The Fall of Night

by derpyland

Chapter 6: The Sacrifice

After Twilight’s funeral was over, there was no reason for any of the Elements of Harmony to remain in Canterlot. None of them had any desire or reason to linger in Equestria’s capitol. So late that afternoon all six of them found themselves at the Canterlot train station, waiting for the next train to take them to Ponyville.

Trixie was extremely nervous about this trip. Ponyville had been Twilight’s home for the past several years; the princess had established a real connection between herself and the local residents. Trixie found it hard to believe that her presence there would be well-received – especially since the last time she had been in that city she had used the alicorn amulet to take it over and enslave all its residents. This is going to be so bad, Trixie thought glumly. Maybe Trixie will drop dead on the train ride. At least that will save her from being lynched after she arrives.

Applejack noticed that the blue pony was on the verge of tears. She walked over and put a hoof around her neck. “Aw, don’t you worry none. Ponyville is a right nice little town. I’m sure the ponies will forgive you about that time you enslaved them. Why, you’ll be making friends in no time!”

“Sure you will,” Fluttershy agreed. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“You’re delusional!” Rainbow Dash said scornfully. “Did you see how everypony responded to Trixie at the funeral today? Everypony hates her, and they always will. Trust me, Trixie: one day you will find yourself in a terrible predicament and will desperately need help. When that day comes you’ll discover that nopony has your back. You will be left high and dry.”

“That’s not true!” Fluttershy said firmly. “I would stand by her no matter what.”

“As would I,” Applejack agreed.

Rarity spoke up. “You know, Trixie, after what you’ve done I really don’t care what happens to you. Personally I think it would be best if we simply went our separate ways. You are a disgrace.”

“I don’t make friends with ponies,” Pinkamena said.

Trixie looked at the ground. “I guess we know where we all stand, then,” she said sadly.

There was an awkward silence. “So where are you plannin’ on stayin?” Applejack asked.

“Um, I’m not sure,” Trixie replied. “I used to have a cart that I lived in, but I don’t have it anymore. The griffons destroyed it when… well, you know.”

Applejack paused to think. “Well, Twilight has this giant castle that has lots and lots of room. I suppose you could–”

“Not on your life!” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “There is no way I would ever let Trixie live in Twilight’s old home. If she so much as sets a hoof in that place I will break every bone in her miserable body.”

“Rainbow!” Applejack exclaimed. “What in tarnation is wrong with you?”

“What is wrong with me? You’re the one with the problem! What – isn’t it enough that Trixie got Twilight killed? Are we now going to reward her by giving her Twilight’s castle, too? Why don’t we just go ahead and give her a crown and make her queen over all of Equestria! Is that what you want?”

“That’s ok,” Trixie said hurriedly. “Trixie doesn’t really want to live in Twilight’s castle anyway. Trixie is sure she can find someplace else to stay.”

Fluttershy spoke up. “You can stay with me. I have lots of room. That is, as long as you like animals.”

“That would be wonderful,” Trixie said gratefully. “Thank you.”

There was silence. Trixie wanted to say something but couldn’t think of anything to say. The silence seemed to drag on forever.

Then a curious figure suddenly appeared in front of them. The figure was wearing a pair of sunglasses and a purple scarf, and was holding a briefcase and an umbrella. To Trixie the being looked like it was a cross between twelve different animals. She would have recognized it anywhere.

“Discord!” Fluttershy exclaimed. The yellow pony rushed up and hugged him. “Thank you so much for speaking at the funeral today. You were wonderful.”

“Why thank you,” Discord said. “I’m not normally one to be sentimental, but I thought that purplesmart deserved it.”

“Who?” Trixie asked.

“You know – purplesmart! Twilight was purple, she was smart – oh, never mind. Good humor is lost on you, apparently. At any rate, I am here to tell you that I’m going on a little trip. I’ll be away for a while, so I’m afraid you’ll have to fight this bothersome encroaching darkness on your own.”

Fluttershy looked concerned. “You’re going away? But why? You’re not leaving us, are you?”

“Well, not forever. I’m just going on a little trip to look for Twilight Sparkle. I’m convinced she’s out there somewhere, and I’m going to find her.”

Applejack spoke up. “What do you mean, find her? Discord, you just spoke at her funeral! You stood right in front of her coffin. She’s buried back there in the graveyard – she’s got the plot with the giant mausoleum over it. She ain’t exactly hard to find.”

Discord shook her head. “Oh, Applejack – dear, honest Applejack. You would think she’s dead, wouldn’t you? But I know better. Twilight is still alive, I’m sure of it. She just needs a little help getting home, that’s all. I think she’s gotten herself into a bit of a pickle – and not the good kind of pickle that tastes great on sandwiches.”

Trixie spoke up. “Discord, I was there when she died. She died right next to me.”

“But what did you see? Do you remember what she said – and what she did?”

Of course she did – Trixie could never forget. Had it really been only a few days since it all happened?

* * * * *

It had all started quite early that day. A full moon hung high in the sky, and the Princess of the Night would not set it for hours. Under Luna’s watchful care the citizens of Ponyville slept peacefully in their beds – all, that is, except for Twilight Sparkle. The Princess of Friendship was in the throne room of her crystal castle, pacing nervously around the room. Every now and then she glanced at the door. “Oh, come on, Rainbow Dash, come on! When are my friends going to get here?”

Spike, who was curled up on the floor, opened one of his eyes and looked at her. “Do you have any idea what time it is? If you ask me, everyone who’s awake at this ridiculous hour ought to be back in bed where they belong.”

“I heartily agree,” Discord added. The Prince of Chaos was curled around Twilight’s throne, with a look of amusement on his face. “You know, if we weren’t such good friends I would object to the rather rude way you woke me up. Don’t you think it’s a bit early in the day for this sort of thing?”

“The time of day has nothing to do with it! Oh, I wish they’d hurry up and get here. Every second counts! Don’t you realize what’s going to happen if I’m late?”

Discord shrugged. “Nothing of any great importance. In fact, it would be an improvement, if you ask me.”

Twilight scowled at him. She opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment her friends burst into the room. Rainbow Dash led the way, with the rest of the Mane Six following close behind her.

“I rounded them up as quick as I could,” Rainbow said proudly. “Some of them didn’t want to get out of bed, but I wouldn’t take no for an answer! So what’s the emergency? Is Canterlot on fire? Have Changelings invaded again?”

Rarity yawned. “Indeed, darling, whatever is the matter? A mare like me simply must get her beauty sleep, you know. The only reason I agreed to get out of my nice, warm bed was because Rainbow Dash assured me this was the direst of emergencies. Has Celestia disappeared again?”

As Twilight’s friends took their seats on their thrones, Twilight levitated a note that had been lying on the floor. “About an hour ago I got this letter from Celestia. The problem is – well, it’s Trixie. She’s in trouble.”

A chorus of groans filled the room. “Aw, c’mon, Twilight, she’s always gettin’ in trouble,” Applejack said sourly. “What has she gone and done this time?”

Discord spoke up. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has been arrested by the griffons and charged with murder. As luck would have it, she’s actually guilty, too. I say we should just let her go to her well-deserved fate, but little-goody-four-shoes here thinks we ought to try to save her.”

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said nervously. “Did you say murder?”

“I’m afraid so,” Twilight said sadly. “Trixie did something terrible and she’s in a lot of trouble. But I think I can save her.”

Rarity spoke up. “Pardon me, but is that really such a wise plan? As I recall, the last time she was in Ponyville she used that alicorn amulet to make us all her personal slaves. It was dreadful – simply dreadful! Why ever would you want to save that wretched creature?”

“Because I think she can be saved,” Twilight replied. “I think she can change and become a hero.”

Pinkie Pie spoke up. “I don’t know, Twilight. The last time she was here she took my mouth away, and it was awful! I couldn’t talk or anything. Do you know what it’s like when you can’t talk? Why would we want to help a mean pony like that?”

“Pinkie has an excellent point,” Applejack agreed. “What does Celestia think about this predicament?”

Twilight sighed. “Celestia heard about all this through a letter that the griffons transported to her. Celestia forwarded the letter on to me and said that she regrets the situation but she does not intend to intervene. She thinks that if we try to rescue Trixie, the griffons will take offense and go to war.”

“Which I don’t doubt in the slightest,” Discord commented. “The griffons are a nasty, barbaric race. To be quite honest about it, I never really cared for them. They’re the type who will go to war at the drop of a feather.”

“War!” Fluttershy squeaked. “But – doesn’t that mean ponies will die?”

“Aw, we could totally take on the griffons,” Rainbow boasted.

“At the cost of how many lives?” Twilight demanded. “Do you have any idea what war means? There hasn’t been a full-fledged war in Equestria since before Luna was banished! The last war we fought was against the Necromancer back in the days of Starswirl. Starting a war over Trixie is just ridiculous.”

“Here, here,” Discord said, clapping. “Finally, someone is starting to make some sense.”

“So what’s your plan?” Applejack asked. “Are ya gonna go over there and trick ‘em, or something?”

Twilight sighed. “It’s not that simple. If I race over there, grab Trixie, and return home, the griffons will get mad and go to war. If I go over there and trick the griffons into thinking that Trixie is dead, they’ll eventually find out what I did and then they’ll go to war. Celestia made it very clear that she does not want to start a war over this. To be honest, I don’t really blame her.”

Rarity looked confused. “Then I’m afraid I don’t understand your plan, my dear. What, exactly, are you proposing that we do?”

Discord spoke up. “I’ve already heard Twilight’s so-called plan, and if you ask me it is utterly and profoundly moronic. I swear, Twilight, if you do this I will never speak to you again.”

Twilight was silent for a moment, then looked at him. “You know, you were bad once. In fact, you were so bad that you spent a thousand years locked in stone for your crimes. After all the evil that you did, we still took pity on you and gave you a chance to change – and then you betrayed us all. You have been far worse than Trixie has ever been. Yet, after all that, I forgave you. I rescued you from Tirek and gave you a second chance. Do you really wish that I hadn’t done that?”

“I suppose you’re right,” Discord said, sighing. “But Twilight, listen to me. What you are proposing to do is permanent. The price of saving her life is high – too high, if you ask me. Trixie is just not worth saving.”

“You weren’t worth saving either,” Twilight shot back. “You were a heartless traitor, but I saved you anyway. I will not do anything less for Trixie. I believe that she can be saved, and I am going to save her. I firmly believe she can be one of the greatest heroes Equestria has ever seen.”

“But how are you going to rescue her?” Rainbow asked.

“Trust me – you don’t want to know,” Discord muttered.

* * * * *

The Arena of Judgment was silent. In the center of the ancient coliseum was a terrified blue pony. Trixie was trying hard not to cry, but tears were flowing freely down her face and onto the bare ground in front of her. Her four legs were secured to the ground by a massive chain, which offered her very little room for movement. The pony desperately wished she could simply teleport away, but her magic was useless inside the Arena. Once again the tricks of Trixie Lulamoon had let her down. All throughout her life her special talent had gotten her into one disaster after another – until it had finally come to this.

Through her tears she could see the thousands of griffons that filled the stands. All of them were staring at her, and all of them were silent. They were waiting on their King to issue his judgment against her.

Trixie is so sorry, she wanted to tell them. And she had told them – over and over again. But it was too late for that. No amount of apologies could bring back the dead.

Overhead the sky was clear and the afternoon sun was shining, but the weather failed to bring any cheer into Trixie’s heart. She could still smell the odor of burnt wood that lingered on the air. That odor would still be there after the King sentenced her to death and put an end to Trixie’s miserable life. The awful, burnt smell was a testament to the last crime that Trixie would ever commit.

The blue pony swallowed and tried to regain control over her emotions. If she had to die – here, a world away from Equestria – then she at least wanted to die with some pride and dignity. She blinked away her tears and then stared up at the enormous griffin that was seated high above her.

King Balthazar had ruled over the Griffon Kingdom for centuries. He was almost twice the size of the four armored guards who surrounded his throne, and his bearing radiated power and might. He had a stern look upon his face, and he stared intently at Trixie. She desperately wished he would just say something. If only he would hurry up and get it over with! Then she realized what that would mean, and she almost started crying again.

If only she hadn’t lost her temper. If only she hadn’t set the auditorium on fire. If only she had some friends so she wouldn’t have to die alone…

The King finally opened his beak. “Trixie, do you have anything to add to what has been said here today?”

Trixie shook her head. She tried to speak but found that it impossible to do so. It was hopeless.

“Very well. Then it is my decision that–”

At that moment the King was interrupted by a whistling noise. A purple streak shot across the sky, and a moment later a boooom rattled the Arena as a sonic shockwave hit. The purple streak then stopped, reversed, and zoomed back toward the arena. It plowed into the ground twenty feet to the right of Trixie, making a deep furrow in the compacted dirt.

Trixie jumped – or tried to jump; the chains held her to the ground. She let out a surprised shriek. The griffon onlookers cried out as well, and the air was suddenly filled with scared voices.

The King silenced everyone with a quick wave of his claw. He then looked down at the purple pony that was climbing out of the ditch she had inadvertently dug. “Welcome to the Griffon Kingdom, Princess Sparkle,” he said calmly. “I wondered if an emissary from Equestria would come and beg for this worthless pony’s life.”

Twilight tried to speak but found that she was completely out of breath. She looked at the King apologetically, took a deep breath, and tried to speak again. “I came as soon as I could,” she panted. She paused to catch her breath. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner! Let me tell you, that was a really long flight. Well, long as in distance, I mean. I think the flight itself only took me about six hours.”

“And where are the rest of the fabled Elements of Harmony?” King Balthazar asked.

“There wasn’t time to bring them, and it was way too far to teleport,” Twilight panted. “If I had tried to carry anypony else – even Spike – I would have arrived too late. Fluttershy can fly, but she isn’t fast enough. Rainbow Dash could have come, but I made her stay because–”

“But surely that is a serious oversight on your part! Won’t you need all of them to use the Power of Friendship to blast me into stone?”

Twilight looked astonished. “Turn you to stone? I haven’t come here to turn you to stone!”

The King laughed. “Of course you have! That’s how you ponies solve all your problems, isn’t it? You use your magical friendship beams to blast your enemies. I have no doubt that Princess Celestia sent you here to rescue one of her subjects from the evil and barbaric griffons. Who better to send than you – the most powerful being in all the world?”

Twilight finally caught her breath and took her place beside Trixie. “That’s ridiculous! First of all, I did not come here to fight you. Second, Princess Celestia did not send me – I came here on my own accord. Finally, I am not the most powerful being in the world. You have really gotten the wrong impression about that, your highness.”

“Oh, I disagree. Each time Equestria has been in danger it has been you, not Celestia, who has saved the kingdom. It was not Celestia who defeated Nightmare Moon, or imprisoned Discord in stone, or saved the Crystal Empire from Sombra, or put Tirek back in Tartarus. Celestia may be the one seated on the throne, but you are the power that enables her to stay there. Which brings us back to the point at hand. Is it not true that you have come to take a certain murderer away from here?”

Trixie couldn’t take it anymore. “It was an accident!” she shrieked at Twilight. “Trixie did not mean for any of this to happen. She would take it all back if she could.”

Twilight shook her head sadly. “I wish it actually had been an accident, Trixie, I really do. Then all this would be a lot easier. But the truth is you set that auditorium on fire deliberately. Your magic show was as big a failure here as it was back in Ponyville. When you saw that the griffons hated you, you got mad at them and burned their auditorium down. On purpose. Didn’t you, Trixie?”

Trixie started crying again. “I didn’t mean to hurt anypony! It was just supposed to be a harmless prank. Only the fire got out of control, and Trixie couldn’t put it out, and there was a panic, and–”

Trixie stopped as the memories flooded back to her. The blue pony could still hear the noise of the screaming crowd ringing through her head. All she had wanted to do was impress them. But then–

When the soldiers came to arrest her, she hadn’t even tried to get away. She was too broken by what she had done.

Twilight finished her sentence. “And four innocent griffons died, and many more were injured. That’s why you’re here. You started a fire on purpose, and griffons died because of it. This is serious, Trixie. This isn’t like that time when your lies caused Snips and Snails to bring an Ursa Minor into Ponyville. I was able to fix that and there was no harm done. But this can’t be fixed. Nopony can bring those griffons back from the dead.”

King Balthazar interrupted her. “That is exactly right – which is why I was about to sentence her to a very well-deserved death. Our book of laws – which dates back to time immemorial – states that anyone who murders another griffon must atone for their crime with their own life. It does not matter if the murderer is a griffon, a pony, a zebra, or some other creature from the Wild; whoever takes a life must pay for it with a life. Trixie Lulamoon has taken the life of another, and she must therefore pay. That is what is written and that is what must be done.”

The King frowned. “But you have come to rescue her, haven’t you, Princess Sparkle? You know that no one here can possibly stand up to you. We have silenced the magic of Trixie, but our limited knowledge of the arcane arts is helpless against an alicorn princess. Understand, we have no wish to start a war against Equestria. I know full well that your rulers raise the Sun and the Moon, and I know there is no power we can wield that could possibly grant us victory. But know this: the griffon nation is a proud nation, and our laws have been held sacred for millennia. If you violate our honor by stealing Trixie from us, we will declare war against Equestria. Even though we have no hope of winning, we would rather die with honor than live in shame.”

The crowd in the Arena of Judgment was utterly silent. No one said anything.

Twilight Sparkle looked the King in the eye. “I have not come to steal Trixie from you.”

“Ah, I see!” the King suddenly exclaimed. “Now I understand. This pony was your enemy, wasn’t she? Trixie challenged you and was a thorn in your side. She even enslaved your hometown once. Now that she is about to die, you have come to gloat over your fallen foe – just like a good griffon! Is that it?”

“Of course not!” Twilight snapped angrily. “I’d never do a thing like that. Besides, I’ve never considered Trixie to be my enemy. She may hate me, but I’ve never hated her. She said she was sorry for the whole alicorn amulet thing and I forgave her.”

“Thank you,” Trixie whispered.

Twilight paused as the enormity of what she was about to do hit her. It was one thing to plan it in her crystal palace, where she was safe with her friends; it was quite another to actually do it. But she was determined to see this through to the end. She was not going to turn back now.

“I have come to offer you a trade,” Twilight announced. “I offer you my own life in exchange for Trixie’s. As one of the four royal princesses of Equestria, I humbly ask you to let Trixie go and condemn me instead.”

Trixie gasped. When Twilight arrived she had started to hope that the alicorn could find a way to save her, but this had never crossed her mind. Did Twilight really mean it? She couldn’t mean it. She couldn’t mean it. Could she?

King Balthazar looked at Twilight in shock. “Princess, you cannot be serious! You are an immortal alicorn, a ruler of your people, and she is just a bully and a criminal. You cannot possibly want to trade places with her.”

“But I do,” Twilight said quietly. “That’s why I was in such a hurry to get here. I was hoping I wasn’t too late to trade my life for hers.”

“But Trixie is your enemy! If one of the other Elements of Harmony were standing here before me then I could understand your request. I have heard tales of the close bond that you share, and I have no doubt you would go to the uttermost to save them. But no one dies for their enemies. That is utter madness – and you are not mad.”

“Trixie is not my enemy,” Twilight repeated firmly. “You keep saying that, but it’s not true! Look. Don’t you know who I am?”

“Of course! There is probably no ruler in the entire world who has not heard of you. You are Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic.”

“I’m the Princess of Friendship. My role in Equestria is to spread friendship and love to all races – not just within Equestria, but everywhere. Trixie and I have had our differences, but those days are behind us. I have chosen to be her friend, and right now she needs me. I can do something for her that nopony else can do: I can give her a new life.”

“But your life is worth so much more than hers!” the King objected. “You have great power and glory, and you are immortal. Trixie’s life is, to be blunt, rather worthless. The lesser beings should die for the greater ones – not the other way around.”

Twilight shook her head. “You know nothing of friendship. Love isn’t some kind of math problem, your highness. It’s about giving, not getting. If you’re trying to figure out who is getting the better end of the deal then you’re not really much of a friend at all. Do you know why parents love their children? It’s not because they’re hoping their foals are going to pay them back someday. It’s because they are their children. They take care of them because they love them. That’s what real love does – it willingly sacrifices itself for others. The reason I’m doing this is because I care about Trixie and I will do anything to help her. That is the power of friendship.”

Twilight turned her gaze from the griffon king to Trixie, and saw that the blue pony was crying. “Twilight, you can’t do this,” Trixie said urgently. “You can’t. Your friends need you. Equestria needs you. Don’t throw your life away on pathetic Trixie.”

“I’m not throwing my life away – I’m saving yours. You don’t have to continue being the foolish mare that you’ve been. You can be a new pony with a new life. There are ponies back home who care about you and who will help you.”

King Balthazar interrupted her conversation. “Do you think I am a fool, Twilight? If I kill you Celestia will invade our kingdom and utterly destroy it, as surely as she raises the Sun. There could be no greater act of war than what you are proposing. Are you trying to exterminate the griffon race?”

“Of course not! Celestia isn’t going to invade. I talked to her about this before I left – otherwise I would have been here sooner. The princess did not try to stop me. If she was against this I wouldn’t be here.”

The King was silent for a long time. Twilight Sparkle stood beside Trixie and stared at King Balthazar. The King found it hard to meet her gaze and looked away.

Trixie could not believe what was happening. She desperately wanted to go free, but she was even more afraid that Twilight would go through with her plan. As much as she wanted to go home, the price was just too high. After all Trixie had done to humiliate Twilight, how could the princess do this? Is this what friendship and love were really all about? Trixie has been such a fool, she thought bitterly. Choosing pride and arrogance over friendship was a terrible mistake. She will not make that mistake again.

Twilight broke the silence. “I have read your laws, your highness. There is no law that forbids what I am asking. Your code will be served.”

“It is not possible,” King Balthazar said quickly. “You are immortal! No one can take away your life. Even Tirek at the height of his power was unable to do that.”

Twilight looked surprised. “I’m not that immortal. But look. I agree that you might have a lot of trouble if you tried to take my life. But that’s not what I’m asking. You see, I am freely offering it. I am the Element of Magic, and I have the power to give up my life. In other words, I can choose to yield up my spirit.”

The King stared at the cowering Trixie, then back at Twilight. He had a look of great sadness upon his face. “I can find no reason to turn down your request,” he said, slowly and with great pain. “I sincerely wish there was some way I could say no. Princess Sparkle, you are the rarest of creatures – the embodiment of love. I urge you, I plead with you, to not do this. I do not want to be responsible for your death.”

“I will not change my mind,” Twilight replied, as tears began running down her face. “I know what this means. That’s why I made Rainbow Dash stay home. I told them what I was going to do, and I couldn’t bear–” She stopped, as her voice broke.

“Twilight, don’t,” Trixie pleaded.

The King spoke. “You do not have to do this.”

Twilight wiped away her tears and looked at Trixie. “But I want to. The role that I have in Equestria is the one that I choose to have, and this is my choice. I will do whatever it takes to protect those I love – no matter what the cost.”

“Very well,” King Balthazar said. A single tear ran down his own face. “Then I will not stop you. You may set Trixie free.”

Twilight nodded. She turned to Trixie. “Trixie?”

Trixie was sobbing uncontrollably. “Twilight, please, don’t do this! Your friends need you. Equestria needs you. Don’t throw away your life on pathetic Trixie.”

“I will not change my mind,” Twilight Sparkle replied, as tears streamed down her face. “Listen to me. While I’m gone, it will be up to you to spread the magic of friendship. Do you understand? There are a lot of broken ponies out there who need someone to love them. You can be that pony, Trixie. I know you can. You can be the hero that Equestria needs.”

Trixie nodded. She wanted to say something – anything – but she couldn’t speak. It was too late.

Twilight smiled at her. “Tell my family and friends that I love them, all right? And that includes you, Trixie. Never forget that.”

Twilight Sparkle’s horn lit up. The chains anchoring Trixie to the ground briefly glowed and then fell off, setting her free. Satisfied, Twilight looked up at the sky. Her horn began glowing even brighter, until it radiated a light that was almost blinding.

All at once Twilight’s body fell to the ground. The light went out.

She didn’t get up.

Trixie began screaming.

* * * * *

“She died,” Applejack said.

“I disagree,” Discord replied. “I know what death feels like – goodness knows I’ve lived long enough to witness the death of countless ponies. Twilight didn’t die. I can sense the transfer of magic, you know, and what I felt at that moment was most unusual. I believe Twilight transferred her energy somewhere else.”

“But her body is dead!” Applejack pointed out. “In fact, it’s embalmed. And buried. If that ain’t death then I don’t know what death is.”

Discord patted Applejack on the head. “I don’t expect you to understand it. Let’s just say I think Twilight found a way to survive without a physical form, and I think she needs help getting back. She once helped me when I needed it, and so now I’m going to help her.”

Trixie spoke up. “She did ask me to take her place while she was gone. Maybe she was expecting to come back.”

“Or maybe she was a bit stressed,” Applejack said. “About dyin’, and all.”

Something suddenly occurred to Trixie. “Wait a minute! Are you saying that Twilight planned all this?”

“No, not exactly,” Discord said. “I think Twilight was being honest. She knew she was going to give up her physical form and go somewhere else – and she probably didn’t know where ‘somewhere else’ actually was. For all intents and purposes, she really was dying. As Applejack so eloquently pointed out, her body is undeniably dead. I’m the one who thinks I can bring her back to Equestria. I very seriously doubt that idea ever crossed her mind.

“But I think she believed events after her death would unfold quite differently. She probably thought her friends would love Trixie and help her grow into her new role, and that Celestia would take Trixie under her wing and teach her about friendship. I’m certain she never imagined Celestia would lose her marbles and go insane. I also don’t think she expected Celestia to poison all of the Elements, turn the entire country dark, and then shatter harmony itself. After all, Celestia actually approved of Twilight’s harebrained scheme – although why she did I’ll never know. I certainly didn’t approve of it.”

Rainbow Dash spoke up, with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe I didn’t try harder to stop her. What was I thinking? Why didn’t I go with her? I actually let her go off by herself and die alone, far from her friends. Her loyal companion did nothing and let her die! Some friend I turned out to be. I could have done something, and I didn’t.”

“Well, when I find her and bring her back you can apologize to her. Maybe you can give her a bouquet of flowers or something. You ponies do that, don’t you?”

Applejack shook her head. “I think you’re out of your mind, but I don’t see any harm in tryin’. I guess we’ll find out if you’re right, won’t we?”

“Good luck,” Fluttershy added.

“Thank you,” Discord said. “But save your luck for yourself – you’ll need it. Dark times are coming. If I can’t find Twilight and bring her back then we are all in a great deal of trouble. Twilight is the only one who can possibly fix what’s about to take place.”

Trixie opened her mouth to ask Discord what he was talking about, but she was too slow. The enigmatic Lord of Chaos had already disappeared.

Comments

[Frankie2]

So there we go. Trixie went to the Griffon Empire (Kingdom or whatever you want to call it) to try her luck performing there and got the same results. Out of anger and frustration, she then decides to set the place ablaze, but found she couldn't control it. Griffons got killed, Trixie got arrested, and was going to be executed. Celestia gets told this and notifies Twilight (mistake #1). Twilight then comes up with the idea of going to there and offering her own life for Trixie's...provided she got Celestia's approval and promise of not seeking retaliation against the griffons, which Celestia gave (mistake #2). Twilight follows through with her plan despite everyone's objection.

Now I have to say, Trixie is my favorite pony, but even I say Trixie should have been made to paid the ultimate price for her arrogance. But she paid a higher one, and is living with the consequences. She is hated by ALMOST ALL of Equestria, plus the solar princess is now a hotbed for darkness and hate.

I will continue to read this story. I may even like this story. However, I don't know if I will give this story my star. I will have to see what happens at the end.

[Yubella]

I highly doubt Trixie would endanger someone like that fire. Or wouldn't be able to control it. But, it's for the plot.