Chapter 2- The Princess
The day has turned to dusk; cold wind starts to blow through the carriage window. The only thought crossing my mind is where are we headed, and what could possibly happen to us. As we’re riding in the carriage I can see, out the window, that we are passing by the woods. Suddenly, the carriage starts to tilt, and I can feel the wind outside start to pick up and blow through the carriage window. Confused, I take better look outside, and all I can see are clouds. Moving closer I realize that we are no longer on the ground. We’re flying up into the air. I can see the big forest that we had just been passing by as we are now flying over it. After a second in the air we pass a large flock of geese. It all looks so amazing. I turn my head to Trixie, and she has her head buried beneath her hooves. I feel like I should try and say something, but what? Maybe I should just leave her alone, but I need to figure out what is happening here.
“… Hey.” I whisper to her, but she chooses to ignore me. “…Can you tell me who you are?” Still she ignores me. I’m not going to quit until I get an answer to something. “… Can you tell me what this place is?”
“Oh will you CAN IT with your silly questions!” Trixie shouts jolting her head up with an angry expression. “Trixie doesn’t wish to waste her time speaking with whatever dumb animal you are!” She then puts her head back down, and out of discomfort I turn my attention back to the window and to the beautiful view. “…Just who are you anyway? Hmm? What makes you so special?! You’re just some ‘thing’ that comes around with a magic wand and spells! How do you even…? Ah just forget it!” Trixie then hides her face again. “I never wanted to hurt anypony… Why? Why is this happening to me?” I hear Trixie starting to cry. “I-I don’t know why I acted that way I… I wish I could take it back. Take it all back… And… and you. What I tried to do to you… I’m sure you hate me like everypony else… It’s not like you’d care anyway.” After she finished that statement I could feel my heart grow heavy. Yes she attempted to do some cruel things, but I can’t help but feel sad for her. The way she said that I wouldn’t care made me pause for a second. Making me rethink everything, I do care, why would she think I don’t? There has to be something more to Trixie. Something I’m just not seeing. But what I do feel is that I’m seeing a different side of her. A side that isn’t filled with hate, but with something else something good.
“Well I… I don’t hate you.” I tell her.
“Y-you don’t? ...” Trixie asks all choked up wiping the tears off her face. “B-but you forgive me right? ...” I pause, and start to think again. She almost seriously hurt Twilight, and she almost killed me. I’m not sure if I can forgive her for that. I remember that look in her eyes during the storm. That look of pure evil. Who knows if I can truly trust her? Like she said this wasn’t the first time she had done something. So, what if that wasn’t the last? All I do is stare at her and wonder. Should I really forgive her…? Why can’t I make a choice? “I knew it. You’re just like the rest… Just like everypony I’ve ever met!” Trixie turns her head away, but I can still hear her trying to hold back her crying.
“… What do you mean?” I ask.
“(Sigh)… Ever since I was a filly everypony picked on me. They told me I wouldn’t be able to do anything… That I wouldn’t be good at anything… And as the years went by it only continued and escalated. I was shut out from the rest. Nopony trusted me, and if I made a mistake, nopony forgave me. It got to the point to where I couldn't take it anymore. I ran off in the hopes that I could be somepony. I just wanted to prove them wrong. All of them! I wanted to perform and amaze everypony, so that I could show them that The Great and Powerful Trixie was… special. There was only one pony that made me feel that way. She was always there for me no matter what. Whenever I had a problem she was the first one I’d run to… She was the only one I’d run to. My Mother, she always gave me comfort when I needed it most. She was the one who kept me going. Until... she...passed on. I have never felt the same after that, as if when she left, she took a chunk of my heart with her.”
“…I know how you feel.”
“How could you possibly know?! You already have everypony loving YOU and feeling sorry for YOU…! You don’t know anything! You’re the one who seems to be SPECIAL!” Trixie snaps.
“There’s nothing about me that makes me special. Not one single thing. You’re right I don’t understand what it’s like to be put down by everyone, but… I know what it’s like to feel alone.”
“Oh sure, the one with spectacular magic and who gained everypony’s admiration knows what it’s like to feel alone?! With that kind of ability I’m sure you have plenty of ponies or more of whatever you are that treat you with so much respect, and would treat you like their hero! Give Trixie a break… Like you really know what it’s like. I never had a single friend! Never!” At this point Trixie has gotten furious.
“And you think I have friends…? I don’t. I’m just… Nothing … And nobody wants to be friends with nothing.”
“Oh please don’t pretend like you’re so helpless!” She cries out sarcastically. “You and you’re silly little wand.”
“It’s not me!” I cry. “ ... It’s all because of that wand! I found it back in the woods… Whenever I hold it I… I feel different… I don’t think I would’ve even attempted what I’ve done. But back there… I felt these foreign urges with the wand in my hand… So if you think I’m something “special” or “powerful” then you’re wrong!” I pause after the outburst.
“Well…!” Trixie tries to come up with words to attack me with once again, but nothing comes to her. So she gives up. “Trixie can understand that…Wait… You felt different? ... Like what you were doing wasn’t something you were really doing? But you had a sort of… Urge to do it?” She asks curiously.
“… Yeah. How did you know that?”
“… Listen closely.” She whispers. I lean closer so that I can hear her clearer. “Do NOT tell this to anypony. You understand?” I nod my head. “Well, some time ago while I was traveling I found an odd dusty old book with spells I’ve never even heard of. I took it as a chance to learn better magic so I started to read it. And ever since then I felt the same way as you… Different.” Trixie whispers.
Trixie and I look at each other confused. That is a weird coincidence, and now I can't stop asking myself “What could this mean?" Suddenly the carriage stops. Not paying attention, this startled both Trixie and I. The door proceeds to fly open and I see the armored horses again.
“Alright get out.” One of them commands. Trixie and I step out and I take a quick look around. Up ahead of us is a tall castle colored white with many purple rooftops. Its appearance makes it look as if it were touching the sky, I think to myself. It feels like something right out of a fairytale story. I also manage to get a glimpse at two more armored horses guarding the front entrance. Six more appear to be watching us from above the entrance. All of them armed with spears. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get moving!” another armored horse barks. Shoving us Trixie and I start walking towards the castle. So many thoughts begin to run through my mind. So many questions… Where am I? How did I get here? How could these ponies and horses talk? How could they cast magic, how could I cast magic? How is all of this even possible? I felt pain and time seems to pass by like normal. Which means this can’t possibly be a dream, but how could this be real?!
Once we get to the front entrance the two guards I noticed earlier open it, each holding one side of the massive door. Inside I see quite a few familiar faces. In fact all, if not most, of the ponies from the town are here as well resting on long benches throughout the room. The guards then proceed to shut the door behind us. The noise echoes through the entirety of the room. Making me jump a little just from its sheer volume. Up ahead I can see what I think to be a royal-like figure, well at least what I think a royal would look like as a horse. Its appearance resembles that of a great white unicorn. It also seems to have a long flowing rainbow mane with a pair of large wings. It doesn’t look like a stallion. So it’s not a king, I think to myself. Perhaps a Queen, or possibly a Princess. She is also wearing a golden crown with a large gem at the center. Along with a big gold necklace with another large gem in the center, and four golden shoes that cover the end of each hoof. Sitting on an enormous throne she takes notice of us.
“Both of you step forward.” She instructs. Taking a few steps, Trixie and I follow a long red carpet that leads straight to her. I gaze at the crowd around us and manage to see a familiar face, Twilight. She’s standing with a group of ponies. One is the rainbow pony from earlier. Rainbow Dash, I think she said her name was. Those other ones must be their friends or something. Taking a closer look at them I can make out what they’re doing. They pretty much just look like they’re whispering amongst themselves. Twilight takes heed of my spotting her, waves her hoof at me, and winks. I wonder if she has some kind of plan.
“Stop. That is close enough,” The white unicorn orders. Trixie and I stop where we are. I take a glance at Trixie and then think. I’m sure she’s just as nervous as I am. There’s no telling what’s going to happen to us. “Let us start with you, Trixie Lulamoon. I have been told that you used your magic in an attempt to harm the ponies of Ponyville. Is that correct?”
“… Yes…”
“And as for you… I have never seen someone… or something like you in Equestria before. I am Princess Celestia. Now, if you would please, tell me your name.”
“… Aireal… My name is Aireal…” I say nervously.
“Very well then, Aireal, I was told that you and Trixie were involved in some sort of magic feud. Is that right?” I nod my head in response. “Would anypony care to tell me everything that occurred?”
“I would Princess.” Twilight says stepping forward from the crowd. “Trixie came to Ponyville to start trouble. She challenged me, and I accepted. Trixie then began performing some kind of storm spell. The winds were powerful enough to knock down some decorations on the stage. They almost fell on me, BUT Aireal came out and pushed me out of harm’s way. He saved my life.”
“I see. Well, that was very heroic of you Aireal, and I thank you greatly for saving Twilight.” The princess then turns to Trixie with a suspicious look on her face. “I was wondering why the weather was acting so strangely. What happened next Twilight? What was that bright light in the sky? Was that your doing?”
“No princess. Aireal was the one who did that. He used a spell that got rid of the storm Trixie made.”
“Did he?” after that the princess turned her attention to me. “And how were you able to cast such a spell?”
“With this your majesty,” says the one of the guards who escorted me in here. He walks up to the princess and presents the wand. Her horn begins to glow bright yellow as well as the wand. Using her magic she lifts the wand bringing it closer to her. She carefully inspects it, but suddenly a look of horror strikes her face.
“It can’t be… Guards! Take these two to the dungeon!”
“WHAT?!” the entire room of ponies gasps.
“But princess why?! He didn’t do anything wrong!” Twilight shouts.
“Yeah let’em go!” Rainbow Dash adds and soon after the entire crowd joins in demanding for my release.
“I have my reasons as to why!” Celestia responds.
“Princess please! Send me to the dungeon, but let Aireal go!” Trixie yells trying to defend me.
“You have no say in this! My mind is made up and I am sending the both of you!”
“But it was all MY fault! If I hadn’t some along none of this would have happened. Just send me… I deserve it!”
“As far as I’m concerned the BOTH of you are threats to the citizens of Equestria and therefore I will be sending you both! Guards!” Suddenly two of the princess’s guards start shoving Trixie and I towards a door.
“Princess please just listen!” Twilight shouts.
“Twilight I understand your stance, but you must understand mine! Those two are dangerous from what I can see! I’m sorry Twilight but nothing you can say will change my mind.” The ponies in the benches start stomping their hooves onto the ground. Shouting and yelling as they stand up from their seats.
“Enough!” The Princess shouts, and everyone’s rioting quickly comes to a halt. “It is because they have both proven themselves of being threats to all of us!”
“What about him?!” One pony from the crowd shouts.
“Yeah, that thing never did anything wrong. He helped us!” Another says.
“You all do not understand. One good deed doesn’t mean that you are in good intentions. And HE is no exception. Now, guards, take them away.”
“Come on get moving!” one guard orders. The other guard then opens the door they were leading us to and pushes Trixie and I through it. I try to glance back at the ponies, and they only watch as we’re taken into the dark. After slamming the door the guards, following closely behind us, lead us through a long dark hallway. Torches hang off the walls, but don’t illuminate much. What I can see are stone walls filled with cobwebs along the corners. It’s pretty much silent down here except for the sounds of our steps, and drops of water falling from beneath the cracks of the stone block ceiling and onto the ground.
“… I’m sorry Aireal. I tried,” Trixie says turning her head towards me.
“Why are you trying to help me?”
“Becau-”
“Quiet, you are not to speak unless spoken to!” A guard yells at her. Trixie quickly faces forward and shuts up. We then arrive at a stair case going underground. I cannot see the bottom; however, what I do see could only be described as complete darkness. While walking down into who knows what all I think about is how the princess ordered Trixie and I down here. That look in her eyes after she looked at the wand. The same look the ponies had when I was battling Trixie. I just don’t understand it. Why? We finally reach what I believe to be the bottom and all that’s there is a room. A small dark room filled with even smaller cells and one torch. One of the guards walks over to a cell, unlocks it, and opens the door.
“You,” he points at me. “In here.” He orders. Walking into the small cold cell I could hear the guard slam the iron bar door behind me and lock it. Afterward, Trixie gives me one last glance before the two guards lead her away to a different cell. Once a minute or two passed I could hear the sound of another door slamming echo through the room. Then the two guards pass by my cell. They give me a dirty look before they walk away. I lay down on a bench that is in the corner of my cell, and all I can think about is how crazy this day has been. How this has all been. I wake up in a colorful talking pony world. Now I’ve been placed into a dungeon for who knows how long. I didn’t even do anything wrong… I don’t know why I’m here. I try to force myself asleep with the thought that when I wake up this'll be gone. I won’t be locked away in a dungeon possibly for the rest of my life anymore. Yet while I try sleep other thoughts still fly through my mind. I felt pain here and real emotion when Trixie was asking for forgiveness. This isn’t a dream. I know the truth. I’m trapped, alone in this cold new world. Just like how I’m trapped in this cell.