//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Trixie's Warning // Story: Gothic // by Wanderer D //------------------------------// o.0.o Gothic o.0.o [ACT 1] Chapter 2: Trixie’s Warning After much insistence from Rarity that her dress would be ready the next day, Octavia finally left the Carousel Boutique and headed for Sugarcube Corner in search for Vinyl. She glanced from the purple split door to the fluffy white scarf that the seamstress had insisted she wear. It lessened the bite from the chill, and felt so soft around her neck and shoulders that Octavia had already declared it her most favorite scarf. Ever. It also helped that Rarity had sworn up and down that it complemented Octavia’s coat perfectly. Snow had already coated Ponyville in a white blanket, and as she hurriedly trotted towards the bakery-turned-events-hall, she couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of it. Day gave way to night and ghostly lights shimmered into view, weaving in and out of trees, glowing warm and softly as the moon rose. Couples and small groups of ponies walked together, some ponies already wearing bright scarves or hoof warmers. They paused and talked under flickering lamp lights, drinking hot chocolate or telling jokes to each other. Doors had already been decorated with wreaths and silver bells with red bows tying together pine branches. There were even some candle-lit silver moons in honor of Princess Luna. Ponies would tie little scrolls to the bases of each decorative moon, writing inside their wishes for their princess to recuperate soon. Octavia slowed down and took it all in. The fluffy snow under her hooves, the cold wind against her warm fur and the laughter and warmth of everypony around her. She looked up at the moon, and her eyes were caught by the lights that adorned the the street. Hovering forms made of light would dim and twirl in place, allowing the next set to grow stronger. They were shaped like snowflakes, moons and suns and stars... bows and bells, crystal champagne glasses and sparkling fireworks, yet never shining stronger than the full moon. And above, twinkling stars watched over the small town so far below. The feeling of calm, the clarity of the night, the welcoming warmth of Ponyville— it all made Octavia feel... small. A pony shuffled past her, brushing the saddlebags she still carried, and breaking the spell. Reminded of what she needed to do, Octavia hurried towards the Sugarcube Corner. She very much doubted that Mrs. Scratch would be able to perform without her LPs. Was she really an inspiration for Vinyl Scratch? The other pony had seemed so… aloof in the train, and her music was nothing like her own. Electronic abuse of LPs hardly qualified as music. Shaking her head, Octavia chased away the thoughts as she finally reached her destination. The confectioner's decorations were buried under snow, but she could still see the candy cane decorations on the sides of the front door. A big sign at the door declared the place "Closed for Party Preparations! Reopening at 8!" She walked up to the entrance and knocked, waiting patiently for a few moments before knocking again. She could hear voices inside, but it appeared that nopony had heard her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and peeked in. The warmth of the room hit her like a blanket that smelled of cookies and spices. Octavia looked around the main room, stepping in a bit further, eyes scanning the several pastries and the area cleared of tables in the center, presumably for ponies to dance. Streamers and balloons decorated the room, seemingly thrown at random, but somehow managing to strike a nice balance that made it look, at the same time, carefully placed. A fountain of sarsaparilla sprinkled gently in the center of a table covered in all sorts of cupcakes, cookies, muffins, fudge, cakes of several sorts and candy. Behind the counter, Vinyl and another mare stood facing each other, neither aware of their visitor. “I’m telling you, Pinkie! I can’t do my thing without my LPs!” Vinyl Scratch said, waving her hoof for emphasis. “All my stuff was in there! I can produce only so much from my magic alone! It’s a balance of styles and music that requires very specific combinations!” “Well…” Pinkie pondered for a moment, tapping her hoof on her chin. “I have some LPs from your previous concerts! Would that work?” Vinyl grimaced. “It… it’s not the same. I don’t want to pretend to be making the music if it’s just going to be a recording. Might as well not be here at all.” Pinkie shook her head. “Well, what about those saddle bags you brought? Isn’t there something you could use?” Vinyl flinched. “I- they’re not mine. I picked up the wrong ones at the station.” “Ohh!” Pinkie Pie gasped, nodding sagely. “Well if not that then…” her eyes strayed across the room and centered on Octavia, who had just approached them after shutting the door. “Hello! Don’t I know you? You look familiar!” She bounced over to Octavia and smiled. “Hi! If you’re here for the party is not due to start until about thirty minutes from now! Although it might not happen because Scratchy lost her LPs!” Octavia noticed that Vinyl had her mouth hanging open and was staring, eyes wide, in her direction. She smiled at Pinkie Pie. “Yes, we have met, Miss Pie. At the Grand Galloping Gala wh—” “Oh! Oh! I remember!” Pinkie giggled. “You helped me with the Pony Polka!” Grimacing, Octavia half-nodded. “Yes. Well, I wouldn’t call it helping... exactly.” “Oh, you know you did!” Pinkie Pie laughed, placing a foreleg around Octavia’s shoulders and leaning in conspiratorially. “Besides, you knew that that Beet-Hooven’s piece the director selected was too boring to keep ponies awake!” Octavia’s eyes widened. “What? Of course not! Beet-Hooven’s pieces are some of my favorites and—” “The pony polka was more fun!” “W-well, not that it’s not fun to play bu—” “The more fun it is, the better!” Octavia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Regardless of the polka’s more livelier aspects over Beet-Hooven’s regular work, I did not come here to discuss the… merits... of either. I was in the train with Miss Scratch and I believe she accidentally took my saddlebags.” She carefully placed Vinyl’s bags on the floor next to her. “So I brought hers, and if you don’t mind, I’d like mine back.” That snapped Vinyl Scratch out of whatever trance she was in, and she almost stumbled as she nodded and tried to step forth. “Y-yeah! Sure! Right away!” In a split second, she had galloped away past a wooden door behind the counter. Octavia and Pinkie could hear her scrambling up the stairs, and a loud ‘oof’ and a bump accentuated her scrambling perfectly. “Wow, I haven’t seen Vinyl run that fast since that time in Canterlot the ponies in her party stomped so hard the floors of the building gave under the stress and weight, and then they did it again on the floor below and the Royal Guard was called in to put a stop to them!” Octavia arched an eyebrow. “I am not sure whether I should be impressed or horrified.” “Improrrified!” “I see.” The scrambling resumed and this time they could hear Vinyl clearly galloping down the stairs. The door slammed open and Vinyl stepped out, horn aglow and Octavia’s saddlebags hovering behind her. “I’m so sorry, Miss Philarmonica!” Vinyl said, gasping and taking a deep breath to calm down before approaching Octavia. “I wasn’t paying attention. I promise it wasn’t intentional!” “Thank you, Miss Scratch.” “Oh, please call me Vinyl! Or Scratch.” Vinyl Scratch grinned. Octavia shook her head and smiled. It was odd that this mare was a fan of hers, but now that she heard her, it was clear that Vinyl Scratch had a lot more respect for her than Octavia had ever reciprocated. This gave her pause. “Then feel free to call me Octavia,” she replied after a moment, before putting her saddlebags on. “I’m just glad that we were able to find each other and sort our saddlebag dilemma so quickly.” “Aww…” Pinkie Pie pouted. “You’re not staying for the party?” “I… wasn’t planning to,” Octavia said. “I wasn’t invited, after all, and it would be rude to impo—” “You’re invited!” Pinkie shouted, hopping around Octavia, all smiles and somehow leaving a trail of glitter and confetti behind her. Octavia gave Vinyl a bewildered look, to which the other mare simply smiled and nodded at the pink menace before adding, “That’s Pinkie Pie!” As if it explained everything. Following the pink pony as she jumped around the room adding more sweets to the table or randomly producing inflated balloons out of nowhere, Octavia finally conceded to herself—as much as to Vinyl—that it did indeed explain everything. It hadn’t taken long for other ponies to soon start shuffling into the bakery-turned-party-venue. The door was almost perennially open, allowing anypony with a mind to it, entrance. The enticing smells, warm food, drinks and the soft-beat music they played before the main event started were certainly all factors in bringing the small community together. Nursing a steaming cup of warm, spiced apple cider, Octavia had taken a seat at one of the few single tables that lined the walls, out of the way of most of the gathered ponies, and certainly as far as she could be from the chill that wafted through every time a pony stepped in. And still, as happy and lighthearted as this reunion seemed, Octavia could see the traces of wariness in all ponies attending. Even the liveliest of occasions would not take away the shadow that Princess Luna’s illness cast over all of Equestria, and more than one pony was involved in hushed, worried conversations guessing the status of their beloved ruler. As the night matured, the room filled with more and more guests, until Octavia’s little niche was surrounded by ponies, all of them talking to each other, smiling, chatting, and worrying. An explosion of confetti and streamers demanded the attention of everypony present to the stage built on the opposite end of Octavia’s location, where Pinkie Pie stood, grinning at all her guests. “Hiya, everypony!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing in place and smiling wider, if possible. “Thank you for coming tonight! We have some very special ponies visiting tonight, but first of all I want to let you know that although she couldn’t be here, Princess Luna sends her regards to all of us!” Octavia blinked at the informal way Pinkie referred to the princess. Had they actually— Pinkie Pie waved a rolled-up scroll which gleamed with the clear symbol of Princess Luna’s court. Octavia reminded herself to close her mouth. “Now, we are all worried about the Princess,” Pinkie said, looking suddenly serious. “But we all have met her, and we know how much she enjoys having fun! So, tonight this party is dedicated to Princess Luna! We are going to have fun, everypony, and our fun will make her stronger! Twilight is already helping Princess Celestia in finding a cure, and we know how reliable Twilight is, right? So! Tonight, we party! And we celebrate Luna and the night and all the frightful tricks she plays on us! We’re not gonna let a little cold ruin her night, are we?!” A resounding “no!” came from the gathered ponies and Pinkie Pie stood on her back legs, forelegs outstretched up and grinning madly. “Then, let’s party!” she shouted. “And for things to get going, give a hoof to Vinyl Scratch!” And just like that, the worries melted from all ponies attending. The conversations became livelier, the smiles came to ponies faces much more easily. Octavia stayed where she was, watching as the ponies around her, stood up and joined the mass in the dancing floor. Vinyl Scratch stepped smiling onto the stage with two vinyl records spinning around her, enveloped in her magical aura. With a dramatic flair she sent both spinning discs over the crowd, leaving contrails of sparkling red and purple, before they performed a loop and landed right on her turntable. The ponies in the floor all fell silent as the soft sound of a cello slowly drifted across all of Sugarcube Corner. Octavia’s eyes widened as she recognized her portrayal of Cello Sonata in a minor D, by Horse Schubert. The piano and cello’s more somber introduction was left intact, looping twice unblemished… before, on the third repeat, a decidedly electronic sound emanated with it, interlacing itself with the piano and cello, but this time there was no loop, and as the melody became more playful, the electronic—or was it techno? She was never sure—music followed. It didn’t follow the full melody, of course, and within a few minutes it was mostly electronic, with her music coming up and dictating the mood of the music. Somber to happy. Happy to somber. Octavia shook her head. Never had she witnessed classical music be so overwhelmed by synthetic sounds. And yet... a smile spread on her lips as she tore her eyes away from the mass of dancing ponies to her warm cider. It was her music that made the piece. She took a sip of her cider, barely registering the movement of another pony shuffling close to her, until the pony sat across from her at her table. Blinking, Octavia slowly lowered her cup, and took note of the unicorn across from her. She wore a purple cape and a hat, both decorated with stars. The interloper was completely ignoring the rest of the crowd, staring instead, intently at Octavia, who looked at her quizzically. “May I help you?” Octavia asked, narrowing her eyes. “I am here to warn you, Miss Philarmonica,” the unicorn said without preamble, “that the Magna Anima Nocte is not what you think it is.” Octavia half stood, her agitation clear even to her as she clenched her mouth. “What—” “It’s dangerous,” the unicorn stated, not cowed at all by Octavia’s demeanor. “Those who attend will not come out unchanged… and it will not be a change for the better, if they come out at all.” The unicorn stood, and stepped to the side, clearly intent on leaving. “Wait. How do you know I was invited?” Octavia asked, leaning towards her. “Why is it dangerous?” “You’ve been warned,” the other mare replied, giving her a wary look. “And not only by me. Have you been having weird dreams, Miss Philarmonica?” “I—” Octavia cut off, looking away. ‘How does she know?’ She turned back to confront the unicorn, but she was gone. The only sign that she had been there at all, was the door closing behind the tip of her cape. The party had continued as if nothing had happened, which for most ponies there was the truth. Vinyl had a few more mixed songs, using samples of Octavia’s music to guide her own melodies. Every time she started a new one using them, she would look up at Octavia, as if waiting for her to stomp off angrily or to confront her about using her music. Octavia, however, had her mind on something else. Yet, the music on the background, and her own innate love and admiration for music would not be ignored. Her mind afar, she still found herself sometimes tapping the table and floor with her hooves, or nodding alongside the rhythm of the music. It was particularly embarrassing whenever Pinkie Pie came by and refilled her empty mug with warm cider. Every time she would look startled, and more than once she thought she caught Vinyl smiling in her direction when she looked wildly around to see if anypony had noticed. Her thoughts would inevitably go back to her discussion with the strange mare. How could the mare possibly know that her dreams had turned into uneasy nightmares? Why would anypony attending the Magna Anima Nocte be changed for the worse? And that implied threat… just what did that pony know? “So! How did you like it?” Vinyl’s voice made Octavia jump back and look up in surprise at the unicorn sitting across from her. “How long have you been there?” “A couple of minutes. After the music ended…” Vinyl motioned to the side, and they both watched several ponies talking, much more mellowed down. “I thought you had noticed, that with the tapping and nodding to it stopping as well.” Vinyl had a shit-eating-grin on her face as she said that, and Octavia had to fight her gut reaction to set it right. Octavia sighed instead, reigning in her retort. “It was very interesting, Vinyl. I can see the appeal for it.” “So… you’re not mad I sampled your music?” Octavia considered the question for a moment. “I suppose it would have been nice to know,” she said. “But sampling is allowed.” “Great!” Vinyl smiled. “Can’t wait for when I mix more of our music! Maybe we can do a thing together!” “Don’t get too ahead of yourself,” Octavia said, looking straight at Vinyl. “I think what you have done so far is nice, but us working together might require a lot of adjustments.” “Is that a yes?” “It’s not a definitive no.” Octavia sighed and finished off her mug, as Vinyl’s smile diminished. “Vinyl, your music is lively and interesting, but although you used the samples and music I made to give yours a direction and turn it into your own thing, it needed some balance. It’s great party music, but if we ever were to do this—and I am not promising we will—I don’t want my music to drown in yours.” Vinyl bit her lower lip before nodding. “I-I understand. I’ve been struggling with how to do that. It’s not just a matter of pumping up the volume in the right places.” “I really enjoyed it,” Octavia offered, trying to cheer Vinyl up. “It’s a bit rough, but it shows a lot of promise.” Vinyl nodded. “So…” she raised an eyebrow. “What did Trixie say to you? It seems to be really bothering you.” Octavia blinked. “Trixie?” “You know, unicorn, blue coat, magician’s hat and a cape full of stars?” “Oh.” Octavia shifted a little, unsure if she wanted to tell Vinyl about her doubts. But perhaps, finding more about this ‘Trixie’ would help her understand why the other mare was so... strange. “You know her?” Vinyl laughed. “Everypony in Ponyville knows Trixie. She’s a stage magician and professional annoyance. With all her “The Grrrreeeeaaat! And! Powerrful! Trrrrrrrixie!” gimmick. She’s gotten the town in trouble a couple of times.” “She wasn’t at all like that,” Octavia said. “She was… much more subdued, although I guess there was a bit of dramatic flair to the way she turned.” Vinil seemed, for once, speechless. “Wait, what? Octavia, the words ‘Trixie’ and ‘subdued’ don’t go together in one sentence unless the words ‘Gigantic Star-Spawned Bear’ are included in it.” “Wait,” Octavia shook her head, trying to process that. “What?” “What I’m saying is that she never acts like that! What did she say?” Octavia looked away. “It’s about… this event that’s going to happen soon and—” “The Magna Anima Nocte?” Octavia felt a chill run down her spine. “How did you know about that?” She looked down at her saddle bags. “Vinyl Scratch, did you go through my saddlebags?!” Vinyl cringed guiltily. “That’s not how I know about it!” she said quickly, making Octavia pause. “I got an invitation, see?” Her horn lit up and her own saddlebags opened. A familiar envelope floated out, settling just in front of Octavia, who didn’t resist the urge to open her own saddle bags and pull her invitation out. “Did you know?” she asked after a moment of silence. Vinyl blinked. “Know what?” “That I was invited to the Magna Anima Nocte. Is this why you were trying to be so friendly to me?” “No!” Vinyl’s vehemence took Octavia by surprise. “That’s not at all!” Vinyl continued. “Octavia, I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time. I had no idea you were here for the MAN, but I promise you, I’m not trying to be nice just to mess with you over a contest. I promise!” Octavia settled back into her chair. It was hard to read Vinyl behind her glasses, but her body language spoke of a desperate need to be believed, and her voice definitely sounded like she was truly upset. “Okay, okay, I believe you. Even though I don’t approve of the disrespect you show such an ancient tradition by calling it ‘the MAN’.” Vinyl sighed in relief. “But it still doesn’t explain why Trixie knew about it… or—” Octavia cut off, not willing to discuss her dreams with Vinyl. “Or what?” Octavia shook her head. “Nothing.” Vinyl nodded sagely. “Trixie has a real ability to get under anypony’s skin. Her show thrived for the longest time by simply having her upstage anyone that defied her or doubted her. She can be unnerving if she wants and definitely annoying.” Octavia stifled a yawn, and blinked at the grinning unicorn. “Oh my, I’m sorry Vinyl, I’m just very tired. I think I should head to the inn where I’m spending the night.” “Nah, it’s fine,” Vinyl waved her hoof dismissively and looked around Sugarcube Corner, sunglasses reflecting the ponies and decorations with an added reddish tint. “The party here is almost done. Let me walk you to the Inn, I know this town pretty well!” “I can tell,” Octavia said with a smile. She stood up and picked up her saddle bags, making sure there was no confusion before she slid her invitation back in. Wrapping her fluffy scarf around her neck and pulling her cello onto her back, she nodded at Vinyl. “Ready to go.” The chill outside Sugarcube Corner was actually a welcome feeling for Octavia. Sporadic, specks of snow floated down from the sky, shining silver and then gold as they transcended from the light of the moon into the glow from the streetlamps before settling silently into the snow on the road. Beside her, Vinyl Scratch took a deep breath, smiling openly at the sight before them. “I love this little town. It’s like they pulled it out of those Hearths Warming Eve foal books and made it reality.” The comment brought a smile to Octavia. “It is very nice. On my way to the party earlier, I had a hard time not stopping to take it all in and bask in how different and ideal this place is. It’s as if nothing could ever go wrong.” Vinyl chuckled, motioning with her head for Octavia to follow. “Let me give you a quick tour of the town before you go to the inn.” “You know which inn I’m staying at?” “In this town? There’s only one inn.” Vinyl’s smile was just as honest as earlier. “The Pasture Shelter right? It’s a nice place, stayed there the very first time I visited.” Octavia merely nodded, following Vinyl through the crunchy snow. By now there were no foals playing around, and the streets were mostly empty, save for the few ponies heading home after Pinkie’s party. If it had been already beautiful before, now, in the silence and peace of the night, Ponyville had an almost ethereal feel to it. It really did look picture-perfect, and Octavia nurtured the thought of staying there forever. After all, Canterlot could be a completely beautiful city, especially during the holidays, where the main streets would be decorated so fancifully that it would seem like another world… albeit a grand, almost overwhelmingly distant world. Ponyville, on the other hoof, was simply… simple. In a good way. Less hustle and bustle, less stress and less pretentiousness. She kept an ear on Vinyl’s short comments on the several places of note in town, until Vinyl fell silent as they left the edge of town. They could clearly see, where the pastures around Ponyville ended, a forest line… dark against the moonlight. As Octavia peered into its shade she almost felt like it was looking right back at her with such intensity that she took a half-step back. It felt as if some titanic awareness was suddenly completely focused on her, and the trees at the edge of the Forest were its maws, looming over her. “That’s the Everfree Forest,” Vinyl Scratch explained. “There’s lot of things going in there… and it’s full of dangerous creatures. Manticores… Timber Wolves… Hydra… I even think the entrance to Tartarus is there! Granny Smith has a lot of stories to tell about that place, let me tell you that!” she added, looking at Octavia with a wry grin. “And it has its own witch! A crazy—but good crazy—zebra called Zecora.” “It certainly looks dreary...” Octavia whispered, still unable to shake the feeling of being watched. Vinyl chuckled humorlessly, glancing at Octavia over her shoulder. “Might want to get used to it. The Castle of the Two Sisters is in the middle of it.”