//------------------------------// // Chapter fourteen: disruption // Story: Trixie and Maud: Heart of Stone // by TheCrimsonDM //------------------------------// HEART OF STONE Chapter fourteen: disruption Written by TheCrimsonDM The train ride from New Slate to Ponyville is a three hour ride. It wasn’t as tedious as trying to get to the Crystal Empire but it was still a long ride. At least Trixie was glad that she and Maud had obtained their own personal cabin. Trixie could feel the nervous calm being pulled over her like a curtain, and with it came with all the terrible thoughts of what she had done in the past. There was no telling what the ponies in Ponyville would do to her once she returned. They had chased her out of town once before while shouting threats, the kinds of which she could not easily forget. Maud looked at Trixie with her stoic expression and asked. “Are you going to be okay?” Trixie gave Maud a falsely confident smile before saying. “Yeah, I’m just a little worried about how the town will treat me.” Maud didn’t look away, or even change her expression, but Trixie could feel a nearly overpowering felling of protection coming from her. Maud then said flatly. “No matter what happens. I’ll keep you safe.” Trixie truly appreciated the gesture of love from Maud. She’d been saved by Maud in the past, so there was no doubt in her mind that she would be safe with Maud at her side. Trixie stared out the window feeling pensive about this whole situation, she really wanted to go home but with everything she had done and the threat the Deep One’s still posed. It really was just too much to deal with by herself, how does Twilight Sparkle manage to save the world twice a year when Trixie could barely manage to keep her insanity in check? The two ponies sat quietly in the train car for the rest of the trip. Thankfully only ten minutes passed before they arrived at Ponyville station. Trixie and Maud walked together as they exited the train cart, Trixie tried to keep her head low and unnoticed. Just outside however bounced the one problem with her plan. Pinkie Pie bounced merrily in wait for the two and only a few seconds after stepping off the train did Pinkie Pie shout in a loud and joyful tone. “TRIXIE, MAUD I’M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!” Trixie instantly felt the air around her go from being calm to intense, and with it she noticed a large number of ponies leering angrily at her. Trixie felt horrid and sunk her head low letting the miserable feelings overcome her. She would’ve cried if not for the kind hoof placed around her left leg. Trixie looked up into Pinkie’s big blue eyes and happy smile. She realized that no matter what others would say or do, Trixie had Maud’s love and her sister there for her. Trixie followed Pinkie Pie as she led them away from the train station and into town. *** Pinkie Pie had insisted that they go to Sugarcube corner first, but Trixie had the unsettling feeling something was wrong and convinced Pinkie to lead them to Twilight’s first and foremost. The walk through town was unsettling for Trixie. Everypony continued to stare at her and feelings of fear, anger, and rage were shifting through the crowds of ponies. The feelings became so powerful at some points that Trixie nearly collapsed from the pressure of sour emotions. She fought hard to try and keep the emotions away, but she found that no wall powerful enough could be erected in her mind to stop the tide of emotions. The trio finally reached Twilight Sparkles Tree-castle; it looked very much like something from the crystal empire. For an egg headed princess this looked like a perfect palace, but Trixie felt as though she could never live in such a place herself. She would need a more quiet and subtle home. Maybe she could find such a place while on her stay here with Maud. The inside of the palace was a little bigger then she thought it would be. Pinkie Pie led them up some stairs and into a long narrow hallway of purple crystal. Trixie loved the crystal empire look of Twilight’s palace, and from the sensations of wonder coming from Maud, it seemed she was not alone. Pinkie Pie led them to a large double door made of solid looking blue crystal and knocked repeatedly for a full thirty seconds. The door finally opened causing Pinkie to begin swinging her hoof at empty air. Spike stood at the doorway looking a little surprised at the sight of the three ponies. Pinkie Pie asked. “Hey is Twilight in here, we need to talk to her.” Trixie began to hear a faint whispering sound from somewhere inside the castle. The sound deeply unsettled her. Spike answered. “Yeah, she’s here. But she’s really busy doing experiments on these weird purple rocks.” Trixie felt a small surge of raw magic emanate from deep inside the castle. Trixie could feel it above her, and she could also feel just how dark it really was. Trixie looked at them and asked. “Do you hear those creepy whispers?” Maud and spike both shook their heads but Pinkie Pie said. “You hear those too. Weird, I wonder what they are.” Trixie closed her eyes and forced her courage to come up to the surface again. Trixie opened her eyes again and said. “Twilight’s in trouble and we need to help her now.” Without further announcement Trixie took off in a full gallop towards the sounds. The other three followed closely, spike having to ride on Pinkie’s back to keep up. Trixie lead them through the mostly empty castle moving upwards. As she ran she noticed that only a few of the castles rooms had been furnished or even looked touched. Most of these rooms were filled with bookshelves. After three flights of stairs the trio finally came to a stop. The whispering had become a loud mumbling to Trixie and Pinkie Pie. Even Maud and Spike looked physically ill, but they couldn’t seem to hear the voices. Trixie opened the door that stood in front of them and was engulfed by a bright green light. It was blinding for a few seconds but then Trixie saw something she had never wanted to. An incorporeal green tentacle had wrapped itself around Twilight’s throat and held her dangling five feet above the floor. It was slowly chocking her. Twilight was kicking in the air trying to fight it, but Trixie could feel Twilight’s magic being drained by this thing. The six purple stones sat on the table glowing in a sickly green light. The metal table holding them was warped as though it had been melted. Trixie didn’t know what to do about this and she looked to the others for advice. The others were all frozen in fear, but none looked as horrified as Pinkie Pie. Trixie closed her eyes and knew she had to do something and fast. Trixie took another look at the purple stones and knew what she had to do, what she had to sacrifice. Trixie focused on the round stones and forced her magic out to grab them. She lifted them up into the air slowly. Her horn began throbbing in pain. She began unleashing a green line of energy from her horn towards them. Her nose began to bleed. The stones were struck hard by the green light, and exploded into fine powder. Trixie fell to her knees and winced at the pain in her skull just as the green tentacle dissipated into motes of pale green light before vanishing completely. Twilight was dropped onto the floor, hard. The mumbling voices fell to a barely audible whisper. Twilight looked up and gasped at the air for a few seconds before saying in a rough raspy voice. “There are more in the cabinet.” Trixie looked over at the metal cabinet in the corner of the room. She could feel the stones inside of it, and they were afraid. Trixie stood up and walked to the cabinet. She opened it and found a small sack filled with the purple crystals. Some of them looked like the crystals in the cave while others looked more like the stones she had just destroyed. Trixie wasn’t sure why, but she believed that the stones were changing shape. It was like the stones wanted to become rounded and smooth almost like they wanted to be used for something. Trixie refused to let some freaky little rocks ruin her home, and so she summoned every ounce of strength she had left. With more pain than before Trixie fired a green laser spell to destroy the rocks. As the rocks turned to smoldering ash Trixie felt a tear running down her left eye and went to wipe it off. Her hoof came back red. Trixie fell on her side feeling all the strength leave her body. Maud rushed to Trixie’s side, Pinkie along with spike went to Twilight’s side. Trixie simply lay limp while Maud picked her up and laid her across her back. Trixie couldn’t stand right now but she still felt strong enough to speak. Trixie looked at Twilight and said. “That was very foolish of you.” The two ponies plus dragon all looked up at her with wide eyes and shocked expressions for a few seconds. Pinkie Pie said in a near whisper. “Trixie your eye.” Twilight Sparkle seemed to reclaim some of her composer but she still looked both worried and ashamed at the same time. Twilight then apologized. “I’m sorry, I…just wanted to understand how they worked.” Trixie could feel the blood trickling down from her eye across her cheek and onto Maud’s neck. Trixie’s entire head was in pain, and her horn hurt the worst. Trixie closed her eyes and said. “I’m just glad you’re okay. But you need to be more careful about what you do in the future. Celestia’s already worried about the Deep Ones and your possession.” Twilight then said in a shocked tone. “She knows? But how does she know about that? I had everypony swear to secrecy, even Applejack.” Trixie felt confused now and looked at Twilight’s worried expression. Celestia had said that Twilight had written to her about everything that happened in New Slate, but if what Twilight said was true. Then that made Celestia a liar, and this…this was a political mess that Trixie did not want to enter. Spike stopped looking at Trixie and focused Twilight before giving her a hug. He then asked her. “What just happened? I mean you were floating there, and then Trixie shot some crazy magic lasers at those rocks and you fell…what’s going on?” Trixie didn’t want any more questions or weirdness; she just killed a bunch of evil rocks. Why does it always have to become so weird and complicated? Pinkie Pie began looking a little better as well and explained to him. “Those rocks were making this scary tentacle thing that was attacking Twilight. Trixie just saved her life a second time, she’s a real hero.” Trixie didn’t feel like a hero. Not even in the slightest. Trixie opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she saw a strange look in Pinkie’s eyes. It threw her off for a moment until she noticed a similar look in both Spike’s and Twilights eyes. Trixie was worried about the looks, after an uncomfortable moment she finally asked. “What are you all looking at me like that for? I know I’m not the best pony, but I tried to get here before this happened okay. Stop judging me already.” Twilight examined her friends’ expressions before looking back at Trixie and saying. “Do you really think we’re judging you? That’s not it at all Trixie…we’re admiring you.” Twilight than began coughing for a few seconds. Trixie was…being admired by ponies. This had all sorts of wrong written all over it. Trixie was very bothered about this new behavior, but as worried as she was…she enjoyed the good attention. Trixie wondered if this meant she was finally earning some respect from other ponies. The more she thought about it, the more she believed it too be true. Trixie was amazed at just how good she felt knowing that her friends respected her. In the past when she had gotten any recognition it always felt so hollow. But now she felt…full inside. Despite being in pain Trixie couldn’t stop grinning ear to ear as she looked at these three ponies who truly appreciated her.