Chapter Six
In the wee hours of the very next morning, disaster struck--just as planned.
Princess Celestia rolled over in bed and looked at her bedside clock. The time, 3:14 AM, was faintly illuminated in an eerie blue light.
The princess let out a very un-princess-like groan, shakily getting to her hooves and flicking on her chamber’s lights. The Summer Sun Celebration would begin at exactly 7:00 AM in Ponyville, though Celestia knew she wouldn’t be there. Still, she had to make sure all was ready for her sister’s return.
The princess indulged herself in an hour-long bubble bath. She draped a towel over her soaking mane and, as always, donned her golden regalia--crown, necklace, slippers.
Then it was time to play the waiting game. In the distance, she could see Ponyville, ablaze with light, a beacon in the darkness, packed with ponies waiting for her to arrive and raise the sun.
She curled up back in bed, dimmed the room’s lights, and continued her Daring Do novel.
“The evil princess--oh, right, that part. Whatever,” she commented, flipping a few pages ahead to avoid having to see whoever actually wrote these books characterized her as.
Trixie’s alarm buzzed at 5:00. She mumbled a bit about getting her “beauty sleep” as she reset the alarm and drifted back into the land of dreams...
Three hours later, she awoke covered in sweat. “Agh! Phew! Just a dream! Just a dream. Just a dream...oh, ponyfeathers, I overslept!”
She bounced out of bed and began to hurriedly get ready. “To think that Celestia would actually kick me out of the palace...you are good, Trixie,” she told herself. In her stupor, however, she neglected to realize the fact that it was pitch-black outside when the sun should have been already making its ascent in the eastern sky.
While rushing through the palace hallways, it finally dawned on her that something was amiss.
“Wait! Why is it still dark out? This can’t be good!” Trixie cried suddenly, turning tail and making her way to Celestia’s chambers to get an answer.
Finding nopony there, she altered her course for the library, in hopes that a book stored there might hold some sort of clue.
“See, Trixie? You’re handling this quite well.”
“Mare in the Moon?” Trixie recited aloud, flipping through a book she had found after about half an hour of searching. But that’s just an old pony’s tale!”
Her eyes widened in shock, however, as she continued to read the passage.
“Mare in the Moon...myth from olden pony times...a powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal! Why, Trixie, you are a genius!”
Heading back to Celestia’s chambers to see if the princess had returned and if her newfound knowledge could be of any use in defusing the apparent crisis-at-hoof, Trixie saw the sun beginning to peek above the horizon.
“Maybe she just overslept. That’s too rich!” she laughed, knocking on the door.
“Who is it and what the buck do you want?” Celestia snapped from inside.
“It’s...Trixie...but if it’s not a good time I’ll--”
“It’s not. I just heard news that Twilight Sparkle just used the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon. I have to go and make sure the situation down there is under control. I’ll be back...sometime in the future. I don’t know when.”
Trixie’s jaw hung open as she heard the loud bang that indicated Celestia had just teleported away. Letting out a sad sigh, she trotted slowly back to her room, head lowered and eyes closed.
Trixie was lying in bed, on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She was still fuming over the events of that morning.
She heard the distinctive clipts Celestia made while walking approaching her door, and groaned in anticipation of what would likely happen next.
“May I come in?”
“Sure...”
Celestia came over to the bed and took a seat next to Trixie’s sprawled form.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this, Trixie.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, about Twilight Sparkle. I was...unsure about which of you bore the Element of Magic, but now that that mystery’s been solved...well...”
“Well, what?”
“I’m just not sure how to put this delicately...” Celestia mused. “I...well, unfortunately, no longer really have use for your abilities, Trixie. With my sister’s return and Twilight staying in Ponyville to continue her studies, I’m just going to have less free time these days...and something has to go. Once again, I’m really sorry. Believe me, this was a tough decision.”
“Figures,” Trixie mumbled in a hushed tone.
“What?”
“You don’t think I didn’t notice your playing favorites, starting from the day Twilight showed up?”
“Well, I--”
“Well, nothing. What’s done is done.”
“Look,” Celestia said abruptly. “You’re still a talented mare, Trixie. It would be a shame to let your special magic go to waste.” She pulled a small bag of bits out of...somewhere. “As a parting gift, here’s a thousand bits to help you stay on your hooves. You’ll still be welcome back here from time to time, as well. Now take care of yourself.”
With that, the princess stood and left the room, leaving Trixie just a few minutes to pack her things and go.
“Goodbye, old life,” Trixie lamented as she left the palace.
Without anywhere to go, she found herself wandering aimlessly around the streets of Canterlot. She soon arrived at the train station. A freight train was berthed at the platform.
“All shipments aboard to Las Pegasus!” the conductor bellowed.
“The town where anypony can make it...” Trixie whispered to herself. “That’s where I belong.”