The Bite Sized and Overrated Adventure

The Bite Sized and Overrated Adventure

Chapter Three: A Plan In Mind

Some of the most gruelingly tense moments Trixie had ever experienced would follow. Fluttershy had been made witness to the aftermath of the battle. Unconscious animals scattered across the floor, that lone unicorn standing down at her hooves. The air was heavy with searing disapproval, nearly potent enough to metaphorically burn through steel. She felt, however, that she could easily handle the situation. This yellow pegasus towering above her was a pushover.

“Trixie realizes what this may look like, but she reassures you-“

“I can’t believe you did this! I invited you to my home, and you… You did this!” Her voice was shaky, yet strangely firm and accusatory.

“Well, yes, Trixie did what needed to be done!”

Fluttershy was taken aback by that statement. “Y-you…” The pegasus took a deep breath to calm herself, and then leaned her head close to the diminutive pony. She opened her eyes wide, a piercing stare being shot down like a deadly laser.

Trixie’s confidence vanished in a puft. The pegasus’ eyes seemed to morph before her, turning into large, inpony, monstrous gazing orbs. The world around her melted, the walls dripping down to reveal disturbing red-stained and glyph-ridden steel. The fallen animals around her fell from existence, sifting into puddles of red goop.

Trixie couldn’t possible muster a response, her legs quivering, impossible for her to stand; she fell backwards, petrified as the horrific creature above her looked to her with maliciously silent contempt.  The pegasus could no longer be described as a sweet mare, not even classified as a pony. Her body had grown even larger, twisting into black tendrils and dark-stained fur. Those eyes continued to stare at the victim pony, bright as ever with their terrifying intimidation.

With every second that passed, Trixie’s desperation swelled. She knew this couldn’t be real. She knew that the pegasus’ oppressive gaze couldn’t have such effects, but she couldn’t deny the sense of dread in her gut. She felt as if she had gone mad, as if her mind had betrayed her and was replaced only with images of pure terror.

Shivers wracked Trixie’s frame as all seemed to turn to an apocalyptic rendition. Nothing good and sweet seemed to be left as Trixie was left under the fatal stare of her once bullied companion. Trixie finally faltered and fell to the ground, and right as she did, the homely cottage retook her senses.

“Hmph… I hope you’ve learned your lesson!” Fluttershy turned her attention away from Trixie, gently tip-hoofing around, catering to her animal friends. Trixie scampered away from the site, her beaten and bruised body aching for some rest after the expedition to the cottage, the battle, and the otherworldly experience.

She took to reclining against the wooden leg of Fluttershy’s couch. A mousehole chewed through the wood nearby would likely offer a more fitting area for her to catch her breath and gather her thoughts, though she would die before she dealt with the embarrassment of hiding within. The unicorn had no words to describe her bitter resentment and resounding sense of overpowerment that seeped into her after the detestable pegasus’ display. Trixie knew she was clearly in the right during her act of conquest, and to be treated so... Poorly, was a disgrace.

Though to directly confront Fluttershy now would be unwise. Trixie knew of hidden capabilities that lied beneath her timid demeanor, and had more tact than to wager her sanity a second time. No, instead she must be clever, and strike when the time is right. She walked away from her literal post, and gauged her environment. Fluttershy was still conducting her business of tending to the animals, ensuring that they had no serious injuries. The sight was still baffling to Trixie, to see such a colossal figure making such calculated and delicate motions. Of course, she would rather not spend time staring up at another pony’s hind end, and averted her gaze elsewhere.

The cottage still looked exactly the same, except for the carnage in a small corner. Trixie’s observations provided two immediate exits to the dwelling. The unicorn decided it was best to follow upon one of these, she thought it to be wise to place herself away from the pegasus as she plotted her downfall. The exits before her were the door, standing tall and shut, and the window behind the couch, creaked open to allow a cool breeze. Neither seemed like an easy portal to the outside world, but Trixie was no stranger to challenge.

After an internal debate, Trixie set out to scale the couch. She begun her ascent by scouring the floor around her. Small scratches, bits of discarded animal feed, and a pink rug that might as well be a shaggy pond were what laid in front of her. None of these seemed like a valuable asset to her climb, and she turned to search elsewhere. Placed within the wall to her side were a number of shelves, which seemed to hold a collection of fabrics. The exact nature of these fabrics was impossible to discern from the unicorn’s pitifully low vantage point.

Trixie trotted close to the shelves, the lowest one standing a few heads higher than she did. Wasting no time, she used her magic to tug at the nearest article of clothing. It didn’t give easily. It only inched along the wooden plane, not seeming to make any real progress into Trixie’s hooves. Trixie was considering a change of plans... Before, finally, a breakthrough was reached. The fabric teetered off the edge, tumbling in a giant jumble right onto the unlucky mare.

Fluttershy jumped at the small noise caused by the fall. It looked as if some of her dresses and accessories had been knocked down. Either from the wind, or one of her little critters coming out of hiding after that antagonistic unicorn stopped hurting them. She re-attended her veterinary duties, leaving house cleaning for later.

Stifling dark warmth enveloped Trixie after the cataclysmic event. She pushed her hooves around wildly, digging through the silken pile. Once again, she felt as if she was making little leeway. She cursed her fate, amongst various other things, as she swam through flower-scented layers. Trixie could not believe this was happening to her! She strengthened her resolve to exact revenge on the one who had put her in this state. It’s not that she felt it was impossible, or unthinkable, for her boundless glory to be worshipped in her new state, heavens no. She simply found it to be... A set-back. She continued to dig, and she dug until she found fresh air once more.

Trixie stood on the mess of dresses, a red ribbon still wrapped around her torso. Opportunity having presented itself the mare seized the long fabric and tumbled back down to the floorboards below. With haste, she approached the front of the couch. Pulling the ribbon to full height with a magical flourish, she fastened it down to the seat of the couch. Finally making it upwards, she climbed, a feat that was awkward with such simple appendages. She used her broad teeth to do much of the work, slowly yet surely pulling herself upwards as she continuously bit into the fabric. After a fair bit of exertion, she reached the flat end of the furniture.

The plush cushion beneath her was inviting, to say the least, and she briefly considered laying down for a spell. However, she was not so feeble-minded as that. The unicorn lugged the ribbon up alongside her, an idea rushing into her head. She had felt so naked since becoming the size of a rodent, her robes and hat no longer situated to both warm her body and convey a sense of graciousness. She wrapped the ribbon around her body, a small yellow button served as her brooch. It was surely no gem-stone, and the ribbon wasn’t elegantly designed with hours of toil, but it would suffice. Having secured a new cloak Trixie turned to a large pillow beside her, and the dinky mare continued her journey to freedom.

She soon found that vertically traversing the pillow wasn’t as easy as she previously presumed. It was very squishy, and gave underneath her every step. She felt like she was trying to climb up quicksand. It was laid at a steep incline, enough to make a difficult climb even if it had been made of dirt instead. Trixie fell flat on her face multiple times scaling the hill, thankful that it wasn’t in the least bit painful, but frustrated beyond belief at her how difficult everything had become.

After many stress-inducing slip-ups, Trixie managed to overcome her deceptively fierce rival and reach the top before too long a time had passed. She smiled triumphantly, though there was little time for celebration. She still had a target to take down. Having caught her breath, she made one more leap placing herself up on the back of the couch.

“Mmf... Not a challenge at all!” She continued to smirk smugly as she looked out the open window, preparing herself for one final leap. This was it, she could finally have a moment of peace to plot and scheme, all she needed to do was reach the bewildering world outside. She had so many questions left unanswered, and she wouldn’t ever get back to normal in the ‘care’ of some bipolar pegasus. Trixie wasn’t foolish enough to leave a possible base of operations, however. All she needed was time to put a plan together. Her superior mind would see Fluttershy under her command in no time! With as much majestic grace as her tiny body could hold, she soared through the cottage air, right towards the windowsill, and then right over it. She had miscalculated her jumping capabilities.

Air whizzed by as Trixie was flung outside. She flailed helplessly, the ground that was only a few feet below closing quickly. Before she had time to regret her decision to exit the cottage her mouth was filled with soil. The impact was soft, likely due to Trixie’s pony consistency. Serious injury never seemed to be a burden to her, she could always shrug it off without a care! She rolled over onto her back, spitting and coughing, her vision of the sky hindered by a handful of grass blades.

Trixie lied still for a spell, mulling over her predicament once more. She thought that if she could clean up, finally, find something to fill her belly, and recollect the element of surprise, she would rightfully have the upper-hoof. It was infallible, nothing could stop her victory, not even that spider that was about to walk right on top of her!

“SPIDERSPIDER getitoffgetitoff!” She squirmed feverishly, rolling about across the ground in a frenzy. The spider seemed to just observe her as she did so. “Ewwww gross gross, Trixie will not have a spider crawling all over her!” She jumped to her hooves, still shaking energetically.

“... Is it gone?” She breathed quickly, slowly turning around, coming face to face with eight beady eyes. “OH KILL IT KILL IT.” She kicked her forehooves forward, knocking the arachnid backwards. Trixie took this time to run as fast as any pony possibly could. She sprinted through grass, hurdled over twigs, and ducked under bits of paper and trash. She didn’t stop until her legs ached, the startled mare falling into a veiny leaf.

The leaf was cupped, with a copious amount of condensation held within. Trixie was able to see her reflection inside, the frizzle-maned view serving to calm her senses. Nothing in the world helped alleviate Trixie’s hardships more than being able to see Trixie. The unicorn dipped her hooves into the water, splashing her face, to both refresh and wash herself down. She used her magic to dump the rest of it along her, shivering slightly as the lukewarm liquid dripped down her. She then shook to dry herself, feeling remotely clean once again.

“Ahh... Much better.” Trixie looked back down to the leaf again, a thought formulating inside her cranium. She had already made a new robe, even if even if it was soaked now. Why not create a hat to complete her look? Sure, she thought, she’d look like an absolutely ridiculous winter critter with that color combination, but it was better than travelling without that which made her so fabulous to observe in the first place. She levitated the leaf upwards, a grin across her lips as the foliage twisted and folded, becoming a very suitable looking cap in no time. She draped it over her mane, a re-kindled sense of importance within her as she set out once more.

The second item on her list of priorities was rather easy to locate, in comparison to the hectic conflict she had escaped from prior. Though it was dull, Trixie had learned to be more wary in the undergrowth. If she heard the noise of any would-be arachnid predators, she steered clear. Only on one occasion did she use her magic to raze the ground around her. She heard two sources of noise, and went with the most logical solution of slashing and burning everything at once.

After a stealthy trek through the grass, she came upon some discarded berries fallen from an entanglement of bushes. It didn’t look to hold any unwelcome surprises, so Trixie took it upon herself to dig in. Her teeth dug a little hole into the plump blue skin of the berry, the mare given easy access to the juices within. It was pungent and delicious, so much so that Trixie may have become a little ravenous. Dark blue, almost ink-like fluids stained her snout before she finished, further compounding upon her silly appearance.

Once her raging hunger had been quelled, she set her sights upward, gazing to the looming tree-house. She could do this, it would be laughably simple! Her gait now carefree she wandered through the yard once more. Trixie had only been a hop, skip, and a jump away from the front door. This meaning, of course, that she had a fair bit of walking ahead of her. She was truly ready, she felt, to challenge Fluttershy. Revenge was at hoof, and while it might not be as satisfying as the revenge lust that set her upon this quest to begin with, it would surely be worth it!

As she stepped onto the sloped path leading to the cabin, her horn began to glimmer. Blowing down the door seemed to be the only method of entry now, the window likely beyond her reach. Scuffing her hooves against the gravel, she charged forward, a small flame erupting ahead of her. She closed her eyes, hitting full speed, relying completely on her magic to grant entry. She heard a loud burst, and her hooves touched wooden floorboards once more.

She looked back, expecting to see a hole where the door once stood. She did see a hole, though it was little more than a corner cut-out, let alone the destruction she had desired. She snorted air through her nostrils, a little disappointed disappointed at the lackluster results. She trotted back to the door. Maybe if she went about it a different way, she could achieve the desired result. Perhaps she could target the hinges... That surely would do something noisy!

Oh... Trixie is trying to avoid noisy. She recalled her objective just in time to spin around and be captured by Fluttershy.

“Oh you made me so worried. I thought you had been hurt, I’m so sorry for scaring you, here I’ll keep you safe until we go see my friends.” Fluttershy gently placed Trixie into her saddle-bag. As the darkness of the pouch consumed her, Trixie performed what could be best described as pouting. This pegasus had disrespected and humiliated her, and she had the audacity to NOT be upset with Trixie’s explosive entrance. The nerve!

Trixie kicked at a few papers and bits that laid beneath her, grumbling. “Trixie demands to be put down, you do not have the right to touch her!”

“I’m really sorry, but I let you go outside all alone! I just can’t let you be out there, it must be so scary! I won’t let you out of my sight again.” Truly, all shreds of anger had disappeared from Fluttershy’s voice. She was surely enigmatic.

The ‘ground’ shook and swayed as Trixie attempted to make herself comfortable. She had no real choice but to sit and shut up. She was likely high into the sky now thanks to the pegasus, and a fall from this height made her magic jumps from the towers of Canterlot seem childish. Trixie wanted to take the time to inspect the papers she lied upon, to see if there had been any information vital to her quest to withheld from her, though her confines were poorly lit. Oh well, at least it smelled nice. Trixie dug into the sheets, eventually finding the hempen ‘floor’ of the bag. Here she yawned and twiddled her hooves, waiting until she was brought before Fluttershy’s friends. Hopefully they weren’t as useless.

As Trixie was gingerly fished out of the bag, and placed onto a table, she immediately wished to see a pony that was useless, instead of what she saw.

“YOU!” Two female voices spoke out in dissatisfied unison. Although, one was much louder than the other.

“I thought we ran you out of town when we found out you were a fraud!” The purple unicorn looked down to Trixie, more shocked that she was present than at her current shrunken demeanor. “What are you doing here?”

“Trixie could very well ask you the same thing! She thought you were done playing hero once you recognized her splendor! Tch, ignorant as ever.” She turned to her companion. “You there, Trixie demands that you take her elsewhere, this is a waste of her time.”

“Waste of your time? We have a situation on our hooves here, if you haven’t noticed, if anything you’re the one wasting OUR time! We have dozens of ponies here in Ponyville, ones like you, that have been jerked around. We are trying to deal with it, so just sit there. Fluttershy, make sure she doesn’t move, I think I’m close to cracking a solution.” Fluttershy nodded, her diligent eye trained onto the blue mare.

“Oh no, this is Trixie’s show! She won’t let YOU upstage her once again!” Her horn sparkled, arcs of lightning spewing forward. The energy seared the book in the larger unicorn’s grip, engulfing it in a sea of flame. She threw it down, and stomped on it, though it was futile. It was naught but ash in only seconds!

“I... Can’t believe you just did that! We were so close to finding a way to stop him, and you just ruined EVERYTHING.” The unicorn was dyed red in fury. “I was going to give you a second chance, but this tears it!” She stomped forward, Trixie hovered up by her magic, staring to her. Thankfully, her stare was much less potent than Fluttershy’s.

“Twi-twilight... I don’t think she meant it, I really think she wants to help...”

“Trixie can handle her own battles!” The floating unicorn butted in. Fluttershy squeaked and drooped her head.

“You want to help?” Twilight sighed, her breath flowing over Trixie. “Fine, maybe we can still make this work. But I need you to stay quiet and listen.” Trixie was inclined to speak up immediately, but she was growing tired of her size, and wasn’t going to deny herself any leads. “There’s a pony out there who has been making a real mess of the place. We don’t know much about him... I had just found what I thought was an excerpt on him, but obviously we can’t use that now.”

Trixie did not look the least bit sorry for what she had done. “He’s been placing hexes on everyone he can find. He doesn’t seem to be targeting anyone specifically, but he’s been avoiding... Well, me, and my friends. It must be something about the Elements of Harmony.” Just hearing those words angered Trixie. First this Twilight character flaunts around her magic, thinking she’s the best thing since canned Trixie, a food-line that Trixie was very proud of, but now she’s bragging about being in possession of an Element of flippin’ Harmony!

“Oh, you’re sooo special. Hmph. What else does Trixie need to know?”

Twilight gazed to Trixie, not amused by her attitude in the slightest. She began pacing around the room full of books. “I was getting there. From accounts by the other... Affected, he seems to be... Well, I’m not sure what he’s doing! He’s been giving everyone arbitrary goals to fulfill, though obviously when you’re turned into a balloon or... Well, tiny, it’s not exactly easy to fulfill.”

“Goals? Trixie was not told of this!” If only she had been informed of this, she could have completed this ‘goal’ in no time, surely reclaiming her size!

“Well, you probably didn’t give him the chance to tell you... And what’s to say you should even follow what he says? He’s the one that did this to you!”

“Twilight, Twilight! I got a letter!” Rushing down the stairs behind the trio came that baby dragon Trixie vaguely remembered. Great, she thought, it couldn’t possibly get worse. “It’s not from Princess Celestia... It’s weird.” He slid up to Twilight’s side, too enthralled by the stationery to even regard Trixie. He did wave to Fluttershy, however.

“You’re right, that is weird.” She took the letter in her magic, unraveling it before her. She scanned the writing, “It’s from him... It’s gotta be.” After Twilight had read it completely, she shook her head to Fluttershy. “No signature. So we’re no closer.”

“Well, what did it say?” Trixie demanded an explanation.

“He wanted me to tell you something... He wants you to vanquish the Ursa Major.”