Trixie snapped out of her doze as a tiny pebble hit her head. Groggily, she said, “Sorry.”
“I don’t mind.”
Listening to a full explanation about how rock farming works was boring; listening to a full explanation about how rock farming works, delivered in Maud’s monotone voice and repetitive phrasing, required a heroic effort to stay awake. Early in the explanation Trixie asked Maud to wake her if she drowsed off again, and as with anything she did Maud chose stones to do the job.
Trixie shook her head to drive away the drowsiness. “I think I’ve heard enough; correct me if I’m wrong. The farm can grow, or develop, stones in specific ways; it’s a long process, but still cheaper than quarrying stones of the quality you make. The main produce of the farm is ornamental stones, and you can also provide stones that meet specific requirements given enough time.”
“You are right.”
Trixie nodded. “What about advertisement? Going to fairs?”
“Our customers know the farm. I went with my father to fairs before; it never helped.”
Trixie’s mouth went agape. Maud and Igneous Rock trying to sell their wares on a fair? No wonder it never helped. Still, something bugged Trixie. “I’m guessing advertisement and going to fairs isn’t why you decided to help me.”
“It is not.”
Trixie cocked one eyebrow. “Then why?”
“The stones with special requirements. We don’t understand why some ponies pay so much for them.”
“Well,” Trixie scratched her ear, “aren’t those stones flawless, or made to fit exact places? That kind of work seems expensive.”
“Some stones are; not all of them.”
Trixie’s ears swiveled towards Maud. “What about those other stones?”
“Those stones do not look perfect. Some look rough. A big client is coming in a few days; I will show you then.”
“Okay, I’ll wait. But we can make some extra bits before that. Do you still have the cart and stall you used in fairs?”
Trixie looked at the stone in front of her, her eyes narrowed in concentration. It was the last one for today, and Maud should be back with the cart and the stall soon. A few more taps with the hammer and… There! Trixie smiled as the stone split in half. The chores of the day were done, with enough time left to plan the trip.
“Maud told me you two are goin’ to the fair tomorrow.” Igneous Rock stopped in front of Trixie. “You didn’t forget about our deal, I take it. That you would still do your chores.”
“Don’t worry.” Trixie was beaming. “I’ve just finished my chores for today.”
Igneous Rock pointed at something behind Trixie. “And your chores for tomorrow?”
Trixie looked at what he was pointing, her pupils shrinking as she noticed the pile of rocks. “What?”
“If you won’t be here tomorrow you will need to finish the chores for tomorrow too before leaving.”
Trixie’s ears deflated. “But…”
His eyebrows lowering gently, Igneous Rock shook his head slowly. “I don’t want to be harsh, but we have a deal. You can go on your day off, or you can do chores in advance until you are a day ahead of schedule. But I can’t allow you to leave your chores behind.”
“I will help.”
Igneous Rock looked at Maud, who had just arrived pulling a loaded cart. “As long as both your chores and Trixie’s for today and tomorrow are done you can go.”
“Understood.” Maud took off the harness.
“Then I will let you girls to your work. See you at dinner.” He waved and walked away.
Trixie levitated her hammer to Maud, leaving it at her hooves, and turned towards the house. “Here, take this. I will go get another hammer, perhaps we can finish in time for dinner.”
She heard a loud noise from behind her, sounding like… a woodpecker pecking stone?
“I don’t need the hammer.”
Trixie turned back, her chin almost hitting the ground. The pile of rocks was reduced to a pile of rubble on the ground, just the right size to be carted away. “How…”
“I hit it.”
Trixie woke the next day in high spirits. She was humming to herself as she knocked on Maud’s door. “Come on, Maud, we agreed to leave before sunrise!”
“Coming.” Her voice was the exactly same monotone as always.
The door opened, Trixie taking a look on Maud’s blank face. “Good, you were awake. Let’s —”
“I was sleeping.”
Wait, she has the same voice and face seconds after waking?
Trixie shook her head and pointed down, her smile returning. “Anyway, let’s eat breakfast and hit the road.”
The two ponies were soon crossing the country, Maud pulling a cart fully loaded with the best stones from the farm (“It’s just stone,” she said when Trixie asked to help) and Trixie pulling the cart with the stall.
Maud, for once, broke the silence. “You seem happy.”
“Oh, I am happy!” Trixie almost bounced, despite the attached cart. “It’s just like old times, before all that mess in Ponyville! Well, that is if I was a traveling stone salespony, but being on the road again, expecting ponies to welcome me at a new town…” Trixie looked down. “That is, if that horrible rumor about Trixie being a fake magician didn’t arrive first.”
“You are not going as a magician. You are going as a stone salespony.”
Trixie chuckled, a sly smile gracing her lips. “True. I can’t let that get me down. Even if I’m not going as a magician, I’m still the Great Trixie, and I do know how to draw a crowd.”
“Well, that went better than I expected.” Trixie looked at the empty cart Maud was pulling. “They purchased even the peebles! You sure know every use for a rock.”
Maud looked back at her. “You know how to make ponies interested.”
“Ha! That Trixie does. It’s how I earned bits before; making ponies so interested they would pay just to see the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
“Ponies were interested in seeing our stall.”
The image came back to Trixie; she had used a few spells to make slabs glow in different colors, and Maud proved surprisingly good at arranging the stones in a pleasant way. It was not just Trixie, though; she found an artist that could draw pleasant images in rock and had him draw flowers and landscapes on some of the slabs, which Maud proceeded to carve.
Trixie hated to admit, but a mare carving stone with her bare hooves might have drawn a larger public than the glowing stones, and the carvings did sell like hot cakes. Or perhaps hot rock cakes. Though, of course, Trixie couldn’t use the spells, fireworks, and the fanfare she had in her own shows.
Trixie looked at the strongbox securely tied in her own cart. “I wonder how much I’ve earned.”
“About a week’s worth of wages, with lodging and food converted to bits.”
Trixie opened and closed her mouth before asking, “How do you know? And didn’t we sell more?”
“I handle the bits back at the farm. And that is your part. There’s another identical part for me, and the cost of the stone.”
“Good to hear it, ladies. Now pass those bits here.”
“Yes, pass them.”
The two mares looked at the new speakers, a pair of lanky earth pony stallions with a dangerous look in their eyes, both white.
Trixie glanced at Maud and back at the stallions, a vicious smile appearing in her face. This might be fun, and she had a pony that could smash stones with her bare hooves to help if things went out of hoof. “You dare challenge the magical might of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Don’t you know that Trixie could defeat you with barely any effort?”
The larger of the stallions shot her an incredulous look. “Wait, you are Trixie?”
“Yes, you are in the presence of the Great and Powerful Trixie. Now run away before —”
She was cut short by laughter.
“Wow, you are the fake magician?”
Trixie’s nostrils flared.
“I heard that you fled from a cub.”
The fur along her spine stood up.
“I heard she was beaten up by a librarian!”
Trixie turned to Maud, her voice cold and controlled. “If they try to flee, crush them.”
“Sure.”
Trixie turned back to the two stallions, her horn glowing. “Now, about you…”
“Look, bro.” one of them pointed up, snickering. “A tiny raincloud. Is she trying to give us a cold?”
“Or perhaps —” The other one’s ears perked as a flute sounded. “— she wants to put us to sleep.”
“Hey, a tiny rainbow! Isn’t she cute?” The first one was again pointing up.
Trixie’s cold eyes fixed on the two stallions. “Laugh while you can, ruffians.The Great and Powerful Trixie used those spells to vanquish mares far more talented than you two put together.”
“How, did they stand in awe at the rain—”
The rainbow floated in the air, circling around the stallions in ever increasing speeds. Before they could react they were spinning in a colorful whirlwind, screaming all the while.
A rope shoot from Trixie’s cart and lassoed the whirlwind as it rose in the air, quickly vanishing in the circling rainbow. The whirlwind floated over Maud’s empty cart, depositing its load inside.
Trixie walked towards the two bound ponies, her horn glowing as she secured them to the cart. “For your information, ruffians, Trixie might not have defeated the Ursa, but she faced the beast. A beast higher than a house, with teeth larger than your head. And —” A lightning bolt struck the ground behind her. “— Trixie struck the beast with deathly spells that could have easily defeated a pony. Thank the merciful Trixie for not using those spells on you.”
The two ponies nodded fervently but silently, their muzzles bound by the rope.
“By the way, I would not try to escape if I were you.” Trixie glanced at Maud.
Maud stood immobile.
“Maud, show what will happen if they try to flee.”
Maud continued immobile.
Trixie took a hoof to her face. “Maud, crush a rock.”
The color fled from the two ponies as they watched a simple mare crush a rock with her bare hooves.
Maud looked at Trixie. “You are scary.”