Chapter 8 - Shopping for the Somber Mage
(Trixie POV)
I materialized in the market district of Canterlot, my horn dying off as I looked around me. I was in the middle of the street, the other ponies giving me strange looks. I made sure to create the illusion of fireworks as well upon my grand entrance. No doubt they were speechless with my spectacle. It’s not everyday a pony teleports from the Everfree to the capital city! Of course, I suppose Robin helped with that. Even now I could still feel the magic running through my body, demanding to be released.
I shook my head. As much as I would love to put a show on for these uncultured fools, I needed the magic for the return trip home. The last thing I wanted was to waste it and have to actually walk back with all the furniture. I checked my saddle bag, finding the diamond and list still secure. I need to find a jeweler and sell this beauty for a good sum of bits.
I trotted up to the nearest bystander, a white coated stallion, and asked for directions. “Trixie wishes to know where the nearest jeweler is!”
He flinched, no doubt feeling meager while in the presence of my beauty. “Right, the jewelry store is just down the street, you can’t miss it.” With a nod, I trotted down the the road, my head held high.
I noticed the bystanders casting me a few stares, but that was to be expected from an enchanting mare like me.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The sound of a bell went off as I entered the establishment. I looked around the fancy shop; necklaces, bands and other expensive trinkets on display. I walked to the counter, eyeing the teal earth pony mare on the other side.
The mare smiled warmly and greeted me, “Welcome to Fancy Rocks, what can I help you with today miss?”
Fancy Rocks… really? Trixie would have expected more creativity from a salespony in Canterlot. Even the peasants of Ponyville had more creativity.
I took out the diamond and placed it on the counter. The mare’s eyes bugged out in surprise, much to my amusement. “I wish to sell this diamond for a large sum of bits. I was given this diamond by a well known individual and is easily worth a fortune.”
After a few moments of gawking the receptionist managed to get herself under control. She took the gem in her hooves and examined it closely, spinning it over and checking each surface. I waited patiently for the inspection to finish. The diamond was easily worth something close to 10,000 bits, but with my little introduction perhaps I could weasel out some more from her. Surely with such a large sum, Robin wouldn’t mind if I got some necessities for my beauty. Perhaps a new cape, or a brooch to go with my hat, or-
“Excuse me, miss?”
I blinked in surprise as the mare waved a hoof in front of my face, “Wh-what is it?”
The mare looked slightly nervous, the diamond once more lying upon the counter. “Well… the diamond was heavily tampered with and it shows. There are fine lines running along the surface of the gem. Since it takes immense pressure in order to physically alter a diamond, it’s most likely due to magical interference. This usually occurs when Unicorns try to infuse gems with magic. Whoever attempted this was both powerful and inexperienced. If they had tried to force anymore magic into the gem, it could have caused quite an explosion. This will heavily decrease the value of the diamond. I can purchase the gem for roughly 4,000 bits.”
I could only stare in silence as I calmly listened to the inspection report. I brought a hoof up to my ear and rubbed it a bit. “Trixie apologizes, but she could have sworn you said that the diamond was only worth 4,000 bits?”
The mare smiled nervously. “Y-Yes, I’m afraid that’s as much as I can offer you. If it was any common gem it would be worthless, but diamonds are extremely rare.”
I glared at the mare with the intensity of a thousand suns. “Trixie will not leave this spot until she is paid a proper amount!”
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(20 minutes later)
I stomped down the path to the nearest furniture store, grumbling all the way. Ten minutes of staring angrily at the mare turned out to be the wrong move. When she realized I was not going to move from my spot, she threatened to call for the guard. I could have easily taken out the soldiers… but I didn’t want to cause a scene for the mare. So, I begrudgingly took the bits and left the store.
I reached into my saddlebag and took out the list. I looked it over, my brow furrowing in confusion as I read some of the items.
Two beds (one minitaur sized)
Three chairs
Table
Study desk
Bookshelf (large)
Kitchen cupboard
Stove (if invented)
Refrigerator (if invented)
*If a refrigerator does not exist, please get a large sized chest.
The rest of the list consisted of small necessities such as pillows, blankets, silverware and other items. Coffee was also on the list and for some reason it was circled and underlined heavily.
With a sigh I put the list away and prepared for a long day of shopping. With 4,000 bits I should easily be able to purchase the items listed, but it would leave virtually nothing for me to spend what I wanted on.
I was brought out of my inner argument as a nearby newspaper salespony cried out, “Canterlot attacked by a strange creature! Read all about it in the daily news!” The newspony was swarmed with a mob of ponies, each purchasing a copy of the paper.
I immediately turned towards the stand, curious about what ‘strange creature’ he was talking about. I grabbed a paper with my magic and tossed the pony a bit.
What I saw on the front page took my breath away. There on the cover was a picture of Robin, my new master, attacking a group of royal guards. I quickly began to read the entry.
Yesterday at noon a strange creature wreaked havoc in the residential area of Canterlot. If not for the aid of the princesses, damage repairs would have cost tens of thousands of bits. researchers believe that this creature is the being known as Tactician, a brilliant mind akin to Star Swirl the bearded and a studier of magic. The Royal Guard was unable to apprehend Tactician, seemingly blown away by his magical abilities. Even when the Princesses were involved, Tactician was still able to escape the city. Is the Royal Guard unable to protect the public in times of need? Is there a strange connection between Tactician and the Princesses? Eyewitness accounts and interviews have been conducted to investigate these claims. Continued on page A4.
I wordlessly put the paper into the saddlebag and continued on my way. I was going to have a talk with Robin about this…
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(1st person - Robin)
I walked out into the living room to find Trixie on the floor, panting. Around her was an assortment of furniture, bags and nicknacks. It certainly seems as if she went all out. There was the lack of more advanced appliances, but I wasn’t expecting much to begin with.
Before I could even begin sift through the new furniture, I found my vision obscured by paper. I grunted in annoyance and pulled away the obstruction that was pushed against my face. I immediately noticed that it was a newspaper, a picture of myself taking up most of the front page. I quickly scanned over the article associated with it.
Yesterday at noon… uh oh. I knew I was going to have to deal with this at some point, but I was hoping it would be later, after Trixie got to know me better. I doubt she’d want to learn under a man who caused property damage and is wanted by the guard.
I sighed and looked down at Trixie. She was glaring at me something fierce. I cleared my throat before speaking, “I can assume you want to know why there is a picture of me terrorizing Canterlot, correct?”
“You could say that,” She responded tersely.
I started to feel tired. In order to explain that I would need to tell her my history. I would have to bring up memories and thoughts I had long since drowned. I sat down on the cold floor, motioning Trixie to sit as well. This was going to be quite a tale.
Trixie looked at me with worry, disturbed by my sudden change in my demeanor. I tried to allay her with a smile, but it fell short. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before starting my tale, albeit, a fairly abridged version.
“Trixie, what I’m about to tell you is something I’ve kept a secret for my entire life; my past. Promise me you won’t share what I’m about to tell you with anyone.”
Trixie’s gaze softened and she nodded. “Trixie promises.”
I genuinely smiled before diving into my tale, “First off Trixie, this is something that needs to be understood, before understanding my own past; What do you know of the Multiverse Theory?”
Trixie looked surprised from the sudden change in topic, but she quickly recovered. “The Multiverse Theory was originally thought of by Star Swirl the Bearded after the apprenticeship of Clover the Clever. It’s believed that there are multiple variations of every universe.”
I nodded. “That’s true, an infinite number of universes each with a different path. It’s thought that any decision you make will result in the creation of another universe. In the new universe, you would have made a different decision. The theory takes into consideration everything from simple decisions, to the existence of life itself. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some universes where there is simply… nothing.”
“This may be hard to believe, Trixie, but the multiverse theory is true. I can confidently say this, because I’m a prime example that it’s a fact. I’m not from this universe.” Trixie’s eyes widened at the prospect of such a thing. I wasn’t done though… no, I was far from done, “I came from a planet much like this one. In fact, it might be the same planet, but with a different outcome. Where I’m from, there are others like me. I had a home, a family, a job and friends.”
Huh… that’s strange, it seems there’s water in my eyes.
I wiped away the liquid before continuing, “One day, I was attending a convention with my two friends, Dan and Kate. We were dressed up as our favorite characters from games and comics. It was that day when my life fell apart. During the convention, I came across a strange indonesian man. He was selling high priced, yet very well crafted replicas of weapons and gear. It was from him that I came across the blade I now possess.”
I looked down at the magical blade… a $125 blade that cost me everything. “When I purchased the blade, I was thrown into a world of darkness. It’s known as the void, and it’s thought to be the space inbetween existence. I know that from the voices I heard… the voices in the dark.” I shivered. I had spent only a few moment’s in the void, but it felt like a lifetime… a lifetime of darkness and whispering horrors. I glanced at Trixie’s face and saw… sadness? Or perhaps that was pity. I never was able to discern between the two.
“When I eventually left the void I found myself in a forest. Not two minutes upon entering this world I was attacked by a manticore. A minute later and I made my first kill ever.”
Trixie’s face became disturbed slightly, but she didn’t interrupt. I hoped that was a good sign. “When I came around it was early morning. I had slept for almost 24 hours. I’m lucky to be alive, all things considering. Now, I’m going to speed things along from here. For five years I lived in the Everfree forest. A day after my entrance I learned I could use magic. A week after I made my first tome; Wind. In three weeks I made a small shelter. By then I had learned how to hunt and… cook.”
I grimaced in disgust, those first few weeks were the hardest in all my life. Constant danger, lack of sleep and constantly hungry. It was an interesting change from my previously comfortable life.
“In two months I had learned all the basics of my magic and was able to use low level spells. Although I was lost and alone, I still had some interesting luck. I was able to make my first tomes with books I found near my landing. There was a bag in the tree filled with some basic supplies. Whoever brought me here either wanted me alive, or to give me a chance.”
I shook my head. It was probably that damn merchant who sent me that. I don’t know what his purpose was, but I doubt he would waste time to send me to another universe simply for me to perish… right?
“Three months and I found my first sign of civilization. Of course, I wasn’t expecting the populace to be sentient talking ponies. Sure, I knew before than that help most likely wasn’t coming, but it was then that I realized I was no longer in my own world. The week following that realization was… dark for me. I’d rather not go into it, I came close to making a terrible decision.”
Trixie’s face contorted for a moment into abject horror. Maybe she understood my hidden meaning? It matters little, I got through that phase and such thoughts no longer plague me. I have long since accepted my fate and have made a life for myself. The quickest way to do so was to… cut myself from the past. The old me was dead… only Robin existed now.
“So from then on I lived my life studying magic and surviving off the forest. After six months I mastered Wind magic. A month after that and I built me a stable home” I waved my hand across the room, “Built furniture, made rooms, redecorated. It was an… interesting experience, but not one I would wish to repeat. The next two and a half years I spent mastering my magic. After that time I had learned every possible spell I could use. I had even learned how to alter the magic slightly and control the usage.”
I chuckled at a particular memory of me trying to fluctuate the power of ArcFire. Let’s just say that’s the reason why my home is surrounded by a clearing.
“Once three years had up and gone I began to investigate the uses of Dark magic.” I noticed the look of fear on Trixie, “My Dark magic is much different than the one you know of. It’s powerful, yes, but it doesn’t corrupt the soul. Through tests I learned how to manipulate the life force of just about everything.”
Still can’t tell if rocks have life forces…
“It’s with this knowledge that I decided to do something… immoral. I went to a graveyard in the middle of the night and raised the dead.”
Now Trixie was looking at me with a different type of horror. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. “I know it was wrong, but… I was just so curious! After I succeeded I ran further tests to determine the power of my new ability. What I found was… incredible to say the least.”
And extremely dangerous. Should I have had the desire to conquer Equestria…
“You see Trixie, I found that just about everything has a source of life, a pool if you will. Using the tome Nosferatu, I am able to manipulate this force as I please. I can quickly drain the very life of a creature without even killing them. As to how powerful it is… tell me, do you know Discord?”
Trixie blinked in confusion before nodding. Not many could forget the creature which caused widespread chaos only but a few days ago.
I nodded and continued, “Yes, Discord is the god of Chaos and is easily the most powerful being on this planet. His magic surpasses mine and there is little I could do to harm him unless given the initiative. He is ageless, possibly immortal and has most likely lived millions of years. Despite all that… I may be able to beat him… possibly even kill him.”
I glanced at the bookshelf and signaled out the purple colored tome. Such a normal looking object, yet more powerful than one could possibly imagine.
“If given the chance and time,” which he would never give me, “I could, in theory, drain him of his life pool. It would most likely take time since he should have a large pool of life, but it could be done. I do not know if I can defeat pure immortals this way, but those who are ageless would not be safe from this method.”
I leaned back and chuckled, noticing Trixie’s face fighting between a mixture of disgust, wonderment, awe and fear. “It would seem I went off on a tangent there for a moment. Sorry, I have a bad tendency to do so.”
Trixie gave me a small smile. “It’s alright,” her voice was hoarse from lack of use.
I returned the smile and continued from where I left off, “Anyway, long story short, I rose the dead and Celestia soon found out. She was not pleased with me and attempted to restrain me. I couldn’t even get a word in before she started attacking. Yes, Celestia attacked first and I only retaliated to defend myself from her.”
Trixie looked a bit surprised at that statement. I guess even she looks up to the princesses like they’re some god. I might look up to them too, once they decide to remove their heads from their asses.
Trixie looked at the floor for a moment to gather her thoughts. “So… what about the recent incident in Canterlot?”
I grunted. “Rewind 1500 years; The princesses cornered me with a small army and I only had a few tomes left. Yes, I could have escaped, but it would have been risky. It would have cost a lot of my magic and Celestia was hell bent on running me down. Honestly, the only reason she beat me was because she never gave me the chance to restock my tomes. I had four on me at the time, and that was four out of the 10 I still had left. The other six were back here on the shelf. So with nowhere to run, I surrendered. I requested to be put in stone and asked Celestia to remember me not as a monster, but as a being who was the greatest strategist in the world. Celestia honored my wishes, surprisingly, but I have no idea to what extent. It seems she still mentioned me, however, as a foe, but not to the point of calling me a cruel monster.”
That only begs the question, what did Celestia tell her subjects about me. I’ve only caught segments over the years I’ve spent in stone.
I shook my head. “The day I caused destruction in Canterlot is the day I finally broke free. I tried to leave the city peacefully, but the guard attempted to restrain me. I’ll admit, I attacked first, but I didn’t want to get caught in that city. I had no intention of returning to stone so soon. Really boring, standing in one place for so long.”
I sighed and dropped my head. “I made so many mistakes over the course of my time here in Equestria. In truth though, I just want to live in peace. I guess that was never possible, considering who I now am.”
I was broken out of my thoughts when I felt something furry pull me into a hug. I stiffened in surprise as Trixie’s head rested on my shoulder. I had never had such close contact with another pony before that wasn’t… violent. She was warm and soft and her fur had the scent of… blueberries?
“And here Trixie thought she had it rough. If it means anything, Trixie still wishes to learn under you,” She whispered softly, accenting her statement with a tight squeeze, “You helped Trixie when she was at her worst. Nopony has ever done that for… me.”
I let my body relax and I hesitantly returned the hug. It felt nice, being able to hold another close after so long.
It felt… normal.
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You did good son. Ya' did good.
Hurray for hugs!
Celestia is a bitch, nuff said.
Quick question...but during that time period after his arrival but before his stonage...did he travel around to the different lands on the planet to learn about the cultures, civilizations and magics they had even if he couldn't use them? I'm just curious because most authors tend to think too small and narrow minded and usually skip out on marvelous amounts of world-building and species/magic/etc characterization while only focusing on Equestria and the main (human) protagonist living there. Five or more years for a budding mage is plenty of time at least for cursory exploration and interaction. So could you please expand on his pre-stonage history and actions and then tie it into current or future events?
BTW, good chapter!
*Takes a deep breath* SHIP!!!!!
5697693
I don't plan on revealing too much, but I'll tell you this. Robin mostly stayed within the Everfree forest, rarely venturing too far from the safty of the forest. It was a land he was well familiar with and he felt safe within its borders.
Now, that being said, I have no intention of limiting the story to only Equestria. There will be other races, and that's as much as I'm going to share with you.
*laughs evilly*
5697698 No.. just.. no.
The sudden tense shift with this line is jarring.
5697731 Haha, it really is just supposed to be a touching scene. I feel that authors sometimes write Trixie like a robot. She's still a mare and she has feelings.
5697733
I have no idea how I missed something so obvious. I'll think of a way to reword it.
5697698 Toot toot.
So here Robin reveals his clouded past, his connection with Trixie deepens, and maybe in the next chapter we will see the actual magic. I mean some teaching scene and Hign magic.
And to think of it, how does Trixie teleport to Canterlot and back with furniture? Canon Twilight who is much more powerful doesn't do it. So what gives Trix can?
5697832 Robin pushed a good portion of his magic into Trixie. His base magic is powerful, but he doesn't have the large 'pool' that most unicorns possess. I plan on explaining the differences between the magics in a later chapter.
I like the interaction. Trixie actually feels like a real character.
5697763 An a really, really, really annoying mare but still one just the same.
I think you did pretty well with this chapter. His origins contains some similarity to my own but hey what can you do?
Awesome job man. You seriously tempt me to want to do a crossover with you by how you do Robin and Trixie
awwww
5697860 Trixie needs more love!
5697869 The origins are the same? I won't lie, I don't remember much from your story. If they are similar, it's purely coincidental.
5697892 Perhaps in the future. I have a few crossovers I already have planned though, so I have to keep that in mind.
5697929 Alright. Just let me know when. I just finished one recently with Laze Around and Calming Sigh-- With a breath of Fire, and I'm going to publish it soon
5697922 Yay, I did something right! Haven't done something heartwarming like this so I was worried how it would turn out.
5697936 Will do!
5697956 Glad to hear that man.
5697929 Not exactly the same just similar in a way besides it's not published yet, it's just a coincidence that you happen to think of idea that I also thought of no biggie. People do that all the time. It just reinforces the fact that it's a good idea.
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa chaptaaaaaaaa
there is a random ] in the story which should not be there.
5698058 fixed it, thanks!
I can think of one off the bat that would, and another that probobly would as well since the tome was made fron something that does.
What's the story's readability if you h aen't played Fire Emblem and have no clue about the 'displaced' multiverse?
5698169 Yea, I know, but shush, we don't talk about the evil
5698177 Who, me? I play Fire Emblem quite a bit and I'm heavily involved with the Displaced Multiverse (mostly behind the scenes... for now!).
dawww
for some reason I can kinda see him as a nice Jafar, I could totally see him dancing and singing the Prince Ali reprise.
THE FEELS THEY BURN!!!!
This just me being a weapon nerd but that sword would be considered low cost by most who collect swords. For a con sword though, it probably could be considered high cost.
I would inquire, what became of the pony zombie?
5698209
No, I meant for people like me. I know nothing of either so is it comprehensible or would I be lost without background knowledge?
5698209 But they have such amazing effect and attack animations! (for their time.)
5698177 As one who is a massive Fire Emblem nerd, So far about the only thing that might be confusing is the spell names and what they do, as well as how a Phantom is not a normal zombie.
5698733 Probably was re-killed by others, Phantoms were never the most sturdy of units.
It was very well done. Good job.
I need MOAR!!
No but really, i do love your story. cant wait for more.
Your writing style is not bad at all. I'm not a picky person at all as long as I can make sense of what I'm reading though.
As far as the story goes I'm liking it. I also liked your first-person interpretation of Trixie. Few writers get her ego-centric mentality right in those instances. About the only thing I can suggest is to improve her vocabulary. She's the type to use big words to show others how much better of a linguist she is.
Nicely done. Can't wait for the two to meet.
5698459 Dear God, that is pure gold right there.
5698655 I'll admit, I winged it with the price. I figured for someone who goes to conventions, anything +$100 is considered expensive(ish).
5698733 Maybe she's dead(again), maybe she isn't, who knows!? Oh wait... I do!
5698925 5698969 Thanks, I'm glad my story is so well received.
5698974 I'm mostly the same way. I try to be as grammatically correct as possible, but I know I'm always going to miss the little details. Thanks, I found writing her that way to be the easiest and the one that read the best. I'll be sure to work on her vocabulary as well, thanks for pointing that out.
5699127 Same here, not sure when the crossover will actually happen though. Any idea on a ETA?
Interesting story but can you flesh out Robin's and Celestia's relationship because it feels like they were friends but Robin betrayed her in some way. Like how discord betrayed the mane 6.
5699696 Where did you get that idea? Yes, there will be a verbal confrontation between the two later, but I thought I made it fairly clear that they both very much dislike each other.
I JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING!!!!! Does Robin have the Mark of Grima on his hand? I wish to know this.
5697763 Hey, it's fine if it's touching. But it seems every [Good] Displaced fic always has a love interest that pretty much turns the story from "A badass human entering Equestria and doing shit", to "A former badass human entered Equestria, did shit, then had his life dominated by a love interest, then the fic ended."
(Sorry if I have any grammatical issues, I just got done playing a 5-hour-long session of Gmod Darkrp. My brain really isn't into it right right now.)
Great chapter.
I look forward to finding out what Celestia did say about Robin.
I'm curious will there be any romance between Robin and Trixie in the future?
You're doing great so far! This may just be my current favorite displaced fic. You captured trixie's character fairly well in my opinion, and Robin isn't an unlikeable, edgy douche like a lot of the characters in these fics. He's got a reason for raising hell when he does, whether it be a desire to escape or sheer curiosity of an outcome. Not just to either get attention and try to be edgy and cool.
Looking forward to seeing more later.
I cannot wait to see the next update!
5701448 Let me answer your question by ignoring your question! I leave many things unanswered in this story on purpose. Don't worry, in time you'll get your answer.
5701558 I have a few ideas for romance and a few ideas that doesn't include it (or includes it but it doesn't work out). Even if I do include romance, tell me, does Robin seem like the character to delve deep into it?
5701996 Was it Celestia though? Who knows!? There might be romance and there might not be.
5702024 Wow, thanks! Again, I can't believe how well received my story is. When I uploaded it, I never expected to get so many votes and favorites. I'm only on the 8th chapter and I almost have 300 up votes!
5703710 Might be a bit until the next update. Got mid-term exams coming up and I need to focus on them.
5705057
..... I'm not sure how I should react to that so I won't think too hard about it.
5705060 Just being goofy, sorry if I offended you.
5705065
You didn't, I just really want to know and I need to focus on class now.... My tutor is glaring at me now.