//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Light Reading // Story: Debts to be Dealt With // by SobbingStreets //------------------------------// “Ahh-TICHOO!” Twilight produced yet another tissue with a flick of her glowing horn. Trixie clumsily took it, and into it buried her salmon-pink, twitching muzzle. Twilight fidgeted her ears, but still smiled patiently at the blue unicorn. The muffled snorts of Trixie's crusty, irritated nostrils were most unattractive. Twilight restrained many a heaving sigh, as Trixie occasionally paused with lacklust eye to inspect the contence of the tissue. But she kept her lips sealed, though bursting with questions. Trixie's last two visits had caused nothing but mischief for Ponyville, so the absent reason for her third surprise visit, was prodding Twi like a thorn in the side. Trixie had her haunches thrust into a large, steaming bucket, was bundled in Twilight's own blanket, and hugged a waterbottle tightly to her chest. She rocked back and forth, shivering furiously. Not a single thank you, to Twi's annoyance, had been received from the arrogant mare. Twilight, darting her eyes back and forth across the library, took a quick swig of her piping camomile tea. She itched for answers, but the haughty mare had clearly had a rough time. Twilight felt guilty at the thought of pressing the unicorn. Trixie tossed her mangled tissue amongst it's predecessors into the nearby wastepaper basket, that Twilight had brought from the kitchen. She then rested her chin on the table, folded her front hooves, and stared into space. Twilight drummed her hooves, smiled awkward smiles and fidgeted. Waiting for Trixie to speak. But Trixie seemed as dumb as a doormat for many tedious moments. At last, Twilight couldn't bear it no more. “Sooooooo... Trixie. ” Twilight fumbled, “What... brings you to Ponyville? Out and about in such a storm, so late! it seems a bit... Well.” She fiddled with her hooves, “Pardon me for sounding accusatory but... Suspicious?” Trixie grunted. Twilight stared blankly, but Trixie still showed no sighs of inclining to talk. Twilight took a deep breathe and contuined. “Not accusing you of anything. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why you were lurking outside all alone, in the dead of night.” Trixie replied with another grunt. Twilight's patience was running short. “Do you have... Anything to say? Anything, at all...?”Another grunt from Trixie. Twilight jumped from her chair, almost throwing it to the ground. Trixie jolted, and stared at Twilight wide-eyed. “Listen Trixie. No offense, but you haven't exactly earned the greatest reputation from your last two visits to Ponyville!” Twilight snapped, “Nopony goes out so late in weather as bad as this! I want to know what you're doing here, and why. Right now! I don;'t want a possible threat under my roof!!” Trixie stared at Twilight for a moment, then with a long, hard sigh, looked down at her hooves sadly. Twilight sat back down, her eyes fixed on the blue mare. As she examined Trixie's face, it occurred to her that she'd never seen her look anything like this before. Sympathy began to build like a skyscraper, and her eyes softened like melting honeycomb. Trixie looked... So sad. So lost. Trixie scratched her head, throwing her misty gaze to the side. “Where does.. the not-so-Great and Powerless Trixie start?” She murmured. Twilight's heart rang like an alarm. Not-so-Great?!Powerless?! Trixie heaved her chest before she began. “You see Twilight...” She spoke quietly, “I-” “Got the special stuff, Twi!” A young cheery call rang out. Spike waddled out of the shadows, balancing in his stubby, thistle-purple, little claws a large jug with a hot, swaying liquid. It had a sweet, lavender fragrance. “Oh, yes... Thanks Spike. Well remembered! That concoction is bound to help Trixie's cold.” Twilight praised, as he poured in into Trixie's bucket. Spike's chest puffed out with pride. “No problem. Shall I keep it topped up?” he inquired. “Yes, but... You can delay the next batch. Trixie and I are having a private chat.” “Oakey dokey.” Spike saluted on tip-claw, then disappeared up the winding stair. Twilight turned back to Trixie. “Go on.” She instructed. Trixie gazed now into Twilight's mug of camomile tea. With a tug of her lungs, she started again. “You... Trixie thinks you... Already know this...” Trixie whimpered, rubbing her foreleg with a forehoof vigorously, “But... You see, Trixie is... In a bit of fix.” Twilight raised a brow. “You've probably seen the posters...” Trixie muttered. “Posters?” Twilight said, “What posters?” “The posters that offer a 'handsome reward' for Trixie.” A sullen frown that Twiligth was familiar with now spread over Trixie's features. “A hundred bits! A hundred bits for Trixie!” She scoffed, banging her hoof down upon the table, “I, Trixie Lulamoon, ought to be far dearer! Worth at least twohu-” “A hundred bits! What have you done Trix?!” Twilight's exclaimed, her mouth agape. Trixie shuffled uncomfortably, Twilight's eyes boreing into her like a hot iron. “I said, Trixie, what did you do?” Twilight asked again, sternly, “Who wants you? Who-” Twilight suddenly stopped. Her heart caught in her throat, and her eyes bulged. “Good, sweet Faust! You're not wanted by Princess Celestia are you?! Have you caused her some serious offense?!” Twilight shouted, almost knocking her tea off the table. “N-No, no!” Trixie cried, “Trixie swears! Nothing to do with the Princess, honest!” “Then, who wants you? And for what?” Twilight demanded, calming down a little. Trixie's gaze traveled a little way behind Twilight's head. Her eyes seemed to be drifting in funny sort of way, as if reading something. Twilight didn't have to turn around and glance at which part of the shelf Trixie was browsing. She knew every section of her shelves by instinct. “You seem to be showing an interest in my volumes of historical conjurers and infamous sorcerers.” Twilight spoke, trying to restrain a great beam from usurping her serious expression. The amount of ponies who shared her interest in such charm casters of the past, or even recognized them, was as scare as the amount of frolicking lambs in the Everfree Forest. After unleashing another violent sneeze, Trixie nodded. “Trixie wonders if... You could bring down that book on the far right, of the third shelf?” She asked in a muffled, sniffley voice, wiping her nose with a foreleg. “Sure...” Twilight said uncertainly, chucking at Trixie another tissue rather gingerly. Her horn humming with energy, she enveloped a bulky, beige book with a cherry-pink glow, and laid it upon the table. It had a picture of a large transmutation circle on the cover, with some golden runes spread across the top. Presumably, these strange runes were the title. “Oooh. Influential Warlocks and Masterful Mages of the Blackmagic Era, by S. K. Y. Wishes. ” Twilight's eyes sparkled, the foreign, ancient text flowing through a familiar path in her head, that she'd stode upon many countless times. “I'd completely forgotten I had this-” Twilight stopped, a sudden realization shuddering to a halt before her. She looked at Trixie very hard, as the blue unicorn caressed the book's cover. “I didn't know you could... Read the Ancient Alicornian Alphabet...” Twilight said quietly, squinting at her. “That language is terribly old. Not many non-alicorns can read it you know.” Twilight couldn't help for a little crestfallen. She'd always felt so special that she could understand it, and had regarded herself as the only unicorn in all Equestria who could. “Where the heck did you learn it Trix?” A sliver of guilt flashed in Trixie's eyes, and Twilight retaliated it with her own strange look. “Well, Trixie is... Familiar with the basics... She had certain advantages.” Trixie opened the volume, and started hurriedly flicking through thick, sour-lemon pages with her magic. “What do need the book for anyway?” Twilight queried, leaning over to get a better look. “To show you something, Twilight. Something that'll answer some of your questions.” Trixie finally stopped her rummage halfway through the volume, and blew a great cloud of dust off it. A great mistake, as this sent her into another sneezing fit. Twilight swiped the book out of the way just in time, before the priceless thing got smeared with Trixie's gunge. After Twilight pelted Trixie with many insistent tissues, she shuffled over to her side, and together they scanned the two open pages. On the right page, was the image of a unicorn, done in the same simplified, angler stylization as the stained glass windows Princess Celestia owned. She was depicted larger then the average unicorn, and had a longer horn, enveloped in a fantastic ruby blaze. With her horn she was touching a cowering rabbit. It and the various other animals dotted about her hooves, were crudely drawn. All with large, fearful expressions, all surrounded by jagged, golden halos. Some were cowering, some were fleeing, some were twisted in agony. They consisted of rabbits, hares, birds, deer, lions, dragons, and many others. The unicon's eyes were chocolate brown, with harsh angles and long, dark lashes, through slightly hidden by her neat fringe. Her sweeping mane and tail, tightly plaited were clay red, and fastened with golden bands. She had a pale, cream coat and brazen hooves, and her beautiful, curving neck was arched like a swan's as she bent her head down low. What stood out most of all however, was the unicorn's cutiemark. A golden circle, with an earthy serpent twined around it like a hissing vine. The backend of it, rather then ending as a serpent's tail, was a pair of snow-white rabbit's hindquarters, bob-tailed and all. It made one uneasy to to look into the serpent's hateful slits. Twilight swallowed. Damn. What a babe. But the unicorn was the coveted-by-all, cunning conjurer Circe herself. Quite a babe indeed. “Trixie expects you of all ponies, has heard of Circe before.” said Trixie, prodding the image. Twilight nodded, and began to recite what she knew, “Yes... Banished to an isolated island by her father, Guilded Glitterstone, one in the long line of many Crystal Empire Kings, as charge for murdering her husband. Used to her magic to transform unfortunates who wandered upon her island into animals, bound by her will... Until she was called back to the Empire to help fight agansit a bombardment of Changlings, who back then had way more astonishing magical advantages then shapeshifting. Her powers impressed, and she gained a following. Took on many apprentices, and became the leader of a much feared unicorn cult of darker magic. Even crafted her own spells and curses-” “And?” Trixie cut in impatiently. “Hmm?” Twilight mumbled, in her mind's fancy picturing Circe's curved, fleshy flank swaying as she strode amongst the ranks assembled against the Changling armies. Trixie facehoofed as if she was missing something painfully obvious. “What's her last mentioning in the records?” Trixie neighed. Twilight pondered for a moment. “They're all kind of vague, and do vary a great deal.” She said at last. “The most relevant and likely tale,” Trixie sighed, rolling her eyes, “Is that she and her cult gathered and invented many complicated dark spells, rituals and artifacts, and reordered them upon books or parchment, and stored them in a secret library. They themselves built it upon the island of her banishment.” “Ooh, that's it! Many of those spells were ancient and powerful, but wicked and terribly dangerous.” Twilight's tone was fascinated, “When the library was eventually discovered by the Princess and Luna, they cut the island off from the rest of Equestria, and stranded Circe and her followers there, with their own magic even! The Princesses' then went as far as to erase the spells they'd discovered in the archives from their memories, so that they'd never be tempted by them. They were terribly tempting to abuse, probably due to some extra enchantment...” “Yes. Well...” Trixie spread her hooves through her mane, uneasily, “They never really needed the enchantments. The very mentioning of them ignited my soul with such a yearning...” Twilight's stomach churned as she gazed at Trixie, desperately hoping what she suspected wasn't true. “Don't tell me that you've...” Twilight choked. Trixie had gone to a couple of extremes to achieve her goals in the past, but... “You've pinched something, haven't you? From the library!” She groaned. “Trixie didn't, but somepony else managed to. Though Trixie may or may not have had the thing in her possession for a time... ” “Trix, the Library was sealed off from Equestria for a reason! Some of those spells and things are insanely powerful!!” Twilight yelled, flailing her forelegs hysterically. “Well, Trixie doesn't have the thing anymore.” Trixie shrugged. “You mean, you put it back?” Twilight asked. “Well, erm... Sort of...” Trixie fiddled uncomfortably, “Trixie... Erm... gave it back to the pony she received it from...” Twilight's eyes narrowed. “Oh?” She spoke, darkly. “But he can be trusted with it. He's as honest as Applejack, and most sensible!” Trixie assumed her. Twilight was not convinced however. “What did you borrow from him, Trix?” “The... Alicorn Amulet.” Said Trixie, quietly. There was a long pause. Twilight reflected back upon Trixie's second visit to Ponyville, not too long ago. She had been acting strangely, more boastful then usual and aggressive. Her powers had also strangely increased. Trixie had challenged Twilight to a magic duel, succeeded, and resuming supreme authority over Ponyville, banished her. But Twilight had figured out the source of her new powers and the cause of her blackened heart. Trixie had been wearing a mysterious amulet, a sleek, downward triangle, with a sharp alicorn design, and a red stone set in the center. The longer somepony wore the amulet, the more powerful and corrupt they became. In the end Twilight, acting on the advise of her prudent friend Zecora, had devised a clever plan, and managed to free Trixie from the amulet's influence. She'd thought she'd seen the last of the dratted thing... “You mean to say, that gentlecolt in the mountains, who owned that old antique shop, was the pony who stole it? How could he have broken in, all on his own?! An earth pony with no magic whatsoever!” Twilight spluttered. “Trixie believes he had assistance.” Said the blue unicorn. She frowned down at the bucket she had her hooves in. “Twilight, the water's getting dreadfully cold!” She complained. “You're not sneezing as much.” Twilight noticed, “That stuff must be working! I'll call Spike over in a sec Trix. But I'm mighty concerned about all this... I better write to the Princess. If this fellow still has that amulet, it must be-” “Trixie told you, he can be trusted!” Trixie beat down an indignant hoof. “Besides... All this isn't the main issue.” She added, her ears drooping. “Seriously?” Twilight exclaimed worriedly. “Trixie's wanted for the amulet. They still assume it's in her possession, which it isn't.” Trixie explained. “They?” Twilight creased her brow, “If the Princess isn't after you, who is? Who are they?” Trixie was deadly silent for a moment. Her form was as still as a statue. Twilight began to panic. “Well?” Her heart clashing against her chest. Trixie began to sweat profusely. She darted her eyes from side to side of the room, her ears erect, as if she feared to be overheard. Suddenly, she sprang up from her seat, scattering water everywhere. Twilight cried out in surprise. “Trixie! What on earth was that for? You've gotten it all over the floor!” She scolded. “Shush!” Trixie hushed her. “Don't you shush me!” Replied Twilight crossly. “Keep it down!” Trixie hissed. She immediately sped around, and with a swish of her horn, burned out all the lights in the library, so that the room was swallowed in darkness. “Trix, what's the meaning of-” Trix thrust her hoof over Twilight's mouth, who made many muffled protests. Trixie's horn glowed a luminous blue, so that they weren't stumbling blindly. “They're here!” She whispered, “Trixie is such a fool!” Twilight flung Trixie's hoof aside. “Who's here?” She whispered back in alarm. “Twilight! Where are you? The lights have all gone out!” Spike's frightened squeak could be heard from upstairs. “Trixie, tell me, what's happening! Who is here?” Trixie groped for her cape and hat, still suspended in the air. She finally found them, and slipped them on. “Circe, and her followers.” She replied grimly. “What!?” Twilight nearly shouted, “That's impossible, how-” “Trixie should've known that wouldn't have given up so easily!” Trixie spun around, and locked eyes with Twilight. “You must listen very carefully to what Trixie is going to tell you,” she instructed, “Or we'll end up as good as dead, you hear? Dead!” Author's Note: Phew! Another chapter. Loaaads of dialogue, which I regret I'm not very good at. But I hope you enjoy reading it as much I enjoyed writing it!