"YOU!!!"
"Heh... long time no see, Trixie... heh heh..."
Trixie stomped up to Twilight, her azure face getting redder with every deep breath she took. "What the heck is she doing here?!" she shouted, jabbing a forehoof in Sunset's direction.
"W-wait a minute!" Twilight blurted out, frantically waving her hooves. "You two know each other?!"
Sunset rubbed the back of her head nervously. "Eh... kind of...?" she answered sheepishly.
"Pfft! You think THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE would ever forget the despicable unicorn who made my time at the School of Gifted Unicorns a living hell?!" she shouted, leaning into Sunset's face. Fluttershy whimpered and took a few quick steps back, feeling uneasy.
"Sunset?" Twilight asked in a worried voice. "What's she talking about?"
"Yeah... about that..." Sunset slowly began.
Before she could continue, Trixie lunged towards Sunset, tackling her to the ground. The two unicorns tumbled across the floor, Trixie swinging her forehooves at Sunset, who was trying her best to shake her off.
"Stop it, you two!" Twilight shouted, diving into the fray and trying to break it up.
"Oh dear..." Fluttershy muttered, covering her mouth as she watched the three ponies scuffle about. She winced when one of the unicorns accidentally swung at Twilight, knocking her aside and across the floor. "Are you okay, Twilight?!" she exclaimed, approaching the alicorn as she rubbed her forehead.
"Yeah..." Twilight groaned. "Sunset can still hit pretty hard, though..." After a quick shake of her head, she got to her hooves and turned towards Sunset and Trixie. Her horn lit up, a light magenta aura enveloping the two unicorns as she lifted them into the air and pulled them away from each other. "That's enough!" she shouted.
"Let go of me, Sparkle!" Trixie hissed, her arms and legs flailing about as she tried to lunge towards Sunset, who was merely clutching her side and trying to catch her breath.
"Not until you promise to stop fighting!" Twilight responded firmly.
"Ugh! Fine!" Trixie scowled and folded her forelegs, glaring at Sunset. Sunset glanced back at the azure unicorn, slowly sighing as Twilight slowly levitated the two of them onto the floor. They softly landed on their hooves, Trixie scowling at Sunset without saying a word. Sunset shifted slightly, casting a worried glance at the showmare.
"Sunset..." The unicorn turned towards Twilight, who was watching her with a concerned gaze. "Princess Celestia mentioned that you were a bully at school," she said. "I want you to be honest with me... was Trixie one of the ponies you were picking on?"
With a sigh, Sunset nodded. "Yes," she admitted, regret clearly noticeable in her voice. "When I was going through an elitist snob phase back in school. Trixie, she was one of the ponies I was always picking on-"
"And from the very beginning of Trixie's first day when we first bumped into each other, I should point out!" the showmare interrupted, casting an accusatory glare at Sunset. "You pretended to get friendly with Trixie, then you pointed her in the wrong direction and made her late for her history class! Not even a minute into the school day, and you landed Trixie in detention!"
"Yes, I made you tardy for your first class," Sunset pointed out. "But setting off smoke bombs and threatening custodians with rulers? That was all you."
"Wait, what?!" Twilight's eye twitched as she turned towards Trixie with a bewildered expression. "You set off smoke bombs in school and threatened the staff with rulers?!"
"If that unicorn hadn't made Trixie late, she wouldn't have needed to!" Trixie retorted, angrily pointing at Sunset.
"What even made you think that was a remotely good idea?!" Twilight blurted out in disbelief, waving her hooves wildly. "Being tardy is one thing, but-!"
"Trixie wanted to make a good first impression, and being tardy would've interfered with that!" Trixie answered loudly. "Besides..." She cast a sideways glance, blushing slightly. "This is kind of embarrassing," she began. "But..." She hesitated.
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
The showmare sighed deeply. "Trixie was... pretending to be a ninja," she grumbled.
Twilight paused for a few moments, trying to take in what Trixie just said. "You were... pretending to be... a ninja?" she asked slowly, raising her eyebrow.
"So what?!" Trixie blurted out, her cheeks burning red. "Go ahead and laugh! Laugh at Trixie for getting herself lost in stupid daydream fantasies!"
"That's part of why I was picking on her so much," Sunset admitted as she glanced at the showmare, who seemed to be on the verge of breaking down. "There were many occasions where she seemed to... well, zone out, get lost in her own little world. Her only real friend there was Vinyl Scratch; other than that, she was always alone, daydreaming. And I just used that as an excuse to pick on her."
Twilight listened to Sunset as she watched Trixie drop to the floor, her head hanging low as she tried to hold back her tears. "Is this true, Trixie?" she asked, concern in her voice.
Trixie remained silent for a few moments, before lifting her head up and nodding slowly. "Yes. I was all alone at school," she answered, dropping her third-pony act. "Nopony wanted to be my friend. Except Vinyl Scratch, but it was probably just because I happened to be in the same boat as her. And Shimmer, she loved to rub in that fact." Tears rolled down Trixie's face as she looked up at the unicorn who teased her when she was younger. "Remember what you told me on the playground, Shimmer?" she asked bitterly. "When I asked you why you had no friends and why none of the other students were admiring you? Do you?!"
As Trixie shouted, a startled Fluttershy jumped up, and she quickly dove into the nearby hallway. Twilight looked on in concern, noticing the pegasus peeking out into the entrance hall nervously.
Sunset winced at Trixie's sudden outburst, taking a step back. "I... I..." she stammered, but Trixie cut her off.
"'I don't need those losers. I'm going to guess you're the next step below that: the kind that can't make friends and has to live in her own little world to feel like she's worth anything.'"
As Trixie spoke, Sunset's mind flashed back to that day, when she said those exact same words to her during their first recess together. She saw a young blue filly glaring at her defiantly, as if she didn't care about what she thought of her. But it was only a ruse: deep inside, Trixie was feeling the harsh sting of Sunset's words.
And only now, as she looked at that same pony in front of her, did Sunset realize how much she had hurt her. "Trixie..."
"Yes, I've had to live in my own little make-believe world to convince myself I was worth something!" Trixie continued, tears continuing to streak down her face and onto the floor. "I've always been alone at school, without any friends except for Vinyl, and you just had to keep rubbing it in! Do you have any idea how much it hurt, Shimmer?! Oh, what am I saying, of course you don't!"
"Trixie, I-"
"You know what the only thing that kept pushing me forward was?!" Trixie interrupted angrily, stomping her forehoof. "My determination to become somepony famous! A pony who would be adored by many! I would show you, I always thought. I'll prove that I'm better than you! Someday I'll be the world's greatest magician, and the only thing you'll ever be is pathetic, bitter, alone in life, and just plain mean!"
"Trixie-" Tears started to roll down Sunset's face as Trixie continued to lash out at her.
"You're nothing but an arrogant snob who has to stomp on other ponies just to make herself feel better," the showmare spat with malice. "No wonder you didn't make any friends; anypony who tried to approach you, you just pushed them away with that inflated ego of yours. I was hoping I'd never have to see you again in my life. But no, for whatever messed-up reason, you're here as Sparkle's student! Was being the personal student of Princess Celestia not enough of an ego boost for you?!"
"Trixie, just listen to me!" Sunset yelled back as she began crying harder. "Princess Celestia sent me here because she wanted me to learn about friendship! I'm not the same pony I was back then, and I'm really sorry for all those awful things I said to you! You didn't deserve any of it, it was wrong of me, and I'm sorry!"
"And why should I believe you, Shimmer?" Trixie shot back, looking insulted. "Do I look like an idiot to you?"
"Please..." Sunset begged, fighting back her tears. "All those things you said earlier about me... if Twilight hadn't been there for me, that's how I would've ended up: pathetic, bitter, alone in life, and just plain mean." She dropped to her knees and lowered her head, her eyes continuing to water as she sniffled.
"After I stopped being Princess Celestia's student, that's how I was for two years," Sunset said quietly, but loud enough for Twilight and Trixie to hear her. "Two long years of being haunted by a monster inside me that I was slowly turning into, tormented night after night... feeling nothing but unwarranted rage towards Celestia and Twilight over something so insignificant. I've spent my life pushing everyone away, instead of making friends. When I told you that you couldn't make any friends no matter how hard you tried... I was actually describing myself. I considered friendship to be something that was utterly worthless compared to the power I was craving, so I did everything I could to avoid it."
Sunset turned towards Twilight, a small smile forming on her face as she continued speaking. "But Twilight and her friends helped me realize the error of my ways, and taught me to embrace the magic of friendship... something I desperately needed. They've turned my life around for the better, and I can't thank them enough for it."
Trixie remained silent, still crying softly and glancing at Sunset with an unsure look. After a few moments, she turned away again. "Hmph."
Sunset lowered her head and sighed. "I'm not asking you to forgive me, Trixie," she said. "What I did to you was inexcusable. You were already hurting from not having any friends and being all alone, and all I did was twist the knife even further. And I'm deeply sorry for that. I just want a chance to start over, a chance to become friends and hopefully make up for my wrongdoings. That's all I'm asking from you." Sunset sighed and wiped her face with her forehoof. "But if you don't want to... I understand."
Trixie didn't say anything as her eyes fell on Sunset. Watching the unicorn that relentlessly made her feel miserable breaking down in front of her, she had conflicted feelings. On one hoof, she resented her for all those nasty things she said to her. On the other, it almost hurt Trixie to see her breaking down like this. She never expected to run into Sunset Shimmer again, and certainly not under these circumstances. She didn't know how to respond.
Noticing her hesitation, Twilight stepped up and placed her arm around Trixie's shoulder, catching her attention. "Just give her a chance, Trixie," the alicorn said. "She's come a long way, just like you have."
Trixie remembered the Alicorn Amulet incident from long ago, before Twilight became a princess. After how horribly I treated everypony, especially Sparkle and her friends... I never expected them to forgive me. Yet, that was precisely what happened. Twilight offered her a second chance, and despite a somewhat rocky start, they slowly became friends.
Soon afterwards, Trixie returned to her traveling magic show. At first, she had trouble drawing in an audience, the Ursa Minor incident still fresh in ponies' minds. But with the encouragement and support of Twilight and her friends, that changed and soon, her magic show became a huge success, with thousands of ponies crowding in front of her stage. As her audience grew, so did her show, featuring more elaborate and awe-inspiring tricks and illusions that left fillies and gentlecolts wide-eyed, until she was a hit all across Equestria.
She had shown Sunset Shimmer.
Trixie always thought it would be a satisfying victory for her if she had encountered Sunset again after becoming a star. She was ready to brag and gloat, rub her triumph in the snobbish unicorn's face.
But the last thing she expected was for Sunset to actually apologize to her first and beg for forgiveness.
There was a part of Trixie that believed Sunset's breakdown was all a ruse, that she was still an arrogant elitist hoping to catch her off-guard with a fake act for sympathy. She would never have even considered giving Sunset a second chance after all that had happened between them.
That is, if it wasn't for Twilight and her friends. They helped Trixie turn her life around for the better; heck, they even managed to befriend Discord, who had previously tried to drive a wedge between them during a takeover attempt. That was no small feat, either. If Sparkle and her friends could pull that off...
Trixie groaned. Dammit, Sparkle. "Fine," she grumbled.
Sunset looked up in surprise. "Huh?"
"Trixie will give you a second chance, Shimmer," Trixie told her rather grudgingly.
"Oh my..." Sunset covered her mouth in surprise, not believing what she was hearing. "Are you serious, Trixie?"
"If Sparkle says you deserve a second chance, then Trixie will give you one," the showmare bluntly stated.
Sunset lowered her forehooves to reveal a heartfelt smile. "That's... thank you so much, Trixie!" she cried out happily. "You don't know how much this means to-"
Trixie held up her forehoof, abruptly cutting off Sunset. "Don't think this means Trixie forgives you, because she doesn't," she said, her face taking on a serious expression as she slowly approached the amber unicorn. "She wouldn't even be giving you a second chance at all if Sparkle hadn't taken you under her wing. Trixie still doesn't trust you, and she'll be keeping a close eye on you. So don't try anything funny, or we're done." She leaned in towards Sunset's face with a cold stare. "Got it?"
"Got it," Sunset replied with a nervous grin.
Eyes narrowing, Trixie stared at Sunset for a few moments, before slowly pulling herself away. The two continued watching each other, not saying a word.
Twilight was the first to break the silence. "Okay then!" she said cheerfully, clapping her hooves together. "Uh... Trixie, you seem a little tense. If you'd like to relax a little, Zecora's got a relaxing herbal bath set up upstairs."
"No thanks," Trixie stated, still glancing at Sunset. "Trixie needs to set up her stage for the show tomorrow night."
"Oh, is that why you're here in Ponyville?" Sunset asked. "Your magic tour?"
"Pfft, why else?" Trixie scoffed. "Ponyville is the next stop on The Great And Powerful Trixie's Showstopping Spectacular Magic Tour!"
"And Trixie offered us complementary tickets for the show!" Twilight added, her horn lighting up as she showed Sunset the bundle of tickets. "We finally get to see her perform on stage!"
"I've actually caught a few glimpses of her show myself," Sunset said. "It's some really mind-blowing stuff."
"Really?" Trixie raised her eyebrow in suspicion. "You've seen some of Trixie's performances before? Because Trixie doesn't recall seeing you in the audience before."
"Oh! Uh..." Sunset gulped, suddenly realizing what she had said. She did catch some of Trixie's performances, but it was during her night patrols as Mare-Do-Well. On a few occasions, uneventful patrols would coincide with Trixie's show, and Sunset would sit on a nearby rooftop, watching the showmare's awe-inspiring performances to pass the time. She doesn't know I'm Mare-Do-Well, though... and if I tell her now, she might take it the wrong way. "What I meant to say was..." Sunset stammered.
"Forget it," Trixie muttered, waving her forehoof dismissively. "Trixie doesn't need your lies. Now then..." She turned towards Twilight and gave her a small smile. "Trixie must be off to prepare for her performance."
"Okay, Trixie," said Twilight, watching the unicorn approach the castle doors. "We'll be there at your show tomorrow night. See you then!"
"Back at you, Sparkle," Trixie said with a smirk. Rearing up on her hind legs, she slammed her forehooves to the ground. A large smoke cloud exploded at the point of impact, covering the entire foyer and causing Sunset and Twilight to cough for a few moments. By the time the smoke had cleared and the two ponies had lifted their heads, Trixie had already vanished.
Sunset let out a forlorn sigh, catching Twilight's attention. "Is something wrong, Sunset?" she asked.
Sunset remained silent for a few moments, looking out at the doorway where Trixie disappeared. Twilight followed her gaze, then glanced back at her apprentice. "It's Trixie, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Sunset answered, closing her eyes. "I... I never knew how much I hurt her back in school. All those awful things I said to her..."
"That's in the past, though," Twilight reminded her. "You might not be able to undo your mistakes, but what's important is that you learn from them and continue moving forward. Things will get better between you and Trixie, I'm sure of it."
Sunset opened her eyes. Outside the castle, in the distance, she could barely make out Trixie, galloping towards Ponyville to prepare for her performance.
"I hope you're right, Twilight," she whispered to herself as she watched the figure disappear over the horizon.
"Come on, just a little bit more!" Daring Do shouted. She, Dusty Runes, and Applejack pushed against the giant stone door with as much force as they could muster. All three of them were exhausted and messy, having been forced to outrun collapsing ruins and dodge traps in their pursuit for the Relic of Magic. Daring's adrenaline rush hadn't quite worn off yet as she kept her eyes and ears open.
"Please let this be it," Dusty groaned, straining from effort.
Slowly but surely, the stone door opened, revealing a vast chamber. Daring, Dusty, and Applejack slowly stepped inside, their steps echoing throughout the room. Other than a few torches lining the walls, skeletons littering the floor, and a small pedestal in the center, it was completely empty.
"Don't let your guard down just yet," Daring reminded them. "This room might have a couple tricks up its-"
"Is that it, Daring?!" Dusty shouted, jumping up and down excitedly as she pointed at the pedestal. Daring and Applejack followed Dusty's hoof, and grinned. On top of the pedestal sat a small, crystalline bust of a unicorn head, its empty eyes glowing menacingly.
"YEEHAW!!!" Applejack whooped, rearing up and kicking her forelegs excitedly.
"The Relic of Magic!" Daring Do shouted excitedly. "We've finally found- DUSTY?!" Her smile faded into a look of horror when she spotted her partner galloping straight for the Relic. Her heart began pumping faster, and her leg and wing muscles tensed up. "You idiot!" she yelled, taking to the air as she shot towards Dusty, tackling her to the ground.
"Ack-! What the hell, Daring?!" Dusty shouted, spitting out some dust and glaring at her friend.
"What if this room was rigged with a trap?!" Daring shot back as Applejack approached the two archaeologists. "What if something happened?!"
Suddenly, Applejack's ears perked up as she heard a noise coming from the doorway. She turned around, and her eyes widened. "Uh... girls?" she said, prodding Daring with her forehoof. "Something did happen."
"Great," Daring grumbled, throwing her hooves up in exasperation. "Nice going, Dust-"
"It ain't Dusty's fault, sugarcube."
"Huh?" Daring pushed herself onto her hooves and turned towards Applejack. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talkin' about them," Applejack replied, pointing towards the doorway. Daring and Dusty took a look, and their eyes suddenly narrowed as they realized what, or rather who, she was talking about.
"Well, well, well..." Star Gazer chuckled with a smirk, her horn lighting up as a group of cloaked ponies stepped up beside her. "This will be fun..."