Chapter 8: Small Packages
Jubilant was galloping the second her hooves touched solid stone. She didn’t care where she was going, or that she was moving deeper into the tunnels. She just wanted AWAY. Away from Uncle D, Mister Fancy Pants, Princess Cadenza…all of them. She didn’t want to see anypony.
Her horn lit the way in the now pitch black tunnels bathing them in a warm green radiance. Vision impaired by the constant flow of tears she tripped on more than a few errant stones, but she didn’t slow her frantic pace until her chest and legs were burning in protest.
The gallop slowed to a canter, than a trot, and finally to a slow halfhearted plod. Head lowered she continued forward unmindful of her surroundings.
You ok Jubilant?
Her ear flicked once. “…go away.”
I got nowhere to go. And you look like you need somepony to talk to.
“I don’t want to talk to ANYpony! I hate them! They all lied to me! Uncle D! And…and Mister Fancy Pants! And…maybe mom. And what about YOU? Did YOU know about all this?”
No. I knew you came from a part of me. Discord showed up here, said hello…took my horn and disappeared. It took a while but some of my friends showed me how I could look in on Equestria. I wanted to see how Pinkie was doing and uh…when I saw you I knew what he did with my horn.
The sound of running water came to the filly’s ears and she fixated on it as good a destination as any. “So I really AM just…you. Your horn? That’s it?”
I don’t think so. I mean…we’re a lot alike. A LOT alike. But there are differences. Like…you love veggies right? Any kind, it doesn’t matter.
Jubilant intensified her horns glow as she entered a large chamber. A waterfall rushed from a tunnel mouth overhead crashing into a carved out hollow and forming a small river rushing down out of sight. “Uh huh.”
Well I hate em. I can eat corn on the cob, that’s it. Doesn’t matter how Pinkie cooked them, or tried to sneak them in my food…I always found em and always gave em to Izzy.
With a particularly loud sniff Jubilant drew her foreleg across her nose. “Really? …so you knew Izzy too huh?”
Yup. Isabelle was my dog. She came with me to Equestria from our home.
Jubilant collapsed next to the pool gazing down at her reflection in the water. “Where’s your home?”
The world’s called earth. The country is America. My home town’s name is Rochester. It’s where all humans come from. Earth that is, not Rochester.
“Even the queen?”
Yeah. She came to Equestria a really long time ago with Luna and Celestia. I dunno the details really; I uh…died before I could ask Luna.
Lazily Jubilant swirled a hoof in the water. “Was it scary? Dying?”
A little bit. I was with Pinkie and Discord though. It helped, having friends there. Pinkie held my hand until uh…until I was gone. The queen did something to me, my body turned to ashes so Discord or somepony couldn’t heal me.
“Did…did it hurt?”
No. Not really. I was numb all over mostly.
“…am I gonna die Jenny?”
I dunno Jubilant. I mean yeah everypony does eventually but I know that’s not what you mean. It uh…sounds like somepony’s think they need me there to stop the queen.
Does it ever feel like…something’s missing sometimes? Like…you want to pick something up with your hoof but your hoof doesn’t work like it’s supposed to?
The filly’s ears pricked up. “Sometimes! Like…when I first started learning to draw, I wanted to use my hooves. It took mom FOREVER to get me to use my mouth, then my magic. Or um…my fork and stuff. I’m still kinda clumsy trying to eat sometimes. I just use my face.”
I did that too, when I had hooves sometimes. It’s just easier right?
“It is! And it always made mom laugh.”
Oh yeah she laughed like CRAZY when I did that. It drove Rarity nuts though. “Jennifer! That is so uncouth! Use your magic if you can’t use your hooves!”
Jubilant was giggling now. “She said the same thing to me! Mister Fancy thought it was funny though. “I think it’s charming dear.”
She smiled as she heard Jennifer laugh now. That sounds like Fancy. He’s such a nice guy. I’m glad they’re the ones who took you in at Canterlot.
“Yeah. I woulda rather stayed with mom but I guess…it’s been fun getting to live with them. And it helped Uncle D get the elements he needed.” She toyed with the heart stone around her neck. “This is yours…isn’t it? Miss Echo is your very special somepony. That’s why it glowed…because I’m you.”
She was…she is. Yeah. And I think so. You know, I don’t just think you’re a part of me Jubilant. I’m just as much a part of YOU too.
Jubilant sat quietly staring down into the water at her reflection for a few moments digesting that. “So you were a knight? Mom said you were. Did you fight lotsa monsters?”
No. Well…not until the very end. I did save two funny unicorns from a cerberus. When I first got my sword I tried to fight Discord, he cut me up pretty good. When the queen attacked the Crystal Empire, me and some friends had to smash a buncha walking skeletons.
“Was it scary?”
Discord and the cerberus were. The skeletons weren’t. I just bonked them and they poofed into dust or something. I had Umbra, Tak, and Trixie with me too. They’re like super strong.
“I met them! Well I met Umbra and Tak. Tak is really weird, but nice. Umbra is just weird and mean.”
She’s not mean. She’s…confused. She was raised by those big spiders. They’re a lot different from ponies. When I met her she was travelling with her friends trying to learn what it means to be a pony. She looked like she was doing good but I dunno…it’s been a long time since then. Maybe she forgot some of what she learned.
“Hmph. Maybe.” She went back to swirling the water. “Do you…want to come back?”
Yeah. I mean of course I do. I have good friends here but I miss everypony there. And if I can help somehow I’d do anything to help Equestria. But…I don’t want to just take your place. That’s not fair to you.
“So…so if I say no…”
If you say no I’d do everything I can to not let them bring me back. Or to help you stay away from them. That’s a promise. Cross my heart, hope to fly…
“Stick a cupcake in my eye.” They finished together.
Jubilant sat silently for a long time. “Tell me about the time you fought Uncle D. Please.”
Well! It started a LONG time ago with my new babysitter Pennie…
Jubilant Surprise settled in to listen to the story. Unaware of the hungry pair of eyes gazing at her from the opposite end of the cavern.
***
Discord sat quietly outside the caves gazing up at the stars. The only sign he gave to show he heard his visitor approaching was a flick of the ear.
“It is very unlike you…to see you sitting about brooding.” Moon Dancer settled in the sand beside him delicately.
“You don’t know a thing about me. So don’t pretend we’re all buddy buddy. You knew the real me for all of a week before you and your sister decided you needed my help against your mother the first time around. We all saw how well THAT turned out.”
“Perhaps. Certainly my sister spent more time with you than I. But you struck me as a very driven, earnest young man. Eager to always be moving forward to reach his goals.”
“Words of wisdom from the little sister? Spare me. I don’t need you coming out here trying to make me feel better.” His eyes were watering with unshed tears as he turned to regard her. “For so long they called me a monster and I shrugged it off. I was just having fun after all. Nothing evil about that. But now…the look in that little filly’s eyes…” He shook his head.
She laid a forehoof over his own. “Daniel…you were grieving her death. Out of your mind with grief in fact. I cannot imagine what it must have felt like, to finally have a true friend than to have to watch her die. Your actions while extreme are understandable. It is also understandable that you have come to love and care for Jubilant Surprise. In a very real sense she is your daughter too.”
He glanced down at her hoof but didn’t move to remove his own. “Some dad I am then. Making a filly just to use her as a stepping stone in one of my schemes. It was all so easy at first. I was going to wait until she had enough mana in her to sustain the spell then…poof. She’d be gone and we’d have the true her back.”
“What changed?”
He didn’t answer for several moments, just stared up at the sky again. Specifically to the eastern horizon Moon Dancer noted. “I went to check on them. Make sure she was growing right. I’d never tried you know…creating a pony out of a piece of a dead human girl’s soul and magic before. I saw Pinkie playing with her…oh she was maybe a two or three months old? Ponies are cute enough as adults, but the foals? Forget it. She had those little blue button eyes. Pinkie insisted I ‘meet’ her. She introduced me as “Uncle D”. The little monster glomped her mouth on my horn and wouldn’t let go.”
He was smiling now. “Dirty diaper too. I swear she did it on purpose. She has my smile y’know? And boy did she have it on then too.”
Moon Dancer laughed softly. “You came to care for her.”
“To love her.” He sighed miserably letting his head fall on his hooves. “How could I have even considered treating her so callously?”
“You were desperate to do the right thing. No matter the cost. Not the most terrible of mistakes to make, but I suppose it has been sometime since you considered the long term ramifications of your actions. Your heart was in the right place and I believe Jubilant will come around given time. Though she should have learned of her true nature under better circumstances I think.”
The stallion gave an amused snort at that. “That’s the understatement of the century.”
“Mm. I do find it hard to imagine the girl has been resisting the warmth of the fields for five long years. What has she been doing all this time?”
***
The clang of steel on steel rang out in all directions in limbo. A young human woman clad in gleaming pink and gold armor faced down a fiercely grinning golden armored unicorn stallion. She wore a buckler on her left arm and bared a pink-hued long sword in her right. Her opponent swung his massive broadsword in a high overhead arc leaving a trail of flames in its wake. The woman’s green-feathered wings flared wide as she lifted her sword to deflect the swing. She’d learned the hard way that trying to catch Corona’s blade on Mercy’s shield left her arm numb and more often than not on fire.
A circle of cheering ponies surrounded and moved with the battling duo. Every generation of the Knights of Harmony was represented. At first it had just been Bleeding Heart who ventured from the Fields of Elysium to keep the fallen Jennifer company. Though once their sparring matches began the sound of battle drew others from the martially minded order of knights, and soon two became a dozen. Most didn’t stick around too long, just ventured out to challenge one another or the most unusual member of their order who had grown in skill by leaps and bounds from the years of constant battle with far more experienced opponents.
Jen may have lost her horn and unicorn magic but she still had her wings and earth pony strength. With a mighty flap she propelled herself over Comet Streak’s next attack, landing behind the alarmed stallion and firmly planting her booted foot into his plot sending him through the air spinning end over end to land on the ‘ground’ nearby with a grunt. His fellows howled with laughter at the undignified ending to the fight.
His own laughs joined the rest as he rose. His arms and armor vanishing into the aether as did Jennifer’s as she moved to help him up. It was Bleeding Heart who first discovered they could manipulate their surroundings to temporarily craft pretty much anything they imagined.
“Next time I’m not going easy on you filly.”
She grinned toothily down at him. “Maybe you should have your wife join in next time. If you guys double team me you MIGHT have a chance.”
“Ha! Hear that Silent? We’re being called out!”
The dark coated mare rolled her eyes at their antics. “I’ll be happy to humiliate her later but for now we’ve a campaign to resume.”
The original Knights of Harmony, save a noticeably absent Starswirl were crowded around a low table bearing a small stack of papers, tiny replicas of ponies and monsters, and a small bevy of dice. Sun Streak eagerly took his place by his wife’s side as Jen settled at the head of the table looking over the five excited unicorns.
What had started as a casual way to pass the time had quickly become the highlight of their day, or whatever passed for a day in a plane where there was no sun and moon. Clearing her throat she shuffled her notes. “Right, so the party was about to enter the third chamber of the tomb when suddenly…”
***
Discord shrugged. “She’s been keeping busy.”
***
Fancy Pants was beginning to lose patience with Trixie. “You said you were going to take us to Jubilant. We’ve been wandering these tunnels for nearly an hour now with no sign of her.”
With a snort the mare looked at yet another fork in the path. “I could only track her by her teleportation residue. She ran off on hoof after making her jump. If either of you are a professional tracker by all means, take the lead.”
Dinky opened her mouth to add her own opinion, before a dark streak rushed by overhead. “I think that was Echo!”
“She certainly seems to be in a hurry doesn’t she…” Fancy Pants frowned and perked his ear. “Did either of you hear that?”
Both mares quieted and approached the stallion, ears perked and tilted forward. A very faint, but shrill scream came to them. Without another word the three took off in a gallop down the tunnel the night pony had disappeared down.
***
Jubilant hadn’t WANTED to scream. She was a part of Jennifer and that meant she should be a brave heroic knight. Heroic knights don’t scream like little fillies at monsters. But she just couldn’t stop herself from shrieking as the thing stepped out of the darkness.
It was huge, probably two or three times the size of a full grown stallion like Fancy Pants. It looked a little like a cat, but it had six legs instead of four and two long tentacles flailing out of its back. The filly backed up until she felt her rump hit the back wall of the cavern she was in.
Jubilant blink away!
“I…I…” She scrunched her eyes shut tightly trying to focus enough to do just that. The monster’s sudden roar shattered her concentration and she shrieked again. She could feel its hot breath on her face as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
She heard a strange scuttling sound and then the presence of the cat monster was gone. An ear flicked as she heard it roar and the sound of its tentacles slapping against something came to her ears. Slowly she risked peeking an eye open.
If anything her savior was even scarier than the cat. It…or maybe he? He was just as big as the monster. His bottom half was a huge spider like the ones back in the pony tunnels she’d run from. His upper half though looked like a strangely proportioned human. He wore imposing, ridged black armor that shined in the light of her horn. He held a long curved sword in each hand that he worked in a dizzying dance before himself as he forced the cat back. His face was what made him REALLY scary, eight red eyes and two big fangs peeked from his mouth.
“What are they?”
I dunno what the cat is. But I think the spider guy is Umbra’s brother. She talked about him a little and I’m pretty sure the only members of her family that look like that are him and her sister.
“S-so he’s a good guy?”
Yeah I think so. Just stay there and keep out of his way Jubilant.
That seemed like a GREAT plan to the filly who huddled down and watched Umbra’s brother battle the monster. She scrunched up her nose in confusion watching him. It looked like he’d hit the thing with one of his swords or his really pointy legs, but it didn’t seem to get hurt at all. To her horror she watched him rock back as if struck by something invisible.
She let out another shriek of fright as something whooshed by overhead. Fear gave way to relief as a familiar wail filled the cavern and the monster rocked back, both the image and the unseen one. “The real one’s over there!” Echo thrust a hoof at the unseen monster’s true body.
Nodding his thanks Spinner leapt forward his swords flashing in a blur again. Jubilant winced at the occasional splash of blood that seemed to spring from nowhere. Her relief was short lived. Echo was darting about the top of the cavern. As she passed a long hanging stalactite it abruptly split in half and lashed out with stone tentacles, wrapping about the shocked night pony and dragging her to a toothy maw.
The big spider guy, Spinner was occupied with the cat monster. And to Jubilant’s continued horror she saw ANOTHER cat monster stalking toward him from the side.
“J-Jenny whaddo I do?!”
Use your magic Jubilant! If you have my horn you probably have my mana, and I had a LOT of mana. Help Echo first, she needs it the most!
The filly’s breath was coming in ragged gasps, but she forced herself to push the fear down. Echo was about to get eaten. She’d saved her enough times that Jubilant thought it was time to return the favor. Glaring harshly up at the big rock monster trying to eat the thrashing, wailing night pony she send her magic toward it.
Just like sending it all the way to the moon she imagined a fishing line hooking around it first, then let her power spread over it. Slowly at first, but quicker and quicker a green glow surrounded the monster. Gritting her teeth Jubilant focused on magically clamping down tighter. The monster shuddered and rumbled in confusion, loosening its grip enough for Echo to fall free, angling so she crashed into the pool of water running through the room.
Jubilant was angry. She was already angry before a horrible bunch of monsters showed up and tried to eat her. NOW she was livid. All the hurt she’d been feeling the past few weeks was raging up to the surface. Being taken from mom, everypony lying to her her whole life, and now this. This was the last straw.
With an inarticulate shriek of rage she poured all the strength she had into her magic. The rock monster wailed long and loud as it was wrenched free of its perch in a shower of stone and blood. Wildly flinging her head at the desperately battling Spinner, who only just managed to duck as the thing soared by him at breakneck speeds to crush the pair of monstrous cats he was battling.
Horn still blazing furiously Jubilant scrunched her eyes shut tightly trying to reign in the raging power. Arcs of verdant green energy lanced out in seemingly random directions digging deep furrows into the stone.
Holding his wounded abdomen the spiderkin prince gingerly picked his way toward the unconscious pony floating in the water, plucking her out and backing hastily away from the magically raging filly.
Trixie, Fancy, and Dinky finally arrived all three gasping at the sight. “She’s surging! But I’ve NEVER seen a filly surge like that!”
Trixie ignored the other two, raising a shield about herself and creeping toward the eye of the storm. She let out an involuntary yelp as one of Jubilant’s discharges smashed into her shield nearly shattering it on impact. Taking deep breaths the showmare turned sorceress forced herself forward, nimbly evading another discharge until she was nose to nose with Jubilant.
The filly felt the other pony near her and it helped…but only just. It was so hard to focus on anything but how much hurt she was feeling in her heart. Even the desperately pleading Jennifer’s voice was shut out.
Shifting her head to the side as another discharged crackled by Trixie cleared her throat. Then rose on her hind legs, horn flaring as…a loud fanfare trumpeted through the cavern. “Fillies and gentlecolts! Welcome one and all to the greatest magic show in all of Equestria! Prepare to be amazed by the one, the only, the great and powerful Tr-r-r-r-rixie!” A louder trumpet of music accompanied her announcement.
She had to drop back to all fours and hops back as a lash of magic cracked into the ground where she’d stood. “Trixie sees she has a volunteer already! You’re quite the brave little filly! And what may Trixie ask, is her volunteer’s name?”
It was hard to hear through the throbbing haze in her head but Jubilant could make out the mare wanted her name. “J-Jubilant Surprise…”
“Ah! A lovely name. Now Jubilant, do you like magic?”
Trixie had difficulty telling if she had the filly’s full attention or not. Her head was facing her but her eyes were nothing but solid pools of swirling green mana. “Y-yes…um…usually ma’am.”
“Wonderful!” Trixie typically didn’t perform for fillies in the midst of a magical surge, particularly one with as much raw power as Jennifer possessed in life. “Now Jubilant Surprise, do you see anything in Trixie’s hat?” The mare lifted it from her head, showing the very empty hat to the filly. And having to hastily jerk it aside to avoid it getting incinerated by a bolt of magic.
“No m-ma’am I don’t.” The mare’s voice was getting easier to understand. The discharges were coming fewer and fewer. The other two unicorns in the chamber had darted around the speaking pair to join Spinner and a recovering Echo on the far side.
“Now…watch and behold!” Trixie reached a hoof deep into her hat, retrieving the collapsible bouquet woven into the inseam and drawing it out with a flourish.
“Your horn didn’t glow! How’d you do that?”
Trixie smiled and held the flowers toward the hovering filly, gently tugging the longest and hitting Jubilant with a quick squirt of water right in the face. Jubilant Surprise blinked and fell flat on her rump, the light around her horn and eyes vanishing instantly. She was even giggling a little as she wiped her face.
Trixie leaned in looking about conspiratorially. “Magic of course.”
The little filly blinked, smiled, and promptly passed out on the spot. Letting out a huge breath Trixie swept her hat back atop her head and hefted Jubilant onto her back. “Well! That was more excitement than I’d wanted today.”
She trotted to the group where Fancy relieved her of her burden immediately. Spinner nodded once to Trixie. “Well done sister-in-law. I did not want to strike the hatchling down.”
Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. “I’ve been performing my whole life. Calming down huffy foals is easy. Though I usually don’t try to do it for surging reincarnated humans.”
Fancy smiled warmly. “I can’t thank you enough Miss Lulamoon. And you ah…good…sir?”
The arachnid prince turned to regard Fancy Pants and Dinky Doo. “I am Prince Spinner, brother of Umbra. Is she with you? I have news.”
Dinky knelt to check on the groggy Echo. Trixie cast one last glanced at the slumbering Jubilant before looking to her brother-in-law. “She’s not. She and Tak are back at camp. Why? Is something wrong?”
He shrugged, cleaning his blades and sheathing them. “I do not believe anything is WRONG no. Our scouts were digging a new tunnel toward your Crystal Empire when they made a discovery.”
“Well what KIND of discovery?”
“We do not know. A…structure. A pony structure Kasson believes. He says it looks to be made of a substance called ‘cloud’.”
The three conscious ponies exchanged confused looks. “A pegasus building UNDER the ground? The cloud should have…done whatever clouds do when they get knocked from the sky. Poof I guess?” Trixie shrugged.
“Be that as it may, there is a pony building made of cloud in a chamber not far from here. Shall I escort you? It seemed to be a place of importance judging by the impressive trappings.”
Trixie looked to Fancy Pants, not needing to vocalize the question. Jubilant was his responsibility. He frowned though. “Is it very far? I don’t relish the idea of running into more monsters.”
Spinner shook his head. “It is not. You are quite far from your safe tunnels. Our family has secured the route nearby, the going will be as safe for you as if you were in your own caverns.”
“If you’re willing to escort us back afterwards I see no problem in accompanying you.”
Spinner nodded once, settled Echo on his back and started forward, the unicorns sticking close. Fancy eyed Trixie curiously. “Interesting family you’ve married into Miss Lulamoon.”
“Trixie please. And it certainly is. Though they’re very good…people. Once you get to know them. Queen Neela especially. If you hang around down here enough you’ll meet her. She visits Umbra all the time.”
Spinner snorted at that. “Against my advice I may add. Mother NEVER left her web save for dire emergencies.”
Trixie rolled her eyes but didn’t feel the need to argue. “Well it’s not really my place to comment.”
He turned to regard her. “But it is now. You are of the family by way of your…herd…with Umbra. Her family is our family. You disagree that the queen should remain where it is safe?”
Trixie frowned as all eyes were on her. “Er…well remember a few years ago the web was invaded and we had to move? So really it seems no place is completely safe. Neela’s just as safe with Umbra as she is surrounded by her guards.”
The prince grunted softly once and looked away. Fancy and Dinky shared a quiet look and a shrug, happy enough to remain silent and out of the conversation. They had walked for maybe a half hour before Echo rose and started walking on her own.
The tunnels here had little to no illumination, the spiderkin able to see perfectly in the darkness. All three unicorns lit their horns much to Spinner’s annoyance, but he kept his complains silent. Now and again the group would pass a tightly knit patrol moving in perfect formation of ordinary if huge spiders. It wasn’t long before the tunnels ended and a massive chamber yawned before them.
It was certainly the biggest they’d seen since coming underground. Trixie focused a little harder and sent a ball of light whizzing toward the ceiling that burst into a miniature pink sun illuminating the cavern. Here and there an errant shaft of sunlight lit the gloom, the ceiling broken and partially collapsed in places.
Sitting in the center of the chamber was very clearly an ancient cloud structure. The ponies approached in quiet awe looking over the structure which was quite impressive even from the distance. Tall strong looking walls surrounded what appeared to be an ancient keep or castle within. The cloud stuff was still pristinely white and fluffy, though it must have lain down here for decades, maybe centuries. Proud standards depicting a hoof, horn, and wing intertwined hung from the walls and flew from the flag posts.
Fancy tilted his head as he regarded the symbol. “I say, isn’t that the symbol from Mercy’s shield?”
Dinky blinked. “It is! It’s the same thing! This must have belonged to the Order of Harmony!”
Echo perked her ears and darted forward excitedly, only to collide with a suddenly visible magic barrier. The night pony yelped and fell to the ground with a grunt, gingerly rubbing her muzzle. “What the heck?!”
Spinner nodded once. “There is some sort of…invisible wall around, above, and below the structure. We could not penetrate it.”
Trixie regarded him with mild amusement. “You couldn’t have told us?”
He shrugged and she saw what she SUSPECTED might have been a smile. “I was curious if it halted ponies as well.”
Jubilant was slowly coming around and slipped from Fancy’s back to land on her hooves. The stallion regarded her with concern. “Are you alright Jubilant?”
She gave him a little nod and a smile. “Yes sir. I was just really sleepy.” She looked up at the keep wide-eyed. “Hey that’s on Jenny’s shield!”
Fancy nodded. “It is, but we can’t get in. There’s some sort of magical…” He trailed off as Jubilant Surprise excitedly ran forward, passing through the barrier seemingly meeting no resistance at all. The assembled ponies gasped and lurched forward after her. Two unicorns and a night pony bounced off hitting the ground. A surprised Trixie looked back at them from the other side.
“Don’t worry! I’ll get her!” Trixie sighed and took off at a gallop after the annoyingly fleet hoofed filly. She was a showmare and a sorceress, she was NOT an athlete. She’d done entirely too much physical activity since forming her bizarre herd. …of course some of that physical activity wasn’t too bad she mused to herself. With a grunt she shook her head and crossed the gates into the keep.
“Jubilant Surprise! Come here this instant!”
The filly was in the process of squeezing into the main doors of the keep itself. “C’mon Miss Trixie this place is cool!”
Grunting in annoyance she teleported to the other side of the doors barring the fillies’ way. To her dismay Jubilant grinned playfully and teleported as well. “Why you little…how did you do that?! IT took me years to learn it!”
Looking over her shoulder Jubilant blew a raspberry at the mare. “Can’t catch me!”
Scowling now Trixie straightened her hat and disappeared with a flash, appearing before the filly and making a grab for her. Jubilant squealed in delight at a playmate to indulge in a most unusual game of tag in, and blink’d away once more.
It wasn’t hard for Trixie to follow. She was more experienced with magic and capable of tracking her teleportation residue. Though the filly was always just a LITTLE quicker on the draw as she’d vanish before the mare could grab her.
Giggling like a lunatic all the while Jubilant Surprise lead Trixie on a chase throughout the keep. “Jubilant Surprise, Fancy Pants is worried about you! That’s enough now!”
This caused some of her cheer to fade and she faltered. “Why’s he worried?”
Trixie cried triumphantly as she locked her hooves around the little monster’s flanks, clamping a magic dampening charm on the filly. She was pleased to find it worked and Jubilant couldn’t teleport away. “Cheater!”
With a harrumph Trixie hoisted the filly in the air with her magic and turned back the way they’d come. “We’re going to leave and find some way to get the others in here.”
She stopped short as she heard…jingles? Her ear twitched in the direction of the sound. It definitely sounded like jingling bells. And it was getting closer. She set Jubilant down and cast about worriedly for an escape route. The little monster had lead her deep into the keep however and she had no idea where she was, let alone how to get out. She steeled herself for a fight.
The jingling got closer and closer, Trixie’s tension rubbing off on Jubilant and making HER nervous now. The figure rounded the corner into the hallway…just in time to catch a pink and green bolt of magic square in the face. The thing gave off a very ponylike whinny of alarm as it was sent careening back the way it came. Something fluttered gently to the ground and both ponies approached cautiously.
It was…a hat. A hat very similar to Trixie’s own, if only a much darker blue and lined in bells along the brim. Eyes wide the mare levitated it close. “I-it can’t be!” She dashed ahead looking down over the banister they’d blasted the imagined monster.
There groaning on the floor was a pony stallion. Brown coat and a long beard from his muzzle, wearing a cape to match the hat in the mare’s hooves. He looked up with a decidedly unfriendly look on his face. “Well that’s some hello to your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great…” He paused to take a breath. “…great-great grandfather missy!”
Trixie managed to utter his name before fainting dead away. “Starswirl the Bearded!”