"Come on! You gotta know something we don't. You're always bragging about how the two of you are such great friends."
"I'm not in the business of gossiping about Starlight with any of your lackey friends."
Once, it'd be almost impossible to resist the urge to kick such a smack-talker in the back of the head. But then Rainbow became friends with Twilight, and later, a Wonderbolt. "Don't you care about making her feel better?" She zipped around, hovering above Trixie's path. "Anything, Trixie, anything you can tell us would be a real big help. You like impressing us, right?"
Trixie barked a laugh, deliberately turning a sharp left instead of going underneath Rainbow. "As if I give a flying feather about what any of you think of me, save Twilight," she muttered in a breath. "You wanna know about her so badly? Howsabout you act like you're Starlight's friends and actually talk to her like a normal pony. 'Cause I'll tell you this much... ooh, can't forget my magic sack." Rainbow growled as Trixie whipped around, leering toward a star-spangled sack as big as a melon and equally as heavy-looking. "I can tell the suspense is killing you," she turned her head, looking over with glazed, tired eyes, "so to explain myself, Starlight was able to relax around me. I didn't treat her like this dainty little flower. And that isn't bragging, believe it or not, because even when Maud and I offered to have a slumber party she declined as though we were asking if we could meet her dad. Clearly, there's something going on with her she's not yet comfortable enough to tell me about. That is all I will tell you, Rainbow Dash. Savor it." And Trixie bit down upon the sack and carried it to her wagon, where dozens of other stage props were littered about the entryway for "re-categorization" or whatever.
Rainbow's first thought was of surprise, for Starlight actually had parents she hadn't yet told her about. And if Rainbow didn't know, the others must not either, for Rarity was a tried and true gossip hound who was terrible at keeping secrets, especially under the epic relief of Aloe's hooves when they would go on a Secret Spa Date. She and Starlight spent the most time together of the six of them, not counting Egghead, and if Rarity didn't know, then she might not have told Twilight, either.
Her second thought was more of a realization than anything really deep or critical, which she dumbly voiced aloud for Trixie to mock and use as pathetic win points.
"Wait, you and Starlight hung out?"
Trixie looked to and fro, as if trying to find something, then set her bag down and looked over her shoulder. "Yes. And so did Maud, but she entered the scene later." She snatched it back up in her mouth, violently enough to send it swinging and nearly smacking her on both sides of the face.
So Maud was in on this, apparently. Wouldn't Pinkie have said that earlier? Unless she didn't know something about her sister, for once. Revelations like this were usually kind of relieving, reminding Rainbow that Pinkie wasn't an utterly perfect friend-slash-sister, either.
Trixie placed her "magic" sack at the foot of her stairs leading into the wagon. "And, no, before you ask," she said, turning fully, "Trixie isn't sure why Starlight declined our, or rather my, generous offer. We did nothing to offend her, and she turned us down so hard that Trixie felt it upon her royal cheek." Which she demonstrated by rubbing where she was symbolically slapped.
Rainbow didn't care if she saw her roll her eyes. Then, brilliance struck (she hoped). "Any idea why?" she asked, swooping closer as Trixie went to grab her bag. "Maybe like, I dunno, something you did or talked about?" Too much, too late. She always acted before thinking it through, a habit she and Spitfire were aching to break.
With an ursa-like groan, and dropping her "magic sack" upon the grass, Trixie did a 180, glaring as if possessed by the Alicorn Amulet all over again. "It seems all those crashes and rainbooms have severely damaged your cognitive skills." She flicked her bedraggled forelock aside, clearing her view, "so let me spell it out as succinctly as I possibly can." Trixie took a breath Rainbow could barely hear over the piercing cry of a teakettle. It's been years since this mare did something to tick her off. "I am not Starlight's only friend. I don't care if Twilight and her lackeys wanna give her the keys to Canterlot, as if that'd fix all her problems! You six need to mind your own beeswax, because how you're treating this is sickening to me. Sickening! I've half a mind to tell Starlight your game here, coming to Trixie and bothering her about things you, her friends, ought to know like a sixth sense by this point."
Ouch. Really, that hit like a wall to the face, all sudden and out of nowhere when, in all honesty, it was Rainbow's fault for slamming into it. She armored herself with a well-practiced sluggish blink. "Ya done, Ms. Great and Powerful?"
"That depends if you are," Trixie challenged with a whirl, a flick of the tail and horn, tossing that "magic sack" into the darkness of her wagon. "Shoot, I needed to sort through that." Any coolness points evaporated as the dummy galloped after it, disappearing inside.
Rainbow shook her head, landing on three hooves. "Not even close," she answered under her breath.
Even so, she wondered, Why'd I have to be the one to ask Trixie? Scratch that. A better question came to mind: Why do we have to deal with her at all? Rainbow Dash had doubly half a mind to turn around, give Lulamoon the nastiest, most vulgar flight trick in her arsenal, then report back to Twilight and lie that Trixie was just as lost as they were. At least then, the girls would side with Rainbow and accept that being direct with Starlight was the only way to help her.
That was all out the window once Trixie said revealed sh did, in fact, have contact with their friend. After failing twice, once to keep Twilight and Spike away from Starlight before Pinkie returned with Princess Celestia, and again for choosing not to fly her the message herself, Rainbow vowed for all to hear that she wouldn't return without something that could help.
With that, her honor and virtue as a friend was on the line.
She'd revoke her place in the Wonderbolts if it meant getting Starlight to feel better. And if Twilight thought Trixie knew "something" that could help achieve this, as the egghead put it, then Rainbow had no issue with basically grovelling before the showmare. Not that she would actually do that, as as if Rainbow would ever grovel to anypony, much less Trixie Lulamoon.
Said mare exited her wagon, floating an assortment of halfhearted props like stuffed rabbits and paper bouquets, and made a throaty sound upon locking eyes with her. "You're still here?"
"I'll ignore the fact that you called me stupid before," said Rainbow Dash. "But if you think I'm gonna leave without your help, you got another thing comin'!"
A slimy smile cross Trixie's lips. "Ooh, 'help' is what we're calling it now. You girls want my help?"
Sweet Celestia. Rainbow thanked the many hours Spitfire yelled derogatory insults at her teammates. Not the same, but Trixie was still somepony spewing garbage that really ticked her off. "Obviously," she cried like it was so. "Look Trixie, whatever gripe you have with us, just drop it already. I'm not saying we didn't mess up that day, because," she swallowed a lump threatening to solidify, "because we all did that day." Trixie's expression softened, though an edge lingered. "But if we wanna help Starlight, then we gotta both get over ourselves and work together to give her the help she needs!"
Trixie's gaze lowered, searching, her brows pushing together. Rainbow flew over, turning and craning her head down beside her, even hugging her close. Because like it or not, despite her obnoxious behavior, this dummy was Starlight's friend and therefore Rainbow's, too. Sort of.
"So come on!" she urged. Every second they wasted was another Starlight was suffering. "If we don't help her soon, Starlight could be in real trouble! Just come back to the castle with me, please? Come back, and just tell Twilight what you know, so that we can help Starlight correctly. And I promise," she said with a hoof upon her slamming heart, "I promise, on my wings, my Element, and my honor as a Wonderbolt, that we'll help Starlight get better, together."
Rainbow bit the inside of her cheek, held her breath, stilled her entire being save the wings that carried her so far. A breeze picked up, pulling their manes in a way much like she always did her father at a Wonderbolts show.
Finally Trixie's mouth staggered open. "When you put it..."
A loud, otherworldly womp sound yanked both their attention toward Trixie's "saw a pony in two" prop, where the grass bowed toward a sphere of teal light that shuddered, slowly at first, then faster, more frantic. The air around it became charged with cloudless thunderbolts, snaking around it at impossible speeds. In the second it began it expanded, a wave of light and balmy wind, like something out of the Bad Lands outside Klugetown. Acting quickly Rainbow covered her eyes, but returned immediately as soon as a ghastly whine boomed and faded, where Trixie suffocated in a way she never thought to hear from her.
And all Rainbow could utter was a breathless, "Woah."
Within a circle of charred grass sat Starlight Glimmer, that crazy-awesome unicorn. Her back was to them as she struggled to rise on tremulous forelegs, as though she'd finished her first ever marathon. Electric-blue bolts snaked around her in spurts, vanishing and appearing within the instant of appearing. A single strip of smoke curled from what was obviously her horn stump.
She wasn't making a sound. Probably in awe as well.
"You... are... a beast, Starlight!" she cried, swooping over as her friend continued trying to comprehend her surroundings, clearly in a daze. "Is this what you've been working on? Not even a week without your horn, and you're already back to doing crazy magic." It'd better be the case. Twilight would be relieved if that was the answer behind her cold shoulder these last few days.
But she still hadn't moved. Or answered. "Eh?" Rainbow flew toward her. "Yo, Equestria to Starlight!" A cackle burst from Rainbow's lips, still reeling from the gravity of what happened. "Can I just tell you how awesome that was? Because it totally was!"
"M'wuh?" Starlight turned her head, rubbing her forehead. And Rainbow screeched to a stop, her gut plummeting faster than she could ever hope to fly. "My head hurts," she mumbled, not even seeing the crimson on her hoof as she used it for support, painting the blackened grass around it.
Trixie stepped underneath Rainbow, jostling her aside. "Oh, gosh, Starlight. Y-you're bleeding. You're bleeding from your horn!"
"Yeah." Rainbow nodded, swallowed. Her mouth was dry. "Let's get you to the hospital."
Starlight waved them off with the finesse of a newborn foal. "No, no'm... f-f'hi..." Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
Rainbow zipped, caught her before she hit the ground, uncaring of the warm blood tracing underneath her eye, down her cheek, trickling on her foreleg. Her friend was bleeding. Starlight was bleeding, she was actually bleeding from her horn, and...!
Rainbow exhaled. This was fine. She had it under control. "I gotta get her to the..." Trixie fired up her horn and poofed them to Ponyville General before Rainbow could finish.
Respect for Trixie at the end of this chapter with the quick teleport. No panicking, just bam, hospital.
9304731
She did panic a little, but this was mainly from Rainbow's perspective and she was just amazed Starlight achieved this at all. Trixie, on the other hand, was stunned the moment Starlight appeared, then had a little freakout when she noticed Starlight's injury. She came to the same conclusion at the same time as Rainbow, though, and managed a teleport!
Trixie isn't perfect, but I think from a certain perspective she's handling this whole situation in her own way that's also admirable.
Based on Starlight’s speech and the fact that she passed out after such a short amount of time I’d say the injury is bad enough to cause severe bleeding and as such she has already lost a large amount of blood. Seems likely that she’ll need a blood transfusion along with having the wound healed.
In case it isn’t obvious; I am into medical stuff.
9305388
I can tell you are, which is pretty cool! Though Starlight didn't lose a lot of blood; her faintness was essentially from a sort of head trauma in forcing such a powerful spell through the use of her broken horn. It was a great strain on her body, and though she couldn't feel it she was otherwise in quite a bit of pain, since it was akin to getting punched in a wound that just began healing.
9305976
Ah.
If anypony can learn to use magic frequently while having a broken horn ,it will be Starlight.
9306703
Here's hoping! Let's see how she's feeling next chapter - things will still be from Rainbow's perspective.
By the way, your avatar is freaking adorable.
9307078
Its from that picture in Father knows Beast, one of the few goods things in that episode.
TwiStar is the only ship in the show I fully support. Its just adorable.
I might like Trixie but shes just too much of a bad influence on Starlight for my taste. Twilight is good for Starlight.
9307311
I actually quite liked Father Knows Beast. I appreciated how obviously fake Sludge was, making the emotional core of the episode not the idea of Spike having a father, but rather what this actually means to him. It also featured that great Starlight moment with the bathtub, a snazzy song, Twimom validation (their relationship is one of my favorites in the show), and of course, the TwiStar picture.
Although this isn't a shipping story, you can see inklings of my view of their relationship in their regard towards one another. Twilight's will become more clear near the end.
I wouldn't say Trixie is a bad influence on Starlight, as Starlight is usually the one who needs to rein in Trixie when they're together. I love their friendship but I do not, in any way, think they would make a healthy couple. Trixie is too needy, possessive, and self-centered to be considered a good partner for someone learning to be none of these things like Starlight, which I'm taking pains to depict in this story without flanderizing Trixie or making her out to be a plain bad pony.
9307856
Twilight being Spike's mother casts her in a light somewhere between wantonly neglectful and outright abusive. At least if she's his mistress and he her servant she's supposed to limit his freedom, exploit his labor, and only tend to his most base needs.
9308347
Menial chores every well-rounded kid does is apparently abuse in your eyes.
Forget the fact that Spike does more than he needs to because he likes being a help to Twilight, though I bet you're ready to write that off as brainwashing or conditioning. There is no limiting of freedom Twilight places on him (in fact there are multiple instances of evidence to the contrary, like when she allows him to go on his journey in Dragon Quest) and she does everything she can to provide him with wisdom and parental comfort, That's more than providing his "base needs," which consists of shelter and sustenance.
9308347
Not really validation. More likely it was Twilights parents who raised Spike, not Twilight. Cause shes kind a, you know, a f**ken child and has school most of the day. And hasn't learned responsibility yet. She wouldn't be a star pupil if she had Spike to raise.
Also Twi's Parents and Celestia herself would have to be complete morons to leave a child to raise a baby.
9308463
Glares at the comics
9307856
I'm not saying Trixies bad. But some of Starlights bad habits usually appear when shes in a episode with Trixie.
Like, I for one don't believe Starlight would trade her wagon like that. Its just so out of character at this point. Shes become such a responsible pony.
9308461
And the conditioning you mention below, and doing things like using him as live bait in The Best Gift Ever. Also, having to clean the entirety of a castle and organize its castle-sized library multiple times per week, and to cook for two grown mares as well as himself, are hardly minor ("menial" does not mean what context leads me to believe you think it means; it means drudging or degrading) tasks.
We've been over this topic already WRT Starlight's village. Consent to a thing isn't a magical cure-all, and yes, you have to look at whether the circumstances are such that it can meaningfully said to have been given freely. Conditions of dependence and hierarchy, as between a child and its mother, do not qualify.
The fact that he had to ask permission at all in Dragon Quest indicates a limitation on his freedom. And he wasn't really free - he was subject to surveillance the whole time. Also, what wisdom?
9308472
I agree with your stance until you look at it in context. It was a little more than a simple "like that," the selling of the wagon that is. Starlight was at her peak annoyance and got to the point where she was inside her own head (much like this fic). She has a habit of doing that when she's at her limits, retreating to what she thinks is right, acting, and not considering any repercussions outside of what she believes would be the only conclusion. Rational thought goes out the window for Starlight when she's under duress.
When she sold the wagon, her only concern was convenience for both her and Trixie. She did not stop to consider Trixie having emotional attachment to something that, in her eyes, was a cramped piece of junk.
Not saying it was right, not at all. But I thought it was in-character for Starlight. I'd say this was an important lesson for her to learn, as her rush into action was yet another time it negatively affected others when she ought to have considered that in the first place, but this time it costed her one of her closest friends. She wouldn't want to repeat that in the future.
9308491
And theres my point. Its usually Trixie that is getting her to the point where she does something like this. Skipping the dinner with Celestia, bottling up her anger, trading the wagon, contributed to the Uncommon Bond fiasco. Its kind of like Trixies presence causes Starlight to lose all common sense.
Which is why I don't mind them being friends. But they should definitely stay away from anything beyond that.
Twilight, though, usually brings out the best in Starlight and vise versa. Which is why I like the pairing.
9308486
"Subject to surveillance"? Fucking lol, this right here is why I'm sick of your bullshit. He was only "spied" on because his friends were terrified for his safety, and rightfully so given what they knew about dragons at the time. He might have had guardian angels helping him, but they never swooped in to stop him from doing something and obstructing his freedom.
He didn't have to ask, either. He chose to go and didn't even ask for permission, nor did Twilight try very hard to stop him.
9308516
I see what you mean. I think Trixie's involvement was only tangential to problems Starlight already has. Like Uncommon Bond had nothing to do with Trixie's end but more of Starlight herself feeling insecure about the value of her friendships, since she has little in explicit common with any of them. The dinner was Starlight rebelling against Twilight's smothering and the anger-bottling could have been with anyone, as Starlight's fear stemmed from the fact that she believed saying the truth would drive a friend away.
9308542
Sure they did. At the end of the episode.
9308491
There's some misuse of terms here. Surely acting from a place of headiness, of dispensing with messy context in favor of beautiful abstracts, and of disregarding sentimentality, is not irrational, but rational?
9308516
Time was, Twilight didn't need Starlight to bring out her best. The pairing is anathema to me, because Starlight being in the room diminishes the scope of Twilight's character.
9308569
Strike three. You're out.
Once again, you've done nothing to enhance or bring anything interesting to the conversation besides your skewed view of the show prettied up with twisted interpretations of what I and others are saying so we look wrong and yourself right. Believing that is fine, but you never put the work into showing why you disagree. It's not insightful, it feels like pure contrarian nonsense and is the sole reason why people do not like to debate with you - because that is all you do, zimmerwald.
I do hope you continue to enjoy this story in silence. I get the feeling you're going to hate its ending, but I'll tell you this much: I'm not writing this story in support of whatever mangled view you possess of the characters.
Sorry it had to come to this, but I doubt you care.
Ouch figured teleportation with a broken horn would have some major consequences, but hey major props to Trixie in the end. She must have been able to handle her teleportation.
9308569
Unfortunately, Twilight doesn't really need Starlight to diminish the scope of her character. Shes been doing a lot of that on her own, so its not Starlights fault. Like trying to steal that pearl. Using Spike as bait. Letting Applejack and Rainbow continue with their foolishness. Not finally stoning Discord once and for all.
Considering starlight's response, one has to wonder if she did that intentionally or not
Also, as if it needs to be said, but great chapter... One minor issue though: it says "great, green army" and I'm not sure what you actually meant for it to say there.
That sounds... nice. I am sure nothing bad could possibly happen to anyone... yep.
Excellent friending, Trixie!
Also, Trixie can teleport! That’s a pretty big deal, as we only ever see alicorns and Starlight do so in the show.