Breaking Free

by VioletMichaelis

Choices

Trixie ran up to Time Turner, who was chattering away with two mares, a yellow Pegasus and a white unicorn. Without a word she caught the stallion in her magic and pulled him away suddenly, eliciting a gentle squeak from the yellow Pegasus.

Trixie pulled him with her, Time Turner simply pressing on the magic field as he chuckled lightly. Trixie had a habit of pulling him with her, and he had since become accustomed to the feeling. It was like being weightless, what you'd imagine space to be like, except it had this rather curious way of keeping you both wide awake and relaxed at the same time from the odd tingle that it sent over your coat.

Once Trixie was satisfied they were somewhere quiet, far away from the crowded common room, she began to speak in a breathless whisper of sorts. “How... from... hive...magic..” she managed to spit out.

Time Turner cocked his head in confusion. “Beg your pardon, G.A.P, but I'm hearing words and no sentence to go with 'em.”

The unicorn took a moment to steady herself, tapping her hooves against the floor as she composed herself and sorted out her thoughts. She simplified all her questions into one simple sentence. “How. Did. She. Do. That?”

TT was again partly left in the dark, but feigned innocence. “Whatever do you mean, Trix?” He asked with a smile on his face.

“That mare! She's incredible! Looking at my spell! That's all she had to do! That's simply impossible! Even Trixie cannot do that. And from a hive dweller, too! I must know what is going on, TT!”

He gave a light chuckle. “Surely you're exaggerating.”

She slammed her hoof down and pointed at her purple mane. “Trixie did not simply feel like a mane dye, Turner! She did this, first go!”

Time Turner grew a little more serious at this. “So this wasn't you demonstrating a spell and then having her try it...? It's flawless.”

Trixie held back the urge to face hoof. “That's what I'm saying, T! She has raw magic power far beyond Trixie. I doubt the hive would simply ignore or nullify that.”

“What are you getting at, Trix?”

“We have to keep her here. She must not be allowed to enter the hive mind. Ever. We can wipe her memory of this place, but her power will be known within minutes by every official in that damned city should she share her mind with them.”

“So... what do you suppose we do? We can't very well force her to stay, she might have family ther-”

“That's exactly what we do, TT.”

Time Turner couldn't believe his ears. He wiggled them a bit and leaned forward. “Sorry, didn't catch that, what did you say?”

“I said, she stays. No choice in the matter.”

“Yes, that's what I thought you had said. No, sorry. Not happening. It's her choice.” Turner furrowed his brow. “Unless you want to sink to their level, miss Trixie.”

Trixie sighed, backing off a bit. “Alright. I will speak with Twilight. And I hope you will come too.”

“I wouldn't have it any other way.” Time Turner quickly followed Trixie as she turned, trotting down the hall.

Time Turner scanned the walls around him as he walked. Everything here was a bit toned down, far less extravagant compared to the opening hall of the building. It was underground, which gave the air a bit of a chill, but that was the least of the colony's worries.

In retrospect, he thought, Trixie might be right. I've never seen her that worked up before. Twilight must be really impressive.

As the two filed into the room Trixie had been in previously, the pair turned to Twilight. She had been tossing in her sleep, and was breathing rather heavily. Her legs were tensed and curled up close to her body. This struck Turner as being odd, but hardly registered in Trixie's mind. Her magic wrapped itself around the warm blanket before TT held up a hoof to stop her. The magic dissipated instantaneously as TT walked forward, putting a hoof on Twilight's forehead. The mare flinched in her sleep, but otherwise did not stir.

“She's having a nightmare.” He whispered to the air around him, thinking aloud.

“Time Turner?” Trixie asked quietly.

“Ah, nothing. I was just thinking, we shouldn't startle her too much when we wake her up. It'd give her an awful fright.” He gently placed the hoof on her shoulder and shook her gently. “Come on Twily, up you get.”

The mare's eyes shot open suddenly, her hoof slapping Time Turner's away as she shot up into a sitting position.

Where am I? A room, books in the corner, there's a mare there. Oh right, I remember, the colony... But who was touching me just now? Her sleepy eyes drifted over to Time Turner, who looked slightly frozen with his previously outstretched hoof hanging in the air just in front of him.

“Right, the thing, with the stuff, and ponies, why am I so tired?” Twilight thought out loud, taking a while to wake up.

“You tired yourself out, Twilight. That spell took a lot out of you, like over exerting a leg you had been resting for years.” Trixie told her, mane and coat still bright purple.

The lighter purple mare rubbed her horn at the base slowly, as if to work out a headache. “Wow, it feels really numb. And I am really hungry.” She cocked her head. “Is that because of this too?”

“Exactly. Magic like that takes a lot out of you. But first we have to speak abou-”

Time Turner hushed Trixie with a hoof, the unicorn's face twisting into a scowl, yet she remained silent as instructed.

“Before we get to that, I'd like you to rest for a bit. You need some food to get your strength back. Follow us, we'll get you something nice.”

Twilight slowly slid off the bed, hitting the ground rather clumsily and almost crashing to the floor. Trixie extended a hoof to help her up, but she quickly steadied herself and began to walk. She walked backwards and forwards a few times before Trixie began to slowly trot out the door. TT slowed a bit and opted to walk next to Twilight for a quick word. Trixie still held the same scowl and stared daggers whenever she peered back at Time Turner.

Under his breath, but loud enough for the tired mare to hear, he began to speak. “That was some very advanced magic, you know.”

Twilight nodded sleepily. “My body is screaming that at me right now, I think...” She smiled, almost tripping over a hoof.

Time Turner smiled gently. “Come to think of it, I don't know that much about you. Got a family?” He asked, turning away.

“Just a brother... my parents died a while ago.” She answered, her voice creepily void of emotion.

Time Turner stumbled on his words slightly. “O-Oh.. I'm sorry...”

Twilight grit her teeth and looked away with a fierce gaze aimed at the floor.

“Did I over step your boundaries...?”

Twilight looked slightly panicked and turned back to him with a fake smile plastered across her features. “Not at all, I just didn't get along with them very well.”

“What about your brother?”

Twilight's smile faltered for a moment. “H-He's, um..” She sucked in a breath. “Away, I guess. F-For good.” She forced a chuckle. “Th-the territory disputes and all... he's gone full time guard.”

Time Turner knew what being a guard meant. He wasn't coming home in one piece. You joined the guard, you lived in the guard, you died in the guard. He nuzzled Twilight's shoulder ever so gently. “I'm sure he's having a nice time.”

Twilight smiled weakly. “Yeah, seeing all those new places... always had his head in the clouds. I used to tell him he was better suited to a Pegasus.”

Two large doors swung open in front of the two, revealing a quieter hall with only a few ponies inside enjoying their evening meal. Twilight was lead up to the kitchen by Trixie.

Twilight looked around the room. It looked like a school cafeteria. The kitchen was a bit run down, and a lot of the benches looked like they had been used in Griffon restaurants before here, with claw scratches along the surface. The walls were painted a dull white, with drawings all over them. It was cosy. The heat from the kitchen warmed up the entire room.

The kitchen and tables weren't separated as such, but a gap between tables and benches was there. One orange earth pony with a yellow mane was keeping busy in the kitchen, jumping from one place to the next making all kinds of dishes. Upon her head was a battered Stetson. It looked as if it had seen better days, but it seemed to fit the rugged mare.

She trotted up to Twilight, a certain rhythm about her movements. “What can I do ya for, miss?” She asked, her thick accent lacing her words. She sounded like a proper farm girl, alright.

“Anything that you have, but it needs to be filling.” Twilight responded, her eyes scanning the various tables.

“Sure thing! Hey, you're the new mare aren'tcha? Daylight was it? Daylight shine? Shoot, Ah've gone n fergot yer name.”

“Twilight Sparkle.” She corrected warmly.

The Farmer tipped her hat. “Applejack here! Nice to meet ya, miss. We love new ponies around here.”

With that the mare wandered back into the kitchen, calling out behind her. “Y'all go ahead 'n take a seat, now. Ah'll bring th' food when it's done.”

“Thankyou!” Twilight called, taking a seat at one of the desks, Trixie wandering off.

“Trixie will be back later!”

Twilight glanced across her table at the other mares sitting across from her. A blue Pegasus, white unicorn, yellow Pegasus and the mare known as Pinkie Pie.

Twilight smiled warmly and greeted the group.