//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Three Wishes // by TimeBaby //------------------------------// Since Luna's return to Canterlot, she and Celestia had made a daily habit of meeting at dusk for a short conversation. The royal sisters had started these brief tête-à-têtes in order to catch up on all that they had missed in their millennium of separation; but eventually they became something more casual, a way for the two most powerful beings in Equestria to share a laugh or just a few friendly words in the fleeting moments when their domains overlapped. Occasionally, though, the meetings still turned to more serious matters, usually at the behest of Luna. Celestia always knew when her younger sister was feeling less than jovial—quite a talent given Luna's tendency to look serious even when she was having fun. As the princess of the night approached that evening, Celestia recognized the tell-tale knit in her brow which indicated that she was not in a joking mood. "Good evening, sister," Celestia said, adopting a business-like posture to match Luna's. "Well met," said Luna. "I was hoping to hear that your little...experiment with the Wishing Stone had reached a favorable conclusion. Before coming here, I did some scrying, and was no longer able to feel its presence." Celestia took a moment to consider what had happened before replying. "It will be some time before we know for sure whether the experiment was a success," she said. "For now, I know only what was wished for. The first spell was used to imprison Trixie Lulamoon in the Wishing Stone’s sanctuary, the second to restore the Appleloosans’ failed harvest." "And the third?" Luna asked. "To teleport Trixie to Vanhoover." "Interesting," Luna mused. "I presume Ms. Lulamoon did not make that wish herself." "It would be quite odd if she had." “It is just as well,” Luna said. “From the beginning, I was opposed to this bit of meddling. Imagine, crafting an item that had previously existed only in ancient Equestrian legends, just as a teaching tool.” Celestia finally allowed herself a giggle as Luna continued to frown at her. “How else was I going to top kicking my best student out of Canterlot just to teach her how to make friends?” Luna snorted. “This may be a joke to you, sister, but you actually made the stone powerful enough to grant any wish! You knew there was a very real chance that Trixie would use it to give herself unlimited magical power!” “Luna, you’re exaggerating,” Celestia said. “You know how wishing magic works as well as I do. The wish could only have made her as powerful as the pony who enchanted the gem.” “Of course,” Luna scoffed, “so she could only have made herself your equal then. At which point she might still have had two more wishes to do with as she pleased.” Both sisters stood in heavy silence for a moment as the significance of that number settled over them. At last, Celestia spoke again. “You are probably right,” she said. “But recently I have become convinced that the magic of friendship is even more powerful than I believed it to be when I sent Twilight Sparkle off on her studies.” “And you hoped that this ordeal would cause Trixie and the griffon to open their hearts to it the way that...the circumstances surrounding my return opened Twilight Sparkle’s heart?” “Exactly. But you need not worry—I promise, if I make another attempt to win anypony over, it won’t involve an artifact that could destroy the foundations of Equestrian society.” “I have always been more pragmatic than you, sister,” Luna said. “Things seem to have worked out in the end, and I bear you no ill will.” Again, the two sisters fell into silence. After some time had passed, Luna turned to depart, unfurling her wings as she reached the edge of the balcony. She paused for a moment, though, turning back to Celestia. “If I may ask, why did you choose Ms. Lulamoon? There are surely more powerful unicorns just as ripe for a lesson in the magic of friendship. Was it merely for Twilight’s sake?” Celestia thought for a moment before answering. “To be honest, sister, I am not entirely sure. Perhaps it was for Twilight. Perhaps I see potential in Trixie that others do not. Perhaps...I just have a feeling that the time is coming when I will need more allies.” “And ponies think that I am the mysterious one,” Luna said. With a powerful flap of her wings, she took off into the darkening sky, leaving Princess Celestia alone to watch the sun drop below the horizon. *** No unicorn ever forgets her first experience with teleportation, but Trixie Lulamoon’s was even more memorable than most. One moment, she was standing in the chamber of Wishing Stone, futilely assaulting the walls with her weak force blasts, screaming curses at the griffon and Earth pony who had just betrayed her. The next, she was engulfed in a bubble of light. There was the sound of an explosion, and the feeling of her body being reduced to its smallest components then reassembled. When she regained her sight, she was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar urban street, several shocked ponies gawking at her. For the time being, she gave no thought to how she had been freed from her prison, nor to where she had been transported. All that mattered was that she had not been left to the awful fate she believed had befallen her just seconds before. When she regained something like composure, she fixed one of the bystanders with a fierce look. “You! What town is this?” “V-Vanhoover,” the stunned Earth pony stammered. “And where is the nearest bar?” “About two blocks. That way.” He gestured with a hoof. Without another word, Trixie pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders and, as she started off for the bar, cursed the circumstances that had brought her to where she was. Ultimate power had been within her grasp, and she had let it slip away. Or, rather, it had been stolen from her by the companions who were supposed to help her attain it. For the time being, she was too tired to think of revenge. She only wanted a drink to celebrate the fact that she had not been left to rot in that stone prison. As she reached the rustic little tavern, she threw open the door and entered without even bothering to read the nameplate that hung above the entrance. Inside, a fire roared in the fireplace, and a handful of stallions sat drinking at the unornamented bar. It wasn’t even on par with the Dragon’s Breath, but it would suit her present purposes. “Whiskey,” Trixie grunted as she pounded a few bits down on the bar. “Leave the bottle.” The large, old mare working the bar issued a noncommittal grunt, but did as Trixie instructed. The unicorn quickly poured a glass, downed it in a single gulp, then repeated the process two more times in quick succession. As the warmth of the liquor rushed through her veins, she finally thought to remove her cloak. As soon as she had disrobed, she filled her glass for the fourth time. While sipping the next glass, Trixie began to think about what had happened. Not the teleportation—that had surely been Gilda and Braeburn using one of the wishes to save her life. No, what really intrigued Trixie was how she had passed her final test. Gilda had obviously had a change of heart, and had somehow plotted with Braeburn to stop her getting the Wishing Stone. But Trixie had been allowed to proceed to the final chamber despite making no secret of the fact that she was vengeful and power-hungry. She had passed the test precisely by admitting her greatest weaknesses. Trixie stopped drinking for a moment, staring straight ahead. The effects of the alcohol were already upon her, but that didn't stop her from experiencing an unwelcome epiphany. She had believed that she passed her test by confessing her weaknesses. But what if she hadn't? What if she was actually being tested to see whether she had learned anything in the presence of a far greater mage than herself? If that was the case, she had failed the test, and failed it miserably. In fact, her failure had been so spectacular that she had still been allowed into the final chamber. The magic of the test had determined that she posed no threat, so long as she had her two babysitters in tow. Trixie pounded back the rest of her drink, then sat for a long time, staring into the brown liquid that remained in the bottle. She hadn't thought that she could get lower than she was after the Ponyville incident, but this day had proved her wrong. The temptation was strong to remain drunk in Vanhoover until her meager supply of bits ran dry, then perform a few magic shows to get enough money to travel back to Hollow Shades. Deep down, she knew that there was only one way to conquer her doubts and shame once and for all. It was the only solution there had ever been. She had to finally have her revenge on Twilight Sparkle. Suddenly, Trixie had no desire to stay in Vanhoover a moment longer. Her cart and props were still in Hollow Shades, if Porter hadn't allowed them to dragged off by the Royal Guard. She needed to get back there, rest at the tavern for a couple of days, and try to gather information. The Wishing Stone was surely not the only item of vast power remaining in Equestria. She had heard talk of others, not quite as powerful, but still sufficient to defeat Celestia's pet. The Mirror of Princess Platinum, the Cup of Pegasopolis, the Alicorn Amulet—if any of these turned out to be real, she would find them and claim them for herself. Twilight Sparkle would bow before her, and then she would go looking for Gilda and Braeburn. Trixie abandoned her unfinished bottle, rushed into the street and grabbed the nearest passerby. "The Great and Powerful Trixie requires a train!" she shouted at the bewildered pegasus. "J-just around the corner over there. You can't miss it!" Trixie shoved the mare aside and galloped in the direction she had indicated. Soon enough, she reached the platform, where she shoved her way through the line to the ticket counter. "One ticket for Hollow Shades!" she demanded, throwing the last of her bits at the elderly stallion working the window. He collected the money she had flung at him and carefully counted it. "Looks like yer a few bits short for that trip," he said in a nasally drawl. "What? Then how far will this take me?" "This is about enough to get you to Tall Tale," he said. “Tall Tale?” Trixie groaned. “That’s just a few miles from here!” "Well, then, today’s your lucky day," the old stallion said. "And why is that," Trixie asked, making no effort to hide her exasperation. "Well, my cousin happens to run a rock farm out that way. He can always use a spot of help. You could earn the money to get to Hollow Shades in no time." “A...rock farm?” “Yep, good honest work.” Trixie looked at the line of angry ponies she had just shoved her way past to be the first in line. She could run, but she quickly decided she might as well take the train as far as she could, and figure out her next move from there. “Fine,” she said with a heavy sigh, “one ticket to Tall Tale.” The stallion obliged, and Trixie trudged off to wait for the train.