said grumpy and tried to change topic “maybe it has something to do with his girlfriend?”
“I don't think she is his girlfriend” the black stallion said a little unsure “but she also visits Trixie, what about that?” he than added like a smart aleck.
The mare pulled a face of indignation and snorted “you can be such a fancy pants”.
“That's why you love me” the stallion said confident, receiving an angry, but only half serious glance from her, before she left the room to get into the kitchen to end the conversation, on which he shook his head.
Later that evening Herb got down to his father and they worked as usual on some medicine, using special leaves, powders and other things to create cures for the most common problems. Right now was summer, so potions against hay-fever was a good seller.
His son was about to weight the right amount of ingredients, while his father observed the procedure.
“So. Now we need a hundred-twenty grams of red-root”
“I know I know...” his son said annoyed, trying to focus on his work, while his tongue wandered from side to side of his mouth, finding a hard time to focus, so when he tried to grab for the small bag, it fell to the ground and spilled the powder over the floor. The colt kicked the table on this - it was just a minor mistake, but still he was so close to burst.. so he buried his face into his hooves for a moment “Damn...”
His father used his magic to pick up the bag and also clean up the spilled medicine with a small shovel and broom he had nearby.
“Its okay... just, try again.” he said calmly, but his son would take a minute to calm down, so he tried to talk to him, till he could continue his work “Whats the matter pal?”
At first he said nothing, but than gave in “Mom nag's at me all the time, i'm sick of it...”
His father gestured him to get a little to the side, so he could continue, using partial magic as well his hoofs to weight and mix up the ingredients at the same time, while talking to him, but holding his eyes on the work-steps.
“She is just worried that the old mare might have an... bad influence on you”
“Mom doesn't even know her, so what does she know!? She acts just like all the other stupid pony's in town...”
“Herb... calm down. Its okay. I won't forbid you to go to her. Neither will your mother.” his father just had the first badge ready “please give me the glasses” he nodded towards the bottles on the side, staying there in three different sizes.
His son walked over and grabbed the tablet and carried it back, since he was to aroused to use his untrained magic. Last time he tried in anger, he broke half of the bottles, but he had learned his lesson.
“Thanks...” his father carefully filled them all to a mark on the bottleneck, when his son seemed to calm down and helped him on the task, receiving a little wink from his father “You know. I will try to talk later to your mother... I think its time, to know her better, what you think?”
“Oh uhm... I .. I think that would be good...” suddenly there was a smile on the young colts face.
“Than we make it so.” the stallion confirmed while putting the right instructions into the small paper boxes his son had prepared, when he gave his son another glance “What about that... filly... um.. Clockwork?”
“What about her?” he said and put bottle after bottle into the paper hulls, before pushing them to his side of the table.
“Is she... your girlfriend?”
Suddenly there was the sound of shattering glass.