• Published 26th Nov 2011
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Equestria Is Not Enough - Canon Fodder



Twilight, AJ, and Dash must go against all odd's to defeat their most dangerous enemy yet.

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Chapter 25: Take My Hoof, And Decide...

Chapter 25 Take My Hoof, And Decide...

Trixie planted her hooves into the ground and prepared for a fight. Twilight on the other hoof, still had second thoughts, "I don't think were doing the right thing. This is crazy."

The ignorant mare snickered, "Just face it. You don't think you can take on my magic. Well you may be right but I have been waiting to meet with you one more time. To prove that I AM the greatest Equine who has ever lived!"

She charged her horn then shot a ball of thunder towards Twilight, which shocked and lifted her off her hooves at the same time, then she slammed into the wall. Twilight was more shocked at the overwhelming strength of her magic, "You took that silverblood serum didn't you?"

Trixie cackled, "Powerful is it not? I am more powerful then you could ever imagine."

"Oh I know how powerful it is, believe me." Twilight answered.

The egotist shot again, Twilight screamed and this time nearly bounced off the ground as she landed. She got up once again then looked at Trixie with a puzzled expression, "Tell me something Trixie. Explain to me why you were after me all this time. There has got to be more to it other than that one time a couple years ago."

Trixie stared at her for a moment then sighed with tone of depression. Her smile turned to a frown of disappointment and she explained, "Well if you MUST know. After I left Ponyville, I traveled to Fillydelphia. I used the last 1000 bits I had to my name and bought a new travelling stable and another customized costume. But to my dismay, one day after I had arrived, the news had already spread that you defeated the Ursa Minor...and I was set to perform that night. Although I was only able to sell 18 seats, it managed to pay for the rented hall...Then not even five minutes into my act, I was asked about you. One pony asked why I couldn't vanquish an Ursa Minor. Another told me that my magic was very clichè. It didn't stop there. Everypony was putting me down, calling me an amateur...AMATEUR! Before you came along to my mind, that never ever happened to me. Now I'm ridiculed, slimmed, flawed, embarrassed, and black listed as a fraud! It came to the point where I eventually had to go into hiding. I couldn't trot on the street without being laughed at...So finally, I went to Canterlot. I overheard about this take over. Everypony did, and I couldn't help myself. I was in attendence of one of Nova's speeches and after he told everypony that he was looking for you, I decided on it. I sneaked onto his ship and confronted him...After I told him my clever plan, he welcomed me with open hooves. Now I'm here, about to help Nova succeed in exchange for your life...My dream may be gone but you will pay the price. A word of the wise, Twilight Sparkle...Make one dream come true, because you only live twice..."

Twilight understood and sympathized, "Trixie..."

"THAT'S THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE TO YOU!" She screamed, striking Twilight with another thunderball.

Meanwhile, Bradshaw Buckingham flung Applejack at the wall. As she bounced off, AJ grabbed on and took him down with her. They rolled along the ground, each getting their opportunity on top of one another, and she dropped her hat among the fight. She hooked him in the jaw and knocked out a couple of his teeth, and Buckingham retaliated with a headbutt then slashed her chest with the knife. Applejack let out a scream and smacked him off of her. With her uninjured leg, she kicked the dagger out of his hooves and sent it flying across the room. Bradshaw scolded her, "You Idgit! Ya got any idea how much that blade is worth?"

Applejack stared coldly into his eyes, "There's not enough bits in the world that'll bring my big brother back..."

She picked herself and kicked Buckingham in his guts then tossed him at the wall and tried to choke him. But her other leg was at a disadvantage and Bradshaw was much stronger. He pushed her hooves away from his neck and kicked AJ's bad leg. She painfully buckled and the stallion picked her up and held her against the wall, "You know Miss Applejack, sometimes I really hate my job...Cause I have to get rid of pretty lil mares like you..."

Applejack frowned at him disgusted and spit in his face. Buckingham wiped his cheek then applied more pressure to his grip, "...But on the other hoof, killing you would be a pleasure of it's own."

He charged his hoof and smacked her across the face then tossed her once more. Applejack landed hard and cried out. Twilight swiftly turned her head out of worry, "Don't worry AJ I'll be there!"

She tried to further reason with Trixie, "For the love of Celestia, we have to stop this madness! Trixie look at the situation! A missile is going to destroy an entire city and your going to let it happen? I knew you were naive but I never knew you were a traitor to your own land..."

"I am not a traitor!" Trixie brutally defended.

"I'm only in this to get you, then I'm out of here! I don't need Nova to help me succeed...I don't need...I don't need...I DON'T NEED ANYPONY TO HELP ME!" she screamed, shooting Twilight again.

Twilight this time, remembered her mirror and quickly retrieved it to shield herself from the projectiles. The thunderball deflected and Trixie ducked her own attack, "No fair Twilight Sparkle. Your pathetic!"

Twi shook her head, "I'm not going to let you push me Trixie. Please try to understand that I never meant to hurt you."

Trixie foolishly refused to believe the comment and tried to shoot Twilight once again, but still failed. Then something caught Twilight's eye as she looked over to see the fire from the other room beginning to sneak in through the opening that was created by the late Dr. Know. Time was running out...

-----

At this time, Rainbow Dash was trying to literally shake Fleetfoot off her tail. She spun, kicked, looped around but still could not loosen the grip of the brainwashed Pegasus. Fleetfoot was slowing her down, with Spitfire and Soarin speeding up. She looked up ahead and seen the missile fading further and further away. The air was getting colder and she could she the terrain of the ground getting rougher. Then just in slight view, were the great icy mountain range, of the Griffon's Nydeabaen Kingdom.

Dash shook as hard as she could to break free of Fleetfoot's grip but the Pegasus was locked in too well. Rainbow glanced down at the rough ground below them then got an idea. With the Thunderbolt still clamped to her tail, Rainbow lowered her altitude and approached the ground. Fleetfoot stayed above with his wings. She was flying him at lightning speed and she had to find someway to stop him now. Soarin was only inches away. She peered ahead and saw them approaching a large rock. Fleetfoot was blinded by her tail and body, and could only see below them. Dash grinned confidently. She seen Spitfire closing in and pushed one more time to outfly her and Soarin...Finally with incredible velocity, Rainbow Dash came within inches of colliding with the rock then immediately turned straight up, using her tail as a pendulum to swing Fleetfoot into the rock. Dash continued her climb and soon noticed she lost weight. Looking below, she seen Fleetfoot was gone. Rainbow sighed happily and moved ahead. Meteor wasn't too far away and she knew there was no problem in catching up with it. Rainbow looked back one more time and seen Soarin and Spitfire racing towards her, but no Fleetfoot. Dash laughed at them and sped up, with another attempt to stop the missile.

-----

Back in depths of Nova's Manarite cavern, Bradshaw jumped on top of Applejack and struck her repeatedly. AJ blocked as much as she could but she appeared to be losing the fight with the much stronger stallion Buckingham. He lifted her head to belt her again but this time she caught his hoof and bit into his leg. He hollered and tried smacking her with his other hoof. Although AJ endured the pain long enough to force the steed off of her. Bradshaw fled quickly and trotted over to his diamond dagger. Then Applejack swiftly got to her hooves and jumped on the back of the fleeing pony. Buckingham thrashed around, intending to shake her off. But the rodeo veteran held on and remembered the E-Sword she still had in her saddlebag. She reached in and put it in her hooves, then switched it on. She tried to get the sword to his neck but Bradshaw was bucking around too much. Distracted with the mechanical sword, Applejack lost her balance and fell off. Buckingham leaped forward and grabbed the smaller sword. AJ bucked up once more and noticed her sword was dwindling. She smacked the hilt a few times to get it to cut back in but the beam sword shut off. Applejack kept pushing the button but it still didn't respond, "...Proto-type...Right."

She threw it away and limped back over Bradshaw Buckingham who waited her for patiently with the dagger slipped back into it's sleeve.

On the otherside of the room, Twilight Sparkle continued to try and talk sense into the oblivious Trixie, while protecting herself with her mirror, "Trixie why do you hate me? I was only trying to save Ponyville."

Trixie walked towards her, Twilight backed up at the same time, "I already told you...Nopony shows up the Great and Powerful Trixie. I had nothing to look forward to anymore." She explained.

"That's not the truth, Trixie. I know there's more to it than that." Twilight muttered with curiosity.

"There is NO other reason..." Trixie assured.

Twilight shook her head, "Just tell me. Please."

"NO!"

"Tell me!" Twilight demanded.

"Because your better than me! There, you happy? Is that what you wanted to hear? In my hometown of Huffington, I was the best. I won every magic competition. I never came across a Unicorn with magic like yours. Ever since you out smarted me, I actually cared less for where my finances went. All I cared about was getting to you and showing you that I AM the true Mare of Magic."

Twilight's voice was getting shaky, "If you stayed long enough, I could've helped you when I could..."

"I TAKE HELP FROM NOPONY! You expect ME? To take help from you? Your the one who through me into this mess." Trixie scoffed angrily.

She shot again but this time, Twilight didn't expect her to shoot down at her leg and she tripped up, and drop the mirror. It broke on impact and she tried to recover it, but Trixie put her hoof on the pieces and Twi looked up at Trixie who stared back down at her with an evil smile and cold eyes. Twilight scooted backwards and panicked, "Please Trixie please. I don't know how you could be such a traitor to your own kind."

Trixie halted and her smile shifted to a puzzled, almost dumbfounded look, "What do you mean? Stop saying that! I would never do that to Equestria."

"Then what are you doing with Nova?" She asked abruptly.

Trixie laughed, "Why, I am simply using him to get to you."

Twilight scoffed back boldly, "Really? You do realize that a missile was just launched right? That missile is going to cause a war, don't you see?"

The jealous mare looked at her with more arrogance, "Well it doesn't hurt to be known as the ruler of southern Equestria..."

Noticing her stupidity, Twilight smiled at her, "What's the point of ruling part of a kingdom if it's going to be thrown into war anyways? Have you even considered the drawbacks?"

Trixie laughed, "I HAVE considered the drawbacks and I know that it will all work out in the end."

Finally, Twilight picked herself up and knew there was no hope in trying to talk to her, "Trixie...I'm sorry ok. You have all reasons to be mad at me but I want to meet with you half way..."

The self-proclaimed Great and Powerful one was confused, "Half way? I don't think so."

"Just hear me out on this." Twilight pleaded.

"I'll apoligize for showing you up, if you apoligize for being a show-off...Come on Trixie, it's only the right thing to do..."

Trixie snickered back, "Your kidding right?"

Twilight sighed, "Trixie...It's what Princess Celestia would want..."

The mention of the name suddenly froze Trixie, "Princess...Celestia?"

The shaken pony nodded, "Yes...Princess Celestia."

Trixie began to think. For a moment she thought back to when she was a filly, in Canterlot. Chosen to meet with the Princess. Trixie remembered that Celestia told her that she was going to be a very talented pony and that she was very proud of her great magic. Then as quick as it was, Trixie tuned back in. Then Twilight started to look at her not as an enemy, but a lost friend that needed to be guided...Her ego was down.

-----

With little time remaining and Nydeabaen just a few miles away, Rainbow dashed across the sky, trying to reach the super bomb. Fleetfoot had not returned since his collision with the rock but Spitfire and Soarin were still on her tail. Finally Rainbow Dash had finished playing around, "Ok...It's time to finish this..."

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and stretched her hooves out. She flapped her wings as hard and as fast as she could. Running on determination and holding Equestria's fate in her hooves, Rainbow felt the wind flow through her mane like a hot knife through butter. Then she began to pick up speed she only ever reached twice. Faster and faster, the remaining Thunderbolts trailed further and further. Dash was struggling to keep her hooves straightened against the rising, tight air pressure. Her speed was accelerating at rapid rate and her eyes began to water, she forced herself to keep her mouth closed and aimed for the missile.

Then at last at a shaking and powerful speed, she broke the sound barrier and blew the Thunderbolts away with the massive radial, spectrum blast known as Rainbow Dash's patented sonic rainboom! In no time at all she darted across the sky and left a trailing rainbow behind her, and caught up to meteor. Dash wasting no time at all, reached down and held on to the edge of the opening in the rocket's side that Twilight exposed. Ignoring the deafening engine of the missile, she looked into the opening and grabbed on to the blue wire Twilight mentioned. With a satisfying laugh and sigh of relief, Rainbow Dash used her teeth and snapped the wire in two. Then the roar of it's engine faded and the rocket flames doubted. Meteor was disabled at last.

-----

Meanwhile, Nova remained at his desk and continued to stare at the computer screen with the path of the missile still opened. Sparks sat with a drink in his hooves and a grin glued to his face. But his confusion occured when the blinking dot that was Meteor instantly disappeared. Nova smacked the side of the screen to see if it would come back, but his blood pressure quickly rose as he soon realized what may have happened. Taking his two hooves, he put the glass of wine in between them and crushed them with a violent grunt. Nova's plan was foiled and the missile was no more. He thrashed around his office infuriated with Rainbow's success, and smashed everything he could find. Then he ripped the monitor from the desk and smashed it against the wall, "I'm finished! I'm bloody finished!" he shouted out loud.

He plopped down into his desk chair again and switched on his radio, to conjure his last hope of the beginning of project: singularity.

-----

Momentarily after the deactivation, Rainbow laughed off the situation...But her hilarity was cut short as she felt like she was beginning to descend...quicker and quicker. Dash realized the missile's engine was only stopped and that it could still explode, that and it was going to fall to the ground. She began to panic and flew under the large shaft. She held her breath and used all her strength to hold up meteor, but it wasn't enough. It was accelerating it's descent and Rainbow didn't know what to do. She was rapidly approaching the ground and started to lose hope. She knew the blast was powerul enough incinerate everything as far as the mine. Switching into fight or flight mode and with one last effort, she shut her eyes and gathered all the strength she could ever muster and forced it up against the missile. It didn't do a thing at first, but then she felt it was lighter, and it was beginning to slow down. Dash's heart also lifted as she opened her eyes.

But to her complete surprise, she found out she wasn't alone. Helping her, were Spitfire, Soarin, and even Fleetfoot with a chipped tooth and possibly broken nose. All four of them held the missile and slowed it's descent rapidly. They neared the ground and got into comfortable positions to lay it down. Rainbow got out front and tipped the front of the missile sideways and they carefully put meteor on the ground. All of them fell to the ground exhausted, except Rainbow. She was only interested in the return of her idols, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I just saved Equestria with the Wonderbolts!"

Spitfire panted and sat up laughing, "You certainly did...Great job out there. If you hadn't smacked us back into our minds with that sonic rainboom of yours, there's no telling what that missile could've done...You guys agree?"

Fleetfoot nodded his head on the ground and Soarin waved his hoof in agreement sitting up. Rainbow blushed, then Spitfire smiled at her proudly, "You know what guys? I think were looking at our new member. Wouldn't you say?"

"Oh You got that right..." Fleetfoot answered humorously holding his nose.

Soarin agreed, "For sure!"

Rainbow Dash was stunned. She couldn't move. Her expression on her face told it all, Dash was in her own state of shock. Her dream had come true, to fly as a member of the Wonderbolts...But she was big enough to push her own life out of the way and stood up with pride, "Guys, we have more important things to worry about. If you'll excuse me, I have a certain stallion to deal with..."

In a flash, she took flight and began to race off. Quickly being followed by her new allies, the Wonderbolts. The missile was successfully dismantled and Rainbow headed off to finish her last duty. To meet up with the girls and eliminate Nova forever. But she had a lot of flying to cover, she and the Wonderbolts were a long ways away from the mine, and she was still feeling fatigue from the sonic rainboom, but she wouldn't let that slow her down.

-----

In the meantime Applejack was getting tired, and her leg was nearly ready to fail her but she wouldn't let herself quit. Buckingham tried to charge her but he was foiled as AJ slipped behind him and jumped his back again, this time with a harder grip and not intending to let go. Bradshaw bucked around while she tried to grip the brown stallion in a headlock. Buckingham's strength was tough to counter against. His bucking around was nothing like Applejack ever went through. She's won dozens of rodeo bronco bucks but he was the hardest bucker Applejack's ever seen. He held on for dear life but Bradshaw showed no interest of slowing down. The headlock was doing nothing. Then, she glanced back seen the dagger in it's case, and a grin came about her face. With a valiant effort, she wrapped one hoof around Buckingham's neck and used the other to slide the dagger from it's sleeve and into her hooves, "This is fer all the pain you caused my family...and especially Big Macintosh. May Celestia have mercy on you..."

She held the knife to his throat and proceeded to cut but once again Bradshaw flung his flank upward and sent Applejack forward, knocking her off and landing ahead of him with the diamond dagger in front of her. But before she could get up and take it, Applejack was forced into a counter headlock that Bradshaw held with authority. He lifted her up by the neck and slammed her back down, her energy was fading fast. She kicked around but it caused tremendous pain in her leg. Buckingham laughed audaciously, "I thought ya were an Apple, not an ArtiCHOKE!"

Applejack used her good leg and tried to the slide the sword over, while struggling to push Bradshaw's hooves away. But he took notice quickly and kicked the dagger even further, "Face it Ms. Applejack. Yer messin with a diamond standard stallion! You can't possibly think over power me, your finished!"

Her power was weakening and AJ felt herself beginning to droop. For a moment she felt like it was all over, and Nova had won. But something inside of her tried to break through to her. She began to remember what her and the girls went through. Their battles with the dogs, her confrontation with Comet...Big Macintosh...then Applebloom. She remembered her promise to Applebloom. The promise that she would return to her little sister, and protect her. Applejack suddenly felt energy flow back through her veins and her strength livend up once again, for Applebloom, and Equestria. With one last effort she forced as hard as she could against Buckingham's overwhelming strength. With her good leg, she kicked ahead then smacked it back against Bradshaw's shin. He buckled and this gave her the opportunity to surge ahead. Ignoring her injured hoof, she used Bradshaw as leverage and walked up the wall and flipped over him. Buckingham forgot to let go of his grip and he fell back, groaning painfully on the hard ground. He swiped at her hoof but AJ swiftly leaped out of the way and landed further behind him. Fed up with her agility, Bradshaw jumped up and ran towards her as fast as he could. But Applejack had a trick to her strategy. Buckingham laughed confidently, "I can read yer every move..."

With a cunning smile, Applejack lifted her hoof and grabbed his diamond dagger, "Read this..."

She swung it back and launched it ahead. Bradshaw never seen it coming as the shining dagger flew through the air, smashed through a thin layer in his diamond plated armor and appeared to catch him in the heart. He froze instantly with a shocked expression. Then Applejack slowly trotted up to him and kissed the dying stallion, "Why thank ya Bradshaw...I guess diamonds really are a girl's best friend."

With no reaction, Bradshaw Buckingham fell back and died with his own sword through his heart. AJ walked away and picked up her hat, then sat down next to the body of Big Macintosh, "He's gone big brother...Thank you for giving me the strength to continue."

She wiped a tear from her eye and hugged him one last time. But she did not despair for long, for she and her friends had one more task to complete, to eliminate Nova Sparks...

Applejack looked up and noticed Twilight still face to face with Trixie, "Twilight?"

Trixie began to wonder about the consequences, "Princess Celestia was proud of me...and I let her down. But if I don't do this, Nova will kill me..."

Twilight shook her head, "No, you have a choice Trixie. Me and the girls can promise that you will be safe."

Trixie's ignorance disappeared, but she still balanced the choices. Twilight tried one more time to break her free of her arrogance, "Trixie. I'm sorry. We shouldn't be fighting. If Princess Celestia was really proud of you. She knows you'll do the right thing and not do this. We can save you...Nova is finished."

The blue mare was getting teary, "I don't know...I never wanted to cause this much damage. I never meant any harm...I never meant any harm..."

She repeated that line over and over again while lowering to the ground, sobbing pitifully. Twilight knew it was safe and picked herself up. She trotted over to the broken down Trixie and was hesistant to put her hoof on her shoulder. She knelt down with her and spoke to her softly, "We'll get you out of here."

Trixie looked up from the tears in her hooves and finally broke completely down, "All I wanted was to be a famous magician...I'm sorry..."

Twilight smiled and put her hoof around Trixie. Applejack had finally managed to limp over, "Ya'll ok? What's goin on?"

"Applejack. Everything's fine. What happened?" Twilight asked.

AJ paused for a moment, "Big Macintosh is gone Twi. Buckingham killed him...But he can rest now. Our family can rest now..."

Twilight lowered her head for a moment, "I'm sorry Applejack, truly I am."

Applejack snuffed, "I know ya are Twilight, I know. Thank you..."

Upon hearing the news, Twilight was sick of it all. All the death, and heart breaks that Nova and his organization provoked. She got up and helped Trixie to her hooves as well, "Are you going to be alright?"

She too, snuffed a few more times but eventually collected herself, "Yeah...I'll be fine...You can enter through that door up there...Good luck Twilight Sparkle..."

She smiled, "Thank you...Truce?"

Twilight extended her hoof out. Trixie nodded and gave her a confident grin, "Truce...Your friends are upstairs. Tell them I said sorry...You know, their lucky to have a friend like you..."

With that, Trixie turned and proceeded to leave the mine. Leaning as far as she could against the wall to protect herself from the hot flames that were sneaking in. When she got to the other side, she continued to trot on out but hesitated for a moment to think, then moved on without a word. The Great and Powerful Trixie, gained respect, and let go of her ego at last.

Not wasting any more time, Twilight looked up at Nova's office door, "Alright...Moment of truth."

"Moment of truth..." Applejack repeated.

The two galloped up the stairs and seen Spike and Rarity tied up in the corner of the room, "Rarity? Spike? Ya'll ok?"

They tried to respond but their mouths were taped up. Twilight knelt down and ripped it off. Rarity inhaled deeply, "Oh Thank goodness Twilight...That narsistic pony tricked us then tied us up in this rope...Get us out of here could you please?"

Applejack undone the knot. Spike offered to brush Rarity off, "Allow me."

"Why thank you Spiky." Rarity smiled.

Twilight and AJ looked at each skeptically. She was afraid to ask but Twilight couldn't resist, "Are you two uhhhh...You know."

Spike laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "Well we may have shared a moment...There are more important things to be done."

"Right! Ok Rainbow Dash should hopefully be back any second now, and I want you three to go down and get Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. I have a few things I'd like to say to Mr. Sparks." Twilight promptly proposed.

Applejack tipped her hat, "Sounds good...Ya sure yer gonna be ok in there by yerself for a sec?"

She nodded back, staring intentively at the door to Nova's office, "Oh Yeah, he's cornered now. There's no way he's getting away this time."

"Well alright then. Spike, Rarity. Let's go...We'll be right there sugarcube." AJ assured confidently.

Twilight chuckled and grinned, "I know you will, and before I forget..."

She reached into her saddlebag and tossed Applejack, Fluttershy's last slice of the enchanted apple, "Make sure Fluttershy takes this, and Spike, Rarity? Trixie said she was sorry for tying you guys up. She's cooled down now...I think she's finally learned her lesson."

Applejack lead Spike and Rarity down the stairs while Twilight trotted up to the door. But before heading down the next staircase, Applejack limped over to Big Macintosh one last time and kissed him on the cheek, "I love you big brother...So long..."

Twilight took a deep breath and looked up, "We did it Princess...Nova is defeated. Harmony will be restored. You can rest now your Majesty...Again, thank you for everything."

[...To be concluded?]