New Faces

“Chosen.”

I wake, hearing someone calling. The voice is faint, and seems… familiar somehow.

“Chosen.”

She sounds soft and gentle. I glance up, but do not see her. I remember where I am, and what happened. I stand up and grab my spear, wanting to find her. I don’t want to be alone anymore.

“Chosen.”

I head forward, listening, but where I look, she is nowhere to be seen.

“Chosen.”

Has she moved? The voice comes from a different way now. I hurry that way.

I stop when I see a passage like a small cave. It is dark, and the ceiling is only a little higher than myself. I am afraid of it.

“Chosen.”

The voice comes from it. Maybe just beyond it. But…

“Chosen, be brave…”

I… I… I can. I can be brave. I want to be brave! I grip my spear to me and I shut my eyes and run through the tunnel, only stopping when I felt safe. I am through it! I did it!

“Chosen.”

The voice is farther away. I should hurry.

I keep heading toward it, but it seems to get fainter and fainter every time. Until I can barely hear it, and then, she doesn’t call anymore. I step within a large place, and try calling out, but I receive no response.

I am sad for some reason. I’m not sure why, but it isn’t from being alone in this place.

I hear hoofsteps, and freeze. Is there a…

A bright blue unicorn steps into the room, smirking at me. I… I can’t move.

“Trixie knew it.” it says, and fear fights with shock. It spoke!?

“You needn’t look so stunned.” she said, tossing her head up to make her mane flip. “Trixie can speak, and speak well and eloquently!”

I calm slightly. This is really weird, but not bad… right? I take a small step forward.

“Oh! Right.” Its horn lights and a sticky black goo catches all of my hooves. I can’t pull free from it, and then the unicorn steps closer to me , almost like it is prancing.

“Trixie has caught you!” she sings. “Trixie can’t have you doing silly things like running away.”

I try to hit it with my spear, but her horn lights again, and rips it from my grip before tossing it a little bit away.

“Don’t you know how to treat a lady? Be a good little foal for Trixie, and hold still.”

I might once have been terrified into holding still. But I remember father’s bravery in the face of the unicorns, and I strive ever harder. I am no longer afraid of the unicorn.

“I’m not a foal!” I yell, trying and failing to pull free of the sticky stuff.

“Trixie thinks you are.” she says, singing again. “Maybe even a little girl foal.” What!? I will make her apologize for that! I try even harder, and my hooves shift, but no more.

“Just a little terrified girl foal, crying for her parents. But of course, its parents can’t come: They must be little foals too!”

I roar just a little like father does, and rip my hooves free. She gasps and I try to reach her, but her horn lights. It is as if I have rammed into a rock, and I am tossed away from her.

She laughs as I glare at her. I won’t win this like father would. He is large and strong. I must use other talents.

She stops laughing when a strong wind pushes at her, gusting around the room and tossing small pebbles. I get up again, and grab hold of my spear, and the pair of us stare at each other.

Her horn lights, but I am faster. The rocks shake, and knock her off balance. I throw my spear again, and that time she dodges, and I am already there. I shove her over, and she yells, tumbling.

I grab my spear again, but she is already up and her horn is lit again. That time, she throws blobs of color at me, and I am forced to jump to the side to avoid being hit by them. She keeps sending more until I get close enough to try and stab her.

Her break shifts, and a shield appears around her which stops my spear. It expands, pushing me back, but I force harder, and I make my spear tip light on fire.

The bubble pops, and she yells, ducking under the burning point. Then she scurries under me, and bucks me from behind, tossing me forward.

I call, and the air responds, cushioning my fall and enabling me to roll and throw my spear again. Air pushes it forward, and she screams when it impacts just next to her head, sticking into the stone wall.

As she is stunned from that, I rush her again. Her horn lights, and this time I must stop it; I have no more tricks. I grab the nearest thing I can.

Her horn.

The light dies the moment I touch it, she yelps when I grip it, and shivers when I grab it better.

“L, l, let Trixie’s horn goooooo..!” she yells again when I pull, moving her with ease. It is like I have a rope on her. The horn must be sensitive.

“Not until you say sorry! You are going to pay for every insult!”

“Never!” she says, and I growl. I will make her submit. No one gets to insult father.

I heave on the horn, and she screams, but I heave a little too hard. My grip slips, and I toss her.

I snatch my spear up, but she is slightly faster. She runs away through another tunnel. I chase after her, no longer caring that the tunnel is scary.

She ducks around a corner, and I hear a slamming sound, turning the corner to find a wooden door. I push at it, but it doesn’t open. I growl again, and slam into it, hearing the wood crack.

I stop for a moment, huffing. Then I hear her just beyond, muttering ‘Escape, hiding spot, something!’ to herself. She is still inside, and cornered. I smile.

I back up, and remember how my father did this. Then I roar and charge the door again, and it nearly shatters from the attack. Large parts of it fall away, revealing a small area beyond, nearly devoid of anything beyond a large table. I grab the rest and tear it away, spotting the unicorn swiftly. She is cowering under a table, her hooves over her eyes as she shakes, terrified.

She looks up with tears in her eyes as I step to her, watching her for any chance of her using the break, my spear ready to skewer her.

“Please… no…” she says, softly, quietly. Submissively. I stop, and lower my spear. She has stopped fighting, and killing a surrendering opponent is dishonorable.

I bend down and grab her horn again, causing her to scream again as I pull her to her hooves. I keep my grip strong, and bend to look into her face. I glare at her for a moment before deciding how she is to repair her insults.

“You are mine, until I am satisfied.” I tell her. “And one attempt at getting away, or using the break, and I will get my honor from your blood instead of your service. Understand?” I heard father say the same thing once; it seems right to use it here.

She doesn’t respond at first, so I squeeze her horn, making her yelp again and then say, “Yes! Yes, Trixie understands! Please let my horn go!”

I let her loose, and she holds her horn with a hoof. Then I point the spear at her, and her eyes focus on it.

“No break.” I remind her.

“Got it! No break! No break at all!” she squeaks, still staring at the spear head.

I nod, and lower the spear again.

“Chosen.”

I hear the voice again. She is nearby!

I head toward her again, but stop and turn to look back at the unicorn. She is still sitting in place, wiping at her tears. I have no time for that.

I hurry back, grab her horn again despite her yells, and lead her onward.

The voice eludes me again, always just a turn ahead. The unicorn behind me is still whining at me about my grabbing her horn, but she is changing from words to whimpers.

“Chosen, listen…”

I hesitate, and then move slowly. I think I can hear her speaking, but I can’t be sure.

“There is danger Chosen. Much will… everything… the enemy is… You must… find it… it is here… the book...”

I drag the unicorn into a place that is filled with books, endless books. I am stunned at the sight until I hear a gentle thump. I look and spot a book, newly fallen. Was that what the voice was telling me about?

I let the unicorn go and grab the book. I can’t read it though; it is written in human? Maybe?

The unicorn comes next to me, and regards the book. “Such a strange title.” she says.

“What does it say?” I ask.

“It says, ‘To Cure the Incurable’ by Healing Hooves. You can’t read then?”

I nod for a moment, but when she gets that smirk again I glare, making her shrink back. Then I stare at the book again, and wonder what the voice meant. Why do I need this?

Whatever the case, I place it within my own pouch. I need to find the camp again.

“Unicorn, come.” I say, beginning to walk away.

“My name is Trixie.”

“Trixie, come.”

“Trixie is not a show dog to be talked to like that!”

“You are a dog until your debt is paid.”

“Trixie is not a dog! Trixie deserves respeeeeeee…”

She trails off when I grab her by the horn again and lead her away that way. It shouldn’t take too long before I find an exit to this place. I am not sure if things are going well, or going poorly. Maybe I will find camp again and everything will be fine.

But I somehow doubt it. And I think that I keep hearing something following me, even over Trixie’s little whimpers. I can’t tell, but I feel like I am being hunted, and I do not like that.

I don’t tell Trixie, but I bring her a little closer to me. Someone close brings some comfort, even if it is her.

At least the forest is brighter in the light of day. I would have gone farther, but Trixie has collapsed for some reason, and she is too heavy for me to carry. Or even drag. I am waiting for her to wake up again, and wondering if she might be hungry or something. I am hungry, but I don’t fall over. Maybe it is something unique to her?

She gives a faint groan and wakes again with a content look to her. That doesn’t fade when she sees me. I am not sure if I like the look she is giving me. She seems oddly happy.

“Why did you fall over?” I ask. I don’t want to be held up by that all the time. She seems confused, sad, and then neighs at me.

“What?” I say, wondering why she did that.

“Why are you growling at Trixie?” she asks, her voice slightly softer than normal.

“I’m not growling at you, you are making horse noises at me!”

“Trixie is not! Why would Trixie do anything like that!?”

I am tired of it, and grab her horn to get her to her hooves again. And then I decide to never do that again unless I need to. She made a really weird face and didn’t yelp that time. I don’t like it.

“Come on.”

“Where are we going? Trixie has a wagon that we should get.”

“I can’t get into a wagon.”

“You will fit Trixie thinks.” She seems thoughtful, “And… Trixie… doesn’t mind if you were to… accept Trixie’s hospitality.”

She gives me a bright smile and blushes for some reason. I am not sure of this at all, but maybe it could help?

I nod. “Then... show me to it.”

Trixie glances around and for a moment I suspect that she is as lost as I am, but she chooses a direction at last.

But instead of walking forward, she tips her head toward me, and seems to wait for something. She remains like that until I feel the need to ask, “What are you doing?”

“The Everfree is thick and dangerous. We might be separated if we don’t stick together, so… you may, should, you should… grab… grab Trixie’s horn.”

She blushes again. I don’t really want to. I come up with a different solution; I grab her tail.

She yelps and glances back at me. “Not Trixie’s tail, Trixie’s horn!”

“I don’t want to touch your horn.” I tell her. She opens her mouth, blushes worse than before and then looks forward and huffs. She moves forward and I follow after her, trying not to pull on her tail too much.

The woods are thick, and disorienting. I am not used to seeing so much and yet so little. I grew up in plains, near the mountains. I hate forests. They are too… I can’t see far at all. All the green keeps getting in the way, and it is uncomfortable to travel through.

Then a few of the branches shift out of the way. A power grabs them, and I look at Trixie’s horn, glowing as it shifts the plants aside for us both. She is not doing anything harmful and it is helpful…

I stay silent, and keep following after her. So long as it doesn’t touch me, and it proves useful, then I won’t say anything.

But then Trixie stops, startled, and is suddenly pulled forward into the brush. I am left with a few hairs from her tail and I jump with the speed she vanished with. I hear her scream once and then suddenly stops.

“Trixie!” I yell, backing away from the bush. What happened to her?

“Help!”

I ready my spear and then charge forward. And then I discover what might have happened to Trixie. I trip over a vine and fall into a hole, tumbling down a ledge of dirt and mud.

I bounce off of a massive petal and land in a pool of golden ooze, somehow landing on my hooves. It is amazingly gooey, and I can’t move very much at all. I spot Trixie next to me, her front half in the ooze and her back half flailing in the air. I think she can’t breathe.

I grab onto her hind legs, and heave. She slowly shifts, and I manage to pull her head free of the ooze. She tries to get it off of her, but it seems special; her horn flickers, but doesn’t light.

I take a few breaths, calming myself. All of my legs are stuck, and Trixie is the same way now. There is a way to get out, and that way is not in panicking.

Trixie yells in frustration and says, “Who pulled Trixie!? Trixie knows that you’re there!”

A purple unicorn comes from the bushes above us and looks down at us. It has wings too…

Trixie seems stunned, or even shocked. The winged unicorn makes a few noises and Trixie starts.

“Twilight! You… Help us out of here!” Twilight seems uncertain and neighs gently. “Yes, the centaur too!” she yells. Is the winged unicorn talking somehow? Is that horse language or something?

Twilight hums, and then neighs something and Trixie stops struggling, her mouth hanging open. “What?” she says quietly. Twilight says something more, and then I think she giggles at us.

“No… no, Twilight! Twilight, you can’t..!”

Twilight’s horn lights and the golden goo begins to gently bubble before the winged unicorn retreats into the forest. Trixie is in shock for some reason, and the goo is becoming oddly warm. This is worrying me.

“Trixie?” I ask, and she doesn’t respond. She isn’t responding to anything, and has stopped trying to escape. It seems that this is up to me.

I think about my teacher’s lessons. Know your surroundings he always said. So… We are in a plant of some kind, with large white petals framing a pit of some kind. In the plant is a large amount of golden goo, which is growing hotter. And under the plant… is a lot of dried material.

Boiling things make steam, and steam is really strong air; I can toss us both out of the pit with it if I can make some. It might be dangerous, but I think it is our only chance.

I focus, and after a moment I smell the smoke under us. Now it’s just a matter of time, and of skill. I only used steam once, and even then, only with practice. I hope this works…

I manage to reach Trixie again, pull her close to me, and grab onto her. She seems confused, and then smells the smoke.

“What… what’s happening?” she says.

“If this doesn’t work… if we make it out alive… I forgive you Trixie.”

“If this doesn’t… what are you doing?”

“I am trying to boil the goo. I have set a fire under us, and that will create steam to let me get us out of here.”

“… You are roasting the Aflasia under us. We are being eaten by a plant that you are trying to light on fire!? This is not acceptable to Trixie!”

There is a sudden whoosh, and the plant catches fire, and flames roar up all around us. Trixie screams and the heat is sudden. Apparently the plant is very easy to catch fire.

The goo grows very warm, but not warm enough. Not fast enough. I need to make it… I am in the thing I am trying to boil.

…

Well, sometimes survival needs sacrifice. I focus, and the goo grows very hot and then it… explodes.

The fire is suddenly out, and the goo is over everything, no longer thick enough to keep us in place at the cost of coating us in really hot goo. It hurts, but not too badly.

My skin is red where it is, but it cools fast. I look at the gooey wall, and have an idea. I push Trixie forward, and then grab the wall. With an effort, I can lift myself up it, the stickiness enough to let me grip. So long as I keep moving, I can crawl up the wall using my hands and hooves together. I get out and then look back down.

I reach a hand down and Trixie spots me. She finally moves, and tries the same idea as I did. I grab her before she falls down again, and smile at her. She seems stunned and then comes up until I manage to grab her to me at the end.

“That… You… Trixie…” she says, gasping slightly.

“My name is Chosen.” I tell her.

“Chosen. You are the single most… confusing, irritating, incomprehensible, strange centaur that Trixie has ever met!” She seems mad at me, but after a moment she sighs and calms. “But you have also saved Trixie from being eaten. So… Trixie owes you… Trixie give you her thanks.”

I… I am confused. She seems… nice. Nothing like when I first met her. If she insulted me again, I would be surprised that she would. I resolve to ask her, but first, it is getting late and everything is sticking to us.

“Where is your wagon?” I ask.

“Um… Trixie has something to admit.” I wait, feeling unsure. The sun is soon to set, and I do not want to spend another night in the forest.

“You see… Trixie doesn’t, doesn’t… doesn’t know.”

For a moment I almost yell at her, but her sad face convinces me not to. I sigh and glance around.

I try to move before discovering something. The goo has stopped being sticky, and has turned into something really solid. I can’t let go of her.

Trixie discovers the same and tries to wiggle free. Then she sighs, and her horn lights. I stop her by head-butting her, and she yells, “What!?”

“No break! I…“ The sun suddenly sets, and leaves us in darkness. I definitely hear something nearby, and grip onto Trixie a little tighter.

“Chosen?” she asks, confused.

It… I am at my end. I had fought Trixie and been brave. I had been in the flower and been brave. But…

Now the light is gone, and I have run out of bravery. I want to be back with the others. I want to see everyone again. I want to be in a place where I am safe, and happy, and fed.

I grab onto Trixie a little tighter, and try not to cry. I want this to be over.

perspective pony

Trixie stirred when she heard a door slam. She slowly became aware of her surrounding, and was confused when she saw the door and the stone of the castle. What was she doing here?

She thought back. She had been traveling near the Everfree, heading toward Ponyville once again when… nothing. Not a clue as to how she got here. She moved, and realized that she was lacking her usual cloak and hat. She always wore that cloak and hat, and felt more than a little vulnerable without them.

And then the door had shuddered and something beyond grunted. Something big, very mad, and very strong was just beyond, and the door cracked when whatever it was growled and struck it again.

Trixie had a good, calm head. It helped her with her magic acts, and helped her to stay calm then. Trixie glanced around the room, muttering ‘escape, hiding place, anything!’, but all there was in the room was a table and a dresser placed in a corner. Near worthless hiding spots from whatever monster was trying to break in.

But the noise had stopped. Maybe it left? she thought hopefully.

Then she heard a bloodthirsty roar, and she screamed and ducked under the table in terror, hearing the door shatter as she covered her face with her hooves. Her heart beat hard and fast, and she shivered in fear.

She heard hoofsteps, and glanced up. A centaur was over her, seemingly huge from her prone position, a spear gripped tight in one hand as it glared.

The spear was aimed to skewer her, and a few tears came to her eyes at the thought of it. “Please… no…” she whispered. It seemed to hesitate, and the spear lowered. It glare grew slightly worse.

Then it bent down, viciously grabbed her horn, and heaved her upright with it. She thought she screamed, but it was hard to recall; unicorn horns are very delicate and, unless fortified by magic, there are near crippling to the unicorn when touched, much less gripped firmly. Like a limb that had fallen asleep that was bumped against something.

The centaur bent down to stare at her, and she was temporarily caught by its own face. It was young, if alien. She had drastically overestimated its size as well; she was just a little bigger than it, discounting the height gained by its torso.

Then it spoke, its voice young, but angry, almost enraged, ““You are mine, until I am satisfied. And one attempt at getting away, or using the break, and I will get my honor from your blood instead of your service. Understand?”

Why was he so angry at her? Trixie was confused, wondering why he was mad and what he was speaking about; what was ‘break’? Then he squeezed her horn, and she yelped at the sensations. “Yes! Yes, Trixie understands!” she managed. “Please let my horn go!”

He let go of her, and she groaned softly before rubbing her horn with a hoof. Then the spear was thrust in front of her face, and her eyes focused on its point to the near exclusion of all else.

“No break.” The centaur said.

“Got it! No break! No break at all!” she squeaked. She had no idea what a ‘break’ was, but she was willing to agree to anything to get the spear away from her.

The spear left, and Trixie sat down, wiping at her eyes. Why and how had this happened to her? This was easily the single worst thing to happen to her as far as she was concerned.

Then the centaur came back, and grabbed her horn again, using it to lead her onwards as she yelled and yelped with every change in grip. He seemed to have a destination in mind, but Trixie was far too preoccupied.

She was feeling very strange from her horn’s abuse, and her yells had reduced to whimpers as the sensations kept growing with each passing moment, slowly beginning to overwhelm her. Then the centaur had stopped, and walked forward slowly. The sensations remained, and Trixie was no longer sure if she wanted him to increase them, or to let go.

The pair went into a library, and the centaur stopped. Trixie breathing hard, and then almost felt disappointed when he let go to head forward and grab a book from the fallen piles.

He seemed very focused on it, and he was a fair distance from her. She might be able to run from him. She was probably faster than him.

But she had never been in the castle. She didn’t know how long he had been in the castle either. What if she got stuck in a dead end? What if he knew a shortcut of some kind? He had threatened to hurt her if she tried…

She made up her mind. She went to his side again, and regarded the book her held. It was an odd one to be sure; it sounded absurd.

“Such a strange title.” she muttered.

“What does it say?” the centaur asked her.

“It says, ‘To Cure the Incurable’ by Healing Hooves. You can’t read then?” Trixie asked. The centaur nodded, and for a moment Trixie saw the pony in the centaur instead of the monster. She smiled, and then he had glared at her, making her flinch and duck slightly.

I placed the book within one of its pouches and then turned to leave.

“Unicorn, come.” he said.

“My name is Trixie.”

“Trixie, come.”

“Trixie is not a show dog to be talked to like that!”

“You are a dog until your debt is paid.

“Trixie is not a dog! Trixie deserves respeeeeeee…”

The centaur resumed dragging her by her horn, and Trixie fell prey to the sensations from it. She didn’t much care where they were or what was happening anymore. She was only marginally still conscious, and after a few moments, it was too much for her and she collapsed.

Trixie stirred and groaned faintly. She felt very good, almost oddly good and she knew why. She gave a gentle huff of contentment and opened her eyes. She saw the forest, but didn’t care. Then she saw the young centaur, and if anything, her smile grew slightly.

But then he growled at her and she hesitated, feeling upset by his display of apparent aggression.

“Why are you growling at Trixie?” she asked, hurt.

“What?” he said, confused.

“Why are you growling at Trixie?” she repeated.

“I’m not growling at you, you are making horse noises at me!”

“Trixie is not! Why would Trixie do anything like that!?”

The centaur huffed, and then grabbed her horn to lift her to her hooves again. Trixie nearly prolonged it, almost giddy at the sensations now. They were powerful and strange, but they felt very nice when they were at their peak and afterwords. He let go to her disappointment.

“Come on.” he said, glancing around.

“Where are we going? Trixie has a wagon that we should get.”

“I can’t get into a wagon.”

“You will fit Trixie thinks.” Trixie felt a touch giddy at having him in her wagon, but managed to compose herself. “And… Trixie… doesn’t mind if you were to… accept Trixie’s hospitality.”

She smiles at him, and tried to stop blushing. He seemed unsure, but nodded.

“Then… show me to it.”

Trixie hesitated, glancing around. She had no idea where her wagon might be, but she was totally unwilling to admit that she was lost. So she chose a direction at random and nodded as if she always knew that was the right way.

Then she had an idea before she took the first step, and tipped her head toward the centaur, hoping that he would hold her horn again. He only stared in confusion until he finally asked, “What are you doing?”

Trixie thought quickly. “The Everfree is thick and dangerous. We might be separated if we don’t stick together, so… you may, should, you should… grab… grab Trixie’s horn.” She blushed upon saying it, but congratulated herself; that sounded almost natural!

He seemed concerned, and grabbed her tail instead. It was somehow worse than being grabbed by her horn originally and she yelped.

“Not Trixie’s tail, Trixie’s horn!” she objected.

“I don’t want to touch your horn.” The centaur said. Trixie opened her mouth before realizing what she was going to say and blushed heavily before looking away. She huffed, and tried to pass it off as a reluctant agreement, and then moved forward, the centaur following and not pulling her tail too often.

The Everfree is thick and difficult to travel through, even for ponies. After a bit, Trixie noticed that the centaur was particularly ill at ease in the woods, so she used just a touch of magic to shift things out of the way for her and for him.

They traveled like that for a bit, The centaur holding onto her tail and Trixie pretending to know where she was going. Then Trixie passed through a bush and stopped. Had she heard something?

And then magic yanked her forward, and she screamed, falling headfirst into a golden ooze. Trixie knew the plant; it was an aflasia, a giant plant known for its sap; it was said that it could block magic. She faintly heard something, but she was preoccupied with trying to get her head free, so she could breathe again.

She felt something grab her, and the centaur pulled her head free, but he was also in the sap. Both seemed stuck and Trixie tried and failed to use her magic. It seemed the magic blocking tendencies of the sap were true to her dismay.

But somepony had yanked her, and she wanted to know who. “Who pulled Trixie!? Trixie knows that you’re there!” she yelled, upset.

To Trixie’s shock, Twilight came out of the bushes and looked down at her.

“You’re stuck, aren’t you?” Twilight said, and Trixie shook her head.

“Twilight! You…” she changed tactics, “Help us out of here!”

Twilight looked unsure, and asked, “The centaur as well?”

“Yes, the centaur too!”

Twilight looked thoughtful again, and then said, “No.”

Trixie stopped struggling, shocked. “What?” she whispered.

“I think I am going to leave you both in there. A fitting end for a pitiful unicorn like yourself, but don’t worry, you won’t starve. A little bit of magic, and the aflasia sap turns acidic; you will both melt and feed the plant!” Twilight giggled.

“No… no, Twilight! Twilight, you can’t!”

Twilight’s horn lit, and Trixie saw the spell and felt the change in the sap. She was too shocked to do or say anything more. Twilight had just killed them both. She had condemned them to death, the same unicorn that had forgiven her after everything she had done.

Had Twilight lied to Trixie? Was Twilight really this kind of pony? The answer seemed to be yes, and Trixie couldn’t find the strength to keep struggling. There didn’t seem anything left for her. There was no way to escape, and even if she did, Twilight Sparkle had tried to kill her. Who would believe her? Would Twilight try again if she lived?

Why had she even gone toward Ponyville? Heading happily toward a LIE. There had never been forgiveness, never any friendship. Twilight and her friends had only been leading her on. They had been the only ponies who had suggested that they cared for her and now…

Now she and the centaur would die, in a pit, slowly and painfully.

She felt something grab her, and then felt warmth next to her. She glanced up and saw the centaur holding onto her, focusing, and then smelled smoke.

“What… What’s happening?” she asked, still numb from her realizations.

“If this doesn’t work… if we make it out alive… I forgive you Trixie.” The centaur said, looking up at the ledge.

“If this doesn’t… what are you doing?”

“I am trying to boil the goo. I have set a fire under us, and that will create steam to let me get us out of here.”

“… You are roasting the Aflasia under us. We are being eaten by a plant that you are trying to light fire to!? This is not acceptable to Trixie!”

There was a sudden whoosh as the aflasia caught fire. It burned hard and fast, the flames roaring up all around them and Trixie screamed. To her, the fire only seemed to be a way to kill them both faster. the sap wouldn't boil or create steam.

The heat kept rising, but then the heat of the sap rose suddenly. And then it exploded, and coated nearly everything in a near burning coat of sap. Trixie could only stand in shock as the flames died instantly and the centaur glanced around before managing to scale the ledge, using the sap to his advantage.

Trixie looked up at him, and he held a hand down to her. She moved forward, and tried to climb the same way he had. She made it a fair distance, but if the centaur hadn’t caught her hoof, she would have fallen back. He smiled, and Trixie couldn’t decide what she was feeling.

He heaved her up, and then held onto her. He was a great comfort as she slowly processed what just happened.

“That… You… Trixie…”

“My name is Chosen.” The centaur said.

“Chosen.” A good name she decided, “You are the single most… confusing, irritating, incomprehensible, and strange centaur that Trixie has ever met!” She yelled, letting off some steam before sighing. He had just saved both their lives after all. “But you have also saved Trixie from being eaten. So… Trixie owes you… Trixie give you her thanks.”

How had she gotten so close to a creature that had tried to kill her when they first met? Somehow, Chosen was the only thing left to her. And Trixie discovered that she didn’t really mind that.

“Where is your wagon?” Chosen asked, and Trixie stiffened before sighing. She should be honest with him. She owed him her life.

“Um… Trixie had something to admit.” She said, fidgeting.

“You see… Trixie doesn’t… doesn’t know.” She gave him her most apologetic face, and he hesitated before glancing around.

She tried to move, but discovered that the aflasia sap had hardened, and left her connected to Chosen. Something that she could remedy with a little magic.

She focused, and then Chosen head-butted her. She yelled and he glared.

“No break!” he said, and Trixie realized that break was magic to him. “I…”

The sun suddenly set, and Trixie was stunned at Chosen’s sudden change. He had been mad, but he was suddenly terrified, and gripped onto her tighter.

“Chosen?” she asked, confused. She didn’t get a response. Not in words.

She heard his breathing hitch every now and then, and she could feel something wet. He held onto her as if he desperately needed comfort, and Trixie wondered exactly how old the centaur that held onto her was.

There didn’t seem much left to do. The sap would finish hardening in the morning, allowing them to shatter it and escape. Until then…

Trixie decided to try and comfort Chosen as best she could. She didn’t know any songs that seemed appropriate, so she just hummed at random, trying to think of something. After a bit, Chosen seemed asleep, and Trixie sighed.

“Trixie doesn’t know anymore. Are you monster or pony? Stallion or child? Trixie doesn’t know, but know this Chosen:”

“I owe you my life, and I value my life. And… I… I need you. You might be the only pony left that kind of cares about Trixie. And if Trixie can make you smile, or just be a stuffed rabbit for you to hold onto, then so be it.”

“Trixie won’t leave your side. We’ll go together, maybe make a new act. I can do the magic, and you can… cheer or something, and I won’t care if nopony else show up. Because you’ll be there for me, and I’ll be there for you.”

She yawned. “You sleep. The Amazing Trixie will protect you from bugbears and nightmares. I promise. And Trixie... doesn't break promises..."