Ch. 2 - Hope
The Monster in the Twilight
Hope
Royal Guards cascaded out of the sky around the school, each darting about to check for wounded or dead, but Princess Celestia could not bear to watch. Instead, she stood alone on the half-molten stub of the tower, looking off into the distant Everfree Forest.
They were dead. All dead. Her best chance to save Luna. All of the students and parents at the test. An unknown number of ponies in the school who had not taken cover soon enough. All blown to plasma by the life-giving sun, or buried in molten rock in the chamber where Celestia had teleported them for their safety.
They would be only the first to die if Nightmare were to return unchecked, but still their deaths burned deep holes within her immortal heart. It was her fault. She had underestimated Twilight Sparkle’s strength, and the result was on her head.
Even then, after all the deaths, Celestia did not have the nerve to actually kill. In the fraction of a second it took her to lunge forward, the mindless husk who had once been her best hope for saving her sister had just looked at her.
It was as if there was a tiny spark of life still trapped inside the monster, so much like her own sister trapped in the Nightmare. If Celestia did not have the will to slay this one to save the city, how would she be able to kill her own sister to save the world? The lunge had turned into a spell, wrapping around the tiny burning creature and teleporting it deep within the Everfree Forest, where even the basic laws of magic were warped and distorted beyond any reason. Twilight would be jarred out of her Flare, her magic spell snuffed as a candle. And she would die. Alone and in agony, consumed by her magic. Just like Luna.
“There’s something under here! Get some guards to move these blocks! Hurry!”
A small cluster of guards were desperately digging at the collapsed wall of the tower annex, where the reinforced waiting room used to be until a jet of solar plasma blew off the roof in an avalanche of huge stones. The heavy construction that was supposed to ensure their safety had undoubtedly crushed the children to a horrid red mess she had seen far too often over her uncounted years. Still, a sudden shout of joy lifted her dismal mood when a small sobbing voice was heard. Then another.
She never even noticed herself moving until she appeared behind her loyal soldiers as they passed one small filly or colt after another out of a ragged hole in the cooling wall. Only after all the young ones had been passed to safety, did parents begin to emerge, staggered and bloody, but alive. She could not help but match faces to names as they blinked in the warm sunshine. Every face took a small pebble off the weight crushing her heart, every cry of joy as a filly or colt was reunited with their parents gave her hope until there were only two sets of parents remaining outside, waiting in vain for children who would never again be seen alive.
“Son,” called out a guard into the dark hole. “Can you make it out?”
“My shield will collapse if I move,” came a thready male reply that she recognized as Shining Armor, the last surviving child of Night Light and Twilight Velvet. “Are they safe? I can’t hold this much longer.”
“Stand back,” commanded Princess Celestia to the guards, who parted before her. The rubble glowed with her magical golden power, causing half-molten stones in the unstable heap to separate like taffy and lift into the sky, vanishing with sharp popping noises. As one shifting stone after another vanished, a pink hemisphere of magic was revealed until finally the exhausted unicorn colt inside released his spell and slid to the ground with a crashing thud.
“Shining Armor!” The piercing shriek of her niece corresponded with a pink thunderbolt of feathers who collided with the colt almost before he hit the ground. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza clutched the semi-conscious colt with a fervent emotion that sent several of the nearby guards stumbling backwards. “Oh, Shiny! What happened? Where’s Twilight?!”
“Twilight Sparkle is gone.” Princess Celestia walked carefully to her Cadenza’s side and bowed her head. “She Flared disastrously during her test. I’ve never seen anything like it before, she overpowered me and… drew upon the sun for power.” Princess Cadenza gasped in horror while Celestia continued, “Nopony could possibly contain that amount of power and remain sane. I’m afraid it destroyed her mind and nearly killed her.”
“Nearly?” The flicker of hope in that one word drove a dagger of despair into Celestia’s heart.
“I transported her deep inside the Everfree Forest to break her hold on the sun, or we all would have died. There’s nothing left of the filly you used to foalsit, Mi Amore. She’s gone from us now. Her mind was destroyed by the power she touched, ever so briefly in her panic. You have to let her go.”
“NO!” The Princess of Love turned to Celestia with blazing eyes. “She’s the most special unicorn I’ve ever known. I’m going after her.”
“You can’t bring her back, Mi Amore. If she is still alive by some chance, bringing her out of the Everfree could doom us all. She grabbed the sun away from me, don’t you understand?! She’s more dangerous than you could possibly imagine!”
“I’m going, and you’re not stopping me.” The emotion radiating away from Princess Cadenza was almost visible as she glared at her aunt.
“I’m going with you,” rasped Shining Armor in a near growl while staggering to his hooves. The falling rubble had carved shallow grooves across his back and one cheek, while dried blood caked his blue mane across one eye, but the remaining eye locked to hers with an iron determination. “If Twily is hurt, she may lash out. My shield may be able to protect us.”
She wanted to call out to her guards to restrain the young fools before they could pursue this insane path, but she restrained herself. Deep in her heart, she knew they were right. If she had the moral strength, she would go with them herself, to mourn over the body if Twilight Sparkle had died, or to drive a blade through her heart to end her torment if she was still a danger. Instead, she sent all of her remaining guards to protect them.
There was nothing left to do here. The rubble was silent as a tomb, with the only sounds being Twilight’s parents sobbing along with the Lulamoon’s. Celestia wanted to go console them in their hour of grief, but was afraid. Immortals were not supposed to be touched by death, no matter how much she hurt inside. Without a daughter of her own, Celestia could never understand their own pain. How it felt to lose a part of your own flesh and blood to the machinations of an ancient monster who fed the fires of her regret with the lives of their children.
Trust in Harmony.
They had been Starswirl’s last words to Celestia before he had vanished, words that she clung to during times of great sorrow and pain. The old unicorn shook off trouble like a wet duck, never daunted by adversity or discouraged by failure, and always there when or where he was needed. There had been something of his mannerisms about the Lulamoon child that had sparked Celestia’s whimsy during the preparations for the test, a quirk that also reminded her of Luna and the way she used to speak louder whenever she was afraid. All it took was a few quiet words, and Trixie’s name had appeared unexpectedly on the final list. At the time, Celestia had rejoiced in her heart. Trixie’s cries of joy were so much like the first time Luna had raised the moon.
And now the sun had killed her.
Trixie had not been inside Shining Armor’s shield spell when the building collapsed, and nopony knew where she had gone. Both her body and the baby dragon were likely buried under tons of rock and rubble in the remains of the tower, if not vaporized without a trace by the lash of stellar fire that had melted granite like butter. Celestia’s greatest and her most unlikely candidates to save Luna, both slain by her incompetence.
She bowed her head in the direction of the rubble and Celestia released her iron control long enough for one tear to fall in memory of them both.
She paused.
There was a spell being cast inside the rubble.
It was a weak and gentle tingle of power, felt through her hooves more than horn, almost as if the source were directly beside her. Celestia released her magic gently, watching it flow across the broken stone blocks as a soft golden fog until it swirled and coalesced around the base of two huge stones that had fallen against each other.
With the most delicate of magical touches, she bent down to the gap between the stones and unwound the invisibility spell, feeling the touch of hope once again in her heart as the contents were revealed. A small blue filly was wrapped almost all the way around the baby dragon with both of them tightly tucked into the shallow niche which had saved their lives.
“Trixie,” she whispered with relief. “It’s safe now. You can come out.”
The trembling little filly shook her head vigorously, and whispered back without opening her eyes. “Spike and I are hiding.”
“Don’t you want to show your parents your new cutie mark?”
Trixie gasped, staring at the crescent moon and wand mark on her flank. “Spike! I got my cutie mark! Momma! Papa! Look at me!”
Princess Celestia felt a lurch in her chest at the glittering star-topped wand and crescent moon of sparkles on Trixie’s flanks, so much like the stars and the moon obeyed her own sister. It was a stroke of fantastic luck that the little filly had managed to find the only place in the falling stones where she and the dragon would not be crushed.
Where skill and power was unable to save Luna, perhaps luck was the answer.
“Trixie Lulamoon, you have a very special gift. Most adult unicorns could never cast an invisibility spell on themselves. But you need to learn to tame your abilities through focused study.”
“I don’t like to study,” said Trixie with a defiant grin. “Uncle says I’m a natural.”
Even more like my sister than before.
“Well, then. How would you like to become my personal protégé at the school?”
“Can I keep Spike?” The young unicorn filly still had not released her vice-like hold on the baby dragon, as if she were afraid he would vanish into thin air without physical contact.
“Most certainly.” Princess Celestia smiled down at her new student, trying not to cry.
Deep within the Everfree Forest, a small broken creature crawled under a bush and cried in her stead.
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Wow, this is really enjoyable! I'll definitely be watching this. But you might want to add an alternate universe tag, since it is splitting off from the normal show's story line.
I'm not sure I've ever seen a Trixie as Celestia's student story, usually she gets paired with Luna.
Now I'm wondering if Cadence & Shining Armor are going to be able to find Twilight, or if she's going to show up later on during the search for the Elements having lived feral in the Everfree for years.
Now to the Everfree forest!
2002813 Nope! Now on to Zebrica! (Trying for a bit of Alan Quartermane)
2002742 Little difficult to have Trixie as Luna's student at this point
2002529 If it were actually part of an alternate universe such as the Lunaverse, yes. Technically just about *every* fic is alternate, the L!verse just does it fantastic.
I made the sidebar, that is tough
Now for Zecora to strut her stuff
I believe the 'crescent moon' in Trixie's Mark is actually supposed to represent waving the wand and leaving a swirly trail of magic, or something like that.
Oh ho. Congratulations, Trixie. You're the new Twilight.
Also, something tells me that whatever's left of the old Twilight isn't quite dead yet. Mainly because there wouldn't be a story otherwise. Well, there would be, just not the one you're going to tell.
2002926 You are correct. Suffice it to say Celestia is a bit in shock at the moment. Expect a dialogue in the near future that says:
"Ah think you got a bit of glitter on your rump there, sugarcube."
"It's a moon, it's supposed to glitter."
"It looks just like Sparkledust #4 that we use on cupcakes!
"Shut up! It's real!"
"Darling, don't be embarassed. Lots of ponies use a bit of cosmetics to enhance their natural beauty. Yours is starting to run a bit, you should really touch it up."
"Shutupshutupshutup!"
2003049 Yeah, it would kill the mood to have her stagger out of the Everfree going "Brains...."
2002878 Yeah, I was thinking AU like the Lunaverse or My Choices. You also sometimes see a post-NMM Luna with Trixie as a student.
I'm mainly watching this to see how twilight fares.
You have caught my interest. I foresee the expedition to find her remains will fail (she is still alive and evasive), events will play out as normal with Trixie playing the part of Twilight. And when Nightmare Moon flees to the old castle she will find its new feral squatter and misbegotten castaways will commence bonding.
Favorited on principle and interest.
Looking forward to this.
Ooooooph interesting
2002477 This.
I have not read this yet but judging from the description I'm pretty sure this requires an Alternative Universe Tag. Just saying.
this is an interesting alternant universe. I shall keep an eye on this story.
Incredible concept, can't wait for more.
Talking about scraping together a win from the ashes of defeat.
Celestia, in a bout of indecision, lets Twilight go nuclear, nearly destroying the whole of Canterlot, and still managing to kill lord knows how many with the collapse of the tower. In any case, Twilight's... out of commission for the moment, though I wonder if there's any sort of path for redemption?
Still, Celestia simply grabs the next closest option, Trixie, to take on the mantel.
2002477 The video? Well DANG. That beats the PANTS off my jpeg of that...
WHAT?! Trixie gets Spike?!
Awww... I wanted Twilight to get teleported away with Spike.
Now when they grow up Spike won't be on Twilight's side.
Trixie? Ehh.... I don't really like her.
Now make psycho-Twilight Nightmare Moon's apprentice!
1. Morph the entire MLP universe: Check
2. Screw with every bronies minds' : Check
3....
4. Profit
:P
Ugh, Trixie... I'm glad for the implications of the lack of a Trixie character tag.
Maybe Trixie will grow up to be like a little Luna instead of a nasty boastful jerk?
But Twilight...
i am ready for moar
Seems awful tacky to make Twilight suffer for this, and then just pick the next promising pupil. How does Trixie know the name of a formerly unborn dragon, whose birth Twilight Sparkle was responsible for? That just seems too sudden and out of character. Perhaps if there was more detail in here about how they both ended up there, it would help?
2017432 Well, when the alternative is the potential destruction of the world, sometimes you have to do tacky things. The chapter assures us having to do this puts her on the edge of tears that only her need to show a brave face in public is stopping.
It is weird that "Spike" is still named "Spike" by Trixie but I suppose the author thought renaming him would be too confusing to the audience.
T-Trixie? TRIXIE?!
I'm sorry but I absolutely HATE TRIXIE!!
AND YOU GAVE HER SPIKE?!
Don't you dare make anything else good happen to her!!!
2028695
I can assure you by far she is not one of my fav characters but she has so much potential programmed into her character it bleeds, like she could come from a abusive home or a orphanage or some shit so she developed an inferiority complex and constantly tries to make herself look exceptionally important or powerful. Or you know... whatever. 
You... are a virgin.
But cereal why you hate Trixie?
Trixie as the element of magic This will be interesting
:I Give This Story's Plot 10 Mustashies
Wow. You have a way with words.
...good job, Trixie!
Gee, that was an emotional roller-coaster.
Twilight going to get stabbed. :(
Twilight teleprted instead. :)
Twilight's mind is broken. :(
Shining is alive! :)
Trixie and spike died. :(
No wait! They live! :)
The dichotomy here is rather stark. I hope this doesn't spell for any further darkness that this story could possibly dish out.
Also, why did Trixie call Spike, Spike? I mean, I suppose you could say that it was just a spur of the moment name, but it doesn't work well here.
Shining and Cadance! YEY!
And Trixie is replacing Twilight and Twilight got zapped to the Everfree and are her parents still plants/alive?
To be answered later! But first apparently zebras. Good. Zebras are good. You can never have to much Zebra.
3648376
There is no such thing as too much zebra!
Oh no I teleported Twily to the everfree forest, but hey look trixie! love it
3968037 I liked this version of events. ^~^
2028695 You are a disturbed individual who I dislike with a burning passion. Trixie was just a showmare doing her job. BUCK YOU.
fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/240/2/0/_gif__dis_gun_b_gud__by_aartboy-d5cp797.jpg
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I now hate/love/hate
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
from
____________
You need to fix the spacing of sentences [including the "I've never" part above]. You have way to many double spaces where single spaces are called for. Still good chapter.
Edit: Ignore above fix above. Misread it. One of those rare moments when my brain switched words around.
2003147
Her actual cutie mark in the show is a handkerchief and a wand, though... the tools of a stage magician
5165341 Depends on how you look at it. There's a lot of 'meta' in some cutie marks, i.e. Cheerilee and Derpy. Here's a nice image out of the show that shows off her rear fairly well. (Not in that way! Sheesh. Down, guys!)
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120826214232/mlp/images/thumb/f/fe/Trixie_%22wait%22_S01E06.png/800px-Trixie_%22wait%22_S01E06.png
5169651 Lol. I like this so far. No, not the flank picture, not to say it isn't cute, I mean good story.
Fascinating. Trixie's presence is predictable, but I won't complain. Yet.
Certain parts do feel a little rushed, though.
YAY TRIXIE! She deserves happiness! What, with how she is treated in the canon and everything.
Sweet Mother of Luna... the feels...