Chapter 13
Shadow of the Sun
By Starwin
Chapter 13
“I need your help,” pleaded Rainbow. Whatever Trixie had been expecting, that wasn’t it.
“Me? Help you?” scoffed Trixie. “Why in Equestria would I possibly want to do that after the way you and your friends ran me out of Ponyville?”
“Because my friends are trapped under an avalanche and I can’t get them out on my own!” cried Rainbow desperately. “Please, I need… we need, your help.”
“Well that’s just too bad, isn’t it?” answered Trixie, turning away. “There’s no way you’re getting the Great and Powerful Trixie to go outside, not in this heat. I am waiting here until help arrives and they get the train running again.”
“Get the train running?” asked Rainbow in confusion. “Get the train running? How thick headed are you!” exclaimed Rainbow, Trixie gave an indignant huff at the name calling, but rainbow pressed on. “Look outside, this train isn’t going anywhere! The track is covered in rocks! It will take weeks to clear it all!”
“Then the Great and Powerful Trixie shall wait here until the way is clear,” said Trixie. The powder blue unicorn moved back towards the compartment door from which she had emerged.
“And you’re just going to let my friends die?” asked Rainbow seriously. Trixie halted. She couldn’t seem to bring herself to look at Rainbow Dash, so instead she stared at the ground.
“There… there isn’t anything we can do for them,” answered Trixie. For the first time there was something like regret in her voice. “The other passengers left me two days ago, making for Canterlot. The fools.” Her voice hardened and she was her arrogant self once again. “I told them, the Great and Powerful Trixie warned them, but they didn’t listen…”
“What happened to them,” asked Rainbow. Trixie’s eyes flashed to Rainbow.
“Why should the Great and Powerful Trixie care?” asked the unicorn and she stepped a hoof back into the train.
“But you do care!” cried Rainbow. Trixie halted. “You do care what happened to the other passengers… or are you just afraid of being alone in here?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie is not…!” began Trixie.
“Seriously, do you have to say that every time?” interrupted Rainbow.
“Yes,” replied Trixie, sounding almost offended. “And the Great and Powerful Trixie is not afraid of being alone.”
“Then you’re worried for the other passengers,” suggested Rainbow.
“Do you think me a heartless monster?” snapped Trixie. “Of course, but like your friends there is nothing either of us can do. We can’t even step a hoof outside.”
“Yes we can!” exclaimed Rainbow brightly. Trixie snorted. “I’ll show you!” Quickly Rainbow dashed back to the end of the tunnel and hurried outside. “See!”
Trixie moved towards Rainbow but began to slow as she neared the edge of the tunnel. Rainbow could see Trixie’s expression grow increasingly worried the closer she got to the light. The unicorn halted then took a step back.
“You may be just fine, but this is close enough, thank you,” said Trixie.
“You can just use your magic to protect yourself,” said Rainbow. “Now come on, we’ve wasted a lot of time arguing!”
“No,” said Trixie, taking another step back. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m staying here.”
“But my friends!” cried Rainbow.
“What can we do for them? I can’t even go outside!” shouted Trixie.
“Use your magic to…” repeated Rainbow.
“I can’t!” shouted Trixie her voice breaking. Rainbow blinked, she could have sworn that shout had almost sounded like a sob. “I can’t.” repeated Trixie softly. “My magic… is… it’s…” Rainbow looked at her in puzzlement. “It’s leaving me!” shouted Trixie at last. She looked away in shame. “Soon I won’t be able to do any magic at all…”
“I’m sorry,” said Rainbow. Trixie shot her an angry glare.
“What do you care?” snarled Trixie. “It won’t be long before the Once Great and Powerful Trixie is just a regular unicorn, or worse, nothing more than an earth pony with a useless horn. I know that’s what you and your friends wanted. I’m nothing without my magic.”
“No,” said Rainbow, trotting back to Trixie. “Magic isn’t who you are or even what you are. It’s one thing you can do, not everything you can do.” Trixie looked up at Rainbow in surprise. “And something you can still do is help me rescue my friends.”
“But I…” Trixie’s words trailed off and she just stared at Rainbow dumbfounded. Rainbow Dash smiled at her and held out a hoof in friendship. “Alright, the Great and Powerful Trixie will help you and your friends.”
Trixie took hold of Rainbow’s hoof. As she did, her body shimmered with magical energy. The red stone around Rainbow’s neck surged with an inner light. Trixie pulled away and the shimmering aura vanished.
“What… what was that?” asked Trixie.
“I think it might be a way for you to go outside,” replied Rainbow with a smile.
It was odd having another pony on her back. Rainbow had done it a few times before, but she had never liked it. Rainbow didn’t much care for it now, as her passenger had their hooves wrapped around her neck and kept shrieking in her ear any time Rainbow turned or dove or flapped her wings.
However, there was no other option. The rockslides had blocked much of the tracks and traversing it back down to where her friends were would simply take too long. Additionally, it seemed that the element of loyalty only offered its protection while they were in physical contact.
“How much further?” shouted Trixie over the wind. Rainbow flinched. Trixie was right beside her ear and hadn’t needed to shout at all.
“Not far, they should be just around… oh no…” whispered Rainbow. She slammed to halt in the air, nearly throwing Trixie off her back. Trixie started to ask what was wrong, but she didn’t have to, she could see.
The moon was moving again and a second avalanche had started. It was hard to tell from the air if the ground was shaking, but she could see the falling rocks. Giant stone boulders tumbled down. Clouds of dust filled the air and hugged the mountain like dirty brown fog.
“No, no, no!” chanted Rainbow as she watched in horror. At last the shaking stopped and the lingering clouds began to settle. Quickly Rainbow rushed down, although she did not land.
“Twilight!” shouted Rainbow still hovering a hundred hooves from the mountain side. “Applejack! Fluttershy! Rarity! Pinkie Pie!” Her voice was lost among the chorus of tumbling stones that still clattered noisily. “Twilight! Applejack! Fl…”
“They can’t hear you,” said Trixie rolling her eyes. “And even if they can, we wouldn’t be able to hear them.”
Rainbow glanced around in a panic. Everything had changed, all the rocks were different. Any of the huge piles could contain her friends buried underneath. How could she possibly know which one? How could they possibly find them?
It was getting hard to breathe.
Twilight’s breath came in short gasps as she struggled to hold back the rocks. The last avalanche had brought down even more debris on top of them. Twilight felt like she was being crushed under an invisible weight that she couldn’t push off.
Rarity was doing her best to help, but it simply wasn’t enough. All Rarity could do was act like a brace for Twilight. Even now, Twilight could feel Rarity’s magic weakening. Soon her support would fail and then Twilight knew that she too would fail.
Tears burned at the edges of her eyes at the thought. Not for herself, but for her friends. She had failed her friends. If only she had paid attention. She should have noticed the Moon sooner, she should have realized the cliff face was unstable, she should have…
The shield protecting them flickered and Twilight refocused her thoughts on maintaining the barrier that was keeping them alive.
“Twilight?” asked Applejack, her voice breathy. All of the ponies had lain down, trying to slow their breathing and use less oxygen. Twilight hadn’t had a choice to stand as her front legs still would not support her. It had been difficult to keep Pinkie quiet but they had finally managed. “What’s wrong?”
Twilight blinked away her tears.
“Nothing,” lied Twilight.
Applejack looked like she wanted to argue, but now was not the time and she knew Twilight needed to focus.
“Do you think Rainbow made it to Canterlot?” asked Fluttershy.
“I sure hope so sugarcube,” said Applejack.
“Air,” reminded Twilight.
“Right, sorry,” said Applejack.
They fell back into the pressing silence once more.
Twilight was finally starting to understand why Rainbow Dash disliked being underground so much. This place felt like a tomb, like their tomb.
Her mind began to wonder again.
What would happen to Equestria when they were gone? What had happened to Equestria in the first place? It seemed unlikely that Twilight and her friends would ever find out. What would Equestria do without them and the Elements of Harmony? Would Celestia pass the elements on to new ponies? Could Celestia even do that? Was she even alive to do that?
Twilight hadn’t been able to stop herself thinking it. She had resisted the urge to contemplate what had happened to her mentor but as her mind wondered, the unreal truth hit Twilight. Emotions exploded inside her and rushed outwards in tears.
The barrier broke and Rarity’s meager supports snapped. The rocks tumbled down. The ponies screams and Twilight wept, overcome by inner turmoil for which she was not prepared. She had failed everypony. Her friends, her mentor, her family.
Twilight closed her eyes, not wanting to see the end come. But the falling sound of rocks came to a halt and Applejack let out a gasp of uneven breath.
“They stopped,” said Spike. The small space in which he and the five friends occupied had narrowed considerably. “That was a close one.” Spike tapped a rock that had stopped less than a hoof from his head.
“I’m sorry,” whispered Twilight between the tears. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright dear,” said Rarity. “Nopony expected you to be able to hold that up forever.”
“No, I should have been able to hold out longer, I lost my focus, I thought of… I thought of Celestia,” said Twilight, looking away, tears still rolling down her face. Nopony responded.
“Twilight, I’m sure she’s…” started Fluttershy.
“Don’t tell me she’s fine,” shouted Twilight angrily, then her face relaxed as she saw Fluttershy terrified expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“No, it’s alright,” whispered Fluttershy timidly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
“Guys? Remember the part about being quiet and not talking?” asked Pinkie. “Am I the only one here following the rules?” Twilight couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh come on, now you get to laugh too? That’s just not fair.”
“All of you be quiet,” snapped Rarity. “You’re using up the oxygen!”
“I don’t think it matters,” said Twilight distantly. “There must be a new mountain of rock above us by now. Even on a good day, I’m not sure I could move all that and keep it from falling in on us.”
“So this is where our adventure ends?” asked Spike. “I can honestly say I never thought it would end like this.”
“Yeah, me neither,” said Pinkie Pie. “I always figured our adventure would end at a huge celebration party!” Twilight laughed again. “Hey, I have a great idea, why don’t we just have a party here! A rock party!”
“Pinkie,” said Rarity. “I hardly think this is the time to be celebrating anything!”
“Sure it is!” said Pinkie with a watery smile, tears had started down her face too. “We have to celebrate our fantastic friendship!” There was nothing for it, Twilight wrapped Pinkie in a hug and a moment later Applejack and Rarity and Fluttershy all joined in. One by one they began to break down into sobs.
Trixie, the Great and Powerful, was not fond of many things. Very high up on the list of things she wasn’t fond of was flying. The silly blue pegasus had refused to land, circling back and forth over the same spot. She was looking for something she couldn’t see and locate something she had no idea how to find.
“How do we find them!” cried Rainbow, her eyes darting back and forth across the piles of identical stone. “They could be under any of these, they could be anywhere, they could…”
“Calm down,” said Trixie, her forelegs wrapped around Rainbow’s neck, holding on for dear life as they swayed back and forth in the sky. Trixie glanced down, the dizzying height making her head spin a little.
“Calm down!” cried Rainbow, her voice near panic. “How can I possibly calm down!?”
“If you don’t, the Great and Powerful Trixie won’t be able to concentrate… and… find… your… friends,” said Trixie, emphasizing her words. Rainbow became silent.
Trixie let her eyes close and took a deep breath. Inside her incredible mind she focused her thoughts. She could feel her distant, weak, magic. She focused harder, commanding her power to come to her. Slowly, glittering strands of glowing magic began to gather in her thoughts. It was taking all her effort but she could feel the spell forming…
Rainbow dropped suddenly and Trixie’s focus was shattered. The tiny glow at her horn fizzled out and the treads of magic unwound.
“Keep still!” demanded Trixie irritably.
“The updrafts keep changing,” said Rainbow. “It’s hard enough to carry you, let alone keep still.”
“Then land!” said Trixie. Rainbow opened her mouth to protest. “If you want me to find your friends, if you want me to help you save them, then you need to trust me! I can’t focus up here with you bobbing around. You need to land so I can concentrate!”
Slowly, Rainbow nodded. Her descent to the ground was not gentle, more of a crash really, but Rainbow stayed on her hooves and Trixie, somehow, managed to hold on. They slowed to a trot before coming to a complete stop.
“Alright, we’re down,” said Rainbow looking around nervously. “But at the first sign of shaking I’m getting us out of here.”
Trixie nodded but didn’t answer. She let her eyes close again. It wasn’t any easier down on the ground, but at least Trixie wasn’t worrying about falling. She reached for the distant threads of magic that were so faint and small. Her great and powerful powers might be dwindling away but she could still sense what little remained.
In her mind, Trixie reached for another strand of magic but had to release it the moment she took hold. When she had grasped the thread of magic it had burned her, like it was on fire. It was not the first time she had felt such a sensation. Ever since the other passengers had abandon her Trixie had been having bad dreams about fire. She could feel the heat of the fire in her dreams and it had been growing stronger.
Carefully, Trixie avoided the strand and went to the next one. One-by-one, she gather her magic. She could feel the spell growing on her horn, her senses expanded and she could feel other magic around her.
“There!” announced Trixie her eyes suddenly snapping open, her hoof pointed at a nearby rock pile that looked like all the others. She almost couldn’t believe she had been able to do it! For the past day even simple levitation had been difficult for her.
“Are you sure?” asked Rainbow skeptically.
“Of course the Great and Powerful Trixie is sure,” replied Trixie. Rainbow trotted forward, Trixie still upon her back. The pegasus halted as they reached the pile.
“Twilight!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Applejack! Rarity! Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy!” The mare went quiet and Trixie strained her ears, listening for a response. None came. “You’re sure this…”
“Yes!” exclaimed Trixie, an uncontrollable tone of anger in her voice. She was sure, she had felt magic here, strong magic. Trixie collected herself before speaking again. “Perhaps the additional rocks make it impossible for them to hear you.”
“Alright, so how do we get them out?” asked Rainbow.
“Don’t ask me, I have no idea how to help them,” replied Trixie.
“What!?” cried Rainbow Dash. “What do you mean you have no idea!”
“Look, you came asking for my help! I didn’t say I could move mountains,” said Trixie.
“I’m almost surprised you haven’t boasted that you could,” sneered Rainbow Dash. Trixie narrowed her eyes. “Sorry,” apologized Rainbow. “I didn’t mean… my friends… this thing with the Sun… other stuff… I’m just… I’m sorry… Please. Please can you help me, Great and Powerful Trixie?”
“The Great and Powerful,” corrected Trixie softly. “And yes, I will try.”
Trixie’s eyes swept across the pile of fallen stone. Some rocks were as big as she was. Moving just one with her normal magic would be hard work. In her current state moving the whole thing would be impossible. There was little hope she could dig them out. Her mind whirled with thought, trying to find a solution.
“Could you teleport them out?” asked Rainbow. Trixie contemplated the request.
“Teleporting others is tricky, even in the best of times,” said Trixie. “It is doable but there is a small problem, I would have to be in there with them to get them out. A blind teleport is the most dangerous of prospects. If I don’t know where to land, I could appear inside a rock, or the cliff, or even somepony else.”
“But you could do it?” pressed Rainbow Dash, suddenly hopeful.
“If my magic wasn’t failing me, perhaps,” said Trixie. “But the Great and Powerful Trixie is in no condition to teleport.”
“Please,” begged Rainbow Dash. “Please try.”
Trixie sighed. Once more she closed her eyes, searching to grasp magic that struggled to evade her. The threads were more distant this time, harder to take hold of. The fire in her mind was becoming more intense. She wasn’t just dimly aware of the flames in her thoughts; she could actually see them now with her eyes closed. Maybe being out in the Sun was making it worse.
After a long while of trying she was almost ready to make an attempt. The spell did not come as easily. She pulled as hard as she could, drawing the magic to her. At last, when the spell started to form the magic collapsed and sputtered out on her horn.
“I’m sorry,” said Trixie and she was surprised to hear that her voice actually did sound sorry. “My magic is just too far gone. I can’t do it.”
“Please, try again, please!” begged Rainbow Dash.
Trixie nodded again and let her eyes close. She focused, harder than she ever had before but the magic didn’t come any closer… at least not at first. As she struggled to bring the spell, something odd happened. There was other magic here, magic that wasn’t hers. It was familiar and alien to her at the same time.
The fire in her mind grew large, trying to block off the foreign magic, but the flames could not. The new energy flowed over the fire, dousing it as if the waves of magic were water.
Trixie’s eyes snapped open and an instant later she felt the teleport spell complete. Reality bent around her and she slipped through it. As she moved between the folds of the universe she could feel out obstacles in her path. Trixie could feel the hard cliff wall at the back. She could feel the rocks themselves, but she did not sense any ponies inside it.
From the twisted perspective of the teleport spell she watched the world vanished into blackness and with a final snap, she was yanked from one spot to another, moving instantly between them.
She had done it! The Great and Powerful Trixie had surpassed magic itself and bent reality with her will alone. She was the greatest, the most powerful…
Fear overtook her thoughts and the fire inside her roared in triumph. She was not greeted by the inside of a rocky cave, nor cheering ponies at her arrival to rescue them, but darkness. Infinite, terrible, darkness. And worse, she was alone again.
The fear she had felt since the others had abandon her in the train returned, even stronger than before. She felt the fire spreading out from her mind and racing through her body, threatening to burn outwards and become real flames. Her lungs burned as she tried to breathe, the air tasted stale as she inhaled.
With all the courage she could manage, Trixie forced herself to be calm, to focus. She had held the fire inside herself at bay for days, she could do it for a few more minutes. She tried to breathe again and it had the same result. Something was wrong with the air in here.
Where was she, where were Twilight and friends? Had she teleported to the wrong spot? No, she was sure this was correct, sure there should be others here.
Trixie did not have to wait long for her answer.
A pulsing purplish glow washed away the darkness momentarily revealing the sight below her. Trixie felt like somepony had dumped a bucket of ice on her as the light faded away into darkness. She couldn’t have seen what she had just seen. Slowly the glow returned, illuminating the small cave again and Trixie’s gaze reluctantly found the shapes on the floor.
Laying motionless all around here were the bodies of five ponies and one small dragon. She couldn’t tell if they were alive or not. If they were, they were hardly breathing. She looked over the ponies, scowling a little as she came to Twilight Sparkle. Her eyes moved up to the crown on Twilight’s head. It had a purple gem fixed in it that pulsed with light.
Trixie took another breath and felt the burning become worse. She had to get out of here. She had to get them all out of here. Once more she closed her eyes and reached for the magic and felt utter and complete bewilderment at what she found.
It was a little like reaching into a purse you knew was empty but finding it to be bottomless and overflowing with coins. The magic was everywhere, around her, through her, stronger than she had ever felt it before.
Trixie didn’t understand. Her magic was so weak as to be almost completely gone. She hadn’t thought that any spell, let alone teleportation would have been possible. But here, this place had given her strength. Now she had found where that strength had come from. It was these five ponies, no, six, even if Rainbow Dash was outside, Trixie could feel energy streaming from the pegasus.
The magic wrapped around her as she prepared to teleport them all to safety. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was like warmth and love and happiness all rolled into one. She almost couldn’t comprehend the feeling, it was overwhelming. It took all of Trixie’s strength to stay on her feet.
Her eyes blazed with magic and the air crackled with energy. In a flash of light that was more spectacular than any display she’d ever put on, Trixie let loose her spell and reality was ripped open for the seven of them to slide through.
With a crack as loud as thunder they all popped back into existence — including Rainbow Dash, who looked incredibly surprised — inside the train car that Trixie had made her temporary home. Trixie couldn’t help but smile. The magic was still flowing through here, almost stronger than before, as if it were trying to thank her. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed in a heap in complete exhaustion.
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It's like the Elements are batteries of magic. They seem to be spreading it around...
YAY Trixie to the rescue! :D
To have her stick around and be redeemed is awesome! She has great potential for story. Her past is really unknown, but I always thought she hid behind her "Great and Powerful" routine because of rejection and her fear of being irrelevant and alone. To be revealed and possibly become friends with the rest is just cool.
I'm just rambling again.... lol
I can't wait to see what happens next.
It's because the Element of Magic, it allows for their friendship to be turned into magic, usually within Twilight; but with her nearly dead it jumped to the nearest unicorn in proximetry.
imageshack.us/a/img33/5764/likethischapter.jpg
Obligatory "Trixie has joined the party!"
I couldn't help but notice Dash called through the rocks for all but one of her companions. On both occasions. What if Trixie had remotely teleported them, targeting just the ones she knew were there? And then the rocks fell and crushed the only one Dash didn't seem to care about? I'm still gratified you brought him along on the adventure (and even added that chapter!), but those two lines brought back smoldering memories of Fluttershy's Hot Minute.
Eh, I'm still not sure what's so aesthetically preferable to typing “Spike and x friends” over “x friends,” or at least "Spike and his x friends." Earlier you said "seven friends" sounded bad, but why alienate him here?
Should be italics on “The.”
It's so fantastic that Trixie has become a part of this. Can't wait to see what role she'll play in future events. If the magic of friendship, channeled/focused through the Elements, boosts her own ability, that ought to make it much easier for her to win and keep some new friends. I'm also hoping she's gonna have the opportunity to let loose with her enhanced magical prowess in a big fight or action sequence. The two you wrote in previous chapters were both pretty awesome.
2243044
Dash is somewhat thoughtless in this regard, calling out only for her pony friends. I tried her dialog both ways (as well as just shouting for one (twilight) or two (twi+flutter)) and in the end went with just the main... five? Although, considering the next paragraph (in this response) maybe I might go back and include him...
So why "Spike and the five friends" vs six friends. It's not so much about alienation as a reminder to the audience that he is present whenever he has limited dialog in a scene. Yeah, 'his friends' might work a little better and I will consider changing it here (and going forward). He does add a difficult grouping dynamic for me as I can't just use, 'all the ponies' in a lot of places. And while I could (and do) use 'all the friends' I try and limit my word (and phrase) repetition as best I can.
2244855 Perhaps I should get a photobucket account... Ah, well, just pretend there's a gif here of Twilight nodding as she absorbs your words: [magic invisible gif!].
In my mind, it should always be assumed that all seven friends are together, so I didn't realize that was actually a reminder of Spike's presence. I'm further gratified that that was your intent, though. 
2244855 Fantastic once again. I think I may have teared up at the bit where Pinkie wanted to have a rock party and they all hugged. That doesn't happen. Nothing makes me show emotion. As always, keep up the awesome!
A selfless heroic trixie!?! Why Cant I Put More Then One Thumbs Up!!!!
“Then the Great and Powerful Trixie shall wait here until the way is clear,” said Trixie. The powder blue unicorn moved back towards the compartment door from which she had emerged.
-Either she has gone Nightmare, is otherwise under mind-control, or you just really take her to the extreme... I guess Dash will challenge her ego to say "bet you couldn't help anyway"... although, there have basically GOT to be other ponies there, unless they all went Nightmare (which BTW, is a good way for you, as an author, to keep the Body Count down), or Trixie stole the train.
“Why should the Great and Powerful Trixie care?” asked the unicorn and she stepped a hoof back into the train.
-Ah... all dead in an avalanche and she tried unsuccessfully to save them?
“No,” said Trixie, taking another step back. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m staying here.”
-Or maybe SHE is a Burning Nightmare that somehow got put out, and even with the spell would re-ignite if she goes into sunlight... I wonder what the range on her TK is, and if she as Line of Sight to the rocks on top of the other 6? Then again, Twilight didn't need LoS to milk the cows or float the Ursa Minor+Water-Tower-Bottle, and a lot of people put Trixie as only a few steps down from Twilight.
“I can’t!” shouted Trixie her voice breaking. Rainbow blinked, she could have sworn that shout had almost sounded like a sob. “I can’t.” repeated Trixie softly. “My magic… is… it’s…” Rainbow looked at her in puzzlement. “It’s leaving me!” shouted Trixie at last. She looked away in shame. “Soon I won’t be able to do any magic at all…”
-Friendship=Magic, and she doesn't even have fans she can relate to any more? Or did the Tiara of Magic suck in all the unicorn magic? Probably not, since Glinting Rings could still cast perfectly well. I think she may be going slowly Nightmare, with her Ego protecting her like Dash's own strength of will did? Or who knows...
Trixie took hold of Rainbow’s hoof. As she did, her body shimmered with magical energy. The red stone around Rainbow’s neck surged with an inner light. Trixie pulled away and the shimmering aura vanished.
“What… what was that?” asked Trixie.
“I think it might be a way for you to go outside,” replied Rainbow with a smile.
-Was her Element withdrawing its protection to herd her towards help?
It was odd having another pony on her back. Rainbow had done it a few times before, but she had never liked it. Rainbow didn’t much care for it now, as her passenger had their hooves wrapped around her neck and kept shrieking in her ear any time Rainbow turned or dove or flapped her wings.
-TK one rock at a time? I can't see them working very fast with their hooves if they have to remain touching... unless their is a single boulder they can push off the top...
-So the moon is PHYSICALLY pushing rocks onto them? Or just with tidal forces or something?
Would Celestia pass the elements on to new ponies? Could Celestia even do that? Was she even alive to do that?
-I wouldn't think that Celestia would have anything to do with that particular... oh! Perhaps as the ruler of the country, yes. Not in any mystical way I wouldn't think.
In her mind, Trixie reached for another strand of magic but had to release it the moment she took hold. When she had grasped the thread of magic it had burned her, like it was on fire. It was not the first time she had felt such a sensation. Ever since the other passengers had abandon her Trixie had been having bad dreams about fire. She could feel the heat of the fire in her dreams and it had been growing stronger.
-Right... she's flirting with Nightmaredom and it is eating her magic...
She almost couldn’t believe she had been able to do it! For the past day even simple levitation had been difficult for her.
-Well, she has been fighting back against her fear and winning in the last few minutes... showing Friendship too...
She was sure, she had felt magic here, strong magic. Trixie collected herself before speaking again. “Perhaps the additional rocks make it impossible for them to hear you.”
-Or it could be the Element, which, once they claim it, will somehow fix the problem... perhaps force its way through the pile to get to AJ before... giving her strength "Over 9000!" to buck the pile off of them? ... Nah, probably not.
Trixie nodded again and let her eyes close. She focused, harder than she ever had before but the magic didn’t come any closer… at least not at first. As she struggled to bring the spell, something odd happened. There was other magic here, magic that wasn’t hers. It was familiar and alien to her at the same time.
-Ah, guest privileges on the Necklace of Magic? Or is she somehow tapping into Loyalty or Honesty?
Trixie nodded again and let her eyes close. She focused, harder than she ever had before but the magic didn’t come any closer… at least not at first. As she struggled to bring the spell, something odd happened. There was other magic here, magic that wasn’t hers. It was familiar and alien to her at the same time.
-Guest-privileges on Magic it seems...
Is she, like, dead?
Why the hell did they need Trixie to teleport out? That's flipping stupid.