Harmony Undone: Consequence of Choice

by Zodiacspear

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The tall oak tree had stood for years under the shade of the great Mother Oak. It had seen the passing of centuries in its long, peaceful life. That all ended with a loud groan and the snapping of wood. The old tree came crashing down, tearing up soil and snapping branches of other trees in its fall. An awful chittering preceded the beetle’s emergence from the ground as it tore through the roots of the massive tree.

Harbinger, the emaciated unicorn once known as Paycheck, watched the beetle and others like it tear a swath of destruction through the forest. He watched with a sick fascination as the swarm cut through the forest like locusts.

‘How wonderful a gift it is the Mistress brings us. Be it a plague of sickness or a plague of vermin, both are so beautiful,’ he thought, his pointed canines emerging from his vile grin, a grin that only grew wider as he realized this was all just the beginning.

His ears twitched when he heard the sounds of approaching hoofsteps.

“My Lord.”

Harbinger scowled, tearing his gaze off the destruction to glare at the bowing Stalwart. “What is it?”

The mercenary lowered his head to the turf in submission. “The boring beetles have cleared another section of the forest, but the trees are so firmly rooted into the ground that their progress is minimal.” Stalwart looked back up, his eyes lacking the life they once had before his conversion, and his voice was devoid of any emotion.

“Have you found it yet?” Harbinger snapped.

“No, my Lord. The new Bringers are looking, but…”

Harbinger’s eyes narrowed at the mercenary. “But what?”

If Stalwart had been capable, he would have flinched under those eyes. “There has been trouble with the locals. Three more of the Bringers have been injured and two of the beetles killed.”

The pale unicorn swore. “Filthy savages.”

Stalwart stood straighter. “At this rate, my Lord, we may not find the key before it is time.”

He turned his glare back the mercenary. “That is unacceptable, Stalwart. The Mistress will not be pleased if she has to wait for the conditions to be right again.”

I will not.

Stalwart bowed again. “What would you have us do, my Lord?”

Harbinger turned away to watch the continued, if painfully slow, destruction of the forest. The beetles worked hard to cut through the tough oak roots and soon other trees fell, but it was wasn’t enough. The beetles were good for destruction, but they were useless when it came to advanced thinking. The bugs could have uprooted the key and never known.

That was the reason for the Bringers, the ponies he had converted to serve the Mistress. They had the distinguishing abilities to spot the item they sought after. Even now, he watched as a group of them shuffled through the debris of the ruined trees, neighing and whinnying to each other as they searched. All traces of their personalities had been removed and replaced with the simple drive to find the key.

Harbinger huffed in irritation, a puff of diseased air escaping between his teeth. ‘Mistress, is there any clue you can tell me on where to look?’

I was imprisoned before they hid the key. I do not know where it lies. I can sense it is in this forest, but all of this life is obscuring its location from me.

“Disgusting,” he spat. ‘What do you believe we should do?’

You do not have enough Bringers to search effectively.

His brow furrowed. “We have been careful in our recruitment so not to draw attention.”

Take a risk.

He started and a slow malicious grin grew across his face.

“My Lord?” Stalwart asked, having never moved from his place.

Harbinger glanced at him, realizing the mercenary was not blessed by the voice of their Mistress. “It is time we become more aggressive in our recruitment. Bring me more to be converted, but be careful about it.” He snarled. “We don’t the attention of the Princesses on us too soon.”

Stalwart nodded in acceptance. “What of the locals?”

Harbinger turned away. “I have no use for savages.”

Stalwart pressed his muzzle to the forest floor. “As the Mistress commands.”

-0-

Tourmaline squealed in delight as she rushed to peer through the shop’s window, her eyes sparkling at the items on display.

“Wanderer, come look! They have a whole new line of saddlebags. Come on! Let’s go see if we can find us some new ones,” she called back to her struggling coltfriend.

Wanderer pushed his hat higher as it fell over his eyes. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Just give me a moment.” He stopped to rebalance the boxes and bags of newly bought goods on his back.

She smiled a bit as he struggled under the heavy load. “Are you sure you don’t want any help?”

He waved her away. “No, no. I got it. This isn’t anything—AUGH!” A bad move caused the precariously stacked goods to collapse and bury him under a mountain of goods.

“So I see,” she deadpanned. She had to move a few boxes before she found him, a saddle covering his face. As hard as she tried, a snorted laugh escaped before she collected his dropped hat. “That saddle actually looks good on you.”

He groaned and pulled the garment off his face. “Can I have my hat back?”

She chuckled and twirled the hat around her hoof. “Maybe. After you pick up all the things of mine you dropped.”

He muttered at her. “You’re a cruel mare, Tourmaline.”

She gave him an impish smile. “Maybe, but you love me anyway.”

He couldn’t keep his smile off his face at her and, with her help, picked up the dropped items. “Can I have my hat back now?”

She plopped the hat on his head, pulling it over his eyes. “How about we take home what we have now?” she asked as he set his hat back in its proper place with a grumble. “I don’t need you breaking your back carrying all of this.”

He stretched his back which gave a wince inducing pop. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He looked at the collection of items thoughtfully. “When I said I’d take you on a shopping spree, I didn’t know you would buy all of Greensborough.”

She snorted at him. “You exaggerate.”

“Do I?” He pointed a hoof at the sizable pile of items.

She turned away, a faint blush covering her cheeks. “Oh, hush.”

The two collected the items—Tourmaline carrying her fair share this time—and continued on their way through the streets of Greensborough.

Wanderer couldn’t help but smile wide. Spending the day with his marefriend was a lot more fun than he imagined—despite the backbreaking labor. He thought back to the day they had finally admitted their feelings for each other. He had spent years beside Tourmaline, but both had been too nervous to actually speak their hearts. To him, she was still the same mare he had always known, but having the weight of doubt removed from his withers let him see her in a new light—a light he loved sharing.

As they walked through the bustling streets of the market place, he looked around with a thoughtful look. “I still can’t believe how much this place has grown,” he remarked as a group of ponies went around them.

She gave a soft hum, and he felt her rest her head against his neck. He blinked for a second before a warm flush crept up his face and he looked at her. “You alright?”

“Mhm.” She nodded, giving his neck a nuzzle. “I’m just enjoying this. I am so happy to know you felt like this for me.”

Feeling her so close, it was pleasant. Even as he turned to nuzzle her behind the ear, the smell of her mane bring another warm smile on his face. “Me too. I was so afraid of asking and finding out you didn’t like me, I couldn’t bring myself to ask.”

She smiled up to him. “Me too. I’m just so happy.”

He didn’t care if other ponies saw, he turned and kissed her fully. Only after a startled second did she return the kiss. They held it for a moment before they heard a chuckle. Seeing a number of ponies giving them warm or amused smiles caused fierce blushes to erupt across their faces, and they continued on their way.

“Well,” he said after the embarrassment faded. “We’re home for now and that’s good enough for me.”

She gave him a teasing smile, her blush still faintly on her face. “Until you get bored again. Then we’ll be off somewhere else.”

Wanderer gave her a knowing smile. “True, but that can wait for a while.”

They walked for a bit, making small talk before Wanderer spotted a flyer hanging from a post.

“What is it?” Tourmaline asked, looking to see what he was staring at.

“Not sure.” He paused to read the flyer. It had the visage of a unicorn mare’s face, but she wore a tall, pointed magician’s cap. As he read the flyer, his grin grew wide. “Tourmaline, what did you have planned tonight?”

She looked past him to the flyer then back. “I was thinking of staying home, why?”

“How about we go watch a show instead? There’s a travelling magician performing tonight. How about we go?”

She frowned faintly. “A magic show? I don’t know. If I wanted to see unicorn magic, I’d watch Tormod work.”

Wanderer scoffed. “Oh please. Tormod’s magical creativity is as amazing as a stone’s.”

She tried to keep a straight face but failed.

“But this—“ he pointed to the flyer “—Great and Powerful Trixie would be entertaining to watch. It’ll beat staying at home doing nothing. How about it?”

She tilted her head. “I don’t know…”

He leaned against her, giving her the cutest eyes he could muster. “Please?”

She gave him a flat look. “You couldn’t pull those eyes off as a colt, and you haven’t gotten any better.”

He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “How about now?”

Her blue-green cheeks took a redder hue, and she chuckled helplessly. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“Ha!” He stood proudly tall. “Knew I could talk you into it.”

Rolling her eyes, she pulled the brim of his hat over his face, and they shared a laugh as they walked towards her home.

-0-

Later that evening, as the sun had set and the night sky began to darken in earnest, the two found themselves accompanied by Tormod on their way to the show. He had stated that he had intended to see the performance as well, and had decided to accompany them. As they walked, Wanderer looked around the cleared streets with a thoughtful frown.

“Kind of odd the fog hasn’t rolled in yet.”

The two looked around curiously before Tourmaline pointed into the sky. “There. It looks like the weather pegasi are keeping it from town.”

Wanderer squinted in the gloom but could make out the forms of the pegasi as they darted around the sky line near the tall trees that circled the town. “Think it’s for the show?”

Tormod shrugged. “If I had to guess, I would say so.” He rubbed at his chin. “I wonder how the magician managed to talk the team into working late?”

Wanderer lifted his hat to rub at his ears—the soreness of the hat chaffing would take some getting used to. “Do you know who this Great and Powerful Trixie is, Tormod? Maybe you heard of her when you went to school in Canterlot?”

A pensive frown crossed his face. “Not by that name, I don’t. Though I could have sworn I heard the name Trixie before.” He shrugged. “I can’t remember where though.”

“Guess we’ll find out,” Tourmaline said as she tucked a stray lock of mane out of her face as a soft gust blew through.

Wanderer smiled over at her. “Your mane looks fine.”

She glowered at him, but a warm smile crossed her face nevertheless. “It had better. I spent a long time on it.”

“By a long time, she means an extra ten minutes of brushing.” Tormod said with aplomb.

“Shut up, Tormod!” Her cheeks turned a bright red.

As they walked, Wanderer found his thoughts drifting inward. He imagined what it would be like if he were a traveling magician. The thought of the lifestyle such a pony would have to lead would have to be fun. Travelling from town to town, making his way by his skills and the cheers of a crowd. As fun as it sounded, he couldn’t imagine it having the same thrill adventuring brought. A travelling magician would likely be a safer job, but he wouldn’t trade the life he and his friends had for anything.

That line of thought caused him to think of the life he did lead. Travelling the countryside in search of adventure with his best friends was everything he had ever dreamed of. He still hoped that they would find something that would get their names in the history books, that they would be remembered for years after they were long gone. As he thought, he lowered his head in disappointment and sighed.

He felt someone nudge him in the side. “What’s wrong? You were excited just a minute ago,” Tourmaline asked.

He gave her a painfully fake smile. “It’s nothing… I’m all right.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Wanderer, what’s on your mind?”

A sigh escaped. “I’m just… thinking.”

“What a shocker,” Tormod deadpanned before he was elbowed in the ribs.

Wanderer gave his friend a glare before continuing, “I was thinking about all we’ve done lately. I asked myself: what have we really done that’s going to make ponies remember who we are?”

Tourmaline threw her hooves up with a groan. “You’re taking me to a show and you’re thinking about that now?”

He chuckled. “I know it’s odd, but it’s really not much of a date with your brother here.”

“Trust me,” Tormod said with a snort. “I will find my own seat so you two love birds can have your time together.”

The two blushed fiercely. “We’re getting off topic here,” Tourmaline muttered, once again pushing that stray lock of mane out of her face.

“Think about it though,” Wanderer said. “What have we ever really done that will be remembered?”

“We set the Spirit of Order free to wreak havoc through Equestria,” Tormod said with a scowl.

Wanderer pointed at him. “Exactly—“ he set his hoof back on the ground. “—I just… don’t want that to be what we are remembered for: being his puppets.”

The three walked on in grim silence before Tourmaline perked up and turned to face the two. “All right, listen. Yes, what happened was awful—“ she looked away briefly “—trust me it was…” She stood straighter. “We might not be remembered fondly for our hoof in it all, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find something else in the future that will. We still have years to find something big. For tonight though, I just want to enjoy the here and now and have fun.” She turned away from them. “I’m going to go watch the show. If you two are coming, you better hurry up.”

She looked over her shoulder as she flew ahead. “If you’re lucky, I’ll save you a seat, Wanderer.”

The two watched her go, Wanderer’s smile growing. “She really is amazing.”

Tormod gave a faint nod. “Yes, she is.”

Before Wanderer could give chase, Tormod stopped him with a raised hoof. “Hold on a moment.”

Wanderer turned to regard his friend and was surprised to see the firmness in his eyes.

“Wanderer, I’ve known you for years and I trust you, but I swore I would talk to whoever Tourmaline chose to date and let them know this simple fact.” Tormod’s gaze narrowed slightly. “If you break her heart, I will break you.”

Wanderer nodded, not doubting him in the slightest. “Trust me. I’ll never hurt her.”

Tormod lowered his hoof. “That is what I wanted to hear.”

Wanderer’s eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. “If I don’t hurry, she’ll give my seat to somepony else.” He galloped after her, quickly catching up to her as she waited outside of the gathering crowd.

She tilted her head at him. “What were you two talking about?”

He set his hat back in its place as they walked to find a seat among the throng of ponies who had gathered to watch the show. “You brother told me bluntly to keep my hooves to myself.”

She blinked for a second before a mischievous smirk darted across her muzzle. “Well, I give you permission to ignore him.”

His smile matched hers. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

-0-

Trixie watched with a pleased smile as three more ponies joined the growing crowd around her stage. She let the corner of the curtain to fall and quickly sat herself at her vanity to give her silvery mane a final brushing. Tonight was the night, the night where her career as a showmare began anew.

She scrutinized her image in the mirror, checking for any flaws. Tonight had to be perfect. She had spent the past few days mingling with the locals, judging their disposition and determining if any knew who she was. Thankfully none had known of her past, and those she spoke with were excited to see her show. They had claimed that they rarely had any traveling performers and welcomed anything that would break the tedium of the forest town.

An excited grin crossed her face as she contemplated the perfect routine she had planned—something so dazzling that the ponies of Greensborough would not soon forget her name. A few minor alterations to her final act and all would work out in the end. Tonight was Trixie’s night to shine!

But what if something goes wrong?

She glared at her reflection in the mirror. “Nothing shall go wrong! Trixie has done everything to make this show her best ever!”

Something always goes wrong. What will I do then?

She stood up with a confident snort. “Trixie is not worried. Tonight will be the return of the Great and Powerful Trixie!

I hope you are right…

Her magic set her hat and cape to their place and she gave a flourish. “Trixie is always right, and Trixie will take her rightful place among the stars!”

She peeked past the curtain and saw that the crowd was poised and ready. Her grin grew as she used her magic to point the lights towards her stage. The crowd fell to a silent hush as the show was about to start.

She reached for her megaphone and took a deep breath. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” she said from behind her curtains. “Welcome one and all to a show of dazzling, mystical arts performed by the one, the only… Great and Powerful Trrrrrrrixe!” With a charge of her horn, a pink puff of smoke covered her grand entrance to the stage. The crowd cheered and stamped as she stood on her hindlegs, her cape fluttering behind her.

With a flourish, she bowed to her audience. “Thank you, kind citizens of Greensborough!” She lowered herself to all fours and soaked in their eager looks for a split second. “You’ve all come to see wondrous feats of magic not seen anywhere else in all of Equestria, and the Great and Powerful Trixie shall provide!”

She threw her forelegs out wide and the two party props shot out, showering the crowd with confetti and brightly colored streamers. Before the streamers could settle, a pink aura enveloped them and swirled to follow Trixie’s movements. The colorful streamers flew over the excited crowd before they flew above the stage and formed a rainbow of many colors. With a final charge of her horn, the rainbow scattered and fell over the cheering crowd.

Their cheers were like nectar to a honey bee.

“Ahh, it’s all a bunch of hooey!” she heard a gruff voice call out from the crowd.

She smiled inwardly as her mole in the crowd timed his part perfectly.

“Oh,” she replied with an indignant toss of her head, “Seems we have a neighsayer amongst us.” She looked towards the lumberjack as the crowd parted for him. “So tell us, ol’ sayer of neighs, do you think you can do better than the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

The earth pony scoffed. “I ain’t a unicorn, but you can bet yer hat I can split a log better than you can.”

She gestured to the stage with a broad sweep of her foreleg. “Well then, place your money where your mouth is and show all of these ponies you can do better than Trixie!”

The crowd cheered and whistled for the local challenger. As he climbed up, she levitated a smaller platform onto the stage and set a log upon it. It wouldn’t have done to damage her own stage, after all.

The lumberjack looked at the log then at her in mock snideness. “Hard to split a log without an axe.”

Trixie’s smirk turned even more arrogant as an axe levitated from behind her wagon. “You are lucky at least Trixie comes prepared!”

The crowd all laughed at his expense. With a grunt, he took the axe from her magical grip. He made a grand show of carefully lining up the axe at the log, but when he chopped down, it didn’t split completely. Two more chops and the log split in neatly in half.

He rested his axe against his barrel, giving her a smug smile. “Top that, o’ Powerful Trixie.”

Three more such logs were set on the platform and Trixie took her place behind them. “Watch, O ye of little faith, as the Great and Powerful Trixie shows how it is done.”

After a quick “ooh” from the crowd, she appraised all three logs with an almost bored look.

The lumberjack chuckled mockingly at her. “Seems the wonderful Trixie ain’t so prepared after all.” He slid the handle of his axe to her. “Need a little help?”

She turned her nose up at him. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need such crude implements for such a simple task.”

Her horn lit up and a line of magic cleanly cut all three logs in half.

The lumberjack’s jaw fell open as the crowd cheered for the magician.

She smiled and bowed to the applause. “Thank you! Thank you! Give a hoof for our volunteer as well!”

The lumberjack descended the stairs to the crowd’s applause and the jeers of his friends.

Trixie again stood tall on the stage, directing all the attention on her. “Now, dear ponies of Greensborough, feast your eyes on the dazzling magical display of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Her voice dropped lower to a more mysterious tone. “Mares, hold your stallions tight. For you do not want them to be lead away…” she lowered her hat over her eyes and paused for effect. “…by the ‘Dance of the Will-o-Wisp.’”

She ignored one stallion as he mockingly commented his mare was holding him too tight and concentrated. The stage lights lowered to a soft glow, shrouding Trixie’s form in shadows.

The hush was broken by the crowd’s soft whispers as a ball of white light formed in front of Trixie’s face. The ball levitated outward and zipped towards a stallion in the crowd and stopped inches from his face. He gulped nervously before the ball moved quickly to another stallion. It did this a number of times before it took to the air above them. It held in the air for a moment, before splitting into three. One orb glowed red, another blue, and the last a yellow—each of them hovering above the crowd like a ghost.

As the crowd watched with fascination, Trixie used her magic to set the gramophone backstage to play a slow, soothing tune. To the rhythm of the song, the lights moved in a circle. Once they completed a circuit, they turned and did a reverse circle before coming together and spiraling back out. The lights, while continuing their turning, lowered towards the crowd—many of whom whispered in awe. The combination of music and hypnotizing lights had many of them holding their breath.

Trixie stood on her hind legs and moved her forelegs to control the lights. The lights lowered and halted just out of reach of the crowd. She smiled inwardly as a few still reached out for them. She allowed herself to bask in the wondrous looks of the crowd for a moment.

Suddenly, the song began to pick up its tempo and the wisps continued their circuit, keeping pace with the song. They would come together and spiral back out as the song played.

Without warning, the wisps dipped into the crowd, swirling around an audience member then back into the air. Foals and adults both marveled and chatted excitedly as the magical display brought about many happy smiles.

As the song neared its end, the wisps darted to Trixie and surrounded her with their different colored glows. She danced in place, the wisps following her movements, alighting her blue fur with a mysterious glow.

She took her cap off and held it up high—on cue the wisps darted into the hat and she set it back on her head in a dramatic flourish just in time for the song to reach its end.

The deafening applause and cheers were sweet music to her ears. It took all her years of acting to keep the tears of joy from her face.

I’ve done it! She bowed to the cheering throng. “Thank you! Thank you all so much!” She straightened back up and smiled at their eager smiles for her next act.

Trixie swore she would not disappoint. “And now, fillies and gentlecolts, now for the Great and Powerful Trixie’s main event!” She motioned to the sky with a hoof. “Trixie shall recall a tale of great heroism—” she brought her hoof back down to sweep across the crowd “—a tale of unrivaled bravery! The tale of how the Great and Powerful Trixie saved the city of Fillidelphia from a dreaded sea serpent!”

When she threw her hoof back up, a bolt of magic took to the sky and exploded, its sparks merging to form a somewhat foalish image of a sea dragon.

“Awakened from its slumber, the dreaded sea beast thought to unleash its rage upon the helpless citizens of Fillydelphia. As ponies fled for their very lives from the beast, only one brave pony charged towards it, the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie!”

She shot another bolt of magic into the air, and this time, the bolt formed into her image as it bravely stood before the great dragon.

“You did not!” screamed a voice from the crowd.

Trixie looked in the direction of the voice, having expected something like this to happen. “Oh? Do we have another neighsayer in the crowd?” She was not going to allow her crowd to fall apart again.

“Darn right you do!” The pony motioned to himself. “I’m from Fillydelphia and I know for a fact no dragon has ever been there. You’re just a liar!”

Trixie lifted her nose. “Perhaps if you were to—“

“I thought I recognized her!” shouted another pony near the first. “She was run out of Trottingham a week or two ago for causing trouble.”

The crowd began to mumble at the noise they were making. Annoyed frowns replaced wide smiles with ease.

No! No! I will not let this happen!

“If you sirs cannot calm down, Trixie will ask you to—“

“Wasn’t that because she’s the one who brought an ursa major on Ponyville too? As well as driving Princess Twilight out?”

She bristled in anger. She felt things were beginning to slip beyond her control and she was not going to let that happen. “Trixie wants both of you gentlecolts to leave now!”

One of the naysayers scoffed. “Ha! What’re you going to do? Bring the monsters out of the woods on us? You fake!”

She stood defiantly. “Trixie will not ask—“

She was forced to duck as something was thrown from the crowd, the object almost braining her.

“Get out of here, ya fraud! We don’t want ya here!”

“Is this true?” came another demand.

She stubbornly got back to her hooves. “It is not like that, good ponies! It is all a misunderstanding!”

Discontent mumbles turned to angered shouts as the crowd turned on her. Ponies who had just watched her with adoration a moment again, now looked on her with scorn.

It’s falling apart! Again!

Stop this now! Take control! You are the Great and Powerful Trixie, now prove it!

She stood tall, her eyes ablaze in determination. “Ponies! This is not—“

Something solid connected against her face, snapping her head to the side and knocking her hat from its place. She tried to shake away the dizziness away when she felt more things being thrown at her. Rocks clattered across her stage, fruit splattered against her coat and cape, as the crowd voiced their discontent.

It was happening again, her past had come back and ruined what was a perfect show. All of it, all of her careful planning and getting to know the populace was all for nothing. One bad act had ruined her life forever!

Tears of pain and sadness could not be stopped as the crowd continued to assault her with thrown objects. Trixie wanted nothing more than to curl up and let the crowd do what it wanted. Such was the black pit of despair she fell into. She felt her stage shake as somepony climbed up and she held her hooves above her face, expecting blows to rain down.

“Hey!” a stallion’s voice shouted above the chorus of the angry mob. “What do you all think you’re doing?”

The crowd quieted down a little, and the objects being thrown at her stopped. She looked past her hooves to see an auburn earth pony wearing a hat stand in front of her protectively. “What do you ponies think you are doing? You’re ruining a good—“ he grunted as a tomato splattered across his face.

He wiped away the offending fruit and glared at the thrower. “A tomato? Seriously? Who brings a tomato to a magic show?”

The thrower hunkered down sheepishly.

The earth pony returned his gaze to the crowd. “You’ve all ruined a good show! Why?”

Trixie saw one of the neighsayers stand taller, pointing an accusatory hoof her way. “She’s a liar and a charlatan. She never saved Fillydelphia from a sea dragon.”

She could tell the earth pony wanted to strangle the neighsayer. “Didn’t it ever occur to you that it’s an act! She’s an actor! She’s allowed to make things up!”

That seemed to put the naysayer back on his hooves. “Well, she still brought that ursa major on Ponyville and drove Princess Twilight out. She’s still a con!”

The earth pony looked back at her and she could see the concern in his eyes. “Is that—“ He grunted again as a stone connected against his neck—the hit knocking his hat off his head.

Just as a second stone flew out, it was picked out of the air by a pegasus mare. She held the stone and glared at the crowd.

“The next one to throw something will have to deal with me!” Trixie looked at the blue-green pegasus as she whispered to the earth pony. “What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t going to let this happen,” he whispered back before addressing the crowd again. “Let’s all calm down and let her get back to her show. I was actually enjoying it until you interrupted her.”

The neighsayer stood defiantly. “You want her to bring the monsters on your town?”

The stallion glowered at him. “You’re here, aren’t you? Why don’t you just leave instead of making a scene?”

The enraged pony lifted one of the stools to throw at her defender. Before it ever got close, a red aura stopped it. A rust-colored unicorn joined the two on the stage and set the stool down to sit on.

“Was that really necessary?” he asked. “I think it is past time someone fetched the guards. This has gone on long enough.”

“The guards are here!” a voice bellowed and Trixie saw a small squad of pony guards enter the square. Her shoulders slumped as she saw the mayor at their head, and she felt her heart break as the crowd cheered for them.

The mayor motioned to the guards and they began dispersing the crowd. Angry mutterings filled the air as the ponies grudgingly did as told.

Trixie’s eyes snapped to the pegasus as she hissed. “Is that… Rogue?”

The earth pony stiffened. “It can’t be.”

“Miss Lulamoon.” She turned back to see Rogue looking her way. Scarlet Scroll stood behind him, looking at her with that same passive stare. “I believe I warned you about creating a disturbance in my town.”

Trixie stood, her cheek bruised from the stone that struck her. “Please, Mayor Rogue, it was not Trixie’s fault! A ruffian started it all by disrupting her show!”

Rogue’s glared hardened. “I don’t care. You knew you were on thin ice to begin with, and you let things get out of control. You have only yourself to blame.”

She lowered her head at his words but was caught by surprise as the pony with the hat spoke up. “Now wait a minute! That’s not fair to her.”

Rogue looked at the pony with a glare. “And just who the—“ Both Rogue and Scarlet Scroll’s eyes widened as the seemed to notice the three for the first time. “Wanderer? Is that you?”

The earth pony, Wanderer, looked back at Rogue cautiously. “Rogue, it’s been a while?”

“Not long enough,” Rogue said acidly, and Trixie saw that Scarlet watched the three with a harshness to her usual impassive expression. “Were you three here to witness what happened?”

“Or did you cause it?” Scarlet snapped.

Trixie saw the other pegasus bristle. “I see you haven’t changed a bit, Scarlet. Still licking at Rogue’s hooves?”

“Tourmaline…” the male unicorn warned.

“Enough!” Rogue bellowed. “I am not here to bicker with you three,” he said while stopping his wife from lashing out. “Did you three actually see what happened here or not?”

The male unicorn stepped forward. “It is like she said, a ruffian interrupted her performance and set the crowd into a frenzy. They started throwing things when Wanderer got on stage to stop it.” He glanced at his companion. “Not the smartest thing he could have done, but it did calm the crowd down until you got here.”

Rogue looked at the unicorn for a moment. “I know of the three of you, Tormod, you were always the less likely to lie. So I am willing to believe you.” He looked back at Trixie, his glare hardening again. “Either way, she was warned. Miss Lulamoon, you are to gather your things. I want you out immediately.”

Trixie felt her heart sink, a knot of despair forming in her gut. “B-But…”

He shook his head. “No excuses. Out, and do not come back.”

Those damning words made her fall to her knees, tears streaming down her face. It was over! All of her hopes, her dreams, they were gone! There was nowhere else for her to go. Greensborough was her last chance. What was she to do now? All of it… for nothing. She failed!

As Rogue turned away, she vaguely heard Wanderer call out at him. “W-Wait! She can’t leave yet.”

Rogue turned back to regard him. “And why is that? I told her to leave, and as mayor, I have that right. What makes you think you have any say in what I do in this town?”

“What are you doing?” Trixie heard Tourmaline whisper to Wanderer.

“I’ve got a plan,” he whispered back, then spoke louder. “She can’t leave yet because… I hired her to do a private show.”

Many questioning and incredulous stares came back at him. Trixie for her part, lifted her gaze to stare at him blankly.

“Yeah, I hired her to do a private show for my family and close friends.” He looked back at her, his expression clearly telling her to go with his story. “Isn’t that right, Miss Trixie?”

Rogue scowled, clearly not believing him. “Is this true, Miss Lulamoon?”

Trixie dashed at her eyes and looked between the ponies staring at her. While Rogue and Scarlet looked at her expectantly, Wanderer gave her an encouraging nod. The other two gave him wary glances.

Trixie stood straighter, using her magic to place her hat back on her head. “I suppose Trixie did. She must have forgotten.”

Rogue frowned for a moment. “I’m surprised Wanderer had any money to pay you.” He gave her a stern glare. “You can stay to perform the show he’s paid you for. After that, you’re gone. Is that clear?”

Trixie lowered her head and nodded. “Trixie understands.”

“Good,” he said firmly. With a final suspicious glare at the three, he and Scarlet turned away, but not before the latter glared at Tourmaline, who simply turned an infuriating smirk her way.

“I see those two haven’t changed any,” Tourmaline spat once they had left.

Tormod nodded slowly. “Even after all of these years, it’s depressing.”

“Forget him,” Wanderer said and turned to Trixie. “Are you all right?”

She wiped at her eyes again. “Trixie is fine. She thanks you for standing up for her.”

Wanderer gave her a lopsided grin. “Hey, glad to help out. There was no reason for those guys to act like they did.”

Tourmaline turned to regard her with a friendly smile. “I was enjoying your show. The Dance of the Will-o-Wisp was amazing.”

Trixie smiled at the compliment but it was quickly gone as realization set it. “Trixie is glad you enjoyed it, but… it will be the last time anypony sees it.”

The three seemed taken aback. “What? Why?”

She shook her head. “What does it matter? Trixie’s dreams are in ruins. Her show is done.” She looked at them a bit closer. “Trixie apologizes, but she didn’t get your names.”

“I’m Wanderer,” the earth pony said, belatedly tipping his hat to her.

“Tourmaline,” the pegasus said with a smile.

“And I’m Tormod.” The unicorn lowered his head to her. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Lulamoon.”

A sad smile played across her face. “Trixie does thank you all, but she needs to pack up her wagon and leave as she was told.”

“Wait, you’re not going to leave yet are you?” Wanderer asked as he hopped off the stage.

Trixie used her magic to clear the debris. “The mayor told her to. It was kind of you to make up that story for her, but Trixie does not do private performances.”

“Rogue can go suck an egg,” Tourmaline spat. “Leaving right now is not a good idea anyway.”

Tormod nodded in agreement. “It is not wise to leave Greensborough at night, Miss Lulamoon. The fog will be rolling back in soon, and it is not safe to be out in the forest when the fog is present.”

“Don’t we know it,” Wanderer muttered before Tourmaline elbowed him.

She pulled the lever that lifted the stage back to her wagon. “Trixie will have to try, there is no point in staying.”

“Now hold on,” Wanderer said. “It’s not all that bad. You have a good show, and you can’t let it go to waste.” He looked to his friends for support. “You have three fans right here.”

Tourmaline rolled her eyes at him but nodded. “He’s right. I would gladly pay to see it again.”

Trixie smiled despite herself. “Trixie is thankful for your words, but three fans will not support her. The three of you are likely the only fans she has.” She ducked into the hitch of her wagon. “Trixie is appreciative of your support, but it is not enough.”

Wanderer spoke up again, earning a confused look from Tourmaline.. “Do you need a place to stay the night, Miss Trixie?”

Trixie looked back at him. “Please, call Trixie by her name. Not Miss Trixie.”

“Right,” he said easily. “If you need a place to stay the night, you can park your wagon outside my home.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why are you so interested in helping Trixie?”

“Good question,” Tourmaline agreed, looking at him closely.

He looked between them with a faintly frustrated expression. “I’m just wanting to help. There was no excuse for what those ponies did. I want you to know that not everypony is upset.”

Trixie turned up her nose. “Trixie thanks you, but she is leaving.” She started on her way before his next words stopped her cold.

“That, and I don’t want to see anypony eaten by timberwolves. And yes, they’re out there.”

Rather it was coincidence or not, she did hear a wolf howl off in the distance.

Trixie’s throat tightened. “T-Timberwolves?”

The three nodded seriously. “And likely other things,” Tormod said. “The Forest of the Oak is a place where a pony has to tread carefully.”

She again looked towards the woods and shuddered. She did admit that his lie kept her from having to leave then and there. The thought of walking through the woods without an escort did frighten her. And if this Wanderer tried anything, she was confident she could defend herself. “All right, Trixie will take you upon your offer, but she will stay in her wagon.”

He shrugged. “Makes sense. I’d do the same thing if I was in your horseshoes.”

As she followed the three through the increasingly foggy streets, she could hear them having a whispered conversation. She couldn’t make out what was being said, but she could tell the pegasus and unicorn were hammering the earth pony with questions. He was trying to explain it to them, but the pegasus wasn’t buying it.

“Why are you so interested in helping her? I don’t get it,” she said a bit louder than intended.

Wanderer looked at her with a faint scowl. “I’m surprised you don’t. You saw what that crowd did just as well as I did. Didn’t you see her when Rogue told her to leave? It upset her.”

Tourmaline glanced at her, though she remained apparently oblivious. “I saw it, but I still don’t see how it concerns you.”

“You heard her, she said her show is done for. It’s obvious to me that it is important to her, and I don’t want to see anypony give up on their dreams.”

The unicorn cut off any further argument between the two. “Perhaps if we knew a bit more about her situation, it would make things clearer.”

Wanderer looked over his shoulder at her. “Trixie can I ask you a question?”

She looked at him and shrugged. “Trixie supposes.”

“Does she always talk in the third person?” Tourmaline muttered.

Wanderer spoke above her. “Why did you say your show is over? You’re not going to let a few naysayers ruin such a great show, are you?”

She lowered her head. “…It is not just them. It is like that everywhere for Trixie.”

“What did Rogue mean you were on ‘thin ice?’” Tourmaline asked.

She looked between them, her brow furrowing. “Do you three really not know who the Great and Powerful Trixie is?”

They shook their head in unison. “No. Should we?” Tormod asked.

Trixie looked away for a second, baffled by their ignorance. How could they not know? It seemed as if everypony knew about her and that she wasn’t welcomed anywhere she went. She considered lying, but with her show in ruins, what was the point?

She looked back at them. “Do you know of Ponyville?” She winced as they smiled at the mention. “This is what happened…”

As she told them of her encounters in Ponyville, their expressions ranged from incredulous to shocked. They interrupted frequently with questions, but she still continued to tell her story. As she told them of her recent problems, they turned pensive.

“That sounds… horrible,” Tourmaline said, giving her friends a sad look.

“Wrong, if you ask me.” Wanderer muttered, crossing his forelegs.

Tormod nodded slowly, a pensive frown on his face. “It seems a misunderstanding to me. Save for the alicorn amulet incident.”

She lowered her head staring at her hooves. “That… was Trixie’s fault. She does not deny it, but she made amends with Twilight. It is the rest of Equestria that still holds it against her.”

“You really can’t blame them either,” Tourmaline said before Wanderer nudged her. “What?” she asked when she looked at him. “It’s true.”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t help any.”

Trixie looked at the other mare for a moment but nodded. “Not that any help will be enough now. Trixie is not wanted anywhere and none will give her act a chance.”

Tormod rubbed at his chin. “It seems to me that the trouble is with your final act—the one with the tale of heroism.” He lowered his hoof to the ground. “Have you ever thought of coming up with a different act?”

She shook her head. “No. It was always a crowd favorite. All of the foals loved hearing Trixie’s stories.” She scowled and looked away. “She never guessed two colts would go looking for an ursa for Trixie to vanquish.”

Wanderer smiled in humor. “Actually, we might have done something like that when we were foals.”

The other two glowered at him. “Shut up, Wanderer,” Tourmaline groused.

“Hey! We might have,” he said defensively.

She chuckled but didn’t deny his accusation.

“Still—“ he said, his lopsided grin fading. “—If your final act is your favorite and ponies call you a fraud because it is all made up, then—“ His sudden intake of breath and wide excited eyes and smile caused Trixie to jump while the other two looked at him with dread. “I got it!”

“Oh no…” Tormod muttered.

“What?” Tourmaline demanded.

“I know how we can solve both of our problems,” Wanderer said. “Remember how I said we needed to do something that would put our names down in history? She’s the answer.”

Only the sounds of crickets broke the awkward silence. Trixie sat staring at him as if he was crazy.

“…I don’t follow,” Tormod said.

Wanderer sat straighter. “It’s like this. Trixie’s last act always fails because it is not true—“ he looked at her apologetically. “—no offense.”

She shrugged, unable to argue the point.

“But, what if she were to tell a story that is true?”

“She couldn’t be called a fraud,” Tourmaline reasoned. “But how does that help us?”

He gave her an eager smile and pointed at Trixie. “If she goes with us on an adventure, she’ll have a real story to tell her audience and we get our names told across Equestria when she travels. It works out for all of us.”

Trixie frowned, but shuddered as a breeze ruffled her coat. “What would keep them from calling her out about the new story compared to the old one?”

He frowned for a second before the smile returned. “We come back with proof. An artifact or something that shows you’re telling the truth.”

“Where would you find something like that?” Trixie asked.

The three went quiet, pensive frowns on their faces. Just when she was about to turn them down, Wanderer’s eyes widened again. “I’ve got the perfect idea.”

“What?”

He pointed towards the forest. “The Mother Oak.”

The silence that followed was thick enough to cut.

“Are you insane? Nopony has ever been to the Mother Oak, it’s too dangerous,” Tormod said.

Wanderer looked at his friend, obviously expecting the question. “That’s why it is perfect. We will be the first ones to make it there and we can come back with proof of it.”

Trixie stared at him, he jaw hanging open. “Didn’t you say the forest is dangerous?”

He nodded, his ears flickering as a howl drifted on the wind. “It is. But we’ve fought timberwolves and manticore before. We even beat a dragon once.”

Tourmaline glared at him. “We barely survived the dragon.”

“Maybe, but we were the ones to walk away.” He stood straight. “Think about it. This could be the adventure of our lives, the one to put our names in the history books, and Trixie will be there to verify it all. In turn, she will have a tale that cannot be questioned and her show will be a success again.” He looked between them all. “We are here, it will only take a few days to get ready. This is our chance.”

Trixie saw the other two were seriously considering his words. She could not believe they were actually contemplating it. The idea was simply crazy!

Before she could voice her opinion, Tourmaline spoke. “As crazy as it is, your ideas have usually worked out before.” She smiled to her brother. “I always did want to see the Mother Oak up close.”

Tormod sighed. “This will be a trip that will take weeks. We will need a lot of supplies.”

Trixie saw Wanderer smile in triumph and felt their looks boring down on her. They looked at her expectantly, but she didn’t share in their excitement. The Forest of the Oak was a dangerous place, and nopony had ever been to the great tree they talked about. She had only just met these three and, despite their coming to her rescue, she didn’t know a thing about them. They professed to being adventurers but that meant little to her. They could be thieves trying to lure her away from civilization to mug her or worse. This whole plan just stunk of ludicrousness.

But what did she have to lose? Her show was over. She would be returning home to her parents a miserable failure and be forced to find a new means of supporting herself, likely in a job she would despise, like rock farming. If what these three were offering was true, they were giving her another chance. It was another chance to continue to live her dream, to pursue her happiness in life. If she gave up now, could she honestly live with herself?

Still…

Tormod cleared his throat and Trixie realized she must have been sitting quietly with her thoughts the whole time. “You know, it is late. You do not have to make the choice right now, Trixie. We have put a lot on your shoulders all of a sudden when you barely even know us—or we you.” He looked at the other two. “Why don’t we all get some sleep and talk again in the morning?”

Wanderer’s shoulders slumped but he nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” He stood up and helped Tourmaline to her hooves. “You can still park your wagon near my home, Trixie. We can talk tomorrow.”

She nodded slowly—perhaps sleeping on the decision will help make things clearer.

They walked on for a bit before they came to a road where the siblings split off. Wanderer and Tourmaline shared a quick kiss before continuing on, but not before she gave Trixie a cautious glance.

Trixie walked along quietly, the sound of creaking wood was the only thing that broke the silence. Wanderer walked beside her, but he kept quiet so she could be alone with her thoughts.

After a while he stopped her with a raised hoof. “Here we are.” He motioned to a small two-story house with a sizable yard. “Go ahead and park your wagon over there. Nopony bothers us out here.”

She pulled her wagon to the spot and unhitched herself. “Trixie does thank you for your hospitality, Wanderer. She is not used to ponies treating her so nicely.”

He smiled his lopsided grin. “Don’t mention it. I’m glad to help.”

As she was about to climb into her wagon, he spoke again. “I really hope you choose to go with us, Trixie. I saw how much you loved to perform, and I don’t ever want to see anypony give up on their dreams.”

She turned back to regard him. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not make promises.”

He nodded. “That’s only fair. It’s your choice to make. If you’re gone in the morning, I will understand. If you’re still here, you won’t regret it.” He tipped his hat, the moonlight reflecting off the tourmaline accents. “Night.”

She nodded to him as he made his way towards the house. As she climbed into her wagon, her mind swirled in a chaotic mess. Could she do it? Could she really go with a bunch of strange ponies into the woods on a slim hope that her show—her dream— could be saved? It seemed so ridiculous that she, the eternal solo act, would share any path with others. The Great and Powerful Trixie had always looked out for herself, why should she change now? The choice was hers, and the answer seemed so obvious.

Yet, as the sun rose the next day, the wagon still remained in the yard.

Author's Note:

Here it is, folks! The long awaited fourth chapter of Consequence of Choice and I hope it was worth the wait for everyone. Some real life issues kept the chapter from making an appearance, but now it is here, and I'm glad.

Writing for the three adventurers is always fun. Now that Wanderer and Tourmaline are officially dating, it opens up a brand new avenue for their interactions, and I think most will find it enjoyable.

As for Trixie's show, it was a lot of fun to write, but the one shout out I want to make is her second act: the Dance of the Will-o-Wisp. If you're curious as to what song was inspired, and even used in the story itself, it's this little celtic instrumental song.

That song inspired the Dance of the Will-o-Wisp, and I consider it the one Trixie plays during her act.

Hopefully I can bring chapters consistently to you all again. Stay tuned for any news concerning the adventures of the Great and Powerful Trixie and others.