True Magic

by CodeMonkey


Chapter 18 - One Hoof in the Grave

Chapter 18 - One Hoof in the Grave

Trixie and Magus pushed their way through the brush as they trekked deeper into the darkening forest. The trees provided a minor, but effective shield from the drizzle, giving the drenched mare a moment to wring out her hat with a quick flick. Although the air was still thick with the unsettling power, the rest of the forest looked fairly normal except the pools of still, murky water that became more abundant the further they went, drowning the roots of the plants that sprung from their depths.

Looking into the black void beyond the visible tree line, Trixie couldn’t shake the notion that they were being watched. “Master,” she said. “I don’t think were alone out here.” He was silent, continuing to walk without answer. “…Master?”

“You have nothing to fear. Don’t wander off and you’ll be fine,” he said, not missing a beat with eyes forward.

Accepting his words as fact, Trixie tried to put it out of her mind as best she could and kept pace. Yet, it didn’t stop her from periodically looking over her shoulder, just in case.

As they left the road behind and the darkness of the wood engulfed them, Magus lifted his hoof halfway into the air whilst mid-step and conjured a small ball of white light. The orb hung overhead and followed them wherever they went, providing ample illumination of the nearby area. It was pleasing to Trixie to see that it did nothing else, unlike the last flying sphere she’d encountered.

Venturing past the last of the undergrowth, the forest abruptly turned into a swamp, much of the surrounding earth consumed by dark water, leaving only a wet path ahead. Reeds and algae gathered around the submerged roots of the cypresses as the sounds of buzzing insects and crickets filled the air, accompanied by the occasional croak of a frog. Trixie’s hat brushed against the fabric-like moss hanging like a curtain around them, concealing the dark grey clouds above which had, thankfully, stopped raining. The stagnant power disappeared and reappeared in small pockets, as if they were following a trail of some sort.

They traveled for what seemed like hours, crossing makeshift bridges of rotting logs and carefully stepping from stone to stone across countless pools of water. It had gotten significantly darker since they started this trek, with no clear end in sight. Trixie was relying heavily on Magus to guide her through the wetland, the path all but swallowed up by weeds and overgrown grass, getting more narrow with each step. Winged bugs danced around the luminescent orb above, paying the two ponies no mind as they continued their hike across the spongy ground.

As Trixie warily regarded her surroundings, she suddenly heard something out of the ordinary. ‘Hello? Azure mare, can you hear me?’ a voice whispered, masculine and echoing.

Trixie stopped instantly, ears straight up as her eyes grew wide, and looked around anxiously. She was wise now to sudden voices calling in the night and wouldn’t be so easily fooled. Staring into the darkness, she saw nopony and sensed no foreign energy besides the one that they were following. “Who’s there?” she demanded. “…Master, I hear something.”

Magus continued to walk, but replied, “It’s just your imagination.”

“But what if it’s another Shade, or worse?” she said, eyes darting around as she looked over her shoulder.

He stopped and sighed heavily. Glancing back, he said, “Then the answer should be obvious.” He turned, approaching Trixie before leaning in close and saying, “Don’t-Follow-The-Voice.” Magus spun on his hooves and resumed marching along the path.

Trixie took one last look around before following as she thought, ‘I know I heard somepony.’

‘You did,’ the voice came again, louder this time.

Trixie gasped and spun around with a widened stance, but saw nopony. Glancing back to make sure Magus was still there, she began to back up her eyes moving in every direction, ready for whatever may come. “Show yourself,” she muttered.

‘Don’t be afraid.’ the voice said. ‘We’re communicating through a mental link. I can hear your thoughts and you can hear mine. Quickly, act natural so that the robed one doesn’t think anything is amiss.’ Of course, she was hesitant, unsure if it was trustworthy or another trick by some supernatural demon hiding somewhere in the swamp. ‘Please, you must trust me. I’m here to help and there’s not much time,’ the voice rang in her head again in a kindly and concerned tone.

She sensed a trap, but went along with it, trusting Magus’ vow of protection as she turned forward, behaving casually. Keeping a watchful eye open, she thought, ‘Who are you? What do you want?’

‘My name isn’t important right now. All you need to know is that I’m a friend. But now you must listen to me. The pony ahead has been lying to you, just like the rest of his kind.’

Trixie’s eyebrow rose at how the voice brushed her questions aside. ‘His kind?’

‘You know, their so called Order. You must’ve seen their magic, how destructive it is; what nightmares can spawn from its use.’

‘You mean, you’re not a mage? Then, how are you talking to me?’ Trixie thought, finding it unusual what kind of non-Circle magic would allow one to invade the thoughts of another.

‘I must ask that you not associate me with those occultists. My power doesn’t stem from darkness, but it is a conversation for another time. For the moment, you must not believe a word the crimson mage says.’

‘And why should I listen to you?’ Trixie retorted. Magus was a pain, and he certainly had his secrets, but she didn’t see why she should trust this voice in her head over her magic instructor.

‘…He--’

The connection was abruptly stopped as she bumped into Magus’ extended foreleg, keeping her from continuing. Glancing at him then back ahead, she could just make out a wide, near motionless river, as black as night, barring their path to the other side. The dark liquid lapped at the soft, vertical slope that separated the stream from them, just inches from Trixie’s hooves. The river expanded out from the dark marsh at one side, crossing in front of them before disappearing again at the other end.

She took a step back, thankful that she was stopped before she plunged into the drink. With a gentle kick, Trixie sent a stone at her hooves into the gloomy depths, which quietly splashed as it made contact. Eerily, the disruption had little effect on the still river, creating barely any ripples at all.

Magus reached into his robe and pulled out a small silver coin. Cupping it in his hooves, he brought the token to his mouth and muttered something into it before flinging it into the river.

Trixie watched the single ripple that was created from the token’s intrusion, expanding out until it disappeared on the shore. Moments passed with nothing happening. Looking over at Magus, whose eyes were fixed on the water, she asked, “Was that supposed to do something?”

“Patience,” he replied, still focused on the river. Trixie’s attention returned to the black surface, scanning it for any change.

All of a sudden, the swell returned in force, bulging from the center of the water and getting progressively more abundant. Yellow light bloomed in the depths, growing larger and brighter with each passing moment. The ripples expanded until something broke through the water’s surface, emitting a surprisingly subtle roar as droplets were flung into the air.

It took Trixie a moment to make out what she was seeing, but it soon became clear. A long, leaf shaped wooden boat rocked gently on the surface of the blackness with a bright, glowing lantern hanging off a post atop its bow. The boat appeared to seat four ponies, judging by the planks serving as benches within it, though she doubted it could without dipping below the water’s surface, already mere inches from the railing. Steadily, the vessel drifted over to them, docking next to the drop-off.

The boat was level with the ground making it easy to step inside. Magus was the first to board, dismissing the ball of light as he stepped onto the deck and took the seat furthest from the shore.

“Coming?” he asked, glancing over to her.

She didn’t bother to respond as she eyed their transport, unsure if it would support both of them. Carefully, she stepped inside the surprisingly dry ship and took a seat next to Magus, the boat rocking slightly with her movement. When she was seated comfortably, it began to move on its own, following the calm stream into the blackness ahead.

They rode the river for a few minutes before leaving it behind, entering into a more expansive, flooded part of the marsh with no land to be seen. The boat snaked through the swamp with ease, winding past half-sunken trees and partially exposed rocks as if it were alive. They sailed on in silence, not a word was said nor did the ship make a sound beyond the lapping water on its hull. The ambient noise of the swamp had all but vanished, with only the chirping crickets remaining.

Through the hush, Trixie wondered if the voice was still out there. From what she could see of the riverside, it was empty and the woods beyond were unoccupied, not a soul or source of energy to be found. She debated whether or not she should mention the voice to Magus. Whoever it was seemed to know him and the Order in some sense despite claiming not to be a mage himself. She didn’t know who, or even what it was that had spoken to her, which left her with little reason to believe anything they’d said.

Trixie looked at Magus, whose eyes were glazed, apparently in a world of his own. As much as she wanted to know his secrets, she wanted the knowledge of magic that only he could provide more. Besides, trusting a pony who’d saved her life twice was far better than one she didn’t even know. It was settled then, she would tell him.

Opening her mouth to speak, she could barely utter the first syllable before she heard a familiar noise. ‘Can you hear me?’ the voice came at last, sounding faint and more distant than before. ‘Azure mare, are you still there?’

‘H-hello?’ Trixie thought, closing her mouth as she listened.

‘Oh thank Celestia, you can still hear me. I was worried. I see you’ve arrived at the river, it won’t be much longer now.’

‘Until what? You need to start answering some questions if you expect me to trust you,’ she thought as she searched the bank and the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of her hidden observer. ‘Where are we going?’

‘I wish I was able to tell you. But it can’t be any place good. All I know is, beyond this river you and I will no longer be able to communicate. You’ll be in danger so long as you are there and in even greater peril with that psychopath with you.’

Trixie had had just about enough of all riddles. ‘Despite your opinion of my teacher, I have good reason to trust him, and for your information I can handle myself just fine,’ she shot back, annoyed by his badgering.

‘Your teacher?’ he said, his voice straining with repressed laughter, ‘I can assure you Miss, that you’re not the first to put faith in that monster sitting next to you…nor will you likely be the last.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘He really hasn’t told you anything, has he? No, I don’t suppose he would. I perhaps would be the same if I’d committed the kind of atrocities that he has.’

‘What are you trying to say? Spit it out already!’

‘When he looks at you, who do you think he sees? You? Or somepony else?’

‘Me, of course!’ she exclaimed without thinking, until she recalled the look Magus would give her. ‘…I mean…most of the time he does,’ Trixie thought, rubbing the back of her neck as her ears began to droop and her gaze wandered.

‘There have been others, haven’t there? Others who have recognized your face, but grow quiet when they learn who you are?’ Her eyes grew wide as he spoke. Everything that had happened in past few days was flashing before her eyes. ‘I’m right, aren’t I? Tell me, have you ever wondered why he behaves with so much anger in his voice? Or why he keeps what he does a secret? Wouldn’t you like to know?’

‘Who-who are you? How do you know that?’ Trixie quickly thought, trying to maintain her outward appearance to Magus and her mental tranquility to the stranger.

‘It’s okay. I’m here to help. You needn’t worry--’

‘Answer me!’

‘…My name is Silver. Silver S—Just Silver, and my only desire is to see you safe.’

‘And how do I know I can trust you?’

‘I’m sorry to say, but you can’t. You must have faith in my words when I say the fire pony cannot be trusted. He…’ Silver hesitated. ‘He killed my family, in the name of his research.’

Trixie’s hair stood on end as a wave of prickling cold washed through her. She didn’t know how, but she knew his declaration was genuine, and her last shred of comfort evaporated when her eyes fell on the pony beside her.

‘I don’t want to see you succumb to the same fate.’ His words started to distort as he spoke. ‘So, I ask you now to trust me. Be careful around him. Trust no one, but me. We shall speak again, soo--’ Silver’s voice was cut short, but his words remained imprinted on her mind.

Trixie openly started at Magus as she tried to make sense of what Silver had said. ‘Could he be right,’ she thought to herself, now alone. ‘He was correct about everything else…What am I to him?’

“It’s impolite to stare,” Magus’ voice chimed in, breaking her concentration. With still eyes and an immobile posture, he said, “Well, what is it? Be quick.”

“Master, I…” she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Something was stopping her from telling him about Silver and from asking him about what he had said. Was it shock?

“Yes?” he said, finally moving his eyes to hers. When she said nothing, he sighed, turning away and said, “If you have nothing to say then direct your gaze elsewhere, it’s rude.”

“Y-y-yes…of course,” Trixie said, breaking contact with him as she looked down at the deck, the information still running though her head. She wasn’t sure what or who to believe anymore. Her heart told her that Magus was innocent, but her mind and instincts had her on guard. ‘I suppose,’ she thought, ‘if he can keep secrets, so can I.’

She took one last glance at his oblivious face, then back at the ground, anxious for this trip to be over.

After a few minutes of navigating through the bayou, a fog covered shoreline came into view, outlined by a sourceless glow behind it. The boat moved towards the land, entering the outskirts of the fogbank before docking at the shore.

As the two hopped onto the spongy ground, Magus summoned another sphere of light and immediately headed into the mist. Trixie took a step in his direction, but glanced back to see the boat’s lantern fizzle before the whole vessel started to dramatically sink back into the river without making so much as a sound.

“Trixie,” Magus firmly called, getting her attention before she hastily caught up, glancing back at the water where the ship had just been. She hoped that coin trick worked both ways, because she wasn’t keen on spending the night here or having to swim back.

Putting the murky swamp behind them, they entered the foggy veil and followed the overgrown path that appeared ahead. Trixie could feel the ground steadily beginning to incline as the boggy pools around them became less abundant. Crickets, still chirping in the distance, accompanied by their movement through the brush, were the only sounds to be heard.

As the slope gradually leveled off, a dense wall of foliage materialized before them, blocking their path. But, through the leafy barrier, a warm glow shined, piercing the dark and vegetation, like a light at the end of a tunnel. Magus didn’t allow the thicket to deter him, and pressed on past the leaves and branches, Trixie tailing him as his pace quickened. The lanky branches of the shrubs bent at his passing before springing back, swatting and stinging Trixie as they made contact. She yelped and squeaked with every step, Magus oblivious to what he was doing.

Thankfully, the path of whipping plants didn’t last long as she broke through the well-lit other side moments later, joining Magus where he stood staring off into the cloudy distance. She rubbed her sore legs, neck, and muzzle, the areas the brush hit the most, not yet looking around until she heard a curious chiming sound overhead. Looking up, she saw a radiating lantern hanging from a branch with a collection of small, white objects clinging to near invisible strings below it.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the glow, but she soon recognized the objects as bones, likely from a small creature, decorated like an outlandish wind chime as they swayed in the breeze. Her eyes bulged at it as she stiffly stepped away from the bizarre decoration. “M-master--”

“Not now,” he snapped.

She took one look at him and saw his eyes fixed on something ahead, urging her to gaze in the same direction. Trixie’s heart sank when the haze cleared and revealed a massive field, covered in gray stones with names and dates scrawled on.

“Is that a--”

“Graveyard? Very much so. Now, if you would, please be quiet,” Magus said sharply as he thoroughly scanned the grim landscape. His eyes glazed over the stones and seemed to pierce the lingering mist, searching for something.

The cemetery stretched over a few small hills and into the distance. Not a tree or large shrub touched the hallowed grounds, leaving it a bare grassy field with little other vegetation to speak of. Graves and crumbling mausoleums spanned the area in no particular order or pattern. The light fog covered much of the morbid scene, obscuring some of the more distant memorials from view, and the dark clouds that had previously covered the sky had opened up, allowing the moon and stars to illuminate the area. Around the perimeter of the field, Trixie could make out the faint glow of lanterns hanging in the air, similar to the one that dangled above them. Their light could be seen as far as the haze would allow, but they all seemed to be placed at perfect intervals to form a circle from what she could tell. The energy that they had been following was stronger than ever here, blanketing the entire macabre field in a dense black energy.

Magus squinted as he continued to search among the monuments as he mumbled to himself, “Where are you?”

Trixie paid no mind to his initial mutterings, having a more pressing question she needed to ask, “We’re not going in there, are we?”

The stallion took one last survey, before heading into the series of headstones, paying no attention to her or much of anything else for that matter.

Her ears drooped as he moved on, murmuring, “Of course we are,” before chasing after him.

Graveyards weren’t among the scariest things to Trixie, but she still didn’t like the idea of wandering around in one at the dead of night. On top of that, almost being eaten by living darkness had gotten her thinking of what else could be lurking around Equestria. She cautiously kept a watchful eye as they walked, wanting to be ready for anything that might lurch out of the dark. Every now and again, her vigilance would fall on Magus, and Silver’s words would echo through her memories.

It was eerily silent as they walked through the burial grounds, the sound of crickets fading away. Every nerve in her body was on end as her gaze darted around. Many of the plots were overrun by wild weeds, their headstones strangled by twisting vines. All of the names and dates had been worn down to scribbles and scratches on the sides of the chipped rocks. The mausoleums she saw had either caved in on themselves or had sunken into the wet ground, leaving piles of rubble behind. This place had seen better days, that much was clear.

The further they went the stranger things got; graves that were empty or dug up, their rotting coffins still lying within beside mounds of earth. The few still standing tombs had their doors broken down and a number of urns and caskets were stacked outside in an almost orderly fashion.

Suddenly, Magus’ body froze as he scanned the area, decoding everything he saw. Without warning, his head broke from the stone stance and focused on a nearby mausoleum.

The tomb was in better shape than many of the others save the missing door, though there were no urns or coffins lying outside. Staring at the dark hole of an entrance, Trixie could feel a presence unlike any she had felt before. Black energy flowed from the gaping maw, fluctuating with no definitive pattern. Something was inside, but the interference made it difficult for her to pinpoint who or what it was.

Magus watched it for a time before Trixie was forced to ask, “What? What is it?” She walked around him to capture his gaze, but his eyes looked right through her. Without a word or acknowledgment, he passed her, moving a few feet towards the mausoleum before stopping again.

Trixie huffed as she scowled at him, wishing he would just say what was on his mind instead of playing this guessing game with her. Silver’s words came to mind again and she began wondering who he was expecting to meet in a graveyard in the middle of the night. The drive to prove Silver wrong was too great, and Trixie needed answers now more than ever. Feeling her trust in Magus beginning to waver, she marched toward him.

“Master, I need to ask you something.” He didn’t respond. Trixie hesitated, but forced the words out as she took a step towards him, “Who--!”

Before she could finish, the ground disappeared from under her and she was swallowed up by the earth. With a shriek, she fell, plummeting for a moment before crashing onto a hard, stone floor. She groaned, getting to her hooves and checking with relief to find nothing broken. ‘What happened?’ she thought, holding her dazed head before looking around.

Wherever she was, it was dark, with only a small glimmer of light shining through the hole above. Trixie’s fur stood on end in the frigid cold, what little wind there was biting at her skin while the damp air assaulted her nostrils with death and decay. It was silent with her hooves the only noise to be heard, resounding as she looked around.

Staring up at the vacant hole to the surface, she was about to call out for Magus when she heard an unsettling sound. A hollow breathing reverberated through the room, accompanied soon after by violent rattling. Trixie silently prayed she was just hearing things, until chattering hoofsteps announced something more coming her way.

“Hel-hello? Is someone there?” she said, stepping back as she searched the dark for any signs of movement. The unsettling noises became louder, echoing all around her as they neared. At that moment, the sliver of light above vanished, leaving her in the dark, alone.

“Magus…Help!” In that instant the rattling and hoofsteps stopped, leaving only the breathing, mere hoofspans away. Trixie was quiet, listening for any further noise or indication where, or what, it was. Shaking off enough of her fear to focus, she cast a light spell, bathing the room in a soft pink glow.

The spell expanded her vision, bringing clarity, but she dearly hoped what stood before her was nothing more than a trick of her overwhelmed imagination.

Only a few inches from her own was a skull, white as the moon, its dark, hollow eyes seemingly staring into hers. It was like the familiar from before, but this time, something told her it wasn’t here to serve.

‘It’s not real. It’s…not…real…’ she desperately tried to convince herself, tightly shutting her eyes before opening them again. The creature remained, moving its rotting jaw ever so slightly as it breathed.

A pressure built up in her chest as she stared at the creature, before erupting as a loud, ear piercing scream of distress. Her concentration shattered, dispelling the light from her horn, leaving her screams to fade away into the dark with the lifeless face of a skull watching her as the room went black.