The Ties that Bind

by the7Saviors

A Vision of the Moon

Trixie was completely content.

How could she not be?

She had a nice, quiet life in a small cottage out in the wilderness and a grandfather and two sisters who cared for her as much as she did for them. To top it all off, she was apprentice to the greatest stage magician who had ever lived.

What pony wouldn't be content with a life like that?

These were the thoughts running through Trixie's head as she and her two sisters sat at the table discussing what they had all done the previous day. For some reason, Trixie couldn't remember what it had been, and she found it hard to focus on what the girls were saying, but that was okay.

She was just happy for their company -- if she were to focus on the feeling, she would even call it... relief.

But why? What reason would she have to be relieved?

A feeling began to rise within Trixie and she quickly brushed the thought aside before that feeling had a chance to take root. She didn't know what that feeling was, but somehow she knew it would be better to keep it locked away.

Thankfully she was distracted by a familiar beige coated unicorn trotting into the main room. Trixie turned to the old stallion with a smile and a wave. She made to greet the stallion and paid no attention to the fact that her own voice sounded off.

The stallion seemed to understand her well enough either way, and she found herself nodding as the old unicorn spoke. Apparently they were supposed to have guests over for dinner tonight.

Her two sisters seemed excited by the news, but Trixie couldn't help but frown.

Something was wrong.

That feeling was coming back.

She tried to push it back down to no avail. The feeling would not be quelled this time, and it only grew worse as she heard a knock at the door. She tried to tell her grandfather not to open the door -- to tell whoever it was to go away -- but the stallion didn't listen.

As he trotted closer to the door, Trixie was suddenly able to put words to the feeling.

Uneasiness.

Trepidation.

Dread.

Foreboding.

All of these words would've sufficed for what the filly was feeling at the moment. She tried to rise from her seat at the table, but she couldn't move. All she could do was watch as her grandfather pulled the door open to greet the guests.

A shadow slipped inside, but Trixie paid it no mind as she witnessed one of the guests -- an orange pegasus mare -- flare out a wing and hit her grandfather in the chest. The beige stallion stumbled backwards and fell to the floor wordlessly, blood pouring from his mouth and his organs exposed through his open chest cavity.

Trixie screamed out anguished words she herself couldn't understand and tried once more to move, but she remained seated at the table. She barely noticed as the orange pegasus mare stepped into the cottage, followed soon after by another orange pony -- this one a unicorn stallion.

They trotted in front of the distraught filly and Trixie was forced to look them in the face. She couldn't distinguish their features, nor could she place their names, but in her mind, she knew who they were.

They teased and taunted her with cruel words. She didn't understand what they said, but the horrible meaning was not lost on her, and she could only cry in response to such verbal abuse. The pegasus mare was shouting something angrily and Trixie heard one particular word as clear as a bell.

Mother.

The two orange coated ponies stepped aside and, as if bidden by some unseen force, Trixie's gaze slowly drifted towards the flayed open body of her grandfather.

No, that wasn't right.

That wasn't her grandfather, that was a mare.

Why was there a mare where her grandfather should've been?

Mother.

Trixie stared at the mare's turquoise coated body and glazed over copper eyes in mute horror for another moment before a scream caused her to turn in her chair. While she wasn't looking, the orange ponies had made their way to the other side of the table.

The unicorn stallion had trapped one of her sisters in their magic and the pegasus mare was laughing her beautiful laugh as she raised a wing towards the other sister. Trixie cried out and tried to force her body into some kind of action, but could only scream in frustration and despair, firmly rooted to the chair as she was.

She looked towards the pegasus mare just in time to see her bring her upheld wing down.

I believe I have seen enough.

Everything froze.

Trixie blinked and looked around. No longer was she sitting at the table trapped in her chair as she bore witness to the slaughter of her sisters. Gone was the body of her dead mother, gone were the twin ponies, gone were her sisters and the entire cottage.

She now found herself standing in a clear open field of tall grass that swayed gently in a soft breeze. Looking up, Trixie could see countless stars dotting the night sky and a full moon glowing brightly and beautifully.

She stared transfixed at the sight, her mind still trying to separate the serene setting from the horror that was her situation only moments ago.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

Trixie let out a surprised yelp and whipped around to face the voice. She took several frantic steps back as she saw something slowly make its way out of the shadows. As it moved closer, Trixie stopped her backtracking and gaped open mouthed at what she saw.

Trotting leisurely towards the filly was the most intimidating, regal, and graceful looking pony Trixie had ever seen. Her coat was black as the void and her ethereal mane and tail billowed and shone like the night sky above.

Her horn was long and sharpened to a point and even with her wings folded, Trixie could tell that this mare had an impressive wingspan.

She was strikingly tall -- at least as tall as Celestia -- and the majority of her body was covered in silvery blue armor that seemed to be engraved with all manner of strange designs and symbols.

The alicorn mare stared at the Moon as she slowly made her way to Trixie.

"Yes, the night sky is a beautiful thing," the mare mused, "it can bring peace and serenity to those who seek it. It can calm the mind in times of turmoil and inspire the hearts of ponies to create, to wonder... to love."

She stopped a few hoof-lengths away and turned her draconic icy blue eyes towards the stunned filly. Trixie continued to stare at the alicorn silently. She only vaguely realized she had fallen to her haunches.

"You need not fear me, youngling. I am not here to hurt you," the mare said in a voice that was somehow both soft and firm, "I merely wished to see you for myself... and to give you both a message and a request."

"W-who... who are you?" Trixie asked in a shaky whisper, "where... w-where am I? What's going on?" her eyes suddenly widened in realization, "you... you were that voice in my head! What do you--"

"Silence."

Trixie's mouth snapped shut and she whimpered slightly at the mare's stern look. The alicorn's expression softened a bit and she sighed before turning her gaze skyward once more as she spoke.

"I will not give you my name -- not yet," the dark alicorn replied before giving the azure filly a side glance, "but know that I am a... friend, of sorts," she turned to fully face Trixie, "I have seen your dreams, filly -- as well as those of the ones you consider sisters. I know how you all suffer from your pasts."

"You've... seen all of our dreams?" Trixie asked, trying to gain a bit more courage, "I don't understand, are we in a dream right now?"

The mare nodded and gestured to the grassy field around them.

"This -- all of this is my domain," she explained, "here, I rule supreme," the alicorn gave a wry chuckle, "I suppose you could call me the Mare of Dreams, at least for the time being."

She looked to Trixie, her expression turning serious.

"But I plan to become more than just a spirit roaming the Realm of Dreams," she raised an armored hoof and pressed it to the filly's chest, "I want to help you -- all of you, but I need you to do something for me first."

Trixie was torn.

On one hoof, she found she really wanted to trust this mare. She was intimidating to be sure, but her cold draconic eyes held no malice in them -- at least, not that Trixie could see. On the other hoof, she remembered Sunset's warning about being manipulated into doing something evil.

She bit her lip and stared at her hooves. For several heartbeats she didn't say anything and the black coated mare seemed content to wait for her answer. After a few moments, Trixie looked back up at the mare.

She forced herself to stare into the alicorn's eyes.

Another minute went by and Trixie gave a firm nod.

"Okay, I'll do it," she announced, "what do you need Trixie to do?"

"A wise decision, young one," the mare replied with a smile and a satisfied nod, "you will not regret it."

She stepped back and stood up straighter -- flaring out her wings.

"Very well, Beatrix Lulamoon! Open thine ears and listen close, for this is what I require of you..."

Author's Note:

I am extremely excited for the next chapter!

I won't give you the details, but I will say that Ancient Scroll finally gets to show just how much of a badass he can be when he wants to.

Comments

[ANearPerfectStudent]

One from Discord (I think), one from NMM, who should speak to Twilight? Chrysalis? Sombra?

[the7Saviors]

8934761
No, no voices or secret villain meetings for Twilight/Fia -- at least not like with the other two. She already has her own thing going on and I do have other plans, vague as they are at the moment...

[Birribi]

She had a nice, quite life

quiet

stepped into the cottage, follow soon after

followed

Trixie was force to look them in the face

forced