//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Boast Backers // by Bed Head //------------------------------// "Just a little walk in the woods," Trixie said to herself as she plodded along. "Nothing to be scared of, right?" For once, Trixie wasn't sure even she believed herself. Even her own magic seemed doubtful. The pale pink shining from her horn hardly pierced the darkness of the forest around her. She drew another deep breath, feeling a tremble start in her hooves. Gritting her teeth, the showmare pushed herself forward before her limbs could freeze completely. Her eyes remained locked ahead, trying to pick out the moonlit path beyond her own magical glow. "She would live all the way out here, wouldn't she?" Trixie grumbled, pushing more power into the light spell. "They like Spike more than me, live out in the forest... is everypony in this town crazy?" The night air and full moon overhead did nothing to answer her. Still, Trixie felt her pulse ease. For once, griping actually felt as though it was easing her tension. A small smirk even started to form as she pushed onward. "They'll get the message soon," Trixie told herself. "Them, and that sorry sack of scales, and that loser Sp—" "Your complaining is awfully loud, my dear." Trixie froze midstep. "That's not very wise around here." The blue mare's eyes darted around, searching for the source of the new voice. Her spell glowed brighter as something rustled in the bushes just ahead. One of her rear hooves began to step back... Trixie grit her teeth once more, forcing the leg back into place. Even so, her heart pounded in her throat as a figure emerged from the shadows ahead. A pair of teal eyes seemed to shine from under her brown cloak as she stepped into the edge of Trixie's glow. For a moment, the forest was silent around the two mares. Finally, Trixie swallowed hard and managed to force a smile back onto her face. "Zecora, right?" Trixie asked, taking a step closer. "I was hoping we could talk." Chapter 6 "Burn it, Twilight!" The pink eyes were focused on her. Twilight could feel them. The same impatient, unwavering stare that always came with one of Trixie's orders. Familiar as it was, the infant dragon could feel her body tremble under that stare. "Well?" Trixie's voice carried a frustrated edge somewhere behind her. Twilight's claws tightened, almost piercing into the rolled-up parchment she carried. This time it was easy, at least. No smoke rings, no somersaults, just a little puff of flame. Even if the scroll was large enough that she needed both claws just to hold it, it was only paper. "Don't do it!" The only problem was the audience. One of Twilight's still-sprouting fangs bit into her lip as she looked up. For a second, her gaze met that of the purple colt's. His green eyes were pleading, a feeling Twilight could sympathize with. Especially as the blue hoof on his withers pushed down harder. For a moment, the filly's glare moved to the colt. "Twilight, please," Spike grunted, trying to squirm loose. "You don't hafta listen to her!" "Oh yes she does!" the young Trixie growled. Twilight cringed as a shower of sparks fell from Trixie's horn and a pink glow surrounded Spike's muzzle. The young colt let out a muffled whimper his eyes going wide. No words could escape, though, as the filly's magic held his mouth shut. "And she will, too," Trixie added in a mocking tone. "Because Twilight is my dragon, remember?" My dragon My dragon My dragon... Twilight's body stiffened as those words echoed around her. Her fang relinquished its hold on her mouth, just in time for Trixie to turn back toward her. "Well? What're you waiting for?" Trixie ordered, stomping one hoof (thankfully not the one on Spike). "Burn that scroll like I told you to!" The heat was already building in the back of her throat. Purple sparks danced inside Twilight's mouth as she took a deep breath. For a second she could see the flames reflecting in Spike's pleading eyes. In the next they burst out in a small plume, consuming the scroll. Trixie's satisfied laugh was matched only by the moan coming from Spike's still-sealed muzzle. Neither of them seemed to notice the slightly musical chime as the last of the paper burnt. Twilight smiled to herself as she watched the smoke and ashes curl upward, darting out the open window nearby. Her gaze followed them out... A hard, wooden ceiling greeted her. Twilight slowly blinked in response, one claw rubbing at her eyes. "Huh?" Twilight muttered as she sat up, trying to recall just when she'd lain down. A low, rumbling noise was the only answer she received. Turning to its source, she could just make out the shape of a bed. One with a large lump under the covers, highlighted by the moonlight coming through the window behind it. Slowly, a mish-mash of images filtered through Twilight's tired mind. A book slipping from her claws as her eyelids drooped shut. Soft, green light shining around her, accompanied by a soft chuckle. The gentle feeling of floating upstairs to— "Bedroom, right," Twilight sighed, rubbing at her temples. "Spike musta..." She trailed off as the stallion let out another gentle snore and turned in his sleep. Twilight leaned back a bit in her own bed as one of his hooves dangled dangerously close to her head. A small smile crossed her mouth, though, as she gave the limb a gentle pat. A yawn began to force its way out as she slowly lowered herself back into her mattress. "Trouble sleeping?" a voice hissed. Twilight grunted as she slipped the last few inches, flat onto her back. She didn't have time to acknowledge the discomfort, however. She was too busy staring into a pair of familiar, pink eyes. "No," Twilight squeaked out. As a pink glow lit above the eyes, Twilight could feel her heart stop. Not that Trixie seemed to care, given her twisted smirk. "SPI—" Twilight's voice was cut off as her blankets shimmered pink. The fabric suddenly sprang to life, binding around the dragon, folding over her mouth. "Ah, ah, ah, Twily," Trixie taunted. "You and I have unfinished business." Twilight struggled to breathe around her bindings. Spike's hoof still dangled only inches away... "Sending that article to principal?" Trixie's voice suddenly held a more threatening growl as the glow around Twilight brightened. "Ooooh, you'd better believe you're in trouble for that!" The dragoness didn't try to speak. She couldn't. She could feel there was just enough slack for one arm to wiggle loose. Her claw lunged forward— "AAAAHHHHH!" Even with the pain in his back, Spike couldn't help but think how peaceful Twilight looked as she slept. Despite her apparent maturity when awake, the little dragon still slept with one thumb-claw in her mouth. A slight twitch of her ear-fin as the only response Spike's half-hearted chuckle got as he carefully levitated a blanket over her. Twilight's free claws were quick to grab at the fabric, bunching it tight in their grip. Spike winced as he watched the little dragon stir. He could still feel the scratches on his back reminding him where that grip had been last night. The wince turned into a sharp gasp as something pressed down on one of them, his back arching as pain ran down it. "Hold still, Spike!" the stallion behind him scolded. "This is hard enough without you squirming." "I can handle it myself, Thunderlane." Spike snapped, his head whipping around. His own glare met the impatient, amber eyes of the pegasus behind him. Their gazes locked for a second before the dark-gray stallion simply rolled his own eyes and shook his head. Before Spike could say another word, Thunderlane's hoof had another bandage pressed against his back. "Hey, I'm trying to help here," Thunderlane retorted over the hiss of pain. "You could try being a little thankful." Spike let out a snort as he jumped back to his hooves. His muzzle was already half-open, ready to tell off the pegasus— "No need fer all that, now," a deep, accented voice chimed in. Heavy hoof-falls preceded its owner before he even reached the loft. Though for a second Spike was surprised he hadn't heard him coming up from the kitchen. The red earth pony, probably twice the size of either Thunderlane or Spike, walked calmly over to the nearby nightstand. He didn't seem to care about the budding argument he'd interrupted as he set down a trio of water glasses. "We just wanted to check on ya, Spike," the much larger stallion finished, taking a seat by the nightstand. "'Specially after wut the others told us." Thunderlane let out a soft hmph, but nodded as Spike glanced back to him. With yet another sigh (he'd lost track how often he'd done that), Spike levitated one of the glasses over. Little-by-little, he could feel his heartbeat easing as he gulped down its contents. The first time he'd managed to relax since his early awakening at Twilight's claws, the unexpected arrival of his two guests, the fussing over his back... Spike coughed a bit as he set his empty glass back down. "Thanks Big Mac," Spike said with a grateful nod to the earth pony. Thunderlane was up, grabbing a glass of his own. Big Macintosh shifted slightly to make way, but gave Spike a smile as he returned the nod. "Feelin' better?" Big Mac asked. "Yeah. Sorry about all that," Spike said, his eyes lowering. "This whole thing with Trixie just—" "Has you kinda bent outta shape?" Thunderlane cut in. "I think we not-oof!" Lifting his gaze, Spike couldn't avoid smirking. Thunderlane was rubbing his shoulder where Mac had apparently nudged him. A little harder than he'd intended, judging by the bigger stallion's worried grimace and the half-emptied glass soaking Thunderlane's chest and muzzle. "Er... so..." Big Mac said, trying not to look at Thunderlane's glare. "Twi gonna be alright?" Spike's little smile vanished. "I... I don't know," he admitted, before letting out a defeated sigh. "She hasn't had that nightmare in years." The unicorn shook his head as he looked to the nearby basket. Despite the near-argument, Twilight was still sound asleep. Even with the slight relief that brought, Spike's stomach was still twisting. He could still feel the dragon's claws digging into his back, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to stammer out something. "Twi used to be so scared of Trixie trying to get even with us." Spike was straining to hear his own voice as he spoke. "But I never thought it'd actually happen, you know?" The room was nearly silent for a moment. The only sound was Twilight's gentle snoring as Spike carefully reached out one hoof to tuck down her blanket. The forced, awkward cough that interrupted the quiet was almost enough to make him look up again. "Well, at least you managed to stand up to her." The voice identified the cougher as Thunderlane. "Can't fault you for that." "Yeah, at least—" Spike started to answer. Spike caught himself mid-sentence. His voice faded as he just raised his head and stared at Thunderlane. The dark-coated stallion merely arched an eyebrow in response, looking from Spike to the equally stunned Big Mac worriedly. "What?" Thunderlane asked, shrugging his wings. "Really?" Spike said, finally finding his voice again. "You're not gonna say I should have just ignored her or something?" For some reason, Thunderlane's derisive snort brought a flicker of a smile to Spike's face. Even if Big Mac was giving the pegasus a slightly disapproving stare. Thunderlane didn't seem to notice as he got back to his hooves. "Hey, Trixie's the problem from what I see," Thunderlane said, taking a seat next to Spike. "Not like you invited her to come around and cause trouble." "Uh... yeah," Spike agreed, his smile growing. The unicorn could feel a weight lifting even as Thunderlane's hoof fell across his shoulders. Thunderlane wore a reassuring smile of his own as he gave Spike a pat on the back. "So you don't think I went overboard?" Spike asked eagerly as he jumped back to his hooves. "In Town Square, I mean?" "Uh, Spike—" Big Macintosh's voice could be heard. "Well..." Thunderlane grimaced, removing his leg. "I'd like to say I wouldn't have gone that far..." The pegasus pony's wings flicked out as he let out an embarrassed chuckle. Spike tilted his head in confusion as Thunderlane let out an uneasy sigh. "Oh, who am I kidding?" Thunderlane asked. "We both still remember the hospital." Spike winced, drawing in a sharp breath. He nodded as one hoof unconsciously rose to his chest. Still, his smile quickly returned, met with a look of relief from the other stallion. Even though Thunderlane's wings were twitching in time to the sound of somepony tapping their hoof against the floor— "Spike?" Spike blinked once, looking toward Big Mac's voice. The red giant was standing by the window, a worried frown on his face. Thunderlane turned also, slowly shaking his head. "Sorry. Bad example to bring up, I know." Thunderlane started to apologize only for the earth pony to shake his head. "Not that," he said, pointing out the window. "Thar's—" Mac could say no more before his voice was drowned out by a horrendous screeching noise. Spike's ears immediately flattened, his forehooves tugging down his hat in a futile effort to seal out the racket. His heart skipped a beat as a blur of purple jolted upright in the basket next to him. "Huh? Wha—" Twilight nearly fell over again, her claws going over her ear fins as she started trying to shout over the cacophony. "Spike, what is that?!" Spike's mouth drew into a thin line. Despite the painful dissonance he could just recognize the sound as a trumpet. "I think I can guess..." he grumbled, heading for the stairs. For a second, Spike was glad he'd been wrong. Trixie's cart was not outside the library as he opened the front door. Instead, a familiar pair of colts were, sitting on his front lawn under the summer sun. Spike froze for a second, taking in the sight of Snips and Snails, each of whom carried an oversized trumpet in their forehooves. Unfortunately, neither of them had stopped playing their instruments. The unicorn recoiled as another blast of noise assaulted his ear drums. A dark-gray blur reached his side, Thunderlane pulling to a stop and covering his ears in apparent agony. "Aren't those two of Cheerilee's students?" Thunderlane shouted. Spike didn't answer, his head pounding as he tried to focus. His horn sparked, two clods of dirt ripping themselves free from the ground in response. With a gesture of his horn, the turf forced its way into each of the trumpets, bringing the din to an end with a strangled wheeze. Spike took several deep breaths as he watched the two colts look at their instruments in confusion before they finally turned their eyes to him. "Hi Mister Spike!" Snails said with an enthusiastic wave. "Snips, Snails..." Spike breathed in slowly, straining to not make his voice sound like a growl. "What are you two doing?" "We're heralds now," Snails explained, a dopey grin stretching from ear to ear. Thunderlane was already returning Spike's blank stare before he even turned to look. His head snapped back, however, at a rustle from some bushes near the colts. And what sounded unmistakably like a small cough, one that caused both colts to drop their trumpets. "Right! Sorry, sorry." Snips quickly scooped up a scrap of paper from by his hooves and cleared his throat. "Er... aha! 'Fillies and Gentlecolts!'" Spike could almost feel something crack as he grit his teeth. Snails was pounding his hooves against the ground in a simulation of a drum roll, which only compounded Spike's slowly growing migraine. "'Presenting..." Snips continued to read, gesturing without looking up. "The Great and Powerful Trixie!" A flash of light and plume of pink smoke burst up between the two colts. Spike simply let out a groan, one hoof pressing against his face. As much as he didn't want to, he could still see the cloud clear. He could still see the blue mare now standing in its place, her star-coated cape trailing behind her. Though Spike put his hoof down as he noticed the newspaper she was levitating. "Hmmm... 'Former Magical Prodigy Pesters Ponyville.'" Trixie read off, one hoof running along her copy of The Canterlot Sun. "Let's see... 'arrived amidst disruptive fireworks'... blah, blah, blah, 'unwarranted attack dealt damages to local businesses...'" Trixie lowered the newspaper, raising one eyebrow at Spike. With a gentle spark of pink, the paper began to crumple itself up. Spike could feel his blood surge as he noticed the flicker of a smile pass over Trixie's muzzle. "Honestly? I'm surprised your editor even ran this," she said, magically flicking the paper ball aside. "I thought journalists were supposed to be impartial." "What. Do you. Want?" Spike bit off each word as he spoke, his head lowering as he scraped at the ground. Thunderlane's wings flared just out of the corner of Spike's eye. The pegasus was crouched low as he prepared a charge of his own. Just as Spike started to stomp forward, though, something darted in front of them. "Wait, Mister Spike, it's okay!" Snips shouted, waving his forehooves frantically. "Miss Trixie's nice, really! She saved us!" Spike's forehoof slipped, nearly pitching the unicorn onto his face. He caught himself just in time, though his jaw stayed on the ground even as he righted himself. He could barely register the dark pony stepping to get along side him. "Wait, 'saved you?' Thunderlane asked as his wing gently closed Spike's muzzle. "What do you mean? Saved you from what?" Spike let out a grunt, inwardly thankfully somepony had asked what he had wanted to. Though his gaze still gravitated to Trixie, one of his eyes twitching as he noticed the smile she wore. Not that Snips or Snails seemed to notice his agitation. The two colts were both bouncing on their hooves in front of her as they spoke their answer in tandem. "From Zecora's curse!" What— THWACK Spike didn't even have time to think his new question before something dark and feathery smacked into his face. With a startled cry he fell onto his rear as he spat out one of Thunderlane's feathers. "Hey, watch... it..." Spike's irritation vanished, his angered glare easing as he looked at Thunderlane. Spike had seen Thunderlane's wings spread before, usually in anger. This wasn't one of those times. The dark-coated pony seemed to be trembling slightly as he just stared at Trixie, his mouth gaping wider than Spike's had only seconds ago. "Thunderlane, what's—" Spike began. "WHAT?!" Thunderlane sputtered out, his head jerking down to Snips and Snails. "Zecora?! When did you two-how did you..." "Uh, who's—" Spike tried to ask. "We, uh... bumped into her after Trixie's show yesterday," Snips said, nervously scuffing at the ground as he cut off Spike. "Sh-she left right after and nopony else would listen to us and—" "Hey, hold on a second!" Spike shouted. All eyes were on him as he got back to his hooves. One question burned at the front of his mind as his eyes drifted over the other four ponies around him. Reasonably sure they were all quiet, Spike's muzzle opened. "Who the hay is Zecora?" he asked. Much to Spike's surprise, Thunderlane's gaze darted to the side to avoid his. Snips and Snails were both eagerly opening their mouths to answer, only for the sound of laughter to cut them off. Somehow, Spike knew the source of the laugh before he even finished turning his head. His pulse pounded in his ears as he saw Trixie trying to stifle her chuckles with one hoof. The muffled laughter faded as she lowered her leg, a wicked grin curling her lips. "Heh, and here I thought Equestria's new 'hero' would have heard of her by now," Trixie said, pink light shimmering around her horn as she took a step closer. "But I guess if somepony has to teach you..." Lines of light raced from Trixie's horn, bending and twisting around her as her cape flew from her back. Despite the anger burning in his chest, Spike felt a small chill run down his spine as the cape's shadow fell over his front walk. The shade they now stood under only felt darker as Trixie's lights swirled together between her and Spike. "You can ask anypony in town," Trixie spoke, her voice low and quiet. "After all Zecora has been around for... how long was it?" "Oooh, oooh!" Snails spoke up, raising one hoof high and waving it in the air. "Longer than I have, that's for sure," Thunderlane grumbled out. Snails dropped his hoof with a look of supreme disappointment. Spike, however, glanced to the pegasus beside him. He had just enough time to notice the grim look Thunderlane wore before a flash of light drew his eyes forward again. Spike gasped, stumbling back as a pair of yellow eyes bore into his own. For a second his heart leapt to his throat before he noticed the magical glow accompanying them. Trixie's strings of light had pulled together into the deep-purple outline of a pony, a tattered cloak trailing behind her. "Zecora... is an evil enchantress. Plain and simple," Trixie explained from somewhere behind her illusion. "They say she's got mysterious powers, and she'll curse you if you so much as look at her wrong!" The light construct grinned, revealing a muzzle full of sharp teeth. Despite knowing it wasn't solid, Spike still stepped back, his eyes wide. The outline turned to the side, however, and Spike followed its gaze. Threads of orange and blue light were gathering, forming into rough outlines of Snips and Snails trembling under "Zecora's" glare. "Of course, that meant these poor colts were done for," Trixie's voice carried on. "At least until they came to me!" In a flash, a Trixie outline appeared behind Zecora. Spike let out a sigh as the fake Trixie began to charge, bursts of colorful sparks filling the shadows around them. Alright, enough. Drawing a deep breath, Spike closed his eyes. He could feel warmth flowing into his horn as he tried to concentrate around Trixie's continued commentary. "Luckily for them, Trixie's own magic was—" Trixie's voice suddenly cut out just as Spike felt his own power weave through the air around him. "Hey, what are you—" Spike opened his eyes as a pulse of green light burst forth. The neon ponies before him looked frightened for a half-second before unraveling into trails of sparks. The shadows faded away, leaving Trixie's cape to flutter back down onto the visibly irritated mare's back. A sight which brought a smile to Spike's face. Always liked that Illusion Ender. "Cool story, Trixie, but seriously?" Spike asked, returning the other unicorn's glare. "You're thinking of trying to win the town over with evil enchantresses and curses? That's the most ridiculous—" "So you don't believe me," Trixie said, her coy smile reforming. "Well, why not just ask your friend about Zecora? He's the Element of Honesty, isn't he?" Spike snorted as he turned to the side, looking to Thunderlane. His expression softened as he found the weather stallion. Thunderlane was slowly tracing one hoof along the ground, a worried frown on his face. "She is making it all up, right?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not... the bit about Zecora existing," Thunderlane admitted with a heavy sigh. Trixie let out a smug hmmph. Spike's eyes flew wide even as Thunderlane shook his head, sending his bluish-gray mane flopping. "Look, all that enchantress stuff is just rumors," Thunderlane explained before pointing a hoof at Trixie. "Even if it's all true, are you really gonna believe the rest of that nonsense?" An evil enchantress? What would Ink Blot think of— Spike shook his head, forcing his inner-journalist into silence. "Yeah, right," he said to Thunderlane before glaring at Trixie. "There's no way you'd—" "But she did!" Snips cut in. The unicorn colts had charged ahead again. The both of them spread their forelimbs defensively as they stood between Spike and Trixie. "We saw her go after Zecora ourselves!" Snips insisted, nodding to his companion. "Right, Snails?" "Yeah!" Snails said, nodding so quickly his eyes seemed to spin. "We waited outside the forest for her and everything!" "Well, well. There you have it," Trixie said, taking a seat as she casually rubbed one hoof against her chest. "Straight from the mouths of foals." Spike just stared at the two colts in disbelief. Looking to Thunderlane, he could see the same confusion and shock mirrored on his face. He could almost hear the same thought passing between the two of them. Why would they make this up? "Unfortunately, handling a pony like Zecora is a bit much. Even for one as great and powerful as me," Trixie said, her voice full of faux-worry. "I only managed to keep her from cursing poor Snips and Snails." Spike looked back to Trixie. The mare lowered the polished hoof she'd been admiring, her pink eyes turning up to meet his. His stomach twisted, a familiar heat beginning to build as he saw the mocking smile on her face. "Fortunately Ponyville already has a hero that might be able to stop her," Trixie said, leaning closer to Spike. "If the Element of Magic is up to it, that is." Spike's mouth started to fly open. A dark-gray hoof suddenly clamped it shut again. "Excuse us," Thunderlane said. What?! Spike's head spun as a rush of wind pulled him backwards. He had just enough presence of mind to magically grab his fedora before it spun completely away from him. The loud slam of a door punctuated the trip, followed by him being dumped onto library's wooden floor. Spike gasped for breath as the hoof was removed from his mouth. He coughed, running his tongue along his teeth to check for cracks. Assuring himself there was no damage, he turned a glare to the pegasus that had just grabbed him. "What was that for?!" Spike shouted, jumping to his hooves. "What was-You were about to take Trixie's 'challenge' there, weren't you?" Thunderlane countered, shoving Spike with one hoof. "I... maybe! So what?" Spike shot back, rubbing at his now-sore shoulder. "You were just saying standing up to Trixie was a good thing!" "Right, then I remembered you don't have any common sense!" Thunderlane argued back. "Ahem." The light cough caused both stallion's mouths to snap shut. Spike swallowed, turning to the stairs in order to confirm his worries. The disapproving green eyes of Big Macintosh waited there, the red pony standing at the base of the steps with Twilight on his back. "Spike?" Twilight asked, clambering down from the giant. "Are you okay?" Spike flinched in reply as Twilight dashed to his side. He quickly pulled the dragon into a hug, brushing his hoof along her back. "I'm fine, Twi," he assured her. "Everything's—" "I already know Trixie's out there," Twilight said, her voice barely breaking a whisper. Spike winced, looking up to Big Macintosh. The larger stallion simply shrugged, shifting his heavy plow yoke. "Ya'll were pretty loud," he explained. "Wut's all the ruckus 'bout?" "Apparently, Trixie went and broke some 'curse' Zecora put on Snips and Snails," Thunderlane explained before Spike could even open his mouth. For the second time that day, Spike was shocked to see one of his friends simply freeze. Big Mac's eyes went wide, a tremble running along the huge stallion's body. Twilight wiggled in Spike's embrace, looking at the other two stallions in confusion. "Curse?" she asked, glancing up to Spike. "Uh... Zecora?" Big Mac asked, wiping at his brow. "Yup," Thunderlane confirmed with a curt nod. "And, get this, Trixie's trying to bait Spike into going after her himself." Big Mac just stared at Thunderlane, the shock apparent in his eyes. Slowly his head turned to Spike, his mouth dropping open. Spike just raised an eyebrow in response, though he pulled Twilight a little closer as he did. "What's the big deal?" Spike asked, staring at the other two in confusion. "Thunderlane, you said all that evil enchantress stuff was just rumors!" Both the other stallions looked to one another. Big Mac let out a soft cough, jerking his head to the unicorn. Spike could feel his heart starting to race as Thunderlane's wings nervously flicked out from his sides. "Well yeah. I mean, nopony knows for sure she's got any weird powers," Thunderlane explained, rubbing the back of his head. "But... well, that's 'cause nopony really sees her much." "She lives in the Everfree Forest," Big Mac blurted out. Spike's own eyes went wide, his embrace around Twilight tightening. Small pricks of pain in his fetlock indicated her responding in kind. He could barely feel them, however, around the sudden hush that had filled the room. The dark line of trees was almost at the edge of his vision. The snarls of strange beasts coming from somewhere beyond it. All of it suddenly covered by the sound of crumbling stone, the scream of the baby dragon gripped tight between his forelegs— "Well that shouldn't be a problem, should it?" Spike shook his head, his chest heaving as he remembered to breathe again. His head snapped around, looking for who had spoken. He didn't have far to look. Though he was distracted by a sudden gasp from Twilight. The dragoness squirmed free from his hug, quickly ducking behind him. He grit his teeth, trying to ignore the feeling of her claws digging into his back. "Trixie!" Spike shouted, a bit louder than even he'd meant to as Twilight's grip tightened. "Who let you in here?!" Spike glared at the blue mare who had somehow appeared next to Thunderlane. The pegasus pony joined in, earning him a share of the confused look Trixie responded with. "Uh, it's a public library," Trixie said, pointing back toward the open door of the Golden Oaks. "You live here, shouldn't you know that?" Spike simply glowered in return, his horn blazing green. Before his spell could grab hold of her cape, however, something tingled above his head. With a startled cry, Spike found his hat suddenly shoving itself over his eyes. "Besides, you didn't introduce me to your other friend here," Trixie went on from outside his fedora-filled vision. "I don't get a lot of chances to meet real heroes, after all." Spike growled, both his hooves tugging at the brim of his rebellious head gear. With a massive push, the fedora popped loose. He quickly tossed the hat to the ground, keeping a wary eye as the last of the pink magic faded from it. "Well now, you must be Big Macintosh?" Trixie asked, her hooves clopping against the floor. "The Element of Loyalty?" Looking up revealed the blue unicorn smiling as she paced between Spike and his two friends. Big Macintosh almost seemed to be blushing under Trixie's gaze, his cheeks seeming a shade redder than usual. "Er... eeyup," he finally answered with a nod. "I remember reading about you in that little article Spike wrote," Trixie gushed, her voice dripping with fake enthusiasm. "I was really impressed by the part about the Ursa Minor." She cast a smug smirk over her shoulder to Spike. "It must have been hard having to protect Spike's flank," Trixie went on, turning back to Mac. "Especially when all he did was run away." Spike would have jumped back to his feet if not for Twilight. He could only guess that her toeclaws were leaving marks in the floor. That was the only reason that his protest began with another yelp and his rear planting itself back where the dragon had anchored it. "Now it weren't—" Big Macintosh started to say. "And Thunderlane, you kept Spike's spirits up didn't you?" Trixie went on, pointedly cutting off the farmer. "He's always been a bit of a crybaby—" CRACK "Whoa!" Twilight shouted. Spike couldn't even care about the split floor board or the sensation of Twilight landing across his back. Everything was tinged red, and he could smell faint wisps of smoke coming from his horn. His magical glow lashed out, reaching for Trixie's shocked face. He barely pulled it back as something shoved its way between him and her. Big Macintosh had one heavy hoof on Spike's shoulder, effectively pinning the smaller stallion in place. Spike strained, tilting just far enough to see around the earth pony and spy Thunderlane herding Trixie toward the door. "Alright, that's enough," Thunderlane was growling as he drove her back. "I think it's time for you to go!" Trixie's face twisted into a sour scowl as she turned in place. With a series of loud stomps she marched toward the door, pausing just as she crossed the threshold. The mare stopped, looking back over her shoulder with a malevolent gleam in her eye. "I'll be north of that little animal cottage tonight, Spike!" she called back. "If you decide to stop hiding behind your friends—" The door slammed shut, Thunderlane quickly attaching the deadbolt lock with a sigh of relief. Spike panted for breath, the magic slowly fading from around his horn. His shoulder throbbed as Big Macintosh slowly lifted his hoof. In less than a second, Spike was at the window. Glaring out into the summer sunlight, however, only showed the front walk of the library. No sign of Trixie, Snips, or Snails. Spike's horn flared with a furious snort, pulling the shades over the window as he turned back around. "You're... you're not gonna go, are you?" Twilight's quiet voice asked from his back. Spike determinately kept his gaze forward as he stomped away from the window. "Didn't you hear all that... that..." Spike swallowed back the string of curse words that wanted to poor out of his mouth. "She was practically calling me a coward!" "So what?" Thunderlane asked. Twilight let out another yelp as Spike turned just a bit too quickly. A soft thump indicated her landing on Big Mac's back rather than the floor. Not that Spike turned to check as his red-tinged vision focused on Thunderlane. Rather than backing down, however, the pegasus pony stomped toward him. "Alright, we believe you about Trixie being unbearable. But who cares what she says?" Thunderlane challenged. "What do you have to prove to her?" "I... it's..." Spike sputtered in response, his vision blurring. The laughter of a dozen foals surrounded him, Trixie's rising highest as he stumbled lost in the fog. His own quill scratched scathing words along his muzzle and sides. Buckets tumbling from nowhere, ink spilled across his freshly completed schoolwork, hooves sticking from around corners to trip him... And always, the blue filly was there. Pain flooded Spike's mouth. The unicorn drew in several deep, ragged breaths as he carefully unclenched his teeth from around his tongue. Thunderlane hadn't seemed to notice, his gaze still narrowed on Spike as he looked back up. Taking one last breath, Spike let out a sigh. "Thanks for coming over, guys," he said, turning on the spot and starting towards the stairs. "Spike—" Thunderlane spoke up. The journalist hesitated. The other stallion's tone wasn't harsh or angry. If anything it was almost pleading. Looking over his shoulder, Spike could see Thunderlane's wings slumped by his sides. "I'm on your side here," Thunderlane said, shaking his head. "But you've gotta see she's just baiting you, right?" Somewhere inside, Thunderlane's words rang true. A feeling quickly buried under another chorus of Trixie's laughter. With a soft groan, Spike turned back around and started walking again. A sudden exhaustion had filled him, his legs dragging along as he moved. "I'll be fine, alright?" he said, as he passed Big Mac. "You two should... get back to your jobs. Or something." Inwardly, he stifled another tired groan. Even as a red hoof reached out and barred his path. "Wut about you?" Big Mac asked, a deep frown covering his face. "I've..." Spike winced as his short tail brushed over his tender back. "I've gotta reapply some bandages." "Spike..." Twilight was speaking. Spike didn't give her a chance to finish. Before the dragon could say another word, he ducked under Mac's leg. He was at the stairs faster than he thought, clambering up them two at a time. A scramble of claws on wood told him Twilight was right behind him. Big Mac and Thunderlane both watched as the unicorn and dragon ascended back to their loft, before casting a worried look at one another. "Are you sure he's gonna show up?" Snips asked, idly rolling a rock between his hooves. Trixie let out a frustrated sigh, glaring at the moon hanging above. "Oh he'll show up," Trixie said, adjusting her hat for what felt like the thousandth time. He had better. The showmare resumed her pacing, her hooves shivering slightly with each step across the dewy grass. How it was already so damp so early, she wasn't sure. Though the dark, twisted trees seated a good distance from her cart gave her a fair idea. Trixie scowled as she tore her eyes away from the Everfree Forest. Nothing had moved in that direction since sundown hours ago. The only other activity around had been Snips and Snails' arrivals from the other way. Now the two colts were seated near her campfire, trying to use a few round pebbles and stones like marbles. Come on, Spike. That should have worked... The mare sighed, closing her eyes. Buckets of water falling over the purple colt's stunned face. Ink wells "randomly" tilting over his work papers. Her hoof sending him spilling to the ground just as he rounded a corner... Always he'd get up, red in the face. Then came the yelling, his feeble attempt at getting even. Usually just in time for a teacher to come by and witness him shouting at Celestia's personal student. "If all that didn't get a rise from him, nothing will," Trixie muttered under her breath as he looked toward the houses of Ponyville. Almost the whole town was dark, with only a few candles flickering in some select windows. The only stable source of light was the clear face of the moon as it moved across the night sky. And still, no sign of motion stirred anywhere in town. She squinted, raising one hoof over her eyes, straining to make out any sign of life and seal out the clattering of Snips and Snail's game— "Ow!" Trixie yelped as something rapped hard against her hoof. Looking down revealed a single, round stone caught in the light of her horn. Along with a scuff mark on the end of her otherwise pristine hoof. "Ooops," Snails drawled. "Uh, sorry..." Trixie snorted, kicking the stone to the side. Instinctively, her gaze followed the rock as it arched toward the Everfree Forest. Her eyes widened. Her heart leapt to her throat as she saw something among the trees. A blur of faded brown, flickering upward just enough to reveal black and white stripes. Trixie swallowed hard as she tottered backward a few steps. "Hey, Trixie!" Trixie spun around, her heart hammering at the voice. Spike raised one hoof, wincing as her horn's light shone right into his eyes. Trixie blinked once before quickly straightening her posture. Her smile lit right back up as she softened her magical glow. The purple stallion didn't seem to appreciate the gesture, his glare refocusing on her. "Let's get this over with," Spike said, tapping his hoof impatiently.