"Announcing Trixie Lulamoon, and her familiar, Frisk. They are accompanied by a refugee." A pony stepped to the side, introductions delivered.
Cadance nodded at us. "Good to see you all return, and with company?" Her eyes fixed on Sweet Tooth. "Welcome. Refugee they say?"
Sweet tensed up but looked like she was trying to talk through it. "Oh, well, I think my city's been... It's a long time, your majesty. You have a... lovely, um, bright city."
I tried to come to the rescue, sliding partially in front of her. "This is Sweet Tooth. She was a chef a long time ago, before some calamity scattered her people. They lived underground." I put a hand low to the ground. "It's a long story that I'm still trying to piece together."
Trixie tipped her head towards me. "We are still unraveling this mystery. Trixie believes, like the Crystal Empire itself, her people have suffered a terribly long curse. Sweet has mostly shaken off hers, with our help."
Cadance tapped her chin curiously. "They lived beneath the Crystal Empire? How long ago was this? Did they come before or during its founding?"
Sweet shook her head quickly. "I don't know, your majesty. I don't even know how long I... I'd rather not speak of that."
A sympathetic look crossed Cadance's features. "You look haunted, please, relax. Nopony wishes you to be anything but comfortable. Tell me, if you would, why are you wearing Trixie's clothes? And while those glasses are adorable, I presume they are not your usual fashion."
Sweet looked up from the ground to take in Cadance's features for the first real time. Her head leaned off to the left slowly. "I... Miss, why... There's... Nnng." She arched her back up before it exploded upwards in a plume of black, tossing the cloak aside. She was still fuzzy across her belly, legs and head, but her back had become a huge visage of goopy tar with its own face that scowled at Cadance.
The tension of conflict erupted into full force even as the guards brought their spears to the ready and hurried to put themselves between Sweet and their princess. Words seemed to want to appear beside Sweet, but they were distorted badly and unreadable. I was on my own. Putting a hand out, I tried to calm things. "Sweet, relax. We're here for you, as friends."
"I am not sweet," spoke the greasy stuff in an unpleasant gurgle. "I am hungry. Princess of Light, revenge will be mine!" Without delay, it lashed out a black tendril and knocked two of the guards against the wall, where they couldn't escape, all gooped up and glued in place.
Trixie winced as she grabbed her discarded cloak and brought it around herself with almost unnerving ease. "Sweet Tooth, take control of yourself this instant."
Sweet stomped on the ground as she swayed left and right. "I'm trying! Oh... Oh please..."
The monster on top of her didn't care for her pleas, knocking the other half of the guards on duty aside. "Mistress of 'love'. You only sow hatred and death. Cursed with the touch of destruction, you look so delicious."
Cadance's wings shot out. "Get off that innocent mare!" she shouted before her horn lit up and she fired a pink beam into the gooey mass. It roared in seeming pain before it opened before the blast and, ate it, I thought? It began to swell larger on top of Sweet and Cadance cut off the beam. "This isn't working."
From behind us, Shining Armor and two more guards rushed into the room. The creature swung at them immediately, but Shining slid beneath its tendril and blasted it in a sudden slash of magic across its body. It wailed. Sweet wailed. They were both hurt by the strike.
This wasn't the right way. "Stop that!" I rushed between Sweet and Shining, only to get snatched up by a sticky psuedopod and yanked into the air. Despite hanging upside down, I waved my hands frantically. "It's all part of Sweet Tooth, don't blast it!"
I was suddenly gobbled, plunged into darkness. Was I dead? No! I was determined to save Sweet, and myself.
"--usual fashion," said Cadance with a sympathetic smile.
Sweet looked up at Cadance for the first real time, only to find her vision blocked as I rushed ahead of her and hugged her tightly. "It's okay..."
She recoiled in surprise, but smiled gently. "T-thank you. This is all... It's all so overwhelming. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a bother."
Cadance waved a hoof. "You are no bother. A pony in genuine need is not a 'bother'. You are welcome here. What did you say your tribe was?"
Trixie answered that with a smile, proud to have the information. "She is a dark pony. As far as Trixie has determined, they only had one variety, but that could be proven wrong in time. They can see in pitch darkness, though the sun harms them, and even the light of this room is considered glaring, which is why Trixie gave her those glasses."
Sweet smiled at Trixie. "Trixie is very kind to do that."
Trixie laughed softly. "Are you imitating her?" She leaned towards Sweet. "Go on."
They both giggled as I let out a sigh of relief. The catastrophe seemed to have passed.
Cadance nodded to our group. "Trixie, I leave her in your care for now. If you need funds to settle her or get her supplies, just submit the receipts and we'll handle it. She seems very comfortable with you and your familiar's company."
I nodded quickly. "She's coming with us, for now. She wants to see our task carried through, then we'll see about getting her a nice place to stay. She's already made a friend."
Cadance's features erupted into a warm smile. "Oh, has she? That's wonderful to hear. I hope you make many more. A good day to you all."
We were dismissed, and left quietly for the next party to come in for Cadance's time. Trixie moved up quickly beside me. "Do not forget Trixie remembers what she saw. She is glad that worked out. What did you do, precisely?"
I reached out and gently stroked across Sweet's left foreleg. "You were looking a little overwhelmed, Sweet. You haven't fully recovered from your traumatic time. Don't forget you have friends beside you, who care about you." I hadn't answered Trixie directly, but she seemed to catch the hint well enough.
Sweet turned red at her eartips gently. "It's good to know I do have friends like that. I'm still not sure what you see in me. We're so... different." She suddenly burst into giggles. "Oh who am I talking to? You're not even a pony and you obviously love Trixie so much. You don't care if we're different... You look past little things like fur or big snouts, or if someone is black or bright blue or even that tan color you have."
Trixie put a leg over me and smiled. "Trixie's familiar is very understanding." She squeezed lightly. "Even when Trixie thinks it is to his detriment. Stubborn little miracle worker."
We weren't challenged as we made our way through the castle to the exit. Trixie unfurled the map and pointed. "The next point is outside the city, about twenty minute's hike. It's located under a farmhouse. The house is recent, in the newly reconstructed suburbs of the city. All the farmland that had been in use fell back to the wilds after the city vanished. Hopefully the shadow forces there are not bothering the ponies that live there." She folded the map up and it vanished with a pop. "Shall we?"
I was ready to go, except one thing. "In all this rush, we never got some breakfast, and I think we should bring some extra with us, in case."
Sweet clopped her hooves together. "Oh! What do ponies up here eat? May I try some?"
Trixie waved the question away. "Of course you can. You are the guest of Trixie, and the entire city." She raised a brow. "Have you ever tried an oat shake?"
Unsurprisingly, we ended up visiting that oat shake stand. The pony there smiled at us. "Welcome back! Who's your new friend?"
I waved at Sweet from my Trixie mount. "She's Sweet Tooth. She's never had a shake before."
"Never?! Well, that gets fixed today." A tall cup was quickly produced and slid over the counter. "Here you are, mysterious mare. One of my personal favorites, cinnamon dash surprise."
Sweet reached up and cradled it between her forehooves before she could get her lips on the straw and give a soft pull. "Chilly!" She was quick to try sipping again. "Mmmm, but tasty. It's not very crunchy. How do you get the bugs in here so smooth?"
The standkeeper looked baffled. "No bugs, ma'am."
Trixie quickly ordered a shake for me and herself. "Don't mind her. She has exotic tastes, but she clearly likes your shakes."
Sweet had no reply to give, nursing at her shake with a happy little smile.
I looked to the pony behind the counter. "What would you suggest to take on the road, to eat later?"
"Oh, hmm, my shakes aren't good for that kind of thing, but there's a hayburger just one block that way." An out-thrust hoof pointed the way. "They have good to go options. Good luck on your mission."
And off we went, enjoying our shakes and picking up a bag each of what could become lunch later. Trixie sent them off to some other place, vanishing out of sight. "Trixie can retrieve them when we need them, have no fear."
Sweet shook her head a little with obvious awe. "How can you do things like that? I mean, besides being Great and Powerful."
Trixie tilted her head towards Sweet, bringing her horn closer. "See this? Trixie is a unicorn. Unicorns can perform magic, though many do little more than levitate things or tricks specific to their cutie mark. Fortunately for Trixie, her cutie mark is that of showmareship and flash, so she does many amazing tricks naturally. Trixie is also an eager learner, and has learned many more spells than what she picked up naturally."
Sweet huffed softly. "Lucky... I don't have any magic horns."
Trixie tossed her head, sending her mane in a swirl. "Not everypony can be born a unicorn, sadly."
I reached for Trixie's closest ear and gave a little pull. "Great and Powerful Mistress, that isn't a nice thing to say."
"Hey! It's not my fault unicorns have such obvious advantages."
I pointed up into the air at a pegasus sailing past. "Can you do that?"
Trixie looked up where I pointed and huffed. "No, Trixie supposes not... But she has pulled an entire wagon on her own before, as well as any earth pony, and worked on a rock farm when she had to."
Sweet shook her head. "I never did any of those things... I'll help though, I promise." She turned her head forward and focused on the day ahead.
We had a city to save.