I'm Not Alone... Not Anymore
“You shall all feel my wrath, Element Bearers!”
With one beam of dark magic, the six found themselves encased in prisons of black, the demonic unicorn slowly approaching the purple mare sporting various scars.
“And what better way than to watch all the foals of Ponyville perish front of you!”
“YOU WOULDN’T!”
“Oh, but I will.”
In a flash, the group of seven vanished, the town square left in fiery ruins as everypony screamed in horror at the atrocities.
“I have to protect him.”
In all her travels, the unicorn had never wanted to protect something so badly, so much that she would sacrifice herself in the process.
It had all started years ago, after she had left Ponyville.
“Why don’t you just go back to your parents? The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t need help, not know, not ever.”
The rain trickled down her shimmering hat, the water beating relentlessly at the roof of the mobile home. By her side stood a small red foal with a mottled cerulean mane, his solemn expression unlike what she had seen just moments ago.
“I… I don’t have any parents. I was left at an orphanage when I was small.”
The words sliced through the mare’s heart, for she herself knew what it meant to have been abandoned, no parents to call her own.
“Please, can I go with you?” Those widening eyes held more raw power than The Stare, tearing at the mare’s heartstrings as his soul pleaded, begged for this opportunity…
“F-Fine. You can come with me, but you will listen to everything I s– Trixie says, understood?”
That smile. That warm manifestation of joy from such a small creature, the mottled face brightened by those glistening eyes wide-open in excitement…
It almost made her heart melt.
And the foal had always followed her around, never complaining, as if he enjoyed being with the unicorn mare more than anything in the world, not caring in the slightest if she gave him tasks that not even a mature stallion could have hoped to complete.
“I have to…”
“Ms. Trixie, why are you always so sad?”
The question made her freeze instantaneously, the stage stopping behind her.
“What do you mean, foal? Millions of ponies all around Equestria are all begging for a chance to see the Great and Powerful Trixie’s incomparable magic!”
“But you still seem so sad, inside.”
And she knew he was right. Somehow, even though she had hid it so well, he had noticed the small twinge of gloom in the bottom of her soul, eating away at her very existence.
“You jest, foal. Now come on, Trixie has to get to the next village by sundown.”
She would never tell him, but she enjoyed having him by her side, having somepony to talk to, somepony who trusted her, somepony who liked being with her…
A friend.
But no, he was more than a friend.
“What are you doing, Symphony?”
“Ms. Trixie! I was practicing that teleportation spell you used in that last act!”
The colt concentrated some magic in his small horn, a small fizzle the only product of his failed attempt.
“Aww, I can’t do it! I can’t do any magic right!” Tears began to fill his eyes as he remembered all those past failures, how he had had trouble even with a simple levitation spell…
“Now, now, Symphony, there’s no need to feel like that.” Trixie could literally feel her heart breaking as she pictured the small foal crying his eyes out. “How about this? In my free time, I’ll help teach you how to teleport. How does that sound?”
His gleeful demeanor returned in an instant, warming up the mare’s heart to an immeasurable degree.
Everything was right with the world, then.
She had stopped referring to herself in the third person around him.
She had let him into her life, shared her food and shelter with him every day.
No, he was much more than a friend.
Trixie coughed harshly as she struggled to stand up in front of the fallen colt.
“I will save you from this beast.”
The colt could only faintly hear her, the throes of unconsciousness warping his senses as he struggled to stay alive.
“YOU THINK YOU CAN CAN CHALLENGE ME, SIMPLE UNICORN?” The dark aura surrounding the villain known as Sombra grew exponentially, displaying his spoils to the Great and Powerful Trixie.
“I have already captured the Element Bearers. You cannot do anything to stop me!”
“I will never forgive you…
“FOR HURTING THE ONE PONY WHO WALKED BY MY SIDE FOR SO LONG!”
Trixie pulled out a strange artifact from her pack, one item that brought with it so many memories of anger and regret. She had set course to Ponyville to return it, ashamed that she had stolen it so many months ago from Celestia’s pupil, when the scene before her had begun to play out…
When a beam of dark energy hit Symphony.
“YOU DARE TO HURT THE ONE COLT I LOVE AS A SON?”
From her cage, Twilight recognized the mysterious object, its intricate curves and unique shape instilling dread in the Bearer of the Element of Magic.
No, don’t do it, Trixie!
Alas, the artifact was already clasped to her neck, the unicorn’s aura encapsulating her, crimson flames erupting from her coat as she advanced, the darkness attempting to overpower her.
I will NOT be taken over by the darkness!
With a pure objective, I wish to harness the celestial powers within you, no matter the cost!
To save all of Ponyville…
All of Equestria…
And Symphony.
Her entire soul began to feel excruciating pain as the darkness continued to seep in, working into the depths of her being to bring out the anger, the greed…
No, you will not consume me!
Her mind focused on that one pony, the one who needed her the most…
And the raging red flames expanded, shifting colors to a cool cerulean blue, similar to her coat.
Wait, her aura was red last time she used this, Twilight pondered. What could this mean?
Unexpectedly, Trixie’s anger subdued as she turned her back to the evil being, facing instead the fallen colt. With a touch from her horn and a small transfer of magic, the small foal began to twitch, his eyes fluttering open as he wildly looked around.
“Ms. Trixie!”
“Listen, Symphony, I’m going to send you someplace safe, okay?”
“But I want to be with you! See, I can fight, too!” With that, the small colt picked up a small branch in his weak levitation hold, throwing it as far as he could: five hooflengths.
Trixie couldn’t help but smile at his determination, but her expression rapidly hardened as she continued to speak.
“Listen, I’m going to defeat the bad guy, and then we’ll go and get some ice cream at a place called Sugarcube Corner. I hear they make the best sweets ever there.”
“Really? Are you sure it wouldn’t mess up your schedule?”
Always so considerate, Trixie thought, attempting to stop her eyes from watering as she reminisced on all the time they spent together.
“Don’t worry, I think you deserve a day off. Wherever I send you, just stay in that same place, and I will find you. Okay?”
The colt nodded happily, oblivious to the sorrow that would await him in the near future.
“DON’T IGNORE ME!” Sombra summoned a concentrated a beam of dark magic, aiming it directly at the mare…
Who simply smacked it with her hoof and sent it flying towards an unoccupied building.
“Okay, get ready, Symphony. This may feel a little ticklish.”
A large amount of light began to shine from the spot where the colt was standing, engulfing him as Trixie called out to him.
“Oh, and here.” The blue pony took off her cape and hat, handing it to the bewildered foal.
“B-b-but Ms. Trixie, this is yours! You worked so hard to get them!”
“That’s why I am giving them to you. This way, you know I’ll be coming back for you.”
Then came the hug, the tight embrace that lasted but a second, the warmth ever-comforting but only for that instant, in the end unable to shake that dread that lay deep inside the mare’s heart.
“Okay, Ms. Trixie! I’ll be waiting like a good colt!”
And then he was gone, the magic dispersing as the teleportation spell withered away.
He’ll be waiting… like a good little colt…
It took all of her strength to keep those rivers from flowing down her muzzle, for she had researched more on this artifact, and she had found out something even her nemesis Twilight Sparkle hadn’t known: the Alicorn Amulet could be used with good intentions, positive emotions driving the wielder…
At the cost of eroding her soul.
“This is between you and the Great and Powerful Trixie, Sombra. Release the Bearers.”
“Do you take me for a fool? I won’t give them a chance to use their so-called Ele–”
In a flash, six spears of pure celestial magic ripped through the tendrils of darkness that held the six ponies, Sombra writhing in pain as he dropped the spells imprisoning them. Trixie levitated the weak ponies next to her, healing them all at once as each stood up and processed her new condition.
“Trixie, what the hay are you d–”
“Applejack, Twilight, everypony else, Trixie knows she hasn’t been on good terms with you, but now is not the time to argue. Quickly, go get the Elements of Harmony.”
“She’s right,” the purple mare agreed. “Come on, to the library!”
“NOT SO FAST!”
Six arrows of darkness sped towards the Bearers, the spells quickly repelled by a strong shield of Ms. Lulamoon’s creation.
“Let them go. Your fight is with Trixie.”
The Summoner of Shadows was suddenly barraged by hundreds of beams from the unicorn’s horn, Sombra barely having enough time to raise shields of dark magic.
“RAAARRRGGGHHH! Take this!”
The battle raged on for many minutes, each party shooting volley after volley of magic projectiles at the other, but it was clear that the mare was running out of energy, the artifact around her neck boiling and leaving burn marks on her coat.
I can’t last much longer like this.
Please, hurry, Twilight!
The colt found himself in a small house, pondering over what he should do next as he stored the cape and hat in his sack, attempting not to wrinkle them too much.
Oh, wait! I forgot to give her the card!
Symphony took out from his sack a folded piece of paper, on its front a crude drawing of two unicorns – one grown up, the other his age – and looked inside at his handiwork. The more he waited for Trixie, though, the more impatient he grew, pacing back and forth innumerable times until he decided to take action.
I know! I’ll impress Ms. Trixie by teleporting there!
Okay, now, just like she taught me…
Oh, little did he know…
Trixie lay on the ground, her last store of magical energy slowly dissipating as she stared directly into those cold eyes, the eyes of a killer.
No, I can’t stop now…
Not while Symphony could still be in danger.
“Ha ha ha! You can never beat me, lowly unicorn! Not with any precious amulet, especially not the one I myself created! Let me guess, it’s eating away at your soul now, isn’t it?”
The mare paid no attention to his words as she shot out a plethora of sky-blue chains, attempting to entrap the darkness as she sped away. It proved to be useless for the most part, Sombra destroying each chain with ease.
“You are powerless against me, unicorn! You cannot defeat me!”
“But we can!”
The creature of darkness turned his head towards the new voice, spotting six familiar ponies with jewelry glistening under the sun.
“I will destroy you before you can charge them up!”
He prepared to concentrate more dark energy, when the chains he thought he had destroyed began to reform, once again restraining him.
“Pitiful unicorn!”
However, every chain he cut would regenerate in less than a second, Sombra writhing in desperation as he watched in horror at the rainbow forming among the comrades, Trixie struggling to keep the chains regenerating.
Just a little longer…
And then the Elements activated, sending a blast of harmony directly at the unicorn of shadows.
“NOOOOO!”
All around him, his dark magic was being petrified, the spell slowly working up to his horn.
When suddenly, a small figure appeared next to him.
Symphony shook his head in an attempt to stifle the dizziness, and he quickly spotted the mare she wanted to see.
“Ms. Trixie! Look, the spell worked!”
“Symphony? No, get out of there!”
…
…
But it was too late.
The words of fate had already been written.
Everything had fit in perfectly for that outcome.
Even time had decided to mock the mare as it slowed down to provide a better view.
The shot was fired at that exact moment.
Her magic had reached dangerous lows, her body unwilling to respond.
The colt turned to run a half-second too late.
…
…
It was inevitable.
The last of Sombra’s magic shot towards him, the blast singeing the foal’s coat as it sent him careening at dangerous speeds towards a nearby house.
The earth-shattering crack would not leave the mare’s memory anytime soon. The Lord of Crystals cackled as his muzzle turned to stone, his horn glistening in the sunlight until it lost all of its color.
“NO, SYMPHONY!”
With all her willpower, the mare galloped over to the colt, removing bit by bit all the rubble created by the projectile.
No, this can’t be happening!
“H-h-hey, Ms. Trixie. I did it! I t-t-teleported…”
A quick inspection by the mare led to horrendous results: his body was twisted awkwardly, in angles too terrible to describe, but that wasn’t the worst of it.
Trixie’s artifact could sense it.
His soul.
It was vanishing.
And she tried to heal him.
Oh, Celestia, how she tried to heal him.
She committed every fiber of her being to the spell, her own heart burning under the stress…
But it wasn’t enough.
She tried again, her soul screaming for mercy at the added output, her eyes red with grief as her determination continued to drive more and more magic into the small colt.
…
…
But it did not matter.
It would have never been enough.
“It f-f-feels cold, Ms. T-Trixie.” Symphony extended his forehoof towards the mare, who held it tightly as she tried to contain her tears. “What’s h-happening to me?”
“It’s going to be okay, Symphony. You’re going to a better place now. Where you’re going, there will be more ice cream than you can eat.”
Trixie lay next to him, hugging him close as his last breaths grew nearer, as he shivered from the cold and the fear.
“And you d-don’t have to be scared, because you’ll find your parents there, too.”
“And w-will you be there too, Ms. T-Trixie?”
“Very soon, Symphony.
“I’ll be there very soon.”
“Ms. Trixie. I wanted t-to give you s-something.”
Using the last of his magic, he levitated the card that lay onto the floor towards the mare, unable to keep it steady until Trixie herself helped him guide it towards her. Her eyes watered as she read the simple sentences and admired the crayon artwork, something so simple yet so heartfelt.
“You did this… for me?”
No response.
“Symphony?”
Nothing.
“S-Symphony?”
She already knew, no matter how much she tried to deny it. She could no longer feel his soul, the lifeless body completely limp, a small smile etched into his face, a face that would never again show feeling at all…
I failed…
I broke my promise…
The Bearers were already galloping towards the duo, but they could not counter the twisted, fickle paths fate had set for this Great and Powerful mare, the outcome inescapable.
Don’t worry, my sweet Symphony.
Trixie felt her own power disappear, her body finally giving out not from the magical strain, but from the sight that lay before her, the intense heartache, the soul-wrenching depression.
I’m right behind you.
Her eyes glossed over, her last breath spent as the other six ponies arrived.
A gust of wind wrenched the paper from her hoof, floating ever so carefree on the waves of air until it landed directly in front of the purple mare, the card open for all to see:
Happy Birthday, Ms. Trixie!
Thank you for being my friend! I want to be just like you when you grow up, so Great and Powerful!
Symphony.
…
…
“Ms. Trixie, why do you seem so sad?”
“You see, Symphony, I…
“I’m just like you. I was also left at an orphanage at a young age. I haven’t met my parents at all.
“I… I have nopony…
“I’m all alone…”
The waters of her being began to leak from her eyes, the foal responding with a tight hug, the tightest he could muster.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Trixie. I’ll stay here with you forever, and then you won’t be lonely anymore.”
The two ponies held that embrace for several minutes, each second longer than the last as they basked in the other’s warmth.
I promise you, Symphony…
As long as I’m here, I won’t let anypony harm you.
Even if it costs me my life.
A tiny smile formed on the mare’s face as the colt comforted her.
I’m no longer alone.