Chapter 11: The Great and Powerful
Brass Tacks had broken out the hard apple cider when I got sent to bed with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. We were in Rarity’s room which she had spruced up in such a short amount of time. She had tiny pictures of her and Sweetie Belle and even started to add new wallpaper which was plain white. The bed was new with large posts and a canopy above with beautiful pieces of cloth hanging and intertwining above. The floor was completely redone too with a carpet as white as fleece.
The three of us were lying in bed with eyes wide open. Sweetie Belle was in between me and Apple Bloom and we were listening intently as the bigger ponies laughed and shouted with drunken joy. Sweetie Belle turned over to whisper stuff to Apple Bloom. I heard my name and I smiled to myself.
“What’re ya smilin’ about?” Apple Bloom asked, propping herself up to look at me.
“N- Nothing,” I replied, hiding beneath the covers, “nothing at all.”
Apple Bloom huffed and rested her head against the pillow. She was too scary for such a little filly. The Apple Family was a strong family of earth ponies, so it was only natural that I was afraid of an Apple Family filly! Sweetie Belle on the other hand was a sweet unicorn of a gleaming snow coat like me.
I levitated a glass of water to my muzzle and placed it back down on the end table. Sweetie Belle watched with large, studying eyes. I levitated the glass again and brought it to Sweetie Belle. She stuck her tongue out as she concentrated on the glass intensely. The glass fell and spilled all over the sheets as I ceased my magic and the fillies screamed.
“Wha’d’ya think yer doin’?!” Apple Bloom shouted.
“It’s not his fault Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle argued, “he was just trying to help me.”
“With what?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Her magic,” I finished.
Sweetie Belle smiled sweetly at me.
“I don’t even use my horn much, you know? So what if magic is my special talent like Twilight’s?” Sweetie Belle explained.
Apple Bloom nodded with a smile.
“That’s awfully sweet of you,” Apple Bloom said to me.
We sat on the bed, experimenting with things. Sweetie Belle’s horn would glow but then fizz out abruptly, bringing a frown on her muzzle. I offered to try something smaller, like a sheet of paper but she insisted with the glass. Eventually all the energy was drained from her body and she just wanted to sleep. She pecked me on the cheek and went to bed. I left the room with a huge grin.
Apple Bloom asked where I was going but I ignored her. Everypony was downstairs drinking so I thought the opportunity to sneak into Inkwell’s room. Upon entering the room, I gasped. My eyes darted from wall to wall at the amount of pictures and notes were written on the wall. The notes were scrawled with the fancy writing again, Inkwell’s writing. The pictures were of Winter Withers and South Pole. The photo albums had been stripped clean of photos and stacked in the corners of the bedroom.
“Glace?” Inkwell’s voice came from behind me.
I jumped.
“This wasn’t here before,” I said, turning to face him.
“I just did it now,” Inkwell said, “I saw how happy you were to remember. I just wanted to help again.”
I looked at a photo which had Winter Withers, South Pole and me standing in front of the Canterlot Palace in its former glory of white walls and cleanliness. The three of us were laughing at something, our eyes were tightly shut and our muzzles were wide open in exuberance. The empty feeling in the pit of my stomach returned and I looked away towards Inkwell.
“Why aren’t you downstairs?” I asked.
“I don’t drink, I don’t do crowds,” Inkwell replied.
“Where’s Blue Bonnet?”
“Downstairs, why?”
“Look out for Brass Tacks,”
It was a joke, but Inkwell shot a glare at me and tensed. I crouched against the ground and apologized. He sighed and left the room, seemingly paranoid about the whole idea. I stood there in silence as everypony downstairs regarded him by yelling out his name and cheering.
The more photos I looked at, the happier my family looked. Why and how could I forget something so special like that? The void in my stomach quelled and tears formed in my eyes. There was a photo of South Pole and me at the Summer Sun Celebration with Celestia in the background. There was another photo of me and Winter Withers during Nightmare Night, Winter Withers was dressed as Clopatra and I was dressed as a ghost. It looked like the perfect family.
On the end of the bed was the little notebook that belonged to Marjorie, my ‘fake mother’. All the thoughts in my head merged and it only got more confusing and painful. I opened the book and hoped for a miracle that I could read everything. But Celestia wasn’t around to grant miracles anymore and I was left in silence. The laughter faded away as my eyes drifted shut into slumber.
* * *
The sound of somepony throwing up their guts woke me up. I placed my hooves over my ears and looked around the room. It was Silver-Lined’s bedroom and the more I heard the pony in the bathroom groan, the more it sounded like Silver-Lined himself. Somepony had a bit too much to drink. I wandered over to the bathroom door which was open a crack. I’d wince every time the pony vomited.
“Silver?” I called out, knocking my hoof against the door, “are you okay?”
There was a laugh before another groan and dry-heave. The toilet flushed and the water ran and I wandered inside. Silver-Lined dunked his muzzle into the sink and began to clean himself off. His mane was tussled in disarray as if he had been shocked and his eyes were droopy and bloodshot. He gave another laugh after looking at his trashed self in the mirror then turned to me.
“Don’t drink,” he said and rubbed my mane.
“Celestia,” he groaned before plopping himself on the bed, “Berry Punch sure knows how to work the heavy beverages.”
He regurgitated and I fetched a bucket for him.
“We’re meant to be looking for another pal, Jelly Jumper,” Silver-Lined said weakly, “funny stallion, he was. An amazing orange coat and teal mane with a cutie mark of wrapped sweets to match his bubbly personality.”
“So almost like you?” I asked, “you’re funny and sweet and stuff.”
Silver-Lined laughed before letting out a sonic rainboom of a belch.
“Eh, I guess,” Silver-Lined said.
I trotted outside to find Brass Tacks pawing at the floor in boredom. His eyes lit up as I left the room. The large stallion towered over me again, a huge grin on his face.
“We’re going to the Everfree Forest!” he exclaimed.
“Oooh!” I hopped on all fours. “Is that where Jelly Jumper is?”
“Jelly J- what? Who said anything about that lunatic?” Brass Tacks asked.
“Silver-Lined said we’re going to be looking for him, to join the revolution,” I said.
Brass Tacks shook his head. “Well Silver-Lined isn’t particularly up for the task now, is he? I could hear him from out here. Poor sod can’t keep a drink down like I can. But anyways, we’re going to the Everfree Forest to recover some of Zecora’s stuff.”
“Who’s going?” I asked.
“You, me,” Brass Tacks said and placed his hoof under his chin in thought, “yeah that’s about it, you and me.”
“N- no…” I said nervously, “there’s so many scary monsters in there, not even the zebras wanna go there anymore!”
Brass Tacks snorted and rubbed my mane and the worried look on my face disappeared, replaced with a look of happiness. I hopped on all fours and cheered for a reason I didn’t even know. Brass Tacks raised a brow before laughing again.
“You’re crazy, kid,” Brass Tacks said, “but I love ya.”
We wandered downstairs. Everypony was sluggish and tired as they mumbled to each other. They raised their mugs as if lifting heavy weights and gave a half-hearted cheer as we left. I didn’t like the idea of entering the Everfree Forest, it was close to Ponyville and it was home to the monsters of Equestria.
* * *
We were at the opposite end of the entrance to the Everfree Forest from Ponyville. Signs were placed in and around the boundaries of the forest. They warned anypony nearby of monsters and mysterious creatures. A deep rumble echoed throughout the forest as we entered and I hugged Brass Tacks’ back.
“Why are we here alone?” I asked.
“Because I feel that we needed to bond, you know? I never wanted to hurt you.” Brass Tacks’ voice was oddly mellow.
We continued on through the forest. It felt like it was night as the thick foliage screened the safety of Celestia’s sun from us. There was a roar from afar and Brass Tacks said that it was the roar of a Manticore: the lion-dragon things with scorpion tails. I had only ever read them in my little foal’s books back in Gallapolopolis.
“I’d never lie to you,” Brass Tacks finally said, “I’m blatantly blunt and can’t lie to save my life, as you could probably tell.”
I nuzzled his mane and he let out a content huff before bouncing me on his back. He seemed more relaxed after letting out his thoughts. There was a rustle in the leaves and the distorted cluck of a Cockatrice came from behind us. Brass Tacks froze and I turned around. The Cockatrice stared into my eyes and I squealed in fright. Brass Tacks gave a bit of a jump and I fell off of his back, breaking the gaze between the Cockatrice and myself.
The Cockatrice clucked in anger and charged for me. Brass Tacks dove in front, bucking it in the head and it flew into a tree. It clucked again before slumping down into the bushes and it went quiet. Brass Tacks studied me carefully, making sure I was okay. He smiled softly and helped me up.
We ventured close to the edge of Ponyville. The borderline was fenced off with high, dark iron bars with pointy spikes at the top. There were floating patches of land in the sky and the cotton candy clouds were numerous. Where there was meant to be grass, there was a white and pink checkerboard. The pathways had been turned to soap and some ponies floated around in the sky, their eyes swirling like whirlpools and their tails rotating like a merry-go-round. It was true Discord Chaos.
“Wow,” Brass Tacks whispered, “revolting. Absolutely revolting.”
We turned back towards the forest before giving another glance. There, just beyond the cotton candy clouds and around the white, fluffy cloud house was the silhouette of a soaring Draconequus. A cackle echoed through the air, sending shivers down my spine and making Brass Tacks freeze. Eventually Brass Tacks shook it all off and galloped into the forest, leaving Ponyville behind.
Zecora’s Hut was nearby in a clearing which let the sunshine in. The trees around us concealed the darkness and danger of the Everfree Forest and there was a distant roar followed by the clucking of multiple Cockatrice. We entered the hut in a hurry, shutting the door behind us. Books among books lined the shelves, bottles, canisters, buckets and jugs of different substances were hanging from the ceiling and were lined on a table. There was a purple witch’s hat lying on the workbench, it was decorated in pretty stars of blue and yellow. Brass Tacks placed the hat on my head and we laughed at how huge it was and how goofy it looked.
Our laughter stopped short as we studied the workbench. A box containing a mortar and pestle, beakers, test tubes and other organic stuff for potion-making was lying on the bench. Some of the potions looked untouched as they were covered in cobwebs and dust. The books were all about unicorn pony magic and the innate magic of both earth ponies and Pegasi.
“Zecora was a pony fanatic?” I asked, “she seemed more interested in her zebra brews instead of actual magic.”
It suddenly grew dark outside and there was another cackle, a mare’s cackle. A Manticore’s roar boomed outside the hut and everything inside shook. A paw came in through the hut’s windows and struck Brass Tacks across the face, sending him to the ground. We both crashed into table, sending the books into the air.
“You dare disturb the Great and Powerful Trixie?” The voice of the mare boomed in the darkness.
A gust of wind threw Brass Tacks against the wall and I cowered under the table. It all felt familiar, I was hiding under a table while Brass Tacks was getting beaten, again, just like in the Lost Ones' warehouse. I was not going to let it happen again. I trotted outside and yelled, the cold swelling up inside me and tingling my horn.
“Stop it!” I yelled, “you’re nothing but a stupid bully!”
The Manticore took me by surprise, leaping onto my back and pinning me to the ground with one paw. I yelped in terror as the Manticore grazed my back with a claw slowly as if he were playing with his prey. A flock of Cockatrice was running wildly in front of me while clucking their demonic dissonance. The silhouette of a mare stood in the darkness and took the big hat off of my head and placed it on her own. Her eyes and horn both glowed with intense magic.
Brass Tacks rammed into the Manticore’s side and sent it crashing into a tree. It gave a fierce roar before it was imprisoned in bars of concentrated magic. Magical copies of ponies encircled Brass Tacks and me and charged at us one by one. One of them managed to clop me over the head and I hugged the ground, two of the ponies bucked Brass Tacks from both sides, sandwiching him. We stood back up and took a fighting stance; I channeled a magical ward to absorb the incoming hits.
One of the copies charged for me with a flying buck but hit the ward. It gave a mechanical cry before disappearing into small blocks which faded away with the wind. The two copies that had sandwiched Brass Tacks tried again but Brass Tacks ducked and the two copies bucked each other and they, too, disappeared with the wind. The silhouette of the mare watched us closely. Three of the copies charged for me at once with flying bucks and the three of them managed to dispel my ward which caused me to fly back and crash into the hut. Brass Tacks took a defensive stance over me as I stood up.
“We can’t fight them all.” He was breathing heavily, “there’s no way we can win this.”
The copies disappeared and the silhouette stepped fourth into the light. It was a mare with an azure coat and cyan mane. Her eyes were a light magenta and were glowing like flames as her magic intensified on Brass Tacks. Brass Tacks croaked and tried to reach for his neck as his face began to turn a sick purple and blue colour. She was choking him. She gave a cackle as she stepped forward.
The coldness was back in my mouth and I screamed, sending an icy wind fourth. The mare’s eyes widened as the icy wind hit her, interrupting her focus and dispelling her magic. She fell to the ground and began to shiver. I immediately felt guilty and ran over to the mare. This was the second time I had hurt somepony and the burden that came with murder wasn’t something I liked.
“Ow,” the mare groaned.
Brass Tacks’ breathing was labored as he walked forward. He propped me on his back and nudged the mare as she slipped into unconsciousness. The Manticore had disappeared into the forest along with the flock of Cockatrice. We dragged the mare into the hut with us and waited for her to wake up. She was a pretty mare. Her cape was the same as her hat; purple, decorated with yellow, blue and white stars. On the inside of the cape’s collar was a stitched name that read: ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’.
* * *
A blue hoof clobbered Brass Tacks’ muzzle sending his head reeling back. I turned my attention away from the books and saw that Brass Tacks was struggling with holding Trixie down. She yelled angrily and constantly asked us if we knew who she was. Brass Tacks did.
“The Witch of the Woods,” Brass Tacks said.
Trixie gave a content huff before relaxing. Brass Tacks removed his hooves from her forelegs and she sat up on the table. She flipped her mane to the side and rubbed dirt off of her flank. Her cape fell from around her back and her hat slumped off of her head as her face turned solemn.
“I never liked that name,” she admitted, “it’s sooo degrading. I’m not a witch, I’m a unicorn. A great one at that.”
“Feel flattered,” Brass Tacks said, “even Discord won’t go near here because of all the illusions you can create. Wow, you should think of it like this: a mare who has the power to make even chaos falter.”
Trixie smiled slyly. “Yeah, I’m pretty amazing.”
“We could use someone like you, a pony with extreme magical powers,” Brass Tacks said.
Was he flirting?
Trixie blushed and put on her cape and hat. “Well why would I want to get rid of Discord? Everything I’ve ever wanted his here. I’m alone, just me and my unicorn magic.”
“You’ve always wanted a spotlight,” Brass Tacks said, “a lot of ponies back home know of you and what you’re capable of.”
“Or they just remember my big mouth…” Trixie sighed.
There was a long pause as Trixie began to pace around the hut. She gave me a quick glance but continued back into her thoughts.
“I lied about the Ursa Major, sure,” Trixie said, “but that doesn’t mean I’m nothing, that I don’t know magic as well as anypony else. I know just as much as that Twilight Sparkle.”
Brass Tacks hushed her softly and began to comfort her. I shot him a glance but he brushed it off. I felt invisible.
“Everypony will appreciate your presence, we need you,” Brass Tacks whispered into her ears.
“G- Give me a minute to pack my things.” Trixie was blushing. “Where do you want to me to go?”
“Trotten,”
“Trotten… okay, I will meet you there,” Trixie said.
And with that, Brass Tacks hurried me out of the hut before turning around to flash one of his genuine smiles at Trixie. The coldness came back but settled quickly.
* * *
Brass Tacks hadn’t said a word to me on the way back to Trotten. I accused him of cheating again but he said nothing, only frowned. I tried to stomp on his back but it didn’t even faze him, he just kept on walking without a break in his stride. I began to hop up and down, landing deliberately to catch his attention. He turned around so quickly that I fell to the rocky ground.
“WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?” he flared.
I cowered against the rocks and hid my face.
“Not a minute goes by where you don’t receive attention. We get it; you’re a foal, foal’s need attention. But you need to stop looking for it,” Brass Tacks said angrily, “you’re annoying, you’re so thin-skinned. How about you grow a pair and toughen up.”
He continued on fourth to Trotten. I followed behind him with sluggish steps. He grunted in frustration as I began to cry and he kept on going. Eventually my vision was obscured by the tears and I fell into the dirt, muzzle first. Brass Tacks gave another frustrated grunt and helped me up. I yelled, wrestling in his grip and galloped towards Trotten on my own. The last thing on my mind before I went into a full sobbing fit outside the Trotten gates was ‘grow a pair of what?’