Chapter 4: Perspectives
Cut n’ Dry and her fellow guards were thirsty and the hooch back at camp was all gone, so that meant it was time for another trip to the podunk village to snatch some of theirs. Cut n’ Dry didn’t like the locals at all. The villagers were always giving her and her fellow guards unpleasant looks, muttering under their breaths when the guards bearing the tabards adorned with the Copper Coin family’s heraldry walked by. The lack of respect was irritating but long as they kept their traps shut and kept the drink flowing Cut n’ Dry didn’t care what the residents of this no-name hamlet thought.
“Hey Cut, what’s going on there do you think?” asked Bootheel, the dark brown earth pony stallion nodding his head towards the middle of town, chain coif of his armor jingling as he did so.
Cut n’ Dry peered, noticing that there was indeed an odd gathering in the middle of the village, easily the majority of the villagers encircling something, or someone, near the entrance to the road that led out of town. The rust colored unicorn mare adjusted the scabbard of the short sword sheathed on her back and narrowed her forest green eyes.
“Let’s go find out. Lock n’ Key, you hang back, just in case this leads to…trouble.”
“Sure thing sis, just, y’know, watch yourself. Them village types don’t like us much,” said her brother as he halted and let Cut n’ Dry and Bootheel continue on. If anything went wrong he’d be able to gallop back to camp and let their superiors know about it. She wasn’t expecting there to be trouble, but she didn’t credit these villagers with a lot of intelligence, so it was always possible they’d get stupid enough to attack the guards of a noble family, consequences be damned.
Cut n’ Dry made sure her tabard was on straight, proudly displaying the red fish of the Copper Coins. She didn’t care if these villagers wanted to spit all over her, she wouldn’t let them forget who she worked for.
Next to her Bootheel, who had her beat in the height department by a good hoof and a half, said, “Looks like they’re talking to somepony. Magenta…earth pony…damn fine looking. She ain’t a local.”
Cut n’ Dry didn’t question him. Bootheel was a lousy guard, with a tendency to goof off and chase tail more than actually do his job, but he had very good eyes and a solid memory for details. She frowned. A new pony in town? That didn’t happen, not in Oaton. It was a speck of a hamlet and nopony new ever showed up, at least not since this whole gig with the Lumber Guild. That made investigating all the more important.
As they approached the back of the crowd Cut n’ Dry could hear a mare’s voice speaking with that clear and carrying tone somepony used when addressing a crowd to be heard, but without shouting over them.
“Alright so this round’s adjective is; Dysfunctional!”
Cut n’ Dry cocked her head. The hay were these ponies doing? The crowd of villagers hadn’t noticed her or Bootheel yet, so she took the opportunity to listen in, not able to see who was at the center of the crowd but able to hear the mare’s voice speak up again.
“Hmm, let’s see what you’ve all chosen…Hm, yes well I suppose Tax Return Forms are a tad dysfunctional, but…oh-ho, somepony is feeling rebellious. The Nobility can rate as being dysfunctional at times, but I’ve met a few nobles who are alright-“
Cut n’ Dry bristled. She didn’t know what these ponies were jabbering about but to smack talk the nobility like that was infuriating! These country bumpkins just didn’t get it did they? The noble class existed for a reason! Knowing one’s place, one’s purpose in the social structure, that was the stability and peace Equestria enjoyed, stemming from a noble class that knew how to run the show. Without that, it’d just be the chaos of everypony being out for themselves. She’d lived what it was like to not know one’s place in the world and to be surrounded by that kind of free-for-all culture where anypony could do what they pleased, no order or higher powers to keep them in check…
She didn’t even realize she’d been growling until a faded orange earth pony villager turned and looked at her, his eyes going wide.
“What’re the likes of you doing here? We don’t want you in our village no more!”
Following that pony’s voice a number of the other villagers also turned their attention to the two approaching guards and a dark, uneasy murmur passed through the crowd. Cut n’ Dry met the villager’s unfriendly looks and jeers with a hard look of her own, pride in her voice. She’d keep standing tall, as long as she had the Copper Coin fish on her chest, the symbol of her place in life.
“The ‘likes of us’ are here to spend some coin on some decent liquor; bout the only thing this village is good for. But we saw all you folk gathered up here and were wondering what the fuss was about, so how about you ponies stand aside in the name of the Copper Coins and let us get a gander at who you’re talking to.”
The crowd didn’t part. If anything it seemed to condense, ponies moving in-between the two guards and the pony in the middle of the crowd. But rather quickly a voice, female and oddly cheerful sounding, rose above the din of unhappy murmuring.
“Oh come now everypony, I’m not shy or anything, let them through if they want to talk to me.”
It took a minute but the crowd did slowly and begrudgingly part and allow the two guards to step forward to the middle of the gathering. It made Cut n’ Dry just a little nervous, being surrounded in such a manner, and it made her adjust her sword sheath once more. The clearing in the center of the gathered crowd had two ponies standing in it, one Cut n’ Dry recognized as the burly green mayor of the village, Sheaf. If the other villagers were giving Cut n’ Dry and Bootheel unpleasant looks the mayor’s eyes were the daggers of Corona herself by comparison. Cut n’ Dry took it in stride, ignoring the mayor and instead fixing her eyes on the magenta mare that was packing away…some kind of card game?
Cut n’ Dry shook her head and looked the magenta mare up and down, sizing her up. She suppressed a snort. She didn’t think this mare rated a ‘damn fine’ but her preferences tended to run towards pegasi anyway. More lithe and…flexible.
“So miss whoever-you-are-“
“Cheerilee.”
Cut n’ Dry felt her eyebrow twitch, “…Cheerilee, what brings you to the tail end of South Everfree province?”
“Sightseeing.”
“Sightseeing?”
“When a pony goes from place to place to view the local attractions and taking in the sights-“
“I know what sightseeing is!” Cut n’ Dry snapped, feeling an almost irrational level of irritation boiling up inside her. Something about this mare was rubbing her the wrong way, “What’s in Oaton that’d be worth sightseeing?”
“What wouldn’t be? It’s a beautifully rustic and charming village.”
Before Cut n’ Dry could respond to that she felt Bootheel nudge her and she glanced over at the stallion, who was pointing to a part of the crowd that was moving aside to let two more ponies into the circle. She immediately noted the change in the attitude of the Oaton villagers. The undertone of sourness towards her and Bootheel was still evident, but now it was supplemented by an almost physical wave of confidence that shot through the crowd at the appearance of these two other ponies; mares both.
Cut n’ Dry took an almost immediate dislike to the azure unicorn with the silver mane who was wearing a violet starburst adorned wizard hat and cape; mainly due to that blatantly smug grin she was wearing. The other mare, a jasmine pegasus, Cut n’ Dry found curious as the pegasus was looking left and right nervously and seemed positively jumpy for some reason. She was also wearing some of the thickest glasses Cut n’ Dry had ever seen. It was kind of…cute, actually. The pegasus was also quite athletic looking. Cut n’ Dry shook her head a bit, trying to focus. Apparently athletic plus nerdy thick glasses as a combination that did it for her; who knew?
Cheerilee was smiling widely at these two newcomers so Cut n’ Dry could only assume the magenta mare knew them, though the way Cheerilee suddenly giggle-snorted while looking at the pegasus while putting a hoof to her mouth to try and stifle an outright laugh seemed odd.
“R-Raindrops what are you wearing? Those glasses, they’re-“
“Don’t say it,” Raindrops said, her nervousness suddenly vanishing in a odd mix of embarrassment and anger, her face trying to look threatening but the effect was somewhat ruined by the red hue across her features.
Cheerilee was undeterred, “-absolutely adorable!”
“Ugh…just…ugh…” the pegasus seemed to sag, wings dropping as she looked at the ground.
Cheerilee coughed, looking a little abashed as she said, “Sorry, sorry, I meant it as a compliment. My giggling is a reflex based purely on how surprisingly good you look with glasses.”
“Yes, I am such a good friend that I brought along a pair of glasses for Raindrops because she forgot her contact lenses back home,” the azure unicorn said, giving Cheerilee a pointed look that Cut n’ Dry didn’t miss. That was the look that said ‘play along’. She’d had to use the same look on her brother a few times. What were these ponies trying to hide though?
“Oooooh, yes,” said Cheerilee with a wry smile, “Silly Raindrops, forgetting your lenses like that. Trixie’s such a good friend to have brought your backup glasses, which I totally haven’t seen until now but make you look just so cute!”
“Hate you…hate you both,” mumbled Raindrops under her breath.
Cut n’ Dry didn’t get what was going on but she was going to get answers. She walked right up to the azure unicorn, who seemed to be the one in charge, but was shocked when several villagers had the gall to…to…get in her way!
“You won’t be threatening our town’s hero, ya hear, or you’ll be in a world of hurt!” spat out one of the villagers.
“Yeah! Don’t you even think of trying nothing!” said another villager with barred teeth.
“I believe you mean ‘trying anything, otherwise you have a double negative,” corrected Cheerilee with a helpful smile.
Cut n’ Dry was a little shocked. The villagers of Oaton had been plenty displeased with the presence of her and the other guards before but it’d never gone beyond simple grumbling and shot looks. They’d never dared…bar her path, let alone threaten her. More than that, Cut n’ Dry held a fair bit of confidence in her ability to read a crowd, and this crowd wasn’t simply sour about her and Bootheel being here. They felt ready for violence. What was the cause of this change? She got her answer rather quickly as a clear and cultured tone rang out.
“Please, please my good citizens of Oaton, the Great and Powerful Trixie appreciates your concerns but she is more than capable of dealing with these ponies. You have nothing to fear from them, least of all anything they might try and do to me.”
The villagers moved aside. Just like that. Cut n’ Dry eyes narrowed. This unicorn had the attention of almost every villager upon her. More than that they responded to this unicorn’s presence with a visible surge of bolstered confidence and clear respect. Cut n’ Dry didn’t share it. This mare was practically basking under the anticipating and adoring looks the crowd was giving her, soaking the attention like a sponge that was in turn made of many smaller, very smug sponges. It made Cut n’ Dry want to introduce that self-satisfied looking face to her hoof…but just one glance at the villagers told her that would’ve been the worst possible move. They looked ready to jump her and Bootheel if this unicorn mare so much as gestured a hoof for them to do so.
“Who the hay are you?” Cut n’ Dry asked past grit teeth.
The azure unicorn grinned almost from ear to ear, sweeping that ridiculous looking wizard hat off her head and taking a bow almost like she was on stage. The ‘want to punch’ feeling got stronger in Cut n’ Dry.
“So glad you asked.”
The unicorn reared up on her hind legs, flourishing her cape out behind her.
“I am the shining beacon of hope for all ponies who live in fear of those who abuse their power for unjust machinations!”
Cut n’ Dry’s first thought; …what?
“I am the unrelenting avalanche of justice that smashes aside the layers of corruption and greed that shield foul schemers from their proper judgment!”
Cut n’ Dry’s further though process; …huh?
“I am the butter on the toast of this town; the stoic blue avenger who stands goddess-like upon the shoulders of humility, for no glory nor (much appreciated) praise shall distract her from her vigil!”
Okay now she’s just choosing words at random, the guardsmare thought with certainty.
“I am-“ the unicorn paused mid-sentence as the jasmine pegasus coughed loudly and fixed her with a hard stare.
“-Trixie,” the unicorn finished while giving the pegasus a wary look.
“Trixie?”
The azure unicorn glanced questioningly at her pegasus companion and Raindrops sighed, nodding her head as if in defeat and saying, “Just one more, then you’re cut off.”
The unicorn grinned again and reared up, “The Great and Powerful Trixie, Element of Magic, Defender of the dreams and aspirations of young fillies everywhere! Ahem, you, of course, can humbly refer to me as Trixie.”
As ridiculous as all this sounded to her Cut n’ Dry couldn’t help but notice the surrounding villagers of Oaton were eating up everything that had been said…except for the mayor. Cut n’ Dry had been a guard long enough to read when a pony was hiding a scowl, and the mayor wasn’t even doing a very good job of hiding it. That would’ve seemed normal, if the look had been for her. But it was directed at this ‘Trixie’ character…wait…that name…hadn’t she heard it somewhere before? She couldn’t remember, but whatever, probably wasn’t important.
“Riiiight, so now that my train of thought has been thoroughly derailed, let me consult with my associate here for a second,” Cut n’ Dry said and turned to Bootheel, who had been spending most of this time eying the mares present up and down. Cut n’ Dry tried to suppress a sigh as the stallion apparently concluded that the ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie was the highest ranking piece of flank in the bunch and gave the unicorn a raunchy grin. To Cut n’ Dry’s momentary satisfaction her fellow guard’s gesture apparently took the air right out of the ‘blue avenger’ and caused that smug look to turn immediately sour. Guess she didn’t like that kind of attention.
Waving a hoof in front of his face to get him to lean his head down next to hears Cut n’ Dry whispered, “What do you make of these jokers?”
“Earth pony mare is a solid 8, the pegasus is a little young for me, a 6 possibly upgrading to higher pending a few years development, and the unicorn is a freakin’ 10 out of 10 for being the hottest mare I think I’ve seen since I scored a ticket to that gray earth pony cello player’s concert last year.”
“I meant who do you think they really are!? What’s up with that stupid speech the unicorn just made!?” Cut n’ Dry said, fixing her fellow guard with a harsh glare. Really was he capable of thinking about anything else? And what did he mean the pegasus was a 6!? Raindrops was clearly the 10 of the trio, not that bag of hot air unicorn!
…Cut n’ Dry decided she needed to focus and stop thinking about cute pegasi with glasses.
“Huh?” Bootheel just cocked his head at her as if her question didn’t quite click, “Dunno, maybe she’s crazy. I can dig crazy. The crazy ones are always real manticores under the sheets. Why, do you think there’s something odd about them?”
“…why did I think asking your opinion would be beneficial?”
“Dunno. Hey are we getting anything to drink soon? That is why we came to town.”
It was clear she wasn’t going to be getting any kind of useful backup from her fellow guard. Cut n’ Dry hesitated for a moment as she glanced back, taking in both the crowd of villagers and these three strange mares. Trixie was still standing tall, having gotten over her apparent discomfort at getting ogled by Bootheel, and was giving her and Bootheel a challenging look, like she was just daring the two guards to try something. The jasmine pegasus, Raindrops apparently (cute name to match the glasses...ugh, focus Cut, focus) was also looking her way but her expression was clearly uncomfortable…and she kept squinting and flicking her eyes upward. Huh, weird. Cheerilee still looked like she was suppressing giggles, apparently finding Trixie’s antics far more amusing than Cut n’ Dry did.
Cut n’ Dry took in a deep breath. Given the mood of the crowd it was clear a tactical retreat was in order. She had to inform her lord about this development as soon as possible. It was her job to protect the Copper Coin’s interests and while she didn’t get half of Trixie’s speech one thing was pretty clear from it; she was a troublemaker.
I’ll press for a little more information, then get out of here before things have a chance to get ugly…
“Right then, ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie. Fancy talk aside, what are you and these two other mares doing here? None of you are from Oaton and you’re friend there mentioned ‘sightseeing’?”
Trixie cast a brief glance at Cheerilee that could’ve meant anything and Cut n’ Dry noticed a barely perceptible shrug from the magenta earth pony mare. Trixie put on a confident smile.
“Ah, something of a joking understatement of our purpose. First, before I answer that question, allow the Astute and Perceptive Trixie to confirm something. Those red fish upon you’re tabard, you and your fellows are hired House Guard for the Copper Coin family, correct?”
Cut n’ Dry narrowed her eyes. Why would the mare be asking that if she clearly recognized the heraldry? What was this crazy mare’s game!?
“We are-” Cut n’ Dry said slowly, then with a sudden surge or pride, “-the appointed House Guard and personal bodyguards of Lord Count Shiny Copper Coin.”
“I see,” Trixie said with a satisfied grin, “Personal bodyguard? So that would mean your lord is directly involved in this matter?”
…Cut n’ Dry blanched and mentally hit herself. There were few things she was more proud of than the fact that she and her team had been assigned as Count Shiny’s personal guard. It’d been the single greatest moment of her life, receiving this tabard and being told that she was being trusted with the safety of the pony who’d given her a second chance at life. She knew she shouldn’t have given away any additional information than what was strictly necessary.
“Wh-what’s it to you if he is? And what do you mean by ‘this matter’?” she said, trying to remain calm.
“Oh no need to look so flustered,” Trixie said waving a hoof, “This merely simplifies matters. I can speak with both the head of the Lumber Guild and your lord at the same time, if he happens to be here, which I would assume he is if his personal guard is present. As for ‘this matter’, I am referring to the inspection of course.”
I…inspection? What inspection!?
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re trying to pull here but you’d better think carefully about what you say and do. This land belongs to the Copper Coins. I suggest you start talking straight Miss Loud and Obnoxious, and explain exactly who you are and what you mean by ‘inspection’. No horseapples.”
“She don’t have to answer to you!” shouted a villager, “She’s got bigger, uh…in-charge stuff…”
“I think the word you’re searing for is ‘authority’,” supplied Cheerilee to the villager.
“Yeah! That!”
“Authority? On what grounds!?” Cut n’ Dry couldn’t sound more incredulous. Trixie didn’t look like she could hold authority over a paper bag…dang it that name was still bugging her too. She was sure she’d heard it before. Actually, now that Cut n’ Dry was thinking about it, Cheerilee and Raindrops’ names also sounded familiar. Like she’d heard them mentioned pretty recently.
“Ahem, if you could keep from making an outburst for a minute I’d be more than happy to illuminate you,” Trixie said, clearing her throat and looking at Cut n’ Dry expectantly. The guardsmare grit her teeth and grudgingly nodded for the unicorn to continue.
“Now, for the details, ‘no horseapples’ as you so eloquently put it. As I said, my name is Trixie. My associates are Raindrops and Cheerilee. I can see from that look your giving that you must have heard of us if not quite remembering from where. Understandable, as you are after all just a mere appointed guard, with no reason to keep up with important happenings beyond your…small area of expertise.”
Cut n’ Dry took in slow, deep breaths, willing to let this mare keep talking only because she had a professional duty to learn as much about these mares as possible in order to make a more accurate report to her lord.
“However,” Trixie continued “I am certain you’ve heard of the Elements of Harmony.”
Trixie paused for dramatic effect. Cut n’ Dry starred, the information turning certain gears in her mind that made everything click into place. That’s where she’d heard those names! It’d been all over the newspapers for weeks after the Longest Night Celebration! It was the biggest historical event in centuries! And…and…oh buck me into the sun, Cut n’ Dry thought, this walking mountain of pompous ego is the Element of Magic!?
Which would make her two companions Elements of Harmony as well? She couldn’t see it. Not even for the cute pegasus.
“So these two, and you, are...Elements of…” she shook her head, “No. Seriously? No. This has gotta be some kind of con. You seriously expect me to believe that you’re the mares that saved Equestria from Corona? What proof do you have?”
“If you don’t believe me then that’s your problem, not mine,” said Trixie in a purely dismissive tone, as if she could care less about Cut n’ Dry’s opinion, “I and my fellow Elements are here to ensure the ponies of Oaton are not being mistreated and that their rights as citizens of Equestria are not being trampled upon, by either the Hoofington Lumber Guild or the Copper Coin family. You may inform your employer that I shall be visiting the Lumber Guild’s compound later today to conduct a thorough inspection of their operation under the authority I possess as both the Element of Magic and as an appointed Representative of the Night Court.”
The mare’s words were followed by a few cheers from the crowd, though Cut n’ Dry was observant enough to note that a few of the villagers seemed just a tad disappointed that it didn’t look like things were about to lead to a brawl. Seemed a lot of them had been keeping some serious pent up anger inside. Cut n’ Dry would have to remember when making her report to Count Shiny that it might be a good idea to call in another squad of House Guard to the Lumber Guild’s camp. Right now it was just her and five other ponies…enough for basic security but not enough to deal with a full mob of angry villagers. Oaton was small, but there were still enough burly earth ponies here that Cut n’ Dry would want a few more swords and spears on her side of things, just to be on the safe side. Ugh, why did her lord have to choose now of all times to take a personal interest in his business ventures anyway!? Shiny had never gone out of his way to oversee the family’s business ventures before. Heck of a time to start…but her duty was to ensure his safety and to look after the interests of the Copper Coins. Right now that meant getting back to the Lumber Guild’s camp. She supposed the Lumber Guild’s current leader, Sawdust, would also need to be informed…though Cut n’ Dry wasn’t all that fond of him. He was a weird unicorn, with a quiet manner that gave Cut n’ Dry the creeps.
“Fine,” she said “I’ll let my lord know of your request for an audience and inspection. Bootheel, let’s go.”
“But-but…what about getting sloshed!? We’re off duty Cut! Can’t I stay at least!? I can get drunk with a bunch of surly villagers and chat up the mares in town!”
“It’s clear we’re not wanted here, and it’s even clearer you’re not getting any local tail. Suck it up, buck, you’ll just have to suffer being alone and sober tonight.”
“Hey, I can accept the risk of being lynched by an angry mob if they at least let me have a drink first. This place has some of the best hooch I’ve had, and I’ve gotten drunk in a lot of watering holes in my day! And this Trixie isn’t a local! I might have shot with her!”
Trixie blanched, lips twisting in disgust and face reddening as she said with vehemence, “I assure you, in every conceivable manner, you do not.”
“See? You’re out of luck Casanova, let’s go,” Cut n’ Dry said quickly as she grabbed Bootheel within a white aura of telekinetic magic and began to drag the halfheartedly struggling stallion off. The villagers parted for the leaving guards, most of them looking quite pleased and full of themselves now that the objects of their scorn were departing, though she did catch a few comments as she went by.
“I almost feel sorry for the guy, tonight’s gonna be one serious party to celebrate Trixie coming back to town.”
“Bah, don’t feel sorry for ‘em. Them guards are just bootlickers who’d do anything to stay pets of the nobility. Bah, nobles, who needs em!?”
“Ain’t Trixie a noble though…being all the apprentice of the Princess?”
“That’s totally different, and even if she was a noble it don’t matter, she’s here to save us, just like before!”
Just like before…? What are they talking about? Cut n’ Dry wondered, then recalled something. She and her fellow guards weren’t a part of the Lumber Guild but they did spend of their off time drinking and playing card games with the lumber ponies, and she’d remembered hearing a few of those ponies mention that the Lumber Guild had come to Oaton before…and that some madness involving a crazed unicorn had nearly cost all of them their jobs and some of them their lives by burning down the entire camp. She hadn’t really pressed for details, not caring much about some incident from a year ago…but if this Trixie was the same pony from before…
The comments became inaudible as Cut n’ Dry pulled Bootheel out of town and met up with her brother down the road heading north. Her mind turned over what she’d learned. While having heard of the mares who’d become the Elements of Harmony, despite not being able to instantly recognize them by description or name, she knew little else. Did they actually have the authority to just walk into a Count’s fiefdom and inspect one of the business operations without any kind of prior arrangements being made? Trixie didn’t even remotely seem like the trustworthy sort, but she’d been so confident in her manner it was hard for Cut n’ Dry to dismiss the possibility that the mare was being serious. She didn’t know what to make of the other two mares either. Cheerilee had seemed like she was enjoying the proceedings and had didn’t look like she’d been taking anything seriously. She certainly hadn’t come off as some kind of agent of the crown. The only one who had looked serious had been the pegasus, Raindrops (nice name, it suited her…ugh, focus Cut). Raindrops had if anything seemed both nervous about something and was the only one in the entire crowd besides the mayor who wasn’t amused by Trixie’s attitude. Which only gave the pegasus more points in Cut n’ Dry’s book.
It was all quite puzzling and the guardsmare couldn’t get a clear picture out of the pieces she had. All she knew for sure was that this Trixie mare was trouble.
When they finally caught up with Lock n’ Key her brother visibly relaxed and she heard the relief in his voice.
“Glad you made it out. Was worried when I saw all them villagers gathered around you sis. Things look kinda…tense down there.”
She sighed, seeing that her brother was shaking slightly. She probably shouldn’t have left him alone up the road like that. He never did do too well on his own. She gave him a quick and brief smile that she hoped was reassuring, “I’m fine, Lock. So’s Bootheel-“
“My alcohol! My poor brain cannot tolerate another night without sweet inebriation!”
“-…mostly. If things had gotten ugly down there I had a spell that could’ve gotten us clear quick enough. Let’s get back to the camp, fast. Lord Shiny needs to be informed of this development.”
“What development’s that? What’s going on sis?”
At that question Cut n’ Dry glanced back at Oaton, where she could faintly see the image of the three mares, the three supposed Elements of Harmony, being led by the now clearly jovial crowd towards the village tavern. Her eyes narrowed.
“Trouble; with a capital T.”
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…Well, there goes our element of surprise Trixie thought sourly but kept it from showing on her face, maintaining her confident front for the villagers as they led her and her friends into the village tavern. The jovial mood of the Oaton residents was infectious and Trixie found she didn’t even have to force her confident smile, despite feeling a tad irked at that guardmare.
The guardmare, Trixie hadn’t even bothered to ask her name, had certainly been a prickly sort and much to Trixie’s chagrin hadn’t at all seemed amused by the situation. Still, everything had gone about as well as Trixie could’ve hoped, given she hadn’t wanted to have to deal with the Copper Coin’s House Guard so soon, and she’d managed to coax a little extra information out of the conversation. She’d hoped to be able to interroga…question, mayor Sheaf as quickly as possible and then get her and her friends moving on to phase two of “Trixie’s Masterful and Amazing Plan to Save Oaton and Look Good While Doing It!” before running into anypony form either the Lumber Guild or the Copper Coin’s.
The plan had been to be able to drop in on the Lumber Guild unannounced in order to put them off balance and catch anything suspicious before they had a chance to hide it away. The guards showing up in Oaton right on the heels of her own arrival ruined that prospect. If circumstances had been different Trixie didn’t doubt she could have spun a few easy to believe lies that would have deflected attention away from herself and her two friends, putting the guard’s minds at ease. She couldn’t do that though with the entire village gathered around watching. Under the eyes of her audience she had to play the role they expected of her.
So instead she went for the opposite tactic, play up exactly why she was here and go a step further by declaring her intention to inspect the Lumber Guild’s camp. It was a gamble; trying to tack on any kind of supposed authority to her and her friends being the Elements of Harmony. A gamble that relied heavily on the notion that Count Shiny was ignorant of just what little power the Elements actually had, politically speaking.
One benefit of this whole Elements thing is nopony seems to know what to make of us yet. Nopony besides Luna ever wielded them and that was a thousand years ago. For all Count Shiny knows I do have the authority to conduct an inspection. At the very least it would take him a few days to make an inquiry to find out that nether I or my friends have any kind of backing from the Night Court. More than enough time to snoop around under the pretext of an inspection and find out what skeletons he and the Lumber Guild have hidden away.
She imagined the news that guardsmare would deliver would at the very least put her opponents on edge and even if they had time to prepare for her arrival, hide away evidence of whatever wrongdoing they were up to, their nervousness could make their efforts sloppy. Sometimes it was easier to find evidence that was hastily and poorly hidden rather than if it was left innocuously out in the open, where it might not look like evidence at all.
She, Raindrops, and Cheerilee had been ushered into the large common room on the bottom floor of the tavern. As it happened this was also the home of mayor Sheaf and his family, the entire second floor of the building acting as their residence. Trixie had managed to tell the mayor that she really needed to talk with him about Oaton’s situation in private before the crowd of eager villagers had begun to get positively festive. Sheaf, giving her a guarded look, had told her to just give him a few minutes and he’d send somepony to get her and her friends and that in the meantime she should enjoy his village’s hospitality and with that he’d headed upstairs leaving Trixie and her friends to the crowd.
Cheerilee was in her element here, already with a mug of foaming ale in hoof and happily chatting with a half dozen Oaton residents near the tavern’s bar and from the sound of things was immensely enjoying herself, having little trouble keeping up with the enthuastic questions of the villagers. Trixie could pick up a few lines of the conversation, only frowning slightly when some of Oaton’s ponies started asking Cheerilee how they were going to deal with the Lumber Guild. Trixie didn’t pick out Cheerilee’s response to that line of questioning but could see the schoolteacher shoot a wink her way, letting Trixie know she had things well in hoof.
However Raindrops seemed less comfortable with all the attention and was also having a hard time telling the villagers no when they kept trying to put a drink in her hoof. Trixie felt a small stab of guilt. She imagined part of Raindrops’ nervousness stemmed from the glasses and their enchantment. Trixie had explained their function briefly before getting Raindrops to put them on but she doubted the pegasus had been quite prepared for how effective the enchantment was at doing what it did…well, assuming it was working the way it was supposed to. It should be. Trixie had practiced the spells plenty, despite the difficulty of learning them from a book instead of the far more natural method of seeing the spell in action itself.
Trixie wasn’t without her own drink, having practically been bombarded with them from the moment of entering the tavern. In her case it was a cup of whiskey that she kept floating next to her. One of the villagers had been all too happy to explain that the village usually got by on ale but kept a stock of whiskey around for special occasions, which Trixie and her friend’s arrival certainly counted as.
Most of the villagers were already well on their way to inebriation and Trixie was getting the start of a pleasant buzz but didn’t have any intention of getting actually drunk. It was easy enough to weave a simple illusion of her glass either looking empty or full as the circumstances demanded, keeping the villager’s happy that she was enjoying the festivities without actually drinking too much.
Seeing Raindrops getting a little cornered Trixie managed to weave her way through the crowd and come up next to her friend, addressing the over eager villagers that had surrounded Raindrops.
“Alright folks, let’s give my friend here a little space shall we?”
“Oh, of course, weren’t trying to bother her or nothing. Just want you all to feel at home,” said one already fairly inebriated looking stallion with a wide grin and raising his mug “Gotta celebrate you coming back to help us out and it ain’t a celebration without drinks! Bet you’ll be kicking them Lumber Guild jerks outta here by tomorrow. Hay, by tonight I bet! Burn ‘em all right out like you did last time!”
“Er, yes, of course. I doubt this will take more than a day or two to sort out for one of my talents,” Trixie said, then flinched as she felt a hoof nudge her hard in the ribs.
“Yeah, but let’s not celebrate too hard until we’ve actually got the job done,” said Raindrops, “Hopefully without needing to burn anything down.
“Bah, Lumber Guild jerks deserve it after having the gall to come back here after what they did! Drying up our only source of water! That’s like trying to kill the whole town!”
“Noticed there was still some water in the riverbed this time though,” mentioned Raindrops, her eyes carefully squinting at something just above the village stallion’s head. Trixie knew what Raindrops was looking at but wondered if the pegasus realized she didn’t need to squint like that to make the enchantment work. Trixie was impressed though, she thought she’d need to steer her honest friend a little bit, prompt her to ask the right questions or do the questioning herself. It was pleasing to see Raindrops taking the initiative, and that she’d noticed that there was still a bit of water in the riverbed this time. Trixie had wondered about that.
The villager, Trixie realized it was the one called Potato Sack, the one she supposedly beat in a drinking/hoof wrestling contest, just cocked his head to the side curiously.
“Yeah, guess there is, but it ain’t near enough for us to keep the fields watered. Barely enough to keep a decent stock of ale. Bet the Guild just got lazy with their dam this time and its leaking a bit is all. Not like it matters, you’re all gonna bust that thing up soon enough! Hey Trixie, wanna do a rematch! I’ve been practicing how to hold my liquor since you trashed me just in case you ever did come back to town!”
Trixie smiled politely, “Oh I wish I could, but I’ll be speaking with your mayor soon about a few things I need to know before speaking with the Lumber Guild so-“
“Why you need to talk the them?” Potato Sack asked abruptly.
“…Excuse me?” Trixie wasn’t sure what he meant and was a little surprised at being interrupted.
Potato Sock downed some more ale, eyes a tad unfocused, “S’nuthin I guess, just don’t figure what needs to be talked about with them Lumber Guild jerks. Ya just go up there, kick ‘em out, burn ‘em out, whatever, an’ then come on back here and we can have an even bigger party to celebrate! Heh, its not like you bein’ Princess Luna’s right-hoof mare need to listen to what a bunch of dam-building, water stealing, money grubbing, nobles-pets like them have to say! Right everypony!?”
There were a number of raucous cheers issued from the nearby villagers, all raising their drinks.
“Yeeah! The Great and Powerful Trixie will teach them stuck up bastards that the common ponies got big friends in the Night Court too!”
“Copper Coins, bah, their just Counts, nothing compared to the Night’s Justice!”
“…Night’s Justice…?” Raindrops gave Trixie a look.
“Must have been one of those titles I gave myself last time I was here,” Trixie sighed quietly, ears flattening under her hat, “I must have really given these ponies the impression I was a big-roller in the Night Court…”
“We really should just come out and explain to them that we’re not affiliated with the Night Court, let alone have any power there,” said Raindrops. The villagers were still being so loud that none standing around could hear her and Trixie even if they were speaking normally but she was whispering to her friend all the same, “Honestly Trixie, they might be mad, but ultimately this is only going to get more complicated the more they think we’re something we’re not.”
Trixie frowned, trying to decide how to best explain this to Raindrops. She knew Raindrops wasn’t one who’d refuse to lie, her sense of honesty wasn’t quite that straightforward. She was pretty sure she’d heard Raindrops lie before, if the circumstances demanded it. So Trixie didn’t understand why Raindrops had such a problem with this. Trixie didn’t want to deceive the citizens of Oaton, and maybe if it was just the township in general she’d have been willing to come out with the truth right from the start.
…But there was a certain filly that had come to Trixie. A filly who hadn’t come for Trixie Lulamoon, the not-so-well-known (or liked) apprentice of Luna who’d screwed up her time in Canterlot so badly that she’d come to Ponyville leaving behind no friends or allies behind in the capital. A filly that hadn’t come for the mare who bore the Element of Magic and saved the country from Corona. Instead, a filly who had come to find the Hero of Oaton, the mare called Trixie who saved her town (while apparently sloshed beyond belief) from certain doom and did so all the while seeming larger than life itself.
Trixie knew that she wasn’t actually all that heroic, even on her best days. She wasn’t quite that self deluded…most of the time. But that wasn’t the point. From Bushel’s perspective Trixie was that hero of grand tales, who could ooze confidence and sweep away other pony’s fears and make them believe that everything was going to turn out okay…that was who she needed to be while she was here in Oaton, because that was what that filly had come to Ponyville for. Even if it was just an illusion that didn’t make it any less real to those who viewed it and believed in it. That was the magic of illusions, the power of perspective.
“Please, Raindrops, just bear with me on this,” Trixie wasn’t a mare who used the word ‘please’ very often, “They have to believe. It’s what they need. It’s what Bushel needs. For many ponies the belief in a legend is far more powerful than the actual truth.”
“I…really don’t agree with that,” said the jasmine pegasus, but she did slowly close her eyes and nod, “But you’re the showpony. Just understand that if this turns bad…ugh, I’ll stick by you, but I’m going to be pissed at you afterward.”
“Understood.”
“Hey guys!” Cheerilee suddenly came walking through the crowd, face reddened even beyond her normal magenta shade, with one arm slung around a stallion she seemed to be dragging around with her, and still holding a now empty mug in the other, “This place is great! That guard fellow wasn’t joking, this town’s got some fantastic ale! Seriously I need to tell Berry Punch about this place, she’d love to find out what they put in this stuff!”
The stallion she seemed to be dragging around, Trixie noted with a slight quirk of her eyebrows, seemed both elated and terrified at the same time. Trixie surmised the terror might be stemming from the fact that Cheerilee’s grip on him didn’t look all that…safe. Trixie might’ve been imagining things but she was almost certain she heard ribs grinding together from the tightness of that grip. The stallion seemed to be bearing it only because of his proximity to an attractive mare. Or at least Trixie figured Cheerilee counted as attractive. Trixie didn’t think on such things, thank you very much, subject changing now.
“Y-you’d have to talk with…ugh..m-mayor Sheaf, urk, Miss Chee-*gulp*ilee, about the ale. It’s his, gah…recipe. OhstarsIthinkshebrokesomething…”
“Oh I think I will,” said Cheerille, tossing the empty mug aside and setting down the poor stallion, “Definitely, before leaving town. So Great and Powerful Trixie, Cute and Adorable Raindrops, we talking to the mayor soon? Much as I’m enjoying myself we do have some hero-ing to do, right? Seems everypony here is expecting us to get this wrapped up by morning.”
“Cute and…ugh, that’s it, glasses are coming off now,” said Raindrops, moving a hoof to take the glasses off.
“Wait Raindrops,” Trixie said, putting a hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder and leaning in to whisper, “The enchantment takes time to adjust to a new pony. If you take them off now it’ll be an hour before somepony else could use them. I need you to wear them when we talk to mayor Sheaf. If he’s hiding anything, those glasses are our best bet to find any clues about it.”
“…Fine. But one more ‘adorable’ comment and you can find another lie detector. These glasses are creeping me out. You have any idea how disconcerting it is to…to…see what other ponies are-“
“Heya Trixie! Raindrops! Cheerilee! What are you all talking about!?” Bushel’s sudden and excited voice piped in.
“Oh, Bushel,” Trixie had almost dropped her drink at the filly’s abrupt appearance but recovered fast, “We were just talking about your father, actually. Is he ready to see us?”
Bushel nodded enthusiastically, “Uh-huh! He told me to come get you! I can’t wait to see you in action…even though I’m grounded and probably won’t get to see much. But c’mon, my dad’s waiting. Oh, and you gotta meet my brothers and sisters and mom!”
Trixie couldn’t help but smile warmly at the filly, “Lead on Bushel, I’d love to meet the rest of your family.”
Though there were a few disappointed groans from the villagers that Trixie and company were departing upstairs Trixie was quick to assure them that there would be more than enough time later for her to participate in a proper party once their fair village was saved. It seemed to do the trick and many of the villagers went back to happily drinking, while many others had cleared some space in the middle of the tavern to start dancing. As she was led upstairs Trixie felt a small pang of worry, looking on all of those happy ponies. They honestly thought their troubles were at an end, now that she was here.
She wasn’t going to screw this up…not this time…not like all those times back in Canterlot…not like the Ice Palace. She had her friends with her. She couldn’t fail as long as she had them by her side.
…right?
----------
Raindrops was trying very hard not to focus on any one pony for too long. Trixie had given Raindrops a very brief explanation of how the glasses worked before she’d put them on but it had ill prepared the pegasus for the nature of this enchantment. If she intentionally avoided focusing her attention on anypony then things were fine, but the second she paid any kind of attention to a pony the glasses would start to do their thing and begin to…show her what was on the pony’s mind.
Just felt wrong to begin with, peering into a pony’s mind without permission. If Trixie hadn’t seemed so absolutely certain that using these glasses would be instrumental in finding evidence to uncover whatever wrongdoings were going on in Oaton Raindrops wouldn’t have even considered using these things. Ponies needed their privacy. She had things in her mind she certainly wouldn’t want a pony ever looking at.
Trixie had assured her that the glasses would only display surface thoughts. The unicorn had explained that it was not a remarkably powerful spell and couldn’t delve deeply or seek out any specific information from a pony’s head. That was why asking the right questions was important; it’d bring certain thoughts to the surface and hence display the images associated with those thoughts.
It was still unbelievably unnerving and Raindrops even wondered at the legality of such an enchantment. Shouldn’t making something like this be kind of…restricted? Trixie didn’t seem concerned with that but considering it was Trixie that didn’t mean much. Raindrops just hoped her friend knew what she was doing.
Trixie would be handling the talk with mayor Sheaf, asking certain questions about Trixie’s first time to Oaton and the current predicament of the village. Raindrops job would be to watch the stallion’s surface thoughts for anything…out of the ordinary.
Not sure what she expects to find out. The mayor doesn’t strike me as the type to hide much of anything. It’s clear he’s got some kind of issue with Trixie, but that doesn’t mean he’s hiding some big secret.
The stairs led to a decent sized living room, though much like the tavern below it had fairly bare bones furnishings. Bushel hopped happily into the room and called out, “Ma, Breadcrumb, Milkdrop! I brought ‘em up, come and see!”
From a side room a pair of foals came stumbling in so fast that they were practically tripping over each other, a colt and a filly, both who seemed a number of years younger than Bushel. One, the colt had a green coat that matched mayor Sheaf’s, but his mane was the same blue that Bushel had. The filly had a creamy white coat and a mop-like yellow mane. From behind the two foal’s an adult mare entered. The family resemblance between the mare and Bushel were unmistakable as the mare shared an identical bright sunny yellow coat and light blue mane, even the same wide expressive brown eyes. Bushel’s mother looked identical to her daughter save that she had her cutie mark; what appeared to be…Raindrops blinked…was that a camera? Odd cutie mark for a farm mare.
With so many ponies now in the room it might’ve seemed cramped but Raindrops was pretty used to it. Her home was a pretty cramped place too, but it was cozy. This felt the same. The two new foals had rushed right up to them, eyes wide and bright.
“Oh, oh, oh, which one’s Trixie! Which one! Bushel is it this one!?” the colt was bouncing up and down, looking at Raindrops and pointing his hoof. Bushel snorted and rolled her eyes.
“No, no, that’s one of Trixie’s friends. Trixie’s the unicorn!”
“Which one’s a unicorn…?”
“The one with the awesome hat, duh!”
“Oh but can’t this one be Trixie?” said the filly, looking up at Cheerilee, “She’s prettiest!”
Raindrops, Cheerilee, and Trixie all exchanged glances. Raindrops had to look away quickly though as she almost started to see that odd white mist form that indicated the glasses were starting to read a pony’s thoughts, the mist beginning to form around Trixie’s head as Raindrops had focused on her but vanished as Raindrops looked away. Dang glasses were so troublesome. Why couldn’t have Trixie put in some kind of command word or something?
“Ahem, children don’t bother these good ponies, they’re here on important business,” said Bushel’s mother as she walked up lowered her head in a polite bow, “It’s a pleasure to meet you again Miss Lulamoon.”
“Just Trixie, please,” Trixie said, and Raindrops could see the small twitch of her friend’s ear. Trixie really did have an issue with that last name.
“Oh? You were so insistent upon me calling you Lulamoon on your last visit,” the mare looked away and coughed politely, “Quite insistent, but perhaps that was the alcohol talking? You certainly imbibed a…remarkable quantity as I recall.”
Weird… thought Raindrops, Her accent. I can’t be sure, but it sounds real different from everypony else in Oaton. She sounds more like Trixie than like anypony from Oaton.
It struck her then. It was a Canterlot accent. Raindrops couldn’t be entirely sure, but enough Canterlot ponies had come through Ponyville over the years that she’d heard that airy, sophisticated accent enough times to recognize it.
“Yes, well,” Trixie went on, “I was doing my utmost to accept the village’s hospitality. Still, I’d prefer there be no, uh, formality between us. Just Trixie will do.”
“Very well. Things did proceed so quickly that night I hadn’t even the time to properly introduce myself, so please allow me the honor, Trixie. My name is Picturesque, Sheaf’s wife, and mother of these rambunctious little storms of chaos that like to masquerade as foals.”
“They don’t seem so bad,” Trixie said, then blinked in surprise as Breadcrumb jumped on her back and poked his head under her hat.
“Hey, you’re right sis, she is a unicorn! I’m gonna poke her horn!”
Just as fast Bushel was clambering up Trixie’s side, biting her bother’s tail and trying to pull him off, “Get off her, stupid! You don’t poke heroes!”
The sudden additional weight caused Trixie to stumble with a surprised yelp and she almost went right back down the stairs if Raindrops hadn’t quickly moved to steady her friend. Even so Bushel’s pulling on Breadcrumb caused the foal and filly to go tumbling off to the ground, the former with Trixie’s hat now stuck on his head.
Picturesque sighed and smiled apologetically before fixing her children with a stern gaze, “That’s enough you two. Breadcrumb, what have I told you about not jumping on the adults?”
“…not to do it…”
“And Bushel, what did I say about pulling your brother’s tail?”
“That it was…okay under emergency circumstances?”
“…”
“…not to do it…”
“That’s right. Now, all three of you will sit quietly and behave yourselves around these good ponies who have come to speak with your father, otherwise there will be more than one grounded foal in this household and no desert to be had by any of them. Understood?”
“Yes ma,” chimed three pacified young ponies.
“Good,” Picturesque said with a satisfied nod and looked to Trixie, “I do apologize. Are you quite alright?”
“I’m fine. A little horse-play is nothing compared to some of my past experiences with foals,” Trixie said with a side-long look at Cheerilee. Cheerilee rolled her eyes.
“My class wasn’t that rough with you.”
“There was rope involved! Well, a jump-rope anyway. I don’t know where the foals learned to tie knots that effectively.”
Raindrops was quick to clear her throat loudly before that side conversation could go any further, “Anyways, where’s your husband Miss Picturesque? Kinda got a lot on our ‘to-do’ list today and we need to get to it.”
“Oh, yes of course, right this way.”
Picturesque led them to one of the side doors that opened up into a short hallway with multiple doors to either side, “He’s in his study on the door to the right, end of the hallway. I’m currently getting lunch made if the three of you are hungry. I can easily fix some extra plates.”
“That’d be good, thanks,” said Trixie, and for a second Raindrops thought she could see a look of exhaustion pass over her friend’s face before Trixie replaced it firmly with her usual confident bravado, “Had a light breakfast and could use the food. Coffee too, if you have any.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have coffee, but I do have a tea that is nearly as effective.”
“That’ll work I suppose.”
Raindrops frowned, peering at Trixie, then had to look away as that damn mist began to form again. Be nice if she could just take these glasses off, but she’d seen enough in her brief look anyway. Trixie was tired. More tired than she was showing. Mare hadn’t slept at all last night despite Raindrops insistence that she do so. Well that was certainly going to change tonight! Raindrops mentally vowed to make sure Trixie got some sleep.
Picturesque left them to it and the three friends entered the indicated door. Inside was a small space with little more than a desk, a few sitting cushions, and a short bookshelf that was only half full. Mayor Sheaf was sitting behind the desk, his large stray hat off and sitting on the edge of the desk as he…levitated a quill pen and was writing in a notebook.
Raindrops blinked, looking at the soft yellow glow around the horn poking from his head, a horn that had been hidden by the hat he’d worn up to this point. She didn’t know why she was so surprised. It was probably because of his build. Sheaf was built like an earth-pony, and top that off with the fact that all the ponies in Oaton had looked to be earth ponies it’d just seemed natural to assume…
“I see you managed to pull yourselves away from my ponies,” Sheaf commented dryly, eyes fixed on Trixie, “And you’re not drunk. Remarkable restraint Miss Lulamoon.”
Because Raindrops had been starring at him, still surprised that he’d turned out to be a unicorn, the mist had already formed around his head without her realizing it and began to do its thing. Of course she was the only one who could see the mist, the image being generated by the enchantment inside the glasses she wore. Within the mist images began to swirl and take shape. She saw Trixie in those shapes, face red from clear intoxication, dancing on a table with a yellow mare…Picturesque? There were images of two purple unicorns as well that looked so similar to each other they had to be related, one clearly older than the other, and in the images they were glaring at each other. Raindrops saw what she thought might have been the dam, an edifice of wood beams that in the image was clearly on fire, but there was something…off about flames. They weren’t the right color. The flames were red, rather than a natural orange.
Raindrops resisted the urge to look away as Trixie approached the mayor to speak with him. Her job here was to watch these images for clues so that’s what she was going to do, as uncomfortable as doing so made her. She felt Cheerilee next to her nudge her hoof and Raindrops glanced over. The schoolteacher pony was giving her a concerned look.
“You okay?”
Raindrops was a little surprised. Cheerilee usually didn’t pick up easily on moods of other ponies, which probably meant Raindrops was more visibly bothered than she’d prefer to show.
“It’s ...I’ll tell you later,” Raindrops whispered back and re-focused on Sheaf, who still only had eyes for Trixie, practically ignoring the other two mares in the room.
“I would prefer if you just called me Trixie, mayor Sheaf, if it’s all the same to you,” Trixie said, sitting on one of the cushions, and setting down the glass of whiskey she’d still be levitating around with her on his desk, “And while I’d love to indulge in a little more of the generosity of your village I did come here with a purpose, one that I’d prefer to be sober to take on.”
“Strange, considering last time you were here we could hardly keep your cup full. Not that I minded that much, given the circumstances of the time my ponies were in need of an excuse for a good party…much like now,” Sheaf replied evenly.
“I’ve learned to moderate myself a bit more since then. Mayor let me ask this straight out; can you tell me in detail what happened that night? I’ll admit my memory isn’t complete about…a number of things,” Trixie said.
Sheaf looked at Trixie for a long few seconds and Raindrops saw the images in the mist begin to slow their rapid and confusing twirl and begin to focus into one sharp image; one of Trixie doing one of her grandstanding poses, face red from intoxication and grinning with such smug confidence that Raindrops imagined this had to be some kind of exaggeration. The Trixie Raindrops knew never looked that full of herself. Maybe there’d been a few instances of her getting close to it, but not quite like this.
“Nothing much to tell, Trixie. You came to town in the middle of a confrontation between myself and the then leader of Hoofington’s Lumber Guild. You brushing Sawblade off tickled me a bit and…I’ll admit I didn’t think much of your sudden appearance. You wanted a drink, my ponies needed to relax after all the stress we were under, so I called it a reason to have a bit of a drinking party. Would’ve stopped there I imagine if my wife hadn’t told you about what was going on with the Lumber Guild.”
“I presume you mean the dam they built? I wanted to ask you about that. Why did the Lumber Guild build a dam on the river in the first place?” cut in Cheerilee suddenly, drawing looks from both the mayor and Trixie. Cheerilee returned their looks with a small shrug, “It just isn’t something that ponies working in lumber would normally need to do.”
Mayor Sheaf didn’t visibly tense but Raindrops saw the image of Trixie vanish and be replaced by what looked like a vague pegasus-eye view of the landscape around Oaton. The river was a rather long one, snaking its way north to south with a number of bends that let it trail around the edge of the forest, then through it near the north end. The image showed the river ceasing at one point, the blue line of water moving westward to another, larger river.
“Simple enough; they were redirecting the river to another nearby river, a larger one that flows by Hoofington. Transporting lumber overland is expensive in terms of labor. Sawblade figured he could save bits by paying to dam up and redirect the river in the short term, then ship the lumber via raft. Less labor intensive once the construction is done. He was planning to spend a long time cutting into South Everfree forest, and didn’t much care if cutting off the water to any farmland south of his operation would hurt the ponies who lived there.”
Again with the images of those two purple unicorns. Raindrops realized that the coloring of them was close to the description Trixie had given in her story about how Sawblade looked. But if one of those unicorns was Sawblade, the older presumably…who was the younger one? And why were they butting heads in Sheaf’s thoughts?
“Hmm, still seems like an odd choice,” said Cheerilee, rubbing a hoof to her chin but she let it drop, having taken a seat next to Trixie. Raindrops hadn’t sat down and was still hanging back a bit, trying to look unobtrusive.
“In any case,” said Trixie, “You say your wife told me about what was happening? What happened?”
“You mean before or after you hit on my wife?” said Sheaf dryly.
Trixie starred.
“I…what…?”
“Let’s just say you were getting pretty friendly with Picturesque, not that my wife can’t handle herself with a drunk mare but a stallion can’t help but get a little protective. Oh don’t look so horrified, you two didn’t do anything! You got all hot about defending us Oaton ponyfolk as Luna’s…let me see if I remember this right…’Blazing and Righteous Apprentice of Justice’?”
“…I do have a certain flare for titles.”
“All of them as made up as that one?”
Trixie’s lips tightened and her posture stiffened, but only a little, “Some of them I’ve earned. Representative of the Night Court, and the Element of Magic, to name two.”
“Right…and I’m willing to bet my village’s prosperity, because unfortunately I’m rather stuck doing so, that neither of those ‘titles’ confers much actual authority,” said mayor Sheaf, placing his front hooves on his desk and looming at Trixie.
Raindrops for a second was ignoring the images in the mist swirling around the mayor’s head and found herself instinctively moving forward, putting her own front hooves on the desk and pushing herself up to face the mayor.
“Does it matter who had what authority!? We’re here to help you, so cut the imposing act.”
Sheaf’s eyes flicked to hers and they locked stares. After a few seconds the mayor sighed and backed down, sitting back on his own cushion.
“Okay, fine, you three are here to help. How? I wasn’t fooled by your boasting even back then Trixie. I’m…slightly better informed than my fellow villagers on how the Night Court works, and I’d never even heard of Princess Luna having an apprentice, let alone an apprentice having any great personal authority. I also know that you saving my village was as much accident as anything else. So now that you’re here, what do you think you’re going to accomplish?”
“My friends and I shall investigate the Lumber Guild’s current operation, and their connection to the Copper Coins. I’m certain I’ll find evidence that their presence here is violating some kind of law, or that they’re doing something illegal. Once I find that all I’ll need to do is present that evidence to the ponies that do have the authority to stop it. I can do that much as a Representative of the Night Court. That should ensure Oaton’s safety. But…what did you mean by ‘accident’ last time?”
“…You really don’t remember do you…?” Sheaf said as if realizing it for the first time, “You nearly…every one of my ponies could have…my daughter almost…and you don’t even have the decency to remember!? “
Mayor Sheaf’s voice had raised to nearly a shout as he glared wide eyed anger at Trixie and she starred back with eyes equally wide from shock. Raindrops moved protectively between the two and fixed Sheaf with a hard stare and said, “Probably the last pony that ought to be saying this, but calm down. You’re pissed, fine, but explain to us first before you go off shouting. What did Trixie do?”
The mayor was breathing heavily and the mist around his head was filled with…water? Raindrops could see nothing but what looked like a torrent of unending water in the mist, dark and frothing…and an image of Sheaf standing beside the young violet unicorn who looked like Sawblade but clearly wasn’t. They were in the middle of that flood of water…not, not in it, in front of it. Holding it back.
Sheaf slowly calmed himself, lowering his head as if under a heavy weight while looking at Trixie with smoldering anger.
“One year ago, a unicorn named Trixie Lulamoon came to my village. She got stupidly drunk, admittedly at my invitation, and after hearing about my town’s plight declared herself the hero that would save us. As far as any of my ponies know that’s exactly what she did, and I’m the one who made sure that’s what they’d think. What the truth is, Trixie Lulamoon, isn’t that you saved Oaton. The truth is that you nearly destroyed it.”