Ch. 21 - Trust
The Monster in the Twilight
Trust
Six ponies paused at the edge of the dark wood from their headlong gallop out of town, only to have a seventh fade reluctantly into view in their midst, hedged inside as if within a corral made of mares. Rarity gave their newest member a sidelong glance, barely able to restrain a sniff of derision. There was a fine line between disheveled and dishabille for a proper unicorn mare, and The Great and Powerful Trixie had passed that line in a great leap much earlier this evening. The poor dear had no idea on just how to look seductively rumpled, how to look in distress without being distressed.
Perhaps once this whole end-of-the-world thing blew over and Princess Celestia put the arrogant poser⁽*⁾in her place, it would be only appropriate to offer a mutual trip to the spa, if done quietly. Trixie really was not that hard to get along with, as long as she didn’t talk.
(*) ‘Arrogant poser’ in this case referred to Nightmare Moon, not Trixie.
- - ☾ - -
“Now listen up,” snapped Trixie, perhaps a little louder than she expected from her unintentional twitch to look where her voice echoed out of the forest. “The big dark alicorn in armor is Nightmare Moon. She’s Princess Celestia’s—” Trixie evaluated just how her audience would react to the evil alicorn being the sister to their beloved princess and silently edited her origin story “—nemesis from a thousand years ago, who she defeated and imprisoned in the moon. The only thing that will stop her is the Elements of Harmony, and they’re stored in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters inside the Everfree Forest.”
“Hey, wait a minute!” called Rainbow Dash, pointing out into the forest. “If you knew this, why didn’t you just bring them with you yesterday?”
“I don’t—” Trixie ground to a halt, grinding her teeth. “Anyway, Princess Celestia seems to think that some purple freak from out in the forest is going to be able to use these thousand year old artifacts without the slightest training or knowledge about their existence to put her si— I mean nemesis back into the moon.”
“Why didn’t she say something earlier?” asked Rarity with a wave of one hoof. “I would think something as important as this would have at least been covered in the newspapers.”
“Or she could have told us!” said Pinkie Pie with indignation. “I mean I didn’t even have time to bake a cake, or decorate it, or organize Black Snooty’s ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party. Even if she is a mean, nasty creature, she still deserves cake.” Tears welled up in the party pony’s blue eyes and she sniffed. “A thousand years without cake. No wonder she’s such a grumpy grump.”
“Ah don’t believe you fer one minute,” snapped Applejack. “Princess Celestia would never hide sumptin’ this big from her subjects.”
“She probably had good reasons,” whispered Fluttershy, trying to hide behind her mane. “Maybe she was afraid of N-nightmare M-moon.”
“The Wise One of the Sky has reason for shame, for her sister is the one who bears that name.”
There was a certain rolling cadence to Zecora’s words as if they were supported by a thousand of her kind, far, far away. The disguised zebra’s voice pushed back the darkness in the immediate vicinity, drawing her five listeners closer for mutual support.
“It all started long ago, before my birth, when both sisters shared power over sky and eart—”
“Princess Celestia had a younger sister!” shouted Trixie with an aggravated stomp of one hoof. “She went crazy and Celestia used some ancient doo-dad called the Elements of Harmony to imprison her in the moon. Now she’s broken free and locked Celestia in the sun, and plans on keeping the moon up forever unless I—” Trixie broke off and swallowed, trying not to look at the dark forest and failing badly. “Unless I go get the Elements of Harmony from some creepy ancient castle, give it to the same crazy unicorn who almost killed all of Canterlot a decade ago, and hope she’s pointed in the right direction when they both explode.”
Trixie glared back at her six companions, only one of whom returned her glare in kind. “Don’t look at me that way, bug! I mean, zebra. I don’t have the kind of time to listen to your windy rhyme. I’m taking you with me, but only because Twilight Sparkle seems reluctant to blow you up. The rest of you can go help with the evacuation of the town or something.”
Applejack stepped forward one step, a bare moment away from violence. “What about the kids?”
“What about them?” Trixie made a dismissive gesture while turning her back, missing Rainbow Dash clamping down on the farmer’s tail with her teeth and hauling her hindquarters up in the air just before the lunge that would have planted a pair of horseshoes alongside that scowling blue face. “The Everfree Forest will just have to take its chances with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. From the way things have been going, they’ll probably drag an Ursa back into town. Poor bear.”
The inky night hid the shivers of fear that rippled underneath her new purple cloak, but not the startled jump when a gentle pink hoof rested on her shoulder.
“Trixie, I know you are very scared, for this event, you were not prepared. But there is one thing that you must hold quite true. Your Wise One of the Sky is counting on you. Her trust in you to set all things right, is your heavy burden on this long, dark night.”
Trixie flung the hoof off her shoulder as all the anger she had suppressed for the last few years bubbled to the surface and blew. “Trust? I trained under her wing for twelve years! Twelve years! I was supposed to be the one to use the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon! Me! Not some little purple loon who has been running around the forest like some animal!”
Fluttershy’s quiet “Hey!” was barely noticed while Trixie thundered onward, her voice echoing back in an eerie response from the dark forest.
“Everypony in Equestria trusts Princess Celestia! They trust her to raise the sun and moon, they trust her to run the country, they bring their little petty problems to her like children with a broken toy and she makes everything better. I spent five months corresponding and traveling to that loser escape artist Maskelyne’s retirement home, trying to beg the Puppet spell off his hooves before he up and died, and got NOTHING! She sends him one lousy note, and all of the sudden it becomes ‘Yes, Trixie. I’d be proud to teach Princess Celestia’s student my spell.’ ONE FREAKING NOTE!
“Celestia’s student. You would think I had that branded on my flank! I’m not her property! She doesn’t own me! The high and mighty of Canterlot do not care about Trixie, except as a stepping-stool to tread on to get closer to her! If I’m invited anywhere, the invitation always says, ‘and guest.’ I know who they mean. I’m always under her shadow, never appreciated, just like that monster said!
“Everypony trusts her, but she never trusted me, ever! I had to sneak into the Solarium to find out why she always looked like Tartarus after raising the moon! I had to steal the prophecy book out of her private library just to find out why she was being so secretive about her sister. I had to put up with those little sighs of disappointment, her ever-so-calm demeanor whenever I did something she disliked. I had to put up with the brother of that insane freak stalking through the castle at all hours of the day and night, with his perfect little floozy looking over my shoulder and spying on me!
“Worst of all, she never trusted me over twelve years, but she puts her trust in that little purple terrorized twit in an instant! ‘I know you can.’ WHAT ABOUT ME?!”
As the echoes of ME-Me-me-me died down to the normal sounds of night, the pink ‘alicorn’ rested her hoof on the panting student’s shoulder again.
“Has your snit, finally quit?”
“Yeah. Let’s go get the kids.” Trixie yanked the bottle out of her cloak, took a look at it, and shoved it back into the concealed pocket with a grumbled, “Bientôt, Monsieur bourbon.”
“What?” Applejack yanked her tail away from Rainbow Dash and stormed up to Trixie, who continued without a pause.
“You don’t think I’d leave a bunch of foals out in the dangerous forest all by themselves just because I’m mad at Princess Celestia, do you?
“Well…”
“If this works out, and if I live, and if she lives, I’ll yell at her. If not, I want that engraved on my statue. Did you get it written down, Spike? Spi— Oh, fudge! Where’s Spike?”
Fluttershy spoke up before Trixie could panic. “He was sleeping like a baby on Big Mac’s back when we all left the town hall. They should all be at their assigned evacuation point⁽¹⁾ by now.”
(1) Due to Ponyville’s immediate proximity to the Everfree Forest, Mayor Mare had created a detailed evacuation plan for the town and ensured it was tested on a quarterly basis, or monthly for three specific individuals.
“Good. Thanks.” Trixie took a deep breath and looked away from the group, removing her hat with a flourish and taking on a tone of voice more appropriate for a stage than the edge of a creepy forest.
“And now the Great and Powerful Trixie will stride confidently into the dangerous Everfree Forest, her only companion a crazy pink zebra. Who knows what dangers they will face together as they proceed on their epic quest through uncharted wilderness in search of the fabled Elements of Harmony, their only guide a penciled map in the back of an ancient book, once held in Celestia’s private hoard of arcane wisdom. Behold, the ancient tome of knowledge, The Liberum Elementorum Harmonia!⁽²⁾”
(2) The Elements of Harmony - A Reference Guide (abridged)
Plunging one hoof into her suspended hat, Trixie blinked as the hoof continued through her brand-new hat and out the top instead of removing the magically stored book inside.
“Wrong hat.” The blue mare blushed a sharp pink at the nervous laughter from her audience before plunking the ventilated hat back on her head. With a mystic pass along the ground, a faint pink glow flickered from the hole in the hat and Trixie pointed down the path that lead into the forest.
“Fear not, for my incantation has revealed which way the miscreants have gone. Come, my faithful and hopefully tastier companion. Your crazy daughter proceeded this way in great haste, with the children and my loyal guard right behind.”
“You can track my Sweetie Belle?” exclaimed Rarity with an excited step forward, momentarily distracted from her inspection of the ragged hole in Trixie’s brand new hat.
“Of course.” Trixie polished a hoof on her cloak. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has powers far beyond—”
“Hey, look!” Pinkie Pie bounded down the path ahead of Trixie. “There’s a jellybean on the ground here. And one over here. I bet that hole in Twist’s saddle bag opened up again. And I thought plugging it with taffy would work.”
“Wait!” Trixie gestured. “I’ve got—”
“Slow down there, Pinkie!” Applejack and Rarity galloped past Trixie after the pink party pony. “Yer eating the trail.”
“Last one into the forest is a rotten egg,” snickered Rainbow Dash, flying low enough over Trixie to knock her hat down over her eyes.
“They’re probably so frightened,” whispered Fluttershy as she trotted past. “We need to hurry.”
Trixie stood watching the rest of the mares trot into the forest until Zecora turned to her with a smirk.
“To lead your friends to our children dear, you should probably not stay in the very rear.”
“Huh? Right! Come on, then.” With an urgency to her trot, Trixie bravely led her newfound friends into the dark forest, never fearful, never uncertain, without a single tremble to her pace.
Or at least that is how she intended to write it down, in the unlikely event they all survived.
- - ☾ - -
Stats
Page generated in 0.047 seconds
Total duration
866 users online
1,351,423 hits today, 2,814,898 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
10 O'clock at night, I should be in bed
life SU^&@! oh well, at least I got to read the new update!
blast it, we don't have a SQUEEEEEE! mote
THANKS FOR THE UPDATE!
Yay!! New chapter!!
I love her outburst. Especially the parts about stealing and stuff.
Don't fret, Trixie, we all love you.
Nurse Pinke, administer 50cc of hugs, stat.
Trixie has friends? This is seriously the biggest surprise so far, or was it the fact she didn't take a shot of bourbon, not quite sure.
Ooooo an update!!! I continue to happily look forward to every single update to this story. Even though they always end way too fast.
Buks!
Heh. Trixie does not really understand who the 'purple loon' is. If she did, she'd be cowering in fear. After all Twilight almost stole the sun from Celestia in this universe -- without the Elements of Harmony... Somehow I don't think Trixie knows the real circumstances behind that or why Twilight almost destroyed Canterlot. Based just on the information in this story, Twilight's situation and NMM ought to be a source of shame on Celestia's part.
2479151
It's a work in progress.
2479303
I don't think it matters so much. At the root of it Trixie KNOWS that she has always been the runner up, the spare, the emergency substitute. She basically has spent 12 years in the shadow of a pony that lives in the forest like an animal. And it's constantly rubbed in her face. Everypony in Canterlot and most of Equestria either sees her as Not-Twilight or as Celestia's Student. So yeah she's bitter, but she's been dealt a bad hand. So even if she doesn't know all the details the resentment is not unfounded. Unfortunately its led Trixie to lash out at almost everyone, isolating herself and making the bitterness worse.
I think Twilight and the CMC + will find the EoH before the others arrive. NMM will have followed them from afar but is surprised when she finds another group of ponies already there. So she reveals herself and after a very short battle freezes Trixie to wall so she can watch her friends die. She then turns her attention to the others, Zecora + Mane 6 + CMC + Twist and Featherweight who have been trying to get the elements to work. Trixie yells across that she needs to find the bearers when it dawns on her (NMM smacks her again). All the while Twilight and NMM duel with magic, Twilight is far more powerful than her canon self at this time. After hearing Trixie's suggestion it dawns on her what she needs to do. So she rockets NMM into the throne stunning her long enough to attempt to give a modified version of her "canon EoH speech" but cannot string the words correctly thus the Mane 5 end up speaking on her behalf based on their behavior during the mad scramble. Like AJ stating who's the Element of Honesty and what not. Then Trixie yells again to tell Twilight she's the Element of Magic (She comes to terms with it to save them) and then they proceed to fire on NMM the EoH. saving Luna and Celestia along with finishing Twilight's healing. In the end Twilight stays older in body but grows up with her younger friends while slowly creating friendships with the other Mane 5 + a resigned student of Celestia, Trixie.
2479114 Hah, 6 am, I should be in bed.
Hm, I can't wait for Twi to finally get the Elements and curbstomp NMM into the ground. Also the groups reaction to their discovery of the (I think) near daily trips into the Everfree. They aren't aware of those yet, right?
Great!!
nice chapter. Fairly short but it cuts right to the quick. Dealing with Trixie's issues about trust as the title informs as well as showing how being in Celestia's shadow along with Celestia Trusting Twilight more even though Twilight nearly caused a Disaster that would make Vash the Stampede proud. I can't wait to see how the next chapter turns out.
Poor Trixie, a heartfelt rant that only 12 years could carry. I hope she gets a happy ending.
2479151
Well, Trixie' s made friend's before - check out the Lunaverse. However, she's never, never, never passed up a shot of her favorite drink.
Yeah, mark me down as still suspicious that we're going to get two sets of Elements Bearers.
This... is a very, very trying story. A good one, but trying.
2479303>>2479361
If I'm recalling things correctly, Twilight pretty much orphaned Trixie when she (unintentionally) blew up Celestia's school and brought it down on everyone inside. Of course, she also orphaned herself when her own parents died in the tragedy as well, but its hardly surprising that Trixie would harbor some serious issues with Twilight for the loss of her family.
As for how it will pan out with two sets of Element wielders, I suppose that depends on whether NMM is successful in ditching Luna and possessing Twilight instead. The cruelest possible ending would be Twilight being banished to the moon for a thousand years if Trixie and the rest of the Mane Six have to take her down. (I question whether Trixie has it in her to purge the Nightmare from her target as the Mane Six did in continuity.)
Ad I still wonder... Was Twilight linked to the others through fate on the day of the Rainboom in this continuity?
2479541
I have looked at the Lunaverse, but I have a dislike for Trixie so generally shy away from stories were she is the protagonist. Though I love Luna... This makes things difficult.
2479678
Nah.
Excerpted from Chapter 2:
Trixie might have some lasting sub-conscious fear of those events. Although I guess I should pity since she's been expected to shoulder a burden not meant for her that she may not be able to bear. Celestia can be ever so cruel.
2479764
Aha... Not nearly as grim as I recalled then. So Twilight's folks can still show up to cry at major events. Good to know.
Honestly I find Trixie and the mane 6 to be very boring characters in this story. Everything they do is filler. Twilight and the Crusaders have really cool backstories and a cool dynamic in this story (also we've been following them around the whole time so i actually care about them). Please can we go back to them soon. Trixie and the others can still be boring offscreen if they want :D
I'm glad the story is moving along quite nicely again. I felt it really slow down somewhere in the middle and I had to trudge through them until they made their way back to the plot. This chapter was much funnier and had more plot development and I liked it and such. Oh Trixie, you try...
Keep up the good work!
2479405 If you are indeed six, you have better grammar than most adults on the internet do.
2480567 Hm? Oh no, I'm eighteen.
I was referring to the time. When I posted that comment it was 6am(6 O'clock in the morning). But thanks for the compliment on my grammar.
I love how we got absolutely no reaction at ALL from anypony after that tyrade of a speech Trixie gave. Not one of them gives a damn about her, not even Pinkie. Nice to know where everypony stands when that much hurt is brought to the forefront.
Trixie needs a hug.
2480833
Yeah, I felt the same way too. I mean, I understand Trixie isn't the most likable character, and has been acting like a spoiled brat for the past twelve years, BUT when a bomb that explains why she has been acting like she has been, and actually gives a pretty deep insight into the struggles and the B.S. she has had to go through, has been dropped, and no one bats an eye, except when she is told to suck it up, that just rubs me the wrong way. To me, It gives the impression that the others don't give a damn about Trixie, even though she is deliberately trying to help and be a better pony, this especially shows when she casts the spell that shows where the children are. And that is another thing that bothers me, had Trixie not been there, and had there been no trail, there is a good chance that the children would have died in the forest, or at least, been missing for a very long time, and no one even realizes this? No one even gives Trixie a "Thanks," or the like? It just seems out of character for the mane five.
But regardless, I am excited to see where the story is going to go, so keep fighting the good fight Georg, and keep on writing.
story update? Cool
The Monster in the Twilight update? EVEN BETTER
4 Stories all update on the same day?
WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN
Almost as much win as this
i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6410439424/hB9B35A7D/
2480833 Au contraire, mon ami. Actions speak louder than words. Even Fluttershy is going into the forest with Trixie. Of course Trixie knows when they recover the children, they will abandon Trixie without a thought, leaving her with an insane purple unicorn, a pink zebra, and a forest filled with nasty creatures between her and the Elements. At least Trixie will have Monsieur Bourbon, when her 'friends' abandon her.
2481280 Had Trixie not been there, the children would have been with Zecora, who knows the forest and can protect them. Zecora knows this, and hasn't killed Trixie yet, which is an act of powerful will on her part.
2479778 Also, frequently parents who lose small children will have more of them. Twilight may just find more siblings when/if she recovers. (no, I'm not covering that in this story, I did enough of that in 'Tutor' and the upcoming sequel 'The Traveling Tutor and the Diplomat's Daughter')
2479764 Sub-concious fears? Everytime Trixie sees purple, she can still hear the multi-ton stone blocks falling all around her. That reminds me, I need to insert a comment that Spike has been sleeping in Trixie's bed (Not that way!) for years now to prevent nightmares.
2479678 Yes, the M6 are all linked together by way of Rainboom Power, including Trixie. I have a mental picture of Trixie holding Dash to a wall by her throat, screaming "You did this to me!"
2479543 But yet you have a spare tire in your car....
2479541 Monsieur Bourbon has not been turned down, but is merely holding his strength for when he is most needed.
2479117 Yeah, I was hoping somebody caught that. Trixie: "Celestia doesn't trust me, so I had to go spy on her and steal stuff from her private library!" AJ: "Um. You seein any logical inconsistincies here, Trixie?"
Yay!
2481925
I was trying to get at the fact that, unless I misunderstand the age of Twilight and Trixie at the time, she wouldn't necessarily remember anything other than the association of a purple pony and those stone blocks. She might blame it on Twilight in the present, but wouldn't necessarily realize that they the two are the same pony. Although as I type this that might be potentially faulty thinking, at least on the latter end.
In any case, I doubt Twilight (well, who she used to be) ever intended for anything but the task at hand to be accomplished. For all I know that could have been NMM's fault... (I don't think you said anything of that sort...)
In a moment of wild speculation, I wonder if Spike ever asked about how he was hatched? I hope Trixie didn't lie about that. If she did, well it won't end well for her...
2481925 Oh no no no. There was no reaction AT ALL, and that's what bothers me:
Then we went straight to:
Etc. etc. No facial expressions. No awkward pause. Just a rather cruel "you done now?" from Zecora and the story lurches forward again. In such an epic and well-told story like this, that was fucking TERRIBLE in such in important scene like that. Trixie just bore her soul and we get absolutely nothing in return from any of the other characters. Its like your writing suddenly face-planted over a cement block!
Continue, dear, but do watch out for further cement blocks.
2482351 don't forget the importance of a good deadpan, though. my thoughts on it was nobody really cared about what the bitch had to say. she set her soul on a pedestal for everyone to see, yet couldn't get anyone to give a fuck about it.
EDIT: forgive me, for i opened my mouth without thinking and said something stupid.
2481925 aye, monsieur bourbon is a steadfast and loyal friend even in the toughest of times. i wanna hear more from monsieur bourbon, dammit!
I just realised how much I love Trixie in this story
YAY, UPDATE!!!
and kudos on providing a more in-depth characterization of Trixie thru her tirade.
dashie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw9064-194.gif
Now how about some more Neo CMC?
2479176
2479405
(the Element of Magic is the only exception).
You're forgetting that NMM is also in the race.....
and already in the lead (I think); she'll probably have all the elements by the time one of the other groups arrived
2482351
Now see, I loved it... Celestia is imprisoned in the sun, the sisters of Applejack and Rarity are in mortal danger (not to mention many other children), Zecora's adoptive daughter is the prime target of a mad god, and all of Equestria is damned to eternal night... and Trixie chooses to rant to them about how unfair life is to her specifically. The echo of "Me, me, me..." (which was your awkward pause) especially was spot on, and a wonderful character moment for both backstory and just illustrating her personality.
Zecora's response was both funny and appropriately dismissive in light of their priorities.
2481925
Went full retard about that, and I am going to go even farther as I don't fully understand why Zecora would want to kill Trixie? I never really picked this up while reading.
2476516
I would believe it if she wasn't so abrasive off stage as well.
You know when I read that Trixie became Celestia's student, I thought she would become the more like the Lunaverse's Trixie. Bummer she turned out even worst then her actuall self. Oh well at least Twilight is still likable in comparison.
She continues to become more and more awsome. Can't wait for the next chapter.
2490225 Well, she's under a bit of stress now, without her only true friend, Monsieur Bourbon to comfort her.
I was awfully brutal to Trixie, but it's intentional. In order to be redeemed, she needs a little something to be redeemed for.
2485163 Place yourself in Zecora's hooves. You have just been dragged away from your fragile daughter, who is terrified beyond words. When you get back, she's gone. Aren't you going to be a little angry at the idiot who pulled you away from her?
2483664 I'm glad somebody liked it
what was up with that sick sounding drink she had them make? was if some kind magic hangover cure because of that puppet spell she used to tirck nightmare?
It's good to see that Trixie is still in the road for some kind of redemption. I would like to see her become an ally of sorts with Twilight, or at least a friend. I would also like to see the conflict with Celestia resolved. Trixie deserves to win this battle, not Twilight. Twilight has been through a lot, but she hasn't lived a false life. Trixie is simply a replacement for Twilight, and that is terrible.
And hope she es pointed un TVE right direction when they both explode........man i lo ve trixie
“The Everfree Forest will just have to take its chances with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. From the way things have been going, they’ll probably drag an Ursa back into town. Poor bear.”
This describes the CMC so perfectly it makes me ponder which is worse. The CMC (with Twist and Featherweight) or Pinkie Pie finding The Mask.
again you can see that Trixie just isn't Twilight. Twilight is also in Celestia's shadow but she doesn't mind that, she is more of a mare to stay in the shadow. Trixie however likes to be in the light so it's hard for her to serve someone that's over 100 steps higher than she probably will ever be.
I love the story, you can truly feel that it was destiny that Twilight would be Celestia's apprentice but that it went wrong. this isn't how it is meant to be and the characters have to take it.
4282268
No...both parties working TOGETHER
needs end " marks.
________________
Poor bear, indeed.
As insult to injury, she's left behind with the only one who actually knows the way to their destination, on account of living next to it
Zecora seems surprisingly un-offended after all those insults Trixie threw at Twilight.