Good Heart: Friendship Family

by Roger334

2 Wrecking Waves

In the middle of the forest, right beneath its leafy canopies, Trixie prepared for the trip ahead. Nevertheless, there was still a major problem about it, and that was mastering Twilight’s teleportation spell. Around a perimeter not bigger than a large house, the blue unicorn arranged an experiment. Every two yards, she put a lit candle on top of a rock. Once they were over, she proceeded to reread the entries.

“… and that should be it!”

“OKAY. I just need something to… send away,” said Trixie, while looking for an item.

With the help of her magic, she picked up a nearby mossy pinecone.

“According to Twilight” – the unicorn puts the strobile on the first mark – “Now I should be able to move it.”

The blue pony closed her eyes and focused on the object. A blinding flash of light consumed the pinecone before disappearing. Yards away, as expected, it reappeared undamaged. Trixie’s first test was a success.

“Yay! Now I can move objects anywhere I want.”

“With this power, I will become the best merchant ever seen on this land!” cried the humble pony, out loud,
with a smirk smile.

“But first, I need to help Celestia and the others.”

Trixie retrieved the pinecone and returned to the first mark. She proceeded to repeat the same process over and over again until she was able to do it without closing her eyes. After several tests, she felt ready for the next level of the spell.

“Now, about number three” – the unicorn reads the diary – “Twilight wrote that this one is tricky and really dangerous if it is done incorrectly.”

“Only advanced unicorns should attempt it.”

Trixie laughed. “I am advanced."

“Mm-hm. Let’s see, where do I need to go first?”

“My amazing Emporium was destroyed and I have no contacts on this side of the valley.”

“I have no money, no food and obviously no place to stay for tonight.”

“Well” – Trixie giggles – “There’s only one place for me to go when something like this happens…”

The unicorn put away Twilight’s diary inside the saddle bag. Her thoughts flew away to the place where she wanted to be. Alicornia’s fate and all her other problems were muted by these sweet memories. Despite her apparent mastery, she closed her eyes.

A blinding flash of light consumed her.

*********

“TRIXIE!” shout Starlight Glimmer, the First Tycoon.

The blue pony’s spell was successful, but her landing told a different story. She appeared on top of Starlight’s desk. Piles of coins and stacks of books fell to the ground. Even some ink was spilled. The pink mare did not look so happy with her presence.

“Next time use the door..."

“I’m so sorry” – Trixie gets off the desk – “But I need your help!”

“Weren’t you supposed to be in Alicornia for the festival?” asked Starlight, while cleaning the ink with a sponge.

“You told me you’d be gone for the whole season… and NOW you fall from the ceiling?”

“What is going on?!”

“Lit, a terrible thing happened…”

“Don’t tell me. Did they finally ban you from entering?”

“A couple of foes activated a machine in the heart of the city and now they are all like… heartless puppets, even Celestia!” said the blue pony, with sadness.

“Oh no. That’s terrible…”

“I know!”

“Alicornia was a good spot to sell.”

Trixie stomped the desk. “I AM SERIOUS!”

“Everypony in there is doomed if we don’t do something about it!”

Starlight’s face turned sick. “My, I-I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“B-But…” – the pink mare looks up – “How is something like that even possible?”

“Not even alicorns are capable of creating such magic.”

Trixie stomped the desk again. “But it’s true! I barely escaped alive.”

“But what can we do? I am nothing more than a businessmare. A successful one, if you will, but nothing more.”

“W-Well…”

“I’m also a merchant, but they need me… and I cannot stay in here and do nothing.”

The blue pony sat and stared away from Starlight.

“I witnessed two enemies with pure evil on their hearts take over an entire city. They just wanted me to disappear because I broke their spell.”

“My Emporium was destroyed. I’ve nothing left…”

Starlight trotted towards Trixie and hugged her. “My, I-I… I had no idea.”

“I know about your friend, the one you call Celestia. You told me about her good deeds with you in the past.
I wish I had somepony like her as my friend…”

The pink unicorn deployed a map with her magic.

“Tell me, what do you need?”

Trixie smiled. “My first stop is Reins Harbor, where somepony called Rarity lives. She’s the owner of a local inn."

“I see.”

Starlight put her hoof under her chin. She was thinking.

“That’s northwest of here, through Wheat Country.”

“I can lend you a cart. It is light-weighted, which makes it perfect for traveling long distances no matter the terrain. What else, Trixie?”

“A lantern, some oil and food for the journey. Blankets and… money.”

“Mm-hm.”

“I still have a unicorn lantern¹, so there’s that. I can also give you a pack of food and blankets. About the money… how much do you need?”

“One thousand tails…?” said Trixie, while trying to smile. She looked nervous.

“ONE THOUSAND TAILS?! What do you think I am? The richest pony on the Red Brick Market?”

“Y-Yes.”

“That’s right. I am!” giggled Starlight.

“But that’s not enough, I must say. I’ll give you THREE thousand tails.”

“OH DEAR! I… I-I don’t know what to say…”

“Say nothing and take this.”

By using her magic once more, the pink mare gathered the money from her fallen piles of coins and gave them to Trixie inside a wallet. From the top of a nearby shelf, she also picked up the magic lantern. Outside her office, in an alleyway, Starlight gave the promised food packs and blankets.

“Lyra, I’m going to lend her your cart for a couple of months.”

“Don’t worry” – Starlight pats her back – “You’re not fired. This is more like a… forced holiday.”

“Please visit Bon Bon, wherever she is.”

Lyra jumped of joy before leaving. Very carefully, both unicorns packed the wagon with the supplies needed for the long journey ahead. Moments later, the time for departure arrived.

“I guess this is it…” said the pink mare, with sadness on her voice.

Trixie hugged her. “Thank you so much, Lit.”

“Be careful out there. If you run into troubles, you know where to find me.”

“You ARE my best friend and nothing will change that, but this is something I need to do.”

“See you soon,” said Trixie for the last time, right before leaving towards the busy streets of the market. Starlight remained in the alley waving at her.

*********

The wind howled through the golden fields of Wheat Country. Despite being no nighttime ruling in the sky, somehow, the blue unicorn felt tired. Yawning and stretching, she kept moving as fast as she could towards the west to the great sea.

Many hours later, Trixie reached the outskirts of the harbor. From the top of a hill, she gazed upon it and kept trotting towards the main entrance. Rusty letters casted on iron welcomed her to this unexplored part of Ponya.

“REINS HARBOR.”

Merry music could be heard coming from the town square. A trio of musicians were playing their old instruments before an absent audience. The sound of the waves breaking against the cliffs also echoed among their notes. Trixie approached them.

“Excuse me, but where can I find the Inn?”

The musicians stop playing. “You have just arrived and you want to go to sleep?!”

“MY, that’s… sad,” said one of them. They broke into laughter shortly after.

Trixie remained serious.

“I’m sorry. You are new around here, right?”

“In this corner of the world you can find many inns. Even houses. If you can afford them, that is..."

The artist puts down his cello. “SO, what’s your budget for tonight?”

“Are you blind?!” – one of the musicians points at the sky – “The Moon isn’t up there!”

“If you sleep during the day, it is called a nap!”

“Oh yeah. What about Little Pony?!” replied the irked artist.

“What about it?”

“That ship only arrives at midnight, mate!”

“SO?”

The artist points at the pier. “If you look to your right, you’ll see it docked because it’s already midnight.”

“It can’t be midnight if there’s no Moon above us!”

The musicians, all of a sudden, started arguing between them about who was right or wrong. Trixie, very slowly, trotted away from them towards the nearest street, in silence. Even with that wacky welcome, she managed to find the right place just as it was described in Twilight’s diary.

Impressive as a wooden building can be, the three-story Purple Inn lay in front of her. Its dusk walls perfectly reflected the atmosphere of the region. Trixie left her cart parked outside. With the help of her magic, she managed to open the heavy mahogany doors of the place.

“Welcome to the Purple Inn. How may I help you?” asked the receptionist, a young unicorn mare.

“Hi,” said Trixie, trying to smile. Her lack of sleep was noticeable.

“I would like to talk with Rarity, please. Is she here?”

“Rarity…? I don’t know anypony named like that,” replied the employee.

“What about your boss? I’d like to speak with him… her.”

“I’m very sorry, but she’s not here at the moment.”

The blue pony grunted with frustration. The receptionist looked nervous.

“MEANWHILE, would you like to stay in a room? The night’s only thirty coins.”

“Sure” – Trixie puts the money on the desk – “Although I only have Tails.”

“That’s fine. We accept most of your foreign currencies as long as its gold.”

*********

After sleeping for hours, the blue unicorn woke up. She was staying on the third floor. The sound of the waves crashing and splashing against the harbor’s steep cliffs was something entirely new to her. She felt in love with it and even thought about staying for longer.

Trixie returned to speak with the receptionist, but her answer was the same as before. Rarity, the master of the Element of Generosity, was someplace else. Having no other option, she decided to go out and explore the village by herself.

Dusk still reigned supreme. Sunlight was barely visible at the very edge of the ocean. Many ponies were buying what it seemed to be candles and lanterns in their local marketplace. Barrels of wax were auctioned for unreasonable amounts of money. Trixie felt perplexed by these strange interactions.

Many ships and other smaller vessels were docked in the piers. The mild movement of the tide made them move at its own will. Heavy ropes bounded them tight to the port, polluting the vision of the almost sunset.

Perhaps it was the lack of accurate descriptions provided by her that caused this situation, but no pony was able to recognize the name of Rarity at all. Unexpectedly, on a lonely corner next to an aged boat house, progress was made.

“Ah yes, I know her,” said a unicorn mare. Her mane was red and yellow, almost brilliant and her skin was light amber. She was wearing a white sailor uniform.

“White, blue eyes and purple mane… Yep, that’s her.”

“REALLY?! Where can I find her?!” asked Trixie, excited.

“She’s currently living in Lobster Bay. That’s on the other side of this ocean.”

“However” – the sailor points at the docked vessels – “No pony will take you there as long as this weather continues. The sea is dangerous at night.”

The blue unicorn looked down at her hooves. Her ears also dropped.

“Yeah. It’s a shame…”

The amber mare gazed upon her with a mischievous grin. “Maybe the captain of a smaller vessel could help you, if the price was right...”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “How much?”

“Nine hundred coins, and I promise you safety aboard my ship. Food is also included.”

Trixie considered the stranger’s offer. She was the only one who described Rarity’s appearance exactly as it was written on Twilight’s diary. Having no other choice, she sealed the deal with a hoofshake. The almost-sunset shined upon them on the edge of the harbor.

*********

High tides and wrecking waves crashed against the boat’s wooden hull. The captain was struggling to keep the brigantine on course. Trixie was fighting not to fall sick. The topsails were reefed, and the cargo was bounded to the stern. Everything else on the deck was either wet or broken, leaving nothing safe from the fury of the ocean.

The sailor mare, with a gesture, invited her to get inside. “I felt exactly like you during my first trip onboard this very ship.”

“Y-You did…?”

“These regions of the world aren’t for everypony… or no pony, depending on your perspective.”

“I used to travel a lot when I was younger, but nowadays I am more focused on selling griffin’s Mighty Dust more than anything. They sure know how to make explosives.”

By using her magic, the captain opened a small crate with some fruits and vegetables inside. All kinds of exotic edibles were offered to Trixie. Ultimately, she decided to go with the apples, not without acknowledging the declined options.

“What are those, anyway?”

“That’s a Pine’s Apple” – the amber mare picks up some fruit – “And these are Mean-goes.”

“In the bag behind you, I also have Cow-fee beans.”

Trixie stared at the strange edibles. She even attempted to weigh them.

“So” – the sailor eats a pineapple – “What’s your deal?”

“You paid me with Tails, a foreign currency I’ve only seen at the harbor. OBVIOUSLY, you come from a faraway place, so… why are you here?”

“I must find the unicorn that goes by the name of Rarity.”

The captain mocked Trixie. “Good luck collecting your money.”

“This is not about money. I need her to help me save Alicornia!”

“ALICORNIA?!” – the amber mare stops eating – “You mean the legendary Eternal City?!”

“Y-Yes.”

“Oh, tell me. Does the Sun ever set in there? Because one stallion at the bar told me it didn’t. It was always sunny and it never rained nor stormed thanks to their powerful magic,” giggled the curious unicorn.

“W-Well… the Sun sets like in every other place. Maybe it rains. Maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know for sure. Maybe Celestia knows…”

“You’ve met an alicorn?! A REAL one?!”

“Of course, and she’s my friend.”

“WOW!”

“Yes, but--”

“But what?! You have been there, and you have met alicorns. What could be wrong?”

Trixie’s face turned serious. “They are in danger and Rarity is the only one that can save them.”

The sailor laughed. “Seriously? Do you really think a teeny-tiny unicorn can save an entire kingdom? Yeah, I’m not so sure about that--”

Without warning, the boat shook violently. They were knocked to the floor. Things started falling off the shelves inside the room. The sound of the hull cracking was loud enough to be heard. They both struggled to get up.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah… what was that?!”

“I don’t know. You better stay here…”

*********

Thunderstorms raged in the heights. The sky was pitch black, almost like nighttime. Heavy rain was hammering down its way onto the small ship. The sailor mare was using all her magic power to protect the sails from the speeding winds.

With caution, Trixie exited the room. Just as she set her hooves out, the cargo on board set loose. Heavy barrels began to roll all over the place. The deadly stampede forced her to take cover inside the boat. Some barrels fell overboard, while others ended up lodged against the mast. A few of them leaked a yellowish powder all over the deck.

“Help me keep her stay afloat!” – shout the captain – “Grab a bucket and go downstairs to bail out water.”

Trixie nodded. With her magic, she was able to move some barrels away from the hatch that led downstairs. Papers, sea charts, crates and more exotic fruits were floating in the cargo hold. The hull was heavily damaged. The blue pony lit an oil lantern, then proceeded to seal the cracks with planks and nails.

Afterwards, she used two metal buckets to bail out water as fast as her hooves allowed her to. During one of these trips, she noticed something truly terrifying. Floating upside-down, another ship was coming dangerously close to them. It was massive. The storm also revealed more wreckage in the distance.

Masts the size of trees were still attached to their decks, or what was left of them. Thick ropes and large pulley blocks were tangled in such a way that they looked like a floating noose, waiting to drown somepony on its deadly grip. Panic broke inside her. Trixie ditched the buckets and cowered away from the railing.

The sailor mare approached. “There's only one creature capable of creating such destruction…”

“I need you to keep bailing out water if we want to escape alive from this!”

Trixie nodded.

The captain used her magic to throw overboard some of the loose barrels. The hungry ocean took them away in seconds. Meanwhile, the blue unicorn kept struggling with the water downstairs. After several trips, and more buckets, the level dropped to a more reasonable height. Suddenly, she heard a loud scream. Without hesitating, she went upstairs to investigate.

Standing amidst the waves, a tentacle the size of a mountain towered before her. The sailor was trapped on one of its suckers. She was fighting her way out with a metal spear, further enraging the beast. The water around the small vessel began to bubble up. Another tentacle, accompanied by eight more arms, raised to wreak havoc.

The first one came crashing down unto the turtled boat. Splinters and other dangerous debris were dispersed in all directions. Trixie took cover inside the wheelhouse. Moments later, one of these arms swept the entire area from left to right, obliterating everything on its path. Broken glass shards rained on top of her.

“Let go of me!” shout the captain, with anger.

The spear managed to wound one of the beast’s suckers, thus dropping her instantly to her doom. Beneath the falling sailor, the deadly rope knot from before was waiting. Trixie was paralyzed and her legs shake in utter fear. Thunder kept raging in the sky. Regardless of this eerie chain of events, and possible outcome, she closed her eyes. For a brief moment, all that fear and insecurity was washed out by something never felt before.

A blinding flash of light teleported Trixie away into the sky. Mid-air she managed to intercept the falling unicorn before it was too late. They landed behind the monster on the remains of another brigantine. The captain lay down to recover her breath. Trixie kept staring at the beast.

“Y-You saved me…” mumbled the amber mare. She was breathing really fast.

“You can thank me later. NOW we need to stay away from that thing!”

Even with no sails whatsoever, their current ship was able to stay afloat and move thanks to the powerful force of the waves. Trixie took the wheel and attempted to steer away. The monster kept rampaging the area with its mighty tentacles. More wreckage stacked up in the water. The captain’s boat was on collision course with the beast.

As soon as it hit the underwater creature, an arm smacked it. An explosion the size of a firework blew up the appendage. Burning planks and other smaller remains fell from the sky. The amber mare cried for her loss. Her sadness quickly turned into sickness, because the angered monster began to create an immense whirlpool around its sharp beak.

All those floating debris were chipped by the kraken. Entire decks and masts were turned into nothing more than splinters. There was no escape from this. Trixie ditched the wheel and trotted towards the captain at the front of the deck. She was holding on for dear life.

“Hold on!” cried Trixie, just as she closed her eyes and put her hoof on the back of the scared unicorn. Another blinding flash of light consumed the little ponies away.

*********

Out of nowhere, they landed in the middle of an alley back in Reins Harbor. Sunset shined in the village and it was not raining like before. They needed some time to recover from the effects of the teleportation spell. An unknown foe witnessed the whole event. Its skin was dark gray. It had a horn and wings like an alicorn, but her legs and mane had holes in them. Fangs also peeked from her lips.

“W-What…?!” mumbled the foe, in awe. She looked shocked.

“Are you okay?” asked Trixie, with a serious expression on her face.

“I’m fine…”

“Say” – the sailor used her magic to squeeze her hat – “How did you do that?”

“We were done, for sure! But you, somehow, managed to save me twice in a row…”

The captain hugged her beret. “I-I am so sorry for what just happened. I… I’ll pay you back, I swear.”

“Don’t worry about that” – Trixie moves away – “I guess I will have to find another way to find Rarity.”

The amber mare put on her hat. “WAIT! I might not be the pony you are looking for, but I can help you on your quest to save Alicornia!”

“I am really powerful, you know, and I know a lot of special spells. Please, let me help you.”

The blue unicorn stopped. The memories of Arcani’s dark magic rushed back to her. Despite what Twilight’s diary suggested, she realized that another attempt to find Rarity was a complete waste of time at that point. Celestia, just like her subjects, remained imprisoned. Nothing had changed.

Trixie sighed. “Alright. I am going to need as much help as possible if I want to succeed.”

“What is your name?” – Trixie touches her chin – “I don’t think you ever told me.”

The sailor rushed to end of the alley. “My name is Sunset Shimmer!”

A minor hoofshake took place between them.

“If you are ready, let’s go. Alicornia awaits!” said the blue pony. Seconds later, another blinding flash of light took them away. And just like that they were not in Reins Harbor anymore, leaving the witness more confused than before.

“I shouldn’t have drunk that…” mumbled the gray foe before entering a nearby door.

Author's Note:

¹A special type of lantern that runs on magic instead of oil.

Comments

[The_Chill_Author]

Oof size large

[Dr-Chrysalis]

This was great, specially that cameo mate.