When Trixie regained consciousness she found herself lying in a large, grassy field. Above her was a deep blue sky. She couldn’t see a sun or any clouds, and the light didn’t appear to come from any particular source. It was a peaceful place – a happy place.
Trixie stood up on her hooves and looked around. “Where am I?” she said aloud.
“It’s nice here, isn’t it?” a familiar voice said to her. Trixie turned around and saw Twilight Sparkle standing behind her, smiling. “It’s not Equestria, though. To be honest, I’m really looking forward to going home. I miss my friends.”
“Twilight!” Trixie exclaimed. She rushed over and threw her front hooves around her neck. “I can’t believe it’s you! It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too,” Twilight said, as she hugged her friend back. “You know, you’ve been pretty busy lately! I’m really proud of you.”
“Oh, Twilight. I never thought I’d see you again! Thank you so much for what you did for me. I hope I didn’t disappoint you.”
“Disappoint me? You were amazing! You healed my friends and you defeated the Necromancer. You won, Trixie – and now it’s time to go home.”
A terrible thought suddenly occurred to Trixie. She looked at Twilight worriedly. “Does this mean I’m dead?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, not exactly. Yes, it’s true that your body is dead, just like mine is – and let me tell you, that is an unsettling thought. It takes some getting used to. But you’re not actually dead. You’ve just been changed, that’s all. You are now an elemental being, living on a different plane.”
Trixie frowned. “I have no idea what that means.”
“Well, it’s just like Discord told you at the train station a few weeks ago. Do you remember how when Celestia and Luna defeated the Necromancer the first time, he was actually just pushed out of Equestria and back to his own plane of existence?”
“I do – but trust me, he’s not going to reappear again. I destroyed his Maelstrom Sphere and unmade him. This time he’s gone for good.”
“Right. Well, when I died back in that griffon arena I didn’t really die – I just transferred my consciousness and my magic to a different realm. Specifically, to this realm – which, fortunately, is not the same realm that was once home to the Necromancer. So my body died but I survived. I guess you could say that you and I are now beings of pure magic.”
“But how did I get here?” Trixie asked. “I mean, when you died you did some sort of magical light thing. I was killed by an explosion.”
Twilight shook her head. “Not exactly. The explosion did knock you unconscious, yes, but it didn’t kill you. It would have killed you, but right before you died I grabbed you with my magic and brought your consciousness here. The reason I could do that is because you and I both bore the Element of Magic. We’re connected to one another – and that gave me the avenue I needed to reach out to you from this realm.”
“Ok,” Trixie said slowly. “So we’re not really dead, we’re just mostly dead. But what do we do now? This place is nice and all, but I’m not seeing a lot here.”
“Well, this realm isn’t very well defined. That’s the problem. I don’t think anyone’s ever lived here before, so it’s kind of a blank slate. You and I are the only beings here.”
“Weird,” Trixie commented. “Are there other realms out there as well?”
“Well, there’s the Necromancer’s realm. And Equestria. My guess is there could be a lot of these places out there, but I really don’t know. This is all new territory for me.”
“So how do we get back home? Is that even possible?”
“Well, that’s the tricky part. I’ve been attempting to reach Equestria again but I’ve had a lot of trouble trying to cross the boundary that separates these two realms. I had a connection to you because of the Element that we shared, but that’s about it. Piercing through the barrier to Equestria takes a certain kind of chaotic energy.”
A third voice spoke up. “Fortunately for Twilight, she happens to have a friend who is very good at chaotic magic. She’s really a very fortunate pony.”
Discord materialized beside Twilight and patted her fondly on the head. He then looked at Trixie and shook his head in mock sadness. “You know, I told you Twilight was still alive, and you didn’t believe me. You ponies have so little faith in me. It’s really very sad.”
“Are you dead too?” Trixie asked curiously.
“Of course not! I’m very much alive, thank you very much. It just took me a while to find Twilight here. Needless to say, this isn’t exactly the first place I looked. I don’t know why she picked this plane to take up residence. There are others that are far, far more interesting. I’d be glad to give you a catalog if you’re interested.”
Trixie looked at Twilight. “Can we really go home? Is that really possible?”
Twilight nodded. “It’s going to take a couple days and a lot of practice and preparation, but if the three of us work together I have no doubt we can do it. Here is how this is going to work.”
* * * * *
Three days later a group of very sad ponies stood in Celestia’s throne room. Trixie’s casket was in the middle of the room, and her friends had gathered around it. Luna was sitting beside Celestia. The Princess of the Night was heavily bandaged and was still too weak to stand. Her body was broken – but her spirit was still strong.
Celestia was giving the surviving Elements of Harmony a few final instructions before Trixie’s funeral began. “When I’ve finished her eulogy I’ll turn the funeral over to you. Who wants to speak first?”
“I do,” Rainbow Dash said immediately. “It’s the least I can do for her. There’s a lot I need to tell her.”
“Haven’t you already told her quite enough?” an impertinent voice asked. Rainbow glanced over her shoulder and saw that Discord had appeared just behind them.
“There you are!” Celestia said quickly. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Don’t you realize that Trixie’s funeral is about to start? We were afraid you were going to miss it!”
“Believe me, I have no intention of missing it. In fact, my presence there will be of the utmost importance. However, before I can attend I’m afraid that I have a little errand to run – and I can’t do this errand alone. I’m going to need to borrow all of the Elements.”
“But there isn’t time!” Celestia protested.
“This wasn’t my idea,” Discord replied airily. “I was perfectly content to just bring Fluttershy along and let the rest of you find out later. But I was told in no uncertain terms that all five surviving Elements had to come with me. Their presence is not optional. I know this is a bad time but I promise this won’t take very long.”
“All right,” Celestia said reluctantly. “If it has to be done then I won’t stop you. But where are you taking them? Applejack is still seriously wounded, and she isn’t able to travel far. She can’t walk, you know.”
“Oh, you needn’t worry about that. I’ll handle the transportation.”
Discord snapped his talon, and he and all of the Elements vanished.
Celestia turned to Luna. “Do you know what’s going on?”
Her sister shook her head. “I’m sorry, sister, but I can no longer foresee the future. We will have to wait and see what unfolds.”
“I’m sorry,” Celestia whispered. “I know you can’t. I wasn’t thinking. I mean–”
“It’s ok,” Luna replied quickly. “Really. It’s nothing.”
“No, it’s not. It’s not right at all! It should have been me, not you. I should have gone through the portal with Trixie and Rarity, and I should be the one lying there. Oh, Luna! I would give anything to trade places with you.”
“Be careful, sister,” Luna said gently. “Don’t let the past drive you mad. The war with the Necromancer is over, and we won. Yes, I was injured, but I am still alive. It could have been much worse. Besides, I suspect Discord is up to something – and Discord has a way of making life quite interesting. I’m a bit curious to see what he’s planning on bringing to the funeral. Aren’t you?”
* * * * *
Fifteen minutes later, a group of guards came and carried Trixie’s casket out of the throne room. Luna had been carried out of the room as well, leaving Celestia behind. She lingered for a moment, waiting to see if Discord would return with the Elements, but he didn’t.
The princess was about to leave when she suddenly received an unexpected visitor. “It is a long way from here to the Griffon Kingdom,” Celestia noted aloud. “What brings you here to Canterlot, King Balthazar?”
“I have come to pay my respects,” the King replied.
“You have?” Celestia asked, surprised. “Pardon me, but I have ruled over Equestria for more than a thousand years, and you have ruled over the Griffon Kingdom for almost as long. In all that time you never felt the need to come and see me. I find it very difficult to believe that you have come to mourn the loss of Trixie, who you tried to execute. What–”
The King interrupted. “Princess, I have not come this great distance to see you. I came to pay my respects to a different princess of Equestria – one who has weighed heavily on my mind since she gave up her life a month ago. When I heard that Trixie had sacrificed her life to defeat the Necromancer, I thought her funeral would be a good chance to visit both heroes.”
King Balthazar looked to his right at a giant stained glass window. There, immortalized in glass, was a picture of the last moment of Twilight Sparkle’s life. Just off to the left was Trixie, freed from her chains. In front of Trixie was the king of the griffons, who had just condemned Twilight to death. In the center of the window, with her horn glowing bright purple, was Twilight Sparkle.
The King stared at the image for a long time without saying anything. When he finally spoke, it was with great softness – a gentleness Celestia had never before seen from any griffon. “In all my life I had never seen such love. Twilight was truly a mighty pony with remarkable strength of character. The Griffon Kingdom suffered a great defeat the day she died.”
Celestia walked over to the griffon king. The Princess of the Sun stood beside him and gazed up at the window. “How so?”
“As you no doubt have learned during the course of your reign, we griffons are a proud and haughty race. We value glory above all else and spend our lives seeking to prove that we are better than others. We thought you ponies were fools for valuing friendship and harmony. Yet, on that fateful day Twilight showed us who the true fools really were.”
The griffon turned and looked at Celestia. “From what I have heard, the griffons were not the only ones whose lives were forever changed that day. The stories that have reach me about Trixie have been rather remarkable. It would appear that I misjudged her.”
“Trixie has done many amazing things,” Celestia agreed. “She is not the same pony who once terrorized your kingdom.”
King Balthazar nodded. “I am eager to hear first-hand the tales of her exploits – but I do not wish to delay you. May I accompany you to her funeral?”
Celestia nodded. “Follow me.”
* * * * *
“What in tarnation are we doin’ here?” Applejack asked. “Is this some kind of a joke?”
Discord had transported them inside the giant mausoleum that Celestia had built for Twilight. In the middle of the tomb was a large marble coffin that held Twilight’s remains.
“Stand back everyone!” Discord commanded. “I’ve never done anything like this before and I don’t want any of you to get hurt. If I injured you Twilight would never forgive me.”
“Twilight’s dead,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Just like Trixie.”
“Well, perhaps I can fix that,” Discord replied cryptically.
The Lord of Chaos reached over to Twilight’s marble casket, and with a giant push he shoved its lid off. It clattered onto the floor and broke into pieces. Discord then closed his eyes and concentrated. A moment later he became transparent – and at the same time a glow began to emanate from the casket.
As the glow intensified, a round purple orb appeared directly above the casket. It hovered in the air above the ever-intensifying light. The orb then slowly settled down into the light – and vanished.
The light coming out of the casket went out, and Discord became solid once more. He wobbled unsteadily on his feet for a moment and then coughed. “That has got to be the most exercise I’ve had in years.”
“Tell me about it,” a voice said from the casket. Twilight struggled out of her coffin and then fell over the side onto the floor. The alicorn princess unsteadily rose to her feet, then experimentally waved a hoof in the air. “Boy, do I feel weird! I think it worked, though. I’m pretty sure my legs are working, at least.”
“Twilight?” Fluttershy said nervously. “Is that – is that really you?”
Twilight looked at her and smiled. “Yes, Fluttershy, it’s really me. I’m back – and I’ll explain everything. I’m just a little weak, that’s all. But I think this will pass.”
Before Twilight could get another word out, her friends all ran over to her and hugged her. Everyone started talking at once. Their lost friend was now back – and the Elements could not have been happier.
* * * * *
The turnout for Trixie’s funeral was impressive. For the second time in a month, thousands of ponies had come to Canterlot to pay their respects to a fallen hero that had saved Equestria from darkness and death. Celestia stood on the center of the stage, and Trixie’s coffin was positioned in front of her.
Celestia was not at all pleased with Discord. He had promised to return with the Elements, and yet he was still gone. This meant that the princess was forced to conduct Trixie’s funeral without the ponies that Trixie loved the most. Trixie deserves better than that, Celestia thought. I’m certain that her friends want to be here. What could they possibly be doing that is more important than saying goodbye to Trixie?
But she would have to have words with Discord later – a lot of angry, unhappy words. Right now she had an apology to make.
Celestia looked out at the crowd. Ponies filled every inch of space in front of the stage, and pegasi filled the sky. Not a single pony was gray, and the sun shone brightly.
“Trixie fixed everything,” Celestia said. “The darkness that once filled our sky and our hearts is gone. The death that threatened to claim all our lives has been defeated. Our victory over the Necromancer is complete – but that victory comes at a heavy price.
“From the very beginning Trixie fought bravely. When the Necromancer’s armies marched against Ponyville she fought them, even though all she had were her friends – and she won. She never wavered or abandoned the fight, even though the odds were always stacked against her.
“In fact, she did more than that. Trixie fought to save a world that hated her. She fought to save ponies that wanted her dead. The whole world was against her, and yet she fought to save it anyway. Few ponies would dare to do such a thing, and yet that is exactly what Trixie did. In the end Trixie even sacrificed her own life so that we could live. She was loyal to the end.”
Celestia could feel emotion welling up inside her. “Trixie was everything that I was not. Trixie engaged the enemy in hoof-to-hoof combat, while I refused to leave my castle. Trixie showed love to her friends, when I refused to show the least bit of love to her. When my hatred and bitterness turned the world gray, Trixie fought to bring its color back. When Equestria needed a hero, I failed everyone – and so Trixie stepped up to do my job.
“In that final hour she was a true princess of Equestria. She displayed unwavering courage and loyalty. She was generous, and held nothing back. She was tenacious and fearless. She was, without a doubt, one of the greatest and noblest ponies I have ever known – and I miss her dearly.
Celestia’s voice finally broke. Tears flowed freely down her face. “I am so sorry for what I did to her – for what I did to all of you. Thanks to my foolishness, Trixie is now dead and my sister has been robbed of her power. My mistakes cost those I love a great deal. The truth is I don’t deserve to be your princess.”
“Well, I wouldn’t dwell on it too much,” a familiar voice said. A moment later Discord appeared on stage. Beside him were Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle.
The crowd gasped in amazement. Celestia’s mouth dropped open. “What – what is this? Is this some kind of joke?”
Twilight ran over to Celestia and hugged her. “It’s much, much better than that! Oh, Celestia, it’s so good to see you again. I’ve missed all of you so very much.”
“It really is you,” Celestia said, still in shock. The crowd around the stage was going wild. “You’re alive! But – I don’t understand. How is this possible? Discord, what did you do?”
Twilight let go of her, then ran over and hugged Luna. “Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything. But first there are a couple more things that I need to do.” Twilight silenced the crowd, then turned to Discord. “Are you ready?”
The agent of chaos sighed. “I don’t suppose we could wait a few days, could we? This is an extremely taxing process. Trixie’s body is far more broken than yours was.”
“Stop grumbling,” Twilight retorted. “You did it for me, and we can do it for her.”
“Fine, fine. But you owe me one.”
After Twilight moved Luna and her friends to a safe distance, Discord opened Trixie’s coffin and closed his eyes. A moment later he became transparent. Twilight then closed her eyes and lit up her horn. A moment later she, too, became transparent.
A brilliant white light streamed out of the coffin. When the light became almost blinding, a small blue orb appeared above the casket. The orb wavered for a moment and then stabilized. It hovered in mid-air and then descended into the coffin.
The light from the coffin held steady for several moments. Then the light faded, and Discord and Twilight became solid again. “I’m going to need a long vacation after this,” Discord remarked. “I’ve done more work today than I have in years. It’s just not natural, you know. I’m an agent of chaos, not a medical doctor.”
Celestia suddenly shrieked. She pointed a hoof at Trixie, who had lifted her head over the edge of her coffin. The blue pony lead over the side and threw up all over the ground. The ponies closest to the stage screamed and backed away.
“I feel so sick,” Trixie moaned, as she stumbled out onto the stage. “I’ve never felt so nauseated in my life! What did you do to me?”
“Sorry,” Twilight replied, grinning. “This isn’t an exact science. There may be some side-effects to being raised from the dead, but they should wear off pretty quickly.
Trixie stood on the stage and tried to regain her balance. Before she could say anything, Rainbow Dash leaped onto her and hugged her. “I am so sorry,” Rainbow said, her eyes full of tears. “I treated you like dirt, and you didn’t deserve that. Can you ever forgive me? I promise I’ll be the best friend you ever had.”
Trixie hugged her back and smiled. “Of course! After all, how could anypony resist loving someone as great and powerful as me?”
Trixie’s friends laughed and rushed to welcome her back. “I guess that really is her,” Applejack remarked.
“I think this calls for a party!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“Not yet,” Twilight said. “There’s one more thing that we have to do. Can everyone gather around Luna?”
“What are you going to do?” Luna asked, as the seven ponies formed a circle around her.
“If I can create an alicorn then I can fix an alicorn,” Twilight explained.
Celestia spoke up. “But which of you are the Element of Magic?”
“Trixie is,” Trixie replied. “Twilight is the Element of Friendship now.”
Rainbow Dash spoke up. “No, that’s gotta be Pinkie.”
Applejack shook her head. “No she’s not! Pinkie’s the Element of Laughter. Twilight is the Princess of Friendship.”
“Oh, please,” Rainbow said scornfully. “Pinkie has, like, a thousand times as many friends as Twilight. If anypony is the Princess of Friendship it’s Pinkie Pie. Nopony else even comes close! She has friendmaking down to a science.”
“Aw, thanks!” Pinkie said.
“Aren’t there just six elements?” Rarity asked. “I don’t want to exclude anyone – especially not Trixie – but seven seems like one too many.”
“Not necessarily,” Fluttershy said. “I mean, didn’t Sunset Shimmer help Twilight defeat the sirens that one time? There were seven of them there, and that seemed to work out ok.”
“Please, girls,” Twilight interrupted. “We can discuss this later! Right now we’ve got an injured friend who needs our help. Places, everyone!”
The seven ponies gathered around Luna. Twilight and Trixie’s horns lit up at the same time.
“From all of us together,” Twilight began.
“Together we are friends,” Trixie continued. A glow appeared around all seven ponies, and they slowly rose off the ground.
“With the marks of our destinies made one,” Twilight said confidently.
“There is magic without end!” Trixie finished.
A bolt of magic shot out from all seven ponies and engulfed Luna. The dark blue alicorn was lifted off the ground and bathed in a magical aurora. There was a brilliant white light – and then the light faded. The seven Elements dropped back to the ground.
“It worked!” Pinkie shrieked. “Look!”
Luna was whole again. Her horn was back and her cutie mark had returned. Her mane was filled with magic once more, and the stars flowed through it.
The Princess of the Night stretched her wings and smiled. “Thank you, girls. I feel much, much better.”
Applejack spoke up. “You know, I feel a whole lot better too! In fact, I feel just fine.”
“So do I,” Fluttershy said. “My wings don’t hurt anymore.”
“Same here,” Rainbow Dash commented.
Twilight nodded. “Well, what did you expect? Your love for Luna didn’t heal just her; it healed you as well. Now everything finally is right with the world again.”
Pinkie Pie spoke up. “Which means it’s time to party!”
Twilight put a hoof around Pinkie’s neck. “You bet! That is exactly what it means.”