Thorax dove after them as soon as he saw the ice and stones cave in and bury Starlight and Twilight. Smashing and clawing through layers and layers of ice, snow, and rock, he focused intently on just getting Starlight and Twilight out. He would not allow the pony who saved his life to perish. Not when a debt hasn't been settled. Not with his honor in question.
He'd cock his arms back as he wailed into the earth with his claws balled up. Using his emulated strength of a massive elder dragon to make huge gains against the rock.
Calamity had been avoided for the rest of the village, despite most of the ice and rock being sent into the bottom of a canyon. The snow from the tops of the mountain that still towered over them had buried the village in the frost. Leaving everycreature up to their neck in ice.
Or if you were Spike, wholly buried.
However, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack had been spared from their buriel, still on the outskirts of the village, having watched the snow tsunami crash over the town and the friend falling into the abyss.
Pinkie Pie immediately jumped up and ran over to the crater, sitting beside Thorax as she did her best to sort through the rubble. It wasn't unfamiliar to her; many times, as a young foal, she had been sent into canyons or quarries; she knew how to move large rocks quickly.
"Don't worry Twilight, we'll get you outta there!" the mare called in desperation, digging through the icy stone.
Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were flying over the village, they were lucky to get most of the yaks out of the path of the snow, so at least nocreature was buried inside their homes. Fluttershy looked around in fright, trying to find the area where they parked their wagons.
"SPIKE?!" the yellow pegasus called out, trying to find the baby dragon.
"Where are you, little dude?" Rainbow Dash is called as well. Spotting something moving in the snow, the pegasus dove down and began digging, only finding a young female yak.
"Thanks for helping Yona!" the Yak pulled herself out of the pocket of frost.
"You're welcome, but have you seen a little purple dragon?" Rainbow asked.
"Sorry, Yona, no see good through the snow."
Spike smashed his claw through a thick layer of snow as he desperately dug his way out from his icy entrapment. Once everyone was free, he lay stiff and cold on top of the snow as he shivered before remaining motionless, just cradling himself in his arms as his jaw rattled.
Fluttershy immediately spotted the young drake and darted down, scooping him up into her hooves, doing her best to wrap her coat around the dragon, "Oh, you poor thing!"
Thorax carefully plucked Pinkie Pie up before unleashing a massive blast of fire to melt as much ice as possible. The expedition's guards carefully climb down into the gigantic pit that Pinkie and Thorax jumped in to help them with the recovery.
Prince Rutherford groaned as he shook some snow off his head, "Okay, who not dead? Sound off!"
A lowly grumble echoed through the buried village.
"Yona, okay!" The heifer called out.
"We're alright, but Twilight still needs help; she's trapped under that!" Rainbow Dash called out, pointing towards the canyon.
"C'mon, c'mon, they have to be okay, right?!" Pinkie bit her lip.
After an hour of digging, with one final motion, Thorax chucked the last massive boulder out of the way, revealing an exhausted Starlight and an injured Twilight looking up at the group expectantly.
"Well, it certainly took you long enough," huffed Starlight.
Thorax quickly grabbed Starlight as he examined her closely, "Oh, thank goodness! I would've felt awful if you died, considering you saved my life!" he'd squeeze Starlight tightly against his scaly body.
Thorax placed Starlight in front of the main expedition force and soldier ponies as he fetched Twilight from the exposed cavern.
"We're alright!" Twilight winced as the dragon-changeling picked her up, keeping her hoof away from the ground as she was set down.
"Twilight!" Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash raced over, bundling the alicorn up in a hug. Twilight winced, having to put some weight on her injured leg at the speed they reached her.
"Is everycreature okay?" Twilight asked, looking around, concerned.
"But we should work quickly before anyone gets frostbitten," Fluttershy replied, still holding Spike close.
"Oh Spike, are you okay? I wish I could cast a heat spell right now..." Twilight held her head, her horn sparking weakly, "We should get you inside and bundle you up."
Spike let out a sickly cough, "I sent a letter to Celestia; she's coming to help with the cleanup, but aside from everycreature being snowed in, we're okay."
"I heard, that's good at least..." Twilight sighed with relief. "Well, we should work on getting everycreature to safety, even if they haven't arrived yet."
"Hold on; you're hurt and exhausted; you need to get some rest!" Pinkie came to Twilight's side, helping her support her injured leg. "Let's get you and Spike somewhere warm, okay?"
Twilight rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, alright."
Starlight, attempting to walk away from the group, saying nothing as she gave them a muted expression. Devoid of her usual bitterness or wrathful vigor.
Glancing over at Starlight as she trotted away, Rainbow Dash zipped up. "What, not even a thank you?"
"You didn't even do anything," Trixie shot back, rolling her eyes. The mare had been hidden for most of the avalanche, having felt the rumbling snow from her cart and fled with the others. She had just trotted up when Thorax had broken Starlight and the princess free.
Starlight didn't reply, only giving the pegasi a look of disinterest as she withdrew from the situation. Rainbow Dash narrowed her gaze before turning back to her friends.
Thorax swayed from side to side as the massive beast collapsed on the ground, quickly transforming into his original form. His hooves were scuffed and bruised from the hour of constant smashing and clawing.
Starlight quickly trotted over to Thorax as she lifted the Changeling before physically moving him onto her back; the mare trotted over to Trixie, "We need to talk; let's get to the cart," Starlight quietly, mumbled.
Trixie cocked a brow, "About what?" The showpony studied Starlight's expression; there was something different about the unicorn. "What happened down there?"
Starlight lazily looked over to Trixie, "All of our problems are past us. Twilight won't imprison or kill you if you and Thorax want to go back to Equestria… we basically got community service…Thorax will most likely follow you primarily now… since his debt with me has been squared…."
She'd look at the exhausted Changeling passed out on her back, "... Was he a dragon of that size the entire time we were down there?"
"Pretty much, although I was in the village for most of it... too much cider." Trixie chuckled softly, "He might owe you, but he still cares, you know. He's genuinely kind.."
Starlight looked over to Thorax as a deep sigh escaped her lips, as a worn smile crept across her face, "Well, he would have been over the moon if he was awake to hear you say that…"
Trixie blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that answer out of everything, "But....Really...? We can go back to Equestria??" The showmare looked away, a giddy smile on her lips.
Anything to get out of this cold! She'd pick up trash, read to fillies and colts, and help geriatric old ponies if it just meant being away from here. Plus, the thought that Thorax might come along made it even better, an assistant, and somecreature that actually liked her! "When are we going to leave then?"
Starlight slowly looked over to Trixie, "You will be leaving whenever Twilight and the expedition return back to Equestria. If you do this, you'll be put to work in cleaning up the mess I made in the Crystal Empire but I will remain here; it seems. I have no reason to return to Equestria… apparently, it was obvious to me by Twilight that my village doesn't need Equalism anymore… or me."
Trixie blanched, "No way in Tartarus; I'm cleaning up one of your messes....Wait, you actually talked to her down there? I'm shocked; I would have expected you to kill her at that opportunity," the showpony rolled her eyes and trotted forward. "Well, whatever you want to do. I'm sure the Yaks would love to have you."
Trixie stopped, "Are you sure about that? I mean... the thing about your village not needing you."
Starlight slowly nodded, "There was no point in it… my crusade had been for nothing. Our Town is thriving… they built more farms and a school, apparently. So… seeing that my hatred for Twilight and her friends is misplaced, I have no reason to fight, no reason to pursue… and no reason to continue…."
Starlight slowly turned to Trixie, "I know an apology can't excuse the amount of stress I've put on you and Thorax… but I am truly sorry that I wasted your time and put you through all of this for nothing."
Trixie was stunned by all of it. They had destroyed part of the Crystal Empire,they had nearly gone to war with the Princess of Friendship, and it all just turned out to be nothing? And Starlight apologizing to *HER*?
She didn't know what to say.
"I'm surprised, but..." Trixie paused, savoring the moment, "I forgive you, Starlight. We all make mistakes, don't we?"
Starlight stopped dead in her tracks as she turned to Trixie, "You forgive me?.... Why in Equestria would you forgive me? You were right about me all along, and I did all of this to you for nothing, I destroyed your cart, made your life worse, and you can just forgive me? Why!?" she snapped.
"Well, now that you bring all that backup, I guess I'll take it back." Trixie rolled her eyes, smirking, "Honestly, did you not pay attention to anything I've said? I tried to take control over Ponyville in a maniacal rage, all because Twilight Sparkle showed me up. Do you know how many ponies I tortured during my reign? You and I are not that different; I'm just more charming." She fluttered her lashes.
"I know what it's like to be completely in the wrong, so... I get what you're feeling right now. Maybe not all of it, but... some." Trixie's smile lost its smarm, her gaze softening.
Starlight's expression seemed to fold in on itself as she processed everything presented to her; she rolled her eyes at Trixie's gloating before sighing, "We aren't the same, Trixie; I was worse. You might have been corrupted by the magic of an ancient artifact, but I let myself become corrupted, my vision and ideals compromised because I was given authority."
"Tch, the one thing you're missing, Starlight, is that we both *chose* to do what we did. I chose to use that ancient artifact, and you chose to be evil. It's not *entirely* the same, but it's not totally dissimilar," Trixie rolled a hoof in the air.
"Trixie, with due respect, you didn't exactly present your case very well. You traveled hundreds of miles and ended up in another country just to get a second chance, and that was over something you did a while ago. There's nothing left for me in Equestria; there's barely anything for me here. Because of the choices I made." Starlight replied lamely.
She sighed, "It doesn't matter now; I suppose this journey wasn't a waste for me. Now I can stay away from the stint of failure in my newly found exile. Besides, I can't hurt any ponies here in Yakyakistan once you and Twilight return to Equestria."
"Well, you could always hurt the Yaks..." the blue mare rolled her eyes, "I'm joking! I'm just saying, you shouldn't hide up here thinking you don't have options."
"I'm touched by your sympathy and kind words…Thorax has been a positive influence on you as it seems…but me personally….I think it'd be best for the Equestria-the world even if I just stay far away from the eyes of the people. Maybe then the suffering I caused will be forgotten by the annals of history."
"Is there really nothing left, or are you just convincing yourself of that?" Trixie huffed.
"Well, I guess you might have a point. And I'm not going to argue that you should return. That's your choice to make. Don't back yourself into a corner because you think that's the only thing you can do," Trixie shrugged, "And don't do it because you're trying to punish yourself, either."
The pair would arrive at the wagon, and Starlight gestured for Trixie to remove the Changeling from her back. With a spark of the blue unicorn's horn, she moved Thorax to the back of the wagon.
Starlight slowly turned to Trixie as she slowly began to speak, "It's strange to admit, but I feel you'd understand better than Twilight, but… I wanted some sort of… finality in this gamble. I wanted either a stunning victory or an earth-shattering defeat. A winner takes all scenario… but I got neither of those things.."
"I don't know what's worse, the anger I felt toward Twilight or this hollowness I feel…."
"Oh, I do understand that. You wanted to rock the stage, make it known that you would be an immovable rock, something the heroes would have to either yield to or destroy completely. It's simple showmareship," Trixie waved a hoof, "The climax and the fall, as it were."
"I can understand your anger, believe me, and the feeling of defeat you have right now. Honestly, I'm not sure why Twilight Sparkle didn't arrest me for my crimes in Ponyville, but when I left... I felt empty. I tried, and I failed." She sighed, "So I decided I had to make up for what I had done. Went on an apology tour, but it didn't really pan out."
Lighting her horn, the unicorn laid a blanket over the exhausted changeling. "Honestly, I'm glad I didn't win. I wasn't in control of myself at all..."
"At least you get it… Sombra was the lucky one, all things considered…" Starlight looked over at Thorax lying motionless on the ground, "He's going to be famished when he wakes up. I can't believe he was that beast for an entire hour."
"Well, we did technically save his life; of course, he was going to risk his own life to save yours," Trixie snorted, "We probably would have killed each other days ago if not for him keeping the peace... I wonder how he will react to the news when he wakes."
Starlight smirked, "Over the moon, I bet; he'll have the whole world at his hooves, hundreds of potential friends…you intend on using him for performing, right? You know his debt is solely placed on you until he saves your life."
"Please, I'm not going to use him... I'll pay him to be my assistant if he chooses to do so. I'm not a slave owner or something." she huffed, lighting a lamp inside the wagon to provide some warmth, "Besides, I'm going to keep myself out of danger as much as possible... hopefully, he'll never need to save my life."
"I should mention if you return to Equestria, you'll probably have to pay some fines… so you might not be able to exactly pay Thorax with that little plan of yours…."
Starlight sat down on the yak wool carpet on the wagon floor as she flopped on the ground, appearing to be defeated once and for all, not by Twilight, not by Trixie. But entirely by her own attitude.
Starlight stared lamely at Thorax, who was resting a few feet in front of her, before sighing, "Maybe I should go back for you two. You shouldn't be burdened with my mistakes; you two deserve the life I desperately wanted. The safety, community, and family I wanted. I know you two can make do with what you got and not just survive with it but thrive."
Trixie sighed petulantly, "I should have guessed as much... well, if he agrees to join me, then I'll simply have to pay him later; he'd understand."
Trixie looked down at the depressed mare on her carpet, "Well, it would be nice to have another pair of hooves to help with the physical fines I will have to pay to the Crystal Empire; I'm no carpenter or construction pony." Trixie chuckled softly. "I don't know why you're thinking so negatively. I mean... why can't you have those things? Just because one thing spiraled out of control?"
"No, because I threw them away when I had them. Trixie, this defeat is just a symptom of a greater problem. I was a terrible leader; I was a failure by all accounts not just when I was taking Cutie marks… but when I lorded over my community with an iron hoof."
"That's when I failed, and to know that my community is not just surviving but thriving without me makes it clear to me that I wasn't what I thought I was. I thought Twilight destroyed everything, practically gave my ponies a death sentence by giving them their cutie marks back, what I perceived as tyranny and evil."
"But it turned out I was too prideful and arrogant to admit my failings. Now I am forced to sit here and realize what I have earned for the years of bad decisions and the past year of spite and malice toward a pony just doing the right thing. Nothing."
"I have nothing and no one. I didn't even get the defeat I wanted, I wanted to be blown into nothing, sent to Tartarus, or imprisoned in stone, but now I'm told that everything will be okay if I just sit here and suffer with this defeat, with my failure."
"I never wanted to hurt my ponies… but truthfully… I wanted this to go down in history; I wanted to be remembered for my actions…either as some sort of revolutionary, a savior of ponykind with equalism… or a feared tyrant that went out with a bang. Gave Twilight Sparkle a challenge, a real obstacle, something to be recited in tales for generations!"
"Instead, I'll be a footnote in history, remembered as the failure I am with nothing but a laundry list of community service summons and debt."
Trixie sighed and sat beside Starlight, uncharacteristically not interrupting as she let the unicorn speak,"Starlight, you don't have nothing or no one. You have Thorax and me, and I think you gave them a chance, maybe Twilight and her friends too. Just because this didn't work out doesn't mean it's over. Why would you want to be seen as a feared tyrant when you could be known as a great friend?"
Trixie gave a soft, lazy smile, "I'll admit, you were a pain before, but right now? You seem like a totally different pony. Maybe you just need to give yourself a chance."
Starlight perked her head, "Really, we're friends? Gosh, you really let Thorax get to you; I'm a little concerned about what you two did or talked about while I wasn't looking. You're not nearly as insufferable as when I first met you." she snickered, "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude… it's just so… jarring."
Trixie rolled her eyes at the remark. "Let's just say that I'm not always on stage when I'm putting on an act and I could say the same for you, frankly. You're not nearly as threatening and tyrannical right now."
Starlight looked over at Thorax, "I guess that little bug is the luckiest one here, he's a hero, and he'll be pretty popular from here to Canterlot once the news comes out he saved Twilight… maybe he should spread the message of equality from now on."
"Maybe, I think he's got a better version of it than yours; I'll say that much." The showpony smirked, "No offense. But, yeah, I think ponies will accept him, it might take some time, but he will."
She scowled a bit at being labeled as tyrannical and threatening, even if it was accurate, before she scoffed, "I'm so glad I don't give off that impression anymore," she'd sigh, "I have a plan…we return to The Crystal Empire, I use some magic, and if we're lucky I can organize the reconstruction teams and help with the city. Then we'll all go our separate ways."
"I'll return to Yakyakistan….or maybe just go to Griffionia or Zebrica; I heard Griffinstone could use a touch-up or two."
"Sounds like a plan; I know I'm not going to have any idea what I'm doing." Trixie snickered, "But honestly, what are you going on, your own apology tour? Why leave Equestria at all if you have the choice to go back?" The mare cocked her head in confusion, "Surely you have family back home?"
Starlight paused at the family bit for a moment, tapping her chin in thought, "... My mother passed not long after having me, and my father was an overprotective gentlecolt from a small town who'd busy himself with running his cultural center-slash-museum. I left home after I had burned that bridge over my independence when I was around sixteen; that was about six moons ago. Hadn't talked to him in the flesh since then, and my last letter was a few years before Twilight had shown up."
"As for my found family, I lied, manipulated, and strong-armed ponies who were supposed to be my loved ones into a psychologically abusive relationship, gaslighting and brainwashing them into obeying me with a personality cult. I don't think I have the stones or the stupidity to attempt to show my face to either of my family."
"Well..." Trixie looked a little uncomfortable for a moment, gathering her courage, "I can't say I blame you for being hesitant. My family life wasn't that great either. My father was never around; I never met or saw a photo of him, although my mom always told me I was his spitting image. She did her best to support me through school, but when I flunked out, she gave up hope on me. I stopped sending her letters for a long time since she never responded."
"But... after I was stopped by Twilight and I ran away, I just... I went home, and I talked to my mom. And... she forgave me. I was so surprised, I didn't believe it. I still sometimes can't believe it. All I used to remember is her being so disappointed in me. But now... we send letters, and I visit her for every holiday."
Trixie leaned over and set a hoof on Starlight's shoulder, "Just because something bad happened doesn't mean they don't miss you."
"... Did a changeling replace you when I was down there?" Starlight slowly chuckled, "... Maybe you and Twilight are right, but I wouldn't feel comfortable marching back home without something to show for it. I'm not going to run home now that I have nothing… they need a reason to think I'm worthy of forgiveness, a hope that I really did change for the better…."
Starlight rubbed her temple, "I need a drink… Wanna see if they still have some booze left?"
"Pffft, there's no replacement for the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie." The mare purred, "Of course I'm right, but I see your point. Just consider it, though. You don't have *nothing*; you've learned something and if your apology is sincere, I think they'll be able to tell."
Trixie got up and stretched, yawning loudly before smacking her lips, "Why not? I need something to warm up. Let's get some booze."