The life of a self-sustaining, Shock Jockey-powered horse isn't a very lively one...he stands, and he walks, that was about it- until an angel presents him with the opportunity to escape his torment.
The life of a self-sustaining, Shock Jockey-powered horse isn't a very lively one...he stands, and he walks, that was about it- until an angel presents him with the opportunity to escape his torment. Now, a new lease on life, he sets out to explore the new land spread before him.
He stood on the wooden platform, staring out at the gathered crowd. He really had no interest in them, they were just there to stare at him, and the other mechanical stallion standing next to him. A few of the children 'ooh'd' and 'ahh'd', pointing at the both of them as a tinny tune wound its way around the fairgrounds. He really wished he could be spending his time doing something else, he didn't know what, however. With his motion, came some degree of self-awareness, most likely a result of the humans not wanting to waste money on building more of them, should some of them decide to walk right off the edge of the street and hurtle towards the ground at breakneck speeds. He snorted, and adjusted himself, the wheel and axle attached to his hind legs grinding against the woodwork of the platform as a human off to the right showed them off. His eyes wandered boredly around his surroundings, not the least bit interested in what the announcer, or the crowd for that matter, had to say about him. He'd heard it all before, 'amazing' this, 'amazing' that...it got tiresome when you heard it as often as he did. The iron stallion next to him shifted, as he had done, his white and gold iron coat shining in the sunlight, much like his own.
"Step right up, folks!" a man announced, pulling the attention of the crowd away from their platform "Be sure to enter the raffle, all entries free of charge!"
He'd roll his eyes if he could, but became relieved inwardly as the crowd thinned out, presumably making their way towards the raffle stand. His owner didn't really seem that concerned when he, along with the crowd, disappeared. He snorted once more, and shook his head, feeling a small buzzing in the back of his head. It was probably the crystal attached to him, it was always doing things like that- sometimes it'd just be a tingling sensation, other times, it'd send a full-on shiver down his metal spine; once, his leg even flew out from under him.
Suddenly, a great figure appeared before him, blocking most of his view as the screaming of the crowds was heard blocks away.
"Hello, my dear" the figure said, lowering down upon him.
He lifted his head, and was greeted with the sight of the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on- a perfectly cream-colored face, her eyes filled with joy and life. Her great wings flapped, setting her hidden feet onto the platform, as her white dress billowed in a non-existent wind. She had auburn curls, set upon her head a bit messily. Her sleeveless dress revealed her elbows, which showed ball-and-joint mechanisms between her forearms and shoulders. The wings secured on her back were robotic, as well as her neck, the piping inside flashing between bronze and gold in the shifting daylight.
"You need not be afraid" she said, smiling. She set her hand upon his iron muzzle, feeling her surprisingly warm hand stroke it gently. No one had ever done this to him before, they didn't care to, but here this...this...creature...was, treating him with kindness. She was a total stranger to him, yet here he was, completely calm, secure, even. He glanced over to his 'partner', and saw the stallion's head hung low, still standing, with his crystal chamber dark.
"He'll be fine," she assured him "I have come here to ask you a question"
He nodded absently, still feeling the heavenly touch of the winged-human-robot.
"I have witnessed your unrest for quite a while, and I've decided to offer you a chance somewhere else"
The only thing he could think of was 'Where?'.
"I have a special place in mind, but you must first prove yourself"
He stared at her, shocked, wondering how she could have accomplished a task such as mind-reading.
"Surprise isn't foreign to me," she chuckled, removing her hand from his muzzle, much to his displeasure "I will bring you to this new place, and as repayment, I expect you to accomplish a task for me, a challenge if you will"
Before he had a chance to speak again, she spoke up once more.
"If you do not complete the challenge, I will bring you back, and you will continue living here, as you always have-"
His ears would've splayed back if they could.
"-however, if you do complete it, I will give you the choice of living there, or here"
His small mind mulled it over, hemming and hawing as the winged creature patiently awaited his answer. If he were to do this, he could have a new life- not just be used as something to be placed on a stand and gawked at.
He nodded, ever so slowly, and the creature smiled; she then placed two fingers between his eyes. His vision caught them, and felt the back of his head tingle as the creature's hand glowed, filling his vision with the light entirely.
He opened his eyes-
-his brain stopped right there.
He closed his eyes, then opened them again. He repeated the process several times, amazed at the new control of his eyelids. The creature reappeared in his vision, both of them now in a lush field. She cleared her throat, and his ears swung forward. He spent several more minutes flipping his ears back and forth, happy to actually have control over them. He discovered his jaw was able to function as well. Not much else was different than what he'd discovered, still Jockey-powered, like always.
He eyed the creature, wondering what her motives were. "I have one additional surprise" she said, presenting him with a pair of bags. She hung them over his back, and he felt that whatever they were, they were pretty heavy. He gave her a confused look, and found her hand stroking his muzzle once more.
"I depart for now," she said "your challenge is to fit in, as well as befriend the natives"
He was confused- why would she bring him here, just to do that? It seemed like a big waste of time and energy...
"Goodbye" she said, waving before ascending into the sky with her great, bronze wings.
"Gggg" he said, struggling with the beginnings of the first syllable.
His head rooted around inside his spacious bags, trying in vain to remove whatever the creature had placed in them. He was finally able to get one of the objects out, through the use of his new mouth, and saw that there was still three objects in the first bag. He prodded at the egg-like object, and immediately, the dark space in the center filled with red. The object sprouted three legs, then righted itself, standing as its 'eye' stared back at him. The object and himself spent a few minutes staring at each other, and when he realized the object wasn't going to initiate the conversation, he himself tried.
"Hhhhuuuuuu" he muddled out, his jaw not quite working the way he wanted it to. "Hello" the object said softly. "Hheeeee" "Hello" the object responded again. "Hulllllooooooo"
The object seemed to nod, and it 'sat', descending upon the ground, using its three legs to keep itself upright.
"Hul- heeellllllll- helluuuuuuuu"
He gave up, frustrated with the word, and stuck his head back into the first bag, finding nothing more than three other objects like the one already out. With not much else to do, he rifled through the second bag, and discovered a box-like object, with more of the egg-shaped objects attached to it.
The stallion placed the useless object back into its bag, and clumsily picked up the other with his teeth. He looked back, and saw the object staring off into space. He stomped his hoof into the dirt, catching the attention of the thing- it turned, and he jerked his head towards the other end of the field, attempting to make his objective clear. The object followed, keeping up with him as he trampled the tall grasses in the field, the wheels mowing down any he missed.
Trixie yanked at the harness of her wagon, grunting as she pulled it along, angry that she had to demean herself to pulling the cart herself. She stopped for a moment, and took in her surroundings; which looked just like the same thing she'd seen for the past hour and a half. Forest. Forest, and forest, and still more forest! Was this place nothing but trees and foliage!? She needed to get to the next town and get her show set up quickly, she was already low on supplies as it was!
She cursed her bad luck, the source of her indignation being the townsponies of her previous stop refusing to help, and after all she did for them, too! The nerve...
More light broke through the thin canopy, and she found herself doing a jig as she exited the forest, and entered a large field, tall grass as far as the eye could see. After completing her dance of victory, she continued with renewed vigor into the field, tugging the wagon behind her.
'Take that, you stupid forest!' she cheered inwardly as her hooves dug into the dirt 'The Great and Powerful Trixie has bested you!'
She continued walking, lugging the cart behind her as she did so. She made it to about the middle of the field, before she saw a trail left by somepony else, possibly another caravan such as hers, if the wheel-tracks were still fresh.
'Perhaps these ponies would lend Trixie a helping hoof?' she wondered, resuming the her trot.
The object, now sitting upon his back, made a sound, not unlike an alarm, as he plodded along the empty, dirt path. He peered back briefly (after getting over the shock that his neck could bend that far), and saw that it was facing away from him, back down the path, with its sides open. The compartments hesitated a moment, before closing, the object 'sitting' back down once more.
He kept the objects behavior in his mind, if nothing else to distract him from his walk. His hooves felt odd against the ground, given he'd only ever walked on cobblestone and wood. Here though, he assumed he was actually on the ground- solid, constant, good old fashioned dirt and gravel.
He plodded along, his iron hooves thumping against the dirt path he was currently following. The object situated upon his back, was beginning to become jittery, pacing back and forth along the length of his back. He didn't know what was wrong with it, his only guess was that it was experiencing a malfunction- it happened all the time, right? Glancing back once more, he saw it facing away from him, its compartments open. How he wished he could ask it what was wrong, its anxiousness was, in-turn, making him anxious. He didn't know how to feel about that...how was he supposed to react to anxiety? Was there some protocol for each of his emotions? Who was he supposed to turn to? He instead focused upon the path, counting ever pebble, in order to keep himself from blowing a fuse from dwelling on his questions. He was beginning to think that coming here didn't sound as it did when the creature first approached him...would his owner replace him? Not that he cared, he disliked standing around, being stared at by the crowds that visited. His wheels creaked as they forced themselves over the dirt, the sound of metal against the ground filling the air. The object sitting on his back suddenly spoke, its quiet voice filtering through his ears.
"Searching" it said.
Rat-at-ata-tata-tata
Trixie pulled her wagon, anticipating when she'd meet the caravan that'd passed through the terrain previously. She grunted as she exerted herself, her powder blue hooves treading the sea of tall grass. A lock of her mane fell into her vision, poking out from beneath her hat. She stopped for a moment, and shoved the lock back under the brim of her hat. She huffed as she begrudgingly continued, not sure if the effort she was putting forth would be worth it. As she went, she kept spying a flash of red appearing, then disappearing. She became confused as to what it was, as it appeared to be sporadic, yet controlled at the same time.
'That's what you get,' Trixie thought, continuing on 'you pushed yourself too far, and now you're seeing things'
She tried to ignored the thought, and successfully pushed it into the back of her mind, where it thankfully stayed. She thought she heard a voice up ahead, though it was faint; she tripped, and found herself falling forward, the yoke of the wagon following.
Rat-at-ata-tata-tata
'Wha- what's going on?!' she thought, afraid of what the sound could be. Her hooves covered her eyes, hesitantly peeking up. The sound was over as soon as it began, and she discovered that there wasn't a cloud in the sky- if it wasn't thunder, then what was it? Once she was certain the sound wouldn't occur again, she stood, and glanced at her surroundings. She didn't find anything out of the ordinary, and looked back, finding the front of her cart riddled with holes, the normally-pristine wood splintered. She gasped at her precious wagon's condition, and turned, and spied a purple and white pony down the road. She worked to unhook herself from the yolk of her wagon, and run down the road in order to give the pony a piece of her mind. As she did, her hat accidentally fell from her head, falling into the dirt. She picked it up, and dusted it off. She gasped once more, and found that her signature hat was filled with holes, just like her poor cart.
'Oh, that tears it,' she thought angrily, running down the road 'they're going to get a lot more than a piece'
'This thing is a gun...' he thought, staring back at the object.
The 'gun' in question had crawled off of his back, dropping to the ground as it walked beside him. He never was a big fan of guns, but the couldn't really hurt him- maybe leave dents in his coat, but never actually kill him.
"HEY!" a voice roared behind him. He turned slowly, not knowing what to expect, and nearly blew a fuse when he saw a blue horse standing before him.
"Who the buck do you-" the words died on the horse's lips as he turned, himself between the gun and the blue horse.
"Hullllooooooo" he said, attempting some form of greeting.
The horse only stared in wide-eyed...was if fear? Or something else? He wasn't the best at reading human emotions, given his then-lack of brain function, and now he had to read emotions on horse faces, which could only make things that much more difficult.
"Hello" it finally squeaked, backing up.
The two of them continued to stare at one another, both sitting in silence.
His ears flicked back as the blue horse continued screaming as it ran back into the field, the offensive noise echoing behind her as she ran.
'That's the first time anyone reacted to me like that...' he thought, setting the white object on his back as he began turning, slowly following the powder-blue equine.
Trixie's took in deep breaths, her chest heaving up and down as her lungs greedily sucked in oxygen. She was currently in the safety of her trailer, where she'd hopefully be protected from that...that...monstrosity. It terrified her, it looked so alien! Despite appearing to be a pony itself...
She shook her head, and began rifling through the drawers of the small vanity situated in the corner, searching for anything that might help in warding off the...the...whatever-it-was. She feverishly searched, finding nothing more than a few trinkets that she'd bought a long time ago, if only to humor the merchant willing to sell them to her. The objects in question included a ratty necklace with a single, circular blue gem dangling from it. The other was simply a small, clay brick, dark with age, said to have come all the way from Bullivia. If now was ever a time to see if they worked, now was definitely it. She took a deep breath to steady her breathing, and peered out of her wagon. She saw no sign of it, only the field around the wagon. And so, she continued hiding, fearful that if she left the wagon, the creature would leap out and attack her. She feebly clutched the trinkets, thinking herself unable to do anything else.
His hooves soon took him to a small-ish wagon, just sitting in the middle of the tall grass.
'That wasn't there before...' he pondered, walking around the structure. A small ramp lead into a door on the back of the wagon. He walked up the ramp, the plank barely supporting his weight. He then thumped his head against the door, thinking whoever lived here might know where the blue pony went.
Trixie trembled, shaking in fear as she felt the wagon jump. She whimpered, curling herself into a ball as the creature on the other side continued to attempt to get in.
His metal skull struck the door once more, attempting to coax whoever was inside, out.
It wasn't working.
A groan of frustration escaped his mouth, and he tried once more. Now, wooden objects tend to snap under the pressure of an object being thrown at it full force, and he just happened to put a little more force than intended behind his next swing. This case was no different.
His head went through the door, snapping it in half. the two splintered pieces swung inward violently, still hanging by the hinges attached to the door frame. The dark interior didn't reveal much, a small mirror and cabinet in one of the far corners, and a number of costumes and other seemingly-useless junk just lying next to the small bed. On said mattress was a sheet, under the sheet, there lay a shivering form. He worked his way into the cabin, his hooves thunking as he heard the wood groan beneath them. He managed to squeeze himself in, though most doors he'd seen didn't bend the way they were at the moment.
Forgetting the misshapen entrance for now, he approached the bed, the red laser of the gun moving around the room. As he approached, it seemed as if the figure beneath it was shaking harder, if the rapidly vibrating blanket was any indication. His metal jaw clamped down on the edge of the sheet, and tugged at it, forcing the cloth to come loose from the bed. What was left was the blue horse, shivering as she tried hiding beneath her white mane. Spitting out the blanket, it landed gently on the floor as he continued to edge towards the horse.
Her purple eyes stared up at him, connecting with his own, wide in terror.
"HEeeeeeeelllllluuuuuuuuu" he tried once more. The horse fainted, her eyes rolling into her head as her entire body slumped, going limp on the bed.
He was absolutely baffled at her behavior...while at the same time, amazed that a horse could show the level of expression usually only capable of being shown on humans. He looked back at the gun, who stared back at him. He rolled his shoulders, or the eqivalent, at least, in some semblance of a shrug, and walked out of the wagon. He rested his forehooves on the ground, forcing the gun to slide forward, over his muzzle, and land on the ground. He and the gun shared a look, before the gun itself spoke.
"Can I help you?" it asked. "Hulllooooo" "Hello"
Silence.
Apparently, the gun wasn't the best conversationalist...
"Goodnight"
Its eye went dark, and it set itself down, its legs keeping it stable as it apparently went to sleep.
A snort escaped his muzzle as he positioned his head between his hooves, his rear legs still in the air due to his wheels. He closed his eyes, and just listened to the sounds around him, waiting for the horse to awake. Maybe then he might be able to find out just where he was.
Trixie eyed the sleeping creature from the safety of the (bent) entrance to her wagon. It looked harmless now, when it wasn't moving, but she knew there was something off about this- this thing, who had so rudely filled her prized possesion with holes. The oblong object sat near the metal pony, its eye dark as it somehow kept itself upright. She continued to stare at the oddities, as if doing so long enough might bring the answers she was looking for.
'He does appear to be quite healthy...' she thought briefly, then banished the thought from her mind 'Why?! Why would you think that?'
'Because he might just agree to pull your wagon?' her mind replied.
It could be devious when it wanted to be.
Though, referring to her mind as a seperate wasn't too good a sign, either...
She continued silently debating with herself, still keeping an eye on the creatures.
'But- but- what if it's dangerous? It looks bigger than a Timberwolf!' her reasoning chimed.
'Not if you handle the situation carefully' the other part responded.
Trixie bit her lip, eyes darting to her hat sitting on the bed quickly, before shooting back outside. Her inner battle continued to rage on, debating whether she should allow the mysterious things to travel with her.
'If nothing else, it'd make a good attraction- you do need the bits...'
'And if he finds out you've been using him?'
'...'
"Is he doing well, Mistress?" a small angel asked, her brass face staring into the pool, along with the taller next to her.
The large pool of water was revealing to them the event surrounding the stallion.
"Better than I expected," the taller replied, sighing a bit "though the unicorn may prove to be troublesome, if he isn't careful"
"She seems nice enough" the smaller pointed out.
"She is, to an extent," she replied "though her pride and personality aren't a good combination at the worst of times"
The younger stared up at her mentor, blinking owlishly. The older sighed good-naturedly, and clarified.
"She acts foolishly, at times" "Don't all the ponies?" "Yes, but not like this one," she said, a small laugh escaping her mouth "her pride prevents her from making true friends"
"Mistress, do you mean-" "I hope so- if not, I'll have to send the poor thing back to that wretched city..."
"Do you have to send him back, if he fails, Mistress?"
"Back to your studies, young one" she said, turning from the pool with her student.
She gently patted her on the back, briefly brushing one of her metallic wings, and the child plodded down the dimly-lit hall, the sound of her bare feet touching the stone floor echoing off of the smooth walls.
She gave one last glance to the pool, before following her student, the lanterns hanging from the ceiling extinguishing themselves as she left.
Trixie stepped (inched) closer to the pony-like creature, the white object sitting nearby, its eye still dark.
Her heart leapt into her throat as the white object stood, its singular, red eye flickering to life.
"Who's there?" it asked softly, two things springing out from it.
A thin, red line appeared, then trained itself on her forehead. She waited with baited breath, fat drops of sweat running down her face .
The things on its sides closed, and it stared at her, unblinking.
"Hello" it said, still staring at her.
"H-hhello" she replied, some of the sweat stemming its flow "erm, I'd like to talk to him..."
The creature swiveled between herself and the pony-like creature, then continued staring.
"I'm watching" it said.
A faint shiver ran down her spine, and she approached the- well...to be honest, she didn't know what it was- for all she knew, it was some thing that fell out of the sky, probably belonging to a species far more advanced than anything in the world. She hesitantly raised a hoof, and prodded at the pseudo-stallion's foreleg, her hooves quivering.
He felt himself being poked, and he begrudgingly awoke. He pushed himself up, standing as he yawned. He found it unusual that he had laid down in order to sleep, he usually slept standing up... He took his first yawn, his metal jaw creaking as it closed.
He then took in his surroundings, finding the blue pony in his presence, as well as his little white gun/friend/protector...thing...
"Hellluuu" he tried, standing at full height.
The horned-pony was shaking, its white mane covering one eye rather cutely as it stared up at him. Standing before it, he found it to only come up to his chest-plating, including the horn. Which was unusual, as well, seeing as all of his model were the same height.
"I'd- I- was er- just...wondering... if um...would you happen...to....want...to travel...with...er- me?"
He thought on it a moment, then nodded, excited at the prospect of not having this particular pony fear him, as well as getting a companion other than the four white guns and the box-like object remaining untouched in his other bag.
"Can you, er, speak- other than 'hello'?"
He shook his head rapidly, then said 'Hello' once more.
"That's all he can say" the gun piped up, startling the blue horse.
"Oh, yes, of course," she said, a small smile splitting across her muzzle "well, come along, we've got to be in Baltimare day after tomorrow"
He nodded eagerly, then slipped the gun onto his back, ducking under it in order to pick it up. He then stopped, as he stared at the entrance to the cart- which he'd kind-of-sort-of...broke...
"Oh, it appears you might not be able to fit into the wagon..." the pony said sadly. He thought a moment, then nodded, agreeing with her statement.
"Of course...we will need somepony to pull the wagon as well..." she mentioned, stroking her chin "it's not going to get there by itself..."
He looked down at her, then an idea popped into his iron cranium.
'I can pull it!' he thought 'I'm good at pulling things!'
And, he'd be helping his new companion as an added bonus!
He nodded, motioning to himself with a hoof.
Her eyes went wide, and her mouth twitched a bit.
"Oh, no! You're my guest! I couldn't possibly ask you to pull my wagon" He shook his head once more, and walked around the cart, discovering the cart's harness. Pointing to it, he tilted his head questioningly, meant to ask if she could hook him into it.
"Well...I suppose if you insist..." she finally relented, trotting up to him.
The harness felt a bit snug, considering it was made to fit the smaller pony. He tested it, pulling at the cart. It rolled forward (not much surprise there, but...still...), and he looked back to the powder blue horse, who was looking upon him with a look of uncertainty. He smiled reassuringly, or, at least he thought he smiled, it was a little hard to tell if his jaw could move that way or not. Though, he could talk, albeit one word- yet he found the the functions of his mouth lower on his list of priorities (small as it was...).
He began pulling, tugging the wagon behind him as he plodded through the fields, and towards the treeline.
The white object sitting on the stallion stared at her, its red eye unblinking as its perch floated through the sea of grasses. Its gaze was menacing, giving her a glare that said 'Put a hoof out of line and I'll end you'. She knew what it was scheming though, as soon as she let her guard down, the thing would fill her with holes, just like it did with her hat.
'On that note, I'll need to get it repaired...' she thought, still locked in a staring contest with the red-eyed creature.
Her thoughts then wandered, taking some initiative and breaking eye contact with it. Instead, she wondered about the wheels on the strange stallion's legs- he couldn't be handicapped, could he? If it was, surely it'd be in a cart? Not have the axle of the wheels go right through it's bucking hindlegs!!!
The mere thought of it made her stomach churn. How it got here or where it came from were both mysteries to her, one more to add to the pile was the odd, crackling, jagged sphere of purple lightning inside the glass casing attached to its form. It made her wonder what exactly the lightning was, only pegasi controlled weather- and even then...it just wasn't possible! It was impossible to literally corral lightning into a box as small as that! It made her head spin, and resolved that she'd find out on her own, if not for the sake of her sanity. The creature currently pulling her wagon seemed...off...to her- it looked like a pony, it walked like a pony, it could even (almost) talk like a pony. So what was the problem? IT WASN'T A PONY!!
*Ahem*
Not that she was speceist, of course, she enjoyed performing for griffons and minotaurs alike- as well as the other groups she encountered on her perpetual journey, it really depended on which city she stopped in.
Speaking of cities...she didn't have a clue as to how she was going to explain (or how they'd even react) to the stallion-like creature in Baltimare...in hindsight, she really didn't think that through all the way...
'I suppose I'll figure that out when I get there...' she sighed inwardly, the wagon hopping as it struck a stone in the path. As a result, the wagon rocked, forcing the creature's saddlebags to collide with her side. Curiosity took hold, and she wondered what could be inside. She thought to take a brief look, but quickly dismissed it when she realized the white creature was still staring at her- its red eye still unblinking. She shuddered, then pushed the bag back across the seat.
He swung his head anxiously, the wagon stopped for lunch, and himself disconnected from the harness of the wagon. The rays of the sun washed over the earth, coating the sky in a shade of blue almost the color of the blue pony, who he'd learned was quote 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' unquote. He turned, and spied the mare herself, occupied with a pot hanging over a firepit she'd constructed, a small fire blazing away inside the small ring of rocks. She stirred the mixture with a wooden ladel, the contents of the pot sloshing a bit. The ladel raised itself from the pot, surrounded by a light blue aura.
'They have vigors here, too?' he wondered, curiously watching the blue mare.
The ladel raised itself to her lips, and it tipped back, slipping the liquid into her mouth. A faint grimace ran across her muzzle as she picked up a small bowl, the ladel dipping into the pot. She filled it, and the ladel set itself back into the pot, the blue aura disappearing. She was about to partake of the soup, when she noticed his gaze upon her.
"Well?" she asked.
'Well what?' he thought.
"If you're going to eat, you'd better do it now," she said, rolling her eyes "soon as I'm finished, I'm cleaning up, and then we're back on the road"
He trotted forward, and took a bowl from beside the mare. The bowl picked itself up, and before he knew it, the ladel was pouring soup into his bowl. The items re-placed themselves, the ladel in the pot, and the bowl on the ground before him. He and Trixie stared at each other for a moment.
"Let's face it, if you tried to do that yourself, we would've been here all day" she said, answering the unasked question.
He nodded, knowing that she was correct, one way or another. Setting himself closer to the ground, his muzzle dove into the bowl, sloshing soup all over the ground and himself. He rose, and the two of them locked eyes. He smiled sheepishly, bending his hoof to wipe some of the soup from his muzzle as a few drops slid down the back of his throat, through the cracks in his metal shell, and absorbed by the dirt underfoot.
'Don't know quite exactly why I did that...' he thought in retrospect 'but, didn't hurt to try'
She cocked an eyebrow, and appeared to be unamused.
She said nothing as she set her bowl and spoon down, and lit her horn, smothering the fire.
"Dunooo" he pronounced, the blue mare before him decked out in a fancy hat and cape, stars covering the purple background. She was also nice enough to help him expand his vocabulary. He discovered the hat to have magically mended itself, why or how he didn't know- something to do with the horn attached to the mare's forehead, perhaps?
"No, look," she sighed, her hoof coming up to touch the bridge of her snout "it's easy, all I'm going to do, is teleport you on-stage after the smokescreen"
He shook his head rapidly, something rattling around as he did so.
"well...you- I...fine!" she seethed "Stand off to the side for all I care!"
She stormed off, around the wagon, preparing herself for the act she was about to perform. To his amazement, one side of the wagon actually opened, transforming into a stage. The stage was currently settled along a cobblestone path in a semi-busy market place, the stage-half of the wagon facing the street, the other side facing the woods. He didn't know how she managed to do it, put none of the ponies had noticed him so far, as he was 'hiding' behind the wagon.
"Fillies and gentlecolts!" he heard Trixie announce, followed by a cloud of smoke peek out from over the top of the wagon "The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived to amaze and astound!"
A small round of applause went up, though it sounded muffled. So he stood, waiting for the mare to finish her performance, maybe then they could continue his speech lessons.
As he continued thinking, his head suddenly convulsed, jerking as voices faded in and out of an unitelligible jumble.
"..given...make...rift- bird"
"-pose h- d...for the- good...za- th"
"Make it stop! I ca-a anan't thi-think...want.... home-"
"...frie- round, chances-"
"It's been some time since we last spoke" a voice said, as smooth as motor oil.
His head shot up, and he searched for the source of the voice. The winged-creature appeared before him, along with a smaller creature.
He nodded, agreeing with her.
"I see you've made a companion" she said, stepping closer.
He nodded once more.
The smaller creature approached him, presenting her hand to him. He approached her, and pushed his muzzle into it, letting her stroke his face gently. He hummed, indicating he enjoyed the feeling.
Her tall form stared down at him for a moment, before smiling.
"I wish you luck" she said, turning.
'Why does she sound so sad?' he wondered.
She beckoned for the smaller creature to follow her, and he felt the small hand disconnect from his muzzle, much to his disappointment.
"We shall meet again, do not fret" she said, her soothing voice like music to his receptors.
She then looked down to the shorter creature, its small hand becoming enveloped in the larger's.
"Come along, we'd best be off" she said. "Yes, mistress" the smaller replied.
'Odd...' he thought, watching the pair leave.
As if coming back to reality, the sound of hooves thumping against the ground made itself known. He wondered what it could be, before Trixie came around the back of the wagon, a burlap sack of money in her magic, if the jingling sound coming from inside was any indication. She arched a brow at him as she trotted past, carrying the bag in her telekinetic grip.
"What're you smiling about?" she asked, only semi-harshly. He rolled his shoulders, attempting some resemblance of a shrug. The blue mare only rolled her eyes, then turned to go into the wagon.
'I hope her show went well' he thought, going after her, and waiting obediently outside the entrance.
The blue mare exited the wagon, her hat (as well as the burlap sack), missing from her form.
He tilted his head, showing her he was curious. Trixie pulled a lever off to the side of the wagon, and the stage began folding in on itself, pulling back into the side of the cart.
"Get to the front of the cart," she said "we're moving on"
'What?' he thought 'Wouldn't it make more sense to do more than one show, and then leave?'
He obeyed nonetheless, and trotted to the front of the wagon, his wheels creaking as he went. A blue aura surrounded the harness- he backed up, getting nearer to them, and they attached themselves to him, the buckles snapping into place snugly. He tested them, and felt the wagon shift, the sensation travelling through his restraints. Looking back, he spied Trixie climbing into the seat, his saddlebags sitting next to her. He saw his gun friend sitting next to the unicorn, and it hopped the gap, landing on his back with no small amount of racket. Pulling once more, he went to turn around, taking the cart with him.
"Where are you going?" Trixie asked, confusion evident in her features. He nodded with his head, towards the path they came.
"No," she commanded said "we need to head through town" His eyes flicked in the opposite direction, towards the arrangement of buildings. He waited a bit, staring at Trixie, who was looking at him with...he wasn't sure what it was...
"That way" she repeated, pointing her hoof in the opposite direction.
Hesitantly, he turned, and began walking, tugging the wagon behind him as his hooves thunked metallically against the dirt road.
As they entered, other horses, every color of the rainbow, shape, and size turned to stare at him, their eyes turning wide as he trotted past. He felt himself wither, speeding up as to get through the maze of buildings as quickly as possible. If there was one thing he was determined to avoid here, it was being stared at, and this certainly didn't help. His ears flipped backwards as he flinched, the cause being a high-pitched scream filling the air, coming from a mare on the street corner just up ahead. Her scream set of the rest of the ponies, who either stayed put, whether out of fear or curiosity, and others, who bolted down the street, presumably towards their homes.
"Well? Keep going" Trixie said, bringing him back to the waking world.
He looked down, and noticed that he had stopped, standing in the middle of a busy street, numerous pairs of eyes focused squarely on him. Taking off at a brisk trot, he continued on, inwardly shaking in his iron horseshoes as the ponies kept their stares on Trixie, the wagon, and himself. He briefly looked back at Trixie, as if requesting assistance. She stared indifferently ahead, appearing to not notice his movement. Snorting, he had no choice but to keep up his pace, travelling through the urban jungle as he wished he were anywhere else, doing anything but.
Soon however, much to his relief, the city limit came into view.
'Almost there, just a few more-'
A sharp whistling sound filled the air, forcing him to glance around in panic, wondering what it could be.
'It's not a bomb, is it?' he thought worriedly, hoping that if it landed near him, he wouldn't be blown to a million million pieces.
Something hard collided with his skull, forcing him to glance up, something crumbly rolling down his face and neck. He caught the barest flash of orange retreating into the window high above them. Becoming annoyed, he shook his head, throwing off bits and pieces of broken clay, dirt, and a small white flower, its petals just beginning to bloom. Taking it in his teeth, he walked over to a flowerbed hanging in the bottom floor window. Much to Trixie's dismay, he didn't listen as he took a mouthful of dirt, and dropped it off to the side. Spitting out the offending substance, he took the flower back into his teeth, and placed it in the hole he had created. Carefully, his snout nosed at the dirt, patting it into the ground as it brushed against the flower.
'There' he thought, wondering what compelled him to replant the flower.
He turned, and then became bashful as he noticed Trixie, as well as the rest of the townsfolk staring at him, a few of the foals with confusion and small smiles. He took off, suddenly yanking the wagon, and forcing Trixie to yelp as she held on, lest they hit a bump and she'd go tumbling into the street.
