Chapter 7: The Limits of a Hero
Chapter 7: The Limits of a Hero
Screams punctuated the high, ear splitting roar of the basilisk, the ponyfolk of Oaton glancing out windows and doors to see the creature that was now boldly making its way down the center road that cut through the town.
Trixie was already scrambling out the guest room and heading for the stairs down. When she saw Bushel poking her head out the door, looking fearful, Trixie paused only long enough to say, “Close your door and stay inside, until I or your parents come get you!”
She didn’t wait for a response, but heard the door close behind her. She almost tripped down the stairs, but was caught by Raindrops, who’d apparently been flying up the stairs. The pegasus steadied Trixie, helping her down the last few steps, where Cheerilee, Mayor Sheaf, and Picturesque were waiting in the tavern common room.
Picturesque was looking fearfully towards the doors, then at her husband, “Dear, what are we going to do?”
Sheaf’s face was a stone mask, “You’re going to get upstairs and stay with the foals. I’m going out there to try and get anypony with a pitchfork and torch to try and drive that thing off!”
“Bad idea,” said Trixie, “Even if you did drive it away, you’d lose ponies to its gaze.”
“What do you suggest then, ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie?” asked Sheaf, “I have to protect my village!”
Raindrops was frowning, flying over to the window and chancing a peek out, “Can’t everypony just hunker down and wait for it to leave?”
“I don’t think that will work,” piped in Cheerilee, looking thoughtful, and the thoughts she was having weren’t the warm fuzzy kind, “What I read on basilisks on the train ride says they’re territorial, but not aggressive like this. If it’s attacking, it won’t stop until whatever is aggravating it…goes away.”
There was a crashing sound from outside, so loud it made Trixie jump. This was followed by a roar, and the sound of ponies yelling. Raindrops was still out the window and her eyes widened, mane and tail seeming to wilt one second, then bristle the next as she growled, “It’s trying to tear down one of the houses!”
The pegasus didn’t even wait for a response, she went flying out the door, much to Trixie’s immediate horror.
“Raindrops, wait! Blast it all!” Trixie began to gallop after her friend, Cheerilee and Sheaf close behind her.
The night was crisp, with a faint chill wind starting to flit through the village. Trixie ignored the cold, ignored her aching legs, ignored the exhausting pressure in her head of an oncoming headache. None of that mattered. What mattered was that her friend was flying into danger, the village was in danger, and she had to do something about it!
All of Oaton was wide awake at this point, as evidenced by the ponies who were either looking out of doors or even coming out into the street, some with farm tools at the ready. Trixie shouted to them as she galloped past, “Everypony back inside! Nopony come out until its over!”
She didn’t know if her words were having any affect though, many of the farm ponies who saw her go past were cheering her on or waving at her. Trixie almost snarled under her breath. Didn’t they get how dangerous the situation was!? To make matters worse, Sheaf had started calling out for every able bodied pony to arm themselves. Was he mad? Then again, she had to be pretty mad too…it wasn’t like she had any idea how she was going to stop the basilisk.
Speaking of which, she saw it up ahead. Like Raindrops had said it was busy tearing down the wall of one of Oaton’s single story houses. It was a patch of black in the shadows of the night, the moon’s silver light only dully reflecting off its scales, which were a dark, deep forest green that would have made it blend in perfectly in the thick undergrowth of the Everfree. It had a somewhat alligator like appearance, its body a long scale covered affair, but its legs were larger and more muscled than any alligator’s should have been, tipped with four powerful claws. Its back was ridged with thin bony spines that went all the way to the crest of its head. A pointed snout held a five foot wide jaw lined with four inch needle sharp teeth. Worse of all, though, were the basilisk’s eyes. A fierce golden yellow, like the painful glare of the sun itself, slit down the middle with an inky black line.
The beast had gouged a wide hole in the side of the house with its claws and was sticking its snout inside. A mare’s voice screamed, and Trixie heard the muffled wails of foals. She put on an extra burst of speed, already channeling magic through her horn. A few fireworks in its face might distract it-
-Raindrops seemed to appear from nowhere. Trixie had lost sight of the pegasus once she’d gotten outside, but that was just because Raindrops had flown up at an angle and now dive-bombed the basilisk, smashing both fore hooves into the side of the creature’s head. Trixie had seen Raindrops crack rock with those hooves.
The basilisk barely rocked under the blow and snorted, pulling its snout out of the house and shaking its head slightly. Raindrops seemed stunned. The basilisk began to look at her, Trixie felt her blood run cold and she pushed her magic through her horn faster.
Brilliant green, violent, and blue bursts of light illuminated the night, right above the basilisk’s head. Rather than fix Raindrops with its petrifying gaze it instead closed its eyes against the lights and shook its head back and forth in confusion.
“Raindrops, get out of there!” Trixie shouted, screeching her own gallop to a halt. She didn’t want to get too close to the thing, and knew it wouldn’t be distracted for long.
Raindrops flew up, putting distance between herself and the creature. Meanwhile Trixie felt a presence beside her and saw Cheerilee next to her, the schoolteacher’s expression grim, but she was chuckling under her breath all the same.
“I don’t suppose you have an incredibly brilliant plan for how we’re going to deal with this one?”
Trixie gulped as the basilisk shook off its daze and with a deep guttural growl focused its attention on her and Cheerilee.
“Um, not as such, no.”
“Oh well,” said Cheerilee, scuffing a hoof and leaning down, preparing to charge, “Plan B it is then.”
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“Bushel, what can you see?” asked Milkdrop, trying to push her muzzle past her older sister to peek out the window.
“Hey, back up Milk, you’re making me lose my balance!” said Bushel, who was standing on top of an upturned bucket, who her sister was also standing on, making the two fillies wobble a bit. Breadcrumb was still in the bed, covers wrapped up over his head as he shook fearfully from the sounds coming from outside. His two sisters had briefly teased him as a scaredey-pony before they’d put all their attention towards looking out the window.
“Nuh-uh, you’re making me lose balance! Come scoot over, I can’t see anything!”
Bushel scrunched up her face in a frown, hooves balanced on the windowsill as she poked her head out into the night, looking left and right.
“Awww, it sounds like everything’s happening on the other side of the house. We won’t see anything from here. Darn it I’m missing out on seeing Trixie in action!”
Milkdrop sighed and hopped off the bucket, “I don’t know, I think ma’s a prettier pony. Is Trixie really special?’
“Of course she is!” Bushel said, waving a hoof, almost falling off the bucket in her excitement, “I bet she’s throwing that big lizard around with one hoof, or is turning it into a cactus with her awesome magic!”
A roar reached their ears and both fillies for a second shuddered. Bushel licked her lips, looking at the window worriedly. She knew she shouldn’t be worrying. Trixie was on the case! She’d take care of that basilisk and protect everypony! She was the hero, after all!
And I’m missing all that heroic action! Bushel thought in dismay. Sure Trixie had looked really tired earlier today, and for some reason Bushel still didn’t quite get hadn’t been able to just make the Lumber Guild shove off, and she’d looked kind of scared when she’d run by just a little bit ago, telling Bushel to stay inside…but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a hero, right? Bushel looked over at Trixie’s hat, sitting on the bed where she’d been snuggling with it while trying to sleep. Trixie trusted her, which felt really good. She was hesitant to disobey what Trixie said, but she so badly wanted to see the amazing unicorn actually fight a monster. An epic battle was taking place this very moment and she wasn’t there to witness it…just like she’d missed it the last time Trixie saved Oaton because she was sick.
After a second or two of intense debate the filly made her choice and went over to the bed, putting the hat on her head. It felt nice and tingly, though for some reason her headache came back when she put it on. She shook off the feeling. This was no time to let little things like headaches get in the way!
As she went for the door Milkdrop said, “What do you think you’re doing? Ma and pa will get super mad if you go out there!”
“Only if they see me. I’ll keep hidden real good. I’m just going down to the door is all, to peek. I’m not missing Trixie’s heroics again!”
Milkdrop, who’d been just madly arguing with her sister a second ago, suddenly looked very scared, “A-are you actually going outside? But there’s a real monster out there! Bushel, don’t go, please.”
“Hey, no need to worry. Trixie and her friends are out there, and so’s ma and pa. It’ll be fine, you’ll see. Or rather, you won’t because you’ll be here being all scared while I’ll be watching the show!”
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Raindrops banked to the left, narrowly avoiding the flailing, whip-like tail of the basilisk. She wasn’t really all that agile or fast a flyer but it was pretty clear the creature wasn’t used to dealing with anything that could fly around it. So far she’d focused on trying to keep the basilisk’s attention on her, not letting it look at her friends. Which meant she had to keep looking away from its face whenever it tried looking at her.
“Just don’t make eye contact!” shouted Cheerilee, who’d charged up to deliver a buck to one of the basilisk’s legs, “Not for a second!”
“Sure, no problem!” Raindrops shouted back, too much fear and adrenaline pumping through her to put much sarcasm into the words.
So far they’d managed to get the basilisk away from the house it’d been attacking, but not much else. The twenty five foot long lizard had to have weighed several tons and even the impressive physical strength of Raindrops and Cheerilee was doing little more than causing the thing to get more angry at them. Trixie was keeping her distance, sending distracting bursts of illusionary fireworks to keep the beast off balance. Raindrops was glad to see her friend was keeping back, not pushing herself. But there was a problem, the ponyfolk of Oaton were watching, most from the safety of their homes, but several had come outside armed with various farm tools and torches and had gathered behind Mayor Sheaf.
Raindrops might have admired their honest desire to defend their village from such a threat, but it wasn’t smart. This was a clearly angry animal and it wasn’t going to leave because some ponies waved a few pitchforks at it. Then again, who was she to talk; she and her friends were trying to fight it bare hooved!
The basilisk hissed and turned its head towards Cheerilee, who immediately ducked her head and put her eyes to the ground to avoid eye contact. Which was problematic given the creature raised one of its clawed arms to strike at the magenta mare. Raindrops rushed to protect her friend, looking to smack the basilisk on the back of the head while it was distracted, but suddenly the creature snapped its head around at her. Had it just tricked her!?
Caught off guard Raindrops looked at its piercing yellow eyes and felt a coldness seize over her, stopping her in mid-flight.
“Raindrops!” she heard Trixie shout, and then the world around her turned brilliant white.
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“Raindrops!” Trixie screamed as the basilisk whipped its head around and fixed its eyes on the jasmine pegasus who’d been about to hit it while it’d been supposedly distracted by Cheerilee. Trixie charged forward and channeled magic through her horn, focusing all her attention on forcing the magic through her horn as fast as possible. Her head ached from the effort.
Just as Raindrops seized up in the air, the first flicks of stone appearing on her wingtips and hooves, Trixie finished her spell and a burst of light as bright as the sun appeared right between the pegaus and basilisk. It simple flare spell, but it did what it needed to do. It broke the line of sight the basilisk had on Raindrops. Even so the shock of the near petrification had caused Raindrops to, well, drop out of the sky and Trixie had to channel magic even faster to catch her friend in a blanket of telekinesis.
As she did this she heard a few cheers behind her, and Mayor Sheaf bellowing, “Alright folks, let’s drive this critter off our land!”
Trixie was too busy concentrating on gently getting Raindrops to the ground to try to warn them of what a bad idea that was. Even in Trixie’s tired, drained state, and her general lack of knowledge on the subject, she felt pretty sure in thinking that this basilisk was acting odd. The fact that it was even attacking Oaton in the first place was strange. Why was it attacking now, when it could have done so at any time? There wasn’t time to think about it.
Sheaf and a dozen other Oaton farmers went past her, going at the basilisk with hoes and pitchforks. One of them, the earth pony Trixie vaguely recalled was named Potato Sack, paused and gave her a grin, “Guess you’re taking it easy on the poor critter? Not gonna just blast it with your magic?”
She almost yelled at him before she remembered she had pretty much portrayed herself as a unicorn of great power, personal apprentice to Princess Luna. It sort of implied that dealing with a rampaging basilisk should be foal’s play if she wasn’t holding back…as opposed to using everything she had to just to keep the thing distracted and from petrifying her friend. So instead of blowing up at the villager she just grit her teeth in a tight, forced smile, “Just need to get it to leave town.”
Potato Sack just kept grinning and joined the charge at the basilisk. Trixie got Raindrops to the ground. The pegasus was shaking off her stunned state, removing flecks of stone from her wingtips and hooves. Trixie sighed in relief, and then turned her full focus back on the basilisk. It was surrounded by Oaton’s villagers, but it seemed unperturbed by their shouting and poking at it with farm instruments. In fact it seemed to…completely ignore all the ponies around it that it could easily petrify or crush and instead was turning his head about, as if looking for something.
Raindrops had gotten airborne again and Cheerilee was mixed in with the Oaton ponies, using her hooves in place of a farm tool. The basilisk snorted in a way that sounded to Trixie very much like annoyance and with one motion it turned itself about, slamming its tail around in a single sweep that sent ponies flying. Trixie winced. The ponies who’d been knocked aside were either groaning or slowly getting back to their hooves, and Trixie hoped none of them were too badly hurt. With the ponies of Oaton temporarily dispersed Cheerilee was left exposed. She’d ducked the tail, and was now giving the basilisk a hard stare.
“Alright, no more miss nice schoolteacher. Hope you’re ready for some discipline.”
Really, Cheerilee? Trixie would’ve shook her head if she felt she had time to feel embarrassed by her friend’s attempt at banter with a giant lizard.
The basilisk looked down at Cheerilee, who averted her eyes while rearing up on her hind legs and charging in. The basilisk struck with its stout jaws open to try and clamp on the magenta mare, but she timed her own spin and a powerful buck so it smacked the giant lizard square on the chin, this time with enough force that it clearly rung the creature’s bell a bit. Raindrops then came in from above and planted all four hooves on top of the basilisk’s back.
The basilisk roared and backed up a few steps, and for a second Trixie felt a surge of hope. They were doing it! The beast was retreating! Then the basilisk snorted and let out a low hissing growl, apparently angrier than ever.
Raindrops landed next to Trixie, and Cheerilee had backed up a step or two herself so that she was standing beside her friends.
“What’s with this thing?” Raindrops asked, teeth grinding, wings flared out as she glared at the basilisk, though cautious to avoid its eyes, “What are we going to have to do to get it to scram?”
“This isn’t typical basilisk behavior,” said Cheerilee, “Meeting this much resistance should’ve made it give up. I don’t know what could be driving it.”
The Oaton ponies had gathered up again, those who’d been injured hanging back, and Mayor Sheaf directing them to go to the tavern. Picturesque was helping those who’d injured legs to get to safety. Trixie noticed most of them were casting looks her way, most of them hopeful…and to Trixie’s fear, some of them looked confused. A few of the Oaton ponies were looking at her as if they were wondering why their hero hadn’t gotten rid of the monster yet. Those looks sent cold stabs of fears through her. She gathered her strained thoughts and looked back towards the basilisk.
It was hunching down, claws flexing, apparently getting ready to charge at her and her friends. Its eyes were focused on Cheerilee still, but the schoolteacher was doing a good job of not meeting the look, staring off to the side while looking sidelong at the basilisk’s feet. Trixie wondered why the basilisk seemed so fixated on Cheerilee. A thought ran across her mind, half formed from sleep deprivation, but still clear. What if somepony was influencing the basilisk? Hadn’t Cheerilee mentioned something about her friend, Tarnished, having an affinity for animals?
On that hunch Trixie channeled magic into her horn, activating her magic sight spell as she said, “Raindrops, Cheerilee, try to keep it distracted just a tad longer. I need to check something.”
“Check something?” Raindrops asked, “Like what?”
“I think magic is involved in this. I’m going to find out for sure. Just keep it busy but…just don’t get hurt.”
“Right, keeping the dangerous monster busy without suffering mortal injury or getting stoned,” said Cheerilee with a little half grin, “It’s like college all over again.”
Trixie wasn’t going to touch that comment with a hundred foot range levitation spell.
There was a second of tension as the three mares from Ponyville squared off with the basilisk that was ready to pounce. Then a dry, cold wind blew through the town, blowing, of all things, a loose bush that looked suspiciously like a tumbling week across the road. The basilisk roared. So did Cheerilee. Raindrops shot off like a dart. Trixie channeled magic. The ponyfolk of Oaton held their breaths.
Unseen by anypony, a little yellow filly who had chanced creeping out behind one of the buildings watched on, eyes wide and mouth gaping in awe.
The basilisk charged, its steps plodding and shuffling like the massive alligator it resembled. Cheerilee galloped to meet it, eyes downcast to avoid petrification. Raindrops was flying above her, hooves outstretched, face a mast of stoic determination.
Trixie’s attention was focused entirely on her magic sight. Every second counted, so she wasted not a one. As Cheerilee dove to the side of the basilisk’s striking maw, delivering a buck to the side of the creatures face Trixie examined the air around the fight, eyes narrowing. Raindrops swooped in and, with an odd ‘Kiyaa!’ shout that Trixie wondered at the purpose of delivered a hefty kick focusing all her hoof power through one hindleg at the opposite side of the basiliks’s head. Trixie blinked, starting to see it…
…a crown of magic wrapping the head of the basilisk. White aura, twisting around the monster’s entire head like multiple layers of strings. The pattern looked like…yes, enchantment, and the aura was strong, but had a odd quality to it. The aura fluctuated and twisted unnaturally, erratically, like the magic didn’t really know what it was supposed to be doing, or rather, was fighting the notion that it was being driven to form a spell at all. But more important than all of that was that Trixie could see where the spell was coming from, following a single strand of magic that was trailing off to the north and east.
The basilisk was turning about, growling and slashing into the air at Raindrops, who tried to fly back out of reach, almost getting clear, but Raindrops wasn’t that fast of a flyer even on her best days. Trixie wince as the pegasus was battered through the air by the claw, but what Raindrops lacked in speed she made up for in strength and stamina. Raindrops righted herself in the air, battered, but still alright, and flew right back into the fight.
Cheerilee was busy playing a deadly game of jump rope with the basilisk’s tail, which kept trying to whip the magenta mare off her hooves, but she was doing well jumping over the low sweeps, or ducking under the high ones. Unfortunately the flailing basilisk was starting to cause Oaton even more damage, its tail smashing windows and its claws gouging out portions of wall.
Trixie was so busy trying to pin point exactly where the white thread of magic was originating from, trotting along trying to follow it, that she didn’t notice Bushel hiding behind the corner of a nearby house, watching her curiously.
Trixie focused, drowning out the sounds of the fight, putting at all her attention on that one thread of magic.
You’re close. You’d need line of sight to control your tool. I’m going to find you, and put a stop to this!
And there it was! The white thread of magic was originating just outside of town, across the dry riverbed, where Trixie spotted a dark, cloaked figure huddled down, intently watching the basilisk.
“Gotcha!” Trixie said triumphantly, and so intent was she on getting the culprit, on putting on end to the threat to Oaton and maybe even finishing this whole matter once and for all, she broke into a full on gallop towards the shadowy figure. She ignored her exhaustion, ignored her tired legs. Exercising weekly with Raindrops had gotten her used to at least doing that much and adrenaline and the thrill of possibly solving everything in one go was driving her forward.
She pounded across the riverbed and the shadowy figure then finally noticed her, launching to its hooves and turning and running. Trixie caught the sight of a crème colored, ragged tail and mane streaming out from the dark forest green cloak the figure wore.
“Get back here! You’re not escaping this time!”
This had to be the real culprit. The one who’d destroyed the dam, for whatever reason. This pony was the key to everything, Trixie was sure of it!...But by Luna’s night this pony was fast! Trixie was having to go all out just to keep the fleeing form in sight, let alone catch up. Before Trixie knew it she was clear across the fields and rushing straight into the depths of the South Everfree Forest, chasing her quarry, but utterly unaware of events transpiring in Oaton behind her.
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Bushel had been so filled with excitement she felt ready to burst. Here were the heroes battling a monster from the darkest of nightmares, and she was here with a front row, well front bush seat to the action. It was thrilling beyond anything the little filly could imagine…only as she watched she noticed something odd.
While Raindrops and Cheerilee were fighting head on, Trixie was just sort of…standing there, hanging back. Her horn was glowing, so obviously she was doing some kind of magic, but Bushel couldn’t tell what. No bolts of lightning, or great gouts of fire, or huge gusts of wind to batter the basilisk were being summoned. No levitating rocks to pelt the beast at a distance from. Not even any of those cool fireworks to distract it. Nothing. Trixie, aside from the horn glow and looking about oddly, had seemed to be doing nothing.
Bushel was confused by this but didn’t let her faith in her hero falter. Surely Trixie was just planning something super amazing and was just waiting for the right moment to unleash it! Perhaps she just needed time to charge up some kind of ultra powerful spell?
Bushel didn’t know, but she edged closer to the action, darting from one bush to the next, then sneaking around the corner of one of the houses right next to the fight. Whatever awesome things Trixie was surely about to do Bushel didn’t want to miss it!
Then Trixie suddenly blurted “Gotcha!” which made Bushel jump and duck back behind the house. When she chanced to peek out again, her eyes widened. What was Trixie doing? Bushel didn’t want to believe it but was Trixie…running away? The azure unicorn was bolting off into the night, directly away from the fight. But that didn’t make sense! Trixie, the Great and Powerful Trixie, the Nights Justice, the Hero of Oaton was…abandoning it?
Bushel didn’t want to believe it, and so choose not to. She ran out into the street, ready to call out after her hero, because surely this was some kind of mistake and there had to be a reason Trixie was fleeing.
But before Bushel could shout there was another voice that called out, “Watch out!” and she felt something hit her from the side. She went tumbling. It didn’t hurt much, but she was dizzy and got to wobbly hooves, wondering what had happened as she put a hoof to her head.
Next to her she saw the jasmine pegasus, Raindrops, laying on the ground, looking rather battered with one of her wings a little bent. The pegasus got to her hooves, shaking herself.
Had the pegasus mare just pushed Bushel out of the way? Out of the way of wha-
A deep, rumbling hiss filled the air above Bushel and the filly felt her entire body chill to the bone. Slowly, like the jerking movements of a doll, she turned her head around…and looked right into the boiling golden eyes of the basilisk. Terror overwhelmed her at the same time a tingling seizing sensation rooted her body to the spot. For a moment she felt her hooves begin to harden an grow cold as the basilisks’ eyes bored into her…but then something strange happened. Her head suddenly burst into a splitting headache and the cold feeling in her hooves vanished, as if being sucked away. She felt her head throbbing and the world spun.
Something warm and soft caught her, and she felt hooves wrap around her. She hear shouting, several voices at once.
“Get her away from it!”
“Don’t you dare hurt my daughter!”
“Watch the eyes; don’t look at its eyes for pony’s sake!”
“Cheerilee, now!”
Bushel couldn’t see what was going on because she was being pressed face first into somepony’s chest, and with wiggle of her head she managed to look up. It was her mother. Picturesque was holding her protectively, and for a second Bushel felt a comforting relief at being in her mother’s hooves…but something was wrong. Her mother was staring up at something and wasn’t moving, her embrace becoming rigid. Bushel managed to turn her head enough to see the basilisk, its eyes fixated on her mother.
Bushel began to feel a cold, hardness spreading through her mother, stone starting to replace flesh.
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Raindrops was hurting, she wasn’t going to deny it. The basilisk had managed to get in to solid hits on her, the most recent when she’d had to push that filly, Bushel, out of the way of the creature’s random tail slap. Her right wing was a little sprained but she could still use it, and she wasn’t planning on stopping until the town was safe. The last hit had knocked those glasses off her nose, sending them sailing next to the basilisk’s stomping claws, but she’d spotted Cheerilee pick them up before the enchanted item could get smashed up. Raindrops was almost disappointed they didn’t, if only because it’d give her an excuse to Trixie to not have to wear them again. She had bigger concerns on her mind though. The sooner the basilisk was dealt with the sooner she could go find Trixie.
What had she been thinking, running off like that!?
Probably wasn’t thinking at all, with no sleep, Raindrops thought, grinding her teeth, I should’ve…I should’ve…blast it I don’t know what I should have done!
She was angry, and normally this was the kind of thing that was par for the course with her, as much as she disliked that, but at least in this moment she had something resembling a valid to focus that anger on. The basilisk. She saw it staring down at Bushel and another mare that was holding the filly. Picturesque! She was staring up at the basilisk, protectively shielding her daughter, but fixated on the beast’s eyes.
“Watch the eyes; don’t look at its eyes for pony’s sake!”
That was Cheerilee, on the other side of the basilisk, putting out a hoof towards Picturesque with an alarmed shout. Raindrops grit her teeth past the pain in her wing and flew up into the air, fixing the basilisk with all the heat her enraged gaze could muster.
“Cheerilee, now!”
She didn’t wait to see if Cheerilee acknowledged her, trusting in the schoolteacher to realize they had to stop the basilisk, and they had to stop it now. Raindrops flew forward, taking a deep breath and holding it, clearing her mind, letting everything in her perception still to a single moment. Iron Hoof, the art of calming the mind, focusing it, and then unleashing its potential through a single point of the body, that of the hoof. It was an art of control, which was what had attracted Raindrops to it. She wanted control over herself, the ability to focus and remain calm no matter what was happening.
Of course she was still just a student, and she was pretty pissed. Sometimes you work with what you got.
She flipped in the air, letting out the breath she been holding with a focusing ‘Kiyaa!’ shout. She brought the heel end of her right hindleg down on top of the basilisk’s head with all the force she could muster focused on that one point. The force of the blow knocked the basilisks’ head down towards the ground…right where Cheerilee was waiting with a full force buck straight to the creature’s face.
The basilisk stumbled; its leg’s trembling from the blows. He shook its head, eyes unfocused, and snorted. It turned its head about, looking at the town around it as if seeing it all for the first time. While Raindrops wasn’t exactly an expert on reading animals, in fact she had no idea at all; she still got the impression that the basilisk was quite confused. It sniffed at the air, sniffed at the ponies around it, and with a low, displeased hiss it abruptly turned around and began tromping off towards the forest.
For a second Raindrops just hovered in the air, watching it go.
“Left looking like it’d forgotten what it was here for in the first place.”
Raindrops looked down at Cheerilee, who’d made the comment, who was hoofing her chin and squinting after the retreating basilisk with a ponderous expression. Raindrops landed next to the schoolteacher, taking slow, deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
“Yeah…well at least it’s gone now.”
The sound of a sobbing voice behind them drew the two mare’s attention. Bushel was hugging her mother. Raindrops felt her ears droop, a sinking feeling in her hooves. Cheerilee closed her eyes, sadly shaking her head, “Well, at least Trixie brought the materials to learn an de-petrification spell.”
Raindrops supposed that was some consolation, but it didn’t change the current scene before them.
Picturesque had protected her daughter, but Raindrops and Cheerilee hadn’t been fast enough. The once bright yellow mare was now solid gray stone. Bushel’s hooves were wrapped around her mother’s barrel, crying. Nearby Mayor Sheaf and a number of the less injured Oaton ponies were gathering. For a moment nopony talked. Sheaf went up to his wife and daughter, putting a hoof on both the cold stone face of his wife and another around the face of his still flesh and blood daughter, and drew himself into an embrace with both, whispering something to Bushel that only seemed to make the filly’s tears come faster.
Then somepony did speak, words that cut though Raindrops tired mind and made her realize the night was far from over.
“Where’s Trixie?”
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Trixie galloped through the trees for only a brief time before she realized that the terrain was not made for this kind of speed. She’d easily end up tripping and breaking a leg if she tried to keep up this pace. It was vexing, though, given that her quarry was moving so fast that within a minute inside the dense thickets, Trixie had lost sight of the black cloaked figure.
“Must know this forest well, to move so easily in it,” Trixie breathed to herself, “But I shall not be deterred! You may be fast, but I’m smart. Oh, and magic.”
She began to weave a spell through her horn, bringing her magic sight back into play. Even if the pony wasn’t casting that enchantment anymore there should still be a residual trail to follow. Ahah! There, just faint enough to be seen, a glittering white trail of magical aura. Trixie shook her head as fatigue threatened to overtake her, but she began to steadfastly follow the trail. A current of worry washed through her, now that she wasn’t galloping off in a rush. Were Cheerilee and Raindrops okay? Well, they were both mares far more physically able than she was, and had been handling the basilisk well enough last she’d seen…but an image of either, or both of her friends as glorified garden ornaments flashed through her mind. And what of the ponies of Oaton? Were they okay?
If you worry about it you’ll lose your focus, Trixie. Concentrate. This may be your only chance to track down the culprit in all of this!
Minutes stretched by, slow and agonizing as her legs, fed up with Trixie’s silly continuous use of them, began to make their pain known in earnest to her. She focused past it, forcing herself to put one hoof before the other. Heroes didn’t tire. Heroes didn’t stop. They got the…job…she shook her head fiercely. Had she almost fallen asleep on her hooves?
Suddenly a wind passed through the dense trees of the forest, chilling Trixie to the bone, and carrying with it a…sound. Like the whispering of many voices, coursing through the leaves. She paused, unable to quite make any of it out, but it sent a cold feeling into her worse than the wind itself. Instinctively she pulled her cape closer around herself and channeled an invisibility spell without dropping her magic sight. It was an additional strain on her, but she suddenly felt much better, being unseen.
As she trudged on the wind only got worse, as did the whispering. Every now and again she thought she was able to make out words, but even when she did they were nonsensical, as if another language. It was starting to affect her head as badly as her fatigue. Once or twice she lost sight of the smoky trail of magic she was following, but she was not going to lose sight of it. She refused.
At length she came upon a clearing, one that was a few dozen yards across and oblong. Here high untamed grasses grew in thick clumps around a small hillock in the north end of the clearing, one that held the entrance to a cave. There, Trixie felt with a certainty, was something wrong with that cave. The shape of its mouth didn’t seem right, as if it was carved rather than naturally formed. She didn’t look at the cave for long though because she felt the ground tremble suddenly, and watched wide eyes as the basilisk marched from another edge of the clearing and entered it.
The creature looked battered and angry. It came to the center of the clearing and raised its head, making a loud trilling noise. Trixie hunkered down behind a bush, even though she knew she was still invisible. What if this thing could hunt by scent though?
Another trilling call answered the first, and Trixie’s eyes went even wide as a second and larger basilisk poked its head out of the cave. Walking next to this larger basilisk was the cloaked pony, with her hood pulled back. Trixie blinked. Cheerilee was right, in the dark lighting Tarnished Copper Coin’s sea blue coat and crème mane could easily be mistaken for Trixie’s own coloring.
Tarnished looked as tired as Trixie felt, her mane a frizzy, tangled mess, her violet eyes carrying dark circles under them. She smiled at the smaller basilisk and approached it, putting out a hoof. The basilisk lowered its head and let her pet it on the bridge of its snout and Trixie heard Tarnished speak, her voice a soft chime, but somehow cracked and strained.
“There, there, it’s okay. I don’t mind that you couldn’t bring her to me. I forgive you. I’ll just have to find another way to meet her...now go, rest with your mate. I’ll need you again soon.”
The smaller basilisk made a small rumbling sound that reminded Trixie of a very loud purr as it moved off to the cave mouth, nuzzling with the bigger basilisk before both vanished inside. Trixie debated on her next move. Should she try to take Tarnished now? With two basilisks nearby, apparently at Tarnished’s command, Trixie suddenly wasn’t enjoying her odds. But that was if she tried a straight fight. Not at all Trixie’s style. If she could surprise Tarnished with a sleeping spell she might be able to drag the other mare away without the basilisk’s noticing?
“What are you waiting for?”
Trixie froze. Tarnished had spoken, though she wasn’t looking Trixie’s way. Instead she was looking about at nothing in particular, though her expression was…not friendly.
“You’re here for me, right? Trying to make me go back, send me to a place far away from my real friends? You’re with her, aren’t you!? I know. I know what she’s here for. She’s here for my brother, not me! But you, you just want to hurt me don’t you, send me somewhere bad. Why wait? Come on out, you can meet all of my friends!”
The wind had been slow a moment ago, but it kicked up, sharper and colder than before, and the whispering was back, a dozen times over. The whispering voices felt like they were trying to claw at Trixie’s ears and she forced herself to ignore it. Tarnished was looking around, face screwed up in a mixture of rage and fear. It was clear though, she didn’t know where Trixie was, just that Trixie was there. Trixie wondered how-
“Show yourself! You can hide your form but you can’t hid your smell!”
Trixie blanched. Then experimentally sniffed herself. Okay, so it had been a long day, involved a lot of walking and running, and she hadn’t had time to take a bath or shower. Still, did the crazy cave pony have to blatantly insult her like that?
Tarnished glared around at the forest, then blew out an incensed snort, “Don’t want to come out? That’s fine. I’ll have one of my friend’s drag you out.”
Tarnished’s horn lit up with a white glow, and once again Trixie noted how erratic the magical aura looked. The aura flickered with twists and sharp spiky protrusions, very unlike the normal gentle wavy appearance of most magical aura’s. Trixie also thought she saw a little discoloration in the white, like small snippets of green, black, violet, and every other sickly shade. They’d appear for a second and be gone just as fast, but it was fairly clear there was something wrong with this pony’s magic.
Magic she was using to send white tendrils into the cave, which was accompanied by the familiar growling of a basilisk. Trixie might not have been an animal expert but if Tarnished could smell her she was pretty sure the basilisk wasn’t going to have trouble with that.
It was galling to admit to herself, but it looked like her only choice was to retreat back to Oaton.
”Trixie? Can you hear me?
It was Raindrops voice, speaking straight into Trixie’s ear where the small magic silver clasp was. Trixie started a bit upon hearing it, and quickly put a hoof to the clasp as she began to slowly back up into the deeper forest. The basilisk was emerging, under the sway of Tarnished’s spell, and was already sorting at the air.
“Yes,” Trixie whispered, “Hearing you quite clear. Glad to know you’re okay, but really can’t talk right now, kind of needing to run. Much easier with all four hooves, as it happens.”
”Run? Trixie, where are you? What’s happening!?”
Raindrops sounded a little panicked. Trixie suddenly felt rather foolish, having run off on her own like this. She’d been so fixated on catching Tarnished she hadn’t just stopped and thought that if she’d waited and helped deal with the basilisk then she could have still probably followed the magical aura, and had her friends next to her right now.
“Just, um, a slight miscalculation on my part. I’m in the forest, um…I think a mile or so east of Oaton? Don’t really know for sure,” the basilisk’s nostrils flared as it seemed to pick up her trail and its face turned towards her, “Right gotta run now. See you soon. Hopefully!”
”Hopefully? Trixie! Just, just hang on, I’m on my way!”
Trixie would have responded but now she was too busy turning and galloping away full tilt through the forest as the basilisk roared and began to chase after her, pausing only long enough for Tarnished to climb onto its back.
“I know,” called out Tarnished, “I bet if I have you then she’ll come to me on her own! And then, and then I’ll settle everything! I thought she didn’t want friends, but she lied to me! She made more friends after tossing me aside like garbage! Now she’s got friends like you instead of me!? Why!? Wasn’t I good enough!?”
Trixie decided not to get drawn into a banter session with the clearly unhinged pony. She sincerely hoped the rest of Cheerilee’s old friends were a lot more solid and less prone to crazy like these Copper Coins were. It suddenly made a lot more sense to her though, why Shiny wanted to get his sister back without the authorities getting involved. There would be a serious scandal if it got out that one of the Copper Coins was a borderline madpony. Not family ruining, but bad enough that it’d make political life in the Night Court rough, a sort of stigma that could be used against them.
…Trixie found herself frowning and berating herself. It was also quite possible that Shiny just wanted his sister back because of, you know, affection. Like siblings were supposed to have. He probably didn’t want her being locked away anywhere. He wanted to help her personally.
Trixie tripped over a root and faceplanted in the grass.
Right, think later, running now.
She got to her hooves and resumed her gallop, but her little fall had given the basilisk the chance to close the distance on her. Tarnished was laughing now, seemingly enjoying the ride. Trixie was still invisible, so while the basilisk could track her general location by scent, it wasn’t able to target her directly. Trixie heard claws slashing at trees behind her, the snap of jaws hooflengths away from her hindquarters. Always close, never quite reaching her. Her lungs burned from the scorching cold air, her legs were trembling from overwork, and the freezing winds blasted by her ears with the howling of all the monsters of Tartarus.
“Just quit running and give up,” cooed Tarnished, “If you do I won’t even do anything to you. I just want you for bait. Yes, nice, tasty bait for Cheerilee. I just want to talk to her! Maybe hurt her a little bit for treating our friendship like something disposable. But not much! Just a little sharing of my pain. It’s that part of friendship, sharing!?”
“Oh for Luna’s moon will you stop complaining!?” Trixie blurted without thinking, fed up with what she was hearing, “Way I heard it was you acted like a spoiled foal and ran away from home because your friend wanted to take the time to pursue a career! How does that count as abandoning you, you moron!?”
“Moron? I’m not the one who just gave away her position!”
Trixie had a second to contemplate that, yes, indeed she probably should have just kept her mouth shut and kept running, before a basilisk claw tripped her and she went sprawling, tumbling end over end until she ended up on her back, facing up at the menacing form of the giant lizard. Tarnished was now standing on its head, gazing down at her. Trixie realized she’d lost her concentration on her invisibility spell and was now in plain view. The basilisk lowered its head towards her and Tarnished leaned down with it, a triumphant smile on her otherwise tired and somewhat crazed features.
The wind churned through the trees, those discordant whispers echoing over the scene like the patrons at a theater murmuring over the climax of a performance. As the wind moved the branches Trixie saw a break in them, saw up into the night sky above…and saw a jasmine form sailing pass.
“Gotcha,” Tarnished said, with a poorly done mocking imitation of Trixie’s voice.
Trixie smiled , and her horn lit up, “Not quite.”
Fireworks shot up into the air, exploding in front of Tarnished, and further up into the sky, detonating in brilliant green and violet flashes above the treeline. The basilisk reeled from the light show, and Tarnished fell off the head with a little yelp. Trixie was too tired to even get up, but kept up her magic, sending more fireworks up into the sky as she put a hoof to the ear clasp.
“Here I am…could use a lift…”
Just as the basilisk was recover and Tarnished was getting to her hooves, a jasmine bolt smashed through the tops layers of the forest like the branches weren’t even there and landed with a solid thud on the wet forest earth.
Raindrops didn’t waste a second. She scooped Trixie up and threw the unicorn onto her back and with slow, mighty flaps of her wings powered up through the dense forest canopy. Tarnished yelled in wordless rage, the basilisk roared and took a swipe, but Raindrops was already too high, breaking through the tops of the trees and into the open sky.
A few minutes passed of just silent flying before Raindrops looked back at Trixie, concern and relief on her features with equal measure.
“You okay?”
“Yes…” Trixie was finding it hard to even talk, “Just…you know…a little tired.”
Raindrops smiled ruefully, shaking her head, “You keep pulling stunts like what you did and you and I are going to have words.”
Trixie was too tired to argue, wasn’t even sure she would, “I…will admit I perhaps didn’t think my actions through all that well. Wasn’t a total waste however. I did discover more or less with this Tarnished mare is hiding. May be something we can use to get leverage with Count Shiny. Though there are some added complications.”
“More complications,” Raindrops didn’t sound surprised, “Seems to be the status quo around here. What’s up?”
“Two basilisks, for starters,” Trixie said and felt Raindrops tense beneath her, “One bigger than the other. Don’t know what that means, maybe Cheerilee will know. Next,*yawn*, there’s definitely something…affecting Tarnished. I heard whispers in that forest that I know aren’t natural. Her magic was strange too. I don’t think her not being ‘all there’ is at least partially due to an outside influence.”
“What kind if influence?” Raindrops asked, tone a little unnerved, “Whispers in the forest doesn’t sound all that healthy to me, yeah, but what do you think it is.”
“Not sure. Not sure it even matters at this point. We just have to get the Copper Coins to leave Oaton alone…” Trixie yawned again “…what time is it…?”
“Left my clock at home,” Raindrops said with a small laugh, “But by the moon’s position, I’d guess a little after midnight?”
“Four hours until…shipment shows at that place…gotta go there and find out…” Trixie was having trouble finishing a full thought, let alone a full sentence.
“You let me and Cheerilee worry about that. You’re going to sleep the second we get back,” Raindrops glared at Trixie when the unicorn looked like she was about to protest, “Not. A .Word.”
Trixie lowered her head, carefully keeping her hooves wrapped around Raindrops, even though the pegasus was remarkably good at flying steady to the point where Trixie was oddly comfortable just sort of lounging on her friend’s back. She was too tired to even feel embarrassed about the close contact, which she usually wasn’t comfortable with. Then a thought struck her through the foggy cloud her mind was becoming.
“Oaton…everypony…alright?”
Raindrops silence at the question cut right through Trixie’s exhaustion and made her stomach drop.
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Trixie unsteadily got off of Raindrops when the pegasus landed and took a few hasty steps before almost falling. Raindrops was there to catch her, and Cheerilee was approaching them quickly from a crowd of Oaton ponies, one of them Mayor Sheaf.
“Trixie, you look terrible,” Cheerilee said, then frowned, “Sorry, that came out rather blunt didn’t it? What happened?”
“Yes, why did you suddenly run away?” asked Sheaf, tone cool, eyes accusing.
Trixie waved a hoof, “Cloaked pony. Controlling basilisk. Chased. Tried to catch. Didn’t go well. Where’re my saddlebags?”
“What?” Sheaf cocked his head, “You flee the fight, my wife gets turned to stone and you want your saddlebags!?”
Trixie lolled her head to the side, giving Sheaf a level look that was somewhat ruined by her nearly falling over, “Saddlebags. Yes, those. Sorry about Picturesque. Spellbook in saddlebags, learn spell to fix problem... Saddlebags now please!”
“Trixie, I said you need sleep,” warned Raindrops.
“Yes. Yes sleep is good. Will get sleep. Just want to get spellbook out, find right spell…*yawn* study it…a little.”
She felt she had to at least get started on the de-petrification spell. She’d said she’d protect Oaton, and she was not only feeling tired, she was feeling a hollow, sinking guilt. All those words she’d spoken upon first arriving, claiming herself as some grand defender of justice who would surely save the town…they were echoing so hollow in her mind now. But she wasn’t giving up! She just had to…keep going…
The world felt like it was swimming. She tried to shake her head to clear the feeling but that only made it worse. She saw the ponyfolk of Oaton looking at her. So many faces, filled with emotions she didn’t want to see. Ponies who’d seemed so jubilant before, celebrating the return of their hero, were now looking at her with expressions of shock, in some cases concern and worry, others looking almost…betrayed. They were the looks of an audience who’d realized what the illusion was all along.
Then, through the crowd, Trixie saw Picturesque, the petrified mare still in a position on her haunches, arms wrapped around the air as if she’d been protectively hugging something. Next to the statue was a familiar hat. Her hat. She idly wondered what it was doing there.
“Is Bushel…okay…?” she found herself asking, but she was hearing her own voice as if from a great distance.
Sheaf was suddenly there, looking at her, his expression guarded but his eyes no longer cold, but wide as if finally seeing something for the first time.
“She’s resting. I’m starting to agree with your friend, you need too as well.”
“No…soon…just need…to…” Trixie tried to walk past Sheaf but firm hooves were grabbing her.
Cheerilee, Raindrops, they were on either side of her, supporting her. Sheaf was saying something to his ponies, the Oaton folk listening to him, but Trixie couldn’t hear the words.
She tried to walk on her own, after all a hero ought to do that much…but her legs were not responding to her anymore and her friends were being silly and carrying her now anyway.
Trixie fell into dreamless sleep before her friends even managed to carry her to the guest room.
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Trixie woke up to sunlight on her face, which she tried to bat away in annoyance. However random hoof flailing doesn’t do much against sunlight so she soon gave up that particular plan and instead used the much more effective blanket as a shield. She curled up tighter in the bed and took a deep sighing breath…
…Then snapped awake and threw the covers up, nearly springing out of the bed. In so doing she almost bowled over Raindrops, who’d been sleeping head down on the bed but sitting on her haunches next to it. The pegasus awoke with a lazy shake of her head and then blinked at Trixie.
“What time is it!?” Trixie asked, scrambling to the window, looking out, “Blast! It’s late morning! Why did you let me sleep so long!?”
“Trixie, calm down!” Raindrops said, “You needed the rest.”
“I know I needed it, but I can’t afford it! What about the shipment last night!? We missed it!”
“You missed it. Me and Cheerilee didn’t,” said Raindrops and came around the bed, walking up next to Trixie, “Now will you calm down?”
Trixie took a deep breath and tried to do just that. Then her eyes slid to the bed post where she saw her cape hanging, and next to it, her hat. She remembered last night, the fight with the basilisk, chasing Tarnished, the return to Oaton after Raindrops rescued her. Picturesque turned to stone, and her hat left laying next to the mare. The hat she’d given to Bushel to look after.
Apparently the filly didn’t feel the need to do that anymore.
“I failed again…” she said, putting a hoof on the hat, “Told them I’d take care of everything, and this is how it’s turning out.”
“Trixie, don’t talk like that,” Raindrops said, keeping close, “You haven’t failed anything yet. Though…okay going to tell you straight, this would’ve been a lot easier if you’d just come out and told Oaton the truth from the start.”
“…Yeah…”
“And right now I think the thing you need to do is come out with the truth. Tell them who we really are. That we’re not powerful Night Court members or the like, that we’re just three simple ponies who want to help them. They need to know the real Trixie, not the Great and Powerful Trixie, not the Night’s Justice…the real Trixie, Element of Magic, Representative of the Night Court of Luna in Ponyville. No more. No less.”
“But…what it’ll break their confidence in us. What if they hate me for…boasting?”
“Trixie, they’re already worried and doubting. Most of them are worried for you, though, not about you! They all saw what condition you were in last night. They saw what lengths you pushed yourself through to try and catch the pony responsible for attacking their town. Trust them, Trixie, and tell the truth. Me and Cheerilee will be right there next to you.”
Trixie held up the hat, looking at it curiously, “And what is the truth Raindrops? I’m not even sure what it is anymore. Am I the hero they sing about, or just a fraud that’s gotten in over her head?”
She felt a hoof smack her lightly upside the head.
“Ow! Hey, what was that for!?” Trixie said, rubbing her head and giving Raindrops a little glare.
“Because you’re being foalish. Doesn’t matter if you’re a hero or not. You came here to help Oaton, right?”
“Yes, that was the idea.”
“Then what else matters? Tell them that. Then, whether they accept you or not, accept that. Then you, me, and Cheerilee…we’re going to finish this, smash right through all the lies and mystery surrounding this whole mess and sort things out. That’s what we came here to do. That’s the truth.”
Trixie paused a moment…then slowly smiled. She put her hat on and adjusted it with a hoof until it sat just right. She then levitated on her cape with a flourish. She then gave Raindrops a grateful look.
“Thanks Raindrops. I think I’ll…I’ll be okay now. I need to talk with the ponies of Oaton. First though, spellbook!”
She found her saddlebags tucked next to her bed and levitated out the spellbook she’d brought with the de-petrification spell in it. It was one of the many books she’d recovered from Twilight Sparkle’s cart months back, and while Trixie was not very good at learning magic from the kind of esoteric writings to be found in these kinds of books, she was oddly grateful for the purple unicorn’s vast collection of books. It was affording Trixie a chance to really branch out with her magic, and in this case it was good fortune there had been a book that had a spell needed to reverse a basilisk’s stare. The basilisk’s ability to turn living things to stone was, fundamentally, an innate magical spell in and of itself. Reversing it shouldn’t be too complicated.
As she and Raindrops trotted out, Trixie already glancing at the spell in question as she levitated the book next to her, she spotted Bushel curled up on the living room couch down the hallway. The filly was sleeping, and from the look of her had been crying most the night. The sight put a stab of deeper guilt in Trixie, but also ignited a stronger sense of determination. She had to make this up to the filly. She’d restore Bushel’s mother and the other ponies turned to stone. Trixie paused by the sleeping filly, noticing that she seemed…paler than normal.
“Was Bushel hurt last night during the fight?” Trixie asked.
“I don’t think so. I managed to push her out of the way of harm, then her mother shielded her from the basilisk’s stare…although…”
“Although?”
“Happened so fast I thought I’d imagined it, but before Picturesque came in to protect her I thought the basilisk had Bushel, thought I saw it stare right at her. Weird thing, she didn’t start turning to stone, she just sort of…well I thought I saw her forehead glow for a second.”
Trixie raised an eyebrow and Raindrops shrugged, “Like I said, it happened really fast, though maybe I’d just been seeing things.”
Trixie glanced down at Bushel; concern welling up in her as she slowly reached out a hoof to strike the filly’s mane, but then retracted it. No reason to chance waking her. The filly’s pale features could just be attributed to the night she’d had, seeing her mother turned to stone before her. It was also possible that Raindrops had merely been seeing things. In the middle of that kind of situation it’d e easy to think you saw something amid all the confusion. Still, something was nagging at her mind. Now that she was rested she was thinking much more clearly…and something Bushel had said the previous night.
“Magic hat…” Trixie said.
“Huh?” Raindrops gave Trixie a confused look.
“She called my hat magic, last night. I don’t think I ever told her it actually was magic though, so how did she know it was?”
“She’s a foal, Trixie, one that hero worships you. She probably just assumed.”
Trixie frowned. Was that all it was? It made sense but…something was still bothering her. She shook the feeling off, “I suppose so. Cheerilee is downstairs?”
“Yes, we were waiting for you to wake up so we could eat, then bring you up to speed on what we saw last night.”
Downstairs the tavern area of the building wasn’t empty. There were a few Oaton ponies gathered around, many of them giving Trixie various looks as she came down the stairs. Some of those look were relieved, but many were guarded, a few looking worried. Mayor Sheaf was behind the bar, seeming to nurse his own drink as much as he was serving them out, and he looked up at her as well as she and Raindrops entered.
“Mayor Sheaf,” Trixie said, with an oddly formal tone, “Could you please gather your ponies? I need to talk with everypony, about something very important…say out in the center of town in half an hour, so I can eat and confer with my friends?”
Sheaf was silent a moment, then nodded solemnly, as if he knew what Trixie intended to do, “Fair enough. I’ll go spread the word.”
As the mayor left Trixie and Raindrops joined Cheerilee at one of the center tables. The remaining Oaton ponyfolk were still looking at them and Trixie gave what she hope was an encouraging smile, but couldn’t tell how well it went over. Only one of them, Potato Sack she recognize, returned the smile.
“Well, you’re looking much better after some shuteye,” said Cheerilee, pushing a plate towards Trixie, “Saved a hay and oats sandwich for you. Mug of ale too.”
Trixie accepted the food and drink gratefully and between bites asked, “You and Raindrops went to that meeting point last night? When did you two sleep?”
“We managed some hours before morning came,” said Raindrops, stretching her wings, “Unlike you we’d gotten sleep the night before last too. Had more to push ourselves with.”
“Now, as to what we found…unfortunately not much,” said Cheerilee with a sigh.
“What do you mean ‘not much’?” Trixie asked incredulously, “I thought you said you were fairly certain the shipment would be animals being illegally smuggled?”
“And I still am,” said Cheerilee, “It s just that the ponies doing this shipment were being very careful. Big wagons, covered in canvas, with quiet, smooth transfers of wrapped boxes being moved into the lumber camp. The entire affair was heavily guarded, both by Copper Coin guards and other ponies, and they worked like clockwork to get the wagons unloaded quickly. Me and Raindrops watched, and I tried to get a little closer to the action, but even then all I could tell was that a lot of the crates had a distinct smells. They can hide the animals, but not the scents they give off. My guess is that Shiny’s going to hold the animals in the camp for a night…giving us a window of opportunity to sneak back in and collect hard evidence of what he’s doing.”
“Any idea why he’s doing this, though?” asked Raindrops, “I mean the way you told it he’s all about getting his sister back, so what’s with the animal smuggling?”
Trixie frowned, thinking, then offered “Bait. Tarnished, she seemed very…in tune, I guess, with the basilisks.”
Cheerilee nodded, “She was always good with animals. Saved us a lot of trouble with guard dogs back in the day.”
Trixie grimaced, “Never was fond of guard dogs myself. Anyway, maybe Shiny’s expecting Tarnished to attack the lumber camp again?”
Something clicked in her head, “Probably the same reason she attacked the camp a year ago! I’m willing to bet Sawblade was trying something similar to this. That note you found in the office suggests as much anyway.”
Cheerilee nodded, “Makes sense…so that means sometime tonight Tarnished might attack the lumber camp?”
“Or send the basilisks to do it.”
“Basilisks?” Cheerilee asked.
“Oh, right, still need to tell you that. There are two basilisks. The one we fought here in Oaton was the smaller of the two. Tarnished has them holed up in some creepy cave in the forest. “
Cheerilee made a small ‘hmm’ noise as she thought, “Two basilisks…the smaller one, it must be the male. That would explain it’s more aggressive behavior if the other is a female and they’re…”
“Cheerilee?” Trixie was wondering what the magenta mare was thinking of.
“Hm, I’ll have to double check my reference material. Want to be sure. Don’t worry about it Trixie, I’m just bouncing a thought around in my head, but it’s probably a minor point right now. So, you found Tarnished. Did you speak with her?”
Trixie made a face, remembering the crazy mare’s ranting, “Wouldn’t have really called it a conversation. She’s really, really unhealthily fixated on you Cheerilee. She’s as likely to come after you again as go after the lumber camp.”
Cheerilee’s expression became more somber, looking down at the table, “That’s probably why Shiny was so upset to see me. He knew Tarnished would target me.”
She took in a deep breath, then put on a bright smile, “Been a long time since I lectured anypony that wasn’t a foal, but you better believe Tarnished is going to get the talking to a lifetime! Really, sending basilisks into a peaceful farm community like this. It’s time that mare grew up.”
“What’s our move then?” asked Raindrops, “Do you have a plan Trixie.”
Trixie had been thinking on that very then and managed a confident smile, “Of course! I suspect Sawdust knows a lot more than he’s letting on, and Shiny’s made the mistake of leaving a lot of his plans exposed in that office. I’m going to sneak in there and find proof we can use to force the Copper Coins to abandon the Lumber Guild, or face a full investigation.”
“You know I’ve been wondering why you don’t just contact the Princess about what’s going on here…by this point wouldn’t the situation kind of warrant it?” asked Raindrops.
“No. Problem is all we have at this point is our word on what we’ve seen, which while Princess Luna might listen to, the Night Court itself operates on the need for solid evidence to instigate a proper investigation. Like proven fake permits, which is what caused a formal investigation last year. I don’t doubt the permits are real this time, given the Copper Coins themselves are behind this affair. What we need is stamped documentation, which Shiny probably is too smart to leave behind, or a record of the animals they’re keeping captive. A ledger of illicit payments would be nice too…either way I’ll find something while looking for Sawdust.”
“Be careful around him,” Raindrops said, “Something about that pony really sets off warning signals in me.”
A deep frown crossed Raindrops’ features then as she leaned forward at Trixie, “So I notice this plan so far just involves you doing some incredibly dangerous sneaking about. What about me and Cheerilee?”
“Shiny is trying to capture his sister. So, logically, we capture her first, we have a leg up on him,” said Trixie, putting her forehooves on the table and leveraging herself up, looking far more energetic now that she’d had some food and a bit of a drink to get her mind lubricated, “Since we can’t guarantee where she and her basilisk’s will strike, I want to make sure Oaton is safe. So Cheerilee, I want you to go to the lumber camp and try to talk to Shiny again. See if you can convince him to work with us in catching Tarnished.”
“I don’t think he’ll go for it. He doesn’t trust you Trixie.”
“I know, but it isn’t important if he agrees or not, just that you’re there at the lumber camp and you at least get Shiny to let you stay there for the night.”
Cheerilee’s eyebrow shot up and Trixie blushed and coughed, “Not like that. I just mean you need to be there, and Tarnished needs to know you’re there. That way she’ll be all but guaranteed to attack the place, and not here at Oaton. I figure you’ll know best how to get Shiny to let you stay. Hm, why not tell him that me and Raindrops agreed to return to Ponyville, if we let you stay to handle things?”
“He might buy that. Aren’t we just taking the danger to Oaton, though, and shoving it on the Lumber Guild? Most of those ponies are just doing a job, after all.”
“I know, but I’m betting on Raindrops on that count,” said Trixie.
“So we get to my part in all this,” said Raindrops, looking eager, “What’s my play?”
“Whether or not I’ve found the evidence I’m looking for, when the basilisk attacks I’m going to head for that area and use my magic sight to track Tarnished’s control spell. When I’ve found her location I’ll contact you with the ear piece,” she tapped her hoof at the silver clasp on her ear, “You’ll already be in the air by that point. Just use a cloud to hide yourself until the right time. Then drop on Tarnished and…do what you do best. Just knock her out. That should break her control on the basilisk. Then I can take control.”
“You?”
Trixie nodded, “I got a pretty good look at the spell. Its high level enchantment, might be difficult. I’m going to spend a lot of today practicing it, but I’m certain I can duplicate the spell. Once I take control of the basilisk I can send it back to the forest. We’ll have Tarnished, and then we can start negotiating with Shiny for his family leaving Oaton alone in exchange for his sister. Sound like a plan?”
Her two friends exchanged glances before Cheerilee said, “I’ve heard worse. A lot of things can go wrong with it, but as any military history text will say ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy’. I believe that was General Skybreaker from the Pegasi-Unicorn Tribal Conflict of 108 BE.”
At the look from her friends Cheerilee chuckled, “What? I’m a schoolteacher. Equestria doesn’t have much military history, true, but the Before Equestria era had a lot of conflicts of great interest, especially conflicts between pegasi and unicorns, who vied for a lot of control of mountain territory now under control of the Griffin Kingdoms, though back in that time period the economic dynamics between the tribes created and almost tradition of skirmish warfare to settle trade disputes-“
“Cheerilee, some other time. Please?”
“Fine Trixie, but an uneducated mind is a unfulfilled one,” said Cheerilee, waggling a hoof at her.
A cough next to them drew the three’s attention to Mayor Sheaf, who had returned. Trixie noted the tavern had emptied and through the windows she could see a crowd of the gathered Oaton ponies. She felt an odd thrill and fear of unfamiliar stage jitters. She was used to crowds. When she was sure she could deliver to them a performance they’d enjoy and their attention on her would all be positive. There was no guarantee at all that the ponyfolk of Oaton were going to enjoy the next act she had in store for them; mainly because it wasn’t going to be an act.
“Everypony’s gathered, Miss Trixie,” said Sheaf, “Ready when you are.”
Trixie looked at the door, eyes a little wide, until she felt a hoof on one shoulder, and a wingtip on the other. Cheerilee was giving her a cheerful smile, Raindrops was a slightly inclined nod of encouragement.
Trixie took a deep breath, adjusted her hat, and stood, beginning a slow walk to the door, her friends by her side.
“I’m ready. Let’s go tell these ponies the truth.”
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Before I read: Mendacity finishes and it is beautiful, and now this updates?
i46.tinypic.com/3gxg.png
...hmm...
...in hindsight I wish I had written "glorious" instead. Or "revolutionary."
Alt. Titles: The Oaton Hero Of The Day Tripper and Cher & Trix's Excellent Oaton Adventure
Hmm...the truth...always a morphic and untrusted thing.
Interesting with Tarnished and the whispering woods. I'm actually really curious about that. What's the outside influence?
Also, I'd like to repeat my suspicion that Bushel is an earthicorn.
Oh no! Not the truth! That'll just get you in deeper. And I'm going with Bushel being a 'disguised' unicorn, possibly even the crazy lady's relative.
Man.....this story is insane.....
Hmm. Based on the description of how Tarnished's magic looked, it seems like she's using Sombra-esque dark magic. I'm assuming, though, that that's not key to the story, because it was started before Sombra had made his appearance.
Considering Twilight was quite tired from controlling one baby magical animal, Trixie better just barely be able to pull of controlling two presumably adult magical animals. At best.
Otherwise, Actiony chapter Yay!
1766412
Thank you, hoping to make the ending worth the intrigue.
1784062
Mendacity...note to self; check it out.
1784073
I definitely like the second suggestion there, though poor Raindrops get's left out of the mention.
1784233
Spooky whispers inspired by the ones I heard in Act 1 of Welcome to Ponyville. Extremely creepy stuff, kind of disapointed there's not available soundfile for it on youtube otherwise that bit would've been linked into the story.
1784403
Yeah, who knows how 'telling the truth' is going to go over with Oaton.
1784998
Hopefully insane in a good way. But I'll take just plain old insane, too.
1785301
I don't consider it a spoiler to say its non-Sombra related and I hadn't realized the similarity in description.
1785797
A good point, though I see the Ursa Minor, despite being a baby, as still being a whole different level creature-wise than the basilisks. In DnD terms that Ursa Minor I see as like, a CR10 to 13, while the basilisks are closer to a CR 6 or 7.
1785858 The thing to remember is that, even with the rest that she just got, I still kinda doubt that Trixie is back to full strength. Plus Trixie doesn't particularly have strength on her side even when she's fully rested. Considering this is a spell she has never cast before, is a spell she only witnessed a few times (at best) while dead on her hooves, and that she had acknowledged the spell as quite powerful, she should probably still face nearly collapsing from the effort.
1785858
To be completely honest I'm tempted to suggest that the Ursas have a Divine Rank of 0 on top of that...
...oh, which reminds me, I have to go get to work on something.
Wow that was an epic beast of a chapter, and I was biting my nails the entire time, Bushel returning that hat
I like Trixie's plan, though I think she should turn the ponies back to normal before telling everyone the truth, it woudl only make sense
Besides that this was an amazing chapter I can't wait for the next one.
1785797
Technically Twilight was levitating it, mind control is a whole other kettle of fish
1785934
All solid points, and if/when Trixie makes use of that spell it'll likely be a significant strain on her.
1785963
Makes sense given their celestial nature. The full adults would definitely be of epic CR at least. I suppose I got to keep reminding myself not to always think of the story in DnD terms though.
1787439
At this point I'd say with Raindrops' encouragement Trixie just wants to do this quick, because if she delays she might just loose her nerve to go through with it.
It was a fun chapter to write.
1787439 L!Twilight outright mind controlled the Ursa IIRC.
Recharged Trixie gon drop a train on they various threats to Oaton. Intrigue yo.
Interesting.
also, the new layout makes it hard to figure out what updated.
I hope we get some lifting from the lows for Trixie soon enough. This was exhausting to read. in a good way, mind, but I'm more than ready for some highs for her.
This is some intense stuff in there! Really loving this story! I can't wait to see how this goes down!
Although...
Trixie you fool!
You never explain your plan to the audience! Now that we've read it, it's DOOMED to failiure!
DOOM I TELL YOU DOOM!!!
1790095
Indeed. She needed the rest, too bad she only got it after pushing herself to passing out.
1790609
New layout seems to be a tad buggy, yes, but I guess that's to be expected.
1795392
Almost; last chapter was meant to be the near breaking point for her, but now that she's through it...well you'll just have to wait, see, and let me now what you think when the ride's over.
1797803
Unfortunately Trixie doesn't know that declaring one's plans and laying them out like that highly increases the narrative chance of that plan going up in smoke, but hey, at least she's trying.
1797979 DOOM I TELL YOU!
I hope Trixie can pull a win out of this. Maybe Shaggy and Scooby will trip the monster up somehow
1785963
A divine rank seems a bit much; I'd think some variant of spell resistance would be more appropriate. Maybe some kind of feedback effect when targeted by mind affecting spells.
1788965
What fun is that?
Wait, she stole Twilight's books? The fiend!
Holy crap.
Lots going on here. And soon the truth will come out; let's just hope that's a good thing!
It simple flare spell, but it did what it needed to do
Trixie wince as the pegasus was battered
She hear shouting
and with wiggle of her head
had managed to get in to solid hits on her
”Trixie? Can you hear me?
Just as the basilisk was recover
I did discover more or less with this Tarnished mare is hiding
it’d e easy to think
a lot of the crates had a distinct smells
though back in that time period the economic dynamics between the tribes created and almost tradition of skirmish warfare to settle trade disputes
1. It was a simple flare spell.
2. Winced.
3. Heard.
4. And with a wiggle of her head.
5. Two.
6. Forgot your closing quotation mark.
7. Recovering.
8. Where.
9. Be.
10. Smell.
11. Though back in that time period the economic dynamics between the tribes created an almost traditional.
Strange, that didn't feel like 18000+ words. I don't know if that says you moved quick or I read quick, but good golly I can't seem to putthis one down. I love every moment I have been in so far.
^
'
'
'
'
Even while live reading, no this is not feeling like I have been through 12,000 words. It feels like I got this over and done with wayyyyyyyyyyy too soon. I think this is mainly because of just how engaging it all is. If it isn't the really cool fight in the beginning, its watching a weaken Trixie show off why she is the element of magic. And if it isn't that,its showing that Raindrops is a good friend (Though, Raindrops, You are being too harsh. Normal ponies don't damage a Basilisk like you and Cheerilee did.)
I also love watching Trixie caring side in this, heck, I justlove how we get to see all sides of our three leads in this. ITs a shame that Lyra, Ditzy, and Carrot Top are busy at the moment relaxing and missing out...
(Back in Ponyville)
Ditzy: What o you mean Sweeite Belle released an Alicorn from Fallout Equestria?
(Back at the live read)
yep relaxing...
Also nice.