Harmony Undone: Consequence of Choice

by Zodiacspear

Chapter Ten

It was a few days later that Trixie found herself beside her tent, floating a ball of light around the camp. Her horn grew a bit brighter and the ball twirled and spun in the air, darting past the tents and nearby trees. Despite having free reign to explore the deer village, she was more than content to stay at their campsite. The looks and glares she received from the deer were so like the glares she received back in Equestria, that exploration was the last thing on her mind.

The ball of light twirled and moved at her whim, her eyes searching for any flaws. Losing herself in her magic helped her forget about all the stress and frustration of the past few days, but the more she tried to forget it, the more it came to mind. She recalled Tourmaline returning to the medical tent and agreeing to retrieve the key. The fact the hotheaded pegasus agreed to work with Trixie had been a shock. Trixie had thought she would fight her inclusion until the day the sun burned out, but when she came back to the tent, she had readily agreed. Trixie remembered Wanderer asking her about the sudden change of mind, but Tourmaline had evaded the question—curtly so.

So here Trixie was, sitting idle while they waited for the deer to lead them to the key.

A huff escaped through her nose before she focused on her light again. ‘Trixie wishes they would hurry up already. The sooner she gets back to Equestria, and leave all of this behind, the better.’

‘And what will she do then? Her show? What’s really left for us out there?’

She huffed at the nagging thought, not about to start another argument with herself again.

A gasp pulled her from her thoughts; the ball of light crashing to the ground and winking out like it never existed.

Faithful Watcher covered her muzzle with a hoof, her eyes wide. “Sorry! I am sorry! I did not mean to destroy your magic ball. I was only watching and did not mean to interrupt you!”

Trixie sighed for the umptemth time. “It’s all right. Trixie was only practicing for her show. Though she does wish you could have let her know you were standing there.”

Faith lowered her head. “I was only watching. I…” she looked away, a faint blush on her tan cheeks.

Trixie donned her stared cap and looked at the doe with a tilt of her head. “You what? Just say and the Great and Powerful Trixie will listen.”

The doe’s cheeks turned a darker hue. “I was… enjoying watching you play with your lights. None of my people can control a glowing spell like that, and I was enjoying watching it dance like the fireflies of the night.”

Trixie felt her smile grow. “Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie is known throughout all of Equestria for her amazing magical prowess. She has astounded and mystified many audiences with her unrivaled talents.”

Faithful’s eyes widened, her eyes sparkling some. Watching her, Trixie was reminded of so many foals who had worn similar expressions when she used to perform.

She bit back a wince when she remembered she used to perform.

“Can you show me more of your magic, Trixie?” Faithful asked, her white tail flicking. “I would be most pleased to see more of what a powerful aura-weaver like you can do.”

Trixie gave her a touched chuckle. “Trixie will no doubt consider it.” She stood up and stretched her stiff back legs. “Was there a reason you came to see the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

Faith blinked before her eyes widened. “Oh, that is right. I was asked to bring you to see my grand—the Elder. He wishes to speak to you all about the key.”

“Are we finally leaving?” Trixie asked as they began walking towards the village proper.

A troubled frown crossed Faithful’s face. “I… do not know. My grand—Elder said he had something to share with all of us.” The doe looked ahead as the pair walked through the collection of conical tents that Trixie swore there had no particular order as to where they were set up. “Our scouts returned in the night. Perhaps they bring news of the Bringers of Plague.”

Trixie nodded but looked at the doe walking beside her. “Trixie wonders why you do that?”

Faithful raised an eyebrow as she turned to regard Trixie. “What do you mean?”

“Your grandfather. Trixie wonders why you refer to him as Elder when she has heard you call him grandfather before. Trixie finds it curious.”

The doe lowered her eyes a moment before standing straighter again. “He is the Elder of our village and must be respected as such. The village Elder is the highest station among our people. To refer to him by name… or relation, is considered a sign of utmost disrespect.”

Trixie’s brow creased. “But Trixie has heard you refer to him as grandfather before.”

A wispy smile darted across Faith’s muzzle and she spoke softer. “He allows me to call him grandfather when we are alone. Just as he calls me granddaughter.”

Trixie looked at her for a moment. “It’s considered rude to address each other in a loving manner in public?”

Faith nodded, her ears flicking. “It is. It is considered highly informal to show affection where others might see. We of the White Tails have learned not to form deep attachments because of our way of life. Our Elders have taught us that our loved ones could be taken at any moment and we must distance ourselves from attachments to protect ourselves.”

Trixie’s jaw fell open as the deer spoke. A civilization that shut off personal attachments because they feared being hurt? How could anypony do such a thing? “Are your lives in that much danger here in your forest?” she asked as she trotted to catch up.

The doe shook her head. “It did not used to be. Not until the Bringers came and started destroying our home.”

“But that is only recently,” Trixie protested. “Surely you don’t need to follow that silly way of thinking anymore. Don’t you wish you could give your grandfather a hug when you meet him? Or that Risen Heart?”

Faithful averted her gaze. “...It has been as it always has.”

Trixie tilted her head, watching the doe for a moment. “You don’t sound as if you believe it.”

“I…” Faith’s voice waivered for a second before she lifted her head up and trotted faster. “Come, we should hurry. We should not keep the Elder waiting.”

Trixie stared after her for a moment before cantering to catch up. She made a mental note to talk to Faithful again soon about their discussion.

-0-

When Trixie and Faithful found their way to the village’s center, Trixie wasn’t surprised to see Wanderer and Tourmaline had arrived before them. The two had gone off earlier to see more of the village and likely were grabbed first. She was, however, surprised to see Tormod was also present. He lay on a stretcher, his shoulder still wrapped tightly with bandages.

“I must speak with the Elder, Trixie,” she heard Faithful say. “He will speak with us in a few moments.”

Trixie nodded vaguely at her and approached Tormod as he stared up at the Mother Oak. She felt her smile grow a bit at the look of wonder in his eyes. “Tormod,” she said as she sat beside him. “Trixie didn’t think you would be here.”

A faint smile tugged at his mouth as he looked away from the tree. “When they came to get Tourmaline, I insisted on going with her. The healer was firm that I shouldn’t move, but when Tourmaline refused to go without me, they relented.” He nodded towards a pair of bucks who glowered at him. “They’re to take me back when you leave.”

She blinked and a frown formed on her face, as she glanced at the deer. “So, we are to leave today?”

He tried to shrug but a brief flash of pain sparked in his eyes before he hissed.

“Tormod?” She asked, a timbre of worry making its way into her tone.

“I’m fine,” he said as he massaged at his injured shoulder. “Leaving today is the only logical reason I can think they would want us all together.”

Shivering, Trixie adjusted her cap on her silvery mane. “Trixie hopes so.”

As she waited for the Elder to finish speaking with the other deer, she glanced at the other two ponies as they stood by quietly. They hadn’t said a word to her when she arrived, nor said a word to each other; the way they refused to look at each other told Trixie that some bridges hadn’t been mended yet.

She dropped her voice to a whisper as she spoke with Tormod. “They’re still fighting?”

He glanced at the other two and sighed. “Yes. They both know how to fix things, but both are being too stubborn to admit it.” He huffed, his tail giving a curt swish. “Even when I tried telling them, they ignored me.”

Trixie looked as the two shared a quick look before pointedly averting their gazes. “Trixie thinks they will have to work it out on their own. If they won’t listen to you.”

He nodded. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Before Trixie could say anything else, the Elder and his deer approached them. She and the other two ponies quickly got to their hooves as he spoke.

“I believe now is the opportune time for you all to retrieve the key from its hiding place.” He motioned to the deer scouts behind him. “The Bringers of Plague have been spotted far and away from the key’s location and now is the time to obtain it without their knowing.”

“How far away is the key?” Wanderer asked, his ears flicking as a breeze blew through.

“It is three days as the hawk flies, but it will take you all near a week to reach its location. The terrain is more treacherous where it lays hidden and it will delay you.”

“Will any of the deer show us the way?” Tourmaline asked as her hoof toyed with her necklace.

The elder nodded. “Faithful Watcher will accompany you. She is most fluent in Equestrian and I have instructed her on how to find the entrance to the cavern in which the key is hidden.”

Faith’s smile beamed. “I shall not lead you astray.”

“She will not,” the Elder said. “Once you have the key, return here as soon as you are able. You will stay here long enough to gather your companion and we will escort you back to the pony city. From there, you must take the key to your princesses with all haste. Once the Bringers know it is no longer in the forest, they will be relentless in their pursuit of it. Once the key is gone, we will rid the forest of their taint.”

Trixie glanced over as she saw Wanderer sigh and avert his gaze. “Wanderer, Trixie wonders if you are all right?”

He looked back at her and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She glanced down at his tail as it gave a swish before looking back at him. “You don’t sound it.”

“I’ll talk about it later.” He tugged his hat on tighter and turned back to the Elder. “Give us an hour to get ready and we’ll go. It won’t take us long.”

The tall buck nodded. “As you will. Return here when you are ready.”

Trixie followed after Wanderer and Tourmaline, a knot beginning to form in her gut. Her belly churned with so many emotions as she realized she was going to go on an adventure that promised danger and excitement. The practical side of her said to stop the foolishness now before things got out of hoof and get back to Equestria, but there was another part of her, that was thrilled to be going. Always she had been the one weaving the tales of grand adventure on stage, but having never been on one herself, she used her imagination to spin the fanciful tales for her audiences. The thought that she would soon be a part on one filled her with excitement, thrill, and terror.

Which of those feeling she agreed with more, she honestly didn’t know.

She blinked and looked at Wanderer as he spoke.

“...Tourmaline.”

The pegasus glanced over at him. “What?”

Trixie saw the frown cross his face. “Can we please at least act like we’re not mad at each other? I don’t li—”

Tourmaline averted her gaze. “Wanderer, the sooner we have this done, the sooner we can get back to Greensborough and get our lives back the way they were.”

He stared after her for a moment, a few strangled sounds escaping him. “Fine,” he spat.

“Fine,” she answered with equal venom.

As Trixie watched them, wishing to the Sisters they would resolve their issues sooner rather than later.

-0-

As they gathered at the village’s entrance, Tormod watched his friends make their final preparations to leave with a growing apprehension. Knowing they were going back out into the dangerous forest without him caused his worry to grow into a sickening knot. The fear of this being the last moment he would see them alive tore him up more than he thought he could stomach.

Still, he kept the worry to himself. He didn’t want them to start worrying over him about him worrying over them.

“All right, I think we’re ready,” Wanderer said as he tightened his saddlebag around his barrel.

“That is good, earth-tamer,” the Elder said. “Though the Bringers of Plague have not been seen where you are heading, you should not be lax in your vigil. The forest is home to other dangers as well, so one must always remain watchful.”

Faith levitated a small jar into her own satchel and bowed her head to her grandsire. “I will lead them to the best of my ability, Elder. I shall not fail.”

The Elder turned a restrained, yet warm smile at her. “I know this, Faithful Watcher. The honor of the White Tails goes with you. Return to us safely.”

Tormod looked at Tourmaline as she watched the exchange quietly. “Tourmaline.”

She hummed and looked at him. “What?”

He muttered at the vapidness of her reply. “Come here.”

When she walked towards him, he didn’t give her a chance to speak before pulling her into a tight hug with his good foreleg. He felt her stiffen for a second before relaxing, wrapping her forelegs around his neck. “Tormod…”

“You had best come back safely. Otherwise I’ll kill you myself,” he said as he kept the hug going. “I do not want to be the one to tell dad what happened to you.”

She wiped at an eye as he finally let her go. “You just worry about getting better. We’re going home when I get back.”

“You had better.” He looked over at Wanderer as the earth pony watched with a faint smirk on his muzzle. “With a guide, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting lost for a change.”

Wanderer’s smirk deepened. “I might get lost just to keep in practice.”

They shared a quick chuckle before Wanderer gave him a quick gruff hug.

“Remember what I said.”

Wanderer furrowed his brow at him. “About getting lost?”

A sigh escape through Tormod’s nose. “About Tourmaline. You two stop bickering and work together out there.”

The two in question shared a look before looking away again. “We’ll try,” they muttered in unison.

He shook his head at their stubbornness before he looked at Trixie. “Keep them and yourself safe out there. I don’t want to see you hurt either.”

A faint smile tugged at her face and she nodded. “Trixie will do her best.” She walked over and laid a hoof on his good foreleg. “She promises to bring everypony back safely.”

A rare coy smile played across his muzzle. “I don’t get a hug?”

“Trixie doesn’t do hugs,” she said with her own sly grin.

“Of all the luck,” he muttered before the Elder spoke again.

“It is time you all leave. Go quickly and remain safe.” He turned to Faithful. “Ni owlez cqa Nzauc Vicqaz’b nzuka, Muecqmot.”

She dipped her head in respect to him. “Bcui owlaz qaz nzuka, Atlaz.” She turned her gaze to Risen Hart as he stood by. The two shared a nod and faint smile before Faith turned to them. “Come, friends. Let us go!”

The four charged for the trees and Tormod soon lost sight of them through the dense foliage. He sat there for a time, watching the trees, until he gave a large sigh and motioned for the deer to take him back. As he was being carried through the village, he turned a curious look as the Elder walked beside him.

Tormod’s tail flicked before he finally spoke to him. “Well, they’re on their way.”

The Elder gave a distracted nod. “Yes. Away on a journey that will have repercussions for us all should something happen.”

A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Do you believe they will fail?”

“I fear the possibility, aura-weaver.” The Elder closed his eyes for a moment before turning his gaze to the unicorn. “Yet, I feel you are more troubled than I.”

“Is it that obvious?” Tormod sighed. “I just… worry about them. I’ve always been there to make sure they stayed on the right path during our adventures and mediated any arguments that sprung up. Tourmaline and Wanderer both can be hot headed and stubborn, and with me not being there to protect them… it bothers me.”

The Elder nodded again. “An honorable reason, but I do not believe it to be the only one.”

Tormod’s ears pinned back as he regarded the deer. “What do you mean?”

“Consider what you are feeling right now and tell me.”

The Elder’s expression remained passive, though Tormod saw the expectancy in his eyes. Whatever the buck was wanting him to realize was important enough that he would wait for him to think it out.

He focused inwardly, concentrating on his thoughts. His sister and friends were going on a dangerous adventure and he wasn’t there to look after them. Because his barrier wasn’t strong enough to repel a manticore, he was now laid up with an injury that kept him from being at their sides. There was nothing he could do to speed up his healing or be of use to his friends. He was confined to a cot until his injury healed. There was nothing he could do for them, for himself, or anyone.

“I feel worthless,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

The Elder nodded once. “You feel powerless because you are not at your kin’s side, correct?”

Tormod averted his gaze and his ears twitched. “Yes. I just… don’t like being left behind. I want to feel like I’m doing something worthwhile and not just sitting around on my hooves.”

“But you are doing something, aura-weaver. Your kin knows you are thinking of them and the knowledge will give them the confidence in their stride they will need.” The Elder smiled quietly as a pair of fawns bound past them, laughing as they chased each other. “Even if you are not with them in the flesh, you are in spirit.”

A soft snort and smirk followed. “I would feel much better if I was there with them. If only to be sure.”

“To that, I agree.”

The Elder used his magic to lift the tent entrance when they returned to the healer’s tent. The two carriers bowed their heads to the Elder before departing—though not without one of them shooting Tormod a glare on his way out.

“What about you though?” Tormod asked, ignoring the look he received.

The buck turned a curious gaze to him as a healer began changing and redressing Tormod’s wound. “What of me?”

Tormod winced as the healer applied a balm to his cut. “Your granddaughter, Faithful, don’t you worry about her? Aren't you worried for her safety? What if that was the last time you ever get to see her alive?”

The way the Elder stood staring away into space, Tormod bit at the inside of his cheek. Perhaps he went too far?

“I’m sorry. That was rude of me,” he said.

The buck closed his eyes and shook his head. “No, aura-weaver, do not apologize. To answer your question, as Elder, I am confident in Faithful Watcher’s ability to return to us safely.

Tormod nodded but the Elder spoke again before he could.

“But as her grandfather… I am terrified.”

Tormod looked at the Elder, his brows raising. Always before, he had heard the Elder speak with a confident tone of voice—as if he knew the answer to every question in the world. Now though, the doubt and underlying worry was plain with the waiver in his voice.

“I fear for her safety,” the Elder continued, “She is the last of my living kin, and I want to protect her with all of my power, but I know she has duties that she must perform. So despite my worry and wish otherwise, I must call upon her to do the tasks that I cannot. My people must come first before my personal feelings.” He closed his eyes, a soft sigh escaping him, his gaze drifting to the exit. “I truly hope she knows that I care for her.”

They sat for a time in contemplative silence before Tormod spoke. “I’m sure she does. She seems the type to know more than she lets on, and I’m certain she will be all right.”

A grin spread across the buck’s muzzle. “Returning my own wisdom? You are wiser than you let on, aura-weaver.”

Tormod grinned and nodded. “Thank you.”

The buck stood, his ankles popping with the motion. “They will be gone for near two weeks. We should not remain idle either.”

“I agree, though there isn’t much I can do from this stretcher,” Tormod said, shifting a bit on his cot. “Is there anything I can do to help around the village?”

The Elder shook his head slowly. “No. Nothing we cannot already do for ourselves.”

Tormod’s ears pinned back and he looked away. “I see.”

“However…”

He looked back at the buck, his ears standing up again. “Hmm?”

“How would you like to begin to learn our language? I am sure one as clever as you will be able to understand it much faster than your companions,” the Elder said, giving him a faint, sly smile.

Were it not for his shoulder, Tormod would have leapt in joy, but then he remembered that there was something called manners. “I would be honored to learn,” he said, dipping his head.

“Good.” The Elder walked for the tent’s exit. “I will return this evening to begin the lessons.”

As Tormod resettled on his cot, a smile grew on his face. He might have been bed ridden, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still be of help. To both himself as well as his friends.