Epilogue : Not-So Goodbyes
Twilight's recollection came in pieces during the minutes after the rain of debris finally reached its end. Princess Luna, with a single wing draped over her as she cast a variety of healing spells, remained at her side all the while. When Shining Armor and the others arrived shouting her name, she found herself nearly overwhelmed by hugs. She returned as many as she was able with joy in her heart, although she quickly grew weary of the bombardment of questioning that came next.
Fortunately, the Moon Princess put an end to it. “Calm yourselves, my little ponies,” she said. “Let her rest before you ask your questions.”
Princess Cadance opened her mouth to agree, but movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention to the damaged doorway. “Aunt Celestia!” she exclaimed.
Smiling, the Princess of the Sun picked up her elegant canter as she approached them. “Cadance,” she replied, nuzzling her. “I'm overjoyed you're unharmed, my niece. How are the rest of you faring?”
Twilight leaned against her brother for some support. “Well enough, I suppose,” she commented. She accepted the gentle hug from her teacher.
“I'm so sorry you endured this ordeal, Twilight, but there are no words to describe how proud you've made me today.”
Cadance placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “We're all proud of you.”
“You stood up against another powerful tyrant in the name of good. Not only did you emerge victorious, but you managed to rid the world of a dangerous magical artifact.”
Yet, Twilight frowned as she glanced at her silent former rival. “Well, I don't feel very proud myself,” she retorted. Her voice sounded tired, even to her own ears.
The Royal Sisters turned towards the statue, then they shared a glance. “How did Trixie end up in this state?” questioned Celestia.
Before Luna's protest, Twilight answered, “I got a lucky shot at the amulet and broke it, but then it started to... consume her as we fought.”
“Oh, dear.” The Sun Princess circled the statue, inspecting it with great scrutiny. Her sister followed her lead and they shared whispered words along the way. Soon, they returned their attention to the group.
Twilight bit down on her lip. “Is there anything you can do?”
“I'm afraid not, my student,” retorted Celestia. “At least, not without knowing what magic Starswirl weaved into his creation.”
“Unfortunately,” added Luna, “we don't even know when he found the time to craft the Alicorn Amulet. It will be... difficult finding anything regarding its design, but we will try.”
“We'll transport her back to Canterlot with us. She'll be safe and supervised in our care.”
“For now, however, we'll help you get started on cleaning up this mess.”
“Thank you,” said Shining Armor. He reached out and took his wife's hoof into his own. “I'm sure the crystal ponies will appreciate the restoration of their palace.”
Cadance simply nodded, then she reached out to wrap a foreleg around Twilight. “You and your friends, however, have been through enough already,” she said. “What you need is some much-needed rest.”
Twilight's ears folded backwards. “Are you sure?”
Her brother smiled. “You took care of everything else, Twily.” He winked. “Don't hog all the work for yourself!”
“And as much as I love some good ol' fashioned work,” said Applejack, “I would really, really, really love to get some shut-eye right now...”
Now that it was mentioned, Twilight truly noticed the exhausted state of her friends. Applejack appeared on the precipice of collapse, Rarity was a shadow of her former perfectly-groomed self, Fluttershy had been staring at the floor since they were reunited, and Rainbow Dash swayed and stretched her wings at regular intervals. Pinkie Pie, while appearing as her hyperactive self, yawned at an overexaggerated level that was hard not to notice.
“Hey, everypony, sorry to barge in on your meeting!”
Speaking of party ponies... Cheese Sandwich strolled in with a skip in his step. Draped over his withers was one of Flash Sentry's forelegs. The Royal Guard looked tired and disoriented. “Found this poor fellow hiding in one of the storage closets,” said Cheese.
“Wasn't hiding,” grumbled the pegasus.
Shining Armor chuckled, patting Flash's shoulder. “The important thing is you're okay, Lieutenant,” he said.
“Thank you, Capt—Your Majesty.”
“No problem!”
While her brother and the guard talked, Twilight stepped forward to shake Cheese's hoof. “I'm glad you brought him to us,” she said. “I'm also glad to thank you in person for what you did during the party.”
The stallion grinned. “You're quite welcome. I hope you were able to enjoy yourself a little before that epic throwdown!”
“Well, it was certainly something special.”
As the Royal Sisters approached, Cheese bowed his head. “We must thank you as well,” said the Sun Princess. “Your actions aided not only Twilight, but the entire Crystal Empire and its citizens.”
Luna nodded. “If you wish it, we'll see you are properly compensated for your heroism.”
He laughed. “I'm honored, Your Highnesses, but I'm afraid I must decline. I was just fulfilling my duties as a party pony, is all!”
“Well, in any case, you fulfilled them with great skill.”
“Oh, you humble me!”
Pulling away from Shining Armor, Flash Sentry instead chose the company of Twilight, Cheese, and the Princesses. “I wish I was there, in a way,” he commented, rubbing the back of his head. “At least, I wish I was there to help you take down that other unicorn, Miss Twilight.”
She tilted her head. “You weren't yourself, Flash. Even if you were there, Trixie's magic would've stopped you from aiding me.”
“Yeah... Gosh, my memories are all fuzzy. I hope I didn't do anything heinous while I was under her magic.”
Somewhere in the background, Rainbow Dash grumbled an obscenity under her breath, but was ignored. “Don't worry about it! You weren't the only one brainwashed,” Twilight replied, matter-of-factly. “The important thing is you're back to normal.”
He smiled. “Thank you, Miss Twilight. I really appreciate it.”
Princess Cadance wrapped a wing around her. “Please forgive my intrusion, but you should really rest,” she said with a soft chuckle.
The pegasus's eyes widened. “Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hold anyone up!”
“Easy, lieutenant, it's all right.” She looked over her shoulder at the others. “C'mon, everypony, the guest rooms weren't damaged in the battle. You can rest there.”
Twilight carefully lifted Spike onto her back before she joined her friends in following her sister-in-law. She couldn't recall the last time she so eagerly looked forward to sleep. In the past, the fact a bed was a non-sentient object, without any intention of going anywhere of its own accord, was comfort enough if she chose to pull one of her infamous “all-nighters.” Staying awake now, however, was so beyond her intentions, it was ridiculous.
They shared one last round of embraces, she and her friends, before she carried the baby dragon into their assigned room. Spike had fallen asleep on her back on the way there, and so she carefully and quietly tucked him into one of the two beds. If not for the light tapping on the balcony door, she would have plunged herself into the other set of soft sheets.
At a glance, she witnessed a charcoal-colored hoof retreat out of sight, and so she tip-hoofed her way outside. Sombra awaited her. “How are you doing?” he immediately asked.
“I feel like I'll be asleep for the next week, but I'll manage.”
Still, he bore a coutenance of concern, and he remained silent for a few moments. “I'm glad you're all right,” he then said. “You did well against Trixie, even if the battle didn't end how you wished. I'm... proud of you.”
Her cheeks warmed. “Thank you, and thank you for all your help. I don't know what I would've done without you.”
He looked away. “Well, you certainly could've done without me dropping you back there, and for that I apologize. I... panicked a tad when Princess Luna arrived.”
She touched his shoulder. “It's okay, I understand. I'm grateful you caught me in the first place.”
“I couldn't let you fall.” He sighed. “But, we can carry this conversation on at a later date. Rest well, Twilight.”
She nodded. “I'll see you later, Sombra.”
As he transformed into darkness and slithered away, she silently returned inside. Spike, thankfully, had remained asleep. She ran a hoof over his spines as she passed. Her number-one assistant was safe and sleeping, which meant the world to her nerves. Heck, she didn't even bother tucking herself in, and she was out like a light the moment her head fell upon a pillow.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Twilight slept for almost twenty-four hours. Twenty-one hours, as mentioned by Spike, who awakened her with gentle shakes and news of lunch. It was an optional lunch, were she still too tired to partake. Albeit she was groggy, the temptation of food was too alluring. She and Spike made their way to the dining hall, where their friends and family awaited them. The only exception was Applejack, who remained very much asleep, and would continue to do so for the next few hours.
In the meantime, lunch consisted of an update from the Princesses regarding the palace's repair. The upper tower was successfully pieced back together. What remained was the cleaning and furnishing of the now-empty chambers—a task the crystal ponies worked to complete as they ate.
Twilight was more focused on filling her belly than answering questions. She slipped a few details here than there about the previous day's fight, if only to satisfy the excited curiosity of Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Shining Armor. Rarity occupied herself with comforting Fluttershy, as the pegasus's shortened hair was causing her some distres, while Cadance indulged in some quiet chat with the other Princesses.
Despite the activity, there was something... oppressive, Twilight noticed, hanging over them. She noticed it in Pinkie Pie's sudden lapses of silence, Rarity's frowns, and even in the way her brother and sister-in-law would randomly latch their hooves together. Everypony seemed to notice, yet nopony seemed inclined to say anything about it.
That is, until Princess Celestia gently tapped a spoon against her glass. “I beg your pardon, my little ponies,” she announced. “But, I believe the time has come for Luna and I to address the elephant in the room.”
Everyone looked their way as Luna cleared her throat. “We know we are missing a member of this party,” she added. “As such, we ask you to pass our words onto Miss Applejack at your earliest convenience.”
In response to the bewildered look on Twilight's face, the Sun Princess leaned close to her. “Your friends told me of your first encounter with Trixie,” she whispered. “It is something we need to discuss while we have the opportunity.”
The unicorn mouthed a silent, “Oh...”
Celestia straighened her posture. “Now, it is my belief some of you here think yourselves responsible for Trixie's actions over the past few days.” She glanced around the table. “May I ask one of you to elaborate for my sister and I?”
Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight shared nervous looks, before the pegasus groaned and raised her hoof. “Look, Your Highness,” she said. “We first met Trixie when she came to Ponyville with her side-show and stuff. She was...” She ground her teeth together.
Rarity gracefully cleared her throat. “Trixie was quite... proud of her magical abilities.”
“She was super annoying!”
The unicorn glared. “Still,” she stressed, “she truly wasn't hurting anypony, and yet we acted inappropriately during her performance. Given what Trixie explicitly stated, our actions caused her a great deal of... strife.”
Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and huffed. “Yeah...”
Princess Celestia nodded. “It is important to remember yourselves, my little ponies, and to remember how others see you.”
“Ponies admire heroes,” said Luna. “They look up to them. Unfortunately, more often than not, they cling too tightly or look too deeply into their words and actions. When those spread, they are commonly mistranslated or taken out of context. As the Elements of Harmony, may this serve as an important lesson.”
“Agreed. Now...” The Sun Princess took a deep breath. “That being said, there is some blame on my part.”
Twilight raised a brow. “Princess?”
“I have many duties as a Princess of Equestria, and I'm afraid I failed in one of those duties.” Her chin lowered, ever so slightly. “The world is full of magic, and items imbued with it. I had hoped to protect my subjects by locating and removing the more dangerous relics from the public. If I had known the Alicorn Amulet was among them, I never would have stopped searching for it. I beg your forgiveness for my oversight, but it was my belief Starswirl either hid it away or took it with him to his grave.”
For the first time, Fluttershy spoke. “Oh, there's no reason to apologize,” she said. “I'm sure you tried your best, Princess.”
“Yeah!” exclaimed Rainbow. “How the hay did Trixie even get the stupid necklace, anyway?”
“She stole it from a museum in Trottingham,” retorted Princess Luna.
“What?” replied unified voices.
“Before this chaos began, I was investigating a string of robberies along Equestria's eastern coast. After some correspondences, we now know for sure Trixie was behind them. She struck places specializing in antiquities and enchanted items, perhaps looking for an instrument to aid in her revenge. She obviously, and unfortunately, found one in Trottingham.” She sighed. “Do not blame yourselves for what she's done. As a grown mare, Trixie is accountable for her own actions. Therefore, we think it best to take our time in seeking out a solution to her imprisonment.”
Nodding sadly, Princess Celestia took a sip of her tea. “For all the lives she endangered and enslaved, I stand on equal ground with my sister. Even if we do discover how to reverse the effects of the amulet, Trixie shall remain contained until we plan a more suitable punishment. We believe it better for her to answer for her crimes. As for when that time will come, however, we cannot be sure.”
Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “So, it'll be a while before we hear anything about or from Trixie?”
“Yes.”
“Hay, that's good enough for me!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
Rarity rolled her shoulders. “I agree wholeheartedly. At this point, all I want now is to return to Ponyville and put this whole mess behind me.”
“Count me in on that, Rares.”
Fluttershy hummed in agreeance.
Princess Celestia smiled. “I'll make sure the train is up and running for your departure this evening, then.”
Twilight poked at a flapjack with her fork. It felt like she had spent an eternity away from home. She missed Ponyville, missed the library. Yet, the thought of home also made her feel like a rock had fallen into her stomach. Leaving the Crystal Empire meant leaving Sombra.
What would he do with himself now? Would he attempt to make peace with the crystal ponies? How would he feed himself in the meantime? Would he continue to call the cave in the frozen wastes his home? Would it remain warm enough for him?
She rubbed her hooves together as she grew more and more nervous. As much as she wanted to return home to Ponyville, she couldn't leave her friend behind. Granted, visitations weren't out of the realm of possibility, but she felt it wasn't enough.
Her mind raced with solutions as the day moved forward. Her body was on auto-pilot, it felt, especially as sunset drew near. She and Spike both packed their bags in silence, she in her thoughts and he in a lingering weariness. As such, when the second set of gentle knocks came rapping on the balcony door, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Thankfully, the baby dragon didn't notice. “Spike,” she called, “can you do me a favor?”
“Yeah, what's up?”
“Will you check on the girls for me? I can handle the luggage from here, but they may need a hand, especially if Applejack's awake.”
With a simple nod, Spike left the room, leaving Twilight free to meet with Sombra. “That was risky,” she said, closing the door behind her.
He hung his head. “I know, but I wanted to see you.” His eyes moved briefly to the half-packed bags inside. In a soft voice, he asked, “Are you leaving?”
She looked into the distance, where the sun neared the horizon. “Yeah, in an hour or so...”
“Ah...”
“You... You could come along.”
“Pardon?”
She bit down on her lip, her hoof dug at the floor. “Come to Ponyville with me, Sombra.”
The stallion's eyes widened for a moment. Behind those eyes, she saw he was thinking it over. Then, in a whisper, he asked, “Are you certain?”
She stepped closer to him. “Yes! It's warmer for you there,” she replied. “And—and, there are plenty of places for you to hide. The Everfree Forest is just on the outskirts of town. It's not the most pleasant place, but there's an abandoned castle you can use!” She surprised herself with her own words; she hadn't thought of the old castle before now.
It certainly surprised Sombra. “'Abandoned' castle?” he whispered.
Her brow furrowed. “Uh, yes. It used to belong to the Princesses, but they haven't lived there in a millenium. So, it's a little... run-down. It's better than a cave, though, I'm sure!”
Shifting his weight between his hooves, the stallion's gaze again dropped to the floor. He was touched by Twilight's offer, but also uncertain. Was it an offer made out of kindness, or pity? He mentally kicked himself for the thought. Fool. If she didn't desire your company, she wouldn't have asked you. Say something!
“I'll come with you,” he said, looking up at her. “If it means we... can more easily proceed with your lessons, then I'll come with you.”
Twilight's excitement soared. She bounced. “Yes, yes, yes!” she exclaimed. Without thinking, she threw her forelegs around Sombra's neck. “Oh, you're going to love Ponyville, I know it!” She pulled away. “Do you have enough magic for one last disguise?”
He chuckled. “As long as I'm not required to cast anything else, yes.”
“Great! The train leaves at sunset!”
“I'll be ready.”
Just to be sure, she sent the stallion off with two of her bags—each with more than enough room for all his books, and whatever else he chose to bring. Her mind now at ease, she finished packing the remainder of their luggage with a light-hearted hum in her throat. As soon as Spike returned (and, thank Celestia, he was still too tired to notice they were short a few bags), they gathered up their belongings and met up with their friends in the hallway. Together, they journeyed to the train station.
A warm farewell awaited them. Shining Armor, alongside Cadance, stood saluting with both the Crystal and Canterlot Royal Guards. The Princesses oversaw the careful loading of Trixie into one of the cars, while a large gathering of crystal ponies bid them all farewell. Many bore gifts. Small, hoof-crafted sculptures, food items, whole gift baskets. Most of them, to her embarrassment, were for Twilight. She didn't have the heart to reject them.
Once she hugged her brother and sister-in-law, she followed the others onto the train. Other than a small number of curious passengers heading elsewhere, they pretty much had an entire car to themselves. She kept an eye out for Sombra, even as she and Spike settled comfortably across from Rainbow Dash and Applejack. He was concealed, she knew, but that didn't stop her.
The conductor's voice called out a warning for a final boarding. She stared, past Spike, out the window, but saw nopony else board the train. Her heart began to race. Rationalization took over—calming her with a variety of likely scenarios as to why she hadn't yet seen her stallion friend. Ultimately, even if he missed the train, he possessed the means to catch up. He said he would be there, and she was going to hold him to it.
She fought the urge to gnaw at a hoof. Then, in the aisle, somepony passed her seat. A stallion, who cleared his throat. “I'm sorry to bother you, miss, but is this Passenger Car Five?” he asked.
“Oh, no,” she automatically replied. She lifted her head. “This is Four—” Her voice died in her throat.
The unicorn stallion, gray-coated and dark-haired, smiled down at her. “Ah, my mistake,” he retorted. His green eyes shined with merriment. “I'm one car off. I'm sorry to have bothered you.”
Her mouth moved silently a few times, before she was finally able to speak again. “It's no problem!” she squeaked. “Happy to help!”
With a chuckle, he turned and headed on his way. The end of his cloak dragged along the floor as he walked.
Across from her, Applejack snickered. “Easy there, Twilight,” she teased. “The fella asked you for directions, not for dinner.”
The unicorn's hooves pressed over her cheeks to hide their blush. “I know! I just... didn't expect anyone else to come by, that's all.”
“A'ight, whatever you say,” said Rainbow Dash. She shot a curious look over her shoulder at the mysterous pony, before shifting into a more comfortable position in her seat. “He doesn't look like anypony worth getting all worked up about, anyway.”
Applejack lowered her hat over her eyes. “Yeah, you got a point there,” she yawned. “Now, don't wake me up until we get home.”
“Right behind you, A.J.”
As the two mares settled into naps, Twilight suppressed the urge to smile. Sombra had made it aboard. Just in time, too, for the whistle rang shrill through the air as the train pulled from the station. She and her assistant waved at everypony one last time. Once they disappeared from view, Spike leaned back and sighed. “Twilight,” he muttered.
She tilted her head. “Yes?”
“I can't wait to be home.”
With a soft laugh, she reached over and pulled him into a hug. “Me neither, Spike.” She glanced at the door on the opposite side of the car. “Me neither.”
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Ya!!! This story was very well done thank you for writing it :)
Can't wait for the sequel :)
All in all, I have read this and I say... I'm curious.
Let me pan over a few things. Not too much of a fan with the music tracks. I get it, you want the scenario to have a certain ambiance and that's your call. So I'll leave it there. And Trixie coming in as the Bad Guy with the Alicorn Amulet. I can't fully say I supported that, but again, your call and you somehow made it work by making the Amulet that was running the show through Trixie.
The big thing that struck me - no, actually, it was two things, really - first off, was Sombra himself. Like... why was he willing to help Twilight? Did he use his thousand years to reflect on what he had done and decided 'No, I'm not gonna do the same mistake again,' or was he like Trixie and had been a tool of the Amulet himself and was free of the thing when the Empire first fell? I honestly can't recall if he ever explained it and I'm not keen on going through the archives to look. I'm too tired as I type.
Now the second thing... was the romance between Twilight and Sombra. Can't really wrap my head around that, but I'm a FlashLight fan so what do I know? I'm a FlashLight fan. But overall, that's the thing:
I'm curious.
I'm curious as to where you are gonna take this. I'm a fan of Sombra and I'm a fan of Twilight. But I can't say I'm a fan of the two getting together. That's the weird part for me. And I'm interested in seeing how this story goes for them. So good luck with the sequel and I look forward to reading that as well.
Still think we could see the crystal ponies demand twilight be their new ruler as she saved them twice and woudl doubt the capability of Cadance and shining armor as to them they fade to protect them twice and would nto have confidence in them
You did a great job with this story. I enjoyed it. I hope when the next installment comes out, I'll still be here to read it.
I feel like Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash really didn't learn their lesson here. The second they heard Trixie was "taken care of" they practically dismissed anything to do with it and just swept it under the rug considering they were a significant trigger in setting the events that took place here in motion.
Now that the story has reached it's end I can confindently say that I'm happy I stuck with it from the begnining. This final chapter was a perfect epilogue to everything and served as excellent catharsis after all the horrible things Trixie put the cast through. The fact that she is actually going to be held responsible for what she did here was a relief to say the least. And I was AM hoping for an eventual redemption, I'm also hoping it's much more well earned than it was for Trixie in the show itself.
I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the saga whenever it may appear. You're an excellent writer and I can't wait to see what else you have in store.
Can't wait for a squea (if there is one)l! Oh I loved the ending. Hope u continue writing.
Honestly, I could never blame Twilight role in Trixie's first appearance, since she was just defending the town, not showing up Trixie. Eh, I just don't get why she'd blame herself for it.
Awesome story, I do hope there are more to read from you!
Gentle breeze guide your path, a warm smile welcome you home.
Well, I'm content for now. The old 'Discord Prison', tried and true.
Wait, it's finished?
Damn... The story is cute. I dont really have anything else to say about it
A great ending with plenty to think over while we wait for the next story! You have told an extraordinary story.
I am curious if and and how the Sisters will react when they learn more about Sombra's past. The secret son of their own mentor might be conflicting for them but I can hardly wait so see what comes next.
Overall, I'd say this is something that does not fall short of intriguing, and entertaining. Although, I have reservations in Twilight saving the Crystal Empire secretly with Sombra's help, instead of actually passing the test through the help of Spike. That was a defining moment for both characters, I felt. But this certainly delved into Twilight's psyche after Chrysalis rather poignantly. I also felt her reckless trek to meet him secretly, and alone was brash, and slightly out of character for her.
But, now I digress.
These things certainly raise the tension in the Forbidden Love you have set up.
Enough said.
Just how exactly will Twilight finish Starswirl's spell, now that Sombra is sticking around? Learning dark magic without even Celestia's knowledge or consent, along with keeping Sombra's presence a secret also will have colossal ramifications. What will Celestia's response be like, considering her own guilt in Twilight's struggle, after the Wedding? How will her friends and family react to this? What will reformed Discord make of it, if he does so?
Trixie being compared to what Sombra did was also interesting to read. And her corrupted nature hindering her from realizing the truth of her actions, in contrast to Sombra, made for a nice addition to the tale, as well. Not to mention the lesson the Mane Six learned, during their oppressive captivity. Also, the fact that dark magic being used had such a dark result in the climactic battle was actually appropriate. And Cheese Sandwich!
Again, minor cringes for the alterations, but this was definitely worth reading. I look forward to more, and God Bless.
7891062 except as a mere mortal isolation will cause severe mental trauma and potential cripple Trixie for life.
And yet again the arrogance of heroes allows not a one to answer for their faults, and a desperate hurt individual suffers more for the Hero's inability to be humble and true.
The mane six are cowards and fools and the Princess' are children parading around their power and influence without reprisal, no matter how many their actions hurt.
7891025 Except there wasn't anything to be redeemed in the show.
Two children nearly destroyed a town and got a reward for it.
A stage performer had her career thrown in a ditch.
And three rather arrogant "heros" gloated about the stage performers home being destroyed.
I see two parties here that needed to be punished and Trixie isn't one of them.
I loved it, can't wait for the next story. Although I thought for sure at some point Twilight would've admitted to Sombra helping her but looking forward to see how this all plays out.
7891314 Trixie's "career" was based on her making up accomplishments inflate her own self-worth and tearing down others when they didn't drop down and worship her. Trixie was no entertainer, her show was for her and her alone. That alone would be fine but she went past any point of sympathy when she started goading ponies to challenge her just so she could make fools of them. Applejack and Rarity both stepped up because Trixie directly insulted them, and Rainbow Dash only did so because Trixie humiliated Applejack. The so-called Great and Powerful Trixie is nothing more than a braggart and a bully.
Yes, it was wrong of Applejack and Rarity to jeer at her during their show, that's something the author here addressed. And yes, SHE wasn't the one who brought an Ursa into the town, that party was also punished in the show. But, again as the author pointed out, Trixie using a magic tasilman to get her revenge WASN'T justified. It was wrong here and it was wrong in the show. I don't care what influence the amulet had over her, she CHOSE to put it on and should be held responsible for whatever actions she commited while wearing it. If she had chosen to swallow her pride and stop being such a mean-spirited little brat, then she would have been a lot more sympathetic.
7891687 But you wouldn't have Luna stripped of her rank and power for putting the entire world at risk while she had everything save a cult, and decided throwing a temper tantrum like a spoiled infant was a justified action.
You mean the multiple counts of property damage and insults thrown by Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack in cannon are excusable because of what? A few good deeds? Being glorified palbearers for artifacts with minds of their own?
And yes, guess what, most stage performers have a stage persona, something they do to draw attention and garner an audience, and most have the common sense to laugh it off. So my response to the mane six is suck it up and act like an adult.
And yes, she put the amulet on, but low and behold the nobles who couldn't track down an artifact sitting in a public museum right under their noses, incompetence at it's finest by the way, and never bothered attempting to educate their people on why dark magic is bad, the influences it can carry, and how utterly worthless the two goddesses are what with barely having more magical skill then a powerful unicorn, she was brainwashed. You know, forced into doing things one wouldn't do of their own free will.
Because they'd rather just scream "Izt bahd, dunt do it" with explaining anything.
As in I could make you murder your family or someone you cared about under these conditions.
But that makes it your fault and your crime, not the actual person responsible.
That reaks of Hypocrisy and deserves no respect as an argument against Trixies actions.
7891740 Luna? You mean the pony who willingly tortured herself for who knows how long over the guilt she felt for what she did? AFTER being locked away in the moon for a millenium of course. Or Rainbow Dash who seems to be constantly punished for her actions both in the show and in fanon? Yeah, I agree with you there. Trixie got her commupance too in the show.
As to her stage persona? Well it would be nice to know if she ever took it off. From what we've seen of her in the show she's just as much of a horrible pony off the stage as she is on. You said the mane six should have just laughted it off, well why couldn't Trixie do that? Why couldn't she be a professional, ignore her hecklers and get on with her show? It's my theory that humiliating ponies in the audience WAS her show. She goaded her vicitms into coming up so she could make fools of them for the crowd. She never ONCE proved she was 'better' than them, she just pulled a simple trick to make them look bad.
If you want to talk about brainwashing, yes you would be the one responsible in that scenario you described. But Trixie sought out the amulet and put it on. If I came up to you and said "brainwash me so I'm super strong." Anything I do after that is partly my fault.
Now look, we've both said our piece about Trixie. And I'm pretty positive we're not gonna convince each other of our points of view. So let's just leave it be. I'd rather this not turn into an argument on his comment section, too many stories get that. We both have our opinions, I respect yours but I disagree. It's simple as that.
7891763 I'll leave after this.
Rainbow never is punished for her actions. Her friends insult and degrade her but she isn't punished, and I'd be hard pressed to call them friends, since loyalty isn't just following blindly like a fool, something she does everytime it's brought up.
Of course we never see her drop the stage persona in the show, she's a side character. Why waste more budget and time when you have work to do and a story ready to go? So thats a moot point in every argument.
Oh, you mean not having the crowd participate, and ignoring the perfect volunteers? You know, the ones who obviously are only there to disperse the crowd and cause trouble, otherwise they'd have WALKED AWAY, rather then stayed to watch the show?
Both are at fault, but the ones intentionally causing trouble for someone else have no room to complain.
You keep forgetting, or rather choose to ignore, that NO ONE knew the amulet damaged peoples minds becuase everyone who knew kept it a secret for no percievable reason other then keeping their and a long dead archmage's, who's pretty incompetent in his own right in every appearence he has in the media, image and legacy.
Edit: I'm sorry but Luna can drop dead and I'd be dancing on her grave. She was and is an areogant, self entitled mare who thought the world belongs to her, and only made the tantibus because she's to much of a coward to talk to anyone, which shouldn't have happened since like hell did she get her throne back without any kind of psych eval, unless Celestia is legitamently that brain dead and worthless tactically.
OMG I officially ship Twilight and Sombra now! Can't wait for the sequel and I hope includes a wedding! Update soon!
Next time! She's a neurotic bookworm! He's a former tyrant! Together, they fight crime!
Am I close?
7891867 ditto
Well I must say you did an amazing job of writing a twilight sombra fic (sorta). I do hope to see a sequel soon to this wonderful story!
Nice to see the end of the story. I must admit, I feared it dead a few times, but every now and then I got a pleasant surprise in my feed.
Kudos to you sir, for sticking with this great piece of finely crafted horsewords.
7891032 it specifically says Book 1, so there should be a sequel.
This was a Awesome Story i cant wait for Book 2 keep up the good work!
7892527 Some people change their minds are the last minute.
7892533 fair point.
7891309: Not an excuse to justify turning Adolf Hitler. Never is.
7892764 except you know, she wasn't in control of her actions? The amulet literally forced her into this?
Adolf was just a horrible creature ill fit to be called human, so this isn't a fair judgment, much like Celestia and Luna are biased peoces of crap running kangaroo courts' instead of an actual legal system.
And going adolf implies genocide, so thats not even a remotely close comparison or even worth noting.
*Applaudes*
7892910: The Alicorn Amulet is a topic of debate that has never been confirmed; no one knows how it affected Trixie in the long run? What is directly mind-controlling her, or was it simply adding fuel to the fire that already existed? No one can say for sure what it exactly did to her, but one thing remains clear: Trixie deliberately sought out the amulet and put it on knowing what it could do: whether she knew it could corrupt her or not is unknown, but either way she took it with the intention to attack Twilight and her friends. The dark corruption was merely icing on the cake.
As for my earlier statement, my point stays firm: the excuse that you've had a bad day is not an excuse to hurt people, no matter how justified you think you are.
Were Twilight's friends rude in heckling a mare simply for showing off her talents? Yes (though if Trixie couldn't handle a tough audience, then she has no place as a performer).
Were Snips and Snails complete idiots and truly at fault for the Ursa Minor attack? Undoubtedly so (that I will give you: none of that was Trixie's fault; she was simply doing her passion and telling stories. It's not her fault the town idiots took her words seriously).
But that's doesn't give you the right to attack an entire town (or city in this case) out of petty revenge against a small group or ponies, or even those ponies themselves. People like to believe that being hurt by the world gives them the right to hurt the world back (usually ten-fold), all in the name of 'revenge' or 'karma' (hence the existences of PC bullshit). But as the old saying goes: An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind. Being hurt by people doesn't give you the right or excuse to hurt everyone else in return, especially people who had nothing to do with it, no matter how much you feel like you 'deserve' it. You do so and you become the bad guy.
Many would say that sucks, and it does, but that's just the way the world works. In the end, Trixie has no one to blame for her downfall but herself.
7893236 First off in this fanfic it's explained pretty clearly what it did, so thats not even a viable statment.
Second, a bad day. She is homeless, broke, and had to sell what little she had to earn enough to not starve for over a year. Her reputation was utterly destroyed to the point only those who didn't read news would higher her, and even then at a shite wage.
If that constitutes a "bad day" in your life, Kindly send me some of your families wealth, influence and that porsche you have parked up in the hills.
Don't drag pc into this, it has nothing to do with somone suffering befause six arrogant fools who "can do no wrong" thought they have a right to screw over one.
This is glorified country justice, and I've dealt with that disgusting excuse for entitlement long enough to know when someones' name and image is more important then the actual piece of garbage tied to it.
A nice story, and looking forward to the next. Though im sorta wondering why she didnt invite with her, given the aid, over the older castle. Still, a pretty solid end to things. Lamentable about trixie, she choose a path, no matter how the fans defend the actions here. She did knowingly take the path, and really, even mad and goaded, she chose the path.
The only issue i have with this, is how willing the sisters are for setting down and rolling over. Thats the only niggling issue on this overall for me.
7894426 And yet Everyone ignore's the Elements faults and acts like a slap on the wrist is acceptable.
I guess Twilight using the want it need it spell of her own free will, seeing as an ancient power taking over ones mind isn't a reason to have mercy, a severe case of ocd and a mental breakdown sure as hell aren't either, and controlling an entire town is just forgotten at this point.
Oh and the argument of "she tried to stop it" doesn't add anything. Trixie tried too, the amulet drowned her out.
Now that was an excellent story. Can't wait to until the next installment begins.
7894626 Its not the first time I've seen that argument. I didn't say the elements were getting off scot free either. I said nothing, one way or the other. Some folks will say they are, some won't. It's not covered by the story, so its hearsay and opinion to chime in on such.
Trixie was the antagonist here. No amount of issue/complaint is going to change that. She met her end, and it is lamentable how she did. Could it have ended differently, yeah. But it didn't. Trixie is a statue, twilight used sombra's magic to do so.
Please, if you wish to attack an argument, find someone else, okay?
7894983 I'll apologize, I had a rather bad start to my day but thats not an excuse for it.
I do understand the dichotomy of Protagonist and antagonist, but it irrtates me to no end when someone refuses to acknowledge the faults and free passes they are allowed to garner, resting on the laurels of past deeds rather then being held accountable for the current failures, simply because they are the former rather then the later.
I've gotten so tired of seeing the six of them be allowed to go free in cannon and in fan works where any other would've met a life sentence or worse and people celebrating the downfall of someone who genuinely has a case against them, to speak nothing of how the fandom places Celestia and Luna on a pedastal when they've failed at nearly every turn, shown arrogance and pride beyond any redeemable level and just...take risks that shouldn't be allowed for their own ends.
But as it stands none of that is your fault, so again, I'm sorry for snapping at you.
Noo! I NEED it !
I think overal that Twilight wasn't really effected enough by the events of the canterlot wedding. At the beginning, it seems like it's going to play a big part, however, it was barely addressed apart from flashbacks in the first half of the story, then there really wasn't anything. Don't get me wrong, I loved the story, but I felt that it was lacking in Twilight not really addressing something that big in her life or having to confront to her friends about her not handling what happened, what I kind of expected was for Twilight to talk with Sombra about it. Hopefully you find a remedy to fix this in CoH book two!... What does CoH even stand for?
Ps. With the title 'not so goodbye' I really thought Sombra wasn't going to go with Twilight or something really sad was going to happen. Oh well, at least Trixie can't do anything stupid anymore.
Well you did kind of brake the law by stealing from museums without really knowing what you were talking, it could have just been a model, but i guess you were lucky that Celestia really only visits the museum of tea, cakes and trolling. Anyway, you went and inslaved innocent ponies because you couldn't get a job?
Well I don't really know Sombra, but you are just a low level, self absorbed, illusionist! And I really only start to like you in season 6, so don't get your hopes up missy.
7892021
7891867
It would be interesting.
Everypony could just finish the there and back argument. I admit that RD, AJ and Rarity could at least feel sorry about their past deeds but in this story they got their punishment (very hard work, no sleep, beating down). And Twilight did nothing against Trixie at the first meet. Twilight not antagonized Trixie and all she did was that defended Ponyville from the Ursa. The arguement have no goal at this point this is not other than repeat the reasons.
But all in all this is a good work, an intereting conception, and this is a SombraxTwilight (dark magic user) where Twilight not become the new overlord(lady). I will seek out for the sequel.
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Amazing story. Can't wait for book 2 :D
I want the next book in the series. It was so good!!!!
Umm... Sequel? please... pwetty please...
Sequel! Sequel! Moar! Moar!
For the title I can guess there is going to be a book two... Any release date?
Is there going to be a sequel?
8852608
Yes, there is going to be a sequel.
(Sorry it took so long to reply!)