//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 - The Crystal Vial // Story: True Magic // by CodeMonkey //------------------------------// Chapter 14 - The Crystal Vial Trixie followed Magus and the aging mare, staying a fair distance behind them. It wasn’t something she could logically explain, but she could still feel his fiery temper emanating from him, warming the room. The look she’d seen in his enraged eyes still shook her to the core. It wasn’t something she'd thought would've affected her so much, but there had been murder in his eyes during his fit of rage. She just thanked Celestia that Ginger was around and stepped in when she did, since the old mare was the first pony the short-tempered Magus seemed to listen to, despite his lingering ire. They passed through the aisles of florescent bottles quickly with Ginger leading the way and it wasn’t long before the storeroom door was in sight as they rounded the corner. When they approached, it creaked open on its own, allowing the inviting candlelight of the storefront into the gloomy hall. Before they had a chance to enter, the thundering sound of a slumbering pony’s snore could be heard. Trixie didn’t have to wonder who it was. As they entered, Ginger groaned when saw the snoozing figure of her husband, curled into a ball on the floor around the bottle of sleep-inducing Firemander ale, like a foal with a teddy bear. He murmured to himself between his vacuum-like snores and licked the saliva that built up around his bearded mouth when he wasn’t doing either. With a swift kick to his back, Ginger irritably shouted, “Wake up!” “Huh-what?” Herald cried as he roused from his sleep, sounding as if he’d just had a nightmare. After a quick look around the room, he stretched his legs before getting up. Shaking his head a little, Herald looked at them individually with his eyes landing on his annoyed wife last. “Oh Honey! Thank the Fates it’s you. I had the strangest dream, and you were there.” Looking over to Magus, he pointed to him and said, “And you were there.” He did the same to Trixie before he said, “And you were there.” “Herald,” Ginger irritably said. “Yes?” he joyfully replied as he put his hoof down and gave her his full attention. “Shut up” “Ok” Ginger passed by her husband with a roll of her eyes and approached the counter, pulling out a stone mortar and pestle from the small shelf underneath. Removing the bag from her neck, she poured the contents into the mortar before grabbing the pestle. Trixie couldn’t see what was in the bowl as Ginger began grinding whatever it was into powder, but decided not to pry any more, for fear of riling the unusually stern stallion beside her. His eyes remained focused on the elder mare, appearing oblivious to anything else around him. The heat that radiated from him displayed that his temper was still very much roused but appeared to be slowly cooling as Ginger worked. It didn’t take long for Ginger to finish and she sat the pestle down on the counter, satisfied with her work. She emptied the bowl into a teardrop-shaped crystal vial before plugging the end with a purple, shard-shaped stopper. The container was made of a dark violet glass, making it difficult to clearly see what the powdered material looked like. Levitating it next to her, Ginger brought the bottle over to Magus and presented it to him before she uneasily said, “Here you go dearie.” “Thank you,” Magus replied with a hint of sincerity in his voice and a slight bow of his head as he accepted the bottle with his hoof. He looked over the vial as if he was checking for imperfections. “Now, this batch may be a touch more potent than what I’ve given you before,” Ginger said, sounding very concerned. “So be careful how much you use, alright?” “I already said that you needn’t worry. I know full well what I’m doing.” He didn’t bother even glancing in her direction as he held the bottle up to the light, still gazing into the dark glass. Ginger sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Magus broke his inspection to glance at her for a moment before tucking the vial into his robe. When he had safely stored it away, he said, “It has been a delight seeing you and your husband once again, but I’m afraid I must be going.” With a small smile, Ginger said, “Oh yes, I suppose it is getting rather late back in Trottingham. I wish you the best of luck.” As Magus turned to leave, Ginger finished by saying, “And I hope you find what you’re looking for.” He briefly stopped mid-step, before continuing on to the door. Trixie started to follow Magus to the door before turning back to Ginger. “Thank you for your help back there.” “Please, you have nothing to thank me for. Just be careful and…look after him, would you dear?” Ginger replied. The request struck Trixie as odd, considering Magus' vast knowledge and power. Yet, the worried expression on the old mare’s face was proof enough that she was quite serious. Trixie didn’t know what she could possibly do to help him, but she agreed anyway, after all Ginger had already done for her. “I’ll see what I can do.” Ginger smiled at her as Herald joined his wife’s side. “Take care Twixie,” he said, partially slurring as he did. Trixie started to correct him until he sporadically replied, in his usual, senile manner, “What!?” She decided just to respond with a hopeless shake of her head, unwilling to go into a lengthy conversation about the proper pronunciation of her name. Before turning to the door, she noticed a familiar, burgundy bottle in the old pony’s hoof with the word Firema-- visible from her angle. Without wasting another moment, he uncorked the top with his teeth, spit the cork aside, and brought the bottle to his lips. “I wouldn’t…” Trixie began before watching the old pony gulp down the liquid at a rapid pace. Ginger watched him drink the spirit, looking none too impressed or pleased at his action. In mere seconds, he emptied the bottle, leaving Trixie stunned at the display. Trixie could barely stand the smell of the stuff, let alone drink it, and in one gulp the stallion consumed every last drop. Herald expressed a sigh of gratification in Trixie’s direction when the container left his lips, almost causing her to fall over at the knockout stench of his breath. Trixie took a few steps back and held a hoof over her nose in disgust as Ginger said, “Oh Herald. I thought I hid that. Where in the world did you find it?” Instead of an answer, Herald’s face appeared to fill up like a balloon before letting out a large, flaming burp in Trixie’s direction. The hapless mare ducked under the stream of fire with only a second to spare. It only lasted a brief moment before Trixie stood back up, overwhelmed, and still feeling the heat around her, as the stallion beat his chest, trying to get up what was left of his beverage. “Pardon,” he said, not realizing that he’d almost scorched the shocked azure mare in front of him. Trixie could understand why it was called Firemander Ale now as she checked to make sure that nothing of hers was set aflame. Luckily, she and her iconic clothing appeared to be unharmed. Before she had a chance to present her complaints to him, Herald fell flat on his face and quickly began to snore loudly once again, the sleeping tonic apparently working its magic on the drunkard. “Herald, my husband,” Ginger began, looking at him with an unimpressed look in her eye, “you’re a one-of-a-kind idiot.” As soon as she finished her observation, Herald reached over and grabbed hold of her foreleg. Clearly still inebriated, he began to cuddle her appendage, just as he had done with the bottle a few minutes before. The affection didn’t seem intentional, yet it still triggered the old mare to crack a smile. “Then again, you are my idiot.” Despite the scene, Trixie wondered if either of them would catch on to what she had done to the drink; it was best if she didn’t stick around to find out. “Well, it’s been great, but I should be going,” Trixie quickly said as she turned to the door to find it wide open, Magus nowhere in sight. Although she was upset that he refused to wait for her, there wasn’t time to fuss, and she dashed out the doorway into the now bustling street. As she galloped to the center of the plaza, Trixie searched for the robed unicorn, hoping to find him before she was left behind in a city that she had no idea how to leave. With a few scans she spotted him and his bright red attire among the crowds as he walked at a slow pace with the enchanted saddle bag now hanging from his flank. Without a second thought, Trixie ran to him, weaving her way through the crowd. Magus greeted her arrival with a short, apathetic glance back at her. 'Thanks for waiting,' Trixie thought, a little hesitant about saying anything that might get him angry again. She did not feel the burning sensation as before and instead felt a cold, chilling energy emanating from him. She wasn’t sure what it was, but thought it best not to antagonize him much, at least for now. They walked for a time through the streets, Magus remaining silent with eyes focused solely on the road ahead. Trixie didn’t like it when he was this quiet and focused, it made her feel…uneasy. Plus, she had many questions about what she had seen, but was unsure if she should ask them or not. He certainly wasn’t the kind of pony who appreciated being questioned, especially in personal matters, yet she had to say something to at least break the unsettling silence between them. “So,” Trixie warily said. “Where are we going next?” Her question was met with silence. “Are we going back to the caravan?” Still, not a word left the stallion’s lips as he walked in a seemingly daze-like state. Presuming she understood his mute condition, Trixie said, “I know you’re probably still mad about me spying on you earlier, but you never talk about yourself. I have a right to be curious. And if we’re going to be together for a while, I should at least know a little bit about you.” Magus gave no indication he'd heard her. “If it’s some powerful spell you’re working on…maybe I can help. Or maybe--” Trixie stopped as Magus suddenly turned to face her. She thought she had said something wrong until he extended his hoof to her. He stared at her with hollow eyes as he remained in place, looking the same as he did back in the forest. Staring between his blank expression and his hoof, Trixie asked, “What?” “Your hoof,” Magus replied in a tone that was almost a whisper. “What?” she asked again, perplexed. Magus sighed heavily before he spoke in a louder tone, “I require your hoof if you wish to leave.” Taking a brief look around, Trixie found that they had arrived back at where they had started, the mirror in the pillar right next to them. “Oh, right,” Trixie said as she grabbed his hoof, feeling somewhat foolish. Magus wasted no time in reciting the incantation and, just like last time, the mirror shimmered and gleamed. Putting his hoof on the glass, they were pulled through the water-like surface causing the world to go black. Unlike last time, Trixie instantly regained consciousness and no longer suffered a splitting headache as she found herself standing in the middle of a recognizable room. It didn’t take her long to figure out where they were. The cracked plaster and torn wallpaper in the long, empty hall was an obvious sign that they were back in Knickknack’s antique shop. Trixie quickly looked around, seeing everything was the same as last time they were here. The floorboards, fortunately, still creaked as they signaled Magus moving on without her. Trixie stayed with him as she vigilantly looked around, aware of who could be around. A few moments of walking showed that the only things missing from the scene were the dark staircase at the end of the hall and the erratic ghost that owned the place. The latter was to be a bit of luck for her it seemed. Rapidly maneuvering through the makeshift walls of the shelves and furniture, they were soon outside, the bell on the door chiming its goodbyes. The plaza was the same as they had left it, empty and foreboding. The moon peaked through the dark clouds high above them as it illuminated the once dark street with a silvery-white glow. Trixie was thankful that she was unable to detect Ripper and his gang of thugs nearby, relieved that she didn’t have to see or talk to those savages again. The night was starting to look good now that the two most infuriating ponies were not present. Magus did not stop however, continuing onward whether Trixie was following or not, throwing his hood up with a flick of his crimson magic as he did. It was tempting to just straight out ask him about that vial, but she was unsure how he would react to her questioning. Although it appeared that his temper had settled she knew that it could change in a second, should she say the wrong thing. As she considered whether she should talk to him or not, the hairs on the back of her neck abruptly began to stand on end. An unfamiliar surge of energy swirled around her, unlike any she had felt before. All of a sudden, a distant voice sounded as it rode the night winds, “Help.” Trixie’s ears perked up as she looked around, unsure if what she’d heard was real. By the sound of it, the voice belonged to a colt, but she couldn’t be sure. “Master, did you hear that?” Trixie said as she continued to look around for the source. “Help me.” There it was again. She stopped as she heard the voice again, it was much clearer this time. It was definitely a call for help, yet the voice itself didn’t sound troubled at all. “Master, I think somepony is in trouble.” Magus didn’t stop or even recognize her as he pushed forward, like his brain was on automatic and anything else happening around him was being filtered out. “Please, help me.” A feeling overcame Trixie as she was compelled to find the source of the distressed pony. She didn’t understand the urge, but it was beginning to take over her every thought, digging at the back of her mind like an unreachable itch. It seemed as if the voice was casting a spell on her as she could not distract herself from it no matter how hard she tried. “Help” Trixie quickly found where the voice was originating from and, in its direction, she saw a small gap between two of the buildings that appeared just big enough for her to squeeze through. She couldn’t believe what she was thinking of doing. Running through a city in the middle of the night, following a strange cry for help? It wasn’t the wisest move she had come up with, but the feeling of discovery and desire to find the voice drew her mind away from logical sense. Looking back at Magus, it was clear that he was paying her no mind as he proceeded forward, unwavering from his path as if incapable of hearing the cries for help. She started to wonder if he would even notice if she went missing for a few minutes. The voice sounded close by and if he wasn’t going to check it out, she would. “Someone, help.” That was the last straw. There was no other choice, Trixie had to follow it. As if something was gnawing at her to go investigate, she trotted out, glancing back only once at the oblivious Magus. Whoever was calling for help, had to be found, no matter what. The question of why she was doing this never occurred to her as she continued forward without a second thought. 'It won’t take long,' Trixie thought, reassuring herself that this was a good idea. 'I’ll be back before he even knows I left.' Trixie ran toward the unknown, compelled to find whoever was calling out for aid. Nothing else entered her mind, only the task at hoof mattered as the voice continued to call. “Please, help…help…help…”