Silence in Equestria

The Sector II: Episode XIII

Trickster

"Are you sure you want to sell it?" asked Twilight.

"I have no choice. Even if I do so, I'll still lack of bits to buy that house, and Blossomforth is moving in two days." Silence replied. Both of them were a bit sad they get to bid farewell to the new dress, but it had to be done.

"Okay, I'll inform Mayor Mare to hold an auction for it. Oh, by the way I found a good workplace to you in the newspaper." told the unicorn, catching her friend's attention. She grabbed a newspaper with her magic and showed the encircled part to Silence.

"A... rock farm?" she asked in her surprise.

"It's a hard work but it pays quite well. Especially now, they say they lack of workforce." added Twilight.

"Anybody there you might know?" questioned the pegasus.

Twilight shook her head, but in all of a sudden something came up in her mind "I don't, but I know somepony who does." she replied.

"Come on Fluttershy! Here comes the best part." said Pinkie while excitedly kept jumping up and down.

"Yes.....but.....can we.....make.....a little..... break too?" answered Fluttershy who kept wheezing and was literally barely able to hold herself on her hooves. She was sweating really much and when she got to Pinkie she just collapsed on the ground.

"Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy!" shouted Silence from above "Doing sporty things I see." she added.

"Mhm, wanna join us?" the pink pony asked. The two ponies were jogging in the outskirts of Ponyville. Pinkie Pie in her black-turquoise training outfit and a nice set of head- and hoofbands, while Fluttershy was wearing a white and pink set of those, a white shirt and a black bloomer.

"No thanks, I'd actually like to ask something." the pegasus said.

"Ask something?" Pinkie responded.

"Twilight said you have some relations with the rock farm near Ponyville. Could you-"

Pinkie Pie gasped in surprise "The rock farm?" she started to hop around "I grew up there, it was so much fun. I've made it fun, that's how I earned my cutie mark. Those were my first parties ever in my life." and as she finished she stopped the strange movements and adding "Good times. Why did you ask?"

"I'm looking for work there." she answered turning her face away a bit.

"Oh I'm sure Inkie will have some, she is a really really really nice pony."

"Well, I hope so, thanks for the info."

"Good luck there." Pinkie said then turned to her pal who still laid on the ground. "Break time is over Fluttershy, race to your cottage!" and she began to skip towards leaving her behind. Silence helped her up and they moved on their way.

As Silence arrived at the farm, the landscape turned all gloomy, the environment kept creating that cold, depressing feel with its cold rocks and few naked trees. She went past a little mobile wagon that seemed kind of abandoned, as she headed towards the now visible farm. The pegasus arrived at last, looked over the fence, at the land where was not a soul but rocks only. She went to the house next to it. It seemed empty too, but from a corner an old stallion appeared. He seemed robust, serious and determined.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Hello! I'm Silence. I'm here for the job." she answered.

The stranger dropped his taunting tone and apologized "Oh, the job. Terribly sorry, I thought it's another ruffian was about to burglar into the house."

"I see. So about the job..."

He gave out a sigh "Yes, I'm glad somepony is at last helps us. Look, you can begin your job right away, just speak to Inkie in the backyard. She is in charge of things now. Go, meet her in the backyard."

Silence nodded and went out to see the girl. Inkie was living up to her name really, both her mane, tail and coat were various shades of grey. Strangely, she had no cutie mark on her backside. She was rolling the rocks into a pile when she noticed the stranger.

"Hey, you!" she shouted, making Silence stop. Inkie was going for the pickaxe not far away from her, while keeping her hostile eyes on the pegasus and shouting "Hey dad, got another one!".

"Don't worry dear, she is our new employee." a voice replied from the house.

"New employee?!" she asked shocked. She also turned gentle in a sudden. "I'm sorry for that, it's just-"

"Ruffians?" Silence asked. Inkie nodded then took up a serious tune. "Look, there are me, you and the other new girl working here. Your job will be to help her breaking those rocks on the other side of the yard. You've probably seen it the way here. Here take the pick and get moving." she told then turned around to continue her work.

Silence nodded, yet felt like asking "What is that with the ruffians, by the way?"

Inkie turned back and angrily responded "It's none of your business." then went to finish her job.

The pegasus did what she was told to do, grabbed the pickaxe and went to the place looking for that other girl. She heared voices and noises from a distance luring her that way. It was a blue unicorn sweating extremely, hitting the rocks hard with the wrong end of the pick.

"Hello." the pegasus greeted her. The stranger didn't greet her back just looked at her, then continued her work.

Silence lowered her eyebrow and switched her tone to a deeper one "Look, there are like three of us working here and this place is likely to be filled with thugs, so I'd appreciate to work as a team instead of behaving like some old grumpy mare."

The stranger gave out a sigh "Fine... Hi!"

"I'm Silence." introduced herself the pegasus.

"Trixie." the blue pony replied as they began their work.

"You know about these thugs, they're talking about?" asked Silence.

"Don't mind them, they can defend themselves. And if not, they still have Trixie here." she answered.

"Uh, Trixie, try the other end of the pickaxe."

"Don't tell Trixie what to do!" she shouted in anger. Even though Silence held the pick in her mouth, she was still faster then the unicorn. However, after a few minutes Silence start to feel that again. She knew what's going to happen, yet she was too weak to do anything. She tried to walk away dizzily but at the next rock she collapsed on the ground.

Trixie decided to tease her a little "Tired already? Hah, you're-" but as the pegasus began to couch up the blood she stoned. Screaming for help Trixie ran away while Silence - for the first time couldn't stand up after the change. The system lost a lot of blood and even the bandage couldn't hold it much as the mechanics began to work. The oil-less machine shut down and fainted.

Inkie was horrified as she arrived. She had to do something quick. "Take her to your wagon!" she said.

"But your house is-"

"I can't let dad see this. Take her to that thing of yours while I clean up this mess."

Trixie didn't like the idea but she did it anyway. The unicorn picked her up and took her to her home. However on the way there the pegasus recovered. Trixie laid her on the ground slowly and spoke to her.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?"

Silence nodded. She felt completely weak and helpless, and her eyes almost shut again when Trixie slapped her saying "Hey, don't leave me girl!".

Silence this time was able to move, and slowly but she was able to stand up. But something was different; she noticed a counter on her top-right corner of her eye. It wasn't counting yet, just seemed like turned off. Despite that she knew what that meant: she has a limited time left before running dry.

"Don't worry, we don't hurry anywhere." Trixie calmed her. They waited for a few more seconds until Silence was able to move normally. As she did so the counter started counting back. The pegasus had about 5 hours before passing away. The circumstances were downright against her but she didn't have much to do, so she followed Trixie. She though the worst case is that she'll have to kill, then run. But for now Silence were patiently waiting, ignoring the clock.

Few minutes later they arrived at the wagon she passed by some time ago. With giant red letters the following word was written on it: "LOSER". She didn't seem to mind it that much though.

Trixie unlocked the magically sealed door and she helped her fellow in. "Feeling alright?" she asked.

"Yeah... I'm fine." Silence answered. As she looked around, the place was quite comfy despite being so little. All kinds of stars and lollipop-looking signs decorated the walls. There were many small shelves and cupboards completely empty and a table there as well as a little window too. But Trixie seemed sad, something didn't her rest, which Silence quickly noticed. She kept her mouth shut, though and instead began to look around the room. She spotted something fallen behind a cupboard, which she picked up quickly. It was a picture of Trixie herself posing with a bouquet alongside the text: "The Great and Powerful Trixie.".

She didn't even check the photo properly but its owner madly took it out from her hooves "Give me that!". She opened the door and threw the picture out with all her might.

"Don't touch Trixie's stuff, okay?" she said.

"(What was that? And why is she speaking in third person?)" the pegasus thought in confusion. "(Is that....?)"

"Trixie what is that knife for?" she asked while pointing at the knife on the cupboard next to her bed.

"It's.... for self-defense." she answered.

Silence lowered her eyebrows "(I doubt that... considering what was on that picture, she surely went though a lot of things recently. Hmmm.... I could use that to my advantage.)"

"Look, thank you so much for your help, Great and Powerful Trixie." she thanked, but hearing those words just made the unicorn more unrestful. Yet she kept her temper this time.

"Trixie abandoned that title a long time ago." she said. Her face was truly filled with depression now, but her cold heart refused to tell anything more. Silence didn't want to miss this chance, a new ally was served on a dish, she just had to grab that opportunity.

"Look, I know you must have been through a lot of things. Let me help you." she said, but Trixie just turned away, she didn't want to talk about it.

"There is no use of holding a grudge. Everybody can get a second chance, it's up to you to fix it."

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Trixie screamed up crying as she grabbed the knife and with magic she held it to her head. "My life is in ruins, I'm just a humiliated laughing stuff who has nothing. Do you even know how does that feel?!" she continued.

Silence lowered her tone "Then... This is a game you can only win.". Trixie lowered her knife in surprise of that.

"Now what? Don't you end it? Do it! Fold when you have the winning cards! Quit and then regret it when it's too late. I'm not stopping you..." Silence continued closing her eyes.

Trixie couldn't believe it, she looked at the knife, then dropped it and ended up crying.

"Ssshh.... It's alright. Tell me everything, I'll be here to help." she said in her usual voice while hugging the sobbing unicorn.

"(Perfect. I've broken her, time for reconstruction.)"

The pegasus cleared her face from the tears. Trixie rubbed her eyelids for a little then laid down on her bed facing towards the wall and began to confess.

"I used to be a magician, a traveling magician. I was traveling from town to town showing off my abilities to make out a living, until I arrived at Ponyville." she said. Her voice was still so weak.

"Yes?" asked the pegasus.

"Ponyville was the first place was I was beaten. I admit, I went too far with that Ursa Major thing, but I never thought that two idiots would ever bring one here."

"So you bit more then you could chew, eh? Want happened afterwards?"

Trixie as she started to recall things one by one almost began to cry again "Twilight Sparkle... she took care of that thing I couldn't. Then I've become nothing but a laughing stuff. Everywhere I went.... then I ended up here. I lost my mind, I wanted revenge for something that I have made. But Twilight beat me again, after terrorizing the town with that stupid amulet..... I ran away, and now I'm here, hated by everypony." she still fought with her tears even afterwards.

"(Poor thing.....)" "Look, everybody deserves a second chance, if they forgave that two idiots you were talking about, they'll sure forgive you too." she said patting the unicorns back.

"They will?" she asked back.

"I'm sure they'll understand your point of view too." the pegasus said. "I've met so many, so many wonderful, generous and kind ponies so far. Believe me, they'll surely give you another-"

But the sentence was interrupted by knocks on the door. It was Inkie, calling them out. Seeing both of them relieved the gray mare, but she asked anyway "Are you okay?".

"Yes, I'm fine." answered Silence.

Inkie sighed "I don't know what that was, but it didn't happen, okay?"

"Okay." the employees answered.

"Fine, now lets finish those few rocks left and that's it for now."

Trixie sealed the door back, and the three ponies went back to finish what they've begun.