> Chasing Winter
>  by Raging Mouse
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Great and Powerful Trixie Performs a Daring Jailbreak
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter One:


The Great and Powerful Trixie Performs a Daring Jailbreak





Trixie ran a forehoof around the edges of the stone in the wall. The mortar had fallen out in several places and she hoped the rest of it was rotten enough to be easily coaxed out of the cracks. The problem was how to do that. The magic seal around her horn excluded any telekinesis. Every meal came with a crudely carved wooden fork, which was a disappointment for Trixie since she’d imagined herself digging her way to freedom using a metal one. She’d ‘accidentally’ broken one and had gathered her every last dregs of humility to very politely (and hopefully) ask for a replacement only to have to wait and listen to the distant sounds of whittling. The jailor – a suspiciously cheerful earth pony with a habit of humming badly mangled popular tunes during her patrol rounds – had told her to be careful with the new one: ‘good pieces of wood don’t exactly grow on trees, you know?’

The jail cells weren’t exactly high on the maintenance priority of Fillydelphia, Trixie mused while eyeing the decaying mortar, since they were so seldom needed. When she had arrived the jailor had let her pick which cell to occupy – she was the only ‘guest’. The memory distracted her from her investigation for a moment but she dispersed it with a derisive snort. All the cells had certainly put the dung in dungeon. Large, square rooms furnished with six wooden benches each that also served as beds. Floors covered with hay that it would be very charitable to call ‘old’ and even ‘hay’ was pushing the definition a bit. In the end she’d merely picked the one farthest from the entrance, hoping for some peace and quiet. No such luck: the jailor and her staff walked through the jail’s hallway twice every hour and their uniforms mandated steel shoes. Steel-shod hoof versus stone made for a very effective noisemaker.

For the twentieth time that day Trixie pondered the option of bodily scraping out the old mortar by using her horn. Once again she reformulated the proposal to the quite alarming idea of inserting an extension of her brain in between two very solid rocks and using it as a prybar. She shuddered and leaned against the stonework, letting her head droop. Her eyes closed without any input from her conscious mind and a light snore developed in her breaths. Trixie’s face relaxed, smoothing out some of the lines and creases of worry that had developed during her incarceration.

The journey into the carefree state of sleep lasted less than five minutes before a strengthening clatter of metal on stone wrenched Trixie back into her waking misery. She jerked her head upright and snorted. Smacking her lips made her aware of the string of drool dangling from her mouth all the way to the floor, so she wiped her face with a foreleg. Judging by a glance down at her grimy leg and by the gritty feel on her fur this only made her face dirtier.

A long, slow exhalation through Trixie’s nose enabled her to find some calm while she waited for the clattering of metal shoes to die away, but instead of fading out the noise ceased suddenly just as Trixie estimated the noisemaker was outside her cell door. She turned her head and peered at the little window set in the heavy oak, seeing the white fur and blue mane of the jailor herself looking back at her. Trixie had never seen the jailor wear anything but a smile on her face. Sometimes the showmare wondered if the jailor’s face merely was locked in that position due to some kind of paralytic brain damage but Jailor Snowbloom also never failed to be cheery and optimistic. Perhaps managing a jail that almost never saw any actual use gave you a sunny outlook on ponykind and life.

The grinning face of the jailor disappeared from the porthole in the door and there was a jangling of keys, after which Trixie heard the lock operate and the door swung open. The broader view into the hallway revealed that Jailor Snowbloom was not alone. The identity of the other pony made Trixie’s blood chill and surge simultaneously.

The jailor stood aside to let the visitor enter Trixie’s cell. A short, graying mane that still held some streaks of chestnut and a brick red coat was mostly covered by a somber black suit. The elder Earthen mare also wore a tie speckled in various grays and balanced a severe pair of steel-rimmed spectacles on her nose.

Trixie sighed. “Clause...”

Madame Escape Clause, or ‘Aunt Essie’ in private to Trixie and her siblings, was the Lulamoons’ chief practitioner of law. The family had access to far better and more experienced lawyers but those lacked the trust that came with being married to a Lulamoon. Hence Clause was entrusted with all of those family affairs that would make the gossip rags froth at the mouth from delirious euphoria if they ever found out. Trixie coughed and cleared her throat to banish the hoarseness from her voice. Seeing Clause indicated that her situation was about to change but she couldn’t tell if for the better or worse. “Have they finally caught on and decided to lock you away for good?”

The old mare smiled slightly – so slightly that anyone not familiar with her wouldn’t notice. “Hello to you too, Miss Trixie. No, I’m sad to report that I remain at large, my sins undiscovered by the world in general. I’m here right now because you are here and would’ve remained so for an embarrassingly long time unless something was done.”

One of Trixie’s ears flicked involuntarily at the word ‘would’ve’ but she asked about something else instead. “Since when did this become a family matter? How did you even find out?”

“I’ll answer your questions in reverse order. I found out thanks to my assistant here in Fillydelphia. One of her duties is to search through the local newspapers for anything of interest to the Lulamoon estates. The article never mentioned your name but when it spoke of an ‘infamous showmare’ having caused a blaze at one of Fillydelphia’s more prestigious restaurants it triggered a warning flag.”

Trixie blinked. “You come across ‘infamous showmare’ as a synonym for me, the Great and Powerful Trixie, often enough to instruct your agents to search for it?”

Clause took a deep breath and nodded with the finality of a judge’s gavel. “Yes.”

For a while the only sound was that of grinding teeth. Then Trixie shook herself and blinked away the small tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. Then she waved a hoof at Clause, motioning for her to continue.

“It became a family matter when we received a summons to court. A certain Lobelia Blueblood was accusing us of conspiring to commit a crime, referring to the alleged attempted murder by arson of her grandchildren. It’s a somewhat interesting document: I’ve taken the liberty of sending a copy to be published in the humour section of an attorney’s magazine I subscribe to. The letter fails to mention your name even a single time, sparing me from having to edit the copy, but again the references to you were obvious – if formulated very unpleasantly, considering they are coming from a distinguished grandmother and matron of the Bluebloods. I wouldn’t normally spare much sympathy for such a wrathful individual but it’s glaringly obvious her senility has progressed alarmingly during the past year.”

Trixie had paled slightly, making the grime on her face all the more obvious. “They-they never said they were Bluebloods! I wouldn’t have taken the job if they had!”

“Yes, they probably intentionally left that detail out from the job details, either to keep a low profile or to lure you unaware into a trap. It matters little either way since we have the entire restaurant staff witnessing that your display of fireworks was performing perfectly safely up until the moment when one of the Blueblood brats became too careless while playing with her friends and knocked over the table the pyrotechnic device was resting on. Luckily the restaurant is independently owned so their testimony is likely to be both untainted and believed. It was the Bluebloods, and Miss Lobelia in particular, who pointed their accusing hooves at you. I cannot tell how much of it was planned but thanks to the testimony of the waiters combined with Miss Lobelia’s letter – which was also mailed to the judge assigned to your case – they are embarrassed enough to drop all accusations, essentially freeing you of all charges.”

It was time to focus on the most important aspect of the conversation. “So... I’m free?” Trixie swayed and a big smile formed on her face as she thought about the bed waiting for her in her wagon.

Clause reached up with a hoof by way of answer, using a key to poke at the magic seal around Trixie’s horn until something clicked, causing the metal band to fall away and land on the floor with a clatter. “Yes, as free as the pegasi in the sky. Follow me and we’ll have you signed out of here.”

Clause turned and walked towards the door where Jailor Snowbloom was waiting. Trixie took a deep breath and walked after her family attorney, exiting the cell with a feeling of sleepy triumph. Snowbloom led the three through the hallway of cells and out into the police office. The office was large, easily capable of holding a staff of twenty working simultaneously by Trixie’s estimate, but Snowbloom seemed to be the only one present. A multitude of desks, cabinets and chairs were strewn about the room, seemingly at random and with only passing attention paid to right angles and forming paths between the furniture. All surfaces were covered in papers, folders, coffee mugs or some other detritus of bureaucracy. A light layer of dust covered all but one desk.

Trixie looked around the large, empty room. “Where is everypony?”

“Hm?” Snowbloom had walked in front of the dust-free desk and was shuffling papers around but she paused and looked up, following Trixie’s wandering gaze. “Ah. We don’t need that much staff when we have actual prisoners. We can’t take guests, after all, while the cells are actually in use. They’ll be back once we get the word out that the cells are again open for business.”

“I don’t understand. What business?”

Snowbloom grinned at Trixie while glancing at Clause. “When the cells aren’t needed they are rented out for ponies who wish to experience an overnight stay at a genuine jail! We sell the experience of actual physical incarceration, mostly through various tourist agencies in town. It seems to attract a crowd that likes mild doses of apparent danger and adventure. Here, have some reading material!” She hoofed over a colorful brochure to Trixie, who received it and looked at it with a stunned expression.

“Ponies actually pay you to stay in one of your, ah, rooms?” Clause raised an eyebrow ever so slightly at the jailor.

“Oh yes. It’s a great way to finance the upkeep of the facilities.”

“In that case you could really use somepony to renovate the place: the walls almost crumble at a touch...” Trixie’s voice disappeared as she turned a page and her eyes focused on a colorful picture. She turned the brochure around and pointed an accusing hoof, alternatingly at Snowblossom and the offending photograph. “They’re eating with metal cutlery! All I got was a wooden fork! What gives?”

Snowbloom chuckled as she nodded. Then she pulled open a drawer by her desk. The jangle of metallic items being rustled filled the room for a moment. “Yes, they get sturdy knives and forks because it’s part of the experience package we sell. They can use it to break out, you see. We’ve made sure there are patches of very weak stonework in every cell in case they want to try carving their way out. Or they can sweep the hay off the floor and find a trapdoor to a nice and clean part of the sewers. Or we ‘forget’ to lock their door and they can try sneaking out between patrols. We’ve got extra noisy steel-capped shoes to make sure they hear us coming...” The jailor’s voice died out because Trixie’s face had become a mess of twitches.

“You... you kept me awake with the noise because of its tourism value!?” When her face settled down somewhat it was into a rictus of fury. Trixie’s horn glowed and there was a slight tinkle as several knives rose from the desk drawer suspended in a magic aura.

A hoof was laid very gently on Trixie’s shoulder and she swivelled her eyes to look at Clause, who was leaning close to her. The elder mare’s face was as stoic as ever, but there was an unusual sharpness in her eyes. “Bellatrix Lulamoon... assaulting an officer of the law as you’re about to be released from jail won’t make your day any better.”

The trio was frozen in that position for several seconds, almost immobile except for a heavily breathing Trixie and the gently bobbing cutlery in her magic. Then her eyes swivelled away from Clause’s face and she turned to look down the hallway to the cells. In the next moment she was a blue blur disappearing into the gloom towards the cells, the cutlery swimming in the air after her like a school of flying fish.

Snowbloom and Clause exchanged glances, with the jailor’s face showing a considerable deal more of her confusion, before running after Trixie. About halfway down the hallway they heard a metallic grinding sound, followed by a series of thuds. They reached Trixie’s chosen cell just in time to see her tail disappear through a newly formed hole in the wall and hear her maniacal laughter fading in the distance. Somehow, they didn’t feel like giving chase.

Clause turned to Jailor Snowbloom. “Tell you what. I have Miss Bellatrix’ full permission to take care of any paperwork for her. Let’s just sign her out of here and I’ll forget your unintentional mistreatment of your prisoner if you’ll forget her destruction of your property and, since I can’t see the cutlery anywhere, petty theft. How does that sound?”

The Great and Powerful Trixie would’ve been pleased to know that Jailor Snowbloom was frowning as she nodded her agreement.



******



Clause knocked on the door to the wagon belonging to her favourite niece, interrupting a drawn-out snore. The sounds of heavy sleep coming from the inside of the wagon died down, creating a vacancy of sound for the early birds of morning to fill with their territorial disputes. Clause listened to their pleasant arguing while waiting for Trixie to open the door. To her consternation the snoring resumed after a couple dozen heartbeats and she sighed while raising a hoof. She hammered the door a touch harder and longer this time. The sleeper inside the wagon sounded like she was gargling her tongue for a moment before a startled mumbling followed by a loud thump issued through the door. A few seconds later a bleary-eyed Trixie opened the upper half of her wagon door and looked out at her aunt with eyes that refused to focus.

“Good morning, Bellatrix. I take it you slept well these past seventeen hours?”

“Morning...” Trixie yawned so powerfully that her jaw protested with a creak. Once she managed to close her mouth and regain control of her face she looked inquisitively at her aunt. “Why the formal greeting though? I thought I was free to – well I did technically break out of jail but I thought they owed me that after...”

Trixie fell silent as Clause shook her head, indicating to her niece that she was on the wrong track. “Your most recent trouble is officially over. Unofficially...” She shrugged. “I’m afraid I did some analysis on this situation of yours before I came to Fillydelphia, and there’s a high likelihood that the Bluebloods won’t let this issue die.”

Trixie shut her eyes tightly and scowled for a moment. Then she hissed a curse and pulled her head back into the gloom of her wagon. Clause regarded the dark rectangle of the half-opened door while the sounds of opening and closing cupboards announced that Trixie was searching for something. A short moment later Trixie reappeared at the door and flicked her head at Clause, indicating for her to back away. Then the lower half of the door was opened as well and Trixie trotted out into the morning sunlight towing a badly beaten and stained teapot in her magic. She walked over to a ring of stones surrounding a pile of ashes and charred branches, letting her magic put the teapot down next to the stones and shift over to the old campfire, reassembling it and adding fresh branches. A crackle and a spark of electricity made the wood smoke.

Clause watched and waited patiently and silently as Trixie stoked the flames, fetched water for the pot from a nearby brook, placed the pot on a branch above the fire and added some tea leaves to the water. Nopony uttered a word as they waited for the water to boil. Trixie spent the time alternating between yawning, grumbling and stretching her limbs. When the pot whistled she levitated it away from the fire and set it down on the ground. Then she went back into her wagon for a short moment, reemerging with two earthenware cups.

Clause accepted her cup and rested it in her hooves while she blew on the liquid it held. Trixie lacked either her patience or her presence of mind and let out a frustrated snarl as the tea scalded her tongue and lips. A string of curses followed, startling the birds nearby into flight. After that the birds’ angry tweeting once again dominated the soundscape for several minutes.

When Trixie’s cup was half emptied she lowered it to the ground with her magic and sighed. “All right, let’s hear it.”

Clause took a short sip of her own cup before lowering her hooves so it too rested on the grass. “The Bluebloods will feel a need to save face due to this debacle, in order to prevent being ridiculed for having the party you performed at ‘blow up in their faces’, as it were. The most likely scenario as I judge it is that they’ll ‘avenge’ your supposed slight by somehow striking out at you.”

Trixie groaned, lay down on the ground and cradled her head in her forelegs. “This is exactly the kind of steaming cowpat I was hoping to avoid stepping into when I left Canterlot!”

“Nobles – excuse me, Bluebloods – don’t play fair and have very little respect for declarations of neutrality. There’s no room for shades of gray in their world. Not while they can use you to hurt those who hold you dear. I’m sorry, but you know this is how it goes.”

Trixie inhaled deeply and let out a shuddering sigh. “What are my options? Come home, rot in my room in Canterlot or the country house? Maybe instead the Great and Powerful Trixie could shorten her visits to each town to just two or three performances. That way the Blueblood thugs wouldn’t track me as easily...”

Her hopeful reasoning was interrupted by a polite cough from Clause. “I would agree that such a measure would protect you if you had run afoul of somepony of the comparatively reasonable Bluebloods. Unfortunately Lobelia is not a reasonable pony anymore... even by the considerably relaxed standards of her family.”

“So this is it then? This is where I can’t get away from the snakes at Canterlot anymore.” Trixie put her forelegs down on the ground and tilted her head back so she could gaze into the distance with dull and tired eyes.

“You have always been slightly naive about that, Bellatrix. Brash, I know, but we can’t afford to sugarcoat existence right now. Nopony can evade the noble houses completely while inside Equestria’s borders. You’ve been admirably successful so far but you were never going to get away completely unless you changed your name and dyed your coat or left Equestria for someplace else.” Clause moved a hoof in front of her mouth and made a genteel sound somewhere between a quiet cough and a weak clearing of the throat. “In fact, I have a proposal to you that involves the latter.”

Trixie’s eyes swivelled to look at Clause and her expression lightened somewhat, if only because trepidation can be invigorating. She remained silent so Clause soldiered on. “The Princess – that is, Princess Celestia – has commissioned an expedition of some kind and it’s being put together with considerable haste. Normally it’d be a matter for the army but for some reason this is being done through unofficial channels. I don’t know the details except it would be a trek outside the borders of Equestria and would take place as soon as possible. It is reportedly a low-risk venture and the base pay is very good with a generous bonus promised should the expedition reach its goal – whatever that may be.”

Clause paused to allow Trixie to consider her words. Trixie’s lips moved soundlessly for a while, then she managed to whisper a couple of words. “Leave? Leave Equestria?”

“Only temporarily and in the company of other ponies. You’d get paid and be out of reach of whatever thugs Lobelia or some other Blueblood would send your way. You could stay at the manor in Canterlot while you wait for the expedition to set out. That would also make it easier for us to arrange for you to join it. The expedition leader has the final say and she wants to meet all candidates before deciding.”

“Clause, The Great and Powerful Trixie needs an audience! Um, besides... I’m no hero. I’m all bark and no bite.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Bellatrix. In any case, they’re not looking for heroes. They want seasoned travellers and you’ve been on the road for... how long? Six years now?”

“About that yes.” Trixie pushed up slowly with her forehooves until she was sitting. “How long is this expedition supposed to take?”

“Two months is the estimate.”

Trixie stared ahead of her and slightly past Clause’s shoulder while chewing her lower lip. “I don’t know. I need to think about this.”

“Naturally. I suggest you do so while staying at the family estates. You’re no longer safe on Equestria’s roads. That would also enable you to meet the expedition leader, which could help you make up your mind.”

Their eyes met. After a short while, Trixie lowered her gaze and nodded. Then she picked up her forgotten cup of tea and sipped from it, only to snort and toss the rest of the by now cold liquid into the dying fire. “Was there any other business I should know?”

“No, Trixie. That was all.”

“Good. Thanks for getting me out of jail, Essie.” She unfolded her hind legs and stood, stretching her body for a moment before turning towards her wagon. “I guess there’s no sense in delaying. I’ll head to Canterlot right away. Help prepare and hitch me up to this, will you?”

“Or course.”

The wagon was secured for travel and fastened to Trixie by harness in no time at all. “Essie, please walk with me?”

Clause broke her passive expression in order to smile warmly at her niece and give her a hug. “All right. I can’t travel with you all the way since I’m needed in Appleloosa for some business negotiations but I’ve got some time to spare.”

They started walking. The clearing where Trixie had camped was next to a small country road which would eventually join one of the main Fillydelphia-Canterlot trade routes. For the moment there was nopony else in sight sharing their path. Trixie’s mood improved gradually as the sun rose and she pumped Clause for news of her parents and siblings, and by noon she was smiling and chatting freely. Less than an hour later the pair reached a busy highway, its old flagstone surface cracked and full of ruts, and joined the multitudes of ponies kicking up dust on their way to Canterlot.
> Trixie Valiantly Accepts a Quest from the Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Two:


Trixie Valiantly Accepts a Quest from the Princess




Canterlot. Political capital of Equestria. Highest concentration of poisonous invertebrates and pond scum anywhere, Trixie thought morosely as she peeked through the curtains of her own room out onto the yard and the streets beyond. The mansion was placed quite high, just below the castle, as all noble family homes (worth mentioning anyway), and offered an excellent view of the city. Lanterns were being lit, the fancy electrical lights were flickering as they warmed and along the main street the magical spheres on intricately carved metal poles that posed as lampposts glowed as they released the sunlight they had absorbed during the day.

A rustle of cloth brought Trixie out of her musings and she turned around to look at the maid that was fidgeting by the door. The young mare was definitely a new face in the household and unfamiliar to Trixie unless she turned out to be the child of some other member of staff and Trixie had merely forgotten her. A horn sprouted from her forehead in flagrant break with tradition and hiring practices. “Is everything to your satisfaction, Miss Bellatrix?”

Trixie smiled wryly and let her gaze wander across the room. The pony who’d lived there previously had loved painting with watercolours. Colorful pictures were tacked, nailed or taped to every bare surface reachable by hoof or, later, telekinesis. Not including the ceiling. The previous tenant had heard about murals and had obviously been fascinated but had lacked the patience to see things through. Only half of an intricately patterned outline was sketched overhead in stucco that had dried long since. Two cupboards and a pair of dressers lined one shorter wall opposite a canopy bed flanked by two doors, one to a walk-in closet and the other to a small bathroom. All furniture was originally varnished teak and most likely hoof-me-downs from centuries past. They had sometime within the last decade been badly painted over with crude and colorful patterns and images of suns with smiling faces. Fluffy bunnies were embroidered on the bedspread.

“It is exactly as I left it, though tidier, if that’s what you mean.” Trixie observed the maid dispassionately while she considered her situation. Considering that the siblings that had adjusted more easily to life as a Canterlot noble were to her tolerable at best, she decided that maybe getting acquainted with the servants would be a more pleasant way to spend her time. With that in mind she looked at the unicorn in front of her with new eyes. “How new are you? I don’t remember you from before.”

“Miss, I have been employed by the household for five months now.”

“Oh?” Trixie let out a low whistle. That probably meant the maid was the most recent pony to be hired. And now here she was, attending the black sheep of the family – the prodigal filly. The maid was either a meteoric career climber or somepony was trying to kick her down a peg. “What’s your name?”

“My-? Linen Lace, Miss.” The maid’s lips quivered.

Trixie sighed. Linen’s reaction wasn’t unexpected. Servants other than the butler were supposed to be nameless and interchangeable. When the Masters or Mistresses asked for your name you were in Trouble, capital T. “Relax, Linen. I’m not like the others.” Although I do have a habit of travelling the countryside and lording it over the ponies in every small town and village I come across. She swallowed her sudden ire and let a more even smile grace her lips. “I haven’t set hoof in this room in about six years before today. There’s going to be changes. Since you’ve been hoof-picked by the wise masters and matrons of ‘below stairs’ to be my maid for the visit I’d like you to oversee the parts that I don’t do myself.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Please don’t ‘Miss’ me. Call me Trixie or, if you must, Miss Trixie.” She thought about it. “Use Miss Bellatrix if you think somepony within hearing would object but if you do make sure you let me know which pony it is.”

Linen Lace nodded and opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the sound of running hooves from the corridor. An older unicorn mare with a pink coat and deep blue mane held in a bun appeared in the doorway and shouldered past Linen, stopping in front of Trixie. The intruder stared straight into Trixie’s eyes with ferocious intensity. Then she turned her head slightly towards Linen without breaking eye contact. “Leave us.”

The maid rushed out of the room and away. When the sound of her hooves on the carpeting died down the intruder fixed Trixie with an icy glare. “You have some nerve just waltzing in here after six years as if you left only yesterday. Do you have any idea how worried we were? How-how...” The mare’s face crumpled and her eyes watered. She took a hesitant step forward followed by another more secure and yet another. Trixie mirrored her actions down to the expression.

The two ponies, acting on the same impulse, rushed forward and embraced. Their necks entwined and each laid a foreleg leg over the other’s back. “Trixie, I’ve missed you so much.”

Trixie fought back tears. “I’m sorry Mom. I’ve missed you too.”



******



Night had arrived though the noises from the city had only barely decreased. Trixie had followed her mother to the parlour in the east wing and was relaxing on a shaggy carpet in front of a fireplace, watching the dancing flames. Portraits hung on the walls, including one of Trixie (with the name Bellatrix on the plaque) and one of her mother. The plaque below that one read ‘Cygnus’. News, gossip and rumours about family and acquaintances filled Trixie’s head with a fuzzy feeling competing with the slight inebriation from the wine she’d drunk. An empty bottle and two glasses rested on a tray between her and her mother.

There was a soft sigh by Trixie’s side. “This is so nice. None of your brothers and sisters would accept a quiet and intimate moment like this or if they would it’d be with ulterior motives.”

“That’s what Canterlot and nobility does, Mom. I bought my first wagon to escape from all of that. So I wouldn’t... wouldn’t become that.”

“It seems to have worked. Your letters all mention how successful your performances have been. I’m sure you didn’t receive the adoration of your audience using the manners of Canterlot nobility!” Cygnus Lulamoon turned to look at her daughter. Trixie had turned her head away but the ears pressed flat against her head told their tale clear enough. “What’s wrong, Trixie?”

Trixie turned her head around, revealing her watering eyes. “Mom, I didn’t realise until just recently. I was wooing the crowds and making myself look good by embarrassing others and making them look bad. I was using stabbed backs as rungs on the social ladder like a pro.”

“But in your letters you said the ponies loved your show?”

“They did. Well, many of them. I always got cheers but every performance left insulted and embarrassed ponies in their wake. The next day the ponies in their audience usually woke up with a fresh perspective and some very angry friends. My popularity wasn’t long-lasting.”

“Why did you continue if you saw it didn’t work?”

“Like I said, I only realised this recently! I thought they were angry because they were jealous! I thought their hospitality cooled because they couldn’t stand being compared so unfavorably to the Great and Powerful Trixie! I...” She sobbed. “It’s too late for me. I’m Canterlot nobility whether I want it or not.” She laid her head down on the carpet and shut her eyes tight.

Mother scooted over to daughter and placed her nose into the nape of Trixie’s neck, nuzzling gently. Her daughter’s mane smelled of soap, woodsmoke and coffee. “Trixie, take it from somepony on the inside: you are nothing like the average noble. If you’ve caught yourself acting a bit like one then I’d imagine it’s because you really don’t know how to act in any other way. You need new role models to copy.”

A quite lengthy silence followed before Trixie spoke again. “I might’ve had a chance to find role models. There are some really different ponies out there. There’s this little town called Ponyv—” She winced. After a moment, bolstered by Cygnus’ hoof stroking her mane, she continued. “They’ve seen my worst. Twice. I dare not show my face there again. At least, not now. Mom, I was stupid enough to try to banish Twilight Sparkle from Ponyville. I terrorised her friends!”

Cygnus had gone very still. “Twilight Sparkle?”

“Y-yes.”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

“...Yes?”

“What. Did. You. Do.”

Trixie was painfully aware of her mother’s snout pressed against her neck. She tittered nervously and tried to swallow. Her mouth had suddenly become bone dry. “Um... The first time I came to ponyville I was just going to perform for a week, maybe do some fortune telling on the side, but I got heckled during my first show and I just... um... did what I always do to hecklers. I humiliated them in front of the audience. How was I supposed to know they were her friends and the Element Bearers?”

“Whhhh – hhhh – hhhh...”

“Mom, breathe. I didn’t do anything bad. Well, nothing terrible. Um, nothing criminal at least...”

“Hhhhhh. Hhhh.”

“...that time...”

“HHHHHHHH!”

Trixie sensed a cliff looming in the conversation ahead and backtracked frantically. “I-I had gotten my hooves on a magical amulet and it was corrupting me. I wasn’t thinking clearly, mom! I apologised to her afterwards and she accepted it but still...” She calmed down. “I don’t think I can go back anytime soon.”

There was a chuckle from the elder mare. After a short pause it was followed by another and a third. The mirth built and built until she was teary-eyed from hysterical laughter. She’d rolled away from her daughter and was squirming on the floor. Sides aching, she lifted her head and regarded Trixie who returned her gaze shyly out of the corner of her eye.

“Oh Bellatrix Lulamoon. What are we going to do with you?” Cygnus breathed slowly while she studied her daughter’s shaking body and flattened ears and thought. “Maybe you really should consider joining the expedition being assembled. It would take you away from all of this, and I’ve understood the shared experience of hardships endured during such things tend to create strong bonds of friendship. If you can show to Princess Twilight that you’ve learned some friendship lessons she might warm up to you. She also holds Princess Celestia in high esteem and this would be a direct favour to Her Highness.”

“I guess... I don’t know. I’ve always been near civilization even if I’ve been on the road. To just leave Equestria behind... it scares me.” Trixie’s eyes widened slightly and she pulled away so she could look Cygnus in the eye. “What do you know about this expedition?”

“It was your father who arranged an opening for you. He’d recently met somepony in Manehattan who’d mentioned the expedition, and when Clause alerted him about your situation he started pulling strings. It’s supposed to take a couple months and goes outside the borders of Equestria. It’s urgent and semi-secret. I don’t know any specifics.”

Trixie nodded and was occupied by her thoughts, letting the room descend into silence.



******



Trixie’s wagon had been parked in the outer yard next to the gates, on a square patch of gravel by the ivy-choked walls. A roof supported on four slender pillars shielded it from rain. It and five other wagons formed a line. Linen Lace fell away to remain at a respectful distance as Trixie approached the wagon, leaving her to walk the final meters alone. Trixie looked back at her maid in confusion but Linen returned her stare blankly. She turned back to her wagon. “Hello? Is there anypony there?”

Hooves crunched on gravel and Trixie gasped as a pony appeared from behind the wagon. The Earthen mare was among the largest ponies Trixie had ever seen. There was no pudginess on this pony; her form was chiselled like an old, worn rock on a beach or like a centuries-old tree on top of a wind-lashed hill. She gave the impression that nothing short of solid mountain would prevent her from carving a straight path to where she wanted to be. Her lime coat appeared dusty and sun-bleached and was unusually shaggy. Her cyan mane was long and curly and streaked with fire engine red as well as individual strands of gray. There was also white in her shaggy fetlocks and the tip of her tail. She met Trixie’s gaze with her own for a moment before letting it slide down to study Trixie’s legs. After a short and confusing moment of silence there was a rumble and the titanic mare spoke. Her voice was gravelly and very deep but also slightly softened by age. “Miss Bellatrix Lulamoon?”

Trixie gulped and nodded, regretting her decision not to don her cape and hat for this meeting. The comfort they provided would’ve been welcome right then. The visitor nodded to her before turning back to study the wagon. As the large pony turned sideways her cutiemark became visible to trixie: a stylus in front of six diagonal lines arranged into a grid. “Terra Incognita. Explorer and cartographer. Retired. I have been requested by the office of the crown to arrange an expedition and word has reached my ears that you might be interested in participating. Correct?”

“Um... yes.”

Terra nodded. Trixie waited, expecting the large mare to interview her, but was surprised by the next question when it came. “Is this wagon yours?”

Trixie was intimidated by the Earthen pony’s size but she still managed to sound enthusiastic. “Yes it is! How did you know?”

Terra Incognita pointed between Trixie’s wagon and the other nearby ones. “The wider, thicker wheels and sturdier suspension springs. The two spare wheels on the back. The fact that it is larger, but still lighter, than the others. That there’s almost no metal in its construction and if I’m right then that box back there contains several replacements for every single part that is metal. The set of skis for winter travel. The tools for field repairs and if I’m not mistaken then there’s almost no part excluding the metal ones that couldn’t be crudely replicated given a source of timber. This, Miss Lulamoon, is as far from a noble’s carriage as it’s possible to get without carting manure. It’s custom-made I presume?”

To say that Trixie was impressed and a little flattered would be an understatement. She blushed and nodded. “You are correct, Miss Incognita. Only, the carriages of nobility are almost daily transporting something very related to manure!”

Terra’s eyes widened and she threw back her head, laughing loud enough to echo between the buildings. Somewhere in the vicinity a raven mistook her outburst for a challenge and answered angrily. Once she’d calmed down enough she grinned at Trixie. “So how long have you had this wagon? It appears fairly new.”

“It is. Just shy of two years now.”

“Where did you get it?”

“Up north, near Seaddle. There’s a little community there that gathers craftsponies from the world over to settle and share their skills.”

“Yes, I know of it. So was that when you felt the call of the open road?”

“No. I’ve been travelling for six years now. I just needed a new wagon.”

“What happened to your old one?”

Trixie blushed and found herself unable to meet Terra’s gaze any longer, her previous nervosity having been replaced by embarrassment. “An ursa minor stepped on it.”

“You met a star bear? Impressive. Have you met any other predators? Timberwolves? Manticores? Windigos?”

Trixie nodded to the first two but burst out laughing at the third. “Those are just an old foals’ tale.”

Terra grinned but there was something in her gaze that unsettled Trixie, making her nervous again. “That they are. Have you fought any of them? Your legs are scarred.”

That silenced Trixie. She sat on her haunches and brought a foreleg up for close inspection. She knew there were scars, yes, but they were covered by fur. Only somepony very knowledgeable about such things would notice the minute disturbances they made in her otherwise smooth and even coat. Her gaze slid to Terra’s pillar-like legs and noted that the evidence of scars was much more obvious there. The Earthen mare had suffered numerous cuts during her life. Trixie shook her head, first to clear her thoughts and then to answer Terra. “Most are just deep scratches from running through brambles. If I get attacked by wild beasts I try to scare them off or create a diversion and run. My back legs have a couple of scars from being snapped at by timberwolves, but that’s all.”

“Do you know any healing magic just in case?”

“Yes. I know some basic spells to clean, seal and treat injuries.”

Terra nodded in approval and switched topic. “Where have you travelled?”

“All over Equestria really. I visited all the major cities at least once and I always try to find new villages and towns to visit.”

“Have you been to the Crystal Empire?”

“Yes. I got back from there four months ago.”

“You were there during the Equestria Games?”

“Yes. It’s a large crowd and they get starved of entertainment while queueing.”

“Oh? You’re an entertainer then? What kind?”

Trixie lowered her gaze again and nervously dug a pit in the gravel by using the tip of her right hoof as an auger. “I do illusions and pyrotechnic displays. Legerdemains, sleight-of-hoof, that kind of stuff.” She chuckled. “M-maybe you’ve heard of ‘the Great and Powerful Trixie’? It’s... never mind. I’m not that famous.” The silence stretched, and when she couldn’t stand it anymore Trixie raised her head. Terra was studying her, forehead creased and lips pouting with concentration. “Miss Incognita?”

The hulking mare smiled at Trixie. “You aren’t at all what I was expecting when I got here. I believe I could actually have use of your skills and experience. I would like you to join the expedition.”

Trixie was taken aback. “Uh, well, thanks! But... can you tell me about the expedition?”

“I’ll tell you as much as I’m allowed. I can’t give you all the details until you’re officially part of the team and we’re underway. Some of the information is classified. Anyhow, here’s what I can tell you. We’re headed someplace cold so prepare for snow and ice. I hope we’ll be there and back in less than two months. If it takes longer we might be forced to abandon the mission. There’ll be a core team of five or six, us two included, and twenty to thirty additional ponies that will set up and maintain a camp that we’ll be using as base. As a core member you’ll get paid a wage of two hundred bits per week and also receive three shares of the reward should we complete the mission. The members of the support team get one share each. I take four. The reward is one and a half million bits, meaning your share is...” Terra frowned at the sky and moved her lips soundlessly for a couple seconds. “...At least thirty thousand bits plus wages.”

The concept of earning about forty-five thousand bits for only two months’ work punched Trixie in the stomach, making her exhale most of her air in a wheezy cough. Her eyes sprang wide and her mouth refused to shut. She tried to calculate the amount she’d earned (and consequently spent) during six years’ travel and her stunned brain informed her that whatever sum it was it wouldn’t even be close to forty-five thousand. Her self-preservation instinct reared its head and started flipping mental furniture, making her inhale and swallow nervously. “It’s going to be dangerous isn’t it?”

Terra sighed and nodded. “Yes. It’s my job to minimize the dangers but these things always carry risks. Normally this would be a task for the army but their recon divisions are a long way from Canterlot and time is of the essence. That’s why Princess Celestia pulled me out of retirement and told me to ‘turn over every rock’. So here we are. Regarding what kind of danger: the environment for one. Constant freezing temperatures and little to no foraging. We’ll rely on resupplies from base camp.”

Trixie sensed an abrupt end to Terra’s explanation. She looked into the large mare’s eyes and spotted signs of indecision and falsehood. “There’s more isn’t there? You don’t get your own weight in bits from playing in the snow.”

“You’re right.” Terra chewed her lip for a moment. “It’s a hunting expedition.”



******



Trixie gasped and fought with the sheet coiled around her until she was free and could sit up. She blinked dazedly, recalling the roar of the Ursa Minor in her nightmare. It had lumbered out of the Everfree again. Her old wagon had been destroyed, again. She’d run. Again. She slumped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, going over yesterday’s meeting with Terra once again.

Going someplace where it was cold in order to hunt something. There weren’t too many options as to what that might be and the ursas were suspect number one. That wasn’t just dangerous, it was downright insane in Trixie’s opinion.

She tossed about until she lay on her side, staring at the wall. Terra Incognita hadn’t appeared to be afraid. The boulder disguised as a pony merely seemed weary. She’d freely admitted that untrained civilians weren’t on her preferred list of choices but still seemed confident that the risks involved could be managed. They weren’t going to go unprepared or short on equipment. The offered reward was generous beyond belief.

If Trixie stayed in Equestria then she’d have to steel herself for the almost inevitable attack. But she’d been assaulted before and had managed to escape. Sometimes she’d even triumphed over her assailants. Admittedly she was seldom attacked with anything more dangerous than rotten vegetables but there had been darker moments when she’d hurt and bled while limping away from a mob of angry ponies. She could take a little pain.

Trixie shut her eyes and turned to lie on her back. To join the expedition was to go into the unknown knowing that somewhere out there was a monster waiting. Something with pony in the food circle no doubt. To hunt something like that meant risking a lot more than cuts and bruises.

No. It just wasn’t worth it trading a known danger for an unknown.

The decision seemed to lift a great burden off Trixie’s back. She felt like breathing had just become easier. No feeble-minded nag teetering on the edge of her grave was going to scare the Great and Powerful Trixie away from the roads of Equestria. She’d set out before dawn and be far away. She smiled in the darkness and closed her eyes.

A bell rang somewhere; an insistent clanging that seemed tuned just right to penetrate walls and rattle teeth. Trixie opened her eyes to see a warm glow enter the windows of her room and illuminate the far wall. She furrowed her brow in irritation: she felt far too exhausted to rise but if dawn really had arrived then she had no choice if she wanted to slip unnoticed out of the city. She rolled and put her legs under her but when she rose and looked out of the windows the sky was still dark and filled with stars. The bright, ruddy glow was coming from a source lower than the horizon. It also flickered as it intensified. Trixie could hear shouts from outside.

The noise of hooves on deep carpet sounded through Trixie’s bedroom’s door just before somepony knocked on it. She didn’t turn away from the windows and the strange glow. “What is it?”

Linen Lace’s muffled voice reached her through the door. “Miss, there’s a fire!”

It occurred to Trixie that her room faced the front of the mansion. Her windows looked down on the outer yard. She leaped off the bed and rushed to the window. A short look outside was enough to make her wail. She threw herself across the room, wrenched open the door and flew past her maid while shouting her anguish.

Gravel crunched under her hooves. Strong legs held her back while the ends of her mane and coat curled from the heat. Her eyes stung and her throat was sore from screaming. In front of her, her wagon burned.



******



The attorney cleared her throat. “Now that the, uh, details have been agreed upon there is one more thing I’ve been asked to mention if you can spare the time?”

Cygnus nodded. Internally she was torn between fury, fear and gloating but also on her mind was the improper satisfaction of having worn a frown and an icy stare for over two hours without her facial muscles tiring.

Cygnus’ visitor took a breath and hesitated slightly before continuing. “Lady Lobelia Blueblood has... retired in obscurity. If you happen to discover her whereabouts then the Bluebloods would be considerably more in your debt were you to pass that information along.”

That little piece of news was enough to crack Cygnus’ facade. Her lips pulled back slightly into a snarl before she managed to control herself. A hoof gently brushed her shoulder and she took strength from her sister-in-law’s presence. Clause had always been very supportive. “Surely she took some staff in order to keep in touch?”

The Bluebloods’ errand-pony looked pained for a moment. “She’s dismissed her regular staff. We believe she’s contacted some long-standing but dormant associates of the family as they too no longer respond to our messages.”

“What kind of associates?”

“Physicians and gardeners, Ma’am.”

Cygnus drew a sharp breath and felt Clause patting her shoulder reassuringly. Nobles didn’t hire physicians: they hired doctors. Physicians meant ponies who remodelled your physique to their liking – usually involving metal pipes applied with great force to your legs. Gardeners were in fact hired but they were called groundskeepers. The titular gardeners of Canterlot nobility only cultivated daisies fertilised by the dead. Lobelia Blueblood had lost her mind, become obsessed with Trixie and had contacted thugs and assassins. Now she – and they – were somewhere out there. Already the evidence trail from the wagon fire yesterday night pointed to arson. The black incendiary powder was very easy to trace to a Blueblood-affiliated alchemist. The Bluebloods had for once seen the inevitable and had sent a lawyer, crawling on all four knees, to beg forgiveness and swear innocence. The entire family was reeling, threatening to come apart at the seams. This would have been one of the Lulamoons’ most glorious triumphs were the circumstances different.

“You can tell your mistresses and masters that we’ll notify them of Lobelia’s location if we come across her... once we’ve safeguarded our family. If there is any further incident, however, we’ll turn the matter over to the crown and by that I mean we’ll talk to Princess Luna. Officially.”

When Princess Luna had been told that the death penalty had been discontinued she’d laughed merrily and chided the messenger that one shouldn’t try to prank royalty while they were carrying out their duties. When the nobility complained to Princess Celestia the elder alicorn had reorganized Luna’s tuition – postponing her classes on modern Equestrian law ‘until further notice due to budget shortfalls resulting from corruption’. Bearing that in mind the Blueblood lawyer’s sudden paleness was understandable. Cygnus waited until she heard the front door close behind the lawyer before she sagged.

“My poor Trixie. Essie, what are we to do?”

Clause hugged her sister-in-law lightly. “We can’t do much for her. She needs to make up her own mind. She’s too free-spirited to be confined behind guards unless she herself wishes it.”

Cygnus leaned back and stared up at Clause. “You understand my daughter better than I do nowadays and I must admit I resent you a bit for that.”

“I was always her favourite aunt. Probably because I’m only wed to nobility and so don’t have all the mannerisms of noble birth. Remember that it was you who told me to keep tabs on her when she fled Canterlot. She started talking even more to me whenever we’d meet during these years she was on the road. Besides: she exchanged letters with you, didn’t she? Celestia only knows how many times I acted as a courier for you two.”

“So. What now?”

“Now we wait and prepare for Trixie’s decision to join the expedition.”

“She’ll do that?”

“I’d bet on it. I’ve taken the liberty of creating some false trails should someone try to track her movements. Soon Trixie will be sighted in more locations and more frequently than the ghost of Pelvis Paisley.”



******



Trixie opened her eyes and stared up at her bedroom ceiling. Afternoon sunlight shining through the windows created misshaped squares on a large map of Equestria. The unfinished ceiling mural was now covered by a large piece of canvas on which somepony had painted a map with watercolours. It was the largest but not the most detailed of the maps now decorating the room in the absence of the crude paintings of Trixie’s childhood. She’d intended the maps to remind her of where she’d been. The inspiration had come when she’d uncovered a large tapestry, depicting Equestria as it was at the beginning of the last century, while hunting for decorations for her room in one of the attics.

The tapestry now hung opposite her bed and had a multitude of cloth strips attached to it spread out like a fine network across the image of Equestria. On the strips were carefully written dates and names of towns. After the fire she’d distracted herself by tracing her travels, referring to her memory and her journals, but her mood had sabotaged her attempts. The bad memories had surfaced, making her cringe more and more as she relived her travels. She’d reached the end of her willpower while the eye of memory gazed upon the wreckage of her first wagon. Seemingly endless rows of hecklers had shouted in her head. The odour of rotten vegetables had been so clear in her nose that she’d gagged in between her sobs. The tapestry had become a list of burnt bridges and places Trixie was reluctant to revisit. And even if she did: what would it do? If she hid in some small town then she’d merely be a danger to those around her thanks to the threat looming over her head.

She blinked, eyes puffy from her crying, and focused on the new thought. She’d had six years to travel all across Equestria, overwhelmingly more often than not outstaying her welcome wherever she went. Even the places where she’d be unknown were dangerous now. But if Canterlot felt like a prison and the rest of Equestria felt like a minefield of mistakes past and dangers present then what was left? Where could she go?

Her gaze wandered to the empty spaces at the edges of the map overhead.
> Trixie Recruits Great and Powerful Companions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Three:


Trixie Recruits Great and Powerful Companions




The train was guarded by two royal guards per car, one night and one day, and the station platform next to it was roped off. Trixie approached slowly with a small suitcase towed in her magic, frequently stopping to summon enough courage (or anger, a good enough substitute) to continue. Canterlot station around her was nearly empty and seemed cold and harsh in the moonlight.

“The night train to New Yoke departs in ten minutes!”

Trixie had been startled by the announcer’s shout and she’d leaped away from the noise by pure reflex, bringing her barrel up against the rope barrier in front of her. The two guards decided to officially take notice of her and the night guard approached. Trixie stared fearfully at the bat-winged pony. Gray mane, feline eyes and tufted ears were all simple transformation spells carried in the enchanted armour the guards wore but to Trixie’s hindbrain they were the signs of a predator she’d do best to run away from. She credited her continued existence to the fact that she listened to her hindbrain but this once she ignored the instinct. The Night Guards made her shiver but that was all.

“Citizen! This train is on a royal charter and is not for public use. If you are looking for the train to New Yoke it departs from platform three. Please move along unless you have business here.”

Guards were uniform in appearance within their branch but voices were unchanged and the night guard had addressed Trixie with a smooth alto tone. Trixie stuck her nose in the air and huffed. “My name is The Great and Powerful Trixie, also known as Bellatrix Lulamoon. I should be expected.”

The guard nodded and placed a hoof on the rope in front of Trixie, pushing it down to the ground. “Evening, Ma’am. Please proceed to the last car.” The batpony’s lopsided grin let a fang glint in the moonlight.

Trixie swallowed and stepped over the lowered rope. She counted the cars as she walked along: at eight total the train was quite sizeable. The six cars closest to the engine were windowless and had cargo doors. The remaining two looked like passenger cars of some kind but the windows of the seventh were dark, making Trixie unable to discern what type exactly. The last one was lit from within but had all of its curtains drawn shut. A day guard saluted and telekinetically opened the door in front of Trixie as she approached. She nodded mutely as thanks and entered the car to be greeted by the smell of supper. The car appeared to be some kind of restaurant with three large tables, capable of seating ten ponies each, and a small kitchen. Red velvet, teak and brass was the theme of the furnishings and decor. Four ponies were seated around one of the tables and all had turned to stare at Trixie. She recognized Terra Incognita’s imposing bulk easily enough. The table was covered by a clutter of bowls, dishes, plates, glasses, bottles and cutlery.

“Hello everypony! Trixie has arrived!”

“Bellatrix! Glad you decided to join us. Put down your suitcase anywhere! Take a seat and I’ll take care of introductions.” Terra pointed a hoof at a vacant spot at the table laden with an unused set of dinnerware. “The rest of us have already eaten but we don’t mind if you’re hungry.”

Trixie put her suitcase down on one of the empty tables. Then she walked up to the indicated seat, brought her hind legs under the table and let her tail droop down the back of the chair while she inspected the faces around her. A stocky Earthen stallion to Terra’s left smiled at Trixie and pointed at a covered bowl. “Try some soup.”

Trixie levitated the lid off the bowl and raised her eyebrows at the sight below. Roasted chestnuts, wild onions, sunflower seeds, sliced carrots, celery, nettles and more swam in a green liquid that smelled of spices and spinach. She hadn’t really been hungry but now her mouth was watering, so she grabbed a ladle with her magic and let two scoops land in her own bowl. As she levitated a spoon and took her first sip Terra was presenting her to the others.

“This here is Bellatrix Lulamoon or ‘the Great and Powerful Trixie’ as she also likes to be called.”

Trixie swallowed the excellent soup and grinned nervously. She felt her face heating up as she shook her head wildly. “Please! You are my colleagues, not some drooling fans. Just ‘Trixie’ is fine!” There was laughter at her expense but it was good-natured. Terra continued.

“Trixie here has six years’ worth of experience travelling on the road. She’s an entertainer who uses illusions and fireworks. I’m going to let her work on maintenance, repairs, incendiaries and explosives. She’ll also be our morale officer.”

The stallion to Terra’s left raised an eyebrow and interrupted. “Incendiaries and explosives? What do we need that for?”

Terra turned to him with a smile and a raised eyebrow. “I’ll tell you once we’re on the move. Speaking of which...” She leaned back and tapped on a crystal set into a frame on the wall. “Engine room? Do you hear me?”

The crystal glowed blue and a clear voice sounded from it. “We hear you.”

“Good. We’re ready here, so start us up as soon as possible.”

“Got it. The track is clear and the boiler is hot. Here we go.”

A train whistle bellowed a short note. The car lurched, accompanied by the clanks and groans of the couplings between the cars being stretched taut. A rumble of smooth steel on steel strengthened slowly, punctuated by the thumps whenever a wheel traversed the gap between two track parts. Terra resumed her introductions by turning to the stallion on her left. The Earthen was pale cyan and very shaggy, with a light brown and very unkempt mane and tail. He was not as big as Terra but still quite stocky in the same chiselled way as the larger mare. He was slouching on his chair like a sack of potatoes and regarding Trixie with amusement and a wide grin plastered on his face. Trixie noted that his teeth were stained green. “Trixie, this is Boiling Broth: an old friend and frequent accomplice of mine. Veteran traveller and guerilla cook with decades of experience in the wilds. He’s in charge of provisions and logistics, making him the second most important pony in our team. You and he will work together a lot, as the more you manage to repair the less we have to replace.”

Broth slowly raised a hoof and flicked a careless salute at Trixie while regarding her through half-lidded eyes and smiling. “You and me will get along just fine, I think.”

Trixie kept her opinion of the Earthen stallion to herself.

Next Terra turned to her right, pointing at a female pegasus. She was smallish and all purple and greeted Trixie with a disdainful frown. Her mane and tail were cropped short and of a lighter shade while her coat was a dark and warm hue. She was unusually pudgy for a pegasus but seemed to compensate with extra wing muscle. She wore goggles around her neck and used them for more than merely keeping her eyes from tearing up during high-speed flight, judging by the way they bent the light. “This is Crystal Brightfeather of Las Pegasus. She’s a consulting weather engineer with over two decades’ experience specialising in thermal design and jet wind management. She’s currently on a sabbatical and thus wished to join our little adventure. As her line of work has made her acclimatised to the most extreme heights of pegasus flight capability, she’s going to be our high altitude scout.” Crystal nodded slightly at Trixie before looking away and snorting.

The last pony, left of Trixie, was another pegasus mare, with a dirty yellow coat and a slightly washed-out purple mane run through with a dark blue streak, and appeared to be the youngest of the group. She waved and grinned shyly while Terra introduced her. Her wings seemed unable to settle down and were constantly moving in slight twitches and shakes. “This here is Visi Vidi, an exchange student from my own country of origin, Roam, who’s looking for a little adventure before finishing her journalism studies at Canterlot University. Her electives on astronomy and sports, especially her interest in endurance flying and aerial orienteering, makes her our cartographer and second scout.”

Visi was still waving in large, exaggerated motions and now added her other foreleg to it. “Hi! Where do you perform? Have you met somepony famous?”

Trixie smiled haughtily at the young pegasus. “Trixie is a travelling performer, not bound to any one stage. And yes, Trixie has met uncountable numbers of famous ponies during her career!”

The energetic pegasus seemed poised to interrogate Trixie further, but Terra cleared her throat to gain some silence. “There was supposed to be a sixth member to our team, but my usual go-to animal wrangler had a sudden infestation of spellfire lice and had to be admitted to the hospital isolation ward for as long as her horn spontaneously misfires. Yes, Trixie?”

Trixie lowered her hoof. “You don’t get a ‘sudden’ infestation of spellfire lice. If you’re even minimally observant then the signs are there long before they become a problem.”

There was a low murmur from Crystal. “Sounds like somepony chickened out. Was the letter signed by his mom?” There was a chuckle from Broth and a giggle from Visi.

Terra harrumphed. “She seemed more than a little confused and embarrassed. Anyway, the crown apparently found a replacement who’ll be waiting at our first stop. I don’t know who it is, and I don’t like that, but I can’t complain much. This is supposed to be urgent and the Princess has been breathing down my neck in her urge to get us moving.”

Boiling Broth knocked on the table with a hoof, making the heaps of porcelain and cutlery jangle. “Well we’re underway now. Spill the beans, Terry. What’s the big rush?”

There was a general murmur of agreement while Terra held up a hoof and nodded. “All right, all right, hold your horses just a minute. It’s time but I have to fetch something.” She rose from her seat by the wall and climbed over Broth. Then she walked to the door adjoining this car to the next and disappeared through it for a while. When she returned she was carrying a bag in her teeth. She set the bag down on a seat next to Trixie before climbing back to her place, ignoring Broth’s protests and attempts to rise from his own seat.

“Trixie, would you kindly open the bag and display its contents for us all?”

She did as told and held the contents aloft: five square bundles wrapped in cloth and tied with string, and a crystal orb. The orb drew everypony’s attention: it seemed to be hollow for inside it there hovered a diamond-shaped shard apparently made of ice. It bobbed gently, one end pointed towards the center of the orb and the other almost touching the outer surface. No matter how Trixie rotated the orb the icy shard always pointed in the same general direction. Terra spoke after a moment.

“That is a tracking orb. It is homing in on a target. It’s our job to find the target and capture it. Alive.”

There were sounds of surprise, including a small one from Trixie. “Alive?!” The orb wobbled in her magic and she set it down in an empty bowl before she could lose all focus and drop it. Meanwhile everypony else was talking at once and asking questions. Terra held up her front hooves to silence her audience.

“Trixie, would you please distribute those packages? Take one for yourself as well. I don’t need one – the fifth is for our last member. They should include a dossier on our target as well as journals for you all.”

Trixie nodded and levitated the wrapped bundles around the table. Crystal Brightfeather grabbed hers with an almost manic speed and tore away the wrappings. Trixie had only managed to untie the cord securing hers by the time Crystal had opened the dossier and scanned it. That allowed her to catch the explosion of incredulity on the pegasus’ face as what she was reading sank in.

“Oh you have got to be pulling a leg!”

Trixie opened her own dossier and read the title:



Threat Assessment Reports


This document is confidential.


If you are unauthorised to view the contents, cease reading immediately.



She opened it to the first page. From the header it was apparent that she held in her hooves only a small section from the middle of a much larger document.


2:5: The Windigos


Trixie lowered the dossier so she could stare at Terra. She wasn’t alone in doing so. The large Earthen mare was being bombarded with disbelieving questions.

“Settle down everypony! This is perfectly serious. If you doubt me then just focus on this: The Princess herself, Princess Celestia, gave me that orb and told me that it was tracking a windigo! She told me in no uncertain terms that she wanted that specific windigo caught and brought in for study as quickly as possible!”

Broth shorted. “Windigoes are a hearths’ warming myth, and now you tell us the Princess seems to think there are several out there?”

Terra turned to him. “Where there’s one there could be more. As for the one: you’ve seen the signs of it in the news.”

Three faces lit with realisation but Trixie could only stare at her new colleagues in confusion. “What are you talking about? The Great – I mean, I would like an explanation!”

Visi Vidi turned to Trixie and bounced in her seat with youthful excitement as she explained. “Did you live in a cave this last month? Every magazine and newspaper has been screaming about the ‘little winter’! Snow in the middle of summer from Canterlot to Whinnypeg and beyond! An arrow-straight trail of ice and cold weather but with no rogue snowstorm to blame! Cloudsdale is stumped and the crown isn’t commenting! In fact—” She gasped. “—The Equestrian Enquirer interviewed ponies who swore they’d seen a windigo!”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Trixie must have missed this news due to her travels. When exactly did this take place?”

Crystal answered her. “About two weeks ago.”

Trixie fell silent. That would be about at the same time as her disastrous party performance. She didn’t have any opportunities to read the newspapers after that until just recently.

Crystal poked Visi in the side with a wing. “Well nopony sane believes anything the Enquirer sees fit to print anyway. So it must be windigos!” General laughter erupted and Trixie joined in, secretly glad she wasn’t pressed on the nature of the ‘cave’ she’d been occupying.

Terra upset the table again by knocking on it with a hoof in order to get everypony to quiet down. When she had their attention she cleared her throat. “Well it is true this once. A windigo popped up in the middle of Equestria and I can understand why the Princess wants to know more about it post haste. The regulars are busy elsewhere and calling them back would take months, so it’s up to our band of retirees and amateurs to pull this off. I’m not going to lie: it’s hazardous. But if you learn to do as I say when I say it then we’ll all return home a little wiser, a lot richer and with an adventure to tell the grandkids.”

Broth snorted. “Chasing a windigo? Might as well be wild geese, Terry.”

“If it bothers you that much then ignore that little detail until you have the evidence of your own eyes. This tracker points at something alive and our job is to secure that creature and bring it to a research station being built near the Crystal Empire. That’s where we’re headed by the way. We’ll recruit a couple dozen locals to act as general staff and maintain a base camp from which the six of us will do excursions in the hope of tracking down this beast.”

Trixie was so deep in her own thoughts that she half-mumbled her next question. She managed to pitch it in a lull in the conversation, so everypony else went quiet. “But... how do we capture a windigo? Just surviving a close encounter is the stuff of legends!”

Crystal nodded vigorously. “Those things are supposed to make a popsicle out of a pegasus in mid-flight if they get close enough!”

“You’re right, that’s something of a brain teaser. I’m glad I don’t have to figure that out, as it’s all there in the dossier. We’re going to pick up a very special crystalline cage and enough spare parts to construct another one if necessary. Just read the dossier, ponies. It should answer most of your questions. We’ll get down to specifics once I’ve seen everypony turn to the last page.”

Trixie did as told. Her eyes scanned the text quickly, picking out the highlights:

The windigo exists in some form or another in pony lore going back several thousand years. It has been called many things: winter wraith, herald of eternal ice, hatebringer and more. Accounts about its appearance, behaviour and capabilities are varied. This compendium strives to form a baseline hypothesis about the windigo, based on what the old legends agree upon the most. The physical appearance is often...

...powers including the ability to spread dissent and mistrust, macro-scale weather effects centered around cold and ice, and the ability to rob a pony of its bodily warmth if close enough. This ability is likely metaphorical in nature, more akin to some undead lifestealing than the literal removal of heat from a pony...

...The trio of leaders in the hearths’ warming tale are far from the only ponies of legend to fall prey to a windigo. Of note is that recovered documentation(1) from the founding days of Equestria indicated that none of the leaders of the old kingdoms seem to have survived the founding, leading this researcher to speculate that, unlike what the cheerful legend portrays, being subject to a windigo’s powers at close range is irreversibly fatal...

Trixie’s eyes bulged and she read the rest of the document with a sinking feeling. I almost wish we’d go after an ursa minor instead.

Broth nudged Terra and pointed a hoof at his own dossier. “Terry, this here line makes me queasy. It seems to think ‘pony’ is synonymous with ‘bait.”

Terra shrugged. “I’ll ask the animal wrangler if he or she is up to it. Otherwise I’ll do it. The only thing we know that attracts a windigo is a pony thinking dark thoughts, so... yeah. Apparently there’s this type of crystal that’s basically condensed hate, so the scholars Princess Celestia told to brief me all bet that it’s a really good windigo lure if a pony carries a piece.”

Silence resumed. Trixie scanned the document, line after line, page after page. After the summary came a mission proposal, essentially suggesting to go ahead with the methods of capture and protection mentioned in the report. She sighed and let her eyes unfocus, staring at nothing.

All of this was untested. For all they knew, the proposed wards and methods of capture could end up not working. Still, they had to try. Trixie had researched myths and legends since a good illusion-boosted story was a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. She knew several myths about windigos. Windigos, the legends said, appeared when the world was about to end.

On the other hoof, windigos in the stories usually stuck around. They didn’t zoom away like their tails were on fire. Equestria had been founded on the principles of friendship and it was an insignificant mental leap to assume that the windigos still found it unpalatable. As long as there was friendship in Equestria then the windigos would be held at bay. But that still left questions. Why had one appeared in the first place? What did its appearance signify? Was friendship weakening?

Trixie frowned. That wasn’t the only mystery. Tracking spells required close proximity to their target in order to enchant a crystal properly. Alternatively, one could use an object that had been manipulated by the target as a substitute for the crystal. The crystal in the orb could have been frozen by the windigo, or broken off from the creature itself. But that meant somepony had been close enough to the windigo to collect and preserve it before it evaporated. There seemed to be parts missing to this story. She aligned her eyes on the orb and watched the crystal inside it swaying gently from countering the motions of the train. The others had apparently also reached the end of the document. She could hear voices raised in argument but paid them no heed.

Perhaps she should excuse herself from the expedition. It was asking for orders of magnitude more trouble than she was used to dealing with. But doing so would leave her with no place to run and assassins on her trail. Also, she was admittedly curious. The mystery intrigued her. And being one of the only ponies in all of history to not only survive but to hunt and capture a windigo... That sounded really enticing. Trixie grinned her stage-grin.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie accepts your challenge!”

Trixie blinked, aware of a drop in the local noise level. Had she spoken out loud? She looked up to see the other ponies staring at her, Terra with a half happy, half amused expression.

Crystal snorted. “Are you mad? Do you really think we’re the best ponies for this kind of thing?”

A well-used instinct stirred, making Trixie tilt her head back and look down her nose at the pegasus. She kept it somewhat in check though. Now that she’d decided, there was a job to do and alienating her companions wasn’t going to help. “No we’re not. Were Trixie to meet a windigo? She, that is I, would flee for my life. But it doesn’t matter. We’re the ponies of the hour not because we’re capable but because we are available. This needs to be done and the sooner the better. When Equestria calls it will not find me wanting and I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, trust Terra Incognita to see us safely through this affair.”

There was a chuckle to the right of Trixie and Broth brought his hooves together in a slow applause. “How wonderfully matriotic of you. I haven’t heard speeches like that since I left the regular army.”

Trixie blushed but looked him squarely in the eye, daring him to disagree. Off to the side she heard Crystal whisper to Visi. “Was that a royal ‘us’? More like a royal ass.” A choked giggle escaped Visi’s lips. Trixie shot the two an icy glare. Inwardly she sighed. She’d have to ask Terra for advice on her job as morale officer.

She cleared her throat and turned to Terra. “Look, I mean it. I’m with you. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Terra nodded at her. “Thank you, Trixie.” Then she turned to the pegasi. “You two have until this morning, when we arrive in the Crystal Empire, to make up your minds. Talk to me and I’ll do my best to calm your fears. I restate that you have my word: I believe we can do this without getting hurt.”

A sullen quiet settled over the table, broken by all the items on the table being jostled as the train lurched. Visi was fiddling with the journal she’d been given and waved it in the air. “What are these for?”

Terra drew a deep breath before launching into her explanation. “We’re technically a scientific expedition. It’s part of tradition that the members of the main expeditionary team all write a journal of their experiences. It increases the scientific value of this undertaking, you see. They’ll be confidential, at least for a while, but I still wouldn’t write my darkest secrets in them. Once the expedition as a whole becomes declassified you’re free to do as you see fit with them. You could publish them if you wanted. Sometimes that’s a nice extra source of income. In any case, copies will be distributed to the universities.”

Visi snickered and set her journal aside. “Dear diary, today was cold. The end.”

The meeting ended. Terra showed Trixie to the next car, filled with bunk beds, and told her to pick any unoccupied bunk she wanted. That night Trixie learned something important: she couldn’t sleep in a moving vehicle.



******



Trixie stifled a yawn and stepped out of the train onto the platform of the Crystal Empire’s station (current, new one expected to open next year). Celestia’s sun beat down heavily on her back, but the air carried with it the sharp caress of ice. Five ponies were conversing in front of her and she recognized Terra’s imposing bulk even through her insomnia-induced haze. She walked up to the group apparently just as they were finishing a discussion. Terra turned to her and smiled though to Trixie it looked forced. She returned an equally artificial grin.

“Good morning, Trixie! Please welcome our sixth member.” Terra backed away slightly to reveal a unicorn stallion previously hidden from Trixie’s view. A light purple coat and a mane caught somewhere between yellow and green depending on the ambient light. And a goatee, Trixie noted. The stallion was a bit larger than her and was obviously very well-groomed: the medium-length coat fell in waves down his neck and shoulders in an image of romantic desirability so cliché it had to be intentional. His tail was similarly arranged in a careful state of reckless freedom. The cutiemark he displayed sealed the deal: two crossed champagne flutes. Trixie felt instant antipathy.

“Mr. Life, meet Trixie, our morale officer, repair pony and pyrotechnician. Trixie, meet High Life of house Blueblood, our animal wrangler.”

Trixie could feel her false smile wither and die, just as she could see her leg, outstretched in polite greeting, curl and withdraw.

Dear, sweet Luna, moon and stars above. You have got to be kidding me.
> Trixie Reaches the End of the World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Four:


Trixie Reaches the End of the World




2:5:2: Luring and Capturing a Windigo

The most common theme in any plan to capture a windigo is utilizing its aversion to friendship and attraction to warm-bodied sentients. Empire crystal can be given a small charge of the fire of friendship, making a cage of charged crystal the likely ideal containment unit, probably rendering the windigo unable to escape even in the eventuality that windigos don’t have a physical body. Getting the windigo into the cage is faced with many more uncertainties.

A risky proposal, but one also considered most likely to work, is to use a volunteer as bait to lure the windigo into the trap. That pony would ideally possess a crystal enhancing and projecting negative emotions (refer to ‘Empire Crystal and its uses in thaumaturgy’, 1st ed, pg. 225, by T. Sparkle) and would wait in front of an opened and prepared cage. When a windigo shows up the pony would carefully retreat into the cage, trying to lure the windigo into following. Once the windigo is inside other ponies would close the front gate and allow the volunteer to escape out of a small back door. This assumes that the windigo possesses only animal cunning and intelligence and while it is true that the legends show no indication of higher reasoning it is still only a hypothesis. Great care should be taken if this method is attempted.

Some legends suggest Windigos are scared by normal fire, like most animals would be, but as this holds less truth for the magical animals such as the salamander this should be considered an untested and unreliable fall-back plan should something go wrong but could be considered due to the ease of testing it beforehoof and comparably low risk in doing so.



******



Trixie magically held the orb aloft for all six ponies to see. The enchanted crystal within pointed in the same direction it always had but the expeditionary group appreciated it in an altogether new manner from their current vantage point out on a crystalline balcony jutting from a tower of the Crystal Empire. They all gazed in the indicated direction.

In front of them, hazed by distance and partly obscured by snow-bloated clouds, was a wall of mountains.

After a short moment, Terra Incognita spoke. “The crystal mountains might look impassable, but I’ve led expeditions to the glaciers beyond three times already. I know a route that could be paved into a highway. It’s not the shortest nor the quickest but it’s the one that will get us all there with the minimum of fuss.”

Crystal Brightfeather kept facing the mountains but glanced at Terra out of the side of her eye. “How long does that route take?”

“Two or three weeks, including three to five days of travel from here to the base of the mountains. It depends on the weather and how much ground we can cover. I know you all have some measure of physical fitness but it’s untested as of yet. That goes double for you, actually.” Terra turned to look at High Life.

The unicorn stallion pursed his lips and snorted before grinning arrogantly. “Miss Terra, I trust a mare who’s seen as much of the world as you knows what it means to participate in a rhino run?”

Terra flinched as if hit and stared wide-eyed at High Life. “You’ve... done that?”

High Life nodded and grinned as if he was about to lay down a winning hoof in a high-stakes game of cards. “Five times, Terra. And twice against a bull.”

Terra looked as if she’d swallowed a lemon. Then her expression relaxed suddenly and she chuckled. “That’s deliciously ironic considering what I’m asking you to do. High Life, do you think you could do something like the rhino run but with a windigo?”

High Life’s face snapped into a picture of suspicion. “You’re pulling my leg.”

The large Earthen simply nodded at the orb hovering above their heads. “That’s what this is tracking. We’ve got orders to find that windigo and capture it. Alive. But it involves having a pony luring it into a cage. It’s all right, I can do it if you don’t...”

“No! I’ll do it.” High Life grinned again, causing Trixie to shudder. She already detested that grin.

“Good! We’ll head out tomorrow at dawn. You each should spend what’s left of this day and evening to choose or buy some personal items to bring along. I’ll be dining at the ‘Corundum Café’. Ask around town if you feel like joining.”

Crystal Brightfeather and Visi Vidi took to the air without even saying goodbye to the rest of the group, though Visi did look back before turning her head and speaking to Crystal. Trixie watched them descend below roof level of the nearby houses before turning away from the translucent balustrade. Boiling Broth was discussing something involving provisions with Terra as they slowly walked towards the doorway into the tower. High Life was sitting on his haunches in front of Trixie and grinning at her, making her very conscious about the ten story drop behind her.

“My apologies: I somehow failed to catch your name when I was introduced.”

Trixie opened her mouth but managed to prevent more than a little squeak from emerging. She felt biting High Life’s head off would probably be a bad move at this point. She chose instead to walk around the stallion and towards the pair of Earthen. “You may call me Trixie.”

“Trixie? I like it. Is it prophetic? Are you a mare of many tricks? Or perhaps you are a tricky little pony?” High Life had risen and was walking a bit behind and to the side of her. Trixie suppressed the urge to aim a buck at his direction.

“It’s Trixie’s name, not a word puzzle! Was there something you wanted? Trixie wishes to speak with Terra.”

“What’s with the third person? You an automaton or a golem of some kind? Just kidding! It’s charming.”

Trixie stopped, sighed and turned around to stare down her nose at High Life. “Look. Trixie is here to do repairs, prepare and fire incendiary rockets and do a little morale raising. That’s all. Now, do you mind? Trixie has to talk to Terra!”

They had reached the doorway. A wide circular stairwell occupied the entirety of the tower. Terra’s and Broth’s voices echoed from below. High Life sat down and smiled at Trixie. “Go ahead. I’m looking forward to seeing you raise our morale. Until later.”

Trixie turned around and increased her pace to a canter down the stairs before rolling her eyes.



******



The Expedition Journal of Bellatrix Lulamoon, Day 1

Terra Incognita, our expedition leader, has explained the purpose of these journals and though I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, have entertained the idea of writing my memoirs I must confess to being unused to this. Nevertheless: Trixie shall bedazzle you all with her writing!

Earlier today, the eve before our departure from the Crystal Empire, I asked Terra Incognita to let me inspect the supplies she’d purchased for me. Whatever pony she’d consulted for the fireworks ingredients knows their alchemy. Metals, salts and even some magical ingredients abound. The amount of black and white powder she’s purchased is frightening. It was all stored improperly, too – all in one great pile! Trixie had the powder kegs separated and packed onto different wagonloads. When the others found out they complained that I was just trying to lighten my own load. The nerve! The Charitable and Magnanimous Trixie shut them up by offering to carry more of the spare cage parts instead.

Anyway, Terra seems to gamble on the fireworks being effective. This warms Trixie’s heart! I shall mix and conjure up rockets fit to scare an ursa major to death!

After making some additional purchases for noise effects I headed to the cafeteria Terra had mentioned and managed to get there early enough to find her alone. I asked what a ‘rhino run’ is. She told me in great detail.

Rhinos are big, heavily armored and very stupid. They are barely sentient, in fact. The zebras of Buckswana and Zebrawe consider them sacred messengers of the spirits and give them offerings of fruit and vegetables. It is perhaps unsurprising then that the spoiled nobleponies of Canterlot have developed their mistreatment into a sport.

A rhino run is organized by word of mouth. A group of noble brats with nothing better to do travel down to the Zebra lands and try to find a rhino travelling the wilderness. Once they see one they wait until nightfall, sneak up to the sleeping rhino and cast a spell upon it to deepen its slumber. Then they erect an obstacle course of sorts with magically conjured or pre-made parts of lightweight wood they’ve carried with them.

The course begins at the sleeping rhino. Two tall walls are erected parallel to each other, creating a lane leading away from it. These walls have holes large enough for a pony to duck through interspersed at even intervals, alternating between walls. In front of each of these holes the ponies put up smaller and weaker walls at right angles to the larger walls so they block almost all of the lane, leaving only a pony-sized opening opposite where the hole in the lane wall is. Thus anypony moving down the lane has to constantly weave left and right in order to move forward. A typical lane built like this is about a hundred to two hundred meters long.

The rhino is kept asleep while all of this goes on. The idea is that one pony moves to the start of the lane and uses a weak shock spell to startle the rhino awake. The rhino, understandably, charges the pony in a mixture of anger and fright. The pony then runs away down the lane, trying to keep far enough ahead of the rhino so that when his or her stamina or courage runs out he/she can safely duck out through one of the small side holes without the rhino seeing this. Although a pony can normally run much faster than a charging rhino that is only true when running in a straight line. The rhino, on the other hoof, isn’t notably slowed down by the smaller walls erected across the lane – it plows straight through them. If the pony successfully leaves the lane the rhino charges on without noticing until it grows tired. If the pony is too slow or exits too close to the rhino: well let’s just say that Zebras don’t bother writing laws punishing dead foreigners.

This apparently is a very popular betting sport among certain groups of nobles. The ponies taking part decide who gets to run by bidding on the length of their run. Whoever bids to run the longest gets to actually do so. After that bids are made on whether the run will actually be that long. The runner is penalised if he or she quits before the correct distance has been run but is also awarded bonuses if he or she dares to run longer than that and manages to survive.

Celestia is highly outspoken against the practice, of course. It’s cruel, barbaric and just plain stupid but she can’t do much to stop it unless she’s willing to ban all travel to Zebra lands.

The Great and Powerful Trixie is stunned by the delightful company she is keeping together with High Life! That he is a Blueblood should have been horrible enough, but no! When I literally said this Terra only sighed and mumbled something about not looking gift horses in the mouth. Come the hour come the pony, Trixie supposes. We didn’t have more time for a private discussion as the pegasi of our team appeared right then.

While on the topic of the pegasi: I think Crystal Brightfeather hates me. Whatever the Great and Powerful Trixie has done to offend her I don’t know. I don’t recall ever having met her but then how many faces in the crowds am I able to recollect even just one day after performing? Trixie shall have to speak to the mare at some point. Bad relationships are a health hazard where we are going. Still, she is civil enough in company.

Visi Vidi just can’t sit still. Her wings seem to have a mind of their own. She managed to hit waiters or guests behind her at least four times during the evening. Other than that I don’t really have an opinion of the girl. For such an energetic pony she sure is quiet. When she speaks, it is to ask a question.

The pony Boiling Broth is jovial. The way he and Terra quip at each other speaks of a long-standing friendship.

Trixie is rambling now. It is late and we set off early tomorrow. Trixie hears the hotel bed calling.



******



A convoy of thirty-six ponies pulling nine wagons exited the capital of the Crystal Empire. As soon as they reached the snowline they discarded the temporary wheels, letting the wagons glide forward on skis. The ponies themselves donned snowshoes. A biting wind blew from the side, chilling Trixie to the bone despite her cloak. She gazed in wonder at the crystal ponies that were following them: it seemed that they’d acclimatized to the frigid surroundings millennia ago and barely even felt the freezing cold.

As if on cue, Terra’s huge wagon fell back until the Earthen mare, seemingly unhampered by the great load, walked easily next to Trixie.

“How are you holding up, Trixie?”

“So far so good. It’s a bit chilly. Perhaps we could go a bit faster to get warm?”

“Sorry, that’s not an option. If we go any faster somepony might break out in sweat and I’d like to prevent that.”

Trixie nodded sagely. Damp fur lost its insulating properties. That was something most ponies didn’t keep in mind since a warm fireplace or bath was always close by in Equestria. Terra continued.

“Also, I intend to keep this pace up for ten or twelve hours if possible. Any faster would exhaust you long before that.”

“Ten or tw— really? Trixie’s not sure she could keep this up for that long even at this speed! I don’t have Earthen tenacity.”

“I know. There’s this trick that unicorns are taught in the army, it’s called hornwalking. Heard of it?”

Trixie shook her head. Terra nodded and smirked.

“I’m not surprised. Trains are a unicorn invention for a reason. Anyways, I’ll teach it to you.”

“An Earthen can teach this trick?”

“Sure. Don’t ask me how it works or why but I’ve had it described to me and can relate what I’ve been told. It seems to be enough.”

Trixie answered with a noncommittal shrug. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is always eager to learn.”

“Good. Trixie, I want you to grab one of your hooves with your magic. Try to make the grip so light that you can do it all day long. Then I want you to help your leg move: push down with your magic when your leg goes down and give it a pull when you lift it.”

There was only the barest of shimmer from Trixie’s horn as she attempted to do what Terra asked, choosing her right front hoof at random. Telekinesis was instinctive to a pony but only as an unsubtle grabbing tool. This kind of manipulation demanded practice. Once she thought she had her magic firmly latched on to her hoof and doing her bidding she looked back to Terra. “Trixie thinks she’s doing what you asked now.”

Terra smiled. “Yep, you’re on the right path. But you’re pushing and pulling too hard. I can tell because it’s making you limp a bit. Ease up on the magic and remember that I want you to do this constantly.”

Trixie struggled to lessen her telekinesis without losing her grip completely. She realised she was concentrating so hard that she was holding her breath. The glow around her horn dimmed until only the merest suggestion of a halo remained. She heard Terra speak.

“Excellent, looks like you’ve got it now. Keep that up. Be alert for any signs of limping: that means you’re subconsciously adding more force. Try not to.”

“Trixie understands now what ‘hornwalking’ is about. Let me guess: the next step is to grip a second hoof? Then eventually all four?”

“Yes, but don’t get ahead of yourself. You need to get used to this a bit at a time. You’ll trip if you try to do it all at once.”

A gust of wind blew a cloud of ice crystals over the convoy, making Trixie shiver. Noticing this, Terra pulled slightly ahead of Trixie before turning her head and calling back.

“See that yellow bag hanging from the side of my wagon? There are two potions inside. A swig of the first will make you more resistant to the cold for a day or so and the second will thicken your coat and make it grow slowly longer.”

Several bags, including a yellow one, were tied to string running along the side of the wagon. Trixie nodded and, her horn being otherwise occupied, used her mouth to open the indicated bag. Uncorking a bottle using only her teeth proved too hard so she attempted to split her focus between her hoof and the bottles. She managed to drink a mouthful of each potion with only a couple of harmless stumbles as a result. When the potions were back in the closed bag she turned back to Terra and found the mare looking at her with approval.

“Well done keeping the hornwalk going. Once you master it it’ll serve you well on your future travels.”

Terra pulled further ahead, moving until she was walking next to High Life. Trixie felt the cold recede until it became barely noticeable. Then she cursed, having noticed she was limping again.



******



Day 3

There is no separate entry for yesterday. When we finally stopped for the night, Trixie was The Greatly Pooped. I could tell that the ‘hornwalking’ Terra taught me was helping but I didn’t progress past the one hoof yesterday. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t hold my head up. High Life was in far worse state: he’s a sprinter, not a long-distance runner, and his physical condition is delightfully worse than Trixie’s. Terra had hitched High Life’s wagon to her own after only four hours’ travel. At least Trixie pulled her own load all the way!

As a consequence of Trixie’s exhaustion, events in camp were a blur. Terra fussed over us all like a broody dam. It was appreciated though. Trixie has never tasted soup as good as Broth’s and is glad that Terra pushed her into eating dinner.

This morning was predictably painful. Trixie was aching or numb from horntip to frog. Both my hind legs were cramping when I woke up with Terra shouting at us outside our tent.

Maybe Trixie should mention the camping arrangements? The six of us all share one tent with five additional tents housing the crystal ponies travelling with us. The enchanted cloth is lightweight and very insulating, allowing the small stoves we’ve brought with us to heat them all night long with very little fuel. The cold would be bearable even without a stove but Terra says that if the fuel runs out we’ll cram into only three tents total, twelve ponies in each. It better not come to that. The Great and Powerful Trixie does not want to wake up and find she’s gargling somepony’s hoof.

Trixie is rambling again. Today was not as bad as yesterday but still bad. I tried to hornwalk with two hooves but only managed it four hours in. I better keep to only two tomorrow until I get used to it. The Great and Powerful Trixie resolves to try her hoof at juggling again if she manages to get this right. Two boosted front hooves meant only the back half of Trixie was tenderized by dusk. My front hooves were merely stiff.

All us non-Earthen were very subdued when we shared dinner. Terra monologued a bit, telling us we were doing great. Broth told us stories of his trips, mostly involving how he’d picked up interesting recipes. He even claimed he knew a couple recipes for meat. I think he was just provoking us to see how tired we were. We were pretty tired. Still, Trixie found some spare energy to devote to her future readers. But now there is this sharp ache in my horn, probably from the constant use. Good night.



******



“Get up!”

Somepony groaned and Trixie felt a hoof bump into her hip. Scuffling, fabric brushing against fur and other small noises of communal awakening graced her ears. There was a rustle of tent flaps and then Terra’s voice boomed inside the canvassed space. “There’s a snowstorm coming. You need to secure your wagons and get your coats. Breakfast in fifteen minutes.” Further rustling indicated she’d left.

Trixie opened her eyes and tried moving. She was lying on her back with all four legs in the air and her sleep-dazed mind found their fly-like twitchings slightly amusing. She raised her head and looked past her legs. She caught sight of Visi’s tail slipping out of the tent. Crystal was on Trixie’s left and was preening mindlessly, methodically straightening each feather in some long-memorized order ingrained in her spine, while her thoughts were still somewhere within Luna’s domain. Of High Life there was no sign.

Trixie rolled onto her legs and stood, grimacing at the dull pain coming from her legs. Her saddlebags were behind her pillow and she opened one of them with her magic in order to extract a comb. Magic made untangling her mane and tail easy and only a short while later she glanced over to Crystal.

“Hey Crystal, shall Trixie comb your mane and tail?”

The question startled the purple pegasus. Crystal shuffled her wings against her back while glancing back and forth between Trixie’s face and the levitating comb. Then she wrinkled her nose.

“Um, no thanks. But could I borrow the comb?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow but levitated the comb over to Crystal without further comment. Crystal caught it between both forelegs and tugged gently. Trixie released her magic and nodded.

“Just put it back in the saddlebags when you’re done.”

Trixie walked to the tent flap. She glanced back before stepping outside and was struck by a sudden thought.

“You know, if you let your mane and tail grow and let somepony dye in the streaks for you, you could be mistaken for Princess Sparkle.”

Crystal flinched and eyed Trixie darkly. “That’s why I had it cut.”

Trixie paused to digest this. Then she exited the tent. Darkness reigned outside and the sky glittered with stars, but off towards the east where there should have been a multicolored band heralding dawn there was instead an advancing black wall that slowly ate the sky. She squinted at the approaching storm before rushing to her wagon.



******



Terra called out for the convoy to stop. Trixie relayed the shout backwards and sighed contentedly. The past four hours had been a nightmare. The route had become increasingly hilly as the day progressed. To make matters worse the snowstorm was carried on a pocket of warm air and the snow that fell was half-melted. It stuck to the wagons making them heavier and clung to the ground increasing the drag on the skis. The pegasi had been released from wagon pulling duty in order to zoom overhead, clearing snow from the wagons with strong gusts of wind. They couldn’t push back the storm itself however: that would have required more than a hundred pegasi. Visi and Crystal did their best but they too were hampered by the snow. As they grew exhausted the pauses between clearing attempts grew longer. Terra had pushed them to carry on but now she seemed to be satisfied. Or had she also grown tired? Trixie doubted it.

“Gather the wagons in a row next to mine!”

Sighing, Trixie moved to obey Terra’s order. As she did so she noticed that the snowfall relented dramatically. It seemed to her like she was walking through a curtain of snow because suddenly the mountains were in front of her, vertiginous and so very large now. She gaped at the brightly sunlit masses of stone and ice for a moment. Then she glanced back and up: she had indeed walked out from under the low storm clouds. The border was very sharp.

There was a wide smile on Terra’s face and she was inhaling deeply with her eyes closed as Trixie pulled up beside her. Then the Earthen laughed and spoke loudly.

“Ahhh, can you feel that mountain air? Welcome to the Crystal Mountains, everypony! The first leg of our journey is over!”

Thirty-some voices cheered. Trixie sniffed the air cautiously and grimaced as it stung in her nostrils. A steady stream of intensely cold air was flowing down off the mountains, keeping the storm at bay. She felt the sun on her side but its power seemed muted. She looked around to see the same wonder and apprehension she was experiencing being displayed on the faces of her companions. Terra was also studying the faces of those close by and she locked eyes with Trixie for a moment before taking another deep breath and raising her voice again.

“Equestrians, before this day you have probably never experienced true cold. Our winters are very pleasant compared to what awaits us now! You stand on the threshold to the Old Kingdoms! For more than two thousand years this place has been gripped by an ice age and we’re here to capture one of its architects.” Terra grinned savagely. “History awaits!”

> Trixie Saves the Expedition from Certain Doom
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Five:


Trixie Saves the Expedition from Certain Doom




Day 5

Yesterday was interesting. A snow storm reached us in the early twilight hours, worsening our travelling conditions. Terra pushed us almost past breaking point as we travelled for about four hours but it was worth it. We exited the storm and reached the base of the Crystal Mountains. The cold here is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and Terra made sure we got to experience it firsthoof. ‘Hypothermia 101’ my bottom. I can recognize a hazing ritual when I’m subjected to one. We set up camp in the border zone between the mountains and the hills. Then Terra instructed the crystal ponies to gather and melt snow. Two hours later the stage was set: one tub of cold water, six tubs of warm water and lots of warm towels. With Terra in the lead we all took turns immersing ourselves in the cold water. Then, still dripping wet, she told us to follow her. She started walking towards the mountains.

The cold hit Trixie like a physical force. I have experienced Equestrian winter nights with a wet coat, especially once when I fell through the thin ice of a brook I’d misjudged as being traversable, but this was something else entirely. The cold was more pain than anything else. Terra had doused herself too, and there was ice forming on her coat after only minutes’ exposure to the air, but she led us onwards and lectured to us about the effects of cold upon the pony physique almost as if she didn’t notice. There was only the merest hint of strain in her voice. High Life on the other hoof wailed and whimpered constantly. The pegasi were almost as vocal even though they are supposed to be more resistant to cold but they had the additional disadvantage of a much larger bodily surface area thanks to their wings. The steady breeze from the mountains removed any advantage they had.

It didn’t take long for Terra’s lectures to manifest in us. She must have timed the entire ordeal carefully because she turned back towards the camp only moments before Trixie’s body became numb. The pain was gone but Trixie was shaking so uncontrollably that she had great trouble standing. Then every movement became slow. There was strength in Trixie’s legs but they still refused to move at more than a snail’s pace. Only the added incentive of the steaming bath waiting for her allowed her to speed up into a half-hearted jog. The discomfort was gone and everything felt pleasantly removed. That scared Trixie greatly afterwards, knowing that she was in the process of freezing to death but no longer having the energy to worry.

The water in the tubs waiting for us could not have been more than lukewarm at best yet it felt scalding hot. The stinging pain returned with a vengeance but now it came with a blissful quickening of body and mind. With Trixie’s senses returned to her she became aware of the crystal ponies all looking at us and giggling. Terra explained that pegasi, who bragged about their temperature resilience, had nothing compared to the crystalline. At her signal they carried forward one of their own and set her down in front of us. The crystal pony was grinning at us and her body excepting her neck and head was completely encased in ice. She’d taken a dip in the cold water just after we’d left and then she’d let the ice settle. Her fellow crystalline had added to the ice by pouring cold water over her. She chatted jovially with us while we lay in the tubs and regained our body heat.

This was a very sharp lesson. The crystalline are in their element, having long ago adapted to the extreme cold. We are just visiting. Terra went on to instruct us on what to do if we noticed ourselves or somepony else displaying signs of hypothermia. After that we rose from the tubs and were towelled dry. A little magic from High Life and I ensured that not even a hint of damp remained on anypony. Strangely enough the entire ordeal proved to be invigorating. The aches from slogging through the snowstorm were mostly gone. My sense of touch was on overdrive, probably due to the overstimulation the nerves endured from the cooling and warming I’d endured. It seemed to affect Visi the worst of all. She’s almost never still even when tired but right then she couldn’t do it to save her life. High Life tried to calm her down but she jumped into the air from his merest touch. Trixie found it amusing.

Terra announced that we had earned some rest so we settled down for an evening of relaxation. The Great and Powerful Trixie entertained her companions with some card tricks while Broth was cooking dinner. Once food was served we all chatted. Even High Life was cordial enough though he and Visi went off somewhere pretty soon. The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough, marred only by Crystal’s reluctance to chat with me. I asked her about her hair again and judging by the look she gave me it is a touchy subject. After that we didn’t exchange further words. By the time the sun was setting the events of the day were extracting their toll upon us all and we crawled into our tent to sleep.

We only became aware this morning that neither High Life nor Visi had slept in the tent with us. Terra was visibly worried when she told us to split up and search for them. It didn’t last long; Crystal took to the air and shouted to us almost immediately. That’s when we found out some of what High Life had brought with him in his personal weight allotment: a small two-pony tent, enchanted for privacy, and some heating gems. Visi was clearly embarrassed at being caught in his company but High Life merely grinned smugly at the rest of us and told us we were jealous. Terra rolled her eyes and shrugged at their antics before instructing us to break camp. News of the event spread quickly to the crystal ponies after which Visi was the bashful center of attention for the rest of the day.

Terra’s chosen route takes us up a comparatively gentle mountain slope next to one of the lowest peaks of the Crystal Mountains. She calls it the easiest route but, again, that’s relative. We’re pulling wagons up the side of a mountain. Because of the dangers of coats damp from sweat the going is very slow. We frequently stand aside and let the crystal ponies pull the wagons alone and honestly that’s when we cover the most ground. In case you, Privileged Future Reader, are wondering why we simply didn’t get enough pegasi and enchanted chariots to fly the entire expedition over the mountains: the winds here are fierce and unpredictable. Both the pegasi we have with us have tried to fly in the mountain air and Visi nearly smacked into rock after only a minute. Crystal, despite not being in good shape, manages to stay aloft for far longer but eventually the cold and the unpredictable crosswinds become too much for her and she has to land. A pegasus-pulled skycart would certainly crash. Terra mentioned that she’s got special flight suits packed that will keep the pegasi warm but they’re restrictive and would make flying in the mountains much more dangerous. They’ll be used once we’re on the glacier.

The cold affects us non-pegasi too. My coat has grown enough that normally I’d visit a stylist to have it trimmed due to the uncomfortable warmth, even in winter, but out here I’m bundling all the blankets I can find on top of me. My legs are wrapped in three layers of rags. Terra promises that it will get marginally warmer once we reach the Crystal Glacier but right now the double punch of intense cold and thinning air is pure murder.

After twelve hours of laboring we’ve finally set up a meager camp in the shadow of a cliff. The wind is a constant, low moaning sound. The view is spectacular and Terra says we’d easily see the spires of Crystal City if the side of the mountain didn’t block the view. Some of the smaller outlier towns of greater Cloudsdale are just about visible if you’ve got good eyes and the air isn’t too hazy and now that darkness has fallen we see the lights of Vanhoover.

Our entertainment for tonight is to huddle in our tent and enjoy the luxury of being warm without being wrapped in cloth. Trixie has told an entertaining story but had to keep the visual effects to a minimum. Hornwalking (still on only two hooves) is very draining and I might have paid less attention to it than I should have. High Life and Visi are ignoring each other and nopony feels much like talking. Trixie will go to sleep now.



******



Terra shouted for the convoy to stop and called for Trixie to join him at the front. Trixie nodded to her crystalline companions and unhitched from her wagon. When she reached Terra the large earthen was staring up and to the right at the slope ahead.

“Trixie, could you fire a rocket at the middle of that field of snow there? Make a big bang as close to the surface as possible.”

Trixie followed Terra’s eyes but all she saw was a smooth and featureless expanse of white a couple kilometers away, sparkling in the sun. She shrugged and walked back to her wagon. Soon she’d returned to the front of the convoy together with jars of chemicals which she set down on the ground in a row. She shed two of the three coats on her back, spreading them on the ice in front of the row of jars before sitting down on them. Thus somewhat isolated from the cold ground she took a deep breath and concentrated. First she let go of the telekinesis of her hornwalking. Then she concentrated on the jars. Their lids unscrewed and some of the ingredients from each floated into the air and mixed unevenly into two masses. These floating blobs of putty-like matter joined and elongated until the entire mass was vaguely teardrop shaped. A grunt from Trixie heralded the formation of a translucent shell of magic around the chemicals.

She opened her eyes and looked around her. Several curious crystal ponies as well as Boiling Broth had wandered up to her and were watching her with curiosity. Trixie took a deep breath and barked out an order. “Stand back, everypony! The Great and Powerful Trixie shall ignite the rocket next!” She winced at unwittingly using her stage name but she was obeyed. She counted down from five in a clear voice and at the count of zero she let a spark fly from her horn to the back of the rocket. It shot away with a great hissing and roaring noise. All eyes were fixed on the magically guided rocket as it accelerated towards its goal.

Trixie had used a bit too much propellant, making the rocket impact the actual snow before the second mixture ignited, but in the end it didn’t matter much. She’d guided it to the exact spot that Terra had indicated. A sharp crack of thunder echoed among the mountains but the rumbling echo of it was soon eclipsed by another rumble, generated by the gargantuan masses of snow set in motion by Trixie’s disrupting missile. She gaped and stared wide-eyed at the moving mountainside in front of her. After a moment she felt a large hoof pat her shoulder.

Terra was smiling at her. “Well done, Trixie. It’s good to know we won’t have to fear avalanches as much with you around. You and High Life are up next. There’s going to be massive drifts of loose snow left behind by the avalanche and the wagons will just skid sideways if we try to go over. Use your telekinesis and dig a path through to the other side of the avalanche zone.”

Trixie nodded, picked up her two coats, stashed the jars of chemicals and walked forward past the convoy up to the edge of the avalanche where High Life was already working. Most of the snow had settled again but the air was hazy with minute ice crystals, making her eyes sting. She fired up her horn and found that the snow shifted easily enough when gripped by her telekinesis.

High Life’s voice startled her. “You’re quite good with fireworks.”

A quick glance sideways failed to catch High Life looking at her. The stallion seemed to be concentrating only on the task at hoof. Trixie returned her focus to the snow in front of her.

“Do you often use fireworks in your performances?”

This time Trixie turned her head to glare at High Life but he was still not looking at her. “It is part of Trixie’s standard repertoire, yes. What of it?” She scooped a large mass of snow in her telekinesis and sent it scattering downslope.

“There aren’t many ponies that mix real and magical fireworks, are there?”

“No. As a matter of fact Trixie has never heard of anypony else. It is part of her unique talen—” Trixie’s eyes flew open and she stared straight ahead.

“I see. It’s just that I’ve heard stories about of a showpony who incorporates fireworks into her magic show. Some relatives of mine had hired her for a birthday party. It was an interesting show, I’ve been told. That pony had a stage name... What was that you called yourself back there when you fired the rocket? The Great and Powerful Trixie? I could swear that’s what they said she was called.”

Trixie noted that they were out of sight of the convoy. Terra didn’t want to move forward before Trixie and High Life had returned. She also noted that High Life was to her right, between the peak of the mountain and her. To Trixie’s left was a steadily steepening downslope that ended in a vertical drop of untold height. She turned her body to face High Life. “Trixie demands to know what you want.”

High Life turned to her and raised his eyebrows in mock confusion, smiling all the time. “I just want to know if that was you. That’s all.”

There was a short pause before she answered. “Yes. It was Trixie. What of it?”

He simply shook his head while smiling. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Now, we have a path to clear, yes?” His horn had never stopped glowing but now he focused back on the task of moving snow, doubling the light it shed.

Trixie stared at him for a moment before letting her horn flare to life. She shoved a large mass of snow onto the downward slope while seething inwardly with worry.

Clearing a path took almost two hours. Trixie’s nerves were completely spent by the time the task was complete. She rushed back to her wagon, breathing in the freezing mountain air in an attempt to calm herself. The crystal ponies assigned to her looked at her strangely but didn’t comment. Returning to the mentally demanding task of maintaining the hornwalk was a welcome distraction and she added a third hoof to it for good measure. Even the sudden stumbling was lifting her mood.

When Terra signalled to halt for the day she felt the consequences. Her legs were issuing only muted complaints in the form of a dull aching. Her head, on the other hoof, was splitting. Spots danced across her vision. Sounds and voices reached her as if filtered through a sheet of cotton. All signs of magic overuse. She plopped down at the communal dinner and ate her soup in silence, ignoring the others – even ignoring High Life – until she felt a hoof poke her. She turned to look up at Terra’s concerned face.

“Trixie, have you been overdoing the hornwalking?”

Trixie shrugged. “M’be. ‘Dded a third h’f.” She blinked and worked her jaw in confusion.

“What’s the matter, Trixie?”

“Sorr’ I’m h’ving trouble hear’ng mysel’.” She carefully felt her ears but they appeared completely normal. Terra was nodding in apparent understanding.

“We’ve gained quite a bit of altitude today. Try swallowing a couple times to even out the pressure.”

Trixie did as told. There was a loud pop on her third swallow and she was suddenly assaulted with a myriad of small sounds. The gentle crackling of the coal under the pot, the soup itself in the pot bubbling gently, the brush of fabrics against numerous fur coats. Visi’s wings rustling as they shifted. Then her headache intensified and she whimpered while cradling her forehead in her hooves. She heard Terra murmur.

“You need to be careful with the hornwalk, Trixie. That together with the clearing of snow you did today can easily be too much for an inexperienced unicorn.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is no ordinary inexperienced unic— oooh...”

There was an amused snort from Terra. “Be that as it may. Broth? Could you give Trixie something for the pain?”

Trixie glanced up. Broth had gone strangely still though he was still smiling. The earthen stallion pulled open a bag by his side and took out a bundle of oiled paper. Unwrapping the bundle revealed a large clump of dark green mass apparently made from ground leaves. Broth separated out a small bit and rolled it into a pea-sized ball which he held out to Trixie.

“Chew on this. Don’t swallow it. Spit it out when the pain or the taste is gone, whichever comes first.”

Trixie looked at the offered ball. Then she looked up at Broth’s face. His eyes were nervous although he was smiling as widely as before. Trixie’s eyes landed on Broth’s green-stained teeth before quickly refocusing on the ball. She took it gently in her magic – fighting a sharp stab of pain from her horn in the process – and popped it in her mouth. Then she looked at Terra. The earthen mare was looking at Broth with a strange combination of tired worry and hints of weary disapproval.

Trixie chewed. The ball did indeed seem to be ground plant leaves of some kind, mixed with mild spices. It was far from unpleasant. The migraine relented almost instantly, making her sigh with relief.

“Trixie thanks you. She feels better already. What is this?”

Broth looked down at the gently boiling pot of soup and picked up a ladle with his forelegs in order to stir it. He answered Trixie with a distracted air. “It’s called swamp sugarbeet. Doesn’t grow in Equestria. It’s a very powerful painkiller.”

Trixie thought about this, and Broth’s stained teeth, for the rest of the evening.



******



Day 11

Trixie was asked to trigger two avalanches today. The first one was loud enough to trigger secondary avalanches on the opposite side of the pass. Terra explains that we’re approaching the start of the glacier and should spot it any time now. The going is a bit faster now, in part because we’re as high as we need to be and also because we’re getting accustomed to the thinner air up here. We still have the majority of the crystal mountains to cross but soon we’ll be able to travel on the relatively smooth surface of the glacier. On another note, Trixie is now hornwalking on all four hooves! Adding the fourth felt like a relief, actually, as Trixie’s telekinesis gained symmetry. Trixie’s companions now look like wild mountain ponies, their fur is so long and shaggy. The Generous and Charitable Trixie’s brush is in very high demand and she asks very little in return.

Visi and Crystal are the most frequent borrowers. They hadn’t anticipated the need to let their coats grow longer and the additional drag this would impose. Brushing helps – or so Trixie is told. Crystal seems to warm up to Trixie as time goes by as by now she’s polite and carries a conversation. I still wonder what gave her such a terrible first impression.

Trixie is rambling again. The extra long coat means that Trixie is able to keep warm with only one layer of clothing now. Terra is still serving us all a dose of the growth potion every morning. She’ll be content when we no longer need clothing. Trixie wonders what kind of abominable freak of nature she’ll resemble by then.


Day 12

An interesting revelation took place during supper tonight. Visi, normally so quiet, became engaged in an animated discussion with Terra. They both waxed nostalgic about their home country, Roam. We were entertained by multiple stories about that ancient land. Trixie had been unaware that it used to be populated by minotaurs and that ponies had migrated to that place only less than a thousand years ago when the minotaurs suddenly disappeared. Anyhow, it came to light that both Visi and Terra are related to Roaman nobility! Visi is from house Vici, famous for their generals, and house Incognita, though small, even has ties to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!

High Life stated that it was only natural such a group would be having a summit meeting. We all groaned, Crystal most of all. I think she has a problem with nobility. That might explain her initially cool attitude towards Trixie. High Life tried to goad Trixie into an argument by bringing up the Bluebloods’ claim of being descendants of Princess Platinum whereas the Lulamoons were ennobled by Princess Luna and are thus a much younger house. Trixie countered by noting that yes, she’d rather be ennobled by the misunderstood Nightmare Moon than by an egomaniacal tyrant and speciesist.



******



A tremendous crack shook the air and made the icy ground tremble. Trixie and the three crystal ponies by her side all stumbled to a bewildered halt. In the wake of the massive noise could be heard several additional booms and crashes as if a truly huge amount of earth was moving. Trixie looked fearfully up on the slope to her right but the snow there lay unmoving. Then one of the crystalline shouted and pointed a hoof down into the valley. It was an avalanche, yes, but instead of snow it consisted of water and ice and instead of racing down a mountainside it was thundering down the bottom of the valley, coming into view from behind the curve of the mountain. It travelled with a ferocity unmatched by the avalanches Trixie had managed to trigger. The air above it misted with crystals of fine ice and as the head of the flood of ice passed the convoy, maybe five hundred meters down, it shook the mountain hard enough to make the wagons rattle their cargo. Terra’s call for a halt was relayed soon after and she quickly gathered the other ponies. She was grinning widely.

“Leave the wagons to the crystal ponies and follow me.”

She led them single-file further along the side of the mountain. Ten minutes later she no longer had to explain what she wanted the others to see: A massive wall of ice had appeared from behind the curve of the mountain. It stood so tall it nearly reached from the bottom of the valley all the way up to where the group was. The valley was filled with gigantic chunks of ice so big that they would be called mountains of their own if taken out of their context. Sounds of cracking, splintering and rumbling emanated constantly, set to a backdrop of rushing water.

“This is Wintergate Valley and that is the start of the Crystal Glacier. What we heard back then was part of its face breaking loose and falling down, creating the avalanche that passed us. In the times of the Old Kingdoms this was part of Earthen territories and back then this was called Pinewood Pass. There’s an ancient, ruined watchtower still standing on the mountainside a couple days’ travel from here called Pinewood Tower, and that is where our base camp will be.”

Terra seemed on the verge to say something else when a high-pitched voice interrupted her. “Miss Incognita, what is that sound?”

Terra turned to Visi, who had spoken, and raised an eyebrow. “Do you mean the crashing noises? The ice is still settling.”

Visi rustled her wings rapidly as she shook her head. “No, I mean the tinny howling. Is it the wind?”

Trixie frowned in confusion and strained her ears. Then she heard it: there was indeed a long, low and slightly metallic sound reverberating through the air. She looked at Terra and saw how the earthen pony’s eyes darted back and forth. Terra looked alarmed for the first time ever.

“That’s rimewolves.”
> Trixie Singlehoofedly Fends Off a Pack of Wolves
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Six:


Trixie Singlehoofedly Fends Off a Pack of Wolves




2:5:5: Rimewolves

Concurrent with windigos are additional threats, mostly due to how the magic of Equestria reacts to the extreme cold. Rimewolves appear to be elemental predators similar to the timberwolves of the Everfree, spirits composed of the matter representative of their habitat.

Unlike windigos the rimewolves are a well-documented danger of the Crystal Glacier. Rimewolves, like timberwolves, take the general shape of the natural wild canid but they use snow and ice to form their bodies and the resemblance to natural wolves is much higher thanks to the finer detail bestowed by the granular construction material. This same material choice means they are frailer than their timberwolf brethren but nearly unkillable in their normal environment thanks to the massive supply of replacement material lying around ready to house their spirits. Rimewolves are also much quicker to reconstitute their bodies, averaging at ten seconds from destruction to reassembly.

Since the rimewolves suffer almost no ill effects from having their bodies destroyed their hunting tactics differ from that of normal wolves, mainly in their fearlessness. Rimewolves that manage to come close enough attack their targets immediately, hoping to inflict some injuries before they get discorporated. When they reform they repeat their attack immediately and from close quarters. The effectiveness of this tactic cannot be understated.

The most effective method of combating rimewolves is to incapacitate them as they are either unwilling or unable to destroy themselves even when their bodies are severely damaged. The reader is urged not to think these methods too callous as compassion shown towards these unnatural predators might easily come back and literally bite you. If encountering a rimewolf the suggested tactic is as follows: destroy the wolf’s legs. Then dig a pit and bury the rest of the body up to its neck, leaving the head free. Next bury each piece of leg in separate pits, compacting ice and snow on top of them. The idea is to leave the wolf alive but immobile and unable to reassemble or to transfer to a new and intact body.

Please note that as timberwolves hunt in packs it is highly likely that most encounters with rimewolves also will involve several creatures, greatly increasing the danger. Once again this writer stresses the importance of not travelling alone.



*******



Terra rattled off a quick succession of orders. “Everypony get back to the convoy right now! Trixie, as soon as we get back I want you to prepare a dozen rockets. Some that go boom and some that throw burning bits everywhere, please. Crystal, Visi, fly ahead if you can and tell the crystalline to bunch up and watch each others’ backs. High Life, did you read the part about rimewolves in the dossier?”

High Life nodded and spoke over the flapping of wings and the thudding of hooves. “Yes, I did. I know what to do.”

“Good. Let’s get back.”

They ran. Visi and Crystal dwindled quickly to mere spots against the sky, tossed dangerously by the strong air currents, before they disappeared behind the mountain. When the first of the wagons came into view Terra slowed down and looked back over her shoulder. Trixie saw her ears turning, trying to catch any sound.

“Can you hear them?”

Terra shook her head but didn’t look relieved. “No, but that means nothing. They’ll find us sooner or later.” Then she looked into Trixie’s eyes and smiled slightly. “Don’t worry. They’re dangerous but as long as nopony gives in to panic we’ll be fine.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie is not worried.”

Terra didn’t comment upon that, saving her breath for running instead. Trixie did the same though the struggle of maintaining a steady pace on the sloping ground and with legs wrapped in several layers of cloth took so much of her concentration that she failed to maintain a mask of confidence. She frowned and her wide eyes darted this way and that.

Voices raised in alarm greeted the returning quartet. The crystalline milled about as one group and looked nervously at Trixie and her companions. Crystal and Visi were huddling under all the blankets they could find on top of one of the wagons in an attempt to regain the heat their bodies had lost during their flight.

Terra frowned at the crystal ponies. “Why are you so alarmed? You’re part of the reformed Crystal Guard. You should have plenty of combat training, which is more than enough to face rimewolves.”

The crystalline looked at each other in confusion before one raised a hoof. “By ‘combat techniques’ do you mean how to break up an argument? No? Umm, do you mean how to calm a panicking crowd of citizens? Er, how to guard a gate?”

Terra’s face had fallen more and more as the faceted mare spoke. Now she shook her head slightly, licked her lips and spoke breathlessly. “How do you guard a gate?”

“You stand on each side of it, like this...” The mare adopted an unnaturally straight and stiff pose, torso pushed forward, back arched down and head held high. It was imposing. It was a perfect example of how to wear out a pony’s every muscle in less than fifteen minutes. “...And if a pony approaches you stop them with a raised hoof, like this, and then say: halt! This area is restricted. Please turn back!”

The dejected look, written so large on Terra’s face, made Trixie feel sorry for the mare even while she was rolling her eyes at the crystal ponies’ naivety. Sombra had seemingly eradicated any trace of belligerence from them. Terra turned to her and murmured into her ear.

“Can you create some kind of illusion of rimewolves?”

Trixie nodded. “If you can describe them Trixie can make them appear.”

“Good.” Terra raised her voice so everypony could hear. “We’ll camp here. We need to train basic military discipline.”



******



Day 13

The Great and Powerful Trixie will remember today as the day she caused ponies to stampede in panic and was thanked for it.

The start of the glacier is only a short trip ahead of us but we’ve stopped here while Terra drills some basic military discipline into the crystal ponies. She’d expected the Crystal Guard volunteers to be combat trained but a foul-up in communication somewhere had led the crystal ponies to have the notion that they’d receive that training during the trip. To discover this right now, when they’re about to get first-hoof experience in actual combat, is distressing.

The situation is not as bad as it sounds. The crystalline just need to stay calm while in a group and hit any rimewolf that approaches them. The reserve skis for the wagons make passable enough clubs and are more than adequate to disable a rimewolf.

Terra’s military past truly shone through today. After twenty minutes the crystal ponies no longer panicked when one of Trixie’s illusions pounced at them. After only an hour they actually swung their makeshift weapons at the things and after two they tended to hit their targets every now and then. Terra praised them but Trixie has some doubts. The real rimewolves are only momentarily disabled if you just hit them hard. Also, while the crystal ponies no longer panic at the sight of one (and Trixie prays to Celestia and Luna that her rendition of rimewolves was at least somewhat accurate), how they should react to the sight of one of their own getting injured in combat is still untested. One of them getting a nosebleed due to her comrade’s overenthusiastic flailing with a ski doesn’t count but the horrified reactions the incident produced don’t instill Trixie with any confidence.

After that we reorganised the campsite. Our six tents used to be pretty evenly spread out but now they are all bunched together in a half circle with the openings aligned. The wagons have been pulled close together and form a wall behind the tents. The slope we’re on made this difficult and High Life and Trixie had to shift much snow with their magic.

Trixie is writing this around midnight. Terra organized a guard schedule and it is Trixie’s turn. Three crystalline keep her company and they are chatting amongst themselves right now. Their conversation betrays their nervosity.

When Trixie was told she’d be in charge of morale she expected to entertain tired and grumpy travellers after a long day of hard work. Now Trixie is surrounded by ponies who are scared and badly in need of reassurance. This just got a whole lot more serious.

Trixie needs to stop writing now and talk to her companions.


Day 14

We hear the wolves now. There is a slight bell-like ringing underneath their howls that makes Trixie’s teeth ache. I talked to Terra this morning and was excused from pulling a wagon. Instead I’ve been running from wagon to wagon, talking to the others. The crystalline put up brave faces next to their friends but Trixie can tell that the noise from the rimewolves are wearing them down. Terra said that they attack immediately once they are close enough but she didn’t say anything about what they do before that. Do they wait for the right moment to approach or will they home in on us like flakes of iron attracted to a magnet?

We passed the edge of the glacier two hour ago. It had quieted down almost completely but we didn’t step onto it immediately. As Trixie writes this we’re still on the mountain slope but we’re drawing closer to the flat ice below.

They sound closer now but I don’t s



******



Trixie’s writing was interrupted by Crystal’s shout of alarm. She was so startled that she almost lost her magical grip on her journal. A quick glance up at the pegasus sitting on top of Terra’s wagon led Trixie to look in the direction of a pointing leg. A row of blue lights, arranged in pairs, had appeared ahead and above on the mountain. Trixie was walking at the front of the convoy next to Terra, who took one look where Crystal was pointing before leaping out of her harness. “They’re coming! Everypony to the front now!”

While the rest grabbed their improvised clubs and ran forward Trixie ran back to her wagon. She lifted the tarp covering the cargo, lifted out a dozen bundles of pre-made rocket fuel and put the journal where they had been. Then she ran back to the front where a headcount was in progress. A crystalline shouted ‘thirty-five’ just as Trixie arrived, leaving her to shout ‘thirty-six’. The rimewolves were only a few hundred meters away by then and at a glance Trixie estimated there were about fifteen of them.

“Trixie, break their charge.”

She nodded affirmation to Terra and let her magic form shells for three of the rocket bundles. Terra barked orders to the rest while Trixie concentrated on the careening missiles and guided them towards the approaching pack. Since she’d had no way of timing the rockets she instead prepared to squeeze the chemicals in one short burst when they reached their targets. However the rimewolves didn’t appear completely single-minded. Just before the rockets would hit them they parted their ranks.

The results were still impressive. The rimewolves merely interpreted the rockets as objects to be narrowly avoided and so didn’t distance themselves further. The suddenly compressed chemicals ruptured Trixie’s magical shells and exploded with greater than usual force, throwing up large clouds of icy mist and black smoke. Seven wolves ran onwards without stopping. They were already too close for another volley of rockets so Trixie dropped the remaining bundles behind a wagon wheel and prepared her telekinesis.

The leading rimewolf had chosen a crystalline mare at the far side of the group as target and the other wolves were swerving to assault the same. The crystalline reacted as trained and planted the ski she was holding on the ground and braced against it. The ponies on either side of her did the same, creating a simple shield. The rimewolves leapt, hoping to power through the obstacle. Their low body mass didn’t give them much impact but the force was great enough to stagger the assaulted pony. Trixie managed to snag one of the last wolves in her magic and brought the wildly struggling creature over to her. High Life caught another one. That still left five rimewolves impacting the skis, pushing them back. The first two wolves were so badly caught between the skis and their packmates that their bodies failed and they burst into ice crystals. Three wolves dropped to the ground and tried to claw and bite anything behind the makeshift barrier before they were clubbed and their bodies too dissolved.

Trixie knew the other wolves would be back and they would be joined any second now by those stopped by her fireworks so she needed to quickly neutralize the one in her magic grip. That was easier said than done as the rimewolf was struggling fiercely to free itself making any precision telekinesis difficult. She bashed it against the ground and while it was stunned she set to work. With the rimewolf immobilized she quickly dug a pit in the snow with her magic and placed the howling monster in it.

Trixie looked up while trying to swallow the lump in her throat. High Life had also disabled a rimewolf so two were down. Six wolves were approaching the ponies, their light bodies and long bounds virtually flying them across the snow-covered slope. Behind them were three more but those were limping along and would take a good while to reach the ponies. The six in the lead were already turning to aim for the same by now terrified crystalline mare. Trixie glanced at her and saw she was scratched and very nearly panicking but otherwise unhurt.

Suddenly she saw High Life leap to stand in front of the shield wall, straight in the path of the rimewolves. His grin was savage and his eyes blazed with an intensity Trixie hadn’t seen before. He’s enjoying this! She gaped at him as he grabbed the three closest approaching wolves in his telekinesis and slammed them together before ducking out of the way with them in tow, letting the rest hit the skis. 

The Great and Powerful Trixie will not be upstaged by a noble brat! The thought gave her strength but she still hesitated, at a loss on what to do. Then there was a shriek from the middle of the crystal ponies followed by several more. Trixie turned to look but saw only terrified ponies fighting to get free of the throng and running away. She heard Terra shouting at them to stop but they kept fleeing. Trixie was paralysed by confusion so she only watched as the crystal ponies’ previously tight formation disintegrated. Then she saw, in a temporary gap, the glowing eyes of a rimewolf. Her throat constricted but it was worry that propelled her forward, against the fleeing ponies. She dodged two running ponies and looked ahead: there were five rimewolves right in the middle of the crystalline ponies’ ranks. Three crystalline lay on the ground with nasty gashes on their bellies and legs while a few of their companions desperately tried to hold the wolves at bay.

Three skis lay on the ground next to Trixie, discarded there by some of the fleeing ponies. She grabbed them in her magic without really thinking about it and hurled them through the air. The trio saw them coming but one was caught mid-jump dodging a ski swung by one of the defenders and couldn’t react. Trixie sensed only little resistance as the ski sliced through its torso. The other two managed to dodge the swooping skis and went immediately back to their assault. They both leaped against the ski of a pony already under attack by the other two, making her stumble and fall. Trixie shouted with desperation and wrenched the skis she held in her magic around, bringing all three scything through the air against the wolves now on top of their target. Two were focused on clawing and biting at the pony below them and never saw the skis coming. A third moved at just the wrong moment and was only jostled off the lying pony. The fourth dodged but was bashed into dust by one of the defenders.

Another quick glance around revealed five more shapes erupting from the snow. Trixie sat back on her haunches, ignoring the chill from the ground, and raised her forelegs like a conductor. The skis in her magic separated and leapt into the air. Unburdened by the clumsy grip given by hooves or teeth, Trixie turned the skis into spears instead. They arced through the air and over the heads of the remaining defenders before descending upon the approaching group. The wolves dodged again but Trixie pulled on the skis and sent them chasing the rimewolves. The wolves were fast but not as fast as trixie could propel the skis. Unfortunately the difference in speed was so low that Trixie ended up merely tripping two of the wolves, causing them to tumble on their heads, while the third dodged again. That was still enough to let her finish off the tripped ones. The third was now running side by side with a levitating ski so Trixie wrenched the ski sideways and took out the wolf’s legs. The remaining two were wrapped in a golden-yellow aura and lifted into the air to hover before High Life. He met Trixie’s gaze and winked at her before focusing on the monsters in his grip.

Trixie blinked at High Life’s form before losing sight of him. Then she tried to get her bearings again. This made her aware of a blue glow behind her. A rimewolf, almost fully formed except for the tips of the back legs, was bunching its muscles in preparation of leaping upon her. She yelled in fright and stumbled backwards, losing her magical focus. Then the rimewolf leapt. Unicorn instincts took over and she lowered her head to blast the attacker with pure magic. Before she finished the attack, however, a paw hit her head and pushed it to the side. The blast went wide.

The body of the wolf hit her and made her fall onto her back. Then she felt teeth grinding on her horn. Claws were scrabbling on her shoulder and scratching her, trying to gain purchase. No magic was possible now, not with her horn clamped in the jaws of a monster. She could feel the creature’s icy breath numbing her head. She was screaming and flailing her legs. By pure luck she got both her hind legs under the wolf and she bucked out of instinct. The rimewolf yelped but refused to let go of her horn, making it curve through the air and wrenching her head painfully in the process. Then the wolf impacted with the ground and her horn was suddenly free.

She rolled away and tried to blink away the tears of pure terror in her eyes. The wolf was in front of her now, already getting back on its paws. She growled and her horn flared to life. Searing pain bloomed, as if her horn was on fire, but she powered through it and grabbed the wolf’s head and squeezed. The blue glow in its eyes died and its form dissolved into a puff of snow and ice.

After that things dissolved into a blur of experiences for Trixie. Time felt disjointed, like a series of random images depicting grisly monsters, terror and violence and stinging pain from her horn. There’d be the glowing blue eyes of rimewolves forming out of the snow and ice. Then there’d be the tug of her magic as her skis swooped through the air. Images of rimewolves on the ground, speared and disintegrating or dismembered and squirming. The face of a terrified crystal pony forced backwards under the onslaught of two wolves. Visi and Crystal swooping down from above, dragging skis below them and trying to harry the wolves from the air. An injured mare being comforted by two crying friends. Visi hovering in front of Trixie and shouting something...

It slowly dawned on Trixie that there were no more moving targets. Sixteen thrashing rimewolf heads jutted from the ground, snouts carefully bound to keep them from howling or snapping at passersby. She blinked at the sight and brought the skis in her magic forward without thinking but a yell and Visi’s hoof on her shoulder roused her before she’d attacked any of the rimewolves and thus set them free.

Instead she gazed at the skis. There were three of them and they hovered in her grip. Had she really guided all of them as independent cutting weapons? The three rockets had all used the same basic trajectory and as such had been essentially one object in three parts to her magic. She just couldn’t understand how she’d managed to fight effectively with three improvised weapons in her grip.

A hoof touched her shoulder and pushed gently. She allowed herself to be turned so she faced Terra.

“Trixie, you’re bleeding from your horn. Are you alright?”

Trixie was amazed at how Terra’s hoof trembled against her shoulder but there was something more pressing on her mind. She kept looking at the skis. “Did you see The Great and Powerful Trixie control those three skis at the same time? She’s never done that before!”

“It’s probably the hornwalking. I’ve heard unicorns say it improves their magical multitasking. But seriously: are you okay? You’re shivering and I don’t think it’s the cold.”

“Trixie will have to learn juggling next!”

A large, lime hoof was very gently laid on Trixie’s chin. Any conscious thought skittered away from her mind as she made eye contact with Terra. “Trixie, look at me. You need to focus on your breathing now. Let go of the skis. Breathe with me.”

Trixie felt lightheaded. Why was she so out of breath, anyway? Terra kept talking to her and coaching her breathing. Slowing down was amazingly difficult and it scared her but Terra’s voice was ever-present and calming. Eventually she’d brought her breathing in sync with Terra’s. She realised all of a sudden that Terra wasn’t shaking but she herself was. She lifted her right front hoof into her field of vision and confirmed it: her appendage wouldn’t hold still no matter how she willed it. She raised an eyebrow in question and looked back at Terra who nodded.

“You’re entering a state of shock. Not surprising. Normally I’d let you just ride it out but I need you to use your healing magic on the wounded.”

It took far longer than it should have for Trixie to wrap her mind around Terra’s request. Then she nodded meekly. Terra smiled gently at her.

“That’s the spirit. I want you to understand that it’s okay to feel the way you do. It really is! But you don’t have time for that right now as there are ponies who need you. Save it for later, please. Can you do that for me?”

Trixie swallowed and looked away. Then she nodded: at first only slightly but each nod that followed was stronger. “Y-yes. I can do that.”

“Good. Remember, you’re in charge of morale and there are ponies who desperately need some reassurance right now. You’ve been on a stage in front of bad crowds, haven’t you? Right now it’s the same. You need to be a solid foundation for these ponies to cling to. Are you up for it?”

Just like on stage huh? Suddenly Trixie was looking down her nose at the much larger Earthen mare, an action which involved a slight crick in her neck. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is certainly up for it!”

Terra just grinned. “Go get ‘em Trixie!” Then she clapped the showpony on the shoulder and moved onwards. Trixie rose onto all four legs and trotted over to where the injured crystal ponies were lying. Seeing the wounds up close twisted her up inside but she also filed that reaction away for later. She met the frightened looks of the injured ponies with a calm gaze, even managing to smile a bit, before bending down and examining the damage done. Then she gently patted all three mares.

“The wounds are deep and bleed a lot but they pierce only flesh. They are ragged but clean and should be easy for magic to fix. This will probably sting a bit but Trixie shall work as gently as she can.”

In truth Trixie was no doctor. However a solitary life on the road meant you could be far away from assistance when misfortune struck. It paid to be prepared and cuts and bruises were commonplace enough for there to be easily accessible spells that mended them. Trixie admitted silently to herself that she’d never had to use her magic on anything as deep as these cuts but she’d been assured by the doctor she’d paid to teach her that it wouldn’t make a difference. Her horn flared to life again – accompanied by a brief stab of pain – and she focused on the wounds in front of her. The mare whimpered and twitched as the spell forced the edges of her wounds shut but her friends held her and whispered in her ears, gradually calming her.

Soon all three ponies were healed. Trixie smiled wearily at them and prepared to use her magic on herself but a hoof laid on her hip brought her to a halt.

“Miss Trixie? Thank you.”

Trixie looked at the crystalline mare. She looked like a regular citizen of the Crystal Empire really. Emerald coat and light turquoise mane done in that strange, complicated way that they preferred. Trixie smiled gently at her, losing some of her haughty facade.

“No need for thanks. Healing you was the least Trixie could do.”

The crystalline shook her head and grabbed one of Trixie’s forehooves with both of hers. “No, Trixie. Thanks for everything. For defending us. What you did with those skis was amazing. I’m so grateful.”

“R-really? Um, Trixie means... Really, The Great and Powerful Trixie only acted as she hopes everypony would act were they as Great and Powerful as Trixie!”

This made the crystal mare giggle and shake her head again. “Not everypony is and of those not everypony does. You’re a good mare, Trixie the Great and Powerful. Thank you.”

Trixie felt her cheeks grow warm. “Uh, th-thanks, miss...?”

“I’m Easel Green.”

There was an irritated cough behind Trixie. She turned around to see High Life looking at her with an air of annoyance. The stallion was bleeding from numerous small cuts on his muzzle and his forelegs were quite scratched as well. “When you have a moment could you heal me up as well?”

Trixie blinked at him. “What happened? Trixie had the impression you were doing fine.”

High Life looked away and swallowed before answering. “I took on one more than I could take care of simultaneously.”

Trixie thought back. She’d had trouble maintaining telekinesis on just one of the struggling monsters, whereas she’d seen High Life snatch away three of them at the same time. Perhaps that hadn’t been such a good idea after all? Suddenly a smile forced its way onto Trixie’s face.

“Very well! Hold still and let the Great and Powerful Trixie work her magic!”

A short while later High Life had left without a word of thanks. Her horn wasn’t bleeding anymore but the dull migraine she now suffered indicated she’d abused her magic enough for today. Trixie looked around and saw crystal ponies returning from where they had fled, alone or in small groups. She saw Visi and Crystal fly short trips in the frigid winds to summon those who didn’t dare return. Terra was barking orders and counting heads. None of it seemed to touch her. She felt so removed she might as well have been watching through a powerful telescope. Some quiet part of her understood that the shock was threatening to return.

Terra’s voice snapped her out of her stupor. “Trixie! You’re going to be roaming freely along the convoy again.”

She turned and saw the Earthen mare a couple steps away in front of the already moving convoy. She looked at the large earthen questioningly. “We’re not camping here? It’s late and we’ve had a long day.”

Terra raised her eyebrows and chuckled a bit before answering. “Do you think that would be a good idea? Building a camp next to those?” She pointed at sixteen pairs of eyes glowing blue in the dusk. The occasional growl or snort could be heard but the rimewolves had calmed down ominously. Trixie gulped.

“...No. Trixie doesn’t... I-I’m sorry. I’m not thinking clearly right now.”

Terra rushed over and laid a foreleg over Trixie’s shoulder in order to murmur into her ear. “I know: you are falling to pieces right now and it’s understandable. It’s just that I’m counting on you to help keep the others on their hooves when I’m not there. If you can just keep it up for a couple hours more then you’d do us all a great service. There are some crystal ponies who’d really need something else to occupy their minds with.” She squeezed Trixie’s shoulders briefly before letting go and pulling back to stare at Trixie with her head tilted. “Let’s go.” Then she turned and trotted towards the first wagon which was by now some distance ahead. Trixie only watched the Earthen go without moving. Terra looked back once but didn’t return.

Trixie watched the wagons pass. She really couldn’t find the will to move. Then as Visi’s wagon was about to pass her it suddenly stopped. A crystal pony detached herself from the reins and trotted up to Trixie. She craned her neck and saw Easel Green smiling at her.

“Tired?”

Trixie remembered Terra’s words. Keep up appearances. She sniffed. “Trixie is inspecting the convoy, counting ponies and making sure everypony is safe.” Just don’t ask Trixie to move.

There was a knowing gleam in Easel’s eyes that Trixie failed to catch. “Would you like to keep me company? We’re, um, I mean I’m still shaken after – after all of this. W— I could really use somepony to talk to.”

A lump had appeared in Trixie’s throat from somewhere and she swallowed it down. Somepony to talk to sounded very attractive right now. “Have no fear! The Great and Powerful Trixie will gladly keep you company.”

Easel smiled and extended a hoof to tug at Trixie’s foreleg. “Good! Come on then...”

Trixie unthinkingly allowed herself to be led back to the wagon. She found herself regaining more and more of her awareness as she chatted with Easel, Visi and the others.

The convoy moved on. Sixteen pairs of glowing blue eyes disappeared behind the curve of the mountain.

> Trixie Discovers a Plot to Kidnap the Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Seven:


Trixie Discovers a Plot to Kidnap the Princess




Day 17

We’re at Pinewood Tower.

Trixie has not felt like writing but Terra tells me it would do me good. The rimewolves appeared just as I was writing in my journal for day 14 and I forgot about it afterwards. Their attack was horrible and we were unprepared despite our best efforts. Thank Sun and Moon nopony was too seriously hurt.

After we’d pulled ourselves together we continued travelling for almost eight hours, making it by far the longest day of travel we’ve had. The moon was past its highest point when we finally made camp and everypony was too tired to celebrate that we’d at last descended to the glacier and were resting on a flat surface.

We rested far into the afternoon the next day. Then Terra called everypony to a palaver. Trixie has never seen her so humble before.



******



“When I assembled this expedition I gave each of you my word that, while this venture would be risky, the risks were manageable.” Terra winced as she paced back and forth in front of the sitting crowd. “There are ponies with fresh scars in the audience. Scars that call me a liar and a fool. And while I’d like to tell you that isn’t so I cannot escape my responsibility. Your safety was in my hooves and when it mattered they lost their grasp.” She sat down facing the crowd, her face drawn and eyes darting between onlookers.

“In the interest of full disclosure: I did not anticipate our encounter with the rimewolves. I did not expect them to reform under our hooves. The first because they have so far only been seen during the winter months when this place is much colder than it is now. The second because... well... we’re the first to have battled with them and lived to tell about it.”

High Life’s angry voice interrupted her. “That’s bull, Terra. What about the army? You said you’d lead expeditions here three times before and you can’t be the only one! Did you just never encounter them or did the military run away every time?”

Terra simply nodded. “Yes. We ran. Standing orders are to avoid the rimewolves. A mountain-trained pegasus or a unicorn with a good magic reserve and a teleport spell would lure the pack away from us, lose them and return to us via a long and winding detour. You, my little ponies, have more combat experience against rimewolves than anypony else in Equestria alive today. And the fact that you have it means that I have failed your trust.”

Crystal’s voice was raised. “But you didn’t expect the wolves. How could you have prepared for what you didn’t expect?”

“Naturally I can’t prepare for every eventuality except by not launching the expedition in the first place. That doesn’t change the fact that I shouldn’t have trusted the wolves not to show up when I didn’t expect them, considering why we’re here. I misjudged the risks and you paid the price.”

Trixie turned and looked over her shoulder at the crowd behind her. The crystalline were looking at each other with confusion and whispering among themselves. She raised her voice. “Terra, haven’t the crystal ponies been told why we’re here?”

“They haven’t, because it wasn’t necessary. I’m actually impressed that none of you have told them. I wouldn’t have minded much. I’ll recap in a moment anyway. You see it’s now obvious that there are flaws in the preparation for this expedition. As such I must change my estimate of the risks.” She held up her front hooves in front of her. “Don’t rush to conclusions though. I still think we can do this. The moment I don’t is when we’d head back. But I feel it is only fair to let you yourselves have a say on the matter since the situation has changed. I am going to arrange a vote, weighted by our share of the reward money and with myself abstaining, about whether we should continue or not.”

Terra paused for a short while as murmurs ran through the crowd. “The voting will take place once we reach Pinewood Tower, about two days from now. There are emergency communication crystals there, left by earlier expeditions, for just such an eventuality as this. If you decide by majority share that we should abandon the expedition then we’ll use the crystals to call for help.”

“Anyway, volunteers of the Crystal Guard, I will now explain what we’re out here for. You see, a windigo appeared in Equestria...”



******



They took it about as well as could be expected. For obvious reasons the Crystal Ponies’ memories of the fall of the Old Kingdoms are a thousand years fresher and they were very troubled when they heard a windigo had been spotted in the middle of Equestria.

Lunch that day was tense with much conversation and whispering. Trixie wandered around the camp and talked to everypony who let her in order to get a feel for the mood. Of the main expeditionary members Crystal and Broth were the most vocal opponents to continuing. High Life expressed his support by arguing heatedly with them with even less than his usual tact. Visi wouldn’t comment.

The crystalline are surprisingly evenly split considering how inexperienced and sheltered they’ve been. It may be that some of them don’t fully realise the dangers involved even after the rimewolves but Trixie must hasten to explain that she didn’t get that impression at all from when she talked with most of them. Especially those who were wounded and their closest friends feel that they have invested too much of their own energy and emotions into the expedition to now just give up. They have suffered for our cause and in doing so have become convinced of its necessity.

It’s a coping mechanism of course. But The Great and Powerful Trixie agrees. We’ve come too far to turn back now. We need to find and capture that windigo.

The rest of that day was spent travelling, as was yesterday. We quickly reached the edge of the crystal mountains and the glacier opened up in front of us. So flat! There’s nothing but low banks of snow, all in parallel due to the constant wind. Terra explained that there is a permanent cyclone above the Crystal Glacier, spinning clockwise. During the winter months it picks up speed and becomes a raging hurricane but right now it is merely an ever-present caress of glittering ice on our faces as we walk against it. The air is very hazy at ground level as it is full of ice crystals. The ground, though not ice, is still very solid and easy to cross despite the drifts of snow.

We could see the tower yesterday already but we didn’t reach it until today by lunchtime. It is massive. I’ve never before seen slabs of stone of this size. The masons of the Old Kingdoms would be considered grand masters of their craft in modern Equestria as far as Trixie can judge. It rests just above the glacier ice. The stump of some kind of ruin extends down to the very edge but whatever that building was the glacier has erased it long ago. Perhaps the most eerie detail are the perfectly preserved banners. They are coated by a thick layer of ice but you can still make out their design. We’re still in Earthen territory so they show the planted fields and sunflowers of that nation.

Earthen watchtowers are low with only two stories but they are incredibly sturdy. Even the roof is mostly intact after all these years. Earlier expeditions have done repairs and maintenance and Terra expects us to carry on the tradition.

Before any of that there was the matter of the vote. A tally of hooves showed almost half of the shares voting for continuing and a quarter against, the rest abstaining.

After that, by Terra’s request, The Great and Powerful Trixie put on a very special retelling of the Hearths’ Warming tale. She even included the tale of the Crystal Empire, how some remnants of Unicornia’s nobility emigrated there with a certain Duke Sombra Cobaltvein among them. This was met with mixed appreciation though overall positively. High Life especially appreciated Trixie’s effort to mention one of the Bluebloods’ earliest notable figures. Terra gave me a light talking-to but even she seemed amused.



******



Trixie laid down her journal next to her bed. To have an actual bed again was unbelievably luxurious even if the spring mattress was so worn out that she’d automatically roll onto her back as soon as she lay down in it. Torches fluttered from the constant draft and the wind outside moaned through cracks and holes but after two weeks in a tent it was the closest thing to paradise. Even the four different sources of snoring she currently heard failed to detract from the lovely feeling.

She crept in under the heap of blankets and tried to fight the mattress into accepting her attempt to lie on her side but springs poked at her until she surrendered. She closed her eyes and tried to shut out the world but it kept intruding upon her consciousness and her thoughts just wouldn’t keep still. She was too excited.

She opened her eyes, sighed and threw the blankets off her. Sitting up made one of the mattress springs tug painfully at her where it had become tangled in her coat. It snapped loose with a twang, making her wince.

The interior of the two-story tower consisted of one room per floor. Arched pillars supported the roof. Unless every sign of decoration had since withered away the place had been coldly utilitarian long before it became merely cold. Three-storey bunk beds lined one section of the circular wall while another, under the stairs up to the second floor, held the line of single beds that included Trixie’s. The bedframes were cast iron and very old but not part of the original set of furniture. Altogether almost a hundred ponies could sleep reasonably comfortably in the tower.

Some mumbling to the right of Trixie made her study the row of beds she was in. Terra was to her left followed by Broth. High Life should have been in the bed next to Trixie but it was empty. Visi’s bed came after that, the pegasus’ wings constantly shifting even in her sleep. Crystal’s bed was also empty.

Trixie considered her options. She was too lively to remain where she was. Meeting High Life wasn’t appealing but there was always the chance that she’d find Crystal alone. The pegasus mare was still awkward to be around but some light conversation was certainly doable with her.

She climbed carefully out of the bed while trying to make as little sound as possible. The high level of background noise helped but there were still a couple of audible sounds from the settling mattress. Then she stood still and considered where to look. Upstairs or outside? Upstairs was warmer but outside was more secluded thanks to the darkness. The wagons were outside too, of course, and since they’d been partially offloaded they had plenty of spaces to retreat to if you wanted to be alone.

Outside it is. Trixie walked to the door and considered her next move. She opted for opening it as quickly as possible and dashing out. True to the nature of doors with old hinges everywhere it groaned but not as much or as long as if she’d tried to open it slowly. Shutting it quickly without slamming it was another difficult but moderately successful task.

She turned away from the door and looked out over the glacier. The moon hung above, throwing its silvery light onto the haze of ice and making it glow. From Trixie’s vantage point it looked like a sea of cloud moving past her, pulling at her sense of balance and giving her vertigo.

She shook her head and looked towards the wagons. Light spilled through the cracks on the walls of the second closest so she walked towards it. As she left the tower the wind gripped her mane but she didn’t feel more than a slight chill thanks to her by now very thick coat. Then, as she approached the wagon, she heard voices. High Life’s and Crystal’s. Cursing her luck she turned around.

Then she stopped. What could the two be talking about? Curiosity made her turn back and approach the wagon again.

She heard Crystal’s voice. She was almost hissing in agitation. “...Say that you’re all idiots.”

High Life answered with a calm and neutral tone. “We’re not idiots, Crystal. If anything the fact that we did so well against the rimewolves proved that. We can take what this place dishes out and we can answer in kind.”

“We were lucky, that’s all. We won’t be lucky all the time.”

“We won’t need to. We know what we did wrong. Next time we’ll do even better.”

“I don’t want there to be a next time! I don’t want to be here! I don’t want to see those wolves attack a pony and-and...”

Crystal’s voice dissolved into a low whine interrupted by sobs. Trixie snuck up to the door of the wagon and peeked in. The interior was mostly empty except for a couple of small crates and a lit lamp hanging from a hook in the ceiling. Crystal was lying on the floor swept in a blanket, her expression one of tearful anguish. High Life sat beside her and was in the process of laying a foreleg over her back. He bent his head down to Crystal’s ear and made soothing noises while gently stroking her back through the blanket.

Trixie narrowed her eyes. There was something predatory in High Life’s expression.

Crystal calmed down gradually and her sobs lessened. High Life nuzzled her mane gently. Then he moved his mouth to her ear and murmured.

“Let me make you feel better.”

Then he nibbled on Crystal’s ear.

Crystal reacted by yanking her head sideways, freeing her ear. High Life froze with his mouth open and his eyebrows raised in confusion. Then Crystal started laughing. High Life just stared at her as her laughter grew until tears were once again rolling down her cheeks. Then she extracted a hoof from under her blanket and shoved him away forcefully enough to make his back hit the wall.

“Only somepony like you, High Life! Only somepony with their head stuck as far up their noble ass as you could ever think taking advantage of a hurting mare was a good deed!”

High Life’s eyes blazed and his mouth was pulled into a frown. “Hey! I’m offering comfort here! I could dry those tears for you and make you forget the ice and snow and this is how you thank me?”

Crystal shrieked with laughter. She was on the floor on her back, squirming and hooting from mirth. Then she waved a leg vaguely in High Life’s direction.

“You honestly think you’re doing me a service? You’re simply unreal. Nopony can be that full of himself! It just isn’t possible!” Then she dissolved into laughter again, rolling onto her stomach.

High Life’s face twisted into a furious grimace. He leaped to stand over Crystal, gripped her mane with his mouth and yanked back. Crystal squealed from the pain. Then he let go and pressed his snout against her neck. “I’ll teach you to mock my favours ever again you nag!”

Trixie prepared to tug open the door to the wagon with her magic and intervene but the magic died in her horn as she watched Crystal twist around beneath High Life, letting her buck him in the groin so hard he flipped over her head and landed on his back in front of her. If not for the fact that the landing had forced all the air out of his lungs he’d probably have screamed from the pain. Instead he merely curled up and emitted small croaking sounds as his eyes threatened to leave his face and his mouth formed a perfect ‘O’.

Trixie stifled her own laughter and kept observing. Crystal watched impassively as High Life gained control of his lungs and picked himself up from the floor. When he had managed to stand he turned his head to stare at her with malice. Then he spoke, his voice hoarse.

“You wanted away from here? You got your wish. I’ll use the crystal and they’ll drag you from here in chains. Unprovoked assault on a noble? It’ll be fun destroying you in court you bitch.”

Then he bolted for the door, surprising Trixie. He almost didn’t notice her in his rush to leave but when he did he stopped. Trixie set her face to neutral and raised her eyebrow. “What is going on here?”

“Trixie, I need your healing magic right now. That crazy mare attacked me!”

Trixie frowned with concern and sympathy. “Oh dear! Show Trixie where it hurts!”

High Life tried to indicate with a hoof but in the end he chose to turn around and raise his back as high as he could. “Hurry! It hurts like Tartarus!”

Trixie inspected the damage. The strike hadn’t landed perfectly and the bruising and swelling was one-sided. “Hm, yes. Trixie sees the problem. Shall The Great and Powerful Trixie deliver a diagnosis and remedy?”

“Yes! Hurry!”

Trixie nodded imperiously and glanced at Crystal, who was peeking out the door and frowning at her, before declaring her verdict. “Diagnosis: painful case of rectocerebellum nobilis. Remedy: evening out the pain, preventing reoccurrence.” Then she carefully aimed a kick at the so far unaffected side of his groin.

When High Life’s shouting and retching died down she put a foreleg on his back to immobilize him before leaning down and speaking softly into his ear. “Trixie shall say this once and only once. You won’t be able to prove anything to a court but Trixie is more than prepared to witness on Crystal’s behalf. The Merciful and Just Trixie shall, as a gesture of goodwill, heal your precious family jewels but can’t do anything about the pain or your stupidity. Trixie suggests sitting in the snow to cool them down. While doing so you could try thinking with the head on top of your shoulders for a change. It might be difficult at first but practice makes perfect.” She fired magic through her horn and healed the bruising. Then she removed her leg from High Life’s back and stepped away.

High Life rose unsteadily to his feet and looked back at Trixie and Crystal. He spat. “You’ll pay for this!” Then he staggered away.

Once High Life was out of sight Trixie turned and studied Crystal closely. The pegasus’ mane was a mess. It was very uneven and tufts of it stuck out in random directions. Trixie frowned. “Did he do that to your mane?”

Crystal’s expression became one of confusion.“Huh?” Then she seemed to realise what Trixie was referring to. “Oh! No...” She blushed and drew a shuddering breath. “...I was trying to cut my mane when he came to talk.” She pointed her hoof to a pair of scissors lying discarded in a corner of the wagon.

“Trixie could help with that if you want to.”

Crystal’s face become an irritated frown and for a moment Trixie expected her to say no but then the pegasus sighed heavily and nodded somberly. “...Yes, please.” She backed away from the door before turning around. Then she walked to the back of the wagon and lay down. Trixie climbed up into the wagon and closed the door behind her. She picked up the scissors in her magic and sat on her haunches at Crystal’s side.

“Trixie is a mare of many talents – hairdressing included! Let’s keep it simple though. Does a straight cut sound good?”

Crystal nodded. “Yeah, just shorten it to an even length please.”

“Coming up!” Trixie set to work. She used her magic to make patches Crystal’s mane stand straight out, making them easy to cut to the same length. She worked in silence, letting Crystal decide if she wanted to talk. The silence lasted only a few minutes.

“So... How much did you see?”

Trixie made a couple of cuts while working out how to answer. “Trixie saw enough. Trixie saw that you are very afraid and that High Life tried to take advantage of that.”

“Trixie?”

“Yes?”

“Could you please stop referring to yourself in third person?”

Trixie chuckled lightly. “I’ll try. It’s a hard habit to break. It’s part of my showmare’s persona, you see.”

“You mean to say you’re acting as somepony else so often that you don’t know how to stop?”

“It’s not that simple. It’s all me in the end. But I will try my best if I get a favour in return.”

There was distrust in Crystal’s voice when she answered. “Oh? What do you want?”

“Well, I have this impression that you didn’t like me even before we’d met and that it’s because I’m a noble. If you didn’t like nobles after tonight I’d understand perfectly but what have they done to you? Out of all the possibilities, I mean. I’ve seen enough. I’m noble by birth, not by choice. I hate them personally. So tell me, Crystal. What made you dislike Bellatrix Lulamoon at first glance?”

“In spite of your wonderful personality, you mean?”

Trixie had been around Crystal enough to recognize when the mare’s sarcasm was friendly. She grinned and snipped hair for a moment as she thought of a retort. “I was unaware that my personality was so powerful that it preceded my arrival into a room. Huh. I’ll have to add that to The Great and Powerful Trixie’s long list of amazing feats.”

Crystal tried but failed to hold back the snicker. There was a pause during which only the snips of the scissor were heard.

“...Yeah, you’re right. I’ve got a bias against nobles.”

“I wouldn’t say you’re biased as much as observant but I may be biased.”

“Ha. Anyways, it goes back to Princess Sparkle’s coronation.”

“You were there?”

Crystal sneezed away some loose hairs before answering. “No. I was in Las Pegasus working for a customer. But you know how the newspapers went all-out and put those huge photos in bad colour on their front pages?”

“Yes, I do.” Trixie had scanned the headlines while stopping at a small town west of Manehattan. Colour was seldom used in newspapers, partly because the printing technique to get anywhere near the right shades for ponies’ manes and coats just didn’t exist yet.

A smile slowly appeared on Crystal’s face as she thought back. “There aren’t that many all-purple pegasi or unicorns, you know. The very same day as the newspapers hit the stands ponies were approaching me and jokingly congratulating me on my crowning.”

Crystal’s smile faded. “Then the cult following started. Twilight Sparkle had to be something pretty amazing to make two goddesses want to elevate her – and only her – to their own level of existence. You know all those stories about how the princesses, Celestia and Luna I mean, would walk disguised and incognito around Canterlot or some other city in order to gauge how normal ponies treated one another?”

“Yes, I know several such stories. Most often they’re some kind of comedy of errors. The disguised princesses become recruited by a gang of thieves to plunder the castle or they get marriage proposals by their own unfaithful lovers. That kind of stuff. The crowds eat that stuff up like sugarcoated carrots.”

“Yeah, it’s fun until you live through it constantly.” Now Crystal’s voice was bitter. “The ponies worst bitten by the royalist bug saw Princess Sparkle everywhere. It was insane how readily they’d dismiss the absence of a unicorn horn. Or royal guards, for that matter. They... they started plucking my feathers! And they weren’t the worst. The worst were the mothers.”

Trixie realised she was listening so intently she’d stopped cutting Crystal’s mane. She cleared her throat and worked the scissors with her magic. “The mothers?”

“Yes. They’d run up to me with sick foals on their back and begging, just begging for Princess Sparkle the miracle worker to heal their little ones. They’d crawl on their knees after me, crying in desperation. Sometimes their husbands were there too. The fathers would accost me, demanding to know why I was so cruel to them.”

“I don’t get it. Ponies don’t bring their sick foals to Celestia or Luna do they?”

“Celestia and Luna are goddesses but they aren’t the Princess of Magic. A unicorn such as yourself can easily mend wounds so surely the great Twilight Sparkle can do anything, up to and including bringing back loved ones from the dead?”

The scissors halted and quivered for a moment in Trixie’s magic. “They didn’t.”

“They did.”

“Dear Moon and Sun above, that’s horrible! What did you do?”

“I went to the royal guard. First I just wanted to learn a bit of self defence through their classes but even though that made me feel more confident it didn’t remove the problem. I couldn’t hit ponies for confusing me with somepony else, could I?”

“Ah, so that’s how you knew how to do that thing you did to High Life?”

“Heh, yep! Only good thing so far out of all this! Anyways, I changed tactic and asked the Guard if I could maybe have an escort or the like for a while. The officer I saw was some noblepony from a lesser house, I think their name was Ironhoof, and she promised she’d help me. Warning bells should’ve gone off in my head when instead of forwarding my complaint to her superiors she invited me to the family’s mansions to discuss the matter.”

Trixie was finished with Crystal’s mane. “Do you want your tail cut as well? What happened?”

“Yes, please. They imprisoned me and forced me to... enact... some very embarrassing scenes dressed as Princess Sparkle with a fake horn glued to my forehead. They took pictures with the intent of blackmailing the princess and then they locked me away.”

“Let me guess: Twilight chased down the blackmailers and freed you?”

“No, the photos were never used. The intention was to keep them for when the family really needed leverage. But my husband had reported me missing. My visit to the guards’ quarters was logged and, since that was the last time anypony had seen me, suspicion fell on the sergeant I’d spoken to. The family reacted by pumping me full of booze and drugs and then dumping me in the alley behind a sleazy bar. A reporter found me suspiciously quick. I went to the guard, of course. Accusing an officer of the law is pretty serious so the family mansion was searched and I was asked to show where I’d been kept.”

Crystal shuddered. “The rooms didn’t even exist anymore. I suddenly had the appearance of a madmare and was dangerously close to going to jail for filing a false report. After some ‘kindness’ from the sergeant I’d accused I was thrown out onto the street with a restraining order telling me not to approach any member of the Ironhoof family without their express permission. That reporter that ‘found’ me published an article on how I’d tried to ruin the family’s reputation in order to gain attention. So yes, that’s when I started hating nobles and their power.”

It occurred to Trixie that the information Crystal was telling could be extremely valuable in the right hooves and momentarily had the impulse to offer her assistance in taking care that it would be delivered to where it would do the most damage. Then she decided that even the sympathy she felt towards this mare wouldn’t make her take up the nobility’s tools of trade. She coughed.

“Tr— um, I can see how you’d do that after such an experience. Did things get better after that?”

The following silence made Trixie look up from the tail she was styling. Crystal’s ears lay flat against her head, which was pressed low against the floor of the wagon. There was a sob.

“...No, it got worse. My... My husband... He was ecstatic to be back with me. We... we celebrated as married couples do. But... Oh, I know he meant well, but he should’ve realised. He should’ve realised! He told me... while we were lying in bed together... that I’d always be his princess. Then... then he gave me some clip-on hair extensions. Two pairs of different purple hues – one pair each for my mane and tail. So I’d have streaks just like her!”

Trixie was stunned speechless for a moment and the scissors hung dormant in her magic. Here was a mare whose life had been ruined by Twilight Sparkle’s mere existence.

“Wow. Just wow. I guess you really hate Princess Twilight as well?”

Crystal shook her head. “I... wish I could. It’d be so easy. But she’s not to blame. She probably doesn’t know I exist. I just have the... misfortune... of looking like her.”

“What happened?”

“Well... I kind of lost it I guess. I went to live with a good friend of mine. Well I say ‘live’ but I was really hiding from the world. My friend really helped though. She helped improve my mood. She told me that Twilight had announced a tour around Equestria, coming to all the major cities. Once ponies in Las Pegasus would see her in person they wouldn’t be as likely to confuse the two of us. Our colouring is different after all.”

“Well that’s good. When is that taking place?”

Crystal drew a shuddering breath. “It’s not. It got cancelled for some reason. I started talking to my friend about moving to Saddle Arabia and applying my knowledge of thermals to their dry climate. One day she told me about this expedition. I didn’t ask how she’d heard about it but it sounded like a really good idea at the time.” She turned and her mournful eyes locked with Trixie’s. “Seeing ponies getting attacked by monsters put that into perspective real quick. I’m no hero! I don’t know what I’m doing here anymore.”

This level of sympathy wasn’t something Trixie had experience with. She felt her eyes start to water. “I’m not trying to take advantage of you, Crystal.”

Crystal raised an eyebrow. “What do you m—” Then Trixie was hugging her. “Oh that.”

“Crystal, I really think we need to do what this expedition set out to do. But I promise: I’ll do what I can to keep you safe. And if you’d like I could help you afterwards! I’ve been to Ponyville where Princess Sparkle lives. If you went there then nopony would confuse the two of you! Well... not up close anyway.”

Trixie felt a leg patting her mane. “Thank...” There was a huge yawn from Crystal. “...You. Could you finish my tail? I’m getting really tired.”

Trixie blinked and remembered what she was supposed to be doing. “Sure!” She let go of Crystal and inspected the tail she was cutting. Truth be told it was pretty much done already. She gave it some additional snips to smooth out some minute imperfections before declaring it finished.

When they opened the wagon door they saw Visi staring back at them. Crystal tilted her head questioningly. “What are you doing here?”

Visi’s wings twitched and fluttered against her sides while she nodded towards the tower. “High Life barged in earlier shouting something about how you two had assaulted him. He practically overturned Terra’s bed in order to wake her. Then he demanded to use the emergency crystals. Terra just scoffed at him and told him that he’d probably deserved it, whatever the two of you had done. I came to see if you girls were okay.”

Trixie rolled her eyes and glanced over at Crystal, who’d apparently done the same thing and was looking back at her. They shared a giggle. “We’re fine. Go to bed, Visi. We’re joining you.”

The energetic pegasus sped ahead. Just walking didn’t seem possible to her. Trixie and Crystal walked side by side back towards the tower and it took a moment for Trixie to realise they were touching flanks. Friendship had bloomed. She grinned at this just as she realised that Crystal had asked something.

“I’m sorry – I’m getting sleepy. What did you say?”

“I was asking why you joined the expedition.”

“Oh.” Trixie blushed and thought about what to say. Then her tired brain decided ‘to Tartarus with it all’. “I’ve got assassins on my tail.”

“You’re joking.”

“I swear to Moon and Sun it is the truth, Crystal.”

Crystal laughed. “Must you always upstage everypony you meet?!”
> Trixie Sets the Downhill Sledding World Record
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Eight:


Trixie Sets the Downhill Sledding World Record




“It’s pointing straight at the eye of the cyclone, isn’t it?” Visi asked.

The enchanted orb hovered above Trixie’s head a hoof’s breadth away from the tip of her horn. She had her back to the glacier so from her vantage point the crystal inside it wasn’t visible. Her five companions stood in a half-circle around her. Behind them the crystal ponies watched.

Terra nodded. “We’d have to get another bearing and triangulate in order to find out without simply going where it points. And that’s assuming the windigo stays put. But it sure looks that way to me. That place is eerie enough even without windigos.”

“Why? What’s there?” Crystal asked.

Terra took a deep breath. This enabled Trixie to begin her own response before the Earthen mare could. “The capital of Unicornia. There are a couple of old legends about it. An old earth pony story tells of how an evil king conquered their most fertile farmlands to sate his vanity and megalomania. There’s also a unicorn tale of how King Chromium II sought to unite the bickering pony kingdoms by establishing a capital at a strategic location rife with symbolism but his pacifistic endeavours were sabotaged by petty nobles who were scared of losing their own power. It’s not something Trixie would talk about to the normal crowds she gets. There aren’t even any funny or deserving deaths.”

There was a harrumph and Terra spoke up. “That’s what used to be there. We, the few who ever visit the place nowadays, call what’s there now ‘Frostmirror’. For some reason there’s a smooth surface of ice about two kilometers in diameter, almost perfectly circular and so polished that it mirrors the sky above it. No snow pools into drifts on its surface. Based on comparisons between the few preserved maps of old noting terrain altitude and modern maps of the glacier there’s over two kilometers of ice between that mirrored surface and the actual ground, and that’s not accounting for the weight of the glacier possibly having pushed the bedrock down a bit. Trying to peer down into the ice reveals nothing. Some ponies claim to have seen strange flashes of colour at night but that’s most likely just old mares’ tales passed along the scouts.”

A chuckle issued from Broth’s direction. “Terry, in case you need reminding: we’re chasing an old mare’s tale.”

There was a brittle silence. “Thank you, Broth, but no. I don’t need reminding.” Terra nodded at Trixie and High Life. “We’re entering the territory of magic and the supernatural now. From this point onwards expect anything. Take nothing for granted! With that in mind we’ll do final preparations for the rest of today. Assembling a cage is first priority. Then we’ll familiarise ourselves with the enchanted crystals. Crystal, Visi, I want you flying around in the thermal flightsuits. Get used to what you can and can’t do in them.”

She turned to the crystal ponies. “Crystal Guard, you’re on housekeeping. Sort through our rations and stash them carefully. Make what repairs you can. Keep the tower interior free of snow and ice. Practice your combat drills!”



******



Day 18

Today was spent preparing for the last leg of the journey. The six of us will set out pulling one repackaged wagon and one cage. Terra says it’ll take us two days of easy travel to reach Frostmirror. We don’t of course know if the windigo really is there, or if it actually is somewhere else along the line drawn by the pointing crystal, but there’s a certain finality in the idea that the lords of winter would be resting in the eye of the snowstorm.

Poetry aside any snowstorm in this place and at this time is actually in reverse. The skies are crystal clear except for some very thin swirls of cirrus clouds a very long way up. The ground, on the other hoof, is veiled by a mist of fine particles of ice. The mist glows so brightly in the noon sun that you need to squint at it or risk blinding yourself. It billows and moves with the gentle wind and stops at only about three pony heights above the ground. From our modestly high vantage point it is like standing in front of a gargantuan and very sluggish whirlpool of glowing cloud. We can’t see as far as the hub where Frostmirror lies but we can see far enough to spot the slow rotation. It is both an awe-inspiring and humbling sight. Trixie feels honoured to be among the few to ever see it.

If the windigo is somewhere further away than Frostmirror then we’ll keep walking for two more days, allowing us to go as far as the far end of the Crystal Glacier before turning back. We are taking ten days’ rations with us.

We have assembled a cage. We hope it is large enough; one of the Princesses could easily stretch their wings inside of it without touching the walls or the ceiling. It consists of two layers of long and slender crystals joined together with iron bands and arranged into a mesh of triangles. One end of the cage is hinged and serves as the main door. The opposite end has a small hatch just large enough for a pony. The crystals of the outer layer are clear, translucent and gleaming from the slightest source of light. Trixie cannot explain it but the outer crystals are pleasant to touch. They seem to radiate warmth and everypony who came in contact with them lingered nearby when the cage was finished, occasionally touching or brushing up against it. It affected Terra as well but she shook it off and told the rest of us to get busy with our remaining tasks. The inner crystals are dull and opaque. They are unnerving. Touching one was extremely unpleasant and it affected everypony’s mood. Terra had to break up several arguments while we assembled the inner walls of the cage.

To everypony’s chagrin Terra gave us all more powerfully enchanted versions of both crystals in the form of pendants. Then she made us try them on. The enchantments are very scary: Trixie has an intense dislike for anything affecting her mind. Wearing the bright crystal might not sound very unpleasant but it has its downsides. When Trixie wore it everypony was suddenly her best friend. She felt loved, cared for and safe. Happy. Then I looked at High Life. He seemed to be a handsome stallion and I was ready to forgive and forget all his deeds. That’s when I screamed and tore the pendant away from me. I truly hope we never have to defend ourselves by wearing these.

The pendant with the dark crystal was worse. It felt like wearing a blindfold but instead of blocking out sight it was blocking out all that was good with the world. All Trixie could feel was pain, sorrow, anger and hate. Terra didn’t have us all wearing them at the same time, explaining that everypony but High Life and her would stand well back when the time came to capture the windigo.

Watching High Life don the dark pendant was unsettling. He seemed to shrug off the effects completely. How does he do that?

While on the topic of High Life: being spurned and ridiculed certainly hasn’t improved his mood. It remains to be seen what it did to his attitude though if supper tonight was any indication it did nothing good. He started arguing with Terra that he deserved a larger share of the reward money since he was going to do the riskiest job. Terra told him that if he felt it was too risky he only had to say so and Terra would lure the windigo in his stead. High Life interpreted this as an insult against his courage.

Terra took me aside after supper. She asked me to avoid antagonising High Life tomorrow. I said I would keep away from him as long as he kept away from me. Then I apologised to Terra for not being a better morale officer. She said ‘you can’t win over everypony to your side, Trixie’. It seems The Great and Powerful Trixie’s audiences will always contain at least one angry pony.


Day 19

We’ve travelled for sixteen hours today and Trixie only feels pleasantly tired. The smooth surface and the small drifts of snow means that the going is swift and easy. Hornwalking feels almost unnecessary now but Trixie kept it up anyway.

There’s almost zero visibility at surface level out on this glacier thanks to the slow cyclone and this mist of ice. Terra anticipated this and tied the wagon to the cage via a long rope. Not that there is much risk of being separated and losing the others since the mist hugs so close to the ground that Visi and Crystal can easily keep track of us from the air.

We have arranged ourselves so that Terra is leading us and I walk beside her. We’re both tethered to the wagon containing our equipment and supplies. High Life and Broth are pulling the cage. They were never farther away than the end of the rope but I usually failed to see them whenever I glanced back. All I’d see was the end of the rope disappearing into the bright mist. Still, keeping your bearing is very easy. The sky is almost fully visible so we can use the sun to navigate. Also, we’re heading for the center of a giant circular weather system so all we need to do is travel at right angles to the wind. Even if we didn’t have that all we’d need to do is take out the enchanted orb and see where it is pointing. We did that too a couple of times to check if the windigo had moved. The crystal kept pointing in the same direction.

Crystal and Visi were flying above us the entire day. Both were immensely relieved at being able to remain in the air for a longer period of time and the shadows of gliding pegasi kept passing us by. Another reason they remained airborne is that taking off and landing seems to be very difficult while wearing those thermal flightsuits of theirs. The suits are thick and stiff with thin slivers of fabric extending out to cover the leading edge of the pegasi’s wings. It’s a trade of agility for warmth. I watched some of their practice yesterday. They had to run at full gallop with their wings flapping madly before they gained altitude. Landing was a similar affair of descending while gliding and contacting the ground at running speeds. Hovering is impossible. So today the pegasi elected to remain flying once they’d made it into the air. Terra would shout up to them asking if we were on the right track. The answer was affirmative every time. By evening they told us that we were closer to the eye of the storm than to Pinewood Tower.

At this rate we’ll reach Frostmirror before noon tomorrow.



******



The bright, glittering mist ahead thinned and disappeared, revealing a smooth and grayish-blue surface of ice ahead. Trixie looked back and to the sides noting that the roiling clouds of icy mist ended very sharply. The border undulated gently but didn’t deviate much at all from a perfectly smooth circle, leaving the deep blue-gray ice exposed to the noonday sun overhead. True to its name Frostmirror reflected the sky with uncanny clarity. Trixie made the mistake of looking at the sun’s reflection and had to make do with its afterimage burned into her retinas for a couple minutes. The ice was anything but slippery, contrary to Trixie’s expectations. In fact her hooves seemed almost to stick to the surface. Terra explained it to her when she commented upon it. “The temperature here is far below freezing. It’s too cold for ice to be slippery.”

That made Trixie examine herself. She hadn’t even thought about needing insulation against the cold for several days now. Her coat was now shaggier than ever before in her life. The dryness of the air lent it a powerful static charge, making it rise and stand out in tufts. It was undeniably warm but almost criminally unkempt by Equestrian standards. Her fetlocks overflowed past her hooves and dragged along the ground with each step. Her mane and tail at least was the same as always but they were an incongruous patch of neatness on her otherwise wild appearance, nearly lost among the chaos of cyan fur.

Terra stopped at the approximate center of Frostmirror. She told Boiling Broth and High Life to park the cage next to the wagon. Then she looked up. Crystal was a minuscule speck high in the sky. Visi was much closer and the Earthen shouted up at her. “Do you see anything special?”

Visi’s voice was bereft of almost all echo by the featureless terrain, making it appear weak even though she wasn’t that far away. “There seems to be some kind of opening in the ice a couple kilometers away that is venting air, judging by how the mist is billowing up into the sky.”

Trixie watched Terra raise an eyebrow and mutter. “An opening, huh?” Then she looked down at Trixie. “Check the globe.”

Trixie nodded and opened the wagon door with her magic. The globe was where she’d put it so she didn’t even need to look to pick it up and hover it in front of her. Everyone gathered around it. Visi called to Crystal and soon the pegasi were making tight circles overhead, trying to watch the globe and listen in on the discussion.

For a while nopony talked. Everyone was just staring at the orb floating in front of them. The crystal was pointing almost straight down.

Terra was the first to break the silence. “Broth and High Life, take two nails from the wagon’s supplies and hammer them into the ice so they form a line to where the crystal seems to be pointing.”

When the nails were aligned to Terra’s satisfaction she walked away from the wagons at right angles from the implied line. She called over her shoulder for Trixie to follow with the orb and for High Life and Broth to come along with another pair of nails.

After a couple hundred meters she stopped and repeated the reading. When the nails were hammered down Terra looked up at the pegasi overhead. “Can you girls triangulate this? Is there anything close by where the lines cross? Take a line each and fly along it. Look around where you meet.”

Visi banked to align herself with the closer line and Crystal flew off to the first line. The four groundbound ponies watched the pair silently. The pegasi met unexpectedly close by, circled around the area a couple times and returned. Crystal shouted down the news.

“It’s close to the fountain of air that Visi spotted but other than that we didn’t see anything!”

“The blasted mist could hide anything!” Terra mumbled.

High Life spoke up. “Wasn’t the idea that we’d lure the windigo to us? Let’s just see if we get a catch where the cage is right now. We have no idea how far away a windigo can sense ponies’ emotions, after all.”

“You’re right. Let’s give it a try!” Broth and Trixie, I want you two to pull the wagon to a safe distance... huh.” Terra blinked in confusion.

Broth and Trixie glanced at each other. Then they went back to looking at Terra. Broth chuckled. “Would you define ‘safe distance’ for us, Terry? We’re going to potentially piss off a being that can shape the climate of an entire country, so... Canterlot? Saddle Arabia? The moon?”

Terra waved a hoof in irritation. “Yeah, yeah. Forget I said that. Just move the wagon away a bit and keep your pendants close.”

Trixie and Broth decided to define ‘a bit’ as about one hundred meters. They debated for a while whether they should secure the wheels with nails hammered into the ice but decided not to. Then they waved to Terra and High Life. The cage was ready with both doors open. There was a short conversation after which High Life put on the dark pendant.

Everypony quieted down from the resulting tension. Trixie could hear her own heartbeat, and the ever-present hiss of billions of ice crystals colliding in the mist surrounding her. Occasionally the flutter of wings heralded one of the pegasi flying past.

After a while Trixie felt Broth nudging her. She turned her head and the stallion leaned in to whisper at her. “Check the orb. See if the crystal is moving.”

A nod and a burst of magic later the orb was placed on the ground between the two ponies. At first they watched the crystal intently but when they couldn’t detect even the slightest quiver from it their attention wavered. Soon Trixie was watching the circling pegasi and not thinking very much.

A shout brought her out of her daydreaming with a start. She looked around wildly but failed to see anything other than Terra beckoning at her and Broth. They walked towards the cage and saw that High Life had removed the pendant.

Terra nodded at Trixie and Broth. “I decided to call it quits. High Life’s eyes were turning green. I was warned this might happen by the mage who gave them to me. The magic is leaking a bit and could affect the wearer negatively in the long run.”

High Life huffed. “I feel fine!”

“Good. But we’ve been here now for half an hour or so and we’ve seen nothing. So let’s go closer to where the tracking orb is pointing once you’ve rested a bit.”

“I think it’s a waste of time but whatever.”

Terra raised an eyebrow and stared at High Life for a moment before turning to Trixie and Broth. “Could you two fetch the wagon? If we’re going to try this in the mist then it’s no longer a good idea to be spread out. Oh, and Trixie? Could you carry the orb please?”

Trixie nodded and walked back to the wagon together with Broth. She had packed her hat and cape in it so now she took the cape and stuffed the orb into one of its pockets before wearing it. She had trouble fastening the clasp around her much thicker neck and for a moment marvelled at how long she’d gone without it. She hadn’t tried to put it on for more than a week. It looked silly on her now thanks to her shaggy coat.

When she and Broth returned with the wagon in tow High Life announced that he’d rested long enough. Terra seemed dubious but nodded. “All right, let’s go. Keep close together in the mist. Crystal and Visi will tell us where exactly to go.”

They entered the white smoke and were instantly isolated from the world. Trixie walked behind Broth on the left side of the cage. Visi shouted a course correction and had to follow up with further instructions as judging how big of a turn one was making proved difficult in the directionless fog. The walk couldn’t have lasted long but felt like an eternity without any way to judge progress.

Eventually Crystal called down to them. “You’ve reached the edge where the mist billows up. Be careful! We can’t see what’s really down there from up here!”

Broth shouted back. “Can’t you clear away this mist at least for a while? I don’t want to walk into a hole I can’t see!”

“Maybe if we could hover but the cold would get to us quickly without the suits!”

Trixie decided she’d had enough. As a stage magician and storyteller she had some experience with problem solving so she applied herself. “We’ve got rope in the wagon. How about if Trixie, who is the lightest of us, were to tie the rope around herself so she could scout ahead while you three held on to the other end of it?”

Terra’s voice floated over from where she was pulling the cage the cage, any visual sign of her lost in the mist. “Sure sounds like a plan.”

Trixie entered the wagon and took the coil of rope hanging from a hook on the wall. She used her magic to tie one end of it around her barrel behind her shoulders. The rest of the rope she tossed to Broth and Terra who coiled it around their forehooves so they could keep it taut while feeding Trixie more of it as she advanced. High Life just sat and watched disinterestedly. Trixie cast him a suspicious glance before nodding to Terra and walking forward into the mist.

Terra called out to her after only a few steps. “Keep talking to us, Trixie. Tell us what you see.”

“Well that’s just it, isn’t it? Trixie sees mist, mist and more mist!”

“All right, all right. You’re walking in the right direction, at least.”

Being alone in the mist with neither wagon nor pony beside her was unnerving. Even seeing where the white mist ended and the ground began was difficult, only given certainty when she watched her hooves contact the dark surface. Then she noticed a change. “The ice is beginning to slope a bi— ah!”

Trixie had slipped on the suddenly treacherous surface. The unexpected loss of balance caused her to fall sideways. She landed hard, knocking the wind out of her and hitting her head. Then she slid, the ice sloping more and more. Shouts of surprise echoed from Terra and Broth. Just as she felt the ice disappear beneath her forehooves there was a sharp yank on the rope and she stopped.

She was dangling just inside the lip of a funnel-like hole in the ice, so smooth that it lacked any sharp edges. It was perhaps five meters across and a constant torrent of warm, moist air spewed up from it making the ice slippery. The moisture froze as it mixed with the freezing glacier air above her head, adding to the tiny ice crystals floating around. She saw beads of moisture forming on her coat.

High Life’s irritated voice carried through the mist. “What did you do now?”

She was too rattled to snap back at him just then. Instead she looked around and down. “The ice became slick and I slipped! There’s a large hole here. It looks like... great Luna, I can’t see how deep it goes! It just seems to continue down into the darkness without changing!” She was gripped by a sudden fear of heights and scrabbled futilely against the smooth wall of the vertical tunnel, only making her bob a bit on the rope. “Help! Pull me up!”

High Life’s voice floated over to her. “Will you calm down?! You’re pulling out Terra’s teeth the way you’re thrashing! Just keep still and let her and Broth do their work.”

Trixie forced herself to be still and was almost immediately tugged out of the hole.

“Pull back more! The ice is too slick here!”

Returning to level ice also meant returning to freezing temperatures. Her shaggy coat had collected a considerable amount of moisture which now turned to large droplets of ice. She staggered to her hooves and let herself be tugged back to Broth and Terra while cursing and trying to remove the ice without pulling out hairs. The three ponies waiting for her looked anxiously at her before breaking out in laughter.

“You look like somepony dipped you in sugar!”

Trixie sighed while trying to untie herself, a task made harder by her coating of ice. “There’s a steady stream of warm and moist air flowing from the pit. It’s probably what makes this mist. The moisture caught on my coat. Anyway, we can’t go much closer than this without risking to fall in.”

Terra nodded. “All right, then we’ll just have to test where we are now. I don’t want to lose sight of anypony while we do this so that means we’re sticking close to one another. That raises an issue however.” She glanced between Trixie and High Life. “We’re on mostly friendly terms and theory says the windigos don’t like that. We’ll need to correct that... which means we’re all wearing the dark pendants this time.”

Broth groaned, saving Trixie the effort. She settled for a deep sigh instead as she clambered quickly up into the wagon to fetch three dark pendants from their storage case. She floated over one each to the earth ponies before placing a third around her neck on top of the cloak. Her mood was instantly fouled. Doubt and anger boiled within her but she breathed deeply to calm down. High Life donned his just as she was placing her hooves on the ice again. He fixed her with a scornful stare and walked a little bit away from the wagon towards the pit.

Suddenly Trixie was very annoyed at High Life’s constant solo act. “Where do you think you’re going? Terra said we’re to stick together!”

“Yeah well you can stick together with the rest of the pansies if you want oh ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie. This is a job for true ponies, not show-offs.”

Trixie checked herself just before she’d have bit his head off. She hadn’t realised how bad her mood was. Instead she just sighed and turned away in disgust. One little comment still managed to escape with the sigh. “Oh, please.”

High Life stopped dead and his voice rose in anger. “Oh please what, you fraud?”

Trixie had enough. The last straw had broken the camel’s back. The cup had, oh so verily, run over. She turned around and walked up to High Life until there was almost no space between them, staring him in the eye. “Oh please, as if you knew anything about true ponies! Your smile is false, your looks are fake and your idea of charity is anything that benefits you!”

High Life raised his voice higher and brushed away some of his mane that had been displaced by the wind. “That’s rich coming from ‘The Gweat and Powahfull Twixie’! You have so little grip on reality that your stage persona is taking over! You, living in lala-land, accuse me of not knowing what’s true? I work for a living!”

Trixie laughed in his face and shook her head to free a couple of hairs that had blown into her eyes. “You call being a noble work? I actually have to earn bits to eat! That’s work! Work isn’t some hobby that happens to give you extra spending cash on top of whatever your inherited investments pay you! And yes, work screws with your head! But it also means I’m out there in the real world, enough so that even The Great and Powerful Trixie can tell the difference between a good deed and taking advantage of somepony in need! It’s something you Bluebloods can’t seem to figure out even if somepony holds your hoof!”

By now High Life and Trixie were pressed snout to snout and screaming at each other. Hooves landed on Trixie’s shoulders trying to tug her away but she shrugged them off. High Life was laughing back as harshly as she had done previously. “Oh that’s rich coming from you! Lulamoons sure know how to take somepony else’s merits and twisting them to make them look bad! Only somepony as convinced of their own perfection would have the gall to take another pony’s kindness and interpret it as cruelty! I heard about your little performances, Trixie! You’re the worst of your pathetic family! At least your siblings have the guts to compete with other nobility, but not you! No, you had to go and stomp all over some commoners in order to feel superior to somepony because you are such a failure at being a noble! Not even King Sombra, whom you took such pleasure in mentioning the other day, oppressed his subjects for the sake of ego inflation, making him better than you! You’re an all-round horrible pony, Bellatrix Lulamoon, and I can understand perfectly how you could annoy Granny Lobelia to the point where she wants you dead!”

Trixie gasped in shock. Her idea of the stallion in front of her went from insufferable jerk to dangerous assassin in a heartbeat and she acted on pure instinct. Her horn flared as she leaped backwards and her magic shoved High Life roughly. For a fleeting moment she noticed that her aura wasn’t the usual pink but a sickly green.

High Life stumbled backwards but didn’t lose his balance. Terra shouted something but Trixie was too distracted to hear what. High Life reared his head and a look of pure rage stole over him as he let his horn flare. He shoved her hard with his magic, his furious eyes flashing green and his mane and tail flapping in the fierce wind. Trixie tumbled backwards but before she could fall on her back she found a pair of massive legs seizing hold of her around her barrel and stopping her.

Terra shouted into Trixie’s ear. “Take off the pendant! Do it now!”

Trixie returned to her senses and stared in shock at High Life, noting the sickly green aura around his horn. Then Broth appeared behind him and pulled him backwards.

Trixie fumbled with the medallion but something kept tugging at her coat and distracting her. She took in more of her surroundings and noticed the wind for the first time. This wasn’t the gentle current of the cyclone anymore but a fierce stormwind tearing at her... and it was centered on the now clearly visible hole.

And out of that hole flew not one, not five but dozens of ghostly forms, their constant braying chilling her blood. The windigos looked like translucent equinoids with horribly distorted snouts and misproportioned forelimbs. Their back bodies didn’t exist, their torsos simply petering out into a wispy trail of blue smoke. Their eyes glowed a fierce blue, much stronger than the rimewolves, and their mouths were open in a constant, distorted whinny. They shot into the air above and assumed formation in a circular dance centered on the hole and the air turned with them, picking up strength.

Panic gripped Trixie as it had only a couple times before in her life and she fought madly to find her hooves. In the process she accidentally hit Terra, causing the large Earthen mare to stumble and lose her grip on Trixie. The back of Trixie’s head hit the ice before the rest of her, causing her vision to narrow and for stars to dance in front of her eyes. When she managed to recover she found herself skidding along the icy ground and she scrabbled madly to dig her hooves into the unyielding surface. She succeeded and turned to face the wind with her eyes closed, minimizing her profile against it. The wind tore at her coat like nothing she’d ever experienced.

She opened her eyes ever so little to see what was ahead and saw Terra some distance in front of her trying to shout to her and beckoning with a hoof. The Earthen mare’s coat and mane was being sucked in front of her by the wind, shading her face and making it difficult to see her expression. Trixie noted the desperation anyway, it was that obvious. She tried to shuffle forward carefully against the ever-increasing wind and managed a couple of steps when a new problem made itself apparent. Something was choking her.

Her cape. The wind was tugging at it so hard that it was throttling her. Her vision was already tunnelling again. So she risked a gamble and raised a hoof to fumble with the clasp.

In the next moment she was tumbling. The wind buffeted her, preventing any attempt to regain her balance. She screamed but could barely hear herself over the howling of the storm and the windigos. For a brief moment some stunned part of her reflected on how warm the wind was. Moisture was gathering on her coat and forming droplets on the ice. Unfortunately, said the same part, that meant the ice was now very slippery. She no longer tumbled but skidded along. Then she felt the ice underneath her curve into a slope.

The wind actually relented but it was too late. She was at the lip of the hole, legs flailing futilely on the ever-steepening ice.

She slipped over the edge and fell straight down into darkness against the rising, humid air.



******



Trixie hurt so much. She’d already been sobbing when she’d come to her senses. There was water around her body but not enough to risk drowning her. She could feel and hear it flowing by and its near-freezing temperature was welcome due to how it dulled her senses. She’d tried moving her legs but the great explosion of pain that had resulted in snuffed whatever scrap of willpower that had lent her courage enough to do so.

The darkness around her was total. She didn’t know how far she’d fallen (and slipped, slid, tumbled, crashed...) but it was far enough and curved enough not to permit even the faintest trace of daylight. In her current state finding the focus to channel magic was impossible, not even taking into account that her horn was likely injured as well. Normally such a prospect would be terrifying enough but there and then it was just another thing that would kill her eventually if it was as bad as it felt. Now watch in awe, my little ponies, as the Great and Powerful Trixie dies from no less than three simultaneous causes! Trixie’s train of thoughts had long ago lost any coherency or sense. Time was impossible for her to measure.

Then there was a new sound mixed in with the drip and gurgle of water: a rhythmic splashing that was slowly strengthening. Superimposed on that was a feeling of warmth. The pain was fading along with her sense of touch. Her sobs stopped with a deep, rattling sigh and she just lay there. Her thoughts fled into the past and for once the memories were only happy. Her mother was lifting her with magic, letting Trixie pretend she could fly. The day she learned telekinesis. Her tenth birthday when she’d dared a colt to kiss her and been utterly, delightfully shocked when he’d done so on her lips. The school play that earned her her cutiemark. The times when there weren’t any hecklers in the crowd and everypony cheered at the end; all three of them.

Suddenly there was light of a beautiful gold hue that made the now visible walls of ice glisten warmly. The rhythmic splashes were now very close. They paused briefly before resuming at a quicker pace. Then something nudged Trixie, making her viewpoint bob.

A vision of divinity appeared in front of Trixie, slowly entering from the edge of her sight. A face of a mare with silvery coat and golden mane and with dark chestnut eyes that looked at her with such compassion and sorrow that Trixie fought an impulse to reassure the mare that nothing was wrong – she was just dying and that was all right. Instead Trixie just tried to smile even though she couldn’t feel her face anymore.

The apparition opened her mouth and spoke but Trixie didn’t understand a word. It didn’t matter. The tone was so soft that she understood the spirit even without the letter of the message. This was a herald of the Great Roaming Grounds of Concordia. Trixie was dying and the mare was there to take her to Concordia as reward for a reasonably blameless life. Trixie felt safe and ready. True, the method and time were not satisfactory and she doubted anypony would ever bury what remained of her but (and there was a twinge of regret there) she’d be mourned by at least a couple ponies and that was enough for her.

Knowing everything would be fine she closed her eyes and let herself go.
> Trixie Is Apprenticed to Starswirl the Bearded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Nine:


Trixie Is Apprenticed to Starswirl the Bearded




Green. Her dreams were in shades of green. That was stranger, if only marginally, than the fact that they played out in reverse. She saw herself fall up, out of the hole. She was fighting with High Life but they managed to gradually calm down. The six of them retreated from Frostmirror and backed up all the way to Pinewood Tower. She told the story of how the three pony tribes left paradise in order to colonise the frozen northern wastes, where they managed to warm the climate by arguing amongst themselves. Then she told the story again but the right way around. And again, backwards.

All of a sudden there was a face looking at her. It was distorted by waves of green but she saw the joy in the eyes. Something about those eyes scared her but she didn’t understand what or why. There was a sound as if somepony had spoken to her while she was submerged in a bathtub.

“Culuv Hufer...”

She felt a tingle of magic touching her head. All of a sudden colour returned, riding on a cresting wave of memories. An entire life’s worth in a single blow that crashed over her. She was swamped underneath it and lost herself among its eddies.



******



She dreamed that she was choking. Something was pressing against her throat. A cloak? She vaguely remembered something about her cloak catching on something... No, that wasn’t right. She wasn’t choking, she was drowning. Her lungs were flooded! Panic ensued and she thrashed wildly, hooves beating against a yielding, rubbery surface until something went pop. There was a loud rushing sound and then she was tumbling along a floor, retching and coughing up fluid.

She realised that her eyes were clenched tightly shut so she relaxed her face and opened them, blinking cautiously. The first thing she saw was a puddle of greenish slime that she’d apparently coughed up. The nauseating fluid lay on a floor of stone. Walls of marble enclosed a large room. Copper sconces held enchanted globes that shone a bright sun-like light.

“Clo? That you?”

Her ears flicked. That voice! She tried calling out to it but managed only to croak something unintelligible. She coughed some more and cleared her throat before trying again. This time she managed to speak though her voice was hoarse and generally wrong. “Ellie?”

Ashen white hooves wrapped themselves around her slimy shoulders with a squelch and then she was being smothered by a hug. “Clo, I’ve missed you so much!” She was pulled into sitting.

Clo felt her brow furrow. “But... I haven’t left yet? Did something happen? I was supposed to leave in the morning. Just what is going—"

A hoof on Clo’s lips silenced her. “Please, now isn’t the time. Let’s clean you up. Mother said she wanted to speak to you as soon as you woke up.”

Clo’s expression brightened. She turned to the mare hugging her and smiled. “Has she changed her mind? Will she return with us all?”

Ellie’s breath seemed to catch in her throat. The normally so graceful unicorn mare looked so guilty and sad that Clo was aghast; she couldn’t understand what brought on the sudden mood swing. She studied her friend: Ellie looked more radiant than Clo could ever remember her being. Her gray coat had a wonderful metallic sheen and her dark yellow mane positively glinted in the magical light of the wall bulbs. To see such a beautiful image of youthful energy and health bear such a distraught expression was heartrending. “Ellie? What’s wrong?”

“You... You’ve been out of it for a long time. The expedition is long gone.”

Clo lowered her head. “Am I being punished?”

“No! No, Mother is very happy she managed to – er – save you!”

“But I don’t understand. What is—" Clo was looking around while she talked and she’d just glanced back over her shoulder and seen what she’d emerged from. The sight stunned her into silence. Ellie looked on with an unhappy frown as Clo slowly turned large, incredulous eyes towards her.

“Ellie, could you please explain why I’ve apparently burst out of a changeling pod?”

The broken pod was one of a large cluster of fluid-filled semi-translucent sacs that towered higher than a standing pony. There were some empty ones, but they were the exception. The rest were filled with changelings and Clo couldn’t figure out if that was surprising or not. Ellie rubbed a hoof gently against Clo’s slime-coated shoulder, making the confused mare realise just how messy the hug Ellie had given her had been.

“Clo, you were almost dead when I found you. We have found that changeling magic is a superb healing tool but for it to work you must be in a pod. It... costs... a lot but Mother said to do it. She stayed by your side for a long while as you healed, you know. I haven’t seen her so long away from her throne in ages.”

Clo was horrified and enraged. “But... changelings?! Whatever they ask in return just can’t be worth it!” She’d shouted the words and her voice sounded wrong to herself. She blamed being drowned in changeling goop for who knows how long.

A new voice answered. “Allow me to decide what is worth doing and what is not, Cloven Hoof. It is not up to you to judge your betters. I’d be especially reluctant, if I were you, to criticise an action that saved your life. Not very clever is it?”

The newcomer had appeared in a doorway. She was an adult unicorn mare of otherwise indeterminate age. Her mane and tail were both a shimmering light gray with the mane being slightly darker. Her eyes were blue and cold and the smile she wore didn’t reach them. Clo – Cloven Hoof – gasped and bowed quickly.

“Princess, I—”

The gray unicorn raised a hoof. “You’ve been away from us for quite some time, Cloven Hoof. I have been coronated Queen in your absence. I shall forgive your slight this once.”

Cloven’s eyes bulged and she stammered. “Th-thank you, Your Majesty. I apologize.”

The Queen’s eyes shifted over to Ellie. “Electrum, my daughter, I trust you’ll gladly show Cloven Hoof to her quarters so she can wash and rest? I am impatient to talk to her, I must admit, but her stay among the barbarians have obviously drained her severely. Once she’s clean and recovered I want you to bring her to me.”

Ellie – Electrum – bowed her head. “Yes, Mother.”

Electrum and Cloven Hoof watched the queen leave in silence. Then Electrum gave a quick nuzzle to Cloven’s shoulder and walked towards the same doorway. Cloven followed mutely. They walked through murky corridors and up dark stairwells lit by a few magic lights at great intervals. They passed no guards, servants or anypony else. The floors and walls were bare with no carpets, tapestries, paintings or other ornaments breaking the gray monotony. The sole exception was a banner hanging beside a doorway. Cloven looked at it curiously: it depicted a gray unicorn mare wearing a crown and carrying a scepter in her magic. She was standing on two other ponies, a pegasus and an earth pony. Text adorned the bottom of the banner: ‘United, Under The Rightful Rule of Queen Platinum, We Shall Prosper’.

Cloven Hoof sighed, rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “So... Queen Platinum huh? I’m sorry about your grandfather, Ellie... Or should I say Princess Electrum now?”

Ellie chuckled. “Not you, Clo. You never have to be formal with me. As for Chromie... I wasn’t there. Mother said he grew frail and passed away in his sleep.”

“Last I remember he was very healthy for his age. He and Master so liked to debate philosophy and their discussions were very entertaining to follow. I’m saddened to hear he’s passed away.”

Ellie shrugged gently while walking. “It was a long time ago, Clo. We’ve all moved on since then.”

“You keep saying that but just how long-?”

“Here we are: your quarters! Mother instructed the servants to leave it untouched. Except for dusting of course.”

Cloven Hoof paused at the indicated door and peered at Electrum. The princess was shifting nervously from hoof to hoof and avoiding her gaze. “Ellie, I know you are hiding things from me. The ‘barbarians’, as your mother so affectionately call them, don’t call me ‘Clover the Clever’ for nothing. I trust you are trying to help by doing so but in my experience keeping secrets from somepony is rarely beneficial.”

Electrum regarded her hooves disconsolately and whispered. “Clo, Mother is... not the same. She’s done so many things since you’ve been gone. I must love her, of course, but... Well... I’m trying to let you know things as gently as possible.” She looked up into Cloven’s eyes and smiled a brittle smile. “I guess the first step is making a nice, hot bath for you. You’ve trailed mucus all over the floors!”

Clover looked back down the corridor. There was indeed an easily spotted green trail leading away from her. She chuckled. “Your will be done, Princess. You could use one yourself after hugging me like that.” She channeled magic to her horn and unlocked the door to her quarters. The old mechanism creaked and her magic felt clumsy and out of practice but the door swung open after a few seconds.

The room beyond was the first place she’d seen that could be called welcoming. This was doubly true for her since she’d been the one to furnish it. Everything was where she remembered. Centrally located was a large oaken table with eight chairs. Stacks of books covered it. Shelves lined every vacant wall, their dominance broken only by four doors and a fireplace. The room was large enough to fit a noble and showed the favour Clover had earned as court mage.

She breathed in the dust of home with a wavering smile – had she been gone for so long that home smelt foreign to her? – before walking forward and entering the room. A glance at the table told her the books were in bad condition but she didn’t want to approach them for a closer inspection in her current state. She opened the door to the bathroom and walked in. Magic lights flickered and brightened in the darkness, casting their illumination on a large bronze tub set in the floor. A shower nozzle was suspended above it at the end of a pipe running into a ceiling. A spark of magic made water gush out of the showerhead. Steam rose from where it pooled in the tub before draining.

Clover climbed gingerly into the tub and sat underneath the stream of water. A glance over her shoulder showed that Electrum was gazing at her intently with a hint of... fear? Apprehension? Clover frowned. “What’s the matter? Did you want to go first?”

Electrum swallowed. “N-no. I just think I should be here for you.”

“I’m not made of fine porcelain, you know.” Clover sighed and scrubbed herself, letting the water wash away the changeling slime still clinging to her coat. She noted for the first time how shaggy her coat was. It seemed pale as well: a washed-out cyan rather than the deep green she was used to. Then her attention travelled to her foreleg. Cloven Hoof was named at birth for the most notable feature of her pony anatomy: a congenital birth defect had left her with four neatly chipped hooves. But the chip was nowhere to be found on the raised leg, the hoof unblemished and smooth. That by itself would’ve been welcome but the changeling goo had washed away completely, leaving no green colour behind. The leg she was staring at with mounting terror was pale and cyan.

It wasn’t Clover the Clever’s leg. Now that she realised it she picked up on everything else. The horn was wrong. The magic felt wrong. She stood too tall. Her vision was perfect with all signs of nearsightedness gone. Her sense of smell seemed too weak and the scents she did smell were subtly wrong somehow. And her voice... The hoof in front of her was trembling now.

“Ellie.” Clover whispered. Electrum’s hooves were around her shoulders in a heartbeat. “Ellie. This isn’t me. This isn’t my— This—” Clover the Clever’s mind shattered like fine porcelain. She screamed and thrashed. She yelled, cursed and cried. Through it all her friend held her and whispered soothing sounds into her (not that they were her) ears.

When Clover regained her ability to think she was lying on her side in the tub with Electrum on top of her and still hugging her. She heard the princess crying softly into her mane. A minute or two passed as she sorted through her thoughts and feelings. Then she turned to look into the desperate and tearful eyes looking down at her.

“Ellie... Whose body is this?”

“I-I don’t know! The windigos disappeared and Mother sent me to inspect the tunnels and she was lying there! She was dying and I begged Mother to save her and she agreed! Then later she stormed into my room and declared joyfully that the pony was you! She went on about how the barbarians had made you insane but that she’d rescued you with a memory spell...”

Clover groaned. “By Starswirl’s beard! She’s injected some innocent pony with the sum total of my memories up to my second departure... That’s heinous, Ellie!”

Electrum sobbed quietly and spoke with a wavery tone. “Mother’s sick. She’s wrong in the head somehow. I don’t know what to do! I have to love her and I don’t dare try to argue against her!”

“You have to love her? What’s that supposed to mean? I get that she’s your mother but—"

Electrum let go of Clover and turned away, rubbing her right foreleg over her left. “I don’t know if I should tell you. It would only make you even more upset and you’re having a hard time as it is.”

“I’m a guest in somepony else’s body, put here against both our wills most likely, and you tell me there’s something about this that’ll make me even more upset? I’m sorry, Electrum, but now I’m really curious!”

Electrum closed her eyes and angled her face to catch the stream from the showerhead. She held still for a moment, letting the water flow down her coat, before turning away and climbing out of the tub. She nodded at Clover. “All right. I guess we’d better get this over with.”

Magic dried their now clean coats and manes. Electrum led Clover downwards again and as they walked through the halls Clover took note of the darkness outside the windows they passed.

“What time is it anyway?”

Electrum simply walked on and spoke in a nonchalant monotone. “I don’t really know. The last functioning mechanical clock broke down a long time ago and we don’t know enough about gears and metal to fashion replacement parts. It’s light and dark here according to Mother’s whim.”

Clover stopped and stared at the receding pony. When Electrum realised she wasn’t being followed she looked back over her shoulder. “What is it?”

“Did somepony smash all the clocks? Some of them should run just fine for centuries.”

“No. Like I said: they wore out their gears and broke down. We tried to conserve the more intricate ones by only having one at a time up and running but it was only a matter of time.”

Clover’s eyes were by then as wide as they could get. “Just... how long have I been ‘out’?”

“Come.” There was now something bitter in Electrum’s voice. “Let me show you how I measure time.”

They ended up in a cellar vault similar to the one where Clover had woken up. This one, too, had changeling pods but instead of one single cluster there were several with only narrow passageways between them. The pods were about equally filled with developing changeling shapes... and developing pony shapes. Five changelings moved among the pods. A sixth changeling observed from atop a flight of stairs, her form the tall and slender one of a changeling queen. Her back was to the pair of unicorns but she turned around when Electrum called out.

“Nana!”

The changeling queen’s expression went from neutral to bright and smiling. Clover thought the effect was spoiled by how this made the changeling’s fangs all the more apparent. She held back as Electrum rushed forward while giggling and embraced the changeling queen in a hug.

“Hello, little Ellie. You haven’t visited your Nana in such a long time I’ve forgotten your voice!” The changeling’s voice would have been pleasant enough were it not for the buzzing interference it contained. Her eyes rose until she was staring up at Clover who backed away uncertainly.

“Ellie, who’s your friend here?”

Electrum stiffened in the changeling’s embrace and turned her head to glance back worriedly. “Nana, this is Clover the Clever – well technically anyway. Clo, this is Queen Furmici. She raised me.”

Clover’s brows met in confusion. “What are you talking about?! You had a nanny – a dear old earth pony!”

“Yes, I know, but... come. See for yourself. It’s all right, Clover.”

At Electrum’s beckoning Clover approached carefully. Queen Furmici seemed to inspect her with curiosity. When Clover was right in front of them the queen spoke.

“Ellie, she doesn’t look like the Clover I remember.”

The unicorn in her embrace sighed and looked at the floor. “I know. It’s not really her. It’s complicated. Mother thought it was her and helped her... remember.”

There was a gasp from the changeling. “No! She didn’t!” Mournful insectoid eyes met Clover’s. “I’m so sorry, Clover. I hadn’t realised she’s in that bad shape.”

“Have we... met?”

Queen Furmici chuckled slightly. “In a way yes. In two other ways, no. Back before the exodus was called I was a courtesan. The nobles who desired my company often bade me accompany them to court to brag and display their affluence. I didn’t mind, of course, but that means I saw you from time to time.”

Changelings had infiltrated the unicorn court before the exodus? Clover digested this for a moment, hoof raised to her chin. “All right... how did you end up like this?”

The changeling queen glanced down uncertainly at Electrum who returned the glance with a nod urging her to answer. “Well, do you realise how defenseless changelings are against windigos? We are naturally incapable of feeling true love. It would be consumed by ourselves or other changelings. That means the most powerful positive emotion keeping windigos at bay is absent from our repertoire. Add to that our poor ability to maintain a constant body temperature in cold weather. I had maintained a small hive here in the capital but I knew we’d never survive the journey the exodus called for. When I heard that Platinum intended to stay behind I decided to risk throwing myself at her mercy. I made her an offer... and she accepted it eagerly.”

The gears were already turning in Clover’s head. “You offered to share your longevity, didn’t you?”

Furmici nodded. “In exchange for protection and the permission to maintain a small hive I promised to extend her lifespan for as long as she desires. She saw it as perfectly natural: she told me that I had previously stolen her subjects’ love and affection when it rightfully belonged to her. So I was simply returning what I had taken without permission. She ‘graciously’ granted me the pony title of duchess as well and instructed me to ‘tax’ her subjects.”

“Because it is the love that you harvest that fuels your long life.”

There was a long, drawn-out sigh from the changeling. “Correct.”

Clover’s hoof gestured to take in the entire room with its pods. “But what’s all this then?”

“This is part of the arrangement. In order to ensure the maximum ‘taxable’ love, Platinum ordained that all pony foals would be given changeling foster parents... and all changeling larvae would be cared for by pony parents. She extended this to her own daughter.”

“But... Electrum here didn’t need any more fostering, surely? I mean, she was twenty-three when the exodus was called.”

Furmici made to answer but Electrum’s hoof stopped her. “Nana, I want to show her this.”

This was met with a silent nod. Queen Furmici backed away to give Electrum and Clover free passage down the stairs. Clover passed the large changeling warily but Furmici only looked at the much smaller pony with sad eyes. Clover was so preoccupied with watching Furmici over her shoulder that she bumped into Electrum who’d stopped in front of the closest batch of changeling pods. The golden-maned mare simply glanced back at her before returning her gaze to the pods and speaking.

“Queen Furmici grants the longevity of the changeling queens only to Mother. She’s done so faithfully over a period of time that we’ve failed to keep track of but it’s surely thousands of years by now. So, Clover the Clever...” Electrum turned to look at her. “...you are no doubt wondering: where does that leave me, her daughter? This question distressed Mother greatly but she arrived at a solution after a bit of research. I would be granted eternal childhood, youth and adolescence, forever cycling through a pony’s development stages... aided by your master’s amniomorphic magic and the memory transfer spell.”

A form of nauseous horror gripped Clover. Electrum was fondly stroking the nearest pod, inside of which floated a pony – a small filly. The green slime distorted colours but when taking it into account Clover estimated the filly to have a golden mane and a silvery coat. It was a much younger copy of Princess Electrum.

“I am not the only occupant of these pods. Some of Mother’s favourite courtiers are remade from time to time as strikes her fancy. They must love her or be discarded. She can always try again later, you see. The amniomorphic spell lets her create ponies directly into these pods. They grow up as unconscious, blank slates ready to be ‘reminded’ of who they should be according to Mother.”

Clover collapsed. She stared at the pods as if her world was crumbling. And still her inquisitive mind forced her to investigate just how thoroughly her princess and queen had perverted everything she and her master, Starswirl the Bearded, had worked to create. “How... many... times..?”

Electrum raised an eyebrow at Clover. “Have I been reborn and discarded? Well, I usually wake up in a pod around age eight or so and manage to feel some love for Mother up to maybe my twenty-fifth birthday. You asked me earlier how long it’s been? This is my two hundred and seventeenth time being age twenty-two.”

“Do you remember it all?”

“Hah, no. I know how many times it’s been because I’ve taken to leaving messages to my later selves in my quarters. Most of the times Mother just gives me my first memories up to my physical age, not even bothering to explain where all the ice came from. She rarely bothers using her magic to preserve my later memories because I grow too independent to really love her and she discards me quickly.”

Clover was regaining her composure and with it came an instinctive drive to plan for actions and contingencies. “Why must you love her, Ellie? Wouldn’t the obvious affection you feel for Nan – um, Queen Furmici – be enough?”

“Love isn’t a finite resource that can only be directed to one target at a time. Besides, she’s long ago learned how to sense love like a changeling. Don’t ask me how. I have to love her... or she discards me and tries again.”

“Discards... how?”

“She gave me my memories. She can take them away. The changelings can make my empty, mindless shell love them and do some basic menial work.” Electrum shuddered. “I think the previous me is still somewhere down in the crystal mines. I’m not really in the mood to check.”

By now Clover’s eyes were darting this way and that. She raised herself to sitting and kept asking questions. “When you said you don’t know the time of day... are we snowed in? Are the windigos still here?”

“We aren’t snowed in, Clover. There’s a mountain of ice on top of us. Mother keeps a magic shield up with the excess love that doesn’t go towards extending her life, both to keep the ice from crashing down on our heads and to keep the windigos away. She sometimes extends it upwards, trying to breach the glacier. Some of my early selves remember seeing the sun shine through a hole far above their heads but that hasn’t happened for many, many generations of me now. The windigos are almost constantly outside. Mother feels them probing her shield. That’s how she could tell they had left. That’s how I was sent out and found... well, you. They are back now by the way. They returned while you were healing.”

“All right. Do you know how long I was healing?”

“We have a sand clock that we think runs for about a day and it ran out of sand three times while you were in the pod. We’ve probably lost some of the sand over time but it gives you a maximum I guess.”

“One last question, Ellie. What, in the name of all that is holy, does your mother hope to achieve with all of this?!”

“She... intends to wait until the windigos grow tired and the ice recedes. She’s convinced that the rest of the world has descended into barbarism without the royal unicorns to guide them. She intends to establish a new empire built on the natural superiority of the unicorn species.” Electrum looked down at the floor. “She’s completely insane isn’t she?”

Clover tilted her head and gave a wan smile. “Most likely. Let’s find out just how insane she is before we do anything else though.”

“How do you intend to do that?”

“I’m going to talk to the mare whose body I’m in.”
> Trixie is Judged and Found Worthy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Ten:


Trixie is Judged and Found Worthy




Finding chalk, crayons, paint or any other source of easily applied colour anywhere in the castle turned out to be impossible. Clover didn’t wish to draw with blood that wasn’t hers. Electrum managed to persuade her to ask for some mucus from the changelings, reasoning that it was magically conductive and easily washable. They had brought a tub of the stuff to Electrum’s quarters, where a full-length mirror graced one of the walls. Bright green lines now traced away from its base forming an intricate pattern, interspersed with mystic runes, that was reflected in the mirror as if it was merely one half of a larger whole.

Electrum eyed the pattern on the stone floor curiously. She turned to gaze at Clover who was putting the finishing touches on the pattern with a paintbrush held in her magic. “What does this do?”

Clover lifted the brush and turned it around in the air a few times as she moved it over to a bucket half-full with green sludge. “This is a mirror separation pattern mixed with a circle of holding. It’s most commonly used in cases of suspected possession in order to identify and question the intrusive spirit. It has other uses as well. In this case it will help me isolate my memories from the mare’s own and then manifest a projection of her inside the mirror. We’ll be able to talk to her as if through a window.”

“Um... wouldn’t you be the intrusive spirit? Will you end up in the mirror?”

“Nah, the pattern and spells involved are easy to modify to suit a variety of situations. I’ve taken that into account already. About the only thing I just can’t guarantee is whether she’ll be in any mood to talk to us.”

Electrum nodded thoughtfully. “Mother said she was insane but I think that’s because she was speaking in a foreign language. Will that be a problem?”

Clover had stiffened and was staring straight ahead. She answered slowly. “Yes, it will be. The easy solution is to share with her my memory of language, or then I partake of her memory, or we trade both. All options equally gross and unethical breaches of privacy and the sanctity of the mind if done without permission.”

“Oh? Well then. I command you to do it.”

Clover’s head shot up and jerked around to stare aghast at Electrum. “What?!”

Princess Electrum shrugged and gazed levelly at Clover the Clever. “Technically you are still my subject. You had a moral quandary preventing you from moving forward so I removed it by shouldering the responsibility.”

This was met with suspicion. “It’s not that simple, Ellie. Now my dilemma is if I should persuade you to reconsider or outright refuse your command! Why would you pressure me into this anyway?”

The regal unicorn looked down at her hooves. “I don’t think I’ll see my twenty-third birthday with my mind intact. It won’t be long now before I get discarded.” She raised her head and met Clover’s gaze with desperation in her eyes. “You’ve surely realised what this mare being here means, haven’t you? She’s fit, well-nourished and healthy! I don’t know how she got here but it must have been a feat considering how widespread the windigos’ chill was spreading. She’s not a barbarian, Clover! She came from a strong nation that raises strong ponies! There’s a nation out there that is thriving... which means... I can escape.”

Electrum’s words sped up and her breathing grew excited. “I can run away from Mother. I realised that as soon as I saw this mare in the tunnels. Somehow she got down here! Something she or her companions did lured the windigos away for a moment! And all of this new knowledge in my head... it means I won’t have the strength of will to love Mother much longer. It means she’ll never, ever consider preserving my memories. She won’t miss me; she can always recreate me again... minus any hope of getting away from her. Oh Clover, don’t you see?! If I can escape then I can live to old age! I can see the sun again! I can love whoever I choose to! And the key to all this is inside that head you’re holding up... so yes, Clo. I really, really don’t care about the ethics right now. Frankly I think Mother already did all the damage there is to do so what’s a little more really?”

Clover couldn’t look her childhood friend in the eye. Instead her eyes traced the lines of the magic diagram she’d painted, all the way up to the mirror and beyond, finally meeting her own reflected gaze. “Ellie... I don’t belong in this body. I have no right to it. I should remove myself without a trace. Anything I leave behind, no matter how momentarily beneficial, would be a violent pollution of an innocent mind. I shouldn’t even consider talking to her. I-I could show you a translation spell, maybe. That would let you talk to her...”

Electrum was shaking her head more and more. Tears were streaming down her face. “Clover, I can’t use magic for more than basic lifting. This me hasn’t been tutored at all. The only books I’ve seen are the ones in your room! I can barely read! I-I’m just a copy of the Ellie you knew... I don’t even have a cutiemark...” Clover’s eyes glanced involuntarily down at her friend’s hips, noting the lack of what every adult pony took for granted. Electrum was trembling with emotion now but she kept speaking. “And what good would it do for this mare if you left now? Mother would just punish her or use the memory spell on her again... She needs you. I need you! Please, Clover... Help us both get away from here?”

Clover the Clever stared at the reflection of the body she was occupying, noting that her lips moved in pace with her galloping thoughts.



******



Trixie didn’t open her eyes as much as she suddenly gained the ability to see. Bright green lines, crackling with magic, formed intricate patterns in the otherwise total darkness around her. She sat in an obvious focal point, a glowing ring from which numerous trails branched. The lines curved like stylised plant stems and the impression was strengthened by the occasional bifurcation where the ‘offshoot’ curled wildly before stopping. Eventually most of the green trails aligned in front of Trixie, running into some kind of doorway – or possibly a window; Trixie only saw a wooden frame – before spreading out again to create a mirror of the pattern centered on her inside what appeared to be a bedchamber of some kind. Trixie spied a large bed and a drawer from where she sat, both carved in a very antique, pre-Discordian-era style. A pony was sitting motionless in the focal point of the bedchamber but strange shadows shrouded the pony’s identity.

When Trixie tried to approach the portal she found that she couldn’t move. In fact she couldn’t feel her body. She was obviously held by some kind of magic but she felt no distress. I guess I should be curious about all this, or even scared, but I’m not. Do the dead feel nothing at all?

Another pony appeared behind the opening, walking in from the side and apparently careful not to tread on any of the glowing lines. The newcomer headed to the first pony and spoke. The voices were muffled and Trixie couldn’t pick out any words. Then a horn glowed and Trixie could see their faces. The mare sitting in the circle and casting a spell was... Trixie. The other mare was the golden and silvery angel that had come for her. Trixie gasped mentally, more out of habit than any sudden swelling of emotion. The view on the other side of the aperture was curious, but didn’t provoke any further feelings from Trixie. She was dead after all: the worst was over.

Trixie’s guide to Concordia approached the aperture and for the first time looked directly at her. The beautiful mare stopped just on the other side of the opening, still careful to stay off the glowing lines. Then she spoke.

“Hello. Can you understand me?”

Trixie supposed this was part of the bureaucracy of the afterlife. Concordia had wardens and a selection process to keep the undeserving out. The thought that she might yet end up someplace much less pleasant was unnerving but only a little. Trixie was confident she’d be all right.

“I do. I suppose this is where my life is judged and a final verdict is passed? If so, how may Trixie help?”

“Trixie who? Oh wait. Your name is Trixie?”

Now Trixie felt a slight shade of embarrassment. Of course they wouldn’t recognise anything but her true name. “My apologies. I call myself Trixie... the ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’ to be exact... but my true name is Bellatrix Lulamoon, of House Lulamoon. You can call me by whatever name pleases you. I no longer care.”

The pony in the circle said something, causing Trixie’s angel to frown with irritation and toss her mane.

“Bellatrix of House Lulamoon, my name is Electrum. We are now able to understand each other due to a spell my friend here cast on me. I’d like to ask permission on behalf of my friend to use another spell on you that would permanently grant you an understanding of your language. She’d gift you with a memory of learning it. I’ll caution you that once cast the spell would be difficult to undo but know that the benefits would be so much greater than the risk.”

The suggestion troubled Trixie a great deal but on the whole a great deal less than usual. She knew that she’d normally react with disgust if anypony suggested interfering with her memories, or any other part of her mind, and that the risk was much higher now that she most likely only consisted of memories and a will but as a being of pure mind she could consider even such distressing proposals with cool detachment. That didn’t make the correct answer any less obscure.

Eventually she arrived at a conclusion: she’d be stuck in whatever limbo this was for that much longer if she didn’t accept and go ahead with the memory transfer.

“Very well. You and your friend have Trixie’s permission.”

Electrum smiled and walked carefully away from the opening back to where her ‘friend’ in the form of Trixie’s mirror image sat. The two exchanged words and Trixie saw the shadows retreat from her double’s face, allowing her to meet and nod at the suspicious glance she was receiving. Trixie watched as her doppelganger’s horn lit with magic. Counter to Trixie’s expectations there was no bolt or arcing line of magic when the spell was cast. Instead her head filled with soft white noise as she suddenly remembered knowing a language she’d never heard spoken before. The sensation was reeling even to her ghost-like form but the magic of the circle held her steady.

The final shadows fell away from the doppelganger, erasing any doubt that this was Trixie’s image down to the finest detail. Then it spoke, with Trixie’s voice but oddly doubled, as if an echo projected a slightly distorted version of her voice to her ears at the same time as the original arrived.

“Greetings, Trixie was it? And thank you for allowing the memory spell. We are in your debt. Would you mind answering some questions for us?”

“Not at all. Though if Trixie may, she’d like to ask some questions as well.”

“She would? I mean, um, you may. It’s the least we can do for you. Would you like to go first?”

“Thank you. Now, Trixie will admit she hasn’t paid much attention to what happens after a pony dies so she must admit that ignorance is fueling her curiosity right now: who are you and why are you looking exactly like the Great and Powerful Trixie? Are you a judge of some sort?”

Trixie watched her mirror image’s eyes bulge with surprise. “Wait... you think you’re dead?” She nodded and watched as a hoof was brought to her double’s chin. “Well I suppose that’s a logical enough conclusion considering the circumstances. You didn’t expect anypony to be nearby where you ended up did you?”

“No-one but the windigos, no. But are you saying Trixie is not dead? How could that be?” Again, any feeling of elation was absent.

“You probably didn’t expect anypony to live down here but...” Trixie’s double glanced at Electrum. “Apparently that’s the case. Your arrival was noted and Electrum here found you. You were gravely injured but your body has recovered fully as far as I can tell. So no, you are quite alive indeed.”

Trixie digested this. Then she smiled because it seemed appropriate. “No, Trixie shall go on considering herself dead. Falling into a nest of windigos in the middle of a glacier several weeks’ travel from anyplace hospitable to ponies and surviving? Ridiculous. Trixie may be breathing and her heart may be beating but she’s still dead.” She considered her situation. If she was alive then what was happening right now? She came to an interesting conclusion. “You have trapped Trixie’s spirit in a mirror haven’t you? Trixie sees you wearing her body in a well-lit room yet she herself feels nothing and is surrounded by darkness. She cannot even look down at her hooves.”

The look of guilt and embarrassment that stole over her double’s face was most unbecoming, Trixie thought. She still listened patiently as her body stuttered through an excuse. “W-we thought it best to break the situation to you gently... You see there’s been, um, a case of mixed identity. A-as a result I’m sort of stuck in your body. Um. Sorry!”

By now Trixie was sure she wasn’t acting as normal. Somepony had possessed her, leaving her helpless, and it didn’t faze her even slightly. Being able to so easily fluster the one holding all the cards was undoubtedly reassuring but Trixie knew herself well enough to admit she should be a panicking mess by now.

“Well, mysterious pony, what’s your name?”

Her body blinked. “Wait, you’re not going to demand that I turn over your body?”

“All in good time. You have twice now avoided telling your name. Should Trixie be concerned?”

“Oh! My apologies. I am Cl... Cloven Hoof.” Trixie watched with interest as Electrum frowned and turned her head to gaze with confusion at the pony calling herself Cloven Hoof. She filed away the reaction for later, choosing instead to grin at Cloven – or at least to attempt a grin: she still couldn’t feel anything.

“Well then Cloven Hoof... May Trixie call you Clovis? Just Clo? All right. Well then, Clo, Trixie demands that you hoof over her body this damned instant.”

Electrum waved a hoof at Trixie. “No, wait. There are problems with that. If Clov— Cloven here just surrenders your body then she’ll disappear and we’ll soon need her.”

“Explain.”

Electrum approached the mirror again. “Miss Trixie, I believe you’ve come from a rich and prosperous kingdom where ponies live happily. Is this true?”

Trixie considered this. “It’s true – provided you allow for the ponies themselves messing things up and becoming unhappy. But yes, Trixie understands what you mean. Equestria is a very nice place to live in.”

Both of Trixie’s listeners gasped when they heard the word ‘Equestria’. They went into a huddle and whispered to each other but to Trixie’s great fascination their whispers sounded so clear and close that she might as well have been their target... and, watching her body, she supposed she was.

“Calm down, Ellie! It’s just a name, it could be a coinc—"

“Coincidence my hoof, Clover! That name was your brainchild! Ask her about it!”

Clover..? Equestria her brainchild..? ‘Clover’ and Electrum had argued on while Trixie turned over these bits of information and when she returned her attention to the portal in front of her Electrum was marching up to it with an eager look.

“Trixie, I would like to hear more about Equestria if you don’t mind.”

For a brief moment Trixie considered demanding to be put back in her body before answering anything else but decided instead to feed her interrogators information and gauge their reactions.

“Ask away. What would you like to know?”

“How... how big is Equestria?”

That’s not the question you want to ask, is it? Trixie nodded and pretended to think for a moment. She noted that Clover was swivelling her ears and looking around. “A vague question but Trixie shall do her best to answer. Equestria stretches from the deserts and badlands in the south to the Crystal Mountains in the north and from the eastern to the western coast. Ponies there live in several cities, scores of towns and multitudes of villages and hamlets. As for numbers, ah, statistics were never Trixie’s strong point. She seems to recall reading somewhere about a total population of around twenty million ponies. Divided equally among earthen, unicorns and pegasi.”

Electrum had turned her head to gaze at Clover but her grin was still visible to Trixie. The pony wearing Trixie’s body was trying hard and failing absolutely at hiding her joy. They did it! Equestria lives! Trixie frowned out of habit. That wasn’t her thoughts nor was it her joy she was feeling. Before she could ask about it Electrum spoke.

“Who rules in Equestria?”

“The princesses Celestia and Luna are the absolute diarchs. Should both of them be indisposed then the general assembly takes over.”

“They’re just princesses?”

“Oh, let’s just say that their right to rule is so self-evident that any coronation would be unnecessary to the point of bad taste.”

Clover asked the next question. “Trixie, why are you here?”

“Trixie assumes you mean here in the Crystal Glacier?”

“Um... yes?”

“A windigo appeared in the middle of Equestria some time ago. Since nopony had seen one for thousands of years it caused a lot of alarm. Trixie and five others were tasked with trying to capture this windigo, most likely so it could be studied. We tracked it to here. We were aware that there could be other windigos but from what Trixie saw just before she fell down a hole in the ice there has to be dozens of them.”

Clover’s ears were turning this way and that and she had brought a hoof to her chin. “It sounds like there’s a demonologist in Equestria.” That’s troubling.

Trixie seized the opportunity. “Before you ask anything else: did you just think that this is troubling?”

“Did I think-?” Clover’s eyes went wide. “There’s some mental leaking! Trixie, I’m sorry but we are running out of time. It sounds like you could use my help but I have no place to go but your head. Would you mind sharing it for a while? I’ll cast a spell to keep our thoughts and memories separate.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t mind an audience... but this is her show, not yours. Understand?”

“I’ll give you control. You have my word.”

“Then we have an agreement.”

Trixie watched her horn light up. She felt a jolt as if she’d walked into a wall without noticing. Then she realised she was staring at herself in a mirror, traces of her magic fading from her horn. She could feel her body again. She had feelings again, and the one most prominent was triumph. She grinned and struck a pose: legs planted slightly apart and head held high. “Trixie is back!”

There was a sigh in her head. A showoff. Just my luck Starswirl isn’t around to see this or he’d die again from laughter.

That confirmed it for Trixie. She grinned at the yellow and gray mare who was watching her warily. “Is Trixie to understand that she is in the company of Clover the Clever and Princess Electrum of Unicornia?”

Electrum nodded with wide eyes. “You’ve heard of us?”

“There are many stories about you, most of which are...” Trixie’s grin, which had widened until it rivalled that of a cat in a fishery, vanished without a trace. She mumbled the end of her sentence. “Um, tragic.” She quickly changed the subject. “Uh, what happened to you? Have you been under a mad king’s spell that kept you asleep all these years only to reappear recently?”

Electrum frowned in confusion. “Like the old story of Rosethorn? No, it’s not like that. It’s complicated.”

Well, except for the part about the mad ruler. That’s spot on, said the voice in Trixie’s head.

Trixie muttered to herself. “It must run in the family then.”

A sound made Trixie and Electrum turn towards the door just as it swung open. Electrum gasped when she saw the pony that was entering. Clover started whispering urgently, telling Trixie to bow. She did so while stealing a glance at the newcomer.

Queen Platinum smiled at her. “Cloven Hoof! I see that you have recovered.” Don’t contradict her! You’re much safer posing as me! “Come. There are matters we must discuss.” Hornrot take me, this isn’t good. Trixie, it might be best if you’d let me do this.

Trixie hesitated, but nodded. It might be best. So how— A tingling feeling spread through her body just before she lost all sense of touch, smell and taste. She heard her own voice. “Yes, your majesty.” She was already trotting forward.

The queen walked through the halls in silence, going ever upward. Clover didn’t talk to her: proper ponies waited for the queen to address them and were otherwise silent. Eventually they walked onto the roof of the castle’s main hall, level with the top of the walls. Darkness tinted with purple surrounded the castle but the space on the roof was brightly lit by magic in the form of glowing spheres hovering in the air. They shone down on a garden unlike any Trixie (or Clover for that matter) had seen.

Queen Platinum walked in among the flora, stopping by a rosebush with dual-coloured petals in white and red. She bent down and inhaled deeply, humming happily. Then she frowned. Her horn lit with magic as she plucked a couple of withered leaves off the bush. Her humming had evolved into a melody. She plucked a rose and brought it to her mouth, biting off a petal. She chewed with a faraway expression while turning away from the bush, coming to face Clover. Platinum’s eyes widened.

“Cloven! How long have you been standing there?! I do not appreciated being disturbed while in my garden!”

Clover lied before having consciously made the decision to do so. “Your majesty, you summoned me here. I did not wish to disturb so I waited.”

A moment of uncertainty flickered over the queen’s face before she managed to hide it. “Yes. Quite. What did I want to talk about... Oh, yes.” She started walking among the plants, beckoning for Clover to follow.

“Tell me, Cloven, have you ever considered the significance of my mark of destiny?”

Clover glanced down at the cutiemark on the queen’s hips. It was a tree, an oak to be precise. Three acorns were visible. Then she glanced around at the enchanted garden, tended by a single unicorn and growing in complete darkness unfathomable depths beneath a glacier. “I can’t say I remember ever thinking about it, my Queen.”

“I think about it constantly, Clover. One can never spend too much time preparing for one’s destiny. As you can see, my mark is a tree – a family tree to be exact. Do you realise what that means?”

Clover spent a moment mentally shushing Trixie who was inventing some quite ingeniously sarcastic ways of calling Queen Platinum both blind and insane. “Not fully, your highness. I take it is related to your family?”

Queen Platinum smiled while her hoof lovingly caressed the stem of a sunflower. “It is indeed, Clover. My destiny, you see, is to found the next dynasty. I will bear the children that will lead the world’s next great empire. All of ponykind united under unicorn rule as nature intended.” She frowned unhappily. “There is one little snag however. Due to the machinations of your traitorous mentor, Starswirl, I was unable to preserve the memory and shape of my dear betrothed before he passed away. Had your mentor not disappeared three years prior I’d have had him executed for high treason. Thus I am single and unable to fulfill my destiny.”

“Surely Princess Electrum is—"

“Pay attention, Cloven Hoof. Count the fruits on my tree.”

Three acorns. “O-oh.”

“You should know that, as his apprentice, I hold you partially responsible for his crimes. Fear not however. In my infinite wisdom I have seen a way for you to redeem yourself.”

Clover held her tongue. She was unsure if she’d be able to keep from blurting out some of the things Trixie was shouting in her mind. Platinum continued. “While I looked into your mind I saw that you had joined a band of barbarian marauders. I don’t know how you managed to convince their leader to venture out here: no doubt you wove tales of the fantastic treasures beyond their tiny imaginings they could find beneath the ice. But among their number was a barbarian prince and, if what you thought is true, a distant relative of myself. Should you invite and bring that unicorn here I would issue a royal pardon for you.”

The bone-chilling horror that Trixie felt leaked a bit over to Clover and was enough to convince her this was a meeting that never, ever should come to pass. “Um, it is true, your majesty, that he is indeed a prince and distant relative but he is uncivilised and—"

Platinum held up a hoof. “Minor issues, Cloven, though you are a dear to raise them. They can be addressed in due time. He appears healthy and with good command of his magic, of strange hue though it is. It reminds me of my dear nephew, Sombra, which is a most auspicious portent. Sombra was my first success with the amniomorphic magic your master tried to keep from me, you know. My vapid sister never noticed a thing! I watched him grow up with a sense of unbridled triumph!”

There were retching sounds in the back of Clover’s mind. She herself found that her tongue was tied, her skills of speech having left her. And the queen talked on. “The prince’s companions also tell a great deal about him which is no doubt why you chose them for your company. The pegasi appear quick, aggressive and loyal and the earthen... I’ve never seen such a large pony before as that mare leading the expedition! Whatever noble that managed to breed forth her had to be very happy! If my servants hadn’t found her dying body in the tunnels at the same time as Electrum found yours, why, I’d probably think she were a phantom of your imagination, Cloven!”

Platinum blinked at the pony in front of her. “Is something the matter? You appear to be twitching.”
> The Great and Powerful Trixie Spearheads the Revolution
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Eleven:


The Great and Powerful Trixie Spearheads the Revolution



Somepony had washed Terra’s body. The great Earthen was laid out on a stone slab, all of her body except her face covered by a white sheet. Her large frame and bushy coat gave the impression that a funeral was being held for a small, cyan bear. The castle chapel was small and dark, lit only by two magic globes hovering below the ceiling. All furniture not bolted to the floor had long since been removed, likely for use as firewood. It was a desolate, somber room and fit Trixie’s mood perfectly.

Terra’s foreleg stuck out from the side of the sheet covering her and Clover was stroking it slowly. Spells or no, sharing a head meant that emotions this strong bled over. It seemed Trixie’s cavalier attitude concerning her own continued existence did not extend to that of her companions: she’d retreated into her own head to mourn, leaving Clover to experience a strange feeling of loss and regret aimed at a pony she’d never met.

Hoofsteps echoed behind Clover, slowing down and stopping as they drew near. Electrum’s voice sounded hesitant. “Trixie?”

Clover shook her head. “She’s mourning.”

There was silence for a while. “I spoke to the servants. This pony was the only one they found.”

Clover nodded. “That gives us hope that the rest of Trixie’s companions are alive. This also improves our chances of surviving if we manage to get out of here.”

“‘When’, Clover. It’s not a matter of ‘if’.”

Clover’s ears perked up and she turned around to look at Electrum who returned the gaze with a startled expression. “Are those tears yours?”

“No, they are Trixie’s.” Mostly. “You have a plan?”

A serene expression bloomed on Electrum’s face. “I have spent the last fifty lives or so making escape plans, Clover. I’ve tried to escape fourteen times before now only for the next me to be told stories of my failure from the servants.”

“Hold on a bit. What servants?”

Electrum shrugged. “A couple of the most loyal servants and their families remained behind. Mother ‘rewarded’ them by taking their memories and using amniomorphic magic to recreate them. They generally don’t last long before they beg Furmici to blank their minds. Mother doesn’t mind as long as they are made to love her.”

She frowned. “I envy them, you know? I asked Furmici to blank my mind and make me into one of her drones once when all of this became too much and I saw no way out. The servants look so content and I was afraid because my love of Mother was ending. When Mother found out she was furious. She chose to interpret it as some kind of plot by Furmici to undermine her. Since then Nana refuses to do that for me... and... I can’t actually ask it of her after what Mother did to her as punishment.”

Clover nodded and turned around to regard the body in front of her. “I may be clever but you definitely have the advantage of time. We’ll enact this plan of yours but I’d like a bit of time to somehow compensate Trixie for her help.”

“Um, wouldn’t she be the one indebted to us since we saved her life?”

“No.” Clover shook her head. “The only reason she’s down here is because of us. Well, your mother to be specific.”

This made Electrum widen her eyes. She sat down and stared at Clover’s (and Trixie’s) neck. “What do you mean?”

“How much do you know about windigos?”

“Nothing, really. They’re some kind of elemental spirit that cause ponies to argue and fight among each other before trapping them in ice.”

Clover shook her head. “Everything you just said is wrong. First, they are animals native to Tartarus. The demons there sometimes use windigos as part of the punishment for especially cold-hearted creatures. If you’ve let anger or hate dominate your life then chances are you’ll wake up in Tartarus with a windigo breathing down your neck. It’s true that they feed on negative emotions but the chilling effect is meant to stoke these emotions in the affected pony. They can’t die from the cold in Tartarus, you see. The windigos are attracted to wrathful or hateful ponies and goad them into ever higher levels of negative emotions by having them suffer extreme colds that would instantly kill any still living pony.”

“What?! But why are they here?”

“Somepony, most likely a unicorn specialising in demonic magic, summoned them to Equestria and let them run loose. This was before I became Master Starswirl’s apprentice but he told me of the story. He never found out who did it, always being at least one pace behind his elusive quarry, and after a while he came to suspect that the demonologist was receiving assistance from the royal throne in his or her attempts to evade justice.”

“Why would any of the royal family help a demonologist?” Electrum’s voice was caught between consternation and worry.

“Your mother, her father and his father all have one thing in common, Electrum. Their world view. That earth ponies and pegasi had kingdoms rivalling that of Unicornia always raised their ire for they all considered it unnatural and a mockery of the true order of things. It’s speciesist claptrap for the courts, of course, but they believed it just as your mother still does. Now, consider the modus operandi of the windigos: making a huge snowstorm and freezing the ground. Three guesses which two pony tribes are initially hit the hardest? Of course the windigos are attracted by negative emotions and go wherever such can be found but those are very easy to generate on a national level. Infuriate the earthen by blaming the pegasi for the snowstorms and the frozen ground and rile the pegasi by hinting that the earthen are hiding food in order to weaken Pegasopolis. Then sit back and watch them tear each other apart while the windigos feast.”

“But...”

Clover held up a hoof. “Yes, but. It turns out that speciesist propaganda generates an amazing amount of negative emotions, the strongest source of which is a pony who’s sat in her father’s lap and listened to all the lies he’s spouted. Platinum is motivated by her envy and hate towards what she perceives as lesser beings. And you say she’s learned how to sense love like a changeling? Well, the prerequisite for that... is an inability to feel love. The windigos are drawn to here, to her, like moths to a flame, Electrum. Were she gone then they’d most likely scatter, each striking out in a random direction in search of strong sources of hate... or they’d go back to Tartarus in search of sustenance. There’s another thing to consider as well. Summoned beings tend to disappear back to their places of origin when their controllers die. It’s possible that these windigos don’t follow that rule anymore but there shouldn’t be anywhere close to their current numbers if whoever commanded them was dead.”

Electrum was stunned. She stood and started pacing around the small chapel. She raised her voice a bit and spoke without turning towards Clover. “You are serious about this? Mother summoned the windigos?”

“Yes. Master Starswirl and I both researched them extensively. Either she summoned them or somepony did it for her and bound them to her. The most damning evidence is that we have plenty of spells that can banish or trap windigos – even some that can bind them to our will – but all our offers to use them were struck down. Whenever we’d suggest it there would be some dubious sighting of a demonologist and we’d be sent out on a wild goose chase. ‘Attack the head of the snake, Starswirl!’ I heard your grandfather shout once. ‘Don’t waste precious time by snapping at its tail!’ So yes, Master Starswirl was convinced the demonologist was affiliated with royalty and I am now more certain than ever that she is royalty.”

Silence descended. For a long while nopony said anything. Electrum paced back and forth while Clover / Trixie kept her gaze on the white sheet in front of her. Then Electrum stopped. She spoke with a breathless tone. “All right. In the end I suppose it’s almost better this way. Our time is running out, Clover... Trixie. Meet me in Queen Furmici’s room when you’re ready to leave.”

Electrum left. Clover lingered behind for a while longer. Eventually a group of hoofbeats disturbed her and she turned around to see six ponies filing into the chapel in pairs, a wooden board carried between them. They said nothing and their faces were neutral as they walked forward, ignoring Clover who was staring at their heavy-lidded and green-tinted eyes. The procession stopped by the stone slab holding Terra’s corpse. Gentle hooves wrapped the deceased in the white sheet and guided it onto the board.

Clover felt Trixie seize control over her throat as the group passed on their way out. “What will you do with the body?”

The procession stopped as a single unit and the closer one of the front ponies turned his head, looking at Trixie with his eyes but not really seeing her. “The departed will be cremated and the ashes scattered over the fields as Queen Platinum has ordained for all funerals.” The stallion’s voice was dreamy. The procession continued after a moment when Trixie didn’t say anything more.

Clover decided to nudge things along a bit. She rose to her hooves and walked out of the chapel. Trixie, I am sorry for your loss. Did you know her well?

No. Not really. But she made an impression upon Trixie during the short time we were acquainted. Trixie doesn’t know what will happen to the expedition now that she’s gone.

Thinking a conversation always felt weird to Clover and she quickly succumbed to the temptation to simply murmur instead. “How about we summon that windigo and bind it to you? That way she won’t have died in vain.”

That’s a great idea. Oh! Did you find Trixie’s cape? She was wearing it when she fell.

“I don’t know. Could you picture it for me?” A slight lowering of the spell keeping Clover’s and Trixie’s memories separate allowed the image to appear in Clover’s mind. She fired up her horn with a locator spell and felt a tugging in her legs. A short while later she was trotting into Princess Electrum’s quarters. A familiar piece of cloth with a stars-and-moons theme was draped over the back of a chair. There was a tinkling noise as Clover picked it up with her magic.

Uh oh. I guess the orb wasn’t enchanted with durability spells. There’s an enchanted pocket. It’s probably filled with sharp bits of glass now.

Clover upended the cape and shook it, causing shards of glass to rain from it, while Trixie explained in her head. This used to carry a crys— oh! A large, multi-faceted crystal dropped from the cape and landed among the shards. I guess the ice is magically preserved. With luck we can reassemble the orb. It’s enchanted to track the windigo we want. Clover didn’t respond. She prodded the crystal with a hoof before lifting it with her magic.

“Trixie, this isn’t ice. But the enchantment is intact. We don’t really need to repair the orb: I can easily find your windigo with this.” She frowned. “There’s something odd about the finding spell though. Why would a windigo value something like this..? It doesn’t matter. Let’s go to my quarters.” She donned the (in her opinion rather tasteless) cape, pocketed the crystal and left.

Clover felt Trixie take over once she’d entered her quarters. Trixie looked around a bit before focusing on the table and the shelves. She approached the table and poked at one of the books stacked on it, only to have the pages fall out of it and disintegrate. “Ah!”

These books were left behind as non-essential. The preservation enchantments have probably faded from most of them but if we’re lucky there could be one or two that you could take as a partial thanks for helping us. Could we sort through them later? I’d like to find your windigo first.

Trixie looked at the dust cloud she’d created a moment before. Then she nodded. “What do I need to do?”

There is a magic pattern that will bind the windigo to you but it won’t hold the windigo during the process. That’s why I will teach you how to cast a spell that creates a magic ward. It creates a circle that draws into and confines within it anything you specify. It’s fairly weak and easily broken but it will give us all the time we need for the binding ritual.

“Show me.”




******



The table with all the books had been dragged off to the side. The tracking crystal now lay on the floor, surrounded by a green circle from which lines traced mystic figures with many sharp angles before converging on another circle in which Trixie sat and listened to Clover’s instructions.

Everything is ready. Remember: the ward is weak but more than enough for this task. Don’t rush through the binding ritual in panic.

Trixie nodded and charged her horn, focusing on the spell creating the ward. A ring of glowing mist appeared around the crystal, concentric with the green circle and hovering at ankle-height above the floor. She licked her lips and smiled slightly before charging her horn again. This spell required more energy than the last, making Trixie emit a small grunt from the effort. When the spell caught it shot an arc of blue lightning from her horn to a point just above the crystal. The lightning gathered into a single sizzling dot of brilliant light. A noise reminiscent of cloth being torn apart sounded as the dot became a vertical line. Then it exploded outwards in a flash before fading away, leaving behind the ghostly form of a windigo.

The windigo’s confusion lasted for less than a second. Its two glowing eyes focused on Trixie and its maw opened to shriek with unearthly fury. A strange brittle grinding noise heralded the room temperature dropping below freezing, making Trixie’s breath steam and frost bloom everywhere. Trixie bit her tongue in fear but managed to follow Clover’s mentally whispered commands. Her horn glowed for a third time as she fed power directly to the pattern she’d drawn on the floor. It lit with a yellow glow. Trixie drew a deep breath.

“Dhe Greadh and Powelful Drixie...”

Stop! You bit your tongue! You need to pronounce very carefully or the binding becomes unreliable! Heal yourself quickly!

The windigo was thrashing inside the circular ward and the glowing mist was already fading. Trixie sobbed out of fear but still had enough strength of will to cast her healing spell on herself. She felt a prickling sensation on her tongue that seemed to go on forever in the breathless terror of the moment. The windigo roared again and the crinkling, grinding noise intensified. A layer of ice already covered the books on the table. Trixie swallowed and took a shuddering breath.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie binds thee to her will! By magic and ritual be chained! The circle is unbroken, as unbroken are your bonds! Submit! Submit!! Submit!!!”

The windigo stopped its struggling and stared straight at Trixie... and the mist of the ward dissolved. Pony and demonic creature stared at each other without moving. Then Trixie’s mouth twitched into a relieved, incredulous grin. “It worked?!”

Well done. Please be a responsible pet owner! A happy pet is an obedient pet!

Trixie rolled her eyes and pouted. “Clover? Leave the humour to the professionals. You’re likely to injure somepony. So is this really the one we’re looking for?”

Yes it is. If you have any doubt left then try commanding it to inhabit the crystal. If it already is familiar with it then the windigo should do so readily. Make your command into a standing order.

“All right... Windigo! You will rest inside that crystal when not carrying out any of Trixie’s commands. Go there now!”

The ghostly equine shape brayed once before appearing to shrink and dive into the crystal resting in its circle. A soft blue glow enveloped the clear prism. Trixie grabbed hold of it with her magic, bringing it close for inspection.

“That’s it?”

That’s it. Disappointed?

Trixie placed the crystal in the pocket of her cape. “No... well... Trixie and her companions travelled so far and endured so much for this. Terra is dead... It feels somehow like this last bit was too easy.”

Keep spouting stuff like that and I’m sure the universe will take notice. Anyhow, I think I know of a book that is both a suitable reward for you and likely to be intact.

Moments later Trixie pulled a large tome out from one of the shelves. It was covered in dust but was otherwise in remarkably pristine condition. She blew gently on its cover, trying to discern its title.

This compendium was written by Master Starswirl early in his career. This is a transcription of the original. It saw almost no use since he was seldom personally called upon to cast these spells. Though I’ll wager they’ll be your bread and butter!

The pages were in excellent condition, so Trixie dared using her leg to wipe the grime off the covers. She scanned the title and broke into an instant grin.

“A Selection of Spells for Celebration and Ceremony by Starswirl the Bearded. The Great and Powerful Trixie has never heard of this work before!”

Unsurprising... I doubt anypony bothered to carry such a useless book with them into the exodus with their entire civilisation crumbling behind them. So will you accept it?

“Yes! This is great! Thank you!”

Great. It’s time to meet with Ellie then.



******



The cellar vault was crowded. About a dozen ponies mingled with the six changelings among the pods. Trixie stood on top of the flight of stairs leading down to the floor and looked uncertainly around before spotting Princess Electrum. The princess was beckoning her over, so she descended the stairs and gingerly moved through the crowd, noting the green-tinted eyes of the other ponies. Electrum smiled at her.

“Hello, Trixie... Clover... did you do all you wanted to?”

Trixie nodded and brought out her book and crystal from the pocket in her cape, waving them in her magic before stashing them again. “Yes. Trixie is ready to leave now.”

“That’s great. Um...” Electrum glanced away sheepishly. “Could I speak to Clover for a moment?”

Trixie nodded again and did the mental equivalent of stepping away from the steering wheel. Clover tilted her head. “What is it, Ellie?”

Princess Electrum gestured to the pods. “Clover, I want you to pick a body. It’s high time Trixie gets the privacy of her own head restored, don’t you think?”

The suggestion startled Clover and she blinked dazedly at the pods. “But... don’t they belong to somepony?”

“They belong to whomever Mother chooses to ‘remind’ them with. In any case, they’ll never be used once we’re gone.”

Clover raised both eyebrows and looked at Electrum with her head tilted. “Perhaps you better explain this plan of yours now.”

Electrum waved a hoof at Princess Furmici before answering. “The plan is simple. Furmici knows a travel spell that can pierce Mother’s shield. Changeling magic excels at sneaking into and out of places and minds, you see. She’ll cast it on us and that will be our ticket to the surface of the glacier.” Then she looked down and to the side. Clover’s eyes narrowed.

“But... aren’t you afraid what Platinum will do to Furmici once she finds out? And what about the windigos? Will the spell keep us safe?”

The changeling queen had walked up to the trio of ponies in time to catch up to the conversation so she answered Clover’s questions. “No and yes, but the windigos won’t be an issue.”

Clover turned to her in time to see Electrum walk up to the changeling queen and gently put her forelegs around Furmici’s neck. “Please explain.”

“I made an oath to supply Queen Platinum with love and immortality, and let her bind me magically to my oath, in exchange for the survival of my hive. But changelings abhor permanence. Even we, the queens, cannot stand the idea of never changing... which means we don’t live forever even though we can. I have chosen to die and let my hive die with me.” 

Electrum was hugging the changeling queen and crying openly. Furmici nuzzled her head gently and smiled. “I have lived an unbearably long time by now. Knowing that Ellie here finally has a chance to escape has enabled me to make up my mind and wriggle out from under the oath I made. Queen Platinum will have no love to maintain her shield and the windigos will obviously descend upon her. You will slip safely by unnoticed, hidden by my spell, but it’s unlikely they’d pay any attention to you even without it.”

Clover was stunned. “Your majesty...”

“Don’t try to thank me, Clover the Clever. Do as Ellie says and pick a body for yourself. Without my love and guidance they will all eventually starve and die anyway. It would be a waste not to spare one for yourself.” Furmici craned her neck and nuzzled Electrum on the head again. “Ellie, I... have a gift. Something that will hopefully make our parting more bearable for you.”

The unicorn princess looked up with tearful eyes at the gently smiling changeling queen in her embrace. Then she stepped back and breathed deeply a couple times before nodding. “What is it?”

Furmici’s horn lit and a small object floated into the air from where it had been hidden, tucked into a small space between three changeling pods. Electrum looked at it with widening eyes as it floated closer. It was a greenish-gray oval with one end slightly more tapered. It was about as big as the head of a fullgrown pony, and its leathery surface was textured with a combination of small bumps and indentations.

“An... egg?”

Furmici smiled gently. “A princess egg. This is my daughter. I have seen you help raise many of my changelings over the years, just as I have raised you. Now I hope you will accept her... and that you would love her as if she was yours.”

Electrum’s face crumbled and she flung herself at the changeling queen, hugging the larger equine forcefully. “Oh Nana!”

Clover felt Trixie stir as she watched the unlikely hug. She cleared her throat gently. “Sorry to intrude but Trixie asks a very good question: how are we supposed to keep that egg safe in the cold?”

Furmici ran her hoof gently through Electrum’s mane as she answered. “With love, of course. I have woven enchantments into the egg to keep it warm and dormant for the duration of your journey. It will be very resilient and won’t hatch before Ellie is safe and ready for it.” Then she gingerly removed Electrum’s forelegs from around her. “I believe we should proceed. Clover?”

Clover nodded slowly and walked up to the pods, peering in at them. Silence reigned, except for the chitinous buzzing of the changeling drones’ wings, as she walked from pod to pod before eventually stopping at one. The unicorn mare inside was young and had a bright green coat and pale yellow mane. “Who’s this?”

“That’s the shell of Gentle Grass, the daughter of a ‘favoured’ chambermaid, preserved by Queen Platinum but never so far given her memories. Her mother has cried by her pod many times during her four times alive. I think her mother would be glad, were she alive right now, if her daughter’s shell finally exited her pod.”

Clover slumped onto her haunches and rubbed her forehead, below the horn, with a hoof. “This is so... wrong!”

“You can’t make it right no matter how much you try, Clover the Clever. Just accept facts and be content with making it a tiny bit less wrong.”

Clover glanced over her shoulder and met Queen Furmici’s eyes for a moment. “All right... all right.” Then she leaned gently forward, pressing her horn up against the pod. The horn flared... and Trixie had to move quickly to prevent her body from collapsing into a heap. She ended up leaning against the pod, enabling her to feel it twitching and vibrating. A hoof scraped against the inner wall of it in front of her, causing her to flinch. It was a well-timed move since the pod burst a hearbeat later. Trixie skipped further backwards as goo sloshed out of the deflating pod, creating an expanding greenish puddle. In the middle of it Clover the Clever retched, coughed and struggled to stand.

The reborn magician wheezed and drew a deep breath before whispering out loud. “Does... this ever get less disgusting?”

Electrum’s tear-streaked face twisted into a grin and she chuckled weakly. “No, never.”

“Well then I’m glad that...” Clover’s voice had strengthened to normal speech, but upon hearing it she frowned with irritation. “Stars above, could my voice get any squeakier?! Augh!” She slammed her forelegs into the floor with frustration, making two large splashes since she was sitting in a puddle of green goo. The sight was enough to make changelings and ponies break into laughter. Then Furmici froze and her face turned fearful.

“Platinum is coming!”

Clover shot to her hooves. “Right, I’ll delay her while you send Trixie and Electrum on their way!”

Electrum gasped and shot out a foreleg towards Clover. “No! We can’t cast the spell twice! Mother will know! You must come with us now!”

The court mage had already been trotting up the stairs towards the door but she slowed, stopped and turned around. Her expression was mournful. “Ellie... I never intended to join you. My mind is set on this: I don’t belong alive. Clover the Clever has lived and died... once was enough.” Then her horn flared. She nodded to queen Furmici and her gaze was steel. “Cast the spell. Now.” There was an echo to her voice... and the changeling queen reeled as if struck. Electrum had frozen with one hoof stretched out towards Clover, her expression a mixture of horror and sorrow. Trixie sensed her cue and walked up to the princess. She glanced at the mucus-covered pony on the stairs and nodded.

“Farewell, Clover the Clever. You’ve become a legend among ponies. Trixie has told of your adventures and deeds to many appreciative audiences.”

A circle of green fire erupted around Trixie and Electrum and from it sprung a field of energy that formed a sphere around them and the egg. Electrum screamed and beat at the inside of the sphere but it didn’t react beyond slowly rising into the air. In moments Trixie and Electrum were floating, approaching the ceiling in a globe of jade flames. Down below Clover nodded to them before walking out the door.

The globe accelerated upwards, crashing into the ceiling without stopping and carrying its two passengers with it.



******



“Who are you?”

“Cloven Hoof, your Majesty, though I prefer to be called Clover the Clever.”

Queen Platinum’s eyebrows rose in confusion. Then she snarled. “Don’t be silly. I recognise you now: you’re one of the chambermaids’ wenches. Stand aside!”

Clover smiled gently as she probed the unknown potential of her new horn. “I’m afraid you no longer command any of my respect, Queen Platinum. Only my pity.”

A huge telekinetic force slammed down around Clover; enough to crack the flagstones in the hallway. The resulting boom echoed for several seconds. Dust obscured everything in front of Platinum for a moment. She smirked victoriously.

“That’s how a true regent squashes insubordination!”

Her smile faded when the dust cleared. Clover was sitting untouched, smiling gently inside a green forcefield. “You have stored massive amounts of changeling love, Platinum. Normally I, fresh from the pod, wouldn’t be more than a candle to your furnace... but things are anything but normal. You no longer deserve the love of your subjects, Queen Platinum... so they have bestowed what’s left of it upon me.”

Clover’s narrowing eyes flared green.
> Trixie Discovers the Element of Badass
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Twelve:


Trixie Discovers the Element of Badass



Travelling through pitch black, only able to hear your heart beating, was scary, though not as scary as emerging into bright moonlight and hearing the rumbling of the glacier and seeing the cracks racing outwards from the center of Frostmirror. Trixie yelled at a paralyzed Princess Electrum to run and, when the princess failed to move, proceeded to shove her along. She remembered the changeling egg at the last moment, yanking it to her with her magic.

When they were running at a good pace Trixie risked glancing over her shoulder. Behind them the surface of Frostmirror was buckling. Great spouts of icy blue dust and green fire jetted from the merging cracks. A great, deep boom sounded, arriving at Trixie’s ears more through her hooves than through the air and as she glanced back again she saw much of Frostmirror’s surface collapse downwards. She turned her head and screamed at Electrum to run faster, which was why she wasn’t aware of the following explosion before the shockwave threw her into the air.

She tumbled half a revolution head over hooves and for a split second, prolonged by adrenaline into something much longer in her mind, she was staring back, upside down, towards the center of Frostmirror. An enormous pillar of blue and green fire stabbed into the sky, hurling house-sized chunks of glacier ice into the air. Then time rushed back and she hit the ice with her back, sending her rolling and spinning along its surface. Ice crystals got in her eyes, robbing her of sight, but nothing blocked out the tremendous roaring coming from behind her. She slid to a stop but was much too dazed to move and she didn’t understand what her senses were telling her so she lay still for a while, feeling shocks through the ice as large pieces of ice impacted nearby and listening to their crunch. Somewhere not that far off she heard Electrum cry and her sluggish thoughts conceded it was good to know the princess was still alive.

The glacier settled down gradually, the cracking and crashing sounds making way for the ice groaning and squealing as it resettled. Trixie raised her head only when she heard the distinctive hoot of a windigo. Her ears flicked about, triangulating the sound. She looked back to where Frostmirror had been.

All that remained of the previously so smooth surface of ice was a little rim around a large pit. Tens of windigos were exiting the pit, weaving their way sinuously through the air and ascending into the sky around a small, blue beam of vertical light. Trixie was unsure if the light shone up or down but it came to a glaringly bright point far above her head. The windigos were all converging on it in an almost leisurely pace. One by one they flew into the light and disappeared.

The last windigo entered the light. A few heartbeats later the blue pillar winked out without a sound. The night became calm again. Trixie rose cautiously to her hooves and looked around. Electrum was not that far away, still lying on the ice. The egg was nearby as well. Then Trixie noticed that the ever-present whisper of a trillion ice crystals colliding with each other was gone. She looked around and saw that the wind was dying and the mist it had kept stirring was settling down. A tiny dot of yellow shone against the background of mountains far away, and Trixie felt joy when she realised it had to be Pinewood Tower. She laughed, reared onto her back legs and fired up her horn with one of the most familiar spells in her arsenal, giving it a great deal more power than she’d used in ages.

A bright point of light shot into the air. Trixie counted fifteen heartbeats before there was a flash followed by a great boom... and a loud fanfare. She couldn’t read it from where she was standing but she knew the sky now spelled “The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived!” in letters that dwarfed three-storey houses. All that showed from where she was standing was the ice reflecting the reds and blues of the giant, floating text. Trixie laughed. “That’s an emergency beacon worthy of the Great and Powerful Trrrrrrixie!” She danced a little jig before cantering over to Electrum.

The princess had roused herself upon hearing Trixie’s fireworks and was switching back and forth between looking at her and the text in the sky. As Trixie drew close Electrum chuckled weakly, then winced and stood shakily. “You certainly seem to be in a better mood, Trixie.”

“Let’s just say Trixie has got one hoof over the edge of her grave and is preparing to pull herself back into the land of the living. Are you unhurt?”

Electrum looked herself over and flexed her legs. “I’m sore and bruised but otherwise fine.” Then she shivered. “And cold.”

“Ah... right.” Trixie looked down at her own magically grown, impossibly thick and long fur and then back at Electrum’s well-groomed, properly cut and woefully inadequate coat. The princess was already shivering. Trixie set her jaw and nodded once before untying her cape and levitating it over to the princess. “We shall walk to keep your body temperature up. While we do that Trixie will try to teach you a simple spell that keeps a pony warm. Between the two of us we should be able to manage the trip to Pinewood Tower even if nopony comes to meet us. Come on!”



******



The moon descended towards the horizon as they walked. Trixie set about instructing Electrum in the basic arts of magic with a gusto she couldn’t quite explain. The princes had received tutelage in spellcasting, from none other than Clover the Clever, but that was in another lifetime and with another body, both only fading memories. It did meant she was rediscovering things rather than learning them for the first time, and only a couple hours later her horn glowed faintly golden as her shivering ceased.

Trixie grinned triumphantly. “A fine success, aided by Trixie! Well done, Princess!”

Electrum smiled bashfully as she enjoyed the warmth coursing through her body. “I think we can drop the title, Trixie. I’m not exactly a princess of anything anymore, am I?”

“Ah, but that’s where you are wrong.” Trixie grinned. “You are the rightful and true regent of Unicornia, are you not? Is not a third of the Old Kingdoms yours by heritage?”

This was met with an indifferent shrug. “So what? What good is owning a bunch of ice going to be?”

Trixie chuckled. “You probably don’t realise it but Trixie is warm almost to the point of sweating right now, and we’re hardly walking very fast. The temperature is rising even now, in the middle of the night. The windigos went away, Princess! The ice will melt and the land will thaw!”

Princess Electrum inhaled sharply and her eyes bugged out, but then she deflated. “No, wait. That’s still going to take a very long time, probably decades, and we’ll be left with a lake.”

“Between the pegasi controlling the weather and the earth ponies digging trenches for the meltwater, Trixie thinks the process can likely be sped up. It’s just a matter of getting it organised. The Princesses are very likely to help.”

Electrum’s face saddened. “Thanks for your optimism, Trixie, but I don’t think it’ll be that easy. Even if I somehow got to see them, how would I convince them? They won’t even understand me, so you would have to be there and interpret.”

“Don’t underestimate our princesses, Electrum. Trixie would wager a lot of bits on them not only being able to understand you, but also speaking old ‘cornish fluently.”

Electrum laughed. “You make them sound so perfect and godlike!”

Trixie glanced at her and grinned. “Oh they are far from perfect. The Humble and Patient Trixie still hasn’t been invited to perform at the castle, for one! But Trixie must admit, one has to be a very special pony indeed to rise to their ranks...”

A moment of silence descended, during which Electrum looked at Trixie with a rising air of impatience.

“Trixie, you can’t just say something like that and then let it be! I want to hear more about your princesses!”

Trixie’s laughter was bright and free. “Trixie confesses she’s not being totally honest, but please trust Trixie on this: you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. You have to see them for yourself! I just don’t want to spoil it for you!”

Electrum smiled and rolled her eyes. Then she shivered. A quick check by concentrating revealed that the warmth spell had run out. She reapplied it, and though it already came to her easier and less wastefully than the first time she still felt her magic reserves dwindle alarmingly fast. She didn’t want to dwell on what that could mean, especially if it turned out Trixie wasn’t quite as powerful as she boasted. So instead she turned to happier thoughts.

“So, have you met any of my descendants? The original me, I mean. I know I left with Clover eventually.”

Trixie nearly tripped over her own hooves. When she sorted her legs out she proceeded as if nothing had happened, answering Electrum without looking at her with a high, breathless voice. “No, Trixie can’t say she’s ever met anypony claiming to be descended from you.”

“Oh? That’s odd. I’d expect there to be a noble house, at least.”

The showmare was still avoiding Electrum’s gaze and her answer was strangely delayed. “W-well, I don’t really socialise with nobility. Yeah, that’s right. I must admit I don’t really like them a whole lot. Present company excluded, of course.”

“Well, what noble houses do you know of? Any at all that trace their ancestry back to the Old Kingdoms? And what of Clover the Clever? Maybe she—"

Trixie slowed down until she was only plodding sluggishly along. She hung her head. “All right, all right. I’ll tell you. I just... I don’t know. I didn’t want to tell you, I guess.” She took a deep breath. “I know many stories about Princess Electrum and Clover the Clever, the unicorns who oversaw the Exodus. History has twisted many details. For example, a very popular holiday tale says that it was your mother, not you, who travelled to the founding of Equestria. In other tales the two of you are lovers.”

There was a pause as Electrum laughed. “Really?!”

A wince marred Trixie’s face. “Yes. Well, you’ll understand why in a moment. You see, historical records and the old tales agree on one thing. You and Clover went back to Unicornia, to gather up the last of the unicorns and, I suppose, to convince your mother to join the Exodus with you. Records and stories show that Clover the Clever led the last unicorns to Equestria, but... you disappeared somewhere along the way. Clover sent out search parties to look for you but even though the cold was only just getting started there had never been much hope of finding you. There is a grave... but it has never held any remains. I’m sorry.”

There was a long pause. When Trixie dared glance back she saw that Electrum was crying gently and silently. The princess’ eyes met Trixie’s for a split second before looking away. “And... Clover?”

“She lived to a ripe old age as first Chancellor of the Republic of Equestria. She never married nor foaled.”

“R... republic? But you have princesses now. What happened?”

Trixie sighed. “That’s a long story, but Trixie shall tell it. The Republic grew and flourished for three hundred years. Then, one summer, word came from the west that the ocean had turned into syrup and the kelp into threads of liquorice. Ponies at the capital didn’t believe the reports but it would later turn out to be the first portent of Discord...”



******



The sun rose, blinding Electrum for a long while. “I may remember the sun but this body of mine has never set its eyes on anything stronger than a globe of magelight.” Trixie led her on with her voice and directions, easily keeping track of where Electrum was now that the mist had settled completely. The two ponies kicked up a fine dust of ice crystals with every step.

Electrum’s magic had reached its limits so Trixie cast the warming spell on her when asked to. The princess was beginning to nod off and stumble every once in a while. Trixie also felt the strain but they couldn’t stop while out in the open. The egg was warm, thankfully, but it was inadequate as a source of heat. Trixie had considered letting Electrum sleep curled up in her embrace and thicker coat but she couldn’t determine how effective that was and didn’t want to commit to it unless forced to.

There was another factor as well. Trixie was sweating profusely under the sun’s glare and her thick coat held stubbornly on to the moisture. She felt disgusting and was going crazy, stopping every once in a while to roll around in one of the drifts of ice.

Electrum spotted the approaching wagon during one of these pauses.

“Trixie! There’s a wagon coming!”

Trixie scrambled to her hooves and peered in the direction of the tower. She spotted the approaching vehicle easily and smiled at Electrum.

“We’re alive! We made it, Electrum! We’re safe!” Trixie hooted with joy and capered around the princess, who was smiling broadly as her shoulders sagged from weariness. Trixie reared her forelegs and waved frantically at the wagon while shouting at it. “Here! We’re over here!” Then she realised she’d been shouting in old ‘cornish and switched to modern Equestrian. “Over here! We’re over here!”

Electrum’s smile faded somewhat as she sat down on her haunches, cradling the egg. “Trixie, thank you. Thank you for helping me. Thank you just for, um, dropping in. For existing. Thank you.”

Trixie calmed down somewhat and walked over to Electrum to give her a hug. “You’re welcome, Princess.”

“Please. Call me Ellie.”

Trixie pulled back out of the hug so she could look the princess in the eye. She could hear the wagon now, the whisper of its skis on the ice and the thud of heavy hooves. “Ellie, everything will be fine. You’ll see. House Lulamoon would be delighted to offer you a place to stay. We’ll visit the Princesses and you’ll present your claim. Then your future is wide open. I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, promise you this.”

Electrum simply smiled as tears ran down her cheeks. Then she hugged Trixie fiercely. The wagon halted nearby and Trixie glanced over at it.

That was when she noticed there were no ponies pulling it.

Warning bells immediately sounded their alarm in Trixie’s head. She quickly shook off Electrum’s hug and rose to her hooves. Just as she was about to crouch down and peer under the wagon two huge minotaurs stepped out from behind it. They each carried a crossbow that in pony hooves would have been called ballistas. The crossbows were loaded, the bolts’ steel points razor sharp and covered with wicked barbs. Both had trained their weapons on Trixie who had frozen in place, partly from the shock and partly from fear.

Then High Life, accompanied by another pony, stepped out from behind the wagon. He grinned victoriously at Trixie.

“Well, well, well! A meeting of old acquaintances and strangers! I’d ask you who the newcomer is and where she came from but it doesn’t really matter.” He turned his head to the pony at his side. His companion was a very old unicorn, clad in several expensive layers of (incredibly enough) fur and lace. There was a certain inevitability about this meeting so Trixie managed to compose her face into a stoic neutral that didn’t twitch a muscle when High Life spoke next.

“Granny, meet Bellatrix Lulamoon. Trixie, meet my grandmother, Lobelia Blueblood. She’s been... dying to meet you.”

Trixie sighed deeply. “The Great and Powerful Trixie always has time for her greatest fans. She must say, very few, if any before now, have gone to such lengths to meet Trixie in person. Trixie is flattered.”

Sarcasm seemed to bite the old mare and her eyes flashed with hatred. “Don’t kid yourself, whelp. Anypony who tries to assassinate my great-grandchildren and gets away with it deserves my special attention. I am not long for this world and nothing, nothing shall endanger the Blueblood line while I persist!”

Trixie rolled her eyes with exasperation and groaned. “This again? Trixie is no assassin! Your unruly brats collided with Trixie’s fireworks! There is no plot, you demented nag!”

Lobelia tried to keep an impassive face but her cracked lips twitched repeatedly. Then she hissed. “Your sweet words might have fooled the guard but I know better! You are far too dangerous to be permitted back to Equestria. You’ll disappear here and now.” Her gaze travelled to Electrum. “As will all witnesses of your passing. Word will reach Canterlot that the expedition failed because of you, bringing further shame upon House Lulamoon. Soon they, too, will forget you.” The elderly unicorn grinned wickedly and Trixie saw the family resemblance. “All that is left, Bellatrix, is to choose how you die. That much courtesy I can spare. Will it be with dignity? Or will you beg or try to flee?”

Trixie’s eyes flicked very quickly to Electrum wearing her cape before refocusing on Lobelia. “May Trixie ask some questions?”

Lobelia nodded as if granting a favour. “Sure. Let’s savour your final moments.”

“How did you know to come here?”

“That is all thanks to the sterling deeds of my grandson here.”

High Life chuckled at Trixie’s incredulous expression. “It turns out that silly filly Visi has a communication crystal stashed away. She’s signed a contract prior to leaving on the expedition according to which she’s to give regular reports to the Canterlot Enquirer in exchange for a quite large sum of bits! I noticed the crystal while we spent the night together but didn’t comment. I stole it from her the night before we left for Frostmirror and used it to contact my relatives. They forwarded my message to Lobelia here!”

Trixie frowned. “But I thought no Blueblood knew where Lobelia was.”

High Life laughed. “Officially perhaps, but you can be sure several relatives are secretly cooperating with her.”

“...Why? What do they have to gain?”

Lobelia smirked. Her horn glowed weakly and a sealed scroll poofed into the air next to her.

“This. My last will and testament, in which I sign over my power and wealth to whichever blueblood is most in my favour.” Her face softened and her eyes turned mild. “I know my mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be... My time grows short. So I’m doing all I can to leave Equestria in a good state for my children. This includes choosing who shall inherit me.”

She turned and smiled at High Life. “The idiots who publicly dare to decry me won’t matter long once a proper Blueblood is head of the family, ready to lobby the crown in support of Prince Blueblood. We’ll be united and strong again! Your upstart house won’t stand a chance and neither will the houses of the lesser ponies.”

Lesser ponies..? Deja vu! Trixie rolled her eyes. Again.

High Life gave her a mocking smile but there was a smoldering fury in his eyes. “So. Any last requests, Bellatrix, before we kill you and I inherit the Blueblood estates?”

Trixie smiled a tired and lopsided smile for less than a second. “Let me talk to my friend for a moment. I apologise in advance – she can’t speak modern Equestrian.” She walked over to Electrum.

“Ellie, these ponies and these minotaurs are here to kill me. It’s a long story. They plan to kill any witnesses as well.” Electrum’s eyes widened and Trixie quickly held up a hoof to stop any rash actions. “Trixie has indulged them long enough but her patience is at an end. Trixie does not wish to die now, so close to living again.”

“Wh... what will you do?”

“I will hug you. When I release the hug I’m going to give you a push. I want you to use that push to run sideways and away from the wagon.”

Fear bloomed in Electrum’s eyes and to Trixie’s satisfaction it looked much like grief, especially once the princes started crying. Trixie leaned gently forward to hug the princess from the side, conveniently placing her horn out of sight of the minotaurs and Bluebloods. Her horn flared to life and she fished inside the pocket of her cloak around the Princess’ neck, extracting the glowing crystal. Then she charged another spell.

Poof!

Black smoke burst forth around Trixie and Electrum. Trixie pushed Electrum away, sending herself backwards at the same time. Two crossbow bolts slammed into the ice behind where the two had been only a second earlier, the angle making the bolts skid and bounce away into the distance. Trixie held the crystal in front of her and faced the cursing minotaurs.

“Come out! It’s dinnertime!”

And the windigo burst forth from the crystal with a triumphant screech. High Life reacted by leaping backwards with his mouth agape. Lobelia just stood, transfixed. Trixie pointed a hoof at the furiously reloading minotaurs. “Sic ‘em!”

The windigo had been hovering close to Trixie and looking at her. She saw it turn its head. Then the air temperature dropped like a rock and the windigo flew towards the minotaurs. The first one gave up winding back the crossbow’s string, opting instead to use it as a club to deliver a double-handed blow against the windigo’s head. The crossbow passed harmlessly through the incorporeal equine, who flew up to the minotaur and gazed into its eyes.

There was a crinkling sound as the minotaur turned blue and was covered with frost. Then it toppled over, unbalanced, landing on its back with a solid ‘clunk’.

The ice by Trixie’s hooves shattered from a bolt of magic, peppering her coat with sharp shards. She turned her head to narrow her eyes at High Life, who was looking back at her with a mixture of terror and hate. Then his attention switched to the windigo. It had initially advanced towards the second minotaur but had now turned around to look at High Life.

He yelled weakly and galloped away. The windigo let out a roar and flew after him.

The second minotaur had finished winding back the crossbow and loading it. The monster glanced at the windigo with a calculating look before levelling its weapon at Trixie. Trixie’s horn flared just as the minotaur pulled the trigger.

The bolt stopped less than a hoof’s width from Trixie’s chest, vibrating in the air and wrapped in her magic. She caught the minotaur’s incredulous gaze and grinned.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie once met the Amazing Stiletto, the greatest knife thrower, juggler and catcher in all of Equestria!”

A grunt and a big flare of magic later the bolt was sunk deep in the minotaur’s right shoulder. It bellowed, dropped the crossbow and sank to one knee. It looked at the wound and prodded its limp right arm with its left. Then it raised its head and fixed Trixie with a gaze of unbridled fury. “Let’s see you catch my horns, puny pony trickster!” It charged at her with a loud bellow.

Trixie growled while backing away. A glance showed the windigo far away, chasing High Life’s still receding shape. She called it back but knew it wouldn’t arrive in time. Her horn flared and she was once again enveloped in smoke. A second later the minotaur charged blindly into the black mess with its head lowered to bring its horns into play. It hit nothing, managing only to trip on Trixie’s outstretched back hoof.

The minotaur slid and tumbled impressively far thanks to its momentum but it was picking itself up even before it stopped completely. When it turned around, however, it got hit in the face by a firework spell. It growled as its left hand flew up to its blinded eyes. A wipe of fading magical residue and a shake of its head later it opened its eyes... and was greeted by the windigo’s stare.

Trixie could feel the immense cold enveloping the minotaur even though she was several meters away. She let her attention shift from the feasting windigo to Lobelia Blueblood, who had stood paralysed since the fight began. Trixie shifted her stance intending to walk forward and realised her front hooves were stuck. Looking down revealed them to be frozen to the ground. She gently tugged them free before looking back up at a (figuratively) petrified Lobelia.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

She walked closer, trapping Lobelia’s gaze in hers and speaking with gentle menace. “The fire at the party was an accident, as Trixie said. Trixie is an entertainer, nothing more! The guard was professional enough not to succumb to your paranoia so Trixie certainly couldn’t have sweet-talked her way out of prison. All Trixie wanted was to be left alone, but then you had to set fire to her wagon. So Trixie ran away, joining this expedition. Your grandson High Life is chauvinistic and annoying but until now he wasn’t an accomplice to attempted murder. No, you had to arrive here for that.”

She bent forward until her muzzle was a hair’s breadth away from Lobelia’s. “Congratulations. You have chased Trixie to the end of the world. Trixie has nowhere left to run, Lobelia. All that is left... is to fight.”

The windigo hooted. The second minotaur was an ice sculpture. Lobelia Blueblood, powerful matron of House Blueblood and descendant of the Cobaltveins of the Old Kingdoms, stared unfocused past Trixie’s left ear and keeled over gently as her heart failed. High Life was a speck in the distance.

The windigo looked with an air of disappointment at the crumpled elderly pony at Trixie’s hooves for a moment before gazing at High Life’s distant form and emitting an inquisitive and eager rumble. Trixie roused herself from staring at the cooling body in front of her and drew a shuddering breath.

“No, let him run if he thinks it’ll do him any good. You get to take him down if he tries to approach us again.” Then Trixie smiled at the windigo. “You’re obedient and loyal, aren’t you? Trixie couldn’t ask for a better pet. Good boy.”

The windigo shrieked and shot into the air, startling Trixie. A breathless Electrum walked up beside her, looking back and forth between the ghostly equine and Trixie. “Did you just try to befriend a windigo? What possessed you to do that?”

Trixie just shrugged while gaping at the windigo, who was yammering and hooting while flying back and forth in the air above her. Then it seemed to seize up and convulse. There was a flash of blue, after which the windigo calmed down. It turned its head to look at Trixie, slowly and silently approaching her. It lowered itself until it was at eye level with her and only then did it occur to her to be worried.

Then she saw a tiny pair of glowing blue eyes peek out from behind the windigo’s ghostly tail. Electrum cooed gently.

“A baby windigo...? I’ve never seen such a thing!”

Trixie grinned uncertainly up at the ghostly mare in front of her. “You reproduce by budding? Huh. Um... Congratulations?”

The windigo hooted and, though the sound was raw and strange, Trixie somehow got the impression of bubbling joy. Then it flew into the air to do loops and corkscrews, followed by a dive that buzzed so closely by Trixie that her mane was pulled by the wind. There was a crinkling sound and Trixie felt a sudden sensation of weight on her head. Electrum giggled while staring at her.

Trixie lifted a forehoof and patted her mane gently. It was stiff  and covered by frost. “Did... did it do something? To Trixie’s hair?”

Electrum burst out laughing. “Green suits you, Trixie!”
> Trixie Discards the Element of Badass as Redundant
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Thirteen:


Trixie Discards the Element of Badass as Redundant



The wagon, it turned out, hadn’t been unpacked while it had been at Pinewood Tower. It contained food rations, blankets, rope, nails, mood medallions, spare cage parts, a tent and stove, charcoal, jars of explosive powder, the prepared and unused rocket mixtures and, most importantly, Trixie’s hat.

They’d raised the tent and fired up the stove, though Trixie quickly found she couldn’t stay inside the tent while the the stove was in use: the heat became too stifling for her. Until she could trim her magically grown coat she was truly a creature of the ice and snow. She slept outside on the wagon’s roof, cradling the glowing crystal and contemplating the baby windigo.

It was unquestionably bound to her as well. The expedition didn’t have any instructions that she knew of regarding other eventual windigos other than ‘avoid if you know what’s good for you’, which left the status of Trixie’s tiny tot terror from Tartarus in official limbo.

She grinned even in her slumber.

“Now, mares and gentlecolts, steel yourselves! For you are about to witness one of Equestria’s deadliest beings! The downfall of civilisations, the bringer of eternal winter: the windigo!” The public howled, first with terror and then with appreciation as the ghostly creature performed tricks. Trixie bowed and the howls only intensified. Princess Electrum was on the stage with her, clad in the gaudy kind of outfit traditional of stage magicians’ assistants, and she turned her face to Trixie – her fearful face – and said—

“Trixie! What’s that howling?!”

Trixie’s eyes flew open. The howls were really close now. She sprang to her hooves and looked around. Princess Electrum was just exiting her tent, fearful gaze darting about. Trixie easily spotted the six approaching rimewolves, only a couple kilometers away. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment before she forced herself into action, leaping off the wagon and wrenching open its door.

“Get in here, Ellie! Latch the door behind Trixie when she leaves!”

She quickly gathered the rope and her prepared rocket packs with her magic, winding the rope around her barrel. Electrum scrambled into the wagon almost in a state of panic. “What is that, Trixie? Wolves?”

“Rimewolves. Stay inside until Trixie says it’s safe!”

She leaped out of the wagon and wrenched the door shut behind her. Then she climbed back up on the wagon’s roof. There was a moment of stillness as she faced the wolves, who by now were falling silent and accelerating to a full charge. Trixie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, am really sick and tired of everything wanting me dead.”

She opened her eyes. The wolves were maybe a hundred meters away by now, but something was wrong with them. They were slowing down. Trixie studied them with widening eyes: their icy tongues were lolling out of their wide open maws. The wolves, creatures of extreme cold, were panting from exertion in the rising temperature. Their charge slowed until they were only jogging menacingly towards Trixie, their laboured breaths loud in the otherwise still air. She felt hope and risked a smile. A plan formed in her head: she’d been through much since her last encounter with rimewolves. Some of those experiences she could now use.

Two rockets with telekinetic shells screamed towards the wolves and detonated among them, shredding all six. Trixie leapt off the wagon and ran towards the soot stains on the ice. The glacier was likely too hard to dig, but maybe...

The wolves’ glowing blue eyes were the first to appear, looking like mere dots on the ice. Then their heads formed, but far slower than what Trixie was used to. They seemed to struggle to free themselves from the ice. Drifts of snow blew in from the sides, covering their gray-blue bodies with a fuzz resembling fur. Trixie reached them by the time they’d gotten their forelegs free of the ice.

Her horn glowed and the holding circle Clover taught her formed around the three bunched closest together. Then she uncoiled the rope from around her body and sent it hurtling towards the first of the other three, binding its snout and forelegs. The remaining two, struggling to pull their hindlegs out of the glacier, she blasted to bits with a spell.

The one held in her ropes got its hindlegs free just in time for her to tie it up. The three in the holding circle threw themselves against the misty barrier but as weak as it was they were weaker still, creatures whose bodies were remarkable for their expendability rather than strength. Two new pairs of eyes appearing inside the circle confirmed Trixie’s hunch: the destroyed rimewolves were now also trapped. The length of rope holding a rimewolf was still mostly unused so Trixie plucked a wolf out of the circle with her magic and set about the task of subduing it as well.

A grinding sound made her look up. She was just in time to see the two pairs of eyes in the holding circle, warning of two forming rimewolves, merge into one single and much larger pair. The two wolves who’d been struggling against the border of the holding spell were whining as they were pulled towards the circle’s midpoint. Trixie watched in astonishment as some force seemed to pull them together until their bodies crunched. The glow in their eyes winked out, only for the glow of the big pair to intensify further. The former bodies of the rimewolves warped and shifted...

Into a crown.

A huge rimewolf head tore up from the glacier, wearing a crown of the bluest ice. Massive blue eyes rose quickly above Trixie’s head even as they focused on her and narrowed. A great maw, filled with icicle teeth as thick at their base as her thighs, opened to let out a roar that sent Trixie tumbling from its force. She was also greatly dismayed to find fresh frost on her coat: the giant wolf was radiating cold.

Trixie stumbled to her hooves and stared with utter confusion at the monster. Her holding circle vanished as the wolf’s shoulders appeared out of the ice, wider than the ring of mist had been.

“Wh... What is this?! The dossier never mentioned anything like this!”

The rimewolf king wrenched its forelegs free of the glacier, muscles of sculpted blue ice creaking and bulging, and wasted no time swiping at the pony in its sight. Trixie yelped and scuttled back, still staring with her mouth agape. Then the king looked down at the two strung-up rimewolves by its paws. It laid a paw gently on each and absorbed their bodies, growing larger still in the process. Mist condensed out of the air around it as it struggled to pull its hind legs out of the ice. It was twice as tall as the wagon, and its maw was big enough to swallow Trixie whole... but she doubted it would refrain from chewing if it caught her.

It rose on its four freed paws, crouched, leapt and smacked down onto the ice without moving, with a huge crash sounding like broken glass, its tail still anchored in the glacier. That was enough to snap Trixie out of her paralysis. “A... All right, so instead of six rimewolves, Trixie has to deal with just one – one very very big rimewolf... Think think think!!”

Four massive legs strained to pull the tip of the tail free. The rimewolf king tumbled as the tail finally lost its anchor point, landing on its head with all four legs flailing in the air. A streak of fire and sparks screamed through the air and impacted with a boom against its left back leg, making the king twitch and howl. It flipped around, but struggled to maintain balance when it found the attacked leg injured to the point of uselessness, with great cracks and chunks of ice falling away. It licked its back leg gently, coating it with a thin layer of ice, before turning around and focusing its fury on the small, blue thing retreating slowly away from it.

Trixie saw the king crouch in preparation of a leap and launched another rocket. The king reacted by springing to the side, again stumbling due to its hind leg. The rocket flew past where the king had been before turning in Trixie’s magic, slamming into the king’s right front leg and exploding. The king howled as its foreleg, as big as a tree, broke off and shattered against the ground.

Two more rockets sped out and exploded, crippling the giant rimewolf. Trixie grinned with relief until she saw the king’s eyes blaze and felt the wind on her back. The wolf’s legs were slowly growing back, fed by the loose drifts of ice all around it.

Trixie wailed. “That’s unfair!” She looked in frustration at the remaining rockets. She had plenty, but she doubted now they’d provide a solution by themselves. She racked her brain, trying to think of something. Then she froze.

A wicked grin formed on her face.

The rimewolf king watched as the stump of its left foreleg grew and extended. A rocket slammed into it only moments before the claws of its paw would have formed, reducing the leg once more to a stump. The king’s head growled and barked, snapping at the air around it. Then it looked around: the little blue pest was keeping away, and the little fang jutting out of its head was glowing blue. The same blue glow raced along the ground, digging a trench in the glacier behind it and clearing away all the loose drifts of snow.

The king dismissed the irritant’s actions as irrelevant and went back to the task of reforming its limbs one at a time, this time choosing its left hindleg. That one wasn’t blown clean off, merely damaged beyond usability. The king focused, drawing ice from the glacier beneath it, from the drifts all around and from the air itself. The leg mended, the cracks disappearing and the gaps being filled by fresh ice. Then another rocket cannoned into it, this time snapping the leg clean off. The king howled and thrashed about with rage and frustration. It peered at the insignificant speck that dared injure its form. There, hovering next to the blue sack of fur, was one... many lumps of earth that reeked of dormant fire. So, it deduced, the little thing would eventually run out of the fire that ate the king’s legs. Good.

It focused on its right front leg. There was a boom and the leg shattered. The king growled but focused immediately on the same leg again. The king’s animal mind triumphed when the leg was completed. The little blue nuisance had had many lumps of fire but had used one, so it couldn’t have many lumps of fire now! It must have run out! The king didn’t look to confirm, instead quickly focusing on its other front leg. It, too, grew to completion. Now the king could move, so it swivelled around to lie on its belly.

The rimewolf king looked around. It was lying in the focal point of a strange tracery of glowing lines etched into the glacier. The soon-to-be snack was standing arrogantly in another focal point slightly removed from the center. The king tried swiping a leg at it but the succulent mouthful of meat was still too far away. It flinched but otherwise didn’t move. Then there was a voice.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie binds thee to her will! By magic and ritual be chained! The circle is unbroken, as unbroken are your bonds! Submit! Submit!! Submit!!!”



******



Wallbreaker the minotaur mercenary wasn’t worried. In fact, he was downright bored. Shoving the pegasi, who were hanging from the ceiling by the ropes that were immobilising them, had become uninteresting when they had stopped crying and complaining. Challenging the one earthen into fighting again wasn’t an option. The stallion had had to be maddened by sorrow to rise up to Wallbreaker’s taunts the first time around and that passionate flame had been extinguished beneath Wallbreaker’s fists. The earthen would need weeks to recover fully. The crystalline were so timid they backed away just from his glance. Everything was going tear-inducingly and mind-numbingly smoothly, so all he had to do was wait until the Boss, currently a unicorn named Lobelia, returned.

Wallbreaker snorted as he thought of the little, wrinkly pony. Lobelia was the perfect example of everything that was wrong with the entire species. Even as a unicorn potentially capable of wielding deadly magic she was puny and frail. Her power came not from any personal source but from the myriads of other ponies who willingly carried out her commands. She killed with words and strokes of goosefeather, not by personally snapping her opponents’ necks. Personal strength, which meant so much to the minotaurs, was apparently ridiculed by the idiot ponies who somehow made weakness and relying upon others into virtues.

However: gold was gold and Lobelia had lots of it. Most minotaurs, even the trash Wallbreaker employed who mistook a twisting street for a labyrinth, understood the concept of punching things until gold fell out but Wallbreaker was an intellectual and understood the concept of punching other things than the thing with the gold. His recruited minotaurs looked upon him with reverence, as they should.

For this job he’d selected four of his more gentle bruisers. The boss had stressed that only one pony was to die: killing the rest would inconvenience her too much. He’d sent Benthorn and Laughing Muscle out with the Boss because they had been getting impatient. That left Red Rag and Hammer (the third Hammer he’d employed and the seventh he’d known) behind with him. He’d have gone himself but he didn’t trust his companions not to try to punch things, when he wasn’t looking, in the hope that gold would fall out. The wide open glacier didn’t help since it triggered the agoraphobia inherent to their species. The mountain passes had felt almost like home in comparison and he longed to return to them. He’d imagined settling down and carving a labyrinth of tunnels into one of the cliffsides and the concept had a surprising allure.

Thus it was with a bad mood that he toured the cozy little tower the ponies had built, looking over his captives. They no longer spoke in his presence, merely glaring sullenly at him as if their eyes could pierce his skin where their hooves proved far too feeble. He was just finishing looking at the random junk strewn around the second floor when Red Rag bellowed to him from the front doorway downstairs.

“Boss! Dere’s a wagon an’ it don’t look like de Boss pony!”

Wallbreaker was bending over a crate and looking into it, idly wondering if the dark crystals were worth any gold, but now he straightened. The boss – Lobelia – hadn’t mentioned expecting any visitors. If it really was her then Benthorn and Laughing Muscle should have been obvious enough.

“Boss, dey got a big dog!”

He snarled, losing his patience (which admittedly was lost as easily as piece of chalk in a snowstorm), and stomped to the top of the stairs down. “So? Kill it, kill them and plunder their wagon!” When in doubt, punch and hope for gold. He was about to turn away to continue his inspection when Red Rag appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Red Rag looked troubled. Red Rag had once, when sober and dangerously bored, wrestled a quarry eel on a bet.

“Boss, t’ dog, it’s really big.”

“What are you, a cow?! Fine, I’ll come hold your widdle tail when you spank the dog! We’ll get Hammer too so he can wipe your ass when you shit yourself!”

Red Rag looked lost and sad. “T’ dog ate Hammer already, boss.”

That got through to Wallbreaker. He didn’t run but walk down the stairs until he was level with Red Rag and could stare his employee in the eyes from up close. “Tell me what you did.”

“Well Hammer an’ I were out searchin’ through der wagons like you said, boss, when I saw dis wagon come from where the boss pony went, but no Bendy or Laffin’ so I say to Hammer ‘look, we got strangers’ an’ he said ‘maybe dey got gold’ an’ then we decided he got to check it out ‘cause he punched me first. So ‘e goes, right, swinging his axe in the air an’ tellin’ them to stop and give up the gold, an’ den he sees that dere’s dis big blue dog pullin’ de wagon an’ it leaps at ‘im an’ rips ‘is ‘ead off.”

That was impressive, Wallbreaker had to admit. A minotaur’s neck was probably one of the toughest parts of its body thanks to all that muscle. Being an intellectual he considered alternatives to the tried and true punching tactic. “Okay, so we wait in here until it goes away.”

Red Rag shook his head. “It won’t go away, boss. While t’ doggy ate Hammer a pony on its back yelled at me. She asked me a lotta things and den she said I had to come get you or she’d be mad. An’ she said I wouldn’t like it if she got mad.”

“Did you say a pony stood on the doggys back?”

“Yup I did, boss.”

“And you just told it everything it wanted to know?”

“I did, boss.”

“Why?”

“Well you see I sorta swung my axe at de doggie when I saw dat it was busy eatin’ Hammer, but it saw me and put a paw on me to hold me down. She said she’d let me go if I jus’ answered some questions.”

Wallbreaker was reminded once more of the heretical notion that strength might be a more complex concept than the perfect expression of power that was physical force. When faced with the results of the mental deficiencies of his fellow minotaurs he oftentimes felt compelled to commit a little heresy. This time was more tempting than most previous ones. In any case, he had to see this pony for himself. He gripped one of Red Rag’s ears and walked towards the entrance, letting Red Rag decide if he wanted to have his ear pulled off or if he wanted to follow. Red Rag decided upon the latter and so was led out into the moonlight behind Wallbreaker as his boss walked on, stopping only when he’d turned around a parked wagon and come face to lower jaw with the enormous wolf that was hitched to another wagon.

The ‘doggy’ was coloured in tones of blue and gray and was apparently made of ice and snow. Large, blue eyes glowed with a strong internal light. There was a crown upon its head, and sitting with her hindlegs astride its neck was a pony as blue as the wolf. She was clad in a hat and a cape, both of which carried a motif of the night sky. Her forelegs were crossed with apparent impatience but they uncrossed when she spotted Wallbreaker.

“You! Are you the leader of these minotaurs?”

Wallbreaker had difficulty tearing his gaze away from the maw of the great beast in front of him. Its lips and teeth, which it kept baring at him accompanied by a constant low growl, were stained dark in the moonlight. “I’m Wallbreaker and I’m the boss here yes.” He pulled Red Rag’s ear close to his mouth and whispered. “Go back ‘round the wagon and attack the wolf from the side. Chop its legs off.”

Red Rag nodded and walked away, but the pony on top of the wolf lit her horn and shot a small bolt of magic in front of him. “Stay!” Red Rag turned around to look helplessly at Wallbreaker.

The minotaur boss decided to try some subtle psychology. He pulled his axe from his back. “I think you’re a little coward on top of a big dog, pony. How good would you fare against my axe without Fido here?”

This was met with derisive laughter. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is no fighter, this is true!” Trixie’s eyes narrowed. “She’s a survivor.” Then she patted the head of the wolf she was riding. “Please tell mr. bull-for-brains here what you think of the name ‘Fido’.”

The wolf inhaled before letting rip a roar that shook the ground around the minotaurs and coated their horns and bodies with frost. Wallbreaker staggered backwards, blinded by the spray of icy spittle and buffeted by the freezing breath. Trixie gazed calmly at the two minotaurs as they tried to behave as if they hadn’t just had their eardrums savaged. She raised her voice to an imitation of the Canterlot Royal. “IF YOU CAN HEAR THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE, PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU ALSO WISH TO FIND OUT MY PET’S OPINION OF YOUR AXE-WAVING!!!”

Wallbreaker raised one hand to his left ear and another into a halting gesture aimed at Trixie. “No! That’s fine. You’re the boss now. Er... did you meet a miss Lobelia? Only, she promised us gold...”

Trixie’s eyes narrowed. “Oh did she now? As a matter of fact, Trixie did meet Lobelia Blueblood. Did she mention where your gold was? Did she have any luggage that was heavy and clinking?”

Wallbreaker shook his head. “No, boss. I don’t think she’d be that foolish.”

Trixie guffawed exactly once. Then she looked at Wallbreaker with an expression that made him shiver. That expression belonged on dragons playing with their food, not on ponies. She took a deep breath. “What’s your name, minotaur?”

He coughed politely. “Wallbreaker, miss.”

“Well, mister Wallbreaker, sir. Since Lobelia won’t be coming back... ever... you have a slight problem. Would you like Trixie to solve it for you?”

The minotaur nodded in a show of great enthusiasm. “Yes, please, boss.”

Trixie giggled. “Oh, how polite! Well done! The Merciful and Generous Trixie is pleased!” Her face grinned ever wider as her horn lit with magic. A rolled-up scroll appeared from her cape. A moment’s magical flourish conjured a goosefeather pen and an inkwell. Then she looked down at the Minotaur. “I’m sorry, was that ‘ball’ or ‘wall’?”

The minotaur’s nostrils twitched, but Wallbreaker lowered his gaze. “Wall, miss.”

“Very good.” The goosefeather scratched across the document in Trixie’s magic, writing something here and there. She took a deep breath and smiled again. “You wouldn’t happen to know what a will is would you?”

Wallbreaker looked up in confusion. “A will? Yes I do. It’s when I get what I want. It’s because I have a will and others don’t.”

Trixie laughed merrily at this, ignoring Wallbreaker’s darkening frown. She waved the scroll. “Very true, yes. Well this, dear minotaur, will get you exactly what you want but it’s using Lobelia’s will! See this seal? It’s made by Lobelia herself and is unforgeable! Attached to this scroll it means that whatever is written here is official! And it had some oh so convenient blanks! Since Lobelia promised you gold, who is Trixie to disagree?” She leaned forward and down, bringing her face a bit closer to the minotaur’s so she could grin a bit more. “Trixie will give you this boon in exchange for getting the two of you to leave immediately! You take this scroll to Canterlot and ask for House Blueblood! Then you go where you are directed, display the scroll and demand your gold! They like when you talk loud and state your business directly!”

Wallbreaker nodded appreciatively. Perhaps there were some ponies who weren’t so bad after all, if he could believe this mare’s description of House Blueblood. He was prepared to believe anything she said as long as she had the giant wolf of ice locked and loaded. “I understand, boss. You give me the scroll and we’ll get out of your mane right away.”

“Good. Then we have an agreement.” Trixie smiled imperiously and levitated Lobelia Blueblood’s last will and testament, filled in with Wallbreaker’s name and sealed properly, over to the minotaur. “Now beat it!”

The minotaurs did as promised. They ran, only stopping to grab a couple bags from a crude sled parked next to the tower. Trixie watched them until they disappeared into the night. Then she patted the rimewolf king. “Let me down.” The great wolf snarled, only to be smacked on the head. It yelped and lay down, allowing Trixie to climb off. She walked so she was directly in front of it and placed a hoof on its icy nose. “Stay put! Be nice!” When she received a whine in response she trotted around it, back to the wagon. She unhitched the wolf from its makeshift rope harness as she passed.

Princess Electrum unlatched the wagon door and peered cautiously out at her as Trixie knocked. “Is it safe?”

Trixie smiled modestly. “Trixie scared them off. Let’s get you inside. I’ll introduce you to everypony while I tell them that they’re free.”

Electrum took Trixie’s offered hoof and climbed nervously out of the wagon, followed by a bundle of blankets enveloped by her magic and carrying the changeling egg. “Trixie, do you know any translation spells? I... I’m nervous about this and it would help if I could speak to them.”

“Sorry, Clover didn’t teach me any. Modern Equestria doesn’t really need translators as almost every creature on the planet knows at least some Equish, including the dragons. Don’t worry, Trixie will teach you and translate for you until you learn!”

Electrum hesitated before nodding. Trixie gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before turning and leading the princess towards the tower. She stopped just outside the door. She wasn’t stupid; there could be more minotaurs in there. She checked in her very own way by taking a deep breath.

“Hail, ponies! The Great and Powerful Trixie has returned!”

A few cautious and confused voices penetrated the door.

“Trixie?!”

“Trixie, is that really you?” 

“What was that roar just now?”

“Did you see the minotaurs?”

She turned her head and grinned at Electrum. “They’re all right!” Then she opened the door with her magic and paraded through it into the tower. “Never fear, Trixie is here! The minotaurs are running away as we speak! The roar was Trixie’s new pet! You’re safe!”

The resulting cheer emanating from over thirty throats secured itself instantly on top of Trixie’s list of most appreciative audiences ever. The crystal ponies near the back of the tower jumped up and down while laughing while those near Trixie rushed over and piled up around her in a massive hug. She felt hooves lifting her up and then she was being carried in the air. A hasty glance back showed Electrum watching shyly from just inside the door. Looking forward she saw Crystal and Visi, both looking bedraggled and tied up with ropes hanging from the ceiling but still smiling happily at her as a couple of the crystalline untied them carefully.

She saw Broth and gasped with shock.

Boiling Broth had been lying in one of the single beds under the stairs. Now he fought to rise but it was obvious that he was in no condition to stand or even sit. His eyes were nearly forced closed by massive bruising on his face and blood streaked his fur in numerous places, but worst of all was the look of yearning and brittle hope that he sent Trixie’s way. The rest of the room fell silent as they became aware of the situation, letting Broth be heard when he spoke in a broken, almost whispering voice.

“Terra..?”

Trixie was gently lowered to the ground so she could walk up to the battered stallion. She lay a hoof on his foreleg and sat down next to the bed.

“I’m sorry. Terra is gone.”

Trixie was prepared for tears and violent disbelief but Broth just looked straight ahead forlornly for a few moments before scrunching his eyes tightly shut and whispering.

“I told you so. Dammit, Terra, why’d you have to make me right?”

“Um... were you two..?”

Broth snorted and shook his head. “She was my best fr-friend. She’s... was... a widow since a couple years back. Husband died while in the military. They got three kids and ten grandkids by now. I said to Terra... I said... that she’d risk joining her husband if she took this job.” Broth covered his face with his forelegs. Trixie pulled back, intending to give the grieving stallion some space, but one of his legs left his face and stopped her. She looked back into the one moistening eye he wasn’t concealing.

“Trixie, Terra’s journal is on her bed. She wants you to bring it back to Equestria and the princess.”

“Huh? But surely you—"

Broth shook his head. “Trixie, we’re not in the army now, so there’s no real chain of command. But Terra was an old player at this and knew she had to take precautions. There’s a list on the inside cover. Read it.”

The room was silent as Trixie walked over to Terra’s bed and grasped the journal lying there with her magic. She cracked open the book on the first page and looked to the left.


In the case I am incapacitated the following ponies, in order of preference, should assume leadership.


I task them with only one thing:


Bring the rest of us home.


The next part was written on a sticky note attached to the cover. Judging by the smudges of glue it had been replaced a number of times.


Bellatrix


Crystal


High Life


Broth


Visi



Bring my journal and tell the kids I said hi.


Trixie stared at the wall in front of her and slowly closed the journal. There was a lump of an entirely new kind of fear forcing its way up her throat so she swallowed a couple of times to keep it down. Then she turned to stare at Broth, who was regarding her intently in spite of his still flowing tears.

“Trixie assumes you’ve read this?”

Broth nodded.

“Why aren’t you top of the list, Broth?”

He shrugged. “I’ve got the experience but I’m too unreliable. I’ve got some... burdens. I think you can figure it out. I’ll advise you if you want me to.”

“If I want you to? Broth, Trixie isn’t... she doesn’t... I...” Trixie’s shoulders slumped and she lowered her head until her muzzle nearly touched the floor. “Oh Celestia, what do I do?”

Broth smiled gently. “Declare the expedition a failure and bring us home, Trixie.”

There was a short silence. Then Trixie raised her head and glared at Broth. “I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, declare this expedition... a success.” Her horn lit and the glowing crystal levitated into view from underneath her cape. “Terra did not die in vain. Trixie has captured the windigo.”

Stunned voices of disbelief echoed around the chamber. Broth eyed the crystal with an eyebrow raised. “Where is it?”

“Inside this. Trixie can bring it out if you want to see. It’s safe.”

Broth nodded. “I want to see this.”

There were gasps and brief yelps of alarm when the windigo shot out of the crystal. It took to hovering just below the ceiling, silently looking down at the group of curious and frightened faces.

When Broth found the controls to his jaw he shut his mouth and coughed gently. “All right, I see it and I still have trouble believing it. But enough is enough. Thank you, Trixie. But... how? And who’s that?” He pointed to where Electrum stood.

Trixie nodded and held the crystal aloft. The windigo flew down and disappeared into it. Then she cleared her throat and spoke.

“Trixie will tell her story and introduce her friend in the process. When the windigos were roused they created a powerful vortex of air. It grabbed Trixie and pulled her along the ground towards the hole they’d flown out of. She tried to resist but the wind was too strong and eventually she fell. And tumbled. And slid...”

> Trixie Gets Her Picture in the Dictionary Under Humility
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Fourteen:


Trixie Gets Her Picture in the Dictionary Under Humility



…And then we held a ceremony for Terra Incognita, remembering what little we knew of her. That’s not to say we had nothing to say about our former leader: it turns out even the crystalline have been very impressed by her, and there were many touching speeches.

The goosefeather pen scratched its way across the journal page. A careful touch made a period. Trixie hummed a vague tune while she considered how to proceed.

In truth she’d already made the difficult decisions. There were too many witnesses and too much to explain to enable her to deviate from what actually happened or even withhold much beyond the changeling egg (and she withheld that because she wanted Electrum to decide if and when she’d let it be officially known she was the brood mother designate of a changeling hive). That was the problem, really. She sniffed, pouted and wrote.

Looking back at what Trixie has written makes her disbelieve her own words even though she was there and lived through it all. Dear reader, Trixie understands if you are skeptical of what has been told. The Great and Powerful Trixie cannot earn your belief, nor does she wish to reassure you with ultimately empty words. Instead she would issue a challenge: This, these words I have written, I claim is what happened, and I have some evidence to back it up. If you doubt me then I invite you to poke holes in this story. Prove The Great and Powerful Trixie wrong if you can!

The exclamation point was finished with a flourish and a smile on Trixie’s lips.

Moving on, everypony felt like celebrating after the memorial. Even Broth insisted upon this. Since Trixie had declared that we shall begin our journey back to civilisation the day after tomorrow, we know now how our resource situation looks. Our food stores are especially good, so everypony dug through the stores and asked Broth, with the help of five crystalline, to cook up a fantastic supper for us all. Everypony was asking questions of Electrum, forcing Trixie to interpret, but truth be told Trixie didn’t mind. Electrum was grateful.

Trixie wondered briefly how many of the other expedition members would write about the tightly wrapped bundle of blankets that Electrum always carried around and refused to answer questions about. The warning about changelings being a painful recent memory for Equestria had alarmed and saddened the princess. Trixie raised her head to look at Electrum’s sleeping form, four beds distant. The bundled egg was even now cradled in her legs, making Trixie shake her head in disbelief. That much faith in a species of emotional thieves couldn’t be healthy, in Trixie’s humble opinion.

Still. Trixie had seen an entirely different approach to changeling – pony relations while trapped underneath the glacier. Maybe there was potential there for a forward-thinking individual such as herself. As she thought she listened to the quiet sounds (and not so quiet snoring) thirty-four ponies made. The soft noises had a beckoning quality that added lead weights to Trixie’s eyelids. She yawned and raised the pen in her magic one final time.

Now Trixie is exhausted. Good night.

She placed the pen as a bookmark on the open page before closing the journal. Sleep took her at once.



******



“Oh Great and Powerful Trixie, our fearless leader, I just wanted to say that I just found the emergency communication crystal. It’s been smashed to pieces.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow at Crystal Brightfeather. The pegasus was smirking at her, but without any malevolence. “High Life or the minotaurs, no doubt to prevent any of you from calling for help. It would’ve been nice to report back to somepony all that’s happened and ask for instructions, but it can wait. We’ll be, hopefully, back at the Crystal Empire within two weeks.”

Crystal nodded and moved to turn away, but hesitated. Then she looked back at Trixie with an expression of curiosity. “Speaking of crystals, don’t you think it’s a bit of a tragedy to waste a beautiful thing like that perfect diamond on a tracking orb?”

“What diam—" Trixie blinked and her eyes widened. Then she brought out the windigo’s crystal from her cape’s pocket. She examined it and tried to dismiss any preconceptions she might have had. It was cut, appropriately enough, into a diamond shape and glittered brilliantly in addition to the blue glow lent by the windigo’s presence. It was about as large as a box of matches, making it gargantuan by diamond standards. “This is a diamond?!”

Crystal replied with another nod, her face serious. “It’s hard to believe, but yes. Is there some reason it was chosen as a pointer for the orb? Wouldn’t a crystal of lesser quality do just as well?”

Trixie shook her head. “N-no, this has nothing to do with the quality of the gem. The spell requires something that the person to be tracked values or has kept close to it for a period of time. Do you know anything about enchantments, Crystal?”

“Yes, I do. I need a couple of custom items made for me to enable me to work in very high altitudes. Haggling with enchanters requires that you know what you’re asking for, so I’ve studied what goes into doing the kind of items I need.” Then Crystal appeared confused. “But why would a windigo carry around such a thing? Do they collect shiny trinkets?”

Trixie could only shrug while absentmindedly stroking the diamond in her hooves. “Who knows? They don’t talk so we can’t ask them.”



******



Day 27

Glorious moon and splendid sun, we’re on our way home. Trixie is writing this sitting on the roof of her wagon. The huge rimewolf turns out to be a passable beast of burden: three of the wagons are hitched to it. The result is hopefully that we can let the crystalline pull in shifts, increasing our travel time per day and still be more rested when we stop. It also means Broth can rest in one of the wagons, as he isn’t needed to pull anything.

I have decided to send the wolf away, to the northern crystal mountains, before we reach civilisation. Bringing a giant ice monster into populated areas does not sound like a good strategy to the Great and Powerful Trixie. Neither does bringing an incorporeal beast and master of winter, but orders are orders.

On the topic of the windigo: the little one ‘hatched’ this morning, causing general alarm and confusion as it zipped out of the gem and started poking about, probably looking for food. Trixie bases this on how it would fly up to a pony and coat it with a thin layer of frost. How it proceeded from there varies. If the pony reacted with anger then the little windigo (it’s so small it could curl up on Trixie’s frog) would nuzzle up to the pony, following it around and occasionally delivering a coating of frost, until the pony became resigned to its fate and lost interest. If it was met with anything else than negativity it would lose interest and move on to another pony.

Even though the chill was not more than an inconvenience even for us non-crystalline the others ignored Trixie’s pleas to let the little thing have its way and demanded she put a stop to it. Interesting fact: the dark pendants intended to enhance the negative emotions of the pony used as bait seem to work perfectly as a windigo baby-food substitute. Even now the little monster appears to suckle with great enthusiasm on the dark crystal embedded in the medallion.

Pardon the inkstains, copyists! It turns out that maintaining a steady temperature where the ink is neither frozen nor boiling is more difficult than it appears at first glance.

“Trixie? Do you have a moment?”

Trixie kept her gaze on her journal. Her ink-removal spell was far from adequate, leaving behind a visible reminder of her mishap. She let the magic die from her horn and sighed while turning her head around... and up.

“Sure, Visi. What’s on your mind?”

The diminutive pegasus even managed to flutter nervously. Visi was hovering in the air next to Trixie and looking down at her with a worried frown.

“Um... I–I’m afraid? I kind of broke the law, didn’t I?”

“What are you— oh. You broke the confidentiality agreement when you sold the story to the Canterlot Enquirer. That’s right... What are you afraid they’ll do, exactly?”

Visi looked downcast as she landed on the wagon roof. Even then her wings twitched and shifted ceaselessly. “I’m... a foreigner, Trixie. They’ll probably expel me from Equestria.”

Trixie sighed. “Why did you do it in the first place?”

“They offered me a job. I’d go straight to the reporting, and with a pay grade far above a novice’s. I don’t know how they got wind of the expedition but somehow they sensed it was going to be a big story and they wanted somepony on the inside of it.”

“Trixie has... experience with the law. Your best bet is to cooperate. You should confess to somepony as soon as we return.” She kept silent of the little detail that Visi seemed remorseful not because she did wrong but because she was caught, and unless that changed it was bound to be an obstacle to any leniency. She watched Visi in silence as the pegasus sat and stared down at her forehooves. Visi squeaked with sudden alarm and shuddered as a coating of frost appeared on her, making Trixie chuckle and glance over at the baby windigo. The little blue shade was peering intently at Visi.

“Don’t be too harsh on the little tyke. That’s probably how they show their appreciation. Besides, it’s a good indicator that you’re being too negative.”

The glare Trixie received from Visi was startlingly vicious, partly because Trixie had never seen the timid pegasus express such a strong emotion, but it disappeared after another wary glance at the miniature windigo. Visi took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll do as you say, Trixie, and hope for mercy.” Then she took to the air again. The little windigo squeaked cutely after her before lowering its head and nuzzling the dark pendant. Trixie picked the pendant up in her magic, bringing the windigo to her muzzle and cooing at it.

“You’re my little ticket to fame and fortune, aren’t you? Yes, you are! Yes, you are! Coochiecoo!”



******



Day 29

It’s getting warmer. Everypony is noticing it now, ever since this morning when we got off the glacier and onto the mountainside. I finally had my coat trimmed, with the help of Easel Green and Crystal Brightfeather. It took them two hours and they had to sharpen their scissors five times.

The temperature has passed the melting point of water. The drifts of snow along the mountainside are shrinking, and the skis of the wagons and the hooves of all us ponies turn it into slush. The rimewolf is struggling with its breathing, and I contemplate letting it go already tonight. It might be a literally cold and mindless killer but I am not.

It seems a summer is finally arriving to these mountains, thousands of years late. It arrives with the breeze, a southern wind that carries with it the scent of pine needles.

We curse it during our weakest moments, since we are making so little progress. We didn’t bring replacement wheels for our wagons and Trixie frankly doubts the slope underneath the snow would be very even anyway. We’d probably be in dire straits if the wagons weren’t so much lighter now that we’ve eaten the majority of the food.

I talked to Easel during our many breaks. She and the other crystalline recall legends from long ago, brought to the forefront of their minds by the changing weather. It is said that Crystal City, and consequently the entire crystal empire, was founded in a forest of olive trees. That’s very different from today’s reality of tall spruces and pines resting on the hardy tundra grass.

Whatever it is right now, though, Trixie will be ecstatic to lay her eyes on it again.


Day 30

Yes, Trixie already regrets setting the rimewolf free.

Sure, I could have used the windigo to keep it cold while it was with us, but if I had done that it would have eventually had to travel back home through much longer stretches of warm air. I didn’t want to risk it melting on the way. No matter how much I regret it now it was the right thing to do.


Day 31

One month of this journal! That means tomorrow marks the one month anniversary of this expedition if you start the count at the departure from Crystal City. Has it really only been a month? Things that happened just before the expedition now feel like very distant memories from another year. Then again perhaps Trixie is simply fooling herself. It was summer when she joined the expedition, she travelled to a place gripped in winter, and now she finds summer returning. That describes a year’s worth of seasons wrapped up in one month of time. So maybe it is natural for Trixie to feel she was given this journal last year.

So much has happened in a month. Trixie has made friends, just as hoped. Also, Trixie has grown wise to the foolish notion that the best way to escape deranged nobility is to travel to the Old Kingdoms. What a farce that turned out to be!

And I have lost somepony I’ve started to look up to and now I have to fill her all-too-big horseshoes. Broth calms me down and coaches me on the role of a leader every night. So far I’ve managed to avoid disappointing him, though I feel he’s very tolerant of mistakes in general. The sharpest rebuke I’ve received has been a quiet remark about Terra probably doing otherwise in a situation we were reviewing but that was enough to humble me. Terra made mistakes, sure, perhaps the biggest one being accepting the task of organising and leading this expedition, but they were sufficiently few in the end to see us home. Just not few enough to see her home as well.

Trixie shall describe our daily routine right now. We wake up at first light and have a big breakfast together. Trixie tries to improve everypony’s mood. Crystal has proven quite helpful in this regard, as she’s full to the brim with juicy gossip from Las Pegasus. The crystalline devour her accounts of scandals and torrid celebrity love affairs like the starved eat their oats. Equestria looks like an alien place when viewed through their thousand-year-old sensibilities. Trixie translates the gossip to Electrum but to her the gossip is so alien that it saddens her sometimes.

Then we break camp and set out. The mountain winds are much less volatile now, so Visi and Crystal fly ahead and guide us to where the snow lies deep and easy for our skis to cross. We trek for about four hours. Then we take a thirty minute break to let everypony rest, eating a light snack. Another four hours’ struggling through the melting snow ensues, followed by an hour’s pause for dinner. A third four-hour segment of travel later and we’re ready to drop as we set up camp. What energy we have left is spent tending to each other, seeing to cracked hooves and aching limbs. Broth is Trixie’s lifesaver as his plant concoctions make Trixie’s migraine from magic overuse tolerable. Hornwalking is still very draining but Trixie doesn’t even want to imagine trying to cross these wastes without it. Terra was right

Trixie is in no mood to write any more.



******



Visi landed beside Trixie so suddenly that the showmare jumped and spilled much of her soup. Trixie cursed, as she’d been reading Starswirl’s book on spells and only narrowly avoided staining its pages. Many of the crystalline gathered with Trixie around the cauldron were also surprised by Visi’s abrupt landing and expressed their dismay.

The pegasus retreated shyly under their verbal onslaught until she settled her wings and gathered enough courage to speak. “Sorry! Sorry! It’s just— we can see the end of the mountains ahead!”

The mood flipped into jubilation and cheers almost instantly. Everypony started breaking camp, acting upon unspoken agreement, the urge to see something beside snow and rock overriding all other concerns. Trixie stowed her book and cleaned her soup bowl with some snow before giving it back to Broth. She walked to the front of the convoy, passing ponies hitching themselves to wagons and exchanging occasional words of greeting and encouragement.

Electrum looked out from the first wagon’s doorway. When she saw Trixie she waved at the blue mare. “What’s going on? Why is everypony cheering?”

Trixie smiled up at her. “Visi and Crystal have spotted an opening in the mountains. We’re about to reach the spot where we can see Equestria again. From there our trek is going to be downhill, and we’ll hopefully find a road to follow.”

The wagon lurched into motion, startling Electrum and nearly making her tumble out the door, but a reflexive grab of the doorframe hindered her fall. There was the scrape of skis against rock for a moment before the smoother whisper of ski on snow took over. The princess took a moment to steady herself before speaking again.

“I’ve seen the lands of Equestria before – in another life, I mean – but I must admit I’m looking forward to this. There must be so much new to see!”

“Oh Ellie, you have no idea.” Trixie grinned. “And I’m not going to spoil any more surprises!”

The convoy lurched, by degrees, into motion over the uneven mountainside. Unbroken expanses of snow were getting scarcer by the hour. Little trickles of water could be seen wherever the rock protruded. The sun crested the mountaintop a couple hours later, bathing the scene with its light and making everything glisten with moisture that quickly evaporated into steam that collected in the air. Within minutes the convoy was enveloped in a fog, or low-hanging cloud depending on one’s perspective. While it wasn’t so thick it made travelling difficult it did mean the ponies couldn’t see their longed-after view, a fact that Crystal confirmed after a couple hours.

“If it weren’t for this cloud you’d probably see the gap by now.”

Trixie watched as the pegasus shook some of the moisture off her wings, flinching as some of the droplets were flung in her face. She backed away a bit. “Could you and Visi disperse the cloud?”

Crystal shrugged. “Sure, I guess. It’s just a lot of work.”

“Please? We could use a morale boost. The crystalline were really looking forward to this.”

“You’ll owe us.” Crystal nodded to Trixie and took off. Her calls to Visi echoed through the mist.

The cloud dispersed slowly, but eventually the air had cleared enough for the flat expanse of green on the horizon to be visible. Cheers and calls of gratitude travelled through the air up to the pegasi. Then Trixie saw Visi yell and point at something. Crystal flew to the smaller pegasus and they seemed to converse for a while before flying off, along the mountainside towards Equestria. Trixie looked after them with a frown.

They reappeared within a minute, but accompanied by three additional pegasi. Details revealed themselves as they approached, such as the uniforms the three newcomers were clad in. Trixie thought they looked like army uniforms, but she didn’t recognise what branch it was. The five pegasi landed next to Trixie, enabling her to see that they were indeed from the army: they had rank insignias on the collars of their flight suits. They approached Trixie as a group, one with corporal’s rankings taking the lead. The flight suits she wore was coloured gray and blue, contrasting badly with her bright orange coat and light green mane. There were wrinkles around her otherwise youthful eyes, making her look like she was permanently squinting. She saluted and looked around at the gathering group, the crystalline having left their wagons to see what was up.

“Ma’am, are you the leader of this expedition?”

Trixie nodded cautiously. “Acting leader, yes. Bellatrix Lulamoon.”

The pegasus nodded. “Corporal Bright Stratus, Ma’am. With me are Lancers Morning Mist and Twister. We’re part of the army’s weather strategy division, here to measure and determine the cause of this unusual weather. Your companions said you’d know something about this?”

“Well, yes. The weather system of the Crystal Mountains was maintained by windigos. They’re gone now so Tr— I assume the weather is returning to its normal state. It’s getting warmer, as you can see.”

Corporal Stratus nodded. “Thank you. We’ll add your statement to our report. In addition, we were told to keep our eyes open for a group of ponies possibly returning from the Crystal Glacier. That’s you, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes. I guess you found us? What now?”

“We are only to report to the princesses Cadence and Celestia that we’ve sighted you, along with your status.”

“Is that so?” Trixie pondered for a moment before smiling at the corporal. “Tell the princesses that the expedition has been successful.” Then her smile vanished. “Except we’ve lost our leader, Terra Incognita. We expect to reach our destination within ten days. We have one wounded who will require medical care.”

The corporal nodded. “Anything else? Do you need immediate assistance with the wounded?”

Trixie sighed. “He’s fine for now. Other than that we’ve got skis and the snow is melting, but that’s annoying rather than dangerous. I don’t think there’s anything we can do about that unless you are willing to re-freeze the mountain for us.”

The corporal didn’t smile at the suggestion. Instead she saluted Trixie again. “If that’s all then I bid you good fortune on the rest of your journey on behalf of the weather corps.”

After a moment’s hesitation Trixie returned the salute clumsily. The trio took to the air and flew off. Trixie watched them leave and sighed lightly.

“Well, now they know we’re returning.” She looked around; all of the expedition was watching her. She opened her mouth, hesitated, closed it and reopened it. “Let’s make camp. We’ve travelled enough for today!”



******



Day 40

This morning everypony woke with a smile, knowing this was probably the last day we’d spend on the Crystal Mountains. Our wagons are light thanks to all the food we’ve eaten, our coats are trimmed because the weather is so warm and the scent of grass is in our noses, speaking of home. We practically ran down the mountain, we were so eager. We could see that the landscape had already changed dramatically thanks to the warmer weather. The snow stopped at the mountain’s base, the hills beyond being a muddy brown. None of that was unwelcome, even though it meant we’d have no snow left for the skis of our wagons.

Or so we thought. I had forgotten the windigo. A little experimentation ascertained that it, together with our two pegasi, was more than adequate to produce a road of snow for us to travel on.

The army company sent to meet and escort us certainly considered it impressive: they nearly ran at the sight of the windigo. Once I explained to the captain that no, the windigo wasn’t ‘loose’, his mood improved. They brought with them wheels for the wagons! Very considerate! For some reason Captain Barding insisted we make use of them even though they clearly weren’t needed, the prejudiced earthen muttering something about irresponsible unicorns. I take offense to that and made sure to let him know! Broth sided with the captain for some reason, so I capitulated.

I admit the going was easier once we’d made the change. I caught myself hornwalking even though it was hardly needed anymore. It seems a difficult habit to break once you’ve learned it. Then again, why stop? If I can use my magic to ease my travels, great! More magic is better!

I’ve read some of Starswirl’s book of spells by now. I can’t wait to get back on the road; Equestria won’t know what’s in store!

Speaking of, the end of this expedition is in sight now. It will take us perhaps two days to reach the tower where I’m supposed to deliver the windigo. It’s not too far from Crystal City, meaning the expedition will break up there after we’ve been debriefed and paid.

Talk around the campfire already circles around the aftermath. Visi, the silly mare, is understandably scared of what is to come. She hasn’t dared bring it up with Captain Barding. Crystal is anxious for a different reason, having a real mess of a situation waiting for her. She’s cautiously asked if I would really accompany her to Ponyville in order to see Princess Twilight, and I reassured her that I’m a mare of my word. Easel Green and a couple more of the crystalline have urged me to write them and I have reciprocated. We exchanged addresses, making me feel self-conscious when they ogled the Canterlot High Tier postbox address I use.

I feel


Trixie blinked owlishly at the page. She felt melancholic and had been about to write that. It was a slip-up that was becoming frequent: she’d come to regard the journal as her personal diary. It contained, after all, the details of an important and eventful episode of her life. What harm would be added if she wrote her thoughts and feelings as well?

Those feelings were getting strange. She missed Canterlot. Canterlot! She missed her brothers and sisters who, insufferable noble brats though they were, weren’t monsters in pony shapes. She felt they deserved a second chance while being all too aware she hadn’t even given them a first.

At the same time, Starswirl’s book on party spells sat like a lead weight on her thoughts. The stallion had been a brilliant theoretician and most of his spells showed breathtaking innovation, but what he overflowed with in creativity he sorely lacked in polishing. His spells were clunky,  inefficient and just plain ugly. Trixie’s discerning eye and experience with this kind of magic made the fireworks she read about go off in her mind, showering ideas upon her like glowing embers. She felt drawn to the stage like an object in the air felt drawn to the ground.

Her inner conflict was interrupted by a hoof laid on her shoulder and she looked up to see Electrum smiling at her. The princess took a deep breath.

“How... you feel?” She was speaking in halting equish. Trixie smiled back at her.

“Well done, Ellie. Soon you’ll be cursing like a native.” The look on Electrum’s face told Trixie that she’d lost her, so she carefully maintained her smile while repeating herself in ‘cornish.

Electrum blushed and switched to her mother tongue. Her hoof slid down to Trixie’s back. “Thanks, but I don’t feel your confidence. I’m really nervous about meeting your princess. Do we have to do this right away?”

“It’s for the best. The longer we delay the harder your claim will be, Ellie. Besides, I’m supposed to meet Princess Celestia – well, I say I but it was really Terra who— anyway, she’ll be at this tower we’re headed to, so it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce you.”

Electrum nodded. Trixie realised the princess was looking down at the journal, open on the ground before her. It made her nervous but she made no move to prevent it. When Electrum spoke next her voice was low.

“What will you do once all of this is over?”

“Well I have obligations to fulfill, such as the promise I made to Crystal, but after that and spending some time in Canterlot I’ll probably start touring Equestria again. I can afford my own wagon train with all the bits I’ll get paid.”

“If you do...” Electrum looked up shyly. “Could I go with you? To travel sounds wonderful. I’ve spent my entire life – all my lives – inside a castle’s walls. I’d love to see Equestria.”

There was a pause as the two unicorns merely looked into each other’s eyes. Then Trixie smiled and put her hoof on the leg Electrum had rested on Trixie’s back. “Sure. I’d love to have company.” She remembered a reoccuring dream she’d had. “You could be my assistant on stage! Many of the spells in Starswirl’s book require a co-caster, so it’d be perfect: I’d really be able to expand my repertoire.”

Electrum blushed harder and giggled. “Sounds great! I’ll look forward to it.” Then she removed her hoof from Trixie’s back and rose. “Good night.”

Trixie smiled after her. “Good night!” Then she looked down at the still open journal. After a pause to think she let the pen scratch in the final line for the entry.

I feel tired but happy.
> Bored, the Great and Powerful Trixie Returns From the Dead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Fifteen:


Bored, the Great and Powerful Trixie Returns From the Dead




The tower stood in the middle of a ruined crystalline village. It was very large: Trixie estimated at least nine floors and it was almost as wide as it was tall. Its irregular octagonal shape incorporated much more masonry than later crystalline structures, and its first three floors were entirely made of stone. The remaining six were a green, opaque crystal more in line with what Trixie had expected. Moss clung to it and birds’ nests dotted its nooks and crannies, given plenty of purchase by the irregular and rough facets of the crystal.

The village that surrounded it consisted now of only the foundations of past buildings. Small spruces grew in their midst, partly obscuring the village  from view, but Trixie still managed to estimate that about a dozen families had lived here, most likely drawn to the place by whatever purpose the tower originally had.

The village was dead but not resting. A military camp now surrounded the tower and as the convoy approached Trixie heard the sounds of axes and saws. The banners of the Royal Guard hung from the walls of the towers, next to the banners of the Crystal Guard. Sentries were posted around the village’s perimeter and they stood to attention and saluted as the convoy approached. A broad path leading to the tower’s gate was kept clear of obstructions, allowing the expedition’s wagons to park in a line. Two earthen clad in army medical uniforms walked up to Trixie as she unhitched from the lead wagon.

“Ma’am, we’ve been informed you have wounded ponies with you.”

“Yes, that would be Boiling Broth – he can be found in the second wagon – and four crystalline. I treated the crystalline with magic but they could still do with a check-up. I couldn’t do much for Broth.”

Trixie surveyed the expedition as the medics withdrew. She raised her head and called out. “Visi, Crystal, Electrum with me! The rest of you take it easy for a while.” Then she gathered what she wanted to take with her: her, Broth’s, High Life’s and Terra’s journals, the gem and a dark pendant for the little windigo hidden under her hat.

With the things gathered she looked around and nodded nervously to her chosen companions standing nearby. “This is it.” Visi was probably more nervous than Trixie, at least judging by how animated her wings were. Crystal just smirked at Trixie before winking at her. Electrum, to Trixie’s surprise, looked impatient.

“Get on with it, Trixie. I want to see one of these princesses of yours. You’d think they’d have two heads judging by how secretive you’ve been!”

That made Trixie snort. Then she burst into laughter. Electrum just stared at her with an air of annoyance. “Sorry, Ellie, but that wasn’t such a bad guess!”

They were lead up to the second floor by an adjutant of the Crystal Empire. This revealed that most of the tower’s interior was occupied by a huge silo or cistern of some kind measuring about six floors tall and leaving only a narrow hallway around it. A stair wound its way upwards but Trixie was led to a very sturdy door at the side of the cistern. The adjutant knocked and waited.

Sensing what might happen, Trixie turned so she could look at Electrum just before the door opened. The unicorn princess’ reaction was all that Trixie could hope for and more. Trixie saw her eyes swivel to follow the motion of the door opening outwards before snapping back to the opening... and up. Electrum blinked twice, each time with wider eyes. Then her jaw fell only moments before all strength left her back legs and she plopped onto the floor. This all played out in less time than the others took to bow so Trixie had time for a victorious grin before she too turned and bowed. Only then did she notice the alicorn in front of her was Princess Cadence. The Alicorn of Love looked curiously at Electrum’s non-standard method of respect before blinking and shaking herself out of her confusion.

“You’re here! Good! Come in, please.”

The inside of the silo had smooth walls, slickened by a thin layer of moisture. The smooth stone floor was discoloured by mold and had a musty smell that hung in the air. Several unicorns, mages judging by their pointy hats and flowing robes, were in the process of drawing a magical diagram on the floor, centering on a ring of six pillars of dark crystal. Cadence walked up to the pillars before turning around.

“We’re still planning and preparing but the idea is to get... get the windigo inside these pillars so we can use magic on it. I’d like your input on how to transport it here since you know best what works and what doesn’t. We’ll debrief you and collect your journals once the windigo is in place but for now we’d like to hurry along with this.” Cadence paused when her words didn’t have the expected reaction: Trixie was grinning at her, the pegasi were looking bemusedly at each other and the unicorn with the gray coat and yellow mane was going back and forth between staring at Cadence’s horn and wings. She furrowed her brow. “Is something the matter?”

Trixie bowed. “Your Highness, you need only say the word and The Great and Powerful Trixie shall place the windigo in the circle with no difficulties whatsoever. It is easily contained and moveable anywhere you’d like.”

Princess Cadence’s eyes narrowed. “Can you show me the windigo?”

“Certainly! Right now?”

Upon Cadence’s nod Trixie used her magic to fish out the glowing diamond from her cape. The princess eyed it curiously.

“Come out!”

The windigo did as asked, leaping from the crystal to hover in the airy interior of the cistern. It looked around with curiosity until it spotted Cadence. Then it brayed, its unearthly voice echoing harshly inside the bare room. The mages yelled and Cadence gasped while involuntarily stumbling backwards. Trixie yelled at it.

“Quiet down! Show respect to Princess Cadence!”

The effect was immediate. The windigo went silent and it floated lower, bowing its head to the princess. Cadence for her part glanced between Trixie and the windigo with ever-widening eyes.

“S-she obeys you..?”

Trixie grinned smugly. “Yes she d—" Her grin disappeared. “Hey, how did you know it’s a she?”

Cadence was suddenly right in front of Trixie and glaring down at her. “How did you know?! Answer me!”

Trixie felt all of her confidence slipping away. She cringed away from the princess, ears turned down and to the side, looking up at her with large and fearful eyes. “S... she sprouted a little windigo not too long ago?”

Cadence fell onto her haunches with a stricken look. She raised a hoof to her forehead, just below the horn, and shook her head slowly. “She’s with a child..!” Trixie, cowering before her, could only babble on automatic.

“Yes we had a little surprise when it started sprouting a second set of eyes, you see it turns out they reproduce by budding, and then the thing separated and please, Trixie doesn’t know why you are angry at her!”

Cadence swallowed and pursed her lips. Then she took a shuddering breath. “I’m not mad at you, Bellatrix. You did commendably well. But.” She fixed the unicorn with a glare again. “Do not ever mention that the windigo had a child before you brought her here, to anyone! That fact will be erased from your journals too. Do you understand?” She glanced at Trixie’s companions as well. All nodded nervously.

“Yes, Your Highness! We won’t mention it!”

The alicorn bit her lip for a moment. Then she grimaced. “All right, that will have to do.” She looked over at the mages. “Can we house the windigo already?” When they looked each other and nodded she turned back to Trixie. “Leave the windigo and tell it to obey us. There are living quarters prepared for you above this cistern: just take the stairs up. Choose whichever rooms you want and wait there please.” Cadence waved them away.

The group of four walked out of the cistern and up the stairs in silence. The stairs ended level with the cistern’s roof and a catwalk took them to another, circular set of stairs in the middle of the tower. The next floor was arranged around a central common area with a kitchen. Eight doors led into private rooms and the ponies each chose one at random. Trixie’s was serviceable enough, shaped like a truncated slice of pie and large enough for a wide bed, two dressers and two cabinets. The external wall was crystal and through some method transparent from this side giving Trixie a green-tinted view of outside.

She threw herself on the bed and groaned from happy surprise at finding out the mattress was stuffed with down. All will to move disappeared and she just lay here on her back, legs curled, staring at the ceiling.

Memories of the past month and a half surfaced and she rode them into sleep...

There was a knock at the door and it opened before Trixie could get her bearings. She heard it slam shut before Electrum appeared in her field of view, looking down at her. Trixie nodded noncommittally and wriggled a bit, trying to find an even more relaxing pose. A glance up at the ceiling lit by the evening sun told her that several hours had passed.

Electrum took a deep breath and held it a couple seconds before releasing it as a statement. “So. Wings. And a horn.”

Trixie grinned smugly up at the incredulous princess. “Uh huh?”

Electrum’s eyes flashed with annoyance and she hooked her forelegs on the bedframe so she could press her muzzle down against Trixie’s. “How is that possible?! Starswirl and Clover tried repeatedly to switch a pony’s subspecies and failed! Now there are some ponies who combine two of them?”

“Actually, they combine all three subspecies but the earthen aspect is subtle.” Trixie tried to pull back a bit from Electrum’s intense stare but failed, the mattress not having enough give for that. “Um, Ellie? A bit of personal space..?”

Electrum pulled back to stand next to the bed. Her ears flicked with annoyance. “How, Trixie? Where do they come from?”

Trixie looked up at the roof again while formulating her answer. “Well, the two first ones, the princesses Celestia and Luna, won’t tell where they came from. They appeared near the end of the discordian era so many, me included, believe Discord created them, likely by transforming two common ponies. They defeated Discord, a god of chaos, so the ponies of the time kind of shoved rulership into their laps, brooking no arguments.”

“Why would he do that? Create them, I mean?”

“Why would he do any of the things he did? Because he could?”

“You said ‘the two first ones’. How many are there?”

“Celestia and Luna can somehow transform other ponies into their kind – we call them alicorns, by the way – and have done so twice. Princess Cadence, whom you saw downstairs, was the first of those. She’s actually smaller and probably weaker than Celestia or Luna but the smart money says she’ll grow in power as she ages.”

“Hold on. You’re telling me Celestia and Luna are over two thousand years old?”

“They’re immortal as far as we can tell, yes. They don’t appear to age past their current general appearance of middle-aged ponies.” Trixie waved a hoof in the air, gesticulating as she delivered a sing-song lecture. “Immortal, immensely powerful both physically and magically, representing all of ponykind combined as well as personally overseeing some aspect of pony life related to their special talent. Celestia controls the sun, Luna the moon, Cadence’s field of expertise is love and Princess Twilight... um, I’m not sure. Magic? Or Friendship? Whatever.”

“Love? Love...” Electrum paced back and forth next to the bed. “Love, such as that which a mother and daughter are supposed to share?”

Trixie turned to look at the restless unicorn. “Sure, I suppose. Why do you ask?”

“I’m trying to figure out what got Princess Cadence so upset. I had trouble following the conversation but I caught that the little windigo seemed to disturb her greatly.”

“...Yes?”

“Okay... so... what if she thinks they shouldn’t be apart? I mean, mothers and babies... most animals have some kind of bond. Did she mention anything such?”

Trixie frowned unhappily. “No... but you have a point. I didn’t mention where the baby was either. She must assume we just left it behind now that I think about it!” She twisted until her hooves were underneath her and she could sit up. Then she levitated her hat off her head, bringing out the medallion. The ghostly blue windigo was still suckling contentedly on it. Trixie tilted her head as she pondered the little ghostly equine. Had it grown slightly? “Maybe I should show it to Princess Cadence and reassure her that—"

The windigo interrupted her by suddenly squealing and writhing in the air. Then it turned to gaze at Trixie and twittered animatedly.

“Whoa, what got you so riled up?”

The windigo only continued to emit squeaks and chirps while hovering in front of Trixie’s concerned face. The showmare glanced past it at an equally concerned Electrum and sighed before shushing the windigo.

“Settle down will you?! All right, maybe it’s for the best if I take you downstairs and show you to Cadence.” She put the medallion back into her hat, placed the hat on her head and climbed out of the bed. She looked at Electrum as she walked past. “Do you want to follow along?”

Electrum shook her head. “Let’s introduce me when we get debriefed. It’s not urgent. I need to digest the concept of alicorns anyhow so I can stop staring at them.” She shot Trixie a dark look. “I hope me making a fool of myself was worth it!”

Trixie smirked before facing the door. “Totally.”

Her good spirits faded as she descended the stairs. The howls of the big windigo penetrated the thick cistern walls and echoed in the hallway, each sound being answered by a squeak from underneath Trixie’s hat. Judging emotions of such an alien thing based on such a short period of observation was of course nearly impossible, but to Trixie it sounded like the baby windigo’s squeaks were filled with urgent longing. It weighed down her heart. Her step faltered as she rounded enough of the outer curve of the walls that she could see the door to the cistern’s inside: two guards, a lunar and a solar, stood in front of it. They barred the way with a leg each as she approached the door.

“State your business.”

Trixie tried to quench her nerves by meeting the gaze of the night guard who had spoken. It didn’t work. “Um, is Princess Cadence still here? I need to speak to her.”

“Wait here while we relay your request.” The night guard nodded to the day guard and turned to crack open the door only to have it hit him in the face when it was roughly shoved open from inside. A purple alicorn rushed out only to stop and place a hoof on the hall’s outer wall while hanging her head. She shouted, apparently to whoever was still inside the cistern.

“Look, the spell should work! It should work!”

Trixie was nailed to the floor by surprise. Princess Twilight was right in front of her but with Twilight’s back turned so she didn’t notice Trixie even as she turned her head, letting the showmare see her distraught face as she spoke with a calmer, more pleading tone aimed through the open door. “It’s as if she’s not completely there, as if a piece of her is missing! Look... could you come out here? Necessary or not, the aura in that room makes me sick.”

“Twilight...” Princess Celestia’s compassionate voice preceded her out the door. Next came Luna and last Cadence. They crowded around Twilight, Luna and Cadence glancing at Trixie while Celestia nuzzled her former student on the head. “You’ll figure it out. I’m sure of it.” A pained groan from the lunar guard and a choked snicker from the solar guard went unheeded.

Cadence had been looking at Trixie with increasing despondence as Celestia spoke. Now she cleared her throat, still keeping their eyes locked. “That won’t be necessary as I have a pretty good hunch what this ‘missing part’ is.” She walked up to Trixie, making Celestia and Twilight notice the showmare as well. Cadence stopped and looked down at her hooves before speaking.

“Miss Bellatrix? You mentioned... the windigo had a foal?”

Trixie’s heart sank in parallel with Twilight’s expression. The fresh alicorn’s lower lip was quivering as she stared with rising horror at the back of Cadence’s head. Trixie nodded and, when this didn’t feel sufficient, stammered. “Y-yes.”

Celestia walked up and laid a hoof on Cadence’s shoulder. “What is this? Why didn’t—" Cadence interrupted her with a slight air of annoyance. “I decided it would have been slightly less painful if nopony found out so I didn’t mention it.” Then she looked at Trixie with pleading eyes. “Miss Bellatrix, do you think there’s the slightest chance you could find that windigo and bring it here as well? We’ll increase your reward of course.”

Trixie laughed so nervously that she nearly sobbed. “Um, aheh, well you see—"

A small squeak came from her hat followed by a gasp and a crinkling, cracking sound from Princess Twilight. Trixie shut her eyes and winced, knowing exactly what had happened. The sound of small shards of ice gently impacting the stone floor confirmed her fears.

Magical assault on a princess? How ironic to survive all of that only to be executed. Oh well, it was a nice life. Then she opened her eyes and took in the look of utter shock on Twilight’s face as the princess raised a frost-covered hoof and gingerly prodded the frozen tears on her cheeks.

I confess, Trixie thought as she lowered her eyes to the floor, raised her hat by magic and brought out the medallion with the baby windigo. “Um... ah... Trixie – that is, I – kept it close, um, in case it would turn out to be useful. I had some ideas, you see. Sorry about the ice thing, it means it likes you. Um, please hang Trixie before you draw and quarter-?”

She was interrupted by two ice-cold hooves wrapping around her barrel and squeezing. She yelped but went limp, resigned to her fate. Having your spine snapped is quite painless, relatively speaking. Then she realised that Twilight was laughing and hugging her.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re a lifesaver!” Then Trixie was tugged at, forcing her to stumble along next to Twilight as the purple alicorn re-entered the cistern, shouting over her shoulder. “Let’s not waste any more time! Trixie, please put the windigo next to... next to the big one, please? Oh, and if you could keep them calm then that would be great for concentrating.”

Trixie felt a familiar pressure on her emotions as she entered the cistern: it was as if she’d donned one of the dark pendants. All positive emotions were dampened now inside the cistern, making her understand Twilight’s reluctance to spend time in there. Twilight stopped halfway to the room’s center, in front of the now-complete magical diagram on the floor, but she gently pushed Trixie onwards. “Stand anywhere but directly on a line.”

Trixie nodded absentmindedly while looking around trying to keep track of the changing situation. The mages she had seen earlier were still there and currently assuming positions along the edge of the diagram. The three princesses other than Twilight had chosen to remain just inside the door. Cadence nodded and smiled encouragingly at Trixie as she caught her eye.

There was a polite cough and Trixie realised she’d been standing motionless. She nodded at Twilight and walked carefully up to the pillars of crystal surrounding the large windigo. It looked silently down at her as she removed her hat. Trixie held the medallion in front of her and spoke. “Little one, go join your mother.”

The little windigo flew up and away from the dark medallion until it was right in front of its parent’s face. The two seemed to lock their gazes. Then, ever so gently, the two nuzzled. Trixie sighed wistfully even while smiling at the sight. Then her ears twitched: the mages were chanting. She looked down and saw the chalk lines of the diagram glow purple, first faintly and flickering but strengthening with each heartbeat until they were almost lost in a purple-white brilliance that seared at the back of Trixie’s eyes. She shut them tightly but didn’t dare move from her spot. She could feel the power in the diagram: it buzzed against her coat and made her nose tingle.

The mages’ chanting accelerated and rose both in pitch and volume. Suddenly Trixie became aware that the light level beyond her clenched eyelids had dropped, so she risked cracking them open and taking a peak. Below her the lines of power no longer cared for the chalk marks, instead hovering just above them like slick, frozen lightning. In front of her was a globe of purple fire inside which she could barely see the two windigos apparently still nuzzling.

Trixie heard Twilight yell. It was a wordless shout of exertion and monumental stress. She turned her head, intending to see how the princess fared, which meant she didn’t see whatever caused the force that emanated from the center of the diagram, bowling her over. She did catch the immense flash for it seemed to originate from everywhere within the diagram, as if the very air had exploded with incandescence. Blinded and screaming, she tumbled through the air.

She landed hard on her side and slid a little. Hoofbeats rushed past her as she lay stunned, getting her breath back. She realised the chanting had stopped and managed to clear her head enough to see she was facing the cistern wall.

Trixie rolled cautiously, trying to gauge if she was hurt and finding nothing too aching, until she got her hooves on the floor so she could rise. Then she looked back.

The windigos were gone. In their place, being fussed over by the princesses, was a unicorn mare with a white coat and an intricately styled purple mane and tail. Trixie stood, swaying on shaky legs, and managed to walk over to the gathering. She realised in a daze that she recognised the unmoving mare. She remembered the triple diamond cutiemark just as her eyes found it on the mare’s flank. She remembered the green hair she’d inflicted on this mare, and that was when her legs betrayed her and she flopped onto the floor, jaw as slack as Electrum’s had been if not more.

This mare, whom the princesses were now frantically trying to awaken, had a name: Rarity.

Princess Luna suddenly shouted. “Mages! Dispel the dark field! The rest of you be silent and let me examine her! The other three princesses backed away from the prone unicorn, startled by Luna’s outburst. Trixie felt her spirits lift as the mages complied but that only strengthened the utter shock she felt when looking at the mare in front of her. She finally got control of her face and swallowed audibly in the silence.

Luna bent low over Rarity with her horn glowing weakly and her eyes shut. The princess stayed motionless like that for several moments, only her mane and her eyes underneath their eyelids moving. Trixie held her breath as she watched.

Then Luna spoke softly. “She’s breathing.” A small smile appeared on the princess’ face. “I hear a heartbeat. She’s fine!” The smile widened and she opened her eyes. “I also sense another one within her, a very small and faint heartbeat indeed. They are fine!”

Princess Twilight still looked dubious, caught somewhere between worry and triumph. “But why won’t she wake up?”

Luna turned to her. “Twilight, I know the kinds of sleep a pony has. Trust me on this: Rarity sleeps as one who will not wake until she is ready to do so. Fear not, it won’t be long. She’s undergone a terrible ordeal so it’s no surprise at all she’s unresponsive at the moment!”

The four alicorns glanced at each other with widening smiles. Then they heard a small voice.

“Bwuh..?”

First they looked down at Rarity, but she was still unconscious. Then they looked around. One by one they came to look at Trixie, splayed out on the floor and looking like she’d lost her grip on reality in a particularly tight curve and was now plummeting towards insanity. Her mouth was opening and shutting but only occasional small squeaks or half-formed questions were coming out.

Princess Celestia walked up to Trixie and lowered her head until she almost touched Trixie’s muzzle. She spoke with a gentle, soothing tone.

“It seems you’re the hero of the day, Bellatrix Lulamoon. Thanks to you the Element of Generosity will be reunited with its bearer. You’ve exceeded our expectations with your performance, especially since you also seem to have shouldered the burden of leadership over the expedition. We’ll debrief you and your companions in good time but for now you should rest.”

Trixie looked back at Celestia with glossy and unfocused eyes. “What... How?!”

Twilight walked up next to Celestia and looked down at Trixie. Twilight’s horn was glowing, corresponding to the aura around Rarity that was levitating her close to Twilight. “Celestia, I think we owe Trixie an explanation. Especially after what she’s seen in here.” She looked down. “Also, I didn’t anticipate the strong reaction our spell would create so I feel a bit guilty since I didn’t wait for Trixie to get clear of the diagram. Do you mind?”

Celestia turned to look at Twilight. “Not at all. I will always defer to you on matters concerning your friends.”

“Thank you.” Trixie felt gentle nudges of telekinesis prod her until she stood. Twilight walked towards the door, towing Rarity through the air. “Trixie, please follow me.”

They walked upstairs, passing the floor where Trixie and her companions had chosen rooms and continuing onwards. The top floor maintained the same circular common room but with fewer, larger side rooms. Twilight carried Rarity into one of them and placed her on the bed. Then she sat down next to it and gently placed a hoof on Rarity’s foreleg. Trixie remained by the door, watching, as Twilight gently stroked her friend’s leg.

Eventually the silence became too much for Trixie and she blurted out the thoughts that had been occupying her mind. “So... all of this? The expedition? Was to get your friend back? Terra died for... for this?”

“Trixie, I—"

Trixie stomped a hoof against the floor and shouted. “I nearly died next to Terra for this! Four crystalline were terribly wounded and only luck dictated they’d survive! Was it worth it, Twilight? Were our lives so much cheaper?”

“Trixie, no! Please! I—"

“All that! For!! THIS?!?” Trixie felt spittle fly, but she ignored it as she pointed a quivering hoof at the mare lying in the bed.

Twilight flinched and both her ears flicked back before returning to their upright position. She glared unhappily at Trixie’s furious visage. “We had no choice! Something had to be done! Please, let me explain!” The alicorn closed her eyes while taking a deep breath. Then she turned back to look down at Rarity, who hadn’t moved. A moment later she spoke.

“This all started about two months ago when I received a cache of books. Cadence has decreed that the old towns and villages of pre-Sombran Crystal Empire are archaeological sites and small-scale excavations have taken place. In one such village the crystalline found the basement of a manor house largely intact, preserved by very old spells designed to prevent decay. Among the items they recovered was a cache of books written in old ‘cornish.”

“An assessor made a cursory initial inspection of the books, finding them in very good shape. A brief glance at the contents revealed cookbooks, ledgers and the like. They held a magical aura but that was expected due to the preservation spells cast on everything in the basement. Princess Cadence’s motive for these digs were to resurrect as much of pre-Sombran crystalline culture as possible, so she saw the books as a high-priority item for translation.”

Twilight turned to look at Trixie. “I am an expert in old ‘cornish and Cadence knows my love for books. She asked if I wanted to do it and I accepted. When the books arrived I had an, um, ‘unboxing party’ with my friends. It was then that one of the books was discovered to contain drawings and diagrams of crystal pony dresses. Rarity, naturally, became very interested and asked to borrow the book so she could copy them.”

Twilight’s ears fell and her head drooped. “Early next evening all of Ponyville heard the roar of a windigo for the first time. When I and my friends ran outside to investigate we saw the Carousel Boutique – that’s Rarity’s home and shop – covered by frost. We were just in time to see the windigo flee north.”

“The book, you see, contained a trap. A curse had been placed on it long ago, and for what reason I can’t say for certain. It wasn’t too uncommon for rival unicorns to try and curse each other and often with transformation into a monster of some sort. The ponies of Unicornia were certainly familiar with windigos as they plagued the kingdom for decades before its fall, so it was a natural choice of form. Somepony, likely an enemy to the ponies of the manor, had placed a trap inside the book and had it delivered, likely as an anonymous gift. But the trap never sprung, the book being put into storage... until recently.”

“I bet you ten bits I know who cursed that book.” Trixie started when she realised she’d said those words instead of just thinking them. Twilight looked at her curiously, surprised by the interruption.

“Oh? Who?”

Trixie waved a hoof nervously. “N-never mind. You can read my journal about it, actually. I’m sorry I interrupted. Please, continue.”

Princess Twilight nodded and shifted her wings. “Our first impulse was to run to her rescue, of course. It’s more than just the fact she’s my friend: as a bearer of the Element of Generosity she’s needed to keep Equestria safe.” Twilight’s face became grim. “Even though it horrifies me to even think about it: in the grand scheme of things Rarity could’ve been easily replaced had she simply died – her Element would have chosen another bearer – but she didn’t die, she was transformed. And, as far as we know, windigos can live forever. Chances were that, as long as she was under the curse, the Elements would be rendered non-functional.”

“I sent a letter to Princess Celestia informing her of what had happened and our intentions. She wrote back immediately, bringing some issues to light. Namely that friendship is antithetical to windigos. They can’t stand it. As Element Bearers all of us are linked by magical bonds and those bonds are formed by, you guessed it, friendship. In all likelihood, had we chased after Rarity she’d have just run away from us and there’s no telling what would have happened had we managed to corner her. We considered using crystals enchanted with dark magic to suppress and hide our bonds of friendship but the Elements easily overpowered that when we tested it.”

“So to summarise: Rarity here was missing, transformed into a windigo, and with her gone Equestria had lost the use of the Elements. We, her friends, couldn’t save her – our biggest strength turned into a crippling weakness – so we needed somepony else. The scouts and explorers of the Equestrian army was the natural first choice, but they were deployed in the south and it was deemed that they’d take too long to move. The Crystal Empire doesn’t yet have a standing army so they were out of the question too. Celestia, Luna and Cadence have countries to run so they couldn’t lend personal aid. So... we asked for volunteers.”

When Princess Twilight didn’t say any more Trixie felt compelled to speak so she nodded slowly. “And here we are?”

“Here you are.” Twilight smiled a tired but genuine smile at Trixie. “And Equestria as a whole, as well as I personally, owe you a debt of gratitude for what you’ve done.”

Trixie bowed her head to hide her blush. “Thank you, Princess Twilight.” Then she sobered. “I just wish Terra Incognita hadn’t died for this.”

Twilight shuddered and looked at Trixie with sad and glossy eyes. “We never ever wanted anypony to sacrifice their lives for this! We tried to help plan and prepare for the expedition to the best of our abilities and Celestia was the one to suggest asking Terra Incognita for help. But...” She looked down at Rarity. “You can only prepare for so much when faced with the unknown.”

There was a long moment of silence before Twilight roused herself and spoke again. “Anyway, you should probably rest now. Somepony will debrief you tomorrow. I’m sorry there’s not much to do here if you get bored. I myself didn’t think to bring a selection of books to pass the time so I know how it feels.”

It took some effort but Trixie managed to keep her face neutral. “That’s all right. I’ve got something to read.” She turned towards the door but halted when Twilight spoke.

“Oh? Is it something interesting?”

“I think so, yes. It’s called A Selection of Spells for Celebration and Ceremony.”

“Hmm. I’ve never heard of it. Who’s the author?”

Trixie paused for a moment. “Starswirl the Bearded.”

There was another pause, then Twilight chuckled lightly. “I’ve never heard of any book with that title and I’m pretty sure I know every book there is written by Starswirl! It’s probably somepony else, hoping his or her spells and theories will become famous by using the borrowed name. Still: you said it’s good?”

Maintaining the neutral face was becoming very difficult but Trixie still managed somewhat. “The author has some pretty interesting ideas, yes.”

“Sounds promising! Could you tell me where to get a copy of it? Now that I know of it I’d like to read it myself.”

“I’m unable to bring to mind any place where it’s sold right now but I could arrange for a copy to be sent to you.”

“You’re too kind, Trixie. Thank you.”

Trixie bowed her head to Twilight and turned to the door. Then she unleashed the grin that had been building. She managed to rush into another room and close the door before laughing. When she recovered she made a mental note to find a talented scribe in Canterlot.
> Trixie Awes the Princesses With Tales of Her Deeds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Sixteen:


Trixie Awes the Princesses With Tales of Her Deeds



The debriefing took place early next morning in the common room above the cisterns. Broth had been checked by the medics and declared reasonably fit for somepony who had wrestled a minotaur. He now sat to Trixie’s right by an octagonal table in the middle of the room. Crystal and Visi were on Trixie’s left. The crystalline were being debriefed by themselves one floor up.

An army officer by the curious name of Strawberry Fields (Sergeant Major) sat opposite Trixie, flanked by two assistants. She was an old pegasus: one of those military people with blank spots in the dictionary where ‘retirement’ should have been. She didn’t seem that affected by her apparent age: her green mane was perhaps a bit duller than usual but she moved as quickly and agilely as anypony else and her mind had proven sharp enough during the small-talk she’d had with Trixie while they waited for everyone else to be seated.

She lifted a cream-coloured leg and knocked on the table to request silence. “Let’s get this debriefing done so you ponies can return to your homes. We – that is, the military and by extension the crown of Equestria – have the journals you’ve written so this won’t be anything too in-depth: we just have a couple of questions we’d like answers to before talking to you all becomes a matter of correspondence or one-on-one meetings. All right?”

She looked at each pony, getting a nod from them all. Her assistants were both male unicorns and were scribbling notes. One of them paused at a signal from her in order to give her a piece of paper. She put it on the table in front of her and squinted at it.

“Hmm, alright: first things first! I trust you’ll explain in the journals but please report the fates of High Life and Terra Incognita.”

Trixie found her companions all turning to look at her. She blushed and cleared her throat while shifting in the suddenly uncomfortable chair. “Um, Terra was blown into a deep hole in the ice by a storm the windigos created. She... died from her wounds. We couldn’t retrieve her body. As for High Life... He fled after attempting to kill me and sabotage the expedition. I assume he froze to death on the glacier.”

Strawberry Fields grimaced and looked to her left, waiting for one of her assistants to finish writing down Trixie’s statement. Then she took a deep breath and sighed. “That sounds like trouble. It’s probably something that will require clarifications and further statements from you all. You have my sympathy and my condolences.”

Trixie was unsure if the sergeant major was commiserating due to the death of Terra or due to the paperwork it would cause so she only nodded. Strawberry spoke again.

“You have returned with an unknown civilian. Who is she? Why and how did she join the expedition?”

Again, all eyes were on Trixie. I should be on a stage. That would make this less uncomfortable. On the other hoof then I might fall back to the old tactic of trying to embarrass the source of my discomfort. Not a good idea here. Trixie shifted in her seat, realising she’d been silent for longer than was polite. “Her full name is Princess Electrum Sheen of Unicornia. She’s a refugee seeking asylum in Equestria and I have agreed to introduce her to Princess Celestia. She... has been of some assistance to the expedition, including saving my life.”

The sergeant major stared at Trixie as if she’d suddenly grown an extra head. “Are you... sure?”

Trixie nodded. “The details are in my journal and I was hoping to explain everything to the princess anyway.”

Strawberry still seemed to have difficulties swallowing Trixie’s statement but she nodded slowly. “All right... Princess Celestia is still here so I’ll relay that you wish to have an audience before her. She’ll probably want to confirm your claims personally anyway.”

“Thank you.”

“All right... Next question, or should I say next issue: Trixie, as acting leader of the expedition I’m afraid the burden falls to you to decide upon this next item. Equestrian Intelligence, or E.I. for short, has put all of you under low-grade surveillance since your actions had the potential to affect the nation. It turns out one of your expeditionary members has been leaking information about your actions to an outside agent, in clear violation of Equestrian confidentiality laws.”

Visi had squeaked halfway through Strawberry’s sentence and was now trembling so hard that her wings produced a shuffling sound from the feathers grinding against each other. Her face was beet red and she stared straight ahead, mouth half-open and lips quivering. Crystal laid a soothing hoof on her shoulder while Trixie spoke.

“You’re referring to Visi here, aren’t you? We’ve found out. But what do you mean I get to ‘decide’?”

“It’s army tradition. Expedition leaders get to decide to what extent the crown seeks legal repercussions against team members who’ve committed crimes during or related to their expeditions.” Strawberry glanced between Trixie and Visi. “I take it that you’ve found out and Visi has freely told you her side of the story. What you might not know is that the Canterlot Enquirer had every intention to break their contract and publish Visi’s reports immediately. We put a stop to that, of course.”

“Aaaaaauugh!” Visi literally flew up from her chair to hover right above it. She swung punches at the air and yelled in Roaman. Trixie knew enough of the language to recognise a long and colourful string of expletives and curses. Crystal reached up and tugged at one of Visi’s hindlegs, managing to pull the little pegasus back into her chair. Everypony else just stared in silence at her. Visi growled.

“Look, I don’t care anymore about me! I don’t want to see those jerks get away with tricking me like this! I’ll give you their names and everything else you want!”

Strawberry glanced at Trixie before answering. “We might be able to build a case against them with your help but you can pretty much forget about getting paid. From us or from them. And that’s on top of whatever Miss Bellatrix decides should be done with you.”

Visi slumped and hugged herself, looking smaller than usual, while her eyes watered. “But... I have no money left! If I don’t get paid then...” She hiccuped.

Her display of misery didn’t move Strawberry Fields. “We have laws for a reason, miss Visi. You should break them only if you are prepared to face the consequences. If we hadn’t noticed your little deal and the Enquirer had actually published something then the damage would’ve been much greater. We’d have prosecuted you for espionage in addition to whatever Bellatrix decides.”

Trixie cleared her throat. “Look, at least she’s been helpful. Can’t she get paid her wages even if she doesn’t get her share of the reward money?”

The sergeant major stared down at the table’s surface for a couple of heartbeats before sighing. “Fine. We can agree to that. I take it you’re not going to demand any other repercussions?”

Trixie pondered. “Well, not against her... but... perhaps an addendum of hers regarding the acts of the Enquirer, to eventually be published in the Enquirer together with an apology, might be in order.”

Strawberry shrugged. “All right.” Then she turned to Visi. “We’ll hold you to that.” Visi nodded glumly back. Then she flew out of her chair and gave a lightning-fast hug to Trixie before returning.

Strawberry cleared her throat and looked at Trixie. “All right... Next item of some concern to the E.I: the matter of assassins being sent against you, Miss Bellatrix.”

Trixie had been prepared for that after hearing that they’d been under surveillance so she merely raised an eyebrow while meeting Strawberry’s gaze. “Yes? What about them?”

“I’m sorry to say that the Bluebloods have too much political clout for us to simply prosecute them for their misdeeds.” There was a growl and an unintelligible mumble from Crystal. Strawberry ignored it. “But we’d like them to be taught a lesson for letting their family affairs interfere with matters critical to Equestria as a whole. That’s why we’ve introduced an advisor of law to the minotaur gentleman known as ‘Wallbreaker’.”

Trixie laughed. “So he made it to Canterlot? That’s hilarious!”

The sergeant major smirked. “Not only did he make it: he and his claim have proved very difficult for the Bluebloods to dispose of. He arrived at the city gates and bellowed out his mission for all to hear, including no less than ten guardsponies and two reporters who happened to be there at the time. When he arrived at Blueblood Estates he had what can only be described as a mob following him.” The smirk disappeared. “As a result there’s a little question the E.I. has passed along through me to you: where is Lobelia Blueblood?”

The mirth disappeared from Trixie and she gazed coolly at Strawberry. “Lobelia Blueblood passed away near the place called Frostmirror.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “What’s left of her is still there, I guess, unless the rimewolves found her.”

“How did she die?”

“She just fell over. I guess she must have had a heart after all since it seems to have stopped suddenly.”

“Noted.” Strawberry Fields nodded to the expeditionary team. “That concludes this debriefing. We’ll no doubt have further questions once we’ve read your journals and there’ll probably be more after that once they get declassified and the academics get to read them but for now your assignment to the crown is considered ended. Congratulations are in order, I believe. As an initial show of appreciation you’ll have use of this tower for a week so you can rest and refresh before rejoining civilisation.” She glanced at Trixie. “One more thing: some of you have learned state secrets and I’d like to remind you to keep them secret. This meeting is adjourned.”

She scooted her chair back and rose. “Miss Bellatrix, I’m supposed to deliver my report to Princess Celestia now. I’ll pass along your request in the meantime so make sure you and, um, Miss Electrum are prepared.”

Trixie nodded and left.



******



Trixie walked through the door to the attic room Celestia had chosen for her stay. The solar guard who’d held the door open shut it after she’d gone through. In front of her was a low table with seats for two, currently occupied by princesses Twilight and Celestia. The table held a simple tray upon which rested two cups and a pot of tea. By the looks of it the two princesses were finishing up a meeting, a theory that received instant confirmation when Twilight smiled and nodded at Celestia before rising from her seat.

“Thank you for the tea, Celestia. I can see that you’re busy so I won’t take up more of your time.”

Celestia smiled back and arched her eyebrows. “You’re welcome to stay, Twilight. Everything regarding the expedition concerns you as well.”

Twilight was already walking towards the door and smiling at Trixie but she stopped to answer Celestia. “I know, and I’m sorry to rush off so soon, but I’m too concerned for Rarity. I want to be by her side right now.”

Celestia nodded. “Of course. I wish both of you well.”

“Thank you, Celestia.” Trixie stepped aside to let Princess Twilight pass. Then she focused on Celestia who was already watching her.

“Bellatrix Lulamoon, come have a seat.”

Trixie obeyed wordlessly. She walked to the recently vacated chair and clambered into it until she was facing Celestia and looking at her expectantly. Celestia spoke after a moment’s silence.

“Sergeant Major Strawberry Fields said you had something you wished to discuss?”

“That’s correct, Your Highness. She no doubt informed you that we had picked up a passenger?”

Celestia nodded. “She did mention one ‘Electrum’. Cadence also spoke of a unicorn mare who’d appeared greatly surprised by her appearance when they met. I take it they are one and the same?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. She’s not a citizen of Equestria and I’d like to introduce her to you so she can seek asylum and affirm her identity.”

This made Celestia raise an eyebrow. “We have forms for that kind of thing. Why would she need to see me personally?” Then she glanced down at the cup of tea in front of her on the table, grabbed it with her magic and brought it to her mouth in order to sip from it.

Trixie opened her mouth, thought better of it and waited until Celestia lowered the cup. Then she coughed gently into a hoof, swallowed and spoke evenly to try to hide her nervousness. “Her full name is Electrum Sheen, Princess of Unicornia.”

Celestia froze momentarily staring with widening eyes at her cup. Then she blinked and raised her head to gaze at Trixie. “I see. Does she have... proof of this claim?”

Trixie tilted her head. “Well... My journal ought to, hopefully, lend some evidence... but I believe she could convince you if you discussed it with her. How is your old ‘cornish, Your Majesty?”

That brought out a smile. “A little rusty. It was already dying when I learned it. But I think I can manage.”

“Perfect. Will you see her?”

“Yes. Please, call her in.”

Trixie slid off her chair and trotted to the door. Opening it revealed Electrum standing in front of the guard. Trixie’s eyes slid from Electrum’s apprehensive face to the bundle of blankets by the princess’ side and her eyes widened. Looking back up Trixie saw Electrum looking at her expectantly so she cleared her throat.

“The Princess agreed to see you. Come in.”

Electrum picked up the bundle and did as told, walking past Trixie. When Trixie turned around she saw that Celestia and Electrum had locked gazes and some kind of wordless communication seemed to flow between them, though Trixie couldn’t discern if it was a contest of wills or something else. Celestia was the first to speak, in ‘cornish.

“You are the pony Electrum, queen – no, excuse my rusty language, princess of Unicornia? And you are here to seek asylum for yourself?”

Electrum nodded and spoke as formally as Trixie had ever heard her speak. “We are indeed Electrum Sheen, though our title is currently hard to define. One matter of correction is in order: we are here to seek asylum not only for ourselves but for our daughter.” She gently set the bundle of blankets down on the ground.

After gazing curiously at the blanket for a while Celestia nodded and made a sweeping gesture to the empty chair by the table. “Of course. Please, have a seat so we can discuss this. I am out of tea, unfortunately, but I could send for more.” Then she switched to equish. “Miss Bellatrix, would you kindly tell the kitchen staff to send up another pot of tea and a bowl of biscuits, please?”

Trixie’s face fell but she fought valiantly to restore it to neutral. Veiled behind the request was the underlying wish that she’d stay out of the room while the princesses talked. “Of course, Princess.” She bowed quickly and left, the guard closing the door after her. Hearing it shut she stopped and turned to look at it. After sighing she trotted down to the ground floor.

The tower’s ground floor was dominated by a kitchen surrounded by pantries and storage closets. The stairs came down behind a trio of huge bread ovens and the heat from their freshly cleaned, repaired and ignited innards radiated through their backs to lightly cook anypony using the stairs. The floor was a frenzy of activity, and in the middle of it all Broth limped with an air of weathered superiority. He noticed Trixie as she was on the last few steps, grinned and waved her over.

“Hello, boss!” He had to shout into her ear to make himself heard above the din of the kitchen, comprised of arguing chefs, clattering pans, sizzling sauces and bubbling pots. “We got orders from Princess Twilight that she’d, and I quote, ‘Pinkie-promised a party to the returning expedition team’. I have no idea what a Pinkie-promise is but when I thanked her for the thought and suggested we might prefer just resting she seemed about to panic so I quickly agreed to it! So we’re having a ‘welcome back to Equestria’ party tomorrow by royal proclamation!”

Trixie also didn’t know what a Pinkie-promise was and was about to inquire further when a friendly clap on her back by Broth forced all the air to leave her lungs. Broth continued shouting into her ear while she wheezed. “If you ask me a royally decreed party is the best! The entire tab goes to the crown so I took the liberty of ordering a large selection of the finest in liquid refreshment that the Crystal Empire can produce brought here for the festivities! On the food side we have cakes, pies, salads, soups and various kinds of dessert that taken together could decay the teeth of an entire regiment! It’s gonna be great!”

Trixie managed, after some wheezing and coughing, to produce enough respiratory control to shout an answer. “That’s great... wheeze... but I came here because the princess wants more tea and biscuits!”

Broth nodded, threw a mock salute and trotted over to a stove where a pot was just beginning to whistle. He gingerly took the pot’s wooden handle in his mouth and lifted it onto a nearby tray. Then he ran into one of the storerooms for a moment, reemerging with a bowl of tasty-looking chocolate-covered treats as well as a box of teabags, both of which he added to the tray. Then he waved Trixie over and shouted to her face. “Would you bring this up to her? We’re kind of busy making food here!”

Trixie pretended to think it over before nodding. Broth had saved her from asking to do it. She took the tray in her magic and walked up the stairs again, shaking her head in amazement at how noisy a kitchen could be. Back on the top floor she nodded to the solar guard and raised a hoof to knock on the door. Celestia’s faint voice bid her enter so she nodded to the guard again to make him open the door.

As she walked in she saw Electrum, seated at the table, was now looking quite tired. The bundle of blankets was now resting beneath the table. Princess Celestia smiled at Trixie.

“You brought the tea yourself? That’s very kind of you, Miss Bellatrix.”

Trixie gingerly switched the new tray with the one on the table while stammering her reply. “Ah, well, the kitchen is very busy right now and I have nothing to do so I thought this was the best solution.”

“Well, why don’t you pull up a chair and join us for some tea? The formalities have been done with anyhow.”

“Oh?” Trixie tried to keep her voice to only a moderate amount of interest while she pulled a chair up to the table with her magic. “How did it go?”

Electrum smiled at Trixie and spoke to her in ‘cornish. “You’re looking at Equestria’s newest duchess.” She shot a glance at Celestia. “And incidentally one of its greatest landowners.”

Trixie sat down and glanced between the two ponies in front of her. “What about your Unicornian titles?”

Celestia answered, still smiling. “She relinquished them when she asked for what remains of Unicornia to be incorporated into Equestria. We agreed that a duchy would be the closest match for Unicornia, using the last rules made for such a thing. We’ve essentially created a new Equestrian noble house for her even if it does trace its ancestry to Unicornia.”

“Well allow me, the Great and Powerful Trixie, to be the first to welcome you! I’m pretty sure house Lulamoon would love to cooperate with you any way we can, though we can ask Mom more about that when we get to Canterlot.”

Electrum peered at Trixie. “Any way?” Then she glanced down at the bundle containing the changeling egg. “I’m probably going to need a lot of help raising my daughter.”

Now Celestia looked troubled. “Bellatrix, are you aware of the nature of Electrum’s... daughter?”

Trixie nodded and sighed with relief as one huge elephant in the room evaporated. “I met her biological mother. Queen Furmici wasn’t at all what I’d expect a changeling queen to be.”

“And you, knowing their history in Equestria, are prepared to let Electrum raise a changeling queen as her daughter?”

Trixie blinked. When had this begun to involve her? “Um, yes? Because if the changeling turns out anything like Queen Furmici then it’ll be alright? But it’s not my decision to m—"

Celestia interrupted her, speaking politely but firmly. “I am hesitant, to put it lightly, to allow a hive to form within Equestrian borders – even with pony supervision. Electrum has told me of the agreement between her mother and Queen Furmici and I am unsure if these less constraining environments will produce something equally harmonious. Still, Bellatrix Lulamoon, if you are prepared to vouch for Electrum and her daughter then I will allow it.”

“Well of course I vouch for–f—" Trixie stuttered to a halt. “Hold on, are you making this my responsibi—?!”

Again Celestia interrupted her. “Yes. I am. Princess Electrum can’t be held responsible for the poor pony-changeling relations in Equestria and she had no way of knowing before you told her, so she’s blameless. Not allowing her to raise the egg would be cruel but the dangers of allowing it are impossible to measure. This is a risky venture, Bellatrix, and one that you, in your role as expedition leader, have already decided to allow. So don’t claim it’s not your decision when you’ve already made it.”

She watched Trixie’s mouth open and shut silently for a while before pressing on. “Electrum and the young changeling queen are your responsibility: the former for as long as she desires your aid and the latter for as long as the queen and her possible descendants exist within Equestrian borders. They are my subjects, of course, and therefore ultimately my responsibility, so I expect you to keep me up to date. The duchess will receive a modest monthly stipend to help her govern and develop her territories and you can request additional finances should the changelings require them but I’ll want a good explanation for any of that.”

A squeak was the best Trixie could produce in the way of answering. Celestia smiled gently at her. “Apologies if I sound harsh. Please don’t think I am upset or disappointed. You are as much a victim of unforeseen circumstances as Electrum is. That said, I need to walk the line between ensuring the safety of my subjects and letting them do as they please and this is a potential problem. Do be careful. Oh and tell no-one, of course. Changelings aren’t officially welcome in Equestria and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Celestia sighed. “But you have my blessing. Your hearts are in the right place. And now I must fly.” She turned to Electrum. “Sun shine on you, Duchess, and welcome to Equestria. I’m sure we’ll meet again soon. I look forward to the interesting times you’ll bring about.” She turned back to Trixie while rising from her chair. “Good work, expedition leader.”

Electrum and Trixie shared a long and silent look after the princess had left. Electrum was the first to speak. “I thought it best if I told her.”

“It probably was. Having her find out for herself would’ve been bad.” Trixie shook her mane. “Now I think I need to rest and read a bit. There’s a party planned for tomorrow.”



******



A cascade of bright flowers floated gently down on the audience, welcomed by oohs and aahs. A more adventurous crystalline tried snatching one of the glittering blossoms in her mouth and her delighted surprise quickly prompted others to see what they tasted like in the moments before the spectral flowers faded from existence. When the crowd looked down again they saw they were standing among tall grass, complete with summery fragrance. Wind whipped at the illusory stalks as the ponies bent their necks to sniff and nibble.

Then a rumble of thunder rolled overhead, making many of the ponies gasp. Dark clouds churned in a spiral overhead, lit from within by occasional lightning. Then arcs of electricity played on the surface of the roiling mass, converged on the center of the spiral and struck down in a massive pillar of light. When the ponies regained their eyesight they saw Trixie standing in the blast center, head bowed dramatically and cape flapping in the wind as trails of lightning played on her fur and earthed themselves next to her through long arcs. She straightened out to smile at her audience as the illusions faded and normal lighting restored itself. “That’s a little sample of what’s to come from the Great, the Powerful, the All New Trixie!” She bowed again.

The cistern, even decorated for party, was still so featureless that the thunderous hooves of applause were multiplied many times over, making the din of the small audience’s approval seem magnified to a crowd of hundreds. Trixie didn’t mind. In fact she appreciated very much the audience’s own illusory tricks, her mind already hell-bent on coaxing similar reactions from crowds all around Equestria.

The ponies mingled, walking up to the buffet tables and grabbing plates. Some came up to praise Trixie, verbally or by a friendly clap on her shoulder. She was in the middle of accepting praise from three crystalline when a voice from her side triggered flashbacks to Ponyville.

“Well, dear, you’ve certainly improved your act since I last had the delight of witnessing it.”

Trixie’s head whipped around to face the unicorn with white coat and exquisite purple mane who was looking at her with a slight smile. She stammered. “Uh, M-Miss Rarity? You’re... up?”

Rarity nodded. “Indeed I am! And in no small part thanks to you I’ve been told. I’m not one to back down from a debt, even one of gratitude, so let me know if you ever find yourself in Ponyville. We’ll work on expanding your wardrobe so it suits one...” She produced a good-humoured smirk. “...of your ‘great and powerful’ status.”

“Uh...” Trixie blushed and fidgeted. “Thanks. So. Um. How much do you remember?”

Rarity tossed her head slightly, letting her mane exaggerate the motion. “Almost nothing, fortunately enough. Only images of snow and ice, really. It seems the experience of being a windigo doesn’t translate well over to a pony mind so I really can’t tell what it felt like.” She shuddered. “Fortunately, in my humble opinion.” She smiled again, revealing her teeth, before continuing.

“Twilight has been an absolute gem to me and read that journal of yours out loud by my bedside while I still felt too weak to rise, so I’d know a bit of what I’ve been through.” She leaned in closer to Trixie as her smirk grew from friendly to predatory before continuing in a hushed voice. “It took a couple of tries, because when we got to the bit in the middle she became really excited and went off on a couple of her endearing little tirades. They are of course part of her very own lovely charm and, let me tell you, this one was a champion! I haven’t seen her so unhinged since she missed the deadline of her friendship report to Princess Celestia! She spent fifteen minutes pacing in circles on the ceiling while ranting about Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever!” Rarity giggled. “It was so – so Twilight!”

Trixie saw Rarity’s eyes flicker momentarily to look over Trixie’s shoulder. She could feel her doom approach and drew her face slowly into a fearful grimace.

“So... Princess Twilight has read my journal?”

Rarity nodded and smiled. “Indeed she has, dear. Watching her face whenever she reached the interesting parts of the text was priceless. I didn’t know eyelids could twitch that fast!” Now Rarity was grinning and openly staring past Trixie’s ear. The showmare became aware of a slight growl.

“And she’s standing right behind me, isn’t she?”

Rarity nodded once, a deep and slow nod combined with a massive grin. “Indeed she is!”

There was a pause.

“What is her expression right now?”

Rarity tittered. “Why don’t you turn around and find out? She won’t bite.” Her face fell into a worried, distant frown. “Pardon me, I think I need to go lie down. I’m feeling a bit cold around my tummy.” She walked away. Trixie looked after her while wondering if running was an option. Probably not: Princess Twilight could already teleport before being granted the powers of an alicorn. Oh, and now there were her wings to take into account as well. So Trixie turned around to meet and immediately wilt in one of the most intense stares she’d ever seen.

The purple alicorn in front of Trixie was not the image of harmony and contentment. Princess Twilight’s eyes were bloodshot, her mane was an erratic mess and her ears were twitching at random intervals. She spoke quietly. “I caught the latter half of your show. Your talent with illusion magic has really improved. It’s a shame most ponies can’t really appreciate it. Only somepony very knowledgeable in magic theory would know that multisensory illusions on such a scale are considered theoretically impossible. And you! You didn’t even break a sweat!”

Trixie tried a disarming grin. It didn’t disarm anything. Twilight moved closer until their muzzles were almost touching. “It’s almost as if you were given a unique source of genius-level knowledge but that’s ridiculous. Sharing headspace with Clover the Clever and being gifted a previously unheard-of book by Starswirl the Bearded doesn’t happen in a rational universe.”

Trixie tilted her head and unfocused her eyes. “Does a rational universe produce... what was her name... oh yes, Pinkie Pie?”

“Yes. As a safety-valve.”

“Well then. Discord?”

“Trixie, promise me you’ll lend the book to me once you’ve finished reading it.” Twilight felt a tug on her tail but ignored it. “I’ll owe you a huge favour.”

Trixie sat down on her haunches and brought a hoof to her chin, pouting her lips in intense contemplation. “Well... all right.” She grinned, partially from relief. “As for the favour... Let me introduce you to somepony. Princess Twilight, the mare so mesmerised by your tail is Crystal Brightfeather. Crystal, say hello to Princess Twilight.”

Crystal was gently running her hooves through Twilight’s tail while shaking her head and mumbling. “The colours are wrong! There’s Blue! My mane isn’t blue, it’s purple! It’s wrong!” She seemed distressed when she looked up – her eyes were moist and her lips quivered.  She jumped back with a start when she realised both Trixie and Twilight were looking curiously at her.

“Sorry! Sorry!! It’s just – I – Argh!” Crystal crumpled to a heap and covered her head with her forelegs.

Trixie chuckled at her. “Relax, Crystal. I’m sure the princess is used to strange ponies tugging at her mane and tail by now.”

“Huh?” Twilight turned to Trixie with a confused frown. “Why would strangers come up to me and tug at my hair? Nopony has done that since I was in magic kindergarten.”

“Really? Nopony?” Crystal sat up and glared enviously at Twilight. “Then I wish I was you!” There was a slight pause as Crystal’s eyes crossed while her brain reran the sentence she’d just spouted unfiltered. Then she exploded into hysterical laughter.
> Trixie Humbly Retires to a Life of Peace and Quiet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter Seventeen:


Trixie Humbly Retires to a Life of Peace and Quiet



Great and Powerful Diary!

I had trouble sleeping after the party. My mind was telling me I should record everything I’ve been through and the inability to do so was irritating me. I went up to the roof of the tower and found Princess Twilight staring at the night sky. We chatted, I mentioned the cause of my insomnia, we went down to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk and then we went to bed. I slept fitfully.

It’s morning now and I’ve just woken up, and one of the first thing I see is you on my bed table, wrapped in a bow and with a little card attached that says ‘from a grateful friend’. That’s Princess Twilight down to a tee. She must be suffering from inverse paranoia, seeing friends everywhere. Well, she’s certainly not my enemy or anything like that anymore. In fact, she’s quite pleasant company. But Trixie would say she’s an acquaintance only. You don’t get friends that easily. Right?

Come to think of it, I never did ask exactly what Twilight was princess of. She might have a better grasp of this friendship thing than Trixie. Oh well. Trixie shall entertain the Princess’ notions. Another friend would only be good after all.


Wednesday evening, eleven days before autumn equinox:

I forgot to note the time in my first entry! It’s still the same day though. We’ve left the tower. The village’s name is apparently still unknown, so it’s just ‘the tower’ until somepony goes through the archives of the crystal library and finds a mention of it. Anyway, once we’d all recovered from yesterday’s party we discussed what to do next. Visi was impatient to leave and we all found ourselves agreeing. Home beckoned. Well, I say ‘home’ but Crystal was invited to Ponyville for the time being by Princess Twilight and Visi is, of course, still a long way from home when she returns to Canterlot University. Broth wouldn’t reveal where his path ends. As for me, Canterlot sounds nice right now and I think Electrum could appreciate some place to establish a base in before we discuss touring the country.

I write this on the night train to Canterlot. I’d forgotten that trains are a somewhat recent invention, only to be reminded by Electrum’s innocent remarks as we approached Crystal City station. She wondered out loud how organising wagon trains could have become so standard as to have its own station. Watching her discover another wonder of the modern world was a delight and I’m very happy that it doesn’t seem to alienate her. She’s absorbing every new thing like a sponge, after seeing nothing but the inside of a dark and bare castle her entire life.

When we reached the Crystal City train station we still had some time to wait. Ellie spent a bit of that time studying images of locomotives inside the terminal, but eventually I saw her heading towards the platform itself. I followed with some alarm when she climbed down onto the tracks and with confusion when she continued onwards, circling around the waiting train to the fields of grass beyond. Then she bent down and took a bite.

I didn’t have the heart to explain that what to her was the blissful taste of freedom was a sign of utter poverty to most others and was considered something not done in public by proper ponies. My hesitation when she invited me to join her almost spoiled the moment but I rallied for her sake, and I managed to explain away the other passengers’ stares. I didn’t want to ruin her unbridled joy of eating sun-grown grass. I must admit it tasted better than I’d expected. As I munched on the tundra grass a thought struck me: would the Great and Powerful Trixie ever have stooped to grazing on the open fields before the expedition? The answer is no. I just can’t understand why that seems so important to me.

We’ll arrive an hour after sunrise tomorrow and it’s close to midnight now, so I better try to get some sleep. Ellie finally seems to have managed: the noise and motion of the train made her quite sick at first and it definitely made catching sleep difficult for her. Goodnight for now.



******



“And here we have the Lulamoon compound— oh no.”

Electrum was so distracted by the sights, sounds and smells of a living, bustling capital city that she didn’t notice Trixie come to a sudden stop, consequently walking into her guide. When Electrum got her bearings she saw Trixie standing stiff and staring with dismay past the gates of a large mansion. Electrum moved up next to Trixie and looked through the gates to the yard beyond.

“What’s wrong? Did we arrive at a bad time?”

It seemed like all the mansion’s inhabitants and the entire staff had lined up, waiting to greet somepony. Trixie sighed, her face haggard.

“It’s worse. We’re being expected.”

“But... I thought you would like this kind of attention?”

Trixie stuttered. “Well true, but I try to stay out of family business.”

Electrum nuzzled her on the cheek and smiled. “Sorry. It seems Princess Celestia has made that impossible for you right now.”

After a sigh and a dejected nod from Trixie they entered the yard, walking up to the half-circle of ponies. Cygnus Lulamoon stood in the middle, flanked by Escape Clause. Cygnus looked at her daughter with a wide grin and spoke.

“Princess Celestia visited us – in person – to inform that you were returning together with company. She was also kind enough to let us have a copy of your journal.” Her smile wavered as her lower lip wobbled and her eyes teared up. “Bellatrix... Trixie... I’m s-so proud.”

Trixie simply ran up to her mother and hugged her. “This feels good, Mom. It’s good to be back.” A smattering of hooves against ground came from the assembled ponies.



******



A tray with two wine glasses and two empty bottles of Trottingham Red Hoofpressed lay between them. The fire crackled spiritedly in front of them, adding to their ruddy cheeks. Cygnus was trying and failing at relating the gossip surrounding Lord Wallbreaker, who was smart enough to know he wasn’t smart enough and had managed to hire a very large retinue of very smart ponies indeed on the mere promise of gold later. It took somepony with an unconventional way of thinking to willingly seek employment with such circumstances, and the impression House Wallbreaker (because the Bluebloods, as their attempts to deny the minotaur what the will gave him kept failing, were ever more fervently refusing to associate with him) and its affiliates was creating on Canterlot looked destined to become legendary.

Trixie watched as her mother writhed with unstoppable laughter, catching a few chuckles herself. “Then he – hah – he-he punched the waiter!”

Trixie gasped with alarm. “What?!”

“The waiter had applied a neckerchief without asking! Get this: Wallbreaker thought – ahah – that he was being strangled!”

Cygnus lost herself to laughter again. Trixie winced and chuckled while shaking her head. “That can’t have won him many friends.”

The elder unicorn composed herself so she could grin at Trixie. “You’d be surprised. I hear that the gossip rags in all the pegasus cities just can’t have enough of his antics. Several letters to the opinion columns have expressed that it was time Canterlot was reminded what nobility really means.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“Being ready and willing to fight for what’s rightfully yours, as well as what isn’t rightfully yours I guess!”

Both ponies laughed until tears were running down their cheeks. Eventually the sounds in the dark hall settled down to laboured breathing punctuated by an errant chuckle or two or a pop from the fireplace.

“Trixie, I’m going to milk this for everything I can and I’m warning you ahead of time that some of it might be a bit unpleasant for you.”

Trixie’s ears twisted to face her mother but she remained otherwise still. “Mmhmm?”

Cygnus peered into the fireplace while absentmindedly levitating her empty wine glass to her mouth and trying to sip from it. She peered at it with a disappointed frown. “For one, you’ve lit a fire under your brothers’ and sisters’ tails. I sort of encouraged it as well when I named you my titular designate.”

Trixie started and glared at her mother. “Why would you do that?! I hate nobility and being a countess...” Trixie’s face twisted as various emotions warred within her. “...sounds kinda nice now that I think about it. Countess Bellatrix, huh?” She panicked. “No! What am I saying? I can’t be a countess! I hate other nobles!”

“What about Electrum? Do you hate her too?”

Trixie calmed to a sullen pout. “No, and that’s different. She’s not like the others. Nothing like her mother, for that matter.”

Cygnus nodded slowly while seemingly endlessly fascinated by the wine glass in her magic. She rotated it, letting its slightly uneven surface distort the flames in the fireplace. She spoke quietly. “You know, there are others like her. Well, not... like her. I mean, there are other noble children who refuse to fall into the same old molds. What if I introduced you to a couple of them? They’re much more common in lesser and non-unicorn Houses.”

“Mom...” Trixie sighed. “Why are you pulling me into this?”

The wine glass was set back on the tray while Cygnus looked away. “Honestly? Because you’re the best candidate right now. You’ve had actual leadership experience, even if brief, and that’s more than any of your siblings can say. They think the way to the top is to push others down, not to acquire skills and merits relevant to the position.” She turned to look at her daughter again. “You wouldn’t know, but four of them are actually here at the mansion right now. They had a crisis meeting instead of coming out to greet you. Right now they regard you as a threat and... I fear they’ve decided you aren’t off-limits to their scheming anymore. It’s partly my fault, of course, but...” Her face hardened. “I’m not sorry. I see an opportunity to teach them a lesson and I’m going to take it.” She turned to Trixie with a pleading look. “So if you could play along for a time and pretend to be the glossy image of noble perfection then I’d be very, very happy. Please?”

Trixie tiredly rubbed her forehead with a hoof for a moment before speaking. “And if you would happen to find all of them wanting then, oh how convenient, Trixie suddenly has a lot of experience and connections, huh?”

“Don’t sound so bitter. You do realise that Electrum is going to need all the help she can get being an Equestrian duchess with a lot of potentially very lucrative real-estate in her hooves? Would you rather hoof her off to some advisor of uncertain trustworthiness when she asks you?”

There was a small pause before Trixie shook her head and glared into the fireplace. Cygnus nodded, mostly to herself.

“Well then, Trixie. It seems like you’ve brought change to Equestria... and you’re not able to avoid it yourself. It’s up to you if you decided to suffer or thrive with it. I’ll support you either way, but... do listen to your mother this once. You can enjoy it if you just give nobility a chance.”

The silence stretched, again interspersed by the sounds of the fire. Then trixie took a sharp breath and spoke defiantly. “Electrum wants to see Equestria and I promised her she’d get to follow me on a tour.”

“That’s perfectly fine. Being in charge of a noble house involves a lot of travel anyway. We just plan around it. That’s why your father took his golf clubs when he set out for Zebrica and why I will bring my camera and birdwatching guide when I leave for San Palomino next week. You already know how to get in contact with Essie.” Cygnus rose and walked over to her daughter, giving Trixie a gentle pat on her mane. “Your old life won’t end just because you pick up some responsibilities, dear. We’ll work them into your schedule.”

Trixie gave a noncommittal grunt and let her eyes close.



******



Trixie stared at the chest in front of her. It was a literal treasure chest, flanked by two solar guards, golden bits spilling over its opened lid to jingle on the floor. She felt her mind lock at the thought of all that gold, and it was hers.

A unicorn notary levitated a clipboard and read off it as if the transfer of enough gold to crush an elephant was the most boring event of his life. “Reward payment to one Bellatrix Lulamoon. Included are wages for seven weeks’ government work at two hundred bits per week, as well as four shares out of a total forty-four of a reward sum of one point five million bits. The total is...” He paused and raised an intrigued eyebrow. “One hundred and thirty-seven thousand, seven hundred and sixty-three bits.”

Trixie went rigid. She found to her amazement that she was able to speak, although with a squeak. “That... are you serious? Trixie was expecting something like forty-five thousand!”

The notary raised both eyebrows and scanned his clipboard. “Thirty-five thousand would be one share plus wages. That’s what the support team is being paid. There are thirty of them.” He continued in a bored sing-song voice. “Three shares each go to the ponies Boiling Broth and Crystal Brightfeather. Four shares go to you as well as to the estate of the late Terra Incognita. Further, one Visi Vidi will receive wages but no share of the reward and one High Life will receive nothing.” He held his leg forward, presenting his clipboard to Trixie. A charcoal pen was attached to it with a bit of string. “Sign at the dotted line, please.”

She did as asked but in such a daze that her signature became distorted. The notary still accepted it without comment, pulling off the topmost sheet and giving it to Trixie before tucking the clipboard under a wing and nodding to the guardsponies. All three left, leaving Trixie to stare incredulously at her own personal fortune. Not in private, because behind her stood Cygnus and Escape Clause and they were whispering furiously back and forth. Eventually Trixie felt a nudge on her flank and heard her mother speak.

“Trixie, do you have any idea what to do with all those bits?”

“Yes... Well, no...” She spoke in a distant voice. “I’m thinking of commissioning another wagon.”

Escape Clause spoke next. “Another wagon? I see. And how much will that cost?”

“Five hundred to two thousand, depending on how crazy I go.”

There were two chuckles from behind Trixie. Cygnus spoke next. “And after that? Trixie, you realise a pony could live comfortably for her entire life with the kind of fortune you have. Do you have a plan?”

Trixie shook her head slowly. Then she saw Cygnus and Clause walk up beside her, Cygnus on her right and Clause on her left. She glanced from side to side and saw them both looking at her and smiling. “Well,” Cygnus spoke slowly, “we could always help you come up with a plan...”



******



Three days later, at sunrise, Trixie exited Lulamoon Mansion. She was carrying saddlebags in addition to her usual hat and cape. Electrum walked out behind her, followed by Cygnus and Clause. Clause held a clipboard in her magic and was reading it while she walked.

“Your train leaves in half an hour. Remember to visit the bank there. We’ve arranged for your credit so you’ll have no problems withdrawing bits. Mayor Sachertorte has been informed that you’re there to negotiate the purchase of her family’s claim to portions of the Earthen Republic. She’s smart, and Seaddle is so close to the Crystal Mountains that she’s probably heard about the warming climate, so I expect she’ll put two and two together. I’ve taken the liberty of making sure a dossier with guidelines for negotiating real estate is waiting for you at the Seaddle train station.”

The gravel of the front yard crunched underhoof while they walked towards the gates. Trixie nodded while listening to Clause and slowed down so she could walk side by side with Electrum. They exchanged smiles while Clause continued. “After the meeting you’ll have a coach waiting to take you to the craftsponies’ commune. Your wagon should be ready; if it isn’t then you can deduct from the price a bit. Where do you intend to head after that?”

Trixie considered this for a moment. “Ponyville.” Then she grinned at Electrum. “You’ll need a costume for the stage and I know just the mare for the job.”

Electrum blushed nervously and looked away. There was a rustle of paper as Clause quickly browsed through the notes on her clipboard while muttering. “Ponyville... Ponyville...”

Cygnus leaned over and spoke a single word: “Rich.”

“Ah yes! The Rich family lives in ponyville. According to our information their ancestral claims mostly consists of mountain slopes, including some very good mines. Mr. Rich is a shrewd businesspony, but he’s unlikely to have heard of and understood the implications of the changing weather. On the other hoof he’s a Ponyvillian and a long-time tradespartner with the Apples, so he values a modicum of honesty. We’ll have informed him of your agenda and organised a meeting by the time you arrive in Ponyville.”

Trixie nodded and spoke. “I don’t know where I’ll head after that exactly.”

“That’s alright”, Cygnus said. “By that time the other houses will probably have noticed that we’re making a big financial move. We’ll have to take stock of the situation then.”

They arrived at the gates. Trixie turned around and hugged her aunt and her mother. Cygnus kissed her on both cheeks before glaring into her eyes. “Don’t forget to write! I want to hear from you!” Then Cygnus turned to Electrum with a broad smile. “Think! You might have a chance to achieve with business what your mother, grandfather and great grandfather could only scheme and go to war about: a unified kingdom!”

Electrum grinned but it was a bit forced. She bowed quickly before it would be noticed. “Thank you, Countess.”

Cygnus chuckled and bowed back. “Please, no need for titles! We’re all friends here. Have fun!”

Electrum and Trixie stood on the threshold of the outer gates, looking out at Canterlot ponies walking by. They shared a grin. Trixie spoke. “So, how does it feel to finally be your own mare?”

“Great and powerful.”

Trixie snorted and shoved Electrum gently. They both stepped onto the street while laughing.

Cygnus and Escape Clause watched them leave. When the two young mares rounded a corner Clause leaned towards Cygnus and spoke. “Aren’t you worried she’ll be mad when she finds out her brothers and sisters haven’t even heard of her adventures?”

Cygnus sighed but kept smiling. “I know she’ll be mad, but she’s smart and will understand. She’ll also be much too busy to really care.”

They turned around in unison and walked back towards the manor. They were halfway down the path when the crunch of gravel behind them alerted them to a third pony. A pegasus military courier laden with heavy saddlebags slowed to a halt and saluted just as they turned again.

“Ma’ams, I am looking for one Bellatrix Lulamoon, alternatively Cygnus Lulamoon.”

Cygnus and Clause exchanged glances before Cygnus stepped closer. “I am Cygnus. What is it?”

The stallion saluted again and opened a saddlebag, withdrawing a thick package. “Documents detailing a request from Weather Corps, Ma’am. Please sign here.” He produced a form, a pen and a clipboard. Cygnus did as requested and was given the package. She passed it on to Clause and walked back to the manor.

They opened the package in Cygnus’ office. Clause speed-read through two pages before raising her eyebrows and speaking. “They are asking Trixie to accompany them as a consultant to the northeastern coast, in between the Crystal Mountains and the sea. It’s a cartography expedition being planned to look for suitable sites for a port city, as well as scout out the mountain passes there for routes into the Old Kingdoms. They’re worried they’ll encounter rimewolves and would like Trixie to act as an advisor on how to repel them.”

Cygnus leaned back in her chair and let it swivel around while she stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. “So Celestia has plans to extend Equestrian naval trade north..? Just in time for the Old Kingdoms re-emerging too...” She grinned. “And we’ll be in on it from the start.”

Cygnus grinned with her. “Sounds like Trixie will get to have some more adventures.”

The head of House Lulamoon opened a cabinet with her magic and levitated out a bottle of wine and two glasses without looking. She poured a measure into each glass and levitated one over to Cygnus before raising her own in her magic. “A toast, to the Great and Powerful Dame Trixie of House Lulamoon!”

“Dame Trixie Lulamoon!”

They drank. Both burst into happy laughter while setting down their glasses.



***FIN***