//------------------------------// // Lunaverse Chapter 3 // Story: A Tale of Two Trixies // by GreyGuardPony //------------------------------// “Casse toi vous etes des idiots!” Trixie spat her Prench curses as the first line of four goats broke one side of Carrot Top’s fence, not wasting any time as they pounced on a row of plump and juicy looking carrots. She had already mostly worked out what the plan was and a key part of it was to do as much damage as they possibly could to the farm. And as another line of four slalomed between their eating friends, charging straight towards the farmhouse itself, she realized just how much of that they could do. Nothing for it then. Their magic resistance was a pain to deal with but she doubted that it was full proof. Time to play the numbers game. With the familiar tingle of her magic rushing through the core of her horn, Trixie flicked a blinding sphere of light towards the back row. Before she had even finished seeing how successful that blast was, she did it again, aiming for the front. And then again for the back row and again towards the front. She unleashed a hail of magical power upon the goat’s horned heads, pulling deeply from her wellspring of power. Many of the spells failed, shattering in a flurry of sparks, unable to find purchase on their magic eating nature. But others managed to punch through. The successful spells burst amongst the goats, eliciting panicked bleats as a few toppled to the ground in surprise. Raindrops chose this moment to crash right into one of the goats that had resisted Trixie’s first round of efforts. Wings beating hard, she lashed out with a hoof, catching one across the muzzle. The punch sent the goat flipping over and into one of his companions, Raindrops already throwing herself into another group. While the first two lines of goats struggled to deal with the enraged pegasus within their ranks, another group of three came smashing through the fence from the left hooved side of the field, lowering their horned heads at the group. Turning, Trixie hurled another volley of light blasts at them, sending the spheres whipping over Cheerilee’s head. The teacher was rushing to meet this next group with a wide smirk on her face, Carrot Top at her side. With surprising grace, Cheerilee grabbed the horns of one, swinging around to its side and yanking it to the ground with one smooth motion. Carrot Top grunted as she pushed against another, wincing while trying to push the goat back. The melodious notes of a lyre rose to join the discordant sounds of the fight, Lyra plucking away at her instrument. Back in her reality, Trixie had watched Lyra put a whole group of thugs for hire to sleep with a well placed lullaby. But this version of the mint green unicorn took a different tact. With each strum of the strings, waves of sound skittered along the ground, kicking up clouds of dust into the eyes of their attackers, sowing additional confusion. A smile began to cross Trixie’s lips, only to fall away at the sound of glass breaking. Another group of goats had broken one of the windows, and were starting to climb their way into the house. “Non!” Horn lighting up again, Trixie once more unleashed a flurry of spells. This time loud bangs of sound joined the brilliant flashes. She didn’t slow down, throwing spell after spell at the group. And she had no intention of stopping until she saw some results. “ON YOUR LEFT!” Cheerilee shouted. Turning again, Trixie saw the massive, grey colored billy from the Whitetail the moment before his horns impacted into her side. The wind was blasted out of her lungs, the world turning into a topsy turvy mess as she was propelled through the air with a flick of his shaggy head. Trixie had time to register just how strange some things looked upside down- the shocked look on Cheerilee’s face in particular- before she landed, bounced once, stopping snout first between a pair of carrots. Head swimming, Trixie could barely make out the sound of Raindrop’s shouting. Pushing herself back to her hooves she almost fell again, legs quaking, threatening to give out from under her. “Fils de pute.” She cursed. Shaking the cobwebs from her mind she quickly turned her attention back to the battlefield. Raindrops had thrown herself at the massive goat, the two locked in a grapple that the pegasus was surprisingly holding her own in. Face screwed up in determination and hooves set firmly against the goat’s shoulders, she slowly pushed forward, wings beating to give her more leverage. But the goat fought back with the whole of his body weight, making Raindrops earn every inch. The rest of the group was struggling to contain the rest of the herd, which was mostly ignoring their efforts. Lyra was still trying to use her magic to blast gouts of dirt into the goat’s eyes. While it was neatly side stepping their magic resistance, the fact that it seemed like the whole tribe was here was severely undermining her efforts. Even when she blinded one, another one would just swoop in and swipe another carrot, or smash another part of the fence. Carrot Top looked on the verge of tears as she tried to push yet another goat away from her farm, while Cheerilee was grappling with another pair of them, still staying light on her hooves to twist and slide around their swings. A familiar slow, burning sensation swelled in Trixie’s breast, her tail taking on a furious twitch. If this group of marauders wanted to do things the hard way, then so be it. Years of infiltrating a criminal organization had made Trixie more than capable of playing things the hard way. Snatching up a section of the broken fence in her aura she bolted towards the three that were trying to climb into the house again. Giving the wood a little twirl, she cracked it across the back of the lead’s leg, sending him falling backwards. Tapping into her magic, two more blasts of light were smashed into the faces of their friends, the heavy chunk of wood swishing through the air right behind them. The fury of the attack made the bucks turn and run, sprinting off into the distance. She turned again, back towards the rest of the battle, throwing herself into a stumbling charge. One foot away from the rest of the goats, she channeled again, sending out a massive flurry of sparks. Once again, the logic was simple. Overwhelm the resistance. Play the numbers. Again and again she threw the sparks and flashes of light forward, swinging the section of post at those who weren’t staggered by the illusions. Through the chaos, there was the occasional blur of magenta as Cheerilee attacked as well. Then Carrot Top stepped forward beside her, using her own section of broken fence post to prod dazed and confused members of the herd away from the fields. Pushing forward herself, Trixie grinned as the goats grew more and more confused, their previous discipline falling apart. Which was a very good thing, as a splitting headache was beginning to set in at the base of her horn. A deep, commanding bleat rang out, the herd turning as one before vaulting back the way they came. The leader left a moment later, giving up on his shoving match with Raindrops to chase after his herd. The farm was quiet. Trixie blinked a few times before looking around at everypony. “Is everypony okay? Anypony hurt?” Cheerilee’s response was to lightly poke her in the side, eliciting a fresh wave of pain. “Are we okay? Are you okay?” “I’m...fine…,” Trixie spoke through gritted teeth and watery eyes. She was, really. “We need...to go after them! They’re going to attack another farm!” “After a hit like that?” Raindrops said. “You’re lucky to be on your hooves!” Another ache flowed down Trixie’s horn. The illusionist peered at the two jasmine colored pegasi, her body swaying on her hooves. ...Why were there two? That...wasn’t good. And just like that her legs did give out, her vision swimming. “Carrot Top! You…,” she blinked a few times, fighting to stay conscious. “Don’t trust any-anypony to fix your farm…. Not unless you know them!” “What?” “Just don’t do it! It’ll...make sense. I just...need to take a little nap…then I’ll explain.” And then the world faded away. - - - - Carrot Top gasped as the alternate version of her friend collapsed to the ground. Lyra was already at her side, hoof to her neck, checking her pulse. “Unconscious…. I think she almost over channeled. Stars above though, she was...intense.” “Now what? If she’s right, some other member of the Farmer’s Union is about to get hit.” Raindrops frowned. “I’ll stay here with her,” Carrot Top supplied with a nod. “She’ll need some ether to help recover anyway.” Cheerilee nodded. “Okay. Come on girls! We’ll drive them out of here!” With her friends setting off after the goats, Carrot Top carefully hefted Trixie onto her back before surveying the damage. Truthfully it was less than it could have been. While great sections of the fence had been torn away, they had managed to contain the uprooting to one field and she was only down one window on the farmhouse. She’d be able to recover with a filed disaster claim. Carrying her charge inside, she carefully laid Trixie down on the couch before trotting into her kitchen to dig out a bottle of ether. Keeping a bottle or two mixed up was something that was almost becoming rote. Considering some of the things they got up to these days, it only made sense to have an insurance policy. Plucking one of the small blue bottles from it’s hiding place in the same cupboards where the bowls were kept, she trotted back to the couch. Carefully lifting Trixie’s head she slowly administered the magic restoring fluid, letting the unicorn reflexively swallow the potion a bit at a time. Once the last drop passed Trixie’s lips, Carrot Top tucked a pillow under Trixie’s head before turning her attention towards cleaning up the broken glass from the attack. She had just finished with this task when there was a knock on the door. Considering the knocks with a frown, she wondered who it was. Cheerilee and the others couldn’t be back yet. Not unless they lost the herd somehow. Frown still on her muzzle, she trotted over to the door and pulled it open a crack. A trio of stallions were standing before her door. The biggest one was a deep, muddy brown colored earth pony, his short mane and tail a mossy green. A gatsby cap was perched askew on his head, a broad grin- perhaps just a little too wide and friendly- crossing his muzzle. He was flanked by a slate grey pegasus with a storm cloud mark and a light tan earth pony with a mud puddle for a cutie-mark who also had very wide grins on their faces. Carrot Top blinked, looking from pony to pony before asking the most relevant question. “Can I...help you?” The lead pony smoothly pulled something from a pair of saddlebags on his back, presenting the square slip of paper. “Afternoon! Ah happened to notice that yer farm took a bit of a hit here. Just offerin’ a bit of assistance.” The distinct Neigh Orleans accent stuck in Carrot Top’s mind but she took the card to read anyway. Simple blocky letters spelled things out clearly, Bayou Runner Construction and Renovation. “We do good solid work and we charge a bit less than other outfits. I believe in honest work and honest prices. I bet I could repair all of this for twenty percent less than my competitors.” His eyes roamed over the farm for a moment, “Say...sixty bits?” “I see.” Carrot Top frowned. “Are you...new in Ponyville?” “Well, I was on my way to Canterlot for some business and was passing through. Couldn’t help but notice the damage.” She supposed that made sense. Ponyville did sometimes see visitors heading north towards Canterlot. And the offer was tempting to the constantly bit strapped mare. Disaster payments were paid on on the value of what was broken, plus a percentage for labor. If an individual pony could cut the cost of the repairs, then they could conceivably wind up with a few extra bits in the box. But Trixie’s words echoed in her mind. They just...showed up, right after the goat attack. Proposing to fix the damage that was just done. It all seemed far too convenient. Giving a pleasant smile, she shook her head. “Thank you, but I don’t think that I need your services.” There was a brief moment where Carrot Top could have sworn that she saw an angry twitch in his eyes. But as fast as it was there, it was gone and his grin was all the wider. “Not a problem! Ya’ll have a nice day now.” With that, the three trotted off, further down the road without a care in the world. Carrot Top watched them go until they disappeared out of sight. Frowning, the farmer began to close the door, before pausing, a thought running through her head. Trixie was sleeping soundly on the couch and the battle had moved on. She'd probably be okay for just a moment. Taking a deep breath, she galloped towards one of the other farms. - - - - Cheerilee found herself wondering as she galloped along with her friends, following the herd’s trail. Sometimes it seemed like Ponyville had perhaps done something in the past to lay a curse down upon it, with all the wild things that kept happening to the town. Though a group of goats raiding the farms for food was almost downright normal. The lush rows of grapevines that belonged to Green Grape’s vineyard were coming into view now, where another fight was already underway. This time the goats had split into two groups. One was rampaging through the rows of vines, alternating between ripping whole sections down for a snack and fighting the small collection of ponies that Green Grape had pulled together to protect her farm. The other half had just decided to tear into her house, breaking as much as they possibly could. Throwing things through windows, kicking in doors, running into the depths of the house where even more cracking and shattering sounds rose. ‘ Raindrops growled, “I’m already tired of this. They’re just going to keep running ahead of us the minute we try to stop them!” Lyra frowned, rubbing her chin with the back of a hoof. “Can’t we use that though? If they’re just going to keep on running we can eventually run them out of town, right?” “It’s not a bad idea,” Cheerilee nodded. “Even a better chance if we focus on their leader. This looks like an old school wandering tribe.” “Let’s get to it then!” Raindrops nodded, shooting forward with a flap of her wings. Rushing forward they shot directly towards the main house where most of the noise of destruction was coming from. The large grey leader of the tribe came into view as they passed the smashed in doorway, standing amongst the shattered wreckage of the living room. Green Grape was there as well, brandishing a rake at the goat. Jabbing the pointy end at his shaggy hide, her face was screwed up in frustration and anger as the massive goat kept sidestepping her strikes. “Get out you reprobate!” A hole was kicked in her wall in response, which was more than enough for Raindrops. With another flap of her wings, she threw herself right into the hulking goat, her forelegs locking around his great grey neck. He reared up with an angry bleat, thrashing his body about to try and throw the pegasus from his body. Cherilee swooped around from the side, lashing out with a kick at his rear legs. Said limbs buckled from the kick, his body beginning to waver, the extra weight form Raindrop’s presence throwing him even more off balance. Grinning wide, Green Grape swept her rake at the goat’s hooves. With another bleat, he hit the floor, Raindrops maintaining her grip on the way down. But even as he fell, the old goat continued to lash out with his curved horns, swinging his head at any pony that drew close. One of those great horns clipped Raindrops, sending her toppling back. Rolling across the floor, she came to a stop against the couch, only to roll back to her hooves and charge back into the fray. She and Cheerilee lashed out at once, while Lyra scooped up a bunch of broken furniture pieces from the floor to propel at him. The combined strike sent the goat tumbling towards the front door. That seemed to be enough for the Tor’s leader, for he quickly sprang to his hooves and bounded back out into the vineyards, summoning his host with a deep cry. “After them!” Cheerilee shouted, pointing a hoof at the fleeing goats before giving chase. Raindrops and Lyra galloped after her, only to be joined by Green Grape and her rake a moment later. And as they followed the goats over the hill, towards another farm, the chase had begun. At the next farm it was mostly the same. Red Onion, as furious as he could grow when his produce was threatened, found his fields and home assaulted by the strength of the tribe. Fences were torn down, crops uprooted and damage unleashed against the farm house. And while Raindrops, Cheerilee and Lyra once more attacked the leader, the whole group got up and tore off again, leaving the ponies to keep up the chase. Cheerilee was beginning to huff and pant as they approached Boxxy Brown’s cherry orchards, the rows of trees and their bright red fruit already visible on the horizon. It was becoming increasingly obvious to the school teacher that this tribe was quite used to the rigors of living off the land and had stamina to spare. “Sun above!” Lyra panted. “We can’t keep this up!” “I’m open to suggestions.” “It doesn’t help that there’s only three-” Raindrops began. Green Grape quickly corrected that statement. “Four!” “And five!” Red Onion added. “Fine! Five! Five of us against two dozen goats!” Lyra spoke up again, voicing one of her own hidden hopes. “Well, maybe Boxxy’s managed to get enough workers together?” Cheerilee winced as a line of farm workers and Boxxy now came into view, arranged in a ragged line before the tall cherry trees. Six more, plus their own five, against the two dozen goats. She didn’t like those odds. Right before the lines met, the goats split around Boxxy and his workers, charging deep into the trees before making for the farmhouse and the barn. With a snarl and a flap of her wings, Raindrops soared higher letting the warm spring thermals carry her above the goats. With another, deeper frown, she tucked her wings back and dove straight for the leader. The impact sent the two tumbling end over end in a tangle of limbs and wings. Raindrops quickly scrambled back to her hooves, facing down the great goat with flared wings and an angrily thrashing tail. “No more of this! I’m done with you and your band! Back off!” The great goat leader actually smiled as he dipped his head towards the pony that opposed him. “Very brave, pegasus. Tell Blackhoof who keeps denying his tribe forage this day?” “Raindrops. And I know this is about more than just food! You’re damaging everything! And I saw you eat that note in the woods!” Blackhoof’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hoof idly pawing the ground. And then, without another word, he charged right for Raindrops. The pair immediately locked up in another grapple, strength matching strength. It was at that point when the lines of ponies and goats collided under the cherry trees hooves and farm tools lashing out at each other in a disorganized mess. While the pony defenders attempted to corral the herd and force it back off the farm, the goats used their superior numbers to break through the lines, and attack the buildings, forcing the ponies to scramble to reform their containment line. As this back and forth pattern repeated itself, Cheerilee found herself growing more and more frustrated. Taking another swing at one of the goats that was trying to rip a window shutter off the farmhouse, she cursed under her breath, wishing that they had more ponies here- “Nope!” That deep voice preceded the sound of even more hooves pounding their way through the orchard. Another group of farmhands, with Big Mac at the lead, slammed into the fray. The big red stallion forced his way through the goats, falling into step besides Cheerilee with a nod. “Not that I’m complaining,” Cheerilee smirked, “but how’d you know we were here?” Throwing his body into another goat, Big Mac sent him stumbling away before providing his answer. “Carrot Top paid us a visit. Figured you could use our help. Just followed the damage.” “Well, alright then! Let’s run them out of here!” With the arrival of Big Mac and the Sweet Apple Acres crowd, the goats finally began to give actual ground. Shoved, jabbed and poked, they began to be forced off the farm, but this time in the direction the Equestrians wanted. Away from the farms and towards the wilderness that surrounded Ponyville. Blackhoof and Raindrops circled each other in the middle of the melee, each one a coiled spring as they jockied for position. Raindrops struck first, throwing herself against Blackhoof’s legs. The goat slid back but then gave an angry bleat and reared up, before bringing his hooves down in a brutal strike. Raindrops caught the strike with her own hooves, grunting as she strained against Blackhoof’s efforts. For a moment the two were locked in an even hold, neither able to force the other to give an inch. But then there was a blur of magenta as Cheerilee nimbly sprang on the goat’s back, throwing her hooves over his eyes. Blinded and confused, Blackhoof let loose another angry bleat, returning to thrashing about in a desperate attempt to remove the Element of Laughter from his body. Taking advantage of the confusion, Raindrops lashed out with another kick, catching him in the underside of barrel. Blackhoof hit the ground again, Cheerilee jumping clear. The goat leader scrambled back to his hooves and then ran, joining his herd as they retreated off into the wilderness. A happy cheer rose from the pony lines as the last of the goats vanished from view, the farmers mostly happy to see the threat to their fields gone. But for Lyra, Raindrops and Cheerilee a question was stuck in their mind. If this was the first round, what was going to be the encore? - - - - Trixie groaned, the waking world returning to her with an annoying slowness, horn aching in protest. She could feel a hoof under her neck, a cool bottle being pressed to her lips. “Drink up,” Carrot Top’s voice commanded. “You’re still pretty weak from that near over channel.” Not needing much encouragement, Trixie inhaled the liquid, ignoring the truly vile taste of the mixture. Relief quickly flowed into her horn, the ache fading before it finally began to completely release its grip. “Can you sit?” Trixie nodded, pushing herself into an upright position on the comfortable couch. Shaking the remains of the cobwebs from her head she sighed, looking at Carrot Top with a slight smirk. “This is turning into a bad habit with us, you realize.” Carrot Top chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but you’re the pony that keeps incapacitating herself.” “Yeah...got me there. Still worth it if your farm is okay.” Carrot Top got to her hooves, trotting into her little kitchen where the sound of a kettle was whistling away. “Okay enough. It’s...not much damage. The local emergency fund might be enough to cover it, actually.” “Good.” Trixie nodded. “Somepony visited while you were unconscious by the way. They were offering to do repairs. It was the strangest thing too. Almost like you called it.” Trixie raised an eyebrow, feeling even more alert than she was a moment ago. “You didn’t take them up on their offer did you?” Carrot Top returned from the kitchen, a pair of teacups balanced on a tray. “No, I didn’t. I’m guessing you knew they’d show up? All part of this plan?” “It hit me just before the goat herd showed up. I’ve seen this scheme in play before.” Trixie shook her head, “It’s a simple idea really. And totally takes advantage of actual laws meant to protect ponies.” Carrot Top blinked, tilting her head slightly. “What do you mean?” “It’s like this,” Trixie gingerly lifted one of the tea cups in her magic. “You have a piece of property that you want, but the owner isn’t interested in selling. So, you throw a wrench into the works. Arrange for some ‘accidents’ to happen. Do damage to property. So on and so forth.” “What, then they agree to sell?” “...Mmm. Not really. You only let your target know you were behind it if you’re doing a straight protection racket thing. You know, the whole ‘Boy, it would be a shame if something happened to your house here.’ kind of thing. In this case, the goal is to not let them know you were behind it.” Carrot Top took a sip of her tea, motioning with a hoof for Trixie to continue. “Why’s that?” “So that you remain ‘clean’ when you approach your mark offering to repair the damage. You offer cheaper rates than the competition or better service...whatever you need to get them on the hook. Then you drag out the repairs, and bleed your target dry. Then they can’t pay you. Which is when you put a contractor lean against the property. Once they default, you just take the property for yourself.” “You can do that?” Trixie idly swirled her tea. “Oh yeah. Technically, it’s all legal...assuming the laws are the same between worlds.” Frowning, she considered the matter. It very much seemed like the plan she had seen done before. “Yeah...I have to assume they are since he’s pulling this scam. The point is, contractor liens are there to protect the contractors. The shady part is where you’ve basically manipulated events to ensure that your mark failed. I saw Bayou Runner pull this trick once. He wanted to control an auction house in Neigh Orleans so he’d have first pick of all the antiques and possible magic that passed through it.” “Oh! That was the other thing that was odd. You won’t believe this, but the pony who was making the offer was also named Bayou Runner.” Trixie promptly spit out the tea that she had just taken a drink of, fixing Carrot Top with a disbelieving stare. “What? I thought that your world was used to the idea of alternate realities?” “That’s not what I’m doing the double take about! Bayou Runner is dangerous! And if your version is even close to my version, this whole town is in really deep trouble!” With that, she was up, already staggering for the door, “Come on! We need to find him and put a stop to this!” “Trixie! Hold on!” Carrot Top threw herself between Trixie and the door, glaring the unicorn down. “You’re not in any state to go running off after somepony!” “You don’t understand! We need to stop him!” “Raindrops, Cheerilee and Lyra already went after the goats and Ditzy will be back with Princess Luna by tonight at the latest. We can tell the other farmers to not take his offers. But you’re not running off to get hurt again!” Trixie grit her teeth, muzzle twisting into a snarl. “Carrot Top, get out of my way! I won’t let him hurt anypony else! And he will hurt other ponies unless I take him down!” “You’ll take him down? Trixie, you sound like a mad mare-” “HE KILLED MY MOTHER!” Carrot Top jerked back for a moment, eyes wide with shock. Trixie stood her ground, teeth still clenched in fury. Taking a deep breath, Carrot Top leaned forward again, putting a hoof on the side of Trixie’s neck. “Trixie...this isn’t your Bayou Runner. This one...he didn’t kill your mother. You’re just assuming that he’s as vicious as yours was.” “He’s still trying to steal ponies livelihoods.” “And that will be stopped. But have some context! You over channeled and got rammed by a goat. You can’t just go...running after him!” Trixie pouted, flopping back on her haunches. There was a great deal of her that wanted to argue back, to point out to Carrot Top everything that Bayou Runner had done back in Neigh Orleans. But the farmer had thrown a point back into her face that she couldn’t ignore. This wasn’t her Equestria and this wasn’t her Bayou Runner. “Fine. I guess we can regroup and wait for Princess Luna to show up. But then-” “Then, we’ll probably do what Princess Luna wants to. No offense, but I think that getting our Trixie back is more important. Again, no offense.” “I...understand,” Trixie sighed. “Your world does need its Element Bearer more than it needs Bayou Runner gone.” “I still think he’ll go to jail in the end Trixie. We’re not helpless here.” “Fine,” Trixie huffed. Scuffing a hoof along the floor, she paused, then sighed and nodded towards the door. “Look, I’ll meet you back at ‘my’ place, okay? I need to take a walk and...clear my head I guess.” Carrot Top gave a rather deadpan look. “Trixie. You’re not going to run him down in the street or something.” “Nope.” “Promise?” With another sigh, Trixie placed a hoof against her chest, before tracing a circle shape. “Promise. I will not run Bayou Runner down in the street.” “Okay,” Carrot Top nodded. “We’ll meet you back at ‘your’ place once we meet Princess Luna.” Smiling softly, she patted Trixie on the back. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you back home.” Those words danced around in Trixie’s mind. Carrot Top obviously meant them. She obviously had a real connection with her own double. A friendship strong enough to claim the Elements of Harmony. There was a spike of jealousy, brief and intense, in her own heart. She had a team, sure. But how close of friends were they, really? And her relationship with her own Element Bearers...well, that was more of a long distance letter kind of affair. These mares...well, they had something deep. And that was admirable. “I know Carrot Top,” she smiled. It was a broad, genuine smile. “You’re all good ponies. I trust you. I’ll see you back at “my” place.” Trotting out the door, she quickly began to head down the road and back towards the center of Ponyville. She had every intention of living up to her promise to Carrot Top. No running down Bayou Runner in the middle of the street. That didn’t rule out following him though. - - - - The Ponyville plan was turning out less than idea from Bayou Runner’s point of view. Neatly snapping up most of Ponyville’s farms was turning out to be harder than he first anticipated. Blackhoof’s herd had done less damage than projected, a few of the farms emerging completely unscathed. It seemed that the locals had put up more of a fight than he thought, actually driving the herd away. And after a few hours of walking from farm to farm, making offers, they had come away with very few bites and bits. Which lunch had chipped away at. As annoyed as that left him Runner found himself forced to admit it was- at least partially- his own fault. Of course Ponyville would be a tougher nut to crack compared to some of his other conquests. This town sat right on the edge of the Everfree. It was the home of the Element Bearers. Plus, all the stories about some of the strangeness that already surrounded the community? No. The more he had considered the situation, the more it was evident that he had vastly low balled the ability of this town to recover from a disaster. If, in the end, there were no bits to be made here, then that would be entirely on his own head. This was why he, Muddy Waters and Stormfront were currently wandering the town itself, trying to see if there was something to salvage here. “What about that place?” Muddy gestured towards a building that looked like it had been built from cotton candy and gingerbread as they passed it, the smell of freshly baked breads and sweets wafting from an open window. “Not quite in the mood to become a baking magnate, Muddy.” Bayou drawled, sparing a dismissive glare at his hired muscle. “The Apple Trust has power to spare. That’s what I was shooting for.” Stormfront ruffled his wings, gazing up at the late afternoon sky. “We could take another shot at it boss. Tap the Everfree or maybe have some ‘ringers’ sent out way?” “I’d love to, if the Oaton connection hadn’t completely dried up. Ain’t no way we’ll be able to drop a fire drake in on this one. Now, finding somethin’ in the Everfree….” What little research he had done on the town indicated that something like that had happened in the past. Still, the odds of them being able to find a suitably large monster again…. The sharp blare of a whistle, and the grinding rumble of steel on steel announced the arrival of a train to the village. A cloud of smoke and steam rose over the roofs, revealing that they had wandered closer to the train station than Bayou Runner had realized. But it wasn’t the expected ensemble of disjointed hoofbeats, signalling the arrival of travelers and tourists, that approached down the street. Instead, it was the clipped and rhythmic cadence of heavy horseshoes on dirt. Further down the street the few ponies that could see into the next one gasped, dropping to their fetlocks with bowed heads. The disappointment Bayou Runner felt before returned and then doubled as he did the same, knowing exactly what was coming. For while Bayou Runner had been born in Neigh Orleans, he conducted business in Canterlot. It had been good feeding off the broken remains of the ponies ruined by the Night Court’s fighting. But there, he had gotten used to both the sight and sound of the Night Guard. The Shepherd of the Moon, the Caretaker of the Sun, the Mistress of the Star Beasts, the Sovereign of the Three Tribes and Ruler of the Land of Equestria, and final nail in the coffin that were his plans, Princess Luna Equestris swept into view, flanked by a quartet of her armored Night Guard. The monarch’s expression was dour, borderlining on furious as she strode down the street, sparing a few perfunctory nods to her subjects. Passing by Bayou Runner without a second glance, the earth pony raised an eyebrow at the collection of ponies that hurried along behind her. The element bearers, minus Trixie Lulamoon but plus a small unicorn foal, were following the princess. Her presence with the princess pointed to some kind of “official business” going down. Briefly, his mind gnawed at the question of “What?” before he pushed it aside. Really, it was irrelevant. No matter what they were going to be discussing here, it meant that plan was shot. Pulling off something under the muzzle of Princess Luna was downright insane and he’d have no part of it. Rising with the others once Luna passed he gave a resigned snort. “Time to pack it in. We aren’t going to make any money here.” Lost in thought and annoyance at what happened, Bayou Runner failed to notice the pony that began to follow him towards the train station. - - - - “Well...she’s gone.” Princess Luna sighed, pushing down the desire to massage her forehead and curse in front of her Night Guard. After a knocking on the door unsuccessfully a few times, Cheerilee had taken it upon herself to slip in via a window and search the house. With the alternate Trixie not inside, the princess of the night glanced towards the last pony that had seen her. “Dame Carrot Top, what exactly did this Trixie say to you before you parted ways?” “Well,” She said, nervously shuffling her hooves. “She told me about Bayou Runner’s plan. Or what she had worked out about it anyway. Then she wanted to go after him right then and there. I thought I managed to talk her out of it,” a deep frown crossed her face. “I mean, she promised. Circled her heart and everything.” That description triggered a distant memory in Luna’s mind. Something from the days immediately post her rise to the throne. “Can you show me the gesture?” Nodding, Carrot Top placed her hoof to her breast, before tracing a simple circle in her fur. Luna frowned, the icy tendrils of fear that had been creeping through her body since Ditzy came running growing all the more pronounced. “I see….” “Princess...what’s wrong?” It was Lyra that had asked the question, but all of the element bearers were looking to her, their expressions various stages of concern. “While most of Equestria was happy that I had taken control after my...wanderings,” Luna began. “It wasn’t universal. Even back then, there were still cults and secret societies that thought Corona was the true ruler of Equestria. One of them went by the moniker of the Golden Ring. They were…,” she trailed off for a moment, ruffling her wings while she thought of the right way to explain the group. “Academics, I suppose? At least the core of the group. It was mostly made up of ponies from major cities. The hold outs, really. But that gesture?” She repeated it, frowning a bit deeper. “That was their secret gesture of greeting.” Raindrops snorted, flaring her wings. “So, what...are you saying that her story isn’t true? That she’s some kind of Corona spy?” Luna considered that. It had been in the back of her mind since Carrot Top mentioned the circling of the heart, truth be told. It seemed unlikely at first…. But then again, her previous arrival to Ponyville to hop between worlds hadn’t been the most subtle thing she had ever done. It wasn’t past the realm of possibility that her sister had somehow found out what happened before and was trying to trick them, even now. Ditzy shook her head. “I don’t think that’s what’s going on. I mean...we all talked to her. She may not be our Trixie, but I don’t think that any of us could argue that she is a Trixie. Besides...wouldn’t there be easier tricks to pull than ‘I’m from an alternate universe!’?” “Either way, I’m guessing she probably went after Bayou Runner.” Cheerilee said. “Despite her beliefs, she has no proof of any wrongdoing.” Luna sighed. “And based on what Dame Ditzy told me, she’s more than willing to engage in acts of questionable legality to see a target locked away.” Lyra idly tapped her chin. “How are we supposed to find her though? I’m guessing she’s chasing Bayou Runner, but where would he go-” “His address!” Carrot Top exclaimed. “He gave me a business flyer with his address! It was in Canterlot!” Luna blinked. “Do you remember it?” “439 East Cornflower Street.” It took Luna a few moments to consider the options. It seemed logical in her mind that Bayou Runner was most likely not still in Ponyville. She had, again, not been subtle about her arrival and if the business pony had been working covertly under her muzzle (a fact that angered her as much as the Night Court’s corruption), he most likely did it by staying quiet. Most likely, he would return to Canterlot. And Trixie would most likely follow. The path was clear then. “Captain,” She began, turning towards the leader of the small Night Guard squad. “Collect some volunteers from Ponyville and search Whitetail Wood. Find the tribe and bring them to justice or their leader, Blackhoof at the very least.” “By your command, your highness.” He bowed, before trotting off. “The rest of us shall fly ahead to Canterlot, and intercept Trixie at the train station.” “Fly?” Carrot Top winced. “Yes…,” Luna smirked. “I’d suggest holding on.” - - - - Trixie peered over the seats in front of her, wrapped in the best invisibility charm she knew. Bayou Runner and his omnipresent muscle sat four rows ahead, chatting with each other. Most likely about how they were going to screw yet another pony out of their home and livelihood. Their bags rested on the floor in front of them, probably full of information, secrets and bits, assuming that this Bayou Runner was anything like hers. She moved closer, slipping a few more seats forward, ears twitching. It was easier to make out the conversation at this point. “Really,” Bayou Runner began. “At this point, it’s all about hunkering down and consolidating what we have. Now that the night court has up and wrecked their reputation, we can’t use their own corruption as a shield anymore.” Muddy Waters blinked, as slow on the uptake as ever. “Boss...are you saying that we should actually go legit? I don’t want to do construction.” Bayou Runner rubbed his forehead. “No, we aren’t going completely legit. We just need to be careful what we go after. I want to take a look at some of the prospects once we get back to the office.” Now that was something Trixie would be able to work with. She’d follow him back to the address he gave Carrot Top, find evidence of everything he’d done and then present it to this universes’ Princess Luna to make sure he went down- Princess Luna. Who was probably going to be very annoyed that she wasn’t there and who could probably make it back to Canterlot before her, assuming alicorns here were as powerful back home. May have not thought this one through all the way. She mentally cursed, running through her options as quickly as possible. Just walking out the train doors wouldn’t work. A skilled mage could easily see through an illusion and if the princess of Equestria wasn’t an amazing spell caster, she’d be shocked. And as the princess would probably be waiting at the train station, that really only left one option to avoid being caught. Frowning, Trixie cast her gaze towards the spire of stone that rose in the distance. She would have to climb the mountain.