Heart of Stone: Recovery Light

by TheCrimsonDM

Chapter One: Dinner Party

Heart of Stone: Recovery Light

Chapter One: Dinner Party

Written by TheCrimsonDM

The flat gray earth surrounded Trixie in every direction and aside from a few boulders surrounding her, the small cottage off in the distance, and some weeds that had cropped up from the spring showers, she stood all alone. Or so it looked. A bolt of fire flew from atop one of the boulders! Trixie quickly dodged to the side, channeled magic through her horn and focused on the boulder the fire came from. She stood there; the wind blew gently against her side. The sun beat down upon the land. She listened for the faintest of sounds.

Gravel flew out from behind the boulder as the peach colored alicorn took off into the sky. Fire blazed behind her, and a teal colored light surrounded the mare. Trixie spun around and took off in the opposite direction in a full gallop. Magic filled her horn until it stung. She would have one shot at escaping the next attack.

The alicorn swooped overhead flying at Trixie like a comet falling from heavens. Trixie focused on the spell and released her will into the world. The air around her shimmered and then Trixie split into six copies of herself. Trixie’s horn was sore from the exertion but as she witnessed the fireball of a pony collide into one of her clones she knew she had made the right choice.

Heat washed over the planes, brushing against Trixie’s fur and making her cringe away. Her copies all followed the movement. The flaming alicorn stopped and looked at another one of Trixie’s clones. Fire raged from her horn slamming into the copy. Trixie was down two duplicates and had only a little bit of time to focus.

Trixie turned around, her clones followed and together the four of them all rushed toward the alicorn. Their horns charged with electricity. Fire lashed out and smote two more of Trixie’s clones. Thankfully she was just close enough to pull off the move. Just as the alicorn aimed her horn at the real one, Trixie lashed out mentally and grappled with the hot fiery mind of the mare before her. She only needed to hold her opponent still for a brief second, and just as she felt the mare’s mind beginning to fight back, Trixie leapt into the air, horn pointed down and she tackled the flaming pony while shouting, “Shocking Touch!”

Electricity flared as Trixie and the mare hit the hard earth rolling. The flames coating the mare’s body burned at her flesh, but she managed to ignore the pain as her horn touched the bare flesh of the mare’s side. Just one gentle touch and zap! The electricity from Trixie’s horn transferred into the alicorn. The mare shrieked in pain.

Two legs kicked Trixie in the chest and sent her sailing. Trixie hit the ground rolling. Dirt mixed with sweat only to get stuck to her fur. Once she ceased rolling she looked up and watched as the mare stood up on shaky legs.

“So, did I pass, Sunny?” Trixie asked.

Sunset Shimmer smiled down at her. The flames surrounding her vanished; leaving only the pale beauty of the alicorn standing before her. Her mane and tail stood out on end which left Trixie feeling a bit proud. “Good job, here in a few weeks you might even be able to enter a real fight and win.”

Trixie pushed herself up and tried to ignore the pain of her burns. “What are we going to do now?”

Sunset shrugged. “Go home, get some grub, have that filly heal your wounds. That sounds about right.”

Trixie turned and led the way back to the small cottage. “Val’s going to be upset that I got hurt again.”

“At least Maud understands the importance of your training, without it you would be particularly worthless. When Canterlot was taken, however briefly it was, we could have used trained warriors.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “I know, and I did the best I could. This whole thing is partially my fault. If only I’d have been a better po-“

“Rule number seven, Trixie.”

Trixie let out a sigh. “Sunset’s rules of training number seven; no self pity.”

“Exactly. You’re a proud and strong mare, you can’t beat yourself up just because you were used and lost. Now’s the time for strength, Twilight needs to come back to a place where she can feel safe, and you being stronger is the key to that.”

Trixie nodded.

They walked around the cottage until reaching the front porch. Trixie looked at the road leading down into the small village of New Slate, and then out into the distance where she could just barely make out the Pie family rock farm. She stared at the front door to her little cottage home. Old memories of what it was like when she walked into this very house only to find the mane six sitting inside nearly a year ago played through her mind.

To think, that the biggest changes of my life began with Pinkie Pie assaulting me.

The front door of the cottage opened and Pinkie Pie walked out. “Hiya, Trix, Sunny. What’s up?”

“Training,” Sunset replied. A sad look crossed over her eyes and Trixie didn’t have to read the mare’s mind to know that she was missing one of her old friends. “Hey, Pinkie… you uh… ever think about joining a rock group?”

“Have I! I was in several, even got famous in one of them, but that fell apart because the lead singer fell in love with me and I just couldn’t return his feelings.”

“What if you and the others got together with me and we tried to record some music than?”

“OH I’d love too!” Pinkie Pie said while hopping into the air. When she landed she looked down at her hooves. “Though I don’t think the others would be interested; maybe Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Applejack and Rarity wouldn’t be.”

A pained look came over Sunset. “Right… now I remember the reason why I try to avoid the six of you as much as I possible…”

“Oh don’t feel bad, uh, I could convince them to try it. I mean, I didn’t know you liked music so much,” Pinkie Pie said sweetly.

Sunset walked away. “It’s not the music, Pinks.” She looked back at Trixie. “I’m actually going to go home, I’ve got a family of sirens bored out of their mind to take care of. Too bad they all lost their singing voices. You gonna be okay?”

Trixie nodded. “Don’t worry, I can take things from here.”

“Remember rule number six.”

“Trust in your heart and things will work out?”

“Exactly.”

Trixie watched her friend leave for a moment before turning to face Pinkie Pie. Pinkie shrugged and went back inside. Trixie followed. Inside Trixie had a decent idea of what to expect, and upon seeing the five mares she’d grown to call friends her heart lifted. Maud and Valiant were in the kitchen, Maud helping to chop up vegetables alongside Fluttershy, and Valiant sat at the table reading a history book.

Trixie took a seat next to the filly. “Hey.”

The tiny earth pony filly gave her one look, frowned and closed her book. She blinked with that pink eye of hers and shot a look of disapproval at Trixie. The long reddish-brown mane covered the eye patch on the other side. She shook her head and got to work on writing on the whiteboard hanging from her neck.

“Why do you always get hurt?”

“Because I know that I have such a cute little filly waiting to heal me when I’m done. Also,” Trixie leaned in and in a whispery voice just loud enough for Maud to hear, “Maud likes to give me the best kind of get well kisses.”

Valiant’s nose scrunched up and she mimicked the act of vomiting. Trixie giggled. The filly rose her brown hooves and for a moment things felt quiet before a white light emitted from them. The light was soft and warm. Trixie watched in wonder as her injuries healed before her very eyes.

Ever since the night the filly received her cutie mark she had been able to heal small wounds. Large ones were however still difficult or impossible for her to heal; which was primarily why Twilight’s condition was still so precarious. Alicorn or not, nopony should have survived a direct hit from balefire.

Applejack managed to separate herself from her loving pegasus husband just long enough to meet up with Trixie at the table. The prismatic haired filly being carried on her back stared up at her with wide and wondrous eyes. Trixie still couldn’t believe that Applejack had a rainbow haired kid.

“Cousin,” Applejack said with a curt nod. “Can we talk fer a moment?”

Trixie nodded. Valiant was finished with her healing and Trixie decided to go out until dinner was ready. “Follow me.”

Applejack stopped just long enough to set the filly down next to Maud. The quiet, powerful, and stoic mare took one look at the filly, beamed down at her and knelt down so that she could nuzzle the tiny foal. Both Applejack and Trixie smiled at Maud as she began making baby noises which brought giggles from the filly. Valiant made sure to sigh noisily.

Trixie led her cousin out to the front porch where she had inadvertently left her guitar. After taking a seat and strumming up a few chords she looked into the sunset. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Ya’ll are takin’ care of Twi, Ah know we all had our own moment with her earlier, an’ Pinkie is still tryin’ t’ wipe away her tears… but be honest. What d’ ya think about her recovery?”

Trixie hit a sour note. “I honestly can’t say. I mean, think about how long I was catatonic after my first suicide attempt. Really, it’s just impossible to guess when she’ll recover, or even if. I don’t mind though, it’s the very least I can do for her after how she pretty much fixed my life.”

“Twi, isn’t okay.”

“She’s not home right now. When she does come back we’ll have to ease her back into being equine again. I honestly don’t know how this will play out, but I can only hope that it won’t backfire.”

Applejack laid down on all fours and listened to Trixie play music for a while. Sad melodic tunes filled the front porch from Trixie’s guitar. Slowly Applejack grinned and met Trixie’s eyes. “That’s southern music yer playin’.”

“Yeah, it is. I started branching out recently and discovered some really good folk music. Lots of sad stuff. The Shine Brothers among the best.” Trixie adopted her best accent before saying, “So Ah’m learning t’ play some good ol folk. If’n yer interested in learnin’ more, ya best take a gander at mah music collection.”

Applejack beamed at her. “That’s a good accent on you.”

“What can I say, it’s in my blood.”

The door opened and Maud stood in the doorway, the filly was riding on top of her head. “Can you get Twilight, it’s time for dinner.”

Trixie stood up and brought the guitar inside this time. She set it up against the door just inside. Applejack took her child back and followed her as she made her way to the back room. A tight ball formed in Trixie’s chest as she approached the open doorway. Inside she could hear the steady, raspy breathing that made Trixie shiver.

Trixie peaked inside and found Pinkie Pie sitting on the bed next to Twilight, the right half of Twilight’s body was covered in bandages. Even half of that once beautiful face was hidden beneath those bandages. Twilight’s once proud and intelligent eye were now blank, hollow, and her expression was completely flat.

“You wouldn’t believe the scream Flutters let out as she climaxed,” Pinkie Pie said excitedly. “It was like, amazingly loud, not only that, her voice like, totally broke the window. I mean, come on, all I did was eat out her-“ Pinkie Pie stopped regaling Twilight with whatever tale she was in the middle of. Trixie kinda wanted to hear more of it, but she didn’t say anything.

“Its dinner time, it’s my turn to feed Twilight tonight,” Trixie said.

Pinkie Pie blinked, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. “Can I?”

There was no way that Trixie could tell her no. “Go ahead, I mean, it’s not like she’ll notice.”

Pinkie Pie shut her eyes tight. “I-I think she does. I mean, I can’t prove it or anything, but I think she’ll know if it’s me.”

Trixie regretted her comment, she didn’t mean to sound so rude. “I hope so.” Trixie walked over to Twilight’s bedside and a purple aura surrounded Twilight. Trixie wasn’t strong enough to lift Twilight’s entire body, but she could ease her from the bed into the wheelchair. “Come on, Twi. Food’s up.”

Very slowly Trixie pushed the wheelchair, and Pinkie Pie followed. The silence coming from Pinkie Pie was heavy and thick. There was an air of desperation surrounding the poor mare.

Everypony was already at the kitchen table, but nopony stared as they entered. They’d all seen Twilight’s current condition, and none of them were okay with it. They had also come over quite a number of times to visit their dear friend, so it was no longer an alien sight to behold. Just a painful one.

A very large table had long since replaced the small one, and for good reason. Visits with six to ten ponies had become rather frequent in recent months. Ever since Trixie along with her family had taken Twilight in things were a bit busier than normal.

Everypony had their own seat and a bowl of stew along with a few rolls in front of them. Rainbow Dash had two bowls, though nopony was willing to argue that fact with the battle scarred mommy to be. The mare was no longer wearing a bandage over her ear, which revealed the jagged chunks missing from it.

Twilight was set down on one end and Pinkie Pie took a spot next to her. Trixie sat down next to Maud. Everypony was quiet for a moment, and Trixie felt the tension in the room rise. It was always a little awkward. Pinkie Pie carefully spoon fed Twilight the stew, she took extra precaution to make sure it wasn’t hot.

Trixie needed a distraction from the sight of her old friend being so spoon fed. “So, tell me about what’s been going on with everypony?”

Fluttershy didn’t speak most of the time, her crimson eyes flashed and her batpony ears twitched. Pinkie Pie deciphered the small movements. “Flutters and I have been good. Hollow Shades is a neat place to live, I even met my clone. Wow was that awkward. Fluttershy had her confused for me at first, even with the hair color change. I guess we smell the same. Oh and Flutterpoo’s won some local competition where batponies scream at things until they break.”

“I laid an egg,” Rarity said almost bitterly. “An. Egg.”

“Whoa, is that because you’re bucking Spike?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“We’re married.”

“So, ain’t that the same as you two were before?” Rainbow asked.

“No, no it is not. We got married just after Applejack. I would have loved to ask Twilight all sorts of questions, for example how long does it take to hatch a dragon egg? Unfortunately I was forced to go to her replacement. That Sunset Shimmer might be a nice mare, but she is unnervingly creepy in the way she seems to almost know things about me that I did not want to share.”

“Sunset’s awesome, a bit weird, nervous, and sad, but awesome,” Rainbow Dash replied. She had apparently forgotten to pack her manners as she picked up the bowl of soup and began slurping it down.

“That’s just it though; she’s always got this sad look when she talks to me. I know that she was friends with some of our counterparts, I suppose it might hurt to be around us,” Rarity said thoughtfully. “It still feels… awkward.”

Fluttershy nodded, and moved her lips as though speaking. Pinkie Pie interpreted for her. “Flutterpoo thinks that Sunset smells like remorse. I don’t know what that smells like, spinach maybe?”

Applejack jumped in then. “Well me an’ Soarin are doin’ good. Farm works a bit hard with a filly around, but Granny Smith’s real happy like to see a granddaughter from me.”

Soarin grinned. “Farm work is like, totally different than weather control. Gran says I’m good at it.”

“Where is Spike?” Trixie asked.

“Dragons keep their eggs in their lair and breathe fire over them until they hatch. Or in Twilight’s case they hand you a dead dragon’s egg and you use magic to breathe life into a thousand year old relic,” Rarity explained. “When I return home it will be my turn to breathe fire on it for awhile.”

“Have you thought of a name?” Trixie asked.

“Jade.”

“That sounds sweet,” Pinkie said.

“You named her after a gem,” Maud said flatly. “I like that.”

Valiant nodded.

“Thank you for saying so, though to be honest Spike came up with the first name.”

“First name?” Trixie asked.

“Yes, her full name will be Jade Rarity Bodice. Don’t you think that is such a lovely title for a baby dragon-pony?”

Nopony dared comment on that train wreck of a name… this time. Considering the fact that there are still burn marks in the wall from the last pony to set Rarity off, nopony was willing to risk it. Instead Trixie looked at Rainbow Dash. “What about you?”

“Me? I’m the still the leader of the Shadowbolts… and I’m training with Cinnamon Butterscotch, and as of last month in a real relationship Silverstone. Baby’s coming along nicely too, she’s gonna have Rainbow hair like me.”

“What about the windigo?”

“After we beat the tar out of their leader, the windigo aren’t a threat. Canterlot is still a frozen mess though, hoping that the summer heat will melt it.”

“So no real problems?”

“I’m just glad that there hasn’t been anymore kerfuffles, I can’t imagine what it would be like if the war had continued,” Rarity added.

A moment of silence followed, and Trixie couldn’t help but to imagine all the dead soldiers. An involuntary shiver passed through her. Equestria hadn’t been hit so hard in hundreds of years. The last confrontation that came even close was the siege of shadows about a hundred years ago. Thanks to the ponies like Inkpots though; that battle was won with minimal loss.

Trixie had to thank Sunset for her recent history lessons. On top of having to survive a daily contest of marital and or magical prowess, she’d been studying Equestrian history, and learning some unique skills. In fact, practicing her guitar was actually a part of her ‘training’.

There was a not so subtle knocking on the front door. Trixie pushed away from her dinner and walked over. The list of ponies that would bother them at such an hour was quite small. When saw who it was a frown spread over her lips. She really didn’t want to see this pony.

“Oh, it’s you,” Trixie said as she backed away from the door and attempted to give the mare as much space as she could in this tiny house. “Come on in, we still have some dinner.”

Celestia had to bow her head to get through the door. “Thank you, Trixie.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Friendly word of advice, link to Kathyatipton's deviantart page. (She is on deviantart, right?)

[diablo4000]

Enjoyed the chapter so happy to see the story continued.
Glad to see everypony doing well except for Twilight but frankly don't care for her in this story.
She got what was coming to her for her stupidity and breaking her pinkie Promise she just caused more problems with her actions.
At the worst possible time, she nearly got AJ and her baby killed, and made her give birth too.

Plus what she said to Trixie, heh, she put down Trixie and guess who saved the day in the end.

[TheCrimsonDM]

7092679 I think she's another dead artist. Her deviatart account for all I can tell is simply gone.