"I'm telling you, driver; I saw the whole ass end on fire and the smoke was high enough to see from Coloma." The static-filled buzz of an elderly voice could be heard over a CB radio as an old cabover lurches across the interstate beneath a starlit sky. "The last four cars were completely on fire; some poor bastard's gonna have to wait for his brand-new Ranger! Heheh-hack!" The static-filled voice coughs heavily as the man listening gives a slight chuckle, beginning to speak in a soft baritone.
"It's still a freak accident in my book, tanker; just a random bolt of lightning penetrating one of the cars? That kinda-" The trucker looks back to the dark bunk and then to the road ahead of him as he holds his microphone in his hand "-That kinda shit only happens in either a Twilight Zone episode or something like those cheesy-ass disaster movies." The cabover passed a tanker trailer as it got off a ramp; the latter honking its horn as its owner spoke up.
"Well driver, this is where I'm off. Y'all be careful heading to Bismarck; mighty bad weather up'n'around that way. But you're from Fargo, ain't ya?" The baritone driver laughed as he prepared to reply.
"Fargo; Georgia, old top. Coldest it probably gets around me is 50. You be safe headin' up to Green Bay."
As both trucks broke off into separate directions; the cabover continued onwards as it trundled Milwaukee and up towards Oshkosh. The sky looked beautiful; with an amount of stars the likes of which that even the most stone-hearted man couldn't bring himself not to look up. The silence was tranquil, peaceful...sheltering it seemed.
YAAAWWWWWWN
At least...it was.
A young girl, no older than eight; clambered over the doghouse of the cab and sat in the passenger seat whilst holding onto a tiny orange platypus toy. Her light brown hair flew off into all directions as she looked outside. She looked towards the driver who held a smile on his face, gleaming hazel eyes looking towards her in amusement.
"Tamiya, you know we ain’t supposed to be at the next stop for a couple of more hours." The little girl pouted as she wiggled in place.
'So that's why she's up' thought the driver as he spotted a rest area coming up.
"Alright, darlin'; how bad do you need to go?" The child looked down as she processed the question.
"I might have drunk an entire bottle of water..."
Well that wasn't too ba-
"and a giant bottle of tea...I was thirsty and its too hot in the back!"
"Tammy. I taught you how to use the thermostat; several times in fact."
The little girl slumped back in her seat as she continued to silently do the wiggle dance. The truck driver sighed as he pulled into the rest area; it was dark to the point that his cab lights were bright enough to light his way.
What the hell does the state spend their money on? Damned government makes more than enough money off of cheese tourism to repair 94.
The truck driver clambered out of his cab and walked to the passenger side to help the little girl out. The door opened as the child spread her arms and pretended to fly; her father chuckling in amusement as she was set onto the ground.
"Thanks dad, do you think we can get a snack here?" The truck driver put his chin into his palm as he spent several seconds analyzing the question.
"Hmmmm...I don't know-" he handed her a five-dollar bill. "-can you get a snack here?"
"Only if I remember what I wanted to get!"
Several moments passed as the truck driver waited next to the women's bathroom; thank God Almighty he taught his daughter to be potty-trained at a young age. Lord knows he'd get strange looks all around just for holding her hand, considering she looked more like her mother than himself...
The driver took off his cap; revealing curly red hair that complemented an equally ginger beard. The green insulated vest he wore did little to keep away the elements, though the red-plaid corduroy underneath was at least marginally better. The silence was all but blown away as a child screamed from the bathroom...specifically the bathroom he was guarding.
The trucker rushed to his truck to grab some necessary tools. The driver briskly ran back to kick the bathroom door open before realizing it was a pull-handle, gruffly grabbing the handle; the door swung open as a child slid under the gap between the floor and wall, crying all the while.
"What's wrong?! Are you okay?" The truck driver bent down and fixed the uneven buttons on his daughter’s pikachu pajamas.
Her favorite pair. It's a chore just to get her to hand them over to me come laundry day. The truck driver thought as the child was all but calm, taking in quick shallow breaths in an effort to relax.
"Easy Tammy. Take deep breaths, in and out...slowly." Tamiya calmed down as she pointed towards the closest stall; a bright light shining from the stall next to hers. Tamiya held onto her father as she explained the best way an eight-year-old child could.
"I was using the toilet when this thingy started slamming on the walls and making weird sounds." She paused while continuing to tremble slightly. "Daddy. I'm scared." The truck driver could see some sort of figure messing with the door handle; the moment the door opened, the driver was met with confusion more than anything.
A young pale-skinned woman walked out of the stall wearing a stereotypical magician’s hat with mandatory robe included; her hair either a light blue or gray...it was too hard to tell with the dim lighting in a common rest stop bathroom. She looked around before setting her magenta eyes upon the most dangerous thing on the planet: A trembling child and an angry truck-driving parent armed with a sledge axe among all things. The truck driver spoke up; axe held aloft and ready to strike.
"Alright lady, you've got ten seconds before I start swinging to explain yourself..." The unknown woman began to panic as she tried to calm down the sledge-happy aggressor. "One...two...six..."
"What? That isn't even fair!" The woman held a hand up to the trucker as she flaunted an ever-grandiose pose. "I, the Great and POWERFUL TRIXIE, demand you lay down your arms an-EEEP" The axe was brought closer to the woman known as Trixie as the truck driver began to lose patience.
"You've got 'till I cross the tile in front of your psycho ass to explain why you're scaring my daughter shitless. Are you one of those freaks who likes children?" This struck a chord in Trixie as she began to wobble back nervously, acting as though she had barely walked before.
"Whu? Oh no no no! Trixie is not a filly-fooler. How dare you accuse her of such a criminal charge!" Trixie prepared to stomp towards the man until she remembered he was armed. Trixie fumbled about nervously as the man calmed down a little, she spoke in a whisper to the child that had visibly calmed down significantly. "Trixie apologizes for scaring you; perhaps she can make up for this little...incident...perhaps an honest apology is order?"
"Ri-wait...filly-fooler, what the hell is that?" Trixie looked to the truck driver, holding a confused expression on his face even deeper than when he first laid axe on her. "Another question...who are you exactly, Trixie; is that right?" Trixie nodded as she took off her cap, clumsily of course; her hair seemingly held in place by enough hair spray to explain the hole in the O-Zone layer.
"Trixie is a traveling magician; specializing in the fascinating, the wondrous, THE SPECTACU-"
"How many mirrors and smoke bombs do you use?"
"Balderdash! I don't use mirrors...and I usually keep a supply of a dozen 'disappearance enhancers' on my pony at all times during a performance." This statement finally made the trucker lower both his axe and his hostile attitude.
"Did you say...my pony?"
"Well of course. What else would I b-AHHHHH!!!" Trixie screeched as she gazed at her hands, legs and feet. "Oh no, it actually worked...sort of...I think...I'm not blue though. That means I ended as a human somewhere else."
"Uh-huh...I'm calling the cops; Tamiya, stay behind me and say good-bye to the nice lady." The little girl waved her hand as her father ushered her towards the door; at least, until the truck driver hit a wall at full force. He heard giggling and looked to his smiling daughter, staring at the woman known as Trixie; her eyes were wide in surprise as she realized what she had done. Trixies hands glowed with a blue field around them as it appeared that she had managed to teleport the man a short distance despite not having her horn; the truck driver began reciting bible verses in his head for extra measure as he felt insanity potentially setting in.
Lemme think...Isaiah 47:12 sounds like a good choice...maybe Revelations will scare her away? Works with trick-or-treaters when I'm bored. The trucker was broken from his train of thought as a slender hand beckoned his to grab onto. Trixie looked embarrassed and flushed red as she slightly began to panic.
"Are you okay?! You slammed into a brick wall and looked like you sustained a concussion. Trixie is willing to take full responsibility for her ac-" The truck driver held a hand up to interrupt her.
"I'm fine...I think...for the most part, Look; let's get out of this bathroom. I'm surprised nobody's come in here yet." The trucker, his daughter and the mysterious 'magician' sauntered outside where Trixie immediately began to shiver incessantly.
"m-m-m-mind telling me th-th-th-the season?" The truck driver smiled as he leaned on a water fountain, probably with frozen pipes no less.
"Trixie my dear. I do believe that you’ve 'arrived' right the middle of Winter. Judging from your clothes. I'd say its Spring or Summer right now?" Trixie shook her head as she continued to tremble.
"Not at all, our coats provide us with enough warmth. We are in the midst of autumn, just in time for The Running of The Leaves."
"Uh-huh; your robe's definitely doing a bang-up job of keeping you warm." Trixie huffed as she tried to regain some composure.
"Not that kind of coat, you fool; us ponies grow thick coats of fur whenever it gets too chilly. It's what helped us survive the Winter of The Wendigos after all." The truck driver looked unamused as he began to walk back towards his truck; noticing that Trixie was following suit.
"Do you mind telling me what you think you're doing?"
"Following you as you naturally helped Trixie out of her predicament." The truck driver stuffed the axe back into the toolbox on his truck and stared as Trixie as though she had grown two other heads and a tail.
"Lady. I don't know who you are, but I think this is where we split things off. What should have been a five-minute trip to the bathroom for my little girl turned into an hour-long standoff. I don't know what you're trying to do, but I don't want a part of it." Trixie contemplated on her next set of words; feeling as though they were akin to venom.
"Trixie is lost." That stopped the driver as he looked at the woman; she had lost her composure and her normally proud and prudish stance was regulated to slumped posture that put the hunchback to shame. "Trixie was hoping to meet some of her friend's friends on the other side of the spell, but alas; it did not work. Now I'm potentially lost without a way to get home and you're probably my best option to stay with until I find a way back...actually I think you're the only option, at least until the next town?" The truck driver stood still in thought until his daughter bumped his leg; she glared at him with big brown eyes until he gave in.
"Ugh...Lord give me strength. Trixie is it? Fine; hop on in, but I swear that if I find out your lying, even as incredulous as all this already sounds, I'm more than happy to push you out the door mid-interstate...understand?"
"Understood! Trixie will perform her best etiquette at all times, Mr....?"
"Mitchum. I'm Mitchum Cypress; and this is my daughter; Tamiya."
"Hi!" The little girl gave a small wave as she began to yawn. Trixie laughed slightly as she gave a bow.
"Trixie Lulamoon; expert traveling magician and a Friend of Harmony." Mitchum nodded as he pretended to know what she was talking about.
“Sure. Now c'mon, hop in the truck and let's out of here.” Mitchum looked to his daughter as she began to feel the cold weather hit her partial-force, she still mustered up a small smile. "You're lucky you're adorable, Tammy; otherwise I could easily say no to everything you ask." Trixie gave a quick salute as she began to attempt the treacherous climb into the truck.
“Understood…quick question. How do I enter this contraption?”
Thirty minutes were spent explaining the details of entering a semi-cab, much to Mitchum’s chagrin. The moon hung high as the truck roared to life once more, heading on its original course; leaving behind only the moths to keep the rest area company.
Trixie slumped into the passenger seat, feeling as though she were on a much louder-than-normal train ride; the child had fallen asleep the moment she hopped inside the trucks rear bunk. The wide road was devoid of all activity save for the occasional bump in the path. Trixie’s eyes began to fall as she relaxed to the rhythmic rumbling of the truck; her eyes glossed over to the sky as she could’ve sworn she’d seen a shooting star; one last thought entered her mind before sleep over took her.
‘Grant me a way home, Luna.’
I've Haddock up to here, I swear to Cod and other Fish Puns to make while you're on the road
Trixie awoke with a slight start as the sun began to rest on her side of the truck; trundling down what was now a two-lane highway with snow on each side of the road. On the doghouse* sat three styrofoam containers, two of which were empty; Trixie's stomach began to rumble as Mitchum noticed her waking up.
"Good Morning Sunshine! Or should I say good afternoon? It's eleven 'till two after a-actually it's ten 'till now." Trixie blushed as her stomach grumbled once more, much to her chagrin and to the amusement of the trucker and his daughter on the top bunk. "I figured you might get hungry once you woke up, so I stopped and got us all some food. I hope you 'ponies' like fish 'cause I ain't stopping for a good while." Trixie eyed the container as she opened it to observe the contents; inside was a large grilled piece of salmon, rice and coleslaw. The magician (magicianette?) smiles slightly as she was handed a fork.
"Trixie must admit that she does enjoy a good fish; however it has been a good while since she's had salmon." This caught Mitchum's attention as Trixie continued to explain."Trixie has traveled far and across much of Equestria; from Saddle Arabia to the deepest gorges in the remnants of the old Griffin Kingdoms. Trixie has perused a variety of dishes. Tell me, Mr. Cypress; what specialties does your world have?" Trixie began to munch semi-elegantly on her food as Mitchum stared at the road, pondering her question.
"It all depends on where you're from. I'm not sure how it works wherever your from, but our country alone has enough combined culture for several nations; Southerners have soul food and we deep fry everything to the point that it's surprising we ain't had heart attacks yet." The magician looked intrigued as Mitchum continued on. "The North usually makes good jerked meat and freshwater fish; the East Coast is damn-I mean dang good at ocean seafood and Indian cuisine" Trixie wondered why Mitchum cut himself off earlier until she saw him look back to his daughter.
Trixie looked to the rear as she remembered a child was still on board. No curses around her? A good attempt at least. Mitchum continued on about the midwest, it's love for cheese and how the West Coast is an insufferable child that can't cook for its life. Trixie noticed a book on the doghouse crammed to the brim with maps of the area.
"If you don't mind her asking; Trixie is wondering what an...atlas? Is..." Mitchum was confused by the blue-haired entertainers grammar but ignored it anyway.
"An atlas? It's a book full of maps for the continent; The U.S, Canada and Mexico are all in there with highlights for all the major cities across the bo-WHAT IN THE YANKEE DOODLE HELL?!" Trixie was confused until she looked towards the windshield; they were flying into the air as a light blue aura surrounded the truck and its trailer. Mitchum was shocked beyond all comprehension as he began to recite three Hail Marys, Psalms and an Islamic Salat he had learned off the internet.
A cropduster flew on a northbound wind as the pilot went to get the planes routine check-up in the next town over; an eerie sight awaited him as he stared at a semi-tractor seemingly flying up from the road towards the sky. The eyes of the truck driver and pilot briefly met as the trucker gave a nervous wave...
The pilot waved back as he made his way across the cloudless sky; holding this memory in his heart until it would eventually burn a hole through it.
Tamiya was having the time of her life as she stared out of the front windshield from the top bunk; it seemed Trixie really was a magician and she took pride in her doubtful father being proven wrong. The excitement began to die down as Trixie somehow managed to guide the truck back onto the ground; Tamiya groaned as she shambled down to the lower bunk.
"C'mooooooonnnn! Let's do that again. I wanna fly!" Trixie giggled as she noticed the shade of blue emanating from her hands once again. The magician shaped them into fists as Mitchum laughed nervously; the magician yelled out the window as loud as she could while the resident truck driver profusely began to sweat, fearing the inevitable.
"TRIXIE HAS REGAINED HER POWERS! SHE WILL NOT BE BROUGHT DOWN BY THIS NEW BODY...SHE WILL PREVAIL!" Mitchum groaned as the former pony was enthralled in her minor victory; he begun to think that bringing her along was not the best idea.
Who am I kidding? This is probably the most excitement that Tamiya has had out here for a long time. Mitchum thought to himself as he realized the truck was almost towards the end of its journey. The trucker gave a small smile as he hoped the magician would hopefully find some form of help in Bismarck; they passed by Lincoln as well as the airport, just in time for the planes to fly in. Trixie looked on in curious excitement as she watch the massive jets fly overhead.
"We...don't have anything like that in Equestria." Mitchum chuckled as Trixie opened up with a bit of her homes history. "I mean, we've only been manufacturing horseless carriages since several years ago; even now they're still too expensive for the average pony to afford."
"Don't worry Trix, your Model T will come eventually. A car for the average man as they said. Those things in the air? They're called 'jets', they carry people across the country; have been since the jet engine was built almost eighty years ago."
"Trixie recalls a 'faster-than-rainboom' amalgamation; but the very idea of it was shot down since pegasi can fly...Shot. Down...get it?" Trixie laughed at her own joke as the trio continued onwards towards Mitchums destination; unaware that something life-changing was on a collision course with their vehicle. The sky darkened as the truck continued on its path. A bright light filled the trios vision as day soon became night; the city they entered into became forested woodlands and pavement beneath them turned to dirt.
Shapes of the trio began to reform into something different; though blurred as his vision could be, Mitchum noticed the feeling of claws in the place of his hands and a blotch of blue fur to his right. With the drop of the truck being as light as possible; the three passengers fell unconscious just from the shock and change of scenery alone.
-Around the same time as the cropdusting incident.
Somewhere in the halls of a glistening castle on the edge of a small town sat a tiny purple unicorn with lavender hair and a terrible diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder; sitting at her desk and surrounded by numerous papers and scrolls, this pony had been trying to uncover a deep-seated mystery plaguing her for hours on end. The afternoon was coming to a close and the sun began its dip towards the horizon; courtesy of the push and pull of the possessor of its power.
Out from one the adjacent hallways came several other technicolor ponies of various distinguishabilities. A unicorn with fur whiter than silk; two mares, orange and pink with neither wings nor a horn, meandered into the study. From a window flew a dash of colors and spectrums all in one package, finally came a yellow coat adorned with salmon-coloured hair shyly sneaking in the back of the small crowd.
"Twilight, darling. You've been pouring over the entire library all night, as much as we understand your commitment to bringing Trixie back; you must understand that your own well-being must have first priority." The marshmallow mare spoke delicately, as to not make her friends temper and frustration rise any higher than they already are.
"Rare is right, Twi." The orange mare, wearing an adorable stetson upon her head, spoke up next. "Your magic might become...unstable if'n you don't get the proper rest. I know I wouldn't be able to maintain the apple orchards if I didn't get my fourty winks. How about we help you fr-GAH!" The orange mare was supplanted by the energetic pink pony now staring into her eyes.
"You misspelled forty, Applejack! Do you know what happens if you misspell a word? The Word Reich reaches out from the great unknown to insult you and to sing songs about a flower named Erica and-" The hyperactive cotton candy pone was silenced as a cyan hoof was shoved into her mouth, the hoofs owner promptly speaking next.
"I think what we're trying to say is that you need sleep. Lots of it; do you even know where spike is?" The purple unicorn, her wings now visible, looked to the group with drooped eyes and a tired smile as she glanced at a piece of parchment flattened on a nearby desk.
"Of course I know where Spike went; he's...off on an adventure with...Seafood....dinner-Oh! Seymour Skinner. He's in the Crystal Empire With Headlights Dimmer...I mean Starlight Glimmer." Twilight looked proud of herself as she began to remember where her number one assistant went off to. No one else looked convinced.
"Twi." The orange mare "Take a look at yourself; your hooves are sweaty, knees are weak and your shoulders look heavy."
"Alright! I get it, I really look tired and overworked...but I need to bring Trixie back." Twilight looked around in tired amusement as six stomachs in the rooms grumbled. "I'm hungry right now though, anypony else want some spaghetti I fixed for lunch?"
Before the cluster left; Twilight took a look at a page for one last time tonight before it hit her. She was looking at the right spellbook for the wrong reason. With renewed vigor; she found the perfect solution, a pathfinder spell that would be cast to detect Trixies magical aura and bring her within a safe distance to the town of Ponyville. Twilights friends looked on in awe as a large cloud of purple and lavender energy darted across the dusk-lit sky.
Author's Note
That's it on the second chapter and the start of this story. Lay it on me regarding how good or bad you think this story will be.
*A doghouse is the center console in a cabover truck; more often than not it houses the top section of the engine
