//------------------------------// // Home Visit // Story: Shadow of the Sun // by moguera //------------------------------// Chapter 18: Home Visit "What kind of stallion does he think he is?" fumed Twilight as she stomped down the street, Steel Flint's mansion dwindling in the distance behind her, "After everything he said...he went and..." She had to stop, choking desperately as she tried to control the tears running down her face, but only just barely managing to avoid breaking down into a sobbing wreck. As it was, she was barely conscious about the second set of hooves coming up to join her. "Go away Arkenstone!" she snapped, "I've had enough of your 'protection' for one night." "Then it's a good thing that I am not him." Twilight looked up, surprised to see the familiar blue coat and silvery mane of Arcana as the effeminate stallion trotted up to join her. "Why are you here?" she asked. "Arkenstone is aware that you do not want to speak to him or even be around him at the moment. So he asked that I protect you in his stead. Even with what happened at the manor, there are others who could take advantage of your vulnerability right now, so it's important that you not be left alone." Arcana stepped up next to her, nothing in his posture or expression seeming to acknowledge the fact that Twilight was crying. There was no sign of pity or contempt in his voice, as though her tears didn't register to him in the slightest. In a way, it was a gentler mercy than Twilight could have ever hoped for. She didn't really want sympathy right now. "I wonder if he would have done anything if it had come to that," she groused. "It is hard to say," admitted Arcana with a shrug, "I doubt he would hesitate if he thought you were in actual danger. Even though Earl Flint may be more accomplished in battle magic, you outclass him in overall magical skills. Perhaps he did not feel that he should intervene until the Earl became actively hostile towards you." "So it was okay to just sit back and let that feathering jerk talk down to us like we were dirt, to let him try to manipulate me into some private place so he could have his way with me and then try to use that for forging a legitimate marriage arrangement!" "I can't see what his exact thoughts were," replied Arcana, "After all, I hardly know the guy." "What?" exclaimed Twilight, "But you're both Knights, aren't you?" "We are, but that hardly counts for anything," replied Arcana, "Keep in mind that we Knights are always off doing our own things. We go our own ways, take up our own tasks. We only work together if we see it as absolutely necessary or if the Princess asks us to. In all honesty, none of us get along very well. When we're together, we frequently antagonize each other mercilessly." "Why?" "When you get a group of ponies who are each used to doing things their own way together, it's only natural that some sort of friction will result," answered Arcana honestly, "That's why we spend so much time off on our lonesome. "Even so, we all have the skill of reading other ponies, though that usually stems from reading the intentions of our opponents so that we know how to respond to them. I have some inkling of why Arkenstone did what he did tonight." "And what was that?" asked Twilight. "He was afraid." "Of Steel Flint?" Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow, trying to imagine Arkenstone, one of the seven most powerful ponies, short of the Princesses themselves, in all of Equestria, being afraid of a stuffed-shirt noble whose specialty was bullying those weaker than him and killing ponies who were more or less helpless to resist him. "Not of the Earl," replied Arcana, "I can't say for sure, but it seemed to me that he was afraid to take action because of what actions he might have ended up taking." "What do you mean?" asked Twilight, not sure what Arcana was getting at. "I believe that Arkenstone may be afraid of himself, more than anything else," replied Arcana. "I don't understand..." "To be honest, me neither," admitted Arcana, "But I get the feeling that we will get our answers when the promised duel takes place." "You're going to be there?" "If only to make sure that Steel Flint does not show some sudden spurt of cleverness and tries to trip you and Arkenstone up," said Arcana, "Oh, and because I want to see what exactly Arkenstone will do." Twilight turned away from Arcana and began to lose herself in thought. She began to wonder if she would even see Arkenstone between now and the duel. "I get the feeling that you're upset about more than his failure to be your bodyguard," prodded the light-blue stallion. Twilight sighed. "I just...I just wish that he would show me that he cares, that he cares about me like how I care about him...or, at least, if he doesn't feel that way, that he could make it clear once and for all." Arcana's eyes widened. "Ah! I see now! You love him don't you?" Twilight blushed brilliantly and nodded shyly. Arcana chuckled. "And you're upset that your beloved Knight did nothing to defend your honor against some other stallion who tried to take you for himself." Again, Twilight nodded. "I know that, when I was little, he was like a second big brother to me but...Ever since he came back, he's been sending me all these mixed signals. I just can't figure out where he stands." That earned a cackle from her companion. "And I thought mares were supposed to be the inscrutable ones. Has it occurred to you that Arkenstone is just as confused about where he stands as you are?" That brought Twilight to a halt. "But why would he be so confused? It's pretty simple, isn't it?" Arcana shrugged. "For some, maybe. For others, love can be a difficult thing to figure out. Doubtless, Arkenstone loves you in some form, as a sister, as a friend. But as something more…he may not have the slightest idea. Love is not an easy thing. Ponies can be together their entire lives and still not be able to make heads or tails of their relationship." Twilight frowned pensively. "Does it have to be difficult?" Arcana turned and gave Twilight an annoyed look. "Don't tell me you're one of those ponies who believes in that 'true love' manure." Twilight's eyes widened and she stared in shock at the other unicorn. "How can you call that manure?" "Because it is," replied Arcana casually, "This ludicrous notion that two ponies can fit together, like we're all pieces of some gigantic jigsaw puzzle, is all so much horseapples. The world is not such a convenient place." "What makes you say that?" Arcana grinned. "Let's operate off the hypothesis that the 'true love' notion is valid, that for everypony, there is some special somepony out there who matches with them perfectly. Think of it in the most extreme circumstances, like say...myself for example." Arcana grinned at Twilight's grimace. "Even in the short time since we've met, you've gotten a taste of what kind of pony I am. Imagine what kind of twisted aberration a pony would have to be in order to be a perfect mate for myself." Twilight shivered. Arcana's horn sparkled and he conjured a piece of ice. It was formed of irregular crystals that jutted out in random directions. "Instead ponies are more like this." A second crystalline chunk of ice joined the first, similarly irregular, but differently shaped. "We are all harsh angles and jutting protrusions. Very often, when we come together, we clash awkwardly and hurt one another. But occasionally, those angles and protrusions can interlock..." The two crystals came together, their tines intersecting until the two pieces looked like one. "...to form a bond every bit as powerful, if not more so, than that 'true love' junk that so many ponies rave about. "But the process is neither easy nor painless. You meet at awkward angles, clash against each other, scraping and grinding. Even if Arkenstone does, either now or in the future, reciprocate your feelings, the fact that you will hurt one another is practically inevitable. It will be up to you if the bond you build with him is worth the pain you and he will suffer as you continue to clash. Love is not something you find. It is something that you make. It will be the sum total of both your labors and his." Twilight's expression was skeptical. "You aren't married are you?" "No." "Do you have a special somepony?" "No." "What makes you think that you understand love so well?" Arcana turned and looked off into the distance. "As you know, I spend a great deal of my time in the northern reaches of Equestria, where the environs are harsh and nature not so easily bent to the will of ponies. Ponies out there are forced to live closely with one another by necessity. They grow close, build lives together, make love between each other. Can you honestly think that the love that they make is somehow less valid than that mythical true love that ponies are apparently supposed to trip over by accident?" "I guess not," admitted Twilight. Arcana's words made a certain amount of sense, in their own callous way. Perhaps, in order to understand Arkenstone and the relationship between them, she had to make more of an effort to understand him. "But that still doesn't excuse how he acted tonight." "I would say not," agreed Arcana, "But that is most likely unconnected to the feelings he may or may not have for you. I suspect you may find that some of the answers will not be so appealing. If you truly wish to pursue some form of relationship with him, it will be another aspect, another awkward angle for you to contend with. Whether it forces you apart or binds the two of you together further will be up to you." Twilight sank into thought as the two of them continued on their way, her uncertainty bleeding into the silence around them. Arcana remained with her until they reached her parents' house, where he bade her good night and took his leave as Twilight went inside. That morning, Twilight was surprised to see that Arkenstone had come back sometime later that night. As they shared breakfast with Twilight's parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet both noticed the inexplicable tension between their daughter and the stallion who had been accompanying her. However, they opted to keep their questions to themselves and allow Twilight Sparkle to work out things for herself. Twilight said nothing to Arkenstone as she packed her saddlebags and headed out the door. The stallion fell into step behind her. However, to his surprise, Twilight did not immediately turn towards the archives. "Twilight?" The lavender mare let out a sigh and turned to look at Arkenstone. He could still feel her anger, though he had no notion of what expression she had on her face. "Where is Arcana's house?" she asked. "Arcana?" "Yes. I know he lives in a townhouse on the lower end. Where is it?" Arkenstoned stepped up next to Twilight. "Follow me." He set off at a light canter, with Twilight next to him. As they went, the pair fell into an uncomfortable silence, punctuated by the sound of their hooves against the pavement. "Arkenstone," said Twilight finally, "About last night..." "I understand," said Arkenstone softly, "What I did, or rather, what I failed to do was inexcusable. I...hesitated. I have not done so for a very long time." Twilight came to a stop, her sudden halting causing Arkenstone to stumble in an uncharacteristically clumsy manner as he stopped as well. Turning around, he could sense that she was looking at him. "Why did you hesitate?" asked Twilight, "What are you afraid of? Does it have something to do with that thing you almost told me before?" "It..." Arkenstone fought for something to deflect the question, but found it to be a futile effort. "It does." "Are you ready to talk about it?" "Not yet." Twilight sighed. "And when will you? When are you going to be 'okay' with all of this? Are you really just going to keep on treating me like a little foal? Or are you just going to play the 'secret guardian of Equestria' deal and claim that it's top secret or something like that? How long do you plan on letting whatever it is that's festering inside you to continue to poison your heart?" Arkenstone could feel the weight of her glare, even without his eyes. She was furious. And she has every right to be. It had been one thing when his issues had simply been something that he had used to keep his distance from her. But now that they had put Twilight at risk, it was something he could no longer put off. He'd allowed his own foibles to interfere with the task Shining Armor had asked of him. Worse, he'd simply stood by and allowed Steel Flint to humiliate Twilight in public in much the same way those colts had when she'd been just a filly. This state of affairs couldn't be allowed to continue. But... "Just one more day," whispered Arkenstone, his voice so soft that Twilight barely heard it. "What?" "Just one more day," repeated the stallion, "Let me protect your innocence just a little bit longer. The duel is tomorrow. When it happens, you will see just what kind of pony I am." Twilight frowned, unsure of what Arkenstone meant. How am I innocent? She had already faced worse things than that arrogant blowhard, Steel Flint. She'd faced down the madness of Nightmare Moon, faced the senseless chaos of Discord, seen the brutal and bitter darkness of King Sombra. Compared to them, Steel Flint was just a schoolyard bully, playing all the same games, simply in a different arena, with higher stakes. Still, at least she had something definite to go on. Tomorrow then, she would, perhaps, get the answers she sought. Her mind came back to what Arcana had told her the previous night. Whatever I learn could be the thing I can find to truly connect with him...or it might be the thing that drives us apart. She shuddered. Perhaps waiting one more day wouldn't be so bad after all. "Alright." "Thank you," said Arkenstone. The two of them resumed their journey. "By the way, why exactly do you want to visit Arcana's home?" "He asked me to visit," replied Twilight, giving Arkenstone a cheeky smile, despite knowing that he couldn't see it, "There's somepony there that he wants me to see." Their journey took them down into the lower tiers of Canterlot, the closest place the city had to a lower-class section, though it still would have qualified as a more of a middle-class section in any other city. The streets were clean, ponies went about their day with an air of pleasure. There were no signs of crime or destitution, as this portion of the city was every bit as well-maintained as any other section of Canterlot. The only real sign that they had ventured into a lower-income section of town was that the houses were slightly smaller and less ornately decorated, indicating that the inhabitants did not have the same level of disposable income as their wealthier neighbors. In truth, the lower tiers of Canterlot were actually upper-middle-class by Equestrian standards, the cost of living in this section of the limited space of the city on the mountain equal to that of fairly wealthy neighborhoods in other cities. Of course, given that their neighbors included the nobility, whose opulent mansions and estates dotted the road leading up to the palace, this section was considered poor, if only by Canterlotian standards. Still, to give up a mansion and the wealth of his family for some place like this... Twilight was amazed at Arcana's choice, which was made even more unusual in that he hardly spent anytime in this neighborhood, spending the majority of his time wandering the northern wilderness in his service to Equestria. Arkenstone led them up to a small white house, indistinguishable from its neighbors, the only sign that it was different being that it had no adornments whatsoever. The lawn was even and green, the flower beds were well-tended. However, there was no indication of any kind of personal touch. It all looked...uniform somehow. Twilight suspected that Arcana paid somepony to look after the place while he was away. Coming closer, she raised a hoof and gently knocked on the door. It took a moment for the response to come. However, the door slowly began to open. "Yes?" asked a voice that most definitely was not Arcana's, "Can I help yo-eep!" The feminine voice trailed up into an inarticulate squeak as Twilight found herself staring into the all-too-familiar eyes of Trixie Lulamoon. For a brief moment, the two mares stared at each other in stunned silence. Twilight was frozen by indecision, completely unsure of what to say. She'd known that Trixie was here, but hadn't expected her to open the door. She was honestly at a loss for words. Trixie was frozen for clearly different reasons, the wideness of her eyes betraying her surprise and fear. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off as Trixie slammed the door in her face. Behind the door, Twilight could barely make out the sound of her rapidly fading hoofsteps as the other mare fled. A second later, a second set of hoofs came up to the door and it opened once again. For a moment, Twilight thought that Trixie had come back. However, after a second, she recognized the taller, thinner, and inexplicably more feminine figure of the stallion that opened the door. "Arcana." "Well," commented Trixie's older brother, "That went better than I thought it would." Twilight blinked as she fought to find the words. Her mouth opened, then it closed. Finally, she sighed at the stallion's antics. "Can we come in?" "Of course." Arcana stepped aside to allow Twilight and Arkenstone entry. As they stepped in, Twilight looked around, casting her eyes about the house. She noticed that, much like its exterior, its interior had no character that showed any indication of the kind of pony its owner was. There were no pictures hanging on the walls, no ornaments decorating any of the shelves. The few books she saw on the shelves were largely academic texts, many of which she had studied during her own days as a student. Everything was spotlessly clean. But the lack of decor lent the whole place a sterile look that made Twilight think more of a hospital room than a house. Except, of course, that a hospital room would still have more decoration than this. This isn't a home, she realized, It doesn't even rate as a cheap motel. "Where's Trixie?" asked Twilight. Arcana lifted a hoof to indicate a set of stares that were almost straight on from the entryway. Twilight assumed that they ran upstairs to the bedrooms. Before heading up, she gave Arcana a wan look. "Did you tell her we were coming?" "I told her that I was expecting visitors," answered Arcana. "Except I'm guessing that you neglected to mention when or who," commented Arkenstone wryly. Twilight's stare turned into a glare. "I know that you've been overseeing Trixie's punishment, but this is just bullying her." "Perhaps," admitted Arcana, thought there didn't seem to be the least amount of consolation in his tone, "But whether it is punishment or not will depend on how you treat her." Twilight frowned and turned back to the stairs. As she headed up, she heard Arcana speak from behind her. "I put a bypass charm on her door, so you can open it even if it is locked." Resisting the urge to direct another futile glare at the effeminate stallion, Twilight huffed irritably and continued up the stairs. There were three doors in the upper hall. The one at the end of the hallway clearly led to the bathroom. One opened into a small bedroom, barely furnished with anything at all. The other door was shut tight. Twilight chose the closed door. Thanks to Arcana's bypass, she could have easily opened it, even though Trixie had probably locked it the moment she slammed it shut. However, forcing herself in would be the last thing that would help Trixie. So instead, Twilight lifted a hoof and knocked lightly on the door. "Trixie?" "Go away!" came the shout from within, "There's nopony by that name here!" Twilight didn't quite succeed in stifling the giggle that Trixie's histrionics inspired. "Trixie, please let me talk to you." "No! Please go away. I promise I won't come back to Ponyville again. Please!" "Trixie," said Twilight, "I'm not angry at you. I forgave you already. Remember...back at the performance." Behind the door came the sound of hoofsteps as the pony inside came right up to the threshold. "But why? Why would you forgive me? After what I did to Ponyville, to everypony there, how could anypony ever forgive me?" Slowly, Twilight lifted up a hoof and pressed against the door. "Trixie, what you did wasn't entirely your fault. You were under the influence of the Alicorn Amulet. It's a corrupting influence.” It felt awkward to hear Trixie not speak with her third-pony stage persona, but Twilight shoved that aside in favor of more important issues. "But I..." "Trixie, please let me in. Let's talk about this." Twilight smiled. "I want to see you. I've been worried. You disappeared after apologizing to me and I never heard a word about what happened to you." "You...you were worried." "Yes Trixie. I was." The door slowly opened and Twilight got her first good look at Trixie. It was clear that the showmare had seen better days. Her trademark hat and cape were nowhere to be seen. Her coat was thick and patchy. Her silvery mane, which once flowed gracefully down the side of her neck was ragged and unkempt and her tail was tangled. She was thinner too. Like Arcana, Trixie's body had apparently slimmed down over the course of her experiences of the north. However, Twilight was also able to notice that Trixie seemed to have added a little extra muscle, particularly around her legs, a possible consequence of being forced to forge her way through snowdrifts during the wintertime. She could also see the shadow under Trixie's eyes, indicating that she hadn't been getting as much sleep as she should have. However, what truly drew Twilight's gaze was the look in Trixie's violet eyes, which quivered as she waited for Twilight's judgment. It was sad and hopeful at the same time. This was the look of a mare who desperately needed some friends. The first thing Twilight did was to gently wrap Trixie in a hug. As she held the other mare, Twilight could hear Trixie gently sniffle. A spark of anger flared in her chest. Just what has Arcana been doing to leave her in this state? Finally, Twilight felt a pull from Trixie, prompting her to release the embrace. As she stepped back, she saw Trixie slowly wiping her eyes. "Thank you Twilight Sparkle." "So," said Twilight, smiling hopefully, "Can we talk?" "You are a cruel stallion," said Arkenstone, his voice cold as his ears and nose regarded Arcana, "How could you tell her that?" Arcana's expression didn't so much as twitch from its carefully composed neutrality. "Because it is very much the truth. Any hope that Trixie had for a career in show-business died the day she decided to take up the Alicorn Amulet and unleash its power against a helpless village. After defeating Twilight Sparkle in their 'duel,' she imprisoned the entire town and forced its inhabitants to serve her every increasingly deranged whim. Of course, not all of the ponies caught by Trixie's dome spell were Ponyville natives or ponies who stayed in Ponyville. Visitors from other towns carried the news of what happened with them to other destinations. Even if the Princesses had moved to cover up the incident, word of what Trixie did had already spread like wildfire and it was public knowledge across Equestria within a month. They were even talking about it up north when we went up there. "Even if she went about things the proper way this time, her own name is already poison. If she thought she had things hard after the incident with the Ursa Minor, then she hasn't seen anything yet. During our little field trip, I mostly kept her well clear of towns and villages to minimize her contact with other ponies. But now that she's returned to Equestria proper and 'served her sentence,' more or less, she's in for a very difficult time. "Forget about the ponies that she personally harmed during her little rampage. Even if she never shows her face in Ponyville again, Trixie's life will be a difficult one. Ponies that she never met before will know who she is and will hold a grudge simply for the sake of holding a grudge. In all honesty, she's extremely lucky that the Guard caught up with her in the immediate aftermath of the incident before she could stumble into some town and get herself lynched." "So then what was your purpose in taking her north with you?" asked Arkenstone. "Firstly, it was her punishment," replied Arcana, "While I levied my Boon with Princess Celestia, she opted not to completely overlook Trixie's crimes and asked that I see to her punishment myself. Moving about the north the way I do, the labors I perform, they are a match for the harsh penalties enacted against offenders of Trixie's caliber, so it was an appropriate compensation. "Secondly, taking her out of the public eye and away from other ponies allowed the memory of the incident to fade over the course of time. So long as Trixie doesn't go about her usual theatrics, she should be able to travel around Equestria unmolested. Thanks to that, I won't have to worry as much once I turn her loose. "Thirdly, it gave me the opportunity to step in and act as an older brother should." Arcana let out a soft sigh. "While Trixie is very much the author of her own misfortune, I cannot help but feel that my own neglect may have played a role in her behavior. At the very first opportunity, I cast away everything that our family had clung to for generations so that I need not be burdened by the obligations of nobility. I threw myself into my work and, aside from seeing that Trixie got the education she needed to move along the path she had chosen for herself, took very little interest in what she was doing. And then, I suddenly received word that she was responsible for a serious magical incident that entrapped an entire town." The light-blue stallion paused and directed his gaze downwards. "I thought of this as an opportunity to do what an older brother should...for once." Arkenstone could pick up a faint scent of remorse from Arcana as he listened. He really does care for her...in his own crass way. "I take it that you provided her with some instruction then." "Yes," replied Arcana, "I didn't simply spend the past few months dragging her back and forth behind me across the northern reaches of Equestria. It was the perfect opportunity to help Trixie hone her magical skills into something better approaching what she had originally wanted them to be before she was lured away by the trappings of fame and fortune." "And perhaps there is hope," Arkenstone pointed out, "Once it becomes clear that Twilight Sparkle, the pony most grievously victimized by Trixie's past behavior has forgiven her and even supports her, then others will be less likely to condemn her." "Which is not same thing as saying that she will be able to achieve the same level of success that she would have had she not been distracted from her path by her own inflated ego," sighed Arcana, "She may work herself back up into public performances and maybe gain some small measure of fame that she once hoped to achieve. But that shall always be overshadowed by her infamy." His horn flared, magic reaching for something resting on a nearby shelf. Arkenstone's nose picked up the scent of aged and weathered parchment. "Taking that into consideration, I thought it appropriate to expand the options that she had, which is why I offered her the chance to follow a quieter path." "So you have one of those scrolls," muttered the beige stallion, "Did she take you up on your offer." Arcana set the old scroll back on its shelf. "Not yet. She still has yet to make a decision in that regard. I was hoping that meeting with Twilight Sparkle would give Trixie the push she needs to decide for herself." "It was right after I left you there that they caught me." Trixie was laying sprawled across her bed, gently resting her chin against the covers. Twilight had taken a second to summon her brush from her bathroom in her parents' house. It was an impressive magical feat, but fairly simple for a unicorn of Twilight's caliber, as she was capable of summoning an item all the way from her library in Ponyville if she needed to, as long as it was small enough. The tool hung, suspended in her magic as Twilight gently pulled it through Trixie's mane, working as carefully as she could to work out the tangles and snarls without pulling it painfully. Given her skills, it was only a minor challenge to balance that with listening while Trixie talked. "I was a couple of miles outside the village when half a dozen Royal Guards dropped straight out of the sky on me. I didn't even have a chance to cast a spell before they slipped an inhibitor on my horn and put my legs in hoofcuffs." Trixie shuddered at the memory. While they hadn't been cruel or sadistic, there wasn't anything about the Guards' treatment of her that could be called gentle. They had treated her much as they would have any other potentially dangerous criminal, firmly and rather harshly, imposing the fact that they were in charge of her wellbeing very firmly upon her and that they would not hesitate to respond with force if they got the impression that she was a threat; an impression Trixie did not do much to dispel as she fell into her usual melodramatics. "They threw me in a carriage and, before I knew it, I was sitting in a cell in a Canterlot dungeon." Technically, it had been a prison, the practice of using dungeons having been discontinued a few centuries back. The fact that Canterlot's primary prison was composed of what had once been the Royal Palace's dungeons was a matter of convenience. "I'm not sure how long it was that I was in there," continued Trixie, "Nopony talked to me or would tell me anything about when my trial was...or if I was even going to have one..." Twilight frowned. In this day and age, it was standard practice to allow a prisoner to at least talk to a lawyer so that they could be advised on their legal options. Technically, Trixie should have been allowed to see one after her first night and no later than her third in prison. However, given that Trixie didn't have an exact count of how long she had been in her cell, Twilight couldn't be certain that any such misconduct had taken place. Furthermore, the Princesses had the authority to supersede standard legal procedures if they felt there were exceptional circumstances in play, a descriptor that Trixie's situation definitely warranted. The fact that the showmare's older brother was also one of Celestia's Knights further complicated matters. However, given his rather unpleasant attitude towards Trixie's behavior, Twilight wouldn't have been surprised to find that Arcana was the one who had suggested keeping Trixie isolated. "But then, the Guards came for me there and took me up to the throne room. I was shocked. There was nopony there except for Princess Celestia and my brother. The Princess didn't say anything. She just stood back and watched... "Arcana was furious. I've never seen him so angry." Trixie shivered, a chill, much like that which pervaded Equestria's northern reaches, running down her spine. "I'll be honest," said Arcana, his tone chillier than his magic, "You are in deep trouble Trixie." "I'm sorry!" wailed Trixie, "I didn't mean to do it! The amulet...!" "Was something you shouldn't have even looked twice at if you'd had an ounce of sense in that head of yours!" snapped Arcana, "Let's take a moment to look past the fact that you were stupid enough to be able to locate the Alicorn Amulet and know what it was for and yet somehow completely miss the part where it overshadows your own consciousness and drives you into madness, a fact that can be found in virtually any piece of text referencing it and a phenomenon better documented than the power that it's supposed to lend its user. Just how 'great and powerful' are your accomplishments supposed to be when you need a store-bought enhancer as a crutch? You took a genuine opportunity to better yourself and achieve true greatness and you threw it away for a toy!" Trixie cringed away from Arcana's harsh tones. In spite of his slender, effeminate form, the stallion had no difficulty being imposing. Behind him, Princess Celestia stood back, her expression impassive. However, whenever their eyes met, Trixie could see traces of pity, as though even Celestia wasn't quite comfortable with how angry Arcana was with her. "You have no idea how fortunate you are," said Arcana, stalking forward and beginning to circle around Trixie, "The Alicorn Amulet does more than turn you malicious and sadistic. As its influence over you grows, you become more and more irrational until you are little more than an animal lashing out with an overwhelming amount of magical power. At that point, it would be virtually impossible to separate you from the amulet and you would cease to be a pony and would instead be a rabid beast that needed to be put down." Trixie's already pale blue coat became a shade lighter. "Since you've been spared that fate, the fact remains that the crimes you have been accused of are very real and will not disappear just because the amulet came off. The fact that its influence over you was a known factor in your behavior may moderate your sentence. But you took it up in spite of knowing about its corrupting influence, which does not help your case in the slightest. You'd be incredibly lucky to get off with less than a year of harsh labor." Arcana shook his head in disappointment. "You are very lucky Trixie. I have talked with Princess Celestia and she will allow me to levy my Boon to have your charges cleared." Trixie's jaw dropped as Arcana's words hit her. All the fear that had been building inside of her evaporated in an instant and she bounded forward to hug her brother. "Oh thank you, thank you!" Her leap was brought to a halt by a field of magic that sucked the warmth from her body as it pushed her back away from Arcana. "Don't thank me just yet," he said, "I haven't actually followed through with it." "What?" "I will have your charges cleared," explained Arcana, "But only if certain conditions are met. If I levy my Boon, you will accompany me north and follow me as I work. I will warn you now, the conditions will be extremely harsh. There is almost nothing in the way of comforts up there, particularly in the areas that I frequent. The environment is unforgiving and you will be tested in ways that you never thought possible. You will stay with me until I am satisfied that you have paid your dues." As he met Trixie's horrified gaze, she could see absolutely no ounce of sympathy in his eyes. He had no intention of making it easy for her. "If you don't want that, I will withdraw my request and allow the courts to decide your fate," continued Arcana, "Though I wish it were not so, I'm afraid that you must reach a decision here and now. What will it be?" "And you accepted?" asked Twilight, aghast at the notion. She had a strong suspicion that Arcana's idea of punishment was a good deal more severe than what the courts might have given Trixie. "Yes," replied the showmare, "I trust Arcana. When our mother tried to stop me from becoming a showmare, he stood up to her. Mother just wanted to marry me off to some suitor so that I could increase her wealth and social standing. Arcana was the one who made sure that I could follow my dreams. Even when he liquidated all our assets and gave them to the Princess, he made sure to keep enough aside to help me with my needs as I trained to become a performer. He always encouraged me to follow my dreams. “When he took me north with him, he taught me a great deal about magic and helped me become a better mage.” Trixie smiled fondly. “I learned so much about him. And, in spite of his warnings, I still felt like he was very easy on me during the time we were together.” Twilight wasn’t sure what to think. She’d spent a significant portion of last night listening to Arcana speak quite harshly about his sister. However, she came to realize that, while the dynamic between Trixie and Arcana was very different from the one between her and Shining Armor, these two siblings really did love each other…even if one of them was rather tactless in how he showed it. “So what will you do now?” she found herself asking. “I’m not sure.” Trixie’s face fell. “Even if I’m a better performer now, ponies are going to remember me for the things I’ve already done, which means…” She let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a sob. “…Arcana is right. I won’t ever be able to truly achieve my dreams now.” “That’s not true!” exclaimed Twilight, throwing her arms around Trixie and hugging her tightly, “You’ve learned from your mistakes and you deserve another chance. That would be true of anypony else and it’s true for you too.” “Do…Do you really think so?” asked Trixie hopefully. Twilight nodded emphatically. “I know you can do it Trixie. You just have to remember what being a performer is all about.” “All about…” Trixie thought for a moment. “I have an idea…but I’ll need more time.” Twilight blinked and tilted her head, unsure of what Trixie was talking about. Seeing her confusion, Trixie decided to clarify. “You see, while we were in the North, Arcana gave me another choice…” “Unlike the one that led her out with me, I didn’t give this choice any time constraints,” said Arcana, “She is even free to change her mind if she picks one path over the other and decides that it doesn’t suit her.” “And suppose she decides to try and follow both paths…” suggested Arkenstone. “If she succeeds, that would be…unprecedented,” mused Arcana, the slight upward tug on the corners of his mouth suggesting that he liked the idea more than he let on, “It would be an accomplishment worthy of a pony calling herself Great and Powerful.” The two of them stopped talking when they heard the sound of two sets of hooves on the stairs. Arcana looked over and saw Trixie and Twilight descending from the second story. “And how did things go between the two of you?” The smiles on their faces were enough to answer the question for him. “Arkenstone and I should probably head back,” said Twilight. She turned and gave Trixie an encouraging nuzzle. “Remember, my home is always open to you.” Trixie returned the gesture. “Thank you.” Brother and sister walked Arkenstone and Twilight to the door. “I will be attending your duel tomorrow,” said Arcana, his words causing Arkenstone to flinch, “I want to see if you’re worthy of your nickname.” Arkenstone sighed. “You are a very cruel pony.” Twilight looked between them, but decided not say anything. Instead, she simply turned and joined the beige stallion as he walked away. Arcana closed the door and turned to Trixie. “You have the look of a mare who’s made an important decision." Trixie’s expression became solemn before she reached out with her magic and plucked the scroll from its resting place on the shelf and brought it up to hover next to her. “Yes. Yes I have.” The smile her brother gave her was one of the widest she had ever seen him make.