//------------------------------// // 3 - Investigating The Black Crystals // Story: Trixie Through Time // by Yukito //------------------------------// The following morning, Trixie received a surprise visit from Princess Cadance, who had come to apologise for putting the showmare in danger yesterday. She came accompanied by two Royal Guards, who both waited silently in the room, keeping their eyes on their Princess at all times. “Miss Lulamoon, I-” “Just Trixie,” Trixie said. Her throat was dry, so her voice was a little scratchy. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is still in the prime of her youth, thank you very much.” Cadance nodded. “Trixie, I want you to know how sorry I am for allowing you to be hurt so bad. I wanted to come and apologise yesterday, but something urgent came up.” Trixie waved her hoof dismissively. “Forget about it. Trixie would have gone down to the crystal mine anyway, even if you hadn’t accompanied her… In truth, you saved Trixie yesterday. For that, the Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you.” Cadance smiled upon hearing this. She had been plagued by guilt over what happened to Trixie and Piers, and was unable to find any piece of mind last night. But, now that she could see that Trixie was fine, part of that grief had gone away. Of course, that wouldn’t last for long. “This ‘something urgent’ that you mentioned,” Trixie continued, “Do you by any chance mean those black crystals that have begun popping up around Equestria?” Cadance’s smile vanished, and she sighed as she took a seat next to Trixie’s bed. “So you’ve heard about them.” “Inkie told Trixie. We’re going to Los Pegasus this afternoon, to investigate the crystals that have popped up there.” Cadance immediately shook her head, completely opposed to the idea. “You’re fine, but you’re still injured! You need to rest!” Trixie raised her bandaged leg as far as she could. The pain it brought her was clearly reflected on her face. “This bandage is proof that Trixie hasn’t changed the course of events leading to her death just yet,” she said. “These crystals must have something to do with this whole thing. Sitting around and doing nothing will not help. And besides, it’s not Trixie’s style.” “This is a very serious matter, Trixie,” Cadance said in a stern tone. “Although the crystals have not acted up yet, the fact that they resemble those we found in the mine too closely is enough reason to believe them to be a bad omen. As such, we have cordoned off all of the black crystals that have popped up, and we cannot allow anypony near them. Including you.” “… The Great and Powerful Trixie shouldn’t need to remind you, that King Sombra was defeated by your magic. He is dead. These crystals popping up are probably part of whatever scheme he had going, I’ll admit, but there’s no way they could be any possible harm to us now that their master is dead.” “But we still don’t know that for sure. And until we do know for sure, we cannot risk anypony going near them.” The door opened suddenly, interrupting the discussion between the two mares. A tall Unicorn stallion in a white lab coat walked in, but stopped when he saw Princess Cadance sitting by the patient’s bed. “Is this a bad time?” Cadance shook her head, and sent one final smile Trixie’s way. “No. We’re done here.” “Trixie is going to Los Pegasus today,” Trixie said in a defiant tone. Cadance only giggled in response. “If you try to stop Trixie, then you will learn why she is called ‘Great and Powerful’.” “Very well then,” Cadance said. “How’s this? I’ll post three guards to watch over you, and keep you in this room. If you can sneak past all of them, then you can go to Los Pegasus. If not, then you remain in here and get better.” “Should a Princess really be gambling with a commoner?” Cadance gave Trixie a sly grin. “It’s not gambling. I have complete faith in my guards. I assure you, you will spend the rest of the day resting up.” “Oho?” Trixie sat up as the doctor approached her, knowing that a series of tedious tests awaited her. She then directed her attention to Cadance, who was now leaving her room, her two guards following behind her. “It seems the Princess is confident. It’ll be fun to put that naïve little foalsitter in her place.” “Oh my,” the doctor said as he removed the bandages from Trixie’s leg. Trixie looked at him with a curious look on her face, and gasped when she could see her un-bandaged leg. There was a large swelling where the black crystal hard pierced her flesh, and around it, black markings that seemed to be climbing up and down the length of her leg. “This… looks quite bad. We may have to amputate.” Trixie’s eyes widened in horror. “WHAT?!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, the force of her voice almost blowing the doctor’s toupee off of his head. “A joke, Miss Lulamoon,” the doctor laughed as he righted his toupee with his hoof, and lifted a clipboard up with his magic. “According to your examination yesterday, your leg has been tainted by King Sombra’s magic. It should wear off over time.” “Oh.” Trixie released a heavy sigh of relief at the news, but then thought back to her meeting with her future self. ‘Future Trixie had still had her leg… If my leg was amputated…’ “Anyway, I must agree with the Princess. You need plenty of bed rest.” The doctor grabbed Trixie’s leg, causing her to wince as a shockwave of pain passed through it. Although he tired to be as gentle as possible, to Trixie, it felt like he was trying to rip the limb off of her body. “I’m going to apply some cream that should ease the pain a little bit. But it will also make your leg numb for a few hours.” “That’s fine,” Trixie said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie can get by with just three legs for a bit.” The door opened behind the doctor, and in walked a familiar mare, whom Trixie had been expecting to drop by around this time. “Morning, Inkie.” Inkie Pie closed the door behind her and walked closer to Trixie’s bed, standing by her side as the doctor applied the cream. From the look on Trixie’s face, it must have felt very uncomfortable. Her eyes were twitching, she was biting down on her lower lip, and her entire body tensed, as if she were resisting the urge to flail about in her bed. “I, uh, got the tickets,” Inkie informed her, sitting down on the stool beside Trixie’s bed. “That’s a lot of guards standing outside your room. What’s going on?” “Princess Cadance has insisted that the patient remain here,” the doctor answered, seeing Trixie biting her lip as he applied the cream. “Sorry, but it looks like you’ll have to return those tickets.” Inkie frowned at the news, and looked over at Trixie with an angry look. “Honestly. I told you you wouldn’t be allowed to leave, but did you listen?” “Don’t return the tickets,” Trixie said as soon as the doctor had stopped for a moment. “We’re leaving. We just need to get past the guards, that’s all.” “Well, good luck with that,” the doctor laughed as he pulled out some fresh bandages. “Miss Pie, could you please help me with this?” “Sure.” Inkie held Trixie down as the doctor applied the bandages, keeping the showmare from kicking him, or making it impossible to apply the bandages in the first place. “Oh, I ran into Fritter on the way here.” “Apple Fritter?” Trixie asked, receiving a nod from Inkie. “Ah. I guess she’d be going back t- AGH!” “Sorry,” the doctor apologised, and then resumed wrapping up Trixie’s leg, a little more gently this time. “… Trixie assumes that Fritter’s going back to… that apple place… Apple…” “‘Appleoosa’,” Inkie said. “Yes. That. She must be quite worried about her family, huh?” Inkie nodded. “Yes, she did say that she was going to go back, to make sure that everypony there was okay. However, when I told her about our little quest-” “You what?!” Trixie shouted, trying to bolt up in her hospital bed, but failing from the weight that Inkie Pie was putting on her. “Why did you tell her?!” “She found out on her own that you’re in the hospital,” Inkie explained. “And, well, you know what she’s like. She’s probably the most generous pony in Canterlot, so she offered to come and bring you some fruit, to help you get better. I couldn’t exactly stop her, since she’s a friend who’s just worried about her other friend. And when we got here, and Princess Cadance approached me…” Trixie sighed, and raised her good leg to slam it into her face. “Guess it didn’t take long for her to put two and two together. For a country mare, she has quite a head on her shoulders.” Inkie frowned at that statement. “Hey! I’m a country mare too, y’know?” “Yes. You are,” Trixie said, grinning from ear-to-ear, until she felt the grey mare pressing more weight onto her. “GAH! A-And you’re one of the smartest, m-most beautiful ponies that Trixie k-knows!” Inkie blushed as the word ‘beautiful’ reached her ears, and she eased up a bit, releasing some of the pressure she was putting on the showmare. “R-Right… Anyway, she’s in the lobby with Feathermay right now. Once she heard the full story, she said that she would do whatever it took to help you out.” Trixie raised an eyebrow at Inkie’s story. “What? You mean, she believed it, just like that?” Inkie shrugged. “At the very least, you believe it, and you’re doing whatever you can to prevent your death. The fact you’re in the hospital, and that you’re still moving forward, is proof of how committed you are. And as your friend, she wants to help you.” “… Well… the Great and Powerful Trixie supposes, that Apple Fritter can tag along, if she really wants to.” “Oh, and she said that you should be ready for a good lecture for not telling her soon.” Trixie groaned. Apple Fritter’s lectures were never fun to hear, but there was never any way out of them. “GAH!” Inkie jumped at Trixie’s sudden scream, and then looked across the bed to find the doctor laughing as he lowered her leg down gently onto the mattress. “Sorry, sorry. But, I’m all done now, so I’ll just get out of your hair.” The doctor gave Trixie a serious look for a moment. “Like I said, you should stay in bed and rest. If there’s something you need, please don’t hesitate to call a nurse with the button by your bed.” “Gee, thanks,” Trixie growled, still feeling the pain from the doctor’s latest fumble. “Then, if you’ll excuse me… Busy busy busy…” The doctor left the room, and Trixie waited for a few seconds, before looking over at Inkie Pie. “Hey, Inkie. I have a favour to ask you.” Chains had been a member of the Royal Guard for many years now. He was a veteran, and one of the most well-respected Captains in Canterlot. All of his subordinates looked up to him, and that’s because he knew how to get the job done. If he was asked to arrest a purse-snatcher running through the streets, he would track that thief down and have him subdued in a heartbeat. If he was asked to protect the Princess at a social banquet, his keen senses would alert him to dangers well before they could present themselves. And, when Princess Cadance asked him to make sure the mare inside this hospital room doesn’t leave the hospital, he dedicated himself to doing exactly that. No yawns escaped his mouth. His eyes never blinked. His nose remained unblocked. He would be on high-alert until the end of time, if necessary, until he received the okay from his Princess to step down from his post. The two lesser soldiers with him, however, were not quite as experienced as he was, and it showed every time they slouched to relax their legs, or every time they would rub their eyes to relieve some of their tiredness, or every time they would start a casual conversation to pass the time. Every time, he would have to remind them that they are on duty, and that there would be time for all of that stuff later, in their own spare time. A soldier had to exist separately from the rest of the world. They had to be a mere backdrop, watching every single aspect of the world around them, and act only when it is in relation to their assigned duty. For example, that grey mare who had left the patient’s room a while ago, was now coming back, pushing some sort of trolley in front of her. Did she plan to smuggle the patient out in that thing? How typical. Still, he couldn’t stop her from bringing it in, but he sure as heck would stop her to search it on the way out. “Halt!” Chains shouted as he extended his wing, preventing her from entering. “What is inside this trolley?” The mare opened the top up slightly, revealing some sheets of paper, some brushes, some paint tubes, and a few other things that Chains didn’t have time to identify, because she closed it up again in just a few seconds. “I’m an artist, sir,” the mare said, turning to her side to show the guard her Cutie Mark, which was a single ink splotch. “I want to paint my friend whilst she’s lying in her hospital bed.” Chains grinned. Of course that’s all she wanted. ‘I’m on to your little scheme.’ Removing his grin and returning to his neutral expression, Chains folded his wing back to his side. “Very well. You may enter.” The mare nodded, and moved past the guards, into the patient’s room. And now, back on standby. Another thirty minutes passed, with yet more yawning, chatting, and daydreaming from the two rookie soldiers. Chains sighed, and held back his laughter. ‘Man, they remind me of when I was an inexperienced hoof soldier.’ The sound of the door opening alerted Chains. ‘Showtime, huh?’ Turning around, Chains was surprised to find not the grey mare coming out with the trolley, but the blue mare coming out, wearing her gown and a hospital cap, and draping her good leg around the grey mare’s neck. If this was their attempt at breaking out of here, it was a poor one. “And where do you think you two are going?” “To the bathroom,” the blue mare said. “What, ‘sat a crime?” “Then we shall accompany you,” Chains said. “To make sure you don’t try to make a run for it.” The blue mare rolled her eyes. “Yeah, ‘cause I could totally run with my leg like this.” The two rookie guards escorted the two mares through the hospital corridors, whilst Chains followed them, keeping a close eye on the two for any sign of suspicious movement. So far, nothing. Were they really just going to the bathroom, after all? ‘How boring.’ Once they reached their destination, the two mares entered the bathroom together. Chains originally planned on following them inside, but he knew that, even as a soldier, there were lines that weren’t meant to be crossed. Instead, he gave them five minutes. If they weren’t out by then, he would go in to check on them. Besides, he had already confirmed with the hospital staff that there were no windows in there that were big enough for them to climb through. Three minutes passed, and so far, the only pony they had seen leave the bathroom was that yellow one with the green mane. Her mane was kind of funny. Like she had woke up that day without brushing it at all. Not that that mattered, though. They were on duty, they didn’t have time to think about the odd manestyles they saw passing them by. Finally, the grey mare came out. However, the blue mare wasn’t with her. And she looked panicked, and flustered. Chains didn’t like this one bit. “Please help!” the mare cried. “Trixie’s collapsed!” “What?!” Chains shouted. “I’m going to go find a doctor!” the mare shouted as she ran off down the corridor. Chains tried to stop her, but it was already too late. So instead, he told his men to wait outside, whilst he check on the patient. This was an emergency now, so nothing was stopping him from entering the mare’s bathroom. ‘Huh… So this is what it looks like,’ he thought to himself as he walked in. He searched the area quickly, but found no sign of the blue mare anywhere. “What the? Where is she?” Trixie watched from under her hospital bed as two of the guards posted by her door walked off down the corridor, followed by Inkie and Apple Fritter, whose coat was painted to match her own, and who mane and tail were hidden by the hospital cap and gown supplied to her. The third guard followed after them, and after their hoofsteps could no longer be heard, the showmare slid out from underneath her bed. “Seems it worked,” Trixie said to herself, wincing as her bad leg touched the ground. She quickly pulled it back up, and made a mental note to be more careful of that in the future. “But then, of course it did. After all, it was Trixie’s wonderful plan.” The plan was a simple one. First, have Inkie Pie wheel in a trolley containing paints and some clothes. The hospital security would have already checked it on the way in, so there’s no need for the Royal Guard to do so, too. Next, Apple Fritter would enter the trolley, and be snuck into Trixie’s room. Then, she would be disguised as Trixie, by Inkie’s magnificent artistic ability, whilst Trixie would slip on the dress and the hat that were in the trolley. The Royal Guard would accompany Inkie and ‘Trixie’ to the bathroom. Apple Fritter would wash the paint off of her body, and casually stroll out, soon followed by Inkie, who would claim that Trixie had collapsed, and would then run off to find a doctor. The Royal Guard would then rush into the bathroom, only to find that the Great and Powerful Trixie was nowhere to be seen. A simple disappearing act, that would give her ample time to slip out with Feathermay whilst the Royal Guard would undoubtedly check her room first. Trixie let loose a chuckle as she exited her room. “Well, Cadenza, you did say that Trixie was free to go if she could slip past your guards.” “You shouldn’t talk to yourself so much,” Feathermay said as she approached the showmare, pushing an empty wheelchair. “Ponies will start to think you’re crazy… And they won’t exactly be wrong, either.” Trixie harrumphed, and turned around to back up into the wheelchair. Because of her injured leg, she could only walk so quickly, so she asked Feathermay to secure a wheelchair to move her out of the hospital. However, the stethoscope and the lab coat were not part of the plan. “Feathermay, why are you dressed like a doctor?” Trixie asked as she was wheeled down the corridor by ‘Dr.’ Feathermay. “Hey, if you’re gonna commit a crime, might as well do it right.” “… You stole this wheelchair, didn’t you?” “You think they’d actually give me a wheelchair without showing them who it’s for? Oh, look out. It’s your doctor.” Trixie’s ears twitched, and she looked ahead of her to find that he doctor was indeed approaching them. She pulled down on the rim of her hat to hide her face. Luckily, ridiculous hats were the norm in Canterlot, so she actually drew less attention to herself by wearing it. The two made their way to the lobby without any incidents happening, and then made sure that the receptionist was looking away before making for the door. Trixie climbed out of her chair, and slowly moved towards the door, making sure to keep her hoof off the floor. Feathermay offered to be a crutch for her, but the showmare refused. “I’m fine,” Trixie said, pushing herself away from her friend. “… And, lose the outfit, for Celestia’s sake.” “But I like being a doctor,” Feathermay said with a pout. “You’re not a-” “Oh, good. You made it.” Trixie and Feathermay stopped as they exited the hospital, greeted by the sound of Inkie’s voice as soon as they stepped outside the doors. “Uh… why is Feathermay dressed up as a doctor?” “Doesn’t it feel more like a secret spy mission when we dress up in costumes?” Feathermay asked, receiving sighs from her three friends. “… What?” “Guys, just FYI, the train’ll be leavin’ in fifteen minutes,” Apple Fritter said, looking off into the direction of the train station. “If we’re gonna get there in time, we should get a move on right now.” “You heard the mare!” Feathermay shouted, flapping her wings to lift up into the air. “C’mon! All aboard who’s going aboard!” “Wait!” Trixie shouted after Feathermay as she took off ahead of the group. Apple Fritter followed after her, and Inkie offered herself as a crutch for Trixie, who had refused the assistance, but was given it anyway. “Lose the doctor’s outfit!” Later that afternoon, the group had arrived at Los Pegasus. The train ride was a good four and a half hours long, giving Trixie plenty of time to practice walking on three legs. The act alone was easy for most ponies, as carrying certain things in the mouths whilst walking wasn’t always sanitary, or appropriate. But for Unicorns, who could just carry whatever they needed to carry in their magic, it is often difficult to walk on three hooves for an extended period of time. Even with all of the practice she had in the train, Trixie still found it quite awkward, but at least now she found it easier to keep her leg off the ground. “Los Pegasus. The city of dreams,” Feathermay said, gazing off into the big city with eyes full of awe and wonder. “Never been here myself, now that I think of it, but I hear that this place never sleeps. By day, it’s a city full of ponies hard at work. Business ponies running all over the place, and showponies working on their acts. But by night, that all changes.” Trixie nodded in confirmation. “That’s right,” she said. “By night, all work shuts down, and ponies just go out and have a good time. Casinos open, showponies start performing, bars start serving their ‘special menus’, and eventually, the streets become packed with drunken idiots, either picking fights, or just making a public nuisance of themselves. “Between that, and the bright lights that ensure this place is illuminated all through the night, it’s a wonder anypony ever manages to get any sleep here.” “You’ve been here before, right?” Inkie asked Trixie, though her attention was attracted to the bustling streets that she could see out of the train station window. “Did you have trouble sleeping?” “… A little, at first. Newcomers to this place can easily run into trouble at night, but you quickly learn that there are certain tricks to ensure your survival.” Trixie turned to give Inkie a serious look. “Don’t leave Trixie’s sight.” Inkie blushed, and took a few steps back from Trixie, giving her a bewildered look. “W-W-What?! Where did that come from all of a sudden?!” “Trixie doesn’t want the situation to become more complicated than it already is, that’s all,” Trixie said coolly, flicking her mane as she turned to look out of the window. “Then, in that case, what about the other two?!” “Apple Fritter has already been here. Isn’t that right?” Apple Fritter nodded. “Yeah. I used to have a job as a barmaid here, whippin’ up drinks and sellin’ ‘em. But I kinda got dragged into a bar fight, so I decided ta move on back to Manehatten an’ make up with mah folks. How’d you know I’ve been here before, though?” “Like these two, newcomers are always in awe their first time visiting this place. Trixie was the same way, in fact. But you share a look of indifference that can only belong to somepony familiar with this town.” “I see. Yeah, I guess I looked pretty much the same way my first time visitn’ here. This place’s as big as Manehatten, but it’s still so different.” “Okay, so she’s a veteran,” Inkie summarised, casting an annoyed look Trixie’s way. “But that still doesn’t explain why I should stay with you, but not Feathermay.” Trixie cast a quick look at Feathermay, who was still busy gawking at the sight outside of the window. “… She can handle herself well if trouble comes along.” That explanation didn’t help to relieve any of Inkie’s anger. “What, are you saying I’m weak?” Trixie, sensing that she had chosen her words poorly, quickly wracked her brain for a smooth line to calm the enraged Earth Pony down. “N-No! It’s not that, it’s… it’s that you have a big reputation up in Canterlot, right? T-Trixie was just thinking that you don’t want to ruin that by getting into a fight down here!” “She has a good point,” Apple Fritter said. “I’m just a salespony there, and Feathermay’s a… Wait, what do you do, exactly?” “Hm? I never told you?” Feathermay asked. All three mares shook their heads in response. “Well, I run a small joke shop, but business is kinda slow, so I also work part-time on the weather team.” Suddenly, something clicked in Trixie’s mind. “Wait… is that why, when it rained last month, everypony broke into sneezes?” “And why, when there were clouds two months ago, but no rain at all, everypony suddenly started laughing?” Inkie added. Grinning, Feathermay nodded her head. “That’d be why! I needed to test out my new practical joke powders, and working on the weather team is kinda boring, so I thought, hey, why not kill two birds with one stone?” Ignoring their crazy friend as she broke out into very loud laughter, Apple Fritter decided to resume where she left off. “Right. Anyway, you have a reputation among even the noble, Inkie. You can’t really afford to lose it on account of a few drunkards rilin’ you up in this town.” Inkie calmed down a little bit, seeing the logic behind that. If Trixie’s past was any indication, word travels fast in Equestria, and reputations are easily destroyed. “But, it’s day, right? So we should be fine.” “Hopefully, we’ll be done before nightfall,” Trixie said, glaring outside of the window at a nearby park, where a large, black crystal was poking out of the ground. “Trixie really doesn’t want to stay here longer than necessary.” None of her friends said anything. They were all well aware of her reputation, and even though it had been repaired in Canterlot to some degree, there was a good chance that she still wasn’t well-received elsewhere in Equestria. That’s why she never left the city of Canterlot before. And if there was anywhere that ponies would try to give her a hard time, it would be here. Inkie anticipated this, though, and made sure to stop by a small shop in Canterlot before leaving. Reaching into her saddlebag, she pulled out a cap with the Wonderbolts’ emblem on it, and placed it forcefully onto Trixie’s head, much to the showmare’s annoyance. “Hey, what-” Trixie began, but was cut off when Inkie offered a pair of sunglasses to her. “Here,” she said. “… I’ll stay close to you, if you wear this.” Trixie frowned at the offer. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is more than capable of sticking up for herself.” “… But you also have a reputation up in Canterlot, right? It may not be anything big, but it’s there, and it’s growing.” Trixie’s look softened, and she stared at the sunglasses as if seriously contemplating whether to accept them or not. “And besides, if somepony starts to give you trouble, I don’t think I’d be able to hold myself back. Then my reputation would be ruined, and it’d be your fault.” Trixie gritted her teeth in anger. “Hey now, that’s not fair!” Inkie’s look didn’t falter, and she didn’t move her hoof even an inch away from Trixie. With an aggravated groan, the blue mare swiped the sunglasses from Inkie’s hoof, and put them on. “There. Happy now?” Smiling, Inkie nodded. “Very.” Although Trixie would never admit it out loud, she actually felt some relief to the knowledge that she could hide her face out there. She took one final glance at the black crystal sitting outside, with numerous tourists gathered around it, and some members of the Royal Guard keeping them from getting too close. “Well then, let’s think about how we’re going to get closer to that thing.” Everypony nodded, and began to make their way towards a small café shop sitting inside the train station, when a sudden voice called out to them. “Hey! What’re you guys doing here?” A waitress approached the table where Trixie and her friends were sitting, and placed the tray carrying their orders down onto the centre. “Anything else I can get ya?” “That’ll be all, thanks,” Inkie answered, reaching out to pick up her cup of tea. The waitress left them, and everypony took a moment to sip their drinks before continuing their conversation. When she was done, Inkie faced the two new additions to their group: Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. Vinyl Scratch was Trixie’s roommate for a few months, back when Trixie had just graduated from school, and started to perform in a small theatre in Manehatten. Ever since Trixie started living with Inkie, the two had put on a few join performances together, where Trixie would back up Vinyl’s music with special effects created from her magic. She was one of the few ponies who didn’t pay any attention to the stories about the ursa minor incident in Ponyville, and, although Inkie was sceptical of her at first, she was thankful for the kindness displayed towards Trixie in her disheartened state, and had come to accept her as a good friend. Octavia was somepony who Inkie knew well from her art displays, but the other three mares only knew her by reputation. All four were surprised, though, to find out that she was Vinyl’s marefriend. “So that’s the story,” Inkie concluded as she finished catching both mare up on the situation thus far. She wasn’t at all surprised to find that Octavia didn’t quite seem to believe them. She couldn’t tell what Vinyl was thinking, thanks to the shades that she always wore over her eyes. “Man, heavy,” Vinyl said as she placed her empty glass down. “You really travelled though time?” “It does seem a little hard to believe,” Octavia said. “Especially given this mare’s… reputation.” Trixie scowled at the cellist’s words, but for the sake of not getting herself arrested, she chose to let it pass… ‘This one time.’ “Hey, c’mon now Octy,” Vinyl said to her marefriend. “Trust me, I know Trixie. She wouldn’t lie about something like that, and even if she would, she isn’t now.” “What makes you so sure?” Feathermay asked with a curious look on her face. “We’re both performers. I can tell one of her tales a mile away, just like she can predict what music I’ll play next at one of my concerts.” “Even so,” Octavia cut in, “It’s still a little farfetched that you received a visit from yourself in the future. Maybe you believe that’s that what happened, so it’s not technically lying. Were you drinking at all at the time?” “No,” Trixie answered flatly. “And Trixie did not hit her head, before you ask. Trixie saw what she saw, and she only has two days left to prevent her death!” “And you think there’s a clue in those black crystals, right?” Vinyl asked, receiving a nod from the showmare. “Right! Then I guess we’d better find a way to distract those guards and get close enough to examine one of the crystals!” “‘We’?” Octavia asked. “Vinyl dear, I know that these are your friends, but perhaps you are forgetting that we have been planning this trip for a good length of time now.” “Well, we had to cut it short anyway,” Vinyl pointed out. “After all, those stupid crystals caused our hotel to close. Hey, maybe we can think of this as payback for ruining our trip!” “Alternatively, we could just move the trip elsewhere. I’m fine with anywhere, as long as it’s with you, Vinyl.” A blush immediately formed on Octavia’s face as she said that, remembering that there were other ponies present. “Ooooh,” Feathermay cooed. “Nice catch with this one, Vinyl! Wouldn’t let her go if I were you.” “What’s wrong with just staying at another hotel?” Inkie asked. “You did get a refund, right?” “‘Course we did,” Vinyl answered. “But… see, thing is, this was the cheapest hotel we could find. And, the only one we could afford…” Octavia released an exasperated sigh. “Ever since that new cellist from the Crystal Empire appeared in Canterlot, things haven’t been going well for me…” she said, with just a hint of disdain in her voice. “And kids today just have no idea what kinda music sounds good anymore,” Vinyl added, pouting as she rested the back of her head against her hooves. “I refuse to play the kinda crap they’re requesting me to, just because it’s popular. I’m no sell-out, y’hear?!” “Who are you yelling at?” Trixie asked. Vinyl simply waved her hoof dismissively. “So, how long d’you need to analyse one of those crystals, anyway?” “Longer than you could possibly distract them for,” Trixie answered. “But, if you could just buy us ten minutes, then Trixie could chip away some of the crystal, and analyse it later.” “Do you even know how to analyse it?” Inkie asked. “Do not insult Trixie’s ability!” Trixie snapped. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will have you know that she was at the top of her class when it came to magical analyses!” “I was just asking. No need to flip your lid,” Inkie replied with a grin. Trixie simply harrumphed and looked away. “So, you want ten minutes?” Vinyl asked, receiving a confirmatory nod from Trixie. “You got it! Heck, I could get you thirty minutes, no problem!” Octavia sighed and looked down into her coffee. “I guess there’s no changing your mind now.” She turned to face Vinyl with a serious look on her face. “Just, don’t do anything illegal, okay?” “‘Course not!” Vinyl answered, leaning back on her chair and giving Octavia a reassuring grin. She felt her chair falling more backwards than it should have, and quickly flailed her forelegs to prevent herself from falling. Everypony else stood up quickly as they saw this, but then relaxed when they saw the DJ’s chair landing safely on all four legs once again. “Man, that was close…” Octavia brought her coffee to her lips, and drank the entire cup in one go. ‘Well, this still beats the camping outside at a rock concert for three she put me through nights last year.’ Whilst Vinyl Scratch and Octavia kept the guards busy with their… rather unique distraction – which involved yelling at each other whilst slapping each other with fish, both mares wearing masks at Octavia’s request – Trixie and Inkie Pie snuck up close to the crystal, and got to work extracting a sample of it, with Apple Fritter and Feathermay playing lookout for them. “How much sample do we need?” Inkie asked. “We’ll take a few small chunks,” Trixie said, raising a small mining pick up to the crystal. “Ugh. Trixie never thought she’d be doing this again,” she said as she struck the crystal. “Yeah,” Inkie giggled. “I know how you feel. I mean, digging rocks all day was peaceful, sure, but it just wasn’t… me, y’know?” “That reminds Trixie, you never did tell her how you earned your Cutie Mark.” “You never asked,” Inkie retorted, grinning at Trixie as she returned the showmare’s line that had been used on her so many times. “Well, rather than suffer in silence, how about you tell Trixie now?” A piece of the crystal fell to the ground, and Inkie collected it just as instructed by Trixie – by wrapping a hoofkerchief around it to pick it up, and then placing it inside an airtight jar. ‘To avoid contamination’, as Trixie put it. “Nothing much to tell, really. I was going through a rebellious phase, and refused to dig anymore rocks until my parents agreed to take me and my sister on a vacation. Y’know, to do something fun.” “So you went to some city or town or something, and discovered your talent for art there? Oh, let me guess: you visited a museum?” Inkie shook her head. “My parents didn’t have the money for us to go on vacation. Not that I understood that, being the little kid that I was. I guess, seeing my sister Pinkie leave home all of a sudden when she earned her Cutie Mark made me quite… bitter, and I refused to listen to anypony. So, while I was cooped up in my room, I decided to find something to keep myself occupied. I found some old art supplies that belonged to my grandfather, and… well, you can probably guess the rest.” “Hold on. Trixie thought you had a degree in art. How, if your family was so poor?” “A valid question,” Inkie replied, pretending to adjust a pair of glasses that weren’t there. “Simply put, some of my art at a Manehatten art festival caught the eyes of a wandering professor at the local University. He offered me a scholarship entry into the University, provided I complete a two year foundation course to make up for my… lack of prior education…” “Wow. You must have worked really hard at that, then,” Trixie said, chipping off the third piece of the crystal. She decided that they had time for one more. “Similar to Trixie, actually. She entered Celestia’s School on a scholarship program, because she had not a bit to her name. Fat lot of good a magic degree does you, though, when you don’t already have a name for yourself. There’s a reason only the noble brats enter that school: everything in Canterlot revolves around your family name, You don’t have one, you’re screwed.” “I don’t have one, but I’m getting by alright,” Inkie pointed out. “You got lucky enough to meet the one stallion in Canterlot who doesn’t judge based on who your family is,” Trixie argued. “Had you never met Fancypants, your art would have never made it in that city. It wouldn’t have even been considered. You never would have found a home there, and we’d both probably still be at your parents’ rock farm… unless you decided to try your luck elsewhere, in which case, we’d both be there.” Inkie’s ears flattened at hearing that. “It was thanks to living in Canterlot, that we met Apple Fritter and Lightning Dust,” she said. “And I never would have met Feathermay if you didn’t start living with me. We’d probably have run into Vinyl Scratch at some point, but… just think: one small change like that, would mean that our circle of friends would be halved. Or at least, it would be completely different.” Trixie sighed as the fourth piece of the crystal came off, and lowered her pick back into her bag. “Yes, it’s quite something to think about… But, one thing would have remained the same. You still would have saved Trixie’s life.” Inkie swallowed as she saw Trixie turn to meet her gaze, and she felt her cheeks heating up as she stared into the showmare’s eyes. “W-Well, that would never have happened… if you never went to Ponyville that one time…” “True enough,” Trixie said with a smile on her face. “If Trixie had never visited Ponyville, her show would never have been ruined. She would still be out there, performing all over Equestria. She would never have been consumed by hatred, and the Alicorn Amulet wouldn’t be in Celestia’s grasp right now. She would have never seen the ugly side to this Country… and, she would have never met you. When Trixie thinks of it like that, it’s difficult to know whether to hate that incident, or be thankful for it.” “… If you could go back in time to back then, would you do so, to stop yourself from going to Ponyville?” Trixie laughed at the thought, and then shrugged. “If Trixie could do that, she would go back to tell herself: ‘Hey, avoid Ponyville at all costs! There’s nothing but bad dreams there! Also, go to the Pie family rock farm, and make acquaintances with the artist there named Inkie Pie.” “That’s just being greedy,” Inkie teased with a playful nudge of Trixie’s foreleg. “No, greedy would be going back to give the filly Trixie a winning lottery ticket, and then telling her who to make friends with in the future. But, such a thing is completely beyond even Trixie’s power. Half a week is all that Trixie can manage, apparently.” “So basically, it would be pointless to regret the past,” Inkie concluded, picking up the final piece of the crystal with her hoofkerchief. “We should make sure that our futures are happy.” “The Great and Powerful Trixie is going to create a future where her name is remembered by all, in a positive way,” Trixie said, grunting as she pushed herself up onto her three good legs. Inkie also rose to her hooves. “I trust you will be there by my side when that happens?” “Of course,” Inkie said with a smile. “You watch my back, and I’ll watch yours.” After a quick – and awkward, due to Trixie’s bad leg – hoofbump between the two, they scurried off away from the crystal, and gave the signal for Vinyl and Octavia to stop their distractions… after watching for just a few more minutes. After obtaining the samples, the group decided to get out of there before somepony recognised Trixie. Even with her disguise, there were a lot of ponies in Los Pegasus. Still, it was the only place where they could easily distract the Royal Guard without looking suspicious. After all, strange things happen all the time there. At Apple Fritter’s request, the next destination was Appleoosa. She wanted to check on her family, to make sure that they were okay, and it was a small, quiet town, so there was little risk of being spotted there. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch parted ways at that point. Octavia wanted to go back to Canterlot, to check on her own family, and although Vinyl offered to go with her, Octavia insisted she stick with her friends. “I know you, Vinyl. You want to help Trixie with her problem, and you’ll be kicking yourself later if you don’t.” Octavia gave her marefriend a warm smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. You go and help your friends, and when you get back, I’ll…” She leaned in to whisper the rest, and Vinyl’s ears suddenly shot up. “Whoa! Well, if you insist!” And then, with a final farewell kiss, the two mares went their separate ways, Octavia boarding the train bound for Canterlot, and Vinyl Scratch boarding the train bound for Appleoosa with her friends. During the train ride, Trixie spent a lot of time analysing the crystals, only to reach a dead-end as she learned that the crystals were designed to absorb magical energy directed at them, and then grow larger as a result. At the very least, they would make a great shield against hostile magic, but that was all. And so, with nothing else to go on at that point, the five mares simply enjoyed the train ride to their heart’s content. “By the way,” Inkie said as she turned to face Trixie, who was staring out of the train’s window, watching the passing scenery. “You didn’t tell me your Cutie Mark story. Think you could share it with me?” Trixie looked away from the window and at Inkie, a huge grin on her face. “Why, the Great and Powerful Trixie would be happy to share this story with you!” “What’s this? Trixie’s tellin’ a story?” Vinyl asked, turning from her card game with Apple Fritter and Feathermay with an excited look on her face. “Sweet! I was getting bored of poker anyway!” “Only ‘cause you were losing,” Apple Fritter taunted, drawing attention to her large pile of chips, and Vinyl’s pitiful stack of only three chips. “Whatever,” Vinyl scoffed. “So, what kinda story you got for us?” Trixie’s grin grew even wider. She now had the attention of all four of her friends. Her horn lit up, and she cleared the glasses and empty sweet wrappers from the table to allow room for a small, magical image of herself to appear. “This is the story of how the Great and Powerful Trixie got her Cutie Mark.” “Oh,” Vinyl said, looking a bit disappointed. “I’ve already heard this one.” “Well I haven’t,” Apple Fritter said. “So ssh!” Trixie cleared her throat, and waited to make sure that everypony was finished before she continued. “As Trixie was saying…” The image of Trixie began to move. The Trixie they saw appeared to be a filly version of herself, and her flank was blank. “It all began with a simple trip to the market during Trixie’s day off from school. On her way, she happened to spot four ponies that she recognised from her school. Three of whom were surrounding and bullying the fourth,” Images of ponies formed and moved in accordance with Trixie’s words. The three ‘bully’ ponies were seen as three white ponies, one colt and two fillies, with blonde manes and tails, and the ‘victim’ pony was a small blue colt with a red mane and tail. “As one who had experienced the terror of bullying in the past, Trixie decided to simply leave it be. After all, she had no desire to risk her own neck for some unfortunate unknown.” “Wow, that’s kinda harsh,” Apple Fritter said, frowning as the image of Trixie began to walk away. “Well, that was Trixie’s plan, at least,” Trixie continued. “Until one of the bullies caught Trixie looking their way, and then decided to approach her.” The three bullies started to approach Trixie, just as she had described. The previous victim of their bullying scrambled to his hooves, and ran away quickly. “Trixie was quick to assess the situation. Running would do no good; they would catch Trixie for sure. Begging for her life would have worked, but would have also made Trixie their toy for the future. All that Trixie could do, was make herself look fearsome.” The image of Trixie growled at the three bullies, and flared her horn up, shouting some colourful words that made Inkie blush. “How… charming,” she said, giving the image of Trixie an un-amused stare. Vinyl simply laughed, and voiced her desire to have Octavia with her right now, so that she could hear this. “This didn’t quite go as planned, though, and the bullies started to get physical.” “Duh,” Feathermay said, rolling her eyes. “Three against one? Of course they’ll beat you up if your start cursing them.” “As luck would have it, though, this was around the time that the Great and Powerful Trixie’s destiny was forged.” The image of Trixie, which was previously being pushed around by the three bully ponies, started to glow brightly. “In a pinch, the magic of a Unicorn whose special talent is magic itself, will start to go berserk. This is what happened with Trixie.” Vines formed out of the table, wrapping around one of the bullies and preventing her from moving. Flames shot up around the second one, and then icicles shot up around the third, all whilst Trixie was floating in the air in front of them. “The Great and Powerful Trixie’s body acted on its own, in order to protect her from further harm. Trixie will cut out the rest, as it is not meant for innocent eyes,” she said, looking over at Inkie, who was watching with wide eyes at the scene before her, “But basically, they all passed out from intense trauma, and when they showed up at school the next day, they were completely terrified of Trixie. “Even though Trixie had no memory of how to actually perform those illusions again, word had gotten around about what Trixie had done, and the Cutie Mark that then adorned Trixie’s flanks was proof of those stories being true. After that, it wasn’t long before Trixie was scouted by Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.” “Your illusions were that good?” Apple Fritter asked. “More like, they wanted to put a leash around Trixie,” Trixie answered. “Though Trixie did not know this at the time, there is actually another purpose to Celestia’s School than just housing those with plenty of magical talent. It is also a place for Celestia to keep a watchful eye on those with power, where she can make sure that their powers grow the way she wants them to, and that those powers will never be used against her.” “So basically, they were scared that you might abuse your powers, right?” Inkie summarised, receiving a nod from Trixie, followed by a long yawn from the tired showmare. “I suppose we’ve been pretty active today. It’ll be another three hours ‘til we get there, we should try to get some rest while we can.” “Agreed,” Trixie said, shutting off her magic and rising to her hooves. “But wait, we only have four beds,” Apple Fritter pointed out. “I expected Vinyl to return with Octavia to Canterlot, and only booked a cabin for four… So, one of us is gonna have ta share.” Trixie turned to face Inkie. “That shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Inkie’s face turned red faster than a parasprite eating a basket of fruit. “Y-Y-Y-You and me, in the s-s-s-same bed?!” “What’s the big deal? We’ve shared a bed in the past.” ‘Yeah, when you were so depressed I thought you’d hang yourself if left alone!’ Inkie screamed in her head. “W-Well, I guess that’s true…” “Then it’s settled. Now let’s go. The Great and Powerful Trixie really is getting quite tired…” As Trixie, Apple Fritter, and Feathermay left the train car, Vinyl approached the still-shocked Inkie, and gave her flank a gentle nudge. “Lucky you,” she said with a grin. “Sleepin’ with Trixie? I bet you’ll have some good dreams, eh?” Inkie growled at the grinning DJ, and slapped the Unicorn’s face with her tail as she walked past her. “Oh, shut up…” she said as she followed the others out of the train car, sighing as she walked through the next car. ‘Like I’ll be able to get any sleep now…’ Apple Fritter jumped off of the train the very second it had finished pulling into the station, desperate to see the level of damage inflicted upon her home by the crystals popping up. She braced herself for the worst, but it still wasn’t enough. “Fritter!” A brown stallion called out as Apple Fritter stared in horror at the wreckage of her town. “You’re safe! Oh, thank Celestia!” “Braeburn! Is anypony hurt?!” “Only a few broken bones and a bunch of scratches, but nothin’ serious. And no deaths.” Apple Fritter sighed at the semi-good news, but was still in shock over the level of devastation that had befallen her town. “We were lucky the crystals missed our orchard. That’s where most of us were at the time. The town though… as you can see, it was struck pretty bad.” “Yeah…” Apple Fritter felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned around to find Vinyl Scratch standing behind her, her shades lifted over her horn and her eyes filled with sympathy. “Sorry dude,” she said as she looked at the town beyond. More than half of the buildings had crystals passing through them, and the rest of the buildings had been turned into temporary relief stations and lodgings for the residents. There were some tents outside, where simple meals were being prepared, and where children were being educated, as the schoolhouse had also been hit. Only a few ponies were working on the orchard at this time. Most of the efforts were going towards making the hit buildings safe, before they began making efforts to remove the crystals. Trixie and Inkie followed the two out of the train, and Feathermay came out last. “No Royal Guards,” the Pegasus said. “Guess it’s to be expected, in a small town like this.” Trixie nodded. “They’ll prioritise the big towns, and the towns with VIPs. So Canterlot, Manehatten, Los Pegasus… Ponyville…” The last name was said with a noticeable level of venom in the showmare’s tone. “Towns like this won’t even be on Celestia’s radar. At least not until the other towns are all taken care of, by which point, it will be too late to intervene.” “You really don’t like the Equestrian Royal Family, do you?” Vinyl asked. “Trixie just feels that, despite Celestia’s claims, she really does not do a lot to help those of the lower-class.” “Well, I’m sure it can’t be easy to lead a whole Country,” Inkie said. “She can’t help everypony, y’know?” “Trixie doesn’t see her helping anypony without the right connections,” Trixie responded with disdain in her voice. “Anyway, what do we do now? We’re out of leads, and the final day is drawing closer…” “Don’t say that,” Inkie said in a stern tone. “It won’t be the final day.” “It will be if we don’t find anything!” Trixie argued. She looked towards the town with an angry look on her face, and growled as she looked at the crystals coming out the ground. “Trixie is going to take another look at these crystals. You guys do whatever you want.” “Wait!” Braeburn shouted, cutting off Trixie as she tried to move towards the town. “Please wait! We’re trying ta secure the buildings so they don’t collapse! Please just give us some time before you start lookin’ at them crystals!” “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not have any time to give you! Her life is on the line here! If you have to rebuild a few buildings because of this, she doesn’t care!” “Trixie,” Apple Fritter said, “We built this town from nothing. This town is the result of all our hard work. Our sweat and blood went into making this home for ourselves.” Trixie flinched at the mention of ‘home’. “Please… try to understand.” Trixie looked at Apple Fritter, and then at her friends. “… Trixie will try not to collapse any buildings, but she’s not making any promises.” “… Then, may I ask you at least look at the crystal in the sheriff’s office?” Braeburn asked. “I’ll smooth things over with the sheriff. We’ve already set up a temporary holdin’ place for varmints, so it should be fine.” “Very well then.” Trixie turned to look at her friends. “And what will you guys be doing in the meantime?” “I want to help the townsfolk,” Apple Fritter said. “Braeburn, what jobs need doing right now?” “Well, we could sure use some help at the storage huts. There’s a lot of food an’ water in there, but we can’t reach it ‘til we’ve secured the roof.” “I’ll help,” Inkie said. “I was raised on a rock farm, so I’m quite good at manual labour.” “Yeeeeah, not really my thing,” Vinyl admitted, scratching the back of her head nervously. “But, I guess I can help with the cooking and stuff, if that’s cool with you guys.” “I can help you reach those high places,” Feathermay offered. “I notice a distinct lack of Pegasi in this town.” “Heheh… Yeah, we’re an Earth Pony settlement. I reckon a Pegasus like you’ll do a heap o’ good ‘round here!” “Well then, if you’ll show Trixie to the sheriff’s station…” Braeburn nodded, and turned around, motioning for Trixie to follow him. As she did so, she waved goodbye to her friends, who went off into different directions to help the town. “So, you’re Miss Lulamoon,” Braeburn said. “A pleasure ta meet ya, ma’am.” “Just Trixie,” Trixie said. “Trixie does not like being addressed that way by somepony older than her.” “Y’all reckon I’m older than ya?” Trixie simply shrugged. “You seem to be something of a leader around here. You give off that vibe… and you seem to have a level-head for somepony whose town is in such disarray right now. Braeburn blushed, and let out a nervous chuckle. “Aw, shucks. It’s all ‘cause of mah cousin Applejack, really. When I was just a lil’ colt, she came round to the farm I lived at one summer. Her brother was kind of a useless idiot at the time, always pickin’ fights and such, so I guess I took on that role for her. ‘Course, after her parents passed away, her real big bro started takin’ care of her, and I… Well, enough ‘bout me. Fritter’s told me lots ‘bout you.” Trixie smiled and flicked her mane. “Well, of course she has. How could she ever resist?” “Yep, sounds like somethin’ you’d say,” the stallion laughed. “Her description of ya is very through. She says you’re always full of energy, and spirit. Though I guess you’d have ta be, ta be hogtiein’ mah cousin like that.” Trixie stopped immediately, and lit her horn up as she watched Braeburn closely. He stopped too, and turned around to face her with a curious look on her face. “Your cousin is that orange farmer?” “She farms apples,” Braeburn corrected. “Her coat colour!” Trixie shouted. “Oh. Well, yeah. But hey, don’t worry. AJ’s a big filly now. I’ll let her fight ‘er own battles. ‘Sides, I thought it was pretty funny.” He chuckled to himself for a bit, and Trixie eased off on her magic. “And I’ll let you in a lil’ something: she used ta hogtie me all the time when we were children. Y’know, as practice. So actually, I’m kinda sad I wasn’t there ta see it myself.” “… Hmph. Trixie had this idea that all farmers were as stubborn and hard-headed as that orange fool. But between Inkie, Fritter, and now you… it seems that is not the case.” “‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’. Isn’t that one of them things y’all told Fritter once.” “Ah, touché,” Trixie said, grinning as she continued walking. “Indeed. Since Trixie’s art form lies in manipulation, she knows better than anypony, that you should be careful when it comes to determining a pony’s character. She made that mistake in Ponyville… Trixie was not expecting such a wide variety of characters there.” “Ya weren’t aware of the history of that town?” Trixie shook her head. “Long story short, it started off as just a small apple orchard. It grew into a town when a rich stallion became enthralled with the family’s zapapple goods there, and soon, ponies from all over Equestria started ta populate it. In short, the entire town is made up of ponies from a different cultural background.” “How interesting. Trixie had no idea. Well, not that it hindered her in anyway… until she met the world’s two most dumbest colts.” “Ah, the ol’ ursa minor, right?” Trixie shot the stallion a glare, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Actually, mah cousin sided with ya on that one.” “Fritter?” Braeburn shook his head. “AJ. Ya only met her for a brief moment, so ya probably don’t realise this, but she’s actually one of the wisest ponies in our family. And when she’s taken the time to calm down an’ relax, she’s often the first ta see through both sides of a situation, an’ make a level judgement.” “Oho? Well, not that it matters what she thinks, when the rest of Country disagrees.” “Yeah, well, I hear you an’ Fritter have you lil’ spats now an’ again, but otherwise, you’re pretty good friends.” The two stopped as they reached the sheriff’s office, which was split in half by a crystal emerging from the ground, piercing the building right through the middle. “This’s it. I’ve gotta go now, but don’t be afraid to approach anypony if’n ya need a hoof.” “Trixie will keep that in mind, but she doesn’t think that it will be necessary.” Braeburn nodded, and left the showmare to her own devices. “Now then, if these crystals absorb magic… there must be a source somewhere that supplied them with magic initially for them to grow. Perhaps she should check under the crystal.” As the day carried on, Trixie continued to examine practically every inch of the crystal in sheriff’s office, taking great care not to damage the building anymore than it already was in the process. Meanwhile, her friends had helped the townsfolk a great deal, and by 20:00, everypony in the town started to gather in one spot to eat the supper that had been prepared for them. Trixie pulled her friends to the side to talk to them privately. “Everypony, the Great and Powerful Trixie has made an astounding discovery!” “That’s great!” Vinyl said enthusiastically. “Can we eat now?” “Later! Listen, Trixie has found a way to track down the source of the crystals’ energies!” “The… what now?” Inkie asked, tilting her head to the side. “You said these things grow when they absorb magic, right?” Feathermay asked. “… Kinda makes ya wonder how they grew so big in a town full of Earth Ponies, huh?” Suddenly, Inkie connected the dots in her head. “Ooh! They must have been given a jumpstart from some kind of power source, right?” “Exactly!” Trixie answered. “Trixie tried to check beneath. She through that maybe they had sprouted from some kind of seed, or something similar. What she found instead, were roots.” “Roots?” Vinyl asked. “Like a tree?” “Exactly like a tree,” Trixie said. “But it doesn’t stop there. The crystals poking out of the ground, are parts of these roots! In other words, there are roots spread all across Equestria, tunnelling underground, and they have popped up onto the surface!” “These are roots?” Feathermay asked. “What from? And why have they suddenly popped up everywhere?” “In my experience,” Apple Fritter began, “Roots are designed to absorb nutrients and such from the soil around it.” “Replace ‘soil’ with ‘environment’, and ‘nutrients’ with ‘magic’,” Trixie said, causing the group to gasp at once. “Yes, These ‘roots’ are designed to sap the magic from all over Equestria! Though right now, they seem inactive. But they must come from somewhere, so if we can just dig down deep enough, we can follow them back to their source!” “… Yeeeeah, I’m gonna have ta pass on that,” Vinyl said, patting her stomach with a hoof. “I don’t usually dig on an empty stomach… or at all, for that matter.” “Well, what else can we do?!” Trixie asked. “We need to find out where the roots are coming from, but they’re not visible aboveground!” “Perhaps I can help you there,” a voice called out. Trixie froze at the familiar voice, and slowly turned around to see Princess Cadance approaching, flanked by two Royal Guards, as usual. “After all, we have already figured out where the source of the roots is.” “You have?” Inkie asked, seeing that Trixie was too stunned to ask the question herself. “Yes. And I must say, I am quite surprised to find you have discovered so much, in such a short amount of time… and I was also quite surprised when I heard that you had escaped.” “You told Trixie that you would let her go if she snuck past your guards!” Trixie shouted, pointing her good foreleg at the Princess. “Yes, yes, and I intend to keep to my word. But, I still wanted to come and check up on you.” “How did you find us?” Apple Fritter asked. Cadance smiled, and extended a forehoof over to Trixie’s hat. “I asked a professor I know to put a little enchantment on this hat of hers. Just in case.” “Okay, but why go through so much trouble?” Inkie asked. “We’re just five ordinary civilians. Her safety isn’t your responsibility.” Cadance looked at the mare with a questioning look on her face. “Oh my. Is it really so unthinkable that I would want to help somepony simply for the sake of it?” “Yes,” Trixie said flatly. “Especially when the entire Country is in a state of crisis.” “… Well then, you’ll just have to trust me!” she responded with a giggle, and a bright, wide smile on her face. “Anyway, about the source of these roots… No, maybe I shouldn’t say anything. You guys would probably go after it…” “You bet we will!” Trixie shouted. “Look, Trixie’s life is on the line here! Tell Trixie what she needs to know!” “… It will be very dangerous.” “Trixie does not care! She is prepared to face whatever challenges come her way. Hay, she’s probably faced worse already.” “And your friends?” Inkie stepped forward. “I’m with her all the way.” “I’ll make sure she doesn’t get herself killed,” Vinyl said. “I actually took a first aid class in Collage, y’know?” “You did?” Trixie asked in surprise. Vinyl waved her hoof. “Eh, it was kinda hard to follow, but I think I got the gist of it.” “That doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence,” Trixie deadpanned. Feathermay giggled, and hovered in the air. “You kiddin’? No way I’m missing this! These guys are great!” Apple Fritter looked at the wreckage of the town behind her, and then turned back to her friend. “… Well, I think the town can wait a few days. They seem to have it under control, and ‘sides, property can always be replaced. Friends cannot.” Trixie smiled as he four friends made their points very clearly, and then turned back to Cadance with an expectant look on her face. Cadance smiled at the five mares, and nodded. “Very well then. This is what I know…” “Of all the places,” Trixie mumbled as she looked outside of the train’s window. “Of all the possible locations in Equestria for this ‘mother crystal’ to be, it just had to be in the Everfree Forest!” “Hey, could’ve been worse,” Feathermay said. “Could’ve been out at sea! Then I wouldn’t have been able to come along.” “Oh yeah. You don’t know how to swim,” Vinyl mused, putting a hoof to her chin. She then shot the Pegasus a grin. “Want me ta teach ya sometime?” “Hmmm… You know, come to think of it, I don’t really have much planned this summer, so sure! Then maybe we could all go to the beach together!” “That sounds like a great idea!” Apple Fritter said. “Though, maybe you should find a different teacher. Vinyl’s methods are a little… radical.” “What? Birds teach their young ta fly by pushing them off cliffs, right?” “… Inkie, could you teach me?” Feathermay asked. Inkie blushed and turned away. “Well, growing up on a rock farm, I never really learned myself, so…” “Then I’ll teach ya both!” Vinyl offered. “Totally free of charge!” Apple Fritter sighed. “No choice. Guess I’ll have ta tag along ta keep you both safe.” She and her friends, minus Vinyl and Trixie, shared a laugh together. She then looked over at Trixie, who looked like she was deep in thought. “By the way, that bead… what exactly is it?” Trixie took out the bead that was given to her by Cadance from her cape. “Mi Amore said that it shared similar properties to the roots, so it’s most likely connected. Well, our primary job is to investigate, but if we can somehow stop these roots, then even better.” “We’re nearing the station,” Inkie said as she leaned over to look out the window. “But it’s too dark out. I think we should rest up at the inn, and set out in the morning.” Trixie groaned, and sat back in her seat, placing the bead back into her cape. “You realise where this is, right?” “… Ponyville, yes,” Inkie said, followed by an uncomfortable silence between her and her friends. “But, I still say we should rest up. I can’t defend you against monsters in the dark, but I can at least protect you from ponies in the middle of town.” Vinyl nodded in agreement. “I know some ponies here. I don’t think they’ll bother you if ya stick with me.” “And if they do, AJ’ll put a stop to it,” Apple Fritter said. “At least if she sees me with you.” “And if not, I can show them that not all Canterlot mares follow the ‘ladylike’ stereotype!” Feathermay added, grinning maniacally as she raised her forehooves into the air. Inkie laughed nervously, and reached forward to gently lower her hooves. “Please, let’s try to keep violence our absolute last resort, okay?” “… Tch. Fine,” Feathermay said, sitting back and pouting. “But yeah, just chillax, Trixie! Oh, wait. That should be Vinyl’s line.” Vinyl raised a hoof to adjust her shades, and then turned to Trixie. “… Yeah, just chillax, dude. ‘Sides, I hear they’re havin’ some kind of party today, so the streets’ll probably be empty.” “A party?” Inkie asked. “Yeah, that sounds like my sister… Knowing her, it could be for anything, from winning the lottery, to somepony breaking their leg for the first time.” The train stopped as it pulled into the station, and everypony got up, with Trixie being a little more reluctant than her friends. In the end, she decided to put her disguise back on, and then slowly left the train with the others. “Alright, we’ll stay. But no sightseeing!” Trixie said. “And we’re leaving first thing in the morning. Got it?” “Yeah, yeah,” Vinyl said, stretching her legs a bit on the train station platform. “Huh? Hey, what’re you guys doing here?” The five mares turned to their left, and their eyes widened as they saw another of their friends, Lightning Dust, approaching them. Only, rather than being in the air, like she usually was, she was on the ground… and quite shaky. “Lightning? What happened to you?” Inkie asked. Lightning Dust stopped as she got close enough to the five mares, and by that point, they could all smell the scent of alcohol in her breath. “Eheheh! Me an’ Dash totally aced that thing, so we decided ta hit up Ponyville’s bar ta celebrate! What about you guys?” “Oh, you passed! Congratulations!” Feathermay said in an excited voice. “Well, guess we should throw you a party when we get back!” Lightning Dust noticed Trixie standing amongst the group, and narrowed her eyes. “Hold on… Trixie, in Ponyville? … What’s going on?” Trixie flinched, and looked away nervously. “N-Nothing. Trixie’s… just here on vacation, that’s all…” “… Yeah, I’m not buying it.” Lightning Dust pushed past Inkie Pie and Apple Fritter, and approached Trixie more closely. “C’mon, out with it.” “… We’re… here to do research…” “… Alright. Now the full story,” Lightning said. Trixie groaned, and stomped her good hoof on the floor. This brought Lightning’s attention to the showmare’s injured leg. “What happened to you?” Trixie sighed, and Vinyl placed a hoof on her shoulder, drawing her attention. “Dude, you know nothing gets past Lightning. Drunk or not, she’s a living, breathing lie detector.” Trixie considered that for a moment, and then nodded in agreement. “I don’t think we should keep her in the dark, anyway,” Apple Fritter said. “She is our friend, after all.” “In the dark about what? Tell me!” Lightning demanded, causing Trixie to cringe at the strong scent of alcohol in her breath. “… Very well then. Trixie will tell you everything.” And so, Trixie explained the current situation to Lightning Dust. The incident with the future Trixie, their travels in the crystal mine, and their investigation of the black crystals. As she talked, and her friends added little omissions in here and there, Lightning seemed to sober up a little bit. “And you were just gonna leave me out of this?” Lightning asked, glaring daggers at the showmare. “My pal’s life is in danger, and you think I wouldn’t be onboard with helpin’ you out?” “We didn’t want to interrupt your test,” Inkie said. “And then we just… sort of forgot about you… Sorry…” “Well, it seems your little plan failed!” Lightning declared as she jumped into the air, performing a somersault, before striking a pose in the air, her wings flapping and her forelegs crossed. “‘Cause now I know everything, and there ain’t no way you guys are gonna leave me out of this!” “You realise this will be dangerous, right?” Trixie asked, watching as Lightning slowly descended down to the ground in front of her. “Trix, maybe you’re forgettin’, but I’m the strongest of all of us here,” Lightning said in a proud tone, and a grin on her face. “She’s got a point,” Vinyl said. “Inkie and Fritter are tough, yeah, but Lightning’s actually done some martial arts before.” “So has Trixie,” Trixie argued. “Yeah, but with that leg, you’re kind of at a disadvantage.” Trixie frowned as she looked down at her wounded leg, and then looked back up at Lightning Dust. “… Well, if you’re okay with taking the risk, then… you can come along with us.” “Sweet! Well then, let’s go hit the bar and get a few drinks! Since it’s been a while since the six of us were together and stuff.” “We’re going to the inn,” Trixie said. “And we’re going to rest. And you’re going to sober up.” At that, Trixie motioned to Inkie to lead the way. She turned and led the other mares towards the town on Ponyville, with Lightning Dust flying at the back of the group, folding her forelegs together and pouting. “Tch. Spoilsport.”