The cloaked figure carefully moved forwards and sat before the stained glass window of Princess Trixie the Humble.
“Fate rarely calls upon us in the moment of our choosing, and those it chooses rarely believe themselves to be ready. But perhaps that is for the best. Those who believe they are worthy of power, are quite often unworthy of it for that very reason. While those who do not seek power, are often the most worthy of it. Would you like to hear the story of a humble mare who is one of the latter?”
“Run!” Trixie yelled, looking to the injured form of her master's good friend...maybe more. The irony she was the mirror image of the solar fiend she'd been fighting all her life was not lost on her. “I'll hold them off!”
“You can't!” replied the other Celestia, struggling to stand.
“I can! And I don't tend to overestimate myself!” replied the Princess of Humility, casting a glimmering invisibility spell on her. “If you don't get back to your world, both of ours are in danger.”
“...Thank you...I'll be back with help...” Other Celestia muttered before the sound of hoofsteps signaled her departure.
“Well well,” said the Celestia Trixie decidedly knew well, the two evil Princesses loomed over her. One long a foe, the other...a former friend she couldn't believe was now an enemy. “Looks like we have Sombra's little pet...did he really think a fledgling Alicorn would stand a chance against me? Let alone me and my sister?” she asked, talking about Trixie with a condescending tone.
Trixie stood her ground. She knew they were right. She could hold them off, but that and actually standing a chance were far from the same thing. She knew that. But that Celestia and whatever help she might bring back were the only chance they had. The brave Alicorn began charging up her horn.
“What's wrong? Too scared to speak? Let me know where my other self got to and maybe we'll let you go...maybe...” Celestia said, approaching her.
“No...” Trixie replied, preparing to fight. She tried her hardest not to look upon the visage of her former friend and focus solely on the demon in front of her.
“Then I hope Sombra enjoys putting you back together again,” the Tyrant Sun replied, charging up her horn and letting loose a beam of solar wrath.
Trixie gave a scream, eyes snapping open in her bed, in a cold sweat. She quickly set up, eyes darting around the dark room as she tried get her bearings. No Princesses, only shadows of furniture. “It's okay, just a memory...” she muttered, trying to catch her breath. She cringed, clutching her chest as a dull pain shot through it. “Okay, maybe a little more than that...” She got up and walked over to a mirror.
The Princess of Humility parted the fur on her chest enough that the skin underneath could be seen, revealing what was once an obviously very horrible burn that would undoubtedly scar for life. And that was only the surface, she'd had several broken ribs beneath it. “...It was worth it...” she told herself, thinking back to where it had all lead. The Princesses' purified and once more on their side, and stopped from the possibility of spreading their evil to other worlds...
The recorded image of her corrupted teacher flashed before her eyes.
“...Or was it really?”
Successor. Heir Apparent. Acting Ruler.
She only hadn't been given the title Queen because King Sombra was still potentially (and hopefully) savable.
So many titles many would do anything for...and she'd never asked for any of them. The title was never what inspired her down this path.
Trixie watched out the window of her family's basement, the only shelter possible when what awaited outside the city limits was preparing to strike.
Celestia cackled, charging up a huge sphere of solar energy, Trixie's father pulling her back and covering her with his own body. The family cowered, expecting the worst, an earth shattering blast...
But it never came. Carefully, the family crept towards the window, gazing out at the radiant shield surrounding the entire city that had blocked Celestia's assault. Standing on a pillar of radiant crystal, glaring up resolutely at the one who sought to bring the world to its knees, and if an ounce of fear was in him, it didn't show.
Trixie watched the sight with sparkling eyes, the hero before her doing what she felt all heroes should: inspire.
Princess Trixie sat in the back of the unmarked car, eyes scanning analytically at everything around her. Her allies noted she'd been extremely silent the entire ride. If she weren't an Alicorn and acting ruler of the country they might have forgotten she was there.
“Are you sure it's secure?” one of the Royal Guards in the car questioned, looking at the metal suitcase hoofcuffed to Trixie's leg. He was a gray furred Earth Pony stallion with a piece of putty for his Cutie Mark beneath his armor. Fitting, as his name was Puddy. The fact he was named after the heroic golem foot soldiers of a benevolent witch in a popular TV series was entirely intentional on his parents' part. It had inspired him to take up martial arts and become quite proficient.
“Adamantium case and lock, you'd need some serious fire power to break that thing open,” another one replied, a white furred pegasus by the name of Storm Trooper. Under his armor was a target bulls eye, and he was well-known for his precise marksmanship. “Cadenza maybe, but she's got the fall out from all this to deal with. Besides, no pony but Celestia even knows she had the dang thing.”
“Don't be so sure...” said Trixie, drawing everyone's attention as she carefully examined everything. “If somepony managed to steal it, then they could just take it somewhere else to get it open...”
The Princess of Humility looked out the windows at the dark woods going by. “And don't forget: just because Celestia doesn't think anyone knows doesn't mean that is true. Celestia was never omniscient, and all it would take was a truth potion on the right servant of hers or Luna's and they might spill something they overheard and kept secret under threat of death...or were willing to part with information now that there isn't one,” she explained, trying to sound mature and wise. That was how Sombra always tried to be like that, and that was what everypony needed, right?
“Isn't assuming a truth potion a little specific, your majesty?” Storm Trooper asked with a raised eyebrow.
Trixie gave him a simple look back. No hint of superiority or ego, just calm thought. Maybe a little too calm and thoughtful, maybe a little forced. “There's a master alchemist and extremely devious villain still on the loose in these parts, can you say you wouldn't expect her to know how to brew truth potion?”
“That's...a good point...”
“Yeah, but we've got an Alicorn and King Sombra's heir on our side, right?” Puddy asked, expression not as confident as his words.
“Being an Alicorn doesn't make me any more important to this mission than you are,” Trixie replied humbly, tone somewhat more natural. “A leader is nothing without their followers...besides, it's not like I've been perfect at everything I've ever done...”
As the car continued down the path, a shadowy figure watched from the woods, giving a prideful smirk. She carefully removed a sphere with a green glowing liquid inside of it and threw it in front of the car. On impact it burst open and within seconds of spreading black, twisted trees erupted from the soil.
“Look out!” Trixie yelled, quickly gathering her guard and the driver close with her wings over them before putting up a forcefield around the group seconds before the sudden impact. The Princess was deafened for a few moments by the harsh sound of metal being crushed and glass shattering sounded, but her field held. Once all movement had stopped, she pushed her field outwards, forcing back crumpled metal and allowing the group to crawl out of the wreck. “Is everypony okay?”
Puddy groaned, shaking his head to clear it. “Yeah, thanks to you, your majesty.”
Suddenly, a lion-like beast with bat wings and a scorpion tail erupted from the forest with a roar. The manticore dove at the group, Puddy and Storm Trooper quickly engaging it...
Trixie prepared to enter the fray...but blinked, noticing a strange collar attached to it pumping some strange mixture into it. “Something's on its neck...this isn't a random attack...”
The Alicorn then noticed the light reflecting off of something and quickly dodged out of the way of a glass canister. When it hit the ground, it shattered and released a purple liquid that burned into the forest floor like acid with a sharp sizzling sound.
= Killmonger – Black Panther =
“You are quite observant your majesty...”
Trixie turned to see a shadowy figure approach with a confident trot, wearing a brown cloak with a hood that concealed her face. Grey fur visible in the few exposed bits of her body.
“But that won't keep your charge from me...”
Trixie narrowed her eyes, staring down the shadowy figure. She took a confident pose, trying to not betray any lack of confidence or fear she couldn't do this. The spitting image of the figure she'd seen protect the city on a crystal pillar years ago. “...Zecora.”
The figure chuckled, removing her hood to reveal a Zebra, golden rings around her neck and large ear ring adoring her, mane in a Mohawk-like shape. “I see my reputation precedes me, it is a pleasure to meet thee,” she said with a polite, disarming bow. “Now if you would be so kind to play along, hand over what to me rightfully does belong.”
The Alicorn merely moved the suitcase behind her and stood her ground. “No.”
“Now see some reason, your majesty, there is no reason to cause a catastrophe,” Zecora replied, the mare slowly circling Trixie. Her tone remained polite and even, her circling seeming more observant than intimidating. If she had not introduced herself with an attack and Trixie not known her profile well, one would be forgiven for finding her charming, if not friendly and approachable. “You have suffered quite the blow, it would be a shame for you to again be laid low...Especially since to you Equestria does turn, something happening to you they'd be quite upset to learn.”
“I said no,” said Trixie simply, powering up her horn. “I've seen the things you and Tree Hugger get up to already.”
“Oh yes, my little protegé, an interesting pony she be,” the Zebra replied, continuing to circle but never losing her polite and friendly tone. “I must admit giving her the means to attack, almost makes me forget one fact. She is a pony like you, I wish she was a zebra true...”
“What do you even want with the Alicorn Amulet?” asked Trixie, tone commanding, if somewhat forced.
“That is for me to know and you to find out, but do not pout,” Zecora replied with a disarming chuckle. “We will have a bit of fun, before time out does run.”
Trixie didn't back down an inch.
Zecora reached into her cloak and produced a potion vial while Trixie charged up her horn. Trixie watched the curve of the Zebra's leg as she went to throw it, and prepared a shield to block while firing, aiming at the perceived opening in her opponent's guard.
The zebra simply smashed the vial on the ground in one motion, producing a green smokescreen. Trixie's intended counterattack beam merely went straight through the smoke. The Alicorn blinked as it was blasted away to reveal nothing. Zecora reappeared nearby and threw a barrage of potions that quickly grew vines Trixie quickly had to blow away with her beam to avoid being ensnared. The Princess of Humility quickly circled from the zebra, who retaliated with a barrage of potions the mare agilely dodged, trying to land a counterattack beam the moment Zecora threw them. The villain back-flipped out of the way, evading each beam and landing on her hindlegs unharmed. The Alicorn of Humility eyes widened when she looked down to find Zecora giving a smug, proud smirk, realizing her error too late.
The potions exploded behind Trixie, the blast launching her forwards into a nimble spin kick forwards...directly into Trixie's still healing chest with too perfect of precision to be accidental dumb luck.
The Princess of Humility was sent crashing to the ground, giving a groan as she clutched her already wounded chest.
Zecora feigned concern. “My my, your majesty, not looking good I see.”
Trixie forced herself to her hooves and glared, not saying anything and merely firing several beams attempting to capitalize on the zebra's ego and gloating. Zecora narrowly evaded the attack, throwing several potions into the air and the last one at her own hooves. They all exploded into green smoke, scattering throughout the area.
The Alicorn Princess carefully landed, looking around the smoke and waiting for an opening to present itself.
“A goddess of ponies you might be, but you're nothing to a zebra like me...” said Zecora, rising up behind her with a proud smirk. Trixie ducked under a thrown potion while mule kicking backwards, managing to knock Zecora back, but the Zebra rolled through and threw another potion at Trixie's face. The mare dodged to the side to avoid, allowing Zecora to follow-up with another kick to her injured chest, staggering her back clutching her chest while the zebra retreated into the smoke. “Once I get what I desire here, Equestria will be ours I fear.”
Trixie took a deep breath to calm herself, looking around, trying to remain confident and stone faced but the visage beginning to erode.
“Not a very talkative sort...don't you have a proud retort? Too high and mighty to speak to me? Typical of a proud pony.”
“Bragging proudly means you make easy errors...”
Zecora did a kick at her from behind, but Trixie spun around and caught it, blasting her back. The zebra did a flip, catching herself and rolling back to her hooves with her back to Trixie, quickly reaching into her cloak.
The Alicorn attempted to capitalize on the perceived error, forcing Zecora to dodge quickly to avoid. Trixie came down for a diving kick aimed at the apparent opening in her guard from the dodge in return...right as Zecora spun to the side and dodged while throwing the orb in her face, shattering and splashing a greenish-yellow liquid all over her face.
Trixie screamed out in pain, staggering back covering her nose and eyes, eyes clinched shut as they stung and coughing as a horrible stench entered her nose.
“A little Aniwye spray, hard on the eyes and nose if I must say,” Zecora said, taking advantage and hammering away at her injured chest with several rapid fire blows, ducking under a frantic blow from the Alicorn and mule kicking her wounded chest.
Trixie staggered back and fell to her haunches, clutching her wounded chest with one hoof. “You know I'm hurt don't you?”
Zecora chuckled. “I have my ways, but not hard to guess when you disappear for days...” she replied, dodging a beam fired at the sound of her voice and kicking Trixie several more times until the hero was left on the ground holding her chest in clear agony. The zebra trotted over and stomped her hoof into her chest, grinding it into the wound and causing her to scream in agony. “You do not deserve that horn and those wings, you so far have failed their duty at everything. Defeating the Princesses you had nothing with which to do, and where were you when Sombra needed you?”
Trixie gasped, tears not from the musk thrown in her face welling up in her eyes.
“Oh, it would appear I hit a nerve your majesty, perhaps feeling useless do you be?” mocked the zebra before reaching down and grabbing the brief case. She took out a potion and poured it on the chain, causing it to melt. The Alicorn grabbed onto her ankle and tried to stop her, only to be once more kicked in her wounded chest and forced to let go. “First time protecting Equestria alone, I'm unimpressed as you can tell from my tone.” Zecora smirked and tried to open the case...then frowned when it wouldn't budge. A quick application of the same acid yielded no results. “Adamantium I see, no problem that be. I merely need to make the right potion, and my plan will be completely in motion.”
The smoke finally cleared, revealing Storm Trooper and Puddy had managed to subdue the Manticore, leaving it trapped in a net. Puddy looked over to find what had become of their royal and gave a glare.
“Get away from her, you witch!” yelled the guard, dashing at her full speed.
Without a word, the zebra spun around and engaged him in a brief martial arts flurry before she gained the upperhoof and floored him with a kick to the head, knocking him on his back. Storm Trooper was met with a blinding potion to the face when he jumped in, leaving him open to a knock out mule kick to the head. Zecora planted her hoof in Puddy's chest, glaring down at him with barely restrained hatred.
“A witch you call me? I would expect no less from a pony...” said Zecora, her affable air gone and only venomous hate and rage in its place. She took out a potion. “A witch is always the first thing ponies see in me, so why not a witch I be?” she asked, preparing to throw it at the downed guards.
Trixie gasped, managing to see through her burning, watering eyes. Her horn ignited with magic and in a flash herself and the two guards vanished.
The villain's potion hit the ground and rapidly turned soil into stone where Puddy's head had been a few seconds earlier.
The zebra snorted hot air out her nose. “Cowardly ponies as always, oh well I say. I have things I need to do, so for saving my time I thank you...” she said, smirking as she looked at the suitcase and slowly walked away.
Little Trixie sat in Sombra's School for Gifted Unicorns, waiting for her turn to take the big entrance exam to finally enter the school. Of course she had taken the preliminary tests just to get this far, you didn't get into the most illustrious school in the country. The little filly was uncertain of how well she had done on any of them. She knew she'd tried her hardest and studied, but no matter how much she'd been reassured by her parents, a little voice in the back of her mind kept whispering doubt.
The young filly's ears twitched, picking up whispering voices from nearby. She crept over to find a large number of potential students huddled all around a door, listening intently to whatever it was happening on the other side.
“What's ha-”
The students collectively shushed her quickly and she quickly got the message.
“What's happening?” she whispered.
“They're talking about how we did on the preliminary tests,” whispered a colt. Trixie crept closer and listened intently with her ear close to the opening.
Time went by, students either walking away content with their results or head and tail held low in disappointment.
“Thank Sombra, I don't know what mom would think if I wasn't doing well already...My test should go off without a hitch,” said a lavender unicorn Trixie heard but was too fixated on the door to register completely as she walked away relieved.
“Lastly we have...Miss Trixie Lulamoon...” said one of the instructors.
Trixie gasped, listening with bated breath.
“Not much to say really. She's just kind of there...” replied another.
“W-What?” Trixie whimpered.
“She didn't get any outstanding results, just did well enough in every area to make the cut. Not sure how to even make a curriculum for her...”
Trixie's face fell, ears pinned as she listened.
“She's not bad, exactly, she's just kind of...not good.”
The little filly's eyes filled up with tears and walked away with her head hanging low.
Trixie sat in a hospital room silently as a doctor examined her. A herbal treatment had removed the Aniwye musk she'd been hit with, at the cost of her mane now having a pink tint.
“You're hurt, but you should recover quickly...it's at least not as bad as...last time,” said the doctor with a shudder, recalling the horrible injuries the Princess of Humility received from Celestia and Luna. To their credit, they'd apologized for it as soon as they'd been purified. “Good thing Alicorns heal fast...”
Her patient merely sat with her head down, not saying anything.
“...Are you okay, your Majesty?”
“...I just need time to think...”
The doctor bowed. “Yes, your Majesty...”
Trixie was soon alone with only her thoughts.
“...It hurts me when they say 'your majesty' it doesn't feel correct, right now it's more like 'Your failure...'" she muttered to herself before she slowly rose to her hooves and trotted over to a mirror over a nearby sink, examining herself. The mare gave a sigh, producing a coin from her regalia with Sombra's face emblazoned upon it, staring at it...with her teacher's corrupted visage being superimposed over it in her mind's eye. “My first time trying to do this solo without you here, King Sombra...I imagine if you were here, you'd be quite disappointed in me...”
Trixie slowly trotted into the main room, head low...and almost ran head first into a bunch of other ponies in much the same state. “...You didn't like your results either?”
The other ponies all shook their heads sadly.
Trixie sat down in their midst, looking at the others with a matching expression. All of them having worked hard and come all this way, only to have disappointing news to bring home with them even before taking the test. Some more disappointed than herself by a large margin. She heard one worrying what their mother would think of her. Another borderline crying. A third actually sobbing.
“Twilight Sparkle?” asked one of the teachers, ushering the purple filly from before into their exam room. But the little azure unicorn didn't pay attention, instead focused on the other foals who were far less confident of their chances. Just like her... The image of the heroic king standing inspiring over Canterlot flashed again in her head.
Well, her father had said to practice her spells, and she did have one in mind.
Trixie trotted over to the center of the room and took out her personal spell-book and looked through it. She'd practiced a number of them many times, her main preference being towards illusion magics. She'd been told she'd make a good stage magician, but she thought she'd make a better assistant than the main event. The spotlight wasn't exactly something she wanted most of the time. And she admittedly wasn't planning to do so now.
The students continued to sit in solemn disappointment...until a small magic firework shot up and exploded into bright colors above their heads. While surprised and taken off guard, they looked up in amazement before more erupted upwards and burst into sparkling lights. Disappointment turned into surprise, then surprise into excitement, and finally excitement into joy and cheering.
Trixie watched from a hallway door with a happy smile, doing her best to leave the foals unknowing of who was creating the light show. This wasn't about her, it was about making them happy.
She continued this for several moments, watching the foals break out of disappointment and enjoy themselves, at least for a little while. So she decided to end with a bang and slip back into the crowd while everypony was focused on it.
“My, looks like somepony is having a good show...” said the voice of the King of Sacred Shadows himself, standing above her with an approving smile.
The azure filly screamed, jumping into the air up to head height with the King...and accidentally putting considerably more mana into the firework than she ever intended to. The end result was a sizable, very loud blast of light and fireworks above the room.
Trixie groaned, her head hurting from the amount of magic she'd put into it. Her eyes opened...to see she'd blown the windows out of the room and left the watchers with their hair blown back in blind shock...and the King of Equestria staring down at her.
“...I'm sorry...”
Trixie sighed with tears in her eyes. “What am I going to do? Zecora wouldn't have stolen that thing if she didn't have a use for it...I...I don't know how to stop her...” she said, racking her brain trying to think of something, anything... “I tried to do what you would do...so what now?”
After about 15 minutes of trying and failing to come up with a plan in her own head, and failing to her growing frustration, her eyes finally fell on a telephone. She trotted over and picked it up, dialing a number she knew well.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Chryssy...”
“Trixie! It's so good to hear from you dear, how are things doing?”
“...Not very good...Zecora attacked the Amulet transport convoy...”
“Oh no...dear, are you okay? Are the guards with you okay?”
“Relatively speaking...Zecora was going to use some sort of potion on Puddy and Storm Trooper but I teleported us away in time...but that doesn't matter, she got the Amulet and she's got a plan...I tried, but I...I just couldn't do anything...”
“Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry...Do you want me to come help?”
“...You need to stop Lord Scorpan...that's more important than what I'm doing...”
“Rather more urgent...Trixie, you're important too.”
“I know...I'm the leader of Equestria in Sombra's...Sombra's absence. I have to live up to him...but...I just don't think I...” Trixie stuttered, the Alicorn's voice breaking and tears welling up in her eyes.
“Then don't.”
The Princess's eyes widened. “W-What?”
“Let me guess, you tried to play defensive and hit when your enemy exposes themselves attacking like Sombra does?”
Trixie found herself blushing. “...Yes...”
“I know you well Trixie. Sombra was amazing at that...but Trixie, no one expects you to be him. No one wants you to...Especially not him. Don't live up to Sombra, live up to YOU. ”
King Sombra smiled down at her, putting a big hoof on her shoulder. “Look...”
Trixie blinked, turning...to see the other foals laughing and talking about what they'd just seen. Their disappointment seeming forgotten.
“Why would one need to apologize about doing something these ponies obviously needed?”
“B-But the windows...” the azure filly muttered apologetically.
“Can be repaired. Goodness, do you have any idea how often one of the students here accidentally obliterate a room?” Sombra asked with a good-natured smile. “Dear, nobody is perfect.”
“...Not even you?”
“Not even me. Especially not me. All any of us can do is the best we can as who we are. And you were doing just that, Miss...”
“T-Trixie...Trixie Lulamoon...”
“Wonderful to meet you, Miss Lulamoon. And I think the proof of what I said is right there on your flank.”
Trixie's eyes went wide as she spun her head around to find a wand with a star shaped tip and a crescent wisp of magic adoring her flank. She let out an overjoyed cry of glee...then noticed she'd managed to gain the attention of the entire room and promptly hid shyly behind Sombra. The King chuckled and obliged. Shadows were good for hiding behind after all.
“You're not a tank like Sombra. Sombra was never fast and had difficulty with offensive magics. What he was good at was powerful defensive spells and being patient. So he defended himself patiently in order to pick his spots when the enemy exposes themselves, or hold the line until a more offensive minded ally comes. He let the opponent focus on him so he could draw their fire and tank it. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and we all act based off of them...Captain Goodguy told me to tell you 'To put it in video game terms, we all have different stats, trying to be a tank with rogue stats just isn't going to work'...He has a good point, dear.”
“...All any of us can do is the best we can with who we are.”
“Now you're thinking about Sombra the right way: someone who taught you, not someone who expected you to be him...dear, I have to go, we just located Lord Scorpan.”
“I understand, thank you, Chryssy...good luck.”
“The same to you, sweetheart.”
Trixie hung up the phone and trotted over to the mirror, again looking at herself. “Alright...don't try to be Sombra...be you...so...who are you?”
“Hmm, I see what you mean...” said Sombra, looking over Trixie's results with the other teachers, Trixie once more sneaking a look. “But I do believe you are missing one key detail.”
The teacher blinked, cocking their head. “And that would be, your majesty?”
“While yes, Miss Trixie lacks excellent scores in any one area, she's also lacking poor scores in any of them,” the King replied, tapping his chin. “Including weather magic, lightning generation, and other magics not typically found in unicorns. She doesn't have a strong suit, but she doesn't have a weak spot either. There's an old saying: a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one. Most unicorns are outstanding in one area, myself included, but Trixie could be average in all of them, which means she could potentially be one of the most exceedingly versatile unicorns to ever graduate from this school. She also has a grasp of subtly and giving things a nudge rather than barking orders. Quite the opposite in fact: she seems to prefer not to be in the spotlight but working from the background.”
Trixie gasped, eyes widening.
“And given her performance, she has a heart to match. She could be a grand leader some day...if she chooses to be. A different leader than me, sure...but different is far from bad. It can actually be a major positive.”
Trixie gave it thought. How would she lead? How could she make this work?
As a plan began to form in her mind, there was a knock on the door. Turning, she watched two familiar forms enter.
“Hello, your majesty,” said Puddy, giving a bow.
“Oh thank goodness, I'm so glad you're alright,” Trixie replied, heading over to the two. “I'm sorry I didn't beat Zecora, but I have a plan to do it this time.”
“Your majesty, we'd be lawn ornaments without you,” Storm Trooper replied. “And we're Royal Guards, protecting Equestria is our job.”
The Alicorn blushed a little bit. “I admit...I was so busy beating myself up, I kind of forgot that...” she muttered, then rubbed her head.
“We didn't,” replied Puddy. “So what's the plan?”
“The Alicorn Amulet is useless to Zecora in its natural state. She'd need some sort of artifact to modify it...” Trixie replied, thinking about it. “The Amulet is too powerful to just magically override, at least not by her. So she'll need to have a second artifact on her person countering it.”
Before the Princess could continue, the telephone rang. Storm Trooper quickly picked it up and nodded. “Zecora's attacking.”
“Then come with me, I'll tell you my plan on the way.”
= Killmonger – Black Panther =
Zecora laughed, standing above Ponyville atop a pillar of vines that glowed a dark blue. Around her neck was a white, Alicorn shaped pendent with blue jewels for eyes and a large one in the center of its chest. A red crystal shaped like a heart with a black mounting was now attached to it using clamps along the sides. The zebra smirked and raised a hoof, dark blue energy surrounding it. As the Amulet glowed with an azure light, the second artifact gave off a pale red glow. Ethereal chains wrapped around the Alicorn Amulet itself, forcing its glow to take on a darker tone. Rapid growing vines erupted from the ground and flew forwards, impaling and destroying houses as ponies fled in terror.
“Ponies of Equestria, hear my demands, into half your land let the Zebras expand. Give up what you do not deserve, and let us a new homeland observe. Of course one more thing you see, leader of this territory I will be,” Zecora said, never losing her affable tone. “Your princess I have laid low, your other heroes are abroad facing a foe. No one to save you will come, so it is best what I said be done.”
Ponies cowered in their homes and shelters, staring up at their attacker helplessly.
“I don't believe that will be happening, Zecora,” announced a loud voice.
Zecora turned to see Trixie, the Alicorn standing heroically on a roof nearby with wings flared. “Hello again, Princess of Humility, have you not seen in this the futility?”
“I see somepony threatening my little ponies, so I will not stand idly by and let you harm them!” the Princess yelled.
“You failed to lay a hoof on me before, and now my power did soar. And from my point of view my enemy, nothing has changed that I can see.”
Trixie looked up at her with a humble smile. “Maybe I just needed a few more sets of hooves.”
= Hangyaku no Monogatari – Madoka Magica Rebellion =
In of light flash, two more Trixies appeared. The three charged, shuffling around each other rapidly to hide the original among them. Two flew up while the third charged along the ground towards the zebra villainess.
“One, two, or three, it does not matter to me.” One of the flying ones fired several beams which Zecora countered with a shield made of dark blue glowing vines, jumping up and throwing several potions at that Trixie. “My victory today is assured, you will fall, you have my word.”
The Trixie dodged, the other flying one flying in and the two scrambling with each other. One flew skywards and kicked a cloud while the other flew straight at Zecora. The zebra saw lightning coming from the cloud and formed several giant spiked vines cloaked in a dark blue glow, launching them to intercept the incoming bolt as the charging Alicorn flew and seemed to disappear on impact.
“A clever ploy my dear, but not enough to fool me my dear,” the zebra said like it was a friendly jab.
The Trixie in the clouds dove down to dodge the vines and landed, rapidly mixing herself up with the running Trixie. One of them stomped the ground, launching rocks into the air as they did so. Once the two had finished scrambling, one of them flew up and kicked all of the rocks straight at Zecora with pinpoint accuracy. The zebra launched herself forwards on a vine glowing blue, snaking through the incoming shots and slamming her ride down between them. One disappeared in the resulting explosion of dirt and debris while the other launched skywards, in a flash of magic a series of crossbows with tranquilizer arrowheads formed in front of her and rotated. Using a hoof, she fired each at the Zebra in quick succession and expert precision.
Zecora's eyes glowed blue and she used several rapidly glowing vines to knock them away like the tentacles of an octopus and rapidly threw potions at the Princess with the assistance of still more vines. Thunderclouds formed above her and flew down past Trixie, obliterating the potions and heading for Zecora. The zebra formed a large barrier of glowing blue vines to block as the Alicorn vanished in a flash of light. The Princess of Humility reappeared behind her, doing a series of martial arts kicks. Zecora ducked under a kick and threw a punch, nailing Trixie in the chest and knocking her on her back. The villain prepared to throw a potion when a piece of broken vine floated up in the Princess's telekinesis and broke itself across her back, staggering her forwards into a double buck to the chest that sent her a good distance away. The Princess teleported once again, reappearing further back, away from town and into a clearing outside it.
“My, you do seem to have gotten better a touch, so I believe I'll have to take things up a notch,” Zecora replied, summoning two gigantic arms made of intertwining vines and trees that picked up boulders the size of a small house, hurling them at the Princess. Trixie teleported several times, summoning down lightning bolts from above to obliterate them while also rescuing and depositing civilians that'd been inside to safety so fast it almost looked like there genuinely was three of her. The last teleport saw her run along the ground towards zebra, picking up several sizable pieces of rocky rubble with Earth Pony strength and hurling it at the zebra as hard as she could.
Zecora leapt down, landing and sending a blue shockwave through the ground, resulting in titanic spires of rock and huge jagged trees erupting from the ground straight at Trixie. “If you think mere pebbles will be me, I have a surprise for thee,” she said, her friendly tone almost sounding a very slight bit more genuine.
The mare weaved through them, teleporting up at the exact last moment to avoid being impaled and taking to the sky.
Zecora smirked. “Don't think going to the sky will let you escape me, if you do a fool you be!” she said, summoning a massive spiked tree branch that grew rapidly at Trixie, branching off like a nest of serpents and chasing her through the sky, crashing down at every angles. “I will strike at you with no chance to rest, like you've entered a black mamba nest!”
The mare rapidly teleported, alternating between flight and running along the already formed branches, the sky turning into a chaotic display of tangled wood. Trixie finally dive bombed at Zecora, dodging more branches and teleporting onto the branch itself. She continued at the zebra, dodging and weaving as the branch impaled itself repeatedly and tangled onto itself in a gnarled mass, but kept coming at her all the same. Finally reaching Zecora, Trixie teleported forwards directly in front of her and then banked sharply, flying upwards. The zebra quickly had to break off the massive vine attack and launch skywards to avoid being struck by her own vines, moving too fast to stop and impaling the ground where she'd been standing like an iron maiden.
As she rose into the air, Trixie tackled her and sent them both falling towards the ground. The two exchanged blows in midair, the Alicorn not flying but falling along with her. “A clever move, I do admit, but I am not yet ready to submit!” Zecora exclaimed, her tone seeming almost genuine with the praise despite the clear prideful mocking with which it was intended. She grabbed one of her potions, charging it with blue magic and attempting to punch it into the Alicorn. Trixie teleported away at the last moment, resulting in the sphere flying up and exploding in a massive fireball visible from Canterlot.
Zecora landed as Trixie reappeared above her, blue magic radiating outwards from her stomp and sending spires of stone upwards at the mare, who dove down between them, ice shards manifesting in front of her that she kicked at Zecora with amazing accuracy. The zebra backflipped to dodge as the Alicorn teleported, seeming to use her momentum to land a flying dive kick to the zebra's chest, sending her skidding back.
The zebra threw down a smoke bomb charged with the Amulet's magic, the released now blue smoke seemed to come alive and surround Trixie from all angles of its own accord and block off sight. Zecora dashed around the mare, throwing potions, but somehow the Princess managed to evade them, sending them flying out the other side, forcing Zecora to dodge her own projectiles coming out the other side. The potions detonated around them in a huge blast, blowing larger holes in the stone surrounding them from her previous attack.
“Training with Starlight I would assume, is where you got this power to avoid doom,” said Zecora, throwing up dozens of potions skywards where they froze in blue magic, the Zebra's eyes glowing. Zecora didn't smirk, something she herself found strange, but not out of place given the situation. “But let's see if you can dodge this, as I put you into Heaven's bliss.”
But before she could attack what she assumed to be a helpless mare, suddenly, multiple thunderclouds formed above and rained down lightning. The bolts of electricity blew away the potions in dazzling light shows before redirecting right at Zecora, forcing her to teleport in a flash of blue magic.
“So, that allows you to use more than just supercharged Zebra magic?” Trixie asked from within the cloud.
“Yes, though I dare to say, I prefer with my own kind's magics to play,” Zecora replied, teleporting and attempting to kick Trixie in the back of the head. Trixie herself teleported to evade, Zecora taking the opportunity to produced a voodoo doll she quickly enchanted with the Alicorn Amulet's magic and trust a needle into the chest of, right into Trixie's wound.
She heard a scream of pain that seemed to echo distantly. To the Zebra's surprise, Trixie still appeared a distance away and took advantage of the already summoned thunderclouds to kick them in rapid succession to rain lightning down at Zecora with, the zebra quickly teleporting to dodge as her voodoo doll was grabbed in telekinesis and teleported away. Zecora appeared above her and threw down a barrage of supercharged potions. The Alicorn teleported, falling at her from above with a dive kick. Zecora spun around, attempting to throw a vial of Aniwye spray in her eyes again but this time Trixie teleported away, appearing behind the villainess and grabbing her before diving at the ground with the zebra in tow. Before she could slam the zebra, Zecora elbowed her repeatedly in her chest, taking six or seven hits to finally dislodge her, allowing the zebra to catch herself on the ground. Trixie teleported forwards at her with a diving kick using falling momentum, Zecora dodging at the last second.
The two exchanged a series of blindingly fast teleport attacks, Trixie alternating between raining attacks at range and melee, Zecora using massive vines, trees superpowered potions, and martial arts to strike, neither seeming to get an upperhoof.
The two finally landed, looking at one another and panting. Trixie was notably less winded of the two. A cloud passed overhead, Zecora's eyes glowing blue in the shadows.
“You have indeed improved, I am almost inclined to approve,” said Zecora, her tone seeming considerably more genuine. Almost humble.
“I credit my friends...” said Trixie, eyes focusing on Zecora's as they seemed to almost have a pale blue glow to them even once the cloud passed. “I must ask, when Puddy called you a witch, you went berserk...why? Why are you doing this?”
Zecora's expression was instantly one of rage, wrath, and revenge...before the blue glow in her eyes seemed to cool it. “...To tell you the truth I must confess, my life since coming to this country was a mess. My homeland is a hard place for my people to dwell, a ticket to you the best conpony could not sell. You had Sombra to protect you from the Princess's drought, we could never go that route. So I came here seeking a new home to live in, what I fool I had been.” Pride seemed to try hard to bury some hint of sorrow, but seemed eroded by a trickle of blue light. “Instead of acceptance welcoming me, a witch is all ponies thought I be. Towards zebras as a whole this view seemed to be, ponies didn't seem so superior to me. For so long that was what I was called, I decided to be a witch after all. If give me and my kind a sanctuary in this land would not do, I resolved to take it from you.”
Trixie stood for a few moments, then teleported, appearing next to her. Up close and not trying to kill each other, Zecora noticed her chest where the voodoo doll had been stabbed was indeed bleeding and the Alicorn was in sincere pain. “...I know the feeling...” she said with complete sincerity.
Zecora blinked, turning to her. “I wish I could believe you were right, but how is blind to my sight.”
“Ponies for a long time thought I was nothing...just an average unicorn who came to the School and got in due to a little magic act the King liked...and all my life because of that I've had people who kept saying I don't deserve what I have. That I only got what I did out of pity or dumb luck, and never deserved it at all. And it hurts...hurts so much that sometimes you end up believing it yourself. To try hard to be one thing but the world is convinced you're another.”
Zecora seemed to try and will herself to be angry...but the anger just didn't come. Where did it go? “I...I suppose you have a point, such things can easily put you out of joint.”
“But if we become what they think...then they win...” said Trixie, looking into Zecora's eyes as they continued to glow a faint blue. “...And in your case, isn't treating everypony like they're all lesser than you, like they don't deserve anything, including ponies that have never harmed you, being no better than the ones who wronged you? And isn't that letting them win?”
Zecora slowly looked around the surroundings, people hiding in panic. She wanted to laugh, to enjoy this moment. But it was like that part of her had...cooled. Like a red-hot sword suddenly dropped in cool, blue water. She held a hoof to her chest, feeling a tightness she'd not felt in...she wasn't sure, had she ever? It was...strange. Why couldn't she enjoy it? But there was a warmness too, knowing someone understood her pain... Her pride bid her not to listen, but it was like someone had put a muzzle on it.
She turned to Trixie, looking almost in a daze, eyes now a steady blue. “I...I don't know what is going on, it's like this all just feels wrong...”
“That's how things are supposed to feel. Empathy is something you should've received so much more of than you have...maybe if ponies had given it to you, you would've learned to give it back to them,” the Alicorn of Humility replied, gingerly putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Like I want to show you now...if you'll only listen and let me...Then maybe instead of being a witch, you can be who you really wanted to be from the start.”
The zebra villainess stood for a few moments, looking at the mare before her, hoof offered outstretched...and slowly reached, taking it.
Zecora allowed herself to be cuffed with magic nullifying restraints of the highest caliber available (and emblazoned with 'Made in Chaosville') and loaded into a car, Trixie sitting in the front seat with her chest bandaged. She looked up, seeing herself in the rear view mirror...and saw the Amulet around her neck...and only it. “It cannot be...” she said, looking down at the blank Amulet, glowing blue. “When did you take it off of me?!”
“When the fight started...” Trixie replied with only honesty, not bragging pride.
“But when did you get close enough to pose, the ability to steal it from under my nose?” the Zebra asked, then her eyes widened.
The Trixie dodged, the other flying one flying in and the two scrambling with each other. One flew skywards and kicked a cloud while the other flew straight at Zecora. The zebra saw lightning coming from the cloud and formed several giant spiked vines cloaked in a dark blue glow, launching them to intercept the incoming bolt as the charging Alicorn flew and seemed to disappear on impact...
Or rather teleport, having snatched the second artifact at the last moment.
Trixie held up the artifact. “The True Heart Amulet, an artifact that blocks the effects of mind altering artifacts. With it, you could use the Alicorn Amulet without fear, but without it you gradually gained compassion and empathy as the battle continued.”
“But...but how is this a possibility? How could I be robbed by a holographic copy?!” asked Zecora in disbelief.
“Because they weren't holograms,” said a voice. Two more Trixies walked up with smirks. The Trixie sitting in front of her's horn glowed and a glamour broke, revealing Storm Trooper and Puddy.
“Princess Trixie was using her spells to provide the 'special effects,'” Storm Trooper explained. “And was being our eyes and ears. She knew how perplexing you could be to fight, so having someone who can teleport spam us watching from the shadows and keeping an eye on you was a good plan.”
Trixie blushed. “You two were as good as I was, I'd be dead without you..” she said, then slowly looked back at Zecora. “For the record...I was being honest, I really do know how you feel...and I know you'd never listen so long as that pride was in the way...I'm sorry for tricking you, but it was only once the Alicorn Amulet subdued your pride that you'd ever listen to reason...But now it's your choice. Do you want to keep it and enjoy your new empathy? To be able to care about others...and know they care about you? Or do you want to go back to being heartless?”
Zecora was in no position to make that choice herself at this moment...but had been given a lot to think about for when she was.
Of course, when one had finally gained the capacity to feel for others and know for sure someone sympathized with your pain without being blinded by pride, could they ever truly return to how they were before?
Trixie looked at the mare sitting heartbroken in a crater. The mare who a few moments prior had nearly ripped Canterlot apart at the seams in a power mad rampage. And now was simply a broken mare, the weight of all she'd done crashing down on her like a tidal wave.
The Princess of Humility slowly trotted over. “Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight turned around, looking at her in confusion. “Trixie?”
Trixie simply sat down next to her, looking at her. “...I'm sorry.”
The mare's eyes went wide. “W-What?”
“...I'm sorry for never realizing how unfairly you were treated. For never realizing that I accidentally ruined your chance trying to help others through their others...” the Alicorn replied. “And I want to make it up to you. Don't consider it helping...consider it...owing you something I haven't repaid for a very, very long time...Will you let me?” she asked, holding out a hoof to her.
The cloaked figure closed the book.
“And that is the story of Trixie the Humble. How a shy little filly became the student of the King of Sacred Shadow...and took on a proud zebra and may have given her a little humility. Ready for the next story?”