//------------------------------// // Third Battle! Trixie vs. Rainbow Dash! // Story: Trixie vs. Equestria // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Upon waking from an unexpectedly good night’s sleep, Trixie had decided to try her hoof at some of the spells. She had devoted a few hours to two in particular that she felt would be useful. Wasted hours. Not once had she cast either spell. She’d come to realize that she was far too distracted about the coming battle. No matter what she did, she kept thinking on it. What would happen if she lost? What if she won? Who would she fight? Was there some dark, unhappy history attached to her next opponent, just like the others? In the end Trixie came to accept that she was unable to focus on much of anything except the fight, so she might as well go and wait for her next opponent. So now Trixie stood in the shade of a wall within the castle’s courtyard entrance, eyes on the gate. She’d sat there for an entire hour, just waiting. Despite the elapsed time and lack of action, Trixie was far from bored. Her mind kept going over possibilities, spells, things she’d come to learn. More than once her mind wandered to Nightmare Moon, which always resulted in a blush and hurried attempt to think of something else. Trixie spent a lot of time watching the passing elite ponies, wondering which of them might be her next opponent. She hardly noticed when Amethyst came out of the castle. She spotted Trixie and trotted up to her with a grin. “Hey there, lover girl. Have any saucy dreams last night? Do share.” “Not funny, Ammy.” Trixie blushed, ignoring her friend's resultant giggle. “Ooh, going all timid.” Amethyst added an extra chuckle and a nudge on the shoulder. “Come on, Luna visited you in your dreams, didn’t she?” Trixie shot Amethyst a wide-eyed look, heart jumping to her throat. “Trixie did not even consider that she might try!” “You mean she didn’t?” Her friend drooped. “How boring. I was looking forward to hearing a Great and Raunchy tale from the mouth of the Great and Lustful Trixie.” Trixie covered Amethyst’s mouth with both hooves, looking frantically around the courtyard as her face burned. “Would you keep it down? Trixie has standards and would rather you not soil her good name.” Amethyst pried the hooves from her lips and grinned. “Standards have no place in a situation where a princess is offering you a bedtime buck. Come on, Trix, she has to be good in bed. She’s not just a princess, she’s the Princess of the Night! If that doesn’t suggest bed skills, I don’t know what does.” Her friend’s teasing was generating some unwholesome imagery in Trixie’s head. “Would you please stop talking about it? Trixie is not easy like you.” “I’m not easy,” Amethyst corrected haughtily, then playfully added, “I have standards just like any mare: the mate’s gotta be hot, insinuate skill and not be looking for attachments.” Trixie sat and facehoofed. “You’re hopeless.” Amethyst raised an eyebrow and poked her in the chest. “No, you’re no fun. Stallions don’t like mares who don’t put out, y’know.” “Trixie was never looking for a stallion.” Trixie swiftly raised a hoof as her friend’s eyes lit up. “Or a mare! Some ponies want something more fulfilling in their lives.” Amethyst knocked Trixie’s hoof away. “You’re just jealous ’cause all the ponies – stallions and mares – want a piece of this.” She turned and shook her flank in Trixie’s face, her tail tickling the former showmare’s muzzle as it swung about. “You, on the other hoof, haven’t had a coltfriend since… have you ever?” Trixie tried to ignore the thorn in her chest, glowering at Amethyst before jerking her head away. “Trixie could have a special somepony if she wanted. Trixie is simply married to her career.” “What career?” That hurt. Trixie slumped, not bothering to correct her old friend. After all, she was right; Trixie’s career was in ruins just like her wagon. She could never go back to that happy time of entertaining ponies, no matter how much she might wish to. Sometimes she wondered if she wasn’t involving herself in these fights just to give herself something to do other than face reality. “Ah, there you are.” Trixie's face flushed once more at the sound of that voice. She turned to find Princess Luna landing in the grass a few feet away, her face solemn as she approached. “I wished to ensure you were outdoors. We will need to change locations soon.” Trixie opened her mouth to reply, failing miserably as thoughts of the princess in her bed took center stage in her mind. A few sputters were all she could manage. Luna brushed her sparkling mane away from her face and tilted her head. “Are you alright?” The princess’ eyes were filled with concern. For an instant Trixie couldn’t help but find them very… pretty. The thought only made her blush more and lower her face. “I… I-I’m f-fine…” “Gotcha!” Trixie caught Amethyst’s leg in both hooves and shoved it aside forcefully, giving her friend a menacing glare. “Would you stop that?” Amethyst grinned from ear to ear. “Nope.” A fleeting smile graced Luna's face, although she held her serious expression. “Your next opponent shall arrive at any moment. Though she’s come a long way from the East Coast, I assure you she will want to begin immediately. We should relocate somewhere outside Canterlot.” “Really?” Amethyst asked. “Why?” Luna glanced at her, almost as if she were an afterthought, then turned her gaze to Trixie. “Her attacks are powerful, but more importantly, she is unconcerned with collateral damage. I would prefer the fight take place in a locale with minimal chance for civilian casualties.” That made Trixie pause. She was about to fight somepony so threatening they wanted to move the fight elsewhere just to protect the city and its citizens? What kind of pony was she dealing with? Alarm pierced through her mind as Trixie struggled to recall all the spells she’d studied in the library the night before. Surely one of them might help her… if she could pull one off, which she knew was unlikely. “I’m just glad the fight’s going down today,” Amethyst noted seriously. Trixie glanced her way. “Why?” Her friend winced before answering, her tone distracted. “I’ve gotta head down into the slums tomorrow. On business.” “To the slums?” Luna peered at her. “Are you certain that is wise? Unicorns tend not to be welcome down there.” Trixie had some doubts of her own. “And you would never do business with a pony who might not be able to pay.” Now it was Amethyst’s turn to deliver an angry look. “It’s a private matter, alright? Drop it.” “I could have some guards accompany you,” Luna ventured. “For your safety.” Amethyst raised a critical eyebrow. “That’s… kind of you, princess, really. Having a few hunky stallions at my beck and call is an appealing image, but no thanks. It really is a private matter. I can handle myself down there, trust me.” Trixie eyed her friend, wondering what kind of private business she might have in the slums of Canterlot. This was her hometown; family business, perhaps? She wanted to say more, but she recalled how defensive Amethyst was on the matter and knew better than to try. Still, perhaps if she could follow— Her thoughts were interrupted by nearby voices ‘ooh-ing’ and ‘aah-ing’ at something. The trio glanced around and saw that everypony in the vicinity was gazing up in awe, so they followed suit. A rainbow could be seem zooming through the sky. The streak possessed incredible speed and seemed to be gathering clouds. An unusual sound – a moan of desire mixed with a cry of excitement – reached Trixie' ears. She blinked and glanced at Amethyst, surprised to see her friend staring up with wide eyes, a loose jaw and a big smile. “Ammy?” “That’s… That’s…” Amethyst aimed her silly grin at Trixie, then turned to nudge Luna. At the princess’ glance she pointed at the rainbow. “I-is that who Trixie’s fighting?” Luna frowned and looked up at the sky once more. “Yes, I’m afraid we didn’t get out in time.” Amethyst made another eager moan, seeming almost intoxicated with pleasure. She jerked about and wrapped Trixie in a big hug, eyes like saucers. “Trix, if you’re my friend, if you care for me at all, you’ve got to hold off until I can get an autograph. Or… Or introduce us… Or something!” “Trixie has no idea what you’re talking about.” Trixie tried and failed to push her friend away as she looked up once more. The rainbow was now flying in ever-tightening circles, creating a thick ceiling of clouds that grew darker with each swift revolution. “What is she doing?” “Making a storm, it would seem,” Luna answered with a sigh. “The Canterlot weather team will not be pleased.” “Who cares?” Amethyst turned to sit and stare up at the rainbow with hooves to her cheeks and eyes aglow. “Ooh Goddess, do you know how long I’ve dreamed of meeting her? I mean seriously, visions of that pony have given me more org—” “Shut up, Ammy,” Trixie hissed with a blush. Amethyst didn’t seem to hear her. She turned to Luna once more, falling on her belly and grasping at the princess’ legs. “You! You dated her or she wouldn’t be here. What’s she like, is she good in bed? Is she as awesome as they say?” Luna shook her off with a scowl. “You can ask her, yourself: here she comes.” The thunderhead completed, the rainbow came at them in a sharp dive. Amethyst let out a squeal of delight as the pegasus finally entered their view. She was a light blue color, and Trixie was curious to find that her mane bore a splash of colors not unlike her rainbow wake. She hit the ground on four hooves so hard that grass and dirt flew up wildly. She stood tall in the middle of the courtyard, proud and wearing a confident smirk. Amethyst – eyes shining and face red – let out a erotic moan. “I want to have her adopted babies!” “Fillies and gentlecolts,” the pegasus shouted with bravado, “Rainbow Dash has arrived!” She cast a wry, playful grin at the nearest pony and winked. “I’ll be doing autographs later.” Trixie gaped as things finally clicked. This was her next opponent?! Rainbow Dash, Equestria’s greatest stunt pony? Who didn’t know of her? Although she found Amethyst’s fanfillying completely ridiculous, she still couldn’t believe she’d been set up to duel a national celebrity! “Luna!” Rainbow rubbed her chest with an air of confidence, maintaining her arrogant attitude even while deftly avoiding Luna's glower. “I hear you’ve got some trash problems. You know, I’ve been thinking: after I deal with your pest I might be interested in taking you back.” Luna raised a critical eyebrow, not appearing at all amused by this pretentious offer. “Still the same Rainbow, I see.” Rainbow reared back and spread her legs wide in a gesture of welcome. She paced a small circle, waving and nodding to the group of elite ponies rapidly gathering to witness the moment. “Would my fans have me any other way? It pays to be extreme!” Trixie couldn’t help staring; a long, deep scar – running from Rainbow's upper left chest to her right hind leg – proved impossible to ignore. Her fur covered some of it, but there was no hiding the terrible mark. “She is sooo cool,” Amethyst whispered in a shaky voice, earning her an annoyed look from Trixie. “So,” Rainbow asked as she completed the circle and dropped back to four hooves, “who’s this Trixie I’ve heard so little about?” Trixie hesitated and glanced at Luna, but the princess did not meet her gaze. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a step forward. “That w—” Pow! Trixie found herself on her side against the castle’s stone wall, chest aching horribly from the sudden blow. She looked up to see Rainbow eyeing her smugly from where she’d just been standing. “Well? What are ya gonna do?” An unexpected tug on her mane drew Rainbow's attention. She shifted sideways as if expecting an attack, but all she found was Amethyst’s huge, sparkling eyes. “B-big fan,” Amethyst stammered. Rainbow gave her a self-satisfied smile. “Of course you are. I’m awesome.” She patted Amethyst’s head playfully – the fan swooned on the spot – before approaching Trixie with an ominous grin. “Come on, isn’t this supposed to be a fight?” “Hold on,” Trixie shouted, jumping to her hooves. “Trixie wants—” Trixie saw only a split-second blur as Rainbow slammed her back against the wall. “No rules!” She pulled a hoof back in preparation to strike. Trixie had no time to think, just do, so she was as surprised as Rainbow looked when she instinctively cast a familiar spell and engulfed them both in smoke. The magic came instantly, surprising pegasus and unicorn alike as she disappeared and teleported near-instantly to a spot just beside the unconscious Amethyst. Glad she’d mastered that little trick ages ago for her show, Trixie let out a relieved sigh and turned to face her clearly aggressive opponent. The smoke cleared – Rainbow was gone. “Not a bad trick,” Rainbow announced. Trixie looked up, startled to find the pegasus hovering a few feet overhead. Her opponent waved a dismissive hoof with a calm, conceited smile. “For an amateur.” Before Trixie could respond, Rainbow dove down and lifted her from behind with a leg under each shoulder. Trixie let out a shout as she was carried into the sky so quickly her stomach churned! Wind whipped her face as the two of them hit Rainbow’s thunderhead, reducing Trixie’s vision to pale grays. Then Rainbow let go. “H-hey!” Trixie jerked about in mid-air, body still rising in the moist atmosphere. “Wait! Trixie can’t fly!” Rainbow was nowhere to be seen. Terror filled her with the realization that the fight could be over already. Just as her momentum began to ebb, a rainbow blur flashed by, disappearing into the clouds as quickly as it appeared. It was accompanied by a powerful blow that made Trixie twist wildly. “You can’t fly,” Rainbow shouted, appearing once again and whacking Trixie from another angle. “You can’t fight!” Another hit. “No experience!” Whack. “No style!” Smack. “That just leaves magic!” Rainbow caught Trixie by a back hoof, swinging her in a circle and sending her flying blindly through the air. “So let’s see it,” she pressed, appearing from another angle to toss Trixie by a front hoof. “Show me why you deserve to be with Luna!” Trixie felt like a rag doll. Her entire body ached and by now she had no sense of spatial orientation, but she was by no means beat. She’d been paying attention, and she was focusing. Although Rainbow had an erratic attack pattern, her rate of attack was regular and easy to read. She took a hit and prepared her timing, abruptly releasing a spell she was had recently grown accustomed to. Just as Rainbow emerged from the clouds to strike again, multiple bolts of lightning seared through the air around Trixie. Rainbow didn’t have time to respond. She gave an agonized scream, dropping as an errant bolt struck her between the wings. Firing so many bolts at once had been tricky. Trixie had sacrificed power for quantity; Rainbow would recover, and quickly. Mind working frantically, she conjured up another old and trusted spell – her magical rope – and swiftly used it to lasso the stunned, smoking pegasus. She tied it about herself as well, securing the two of them together. Rainbow finally recovered, their moment of free-fall coming to a sharp stop as she straightened and tried to hover. Trixie fell a half-dozen feet lower before the rope tightened, making her opponent gasp in surprise and struggled to stay aloft. Rainbow shook her head as if to clear it and tugged at the golden rope around her waist. “Okay, I’ll admit that was clever,” she said. “You wanna go for a ride?” “A ride?” Trixie shoved her billowing cape from her face to give Rainbow a glare. “Trixie just wants down!” Rainbow shrugged. “Same thing.” She was off, rocketing through the clouds and dragging a frightened Trixie along with her! “W-whoa, slow down!” Trixie held onto the rope with both hooves, moisture and wind pressing against her face. Rainbow’s brilliant wake flowed just above her head, as if to lead the way. Within an instant they were out of the clouds. Trixie let out a horrified cry as she remembered just how high they really were. She quickly recognized where they were headed, and braced herself as Rainbow barely missed one of Canterlot Castle’s pearly towers. Trixie zoomed past – shoulder grazing the stone – and breathed a sigh of relief… until Rainbow turned a wide circle and made for the tower again. “Don’t worry,” the pegasus called back with a grin, “I’m sure the impact will snap the rope and separate us!” This time Rainbow flew a tight curve by the tower, clearly trying to get the angle just right. Gritting her teeth and bracing for impact, Trixie worked her magic one more time. She focused on the wind, pushing herself out of the way by a hair's breadth. “Trixie would much rather stay attached to you!” “What?” Rainbow called back. “You wanted down, didn’t ya?” She looked over her shoulder and smirked. “So let me put you down!” She began to rocket into the sky yet again. Trixie held on for dear life. “Trixie does not think this qualifies as a downward angle!” Rainbow came to an abrupt stop, hovering in position and crossing her hooves. Trixie flew past her, getting another perfect look at that terrible scar. Rainbow smirked and said, “Yeah, yeah, hold your horseshoes. I’m working on it.” As Trixie floated up, Rainbow dove. She dove fast. The ground rushed to meet them them as Trixie immediately realized what her opponent was planning. Knowing that in a matter of seconds she was going to be a blue smear on the pavement, she tried to find a solution. Her eyes searched frantically… and then she saw where Rainbow was aiming: the Royal Gardens. Trixie focused, preparing her wind magic once more. She had to time this just right. If only her heart wasn’t beating a mile a minute! Rainbow was going to stop just before hitting land, so she had to do it right whe— Now! The rope disappeared with a snap, separating the two ponies. Rainbow, abruptly free of the extra weight, let out a surprised shout as she surged forward with unexpected speed. She had no time to recover and smashed right into the soil in an eruption of grass and dirt. Trixie used her magic to generate as furious and fast a wind as she could manage, pushing herself sideways to the one place she knew she could land without serious harm: the Garden’s pool. She fought to position herself as straight as possible, but she was no diver. To her joyous relief she managed it, body stinging as she smashed into the water. She dropped several feet, slowing down swiftly but still striking her back painfully on the bottom. She ignored the sting and swam up as swiftly as her legs could manage, taking a deep breath of air when she surfaced. For a few seconds she floated in the cool waters and allowed herself some time to calm down. She couldn’t believe she’d pulled that off! “Well,” a familiar voice noted, “this is unexpected.” Trixie blinked and sought out the source. She was surprised to see Princess Celestia watching her with a bemused expression from a nearby marble table. A trio of high-browed unicorns served their princess tea and salad. Trixie blushed, pushing her wet mane from her face. “Umm… Trixie is sorry?” “That’s quite alright,” Celestia assured her with a pleasant smile before taking a sip of tea. “Dang, did that hurt!” Trixie turned around to see a wide earthen crater in the soil some fifteen feet away from the pond’s edge. A blue leg popped up, then another, and Rainbow slowly crawled out. She was caked in black dirt. Her colorful mane had gone wild and was partially covering her eyes, giving her the look of a worn out, dirty dog. But then her head rose and her eyes locked on Trixie. The anger within those red irises made one thing clear: this fight was not even close to over. “You. Come here!” Trixie wanted to swim to safety, but there was no time. With dirt erupting in her wake, Rainbow blasted forward and snatched Trixie from the pond and into the air. Trixie just barely had time to register Celestia’s amused smile before she was flying above the trees of the Garden. She glared up at Rainbow. “Now what?” “Let’s see you get out of this!” Rainbow abruptly stopped and released, sending Trixie sailing horizontally beyond the Gardens and over the city of Canterlot. Trixie let out a horrified cry, knowing there were no safe landings this time, not unless she could slow down! Thinking quickly, she untied her cape from her shoulders. Folding the cape was hard in the wind, especially with the horrid knowledge that if she messed this up she’d not get a second chance. “Come on… come on…” The streets were looking awfully close… “Got it!” The cape was folded down into a tiny square, and when she pulled it on opposite corners it billowed out to ten times its original size! One of her first tricks, and it didn’t even require any real magic. She held the corners above her head and the cape instantly billowed up and filled with air. The makeshift parachute did its job, slowing her descent to something a lot less lethal. Trixie congratulated herself on a resourceful recovery, using her wind magic to steer herself towards the top of a particularly tall building. She knew Rainbow would be coming for her very soon, so as she floated she carefully wondered what to do against her. She couldn’t match Rainbow’s speed, and she could only fall so many times before she ran out of ways to save herself. She needed a solution, fast! Her mind went through all the spells she was familiar with, struggling to pick one that might defeat this powerful opponent. Nothing came to mind, though, and she was running out of time. What could Rainbow possibly be weak against? Trixie was getting worried. She turned her focus to the spells she’d found in the library. She couldn’t cast them, but maybe in this time of need… She landed atop the steepled roof, relieved to finally have her hooves back on something solid. She took a moment to refold her cape, and then thrust it sideways with a flourish; it billowed out to its regular size once more. She started to put it back on— —and it was snatched out of her hooves, Rainbow blurring by at close range. Trixie nearly fell from the jerk. When she heard the ripping she let out a horrified shout. She spun in place and gaped in wide-eyed horror as Rainbow finished tearing the fabric to pieces. “There, that solves that,” the pegasus claimed with a grin, clapping her hooves as if to remove dust. “Th… Th-that was the last thing I had,” Trixie whispered, watching the shreds of blue cloth flutter away in the wind. “It was important to me…” “Not my problem,” Rainbow declared with a smirk and a shrug. When she made that motion her scar became clear once again, and Trixie found herself focusing on it. She was the rainbow bolt, and the rainbow bolt was…loyalty. She didn’t know why it seemed so important all of a sudden, but Rainbow Dash was supposed to be loyalty. “What?” Rainbow glanced down at her belly and the scar. “You looking at this?” Trixie’s anger over the cape had already faded. She slowly raised a hoof to point at the mark on Rainbow, her mind piecing things together. “You…were betrayed.” Rainbow’s eyes went wide, but quickly grew dark. “T-this has nothing to do with the fight!” She charged for Trixie, who dove to her belly just in time to avoid a blow. Rainbow flashed overhead, and Trixie immediately turned to face her. “What did Luna do to you?!” Her opponent came to an abrupt stop, hovering over the streets of Canterlot. For several seconds she said nothing, but finally she turned her head to glare through her unkempt mane. “Why should I tell you anything?” “Because Trixie knows she’ll try to do something to me,” Trixie declared. “Oh yeah?” Rainbow asked, turning to face her properly. “That doesn’t tell me why I should—” “You wanted to help Luna once, didn’t you?!” Trixie demanded angrily. “You were once a loyal pony. What changed?” Rainbow’s eyes flared. For a time she could only sputter meaninglessly. “L-loyal? Y-you think… Yeah, I was loyal! Loyal and dumb!” She flew forward and landed on the roof with a bang. “You wanna know how I got the scar, why I broke up with Luna?! Fine! You remember the Wonderbolts?” Trixie hid her confusion. “Everypony knows of the Wonderbolts.” “Not like me,” Rainbow declared with a sneer. “Me and my best friend, we were their biggest fans! We lived, breathed and ate Wonderbolts! When we were invited to join the Academy it was literally a dream come true! “And then I met her.” She thrust a hoof towards the castle, where they could just see Princess Luna flying her way to them. “In my dreams. She found me, and she made me happy. She encouraged me, she helped me, she filled me to bursting – and I loved her for it! You probably know what that feels like, don’t ya?” Trixie was taken aback by that. For just a second she tried to think about what Luna had given her – if anything – but before she could seriously consider it Rainbow went on. “Don’t get used to it. She’s building you up just to tear you down!” Rainbow began to pace the rooftop, head low and eyes glazed over. Her lips were pulled back in a frightening sneer. “She started ignoring me. She stopped showing up. Suddenly I wasn’t worth it anymore. But I knew, I just knew that if I became a Wonderbolt she’d accept me again! The training and selection has always been brutal, but I was determined to make it. For her! I was so naïve. “And then the tournament came,” Rainbow sat, shaking with emotion and tears in her eyes. “Whoever won first place became a Wonderbolt, automatically. It was like Hearth’s Warming Eve; I knew I could win! I could skip all the training and brutality and go straight to being a hero, and Luna would welcome me with open wings. I just forgot one tiny tidbit; my best friend wanted it, too!” Rainbow turned to Trixie and reared back, tracing the scar along her belly. “Championship fight, winner takes all. My best friend, the pony I grew up with, who trained with me and dreamed with me, did this!” She dropped to her hooves and closed her eyes with a grin. “But I still won. I took her knife and I rammed it down her throat! I killed her, won the tournament, and then I was a Wonderbolt!” She reared back and opened her wings wide, legs raised as if to accept some great reward… Then she slowly dropped back down, head bowed. When she went on her voice was quiet. “Two days later, the Wonderbolts were disbanded. It was all a big game, a joke put on for her amusement. You hearing me? I killed Lightning Dust for a joke!” Rainbow raised her head, but the menace and hatred in her eyes was not aimed at Trixie. They were aimed beyond her, at the princess who had just landed on the other side of the building. “Luna played with me, fed on my desire for glory, for my need to be appreciated. And when it came down to choosing my loyalty to my friend or my dreams, I chose my dreams. No, Trixie, I wasn’t betrayed. I did the betraying! “And you!” Rainbow leapt into the air, her attention suddenly upon a very calm Luna. “Where were you?! I killed the best friend I ever had, and I did it for you! You never showed up, you didn’t even attend the fight. Do you have any idea how crushed I was when I realized what I'd done? When you disbanded the Wonderbolts? Do you even care?!” Luna shifted anxiously, a mask of deep regret on her face. “Rainbow… I—” “Shut up!!!” Rainbow darted for the princess, tears in her eyes and a furious scream coming from her throat. Trixie saw the attack and reacted, instantly and without thought. Her horn flashed its soft blue, her body became lighter than air and her entire form was encased in light. Almost immediately she was in front of Luna. She barely had an instant to register what happened when Rainbow struck, sending them both toppling over the side of the building. Trixie gasped through her pain, realizing two things at once: first, that she’d just used the teleportation spell she’d been trying to learn all through the night, and second, that she was falling to her doom. No, not to her doom; dark feathers obscured her vision. She glanced up at Luna in surprise, but the princess’ attention was focused upon Rainbow, who had rapidly recovered and was circling the skies. “This is about to get out of hoof very quickly,” she noted solemnly as she set Trixie down on the cobblestone street. Rainbow dove, pausing to hover over them both. “You!” she screamed at Trixie. “Why did you get in my way?! She deserves what she’s gonna get! Were you not listening?!” But Trixie shot Rainbow a scowl in return. “Oh yes, Trixie was listening. You betrayed your best friend, and you betrayed yourself!” The response turned Rainbow’s fury to confusion. “Myself? What—” “You killed your friend, and that’s horrible,” Trixie acknowledged. “Trixie agrees with you, what Luna did was deplorable. But look at you now. What are you, Rainbow? Nothing but an angry pony who feigns bravado to hide her guilt!” Rainbow’s rage returned. “Feigns? I’m the most awesome pony in Equestria! I have an army of fans!” “And you feed on their adulation because it’s the only thing keeping you going!” Trixie shook her head angrily. “When you killed your friend you killed yourself. You lost what made you you: your loyalty and your confidence. You’re pathetic, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow hovered back a little at this accusation. But that wasn’t anger on her face; it was fear. “Y-you... You don’t know anything…” “I know you,” Trixie snarled. “I know you, because I could have been just like you. I’ve lost everything that was important to me, but I am not going to wallow in what I’ve lost!” She turned to place herself directly between Rainbow and Luna, wearing a hard stare. “I’m moving on. I’m fighting for myself. I’m staying loyal to myself! I’m protecting Luna, because somehow I believe I might find something better, something real. I lost important things, but I’m searching for something new to take its place. And it won’t be something fake like your fans’ flimsy adoration!” There was a moment of silence so tense, so powerful Trixie thought the world might shatter from it. Rainbow just hovered there, gaping at her in stunned silence. And then she snapped. “You think you know me?!” She flew higher, malice dripping from her voice. “You think you can cast judgment on me?! I’ll show you. I’ll pound you so hard you’ll be begging for mercy, and when I’m done I’ll do it all over again! You’re dead, you arrogant little jerk!” She charged, smashing into Trixie so hard it sent her flying through the streets. The enraged pegasus flew high and circled for another pass… But Trixie already had a plan. More importantly, she had a spell in mind. “Is that all you’ve got?!” She jumped to her hooves, ignoring the pain. “Is that supposed to be Wonderbolt material?!” Rainbow struck again – faster, stronger, more furious – and Trixie crashed through an alley and into the next street. She’d missed the spell, but she would land it. She had to! Climbing to her hooves, entire body aching, she looked up to see that rainbow wake trailing into the sky. “Come on, Trixie is getting bored! Applejack hit far harder than you ever could!” Rainbow’s furious scream echoed through the city. Ponies were gathering close, eager to watch the spectacle. Trixie focused her magic, struggling to piece things together. What she’d read, how it all worked, what it was supposed to do… She failed again; this time she heard the bone in one of her hind legs snap. She screamed and flew through the sky, smashing hard against a pearly wall. But she wasn’t finished. She had it, she knew she had it! Trembling, she forced herself to her shaking hooves and gazed up to see Rainbow once again circling. Panting hard, she sucked in a deep breath. “Even Rarity hits harder than you! It’s no wonder Luna decided you weren’t worth her time!” Rainbow didn’t come down. She flew higher. And higher, and higher. Then she dove. “Everypony out!” Luna’s horrified voice pierced the sky as she hovered over a nearby building. “If you value your lives, everypony evacuate this block immediately!” Ponies began to scatter, screaming in panic as they all recognized what was coming. Trixie saw it too, and she stood resolute and ready. She would do this. She could do this! There was no other way to defeat this enemy. She had to get it right, and she had to get it right now. Force inversion, aural emanations… “Trixie, flee!” It was Luna. “Trixie!” Kinetic energy, instant deployment. If she could just see how it all worked... “Don’t stop me, Luna!” Perfect timing, intense focus… Rainbow let out a furious scream, a cone of air beginning to form around her body. A moment of clarity and Trixie had it. The spell formed at the same instant that Rainbow broke the barrier. A pale, near-translucent circle appeared before Trixie. Rainbow struck, the rainboom started…and imploded. A rainbow of light and power and energy appeared and was sucked into the shield almost instantly, only to erupt in a cacophony of color and sound. The full destructive blast was reversed and sent right into Rainbow, erupting with so much force that it smashed stones in the nearby buildings and shattered bricks in the street. Rainbow Dash was propelled away like a neon rocket, crashing into the structure at the end of the road. The shield shimmered and faded. Horn smoking and mane wild, Trixie stood tall and stared firmly at the long valley of destruction running along the street. Then – letting out an exhausted sigh – she collapsed to her knees. That was easily the single most powerful spell she’d ever used. She’d told herself she could do it, and she’d believed it, but now that the deed was done…she couldn’t believe she’d done it. Her entire body ached and her leg felt as though it were on fire. She was drained and worn, her head throbbed and her vision was unbalanced. But she’d won. The sound of flapping wings drew her attention to the pony who landed before her. Head aching from the effort, she slowly looked up to see Luna. The princess was gazing down at her, eyes wide and jaw loose. It was an expression of pure and genuine awe. “Trixie… how could you have learned to do that so quickly?” “It’s not a… a matter of learning,” she breathed. “It’s a matter of… of need.” She struggled to climb to her hooves, but ended up falling on her side. “Rest,” Luna whispered, that tone of wonder still laced within her words. “You’ve done enough for now.” “R-Rainbow,” Trixie whispered. “Will… W-will she be okay?” She blacked out before she could hear the answer.