Gemini in All Things

by LCranston

Chapter 6 - Demolition mare

The next morning found Twilight and Trixie in the main room of the library. They sat face to face in opposing chairs, staring intently at each other.

Twilight whispered, “All right, now take that same mental attitude and literally flip it upside down.”

A bead of sweat came down Trixie’s forehead as she concentrated. She only said, “Uh-huh.”

The purple unicorn explained, “It’s very important that the energy be exactly the same for the entire spell. One little deviation and it will fail. You might waste your time or maybe even the wrong pony would get the message. Do you still have the pattern?”

The blue unicorn moaned with the effort. She said, “Yes.”

Twilight then said, “Okay, it’s gathered enough momentum. Now GENTLY push it towards me.”

Trixie strained to not shove it with all her might. It was not like pushing a train with one pony. It was more like pulling back on a runaway train car with on pony.

She strained herself and then allowed it to go forward.

Suddenly, Twilight recited, “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I like stallions a bit too much.”

Shaking her head in surprise, she glared at her student, “Trixie!”

The blue mare laughed and fell off her chair. She rolled around on the floor for a moment before Twilight’s frown melted into a smile. She giggled along with her student.

Finally, she stated, “All right, you trickster. I think you’ve learned the basics of inverting a spell.”

Trixie got up and brush the dust off her immaculate cape and pointed hat. She chuckled, “You should have seen the proud look on your face. Maybe I should slip something in your mind the next time you visit Sweet Apple Acres.”

Twilight mock-snarled at her apprentice and said, “You better not!”

The pair giggled again for a moment before Twilight addressed her pupil proudly.

“Trixie, you’ve come a long way in a short time. You’ve really learned a lot that you missed not being formally enrolled. After the way you stood up for Ponyville against the manticore, I think it’s time to give you some responsibility.”

The blue unicorn felt flattered. She smiled and said, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Twilight explained, “I’m going to send you to Appleloosa to be Princess Celestia’s official representative there. The buffalo and the ponies will need a mediator and who knows what wonderful discoveries you’ll make out on the frontier where nopony has explored before?”

The blue unicorn’s face fell. Her mind tried to put a positive spin on the whole idea, but all she felt was the breaking of her heart.

She spoke softly, “What? Why?”

The purple unicorn’s mind locked up. She couldn’t understand why Trixie wouldn’t be happy about this.

Twilight explained carefully, “You’ve finished your training here. It’s time for you to put that training to use helping others. They have nopony in Appleloosa nearly as powerful or skilled as you. What happens when there’s a sudden ethereal vortex? What about if the buffalo threaten war with the Appleloosans? There’s always the chance that some other filly or colt will go missing out there in the desert. They could die of thirst before the others blindly search the desert.”

The blue unicorn’s pupils shrank to half their size. She whispered, “What did I do wrong? What did I do? I’ll fix it.”

Twilight insisted, “You’ll have your own assistant and important projects to achieve! You’ll have the authority of the princess if you really need it. You won’t be alone.”

Trixie whimpered like a little filly, “Don’t send me away. Please.”

Twilight’s heart broke upon seeing the display, but she forced herself to push forward. She stated, “You’ll have the entire top half of a renovated barn all to yourself. It’s a storage barn for tools and supplies but you’ll have your own private stairway and lots of books for reference.”

Trixie’s pupils expanded suddenly. Twilight felt a shudder pass through her body. It was as if she could see something behind those eyes. Something dark. Something she never wanted to touch.

The blue unicorn spoke harshly, “We had a deal, Twilight Sparkle. I would be your apprentice and you would give me a home.”

The purple unicorn asked, “Is that what this is about? I told you that you would have an entire top half of a barn to call home. You won’t be homeless again.”

Trixie stated, “I will NEVER be that way again! If anypony’s going to leave it will be you!”

Suddenly, the sound of Spike’s breath sounded from upstairs. After a moment, he shouted, “Twilight! Did you ask to be transferred to Appleloosa?! What about me? What about Owlowiscious? What’s going to happen to us? Don’t you love us anymore?”

Twilight panicked, “What?! Spike, let me read that letter!”

The baby dragon jumped down to the main level and produced the scroll that had just appeared. Twilight read the letter over and over again, trying to make sense of it. Finally, she read it aloud:
“My Beloved Student,

Why didn’t you confide in me if you were unhappy in Ponyville? I thought after combining powers with the Elements of Harmony that you would have lifelong friends. If the ponies in town aren’t treating you right, then you may most certainly travel to Appleloosa instead.

I am disappointed that I had to learn about this from your apprentice. You have always been so open with me before. Trixie may take your place in Ponyville once you arrive. Be sure to write to me as soon as you are settled in.

Always your dedicated mentor,
Princess Celestia”

Twilight glared at Trixie with a hot stare. She demanded, “YOU wrote to Princess Celestia saying I was unhappy?! WHY?!?!”

Spike’s eyes shot open with understanding. He added, “That’s what that letter was? Twilight, remember I said Trixie sent the report on the manticore? She also had me send a private letter to the princess.”

The purple unicorn glared at Spike, asking, “What?! You allowed that?”

The baby dragon pointed a finger at Trixie and explained, “She said it was a letter about that royal appointment at the magic school! I thought I was doing her a favor!”

Trixie stomped her hoof, sending a magical tremor through the floor. She yelled, “You were doing me a favor! Twilight was scheming to kick me out after she did her ‘special favor’ for the princess!”

Both Twilight and Spike gasped, “WHAT?!”

The blue unicorn’s eyes were wide and trembling as she spoke, “That dirty, purple backstabber sure did fool the princess. Sure, take in poor, broken, worthless Trixie and teach her a few minor spells. Call yourself a miracle teacher and you’ll be set for life!”

Twilight argued, “That’s NOT true!!!”

Trixie added, “Then kick her out and claim you’re dropping her off in Appleloosa…a DAMN FREAKING DESERT!!! Just the place for Trixie to ‘get lost’ and never been seen again!”

Spike screamed, “Twilight would NEVER do such a thing!!!”

The blue unicorn fixed Twilight with a deadly glare, the light from the windows reflects in her cold, dark pupils.

She spoke venomously, “Then you’ll be the hero of Ponyville. You’ll be forever remembered as the best unicorn to have ever lived.”

Before Spike or Twilight could deny anything, Trixie shouted powerfully, “And then you’ll…have…HIM all to yourself!!!”
Spike dumbly asked, “Him? Him who?”

Twilight looked deep inside the wide pupils in Trixie’s eyes. She shuddered at the darkness inside, but she forced herself to read Trixie’s thoughts. She saw the desperate fight for her life. She saw a cold, lonely filly trying to sleep at the foot of her mother’s sickbed. She saw the party at Sugarcube Corner. She saw Trixie’s father’s gravestone. She saw the tall, handsome stallion who gave affection. Then she saw Appleloosa as Trixie imagined it. It was a cold, bleak, wasteland.

The purple unicorn mumbled, “Spike, she must be in love with somepony she met at the party…and now I’m sending her away. What have I done?”

Remembering Trixie’s unprecedented rise to power under Twilight, Spike asked, “Should I be afraid?”

Twilight replied timidly, “Very.”

Trixie declared, “This is the BEST home I’ve ever had in my life! I will NOT be cast out again! I will not be tricked out of happiness. I…will…NOT…LOSE…HIM!!!”

Twilight tried to assert herself, “Trixie, calm down. I’ve changed my mind. Nopony’s leaving.”

The blue unicorn did not seem to hear her. Instead, she pawed the floor forcefully. Her hoof actually carved a thin ribbon of polished hardwood up from the floor.

Trixie ordered, “I am no longer your submissive little errand filly. I am your equal. In fact, I’m more powerful than you are! If anypony’s leaving, it will be YOU!!

Twilight’s mind reeled with the magnitude of the betrayal. Feeling her own home threatened, her temper rose to a boil.

On reflex, she grimaced and spat, “Trixie, for the act of intentional betrayal to your teacher, you are FIRED! Pack your things, you are out! Go now and maybe I won’t get the mayor of Ponyville to round up the guards and force you out.”

The purple unicorn stomped her hoof upon the floor, sending a magical tremor through the library’s main room.

Suddenly, Trixie’s face fell into total shock. Her pupils shrank into tiny pinpricks.

She whispered pathetically in a tiny voice, “Daddy?”

Twilight immediately regretted her action. She had just caused Trixie to flash back to the most traumatic moment in her life.

She tried to apologize, “Trixie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Suddenly, the blue unicorn screamed a bloody war cry and lowered her head. She overcharged her horn with uncontrolled, chaotic blue magical energy, causing electrical discharging all around her horn.

Twilight backed up as much as she could and reflexively summoned a shield of purple energy in front of her, pouring as much energy into it as she could. She knew this first exchange would decide the overall outcome of the battle.

Trixie slammed full-force into the mostly-formed shield of energy. Her horn discharged most of its own energy, cracking the shield apart. Trixie’s body’s momentum carried her through the shield. The shield shattered into dozens of sharp fragments, which sliced Trixie’s flesh, drawing blood with each cut.

Undaunted, the blue unicorn leapt horizontally at Twilight’s chest, striking her just a little left of center.

Twilight screamed in pain and surprise, twisting away from the deadly horn, still pulsing with blue electrical energy. Her torso twisted her heart away from the deadly onslaught, but the horn dug a hole across her ribs, shocking her bones with energy.

Trixie backed up from the attack, Twilight’s blood dripping from her horn.

She smiled serenely and gloated, “How’s that for power, Twilight Sparkle? Accept me as your teacher and I may let you live.”

Spike screamed, “TWILIGHT!!!” He threw a heavy flower pot down from above, striking Trixie in the head. The pot shattered, but Trixie was unmoved. A thin bead of blood dripped down the right side of her head. She impassively turned to look up at Spike.

The baby dragon realized just how outmatched he was.

Trixie opened her mouth and breathed outward. A wave of high-pitched sound emitted. It slammed spike off his feet and shattered the bedroom window behind him.

He screeched, holding his ears shut with his hands. The pain was driving him crazy.

Just outside of the window, Fluttershy ducked just in time to avoid being shredded by the flying bits of broken glass. Looking inside, she saw the confrontation brewing.

She gasped loudly and flew up towards the clouds.

Twilight immediately stood up, a pained expression on her face. The wound began to slowly bleed.

She called out, “SPIKE!!!” Her temper grew to monumental proportions that she had only felt once before. Now, she had a reason to be angry.

Her mane erupted into white fire and her eyes glowed with bright, white energy. She charged her horn with power and sent a concussive blast directly at Trixie.

The wave struck her and knocked her off her feet and carried her into the front door. The door and doorframe shattered, flinging the blue mare out into the street.

Twilight imperiously walked out, declaring, “You will NOT harm my baby dragon!”

The passersby all screamed in fear and scattered away from the library.

Trixie stood up, seemingly unhurt by the blast. She fixed her hateful glare upon Twilight and growled like a wounded beast.
Her eyes glowed with a bright blue light and she filled her horn with overwhelming amount of energy.

She declared, “I have already lost a home because of you once, Twilight Sparkle. I will NOT lose this one also!”

Both unicorns cast a power wave of raw magical energy at the other. The blue wave met the purple wave halfway between the two of them, colliding with the force of an asteroid.

The power waves exploded like a bomb. Both ponies had put most of their energy into those waves. Their eyes no longer glowed, but their horns did.

Meanwhile, up in Twilight’s bedroom, Spike had picked himself off the floor and began frantically searching around.

He repeated to himself, “Gotta find it! Gotta find it!”

His hands clutched a spare quill and paper.

He congratulated himself, “Ha, ha! Now to call in the cavalry.”

He quickly wrote a note, rolled it up and blew his special magical fire breath upon it. The paper dissolved and flew off through the broken window to Canterlot.

Back outside, Trixie and Twilight stared each other down. Neither spoke a word, but their intention was clear to all.

Suddenly, a blue streak shot down from the clouds.

A fearless voice called out, “Hey! Pick on someone your own size!”

Trixie’s eyes were dazzled by a short-lived streak of rainbow colors. A hoof flew out of nowhere and socked Trixie right on the jaw. The blue unicorn staggered with the punch.

Twilight looked around and saw all of her friends charging to join the battle. Her blazing mane reverted back to normal as she felt fear.

She called out, “No! Trixie’s too powerful! Stay away!”

Rainbow Dash landed on Trixie’s right, twisting around to aim her hind legs at her side. Kicking out powerfully, her back hooves struck Trixie in the ribs. The blue unicorn recoiled form the blow.

The spirited pegasus shouted, “No way we’re lettin’ you face this alone, Twi!”

Applejack lumped over to Trixie’s left side and turned to face away.

She bantered, “Nice work, Rainbow Dash! Now lemme show ya how it’s done on the farm! YEEHAW!”

Applejack’s famous applebuck landed squarely on Trixie’s ribs.

The blue unicorn staggered with the blow.

Twilight wondered why Trixie wasn’t fighting back. She decided to sense the flow of local energy.
Suddenly, she felt it. She looked up in the sky to see a huge, dark thundercloud above her.

Trixie saw the secret was discovered. She smiled a nasty smile and said loosely, “Let’s see if Rainbow Dash is worthy of her cutie mark. Catch!”

Blinding light flashed in everypony’s eyes. Rainbow Dash sped herself in a roll away from the blue unicorn. The lightning bolt missed by inches.

Trixie lightly applauded, “Very good. Now let’s see if you’re fast enough to save Applejack from electrocution.”

A second lightning bolt shocked the earth pony off her hooves and onto the ground.

Fluttershy hid behind her wings and cried out, “Applejack!”

Rainbow Dash screamed, “Applejack!!” She then flapped her wings hard and sped under Trixie’s belly to scoop up Applejack in her hooves. As she tried to carry her friend away, a third lightning bolt zapped her in the back, causing her wings to stop functioning. The pair crashed and rolled to a stop unconscious a dozen yards away.

Twilight shouted, “Enough!” She discharged a spell, creating a miniature tornado. Guiding it with her thoughts, it flew up and enveloped the thunderhead. The cloud dissipated into the sky as harmless fog.

Rarity took this moment to act. She charged up her horn and used its magic to levitate several bolts of fine silk cloth from inside of her boutique. More than a dozen streams of fabric sailed towards Trixie, wrapping up each of her legs, her torso, and her neck stiffly.

The white unicorn taunted, “Ha! Now you’re captured, you naughty filly. Mama’s very angry with you!”

Twilight felt the burning hot anger in Trixie surge to new heights.

She cautioned, “Rarity, don’t mention her parents!”

The expertly-coiffed unicorn asked in confusion, “Why not? It seems to me that she needs a good spanking.”

Suddenly, all of the fabric erupted into flames. Rarity panicked, losing control of the fabric. Trixie took this opportunity to grab the flaming cloth pieces and smother Rarity in her own burning fabric.

Fluttershy screeched fearfully, “RARITY!” She dove in and stuck her hooves in the bundle. Grabbing her friend, she flew her away from the fight and into her boutique, where she placed the charred unicorn into the tub and turned on the shower nozzle.

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere and thrust an oversized pineapple-upside-down cake with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, cookie crumbs, and a cherry right into the face of the dangerous, blue unicorn.

She then stood in front of her enemy and shouted angrily, “Take that you big meanie! You are the meanie-est meanie who ever graduated from the most-meanie school in a hundred years!!!”

Everypony who was conscious just stared at the pink one.

After a heartbeat, Trixie calmly asked, “Is that it?”

Pinkie Pie blinked and then said, “Yup. Feeling sorry yet?”

Trixie smiled a sick, twisted smile and said, “Nope, but you are.”

The unhinged unicorn let loose a tightly-controlled concussive wave directly at Pinkie Pie, who could not dodge. The wave slammed into her and flung her across the street and through the window of a nearby house.

Twilight finally summoned enough energy to cast two spells.

Trixie noticed the shift in magical energies. She tried to figure out what Twilight had done, but she could not. The purple unicorn had cast the spells very subtlety to hide their identities.

She saw the door lying in the street. She had an idea. She levitated the door and thrust it at Twilight, expecting it to spring whatever traps Twilight had set.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice gasp to her right. Glancing over, she saw the stallion from the party. He had a scared look on his face.

He asked with horror, “Trixie? What are you DOING?”

As the threatening object sped towards Twilight, it suddenly burst into hot, red flames.

Then it struck an invisible object and exploded. However, the flaming shards only flung in the opposite direction the door was flying.

Trixie’s ears heard the sound and turned back towards Twilight. Too late, she saw the cloud of flaming shrapnel ready to impale her.

On reflex, she turned her head to the left and tried to cover it with her right front hoof. The shards of flaming wood easily pierced his skin and powered their way through her flesh. They ripped holes in her right front knee. The tunneled under the skin on her face. They shattered the bone in her leg. They charred the flesh of her face.

Trixie screamed a bloody cry of pain and confusion. She stumbled where she stood, nearly falling down.
Her gaze turned back to look at the stallion. She wanted so much to explain everything to him. She just wanted him to see her side of this cruel fight. She just wanted everyone to stop throwing her away!

As Trixie showed her shattered right foreleg to her stallion, she turned her face to him. The right side of her face, from her upper jaw, across her entire cheek, and up to her eye socket, was completely missing any skin. The flesh was charred in harsh black streaks. The foreleg was a compound fracture, dripping blood upon the street. The knee was all but severed, the offending wooden shard still smoking.

The stallion suddenly felt sick. His face drained of color and he ran away.

Trixie’s resolve cracked, splintered, and then broke away. All energy drained from her horn. Any spells or incantations faded with the lack of magical upkeep.

Twilight felt a tug on her heartstrings, but she did not lower her guard. Instead, she filled her horn with magical power, ready to discharge at a moment’s notice.

With a heavy heart, she could keep herself from emitting a sob as she asked, “Trixie, why are you doing this? I took you into my home! I loved you like a sister! I worked hard to give you the education you never had!”

Trixie turned her horrible face to Twilight. Trixie’s eyes were wild and crazy, bloodshot and twitching. The purple unicorn was not completely sure Trixie even heard her.

The scarred, blue unicorn accused, “You drove him away from me!”

The purple unicorn felt offended. Was Trixie blind even to her own actions?

Perhaps unwisely, but truthfully, Twilight declared, “That was all YOUR doing.”

The blue unicorn trembled, emitting strange sounds. Twilight wasn’t sure if Trixie was going to laugh or cry or scream or just explode. She felt a dull, cold sensation from her chest. She knew she was losing blood. She had better end this confrontation soon or else it won’t matter how close a hospital would be.

Suddenly, two full wings of armored pegasi dropped down from above and pinned both unicorns to the ground. Feeling the ground slam into their wounds, both unicorns screamed in pain.

The last thing either one heard before the blackness overtook them was the Captain of the Royal Guard of Canterlot bellow, “By order of Princess Celestia, you are both under arrest. We’ll sort this out in Canterlot. Sergeant, take these two to the prison hospital!”

=====================

A full night and day later, it was night once again in Equestria. Even this late, sometimes doctors are called in for emergencies.

The patient lay upon a cold table, secured by leather straps. The doctor was just putting the final adjustments on the artificial right foreleg. The patient had suffered a sudden and inexplicable heart attack after he had brought out the metal half-mask for her face. Several experts in various fields had taken turns to save this one’s life.

Several of the doctors questioned the wisdom of saving this one’s life. However, a direct order from the princess was law, especially in Canterlot.

The artificial right foreleg was fixed to the severed stump right at the knee. This one would limp for the rest of her life.

The doctor said, “Start fusing the flesh to the metal.”

A unicorn next to him said tiredly, “Put the half-mask on her face. I want to fuse both together.”

An extra pair of hooves pushed the carefully-made metal piece over the exposed flesh on the face.

Suddenly, the patient’s eyes opened and she gasped loudly.

The doctor barked to another unicorn, “I thought you had her under!”

The second unicorn intensified the magic affecting the patient. He reported, “She’s resisting the Anesthesia spell! She must have powerful magic to do that from unconsciousness. Hurry up because any more and I might stop her heart!”

An extra pair of hooves came from the sides of the table and pressed the metal pieces to the flesh of the patient.

Trixie tried to scream out that she didn’t want the metal in her body. She tried to tell them to go away. She tried to call for her father. She tried to resist them with what strength she had left.

The first unicorn grunted in frustration and overcharged his horn with white magic. Both metal pieces glowed with white light and fused themselves to her flesh perfectly.

Suddenly, Trixie felt violated. Her body jerked around in panic and she stood up on the operating table.

The doctor cried out, “Orderlies! Hold her down or she’ll start to bleed!”

Upon hearing the call for somepony to hold her down, Trixie summoned every ounce of magic in the surrounding area. Even the magic for other unicorns in the operating room was drained into her horn.

The unicorns in the operating room shivered at the unnatural sensation and backed off.

Choosing to smash her way out, she surrounded herself with the thickest, strongest film of blue magic she had ever created, she flung herself through the wall and out of the building. Seeing she was in Canterlot, she aimed herself westward, for the Everfree Forest. She would be safe there.

Comments

[mrmayortheiv]

What? It was really good until now, although I was thinking it needed some conflict I think the battle was a little over the top and sudden, and violent