Trixie and her Destiny

by Stark Trist

Chapter 6: Foothold

Luna let out a deep breath preparing for battle as the world began to shift and twist again. Luna cursed under her breath as she eyed the transformation take over the familiar black abyss. The new material plane was different this time. Unlike the past locations, this one wasn’t like the long maze-like school, closterphobic apartment, or dark trap room. This location was open and clear. Trixie’s mental body stood unwavering in the distance as the environment took shape.

Snow began to fell as the two glared at each other, steam visibly escaping both ponies nostrils. They were now atop the snow-covered Foal Mountain. A distant memory played out in the distance as a younger Trixie pulled her cart along the icy path. Two ponies shivered as the ice-cold wind swept across the two combatants forcing them into action.

Luna was the first to make a move and cast a camouflage spell to turn her light blue coat and mane into a snowy white. Luna vanished from Trixie’s sight.

Trixie grinned, “Two can play this game, Princess”. She cast a similar spell on herself, vanishing into the snowy hillside.

The snowy field lay quiet, a younger Trixie continuing to trot along in the distance unaware of the tense battle underway.

Luna stealthy moved across the field. Her breath was wearing thin and her vision began to blur slightly from magical exhaustion as her spells drained more of her cloud's power.

We need Just one good hit, then we will return, and make plans to pick-up Trixie. Luna thought as she sniffed the windy air for Trixie's scent.

Luna froze, the figure of Trixie stood not more than meters away blending with the surroundings. The unicorn’s face was directed away from Luna as Trixie peered aimlessly out over the icy field.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Luna stealthily called her magic forth concealing its presence as the light blue mist slowly gathered around her horn. The little magical essence remaining within Luna’s ethereal cloud slowly trickled in, taking a significant amount of time to gather the required magic for her spell.

Suddenly, Trixie’s head jolted turning in the direction of Luna, searching for Luna’s magic. The Princess froze her spellcasting, concealing everything. She had one shot, and she wouldn’t waste it against a shield, it had to be a perfect shot.

Trixie opened one eye, revealing an uncamouflaged dark magenta eye. She scanned her surroundings for movement. Trixie's eye leaking out some dark magic as she scanned the hillside.

"It's soo bucking COLD!” the younger Trixie in the background yelled in frustration. Trixie turned away toward the memory. A nostalgic expression replacing Trixie's serious face.

Trixie felt something, turning just in time to see an energy bolt flying directly at her. The Unicorn’s eyes went wide, diving to the side. She was too late, the bolt smashed into her back two legs ripping both of them off in its blast. The rest of Trixie’s body was carried into the air, throwing the mare several feet from where she stood.

Trixie she wailed in pain, the white snow changing to a murky dark red as her blood poured out. Trixie lay there, screaming in pain. Her new friend preventing her from passing to unconsiousness.

Luna dropped her camouflage spell panting for breath and shaky on her hooves. “Trixie, why do you persist? You must be in great pain." The Alicorn said panted as she slowly approached the unicorn. A trail of red snow leading the way to the screaming victim.

Luna looking over Trixie’s mutilated mental form. A look of sadness crossed Luna’s face as she looked upon the blood-covered pony, wishing to end her pain she began to cast another spell.

Luna's ethereal cloud was running dangerously low on magic so she tried to most effectively harness its remaining resources. The spell took nearly a minute to charge for its minimum to drain the minimum amount of magic required for the energy bolt, every second her mental consciousness blurring under the increasing pressure of the sinking vessel. Finished with her preparations, she stood aiming at the unicorn.

Trixie’s magical senses felt Luna's magic slowly gather, like an execution sharpening their blade. Between Trxie's screams of pain, she gathered her magic. Trixie forced her eyes to open her pride deeming it important to look upon the face of her killer. She found Luna, her weathered figure stood no more than a meter away, a mystic light enshrouding the alicorn’s horn. Trixie’s instincts took over preparing a force shield for protection as she cowered piteously in the crimson snow.

Luna winced as pain throbbed throughout her body, gasping as she released her spell. The energy bolt collided uselessly against Trixie’s newly formed force shield which absorbed the blow.

Luna’s face paled noticeably, coughing up blood seconds later, she collapsed.

Trixie lay on the warm wet snow staring at the alicorn, shocked.

“Attack her, Now!” Shadowbane called from inside her.

“What?” her normal-self replied. "Buu-, I can't move."

"Useless pony! GET UP and finish her!" Shadowbane commanded.

Trixie coughed, trying to lift her head to see where Princess Luna lay. The effort causing her to cry. "I can't move" Trixie's voice having wavered historically. "I can't move — I can't —"

"You useless piece of garbage! Get up you slimy piece of meat! If you don't act now I will be forced to take over! hahaha, and you don't want me to take over, it will be extremely unpleasant." Shadowbane spoke into her mind.

"I — can't!" Trixie yelled as tears fell from her eyes.

Shadowbane spoke into her mind, "You disappoint me, Trixie. No matter how hard you try you're still a worthless host. I will find another. One more able than the likes of you! A truly 'great and powerful' creat — " Shadowbane began laughing maniacally.

Trixie's eyes began to smoke with powerful dark magic. Shadowbane's magic overtook Trixie's body, like a puppet on strings, she sprang up to stand on her remaining hoves. Trixie screamed in pain as her entire body felt on fire, as her hind legs regenerated with specter flesh.

Shadowbane's rich hollow voice laughed through Trixie's mouth, "Hahahaha. It's your lucky day Trixie. A far more qualified and experienced candidate is ready for an interview!"

Luna's ears perked at the new voice. She moved to escape but held no energy to do more than pull herself a few inches away.

Shadowbane telekinetically lifted the bloody slush up from snow around him. He froze the icy-fluid into a sharp-crimson icicle a pony's length long. Trixie's horn lit-up again, dark magic flaring outward in a hiss as the icicle began to glow an unholy red "You aren't going anywhere, princess!"

He shot the lance at the alicorn. The lance whizzed through that air whistling as the lethal weapon dove into the alicorn’s center, digging its way through her limp body, extruding slightly out her rear.

Luna let out a garbled scream, the lethal wound pushing her to unconsiousness.

“Hahahaha” Shadowbane laughed uproariously, "You are mine now, Princess!"

Trixie's body walked up to Luna's taking a seat next to her pale form. "What are you going to do?" Trixie asked weakly.

"I will make her an offer she can't refuse. Hahaha. Now sit here and wait," Shadowbane's presence all but left Trixie as black smoke entered Luna's blood-soaked form.

Trixie waited, feeling the skin-crawling dark magic ooze through her body. She could sense that Shadowbane was busy, the occasional tug on her magic channeling more dark power into Princess Luna's mind.

Minutes passed as Trixie shivered violently on the cold mountain.

Suddenly the sun ripped through the dream's snowstorm, melting the snowy crest hillside. The sun's brightness washed out mountain shades of gray with reds and yellow as the air warmed. “Luna!” a voice called!

Trixie, cowered looking away from the light. She fell onto the ground in pain, her newly materialized legs evaporated in the ethereal light.

The material plane once again changed, as fires lit-up the hillside.

"Trixie, we need to go NOW. Hug Luna!" Shadowbane called.

"I can't my legs are gone again," Trixie said.

"Useless!" Shadowborn roared. Trixie felt more of her magic become corrupted as her legs reformed once again. "Hurry girl, that won't last long."

As Trixie hugged Luna, Shadowbane re-entered her body in earnest, sending a wave of nausea through her.

"Hahaha," Shadowbane laughed, "Now girl, it's time to get out of here. So would you please Impale your head on Luna's horn, that should do the trick!"

Trixie paled, "W-What?!?"

Shadowbane cleared his throat, "Ahem. Dear, I am not sure you noticed, but this dreamscape acquired a few un-natural qualities. First, Princess Luna is here tonight. Second, you have a surprisingly gruesome imagination. And Third, Princess Celesia is somehow here as well, though I can't imagine how she managed it. You need to wake us up and run, NOW!"

~~~

Celestia was asleep in bed when she heard her sister scream. She teleported to Luna's tower. Celestia arrived to see her sister's limp body and a small pool of blood dripping from her nose. Luna's body was covered in sweat and her breathing was labored.

Celestia paled in shock, “Luna!" ran over to her body."Come on Luna, I can’t do this alone, not again!” Celestia yelled desperately, tears forming in her eyes.

As Celestia pulled close, Luna stopped breathing. “No! I won’t lose you again!” Celestia's determination redoubled as her horn glowed with dark magic. Celestia cast a forbidden necromancer's spell to keep Luna's soulless body healthy. A wave of revulsion swept from horn to tail as the spell complete. Dark magic always costs something.

The elder alicorn stood facing out over her kingdom, her brilliant white magic exploding outward enshrouding the tower as she searched for her sister's soul. Failing to find Luna in Ponyville's library, Celestia doubled the power of the spell lighting up all of Canterlot with its glow. She searched everywhere expanding her reach over all of Ponyville and into the Everfree Forest.

Celestia stopped her search as she found her sister. Luna's magic was weak, weaker than a sleeping earth pony she reasoned. Celestia guessed she was in a sort of hibernation state, suspending her consciousness in space. Normally, Luna would return to her body in such a state. Something must be keeping her in the Everfree forest.

Celestia called back her magic considering her options. She could fly, but that would be far too slow. Luna had already stopped breathing and every second was critical to her recovery. She could try and send Luna magic and guide her home, but the intensity of her magic would instantly kill anypony. Celestia bit her lip as her decision was made, for better or worse, Luna was worth the risk of killing a pony or two. Besides she was probably being kept by something living in the forest, a non-pony creature.

Celestia quickly transmuted the air into glass, forming an enchanted lens. Focusing the lens toward Luna's location, Celestia rose, flying up to the correct focal length. She flared her magic infusing the spell with part of her consciousness to key it to guide Luna back. The bright light which followed blocked out the tower, as a beam of pristine light, shot out over Equestria into the Everfree Forest on the horizon.

Celestia hovered there several minutes straining her body to maintain the immense magical output required to reach the Everfree Forest. Tears formed on her eye as she considers the possibility that she wasn’t doing anything, and that Luna had already moved on.

No, please no, I want her back, Celestia cried, Makers, give her back to me, I beg you! Celestia increased her efforts maximizing the spell's power.

A minute later a small mote of ethereal cloud shot through the air, finding its body, the dark wisp dove into Luna’s pale complexion.

Celestia fell from the sky falling down to the balcony where luna lay. Exhausted she began to cast a reviving spell, which would occasionally shock Luna to restart her heart. The painstaking spell required intense magical power and concentration so as to not hurt the patient.

A moment later Luna awake gasping for air as she coughed.

“Tia?” Luna said, her voice weak.

“Luna, I am here.” Celestia hugged her, as she cried. “Don’t ever do that again!” she spoke sternly but hugged her partially conscious sister tightly. "Ohh sister, I am soo stupid! Why did I ever ask you to do that? You've only just returned."

"It's ok, it's part of my duties", Luna mumbled weakly.

"It is certainly not ok. I hereby prohibit you from ever visiting a pony’s dream when not at full strength, ok?”

“Ok. Thanks for saving me Tia — again,” Luna said, resting on her sister's withers.

Celestia paused, brushing Luna's mane to comfort her, "I love you, Luna, never forget that." Celestia hugged Luna tightly, "Next time just please don't do something so risky, even if I ask. I can't bear losing you again. I already know I am going to have a few bad dreams from tonight. You really scared me, Luna."

"I am sorry," Luna said. "I should have been more careful. I was reckless and angry that Ponyville was attacked. I needed to act."

"I used to be able to simply know where I was needed. Before — " Luna's voice hitching, " Before, Nightmare Moon I was needed. Now Night court is empty, nopony comes anymore, Tia. And — I can't even protect our ponies anymore." Luna began to sob, ashamed of herself.

Celestia hugged Luna, "Shhhh, Luna. You know that is not true. You are worth so much to me, Sister. I am sure more ponies will show up to Night court once they get used to you. As for Ponyville, Don't worry, Sister. I am sure Twilight already has the situation under control."

Luna and Celestia sat there in the comfort of a long hug. The tension and pain Luna held leaking away as her countenance returned.

Luna perked up brushing away her tears, "Say, Tia, while I was in Ponyville I did get to visit Twilight Sparkle's dream. She was having a mild nightmare about you of all things. I thought our ponies no longer thought of us as demigods."

Celestia blushed embarrassed, "I have been trying so hard to work that out of her, but I fear she won't ever stop seeing me as god-like figure."

Luna giggled, "You've changed sister. I think we like it." Luna smiled, then her stomach grumbled. "Can we wake up the cook, we could really go for a large salad right about now, I am famished.”

Celestia giggled at her sister, “That sounds like a wonderful idea, it's been quite some time since I last used that much magic.” Celestia said, leaving for the cook’s quarters down the hall.

Luna waited for Celestia to return. The heavy exhaustion she felt finally taking hold as the life-threatening scenario passed. She thought back, confused? How could I lose to a single unicorn, much less a young street magician?

Something or someone must have been helping her. an unbidden thought popped into her head.

Luna's mind started running itself, as recent events played out in her mind.

• A petition in court about the Everfree Forests's changing magical properties. Possibly related to Luna's return.
• Her dreamscape scrying spell proved ineffective. The spell may simply no longer work for unknown reasons.
• The reports of dragons flying around their country. An ill omen for the peace of her ponies.
• Tonight an Ursa minor attacking Ponyville. The beasts slept for centuries, why attack now?
• The whole ordeal with Trixie and her concerning memories.

Something is coming — Luna's mind prodded. and I am too weak to help Celestia deal with it. Luna stole herself, a new determination visible in her eyes, " I cannot delay my recovery any longer. For better or worse, Equestria needs me."

Luna horn glowed, using the excess mana in the palace to dispel a half dozen spells that were delaying her recovery. She then applied a few magical boosters for good measure.

Luna's ears perked up at the sound of far-off laughter.

Celestia returned, interrupting her train of thought as she held up two large salads procured from the kitchens.

“I brought croutons,” Celestia smiled at her sister.

After a few minutes of both Celestia and Luna shoveling down their salads, Celestia interrupted the silence.

“So what happened?” Celestia asked kindly, “I sent you to Ponyville, how did you end up in the Everfree Forest?”

Luna closed her eyes picking out the important details from the night, “Everything is a little fuzzy, but this is what I remember. Ponyville was attacked by an Ursa minor. Much of the town believe that Trixie was connected to the attack. "I went to investigate and followed the perpetrator into the Everfree Forest, a suspicious resting place. I entered her mind, " Luna sighed, "but we hadn't nearly enough magic for what followed, my mistake." Luna admitted bitterly.

"Trixie's dreamscape was well-crafted. I tried questioning her about the attack, but she deflected. Then she hid, showing a series of strong memories. I finally got her to face me and attempted to knock her into unconsciousness. The plan was to send the guards to pick her up." Luna's eyebrows wrinkled in concentration, "Everything else is — blank... All I remember was that it was very painful. I assume based on the numbness we feel in our legs my consciousness lost connection to my body?”

Celestia looked down, ashamed, "I cast a re-animation spell." Her horn glowed as the necromantic spell was undone.

Luna smiled, “Thanks, Tia. That must have been hard for you.” she finished, popping a cucumber into her mouth in an attempt to avoid the awkward moment.

Celestia nodded, smiling weakly, “Always sister. What else do you know about, Trixie?”

Luna nodded, “She is a strong unicorn, easily in the top ninety percentile. I believe she graduated from your school for gifted unicorns. She was a performing street magician and worked in a theatre production at some point. It also seems likely she had been trained in the art of lucid dreaming, are you offering such classes?” Luna replied, excited.

"Not that I am aware of, sorry Luna" Celestia replied.

Luna glanced outside, her mood turning sour, as smoke rose from the Everfree forest. “I am sorry sister. Judging from the smoke cloud rising from the Everfree Forest we don’t think she would have made it. She should have been asleep when your spell hit, Sorry.”

A sad expression came over Celestia as her fears were confirmed, she had saved Luna at the cost of killing Trixie. She would need to send a letter to the family, “Did she tell you her full name?”

“Trixie, called herself, a few different names. Twilight called her Trixie Lulamoon, with The Great and Powerful Trixie being her stage name. Tonight something changed after Ponyville was attacked. When we fought she called herself something — something strange.” Luna said softly, a wave of fatigue overtaking the alicorn as Luna struggled to keep her eyes open.

“Well Tia,”-Luna said, a yawn interrupting her speech- “Thanks for teh food, we are. . .” Luna didn’t even finish her sentence before she was passed out on the table, soft snores following her abrupt departure into her dreams.

Celestia smiled at Luna as she slept peacefully on the table. Finishing her salad, Celestia lifted Luna into her bed. Not letting you sleep alone tonight lulu. Luna began to snore loudly once in bed. “Ohh Luna, what would I do without you?” Celestia asked herself, smiling at her sister’s cute expression as she slept.

After thanking the chef for a midnight snack, Celestia instructed the guard to wake her a half an hour early to lower the moon. Celestia lay in bed, thoughts pervading her usually calm mind.

I'll need to get the full story from Luna tomorrow so I can write a letter to the family, Celestia sighed.

Lulamoon, where have I heard that name before? Celestia asked herself before falling asleep.