Author's Note

Howdy all ya'll!

Zalla661 here with your weekly update! Firekeeper! So the tally was a and c so we get to see Trixie delve into Pyromancy (Warning head cannon alert!) and ice cream!

Hope you guys enjoy!

Pyromancy and Rocky Road

Trixie thought about the Fire Keeper’s question. It wasn't everyday someone came out of the blue and knew fire magic. In Equestria it was a highly regulated type of magic thought to ponies, to learn it in secret would make her exempt from the rules. That and Trixie immediately thought of several ways to use such magic to amplify her shows, that and she could use it against timberwolves which she frequently ran into.

The one true weakness the bark covered wolves had was fire. It was hard to defeat them since they would regenerate from their pieces. Fire was the one true solution and Trixie knew this. All these thoughts passed through Trixie’s mind making her consider the opportunity given to her.

After she pondered and pondered some more Trixie finally came to her decision after some great thought.

“Trixie has thought it over.” She said, gaining the Fire Keeper’s attention.

The woman looked from the fire to Trixie waiting to hear her answer.

“Trixie has decided to take you up on your offer. She wishes to learn fire magic.” Trixie said, almost demanding tone.

The Fire Keeper nodded slowly. She stood up and glanced around as if searching for something. Trixie looked upon the woman with interest wondering what she was going to do. After a few moments of looking around the Fire Keeper looked down at Trixie reaching for her hooves.

Trixie tilted her head with curiosity written upon her muzzle. Slowly the Fire Keeper ran her silky smooth hands over Trixie’s hooves and lower part of her arms. Her fingers feeling every inch of Trixie’s hooves, determining their magical density. Sensing little there she reached over the mares neck and slowly touched her face.

Trixie fidgeted a bit making an uncomfortable grunt stopping the Fire Keeper from her advance. She pulled her hands back looking down shamefully.

“Forgive me. Twas not polite of me to violate thy sanctum,” She said scolding. “Will thou allow me to continue?”

Trixie snorted indignantly turning her nose up at the blind woman. “Trixie would like to know why you are feeling her most glorious figure without her permission in the first place.”

The Fire Keeper felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She truly was out of her element. Though it was common to do such actions without permission to others where she was from, it was clear that she was stepping over boundaries considered normal in society here.

“I am sorry,” She said to Trixie, bowing politely to the mare, still feeling the burn in her cheeks. “I was merely searching for a good place of magical flow in you body. There I will apply a magical charm to allow thee to attune pyromancies through.” The Fire keeper explained.

Trixie never hearing of such a thing before looked upon the Fire Keeper. She didn't understand how fire magic was used for her kind but clearly they needed some sort of help with casting magic. Perhaps they couldn’t do it naturally which is why the Fire Keeper thought she’d need this ‘charm’ thing.

her pause seemed to be caught by the Fire Keeper who said, “It is called a pyromancy flame.”

Trixie looked at her horn and tapped it, making the Fire Keeper look up to the sound at the tip of the blue horn.

“Trixie doesn’t need any fancy charms to use magic. Magic is a basic function as breathing or eating for a unicorn.” She said factually to the woman. “All unicorns can channel magic through their horns and cast them from the mana within our bodies.”

Trixie seemed convinced by her explanation, but when she looked upon the Fire Keeper there was a look of doubt written clear as day on her face.

“Please, just teach Trixie. She’ll show you there is nothing she can’t handle.” Trixie boasted proudly proclaiming her magical greatness.

The Fire Keeper shook her head placing her hand under her chin in a pondering manner.

“I don’t know, miss Trixie,” She replied to the unicorn in a worried tone. “Fire magic for you may be easy to wield, but pyromancy is very powerful, chaotic, and primal in its very nature. Thou would have to surpass those who created the first fires and even they had trouble without the charms from the pyromancy flames.”

Trixie scoffed this a dismissive wave of her hoof. She wasn’t buying the Fire Keepers words one bit.

“Trixie can handle it!”

The Fire Keeper thought about it for a long while. Trixie in the meantime was sitting impatiently tapping her hooves on the wooden boards of her wagon home. Finally after several minutes the Fire Keeper sighed, relenting to Trixie’s demand to learn pyromancy without a flame catalyst.

She stood up and Trixie, who had been entertaining herself with trivial magic tricks, stood up in a shot and allowed the woman to pass by her and exit the door to the wagon. Stopping just at the threshold the Fire Keeper turned to face the slightly smaller equine to warn her.

“Miss Trixie, we must be cautious. I must ask do these woods contain any vile or evil creatures or manifestations of evil or undead?” She asked the mare.

Shocked by the casual nature of the question Trixie mouthed a few incoherent words until she shook out of her stupor.

“Only timberwolves. Fire can keep them at bay though. They won’t come near fire since it spells doom to a timberwolf.” Trixie said.

The Fire Keeper nodded exiting the wagon into a dark night. The sun was gone and only the light of the full moon shone. The forest was dark and only in this small area where the wagon was had an opening to allow the light through.

At the center of the area well away from the wagon the Fire keeper instructed Trixie to wait as she went out into the woods alone. Trixie yelled out to the woman who ignored the mares screams and warnings as she advanced through the woods alone. There the Fire Keeper gathered rocks and wood of the purest grain. The wood had to be perfect otherwise it would not make a suitable bonfire for her and Trixie.

About thirty minutes later she returned to find Trixie still in the same spot she was earlier. The mare was relieved to see her unharmed but still gave her a good earful. Not that the Fire Keeper minded. To her Trixie was a most interesting being. Smart, brave, and though she didn’t show it the Fire Keeper could tell she had a good soul.

“-and further more there are huge ursas and dire beasts in the Everfree Forest! So, you shouldn’t go out on your own without help! Especially if you’re blind!” Trixie yelled at the Fire Keeper.

The woman didn't respond at first. Instead she focused on her task setting rocks and stones down in a large circle. Layer after layer she piled them listening to Trixie until she stopped talking and instead took interest in the woman's building.

Trixie then asked what seemed a strange question to the Fire Keeper, “So, you know Trixie is a unicorn, but what are you exactly?”

The woman stopped from placing a single stone down, only inches from its place among the ring of stones, until she finally answered.

“I am what you would call a human.” She said finishing placing the last of the stones.

“A human?”

“Mhmm.”

The Fire Keeper stepped back from the fire pit she made and place the wood in a small pyramid. Stacking them on their sides and placed smaller twigs around the base for kindle. Trixie watched as the woman carefully place each piece in place like a delicate puzzle.

The pace at which the Fire Keeper took made Trixie cringe with impatience. Sensing this the Fire Keeper, never straying from her duty, endeavored to calm the mare with small talk.

“Tis called a bonfire-”

“Trixie knows what a bonfire is.” the mare huffed annoyingly at her. “What Trixie doesn’t understand is why you’re making one.”

The Fire Keeper giggled making Trixie feel like she was the punchline to a joke but wasn't in on the joke.

“Trixie demands you explain yourself at once!” The mare yelled stomping the ground.

This only served to make the Fire Keeper's giggling to elevate to full blown laughter. This irritated the mare to no end making her yell more in her usual Trixie manner. Finally after calming herself down the Fire Keeper continued her explanation while tending to the kindle and started rubbing two white pieces of wood together.

“Tis a bonfire yes, miss Trixie, but there be more to bonfires than simply tools for warmth and making dinner.” She said creating a small spark on the two warm twigs in her grasp.

Slowly she focused her powers of fire on the two twigs not allowing them to spread as she placed them down on the pyramid pile of branches.

“Come tell me what thou eyes see.” She instructed.

Trixie rolled her eyes at the woman's audacity to tell her what to do but felt a need to listen to her deep down. Doing as the Fire Keeper instructed Trixie walked over and looked at the fire the woman started.

Looking at the small dancing flames Trixie realized they weren’t spreading. Though the kindle sticks were on the base the fire remained bound to their kindle as they danced around on their. Own.

“You see it don’t you, miss Trixie?” The Fire Keeper asked looking at the flames herself. “This is but a simple exercise with pyromancy. I’m sure you learn something similar with your fire magic. This exercise is essential to learn finesse with pyromancy rather than simply raw power.”

The Fire Keeper felt her hands over the flame but slowly took the flames from the kindle and lifted them into the air. Now holding the tiny flame free from its source the Fire Keeper looked over to Trixie and offered the flame to her.

“Your first lesson in pyromancy is to keep the flame lit as long as possible,” She said giving a warning tone. “Tread carefully, make the flame too big it may consume you make it too small and it’ll suffocate and go out. Here.”

Trixie looked at the woman in awe. Never had she seen someone take a flame directly from its fuel source and still managed to keep it lit. Unsure of what to do Trixie tried to use her magic through her horn to levitate the flame but received a swift smack to the back of her head from the Fire Keeper.

“What was that for!?!” Trixie bellowed at the woman whose hand was still up ready to strike again if need be. “What’s your problem?!”

The Fire Keeper waved a finger at Trixie. “Never feed raw magic into a flame unless you intend to use it, miss Trixie. First lesson in pyromancy. Let me see you hooves.”

Reaching with her one free hand while keeping the flame in the other, the Fire Keeper took Trixie’s hooves and placed them both close together like she was to hold something.

“Miss Trixie, what I say next this very important, but first i need to know something.”

Trixie looked at her. “What?”

‘How does fire magic work for your kind?” She asked the unicorn.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “We use our horns to create magical sparks on a fuel source and lift things. Practicality spells 101. To use magic in any other way requires a pony to be licensed and registered to use such spells due to their destructive nature.” Trixie stopped to think back on her earliest studies back in Celestia's School for Gifted unicorn.

“Offensive fire spells are heavily regulated and are cast by creating fire with magic and hurled at objects of foes alike.” Trixie said. “Why does it matter though? Isn’t this the same thing?”

The Firekeeper shook her head. A look of disappointment was etched on her face. Trixie didn’t need to know her to see this feeling written on her so well.

“No miss Trixie. Pyromancy isn’t magic like this,” She said still shaking her head. “This is pyromancy.”

The Fire Keeper held up the flame, keeping her hands with the palms facing up at the sky and level with Trixie’s hooves. Trixie looked at the tiny flame as it danced with the winds suspended in the cool night air.

“Pyromancy is fire with life. That life can be used to create more life.” she said, taking the flame splitting it into two. “Or, it can be used for death and destruction.”

In her left hand the Fire keeper used the flame to torch the ground where she rested on her knees. The flames spread out in a small circle around her hand, burning everything beneath. The flame in her right hand remained in her grasp and she tenderly leaned forward offering it to Trixie again.

“Pyromancy and magical fire may seem similar but are completely different from one another. Fire from magic is the progenitor to pyromancy. It was created long ago from the Witch Izalith and her daughters of chaos.” The Fire Keeper took ahold of Trixie hooves and slowly gave the flame to her.

Trixie looked at the flame with wide eyes. After taking ‘hold’ of the tiny flame she could feel something in her hooves. It was a warmth that she never felt before. The feeling of warmth tugged at her slowly warming her entire body making it tingle.

The Fire Keeper noticed the change in her posture and continued with her lesson.

“Fire from the primordial form was raw power used to destroy the first pyromancers of old. Later it was transformed into something more beautiful. The daughters of Izalith created the first ones of fire magic teaching that fire can give both life and death from a single flame. That is where pyromancy was born.” The Fire Keeper said.

She pointed to the flame Trixie held with her hooves still feeling the warmth from before going over her entire body. Yet she hung onto the woman's every word as she continued her teaching.

“Pyromancy uses a pyromancy flame. It’s a way of controlling the raw potential of fire in its raw form then it refines it.” She created another flame by taking a leaf and lighting it on fire with Trixie’s flame. She held it until the leaf was consumed completely and was nothing more than a tiny ember from which a flame was born.

“The pyromancy flame sigil allows one to manipulate the flames into more than just raw power. It is the safest and most secure way of using such power,” The Fire Keeper looked at Trixie flame pointing to it. “Without it overpowering you.”

Trixie studied the flame in her hooves. “It feels like a tiny heartbeat.”

“It is indeed.” The Fire Keeper agreed.

Trixie then tilted her head lighting her horn. “But what happens if you feed the fire magic?”

“Miss Trixie no-”

Before the words escaped her mouth the Fire Keeper flung forward seeing the flame Trixie had erupting into a raging inferno. Using her own catalyst the Fire Keeper redirected the inferno to the woods. The sound of the raging flames flushing through the woods and sounds of breaking branches rang in Trixie’s ears as she covered herself instinctively.

After a few moment passed a smell of burned hair, cloth, and a hint of ash hit her senses. Trixie dared to peek from her clenched eyes to see the Fire Keeper holding her close, pressing Trixie to her bare chest. She blushed realizing where her face was pushing gently away from the Fire Keeper who was looking into the forest with a worried look.

Feeling a gently nudge in her breast the Fire Keeper looked down at the unicorn sensing her uneasy, she released Trixie who scurried away in embarrassment. Then after a moment to recollect herself Trixie inspected the damage she had caused. A hold about the size of her wagon was burned through at least twenty feet through the forest. The flames made a perfect circle cut through the forest leaving round cutout sections of the trees.

Trixie looked at the Fire Keeper who had deep red along her left arm. She Was clutching the burned arm making sure not to irritate the burned flesh. Trixie’s ears folded back as a feeling of guilt ran through her tugging at her heart.

Finally Trixie leaned into the Fire Keeper’s side with her nose getting her attention. To her surprise, the woman smiled kindly to her.

“That Trixie, is the biggest difference between pyromancy and fire magic.” She said petting Trixie’ mane. “ Fire magic is raw power that you create. Pyromancy uses that same power but with finesse and control to manipulate it into something more than just destructive flames. Without control you run the risk of letting the fire overpower you”

Looking at her injured arm the Fire Keeper took her unscathed arm and held her palm out towards Trixie right hoof. Whispering a short chant repeatedly the Fire Keeper created a small red flame surrounded by six red sigils and branded it on Trixie’s right wrist.

The branding of the sigil looked like it burned the very flesh on Trixie, but the mare felt no pain from this action. Instead it felt like running her hoof under lukewarm water. At worst it felt like getting a paper cut which to her was more annoying than painful. The brand buried itself into Trixie’s fur never damaging the hair follicles as it rested on her arm.

Once complete the Fire Keeper went back to the bonfire and lit it fully this time. From it she took another ember and offered it to Trixie once more.

“Now, this time listen to me and try it my way.” She instructed.

Trixie nodded begrudgingly taking the flame and waited for her lesson to continue. The same feeling from before filled Trixie as she held the flame with her hooves feeling its warmth and power all the same.

“Miss Trixie, do you feel the warmth within?”

“Trixie does.”

The Fire Keeper nodded. “Very good. That means thou are attuned well for pyromancy. Many who seek to learn it can’t because their body and soul aren’t well attuned for it,” She explained separating the flames within her hand again. “Thou are ready for the first test. Use the flame in hoof and create a small inferno.”

Trixie looked at her flame wonder how to do it without magic. It didn’t make sense how.

“Trixie will need more than that. What should she do?”

The unicorns query made the Fire Keeper take pause. She never had to teach pyromancy before, everyone who did usually found a master to teach them, but for her it just came to her naturally like breathing. So much so that she never really thought about how she actually accomplished it.

She experimented with the flames in her hands several times before she came to the simple conclusion.

“Will the flames Trixie.” She said.

“Excuse me? What the hay does that mean?” Trixie demanded of the Fire Keeper.

“The fire and warmth though feels is key. Think of the warmth as a source and try to manipulate it to the effect thou wants. In this case let it expand but within thy own limits.”

Trixie not sure what to make of the Fire Keeper’s words decided to give it a try. She closed her eyes and indeed the warmth in her seemed to be more clear as she attempted to feed the warm feeling with her will.

“Good. Thou can feel it now?” The Fire Keeper asked sensing the rising flames.

“Yes, Trixie can feel it. The warmth is so clear to her now.”

“Good. Now use thy will and make the warmth intensify. Feel the fire burn and allow it to flow within you”

Allowing the feeling to overwhelm her, Trixie Felt a slight sweat form on her brow. The flame in her hooves began to grow. Slowly but surely until finally it erupted ni to a large flame of great intensity for but a second before dying down to its smaller size again.

When this happened Trixie felt her body cool down. Opening her eyes Trixie was greeted to the sight of the Fire Keeper with a proud smile on her face.

“Well done, miss Trixie. You have begun your journey as a novice pyromancer.” The woman said clapping her hands.

Trixie gave the woman a cocky grin. “Well, of course! Such a simple spell is nothing for the Great and Powerful Trrrrrrrixie!”

Again the Fire Keeper chuckled at the mares antics but was proud of her none the less. Today was a big step forward for the Fire Keeper. She had taken on a student. Impulsively without any thought to the consequences. Yet, deep down she knew it was a good thing. She knew Trixie was a kind soul, but a darkness lingered in her heart buried deep within.

Perhaps in time, the unicorn would open up to her and tell her the dark secret she once held. The Fire Keeper stood over Trixie placing a hand on her head, and before Trixie could protest, the woman began chanting in the words of old. Knowledge of many things passed through Trixie’s mind in the blink of an eye. Among all of it the unicorn could only make out what she needed to learn the fireball pyromancy spell, but something else caught her attention.

Deep in all the clustered thoughts and knowledge the Fire Keeper possessed, Trixie knew it was a mind transference spell of sorts being cast on her, she could see images of an armored warrior on several occasions. A female warrior tall strong and diverse in her study. She was truly marvelous sight until the memories came to an abrupt end.

Trixie blinked shaking her head to clear it of all excess thoughts. When she did she found the Fire Keeper looking down at her with her neutral expression, her hands held together in front of her.

“As a reward for your efforts I will bestow a gift upon thee. The most basic of spells for pyromancers, the fireball.” The Fire Keeper pronounced. “I pray that thee will use it for good and the betterment of the world.” She bowed to the unicorn.

Trixie bowed back being as polite as possible. Though her first instinct was to boast and brag something held her back this time.

“Trixie is happy that you have shared this knowledge with her.” The unicorn suddenly beamed with joy. “Aaaaand Trixie has something she wishes to share with you to show her gratitude!”

Not wasting any time Trixie made a mad dash to her wagon and beckoned the Fire Keeper to follow her. Getting up from the dirty path the Fire Keeper dusted her bare skin off and followed Trixie back into her wagon leaving the bonfire alone.

Within the confines of the wagon Trixie dug through her tiny personal ice box. Her head and upper body somehow managing to fit in the seemingly too small ice box until she reemerged with a small cylindrical box in the magical grasp.

Two spoons levitated over from a cupboard and over to the unicorn and one to the Fire Keeper. Taking the utensil in hand the woman looked down at the unicorn, who perched herself on the couch and tapped the soft cushion. The Fire Keeper smiled taking a seat by Trixie, the soft warm fur brushed against her cold bare body still covered by Trixie’s cloak.

Trixie opened the container revealing its contents within. Inside was a creamy mixture of something the Fire Keeper wasn’t familiar with. Trixie took a scoop of the contents and ate it letting out a soft moan of delight. The Fire Keeper did so too.

She lifted the spoon to her mouth what followed was a taste like she had never had before. Something sweet and cold as snow but it had a most peculiar and delightful flavor. Mixed in was something hard that required her to chew it rather than letting it melt in her mouth like the cream was. Her tongue moved over the shape of the spoon making sure to lap up every last bit of the contents leaving only the silvery surface left.

Once she finished her first bite the Fire Keeper smiled holding the spoon in her hand and looked to Trixie for an explanation.

“What is this most delightful treat?” She asked with great enthusiasm.

Trixie grinned offering her more. “It’s called… nom! Mmmm. Ice cream.”

The Fire Keeper looked at the tub of the, ‘ice cream’ and took another petite bite. Trixie took another bite herself chewing the hard parts within.

“It’s called rocky road, it was made for Trixie by a special friend from a rock farm she use to work for.” The mare said taking one more bite and stopped afterwards.

The Fire Keeper cocked a brow taking one last bite and allowed Trixie to replace the lid of the half eaten ice cream tub. The mare went to put the tub back in her ice box and washed the spoons while the Fire Keeper waited patiently at the couch.

“Who were they?”

Trixie looked back from the sink. “What was, who?”

“Your friend? Who made you this?” She asked the mare hoping to clarify her query. “Who was this friend of yours?”

“Oh, just somepony Trixie worked with back on the rock farm. Nothing she wishes to talk about…”

Sensing a great tension in Trixie’s voice the Fire Keeper didn’t press the matter further. Once Trixie had made that point clear she went back to washing the spoons. A minute or two later she finished, but looked down at her arm where the pyromancy flame brand was made.

It was a first step into a larger world than she knew was possible. The power of fire in her hooves. No years of study required to learn even the most basic of spells. She knew if Princess Twilight found out about this she would go off the walls with questions. She then thought about her friend Starlight Glimmer. She was a magical prodigy like Twilight was, maybe even more so if the stories Applejack told her were true. Yet here was Trixie, least magical unicorn to ever graduate from Celestia's School for Gifted unicorns, learning fire magic like it was nothing. At least, something like that.

It was clear that pyromancy like the Fire Keeper said was very different. There was little in the way of knowledge so far and it was far simpler to grasp. It was more feeling and will power over anything. Which made her wonder.

The sound of her clock striking midnight made her take pause. *Time sure does fly.* she thought looking at her guest. Drying her hooves Trixie lead the Fire keeper to her bed with extra blankets to keep her warm through the night.

“Trixie is sorry but the bed might be a bit small for you.” She said offering the blankets to her guest. “Here, it gets cold in the Everfree, so this will keep you warm.”

The Fire Keeper smiled taking the blankets and gave Trixie back her cloak. “Thank you miss Trixie. If I might ask, where will you sleep?”

“Trixie will sleep on the floor.” The unicorn said curling up on some old discarded pillows and laying on them.

“Hmm. It would be better if you slept on the bed beside me.” The woman offered, but Trixie blushed.

“Absolutely not! That’d be rude of Trixie to force you to share a bed with her!”

“It’s not a problem, miss Trixie.” The Fire Keeper said patting the bed beside her where she sat.

Trixie sniffed once and jumped on the bed beside the human. She let the Fire Keeper adjust herself under the cover and blankets before she settled down herself. Then something happened the Fire Keeper didn’t expect. Reaching for her crown but finding nothing there she panicked poking at her face until her nail went into her eye…

She paused.

*I don’t have eyes… but then what do I feel?*

*ACK!* “Hey watch where you’re dropping that!” Trixie yelled rubbing her horn. “That hurt you know?”

Slowly she opened her eyes and for the first time in her life the sight of colors, light, and shadow was registered to her brain.

The Fire Keeper was in such a shock she hadn’t realized Trixie was scolding her. Instead she looked down at the sight of a beautiful unicorn mare with silver locks of hair and the most beautiful eyes of deep magenta ever. Never in her life had she witnessed such beauty before her. Trixie’s face was scrunched up in a most adorable manner that pulled at her heart strings and she felt a burning in her cheeks as she looked over the unicorn mares curved form.

“Are you, okay?” Trixie asked turning to concern from the woman's silence.

“Yes, I, I am fine… I can see. I have eyes…” The Fire Keeper said running her hands over her face. I have eyes!”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Yes, you have eyes. Now good night. Trixie wants to be well rested when we head off to Ponyville in the morning.”

“Oh, right. Goodnight miss Trixie.” The woman said, leaning back into her soft pillows.

That night for the first hour or so the Fire Keeper looked around the wagon taking in as much detail as she could. Eyes were something she never expected to get back after her indoctrination as a Fire Keeper her eyesight was taken from her. So long ago was it she couldn’t even remember if she’d seen anything before. All she remembered was darkness and her senses that made up for her lack of sight.

Thinking about it deep into the night the Fire Keeper felt her eyes getting heavy until at last she allowed herself to rest her eyes. Young eyes that would need to be trained to be utilized no doubt, but for tonight she was content than the first thing she saw was a beautiful friend she had made which made her smile.

“Trixie.”