Wind whipped through Trixie’s mane as the carriage soared through the orange sky. The world below was nothing short of magnificent, but she hardly noticed. She was too busy pressing in close to Luna, trying to savor her presence for as long as possible. The princess had a wing wrapped about her lover, gloomy eyes set to the horizon.
Trixie ignored Nye, who sat beside her with his head averted. He kept shifting in place, visibly discomforted by his proximity to the dour pair. Up ahead Celestia’s carriage skirted the clouds, the sunlight shimmering against its golden décor. Trixie hoped that she was only coming to watch her prized student in action.
Trixie didn’t want the fight to come; it didn’t even have anything to do with Twilight! She knew what was possible, and Nye had all but confirmed that he thought it would happen. Luna refused to speak on the subject – indeed, she hadn’t said much at all in the past two days. She had stuck by Trixie the entire time, clinging to her in a way that was loving… but also worrisome. And the morning before…
There was no doubt Luna had wanted it to be a morning to remember.
With recent events in mind, the oncoming fight was far more scary than it might have been. Trixie didn’t want anything to do with it. If it were an option, she’d have taken Luna and fled Equestria! Yet deep in her heart she knew it would have been the wrong decision. She also knew Luna would never have agreed to do it.
So here they were, flying beyond Ponyville and into the wastes, where the land was dry and rocky. The carriage took an abrupt dip as the gold-armored pegasi began the descent. Trixie clutched at Luna, her chest tight and breathing slow. Soon the clouds parted, revealing their destination.
The Gates of Tartarus. They stood out clearly against the rocky, hilled landscape, a pair of thick-looking black doors pressed firmly in the side of an outcropping. Hidden behind the massive stone structure was the tunnel leading to the Eternal Prison.
The Gates were flanked by a pair of immense towers. The southern tower, with its great spire top, housed the working residence of the Gatekeeper and her assistant, while the northern tower was flat-topped and wide, housing the gate controls. The two towers were connected by a lone path that crossed along the front of the gate about two-thirds up its total height, forming a long, hazardous-looking ledge. Aside from the Ponyville library, which had been built from the same materials, the Gates had to be the most imposing structure Trixie had ever seen. Of course, past experiences had left her biased towards the library…
Trixie let out an involuntary whimper and pressed a little more tightly against her princess. The thought of what might happen had her heart somersaulting as the carriages descended.
“It will be okay,” Luna whispered, though her voice wasn’t at all comforting.
The carriages landed atop the northern tower, having more than enough space to do so. Trixie followed Luna as they stepped onto the near-black stones, trying to maintain a confident pose even though she felt like dirt. She watched Celestia step out of her carriage, lips set in a solemn frown as she nodded regally to Luna.
The Princess of the Night bowed her head and took a shaky breath, then turned to Trixie. “It’s up to you, now.”
Trixie glanced at Celestia, who was making her way to some stairs to give them privacy. She turned her gaze back up to Luna, her heart breaking. “You don’t know what will happen,” she tried, though her words lacked strength.
Luna nuzzled her. “You’re right, I don’t. But I have a good idea.”
“You don’t have to go.” Trixie hated how her voice sounded. “You didn’t have to make those deals…”
Luna embraced her, planting a kiss on her lover’s cheek. “Whatever happens today, know that you have made me happy. I will be watching you from afar. Always.”
She released and stepped away, a smile on her lips but tears in her eyes. Trixie realized she was crying too. She tried to hold the words back, but they came out anyway. “D-don’t go.”
Luna’s smile only broadened. She sniffed, rubbed her face and turned away. “I love you, Trixie.”
Trixie’s hooves felt like rocks, her throat like sandpaper. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound would come out. All she could do was watch with tears streaming unheeded down her cheeks as the princess walked to the stairs. Luna never looked back, never paused. The last Trixie saw of her was that shimmering tail as she disappeared below.
Trixie sat and cried. Her princess was gone, perhaps forever. All the effort, all the trouble and harshness, and this was her reward? Luna would be ‘watching?’ What kind of reward was that? She cursed between her hiccups, wishing she could think of something to do about this. There had to be...
Something wrapped about her, holding on tightly. She blinked, turning her head as she fought to see through tears. It was Nye. He offered no words of comfort, no sage advice. He just held her, and she leaned against him and wept.
It took some time to get over her emotions. When she did, she found herself still pressed against him, and slowly pulled back. Neither shame nor discomfort arose in her, only appreciation of his understanding. He offered her no smile, but he did set a hoof to her shoulder.
Trixie rubbed her eyes free of tears and fought down her last hiccup. “Where’s Twilight?”
He studied her for a few seconds, no emotion evident on his steady face. “Are you sure? You don’t want… time?”
Trixie gritted her teeth. “The only way Trixie is getting through this is if she defeats Twilight. Let’s end it.”
He continued to study her for some time, but finally nodded and gestured to the stairs. “Alright, follow me.”
They descended the tower, its black walls lit by the same bright crystals that lined the slums of Canterlot. Seeing them made Trixie feel ill; she did not want to think of the slums, not now.
They dropped a few flights, passing large doors that appeared to be made of bronze. Nye paused at several, glancing inside the dark rooms but never finding what he was after. Trixie hardly paid any attention; her mind was still stuck on trying to keep Luna’s pretty face in her mind’s eye.
Nye paused at one of the bronze doors, smiling as he looked inside. He stepped back and gestured for Trixie to enter. Despite her sorrow, she scoured the room in anticipation.
…no Twilight.
What she did see was gears. Heavy giants, all connected in a mass working of mechanics on a staggering scale. The room wasn’t all that big, but the machinery was worked into the walls, ceiling and floor, suggesting a much larger mechanism beyond.
It was then she saw the pegasus. He was hovering on white wings near a high gear twice his size, studying its edges with his hooves. Trixie frowned; he was the only pony in the room. She glanced at Nye, who offered her a small smile before turning to the pegasus.
“Hey, bro.”
The pegasus’ head rose, as if he didn’t recognize the sound of another pony’s voice. He studied the gear for a moment longer, head tilted as if the words had come from it. His green eyes searched through his silver, violet-streaked mane, finally falling upon the two visitors. He brushed his short mane out of his face and tilted his head once again. “Nye…?”
“Yeah, Nye.” Nye rolled his eyes. “What, you been stuck here so long ya forgot your twin brother?”
Twin brother? Trixie looked to Nye, then to the pegasus and realized that they did look somewhat alike… though his brother didn’t have any of the weight Nye possessed. He looked… sturdier. As he dropped to land before them, she also noticed that he wasn’t just lacking Nye’s extra pounds. He was downright rugged; Trixie had never been one to eye stallions, but she couldn’t deny he was a fine specimen. She never would have imagined a pony with those muscles could be Nye’s twin!
“How long has it been?” the brother asked with a calm smile.
“’Bout a year and a half,” Nye declared. He came forward and gave his twin a tight hug, which his brother returned awkwardly. “It’s great to see ya, Jim.”
“You, too,” Jim replied, blushing at what Trixie suspected was an unusual level of physical contact for him. As they separated, he shot Trixie a curious look. “And who’s this? Don’t tell me you finally found a mare-friend.”
Trixie opened her mouth to fire a retort, but Nye waved a dismissive hoof and spoke before she could. “Nah, you know I’m married to my job, like you.” He stood aside and gestured to Trixie with a flourish. “May I introduce Trixie Lulamoon.”
“Ah.” Jim’s eyes lit up. “So this is the ‘Trixie’ Twilight’s been so flustered over.”
Trixie hesitated, not sure how to take that. “A pleasure…?”
“I’m sure you’ve gathered it by now,” Nye told Trixie with a hoof on his brother’s shoulder, “but this is my twin brother, Jimmy Stone. He’s Twilight’s assistant here at the Gates.”
Trixie eyed the twins critically, turning her attention on Jimmy. “Her assistant. So are you… close to Trixie’s arch nemesis?”
Jimmy pursed his lips and carefully considered the question. “Close. I wouldn’t say close. We work well together, but Twilight’s more like a boss than a friend.”
Despite the sadness still deep within her, Trixie smiled at the brothers. “In that case, Trixie likes him already.”
Jimmy rubbed the back of his head with a crooked smile— “Uh, thanks?” —then turned to Nye. “So what are you two doing all the way out here?”
Nye facefaulted. “You didn’t know? Trixie’s here to fight Twilight.”
Jimmy’s eyes went wide. “Is that today?”
Trixie glowered. “Suddenly Trixie doesn’t feel so notable.”
“Cut him some slack,” Nye told her. “He doesn’t get out much. Too busy keeping his muzzle in the gear grease.”
“Sometimes literally,” Jimmy added with a smile.
Trixie glanced about at the gears and gloomy atmosphere. “Trixie supposes she can accept that. She doubts living out here is conducive to keeping track of time and events.”
“Not really,” Jimmy admitted, eyeing the room with a frown and slack shoulders. “Unlike my boss – who spends half her time in Ponyville – this is where I stay all day, every day.” He noted Trixie’s alarmed expression. “Keeping this place in perfect condition requires a lot of attention. Goddess help Equestria if the gates were to open unintentionally. You know what’s down there?”
An image of the other Twilight encased in her crystalline tomb flashed through Trixie’s mind. She shivered. “I know their work.”
The images that went through her mind drove her to fresh anger. Twilight Sparkle… Suddenly the thought of that pony sitting cushy in her tower had Trixie grinding her teeth. “Where is she?”
The brothers shared hesitant looks. “Probably studying in the South Tower,” Jimmy replied.
Trixie turned and left the room, her mind focused on her task as she descended the stairs. Twilight was the keeper of the Gates of Tartarus. She had the authority to open or close the Gates for others. She had to know the other Twilight was down there.
Why had she let the other Twilight leave? Trixie was suddenly recognizing a part of the mystery that had never occurred to her before; the living Twilight knew something about the other one’s escape. She had to. Trixie wanted answers, though she knew Twilight probably wouldn’t just offer them up.
Trixie had to win.
That thought struck her as she came to a jerking stop at the bottom of the stairs, a large pair of double doors before her. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breathing slow and deep.
She was scared. Despite knowing she had to win, despite everything that was at stake, she was still scared. This wasn’t going to be a frail Twilight, ravaged by the brutality of Tartarus. This was the Twilight who’d twice humiliated her, who’d once haunted her nightmares, whom she swore to never confront again.
“Trixie?” It was Nye’s voice, just behind her.
“A moment,” she answered. Or tried to; it came out as a hoarse whisper. She cleared her throat, raised her head high and tried again. “A moment. That’s all… Just a moment.”
She closed her eyes and sucked in a long, deep breath. She gave herself time, let her heartbeat slow to normal speeds. She could do this. For herself. For Luna. For Equestria. For Twilight in her tomb beneath Canterlot. She could do this. She repeated the phrase in her mind again and again, a short mantra to grant courage.
She could do this.
The doors glowed magenta and opened. Standing tall, stepping proudly, Trixie stepped out from beneath the tower and onto the wide walkway of the Gates, making her way to the southern tower.
She could do this.
She spotted Twilight already crossing the center of the Gate, and her legs began to wobble. She struggled to keep going, even as her heart resumed its frantic beating and her mind screamed for her to turn and flee.
She could do this.
“Trixie.”
She glanced back to find Nye and Jim watching. Nye studied her with shifting eyes.
“Good luck.”
She swallowed and nodded before turning to face her latest and most terrifying opponent. She had to force her legs to move, but move they did. It took time for them to draw close to one another, each step bringing Trixie a little closer to panic. Good Goddess, was she really going to try?
But she could do this.
Twilight spoke as soon as she was close enough to not have to shout: “Hello again, Trixie.” She grinned maliciously, her eyes shining with eagerness. Shining… red? But Twilight didn’t have…
Trixie came to a stop, eyes widening at the sight of the monstrous thing around Twilight’s neck. “Th-that’s… Twilight…”
Twilight maintained her grin as she sat, bouncing the Alicorn Amulet against a hoof playfully. “Looks good on me, don’t you think?”
She couldn't do this.
If Trixie thought she was afraid before, she knew she was now. “H-have… have you forgotten what that thing did to me?!”
“Of course not,” Twilight responded, rolling her eyes. “But that was you. You’re an amateur.”
Trixie’s mind erupted with conflicting emotions, chief among them her offense at Twilight’s words and fear of what she may be capable of. She could only stand there, lips working soundlessly as she tried to avoid lashing out… or fleeing. “You… y-you… you have to get rid of it. You said so yourself, it’s too dangerous…”
Twilight stood with a smirk. “Why Trixie, I do believe you’re scared of me.”
She was. Trixie was terrified. Despite everything, this one unicorn rendered her incapable of even thinking straight. She needed to get it together! This fight was about to start and she was already looking like a foal! With a violent shake of her head, Trixie set herself in an aggressive pose. “Trixie beat the others, she can beat you!”
But then she found herself encased in a red glow and floating a few inches off the ground. Twilight smirked. “Of course you can.”
Trixie struggled for a moment to free herself, only to shout when she was sent flying through he air! She smacked the stones on her back, pain jolting through her body. She looked up with a gasp, fear creeping into her mind as Twilight approached at a leisurely pace. Trixie thought frantically for an effective attack, but what could she use? Twilight had the Alicorn Amulet! Surely any of her normal attacks would be useless against—
“Hey!” Trixie found herself hanging upside down, held aloft by her glowing tail. She shot Twilight a terrified look. “Put me down!”
“Okay.”
Trixie dropped to the ground face-first. She sat up, rubbing her head and fuming at her own uselessness.
Twilight set a hoof to her chin, eyebrows rising as she scrutinized her opponent. “What happened to you? This is the Trixie that beat Rainbow Dash and Applejack? You’re nothing like the rude showpony I had to pound into submission the last two times.”
Trixie stood and glared, her horn glowing threateningly. “I’m better than the Trixie you used to know!”
“Really?” Twilight’s smile was skeptical as her horn glowed. Trixie let out a cry as a massive red claw appeared beneath her. It caught her around the midsection before she could escape and pulled her down, her jaw bouncing on the hard stone and legs splayed. “I’m not seeing it.”
The claw began to squeeze, leaving Trixie gasping for breath. She attempted to push against the ground, but the claw was too strong. She tried to call out, but couldn’t form any words. Just as she began to look for a magical solution, the claw threw her into the gate wall. She smashed against it and dropped to the floor, stunned.
“This is sad.” Twilight trotted slowly towards her quarry. “Here I was expecting you to be a torrent of revenge-filled fury, yet all I’m getting is a wannabe with all the bravery of a newborn filly. Why are you even here?”
Trixie wobbled to her hooves, trembling just a little. Damn it, she was being so worthless! What happened to all her bravado, her determination? Why was she so scared to act against Twilight? She needed to do something!
Seeking to buy time, she asked, “Why are you?”
Twilight’s expression grew dark. A light flashed and Trixie felt heat beneath her. An invisible force struck from below, knocking her into the air once more.
Twilight watched with a grim frown. “Oh, no.” Another flash of light, and Trixie was hit again to go flying over Twilight’s head.
“I did my research.”
Another hit.
“That’s the moment you win, when your enemy talks.”
And another.
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
Whack, whack.
“No time for special tricks.”
Whack.
“No time to devise spells.”
Whack.
“No getting into my head.”
Whack, whack, whack.
“Not even Luna to save you.”
The last hit sent Trixie face-first into the ground.
“I’m the final round, Trixie.” Twilight stood over her with a tense frown. “You’re not getting past me.”
Trixie’s body throbbed with pain. A low moan escaped her lips as she raised her head and noted blood on the black stonework. She looked up at Twilight and felt a quiet fury growing within her.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Finally ready to fight?”
Trixie pressed her hooves against the ground and concentrated on a new spell. It didn’t take much to implement. She pushed up and dove forward, horn bursting with energy. An instant later she was covered in a magical cone and darting at her opponent, a living weapon.
Twilight sneered and sidestepped; Trixie flew by harmlessly.
Trixie landed on all four hooves, horn fizzling as the spell wore out. She turned and was hit in the chest by a beam that knocked her off her hooves.
Twilight’s red eyes flashed as she approached. “Good Goddess, what is this? Even when you actually fight, you can’t do anything! I should just kill you and be done with it.” She sneered at Trixie’s alarmed expression. “What, you didn’t know? This fight’s to the death.”
“What?” Trixie stood and stepped back. “No. Twilight was a monster, but she’d never condone that! That’s the Amulet speaking.”
“Maybe it is,” Twilight hissed as a crimson spike resembling ice began to form over her shoulder. “Irrelevant.”
The ice flew at Trixie, who just managed to dodge. “Twilight, stop!”
“Why did you even come?” Twilight snapped. “What was the point? To be with Luna? Do you even have a reason?” Three more ice spikes were forming, their crystalline surfaces shimmering in the fading sunlight.
Trixie dodged two of the shots, but caught the third one with her magic. She quickly flipped the ice so the sharp point was facing Twilight and sent it flying. It shattered before it even came close to her. Trixie began backing up; Twilight followed at a leisurely pace. Though she was retreating, Trixie’s fear began to subside. Replacing it was a heat in her mind, like a coal just beginning to ignite. With that spark Trixie felt something else, something very new: determination.
“Trixie is tired of being afraid of you,” she snarled. She rubbed the blood from her lip before firing a beam at Twilight.
The beam struck a near-invisible shield. Twilight kept coming. “You have good reason to be afraid.”
“Trixie will best you!” Her beam kept firing, and she focused on creating a pair of magenta discs. The discs spun like blades while they flew at Twilight, but bounced away when they struck her shield. “If it takes her a thousand tries, she will do it!”
Twilight paused, sneered, and lowered her head so her horn just touched the edge of her shield. A single jolt of energy was fired, which danced along Trixie’s beam like electricity on a wire. When it connected to Trixie’s horn she let out an agonized scream, her entire body burning and convulsing. The shock lasted for only a couple seconds, but when it was over Trixie was on the ground, panting and in tears.
“You know, I used to have dreams too.” Twilight came forward to stand over Trixie yet again. “I used to dream of fixing this world, of making it better. But now I know that dreams just lead to pain. You don’t have the power to fight me, Trixie, yet you keep coming for more.” Her horn flashed and a long, thin red sword materialized before her. “I’m going to do you a favor and end your dream. You’ll thank me later.”
Power. That’s what Twilight was thinking, was it? Trixie glared up at her, mind flashing back to the past few weeks: facing Luna for the first time, her fight with Rarity, losing her wagon to Applejack, learning Rainbow’s bloody history, being abandoned by Amethyst, facing the combined anger of Pinkie and Fluttershy.
Entombing the other Twilight.
She’d come so far, and this was where she was supposed to meet her end?
Twilight had been staring right back, a deep but thoughtful frown on her lips, that sword poised to strike. “You don’t even know why you’re here, do you?”
No. No, she hadn’t known. But now Trixie thought of another face. Two faces. Suddenly, she remembered what they had said. She’d dismissed it. But now, faced with death, she thought she finally understood. And more importantly… she knew Twilight did not.
So she looked Twilight right in the eye and asked, “Do you know why you’re here?”
Twilight sneered and raised her sword high. “I told you, I’m not talking!”
The weapon fell, but Trixie formed something of her own; a shield. The two connected with a flash of crimson and magenta sparks.
Trixie stood, pushing the shield up as Twilight struggled to force her sword through. They glared daggers through one another’s shimmering, smoky weapons. “I know why I’m here. Can you say the same?”
A magenta sword formed at Trixie’s side and slashed. Twilight leapt away, just barely dodging the attack. “What? Did you finally figure it out? Too late for that.”
“Is it?” Trixie’s sword swung through the air threateningly. “All you have is your power. Power is nothing.”
Twilight tensed, lips peeling back into a vicious sneer. She came forward, a second sword forming, but her weapons were blocked by Trixie’s sword and shield. “Power decides everything!”
“Power is dirt!” Trixie thrust against her opponent; once again Twilight found herself pushed back. “I don’t need power. I thought I did, but I was wrong. I do have a reason to be here, Twilight!”
“You’re here to best me,” Twilight snapped, two more blades appearing around her. “You came here for revenge!”
Trixie formed a second sword and shield, meeting Twilight’s lunge yet again. “I came here to help Equestria. I came here to fight for the ponies who couldn’t. I came here for Luna!”
Their weapons danced in the air, a cacophony of sparks and flashes illuminating their strikes. “Don’t pretend to be so noble,” Twilight hissed. “I know you, Trixie! You’re as arrogant and self-obsessed as they come!”
“And what about you?” Trixie shot back, ignoring the sparks that rained down on her head. “Little Miss Perfect, Miss Prized Pupil! You think you’re better than everypony else, don’t you?”
“I am better than everypony else!” Twilight’s red eyes flashed. “Celestia chose me, she made me her protégé, she gifted me with the Alicorn Amulet! What do you have?”
“I have conviction!” Their weapons locked in tandem with their eyes. “I don’t have any excuses, not anymore. I know what I’m fighting for!”
“And what would that be?” Twilight fired a mocking sneer. “Don’t tell me; you love Luna?”
The anger and emotion surged within Trixie. “I. Love. Luna. There! I said it!” Her horn emitted a blast of concussive energy.
Twilight was knocked back, but she quickly slid to a stop and faced Trixie’s anger. “Is that supposed to intimidate me?!”
Trixie didn’t need to say anything else. She just came forward, weapons ready. Twilight met her, forming new blades. Soon they were dancing about the Gates. They weren’t just using weapons or spells, now. Trixie fired beams of energy; Twilight created pillars of fire; Trixie put up an ice wall; Twilight smashed through with a bolt of lightning; Trixie caught and reflected the bolt back. Spell after spell after spell, the two worked a constant barrage even as their weapons clashed and sparked. Twilight was empowered by the Alicorn Amulet and an anger of no known source, but Trixie had her determination, her fierce focus and even the heat of revenge.
At long last, she understood. There were questions, there were confusions and things that didn’t make sense, but none of it mattered. The lesson which Fine Crime and Octavia had been trying to teach her had finally been learned. The why and how of her relationship with Luna didn’t need to be questioned. She just needed to believe in it, to focus on it! No more confusion, no more soul-searching.
Just let it be, and draw strength from it. Trixie understood. Power is nothing; conviction is everything. Why had it taken so long to grasp the obvious nature of it?
So she fought, and she wasn’t afraid anymore. More than that; she felt good, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She loved Luna, she fought for the entombed Twilight, she believed in herself. She no longer questioned. She just believed.
They were both sweating from exertion, their horns smoking from the rapid firing of spells. “Damn you,” Twilight cried as a fireball barely missed her, “what happened?!”
Trixie made no attempt to answer; all her energies were concentrated on the fight.
Twilight snarled through gritted teeth and raised a solid stone wall between them. Trixie fired a massive ball of energy that drifted towards it and erupted, the blast so strong it shattered the wall. Trixie braced for a counter… but Twilight wasn’t there.
“Enough!” A flash of light, and Twilight was behind her. Trixie jerked about but wasn’t fast enough to block the wave of energy that erupted in her face at point-blank range. She was thrown back, recovered and landed only to be instantly hit by another blast as a beam struck at her hooves.
Trixie saw the weapons coming and summoned her own to block. An instant later she was smacked by another blast as Twilight teleported right next to her. She didn’t get far before she was caught by the tail and slammed against the wall of the Gate. She was pulled back; Twilight tried to slam her again but she recovered and hit the wall as if it were ground, landing on all fours. She shot out her magical rope and caught Twilight by the neck, jerking her close with it.
Twilight countered, a ball of energy appearing between them and erupting.
Trixie flew high into the air, stunned by the pain. The world was spinning wildly, and then she hit hard ground. She tried to stand, but her legs wobbled and she fell back down. She abruptly realized that she was nearing her physical limit, and let out a quiet curse. Mentally, she was ready to fight! But her body just couldn’t keep going. She had been coming with spells off the top of her head half the time, and the magic was taking its toll.
She had no idea how Twilight was faring, but armed with the Alicorn Amulet... She was powerful without it, so there was no way she was in as much trouble as Trixie. What was she going to do now?
A crimson flash of light signaled Twilight’s close presence. Seeing her made Trixie realize that she’d been knocked onto the top of the northern Tower. Twilight seethed, her red eyes burning. She stomped towards Trixie and kicked her. “You got a lot better, I’ll give you that. But would you please die now?”
Trixie struggled to stand on shaking hooves, locking Twilight with her fiercest glare. “Trixie is not done.”
Twilight snarled and shot a beam that exploded under Trixie’s hooves. “You’re done.” Trixie flew a short distance before rolling to a stop.
But Trixie’s gift for sudden solutions made itself known once more. It was a long shot, but if it worked… She stood and faced Twilight, working her magic once more. “Trixie… Trixie is not going to lose!”
Twilight gave a frustrated scream and fired an orb of energy. It darted at Trixie but then spread and faded as it hit a shield. Twilight, undeterred, began a barrage of lasers, fireballs, explosions: everything she could throw at Trixie.
Trixie’s horn was aching again, her legs wobbled, but she fought to maintain the shield. She had to hold it, for as long as possible!
Twilight screamed. “Die. Die! Die! For buck’s sake, die!”
Trixie let the barrage come, relying on Twilight’s magical fury. She breathed it in, she gathered it up, she stored it. Her heart pounded and her vision blurred from the extreme toll the spell was having on her. It was so dangerous, yet so remarkably simple... Still she risked it. As she stared into Twilight’s eyes and saw her menace, her viciousness, her murderous intent, she knew this was her only chance.
At last, when she felt her body could take no more, she reared back and stomped, channeling all the magic she could through her legs and into the ground.
The resulting earthquake toppled them both. Trixie collapsed onto her side and made no attempt to fight the violent shaking. Her eyes were locked on Twilight, who struggled to keep from rolling as their world vibrated. A massive crack split through the tower, and chunks of stone dropped between the gap.
And then it stopped.
Twilight remained sitting, eyes wide as she looked around at the damage done. After several long seconds, she scowled and stood. She turned to Trixie, who made no attempt to stand. “Well, that was pointless.”
Did it work? How would Trixie know? She watched as Twilight approached, horn smoking but beginning to glow. “It was clever of you to try and use my magic against me, but couldn’t you have found a more… aimed spell for it?”
Trixie sighed and let her head drop to the ground. She could have stood, but if her spell had failed... “That might have killed you.”
“So?” Twilight aimed her horn at the prostrate Trixie. “Wouldn’t have stopped me.”
“I don’t want to kill you, Twilight,” Trixie muttered, not bothering to look at her opponent. “I just want to beat you... and save you from the Amulet.”
Twilight sniffed. “You shouldn’t be so caring.” Just as she was about to fire the finishing spell, however, a great grinding noise filled the air. They both looked up, ears perking at the sound. “What in Equestria?”
Trixie grinned. “Maybe it worked, after all.”
“Twilight!”
Jimmy’s voice could barely be heard from the level below. Twilight ran to the edge of the tower to look down at the gate, then let out a horrified gasp. “The Gates… your earthquake must have damaged the mechanisms!”
Trixie rolled to her belly and started to stand. “So they’re opening.”
Anger gone, Twilight turned to her with wide eyes. “You mean you were trying to open the them?”
Trixie smiled. “Something like that.”
Twilight ran up to violently shake her. “Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what’s in there?! They could—”
A deafening roar drowned out her words.