Chapter 11
Trixie unsteadily made her way back down the stairs of the library. Questions swirled around in her mind. Questions about what she’d seen, questions about what the voice had meant… and questions about its warnings involving the princesses.
One way or another… I can’t do anything about it tonight.
Trixie settled down on the floor of the library.The sun was just peaking over the horizon, and Trixie knew she wasn’t going to find sleep anytime soon.
That voice… it… it sounded just like the voice from the Alicorn Amulet… I wonder…
Trixie stood up, levitating the previous tome she had been reading up and into its shelf. She then began to look for any books on ancient artifacts.
I doubt this local library would have a tome about such things… maybe in the Canterlot Archives… Hmmmm…
She kept looking regardless, trying to find any other tomes that might make reference to the amulet. Apart from some history tomes, she couldn’t find much. She sighed.
Well… maybe these history books will give me a clue as to what was happening between the key events I saw… or if those events were even true.
Having grown accustomed to skimming through tomes and books of knowledge, Trixie was able to confirm that the ponies she’d seen were at least real, but she couldn’t find much on the history… perhaps she’d need to find an expert on such histories.
If I pulled a few strings… I could probably get an audience with… the princesses…
The words of the entity from her dream sank in.
Unless they’re in danger…
“Good morning Trixie! Sleep well?”
Trixie jumped, before spinning around to behold a cheerful looking Twilight Sparkle, mug of some dark liquid in her magical grasp. As the unicorn took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh, Trixie couldn’t help but notice the strong aroma coming off of the mug. Not at all unpleasant, just strong. It reminded her of some of the drinks Caramel Dahlia had served and sipped on, herself.
“Trixie… apologizes for staying past the public closing time. She must’ve been reading for longer than she thought.”
Twilight never dropped her smile.
Elysium, she reminds me of Cadence.
“Don’t worry, I totally understand. I’ve fallen asleep reading a good book a great many times. It’s not a problem, just… try not to make a habit of it, okay?”
Trixie nodded, then looked curiously at the drink that the lavender unicorn had taken another sip out of.
“Is that… coffee?”
Trixie asked. Twilight nodded eagerly.
“Oh yes! It’s a simply incredible drink! I’ve only just recently been introduced to it! It’s not as common in Equestria, as it’s a Saddle Arabian drink, but it’s perfect for mornings! Gives you a burst of energy to clear the morning fog from the mind. I’ve fallen in love with it.”
“Did… you say Saddle Arabia?”
Twilight nodded.
“We don’t have the methods or ingredients to make it here in Equestria. It relies on a specific type of bean, which is processed and crushed into fine grounds. Boiling water is then forced through the beans, therefore infusing the water! I’m sure there’s more to the process, but I haven’t figured it out yet! Everything from the aroma of coffee to the taste matters! You wanna try a cup?”
Trixie shook her head.
“Trixie would… prefer to not indulge in this… dirty bean water. She’ll stick with tea, thank you very much!”
Twilight shrugged.
“Suit yourself, more for me! Oh! And Rainbow Dash was planning on stopping by today, she mentioned you by name specifically, and wants to show off a little project she and I have been working on for a while now. She usually stops by after exercising in the mornings, and usually by riiiiiight about…. Now!”
Almost as if on cue, the door to the library burst open.
“Twilight! I got the-- oh, hey Trix!”
Trixie pointedly ignored the butterflies in her stomach, and simply smiled at Rainbow.
“Hey Dashie, what’ve you got there?”
Rainbow just grinned.
“You’ll have to wait and find out, it’s not quite done yet.”
Trixie narrowed her eyes at Rainbow, who just met her gaze levelly, and stuck her tongue out.
“Tell me.”
“Nope!”
“Tell me?”
“Nice try.”
“Please tell me?”
Rainbow hesitated for a second before answering.
“That’s not working on me! The answer’s still no!”
Trixie pouted.
“Hey, cheer up!”
Twilight called out.
“Here, have some tea. My treat!”
A cup with a rich aroma radiating from it floated, steaming, in front of Trixie. She went cross-eyed at the cup before chuckling to herself, and seizing it in her own magical grasp. Daintily, she lifted the cup to her lips and inhaled through her nostrils. The aroma that graced her senses was almost malty. Stronger than she was expecting. She then took a sip, and brightened at the nutty flavor.
“Trixie has never had tea like this before! What is it?”
Twilight snickered.
“What’s so funny?”
Trixie asked, taking another sip.
“It’s dung tea, Trixie.”
Trixie halted at those words, staring at Twilight. She heard a sound that was suspiciously like snickering behind her, which she ignored.
“Pardon?”
Twilight grinned.
“You heard me, dung tea.”
“As in…”
Trixie asked slowly.
“Excrement?”
To which Twilight nodded. Trixie went cross-eyed again, staring at the tea, shrugged, then took another sip, much to the surprise of both the other mares in the room. She turned to face Rainbow, who was staring at her with her mouth agape.
“What? It’s fine dung tea. I’m not going to waste such a delicious drink. Why, do you want some?”
Rainbow snapped out of her daze, and shot up to the ceiling.
“Nope! I’m not touching that! I don’t like tea, and especially not dung tea!”
Trixie just stared up at her, and tilted her head.
“But you simply must try it! How do you know you won’t like it if you haven’t tried it?”
“Uh… duh? Because it’s made from dung?”
Twilight coughed delicately.
“Actually, it’s just a green tea. The plants are simply fertilized with a special type of excrement. The nutrients from the dung infuse the tea leaves with flavor and nutrients. It’s some of the best tea around, not cheap, either.”
Trixie turned to meet Twilight’s eyes.
“How… expensive?”
She asked tentatively.
“Oh, it’s no matter! I always treat my guests the best I can!”
“How. Expensive?”
Trixie asked, a little more forcefully.
Twilight looked away from Trixie and muttered something under her breath.
“Can you… repeat that?”
Twilight sighed, exasperated.
“35,000 bits per pound. There, are you happy?”
Trixie inhaled deeply, and heard Rainbow suck in her breath too. Twilight scuffed the ground with her hooves.
“It was a gift from Princess Cadence. She didn’t tell me how expensive it was until after I had accepted it…”
Trixie opened her mouth, before Twilight cut her off.
“Don’t even think about offering to pay. It’s my tea, I’ll give it to whomever I like. And Rainbow, get down from there. We have a project to complete, remember?”
Rainbow slowly drifted downward, eyeing Trixie wearily, who simply blinked at her innocently in response.
“Yeah… yeah, we do. Hey, Trix can you… wait outside for a few minutes? I want this to be a surprise.”
Trixie raised an eyebrow at Rainbow, who rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof, not meeting her gaze.
“Oh, very well. Trixie shall wait outside for whatever this surprise is.”
Rainbow Dash grinned in response, and Twilight kept that same sweet smile on her face.
“Enjoy your tea, Trixie. This won’t take but a moment.”
Trixie stepped outside the door of the library, and inhaled the crisp, morning air. The sun was just starting to clear the horizon now.
Maybe I can see a bit of a sunset.
Within the perimeter of the library’s yard was a small grove of trees. Trixie finished off her cup, and settled upon the grass underneath one of the trees. She was quickly starting to love simply relaxing underneath trees. And, with a warm glow within her from both the kindness of Twilight, and just the fact that she’d seen Dashie, she watched as the skies turned from red to orange, and into blue.
This is a truly beautiful land…
She suddenly felt like she wasn’t alone. Her ears twitched, and she heard the muted voice of Rainbow Dash muttering to herself. Trixie couldn’t help but smile, but she revealed nothing, and simply let Dashie think she was being stealthy.
Dear, stealth is simply not your thing. Good try though.
Oh, she would certainly have a surprise waiting for Rainbow’s reveal.
Her ears swiveled, as she heard the displacement of air, and felt the gentle gust of a pegasus lifting off to fly. Using this, she was able to get a rough idea of where Rainbow was.
Any second now… any… second… Now!
She spun around, just as Rainbow was about to slam into her in a tackle hug. The grunt of surprise from Rainbow was quickly replaced by an ‘oomf’ of surprise from the would-be ambusher as Trixie used her own momentum against her, and the two of them went tumbling down a small incline in front of the grove. Trixie was openly laughing now, and before they knew it, they came to a rest with Rainbow on her back, a surprised look on her face, while Trixie gently pressed down on the pegasus’s shoulders. Trixie smirked.
“Pinned ya.”
The look of surprise was replaced with irritation.
“Yeah, yeah… very impressive. Now get off, I got something for you.”
Trixie didn’t let the smirk fall from her face, as she lowered her head, and stared straight into Rainbow’s eyes.
“Oh, I don’t know. I happen to quite like this position.”
She let her eyes become lidded. Rainbow stared at her, pupils dilated, before turning her head and coughing. Muttering some form of expletive under her breath. Trixie laughed softly, then got off of Rainbow.
“Now, what did you have for me again?”
Trixie asked innocently, ignoring the glare Rainbow shot at her.
“It’s right inside.”
Rainbow brightened up.
“I really think you’ll like it!”
“Now you really have me intrigued.”
Trixie called out.
“C’mon! Hurry up slowpoke!”
Rainbow called over her shoulder. Trixie shook her head, a smile never leaving her face. She looked at the crushed grass where the two of them had just been, surprised herself with a giggle, then turned to follow Rainbow into the library. Upon entering, Trixie saw the excited faces of both Twilight and Rainbow Dash.
“Alright, Trix, you gotta close your eyes for this part.”
Trixie scoffed.
“Whatever do you mean? Trixie will keep her eyes open if she feels like--”
And abruptly, some form of a cloth took her vision. Trixie sighed.
“And what, pray tell, would require me to not be able to see?”
Rainbow’s voice responded.
“Just trust me, okay? And try not to move.”
Trixie shook her head, exasperated. She could hear the shuffling hoofsteps, and what sounded like the ruffling of cloth, and quite a few spells being cast.
“Whatever it is you two are doing, Trixie is intrigued, she will admit. She hopes she’s not disappointed.”
“Oh trust me, you won’t be disappointed.”
“Rainbow! Stop your gawping, and help me out here!”
“R-right, Twi. Sorry, just… distracted.”
“Clearly. And close your mouth, you’re drooling.”
“I’m not drooling!”
Rainbow shouted, sounding indignant.
“Maybe not outwardly, you’re not. Now come on!”
Trixie couldn’t help but chuckle.
Wonder what she was staring at…
“Okay! We’re ready, you can remove the blind now!”
“Finally…”
Trixie muttered, before yanking the blind off with her magic. When she could see again, she stopped and stared. There, levitating in front of her, was her old cape and hat. Behind which was Rainbow and Twilight, beaming with excitement. Trixie felt a wave of nostalgia overcome her, and her eyes turned misty.
“Is… is this a dream?”
She managed to choke out.
“Soooo… you like it?”
Rainbow asked, eyes meeting Trixie’s.
“Like it? Elysium… I didn’t think I’d ever see this again…”
Trixie delicately took the cape and hat from Twilight’s magical aura, she couldn’t stop staring at it.
“How did you…?”
Trixie trailed off, tearing her gaze away from the cape she never thought she’d see again, and finding Dashie again. Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck, looking embarrassed.
“Well… when you and I started talking more… you told me how much your cape meant to you so… I went to Twilight. And… asked if she could help me. She was skeptical at first but…”
“It was a welcome challenge, Rarity and I worked together, doing our best to reimagine your cape and recreate it. At the time we didn’t know where your original cape had gone, and we assumed it to be destroyed. Then Rainbow here did something foolish.”
Twilight turned and glared at Rainbow, who had the decency to shuffle uncomfortably on her hooves. In spite of the multitude of emotions Trixie was feeling at the moment, she was able to let out a light chuckle.
“No, Dashie doing something foolish? Never.”
“It wasn’t that foolish…”
Rainbow muttered.
“Yes it was!”
Twilight exploded.
“You went into the Everfree Forest, alone, and seeked out the Ursa Major cave!”
Rainbow backed away from Twilight a bit.
“Well… her cape might’ve been caught on the Minor’s foot…”
“You didn’t know that! For all you knew, the cape had been burned in her old trailer!”
“Well… maybe but…”
“But nothing!”
Twilight cried.
“Do you realize how worried we were?”
“Not… at the time, no.”
Rainbow muttered. Twilight finally seemed to calm down, and take a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.
“Anyways, long story short, she found a few scraps of your old cape in the cave. Rarity and I wouldn’t have been able to reconstruct it from the few scraps she found, but we did get the pattern down right, and even incorporated some of the old fabric into the new design.”
Trixie looked more closely at the cape, and sure enough, there was a point where the design changed slightly.
“Rarity was upset about it not being a seamless transition, but I managed to talk her into acknowledging the beauty of the flaws within a cape. It tells a story. The hat, surprisingly, survived mostly intact, just a few adjustments and repairs needed. One of the colts around here had been keeping it as a souvenir. Rarity and I took the liberty of making the new cape out of arcane-weave so… if you wanted to, you could incorporate it into your illusions.”
Trixie snapped her gaze to Twilight.
“Arcane-weave? But that’s… only the most esteemed unicorn mages of Equestria are able to afford that!”
Rainbow looked confused.
“What does a cane have to do with anything involving a cape?”
Both Twilight and Trixie sighed simultaneously.
“Arcane-weave is a very rare fabric.”
Trixie started.
“It’s used by mages to power their spells.”
Twilight continued. Trixie picked up after Twilight.
“It’s pretty much a storage box for spells, you cast a spell on the weave, and the fabric can hold them for future use. Beyond that, I don’t know much though. Just that it’s incredibly rare.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that.”
Twilight continued.
“The thaumic lines within the fabric act as almost a ritual for spellcasting. It doesn’t just store the spell, but passively is able to interact with the magical weave of Equestria. The thaumic lines work almost as a leyline does on a smaller scale.”
Trixie looked on, interested, while Rainbow looked like her eyes were glazing over at this point. Oblivious, Twilight kept talking, adopting an almost ‘head of class’ voice.
“Thus, the fabric of the clothing made with arcane-weave is able to replicate spells that have been cast on, or in the vicinity of the apparel item in question. Unicorns have been able to use this to empower spells they’re casting, or charm their clothing with minor effects such as making them fire-proof, self-cleaning or able to take on the appearance of any other form of clothing.”
“Okay… the pegasus is confused by your egghead speech… what?”
Trixie smiled.
“Essentially the cape can now be used to cast spells, or make stronger versions of spells I already know.”
“Why didn’t you just say that?”
Rainbow mumbled. Twilight blushed.
“Right… sorry, I went into teacher mode there for a second.”
Trixie laughed, before staring at her new cape.
“Well? What’re you waiting for?”
Rainbow asked impatiently. Trixie took a deep breath, to steel herself, then floated the cape over her, clasping it at her breast. It felt like seeing an old friend for the first time in ages. And once she put her hat on… she couldn’t stop the tears from leaking out of her eyes.
“I’m… a bit overwhelmed, to be honest… this is… it’s…”
Trixie sniffed, before looking up.
“How can Trixie ever repay such a kindness?”
“Well… I have a few ideas…”
Rainbow muttered quietly, before receiving a swat from Twilight.
“What?!”
“Behave, Rainbow.”
Trixie just shook her head.
“As for repaying me… don’t worry about it, just seeing how happy it makes you is enough for me. Just be sure to thank Rarity as well, she is more experienced than I am with the business of a clothier. Without her, it wouldn’t have looked nearly as elegant.”
“Thank you…”
Trixie whispered.
“Both of you…”
When she met Rainbow’s gaze, she was acutely aware of her heartbeats. They stayed locked in each other’s eyes, and Trixie willed all of her feelings of gratitude, love and awe into her gaze. After a while, Rainbow blushed lightly, before breaking eye contact.
“So uh… any particular reason you were in the library?”
Rainbow said, awkwardly.
“At first, no, Trixie was simply looking for ways to pass the time. Having done some reading though…”
She turned back to Twilight, who was staring at the two of them, a knowing smile on her face.
“...Trixie had a… disturbing dream last night. She believes that the princesses might be in danger.”
Twilight blinked, before frowning.
“Danger? How so?”
Trixie then told Twilight about her dream, Rainbow eventually moved to her side, and was also listening intently.
“And… that voice I was hearing? It sounded almost identical to the voice that was speaking to me when I had the Alicorn Amulet in my possession.”
Trixie paused, letting that sink in.
“Trixie thinks that this… entity might be more dangerous than we thought before, and if the princesses really are in danger…”
She trailed off, not needing to say anything more.
“You need to get to Canterlot.”
Twilight stated firmly. Trixie nodded.
“And I’m coming with you!”
Rainbow said determidly. Trixie looked at her in surprise.
“What? The princesses have helped all of us out before… and if they’re in danger, and you’re going to investigate, that means you’ll be in danger too. I’m not letting you go alone.”
Trixie surprised Rainbow by stepping closer, and giving her a hug.
“Thank you… that means a lot to me.”
She whispered into Dashie’s ear.
“And… don’t think I won’t repay you for the cape.”
Trixie backed away.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not disappoint.”
Trixie smirked at the dumbfounded expression on Rainbow’s face, before turning back to Twilight.
“Trixie needed to head back into Canterlot anyways. She had to discuss some things with her boss, maybe request some more time off, so she could spend more time here. If you don’t mind, Twilight, Trixie would be honored if you allowed her to work off the remainder of her community service under your employ.”
Twilight smiled.
“Of course Trixie, you’re always welcome under my roof. Until you get back though, I need to take a letter. I’ll do some digging on my end here, the Canterlot Archives aren’t the only place with a restricted section, after all.”
Trixie nodded, before sweeping off her hat in a bow.
“You ready to go, Dashie?”
“Uh…”
The pegasus had to shake her head, a light blush still visible on her face.
“Y-yeah, just give me a moment to pack some basic supplies up. I should also say goodbye to Scoots, meet you on the road to Canterlot?”
“Trixie believes that to be wise. And while you’re packing, she was hoping to pay a visit to this ‘Rarity.’ Dashie said she had a small boutique here, correct?”
Twilight nodded before frowning.
“Yeah, but she had some business in Canterlot, something about a wedding to prepare for. She wouldn’t give me the details, but I’d assume she would be in Canterlot.”
Trixie grinned.
“Perfect! Trixie can knock off all of her objectives at once! A truly great and powerful move on her part, one that can be celebrated!”
Trixie didn’t know how, but having her cape and hat back? She felt more at ease, and better able to slip into her show persona.
“Right then, I’ll meet you on the road. Give me twenty minutes, yeah?”
Rainbow then flew out the door to attend to her packing and goodbyes.
Trixie started out after her, but stopped when she felt a magical tug on her shoulder.
“Trixie, wait. I know we haven’t had much time to talk again, but I’m glad you’re okay. Treat Rainbow well, okay? She’s very dear to all of us here.”
Trixie nodded.
“Trixie couldn’t imagine doing anything else… Dashie is… special.”
Twilight smiled slyly.
“Oh, I’m sure she is.”
Trixie reddened a little at that, and Twilight laughed.
“Don’t worry, I approve, for whatever it’s worth. I’m not sure about the others, but they’ll understand.”
“Trixie… wishes she was able to believe that. Applejack seemed to not be very happy with Trixie…”
“She’ll come around, don’t worry. She’s just very stubborn and under a lot of stress right now.”
“Why is she under stress?”
Twilight frowned.
“Something about a large shipment of apple products being prepped. Apparently she’s also going to be heading into Canterlot here soon. Pinkie Pie also has plans. It seems like only Fluttershy and I aren’t heading to Canterlot… wish I knew why…”
“Well… Trixie certainly hopes that Applejack comes around. She would much rather have the support of all of Dashie’s friends… I can’t imagine she’d take conflict amongst us very well…”
“Yeah…”
Twilight called softly.
“Anyways, it was a pleasure to see you again, Trixie. Do take care, and I promise to let you know if I find anything surrounding this problem with the amulet and the princesses.”
And with that, Trixie continued out the door.
That was… nice. I’m glad that Twilight doesn’t seem to automatically hate me for what I did… gives me hope that the others will be able to forgive me.
Trixie suddenly felt a horrible chill pierce her being.
Ms. Lulamoon, I’m disappointed. You didn’t keep our little chat a secret.
Trixie halted. The voice was just like in her dreams, and seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
Who are you? What’s your angle? Tell me!
But not a single word was heard after that. Not one single word.
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Didn’t it warm her not to?
Well, now we know where she gets it from.
Isn’t saddle arabia in equestria?
I’m sorry, what?
All I heard was dung.
That dung better have come from either an extinct animal or the princess herself.
What happened to it?
I don’t see why.
How much was she supposed to not tell?
10933869
Her cape and hat were lost when the ursa minor destroyed her cart in the episode. She got new ones in the show, I'm just tweaking things a bit here.
We'll get to that later.
She was warned to not speak of anything she heard, it would appear she didn't heed the advice given to her.
10933961
Didn’t she say something about telling the princesses?