26: A Mare on a Mission (Trixie, Cadance, OC) [Action, Adventure]

Fire to her left. Fire to her right. Trixie wiped the sweat from her brow and steadied her aim. Her opponent wasn't finished with her yet, not by a long shot. The flames around Trixie were slowly reaching out for her, but they never got too close. They were teasing her, testing her resolve.

"Are you going to make Trixie wait all day?"

With a roar, Blaze jumped out from her hiding spot and launched a sea of flames towards Trixie. "Surrender, pony!"

Trixie repelled the flames with a barrier spell, and fired a beam of magic towards the changeling. Blaze dodged to the side and charged forwards, taking advantage of the spell's cooldown to get closer to the resistance fighter. "You're mine!"

"Not so fast!" A bang sounded through the air, and the changeling fell to the ground, screeching and flailing in pain. Trixie turned around and found Mi Amore Cadenza, aiming down the sights of a flintlock rifle. "Come with me if you want to live!"

Trixie looked back at Blaze, and cast a quick spell to grow roots that would bind the changeling to the ground. She then ran over towards Cadenza and the two sprinted through the forest. "I need to get to Canterlot!"

"Forget it! The whole area is overrun by these monsters!" Cadenza slowed down, and Trixie followed suit. "There's a safe haven nearby, but we need to go underground."

"You don't understand," Trixie said. "I'm on a mission that will turn the tide of war in our favour! I absolutely must reach Canterlot by nightfall!"

"… Well then, I suppose I can't stop you. But if you must go, at least take the secret tunnels that you lead you to the base of the mountain."

"Secret tunnels? I've never heard of them."

"Because they're secret, silly," Cadenza said with a giggle. "There's an entrance to the tunnels nearby. We'll take them back to our camp and then I'll draw you a map so that you can find your way."

Trixie bowed and said, "I'm in your debt, Princess."

Cadenza shook her head. "I'm not a princess anymore. Now come, before that changeling frees itself and comes after us."

Cadenza approached a nearby tree and moved the bushes, revealing a small hole that led underground. The two entered the hole and found themselves in a dark tunnel. Trixie used her magic to light the way, and Cadenza led her through.

As Trixie emerged from the tunnels and found herself in a forest clearing, she couldn't believe her very eyes. She had expected a couple of tents and some ponies with broken limbs hobbling about, rationing resources and erecting temporary defences.

But the ponies had established a firm stronghold, using the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters, complete with archers, scouts, canons, and even a trebuchet at the top.

"That is strange," Trixie said. "Trixie has come here before, and it was abandoned."

"Shining Armor's barrier makes it seem that way," Cadenza explained. "It distorts your vision and makes you want to leave. The only way past it is through the tunnels underground."

"Mi Amore!" Cheerilee ran to the ex-princesses' side and bowed. "I'm so glad that you're back! A scouting party left to gather food, but they were caught before they could return!"

"You know the rules," Cadenza said, taking Cheerilee's hoof and leading her inside, Trixie following behind the two. "We cannot risk any soldier to rescue them."

"But Big Macintosh was with them!"

"I'm sorry," Cadenza said softly. "But he knew the risks, and was prepared to sacrifice everything to help us. I don't think he would want us to take any risks trying to save him."

As Cheerilee departed from the two, tears streaming down her face, Trixie followed Cadenza into the war room, where she recognised Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor gathered at the large table in the centre.

"Trixie?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same," Trixie responded. "Last we met, you were a simple weatherpony."

"That was before this whole thing kicked off," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm this army's commanding officer now."

"You are? Trixie thought that Shining Armor and Cadenza-"

"We are more like mascots," Cadenza explained. "Ponies remember us, and so it's easier for them to look up to us and follow our lead. Rainbow Dash is the real brains behind the operation."

"So, what brings you here?" Shining Armor asked. "You're the mare that drew an ursa towards that changeling outpost, right?"

"I am," Trixie replied proudly. "It was a fine victory, worthy of a mare as great as myself!"

"She needs to get to Canterlot," Cadenza explained. "There's something there that she says change the tide of war."

"And what's that?" Shining Armor asked.

"The Alicorn Amulet," Trixie answered. "An amulet said to have the ability to massively increase a pony's magical capabilities. With it, an earth pony could cause earthquakes, a pegasus could create hurricanes, and a unicorn could do anything."

"And you believe something that convenient is real?" Rainbow Dash asked with a deadpan stare.

"I know so," Trixie said. "I saw it once when I was a filly. If it is still in that same place, she could take it and use it to defeat Chrysalis' armies, driving the changelings out of Equestria and ending this war!"

"Shining, do you have the maps of the old tunnels?" Cadenza asked.

"I do, but I cannot spare her more than a sword," Shining Armor replied, digging through the papers on the table and finding the right one. "We're short on supplies as it is. If she goes, it'll be rough. She might not even make it."

"I'll take that chance."

"INCOMING!"

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Everypony gasped and turned towards the doors to the rest of the castle. "What's happening?!" Trixie demanded.

A pony burst through the door and shouted, "T-The changelings have broken inside!"

"What?!" Shining Armor grabbed his sword and threw one to Trixie. "How?! The barrier's still up!"

As Shining Armor approached the pony, flames ignited from his feet and covered his entire body. The pony laughed and transformed into a changeling. "By following your mares through that tunnel! And now, the barrier will come down!"

"Damn it!" Rainbow Dash charged forwards, swinging her sword at the changeling. Blaze jumped back and pulled out her bow, drawing an arrow and aiming it at the mare. "You let one of them follow you?!"

"W-We didn’t know!" Trixie stammered. "I thought I left him tied to the ground!"

"Perhaps you forgot about the fire that I use?" Blaze fired an arrow that was alight with flames. Rainbow Dash deflected it with a shield enhanced with magic, causing the arrow to fly back towards Blaze. Blaze grabbed it with her hoof, chuckling as the flames vanished. "It's useless. My body cannot be burned."

"Trixie, this way," Cadenza whispered.

"But what about Shining Armor?!" Trixie looked over, and almost lost her lunch. The flames had vanished, and in their place were the charred remains of what used to be a pony.

"We have to go! If the amulet truly is real, then you have to get it!"

"You go on ahead!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "I'll keep this one at bay!"

Trixie sighed, and nodded. She left with Cadenza, rushing past Blaze and running down the castle's hallway. "This war… All it's done is take away the ponies we love! It's not fair!"

"I agree," Cadenza said. "That's why it has to end. That's why, you need to make it to Canterlot, no matter what!"

As the two reached the castle's courtyard, they were horrified to find that it had turned into a huge, bloody battlefield. Changelings and ponies were dropping left-and-right, flames were bellowing smoke into the air, and the sounds of canons and trebuchets echoed made it hard for the two to hear each other anymore.

Cadenza led Trixie to the entrance to the secret tunnels, and gave her the map that would show her the way. "I have to stay her and help the fight! Whatever you do, just keep going and do not look back!"

Trixie nodded. "Thank you! Trixie will find the amulet, and I will rescue the princesses and put this whole thing to an end!"

"And when you do, we'll have a day out at this spa in Canterlot! Assuming it's still up, of course!"

Trixie laughed, and entered the tunnel. Cadenza collapsed the entrance behind her, leaving the mare in complete darkness until she had lit up her horn. "… I'll look forward to that day, Cadance."

The city of Canterlot was a flaming ruin. The once-grand city had been reduced to nothing but wreckage and smouldering piles of ash in the early days of Chrysalis' invasion. The corpses of ponies wearing the old armour of the Royal Guard littered the street, as did posters celebrating the 'Royal Wedding' event that never happened.

Trixie stopped as a small skeleton crossed her path. The skeleton could have only belonged to a foal, and its bones were crushed into dust around the abdomen, whilst the rest was charred to a fine black. "Crushed by a falling building," she surmised. "Even children weren't safe. Chrysalis, you're truly the worst kind of monster."

Spinning around, Trixie drew her sword and deflected an incoming arrow. "I told you, you can't escape me!" Flames ignited around Trixie, and entrapped her in a small, burning circle. "I don't know what you hope to find here, but I will defeat you and bring you to Her Highness!"

"I've come too far! I can't stop now!" Trixie released a blast of magic that dispelled the flames and sprinted down the street. "You changelings are vile, disgusting creatures that drain all love from ponies! You must be stopped!"

"You ponies are weak! Helpless! All you do is frolic in your happiness and try to hang on to your small, worthless lives!" Blaze landed before Trixie, forcing the pony to stop. "You are prey, and we are the predators!"

"We may be prey, but we have a nasty habit of always winning!" Trixie thrust her sword forwards. Blaze deflected the attack with her shield and lunged at the mare, gnashing her teeth at Trixie's neck. "Eat this!" Trixie slipped a smoke bomb down the changeling's throat, forcing Blaze to jump back as she choked on the smokescreen.

Trixie bolted down the alleyway besides her and used her magic to toppled the remaining buildings behind herself. "I'm almost there… Hope lies just beyond this street!"

"Gotcha!" Blaze shouted as she grabbed Trixie's tail, tripping the mare, and then standing over her downed body. "You lose!"

"Not yet!" Trixie spun around and kicked the changeling's chest, allowing her just enough room to crawl out to freedom. "Get back!" she shouted as she cast a spell to push the changeling back into the rubble behind her. Trixie then turned back to the street and ran as fast as her tired, injured legs would carry her.

The building was still standing, though just barely. Trixie used her magic to force the door open and ran inside, taking a moment to catch her breath. A sharp pain struck her leg, and she screamed as she fell to the floor. Looking down, Trixie found a flaming arrow in her left hind leg, the fire slowly burning away at her coat of fur.

Blaze was slowly approaching the store, drawing another arrow from her quiver. "I'll give you one more chance to surrender, before you suffer pain far greater than ever before."

Trixie closed her eyes and held her breath. 'No… No! It can't… It can't end like this! Not when I was so close! Not when victory was within my grasp!' Trixie opened her eyes, and found Blaze standing still before her, readying the arrow into her bow. She looked around, surveying the building, and gasped. There, on the counter. There was her prize. The whole target of this mission. The one, single item that would change the tide of war.

Using what little strength she had remaining, Trixie used her magic to drag the amulet from the counter and pull it towards her own body. Just a little more… It was within reach of her hoof…

"Time's up," Blaze announced, firing his final arrow to pierce Trixie's chest. A red barrier deflected the arrow, firing back towards Blaze even faster than it was fired. Blaze fell to her knees and clutched her shoulder, shivering as the flames slowly spread over her foreleg. "W-What? But how? No flames can…"

"Huhuhuhu…" Trixie slowly rose to her hooves, the flames eating her leg evaporating, and the arrow simply falling out. "Heeheeheehee…" Trixie brushed her mane aside, stood up tall, and faced her opponent. "This power… It's even greater than I could have possibly imagined…" Trixie polished the shiny new amulet hanging around her neck, and she stared into the changeling's frightened eyes with her own confident ones, glowing red as she charged magic into her horn.

"W-What-"

"Now, changeling," Trixie began, taking a few steps forwards, "Are you ready to experience pain beyond anything you've ever felt before?"

Blaze opened her mouth, but no words came out. Only screams as she was hit by a blast of magic, that filled the area and threatened to drain all the air from her lungs.

Trixie cackled as the changeling's body slowly disintegrated, and unleashed more power. Blaze had stopped screaming, and simply lay limp in the air as she lost her legs, her stomach, her chest, and finally, even her head was dissolved into nothing.

When Trixie was done, she collected the changelings equipment and then turned to face down the street. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has returned. Queen Chrysalis, you had better run and hide while you have the chance!"

"I want this one to play my jester," Chrysalis said as she pointed to Rainbow Dash, pacing back-and-forth before the defeated resistance leaders that were shackled to her stocks, beaten and bruised to submission. She stopped in front of Applejack and said, "This one can help to power our machines. A simple spell so that she can never stop running, and she'll be a valuable asset."

"You haven't won yet!" Pinkie Pie shouted, glaring fiercely at the changeling queen. "When we get out of these, we're going to make you wish you'd never invaded Equestria!"

Chrysalis chuckled. "Oh, how humorous. Unfortunately for you, I already have my jester." Chrysalis rubbed Pinkie Pie's chin, who spat in the queen's face in response. Chrysalis rubbed the spit away and said, "Your corpse can serve as a warning to any who dare approach our borders."

"AGH!"

"UGH!"

Chrysalis turned around, eyebrow raised, and watched as her troops fell one-by-one to a blue mare with a silver many, wearing a black cloak.

"Sorry to crash the party," Trixie said. "I simply wanted to return something to you." Trixie threw Blaze's bow towards the queen, who looked down at the weapon in shock.

"That's… impossible," she stated. "Blaze is one of my top fighters! To have defeated her… who are you?"

Trixie grinned, and replied, "Your new ruler, of course."

"Guards! Execute her at once!"

Trixie didn't respond as several changeling swarmed her, all pointing their spears and hissing in unison. "You see, things are gonna work differently now." Trixie started to walk, and the changelings attacked together. Trixie cast a spell to deprive them all of air at once, and left them to drop to the ground, reaching forward as they turned blue. One-by-one, the changelings stopped moving.

Chrysalis took a step back, sweat running down her head. "S-Stay back!"

"I'm going to be in charge now, which means that, naturally, there's really no place for you."

"I said stay back!"

"Therefore-" Trixie stopped as she felt something piercing her back. She looked down to find a sword through her chest, and looked back up as she heard Chrysalis' maniacal laughter through the air.

"I warned you to stay back! It seems that you're only mortal after all!"

Trixie reached a hoof towards the sword, and cast a spell. The sword broke into two pieces, and her wound closed immediately, leaving not even a scratch to prove that she had been struck. Without even turning around, she lifted the sword with her magic and cut down the changeling behind her, keeping a hold of the shattered blade as she approached the shell-shocked queen.

"Bow to me."

Queen Chrysalis did not respond. She simply grinded her teeth and stared at the mare before her as her entire body shook.

"I said bow!"

Chrysalis gasped and dropped to her knees, though not of her own accord. A stream of red magic kept her from rising, and Trixie stepped even closer. "I-I don't know who you are or where you came from, but with your power and my army, we could rule this-"

Trixie dug the shattered blade into the back of Chrysalis' neck, silencing the queen in one swift motion, and then tossed the body aside. The captive resistance leaders simply stared in utter disbelief. Rainbow Dash spoke up first. "It- It's real," she said, attracting Trixie's attention. "The Alicorn Amulet… It was real after all!"

"Of course it is," Trixie replied. "You doubted me?"

"We were jus' growin' a lil' concerned here," Applejack said. "Y'know, about t' be executed an' all."

Trixie noticed Fluttershy squirming, trying to break out of her prison. With a simple spell, Trixie released all of the leaders, and said, "Well now, aren't you all glad that I showed up when I did?"

"You bet!" Pinkie Pie shouted, grabbing Trixie as her hair poofed out. She took a step back and straightened out her mane and tail. "Err, sorry. I'm not usually a huggy pony…"

"We won," Rarity started, "But we still need to find the princesses before we can truly declare this a victory!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Trixie said.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "You found 'em?"

Trixie grinned and replied, "Come with me to Canterlot. You'll see."

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Zecora, all stared with eyes wide and mouths agape, as the ruins of the once-grand city of Canterlot was shrouded by a large, pink dome. The gates and the streets were decorated with statues and banners of Trixie herself. "It will need some work, but I'm sure you'll all pitch in."

"W-What is this?" Applejack asked as Trixie led the group into the city.

"Why, it's our new home, of course," Trixie responded. "The changelings will surely be planning their retribution, once they chose their new leader. We will need to gather as many ponies here as possible, in order to keep them safe."

"But, what's with all the statues?" Rainbow Dash asked. "And where are the princesses?"

Trixie stopped and turned around. "Princess? You're looking at one." Trixie brushed her mane aside and cast a spell, replacing her cloak with a regal purple robe and a crown atop her head. "Princess Trixie Lulamoon. I will lead Equestria through this dark time. We don't need Celestia or Luna."

Fluttershy growled and stepped forwards. "You can't just usurp the throne like that! You may have saved us, but the crown rightfully belongs to-"

Trixie silenced Fluttershy by removing her mouth, leaving the mare flailing about and attempting to scream. Everypony took steps back as she cackled loudly. "Allow me to make this perfectly clear! I am your ruler now! And I will lead you all to glory! And if anypony has a problem with that, then I will make you wish that Queen Chrysalis was still alive!

"This world belongs to me now, the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

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