Once More, with Feeling

by Amaranthine Thought

Chapter 16: Breakthrough

Twilight watched outside town hall as a small mob effectively took it apart. She wasn't paying too much attention to them, mulling over her thoughts and feelings about Trixie.

On the one end, the mare had… seriously hurt Twilight, and not even directly. But through the conduit of old friends, and seeing ponies normally happy and friendly angry and glaring and upset.

And her last words. A final boast, and one that rose higher than anything Twilight had even imagined much less heard:

“Trixie doesn’t have to explain herself.”

And yet…

The time before. When they were just walking. With Trixie…

Actively helping her. Doing her all to… make her feel happy. Putting on a whole show, deflecting attention, worrying for her. Even hiding her own problems. And putting forth her very all to make Twilight, the alicorn of the stars, talking to nothing in the middle of the market, the secondary attention.

Twilight had been happy.

And Trixie had… Twilight had never seen her smile. Not her real smile, not until that day. She had never seen her near leaping in sheer joy. And that only because she had told her that she enjoyed the time they had spent together.

So… then what on Equestria was different between now and here and then and there? It couldn’t be that Trixie had meant any of that…

But she had stolen Rarity’s cloth.

She shook her head as Buttercup floated over.

“Princess?”

She looked up. “Is it going well?” she asked.

“Yeah, somepony was sick, but yeah. I’m mostly bone now. I’d… rather not see me if you know what I mean.”

Twilight nodded. “I understand.”

“So, what’s wrong with you?”

“…I’m just thinking.” Twilight paused, wondering, and then asked, “Buttercup? Can you help me with something?”

“Sure. I did say I’d help you with most anything after all.”

“…Why would a pony never apologize?”

Buttercup blinked. “…It depends in my experience. Take my mom for example; she… wasn’t a nice pony, and she never apologized for anything. She did that because she always thought she was right. Or so she told me anyway.”

“Anything else?” Twilight asked, shaking her head. That didn’t sound right.

“Well… this counts for me too, but sorry also means ‘I messed up’. And I hate making mistakes, and really hate it when other ponies point them out to me, so I would always defend my stupid action, and then try to fix it later. I… mighta picked up a bad habit or six from my mom thinking about it, but you get it, right?”

Twilight nodded slowly, thinking about it.

I messed up. An admission not only of guilt, but also of…

Of failure.

It came to her suddenly, a revelation like a lightning bolt. Trixie hadn’t been acting like she had thought. Trixie hadn’t been acting like anypony had assumed. She’d just made it easy for them to assume that.

It was easy to see. Trixie, trying to… help? Trying to fit in maybe? She wasn't sure, but Trixie must have gone to each of her friends.

She had tried to help with the harvest, and somehow destroyed it. Faced with her failure, her pride wouldn’t allow her to admit it. So she came back, to make it better without telling anypony, and made it worse instead.

She’d gone to one of Pinkie’s parties, and tried to include herself. And in all likelihood, butted heads with Pinkie over everything. Then that failure too, was sealed away, and she went to the kitchen, to fix it. Only to mess that up too.

She got into a prank war with Rainbow, and Twilight knew full well that while Rainbow loved pranks, she hated them when they were done to her. Was that nothing more than accidental rivalry? A back and forth that neither pony stopped until it became something huge?

Whatever incident occurred at Fluttershy’s home sounded like pure accident, and animals weren’t very forgiving of ponies who harmed them. Trixie had even attempted to go there on this trip, hadn’t she? To… fix it only to be stopped by Bruno?

And then she had also planned to go to Carousel Boutique. And that was the one oddity that made her not sure. If she had stolen cloth, why would she return? Rarity would see it a mile away, had seen it a mile away. So why return?

…

“…Thank you Buttercup.” She said. “I’ll be around.”

“You’re welcome?” Buttercup said, a touch confused as to how she helped. “Where are you going?”

“To see a seamstress.”

---

Twilight soon reached Carousel Boutique, most of Ponyville near town hall. She went to knock on the door, and then waited.

“Sweetie! If you would,”

“I got it!”

The door opened, revealing the filly Twilight knew. Not so much a filly anymore. She was bigger, in the slightly odd phase between full growth and childhood.

She also gaped as she saw Princess Rest standing at the door. Then she looked back in, and yelled, “It’s the Princess!”

A yelp came from someplace. Then Rarity, heading over fairly quickly as Sweetie moved out of the way to allow her past.

“Princess, I didn’t expect you to come by so soon!” Rarity said, smiling. She was a bit tense, flustered. Considering her state not an hour ago, Twilight had anticipated that. “Is… something that matter?” she asked, growing faintly worried.

“In a sense.” Twilight said. “May I come in?”

“O, of course, please, come in!”

Twilight did so, and looked around. It was mostly the same, although Rarity’s home technically changed every week or so. New patterns, new designs, new ideas.

“Tea?”

“No thank you. Instead, I wanted to know more.”

“…More.”

Twilight nodded, and Rarity sighed.

“I assume this is about Trixie.”

“It is. A…conflict between the bearers isn’t a small thing. I’d like to know what happened, and know all of what happened.”

Rarity looked away, groaning faintly. “Well… I suppose I should start at the beginning. Sit down Princess. This might take a while.”

Twilight did so, Rarity taking a seat nearby. Then the white mare thought for a moment, her expression suggesting she didn’t like the memories.

“…I… met Trixie a fair while ago.” Rarity said. “But that was only for a day or less, and she was soon off again. I didn’t see her again for years. None of us did.”

“Then years later, he showed up.”

Twilight blinked at her tone, one a mix of dread and hate. “…Waker?” she guessed.

Rarity shuddered. “Please, don’t… say that name. It… the things we saw…” She shuddered again, powerfully. “They… they still haunt me.”

Twilight waited as Rarity recovered.

“…We set out to defeat him, the five of us, carrying six elements. We didn’t much care we couldn’t use them like that. None of us did.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked.

“Because he… we hated him. He woke things that didn’t deserve to be woke, and one of the first things he woke was… a dear, dear friend.” Rarity sighed, closing her eyes, and whispered, “We… we burned her to free her from his grip.”

Her grip on her cup trembled. “I hated him. I still hate him.”

Her eyes opened, dull, not seeing what they were currently looking at.

“We walked through ghosts, and lands dead by his touch.” she said, her voice dull. “We saw ponies, torn from their graves, and destroyed them. Decaying flesh, empty eyes, congealed blood, the cold of it all, and the stink, that horrible stink… We all made a choice to not let any of it stop us. No matter what we had to face. No matter what we had to do.”

“We found Trixie in the middle of it. Fighting horrors, and surviving where everypony else had already been… she led us. Hate wasn't enough to keep going, but following her unflinching step through the dead was enough. She never hesitated. She never flinched. She protected us with all she had.”

“She led us to Waker, and I am certain that it was her alone that stopped his escape. But we faced… nightmares given form. And he was winning.”

“Until Trixie took the element of magic. She stood tall, kept them at bay, and called for us, and we… trusted her. We won. The dead died again as the elements worked. It was over.”

“That was the happiest day of my life right then. Standing with old friends and a new friend, the nightmare over, the dead once more still. We returned to Canterlot, and Trixie was awarded the title of the bearer of magic, and each and every one of us wanted her to be that. We all six laughed together then.”

Rarity stopped, staring at her tea, Twilight silent. Just the idea, even Rarity’s rather withheld description…

Waker was a living nightmare. Fighting him had been a living nightmare. Fighting the dead. And they had faced all of that for one reason:

Because they thought that Waker had raised her. To use against them.

“…I’m sorry.” Twilight said, drooping, making Rarity start.

“Oh, oh dear darling, I didn’t… It’s over, it’s done. Don’t let it hurt you now. It means he wins if you do.”

Twilight looked to the white mare again, and saw her smiling. No real trace of trauma or distress in her eyes. Seeing that, she gave her a slight smile again.

Rarity nodded, sitting back. “To other times, Trixie came to live in Ponyville with us soon after. Spike offered her a room at the library, and she accepted. She seemed… well, she seemed not to really… I don’t know what she was thinking or feeling, but for a time, she was… worried about something.”

“She came to me a few days after she moved in, and actually asked me to teach her how to sew. Trixie. Asking me to help her.” Rarity gave a small laugh. “I was surprised, but just assumed that she was… different.”

“She’s a horrible student and a worse seamstress. I’m still not sure how she broke my sewing machine, but she did. After that argument, she never came back. I never would have thought she would actually steal some of my cloth if I hadn’t actually seen it on her.”

Twilight started, reminded. “That’s right!”

Rarity started. “What’s right darling?”

“Where do you keep your cloth Rarity?”

“In my work room,” Rarity said, gesturing, only to stop as Princess Rest got up to hurry that way. “Darling, what are you doing?”

“What did you do with Trixie’s outfit?” Twilight said, pushing the door open, Rarity right behind her.

“Well, I took it apart. Whatever Trixie did to it wasn’t particularly hard to remove. Back where it belongs, at least some of it.”

Twilight nodded, spotting the blue cloth, within its own cubby in Rarity’s massive wooden cloth holder. Then she focused.

If Trixie had taken the cloth, a few things should linger. Some clue of some kind. Magical traces might fade fast, but something that deliberate should be easy to spot amongst Rarity’s soft and tiny strokes.

She felt for any trace, only to pause.

The cloth gave a signature of its own. The bundle in the cubby was one.

The bundle behind the cubby was another.

She glanced at it, and nodded. Taking a chance, she grabbed it in her grip, and lifted. Rarity started as the whole thing shifted, lifting in Rest’s grip. Even the massive structure groaning in her strength too strong, but not crushing.

“Oh, goodness, please, be careful!” she yelped, the whole thing not particularly steady in Twilight’s grip. “You’ll… what’s that?”

Rarity frowned at the small bundle of blue Twilight had revealed. She pulled it to her, and frowned at it, Twilight thudding the structure back down. Twilight looked to the cloth, and pulled the other one free form the cubby, holding them close to one another.

Rarity looked up, and glanced back and forth, before blinking, suddenly frozen.

Twilight saw the difference easily when they were close. One was enchanted, and enchanted well. That was the one she held. The one Rarity held was not enchanted, nor had anything been done to it.

Rarity’s mouth opened as she stared at the pair.

Twilight glanced back at the cubby, and a brief check allowed her to see a small hole in the back of it. Nothing too much, but enough for, say, something to grab the cloth and pull it through. A second look at the cloth she held showed cat hair.

“…Oh no.” Rarity whispered. “I… oh, Celestia, I…” She swallowed, tearing up a little, her breathing accelerating, her eyes staring at nothing in shock. “Celestia… forgive me… Trixie… didn’t… take… my cloth.”

Twilight shook her head.

Rarity choked, shaking her head, faintly crying. Then she looked up at Rest, almost manic. “Princess, I didn’t know, I swear! I never would have done this if I had known!”

“It might not be me who you should be talking to.” Twilight said softly.

Rarity swallowed again, and shook her head. “Of, of course. Trixie. Poor Trixie… I’ve been a monster to her. I have to…” she looked at the cloth she held. Her eyes hardened, and she went to her workbench.

Twilight looked to her, and asked, “What are you doing?” half suspecting already.

“I’m not going back empty hooved.” Rarity muttered, working already. “I see now that I’ve… I didn’t give her a chance, I just took one look at the first disaster, and didn’t let her anywhere near… She learned anyway! That hat was good! She really tried! She even learned how to enchant the cloth!”

Twilight walked near, seeing Rarity putting the hat back together. “…She wanted to come by today.”

Rarity stopped to shudder. “…Celestia forgive me.” she repeated in a hoarse whisper, resuming work. “…Princess, I think we should all go to talk to Trixie. Me and all the other bearers. I’m going to make this… I’m going to make this the best cloak and hat for her. I’ll be a while. Could you go to get the others?”

Twilight nodded. “I will. And should their complaints be valid?”

Rarity snorted. “If Trixie went through all this… Maybe she’s clumsy, a little ignorant, but she isn’t bad. She just… has too much pride to actually admit doing anything wrong. Bumbling her way into our lives, and of course she fails, and of course she gets angry at us when we get angry at her!”

“She didn’t understand us, but we didn’t bother to understand her!”

“And this… I can see it still. Each cut so careful, each stich done with care. We didn’t bother to understand her.”

“But maybe she was trying to understand us. And ignorance and pride and misunderstandings tore us all apart. Because Trixie can’t bring herself to say sorry, and we can’t bring ourselves to understand why not.”

“I’ve been a monster. We’ve all been monsters. I can only hope Trixie still has faith in us after this.”

Twilight watched Rarity at work for a moment, and then silently left.

Maybe Rarity was right. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was somewhere between.

But no matter how one looked at it, Trixie had tried. She was just really, really bad at explaining herself, and when something went wrong, she amplified it defending herself.

She had old friends to find and talk to.

---

Twilight found Pinkie, cleaning up the last of the mess at Sugarcube Corner. The pink mare turned to see her enter, and smiled.

“Hey Princess! Floor’s safe now.”

“Pinkie, I want to talk to you about Trixie.”

Pinkie cocked her head. “What about her?”

“Are you angry at her?”

“Nope!”

Twilight blinked. “…What?”

“I’m not mad at her Princess. Trixie does her best, she’s just silly and doesn’t know how to do many things. She breaks a lot of stuff too, but she doesn’t mean to break stuff. Like the cookies: I used to think that if you put the heat up the food would bake faster too. Everypony mistakes the flour for the baking soda from time to time, and spills happen. Never saw the oven just burst on fire like that though; I think Trixie might be a bad luck charm around machines.”

“…Then what were you,”

“Breaking stuff is still breaking stuff, and the Cakes can’t afford to replace their window, the display case, and now the roof.” Pinkie said. “Normally, Trixie would fix it herself, but then again, glass and clumsy hooves. So she has to pay for it instead; it’s what’s right.”

Twilight nodded, smiling a little. Pinkie was still Pinkie at least. Happy, friendly mare, who saw things with ease that other ponies couldn’t see even if you pointed at them.

“Rarity wants to talk with her, and wants you to come along.”

“Not if Rarity’s going to keep yelling.”

“She wants to apologize.”

Pinkie blinked. Then she grinned. “I’ll do that! Do I have time for cupcakes?”

“I am sure you do.” Twilight said. “Just stop by the library when you’re ready. I’ll get the others.”

“Okie dokie! Applejack’s sore about those dead trees though, and Rainbow’s still a little mad with her. They might not be so quick to apologize.”

Twilight paused as she left. Then she looked back, and asked, “Apologize? I can understand Applejack, but why Rainbow? I’d have thought their fight was over.”

“Oh, it is. But Rainbow should apologize on her own, not because Princess Celestia told her to. And Applejack banned her from the farm, and bucked her over the property line, and she never apologized for that.”

Twilight winced, and Pinkie nodded.

“She was real mad that day.”

“I’ll do my best.” Twilight said.

“Good luck Princess!”

---

Applejack was easy to find, still in Ponyville. She looked up as Princess Rest headed to her. She hesitated at the faint disapproval on her face.

“…Somethin th matter?” she asked.

“…How many trees did Trixie kill?”

Applejack frowned. “Dozen.”

Twilight nodded. “Did she mention why, or maybe how?”

Applejack hesitated, though she still frowned; she prized her apple trees greatly. “She was talking bout makin th trees bloom again. Not real sure how she thought she would, but all th leaves jus fell off and they died. Even th wood was brittle, like it was rotten.”

“She wanted to help.”

“She killed a bunch o trees!” Applejack objected.

“So you buck her out of the farm?”

Applejack paused at that, and looked away, obviously not proud of that action. “…I was upset.”

“I can imagine, but to actually attack her?”

“After runin th harvest an killin trees… the farm kinda needs th bits, an she was…” Applejack sighed. “…I don’t know how I’m gonna make what we got stretch that far, but I’ll figure somethin out. Don’t excuse me hitting her either way though.”

“I think she wanted to help, and simply messed up. You may fault her result, but can you look at me and tell me that she meant to do what she did?”

“…No. She didn’t. It’s jus,”

“You need the bits.” Twilight finished for her. Applejack nodded, keeping her head down. “Why?”

“…It’s fer Granny.” Applejack said, before looking back up. “Ya want me ta talk wit her.”

“Do you want to?”

“…I think I probably should.” Applejack sighed. “What am I gonna say ta her?”

“Maybe you should try to hear the words not said.”

Applejack looked confused. “…Hear words not said? What does that mean?”

“See the truth Applejack. Don’t focus so much on the obvious. Stay by the library; I’ll be gather the others there as well.”

Twilight headed off, leaving Applejack behind. After a moment, the farm mare sighed, and looked at the ground. She huffed.

“…Words not said…”

---

Twilight found Fluttershy and Rainbow at the same time, the pair by the meek pegasus’ home.

Rainbow looked up, seeing her, and Fluttershy looked back.

Rainbow sat up and saluted, though Fluttershy only turned to see her, not smiling.

“Princess! Rainbow Dash, ready for duty!”

“Stand down.” she told Rainbow, and looked to Fluttershy. “You want to say something.”

Fluttershy nodded.

“Do so.”

She took a breath. “Trixie isn’t a bad pony.” Rainbow gave her a look, but Fluttershy ignored it. “When she came to visit, she wanted to impress the animals, and just didn’t know that animals get spooked by surprises. A few birds panicked and knocked a few things of hers over, and they lit on fire, and Bruno got his paw in one of them.”

“The animals might snap at her, but Trixie wants to try! She really tried to… be a friend.”

Rainbow snorted, and Twilight looked to her.

“Trixie is insufferable.” Rainbow retorted. “She’s full of herself, won’t admit when she’s wrong, and keeps sticking her muzzle where it doesn’t belong. She kept on trying to prank me, and she ruined a bunch of air shows!”

Twilight nodded. “…Rainbow. I want you to tell me exactly what happened, and when. What started this?”

“She ruined the first air show I was in as a Wonderbolt.” Rainbow said quickly.

“How?” Twilight asked, and Rainbow paused, and her eyes looked unsure suddenly. As if, faced with how she had, she wasn't… completely certain in her ideas anymore.

“…She… kept… yelling.” Rainbow said, looking away.

Twilight frowned. “And after?”

“I was upset at her, so I… put salt in her coffee.”

“I see. And then?”

“Then she painted Tank rainbow. So I dropped a paint bucket on her when she was walking around. So she planted a foam bomb in the road that I stepped on, so I might have zapped her, so she got my cloud to shock me, and… on and on.” Rainbow said, not looking at Princess Rest.

“It sounds as if you encouraged all this.”

“I did not!” Rainbow objected. “She started it!”

“What did Trixie yell?” Twilight asked, and Rainbow flinched, badly.

“That’s not importa,”

“What did she yell?” Twilight repeated, walking to almost stand over Rainbow, looking down at her. “Insults? Jeers?” she demanded, her eyes angry.

Rainbow, flattened on the ground, looking up at her, whimpered faintly as Twilight stared down at her. “…Praise.”

Twilight blinked. “…What?”

Rainbow yelled, “She kept on praising me, OK?!” starting to break down. “I got super conscious and crashed! And she just wouldn’t stop! She kept on cheering for me to get up and show everypony how good I was, even after I hit the ground like an idiot! Everypony was staring!”

“Rainbow…” Fluttershy murmured, the blue mare starting to cry at that point.

“I got back at her for it, just trying to show her I wasn't happy with her, but then she got back at me, so I got back at her and everything went wrong!” Rainbow wailed. “She just wouldn’t get it, no matter how hard I tried to make her understand!”

Twilight sighed, knowing what went wrong.

“She didn’t understand us, but we didn’t bother to understand her!”

Fluttershy patted Rainbow as the blue mare sobbed faintly. “…Why didn’t you tell us?” she asked.

“Be, because I, I was being dumb!” Rainbow yelled back, covering her face with her hooves and wings. “I, I wanted, wanted to make, make her get it on, on my own! I wanted to make, make her under, understand!”

“…And you were sucked into a cycle of revenge.” Twilight said, to which Rainbow nodded, still crying. “…I don’t think Trixie wanted you to crash Rainbow.”

Rainbow shook her head, her sobbing slowing.

“She must have thought you wanted somepony there, to forever cheer you on, because Trixie would want that at her shows. And I think she meant every word.”

Rainbow sighed, hiccupping faintly. She moved her hooves, and looked up at Princess Rest.

“She painted Tank rainbow, but even that… Rainbow paint takes time. Maybe it wasn't getting back at you; maybe she was trying to make your pet even more awesome.”

“But you didn’t understand, and she, not understanding either, fell into the same cycle of revenge. Both of you tried to make the other understand, and neither of you understood what the other was trying to do or say. You hurt each other because of anger. Two souls so similar trying everything they knew would work, and everything that they themselves wouldn’t understand.”

Rainbow looked away. Only to start as Twilight reached out to gently touch her. She looked again, her eyes worried, maybe even fearing, only to stop.

Twilight was smiling at her, her eyes understanding.

“Stand up Rainbow Dash.” Twilight whispered.

Rainbow did so slowly, keeping her vision locked on Twilight’s eyes. “…You’re not… mad?”

“No.” she said softly, smiling. “Perhaps, should you have refused to answer me, I would have been. But you grew past it. You told me, even when it hurt.”

“And you understand.” she finished.

Rainbow nodded after a moment. “Yeah. I… I do. I… messed up. So did she, but I did it more.”

Twilight nodded. “And now?”

Rainbow hesitated, and seemed awkward. Fluttershy glanced at her, and gained a tiny frown. “Rainbow…”

“Alright, I’ll go and talk to her!” Rainbow yelled suddenly. “Where’s Trixie right now?”

“At the library. The others should be there by now.”

“Right.” Rainbow said, lifting off. Fluttershy did the same after a moment, before pausing to look back, Rainbow lingering nearby.

“…Are you coming Princess?”

“I am.” Twilight said, starting to walk. Fluttershy cocked her head, and Rainbow flew back, watching her with mild confusion.

“…It’s faster if you fly.” Rainbow said, talking like she was pointing out the obvious.

Twilight stumbled a bit, and gave her a nervous and mildly embarrassed smile, slightly speeding up, the pair matching her pace. Fluttershy’s mouth formed an o of understanding, but Rainbow near faltered out of her flight.

“You can’t fly?!” she asked, shocked.

Twilight groaned faintly, looking away.

“Rainbow, that’s not kind.”

“But… but she’s an alicorn! With wings! Everypony should know how to use their wings!”

“I took a long time to learn. Lots of pegasi do.”

Rainbow thought for a moment, mulling that over. “…Alright. Princess, flight lessons. Starting now.”

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy yelped, a little surprised. “You can’t order Princes Rest around!”

“She needs to learn Fluttershy! And I’m willing to teach! What do you think Princess?”

Twilight looked back over. Thinking about it as Rainbow waited impatiently and Fluttershy seemed to flutter nervously nearby.

“…Not now.” she said, making Rainbow huff and Fluttershy to give a faint sigh of relief. “And Rainbow… I’d rather Fluttershy teach me.”

Fluttershy squeaked as Rainbow asked, “Why Princess? I can teach all kinds of tricks!” she said, flipping in the air.

Twilight sighed, smiling again. “I can’t even get off the ground Rainbow. I can barely use my wings at all; just trying to glide is difficult enough. I don’t need tricks, I need control. And my apologies, but Fluttershy is the better teacher for that.”

Rainbow nodded, while Fluttershy stared with wide eyes. “But, but, me!?”

“You’ll do fine Fluttershy.”

“Me!?”

Twilight glanced to the flustered pegasus. “…If you don’t want to, it’s fine.”

“No, no it’s… I… just never did that before…”

“You’ll do fine!” Rainbow said, bumping into her, making her squeak again. She stared at Rainbow, and then looked to Princess Rest, eyes still wide.

“…I have trust in you.” Twilight said, smiling. “But for now, lets focus on Trixie. One thing at a time please.”

They both nodded, but both continued to follow at her pace, instead of simply darting off.

---

The trio arrived at the library as the sun began setting, the others, other than Rarity, already there.

Rainbow fluttered forward to join them ahead of Twilight, and they looked to her again.

“…This feels like some kinda intervention.” Applejack muttered.

“In some ways, it is.” Twilight said, looking around. “Rarity seems to be running late…”

She stopped, spotting the unicorn, running over, a small pack atop her back. Rarity skidded to a stop nearby, panting faintly.

“Terribly sorry for taking so long.” she said. “I rather got carried away.” She looked around the group and nodded. “…So, everypony knows why Princess Rest gathered us here?”

They all nodded, making Rarity nod back, relieved. “Good. This would have been terribly awkward should I have had to convince you all here and now.”

“Convince us of what?” Applejack asked.

“To truly give our all, and break down the barriers between us and Trixie, and really truly look beyond what she did. I know I was simply behaving unacceptably toward her. I didn’t have a shred of understanding for the mare.”

Rainbow nodded, frowning at the ground.

“She makes mistakes, and she’s simply terrible at social interaction. But she truly does care. She truly does want to be friends, and she’s just… bad at it. I for one want it to be like it used to be. I want to smile with her once more. Can any of you say that you don’t?”

They all shook their heads, even Applejack after a second.

“We can do this.” Fluttershy encouraged softly.

“She wants to be a friend, and that’s what’s important.” Pinkie added.

Rainbow only nodded firmly.

“…Oh shoot.” Applejack muttered. “What’s a bunch o apples trees ta a friend? Yer right. I ain’t gonna let her magic anymore trees, but… can’t jus throw her out like I did. The farm ain’t as important as friends or family. Time ta let this end right now. What do ya think Trixie’s gonna say?”

“I do not know. Shall we?” They nodded, and Rarity looked to Princess Rest. “If you would darling. You, after all, are the thread that pulls us together for now.”

Twilight nodded. She went to the door, and entered, the five bearers following her, each in their own particular state of mind.

Spike glanced over as they entered, currently atop a ladder on the shelves. He paused at seeing the group, and seemed to think, wondering about something.

“…Trixie?” he asked, and saw them nod. “She’s in her room.” he said, hopping down and walking over. “So, why’s everypony here?”

“A long story Spike.” Twilight said. “Which one is Trixie’s…”

“Over there.” Spike said, indicating one door in particular. “She wasn't feeling too good when she got here.”

“I have no doubt.” Rarity murmured faintly as Twilight headed to the door. “Spike dear, could you tell me what Trixie might have felt when she came here?”

Spike thought for a moment. “Well… I never saw her like that before. She kept on responding to my questions with single words, and made a beeline to her room.”

Twilight paused before it, wondering what she might find inside. She reached up to gently knock as the others came closer, waiting. The faintest of sounds reached her ears.

“…Never been in there.” Spike mentioned. “She keeps it a secret and a half. I always wondered what she hid in there.”

No response came, so Twilight knocked once more, and called, “Trixie? Are you there?”

Silence.

Rarity paused, and walked closer. “I think I know what might get her up.” she said. Leaning to the door, she called, “Trixie, I want to apologize to you! I was wrong!” Then she moved back, nodding. “That should do it.”

They waited, and again, it was silent. Twilight knocked again, growing worried, as did the others.

“This isn’t like her.” Fluttershy murmured.

Spike frowned at the door. “…She was really upset. Maybe she’s just ignoring us?”

“She’s never ignored anything like that before.” Rarity said, herself concerned.

“So what’s she doin?”

“…Perhaps…” Rarity murmured, “Perhaps the shock of it all, and the exhaustion she must have felt has simply… driven her to despair, so she…” Rarity stopped, eyes widening slightly. “Break down the door!” she abruptly yelled, an idea occurring to her. At her outburst, the same idea came to the rest.

Twilight hit that door hard, and the wood shattered under her hooves like it was frail glass. She forced her way through, soon followed by the rest, only to stop once inside.

It was a small room, as Twilight had known. Once serving purpose as her storage area, now converted into a bedroom of sorts. It was simple, a single bed placed against the far corner, a desk near it. A set of chests lined the opposite wall to the bed, but what was on the far walls was what made them stop.

On the wall directly across from them were images of the other bearers. Any image of them, any article that bore their name.

Behind the bed were images of Trixie. Newspaper clippings, posters, photos. Anything that had her face or name on it, many of which showed the marks of age.

And just over the desk, placed so anypony could see it, was a photo, framed. Placed with great care and purpose.

It was a photo of the bearers, embracing one another and laughing, Princess Celestia and Luna standing behind them, looking proud. Right next to it was the article about the event: when Trixie was declared the bearer for magic.

Trixie was not in the room.

Silently, they spread out, looking at the varied photos and articles. Stunned. Almost shocked.

“…This is from Fillydelphia.” Rarity murmured, looking to one in particular. “She got a newspaper from Fillydelphia. About us.”

“…Copies too.” Pinkie added.

Across the room, Rainbow opened a chest, and found a collection of oddities. Cards, a few small bags, a few books about magic, and magic tricks.

“…These are all old.” Applejack remarked, looking at the wall behind the desk.

“These are new.” Pinkie said from the other side.

Fluttershy only stared at the picture.

Twilight looked at the desk, noting papers scattered across it. Scribbled writing covered it, ideas, thoughts, suggestions; it seemed like Trixie had written a lot in the recent time. A letter was present, placed at the far end of the desk, and she recognized the royal seal.

As she picked it up, she heard the bears asking one another:

“So, where is she?”

She read:

Trixie Lunamoon.

I talk to you for two purposes. The first is to tell you that Princess Rest shall be arriving at Ponyville tomorrow. I expect you to do your best, as she will be housed within the library.

You will be expected to keep her happy and secure. In addition, I want you to send me a report within a few days detailing her actions.

I have also overlooked your last report. It is with a heavy heart to tell you this:

The elements will not work should the bearers not be united.

The situation between you and them has yet to improve. With the newfound fears of Waker, I find myself at a decision I do not wish to make.

Fail to improve your situation with the other bearers within two days, and I shall have to relieve you of your element, and find somepony who can use it.

This is your last warning.

Celestia.

An instant’s thought had her work out that today was Trixie’s deadline. The letter fluttered from her grip, her eyes staring at nothing.

Trixie…

Spike walked near the bed, and paused as he felt something under foot. He looked.

A few crumbs of dirt. They led under the bed. He looked, and gaped.

“A hole!” he yelled

“A what?” Applejack said, heading over.

“A hole! Under her bed!” Spike said.

Applejack flipped the bed up, revealing a hole in the floor. A tunnel of sorts just big enough for a pony to fit within, if they crawled. They stared at it.

“Somepony dug in.” Twilight said, seeing fragments of floor around. It hadn’t been cleaned up, at least not perfectly. “…Trixie.”

The bearers looked at each other, then to Princess Rest.

“What do we do?” Rainbow asked her. “That hole’s just big enough for one of us to crawl through.”

“And what would make it?” Pinkie asked. “That doesn’t look like a pony dug it.”

Twilight. Death whispered as she stared at them, and then at the hole.

That is a ghoul tunnel, one used to sneak up upon and seize victims. It has been made recently, and used recently. Trixie has likely been taken through it, made helpless by the ghoul’s paralytic touch.

You do not have long. The ghoul will be waiting for nightfall, to take her back to its crypt in safety. Should it successfully enter it home, it and its brethren shall eat Trixie, taking care to keep her alive for as long as possible.

It will be waiting either near or inside its tunnel. They are often very clever about hiding them, though this one has made its escape hastily. Likely when you first knocked it panicked and failed to disguise its escape. The other end of the tunnel will be very hard to find, unless somepony travel within it, and reveal the other side.

Beware: the ghoul will strike out at any who discover it, and its claws are deadly. Whoever you choose to send will be in grave danger, and likely be killed instantly should the ghoul see them within the tunnel.

Searching for it in the open has a very low chance of working, and as night falls, ghouls are fast, silent, and very hard to spot, even when carrying a victim in the open. Their crypts are easier to find, but exceptional dangerous to linger near. You cannot wait by the crypt.

You have less than an hour before it is dark enough for the ghoul to bolt.

Twilight shut her eyes. Make somepony go in the tunnel, squirm their way through, and find the other side. And find a monster that would likely kill them.

Or take a huge chance, and try to discover where a ghoul might be waiting for nightfall.

Worst case: two ponies dead, and Trixie dies by inches, eaten by monsters.

Likely case: Trixie dies by inches, eaten by monsters.

Best case: finding the ghoul, and somehow not letting it hurt anypony.

She grit her teeth. She knew what she should choose, but…

…

“Rarity.” She said, making the white mare start slightly. “…I’m going to start this by saying you can say no. But… I need you to go into the tunnel.”

Rarity blinked. “Me Princess? But, it’s… why?”

“Trixie is… in great danger.” Twilight said, trying to tell herself this was the right choice. “A… a ghoul dug that tunnel, and has taken Trixie. We need to find it before nightfall, and we’re running out of time.”

“…What’s a ghoul?” Pinkie asked, worried, the others much the same.

“A monster.” Twilight said. “A monster that is waiting for its chance to escape with Trixie. And if we don’t find it before then, Trixie dies.”

“I need one of you to go through the tunnel, and reach the other end, and somehow tell us where you are. And Rarity is the only one who can.”

“Somepony can jus yell or somethin.” Applejack said, frowning.

“The ghouls is on the other side, and the second it knows it’s been found, it will attack.” Twilight said. “Any yell will only make it alarmed right then.”

Rarity looked down, though Rainbow frowned. “Then what’s Rarity going to,”

“My gem finding spell.”

They looked back to her, and Twilight nodded. “Rarity can make gems glow if she’s near them. That is our only real chance of finding Trixie and the ghoul without letting it know that we found it. It’s still dangerous. Very, very dangerous.”

“This is our best chance at finding Trixie before nightfall. But like I said before… you can say no. I won’t be upset, I won’t hold anything against you.”

Rarity sighed, and lifted her head, her eyes firm. “…I’ll go.”

The others gaped.

Rarity ignored them, watching Twilight. “My gem finding spell only works within fifty feet. I’m going to assume I can’t stop moving, lest I take too long.”

She set her pack down, and looked around the others. “…If I don’t come back, Applejack, I’m entrusting you with Sweetie. When Sweetie comes of age, she gets everything. Don't let anypony else try to snatch it from her. Raise her well.”

“Rarity…”

“Fluttershy, you can have Opal. Pinkie,”

“You’re not dying.” Pinkie said firmly.

“Pinkie…”

“You’re not.”

“…I’ll do my best.” Rarity said, hugging Pinkie for a moment. Then she looked at Princess Rest again, and pushed her pack toward her. “There are gems inside here. Use them to follow me.”

Twilight nodded. “…I almost want you to tell me you won’t.” she murmured.

Rarity shook her head. “I owe Trixie this. I owe her a lot more than this really. One tunnel, one monster? She did a lot more. I’m the unicorn for the job. And, just in case of course, what would a ghoul look like or do when attacking?”

Ghouls are ponies, often dangling between life and death. They break their own forelegs into shards of bone that protrude outward; those shards carry necrotic energy that strikes at the life of those who touch them. Even a touch can harm, and any wound will become infected.

“…A dead pony.” Twilight said. “It attacks with bone shards on the forelegs.”

“…One of them.” Rarity murmured, thoughtful.

“You… know about that?”

Rarity nodded, taking a deep sigh. “Yes. I just never knew their names, none of us did. At least it’s an adult.” she added in a faint mutter.

She turned back to the tunnel, Twilight deciding to never ask about that particular comment. Her horn lit, and the bag gently glowed. Then she headed into the tunnel, wiggling into the dark earth. In moments, any sight of her was gone, the others watching.

“Applejack, grab the bag.” Twilight said, leaving already. “We’re starting.”

Comments

[LostArchivist]

Good to see Trixie getting a second chance, and seeing that she's not evil.

The cliff ending was a bit mean, though. Odd that a ghoul would kidnap her now, of all times. I wonder what's up with that.
Also, how was Celly supposed to transfer the Element? I thought that they were more or less soulbound, not that they could be regifted to any old pony with a decent level of that quality (not to mention decent, not exceptional).

[SmugKitsune]

Still waiting for Celestia's reaction when she figures out that Rest is actually a reborn, and perhaps more importantly, sane Twilight.

[The Cynical One]

8788475
Well... let’s hope she finds out AFTER the characters figure out a way for Twilight to share that without, ya know, unraveling the alicornation/revive spell and killing Twilight again.

[PizzaculousPony]

Ghost busters!