Outside the city proper, it looked like the country side went on forever. There was also more snow out there.
"The city itself wards most of the snow, but the effect weakens as one travels away from it." Trixie looked at me over a shoulder. "We are in the far north, if you weren't aware."
Sweet tilted her head lightly. "Far north of what? We've already gone further than I remember ever going before. Just how large is outer space, anyway?"
I pointed out to the horizon, which seemed to go on and on. "It's pretty large. We can't even see it all from here." I didn't want to think about that much, that is, I meant... If I couldn't get home? "Trixie? If I'm still here after we finish this quest--"
"Why wouldn't you be?" She quirked an ear at me. "You are Trixie's familiar. We are bound for life. That isn't so bad, is it?"
She sounded a little defensive there. I smiled gently and ran a few fingers through her mane. "No, you're not a bad horse mom, just not my original, and I miss her a little, and my friend."
Trixie drew to a stop. "You had a mother? And a friend?" She peeked over her shoulder. "Trixie thought you were alone before this."
Sweet looked up and across at me, her own ears dancing. "You're not that different from me. I miss my boy, and my friends too." She let out a wistful sigh. "I wish I could go back to them, but I suppose that isn't going to happen." She put a hoof over her chest. "You helped me, I'll return the favor."
Trixie quickly nodded. "Trixie is also here. She will not leave her familiar in crisis." She pulled me up with magic and set me between herself and Sweet. "Trixie has been inconsiderate perhaps. If it makes you happy to call her mother... then go ahead."
I was going to say something, I swear, but Sweet grabbed me into a strong squeeze. "You can call me mom too!"
Alright, two horse moms was maybe too much. I burst into laughter at the whole situation. "Sweet, I'll call you a friend."
Trixie nodded and looked a little cocky at my announcement. "Yes, there is only one mother allowed. Though you are both of our friends."
Sweet stuck out her tongue a little, then sighed as she released me. "I shouldn't be trying to replace my child like that..." She looked to Trixie directly. "You have a very nice child."
"Familiar," corrected Trixie. "And he is Great and Wonderful, like Trixie."
Motioning ahead, I tried to remind them of our mission. "We should get going. The mystery's not going to solve itself."
Trixie snatched me back up to her back and they resumed trotting along the road, clip-clopping side by side. Sweet glanced over on the way. "Do you think they were genuine?"
"Mmm?"
"About liking me, despite my being so different than both of them. We've barely even met and they just don't mind that I'm... what I am."
Trixie shook her head. "You are not offensive to begin with. You should use it to your advantage. Groomed and well-cared for, you will strike many as exotic, not alien. There is a difference."
Considering over her situation, I shrugged. "It'd be nice if we could figure out how to get you out of those clothes if you wanted to without you being burned, but that's not your fault."
Sweet gave a little nod, before a smile returned. "The princess said I could have a house, did she not? I can make it nice for me there, where I can be as clothed as I want to, or don't."
As we walked, I imagined her little abode, windows all closed tightly against the light. Would visitors need to bring lanterns? The image was amusing, but not productive. I turned my eyes ahead to where the farm house was getting closer. The fields looked normal. I think they were growing crystal berries? They glimmered and they were round and different shades of blue and red. So long as they weren't as hard as the gems they looked like, I would have tried to sample one, but who could be sure?
Emerging from the farmhouse was a crystal pony with a passive face. A stallion, I thought. I was starting to get the hang of telling one from the other. He walked towards us in no particular hurry. "'Lo there. Ya come from the city? Not much to be seeing here, I'm afraid." His voice lacked energy, and his eyes didn't quite meet ours.
I didn't like it, and I think Trixie felt my tension. "Oh, excuse us. We've come to address a little disturbance and we'll be out of your way in no time at all. I am Trixie, this is my familiar, and our friend, Sweet."
"Yuh huh. Well ya can just turn right around. There ain't nothing wrong around here that needs fixing."
Sweet's nose danced. "Why do you smell like spicy beetles?"
The farmer recoiled in the first true show of emotions. "W-what?"
Sweet nodded quickly. "I haven't had one of those in forever. Just like the name goes, they're very spicy." She gave an appreciative mmm. "Great on their own or in combination."
Trixie raised a brow lightly. "Yes, well, we'll just be a moment, sir."
"Ya don't get to... Alright." That was a sudden shift. "Go on. Ya won't find nothin'. Just wasting your time, really." He stared at us despite the permission given, not moving.
Trixie edged around the crystal pony. "Yes, right. Perhaps nothing at all." She scooted quickly past him, but he turned with us, and began following after us. He didn't say anything, just stared and followed a little too close for comfort.
Sweet pushed closer against us, one of my legs got trapped between Trixie and her. "Why is he following us like that?"
Neither of us had a good answer for that. Trixie raised her horn high and it began to glow softly, then pulse as she turned it around. It began to strobe more rapidly and she veered off into the crystal berries field as she muttered to herself.
Sweet suddenly sniffed loudly. "There it is again. Spicy beetles! Do they live here in outer space too? What amazing creatures if they do." She licked over her lips. "Would you mind if I had one?"
I shrugged. "No harm in that, if you actually see one." I sure didn't see any beetles crawling around. "Trixie, do you know where we're going?"
"Not precisely, but she's almost certain it's close." She did a slow turn with a toss of her head.
"Stop stepping on the berries." The farmer hadn't ever left us, still staring. "That's how I make muh living." He gave Sweet a shove off of a row of immature berries. "Ya sure are causing plenty of trouble."
Sweet span on him and bowed her head. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. I didn't mean to--"
He gave her another shove. "Not meaning ta doesn't fix the crops, now does it."
"N-no. I'm sor--"
He swatted her across the face, knocking her glasses off into the berries. She squealed and closed her eyes tight. Despite her discomfort, he advanced on her. "Why don't you and your friends just git."
Trixie stepped between Sweet and the farmer. "Keep your hooves to yourself. She doesn't deserve this. She said she's sorry, leave her alone."
Tension grew as he gave a little growl, but no words appeared beside him, at least, beside the bare basics.
Basics would have to do. I put up my hands in a placating gesture. "We don't mean any harm, sir. We'll be more careful, promise."
He twitched softly. "Ya think just saying sorry makes everything all better? Well it don't, Git going or I'll have to get mad."
Trixie raised a brow. "Can you get really mad? Trixie does not think she's seen much from you besides that growl."
He brought down a hoof, which struck with the sound of metal on metal. The signal's response was instant. The door to his farmhouse swung open and five other ponies emerged. His wife perhaps? And four smaller ponies. Their kids? Er, foals. They were all coming towards us at a placid walk, their eyes as empty of emotion as his.
Time to make use of an option we hadn't used before. "Mom... run."
Trixie turned her magic to the fallen glasses and dropped them quickly on Sweet's snout. "Run," she passed on, and we were off. Trixie and Sweet bolted away from the placidly irate farmer and his family. We didn't stop running until we were clear of the farm. They weren't following us, thank goodness.
Sweet pawed at the ground. "Why did we run? Were they that terrible? You didn't even run away from me when I was all... you know."
Trixie shook her head. "This is an educated guess, but those ponies are being controlled, and her familiar didn't want to harm them rather than freeing them."
"Got it in one, Great and Wonderful mom." I leaned off to the side to peer through the berry crops. "Those ponies are pretty obviously being influenced by something. We could blast our way through them, but that wouldn't be the right way."
Sweet's expression warmed. "And you don't like doing things the wrong way."
Trixie frowned with thought a moment. "Let's try coming at night. Perhaps we can find the source of shadow without alerting them, and they will be back to normal before they even knew we were involved."
"Night?" Sweet looked baffled. "What is that?"
I pointed up at the sun in the air. "That thing, the sun, is what makes all the light, but it's only up there about half of every 'day', which is what we call a cycle of the sun. When it's out of sight, everything gets darker, and we can see some other things in the sky."
She looked up, only to avert her sensitive eyes instantly from the sun, far too harsh even with her sunglasses. "That isn't a roof? Did it move? H-how?"
Trixie waved a hoof lightly. "That is too complex to explain quickly. Rest assured that her familiar is accurate."
Sweet clopped her hooves. "So it's not so bright half of the time? That's great! I thought it was... you know, all of the time. Do you think ponies would mind if I made friends at night?"
Leaning a little off Trixie, I nodded at Sweet. "Some ponies are active during the night, but let's focus on the here and now. We'll wait until night and be careful in our approach. If we can find the shadow and deal with it, hopefully that'll free the family here."
Trixie righted me with her magic. "Exactly so. Trixie even has an idea. How well can you smell those beetles, Sweet?"
She tapped her nose. "Pretty well, at least when we were in that field. Why?"
Trixie smiled. "Follow your nose, and she thinks we'll find the shadow."