Destiny Book 1: Dark Vengeance

by SirScribe

Train ride gone south

Ever since they got back from the Crystal Empire, Princess Celestia requested that Twilight move permanently to Canterlot so she man advance her studies on becoming a princess. Even though she learned a lot in her time in Ponyville, Twilight still had a lot to learn when it came to running a kingdom. Celestia's request ripped apart the Mane 6. Rainbow and Fluttershy returned to Cloudsdale, Rarity continued living in Ponyville along with Pinkie. Applejack, well, decided to travel.

Applejack traveled throughout Equestria in search for something to occupy her life since Twilight left. She traveled from Manehattan, where she visited her Aunt and Uncle Orange, to Appleloosa to catch up with some family. She missed spending time with her family, especially since the cutie mark dilemma a few weeks back.

The farm pony was at the station when she heard what was going on. Rumors began to circulate that Princess Twilight was in Ponyville. Applejack lit up. It had been a while since she had seen her friend, and since she was in Ponyville, it was a great time to catch up. She changed her ticket for one to Ponyville, and boarded the train. She was full of happiness. The gang was coming back together.

Unfortunately for Applejack, the train broke down half way through Ghastly Gorge. The farm pony groaned as the brakes were heavily applied. She didn’t dare stare out the window. Train delays were always something to get frustrated over. She looked around the train. Other ponies were confused and angry over the train delay.

Applejack was about to go to sleep when she heard something familiar. A voice that she grew sick of back in Ponyville. "You must let Trixie leave the train! Trixie demands it!"

"Sorry Trixie, but you can't! We are currently stuck in the middle of the Gorge. You must wait until we get to Ponyville before you can change trains," the conductor said.

“But it’ll be too late. I need to get off now!”

Applejack spun around. Sure enough, Trixie, the Great and Powerful pain in the plot, was in the back arguing with the conductor. Applejack rolled her eyes. Figures that Trixie would cause a commotion. Trixie spun around and immediately saw Applejack. Trixie walked past the conductor and sat next to Applejack. The farm pony lowered her hat just slightly. “What do ya want?" Applejack asked rather harshly.

Trixie's ears fell. "Look, can we look past what Trixie did in Ponyville?"

Applejack looked over at her. "No!"

Trixie sighed. "Listen to Trixie. You can't go to Ponyville."

Applejack laughed. "And why shant I go back? Ya hiding somethin'?"

Trixie said nothing. "Just don't get off the train in Ponyville. You were safe in Appleloosa," she said.

"Ya threatenin' me?!"

Trixie violently shook her head. "Listen to Trixie. Don't go back to Ponyville. It's dangerous!"

Applejack ignored her. The train jerked forward and continued moving. Ponies on the train began to cheer as the train sped up. Trixie's reaction was just the opposite. The magician whimpered as the train picked up speed. She got off her seat and walked toward the back of the train. This fueled Applejack's curiosity. Why would Trixie go through all that trouble to tell her not to go to Ponyville? She looked back to see Trixie entering the car behind hers. Applejack sighed and followed the showpony to the back.

When Applejack walked in, she saw several suitcases. She had her hat and cloak on a hat rack, which she began to don. She looked like herself physically, yet she didn't look the same emotionally. Applejack walked over to the magician. Trixie noticed and immediately took a few steps back.

"Ah don't want any trouble, just to talk," Applejack said.

Trixie didn't lower her guard. "Why'd ya say to not go to Ponyville?" she asked.

Trixie rubbed her hoof nervously. "You all made enemies, right?"

Applejack nodded. "Well, Trixie got a letter a few weeks ago. It's something you would not like."

Using her magic, Trixie levitated a scroll from her cloak and opened it in Applejack's face. Immediately, something wasn't right.

Trixie Lulamoon,

I understand that you have a never ending grudge against Twilight Sparkle and her friends. You are not the only one. I have created a team designed to get revenge against Twilight, the Princesses, and pretty much all of Equestria. I know you want to be remembered as the unicorn who beat Twilight, and I can make your dream a reality. Write back your response. I expect a lot from the Great and Powerful Trixie.

-Discord

Applejack's jaw was touching the floor. "Discord? But he's reformed!"

Trixie retracted the scroll. "Trixie wants to beat Twilight Sparkle in magic, but Trixie doesn't want to hurt her. Trixie turned down Discord's proposal and wanted to warn the princesses, but Trixie couldn't. When Trixie heard of Twilight appearing in Ponyville this morning, Trixie knew that today is the day. Day X," she said.

Applejack was at a loss of words. Day X? She looked up at Trixie. "If what ya sayin' is true, then Twilight..."

Trixie nodded. Suddenly, the train jerked to the side, knocking Applejack and Trixie into the wall. The impact almost knocked out Applejack, luckily Trixie stopped her fall using her magic. Applejack looked up at the unicorn and nodded. "Mighty thanks," she said.

Trixie nodded in response. The two mares got up and looked around, looking for any sign of damage. Trixie's ears started twitching.
Applejack could also hear something. Something was going on on the other side of the doors. Applejack opened the doors, and gasped. The whole car was filled with changelings attacking innocent mares, stallions, and fillies.

Applejack looked over at Trixie. Her face said it all. It's starting.

She turned to the magician. "Listen Trixie, ah know we had our differences, but ah need yer help. Help me stop these here changelings!" she said.

Trixie backed away. It was like the Ursa Minor incident all over. She talked the talk, but she couldn't walk the walk. "Listen Trixie, innocent
lives are in danger. Ya gotta help me get rid of em. Please Trixie!"

Trixie sighed and fixed her hat. "Let's go."

Applejack smiled. They both turned their attention to the swarm of changelings. With a loud cheer, the mares charged into the swarm. The apple farmer went for a serious buck in the face of one changeling. The force of the kick sent it into a small group of 10 changelings. They fell like bowling pins. She went around, kicking every single changeling that ever came close to her. Some flew out the window by the power of her kick.

Trixie was having a cleaner fight. Using her magic, she fired several Stun Spells at the changelings, knocking them out. Some changelings took notice and began to charge the magician. She had no choice but to duck and dodge every single one of their charged. She continued to fire spells at the changelings. Some got the idea to use shields against the magician, but she was already one step ahead of them.

Thanks to an idea she got while traveling, she was able to use some gunpowder from her magical arsenal. She had wrapped them up into some cloth, and with a simple flame, she had portable fireworks. She just happened to have some in her cloak. She removed some, and threw them at the changelings. Firing an Incendiary Spell, the bombs caught fire and blinded many changelings.

Applejack was impressed. She reached under her seat and pulled out her rope. She lassoed a changeling, and used it as a hammer against the others. The changelings were smart to duck, well some of them. Some changelings were shot straight out the windows (whatever was left) and into the bog they were passing. She let go of her hammer and lassoed something else: somepony's suitcase.

"Hey, I need th-"

Applejack ignored the stallion as she swung the case. It nailed a changeling in the eye, sending it to the ground. This was a better hammer than a Changeling. She swung and hit as many changelings as she could.

Trixie's magic had greatly improved since her last visit. Using some Transfiguration Spells, she turned changelings into pots of flowers. She was about to nail a changeling with a spell to turn it into a toadstool, but a blast of green energy hit her hat. It was knocked off her head. She turned to grab it, only to see several burn marks in it. The green energy burned right through. Immediately she began to tear up. Her sadness quickly evolved into something else.

Trixie's anger flared. Her magic aura turned red. She started firing magic spells left and right at the changelings. Applejack thought that the fight would soon be over, but the changelings kept coming. She was running out of breath. She couldn't fight forever.

She was knocked toward the window by a changeling. As she wrestled with the changeling, she managed to take a peek at the sky. She noticed something in the distance. Something moving fast and her way. Instantly, she knew who it was. She looked over at Trixie, who was
still firing spells. "Trixie, ah advise ya get down!"

Trixie looked over. She noticed the small streak in the sky behind her. Whatever it was, it was coming in fact. She nodded. She looked back outside. It was getting close. "EVERYPONY GET DOWN!"

All the ponies dove to the floor. Not a moment too soon. Right as Applejack dove for the floor, a large explosion rocked the train. Following the explosion was a bright array of lights. Trixie looked outside to see the lights. Her eyes lit up with the colors. She had never seen anything so beautiful in all her life. No amount of magic could ever mimic it.

The changelings immediately fled the train. Some were immediately met with a pegasi offensive. Applejack had to only laugh. "Ya better run! Ya think the unicorn and earth pony was bad?"

Trixie had to laugh as the changelings fled. When she looked back at her hat, though, her joy was replaced with sadness. Her prized hat was destroyed.

Applejack looked over and noticed Trixie's sadness. She went over to the unicorn to comfort her. That would've happened if somepony didn't interrupt. "Did you see that?! One Sonic Rainboom scared those changelings!" RD said as she flew into the train.
She stopped when she noticed Applejack and Trixie. Trixie was holding back tears while Applejack was comforting her. "Applejack? Trixie?
What are you two doing here?"

Applejack looked up. "Ah was going to Ponyville to see Twilight before all this happened. Trixie found me," she said.

Rainbow looked over at Trixie. "Trixie, did you have something to do with this? Huh? Did you lead the changelings here?"

"RAINBOW!" Applejack yelled.

Rainbow only shrugged. Behind Rainbow Dash flew in Fluttershy. She looked mighty tired from trying to catch up to Rainbow. "Oh, am I interrupting something?"

Applejack didn't have a correct answer. "Look, Trixie is having a problem. Rainbow, ah want you to lead the train to Ponyville. We gotta get these here ponies to safety. Fluttershy, can ya check on the passengers?"

Rainbow Dash saluted and flew back outside. Fluttershy flew in, and started helping ponies up. "Um, Applejack, there's something I need to tell you," Fluttershy said.

Applejack looked up. "Um, I was in Ponyville earlier, and I saw Twilight. She was in her library, and I was about to visit, but something happened."

"What do ya mean?"

Fluttershy took a few steps back. "I, um, I heard Twilight scream."

Trixie looked up. "Sweet Celestia, they got her!"

Applejack and Fluttershy gasped. "You know?"

Trixie nodded and gave Fluttershy the scroll. After a while, Fluttershy began to tear up. That lasted for only a moment. Her sadness was replaced with anger. "How are Discord do this?! HE'S OUR FRIEND! AT LEAST THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT HE WAS!"

Trixie nodded. "We gotta get to Canterlot Castle. Ah have a feelin' that's where Twilight is," Applejack said.

Trixie nodded once again. Rainbow appeared at the window. "So we're going to Canterlot?"

Applejack nodded. "Alright, ALL ABOARD FOR CANTERLOT!" Rainbow cheered.

Rainbow flew to the back of the train. Using her strength and speed, she blasted the train toward the small town of Ponyville.