//------------------------------// // Re-Vision // Story: Trixie vs. Equestria // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// When Trixie awoke, she was lying in her bed in the Night Wing of Canterlot Castle. Her entire body ached horribly, and she let out a miserable groan. “Ah,” a familiar voice whispered, “finally awake.” She glanced to her side, where Nye was lying on a small sofa nearby. He grinned at her sleepily. “Wha…” She let out a long yawn. “What are you doing in Trixie’s room?” “Nice to see you, too,” he whispered, clearly not offended. She started to sit up, but he pressed a hoof to her chest and easily pushed her back down. “Easy, you shouldn’t move around. The magic will fix things faster if you rest.” “Magic?” He tapped something she hadn’t noticed before, a small onyx medallion on a necklace around her neck. “Healing aid. Should have you up and running by tomorrow evening. Luna went and healed your leg herself, but it took a lot out of her to do so.” Trixie blinked, noting how dark it was in the room. She glanced at the windows, but the thick black curtains covered all light. He noted her gaze and said, “It’s late in the afternoon. You were out for quite a while.” She nodded wearily and tried to relax, despite the aching. “What happened to Rainbow Dash?” He raised an eyebrow, mild surprise in his eyes. “You’re worried about her?” She nodded. “She’s in an intensive care unit in the city. Luna healed up the worst of her wounds, so she’ll live, but her recovery’s going to take a few weeks. That was an awesome counterforce spell, by the way.” She gave him a questioning look. “You saw?” Nye shook his head. “Luna told me about it. She said it was the kind of magic reserved for arch-mages or royalty. ‘Clearly above anything expected from a simple showpony,’ as she put it. You’ve really got her attention, now.” Trixie huffed unpleasantly, turning her head away. “I was never trying to get her attention.” “Well you’ve got it, anyway,” he assured her. “And not just her’s; by this time tomorrow you’ll be a household name from here to Manehattan for besting a celebrity like Rainbow.” There was a time when that kind of news would have excited her. A jump start to a wonderful career, she might have said. Now? She just felt empty, and lost. She finally had a reason to fight… but what if winning these battles led her somewhere she didn’t want to go? “Oh,” Nye noted after the pause went on for too long, “got something else for ya.” He climbed from his sofa and disappeared for a few seconds. When he came back he set something large on the side of her bed. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know… but after a while she turned to take a look. It was a gift basket loaded with roses and beauty products. Her eyes went wide when she saw the brand name on the bottles. “That must have cost a fortune. Nye, why did you get this for Trixie?” He chuckled and set the basket back onto the floor beside her bed. “Not me. This one’s a gift from Rarity.” Now he really had her attention; she leaned up just enough to level him with a wide-eyed stare. “Rarity? Surely you’re jesting with Trixie.” He shrugged with a relaxed smile. “Hey, I’m just the delivery colt. Don’t really get it, either. She left this afternoon to go on some trip, but said she wanted to ‘thank you for opening her eyes,’ or some such, before going.” He bent down and picked up a hoof-full of roses. “Want some?” Her stomach growled, so she accepted them. She took a slow bite and her eyes nearly watered at the delightful sweetness of the petals; this was a level of delectable delicacy she’d never had. “Trixie cannot believe Rarity, of all ponies would do this, not after how Trixie defeated her.” She took one of the roses and offered it to him. “You sure?” She nodded. “For watching after Trixie while she sleeps, though she does not understand why you’re doing so.” He accepted it, plucking off a single petal and nibbling on it with a smile. “Just doing my job,” he told her. “Luna’s worried about you, and I’m worried about both of you.” Trixie frowned and looked up at the ceiling, quietly munching on another flower for several seconds. After hearing Rainbow’s story, and recalling Rarity’s and Applejacks… was Luna really worried? Or was she just setting her up for a spectacular fall, like she did them? She’d determined for herself that she would carry on with these fights, that she needed to. Yet the thought that something horrible might come out of it gnawed at her. “Where is the Princess? Sleeping in her room?” Nye studied her, face expressionless for a few seconds. “Well,” he said, “she’s sleeping.” He leaned forward and gestured with his hoof. She had to sit up some to see what he was pointing at, and he helped her up to do so. There, on the long couch in the center of the room, was Luna, sleeping peacefully with her head tucked against her hooves and facing the bed. Trixie could only stare for nearly a minute, until Nye gently helped her lay back down. Why was her heart fluttering in her chest just then? “Wh… what is she doing sleeping in Trixie’s room?” “I told you,” he responded gently, “you’ve really caught her attention. She was worried, that’s all.” So Luna was interested. Trixie couldn’t resist thinking about last night, face blushing. Was she interested in that way? How could she not be, if Nightmare Moon was then surely she was, as well. After all, they were the same pony. Very suddenly all Trixie wanted to do was hide under her covers. “At any rate, you need to rest,” Nye instructed patiently, once more returning to his sofa. “If you and Luna are gonna head out tomorrow evening you’ll want to at least be able to walk without being in pain.” “H-head out?” Trixie didn’t like the sound of that, clutching the sheets up to her chin anxiously. “Mm-hmm.” He rested his head on the cushions, clearly getting ready to sleep. “She promised to tell you the truth if you won the third fight. Well, the third fight’s come and gone, and you’re still undefeated.” She gave him a startled look. “You mean… Trixie will finally hear the truth?” He nodded against the cushions. At last! She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about all the secrets she’d grown so frustrated with these past few days. It would be such a phenomenal relief to have some answers. In actuality she was worried – what if she didn’t like the truth? – but her relief outweighed it. She lifted the amulet on her chest, studying it in the darkness. The polished black stone was in the shape of a crescent moon, with three stars cut into it at its thickest point. Luna was looking after her, keeping her healed up and ready for the fights to come. Should she be encouraged? Fearful? What if her next opponent was even more dangerous than Rainbow? Rainbow Dash. Trixie shivered beneath the sheets; she couldn’t imagine the guilt that the former Wonderbolt must have. Killing her lifelong best friend? Even if she sometimes hated her, Trixie could never imagine doing that to Amethyst. The guilt would have killed her! How could a pony so proud be driven to such a barbaric act as that? Was that really Luna’s fault? If it was, could Trixie possibly forgive the misdeed? “Are you asleep yet?” He shifted and made a grumbling sound. “I want you to do me a favor.” He opened one eye to look at her, clearly annoyed. “Yeah?” She set the medallion down carefully against her chest, enjoying its cool touch. “Tomorrow evening, after Trixie and Luna leave, I’d like this delivered to Rainbow Dash in the hospital. Tell her…” She paused to consider, wondering if what she was thinking was the right thing to say. Maybe, maybe not, but she would commit to it. Perhaps it would help. “Tell her it’s a gift, from both Trixie and Luna.” Trixie shifted anxiously as she and Luna waited for the ride to end. They were standing on a wide platform that had been magically rigged to a shaft that rose high within the castle. Luna had been very quiet that evening, and was clearly preparing herself for something. Exactly what, Trixie couldn’t be certain. All she knew was that she didn’t feel comfortable having to stay so close to the Princess, not after their little encounter with her as Nightmare Moon. Physically speaking, she was feeling much better by now. Her bruises and cuts had all healed completely, and her once-broken leg was now just a little sore. Mentally, on the other hoof, she was a wreck. She’d spent a day and a half just resting, with Nye there almost constantly to make certain she didn’t try to get out of bed. That was a lot of time to think, and the things she’d considered worried her. The lift began to slow. Trixie glanced up to see they were reaching a broad opening. When they did she had to cover her eyes for a moment as the setting sun shimmered in her face, bright and red. It took several seconds for her to grow accustomed to the light, and when she finally looked around she was startled to find them standing atop the highest of Canterlot Castle’s towers. She gazed at the city below, the height making her not just a little nervous. She took a cautious step back and looked up at Luna anxiously. “Why did you want Trixie to come here?” Luna, who was sitting in the center calmly, gave Trixie a soothing look, though she was not smiling. “It’s all part of my explanation.” She stood and walked closer to the edge, brushing her wing against Trixie to urge her along. “Come, I want you to see this.” Trixie obliged, though being closer to the side of the tower made her heart flitter in her chest. “S-see what?” Luna glanced at Trixie, as if to be certain she was paying attention, before casting her gaze upon the city below. “Look, Trixie. Look at Canterlot, Equestria’s greatest city. It is beautiful, is it not?” Trixie did as she was told, gazing down at the city below. Tall, pearly spires, broad green parks, pristine white stone roads, all bedazzling in the red shade of twilight. Even from up here, it indeed seemed like a marvelous sight. “Trixie has to admit, it’s quite the scene.” The Princess nodded solemnly. “Yes, it is. Magnificent. A tribute to a thousand years of progress. Celestia’s shining jewel, sitting atop the solid foundation that is Equestria. This is what you are expected to see. This is what you are expected to think.” Trixie cast her gaze around curiously. She could recognize certain landmarks, like the great memorial minaret dedicated to those lost in the changeling war, or the massive artificial lake made in the shape of an alicorn in honor of the Unknown Princess. She also spotted the lone street that had been devastated by her and Rainbow’s duel, and couldn’t help feeling guilty; it was like looking at an ink blot blatantly spilled atop a priceless painting. She glanced up at Luna, startled to see an expression of disgust on her pretty face. The Princess spoke again with harshness in her tone. “When ponies see this, they think that everything is right in the world. ‘We are safe, we are secure. Everything in Equestria is perfectly fine.’” She bowed her head with an ominous frown. “Nothing is fine in Equestria, Trixie.” Trixie gazed at her, not comprehending. She looked to the city, sparkling wonderfully below, then back to the Princess. “Trixie does not understand what you are trying to say.” Luna’s eyes shifted to her, simmering anger in her manner. “Well,” she answered, “perhaps this will help.” The flapping of wings caught Trixie’s ears, and the sound of hooves upon stone. She turned to see who might be flying up to meet them… and her jaw dropped. Nightmare Moon stood on the other side of the tower, smirking at her with a wink. “You! I mean… y-you?” Trixie looked between the two Luna’s in alarm, chaos filling her mind. “How can there be two of you?” Luna turned, catching Trixie in her wing to prevent her from backing up too close to the ledge even as she glared daggers at the dark-coated doppelganger. “Nightmare.” “Hello, Luna,” Nightmare Moon called sweetly. She gave Trixie a wicked, playful grin. “Trixie.” “W-what’s going on?” Trixie asked, locking her hooves to the floor as Luna pushed her forward. “Am I dreaming? Y-yes, I’m dreaming!” Nightmare chuckled. “Did I not tell you she’d freak?” “Calm yourself, Trixie,” Luna ordered, her tone regal and harsh. “This is not a dream. Do not question your senses. Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon are not one and the same.” “Oh…” Nightmare gained a pained expression. “Don’t say that, Luna! After a thousand years together, I think of us as almost–” She considered her word choice, then grinned playfully. “–almost lovers.” Trixie was in a state of shock, her mind struggling to make sense of what she was seeing and hearing. “T-this… This doesn’t’ make any sense! I… I mean… Trixie demands an explanation!” Nightmare turned her smile upon her, eyes lighting up with eagerness. “I’d be happy to offer one.” “No.” Luna’s voice was firm and dominating. “You’ve done what I wanted. Thank you, Nightmare; you may leave, now.” But the dark-coated alicorn took a daring step forward, head low as she locked hungry eyes with Trixie’s. “I don’t know, Luna. I thought maybe we could take this opportunity to play with her. She’s bound to enjoy being caught between the two of us! Let’s have some fun…” Trixie blushed and took a fearful step back, not liking the look in her eyes one bit. Luna’s horn began to glow threateningly, her eyes peering at Nightmare in an expression of barely-controlled anger. “Leave us, Nightmare. Now.” The doppelganger raised her head, turning her smile upon the princess. “Come now, Luna, that’s no way to act. You don’t want to end up like your sister, do you?” Luna stood, wings flaring open in a threatening gesture, and Nightmare’s smile faded. “So be it, but remember: you and I will be together again sooner than you know.” She turned away and walked to the ledge, but paused to give Trixie one last playful look. “Oh, and Trixie? You will remember to leave your windows unlocked for me… won’t you?” Black wings opened, and she was gone, flying out over the city into the growing darkness. Luna gave a relieved sigh, folding her wings and relaxing her magic. She paused as if to collect her thoughts, then turned her head to study Trixie… who was staring up at her with wide, wild eyes. Seconds passed into minutes as they gazed at one another, Luna calm but sad, and Trixie astounded beyond words. But then she snapped out of it, and the words poured out of her mouth. “Trixie has just seen… I mean… You’re you, but that was also you, but not you? Everypony knows there’s just one you, but now there are two yous? But if that wasn’t you, then who are you? Wait, are you you, or not you? And if that wasn’t you, and you’re not you, and both of you are you… then that… that makes…” She dropped to her belly and clutched her head, letting out a frustrated shout. “I have no idea what I just saw!” She lay there for a while, her mind having gone blank from a question overload. She couldn’t even think, she was so confused. “In control, now?” Luna asked patiently, not a hint of mockery or humor in her voice. Trixie slowly sat up, but kept her head bowed forlornly. “I… Trixie guesses so…” “Come.” Luna walked to the center of the lift and sat. Her head turned back expectantly to her companion. After a few seconds Trixie joined her, dragging her hooves and feeling indescribably tired. Luna’s horn flashed, and the lift began to lower into the tower. “It is time you learned what is really happening in Equestria,” Luna told her, voice comforting. “It will seem like a lot to take in, and you may not believe a word of it. I only hope that, after seeing Nightmare Moon just now, you will recognize the truth in my words.” Trixie gazed up at her. “Trixie is not certain anything can surprise her, now.” Luna glanced at her in a manner of mild doubt. “We shall see.” They went silent as the lift dropped swiftly through the floors. After a while of mindless meditation Trixie said, “Please tell Trixie that you intend to explain why there are two yous.” The Princess nodded. “Everything I will be telling you leads to that, I assure you.” The white surface of the walls suddenly disappeared, replaced by solid rock. Trixie noted the change, but didn’t comprehend its meaning at first. Slowly it dawned upon her they were descending below Canterlot Castle itself. Where, then, were they headed? Rock gave way to something different, something shiny and reflective. She gazed at the wall that rapidly passed them by, watching as reflections of herself and Luna shook and warped against the surface. Crystals. It was all crystal! The lift began to slow, then came to a jerky stop. The shaft, lit by glowing crystals set in the walls, seemed to lead nowhere. Luna turned right, and Trixie followed suit. She observed the wall curiously, watching while Luna’s horn glowed faintly. There was a deep rumbling noise, and suddenly the wall rose up into the ceiling. Trixie could only stare, dumbfounded, as Luna walked through the hidden doorway into a very different world. The Princess paused at the entrance and glanced back at her with a raised eyebrow, and Trixie hurried to catch up. The slums of Canterlot. They were in a wide but low tunnel, metal lean-tos and poorly-built structures lining the walls. As they entered the area there was more rumbling, and Trixie glanced back to see a massive boulder dropping over the lift entrance. Ponies were all over the place. They were almost all pegasi and Earth ponies, though she noted a lone unicorn with a chipped horn sleeping atop some newspapers under an aluminum siding he’d set against the wall. Everywhere she looked there was trash, and a foul odor hit her nose. She spotted one mare sitting back against the wall, eyes glazed over and a leg missing. Her coat was black… but the stump of her leg was bloated and green. It made Trixie shiver. She followed behind Luna, keeping close to her and feeling frightened. Those ponies who paid any attention watched them go by, heads slowly turning to follow their passing. Some looked sad, others furious. Many just stared, blankly, as if they didn’t understand what they were seeing. “My Goddess,” Trixie whispered. “Why are these ponies like this?” Luna lead her through a side tunnel, their hoofsteps echoing eerily in the strangely quiet space. “They have nowhere else to go,” she answered seriously, eyes set forward and hard. “You saw Canterlot from above.” They passed through a large opening. “Now see it from below.” Trixie gaped at the sight. They were in a cavern, massive and tall, made entirely of crystal. The walls and ceiling shimmered beautifully… in stark contrast to the squalor below. It was a veritable city of its own, but instead of high-rises there were dilapidated houses, and instead of parks there were open spaces filled with moth-eaten blankets. She could see the populace milling about from their position several feet above; they all seemed so… tired. “Wha… What is this place…?” She knew the answer, but somehow she felt the need to hear it confirmed. “This?” Luna sat on the hard crystal surface, gazing out at the city below them. “This is Canterlot, Trixie. This is Equestria, in all its glory. The triumph of Celestia’s rule.” Trixie took an uncertain step forward, eyes roaming the impoverished scene. “Trixie had heard that the slums were horrid, but she never imagined…” “You think you’ve lost something important?” Luna asked. There was no criticism in her tone, but she caught Trixie’s attention anyway. “Gaze upon them, Trixie, and consider yourself blessed. These poor souls never had anything important to lose. They cling to their feeble existence because they don’t know anything else. Hopes, dreams, happiness; those are lost concepts down here.” Trixie’s heart ached at the sight of them. How could she have ever felt that she was suffering when this was happening? “Why does nopony help them?” she asked. “Because nopony wants to,” Luna replied solemnly. “I’ve been to several cities since my return from exile, and they all have a place for their undesirables. Manehattan used its sewers; Las Pegasus utilized a nearby desert canyon; New Horseleans kept them in the swamps. The unicorns don’t care, and the pegasi and Earth ponies who were lucky enough to be born in proper conditions fear doing anything to anger them or the government, and so they remain silent.” She shook her head, and for the first time that day an expression of true misery came upon the Princess’ face. “They are all like this, and I can do nothing to help them.” Trixie gazed at her, recognizing the genuine sadness in Luna. “But… you’re the Princess of the Night. You’re royalty. You are the government! Why can’t you help them?” Luna’s sadness gradually shifted to anger, and when she spoke her voice matched her menacing expression. “Celestia.” Trixie was only more confused. “Celestia?” Luna turned to her, but remained sitting. When she looked at Trixie her face was firm and commanding. “I am about to tell you a story, Trixie. It will fly in the face of all you know and believe, but I promise you that every word of it is true. You will then have to make a decision: believe, or don’t. Consider it carefully, because which one you choose will have a great impact on both our futures. “Will you hear my story?” Trixie remained silent. She stared at the Princess, and could see her the hope and worry in her eyes. She cast her gaze upon the ugly scene below, upon the lost and doomed ponies who lives in such terrible squalor and misery. How could a story possibly fix any of this? Then again, how could a story fix anything? Yet, as Trixie looked up at Luna once more, she realized that she did want to hear it. If only to finally understand. “Trixie will listen.” Luna sighed, a relieved sort of weariness coming over her, and nodded. She paused for several seconds, eye staring straight ahead and glazed as if she were collecting her thoughts. At last she spoke. “I assume you are aware of the story of Discord and the Unknown Princess?” What did that have to do with anything? “Everypony knows that story,” Trixie answered. “Everypony thinks they do,” Luna corrected softly. “Before Discord, my sister and I were… close. We shared a dream of an Equestria filled with harmony and friendship, but before we could achieve that dream, Discord had to be defeated. And so we traveled the lands until we discovered the Elements of Harmony, and-” “-and killed Discord,” Trixie interrupted with a roll of her eyes. “Trixie would like to know why she is being told what everypony in Equestria… already…” Luna had locked her with a harsh glare, and she timidly closed her mouth. “What you think you know,” Luna continued, with a touch of lecture in her tone, “is that it was our intention to kill him. It was not; the Elements of Harmony were meant to turn the Lord of Chaos to stone.” “To stone?” Trixie considered this, not really understanding. “Stone,” Luna acknowledged. “My sister and I took death very seriously, and we still harbored hopes that Discord could be reformed someday. But,” she looked away with a pained expression, “such was not to be. The Unknown Princess appeared, and ruined everything.” Trixie tilted her head, recalling the broken-faced statue in the Canterlot Gardens. It was so… ambiguous. She asked the question that had likely been asked by millions of ponies over the course of history. “Who was she?” Luna shook her head. “I do not know. She appeared at the very moment my sister and I used the Elements. Somehow, in that moment she… affected the spell, in ways I cannot fathom. The Elements were corrupted, for just a moment, and their purpose skewed. What was meant to petrify instead dealt Discord a lethal blow. By the time my sister and I realized what had happened, the Princess had vanished without a trace, never to be seen again.” Trixie scratched her head in perplexity. “But… surely something came of her? Some clue? Trixe would imagine that you at least saw her before she vanished!” “No.” Luna shook her head once more. “I was so startled, so busy trying to correct the Elements with my sister, that neither of us managed to get a look at her. Even if we had, that was twelve-hundred years ago, and the details of that day are… faded. All I know is that she was an alicorn, and she wore a crown.” She leveled a solemn stare at Trixie. “But what is truly important is what Discord did in response.” Trixie blinked. “But… Trixie thought Discord was dead?” “Not yet,” Luna corrected. “He had a few minutes of life left in him, and he used those minutes to seed the ultimate revenge. He cast a terrible curse upon Celestia and me, a spell that ruptured our minds into chaos. When the spell was completed, we each possessed two minds within the same body, one decent, the other corrupt. Such was the birth of Nightmare Moon.” “Trixie never heard anything about that!” She tried to piece this together with what she already knew, but it was simply impossible. “What you say… why would nopony know of it? Trixie finds the concept unlikely, at best.” “Have patience,” Luna pressed, though there was a hint of worry in her eyes. “The story is far from complete.” Trixie pursed her lips, wishing she could steer this conversation where she wanted, but relented with a ‘go on’ gesture. Luna waited to make sure Trixie wouldn’t speak before continuing. “As you know, what came after was the ‘Dark Times,’ an age of anarchy and warring as the ponies of Equestria fought for control in the ashes of Discord’s reign. My sister and I could not lead them out of such misery, for we were too enthralled in our own mental battles. We were struggling for control of ourselves, driven to madness by the conflict with our darker halves. Discord, in his dying moments, had achieved total chaos. I imagine he’d have been proud.” Trixie bowed her head to consider this information. “But… but history tells that you and Princess Celestia disappeared to meditate on your sins, a self-imposed punishment for Discord’s death. It is-“ “-a lie,” Luna interrupted. “A lie concocted to enhance my sister’s image.” Trixie tried to understand, but it was so much to take in! Luna went on before Trixie was ready. “For two centuries my sister and I lived alone, even from one another, and struggled with our new inner demons. In the end, Celestia discovered a spell that would separate the two minds into two separate bodies. Using this, she decided to confront her corrupted half. I understand that it was a terrible battle, but I was away, lost in my own mental prison, and did not witness it. In the end Celestia sealed her dark side in stone, the same punishment intended for Discord.” Trixie tilted her head, confused once more. “But if the corrupted version Discord made was so evil, why not destroy it? I understand you and your sister have certain views regarding capital punishment, but if something is irredeemably corrupted…” “I would agree,” Luna declare softly, “and, with hesitation, so would my sister. But Discord did not ‘create’ our corrupted halves, Trixie.” She leaned back to press her hooves over her heart demonstrably. “They exist in every pony, within our souls. Every pony in the world, every sentient being, has good and bad elements of their mind. All Discord did was separate those elements within us, and give the darker side of our personalities a sentience of its own. “So you see,” she continued, dropping back to her sitting position with a sad frown, “if Celestia had killed her… her twin, shall we say? To kill her, she would have been destroying a part of herself. The mind cannot function properly without both sides, Trixie. That is the entire point behind what is happening around us, throughout the past thousand years.” Trixie glanced at the derelict city below. “What do you mean?” Luna followed her gaze, and there was anger in her eyes. “Without her darker half, Celestia’s mind was shattered. She united Equestria, true, and through her actions the nation new a golden age. But as the decades passed, her mind steadily crumbled. New laws, new decrees. Her new decisions and plans, brought on by increasing paranoia and madness, began the crumbling decay of Equestrian society to the state it is today, and it is only going to get worse.” Trixie stared at the Princess, horrified at what she was hearing. “You are lying. Everypony, even Trixie, knows that Celestia is the guiding hoof of Equestria. The light of all that is good and wholesome. She would never be so monstrous as you claim!” “But she is, Trixie,” Luna whispered, not meeting her gaze. “My sister is only half a pony, and her mental state has become untenable.” “But Trixie met Celestia,” she declared angrily. “She appeared perfectly normal to Trixie!” “Yes,” Luna agreed darkly, “she puts on a perfect public display, does she not? Yet I assure you, for every charming smile my sister offers, she is planning something dark and unwholesome. Equestria is a cesspool of sin and corruption, perfectly orchestrated. Heaven on the surface, hell below. Class warfare, rampant poverty, mass hunger, a society in a state of chaos… and those lucky few who live on the surface, ponies like you, only have a tiny piece of the whole picture.” Trixie simply couldn’t believe her ears. “If all this is true, why did you not stop her a thousand years ago?! Why did you not stand up to her?” Luna shot Trixie a withering glance, rage simmering in her eyes. “Why do you think I was exiled on the moon? I saw what she was doing, what she was becoming, and I tried to reason with her. I only tried to talk to her, and the banished me!” She turned away, head bowed in shame. “I saw what was happening to her, and I chose to be kind. I offered to help her. Had I but responded with force, I may have ended it all right then and there! But instead I hesitated, for she is my sister, and now our Equestrian dream is gone.” Luna was crying. To Trixie’s shock, the Princess was actually crying! “It is not just these ponies that suffer,” she whispered. “Every pony who has ever lived since my exile has suffered in some way or another because of Celestia’s ever-worsening rule. A millennia of misery and pain. Can you even imagine it?” No, no she couldn’t. It was all so improbable, she couldn’t even believe it. This was the so-called ‘truth’? “This is beyond Trixie’s ability to accept,” she admitted. “You are two ponies, now. If your story is to be believed, then why are you not insane, as well? How would Trixie know if you weren’t?” Luna sniffled, rubbed her face, and turned back to Trixie. The expression on her face was pure misery, and it made Trixie feel guilty. “Yes,” the princess said, “I suppose the story must be finished.” She took a deep, shaky breath, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and continued. “Celestia brought me back from my exile, because she knew I could do nothing to stop her. While I was trapped and busy coming to grips with my corrupted half, she was growing in strength, both magically and politically. She even devised the legend of Nightmare Moon – a title my dark counterpart took on with delight – to further cripple my standing amongst the populace. I cannot defeat her in any arena, Trixie, and she takes monstrous pleasure in seeing my misery. “There is but one way my sister can be defeated,” Luna declared. “The Elements of Harmony.” Trixie took a horrified step back. “What? But they were corrupted by the Unknown Princess! You wish to kill your own sister?!” Luna calmly shook her head. “The casting of the spell was corrupted, but not the Elements themselves. If used again, they will serve their purpose, as they were meant to, and would not kill. “But,” she went on, “the Elements will not work for me. My mind is fragmented, Trixie, and a fragmented mind could never wield them. So I sought out ponies who might be able to align with me against Celestia, ponies who could wield the Elements in my place.” She cast a solemn, powerful look at Trixie. Her meaning was clear. “The ponies Trixie is fighting,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “They are the ones you chose to bear the Elements, are they not?” “Indeed,” Luna acknowledged. “They were meant to help me bring Equestria out of this dark age, and begin its healing. But…” She bowed her head in a showing of deep remorse. “Now, they are lost to me.” “And for good reason,” Trixie declared angrily. “Look at what you did to them! They have every right to hate you, and-“ Luna set a hoof to her lips, eyes imploring. “Nightmare Moon. During our exile, she learned how to take over my mind, often without my knowledge. She did those things, Trixie, not me. She ruined what I thought was my last chance at salvation, because her greatest delight is my torment.” She turned away to face the city below once more. “After the last of my so-called ‘Exes,’ the wooing of whom was all performed by my corrupted half, I could no longer tolerate sharing a body with that monster. But there was only one way to free my mind: Celestia. She alone knew the spell. I begged her to split us into two forms, as she had done centuries ago… and she did. “I am free, Trixie,” she whispered, bowing her head once more. “I could think clearly for the first time since Discord’s death… and it came to me then, with horrible clarity, that there was nothing left. I couldn’t face my sister, I could not save Equestria.” She nearly broke into tears again, but after a few seconds she managed to regain control. “That was three months ago. I have nothing left, Trixie, nothing but my ability to visit ponies in their dreams and at least try to help them, in what little way I can. Many don’t want my help, for all they can think of is that I am Nightmare Moon, scourge of Equestria. So now I just watch, and wait for the day when Celestia decides to merge Nightmare and myself back into a single body.” For a long time, there was complete silence between them. Trixie faced the city, her mind slowly going over the long story. It was so… unbelievable. It did make a certain crazy sense, especially when set together with what she’d heard from Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. And yet… divided minds? She had seen Nightmare and Luna together, so at the very least she knew that part to be true. But how was she to know that this story was the whole truth? What if Luna was just making all of this up to turn her against Celestia? And why her? “What is Trixie expected to do?” she asked, unable to look the Princess in the eye. Luna glanced at her, her voice hopeful. “Do you believe?” Trixie bit her lip, hesitated. If it was real, then she had to do something, but how could it be real? All her life she’d heard the same stories. She simply couldn’t believe a conspiracy of such magnitude! “No. No, Trixie does not believe you.” The Princess let out a long, forlorn sigh, head drooping once more. “Then it is over, no matter what happens now. “I have failed.”