Rarity came home to her boutique around the time Celestia had lowered the sun. When she opened the door, she paused to scrutinize the doorframe. There would be wards, Celestia said. Could she spot them?
She looked carefully, and found that she couldn't find anything. Whoever Celestia had hired to install them had done a great job.
The sound of water splashing took her mind off of things. "Sweetie? Are you here?" She trotted up the stairs, a bit of a weary sigh escaping her lips. If she was here this late it likely meant she would be staying the night rather than heading to their parent's home, and while she loved her sister she really didn't want to put up with her antics on a night like tonight.
"I'm… in here, Rarity," Sweetie's voice called.
Rarity nearly stopped dead in her canter. Sweetie did not sound like herself. "Is everything alright?"
She opened the bathroom door to find Sweetie in the tub, bubbles forming everywhere, her mane currently white with shampoo. "I'm fine. It's just… we got worn out today."
Rarity couldn't help but smile. "As opposed to any other day you three are running around?" She moved to the tub and began rinsing her sister's mane. As she did she noticed the water, which was grimy. "My goodness, you really were filthy. What did you get up to?"
Sweetie shifted. "I don't want to talk about it."
Rarity washed the last of the shampoo off. "Did you wash your coat?"
"Yes."
"Behind your ears?"
"Yes."
With a flick of her horn, Rarity removed the bathtub stopper and let the water drain out. The tub had a layer of grime, but the cleaning ponies were coming in tomorrow anyway. As she dried her sister off, she asked, "Are you staying for dinner? I could whip up a nice…"
"I'm not hungry," Sweetie said. "I just want to go to bed."
Rarity blinked. She felt Sweetie's forehead, just below the horn. "You seem warm… but that could just be the bath you had." She levitated her sister onto her back. "Why don't we put you to bed and I'll take your temperature before you fall asleep."
Sweetie didn't argue, or even make a peep the entire trip to what was supposedly the guest bedroom, but it was Sweetie's room in practice. Rarity gently lay her sister on the bed. "Don't go to sleep yet, let me go get the thermometer and..."
A loud bang had Rarity and Sweetie jumping three feet in the air. Immediately the younger Unicorn jumped into her older sister's embrace. "Wh-what was that?"
Rarity, shaking herself, took a few deep breaths. "It might just be a raccoon knocking around the trashcans outside." She didn't believe it, but needed to calm Sweetie down. "I'll go see what it is."
After convincing Sweetie to let go of her, she trotted down the steps, wishing she had something blunt to use as a weapon. She almost wished Sweetie had inherited their father's love of sports. Carefully, she opened the door.
What she saw, four feet away from her, was a familiar gray Pegasus picking garbage off of her.
"Derpy? What happened?"
Derpy jumped and whirled around. "Uh, sorry Rarity," she said. She was breathing heavily. "I was flying and I lost control. I crashed into your garbage cans. I just don't know what went wrong…"
The Unicorn just sighed, looking at her wrecked garbage. "It's fine," she said, lighting her horn to upright the cans. It seemed most of the spill landed on Derpy, and there seemed to be little in the way of a dent. "But you gave me and Sweetie quite a scare. Well, nevermind. Would you like to come in and wash off?"
"That's alright, I was heading home anyway," she waved off. "Thanks!"
Derpy bolted away before Rarity could say anything else. The white Unicorn just sighed. That poor mare was always bumping into things, at that speed she'd probably end up crashing when she reached home.
Closing the door, she went to the downstairs bathroom to fish out her thermometer, then went back upstairs.
"It's nothing to worry about Sweetie, Derpy… just…"
Her sister was out of bed, but not because she was walking or standing. She was laying next to the wastebasket, looking green.
A lump formed in Rarity's throat. She trotted over and took a peek in.
"Ew! …Well… you got it all in the basket, at least."
"Sister, shouldn't you get to bed?"
Luna had waltzed into her sister's bedroom with Tiberius on her back, munching on a few strawberries. Celestia peeled up from the book she had been reading.
"I'm sorry, Luna. It's just… I haven't read these tales in so long. I think it was before you were banished. I suppose the nostalgia got to me."
Luna sat, placing Tiberius on the floor. "I suppose so." Luna snickered. "We always fought over who would play Megan."
"We used to dream about visiting the human world. Can you imagine? No monsters or chaos forces. Just garden-variety politicians to deal with. It would be paradise. And the things their machines could do…"
Luna giggled. "Do you truly believe they exist?"
"I think so. Maybe not in the capacity that everypony is convinced they do, but perhaps."
"And do you believe Twilight Sparkle truly fell into their world?"
"…I don't know."
"You seem awfully invested in those books for a pony who isn't sure."
"It has nothing to do with the world Twilight visited. At least, I don't believe so. But… something tells me that I need to read these. Call it a sign from the Creator."
There was silence for a moment.
"The nobles are pulling their manes out over Twilight Sparkle's disappearance," Luna said at last. "They issued a complete blackout on the media outlets on it. If the populace knew that an Element and its Bearer were missing…"
"I'm… well aware," Celestia said, rubbing her head. "Changelings, Trixie, Sunset… Equestria's problems are many." She took a deep breath. "Still no word from the patrols?"
"Not on the Changelings, I'm afraid. However, I do have some good news. The workers from Ponyville returned. The wards were installed successfully without notice. Rarity is safe, and the other homes will be installed over the next few days."
"Well, that's a relief. Once they’re done, I think I'll have them ward our old castle, under the protection of the Royal Guard, of course. Maybe it's time we refurbished it..."
"Perhaps. We'll talk in the morning. Please don't stay up too late, sister, you have duties of your own to attend to."
Celestia nodded, returning to her book. Luna looked at her a moment longer, but turned and left without another word.
Lightning Dust turned her bottle upright, downing the last few drops in quick order. Putting it aside, she signaled the barkeep. "'Nother cider."
"That's your fifteenth one. I'm sorry, lady, but I'm cuttin' you off."
"Hey, don't you tell me what… what I shouldn't be drinkin'," Lightning tried to protest, but her words came out so slurred that they only increased the stallion's resolve.
"Nothing doing. Now go home, you've had enough."
In a flash Lightning was up, her hoof hitting the bartender in the side. "Listen, you stupid gelding, you're not telling me what…"
The bouncer was on her at that, and even if he didn't, it wouldn't have mattered. Lightning had drank so much that her hitting her target had been entirely due to how unexpected it was. Before she knew it she was face first in the cobblestone streets. "And stay out."
Lightning was half-tempted to lay there and let the next carriage run her over, but she got up.
"Stupid… like that Spitfire bitch… stupid."
Why her? All her life she knew she was destined for the Wonderbolts. Then she got kicked out because of that Rainbow Dash. All because of her stupid friends. Shouldn't have even been there anyway.
Now she had nowhere to go. Her grades in school were so abysmal she was stuck pushing clouds for bits again. It was bearable when she was working towards her goal, but now.
"Stupid… I was born to fly… stupid."
"Apparently, there is hope for Equestria's military after all."
"…Huh? Who's there?" Lightning looked around in the dark.
"I mean, if the Wonderbolts actually rejected you, maybe they have some brains.”
"Alright, I'm going to grind your bones into dust, you stupid…"
Suddenly, Lightning was upside-down and pinned against a wall. It took her a few seconds to clear her mind enough to see.
"Hey… You’re that Unicorn… the one that tore up that hick town a while back."
"Yes, indeed. I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, have hit a bit of…"
Lighning threw her forelegs out and struck Trixie square in the muzzle. Not prepared for the attack, the Unicorn let go and staggered back. Lightning, quick even while drunk, tackled her against the opposing wall of the alley.
"You’re my ticket out of this mess! I turn in one of Equestria's Most Wanted, they'll have to let me…"
Lightning was in the air again, though not by her wings. She was enveloped in a blue aura, and she felt a tugging at her wings. "Trixie will rip your wings out of your sockets if you interrupt her again!"
Lightning Dust was threatened enough to keep quiet. That little threat had reminded her that as bad as her situation was, it could always be worse.
"Now then, you're pretty pathetic now, but the Great and Powerful Trixie has always been a miracle worker. You could be of some use to her."
"Uh… what do you want from me?"
"Trixie has some things planned, and those things involve Twilight Sparkle. And since they involve Twilight Sparkle, they will involve Rainbow Dash."
At the mention of that name, Lightning was filled with anger. "That… stupid… she's the reason I'm like this."
"Believe what you will," Trixie said, "it only benefits me. Trixie can handle Twilight, she has powerful enough magic to match her even in this state, but a speedy Pegasus can prove problematic. She needs somepony who can match her. And since you have a score to settle with her, that will ensure you will perform to your fullest."
"If it takes down Rainbow…" she trailed off a bit, "…Dash, then I'm in."
At that, Trixie set her gently on the ground. "Very good. Now listen. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash will give us the most trouble, but Applejack can be problematic with her strength. But the Great and Powerful Trixie has a plan…"
Trixie and Lightning Dust teaming up? Equestria's in for double trouble now.
Well then...
i.imgur.com/JkOzKst.gif
4756799
they're just nuisances, they shouldn't be villains.
Call me when the slice of life stars back up
4756823 This is tagged "Adventure", so any amount of Slice of Life will be very rare.
Why is Trixie a villain, anyway? Is this leading back into the alicorn amulet? Cause seriously, Trixie in her first appearance was a character foil, not a villain. If anything, Snips and Snails were the villains of the episode.
Is Sweetie OK? Is Trixie assembling an anti-Mane Six? Not good! Keep it up!
I'm just going to go out on a limb and guess Flim and Flam are next on Trixie's little road trip?
4756917
Okay, I thought I was clear, but yes: getting the Amulet off didn't undo all the damage done to her mind.
4756977
Nope.
Not a bad chapter, but.... maybe it's just me, but I could have SWORN there was a chapter with Twilight in the human world, talking to Sunset. I went back to check that chapter for something, but couldn't find it. Am I crazy, or did that get changed/removed?
And the plot continues to thicken. Though at this point I am hopping to find out one soon as I don't like shadow games. Especially if I think Trixie is a seperate plot to the true problem underneath, like the three dragons sent by the radical ponies in the last story. Well hope to see what comes their way and if team Applejack will save the day, or her girlfreind will for her.
On a side note: I am currious, will we get glimpses on wht is happening to Twilight in the mirror universe or will that be a seperate story. Also, I wonder if the others failed for they were in human's most viliant history, like the Hunderd Year War, the French Revolution, the Civil War, WWI, and WWII.
4756917
4756979
Sounds logical, after all, I doubt playing with an amulet of dark magic wouldn't let her without some secondary effects, like complete insanity.
4756979 I thought you were going to change that story around to fit your own canon, or does it happen as expected and here Trixie is dealing with side effects (after effects?) of having used the Alicorn Amulet?
4756979
So this is post Amulet, but her mind is still partially warped by the effects of wearing it? Ah.
...not sure how to feel about one of my fave foil characters as a villain.
Good grief, it's like Six Lines All Waiting here.
Seriously though, good to see Trixie again (& LD for that matter).
IF not FLim-Flam, then who?
I like to see Gilda again
4756977
I'd hardly think of them as some pony to match Applejacks muscle.
My god, Trixie's forming the Legion of Doom!
Or the Masters of Evil, the Injustice Gang, the Secret Society of Supervillains, the Frightful Four, the Psycho Rangers, you know what I mean.
Yikes, so Trixie is permanently a villain even without the Amulet on because of its mental side effects? That really kind of sucks for her.
4758633 I don't know if Trixie's going to recruit anyone other than Lightning Dust. Especially since Lightning Dust considered turning her in, and might do so if she doesn't think the deal's worth it. Trixie is a wanted criminal, and she's taking a risk by teaming up with Lightning Dust.
Of course, the joke's on Trixie. The pony she wants to get revenge on, isn't even in Equestria anymore. So she's gonna bust her butt for nothing.
Pushing bits... for clouds? I suppose you could mean it that way around, but...
Commence read.
Rise of the Sinister 6? Maybe more, or less?
4756828
The two previous stories were heavy on the 'slice of life', it's reasonable for him to expect a similar story-style in sequels to it, and considering how... contrived most of this feels(We haven't seen any Trixie prior to this in the series, so bringing her and Lightning Dust in brings up a lot of questions about what happened with them, and Trixie appears to be rationally planning, which precludes the Alicorn Amulet, which the show told us messed with reasoning, which ALSO removes any explanation for Trixie's behavior.)
Basically, this isn't much of a sequel to the previous works, considering, like, everything is off.
I mean, mess around with canon stuff, sure, but if you're going to AU, why are you messing with stuff from those seasons? If this was conceived 'before season three', why are we seeing a major plot element come out of Equestria Girls?
And, again, if you build a series off of Slice of Life, why, oh god why, have the third installment be a straight up adventure fic?
4762976
To answer your concerns, what questions need answering about Trixie and Lightning? It was already established that Trixie was on the run, and Lightning was kicked out of thee Academy. More details on Trixie will be available later, but I fail to see what needs to be explained about Lightning. And how is it contrived to use a canon character?
We only know Trixie's planning something, we have no clue how rationally she's planning it. Besides, I already established the Amulet didn't work exactly the same as in canon, so I fail to see a problem if there was.
The show alternates between slice of life with adventure all the time. There's going to be more of that, but considering what I've been pushing toward, I fail to see how more adventure in this installment. should be a big surprise.
I came up with this idea before season three,, but some elements suited my needs. I had Trixie planned as the villain, the Alicorn Amulet, with tweaking, fit that. I needed Twilight gone, putting her in the other universe fit that. Lightning... well, you'll see.
Hope that cleared things up.
4757404
Don't worry, that won't be the case. I just should have merged this with the last chapter.
4756828, 4756823
Actually, it's because FIMFiction doesn't allow those tags to mix. Besides, I apparently didn't explain this well enough, but it's the Alicorn Amulet's after effects that are making Trixie like this, and I think Lightning wouldn't be that much of a stretch to be corrupted thanks to her personality.
4762976
Post-Nuptials took place during S2 finale. Families took place between S2 & S3. Direction takes place in the later part of S3, and Darth made a blog (Link) detailing how the events of that season ocurred acording to the Nuptialverse, whether it changes or stays the same or is downright removed. For example (not depicted in the blog): Magic Duel happened just as in canon, with the exception of the end, where instead of going back to normal, the efects of the Alicorn Amulet still had an effect on Trixie's mind.
4765900
Because they came from nowhere, have no relation to the plot of the previous two fics, and are not yet explained in the slightest(So Dust is angry and Trixie is angry, sure, that's... something, but why are they seeking revenge? Is there a reason? In the show, it's not outright stated, but heavily implied that Trixie wasn't looking for revenge, she was looking for a means to defeat Twilight in a magical duel, because she felt humiliated. Everything else was the amulet. Why is Trixie seeking revenge here? And Dust, while a nasty individual, is not 'evil' in any sense of the word- this feels basically the same as grabbing Gilda and making HER the villain, despite the fact she's a jerk at worst), they come across as contrived.
And 'the show does it' is not a defense- the show dances around tricky emotional questions because it is aimed at children, you don't do that, so you can't just pick up that defense and hold it between you and criticism- you are not the show, and, to be frank, even the slice-of-life aspects of the show are 'adventure'.
4767553
A fic should speak for itself. Supplemental material is for learning more about a world- not for telling the audience motivations and such.
4769794
...Yes, everything else was the amulet, which I've established is still effecting Trixie. As for Lightning, getting kicked out of the Wonderbolts left her a drunk with nowhere else to go, and her sole episode showed her to be pretty close to a sociopath. Her first instinct, remember, is to turn Trixie in, and when that fails she takes the other option. Gilda getting blown off is something different, since it didn't ruin her life.
As for coming out of nowhere... what? Was I supposed to shoehorn them in somewhere in the first story for later? Am I forbidden from using any characters that didn't appear in the earlier fics? I'm sorry, but I really don't understand.
I showed Trixie working at the Rock Farm at the end of Families, and established that a version of "Magic Duel" happened earlier. Lightning... well, how would you suggest I foreshadow her more? I really don't think it was necessary.
And the key word there is "explained yet". I'm not just going to dump everything on the reader at once.
I'm not using "the show does it" as a shield. I don't see how you can compare me not dancing around tough questions with me not using adventure. When I go deeper into things, I'm going deeper into learning lessons on friendship and family. I'm not ignoring a show's theme, I'm magnifying it.
You can call dancing around questions a flaw. Using both adventure and slice of life... I don't agree. Adventure brought the Mane Six together. They deal with it regularly. Do you think it's a flaw? I do not, but if you do, I'll agree to disagree. Anyway, the last two fics have been about the fallout of an invasion, which included a political movement to overthrow Celestia and a trio of dragons trying to kill Spike, so the "Slice of Life" was already tied to "Adventure" anyway, and the last chapter of Families should have made it clear that Discord and Chrysalis would feature heavily.
And finally, yes, I agree the supplemental stuff should stand on its own. Which is why I took the time, over several chapters, to explain that nearly a year has passed, Trixie invaded Ponyville and left still corrupted, that Rainbow Dash started Wonderbolts training, and that Discord's still a statue. Should I have info-dumped everything in the first chapter? I think that would have made a boring read.
4756993
I never wrote anything like that. I will go into detail on what Twilight's up to, but not yet. In a side-story, maybe.
4757306
In Chapter 1, it's explained that "Magic Duel" happened, but even after getting the Amulet off Trixie wasn't snapped completely back to normal.
So! Trixie has a plan and Twilight is not around to stop her. A part of me says 'fortunately' because I suspect that, without Twilight to focus on, Trixie might turn into the self-indulgent idiot we saw in the latter half of Magical Duel a lot more quickly. She and Dusty also likely to run into all those wards and get fried like bugs on a griddle.
Still, it seems that, in this time-line, the Elements of Chaos are forming.
4770733 Yes, I remember that from the blog post. If I could suggest, maybe you should link that blog post in the summery section of the story?
4769966 Hmm I think the problem people have with this is you are making a break from Canon without warning to a degree. Make no mistake it is very much alright to do that. That's what alot of stories are built around however in this case we have not been shown that Trixie is still under Alicorn amulet influence. Your divergence from canon is at the end of Magic Duel when Trixie comes back at the end and apologizes. This does not happen in your story which is fine. Your audience however has not be shown this thus expects the episode to have taken place as in canon. My suggestion would be to alter Trixie's entrance to give exposition as to what happened and hints as to the Alicorn amulet's continued effects.
Edit: I'm an idiot you stated what happened quite clearly earlier in the story so my bad. Only thing I suggest is maybe a slight reference but that isn't really necessary. My apologies.
Trixie's magic is pink.