True Magic

by CodeMonkey

Chapter 20 - The Sorceress’ Pact

Chapter 20 - The Sorceress’ Pact

Their hooves echoed loudly in the still air, moving down the ancient corridor as it stretched into the dark, the only light radiating from the lanterns the two zebras carried. Trixie fought against claustrophobia as the hall seemingly got narrower every foot, until they eventually entered a new, smaller room with large stone steps spiraling upwards into pitch blackness. As they made their way up the cracking steps, it was a wonder they were actually supporting them all, chips of rubble breaking away with every step.

“ECHO!” Hex shouted into the air, giving a wry smile as it returned to his ears. “Hello!” he said again. “How are you? I asked you first! No, I did! You did not, I did...!” His never-ending conversation continued every step of the way, with no end in sight. Magus appeared to be in his own world, but Trixie was getting a headache from the pointless arguing. “Liar. No, you are. No, you are. No, you are—”

“Would you please, be quiet!” Trixie demanded, shooting a glower at the zebra.

Hex chuckled before looking to her with his head sideways. “Whatever you say, possibly unearthly one.”

With narrowed eyes, Trixie stared at his grinning face, unsure if he was serious or not; although, she didn’t care for him either way.

The higher they went, the more Trixie questioned just how far she really fell. Each turn only led to more steps and dark nothingness, but finally, the end came into sight in the form of a tiny, dank chamber atop of the last step.

The room was in a state of ruin, appearing to have been recently ransacked with every alcove empty and disturbed, dusty outlines filling their spaces. A few stone caskets still lay on the floor, lids smashed open and nothing but dust within. A few feet away was the exit, the door lying broken on the ground, kicked in by some tremendous force, the outside world just beyond. Trixie could already feel the cool air as they approached.

It was a welcome change being outside again, even if she was still in a graveyard, it was leagues better than a dark, musty tomb underground. Not too far away, she could see the hole she fell through; reminding her that the ground may still be unstable.

The graveyard had become a much gloomier place since she last saw it. A dense fog had rolled in obscuring much of what was around them, not that there was much to look at in the first place.

As they started their trek through the dense mist, Jabari skipped ahead and led the way as his father slowed, illuminating the already traveled road. Behind the colt, Magus followed, focusing on nothing but the path that the light revealed as he remained as quiet as the dead around them. Trixie tailed him, wanting to keep a fair distance from the sulking pony even if it meant traveling alongside the zebra who almost bashed her head in, twice.

Trixie eyed Magus, feeling his fiery arcane energy warming the otherwise icy air. Whoever this Loa was, she was rattling his cage almost as much as Ginger had.

“Trixie, right?” Hex said, snapping her out of her observation as she looked over to his grinning face.

It was unsettling how happy he always appeared, especially when he talked about such macabre subjects so nonchalantly. “Yeah,” Trixie cautiously answered, a probing gaze meeting his eye. She wasn’t sure how to behave around the potentially sycophantic equine.

“Magus said you were an Initiate? As in, you weren’t born into the Circle?” he said, raising his eyebrows.

“So? What of it?”

“Oh, I just wanted to know how you’re doing and what you think of this magical order that exists right under everyponies’ noses. It must be a lot to take in at times.”

“It’s…” she started, searching for the right words, “…a little weird at times.”

Hex burst into laughter, tilting his head towards the sky. When his amusement ceased, he said, “I thought the same thing when I was in your horseshoes.”

“What?” she said, her eyes growing wide as her ears perked up. “You mean, you were a…?”

“Well you didn’t think you were the only one, did you?” he said, leaning in with a wide, amused smile. “Tons of followers of the Order nowadays started off like you!”

“It’s not that,” Trixie replied. “You’re just the first one I’ve met.” In her mind though, she thought how someone as strange as this was a spellcaster of any kind.

“I’m honored,” he laughed. “Ah, I remember those days,” he said with a giggle. “It feels like just yesterday I was tearing through tomes, brewing potions, honing my craft under the watch of an old quack who sold a disgusting bottle of liquid and called it a miracle cure.” After a shallow sigh and a slight smile, he said, “Good times.” He stared into the distance for a minute before asking, “So, was your first time as exciting as mine was?”

“My first?”

“Yeah, when you used magic of course. You know what I did?” he said, briefly leaning in again. “I turned my sister into hippo. It was so horrible, but oh what a thrill!” Hex laughed manically, stomping his hoof in joy. “How about you?”

“I destroyed a Timber wolf,” Trixie said, recalling that night’s events.

“For fun!?” he said, still giggling a little.

“No, I almost died and it just happened.”

“Really? How boring. Well, you know, there are worse ways of going than being torn limb from limb by a wooden construct. Like being lit on fire, thrown into a deep well with spikes at the bottom, eaten from the inside out by ravenous, carnivorous beetles—ooh, ooh, buried alive…” he chuckled. “…I love that one.”

Trixie recoiled with a grimace at his sick sense of humor, that is, if it really was supposed to be a joke. Her skin crawled as images of the various, potential demises flashed before her eyes. “Thanks…I think.”

“You’re very welcome. And what about before? What did you leave behind for this? Acolytes always seem to leave something to go on this grand adventure we call sorcery, you know.”

Trixie looked to the ground. “Not much,” she said, a tightness forming in her chest as she recalled her past career.

“Then you and I are among the lucky ones.”

“What did you leave?” she asked, meeting his sparkling eyes again.

“Nothing really, just my family, my childhood home, my native name, you know, little things.”

“Your name?”

“Yes of course. Hex looks so much better in lights and on posters. Plus, it’s easier to say when you’re—” He hopped onto his hindlegs with both forelegs in the air as he said, “Announcing it to a roaring crowd!” He quickly returned to the ground and said, “Or an angry mob. You know, whatever the situation calls for.”

Trixie gave him an incredulous stare, unable to decide if he was masking some deep sorrow, or if his past really meant nothing to him. His face showed no indication, still being as radiant as ever, walking with a slight skip in his step. “Really? You can just walk away from all that and not feel anything for it?”

“Meh, it’s not as bad as you think. I was young, my parents were the overbearing type. Telling me what to think, what to dream, what to do with the cadavers that I dug up, all that jazz. They wanted me to be a shaman, if you can believe it.” He momentarily stopped talking to chuckle. “But,” he continued as he leaped up onto a tall tombstone next to the trail, “I wanted more.” Hex jumped to the next stone in the line, and then to another in a graceful almost dance-like motion, positioning himself on the top of each perfectly. He moved as if there was a song playing and the graves that slowly elevated up a small mound were his stage in his fanciful performance. “I wanted to see the world. Meet new faces, taste new things, dig in new places, and I wasn’t going to get it by standing around chanting and talking with spirits. Although, I still do the latter from time to time.” When the line of stones ended, he leaped off, landing perfectly as he rejoined the group at Trixie’s side.

“But hey,” he began again. “If you think I’m a monster for not caring then you should give it a try. Then we’ll see who’s fantasizing about burning one’s childhood home down. Were their ponies still in there? I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait for the autopsy report and fake innocence if there were. Simple as that.”

Trixie increased her distance from him by about a foot, feeling her stomach quiver at the thought of being in a room alone with him. She was hopeful that they could quickly get whatever Magus wanted and leave before she woke up buried in a box somewhere; or worse.

Hex laughed as he said, “Ah, don’t worry, I’m just kidding Trixie.” Glancing away, he said in a softer tone, “…Or am I.”

“What?”

“You ever seen what a guillotine can do first hoof Trixie?”

“Excuse me—!”

“Ah! And here we are,” Hex said, moving to the head of the group. “Home sweet home!”

As Trixie joined the others at the front, the fog ahead cleared and she found herself staring at a black caravan, nestled between a couple lanky trees that hung over it with no gravestones anywhere to be seen. It was bulkier than Magus’ and had a more cube-like appearance. The caravan looked sturdy, not at all like the shambling wreck that Magus rode around in. It was even decorated with an array of colorful markings of swirls and stars that reminded Trixie of her old home. The name “Miracle Elixirs” was written on one side in large, fancy text, like something Trixie would think of writing in when she was a traveling magician. A strand of lights adorned the roof, connected between two posts at both ends of the caravan. Two bright lanterns hung on either side of the door with the large steps to the door illuminated clearly in their glow, giving it an inviting look as the structure chased the shadows of the surrounding land away. Around the perimeter of the area were a number of tall posts, each having a recognizable lantern hanging on top with familiar looking oddities swaying in the wind below them.

“Shall we?” Hex said, presenting his home with a wave.

Without a word of acknowledgement, Magus passed him, moving faster than before. Hex didn’t appear to mind or even pay attention to him as the robed pony stormed by, and instead turned his attention to his son.

“Come on son,” Hex said as he lifted his offspring onto his back with a foreleg. “Let’s go home.” Jabari attempted to reply, but his words came out as mumbles around the lantern’s handle that he continued to clench between his teeth.

Trixie followed next to Hex as they passed by one of the mysterious lanterns; and she looked up at it and wondered what its purpose was. When she saw them before, it made sense to assume that they were for light, but seeing the similar ones again, already in a well-lit area made her question it, especially with the bones underneath them all.

“What’s with these lanterns?” Trixie asked, glancing over at Hex. “They were on the outskirts of the graveyard as well. Did you put them up?”

“Yep, gotta protect my home and loved ones after all,” he answered, looking up to one.

“Protect?”

“Well, sure. Their enchanted and have charms beneath them to ward off all manner of nasty beasties, supernatural phantasms, and unwelcomed guests and magic. Have to ensure nothing sneaks up on us, not that many would even know that this place was here, it being a long forgotten, ancient cemetery and all. I don’t even remember who’s buried here myself, but, I gotta say, they had good tastes in burial possessions. Except for that last batch. Didn’t even have a single bit on them.”

“You’re a grave robber?” Trixie said with a raised eyebrow directed at him. The absence of coffins and all the disturbed crypts were starting to make sense.

“I prefer to call it grave repossessing. Wouldn’t call it robbing if the former owner can’t voice an opinion on the matter of what belongs to who.”

It was probably best if she moved on to a different topic before he began speaking in a more morbid tongue again as she turned her attention towards Magus and watched his rigid march, now realizing that he hadn’t said one word since they left the crypt. Not one snarky comment left his lips the entire time; in fact he’s been abnormally quiet for most of the trip.

Leaning over to Hex, she whispered, “Hex, who’s Loa?”

With a twinkle in his eye, Hex replied in a loud whisper, not caring who heard, “She’s a powerful alchemist and sorceress, who has almost unparalleled knowledge in herbs and potions. They say she’s lived for hundreds of years yet is still the most beautiful and lovely mare in the entire world. No offence.”

“Who says that?”

“I do.” He giggled before he said, “And I should know, I’m married to her.”

Trixie was about to say something but Hex dashed up the steps, beating Magus to the front door that was decorated with a creepy knocker. He put a hoof on the door before looking back at her as she joined Magus’ side and said, “Words of wisdom: don’t look her in the eyes. You may think that there’s no way she could tell, but trust me, she knows. She’s…not a fan of new faces, you understand.”

With a tap, the door creaked opened, unveiling an unexpectedly welcoming interior. Warm air seeped out from the doorway, banishing the cold as they peered inside. The room was cluttered with various objects both familiar and disturbing. Colorful pots, silk fabrics hanging from the rafters, unusual miniature statues, and even a chaise lounge in the middle filled the room. The walls were adorned with peculiar masks and foreign oddities, leaving little of the dark wood visible. The room itself branched off into three separate directions with two, lone doors on the either side and a narrow entryway in the back.

As Trixie entered the foyer, her skin prickled in delight, basking in the warm glow of the stove, while her hooves sank into the ornate rug covering much of the floor. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim light that radiated from the tall candlesticks that littered the room. The lack of light, however, couldn’t hide the figure standing in the shadows behind the beaded doorway in the back, shining eyes closely watching them as they entered.

Hex was the last to enter and shut the door closed as the figure parted the beads and approached.

Leaping past them, Hex slid onto his knees with his arms open wide. “Sweetheart!” he exclaimed as it stepped into the candlelight.

“Sweetheart” was revealed to be a tall, female zebra that strolled towards them with a disinterested look on her face. She wore a black gown over her slender frame that reached the floor, looking like something one would wear as a Nightmare Night costume. Her mane was tied into strands of short black and white braids save the back that was worn in a long, ponytail fashion, draping over her shoulder. On her left ear were three gold earrings of varying size that gleamed in the light as she passed by. Around her neck was a beaded necklace with a gold zebra skull pendant dangling in the middle, its hollow eyes watching them as intently as the mare who wore it.

“Oh, my love,” Hex said gleefully, striking a pose on one of his hindlegs, stretching the other out behind him and clasping his forehooves together as Jabari balanced on his back. “I've missed you so very, very, very, very much in these agonizing hours, my sweet.” Returning to normal stance, he said, “And guess who we met out in the…”

Before he had a chance to finish, the brooding mare strolled past him, casually moving straight up to Magus and locking eyes with him. Up close, Trixie could see her eyes more clearly and noted something off about their grey, stagnant appearance, but she couldn't put her hoof on it.

“Loa,” Magus said. “I assume you know why I'm here.”

“I have no doubt the reason for your sudden visit,” she answered, like her husband, not speaking rhymes yet with a noticeable, foreign accent behind her words. “And the answer is no.”

“Excuse me?” he replied.

Loa turned her back on him. “I don't have what you want.”

“You can't be serious,” Magus said, trying his best to maintain his composure, but his facade was beginning to noticeably waver.

“I am,” she said, walking back to the doorway she came from. “Your journey has been in vain. You no longer have any business here, please leave.”

Loa stopped halfway before stopping to stand in silence, a wide-eyed Magus staring blankly behind her.

In the uneasy silence, Hex leaned back and muttered to his son, “Uh, Jabari, why don’t we go over into the next room and play a game or something.” Hopping off his back, Jabari muttered something before running to the far bead doorway, lantern in mouth, causing the ornate veil to chime together as he dashed through it. A door could be heard creaking open somewhere beyond.

When the young zebra was out of the room, Hex dashed over to Trixie in one quick motion, coming to a sudden stop next to her. Leaning in close, Hex loudly whispered, “If by some small, teeny tiny, itsy bitsy chance you just happened to get turned into a frog or some other small animal, play dead. You're not as valuable with a pulse.” With a wide smile, he disappeared in a blur, following his son out of the room before she even had a chance to respond.

“You must have something,” Magus said, breaking the tension as he took a step towards Loa.

“I already told you, I cannot help. Go find someone else.”

“You are someone else! I already saw Ginger and she told me to find you—”

“Then find someone other than me!” she said, glaring back at him.

“Please, you're my only hope to—”

“To what!?” Loa said firmly, turning to face him. As she stalked towards him she said, “I told you a long time ago what would happen. And did you listen? No. You just had to keep pushing forward, knowing full well where you'd end up eventually. You‘d have to be the most foolish Archmage I’ve ever met!” When she was close enough, she reached out her hoof. Magus gaze darted to her extended foreleg then back at her with a blank look. “The vial!” she demanded.

Magus rolled his eyes away from her before reluctantly lifting his hoof and slowly inched it towards his robe. A few moments later, he pulled out a long, glass bottle filled with a clear, watery liquid. Trixie instantly recognized the container as the same one Magus had in Trottingham.

The second the vial was in sight, Loa snatched it from his grasp. Bringing it up to her ear, she lightly shook it hearing the emptiness inside before swiftly popping the cork top open and taking a whiff of the contents. “Out of Aquae tenebraum, are we?”

Magus said nothing as he scowled at her.

“Well,” Loa said, sticking the cork back in before tossing it back to him, Magus snagging it out of the air. “Then you better get moving.” The zebra turned and started back to the doorway as she said, “You can let yourself out.”

Magus’ eyes grew wide as he watched her go before staring down at the vial, clenching it tightly in his hoof. Trixie watched as his eyes grew dull and his body became limp; the once proud unicorn surrendering to whatever thoughts were bottled up inside. As she watched him, Trixie could feel her chest tighten and a desire to cheer up the sorrowful stallion came to mind. Was this remorse she was feeling? For him? Despite all that he had done to aggravate her, Trixie couldn’t help but feel pity seeing him like this. In a weird way, she could understand what he was feeling and relate to it.

In an attempt to comfort him, Trixie said, “Master, I—”

“Who said that!?” Loa shouted, stopping dead in her tracks and turning back to them with her ears reaching for the ceiling. “Who's there?”

The mare hastily marched back to them with erratic eyes and ears flicking and rotating wildly. Standing before the two, she looked around, not settling on any particular area, before finally focusing her attention on Trixie. Loa leaned in with eyes darting every which way, before grabbing her and pulling her closer, eliciting a disagreeable yelp. Frantically, Loa patted Trixie's legs and hooves before moving up to her chest and neck and finishing by making her way to her face. The mare prodded and poked at her features, feeling her ears, mane, horn, and snout, behaving as if she was unsure if she was there or not. Trixie was taken aback by the sudden examination, only voicing her objections a few times. Even Magus snapped out of his mopey state to look at the two of them with a grimace, seemingly as shocked as Trixie was.

It was then that Trixie realized why Loa was so surprised that she was here. The zebra was blind, her eyes told her that much, yet she somehow moved and behaved as if she wasn’t. It was curious that she could clearly tell Magus was here before he ever said a word, but why she was just now noticing her own presence was unclear. Trixie had never met a blind pony before, much less a zebra, and was unsure how to react. Regardless, she stood still and tried not to complain so much as the blind mare continued her inspection.

“Husband!” Loa called, with a hint of resentment in her voice as she held Trixie’s face, clenching her cheeks together. Suddenly, Hex entered the room in a flash, no longer wearing his hat and coat, as he slid to a halt.

Kneeling and taking one of his wife’s hooves into his, he said, “Yes, my beloved; your eminence. You called. What can I do for you? A hoof massage perhaps?”

“Who’s this?”

“Oh, that's Trixie, my love. She's Magus’ apprentice.”

Simultaneously, Magus and Trixie corrected, “Initiate.”

“An initiate?” Loa said. “I wouldn’t expect you, of all Archmages, to do something like this, Magus,” she said looking to him, still holding Trixie's face in her hoof.

“Neither would I,” Magus softly said.

Loa looked back at her and stared into Trixie's eyes. “My, my. How the Fates weave their web of destiny,” she said, seeming as if she was thinking aloud. Releasing her cheek and pulling her hoof away from Hex, Loa took a step back and asked, “Trixie is it? Tell me, how has your training with Magus been going?”

“Uh, it's been…” Trixie glanced back at Magus as he raised an eyebrow to her. “…Going well.”

“I see,” the blind mare said. “So, Magus’ teaching style of explaining very little then walking away has proven effective?” she said before giving her silent look.

Trixie's eyes widened at the sound of the truth, as if she had read her mind. Magus avoided her eye when Trixie glanced back at him, appearing none too pleased by her question.

The sound of the mare's laugh filled the room, surprising Trixie as she didn’t think that a strict mare like her would have a sense of humor. “I assume by your silence that I'm not far off. I'm correct, am I not?”

“Well…”

“Now, don't lie to me girl!” she said with a raised, firm voice, stomping a forehoof. “If there's one thing I hate, it's a liar.”

Trixie flinched at the show of aggression, blurting out her thoughts instantly. “I mean, I’d be better if he was around more,” she said quickly, raising a hoof in front of her, shielding herself from a suspected attack.

“Thank you,” she said with a small smirk. Loa paused as she eyed the two with her seemingly nonfunctional senses, focusing a great deal more on the stallion who returned her stares. Loa walked away, hopping up onto the chaise lounge in the middle of the room and lay down before beckoning the two closer. Clearing her throat as they stood before her, Loa said, “In light of recent events, perhaps I can help you Magus. If everything goes well, I can have the potion ready for you in about a month or two—”

Magus groaned before he said, “I don't have that long. Time is running short for me already. I need it sooner.”

“Well there's not much else I can do for you then. We’re in the middle of nowhere, with few gardens and shops miles from here. We have our own needs and have little time to dedicate to searching for what the potion calls for.”

He sighed looking to the floor as Hex passed him, moving to the side of the sofa. “My sweet,” Hex said, peeking over the side, looking at his wife.

“What?” she snapped, shooting a glare at him.

“Well, I had a thought,” he said, moving close to her ear, before his words trailed off into whispers.

As he spoke, Loa started saying things like, “Unlikely. No! Absolutely not! Of all the…” The longer they spoke, Trixie started to notice the two repeatedly glancing at her.

Hex grinned widely at Loa as he leaned away and clasped his hooves together as if to beg. Loa glared at him before groaning loudly. “Fine!” she said directing her attention back to Magus. “It appears that we can, in fact, help you, much to my surprise, better. While we don’t have what you need, my husband tells me that he can synthesize a form of the potion using the ingredients from the surrounding cemetery. This is against my better judgment, but at least my husband knows something I don’t, for once.” She shot a brief scowl toward his still smiling face.

Magus’ eyes widened, almost bulging out of his head as he sat down. Readjusting his robe and returning to his firm demeanor, Magus opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped as the striped mare said, “On the condition that you teach your student in the time being.”

Magus froze as Trixie and his eyes met, gears noticeably turned in his head, seemingly weighing his options.

As he processed the deal, Loa chimed in and said, “You won’t be able to do anything by yourself without the mixture and your caravan is a fair distance away. So, you may stay here and teach your student until we're finished.”

Turning his attention back to the Loa, Magus said, “While I’m truly grateful for your generosity, I’m unsure if–”

“If you want to finish your, so called, Grand Experiment, then I'd recommend you take this offer while it lasts,” she said. “You of all ponies should know that it's rare I ever change my mind.”

Magus sighed and said, “Very well. I accept.”

“Great!” Hex said, suddenly popping up between Trixie and Magus, putting a hoof around both of them and pulling them close. “It'll be like an old-fashioned sleepover. And hey, this will be the first time in a long while since you stayed over, Magus.”

“I can hardly contain my excitement,” Magus mumbled under his breath.

“Oh, this is going to be fun. We can stay up late, swap scary stories, and in the morning I'm making pancakes. Well, maybe. I did almost burn the house down last time.” He chuckled before he said, “Just like my fifth birthday. Except without the guests leaving with first-degree burns. Then again, that remains to be seen.”

“Thanks…” Trixie said, trying to move as far away from him as his tight grip would allow.

“Jabari!” he shouted to the back of the room. “Good news. We have guests. Get out the Monopoly!”

“Okay!” the colt shouted back from the next room with enthusiasm.

“Hex,” Magus solemnly said, breaking out of his hold. “As ecstatic as I am, it's late and we've been walking all night, so we should really be getting to bed. Such as, right this moment.”

“You’re missing out, but if you're sure.” Hex said. “I’d be for the best anyway. I'd probably just win.” Turning his attention to the beaded door, he shouted, “Jabari! Scratch the Monopoly, breakout the Scrabble!”

“Magus, Trixie,” beckoned Loa, now standing by one of the side doors. “If you would,” she said as she opened the door, revealing a staircase descending deeper into the home. Almost immediately, Magus approached with haste and started down the steps with Loa leading the way.

Removing his foreleg from around her, Trixie said her goodnights to the strange zebra before quickly following them through the door as Hex waved an exaggerated goodbye; still as weird as ever.

A long, narrow stairway lay before her, illuminated by a firefly-filled lantern hanging overhead. Trixie caught up with them as Loa led them down the creaky steps, passing more, even creepier wooden masks. At the bottom of the steps, they came to an extensive corridor filled with various, colorful and exotic plants along the side of the carpeted walkway, some reaching from their pots to cling to the walls and ceiling. Jars of glowing fireflies dangling above them showed the way as they passed door after door. Save for the plants, the hall was reminiscent of Magus' caravan with the endless corridor and seemingly limitless doorways on either side. It was a wonder if all the Circle’s caravans were like this.

Loa soon stopped and turned to face one of the doors. “This is the guest room. You may stay here for the time being. I assume you still know your way around Magus?”

“I do, but what of the substance?”

“Remember our deal. You have more pressing matters to tend to.”

“But, surely there’s something I can do. Something that can help speed up the process,” he said hastily.

“Actually there is.”

“And that is?”

“You can do your so-called ‘duty’ as an Archmage and teach your student!”

Magus went silent as his eyes tightened, appearing as if he was about to summon fire at any second. Heated energy emanated from him, so much so that Trixie could practically feel it. The zebra’s sightless eyes, however, remained on him, unaffected by the show of power, before he huffed and trudged through the door.

Trixie watched him go, bringing to mind how little he must have thought of her teachings. She admired Loa's unflinching bravery in the face of Magus’ temper. Something she saw Ginger do a few days go. Glancing at the blank expression on the zebra’s face one more time, Trixie reluctantly headed inside as the door magically closed behind her.

The guest room was not much bigger than her room back at the caravan. There were no windows but it was, thankfully, better kept. It was a pleasant looking space with a small, firefly lantern sitting on an end table between two, neatly made beds. An old closet sat at one end of the room and a pot filled with dirt was tucked away in the other next to the beds with nothing but a small purple and green bud sticking out.

Magus stood in the center of the room with bottle in hoof, taking a large swig of the contents before realizing she was watching. Silently, he leisurely put it away, appearing to no longer care if she saw or not as they stared at one other, both feeling a tension in the air.

As she looked at him, Trixie could see something off about him. His eyes wavered uncontrollably while the rest of his body slightly bobbed from side to side, looking as if he was about to collapse.

“Are you…okay?” Trixie asked.

He continued to stare at her without saying a word. “It's thanks to you, I suppose, that this journey was all worthwhile. But tomorrow I expect you to follow my instructions without question. Is that clear?”

“I will,” Trixie replied with a frown, his arrogance was giving her a headache. ‘He cares about no one but himself,’ she thought, starting to get fed up taking orders from him. To think she ever cared to cheer him up. As Magus started toward the beds, Trixie said, “Sorry if my studies are such a burden to you. If I'm such a problem why do you even keep me around.”

Magus stopped and muttered something to himself before looking back at her with a silent, glassy stare.

Trixie had seen that stare what felt like a thousand times now, always right after saying something in secret. It was aggravating to be following somepony that keeps so much locked away that concerned her in some way, only to wind up with that look staring at her. She hated that look.

“What? Why do you keep looking at me like that?” Trixie demanded, almost shouting. Her request was met with silence and the still eyed glare. She groaned and said, “When are you going to trust me enough just to tell me what’s wrong? What? What aren’t you telling me!?”

“Questions,” Magus said quietly. “Always with questions. Why? Why must you pry into everything?”

“Because you don’t tell me anything!” she said, stomping forward. “Ever since I met you, you’ve been so spiteful and secretive with everything. You disappear when you should be helping me. You treat me as if you hate me most of the time, before showing concern for me. What’s wrong with you? If you want me gone, then just say so!”

Magus was quiet, still giving her a vacant stare. “I wish I could.”

Retracting her hoof, Trixie’s eyes widened as her heart sank. Of all the things he could have said or done, she'd never expected that. She'd worried he was trying to get rid of her at times, but she never thought he'd actually say it.

“As an Archmage and the one who saw you use the Order’s magic, I’m obligated to take you in and test you. The ceremony you performed with me that night, when you took my hoof, binds us together under the oath that I’m to see if you’re worth the Order’s time. And I never break my promises. So, until you pass or fail I can’t send you away.”

Trixie was speechless as Magus moved towards her and walked by, muttering into her ear, “You have yet to fail, but you have yet to succeed. Your training will resume tomorrow. Be ready.”

Trixie was unable to move as she blankly observed where the pony had stood. She heard the door open and shut behind her, signaling that she was now alone. Without a word or thought, she undid her cape and took off her hat, throwing them onto the bed that she didn’t intend to use. With a heavy heart, she collapsed onto her bed beside the plant and blew out the light. Her stomach clenched and tightened, removing any feelings of hunger she might’ve had as her mind reeled.

‘Was I wrong about him the whole time?’ she thought, getting under the covers and gripping her pillow. ‘Maybe I should just leave and find whoever this Silver is. He’s probably right about him anyway. I don’t need this magic to be powerful...Do I?’ At that moment she remembered Ponyville. It was a painful event to recall and only served to deepen her hurt. ‘But…I can’t…I can’t stop here. I just…can’t.’ Pulling the covers over her head she tried to fall asleep, but it didn’t come as quickly as she would’ve liked as she lay awake for a while longer before her eyes finally shut. The last thought that crossed her mind was what she would do if she failed…again.

Comments

[Moonshine-Dusk]

o.o

[Dragaun]

"Break out the Monopoly" Lol I love this story