//------------------------------//
// Chapter Forty Six: Of Broken Dreams and Bad Nights 
// Story: Trixie is Pregnant and It's Twilight's Problem 
// by TheCrimsonDM 
//------------------------------//


Chapter Forty Six:



Written By TheCrimsonDM


Trixie walked through the abandoned crystal mines deep below Canterlot. The crystalline walls sparkled with ethereal light. She feared they would need a lantern or a light spell at first but it turned out that these miens were glowing with magical rocks. She had no idea a place like this could even exist.

Just ahead of her wearing bright orange robes walked her mentor, Shadow Heart. He was smiling like always. "You know this place is special, and it is the largest reason Canterlot was built where it was."

Trixie nodded. "It sure is pretty. But, why don't we mine here anymore?"

He continued to smile as he answered. "Oh, there are good reasons for that. Once upon a time, Celestia was forced to banish her own sister to the moon, scholars believe that there was a massive war that led to many deaths. There hasn't been much evidence found for this but it was a thousand years ago so finding such would be challenging. Of course the question remained, what to do with those that followed Luna, worshiped her even? Well they were causing an uprising, damage, and other acts of destruction and chaos. So it was with a heavy heart that Celestia had built a special task force to find these rebels, to capture them and lock them away. Due to the damage done during the battle with her sister she was busy trying to build a new home, and so she took the captured rebels and forced them to work in the mines as well as construct the foundations of Canterlot. There were many injuries and deaths as a result but in the end, she did abandon the mines as a way to show she would no longer result to such tactics for her own means."

Trixie chewed on that for a long moment as they continued walking. "So, they were like slaves? Celestia used them to build the city of Canterlot, and then... just forgot about them?"

"She didn’t forget about them. This place is hallowed ground, more like a memorial than forgotten. She deeply regrets her actions but you must keep in mind, these were the dark ages. The world was far more violent, deadly and filled with dark magic. Sometimes extreme measures were needed in order to protect those she loved and cared for. For example there used to be five tribes of ponies under Celestia's rule."

"I know there were the crystal ponies, but I haven’t heard of a fifth tribe?"

"Yes, there were gem eyed pegasi, whom she loved very dearly. Of course the changeling swarms managed to annihilate them. It was one of the few genocides that Celestia had to bear witness too. Between Sombra slaughtering all the Crystal Ponies, and the loss of the Gem Eyed Pegasi, Celestia had to take a hard stance on some things. The last few hundred years of peace we've been able to enjoy are solely due to these hard actions she's made."

Trixie could hardly imagine what it would be like to have a fourth tribe of ponies, let alone to have them completely vanish over night. There hadn't been a very large threat to Equestria in hundreds of years even. She really hoped that nothing bad like that could ever happen again. Surely with the peace they've had, nothing dark and spooky would ever return.

They walked past a few tunnels going off to the sides. Up ahead there was a large pit. It seemed they were heading toward it. Shadow Heart continued his lecture. "For as much as we've enjoyed the past few hundred years of peace though, we do have to admit that Celestia isn't perfect, that this peace is only temporary. One day a dark evil will arise, or return. Once this happens Celestia may not be enough to actually save us. So it is with heavy hearts that some of us who are loyal to Celestia beyond words, make hard decisions in the absence of light to keep this country safe and to keep her sun forever shinning."

Trixie looked up at him. "Is that why we're here?"

Shadow Heart nodded. "Yes, we are on one of those very tasks right now. Taking care of the things lurking in Celestia's shadows so that she may continue to let her beautiful sun shine down upon those that deserve peace and prosperity."

The closer they got to the pit, the more uneasy Trixie began to feel. There was a chill in here, one she hadn't felt before. It went through her fur, skin and even her bones. It was like it was freezing her very soul. They reached the edge of the pit and Trixie's eyes widened. The pit was filled with hundreds... no, thousands of pony skeletons. Earth pony, pegasi, unicorn, even some she wasn't quite familiar with were all down there. Something dark, and purple was slithering around a lot of the bones, like some kind of slime.

Shadow Heart stared down at them. He was still smiling somehow. "You see this, this is the pit the dead miners ended up in. Now that the flesh had decayed their pain and remorse were left to linger until a new threat began to grow in the shadows of Canterlot. In Celestia's shadow there was a brewing darkness she didn't even realize existed, and if she had, she probably wouldn't be able to take care of. Her guilt would be too much to do what was needed to stop this threat before these dark emotions transformed into a more corporeal and real threat to destroy the Equestria she built."

"What, what do you mean?"

"Give or take a few decades, these skeletal ponies would rise up to destroy all those they blamed for their deaths."

Trixie blinked. That was impossible. The dead couldn't come back, necromancy, ghosts, zombies were all myths. Yet somehow she knew, she could feel it in her soul that his words were true and that the cold she felt here was just the beginning of something so much worse. 

His horn lit up and two barrels of black tar like oil appeared next to him. "Take one of these, we're going to be pouring this stuff into the pit in a circle. Then I'll light it on fire and put their souls to rest. It's been magically imbued with Celestia's holy light and should burn away the dark magic here so they can finally pass on to the next plane."

Trixie nodded. This was what she signed up for, and if it was going to make this frightful cold go away and stop something even worse from happening later on. She could do this. She just wished that Celestia was aware of what they were doing and that they were doing this to help her. 

Maybe one day.


***


Trixie opened her eyes. That was an awkward dream, or perhaps a memory. She wasn't quite sure which, but seeing Shadow Heart again, even in the context of that dream made her happy. She wondered if perhaps Shadow Heart was still alive. If he was, she'd want to go meet with him again someday. In fact, she had just the mare who could help out with that. She rolled over and began pushing Twilight's shoulder, rocking her back and forth.

Twilight's eye cracked open. "Mmm, Trixie... did you wet the bed again?"

Trixie wished she could be surprised that this was Twilight's first response. "No, Trixie just had an important question for you is all."

"What is it? I'm trying to sleep."

"Trixie wishes to meet someone again. Do you know anyone named Shadow Heart?"

"I don't know, sounds familiar but I'm really tired. I'll help you find him in the morning, sleepy times now."

Well Twilight was practically useless here like this. Trixie closed her eyes. "Okay, fine. We will talk tomorrow. Good night my love."

"Good night."

Just as Trixie began to drift off to the world of dreams herself she heard something. The sounds of hooves gently clip clopping up the stairs. They grew close to the bed and stopped. Trixie was going to be pissed if she opened her eyes and saw Fluttershy watching her sleep. Seriously, what was wrong with the filly?

Trixie opened her eyes and saw Rainbow Dash. "Dashy?"

Rainbow Dash looked down at her own hooves. "Hey, sorry to wake you. I need Twilight's help."

Trixie sat up. "Are you alright? Does your wing hurt?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "No."

"To which question?"

"Just... no."

That wasn't a good response. Trixie began shaking Twilight's shoulder now. "Twilight, wake up. Rainbow needs us."

Twilight opened her eyes and sat upright looking tired. "What?" She looked over at Rainbow Dash. "Does your wing your hurt?"

Rainbow Dash simply shook her head this time.

Something was really wrong. It had been all night, and she was actually scared this might be the worst possible thing. Twilight leaned forward. "What do you need?"

Rainbow Dash pawed at the floor. "Could you... take me to Pinkie's? You can teleport right?"

Twilight blinked. "But Fluttershy is downstairs isn't she?"

Rainbow Dash didn't seem to want to respond. However, Trixie recalled their earlier conversation and she knew exactly what was going on. Trixie looked at Twilight. "I think she just needs to be in a safe... area. Fluttershy's not really giving that to her right now, but Pinkie can."

Twilight looked conflicted. "You two... didn't break up did you?"

Rainbow Dash's grimace came with a small painful croak. She spoke but her words came out slow, pained. "I don't know."

Twilight nodded. "Okay, I don't know what's going on, but Trixie seems to think you'd be better off with Pinkie right now, and maybe I agree." She climbed out of bed, yawned and then walked over to Rainbow Dash's side. "Trixie did you want to come?"

Trixie looked at Rainbow Dash. "Did you need me too?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I just need Pinkie."

Trixie looked back at Twilight. "Go on ahead. I'll stay here."

Twilight nodded, her horn lit up and then in a pink flash of light the pair of them were gone. This left Trixie alone in the bedroom, all by herself. The sounds of rain pitter pattering against the windows kept her company, but she wasn't sure she could really go back to sleep without Twilight. She laid back down, some part of her wanted to go, but teleportation wasn’t exactly good for the baby, or the baby mama, it usually made Trixie want to throw up. So she'd wait for her special somepony to return home. 

Part of her wondered though, what Fluttershy had done to prompt such a response from Rainbow Dash. 


***


Twilight teleported herself and Rainbow Dash to Pinkie’s room. They first appeared on the top of the second floor loft, looking down at Pinkie's room. It was dark in here but the shapes of Pinkie's furniture and her bed could be made out. Rainbow Dash leaned into Twilight’s side and gave her a hug. An odd experience that Twilight wasn’t sure what to make of. Rainbow Dash never hugged people.

"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Don't go yet, please?"

Twilight nodded and held her back. "I won’t leave until I'm sure you'll be okay."

"I... I have a question, and I wanted to talk to you about it without Trixie around."

Twilight felt herself growing apprehensive. That wasn't usually a good sign. The only thing she could think of was that somehow Fluttershy had convinced Rainbow Dash to expand their little group, and Twilight was going to have to reject the proposal. "What is it?"

"Do you know if Trixie and Fluttershy ever... kissed?"

Twilight leaned back. "Once, yeah. Before me and her started dating. Trixie isn't too proud of it, but sure it happened."

Rainbow Dash looked down. "How did you find out?"

"Trixie told me."

"I... see."

Twilight had to ask. "How did you find out?"

"Fluttershy told me, just barely."

Twilight's heart stopped. She had to pull away and take a step back. "You mean you didn't know? You've been dating Fluttershy for a month and you didn't know she had done that with Trixie?"

Rainbow Dash's lip was quivering. "I know right... I'm an idiot."

"No, you’re not an idiot, Fluttershy is. I don’t know why she wouldn't tell you."

"She only told me to make me angry."

"Why would she want you to be angry?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I don't know, me and her got into a fight, and then she told me that. I don't know why she wanted me to be angry with her. I just... felt hurt. Used."

Twilight nodded. "I would too. Trixie told me pretty soon after me and her began dating. She said it was probably rude of her to do that, but with how Fluttershy kept looking at her, she wanted me to know that even though something had happened between them she wasn't going to leave me for Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash looked away. "And you trust her?

"With everything I have."

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes. "I wish I could say the same about Fluttershy."

Pinkie’s voice came out from behind them. They both looked over to see Pinkie Pie standing on the staircase looking tired and wearing a pajama top and nightcap. "Maybe the three of us should take a break then?"