Rise

by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch

Act 1

"A society creates the heroes it needs, sometimes out of the most unlikely of materials."
-Clover the Clever

RISE

~~~~~Canterlot, The Royal Castle~~~~~

6 months before "The Dissonance Incident"

The Great and Humble Trixie sat nervously in the small lounge, her legs dangling off the expensive bit of furniture like a filly waiting to be scolded. The guards had forced Trixie to surrender her cape, but even the most stern faced and implacable among them had balked at the prospect of trying to take her hat. So Trixie gently turned the hat over and over again in her hooves, as she continued to wait in silence for the Princess to pass judgement upon her.

Trixie had come willingly, at the advice of an old friend, to confess her role in what had happened in Ponyville. She'd been assured that they would go easier on her if she didn't try running away. Not that I would have gotten very far, Trixie thought bitterly, eyes fixed to the bare stone floor. I lost everything when I left Ponyville the first time. All she had left were her cape and her hat. And her magic. Mom had always said that was all she'd ever need to get out of any jam.

Trixie looked around the small room with its beautiful but heavily locked doors, an absence of windows, and a lack of obvious escape routes and sighed mournfully. Getting out of this one might require a little luck too, Trixie thought moodily, continuing to kick her legs back and forth. Still, nopony has ever accused Princess Celestia of not being fair. What is the worst that could happen? She stopped swinging her legs for a moment, and facehoofed. Oh ponyfeathers, did I really just think that clichéd line?

A moment later, there was a brief knock on the door and the sound of the locks slowly coming undone. Trixie looked up expectantly, replacing her hat on her head as firmly as she could and putting on her bravest face. Whatever happens, Trixie, you will face it like the Great and Powerful mare that you are. It wasn't a terribly humble thought, but she needed a little confidence at that moment. Confidence which totally drained out of her as the door swung open to reveal the dark blue coat and piercing eyes of the Princess of the Night.

Trixie nearly died in her horseshoes as Princess Luna's horn lit to close the door behind her, the sound of the locks being thrown shut, hitting her ears like the nails being hammered into a coffin. Princess Luna quietly walked over to where Trixie was sitting, and pulled herself up onto the other chair. For a few long moments, all the Princess did was stare at her quietly. Trixie felt her forehooves start to shake, and gripped them together tightly in the hopes that they would stop shaking. Celestia might be well known for her fairness, but Luna had a nasty reputation for dealing harshly with those whom had aroused her ire. And surely attacking the village where it is said she first made friends is more than sufficient to do just that, Trixie thought miserably while waiting for the hammer to fall.

After a few more minutes, Luna spoke firmly but without rancor. "So. We have heard that you wish to own up to your misdeeds within the town of Ponyville. Is this correct?" Trixie nodded once, trying very hard to keep her expression penitent. Luna’s next words only served to make Trixie more nervous. "We are also given to understand you purchased an Alicorn Amulet illegally, and used its dark powers to entrap the city of Ponyville and abuse its citizens. Is this correct?"

Trixie nodded again, feeling a cold sweat start to travel down her spine. This is not going to be good, Trixie thought faintly, wondering why Luna looked so damn calm right now. Princess Luna spoke again after a moment, her head tilted to one side. "Do you have any idea why we are handling this particular matter, as opposed to our sister?" Trixie shook her head firmly, still a little too intimidated to speak. Luna smiled faintly. "Because matters pertaining to the misuse of Dissonance power and artifacts fall to us."

Trixie's eyes widened, and her pupils reduced to pinpoints. Fear seized her by the spine and she felt all of her remaining confidence completely abandon her. They think I'm a Sorceress! Trixie's voice clawed its way out of her throat as she shoved herself lower into the chair, trying to put as much distance as she could between herself and Luna. "B-b-but Trixie did not know! Trixie thought it was merely a magic enhancer, nothing more! If Trixie had known she would have turned the shopkeeper over to the Inquisition! T-T-Trixie is a good pony! I would never d-dream of using the dark arts!” Her voice squeaked out, her pupils reduced to pinpoints. “I swear!" Trixie babbled, her hooves trembled in fear, her words practically babbling. She knew what happened to Dissonance sorceresses - and it was not pretty.

Princess Luna held up a hoof and spoke in a firm and very loud voice. "Silence! We do not propose that thou hast dabbled in Dissonant Sorcery!" Trixie was nearly blown away by the blast of sound, a look of shock spread comically across her face. Oh. That's good, she thought faintly, still trying to collect her thoughts as Luna continued to speak with a bemused look on her face. "However, your actions were singularly irresponsible, and the cause of a great deal of financial damage and personal harm."

No longer frozen by panic, Trixie nodded miserably. "Trixie knows that now." She sighed a little, doing her level best to look sorry. "Trixie came here of her own accord to own up to that." As much as she hadn't wanted to. Still, it had probably earned a few fillyscout points in the process. What she'd wanted to do was run like Cerberus was after her, and not stop until she reached someplace they had never heard of Ponyville. Of course, the complete lack of bits had more or less put the kibosh on that plan.

Princess Luna was smiling faintly now, her hooves crossing in front of her. Trixie was particularly taken by those lovely silver boots that the Princess was always wearing for some reason. They reminded her of the ones her mother had worn on stage when she performed. It was an absurd thought in this situation, but Trixie simply couldn’t help it. Princess Luna's voice cut through her woolgathering, and Trixie's head snapped to attention. "Which was a remarkably brave thing to do, given the circumstances. So, " Luna arched an eyebrow. "allow me to present you with your options."

Trixie stared blankly at the princess before stuttering, "O-Options?" Trixie gaped a little at the mischievously smiling Princess. "Since when do c-criminals get options?" Trixie never could learn when to keep her mouth shut. It snapped around the last word, and Trixie could not help but be mortified. Great work, Trixie. Admitting guilt before you've even had a chance to explain yourself. Luna, however, did not seem to notice.

"Ah, so you understand the gravity of your crime." was the insufferably smug reply. Well, perhaps not insufferable: she was a princess after all. Princess Luna kept speaking right over Trixie's musings. "You are quite right that your actions were criminal, but I do not think this needs to become a matter for the courts." Luna lifted her head a little, a regal gaze directed right at Trixie. "You see, We have a rather unique problem that requires a unique solution. If you will agree to help the crown resolve this issue, we will happily sweep this matter firmly under the rug."

Trixie hesitated a little, tapping her hooves uncertainly together. On the one hoof, it was like a gift from Harmony itself. She would not only resolve her legal issues, but perform a service directly for the Princesses. That would undoubtedly earn her enough credit with the local nobility to pull herself back up by her horseshoes. On the other hoof, there was no telling exactly what Princess Luna was going to send her to do. It could be incredibly dangerous or incredibly dull. Trixie was not entirely sure which one would be worse. Princess Luna got that smile on her face again, and spoke in an almost jovial tone. "Of course, if you prefer to let the high court handle this case..." she let the words trail off suggestively.

Oh fie. She isn't really giving me a choice. She's telling me to co-operate, or end up in a cell for the rest of my life. Trixie really, really hated when ponies pulled that little stunt. She sighed gustily. "Trixie is ready and eager to assist the crown," she replied, trying her best to hide her distaste for this entire idea. "What can The Great and Humble Trixie do for the Princess of the Night?" Nothing for it but to try and fake enthusiasm. Maybe it would help soften whatever blow was about to come.

Princess Luna chuckled. "I knew you'd see reason. Come." She hopped off of the chair and briskly walked over towards the door. "I have something to show you."

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Princess Luna walked with a grace and poise that frankly annoyed Trixie. The Princess made it look so easy walking in that steady, liquid motion. Trixie would have killed to be able to walk like that - especially on stage. Audiences loved watching a performer move with style and grace, and Trixie had dedicated countless hours to perfecting each pose, walk and gesture she gave while performing. Of course, the Princess was thousands of years old - so perhaps it simply was the result of practice. It still annoyed her.

Luna led her into a dark, wood paneled office illuminated only by a half dozen candles burning in a chandelier above their heads. A fairly large oak desk dominated the room. The desk was covered at the moment in a large cloth map of Equestria, marked with little pins here and there. Luna gestured at the chair on the other side of the desk, and perched into the ancient but comfortable looking chair on the other. "Tell me what you know about Hollow Shades, Trixie." Luna said briskly, her tone of voice all business.

Trixie was still gazing at the straining shelves of ancient tomes upon the four walls of the room - most of them without any titles on the spines. Yet Trixie was willing to wager there were secrets of magic in those books that even Twilight Sparkle didn't know. Luna's words eventually penetrated and she blinked. "Huh. Trixie does not know terribly much." Hollow Shades was not a place a showmare like her went. There was simply no profit in it, given the town’s spooky reputation. "Trixie knows it is the home village of the batponies, and that many dark rumors that surround the place." She shrugged a little bit. "Trixie also knows the place has more myths and legends about it than Canterlot does."

Luna smiled slightly. "They prefer to be called thestrals, Trixie. I'd recommend not calling them batponies to their faces." There was a little smirk at that, and she tapped her hoof on the map, where the village was marked off as being somewhere deep in the Foggy Wood. "We have a situation currently developing there. Normally, I would send the Night Guard to handle the problem, but given the unique circumstances of the situation we feel that we need a unicorn." Luna leaned over the desk, her hooves touching each other. "Specifically, one who is an expert in illusions."

Trixie blinked, and then a smile blossomed onto her face. Illusions... I can handle that. " How fortunate that The Great and Humble Trixie happens to be an expert in illusion magic." She didn't quite preen, but she came awfully close to it. "Give Trixie the details." She leaned in towards Princess Luna now, much more enthusiastic than she'd been moments ago. "And you will not be disappointed in the results!"

Luna nodded and her horn lit with a gentle cerulean light, opening a cabinet on the desk and extracting a thin sheaf of parchment. "We received these letters about a week ago." She gently placed the letters on the desk, where Trixie quickly picked them up and began to read through them attentively. "The gist of them is that the town has been experiencing some sort of spectral invasion." Trixie blinked at her in confusion, and Luna nodded with a wry smile "These so called 'ghosts' have been causing all sorts of problems around town. Damaging property, causing road blockages and wreaking general havoc. More than a few ponies have been severely injured in the chaos they have caused.."

Trixie nodded, still reading slowly down the first sheet of parchment. Luna blinked at that and continued speaking slowly. "Equestrian Intelligence believes - and so do I - that these 'ghosts' are the product of some kind of malicious spell casting. When We sent a guard unit to investigate, they were ambushed,“ she gently tapped a thin black line leading into the forest, “here, in the middle of the Silent Road. There were a great many wounded, but none perished. The captain in charge of that unit reported that their weapons were useless against the creatures."

Trixie looked up from the letter with a raised eyebrow. Luna nodded with a slight smile. "Of course, we presumed there had to be illusions involved. We were originally planning to dispatch a unit from the battlemage division, but..." She shrugged, "Since you are here, I thought perhaps we could strike down two birds with a single stone." She blinked, and noticed Trixie just now moving on to the second letter. "Um.." Luna began a little curiously.

"Yes? Trixie is reading them." She half glared at the princess and went back to her work. Several awkward minutes passed between them. Luna coughed softly, and Trixie glared at her - completely forgetting who she was dealing with for a moment. "Trixie is reading as quickly as she can! Be patient!" she snapped, going back to the second letter with a touch of frustration. I swear, why does everypony expect me to blaze through this sort of thing? she muttered softly to herself, moving at last to the third and final letter in the stack.

For a time, neither of them spoke. Trixie slowly worked her way through the letters under the unnerving eye of the Night Princess. Every time Trixie glanced up, it seemed like Princess Luna was trying to restrain some inner frustration. It was a look Trixie was familiar with when she was reading and she sighed silently. Why was everypony in such a hurry when it came to the written word?

Finally, Trixie set the letters back on the table and looked expectantly at Luna. Luna nodded once before speaking in an exasperated voice. "Your mission is simple, Trixie - uncover the nature of these attacks and put a stop to them. Do you think you can handle that?"

Trixie smirked, placing her hoof daintily on her chest. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will be happy to put these ruffians in their place, whoever they may be!" Luna's slow smile should have warned Trixie, but she was too busy mentally rubbing her hooves together in glee. Finally, a chance to one up that annoying Twilight Sparkle!

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Fire Crackle's Cracking Good Fire Crackers and Crafts was the tongue-tangling name of the foremost purveyor of magical fireworks and amusements in Equestria. Trixie never actually said the full name of the place, of course. That would have been undignified. The store front was surprisingly modest, tucked away off one of the three market squares in the Equestrian capitol. Still, given the massive demand their business often had, Trixie supposed they really didn't need a flashy store.

Trixie adjusted her cape and hat nervously, having recovered the former from the stiff faced guard. She also made sure the heavy saddle bags were securely tucked under her cape. She didn't want the funds Luna had dispersed to her for 'expenses' to be stolen right out from under her nose; she had nothing else to fall back upon, after all. Still, it had been a long time since she'd seen Fire Crackle face to face.

Trixie inhaled deeply and pushed open the wooden front door to the shop. The place was a veritable riot of color, with bright cheerful signs proclaiming the latest and greatest in magical entertainments, all for a reasonable fee. The place was garish in the extreme, but it felt more like home than anywhere else.

"Fire Crackle!" Trixie called out, her voice rising a little. "Dragon Snap?" She called out a little louder as she wove her way around the stands. Nopony was sitting at the till, but that was normal for the middle of the day like this. Trixie wandered up to the register and gently tapped at the hanging silver bell, sending it ringing joyfully.

Moments later, a bright-blue maned unicorn filly with an orange coat popped her head over the counter top with a cheerful smile. Trixie blinked at her. What on earth is a little filly doing in here? This is hardly the place for foalsitting! The little filly cheerfully piped up in a squeaky sort of voice. "Hiya! What can I do for you today?" She was a remarkably well spoken young filly, and upon more careful inspection there was something awfully... familiar about her.

Trixie mastered her confusion and decided the best thing to do was to simply keep the show rolling. "Ah, is Mr. Fire Crackle here?" She asked the filly, trying to keep her tone as polite as possible. "Trixie wishes to speak with him." The filly looked disappointed for a moment, then hopped off her stool - which Trixie could now see had been positioned to be easily accessible to the little tyke, thanks to a little stack of books on top of it. - and ran off into the back room, yelling at the top of her lungs. "Poppa! There's a mare in a weird hat here to see you!"

Trixie's eyes went wide at that description and she stomped her hoof on the countertop, speaking in her loudest stage voice. "This is not a weird hat! This is the prized garment of The Great and Powerful—" Her voice was cut off a moment later as a bright-orange coated and flaming-red maned unicorn stallion burst out of the back room . He was a skinny sort of stallion with hidden strength in his wiry limbs and a set of cheerful bright green eyes. His forehooves were covered in shiny burn marks and he wore a thick leather apron over a white working shirt.

"TRIXIE!" the stallion cheered, leaping over the countertop like a dashing young rogue. He swept the powder blue unicorn up into his forehooves and hugged her with all of his not inconsiderable strength. Trixie let out a resounding 'oof!' sound before wrapping her hooves tightly back around the stallion. "Trixie, by Celestia! Why didn't you tell us you were coming by?" The stallion kept on holding her tightly; Trixie felt a little bit of moisture hit her coat right where his head might be.

Trixie gently patted his shoulder, and spoke gently. "I missed you too, Uncle Crackle." She hugged him tightly once more before trying to push him away a little. She had things that needed to get done. "Where's Aunt Snap?" she blurted out, and then she blushed a little - apparently her brain had different priorities.

Fire Crackle chuckled in his rough-throated sort of way. "She's in the back packing up an order of sky tubes." Trixie's eyes were on the doorway, and he followed her gaze with a smile. "Ah yes, and I see you've met our little joy." His voice was thick with happiness and no small amount of pride.

Trixie shook her head and couldn't help but smile. "Trixie didn't know, but Trixie is very happy for you Uncle Crackle." She shook her head slowly, and that teasing smile got a little wider. "Although Trixie is beginning to wonder why you did not tell her about this!" She poked her hoof into Fire Crackle's side, grinning widely. "Trixie knows you and Aunt Snap have been trying for years! And what is her name? Fess up, Uncle - or Trixie is going to start testing product inside the shop again!"

Fire Crackle burst into laughter, fending her off with his hooves. "No no! Anything but that! We nearly burned the place down the last time we did that!" He wiped away a tear and companionably wrapped a hoof around her shoulder, guiding her into the back room. "Her name is Sparkle Pop. She lives up to the name too! I swear, she gives us so much trouble sometimes. Even more than you did as a filly!"

He hoofed open the back door with a casual ease and walked her back amongst rows and rows of low-set tables. Each table, Trixie noted, was still piled high with boxes of magical crystals and alchemy mixtures, dozens of jars of various chemicals and cardboard tubes, boxes and containers stacked to the ceiling. "We had her four winters ago," he scratched his hoof against his chin, "and I coulda' sworn we sent you a letter." He shook his head. "Bah. Damnfool mail service." Trixie gave a wintry little smile, absolutely agreeing with that sentiment.

A few moments later, they came across a pegasus pony stacking paper-wrapped tubes carefully in a box. Trixie had always though Aunt Snap had the most beautiful coloration a pony could have - her entire coat started out a bright yellow near her head and forehooves, and slowly seemed to shift through orange into a bright red near her rear hooves. The entire effect had a little ripple pattern especially along her wings that made her look like the sunset. Her mane and tail were both charcoal grey and spilling around her face and flanks in a wave of tight curls. Her aunt's slightly slanted, bright green eyes and dainty appearance suggested a heritage from a faraway land, though Trixie had never asked her about that.

Moments after they entered the room, Dragon Snap looked upwith those gorgeous green eyes of hers and gasped aloud. Like all pegasi, she had a knack for sudden acceleration - and deceleration - when she got excited. Before Trixie knew it, she was being enthusiastically embraced by the mare, and soon by Uncle Crackle as well. For the briefest of moments, Trixie let all of her walls down and reveled in the quiet hug. Home, she thought, with no small amount of emotion, this is home. And it always would be, no matter how far she traveled.

The moment couldn't last, and everypony there knew it. So at last, her aunt let her go and then thwapped Crackle with her wing. He chuckled and let Trixie go too, and then she felt that firm yellow wing pressing under her lowered chin, lifting her head. "You remember what I told you, little filly. Keep that head high." There was an imperious note in her aunt's voice, one that suggested dire punishments if Trixie did not obey. "Still, it's good to see you, little one. You do not visit nearly enough." Her face blossomed into a smile. "Now, let me finish packing these boxes and you can join us for a little lunch before you run off on whatever fool adventure you’ve planned this time."

Trixie tried to raise her voice in protest, and there was that imperious yellow wing, pressing her mouth shut from under her jaw. "Hah, I know my little one." Aunt Snap spoke, in that regal manner only she could affect. "You have the look of a mare about to engage in a desperate feat of daring-do. We shall discuss it over lunch. Now, begone both of you! I need to finish packing this box. Crackle dear, send our little Sparkler out to pick up luncheon." She waved her wing at them imperiously before going back to her work.

Trixie couldn't help it, she laughed. "It is good to see that some things never change."

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Within an hour, the three ponies (and one filly!) were seated at the little shop table, full of boxed food spread out for all of them. Sparkle had brought the food in a familiar little red wagon, proudly lifting each box to the table with her nascent magic - something Trixie fondly remembered doing herself at that age. After a stern word from her mother, Sparkler had stopped calling Trixie's hat 'weird'. She was now calling it 'funky' instead, which Trixie accepted with a weary sigh.

The four of them ate heartily - small talk nattering around the table about the newest fireworks and what Sparkler had been learning in school. Trixie tried her best to keep the conversation firmly away from her task, but she knew her Aunt. There would be no avoiding it entirely. Thankfully, Uncle Crackle was providing her with some nice cover. "Trixie, are you sure I can't convince you to come back to the shop? We could really use yer talents." Fire Crackle spoke earnestly, with a gentle smile on his face. "We've been looking to expand the business y'see. We've been doing so well lately, we've even got enough bits on hoof to hire on a fully-trained unicorn. Like a certain illusions specialist I happen to know." He waggled those eyebrows at her, and she couldn't help but smile at him.

Aunt Snap rolled her eyes. "Husband of mine, do stop trying to pressure her. We both know why she will not accept your offer and I, for one, am proud of her for following in her mother’s hoofsteps." She flicked a wing at him before smiling lovingly at Trixie. "Do not listen to my crystal-addled husband, little one. We are both proud of your choices and all you have achieved on your own. Now, what is this crazy task you have undertaken, hm? Going to try and put on a show for the Summer Sun Celebration all by yourself?" There was a sly smirk on her face as Trixie blushed - she had tried to do that one year with decidedly mixed results.

The blush quickly faded as Trixie felt a leaden weight of guilt in her gut. Her Aunt and Uncle knew nothing about how her career had gone - which was to say, badly. They also knew nothing about her... indiscretions in Ponyville, nor the loss of her beloved cart. She hadn't the heart to tell either of them about any of it. They had been so proud of her on the day she'd first set out to make her name as a Showmare. To follow in the hoofsteps of her mother, and her mother before her.

It had become obvious that while there might be no business like show business, it was not a business Trixie knew very well. And truth be told, Trixie, she thought with no small amount of bitterness, you were planning to come here to beg for a job.

Trixie had seen no other options when she had left Ponyville bitless and cartless. Her career had already been in tatters and her little temper-tantrum had thrown the remains into a fire and gleefully watched them burn. What little pride she had left had been the driving force which had sent her to turn herself in instead of coming to them for help - she hadn't wanted to face them as a failure.

She took in a deep breath, trying to banish the depressing thoughts and put on her best smile. "Trixie has been commissioned by Princess Luna herself to handle a special problem for her." Her fake smile turned into a real one, as she shifted in her seat. "Trixie will be dealing with an issue in Hollow Shades," she proclaimed, getting a gasp of amazement from the little filly. Her Aunt and Uncle, however, traded immediate sharp looks with one another - not the reaction she was expecting. "Um, is something wrong? Trixie thought you would be pleased," she ventured, a little nervous all of a sudden.

Uncle Crackle spoke first, slowly. His voice was happy, but he did sound cautious. "We are, Trix." He began, rubbing at his chin. "Just... old memories I suppose,” he said finally. His voice moving from worried to delighted, "So! I guess you're here to pick up some supplies for the trip, eh?" he rubbed his hooves together a little, leaning over the table. "Well, you'll get the family discount of course. What'd you have in mind?" Aunt Snap was still watching Trixie with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. Trixie knew she'd want to speak with her later, but for now she was going to make her Uncle's day.

She smiled and opened her saddlebags, lifting the carefully counted sack of bits onto the table in front of her wide-eyed uncle. "Trixie wishes to obtain a Cracklestraviganza package, if you please." She even managed to say the tongue-tying word correctly for once. She smiled brilliantly as her uncle gaped at the sack of cash. "Oh yes, and Trixie would like it shipped," she added modestly, gently biting through a crisp bit of broccoli.

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It was hours later that the group finally approached the Canterlot Train station. Her uncle was directing a small team of work ponies in carefully moving the six massive boxes, all labeled with his company logo, onto the train one by one. Trixie was actually quite pleased - upon seeing the six cases of ordinance, all the other passengers except for her had mysteriously found things to do elsewhere while waiting for the next train. She was looking forward to a quiet ride. For once.

Aunt Snap stood with her at the far end of the station platform, and before Trixie could react she'd pulled off Trixie's hat with her hoof and started dusting it with her wing. She tsk’d softly. "It's going to need patching soon." Trixie's heart raced with fear until her aunt smiled softly. "Do not worry. I still have a bolt or two of the fabric. When you return to Canterlot, we will spend some time mending it together."

Moments later, the hat was gently set back upon her head, her aunt's hooves coming down to touch her cheeks. "Child," she said softly, "be honest with me please. How bad is it?" her voice was calm and reasonable. Trixie looked up into those eyes for a moment and saw no judgment, no disappointment. Just concern.

Trixie looked away, her hooves tugging the hat down more firmly onto her head. She took a deep breath and exhaled softly. "If this does not fix Trixie's problems, can Trixie come stay with you?" she said, not wanting to admit anything more than that. Yet she couldn't lie to Aunt Snap, as much as she genuinely wanted to. Where else did she have to go? Who else would take her now? What use did anypony have for a washed up showmare?

Trixie didn't even notice the tears until a gentle wingtip brushed them away. Her aunt embraced her, comfortingly stroking her wing along Trixie’s back. "Of course, child. There will always be a bed for you here, and good work. We will deal with the rest as it comes." She brushed her wings along Trixie's cloak, scattering motes of dust into the air. "Fire would be delighted too. He's always thought you could one day take over the family business with our daughter." She chuckled brightly. "And Sparkle Pop would love a big sister."

Then Aunt Snap smiled encouragingly and gently tucked her wing under Trixie's chin - lifting it up high. "But I do not think it will come to that. You have your mother’s soul within you. You will find your path." She kissed Trixie's cheek. "Now go. But promise me that you will return for a time once you are victorious - Fire and I miss you so." There was a hint of admonishment in her tone, as stern as Aunt Snap got around her.

Trixie looked up at the aunt who had been like a second mother to her and smiled softly. "I promise." she spoke gently, nuzzling her cheek up against the pegasus before quickly trotting off to board the train. Trixie will not fail you again, Aunt Snap. No. This shall be Trixie's Finest Hour!

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Why do they call this the Friendship Express, I wonder? Trixie mused as the countryside slowly rolled by her window. It seems like a silly name for a train. She shook her head, returning her steady gaze to the open book in her lap. No time for that now. Focus, Trixie! She'd grabbed the book from a box of her old things, a very old book on Illusion magic and its practical applications. Once, it had belonged to her mother - Trixie had been studying it all of her life.

Her eyes steadily moved across the page, line by line - absorbing every word before moving on. She'd always carefully studied her texts, making sure she could remember every word of what she read. Sure, other ponies could read faster than she - but nopony could remember the things they read like she could. Of that Trixie was certain.

The time aboard the train passed slowly, as it always did - Trixie focused on her book. She was actually pretty excited, she'd always wondered what she might learn from the 'Tangible Illusions' chapter, but Mom had insisted she study everything else in the book before she tried this.

Tangible Illusions, or 'Complete Illusions' as they are sometimes known, are one of the most difficult feats to which any illusionist can aspire. As their name suggests, a Tangible Illusion is one which can actually interact with the physical world. Only somepony who has already mastered the other illusory arts can even hope to achieve them.

Some unicorns mistake this to mean that we are actually summoning creatures into this world. In reality, the illusionist is merely constructing an illusion so complete that it extends to all five senses. Therein lies the true challenge of the tangible illusion, in that the caster must be able to fool all five senses at once without breaking the spell.

Such illusions are incredibly difficult to conjure. Paradoxically, however, maintaining them is an extremely simple matter, only requiring a small yet constant stream of energy. The most powerful illusionists can exploit this to create several tangibles beforehoof, then resting for an extended period of time to regenerate their power.

One must always be aware, however, of the singular weakness common to all illusions: they are worthless if the audience does not believe in them - an illusion only has power if it is believed to be reality. This is the ultimate, terrifying power of the tangible illusion - one must make an enormous, conscious effort to disbelieve in them, despite all of their senses telling them otherwise.

Trixie was fascinated by the very concept of an illusion that could simulate a real pony. Well, I can think of a few good uses for that. She giggled softly at the thought, turning the page. Oh dear. This is... complicated. Magical formulae had never been her strong suit; she'd always learned far better by doing something - learning through trial and error. Still, Trixie ought to at least try to pick up the basics.

For the next eight hours, Trixie was very glad the train was otherwise empty. Casting an illusion focused on any single one of the sense was foals play, combining up to three was relatively simple - touch/sight/sound was a staple of nearly all her shows. Four was pushing it, however. When she tried to incorporate taste or smell, she often found the illusion too difficult to maintain for longer than a few seconds.

All five simply resulted in total, utter failure. Oh, Trixie came close - sometimes achingly close to weaving it all together in the right ways. Every time though, something was so fundamentally off that even Trixie couldn't convince herself of the illusion’s reality, which caused the thing to promptly vanish into nothingness. Over and over again, Trixie had tried and failed.

So few ponies ever saw this side of her, since she usually only did this sort of thing when out on the road. Countless hours of repeating an illusory trick of one kind or another, countless days of practicing that trick until it became second nature to her. She worked through trial and error until she brute-forced her way to a solution to any magical problem she might encounter. Somepony had once asked Trixie why she didn't research her techniques instead. She had replied simply that she wouldn't know where to begin - this was how she had learned magic in the first place, was the only way she had ever learned. Trixie wasn't likely to change those methods now, especially when she'd gotten so good at them. Usually.

This problem was starting to get on her nerves though. She had a feeling it was going to be like the time she'd tried to learn how to magnify the power and intensity of her fireworks. At least this time Trixie has not set fire to anything... yet, Trixie thought gloomily, sinking down into the train bench and breathing heavily. Blast it, she mentally snarled, kicking the bench in front of her in impotent fury. Trixie has a lot of work to do, it seems. She sighed and fanned herself with her hat, glancing out at the glowing sunset on the horizon.

Trixie's forelegs gently curled around the bright hat, hugging it close to her chest. "I will make you proud, Momma. I'll be even more famous than you were," she whispered softly to the window. "You'll see." She hugged the hat even tighter to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. "Trixie will not cry. Trixie will be a strong filly for you."

She lifted her precious hat up and planted it firmly back on her head. "Back to work," she proclaimed, wiping away the beginnings of tears from her eyes. "Trixie will master this skill!" She hopped off the bench and marched determinately into the middle of the aisle. She summoned her magic, and tried again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six hours later, Trixie was no closer to victory with the illusions but she was fast approaching Hollow Shades Station. Unlike most train stations, this one was nowhere near the city itself. The rail lines would have had to run through nearly a hundred and fifty miles of dense wilderness for that to happen, and nopony had been willing to pay for the expense. The only way to get to Hollow Shades was on hoof or by cart. Most travelers preferred the latter, and there were a dozen small carting businesses arrayed around the train station. Even at this time of night, most had lamps hanging from their carts indicating they were available for hire.

Like any town in Equestria, Hollow Shades loved merchants coming to town to sell goods that either couldn't be made locally or were in high demand. Despite the remote nature of Hollow Shades, it was still a sizable city. It was a prime stopping-off point for merchants on the Manehattan-Canterlot route. So Trixie was surprised to find the area around the train station to be mostly quiet.

It seemed there was nothing at all going on tonight. Perhaps this ghost problem has become even worse than reported, Trixie thought. Trixie hopes she has not gotten in over her head again. She shook her head firmly and stuck out her chest. “No! No more of those thoughts! You are the Great and Powerful Trixie!” her voice boomed out, drawing a few glances from other passengers as the last of her pyrotechnics were unloaded onto the platform. "Now! Where is Trixie's cartage? There are foes to smite!"

Her eyes darted around the exit and initially she saw nopony. Then there was movement as a dark wooden cart rolled smoothly up to the platform. It appeared to be made of the same kind of wood all over - some nearly black, tightly grained stuff that shined in the moonlight. The pony driving it was a batpony, much to Trixie’s surprise. She wore a deep-hooded blue cloak that wrapped around her throat and was held together with a shining sapphire gem - a gem cut surprisingly similarly to the one that held together Trixie's own cloak.

The batpony - thestral, Trixie corrected herself - looked up with those golden, dragon-slitted eyes and smiled slightly. "You must be Trixie Lulamoon." Trixie nodded cautiously, the thestral chuckled. "Lulamoon. An old name. A powerful name." She gently pushed her hood back for a moment, revealing a wild and short black mane. "I am called Shadow Song. We must make haste, there is much for you to do."

Trixie was already lifting her boxes into the cart one by one, along with the few small bags of personal items she'd brought with her when Shadow Song’s comment finally penetrated. "Wait. How do you know Trixie's last name?" The box of fireworks she had been moving began to tumble into the cart but Trixie's magic neatly caught it. She set it down daintily.

Shadow Song laughed - a soft, deep, rolling sound that sent a chill up Trixie's spine. "Your mother was Phantasma Lulamoon, was she not?" Trixie's gaping stare was all the answer Shadow Song seemed to need as the last of the fireworks were slipped into place. "She was well known in the City of the Night, Miss Trixie. That is all I shall say for now." She pulled her hood firmly back up. "Now come. We have a long way to travel before the night truly begins."

Trixie tossed her saddle bags over her shoulders and resettled her cloak over them. She glared for a moment at the mysterious thestral, contemplating a nice yelling fit. Alas, she is unlikely to bow to such tactics. With a supremely put-upon sigh, Trixie hopped down into the back of the cart and plunked her plot in the seat. Within moments, the cart was being pulled towards the looming black forest that dominated the eastern skyline. "Have you ever been to the City of the Night, Miss Trixie?" the thestral asked.

Trixie shook her head. "Not that Trixie can ever remember. Trixie has heard many rumors of course." She would never admit it in front of anypony, but as they passed into the forest she felt a little shiver of fear cross over her as the sky seemed to vanish behind the thick boughs of the trees, replaced by a barely illuminated carpet of leaves and branches hanging menacingly overhead.

At least the road is smooth, she thought, a little ironically. She didn't think she would have been able to take this claustrophobic atmosphere if she was being jostled and bumped every five seconds. Still, just to be on the safe side... Trixie gently unhooked her cape, carefully stowing it next to her as she pulled out one of her hoof-stitched show harnesses.

Long ago, she'd discovered that one of the most powerful things she could add to her show were her uncle’s legendary magical fireworks. She'd also learned how to carefully conceal them within her cloak and about her body so that she could set them off with a minimal amount of magic. This allowed her to make her shows even flashier, longer and more impressive. The harness was made out of cloth and metal hoops colored to be the exact shade of her coat - they let her mount any number of clever tricks literally up her sleeves.

Within minutes she'd given herself a flashy and powerful show load-out and resecured her cloak to her neck. Should anything try to attack her, they were going to be in for quite the rude awakening. When she was done, her thestral companion finally commented on the proceedings, "It seems you already know one of the most important rules of the City, Miss Trixie. I am glad to see you know the value of being prepared for anything." Shadow Song turned her head with a toothy grin, showing off her sharp fangs. "You will need those instincts if you intend to survive."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour had passed and Trixie had begun to notice the thousands of little sounds and sights that flitted through the forest in the depths of the night. They could not see the moon from here - but just enough light peeked through the branches to allow Trixie to see, a bit, once her eyes had adjusted to the light. There were a thousand creatures, some large and some small, that moved from shadow to shadow, just barely visible. Surprisingly, none of them seemed interested in the two ponies quietly making their way up the road.

In a way, Trixie was glad Shadow Song seemed uninterested in talking. Trixie had never been spectacular at first impressions and the fact that this pony had not merely known her name, but the name of her mother as well, disturbed her greatly. Trixie had long ago resigned herself to knowing very little about her mother beyond what Aunt Snap and Uncle Crackle had told her: that she had once been the greatest stage magician in all of Equestria, that she had even given shows to Princess Celestia herself.

It certainly was not unlikely that she could have performed in Hollow Shades, but there had been something about the way the thestral had referred to her... ’An old name’, what does that mean? Trixie frowned, glaring out into the woods. If Princess Luna is toying with me, I will be quite put out. That was putting it extremely mildly. Trixie hated being manipulated. She hated others trying to control her through emotions or words or actions. She would not be a pawn in somepony else’s game.

Later, Trixie would wonder how things might have gone if she had not been so intently staring at the passing trees. If she had not been so angry, if her frustration over the spell she failed to cast - even once - had not been so bottled up. Perhaps it wouldn't have mattered. But maybe it would have.

Trixie was the first to notice the shimmering glow of creatures ghosting through the trees. Each sparkled and shifted with a magic Trixie knew all too well. They took the form of thestral ponies in ancient tattered armor, wielding ghostly lances. Shadow Song's eyes widened in sudden terror as they burst onto the road, charging the cart with lethal intent. Trixie’s astonishment quickly turned to righteous anger.

Fling illusions at her would they? "You FOALS!" she cried out into the night, earning an astonished look from Shadow Song. "You know nothing of the pony with whom you trifle! I am The Great and Powerful TRIXIE!" Her hooves moved in a dramatic gesture - one she’d practiced a thousand times. Her horn suddenly lit and set off the full range of fireworks concealed beneath her cloak. A torrent of flame and light burst forth from her extended hooves, dozens of screaming rockets twirled through the air at their attackers and a mass of sparks and flame burst behind her, lighting up the night like a miniature sun.

The ghostly ponies reared and shied away as the magic of the fireworks slammed into them. Trixie knew these fireworks better than anypony except her aunt and uncle and she knew exactly how each and every one of them was supposed to work. The very way in which the fireworks collided with the ghosts was enough to make their illusory nature obvious, much to her delight.

Trixie focused her mind as strongly as she could. She forced as much magic into her horn as possible. "The Great and Powerful Trixie denies you, foul specters! You are nothing more than Illusion!" she cried out, planting her hooves in the cart. Trixie thrust her head up high, her horn shining brightly in the darkness. "BEGONE!" she thundered, magic granting her voice power and volume far beyond normal. Her horn flashed with power and a beam of magic lanced across each and every one of the ghostly figures.

There was a moment of dead silence, then a sound like the tearing of cloth. Two dozen explosions of light and magic echoed through the forest, like a cluster of fireworks going off in quick succession. A moment later, all of the ghostly ponies were gone - replaced by darkness and silence throughout the forest.

Billows of smoke rose from beneath Trixie's cloak, shrouding her face under the dim light of the moon. "Hah," she wheezily proclaimed, the smoke slowly dissipating. "Trixie is not... impressed... with your... shenanigans." She felt her legs giving out and her mind slowly sagging beneath her weariness. Perhaps Trixie overdid it a bit, was all she could think before unconsciousness took her.

Comments

[Tast]

Oh! It wasn't published yet! I couldn't figure out why I was so confused when Code's Apprentice referenced the "Hollow Shades" incident. Now I want to read it to understand. Dastardly mind...

[Skeeter The Lurker]

Hm.

This... Seems curious.

Consider me interested. Don't let me down now.

~Skeeter The Lurker

[Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch]

2678558 Heh! And now, you'll get to find out exactly what happened.... and how it changed Trixie.

2678582 Don't worry, I wont!

[fenrirofdarkness]

Huzzah! This is an interesting way to start the story. I love what you do with it, Lapis-Lazuli, ;) And Trixie is definitely a fun character to read, I've always been curious on how different she has changed when we saw her in 'The Code's Apprentice'.

[Deleth]

Excellent start. Keep up the good work.

[Luz]

Congrats on the feature!

[Sketchy Markks]

FINALLY! A hollow shades fic! Let's see how this goes!

*begins reading*

[Chadbane]

Yet another story I'll have to read this summer. Forget that school summer reading stuff!

[scytho]

So far, I love this!
You've made a very interesting Trixie and I really enjoyed the scenes with her Aunt and Uncle. You keep growing this little world you've made, maybe one day it can compete with the Winningverse .

[HeartsWarmth]

OOOOOHHHH, nice, please continue. Just for my own curiosity are you portraying Trixie as a dyslexic?

[Beware The Carpenter]

This is one of those stories that I can't pick anything that I particularly like about it, but I appreciate the story overall; (though I laughed at Sparkle Pop deciding to call Trixie's hat 'funky').

No mention of what happened to Trixie's mother; they're talking of her in past tense so I'm assuming she's dead or missing. Fire Crackles hesitation when he learned Trixie was going to Hollow Shades suggests that might have something to do with it; possible Trixie's mother went missing there and now she's the one harassing the town.

Also no mention whatsoever of Trixie's father, whether he's dead, or if maybe Trixie's mother doesn't even know who he is. Given a traveling showmare I could see how that would happen.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Okay, interesting here. Catching up on stories I faved and intended to get back on. Trixie's my favorite character from the show. So I'm interested to see where you take her. ;)

[treegrowth]

Did Trixie just became awesome on that last part there,

coooooolll!