Heart of Stone
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Three: Winter Comes Riding
Written by TheCrimsonDM
Fire danced over the magma lake, and black stone tore at the skies like crude daggers raised against the gods. Black smoke obscured the sky, and a ring of red mountains kept Trixie prisoner. She stood in the center on a small platform with the four other alicorns facing her as they stood in a square pattern around her. All of them stared at her with eyes of fire, their horns gleamed in the flickering orange light.
“You are here to face the consequences of your actions, Trixie Lulamoon. In this trial we are the judge,” Celestia said.
“The jury,” Luna added.
“And the execution,” Twilight finished.
Cadance spoke next, her voice was kind and soft. “Trixie was used; do you think she really had a choice in what she did?”
“She willingly worked with this mare, full well knowing that what she wanted was going to be treasonous,” Celestia said coldly.
“Red Velvet repaired her magic,” Twilight said. “The price however was more than Trixie was prepared to pay.”
“She nearly killed my sister,” Luna said bitterly.
Cadance shook her head slowly. “She also did her utmost to stop that power. It was hard for her to fight it, and yet she still managed to not only stop it from killing Celestia she also gave Celestia’s energy back.”
“How come she didn’t tell us?” Twilight asked. “I would have helped her.”
A sad smile grew over her lips. “She was conflicted. She believed she owed Red Velvet some favor, but at the same time, if she had chosen to go against Red Velvet, that mare could have killed her mom, her wife, and her child. Or worse.”
“She’s no Frailty,” Twilight said. “She wouldn’t do… she did try and kill Celestia though…”
Trixie tried to speak but her voice was gone. The others ignored her completely. The magma splashed up against the side of the rock they were on. Its heat washed over her.
“Trixie did the best she knew how,” Cadance said. “Manipulated into thinking that Red was a friend, into thinking she owed the mare much more than she did. She still fought to save you.”
Celestia stared coldly. “She still betrayed me. I do not tolerate betrayal.”
“I saw what was inside of her,” Luna said. “She was getting dangerously close to becoming the next Nightmare Moon.”
“Nightmare Moon was banished,” Celestia said. “But banishment might be too good for Trixie.”
Cadance stepped forward. “You will not hurt this one. I am putting her under my protection.”
“WHAT!” Celestia shouted.
“I can see her heart, she’s been torn to shreds. There isn’t much left of her in there. There is not much you can do to punish her more than she will do to herself. Her only chance of healing and coming out more or less whole will require our support.”
Magma began pouring over the edge of the rock. Celestia’s eyes became red, sharp and full of hatred. Fire raced across her mane, and such heat and fury spread from her that Trixie felt her skin burning. Even the encroaching magma wasn’t as hot as Celestia’s fury.
“You dare stand against me? Against Princess Celestia?” Celestia demanded.
Cadance walked forward. The magma covered her hooves and Trixie watched in horror as the mare’s legs caught aflame. She looked at Luna and Twilight; they were gone, replaced by flaming alicorn skeletons.
“She deserves a chance to heal, and then to make amends for her actions. At least whichever ones were hers. She cannot honestly tell you what was her doing, and what was Red’s, anymore than I can,” Cadence said.
Trixie watched the mare’s flesh burn away and only a skeleton was left arguing soundlessly with Celestia. With a single bat of Celestia’s wing, Cadance fell apart and melted into the magma. The lava crawled over Celestia’s hooves but did not burn her.
“I will not rest until you have paid for your sins. You betrayed me and my empire. I will do all in my power to see you fall,” Celestia said. “Let’s start your trial… by fire!”
The magma leapt up and over Trixie. she let out a breathless and soundless scream as it covered her.
***
“AHHHHH!” Trixie screamed as she sat up.
Her entire body throbbed in a unified pain and her back went rigid. Pits of fire burned at her shoulders and she arched her back, her breath was gone or she’d scream again. Everything went black for a moment. When she opened her eyes again she was lying on her side.
The bed she lay on was inside a small room with four other beds much like it. Celestia was bandaged up and sleeping on one. Luna was on another and staring forward with tired eyes. Twilight stood next to Celestia. A gentle gray hoof padded the mattress in front of Trixie’s face. She followed it and saw Maud staring at her with wet glossy eyes.
“Are you okay?” Maud asked.
Trixie looked back at Celestia, her throat was rough and dry. “This is all my fault.”
“No,” Luna said. “It isn’t your fault at all. We couldn’t protect Celestia no matter how hard we tried. I already told Twilight and the others about your valiant sacrifice.”
Trixie looked at her and blinked dumbly.
“Do you not remember? When we found Red Velvet you tried to fight her, but she is a mistress of darkness, far more so than you. She turned your own power against us, specifically Celestia. I watched as you somehow managed to regain enough to control to stop yourself, but it was too late. Red had destroyed the gem, freed the alicorns and was already sucking the alicorn magic from you. When she was done she… got rid of your wings,” Luna said.
Trixie knew it was a lie, but she couldn’t figure out why the princess would lie about Trixie’s betrayal.
“I’ll find Carmine,” Twilight said in a low dangerous voice. “I will find her and before I kill her I will rip her wings out and break her horn off.”
That’s why she lied. Perhaps she is waiting for Celestia to recover before they decide my fate. Or she’s just letting Twilight calm down.
“Will Celestia be okay?” Trixie asked, her voice hoarse.
“She will recover. It is not only very difficult to kill an alicorn, but the wounds she suffered were all minimal. Even a normal pony would survive these wounds,” Luna said. “The worst one was her neck, it nearly hit her lung.”
“She still hurt my princess! MY PRINCESS!” Twilight shouted. “Celestia took me in when I was a filly, my own parents got rid of me because they feared my power, but Celestia wasn’t scared. She was determined to give me all the love my own mother wouldn’t…” She shook her head. “I can’t believe this happened again…”
Trixie looked at Maud. “Water?”
The sweet mare went over to a small table got a glass of water and held it for Trixie. Trixie reached out to grab it with her telekinesis, and… nothing happened. She tried harder and a small spark escaped her horn, along with a flash of pain that dizzied her. She stopped trying after that and just drank from the glass while Maud held it for her.
When she pulled away from it, her throat felt a lot better. “So what now?”
“Now we wait for my sister to recover,” Luna said.” I am not badly wounded, a few bruises nothing more, the doctor simply wouldn’t let me leave without an examination.”
“What about Red?” Trixie asked.
“As soon as she was out of sight, her along with the entire city blinked out of existence. They teleported somewhere, and our scouts are out looking as we speak,” Luna said.
“She teleported an entire city?” Trixie asked, she couldn’t believe that anypony was capable of that.
“I think it was a defense mechanism of the city itself. Remember the Crystal Empire was gone for a thousand years,” Twilight said. “Simply attempting to teleport a city could kill a pony. Actually succeeding at it, might move it a few feet, but I think the pony might explode.”
A cold shiver ran along Trixie’s bareback. “Where’s my dress?”
“You…” Maud said.
Maybe it was because of the anger that had her shaking, maybe it was shock, but Twilight’s modesty was completely missing. “You got blood, urine, and vomit all over it. I swear that stuck up brat was more upset over the dress being ruined than by the fact that you were suddenly missing a pair of limbs.”
Trixie gulped. “W-what?”
“I said you completely destroyed that dress and that Rarity was upset about it,” Twilight said. She said it slowly, almost like she thought Trixie was slow or something.
Even though she tried, Trixie couldn’t help but to flinch at Twilight’s words. “S-s-sorry.”
Twilight closed her eyes, and breathed slowly for a few very long seconds. Finally she opened her eyes again and tried to smile at Trixie, she failed. “I’m sorry, it’s just that this is very upsetting for me. I… I don’t know how to handle any of this and I know that Luna and me are going to be in charge for a while.” She looked at Trixie’s back. “Then there’s that… Trixie, I am so sorry. If… if I can find any way to fix it… I’ll do my best.”
“You’d have to re-grow my wings,” Trixie said. She moved a little, and felt a wing shift under her weight. She looked behind at her bare back, there were no wings to speak of but she was suddenly aware of how they felt.
“Are you… of course you aren’t okay, but is there something new?” Twilight asked.
“I can feel my wings,” Trixie said, her voice shaky.
“Phantom limb syndrome. You’ll likely feel them for years if not the rest of your life,” Twilight explained. “I can probably help you grow some… bird wings. It might make the phantom limbs feel less… strange.”
“You can grow wings on ponies?” Trixie asked.
“Yeah, but they are going to be bird wings, not pegasus wings. They will most certainly feel strange, and function differently. That said, even if you want them I can’t do it until you’re recovered; I won’t risk a transmutation spell on you while you’re injured,” Twilight said.
“I was never meant to be an alicorn,” Trixie said. “I’ll go without wings…”
“You had just barely started learning how to fly too,” Twilight said.
A heavy weight grew over Trixie’s eyes. She closed them just for a moment, and when she opened them again, Luna was standing next to Twilight as they spoke to a green guard.
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked her tone serious.
“Positive, Princess. They are coming and will be here within a few hours,” He said.
Twilight didn’t miss a beat. “Great, first several of our staff transform all of a sudden, and now this. Start evacuating ponies into the mines and out of the city. If we are under siege by windigo we won’t last long. Our forces have been spread too… Celestia’s great balls of fire.”
“Excuse me?” Luna choked.
“The windigo knew that we would spread forces out to aid towns hurt by their first attack, and to reinforce any weak points they had found. The entire thing was a set up to take our forces away from us while they hit Canterlot. The crafty buggers tricked us,” Twilight said.
Luna frowned. “This is not good.”
Twilight stomped a hoof. “Evacuate the citizens. We will try and hold off the windigo assault as long as we can.” She looked at Luna. “Are you ready for combat so soon?”
She nodded.
It hurt, it hurt more than she could have imagined, and yet, Trixie somehow managed to get up off the bed and onto the floor. She walked a few limp and awkward steps toward the two princesses. They watched her with careful expressions.
“I, want, to, help,” Trixie said, between breaths.
“You need to rest, in fact you and Celestia need to be evacuated too,” Twilight said.
Trixie shook her head, the world spun with the motion, and her head hurt. “I need to help. This,” Trixie said while nodding to Celestia, “Is my fault. Please let me redeem myself.”
Twilight opened her mouth in protest, but Luna cut her off. “You are determined to aid us than?”
“I swear it,” Trixie said. She paused a little and thought of the only words that might help sway Luna. “You’re the only one who’d truly understand. I made a mistake, please let me make up for it.”
A white aura surrounded Trixie and she was lifted off the ground as though she was nothing more than a toy. She found herself planted firmly on Luna’s back. Luna looked at Maud. “I shall return her to you in one piece. By my honor I will keep her safe.”
Maud frowned. “Trixie…”
“You can’t change my mind,” Trixie said as she looked forward. “I’m helping.”
Maud sniffled. “Be careful.”
Trixie nodded. “I won’t fight or anything, but my mind is still functioning. I’m sure I can be of some use.”
Maud walked up and pulled a familiar piece of purple fabric from her saddlebags. She draped the old cloak over Trixie’s back and locked the clasp around her neck. “Lulu,” Maud said. “This is very important.” She picked up the Trickster Blade and slung it over Trixie’s side, and did the straps carefully. It hurt, but she might need the sword. “If you get hurt again, I will tie you to the bedpost and won’t let you go for a year. I’ll feed you, wash you, and make love to you, but you won’t be allowed to leave if you get hurt again.”
That threat was almost alluring. Trixie smiled. “I might get a paper cut, just to see where that line of thought goes.”
“Trixie,” Maud said.
Uh oh, serious time.
“Valiant and me can’t keep seeing you get hurt. I didn’t marry a hero, I married a mare that I love for taking care of her family. So you better not get hurt,” Maud said.
Trixie nodded. “I Pinkie Promise not to do something foolish.”
A twinge of energy went through Trixie as she said the words, and she knew that if she broke this promise; Pinkie would come running at her with a cupcake cannon or something. The image that produced in her mind was laughable.
“Good,” Maud said and she noticeably relaxed. “Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise.”
Luna interrupted. “I’m sorry, I know this is important but time is little right now.”
Maud nodded, leaned up and kissed Trixie on the lips. When she pulled away, Luna took off in a gallop with Twilight right beside her. It hurt to leave Maud behind like that, but she had to do something to help out. This whole mess could have been avoided if she had just stood against Red and her crazy plan. If nothing else, this gave her a chance to help set things straight. If she was lucky, Celestia wouldn’t be react like the nightmare version of her had.
The trip through the castle and out to the wall was more of a race. It was okay until Twilight and Luna took flight. This left little wingless Trixie, who was still too weak to properly grab hold of her ride, feeling more or less terrified of the prospect of falling. Thankfully Luna was both large enough that she didn’t have much worry of slipping, and careful enough that Trixie was able to stay on without effort.
A few minutes of flight led them to the outer wall of Canterlot. Though she didn’t need to be on the wall to see the storm rolling in from every direction. The terrible clouds circled the entire city like a wall of impassable might. Sure, they were a fair distance out, but that only meant it would take a little longer before they hit Canterlot.
Twilight landed on the outer wall, and Luna followed her down. For a few minutes the pair simply stared at the clouds, Trixie felt too terrible to keep her head up that long and instead focused on the stone beneath their hooves. She could feel the dread flowing off of her companions, and she agreed. This was horrible news. Trixie couldn’t see any way for this to not end in disaster, yet there they stood, scared, fearful of the oncoming threat, but defiant enough to stand up to it.
It would seem that in their darkest hour, when all hope seemed lost, that true courage stood in the face of such darkness. Trixie had to wonder if courage would actually be enough, or if they were simply fooling themselves.
“Luna,” Twilight said softly. She looked around cautiously and didn’t see any guards on this part of the wall. She took a few steps closer to her and leaned her head against the taller alicorn’s neck. “I love you.”
Luna kissed the top of Twilight’s hair. “I love you too. We will survive this day, and we will be victorious. No enemy of Canterlot has ever taken our home from us. Even the Changelings couldn’t stand up to us, and they had a hidden army. These windigo are no different.”
“Celestia was hurt back then too…” Twilight said quietly.
“Yes, but I was busy on the front lines. Should I had been there, the changeling queen would have been hard pressed to even enter the city,” Luna said.
“Celestia is hurt though, she’s hurt bad,” Twilight glanced at Trixie. “And just look at what happened to Trixie.” She sniffled. “I’d never have the kind of courage she does. I-if that happened to me. I… I’d quit.”
Trixie looked up at her. “Not if it was your fault.”
Twilight looked away from her and let out a tiny sob. Princess Twilight was beginning to look really small. “You don’t even have access to your magic. How, how can you keep getting hurt, keep suffering, and, and still never give up? I’ve seen hardly anything compared to you, and yet I just want to fold myself into a tiny ball and quit already.”
“I feel like that a lot. In fact there have been more than a few times where I’ve done just that,” Trixie said. “I keep making mistakes, I keep screwing things up, I keep trusting the wrong ponies and then everything blows up in my face. It’s been impossibly hard, but I’ve had to learn to find my where I can. Just knowing that I have a family who that me, and friends that will take care of me is more than I deserve.”
Twilight rubbed a hoof at her eyes. “I see a therapist on a monthly basis. I even take anti-depressants along with anti-panic medications. Trixie, I’ve seen worlds where my friends have been tortured, beaten, or even killed right in front of me. There are so many things that I cannot un-see.” She sniffled and looked up at the baleful light of the moon. “I’m reminded of the world where you were… a hero. Maybe you weren’t the biggest hero, but you were fighting changelings and even sacrificed yourself to help me fix things. I… I was so wrong about you when we first met. When push comes to shove, you shove right back and hard.
“Your… you’re an inspiration and sometimes even the source of what little courage I do have left,” Twilight said. “I admire you.”
Trixie snuggled closer to Luna. “Thank you, Twilight. This fight coming up is going to be bad though. It’s still a ways off, and if you want to set me down somewhere and have some privacy for a half hour or so. I wouldn’t blame you for it.”
Twilight giggled a little. Luna looked back and said, “That was the first thing we did when we got to the castle tonight.”
“Yeah, we uh… we had our privacy,” Twilight said, her cheeks became a little pink.
That brought a smile to Trixie’s lips. “Good then I guess we’re prepared for war.”
A pegasus swooped in from overhead and dropped down beside them. Bright purple armor that held a rainbow shine to it caught Trixie’s attention first. The bandaged ear, followed by a few short rainbow mane falling in front of a pair of violet eyes, one had a scar running across it. The long sword at her side had a rainbow lightning pattern along its sheath.
Two more pegasi swooped in from behind her landing. They all had similar armor save for the rainbow sheen. Trixie recognized both of them right off the bat. Lightning Dust and Wind Rider stood at attention.
“Princess Twilight, Princess Luna, and Princess Trixie, the Shadowbolts reporting for duty,” Rainbow Dash said with a proud grin.