//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 A Way Out // Story: A Second Chance // by Blitz Stratus //------------------------------// "Well that is a predicament." Keeps said scratching his chin. "Trixie I don't know if I can help but I will certainly try." He said with a bow. Trixie let out a sigh. She was relieved, she didn't know what Keep's answer would have been as she told him how she got to be in purgatory. He had remained quiet well she had talked. "Thank you Keeps." "See I told you he's a lot different when he has a heart." Sky whispered. "But Trixie what concern's me is about how long do you think you've been here in this land?" "About a day, I think." "Then we might what to check on your body." He said rising out of his chair. "Why?" Trixie asked worry began to fill her tone. "Because time functions differently here or should I say lack of time here." "Lack of time?" "Yes, you see here in purgatory a day here would equal several days if not a week back in the land of the living." He answered as he trotted over to the counter tapping an it lightly. There was rumble as the granite slab split and slide aside. A poduim rose and began to glow a blue light. "Ooooo, we get to use the search." Sky said claping her hooves together. "The what?" Trixie asked. "Well thats not its name, but right now that's not important. What is Trixie is that it will let us find out where your body is." Keeps said as he searched through the many jumbled letters. "Ah here we are Trixie." He said as the letters cleared away showing a blurry image at first then it began to sharpen. "Where is that?" Trixie asked as she drew closer to the screen. "Somewhere outside of Ponyville." Keeps answered as the imaged continued the sharpen. Everpony was silent as the image finally cleared showing Trixie lying in a what appeared to be a hospital bed, and in the shadows they could just make out somepony sitting. "Aw Trixie you look so cute when you sleep." Sky giggled. "Shush. Quiet Sky." Keeps said putting a hoof over her muzzle. "How is she?" A mare's voice could be heard over Sky's mumbles. "She's stablized but she's still unconscious." A colts voice said with a tired sigh. "Why don't you get some rest? Your wounds arn't going to heal if you don't." "Not till I know she's alright." The tired colt retorted. "Ok, but promise me you'll get some sleep." The mare replied with a huff as the image faded to static. Keeps started pushing buttons but he couldn't get the image back as the jumble of letters returned. "Well Trixie as least we know your body is safe." Keeps huffed. "How can we be sure of that Keeps? He could be a murder and is just waiting for her to wake up so he can kill her." "Well one I don't think that colt is you Sky. And two, why would he go through all the effort to make sure she's not critcal condition?" Trixie didn't hear Sky and Keeps ramblings, only the mares and colts words resounding in her head."Somepony is putting my safety and health over their own? Trixie after all that you've done you don't deserve that amount of kindness." Trixie thought to herself. "Woohoo, Sky to Trixie do you copy." Sky said waving her hoof in front of Trixie's muzzle. "Huh? Oh sorry Sky I must have got lost in my train of thought." Trixie said rubbing the back of her head as her muzzle turned slightly crimson. "Oooo Trixie what where you thinking about?" Sky asked with a sly smile. "Sky would you go to floor three for me?" Keeps said as he still tried to regain the image signal. "What? Why?" "I'll tell you when you find a red and gold bound book in row five." He said turning his head as his hooves shuffled across the table, moving as a blur of motion. "Oh fine, I guess its the least I can do now that you have a heart." Sky said with a huff as she took off. There was a long silence between Trixie and Keeps as he kepted fiddling with the Search. "So Trixie what is your reason for getting back to the land of the living?" Keeps asked out of the blue. "Do I have to be honest?" Trixie asked as her muzzle turned crimson. Keeps only sighed through a smile as he gaveup on trying to find the signal. "If it's what I think it is then no you don't have to Trixie but I'll ask you this what if it doesn't end the way you want?" "I won't know if I don't try." She said staring at the ground kicking at the floor with her front hoof. "Hey Keeps! I found it!" Sky shouted as she circled above them. "Good, now come down here." Keeps shouted up. "What will this book do anyway?" Sky asked as her hooves clicked against the floor as she touched down. "Well in simple terms it will let us help Trixie get home." Kepps said as he began to filpped through the tattered pages of the book. "Oooo really?" Sky asked as she peered over Keeps shoulder. "Sky." "Yes?" "Please back off." "Oh sorry." "Anyway to answer your question Sky yes it will let Trixie get back to the land of the living but it might be problematic." Keeps said as he continued to look through the long yellowed pages of the book. "Uh why?" Trixe asked. "Well for it to work well need Azreal's help." Keeps said flatly. "W...WHAT?" "He runs the cycle of death, to beat death you either have to trick him or get somepony as equally as powerful." Keeps said as he closed the book with a thud. "Um is thier somepony as powerful as him, I kind of angered Azreal and I don't think he'll be really all that eager to help me." Trixie said as a cold feeling sweaped over her. "Well you could always find Slendermane." Sky chimmed in. "Sky don't fool around this is serious." Keeps retorted, anger filled his tone. "What he would help." "Yeah by getting Trixie killed." "Wait a minute!" Trixie shouted, getting the two immortal ponys to go silent. "Slendermane. The creature that kills little foals and tortures those who he sees fit Slendermane." Trixie repeated looking from Sky to Keeps. "Yes Trixie she means that Slendermane." Keeps grunted in disaproval. "He's just jealous because a couple thousand years ago me and Slender use to be dating." Sky said with a little grin. "He was so loving, leting me help impail ponys on tree limbs then removing their organs with your bare hooves." Sky said with a happy sigh.