//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: I Woke Up In My Favorite TV Show, But Before I Could Do Anything, I Was Recruited By The Villainess! // by Leafdoggy //------------------------------// The first thing we did was sleep. Trixie’s wagon was cramped, filled with magic knick-knacks and trinkets, with only two uncomfortable cots to sleep on, but we were both too tired to care. It was already nightfall when we first went into the Everfree, and the hours following had been nothing short of exhausting. We woke up and stepped groggily outside a few hours later. It was strange how normal everything felt outside the Everfree Forest. It was quiet, the sky was clear. A slight breeze flew over us, ruffling the short grass at our hooves and reminding us of the chill of nighttime. Ponyville was visible some ways away, wreathed in shadows, and beyond it the sky was burning with the last vestiges of a sunrise. “Well, that’s a good sign,” I said. “I’m not sure what we would’ve done if she’d refused to take the moon down.” “Eh, we could still take her,” Trixie said. “I’m not too worried. She seemed pretty genuine, anyway.” She paused to yawn and stretch, then turned to me. “So, where we headed?” “That’s… A good question,” I told her. “Let’s head towards Ponyville, we’ll probably want a map.” “Yeah, sure,” Trixie said. She strapped herself to her wagon with practiced ease, and we set off at a leisurely pace. “Starlight’s town doesn’t really have a name, as far as I know,” I explained as we walked. “She just called it ‘our town.’ It might be hard to find.” “Is she the mayor or something?” “Ehhhh…” I chuckled awkwardly. “Well, she’s certainly the leader. The problem is, she’s sort of, uh… Brainwashed all the other ponies in the town.” Trixie looked skeptical. “Are we talking figurative brainwashing here, or literal?” “Literal.” “And we want this girl on our team? I mean, I know we have Nightmare Moon, but the moon thing is one thing. Messing with ponies’ minds is…” Trixie shivered. “I don’t know, Starfall, are you sure this is a good idea?” “Look, I know it sounds bad,” I said, “but she’s not just pure evil. She’s had a rough life! When she was young, she—” “I don’t need to know her baggage!” Trixie cut me off. “This isn’t about ‘evil.’ This is about Trixie not wanting to become somepony’s puppet!” “I think we should be able to protect ourselves with the elements,” I told her. “Maybe. Probably.” Trixie huffed. “Did that work for Twilight?” “They didn’t have the Elements when they went to take on Starlight,” I said. “They kept them locked up for safety, since they hadn’t fused them to their legs like we did.” “They are not fused to our legs. They’re simply fashionable.” “Have you tried taking it off?” Trixie stopped walking and stared at me as she thought for a moment. A brief look of shock passed through her face, and her horn lit up as she started tugging on the golden bands wrapping around her leg, but no matter how hard she tried, they didn’t budge. She looked almost panicked for a moment as she tried harder and harder, until eventually, she stomped her hoof down, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Then, she turned back to me. “...Maybe we are fused to them,” she admitted. She started walking towards town again. “Obviously. The Smart and Insightful Trixie knew she had to prevent them from being stolen! That’s why she made it impossible to remove them!” “Uh-huh. Sure,” I said. “Anyway, I’m hoping that’ll give us an advantage. I mean, being stuck probably gives us a stronger connection to them, right? Maybe they’ll even automatically protect us from magic that would mess with our minds.” Trixie was lost in thought, and didn’t have a response. Neither of us spoke for a while, and soon Ponyville was upon us. It was still early morning, so the streets were mostly empty. What ponies were out and about were too sleepy to pay us any mind, so we peacefully, quietly made our way through the winding rows of houses. Eventually, the grand foliage of the Golden Oak Library came into view, and I motioned for Trixie to stop. “Alright,” I said, “so, that library’s probably where we want to go to get a map.” “Great! Let’s get going, then,” Trixie said eagerly. “But,” I said before she could start walking again, “the library is also Twilight’s new home.” “Eugh.” Trixie made herself look grossed out. “She’s really everywhere, isn’t she? Surely we could find a map elsewhere?” “That’s why I stopped us,” I told her. “It’s our best bet for a map, but we don’t both need to go in. I can get the map while you go to the market and stock up on supplies.” A thought struck me, then. “You, uh… Do you have money?” Trixie scoffed. “I’m a world-renowned magician! I’ve done shows all over Equestria! Those tickets aren’t free, you know.” “So…” Trixie groaned. “Yes, I have money!” With an annoyed flick of her tail, she turned and started to walk away. “Go talk to your precious Twilight, and I’ll make sure we won’t die.” “Don’t forget, we’ll have a third pony on the way back,” I called out to her. “So maybe get a tent!” She answered me with a dismissive wave of her hoof, which I could only hope meant ‘okay.’ I sighed, shook my head, then made for the library. I knocked on the door and waited. After a minute, it creaked open just enough for a little purple dragon to peek out at me. It was a little strange, seeing a dragon in person. He looked a lot more… Scaly than I’d expected. “Oh, uh, hey Spike,” I said to him. “Is Twilight here?” He eyed me suspiciously. “Maybe,” he replied. “Do we know you?” Crap. I really needed to think these introductions out more. I couldn’t keep forgetting that I knew more than I was supposed to. “Uh, um… No,” I stammered, “you just… Your names are all over town, you know? Everypony’s talking about the handsome little dragon that just moved in.” “Aw, shucks,” Spike said, and waved in faux-dismissal. Pink tinged his cheeks. He swung the door open for me. “Well, come on in! I’m sure the others will be glad to meet you.” “Others?” The inside of the library looked more or less how I expected, although the sheer number of books was a lot more impressive when I was actually standing before them. It looked like a real library, not just a home with some bookshelves against the walls. The books were a real focal point. Aside from the tall shelves against the far walls, there were also smaller bookshelves all over, filling the space with a labyrinth of knowledge. It took me a second to locate the round table that I’d expected to dominate the room. Instead of being a centerpiece, it was tucked away into a corner, hidden behind shelves. It looked cozy. Twilight was at the table, sipping tea and chatting with some guests. With her, I could see Rarity, Fluttershy, and— “YOU!” A sudden shout just about knocked the wind out of me, and suddenly my vision was filled with pink. I was tackled off my hooves, skidding across the slick wood floor. When I finally came to a stop, I looked up to see Pinkie Pie standing over me with an uncharacteristically menacing look on her face. “Um… H-Hi?” I said. “Don’t you ‘hi’ me!” Pinkie frowned down at me, a look that seemed entirely foreign amidst her bubbly features. “You stood me up!” “I what now?” “You heard me!” Pinkie huffed. “I planned a whole, super special double-welcome-to-Ponyville party, and you were supposed to be there! What am I supposed to do with a super special double-welcome-to-Ponyville party when one of the ponies doesn’t even show up?” “I dunno, I thought it was a great party,” Spike said from nearby. “But it was wrong!” Pinkie told him. “And now how am I supposed to welcome you to Ponyville? It’s all ruined! Ruined!!!” I frowned. “I’m sorry, Pinkie,” I told her. “If I’d known it would mess up your plans, I would have made sure to tell you I couldn’t make it.” “Aw, well, if you’re sorry, then it’s all fine.” Pinkie’s frown turned into a much more fitting grin, and she stepped to the side. With shocking strength, she picked me up and plopped me back down onto my hooves, then patted my back softly. “I forgive you! We’ll just have to welcome you to Ponyville right now!” She turned and waved back to the table. “Hey, everypony! This is—” “Pinkie, dear,” Rarity interrupted, “don’t make her just stand there. Bring your friend over here!” “Oh, right!” In a dizzying blur of movement, Pinkie grabbed me, dragged me over to the table, and dropped me in an empty seat. “Here she is!” Rarity quietly poured me a cup of tea while I shook off the dizziness. “Uh, hi,” I said, not quite put back together yet. I took a sip of tea and centered myself. “I’m Starfall. It’s nice to meet you all.” As they responded with a chorus of friendly greetings, a strange uneasiness gripped me. I wasn’t sure how, but I was suddenly sure that this wasn’t going to go nearly as smoothly as I’d expected…