WIEAW: The Revenge of Trixie

Okay, so choosing the World of the Black Sun wasn't the best choice Vinyl had ever made, but it wasn't like her friends had objected to her chosen destination. The World of the Black Sun was like any other world; it housed some of the strangest creatures in the universe and it's citizens lived their lives as peacefully as possible. Of course there was the issue of the fact that their sun was a giant black mass in the sky that darkened the entire land when it was out, which meant that the crops were grown by moonlight.

So the world's order was backwards. Vinyl had no say in how the various worlds across the universe worked.

Ponies regarded them as they stepped out of the gateway and onto the dirt of the town they happened to appear on the outskirts of. The town resembled Ponyville, which was true seeing how the town had every single feature that the real Ponyville had down to the nails. But the four of them were here for business, searching for another piece to the puzzle that would tell them where Trixie ran off to.

"So, why did we come to this remote outpost again?" Lyra asked, eying some of the assembled ponies around them, "I know we're looking for Trixie, but this seems to be the furthest point from where she was last seen."

"We're looking for a stallion by the name of Black Trinity," Vinyl replied, mostly to herself even though her friends heard her just fine, "He's supposed to have found something that may be connected to our search for Trixie, something that could potentially zero in on where she might be located. If we had that we could use that eerie item we just found earlier and figure out who might be threatening the safety of the worlds and Trixie at the same time."

The problem was that they didn't know if Black Trinity was a unicorn, a pegasus, or an earth pony. For all they knew he could very well be a Changeling trying to play games with them and had nothing better to do at the moment. Vinyl hoped that he would be willing to aid them in their quest and wasn't messing with them, otherwise she would have some fun showing him what happened to those that messed with Vinyl Scratch, Commander of the Warriors of Harmony.

The four of them trotted into the town, allowing the gateway to close until it was ready to be used again by either them or the townsponies. As they walked they kept an eye on the stalls, acting as if they were travelers looking for some interesting items they would bring to their loved ones back home. If anypony had overheard their earlier conversation they couldn't have guessed at who they were looking for or what they were seeking.

Vinyl knew another truth; the ponies that walked around them weren't as dumb as their counterparts in Equestria Prime and made sure others knew it as well. To call one of them an imbecile, in front of everypony else, was a sentence that either ended in staying in the Canterlot Prison or immediate death. That was why Vinyl hadn't said anything about the ponies to her friends; she wanted to prevent losing another one because of something they would have done. There were bigger things to worry about in this particular world; like the dangers that lurked in the forest nearby.

"So, where is this 'Black Trinity'?" Octavia asked, receiving a glace from several of the ponies that were around them, "I assume we have some lead, otherwise we would not be here looking for him."

"That is why we have come here first," Vinyl replied, stopping in front of a bar called The Dragon's Breath, "The only lead I could get on this stallion's whereabouts is that he frequently visits this bar and it's patrons. If anypony could remember anything about Black Trinity then it has to be the ones running the bar that he comes to almost every single day of the week. If we're lucky he might even be inside the bar right now, which means we can talk to him fast and move on before somepony asks questions."

As they walked into the bar Derpy kept her good eye on three ponies, all dressed up in black robes, that waited at the end of the street. Her other eye noticed another three ponies at the other end of the street, dressed in the similar robes of the ones closest to her. She was Vinyl's scout, her lookout for danger thanks to her eyes that could see both directions without giving anything away. If she thought there was danger, even the tiniest little hint, she would speak her mind to Vinyl when they had time to do so.

Six ponies dressed up in black robes on both ends of the street the bar was on was definitely something she would have to tell Vinyl about.

The inside of the bar was nothing special, just a simple open area filled with dining ponies and a huge sit down bar that had nearly every seat taken at the moment. Vinyl spotted an open booth at the back of the room, one that would allow her to easily survey the entire bar and the ponies that walked in and out. They took the booth without a second thought, Derpy and Vinyl taking the row facing everything else while Octavia and Lyra sat across from them.

A unicorn stallion approached them, but Vinyl knew he could be trusted somewhat due to the fact that he was wearing some sort of hat that had the symbol for the bar on it. He had an ashy grey coat and a short raven black colored mane and tail that was cleanly cut, suited for his profession of choice. The only strange thing about him was his cutie mark, one large black triangle turned upside down that held a smaller red triangle, turned right side up, on the inside with red lines branching off from the points.

"Good evening and welcome to The Dragon's Breath," the stallion said, placing some menus on the table, "What can I get for you four lovely mares?"

"Some cider to start with," Vinyl immediately answered, without even glancing at the menu, "and we'll take whatever information you have on a stallion named Black Trinity."

The stallion's eyes widened before he said, "Four ciders coming right up then."

As the stallion walked away Vinyl turned to Derpy, her eyes conveying her unspoken question.

"There are six ponies waiting at the ends of this street," Derpy quietly explained, one eye watching for danger around them, "I didn't see any weapons or their faces, so it's too early to tell if they'll give us trouble or not. They're dressed up in black robes, which means they are hiding themselves from somepony."

"That is likely us," Vinyl said, her glasses keeping her eyes hidden at all times while she looked out at the room, "We might have our first encounter with our new enemy in this very bar, so I want each of you to be read to draw your weapons at a moments notice. We're here for information only, so try not to pick any fights that are completely unnecessary."

The stallion arrived not a moment later with a platter carrying four mugs, which were placed in front of them without a moment wasted. However, instead of leaving them immediately after placing their drinks, he pulled up a chair and sat at the edge of their table.

"I asked the manager about a Black Trinity and I was told to answer every question you had," the stallion said, placing the platter sideways next to him, "so right now I am off duty until all your questions are cleared up. So, what can I clear up for you about him that you don't already know?"

"We have one question at the moment," Vinyl responded immediately, "Does Black Trinity actually exist or is he a cover created to hide his true identity?"

"Of course he exists," the stallion remarked in surprise, as if somepony would question if the pony existed, "He usually comes into the bar on a Wednesday, when it isn't too crowded so he can be in and out quickly after he drinks a few cups of cider. Most other days he comes for a quick visit with the manager, usually ordering something that can be picked up later on and he pays upfront. There have been several instances where he's been attacked by our more drunken patrons, but he seemed to handle himself fine when he tossed them against the walls with his magic."

"That clears up one question we also had if he existed," Vinyl said, shaking her head, "We wondered if he had magic, but your explanation proves that he is a unicorn of some skill. How the other question we have is this; where can we find Black Trinity?"

"He is said to reside in the heart of the Everfree Forest," the stallion answered nervously, as if the answer might bring about unexpected consequences, "I have been there at least three times in the past, making deliveries that I was ordered to complete by the manager. I know the pathway to his house and that is more than most ponies could ever say."

While they were talking Derpy noticed a group of six ponies, each wearing a black robe like the ones she had seen earlier, enter the bar. They stood at the very front of the bar by the door, blocking the entrance so nopony could leave even if they wanted to leave. If the group wanted to leave they were either going to have to fight their way through, which would entice the drunken ponies into a fighting rage, or they could leave through the back door. That was under the assumption that the bar even had a back door.

"We have company," Derpy spoke softly, so the other four alone could hear her, "Six shrouded ponie shave entered the bar, blocking the front entrance so none can leave. Their motives are unknown, but I suggest that we move to the back entrance as fast as possible."

"Attention you drunken imbeciles," one of the shrouded ponies, a mare by the sound of her voice, shouted to draw the attention of everypony to her, "We are members of The Vigilants of Fear, an order dedicated to following the Dark Mistress and her teachings. We have come here, to your pathetic attempt at a bar, to post this bounty on a pony who has stolen from our Mistress. The bounty is set on the head of a unicorn stallion by the name of Black Trinity at the cost of three thousand golden coins, dead or alive."

"Hey, she called us imbeciles," Vinyl shouted, imitating one of the locals as if she was drunk, "GET THEM!"

The entire bar broke out into a fight as the drunken patrons of the bar attacked the unsuspecting cultists, several being based into the wall before they could even make a move. When the true chaos, that being both sides fighting with both magic and the items around them, erupted it was a clear sign for the group to escape. The strange stallion lead them to the back of the bar, where there just happened to be a back door that ensured their escape. Before either group realized that the ones responsible for the fight were missing it was already too late, the five of them were long gone.

Not half an hour later the five found themselves in the Everfree Forest, someplace the crazy cultists would never think to look due to the amount of monsters that roamed the pathways. They let the stallion from the bar lead the way to Black Trinity's house, leaving the rest of them to fall in behind him and keep watch for anything dangerous. There were always the normal dangers that came with the Everfree Forest, such as the timberwolves and a hydra or two, but then there were other monsters that most would never know about.

"You have come on a bad day," the stallion said, moving a branch out of the way while making sure they didn't walk into any dangerous plants, "Today is a special day, where the black sun and the red moon cross paths for about an hour. It is an eclipse that disrupts the natural order of the world, blocking the gateway from being used and encourages the monsters of the Everfree to attack travelers for no reason."

"I have heard of such a time," Vinyl remarked, swatting a twig out of her face, "It is often referred to as the 'Blackest Night' and if we get stuck here during that time we'll have no choice but to stay until the event is over."

"It is more than that," the stallion continued, "It is said that during the eclipse, that happens once a month, the Dark Mistress, the same those cultists mentioned, comes and visits us. Its during this time that she takes three unlucky ponies with her, corrupting their minds and bending them into the cultists you all saw. She's going to keep coming until someone defeats her and her army, otherwise the worlds will be facing enslavement all over again. We'll have to get to the house, gather some supplies, and get a gateway open before the eclipse happens, otherwise we'll be stuck here longer then necessary."

The area around them seemed to shift, the air shimmered for a bit, and the ground changed until they were confronted by a marvelous sight. Resting in front of them was a house, a cottage the size of a two story building, with a tower stretching into the sky right next to it. The place looked well taken care of, not like the rundown shack that Lyra had personally been expecting or the single story place Octavia envisioned. The stallion chuckled and took off his hat, which contained a key that he used to unlock the door to Black Trinity's private house.

"My friends, allow me to properly introduce myself," the stallion said, his eyes shifting to reveal a red color to them, "I am the stallion known by the name Black Trinity. I am the stallion that has been messing with the Dark Mistress of Fear for the last couple of weeks, jumping from world to world to prevent her from finding me. I should have known that the Gatekeeper and the Commander of the army that bested Oblivion would find me first and I made it so they would come to me before my enemy arrived.

Forgive me for the deception, but if it was common knowledge that I was the real Black Trinity then someone would have ratted me out to the Vigilants of Fear long ago. I tried to send word to the Gatekeeper that I had an item that would aid him in dealing with his new adversary, something stolen right from under her very nose. While it is unwise to open a gateway in the heart of the town again I would recommend opening one at the top of my tower, where we have the best chance of escaping."

Vinyl and her friends moved to the tower, only entering the bare house because it was the only way to enter the tower without busting a hole in the wall. Trinity moved with the speed of a tempest, gathering what appeared to be some sort of metal cube and placing it in a bag before joining them in the tower. The gateway was already opened, the swirling mass glowing as if the unicorn had known today would be the day he would be leaving the world behind for a long time. Vinyl was surprised by the stallion's ability to prepare so quickly, she could have used somepony like that during the war with Oblivion.

"We will visit the Gatekeeper as soon as we arrive," Vinyl said, the group approaching the gateway, "We'll show him the item you stole from our new enemy and hopefully we'll gain something to defeat her. Hopefully we don't run into an emergency when we arrive there."

Black Trinity smiled, knowing that if someone said something like that it was likely to happen. Still, he was happy to leave this world and was willing to travel to more worlds so he could beat this enemy. Maybe he could be of some use to Vinyl and her army after all.