//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Locked // Story: Forgotten Bygones // by Catpaw616 //------------------------------// The cold wind howled violently as it ceased through the trees. Trixie flattened her ears to block out the noise, and she felt her body shiver from the cold. But the gazes of Twilight, Celestia, and the royal guards were even colder. “Are you kidding me?” Trixie stared at Twilight in dismay. “Are you really that scared that you had to summon Celestia?” “It's for good measure.” Twilight responded coolly. Celestia loudly cleared her throat. “Well?” Celestia interrogated the two unicorns. The two looked at each other. Wondering what to do next, and how they would get out of this unscathed. “We mean no harm.” Starlight addressed the two princesses. “You did when you teleported away from me.” Twilight answered her. Should Trixie be happy that Twilight’s anger has finally ceased? Maybe a calm Twilight would be more understanding somehow? “How is that harmful?” Starlight asked in disbelief. “Running away from a princess is always suspicious.” Celestia answered this time. “Especially if the runaways are villians.” "For the final time-" Trixie was about to correct them once again but Starlight lightly kicked her in the leg, signaling that her words would be pointless at this point. "For the final time, what, exactly?" Celestia tilted her head. Her gaze was hard but her voice was cool as ice. Ignoring Starlight's warnings, she let out a deep breath and stepped forward. "For the final time, me and Starlight are not evil in any way anymore. We may be villains in your eyes, but from a different time in our lives, we really have changed." "That's the thing. You have no proof of this claim. One can say they have changed, but its another thing to actually do it." Celestia said to the two. She lowered her head. "I tried telling Discord about this but he didn't take it too well. To the point where I had to capture him that he was getting of hand." The two friends looked at each other instantly. It seemed like they were thinking about the same thing. Discord got captured? "How did you even manage to catch him?" Starlight asked Princess Celestia. "That creature is as sly as a fox!" "Oh, he's sly alright." Twilight muttered bitterly. "Anyways." Celestia silenced with her hoof, ignoring Starlight's question. "We shall discuss this matter further at Canterlot, where me and Princess Luna will keep an eye in you." Starlight and Trixie didn't even say anything. Why would they? They both knew by now that no matter what they say, or do, they would always see them as the bad guy. Starlight's ears suddenly perked up. Trixie raised an eyebrow. What did she have in mind? "Twilight!" Starlight got the attention of the purple alicorn. "The room that I slept in had pictures of me, you, and your friends! I was included in these said pictures. If you were to just teleport back to that room, you'll find the mirror!" But Twilight looked weirded out as ever. "Starlight, you're getting more insane than I thought. I saw no pictures on that mirror when I confronted you in that room." "I saw your eyes, Twilight." Starlight insisted. "I didn't see them look at the mirror long enough!" Starlight begged desperately. Trixie saw tiny tears form in her eyes. Trixie felt useless than ever. She felt bad for Starlight, a lot. "I guess I can teleport to the castle..." Twilight said with hesitation. Why is she so afraid? "I think its time we end this conversation now. We are wasting daylight." Celestia's long horn glowed and it made the sun go downward. After the sun moved, Celestia looked down at the unicorns. "I doubt that you're a changeling now, but we simply cannot risk it." She nodded at the guards. Just then, guards suddenly swarmed Starlight and Trixie before they had a chance to react. While Trixie cowered to the guards in fright, Starlight lit her her horn protectively. But her magic suddenly caught off when black rings were placed around their horns. "What is this?" Starlight's voice strained when one of the unicorn guards tightened it with their magic. "A magic blocker." Celestia told her. "They are ones similar to what Chrysalis had for her throne. But this time, it blocks out any kind of magic. Both Changeling, and unicorn." "Trixie didn't recall you having these things in your... CLOSET!" Trixie let out a cry of pain when a unicorn tightened the ring a bit too much. "You watch how you tighten this thing!" Trixie whipped her head to face the guard. She couldn't help but spill her anger. "What are you trying to do? Pop my horn off?" "O-O-Of course not!" The guard stammered. "Let's move on to Canterlot." Celestia ordered. She looked down at her former pupil. "Twilight, would you teleport Trixie's wagon to Canterlot? I will send my guards to check the wagon later. But for now, keep it away from these two." "You got it, Celestia." "Wait hold on!" Trixie tried to stop her. "You can't do that!" But it was too late. With one last look at Starlight and Trixie, she placed the wagon in her aura, and she teleported to the castle with it. There goes my belongings. "Now," Celestia spreaded out her wings, and the guards went closer to her. The two flinched; they were uncomfortable with the guards being so close to each other. Especially since they were accused of something that was forgiven a while back. "Let us all return." With her teleportation, Celestia reappeared at the throne room with the rest of the group. The guards quickly scattered, but two remained behind Starlight and Trixie in case they made an attempt to run. Which is stupid since we have no magic, and we're not dumb enough to run from three Alicorns. Celestia quickly flew onto her chair, and once Celestia ordered the guards to their positions, it was just her, Starlight, Celestia, Twilight, and Luna. But Luna's gaze was softer than the rest. "Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon," Celestia addressed them. "Since you have committed evil deeds in the past, me and Princess Luna will decide a punishment for you." "Wait, you're not going to give us a friendship assignment?" Trixie looked at the ruler with a dumbfounded look. "If not, then why are you here?" she stared at Twilight accusingly. But Twilight was unnerved. "I know in depth about what you three did. I'm just here because I'm a testimony pony for them." "In the meantime." Luna now began to speak. "You shall stay in the dungeons until me, Twilight, and my sister will discuss and come up with a fitting punishment for the crimes that the both of you did." "Dungeons?" Trixie quivered. Luna nodded. "We would rather not send you there, but where else are we supposed to put you? In a guest bedroom?" Trixie lowered her head in silence, while Starlight stared at the princesses. "Guards, take them away." Celestia ordered. Like lightning, the guards quickly got in front of the two. Pushing them to the direction of the doors that led the way out. "Wait! Princesses!" Starlight begged. The three looked at Starlight with a raised eyebrow. And so did Trixie. What now? Starlight closed her eyes and sighed. She opened them again with determination and looked at the princesses. "Look, I know what I did was wrong. And its unforgivable. But you should at the very least let Trixie go." "What?!" Trixie gasped. "And what makes you say that?" Twilight asked, but with no anger in her voice. Just mild confusion. "Her crimes were nowhere near as bad as mine. Sure what she did is wrong, but compared to my crimes? Trixie should be given a chance for redemption." "But not you?" Trixie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Starlight..." But Starlight ignored her. "Plus, she was controlled by an evil amulet. She had no idea what she was doing when she obtained it. As for me," Starlight lowered her head in shame. "I knew exactly what I was doing." The princesses looked at each other. "I guess she does have a point..." Luna said. "And she's not even as powerful as Starlight." Twilight pointed out. They huddled together and muttered in hushed voices so they wouldn't hear them. "Starlight," Trixie said to her remorseful friend. "You can't possibly be serious." "Oh, but I am." Starlight responded. When Trixie opened her mouth, the princesses stopped talking and got the mare's attention. "We have come to an agreement." Celestia addressed them. "Trixie, you’re free to go.” "No!" Trixie stood in front of Starlight. "Put me into the dungeon with her! I can’t bear the fact of leaving my best friend in the dungeon!” "Trixie!" Starlight yelled her friend's name. Trixie turned, confused by her friend's sudden anger. "I'm doing you a favor." Starlight said to her. "This is your chance to be free." "But, but, but, but," Trixie stammered. "What about you? You deserve to be free too!" Starlight stared at her for a moment. Sadness started to cloud her eyes. "Do I?" "Of course you do!" Trixie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "This has gone long enough." Luna silenced them. "Trixie, I'll teleport you out of the castle. As for you,” Luna addressed Starlight. “My guards will take you away.” Starlight only nodded. "I'm not leaving without her!" Trixie begged. "You don't have a choice." Twilight told her. Luna's horn glowed dark blue, and in a flash, Trixie instantly teleported outside of Canterlot. Trixie was startled by suddenly touching grass when moments ago she was on hard floors. What was Starlight thinking? Trixie was still trying to process what happened just minutes ago. Her own friend, locked up in a dungeon, while she is out in the open, with the privilege of freedom. But it felt... wrong. She has proven that she changed, as I did. It wasn’t fair that Trixie got a free life while Starlight was behind bars. But something else told her that she should not make Starlight’s sacrifice for nothing. No. Trixie stared at the Canterlot castle with a sorrow but angry expression. I’m not about to let my friend, my first friend, rot away in jail while I prance around doing nothing. She didn’t know how, but she didn’t care what Starlight would think. She didn’t even care what the princesses would think. And she was known to be reckless and careless... Her mind has been made up, and she was not going to back out of it now. I’m coming for you. She promised to her friend.