Talking to Celestia was much more difficult than I would have liked. Every word, a landmine. Each sentence, a pit trap. She was perceptive enough to realize I’d died in the future I told her about, and very possibly more that she just didn’t say.
It rattled me enough to where my knees gave out the second I was alone. Leaning against the wall for support was all I could do, besides just trying to think. Brash and Luster were right outside my room, waiting for me to ‘pack’. Really, I was ready to go after I was done talking to Celestia.
By far, it was the most draining dinner I’ve ever had.
After a while, I hobbled over to the bed and just let myself sink into its softness. My head had left a dent in the pillow, making it fit perfectly. So tempting was the desire to fall asleep, to leave the changelings and the burning to someone else’s plate.
If only I could live with myself with how things turn out.
With a little self motivation, I managed to make myself get up. The longer I took to get there, the more likely that this is just another dead loop.
The chariot now had two pegasi attached to it instead of one, leaving Brash by my side instead of taking up the mantle. They’d been relatively silent on the trip there, but not distantly so like before. Maybe Celestia told them something after dinner? It was hard to say. I just know there’s not the same tension as before. It doesn’t feel like I’d done something wrong this time.
In retrospect, it must have been something I said to them. But now it was too late to ask what.
Cadence stood in the corner of my vision, lacking the bunny in her arms that she had last time. She was speaking to one of the guards, one who hadn’t been there in the last loop, with the closest thing resembling a scowl that I’ve seen. Her eyes darted to mine for a fleeting second, relaxing for just as briefly before turning her attention back to the guards. She said something with a nod and the guards bowed to her, making their way inside as she began walking towards me.
“Chara,” Her expression relaxed until she got within a few feet of me, then her shoulders pulled in and her pupils constricted in that signature onset fear. “I’m sorry, I meant to bring your gift before you went off to Ponyville. Now with this changeling stuff…”
Brash and Luster promptly bowed to her, which Cadance hardly noticed. She waved her hand, causing them to straighten their posture and take a few hoofsteps back.
“It’s fine. I’m sure Lumi would be better off here, anyway.”
“Lumi? Is that what you named the bunny?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you know it was going to be Lumi?”
Cadence narrowed her gaze, stabbing into me with a staggering curiosity. I mentally cursed myself for saying that. Considering I just mentally berated myself for not being more careful with my words, I should have actually made more of an effort than that.
I ran a hand up my chest to my neck, adjusting the collar of my shirt as it felt much tighter than it was a few seconds ago.
“Um, Celestia mentioned it at dinner?”
Cadence raised a single eyebrow. “Really? Celestia told you I was going to let you take Lumi home with you when I explicitly asked her not to tell you?”
Uh oh.
“.... Yes?”
The cracking in my voice was as well hidden as the fidgeting I was doing. Luster was watching just as intensely as always, Brash conveniently was counting the clouds.
Cadance crossed her arms, wings unfurling as she tapped a hoof against the ground. “Lance and Bulwark, right? Can you leave Chara and me alone for a moment?”
“Of course, Princess.” Luster said with a half bow, wandering over to Brash and tugging on one of her wings. “Come on, Brash. You still need to tell me what I can file as a business expense on my taxes while being a bailbondspony.”
“Oh, well, just about anything!” Brash walked alongside, a noticeable pip in her step that wasn’t there before. “It’s all about wording and objectivity. You have to make it sound like a scientist making logs on an experiment or something.”
Cadence watched them until they were at the chariot, getting closer to me as a cobalt blue magic shrouded her horn. Before I had the time to so much as blink, she’d cast some spell on me. A creeping tingle fell on my skin, spreading to every corner of my body and digging its way into me like millions of tiny worms. A disgusting warmth traveled up my spine, ending at my neck and making its way to my brain.
All of this was happening in the span of the longest second in my life.
I took a few steps away from her, wrapping my arms around myself and stabbing my nails into my skin until the pain was stronger than the fading disgust.
“What did you do?”
I didn’t even blink. The burning was preferable to what might be lurking in that darkness.
“I,” Cadance glanced down at my hands. “It was a scanning spell. When I heard about the changeling stuff I was worried you might have been mind controlled to—”
“Don’t ever do that again.”
She flinched, unfurling her wings as her horn remained lit. Sucking in her cheeks as her arms dropped to the sides. Her entire posture grew rigid.
“Okay, sorry. I’ve just had some awful experiences with changelings and I know firsthand what it can do to a pony.”
I stood there for what seemed like hours before reluctantly pulling my nails out of my arms and rubbing my necklace. The cold air made them sting, but I’ve ignored much worse.
“You have?” I rubbed my pendant, counting in my head as I steadied my breathing.
“Yeah. The queen mind controlled my husband, left me in the caves under Canterlot to starve, took my place, tried to kill Celestia, and very nearly turned all of Canterlot and the ponies who live here into her personal food source.” A gradual anger took hold of her voice. Cadence’s mouth morphed into a sneer as she scowled, her eyes closing as she presumably remembered the event. “Shiny puts up a front when Chrysalis is brought up, but I can tell he still feels really guilty about it. If you’re right and changelings are in Ponyville, and something happens to them,” her chin dropped to her chest, her right arm reaching around and grabbing her shoulder. “He’d never forgive himself.”
I tried not to think back to Ponyville. To its abandoned streets, void of any life. It was so humid just imagining it made my throat itchy. A phantom heat slicked up my spine, covering me in a bone-deep warmth.
The chilly wind did little to soothe the urge I had to take a shower that never ended.
“Did you just want to check if I was mind controlled?”
I came off as more impatient than I meant to. I bit my lip, glancing at the chariot. Brash was chatting with the two pegasi it was attached to, and Luster was resting her head on her hoof and staring in a random direction.
“No. I wanted to ask a favor of you.”
Once I turned my head back to Cadance, all my little movements froze when I saw her bowing her head to me. Her arms straight as a pole against her sides, her rose mane obscuring most of her face except for a single closed eye.
“Chara, if Chrysalis really is in Ponyville, I’m begging you to let Shining handle it. He’s been preparing for this day ever since the wedding. I’m sure as we speak he’s pulling out every stop and is tunnel visioned on this. Please, don’t get in his way.”
“Okay, okay. Just,” I held up my hands, receding them to my chest as I saw the guards shift their attention to me. Brash, Luster, the chariot pegasi; all began staring at me as soon as they saw Cadance bowing. Eight pairs of eyes were focusing on me, staring at me, waiting on me.
The sharp poison of anxiety was as potent as ever, never dulling no matter how many times it stabbed me.
“Please stop bowing to me. You don’t have to do that just to ask something.”
“I don’t think you would have taken me as seriously if I hadn’t.”
Their looks lingered after Cadance straightened her posture, though after some passing seconds they at least appeared to be looking elsewhere. Most of them, anyway. Luster didn’t make any attempt to hide how much of her direct attention was on me.
“What are you asking me to do exactly? Stand by and let him do everything, even if there’s changelings right in front of me?”
“No, of course not. I’d never ask you to put yourself in danger like that.” She pressed her lips into a line, shaking her head. “Shining will be in Ponyville after you by about an hour or two at most. The moment he does, he’s going to want total control over the situation and not take help from anyone who isn’t in his squadron; especially none of the bearers since they will without a doubt be targets. When he does, don’t try to help.”
“Why would I?”
“Because,” She interlaced her hands, clenching her jaw and breaking eye contact. “With the diamond dogs, you tried to handle the situation by yourself. I know I couldn’t possibly understand the situation even if you told me. Regardless, I have to ask that you don’t do anything this time. It won’t go well for anyone.”
Of course.
It made sense why she’d think that. The situation with the changelings isn’t overly different from the ones with the diamond dogs. Really, there were just more of them and more lives at stake. Along with there being the leader of the nation I could ask for help, who had dozens of trained guards at her disposal.
Yet I’d asked for help before in that situation, time and time again; none of those worked. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t hold this ball of dread that something similar was going to happen again. The changelings were much smarter than the diamond dogs, and leagues more dangerous with what they can do and already have done.
As much as I wanted to air those fears, I held my tongue.
“Alright, I can do that.”
“Good.” She let out a relieved sigh, adjusting her clothes and tightening her wings. “Then I’ll leave you to it. Remember what we talked about last night with Twilight? Just,” Cadence moved her arms forward to mine, reaching for them before stopping herself and pulling them back. “Be patient with her. She’s going to be difficult with you being around. It’s because she cares.”
“I know.” I fiddled with one of the straps of my backpack, constantly having to remind myself it was there. “Thanks for the advice.”
I started walking towards the chariot, struggling to come up with what I’m going to say to Twilight in the first place. Or Limestone, or even Luster who was right in front of me. Celestia didn’t even tell me if she was letting Twilight know that I was coming straight to Sugarcube with two bodyguards. I should have asked Celestia about the letters Twilight sent her about her changeling fears, maybe that woul—
“Chara?”
Cadence called out to me right before I climbed into the chariot, standing in the same place. I waited with my hands on the edges, Brash getting in beside Luster as the pegasi attached got into position.
“If Twilight’s right and changelings really infiltrated Ponyville, then it could be anypony there. Be careful.”
“I will.”
The chariot was as comfortable as I remembered it being, though less spacious now that Brash was inside of it instead of flying. I went to pet Lumi, only for my hand to touch air instead of her fur. It was startling how quickly I’d gotten used to her. She must have been in The Royal Garden with the other jackalopes, where she was around plenty of animals she’d be far more comfortable with.
And in much less danger, at that.
I briefly considered asking Celestia if I can come back and get her when everything’s settled, whenever that may be. However, by that time I’m sure she’ll have forgotten all about me. With how much danger I consistently get myself in, that might be for the best.
The pegasi took their running start, and the chariot was off the ground in seconds. The strong wind stung the same as before, popping my ears and leaving me gripping the edge of my seat. Once more, we soared over the city of Canterlot. It was as beautiful as every other time I saw it.
I could only hope enough loops wouldn’t pass to where I can’t appreciate that anymore.
“What was Princess Cadance apologizing to you for?”
Luster was watching the buildings as we flew over them, Brash doing the same but sticking her head farther out so the wind blew her mane much harder.
“She wasn’t.” I answered Luster, trying to talk as little as possible so I didn’t get a fly in the back of my throat again. “She was asking me a favor.”
“Oh? As a Princess or as Cadance?”
“As Cadance, I think. She asked me to let Shining Armor handle everything.”
“Ah. Yeah, that’s probably for the best. The Captain isn’t a big fan of—” Luster choked on something. Pupils constricting as she beat on her chest until she hocked it out. “Sharing authority.”
“We should probably stop talking.” I muttered, watching the beautiful scenery pass us by along with all its beatific inhabitants. “You’ll catch bugs.”
Luster rubbed her throat, moving around in her seat. “I noticed.”
A severe sense of déjà vu sat on my brain.
The trip, while a tad longer, was lacking in conversation. I leaned over the edge once we started approaching Ponyville, a weight slipping off my chest once I saw ponies walking around. A good half dozen or so, wandering around the town like they did every other day.
I wasn’t too late this time.
The chariot touched down in front of Sugarcube Corner, coming to a firm and loud stop a few feet in front of the store. Every pony around immediately stopped what they were doing, preemptively bowing as they clearly expected royalty to step out of it.
As soon as they saw that it was me, they raised their heads with obvious perplexity. They chattered amongst themselves, staring more at the guards than me. Mostly.
“Oh man, I’ve heard fantastic things about Sugarcube Corner’s pastries. Never got to try one till now.”
“Yes you—” I bit my tongue, turning my head as I realized that wasn’t in this loop. “I guess you haven’t. They’re great. Especially ones made by Pinkie,” I glanced at the entrance, a coiling in my chest as I recalled how bleak the inside was the last time I was inside. “If she’s feeling better.”
“I don’t doubt it.” Luster hopped off the chariot, knocking her hoof against the rim as the pegasi attached flexed their wings and began moving forward. The guards swiftly took off now that it was three people lighter and they made their way back to Canterlot.
“Guess that means their smoothies aren’t anything to write home about.” Luster said, sticking to my right. “Chara, protocol dictates we need to be walking on both sides of you a lot closer than we have been. I’m not going to like it anymore than you, but it's leagues ahead of becoming a love source for a changeling.”
Brash trotted up to my left, close enough to where if she extended her wing she could wrap me in it like one of those burritos at breakfast. Luster was just as close on the right, though her attention was more on the surrounding citizens than me.
I brought my hands to my neck, tenderly rubbing it as I just focused on my breathing. Some part of me deeply wished Chrysalis didn’t wake me up in that pod; I would have been much better off not feeling my body covered in that grotesque green goop and its awful warmth.
For the first time in my life, I wished it was colder outside.
“I know.”
They didn’t hear me say that, fortunately.
I took a deep breath as we walked up the stairs to the door, recalling easily how dreary the place was when I last saw it. I still had no idea what to say to Twilight, or even Limestone. Limestone was incredibly protective of her family, and I broke Pinkie’s trust along with Twilight. The best advice I got was to ‘convince her to give me a chance to re-earn her trust’, which I didn’t know where to start with.
Had it really only been a handful of days since we saw each other? It felt so much longer. The last thing Twilight and I talked about was…
I glanced down at my wrist, tugging at the sleeve and pulling it up to the palm of my hand. I can’t imagine she’d bring that up around others. So there’s that, if nothing else.
I didn’t notice what was wrong at first when I walked in. All the furniture was in the right place, and a new sign was under the cash register that read ‘90% off, buy one, get two free, and we pay you one bit per sample!’. An abundance of food was on the other side of the window in the counter.
It took a few seconds before I realized it was the lack of color in the room. There wasn’t a new shade of paint on all the furniture or anything, but the colors that were there seemed duller somehow. There was also next to no smell, at least compared to what there was normally. Sugarcube Corner always had the sweet aroma of baking and pastries being made with love.
Now, there was barely a whiff of cinnamon. Even less than the artificial one the last time I was there.
Mrs.Cake looked even worse than last time. Her light crimson mane, which was usually in a swirl like the frosting of a cupcake, was now a splayed mess. Her coat was not much better, being hardly obscured by an apron that wasn’t on right. Mrs.Cake’s mouth occasionally moved as if she were speaking, but no sound came out.
I decided to steer away from that.
Twilight and Pinkie were in a corner booth, apparently the only customers in the place. Pinkie had completely gained her vibrance back, along with her pink hue and curls in her mane. I couldn’t see her face, yet I could tell she was wearing a grin that was hard to frown around.
Twilight, on the other hand, was very easy for me to be hesitant about approaching.
She was content enough talking to Pinkie before seeing me, but right after she fixed me with an incredulous stare and pressed her back against her seat. Pinkie noticed this of course, shifting around in her seat to face me.
In that single second of eye contact, where her beam dropped and I couldn’t tell how she would feel about me being back, I was left stuck in uncertainty. I couldn’t begin to guess how she’d react, if she wanted to see me, if she continued to blame herself. I expected so many ways.
A smile and wave wasn’t a single one.
“Chara, what a surprise! Come on, come on, I wanna hear what Canterlot’s like this time of year.”
Pinkie moved over on her bench, patting the spot she was just sitting at.
Right across from Twilight.
Great.
“Um, sure.”
“Yeah, uh, Luster and I will just kinda-” After I awkwardly sat down, looking everywhere but at Twilight, Luster and Brash stood on both sides of the bench. “Stand here I guess.”
“Princess Celestia gave you an escort?” Twilight peered up at them, raising an eyebrow and lowering her eyes back to me. “Why? Is she worried about something?”
“Just protocol, ma’m.”
“‘Ma’m’?” Twilight’s eyebrows drew together as she pursed her lips. “Please just call me Twilight. I’m not nearly old enough to be ok with being called ma'am.”
‘Just protocol’?
Was that true, or did Celestia order them not to tell Twilight about the changelings? What would be the point of that? Twilight already suspected there were changelings in Ponyville, why not just tell her she’s right?
Luster must have guessed what I was thinking, staring at me out of the corner of my vision and subtly shaking her head.
Brash was much less subtle with her head shaking.
Twilight noticed, which didn’t make her frown go anywhere, but she didn’t say anything.
I did see Mrs. Cake shuffle her way from the counter to the kitchen, wearing a shaky smile and rapidly blinking as she inched her way to the door. Within seconds, she had quietly slipped out.
“Well that was weird.” Brash noted out loud.
“What, Mrs.Cake? Nah, she’s been like that since Limestone started cooking. Limey’s burned more food in the past couple of days than I have in my entire time here. That’s ok though, she’s getting better. The last cupcake she made was barely edible!”
“Pinkie, you threw it up.”
“I got it down in the first place though, didn’t I? Enough about that.” She fidgeted around in her seat until she was facing me, her eyes brimming with light. “How was Canterlot? I heard Luna’s got her own personal theater now, and she’s doing modern renditions of stories in play forms. Did she show it to you?”
“How do you know about that? Princess Luna only just opened it to citizens, mostly nobles, a few days ago.” Luster asked with a raised chin.
“Oh, I’ve got friends just about everywhere! Not any nobles, just a few ponies in Canterlot that are really into theatrics so of course they’d tell me about it.”
“Luna did mention that she let so many ponies go to the first showing because she was hoping they would tell others.” I muttered as I scanned the food that was on the table, finding that Pinkie’s plates barely had crumbs while Twilight’s had two hardly touched donuts on it still.
“So you have been to it.” Pinkie’s voice brimmed with enthusiasm, directing all of her attention to me. “What was it like? I heard it was really dramatic.”
I swallowed my urge to get away from her, having to readjust to Pinkie’s energy. As different as it was from Canterlot, there was a tinge of relief at seeing her so bubbly again.
It was tempting to ask her why. I couldn’t deny there was some part of me that wanted to know if what I told her about Limestone helped cheer her up, or if it was the reason Limestone was even here.
Just not enough to voice it.
“It was Haylet. So calling it ‘dramatic’ is an understatement.” A hole of peckishness poked at me from my stomach; I really should have eaten something at breakfast.
“You got to watch Haylet?!” Twilight jumped out of her seat, hands slamming on the table. “I’ve been wanting to see that in person for ages! If I had known that, I would have gone myself.”
“You’re a fan of plays, Twi? I never would have guessed.”
“Well, I’ve never seen one, but I’ve read tons of popular stories translated to novel format and in their original screenplays.” Twilight sat back down, taking a nibble from one of the donuts. “Haylet is arguably the most influential story told from that era; experiencing it in the way it was originally meant to be told is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“It was depressing.” The conversation Luna and I had after the play retained a vividness to it that most other memories didn’t. Most of the ones with her were like that. “In a good way, I think.”
“That’s what I thought after I read it. Awesome! Guess that means it's a good translation. Did you do anything else cool?”
“Uhm,” Twilight was staring at my wrist. I caught her right as I looked away from Pinkie, transfixing her purple eyes right where my scar would be. Folding her ears and giving her attention to a random spot on the table.
I could only guess how many times she’d done that before I caught her.
“I learned I could play piano, kinda.” I tapped my fingertips against the table, reminiscent of the tempo of the first song I played on it. “There’s this list of songs in my mind that I can perform on a piano, but nothing else really.”
“Piano, huh? Neat, that’s one of the only instruments I haven’t managed to master yet. My twin sister Marble has though!”
“Piano? Huh.” Twilight was looking anywhere else but at me. I could feel her hooves tapping against the ground, very muffled clacking with each one. “I think there’s a musician in Ponyville who has a piano, actually. Octavia Melody is her name, I believe?”
“Octi? Yeah, she has one on her side of the house. She’d probably be thrilled to hear someone else interested in it. I could probably convince her to give you lessons for free if you—”
“Calm down, Mrs. Cake. I’m going. Shit.” Limestone came back-first through the revolving doors of the kitchen, rubbing the side of her head and muttering something under her breath. Swiveling on her hooves and drawing her eyes to our table.
Settling right on me.
“Oh.” It felt like Limestone had set her sights on my soul, staring straight into my eyes with her own hardened pair. I could make out the way she clenched her teeth, tightened her body, and leaned back on her heels. “It’s you. Didn’t realize you were coming back from Fancytown so early.”
“We got orders from Princess Celestia to do so. It’s protocol.”
“And I see you brought some buddies with you.”
“We’re her escorts.”
“I thought Canterlot got rid of their escort problem?”
“Ha, ha.” Brash fake laughed, wings flexing as she turned to Limestone. “What an original joke I’ve never heard before. You really must be Pinkie’s sister with that sense of humor.”
Limestone took the blatant sarcasm about as well as others took hers.
“Pft, whatever. Move starbutt.”
Limestone brushed shoulders with Brash, who stood her ground at first before giving way.
Twilight scooched to the other side of the bench, skidding her plate across the table with her magic. Limestone scavenged the surface, failing to find anything either of them left.
“You know, for being such a small thing, you left a huge mess. But, hey, at least you left them in one piece. Sorta.”
The smile on Pinkie’s face faltered as she leaned into the table, pulling in her shoulders with her nails digging into the edges of the table. “Limey, we agreed not to talk about that when she just came back.”
“No, you two agreed not to talk about it when she first gets here. I called bulls—” She glanced at me, clearing her throat. “Bullcrap. You wanna play ring around the rosy and act all nice? Fine, cool, whatever. But don’t act like not talking about it isn’t going to make her worried. I met her once and even I know that she’s going to be thinking about that shit every interaction until somebody says something. I just decided it should be me.”
I flinched when she gestured to me, failing to recede into my t-shirt; I should have worn the hoodie Rarity made for me.
“Fluttershy asked us to give her a chance. We should at least let her settle before we talk about…” Twilight hunched over, crossing one leg over another. “What happened.”
“We don’t have to talk about the farm.” I muttered, slipping my right hand in the sleeve of my left arm as they intertwined into one long sleeve. It was warm enough to make the goosebumps on my forearms go away if nothing else. “I just want to know if you’re better. If you guys are still,”
The word was on the tip of my tongue. I hated it. I wanted to say something else, some alternative.
I failed to come up with one. I really should read more.
“Fighting.”
Pinkie made a very quiet whimpering noise. Limestone and I were seemingly the only ones who noticed. The corners of Limestone’s mouth caved in, groaning as her eyes darted between Pinkie and I.
“We were never fighting. Each of us were just dealing with it in different ways.”
“Applejack and Rainbow were.” Pinkie mewled in a solemn tone, toying with the plate inattentively. “For a few days, at least. When Fluttershy started coming out more, she talked to Rainbow and got her to calm down some. Then she came here, we talked, and they’re on better terms now. They still argue about it on occasion, but they’re good.”
The argument in front of Sugarcube Corner I stumbled into came to mind, and the discomfort it left me with. That stainless steel in her eyes when she leered at me was as unwavering as it was intimidating, unshaken in her anger. She didn’t hate me; Applejack didn’t have it in her to hate someone no matter what they did.
But she was disappointed in me because of what I did. She didn’t trust me, and I’m not sure she ever can again.
I was worried about Twilight never forgiving me. Instead, I should have been worried about Applejack.
“Are they doing ok?”
“Yep. I saw Applejack just this morning with Rainbow who was helping her. It’s Rarity I’m more worried about.” Pinkie stayed uncharacteristically motionless. No gestures, no bouncing mane, no smiling. Staring out the window at nothing at all. “Fluttershy went to talk to her not that long ago. Since then, she’s been out more often, but she’s still burying herself in her work. I think she partly blames herself for it.”
“What?” Saying that was familiar for a reason that felt gross on my tongue. “Why?”
“Like we told you: Rarity herself had The Diamond Dogs handled the last time we dealt with them. After you left the house, Rarity wanted to go in the middle of the field and start whining as loud as she could until they showed up. Then she’d whine them into submission and make them find you and bring you back. The only thing stopping her was Fluttershy, who convinced her that you’d be fine and you would be back soon.”
I did that.
I told Fluttershy to make sure they stayed in the house for as long as she could get them to.
I laid my arms on the table, burying my head into it and just closing my eyes. Once again watching the scattered spots of light enveloped by darkness, leaving nothing left. I try to do the same with my hearing, picturing shadows crawling into my ears and stuffing it so no sound could make its way inside.
The calm it provided was fleeting just as quickly as it arrived.
“I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t see their faces or their body language. I could, however, feel the tangible awkwardness.
“I know.”
Twilight’s voice, and the way it didn’t even rise above a whisper, was easy to recognize.
What was harder to recognize was the hand that rested on top of my head.
A nauseating fear rippled into my soul, spreading devastatingly fast. I reminded myself over and over that it was Pinkie touching me, but that brought little comfort as always.
“I forgive you, Chara.”
There was a certainty to her voice that was almost calming, petting me like how I had Angel and Lumi countless times. It was such an odd sensation, like she was brushing my hair yet only a specific part of it as gently as she could.
Her hand receded to her chest as she smiled at me. There were no teeth in this one; it didn’t even reach wide enough to make her dimples visible like they always did. It was just…
Warm.
“Sorry about touching you. I’m an expert at smiles, not so much at anything else. Touching is a lot easier for me sometimes.” Pinkie chuckled as she tilted her head.
I placed my hand where hers just was, stroking it the same way she had. It didn’t feel like anything.
“It’s alright, I get that. I know you’re not trying to hurt me.” I ran my hands up my neck, a tinge of frustration as I made out my hair. It’d grown longer again, having reached its way to half my neck. It’d be doing that for the rest of my life, and it’s just something I’ll have to deal with.
Sometimes, I wondered what was the point of bothering.
“I don’t want to have t—”
“Hello!”
My knees hit the bottom of the table at Mrs.Cakes' greeting.
None of the others jumped, so they must have seen her coming with the various colored cupcakes. Her grin was abnormally large, covering the entirety of her lower face and quivering with the same energy her eyes were.
“It’s been forever since we’ve had so many customers in our shop at once, so I thought I’d offer these to celebrate.” Mrs.Cake set the platter in the center of the table, each one having a color matching the ponies at the table. Including Brash and Luster.
Except for me.
“And this one,” She picked one that was nearly completely yellow, handing it to me. “Is for you, Kara!”
She said it with such confidence I hardly registered how wrong it was.
“It’s…chara.”
“That’s what I said.” She chuckled nervously. Looking back and forth as she began to back away.
“No, you pronounced it car-uh. It’s pronounced char-uh, like charcoal. Asriel used to get that wrong a lot.”
“Who’s Asriel?”
I recoiled at Twilight’s question, pushing my back against my seat as I chewed on my lips. The cupcake was hot in my hand as I held it, failing to come up with any answer that didn’t lead to more questions from her.
“A friend.” I turned to Mrs. Cake. “Why yellow?”
“No reason. I didn’t know your favorite, so it'd be as good a color as any, right?”
Favorite color?
People have favorite colors?
Asriel always mentioned having one, which constantly changed, but I’d yet to hear anyone else say that. He’d always been an odd kid in the best ways.
I thought about it for a few seconds as I stared at the cupcake, shifting through all the ones I knew and the various shades they each tended to adorn.
It was hard to say. I don’t think it’s yellow, at least.
“I guess.”
It tasted like banana as I bit into it. Not artificial banana like some of those candies I’ve tried; actual banana. The breading was also incredibly soft, as if I was biting into a cloud. It wasn’t better than the cupcake I had in my backpack, however it was pretty close.
“Wow. Mrs. C, I haven’t had cupcakes this good in a while. Why don’t you make them more often?”
“Well, Pinkie, then they wouldn’t be for special occasions.”
There was an underlying snarkiness to Mrs. Cake’s response that threw me off guard, making me stop chewing and peer up at her. She’d inched herself away from the table, now a handful of feet away. Her eyes had closed, and the half-smile she wore was gone. An almost peaceful-expression took its place. She looked calm.
Something about that was beyond unsettling.
“Holy shit.” Brash swore, not even having swallowed her first bite yet. “This is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
Limestone’s lips trembled, making brief eye contact with Pinkie who was shaking her head.
“It’s pretty good.” Luster added. Having already finished most of hers. “I don’t usually enjoy overly sweet things, so that’s saying something.”
“Eh, you had one cupcake you’ve had’em all. Lacks the hardiness of rock soup; and the crunch.” Limestone set aside the half of hers she didn’t eat.
As I swallowed my second bite, I went into a coughing fit right after getting it down. It didn’t last very long, leaving a lingering scratch sensation that lined the inside of my throat. I disregarded it as just being thirsty, since I didn’t even drink anything today other than apple-juice with Celestia.
I couldn’t shake the fear that that wasn’t quite the case.
“Wow. If that’s actually how you feel about pastries, maybe that’s why you’ve stagnated on your cooking progress.”
Brash choked on her cupcake. I couldn’t tell if it was because of what Twilight said or because she was eating it too vigorously.
“It’s not that bad, Twilight. Even you—” Pinkie coughed, beating on her chest. “Said it was good!”
“I said it was good enough. I’d been sampling her food for hours until my tongue went numb, and I said it was good enough when I tasted something that I could, well, taste.”
In the middle of talking, blood trickled from her nostrils; dripping onto the table. Her pupils switched between dilating and constricting, head wobbling as she lost more of her balance every few seconds.
“Twilight, are you okay?”
Pinkie’s voice dived a few pitches, becoming unrecognizably deep. I twisted my head to glance at her, only for my entire world to go blurry and start spinning. I couldn’t feel myself slip off the seat onto the ground, hitting my head against the ground that made it worse. No darkness invading the corners of my vision like so many times before when I went unconscious.
Just a wet, dripping sensation as something ran down my nose. Then my ears, and soon my eyes and mouth. It was warm and sticky, and I still couldn’t breathe. I scratched at my throat hard enough to bleed; the pain was not half as agonizing as the need to inhale. I could make out the distant sound of coughing, frantic with desperation and wet with what I could only assume was a mixture of blood and phlegm.
It took a few seconds to realize it was more than just my own coughing.
Pinkie and the others must have been struggling like I was.
I made some guttural noise as I raised my head, pushing through the pain as much as I could. Every inch was excruciating; I didn’t even manage to get my shoulders up as I collapsed back down.
My organs were shutting down; I could feel it. It was familiar in a way I despised. So similar to when I killed myself with buttercups, shoving as many of them into my stomach as I could manage until my arms were sore. Then I laid in bed, bleeding out of my face and holding myself as I felt my body give up on me section by section.
This was much like that. Except I didn’t do this to myself.
I could see a green flash right on the edge of my murky site, bright enough to burn had I been looking directly at it. I couldn’t tell what it was, as I shut my eyes at some point just to keep the coming migraine at bay. The coughing had stifled, leaving nothing in its wake.
As I died, there was laughter. Shrill, bumptious, and all encompassing.
I only wish I knew where I’d heard it before
---------------
That cold pool in my heart returned with this reset. Along with it an unassuageable urge to breathe as I woke up coughing.
Once again, I lurched forward in my bed, wrapping my hands around my throat as I attempted to push out air. It took me a few seconds to realize nothing was in my throat, and that I could breathe with no problem.
For a few minutes with an empty head, all I could do was lay under a messy blanket with my palms around my neck, just inhaling and exhaling. When I calmed down, I let my arms slump to my sides and my head ease back to the pillow. The underside of the canopy's roof was so well-attuned into my mind that I could close my eyes and describe it in detail.
I was tempted to do that right before shooting myself with an array of questions.
It must have been a changeling that poisoned us. That green flash is the same kind as when I was paralyzed in the woods; assuming that's the color of their magic for when they change form as well as casting spells. I hadn’t seen one do so yet, I can only assume.
Was it the food? Twilight and Pinkie had already started eating when I got there, it could have done so there. If that was the case, then why was it so fast acting? I reached into the inventory of my backpack, writing down everything I could remember as soon as I could in my journal.
It couldn’t have been the food they were eating when I came in. It started working on me just as soon as them. Unless they used a different poison on them than me? Assuming, that is, it’s poison in the first place. I know next to nothing about changelings; If they have spells that can kill someone like that, if it was something else entirely.
I can’t even say for sure who was the changeling there. It can’t have been me, and it can’t have been Twilight since her nose bled. Or was that some kind of ruse?
My heart hurt.
I rubbed my chest as the pain from moments ago lingered, making me heave and suck in as much air as I could before I lost that privilege. The clothes on my body were restricting, I wanted to take them off. To just lay in my bed and listen to my organs until I was convinced they wouldn’t die one by one again.
My fingers were sticky. I didn’t bother wiping them.
Twilight went through that. Very likely Pinkie did as well. They had to struggle to breathe, to writhe on the ground, to feel as their body decayed. Not knowing what happened, who betrayed them, to make things better.
They suffered.
The changelings could have killed them in any way. With a spell, in their sleep. They chose to make them suffer.
She chose to make them suffer.
I needed to get to Ponyville as soon as I could. Not in the morning, that could be far too late. I stared out of one of the windows at the night sky, focusing on the moon in the middle of the stars. I couldn’t say how long I had before the sun came up and I had my third breakfast with Celestia.
The book fit snugly in the backpack pocket dimension, just as fitting on my back. The bathroom was right across from me, with it could come another shower. The showers I took—hot or cold— were always soothing, at least for a little while.
But they took time. That’s not a luxury I have anymore.
I hopped off the bed, opening the balcony doors and peering over the edge. Canterlot was lively as usual, not lacking in night owl ponies to wander the streets, living their own lives. However, none were those street musicians from the other night. They could have been down there, but it didn’t seem like they were playing tonight.
A piece of me longed for that passionate improvisation again.
I gripped the cold balcony, leaning over to look at nearby buildings. None of them were close enough to drop down on; not without breaking both of my legs. What then? Crawl to Ponyville? Not like I could really make it to Ponyville on foot. I didn’t know where to go, or if I could even make it in time.
What was I thinking?
My eyes watered as the chill hit me, strength going out of my knees as they gave out under me. Holding my head against the railings, listening for something to tell me what to do.
I couldn’t make it there on time. So am I just supposed to-
“Chara?”
Following the sound of a door opening, Brash’s raucous voice called out to me. I wiped my face, staggering to my feet as I tightened my backpack straps. Often, I’d fiddle with them for no real reason. It wasn’t even pleasant to do. I just…needed to keep them moving.
It helped ignore the stickiness.
“Sorry, just heard the balcony door open and wanted to check in.” Brash trotted over to my bed, tilting her head at how messy it was. “Needed some fresh air, I take it?”
“Something like that.” I murmured, staring at the entrance. “Where’s Luster?”
“Oh, we just switched shifts. She went off to take a nap or something. Why?”
Brash was a pegasus. She could fly me to Ponyville. Albeit, not nearly as fast as the chariot, but far more quickly than any alternative I have right now. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen Brash actually just fly. Pulling the chariot, sure. Not just flying by herself, though. I couldn’t say if she was particularly fast or not.
“I need you to do something for me. It’s really, really important.”
With Luster not here, I might be able to convince her to take me there. How do I even start? A lie? No, I’m awful at that. They’ve spent enough time with me to tell when I’m blatantly lying. The truth then? That worked with Celestia, sort of. That was closer to a version of the truth, just like Celestia assumed.
“Ok…” Brash’s eyebrows very slowly furrowed. Dragging her hooves as she shifted to face me, crossing her wings. “I can listen, at least. Though if you’re asking this specifically because Luster’s not around, I imagine she’s not going to like it.”
“Alright, well, I need—” I nearly bit my tongue, stuttering over myself. If I just told her everything, what’s to stop her from reporting it directly to Celestia? Then everything would happen again, this time with Celestia not trusting me at all since I tried to go behind her back this time. “I need you to promise me you won’t go to Celestia with this? If you do, Twilight and Pinkie will die.”
“What?!” Brash moved towards me, so fast there was a skidding sound as she took off the ground and flew right up to my face. I choked down the need to jump away, digging my heels into the ground and leaning my head away. “Chara, if there’s a threat to The Element Bearers and you tell me about it, I have to tell Princess Celestia. I’d lose my job, and so would Lust! I can’t just-”
“T-telling Celestia would only make sure they die.” I took a few steps backwards, once again wishing I was wearing that hoodie. “Please. Hear me out, and if you won’t help me, I’ll figure something out. Just don’t tell Celestia. I’m,”
I couldn’t put into words how desperate I was to convince her. Any composure was void and I couldn’t stop every word from coming out as a quivering whisper, no matter how frigidly I tried to speak with an ounce of confidence.
Words couldn’t convey how much this means to me. As someone recently taught me.
“Begging you.”
I hung my head, bowing my entire body to Brash. An uncomfortable heat bloomed in my face, reaching to my throat and forcing me to hold the air in my lungs. My arms against my sides with a suffocating rigidity.
“Woah, woah. Stop that. I hate being bowed to. You don’t need to beg me.” She lowered herself back to the ground, waving her arms back and and forth while frequently swallowing. “Look, I’ll just write it off as you sleep talking or something, ok?”
I nodded, raising myself and blinking as I avoided eye contact at all cost.
“That works.” I stared at my feet, tugging at the sleeve on my wrist. Where do I even begin? “There are changelings in Ponyville. And I-”
“What? How did yo-”
“Need you to take me there right now. Or it’ll be too late. I have to warn Twilight so she can evacuate Ponyville in time.”
Brash’s eyes darted to the balcony door, left open as the cold breeze made the tension more potent.
“How do you know?”
“I can see th—a future.” I gave the obvious answer to the obvious question. It was still the truth. Hopefully, not an unchangeable one. “It happens in my dreams. A few hours from now, they’ll poison Twilight and Pinkie in Sugarcube Corner. After that, the rest of Ponyville…”
With my next blink, came a glimpse into that desolate version of the place. No life, no death. Heat and smoke filling my lungs and cutting into my skin. It was so dry, so empty.
My throat was itchy.
“They invade. There’s nopony left.”
She grimaced, folding her ears as she lowered her head. I could hear her sucking on her teeth, tensing so vehemently I could make out the veins in her neck like lines drawn on a paper.
“And in this,” She hesitated to continue, placing the tip of her wing against her chin and tapping it. “‘Future’, why didn’t you tell Princess Celestia?”
“I did.” I couldn’t fight back the urge anymore. I took off my backpack and angeled myself to keep it out of Brash’s sight, yanking the hoodie out of my inventory and tossing it on. Not only that, but I could always tell when it was something Rarity made by how perfectly every thread fit, snuggly and pleasantly warm. Sitting right outside the barrier of making me remember that burning.
“We got there too late. It’s now or not at all.”
Brash groaned at that, tapping her hooves against the ground. I waited as she squeezed her eyes shut, wordlessly saying something to herself. Without opening her eyes, she approached me, wings staying holstered at her sides.
I walked backwards in tandem, inevitably hitting the wardrobe and having nowhere else to go. I froze as she opened her eyes, squinting them and peeking into mine.
“As a bailsbondspony, I’ve met a lot of individuals who lie to me; most much better at it than you tend to be. In that line of work, either you get really good at learning when people are lying to you, or the only thing you’re catching is someone else’s dust.”
I could only listen as she ‘examined’ me, for lack of a better word. Displaying no interest in anything other than my eyes, occasionally craning her neck before adjusting her armor. Nodding her head and moving away from me back to the bed.
“I don’t think you’re lying. So you’re telling the truth, or you’ve lost your mind. Though, I’ve gotten pretty good at spotting crazy since I used to date a lot, I think.” She gave me a last once-over, then nodded her head. “Alright, I believe you.”
“Really?” my voice cracked with disbelief, which I failed to hide. “You don’t need proof? You’re just…going to believe I’m clairvoyant?”
“Yup. I haven’t known you for very long, but from what I have seen and what Princess Celestia told us about you, this isn’t something you would lie about. Besides, I was planning on retiring as a guard and putting in Lust and I’s paperwork to become bailbondsponies again tomorrow, anyway. Losing my job would only look bad on my resume, which would suck. Luckily, I have years of experience that would overshadow it, and I can help Luster by telling a very slight fib.”
Brash trotted over to the door, turning the lock and testing the knob to make sure it was actually locked. I made sure the pendant was inside the hoodie, not visible to anyone even as a bump. I knew where it was based on the coldness of it pressing against my chest, sticking out amongst the warmth the hoodie provided.
That, and Brash believing me, brought a relief that was as short-lived as any other.
“So,” She swiveled to my direction after locking the door. “What’s the plan then? How are you going to get to Ponyville before a chariot can.”
“You’ll…” A heavy realization sank in as the words translated from my mind. I paused before continuing, laying my hands together and bringing them to my chest. “Fly me?”
“What.” She deadpanned. “Chara, I can’t fly you to Ponyville myself. Well, I could, just not faster than the chariot would. Like,” Brash walked out on the balcony, gesturing with her wing for me to follow her. When we reached the railing, she pointed to a spot I needed to lean forward just to see properly. “Right there? That would take me fifteenish minutes, and that’s normally while not carrying you at my top speed. Plus, I need to take breaks if I’m going full speed. I’m not like Loyalty; I can’t casually do a sonic rainboom and keep going for more.”
“A sonic rainboom?”
“Yeah, it’s—” Brash stopped herself, rubbing her face with her wings and sighing. “Not important right now. Look, I can’t, not won’t, can’t fly you that far. At least, not sooner than if you waited to tell Celestia at breakfast and got on the chariot.”
In a bout of silence, she let her words hang in the air. Something about the way she chewed on her lip and shuffled her hooves made me think she was going to add something to that. I waited for her to continue, pressing my sleeves into each other and creating one large sleeve to interconnect my arms.
“However, there is—” Her nostrils flared, the breath she was taking so deep I could feel it. “Somepony who told me she’s already on her way to Ponyville. Technically, she’s a CI, but please don’t bring that up or she’ll stronghoof me into paying her for this. Of course, I’m going to have to pay her anyway, because that’s what I get for making a nomad a confidential informant.”
Brash reached into her saddlebag, getting a satchel that was bulging with coins. Practically shoving it into my hands. It was a lot heavier than it appeared, the bits stabbing into my palm as they jutted out of it.
“Here, that should be enough to bribe her into taking her with you after you wake her up.”
“What? Brash, I can’t take this. This is more bits in one place than I’ve ever seen! Ho-”
“Nah, I have plenty saved up, it's not a problem.” She pushed the bag into my chest, refusing to take it back. “You need it or there’s no way she’s going to let you on her wagon. Just put it in your backpack, alright?”
I made a droning noise, taking my backpack off and dropping it in normally instead of into the pocket dimension.
“Good. Listen, you’ll know her when you see her I promise. Tell her that I’ll owe her a favor, then show her the bits and say that you need to get to Ponyville now. She knows better than to ask questions; there shouldn’t be any problems there. And, uhm,” Brash stared off into the distance, rhythmically bumping her hoof against the ground in a burst. “That should be it? Yeah, yeah that’s it. She’s relatively easy to handle. Don’t touch any of her stuff, and you should be fine.”
“So,” I peered back at the spot she pointed to earlier. “You’re going to fly me to her, I give her the bits, and she’ll take me to Ponyville before morning?”
“Well, actually, I’d rather not talk to her again if I can help. We,” Brash rubbed the back of her head with her wing. “Had a disagreement last time we talked. She probably won’t mind hearing my name, but seeing me might set her off. Otherwise, yeah, that’s about right.”
I failed to picture the pony Brash was painting. They didn’t sound trustworthy at all if they needed money or a favor just to take someone with them where they were already going. That being said, It was that or run Brash ragged trying to get to Ponyville as soon as possible.
Not exactly a good ultimatum.
I needed to trust Brash’s judge of character. Fluttershy’s life depends on it.
“Alright.” I tipped over the edge, finding that the streets were becoming more scarce of its residents. Most of the more nocturnal ponies must have already made their homes somewhere. “Then let’s go. The sooner the better.”
“See, there’s still one problem.” Brash maneuvered behind me, preemptively stretching and flexing her wings. “I have to touch you. We’ve been explicitly told not to touch you unless it's life or death; Luster specifically got told she can’t use magic on you. I’d have to disobey that order, that’s not a big problem though. I’m guessing there’s a good reason Princess Celestia made that so clear to us in the first place.”
The spiky air seemed to sting more for a moment. I held on to the balcony, its unliving chill numbing my fingers even though my clothes.
“It doesn’t matter.” I extended my arms, clenching my hands as I held them as still as one of the statues in the garden. “I have to get there. I can deal with it, just be quick.” She didn’t move, staying barely a foot behind me. The little vigor I had was fading, leaving my arms occasionally dropping only for me to yank it back up.
“Please.”
After a few seconds of nothing, I was quickly lifted off the ground by my underarms. An immediate terror came with the contact, demanding that I escape Brash’s clutches; even if it meant falling to my death. No amount of telling myself Brash wasn’t going to hurt me worked; it never did.
It was just as difficult for me to learn.
I made the mistake of closing my eyes, hoping to convince myself I was on the chariot instead of being held by a pony. What was awaiting me in the darkness wasn’t the taste of smog or the cold of a hole in my stomach, but him.
Darkness wasn’t behind my eyelids this time. In its place a wide open door awaited, he stood in it. Leaning against it to support himself, a mug leaking something foamy on the ground in his hand. The white and red of his bloodshot eyes loomed over all of that, skewering me with a rage so visceral it set my heart into a painful beating.
“Chara,” We slowed down enough for me to notice, now passing by most of the later buildings in the city. “Are you crying?”
I was, and I hadn’t even noticed.
“No.” I curled in on myself as much as I could, managing to throw my hood on so my hair wasn’t blown back as much by the wind. “I’m ok.”
I could feel her relax her jaw to say something, then it went rigid as she decided not to. I concentrated on the buildings under us as Brash gradually picked up speed again, blowing cold air in my face and forcing me to face downward or deal with the sharp winds.
It wasn’t quite like flying in the chariot. I could actually feel the breeze in every part of my body, blowing against my skin. The strands of hair that stuck out from my hoodie couldn’t stick to my face. Combined with the complete lack of weight on my body, it was so incredibly freeing.
I was flying.
A tingling sensation pricked the corners of my lips; a smile snuck its way to my face. I actually forgot I was being held as a giggle slipped out. I covered my mouth, but the way Brash went stiff was informative enough.
“We’re here.”
There was a little disappointment as my feet touched the ground again, landing on a trail a mile or so outside Canterlot. The forest was rampant with nighttime life, an applaud of crickets filled the otherwise silence with their music; an occasional frog’s ribbit placed itself in those few gaps of nothing.
It was refreshing after the quiet of the last forest I was in.
“Where’s the wagon?”
“It’s right around the corner. She—oh Celestia I’m out of shape.” Brash leaned against one of the trees, using a wing as a sort of pillow as she loudly wheezed; eyes bulging as her mouth struggled to suck in as much breathe as she wanted to. “likes to park it in places with shade.”
I followed the direction she pointed at, spotting the end of a wagon’s tongue poking out like the branch of a tree. It took both of my hands to carry the bag of bits out my backpack, being much heavier to hold and move than I really expected it to be.
“I’m just gonna—” She pressed her back to the tree, slumping down to the ground. “Yeah. Chara, you can go on. I’ll just rest here until I can get back before Luster comes to take her shift.”
“Are you going to be okay?” I walked up to her, lowering my hood and shivering as the cold pricked my face.
“Yeah, yeah. Need a few seconds though. Luster’s right, I really should start doing cardio again at some point. Or just not fly on an empty stomach.”
“You haven’t had anything to eat? Hold on.” I placed the bits on the ground, angling myself so it just seemed like I was reaching into the backpack normally and got the cupcake out of my inventory. It always bothered me how warm it still was. “You can have this. It’s the least I can do.”
“A cupcake? Did you just have a cupcake sitting in your—” She loudly inhaled, her eyes bulging as her nostrils widened. “Is that caramel?”
“Uhm,” I blanked, staring at the pastry in my hand. “I think so?”
“I really shouldn’t.”
“Oh.” I went to place it back in my backpack. “That’s fine. I’ll p—”
“No, wait. I’ll take it.”
It was out of my hands concerningly fast, and in her mouth just as quickly. I heard her say a ‘thanks’ somewhere in between her consuming.
“No problem.” For what felt like the millionth time today, I readjusted my backpack; resting my thumbs under the straps. “I can’t stand around any longer. I’ll save them, I promise.”
She nodded, watching with one eye as I made my way to the wagon.
It was smaller than I expected it to be. Also being much more colorful than any wagon I’d ever seen. Purple with a blue roof, and splattered with stars; A little chimney poking out of the top. A door in the front and a single window on the side.
It resembled a mobile home more than a wagon.
I took a few steps before the whole thing started shaking back and forth. The door bursting open, a stallion was suddenly pushed out of it with a ball of blue magic onto the ground.
“Trixie is not that kind of stage mare!”
A blue pony walked out, wearing a pointed hat that was slumped at the end and a matching cape that was just as purple and splattered with stars. Her light blue coat and silver mane stood out even amongst the palette of the night, her violent eyes piercing into the stallion like light from the moon itself.
“To think, I thought your request for a ‘private backstage meeting’ was a business proposal and that somepony had finally realized Trixie’s magnificent abilities. Tis why I put on this unbearable suit.” For emphasis, she tugged on the purple and white suit she was wearing, grimacing as she scoffed to herself. “Not what you were requesting. Trixie is disappointed and disgusted, which is not a conflux often experienced.”
“I mean, i-it is a business proposal if you want to stretch the definition a bit.” He reached into a pocket, showing Trixie a bag of bits that was a fraction the size of mine. “See, I’ve got money! This doesn’t have to be a one off thing, either. I can steal some from my parents fortune then we can-”
“Perhaps you should spend that money improving your hearing since you clearly didn’t hear me the first time. But you are blessed, for Trixie loves repeating herself.” She placed a hand on her chest, clearing her throat so loud it was dramatic. “Trixie is not that kind of stage mare. No amount of bits can buy my dignity. Now,” her horn spiked with magic. “Trixie is as kind as she is great, so you will get one last chance to leave. Before you find your ‘wand’ is no longer capable of producing spells.”
“My wand?” He glanced down. Raising an eyebrow before the other one followed in fear. “Y-you can’t actually do that, can you?”
She just smiled at him.
He scrambled to his hooves, running off the opposite direction that I came from. Trixie let out a sigh, relaxing as she stepped back up into her wagon and started to take off her suit before noticing me.
“Oh, hello there. Are you one of Trixie’s fans?” I opened my mouth to respond, only for her to continue. “I charge for autographs. Five bits a—” she saw the large bag of bits I was holding, eyes stretching so wide I thought they were going to pop out of her sockets. “Or that amount will do.”
“This isn’t for an autograph. This is for…” As soon as I started, something clicked about her name. I could have sworn I’d heard it somewhere before, something about a living constellation.
“Wait. Trixie as in Trixie Lulamoon?”
“That is Trixie’s great and powerful name, yes.”
Now I remembered.
This was the pony Dark warned me about.
“As in the Trixie who brought an Ursa Minor to Ponyville and left?”
The response I got was some squeaking noise that came from her mouth, to which she poorly tried covering with a cough. She lowered her hat, inching into her wagon until I could only see her head.
“That was not Trixie’s finest moment.”
Oh boy.