//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Tuesday Trickster Troubles // by Cheeze //------------------------------// A pop and flash later we reappeared at the main hall quickly followed by two second pops and flashes from the unicorn guards who teleported after us. Starlight sat by one of the saddlebags trying to jam in what looked to be some light blankets.  Approaching the two with Twilight, I grabbed my smaller saddlebags now with three extra canteens and a large bag of hay and began to awkwardly put them on. Fortunately Twilight interceded and used her magic to place them on me. Giving a courteous nod to her I turned to Pewter with the tents and Starlight still attempting to jam the blankets in the less loaded saddlebag of miscellaneous gear. “Are we really going to need those with how hot it is outside?” I asked.  “It’s good” - Starlight strained with her magic - “to be prepared, Anon,” she countered, struggling and failing to fit the blankets in.  “Roll them up and stick them in so that they bend over your back to the bag on the other side, Starlight,” Pewter suggested. Giving it a try, she rolled up the three blankets and bent them across her back so that they would fit in, if a bit awkwardly. “Got it, good thinking, Pewter,” Starlight said.  “Are we all set now?” Pewter asked.  “I think so, let's get a trot on,” I said walking to the front double doors which opened via Starlight’s magic. “Well have a good time on the camping trip you three. Hopefully it’ll be fun,” Twilight spoke. Taking the lead, I went out the doors followed by Starlight and Pewter. Buck is it warm out, am I the only one noticing this? Turning around I gave a wave to Twilight, which Starlight and Pewter joined me in. Twilight reciprocated the wave and then teleported off with her guards. Ignoring the silly faces of the two guards on the outer door I turned to Starlight and Pewter.  “So do we have a place picked out or will we just go into the Apple’s southwestern field?” I asked the two.  “Can we camp on the edge of the Everfree? Is it safe enough?” Pewter asked, looking between Starlight and myself.  “There are a couple nice spots along the western edge north of Fluttershy’s cottage. It'll be safe,” Starlight suggested.  “Shall we?” I said, beginning to walk. Pewter and Starlight gave a nod and followed behind.  The sun’s unbroken rays continued to shine down on us as we made a wordless walk through a quiet Ponyville downtown. Turning back to look at Starlight and Pewter, the pair seemed to still be quiet. I should let Pewter initiate the conversation and then steer it towards her. Making our way across the bridge by town hall I wondered about some good questions to ask Pewter. She’s a thestral from that thestral city down in the south east, she has older brothers and that’s all I know about her. Passing by the last homes before the rolling hills of east Ponyville, Pewter finally broke the long silence.  “So you’re like an actual alien, Anon? I was talking with Twilight earlier and she mentioned you used to be a hue-man?” She asked.  I grinned and turned to look at Pewter while walking, “Formerly a human of Earth, but that was almost six years ago,” I answered. “Wow, that’s just.” - Pewter’s face bore a look of awe and disbelief - “Unbelievable,” she said.  “Well, better start believing because I’m right here, Pewter,” I said, chuckling a bit.  There was another long silence as Pewter took in the information and I turned back to look down the road. We started to pass by the Apple family’s western field, seeing Big Macintosh and several other members of the extended Apple family working together to check the trees for something. Checking for diseases? I watched them briefly as we passed, until Pewter interrupted the quiet again.  “So why did Twilight turn you into a filly, Anon?” Pewter inquired, trotting up on my left beside me and looking at me.  I turned to look up at Pewter, “we got into a fight,” I deadpanned.  Pewter snickered at my expression, “I’m guessing Twilight won then, judging by your appearance?”  We both lost.  Looking back down the road, unmoved by Pewter’s snickering I answered, “Yeah, Twilight won.” Starlight had crept on my right and touched a hoof to my shoulder briefly as I walked, catching my attention. Looking at her, she offered an understanding smile. Thank you Starlight.  I smiled at her weakly before looking back down the road and letting silence hang in the air for a few minutes. “What about you Pewter?” I asked, looking at her, “Can you tell us about yourself?”    Pewter turned and grinned at us before answering, “Well as I told you both I’m from Ayacachtl. I’d lived there pretty much my whole life until those reforms a couple of years ago. An official guard-cadet program came to our city for the first time and took us out to a place on the coast called Galloprey,” Pewter smiled genuinely. “I was just near the cutoff age for signing up but managed to get in; my cutie mark for documentation, organization and scribing made me something of a natural, so most of the school stuff came naturally to me,” Pewter got more giddy as she went on. “I was also pretty good at the more standard cadet stuff like shooting, land nav and squad leadership; but I preferred doing organizational stuff like logistics and planning,” Pewter beamed at us. “I guess I’m sort of a nerd,” Pewter chuckled. “I think you’ll fit in well with Twilight then, Pewter,” Starlight said smiling.  “You can say that again and it sounds like you had fun too,” I said laughing lightly. “I do have a few questions though.” Pewter turned to me curiously. “Go ahead,” she said, still smiling.  “I stole your uniform this morning because I thought it was an officer’s uniform, given the number of medals. What are your medals for?” I asked.  “I was wondering why you picked my uniform over the other ones!” Pewter said, then stuck her tongue out at me. “The silver medal is the thestral graduate medal, not really special, everypony in the class gets it. The gold medal is a merit excellence medal, for my unparalleled skills in organization,” Pewter said smiling before continuing. “The gold star medal is in recognition of leadership skills and lastly the celestial star of excellence is for being the one of the top students of my cadet school,” Pewter finished with a wide smile.  Wow, I guess Twilight really did recruit the best pony for replacing Spike.  “That’s quite impressive Pewter,” Starlight said in a fair degree of awe.          “Thank you!” Pewter beamed at Starlight and myself. “Quite impressive is right, and this is only the start of your career too. Where were you stationed before Twilight requisitioned you?” I questioned. Pewter looked at me skeptically a moment before cautiously answering, “I don’t think I can tell you that, Anon, Starlight,” Pewter said, deflating slightly. “Sorry.” “Hey, that's perfectly fine, Pewter you don’t need to apologize,” I offered, tilting my head to her and smiling.  At some point during Pewter’s speaking we must have passed Sweet Apple Acres as Fluttershy’s cottage started to appear off to the right. Two paths to take were open, one going up north to a small hill and the other southern one to a ravine. As we approached the divide of the road I took a look at Fluttershy’s cottage in the distance to see if she was home or not but couldn’t tell.  I wonder what she and Discord have been doing since the war was declared.  “Which way do you want to go, Pewter?” Starlight questioned.   “Uhhh, I’m not sure, what do you two recommend?” Pewter countered.    “The hill?” I suggested looking towards Pewter then Starlight. Pewter smiled and Starlight nodded to my suggestion and we proceeded onwards towards the small hill. Letting Pewter and Starlight take the lead I walked behind them a short ways. Looking down I began to think again. I can probably ask Pewter about her siblings and parents next. It might be a good idea to avoid military related topics from now on. I was broken out of my thinking as Pewter and Starlight looked off a small bridge over a creek and Pewter pointed at something in the water. Walking up slowly I squeezed between them to take a look at was so interesting.  “Awww, Anon! You scared it!” Pewter said a little bit upset.  “Scared what?” I asked, looking in the water. “An Everfree bullfrog. They’re really rare!” Pewter spoke looking around for it.  What the heck is an Everfree bullfrog?   “Oh look, there it is just under the bridge!” Pewter whispered to myself and Starlight.  I attempted to lean a bit over to get a better look to no avail. Really good natural camouflage? “I still can’t see it, can you point me in the right direction?” I asked Pewter.  Taking a hoof Pewter pointed down under the bridge towards the shadows. Straining even more, I leaned far over the side to try and get a better look. Where is this thing? Straining just a bit more I continued leaning farther to look as Pewter turned and began to walk around me.  “I’m still not seeing anything, are you su- AH!” I shouted as two hooves pushed on my flanks hard, knocking me off the bridge.  There was a pop of magic before I hit the water but I didn’t teleport anywhere as I flipped and then splashed into the shallow creek on my head and then back. Accidentally inhaling some water I quickly flipped on my back and stood up in the meter deep water, coughing. Turning my head back up to the bridge I saw the two mares laughing hysterically as I coughed out the last of the water. I think there's mud in my mane. Starlight stopped laughing first but remained smiling as I folded my ears and scowled in extreme displeasure while Pewter continued to howl with eeeing noises. Alright, MISS Pewter. You. Are. SO. Bucking dead. Looking at Starlight I spoke as calmly as possible. “Starlight, bring me up to the bridge please.” Starlight levitated me up to the bridge, and levitated my saddlebags which she had teleported off my back onto the bridge beside me. Giving Starlight a hard look,  she smiled uneasily at me and stepped out of the way and off of the bridge leaving me a few paces from a still giggling Pewter.  Stopping her giggling, she finally spoke, “And that’s payback for stealing my uniform and also to meet your; ‘worse’, expectations.” She approached and booped me on the snoot, before taking my saddlebags and hefting them on herself. The audacity of this mare.  “You know this means war, right?” I asked her.  “Whatever you say, Anonfilly. We’re even now,” she said, meeting my eyes with a serious intensity, before turning and trotting ahead to join Starlight.   Trotting quickly to follow up behind Starlight and Pewter, the hill was only a short walk away now. The water that had soaked my coat actually felt nice as the heat from the hot summer day was minimized. Make no display of enjoying the refreshing coolness.  Trotting up beside Starlight I asked her, “Hey is there any mud in my mane?” Starlight looked at me as she checked my soaked mane out, igniting her horn and pulling gently with her magic to get some odd clumps of mud out. “Does that feel better, Anon?”  “Much better, thank you,” I answered. I paused before asking my next question, “So how did Pewter here rope you into this?”  Pewter chuckled and Starlight answered, “Well I owe you for a couple tricks you pulled on me, and when Pewter and I went to get the saddlebags while you talked to Twilight, Pewter and I hatched a plan.”  “Of course. Should I remain on guard for the rest of the day, or can I take it easy knowing we’re even for now?” I asked Pewter and Starlight.  “We’re even, Anon,” Pewter said.  Forgive me if I doubt you Pewter. “Rest easy, Anon, it was a one time thing,” Starlight answered.  I didn’t ask anymore questions as we started up the hill. While small, the hill we had chosen was a rather popular spot in Ponyville owing to its reasonable view of the town and surrounding countryside. The sun looked just about ready to settle behind Canterlot mountain as the three of us crested the hilltop. Hopefully it’ll start to cool down now. At the center of the hilltop was a small dirt pit for a campfire, surrounded by a small stone circle. Starlight and Pewter placed their saddlebags down nearby and then began to unpack. Starlight used her magic to quickly set up the three tents for each of us as Prancer placed the blankets within the tents. I sat by the saddlebags with all the food and water and watched until the pair were done.  “Last thing we need are some logs and kindling,” Starlight observed, turning to myself and Pewter.  “I can go grab that, Starlight,” Pewter offered.  “It’s probably best I go with you, so you don’t accidentally get lost or walk into any poison joke,” Starlight countered.  “Pewter, speaking honestly as a trickster to a fellow trickster, do not go in the poison joke,” I said looking seriously at her. Pewter frowned nervously for a second before responding, “I’ll take your word for it, Anon.” “Anon, you can stay here and dry off, if you’d like,” Starlight said, turning and walking towards the Everfree forest with Pewter in tow. “Sounds fine to me,” I retorted to the two mares as they trotted off.  Optional background music: Radiarc - Lonely Breeze Taking a look around the camp briefly, I walked to the side of the hill with the view of Ponyville.   Laying down in the grass, I stretched out and rolled on my side. A more eventful day than expected, and I've still gotta learn about Pewter’s past. Closing my eyes I began to relax more as the sun slowly dried my wet coat. Weather troubles with the Ponyville weather team, everypony trying to sign up for the war. Restless crusaders, but that’s par for that course really. I sighed pleasurably as the sun warmed and dried me.  Far off in the distance of Ponyville, a distant air raid siren sounded pulling me from my reverie. I opened my eyes and craned my neck up to look at Ponyville, hearing the sirens around town sound off one by one like they were singing together. One of these days it might not be a test or a drill. I frowned and put my head back down on the grass, shifting back to my thoughts. The crusaders are upset about being unable to help and I can’t help feeling the same way now. I closed my eyes again. Even if Twilight found a painless way to turn me back, could I even help? Would Twilight let me help? Taking a deep breath, I flopped onto my back and stretched again. Spike to the Crystal Empire. Starlight to Stalliongrad. Rarity in Manehattan and Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack all signing up to fight. The sound of the sirens ended, leaving the local Ponyville area bereft of their keen warning song. That just leaves me and Fluttershy to help keep Twilight steady. Rolling back on my side for a moment I stopped thinking to relax quietly in body and mind. Time passed until I felt something; a gentle breeze, the one scheduled for the late afternoon. Oh, that feels wonderful. I sat up on my rear and turned to the westerly breeze as it caressed my now drier coat.  Taking a deep breath as I was massaged by the breeze, I let my thoughts drift back to Twilight.  Almost six years here in Equestria. Made a lot of friends, and even fell in love. I couldn’t help myself from smiling, remembering. That wonderful and silly purple pony. So kind and accommodating. My smile turned sour as I continued to remember.  That incident at the School of Friendship had started troubles which only got worse, and then that stupid, stupid Lunar night festival. A dumb, drunken rhyme off. I bucked everything up.  My eyes felt wet and I started to shake slightly. Stupid, juvenile, idiot. I sobbed quietly. Twilight lost her composure after that, and I… deserved to be punished. If I hadn’t gotten her so angry, she would have understood the spell she was casting better. I had to try to break out of my sobbing for a moment to wipe my eyes. I don’t want Starlight or Pewter to see me like this.  After taking care to wipe my eyes, I laid down again, refocusing. If Twilight had known about the nature of the spell she wouldn't have cast it. I shuddered at the dreadful memory of being turned into a filly. If I hadn’t been so bullheaded afterwards, maybe we still could be… together. I opened my eyes, seeing Ponyville before me slowly creep into the evening as the sun set behind Canterlot mountain. Silence reigned in my head as the wind gently blew. Twilight should be here with me. We should be together. I looked towards Twilight’s Castle of Friendship, lights shone from it dimly as the evening engulfed it. Maybe it’s not too late. I looked to the balcony outside where Twilight’s room was, seeing light dance as figures moved inside. I have to try. I took a deep breath and exhaled. I will forgive you, Twilight, I will stop being a little trickster shit. My eyes closed as the sun disappeared completely behind Canterlot mountain. You can stop looking for a spell to change me back. Then, I felt a physical, cathartic release. A weight off of my back. I smiled. It’ll be okay. There are going to be more important problems to solve soon and I want to help you overcome them. I want to be with you, and hold you close and be held by you again. I opened my eyes again and found myself, the hilltop, Ponyville, in that beautiful darkness that comes before the complete blackness of nighttime.  Twilight.