Snickers: On the Road

Returning to the Keep with full bellies and a small cart worth of shopping being pulled by one unfortunate guard, the group made their way up to their room where they set their shopping in the entrance to their room before calling out to Kiwe, who didn’t answer. They searched the suite for Trixie, too, who wasn’t in her room.

“Huh, where’d they go?” Silver Spoon asked as she went into their room to look, just in case.

“I dunno. What time is it?” Snickers asked Written.

The mare lit her horn and pulled a small watch from her shirt. “Nearly seven in the eve, sir. Perhaps you would like to wind down before bed?”

Snickers blinked at the mare as Baking Soda entered the room with two other servants carrying most of their purchases on their backs. “I didn’t think we had a bed time… but we’re not going to bed until we’re all together. I’m not leaving my bro alone in this city.”

“With a delicate egg,” Gil added in.

“Exactly, that, too. Where did Trixie and Kiwe go?” Snickers asked the unicorn mare.

Baking Soda tipped slightly to dump several bags onto the floor in a pile. “The great and powerful Trixie is hosting a show soon in the city’s theater district. I believe your mixed br- er, Kiwe went with her to set up the stage.”

The group shared a couple unspoken words before Gil went to the nearest window and jumped out. “That dummy doesn’t even know where he’s going. What way will the show be?” Cress asked. After Written pointed in the direction, the thestral filly leapt from the window to catch up to Gil and direct him.

“Well, that’s two of us, that just leaves us three. Can one of you guide us to the show?” Diamond Tiara asked. Snickers moved to stand beside her, his soft coat brushing against hers giving her comfort she didn’t know she needed.

Silver Spoon entered the room and moved to Snickers’s other side and brushed against him, all three giving a cute look that made the mare nearly ‘awe’ at their combined cuteness. “Okay, okay, I’ll get some new guards to go with us and I’ll take you to the show.”

Going to the theater district was a long walk, but when they got there it was set up nicely with stages and grassy areas for creatures to rest and enjoy the shows. It seemed to be a slow night as only two stages out of six were in use, and only one had fireworks set up around it.

Snickers found Kiwe laying on the ground with his egg swaddled in a blanket with Cress and Gil on either side of him. Being waved over wasn’t an issue, the issue was the several guards around the little herd that pushed numerous creatures out of the way to allow Snickers to pass. The colt apologized several times to upset creatures, for what good it did them. They were irate they’d lost their spots or had their moments disrupted, regardless of who was being protected.

“Hey, who do you think you are?” One voice shouted.

“He’s that prince they were talking about?!” A female voice shouted. There was a brief silence before hushed whispers filled the area.

Snickers didn’t care to know what they were saying, as long as they didn’t swarm him again. He’d certainly be taken back to the Keep if he was swarmed again, the guards had said as much. Snickers felt his fillies press closer to him and it calmed him a little as they reached the rest of their group.

“So, keeping it subtle, huh?” Cress snarked as the guards cleared a space around their group.

“I couldn’t leave without an armed escort, they wouldn’t let any of us go alone.” Snickers said.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Diamond said, “I like being treated like royalty.”

Silver Spoon glanced to Diamond, then moved to Kiwe. “So, what’ve you been up to all day?”

“Cooking!” Kiwe said happily. His tail flicked and his ears perked to show his excitement. “They have so many recipes I have never seen, from places I have never been. I will try to cook them on my own, perhaps when we get home.”

Snickers separated from Diamond and sat behind Kiwe. “And how’s your little egg? Still warm and cozy?”

“Not a crack or blemish to be seen, if that was indeed what you mean.”

Gil’s beak snapped loud enough to get everyone’s attention. “You better give it to me, your pony body is too hard to hold it properly. I don’t want my sister’s first baby to get scrambled.”

Kiwe’s horn lit and the egg gently lifted from the makeshift nest and the swaddle wrapped around the egg before being given to the gryphon who took barely five seconds to secure it to his body. Gil purred quietly as the egg nestled into his chest feathers making the females ‘awe’ at the sight.

“So, when’s the show starting? We’re ready to be awed by the great and powerful Trixie, here.” A deep male voice called out from the crowd with a little sarcasm.

Snickers stood up and looked back at the voice, seeing a minotaur standing over a smaller mare wearing a collar and looking quite interested. He turned back to the stage and chalked the couple up to a weird sex fetish as he nestled between his fillies again. He nuzzled into Silver’s braid before turning to do the same to Diamond’s mane. Both fillies nuzzled him back in return.

“Gag me with a spoon,” a colt said from behind them. “Do you have to do that stuff in public?”

“Excuse me?” Silver said as she looked back at the colt. “Why don’t you mind your own business?”

“Your gross flanks are in my way, I can’t-”

“Cross, mind your manners!” A mare scolded as she walked up to stand over the startled colt. “I’m sorry, girls, we’ll move so you can have your space.”

“That’s okay, just as long as Cross stops talking to us like that.” Silver said.

“That won’t be a problem, will it, young stallion?”

Cross frowned, but nodded. “Yes, mommy.”

There was a whistle as a single firework flew into the sky and exploded a few seconds after seeming to have petered out. The crowd was awed and made appreciative noises as the stage performance began.

As the group gathered near the back of the stage to meet Trixie, they saw the mare hoist a large bag full of coins of all denominations in her magic. When Trixie saw her group of minors she grinned. “Greetings, followers of Trixie, did you enjoy the show?”

Every creature, even a reserved Gil, nodded in agreement. “It wasn’t that bad,” the gryphon said.

“Whatever! I really enjoyed it! How’d you saw a pony in half?”
“How’d you survive being stabbed through with a dozen swords in that box?”
“How’d you guess every pony’s cards?!”

Trixie giggled at the usual questions before flipping her mane and slipping the purse under her cloak. “A magician never reveals her secrets. What you have seen is only a minor sparkle in the firework that is Trixie’s skillset.”

“I think you did great,” Snickers said, wearing a smile as large as the others capable of doing so. “Maybe you can teach Kiwe a couple of those tricks.”

The zony looked at his friend. “I have no need for such skills, but I will learn some if she wills.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie may choose to teach you a trick or two, but a true magician never reveals all her secrets, especially to a colt she barely knows.” Trixie said with a flare of her horn, just enough to make her cae wave in an unseen magical wind as she posed strongly.

“Do you have to be so, like, over the top with everything you do?” Silver Spoon asked.

Trixie just winked at the filly before stopping her spell and walking past the group. Gil quietly grumbled as she walked a little too closely to him and the egg he was cradling. The group began to follow Trixie with guards hurrying to take their positions as Trixie walked ahead, her saddlebags heavy with coins clinking as she happily trotted out of the park.

“So, what trick would you like to learn, if you could only learn one,” Snickers asked his friends.

“How to saw a pony in half,” Diamond said.

“Guessing the card the pony guessed,” Silver said.

“Surviving being stabbed by a dozen knives!” Gil exclaimed, then cleared his throat and returned to his aloof attitude. “I mean, that was kinda cool, I guess.”

Cress giggled and ruffled her wings. “You’re cute when you’re trying to be cool.”

Gil rustled his wings in frustration. “I’m not cute, batty.”

Cress grinned her fanged smile at him. “Is that your nickname for me, or a pet name?”

Gil swallowed loudly, then looked back at the group that was listening to their exchange with hopeful curiosity. He opened his wings and flapped to fly away. “I’m not into mares!” He shouted as he took off sending dust flying around them all.

“What a jerk!” Silver Spoon snarked. “If he doesn’t like mares, he could at least be polite about it and not bring it up every time she flirts with him.”

Diamond brushed her mane with her hoof. “I think he has more issues than a magazine, let’s just let him be weird and focus on getting Trixie to teach us a trick or two.”

Trixie’s tail swished under her cloak as she laughed. “No, Trixie will not teach you any of her tricks, that’s the magicians code. I may, however, take Kiwe under my wing, as it were, to tell him a story or two that no pony knows of the Great and Powerful Trixie’s adventures.”

Kiwe’s ears perked and he grinned. “You’d really do that? Tell me a tale none have heard? That sounds great!” He cleared his throat and smiled kindly. “I mean, I would appreciate that very much, Miss Trixie.”

“When we return to the Keep, we will discuss many things; maybe one of them will be a trick for you to show and awe your friends with, young stallion.” Trixie said as she looked at one of the closer guards. “And it will be in private, without nosey ponies or other creatures to listen in or watch from the windows to learn the secrets of my trade.”

The guard’s eyes rolled but she didn’t say anything, simply staying in step with her fellows as they led the group back to the Keep.

Snickers saw a minotaur with a smaller pony on a leash, a different one from before. “Hey, what’s with the leashes? Is there some kind of fetish thing going on at night around here?”

Trixie looked at the colt, then followed his gaze and then looked to the same guard she had called out a few seconds before. “Guardsmare, answer the young prince at once!”

The guard sighed shortly. “In accordance with the minotaur alliance; ponies in debt may be remanded as indentured servants for a time not greater than ten years to repay their owed debts.” She looked over to the minotaur walking with his pony. “It seems the parents traded their foal for their charges. It happens sometimes with-”

“You mean slavery?!” Snickers shouted, interrupting the mare. “How dare Lorde allow this to happen? When I get back to the Keep, I’m having some strong words with him, and I hope I don’t cause an international incident by breaking my hind leg off in his fuzzy asshole.”

One guard snerked, earning a scathing look from the mare guard. “Hey!” She barked at the other guard, who resumed a professional demeanor. She looked down at Snickers. “You shouldn’t say such things, especially in public, your highness. Especially since you won’t be allowed to see our fair Lord if you’re going to threaten him.”

Kiwe moved quickly to step between the frustrated colt and the mare. “He means nothing by it, he is simply upset at hearing slavery is allowed here, in any of its forms. He means no ill will, right, brother?”

Snickers grit his teeth behind his lips before nodding and moving away from the mare. “If it’s the last thing I do, it’ll be to end his rule before it ends up like back before we ended up here.”