The funeral was called for morning, with the first rays of sunlight. Twilight wanted it to be in Ponyville, where they first met. Nopony refused it.
The coffin was closed, its contents not fit for public display. The funerary service offered the option of rolling it, but they all refused.
To be honest, Applejack could have lifted the coffin by her lonesome. Still, Rainbow asked if she could take the back corner, where it was heavier. The other reached a quick agreement as to their own placement.
“On three.”
They lifted it together.
“One… Two…”
Like friends.
“Three.”
The service was intended to be small. Trixie had no blood family, and she had told Twilight that the ponies who she would have called family were unreachable, vanished without trace some time ago.
Trixie did have friends, however, by the end. The services were arranged at the town hall, where Rarity and Pinkie made personally sure to have it looking worthy of Trixie’s last show. It took some convincing, and a couple of favors, but not too many. Even in her short time in Ponyville, Trixie made enough friends to convince the Mayor to permit the ceremony.
Nopony expected it to be as well attended as it was.
Princess Celestia herself wrote Trixie’s obituary and had it published in the the newspaper the day after her passing. Those whose lives Trixie’s time roaming the roads of Equestria had touched were drawn by that notice, and they had filled the place inside and out. Rarity, waiting with the rest of her close friends, was quite surprised at the number of ponies who had come to pay respects to the showmare. Mourners came from as far as Fillydelphia for Trixie. Even Pinkie’s family was there.
There were so many.
Some were there to honor Trixie. Others were there to support Twilight and her friends. And, sad to say, some were there just to look and spectate.
When the six of them had crossed the doors to the main hall, Fluttershy had to close her eyes. The flashbulbs filled the place with light. It wasn’t an unusual view to see the Elements of Harmony together under the same roof as the Princesses. What was unusual, though, was all of them in a funeral; their first one. Just one look around reminded Celestia why she hated funerals. Saying goodbye is never easy, but having to do so in front of a public made it even worse. Centuries of the exact same scene and it hasn’t become any easier.
Once the coffin was placed on its rightful place, the six friends took their seats, all looking down but two of them. Twilight was unable to take her gaze away from the coffin, tears freely falling down her face. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was trying to fight her own desire to see who was in attendance with them.
She failed and began to scan the place.
First, there were ponies that Trixie met in Ponyville, all of them occupying the first two rows. Pinkie saw how Cloudchaser was mourning with her face buried in her hooves and her sister, Flitter, holding on tight. Next to them, Raindrops had her eyes shut tight and teeth gritted while Snowflake saluted Trixie’s coffin, not moving a single muscle. The three of them were witness to what happened and they would have nightmares of it for the rest of their lives.
Although they didn’t all resign as Rainbow Dash did, the entire class from the academy was present. There had been a small argument an hour ago, when Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts had arrived. Raindrops confronted them, tried to call them out, but Rainbow stepped in and prevented it from escalating. This was neither the time nor place for that.
Of all the ponies present, Trixie’s death had probably affected Rainbow Dash the most. Being so close to a death, and in such a direct way as she had been, affected her in a way she never saw coming. She was more somber than before. Some might even say more mature.
To everyone’s surprise, Maud took the podium first. It took only a couple of minutes to make clear she knew Trixie well. Her speech had her heart poured into it and it was the kind ponies would read in book for generations. Everypony present listened silently as Maud said her last goodbye to a pony she held as more than a friend.
It stung Pinkie right in the chest seeing her family come the night before, to have realized only then which rock farm Trixie had worked. Pinkie’s mane has been flat the whole time. If she had just visited her family, or just send a letter... Maybe she could have been more welcoming that first time Trixie came to town. Pinkie couldn’t help but feel responsible. She couldn’t even sleep, because each moment she closed her eyes, even if it was just for a blink, she would see Trixie’s ghost haunting her.
The other Pies were affected too. Trixie wasn’t just a temporary worker at their farm. Her departure was a surprise to them, and when Igneous read in the morning’s paper of Trixie’s death, they all set to Ponyville in that exact moment. Any other time, Pinkie would have taken the opportunity to introduce her family to her friends and spend some quality time together.
There would be time for that later. Now, there were other matters to attend.
Pinkie looked up right in time to hear Maud’s voice crack. She watched through watery eyes as her big sister trotted down from the podium and placed a hoof tenderly over Trixie’s coffin.
“Goodbye, friend.” Maud closed her eyes. She fought it back down; no tears.
Other ponies weren’t that strong. Spike broke down in tears, only held in place by Rarity and Sweetie Belle. He wasn’t alone. The hall’s floor became a new map, filled with lakes of sorrow.
Then, it was Celestia’s turn. Her speech was less personal, but more moving. She had a lot of experience in the matter, and she knew how to address the subject, so she gave the kind of speech journalists would quote the entire week. Celestia spoke greatly of Trixie, showing that she actually knew about her before the whole Ponyville ordeal. She told the attendants to remember Trixie for who she was and not for what she did, but not with tears. Celestia reminded everyone that Trixie wouldn’t have liked to be remembered in tears. They listened while Celestia said they would all miss Trixie, each one in their own way.
That was it. The moment everyone expected, but no one wanted to really happen. Once again, Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity and Fluttershy lifted the coffin together -friends- and marched with it to the carriage that would take Trixie to her final destination.
The trip was short. Despite its recent notoriety, Ponyville was still a small town, and the cemetery barely on the outskirts. There, the last rites began.
The first to offer prayers was a young stallion -around Trixie’s age- wearing a traditional robe of the Sun’s Order. He knelt down and took off his hood, revealing a greenish brown fur with yellow mane. The monk prayed in silence in front of the coffin and made a signal in the air with his hooves. After that, he took three steps back and stayed silent.
Then, Applejack prayed too. However, she was not silent as the monk. With a voice filled with regret and sadness, she directed everyone within earshot to follow her words, pleading for Trixie’s soul to find the rest she was denied in life.
Following her were others, a number of them rather surprising. First, Cranky Doodle and Matilda stepped forward to placed a bouquet of various flowers with a letter attached to them. Then, a female griffon, wearing a kerchief around her neck that had the same pattern a Trixie’s old cape, stood right in front of the coffin’s head, but looked in the opposite direction. She extended her wings, clasping her outstretched claw and pulling it towards her heart while lowering her head. It was a gesture of profound respect that Twilight had read about and she fleetingly wondered what Trixie had done to earn the honor of such an action from the griffon. Others stepped forth to offer words of farewell or lay a hoof on the coffin in silent prayer.
Finally, when the final good byes had all been said, and Trixie lowered into the earth and buried, Twilight and Fluttershy moved forward to the patch of freshly turned earth. Twilight could have used her magic and have the deed done in a flash, but in difference to how her fellow unicorn spent her last days without it, Twilight used only her two hooves to dig the hole.
Roanis have a tradition of planting a blackberry bush over the grave, so the place is left in peace. When Twilight had finished the digging and Fluttershy its planting, a familiar raven descended from a close tree, landing right next to the bush. Duo hopped around the grave as though searching for something. Lowering his head, he tucked in his wings and bowed, offering a low caw of respect to the pony he had befriended.
With his beak, Duo broke off a branch from the blackberry and flew off into the distance.
Princess Celestia walked inside the Black Room. She was thankful that the day was finally over. With extreme caution, she lit her horn. The golden aura manifested itself in the form of a portal. Pouring more magic into the spell, Celestia grabbed something from inside and started to pull.
While she had feared that its latent magic would manifest like the last time its host had died, the Alicorn Amulet had not proven nearly as perilous in its recovery this time. Whatever magic had linked it to its host’s body seemed to have dissipated or dispersed due to the massive trauma inflicted upon Trixie. After that, it just became a matter of removing it from her body.
She disliked having to do it, but the Amulet was too dangerous to be left inside a mundane coffin. The damage the fall had caused to the body already made the removal of the Amulet and the bones and tissues that it had fused with an almost trivial task.
With one final effort, Celestia finally extracted the cursed artifact from the pocket dimension where she stored it.
She sat down for a moment, admiring the work of magical crafting and dark arts now in her hooves. Celestia reflected on how much suffering this item caused, and the cruelty of its maker to let something like this be unleashed in the world. She realized how much damage her ponies just endured, all because she wasn’t cautious enough.
With a heavy heart, she breathed a tired sigh. The world was getting too heavy for her shoulders some days.
Swallowing her pain, Princess Celestia created a golden pedestal with a crystal box over it. She opened the box and placed the accursed amulet inside, closing the box again and sealing it under the seven spells she herself designed for cases like this. Celestia turned around and walked away, closing the vault door behind her and once again hiding the entrance of the Black Room.
She trotted to her bedchambers, accompanied by the memory of Trixie Lulamoon; the memory of Sunset Shimmer; of Nightmare Moon, and many others. Princess Celestia took off her crown and sat down in her bed, to be alone.
Alone with her ghosts.
Author's Note:
Wave Blaster: This is it. This is THE chapter we have been building up to.Now, I'm not gonna lie, this wasn't how I pictured this to end when I first came with the idea back in April. To be honest, this is not even close. I had pictured a way more innocent fic, lighter and softer. A slice of life with the themes of Ugly Americans, with a lot of silliness, but build around being heartwarming and funny.
But then, I wanted to experiment a little more, get out of my comfort zone and try a shot at something different from my usual type. I took it serious, and worked hard and, thanks to Nightwalker, took a more analytical and, I dare to say it, adult POV. I never expected I would be also writing my very first, full force, tragedy. As a general principle, I prefer happy endings, but this story has become bigger than me and it demands something different.
Thanks to all of you, readers, for sticking up with us, specially to the ones who didn't call quits after I managed to pull not one, but two base breakers. Of course, I would also like to thank to those who did the commenting, adding their own unique perspectives that helped to shapte some concepts and keep me focused. Guys, your opinions helped to keep this fiction running.
And of course, a very special and planetary sized thanks to Nightwalker, without whom this fic would be still stuck in chapter 3.
As I always said; Thanks for reading. I'm always curious, so feel free to comment.
See ya.
Nightwalker: There we go folks; Trixie has left the building! Again, I thank all those along for the ride.
When I had gotten involved in this I was expecting to just take care of some cleanup and the like, not contributing nearly as much as I have. It was a good excercise to flex the writing muscles again in terms of contributing large parts of the narrative I have to say.
Overall, a good experience. Glad that those who have liked it have liked it as much as they have. Wave, it was a delight working with you, as always. Onto the next project I guess! Take care all!
It was dark where Trixie was. There was no sound, no light. It didn’t feel hot or cold to her. She could move, but where was there to move to?
“Hello?” she called into the darkness. Her voice was flat and didn’t seem to travel very far. “Where am I? What happened to me?”
The sound of hoofsteps in the darkness drew her attention, her ears swivelling up and forwards to catch the sound. From out of the dark came a pony. She was tall and lanky in stature, resembling Princess Luna in form except for lack of wings or ethereal mane and tail. As she drew closer, Tixie could more clearly make out what appears to be stylized whites makings painted upon her midnight blue coat.
As she drew closer, Trixie was finally able to make out those markings; bones. Hooves, shoulders, neck, chest, even her sides as they flexed and moves as the mare continued to stroll forward were painted with representations of the bones underneath. Her skull, except for her horn and eyes, was almost totally white.
Trixie quailed and tried to scurry back, her tail curling around her flank as if to try and ward off the creature before she. She had finally recognized the mare, she knew what that mare was, and she had realized where she herself was and what had happened.
The Bone Mare stopped before her and smiled down, a surprisingly comforting expression that briefly called Celestia to mind before that impression was lost to Trixie’s panic. “Hello, my little pony,” the mare said softly. “Back again I see.”
Well played. Well played
The incomplete tag told me something was up though, I look forward to the next chapter
XD You tease!
Haha you are evil , both of you !
My two cent that Trixie is a lich with the amulet as her phylactery...which is going to have two consequences :
-One , the return after this heartfelt funeral is going to be awkward.
-Two , reforming herself is going to be kind of difficult inside Celestia's box.
... Unless she came back as a ghost or a demi-lich. A demi-lich would be cool even is unfortunate for her. The great and powerfull floating skull Trixie kind of have a certain "flair" to it.
6525601
Yes! Turn Trixie into Bob alongside Twilight's Harry Dresden!
Ok, you got me. Well played. Though even if this was the end it would have still been satisfied. The only negative I have to say about this chapter is that I kinda wish there was a little more meat between these chapters. I kinda wanted to see this accident happen and every ponies reactions. Especially Twiligh, Rainbow, Lightning and (for a little more added dark suffering) Trixie for the frantic inner monologing of a zombie pony who just found some happyness in her unlife and wishes to continue living when splat. We instead only got a one and a half recap of what happened. And not a single splat.
Good god did I just write all that. I should really see someone. Maybe a magician, or a guy named Steve .
not what I was expecting. BUt I still liked how this ended up. Trixie will be remembered forever.
Wait, what? I may be ignorant but what happened? How did Trixie actually die this time??
I was going to rage so hard if that was the end of the story with no explanation, no viewpoints and completely out of whack with the pacing of the story.
At that authors note, I'm like, what the hell is the author doing?
then after that I'm exasperated. Really? A trick chapter? I don't get it, the chapter had a bunch of interesting stuff, but why the deception?
What purpose did it serve except to confuse? Heck I'm outright annoyed that there is even a trick chapter in this kind of story. Guess I'll just check every chapters ending sections first before reading before I get in any way invested in whats happening in that chapter.
what the hell. Could this not have been done without the trick?
If I am to be honest, the marker used to indicate how far I was going into the chapter gave it away.
Would've worked so much better on Fanfiction.net.
Hmmm... OK, that was odd.
But Trixie is still "alive" in some--perhaps metaphysical--way, and the amulet has been removed from her body.
All things considered, that counts as a "plus" I think.
Whelp, I knew it couldn't end that way. But now Lightning Dust is guilty of causing a fatality! A little surprised that didn't come up. Can't wait to see where Trixie is though.
You bastards! You very small, total bastards! I should've known!
Well, not with Wave Blaster, so much, but nightwalker, yes, I should have.
You... I'll get back to you....
6525840
A fatality, yes. But not murder. Remember, her reckless behavior was being spurred on by Spitfire. The Academy is as much to blame as Lightning was.
6525895 Well it's been a while since I've seen the episode but I don't believe anyone at the academy directly told them to make the tornado. Either way, there's probably an involuntary manslaughter charge in there somewhere.
Whelp, Dragonblade kinda called it. Now, since I have an insanely dark sense of humor, I shall leave this link here as it was the first thing I thought of:
6525906
Told Lightning to make a tornado? Of course not. Backing her risky behavior because it got results, and was about to back the tornado move as well before Rainbow told Spitfire where she could stick that Wingpony pin? Oh Hell yes.
I can't help but think of a different undead blue character...
oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/the-binding-of-isaac-rebirth/2/21/185px-BlueBabyDescent.png
*blinks*
*blinks again*
...Say what now?
*Adds to Zombie Ponies group* How the heck did noone, myself included, think to add a story about a zombie pony into a group about zombie ponies?!?
I will admit you almost had me with that first 'authors note'.
Well well dam 0_0 you tricked me good ill have you know i have not encountered a trick chapter before so good on you sirs. Though i do hope she comes back with a blast maybe some green lighting a bad storm rumbling in the ground ect ect
I didn't fell for the trick. Why? Because I read in dark format. I saw the first author notes dark instead of the usually white.
Still a good try, though. And the funeral part was sad
That was mean.
My, you really are on a roll right now, aren't you? I wasn't expecting another update this month, never even mind after barely a week. Now there's a pleasant surprise.
Wat?!?
Seriously, Wat?!?
Just making sure I get that right. You end the last chapter with a baloon ride and a approaching tornado, then you jump straight to Trixis funeral, with her in the end meeting some kind of Pony Dead?
Sooo, from what I could glean from the chapter here, Trixie fell out of the balloon, the Wonderbolts seemed to have somehow botched a rescue and so our favourite Illousionist found her end? That´s what you want to sell to us, is it?
You are very lucky this story is not finished yet!
Okay. I read the chapter before this. So, there wasn't enough ponies to catch Trixie? Or did she actually go through the cloud springboard? How was Trixie not rescued?
Well, she's not quite dead. Or maybe she is. None-the-less, all I could think of is the holy grail while reading this chapter. I completely expected her to just pop out of the casket and go
Dude! Cool! She's dead for the 2nd time! Now what - ressurection, new life or beeing a ghost? So many options!
My reaction to this chapter is something like this:
Except not so virulent. I'm really glad this isn't the end. It leaves many unresolved questions and threads.
6530827
After thinking about it more the media would just clog this story down. Overall I think it's better that it's been left out.
Okay, before going on with the answers, I'll do the one comment I was expecting but no friggin' body came up with:
6525564
I was this close to also change the tag, alongside to make the notes real and place the last scene on its own chapter. But there's a line in joking when it's too far.
I'm looking forward for the next chapter too. 'Walker and I have a nice scene planned for it.
6525597
Hideaki Ano ain't got nuthin' on me!
6525601
Why is coming back an assumption?
And yes, I'm evil. It's so easy:
6525613
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6525623
I think that this chapter, the last scene in the Hospital Room (C4) and Pinkie's chapter (C6) are built to give some closure feeling, while the story goes on. Like in real life, evey situation comes to an end, eventually, but usually that's not the end.
Now, on the meat part, I wanted to keep things ambiguous, in order to let the reader decide. There's IS an actual answer, but the important thing about it was the aftermath and how it affected the characters (Pinkie is silent, Spike is a mess of tears, Rainbow Dash grew up, etc). Also, why don't leave something to the reader to fill? If there's something modern storytelling can and should do more is to let and even encourage the audience to participate too.
There is an actual answer, of course. But in the meantime, it's all up to you so, be creative.
6525628
Go back to Chapter 1 and read Trixie's last line before dying.
...
She got what she always wanted.
6525659
Quoting myself:
So, tell me, how do you think she died?
6525668
Probably yes, but that would meant the reader would have gone over it the second he read the last scene. With the "notes" before that, the ilusion becomes more solid, harder to tell apart from reality.
After all, aren't all stories illusions?
6525678
KNIGHTY!
6525712
Not a bad idea. And Celestia took care of the amulet and when she takes care of something, it never comes back to bite her in the flank.
6525840
A funeral is not exactly the place to bring up something like that. That's why there are courts of law, after all.
Or this guy.
6525862
Really? Not from me?
Man, I need to try harder. Maybe a Gainax ending...
6525913
Yeah in fact. When he almost predicted this on his comment, 'Wlaker and I didn't know what to answer.
6526057
dcuguide.com/glcorps/images/blackhand.jpg
6526130
Exactly.
6526150
Thank you, mate.
6526341
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6526569
Maybe in a dark and stormy night...?
Or in the Blackest Night...?
Or in the Night of the Living Dead...?
6526608
I wrote the entire funeral while hearing this in loop:
Trixie is awaited.
6527132
I wonder what would M.A. Larson do?
Oh, right!
6527210
Yeah, I'm surprised too. Act 3 is regaining Act 1's speed.
6527515
It's not luck if I planned it.
6528584
Or did she?
6528938
: Trixie wants to take a walk... away from this madness!
6529419
Decisions, decisions... I wonder what would M.A. Larson do?
6529960
A trick... in a Trixie fanfic.
Why didn't people saw it coming from a kilometer?
6531125
Meanwhile, Trixie's horn lands next to Sombra's:
Sombra's horn: ...
Trixie's horn: ...
This ship sails for itself!
6531268
As I said, this story is more about the characters than anything.
6531928 .... WOW DUDE. Really?
6531928
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Still, I digress.
This whole thing went far too quickly for me.
It practically kicked me off the train when not one chapter over, Trixie DIED.
Except you had me.
YOU HAD ME AT A DISADVANTAGE, AND I WAS EXPECTING A NOOSE!
6531928
What does that even mean?
6531928 How to avoid getting Wave Blasted 101: A guide by knighty
6532025
static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11121/111212274/4517210-9382181035-Batma.jpg
6532170
It means that I really want to stress the part where the reader has the control on how did it happened. Don't worry, it will be addressed on further chapters, but till then, it's like the ending of Inception; all up to the audience.
Or it could mean that the author is going through a sanity slippage.
6532240
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6532382 I never saw Inception and something tells me I really don't want to.
Excellent story. The premise isn't overused & it's handled well. The story about the ghost ship sort of reminds me of the Legend of the Flying Dutchman. Vandervacken was trying to get through the Cape of Good Hope (off South Africa), couldn't & vowed neither Heaven nor Hell would stop him & so was condemned to try for all eternity.
The only thing I don't understand is "Why the incomplete?" Are you planning to show what happens to Dash for killing Trixie or follow Trixie? I remember Michael Moorcock had a series about a hero being reincarnated endlessly, but It was 40+ years ago & I didn't follow it. Still, you did set it up. I remember some speculation on it in the story.
As to Trixie, IMO folks are too hard on her in Boast Busters & too easy in Magic Duel. All that bad old amulet's fault, huh? You didn't go looking for it? You weren't plotting revenge? You were just walking down the street (on your way home from choir practice, no doubt) when it just jumped out of an alley, grabbed you by the throat, & made you do those bad things.
6532626
Is one of those movies you either love or hate, so it's all on who you ask. I would recommend you to watch it, since either way, it's a very complete cinematographic experience, with a good balance between digital and practical effects. It also has Nolan's trademark deep characterization and one of DiCaprio's best moments. it has a good pacing too and it's hard to not be submerged into the story.
On the other side of things, it also suffers of Nolan's trademark headache inducing concepts and overly confusing non-linear storytelling. Everyone who's not DiCaprio is kinda lacking in the characterization department in comparison. It also ignores the "show, don't tell" rule for various scenes.
Again, my recommendation is to give it a try so you can have your own opinion.
6534733
I get your point, hence why part of the fic is to explore how much of this whole mess has been Trixie's fault, like in the flash-back where she puts the amulet for the first time, or in AJ's part where she breaks down and practically admits she feels like the villain of the story.
Now, on the "why incomplete?" part. In the words of the immortal Alan Moore (because death doesn't dare to take him) I would like to say:
izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-in-the-end-nothing-ends-adrian-nothing-ever-ends-alan-moore-254109.jpg
I thought the amulet wouldnt let her die and she had become akin to a creature of unlife.
6536468
Yeah, specially since it literally jumped at her corpse the first time.
I was actually kinda worried you ended it without explaining somethings there!
6546175
P.S.: Thanks for reading and commenting.
6547282
Keep it up! I need a good story to read!
I'm going through withdrawls...
6548854
On it.
The skip seems really, really jarring; I was basically skimming this whole chapter to see if we find out why she's suddenly dead. Well, more dead than usual.
This chapter was a rollercoaster. This is pretty much what went through my head this chapter.
Well, on to that next chapter then!
6578332
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Faithful representation of me and 'Walker during this chapter's writing and edition process.
This chapter feels a little bit Slice of Life-esque, in that Cranky and Matilda appeared to have friends coming from all over, such as Steven Magnet, the Loneling, ALL of the Princesses, Zecora, etc. Similarly, Trixie appears to have attracted a similar crowd of accomplices over her travels.
That ending though. Given it was Incomplete (and another chapter still), I knew it was coming. Not to mention that I know roughly how long the scroll bar should be on my browser to include all the comments and it was too short
Celestia's gonna have to do better than that to the Alicorn Amulet. Heck, one of my stories I wrote that she threw it into the sun and it still returned.