Trials and Tribulations Part 6

Trixie entered the mansion behind the white mare. They were met in the main foyer by an earth pony butler.

"Good evening, Miss Velvet," the butler said. He turned to Trixie and said with a smile, "And may I say it is an honor to have such an esteemed performer in my presence."

"Good evening, Mr. Tray. Miss Trixie will require a room for the night." Velvet turned to Trixie and said, "I'm certain that you would like to get some rest for tomorrow."

"And what of your master," Trixie asked, "Trixie still wishes to speak with him."

Velvet smiled, "Of course. He is in the study. I can take you to him." She turned to the butler, "Please ensure that the room will be prepared."

Mr. Tray bowed his head, "Of course, Miss Velvet. Miss Trixie if you will excuse me." He didn't wait for Trixie to respond before making his way to a staircase and headed upstairs.

"The pony that Zephyr brought with him, she looked hurt. Do you think that could affect the spell?"

Velvet smiled, "Always on business aren't we Trixie? Well, I can't say for certain, but if Zephyr has an interest in this pony, then she must be a likely candidate." She looked at Trixie closely and asked, "Is there something that concerns you?"

Trixie shook her head and said, "Trixie could care less for the pony, but wouldn't multiple test subjects cause suspicion?"

"That is not for me to say." Velvet motioned for Trixie to follow, and both ponied continued their walk down the hall.

Trixie took the artwork, or lack of artwork, in. I don't like this pony, she thought, What does he hope to gain?

"I imagine you have many questions," Velvet said, "Sadly, I doubt he'll provide you with more than you need to know."

Trixie nodded, "Trixie can see the wisdom in that."

They stopped at a large pair of doors, and Velvet said, "Please wait here, I'll announce your arrival."

Trixie nodded and waved a hoof. Once Velvet entered the study, Trixie's mind began to wander. Perhaps I should use that spell on this bastard. She smiled at the idea, but the smile fell when she remembered Applejack. No, I should stay my hoof for now. Perhaps Rainbow Dash can assist me, though I doubt that pony can follow instructions.She stifled a yawn, and another wave of nausea hit her. Curse that ward. I'll need to eat soon.

Velvet entered the hall and nodded to Trixie, "My employer is ready to see you."

"Very well," Trixie said, "Oh and make certain that there is something to eat in my quarters."

Velvet's eye twitched but she said, "Of course, I'll see that Mr. Tray has a snack prepared for you-"

"Trixie will require a proper meal. She had to skip dinner for this endeavor."

"Very well," Velvet said, "Is there anything else?"

"That is all," Trixie said as she entered the study. She glanced at the shelves, and for a brief moment admired the collection. Trixie walked to the large desk near a windowed patio that had a view of Canterlot Castle and sat down. Before she could clear her throat to announce her presence, Storm Ring turned around.

"I prefer ponies who don't wait for permission," he said, "It reminds me that there are still those who are willing to take what they want." The pegasus stallion sat down and asked, "Might I offer you something to drink?"

"Trixie is not here for drink or pleasant conversation. We have business to discuss."

Storm nodded, "Yes we do. Velvet informed me of her failure at the prison." He leaned back and smirked at Trixie, "True, you did not do what you were told to, but it was her task to provide you with what you needed, and she failed at that task."

"Trixie imagines that there shall be repercussions, correct?"

"Not for you," Storm said, "Velvet on the other hoof shall be punished. She needs to be reminded of her place." He smiled and said, "But we are not here to talk about the staff. You are invited to take part in a monumental moment of Equestria's history."

"And what moment would that be?"

"All answers-"

"In time, Trixie knows," Trixie said, "Velvet already told Trixie the same thing. If you wish Trixie's assistance, then you will tell Trixie what she wishes to know."

Storm Ring walked to a nearby cart and poured himself a drink, "Are you certain you don't care for a drink?"

Trixie kept silent.

Storm nodded, "Very well." He walked back to his desk and sat down. After taking a sip he said, "I won't tell you everything, but there will be notes detailing your part of the spell." He raised his hoof to interrupt Trixie and continued, "It would be best if you focused on your task. You will have your hooves full with that, and you don't need any distractions."

Trixie nodded and said, "If that is the best you can do, then Trixie has little choice." Maybe I can use the notes to determine what he's planning, she thought. Trixie stood up and turned to the exit. Before she left she said, "Trixie remembers the threat you made, and she did her part. For your sake, hold up yours." She didn't wait for Storm to reply. Trixie smiled as she left the study. The foal probably isn't used to being spoken to like that, she thought. Once back in the hall, she saw Velvet.

"You're room is ready, along with a proper meal," Velvet said. She turned and began walking down the hall, and Trixie could easily notice that Velvet was trying to hide a limp.

"Trixie trusts that your master does not abide failure?"

Velvet stopped and turned to Trixie. "I don't know what you mean," she said with surprising calm.

"You can't hide anything from Trixie. She can spot the tiniest detail, and she noticed your limp."

Velvet paled but said nothing, she turned around and headed back towards the guest quarters. This time she put more effort in hiding her limp. Neither pony spoke as they walked down the hall, though there really was nothing for them to say to each other. Soon they arrived at the room.

"Here you are," Velvet said, "Rest well. You will need it."

Trixie nodded, "Trixie thanks you." She entered the room and looked around. The rest of the mansion's style had a sense of subdued affluence, but the guest room was a different matter. Storm Ring wanted his guests to know just how much wealth he possessed. Trixie could take any single item from the room and manage to replace everything she lost to the Ursa Minor. She shook her head and made her way to the table. There sat her meal. More than she'd eaten in days, and she was grateful for it. The ward she placed on Fluttershy drained her strength and she needed maintain her energy. Before she sat down, she looked out the window. Glancing up, she spotted Rainbow Dash on a cloud. Trixie waved the blue pegasus over and unlocked the window.

Within moments, the window opened and Rainbow Dash entered. She let out a sharp whistle and said, "Wow, somepony is living in luxury now."

"Not now," Trixie hissed, "We need to discuss a plan for disrupting their plans."

Rainbow tilted her head and asked, "What plans?" Her eyes went to the table and said, "Hey food! I'm starving."

"Enjoy," Trixie said, "But don't eat all of it. I need to regain some of my strength."

"I know how to share," Rainbow said as she sat down. She looked at Trixie and asked, "Uh, can I ask you a question?"

Trixie sighed, "I told you, I don't know why I'm helping-"

"Not that," Rainbow said, "I'm wondering if you can, I don't know, sense Fluttershy somehow."

Trixie raised an eyebrow at Rainbow, "You mean if there is a connection between us?"

"Yeah."

"I'm afraid not. The ward is taxing enough as it is, and any form of link would simply add to the difficulty on maintaining it."

"How bad is it?"

Trixie smiled, "It's manageable. I only need to rest, and eat more than I normally do."

Rainbow stopped eating her apple, "Hey if you need the food, then eat up. I can get some food somewhere else."

"No, go ahead and eat. I'll join you in a moment." Trixie walked to the window Rainbow entered and locked it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Something's bothering you. What is it?"

Trixie turned to Rainbow and shook her head, "It's the spell that I'm supposed to help cast." She walked to the table and opened the embossed folder. "If you'll give me a few moments to study this, I may be able to figure something about what Storm Ring intends to do."

"Storm Ring," Rainbow asked with growing anger, "Did you say Storm Ring?"

Trixie nodded, "Yes, the father of Grey Ring."

"Great," Rainbow said.

"It gets worse."

Rainbow tilted her head and asked, "How could it get worse?"

Trixie sighed and said, "I don't know where or how, but they captured your friend. The farmpony, Applejack."

Rainbow's eye flew wide, "You can't be serious."

"I am," Trixie said, "Velvet, that was the unicorn you heard me speaking to in the carriage, she told me that we are to test the spell on her before we attempt it properly." She gave an involuntary shudder, "I don't want to know how many ponies have suffered as they made this spell."

"What do you mean?"

Trixie slid the folder over to Rainbow, "I don't expect you to understand everything here, but this spell was made. Spells need to be engineered, and that requires testing." Trixie took the folder back, "Looking at the complexity of my part-"

"Wait, you don't have the entire spell?"

Trixie shook her head, "No. I was only given my part of the spell, and it is the most complex spell I have ever seen."

Rainbow swallowed the food in her mouth and asked, "How bad was AJ?"

Trixie could see the concern on Rainbow's face, so she did what she had to. She lied. "I didn't get a clear view of her. I just spotted her cutie mark as they were carrying her to a nearby cellar."

Rainbow looked down at the table, "Did you see which cellar she's in?"

"Don't do anything-"

"She's my friend," Rainbow shouted slamming her hooves onto the table.

"Quiet," Trixie hissed. She turned to the door but heard nothing. Trixie turned back to Rainbow, "I know you want to save your friend, but doing that now is a bad idea."

"Why?"

"Right now they think they have the upper hoof. We can use that to our advantage."

Rainbow calmed down and asked, "How?"

Trixie smiled and asked, "How do you feel about a little sabotage?"

---

Is this the place, Pinkie thought.

The restaurant didn't look like much, and it was closed. Pinkie stared at the closed building and began wondering why the world began to tilt. She didn't have to wonder long because she fell over as exhaustion caught up with her. She collapsed to the ground and struggled to get back to her hooves. Once upright, she made her way to the window of the cafe. Pinkie couldn't see anything suspicious inside other than a tray of day old bread. The sight of the baked goods caused her stomach to rumble, but she couldn't bring herself to steal.

There has to be a clue somewhere, Pinkie thought as she walked back to the front of the cafe. She took a careful look at the road, and noticed something.

A set of tracks from a carriage moving too fast. It could be a longshot, but it could be the best chance at finding Applejack. Resolved strengthened, Pinkie returned to a full run following the tracks.

Each and every time a hoof made contact with the ground, it shot pain throughout Pinkie's body. She did everything she could to block out the pain, but the pain became fuel. Her mind flashed with images, Applejack being carried off, the small pool of blood at the shed, and having to give Fluttershy the news that Pinkie couldn't save Applejack. The last image filled Pinkie with an emotion that she rarely felt. Rage. Pure and simple rage filled the pink pony, and her quarry would find no mercy. In spite of the pain, Pinkie managed a sick smile. I'm going to enjoy this-

Pinkie, stop!

Pinkie skidded to a stop and quickly looked around. She knew that voice, but it was impossible. "F-Fluttershy," Pinkie asked.

There was nothing around her, but thoughts of the timid pegasus filled her mind. Pinkie felt a strong pang of guilt over what she wanted to do. Fluttershy would be horrified to hear that Pinkie hurt those ponies. She shook her head, gritted her teeth, and continued to follow the tracks. I'll save Jackie, Pinkie thought, No matter what.

It wasn't long before she arrived at a mansion gate, and Pinkie made certain to get a better look at the layout. Pinkie saw a spot where she could enter unseen, and she used a nearby tree to jump over the wall. From there, Pinkie made her way to the main building. Using the shrubs for cover, she snuck to a nearby cellar window and peeked inside.

Inside she saw Flashpoint and Thunderclap, and Flashpoint was angry with the large pegasus for some reason. Pinkie pressed her ear to the glass but couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. All Pinkie could understand was something about Thunderclap being too harsh with somepony. Thunderclap laughed and said something Pinkie couldn't hear.

Pinkie stared at the two for a few moments longer before deciding to move on to another window. This window had iron bars, and Pinkie gasped when she looked inside.

Applejack lay on a pile of hay, and her injuries looked much worse. Pinkie tried to get a better look, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her friend still breathing. She tapped the window and somehow the orange pony stirred.

"What the- oh that's gonna hurt worse in the morning," Applejack groaned as she looked around for the noise. When her eyes made their way to the window, she couldn't help smiling at the blue eyes looking down at her. "Pinkie," she whispered, "What're ya doing here?"

Pinkie pried the window open as best she could and said, "I'm here to rescue you, silly."

"I appreciate the effort, sugarcube, but I'm not in any shape to move. I'd just slow you down." Applejack looked down to the pile of hay, "Try to find out if that victim is here, and do me a favor. Tell Fluttershy that I'm-"

"No!"

Applejack looked up at Pinkie.

Pinkie glared at Applejack, "There won't be any of that. Operation: ApplePie will not be a failure. I promised Fluttershy that I would take care of you, and you can tell her that you're sorry yourself."

"How'd you-"

"I just know." Pinkie looked around and sighed, "I don't think I can open this without making a lot of noise."

Applejack waved a hoof, "Look, they're keeping me alive for a reason. Remember that they said that they could get more money for one of us. They might just want a ransom, so I should be alright. You should be focused on finding out anything on that victim that went missing. Do you remember anything from her file?"

Pinkie nodded, "She's about our age, but that meanie Grey hurt her way before he hurt Fluttershy." She scratched her head and added, "Oh yeah, the file said that she was his neighbor, so if this is where Grey grew up, then she might still live close by."

"Good thinking, Pinkie." Applejack laid back down and said, "I'm gonna get some rest. Those ponies really put a hurting on me, but I think I left Thunderclap with a nice bruise of his own."

Pinkie smiled, "That's good." She looked up but saw nopony around and brought her attention back to Applejack. "On the way here, I kind of had some weird feelings."

Applejack tried to sit up, "What kind of feelings?"

Pinkie lowered her head causing her flat mane to fall forward. She whispered, "I want to hurt these ponies."

Applejack nodded, "I know what you mean, but we're not them. We fought back to defend ourselves, but we can't just go hurting them cause we'd be just like them. We gotta let the law take care of them."

Pinkie nodded, "I know, but what if-"

"If they look for trouble, then they'll get their fill. I never said we can't fight back, but don't go hurting them just you can." Applejack looked out of her cell and waved a hoof at Pinkie, "You'd best get away from here. Last thing I want is a cellmate."

Pinkie smiled, "You're right. I'll go look for that pony. Be careful Jackie. I'll come back for you. I promise."

"I know you will, but I need you to promise me that-"

"I'm coming back."

Applejack shook her head, "Alright, Pinkie. I believe you. I just hope you don't get caught. These ponies aren't in a forgiving mood." She groaned as she lowered herself down onto the pile of hay and closed her eyes.

Just take it easy, Jackie, Pinkie thought. She crept around the exterior of the mansion using the bushes for cover and soon found an entrance to the cellar.

The bars on this window were sorely neglected, and Pinkie managed to pry them off making little noise. She slid inside the room, and when she took a step forward, she hit a table with her leg.

Covering her mouth with a hoof, she muffled a scream of pain, along with a few choice curses. As she rubbed the hurt leg she whispered, "Good to know the furniture finders are still working." It didn't take long for her eyes to adjust to the dark, and she looked around the small room.

"A closet," Pinkie mumbled. She opened the door and peeked out. On the other side of the door was a large room with odd glowing runes on the ground. Pinkie hugged the wall and found a corner where she could get a better look at the room. The gray stone walls of the cellar were made even creepier by the faint purple glow of the runes. The good thing was the glow allowed Pinkie to see that the room was empty, but she also spotted a lectern. Pinkie ran up to it and looked over the scroll resting on it.

She studied the scroll in spite of not being able to read the language. The images on the scroll made Pinkie uncomfortable. Most prominent was a drawing of an earth pony with what appeared to be wings and a horn attached. I don't like this, Pinkie thought and considered taking the scroll. Instead, she tried to memorize as much as she could before anypony returned. She began to squint, and it didn't take long to realize that she was fading. Her injuries, along with her fatigue, caught up with Pinkie, and she needed to sleep. Pinkie shook her head to clear the cobwebs and looked around for a place to hide.

A first aid kit would be nice, Pinkie thought. A quick search resulted in a basic first aid kit on a table, and Pinkie carried it to the closet. Once inside, Pinkie made a hiding space by moving some crates and began treating her wounds as best she could. Nothing broken, she thought as she curled up behind a crate to get some sleep. Pinkie made certain that she faced the door, so there wouldn't be any surprises. Her last thoughts before exhaustion overcame her were of her friends. Pinkie promised that she would stand by them, and Pinkie Pie keeps her promises.

---

"Twilight Sparkle, I insist that you get some sleep. The tomes will still be here." Princess Luna smiled as Twilight fought in vain to stay awake.

"No, I can do this," Twilight said, "I just need some coffee or tea."

"Or sleep," Luna asked.

Twilight shook her head, "No, Fluttershy needs me. I can't let her down. Not again."

"Whatever transgressions you feel you have suffered Fluttershy, I assure you that torturing yourself is not the answer." Luna looked over to Rarity and Spike. Rarity slept close to the baby dragon and both shared a look of peace.

Twilight envied them that. She wished to be free of the guilt, so she asked Luna, "Am I a bad friend for wanting to turn Fluttershy in the moment she told us what happened?"

"Did you believe she deserves to die?"

"No," Twilight said in a raised voice, "I just wanted her to be safe."

"There is your answer. Your concern for her safety went along with your belief in our justice system. Right now, Fluttershy is safe, and soon she will be free."

"Princess," Twilight asked with concern, "Are you willing to risk civil war for her?"

Luna looked at her notes for a few moments before looking up and saying, "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I believe she would wish otherwise." She laughed at Twilight's confused expression, "I know how odd it sounds, but she would never ask anypony to lay down their lives for her. At least, that is what I have gathered from your friends."

Twilight nodded, "Fluttershy does hate being a burden, but the risk of a civil war-"

"The propaganda is more than likely just words. I doubt they would do any such thing, but-"

"We must be prepared."

Luna nodded.

The clattering of armor caught the attention of the ponies' attention. They turned to face members of the Royal Guard. One of them bowed and said, "I apologize your Highness, but I have word of the pegasus."

Luna nodded, "Very well. You may speak freely."

The guard nodded and said, "Of course. Earlier this evening, Fluttershy was visited by a pony known as Trixie, and during the visitation there was an accident."

Twilight stood up, "An accident? What do you mean?"

"It is too early to tell, but we found residual magical energy along with structural damage to the room."

Twilight shuddered, "Is Fluttershy ok?"

"She is unharmed, but…"

"But?"

The guard shifted his hooves and said, "A powerful ward was placed on your friend, and as far as we can tell she is in no danger. In fact, we believe that the ward is the reason she remained unharmed."

Twilight sat back down, "Ok, so Trixie visited Fluttershy just to cast this spell on her. There is no way a spell like that would have that kind of reaction. I'll need to-"

"Twilight Sparkle, your focus is best served at the current task. I am certain the guard can handle this, and when they need your help, they shall have it."

The guard nodded, "Of course your Highness. That is all I had to report, if you will excuse me."

"Of course, you have your leave."

The guard turned to leave but turned around, "Miss Sparkle?"

"Yes?"

"This might take some time, but I assure you that we will get to the bottom of this."

Twilight smiled, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Once the guards left, Twilight yawned, and even she had to admit that sleep was in order. "I'm sorry princess, but I guess I do need some sleep."

Luna smiled, "Then by all means, rest well. There are duties that I must perform as well. I am certain that you will continue with just as much enthusiasm in the morning."

Twilight nodded and made her way to the bedroll. She couldn't help smiling at Rarity and Spike sleeping so close together. He'll be in for a surprise when he wakes up. She yawned, rested her head on the pillow, and drifted off to sleep.

---

On the other side of Canterlot, Dexter Hoofstrom was still hard at work. His impromptu desk was cluttered with legal documents and a pot of coffee. He figured that he would cut the middlecolt and drink straight from the pot to save time. He kept looking over the list Applejack gave him when she hired him. There was something about the first victim that bothered him, but he couldn't place it. This has been nothing but a headache, he thought. Deciding to focus on Fluttershy's arraignment in the morning, Dexter began to jot down some ideas for his strategy.

He was hired to make certain that Fluttershy would walk away, and that is what he intended to do. He wrote down his first idea knowing that it would anger Fluttershy. She was the client, and she held the power. But the option needed to be presented to her. Dexter laughed, "Who knows, maybe she'll go for it."

He went to take another drink from the pot and saw it was empty. With a sigh, he got up and made his way to the coffee maker. There stood one of the guards. He was a white unicorn with a dark blue mane with lighter blue stripes.

"Evening," Dexter said with a smile.

"More like morning," the guard replied, "You know what time it is?"

"Yeah, time to get back to work." Dexter set the coffee machine up and stared at it.

"That doesn't make it go faster."

"Doesn't hurt to try though."

The guard nodded and said, "She's cute."

"Huh?"

"That client of yours. She's cute."

"Yeah, well she ain't swinging for our team."

The guard shook his head, "Shame. Still, she seems harmless enough. You think she did it?"

"Ain't my job to decide that. All I have to worry about is convincing twelve ponies that she is innocent." He sighed, "I wish I could just point at her and say 'Is that the face of a heartless killer?' She probably panic and try to hide, but that excuse would never work."

"Can't hurt."

"I'm not going to risk her life for it."

"Word is she's a Bearer."

Dexter nodded, "That's the rumor. Of course, that's all it is. Like I said, my job is clear. It might not be simple but clear."

The guard nodded, "Just making sure." He turned to leave, but stopped when Dexter spoke up.

"You're not wondering why I haven't asked what the Captain of the Royal Guard is doing impersonating a prison guard?"

Shining Armor turned around and said softly, "I wasn't here."

Dexter smiled, "I'm just going insane talking to myself. Don't worry. I understand."

"Do you?"

Dexter nodded, "Yeah. She's your baby sister's friend. You're looking out for her." He grinned, "What? Did you really think I would call foul? It's not like your abusing your power here."

"It can be seen that way."

"Good thing I have selective vision. Don't worry Captain, I'll say nothing."

Shining Armor nodded, "Thank you. I greatly appreciate it. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Yeah, I gotta get back to work." Dexter carried the coffee pot back to his desk and decided to check his mail. Among the letters was one from his office. He tore it open and read it.

Dexter,

That was a smart move requesting to dig deeper into the list. You understand my skepticism at first. If Princess Celestia handed us the list, why would I think something was amiss? Still, I did some digging, and you were right. The first recorded victim listed changed her name. The only information that is still accurate is that she was Grey Ring's neighbor. I don't know how helpful it will be to your case, but I managed to find her name.

Her new name is Velvet.