We woke up the next day and filed out of the tent. Trixie sent it back to wherever she stores things and we could see the farm ponies were up and about. They looked riled up and were poking around, but we couldn't really see what they were looking at or doing from that far away.
Whatever it was, it had them all out and together. Maybe... "Should we approach them now?"
Trixie looked up to the sky. "It's not close to noon yet. Do you think we could keep them occupied until then without being attacked by them? They seem agitated already."
I shrugged softly. "Not sure, but we can at least find out what's bothering them, and maybe get on their good side?"
Sweet tilted her head at us, her pink glasses shielding her from the already bright sun. "I'm not sure they'll want to talk." She ran her hooves through the dirt nervously. "Like me, when the monster had control of me. I didn't want to do anything but eat, and eat..."
Soft clicks came from under her hat. "Not anymore."
"What'd he say?"
I smiled at that. "He said not anymore, as in you're not being controlled anymore. You can decide if you want to eat or not, and when."
Sweet smiled gently back at me, and looked up at Trixie's pointed hat on her head. "I won't eat you, that's for sure."
Trixie ran a hoof through her silver mane, free to sight without her hat. "Well, if you want to try?"
I did. "If we can talk them down like we did for Sweet, that might be best of all. The shadow in them may get more powerful at noon, and they're all together."
Agreed. we trotted, er, I walked, they trotted, out towards them. Eerily, they all turned as one to face us. One of the fillies pointed at us. "There's the trouble makers! They probably know what happened."
The father stepped ahead of the family. "Who dug all these holes in the fields? Were it you? I told y'all to stay off mah farm!"
Looking around, I could see that there were a bunch of holes, each one large enough to hold the beetles. "I think I know what happened."
"Oh? Well, get to 'splaining, quick like, before we run y'all off our land for trespassing!"
Trixie seemed to catch up on it as quickly and gestured at one of the holes. "We've gotten rid of your beetle infestation."
The father looked stunned. "W-what? Ya did?" He walked over to the closest hole and peered inside, then moved on to the next. The whole family scattered, looking into the holes quickly before they came back together and whispered hotly a moment. He turned back towards us. "Well shoot, looks like ya did! Ah... Well, we didn't ask for it, but we ain't ingrates or nothin'. Damn things kept chewin' up the roots of our plants."
Sweet smiled at the father. "I'm going to take them far away from your farm and start one of my own, for beetles. They'll never bother your crops ever again."
The mother pony blinked and adjusted her half-glasses. "I never heard of a beetle farm before, but ah reckon there's no harm in it, so long as it's far away from our farm."
One of the colts raised a hoof. "Wanna come have lunch with us?" The father glared at him and he shrank away. "What? They did us a good one, we should be polite."
The father sighed. "Mah boy's right. Sorry for being coarse with ya. Come on, we'll get some vittles." As one, the family turned back to the house and began walking there in no particular hurry.
One of the two fillies slowed to be beside us. "That's a right fancy hat ya have on there. Where can ah get one like that?"
Trixie raised her head proudly. "That is Trixie's hat, and she had it sewn especially for her after she decided to become a great magician."
"Wow..." The filly tilted her head a little. "Does it give ya magic powers? I don't have no magic on account ah being an earth pony and all."
Sweet turned her green eyes on the filly, partially concealed behind her glasses. "It's comfortable and helps keep the sun away. I like this hat a lot. It was very nice of Trixie to lend it to me."
She raised a hoof at Sweet. "Lemme borrow it a moment? I'll be real careful wit' it!"
Sweet glanced at Trixie and got a nod before she carefully pulled the hat off and held it out. Darkness descended. Not the deep darkness of the night before, but as if a cloud had passed overhead. Sweet looked shocked. "Oh, I'm not burning!"
The filly looked confused. "Why would ya be burnin'?" She took the hat in her mouth by the rim and swung it around to land on her head and giggled with delight. "Look at me! I'm a wizard!" She reared up and waggled her fore hooves as if casting spells. Trixie inclined her head towards the filly and caused little explosions of lights to burst from those wagging hooves. She squealed with delight and surprise and fell back to all fours. "Wow!"
She looked ready to gush about it when a personal darkness ran through her with a powerful tremble of her little body. The brown of her pelt faded towards grey as her eyes half-lid and the spark was crushed by some internal force. She began placidly walking back towards the farmhouse, paying no further mind to the hat on her head.
I raised a brow at that, watching her go. Before she got too far ahead, I snatched the hat off of her head. She didn't even notice. I put it back on Sweet's head, covering the beetle and allowing the light to return. Sweet veered to walk closer to us two. "I think they're nice ponies. We have to save them."
Trixie nodded in agreement. "That filly has a proper appreciation for magic. She is being forced to behave in this unnatural fashion. Come, let us see what we can discover inside."
I was determined to save that family of ponies. Together, we walked inside. It had a homey feel, and old-fashioned appliances filled their kitchen, which was where we entered from. The mother started gathering supplies and cooking quietly. It smelled like some kind of fruity blend. They did grow berries, I supposed that was normal.
Trixie waved a hoof around. "What a... lovely home you have."
The father sat at the dining room table and nodded. "I built it with my own hooves many years ago, and she's served us well ever since. One day ah hope to leave it to mah children."
The colt blinked. "That ain't for a long time, pa."
"Maybe." He leaned forward against the table. "Ya never can tell with life. Best be prepared. If I'm wrong, we can always build another house, together." He smiled, but the wave of darkness crushed the life from him more easily than the filly. His pelt washed out of colors as he looked back towards the table quietly. Didn't any of them see what was going on?
The colt patted a seat beside himself. "Y'all can come sit down. Ma'll be done soon. She cooks real good!" He smiled brightly, though it didn't last long as the almost convulsive shudder squeezed that brightness out of him and he went quiet and pale.
I climbed up into a chair, with Trixie and Sweet following suit around the table. There was one we hadn't talked to yet. I looked to the other filly and smiled at her. "Hey, so how are things?"
She looked at me, then looked away, without saying a thing.
"Don't be rude," called the mother as she worked.
"Oh, yes ma..." She looked back up at me, rubbing her forehooves together. "Ah... Ah guess they're alright..." She sounded far from alright. Looking her over, she had bright off-yellow fur and cream mane and tail. She didn't have the greyness that was leeching on the others. Maybe?
I smiled at her. "Hey, could I see your room? I bet you're an artist."
She blinked owlishly. "How'd you know that?" She glanced around the table, but none of her family were looking at her or paying much mind. "Ah guess, sure... Be right back, ma!" She slipped to the floor and I followed her as she led me to the stairs and ascended to the second floor. I could feel Trixie staring at me from behind. I guessed she didn't like me leaving her sight, but I had to follow my hunches.
The filly stopped in front of a door and looked around a moment before leaning in. "Ya didn't really come for no art, did ya?"
I went with honesty. "Not really, but I wanted to talk to you privately."
She nodded as she shrunk back. "Ah thought so... Nopony comes all the way from far ta see mah things."
I tensed as I realized she actually was an artist. It was a guess! "I'd love to see it. We can talk while you show it to me."
Her expression brightened a little. "Ya don't have to just to be polite."
"No, really." I waved at her. "I never got to see a lot of pony art. I want to."
She grabbed the knob of her door in her mouth and pushed into her room. "This way. I paint."
I could see. Walking into her room was entering a riot of colors and designs. Many were of the farm itself, and plants, and even one of a beetle. I wondered how she drew one of the dark beetles. Maybe during the day when it could only make things dim? They weren't picture perfect, but they had a life of their own. "Wow, this isn't half bad at all." Considering she was drawing with her mouth or hooves, it seemed all the more amazing. "How long have you been painting?"
She smiled, a deep and genuine version for once. "Oh, years now... Paintin' relaxes me and I love what I make." She looked away a moment. "Promise ya won't think I'm weird or nothin'?"
"What's weird about painting? I was never any good at it, but you obviously are!"
She colored at the compliment. "Just promise."
I put a hand over my heart. "Promise."
Reassured, she turned away and nudged a few portraits out of the way to reveal a family picture. All of her family but her were grey as a ghost, with dark shadows that loomed over them. She was off to the side, looking frightened. She said nothing, just watching me and waiting for a reaction. After a silent moment, she moved to nudge a painting in front of that one. "Ah knew you'd think ah was weird."
I put up my hands quickly. "No! That's actually why we're here."
"Huh?"
I pushed the painting in the way aside, revealing the family painting. "We're here to fight the shadow. We want to free your family. We thought it was the beetles at first, but they're innocent."
She gave a little shy smile. "Are ya tellin' the truth? Are ya really here to save them?" She put her hooves on my shoulders. "Please... They used ta be... I miss them. I keep gettin' scared that stuff's gonna come fer me, and then ah'll be dead too."
I pulled her close and gave her a firm hug. She sagged against me and began to sniffle quietly. She really needed a hug, so I just stood there and delivered. We would save her family.
I was determined.