Forgotten Bygones

by Catpaw616

Chapter 24: The Strike

Trixie's heart seemed to skip a beat when she heard the voice of Celestia, asking if Twilight had found the traitors. Trixie looked to the side. For some reason, Starlight didn't look terrified at all. Instead, she simply stared at Twilight. Her gaze wasn't as fierce as last time, but from the look from her eyes, she was waiting for Twilight's move. Discord on the other hand hid behind a pillar.

Eventually, Trixie decided to follow Discord's lead and she hid behind a pillar too. Starlight slowly followed them and hid next to Trixie. Spike decided to walk next to Twilight, who looked startled at the door.

Trixie had hoped that Starlight was wrong in the bedroom: that Twilight was still under control. But if her theory was correct, then Twilight would immediately frame them and they would be captured. Trixie looked at her friend's expressions to see what they think. Trixie couldn't make out Discord's expression since his face was at an angle that she couldn't see. But when she looked at Starlight, she could see tiny hints of anger in her expression, although not much.

"Well? We're waiting." Luna's voice was heard on the other side of the door.

Twilight looked nervous and her legs started shaking a little. But with Spike comforting her at the side, Twilight took a deep breath. "Who are the traitors that you speak of?" she asked boldly.

"Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, and Discord?" Celestia told her, unamused. "Come on, Twilight, you're smarter than that. So, where are they?"

Trixie noticed Starlight slightly narrow her eyes.

Trixie started to sweat even more. If Twilight told them about their presence because she wants to appeal to the princesses, they were dead.

But amazingly, Twilight scoffed. "What do you mean? If I found them, I would've captured them and taken them to you straight away. Why don't you come back later?" she told them.

I knew she wasn't controlled! Trixie celebrated in her mind. She looked to see Starlight's expression by this breathtaking news. She saw her friend sigh in relief and she mouthed something she couldn't make out.

But she shouldn't celebrate yet. Two rulers, who were obviously controlled, were right outside the door.

"Mind if we come in?" Celestia asked.

At that moment, Starlight beckoned Trixie and Discord over. "I'll make us invisible. Just hold your breath whenever they are near." she whispered. Starlight nodded towards Twilight, who nodded back.

At least she doesn't hate her anymore. Trixie thought in relief as she felt her body become invisible.

"Let's just hope nothing screws up. I can't afford to be thrown into prison for the third time." Discord muttered.

With a nod of approval from the three of them, Twilight opened the doors. Celestia and Luna walked in, looking around. They seemed to look... unamused.

"What brings you here?" Spike asked them, but Trixie could tell that he looked worried.

Celestia sniffed the air, for some strange reason. "Hmm..."

Discord nudged Starlight's shoulder. "Can't you teleport us away?" he whispered

Starlight shook her head. "I can't. I don't want them to be alerted of our presence. We just hope that they don't find us, somehow." she told him.

Luna's head perked up. "I hear voices."

Trixie's eyes widened. Her heartbeat started thumping faster.

"What voices?" Twilight asked innocently.

Luna strained her ears for a listen. "I don't know. But it sounded like one of the traitors that you told us that weren't here."

"Yes, yes, I see what you are saying, sister. I can hear their breathing." Celestia agreed.

How?! Trixie demanded in her head. Did the curse give them enhanced hearing or something? We made no sound the whole time.

"You mean... our own breathing?" Spike asked, his voice sounding less confident and neutral.

Celestia and Luna smirked, which made Trixie uneasy. "Oh, not from you two. But... from over there." Celestia said as she slowly turned her head to Trixie and her friends.

Trixie had never sweated this much in her life, and she had been through the Changeling hive! She felt Starlight's body start to shake in fear, her breathing suddenly became hard.

Twilight started to look nervous too. "What are you looking at?" she asked hesitantly.

Celestia didn't say a word. She stared at the reformed villains for some amount of time. Finally, she opened her mouth. "Luna, restrain Twilight and Spike."

"Yes, sister." Luna said as her horn glowed. Her magical aura surrounded Twilight and Spike, making them unable couldn't move.

"Hey! What did you do?" Twilight screamed. "Let me go!"

Trixie could make out Starlight rising from the ground, her expression horrified. Discord followed suit.

"I hope you don't mind a little wall breaking." Celestia smirked. Her long horn glowed a very light gold color and it seemed like it was charged, then she shot a large beam at them.

Trixie cowered to the ground, her eyes shutting tight and her hooves covering her eyelids, bracing for impact. Luckily, before the beam could hit them, Starlight teleported them to another spot in the room, and deactivated the spell.

Trixie opened her eyes, thankful for her friend's great reflexes. But she looked horrified when she saw that their bodies were fully visible to the princesses.

"Aha! I knew you were there the moment I set foot into this stupid castle." Celestia announced with a smirk. "Did you really think that you could escape me?"

"Yes!" Discord answered.

"What are you guys doing? Run!" Twilight ordered. "We'll be fine!"

"It doesn't matter. I would still find them no matter how much they hide. But it's honestly really fun." Luna added. Trixie's ears twitched when Luna said "I". Wait a minute...

"Let Spike go!" Trixie saw Starlight plead in desperation. "He's done nothing wrong!"

Celestia's eyes widened. "Oh? You adore this little dragon, do you?" she asked in mockery.

Starlight's mouth was agape. It didn't seem like she knows what to do.

"Starlight, I'm fine. But listen to TwiLIGHT!" Spike winced as his body began to grip tighter.

Seeing her friends in pain, Starlight gritted her teeth, seething with anger. Her muscles tensed. She looked like she was ready to attack.

However, before any action could happen, Discord decided to walk towards Celestia. Much to Trixie and Starlight's confusion.

"Discord?" Trixie called his name disbelievingly. "What are you—"

"Now listen here you, arrogant, little crude." Discord insulted the controlled alicorn, completely ignoring Trixie. "You better let go of Spike and Twilight right now, or I will do some unspeakable things.." Discord glared as he boldly walked to Celestia. He snarled through his teeth as Celestia stared defiantly at him.

Starlight and Trixie looked at him in awe. Trixie couldn't tell if he was stupid for walking up to Celestia and literally threatening her in the face, or admire his bravery for standing up in front of Celestia!

"You can't do anything." Celestia laughed. "If I want, I could snap you like a twig in seconds."

Discord's eye twitched, and it was his turn to smirk. "Oh really? I love to see you try."

Without hesitation, Discord snarled as he launched himself towards Luna. His claws clawed the side of her face, forcing her to let go of Twilight and Spike.

"What the—" Luna gasped, but she was interrupted by another claw slash that went across her face, along with a scream.

"Discord?!" Starlight and Trixie exclaimed at the same time.

"You little pest!" Enraged, Celestia used telekinesis on the draconequus, and slammed him into the wall. Meanwhile Luna, who had recovered from the attack, had Spike in his grasp again. This time she didn't even try to grab Twilight.

Starlight noticed Luna, and her horn glowed brightly. "Let him go! Now!"

Luna wiped the blood from her cheek as she smiled. "Don't worry, I'll give him back. Either in skin or bones. Which one would you prefer?"

Starlight became even angrier as her horn glowed brighter. Meanwhile Trixie could only stand there in shock by what was happening: Discord was struggling under Celestia's power, and Luna is literally threatening Spike's life.

"You wouldn't do that!" Twilight exclaimed when she heard Luna's threat.

"Well, not right now." Luna shrugged. "Once I'm done with Discord, then he can be finished off. Toodles!"

"Twilight! Please—" Spike's cries were interrupted as Luna teleported away.

"No!" Twilight and Starlight both exclaimed fearfully.

Meanwhile, Trixie only focused on Discord. Celestia's body was covered in scratches, some bled and some didn't. While Discord had a black eye, but he grabbed Celestia's horn, making her unable to use magic.

"That's enough!" Celestia stomped her hooves onto Discord's throat, which made him let go. Before Discord could grab her horn again, she stomped her hooves onto Discord's hands, making him unable to move them.

"Now... it's about time to do something that should've been done long ago!" Celestia grinned evily as her horn glowed brightly. Discord closed his eyes as he braced for the inevitable attack. While Trixie, Starlight, and Discord can only look on in horror.

The beam hit directly at Discord's heart, which made him exclaim in pain. After the attack, Celestia immediately let go of Discord's hands, and watched with glee. Then at the very tip of his tail, stone started to form around him. Then it increased, as it reached his legs, making him unable to move.

Discord's pupils turned into slits when he realized what was happening. "No! No! Not again!" he screamed in terror.

Then in a matter of seconds, his throat started to turn into stone, and it started to reach towards his head. Realizing that he couldn't do anything, Discord looked at the ponies who were watching from the sidelines. His eyes looked sorrowful and he seemed to mouth something. Although Trixie was unsure by what he said, his lips seems to make out the words "Kill."

In just one minute, Discord turned to stone.

"No!" Twilight exclaimed out of pure terror, and started to rush towards his body. But Starlight stopped her.

"Wait!" Starlight tugged onto her body, and pointed her head towards Celestia, who smiled the whole time.

"You're... you're sick!" Twilight spat out the words out of pure horror.

Celestia looked at Twilight, her expression the same. "Am I?"

"I can't believe what I saw with my own eyes! You're worst than me and Starlight combined!" Trixie added. "...When it comes to villainy." She included when she noticed Starlight staring at her in an annoyed and confused way.

"What can I say? Being this powerful is fun. Way more fun than being in Twilight's body." Celestia objected.

The three of them looked at her in raw hatred, but she didn't seem to care.

Celestia yawned as she started to flap her wings. "Don't worry, as much as I wanted too, he's not dead, but rather... put in his place, and soon, all of you will join him. Anyways, toodles!" She ended as she was about to leave.

Seething in raw hatred, Starlight's horn glowed again. "You arrogant snide little rat!" Starlight cursed as she released a glowing lasso from her horn, attempting to catch her hoof. But before she could even cast the spell, Celestia teleported away. Starlight stomped her hoof in annoyance and muttered something that wasn't audible to Trixie.

"Discord!" Twilight exclaimed his name as she ran up to the stoned creature. Once she laid eyes on the body, she started weeping. "We should've helped him, but instead, we stood there like useless rabbits!" she wailed.

Starlight walked up to Twilight and comforted her.

Trixie stared at Discord's stony prison. Even though she was never close to Discord, he didn't deserve this.

"Is there a spell where we can un-stone him?" Starlight asked Twilight, who was still crying.

Twilight shook her head. "Not that I know of."

Starlight grunted in annoyance. But her pupils dilated when she realized something. "It has Spike. They took Spike!"

At an instant, Starlight started prancing in a circle, heavily nervous and scared. "I-I-I-I don't know what it's doing to him! I wanted to protect him from any danger! At first, I wanted to protect him from you, who I thought that you were controlled at first. But it didn't matter because he teleported away to who-knows-where!"

Suddenly, A blue light shone through the wall, and shone inside the castle. However, since the window was high, Twilight used her wings to fly, meanwhile Starlight levitated herself.

Since Trixie didn't have any wings, nor was her magic strong enough to levitate herself, she relied on her friends to tell her what they were seeing. "What do you see?"

"A blue ray is shining above one of the towers of Canterlot! I think that's where Spike is!" Twilight alerted Trixie.

"I hope so." Starlight muttered.

Trixie put her hoof onto her chin. "Do you think that that's where our final battle with the curse would take place?"

Starlight rolled her eyes. "I hope so. I want that curse gone already so our lives can get back to normal."

But Twilight looked skeptical. "But here's the thing, we have no idea how to get rid of the curse. It's been revealed that punching their faces doesn't matter anymore if they can regain control of the same pony."

"Does the book that you cast the spell with say anything about getting rid of it?" Starlight asked with a raised eyebrow.

Twilight shook her head. "It says nothing about it."

"Maybe we can go to Zecora. She was the one that informed us about the spell in the first place." Trixie suggested.

"Do you really think she'll know?" Starlight asked, frowning.

"What choice do we have? If we don't know how to rid of the curse, then it would plague Equestria forever." Twilight told her with a hint of regret in her tone.

"Wait, do we get the rest of your friends?" Trixie asked Twilight as they were about to walk out.

"No. This is a battle between the three of us, and the curse. The girls will be fine." Twilight explained. She turned towards Twilight. "and I know that you want to finish the curse off together."

Starlight nodded.

"And so it shall be." Twilight said. When they walked out of the castle, Twilight turned around. Confused, Trixie and Starlight did too.

"When we return to the castle, the curse would either die, or we retreat defeated. If we even make it out alive." Twilight told them grimily. Trixie didn't like how she worded it. But Starlight didn't seem to care. She only nodded in determination.

"And we'll do it for Discord, our fallen friend." Starlight added sadly, then her voice hardened. "He will be avenged."

All what Trixie could do was nod, hoping that their wishes and goal would come true.

Then the three ventured towards the Everfree Forest.

Comments

[Idiotboy24]

Another chapter out already, well I’m not gonna complain.

[Catpaw616]

11543574
I'm pumping out more chapters recently to make up for my hiatus.

[Idiotboy24]

11543575
Makes sense, I can’t wait to see how it (might) come to a end.

[Catpaw616]

11544758
Lol. I assume that you are starting on this long story?

And Starlight loves ranch. I call it canon /j