Prelude – Trouble Springs from Idleness

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Peppermint shivered as a cold breeze caressed the soles of her hooves. She felt the goose bumps on the skin beneath her white-colored coat itch with the fear of being alone in the dark manor. Peppermint’s only companion was the small, burning candle she held magically aloft with her unicorn horn.

The flickering light of the candle bravely guarded the young mare from the surrounding darkness.

Peppermint slowly crept down the shadowy hall toward the lone door at the end. The frightened mare heard hoof-steps pacing around in the room beyond and she hoped to Celestia that it was from her missing friend Taffy. However, the two mares found no evidence earlier of squatters in the rooms below. This mansion was abandoned for years and still looked the part.

Thus, who else was here but her lost friend?

A sense of bravery surfaced in Peppermint’s mind.

Thus far, all of her fears as she explored this old, abandoned manor had stemmed solely from her own imagination. The moving clouds that occasionally blocked the half-moon in the night sky only played tricks with the moon’s light. The breeze that whistled in the hallways sounded scary, but it was otherwise harmless.

There were no ghosts or boogeymen within the old mansion. There were only Peppermint and her friend Taffy who got separated while exploring the maze-like hallways.

Calmness returned to Peppermint as she continued to move toward the door at the end of the hall. The candle that hovered before her lit up the dark hall and brought sensible commonness to the shapes she saw. The red-maned unicorn was not surrounded by watching shadows, but by dusty blankets that covered old chairs and leaning end tables.

Peppermint cleared her throat when she reached the end of the hall. “Taffy, are you in there?”

“Peppermint?” asked the worried voice of a mare on the other side. “Can you hear me? I think I’m locked in this room! It’s dark and I can’t find a window!”

“I’m here, Taffy! Hang on, I’ll get you out!” Peppermint replied with confidence.

The young unicorn studied the door knob and noticed that the lock was indeed facing the outside. Peppermint found it strange that the last resident would do such a careless thing. Perhaps it was used to lock an unruly pet in the room? The idea seemed cruel and unnecessary to her. Pets couldn’t open a door regardless so why would anyone turn the lock around?

Peppermint turned the lock with ease and then pushed the door open. The room was indeed dark and there were no windows here. Perhaps this was a walk-in style closet? No, the room was much too big and lacked any shelving to support the idea.

“Taffy? Where are you?” Peppermint called out in question.

“Over here!” cried a scared Taffy. “Can you hear me? I think I’m locked in this room!”

“Yeah, I got the door unlocked,” Peppermint said as she surveyed the area for her friend. She could only see faded blue sheets that were draped over old, worn chairs. The red-maned unicorn entered the room slowly, wondering if her friend was locked in a closet within this room.

“Peppermint?” whispered the voice of Taffy from the darkness.

Peppermint turned toward the sound of her friend’s voice and met the reflecting glare of a huge suit of strange-looking full plate armor. It stood upright on only two legs, not the four legs common to pony folk. The suit’s metal sleeves were disproportionally long with two elbow joints and rusty, clawed gauntlets that hung at the ends. The helmet was designed to cover the entire head save for a small window slit for the eyes, but the top of the headwear appeared bashed in deeply with a large blunt object.

If a creature was wearing the helmet at the time the impact was made, it most certainly did not survive the wound.

Peppermint slowly approached the alien looking armor. She noticed a design on the chest plate under the thick layer of dust that painted over the armor like a gray skin. The unicorn gave in to curiosity and brushed aside the years of dust from the chest plate. She saw a chiseled eye across the plate, an eerie single eye that almost appeared to have stared right back at Peppermint.

“Can you hear me? I think I’m locked in this room!” shouted Taffy’s voice.

The armor lurched forward at the scrawny unicorn. The clawed gauntlets rose up on their own accord with the squealing sound of aged rust. Peppermint let out a silent gasp and backed away. She instinctively put the lit candle between herself and the approaching armor.

As the giant metal suit trudged forward implacably, the chest plate yawned open with the appetite of an awakened predator. Inside the chest plate, Peppermint started right into the glazed-over eyes of her unicorn friend Taffy. The imprisoned mare was curled up in a fetal position, her skin sunk to her bones, her mane ragged, and her mouth left hanging open in a silent visage of fright.

“It’s dark and I can’t find a window!”

Peppermint screamed aloud as the realization came to her that it was the suit itself mimicking her friend’s voice! The terrified unicorn turned and fled for her own life out of the room. She galloped down the hall with all deliberate speed as the giant lumbering suit slowly followed her.

Peppermint took the stairs two at a time. No, three at a time! The unicorn leaped down the staircase, but her hooves slipped on a bent board halfway down the path. The unicorn tumbled down the rickety wood stairs hooves-over-head. The little candle went out as it too tumbled along with her.

The candle rolled away into a dark corner, returned to the oblivion of the darkness that now surrounded Peppermint.

A searing pain had cut deep into Peppermint’s ribs and her left rear leg. She tried to stand, but her sprained leg refused to carry any weight. The unicorn hobbled on her three remaining legs toward the front door. Behind her the pounding sound of the armor’s metal boots reverberated across the manor’s second floor landing. They marched like the drums of a heartbeat, always in pairs and never ceasing.

“Peppermint?” echoed the soft disembodied voice of the pony once known as Taffy.

Peppermint was in tears of pain and fright. Her mind panicked to escape faster than her injured body could move. Peppermint reached the front door and yanked as hard as she could at the large, rusty handles. The old doors fought back and resisted to open more than at a snail’s pace.

The heartbeats of the armor’s steps grew closer as it descended the stairs.

Peppermint cried in terror as she continued to pull on the doors, widening the exit inch by inch. She began to wedge her body into the space as she pulled hard; her muscle ached with her full effort.

The heartbeat loomed over the unicorn as rusty claws reached out from the darkness.

Peppermint struggled as she squeezed her body through the small doorway. Tears streamed down the unicorn’s eyes as she wailed out, “Celestia, please take me instead!!”

~ ~ ~

“’Slam!’ went the mansion doors!”

The audience jumped at Trixie’s words. A sudden crack of magically created thunder caused the younger ponies to scream in fright. The azure unicorn slammed her book closed as she looked at her captivated audience. “No trace of Taffy or Peppermint was ever found. To this day even the Armor of Gilgamesh remains at large, wandering from abandoned house to abandoned house. It remains dormant, silently waiting to feast upon the unfortunate passerby who would dare venture into the empty dwelling it haunts.”

Trixie stood up and took a bow. The small gathering of ponies gave her applause, but many of the children instead hugged their parents for comfort. The crowed soon stood up and dispersed from Trixie’s stage. Several ponies dropped some coins into a till as gratuity for the entertainment. Trixie made sure to thank each of them for their generosity.

“Don’t forget!” Trixie reminded the departing audience. “The Great and Powerful Trixie’s first novel is available for purchase! Pick up a copy of ‘Lulamoon West versus the Devil Dogs’ here or at your favorite bookstore! Trixie will even autograph your copy for free!”

A skeptical, young orange-coated mare gave Trixie a frown. “I’ve read your book,” she said with disappointment.” I think Daring Do is a far better read.”

Trixie tried hard to maintain her smile. “Ah, but Trixie’s tale is based on real experiences!”

“Yeah, like your Ursa Major story was?” the dissident pony chided back. “You’re just a boasting, over-groomed copycat.”

“Trixie is not over-groomed,” the unicorn defended. “Trixie simply has a lot of natural beauty.”

A second heckler, a short brown stallion, joined in the argument. “Bah, you’re just all smoke and mirrors. Don’t try to make yourself bigger than you really are.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is a talented entertainer and is not afraid to use her wide array of skills!” the azure unicorn said with proud resolve. “Would you keep a sundial in the shade?”

“What?” the first heckler asked with a confused look.

“Forget her,” the stallion said, “Let’s go find some real entertainment elsewhere.”

Trixie’s grand demeanor deflated significantly as the hecklers trotted off. She waited until the audience had all left before she stepped down from the stage to pack up her traveling wagon.

Trixie tried not to let criticism get under her skin like it used to, but she had quite a lot more of it now than ever before. The unicorn let her eyes shed a couple tears before wiping them away. ‘Salty water under a bridge’ as her mother used to describe them.

Still, despite the naysayers, Trixie was doing well for herself here in Manehatten. She had a decent-selling novel now and a completely new repertoire of magic tricks that dazzled her audience. Trixie was even able to save enough money to purchase a new traveling wagon and bring her show on the road again.

Granted she had not left Manehatten yet since her audiences remained quite small, but it was still progress toward building an honest reputation. Trixie often thought of her new life like a recovering alcoholic who had given up the drink.

After she finished packing the benches, Trixie used her magic to fold the stage together into its wagon form once more. She blew out the two hanging lanterns that had flanked her stage, which left just the one small lantern above the entrance to her wagon as the only local light source. Finally, Trixie sat down on the rear steps of her wagon and levitated a small tin thermos of water to her side. The metal cap slowly unscrewed itself and the unicorn took hold of the container of refreshing cool liquid.

Trixie sat back and peacefully watched the stars.

Manehatten’s Central Park was quite nice at night, a large patch of serene woods surrounded by the bustle of the big city. Trixie recalled that in her youth she would come here with her mother Jessenia and the rest of the gypsy clan every weekend. The gypsies came to sell quilted clothes and hoof-made jewelry while many of the city’s families gathered at the park for picnics and sports. It was a simple life, but that was the charm of it.

Trixie remembered that she always snuck away from her mother to watch the street performers juggle bottles and tell stories to the children. The unicorn knew from a young age what her destiny would be. Entertainment was in her blood. Making clothes and jewelry might have been fine for her mother, but Trixie craved the attention of an audience.

Trixie mused how different her life would have been had she been born an earth pony like her mother. Her talent would certainly not have been magic if that were the case. Trixie chuckled. Her mother was probably the biggest mystery of all to her; an earth pony that gave birth to a unicorn.

“Excuse me, ma’am?”

Trixie’s thoughtful moment popped like a soap bubble. She turned to her right and saw a young male courier standing nearby with a letter. Trixie put her tin thermos down and stood up.

“Yes, how may I help you?” Trixie responded politely.

“Evening,” the colt said, “I have a letter for Trixie Lulamoon. I believe that is you?” He brushed back a few strands of his long, blonde mane and then produced a small envelope from a sack he shouldered.

Trixie nodded in the affirmative before she took the letter. The unicorn’s eyes looked over the writing. The letters that formed her address were meticulously straight and tidy and her name was written as ‘Miss Trixie Lulamoon’. This gave the envelope the appearance of business rather than a casual letter from a friend. The strangest detail was what was missing from the envelope.

There was no return address.

“If you could sign here, Miss Lulamoon,” the courier instructed. The colt then handed Trixie a small pad with a schedule on it to sign confirmation that she had received her letter. After scribbling a quick signature, the courier thanked Trixie and galloped off without a goodbye.

Trixie wondered who would have paid to have a letter sent to her after hours. She remembered paying her bills on time for once so it couldn’t have been a collector. Perhaps it was a letter from her friend Ellie or Cheryl, but disguised as business in order to throw off prying eyes? Ah, that would have made perfect sense. The three of them had made a few enemies during their adventure in Saddlestone several months ago.

Trixie tore into the envelope. She pulled out a letter, an index card containing a series of numbers, and a train schedule for the next two months.

Well this was certainly not mysterious.

Trixie unfolded the letter and read it under the lone lantern light.

Dear Miss Lulamoon,

I have recently read your new novel, Lulamoon West, and this literary work has made me a believer. I find that the tale contains more truth than most readers may ever know, but at the same time it is dangerous to continue your series unless you keep current with your references. If I may be so bold, enclosed is a series of card catalog numbers for books you might find helpful in your next novel. Seek the research at the Royal Library in Canterlot. I am sure you will be inspired.

As for the train schedule, that will be explained once you do your research. I’m afraid I cannot say anymore, but I hope that this information will make your next adventure just as successful.

Sincerely,

Stone Rose

Trixie reread the letter to ensure she had the right meaning of the words. Either she had acquired a very strange fan, or her novel had rocked the boat to the point someone important took notice.

While Trixie had changed most of the names and specific details of her past adventure out west, any pony that was there would have seen the connections to the actual events that took place at Saddlestone.

The only problem was that she had no proof of the real truth, thus writing about these ‘facts’ would have been no more substantial than conspiracy and hearsay. The relic was completely destroyed and the Horizon Walkers organization was very good at hiding their tracks. This was evident when the newspapers published the discovery of the ancient temple found under the town of Saddlestone, but had made no mention of a relic or a group of secretive ponies who tried to acquire said relic for their own agenda.

However, it now appeared that some pony wanted Trixie to find new evidence of that hidden truth and bring it out into the open. The only question now was if Stone Rose had Trixie’s best interests in mind or if this pony were in it for personal gain?

Well, as a famous inspiration once said, 'Success is jumping at opportunity as one does to conclusions.' Trixie entered her humble wagon and began to pack light for a trip to the capitol city of Canterlot.

Chapter 1 – The Immovable, the Moveable, and Those Who Move

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The number thirteen train engine sat motionless on the dusty tracks. The night air was crisp and a soft breeze carried away the vestige puffs of smoke from the engine’s main stack. Lanterns lit the interiors of the dozen train cars coupled behind the engine, but many of those lights were moving up and down the aisles, held in the mouths of railroad attendants and the soldiers of the Canterlot Royal Guard.

There was a hunt going on, but no passenger was told for whom or for what.

Mosaic sat quietly in a private booth within one of the last passenger cars. The young pegasus mare casually stroked the blue curls in her mane, but picked at the purple streaks in particular. On the bench across from her was her employer, Artemis Fresco, an overweight art dealer of some renown, but short on temper. Mosaic dared not to look at the earth pony’s steely gray eyes.

The sepia-colored stallion was fuming at the train’s mysterious delay and a stare was an invitation to let him rant about schedules and timing.

“Why did this train stop?” Artemis asked. His spiky maroon mane seemed to bristle with his anger.

Mosaic almost winced, but had to reply quickly. “I don’t know, sir,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’m sure the royal guard has a very reasonable explanation.”

“I don’t want excuses!” Artemis snapped.

“I’m sorry sir,” Mosaic apologized as she brushed a loose hair off her marble-white coat.

Artemis was a very demanding employer, but in his line of work, a missed deadline meant lost money. Mosaic tried to never take his anger personally.

“I will ask the guard when we can expect the train to move again,” she said calmly.

Outside in the car’s hallway, the train conductor paced back and forth in a nervous panic. His job was to ensure that his train arrived on time with zero incidents. However, this night there was one incident, and it was the cause for a huge delay. The tan-colored stallion pulled his pocket watch out and checked the time.

Twenty-one minutes behind schedule.

Mosaic slid the booth’s door open and peered out into the hallway. She saw the conductor pacing nearby and knew he too was a slave to schedules. “Excuse me, conductor sir,” Mosaic said. “Will we be departing soon?”

"You don't need to use 'sir' with me, miss. Call me Alex," he said warmly. He fretted about how to answer her question, but then he heard the whistle blow from the front of the procession. The engine lurched forward, the coupled cars all clicked and clacked together, and finally the train was moving once again. Alex let out a sigh of relief.

“I guess the answer to that is yes,” he said happily.

Mosaic smiled and closed the door to her booth. A moment later, two of the half-dozen royal guards on the train came inside the hallway from the car’s rear door. Alex gulped. These soldiers were both large pegasus stallions with dark gray coats and very short silver manes. Three other guards on the train looked nearly identical, except perhaps with a slight variance in their mane color. The guards all wore the same gold tinted armor with the crest of the Canterlot capitol on their chests.

The lieutenant was the only guard truly different then his subordinates. He had a black fur coat and a spiky purple mane. His armor matched the others, but with an additional red pin to denote his superior rank.

The conductor wondered how the guards all managed to look so much alike. Was it makeup, or perhaps there was some kind of magic woven into their armors? He wanted to ask, but frankly their no-nonsense grim expressions intimidated him.

One of the guards opened the door to Mosaic’s booth. “Stay inside your booth citizens,” he said to the occupants. “We will be arriving in San Anponio without further delay.”

“And what prompted this delay to begin with?” Artemis shouted from inside the booth.

“You do not need to know that,” the guard stated as he closed the door firmly. The guard nodded to his partner and the two approached the conductor. They both ignored the jeer that came from Artemis behind the door.

“Let’s head forward,” the second guard said to the conductor. “The train will remain under lockdown until we reach San Anponio. The passengers need no details.”

“I-I understand,” Alex replied with hesitance. “At least may I be informed as to why we had to stop the train for nearly twenty-three minutes?”

“No,” stated the first guard. Nothing else was said as the two soldiers passed him.

The middle-aged conductor nervously flicked his black tail and he followed the two guards up the train cars. The guards exited the forward door that lead them to the next car in front, but did not hold the door. Alex tried to sprint forward and catch the door before it closed, but he bumped into a young mare that appeared seemingly out from the shadows.

“Oh! Pardon me,” the young azure unicorn politely apologized. “I did not see you there.”

“No, no, it was my fault entirely,” Alex responded. “Please, if you could return to your seat. The guards have us under a lockdown and wish no passengers to roam freely until we reach San Anponio.”

The unicorn brushed aside a few stray strands of her flowing, long cornflower blue mane. The conductor saw a pair of alluring, dark violet eyes under her silky mane. He somehow felt at ease looking into them. How the guards missed her earlier, he didn’t know. Her pearly white cloak was glaring even in the dimly lit hallway.

“A lockdown?” the pretty female pony asked. “Are we in any trouble?”

Alex shook his head, although he knew little more than she did about the details. “No ma’am, just some safety issues with the valuable stuff in the cargo car. Move along to your seat.”

The azure unicorn nodded and quietly walked away, heading toward the rear of the car. The conductor turned to open the exit and follow the guards, but then… he was trying to remember something. Had he just spoken with an azure unicorn, or was she white with a blue mane? Alex couldn’t remember.

It was a strange feeling since he was always good with remembering details about his passengers. The conductor gave a dismissive shrug and exited the car to catch up with the two guards.

At the rear of the car, the azure unicorn waved a fore-hoof in front of her face. The magical veil faded away and her flowing mane contracted back into a clean, combed ponytail. Without the illusionary enchantment the young unicorn was now revealed to be wearing a long purple cape and a large pointed purple hat. Both effects were adorned with gold and silver stars.

The signature looks of The Great and Powerful Trixie.

Trixie mentally patted herself on the back for the new illusion spell she had just succeeded in testing. The research she did for it nearly three months ago in Canterlot was time well spent. The unicorn wondered how well the spell might work on the paparazzi, but that was an idea for another night.

Trixie snuck up to the last enclosed booth in the train car. If the train attendant that Trixie bribed earlier was not mistaken, then within this booth sat an important art dealer. Using her levitation magic, she produced two small tin cups from her cape, connected at their bases by a thin copper wire. It appeared to be a rudimentary child's toy, but that was part of the object's charm. Trixie placed an ear to one cup and the other cup to the door of the booth. With the wire taught, Trixie was able to clearly overhear a heated, one-sided argument within the booth.

“It should not be my fault that we’ll arrive late to San Anponio!” shouted a burly stallion’s voice. “Write down the delay times, Mosaic! I want documentation when I address this complaint with the head of the Canterlot guard!”

“Yes sir,” Mosaic replied. The young mare’s flat voice reminded Trixie of how her friend Cheryl spoke in a similar dull way. However, the unicorn was sure that the male’s voice belonged to the dealer Trixie had followed to this train, Artemis Fresco.

“Those two guards better not rummage through the collection either!” the beefy Artemis shouted. “Their job doesn’t include getting their dirty hooves into those valuable artifacts! Everything must be in pristine condition for Princess Luna’s ceremony!”

“Of course, sir,” Mosaic said.

Trixie’s ears perked up upon hearing that tidbit of information. It was exactly what she wanted to know. The unicorn hoped the stallion would say more in his rant, but Trixie’s eavesdropping was interrupted by movement further ahead in the hallway. A shadowy figure approached from the front exit of the train car.

Trixie quickly hid the tin cups in her cape and inched backwards into the shadows between the booth and the rear exit. Hidden from view, the azure unicorn watched as the shadow stepped into the light of a nearby lantern. It was the train conductor from earlier.

Curiously, Trixie wondered what business he had returned for. The conductor walk up to the same booth Trixie was spying on earlier and knocked firmly on the door. It was not a long wait. Artemis answered the knock by sliding the door open with great force.

“What do you want?” the chubby stallion asked angrily.

“I apologize,” Alex stated calmly. “I’ve heard a bit of a commotion from various passengers about the delay and I wish to alleviate any concerns about this trip.”

“You can alleviate me of those annoying guards!” the angry stallion replied. “I’m on a tight schedule here! I’ve got enough delays with my excavation projects on the field, so I don’t need my travel time wasted in the same way! I have valuable pieces of art to deliver to San Anponio worth more than the entirety of your stupid train!”

“And I certainly agree,” Alex said calmly. “The guards should not be calling the shots on my train. In fact, let me personally ensure that they don’t involve themselves with your valuable cargo. Which train car are your works in?” The conductor pulled out a pad and pencil to jot down the information.

“It’s all in a large container, two cars behind us,” Artemis described. “Highly valuable pieces of history, and I mean worth more than the city it’s going to, all packaged under the name Artemis Fresco.”

“I’ll check on it immediately,” Alex assured. He pocketed the pencil and notepad.

“You see that, Mosaic?” Artemis said to the small, female pegasus inside. “That is how customer service is done! Important ponies come first and foremost!”

“But of course, sir,” Mosaic replied flatly as she continued to tug at her blue curls.

Alex gently closed the booth doors and trotted past Trixie and out through the rear exit. Trixie was glad that her target’s location was identified, but she was now concerned with how to sneak past the conductor that had just passed her.

It was also a little strange to her that the conductor came back around to ask about the cargo guarded by the Canterlot soldiers. Don’t conductors have ready access to information about their cargo?

The azure unicorn quietly snuck out the rear exit door of the car. She was now in the outside space between the cars. The cold, night air whipped around Trixie erratically and threw her mane in all directions. She instinctively grabbed her hat to keep it steady on her head. Trixie fought her waving loose hairs more so than the sway of the train on the tracks.

Trixie crossed the thin bridge that connected the two rail cars together. She peaked into the window to see if any pony was standing on the other side of the next car’s door, but found that it was currently vacant. Trixie took a deep breath and entered the cargo car.

Once the door was shut, the unicorn was alone in a dark room full of crates, bags, and barrels stacked up haphazardly. Trixie lit her horn’s soft, magical yellow-white light.

The spaces to get around the cargo were tight, hidden in the shadows of the containers. Trixie navigated these spaces carefully as she searched for a cargo manifest. The azure unicorn crept down the length of the car carefully. She noticed that a lot of the crates and barrels held ingredients for baking cakes and pastries. It appeared that San Anponio was going to have a very calorie-intensive celebration soon.

After two minutes of sneaking around, Trixie found the manifest. She scanned the pages until she found what she wanted to know. “Lunar Wand, Canterlot Royal Treasury,” Trixie whispered to herself, “Located in cargo car number two.”

With the information committed to memory, Trixie put the manifest back and proceeded to the next cargo car in the procession. She continued to use caution as the unicorn exited the car and entered the next one.

Trixie was now in another equally cluttered car. Several stacks of crates had shifted and fell over, but none of the containers appeared to have spilled open. Trixie looked around for a large crate with Artemis’ name on it. She looked low, as she expected it to be a large container with extra padding inside.

Trixie saw a hoof stuck between two stacks of barrels.

“Gotcha!” shouted a figure from behind Trixie.

The azure unicorn spun around and came face-to-hoof with an assailant that slammed her to the ground. Trixie kicked back hard as she braced herself against the barrel beside her head. Her assailant stumbled back and tripped, toppling over a box of clothing labeled ‘fall fashion festival’.

Trixie rolled to her hooves and increased the light at the tip of her horn. Her assailant kicked off the ground and back up to a standing position. A familiar disheveled pink mane over a chocolate-brown coat of fur was illuminated in Trixie’s magical light.

“For Celestia’s sake, Cheryl!” Trixie scolded. “It’s me!”

Cheryl swept her pink mane away from her eyes. “Sorry there, I wasn’t sure who I was assaulting.”

“Seriously?” Trixie asked skeptically. “Who else wears a purple hat and cape like this?”

Cheryl shrugged and dusted herself off. She watched as Trixie squeezed between two containers. The azure unicorn pulled out the body she had found only moments ago. Cheryl walked around and helped her friend place the unconscious pony on a soft stack of hay.

The uniform was a giveaway that it was of one of the train attendants.

“Did you knock him out?” Trixie asked.

“Nope, didn’t know he was there,” Cheryl answered defensively. “Some pony already busted the crate of art stuff before I arrived. I hid when I heard you, thinking the thief was… well you.”

Trixie frowned and motioned for Cheryl to show her the crate of art objects. The pink-maned pony led Trixie to the back end of the cargo car where a large, opened crate sat on the floor. A large stenciled card on the side of the container read ‘Artemis Fresco’ along with an address in San Anponio.

Trixie rifled through the large box’s contents. She found various bracelets, rings, and even a crown, but there was no wand amidst the collection.

“Damn it,” Trixie muttered. “Who’s one step ahead of us?”

Cheryl could only shrug. “I don’t know. It seems switching to jewel thievery hasn’t improved your lousy luck at all, blue bunko.”

“Yeah well,” Trixie said with an annoyed expression, “Switching to brandy hasn’t improved your breath either. Where were you before the train stopped earlier? You should have been here sooner.”

“Hey now, it was your cotton-pickin’ idea to get me hired on as a guard for this train ride,” the earth pony argued. “I did what you asked of me and they stuck me in the caboose. I couldn’t get away from the guards back there until they all left to shove the passengers back into their seats. It isn’t my fault your grand scheme to heist a stick got thwarted by a more competent thief.”

“It’s not a stick,” Trixie corrected. “It’s a wand and a very old one at that.”

The roof of the cargo car thumped with the sound of someone walking upon it. Both mares looked up and then looked at each other.

“One step ahead of us?” Cheryl asked.

“One step above us!” Trixie responded.

The two mares shoved several crates together and climbed up to the roof’s hatch. Cheryl flipped the lock on the hatch and slowly pushed the cover open. She peered out into the darkness cautiously to see who was up there pacing about.

The darkness kicked her in the face.

Cheryl fell back down the stack of boxes, but Trixie grabbed her around the waist before the earth pony fell all the way. The hatch slammed itself shut as Cheryl was left rubbing her throbbing nose.

“Confounded varmint!” she cursed aloud. Cheryl sat up with help from Trixie. She looked on as the azure unicorn climbed to the top of the stack.

“You want to get your nose flattened too?” the earth pony asked her careless friend.

Trixie gave a mischievous smile as she took off her pointed hat. “Trixie’s ninth rule for being great and powerful says otherwise.”

Cheryl gave off a confused look. “And that rule is?”

“Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.”

~ ~ ~

The cold night wind swirled around the face of an earth pony that sat on the roof of the train. He watched a hatch intently, waiting for another face to peek out of it again. Beside him sat a much shorter yellow mare unicorn wearing a hooded cloak. The sun-colored pony with the dual-lemon cutie mark was flustered that she could not get the hooded lantern in her hooves lit on the breezy rooftop of the train. Her white mane also proved unhelpful on the windy roof.

“Clem!” the yellow mare shouted to the orange stallion. “Could you try to block the wind for me?”

“Sure thing, Bonnie” Clem said happily. The orange pony didn’t take his dark brown eyes off the hatch as he shifted his body to act as a wind breaker for the lantern. He settled down over the lantern with patient resolve and hiked up his drooping saddle belt that partly covered his orange fruit cutie mark.

The roof made an awful tearing sound of metal as a sharp stab of pain pierced Clem in the rear. The stallion leaped up into the air with a scream. He landed poorly and twisted his left foreleg upon impact with the metal roof. Where Clem sat was an azure unicorn horn sheathed in a shimmering metallic white glow.

The glow quickly ceased as the horn retracted back inside. Bonnie looked on with wide green eyes as the roof hatch flew open and a light azure unicorn in a purple cape jumped out onto the roof.

“Iron Horn spell,” Trixie muttered after she pointed to her horn. Her light spell flicked back on and illuminated her sly grin.

“Back off!” Bonnie shouted. The yellow unicorn grabbed the lantern with her levitation magic and swung it at the opposing azure unicorn.

The show-mare dodged the flailing unlit lantern. “Give up, little hayseeds, for I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!” she shouted back at the hostile yellow pony.

“I didn’t ask you for your name,” Bonnie retorted angrily.

“You didn’t?” Trixie said in puzzlement. “Sorry, I was hoping this would be like in the novels. You know, where the hero breaks in and the villain asks for their name? Could we maybe start that part over?”

Clem yelled out as he swung a hoof at Trixie. The azure unicorn rolled to the side as her long cape waved in Clem’s face. The orange stallion failed to land a solid blow, but despite his hobble, he had Trixie on the defensive. Trixie stood dangerously close to the edge of the train car. She hunkered down low against the metal rooftop to have a better grip on the smooth metal surface.

Clem limped forward and swung with his injured foreleg. Trixie dodged again, but her rear legs slipped. The show-mare slid farther to the edge of the roof. Her tenuous grip was melting away as she began to slide off.

“Throw her off the train!” Bonnie yelled out to her partner.

Clem reached for his back and pulled out a short oak stick that was tied to his back. The old wooden object had worn rune-like carvings along its sides and the top end had a large, fastened uncut sapphire stone. With the stick grasped in his teeth, Clem reared back to swing it at Trixie.

“Not with the wand!” Bonnie yelled. “Not with the wand!”

“Not in the face!” Trixie added. “Not in the face!”

A mustard-yellow female pegasus swooped in from the darkness and slammed into Clem. The stallion slid several feet across from Trixie. Clem scrambled to remain on the roof, but he placed too much weight upon his injured foreleg. Pain shot up his leg and stunned the stallion. The pegasus reached for the wand and yanked it out of Clem’s mouth. With a firm rear kick, the pegasus shoved Clem over the edge of the roof.

Clem cried out as he slid off the car roof and into the darkness. The last sound from the stallion was a faint, muddy splash far behind the train.

“Who are you?” Bonnie questioned as she swung the lantern at the new opponent.

“Oh sure,” Trixie berated the yellow unicorn, “Now you’re with the program!”

“The name is Do, Daring Do!” the pegasus proudly stated after she dodged the waving lantern.

Trixie wasn’t sure if she heard that name right. The pegasus and Bonnie exchanged feints as they tried to hit each other with their respective objects. With them distracted, Trixie concentrated her magical levitation around her own body and gently pushed herself back up onto the roof of the train.

Trixie crawled to flank Bonnie from behind. The show-mare flashed the magical light of her horn off the pegasus’ face. She could see Daring’s raspberry red eyes and the iconic rainbow pattern of gray upon the winged pony’s mane. The show-mare was completely baffled that this legendary and quite fictional character stood here on the roof before her.

“Hey! No horn flashing on the first date!” Daring shouted as the light’s glare stung her eyes.

“No, this can’t be real,” Trixie said to no pony in particular.

“Oh it’s real alright. Real stupid!” Bonnie added angrily as she threw the lantern at Daring. The pegasus jumped back, flapping her wings to keep herself pressed to the rooftop.

Bonnie trotted quickly to the left edge of the train car. “Screw this job, I’m out of here!” With a short hop, Bonnie jumped off the side of the train’s roof. Her levitation magic slowed her descent into the darkness and the would-be thief disappeared into the night.

Trixie turned her attention to Daring. She wondered if the pegasus was just an amorous fan or a genuine actress playing the role. “Hey, thanks for your help,” Trixie said, “But who are you really?”

The unicorn reached out for the wand, but Daring rebuked her claim to it with a slap from her wing.

“I don’t know you and I don’t care to,” Daring rudely replied. With a mighty leap the pegasus launched herself into the air and disappeared into the night sky.

Trixie was left alone with nothing but questions on her mind. Were Bonnie and Clem actually thieves or was this part of a show since there was a crazy pegasus dressed as Daring Do flying about? Was Trixie the center of a really bad prank? The show-mare sat on the roof for a moment and stared at the darkness as if it was capable of giving her answers.

Unsurprisingly, no answers came to her. Trixie climbed down the hatch to escape the bitter cold wind that whipped around her.

The azure unicorn was thankful she didn’t have fans that jumped on trains dressed up as The Great and Powerful Trixie.

Chapter 2 – When in Doubt, Don't

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The sun yawned as it peeked over the east hills upon the bustling city of San Anponio. However, the city was already awake and active this morning. Factories moved pistons and turned gears related to the machines that refined ore into iron ingots. Trains churned large stacks of light smoke into the air as they arrived with travelers and goods for the city markets.

The ponies pulled wagons full of decorations up and down the streets as they called out to the playful children to help hang the banners and streamers. San Anponio’s open markets flashed bright and colorful signs that advertised new produce from the surrounding small farms in the province.

The city was prepared for two very important events that were about to happen. The first was the arrival of Princess Luna from Canterlot, one of the two beloved sisters who reigned over the nation. Large banners of purple cloth flew from flagpoles and displayed warm greetings for the ruler. Luna’s royal crescent moon symbol was also prominently hung outside many windows along the main street of the city.

The second event near fruition was the election for the new mayor of San Anponio and the surrounding San Anponio province. It was the second most populated western area in Equestria, beaten only by the Califoalia province. The current mayor of San Anponio had officially retired two weeks ago. This made the current election cycle a race between all new candidates for the seat.

The first train from Canterlot arrived nearly twenty minutes late to the station. The Canterlot Royal Guard was the first of the passengers to step off the train. They secured the cargo to ensure the rest of the passengers departed away from the valuables stored within the rear cars. As the ponies disembarked from their train, many commented among themselves about the trip’s mysterious stop in the middle of the night.

However, no one spoke as loud as Artemis did.

“Guards!” the art dealer shouted, “I want access to my cargo immediately!”

“In good time, citizen,” the commanding lieutenant of the detachment replied. “Your items will be handed over once everything has been accounted for.”

“What?” Artemis said in a tone more angry than confused. “I was hired by your employer, Princess Luna, to ensure the authenticity and value of these objects. I should have access to them at all times!”

The lieutenant stood his ground and stretched out his wings in a show of command. The situation was ready to come to a boil between the two stallions, but Mosaic quickly intervened. The marbled pegasus gently patted Artemis on the shoulder for his attention.

“Sir, the guards only wish to do their job,” Mosaic explained coolly. “Perhaps we should check in with the museum curator to ensure the exhibit displays are ready?”

Artemis calmed down for a moment, but it was a very short moment because two guards carried out the large wooden crate labeled ‘Artemis Fresco’ and the container was missing its lid.

“Lance, sir!” shouted one of the guards that carried the crate.

“What is it Pike?” the lieutenant asked as he rushed over to the crate.

The guards all noticed that the art objects were rummaged through. Artemis noticed as well and the portly stallion pushed his way to the forefront to take account of all the objects in the crate. The art dealer went through the box meticulously for signs of possible damage to the artwork. He muttered several curses to himself as he took a mental inventory of the contents.

Mosaic looked on with worry, and it showed in her twitching wings.

“The wand is missing!” Artemis finally blurted out. “That’s the most important piece of the collection!” The burly sepia pony was in a frightful panic.

Nearby, Trixie and Cheryl stepped off the train. They easily heard Artemis cry out in anguish, but Trixie felt no remorse for the stallion. After all, she tried to steal the wand during the night and was thwarted by a winged thief disguised as a fictional character. Trixie felt that she was the real victim here.

On the other hoof, Cheryl had a little sympathy for the art dealer despite being Trixie’s accomplice.

The two mares walked closer to the dramatic scene that unfolded at the station.

“You guards are useless!” Artemis shouted. “There were six of you, plus another two hired heads, and not one of you noticed this?” The art dealer wailed out to the sky in a display of overacted melodrama. Despite his emotional fury, he saw Cheryl standing not far away besides a light blue mare in a purple cape.

“Look, right there!” Artemis pointed out. “There’s one of the hired hooves that turned out to be worthless!” Artemis kicked the crate in frustration.

Mosaic bit her tongue. That kick could have broken one of the artworks.

“Great,” Cheryl muttered to Trixie. “I reckon I won’t get paid for this job now.”

“You’d spend it all on booze anyway,” Trixie commented slyly.

“And don’t get me started on these passengers,” Artemis said as he pointed at Trixie. “How are all these worthless ponies so unperceptive?”

Trixie shook her head. “Grow up, you fat turkey,” she muttered.

“What was that?” Artemis said as he stomped the ground. “Art is a passionate business! Who are you, some kind of stage magician?”

“I am The Great and Powerful Trixie,” the unicorn stated as she entered into her show-mare mode, “Equestria’s most magical pony.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of you,” Artemis replied with contempt. “You’re that rubbish celebrity from Manehatten. Well you were lousy at noticing my art being pilfered!”

The azure unicorn frowned. “Trixie was not hired to watch over your things,” she said firmly. “Trixie is a traveling magician who performs great feats of magic. She does not babysit unimportant trinkets.”

“Trinkets?!” Artemis exploded with rage. He leaped forward at the azure unicorn, but one of the guards grappled him before he could get within Trixie’s reach. The art dealer’s mane began to bristle with his anger again. “Why, I am a prominent dealer in cultural masterpieces! Y-You’re just a snot-nosed, pinecone eating trickster!”

“Ugh,” Trixie growled angrily. “That was a stupid dare I did once. Once! I swear, you take one drunken dare at the Gala and you get branded for life.”

Cheryl leaned over to Trixie. “I reckon your third-person accent slipped,” she whispered.

“Shut up,” Trixie muttered. The azure unicorn was angry, but she wisely decided to remove herself from this conversation quickly. Trixie took a deep breath and composed herself as she turned to walk away.

“Yeah, walk away you two-bit fraud!” Artemis shouted. He saw Trixie stop in her pace for a moment, but then the unicorn pulled her hat down further and continued to distance herself from the burly art dealer.

Artemis turned his attention back to the guards. “Get out of my face, all of you!” He pushed himself away from the guard that held him back. Artemis readjusted his crooked plaid bow tie and stormed off.

“Sucks to be those guards,” Cheryl commented to her blue friend.

“Sucks more to be his assistant,” Trixie whispered back. “I bet that fool is all donuts and drama every morning.” Trixie looked back over at the assistant behind Artemis. She watched Mosaic pull out a handkerchief for her boss before writing down notes on the situation. The young pegasus then became the target of Artemis’ next rant about why vetting the hired help for a delivery was important.

Trixie decided it was time to claim her luggage and move on. As she adjusted her purple cape, a familiar mustard-yellow pegasus swooped down from the sky and landed on the roof of the train.

“Oh no,” Trixie grumbled, “Not her again.”

“Have no fear, fellow art connoisseurs!” Daring Do shouted. “I have reclaimed this wand from the would-be thieves of last night’s robbery!” Daring pulled out the small wand from within her buttoned olive shirt and tossed it gently to Lance.

Lance caught the wand carefully as the morning light gleamed off the dazzling edges of the cut sapphire stone on top.

“The wand!” Artemis cried out joyfully as he snatched the object out of the lieutenant’s grasp.

Daring Do made a heroic pose. “Such a fine piece of stick deserves to be proudly displayed at a museum!” Daring continued. “I’m off now for another adventure. As I always say in my novels, ‘another day, another dungeon!’”

Daring leaped back into the air and flew off toward the largest patch of clouds above the city. The gathered crowd cheered loudly for the mythical mare. All except Trixie, who pouted at being outshined by some showoff pony in a costume.

“Who does that upstaging pegasus think she is?” Trixie snarled.

“I reckon you, with wings,” Cheryl joked.

Trixie gave Cheryl a hard glance before she turned toward the luggage carts. “Come on, pink puff. Let’s go find Ellie and see what she’s up to.”

~ ~ ~

Cheryl and Trixie walked down the recently refinished Main Street with their suitcases. Vendors had set up shops on both sides of the road to sell food and wares for the big festivities that were soon to occur. Trixie noted the small differences between the local customs in San Anponio and what she was used to back east. Chefs here preferred to cook with grills instead of ovens.

The azure unicorn did enjoy the faster paced music here; tunes which contained more energetic banjo and trumpet sounds compared to the orchestrated slow sounds of more formal bands from the east coast.

Cheryl pointed out a side street where parade floats were being constructed within a warehouse. The parade appeared to be for Princess Luna’s welcoming. Most of the floats displayed different kinds of foods and symbols, themed on the moon and the night, but several of the floats distinctively portrayed candidates who were running for mayor. It seemed politicians never missed a chance to advertise themselves.

The two mares found Ellie inside the warehouse. She was working on what appeared to be a large latticework of wooden beams and fabric sails on one of the floats. Trixie and Cheryl walked over to meet their friend.

“Greetings, Ellie,” Trixie said loudly for the pegasus to hear.

“Trixie! Cheryl!” Ellie shouted. The pegasus jumped down from the float and flapped her wings to slow her fall. Ellie’s mechanical left wing seemed almost as articulate as her good wing now. The green-maned pegasus gave her two friends a big hug which caused them both to drop their luggage.

“I haven’t seen you gals in three months! How are you all doing?”

“Well, no one has attempted to impersonate me again,” Trixie answered. “I assume that means no other towns want me to break their problems. How has your mother been?”

Elli nodded. “Ma’s been doing fine. I have a cousin from Cloudsdale visiting her right now so she isn’t alone. Of course, ma asks about you two all the time. We both missed you so. Tell me, what have you all been up to?”

“I been visiting my brothers,” Cheryl said first. “I got two of them in Califoalia that work the railroads out there. I took up a part time job as a casino dancer for a few weeks after that, but it’s nothing spectacular.”

“I’ve kept myself quite busy,” Trixie added next. “I published my first novel, started a new stage act, and I had spent a month doing a little research in Canterlot.”

Ellie nodded. “I reckon you’ve been following Debon, huh? He’s here now in the city you know.”

“That’ll be a pleasant reunion,” Cheryl sarcastically remarked.

“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to see me,” Trixie added, “But no, I was actually following an anonymous lead I got in the mail.” Trixie pulled out the letter she had received in Manehatten and showed it to Ellie. The pegasus read the letter quickly.

“Who’s Stone Rose?” Ellie asked.

“I don’t know,” Trixie answered. “However, this pony’s information did prove to be legit. After looking up the numbers at the Canterlot Royal Library, I found information on a supposedly magical relic called the Lunar Wand. I learned that it was being transported here to San Anponio.”

Cheryl interrupted the unicorn’s story. “Tell Ellie about your plan to steal the wand and how you were beaten to the punch by two train jumpers and a comic book hero.”

“I’d rather not,” Trixie said as she watched a couple workers pass by her.

Cheryl told Ellie the details anyway. “Two ponies had stolen the wand before we got to it. Not only that, but then a pegasus dressed as Daring Do swooped in and took the wand from the first couple.”

“Could we not discuss this in public?” Trixie asked with an annoyed expression.

Cheryl shrugged before answering. “Fine, I got a hankering for some breakfast anyway,” she stated. Cheryl turned her attention back to Ellie. “Are you too busy to chat for a spell, chicken wings?”

“I don’t reckon my boss would mind,” Ellie said. The pegasus picked up some of her tools and packed them into a large bag. Trixie and Cheryl picked up their bags and followed Ellie farther into the warehouse where Lulu Gauge was looking at a large float shaped like a giant wheel of cheese.

“Miss Lulu,” Ellie asked, “You don’t mind if I take a quick break with my friends, would you?”

The zebra turned and saw Ellie standing nearby, but her gaze quickly locked on Trixie who was right behind the pegasus. “Miss Sprocket,” the husky zebra’s voice spoke loudly, “Why is that troublesome unicorn here?”

“Who, Trixie?” Ellie said, puzzled. “I was just asking if I could join her for a quick snack.”

“In that case you can take her,” Lulu replied flatly. “Do whatever you like as long as that troublemaker is out of my sight.”

Trixie let off a big smile. “Hey, you almost made a rhyme there,” she chided the zebra.

“Get out!” Lulu impatiently snapped.

Trixie gave off a mischievous grin before she led her friends out of the warehouse. As the trio walked away, Cheryl shook her head in disbelief.

“You just love ticking folks off,” Cheryl said flatly.

“Nah, Lulu knows I was kidding,” Trixie responded. “Sure she got me arrested once, almost twice, but I don’t hold a grudge against her. I’m just being myself.”

Ellie chuckled. “Isn’t that basically what Cheryl said?”

The azure unicorn smirked proudly as she led her friends to a small café across the road. It was a busy little establishment and the booths inside were all full of patrons, but the three mares found a secluded spot at one of the tables outside. The three friends dropped their bags under their chairs as a waitress quickly slapped three menu cards on the table before she ran by to serve some other patrons their morning coffee.

“So,” Ellie started up, “What’s this about Daring Do stealing a wand?”

Trixie buried her head behind the menu, but Cheryl obliged an answer. “It’s just as I said. Some pony dressed like Daring Do stole the wand before Trixie could. When we got to the train station, Daring swooped in and gave the wand right back to the royal guard! Complete waste of time if you ask me.”

The pegasus giggled. “I almost feel sorry that I took this job instead of joining you two,” Ellie commented as she looked over the appetizing menu. “I must have missed out on a real swanky adventure.”

“No, you didn’t,” an embarrassed Trixie muttered.

The chubby blue waitress finally returned to the mares’ table to take their order. “What’re you all having?” she asked out loud.

“A cream cheese bagel and coffee,” Trixie stated. “Lots of coffee.”

“Apple juice and a couple of blueberry muffins,” Ellie added.

Cheryl handed her menu back. “I’ll have a stack of flapjacks and coffee as well.”

The waitress jotted down their orders and trotted off to the kitchen inside the café. Trixie finally put down her menu and leaned her head against a hoof on the table.

“Apparently whatever this wand is,” Trixie said with slight frustration, “Everyone wanted it and knew where it was going.”

“What does the Lunar Wand do?” the pegasus asked.

Trixie pulled out some drawings from her bag. The wand was composed of a large uncut Sapphire stone mounted on an old oak staff that was whittled straight.

“From what I gathered,” Trixie explained, “It originated with a now extinct bison tribe south of here. Allegedly the shamans used it in rituals to seal away evil spirits, but at some point it ended up with the royal crown collection in Canterlot for the past few hundred years.”

Ellie continued to feed her curiosity. “So why is it being brought out to San Anponio?”

“Princess Luna is presenting it to a descendant tribe, I think,” Trixie said hesitantly. “I guess the gesture is to keep relations smooth with the bison out here, but I’m not too sure about that part.”

“If I heard right, Princess Luna is showing up tomorrow,” Ellie said.

“I know,” Trixie sighed. “We need to case the museum and try a snatch tonight.”

“You can try,” Cheryl corrected, “But seeing as things are getting crowded around this here wand, I’m going to go find a hobby that won’t get me a crossed princess on my tail.”

Trixie gave Cheryl a disappointed look. The unicorn turned to Ellie, but the pegasus pointed across the street to the floats being assembled.

“Sorry Trixie,” Ellie apologized. “I can’t blow off my job on the float. It’s going to be a real shiny one with colorful sails, and Lulu is counting on my mechanical skills to make it happen.”

“Fine,” the defeated azure unicorn muttered. “I’ll think of something on my own.”

The waitress returned with a tray containing the trio’s order. Trixie tossed money on the tray to pay for the three meals, much to Ellie’s surprise. The waitress nodded and hurried off to other customers.

“I reckon that novel is paying off?” the pegasus asked before she took a bite out of a warm muffin.

“Yeah, I guess,” Trixie said half-heartedly. The azure unicorn nibbled on her bagel, but her mind was still preoccupied with options on a backup plan. There was a fine line between determination and stubbornness. Trixie called it determination, but everyone whose title was not ‘The Great and Powerful’ called it stubbornness.

“You got that look on your face, blue bunko,” Cheryl remarked with a mouth full of flapjacks.

Trixie glanced at the earth pony. “What look is that?”

“The kind where you locked your keys in the house and you’re trying to decide which window you like the least.” Cheryl mimicked a thrown rock to punctuate her statement.

“Well, it’s a gut feeling I have about the wand,” Trixie explained. “Whoever Stone Rose is, they seem to be savvy about the events in Saddlestone. I feel as if this pony is familiar with the Horizon Walkers and Stone wanted to warn me that this relic is their next target.”

Ellie squirmed at hearing the secret society’s name. “So you are following Debon,” she said accusingly. “Just indirectly, aren’t you?” The pegasus had a clear disappointed look on her face.

“Supposing that Stone is familiar with Debon’s group,” Ellie continued, “How do you even figure that he or she is on your side or that the Walkers are even interested in the wand? I doubt Princess Luna is just going to hand over a magically powerful relic to a wandering bison tribe without a plan for security.”

“I know, but,” Trixie faltered for words, “It’s just an intuition I have, okay?”

“Trixie, you can’t keep taking dangerous risks,” Ellie said with concern. “If Debon tries to steal the wand, he’s going to have Princess Luna and the Royal Canterlot Guard breathing down his neck. That’s plenty reason for him to behave. You don’t need to get involved.”

“I reckon Ellie has a point,” the earth pony added.

“Please, you’re almost as bad as Trixie is,” Ellie said pointedly to Cheryl. “Whenever she's on the prod, you’re the first to jump in there with her.”

Cheryl made a mute pout and continued eating her food.

Ellie patted Trixie on the shoulder. “Why don’t you just relax a while and concentrate on your stage show?” she asked the unicorn. “There are lots of tourists here for the next few days and I reckon you could make yourself an opportunity to win them over with that new act of yours.”

“I guess,” Trixie said dejectedly.

“If something new comes up, I’m here for you both,” Ellie assured, “But let Debon make the next move, if he moves at all. I don’t want to see either of you get tangled up in a tussle without merit.”

For being the youngest mare at the table, Ellie was sure acting as the most mature pony today.

Still, Trixie thought that even if she wasn’t going to steal the wand anymore, it seemed like a perfectly legitimate idea to keep an eye on the relic. Just so that no one else stole it.

After the three friends finished breakfast, they said their goodbyes for now and parted ways. Ellie told them which hotel room she was staying at so that the three could get together later.

~ ~ ~

Trixie wandered alone toward the downtown open market after she herself had checked in to a hotel room. She walked in the same direction where the museum was, and by extension the Lunar Wand, but Trixie thought that there was no harm in performing her stage act outside the museum. Besides, if she happened to notice anyone attempting to pilfer the wand and Trixie stopped them, then it was simply an act of civil duty on her part, right?

Yes, that idea sounded very reasonable in her mind.

Trixie walked down the rows of market stands in the downtown district. The midmorning sun was already hot and bright upon the city. Ponies from all walks of life traveled under the shade of the tents that sold food and clothing. Wheeled stands advertised all sorts of drinks to keep the ponies cool in the desert weather.

The azure unicorn adjusted her star-embroidered purple cape as she arrived at the base of the stairs that ascended to the San Anponio museum. The plain, whitewashed building was recognized by the large wooden statues of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that flanked the stone stairs. It appeared to be a recent building with its clean, tinted windows and a lack of dusty sand in the stair grout.

On top of the building stood two small windmills that captured the occasional light breeze and used that harnessed energy to spin several small ceiling fans inside the building.

Trixie wondered why they didn’t just crack open the windows?

Trixie climbed the stairs and pushed the doors open with her magic. She walked inside the dimly lit marble interior of the museum. The ceilings were vaulted with beautiful Doric columns. The ceiling fans were made of brass and hung off long mechanical poles. The floor was a mosaic of small square ceramic tiles. They formed simple square patterns using reds, oranges, and yellows.

Trixie walked past the exhibits as she looked for the spot the Lunar Wand would be displayed at until the presentation ceremony. A small sign pointed the way towards the back and Trixie picked up her pace. She noticed that the lighting was provided by a series of gas globes that hung off the columns. The gas pipes were molded into the columns themselves, a nice trick that kept the look of the columns pure.

Trixie stopped before a large, but empty glass case. A sign explained that the exhibit would not be opened until tomorrow morning. She looked around to ask a curator for more information about this future exhibit, but Trixie only saw a handful of visitors that paced about. She couldn’t even see any guards here, although it was possible that security wore plain clothes.

Several ponies walked out from a backroom door in the middle of a discussion. Trixie recognized Artemis and Mosaic as the art dealers from the train, while Debon was quite self-explanatory. The blue-gray male unicorn with Debon looked familiar, but Trixie couldn't recall when she had seen him before. The remaining stallion was most likely the museum curator.

The group split up, but Debon remained to speak with Artemis.

Trixie backed up around a column and withdrew her copper wired tin cans. She quietly placed one can to the column and the other to her ear as she stretched the wire taught. Trixie’s head was quickly filled by the buzzing of over a dozen conversations around her.

The unicorn slowly turned the can against the column clockwise until its magic focused on Debon’s conversation. Trixie was very curious to know if the slick stallion was planning something in this city with the Horizon Walkers.

“If you can’t find a local translator, then why don’t you ask one of the bison tribes?” Debon inquired.

Artemis pouted in his reply. “You want me to ask those nomadic ruffians for help? They’re the primary reason the dig site is two weeks behind schedule!” The art dealer flailed his hooves as he explained the problem.

“They demand that I cease digging and have resorted to scaring off the workers,” Artemis said. “Only the most mental ones have remained, and I’m surprised Mosaic and I could get any labor out of those workers! I’m not some labor camp foreman. Where’s your archeologist? He’s supposed to be running this operation!”

“He’s been busy at another site,” Debon said with a bored expression. “Look, I’ll try to convince one of my Manehatten colleagues to come out here for the translations, but that will delay your project another two weeks at the very least.”

Trixie watched Artemis make a strange face, as if the stallion was a child that held his breath until he got his way. The azure unicorn felt a sudden tug on her cape and she quickly turned around. Mosaic and the acquaintance stood behind her with concerned looks on their faces.

Trixie’s face was more of the ‘oh crap’ variety.

“What are you doing?” the young pegasus demanded.

“Uh, admiring this column,” Trixie lied as she quickly hid the cans under her cape. “I was curious to know if it was a solid structure or not.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” the acquaintance remarked, “I’d say that you were spying on Debon and Artemis.” He took a closer look at Trixie and his face lit up with a moment of clarity.

“Say, aren’t you Miss Trixie Lulamoon?”

“Ah, so we have met before,” Trixie answered.

“Indeed, you were at Debon’s party three months ago,” the male unicorn confirmed. “I’m Victor Justice, his property lawyer.”

Mosaic cleared her throat loudly. “Excuse me,” she said calmly, “But Lulamoon was spying on my employer. I do not believe she has any legitimate business here.”

“Yeah, well maybe I do,” Trixie said. “You can’t throw me out just because I overheard a few words in a public building.”

“Try me,” Mosaic responded dryly as she closed in on Trixie. “What were you doing with those cans?”

"My butt is none of your business," Trixie sarcastically stated.

“Ladies please,” Victor interrupted. “If we cannot keep this conversation civil, then let us part ways before we start a scene.”

Trixie leaned in closer to the pegasus. “I like this lawyer. He gives good advice.” She was about to make her move when Trixie saw familiar movement over Mosaic’s shoulder and farther down the hallway. It was Daring Do, and the pegasus had just walked through a side exit. Trixie was nearly stunned, but she quickly refocused her sight on Mosaic.

“Actually,” Trixie remarked, “That advice sounds so good, I’m going to take it. Excuse me.”

The azure unicorn broke eye contact and trotted away from the two ponies. She hastened out the front entrance and ran on around to the side of the building where the side door exited. The crowds below on the streets were thick with ponies milling about. Trixie slowly scanned the streets from the elevated museum grounds for Daring.

She saw that a familiar pith helmet slowly made its way through the crowds.

Trixie leaped down from the elevated foundation and tumbled over a large stack of hay bales. The vendor froze in shock and several customers jumped back from the unicorn that appeared suddenly from above. Trixie rolled to her hooves with a flourish and used her levitation magic to restack the fallen bales into a pyramid shape.

“Very soft, I approve whole-heartedly!” Trixie stated as she ran off.

Several ponies nearby turned to the hay vendor to purchase a bale.

Trixie pushed her way through the crowd and caught up with the pith hat-wearing pony. She put her hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder and Trixie flipped her target around. Unfortunately, this was a light brown pony she had caught and not Daring Do. The confused pony gave Trixie an inquisitive look.

“Can I help you?” the pegasus mare asked.

Trixie smiled and backed away. “Sorry, mistaken identity,” she said.

Several ponies shrieked with fright, and the crowds parted away from the immediate area. Trixie turned and saw a muscular red stallion approach her with a large hammer on his back. The brute picked up the huge weapon with both fore-hooves and swung it several times in wide circular motions. He ended his display of strength with a downward swing that crushed a nearby stone into dust.

If he was trying to be intimidating, well, he had the right idea.

Trixie flicked her cape back and magically drew out the slingshot from her saddle-belt. It seemed she had fallen right into a trap. A trap set up by a slick pony whose name started with a ‘D’, ended with a ‘N’ and-

Trixie jumped back as the brutish red stallion swung his hammer upwards at her face. Her mental monologue would have to wait. Trixie widened her stance and stood at the ready with her weapon hovering by her side. She smirked, knowing that although she had the superior weapon, her opponent showed no hesitation to attack her anyway. He was overconfident.

Just the way Trixie liked it.

“Trixie’s rule number five for being great and powerful,” she whispered to herself. “An opponent's overconfidence is your best weapon.”

The hammer-wielding stallion brought his hefty weapon to bear and took a heavy, but slow, downward swing at the little azure unicorn. Trixie quickly reached into a saddle-belt pocket for a bullet, but her hoof pulled out only a piece of lint.

She had left her bullets in the hotel room.

Trixie ducked to the right with an audible ‘Eep!’ as the large hammer swung over her head. The stallion’s weapon landed hard just to her left side on the street and thundered as it smashed the cobblestone into a visible depression of powered rock.

The crowd let out a resounding gasp as they were now witnesses to an intense fight.

The azure unicorn swiftly pulled her cape over her slingshot as she stepped onto the hammer’s head. Trixie took two short steps along the handle before she jumped at the muscular stallion. Trixie threw a ‘one-two’ punch at her opponent’s face with both of her fore-hooves. She hit a thick, muscular head that only scoffed at her attack. Trixie then landed in front of her opponent and quickly threw two more punches into his rock-hard gut. Her follow-up not only failed to harm the stallion, but she shook her right fore-hoof as if she had just punched a brick wall.

Several spectators jeered at the azure unicorn for hitting like a little filly.

Trixie had no words to respond to that.

The brawny stallion let go of the hammer and with one hoof pounded Trixie square on top of her noggin. The little azure unicorn took a step back, her legs wobbled, and she fell over onto the hard ground. Half of the crowd winced at the blow, while the rest shouted for more hammer swinging.

Trixie hated to resort to cheap tricks, but her patience with the brute wore thin. She pointed her horn between the stallion’s rear legs and shot out a spray of roaring fireworks. The stallion’s crotch lit up in bright flashes of color and smoke. He immediately jumped back as he patted out the burning sensation.

“My biscuits! My biscuits!” the brute cried out painfully.

Trixie stood up victorious as the majority of the crowd laughed and cheered. It was a dirty move, but Trixie accepted the crowd’s applause anyway. She bowed to them, but a cracking whip grabbed her rear legs and pulled her onto the floor with an awkward flop.

Trixie looked behind her as laughter bellowed from the crowd.

Daring Do stood tall behind Trixie, whip in hoof.

The unicorn scrambled to her hooves and faced off with her new opponent. Daring cracked her whip at Trixie again with intent to harm the unicorn.

Trixie jumped to the left and dodged the pegasus’ weapon by mere inches. Her slingshot floated back out of her cape, and this time she magically levitated several small stones created from the hammer’s previous impacts. Now she had ammunition.

“Did I wrong you in a past performance or something?” Trixie asked her pointedly.

“Don’t take it personally,” Daring stated. “I’m being paid nothing to bring you down to just that.”

“Paid nothing to do what exactly?” Trixie asked confusedly.

Daring readied her whip. “I hit you, you break,” the pegasus explained. “And please make it look good. I don’t want to do all the work here beating you up.”

“Then I’ll give you my best performance,” Trixie said loudly so that the crowd could hear. “A showdown between Equestria’s most magical pony and the world’s second best adventurer!”

Daring paced in a circle against Trixie. “Don’t flatter yourself, mare,” Daring taunted. “You couldn't hit the ground with your hat in three throws.”

“At least Trixie doesn’t look like the hindquarters of bad luck,” Trixie countered as she kept in pace with Daring’s circular walk.

The crowd around them whistled and shouted for their favorite duelist, evenly split between Trixie and Daring as the better combatant, but they all wanted to see a tussle go down between the mares.

“Your act is so crooked,” Daring said, “That I bet you could swallow nails and spit out corkscrews.”

“And you couldn’t hit a bull’s rump with a hoof full of banjoes,” Trixie replied with a smirk.

A piercing whistle blew in the air that signaled the arrival of the city police. Daring turned and bolted away in a hard gallop. Trixie barked her displeasure and gave chase. The two shoved past the booing crowds as several law-ponies arrived at the scene to break up the gathered mob.

Daring jumped up and took flight towards the top of the city clock tower. Trixie fired a round at Daring, but intentionally missed as to only get the pegasus’ attention. Daring ignored the warning and continued to fly up the tower.

“I should ask Ellie to make me a pair of wings,” Trixie muttered as she ran to the clock tower.

The unicorn kicked the door open and stepped into the tower of giant springs and gears. She went straight to the wooden stairwell that spiraled around the mechanical column of moving parts. Trixie galloped up the stairs toward the top. Her breaths were labored as fatigue loomed over her.

“No pain, no gain!” Daring taunted from above.

Trixie looked up at the pegasus. Daring flew over to a shelf that held spare gears and kicked the largest one off the platform. The fifty-pound toothy wheel tumbled down into the stairwell and ricocheted around the walls. Chunks of the stone wall splattered about as the gear went straight for Trixie’s head.

The unicorn jumped off the stairs and landed on a giant, vertically rotating gear as the tumbling object hit the stairs with enough force that it smashed right through. From there Trixie grabbed her cape and leaped again to a safer horizontal gear.

“Graceful moves you have, Trixie,” Daring mocked. “Would you like to try the bonus round?”

“Would you like to drop dead?” Trixie scathingly responded.

From the horizontal gear, the azure unicorn stepped on a smaller and faster moving gear and then grabbed onto a rising piston. Another series of clangs echoed from above, and Trixie jumped away from the piston before the second tumbling gear collided with her head.

Daring laughed loudly after Trixie slammed into the next piston over and fell several feet onto a wooden maintenance platform.

It dawned on the unicorn that whoever this impersonator was, she was enjoying this little escapade in ‘Let’s murder Trixie’ way too much.

Daring flew higher up the tower in search of bigger gears to drop. Trixie sat up and looked at the platform she had fallen onto. It was a moveable platform, suspended by ropes that were threaded through a pulley far above her. Without a second thought, she untied the cord from its anchor and threw it at the axel of a nearby gear that spun quickly. With her magical horn Trixie lassoed the thrown rope and it began to wind around the axel like a retracting winch.

The platform jerked and then began to rise at a significant pace.

Daring looked down and was caught by surprise when Trixie ascended the tower at a rapid speed. The pegasus flew upwards out of the unicorn’s reach and continued to the top of the tower.

The platform reached the pulley and Trixie jumped back onto the wooden stairs before the tension in the rope snapped itself apart. The wooden platform tumbled back down and shattered as it was ground up by the giant clock tower gears.

Trixie limped up the last series of steps. As she reached the covered landing of the clock tower roof, she heard a loud blast of magical energy fired off into the distance followed by shrieks of panic. Trixie jumped up the last pair of steps and stumbled onto the top deck to face off with the shooter.

Herself.

“Son of a diamond dog!” Trixie cursed as she looked at her exact copy.

The duplicate saluted Trixie and then jumped back down through the tower of gears and pistons. The copy managed to gracefully weave around the gears before she disappeared near the bottom.

Trixie snorted as she was too exhausted and in pain now to race back down the stairwell. Daring Do was nowhere to be found either. Trixie’s hopes of not having any crazy fans were completely dashed by whoever that impersonator was that passed her by.

Two pegasi deputies flew up to meet Trixie at the top landing. They were both armed with slingshots strapped to their right forelegs and had the weapons trained on the unicorn.

“Drop your weapon and put your hooves in the air!” one of the deputies shouted angrily.

Trixie complied as she just realized what happened. She was set up to take a fall and be removed from someone’s equation. The pegasi dived upon the unicorn and shoved her hard onto the wood planks of the roof. The old rough wood stung against Trixie’s cheeks.

“Hey, watch the face!” she angrily commanded them.

Trixie was cuffed and hoisted up into the air by the rough law-ponies. They flew her down to the streets outside where a gathered crowd surrounded the victim of the shooting. More deputies arrived to control the crowd and push them away from the scene.

As Trixie was carted away to the jail, she strained her neck to see who had been shot by the magic blast.

It was Lulu Gauge.

Chapter 3 – The Greatest Lie is Half a Truth

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There were some ponies who believed that it was sensible to give up a few liberties for the security of society. Total freedom opened the path to dissident thinking which then led to conflict. However, the counter argument always stood that acquired security by the surrender of liberty was how Equestria built prisons.

Trixie was now a resident of the most infamously built prison in all of Equestria.

The San Anponio Cell Block was the largest prison in the entire province, but its size was attributed to the worst disregard for construction ethics ever attempted in the nation. It comprised of an entire city block of abandoned buildings that were haphazardly joined together and then hollowed out to form a large, stadium-like rectangular bowl. A large net of silk and razor wire was erected above the central field to prevent pegasi prisoners from flying away, although they all had their wings shackled together anyway as a matter of course.

Other than this basic framework, the prisoners were largely left to roam around the inside block and fend for themselves. Makeshift shacks were constructed of whatever trash happened to make its way inside, along with the troughs of food and water delivered three times a day. Armed guards patrolled from several wooden catwalks constructed above the field to ensure fights were quickly dealt with.

It was such a simple and low-cost design that it pleased the bottom line of the city and horrified tourists from neighboring provinces. Princess Celestia was going on four years to design a proper prison for the city, but the high construction costs, bureaucratic red tape, and large prison population made the efforts neigh impossible.

Trixie had her gear confiscated when she arrived at this wretched facility. One quick photo later and she was escorted past a series of sliding fence gates into the prison proper. Two muscular guards with water hoses ensured no inmates would rush the exit when the gates opened.

Once inside, the guards unshackled Trixie’s hooves and then closed the gate behind her. She was now left to the vices of the city’s worst scum.

Trixie took only two steps before she was tackled from behind by a white unicorn that wore cardboard wings and a crown made of newspaper. Trixie kicked the assaulting unicorn in the chest, but not before the white pony snatched the show-mare’s purple hat. The thief galloped away with the hat uncontested.

Trixie snarled at her loss, but what aggravated her more was the black iron shackle latched around her horn. The guards said it was enchanted to prevent unicorn prisoners from using their magic, and that it required a specific key to remove. Trixie tried a simple levitation spell on some trash, but the only result was a terrible ache on top of her head.

Defenseless, Trixie hoped that she didn’t meet that hammer-wielding stallion in here.

All she could do for now was find a vacant spot of ground to sit on and watch a group of earth ponies hoof-wrestle each other for bottle caps and sips from half a jug of whiskey. Cheryl once joked that alcohol was Celestia's backup plan to keep her subjects happy. Well, it seemed to keep these inmates happy.

“Hey you, the blue unicorn,” shouted some pony from the crowd around the hoof-wresting event.

Trixie examined the crowd for the voice and found it belonged to an athletic pegasus mare with a tan coat and buzz-cut mane of a soft orange. Trixie pointed to herself and the pegasus nodded.

“You’re up next!” the tan pony stated.

“No thank you,” Trixie said politely, “I don’t hoof-wrestle.”

Several other ponies from the crowd waved Trixie over and demanded that she participate. The tan pegasus walked over to Trixie.

“House rules, partner,” the pegasus said sternly. “Greenhorns have to hoof-wrestle Prickly Pete. No exceptions.”

“And what if I refuse?” Trixie asked as she stood up. “Are you all going to beat me into a pulp? Have me drawn-and-quartered while you all make a wish?”

The pegasus punched Trixie square in the stomach. The azure unicorn doubled over in pain as all the air was knocked out of her.

“You make… a good argument,” Trixie wheezed. She wobbled back up on her hooves after a short coughing fit and obediently followed the pegasus back to the crowd.

The group parted and Trixie sat down at the table. Across from her was a large and beefy green earth pony stallion. He had a matted black mane and a scent that Trixie could only describe as expired egg salad. The earth pony put a muscular foreleg on the table ready for the challenge and Trixie locked hooves with him. Several of the spectators placed bottle caps down on the table for bets on who would win.

The tan pegasus counted down from three, two, one, and it was on!

And it was over.

Trixie lost the match so fast that the entire crowd roared in laughter. She wasn’t sure if this humiliation was better than having the snot kicked out of her. The crowd shouted for a rematch and the green stallion was all for it. Trixie took in a deep breath and this time positioned her body better, not that she thought she could win against her brawny opponent. Well, not fairly that is.

More bottle caps were placed down as a bet, but a near-empty jug of hard cider was also added to the pot. The pegasus counted down once more from three. At ‘one’ both ponies grunted and the rematch began.

Trixie strained as she fought against the advancing hoof of muscle. Her foreleg was slowly pushed down toward the table. The crowd began a chant of ‘unicorn power!’ which sounded half encouraging and half mocking amusement in Trixie’s ears. Well, if the crowd wanted a show, then who was she to say no?

Trixie leaned in and kissed the stallion on the lips.

The green pony flinched and Trixie took the opportunity to push his stunned hoof back around and against the table with a notable slam. The crowd roared in cheers and laughter as Trixie stood up triumphant. She had the taste of sand on her lips and her foreleg felt quite sore, but the trick worked its magic.

The green stallion rubbed his lips as several other stallions slapped him on the back with jealousy.

Trixie managed to worm her way out of the chair before the crowd could give her a new challenger. She massaged her sore leg as other inmates taunted her for a kiss. Trixie could only roll her eyes and assume that this was going to be a long afternoon of sore legs.

The warden showed up at the gate and let out a series of three whistle blows. Trixie wasn’t sure what three blows meant, but she was about to find out.

“Trixie Lulamoon?” the warden shouted out to the prisoners.

The guards scanned the crowds and located the azure unicorn. They shouted and pointed towards the gate. Trixie walked over to the gate with a slight limp from her sore leg. Perhaps three whistles meant a visitor? Maybe Cheryl or Ellie got word that Trixie was incarcerated and they came to check up on her?

The gate opened and two guards escorted Trixie out of the prison field. She was led to a small office that contained two chairs and a broken end table. The guards asked her to sit down in one of the chairs. A minute later Mosaic showed up and the office door was closed, giving the two ponies privacy for their conversation.

This day just kept getting better.

“Afternoon, Miss Lulamoon,” Mosaic said pleasantly. “I see that you are no stranger to troubles and hardships. I’m glad I was able to track you down quickly.”

Trixie noticed Mosaic held a small folder under her right wing. “Trixie is fine,” she replied.

“Is speaking in the third person a shtick of yours?” Mosaic asked.

“No,” Trixie corrected, “I mean, yes, but what I meant was that you can use my first name. I never use Lulamoon unless I’m doing business with someone. Oh, but maybe that’s why you’re here?”

Mosaic’s pleasant smile died and she returned to her usual deadpan expression. “Very well, Miss Lulamoon,” Mosaic said as she punctuated the surname loudly. “This meeting is indeed for business. It appears that I was too quick to judge you earlier, for I heard rumor that you have skills useful to my current project.”

Trixie leaned back in her chair. “Excellent, I gladly accept,” she said confidently.

“I haven’t revealed to you the proposition yet.”

“Does it matter?” Trixie promptly asked. “I’ve been incarcerated here so the only business deal you could work out with me is if I’m released from prison. Therefore, I shall accept whatever your proposition is so that I can get out of this hole.”

“You seem very confident in yourself to the point of absurdity,” Mosaic stated flatly.

Trixie waved her hooves as if she were reciting a poem. “It is better to be absolutely ridiculous, than to be absolutely boring.”

Mosaic raised an inquiring eyebrow.

“The fourth rule of being great and powerful,” Trixie explained. “Why do you think some of our greatest celebrities act as stupid as they do? They all fake it just for the attention and ponies buy into it like suckers. I wouldn’t be surprised if half of the gossip magazines out there are owned by pop stars.”

“I see,” Mosaic said slowly with a bored nod. “Very well, consider this a prerequisite test pending your acceptance.” Mosaic pulled the folder out from under her wing and handed it to Trixie.

“Do you know what this says?” the pegasus asked.

Trixie opened the folder and flipped through several sheets of images. The images were black-and-white copies of stones with chiseled runes on them. Trixie recognized the language as an old runic script used primarily by alchemists of olden days long since gone and modern scholars who had nothing better to waste government grants on.

Trixie read the writing on one of the photos aloud.

“Bones to stone and his flesh made clay, forever reclaimed by the earth.”

Trixie handed the folder back to Mosaic. “Quite a cheerful text,” the unicorn commented.

Mosaic shrugged. “Right now you appear to be the only pony in this city capable of reading this script,” she said. “That is the crux of why I am here speaking to you.”

That was an interesting tidbit of news to Trixie. “What about Debon?” she inquired. “He’s a world-class traveler who collects old things. I'm sure he has experience with dead languages.”

The pegasus flicked a blue curl away from her eyes. “If he knew this one, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Mosaic explained plainly. The pegasus placed the folder back under her wing and she drew closer to Trixie.

“Here’s the truth about your situation, Miss Lulamoon,” Mosaic began. “Lulu Gauge had just survived an assassination attempt as you no doubt know first-hand. However, what you haven’t been told yet is that none of the witnesses saw you fire that magical beam at her.”

“Seriously?” Trixie said with surprise. “I guess Artemis was right about ponies being unperceptive.”

“Furthermore, the magical beam that hit Miss Gauge was described to have a sickly green aura,” Mosaic continued. “If I’m not mistaken, your magical aura is a pale magenta. I’m not an expert at unicorn magic, but am I correct to assume that unicorns cannot mask the color of their aura?”

“Ah,” Trixie said, now that she was illuminated to the full story. “Under interesting circumstances we could change our aura’s color, but at present I’m not able to do that.”

If Lady Luck was playing dice with Trixie, then Luck just rolled an eleven. “So, if I understand my situation right,” Trixie continued, “I’m only being held here as a person of interest because I was at the clock tower where the magical shot was fired.”

“That and,” Mosaic added, “You’re charged with vandalism of the clock tower interior.”

“Bah, details,” Trixie dismissed. “If there’s no evidence to pin me as the shooter, then they have to let me go, right? I can just sit around until they release me instead of agreeing to your job. How long does it take to get out of here, anyway?”

“For San Anponio law,” Mosaic answered, “They can hold you up to three days.”

“Three days?!”

“Not counting the fine for damaging the clock tower,” Mosaic added. “However, if you agree to work as my translator for the dig site I’m supervising, I will pay your bail and your fine. You can then spend the next three days doing something productive in repayment.”

Trixie slumped slightly in her chair, but tried to hide her disappointment. “Very well, it seems that I don’t have a real choice here.”

“Of course you don’t,” Mosaic said casually as she stood up. “You already agreed to my proposal before I had set forth the terms for negotiation. Therefore, I will see you at four o’clock tomorrow morning at the train station. Pack light and wear a good hat.”

“Oh, you crafty little fox,” Trixie whispered as she watched the marble-coat pony leave the office. It would seem that Trixie's big mouth got her tangled in Mosaic’s little pet project.

Well, since the wand would be nigh-impossible to heist with the Canterlot Royal Guard about, Trixie’s only real problems were the two impersonators disguised as herself and Daring Do that still roamed free. She doubted the Trixie impersonator could fool her friends, and even if the copy caused more trouble, Trixie now had an alibi for the next three days.

Lady Luck seemed to have suddenly dropped the dice under the table.

~ ~ ~

If you were not a morning pony, then time was meaningless at any point before sunrise. Such dark hours were usually grouped together under the universal category of ‘Way too early’. However, at four in the morning, it was so early that most folks liberally threw in a curse word after the adverb.

Trixie arrived at the well-lit train station right on the mark. The station’s large spring-driven clock that hung over the platform rang out four times in the night to remind her that the rest of the city was still in their soft, warm beds. The unicorn yawned as she leaned against the post of a gas-powered lamp, unaccustomed to such an early hour of the morning.

Trixie had tried to visit Lulu just after she was released from prison last evening to gather information about the identity of the shooter. Disappointingly, security refused to let any pony in to see the zebra. Trixie was only able to assess that Lulu was doing well and that her campaign for mayor was just as alive as she was.

As for the mysterious shooter, the city police was researching several suspects and no pony needed to worry of a second attack. At least, that’s what the sheriff told her at the hospital when she asked him one too many questions.

Trixie also had missed a meet up with Ellie and Cheryl. She left a note on Ellie’s hotel room door that explained why she would be out of town for the next three days. Since Trixie didn’t know where the dig site was located, she could only give Ellie a vague description of where she would be.

‘A hot sand dune out in the desert where I read rocks’ was about as precise as the directions got.

Trixie saw Mosaic on the station platform speaking to a small group of about a half dozen ponies. The marble-coated pegasus was reviewing the various roles each pony had here. The majority of them were stallions with strong backs to carry the supplies and then dig at the ruins when they arrived.

There was also a small, but robust blue-gray mare with light blue eyes and a yellow unicorn stallion with a green mane. The latter introduced himself to the group as Roc, a professor of archeology who specialized in ancient rituals and forbidden magic.

Trixie was now curious to know exactly what Mosaic expected to find out there.

The azure unicorn went over her own inventory mentally. Trixie wore her Stetson and long purple cape to block the sun, her saddle-belt was filled with little tools and magic tricks in case she needed to avoid a confrontation, and should a fight be unavoidable, she had her slingshot with a pouch full of iron bullets ready.

Trixie saw two soldiers from the Canterlot Royal Guard greet each other on the far side of the platform as a distant train approached from the east. The guards chatted and watched Mosaic’s group as if they were profiling the ponies. Trixie was curious what these guards were up to so she casually trotted over to find out.

“Good morning, sirs,” Trixie said politely.

The two pegasi guards removed their helmets as they eyed the unicorn suspiciously. Trixie was briefly stunned, for it was now apparent that the armor they wore gave the soldiers the illusion to all look identical. Without their helmets, the differences were quite apparent. The soldier to Trixie’s left had a much darker coat of gray with blue eyes, while the soldier on the right had a light green mane and hazel eyes.

The most jarring detail was that Trixie now realized the illusion hid the fact that they were both mares.

‘Spade’ and ‘Spearmint’ were written on the guards' name tags. Trixie wondered how she missed that little detail. Well, it was too late to take back introductions. Trixie had to roll with the punches.

“Did you want something?” the blue-eyed Spade asked.

“She looks awfully suspicious,” Spearmint said in a defensive stance.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Trixie explained. “I was only curious to know why royal guards are here at four in the morning instead of protecting the Lunar Wand.”

“What’s it to you?” Spade interrogated.

“Yeah,” Spearmint added, “Are you a spy?”

“No, I’m The Great and Powerful Trixie,” she responded, “A magician of many magical talents. I noticed that your armor utilized illusions to make your appearances all alike. I find that detail fascinating.”

Spearmint flapped her wings eagerly. “She knows our military secrets! She must be a spy!”

“Calm down, Mint,” Spade retorted. “That really isn’t a secret, just uncommon knowledge.” Spade sized Trixie up and down and decided that the unicorn was not a threat. However, there was still something about this unicorn that she didn’t trust.

“Our job is none of your business,” Spade said. “Just get in line when the train comes and you won’t have any trouble.”

“Get in line?” Trixie said inquisitively. “Are we being searched for something? Oh, I bet you’re just checking to make sure none of us is Lulu’s shooter, right?”

“Shut it,” Spade commanded.

Trixie held her ground. “I have a right to know. Equestrian citizens cannot be searched without probable cause.”

“Spade, let me probable cause her face!” Spearmint shouted as she hovered in the air. “I think she was one of the train passengers yesterday! Maybe she’s the one!”

“The one what?” Trixie asked curiously.

“Mint, get down!” Spade commanded. She yanked her comrade back to the platform with a hard pull and then returned her attention to Trixie.

“You mind your own business, Trixie, or I’ll be the one breaking your face!” Spade threatened.

Trixie felt a hoof tap her on the shoulder. She turned and saw that the blue-gray mare from the group stood beside her with a look of concern.

“Excuse me,” the young mare said softly to Trixie, “But maybe you shouldn’t antagonize the guards.”

Trixie looked at the two confrontational soldiers and then back to the shy earth pony beside her. She sighed and backed away from the two soldiers. Perhaps it was too early to get into a fight, especially against well trained soldiers who had done no obvious wrong.

Trixie walked back to the group as the train stopped at the platform.

The guards continued to watch the group climb aboard the train. It was a small engine that towed six cargo cars, one coal tender, and a caboose. The last car was where everyone was settled in.

The blue-gray mare that stopped Trixie earlier sat next to her on the ride, but she remained quiet. Trixie leaned over to her and struck up a conversation.

“Thanks for pulling me away from the guards earlier,” Trixie whispered. “I’m not very friendly with authority.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” the blue-gray mare shyly replied. She hid behind the bangs of her lavender mane.

“I’m The Great and Powerful Trixie,” the unicorn introduced confidently as she held out a hoof. “I’ve been hired by Mosaic to translate the runic language at the dig site. How about you?”

The blue-gray mare hesitated, but slowly warmed up. “RainBlazer,” she said with a quick hoof-shake. “I’m the guide to get us through the desert safely.”

Trixie nodded. “Lots of dangerous critters out there among the dunes, I take it?”

“Sometimes,” Rain replied, “But the real danger is the heat. A pony won’t last long if they don’t know what they’re doing out there.” She tugged on Trixie’s long, purple cape as an example.

“See, this isn’t very helpful to you during the day. You want bright colors to reflect the hot sunlight.”

Trixie examined her cape. After a moment of pondering she had an idea and wove a spell over her cape. The purple hue slowly bleached away and left the cape with a plain white color. Satisfied, Trixie showed Rain her corrected wardrobe.

“How is this?”

Rain nodded with a smile. “Yes, much better.”

“Excellent,” Trixie said. “This trip should be a breeze.”

~ ~ ~

“This trip sucks,” a fatigued Trixie mumbled.

The train had dropped the group about thirty miles out west of San Anponio with six carts of supplies. They had to travel by hoof the rest of the way to the site. RainBlazer put them on a southerly path and remarked that they should arrive at the site before noon. Two dogs were brought along to spot for predators along the way and Roc had packed a snake bite kit just in case they ran afoul of rattlers.

The trouble Trixie had was a lack of experience walking through a desert. The heat had quickly zapped away both her strength and her confidence. The late morning sun made the desert sands feel like a sizzling skillet over a fire. Although Trixie’s now white cape helped prevent her back from burning, she wished she had brought along hiking boots for her burning hooves.

The air was stiff and smelled quite dusty. It was so dry that Trixie swore the bushes followed the dogs around for a drink.

“We’re nearly there,” Mosaic stated calmly to the group.

Trixie made out the outline of a ruin on the horizon. A few tired cheers echoed among the ponies and a water bottle was passed around to celebrate. Trixie took a large, thirsty gulp from the bottle, but she recalled the earlier tip from RainBlazer not to drink too much water at once. She settled on savoring the one gulp before passing the bottle along.

As the party came closer to the dig site, Trixie noticed a large group of tents huddled together near the ruins. The camp appeared too large for the hoof-full of residents presently there. It seemed that the site was quite low on workers. In Trixie’s mind this was likely because only crazy ponies worked out in the middle of a desert willingly.

“How close have you gotten to the main chamber?” Roc asked Mosaic.

“We’ve reached the last door, but magic has kept it sealed,” the marbled pegasus answered. “One of the diggers foolishly tried to blast it open with dynamite. That resulted in two hospitalized workers and three hours of digging out the entrance again.”

“Hmm, well never let it be said they aren’t thorough,” Roc commented.

One of the workers on the site waved frantically at the approaching group. Mosaic and Roc exchanged curious glances on why the pony waved like that.

That was when they felt it. The ground began to rumble and the sound approached from behind at a quickened pace. The party turned around and saw a horde of bison charging them.

“Bison stampede!!” Roc shouted. “Everyone to the dig site now!”

The ponies ditched their wagons of supplies and broke into a mad scramble for the ruins. Trixie whined as she was quickly left behind for being the slowest runner of the group. The bison, nearly twice the size of a pony, smashed through the carts with the force of a freight train. Food stuffs and equipment was trampled flat.

Trixie, now fueled by her survival instinct, stomped her hooves down on the soft sand. There was a blast of air followed by the burst of a colossal purple smoke cloud. The thick smoke enveloped Trixie and concealed her position.

The bison steered around the thick cloud of smoke as they reached the workers. With muscular necks and sharp horns, the bison knocked the ponies to the ground forcefully. The workers at the camp fought back with steel bullets shot from their slingshots. The lethal orbs struck the bison and inflicted painful punctures in their skin.

There were screams and incoherent shouts thrown about the chaotic field from all sides.

Mosaic and Roc reached the site and dove into a shallow ditch for cover. The yellow unicorn looked up from his cover and raised his hooves into the air. He cast a spell from his horn, which glowed of a bright golden color. The sand before him rose up and formed a thick, impenetrable wall that blocked the bison from reaching the camp.

The bison turned and stampeded away from the sand wall with their wounded. However, they left a wake of destroyed supplies and injured ponies behind.

“They’re getting desperate,” Mosaic remarked casually, “Attacking us in broad daylight like this.”

“Then we must skip the trench digging and open that final door immediately,” Roc replied.

Trixie picked herself up from the rough, sandy ground. She had tripped over a sizable stone, but was fortunate that the smokescreen deterred the charging bison away from her. Trixie spat out a mouth full of dust and looked around. Half the traveling party was injured and none of the six carts survived the attack. There were no casualties at least, and those hurt were still able to limp their way to the camp.

Trixie felt slightly bewildered by the experience. She turned to RainBlazer who was nearby. “Does this happen often?”

“I don't know,” Rain replied. "I certainly didn't expect bison to attack us. Well, lets help scrounge up the food so we have something to eat tonight.”

Trixie helped pick up what remained of the supplies using her levitation magic. She scooped up crushed apples, flattened bread, and leaking jugs of water. If this was what survived of the food, then the job was going to end sooner than three days. Trixie stacked what she could scrounge by the tents before Mosaic waved her over to the ruins.

The azure unicorn trotted over where Mosaic, Roc, and three workers were gathered.

“Organize what you can with the injured,” Roc said to one of the workers. “Mosaic and I will take a party into the ruins to open the last door today. We should be done within the hour.” Roc dismissed the worker and turned to the remaining two.

“Be mindful of what you touch down there,” Roc warned. “We’re looking for a large circular lid and it may be protected.”

Trixie stepped up to the group and adjusted her hat. “This party can get started now, Trixie has arrived,” she said confidently. The group remained unimpressed and quietly stepped into the ruins. Trixie hid a frown and followed them inside.

The ruins consisted of three surviving walls of adobe from time immemorial. The roof was little more than large irregular debris that was dug out and piled to one side. In the center of the ruin’s floor was a descending shaft that dropped into the darkness.

The workers dropped two anchored rope ladders into the shaft and then climbed down into the ruin’s lower level. Mosaic quickly followed them, but Roc and Trixie were slower and more cautious.

The shaft bottomed out into a deep and dusty interior that smelled strongly of earthen clay. The two workers lit bulls-eye lanterns while Trixie and Roc supplied a more diffuse magical light from their respective horns. The air felt cool, but strangely humid.

There was a door smashed open down here that led into an adjacent square chamber. It was about forty feet wide and twenty feet tall. Mosaic instructed the workers to light a brazier that was set up to illuminate this room. Once lit, the room showed decades, if not centuries of age with the numerous cracks that ran down from ceiling to ground. Trixie looked over the faded paintings that adorned what remained of this chamber. Roc pointed out a few of the better preserved paintings that he discerned as old dances from a now extinct bison tribe that once frequented this area.

Trixie glanced over at Roc’s cutie mark as the archeologist explained the paintings. His mark was a pickaxe striking a geode. This got Trixie’s imagination thinking. Roc sounded like rock, and another word for rock was stone. Trixie entertained the funny little idea that Roc was the mysterious ‘Stone Rose’ that started her on this quest.

However, nothing about Roc was rose-colored or rose-like, so maybe it wasn’t him.

Mosaic led the group across the chamber to the opposite wall where another door was smashed open. Behind it was a short roughly cut passage forty feet long that ended abruptly at a large stone slab. The walls near the slab were severely cracked and were missing large chunks as if a blast had occurred here.

Lights were focused on the slab. Trixie saw an earth pony skull carved upon the slab along with several rows of the same runic script Mosaic showed her back at the prison.

The carved image sent a shiver down Trixie’s spine. Something bothered her about this place.

Mosaic motioned for Trixie to step forward and do her part. The azure unicorn approached the stone slab and shined her magical light upon the text. She looked over the letters and then read them aloud.

“Stand before this door and tremble, for this is the tomb of Gung the Cursed, scourge of the three tribes. May the moon turn his bones to stone and his flesh made clay, forever reclaimed by the earth mother. Now go, turn back and remove all thoughts of this memory forevermore.”

“Quite a charming quotation,” Roc commented.

“I thought the same thing,” Trixie said in agreement. “In fact, it reminds me that I’m not Lara Clop and maybe I should take my chances outside with the bison instead of tomb raiding.”

“Read the rest,” Mosaic commanded impatiently.

Trixie gave the marble-coated pegasus a concerned glance. “I guess you’re not one for curses, huh?” She sighed and continued reading the remainder of the slab as instructed.

“We, the sons and daughters of the earth mother, implore that you never undo this seal. May the moon’s eye never again grace of Gung's eye to where you stand now.”

“Ah, so that’s the riddle that has confounded you,” Roc casually said to Mosaic. “Off Gung's eye? Is there a slot carved where the skull’s eye sockets appears to be?”

Mosaic reached into a pouch and produced a large, uncut sapphire stone. She held it up to where everyone here could see it. “No, but I believe the clue refers not to the carving, but the floor. Trixie, please step aside.”

“Wait, that stone,” Trixie said with a sudden realization. “That’s the sapphire from the Lunar Wand! How did you get that?!”

Mosaic pushed Trixie aside and dug at the cold clay ground. She uncovered a slot that was large enough to fit the uncut gem. The pegasus pushed the stone into the hole and it magically sunk into place.

“Do you think that is wise?” Roc asked hesitantly to Mosaic. “I understand we’re pressed for time, but we should check this ward for magical traps first.”

The slab rumbled as it slowly sank into the ground. On the other side was a large and circular burial chamber filled with carvings of earth ponies and bison locked in battle. A colossal urn stood on top of a dais in the center of the room. It was sealed with a heavy, iron lid.

Roc stepped forward with the two workers and they approached the urn carefully. More writing was carved on the urn as well, but in a much larger size. Trixie could tell that this writing was some kind of ancient warning about the jar.

Mosaic stepped forward into the room, but Trixie grabbed her at the shoulder. The unicorn had a terrible feeling about the unfolding situation and she needed to know what was going on.

“Answer my question!” Trixie demanded.

Mosaic slapped Trixie in the face with her wing. “I made all the arrangements for Artemis to transport the wand here,” She said condescendingly. “At what point did I not have access to it?”

The azure unicorn backed away and rubbed her stinging eye. “Some pony is going to notice that the sapphire is missing,” Trixie countered.

“Artemis is too stupid to notice the replica stone I substituted,” Mosaic explained, “And by the time the museum curator finds out, I’ll already have what I want.”

“When did you make the switch?” Trixie muttered in puzzlement. She then thought back to the train. It was taken by the orange and lemon colored ponies, then it was recaptured by Daring Do, and finally Do returned it to Artemis… that was it!

“You made the switch on the train with Daring!” Trixie said accusingly to her own hoof. “I was foiled not by another adventurer, but by the true thief!”

“Who are you talking to?” Mosaic asked. “Do you normally narrate a monologue or something?”

Trixie waved off Mosaic’s questions. “Never mind that! I can see now that you’re using me to get to whatever is in that jar and I doubt it’s going to be ancient delicious cookies.”

“Now doesn’t that statement ring a bell?” said a familiar female voice from behind the group.

Trixie slowly turned around. She hoped to Lady Luck that the familiar voice didn’t belong to a cream-coated lightning-flinging earth pony mare with a red mane done up in a bun, eyes like liquid silver, and a desire to murder magicians who meddled in her affairs.

It did.

Golden Jubilee stood confidently in the hallway. Behind the sorceress were Daring Do and two more workers from the camp above. “Trixie, I would like to say it is a pleasure, but lies do not become of us ladies,” she said slyly.

“The feeling is mutual, I assure you,” Trixie responded casually. “How’s Debon doing? I see that you’re running his errands while he tries to win the election. So what have you been doing for the campaign trail? Creating ad slogans? Raising campaign funds? Assassinating the competition, like say… Lulu?”

“That was a mistake that will not be repeated,” Golden said with gritted teeth. She glanced hard at Daring, a look that made the pegasus slink back with fear.

“I was just guessing on that last part,” Trixie said as she slowly reached for her weapon. “Thank you for admitting fault. Perhaps you should send Lulu some flowers while she recovers. Throw in a nice little get-well card too, maybe something that reads how much you missed her.”

Daring jumped forward and cracked her whip when she realized Trixie was stalling. Trixie was faster and not only dodged the whip, but had her slingshot out and armed with an iron bullet. It was magically hovering by the unicorn and aimed right at Golden’s head.

“So, is Mosaic one of your Horizon Walkers?” Trixie asked. She took a step away from the marble-coated pegasus. “I see you’re hiring them young. Not a bad idea to mold them properly at an early age so they can meet your expectations.”

“She’s not one of ours,” Golden answered with a small grin.

A large stone struck Trixie from behind and knocked her hard to the floor. The unicorn held onto her slingshot, but the iron bullet bounced away.

“I am the Horizon Walker,” Roc stated plainly. “The name is Roc Tumbler, head archeologist for this dig site as hired by Debon Aire.”

Trixie cursed the Horizon Walkers, along with all the stars and wagon wheels that spun around her pounding skull in a fancy dance. Why the wagon wheels? Who knows, her head hurt a lot.

Golden turned to Mosaic and scolded the young pegasus. “What do you think you are doing?”

“I’m collecting the lid for Grogar’s bell,” Mosaic responded without hesitation.

"You are three days too early!" Golden scolded. "You haven't even finished the moat and half your team out there is injured."

"I can handle this!" Mosaic countered. "I knew your group was coming here and I wanted to prove to you that I know what I'm doing, that I can be just as good as you!"

"What?" Golden said with surprise. "What are you on about?"

“I’m tired of my dead-end job babysitting my stupid boss!" Mosaic explained. "I read about the Horizon Walkers from an old text about Princess Platinum and then I found out my boss had been contacted by them through Debon. It wasn’t hard to figure out Debon was a leading member of your group after I dug into his personal journals.”

“You are quite the crafty one,” Golden commented. “So what is it you wish of the Walkers, child?”

“I want to join them!” Mosaic answered. “The Walkers wield great power to protect Equestria. I want to be a part of their greatness and have the respect of peers that acknowledge my contributions!”

This was the first time any pony had heard Mosaic put any passionate emotion into her voice.

“You are not ready,” Golden said flatly.

“Like pickles I’m not!” Mosaic shouted back.

Roc stepped in. “Golden, if I may,” he said calmly. “I was the one who decided to move ahead with our plans, not Mosaic. I have watched her and she is intelligent, resourceful, and has maintained an air of calm thinking through every bison attack here. She has the potential to be a useful member to our cause.”

Golden pondered her options for a moment. “Very well, bring her along and I shall have Debon interview her. Daring, Roc, assist the workers with carrying the lid. We have to act quickly to retrieve the bell once that lid is removed.”

“What about the great and powerful blue lump down there?” Daring asked.

“Not now!” Golden replied harshly. “Time is of the essence!”

Trixie’s blurry vision slowly sharpened as she watched the workers break the clay seal on the iron lid. It appeared quite heavy and required all four workers, Daring, and Roc to lift it off the jar. From Trixie’s low vantage point, however, she also saw that the underside of the lid had a map etched onto it.

Trixie committed as much of the map to memory as she could, but did not move from her position on the ground. She waited until the group carried the iron lid into the square chamber before Trixie sat up. Golden moved quickly so the azure unicorn had to act just as fast. Trixie mentally cited her seventh personal rule of being great and powerful.

‘Never delay action, for time certainly won't.’

Trixie jumped up and pulled an iron bullet from her saddle-belt pouch with lightning reflexes. She dashed through the short hallway with a wobbly gait and fired the deadly bullet in between the workers to get their attention. The bullet sailed between their heads and cracked against the far wall. Their attention was quickly had.

“Drop it!” Trixie commanded.

“Ugh, you annoying little pest!” Golden angrily spat. Her eyes took on a faint glow as electrical pulses arced at the tips of her fore-hooves. Golden reared up and pointed her right fore-hoof at Trixie. A bolt of lightning made of the blackest night shot out of her hoof and darted at the azure unicorn.

Trixie jumped to the side, but the bolt struck her in the right foreleg. The electrical spell bit hard into her flesh and began to drain away her strength. Trixie shut her eyes and focused her complete determination to shrug off the spell’s effect. She would not lose this quickly. Not today.

“I said… drop it!!” Trixie shrieked.

The black bolt wrapped around Trixie’s foreleg and then shot right back out at the metal lid. The spell burst into sparks as the electrical pulse danced on the lid and bit every pony holding it. The group panicked and jerked away their hooves from the spell’s painful shock. The immense iron object lurched and fell over onto one of the worker’s hooves. He cried out in pain as he hopped around the room.

Trixie stumbled and fell over onto her butt in an awkward sitting position. Her foreleg hurt, but she was otherwise okay. Golden stood there stunned for a second. Did Trixie just throw her lightning spell back? That wasn’t a trick she had ever seen this second-rate unicorn do before.

Trixie’s bewildered face indicated she didn’t know how she did it either.

Roc quickly reassembled the workers around the lid. They managed to lift it on its edge, but wavered in their attempt to carry it. The injured worker was useless to carry anything.

“Roll it!” Roc shouted, “Just roll the lid out on its side!”

Daring Do covered the workers as they rolled the lid toward the exit. She lashed out at the unicorn with her whip. Trixie rolled away from the attack and drew another bullet. Daring closed in and slapped Trixie in the face with her wing before the bullet could be aimed.

The pegasus then grabbed the unicorn by the clasp of her cape and pulled Trixie up onto her hooves.

“You are one stubborn halfwit,” Daring said.

“I’m one-hundred percent wit!” Trixie corrected in reply. She head-butted the pegasus and broke free of her grasp, but her first steps back stumbled from the induced headache and she collapsed onto the dusty floor. Daring Do apparently had a very hard skull.

Golden held up a hoof to blast Trixie again with her spell, but the azure unicorn was still aware of her presence. Golden turned to leave after a moment of hesitation. She followed the group to the shaft and left Daring to wrestle with Trixie in the square chamber alone.

Once the lid rolled to the bottom of the shaft, the workers tied one of the two rope ladders around it. Workers up on the surface began to hoist the heavy lid up.

Mosaic glanced back at the two battling mares as she prepared to fly up the shaft exit. “What about Daring?” Mosaic asked Golden.

“We have no more need for that creature,” Golden said plainly. She closed her eyes and with precise concentration, the red-maned earth pony vanished in a flash of red light.

Trixie and Daring rolled over each other on the dusty ground, but the two mares were unable to pin the other down. The pegasus jumped into air and readied her whip for another strike, but Trixie grabbed onto the other end with her levitation magic.

The azure unicorn staggered to a standing position as she held onto the whip tightly.

“You can’t win against the daring of Daring Do!” the pegasus taunted.

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Trixie replied, “Your stupid grin or your stupid phrases.” With a hard pull, she yanked the pegasus out of the air and into her grasp. Trixie latched onto Daring’s foreleg and held on.

“Oh, you want stupid phrases?” Daring asked as she let go of the whip. A flash of sickly green light pulsed over Daring’s body and she transformed into an alluring unicorn of an azure coat and cornflower blue mane.

“Behold Equestria’s most hammy pony!”

The Trixie duplicate fluttered her violet eyes and kissed the real Trixie keenly on the lips.

The double’s mouth felt icy cold and rough like sandpaper against Trixie’s lips. She shoved her duplicate away and wiped her own lips in disgust. “Ugh, what was that for?” Trixie asked.

“Just fulfilling your lifelong dream,” The duplicate sardonically responded.

“Funny,” Trixie said unimpressed. “Wait, if you can take any pony form and your aura is sickly green, then… then that must make you a changeling!”

“Give the unicorn a prize!” the changeling shouted playfully. She dropped her disguise in a second, brighter flash of green light that revealed her black carapace body and iridescent insect wings. A green glow emanated from the changeling’s curved horn upon her head just before it released a magical beam at Trixie.

The unicorn drew up her cape, but was blown off her hooves from the magic attack. She landed on her back with a hard thud. The changeling closed in, but Trixie retaliated with a spray of magical fireworks that blinded the changeling. The unicorn quickly scrambled back up on her hooves with the whip still in her magical grasp.

"The second conductor, Daring, Lulu's shooter," Trixie said, "Now everything makes sense."

The changeling rubbed her eyes. The fireworks left her vision blurry. "Present company excepted."

The ground rumbled as a foaming liquid crawled out from the circular burial room and into this chamber. The two ponies backed away towards the shaft as the liquid began to bubble and smoke furiously.

“Okay, let’s call this fight a draw,” the changeling commented nervously.

“Agreed,” Trixie said.

Trixie hobbled after the changeling back to the shaft where a single rope ladder awaited. The changeling flew up the shaft toward the exit as fast as she could.

“Not without me you don’t!” Trixie shouted. She lashed out with the whip and caught the changeling around her hind legs. Trixie held on tight as she was slowly lifted off the ground.

“How much does that ego of yours weigh?” the changeling said as she strained to ascend the shaft with the unicorn’s added weight.

“Shut up and flap those wings, hayseed!” Trixie commanded. She took hold of the whip physically and focused her levitation magic to make herself lighter.

Now the two made progress and exited the shaft quickly. However, the quake that rattled the ground began to grow in intensity. Sand began to rise into the air and circle the ruins like a sandstorm. The workers panicked at the unfolding disaster and ran off in all directions.

Trixie let go of the changeling and the insect-like pony shot off into the air. The sandstorm batted the changeling around until she plummeted into a sand dune and disappeared.

Trixie saw no pony around at the camp site. Had they all already fled? “Hey, help me out here!” she shouted, but there was no reply. Trixie held onto her hat and limped around the dig site alone. She was unable to run and the storm’s intensity made it hard to see anything outside the camp.

Trixie stumbled upon the lid Golden acquired from the tomb. It was sitting in a wooden cage and tied together with rope. Trixie raised a hoof to undo the bindings, but as she reached for it, a giant anchor swung in front of her and latched onto the crate. The iron lid was hoisted into the air.

Trixie looked up and saw that Golden commanded a large, red airship dirigible. The lid was lifted onto the deck of the long, majestic ship.

“Mine now,” Golden taunted as the airship sailed out of the sandy maelstrom.

“Curse you Golden Jubilee!” Trixie shouted at the top of her lungs. This was followed immediately by a coughing fit as sand entered Trixie’s lungs.

The wind chuckled sinisterly before it picked Trixie up off the ground and threw her into the air like a rag doll. The white canvas of a tent struck the unicorn in midflight and enveloped her. Trixie’s vision went white, then red, and finally to black.

Chapter 4 – Knowledge Pays the Best Interest

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“Behold, as Trixie the Great will make this apple disappear!”

The little azure filly waved her fore-hooves over the silky red skirt that covered an apple. With an awkward flourish she pulled the skirt back and the green apple rolled off the stool and onto the floor. Trixie was less than impressed by the apple’s refusal to disobey the laws of nature for her.

“Apple, why didn’t you disappear?” the crestfallen child whined.

“Trixie, have you seen my red skirt?” asked a motherly voice from outside the tent.

“I’m using it for my show, mom!” Trixie responded.

An alluring earth pony with a cobalt blue coat and silver hair stepped into the tent. She walked over to the stage her daughter created with a mishmash of clothes and kitchen cookware. The other gypsies loved to encourage Trixie’s imagination, but Jessenia wished her daughter didn’t use the purple curtains for the stage. Those were her favorite curtains.

“Practicing your magic?” Jessenia asked.

The little unicorn sat down by her mother. “Trying,” she replied in a defeated tone. “I can’t get this apple to disappear. I wish I could do real magic like all the grown up unicorns.”

“Trixie, real magic isn’t about using flashy spells and stage tricks,” Jessenia said as she lifted the apple and covered it with her red skirt. “It’s about moving in harmony with your surroundings.” She removed the skirt and showed her daughter an empty hoof.

Trixie’s eyes went wide with awe.

Jessenia chuckled and removed the green apple hidden under her violet peasant blouse. “I know you idolize the unicorn magicians like Hoofdini, but you must always remember that magic resides within all ponies. It comes from the heart and when you share that heart with others, you will find your true power.” Jessenia held her daughter’s hoof close to her own heart.

She handed Trixie back the green apple before she took back her skirt. “Why don’t you clean up your stage? We’re going to the park today and you can play with the other fillies there. I heard the jugglers will be there in the afternoon for a show.”

Trixie’s smile lit up wide as she took down her makeshift stage. Jessenia reclaimed a few other articles of clothing and her favorite curtains. After Trixie had put away the pots and pans, she stopped in front of a tall dressing mirror to daydream.

“Mom,” Trixie asked as she looked at her own reflection. “Do you think I’ll be as good as Hoofdini?” She turned slightly to look at her blank flank and imagined what a magical cutie mark would look like there.

Jessenia sat behind her daughter and placed the purple curtains around Trixie like a grand cloak. “No, I believe you can be even greater. I’ve never seen a filly with passion for magic such as you, and I know one day every pony in Manehattan will flock to come see The Great Trixie perform the amazing magic that comes from her heart.”

Jessenia gave her daughter a big hug and Trixie reciprocated. Trixie shut her eyes and imagined a full theatre of ponies all cheering for her, loving her for being the greatest unicorn magician ever.

~ ~ ~

Trixie slowly awoke from her dream. The bright noonday glare of the sun burned upon her face. She gently rubbed a couple of tears from her eyes before she sat up. The scent of her mother’s perfume lingered not in Trixie’s nostrils, but in her mind. Sand was what probably lingered in her nostrils.

Trixie looked around wearily. She was still among the sand dunes of the desert. Torn tent canvases gently waved in the light breeze among the protruding remains of the encampment. A few stones littered where the ruins were, now reclaimed by the desert.

Trixie stood up and shook the sand out of her mane. Her body ached from the tomb fight and she knew that she needed to reach a town soon or the desert would claim her. She gathered her belongings, adjusted her hat, and began to scrounge for any food or water that might have survived the strange storm that tore through the dig site.

Lady Luck took pity on the unicorn, for Trixie found two canteens of water, three apples, and a pair of iridescent wings under a crumpled tarp. The unicorn lifted the tarp and underneath she saw that the wings were still attached to the black carapace body of a changeling.

Luck was never without a little humor.

Trixie magically levitated a long piece of a tent pole and poked the insect-like creature in the back. The changeling stirred and coughed out a small spray of sandy spit. Trixie looked into the pair of large, arctic blue orbs that made up the changeling’s eyes.

“Get up, hayseed,” Trixie said softly. “I’d like to know if we could call a truce.”

The changeling came to her senses and hissed angrily at Trixie. The unicorn nonchalantly kicked a little sand in the changeling’s face. It caused a nasty coughing fit to befall the black creature. The changeling vigorously wiped her eyes with two forelegs that had small, naturally growing holes all the way through them.

“Yuck! What was that for?” the changeling asked angrily.

“You hissed at me,” Trixie calmly explained. “Therefore, I’m going to kick sand in your face.”

“Ugh, it’s in my mouth!”

Trixie shrugged. “We’re in a desert. Sand is everywhere, so get used to it.” She watched the changeling bare teeth at her, but Trixie only motioned her hoof casually to the little pile of sand ready to be kicked.

“Alright, alright!” the changeling finally shouted. “Truce! Just please stop with the sand!” The pony-like insect stood up and wiped the sand off her face. She flapped her iridescent wings, but the left wing was painfully weak and slightly bent. It would heal, but the changeling growled that she could not fly for the time being.

“Do you have a name?” Trixie asked as she checked one last barrel. “I mean, like an actual name? I assume ‘Daring Do’ was just a nom de plume you used.”

Trixie pulled out two edible potatoes from the barrel.

“Zeeps,” the changeling stated as she flicked a tiny, blue iridescent tail.

“Well then, Zeeps,” Trixie said as she packed the food into a small sack, “Welcome aboard Team Trixie!”

“Team what?” Zeeps asked with a confused look. “Hold on, you think I’m going to join up with a pony that I tried to kill twice and almost framed for murder?”

“True, you are quite an industrious little bug,” Trixie said.

“So what makes you think I’d follow you?” Zeeps interrogated. “For all I know, you’d just bash my head in with a rock during the night for revenge. I bet it wouldn’t even have to be a big rock.”

“First of all, that’s not my thing,” Trixie began. “I’ve almost killed twice in my lifetime and I don’t like it. Second, look around you. Everything that lives out here is made of fangs, claws, or needles. We’d have a better chance of survival working together. Third, I’m willing to bet both water canteens that you were used just as much as I was by the Horizon Walkers. Even if you make it to civilization on your own, what are you going to do? Go back to the Walkers like their obedient little puppy?”

Zeeps snorted at the thought. “Alright, you have a point there, but why would you even trust me? That’s like wiping with a cactus, or playing with fire, or wiping with a playful cactus that’s on fire.”

Trixie tried not to think too hard on Zeeps’ very unusual comparison. Instead, she magically levitated a canteen to the changeling.

“I was once given the same bum deal as you,” Trixie said, “But despite my faults someone trusted me with a second chance and that turned my life around. Maybe you can turn around yours if I give you the same courtesy.”

Zeeps gave Trixie a long hard stare before she snatched the water canteen. “Fine, I’ll tag along, but remember that I’m a changeling first and foremost. Don’t expect me to buy into your dumb pony ideals about how the elements of magic are friendships or such nonsense.”

“Elements of the what now?” Trixie asked.

Zeeps threw a dismissive wave at Trixie. “Never mind,” the changeling said.

The unicorn dug Zeeps’ pith helmet out of the sand. “Anyway, we should get going,” Trixie stated. She gently tossed the hat to the changeling.

“You may want to put on something a little brighter, though. Black is going to kill you in this heat.”

Zeeps concentrated her magic through the bent horn on top of her head. The familiar flash of green light covered her body for a moment and then she was once again disguised as Daring Do, complete with a buttoned olive shirt. She put on the pith helmet and followed Trixie on a northeasterly path.

“Holding this disguise all day is going to be tiring,” Zeeps remarked gloomily.

“Really?” Trixie said with a curious pitch. “So is it like magical concentration or physical muscle exertion? Oh, and do you eat food?”

Zeeps was lost by the sudden barrage of questions. “Huh?”

“Food,” Trixie restated. “Do you eat food? I know you changelings feed off positive emotions like love, but all we have to eat are three apples and a couple of potatoes.”

Zeeps flicked the little ear-like flippers on the sides of her head. “I guess I could,” she responded hesitantly. “It probably won’t be very palatable. Roc let me feed off a random saloon drunk once in a while when I was serving the Walkers. Drunks are a bit foul, sure, but I took what I can get.”

“Sounds delightful,” Trixie commented dryly. “I guess I’ll have to think about getting around that.”

“Like what, starve? I can’t help who I am,” Zeeps argued.

“No, I suppose you can’t,” Trixie mused aloud. She thought about all the information she read on changelings, but that amounted to two legends on their origins and their ability to feed off emotional energy. It occurred to Trixie that pony-kind knew nothing about them otherwise. Did changelings even have concepts like gender, art, or parenting? This was an opportunity to know one better and Trixie resolved to take it by the horn, so to speak.

It certainly had story potential for her next novel at least.

“What’s transforming like?” Trixie asked out of the blue. “Is it like holding a pose?”

Zeeps wasn’t sure how to explain something that was second nature to her. “Uh, it’s like magic, but on a physical level I guess? Like, it does take thought and energy to keep up so we have to rest and eat regularly or we lose our ability to change.”

Trixie nodded with an excited smile. She had the potential to be the most knowledgeable pony on changelings by week’s end. That idea just screamed ‘bestselling novel’ to her.

“So, are you a stallion or a mare?” Trixie asked pointedly.

Zeeps gave her a sharp look of annoyance. Trixie backed away from the changeling.

“It’s only a question,” Trixie added defensively. “I’m just curious to know you better.”

The changeling sighed. “It’s a rather pointless question when you can physically become either gender,” Zeeps explained, “But if you really want to label me, you can consider me a mare. Some of us adopt a gender identity when we live long enough within your society, but such practice is frowned upon by the hive.”

“Why is that?” Trixie inquired.

“We are all considered equal units under the queen,” Zeeps answered. “Our caste is strictly job based, whether it’s a soldier, a worker, or a drone. Foreign concepts like names and individuality endanger the hive’s unity so any changeling that becomes an individual is either banished or killed.”

Trixie nodded with understanding. “I take it you can’t go back home then, even if you wanted?”

“No, I’m not particularly fond of death,” Zeeps said sadly. “Giving up my sense of self might be too hard anyway.” She glanced up at the drifting clouds that had momentarily hid the sun.

“So what’s your story?” Zeeps then countered.

Trixie smiled as she recalled her childhood. “I was born within a gypsy clan in the Broncks borough of Neigh York. My mother was a seamstress, but her true talent was in dance. I never knew who my father was, but mother always said that I was his gift to her for that one special night they shared. She always seemed to talk about him as if he was still around…”

~ ~ ~

The sun hung low in the late afternoon. Although it no longer shone with the same intensity it did earlier, the two travelers now had to contend with the heat radiating back off the sand they walked on. The illusion magic on Trixie’s cape faded, evident as the purple hue slowly returned.

Zeeps found it difficult to maintain her disguise due to the fatigue from the march back towards San Anponio and the severe hunger for emotional food. Feeding on Trixie would have left Zeeps stranded alone, although the changeling questioned if she could even overpower Trixie to feed on her anyway.

The azure unicorn tried to give Zeeps a potato earlier, but the changeling’s stomach had wretched it almost as soon as she took a few bites. This made her stomach too sour to try anything else and thus Zeeps was starved for any kind of sustenance.

Changelings couldn’t handle potatoes, who knew?

The two limped into a farming community that was only a few miles from the city. Trixie decided to stop and try to buy some food. She led the ill changeling over the nearest house and knocked firmly on the door. A large brown stallion answered, but he had the look of annoyance upon his face.

“Yeah?” the stallion asked with apprehension.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Trixie said politely. “We are weary travelers in need of food. I am willing to pay you for some produce if you would be so kind to share it with us?” Trixie showed her goodwill by producing five coins from a saddle-belt pouch.

The stallion swiped the five coins and stepped back into the house, but he returned with a bundle of carrots, peanuts, and sweet potatoes. He dropped the bundle on the steps in front of Trixie and then closed the door without a word.

“Friendly folks here,” Trixie commented.

She packed the food into a sack and then helped Zeeps over toward one of the barns. The two sat down inside to look over their purchase. Trixie held up what was given to see if Zeeps found anything appetizing.

“Try a peanut, they’re pretty good,” Trixie offered.

Zeeps managed to nibble one, but just didn’t have the stomach for anything. She leaned back against a bale of hay with despair.

Trixie sighed and looked around the farm as she rubbed her sore legs. She saw a group of foals playing tag together by the cornfield and got an idea. The idea wasn’t a very pleasant one, but Trixie didn’t want to let Zeeps pass out. If the changeling returned to her true form, well then they both would have been answering to paranoid farmers who had access to torches and pitchforks.

“Come on, I’m going to need an assistant,” Trixie said, picking Zeeps back up.

Trixie carried Zeeps over to the children. They immediately recognized Zeeps’ disguise as Daring Do and rushed her joyfully. Trixie stood by and addressed them with her show-mare facade.

“Gather around, little hayseeds!” Trixie said happily. “Sit here and be amazed at the duo of The Great and Powerful Trixie and Daring Do! We will entertain you all with a few feats of magic!” Trixie began her show with a few simple tricks. She pulled coins from behind the ears of a few foals and made an apple disappear.

The children were delighted at Trixie’s display and cheered her on for more. The unicorn noticed that Zeeps had become more awake as the show continued. Trixie decided to involve her with the next trick.

“Now then, my little admirers,” Trixie began, “For the next trick, Daring Do will jump through a hoop of raging fire!” Trixie took out Zeeps’ whip which she had kept after their previous fight. She made a loop with the whip and then created the illusion of fire with her magical horn. The children all sat in awe of the realistic flames.

It was so convincing that even Zeeps took a step away.

“Uh, fire and I don’t get along,” Zeeps said with concern.

“Just do it, you wimp,” Trixie whispered back. “It’s magic.”

The children chanted for Daring Do to jump through the hoop. Zeeps took a few more steps back and then galloped towards Trixie. The changeling jumped awkwardly and Trixie had to move slightly so as not to ruin the trick, but Zeeps cleared the ring of fire before she stumbled to the floor. The colts and fillies all jumped up and cheered as they ran to hug who they perceived was Daring Do.

Trixie watched Zeeps regain her strength with the love of the children, but when the unicorn noticed that Zeeps’ eyes began to glow green and that many of the fillies and colts began to yawn from sudden exhaustion, Trixie concluded the show.

“Thank you all!” the unicorn said happily. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we must depart to San Anponio. You have been a wonderful audience!”

The children all gave a disappointing sigh, but wearily relented when Trixie pulled her partner away from the crowd. The two walked quickly back to the barn to pick up their belongings. As they stepped inside, Trixie magically levitated all the remaining food back into the sack and held it out for Zeeps to carry.

“Couldn’t I have just a little more?” Zeeps pleaded. “I haven’t tasted love like that since...” Zeeps’ voice trailed off, as if she had just recalled a shameful memory.

Trixie shoved the sack of food into Zeeps’ hooves. “Just be grateful I gave you that much,” Trixie replied. “I didn’t feel comfortable letting you harm little foals like that, but having an unconscious changeling on my hooves would be worse.”

Zeeps grumbled. “I’m not a vampire sucking out their blood,” she said. “They’ll just feel tired for a little while. Besides, they probably have an early bedtime anyway so I did their parents a favor.”

Trixie raised a hoof to Zeeps’ face for her counter-argument, but she was stopped by the distant noise of what sounded like a wooden fence splintering apart. Trixie slowly walked outside the barn and looked around for the source. She saw it to the west, just under the setting sun.

It looked like a large, shambling stallion made of clay that stood at least three heads taller than any stallion Trixie knew. The children ran back to their homes, frightened by this creature.

The unicorn stood there motionless in fearful awe. Zeeps stepped out of the barn to see what had stunned Trixie. The changeling swallowed hard.

“Is that another ‘pet’ of the Walkers?” Trixie asked the changeling.

“No, I’ve never seen it before,” Zeeps responded.

The clay creature pushed over a tool shed and then trampled it without concern. Several farmers called out warnings to their neighbors, but every pony still ran to hide. Trixie tightened her cape and retrieved her slingshot. As she marched with a slight limp toward the creature, Zeeps grabbed Trixie by the shoulder.

“Shouldn’t you be running for your life in the other direction?” Zeeps asked her.

“No,” Trixie said as she brushed off the changeling. “That creature is going to flatten these farms unless we do something to stop it.”

“Hold on,” Zeeps interrupted. “What do you mean ‘we’? You think an egotistical unicorn and a grounded changeling can take on a walking bulldozer? That’s a recipe for a massacre!”

Trixie handed Zeeps’ whip back. “Then let’s get cooking!” the unicorn stated bravely as she charged into battle.

“I meant our massacre!” Zeeps shouted before she hobbled in pursuit.

Trixie approached the clay stallion with her weapon drawn. The reddish creature appeared not to notice her as he gazed down at a wagon full of potatoes. The unicorn pulled back an iron sphere in her slingshot and fired it at the creature’s chest. The bullet struck true and pierced a shallow hole into the soft, clay skin.

The stallion snapped out of his daze with the delivered jolt of pain. He stared at Trixie angrily with small, beady yellow eyes.

“Prepare to be vanquished!” the unicorn stated loudly.

The creature responded with a powerful swat of a foreleg. Trixie tumbled backwards through the dirt. The small hole her bullet left mended itself quickly.

The clay stallion reared up to trample Trixie, but Zeeps arrived and cracked her whip at the creature’s backside. The changeling gulped fearfully as the clay creature turned around to stare down at her.

“Uh, Trixie,” Zeeps said hesitantly, “I got its attention. What’s the next step?”

Trixie sprang up from the ground and fired another bullet. This time she struck one of his forelegs. The clay stallion wobbled and fell painfully to a kneeling position. Trixie rushed forward and kicked the stallion in the ribs, but her hooves met a soft and sticky clay mass.

“Insolent bug!” the clay stallion growled.

“Wrong pony,” Trixie corrected. “You’ll want the pegasus over there.”

The stallion kicked Trixie back and sent her airborne for a dozen feet. Trixie hit the ground and tumbled into a water pump. He then turned his attention back to Zeeps who backed away slowly. The changeling cracked her whip at the stallion in an attempt to keep him away.

“Trixie, use that lightning attack you copied from Golden!” Zeeps pleaded.

The azure unicorn sat up and rubbed her aching head. “I don’t know how I did that!” she explained.

“Then how do we beat this thing?” Zeeps asked nervously. “It’s like fighting a rock.”

“I don’t know, appeal to its sense of morals?”

Zeeps jumped back as the stallion stomped the ground where she was standing. “It’s a clay monster trying to kill us,” Zeeps said. “I don’t think it has any morals!”

Trixie grabbed the pump’s rusty handle and pumped out a stream of water. She caught the falling water with her levitation magic and formed a ball with about half a gallon of liquid.

“Hey you, dough for brains!” Trixie taunted. She magically launched the sphere of water at the creature with all her might.

The stallion turned his head and took a face full of cold water. He clutched his face as the clay bubbled and partly melted. The creature gave a wailing cry that roared loud enough to scare away the tumble weeds. Zeeps was close enough to hear a snap-crackle sound bubble from the creature’s soggy face.

“Is it made out of a breakfast cereal?” Zeeps asked.

“I don’t know,” Trixie commented. “I didn’t expect that to happen.”

Zeeps quickly staggered over to the unicorn’s side. Trixie unleashed a blast of magical fireworks at the creature from her horn, but the spell fizzled to a dull smoke cloud upon contact with the clay stallion.

His attention focused on the unicorn and with the water’s burning effect done, the creature prepared to charge with all the fury that the two mares had invoked.

“Quick, pump more water!” Trixie instructed.

Zeeps pulled hard on the rusted handle. The fatigued metal bar snapped off from the pump and sat uselessly in the changeling’s hoof.

“Ah dung droppings,” Zeeps cursed softly.

“Seriously?” Trixie questioned the changeling. “Was this fight not challenging enough for you?”

Zeeps only shrugged sheepishly at the unicorn. The clay stallion charged in their direction and the two mares jumped out of his path. The heavy clay hooves of the stallion rumbled across the ground as it raced by, but the rumbling did not stop when the creature halted in his tracks.

A stampede of bison burst through the corn fields and drove straight at the creature. Trixie and Zeeps scrambled to get out of the way of the trampling herd. The bison collided at high speed with the clay stallion and drove him back across the dirt ground. The clay stallion’s body cracked painfully from the blow of horns. He quickly turned and fled through the tall corn field before further harm could come to him.

As the monster galloped away through the desert it angrily howled back at the bison.

With the creature on the run, Trixie waved her hat in gratitude. “Thank you, bison!”

The unicorn’s cheer was cut short when the bison surrounded her and Zeeps. The two mares stood back to back as the bison slowly closed in on them.

“I take it you don’t make many friends around these parts?” Zeeps asked Trixie.

“No, not usually,” the Unicorn replied.

“You both will be held responsible for Gung’s release!” the chief bison stated accusingly in a deep resonating tone.

“Gung? Oh, you mean that oversized clay pigeon we just tangled with?” Trixie asked. “That makes sense. I mean, that the creature is Gung. We didn’t release it, although I tend to get blamed a lot for crimes I don’t commit. Do bison have prisons?”

“Silence!” the chief commanded.

The bison slammed Trixie and Zeeps to the ground. The blow was particularly hard on the changeling and she lost control of her form. In a flash of green light Zeeps’ true identity was revealed. The bison collectively let out a gasp of surprise.

“A shifter!” cried one of the bison warriors.

Trixie saw several bison raise a hoof to crush Zeeps’ head in, but she threw herself over the changeling protectively. “No!” Trixie yelled out firmly. “This one is with me!”

“Yeah, I’m with her,” Zeeps added fearfully.

“Unicorn, you best step away from that shifter demon,” the chief said firmly.

“That’s not going to happen,” Trixie rebutted angrily, “And for your information, we do have names. I am Trixie Lulamoon and she is called Zeeps.”

“What happened to ‘great and powerful’?” Zeeps whispered curiously.

“Not now!” Trixie snapped back.

The bison chief leaned in closer to Trixie. “Why do you defend this wretched shifter?” he asked her with a look of disdain for the changeling. “These shifter demons treat love as food and know nothing of true emotions.”

“Not true, I know fear,” Zeeps corrected meekly.

Trixie resolutely stood her ground. “Yeah, maybe changelings are monsters that feed on our love,” she stated, “But, I have offered my friendship to this one and she willingly accepted it. Zeeps helped me out when Gung rampaged through here and if that isn’t an act of friendship, then we’re all just emotionless monsters.”

The chief didn’t reply, he only stood there and looked deep into Trixie’s eyes. He studied those small, purple irises and was able to tell that the unicorn spoke the truth.

“Also,” Trixie said in a softer tone, “Zeeps was manipulated by the true culprits. They’re called the Horizon Walkers, and they used the gem from this thing to release Gung.” Trixie pulled out the sketches she had of the Lunar Wand. She lit her horn magically to shed light on the drawings.

The bison gathered around and they nodded knowingly at the sketches. The chief snorted at the drawings and then turned to Zeeps.

“Very well, as long as you are under the protection of this unicorn, my warriors will not harm you,” the chief said. “However, you would be wise to hide your true nature in the presence of our tribe.”

Zeeps quickly transformed back into her Daring Do disguise. She was then pushed closer to Trixie and the two mares were escorted away from the farms.

“Come, I wish to hear your side of the story,” the chief said.

~ ~ ~

“The king, with his final breath, then cursed the traitorous fairy ponies into hard shells of the blackest night, never again to be touched by the warmth of love!” Trixie said with an eerie voice. She produced a green flash of magical fire from her hoof.

The bison children recoiled fearfully, but the older males looked on with genuine amusement at the unicorn’s performance.

Zeeps sat nearby as Trixie completed the pony legend of how changelings came to be. It was certainly… dark. Unfortunately, changelings didn’t have any epic tales regarding their own origins. Really, they had no tales at all. Creativity was stymied within the hive and changelings simply assumed that they evolved from a throwback branch of ancient ponies. It was a rather boring explanation, but it certainly painted changelings in a better light than ancient curses for betraying pony-kind.

Trixie sat down by Zeeps after she finished her storytelling. The bison of the Lunar Tribe, as they called themselves, treated the two mares fairly well as guests. It was a small nomadic tribe that was very traditional. Their tepees were hoof-woven from the vegetation they happen upon in their travels and their warriors were trained to use their own horns rather than accept more modern weapons.

Even the healing ointments rubbed on the two mares’ wounds were made entirely out of local plant ingredients.

However, Trixie wished they would at least adapt modern cooking methods. Not that the mare was ungrateful about the porridge they shared with her, but it tasted like it was seasoned with sand.

Well, they did live in a desert.

Chief Daybreaker was in his private tent with several warriors and shamans. They asked to study Trixie’s research on the Lunar Wand and had spent the last hour doing so in secrecy. While they did so, the azure unicorn was worried about the clay creature that still roamed the sand dunes out there. It was quite resilient to magic and very strong. A straight up fight here would not be won without several casualties. Then there was Golden who had flown off with a map that led to another of Grogar’s bells. The Horizon Walkers were close to acquiring the dangerous relic.

Trixie was now bothered with the time taken by the chief.

“Thanks for defending me back at the farm,” Zeeps whispered to Trixie.

The unicorn nodded. “You’re welcome, little hayseed,” she said. “How is your wing doing?”

Zeeps gently flapped her disguised wings. “It’s getting better. I’ll be buzzing in another day or so.”

“That’s good,” Trixie said.

“Yeah, but no hurry,” Zeeps commented. “I just want to rest for a bit, take in some of the bison’s interesting culture of stories and… whatever this stuff is that they eat.”

Trixie chuckled at the untouched bowl of porridge by Zeeps. The two mares watched several of the younger warriors start up a rain dance. The bison put a lot of passion into their dance, like dedicated artists with an epiphany and a blank canvas. Trixie leaned back against the rock she sat by and let out a gentle sigh.

“You’re enjoying the big aura of love around here, aren’t you?” Trixie asked.

“I only took a sip off two children,” Zeeps said defensively.

The chief’s tent opened and Daybreaker motioned for the two mares to enter. Trixie and Zeeps gave each other inquisitive glances before they followed the chief inside. Their nostrils were hit by the strong aroma of incense, accompanied by the slight sting of smoke in their eyes from an urn that sat in the center of the tent. The circle of bison around the urn shifted to let the mares sit among them.

“Now then, Moon Warrior and shifter demon,” Daybreaker began, “It is time you learned of what your Horizon Walkers have unleashed.”

“They’re no friends of mine,” Trixie responded.

“Why are they calling you Moon Warrior?” Zeeps asked the Unicorn.

Chief Daybreaker snorted. “That is what Lulamoon means in one of the ancient pony tongues. Bison and ponies share a common history many ages ago. I don’t expect a shifter demon to understand, but it is sad that pony-kind has forgotten the old ways.”

“You can call me a changeling,” an annoyed Zeeps stated. “I find it a lot less offensive than being called a demon, a bug, or a pony.”

“In the interest of speeding this along,” Trixie said politely, “Let’s stick to modernized names. Otherwise we’ll be explaining everything to Zeeps for a good two hours.”

“Very well,” the chief responded. “In a dark age long forgotten, Gung was a general for the demon known in the pony tongue as Grogar.”

“Surprise, surprise,” Trixie muttered in a slow, deadpan voice.

“After Grogar’s destruction,” Daybreaker continued, “Gung claimed one of Grogar’s magical bells with the intent of succeeding his master’s legacy. Our forefathers joined the old pony tribes and defeated Gung before his plans were realized. The ponies secretly buried the magical bell somewhere in the desert sands while the bison turned Gung into clay and buried him within the earth.”

Daybreaker leaned in closer to the mares. “My tribe is the last of the descendants that swore to ensure Gung’s tomb would never be opened. The curse upon Gung ensured he could not escape his seal alone, but it has also made him a powerful force that cannot be stopped by magic. Even the dark arts wielded by the Horizon Walkers are useless against him. We must battle him by our strength alone.”

“See, this is why I hate curses,” Trixie said. “They always create an unintended side effect such as undeath, madness, or immunity to an easy fix.”

“What is done is done,” Daybreaker stated. “Now we must prevent Gung from acquiring Grogar’s bell and gaining more power.”

“Mosaic said something at the tomb about finding that bell too,” Zeeps said inquisitively. “The Walkers aren’t starting a band, are they?”

“Not even close,” Trixie explained. “Each bell is a powerful relic that controls a basic element of magic. My friends and I destroyed one that controlled fire several months ago. There are others, but no one is sure how many bells still exist.”

Daybreaker nodded. “We also do not know what element this bell possesses either, but any magic in Gung’s hooves would be disastrous for both bison and pony-kind.”

“And to changelings, I imagine,” Zeeps quietly added.

“For now it appears Gung does not know the bell’s location,” Daybreaker said. “His movements seem almost random. However, the Horizon Walkers were determined to acquire something in Gung’s tomb. I do not know of anything there that would have helped them find Grogar’s bell. The old pony tribes erased all knowledge of the bell’s whereabouts.”

Trixie’s memories slapped her with an epiphany. “Not all knowledge! There was a metal lid the Walkers took from the tomb. I remember that underneath that lid there was map. What if that map led to the location of the bell?”

“How and why would the bison draw a map to the bell for Gung to follow?” a confused Zeeps asked. “They didn’t know where the bell was buried.”

“Maybe they didn’t,” Trixie countered, “But perhaps Gung still had loyal followers within the ranks of the ponies back then. All it takes is one loyalist to secretly draw the map before Gung was buried.”

“A betrayal that spans the ages,” Daybreaker said with a sad, ponderous expression. “If Gung knew of the old map, then he is searching for that lid now.” Daybreaker sat back, lost in thought.

“However, in life, Gung possessed a keen sense of direction to anything that touched the earth. If he still does, then why is his search random? Why can he not sense that map yet?”

Trixie and Zeeps knew the answer immediately. “Golden’s airship!” they shouted in unison.

The bison did not understand the statement from the two mares. Trixie rose to her hooves and pulled Zeeps up alongside her. The unicorn closed her eyes and recalled what the airship looked like. Her magic flowed out of her horn and conjured a small, ghostly replica of the red airship in Trixie’s left hoof.

“Chief Daybreaker, that lid was taken onboard this ship,” Trixie explained. “It flies through the air, so I assume that until it touches the ground, Gung cannot sense it?”

Chief Daybreaker nodded at the fair theory proposed.

“So if Gung is still wandering erratically,” Trixie continued, “Then the airship has not yet landed. However, once it does, Gung will make a straight gallop for the lid.”

“Debon and the Horizon Walkers are hiding in San Anponio,” Zeeps added. “That’ll be the airship’s logical destination.”

Chief Daybreaker stood up. “Then we must hurry to your city before Gung does! I will round up the warriors and we shall head out immediately.” He marched out of the tent, and behind him the other bison closely followed.

Zeeps gave Trixie a glance of grim seriousness before they followed the bison back outside. As they walked among the tribe, Zeeps whispered her concerns to Trixie.

“You know that the Walkers are going to outnumber us in a fight,” Zeeps said apprehensively.

“Yes, I expect that to be the case,” Trixie affirmed.

“And you know that a charging stampede of bison will cause the city to panic,” Zeeps continued. “We’ll have both the police and the royal guard coming down on us.”

“I’m sure we will.”

Zeeps frowned. “So what’s your plan? I highly doubt you have a magic spell under that hat of yours that’ll keep us from getting killed.”

“We don’t need magic,” Trixie said confidently. “I still have a few good tricks under my cape.”

“And that’ll help us how?” Zeeps asked.

Trixie thought for a moment before she responded with a whimsical voice. “The tenth rule for being great and powerful is that a sufficiently disguised trick is indistinguishable from magic.”

The changeling stopped in her tracks. “What in the queen’s name is that supposed to mean?”

Chapter 5 – Motion versus Action

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The desert air was very cold tonight. The wind bit into Trixie’s legs as she traveled atop the galloping chief bison. Flanking Chief Daybreaker was twelve of his best warriors. Trixie hoped they would be enough to defeat Gung. She tried to relax as she rode across the desert, but her mind swam with thoughts on how the Horizon Walkers could be prevented from claiming Grogar’s bell.

Zeeps was also unable to relax, but that was because the changeling had a legitimate fear of being trampled if she fell off her bison. The changeling even discarded her Daring Do form to concentrate on hanging on to her ride.

Trixie saw the gas globe lights of San Anponio on the horizon. They were close now, but a stampede of bison into the city was not the attention the unicorn wanted. Trixie focused her thoughts on the spell she banked on to get them inside without a fight.

“Remember chief,” Trixie shouted to Daybreaker, “Just keep charging toward the town. The magic will take care of our cover.”

Trixie stood up precariously on the bison’s back. Horn forward, she concentrated mightily on a large illusion to cover the thirteen bison warriors around her. Her horn lit up brightly as a magical aura flowed out and around the bison like a thick blanket. In just few seconds the bison were disguised as an approaching sandstorm.

Trixie sat back down, exhausted from the grand spell she had just cast. She held on despite the exertion the illusion placed upon her, and Trixie found strength in her determination to set things right before Debon or Gung could achieve their goals.

“Alright, head for the big warehouses there,” Trixie pointed out wearily.

The streets of San Anponio were filled with crowds of ponies this night. The perceived approaching sandstorm caused many ponies to run inside for cover. The storm reached the town’s outlying cobblestone streets and then died suddenly like a snuffed candle. A hoof-full of onlookers that remained on the streets patted themselves down in bewilderment. Not a grain of sand was on them.

The bison shuffled quietly into an open warehouse. The building was spacious, but filled with stacked crates that could easily hide the bison should the law arrive.

Trixie scanned the city skyline from one of the warehouse windows. She sat on a wooden box to recover from her grand illusion spell, but her rest was short-lived when Trixie spotted Golden’s red airship anchored to a large mansion. It appeared damaged with loose ropes and sagging sails, but there were ponies on the deck that busied themselves with repairs.

Trixie knew she had to work quickly before Gung arrived or the Walkers left. The map to the bell was about to be fought over and the azure unicorn needed front row seats to that match.

“The airship is here, chief,” Trixie said quietly, “But there’s a big celebration going on in the streets. Keep a watch for Gung and do what you have to before he reaches the population. Zeeps and I will sneak aboard the airship and look for the lid.”

“Wait a click,” Zeeps interrupted. “At what point did I agree to follow you into danger?”

“When you joined Team Trixie,” the unicorn answered.

“Remember little shifter,” Daybreaker warned, “That your kind is in no less danger should Gung succeed in acquiring the bell.” The chief narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Zeeps.

The changeling sank back slightly from the bison. “Right, point taken,” Zeeps said. “So, we sneak on board the ship and find the lid. Then what? I hope you have a very wide pocket in that cloak of yours because the lid weighs more than a changeling brood.”

“I was thinking of destroying it actually,” Trixie replied.

Zeeps tilted her head to the right as she pondered the idea. “Hmm, I suppose you’re pretty good at that,” she commented, “But what about the Walkers? Do you think your illusions will fool them?”

Trixie waved off the question. “It’ll come to a fight, I’m sure,” the unicorn said, “But I have two friends to help us stave off the Walkers until my distraction arrives.”

“Distraction?” Zeeps asked. “What distraction?”

“Gung,” Trixie said firmly. “Once he’s here the Walkers are sure to pay attention to him and not us.” She removed and stowed her purple cape in the saddle-belt’s largest pocket as she walked toward the warehouse exit. Trixie put a hoof on the door, but stopped when she noticed that the changeling seemed quite eager to follow her outside.

Trixie thought Zeeps was going to be frightful of the idea that they would fight both Gung and a group of magic-wielding ponies. At least, sane folks were usually frightful of such prospects.

“Why are you suddenly looking so enthusiastic?” Trixie asked.

Zeeps pushed the door open. “You said there’s a big celebration outside, right?” the changeling happily stated. “There’s going to be food, party-goers, and joy all around.” Zeeps transformed herself to appear as a plain, tan earth pony with a brown mane before she skipped out onto the streets.

Trixie ran after the eager changeling. “For you that’s three of the same thing!”

~ ~ ~

Trixie and Zeeps pushed through the crowded downtown streets of San Anponio. The residents were in full celebration of the recent arrival of Princess Luna, complete with food, drinks, and music that stretched across several city blocks. There was a good amount of sense to throw an evening party in the honor of the Princess of the Night, but given that Luna was nowhere around, Trixie guessed most folks here used it as an excuse just to get drunk.

The distractions were everywhere and that gave Trixie hope that she would not be stopped by adoring, and drunk, fans in the streets. She pulled her Stetson forward to prevent excessive eye contact with the crowds.

The two mares arrived at the small hotel Ellie was staying at. The old stucco on the outside was peeling badly, but the wood-frame interiors were much better kept. Trixie glanced back to ensure the changeling was still with her and didn’t get lost in the ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet of party loving ponies. Strangely, Zeeps looked a bit queasy to her.

“You alright, hayseed?” Trixie asked.

“I feel a bit dizzy,” Zeeps said. “All the drunken emotions here are a bit overwhelming.” The disguised mare made a sour face as if her stomach turned.

Trixie wasn’t sure if this was the changeling equivalent of intoxication or food poisoning. “Serves you right for eating cheap food,” she scolded. “Come on, let’s get inside and grab my friends.”

Zeeps stumbled through the doorway as she followed Trixie past the hotel’s reception desk. “Go get yourself chained to a post and fed only once a day for a week like I was,” the changeling muttered angrily, “Then see if you don’t dive at every morsel that walks by.”

“Not the point,” Trixie countered. The old wooden steps creaked softly as they walked up the stairs. “You just can’t… like, don’t shove everything edible in your mouth. You have to… you know, pick only the ripe fruit from the basket and… use utensils or something, and chew your food slowly to savor it.”

Trixie just realized she was arguing dining etiquette with a changeling.

“I don’t get it,” a confused Zeeps said flatly. “Are ponies the fruits or the basket?”

“I’m just going to say ‘none of the above’ and be done with this conversation,” Trixie replied.

The two mares stopped at the last room of the dimly lit hall, and Trixie knocked firmly on the door. There was a shuffling sound from a bed and then hoof-steps that approached the door. The knob made a single ‘click’ sound before it turned and the door opened. Trixie saw Ellie’s curious face peek from behind the door.

“Trixie?” Ellie asked in surprise.

“No, I’m Princess Luna’s secret love child,” the unicorn sarcastically said as she forced her way into the small hotel room. “I don’t have time for questions. Where’s Cheryl?”

“I’m right here, blue bunko,” Cheryl said from a chair at the far end of the room. The chocolate-coated earth pony stood up and walked over to the unicorn.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

“No questions!” Trixie interrupted. “Look, I need you two to help me break into the Horizon Walkers’ hideout before a rampaging pony made of clay destroys San Anponio.”

Ellie blinked as she tried to absorb all that information at once. Cheryl leaned in closer to Trixie and tried to see if the unicorn had any signs of a concussion on her forehead. She saw nothing unusual on the azure unicorn, so Cheryl turned her attention to the stranger that stood in the doorway.

“Who’s you’re friend?” Cheryl asked as she pointed to Zeeps.

Zeeps’ body flashed with sickly green light. Her body changed from the plain tan earth pony into the renowned fictional pegasus, Daring Do. Zeeps struck a pose for Trixie’s friends, but instead of a greeting, the changeling was met with a slammed door in her face courtesy of Ellie.

“Oww!” Zeeps exclaimed from behind the door.

“What is she?” Ellie asked apprehensively.

Trixie opened the door with her magical horn. “Girls this is Zeeps. Now, I’m going to level with you two on something important and you both have to trust me on this. Zeeps is a changeling, but she’s on our side.”

Ellie slammed the door shut again and Cheryl casually reached for the empty coat rack stand to use as a weapon. Trixie slapped the green-maned pegasus on the back of the head before she magically yanked the coat rack away from the earth pony.

“Hold the mustard you two!” Trixie commanded. “I said she’s on our side!”

Trixie put the coat rack down and opened the door. Zeeps stood there with a hoof on her very tender nose. The unicorn pulled the changeling in and closed the door behind her. With both fore-hooves Trixie waved everyone to take a seat on the hotel room bed.

“Zeeps, this is Ellie and Cheryl,” Trixie said. “They’re my well-intentioned but apparently untrusting friends.” Trixie gave a quick disappointing look at her two friends before she continued.

“Girls, this is Zeeps. She was the one posing as Daring Do yesterday. Yes, she is a changeling, but please ignore that trivial bit of information for the sake of helping me out before this town gets trampled by an ancient evil released by the Horizon Walkers, okay?”

“Believe her, she’s had a long day,” Zeeps added.

Ellie and Cheryl exchanged a long, confused look. Cheryl sat back and gave up arguing, but Ellie's curiosity made her speak up. “Alright, Trixie, I’ll help you. However, could you please give me the courtesy of an explanation on where you went this morning, what this evil is, and why you teamed up with a changeling?”

“I can explain,” Zeeps said.

“No time, I’ll summarize,” Trixie interrupted. “Early this morning I was hired to translate ancient writings at a dig site. It turns out that what I translated was a puzzle on how to open a tomb that sealed away Gung, one of Grogar’s generals from ancient times. ” Trixie used her illusion magic to draw simple images in the air as she told the story.

“The Horizon Walkers showed up and took a map from the tomb that leads to one of Grogar’s bells. They brought that map here, and Gung is about to show up and fight them for it.”

“Oh, well that’s not too bad,” Ellie said optimistically. “The Walkers can destroy him for us.”

Zeeps interrupted with a correction. “Except Gung was apparently cursed and is now in the form of a large and very angry clay stallion that is resistant to magical attacks.”

Ellie’s smile faded off her face. “Oh, that part could be a problem,” she whispered worriedly.

“Anyway,” Trixie said loudly to retake control of the conversation, “Zeeps was a tool of the Walkers used to help get the gem off the Lunar Wand that opened the tomb that unleashed Gung. She’s been used, I’ve been used, and now we’re going to deliver some payback and I’d like you two to help us with that.”

Trixie took in a deep breath. “The bell’s map is on a red airship that’s anchored over one of the mansions. We break in, smash the map, and then try to convince the local law to save our collective flanks from the fight we will most likely provoke out of the Horizon Walkers. Gung should also be arriving soon, so we’ll have to regroup with a tribe of bison warriors to help them defeat Gung before he rampages through the city.”

The illusions in the air all evaporated as the azure unicorn stopped to catch her breath from the bout of exposition she just gave.

“You forgot one little detail there partner,” Cheryl said.

Ellie perked up. “Oh! Trixie wouldn’t know that if she wasn’t here today!”

“What don’t I know?” Trixie asked impatiently.

Cheryl pointed to the one window the room had. “Right now Princess Luna is attending a big fancy dinner with the retired mayor and one of the running candidates. You get one guess who the candidate is and which mansion the shindig’s at.”

Trixie’s face lit up like a bonfire soaked in kerosene. “Yes, this is perfect! I’ll crash the party while you gals go smash the map before it can be used.”

“Are you crazy?” Cheryl scolded. “Do you want to cause a ruckus out there in front of the princess and what are likely a half-dozen of her armed personal guards?”

“Yes,” Trixie responded as she donned her cloak again. “Yes I do.” The unicorn adjusted her saddle-belt and marched for the exit.

Ellie and Cheryl, against their better judgment, stood up and grabbed their gear. Cheryl gave Zeeps a hard look before she motioned for the changeling to come with them. The three had to trot quickly down the hall to catch up with Trixie’s long stride.

“What do you reckon is worse, Ellie?” Cheryl asked. “That we now got a changeling among us or that Trixie is still the more dangerous pony?”

“It helps if you don’t stand too close to her,” Zeeps interrupted. “Trixie’s luck has a wide blast radius.”

“I can hear you back there,” Trixie said firmly.

~ ~ ~

The colossal outdoor party continued to fill the streets with laughter, merriment, screams, and passion. It was that third item on the list that caught Trixie’s attention because those weren’t screams of joy. They were the kind associated with absolute terror.

Trixie climbed on top of an apple cart to get a better view. The crowds began to move in a unifying direction away from the south and the screams began to intensify. She saw ponies scattering from what appeared to be an involved fight down the street. Among the participants of this fracas were ponies, bison, and what was most certainly the large clay creature named Gung.

“Is that the evil you were talking about?” Cheryl asked.

Trixie jumped down from the cart and turned to her friends. “Yeah, he’s already here. Alright, let’s get to that mansion and destroy that map. Remember gals, you’re looking for a large, round metal disk with a map etched on one side. Ruin the map as best you can and then get off that ship quickly.”

“A bit simple, don’t you think?” Cheryl skeptically questioned.

“That’s all we have time for,” Trixie replied. “Gung will be making his way to that mansion with all deliberate speed and we need that map destroyed before he gets it.”

“How much time do you reckon we have to do this?” Ellie asked.

The screaming crowds finally reached them. Ponies ran past them toward their homes for safety as the fight slowly worked its way up the street.

“Um, about thirty seconds,” the unicorn answered.

“Wait, what?” Ellie stammered.

Trixie led her three friends down an alley on a path toward the former mayor’s house. She hustled the group along as fast as they were capable of running because every second counted tonight.

The four mares reached the mansion grounds under the cover of shadow from the neighboring homes. The battle with Gung was still far enough away that this neighborhood had not noticed there even was a cursed clay stallion within the city limits. This gave the girls time to use stealth before all of Tartarus broke loose.

There was very little in the way of a lawn or fencing between the homes here. The spaces between the houses were small, separated by low walls made of cobblestone and mortar. The party inside the retired mayor’s three story mansion was easy to spot and Trixie thought she saw a few familiar faces from Debon’s usual circle of friends there.

How many of them were Horizon Walkers she couldn’t tell.

It was easier to just assume they were all members.

Golden’s red airship was anchored to the ground outside the mansion’s rear entrance. It hovered quietly just above the mansion’s roof, but tied down so that it wouldn’t drift into the home. The only audible noise from the ship was the crew hammering on the repairs.

Trixie nodded at Ellie and Cheryl to proceed with their part of the plan while she pulled Zeeps along to the mansion. The mares moved quickly on their expected parts of the plan. Time had run out earlier than Trixie had hoped, but then that was how her luck rolled.

The azure unicorn thought that perhaps it was best to be direct and warn everyone inside of the coming danger. Unfortunately Trixie and Zeeps looked like a circus act gone wrong with the dirt on their clothes and mangled manes that hung unkempt.

Trixie retrieved a brush from her saddle-belt and combed her hair quickly. “Zeeps, think you can disguise yourself as a handsome stallion escort for me?” Trixie inquired to the changeling. “Looking like Daring Do might not get us taken seriously.”

“Do you have a description?” Zeeps countered. “It’s easier if I have a reference to work with.”

“Well, just make yourself look like a chiseled pony with a well-groomed mane and a winning smile,” Trixie explained. “Think of a stallion that would be worthy of escorting a beauty like myself.”

“Oh, so basically a male version of you,” Zeeps said jokingly.

“You know what? Forget I asked,” an annoyed Trixie stated.

The two mares approached the mansion’s front entrance and were stopped by the mayor’s portly butler and one of the Canterlot Royal Guards. The butler gave a disdained look at the dirty attire Trixie and Zeeps wore. He cleared his throat and held out his fore-hoof expectantly.

“Your invitation tickets, ma’am,” the butler demanded.

Trixie stood tall. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie and this is unstoppable Daring Do!” the unicorn stated with a flourish of her purple cape. “We do not need an invitation!”

The butler did not waver. “I am sorry, ma’am, but this is a private party. You cannot enter without an invitation.” He gestured to the guard who lowered his spear against Zeeps.

“Ma’am, could you please remove your hat,” the guard asked firmly.

Zeeps slowly took off her pith helmet. The guard leaned in close and studied Zeeps’ eyes carefully. It only took a moment for the guard to recognize the changeling for who she was.

“You!” the guard shouted as he reached for Zeeps.

“Her!” Trixie interrupted. The unicorn punched the royal guard out in one blow between the eyes.

“Me!” Zeeps added as the changeling knocked the fat butler down with a head-butt to the temple.

Trixie shook her painful fore-hoof from the blow she just delivered while Zeeps looked around to ensure no pony saw their assault.

“Is this part of the plan?” Zeeps commented.

“No, but we’ll fall back to rule number eight for being great and powerful,” Trixie explained. “’Forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission.’” After she regained her composure, Trixie led the way into the mansion unopposed.

Ellie looked up at the hovering airship and took a calculated estimate of how high it was off the ground. She lowered her goggles over her eyes and then strapped on a grappling hook device to her left foreleg. Cheryl glanced around to ensure that no pony was watching them as Ellie tightened a spring.

“Is that thing going to reach the ship?” Cheryl asked.

Ellie shook her head. “Not from down here, but if we climb up the mansion, we could easily reach the ship’s main deck from the roof.” Ellie snuck around the mansion grounds towards the back.

Cheryl followed the silent pegasus and the two reached the corner of the home without being spotted. Ellie climbed up first along the mansion’s downspout and Cheryl was close behind her. It was an easy climb, but the spout began to creak under the weight of the two mares as they reached the third story.

“I hope this thing doesn’t break on us,” Cheryl muttered.

“Don’t be so negative,” Ellie scolded. “If you’re so concerned, then let’s space ourselves apart to distribute our weight on this thing.”

“You two, halt!” shouted a female voice from below.

Ellie and Cheryl looked down and saw two pegasi guards flying up towards them. The pegasi brandished spears and pointed them at the intruding climbers. Ellie was surprised to see that without their helmets on, these two royal guards were in fact mares.

“What are you two doing?” Spade asked them as she hovered close to the trespassers.

“I bet they're spies!” Spearmint shouted. “This one has some kind of spy gadget on her!” She pointed to the odd contraption strapped to Ellie’s foreleg.

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Yup, this was a stupid idea,” she said flatly.

“Well if you want to get down,” Ellie countered, “I can make it real quick for you.”

“I said,” Spade asked again firmly, “What are you two doing?”

“Hanging around, what’s it look like?” Cheryl responded sarcastically.

“Alright loudmouth,” Spade stated, “I want you both to get off this downspout right now!”

Spearmint threatened Cheryl with her spear. “You spies are under arrest! Any attempt to resist and I’ll have you swinging from the gallows!”

Ellie suddenly received an epiphany and she looked down at Cheryl. “I have a Trixie idea.”

“A Trixie idea?” Cheryl asked. “Wait, you mean we…?”

“No ideas!!” Spearmint shouted.

Cheryl grabbed on tightly to Ellie’s rear legs as the green-maned pony pulled a pin from her grappling hook device. The invention fired off a wired hook right past Spearmint and at the airship. The grappling hook latched onto the wooden hull and Ellie pushed off from the mansion. Spearmint dove forward at them, but her spear missed the quick-swinging mares.

As the two friends swung under the airship, Ellie pulled a second pin on her invention. The wire quickly rewound back into the device and dragged both Ellie and Cheryl up to the airship. With a light thud the two hit the side of the airship hull and hung there precariously.

“Wow, that actually worked,” Ellie said with surprise.

“Yeah, well don’t just hang around for them guards to catch up!” Cheryl scolded. She climbed up Ellie’s backside and reached out for some loose rigging.

Ellie pulled the grappling hook loose from the ship. She then climbed up with Cheryl to the railing of the airship’s main deck. The two royal guards caught up with them and swooped in for an attack.

“Your luck has run out, spies!” Spearmint shouted.

A lightning bolt of near black light shot between Ellie and Cheryl and missed them by inches. Instinctively Cheryl dove to the ship’s deck for cover. The two guards halted in their charge and landed on the railing. The spell was unfamiliar to the guards, but Ellie and Cheryl had seen it before.

“Who threw that?” Spade asked.

A cream-coated earth pony with a red mane stepped forward from the ship’s crew. “I did,” Golden said. “I want you all off my ship.”

“Stand down citizen,” Spade commanded. “We are arresting these two ponies here for trespassing.” She pointed at Ellie and Cheryl.

“Yeah, keep your lightning stuff to yourself!” Spearmint added. “What kind of spell is… wait, you’re an earth pony! How did you cast that?”

“Like this,” Golden replied.

With a quick flourish of her hooves Golden fired another bolt of black lightning at Spearmint. The dark spell struck the pegasus in the chest. Spearmint’s body convulsed and she flailed uncontrollably. Her spear caught one of Spade’s wings and tore through it accidentally. Spearmint fell over backwards off the railing.

Gravity was more than happy to take over from here.

“Mint!!” Spade shouted as she clutched her bleeding wing. The injury prevented her from diving after her falling comrade.

Ellie quickly jumped off the airship after the tumbling Spearmint. Wings closed tight, Ellie gained on the unconscious guard and reached her before the ground did. She grabbed Spearmint and unfurled her wings in a hard pull against her dive.

The green-maned pegasus leveled out over the street and avoided colliding with the ground. The carriage that just moved into her path, however, was an unexpected obstacle.

Ellie and Spearmint hit the canvas carriage with enough force to smashing right through it. The elderly passenger inside screamed in fright as the two mares toppled his ride over in a tangled mess.

“Oh, I hope that hurt,” Golden said slyly.

“Lady, you’re just plumb evil!” Cheryl angrily accused.

Spade stepped down from the railing to the ship’s deck. She stood by Cheryl, her spear held tightly in her hooves and pointed to the dangerous spell throwing mare across the deck.

“Who is this pony?” Spade asked Cheryl.

“Golden Jubilee,” the pink-maned pony responded. “About as rotten as apple compost.”

“Excuse me, I’m right here,” an annoyed Golden stated. “You don’t want to talk directly to me? Fine! Workers, throw them off my ship!”

The airship crew grabbed heavy tools and slowly converged on the two intruders. Spade and Cheryl were outnumbered four-to-one and neither of them could currently fly away to safety. Cheryl thought about what Trixie would do in a situation like this, but the only idea in mind was to jump off the ship and somehow do something resourceful that wouldn’t get all four of her legs broken.

Unfortunately Cheryl wasn’t as creative as Trixie so she fell back to her own tried-and-true ideas. She launched herself forward and punched the nearest crew member in the face.

Chapter 6 – Do Good to Win Your Enemies

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Trixie and Zeeps passed the velvet-lined hallway of the living room and entered the adjoining grand ball room where the party was held. It was a very high-class gathering, the kind where the mares all wore jewelry that was more valuable than Trixie’s net worth. Granted, Trixie had very little in physical wealth to her name, but the principle still stood. The room was well lit by gem-studded gas globes anchored along the walls, the place settings at the tables were made from pearly-white porcelain that sat atop a fine red silk tablecloth, and the wines were old enough to legally vote in the province of San Anponio.

Trixie and Zeeps stood out quite glaringly, and the azure unicorn was going to use this fact to her advantage. Trixie smirked at the changeling. “Ready to put on a show?” she asked.

Zeeps shrugged. “You’re the stage. I’m just here to work the curtain.”

Trixie hoped that wasn’t a changeling euphemism for something. The azure unicorn pressed through crowds and towards a band that played classical music. The guests mingled among their peers, but they glanced warily to the unicorn in the dirty purple cape that passed them. Trixie only smiled back at the crowds with an expression that said she was up to something.

At the far end of the ballroom, not far from the band, was the VIP table. There sat Debon, Victor, and the recently retired mayor of San Anponio. The former mayor had a dull gray coat and only wore a simple white vest. By contrast, Debon’s shiny and well groomed fur, as well as his bold red vest, made the old mayor look insignificant.

In between them sat the most important guest here, the co-ruler of Equestria known as Princess Luna. Her simple purple dress complimented nicely with her dark sapphire blue coat and silver tiara. Behind the princess to either side were two royal bodyguards. Trixie recognized them from the train ride as Pike and his superior, Lance.

Trixie reached the long buffet table near the classical music band. She found herself standing behind the art appraiser, Artemis, who held a plate filled with deviled eggs. Trixie didn’t see any deviled eggs on the table, so she assumed that the portly stallion took the entire batch. Sadly, this didn’t surprise Trixie.

Artemis turned to leave the table and nearly walked right into the azure unicorn. “You!” he barked with surprise.

“Yes, it’s me,” Trixie said proudly. The unicorn glanced at Zeeps and noticed the changeling was about to throw a punch. With lightning reflexes, Trixie grabbed Zeeps’ hoof and stopped the impending assault.

“We did this already,” Trixie scolded.

Artemis appeared unaware of Zeeps’ intent to harm him. “What are you doing here?” he asked Trixie.

The azure unicorn stepped around him to the table. “I’m grabbing an appetizer before you eat them all,” she explained. “Where’s your assistant?”

“You mean Mosaic?” Artemis asked. “I don’t know. That lazy mare disappeared this morning and she’s as good as fired for all I care.” The stallion turned to Zeeps, who he believed was Daring Do, and placed his free fore-hoof on her shoulder.

“Are you looking for a job?” Artemis asked as he sucked up a deviled egg off his plate. “Because a smart go-getter like you is exactly the kind of mare I need by my side. Think of the beautiful art we could appraise together!”

“You smell like mayonnaise,” Zeeps replied with a disgusted expression.

“If you’ll excuse us,” Trixie said to Artemis as she pulled Zeeps away from him.

Trixie swiped an hors d'oeuvre from the buffet table as she walked toward the music band. She didn’t know what the food was that she held, but Trixie didn’t plan to eat it anyway. She magically levitated her slingshot out from under her cape, drew back the hors d'oeuvre, and fired it at the band’s conductor.

She nailed him right in the ear.

The band halted on a jarring musical note. It took only seconds for the entire room to turn their attention towards the two party crashers. Murmurs and whispers quickly pointed out the identities of the two ballroom intruders. Luna’s guards stepped forward to defend the princess from an armed Trixie. Debon looked like he was more bored than surprised.

Trixie stood tall in the center of the crowd’s attention. It was time for the show and she mentally recited her second rule of being great and powerful. ‘The art of acting consists in keeping ponies from coughing.’

“Can I help you, Miss Lulamoon?” an annoyed Debon asked as he rose up from his table. His golden eyes appeared almost otherworldly under the light of the ballroom’s globes.

“Debon, I’m crushed,” Trixie said in a dramatically overacted performance. “Here you are, throwing a delightful little party, and you didn’t send me an invitation?”

“Maybe it was lost in the mail?” Zeeps suggested.

“No it wasn’t,” Debon interrupted. “Miss Lulamoon, you are not welcome here. Please leave now and do not return or I will press charges of trespassing.”

“I see how it is,” Trixie said with a gesture to Princess Luna. “A pretty unicorn like me just isn’t good enough for your tastes. You want the upgraded model with wings. I bet you know how to preen them too.”

There was a loud gasp from the entire crowd at what may very well have been Equestria’s most scandalous faux pas of the year. Even the two guards stood there temporarily stunned.

“Burn!” shouted an inebriated copper stallion from the far corner of the ballroom.

Luna slammed her fore-hooves on the table as she stood up angrily. “Excuse me?!” the princess asked loudly. “Pray tell me your name so that I may know who to spit my bile on!”

Trixie took a bow as she sheathed her slingshot. “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie and this is Zeeps the changeling,” she said triumphantly. “We are here to rescue you from Gung, an ancient evil here that was unleashed by the misguided group of fools known as the Horizon Walkers.”

“That’s right,” Zeeps added, “This is an evil creature made of evil clay of the vilest evil!”

The two royal guards leaped over the table and surrounded Zeeps with spears drawn. “Hooves in the air, changeling! We have you at last!” shouted Lieutenant Lance.

“I think you oversold it,” Trixie whispered to the changeling.

“Well, you told them I was a changeling!” Zeeps countered.

Trixie let out snort. “Yeah, like they’d believe your fictional character disguise of Daring Do?”

“Enough banter!” Debon shouted as he tossed his napkin on the table. “Miss Lulamoon, you are a pony non grata here and I will see to it that you are arrested for this indignity against my guests and the crown!”

Princess Luna walked around the table toward Trixie. She raised a fore-hoof at Zeeps and cast a spell upon the changeling. Zeeps felt a sudden pinch in her head that forced her to drop the Daring Do form. The crowd let out a second gasp when the changeling’s true insect-like form appeared in a flash of sickly green light.

Luna was appalled. “I cannot believe that you would dare bring a changeling into our presence and then insult me with the pretense of a rescue,” Luna said bewildered. “You are the most arrogant pony I have ever met!”

Screams from pony folk filled the streets outside the mansion. The guests moved toward the windows to see what the commotion was about. They saw ponies running away from the mansion and down the street in absolute terror. Without warning, a towering clay stallion smashed through the front door. He slowly lumbered his way through house and towards the ball room.

“Oh thank Celestia,” Trixie thought. “My stupid distraction finally arrived.”

The clay creature batted furniture aside as it strode into the ballroom. The crowd scattered in all directions with piercing screams of panic. Tables were overturned from the chaos of the fleeing ponies, and Debon used this hysteria to cover his own exit within the panicked crowds.

The two royal guards turned their spears at the clay giant, but Gung marched at them defiantly. The clay monster slammed his hooves at Lance and knocked the guard to the floor. Pike retaliated and drove his spear at Gung’s clay-like hide, but the spear snapped in two as it struck Gung with little effect.

The clay stallion lifted Pike up by the throat and brought him to eye level.

“Your primitive weapon cannot harm me. I am the mighty Gung!” the creature bellowed. With a heave, Gung threw Pike across the ballroom. The guard bounced off the wall and then landed motionless on the floor.

“Got any ideas?” Zeeps asked.

“Um, running away comes to mind,” Trixie replied.

Gung turned his attention to the familiar looking azure unicorn. Before he could say anything, a large table hurled through the air and collided with Gung. The clay stallion reeled back and dropped onto several chairs. The furniture was crushed under Gung’s immense weight.

Trixie looked to the source of the thrown table. She saw that Luna had stepped forward and challenged the might of this powerful monster.

“Welcome to Equestria,” Luna stated. “Now return to whence you came or be destroyed!”

Gung stood up and roared angrily. Luna pointed her long horn at the clay stallion. Light began to magically condense around her horn and build to a brilliant white light. Luna fired the magical bolt of energy at Gung, but the creature proved resilient as the spell fizzled harmlessly off his chest. Gung charged at Princess Luna in retaliation.

Trixie dove at Luna and pushed her away from the path of Gung’s unstoppable charge. The creature continued past them and crashed through the wall at the back end of the ball room. Luna rolled on the floor as stucco rained around her from Gung’s collision. The princess came to rest on her back with Trixie laying over her in a near compromising position.

“I had pictured this rescue to be a bit more graceful,” Trixie explained to the princess.

“Get off me, you ruffian!” Luna barked as she shoved the azure unicorn away. “I see that you were not entirely false with your claims of an evil creature, but now stand aside while I slay this monstrosity.”

“Your highness, Gung is cursed with the body of magically immune clay,” Trixie explained. “No offense, but your spells will just bounce off him.”

“That would seem to be less of a curse and more of a spiteful benefit,” Luna said with a frown.

Gung stumbled back to the ballroom in a raging fit. Trixie and Luna slowly backed away towards the kitchen. Gung readied another charge, which in turn precipitated Trixie to think of an immediate escape plan.

“Zeeps, get the guards out!” Trixie commanded. “I’ll protect the princess!”

The changeling reached for the injured Lance. The lieutenant grabbed Zeeps’ hoof with a serious expression of disapproval. Zeeps froze with fear, unable to read the guard’s intentions. However, Lance slowly let her go and pointed to his comrade.

“Help me carry Pike out,” he ordered the changeling.

Zeeps obeyed and followed Lance to pick Pike off the floor. Meanwhile Trixie tugged on Luna to follow her towards the kitchen. As the azure unicorn began to move, she stopped at the sight of a locket dropped on the floor.

The locket contained an old photo of Trixie’s mother, Jessenia.

Trixie scooped up the locket as she led the way into the kitchen. Zeeps and Lance carried Pike out the front entrance. Gung was determined to retaliate against the ponies that had injured him, so he charged Trixie and Luna with reckless abandonment.

“Trixie!” Zeeps shouted.

“Get out of here!” Trixie responded.

Luna fired another magical beam at Gung, but her spell did nothing more than incite him to continue his rampage at them.

Trixie shoved the kitchen door open with her magic. As she and Luna raced through the kitchen, Trixie reached out and slapped all the knobs on the gas stove to the ‘on’ position. Gung’s much wider girth smashed through the kitchen doorway as he barreled right behind Trixie and Princess Luna.

As Gung’s foul breath caressed Luna’s back, Trixie levitated open a trap door in front of them. With a hard yank she jumped down the hole with Luna in tow. The two mares fell just beneath Gung’s reach as the clay creature roared over them at full speed. The stallion crashed into the china cabinets at the far end of the kitchen and smashed through the wall beyond with all the grace of a derailed train.

Trixie sprang back up to her hooves and turned on the magical light on top of her horn. Luna limped to a standing position, but refused Trixie’s help. The azure unicorn found themselves in the kitchen larder.

“I fear your foolish gambit has trapped us,” Luna scolded Trixie.

“Couldn’t you just magically teleport us out?” Trixie asked.

Luna shook her head. “I believe you have confused my abilities with that of my sister’s.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “I’m with the second most powerful pony in all of Equestria and she can’t teleport?” the unicorn muttered to herself.

Trixie scanned the basement larder for ideas. She saw lots of metal pipes that snaked in and out of this room, and they all connected to a large container in the corner. Trixie read some of the dusty labels on the pipes. They were aluminum gas pipes that fed the mansion’s lights, heaters, and the kitchen stove.

Lady Luck was back on the job!

Trixie grabbed a heavy can of creamed spinach and slammed it several times against a gas pipe. It only took three swings to crack a leak in the aluminum. An invisible, but flammable gas began filling the larder with a hiss.

“What are you doing?” the concerned princess asked angrily.

Trixie turned to smash open the next pipe. “Renovating, your highness,” she answered.

Luna yanked the can away before Trixie punctured the second pipe. The ceiling above them shredded and peeled apart like the skin of a banana under Gung’s mighty strength. The clay stallion pushed his way into the larder, but he became stuck halfway through the hole he created.

Trixie and Luna ducked back from Gung’s reach. As the clay creature wiggled to break free, the azure unicorn looked around for another idea. She saw the mansion’s central gas tank nearby.

Trixie drew forth a translucent wisp of magic from her horn.

“Magic might not hurt your body,” Trixie thought to herself, “But let’s see if your mind is protected.” Trixie clapped her fore-hooves together over the wisp. It transformed into an illusionary replica of the iron lid from Gung’s tomb. She positioned it between herself and Princess Luna so that the clay stallion was not able to get a clear view of the lid.

“A distraction?” Luna asked.

“In a way, yes,” Trixie answered. “Hold your ground until he charges. We push off each other on my count.”

Gung forced his way into the basement, but tore cuts on his clay skin in the process. Princess Luna took a step away, but Trixie held her to remain where she stood. Gung roared at the two mares with all his fury.

“Hey Tonto!” Trixie loudly insulted. “Is this what you’re looking for?” She pointed at her illusion.

Unwavering, the huge stallion charged headlong at Trixie. The azure unicorn held Luna firmly as she softly counted down from three. Gung smashed through pipes and barrels of food in his stampede. His rage at this point burned to see the azure unicorn dead.

“Now!” Trixie shouted.

The two mares pushed off each other and rolled out of Gung’s way. The clay stallion passed right through the illusion and tore through the large gas tank with a resounding crash. A wave of gas burst from the smashed container with a rolling hiss.

Trixie hooked a fore-leg around Luna and pulled her back toward the trap door. Gung ripped his way out of the tank and stumbled toward the two mares.

“Can you at least fly?” Trixie asked the princess.

Luna looked up at the small basement entrance. “I can do better!” With just a thought, the princess enveloped herself and Trixie in a cocoon of dark blue shadows. The darkness tightened around the two mares, and then it collapsed into a point that popped into nothing.

In the kitchen above, the shadowy cocoon burst forth in the middle of the room and deposited Princess Luna and Trixie gently on the ground. The azure unicorn looked absolutely bewildered.

“I thought you said you couldn’t teleport?” Trixie drilled the princess.

“I’m sorry,” Luna replied sarcastically. “I thought I was just the pretty upgraded model with wings."

Trixie tugged on her Stetson with a frustrated face. “I deserved that,” she muttered.

Trixie turned and kicked open the kitchen door that led outside. Gung tried to climb out of the larder, but his immense weight collapsed additional sections of the kitchen floor which left him trapped below.

The two mares ran out into the small backyard. Trixie stopped short and spun around. Debon may have escaped her, but Trixie wasn’t going to let Gung do the same.

“What are you doing?” Luna asked.

“My grand finale!” Trixie said with a flare of her cape. She leaned forward and shot a blossoming jet of magical fireworks back into the mansion. The gas-filled area lit up in a roaring fireball that engulfed the entire kitchen, stove, Gung, the basement larder, and everything else that was flammable. The force of the explosion blew out the kitchen windows. Trixie was thrown backwards several feet onto her butt.

“Hey, blue bunko!” Cheryl yelled from the airship’s main deck.

Luna looked up and saw the chocolate-coated pony along with Spade being pushed off the red airship by its crew. The princess aimed her levitation spell at them and plucked both ponies out of the air. Luna brought them both safely to the ground.

Zeeps, Lance, and a hobbling Pike came running around the mansion as fast as they could while Ellie limped over from across the street with an unconscious Spearmint on her back. The guards all came to help carry Spearmint over to the princess while Trixie was reunited with her friends.

A crowd of ponies from the party gathered around them and the burning mansion.

“Your highness, are you alright?” Lance asked.

“I am, lieutenant. Thank you,” Princess Luna responded. “However, my concern goes out to Spearmint. How badly is she injured?”

Ellie shrugged. “I’m not sure. She got blasted by a dark magic spell, but she’s still breathing.”

“Thank you for saving her life,” Spade said to Ellie.

Luna approached Trixie, who was studying the flames. The princess carefully peered into the fire for signs of Gung, but nothing within the burning mansion moved.

“Is it dead?” she asked Trixie.

“That’s a troubling question,” Trixie responded as she stood up. “I’m not sure if Gung was even a living creature to begin with.”

“Exactly who is the cursed one here,” Luna inquired, “You or Gung?”

“Hooves down, it’s Trixie,” Zeeps said.

The guards quickly reassembled and flanked the little changeling. Lance reached for her, but Luna interrupted him with a wave of her fore-hoof.

“At ease, lieutenant,” Luna commanded. “For now, the priority is to ensure the city is secured.”

“Trixie,” Ellie gasped, “I just remembered! We got a problem!”

Gung smashed through the mansion’s outer wall and stood angrily before the crowd. His body appeared singed and blackened from the fiery blast that hit him, but he was no less imposing. The crowed panicked and screamed in terror. Gung raised a thick fore-hoof into the air.

“Kneel before me and do my bidding, slaves!”

“Yes, I’m quite aware of our problem,” Trixie said to Ellie.

Cheryl shook her head. “No partner, it’s worse than that.”

“What could be worse than Gung?” Trixie asked.

The crowd of bystanders began to moan as their eyes took on a glassy look. They slowly converged on Trixie and her friends in a slow, shambling pace. The now zombie-like ponies began to chant Gung’s name as they approached.

“Rip them apart!” Gung commanded.

Princess Luna placed herself between Trixie’s friends and the shambling townsfolk. “This is fiendish mind control magic!” she said angrily.

“Okay, yeah. This is so much worse,” Trixie grumbled.

“I’m sorry Trixie!” Ellie apologized. “What I wanted to say was that we couldn’t get on the airship to destroy the map! The guards interrupted us and then Golden hit Spearmint with that black lightning of hers!”

“Golden?” Trixie asked. “Where is she now?”

A bolt of black lightning came down from the sky and blasted Princess Luna. The dark sapphire alicorn yelped in pain and then collapsed onto the ground in a twitching fit of spasms.

Every pony looked up and saw golden leaning over the railing with a wry grin.

“Whoops, looks like I missed you, Trixie!” Golden shouted. “Oh, who am I kidding? That was intentional! Have fun defending the unconscious princess from Gung!”

The propellers on the red airship began to spin up loudly. The anchor retracted back aboard the ship as Golden waved goodbye. Her airship flew north towards the location of Grogar’s hidden bell.

Gung growled and chased the airship from the ground. He left Trixie and the others to their fate with the zombie-like citizens.

“We can catch them, sir!” Spade said to Lance.

“No, the princess is our top priority!” Lance commanded.

Cheryl stepped closer to Trixie. “Looks like we’re in for a row,” Cheryl said. “Ready to throw your hat into the ring, every pony?”

Zeeps lifted her pith helmet and threw it at one of the zombie-like ponies. It bounced off the pony’s chest with as much effect as was expected. Cheryl sighed at the changeling.

“It was a figure of speech, bug butt,” she scolded.

As the mind controlled ponies converged on Trixie and her friends, Chief Daybreaker galloped from around the burning mansion with two bison warriors at his side. The three bison bowled through the shambling crowd and cut a clear path to Trixie.

“What kept you?” Trixie asked Daybreaker.

“Traffic,” the chief responded.

The guards lifted the unconscious princess on Daybreaker’s back before they carried Spearmint with them. Daybreaker led the charge back through the crowd with his two warriors. Trixie, her friends, and the guards stayed close behind as the group shoved past the glaze-eyed masses toward a safer part of the city.

“Gung surprised us with a horde of mind controlled ponies,” Daybreaker explained to Trixie. “We were unaware of this ability and could not muster a counterattack quickly enough. My other warriors are scattered, as well as the remaining law ponies of this town.”

“I got bad news, chief,” Trixie stated. “We couldn’t smash the map and the Walkers are flying their way to the bell now. Gung is pursuing them on the ground.”

“Then all is lost,” Daybreaker said sadly.

Trixie purposely slapped Daybreaker with her tail. “It isn’t over until the curtain comes down!” the unicorn stated. “There has to be another airship in this city that we can follow them in.”

Ellie perked up with a hopeful idea. “Trixie! The float I’ve been working on for Lulu is a hot air balloon! We can attach a motor to it and follow the Walkers!”

Trixie beamed proudly at the pegasus. “Ellie, that’s brilliant!” Trixie said joyously. The azure unicorn sped up to lead the way.

“Everyone turn right at the intersection!” Trixie shouted.

The group of ponies turned and galloped down the cobblestone street to the warehouse that housed the parade floats. Trixie pulled out a few mane pins and picked the lock on the main door. It easily opened and everyone shuffled inside before Trixie slammed the door shut. Daybreaker’s warriors shoved several heavy crates up to the door for added protection. Trixie, Zeeps, and Cheryl lit the gas globes inside the warehouse and they checked the remaining doors to ensure they were locked as well.

Princess Luna and Spearmint were set down on a stack of hay to recover.

The spacious warehouse was quite tall and normally served as a shop to repair airships. However, it was now filled with various floats set for the parade. Tools and broken parts laid scattered in all directions, which gave the building the look of a junk yard more than a workshop.

Ellie led the group over to the float she had worked on over the past week. It was a hot-air balloon with sails on its side and a rudder for control. The pegasus needed muscle to complete her work, so she asked the bison to bring her the motor and propeller parts. Ellie also instructed the guards to unfold the balloon and heat the air inside it for lift.

Trixie walked over to where Zeeps sat and was surprised that the changeling had not put on a new disguise. Instead Zeeps stared curiously at a float that resembled the moon.

“Are you a stargazer, little hayseed?” Trixie asked the changeling.

“Not really,” Zeeps responded. “My hive used to live in the mountains and the sky was often obscured by clouds. The moon was easy to spot, though.”

“Yeah, the moon is nice to look at,” Trixie said. There was a pause before she cleared her throat. “I wanted to ask you, Zeeps. I’m not forcing you to stay with us, am I?”

The changeling looked at Trixie with a puzzled expression, but slowly shook her head. “Nah, I’m choosing to hang around longer. I thought about ditching you when we first got the city, but I guess this business with Gung and the bell is important to both our species.”

Luna stirred and awoke with a terrible headache. The guards rushed to her side, but Luna pushed them away in favor of waving Trixie over to her. The azure unicorn and the changeling both approached Luna.

“Glad to see you’re still among us, your majesty,” Trixie said with a bow.

“Where are we?” Luna inquired weakly.

Lance stepped forward. “We have retreated to a warehouse, your highness,” he explained. “Trixie and her friends intend to give chase on the cur that had assaulted you.”

“Thank you,” the princess said. “Trixie, you had stated that Gung was released by an order of ponies, correct? What was it you called them?”

Trixie nodded. “They’re called the Horizon Walkers,” she explained. “Debon is their leader. He believes Princess Celestia is too soft to protect Equestria, so the Walkers secretly collect forbidden artifacts in order to form their own militia. Gung was released from his tomb when they broke into it.”

“They’re not above theft, slavery, and murder either,” Zeeps added. “The red-maned one that zapped you is called Golden. She’s the most ruthless of the bunch.”

“I see,” Luna said, “And you two have championed a quest to oppose them?”

“Oh no,” Zeeps corrected, “I’m just here for the food. Trixie is the true wrench in their gears.”

Luna turned to the azure unicorn for clarification, but Trixie only shrugged with a smirk. The princess sighed and posed a new question.

“I don’t presume you have any evidence to prove the identities of these Horizon Walkers and their agenda do you?”

“Not yet,” Trixie said, “But I assure you that at the very least I will stop Gung from destroying the countryside.”

“Trixie, our ride is ready!” Ellie shouted. “Let’s hurry!”

Trixie and Zeeps rushed over to the floating hot air balloon. The basket was small, but Trixie wanted to take as many friends as she could on the chase.

“Ellie, think we can fit Daybreaker in here?” Trixie asked.

The pegasus looked at the large bison. “It’ll be a tight fit, but maybe we could.”

“Good, we could use his strength in our fight,” Trixie stated. “Cheryl and Zeeps, I want you both with me as well. I need ponies I can count on.”

“Or to save your tail from Golden,” Cheryl added.

Daybreaker turned to his two warriors. “Assist Princess Luna in any way you can. Her people need to be freed from Gung’s enchantment.” The chief then turned to the balloon. It was a frail-looking contraption that sent a shiver down his spine.

“What's the matter?" Zeeps asked the chief, "Nervous?"

Daybreaker nodded. "I have never been in a flying balloon before."

"Flying isn't scary at all," the changeling assured him. "The feel of the crisp air and the view from up high will amaze you. It's crashing into the ground that gets really scary, and quite painful I might add. Worst case, if you hit the ground hard enough, then you don't have to worry about the pain–"

"Zeeps!" Trixie shouted. "Quit scaring him!"

The changeling gave the unicorn a guilty grin. Zeeps turned to Daybreaker and patted him on the shoulder. "Pretend I didn't say anything."

Daybreaker gave the changeling a hard stare of frustration.

The royal guards pulled on the heavy chains that opened the roof. The large wooden roof slowly slid open and revealed a clear night sky. Ellie adjusted the sails and pulled on the balloon’s furnace chain for more heat. The colorful red and purple balloon slowly ascended up through the open roof and then caught a gentle breeze heading northward. Ellie started up the steam-driven motor and the small group was on their way.

“Don’t worry princess!” Trixie shouted down to Luna, “I will stop Gung!”

Princess Luna watched them leave before she beckoned her guards over. “Lance, take your soldiers and round up any nearby citizens not under Gung’s domination,” she commanded. “I will watch over Spearmint and prepare a counter-spell to break our people out of their enchantment.”

“Your majesty, you are still weak,” Lance said.

Luna defied the lieutenant as she proceeded to stand up from the hay stack. Her legs wobbled and her shoulders ached with considerable pain, but Luna refused any help from the guards. She stood up tall despite the labor it took to do so.

“Do not tell me what I cannot do,” Luna stated proudly. “Now go, we must free our citizens quickly.”

Lance nodded and rounded up the other guards and the two bison warriors. As they departed the warehouse, Luna sat back down. She glanced back up into the northern sky as she rested to regain her strength.

“I hope your heart is as strong as your arrogance, Trixie,” Luna whispered to herself.

Chapter 7 – At War With Your Vices

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It was a gloomy day filled with dark clouds that threatened to rain at a moment’s notice. Trixie loved the rain. The little filly always looked forward to feel the first water drops on her nose. Her mother’s friend Rico always played a happy tune on his guitar for Trixie when she practiced her levitation magic on the mud puddles.

However, today was very different. Rico played a very somber melody to the crowd that gathered here, and Trixie didn’t understand why.

“She has no father, no siblings,” whispered a voice in the crowd.

Trixie looked up at all the gypsies that surrounded the plain black tent here in the cemetery. They stood there quietly and spoke very little to each other. It was contrary to the positive, upbeat community that Trixie had been born into. She had never seen them all look so sad and passive like this.

This was also her first time to the cemetery. The strange carved stones felt ominous to her, as if there were ponies hidden behind them that watched her.

“There aren’t any children her age in the commune,” another voice said softly. “It’ll be hard for her to cope with this.”

Under the black tent, one of the elder gypsies gave a lyrical prayer to her mother, Jessenia. Trixie hadn’t seen her mom in a couple of days because the filly spent a surprise sleepover with her mother’s best friend, Ovelia. Her mother was here now and she slept in a cute little bed made from a shiny wooden box and nice white linens.

However, it was strange that her mother wore a beautiful purple dress while she slept. Trixie never remembered her mother sleeping in such a fine garment. Why were things so different today?

Trixie felt Ovelia’s tan-colored hoof on her shoulder and it was uncomfortably firm. Several stallions placed a lid on Jessenia’s box and then lowered her into a large hole. Rico began another sad melody and the other gypsies sung in tune. Trixie didn’t understand what was going on.

Was something wrong with her mother?

The stallions picked up shovels and began pushing dirt into the hole. The soil made a piercing thud in Trixie’s ears as it covered Jessenia’s box. The little filly suddenly became very scared. Why were they throwing dirt on her mom’s bed? Why were the songs so sad? What happened to her mother?

In a panic, Trixie broke free of Ovelia’s grip and rushed over to the hole.

“Wait!” Trixie shouted. “You’re burying mom! We have to wake her up first!”

Ovelia rushed forward to grab the little filly, but Trixie fought back. The young unicorn climbed into the hole and tried to scoop out the dirt on her mother’s box. Rico closed his eyes and continued to play as the crowd grew agitated. Several mares broke down in tears.

Ovelia reached in and yanked Trixie out of the hole. She held on to the filly tightly.

“I’m sorry Trixie,” Ovelia whispered. “Your mother won’t be waking up.”

Trixie kicked and flailed to break free, but Ovelia’s grip was solid. “No! Mom, wake up!” the filly cried out. “You can’t go, you have to come home! Mom!!”

The crowd resumed their tearful hymn as the stallions resumed their work. Trixie wailed in tears as her mother’s box disappeared under the soil poured over it. The commune continued to sing as Trixie's little heart broke. She didn't understand what was going on, and the confusion scared her more than anything had before in her short, innocent life.

The first drops of rain fell upon Trixie’s nose.

~ ~ ~

Trixie awoke with a soft gasp upon her breath. Salty tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked up from where she sat in the balloon basket. It was still dark out and the only sound she heard was the small motor that helped propel the balloon forward. It appeared that Trixie wasn’t asleep for very long.

She wiped the tears away from her eyes and then pulled out the locket that she had found back at the mansion. Trixie studied the old black-and-white photo in her hooves. There was no doubt in her mind that it was a picture of her mother, Jessenia. It had been so long since she looked upon those angelic eyes.

Trixie wondered who owned this locket. Was there a relative she didn’t know about?

Zeeps, Cheryl, and Daybreaker were so focused on the task of flying the balloon that only Ellie noticed Trixie was crying. The pegasus quietly slid down the basket and sat beside the unicorn. She nudged Trixie on the shoulder.

“Hey, you alright?” Ellie whispered.

“Yeah,” Trixie responded with a sad smile. “It was just a bad dream, something from long ago.”

“Well, I’m here for you if you need to let it out,” Ellie assured.

“Thanks,” Trixie said, “But I’ll be alright. I guess I was just really tired.”

Trixie pocketed the locket and then stood up. Cheryl and Zeeps steered the balloon while Daybreaker searched for Golden’s airship. The bison appeared stoic, but Trixie noticed his shaking grip on the balloon’s basket. Trixie was glad that she was able to count on them to help her stop the Horizon Walkers.

Trixie slid over to Daybreaker and looked out at the dark horizon that surrounded them. “Any sign of Golden’s airship?” Trixie asked the bison chief

“Down there,” Daybreaker said unmoving. “I believe that is them.”

Ahead of them on the ground was Golden’s red airship. It hovered just off the sand dunes and was anchored to a large rock outcropping. A small campfire on the desert sands illuminated the tiny dots that were unmistakably the ship’s crew. There was a small oasis just past the airship and several more tiny specks of light moved around the water’s edge.

“Let’s land quickly,” Trixie said. “Maybe we can sneak up on them and grab the bell first.”

“I hope Roc is down there,” Zeeps added eagerly. “I’d love to sink my teeth into his face for all the beatings he gave me.”

Cheryl gave the changeling a look of disgust. “Please tell me that’s a figure of speech, bug butt.”

“Maybe,” Zeeps said enigmatically.

Ellie cut the motor off. “Alright, reel in the sails and I’ll bleed the air out of the envelope,” she instructed. “I’ll deflate the bag entirely once we land so that they don’t see it over the dunes.”

The team worked together and landed their balloon a safe distance away from the Horizon Walkers. Under the cover of darkness they slowly made their way behind a collection of large boulders that overlooked Golden’s airship. No pony from the airship crew had noticed them yet so Trixie and her friends sat and observed what the Walkers were doing by the oasis.

Trixie took out the tin cups from under her purple cape while Ellie retrieved a small telescope from her own saddle-belt pouch. Trixie placed one tin cup against the rock and attempted to listen in on the ship’s crew, but the ground wasn’t solid enough to get a clear sound.

“I can only make out something about the crew waiting around,” Trixie whispered as she struggled to hear the airship crew’s conversation, “But at least it doesn’t sound like they know we’re here.”

“They may not have expected us to arrive by air,” Daybreaker said.

“Or they’re not even paying attention,” Ellie added from behind her little telescope. “It looks like they’re all drinking and playing cards.” The pegasus turned her view to the nearby oasis. She saw several lanterns set up around the shoreline. This illuminated the Horizon Walkers and allowed Ellie to pick them out.

“I definitely see Golden,” Ellie commented. “I’d recognize that red-maned witch anywhere. Debon is there too, but he’s talking to a few ponies I don’t recognize.”

Trixie held out a hoof to borrow the telescope. Ellie handed her device over and the azure unicorn gave the area a look for herself.

“Okay, the tall yellow stallion is Roc Tumbler,” Trixie explained. “He’s definitely a Horizon Walker. The little marbled pegasus is named Mosaic. She’s not a member, but she’s trying to muscle her way into their ranks.”

“Stupid idea to make friends with that lot,” Cheryl muttered. “What about that big clay monster we saw? Gung was it?”

“Well, since nothing is on fire or screaming,” Zeeps said, “Then Gung hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Then let us charge into battle,” Daybreaker stated firmly as he stood up.

Trixie grabbed the chief and pulled him back down. “Hold your mustard chief,” she warned. “Some of the crew may have weapons and magic. We still have the element of surprise, so let’s use that advantage to get closer before we engage them.”

“We’re still outnumbered, bunko,” Cheryl said. “Even if we get close, we still have to contend with about a dozen ponies or so, not counting the ring leaders. What we need is some firepower.”

Ellie took back the telescope and studied the red airship intently. “Well, there's only one ladder up to the airship and none of the crew appear to be a pegasus. If we take the ship, we can use the cannons on the main deck."

"What is a cannon?" Daybreaker asked.

"It's a weapon that shoots a small metal ball with steam pressure," Ellie explained. "If we sneak onboard, we could scare off the crew with a few shots.”

Trixie smiled as she huddled her friends together. “Okay, let’s build on that idea. I’ll provide the illusion to get us close. Daybreaker, you cover us getting on board the airship. Ellie, you get the steam engines to full power. Cheryl and Zeeps, you two load the cannons. When Ellie gives you the okay, you fire them near the crew. Just be careful, we want to scare them off, not blow them up.”

“What about the Walkers at the oasis?” Cheryl asked.

“They’ll probably run into the temple when they figure out it’s us,” Trixie said confidently. “We’ll chase them down once the crew has been scattered.”

“You’ll have no hesitations from me,” Daybreaker added.

Trixie nodded as she held out a hoof in the middle of the huddle. Everyone else placed their own hoof over hers. They were united with the determination to stop the Horizon Walkers.

“As my sixth rule states,” Trixie said, “’Treat every performance as if it were your last show.’ So let’s give them one buck of a fierce fight. Good luck, Team Trixie.”

“I motion we change our team name later,” Zeeps commented.

“I’m all for that idea,” Cheryl added.

“How about we call ourselves The Changeling Five?” Zeeps asked. “You know, like hive, but with a number?”

Daybreaker let out a soft cough while everyone else remained in an awkward, silent stare at Zeeps. Cheryl gave the changeling a pat on the back.

“Team Trixie it is,” the chocolate earth pony said.

Trixie stood up and closed her eyes. She envisioned in her mind the gray overalls the airship crew wore. Several shimmering wisps of magic flowed out from her horn and slowly glided around her friends like snakes made of light. The wisps covered everyone and expanded into solid forms. They all now looked very similar to the airship crew, although the illusion left a slight glow that was noticeable in the darkness.

“Keep close and move fast,” Trixie whispered. “I can’t hold this one for long, and I doubt this’ll fool them for more than a glance.”

The team quickly trotted down the sand dunes toward the airship. The ship’s crew sat around a small campfire, sharing mugs of rum and playing cards. Surrounding them were barrels and crates containing food and drinks for their dinner.

The card playing ponies were quick to notice the extra members hustling to the rope ladder and that they were glowing with an unusual light.

“You lot! Stay right there!” the ship captain commanded.

Trixie pushed her friends to climb up the ladder. “Just go,” she whispered, “I’ll stall them.”

Daybreaker turned to Trixie expectantly as the captain and two other stallions approached. The azure unicorn could read the itch for combat on the bison’s face and she shook her head to indicate not to fight yet.

The captain ran up to Trixie. “I said halt!” he shouted at the ponies that climbed up the ladder. “I don’t recognize any of you! Get your tails down here immediately!”

“Now?” Daybreaker asked.

Trixie shrugged. “Sure, why not?” Trixie waved a fore-hoof and the illusion burst forth as a shower of sparks and colorful lights that stunned the captain.

Daybreaker charged and rammed the captain into the ground. The flanking stallions retaliated against the bison with several hard blows, but Daybreaker stood his ground. The remaining crew of the airship scrambled to their hooves and dashed over to fight the bison and the azure unicorn.

Trixie picked up her slingshot and levitated several bullets into the air. She began a slow walk towards the oncoming crew. “Let’s play leapfrog,” Trixie muttered with a grin.

The azure unicorn pulled back an iron bullet and fired it into the nearest stallion that rushed her. The metal orb hit the target square in the chest with a resounding crack and the stallion dropped to the ground in pain. Trixie pulled back another bullet and fired at her next target. The iron orb struck the stallion in the upper fore-leg with a painful snap and he too dropped to the sandy floor.

The crew took cover behind the crates and barrels. Several stallions reached for their own slingshots and fired back at Trixie with steel balls. The azure unicorn ran for cover behind a large crate of apples. The incoming steel bullets ripped into Trixie’s hiding spot and splattered her with chunks of apples and seeds. A sharp splinter of wood cut into her ear.

Trixie targeted her levitation magic on the ground and scooped up a large pile of sand. She threw it in the general direction of the opposing stallions, catching one in the eyes. Trixie got up and fired off a jet of magical fireworks at the remaining ponies nearby. One stallion’s mane caught fire and he dropped his weapon to put himself out.

Chief Daybreaker broke through the two ponies fighting him and charged into the larger group that hid behind the crates of food. The stout bison smashed through the crates and crew like bowling pins.

Trixie jumped up and fired several bullets into the crowd that fled from the bison. Her shot whizzed over the backs of the fleeing crew. Several dove for cover behind a large tent. One was struck in the leg and tumbled into the sandy ground. Two stallions returned fire. Trixie ducked under the shots, but one bullet clipped her right shoulder.

A maroon-coated mare surprised Trixie from behind and slammed into the unicorn's back. Trixie staggered forward and dropped her iron bullets. She spun around and parried the mare’s punch with her cape. Trixie fired off a burst of fireworks into the mare's face and blinded the maroon pony with the bright flashes

As the assaulting mare stumbled back, she grabbed Trixie’s mane tightly.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Trixie yelled out. “Let go of the mane!” The unicorn yanked back on her hair, but the maroon pony held on tight and kicked Trixie hard in the left hip.

The azure unicorn fired off several bursts of fireworks randomly in an effort to break free. The magical pyrotechnics bounced off the hull of the airship and rained down upon the battlefield. Trixie took her slingshot and jabbed it at her opponent’s throat.

The maroon mare gagged and collapsed in a coughing fit as she let go. Trixie brushed back her mane with a fore-hoof, minus a few lost strands of hair. Her ear stung with the splinter still lodged in it. Trixie pulled out the splinter and then levitated the few bullets she could see on the ground. She raced over to help Daybreaker fight off the crew that surrounded him.

The bison chief shoved a scrawny stallion into the crate that was used for the earlier card game. Two burly stallions latched onto the chief’s horns. Daybreaker shook his head and threw one stallion off, but the other held on. More ponies closed in on Daybreaker.

The bison chief turned and rolled through the large campfire. The stallion on him jumped away to avoid getting burned. Now freed, Daybreaker kicked the burning logs at the other ponies around him. The fires collided with the airship crew and scattered them away in a panic.

Trixie caught up with Daybreaker and brushed the hot ashes off his burned coat. “Are you alright?” she asked him with concern.

“It is a pain I can ignore for now,” the chief responded. “We must reach the Horizon Walkers before they find that bell.”

Trixie pointed toward the oasis. “You run us there and I’ll cover you.”

Daybreaker nodded. Trixie jumped onto Daybreaker’s back and readied the last of her bullets. The two raced past the ship’s crew and over to the oasis.

Meanwhile, Ellie, Zeeps, and Cheryl reached the main deck of the airship. Zeeps pulled up the rope ladder to prevent the crew from following them. Cheryl smashed open the lock on the hatch that led below to the boiler room. Ellie trotted to the hatch stairs and descended below the deck without hesitation.

The remaining two mares pushed one of the cannons to the railing’s edge. Cheryl grabbed one of the heavy cannonballs from a crate while Zeeps aimed the cannon down at the crew below.

“Okay, so how does this thing work?” Zeeps asked as she looked at the nearby hoses that lay on the deck. The cannon’s breech had a threaded hole that could fit one of the hoses.

“Maybe we need to attach this doohickey into that thingamajig?”

“I have no idea,” Cheryl replied. “I reckon Ellie will come back and tell us what to do.” The earth pony shoved the metal ball into the cannon’s muzzle.

The ball rolled up the cannon’s muzzle a few inches, stopped, and then rolled right back out. Cheryl tried to grab it, but the cannonball slipped through her hooves and fell over the railing. The two mares watched the ball plummet and smash a keg of rum.

Two ponies below jumped in fright and looked up at where the ball came from.

“Sorry!” Zeeps shouted with a wave. “Do either of you know how to work a doohickey?”

“Oh you’ll be sorry alright!” shouted a nearby mare’s voice.

Zeeps and Cheryl turned around and saw two ponies standing outside the captain’s room. One was a yellow female unicorn and the other an orange stallion earth pony. Both were recognized as the original wand thieves back on the train ride to San Anponio, Bonnie and Clem.

“Alright then,” Cheryl said to Clem. “I owe you one for my nose.”

“Better make it two,” Clem responded. “You got a big nose.”

“That’s it!!” Cheryl shouted.

The chocolate earth pony dove at Clem and socked him in the face. Clem swung back and whacked her in the side of the head. Cheryl spun around like a ballerina and kicked Clem square in the stomach. The orange stallion tumbled backwards onto the wooden deck.

Zeeps turned to Bonnie and felt confident that she could take on the scrawny yellow unicorn. The changeling bared her fangs with a toothy smile.

“I’m going to eat you for dinner,” Zeeps threatened.

Bonnie lowered her head and fired a yellow magical bolt of energy at Zeeps. The changeling dove out of the way and scrambled to hide behind the cannon as a second magical bolt struck the deck beside her. Bonnie laughed and closed in on the surprised changeling.

“You were saying something about being dinner?” the yellow unicorn chuckled.

“Why must my food keep defending itself?!” Zeeps cried.

“You’re on your own, bug butt!” Cheryl yelled back as she blocked Clem’s strong punch. The chocolate-colored mare performed three backflips that landed her next to a crate of cannonballs. She picked one up, spun around, and threw the heavy iron ball with her momentum.

Clem jumped to the side as the ball sailed by his head. The metal sphere smashed through the glass window that led into the captain’s room.

“Ha-ha,” Clem taunted, “Got yourself seven years bad luck!”

Cheryl raised an eyebrow. “That’s a mirror, you moron.”

“Nu-uh,” Clem happily retorted. “It was a window you just smashed.”

“You are one thick lunkhead,” Cheryl stated.

Below deck, Ellie located the boiler room. It was a large room with an iron plated floor, rubber hoses that crisscrossed between the walls like a spider's web, and a huge furnace that was the heart of the ship's power. The furnace flames were weak, so the green-maned pegasus grabbed a shovel and opened the coal tender wide. She scooped up the fuel and fed the furnace haphazardly. Coals spilled all over the floor as the pegasus continued to shovel more fuel into the furnace. The flames rose in intensity and the boiler pressure began to increase.

A butch voice yelled out from behind her.

“What’s going on here?” asked the ship’s burly, gray-coated engineer.

“Uh, the engine actually,” Ellie responded timidly.

The engineer picked up a wrench that hung off his dirty coverall and swung it at Ellie’s head. The pegasus ducked and jabbed the engineer in the gut with the shovel. The burly stallion gritted his teeth and threw his tool at the pegasus. The wrench struck Ellie in the chest. She dropped the shovel and cried out in pain. The pegasus scrambled away from the advancing engineer.

“Get your little hide over here, missy!” the engineer shouted. He picked up the shovel and turned it edge-wise to strike the pegasus over the head.

Ellie backed up against the coal tender. The engineer swung down, but the shovel chopped into a rubber hose instead of Ellie. Oil leaked out of the damaged hose and spilled on the floor. The stallion pulled the shovel back to break it free. Ellie grabbed the damaged hose and yanked on it with her entire weight. The rubber line ripped apart as the oil now squirted all over the engineer and the floor underneath him.

The engineer lost his footing on the slippery ground as Ellie continued to soak him in oil. She turned and kicked up at the stallion with her rear hooves. The engineer flailed backwards and slammed into the open furnace. His soaked coverall quickly ignited and the engineer yelled in a panic. The stallion dropped the shovel and rolled on the ground to put out the flames on his coverall.

Ellie panicked as she grabbed the stallion's coverall by the sleeves. She ripped the top half off the stallion’s flaming clothes and quickly tossed them to the floor.

The oil soaked floor.

The boiler room lit up with a loud air-sucking roar. The engineer abandoned his post in fright from the fires. Ellie rushed out of the room behind the engineer. Hot flames licked at the pegasus' heels and burning ashes filled the air. She staggered out of the fiery room with a heavy coughing fit.

The engineer stumbled onto the main deck and cried out for Bonnie and Clem. “The ship’s on fire!!”

The fight stopped with the words ‘on fire’, but Zeeps took the opportunity to strike. She stood up from behind the cannon and fired a green magical beam at Bonnie. The yellow unicorn jerked her body to the side and avoided Zeeps’ dirty sneak attack. She fired her own beam back, but Zeeps ducked back down behind the cannon for safety. Clem swung at Cheryl in retaliation for Zeeps attacking Bonnie. The chocolate pony ducked the stallion's swing and struck back at his stomach

The ponies resumed their battle despite the engineer’s warning.

Ellie arrived on the main deck and saw that every pony was still fighting. “Cheryl!” the pegasus shouted.

“Yeah, the ship's on fire," Cheryl angrily interrupted. "We got that message already!" She rushed Clem and punched him in the gut. As the orange stallion faltered from the stunning blow, Cheryl did a pirouette and delivered a back kick to Clem’s chin. The stallion fell backwards and hit the deck hard.

Clem groaned, but didn’t get back up.

“Um, okay then,” Ellie replied nervously.

As the smoke from the fire below deck wafted out into the open, Ellie turned to the engineer. “Where’s the water pump?” she asked him. “I can help put out the fire.”

“Save yourselves!” the engineer shouted. He jumped over the railing and fell down to the sand dune below with a loud thud.

Zeeps and Bonnie stopped fighting to see if the engineer survived the fall.

"He runs pretty fast with just three legs," Bonnie commented.

Cheryl walked up behind Bonnie and put a hoof on her back. "And I reckon you think pretty fast, seeing as you're the only pony here to fight the three of us." The earth pony's smile made the yellow unicorn gulp with fear.

"Um, I'd like to surrender, if that's an option," Bonnie said meekly.

“Smart lass,” Cheryl said happily. "I'll spare you my hoof for now."

Zeeps looked towards the Oasis and saw both Trixie and Daybreaker running toward the Horizon Walkers. The changeling whistled to Ellie and Cheryl. “Hey, Trixie is going to fight the Walkers!” she shouted. “Can we help her out?”

Ellie looked at Cheryl. “Well, might as well try something!” the pegasus said firmly. “I’ll need all of you to pull up the airship’s anchor! I’ll see if I can get this thing moving!”

“But the ship is on fire!” Bonnie cried out.

“Then I’ll have to get it moving quickly,” Ellie countered.

~ ~ ~

The Horizon Walkers finished their survey of the oasis. Debon was convinced that this was the entrance to the burial site of Grogar’s next bell.

“Roc,” Debon asked politely, “If you would open us an entrance?”

Roc stood at the pond’s edge and concentrated his magical energy on the bed beneath the water. The sandy ground under the pond began to rise and displace the water away. As the pond’s contents rushed out of the oasis, several stone pillars were uncovered at the bottom. They were pony-made stones that surrounded an old stone slab. Each pillar had the carving of a spiral horn upon it.

Mosaic was impressed. “Do all Walkers gain amazing talents like this?”

“We certainly do,” Debon answered. “If you prove yourself worthy, you too will be blessed with a powerful ability in Equestria’s defense.”

Golden walked down the pond’s muddy bed and looked over the slab at the bottom. She raised a hoof over the stone and slammed it down upon the slab. Electrical sparks burst forth as the stone split in two. Roc walked down to Golden and with his own magic he pushed the two halves of stone apart.

Underneath them was a staircase heading down into a moist tunnel.

“It appears we have company,” Debon said as he glanced back at the camp.

“Gung?” Roc asked.

Debon shook his head. “No,” he said. “It is a much more frustrating opponent.”

Chief Daybreaker closed in on the Horizon Walkers with Trixie riding on his back. The unicorn had her slingshot out and armed for an attack. Behind the pair came Golden’s burning airship. The ship listed to the left and belched out large amounts of black smoke from inside the hull.

“My ship!” Golden cried out angrily. “Those outlaws set fire to my ship!”

Trixie let loose her remaining bullets in quick succession upon the Horizon Walkers. The iron spheres smashed against the stone pillars around the Walkers and created a gravel-like rain upon them.

Roc stomped on the muddy earth. The ground magically rose up as an immense wall to block the charging bison.

Daybreaker leaped over the wall, but snagged himself against the top edge. Trixie in turn jumped off the bison’s back and flew through the air with as much grace as could be expected from a wingless unicorn. She collided against Roc and a sickening crunch was heard from the stallion’s chest. The two ponies rolled through the muddy landscape.

Debon grabbed Golden and Mosaic. “We must hurry and find the bell!” he implored. He pulled the two mares with him down the steps and into the tomb.

Trixie stood up and shook some of the mud off her as Daybreaker tumbled down the other side of the wall. The azure unicorn looked around for Debon’s location.

“Seriously?” she said. “I perform a great feat of acrobatics and no one saw it?”

Roc sat up and clutched his chest. He felt a sharp pain from his cracked ribs, but the injury did not keep Roc down. He magically levitated pieces of the large stone slab and hurled the floating stones at Trixie. The azure unicorn rolled out of the stones’ path.

Trixie tried to reach the temple entrance, but Roc hurled more stones to stop her. The azure unicorn weaved and rolled away from the incoming debris. Daybreaker charged the yellow stallion from behind. Roc lifted the other half of the slab in Daybreaker’s way and the bison collided with the dense stone.

Roc lifted a third wave of stones, but halted as the airship descended upon the oasis.

The airship’s boiler exploded out of the port side of the hull. Torn wooded planks and hot metal fragments rained upon the ground. Ellie, Cheryl, and Bonnie tried to level out the diving ship, but the fires consumed much of the rigging that held the gasbag to the ship’s hull. The two components began to separate and the hull raked into the muddy ground.

“Get out of the way, you idiot!” Cheryl shouted to Trixie.

The unicorn hesitated. Debon was about to reach the bell and Golden Jubilee had the ability to teleport them out of the ruins even if the airship buried the entrance.

“Why isn’t she moving?” Ellie asked.

“Debon must already be in the temple,” Zeeps said, “So we have to get Trixie inside too!” The changeling ran to the ship’s bow and jumped off. She flapped her iridescent wings hard, but Zeeps’ injured wing cramped up. The changeling tumbled over the muddy oasis bed toward Trixie.

Roc threw several of his levitated stones at the changeling. Zeeps barreled through the rocks and grabbed Trixie around the waist. She continued to push the unicorn with her momentum over the muddy surface and down the stairs past Roc’s barrage of stones.

Daybreaker rolled down into the temple behind Zeeps as the airship skidded to a stop over the ruin’s entrance.

Roc angrily growled at the escaped ponies before he limped away from the ship’s burning hull. Ellie jumped off the airship and dove at Roc. The pegasus flattened the stallion to the ground and held him down. Cheryl and Bonnie carried an unconscious Clem down the rope ladder to join Ellie a safe distance away.

The airship’s gasbag broke free from the burning wreckage and floated farther downwind.

“Looks like you caught yourself a whopper there,” Cheryl complimented to Ellie.

Ellie looked down at the pinned unicorn. “I reckon you’re a Horizon Walker,” she said to Roc, “So don’t try any funny business with us.”

Cheryl picked up a large stone and clubbed Roc on the head. The stallion moaned and fell unconscious from the blow.

“Ugh, such ruthless behavior,” Bonnie commented.

“Nah, that’s just being prudent,” Cheryl said. She turned around and punched Bonnie between the eyes. The unicorn hit the ground in one bounce and laid there, out cold.

“Now that’s ruthless,” Cheryl muttered.

“So much for questioning them,” Ellie said plainly.

The two mares heard distant howls that sounded very deep and very… monstrous. The scattered airship crew fled to hide in the distant sand dunes. Ellie and Cheryl decided to trot back to their hot air balloon. Gung was coming and now the fight below was left in Trixie’s hooves.

Chapter 8 – Peace at Too High a Price

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Trixie stood up and cast a light spell from her horn. The moist earthen walls of the tunnel slowly dripped water into sandy pools on the ground. The passageway still showed signs of ancient tool marks from its construction, but the carved writing was worn smooth from centuries of dripping water.

Trixie looked back up the stairs. The hull of the airship had plugged them inside with no immediate way of escape. The unicorn hoped there was another exit, or that the bell’s magic would provide one.

Daybreaker stood up and stretched his sore limbs while Trixie helped Zeeps sit up. The changeling took a beating from Roc’s barrage of stones and was covered in welts. Trixie raised a hoof and made the motion to remain quiet.

“Are you going to be alright?” the unicorn whispered to Zeeps.

The changeling brushed off her concern. “Is Prince Blueblood’s self-love full of empty calories?” Zeeps smiled, but both Trixie and Daybreaker gave her a confused look.

“Never mind,” Zeeps added.

“Okay, then,” Trixie said hesitantly. She took out her tin cups and placed one to the tunnel’s wet wall. The dripping water was vocally magnified into a gushing waterfall in her ear. Trixie jerked her head back and put the cans away with a sigh.

“I can’t hear a thing with all this water,” Trixie whispered. “Let’s start walking.” She wiped some blood off the wound on her shoulder and set out down the descending tunnel.

Zeeps’ wings twitched with anxiety as the group traveled deeper into the cavern. The volume of water that dripped into the tunnel felt like it increased as the passage sloped downward. Zeeps was never fond of being underwater and this ruin felt like it was ready to drown her.

On the other hand, the water reminded her of an important tidbit about one of their adversaries.

“Hey, Trixie?” the changeling asked. “Remember when you hit Gung with that ball of water?”

“Yeah,” the unicorn responded. “It melted part of his face off… and we’re surrounded by a ton of water right now!” Trixie turned her attention to Chief Daybreaker.

“Gung’s big weakness is water, isn’t it?” she asked him. “This can’t be a coincidence.”

Daybreaker let a tiny smile escape his lips. “As I had told you,” he stated, “Ponies and bison shared a common history. Gung’s weakness was never cited in our accounts, but it would make sense that the old pony tribes were told of it from their bison brethren.”

“Hmm, I suppose that makes sense,” Trixie said. “I’m glad they were good friends then, because this gives us a fighting chance when Gung arrives.”

“Is Gung really stupid enough to dive into an underwater ruin for that bell?” Zeeps asked.

“Of course he is, little hayseed,” Trixie replied. “I know his type. He’s overconfident to a fault.” Trixie only left a short pause before she added another statement.

“Yes, I know I left myself open with that. Don’t bother.”

Zeeps smirked, but didn’t say anything.

The passage led into a large, circular cavern. Water dripped slowly from the ceiling and pooled in a crater at the center of the room. Illegibly worn writing adorned the stone walls of the cavern haphazardly. Trixie looked closer at the ancient words, but was unable to make anything out. She guessed that they were warnings about the bell buried farther in.

Across the spacious cavern from Trixie there was a large fissure that opened up into another large room. Light peeked out from here and Trixie heard Debon’s unmistakable voice coming from within the other chamber. Trixie dimmed her own magical light and led the way silently around to the fissure.

The three friends spied on Debon’s group. The gray-coated unicorn had recovered a polished spherical stone that sat in a small fountain of water. An unseen magical force swirled the water around the basin of the fountain.

“Hold the stone, Golden,” Debon said. “I have a chisel and hammer we can use to break it open. Do you know much about stonework, Mosaic?”

“No, sir,” Mosaic responded dryly. “My expertise is in paintings.”

Debon smiled. “There’s no need for name calling, my dear,” he said with a playful tone. “My father was ‘sir’. You can call me Debon.”

Mosaic let a small smile creep on her face, but Golden Jubilee rolled her eyes in response. The red-maned mare appeared annoyed for some reason, perhaps because of Debon’s flirting nature with Mosaic.

“A pity Roc did not come with us then,” Golden interrupted. “He could have opened this stone case with no effort at all.”

Daybreaker, Trixie, and Zeeps backed away slowly from the fissure. The Walkers appeared to be one step away from obtaining the bell. The bison chief looked anxiously at Trixie for direction.

“I’ll defer to your leadership,” Daybreaker whispered to the unicorn. “How shall we confront them?”

Trixie thought for a moment and then huddled with her two friends. “Zeeps, how close do you have to be to feed off their energy?”

“Uh, within touching distance,” the changeling replied.

“Hmm, that’s not going to help then,” Trixie pondered aloud. “Alright, then maybe we should be up front about this. Walk right into their hooves.”

Daybreaker was genuinely surprised by her answer. “So we confront them directly? No tricks?”

“I never said ‘no tricks’,” Trixie responded with a sly grin. “We’re going to copy an act I saw Hoofdini use once, but I’m taking it a step further. Rule number one for being great and powerful is that ‘A good performer borrows from an inspiring act. A great performer steals the show.’”

“Is there going to be a test on these rules?” Zeeps asked. “I just wanted to make it clear that I haven’t been paying attention to them.”

Trixie smirked. “The real test will be your acting skills, hayseed,” she told the changeling. “Think you can portray The Great and Powerful Trixie with full confidence?”

Zeeps slowly tilted her head with great interest upon her arctic blue bug-like eyes.

~ ~ ~

Golden held the round stone steady on the ground as Debon placed the chisel to a small crack upon the rock. The stallion levitated a small hammer with his horn’s magic and tapped the chisel firmly. The crack enlarged and flaked off tiny pieces of stone. A second tap of the hammer caused several other cracks to splinter off the first and wrap around the stone’s surface.

Debon’s concentration was interrupted by the hoof-steps of his disheveled-looking friend Roc. In his grasp was the battered and bruised Trixie. Golden immediately stood up, bewildered. Debon took half a step in front of Mosaic to protect her.

“Roc, it is good to see you, old friend!” Debon stated happily. He put down the tools and approached the two ponies. Debon looked over the defeated Trixie with amused interest.

“I see you have conquered our most determined adversary.”

Trixie spat on the floor in front of Debon’s hoof. “Whatever,” she snarled.

“It wasn’t an easy fight,” Roc said hoarsely as he gestured to his own bruises. “The Great and Powerful Trixie was quite a force to be reckoned with. It took everything I had to subdue her.”

“Indeed,” Debon agreed, “I’m sure that she is a ‘great and powerful’ opponent.” The stallion smiled as he pulled Trixie to the side. He then turned, pointed his horn at Roc, and blasted the yellow unicorn with a bolt of raw magical energy.

Roc stumbled into the wall behind him, teeth gritted tight. Debon took several steps forward to the yellow unicorn, his brow furled, and he shook a hoof at the pony he just shot with his magic.

“I apologize for my frankness, Roc,” Debon said coolly, “Or should I say, Miss Trixie?”

Roc’s body shimmered as the magical veil evaporated into the air. Underneath the illusion was Trixie. The azure unicorn gritted her teeth with remarkable concentration as she clutched the wound Debon’s spell left. Debon turned to the other Trixie near Golden.

“Zeeps, if you would be so kind as to drop this charade?” Debon asked sternly. “And don’t make any sudden moves. Otherwise I will give Golden the liberty to dispose of you painfully.”

A slow green glow enveloped the azure unicorn that stood next to Golden. The magical effect grew bright for a full two seconds before it faded and disappeared. The changeling Zeeps now stood beside Golden.

“So what gave me away?” Trixie asked, “Did I have the wrong accent, the wrong scent? Perhaps I wasn’t walking girly enough to be Roc?”

Debon resumed his pleasant smile. “Miss Trixie, you are a skilled magician, but a terrible actress,” he explained. “First of all, Zeeps cannot duplicate your charisma. The real Trixie doesn’t spit on the ground like a commoner. Second, Roc would never use your ‘Great and Powerful’ title. Even I do not refer to you as such and you know how much regard I had for you.”

Trixie let off a snort. “It would seem our opening night is a complete bust.”

“A part of me still wishes you had accepted that offer at my party those many months ago,” Debon said thoughtfully. He walked up close to Trixie with a look of longing in his eyes.

“Perhaps that same part of me is why I have let you get as far as you did against the Walkers,” he continued. “However, I cannot allow you to undermine our efforts any longer. I’m sorry Trixie, but for the good of the Horizon Walkers and Equestria, I will have to kill you this time.”

Trixie gulped hard. “Yeah, I am the personification of trouble, aren’t I?” she said dejectedly to Debon. “I’d ask for one last kiss goodnight, but I’d probably use the chance to kick you in the groin.”

“Then if you don’t mind,” Debon asked. “Please grant me that last pleasure?”

Trixie hesitated as Debon leaned in for a kiss. Mosaic remained deadpan, but both Golden and Zeeps gave off this look of revulsion at the tender moment that played out. Trixie closed her eyes and met lips with Debon. The stallion closed his eyes and placed a hoof gently on Trixie’s good shoulder. The azure unicorn appeared nervous at first, but quickly gave into the stallion’s embrace. She returned the passionate kiss and drew closer to the stallion.

Debon's eyes popped open with a look of fright. Something was wrong.

Trixie’s eyes glowed green as they slowly opened. She sucked the emotional energy out of Debon’s body through their kiss. The stallion pushed away from her, but he had become weak and collapsed on the ground. In a bright flash of sickly green light, Trixie transformed into her true form, the changeling Zeeps.

Mosaic backed away with a horrified gasp.

Golden’s eyes went wide as she turned to the Zeeps beside her. The changeling punched her in the jaw and sent the tan earth pony to the floor. A shimmering light enveloped this second changeling and then burst into sparkling glitter. Underneath the sparkles was an azure-coated unicorn. With a grand flourish of her purple cape, Trixie bowed and scooped up the spherical stone on the ground. She heroically posed at the fallen Walkers.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is a better actress than you think, Debon,” the real Trixie stated proudly. “Also, don’t kiss a mare who can throw an illusion over a disguised changeling.”

Debon tried to get back up, but Daybreaker stomped into the room. The bison chief pointed his horns menacingly at the stallion. Daybreaker covered Zeeps and Trixie as they all backed out into the first chamber.

Golden slowly stood back up. Her anger came to a boil as tiny arcs of electricity danced at the tips of her fore-hooves. Zeeps placed herself in front of Trixie to protect the azure unicorn. The changeling’s horn glowed green with magical energy.

“Don’t try it,” Trixie warned Golden. “Zeeps here can fire off two blasts of magic before you can get your lightning off.”

“Actually, she’s faster with her spell casting,” Zeeps corrected.

“Seriously?” Trixie asked. “I’m trying to bluff her and you have to go ruining my gambit with facts? Remind me to exchange you later for a faster changeling. Or a smarter one, if that’s even possible.”

“Take up your complaints with my queen,” Zeeps replied.

The sounds of splintering wood echoed loudly from the ruin’s entrance. Heavy hoof-steps descended the stairs followed by the deep breaths of a very large creature that approached the room. Trixie didn’t turn around. She knew who had just arrived to the scene.

Gung let off a mighty roar that unnerved everyone. Golden fired her bolt of black lightning at the clay stallion. Trixie, Zeeps, and Daybreaker jumped out of the way of the crackling dark spell. The lightning struck Gung, but did little to harm the creature.

“That bell is mine!” Gung proclaimed loudly. He charged at Trixie to take the round stone by force.

Trixie threw the sphere to Zeeps and then dove into the shallow pool in the room’s center. The changeling caught the sphere and was amazed how light it felt in her hooves.

Gung galloped past Trixie as the azure unicorn magically levitated a large scoop of water around her. She flung jets of liquid at Gung with all her might. The water stung and burned as it splashed against the clay stallion’s body. Chief Daybreaker charged and struck Gung in the chest with his horns. He pushed the clay stallion back into the wall and held him there.

Debon finally regained enough strength to stand. Mosaic rushed by his side, but the gray unicorn held her back. “Stay behind me,” he warned. “Gung is a fierce opponent. Golden and I have worked a plan for this.”

Golden rushed past Debon as she fired a bolt of black lightning at Zeeps. The changeling dropped down to the floor and avoided the dangerous spell. Zeeps hastily fired a green bolt of magic back at Golden, but the earth pony easily sidestepped the poorly aimed blast.

Golden closed in on Zeeps and reached out to take the sphere. The changeling scrambled away and threw the sphere back at Trixie.

“Catch it!” the changeling shouted.

“Eep!” Trixie yelled as she dodged the thrown stone. It whizzed by the unicorn’s head and hit the ground with a resounding shatter. Bits of rock tumbled around followed by a small bell made of a finely polished copper.

“Golden!” Debon shouted as he charged toward the artifact. “Follow the plan!”

“The bell is mine!!” Gung roared. The clay stallion pushed back against Daybreaker and broke free of the bison’s pin. Gung barreled forward at top speed for the bell.

Trixie grabbed as much water as she could levitate with her magic and launched it forward as a tumbling liquid ball toward Gung.

Debon reached the bell at the same moment that Gung did. The clay stallion collided with the gray unicorn and smashed Debon back across the room. Daybreaker tackled Gung from behind as Trixie’s sphere of water hit the nearby wall. The liquid splattered in all directions and seared the clay stallion’s face like acid.

Trixie levitated a second orb of water, but Golden fired a bolt of lightning at the pool of water Trixie stood upon. The azure unicorn was blasted off her hooves and her floating liquid orb fell with a loud splatter.

Gung bucked Daybreaker off his back and slammed the bison chief to the floor. Golden closed in to grab the bell, but Zeeps shot her from behind with a green magical bolt from the changeling’s horn. Golden hit the floor and skidded to a stop near Gung. The clay beast picked Golden up and threw her at Zeeps. The red-maned mare collided with the changeling and the two rolled backwards across the wet sandy floor.

Gung picked up the magical artifact in his left hoof and held it aloft triumphantly. “The earth bell is mine!” the clay stallion cackled.

His victory was cut short when a marble-coated pegasus swooped in and latched onto his raised foreleg. Mosaic pulled out the sapphire stone from the Lunar Wand and drove it into Gung’s left hoof. The small gemstone shined a brilliant blue hue as it burned Gung’s hoof with a loud, sizzling hiss.

The clay beast dropped the bell, but Mosaic held on and continued to press the gem against his melting hoof.

“You wretched little insect!!” Gung yelled. The clay beast clinched Mosaic with his free fore-hoof and turned toward the nearby wall. With all of his might, Gung crushed the pegasus against the hard stone.

Mosaic screamed in horrific pain as her body made a sickly cracking sound.

Trixie twitched on the ground from Golden’s lightning spell. The cries from the marble pegasus snapped the azure unicorn awake and her mind raced with a flood of ideas. Trixie hit an epiphany regarding all the water that seeped into this room and the element that Grogar’s bell controlled.

The azure unicorn weakly sat up and shouted to Daybreaker.

“Chief, kick it!” Trixie shouted as she held up her fore-hooves to catch.

The bison dove beside Gung and slapped the bell across the ground toward the azure unicorn. The magical artifact bounced across the wet ground and over to Trixie. Gung let out a frustrating roar at the bison chief. Trixie caught the bell against her chest. She fumbled with her collar as she tied the artifact to her cape like a gaudy, oversized clasp.

Gung dropped Mosaic unceremoniously onto the floor and kicked Daybreaker aside. He marched towards Trixie with his complete attention on the azure unicorn. “You cannot harm me with that bell, mare!” he shouted angrily.

Trixie pointed the bell at the ceiling above her. “Go buck yourself in the head,” she stated. The unicorn rang the bell firmly. The artifact made a deep bass sound that shook the room. Large cracks ripped across the ceiling. Droplets of water seeped down through the cracks and landed around Gung. The water poured faster as the room split open like the maw of a colossal beast.

Down came a torrential flood of water from above.

Gung let out a scream of pain as his body melted under the downpour. The clay stallion softened to mud and then liquefied in the growing pool of water around him. As his body dissolved into inert sand, Gung let off a wheezed final breath.

“You only delay the inevitable…”

The water level rose nearly to the ceiling before the downpour relented. Zeeps panicked in the deep pool, unable to swim. Trixie and Daybreaker rushed over to the drowning changeling. Debon lifted Mosaic over his back and swam out of the ruins through the original entrance.

The fires from the crashed airship had died down to a smolder as it continued to consume the craft. A gentle snow of cinders and ash fell around the oasis. Debon exited the ruins and he carefully laid Mosaic down on the cold desert sands. The stallion magically levitated several burning planks of wood to keep mosaic warm.

Daybreaker exited the ruins next with Zeeps, followed closely by Trixie. The changeling was in the middle of a nasty coughing fit from inhaled water in her lungs as she clung to the bison.

Debon sat beside the fatally wounded Mosaic. The marbled pegasus was barely able to breathe as blood slowly filled her lungs. Her wings were curled up tightly against her body and they twitched in pain. The Horizon Walker was unable to do anything other than comfort the dying mare.

“Mosaic,” Debon whispered to her, “You saved us all and did Equestria a great service. I… all I can do is bestow upon you the full honorary title due a true Horizon Walker.”

Debon removed the small sextant-shaped pin from his red vest and placed it in Mosaic’s hooves.

Mosaic twitched, but managed a small smile. Her eyes slowly glazed over as her wings uncurled and went limp on the ground. Mosaic’s last breath escaped her lips, but her smile remained.

Trixie guessed that Mosaic had achieved her dream, but the bittersweet moment left a thick lump in the unicorn’s throat. She caught Debon’s gaze momentarily and saw both sadness and anger in his eyes. Trixie wanted to express her sympathy, but words failed her. She turned away and limped over to where Chief Daybreaker and Zeeps sat.

The changeling leaned wearily against a large stone after her coughing fit ended. Zeeps’ breath was labored, and several cuts were now visible on the changeling’s chest. Daybreaker watched the surrounding oasis for signs of danger. His left eye was swollen and dried blood stuck to the fur under his lips, but the bison remained stoic.

Trixie sat down between her two friends and let out a sigh. “I guess we won,” she whispered.

“She chose her fate,” Daybreaker said thoughtfully. He pointed to Mosaic’s body to clarify who was referring to. “All we can do is honor her sacrifice.”

Trixie nodded slowly as she touched the bell that hung from her collar. “Yeah, I guess sometimes I forget how fragile life can be.”

"How did you know the ceiling held so much water?" Zeeps asked.

"It was an epiphany," Trixie explained. "Even though the Walkers drained the oasis, there was still a lot of water leaking into the room from above. I figured out that the ponies who built this place set up a trap to drown Gung, if he ever came back."

Zeeps snorted. "Eh, you just got lucky."

"That is an equally valid theory," Trixie admitted. The azure unicorn met Debon’s gaze again and she felt a cold chill run down her spine.

Debon stood up, but did not approach. “Thank you,” he said, “For assisting us in destroying Gung.”

Chief Daybreaker stood up. “Much pain and suffering could have been avoided if your Horizon Walkers would let old relics remain forgotten,” he said.

“Perhaps,” Debon replied, “But it was our primary mission to destroy Gung. The fact that he was connected to one of Grogar’s bells was simply fortuitous luck.”

“Time out,” Trixie interrupted with renewed anger. “Are you saying that you didn’t intend to get this bell? You were just after Gung this whole time?”

Debon nodded. “Yes. Did you forget what the Walkers are purposed for?” he asked. “We protect Equestria from dangerous threats. Sealed evils will not remain so indefinitely. Therefore, we took it upon ourselves to destroy Gung as a more permanent solution.”

“Speaking of threats,” Zeeps remarked. “Where did—”

Before the changeling could finish her question, a bolt of black lightning struck Daybreaker. The bison chief fell to the ground in a painful spasm. Golden stepped out from behind the ancient stone pillar she hid behind. Tiny arcs of electricity sparked off her fore-hooves.

“Never mind,” Zeeps said, “There she is.”

Trixie staggered to get up as Golden approached her menacingly. The azure unicorn stepped in front of Zeeps and held her ground. Debon rushed over and blocked the earth pony’s path. Golden scowled at Debon just before she shoved him away. Trixie took a defensive stance and prepared to fire her own spells.

Debon stumbled backwards, but remained standing. “Golden, Trixie, that’s enough!” Debon shouted. “We have slain Gung as we had set out to do. There is no need for another death tonight.” The stallion turned to the azure unicorn and held out his right fore-hoof.

“Trixie, please give us the bell. We are capable of keeping it under control.”

Trixie clutched the artifact tightly with a hoof. “You know I won’t willingly give this to you,” she said.

“Trixie, you are outnumbered and outmatched,” Debon replied. “We will be taking it either way.”

Trixie shook her head. “I bet I could destroy this before you lay one hoof on me,” she boasted. “What do you say, Debon? Would you like to go two-for-two on how much blood you want on your hooves tonight?”

Trixie’s words stung Debon hard. “How dare you mock my pain,” he said angrily. “Mosaic willingly gave her life to save us all from Gung. Would you do the same in her place? Would you sacrifice your life to protect Equestria from her enemies?”

“What about exploiting her enemies?” Zeeps interrupted as she sat up. “I noticed you didn’t care that Roc and Golden used me like a tool. I’m considered evil because I must feed on emotions, but slavery is justifiable because it advances your own goal?”

“Shut up, changeling!” Golden barked.

Trixie shook her head. “I don’t know, Debon. Maybe I’m not that selfless,” she said, “But at least I can sleep at night knowing that my soul has not made a deal with these dark artifacts.”

Golden let out a frustrated growl. “You pretentious little witch! Die!” The earth pony fired her dark lightning bolt with perfect aim.

Trixie braced herself as the spell struck her hard in the chest. Pain coursed through her body, but she refused to cry out. Trixie fought back against the spell’s paralyzing effect. She would not lose this fight. She would not let this dark magic break her. She was The Great and Powerful Trixie!

Sparks shot out of Trixie’s crescent moon cutie mark as the spell lost to her will. Black arcs of lightning danced around her mane as the spell pulsed within her body. Trixie pointed her horn at Golden and released the captured spell. The bolt of lightning crackled through the air as it jumped out of Trixie’s horn and struck the earth pony.

Golden screamed out as the pain paralyzed her body. She fell to her knees, shaken that Trixie somehow turned the spell back at her. The earth pony could not understand how it was possible.

Trixie stood there, wide-eyed and out of breath. She too was surprised, but while the azure unicorn was unsure how she overcame the spell, she did know that this second occurrence meant it was not pure luck.

Debon jumped at the stunned Trixie. His body took on a dark, shadowy form as he sailed through the air. Trixie swatted at Debon, but the stallion’s intangible body passed around her hooves like smoke. Debon’s shadowy body curled behind Trixie and took solid form again. The stallion grabbed Zeeps around the neck and squeezed hard.

“If you do not wish to be civil about this matter,” Debon said plainly, “Then we shall engage in a more barbaric form of business. Give me the bell, or the changeling dies. I care nothing for these creatures, but you seem to have an attachment with this one.”

Trixie was speechless. Debon’s golden eyes burned with anger. Was the stallion ready to follow through with his threat? Had Trixie pushed him too far? Did she unleash Debon’s inner demon?

Trixie slowly untied the knot on her cape’s collar. She heard Daybreaker moan some words nearby, but the bison’s speech was completely incoherent.

Zeeps whimpered with genuine fear. Debon’s grip around her throat was painfully tight. Trixie kept her eyes focused on Zeeps, and smiled to let the changeling know it was going to be alright.

“Here, take it,” Trixie said as she held out the bell.

Debon threw the changeling against the ground and then stepped forward to snatch the bell. Zeeps coughed hoarsely as dusty air rushed into her lungs.

Debon took hold of the bell and then he leaned in closely to Trixie’s ear. “Do not believe that our conflict is as black and white as a zebra’s flank,” he warned her. “I will let you live this night, if only to hope that one day you will experience what it means to give up your ideals for what you truly hold dear.”

The stallion walked over to Golden and he helped the earth pony stand up. “Goodbye Trixie,” Debon said disappointingly.

Trixie turned around and pulled out the locket from her saddle-belt pocket. “Wait!” she shouted.

Debon looked up at the azure unicorn, but said nothing.

Trixie opened the locket up, and her levitation magic floated it over to Debon. “Before you go, please,” the azure unicorn asked, “Answer me this. Do you know who she is?”

Debon looked at the old colorless photo in the locket. His brow furled and he shook his head. “She is a beautiful mare, but not some pony I am familiar with,” he stated. “However, knowing your taste for trickery, I daresay it is just a forged photo of you. Those are your eyes.”

Debon held Golden up as the earth pony focused on a teleportation spell. The two Horizon Walkers were enveloped in a soft maroon glow and then vanished in a sudden flash of red light. The glow faded until there was nothing left but the hoof prints in the sand.

“Thanks anyway,” Trixie whispered to the air. “I guess I should be grateful I’m not related to you.”

Zeeps sat up and rubbed her head. “I’m sorry I made you give up the bell,” she apologized.

“Don’t be,” Trixie replied. She pocketed the locket again and then checked on Daybreaker. The bison was awake, but very weak from the effects of Golden’s spell.

“Debon would have taken the bell from me even if I let him kill you,” Trixie explained. “I saw it in his eyes. It was like he was… possessed.”

“By what?” Zeeps asked.

A faint hissing sound came from the south. Trixie looked up and saw Ellie in her hot air balloon. It only hovered a few feet off the ground and Cheryl was pulling it along by a rope tied to her waist. When they reached Trixie, Cheryl tied the balloon to a large rock.

Ellie jumped out of the balloon and hugged the azure unicorn. “Trixie!” the pegasus shouted. “Are you alright? Where’s Debon? Did you defeat Gung?”

“Calm down, chicken wings,” Cheryl scolded. “You’re going to break her with that hug.”

Trixie pulled herself away from the overexcited pegasus. “We’re alright, Ellie,” Trixie said with assurance in her voice. “Gung has been destroyed and the Walkers have fled. However, Mosaic didn’t survive the fight.” The unicorn pointed to the lifeless body a short distance away.

Ellie let out a soft whimper and looked away.

Cheryl sighed as she walked over to the lifeless marbled pegasus. The pink-maned pony placed her hat over Mosaic’s smiling face. “I reckon I shouldn’t be surprised,” Cheryl said. “Those Walkers play a dangerous game.”

“What about Grogar’s bell?” Ellie asked. “Did you destroy it?”

Daybreaker slowly sat up. “No, the Walkers have it,” he said wearily. “Trixie fought them valiantly, but Debon threatened to kill the shifter unless she surrendered the bell to him.”

“Shifter?” Cheryl inquired.

“He means Zeeps,” Trixie explained. “Debon was… I don’t know, maybe I pushed his buttons to hard. Golden seemed even more unhinged. I think she was more interested in killing us than getting the bell.”

“Well, it’s like you said,” Ellie stated. “Those relics the Walkers use are forbidden for a reason. Do you reckon all that dark magic is finally making the Walkers unstable?”

“I’m going to place my bet on a definitive ‘yes’ to that,” Zeeps answered.

“Well this is a fine pickle we’re in,” Cheryl said. “So what do we do now? The Walkers escaped with the bell, we’re empty-hoofed on evidence, and that poor marbled lass over there is ready to be fitted in a pine box.” Cheryl kicked a small stone in frustration.

“Oh, I know!” Ellie interjected. “It’s time for Trixie’s eleventh rule of being great and powerful, right? 'Always prepare for an encore?'”

“You actually paid attention to those stupid rules?” Zeeps said with bewilderment.

“Excuse me, they’re not stupid,” Trixie said defensively. She paced around her friends thoughtfully, her limp quite pronounced as Trixe walked her circular path.

“Alright, so we can’t go after Debon directly because we have no evidence to show the princess,” Trixie pondered aloud. “However, we can go after Debon’s reputation. He’s still running for mayor, right? If we spread a few rumors that his campaign is dirty, we can throw the election to another candidate.”

“Well, that isn’t a bad consolation prize I reckon,” said Ellie. “Mud-slinging is a pretty common practice among those political folks. I also rather not have Debon elected to any position of authority around here.”

“I’m all for ruining Debon,” Zeeps said, “But how are we going to convince every pony to walk away from him? We don’t have much to go on and we don’t look like the types to be trusted.”

Trixie cleared her throat. “Rule number three, Zeeps. ‘Given the proper motivation, your audience will believe anything you say.’”

“Not to burst your bubble,” Cheryl interrupted, “But a bunch of personal advice isn’t going to help us none.”

Daybreaker hobbled over to the hot air balloon. “I believe I can help this plan succeed,” he said weakly. “Princess Luna will be presenting the wand to the chief of a local a bison tribe in two days.”

“Alright, and?” Cheryl asked.

Daybreaker paused for a moment before answering. “It’s my tribe receiving the honor and I’m the chief accepting the wand at the presentation.”

Everyone looked at Daybreaker with surprise at his reveal. The bison chief now understood why Trixie enjoyed being clever by withholding information until the right moment.

It was fun.

Chapter 9 – Applause Waits on Success

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The citizens of San Anponio appeared to be back to ‘business as usual’ after the clay monster attack two nights ago. They were only able to speculate on what the creature was, but Princess Luna assured her subjects that the clay monster was destroyed. The princess also succeeded in breaking the enchantment on those affected by the encounter, but she had spent her time since recovering in the privacy of a hotel room.

However, there was still much work to be had. Repairs were started on the mayor’s house, decorations were hung back up over the streets, and the trash from the welcoming party was quickly swept off the ground. San Anponio was ready this morning for the presentation ceremony of the Lunar Wand.

The crowds gathered in the downtown square to see Princess Luna make her appearance. A large, wooden stage with lavish purple curtains was set up in front of the town hall. There was a podium up front with a bullhorn. Behind the podium was a row of four chairs. Three of them were occupied by the retired mayor, the museum curator, and Artemis.

The two royal guards, Lance and Pike, stood by the short staircase that led down from the stage to a tent, where the princess was presumed to be waiting inside.

The city’s clock tower struck ten o’clock. The former mayor stood up and walked casually to the podium. He cleared his throat before speaking into the bullhorn for every pony to hear.

“Thank you all for attending this delightful ceremony,” the mayor began. “In the years under my leadership, San Anponio has grown into the strong and beautiful capitol city it is now. In order to maintain our prosperity, we must forge good relations with our neighbors based on kindness and trust. To that end, we welcome here today the chief of a noble bison tribe that calls this land home. It is with great honor that I present to the stage, Chief Daybreaker of the Lunar Tribe.”

The crowd stomped their hooves in applause as a large brown bison exited the tent. He strode up the steps to the stage with a smile upon his face. Daybreaker’s headdress was adorned with large feathers and tiny sapphire stones. The chief wore a simple black patch over a bruised eye, and his cheeks were decorated with white war paint.

Daybreaker stood behind the podium and cleared his throat. “Thank you, kind ponies of this city,” he said loudly. “When I was first approached to receive the Lunar Wand, I was quite happy to see that Equestria wanted to forge good relations with my tribe by returning an important piece of our history. However, over the past few moons, I have learned that my tribe was to be swindled by your own peers.”

Looks of surprise and confusion began to surface among the crowd. The retired mayor turned to Artemis, but the burly art appraiser was just as stunned. Daybreaker reached under his headdress and pulled out a large, uncut sapphire.

“This is the true stone that topped the Lunar Wand. It was stolen several days ago by thieves that played upon your gullibility to believe that a fictional pegasus named Daring Do recovered the wand. However, the thieves replaced this stone with a fake, and your so called ‘art connoisseurs’ had not noticed this ruse. Therefore, I am led to believe that either your appraisers are amateurs or that they were connected to the con.”

Daybreaker then turned to the curator and Artemis. “So then, which theory is it?”

The crowd was now murmuring excitedly among themselves. Cameras flashed as the museum curator and Artemis both had taken on expressions of dread upon their faces. Neither of the two ponies could answer Daybreaker’s question, and Artemis seemed overwhelmed by the accusation.

“Lies! All of them!” the burley art appraiser shouted as he stood up. “I-I was busy with a side project at a dig site! I had no time to reevaluate the wand!” Artemis pointed directly to the museum curator.

“It was Liam’s job to check the wand!”

Now the curator was put on the spot. “You greedy swine!” Liam shouted back. “You took money under the table from Debon Aire on that project! The wand was your responsibility!”

“You worked on that same project too!” Artemis countered. “Debon paid you for the maps!”

Daybreaker turned to glance at the audience before he interrupted. “Would this project happen to be a tomb that belonged to my ancestors? A tomb you had desecrated against my tribe’s wishes?”

“W-What do you mean?” Artemis stuttered. “No! Debon paid me to oversee that site! It was his idea to dig it up! I’m the victim here! Do you understand me? A victim!”

The retired mayor stood up. “Daybreaker, what is the meaning of this?!” he angrily questioned.

The bison raised a hoof. “Be at ease, mayor,” Daybreaker said calmly. “My information comes from the mouth of a young pegasus named Mosaic. I believe she was Artemis’ assistant?”

Artemis shuffled his hooves. “M-Mosaic?” he stuttered. “How could that be? She died in an airship crash two nights ago. Dead ponies can’t talk.”

“For centuries, my people have communed with the spirits of the dead,” Daybreaker explained. “However, I shall summon her here so that you may receive her wisdom directly.”

Daybreaker took a step back and began chanting in a language no pony understood. Lance and Pike exchanged confused glances, but the crowed was mesmerized by the bison’s vocal rhythm. With a circular motion of his fore-hooves, Daybreaker pointed to the ground before him.

A pillar of red flame shot out for an instant and a pale marble pegasus appeared in front of the chief. Several ponies in the crowd jumped in fright at the creature’s deathly appearance. It looked like Mosaic, but her figure was very gaunt now, with a ragged black mane that hung around her shoulders, and sunken pale eyes.

“Please, spirit of Mosaic,” Daybreaker said in a deep tone, “Are the ponies who desecrated my ancestors’ tomb here?”

“Yesss…” hissed the ghoulish Mosaic.

Smoke wafted up from the cracks in the stage below the spirit. Two mares in the crowd fainted onto the ground. Lance and Pike readied their spears. The lieutenant whistled for back up and two more guards galloped out of the tent to witness this event.

“And tell me, spirit of Mosaic,” Daybreaker continued, “Can you point out the ponies that desecrated my ancestors’ tomb?”

Mosaic turned and pointed to Artemis. “Debon paid you to dig!”

Artemis screamed in fright and hid behind the curator. Lance and Pike climbed the stage to corner the spirit, but Mosaic raised her wings in defense. A second pillar of fire consumed her body and the ghoulish Mosaic disappeared.

Artemis broke down in tears. Photographers took several pictures while the crowd became loud with gossip. The retired mayor stepped forward and took charge.

“Sheriff, have your men remove these ponies!” the former mayor ordered. “I have some questions for them. As for you, Chief Daybreaker, what kind of sorcery is this you’re throwing around?”

The bison chief smiled as two law-ponies removed Liam and Artemis off the stage. “It is not sorcery, mayor, but only my half of the story,” he explained. “I suggest you contact the one known as Debon Aire for his half. Only then you will understand what had transpired in this city two nights ago.”

The former mayor bit his lip thoughtfully. “I certainly will,” he said to the chief. “However, if the wand’s sapphire was stolen, then how did you acquire it?”

“There are many good ponies in Equestria,” Daybreaker answered. “I happened to have found four of them willing to go out of their way to do what was right for both our people.”

Daybreaker left the stage to return to the tent. The reporters in the crowed broke out into a rush for the bison chief. The royal guards formed a barrier to protect the chief from the oncoming mob as questions flew in a cacophony of jumbled voices.

Daybreaker entered the dark tent and sat down on a plain cotton rug. The only other occupant within the tent stepped out of the shadows behind the chief. She appeared to be dressed in the standard armor of the royal guard, but she lacked their visual uniformity. This pony had an azure coat and the worn armor was two sizes too large for her body. Her helmet completely covered her face, save for her exposed unicorn horn.

“Not a bad performance,” the guard said smugly, “But it might have been better if you threw in a few dance steps. I’ve seen your people dance quite passionately.”

The chief smiled half-heartedly, but he did not turn around. “Communing with spirits was nothing like that show we just put on, Moon Warrior,” Daybreaker said. “I don’t know if I should be proud or sad that ponies are so easily bamboozled for their lack of bison culture.”

Trixie removed the heavy guard helmet off her head and gently placed it on the ground. She walked past Daybreaker and threw him a confident grin. “It would only be sad if we had no one to teach us more about the old ways,” she said. “I think many of us would be willing to listen if you give us a chance.”

Daybreaker nodded in agreement. “Thank you again, for everything you and your friends have done to help us destroy Gung,” the bison said proudly. “And give my regards to your shifter’s performance. She is quite the actress on the stage.”

“Oh that wasn’t Zeeps,” Trixie corrected. “I had Ellie stand in for her. Zeeps is tying up a lose end for me elsewhere.” The azure unicorn removed the oversized armor and walked over to the far end of the tent.

“Well, I think you can handle things from here,” she said. “I’ve got a friend at the hospital to meet up with.” Trixie lifted the tent flap and snuck outside.

“Good luck, Moon Warrior,” Daybreaker said.

~ ~ ~

Two ponies walked down the hallway in the hospital’s general patient wing. One was a strong orange stallion and the other a yellow unicorn mare. The unicorn carried a small bouquet of roses with her levitation magic. The visitor badges around their necks read ‘Clem’ and ‘Bonnie’.

They reached their destination, room 310, guarded by a single deputy of the San Anponio police. The only other pony in the area was a nurse napping on a bench farther down the hall. The officer looked at them with a raised eyebrow as Bonnie presented the bouquet to him.

“We’re here to visit miss Lulu Gauge,” the unicorn said innocently.

The deputy picked up a clipboard with a schedule written on it. “I don’t have anyone slated for visiting at this time,” he responded. “What are your names?”

“Sandman and Sleeping Beauty,” Bonnie stated.

The yellow unicorn shoved the bouquet of roses into the officer’s face. The deputy flailed to push the flowers away, but the sweet odor within the roses overwhelmed the stallion’s senses. He became dizzy and fell to the cold floor as he wheezed for breath.

Clem stepped forward and kicked the deputy in the gut.

Bonnie opened the bouquet and withdrew a small knife hidden within. She tossed the flowers on the ground and opened the door to Lulu’s room.

Heavy curtains were drawn over the lone open window and a light breeze crept in to cool the dark room. A chart hung off the foot of the bed that read ‘Lulu Gauge, zebra mare.’ A nearby table held a tray of wilting apple peels and an empty drinking glass. The patient on the bed was completely covered under a thick blanket.

Bonnie heard a faint snore from under the covers. She levitated the knife by her side as Clem quickly pulled back the bed sheet that covered their target. Instead of a stripped zebra, however, the two criminals were greeted by the fanged smile of a changeling.

“Is it sponge bath time?” Zeeps asked eagerly.

Bonnie dropped the knife with a startle as she backed away. Clem angrily dove on changeling, but Zeeps rolled off the bed before the stallion smothered her. Clem grabbed the edge of the hospital bed and flipped it over. The changeling darted under the stallion and ran for the exit.

Bonnie jumped in Zeep’s path. “We’re not finished with you yet!” the yellow unicorn shouted.

“Trixie disagrees,” stated a haughty female voice from the hallway.

Bonnie spun around in her place. Trixie and Cheryl stepped into the room as Ellie climbed in through the open window. Zeeps flapped her insect wings with excitement as Trixie adjusted her new pointed magician’s hat. The four friends surrounded the would-be assassins.

“Surrender now or The Great and Powerful Trixie will have you checked into the intensive care ward,” the azure unicorn threatened.

Bonnie levitated the roses on the floor behind Trixie and threw them at the azure unicorn. The rose thorns tangled in Trixie’s mane and pricked against her ears. The show-mare yelped in pain. Bonnie rushed at Cheryl and jumped over the earth pony.

The yellow unicorn’s levitation magic carried her clear over Cheryl’s head and into the hallway.

“Gah!” Trixie shouted angrily as she plucked the roses out of her hair. “Who keeps thorns in a bouquet of roses?!”

Clem rushed Cheryl to push the mare out of the way, but Cheryl braced against the stallion’s charge. The two locked hooves and wrestled each other back into the room. Zeeps jumped on Clem’s back and sunk her teeth into his shoulder.

“Ahh!” Clem screamed. “Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!”

Ellie grabbed a pillow off the floor and attempted to strike Clem on the head. The stallion darted in circles with Cheryl still grappled with him and Zeeps clung to his back. Half of Ellie’s blows struck her friends instead of Clem. The pillow casing tore open and feathers spilled in all directions.

The airborne plumage tickled Cheryl’s nose. The chocolate-coated pony let out a grand sneeze and fell to the ground. The stallion, now free of Cheryl, grabbed the changeling off his back and threw her into Ellie. The two mares tumbled to the floor over each other.

“You gals are off your nut to take on a strong stallion like me,” Clem boasted.

Trixie ran up from behind, and with a half twist of her body, she kicked Clem hard between his legs. The stallion grabbed his crotch area as he fell to the ground in intense pain.

“Yeah, well no nuts to you too,” Trixie angrily stated.

Bonnie galloped down the hallway towards the stairs. She raced past several nurses who shouted at her to stop running, but the yellow unicorn ignored them. Bonnie reached the end of the hall where a large wooden door marked 'stairwell' stood. The yellow unicorn pulled the door open with her magic.

Princess Luna stood on the stairwell landing, flanked by the royal guards Spade and Spearmint.

“Oh, this is so unfair,” Bonnie whined.

“This is the part where we don’t give a flying feather,” Luna replied flatly.

Spade and Spearmint leaped at Bonnie. The two guards grabbed the yellow unicorn and pinned her to the floor with unruly roughness. Luna stepped into the hallway and gave Bonnie a disappointing frown.

“You may take her away,” the princess said to the guards.

“Here’s the other one!” Trixie shouted further down the hall. She strutted toward the princess as her friends dragged Clem along by the shoulders. Zeeps had taken on the disguise of Daring Do to avoid scaring the hospital staff she passed.

Clem was still whimpering in pain as he was dropped besides Bonnie. The four friends then bowed gracefully before Luna. Spade and Spearmint lifted the two criminals to their hooves and escorted them down the stairwell.

The deputy assaulted by Bonnie earlier sat up and waved that he was alright.

Luna turned her attention to Trixie. “I still believe you to be the most arrogant pony I know,” she said, “But far be it for me not to acknowledge your bravery. Your success has brought peace of mind to this city.”

“Thank you, your highness,” Trixie said with a large grin, “But I would like to share the credit with my friends here, especially with Zeeps. I learned that loyalty to your friends is important.”

Cheryl gave Trixie a look of disbelief. “Wait, you learned something about friendship?” the earth pony questioned sarcastically. “When did that happen?”

“I reckon you did too, Cheryl,” Ellie said happily. “You learned to trust a changeling, right?”

Luna gave Zeeps a serious look and the changeling shied away from the princess’ gaze. Luna turned back to Trixie. “With the recent problems Equestria has with changelings,” Luna said, “I must confess that I am still wary of even this one. However, since you all have proven yourselves just, I will grant Zeeps a pardon for her crimes.”

Luna leaned closer to Trixie with a stern look. “Do not give me cause to regret this decision.”

“I won’t,” Trixie said simply.

“I am curious, however,” Luna pondered out loud. “How did you know that a second attempt would be made on Miss Gauge’s life?”

Trixie plucked a rose petal out of her mane. “Intuition mostly,” she answered. “Golden Jubilee had told me that Miss Gauge’s survival was a mistake that won’t happen a second time. The only reason I could think of for assassinating her was to ensure that Debon won the election.”

Ellie stepped forward. “Earlier today, Trixie and I put on a little show at the wand’s presentation ceremony,” the pegasus said. “We couldn’t nail Debon for his participation with Gung’s release, but I reckon the papers will be all aflutter about an illegal excavation he funded.”

“That ought to bruise his popularity some,” Cheryl added.

“Indeed,” Luna agreed. “Well I shall take my leave then. I have a lunch appointment with Miss Gauge today and a long letter to write to my sister over the events that transpired here. I shall keep in touch with you should I require further details.”

The princess turned to walk away, but she looked over her shoulder at Trixie. “One last thing,” Luna said. “My sister had great success fostering a teacher-student relationship with a gifted pony on the magic of friendship. They accomplished many great deeds together. Perhaps you might consider an offer to enter such a relationship under my wing in the future?”

Trixie was wide-eyed for a moment, but after she considered the idea, the azure unicorn shook her head. “I’m afraid I must decline,” she said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is not one for books and studies in a school setting. I am an adventuring magician of hooves-on experience.”

“Good, because that is exactly the kind of pony that I’m looking for,” Luna said with a smirk. The princess walked down the stairs and left Trixie to ponder that thought for a while longer.

Ellie patted Trixie on the shoulder. “So, what do we do now?” the pegasus asked. “Should we gallop off into the sunset searching for another adventure?”

The azure unicorn took off her hat and smiled. “No,” Trixie said thoughtfully. “I think for once, I’d like to go home and relax. However, I’d like you all to come with me.”

“You want us to go with you to Manehatten?” Cheryl asked. “Why?”

Trixie pulled out the letter written by Stone Rose. “My intuition tells me we will be expecting some mail in the near future.”

“Do you still reckon that Stone Rose feller is on your side?” Ellie asked.

Trixie shrugged. “I’m not sure, but when the Horizon Walkers make their next move, I want to be there to stop whatever monstrosity they let lose next. This Stone Rose thought that we were the best team for the job and I’d like to think he was right.”

“So are we like, a gang of outlaws then?” Zeeps asked. “Or maybe we’re a team of vigilante heroes?”

“I don’t know, my little hayseed,” Trixie responded, “But as my twelfth rule of being great and powerful states, ‘Whatever it is you are, be the best at it.’”

Trixie donned her hat once more and led the way down stairs. Her friends followed and they raced each other out of the hospital and towards the train station. The midday sun shone brightly upon the next train prepared to travel eastward to Manehatten.

The azure unicorn pulled out the locket with her levitation magic. Perhaps it was time to go home, and pay a visit to her extended family.

Epilogue – Guaranteed Only the Pursuit of Happiness

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Rook yawned as he walked along the lonely rampart. The setting sun warmed the unicorn’s cold body. The small stone fort took on an orange glow from the sunset, as did the surrounding snow-capped mountains.

The royal guard sat down on the parapet and carefully scratched the back of his neck with the spear he carried. Rook watched the partly cloudy skies to the north. The look of boredom was upon his face. In the distance to the northwest stood the grand mountain, Mount Reindeer. It towered above the surrounding hills and gave the guard an impressive view to look at on every sunset.

Another unicorn guard stationed at this remote fort climbed up the steps to meet him. Rook saw that the other guard carried a newspaper with levitation magic.

“Last month's paper finally arrived,” the other guards said as he handed it to Rook. “Has Blades come back yet?”

“Nope,” Rook answered. “That foolish pegasus likely got lost.” He unfolded the newspaper and read the month-old headlines. The unicorn wished that the military budget could afford a faster paper delivery to their remote fort.

“Huh, did you read this, Bill? It looks like Debon Aire lost the election by a hair’s width,” Rook said with interest. “Too bad, I rather liked his idea on building a magic school in San Anponio.”

Bill shrugged. “I don’t read much other than the funnies,” he replied.

“You ought to,” Rook scolded. “It says here San Anponio elected their first Zebra mayor. That must have stirred up some of the folks back in Canterlot.”

“You’re not going to get all political on me, are you?” Bill asked.

The two unicorns heard shouts from the northwest. They looked up and saw the pegasus Blades diving quickly for the fort. The winged pony appeared to be very agitated about something.

“Blades, where have you been?” Rook asked angrily.

“The changelings, they’re moving!” Blades answered quickly. The pegasus landed hard against the fort’s rampart. Blades scraped his legs, but scrambled up to his hooves in a hurry. His dark blue mane was completely disheveled.

“They’re all moving out of the mountain!”

“What?” Bill asked in disbelief. “The entire hive? Why?”

The three guards heard a deep explosion from the northwest that rolled into a loud, approaching rumble. They turned their attention to Mount Reindeer and saw that a colossal wall of dark gray matter hurled itself down the mountainside towards their tiny fort. Smaller mountain tops were engulfed by the titanic wave of destruction that sped down towards the guards.

“Avalanche!!” Bill shouted as he jumped to the stairs.

Rook and Blades raced behind him down into the storm cellar. The three guards nearly tumbled down the last flight of steps as the air above them began to fill with hot ash. They reached the small basement and Rook slammed the cellar’s sturdy wooden door shut behind them. Bill and Rook cast light spells upon their horns as Blades ensured the cellar’s door was locked tightly in place.

The ground around the three guards began to violently shake. The stacks of barrels and crates around them shifted around and fell over. Cracks formed in the walls and sundered the wooden shelves off their brackets. Chunks of ceiling fell upon the ponies and Bill’s light went out as a large stone struck him hard on the head. A barrel of water burst open and gushed out its cold contents along the ground.

Rook rushed to Bill’s aid and protected the injured guard from falling debris. Blades leaned against a stack of crates to prevent them from collapsing. Another water barrel splintered and leaked its contents on the already soaked ground.

And then, the rumble died down as the wave of destruction continued on its unstoppable path further down the hills.

Rook tore strips off a blanket and wrapped the bleeding wound on Bill’s head. The senior guard let off a painful grunt as he stood up. Blades unlocked the door, but found it difficult to open. The stairwell partly collapsed in front of the door.

“I think we’re buried,” Blades stated worriedly.

“Stand back,” Rook warned. The unicorn focused his horn on the door and blasted it apart with several bolts of magic. Blades pulled the broken planks aside and dug through the partly caved-in stairwell.

“What was that?” Bill asked Blades.

The pegasus didn’t respond at first. He crawled up the tunnel he dug to the surface. After a long pause, Rook and Bill heard Blades let out a whistle of surprise.

“Guys!” the pegasus shouted back to them between coughs. “It’s gone!”

“Well yeah,” Rook answered as he helped Bill climb the tunnel. “I figure this little fort wouldn’t stand up to an avalanche like that.”

“No,” Blades countered as the two unicorns climbed out of the hole beside him. “I mean Mount Reindeer. It’s gone!”

The small stone fort had been nearly leveled by the landslide, but it spared the three guards from being buried alive. The unicorns stood in awe with Blades as the sky above them was completely blackened with clouds that rained ash and soot. The air was thick with dust and hard to breathe. To the northwest, the once majestic Mount Reindeer had been reduced to a partial crater filled with still glowing lava. Bill let off a small cough from the ash.

“It… it exploded?” Rook asked in disbelief. “How is that possible?”

“Well, Mount Reindeer is an active volcano despite its quiet nature,” Bill commented.

“No, was a volcano!” Rook argued. “Volcanoes erupt and eject lava. This one… vaporized.”

Blades heard a soft cry nearby. The pegasus carefully walked down the thick ash-covered hillside and located the source of the meek voice. He found a badly injured changeling buried under the rubble. Blades stepped back in fear, but he tripped over the leg of another changeling. Blades fell over and met face to face with the dead body he stumbled upon.

“Blades, you alright?” Rook called out as he and Bill slowly made their way to him.

Blades nodded. “I think we need to alert the capitol,” he said grimly.

Rook and Bill looked around as other badly injured changelings sputtered and cried from under the rubble. The three guards were surrounded by dozens of dead and dying insect-like creatures. Blades walked up to them and stretched out his wings.

“This wasn’t an ordinary eruption,” Blades said frankly. “The changeling hive has been nearly wiped out. This is a cataclysm.”

Author's Notes:

I hope this works as a hook for the third story in the Outlaw Mares trilogy.

Blades is a pegasus guard that first appeared in my story "Being Chaos Malcontent". He was the pony who had a crush on Princess Celestia, and he made his feelings known during the throne-room scene in chapter 5. Your bit of trivia: The temporary assignment to this remote fort was Blade's punishment for the embarrassing aforementioned scene.

Trixie's Rules for Being Great and Powerful:
1. A good performer borrows from an inspiring act. A great performer steals the show.
2. The art of acting consists in keeping ponies from coughing.
3. Given the proper motivation, your audience will believe anything you say.
4. Better to be absolutely ridiculous, than absolutely boring.
5. An opponent's overconfidence is your best weapon.
6. Treat every performance as if it were your last show.
7. Never delay action, for time certainly won't.
8. Forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission.
9. Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.
10. A sufficiently disguised trick is indistinguishable from magic.
11. Always prepare for an Encore.
12. Whatever it is you are, be the best at it.

Outlaw Mares 2: For a Few Ponies More

by Digodragon

Prelude – Trouble Springs from Idleness

Chapter 1 – The Immovable, the Moveable, and Those Who Move

Chapter 2 – When in Doubt, Don't

Chapter 3 – The Greatest Lie is Half a Truth

Chapter 4 – Knowledge Pays the Best Interest

Chapter 5 – Motion versus Action

Chapter 6 – Do Good to Win Your Enemies

Chapter 7 – At War With Your Vices

Chapter 8 – Peace at Too High a Price

Chapter 9 – Applause Waits on Success

Epilogue – Guaranteed Only the Pursuit of Happiness