Paint and Blood part 1


                                            >Hagshoof’s market was slowly coming to life as ponies and some gryphons started to set up their tents and stands for various food and products. It was much of the same you saw from yesterday, ores, books, alchemy materials and other raw products were slowly being put up for display. Other stands hosted foods that smelled pretty good as far as you could tell, but Trixie had already brought her groceries from yesterday.

                                            >Still, that didn’t stop you from viewing the stalls for interesting knick-knacks, until-

                                            "Hey Trixie look! That stall is restocked on Star Roots! We still need more right?" You nudged the mare to get her attention.

                                            >Star Roots was the one ingredient Trixie was short on. You were looking forward to her famous stew and wanted her to make sure she had everything she needed.

                                            >She glanced at the stall with a soon pleasant smile, "Oh! So it is!" The mare was about to trot over there before something else caught her eye.

                                            >"Oh dear... sorry Hornet, but it seems that the price has gone up quite a bit since we left."

                                            "It has?" You shift your attention back to the stand to see that the sign for Star Roots definitely had a markup since yesterday. A red line had crossed out what used to be 8 bits and now- "20 Bits! Since when did they cost so much?" You exclaimed in shock.

                                            >"Well they did say that they were in short supply. Not to mention Star Roots are becoming out of season. Trixie doesn’t think we can afford anything more with the budget we have now." the azure mare said apologetically.

                                            You grumble to yourself with a kick of your hoof.

                                            >"Oh come now, we still have a bundle from yesterday. If you haven’t started eating them straight away we might have had some more for the stew." The mare pressed her hoof against your withers.

                                            "I just wanted a snack..."

                                            >"And now we’ll soon have a meal. Come now, the stew will take some time to prepare. It will be certainly much better than Grim’s." Trixie smiled confidently.

                                            "Oh her stew wasn’t [i]that[/i] bad."

                                            >"Trixie doesn’t want to have to remind you of how Grimfeather had to fish [i]meat[/i] out of her stew. And Trixie doesn’t even want to know or describe the white froth that stuck around the surface."

                                            "I think that’s just fat from the meat." You replied nonchalantly.

                                            >"Fat from the-?! Trixie is concerned why would you even know of such things."

                                            "I know lots of things!" you chirp.

                                            >"That makes it all the more concerning" The mare shook her head. "Trixie constantly wonders as how you were raised. No filly should know these sorts of things. Much less... [i]that[/i]." She said with a hint of animosity in her voice.

                                            >You stood still for a moment as Trixie continued trotting at a normal pace with you following close behind.

                                            "Was the stew really that bad?" You asked in earnest, trying to make eye contact while walking by her side.

                                            >The azure mare paused in her tracks as she craned her neck to face you, "No, Trixie supposes it wasn’t... [i]that[/i] bad. It’s just that... Trixie knows how you are when exposed to the smell of blood. She doesn’t like the smell as much as you do and it’s just that Trixie can’t possibly understand why you would be okay with a stew that had blood in it. Not to mention how... engrossed you are with anything related to violence." Her voice softened a bit since before, but still reasonably concerned as she tilts her head in equal worry.

                                            "It’s... complicated." You reply simply, averting your eyes to the ground.

                                            >Trixie looks sympathetically before resting a hoof on your withers "...Well we can just leave it to you being extremely famished to care about the stew, most ponies will believe anything tastes great once they’re hungry enough." she finishes.

                                            "Yeah, that’s probably it." You respond back, following side-by-side as both of you trot towards the exit gate.

                                            >The gate itself surrounded most of the trade and residential districts and you could see that it was made out of some kind of durable stone. A couple of pony and gryphon guards patrolled amongst the top with various keeps built out of wood and lanterns scattered about. The gate already opened with it’s iron bars lifted overhead as wagons and other ponies walk in and out of town.


                                            >The same guard from yesterday stood at his post with a long halberd hoisted across his left shoulder, glancing over to you two before gesturing to both of you.

                                            >"Ah it’s the filly and her mother, I trust Grimfeather accommodated both you and your filly well." The stallion introduced.

                                            >"Ah! Well yes, Tri- er... I and my daughter had a very safe night thanks to you. She’s a very... interesting gryphon, but she’s nonetheless very nice and offered us food and shelter for the night just as you said." The azure mare commented.

                                            >"Heh, yeah she tends to have a soft spot for fillies and their mothers. Anyways the moors should be cleared. The Gryphon expedition returned with no trouble, so there shouldn’t be any monsters lurking about. I wish you two some safe travels."

                                            >"Ah why thank you, um- I’m sorry I never caught your name." Trixie apologized.

                                            >"Platinum Night." The guard simply said.

                                            >"Trixie." The magician replied in earnest, before giving a friendly smile and both of us departing from the gate.


                                            "What a nice stallion." You started saying once you safely reached enough of a distance from the gate guard.

                                            >"Hmm? Why do you say th-" She looks at you, but the incredible speed at what your eyebrows wiggle boils her over again, tinting her face a few shades redder. "Oh stop it Hornet! Trixie doesn’t have any of these intentions your implying."

                                            "What did you think I was implying?" you grinned, somehow managing to turn Trixie’s face even more redder than before.

                                            >"Nothing!" The mare shrilled. "You don’t have to act like this every time Trixie meets a stallion." she argued in her defense.

                                            "But didn't you say that, and I quote, 'Maybe... A bit of ogling can't hurt, can it now?'" You attempt to make the best Trixie impression to embarrass her.

                                            >"N-No Trixie didn't. You must have misheard."

                                            "Nope! I totally remember you saying that." you chirp.

                                            >"You weren't even supposed to hear that." Trixie mutters under her breath.

                                            "So you do admit it!" You point accusingly at the azure mare.

                                            >"Let's just please not talk about this any more." she placed her hoof down.

                                            "Okaaayyy..." You replied in a dull tone, thinking of what else to change the subject into. After a period of silence and continued walking, you remember a topic Trixie intended on talking to you about. "So... what exactly are marsh hags?" You inquired curiously as you and Trixie trot at a normal pace.

                                            >"Hmm? Oh, well from what Trixie remembers, Marsh hags are naiads who fell in love with mortal ponies, and thus lost their eternal youth." The walking book recites.

                                            "Naiads?" You eyed in even more confusion.

                                            >"Water spirits." Trixie answers, "It does not happen often, for water nymphs are fickle creatures that rarely have any concern for the young colts they seduce. Still, sometimes a nymph will truly feel for a stallion and then, in accordance with the ancient, mystical laws of her kind, she becomes subject to the flow of time. Because she is a magical being, she cannot die- but she does age, growing more and more decrepit until she finally becomes a marsh hag."

                                            "Nymphs? So, they’re basically lake mares that seduce stallions?" You simplified.

                                            >"Well yes, but a marsh hag is a hideous beast that doesn’t remember who they once were. Only on Luna’s moonlit nights, a marsh hag remembers her past and comes to the lakeside only to weep for her lost youth. Though her body is wizened and ancient, she still likes to dance naked in the moonlight and make immoral proposals to any passing youth she meets."

                                            "So they’re a bunch of ugly colt-fiddlers then."

                                            >"Hornet!" Trixie exclaimed, bewildered at the use of your newly-invented word.

                                            "S-Sorry." You quickly apologized, "Is that why you didn’t want to explain it before?"

                                            >"Only partly... Trixie just wanted you to never come across such a horrifying creature. The things they do to ponies..."

                                            "I can imagine." You grin mischievously.

                                            >"Please don’t, Trixie doesn’t want to be responsible for destroying your psyche."

                                            "My psyche was already in a state disrepair since before I met you and I am forever scarred!" You chirp.

                                            >"Urgh..." Trixie groans, "If only you were lying. Trixie remembers how she first met you completely covered in scrapes and bruises. Not to mention all the incoherent swearing."

                                            "...I don't remember that." you replied.

                                            >"You were delirious dear, as well as both starving and thirsty. You were completely anorexic and Trixie couldn't help but take you in and nurse you back to health." she chided as she continued trotting.

                                            >Another period of silence befalls you as you pondered in thought.

                                            >[i]Did that really happen?[/i] Sure you were covered in mud, starving and thirsty, but you were sure you were conscious at the time Trixie took you in. Although, the events in your mind are a tad blurry.

                                            >You however recalled the distant feeling of warmth and comfort from when you first awoke in Trixie's home. She had freshly washed you and covered you in a warm and fuzzy blanket, with her curled around you when you finally regained your senses. It was an unforgettable feeling.

                                            "Thanks..."

                                            >"Hmm? What was that dear?"

                                            "I- I said thanks... for taking care of me and all that." you awkwardly reply.

                                            >Trixie stopped in her tracks to look back at you, this time with a genuine smile on her face. "It's of no trouble Hornet." she beamed, before trotting back into her pace.

                                            >You simply followed close behind the young mare as you both continue towards the campsite.


                                            >A couple minutes later you come across a familiar sight near the lake. Your hooves trot across the soft dirt as the middle clearing reveals a pink carnival wagon and an extinguished campfire. The moors all around you flow with the fresh breeze of air mixed with the scent of grass, water, and... [i]blood?[/i]

                                            "Urgh..." The stinging sensation automatically has your nostrils tense up as your nose scrunch up at the smell. You can see Trixie doing the same as she already stopped in her tracks, quickly looking around for where the smell is coming from.

                                            >The horrid smell continued berating on your sensitive nostrils as you stayed near the wagon. The layout of the place was left as you remembered it. A purple wagon parked next to a large lake along the moors and an extinguished campfire prepared for the night before. With the information of Marsh Hags still fresh in your mind, your eyes remained on the pool as the smell of blood wafted from the cart.

                                            >Trixie was more than apprehensive as she motioned you back with her hoof, drawing closer with her horn already alight muttering some kind of spell. Both of you remained eerily quiet as the mare slowly crept up behind the wagon, before coming to a ear-piercing shriek as she stumbled and backed away.

                                            >Without thinking you rushed to her side in fear that Trixie has caught something’s attention, only to see a gory site. It was something along the lines of what happens when a pony got run over by a industrial combine. There was splattered red on the grass and fleshy bits everywhere.

                                            >The sight alone wasn’t enough to make you queasy, but the smell, [i]oh god the smell.[/i] It was as if a dead fish made sweet unconsensual love to a rotting trash bin lit on fire. It took everything you had just not to puke out your first substantial meal in weeks. Trixie was too busy hyperventilating pretty badly, only for you to rush to her side and ask-

                                            "Trixie, are you alright?!"

                                            >The mare doesn’t say anything except for the fact that she continued to stare past your direction, wide-eyed and absolutely terrified. Her hoof shakily gestured to one side right above your shoulder.

                                            "Huh? What is it- [b]OH JESUS![/b]" You meekly replied, only to turn around to see that the wagon was indeed covered in red from this entire side.

                                            >You could even see where most of the missing entrails went to, decorating parts the windows and roof. A pony-like skeleton was splintered among the wooden surface with the head of the most hideous thing you've ever laid eyes on. The only words that you were able to mutter was- "What the hell happened?!"

                                            >The gut-wrenching smell was starting to take it’s grip on you, so much so that you had to flee from the wagon before half your insides were puked out. "Urgh... okay what the fuck?!" You could only yell, before taking the time to examine the mess from a fair distance. From the looks of it, it seems that the marsh hag, or whatever’s left of it, has made it’s way into being a gory mess of red jelly and guts upon hitting the side of the wagon [i]real[/i] hard.

                                            >The splattered stains and the way the body was displayed made the event very self-explanatory. But still, "WHY IS THERE SO MUCH!?" you screamed to the high heavens. You're fairly certain a single equine-monster-thing shouldn't carry that amount of blood, yet a good portion of the wagon was painted in it.

                                            >You had your fair share in seeing blood and gore amongst many rated-R movies, horror games, cooking with raw meat, and criminally detailed goreposts some of those faggots on 4chan like to spam on certain threads, seeing the a dead carcass in it’s full uncensored and gut-smelling glory was another thing entirely.

                                            >But above all, was the smell. Your pony senses weren’t forgiving in the prospect of smelling each and every enhanced detail of pure torture to your sensitive nose.

                                            >And as it turns out, trying to pinch your nose with your hooves is a lost cause. Your attention draws back towards Trixie as the mare utters an incantation inaudible to you.

                                            >Soon enough, a stream of water erupted from the lake at full force, blasting most of the fleshy matter off the wagon's surface. As for the bones imbedded in it, she had used her levitation magic to pry it off and toss it into some bushes.

                                            >As the smell receded, you could walk back to camp without much difficulty. Most of the grass was now soaked in water and mud, and as you neared closer you could swear you heard Trixie swearing something about Gryphons.

                                            >It was mostly along the lines of them being needlessly violent, messy, and not respecting private property. You pondered before if Trixie was actually racist to Gryphons before, but considering the current circumstances this was completely justified.

                                            [i]Just, who leaves a dead body there?![/i]

                                            "Um, is it all clean?" you cautiously asked as you approached.

                                            >Trixie sighs in contempt as she admits, "No, not in the least. The blood had already soaked into the wooden planks. It's going to take Trixie ages just to repaint all this. How is Trixie supposed to put on her show now?! Those damned Gryphons, they just can't keep anything intact can they?" the azure mage complained.

                                            >By all pretenses, that quote was a little racist. However from what you've seen of Gryphon housing throughout your travels, their establishments never really lasted to remain in good condition. You also understood why Trixie was super upset. This wagon was by all means, her entire livelihood. It acted as not only a mode of transport, but also a home and a source of income as well.

                                            You ponder some more in thought before asking, "Don't we have some paint in the wagon?"

                                            >"Trixie does, but she also used a lot of her energy spell just to clean this... Trixie just wants to retire for the day." The mare sighed in exhaustion.

                                            "Wait, don't we have a show tomorrow?" you pointed out.

                                            >"Yes, but Trixie will have to delay the show because of this. Hagshoof will simply have to wait another day for the Great and Powerful Trixie to make her debut." she announced tiredly.

                                            "I'm sure those hunters don't mind a little blood-"

                                            >"Trixie will not perform on stage with half of it soaked in blood!" The mare stomped. "Besides the color doesn't match Trixie's color scheme. Now come along now, Trixie doesn't want to wait too long until she only makes dinner for the both of us." she lightheartedly chided, before entering her wagon.

                                            "Oh... Alright." you simply follow.