Trixie's Heart
Trixie walked through a town after a short lunch. There was nothing special about the town. It was not particularly large, small, scenic, or economically valuable. Nothing made it stand out. It was full of ponies that lead simple lives. At least, that is what most of Equestria thought.
Her latest show had pulled in a few bits, enough for a fresh coat of paint on her trailer with just enough left over for a bite to eat. Trixie reached her trailer and sat down on with the door at her back, facing out at the town. Sharp eyes watching, she spotted a flicker of black and white in a window. Lighting her horn, she sent a coded signal while facing the window. The coded response told Trixie when and where the next Gathering of the Family would be.
Trixie – no, I would be certain to attend to cleanse myself of sin.
~=~=~=~
I stopped my journey in a small town north of Canterlot. It was so small that it did not appear on any but the most detailed maps. After parking my trailer off the path, I entered the village. Approaching a house, I knocked on the door. When the door opened to show a plump earth pony mare, I gave a small curtesy.
“I am a lone traveler with many miles to go before my journey ends. If I may be so bold, may I request a bite to eat to lessen the load on my supplies? I swear on the Goddess of the Sacred Hearth that I only desire food.” As I made the oath, I made the corresponding hoof gestures.
The mare regarded me for a few moments. “See that tree stump over there?” She indicated a stump at the side of the house. “Chop a few logs for me and I’ll give ya dinner. Room for the night as well if’n ya need it.”
I waved a hoof toward my trailer. “That is kind of you, but I already have sleeping accommodations.”
“Just the food then.”
I simply nodded and moved toward the wood pile. Chopping wood for dinner seems easy next to the time I worked at a rock farm. After a quarter hour, I had built up a pile of firewood taller than me. A wiry stallion, presumably the mare’s husband, walked into the house. He only spared me a brief glance. A few minutes later, he came back out and appraised my progress.
“My wife told me we had a guest.” Ah, so I was right in my assumption on his relation to the mare. “Ah think ya have earned that dinner.”
Following the stallion inside, I learned a lot about this family with one glance at the décor. The walls and floor featured rough and plain wooden paneling, likely harvested from a forest I passed by about a mile away from the village. Simple picture frames showed multiple generations had lived here. Small wooden blocks lay in a corner along with an old and frayed doll that had seen at least two generations of use by teething foals. A fireplace with a supply of firewood and pillows for chill autumn nights and winter days. An old table with five seats already occupied. More than a house, it was a home, loved and cherished.
The stallion gestured to a chair that had clearly been drawn up for me while he settled into his place next to two adolescent fillies. My chair sat between the wife and a prepubescent colt.
I settled down and watched as they began passing around dishes of food. Mostly simple country fare. A few small loaves of freshly baked bread along with fire-oven baked potatoes. A tray of corn on the cob and a supply of butter. A jug of milk next to a jug of water. I took a single loaf and half a potato. The colt next to me took the other half of the potato along with his own share. I did not mind. I declined the butter, though I took a bit of the pepper for the potato.
I let the sounds of a simple family meal wash over me. How long has it been since I last had one? At least four years. The three fillies chattered between themselves over some local colt. The little colt mashed his potato-and-a-half before starting to sculpt it into a potato castle for the bread. The stallion and his wife simply focused on their meals for a few minutes. Reminding myself that it is rude to eat too quickly when in a civilized area, I gradually consumed my food.
The stallion’s first words since the meal started drew my attention. “It’s funny. This community rarely sees visitors, but in the past week, eleven ponies have passed through. Now, ah don’t believe in coincidence. Do ya have any idea what’s up?”
“Now dear,” his wife replied, “it’s impolite to ask such things of ponies under the Hospitable Goddess’s protection.”
“I don’t mind. I can’t answer for any other pony, but I simply want to see my family. Unfortunately, my destination is away from the railroad network.”
The stallion simply gave an approving nod to my response before turning back to his food. When the dinner was finished, the foals cleared the table while I left for my trailer. Before I could get inside, the mare came out with a small bundle.
As explanation she said “The leftover loaves. They’ll keep on the road for a day or two. Ah hope yer family visit goes well.”
As I settled down in a meditative pose in my trailer, I offered a silent prayer for this small community. They have served the cause without knowing. Let them have peace, O Great Sundered Goddess, and grant that I may find peace as well.
~=~=~=~
A day after I had left the little village behind, I pulled my trailer off the road. Once out of sight, I started placing concealment spells and illusion charms over it. Once the true form was obscured, I pulled out my sacred talismans. Within minutes, I had decorated the whole structure with chains of stiffened cloth rings, carefully mounted to the wooden paneling. Then, I pulled out the cloak. After donning it, I glanced at the small mirror inside my trailer. My whole body was obscured by cerulean blue cloth. A deep hood masked my face in shadow. Where my cutie mark was supposed to be, a new symbol showed. Twenty four rings, overlapping slightly with each other, formed a larger circle around a central infinity loop. Inside the left half of the loop, a stylized eye gazed out. A slash divided the right loop horizontally.
With both my body and my cart unrecognizable, I carried on. After a few hours, I met another traveler going in the opposite direction. He took one look at my cart and veered to the absolute edge of the road. As I passed, he spat in my direction. I do not care. He is a heathen. His opinion of my worship is dust in the breeze.
Over the next two days, I got a similar response from two others before I met another pony adorned similarly to me. The green-robed figure had saddle bags and a small wooden barrel balanced on her back.
“Greetings, Sister. If you need a place to set up camp, you are welcome to walk with me and sleep in my trailer.”
The responding voice gleefully replied “I will take you up on that offer. One is better company than alone. May I place my offering in your trailer?” With that, I had a traveling companion. As we traveled further, she shared stories of her life in Baltimare. I let her monopolize the conversations because I wasn’t feeling talkative.
In the evening, as we set up camp, another pony in a robe, this one ultramarine blue, came upon us. “I saw your fire. May I contribute to this fine evening’s dinner?”
“Welcome Brother, and rest your burdens,” we replied in unison. With that, he laid down his bags and joined us at the fire. A bag of dried apples floated over and contributed to our dinner. We ate quickly to reduce the risk of catching any predatory attention mid-meal. Once we had finished our meal of apple, bread, and tea, we retired to slumber with our Brother volunteering to sleep under my trailer.
Over the next two days, we encountered multiple cloaked figures that all joined our growing caravan.
By noon of the fourth day since I adorned my trailer with the rings, we reached the Gathering of the Family.
Deep in the hidden glen, scores of tents dotted the area, and still more tents were in the middle of setup. Some were simply sheets of cloth over tree branches while others were more sophisticated. The few trailers, carts, and wagons present were being used as supports for large lean-tos. I pulled my trailer up and unhitched myself. My traveling companions started moving off to set up their own tents.
As I started placing the blocks to keep my trailer from moving, I looked at the ponies present. All of them are wearing similar robes to mine, with color and size being the only differences. Some had sickles and were clearing a large area of grass. A small group was building a fire pit for the evening. I could not see the ponies responsible, but the air was filled with the smell of foods cooking.
I whiled away the hours until nightfall by gathering firewood for the pit. About an hour before nightfall, a stallion in a grey robe called out for all ponies that had arrived during this day. Once we had gathered, he spoke.
“Ponies, you know of our struggles. You know of our opposition. We need able bodied volunteers to guard the Gathering, especially at night.”
Several ponies moved forward immediately. I only took a heartbeat longer to volunteer.
We were sorted and given a schedule. I was assigned the northern quadrant between midnight and one thirty. With the schedule sorted out, I went back to my trailer to catch a catnap before nightfall.
~=~=~=~
When I woke up, the moon had just risen. All the ponies were gathering toward the now-burning fire pit. None wore their robes under the protective cover of the Night. Ponies were settling down in rings around the fire. I spotted a ring with an open spot and took it. Silence fell as a drum’s deep sound issued. As the drum continued to keep time, a violin added its tones. Flutes chimed into the song. I thought that I could hear a didgeridoo and a lyre. We all turned to an upraised platform near the fire. A lone figure stood upon it. A priest of the Sundered Goddess.
“Brothers and Sisters, we gather here to remember what was lost. We gather here to remember what will be gained. We gather to give thanks to our Lady, The Sundered Goddess!”
The crowd, myself included, responded in unison. “May Her Heir rise and guide us!”
“For five years, we have worked unseen, ever seeking to spread Her benevolence. Now, we gather to show her our devotion openly.”
A cheer rose from the crowd.
“Now, I would like to introduce a visitor from Nyeupe Kilele. Give welcome to our Cousin from Zebrica, One of the Sent, Zecora.”
I jerked upright at that name. The last time I had encountered Zecora, she had been helping Twilight beat me and free me from that accursed Amulet. The Shaman climbed onto the platform.
“I bid thee an evening fair
As I have good news to share.”
“By sacred texts we have seen
Sheha’s will, in ages green.”
“When Day rules with kin so dear,
When Chaos is made to quake in fear,
At the third night of Her sacred feast,
The Court of Miracles appears in the East.”
All were silent at the Zebra’s proclamation for a few moments. Then, the loudest cheering yet started. I could not recall where I had heard of the Court of Miracles, so I resolved to ask once the feast started.
“With that bit of good news, let the feast begin!”
As the feasting and revelry started, I asked some of the other ponies nearby about the Court.
“When the Sundered Goddess is reborn, She will travel through time to grace Her followers throughout history with the Court. She will preside over a beautiful chamber where She will grant wishes to all of Her faithful individually.”
Even as the food was brought to our ring, I simply stared into space. Wishes? From the Heir Herself? ... Maybe she could grant me – My thoughts were interrupted when a plate of roasted pinecones passed by. Turning my attention to the food, I started to eat. Home cooking is decent, but nothing beats the feasts on holy days like this.
After the food, there was dancing and singing. I participated for a few minutes before I noticed a group of foals all sitting off to the side. On a whim, I made a small illusion of a meteor shower. They all turned to watch. I decided to give them a little show. For an hour, I had their undivided attention as I told stories and showed some fancy tricks. Eventually, they all dropped off to sleep and their parents came to take them to their tents. I returned to the dancing briefly, before going to guard the perimeter of the gathering. When I finally returned to my trailer, I was beat. Sleep embraced me, and I returned the embrace eagerly.
~=~=~=~
A bird singing on top of my trailer woke me. Not the sound of late arrivals, not the sounds of religious chanting, not even the sounds of a newborn crying. Turns out that the roof of my trailer has good acoustics for high-pitched bird song after the last time I replaced the shingles.
The day passed swiftly. I spent much of it near the priest and the Zebra Shaman. Alternating between meditating on their words and chanting the prayers, I allowed the barriers on my magic to fall. My awareness of magic expanded. The little flickering lights of unicorns casting, the gentle hum of earth pony magic, the momentary pressure as a pegasus takes off. I sensed it all. And beneath everything, there was an all pervasive thrum. Lines of power, leading to the heart of magic. The Heart of Reality. The Heart of Sheha, the Sundered Goddess. No one is entirely sure whether the Goddess’s murder happened first, and she shaped the world through her stories atop Mount Nyeupe Kilele while bleeding out, or if she was shaping the world when she was murdered by the other gods. The Sent from Zebrica believe the latter, while the Family in Equestria believes the former. Both sides regard the other as friends with a few disagreements over small details.
Early in the afternoon, the offering fires were lit. Twenty-four fires, one for each of the Sundered Fragments, lay out in a circle around the central fire pit. Many ponies moved toward Amaterasu’s fire, presumably to show their love for the wild goddess. Some headed to Tiamat’s fire, mostly in pairs, to ask for fertility.
I made my way to Níðhöggr’s fire. There, I used a sanctified knife to make a small cut on my right foreleg. I held the flat of the blade to the cut, and when it was covered in my blood, I placed the blade in the fire as I prayed for forgiveness. Blood for the punisher of sins. Once I was finished with my prayers, I moved to Ungoliant’s fire. From my bags, I removed an offering of several magical plants I had encountered over my travels. Magic for the devourer of magic.
In the evening, the celebrations and feasting began again. I hardly had any time to dance before the foals found me and asked for more stories. I had begun telling them a story about Marelin, Quasidiety of Spell Casters and the greatest mage ever barring the Goddess herself, when the celebration received some party crashers.
They came from the west. I noticed them when the enraged yelling started. Quickly casting a force field over the foals, I charged towards the fray. I spotted scores of ponies, most of them carrying crude weapons. Repurposed farm tools, mostly. A few fire hardened spears. There were a couple metal-headed spears. ‘Were’ being the operative word. A single spell, one I had designed for smashing timber wolves, easily broke those.
Screams of rage and pain surrounded me. I saw one of the Family go down with a nasty wound to the leg. Another went down with clearly broken bones from a club.
We tried to give as good as we got, but we were heavily outnumbered. I focused on keeping my Brothers and Sisters safe and telekinetically retrieving the injured. They were beginning to force us back when a massive shield went up.
Ponies in dark blue armor descended outside the barrier. With surgical precision, they smashed the weapons of the attackers. As the attackers pulled back to try and regroup, I heard a voice like a tsunami.
“Cease and Desist. Put down your weapons, if you know what’s good for you. Refusal will add to your charges. You are all guilty of violent crimes against citizens of Equestria.”
In a shimmer of dancing shadows and light, Princess Twilight Sparkle appeared. Silence fell, until one of our attackers shouted.
“What ya doin’, protectin’ those monsters?”
Twilight’s voice boomed with fury. “I see no monsters here except you. One of you was praying to Luna for stealth and good fortune in your raid. Well, news flash: Luna does not approve of attacking innocent ponies.”
The bold speaker sputtered for a moment before shouting “Innocent? They’s all in league wit the demons!”
“They are not demon worshipers. They are ponies that worship a different goddess than you.”
A different speaker this time. “The bleedin’ Sundered Goddess is the mother of all demons. They worship her. They’re in cahoots with them.”
“The Sundered Goddess is dead. She is not responsible for the demons that are born from the blood that was spilled when she died. Worshipers of the Sundered Goddess do more demon fighting than any group except champions of the gods. The Princess turned away and addressed the soldiers. Guards, take them down, shackle them, and get them into the chariots for immediate transport to the Canterlot Penitentiary. No, make that the Manehatten Pen. Medics, get to work.”
As the princess turn away and walked through her force field, the night guards complied. A hole opened in the force field and admitted a trio of medics that promptly got to work.
The priest approached her. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“It was—” Twilight stopped speaking with an embarrassed look on her face. “Sorry. I was simply doing my duties to my subjects. You are entitled to my protection as much as my friends are.”
“Aren’t you worried that they will speak against you?”
Twilight laughed. “What are they going to say? ‘She had us arrested while we were attacking other citizens of Equestria and one of the Sent from Zebrica’? Yeah, that would just get them prosecuted to even harsher degrees because of the international faux pas.” She glanced at me and winked. “Nice shield on those foals, firecracker.”
A voice from the crowd asked “How did you get here so fast?”
“Like I said, Luna heard one of them praying to her and disapproved of their actions. She tipped me off to their actions because she was too busy to stop them.” Twilight’s gaze jerked south. She listened to something nopony could hear before speaking again. “I have to go. Return to your worship of your Goddess, my little ponies.”
Before anypony could reply, she had vanished in a shimmer of darkness and light.
It took a while, but as the guards continued to deal with the anti-Goddess ponies, we all started relaxing and returning to our celebrations.
Somepony asked me “Firecracker?”
I turned away. “I have met Princess Twilight twice. Both times involved a few fireworks.”
“Ha. Must be nice, knowin’ a princess.”
Buddy, you have no idea what you are talking about. At least I managed to keep the snark inside my head.
~=~=~=~
Thanks to the medics the Princess had brought, the injured ponies recovered enough to watch the celebrations the next day. The guards had removed the last of our attackers around dawn. We all watched as the sun set, eager to see the Court of Miracles.
Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then…
“A light! I see a light!” a little filly cried.
Indeed, an orb of ethereal fire floated among the trees. It looked similar to kitsune-fire, but there were distinct differences. The foremost among them was that it lacked the mesmerizing aspects of kitsune-fire.
We all followed the fire. The priest and the Sent led the way. The injured were carried by the healthy. Eventually, we reached a waterfall made of stars and magic that seemed to be pouring up from the earth into the sky. The flow parted, revealing a staircase of stardust leading up into a lighted tunnel through the very fabric of reality. Honestly, this was hardly the weirdest thing I have ever seen, though it was the most spiritually moving.
As I emerged from the tunnel, I beheld beauty. We stood in a flat glade. The sky was still there, but it lacked sun, moon, or stars. Dancing lights filled the heavens like an aurora. For a moment, I thought that I saw spell formulas in the lights. Encircling us was an endless forest of trees unlike any in Equestria, or indeed, any in the world. Tables covered in food and drink were scattered throughout the glade. The tables were modeled on normal picnic tables, but appeared to have been grown, not crafted. Inside the clearing, a lake of shimmering blue water waited. I beheld an island floating above the lake. The island was covered in mist too deep for me to see any distinct shapes. A waterfall of golden light fell from the island. A ramp coiled from the island to the shores of the lake.
Looking at that island, I felt Her touch. More potent than even the magic of the Summer Sun Celebration, more comforting than a bowl of homemade soup. I knew in my heart that our Goddess waited above, that she knew all of us by name, and was happy with us.
::Welcome, my faithful, to the Court of Miracles. I will summon each of you in turn. Relax and refresh yourselves. Do not worry about wandering off; all paths through the forest lead back here.:: a mighty voice said. It was as loud as a volcano erupting, and as quiet as an amber fly’s steps. It sounded like every individual that inspires feelings of comfort in me, all at once. From the looks on the faces of the others, I could tell that they were experiencing the same.
I saw Zecora move toward the lake. She kneeled down before it and began to pray. Some others moved to join her while most took the words of the Heir to heart and went to get some food. I glanced back to see the tunnel vanish. I decided to take a walk among the trees. I wandered further and further, only to find myself on the opposite side of the clearing. Turning back into the woods, I lay down and started to pray in isolation.
I cannot remember how long I stayed in that spot. At some point, I started losing myself in the gentle thrum of Her power. Only when a ringing sound filled my ears did I awaken. A small ball of fire produced the sound and started guiding me back to the glade. It led me up the ramp and into the fog. All around me, there were trees that were not trees. Shelves of books that were not shelves. Weapon racks that were not weapon racks. I walked further, following the light until it dived down into a well filled with blue fire.
I was stranded, alone in the fog. Looking around, I beheld more structures that were real and fake. Without warning, the fog parted. I could not spare any attention to my surroundings as my gaze was drawn to an obsidian throne. An alicorn, taller than Celestia, lounged upon the throne.
Her mane and tail appeared to be streams of darkness and light. They stretched outward until they faded to grey, merging with the mist. Her lavender body was covered in red lines similar to those on the Great Wolf Goddess Amaterasu. Her left eye was a black void, and her right was glowing white. A variety of weapons leaned against the left side of her throne. To the right, there were tools and a calligraphy brush. Upon her flank, a starburst gleamed.
--- Wait, Starburst?
“T-Twilight? Twilight Sparkle?”
She smirked. “In the flesh, little firecracker.”
“Y-y-you’re the Sundered Goddess’s Heir?”
She appeared to be amused at my shock. “Why, yes. After all, no other gods are allowed in the Court of Miracles.”
“Why? If you are the Goddess, why haven’t you told all of Equestria yet? Why has there been no announcement that the Heir has arrived?”
Twilight’s smile went from an amused smirk to a small, sad smile. “I am what Twilight will become several eons in the future. The Twilight Sparkle of your day and age is not ready to make that announcement.”
“Why not?”
Twilight appeared to be contemplating how much to tell me. “She regularly has the fate of the world on her shoulders already. She is not ready for the added responsibility. And, if I remember correctly, just the night before this some of her worshipers were assaulted for worshiping her. Do you really think she would endanger her friends by proclaiming that she is the reborn form of the most feared and despised goddess in history? Aside from the zebras and small pockets of religious reverence, most of the world thinks of me as the origin of evil thanks to the demons that spawn from my blood.”
I blinked. I had not thought that far ahead. “That makes sense.”
“So, to business. Little one, what is your wish?”
I took a few deep breaths. “I wish for a way to atone for my wrongdoings.”
Surprise flashed across her face. “What wrongdoings?”
Again, I blinked, though this time in shock. “… Being an arrogant braggart? Accidentally inspiring to foals to lead an Ursa into a settled town? The Alicorn Amulet and everything I did while wearing it?”
“Oh. Those,” She chuckled. “You think that I am sitting in judgment over those actions? I think that you have already atoned for your arrogance. The Ursa was not your fault, it was those colts that caused that problem. As for the Amulet… I am Magic. Magic is a true neutral force. It cares not for good or evil. It is just as happy being used to level a country as it is setting a broken bone. Creation and destruction are one and the same in my eyes.”
“Maybe you don’t see anything wrong, but I cannot stand the guilt.” I felt a stab of anger that she disregarded my desires.
“Ah. What you are really after is inner peace with your past self. It is not outside forces that you feel judging you, but your own conscience.”
I nodded.
“Your talent is for magic. Tell me, why did you turn to using it for show business?” I was thrown off guard by the sudden shift in the conversation.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything. You cling to the guilt of your own free will. As the Originator of Free Will, I refuse to violate it. I cannot simply make your feelings go away. If I am to aid you, I must first know you.”
I looked down. “When I was little, I didn’t receive much attention. I tried to fill the void by reading stories about some of the greatest champions among the unicorns. Marelin, the Great and Powerful Mimic, those sort of ponies. Eventually, I started trying to emulate their spells. That was when I discovered that I can cast any spell if I put my mind to it, but there was something missing. I needed a reason to cast the spells. When some other ponies started watching me practice, I realized that I could inspire others and entertain them. That was when I got my mark.”
“When did the whole ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’ act start?”
“Well, after a few years of traveling, I started letting the attention get to my head. I started letting my stage persona take over my life.”
She continued to question me for several subjective minutes. By the time she was done, I felt that she knew me better than I knew me. Then again, as a goddess, she would have a keener perception of reality than me. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, contemplating.
She didn’t even open her eyes to ask “What do you know of theoretical Braine-shell magiphysics?”
“Um… I think it has something to do with bending space? I have never had the time to research it.”
“I will give you a brief summary then. It involves bending reality to reach other worlds,” She said. “If you have read about legendary champions, then you know about the Champions of the Gods. There are three worlds that I have interest in, but cannot intervene directly. How would you feel about journeying to one of those worlds to serve as one of my Champions?”
I could not speak. A Champion? Me? Champions were supposed to be noble, pure hearted individuals, not sinful wretches like me, filled with guilt and arrogance.
On the other hoof, the Quest of a Champion would certainly clean my slate.
“What is it that you need done in those worlds?”
The mist returned, twisting into a viewing circle. A lone minotaur, wearing clothes unlike anything native to this world, came into view.
“In one world, a clan of minotaurs is on the verge of committing such blasphemy against the gods that their entire region will be wiped out in fire and brimstone. Their land will become an ocean of lava for millennia as a sign of the gods’ displeasure. They need to be taught a lesson. You could give them that lesson in respecting the gods. Show them that without gods, mortals are nothing.”
The image faded, replaced with a twisted tree.
“A demon, long sealed away, is on the verge of escaping her prison. Her wrath will enslave the entire realm she is in. If left unchecked, it will take three thousand years for a warrior to rise to the task of killing her. Wielding one of my Divine Instruments, you could destroy her while she is just beginning to escape.”
A new image, one of a mask.
“When the Four Spirits of the Apocalypse rise against a world, it means that the world has committed such sins that it is beyond redemption. All of the gods have declared the world not worth forgiveness. There is one world that is on the precipice of becoming so corrupt that all four of them will begin their duty. Already, War, Famine, and Pestilence have begun their march. There are less than one hundred innocent souls left in that world. If you brought me that mask, I would be able to shelter the innocent souls so they do not need to go through a decade of pain, despair, and the touch of the three harsher Spirits. War, Famine, and Pestilence would not touch those innocent souls, and they would be given a safe haven in the afterlife.”
“Take your pick, Trixie.”
“Um. How urgent are the issues?” I asked.
Twilight checked a strange clockwork device that looked like overlapping rings floating through each other.
“Fifty years until the blasphemy takes its final form. Ten months will pass before the demon escapes, and Ragnarok will fall upon the world within eleven years.”
It did not take me long to come to a decision. Two quests that would have sagas sung in my name against one quest to make the death of a world less painful. I have already shown that fame goes to my head.
“Send me to retrieve the mask.”
The goddess nodded. Levitating a book off one of her shelves, she marked a few pages and gave it to me.
“Your instructions and a map are here. Now, go and do not falter.”
I left, one book in my grasp, and my future uncertain.
Look at me, out to rescue the remains of a world. A faithful servant and hero of the goddess.
Adventure awaits me.