Less than an hour ago, Yugi went off to Canterlot with the Princess, Spike and Rarity. Twilight wanted to go as well, but the nurse claimed she wasn’t in any condition to leave so she stayed behind for they’re return.
“I really hope they’re ok...” Sighed Twilight. She was laying on her back staring up at the ceiling. Several things were going through her head. Then she noticed her door was slightly open. It wasn’t open by much, but enough for someone to see in. Twilight adjusted her head so she could see outside. There were a small pair of eyes looking in. “Is that you little filly?”
The blue coated filly laughed nervously. “You saw me huh?”
“Trust me, I used to do the same thing back at the academy...”
The filly giggled. “Well, you are pretty interesting.”
“How am I interesting?”
The filly thought for a moment. “Well, you helped me get over the fear of my operation. You said I may become a powerful unicorn someday.”
“I wasn’t lying either. Your just like me when I was your age. After I witnessed the Summer Sun Celebration for the first time, I wanted to learn everything I could about magic. The Princess inspired me to become what I am today. She even accepted me as her personal student.”
“I guess we are the same. Back in Manehattan, I spent a lot of time in the hospital. They were still trying to figure out what was wrong. Admittedly, it was pretty boring. I wanted to play with friends. I didn’t care about magic.”
“What got you into magic then?”
“Well, while I was in the hospital most of the time, I liked to sneak out every now and then so I could explore the outside. My favorite thing was going to the fair during the summer.”
“The fair is always fun.”
“Yeah! It is, but last year was the greatest ever.”
“What happened?”
“Well, it started out fairly simple…”
The small blue coated trotted along the path, looking at all the attractions at the summer Manehattan Fair. The fair had everything. Rides, games, candy. “Hmm, what should I go on first?” The filly looked at the various rides. “Maybe I should go on the Ferris Wheel, or maybe the…”
“WELCOME FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS!” Boomed a voice. The filly swung her head around to find the voice. She saw what looked to be a caravan surrounded by ponies. She trotted up the crowd. She tried looking through but the group was too thick. She poked one of the mares in the group.
“Hello? Miss? What’s this group for?” The mare just shrugged and turned back. The filly grunted in frustration. “I guess I’ll have to get through it!” She ducked down and slowly crawled through the crowd, pushing her way through.
“COME ONE! COME ALL!” Boomed the voice again. The filly shoved the last few ponies out of the way and ended up right in from of the Caravan. “COME AND WITNESS THE AMAZING MAGIC OF THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” Out of nowhere, the Caravan folded out, transforming into a giant stage. Suddenly, there was a poof on stage and a blue unicorn with purple clothing appeared.
The entire crowd ‘ooh’ed and ‘ahh’ed. “Woooowwwww…” Said the filly.
“Watch in awe, as The Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats ever witnessed by pony eyes!” The unicorn stood up on her hind legs as fireworks blasted through the air.
The filly looked around. Some of the crowd was cheering but there was a good portion talking amongst themselves. “So what?” Said a colt from the crowd.
“What makes you so special?” Said a mare.
“Your just a braggart.” Said another.
“Well, well, well…,” Trixie spoke. “It appears we have some neeeeeighsayers in the audience. Who is so ignorant, as to challenge the magical ability of The Great and Powerful Trixie?”
“Oh, and just how are you so ‘great’ and ‘powerful’?” Said a mare from the front.
“I’m glad you asked. Why only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish… The Dreaded… URSA MAJOR!” The horns on the stage suddenly shot fireworks into the sky making a large neon blue bear.
“Cool!” Said the filly.
“When all hope was lost, the ponies of Huffington had no one to turn to but The Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in and with her awesome magic, vanquished the Ursa Major and sent it back to its cave in the Everfree Forest!” The neon bear in the sky was confronted by a neon Trixie waving her want, shutting the light on the bear off.
“I’ll challenge you!” Said a mare from the audience. She was a yellow earth pony with brown hair. She had a beach ball cutie mark. “Can you do this?” The mare pulled an oversized beach ball and jumped on top of it. She flipped upside down and started balancing on her nose.
“Oooooh” The crowd awed.
“Yawn…” Replied Trixie. She levitated her hat off her head and pulled a tiny hair clip from her mane. She held it in front of her before launching it into the mare’s ball. The ball sputtered and wheezed before flying into the air with the mare still holding on. “Who next?” The crowd remained silent. “Well then, once again The Great and Powerful Trixie has proven herself to be the most amazing unicorn in all of Equestria.” Trixie turned away. “Was there ever any doubt…”
A short time later, the filly retuned to Trixie’s caravan in hopes of meeting her. She knocked on the door. There was a couple step heard inside and then the door opened. Trixie didn’t look too happy. “What do you want?”
“I… Uh…” The filly stuttered.
“Well? Spit it out!”
The filly jumped back a bit. “I… Just wanted to say I liked your show…”
Trixie glared back at her. “Really?”
“Yah, I can’t do magic yet but I really want to learn how.”
“Is that all you came to say? Trixie is quite busy you know…”
“Oh, sorry. I was just hoping I could get your autograph.”
“Really?”
“Really!”
“Five bits…”
“Five bits?”
“Hey, Trixie needs to make a living. In case you didn’t realize, her shows are free. Trixie lives on donations and tips.”
“Well… Ok…” The filly reached into her bag and pulled out a few bits. “Here, this should be enough.” Trixie took the money and went back into the cart. She came out a minute later with a picture of herself and a quill. She simply wrote her name in fancy letters and handed her the picture. “Thanks Trixie!” Then she ran off.
“So, you got inspired by this ‘Great and Powerful Trixie?’” Twilight asked nervously. “She sounds amazing!” Twilight was obviously lying but maybe this would help her learn a bit more about Trixie’s history.
“Yeah! The other ponies didn’t seem all that impressed but I thought she was amazing. The idea of using magic that doesn’t really have a use but looks cool seemed interesting.”
“But aren’t you afraid of being yelled at like Trixie? I’m sure you don’t want people trying to outdo you like with her.
“Trixie has her reasons.”
“What?”
“Well, the next day I was let out of the Hospital. My parents discovered I snuck out so I wanted to take them up to fair to meet Trixie.”
“Come on! I want you to see this!” The filly was practically dragging her mother towards the large stage from the previous day. The display was mostly the same as the day before. She boasted a couple times, got a few rude comments from the audience. Afterward she went to visit her again in her trailer. She knocked a couple times. “She is so amazing!” When Trixie opened the door, she looked down and simply rolled her eyes.
“What…?”
“I brought my parents to meet you!”
“Great, is that all you wanted to say?” Trixie turned back to head inside. “Now if you don’t mind, get lost…”
“Woah, woah, woah!” The filly’s father interrupted. “Don’t you talk to our little girl like that!”
“Hey, Trixie didn’t come and bother you when you’re off duty.”
“She is just a filly. You shouldn’t be so rude to her.”
“That’s the only way she will ever learn her place.” The parents recoiled back slightly. “You think life is all fun and dandy, huh? Well, let me tell you something. Being nice will not get you anywhere. If you’re not firm and blunt, people will backstab you at the first chance they get. She needs to learn that you simply can’t be ‘taught’ magic. You get good at it through intense personal training. Being taught by someone else will only hold you back. You need to find your inner fire by yourself and use it yourself. That’s why I don’t take lightly to the criticism. It’s MY magic and MY talent. Nobody else can control your destiny.”
“…” Trixie stopped and looked down at the poor filly who was on the verge of tears. “So… You say at the hospital cannot help me? Am I never going to perform magic?”
Her mom snuggled up close to her. “Don’t you listen to her sweetie. The doctors will find a way to fix your horn…” The filly struggled out of her mom’s arms and ran off. “Now look what you did!”
“Her horn… What did you mean by fixing her horn?”
“She suffers from an unlinked Horn! She can’t use magic without an expensive operation.”
Trixie expression changed. She looked down at the ground in shame. “I didn’t know…”
“Yeah, you didn’t…”
“Please… Let me talk to her...”
“No, you have done enough damage.”
“Please, I know how I can help… Just trust me…”
“And what if you make it even worse? You think I am going to take that chance?”
Trixie looked down and then looked back at the inside of her home. “I’ll pay for the operation…”
“Wha… What?”
Trixie re-entered her cart and came back with a rather large bag. “Here is my life savings. Take it… If I really do cause more harm, I’ll leave you alone and you can spend that so she can get her operation.”
“This… I can’t-”
Trixie held her hoof to the mother’s mouth. “Trust me…”
The filly was hunched over by a nearby lake. Trixie words constantly ringing through her head. Was there really nothing they could do to help her?
“Hey…” She turned her head back and saw Trixie standing behind her. She wanted nothing to do with Trixie and just buried her face into her hooves. “Listen… I’m sorry about what I said earlier… It was not my place to tell you that.”
“Why did you say it then?”
“Because I was trying to protect you…”
“Protect me from what?”
“Ridicule… Ponies respect those trained by the professionals but even more if they are self-taught. A random pony from nowhere with an amazing power, you don’t realize how big of a deal that is. But…”
“What…”
“Then I learned of your little problem. unlinked Horn, that’s a rather rare condition.”
“So, they told you, didn’t they?”
“Yes, and once I heard, I had to come back and talk to you. You see, I’m familiar with the condition. My mother had the same thing.”
“She did?”
“Yes, and she beat it without an operation…”
“Wow, she really did?”
“Yes, and it was all through her hard work and research. She found a way to re-establish the broken link with mental training.” Trixie leaded back and started looking up at the sky. “She was a great pony mother, so talented. They say because she managed to get through her condition naturally, she was much stronger than an average unicorn. She was even accepted into the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“Where is she now?”
“Last I heard she was working at the school help Celestia with her ‘new’ protégé. That was several years ago though. I haven’t heard from her in ages.” Trixie stopped and looked back over to the filly. “I know I said you should deal with it yourself but I need to ask you something…”
“What?”
“I want to train you. Mother told me how she overcame her condition and I still have a relatively good idea how it works… Of course… If you want to…”
The filly’s eyes went as big as saucers before she tacked Trixie to the ground “THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!” Trixie could feel the filly’s tears rolling down her chest.
“It’s ok, just let it out…. Sister Lulamoon is here to make things all better. I’ll make sure you become just as powerful as my mother, if not stronger…” The filly continued to cry into her chest, then a though came to Trixie. “You know, we have been talking this whole time and I realize I never asked for your name…”
“My name?” Trixie nodded. “It’s Starshine…. Starshine Hope…”
Starshine Hope…
Starshine Hope…
Starshine Hope…
“Miss? Are you feeling, ok?”
Twilight broke out of her sudden trance. It was her, the main reason for Trixie’s defection was standing right in front of her. “Sorry, I was just thinking of something. If Trixie was going to teach you how to break through your condition without surgery, why are you here getting one?”
A stream of tears started running down Starshine’s face. “Because she never did… After our talk, she said that she would be unable to train me right away. She said she wanted to track down her mother first and give her the news she had a protégé. After that, she would return to train me like she promised. While she was away, she started sending me letters. She gave me some tips on keeping my mind calm to prepare me when she returned, but she never did… One day, my dad was reading the newspaper when he saw an article from Ponyville.”
‘Oh no…’
“It was said that a crazy blue unicorn invaded the town bringing a creature of mass destruction. I obviously didn’t believe it. Those papers always blow those events out of proportion. I tried sending letters but my parents always stopped me. They trusted Trixie and she turned out some psycho unicorn. They thought she would be a bad influence. Eventually I got a letter passed them but I never got a reply. I have no idea where she is now…”
“I’m so sorry that happened.”
“It’s all that Twilight Sparkle’s fault…” Twilight flinched at this remark. “She ruined Trixie… She upstaged her and chased her out of town. I bet she was the one who brought that creature in. Trixie takes pride in her work; she would never intentionally do anything to harm her reputation. It was that stupid Twilight Sparkle… The newspaper even tries to play her off as the hero! Can you believe that! She is nothing but a monster! I will NEVER forget that name… Twi-”
“Twilight Sparkle?” Came a voice from outside. Twilight instantly froze up in pure terror. The nurse came in through the door carrying a wrapped box. “Miss Sparkle? I have a package for you…” She looked at the mortified Twilight and then at the little Starshine. “Am I disturbing something?”
“Twilight… Sparkle…” She turned to the still frozen unicorn. “You… It’s you…” She jumped onto the bed and got right to Twilight’s face. “YOU! IT’S YOUR FAULT TRIXIE IS GONE!!
“Please, can you calm down?” Twilight replied.
“Calm down? CALM DOWN!? DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU DID TO ME!? I can’t believe I actually opened up to you. I thought you were my friend… You’re probably going use this to harm her even more you monster!”
“Please Starshine… Trixie is just... Misguided… I am only doing what needs to be done…”
“By what? Ruining her life?”
“Starshine, Trixie has taken on a dark path. I don’t want you following suit.”
“Dark path, you would say that…”
“She is a serious threat to Equestria right now. She has to be stopped before it’s too late.”
Starshine just huffed. “Serious threat to you… Your just afraid Trixie is going to throw you off your little high chair. You’re nothing but a monster who ruins pony’s lives!” Starshine jumped off the bed and made her way to the door. “Good bye…” Starshine slammed the door HARD, even patients several rooms away could feel it.
The dark figure peered out her window, staring out into the moonlight. Then with a bang, Trixie appeared in the room. “I have retrieved the Princess of the Moon…”
“Oh? Did you now?”
Trixie nodded. “It was easy. She was clearly inexperienced with the game and had virtually no idea what she was doing.”
“As expected, Celestia was around when Duel Monsters was created but Luna never was.”
“It was like taking candy from a filly…”
“Speaking of fillies, I have something interesting to share with you. It appears there has been some… Tension… So, to speak…”
“What exactly do you mean?”
“It appears Twilight has had a rather nasty encounter with an old… Protégé… Of yours, if I am not mistaken.”
“You… You mean Starshine?”
“Starshine began some idle conversation with our little Twilight. Once Starshine discovered who she was talking to, things got a bit out of control.” The figure walked over to Twilight and put a hoof on her head. “I want you to go to her. Mend her wounds Trixie. You ARE the only one she fully trusts after all…”
“What should I do with her? I could never put Starshine in harm’s way. She is like a sister to me.”
“I know she is… And how fun would it be to have you’re little sister there to cheer you on while Sparkle falls to her knees?”
Trixie stood still. She didn’t know what to think. Was she really going to be reunited with the only pony who ever cared for her? The thought of seeing Starshine made her happy but sick at the same time. “Can I really show my face to her like this? I don’t feel right letting her see me as a follower of darkness…”
“Are you doubting me?”
“No Master, I could never doubt you. You gave me reason, it’s just… Starshine…”
“In that case…” A dark aura shrouded the pony and started flowing into Trixie. “Let me open your eyes a bit.” Trixie struggled at the new power flowing into her body. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. As fast as it started, it was over. The aura disappeared and the pony removed her hoof from Trixie. “Now Trixie, are you ready to reunite with your sister?”
Trixie opened her eyes. They were glowing a bright red. “Yes, sister and I shall finally be reunited. Neither of us will alone anymore…”