//------------------------------// // Grieving Generosity // Story: Equestria's Mirage // by Alchemystudent //------------------------------// Grieving Generosity         Trixie looked down upon the dessert, noting that the dark blue frosting matched her color perfectly while the star sprinkles on top matched her mane, “ You are giving this to Trixie?”         “Of course I am, you looked like you needed the pick me up,” Pinkie said with a small smile.         “But why?”         “Well, I figured if you were still a big meany pants, then you would’ve killed us all while I was having that nightmare. But you are just standing there looking very very tired, so I figured you must be helping us!”         Leaning down, Trixie took the treat from the pink pony and ate the small treat in an instant, “Thank you,” Trixie said as she swallowed, having to admit that it was quite delicious and seemed to help replenish a little bit of her mana.         “No problem, anything for a new friend,” Pinkie smiled as she skipped off to where Twilight began her spell to locate the others.                  “ A Friend huh,” Trixie looked down at her hoof to see the dark blue string wrapping itself around her hoof, “I guess I am,” a smile creeped across her face.         Pinkie Pie looked over Twilight’s shoulder while looking at the strings of light that flowed from her horn, “ So, who are going to pick up next?”         “It looks like Rarity is right now the closest one to us, so we’ll head there next,” Twilight replied as she began to move the rocks into a road for them to cross.         Pinkie giggled a little,” Hey Twilight, you’re making some great ice cream...I love rocky road.”         Twilight took a few moments to think on the pun, and then promptly facehoofed as the realization of the joke dawn upon her. She looked over to see Pinkie standing next to Trixie, talking at length about all of her previous adventures with her friends, “Welcome home Pinkie. We needed you.”         Mirage watched the hyperactive earth pony talking to all of her friends from her throne, watching her orb,” Ugh,” she growled very low, “ How I HATE laughter, almost as much as I despise kindness,” She stood up from her throne and walked to a little board where small figurines of Twilight and friends stood, “Very well Twilight Sparkle, enjoy the company of your dear friend, while I please myself with my other favorite toy,” she chuckled sinisterly to herself as she put her paw on top of a figurine that looked like a little yellow pegasus with a long pink mane. Slowly she dragged her claw across the top of the head of the little figurine, cutting into it and drawing a bead of blood. The blood drop slid down the back of the head of the figurine and collected with the other blood drops that rested on the pegasus's back side, “Ohh, did I cut you kindness? My apologies, I’ll remember to be far more gentle later,” She then turned to walk back to her chair, laughing out loud to nothing. The figurine looked on with pleading eyes, almost as if to say, “Hurry Twilight.”         “And that is when Trixie decided to show off her amazing abilities, by exploding, twice,” Twixie said with a flourish and a bow.         “WOW!!!! How, did you do it,” Pinkie asked, fascinated by Trixie’s tales of great magic.         Trixie put forth a confident grin as she began to explain, “Well, at first Trixie put forth an illusion to make it look like she exploded, then regenerated, and then used a bigger explosion to wow the entire audience.”         “Oh, maybe you could put on a trick like that for Ponyville. It will wow them all.”         “Trixie does not think so, when you come to a town twice and have two horrible experiences there...it kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth.”                  “Oh come on, it’ll be fun! I’ll start things off with a comedy act to lighten the mood for everypony and get them  excited for your performance.”         “Hmmm, working with an opening act, the idea has merit,” Trixie put a hoof to her chin in thought.         “Yeah! And then, Rainbow could fly in the middle of the act to bring forth an awesome show!”         “No, that ain't going to happen,” Dash said flying over head.         “Why, afraid the the Great and powerful Trixie would show you up?”         “Oh no, its just the idea of being put in the middle of the show as an act,” Rainbow said, pointing her hooves to herself, “A pony this awesome is much better reserved for an awesome closing act. Something that will leave the crowd begging for more.”         “So what you are saying is,” Trixie slanted her eyes a little, “You think you can show Trixie up?”         “Oh definitely!”         “Trixie sincerely doubts that.”         “OH YEAH!”         “Hey, How about we combine them together at the end,” Pinkie said, jumping in between them, “Then you two could be awesome together!!! Think about it, Dash flies in with a Rainboom and Trixie increases the sight with her magic.”         Applejack chuckled to herself as she walked next to Twilight as they traveled, “Sounds like Pinkie is really helping to break the ice between Rainbow and Trixie over there. I’d almost say that those two have become...friends.”         “Of course,” Twilight said, smiling softly to Applejack, “That’s what Pinkie Pie does.”         “So, how did you get your cutie mark anyway? We told you ours,” Pinkie Pie said, walking with Trixie at her side.         “Ah now there is a stupendous story,” Trixie said, excited to tell her story, “You see, Trixie is the daughter of Copper field Lulamoon, a spectacular stage magician, if Trixie does say so.”         “Wait, your dad is Copperfield? My dad would sometimes fly me down to see his shows,” Dash said.         “Yes, he was truly one of the great illusionist, and a great father. He had taught Trixie everything she knows today about illusion and magic tricks. When to time your spells and when to leave the audience hanging. However, Trixie...wanted to do more with her tricks. She wanted to become one of the most skilled magicians in all of EQUESTRIA! So, gathering all of her funds that she could grab, she enrolled herself into Celestia’s school of Gifted Unicorns and even had her test supervised by Celestia herself,”  Trixie pointed her snout up in superiority, “HOWEVER! A minor distraction involving a dragon took Celestia’s attention away from Trixie and she could not get in. Trixie wondered to herself just what it was that took away the princess’s attention. The answer, that beautiful rainbow circle that happened on that day.  This made Trixie think, if a Rainbow like that could impress the princess, think of what a rainbow explosion illusion like that would do! So, Trixie spent months of endless training to perfect her little rainbow illusion and to incorporate it into her act. Soon, the day arrived, Trixie began the greatest show in her life! Trixie poured her heart and soul into her illusions, tricks, and magic. Then at the end, she produced the Rainbow illusion that she had sought and used it to tell the story of Tirac. After that, the shouts and cheers that Trixie had heard on that day excited her so much, that she had to demonstrate her magic to the world, and then...poof.”         “Wait, the Rainboom inspired you-” Rainbow Dash began as the realization came to her.                  “To become a great magician,” Pinkie Pie jumped to Trixie excitedly, “That is terrific! Hey, TWILIGHT WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE! See, this just means that we are meant to be great friends! WELCOME TO THE GROUP!!!”         “Why is that it seems that everytime I perform a Rainboom, it brings out the ponies cutie marks and connects them? I would not be surprised if it happened elsewhere,” Rainbow said as she facehoofed.         “Awww, and here ah thought she just kept following Twi because she was her biggest fan,” AJ said, with a smirk.         “WHAT?!”         At that point, the silence of the void was broken by the talk, the cheer, the light, and the laughter of newly forged friends.         “Laughter of friends, the loyalty of others, the honest heart, the enduring trust, and the magic of bonds. These represent what, exactly? Nothing more than a bunch of ideas that hopeless ponies try to look to in order to protect themselves from creatures like me,” Mirage swiped her claw at the image, “However, in the end all of those ideals turn worthless before the tide of darkness and cruelty. Don't they, kindness?”         The Fluttershy figurine looked on, the scars across her head redding as the blue eyes began to water.          The five mares walked swiftly along the rocky path, only stopping to give Twilight time to add more of the floating rocks to the road. As they walked, Twilight began to think about a conversation that she had with Applejack earlier, “Hey sugarcube, is Trixie there all right?”         Twilight sighed, she knew that lying to Applejack would be useless, “She isn’t fine, she is in trouble.”         “Ah could tell by the way she had been panting every time she does that dream spell and how she has been hiding a lot her pain from us. What’s going on?”         “Most unicorns, like Trixie or Rarity, only have a set amount of mana. Its why they can only do so much with their magic according to their talent.”         “You don't seem to have that problem,” Applejack stated, looking back at Trixie talking to the other.         “You’re right, because for some reason I have a larger reserve of mana than most unicorns. Trixie doesn’t have that, she is a normal unicorn with limits and that spell has been pushing hers.”         “What happens when they reach that limit.”         “They could fall into a coma and never come back.”         “Then ya got to hurry up and learn her spell to give her a chance to rest, Twi.”         Twilight looked down, her ears drooping, “I already mastered the spell, Applejack. I did it after we got Dash.”         “WHAT? Then why is she still doing it?”         Twilight looked straight into Applejack’s eyes, sadness and fear filling them, “And how will she feel when she sees a spell that she thought she was good at be easily mastered by her rival? Broken, and will start to hate me. I want to try and make amends with her, showing her up accidentally like that...won't help.”         Applejack could only sigh, not agreeing, “I only hope y’all are right, Twi...I can only hope you’re right.”         Twilight shook herself out of the memory, confident that she is making the right choice. Quickening her pace a little bit to speed their journey along, she stared ahead across the the next few rocks to see a familiar egg shaped cell, “Girls, I see Rarity!”         Galloping as fast as they could, it was Rainbow Dash who got there first. Rainbow looked at the egg case and noticed how Rarity laid. She was not in a fetal position like Pinkie pie was, nor was she in pain like Applejack, her body laid in the case with her legs at her side as if she was sleeping on her back, “Does she even need help right now? It looks like she is just sleeping.”         “I don't think so, Rainbow. Look,” Applejack said as she pointed her hoof to Rarity white snout.         “Oh, it looks like she’s crying,” Pinkie jumped up to the case and put her face against the glass, “Don’t ya worry Rarity, we’re coming in to cheer you up!!!”         “Pinkie, I need you and Dash to stay out here and keep an eye out for fearcats. I don't trust Mirage, she hasn't done anything to stop us for a while,” Twilight said as she stood next to Applejack.         “Ah wonder, what type of pain is she holding in,” Applejack asked as the bright light enveloped them.         When the two mare opened their eyes, they found themselves inside a royal ballroom, “Like Rainbow said, does she really need any help. I think we’re in the wrong dream,” Twilight said as she looked around at all of the fancy dressed ponies walking around the ballroom and talking amongst themselves.         “Well, at least it isn't hard to  find Rarity in this place,” Chuckling, Applejack pointed to the middle of the crowd where a purple mane was seen along with a very refined voice.         “Oh yes and then I said to her, ‘oh please. That hat is so old, is brand new again princess.’ hahaha,” Rarity said as she place her hoof to her hand and laughed.         “Wait, if she is living her dream,” Twilight looked to Applejack, “Then why was she crying in the case.”         Applejack then began to look around the ballroom, up the stairs and down them, and then back to Twilight, “Wait, if this is her home, then...! Twilight come with me,” Applejack said as she began to run up the stairs, Twilight following behind.  Once Applejack reached the top floor, she began to look through every room she could find, “Where is it, Where is IT? Come on Rare, you have to have a reason for it.”         “Reason for what,” Twilight asked, panting, “What are we looking for?”         “Sweetie Belle’s room,” Applejack said, standing next to a diamond shaped window, “Ever since I have known her, she has a special room for when Sweetie Belle visits. It contains her teddy bear button, singing equipment, and all of her favorite things. She would never go to a new home without making something for her.”         “So you mean, if there isn't one then there might be a,” Twilight looked outside the window and saw a graveyard with one stone, “Oh no. Oh no no no...Mirage wouldn’t do that, she just wouldn't. She couldn't be,” Twilight stopped herself from talking and used her magic to teleport herself and Applejack to the graveyard. They walked carefully to the one gravestone, “Mirage you are a BITCH,” Twilight swore for the second time as she read the stone.         Here lies Sweetie Belle                  Died of selfishness from a horrible pony.         Here she will be remembered         Well...by those who care.         “So that’s what’s her greatest fear is,” Applejack said as she looked at the grave, “I should’ve figured, considering how she is.”         “What is her fear?”         “Ah think, that she has always feared of going too far in being a lady,” Applejack said as she turned around to look at the mansion, “Of becoming exactly like those snobby ponies up there and forgetting everything important to her,” Turning slowly, she looked to the grave behind her, “And turning so selfish that she would ignore her sister’s needs till that little filly, her little belle... and dies from the ignorance. She would stop being unique and turn into just one of them, one of a crowd.”         Twilight looked on, taking in everything that Applejack was saying. Turning back to the mansion and then back to the grave, “Then how can we get her out of this,” she asked, thinking hard about her question. Then a sneaky smile came across her face, “Applejack, where are the others.”         “Probably left her when they thought her to be a self...ohhh, nice,” AJ then smirked to Twilight as she could see what Twilight was thinking.         A few hours passed as Rarity walked to the grave, a glass of wine floating above her with her magic, “Oh my dear little sister. If only I wasn’t so selfish and paid more attention to your needs. Then you,” the tears began to flow from her eyes, “ would still be here, alive. I am so sorry, no wonder they all left me...I am simply horrid. I can seem to only care for myself”         “Rarity, thank you  for all of those spa appointments. I mean, I don't think I am pretty, but you think so,” A soft voice spoke in the wind.         “Fluttershy?”         “Ok, I admit...there is something to looking good while being awesome.” “ Dash,” Rarity began to rise, looking  for the source of the sound. “Hey, HEY!!!!! Remember that one time, you made all of those dresses? Well, maybe not a good memory, but still you did that for all of us without asking for anything.” “You’re right Pinkie,” Rarity said, smiling and wiping her tears away. “Selfish, yeah sure...but I can't help but remember all of the times she would do something against her nature just to make someone happy. Or all of the times she would donate her precious time for other whenever she could.” “I do, don't I,” Rarity said, turning around. “Rarity, you're not a selfish snob, you are an artist. You like to bring out the beauty in others no matter what and you take care to spread that art around you.” “Thank you Twilight,” Rarity said as she managed to see standing in the smoke, her five friends with one more in the shadows. When I am feeling down I know she always has my back Yes I love my sister Rarity. “Oh...SWEETIE,” Rarity cried as she ran through the fog and hugged her sister tightly, memories flooding her mind. A young Rarity holding a young white filly in her hooves, “Don't worry Sweetie, I’ll make sure you won't ever be neglected like I was. I will always watch you.” An older Rarity clapping her hooves at a talent show as her sister danced on stage, “ You know, she should’ve been singing. She is a great singer,” She then heard a response of she had been bragging on her sister for the greater part of the show. “Come along Fluttershy, I guarantee that you will look gorgeous after this,” Rarity said bringing along a yellow pegasus. “Sapphires, oh that is too little. Let me go get you some Rubies,” Rarity said, talking to Twilight. Memories of all the times she had been generous floated through the dark fog, balling themselves up into a bright light and breaking the darkness from within. As the egg shatter into several pieces, Rarity stood before her friends. A warm smile came across face as she looked at each one of them, “Oh thank you all for what you have done. That nightmare was atrocious and...YOU,” She shouted, looking to the ragged and weary Trixie. Rarity walked slowly towards the unicorn, a stern look across her face, “You...you hair is simply horrid. And when was the last time you fixed that hat of yours, here let me fix it,” Using her magic, Rarity began to fix Trixie’s mane and outfit. “Aren't you going to be mad at Trixie too and want to make her pay for what she has done,” Trixie asked, enjoying the styling and fixing. “Oh of course I am a little bit mad darling, but a lady never holds a grudge for one and two, I refuse to let a crime against fashion go unpunished,” Rarity said as she finished things up. Twilight shook her head, she had a feeling Rarity would go for the mane first. Turning around she began to conjure her spell one last time. She looked at the 6 strands of light leaving her horn, each one bright except two, “Wait, Fluttershy’s light is dimming because she is in danger and very weak, but why is there...a...second,” She turned her head slowly to the light string that tied around Trixie’s hoof and noticed the dim light, “Trixie is using too much mana, she could die.” “These strings of light, they aren’t just connected to our mana. They’re connected to our life force as well, which means Fluttershy is,” Twilight turned to the girls as they were filling Rarity in on the recent events,” GIRLS!!!! We got to go and get Fluttershy, NOW! I just realized I made a horrible mistake!” Mirage looked to the little figurine of a yellow pegasus, scars along the figure. She petted it slowly as she watched Twilight realize the situation, “Farewell, kindness.”