Rainbow Dashs hunger for adventure was saturated, for the next time. Especially if these adventures had things like creepy holes, foggy tentacles and really weird eyes prepared.
"Why did you defend me?" Rainbow turned her head. Trixie trotted along her side silent, since they left the clearance.
"Huh? What, Why?" Rainbow was confused. "Why not?"
"After all I have done to you and your friends, I mean."
Rainbow Dash was ready for a rude answer. Did Trixie think she was a liar? But then she realised Trixies face. Pale, haggard, tired and sad.
"Because it were not true. You saved Pip. I didn't. Tough I managed to pull us two to this ledge. Without your magic, he had fallen down. And myself probably too.", she replied softly instead, shivering at the sudden remembrance.
"Thanks. Its... far more than I deserve, I guess..." Trixie smiled faintly.
That was unfair. Really. Rainbow Dash had any reason to hate her. She had tried. But somehow it just didn't work out. And now after this words, she felt sorry for this boasting nag.
"Ah. Come on. Its over. We did it. And now anything will come together just fine," this was strange. In some ways stranger than the events before. Did she really try to cheer up Trixie? The Great and Powerful show-off?
Now. There wasn't much left of a show-off. She looked terrible. Barely a shadow of her former self.
But Trixies smile got a bit brighter.
It took not long, before the trees opened. Fluttershys home came in sight. Lights signed that she was at home. Some ponies gathered in front of the cottage. Rarity and Pinkie. So Fluttershy wouldn't be far. But it seemed, they were not alone.
* * *
A terrible mix of emotions accompanied Trixie. Fear, hope, happines. She was exhausted.
Twilight's friends spotted them. The white unicorn, the nice Pegasus and... Twilight had once called her Pinkie. They seemed happy to see their friends again and don't appear to be hostile towards her.
Maybe a good sign...
"STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!" a hard voice shouted.
The flapping of wings filled the air, without any warning. Royal guards, was Trixies first thought. She forced back the short urge to run away. What sense would this make anyway?
Soon she was flanked by two of them. Black fur. Silvery armors, leathery batlike wings, sharp pointy teeth. A moon-emblem on their chests.
Night Guards!
Hear heart stopped. Or exploded or something. Blood rushed in and out of her head. Her eyes went small and anything around her began to blur, as another Pony walked behind the guardsstallions. Dark as them, but taller. Wings. Horn.
Princess Luna.
A grim smile sneaked on her face. So it wasn't only a crime she had committed. It seems to be much more a state-affair. Well - you really might be hanged for a sheep, as for a lamb...
* * *
Twilight, jolted away by the guards, panted. What was THAT?! Tough she had sent the others to inform the Princesses. To maybe use the royal chariot for a faster travel back. Or maybe informations. But this?
"We were informed by the friends of you, that a magician of the name Trixie Lulamoon was suspected of an act of foalnapping. Now then. We want to be informed of the forthcoming of the mission of yours. So report," Luna spoke. Twilight knew the Princess only fell back in her old speech-pattern, when really upset.
Twilight Sparkle stared in disbelief, but then straightened herself.
"Thank you for coming. But I think we are pretty done here."
She tried to tell the princess the whole story. But just moments after, Pip hopped from Applejacks back and ran towards them. Without any hesitation, he passed Twilight and hugged Luna. Or... better her foreleg. Way to fast to react for anypony, Twilight tried to pull the foal away from her highness, embarrassment in her face.
"Oh. Sorry. Your Highness. Its... --- get away from her --- Sorry princess --- PIP!" her heart beating faster, as her breath. Sweat pouring on her forehead, while she tried to - somehow - undo this situation, while fighting down feral instincts of escape.
"You have no reason to worry, Twilight Sparkle. I am not angry," with this words, she laid her other hoof around the boy. "And after all, we share a special relationship - Pipsqueak and me."
Twilight just stared. Unbelieving, while instincts and rationalism fought their very personal vendetta inside her mind.
"Is there a special reason for your irritation, Twilight Sparkle? You should know, my sister is not the only princess who fosters correspondence with a pen friend. But now - please proceed."
It took a few moments for Twi to calm down enough to resume to her explanation. But she would direly need rest afterwards.
"So, did you find evidence of evil deeds by the unicorn named Trixie Lulamoon?", the princess asked subsequently.
"Its. Its complicated I fear...", Twilight pondered, try to set things straight in her mind. To much had happened this night.
"Please. Let me speak.", Trixie's bidding voice was heard.
"SHUT UP CRIMINAL SC..."
"We want to hear her story.", Luna cut the guards words short.
* * *
"It was my fault...", Trixie begun. It felt easing to tell. No more secrets. She had teamed up with a real nasty stranger. She had stolen, she had - unintentionally - foalnapped Pipsqueak. More worse - she guided the foal in this great danger. It was pure luck, that it was such a close shave.
She shivered only by imaging the possibilities.
"Well. If this is the case, then we can't ignore what you have done," Luna spoke up in a sad tone, after Trixie had ended.
"Wait a minute!", Trixies eyes grow big, as Rainbow Dash hopped over the guards, landing in front of Trixie.
"What do you have to say?" Luna seemed surprised.
"Trixie totally saved Pipsqueak. Look. Maybe she was fooled by this cranky stranger in his hood. But really. She isn't as bad as you may think."
"Yeah,-" suddenly Pipsqeak stood before Trixie "Trixie is a good guy and she could tell so nice stories. And she didn't take me away. I ran after her."
Trixies mouth stood open. This couldn't be true...
"Why did you not mention this evidences?" Luna looked directly at Trixie.
"For I am deserve no mercy. I have done terrible things..." the only thing Trixie wished for, was an end. Dungeon. Banishment. Anything, just an end.
"Princess Luna. I am as responsible for this events, as Trixie is." Twilight stated to Trixies surprise. "If I hadn't let her go in the first place - none of this would have happened."
Twilights friends had approached the scene. And the Princess watched the round.
"What do thou think about this subject?"
"Ah ain't no attorney, or so. But ah think Trixie ... could change to the better," Applejack stated.
"She's a meanie. But... she is also funny. And I think, she only needs friends, to show her to be more funny then mean. And for starters she should stop to wizard otherponys mouth shut!" Pinkie rattled.
"Excuse me. I know you are the princess and all. And we couldn't tell you, what to do... But look. She is lonesome and scared and freezing and hungry. And maybe she wanted someone for a friend so badly, that she just followed this bad guy. If we had let her stay here - she had never done such mean things.", the nice yellow Pegasus spoke in a calm, quiet manner.
"I can only second what Fluttershy had stated. She made a very good point. Or like Twilight Sparkle said - in a kind we may be responsible for this, too.", the white Unicorn closed. Trixie remembered, how bad she treated her.
Trixie had resigned to be found guilty and to be punished in any way the Princess assume proper. But now... She looked around, disbelieving. Hey... wait? Was there a small smirk on Princes Luna's face?
"I see." the Princess said in a pondering tone.
* * *
The town square was well-lit. Dozens of spectators - former search party members for Pipsqueak - surrounding the small group around Trixie. Pip had run to his parents for a moment, but now stand again besides her.
With one hoofsign of the Princess, the whole audience went silent.
"Hear ye, Hear ye. We, Luna of Equestria, Princess of the moon and warden of the night, proclaim: The unicorn of the name Trixie Lulamoon is hereby found guilty of burglary, larceny, and for helping a magician by preparing a forbidden magical ritual, and therefore for the exertion of unlawful wizardry. In addition she is found guilty for the misuse of a dangerous magical artefact and the misuse of lawful wizardry, as for the exertion of unlawful wizardry in the town of Ponyville."
The spark of hope in Trixie extinguished. Depression got grip of her.
Luna proceeded unblinking.
"But as we got knowledge of the circumstances we have to add the following: First. The unicorn Trixie Lulamoon stopped her wrongdoing and eventually opposed the unknown magician and saved the life of a foal. Second - as confessed by the unicorn named Twilight Sparkle and the other Element Bearers - Trixie Lulamoon isn't sole guilty for her actions. As said Twilight Sparkle refused to help the culprit."
Trixie could hear the unison gasping of almost anypony around. This time it took a shout from the nice, loud-voiced batpony, to tame the crowd.
"We - after hearing all parties and get knowledge of the evidences - got to the following verdict. The culprit Trixie Lulamoon is hereby sentenced -" for a short moment the word hung over Trixie like a sword"- to an open confinement in the town of Ponyville. Thus she has forfeit the right to leave the town, with the exception of the farms in the peripheries. We consider four months an appropriate time. In this time the culprit has to fulfil four hundred hours worth of community service. Trixie Lulamoon is hereby sentenced to apologize in an appropriate manner to anypony damaged by her intentionally.
The unicorn of the name Twilight sparkle will be in responsibility for the resocialising process and therefore report to us on a regular base."
Seconds pass. Trixie had a feeling like watching herself, standing there with open mouth, barely able to breath. The realization of what had happened this very moment, dripped in her mind. Slowly like honey. Confinement? In Ponyville - with the possibility to make up for her errors? This...
The emotion rolled over her like a dam breach.
- LUNA -
Had she said something wrong? Luna looked consternated at the scene before her eyes.
For a few blinks it was dead quiet. Then, as a first reaction tears glistening in Trixies eyes. Her body started to tremble and a mumbling sound arose, swelled to a kind of hysteric laughter.
The Princess of night had seen many things in her life - besides this one-millennial hiatus recently.
But she never would have believed that somepony could cry and laugh at the same in such a manner.
"Is... everything right? Did I rule to harsh?", she whispered unsure.
"You sure did the right thing, Luna." Twilight, commented, started giggling herself, just before she couldn't resist any longer and joined in the collective laughter.
* * *
Luna smirked openly, as she stood at her balcony in Canterlot Castle. The moon descended slowly, the night bowed out. And - it was a good night after all, the princess resumed.
She felt her sister nearing and turned the head in her direction.
"I am impressed, sister.", Celestia told.
"Thank you. You would have done the same, wouldn't you."
"I would have savoured it longer...", she replied smiling.
The sun introduced a new day. The first snow glittered and shimmered upon roofs and streets. Winter had finally arrived.