-???-
She was in a library, like her own back home. She wandered through the shelves when she saw a shadowed pony crying. She went over to try and comfort the poor thing the foal turned to nothing, but the crying remained. Slightly startled, she tried to search for the source and found nothing but a book. Something deep inside her told her that this was important. She began reading and halfway through the book noticed a missing page. Examining the ripped piece of paper attached to the spine she noticed a wet mark. Stepped back from the book in shock, she noticed that the room started to disappear and suddenly she felt herself being dragged into a vortex. Losing herself to the event horizon, she landed on a floor as hard as stone. She looked around with a grimace as she saw four dead ponies laying around her, recognizing Trixie among them. Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She looked up to the source and saw a strange creature.
"You have lost your way young one," the creature said, moving closer. "Five is not enough, but six almost cannot happen." It opened its hand and sitting inside was the shadow covered foal. "A bridge cannot stand without all the pieces and this piece is almost lost to you," it said as it closed its hand.
"What do you mean? Who is that? What are you?" she asked the monstrous creature. It moved around, considering answering, but shook its head.
"There is still hope. Recover the piece before the moon is gone or your quest will come to no good end," it said with a quick gesture. It stopped itself when it remembered something. "Beware the liar. It will send you from your course and slow you down, maybe even kill you." It threw up its cloak and whisked itself away into the blackness.
Suddenly a great shadow rose up and stared down at Twilight. She knew what she was looking at and she could only shake in fear. There in front of her was the dark lord of the underworld. It raised its hand and threw down another corpse. This one Twilight could identify as well. It was Rainbow Dash. The dark lord started laughing as it begun to speak. "You crippled her spirit and sent her tumbling into chaos. She will be gone before long. Sweet dreams little creature," it taunted at her before rushing forward. Twilight screamed as it bore down upon her.
-Charmtail Road-
Twilight awoke with a gasp, shaking from top to tail. A gut instinct told that the nightmare she just had been real to a degree. Her horn was ached, a very bad omen among unicorns. She got out of her sleeping bag and stretched, not wanting to be caught off guard and stiff. She turned her head looking at Trixie and saw her sleeping soundly. No sense in disturbing her, she thought, I'll check on Dash.
She briskly walked over to where Dash's bag was and gasped when she found it empty. looking around she noticed Dash's sword was stabbed into the ground and that occupying its handle was her satchel, her bandanna and her cloak. Twilight took a few cautious steps forward and stepped on something. Gulping, she slowly turned her head down to see what she had stepped on. It was Dash's tunic. She held her breath as a sense of dread enveloped her. Dash is gone! There is no way she would leave this stuff behind! Twilight screamed in her head, What do I do? What do I do? She turned her head furiously when a voice caught her ears.
"I finally found you guys last night," came a voice belonging to fluttery wings, "I just got here when the pegasus, what's her name, was leaving," he said, landing softly on the ground with a hoot, "I tried to talk to her, but it was as if she was in a trance." He shook his feathers and raised a wing. "I saw her flying in that direction. One question I have though. Why was she wearing only undergarments?"
Twilight said nothing, but gave a short huff. That was what the dream was about, Twilight grumbled in her mind. Her face gravely fell as she remembered the nightmare and the soreness of her horn. Dash's emotions must have been pretty powerful to cause such a reaction to my horn. I need to find her.
"Trixie is wondering what you are doing."
Twilight turned around to see Trixie still in her sleeping gear looking at her. "Dash is gone," Twilight told her.
"Gone? Well it's to be expected with pegasi. They are cowards." Trixie said as she raised her head "Good riddance. I don't even know why you bothered to bring her on this quest. You had to choose one of the worst species of pony."
"What!" Twilight said, staring in disbelief. How can Trixie be so rude? Whatever affection for the unicorn that fluttered around inside Twilight's heart instantly vanished as anger took hold. Nearby birds took off as the echoing smack issued forth from the contact Twilight's hoof made to Trixie's face. "She's not a coward! She's one of the bravest ponies I've ever met."
"A pegasus brave? No pegasus raised in Airmane could possibly be brave," Trixie returned. She raised her hoof to her face and touched the rapidly swelling bruise.
"She wasn't! She was abandoned as a child into the mountains of Bravehoof!" Twilight yelled, bonking Trixie on the head to emphasize her point. "I don't know much, but a family of earth ponies took her in and raised her."
"That explains the bravery." Trixie responded, once again returning to the now red spot where Twilight had hit her.
"May I interrupt this display of rather funny antics. What about the rainbow maned one?" Owlowiscious asked with a quick hoot.
Twilight took out a map and used magic to figure out where exactly they were. "Okay. We're here. You said Dash went off in that direction, correct?" The owl nodded with a hoot. "That means the next town in that direction is a good place to start," she said, drawing on the map with some magic to create a line from their position, "it leads to... Port Makaraba."
"Port Makaraba?" Trixie repeated. "Isn't that in Bravehoof?"
"Yes, but it's in eastern Bravehoof," she said, showing Trixie the map. "There is eastern and western Bravehoof, but it's divided by mountains. Here's Charmtail which we are in. The three areas form a horseshoe like shape," Twilight explained. "Travel between east and west Bravehoof usually causes people to either take the Roborn path or travel through Charmtail."
"Simple, but Trixie just teleported to places when Trixie used to move about," Trixie told her, brushing her mane in an egocentric manner.
"Then teleport us to that port," Twilight told her, quickly becoming annoyed by the unicorns shift towards snobbery.
"Trixie can't"
"Why not? Surely you can manage a teleportation spell as the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie!" Twilight yelled at the blue unicorn, stepping forward and pushing Trixie into a submissive stance.
"T-t-trixie l-lost her powers," she said as she began to realize the predicament she was in.
"Uhhh!" Twilight growled, "You really are useless, you know that. Wait... how did you lose your powers?" she asked, becoming slightly concerned.
"Trixie cast a seal spell to prevent anypony from stealing her powers," Trixie replied, now almost quivering before Twilight's piercing gaze.
"A seal spell!" Twilight exclaimed. "But that means you..." she trailed off. Why would Trixie fear a pony stealing her powers? Twilight thought as she stared at the pony She could teleport, so why did she fear someone enough to lock them away.
"Trixie can still be of help. Trixie has a few spells she can cast." She moved to Twilight's side. "Watch," she said, flaring her horn and causing a puff of smoke. "Wait... AHHA!" The smoke blew into a giant cloud almost knocking Twilight over.. "There, perfect escape cover."
"That's-huff-nice," Twilight coughed, spitting the putrid stuff out as the air cleared around Twilight, leaving only a large sphere of smoke where Trixie was standing. "But what about something useful in a fight?" she asked, wiping some soot from her face.
"Trixie doesn't know. Hold on," Trixie called out. There was motioning from inside the cloud, then, with a golden flash illuminating the black dust, a fireball flew over Twilight's head, singing quite a few hairs. Twilight stood stock still as the cloud faded. Her jaw dropped as she saw Trixie emerge breathing heavily and looking exhausted. "How...huh... was... hah... that?" Trixie asked, wheezing from exertion.
"Trixie...I um... I think you need practice," Twilight told the unicorn. She plucked the ruined hairs from her mane as the blue Unicorn recovered. She fumed when she realized that most of the front was ruined.
Trixie, hearing her curses had a spark of inspiration. "Oh... wait, Trixie knows a spell that is easy for Trixie to do," she said, flaring her horn again. She pointed the long shaft at Twilight mane, causing Twilight's hairs to sprout from her head and burnt ones to regain their glory. "Trixie never sealed away her healing magic. Nopony interested in power wants to heal others," she stated firmly, walking over to where she had been sleeping and beginning to pack things up.
Twilight felt a mix of anger and pity for Trixie, who was obviously somewhat wrecked in the head, but she did nothing but give a sigh. Turning her head back to the abandoned gear, she began to worry about Rainbow. She trotted over and packed her things, putting on her day wear as well. After her stuff was packed and placed in a saddle bag she walked over and started to gather Rainbow's stuff, loading it into another bag and carefully stowing it.
"So, where is our destination?" Trixie asked, already packed and ready to travel.
"Isn't it obvious? We're heading to Makaraba," Twilight told her. Trixie grinned at the news
"Ahhh... To hire a ship and set out for adventure!" Trixie practically threw the words. Twilight resisted the temptation to backhoof her.
"Possibly, but after we find Dash," Twilight informed her in a stern voice. Trixie brushed off the words and once again entered her own little world.
"Uuhhh.... Fine." Trixie replied, her voice layered with lack of interest. She started to hum and sing, and Twilight grew furious with her. Twilight raised her hoof, ready to strike, but decided against it as it just wasn't worth it. She turned to the road and started walking. They walked for three days. During the first two Trixie told Twilight of her adventures and many of her stories. She joked and teased about pegasi and Dash and one time was ultimatly rewarded with a smack round the head.
During the third day of their solitary journey to Makaraba. Twilight explained to Trixie the cave adventure her and Dash went through, trying to get Trixie to find some familiarity with Dash and maybe even some appreciation for the pegasus. "But wasn't it you at each of the ponds that was the first to get the water?" Trixie told Twilight, trying to pick at a hole in her story.
"What does that have to do with anything? Dash saved my rear plenty of times in that cave," Twilight said through grinding teeth, but her words fell on deaf ears. Trixie had stopped listening and was approaching the city gates, which had come into view a few minutes ago. Twilight followed, a small cloud of anger formed above he head and showered evil thoughts into her head.
-------
-Port Makaraba-
They entered with Trixie remarking how much the city had changed since she had visited it. She dashed up and down streets trying to find familiar things and always becoming amazed by the new things. "Trixie used to have the most wonderful friend here. We would laugh and be amazed as Trixie told her my stories and showed off my skills," the blue unicorn said with a squeal. Trixie tried to make Twilight smile. "Trixie thinks it's high time Trixie paid her a visit, but after we find a ship willing to set off in a few days."
"TRIXIE!" Twilight screamed at her. "I'm not leaving Dash here. The moon will be completely eclipsed by tomorrow night. We need to hurry and find Dash," she explained, anger seething her voice.
"Honestly, why do you want to find her?" Trixie asked. "She abandoned us," she stated, matter-of-factually.
Twilight couldn't have been more furious if she had tried. Anger filled her body, her mind was fury, her heart was liquid fire. "We both said things we regret, but for some reason what I said to Dash really hurt her," explained slowly and carefully. Rubbing her mane, she tried to calm herself down and ease into a more natural calm "I need to apologize. I hurt her bad. We need her," she stated, looking at Trixie, "and the prophecy said six heroes will rescue the princess, not five." She stood up and shook her body. "We're finding her, or I'm leaving to find her. Only two choices Trixie."
"Really? You would ditch your new teacher for some crummy friend that insulted and deserted you," she stated lifting a hoof and inspecting it, her face showing only concern that Twilight was threatening to leave. This set off a fuse that exploded the rage built up inside Twilight.
"TEACHER!" she yelled. "CRUMMY FRIEND!" Twilight jumped, her mane almost ablaze by her anger. "I am not your student! You're here on this journey to save the world, not for some massive ego boost you seem to be giving yourself! I would never be a student to someone who acts the way you do!" she screamed into the unicorn's face. "Not in a million years would I be a student to a stuck up, egotistical, self centered, self worshiping... BITCH!" she finished with a full head on scream, causing animals nearby to flee in terror.
"And about the crummy friend. She's not one. If anyone's a crummy friend it's you," Twilight said, jabbing a hoof into Trixie's chest. "She was uncertain if you should have been a part of the team, and I see now she was right. You went from a soppy crybaby to a snobby narcissist. Rainbow Dash may anger me sometimes, but she also makes me smile and laugh." Twilight stopped talking for a second to let it sink in, and she could tell it was sinking deeply in by the look of horror and pain on Trixie's face. "Friends argue, it's what we do, but we forgive each other after. She did, but I didn't and now I feel guilty. She was pointing out a problem she had with me in the way I acted. It was something she had always hated, so I can't hold it against her. What I did was yell at her for no good reason. The one who has been a crummy friend out of the two of us has been me," Twilight finished, her face flushed with anger and sadness, tears burned her eyes as they rolled onto her cheeks.
Trixie was lying on the ground in front of Twilight as the words finished being processed by her mind. She let her face sag a bit and grabbed her hat as she began to realize the gravity of the situation. "Tr.... I mean, I'm sorry. T... I guess I let this go to my head. I don't deserve this chance. I should still be sitting in that jail cell I used to be in," Trixie said as she got up slowly, her own face beginning to fall back to sadness. "It's just that for years I was mocked and I felt useless. When I was given a chance to shine again I guess I let my old ego rise up, but much bigger than before," she said bending her head down. "Can you forgive Tr... I mean… me?"
Twilight smiled as she realized it had finally gotten through. "Of course I can forgive you. You’re my friend," Twilight said, tilting Trixie's head up. "Now let's go find Dash."
They began to walk when Trixie had a thought. She quickly got Twilight's attention with a quick tap. "Wait, we should visit my friend. She should know most of what goes on in this city. She could help us locate Dash," Trixie explained with certainty.
Twilight was puzzled, so she pursued the thought. "How can one person know so much about what happens in a city?" Twilight asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Who would a powerful ego charged pony make friends with in a city like this?" Trixie asked Twilight. Twilight stopped to think about it. She wandered back and forth pondering the choices, but kept running up dry trying to make matches. She added more candidatial positions to the mix, but there were none like them to be found in the port. She ran through powerful and famous magicians who came from the area, but Port Makaraba was barren of any them.
"Alright, I give up. Who's your friend?" Twilight asked with curiosity.
"Who's the daughter of the man who owns most of this port?" Trixie cooly replied. With a brush of her mane she made a bit of showing off of this fact.
Twilight smacked her hoof over her face. It was obvious, wasn't it. Trixie had befriended the daughter of Lord Fullbuster. The Fullbuster family extended back generations and were remarkable business experts. It was obvious for Trixie to be friends with the one who would inherit the title, as Lord White Water Fullbuster only had two daughters. One of which she had only heard about as being adopted and a very uncouth. So the obvious candidate was...
"Lady Fullbuster is her current title. Her mother passed a several years ago and gave it to her," Trixie said, confirming Twilight's guess. She perked up her mane, adjusting it so that she looked fit for royalty.
"Then let's go see her," Twilight said, "I'm sure she'd be overjoyed to see you," she quipped with a smile, "best friends usually are."
"I'm sure she would too, it's been a long time since she saw the Great and Powerful Trixie," Trixie boasted, but failed to notice a flying hoof.
"Enough of the title calling!" Twilight yelled as she gave Trixie a beating.
-------
-Fullbuster Mansion-
Trixie and Twilight walked easily into the mansion. The guards knew the name Trixie and told Lady Fullbuster that she had arrived and let her in to the waiting room. They sat down on the chairs that had been left for them and began to discuss where Dash could possibly be.
"She's very masculine and hates frilly stuff so I don't think she would be in any of the girly places. What would make her easy to spot is the fact that she has wings. She is the only pony in Bravehoof that has them, plus her name is easily recognized as her mane is," Twilight told Trixie. They had been discussing how they could locate her.
"Well if I'm any guess my friend might be able to find her for us. All we have to do is explain to her that our Dash is a pegasus and we're bound to find out where she is before the day is out," Trixie said with a certain air of pleasure, "she hears about the whole city, always has done."
"I certainly hope so," Twilight responded just before a set of silver doors opened, letting in a heavily dressed pony. "Oh... Trixie! It's so good to see you!" the lady said as she passed through the frame, "and this must be a friend of yours... oh... she's a commoner?" the lady half asked, half accused.
"I may not have a title milady, but my family is well known. I'm Twilight Sparkle, heir to the Sparkle family estate," she explained with a bow, trying to put on a bit of a show to impress the lady.
"Well that's good, I'd hate to know that Trixie sunk to dealing with commoners," lady Fullbuster explained, turning to Trixie she gave her a wink. "So what have you been up to all these years?"
"If you would like to know I've been employed by the prince of Charmtail for the past few years," Trixie explained, leaving out the details of her 'employment' as she wished her friend to not know of her imprisonment and her terrible disasters at performing as a jester.
"Really. Working for royalty Trixie, oh... you sure have moved up in the world," she said with a slight hint of mischief, which Twilight caught but Trixie missed. She stopped for a second. "But what about your adventuring and exploring?" she asked, poking the question.
"Everyone has to slow down every now and then.]," Trixie explained. "Can't explore everything and leave nothing for your later life," she finished, letting the thought lay in the lady's mind.
"Too right you are Trixie," lady Fullbuster replied, turning to wander through the room, she set a a path that walked her beside Trixie and pulled her into a conversation. The two chatted while Twilight examined the lady. She was pretty, Twilight had to admit, but way to snobby. It was all she could do to stay smiling and keep herself from pulling a Dash.
"Ummmm. excuse me Lady Fullbuster, but I was wondering if you could help us," Twilight said at last. Not wanting to waist any more time standing around.
"Ohhhhh... please, call me Petalia, and I would be glad to help a friend of Trixie's," Maria replied. Her smile shining like the crystals adorning her ears.
"We're looking for a friend. She's very distinct. She was a captain of princess Rarity's and went in this direction the last time we saw her," Twilight began when suddenly a maid came into the room. She walked over to Maria and whispered into her ear something. Maria started to smile. She whispered back to the maid, who quickly after being talked to left the room. She flashed a smile back at the two before resuming talking to them.
"I'm sure I could help you find your friend," she said through the smile, Twilight catching a bit of a twitch in her cheek. Trixie opened her mouth to thank her friend, but Twilight cut in.
"Ummm... I know it's not for me to ask, but why did the maid talk to you?" she asked, the thoughts pilling together as she began to see something was off.
"Ohh... nothing serious, just my sister who's been in a mood for the past month. She had a break up with a boyfriend or something and only just has finally come round, but let's leave that topic." She whisked them out of the room. "Your friend, this captain, what does she look like?" Petalia asked, trying to pull attention away from her household affairs.
"She's a pegasus. She's got a rainbow colored mane and her name is Rainbow Dash. She's very easy to spot and has a very headstrong attitude," Twilight explained, knowing almost certain that she would be well known enough to be recognized instantly.
The lady considered this. "Never heard of her," she stated, Twilight gawping at the words, "but I'm sure I can find her if she's in the city. Worry not, your friend will be found."
"Thank you milady," Twilight curtsied as she spoke.
"But know this, this service does not come free," the lady's tone shifted as she spoke, catching Twilight off guard.
"What?!?" Trixie and Twilight said in unison. Looking at each other then at lady Fullbuster.
"I know we are old friends, but I haven't seen you for years and you suddenly you ask a very big favor of me," she told them, or rather Trixie. "So I propose a deal. You get me a certain item from Juggernaut Cave and I'll find your friend," she explained grinning all the while.
"Juggernaut Cave! But it has dragons living in it!" Twilight responded, gasping at the outrageous deal.
"And the treasure there is valuable. It's the only deal I'm offering," the lady continued, "nothing in this world is free dears and business is business."
"Fine, what is it you want from the cave?" Trixie asked, disenchanted about her friend.
"The Black Diamonds of Tumor Whitechalk," Petalia informed them and grinned at the response.
"The Black Diamonds! You want them, but then this deal is extremely unfair. I mean, those... they're beyond value!" Twilight said as she remembered all she knew on those specific jewels.
"It's the only deal," Petalia said, wagging her finger.
"Fine. We'll get you your diamonds," Twilight said, She then turned to Trixie and whispered, "some good friend she is."