Starlight put a hoof to her mouth, her face pale. She shook with anxiety. “That’s who she was? An outright murderer?”
Trixie nodded, nausea permeating through her body as she recalled the events on the top of the cliff. “Yeah, I have trouble believing it myself,” she said. “But then, I have to remember that my horn is broken.”
Starlight’s eyes fell. She pinned her hooves between her legs. “I’m so sorry. The fact that magic was your livelyhood, I can’t imagine the pain you feel right now.”
Trixie flinched as another surge of pain shot down from the crown of her head. Honestly, she hadn’t thought about her career until right then, but it only served to stir up her nausea once more. How would she continue without the use of her horn? Sure, magic was still there, but as Opal had told her before, it was unfocused. How would she use that?
Starlight must’ve noticed her forlorn expression. “Sorry,” she sympathised. “I shouldn’t have brought it up, should I?”
Trixie waved a hoof in dismissal. “It’s okay. I need to face that reality sooner or later.”
Three sharp knocks echoed from the door behind her. Could it be Twilight with new information?
As she started to get up, Starlight stood, raising a hoof in front of her. “Don't worry, I’ll get it.” She walked to the door. When she opened it, a tall, toned mate with a dark coat stood in the doorway. One of her silver eyes was scarred, and looking up at the crown of her head, she could see the remains of a broken horn.
“Fizzlepop!” Starlight greeted, but her smile couldn't hide slight shock. “Hi! I thought you were on duty.”
She gave a strange but kindhearted smile. “Don't worry, technically I am.” Her eyes fell on Trixie, and immediately she felt the depth behind them. Without any words spoken between them, she felt an iron connection tugging at her. Relief flooded in her chest. Even though she knew about her beforehand, she was not alone in her affliction.
Fizzlepop's eyes pulled away from her and back to Starlight. “May I come in?”
Starlight nodded, her expression somewhat blank. “S-sure,” stammered, stepping aside.
Uttering a small thank you, Fizzlepop walked toward Trixie, her eyes soft. Her eyes flickered to a space on the bed beside her. “May I?”
“Y-yeah,” she responded, scooting over a little bit. As Fizzlepop sat, two conflicting feelings struck her. Instinctively, she was afraid. She knew who she was before, and it frightened her. However, that inexplicable bond that she felt before made her want to open up more to her, confide in her. She thought about something to say, but her tongue faltered each time.
It wasn't long before Fizzlepop looked at her with a serious expression. “You're not alone.”
Her eyes pierced Trixie down to the core, and all fear vanished. She could hardly help the tears from streaking down her cheeks. No one but Starlight had made her feel so welcome.
But she couldn't help but laugh at herself. “Sorry,” she said as the stupid combination of crying her eyeballs out and obnoxious giggling ensued. “I can't make it thirty minutes without crying, can't I?”
Fizzlepop smiled widely. “Yeah, I get it. I know how it’s like to lose such an important part of myself.” She gestured to her own broken horn. “But I realized that even something that appears to be broken can be used.
“Speaking of which,” Fizzlepop continued, standing up. “I was requested by Princess Twilight Sparkle to help retrain you in magic once you’re done recovering, if you wish.”
Trixie glanced at her, hope swelling in her chest. “Could it help me with my career?” she blurted.
Fizzlepop grimaced, and the bubble of hope popped. “It… depends. Your magic as it is now is unfocused. Don’t get me wrong, we’ll do our best to refocus it, but it won’t be the same as your old magic.”
Trixie bit her lip. Crap! she thought. Her trade required simple magic, sure, but it was precise; the eyes aren’t easily deceived. If she didn’t have that precision…
“Are there any prosthetics?” was the next thing that she asked. She knew she was grasping at straws, but maybe it would yield something.
Her heart once again plummeted as Flizzlepop’s grimace continued. “There are some, however, they are very experimental. The best ones are made custom, but short circuiting can injure some unicorns. Not to mention that they’re very pricey. I wouldn’t recommend that route if you value your life as it is still.”
“Is there anything else?” she said, raising her eyebrows. She should’ve expected every answer at this point. But she needed her career. It was the only thing she was good at, the only thing that kept her mind off of the world at large. Anxiety flared in her gut. She’d be nothing without it.
“Surgery and therapy,” Fizzlepop ventured. “But again, money is the issue, as well as months of monitoring and essentially giving your private life away.” She tilted her head sideways. “Am I correct to assume that you’re not a millionaire?”
Her mind still racing, she bent forward to her knees closing her eyes. She could ask Twilight for a favor… but that was unlikely to happen given their relationship. She could try fundraising, but her reputation as a dictator would spare her no mercy. Her stomach soured when she even considered selling her assets away, but even if she did, she knew that they wouldn’t sell for much. Not enough to cover medical expenses. And if she used them as capital for a loan, with the wages that she would get eventually, she’d be foreclosed in a matter of months.
Her mind finally slowed when she realized the reality of the situation. She wouldn’t be able to regain her previous abilities without substantial risk. She was stuck with her affliction, most likely for the rest of her life.
“I know what it’s like,” Fizzlepop reaffirmed. “The bargaining. The depression. Everything. I was ostracised by my former friends. I was treated like a monster, and I became one. It was only until recently that I actually accepted my fate, and use what I have for good.” Her piercing eyes surged deeper into Trixie’s soul, something that should’ve been impossible. “I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes. That’s why I’m here, to extend you this offer.”
Trixie clamped her eyes shut once more. Nothing else would work. As much as she would like it to, it just wouldn’t. If she wanted a shot at getting her career back, she had to train. She had to learn from the ground up once again. But was she ready for that type of commitment? It took her entire waking life to get to where she was at with practical effects and everything, but to relearn it was daunting to say the least.
But she also had time. Who was to say that when she was fully recovered that she wouldn’t have the drive or the energy? And maybe with this training, she would be greater and more powerful than she would’ve been if she’d kept her horn. There were too many possibilities to outright reject it.
Fizzlepop sighed. “I’ll give you a little time to—”
“I’ll do it,” Trixie blurted.
She must’ve said it louder than she wanted to, because Fizzlepop jumped backwards, her eyes wide and her hoof to her chest. “That… that was fast,” she mumbled. She cleared her throat, straightening up her stance, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. “But not too unexpected,” she said louder, adjusting her mane with a hoof. “All right. It’s decided. I’ll check in on you in a week. If by that time you’re ready to go, then we’ll start training.”
Trixie nodded. “Sounds good,” she wanted to say confindently, but it came out as a long yawn. She hadn’t realized her eyelids were heavy and tingling until that very moment. She peered over at a clock on the wall, right next to the darkened window. It was nearly one in the morning.
Starlight chortled. “Well, I guess it’s about that time, isn’t it?”
Fizzlepop nodded. “Agreed. Had I not had so much paperwork to do, I’d have been here sooner. Sorry for being here so late.”
Starlight waved a hoof in dismissal. “It’s okay,” both she and Trixie said simultaneously. They spared a moment to smile at each other. “But you should get some rest too, Fizzlepop. I know how exhausting paperwork is.”
“Indeed,” she responded. “Well, I’ll be off, then.” She gave one last look at Trixie. “If you have any questions, I’m down a floor from you, Guest Room 8. Don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Okay,” Trixie said. “Seriously, though, thank you.”
She was already at the door at that point, but she turned and nodded graceously. “Thank you. Goodnight.”
With that she was out the door, and exhaustion had all but taken Trixie over. She flopped back down onto her mattress, spread-eagle.
“Well that was nice of her,” Starlight remarked. “To think that she previously worked for the Storm King.”
Trixie chuckled drunkedly. “You know, you say that…”
“... But I was a bad guy too, I know,” Starlight completed, walking over to where Trixie could see her, smiling. “Anyways, tomorrow, if you’re feeling up to it, let’s do a girls’-day-out, just you and me.”
Trixie’s smile grew wider. “Of course…!” she yawned, Starlight turning into a pink blob. “It will… be a Great… and Specta… cu…”
And like that, sleep hit her like a bus.
Envy lurked in the shadows, the moonless night pleasantly dark. She slithered through the twisted trees, the smell of a nearby swamp filling her lungs with a musty smell. She resisted the urge to gag.
Where exactly was that cottage?
She flew upwards to only barely above the trees, scanning the horizon. Ponyville was easy to spot, what with the scaffolding surrounding the remains of a huge, tree-like castle making it effortless to see. But if Ponyville was over there…
She soared back down and through the trees, Discord’s memory playing vividly in her eyes. The stud visited her all the time… maybe too much. That wasn’t the Discord that she was told about. That wasn’t the Discord that she met once as a cub.
As the trees began to clear, she slowed her pace. Through the trees she could see a beautiful clearing… too beautiful. It wasn’t natural by any stretch of the imagination, but was upkept well.
She was close.
She slowed further, restricting her movement as she started seeing the little creatures. They were all relatively close together, despite the bear that was among them… Harry, was it? She frowned. Fluttershy went to painstaking lengths to be sure each of them had a name and had a place.
When the cottage came into view, she picked up her pace. There was one window lit on the south end. She wrapped herself around the sill, peering inside. The yellow pegasus was replacing her bandages, a red, used one in a bin near her. To capture her and hold her hostage would be too easy…
But she hesitated. This was Discord’s lover. As ruthless as she was, she just couldn’t find the heart to take her. The same memory that played as she picked Shining Armor up flashed before her eyes once again. One of her father.
She pondered. There were still other tactics she could try to take his mantle. But she couldn’t take it forcefully. It had to be willingly given. She didn’t want to leverage his love against him… not yet.
She burned the location of the cottage into memory. Discord was a tough nut to crack, and his memories being blurry wasn’t helping, but she was determined that she would eventually get his mantle. She needed it to correct the wrong that was pony civilization.
Soon, she reassured herself. Soon.
END OF ACT 1