What if the Alicorn Amulet did more to Trixie than we saw?
The Accursed Alicorn Amulet. An item of great power, capable of giving any pony wearing it the power reserved only for alicorns. The power of a god among mortals. All of that, only at one price; your sanity.
Not an easy decision, isn't it? Sure, a mind is something precious and all that, but the temptation of having such a power can be too much for certain ponies. It was too much for Trixie, and she fell for it. It's a good thing that Twilight Sparkle managed to save her from a life of insanity.
But, what would happen if Trixie's sanity wasn't the only price to pay? What else could the Amulet take from Trixie?
No, that wasn't fair. She didn't hate hospitals. She always found comforting the idea of having a place where the ill and injured could find aid. In that sense, Twilight loved hospitals. What she really hated were the reasons for being in a hospital. And right now, she and her friends were in the waiting room of Ponyville's Hospital for a very grim reason.
Twilight wasn't the only one uncomfortable with the situation.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash were both pacing around like two wild animals in the same cage, both looking down and only stopping to look up at the door. The same door that Rarity has been staring at uninterrupted since they entered the room. Next to Rarity, Fluttershy was seated too, but unlike the white unicorn, she was relentlessly trembling with her face hidden between her hooves. Finally, and the worst, was Pinkie Pie. Pretty much like Rarity and Fluttershy, she was sitting down, but she wasn't looking at the door or down at the floor. No, she was staring out the window at the horizon, not even blinking, and her hair was completely straight.
"How could this happen?" Twilight murmured to herself, not even sure on what to do with her friends.
And to think, things started out so well...
"With this amulet, I shall now rule all of Equestria!" Trixie announced before unceremoniously taking off the Alicorn Amulet and replacing it with Zecora's doorstop.
That had all been according to plan. Next, Rainbow Dash would pick up the Amulet, Trixie would be depowered and that would be the end of it. It was a good plan, and all the actors were filling their roles to a tee. A good plan indeed, until one actress missed her call.
"Hey!" Trixie shouted as Dash snatched the Amulet away from her. "*cough* I don't need that Alic--*cough* Alicorn...*pant* a-aaah..." She suddenly fell silent, trying to keep her balance but ultimately failing and falling limply to the ground.
"Trixie!" Twilight ran towards the collapsed magician. Something was wrong. Trixie was supposed to just lose the amulet's magic boost, not lose consciousness. As she finally reached her, Twilight surrounded Trixie in her magic, carefully lifting her from the ground and closer to herself.
"Sss... Sparkle?" Trixie softly called for her. "Why is... whys is so... c-cold?" She was getting pale, very pale. The azure of her coat was quickly leaving and being replaced by a very light blue. "Wha... what's happening to me?" Fear was clear in her voice and her eyes only showed fright.
"I-I don't-- I don't know." Twilight was panicking. True to her words, Trixie was already cold. "Help! Somepony help!" She called desperately.
"Sparkle, my enemy," Trixie continued. "Don-- Do not-- forget--Trixie..." She rode that last 'e' with her last breath, both air and life escaping from her body.
Time seemed to stop. Everything was moving slower than in reality as Twilight saw how Trixie closed her eyes. She wasn't even listening anymore, so she never noticed the two ponies approaching them till one of the bumped on her side. Doctor Stable and Nurse Redheart took Trixie from Twilight's magical aura and raced for the hospital.
Twilight sighed. It has been almost four hours since that happened. She was supposed to perform for the Saddle Arabian delegation by this time, but she couldn't focus on anything, and when Celestia heard of what happened, she excused her from doing it. So there she was, waiting for either doctor or nurse to come and tell them some good news.
Or bad news.
Any kind of news, really! Anything to alleviate this suffocating uncertainty that was slowly tearing her and her friends apart. The clock was about to mark the hour when the doors opened. Both Nurse Redheart and Dr. Stable together walked over to them.
There's something funny about dying, you know; you don't feel too much. Believe Trixie, she knows. When Trixie died, she didn't know what was happening. Trixie just felt suddenly cold and then very tired. After that, it was like going to sleep. Trixie closed her eyes and let the sleep take her, forever.
Or that would have been the idea. The details are still lost to Trixie, but as far as she can tell, she isn't either resting or in peace. In fact, right now, she's strapped to a bed, with that unlucky charm again around her neck, but now there's also a horrible, horrible restraining ring around Trixie's magnificent horn.
Trixie wasn't scared, at all, although she had every right to be. But after several minutes of contemplation (that absolutely did not involve Trixie panicking) she remembered one of her oldest acts. With a smile on her graceful face, Trixie contorted a little here, pushed a little there and finally slipped away from those horrendous straps and walked away from that dreadful commoner's bed.
Trixie first tried with the main door, but she reasoned that whoever strapped her to the bed would also lock the door. Not even bothering to test her theory, for it was obviously correct, Trixie went for the window. She opened it and saw that she was on a seventh floor. Of course, Trixie's magic would be more than enough to let her descend from such a height without any problem. But the hideous restraining ring around Trixie's horn wouldn't let her do any magic, and she knew better than to try taking it off with only her hooves.
Stopping again to contemplate her problem, Trixie calmly held herself together. Still, even if her disciplined mind would allow Trixie to ignore such petty desires as thirst in a moment like that, her throat was feeling like sand and causing too much of a distraction. One she had dealt with that small bother then she could focus clearly on escape once more.
Locating a secondary door, Trixie easily found the room's bathroom. She walked in and took a sip of water, which felt uncharacteristically tasteless. When she was finished, Trixie lifted her head and, out of simple habit, looked at the mirror.
To this day, Trixie still regrets looking at the mirror. Trixie should have never looked at the mirror. Trixie should have never taken off the Alicorn Amulet-- No! Trixie should have never even touched the Alicorn Amulet in the first place. Trixie should have stayed on the rock farm, for if she did, she would be still alive, she would be still Trixie, instead of this... this...
The being formerly known as Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon stood mesmerized before the mirror. Two lifeless eyes with pale purple irises looked back.
“What…” she thought.
The once-Trixie couldn’t take her gaze away from the mirror and it took her every single bit of willpower to hold her tears back. The nightmarish creature gazing back from inside the mirror wasn’t like Trixie in anything. The mane was a disaster, so tangled and stiff that it looked more like an old spider-web. The coat was dirty, all sweated over and sticky, flat against her skin. And her figure, the one that she managed to sustain, even under poverty and hard labors, was now more reminiscent of a dead tree than a mare. All of that, under a new paler tone. The reflection in front of the once-Trixie wasn’t that of a living pony.
“This can’t be,” she whispered in dread, reaching for the mirror.
To the once-Trixie’s horror, when she lifted a hoof, the reflection did the same. She jerked back in shock, still unsure if the image of the mirror was real or just a cruel joke. Trembling, she began to reach back for her own face instead. When a hoof, thin as a dead branch, touched the almost white face of the reflection, she barely felt it, but she knew that it was her own hoof, touching her own face. The face of a dead pony.
“This abomination,” she thought again. “Is it really me?”
The eyes of the reflection were wide with horror, its muzzle hanging open in a scream that never seemed to come. The once-Trixie wanted to scream. Why couldn’t she scream?
Air. She needed air to scream. Yet even as her hoof remained on her muzzle, next to her mouth, she realized she felt no breath against it. She should be panting now, taking in great lungfuls of air in an effort to rid herself of the horrendous scream, but… nothing.
The once-Trixie realized that she wasn’t even breathing. She tried to breathe, but it was as if the basic instinct on how to do so was now lost to her.
By this point, she should hear her pulse rushing through her ears, only instead, all around her was as silent as a graveyard. If she wasn’t breathing and had no pulse... the once-Trixie didn’t let herself finish that thought, instead rearing up on her hind legs and frantically pawing at her throat. She pressed her numb hooves into the dull fur and chilled flesh on either side of her windpipe, desperate to find some sign of life, however small.
Her panic unbalanced her, her rear hoof landing in something slick, causing it to slide out and bring her to the floor. She just managed to catch herself on her left fore-hoof, only to be assailed by another sign.
Looking down at it, she saw her dominant leg, from elbow to fetlock, was covered in a sticky dark liquid. Its color looked almost black in the darkness of the bathroom, but there was no mistaking it; blood.
Blood was oozing from a wound no bigger than an i.v. syringe, open and looking like it was still fresh on her left foreleg. She must have torn it out while getting free of her restraints. It was the source of the droplets she now noticed going back into her room, the source of the puddle she had slipped in.
But where was the pain? How could she do this to herself and not feel pain? Frightened of the new find, she also finally noticed the blood was still seeping from the ragged wound, soaking her fur further. And she still wasn’t feeling anything.
“No,” she finally managed to whimper.
The once-Trixie forgot any pretence of composure or dignity as she let the first sob rack her body. Now she wanted to cry. Cry at her misfortune. Cry at how she had gone from star of the show to spectacle of horror. She tried, she really tried, but the tears never came. She could feel her lower lip and jaw quivering in terror, but no matter how much she wanted to, neither tears nor screams came from the once-Trixie.
All she could do was to let herself fall the rest of the way to the floor and curl up in shock, but not before giving a last look at the monster behind the mirror. One last look at herself.
From the chest of her dead reflection, she managed to see an object. The Alicorn Amulet, harbinger of her new misery, was no longer strapped to her neck.
It was encrusted into her flesh.
“Doctor Stable!” Twilight called to him. “How is she? Is she alright? Please, tell me she’s alright,” she asked, tears running down her cheeks.
“Miss Sparkle, please give the doctor some space to breathe,” Nurse Redheart stepped in. “I can assure you that he’s been under as much stress as you.”
“What’s the news, doc?” Applejack piped up as Dr. Stable and Nurse Redheart walked through the doors. The girls had been waiting there almost four hours for them. “How’s Trixie doin?”
Dr. Granary Stable looked like how Twilight and the rest of her friends felt; terrible. The caramel unicorn’s mane was sweaty and dishevelled, and he had deep bags under his eyes. Nurse Redheart, standing next to him, looked little better. “I’m afraid, Ms. Apple, that will require a bit of an explanation.”
With a weary sigh, the doctor sat down heavily in one of the vacant seats across from the six mares. Redheart remained by his side, taking her own seat. Ponyville was a weirdness magnet, and working as an attending physician there, Stable had seen more than his fair share. This last case though…
“Ms. Lulamoon’s condition is... difficult, as a doctor, for me to describe--“
“What in the name of the Sun did you bring into our hospital?” snapped Redheart.
All six of the mares turned to gape at the mare opposite them. Never in all their years had they seen the white earth pony nurse act in such a fashion. Her pink tail swished angrily against her seat as she glowered at Twilight and her friends, an action that for some reason her superior did not see fit to stop, or wasn’t brave enough to even try.
“What my colleague means,” said Dr. Stable in a weary, but even tone, “is that when a victim of dark magic is brought in, it’s expected that their care team is advised of the nature of that magic as soon as possible so that they may get her the proper treatment. Especially in a case as severe and abnormal as Ms. Lulamoon’s.”
“But you were there!” Rainbow Dash objected as she hovered over the rest of the girls. “You saw she was getting that crazy magic boost from the Alicorn Amulet, and then lost it when we tricked it off her. She just collapsed after from... from -- help me out here, Twi -- magic fatigue or something.”
Twilight piped up. “Yes! Magic fatigue, especially long term exposure to an artifact like the Alicorn...” She trailed off when she saw Dr. Stable sadly shaking his head at her, Nurse Redheart continuing to glower beside him.
“This was something far, far worse than just ‘magic fatigue,’ Ms. Sparkle. Though that had been our initial assumption, too.”
“So what was it?”
“Ms. Lulamoon was unresponsive when she arrived. We attempted... standard resuscitation techniques for ponies in her situation and with her symptoms. They proved ineffective.”
Fluttershy and Twilight let out a pair of distraught squeaks, Twilight being easily the louder.
“We were about to pronounce time of death when her Majesty and Miss Zecora came in,” said Redheart, picking up the explanation and trying to take the weight from the overworked doctor. “They had the alicorn amulet with them, and..." Nurse Redheart trailed off, her muzzle curling in revulsion. "They were able to stabilize Ms. Lulamoon. Such as she is."
“After that, we ran some tests to try and determine what happened.” Dr. Stable spoke again. “Our first sign that something was really wrong, though, was when we tried to draw blood.” The doctor squirmed in his seat. “What we got wasn’t blood at all.”
Even after dying, Trixie has her hopes and fears. She has her memories. Even beyond death, Trixie dreams.
She's got the Amulet in her hooves, finally.
She has fantasized with a power like this. She has dreamed of a power like this. The power to take the control, to fix everything, to set things right. The power over her own life. The very power of the gods, right in the pad of her hoof.
*baBum*
The Amulet is literally overflowing in energy, pounding like a war drum, and Trixie listens to it.
*baBum, baBum*
Trixie puts the Amulet over her neck. She's one step from the point of no return. Taking one last breath, she closes it with her hooves.
*baBum baBum*
Trixie can feel the power, surging through her like electricity through a lightning rod. But there's something she needs to do before fully using it.
*baBUM! baBUM!*
Trixie has to accept the power. She can’t just use it, she has to accept the darkness inside the Amulet and inside of herself to access the unlimited power behind it. To have limitless power, a pony first has to forget the concept of limitations. Like good or evil.
*BABUM! BABUM!*
Trixie's heart stops, so the Alicorn amulet can take its place. Losing it all has made Trixie's heart fill with rage and pain, hate and revenge. Trixie's heart has become useless for her, so she lets the Amulet replace it. Her blood is now spoiled, so the Amulet expels it from her body. Trixie willingly opens her mouth and the red liquid of life abandons her in a roar of rage. And power.
The Amulet's power is great, and its first test comes in the form of giving Trixie's veins a new blood. Something stronger to keep her going starts filling them, dark as the night and unstoppable as the dawn.
Dr. Stable waited several moments to see if any of the six ponies opposite him had anything to say on the matter, particularly Twilight or Fluttershy in their condition of scholar and veterinary respectively. When they didn’t appear forthcoming with anything, he moved on.
“We still don’t know what it was that we drew out of her. We tried a blood transfusion, but to the best of our knowledge, it proved ineffective. As did the rest of our techniques. It was only by the efforts of Zecora and Princess Celestia that Ms. Lulamoon’s condition is as good as it is.” He stopped again, waiting until one of the others had something to add.
“So, what did happen to her?” Rarity was the first to say anything.
“As I said before, it’s very difficult for me to explain.” He sighed deeply bowing his head to his chest to gather his thoughts. “The Alicorn Amulet is not only dark magic, but also very obscure dark magic. Besides that text from the library that Twilight provided, we couldn’t find anything else. Even the Princess herself was of limited help. As it was--”
“Will Trixie be okay?” asked Fluttershy without realizing she just interrupted somepony.
“All I can say right now is that we have her stabilized. Or at least as close to something as I would call stable for a pony in her condition. As far as I understand, Trixie now depends on having the Amulet on her at all times to be out of danger.”
“Hold on!” cried Rainbow Dash shaking her front hooves before her. “You’re telling us that, after all the problems we went through to get that thing off of her neck, you just gave it back to her?!”
“Dash’s right,” Applejack added, more calmly. “I reckon that it was the Amulet what caused her to go mad with power. We should be lookin’ for a way to take it off of her as soon as possible.”
“I’m afraid that it won’t be possible, Applejack,” a new voice joined them. From the main door, the imposingly tall and pristine white figure of Princess Celestia was making her way towards the reunited group. They all took a bow in respect, except for Dr. Stable, who remained in his chair but still inclined his head towards her.
“I assume you were explaining them the situation, Granary.” As usual, Celestia referred to her ponies, not as subjects, but as equals.
“I was doing my best, your majesty,” he faintly smiled. “But it’s hard to do when I don’t fully understand it either.”
“And having them interrupting every two sentences, surprisingly, doesn’t help matters,” Nurse Redheart added, taking tiredness a little worse than the doctor.
“You have already done your job here, Granary,” Celestia said in the same way a mother would address a child who did something good. “You and Redheart rest while I explain to my little ponies the rest of what transpired.” Taking their cue, both doctor and nurse walked out of the room together. After the door closed. Princess Celestia spoke again.
“As the doctor was saying, Applejack, taking the Alicorn Amulet from Trixie would not be only harmful to her, but it has become all but impossible.”
“WHAT!” The six friends exclaimed at the same time.
“I’m afraid so.” She leaned closer to them, sitting down to be at their eye level. “The good news is that at least we have found a way to contain the Alicorn Amulet’s corruption by placing a restraining ring on Trixie’s horn.”
“Of course,” Twilight said. “The corruption occurs through her magic. If she can’t access it, then the Amulet can’t corrupt her.” Everypony looked expectantly at the Princess, who confirmed the information with a nod.
“So, with all that, what will happen to Trixie?” Applejack wasn’t a pony who liked to beat around the bush. “Ah mean, after all she did.”
“That’s more complicated,” Celestia looked aside, as if wanting to avoid having this conversation. “Legally speaking, she’s only responsible for buying the Amulet, which is not a crime in itself. And since everything she did after that was under a spell, she’s not responsible for that.”
“No way!” Once again, Rainbow Dash was the most vocal. “Come! On! After all she did the last time and now this, are you going to let her walk away scot-free?!” Her five friends just stared in awe at her outburst, even if some of them agreed with the statement. As patient as a pony who had walked Equestria for centuries, the Princess didn’t even blink.
“I never said that.” This time though, her voice was much lower in tone. “But in the view of the latest events, it’s my personal judgement that she has already been punished enough.”
The room fell silent. The Princess’ grim tone, combined with declaring it her judgement, made the statement a very serious matter. Seeing as nopony was ready to ask yet, Celestia let herself sigh as any civilian pony would and resume her explanation in a more familiar tone.
“You see, what happened to Trixie is not only a very rare occurrence, but it’s also a terrible, terrible curse. Trixie has been placed in between states; she isn’t dead , but she’s not alive either.”
The silence stayed.
The once-Trixie was still lying down in the floor. She awoke long ago, too haunted by her own past to fall asleep but too scared of her present to do anything about it. Trapped in this contradiction she was, waiting for anything to happen. Maybe her captor would come back at some point, even if just to check if the freak was still strapped to the bed.
In another time, the once-Trixie would have tried to hide and escape. In an even older time, the real Trixie would have even tried to face her captors, showing them the huge mistake that was to cross the Great and Powerful. Even a few hours ago, Trixie would have burst her way out of the room and razed everything to the ground on her way to get back at whoever had put her in that situation.
But the past is in the past, and the once-Trixie was not the same pony anymore. She wasn’t even sure if she was still a pony. Without really knowing who, or what she was, the once-Trixie didn’t know what to do, so she took the only option left; lie down on the floor and hope for the best, or fear for the wors--
“No.”
It was the smallest of whispers, the softest of sounds, but to the the once-Trixie it was the loudest of declarations.
She opened her eyes. Not the lifeless orbs she saw in the mirror before, but two shiny stars, burning in determination. She forced some air into herself as if drinking.
“No. No, no, no,” she managed to say, just slightly louder than before.
The real Trixie would never let herself fall this low. She would have done all in her power to get back on her hooves. The once-Trixie rolled onto her front and planted her forehooves firmly on the floor. She used her mouth to force out the air inside her.
“Hay no!”
It was a curse she spat at the cold floor with as much venom as she could muster. Magic or none, the real Trixie would have a plan already. The once-Trixie pressed down on her forehooves, lifting herself. The real Trixie would not remain curled up on the floor like some frightened foal.
"I am roani! We do not lie down for anypony!"
She reached up her hoof and grabbed the sink, pulling herself upright. She hung on with both hooves and glared at the abomination in the mirror. The abomination's dead eyes looked back at hers, its lip curled in a sneer that mimicked her own. The once-Trixie lowered her gaze to the Amulet still encrusted in her chest, its ruby center glowing with a faint and malevolent light.
"I am Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon, daughter of Hope Pearlshine Lulamoon. I am the Great and Powerful. I have faced worse than you. I will beat you, too."
It would be a pleasant day in the nine circles of hell before the real Trixie Lulamoon gave up. While the once-Trixie could stay in that bathroom choking on her own problems, the real Trixie would get out of it, ready to fight the world if necessary. There would be a proper time to ponder what happened to her and how to solve it, but there were other priorities first.
Trixie looked down at her foreleg. The black, dead blood had not stopped seeping from its ragged wound. In fact, the fall had made it worse, smearing the blood all over the leg and along her side and barrel. She pressed her other hoof over the wound, pulling the leg up to her chest to try and stop the bleeding. She had just started looking around for something to wrap it with when the door clicked open and a group of ponies trotted into the room.
Twilight, Princess Celestia, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy all came in the room. While they were quick to notice the cast off restraints, all seven froze when they turned and saw the room's occupant behind them. Fluttershy squeaked and hid behind Pinkie Pie, but the rest just stood and gaped, too stunned for anything else.
Straightening her back, her regal manners reasserting themselves, Trixie calmly addressed the group of ponies. "Could somepony please fetch Trixie a bandage?"
“Well, this is awkward,” said Trixie while the nurse finished applying the iodine. Although her hoof was still mostly numb, she could feel a very faint sting.
“There,” Nurse Redheart as she finished tying the bandage around Trixie’s elbow. “Now Miss, please be more careful in the future.” She wiped some sweat from her forehead. Before Trixie could say so much as ‘thanks’, Redheart was already out of the room.
Trixie was sitting in the same bed where she awoke. Once the general panic of the first impression had passed, Trixie was finally allowed to use the shower and wash herself off. She had cleaned up easily enough except for her coat. No matter what she did, she could not get her brilliant azure coat to regain its luster. After the second time nurse Redheart knocked the door and asked of Trixie was alright in there, she just gave up and resigned herself to looking pale as a bone.
The wound on her leg had never stop bleeding, one small drop after another. With all the lights on and without the initial shock clouding her mind, Trixie finally realized that her blood was also not in its usual color. Instead of the scarlet tone she expected, Trixie found with no little amount of fear that the liquid leaving her body was far darker, and not even a tone of red, but a sickening dark green that verged almost on black. For Trixie, it resembled axle grease more than anything else.
Surprisingly, she was thankful this time she couldn’t cry.
Now here she was, sitting in front of seven ponies she barely knew. She was sure that at least four of them despised her, and she wasn’t really excited with them either. The fifth was a yellow pegasus she had seen around them and knew was their friend, but she didn’t matter to Trixie one way or the other. And then was the one that made Trixie’s life a living hell. With such company, Trixie would have closed the door on sight, but it was the seventh pony present who prevented her from doing so; her Majesty, Princess Celestia. Trixie could only gaze in awe at the only pony she never dared to compare herself with.
“Your Majesty,” Trixie boldly dared to break the silence. “Although Trixie is more than honored to be in your presence, she profoundly laments that it took events such as these for us to finally meet.” Everypony in the room tilted their heads and looked at Trixie as if looking like a living corpse was now the least strange thing about her.
“No need to apologize, for you’re not to blame for this situation,” Princess Celestia insisted, keeping her composure. As usual, she spoke softly and calmly. “Although I admire your bravery, my faithful subject, you have every right to be scared and I understand that.” A warm smile adorned her regal face.
Trixie looked back at her, trying to imitate the smile but ultimately failing.“Must be the numbness.” Instead, Trixie did the only thing left to do in a situation like this one. The show must go on and she has a role to play; the act.
"Thank you for your concern, your Majesty. But Trixie is certain that in due time this unfortunate situation can be set right." Even through the numbness, the smile she finally managed felt wooden.
It was not helped by The Princess' next words. "I'm afraid that may not be possible, my little pony."
After that, she politely asked Twilight and her friends to give her and Trixie some privacy. Although Twilight objected, and some of her friends did as well, Celestia’s calm and resolution won out. After a final assurance to her faithful student that she would be safe alone with Trixie, the Princess returned to her seat opposite the showmare.
With the patience and practice of a pony who had ruled a thousand years and had more than her fair share of experience with breaking bad news to unfortunate ponies, Princess Celestia explained to Trixie everything that she had explained to Twilight and her five friends earlier. Through it all, Trixie couldn't help but see the look of infinite sorrow in the Princess' deep purple eyes, as though the alicorn herself where personally responsible for Trixie's situation.
And yet, Trixie resisted.
Trixie resisted while the Princess told her that the dark liquid inside her wasn’t blood, but something way more sinister known as necroplasm. Liquefied dark magic. Trixie resisted too after hearing that since the necroplasm was supplying the energy to keep her going, most of her organs were now useless and would eventually atrophy. Trixie kept resisting when it was explained to her that her heart wasn’t beating anymore, but instead it was the Alicorn Amulet what was keeping her going.
Trixie’s willpower was tested when Celestia said, with tears in her eyes, that she was dead.
In the end though, it all came down to a final question, one that Trixie had been subconsciously dreading since she had first seen herself in the mirror.
“Why is there a restraining ring on Trixie’s horn?”
“The Alicorn Amulet's corruption works through the wearer's magic,” Celestia replied, refusing to even blink. “The only way to keep that corruption from progressing further is to block that magic." Celestia the mage, not the Princess, hesitated. It was clear to Trixie how much this was paining her as a fellow magic user. “Without it, there would be nothing to stop the Amulet from completely corrupting you.”
The room was dead silent, the only sounds those that drifted in faintly from beyond the closed door.
Even though she had been expecting it, even though she had been dreading it, part of her had to ask, “Does that means that I can never…”
“I’m truly, truly sorry.”
Trixie couldn’t resist anymore.
The rest of the night was mostly uneventful, or at least its events meant little to Trixie. Celestia tried to reassure her, telling her not to give up all hope, before finally taking her leave. Trixie had answered some more questions for the doctors before they departed again. Even Sparkle had poked her head back in, telling Trixie that she would be back in the morning and that she was determined to help.
“Help. From that mare.” In another time, the sole thought would have amused Trixie. In another life.
Trixie tried to sleep but to no avail. Whatever that ‘necroplasm’ was doing to her it clearly prevented her from feeling tired. Even if it wasn’t for that, she guessed she wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep. There was too much else on her mind.
Her entire life revolved around only two things; Magic and The Show. Or at least it had since she found her purpose in life, years ago with her masters in Neigh Orleans. She had clashed one too many times with her teachers at Celestia’s school, finally striking out on her own, making it as far south as that great old city on the bayou, before her path crossed with the first of them. They had taught her things those stuffy professors back at the school never could. They had shown her the true magic behind life and and changed hers forever.
She had never lost the thrill of The Show, not until she had come to Ponyville that first time. With that loss came the loss of everything else. That one boastful show had cost her everything.
“Why does it all have to be taken away from me?”
It wasn’t only her magic, that was just the worst of it. Trixie was now an horrorshow with hooves. She could see it in the doctors, she could see it in those six ponies. Trixie saw the fear in their eyes, the disgust that the mere sight of Trixie’s body-- no, of Trixie’s corpse. It wasn’t a body anymore, it was a corpse. Trixie wasn’t alive anymore, she was dead.
And, to add insult to injury, it had rendered her powerless.
It wasn’t just the magic itself or her tool of work that had been taken from her. No, it was much, much more than that.
It was her everything.
For Trixie, her magic was an extension of who she was. As far as Trixie was concerned, her magic was as much of her as her four hooves. Her very essence was taken away from her and without it, she might as well be truly dead. Yes, she still moved, she still thought. Somehow, even if technically dead, Trixie still lived. But to be without her power? What good was a unicorn without their magic? Now her magic was locked inside her, with the knowledge that if she ever tried to take it back out, it would also free the very thing that condemned her.
Lying on her back on the bed, Trixie raised her left foreleg, examining the bandage around her elbow. Hesitantly, she drew her hoof tip closer to her chest, where the object of her misery had taken her. She was afraid, very afraid, but a morbid sense of curiosity drove her to lower her hoof more.
Carefully, very carefully, she touched the red gem in the middle of the amulet. Unlike she expected, it was warm to the touch. In fact, it must have been very hot if Trixie’s numb hoof could feel it without problems. She slipped her hoof over the Amulet’s surface to its edge, where her own flesh and skin started. Again, the Amulet defied Trixie’s expectations. She was expecting to find badly healed scars around the Amulet but instead, skin, flesh and bones seemed to have fused with the unlucky charm, as if it has been part of her the whole time.
“I’ll be free,” she whispered. “I’ll be free from this, somehow.” Trixie closed her eyes, not to sleep, but to avoid seeing the reality in front of her.
She was glad that the tears couldn’t come any more.
“Negative, doctor! No blood pressure, no pulse, damn!”
“Okay, back up, I’m going to try hitting her again.”
The white earth pony with pink mane and tail in the nurse’s uniform backs away from the body of the azure unicorn on the operating table. The body is surrounded by an amber glow of magic and shakes as the spell goes through it.
The heart monitor continues its monotone beep.
“Okay, Red. Start compressions again.”
Nurse Redheart gets to her rear hooves and begins chest compressions on Trixie once more. “Are you getting anything, doctor?”
Doctor Stable grimaces and shakes his head. He is shining a light from his horn into the eyes of their patient. “No. Pupillary response is negative.” He looks up at the clock on the wall. “We’ve been at this just over ten minutes since she was brought in. No response to anything. Time to call it, Red.”
“No!” the younger earth pony nurse snaps. She moves to the patient’s head, pressing her muzzle to Trixie’s and forcing breath into her lungs before going back to working the chest. “We are not going to let her die like this!”
“Red,” doctor Stable says as gently as he can. He knows how his colleague can get in the heat of the moment. “Red, we’ve done all that we can for her. It’s time to let her go.”
With angry snarl, nurse Redheart backs off and settles down panting on all fours again. She’s young and hates to lose, willing to do everything in her power to fight for her patients. That’s a quality in her that doctor Stable admires, he knows from experience that there comes a time when a pony has to admit that defeat is inevitable. Just as he’s reaching for the chart to note time of death, the doors to the operating room swing open to admit the imposing form of Princess Celestia. Trailing close behind is the shorter form of Zecora.
"Doctor Stable, Nurse Redheart." Celestia nods to each of and approaches the operating table. "Is it..?"
“Too. Late,” Redheart finishes her voice a tired croak.
“We tried, your highness,” explains doctor Stable regretfully. “She was totally unresponsive. I’m… very sorry.”
Celestia sighs deeply, her wings and even her flowing mane seeming to slump. “I see.”
“Even if the deceased did bad, any demise is always sad.”
“We’ll be moving the body for autopsy shortly, then I’ll be free to answer…” Doctor Stable trails off with a puzzled look on his face, his ears perked and twitching about. The other three ponies in the room follow suit, trying to locate the source of the eerie buzzing that had suddenly started.
They all focus on Zecora, and she in turn focuses on her saddle bags.
“What could be doing this crazy buzz, of a swarm of insects in a fuzz?” Reaching into the bag she drew out the source of the sound; a wooden box that was humming and shaking very angrily.
Nopony has the chance to react further, as the box explodes, staggering Celestia back and knocking the rest off their hooves. The Princess is just barely quick enough to recover and respond with her own magic. Even through her magic, she is chilled to the core by the feeling of what she’s holding back.
The Alicorn Amulet is hovering just over the body of Trixie. Its own angry red aura is wrapped securely in a bubble of Celestia’s golden glowing magic. Try as she might, though, the solar princess can’t seem to reel it back. Digging in all four hooves and calling on her earth pony strength, she tries to back up and pull it off that way.
“No,” Celestia says in a low growl, “you cannot have her.”
Much to her surprise, the Amulet actually stops fighting her. Or rather it stops trying to advance. Instead, and before she can react to stop it, it reaches its red aura out and down through her own magic to envelop the body of the unicorn below it. Celestia barely has time to react before the Amulet’s magic pulls the body up to itself.
The magical shockwave of their joining is enough to knock all of the room’s occupants off their hooves this time.
Celestia is the first to her hooves, doing her best to shake off the blindness caused by the flash. Over her ringing ears, she can hear a voice, otherworldly and dripping menace.
“Trixie Lulamoon of Equestria,” it intones, “RISE!”
Her vision finally clear, the Princess gasps in shock at what she sees. Standing on the operating table is Trixie, only not. There are still small sparks of the Amulet’s magic dancing along her hooves and coat, and her eyes are two pools of livid red. The Alicorn Amulet is clearly visible on her chest, the straps that should be around her neck nowhere in evidence.
“Heh,” that new voice speaks once more as the corpse opens its mouth. “I live! Again!”
Even though she is prepared this time, Celestia is still staggered back by the lash of red lighting that rips across her golden shields. She just can see from the corner of her eye that Stable, Redheart, and Zecora have recovered and are taking shelter behind her.
Trixie jumps from the bed to the floor, standing pridefully in front of Celestia. “Now, bow before your master!”
Responding with a spell of her own, the Princess throws a bolt of her own magic only to see it dashed against the shield Trixie calls forth.
“Resistance is futile, for I, the Supreme and Almighty Trixie, am your new master.” Trixie laughs maniacally, only to be caught by Celestia shattering her defences with one spell and wrapping her in a golden restraining field with another, effectively trapping her.
“Release her!” Celestia shouts, the Royal Voice shaking the racks of medical instruments on the other side of the room. “I command you!”
“You command nothing here,” Trixie informs her, her voice dripping with scorn. “Soon you shall know true power. Soon you shall kneel before the Supreme and Almighty Trixie.”
This time it is Celestia that sends a lash of magic across her opponent. “You’re not Trixie Lulamoon,” she growls. “And you have no right to disturb my ponies’ rest.”
Celestia charges her horn with everything she has, ready to destroy the amulet for good.
At the same time, the red eyes of her opponent flash with power and hate.
“I know you Celestia. I know there are lines that even you won’t cross.”
Before Celestia can respond, the red glow in Trixie’s eye fade and they return to their once dark violet. “Pr-Princess? Where..?” She blinks and looks around the room, fright clear on her features.
Celestia stops charging her horn, too astounded at the sight in front of her. Again the Amulet is too fast, Trixie’s eyes turning red once more and an arrogant sneer creasing her muzzle.
“You would never harm one of your own, Princess,” Trixie spits at her. “Not again. I have her now. And I am not letting go!”
A surge of crimson magic breaks Celestia’s shield, dropping Trixie once more to the floor on all fours. Her eyes and the jewel at the centre of the amulet all glow with a sinister light. “You defeated me once, before I knew of your kind. That won’t be a mistake that will be--”
Years of battles had taught Celestia to exploit her opponents in ways they may never have expected. Seeing that Trixie had yet to fully re-raise her shields, Celestia channels her magic into a brief spell aimed directly at Trixie’s horn.
The summoned restraining ring snaps into place and the unicorn’s eyes roll up into the back of her head before Trixie Lulamoon collapses to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
The operating room is dead silent except for the panting snorts of the great white alicorn at its center.
“Is everyone okay?” Celestia asks, not even turning back to look at them. She hears a chorus of affirmatives. “Good. Granary, I need you to fetch your colleagues, any who have experience with dark magic. Red, I need you to bring me a set of full body restraints, the strongest you have.”
Princess Celestia advances on the pony lying before her, a gaze that would have struck heart-stopping terror into the heartiest of souls aimed squarely at the Amulet embedded in Trixie’s chest. She lowers her head and growls, “We’re going to get this accursed thing off of her.”
The road between Ponyville’s Hospital to the town’s library was like walking through the gates of Tartarus and into eternal damnation, being judged and sconred by all those she trotted past.
Or at least that’s how Trixie viewed it.
When Twilight Sparkle came to escort her, she brought Trixie the black cloak she wore with the amulet when she came to town. Since neither the doctors nor Twilight knew how Trixie would react to direct contact with weather and sunlight under her new condition, they proposed she wear the cloak, just in case.
But Trixie knew better; the cloak was to cover her up, not keep her safe. It was to prevent her from being seen and likely terrifying the population of Ponyville. With the cloak on, she was just a silhouette under a dark cloth. Without it, she was an horror show that would surely attract everypony’s attention and only give rise to panic.
Even so, in a town like Ponyville where most of the population went about au naturel, a pony as enshrouded as Trixie still drew some looks.
At least there weren’t any screams, she absently noted.
Gosh, Trixie used to love that feeling, of knowing that every pair of eyes was fixated on her as she passed, paying attention to her every move. Watching her. Idolizing her. But that attention had to come from respect and admiration, not out of pity and fear, and maybe even hate.
Twilight assured Trixie that the town was already informed of how the amulet was possessing her and how she was mostly innocent of what happened. But Trixie knew that even with that in mind, she was pretty much the most hated pony in Ponyville. She could feel the glares and hear the murmurs each time they passed next to more than one pony. She could see, even with her head low and under the hood, how pretty much everypony stopped dead in their tracks to give a look and wonder who the freak might be accompanying Twilight Sparkle.
Only when they were safely inside the tree-library, away from anypony’s eyes, did Trixie dare look up again.
When she did, she was impressed by the library’s interior. With bookshelves extending from floor to ceiling and its nice hoofmade wooden furniture, it all gave the place a cozy feeling. Trixie remembered her own foalhood, always locked away inside Hoofington’s library, and she admitted in silence how much she wished she had met this place under better circumstances.
“Nice, isn’t it?” Twilight said, snapping Trixie out of her thoughts. “Spike really did a good job cleaning it up, after the mess that my friends did while researching about--” but she cut herself mid sentence, not wanting to bring up what might be considered an uncomfortable topic.
It was actually one of the few times that Twilight had stopped talking since she had picked Trixie up at the hospital. All through their trip through Ponyville, pretty much as soon as the doctors were done with them, she had been prattling on about one thing or another. Up until now she had done a good job of avoiding the obvious. Since it wasn’t a topic Trixie was eager to touch on herself, she chose the closest alternative at hoof.
“Sure, it looks like a nice place,” Trixie broke the silence. “All this wood reminds Trixie of the inside of her old wagon”
“Your wagon… yes, ahem,” Twilight started again, a nervous smile on her muzzle.
“Think nothing of it, Sparkle,” Trixie told her, drudging up her old haughty and dismissive tone. She walked further into the library so Twilight wouldn’t be able to see her expression. “Trixie got over what happened to her wagon long ago.”
“Oh, huh, okay,” Twilight looked away, awkwardly rubbing one foreleg with the other. She’d still managed to hear the hurt in the voice of the other unicorn. “Uh, your room is all prepared downstairs. This way, Trixie.”
They got Trixie settled in quickly enough. She had to admit that it was a nice, if simple room. It, and really the whole library, were reminding her more and more of her time in Neigh Orleans. The room Twilight had shown her to, she was informed was a hastily converted storeroom in the basement. There was a bed, a small table, and even a set of drawers for her to use. Trixie caught herself momentarily in the mirror that had been hung on the wall, unable to stand more than that quick glimpse of herself. There wasn’t anything else in the room, except that either Twilight or her dragon had moved in a small shelf with a couple books to try and make it feel welcoming.
In spite of Twilight’s forced cheer through the whole thing, part of Trixie still couldn’t help snorting at the idea of her having to stay underground now. She surprised herself wondering if they were the traditional six hooves deep.
After that, Trixie was given a quick tour of the rest of the library. Then, she and Twilight had settled down for a quick bite of breakfast. Like the other rooms, the kitchenette was nicely appointed and the windows allowed in just the right amount of sunlight.
“So, the Princess will be working from her end in Canterlot,” continued Twilight around a mouthful of fresh oatmeal and fruit. “I’m not sure how much help we’ll still be here, as the girls told me they pulled this place apart pretty good while trying to find information on the amulet. And from what I found when I got back, ha, well, I can believe it!” Twilight’s muzzle ticked up briefly in yet another forced smile.
“That’s… fine,” Trixie sighed, resting her head atop her forelegs on the table, and looking out the window. She could see out of the corner of her eye how Twilight opened her mouth to try talking about something else again.
“Hey Twilight -- Whoa!” A third voice joined them. “Oh geeze, Twi-t-t-Twilight!”
Trixie lifted her head and turned to the kitchen’s door just barely in time to see a purple and green blur shoot towards Twilight and hide behind her back. When it stopped, Trixie saw it was actually a baby dragon.
“Wha-- whatisthat!” he asked frantically while pointing a claw at Trixie.
“Don’t you recognize the Fallen and Powerless Trixie?” Trixie asked sardonically, turning away and laying down on her hooves to look out the window once more. She reached up with a hoof for the cloak’s hood, pulling it over her head, just like when she was outside in the streets.
With a sad sigh, Twilight turned back to her dragon assistant. “What did you need, Spike?”
“I… don’t remember anymore,” Spike couldn’t take his gaze from Trixie until Twilight gave him a soft poke in the ribs. “Oh, right! I was about to do today’s chores and noticed we ran out of soap. Do you want me to get some at the market with the rest of the groceries now, or just work on re-shelving the books now and wait on the soap until later?”
“Trixie can work on the re-shelving.” Spike and Twilight turned to Trixie, who still looking out the window and hadn’t turned when she spoke. “Chores like that are the least Trixie can do to repay you for your hospitality, Sparkle.”
“Actually…” Twilight replied, her voice perking up as a smile came to her muzzle, “Spike can handle the reshelving. You and I can do the shopping. I figure it might do you some good to get outside, since you’ve been cooped up in that hospital room so long.”
Trixie finally lifted her head. Her ears were perked and she wore a frown. “It’s… quite alright, Sparkle. Trixie can handle your precious books just fine, you don’t have to foalsit her.”
“No, Trixie, it’s not that,” Twilight told her as she got up from the table and moved to Trixie’s side. “I just think that it would be good for you to get outside a little. Plus, I want you to meet my friends. Really meet them, I mean.”
“You mean the three ponies that heckled Trixie’s show the first time?” Trixie turned her head to follow Twilight. “The one who directly said that Trixie wasn’t good enough for a rock farm, too, I presume? And that yellow one?” she asked, her voice keeping a level same monotone.
“Well, when you put it that way…” Spike mumbled.
“They’re my friends,” Twilight explained as she lay a foreleg over Trixie’s whiters before jerking it back only to settle it again with a more determined expression. “I know that if you give them a chance they’ll be able to come around and understand.” Trixie’s only response was to look away. “Or,” Twilight continued, “we could spend the rest of the day studying your condition.”
Trixie looked down at the hoof wrapped around her and then back up at the awkwardly smiling unicorn. She wasn’t sure how serious Twilight was being, but Trixie surely knew she wasn’t in the mood to be examined and studied as though she were some kind of freakish oddity, even if she actually was one.
“Okay, Sparkle. If you think it’s a good idea.” She couldn’t help a smile of her own, though it was more mocking and ironic than Twilight’s unsure and hopeful. “It’s your funeral.”
Outside again, Trixie tried to be more sure of herself. The first time out she had let her fear and uncertainty of what other ponies would think overcome her. She had vowed the night before that when she left that blasted hospital room she would not allow herself to fall into self pity again.
Still, having to face other ponies for the first time since she had changed was more daunting than expected, and her whole breakfast with Twilight had sapped a lot of her resolve. But, if she was going to be paraded around town by the Princess’ Personal Student, then she was going to own that position with as much grace and dignity as the Great and Powerful Trixie possibly could.
It helped that the cloak hid her cadaverous look, minimizing negative reactions.
“So, tell Trixie again where are we going?” asked Trixie once they walked out of the Quills and Sofas with a fresh supply of parchment and writing materials for their research. It was all packed in Twilight’s saddlebags despite Trixie’s objections.
“Oh, you’ll love it!” Twilight levitated a piece of parchment out of her saddlebag. “I have everything all planned, so you can meet all of my friends today without wasting any time.” The floating roll of parchment unrolled until it almost touched the ground, to which Trixie raised an eyebrow.
“Can Trixie see that?” she leaned her hoof towards the paper. Twilight released it from her magical grasp so Trixie could pick it. Due to the shadow of the cloak’s hood, Trixie had to get it closer to her eyes to read clearly.
“Sparkle…” Trixie said, not sure if her eyes were right or if they had finally stopped working alongside the rest of her organs. “Have Trixie’s eyes finally stopped working like the rest of her, or have you planned the entire day down to the second?” Trixie put her hoof and the parchment down to look at Twilight only--
“Heya there!” A cartoonishly high pitched voice assaulted Trixie’s ears as a pink… something invaded her entire field of vision.
“Ahh!” At the sensory overload, Trixie did what anypony in her situation would do; try to jump away from the sudden disturbance. But in her hurry to backpedal from the pink… thing in front of her, Trixie stumbled with her cloak, falling over.
“Oh sorry, name’s Pinkie Pie, but we already know each other. I just wanted to check on you, because Twilight says you’ll be staying here, which means that you’ll be living in Ponyville, and since I’m friend with everyone in Ponyville, even to ponies who don’t want to be my friend at first, or to ponies that aren’t that friendly in general, that means I owe you a party! Parties help with everything, you’ll see! They make ponies smile and everypony deserves a smile, and ponies smile when they’re happy, and the best way to make a pony happy is to befriend them, which means, by pure and simple logic, that I have to throw you a Welcome to Ponyville Party!” She finally backed out of Trixie’s personal space, making a squee noise as she smiled. “I’ll see you there this evening! Don’t forget! Oh, and hi there, Twilight! You’re invited, too.”
Before either unicorn could get a word in, the pink earth pony turned and galloped off back into town.
Trixie just blinked, still lying on her back on the ground. She looked over at Twilight. “You have strange friends.”
Once again, Twilight’s voice snapped Trixie out of her thoughts. She made a mental note of how frequent that was becoming.
Trixie had been trotting down the dirt road, doing her best to hide all of her body under the cloak, meeting some levels of failure due to the wind that day. Twilight was trotting next to her, keeping the same pace. She was doing her best to cheer up Trixie, with all the success of an earth pony trying to traverse Cloudsdale.
As the main entrance was open, Trixie and Twilight walked down to the apple orchards, looking for Applejack. After some minutes that let Trixie appreciate the beauty of the strong and healthy apple trees, they found the pony in question harvesting the already mature apples of the trees down a hill.
“Trixie will… wait here,” said Trixie as she let her hooves drag to a halt on the dirt road, interrupting whatever topic Twilight was rambling about now. “Get out of this sun a little. While you… discuss matters with your friend and see if she’s okay with Trixie being here.”
Twilight frowned at Trixie’s phony smile, looking between her fellow unicorn and the ponies down the hill before muttering acceptance and assurances, and trotting off.
Feeling tension she didn’t know she was holding drain from her shoulders, Trixie moved into the shade of the nearest apple tree and hid behind its trunk while still keeping an eye on the ponies at the bottom of the hill. It wasn’t that she was worried about Applejack and how she’d react, more that she had spotted a young yellow filly working alongside the older mare. Twilight had identified her as Apple Bloom before departing. Dealing with Applejack on her own was going to be trying enough, Trixie didn’t need a young filly there to complicate matters further.
Not after how the rest of the town reacted to her.
From her hiding place, Trixie could see how Twilight greeted the two farmer ponies. Since she was too far away, Trixie couldn’t hear what Twilight told them, but she had a pretty good guess what was said since Applejack turned back to her sister and told her something before sending her away. That made Trixie sigh in resignation.
“So this is how my life is going to be?” she thought, sitting down next to the tree and not paying any more attention to her surroundings as she reflected once more on what had just befallen her.
While still prone on the ground after Pinkie’s departure, a very badly timed gust of wind had blown Trixie’s cloak out of place, leaving her whole body exposed in the middle of a busy road. As Trixie expected, the visage of something that clearly should be six hooves underground and not walking among the living unsettled the ponies around her.
Their reaction was a bit more extrene than she anticipated, though; the entire town block deserted in seconds amidst screams of terror, sans the three ponies who cried “The horror!” and fainted. Trixie was really thrown back by how much fear she instilled in them, and if it wasn’t for Twilight constantly trying to start a conversation, Trixie would have remained completely silent for the rest of the trip.
Trixie remembered her promise to herself; never fall down that abyss again. But it was hard to keep it, especially since she seemed to be relegated to the shadows. If she ever dared to step into the light for ponies to see her, fear and hatred would arise. She wasn’t a stranger to the feeling tough, with all the public shaming that the Ursa incident brought. Trixie was already an outsider among the more well know towns and cities around Equestria before due to that. But now? Being now apart from existence itself? This was a new level of isolation.
“They didn’t need to cry ‘the horror’ to the four winds,” Trixie surprised herself saying out loud.
“What’s ‘the horror’?” Trixie quickly raised her head and saw the same yellow and red filly accompanying Applejack. “And who are you?”
So lost in her thoughts and her head so deep inside the hood that Trixie hadn’t noticed the small figure approaching from the same road she and Twilight walked some moments ago. Trixie tried to think of a good answer for the filly without saying exactly who she was. “Enough rejections for one day.”
“You’re Apple Bloom, right?” Trixie finally said, trying to hide her tone too.
“The very same.” Apple Bloom smiled at Trixie. She then frowned and cocked her head to the side. “Hey, how’d you know who I am?”
“I… am a friend of Twilight,” Trixie said doubtfully. “She told me who you and your sister were.”
“Oh… okay.” Apple Bloom sounded almost disappointed. “Anyway, who are you?” She tried edging around Trixie, to get a look under her cloak. “You kinda look like Zecora, what wit’ that cloak a’ yours, but you don’t sound like a zebra.”
“A zebra?” Trixie thought. “Now that would be something.”
“No, little pony, I’m not a zebra.” Trixie was about to leave it there, but the expression on Apple Bloom’s face told her it was hopeless. “Think of me as a phantom, a stranger, and that’s all you need to know about me.”
“Still doesn't seem fair that you know my name and I don’t know yers,” the little yellow filly replied with a pout. “Can you tell me what you’re doing on my family’s farm with Twilight? This some big secret with what happened in town the other day?”
*sigh* Trixie sighed in defeat, this one seemed to know just enough.
“Alright, you seem smart enough to understand what is happening, which is more of what I can say about some of your fellow towns ponies.” Trixie got back to her hooves. “You’re right, I am involved in the events that transpired two days ago.” Apple bloom sat down, spectating at the stranger’s curious way of speaking. “But before I reveal myself, I must ask to you,” the young filly leaned forward, “what do you know about the unicorn named Trixie?”
“Trixie?” Apple Bloom wrinkled her muzzle in distaste. “I know that she was a mad showmare, that she had some kinda grudge ‘gainst Twilight. She came to town a couple days ago and started throwing around all this dark magic, tormentin’ my sister and her friends after kickin’ Twilight out. I helped my sister and the others get her in the end, though! She was using this evil amulet, the Alicorn Amulet or somethin’, and we tricked it off her.” Looking away, the yellow filly frowned a bit. “She collapsed after that, fainted from using too much magic my sister told me. I know they took her to the hospital. Hey, are you here from Canterlot to arrest her or something for all she done?”
“I…” Trixie didn’t know what to say. She could feel her throat had tightened up. “Yes, something like that.” Trixie thought about what to say next. Was her image really that bad? More important, was that only an image, or what she really was? Trixie decided to put her doubts aside. After all, there was a filly in front of her waiting for an answer. “The show must go on.”
“Trixie is the reason of me being here,” she started. “Not to punish her more though, but to help her overcome what has happened to her.” It wasn’t a complete lie, Trixie did want to overcome all of this.
“Help her?” Apple Bloom repeated incredulously. “What makes you say she deserves help?”
Trixie was about to answer, only to be cut off by the thunder of hooves and an angry shout of, “Hey, you! Git away from ma sister!”
“Applejack?” Apple Bloom looked away, seeing how her bigger sister was racing towards them. “What’s happenin’?”
“Get behind me!”
“But--”
“Behind me! Now!” Apple Bloom never saw Applejack like that, but she sure didn’t want to contradict her either. The filly got behind her bigger sister, trusting in the grown up to know what to do.
“And you, Trixie!” Applejack pointed and accusatory hoof at Trixie. “Ah don’t want you near of my family, or my house!”
Trixie cringed, her tail tucking itself between her legs as she tried to retreat deeper into her cloak. She knew that there would be rage against her, she knew that her appearance was something that instilled fear in others. But to have both combined and against her like this? That was something she never expected to see and with the stars above as her witnesses, she didn’t want to see again!
“Didn’t you hear me?!” Applejack barked at Trixie, who was frozen in front of her. “Go! Away!”
“Applejack, wait!” Twilight finally managed to catch up with her friend, but it was too late. Rage and fear had done their job and the damage complete. The scholar unicorn arrived only in time to see a black cloak swirling in the wind, disappearing into the distance.
“Applejack, what did you do?” Twilight couldn’t believe what she just saw.
“What Ah had to do to protect mah family.” There wasn’t the slightest regret in her tone.
“But I told you she wasn’t dangerous!” The tone of her voice showed only frustration.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Applejack muttered, wrapping a foreleg over her little sister’s back.
Twilight saw how the black spot was now missing from her line of sight and she knew that Trixie would need help. “We-we will talk about this later.” She didn’t expect an answer this time and went full gallop down the same path that Trixie took.
“Uh, what just happened?” asked a very perplexed Apple Bloom, looking up at her sister.
In less than a few minutes, Twilight has already galloped out of Sweet Apple Acres. Seeing at how Trixie was nowhere to see, she stopped herself, fearing what the undead unicorn would do in a moment like this. Twilight looked down, searching for any sign of her quarry, and found three set of hooves marked on the ground; two entering the farm that were her own and Trixie’s, and a third set leaving it. Twilight didn’t need to think about it.
She followed the third trail. Seeing how the prints were getting closer with each step, Twilight reasoned that Trixie got tired and gradually slowed down from full gallop to trot, so she expected to find her fellow pony at the end of the trail any second.
What she found instead left her baffled. For when Twilight looked around, Trixie was nowhere to be seen, just two final hoof prints in the dirt next to a lonely tree at the side of the road and Trixie's black cloak hanging on a lower branch of said tree.
“What? How?” Twilight's scholar side took over, as she listed all the possible explanations to Trixie disappearance; teleportation, levitation, a spell to make her hooves weightless so she wouldn't leave prints... Except any of those theories implied the use of a minimal amount of magic. From what Twilight understood, as long as the restraining ring was on her horn, Trixie couldn't do any magic for her own. Taking the ring off required the input of a magical aura, making it impossible for the restrainee to take it off on their own.
"Applejack, why?!" In her frustration, Twilight threw her head back, lifting her gaze to look at the skies, but instead of the white and soft clouds over and endless blue background, she was looking at the branches and leaves of the tree beside her.
... and the pale azure spot hiding between them.
“Trixie?” Twilight couldn’t help herself.
“Congratulations, Sparkle. You found Trixie.” There was some rustling in the leaves above Twilight. “What do you want?”
In spite of the circumstances, Twilight just couldn’t overcome her natural curiosity. “Um, just… how did you get up there, without magic?”
A snort and more rustling. “Trixie has other skills besides her formerly spectacular magic, you know.”
“No… No, I didn’t.” Twilight sat down on her haunches and leaned up against the tree. She tried her best to keep what she could of Trixie in sight. Twilight realized how little she knew about Trixie and how much of a mystery she was. Taking the opportunity to find out a little bit more about her fellow unicorn and avoid what had just happened with Applejack, she asked, “Would you mind telling me? I mean, if you want.” When she didn’t get any response besides the sound of the wind in the trees, she pressed on. “It’s just that my whole life I’ve only really focused on developing my magic. I wanted to get into Celesita’s school so badly, even as a little filly. Then when I got in, I wanted to learn about it more and more. Heh, I guess that’s what I get for it being my talent, you know?”
Another snort and more rustling from above. “That school wasn’t all it cracked up to be.” There was a clear disdain in her tone. “Trixie couldn’t take it, it bored her too much.”
“Wait, you went to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?” Twilight exclaimed, actually leaning away from the tree to get a better look at Trixie.
“Surprised, Sparkle?” sneered Trixie, looking down on her lavender colored counterpart. “Trixie does have some talent, after all.” Twilight swore she heard a muttered “did” when Trixie moved her head back to lay on the branch.
“Wow, it’s just… I don’t think I ever saw you there.”
“It would have been a few years before your time. Besides, Trixie left before she finished.”
“Why?” Twilight asked softly, having picked up the hurt in Trixie’s voice. There were more leaves rustling, only more violently this time, some of them falling in Twilight’s face and forcing her back from the tree. Behind her, four small thumps sounded as the pale and thin figure of Trixie landed on the ground.
“Sparkle, although Trixie is a master of stories and their telling, her own is not for the public.”
Twilight’s ears pressed against her head at Trixie’s severe expression. “S-sorry.” Flustered, Twilight looked away in discomfort. “Will, um, will you at least tell me how you got into the tree then?”
Trixie slumped, seeming to sigh but without the wheeze of breath that would have been normal. “In the return for how you already told some of your own story to her, and in view of Trixie’s debt to you, she shall concede to a private show and tell you that small part of her own.” Trixie paused, tossing her mane back and composing herself like she were on stage once more. “But remember, Twilight Sparkle, daughter of nobility and favored by the Sun. What Trixie is about to give you is only for you and you alone. Never share this mystery and secret with others unless Trixie herself allows you such liberty.”
At first, Twilight was about to tell Trixie again that she wasn’t in debt with her and that her family wasn’t exactly a noble one. But seeing how Trixie was back on the ground and at least talking to her now -- not to mention sounding at least a little like her old self -- she couldn’t bring herself to interrupt.
“Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria,” Trixie began, “there lived a young and quite smart mare called Beatrice. She had just taken her own life in hoof, having departed the stifling halls of academia for the unbounded highways of Equestria. At that time, she was just your average wanderer, traveling far and wide, witnessing Equestria’s magic first hoof with no boundaries to her to anywhere or anyone. Her father was the road, her mother the stars, and freedom her creed.
“But such a life had a price, and our young Beatrice, although free to lead her life to whenever she wanted, had no goal or reason to her wanderings. Her days and nights had no meaning beyond staying in motion. It was freedom without purpose.”
Twilight could only lean closer, not wanting to miss any detail of the show in front of her.
“Beatrice’s life would have continued and ended like that -senseless- if it wasn’t for one faithful night, between the festive music and warm ambiance of Neigh Orleans’s Carnival, that annual celebration, that last grand party, held by the town between swamps before their forty days of serene contemplation.
“There, Beatrice met seven of the most skilled ponies in Equestria, all of them a master in their field. They knew about her heritage and once they recognized the noble semblance of the last descent of Lulamoon, they took it as their responsibility to mentor young Beatrice and help her bloom in a pony worthy of her ancestors’ name.
“One of those masters used to be a proud warrior, descendant of an honorable lineage himself. Master Kunai Tail took the task of forging Trixie’s physical abilities and her mind. Thanks to him, Trixie can figure out her way to disappear without magic and has the skills to do so.
“And that, Twilight Sparkle, is how Trixie was trained to see a refuge where you could only see a lonely tree on the side of the road.” She stood on her hind legs, her fore legs hooked over a branch just above her head. “You see branches and leaves, Trixie sees supporting points and coverage.” With a quick pull, Trixie hauled herself into the tree, scampering from branch to branch until she reached its top and took up her position from earlier. “A performer must be aware of her surroundings. She must be aware of how others perceive those same surroundings and use that to her advantage.” She swung back down, again coming to a perfect four-point landing in front of Twilight. “Most importantly, she must know how to move through them quickly and seamlessly, using only her body and senses so that her audience cannot follow her magic and learn how the trick is done. That was just one of many things that Trixie was taught.”
Either by nostalgia or by force of habit, Trixie finished her tale with a sweep of her hoof and a graceful bow to her limited audience.
On her side, still sitting motionless, Twilight couldn’t figure out what to do after that. Should she reply? Ask for more?? Applaud?!
“Wow,” she finally settled on. “I didn’t think about-- wow.”
“But that was a long time ago.” Trixie didn’t give her the opportunity to continue. “A lifetime ago.” She trotted past Twilight and took her cloak from the branch from where it was still hanging. “A life that Trixie has now lost.” In one swift motion, Trixie was once again hidden under the black cloth. She pulled up her hood and began to walk the road back to Ponyville.
“Trixie, wait!” Twilight was ready to give chase again, especially after Trixie’s last departure, but to her surprise Trixie actually stopped and waited. “Please, don’t talk like that. Princess Celestia is work--”
“And then what?!” Trixie suddenly turned her head around like an owl about to attack.
“What?”Twilight was taken back by the response.
“And. Then. What.” Both mares stood still as statues, one in front of the other. “Even if Trixie is given her magic back, even if the Princess finds a way to free Trixie from the Amulet, even if Trixie gets her body back...” Trixie shut her eyes tight, this time wishing she could cry, or pant, or do anything. “Trixie lost her life long ago, the only difference now is that her body has finally caught up.”
“Trixie,” Twilight trotted closer to her, “what do you mean?”
“You already know what happened after my last performance here, Sparkle, I remember telling you about it.” Trixie’s tone changed, it was unsettlingly calm. “I already told you that Trixie is already known as Equestria’s most famous buffon, ponies mock and heckle me whenever I go.”
“I can help Trixie, me and my friends--”
“Don’t laugh at me too!” Trixie stomped her front hooves on the ground. “I-- Trixie knows that getting her life back is all but impossible now.” Even if she cracked a little, Trixie kept that same uncanny monotone. “And if Trixie depends on ponies like your friend back there, she should just find a good burial place and finish the job.”
“Don’t talk like that, Trixie, everything can be solved, I promise you.”
“You promise?” Trixie moved closer to Twilight. With her forehooves, she opened the front of her cloak, the Alicorn Amulet in plain view. “Sparkle, look at this,” she said with pleading eyes. “You know what Trixie did with this thing. I know what I did.” She hung her head low, covering her eyes with a hoof. “Maybe your friend is right to hate and fear Trixie. Maybe I am the villain in this story and didn’t realize until now.”
“Trixie…”
“Maybe Trixie is getting-- Maybe I had it all coming to me.”
This time Twilight reacted quickly enough, reaching out and pulling Trixie into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.” Trixie said as Twilight started to stroke her mane, doing her best to calm her. “I just wanted to have my old life back, I… never meant to hurt anypony.” She was shaking.
“It's okay, Trixie, it’s not your fault,” Twilight said comfortingly, refusing to release her forelegs from Trixie’s neck. “It was the Amulet, not you.”
“But I bought that Amulet. I looked for it and it was me who accepted it when the offer was made.” Twilight didn’t say anything. “It gave me a chance, you know, when I put it on the first time; I was asked if I really wanted to keep it up and I…”
Twilight hugged her fellow magician closer. While she couldn’t know what Trixie was going through, she had at least some idea. Just seeing the poor mare trying to cry without tears and sob without breath was telling enough of her condition. Trixie could barely feel Twilight’s fur against her own numb skin. “Don’t be afraid, Trixie. We’ll find some way to fix this.”
“Trixie isn’t afraid, Sparkle. She’s terrified.” Without either of the ponies realizing, two small drops of green liquid ran down Trixie’s cheeks.
“I ate enough, can I get up, please?” Apple Bloom said, half of her lunch still untouched in her plate.
“What’s wrong dear? Ya have barely ate a couple of nibbles,” Granny Smith asked, looking worriedly at her grandchild. “Somethin’ happened?”
“No, no, it’s just that I ate too much at breakfast.” Apple Bloom said. Not waiting anymore for permission, she got up and left the dining room. Granny Smith tsked while following behind her, wanting to find out what happened to her. Applejack just followed her with her eyes. After the elderly mare left the dinning room, she looked back at the table, noticing that Big Mac wasn’t eating either, instead seemed to be gazing past her.
“Well,” the red stallion broke the silence.
“Well what?” Applejack answered. Something must be mighty interesting in the window behind her, she figured, what with the way Mac was staring out it.
In response, Big Mac didn’t say a thing, but slightly shifted his expression, nonverbally saying ‘yah know what’.
“It was for her own good, Mac.”
“Whose?”
“You know darn well whose!”
Mac went back to looking out the window.
“Fine, then you tell me what you woulda done.”
The large red stallion turned back to his sister, looked down at at his nearly empty plate then back up. “Twilight was with her?” Applejack affirmed she was. “You trust yer friend?”
“‘Course Ah do.”
A shrug and then back to the window. “See what she wanted, I suppose.”
He received a snort in response as Applejack leaned back in her chair. “Just like that?”
Another shrug. “You trust your friend. She seems ta trust Trixie enough to bring her ‘round here. I’d see what she wanted.” Applejack didn’t reply, she didn’t know how.
“Ah suppose Ah shouldn’t have shouted at her like that,” she finally said to no one in particular. “Just when Ah saw her talking to Bloom like that… You think Ah messed it up, that’s what you’re saying?”
The stallion shrugged again.
“Can’t you be on my side on this?!”
“I don’t think yer on yer side.”
“And just what is that supposed ta mean?”
“Ya shouted a mare outta here who sounds like she was just tryin’ to make amends, without even hearing her side a things. I can’t say that ye did wrong, sis, I know how ya feel about family. I’m also not one to judge others. That’s a job for the powers above.”
“‘Make amends.’ After what she did,” grumbled Applejack, slumping lower in her chair. Still, what her brother had said stung. Twilight was her friend and she trusted her friends completely. “Fine then. Twilight said Pinkie was puttin’ together something for Trixie. Ah’ll see what she has to say for her herself then.”
Big Mac grunted and nodded, still looking out the window. The edges of his lips had curled into the slightest of smiles.
It was past lunchtime when Twilight and Trixie finally made their way back into town. They were both in a very down mood, making talk all but nonexistent between them. Although both ponies had their eyes focused on the road they were traveling, in their minds they were looking back on two promises made. Two promises that were now close to being broken.
Twilight had promised to help Trixie to have her life back, but how? As Trixie herself pointed out, even if Celestia were to find a way to separate Trixie from the Alicorn Amulet, it wouldn’t solve all Trixie’s problems. Twilight slightly shook her head when thinking back at Trixie’s story; ostracized, mocked and even bullied all around Equestria. Twilight could barely imagine how that would feel. All of that because an incident that was never Trixie’s direct fault. Twilight tried to avoid thinking how much worse it would get now that Trixie was actually responsible of what happened.
If only she knew how similar her thoughts were to the those of her co-traveler.
Trixie had promised to not fall down into the abyss of depression, but it seemed that when the abyss looked back, it was the stare of a hunter. No matter which way she looked, Trixie could only see two things; the past mistakes that destroyed her entire life, culminating in being stripped of her magic and becoming a grotesque mockery of the living; and the grim future of such a miserable existence with no visible escape from it. All her life, Trixie lived without boundaries and was only accountable to herself. Now, she was trapped in the darkness, knowing that the only two ponies that had showed her any form of real kindness were doing it out of guilt.
“Incoming!” A loud and technicolor blur interrupted the grim thoughts of the two ponies.
Through experience, Twilight was quick enough to duck and cover. The same couldn’t be said about Trixie, who had been so mired in introspection that she remained oblivious to the warning until the last possible instance, resulting in her being knocked off her hooves. Trixie landed some meters away, mentally thanking the heavens that, this time, her cloak actually covered her.
“Oh, sorry there, didn’t see you!” Dash looked down at the mess of black cloth covering a equine figure. “Hey, are you a zebra by any chance?” she asked while offering her hoof.
‘Why does everypony keep saying that?’ Trixie pondered if it had anything to do with the cloak.
“No, Trixie is not a zebra.” She leaned up, careful to stay hidden under the cloth. “But apology accepted, I suppose” Trixie was about to take Rainbow’s hoof, but it was withdrawn before she could reach it.
“Hold on!” Rainbow took a second glance. “You!” She pointed a hoof at Trixie. “I’ve been looking for a chance to talk to you!”
Twilight was quick enough to see this coming, too, and tried to stop what she knew was going to happen. “Rainbow, wait--”
“Not now Twi,” Rainbow stopped Twilight, looking her right at her eyes. “I have an issue with this mare!”
“Please,” said Trixie, rolling her eyes as she got to her hooves herself. “You have more issues than Equestrian Geographic.”
Twilight’s ears twitched back. “Oh no…”
“Oh yeah?!” Rainbow turned her neck so quick that Trixie was surprised it didn’t snap. But she wasn't impressed either. Not by this point.
“Actually, yes, but go ahead; tell Trixie how much she’s a screw up and how nopony likes her too,” Trixie’s voice was once again expressionless, as if it was a machine and not a pony talking. “You can mock me being homeless, or left completely powerless. Of course, there’s always the fact that I’m literally a rotting corpse, that’s always a fun one. There’s a lot of buttons you can push.” Trixie sat down on her haunches and crossed her forelegs over her barrel. Her head was bowed, the hood hiding her eyes. “Come on, take your best shot. Trixie has heard it all by this point and couldn’t care less.”
“Oh yeah, well hear this then.” Rainbow walked closer to Trixie, extending her wings like a predator would. “I don’t care about you -- heck, I could live a very nice life if I pretended you don’t even exist.” She spat that ‘you’ with all the anger possible.
“Then do it,” Trixie answered, her monotone slightly softer. “And leave Trixie alone to rest in peace.” With each word, Trixie’s tone became more inaudible.
“I can’t do that.“ The expression on Rainbow’s face was like a stone. “I can’t do that because, for some reason, the Princess and Twilight feel enough pity for you to try to help, and I’m too loyal to them to ignore that.” She took a moment to inhale. “But I warn you, do anything to any of my friends, or to anypony for what matter -- heck, just look at them in the wrong way -- and I promise, you won’t be between dead or alive anymore.” And with that said, Rainbow retreated from Trixie’s personal space, letting her ponder what was said to her.
“Heh,” Trixie muttered. "As though you could do anything worse to Trixie than she's already done to herself." She smiled, even if her eyes betrayed the despair she was feeling.
Uncharacteristically calm, Rainbow simply added. “If it's about my Friends I would never give up.” It wasn’t an idle threat. By Rainbow Dash’s tone and stance, Trixie understood that it was a fact.
“Well, aren’t they just lucky to have you,” Trixie muttered. “Trixie supposes that she deserves that too.” She chuckled while lowering her hooves. “Do not worry, by this point, Trixie is so much of a mess than a mere fly would be more worthy of anypony’s attention.”
“Trixie, don’t say that!” Twilight reached towards Trixie to comfort her once more, fearing she would try to escape again. “Rainbow, how could you?” she said, hugging Trixie protectively.
“How couldn’t I?” Rainbow threw her hooves in exasperation. “Every single time she comes around here, something bad happens and you have to pull her flank out of the fire.” She started to walk closer to the unicorns. “Come on, Twi, think about it. Last time you saved her life and she wanted revenge on you.” She took Twilight’s shoulders, forcing her to look straight. “Now you saved her life again and even offered her a room. If I were you, I wouldn’t turn my back to her, you know how are gypsies with knives.”
“Gypsy?!” Trixie asked, her head still lowered, but her eyes had shot wide open.
“Yeah, you’re a homeless traveler who tries to scam others for a living,” Rainbow said matter-of-factically. “A thief, really. It’s all pretty obvious.”
“Thief?! The only thing Trixie ever stole around here was your spotlight!” Trixie loudly retorted her head snapping up and glaring at the pegasus.
Dash’s wings flared out as she stepped forward. “What did you just say to me, narwal?”
“Just that like all other pegasi, your precious ego is more important to you than anything else,” Trixie snarled in return, shrugging off Twilight and stepping up to meet the other mare. “Trixie wasn’t even in town an hour before you and your friends came sniffing around her show. You couldn’t take the threat to your territory, couldn’t admit that another pony actually could be better than the Great Rainbow Dash!”
“I am the fastest pony in Equestria! Best Young Flyer! Only pony to ever perform a Sonic Rainboom!” Rainbow started to hover over the ground. “One day I’ll be a Wonderbolt, and you’ll still be a nothing street magician.”
“Now who's the pompous braggart? You would float there and accuse Trixie of flaunting her skills, you hypocrite," Trixie hissed in Dash’s face. “Admit it, you were there only to reassure yourself in front of others by beating up Trixie. You came not to watch that day, but to try and upstage Trixie at her own show, heckling and even openly insulting me in front of others.”
“Hey! That’s not how it was, I was--”
“You were in the front row! If it wasn’t to appreciate the show, it was to make sure Trixie heard your insults. If Trixie’s mere presence is enough for you to react that way, then she looks forward to the day you encounter your own first hecklers, because you’ll leave rainbow colored skid marks out the front door when the Wonderbolts throw you out afterwards!”
“Oh yeah? At least I can live up to what I say,” Rainbow and Trixie’s faces got even closer. “You’re all bark but no bite.”
“Trixie answered every challenge thrown at her, by earth pony, unicorn, and pegasi alike. The only one she couldn’t that day was the Ursa, and that was because it was a fiction ludicrous enough she didn’t expect any pony in their right mind would try and get her to prove it.”
“Don’t let your muzzle make boasts your magic can’t back up.”
“And you’ve never failed to live up to your boasts, right? Or just the ones you didn’t make against Trixie?” Trixie snorted and backed up. “You know what, Trixie’s sick to death of ponies like you passing judgement on her! Treating her as something inferior!” Trixie pressed an emaciated hoof against Rainbow’s chest. “You think because I am roani I deserve to be judged lesser than everypony else?! Well guess what, Trixie is as good as you, and Trixie refuses to be treated as your inferior!” There was fire in Trixie’s eyes.
“Hey... hey, mare-- Calm down and--” Rainbow Dash retreated a little, raising her hooves defensively.
“Trixie will not calm down! And you! You come here, so full of yourself being the ‘good one’ who has to take a shot on the ‘vile and villainous’ Trixie. Sure, because being homeless, starving, ostracized, and pretty much hated by everypony else was not enough for you.”
Dash tried to open her mouth again only to be cut off.
“Trixie would stay and see, only out of morbid curiosity, what kind of excuses do you have to cover your flank, but I have better things to do with my time, which I plan to do as far as possible from you. Farewell, and may the gods have mercy on you.”
With a final snort and flurry of her cape across the face of Rainbow Dash, Trixie turned and departed, leaving a stunned unicorn and still seething pegasus in her wake. Although Trixie was still hiding herself under the cloak, she walked tall and proud.
Dash snorted and shook out her mane. “Took her long enough.”
Twilight, still not believing what she had just seen, turned and gaped at her friend. “What are you even talking about, and since when are you like…” Twilight waved her hooves at Dash. “Like a bully! You acted like Gilda, that’s what you did!” She shook her head in denial. “Why?!”
“You think I overdid it?” Rainbow smiled at Twilight while cocking an eyebrow.
“I don’t even know what you did!” Twilight threw up her hooves in exasperation. “What the hay did you just do, Rainbow Dash!”
“Okay Twi, calm down. I’ll explain.”
Rainbow is waiting outside Ponyville’s Hospital, like a primal bird of prey, waiting for her target to show up. She’s been there for a hour, and she would wait another hour and another one and as many as necessary until she found her target. There is a threat to her friends on the loose, and she is not going to wait till it made its move, not under her watch. Rainbow Dash will stop this threat before it has any chance of hurting anypony else.
The hospital’s main door opens, and Rainbow’s target walks through it, wearing a classical villain’s black cape and walking dangerously close to one of Rainbow’s closest friends. The rainbow speedster takes position on her cloud, ready to assault the evil pony and--
Wait a moment. Is that the villain? The one hiding herself inside a cloak, as if she was afraid of even being seen?
Rainbow Dash is expecting to see evil incarnate, like the day before; a pony mad for power, menacing everypony around her and craving everypony’s fear.
What she sees instead is none of that. From her hiding spot, Rainbow sees a pony that has her head lowered, shuffling along at an unsure pace. A mare that seems so afraid of other ponies’ contact, she is doing everything she can to avoid any pony getting close to her. Rainbow Dash can’t bring herself to confront that; there is nothing left to confront. She decides to let the poor thing be, since it’s clear it isn’t a menace to anypony.
Rainbow Dash spends the rest of the morning thinking about it. What really unsettles her is how familiar Trixie’s attitude is. She has seen that before, during the Best Flyers Competition, right after looking into a mirror. And then, just after acknowledging that, Rainbow realizes a very strange truth about the azure illusionist; they’re not so different from each other after all.
Rainbow thinks back on her first encounter with Trixie. Sure, magic tricks weren’t the same as airborne stunts, but there was a lot of similarities between how they were presented. Both were all about the performer, and them doing their best to impress the audience. But there was a difference, and Dash had it at the forefront of her mind; she would never make a point of being the best one by embarrassing other ponies, unless…
“Unless they started it,” she says out loud.
Rainbow remembers again, trying harder to determine the exact point when the similarities stop and the differences begin. There must be something, anything that proves she’s not like Trixie. Dash’s mind goes back to the first moment when Trixie stopped her act to confront her and her friends... Which happened right after Rainbow herself started to heckle Trixie’s show.
“Aw, pony feathers…”
“You weren't entirely wrong about Gilda, you know,” Rainbow said, her muzzle quirked. “Growing up, she used to talk a lot of smack about ponies compared to griffons. I used to think it was just your usual locker-room trash talk and use it as such, psyching myself up so I could beat her, so I could do better and then she couldn't say that stuff.” Dash sighed, her wings wilting. “I didn't realize until she came back here that it wasn't just trash talk, that she really does believe it. Still, I figured that maybe I could use it to get to Trixie.”
"So why you'd go after her heritage?" Twilight cocked her head to a side.
“I needed a button to press.” Dash shrugged her wings. “I’d encountered some roani pegasi a couple years ago, back in Cloudsdale. They still live like the nomadic pegasi of old, drifting across Equestria on the wind currents in their cloud houses. When me and G tried to prank them, I learned that they could take a joke alright, but don't ever,” Rainbow gestured with her hooves for emphasis, “ever insult their culture. No matter what else, they're very proud ponies about that. I figured if there was any pride left in Trixie, that’s where it’d be. I needed her to find it and remember that.”
Twilight couldn't help rolling her eyes and shaking her head in disbelief. “That was a very risky move, Rainbow! What if it didn’t work?”
“Ah, but it did work, that’s the important part.” She took off again, hovering in the air. “Besides, you don’t get to be as awesome as me without taking a few risks.”
“I just think there had to have been a better way of getting Trixie to remember that pride without, well, insulting her,” Twilight huffed.
“Hey, I’m a pony that’s all about results. And what I saw, was that at the end Trixie walked away with her head held high, not with her hooves dragging along the ground.”
That’s when Twilight realized it and began to frantically look around. “Oh no! Where did Trixie go to now?!” She raced off, following the same path that Trixie had.
“Hmm, maybe I should tell her the truth at Pinkie’s party,” Rainbow chuckled to herself as she went off her own way. With Trixie taken care of, it was nap time anyway.
To say that Twilight Sparkle was in a panic would be like saying Luna’s descent into Nightmare Moon was the result of a small sisterly misunderstanding. Celestia had entrusted Twilight with looking after Trixie and this was the second time already the showmare and gotten out of her sight. Now Twilight was racing all over the town’s main street, half-galloping, half-teleporting, all in search of a missing mare who was probably lost and confused in a town where she didn’t belong. A mare whose past marked her with an scarlet seal, labeling her as a villain to be feared by others.
Having searched up and down the street twice, Twilight was about to return to the library, figuring that Trixie may very well have sought refuge there instead of risking another encounter. Still, part of her couldn’t see the other unicorn accepting defeat that easily.
“Trixie!” Twilight finally called out loud.
“Over here, Sparkle.”
Twilight whipped around in the direction of the voice, finally spotting Trixie leaning against a large maple tree.
“There you are!” By her position and how she used the cape to follow the tree’s shadow, Twilight realized that she must have passed Trixie at least two times while searching for her. Twilight smiled, still amazed on how Trixie was able to pull off illusions while having her magic restrained. “I was worried after what happened with Rainbow back there and--”
“What Rainbow Dash said is irrelevant. Trixie is made of a sterner stuff,” Trixie interrupted Twilight while separating herself from the tree’s shadows. “Trixie has spared with Equestria’s strongest mare alive and survived. By comparison, some unfounded harsh words from a single pony are no matter.”
“But, with what Dash said, and you--”
“Regardless what she said,” Trixie cut off Twilight again, “Trixie is fully aware of who she is and where she comes from, even if the recent past speaks with more force than the older one.” She turned and pointed her left hoof at the colorfully ornate building down the street. “Trixie believes that was the next place on your list?”
Twilight followed Trixie’s hoof. “Yes!” she exclaimed triumphantly, instantly recognizing the building. “Oh, I’m glad that you’re still willing to go ahead with meeting my friends, given what has--”
“In the past already,” Trixie coldly told Twilight as she trotted off. “What’s important is the here and now. Right now Trixie wishes to get somewhere inside; this cloak is becoming stifling in the sun.” She stopped several paces from fellow unicorn and beckoned with a nod. “Come on, Trixie will allow you to guide her to our next destination.”
Reassured by Trixie’s renewed enthusiasm, Twilight gladly took the lead and escorted them to the circular building adorned as a carousel that was their next destination.
There was a small chime from the bell above the door as the pair entered.
“Welcome to Carousel Boutique.” Rarity turned from where she was working restocking a rack of clothing. “Where everything is chic, unique, and--” Rarity stopped with a squeak when she got a good look at the ponies that had just entered her shop.
Trixie couldn't help her ears going back and body wilting at the prospect of enduring another round of verbal condemnation at the hooves of Sparkle's friends. She’d been willing to give her fellow unicorn one more chance to show that those friends would accept and possibly forgive her, but this really was proving to be too much. Grimacing, she considered pulling back her hood, hoping that maybe she’d get lucky and this one would faint like she had the day before.
“Oh no, no!” exclaimed the white unicorn as she strode over to her counterparts. “I cannot allow an abomination like that in my shop!”
Trixie was about to bite out a sharp retort when she felt her cloak enveloped in a pale blue aura of magic and lifted up, covering her muzzle and preventing her from speaking. Silently cursing the restraining ring on her horn, she struggled as her protective garment was stripped off her.
“Oh my, no. This won't do at all, darling,” Rarity muttered to herself as she folded up Trixie's tattered black cloak. “We must get you into something more fitting, I insist. This way.” Without another word, she turned tail and trotted towards the dressing room at the back.
Twilight followed but Trixie remained rooted in place. “Hold on, Trixie is lost! What’s going on here?”
Rarity turned back, an abashed expression on her face. “What’s going on is that... I wish to apologize for yesterday. At the hospital,” she explained, cringing at the memory.
“It was something that we came with last night on the way home,” Twilight added. “Rarity and I felt that perhaps a new outfit would help you feel like a new mare. Or at least not draw attention the way your old cloak might. Not that we had any idea you’d still be wearing it, mind you.” Twilight cringed on her own and then turned a frown to Rarity. “Nor did we plan on quite that dramatic a greeting when you arrived.”
“What can I say, darling?” Rarity replied with a self-deprecating grin. “Bad fashion affects me almost as much as the sight of dirt or grime.”
Trixie just gaped at the two friends. Of all the wild instances of mistreatment she had experienced today, nothing could have prepared her for this. Still, it was clear from Twilight’s demeanor and the look on Rarity’s face that the white unicorn was offering Trixie something she had only received from one other pony in a long time; compassion.
“You don’t have to do that,” Trixie said, dropping head as he ears wilted down and back. “After all those pennants and banners Trixie had you sewing the other day, you don’t owe Trixie anything.”
Rarity hummed. “This is true, but I still feel I should do something. When I first saw you in your room, I overreacted. It was very… uncouth. It was all the blood, you see.” A shiver ran down Rarity’s spine and out through her tail. “What I’m trying to say, is that I’m sorry for that.” She gestured to the fitting room. “This is the best way I know how. After seeing you going around in such rags, I know that it’s the right decision.”
A soft nudge from Twilight brought Trixie’s mind back to the surface. “Given the circumstances,” she finally said, “Trixie supposes she can forgive that.” She chuckled a little at the absurdity of the whole situation. “Trixie did look like quite the horror show then. At least now she’s clean, even if all her other problems are still present.”
“Oh, darling, you shouldn’t talk about yourself like that.” Rarity turned for a moment to leave Trixie’s cape in a pile of discarded fabric. When she looked back, Trixie’s expression was still of doubt. “Come on. I just need to get your measurements and then we can get to work discussing colors and patterns.”
Trixie tried to snort but failed to make any noise as she sauntered into the dressing room and up on the platform at its center. “What need has a walking corpse of color and patterns? Frankly those old rags suit Trixie’s current status just fine.”
“Even the dead deserve dignity,” said Rarity solemnly. She shared Trixie’s gaze without faltering to make sure the showmare understood, then moved to the side and used her magic to pull over a measuring tape. “Besides, what was your excuse for wearing that thing before?”
“Excuse Trixie?” the azure unicorn exclaimed, caught off guard once again. Might this Rarity’s game, to joke and demean her all under the guise of generosity?
“Well... it just that I missed your original outfit.” Rarity slid the tape measure along Trixie’s back to her tail and noted the measurement. She quickly did the same for her shoulders and hips. “It suited you quite well. There was a certain style to it; a panache.”
“Whatever did happened to it?” asked Twilight from the cushion at the side where she had sat down.
“It’s probably under an Ursa’s paw,” Trixie deadpanned back at her. “Or at least it was, the last time Trixie saw it.” Looking down, she provided her left hoof to Rarity to measure.
“Oh, I…” Rarity hesitated. She was about to measure the offered limb when something caught her eye. It was the still scar in Trixie’s foreleg, where the iv had torn out the night before. Rarity repressed a shudder and continued to do her work. “I’m sorry to hear that. Purple actually suited you quite well, or at least better than black.”
Choosing not to respond, Trixie let an uncomfortable silence settle over the room as Rarity continued to work.
“It’s funny, you know,” Trixie said some minutes later after staring at herself in one of the room’s many full-length mirrors. “There was a time, in Manehattan a few years ago, when Trixie got a job entertaining ponies outside one of the fashion shows there.” She gave the mirror a lopsided smile. “Some of the models there would die to have Trixie's figure now.” Trixie chuckled darkly before lowering her head.
“That is...that’s probably sadly true,” Rarity commented, being well familiar with the lengths models would go to to achieve that tall, slim unicorn look that was deemed so desirable. She rolled up her tape and floated it back to her work bench before taking her notes in hoof. “Now that this is done girls, let us get more comfortable in the parlor and discuss what we can do for you going forward.”
Twilight claimed one of the chairs, Trixie choosing to lie upon the sofa. Rarity joined them shortly, bearing a silver tray balanced over her back, containing some hay sandwiches, a plate with cookies, three cups and a still steaming porcelain teapot.
“Would you like some tea, darlings?” Rarity asked Trixie while filling Twilight’s cup. “Perhaps some snacks?” She levitated the plate with the cookies closer to Trixie.
The pale azure unicorn just gave a muttered refusal as she settled down on her forelegs and wrapped her tail around her hind legs. Her ears folded back as she look away from the table.
“Is there something wrong?” Twilight asked, concern clear in her voice. “You didn’t have breakfast today either.”
Still looking away, Trixie responded, “Before leaving the hospital, Trixie had to have her stomach pumped. The doctors found that the food in it was not digesting but rotting.” Trixie went on to explain that since the necroplasm was taking care of any energy need, virtually all of Trixie’s internal organs didn’t need to and were no longer functioning. “The whole ordeal put Trixie in quite the foul mood this morning.”
The other two unicorns in the room both wore expressions of guilt, embarrassment, and queasiness. “Tell me something,” said Rarity as she set down her cup and tried to change the subject. “That old outfit of yours; did you make it yourself or commission it?”
A smile twitched Trixie’s lips. “Like all Trixie’s best works, it was of her own devising.” She lifted her head from her legs. “Still, she won’t deny there were ponies who influenced her. Some of Trixie’s masters taught her the value of presentation. In the case of her outfit, the world’s greatest super-escape artist helped Trixie to design it.” An involuntarily smile had crept over her lips at the memory.
“Darling, tell me more.” Rarity was smiling, too, finally glad to have moved on to something that Trixie appeared to find a more pleasant topic.
“Trixie supposes she can indulge you. As repayment, of course.”
“Of course,” Rarity demurred, giving only the smallest and most ladylike of snorts to indicate a polite joke.
“Well, it was really more of a group effort. You see, Trixie’s amazing abilities are the result of different masters taking her under their wings.” Twilight smiled, seeing Trixie back in storyteller mode. “At least four of Trixie’s masters made a point of how important was to send the right message through personal presentation, and since three of them were into show business, they helped Trixie to design the last outfit she should ever wear.”
“So, those ponies were famous too?” Rarity couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh yes, they definitely were.” Trixie pointed a hoof to the ceiling. “They were up there, stars in the sky. Living legends in their lifetime.” Rarity was about to say ‘tell me more’ but it wasn’t necessary. “The first one was the greatest super-escape artist to ever live. He could pretty much pick Canterlot Palace’s best locks with only a writing plume.” She laughed. “And frequently did, if all the items he possessed truly were Celestia’s personal effects.”
“Wait,” Twilight interrupted, “are you talking about Scot Free?” She remembered the name from when she was a foal and her father once commented about a pony who proclaimed to be able to enter and leave the palace at will, challenging the guards and even the princess to stop him.
“The very same,” Trixie replied with an enthusiastic grin. “He was like a father to Trixie, and even taught her some of his moves.” She put a hoof over her chest, first touching the Alicorn Amulet, but then slipping it to the right. “He gave Trixie the idea of wearing a cape.”
“Amazing.” Without Twilight or Trixie noticing, Rarity’s magic was taking all kind of notes on the pad besides her. “So, he wore the same combination of hat and cape?”
“No!” Trixie said aghast, as if Rarity suggested she jump off of a cliff. “No, not at all. Trixie would never steal another pony’s act, much less her mentor’s!” Rarity flinched at the forcefulness of Trixie’s response but quickly recognized it as part of the act. Trixie didn’t seem to notice as she continued. “While Scot Free did wear a green cape, it was of a much shorter cut than Trixie’s grand flowing robes.” Trixie chuckled at the memory. “Only once did Trixie dare ask him how he managed to hide most of his equipment under there. She never fully understood how he could even move with all of it, let alone where he put it.”
“I see,” Rarity’s quill stopped midair over the notepad.“So, you said three more of your mentors influenced your magician’s attire?”
“Indeed, they did,” Trixie simply said, lost a little in her memories. It took a cough from Twilight to snap her out of it. “Oh, right, Trixie was telling a story.” She shook her head, as if to reorient herself. “Now, the cape came from Scot Free and his wife, Equestria’s strongest mare, Battle Axe the She-Warrior. Too bad their glory days passed long ago. They alone could have flipped this town in a single presentation. In her case, quite literally.”
“And the hat?” Rarity prompted.
“Oh, that is a special one,” Trixie said with a glimmer in her eye. “Trixie is pretty sure that both of you have heard of her, since she was on the scene more recently.” Rising up from her spot in the couch, Trixie started to pace around the room as if it were a stage. “She was magic and illusion incarnate. In fact, before Trixie even knew about her own magnificent legacy, this mare was renowned as the greatest illusionist of her generation, a title inherited from Trixie’s own mother. Trixie is willing to bet anything that you two know of her, for she once made the entire city of Canterlot...” Twilight and Rarity were in the couch’s edge, as Trixie put her fore hooves together before her muzzle. “Raeppasid!” She opened her hooves as if freeing an invisible bird.
Trixie didn’t need to say more. While Scot Free used to be part of a generation before theirs, the pony Trixie was talking about was fairly known worldwide, even today. Reverse Mirror was an illusionist best known for combining all kind of tricks and spells in her acts, and mostly for always naming her acts with backwards words as ‘epacse elbissopmi’ for an escapism number or ‘drac eht dnif’ for a simpler cards trick.
“Yes, the one and only.” Trixie was still standing proudly in front of them. “She was a petite mare and always had this top hat with her, as a way to look taller for the audience, and Trixie decided to add something like that too.” Trixie’s smile, which had been in her face the whole time, suddenly faded away. “But that was a lifetime ago.” She closed her eyes, falling back on her four hooves.
Twilight frowned in worry, as she recognized the exact same words and gestures with which Trixie finished her last tale back in Sweet Apple Acres. She wanted to say something, anything to stop Trixie from falling back in depression again, but she didn’t know what to say.
“Oh, darling.” To Twilight’s relief, Rarity did seem to know better. “I didn’t know that those meant that much to you.”
“The-they reminded me of better times,” Trixie said as she retreated to the couch once more. “When Trixie wasn’t always a one pony show. That she used to have something close to a family.” She tried to swallow, but once again her body refused to function like a living one. Bowing her head towards her hooves as her ears and expression drooped, the gaunt unicorn muttered, “Trixie is-- I’m sorry. I should not bother you with my personal tragedies.”
“Oh no, is not a bother.” Rarity moved closer, placing her hoof gently on Trixie’s chin and lifting her gaze. “Darling, to me, helping a pony in need is a privilege, even if it only by listening them.” She smiled at Trixie, who couldn’t comprehend this pony’s generosity.
“But Trixie did such horrible things, how could even think about forgiving her-- me?”
“Because that’s the only way we can go on with our lives,” Rarity replied.
The rest of the afternoon was more calm. Recognizing the artist in each other, Rarity and Trixie spent a good couple of hours talking (or rambling, as Twilight would describe it) about clothes designs and stage images, discussing what combination of what elements were more effective to give the right message. Twilight tried to enter the conversation too, but each time she gave an opinion, it only fueled their use of terms that were all but alien to her, like ‘the semiotic of the design’ or measuring colors in grades and temperature or how the combination of red and black ‘should be banned forever’.
Finally resigning herself to the fact that the conversation was well out of her league, Twilight settled back and focused on a series of magical brain teasers. It was something she had done ever since magic school, when her attempts to socialize with the other foals inevitably failed. She always told herself and others it was just a way to stay sharp with her talent.
The other mares in the room were so engrossed in their conversation they never noticed when she would sneak the occasional snack off the plate in the middle of the room, munching unconsciously on the various sandwiches and biscuits there. Quietly, she let them have it, her full attention fixated into the closest clock available, which was a lovely combination of clock and music box, resting in her living room’s coffee table. She had just gotten through another set of exercises when she finally realized what the hands on that clock showed and how late it had grown.
“I’m sorry, girls,” she said, interrupting, “but, Trixie, we have one more appointment on our list today.”
Trixie attempted a dramatic sigh and didn’t seem to notice when it didn’t quite come out right. “If Trixie’s presence is required elsewhere, she supposes she will have to cut this visit short.” She turned back to Rarity. “Another time then?”
“Certainly,” Rarity replied with a beaming smile as she got off her chair.
Before letting her guests leave, Rarity insisted that Trixie take a loaner cloak to replace her battered black one. There was some debate between the two mares as to which would work better, and in the end a bright pink cloak with a hood edged in white trim was settled on. The color wasn’t ideal with Trixie’s pale azure coat, but it was the only one in the shop with the length and coverage that she insisted on.
Rarity was seeing them out the door when Trixie stopped. “I want to thank you for this afternoon, Rarity. For the first time in a very long time, I feel truly... equine.”
“You are quite welcome, darling,” the white unicorn replied with a soft smile. “I firmly believe that any customer who comes through my doors deserves to leave feeling as beautiful as they truly are. If you’re indeed willing to work at correcting past misdeeds, then I am honored to see you off at the start of your journey and help in any way that I can.”
For the first time that day, Trixie was wearing a genuine smile as Twilight literally dragged her outside and off to their next appointment.
Another hour passed while Rarity was ordering the notes from her conversation with Trixie. Usually, in order to make a personal set of clothes like this one, she wanted to know very well the pony who would wear them. As the fashionista reviewed her own notes on the previous conversation, she realized how little she actually knew about Trixie the mare.
Still, she went to the drawing board. The information she managed to gather wasn’t complete but it was good enough to start and Rarity knew she had to do something to help a pony in trouble, even if it was just a little gesture like giving her something to wear.
To begin, she drew a quick outline of Trixie’s body type; a mare in her late twenties, of regular stature and length but with an unhealthy weight. Rarity took a moment to admire again the silhouette, once more confirming that Trixie was indeed right about some models, and how the younger ones abused their bodies only to look thin. She shook her head, trying to go back to the design. Rarity looked at the notepad once again, reading one by one the notes she wrote from her ‘interview’ with Trixie and making small notations on the page.
-Use new cloth, as resistant as possible. -Needs a vivid color. Purple? New color for new mare? Can’t be dull. -Must transmit confidence, but not shout it out loud. -Try to evoke the previous one. DON’T use real life constellations. -Look for escape artists outfits. -Look for illusionists outfits. -Two pieces; Hat or other headgear. -Cold colors to match coat? -Has to cover her effectively; add gloves for forehooves. Possibly socks? -Mask?
Rarity let the quill go and sighed, looking at the ceiling and then back at the list. Sure, Trixie never gave her all the details, but she definitely had an eye for style. There was also a trust that such a lack of detail implied; she trusted Rarity to be professional enough to able to fill in the blanks.
She smiled. There was enough to start working with. She took the quill again and started to expand the sketch. If Ponyville could keep its weirdness magnet off for the rest of the afternoon, she could even have it ready by the time she met Trixie again at Pinkie’s party.
The basic outlines done with, she just needed some ideas to fill them. Setting her glasses on the table, she stood and went over to the shelf where she kept her reference albums. They had all been compiled over the years from various magazine and newspaper clipping and were frequent assistance in jumpstarting her imagination when she got stuck on a design. She reached out with her magic for one with magical themes and pulled it off the shelf.
“Now, let’s see what you might be able to suggest...”
The daily activities were almost finished by then and most of the town’s ponies were ready to take their leave and have a well deserved rest after a good day of hard, honest work. As everypony was either done with hurrying or simply too tired to move too fast, afternoons in Ponyville were almost always peaceful times for ponies to go back home, grab a cider, sit down to have a moment with the family.
There was peace; everything was good in good old Ponyville.
However, peace like that rarely ever lasted in Ponyville. The first sign of something different that afternoon wasn’t too overt, but Octavia, who was sitting down on her house’s porch at the edge of the town, heard a strange sound coming down the road. As a musician, Octavia had a very good ear to identify sounds, a useful skill in this type of situation. The problem was that, when the source of the sound came closer and became easier to hear, it unsettled her to no end.
This new note was something that Octavia had never heard before, and with her background as musician, an entirely new sound wasn’t something usual for her. She would have described it as something between wood and strings, but with a strange alien quality, as if whatever was producing it, it wasn’t something natural. Fascinated by it, Octavia didn’t want to move until she discovered what could possibly be making such a noise; but when the sound was clear and loud enough, she realized she shouldn’t have heard it in the first place. She realized what the sound was too late, and because of that, she couldn’t help but gaze in horror at the frightening source behind it.
Octavia heard, for the first time, the moaning of those who died long ago. It was as if Death herself was crying out loud while charging down the road. The image of Death, walking among the living and charging with a furious cry of war, proved to be too much for the less adventurous cellist. She froze in place, hoping for Death to pass her by and spare her life.
Death never even looked in Octavia’s direction as she thundered, wailing, down the road.
Never in her life had Octavia Melody felt so alive as after the departure of that azure and silver ghost, it following the road’s direction instead of looking at her house. So relieved was she, that she didn’t notice the purple unicorn chasing after Death.
If she did, she didn’t care.
Octavia had witnessed Death itself, and survived to tell the tale. After that, she decided to never waste her lifetime again. The very next night, a white and blue unicorn, who had learned to replace words with music, would find an engagement ring in her champagne.
Some hours before, when Ponyville wasn’t even close to end its activities, a mare living outside the colorful town was having a very grim time.
As per usual at this hour of the day, Fluttershy was feeding the animals under her care. Although she never thought of herself as a methodical pony like Twilight or Rarity, she had a very strict schedule to follow in order to feed her animals. Because of Fluttershy’s desire to serve the animals as best she could, her schedule was carefully planned and so precise that anypony could use it to adjust his watch to the second. It was a hard labor, not only because of the timing it involved, but also because of the sheer amount of animals that relied on Fluttershy as their caretaker. And because of that, Fluttershy knew that all the effort invested was more than worth it.
There was a relationship of mutual trust between her and the life around her. They trusted her to look out for them and she trusted them to behave around her and others. It was an incorruptible bond, born out of love, compassion, and a pony’s almost instinctive will to not only live for others, but also to commune with life itself by being a part of it. The years of caring one for the other ended up connecting Fluttershy to her animals in ways that only the ancient ponies from before civilization could understand.
It was thanks to that same connection that both Fluttershy and the animals knew there was something wrong that sunny afternoon.
That strange sense of dread disrupted Fluttershy’s routine. At first, she attributed it only to Trixie’s short but harsh period as Ponyville’s dictator. The enclosed space under Trixie’s dome put her animals’ patience to test, as none of them were used to being in captivity. Sure, some barely even left Fluttershy’s sanctuary, but that was by their own decision. To have an actual barrier holding them there, trapped inside and forced to stay, brought about some very bad reactions from them.
But now, even after Trixie’s cursed reign was over and the dome gone with it, they were still unsettled. Some of them didn’t want to eat at first, so Fluttershy had to stay and make sure they would, at least a little bit. Then there were those that became extremely territorial, and acted out of pure instinct when it was feeding time. They took most of Fluttershy’s time since she not only had to watch them when eating, but also had to keep a constant eye over them to prevent fighting and other acts of aggression. At the end of the day, only Angel bunny and Harry the bear were keeping themselves together. They were a help instead of a problem for Fluttershy, but even then they were clearly not in their usual mindsets.
When lunchtime was over and Fluttershy was absolutely sure that no animal under her care was left without its proper meal, she began to worry about herself. Without her chores to distract her, her mind raced through the endless possibilities. She found fears that she never considered before and that began to consume her mind, turning any trace of willpower into fear. Fluttershy felt the same anxiety her animals felt, and her animals knew she was scared of something. If there was something even their caretaker feared, then they had every right in the world to fear it, too.
That fog of unease settled over the quaint, neat cottage on the edge of the woods, bringing great distress and worry to all those inside it.
Trixie ran.
She didn’t know where she was going or what she was running away from, she just knew instinctively that she had to run.
The world around her was blurry at best, every detail lost between the speed she was holding and the dark liquid in her eyes. But Trixie didn’t care about any of that, or how long she had been running without feeling tired, or even about the purple pony chasing her. She didn’t want to think about any of that or about anything at all for that matter. She just wanted to run. Run and forget about everything.
The world had once again crumbled around her.
Twilight Sparkle wasn’t Rainbow Dash; she wasn’t an athlete used to pushing her body to its limits, she was a scholar. Yes, she had faced monsters and dragons but she’d always ended up running from those, never chasing after. Additionally, her body was still limited by the needs of a living pony, and racing from Fluttershy’s cottage back to town and then going through town yet again was clearly far beyond the unathletic librarian. Her muscles ached and she could feel most of her bones about to snap out of the pressure. Yet, a friend needed her and she would never give up on a friend, even if it was painful. Especially if it was painful.
Still, it was the second time today that Trixie had fled and the third time she had gotten out of Twilight’s sight. The poor purple unicorn wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take. Panting and stumbling to a halt, Twilight leaned on the side of Bon Bon’s candy shop to catch her breath.
A moment was all she allowed herself before pushing off and resuming the chase once more. Given that her quarry had eluded her sight, Twilight began to think where Trixie could have gone to this time. In her current state, she doubted Trixie would be just hanging around under a tree like the last time.
Or would she?
A puddle of pink on the ground brought Twilight to a stop in front of her home, the great tree of the Golden Oak library. She realized that in light of everything that had happened with her and to her over the last several days, it was the one place in Ponyville that Trixie might consider safe.
Still puffing with exhaustion, Twilight pushed open the door. The main room was empty and quiet, and Spike didn’t respond when she called for him. When she tried the door to the basement, she found it locked.
She hadn’t locked it before going out that morning.
Trixie used to have so much, to be so much. Years of perfecting herself for her art’s sake, of traveling far and wide, of doing all she could to be the very best out there. She bitterly remembered all her long days of hard work and nights of missed sleep, all her hours under the unforgiving sun of the desert or the merciless cold of a storm. And for what? To have it all become meaningless in the face of one, just one, just one single mistake that took it all from her.
Now Trixie only wanted to be left alone. She wanted nothing more than to find a refuge and lie there until the world forgot about her.
Trixie only wants to finally rest in peace.
But the dead cannot find peace amongst the living. In her blind rush from what had confronted her in that idyllic cottage, Trixie had once more put herself in the middle of town, surrounding herself with the living who wanted no part of a thing like her.
Desperately she searched for someplace to retreat to; someplace she could go to ground and not be disturbed. Maybe because it was her only real option, or maybe because it had a space already prepared for her, Trixie sought out the great tree of the Golden Oak library. Yes, she had her resting place right there and the tree itself would serve as a fitting monument.
The front door was unlocked, as was the one to the basement. After turning the lock on that inside door, she descended into the darkness below.
Trixie wanted to rest in peace, so she just did that.
A corpse would never care about a good resting place, that was for the living ones left behind it to worry about. But since Trixie had no real bonds with any living being, she just let herself fall right where she was standing, on the basement’s floor. As a dead corpse, Trixie decided to not only finally lie motionless, but also the stop her thoughts. Closing her eyes for the last time, Trixie dedicated her last reflection ever to a quick calculation. She allowed herself one last action, a smile, before going limp after determining the distance between floor and ceiling was, yes, in fact six hooves underground. It was all terribly appropriate.
Closing her eyes, she finally stopped everything. The numbness she has been feeling since waking up in that hospital room stopped being annoying as she embraced it.
The door and the lock proved stubborn, but not as stubborn as Twilight’s magic. Knowing she could never kick a door off of its hinges or break the lock, she charged her magic and blasted it open that way, rushing inside to turn the basement’s lights on. When darkness was forced to retreat, Twilight saw to her horror the unmoving, pale body of Trixie lying on the floor, just a few steps away from the bed.
At first, Twilight only used words and her own voice to try and reach for the fallen unicorn. Desperately trying to reach her, to help her friend, only for her pleadings fell on deaf ears. She tried once, she tried twice and she tried again, over and over again, but the answer never came. Twilight had the unsettling feeling of shouting to a tombstone. She quickly shook that thought from her head, and decided to do something a little more drastic.
Without even thinking anymore, Twilight nearly threw herself over Trixie, not caring about anything but her wellbeing. Still, she had enough presence of mind to stop herself before touching Trixie’s chest to check her pulse, fearing of what could happen to her if she came into contact with the Accursed Alicorn Amulet. Fearing of what could happen to Trixie. So, instead, she pressed her hoof against Trixie’s foreleg, dreading what she would find when doing it.
Tears began to fall down Twilight’s cheeks as her breathing was becoming erratic. Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she began to deny with both her head and her mouth. Trixie’s pulse was nowhere to be found and her chest was not moving, at all. Twilight held her lost friend’s corpse between her hooves and made to shout to the skies above a shriek of sorrow that would have break any heart able to hear it.
Her moment of tragedy was interrupted when a hoof from below closed her muzzle. Startled, she jerked back and looked down, to be met by the milky and now open eyes of Trixie.
The former showmare glared at her, softly telling her she was ruining the moment. Then, Trixie closed her eyes once more and put both hooves over her chest.
With tears still falling down her cheeks and a ear to ear smile, Twilight silently thanked every god, deity, concept, and higher power above for what she just saw.
Trixie was resting in her new bed. Just resting from a long day of meeting ponies, that was it. Trixie just needed to rest for a moment to rise up again. That was what Twilight told her when placing Trixie in the bed before going upstairs to give her some space. Trixie had just managed to overhear her telling Spike the same before trotting up the stairs to her own room for a much needed respite. As per Pinkie’s invitations they still had a couple more hours before even needing to get ready, so Twilight allowed both of them that time to simply rest.
Two stories under her, Trixie wasn’t having that same peace of mind. Even if her body was completely motionless to the point of not even having vital signs, inside Trixie there was still a storm, a war between the only two options she had left. A real confrontation to decide what would be the path to follow from this point.
On one side, there was acceptance of what she was now; an animated corpse. An unnaturally animated thing that owed its existence to a magic so dark and dangerous that Princess Celestia herself was already involved with how it should be contained. That side argued about what she was to others; ponies like Applejack or Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy only saw her as the abomination she wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t. And even before that, Trixie had already been seen as less of an actual pony who deserved a chance, and more of a villain to be kept aways from civilization. In essence, the world around Trixie didn’t want her around long before of this whole mess happened.
Now here she was, already one hoof in the grave. Trixie’s face twisted into a grimace of pain at how that side was gaining a good portion of ground.
But Trixie already promised to never give up, ever. When she met the seven ponies who would change her life, or at least give her purpose beyond aimless wandering and survival, she had sworn she would keep purpose and focus in her life. They had each given her a window into the history of her family’s name and the legacy it carried. By knowing about her mother and about her heritage, Trixie was taught to have a purpose, to not simply go around without anything to do.
Trixie remembered her training sessions. Kunai Tail, the implacably serious teacher, forging in Trixie a steel-like determination while Battle Axe, the one-mare-army-corps, made sure that said determination had a strength of body to back it up. Finally, there was Emerald Archer, who explained to Trixie that such drive would lead her nowhere without the patience to find her target first. The three of them would only show disappointment at how easily her will got broken by such an irrelevant thing as other ponies’ opinion and how far down she had fallen.
The first side came back, arguing that what happened to Trixie wasn’t something small, or natural to begin with, and that her very magic was taken from her. The essence of what made any unicorn -magic- was now lost to her. She had every right to want to just give up on everything.
But deep inside her heart, Trixie knew that such argument was a fallacy. After all, wasn’t she taught by masters that were not unicorns that such magic wasn’t necessary for life? Wasn’t she shown how to escape the most impossible traps without even thinking about her magic? Hadn’t she been shown that the greatest illusions were those beyond mere spells?
Didn’t Scot Free and Reverse Mirror, Equestria’s two greatest magicians alongside Hope Lulamoon, Trixie’s very own mother, give her a legacy to carry on? Instead of that, what was Trixie doing? Scot Free would mourn at the loss of his surrogate daughter, while Reverse Mirror would only ask what did the world do to Trixie to make her do nothing in the face of the injustice of losing her freedom.
Once again, that other side of Trixie’s mind argued that it wasn’t just about how ponies saw her or about having to work without her magic. Those were the symptoms, not the real disease. The ponies around Trixie were reacting as they were not just because of her past, but also because she wasn’t something natural anymore, which was again the cause of her magic being cut short. She wasn’t a living pony anymore and she didn’t belong to the land of the living. Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon was dead and she needed to start playing the part. No more trying to act like she was alive.
But Trixie wasn’t dead either, wasn’t she? Trixie could still move, her five senses were still somewhat functional and she was able to talk. Bootlegger always said that she could do anything she wanted; all she had to do to convince other was to first convince herself. Trixie still could move, sense and communicate, to which the mentor would have said that was more than enough. Screw the other ponies then, would say Hell’s Blazer. He knew Trixie’s mother better than anyone else and thanks to him, Trixie knew she would never give up for something like this. If a pony like him could accomplish the impossible feats that he did, why should the loss of her unicorn magic matter to her so? If Hope Lulamoon wouldn’t surrender, neither would her only daughter. Trixie would never surrender against anything, ever.
The show must go on.
With more than a little effort, Trixie rolled out of the bed where Twilight Sparkle placed her and put a hoof on the ground in front of her. Then the next, and the next, and the next. Trixie accepted that her condition wasn’t bad enough to stop her, just slow her down. In the end, she was the only pony stopping herself.
Trixie walked around the room, looking for her cape to get outside. She then remembered Rarity replaced the ragged black cloak for a pink one. At some point after the ‘meeting’ with Fluttershy it had gone missing.
Trixie turned around and caught sight of the dreaded creature that had been haunting her since this whole mess began. In the mirror, hanging from the wall, she had a complete and terrifying view of what was left of her; her corpse. But unlike the other times she had been confronted by her destroyed reflection, this time Trixie didn’t freeze in fear or attempt to avoid the look. Instead, she walked straight to the glass hanging on the wall. She wasn’t looking at the walking corpse approaching the mirror, instead she was looking at the seven ponies behind it.
From the land of thought and dreams, the memory of her seven mentors looked back at Trixie and she remember the most important lesson that the seven of them imprinted with fire on her; Life is a choice, you just need to choose to live it.
Maybe it was actually willpower, or maybe just stubbornness, but Trixie decided to keep going once more, even if she was going to have do it alone in the face of a world that wasn’t willing to accept her. But she wasn’t alone, was she? Twilight has been tagging along with Trixie the entire day and even when Trixie was in her worst moments, Twilight was there to support her. Trixie realized that Twilight's friendship wasn’t out of pity as she early assumed, but actually a real one and maybe even the first real friend Trixie had had since leaving Neigh Orleans. Then, there was Rarity, the mare who offered Trixie all the generosity in the world, only because she wanted to do it. And even that pink one, who was about to host a party, only for Trixie, to which she had to attend that very night.
Trixie wasn’t alone anymore, something that she hadn't felt in years. With a revitalized optimism and a renewed will to keep going, Trixie went upstairs and slowly opened the basement door, not minding her appearance anymore. She found Twilight sitting on a cushion and reading a book in the living room, with Rarity’s pink cape hanging next to her. Trixie tried to cough, but when that failed, reminding her again of the limitations of her body, she softly tapped the floor with her left hoof. Twilight lifted her head and both unicorns looked at each other for a moment. At first, Twilight’s expression was only of worry, but when she saw Trixie’s small but firm smile, she knew that things were turning for the better.
They spent the next half hour talking like two friends would. After that, when the night had just settled in, two smiling ponies and a dragon exited the library to go at the party awaiting for them.
Although the sun was still bright in the sky, it was starting to set as the light of day once more began its retreat for the dark of the night to take over, following that eternal dance that kept life going on in Equus since times immemorial.
Twilight and Trixie finally arrived at their destination. Departing from Rarity’s on good terms had done wonders for Trixie’s mood and it showed. For example, even if she was still hiding her appearance from view, she also did her best to keep her posture straight and proud, not even minding how the pink color of the cape was still attracting the views of everypony around.
Twilight felt so positive at the change that she didn't noticed how uncharacteristically silent was the road to Fluttershy’s. Unknown to Trixie and ignored by Twilight, every animal close enough to Trixie to sense her presence did their best to stay out of her way. It was as though they instinctively knew something was wrong with her, or maybe were reacting to the dark magic of the Alicorn Amulet itself. Whatever the reason was, no animal dared to stay closer than a mile away from the walking dead.
What the two mares had taken for tranquility changed drastically when they came to Fluttershy’s main door. Where once was silence, now a very audible revolt could be heard on the other side of the door. Every animal that could make a sound was shouting out loud to the skies, making the place a cacophony of frightened cries and shrills. While this unsettled both ponies, Twilight did her best to reassure Trixie and keep them calm. Fluttershy was a kind, gentle pony who had a way with animals. This must just be them acting up over something, probably some territorial dispute that was being sorted out. Such things were rarely serious. Acting as natural as she could under the circumstances, ignoring all the barks and howls around them, Twilight knocked on the door with her hoof.
If they weren’t sure of an animal revolution before that, they certainly were after Twilight’s knocking. When the hoof hit the wood for the third and last time, the inside Fluttershy’s hut exploded a deafening riot of all kind of disorder. Panicking over her friend, Twilight told Trixie to wait outside and without waiting a response, she burst open the door open with her magic.
With the sun now below the tops of the trees, the inside of Fluttershy’s hut was darkened and Trixie was unsure if she even wanted to know what was happening. Twilight’s entrance marked a crescendo in the zoological cacophony, but after a considerable amount of time, Trixie could only hear two pony voices speaking too soft to tell what they were saying. Trixie sat down, patiently waiting for any signal that it was now safe for her to enter the strange cottage. But Trixie’s patience had a limit and when an amount of time that she considered long enough passed, she rose up to her four hooves, attempted a deep breath she could no longer take, and dared to enter the weird place.
The scene that welcomed Trixie was too bizarre to be real.
The first thing that happened when Trixie entered was a loud, collective gasp that could be heard far away outside the hut. Then, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Trixie saw a collection of almost every kind of animal she knew about, all gathered on one side of the room and protectively hugging each other. There was a mare in front of them, a butter yellow pegasus with a soft pink mane with her forelegs flung out to either side, as if trying to offer herself to protect the animals behind her. Between Trixie and everything else was Twilight, looking at the pegasus and still not aware of Trixie’s presence.
Trixie finally managed to speak. “Wha-what’s going on?”
“Trixie!” Twilight turned around in surprise. “I…”
Trixie’s ears dipped to the back of her head as she realized what was going on. All of the animals behind Fluttershy were clearly frightened and not taking their gaze off Trixie. Some were even becoming aggressive, arching their backs and showing their teeth. Being observed in such a manner made Trixie feel vulnerable, and she quickly tried to pull the pink cloak around her for protection.
“Trixie, wait,” Twilight tried, looking back and forth between the two ponies. “Fluttershy, please.”
But there was no use, and Trixie could see it in Fluttershy’s eyes.
The mere sight of Trixie was scaring her witless. Was scaring all of them.
Trixie saw how violently Fluttershy trembled in fear. Still, she stood between Trixie and her animals, acting as a shield against the unnatural darkness that had entered her home.
"S-st-stay away from us," Fluttershy pleaded.
Trixie couldn't believe how much fear those large aquamarine eyes held. She knew she was a freak already, that had been evident since her first glance at the mirror back in the hospital room. Trixie had even seen the fear her appearance caused in other ponies, such as Applejack or that flower trio. But this? Such primal and literally animalistic fear? That the natural world itself would react so violently to her mere presence was something Trixie would never have expected.
"You should not be here. Please, leave," Fluttershy tried once again.
It reminded Trixie that she wasn’t a pony anymore, or a even a living being. This pony’s reaction was the confirmation she didn’t want to have. It was too much for Trixie. She wanted to escape, to be left alone. Trixie knew herself as something that was apart from the land of the living and now she only wanted to put as much distance as possible between them and her.
Doing the only thing she could, Trixie turned around and ran away, in the direction of the setting sun, crying out in pain and frustration.
It was a sunny late afternoon in Ponyville…
Chapter 6 (part five): Putting the "Fun" in "Funeral"
It’s a party, a Pinkie Pie Party, which should mean the ambiance is anything but silent. Somehow, everypony present is silent as if for a funeral. Honestly though, it was all they could do, given the circumstances, for in the main door there was a pony for whom they only felt anger and fear. A twisted mare who they knew should never be allowed around civilized ponies, because the last time she was allowed such kindness, she brought only disaster and torment to them.
And worst of all, she is now pure evil magic. She is a thing that would have died days ago if it weren’t for the dreaded Alicorn Amulet keeping her going. Their ruler was too nice and permitted this monstrosity to live but they weren’t going to wait for its next move. The ponies of Ponyville, sick of always playing the victim, are ready to take action into their hooves.
It’s too much of a danger to have her around. One of the bravest stallions grabs the monster by the neck and tosses her outside. She tries to escape, but the unicorns among them already have her held in place. They get closer and the monster is now screaming, pretending to be a victim, but they don’t let the monster’s poisonous words cloud their judgment; what has to be done, has to be done.
One of the farmer ponies, the granddaughter of the town’s founder, gets ready to land the first hit and--
Twilight Sparkle shook her head, trying to get rid of the horrible images. How could she bring herself to think something like that? She knew that even if the town’s ponies weren’t the brightest crayons in the box, they were far from losing themselves to mob rule. Twilight mentally lectured herself on how she allowed her mind to wander so wildly that she thought Applejack, of all ponies, would do something like that. She was actually surprised she wasn’t picturing the town’s ponies chasing Trixie with torches and pitchforks.
Immediately, the mental image of Trixie running away from a mass of ponies holding torches and pitchforks popped into her head.
“No,” she thought. ”I should be smarter than that. Trixie relies on me and I should not let myself wander like that.” With another shake of her head, she told herself she would do better, for Trixie’s sake, right on time to notice they already arrived at Sugarcube Corner. She looked to the side to reassure herself. Seeing Spike standing without any trouble next to a pink cloak covering an equine figure calmed her nerves. Twilight let a sigh and knocked on the do--
“Heya, Twilight!” Twilight Sparkle’s hoof never even touched the door as the pink perpetual motion machine looked for its target, which was the unicorn hiding under the similarly pink cloak in front of her, and assaulted it with hugs.
“I’m so glad you could came. I heard what happened in the market this morning, and I felt guilty because it was me who made you trip and fall, so I trotted the extra mile and did all I could to make this the greatest super-duper over-every-top especially best party I could make.” Twilight and Spike could only gaze at how Trixie was being crushed by Pinkie’s hug.
For her part, Trixie was actually glad that in her current condition she didn’t need to breathe any more.
Before anypony else could do or say anything, Pinkie hug-trapped Twilight and Spike too, and dragged the three of them inside, where the party was clearly already well under way. Yet it was not a party as Twilight or Spike would have expected it. Uncharacteristically, the place wasn’t flooded with any and every pony in town as was common for one of Pinkie’s Welcome Parties. Instead, there was a very small number of ponies inside the bakery. Just the other Elements, Big Mac and just a hooffull of ponies Twilight barely recognized. Once Pinkie released them from the hug-trap, Twilight leaned over her friend.
“I have to admit, Pinkie,” she whispered. “This party isn’t anything quite like I expected.”
“Oh?” Pinkie tilted her head to a side, still widely smiling. “How so, Twilight?”
“Well, it’s just so…” Twilight gestured with her hoof. “Small... and low key.”
“You didn’t think I could do small and low key?” Pinkie’s smile began to decrease.
“Uh, no,” Spike said dryly. “Not really.”
“Spike!”
“Ha!” Pinkie replied. “Come on, I’m Pinkie Pie,” she said, confetti exploding behind her. “There’s no type of party I can’t do. Big ones, small ones, I know how to assemble just the right amount of ponies any pony could need in a party.”
With that, Twilight remembered whom was the party intended for. She quickly turned her head to see how Trixie was reacting so far, only to discover that the azure grayish unicorn wasn’t next to her anymore.
Twilight was already starting to hyperventilate when Pinkie hoofed her one of the emergency bags she had hidden around the room for a situations like this. After Twilight breathed in and out of the paper bag enough to calm down some, Pinkie tapped her shoulder and pointed to her left. There, Raindrops was talking to the pink hood that was Trixie as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Wait, why isn’t Raindrops…”
“Completely freaking out like everypony this morning?” Pinkie finished for her. “That’s because I invited everypony one hour early and took my time to explain Trixie’s condition, so nopony gets scared over her.” She put a hoof around Twilight. “Also, just to be sure, I only invited the ponies who enjoyed her show the first time, so no awkwardness whatsoever.” Pinkie pulled Twilight closer to her. “Relax, auntie Pinkie has this.”
Twilight looked once more at Trixie and Raindrops, who were now laughing together at Celestia-knows-what. She relaxed and decided to let Trixie enjoy the party by herself. Pinkie directed Twilight to the punch table, where they shared a glass and watched over Ponyville’s new inhabitant at her debut party.
For her part, Trixie was having a very enlightening discussion with Raindrops.
“So, even after all that Trixie has done,” Trixie said, “which includes but is not limited to publically humiliating local heroes, boasting about it and lying, followed by Trixie’s recent and cruel dictatorship,” she pointed each one with a gesture of her left hoof. “You’re actually willing to forgive and forget, to give Trixie a second-- third chance?” Trixie shrugged, hiding her head further inside the cloak. “Trixie doesn’t get it.”
“Well, in all honesty, I still have some doubts,” Raindrops admitted quite bluntly. “But considering that one of history’s greatest villains is now our co-ruler, I suppose I can get behind you wanting to be good now.” She directed Trixie a small but somehow warm smile. “Also, I really liked your show that first time, too bad it had to end like it did.”
“Yeah…” Trixie answered as she rubbed the back of her neck, not really paying too much attention by that point. She lost herself in thought the moment Raindrops compared her to Nightmare Moon. “So, Trixie’s now the local nightmare?” she thought to herself. “And yet, all these ponies are completely okay with attending to a party dedicated to her.” After realizing about that, Trixie ran a quick mental count on the party goers. She identified five of Twilight’s friends, alongside a mixed group of stallions and mares. None of them seemed to mind Trixie’s presence and some of them, like Raindrops next to her, looked quite enthusiastic to meet her.
There was a feeling growing inside Trixie, but not a very familiar one. Since she could remember, Trixie has been a ‘Discord may care’ mare. She always preferred to move on and keep going. This attitude was reinforced by at least two of Trixie’s mentors and more so when she learned about her mother’s legendary trickster habits. With a background like that, Trixie was completely lost at what to do with this feeling; guilt.
Guilt over lying that first time. Guilt over her pride. Over how little fight she gave to her inner rage and thirst for revenge and over how badly she gave herself over to her own demons. Trixie remembered many of her past actions, and realized how much damage she has caused. Not that she didn’t knew already, but it was these ponies willingness to forgive her that made her more conscious about it. A consciousness that was also tearing her apart from the inside with guilt and regret. What was worse, Trixie knew exactly what she had to do to ease the guilt; apologize. A part of her cringed at such an act of capitulation, but it was something that needed to be done. The sooner, the better.
Bracing herself for what she was about to do, Trixie tried to clear her throat first. When the sand-like feeling prevented her from doing so, she stomped her left hoof on the ground while saying out loud.
“Uh, ponies of Ponyville, could Trixie have your attention for a moment?” Every pair of eyes turned to meet the hidden figure of Trixie under the pink cloak. “Are you all listening? Fine, because what’s Trixie is about to say is not something she-- that I would like to repeat anytime soon.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw how Twilight was already trotting to accompany her, but Applejack stopped the purple unicorn with a hoof. Trixie didn’t know how to react to that, so she threw back her hood and decided to continue.
“Trixie-- I want to be above board with what I’m about to say. Trixie’s past is not a mystery to all of you, especially her sins. I am aware that some of you still doubt that a pony like me can be redeemed, especially with my most recent round of mistakes.” She paused for a moment. Trixie was saying very important words and timing needed to be perfect. “However, I want you all to also know that, even if Trixie is not the most reliable pony, she’s willing to do all at her hoof’s reach to atone for her past sins.” Another pause, this time longer. “Trixie is not a pony who likes to bow down on general principle, because of her heritage, which makes it a very fitting first penance.” She lowered her upper body, an act she never expected herself to do before anypony less than royalty. “Trixie is sorry. I am sorry.”
A moment passed, longer than anypony would have liked. None of the ponies at the party knew how to react and Trixie wasn’t moving from her self-imposed punishment. With her head lowered, she didn’t see how a grey pegasus with a blond mane got close enough to tap her shoulder. Trixie slightly raised her gaze, just enough to meet two eyes looking at different directions.
“I know how it feels to screw things up too, Trixie,” Ditzy said. “I forgive you.” Slowly but constantly, the other ponies trotted closer, each one giving their own version of forgiveness to the fallen magician. After less time than anypony could have expected, Trixie was back on her hooves and talking with the ponies around her, no more as a social pariah, but now on equal terms with them.
“It’s all a matter of hoof-eye coordination,” Trixie explained while holding the edge of her cape. “A little of pressure here, a tug of the fetlock there aaand…” She threw the cape’s edge at the table, where the tip wrapped itself around the handle of the knife lying next to the cake. “Get over here!” Trixie pulled it back and the knife hit the ‘pin the tail on the pony’ perfectly in the, well, tail.
“Whoa!” Raindrops, Cheerilee and Lyra’s collective jaws hit the floor as their hooves instinctively started to stomp in admiration. For the first time in a period longer than she would like to admit, Trixie felt really at home, between the applause and admiration of a public. Her public.
Deciding to not lose the already gained momentum, Trixie ran a quick mental check on her repertoire. She ignored the ones that required extra implements or the use of her horn. Any other time, Trixie would have cringed at realizing how limited her act was, but right now she had a show to keep going on.
“For my next trick,” Trixie finally picked an easy target demonstration to keep the theme. “Trixie will need a volunteer.” Three hooves immediately reached for the ceiling in response, plus two more belonging to Carrot Top and Ditzy Hooves, who had joined the crowd to see Trixie’s improvised show.
“Ah would like tah help,” a voice called from behind Trixie. She turned around and saw the orange farm pony advancing towards her. “As long as it isn’t a problem, of course.” Applejack trotted next to Trixie with a very calm and neutral expression, while the undead unicorn was unsure of what to do next.
“Of… course,” Trixie finally answered, while thinking of what to do next. She had been going to read the astral chart for somepony, since it didn’t require any magic from her horn and could easily impress the right crowd. The orange frampony across from didn’t look like one easily impressed, though. No matter, Trixie already asked for a volunteer and certainly had one now. “The show must go on,” said the voice in her head.
“Very well,” Trixie finally spoke out loud so all the ponies could hear her, quickly coming to a compromise to her original idea. “Now Trixie will need a deck of cards.” With a flourished gesture, she held her empty left hoof out from side, waiting for the requested item.
“Here ya go!” chirped Pinkie, providing the necessary item from somewhere in her mane.
Trixie couldn’t help the smile at the recognizable deck as she walked over to a nearby table, Applejack following, and began unboxing the cards. “Now, everypony knows that Equestria runs on magic. What they don’t always understand is where illusion ends and true magic begins.” She sat across from the farmer and split the deck of cards into two piles. Reaching up, she tapped her horn. “Everypony knows unicorns use magic. Everypony knows pegasi use magic.” She began shuffling the card, getting a feel for them. “Not every pony appreciates that earth ponies use magic just as much.”
“Darn right they don’t sometimes,” Applejack replied with a sage nod.
“Trixie though, does.” She was about to mention that was how she was able to defeat all the challengers the first time she was in town but quickly stopped herself. No need to go around opening old wounds at a time like this. “She also understands that many other things besides ponies have magic, including many things that no pony would really think do. Such as cards.” She spread them out on the table before herself and tapped them with a hoof. “Choose one. Don’t let Trixie see. Then put it back.”
Applejack drew herself a card, looked at it, then placed it back in the pile.
“Thank you.” Making an elaborate show of it, Trixie reshuffled the cards, flipped them between her hooves, split the deck several ways and generally showed off greater hoof dexterity than many ponies would expect from a unicorn.
When it was over, she passed the pile back to Applejack. “Cut the deck, if you would.” Applejack obliged. “Is this your card?” Trixie asked, turning over the ace of spades.
“Nope.”
Trixie’s ears twitched back. “No? But...but that’s not possible.” She reshuffled the deck and went through the motions again only a little more hurried. “Now... is this your--?” she asked only to be drawn up short as the ace of spades came up again.
“Nope,” Applejack replied with a smug grin.
Growling in irritation, Trixie reshuffled the deck once more. She cut the cards viciously, and thumped them hard and loud on the table when she split the deck. “Now, this time Trixe is sure that...”
Trixie flipped over the ace of spades again. She frowned at it and some ponies in the audience snickered. While she backed her ears in seeming irritation, it was all going to Trixie’s plan. Playing the buffoon wasn’t something she had done in a while, but without her true magic to really show off she was rather limited in her choice of performances. Still, it was a good role that she had found would ingratiate herself amongst ponies with relative ease.
“Now you’re just mocking Trixie!” Angrily she tossed the Ace to the side, face up, and reshuffled the rest of the deck. She had Applejack cut it once more. Concentrating harder than before, Trixie waved her hooves over the deck for a longer period before giving it a sharp tap.
The audience erupted into laughter as another ace of spades was turned over.
“Bah! A curse upon all of you!” Trixie spat at the cards. “Trixie will see you wind up confetti at the pink one’s next party for this!” She looked up at Applejack and stopped. With a frown, she cocked her head to the side. Motioning with her hoof, Trixie asked “Applejack, would you...”
Applejack turned her head to face the audience and Trixie reached over the table.
Tipping the farmer’s Stetson forward a bit, the showmare drew out a playing card. “Hah! So this is where you were hiding from Trixie!” She placed it on the table. “Trixie believes that’s your card?”
“Yup, that’s the one,” Applejack affirmed as she resettled her hat on her head.
“Ah, the two of diamonds; the lover’s card.” Trixie spun it around with her hoof and smirked at Applejack. “Any pony we might know?”
“No, I ain’t got no special some pony.” Applejack shook her head with her eyes shut.
“You sure about that?” The showmare shot a pointed look at the white unicorn across the room with the diamond cutie marks.
The farmpony sat rigidly upright in her chair. “Hey now--!”
Trixie just chuckled back and waved Applejack down as she shuffled the deck again. “Well as you’ve seen, cards can be mischievous creatures when they want to be. But, if they are asked nicely, they can also reveal the secrets of the universe.” She started to shuffle the deck again. This time, showing off some more complicated moves.
“The cards, the cards, the cards will tell,” Trixie continued in a singsong tone. “The past, the present, and the future as well.” With a single hoof, she placed the deck closer to Applejack and spread it. “The cards, just take three,” she instructed, keeping the same playful tone. “Take a little trip into your future with me.” Doubtfully at first, but with a firm hoof, Applejack chose three and pulled them apart from the rest of the cards. Trixie rearranged the ones left into a deck again and put it to side. She then placed her left hoof over the first card Applejack chose.
“The first card shows the past, where a pony came from to arrive where they are now.” She turned it over, seeing a four of hearts. “The four signifies change. Hearts typically indicate family. Trixie would say... a change of home in your past, your leaving family.”
Applejack’s ear twitched against the brim of her hat. “Yah, I did have somethin’ like that,” she admitted while rubbing the back of her head and closing an eye. “Still, you coulda heard about that from most any pony.”
“Ah, but it was you that drew the cards,” Trixie gently admonished. “Now, onto the present -- or near past as the case is sometimes.” The card was a jack of spades. “Hm, youth. The black suit symbolizes conflict, but the spade indicates something emotional such as jealousy. You recently crossed paths with a youth in rebellion, did you not?”
“Ma cousin’s filly, Babs Seed, came to town just recently.” Applejack shrugged, glaring at the unicorn across from her. “She caused a bit of a ruckus about the place, fought with ma sister some. None of that isn’t anything you couldn’t pick up from town gossip.”
“Then perhaps a glimpse at the future will convince you of the true power of the cards.” Trixie didn’t look away from Applejack as she reached down and drew up the last card. “The cards say that you believe that the future is unwritten, that every pony writes their own destiny and is responsible for their own choices.” When she turned the card to face Applejack, both her and the audience could see that it was blank and unmarked. “The future is our own to make of it what we will.”
Even Trixie herself couldn’t deny that all the ponies including Applejack herself looked impressed with that final trick as she let the applause from the gathered ponies wash over her. The best part of it? It was all pure unadulterated skill. No spells whatsoever, just Trixie and her cold dead hooves.
“Now,” Trixie said with all the ponies now listening to her. “Who’s next?”
“And a gesture of Trixie’s hoof and…” Trixie passed her hoof in front of the deck, making it disappear as if it was never there to begin with. The small crowd of ponies stomped in admiration. “Thank you all. Of course, none of this would have been possible for Trixie without her lovely assistants.” She opened her hooves to point at Raindrops and Applejack beside her. “Please, a loud stomp for them too.” The audience complied as Trixie backpedalled, leaving the two mares to take the admiration while she decided to give the act a rest.
By all accounts, with the necroplasm fueling her, Trixie had yet to feel tired. When she first made the connection back in the hospital, it only unsettled her further to realize how different from a living pony she had become. But now, she decided to look at the bright side of things, and being a pony who couldn’t even feel tired was one heck of a bright side. However, Trixie still felt it pertinent to give the audience a rest. Also, even with her new handy deck of cards, she still needed to think about something else to keep the show going.
Trixie walked to the snack table, with the intention of drinking a good old glass of punch. Right before the drink was about to touch her lips, she remembered sleep wasn’t the only thing she didn’t need any more and then cringed at the thought of what awaited her if she ever tried to ingest anything again. Shaking her head in an effort to dispel the idea of another stomach pump, Trixie walked away and sat down on the line of chairs against the wall. She entertained herself with the deck of cards by shuffling it between her hooves until a shadow blocked the light in front of her. Putting the hood away to look up, Trixie saw a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane looking back.
“Hey, can we talk?” Rainbow Dash asked Trixie.
“No.” Trixie put the hood back, pulling it further to cover her eyes. “Trixie has nothing left to say for you and your words lack any value for Trixie.” She leaned back in the chair, shuffling the cards between her hooves again.
“I suppose I deserve that.” Rainbow scratched the back of her head while looking away too. “Mind if I sit down with you? It’s been a long day with the weather team.” No answer. “I’ll take the silence as a yes.” She awkwardly sat next to Trixie. After both ponies spent the first minute in complete silence, Rainbow spoke again. “So, will you at least listen?” Once again, she was met with no response. “Okay, here it goes.” Rainbow Dash, the pony born with no fear, readied herself for what was coming next.
“I’m really, really, really sorry for how I treated you back there.” Dash took some air again. “I shouldn’t have said those things about roanis, or you, or call you gypsies, or implied you were going to stab Twilight in the back because of all that.” Dash saw how Trixie had stopped shuffling the cards. The undead pony stayed immobile. “So, all is forgiven?”
Trixie’s only answer was to rise up and hastily walk away from Rainbow Dash.
“Aw, c’mon mare, it wasn’t even--” But as Rainbow tried to speak again, Trixie quickened her pace in the direction of the back door. Rainbow Dash quickly took flight and landed right in front of Trixie, who raised her gaze and glared at her. The combination of the gaze’s severity and Trixie’s cadaveric face sent all kind of shivers down Rainbow’s spine, but she planted her hooves firmly and stood her ground.
“Okay, you probably hate me right now, and I can totally get why. But I’m trying to make amends for it, surely you can understand that, too.” Since Trixie didn’t do anything to interrupt her, Rainbow took it as her cue. “Truth is I never even meant any of that.” She gulped, not sure if she should say the next part. “You see, I just wanted to annoy you enough so you would stand for yourself, you know, it was all part of a plan to…”
But Trixie wasn’t listening anymore.
Quick as the lighting and with all the fury of the storm itself, a pair of grayish azure back-hooves hit Rainbow in the head and chest in quick succession. After the butterfly kick, Trixie released an uppercut as strong as freight train that connected with the pegasus’ jaw, shattering it. Dash hit the roof, hard, before falling. But her fall was stopped by Trixie’s back-hoof, which connected once again with Rainbow’s head, finally breaking her skull and sending the speedster smashing against the wall behind her.
*Ultraaaaaaaaaa!!!*
Trixie turned around and walked away from the mess she made of Rainbow Dash. To manipulate a pony like that was insulting, and nopony insulted Trixie Lulamoon and got away without paying the price.
“..so, since it kinda sorta worked, what do you say if we start over again?”
Trixie blinked back, returning to the real world from her fantasy, and looked down to see Rainbow’s extended hoof. She hesitated for a moment, not sure if it was worth it or not. After realizing that denying forgiveness to anypony would be extremely hypocritical from her part, Trixie finally took Rainbow’s hoof with her own.
And used it as support point to pull Rainbow Dash towards her and into an elegant over-the-withers throw to the floor, knocking the wind out of the pegasus.
The ponies around them, who had taken interest after seeing Rainbow flying to get in front of Trixie, gasped in unison. Not paying attention to them, Trixie calmly trotted next to Dash. Then, it was her who offered an unusually thin hoof to help the downed speedster.
“Now Trixie accepts your apology.”
Rainbow looked at Trixie’s hoof and began to laugh. “Think we could do it without the martial arts next time?”
“Trixie knew you could take it,” she replied while helping Dash get back up.
“Well, I suppose it’s the least I deserve for the whole ‘gypsy thief’ comment from earlier.” Rainbow put a hoof over Trixie’s back. “So, are we cool now?”
“Think nothing of it,” Trixie said, her lips twitching up in a small smile. “Trixie has been called far worse by better ponies.”
“Hey!” Rainbow feigned hurt at that but couldn’t hold it. She smirked first and started to laugh again as Trixie joined her.
Surprisingly, that made way for a discussion of feats of physical prowess between the pegasus and unicorn. Given the competitive nature of the two involved, it eventually degenerated into a series of boasts and dares. Pinkie once more proved useful to both participants as she had stored a straightjacket leftover from her brief stint in Ponyville’s Hospital for “a psychological check-up” a little while back. (“Madame Le Flour would have been at this party, too, but she had plans to spend the evening with Sir Lints-a-Lot instead.”)
That was how Trixie found herself tied up in said straightjacket, while hanging upside down from the ceiling. And blindfolded.
Pretty much the entire party had gathered around her and Dash after Pinkie came out with the straightjacket and rope to see what was going on. Twilight wound up in the corner with the paper bag again, even after Rainbow had explained that it was part of a dare and all Trixie’s idea in the first place.
“Are you ready to do this?” Dash asked. Trixie nodded in response. “Alright. Remember, you gotta do this in ten seconds flat, okay? Ready and... go!”
Despite the cheering of the ponies around her, with the blindfold over her eyes and concentration focused on getting out of the straightjacket, Trixie was alone in the darkness. The straightjacket itself was a posey, one of the safest ones out there. Mister Free once explained Trixie the way any pony could get out of one of those if they chose to. It turned out to be quite simple, just that it involved a certain amount of pain.
Trixie gritted her teeth for what was coming next, which was raising her elbows up to her neck till her shoulders were dislocated. After that, it should be absurdly easy to slip her hooves under the jacket’s torso and reach the lock. But something was off when her humeri popped out of the joints. Instead of the pain she was expecting, Trixie barely felt a minor itching in her elbows. It wasn’t even close to the usual near-paralyzing pain of getting two major bones wrenched out of place that she had experienced doing this trick in the past.
“Hmm,” Trixie thought to herself. Maybe this whole ‘walking corpse’ thing has its advantages.
Trixie dismissed the discovery for the show’s sake and focused on the lock behind her back. Once she pressed it in the right directions, it was the turn of the rope holding her to the ceiling. But after the other two previous steps, identifying a butterfly knot and untying it --even if blindfolded-- was foal’s play. But twisting herself midair in less than a second before hitting the floor and in the right position for landing, all while still blinded by the piece of cloth? Now that was hard.
*thump*
But far from impossible.
“Right on the money! Nicely done, Trix!” Rainbow cheered.
Once again, the stomping of an admiring audience gave Trixie a good reason to keep going, and probably woke the neighbors up again, but mainly gave Trixie back her reason to live. Still, even if she had the crowd’s admiration once more, Trixie was quick to swap the straightjacket for the broad pink cloak allowing her to hide her appearance. Nopony should be forced to see what she was now, and she wasn’t really eager to expose the testimony of her sins emblemized on her chest to her new audience. Once that little problem was covered, Trixie turned and bowed before the ponies.
“Thank you, thank you very much.” Trixie addressed her newfound public. “Trixie will now take a break, but do not worry, for she’s not done with tonight yet.” And with that, she turned around and retreated to think over her next move. The cards and straitjacket were a blessing, but she didn’t expect Pinkie Pie to have more implements she could use. Maybe Trixie could end the night with a small story. Nothing too elaborate, just one or two quick strophes.
“Trixie, darling?” somepony called from Trixie’s side. She turned her head while also pulling the hood away to find the marshmallow-white pony standing next to her, holding a sheet of paper in her magic while smiling at her.
“Yes, Rarity?” Trixie didn’t realize till now, but she actually trusted and felt close enough to Rarity to be at first name basis with her. “Is there something wrong?”
“Au contraire,” Rarity replied in a perfectly poised Prench accent. “It’s just that when I was designing your new vestment, I found something I do believe you might like to see.” Without saying anything else, Rarity hovered the paper towards Trixie, who took it from the unicorn’s magic.
Rarity doesn’t believe that a traveling street magician could have any contacts with two of Equestria’s most famous showponies, much less being mentored by them. Trixie had already shown a history of embellishment, even if she professed to be turning over a new leaf. Despite these doubts about Trixie’s story, which is probably another Ursa Major, Rarity still understands how important this new outfit is to the ex-showpony. Because of that, she is now looking through her albums on magic designs. Over the years, Rarity had collected articles and photos depicting some of the most influential outfits in fashion history, just in case she would need the reference.
Rarity’s heart almost stops as her eyes take in the picture she comes to. The article with it was cut from a fairly old magazine, the paper it’s printed on now yellow with age. Yet, Rarity can clearly read how it’s about the generational change affecting the stage magician scene, from the street trick, to the escape act, to the special effects driven performance, but none of that is important to Rarity. What really catches Rarity’s attention is the three ponies posing for the article’s photo; at the left, there is a pale purple unicorn mare with black mane, wearing a black tuxedo. A little short for her age, but compensating it with a quite large top hat. On the opposite extreme, there’s a red and yellow earth stallion who’s visibly older. He’s sporting a considerably long, emerald cape. Holding them together with her hooves draped over their backs, is a very familiar looking mare.
There is no... possible... way. Rarity says internally while reading the photo’s description. She shuts her eyes after that, expecting the photo, or her perception of it, to change when she opens them again. Yet when she does so, all she sees again are the similarities and they are undeniable; grayish blue instead of azure, white with a golden strip instead of silver, and a crystal ball in the place of the wand, surrounded by mist instead of pixie dust. Still, besides those three differences, Rarity can easily recognize the mare looking back from the picture.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Trixie looked again at the image of two of her mentors and her mother. Although she has seen other pictures of Hope Lulamoon before, seeing a new one had a heavy effect on Trixie. The article accompanying it, testifying to her mother’s life and work, was something new for her as well. Trixie tried to swallow the tears that were about to come, but she remembered she was left unable to do such thing. Or that’s what she thought as two drops of the green liquid fell unnoticed from her cheeks to the floor.
“Trixie, are you alright?” Rarity asked with uneasiness.
“Yes, I’m alright,” Trixie replied. “Everything is fine now.” Without any indication or warning, Trixie gave into the impulse and threw her hooves around Rarity in a hug. “Thank you.”
The fashionista cringed a little at having the walking corpse with green ichor running down her face hugging her. But she got over it and returned the hug. “That’s what friends are for, darling.”
“Oh, don’t you sail and don’t you row and certainly don’t you swim, ‘cause if you aren’t careful you’ll end up inside of him. He’ll eat you up, he’ll spit you out. You better stay away. Heed the sign that says Beware” “Trixie should know, she put it there!” ”Heed the sign that says, Beware The Beast of Pirate's Bay”
That last part was accompanied by everypony in Sugarcube Corner as they picked up to Trixie’s enthusiasm.
After a great show of divination and a powerful act of escapism, Trixie decided to tone the act down according to the late hour. So, instead of wooing them with more astonishing theatrics, Trixie gave them what she called “Trixie’s First Encounter with Equestria’s Strange”. It was a tale set before her time in Neigh Orleans, before even knowing about her true heritage. In a time when she was just a wandering unicorn without a past that could be called such or a real home to return to. A lifetime ago, when walking the road was literally her only drive.
True to Trixie’s predictions, the ponies attending the party decided to call it a night and go home to have the rest they’ve been surely denying the neighbors the last few hours. Once most of them were away, the place felt really quiet. The only ones still inside Sugarcube Corner, besides Trixie, were Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, helping with the place’s clean up. Trixie tried to aid them, but Pinkie stopped her, arguing that the guest of honor wasn’t supposed to clean-up the aftermath.
“You can rest here while we finish, Trix,” Pinkie told her while guiding her to a cushion. “But you can always join the clean-up for the next party.” And with that, the party animal bounced back to take a broom and start with the floor’s sweeping. Trixie was about to say how she wasn’t tired, but Pinkie’s last two words gave her something else to focus on.
“Next party?” Trixie wondered out loud while raising from the couch and walking towards the backyard’s door.
How could there be there a next time? Another party? If she wasn’t going to be the honored guest, why else should Trixie even be invited to a party? For somepony else? Maybe one of the ones she just met?
When she entered the party, Trixie only saw nineteen ponies plus a dragon. Apart from her new and only friends that were Twilight and Rarity, Trixie was ignorant of who were these strangers or why were they assisting a party in her honor. After three hours of sharing with them, she understood those ponies were the ones willing to give Trixie her first chance in over a year of being apart from everyone.
“Maybe,” Trixie thought. “Maybe I could take this chance.”
The chance for what?
“A chance to have that one thing Trixie lost that long time ago.”
And what could that be, pray tell?
“Friends,” she concluded, while walking outside of Sugarcube Corner.
She sat down on the stoop, looking up at the crescent moon.
“But Trixie is more of a loner, not really a pony of friends,” Trixie said out loud, not really expecting a reply.
*roawk*
But Equestria in general, and Ponyville in particular, has that interesting way of never meeting the ponies’ expectations they way they may want. Trixie looked down, in the direction of the strange reply. What she saw wasn’t anything she would have predicted; a small but fierce looking blue and black raven gazing back at her.
“Hello there?” Trixie really found strange seeing an animal this close to her, especially considering how most of animals reacted to her that last time.
*roawk* replied the raven, its head twitching about as it examined her.
“Roawk,” Trixie called back in return, a grin pulling at one side of her muzzle.
The bird squawked at her once more and hopped off its perch, landing close by.
“Are you not afraid of Trixie, little one?” Trixie asked, more bemused by the whole situation than anything else. “Perhaps you’ve come here to pluck out Trixie's eyes as a tasty treat, hmm?” The bird only tilted its head in response.
Trixie got up from her sitting spot and, not sure if she was thinking clearly or not, trotted slowly towards the animal. The raven, for its part, didn’t even twitch at Trixie’s movement and patiently let her get closer. Once she was right in front of it, Trixie extended her hoof to pet it, but the birds roawked at her once more before dancing playfully out of her reach.
“Well, fine then,” she scoffed back. “Be that way.” She turned around to show it her hurt feelings, but instead she got a surprise she wasn’t expecting; a couple of cats, one snow white and the other obsidian black were walking next to her. Again, they didn’t show the same primal fear the animals from before showed to Trixie. Instead, the two cats only looked at her and meowed as if standing next to a walking corpse was the most natural thing ever.
“Wha…” Trixie said at the strange appearance.
*who* someone corrected her.
Trixie looked up to a close tree to see a big old owl sitting on the lowest branch, accompanied by raccoon sitting next to it and eating a pastry likely pulled from the garbage of the building next to her. Trixie’s vision was interrupted then by various small grey dots flying right in front of her eyes. She pulled her head back and realized there was a group of moths circling her or maybe the light above the entrance. Trixie closed her eyes, expecting it all to be a dream. When she opened them again, looking at the sky to avoid seeing all the animal life around her, she noticed a quartet of bats flying in circles right over her head.
“Okay…” She said with a little fear on her voice. “Is Trixie missing something?” She felt something landing on her back, and turned her head to see what it was
*awk* the raven said, not taking its gaze from Trixie.
“That doesn’t answer Trixie’s question.” Trixie combated the nervousness in the only way she could; trying to not take the situation seriously.
*roawk, awk* the raven continued.
“No, seriously,” Trixie raised a hoof in protest. “You’re not answering anything here.”
“He means to say he wants to be your friend,” said a very soft voice. “All of them, actually.” Trixie, alongside with every animal now accompanying her, looked at Fluttershy, who was nervously peeking out from the top-floor balcony of Sugarcube Corner. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“It’s okay,” Trixie said carefully. “Trixie doesn’t mind.” She remembered this pegasus and how she was about to have a heart attack the last time Trixie was close to her. She was also absent at the party. “What are you doing here anyways?” Trixie asked.
“Oh, I was invited to come too.” Fluttershy climbed over the balcony and sailed to the ground, landing a few meters away from Trixie and crouched down to behind her mane. “But Pinkie didn’t say it was a party for…” she muttered.
“You were still scared of Trixie, weren’t you?” Trixie guessed. “You realized too late that it was Trixie who was coming, and hid out of sight.”
“I-- I was-- hmm.” Fluttershy struggled while scratching the ground with her hoof. Even the animals were now silent, as if waiting for the pegasus’ answer.
“I’m sorry,” Trixie broke the silence. She started to trot towards Fluttershy, with the raven still standing on her back. “I never meant to scare you or your animals back at your own home.” Trixie stopped right in front of Fluttershy and apologetically lowered her head. “Trixie should have been more careful, considering what she is now.”
“Bu-but-- But it’s me who’s sorry!” Fluttershy hastily answered. “I shouldn’t have told you to go away like that. It was mean of me. You needed help and I just…” She raised her gaze to meet Trixie’s. “I shouldn’t have let fear get the best of me. I’m sorry.”
“Heh.”
“Heh.”
Both ponies realized about the irony of their situation, almost at the same time. Both of them were in the wrong and both of them were in the right at the same time. It was obvious that both of them also forgave each other, so there was no point on vocalizing it. Because of their silent agreement, neither Trixie and Fluttershy knew what to say next. Their dilemma was quickly solved by the third party sitting on Trixie’s back.
*roawk* the raven said.
“So,” Trixie tried to keep the night from becoming tomb-like silent around them. “Trixie has heard you’re quite good with animals, right?” Fluttershy nodded. “Any clue why this raven is annoying Trixie so?”
Trixie wanted to stay outside for a little longer. There was something about being surrounded by the nocturnal life, under the moon’s serene light that brought a calm to her heart that the party couldn’t offer. Understanding this, Fluttershy went alone inside to help with the cleaning. It was long past midnight when it was finally over and everypony was now relaxing on the living room before taking their leave.
Realizing how late it must have been, Trixie decided to return inside again. She waved a goodbye to all the animals she left behind her while turning around towards the door. Yet, the raven was still on her back, showing no signs of leaving anytime soon.
“Look, little bird of the night’s Lunar shore, although Trixie would like to keep your company, she feels we would be pushing our luck with the ponies inside.” The raven pushed its head back, as if taking offense on Trixie’s words. “Don’t act like that. Enough that they have to look at the decaying corpse Trixie is now. Surely you can understand it wouldn’t help your image to enter while also riding me.” The bird tilted its head to a side and then nodded in a agreement. “Fly over the tree that is not a tree, in the house that doesn’t look like a house. Trixie will meet you there once she’s finished here.” The raven extended its wings, gave Trixie one last roawk and took fly to become lost inside the night’s veil of darkness.
Once Trixie couldn’t see the raven anymore, she pushed the door open, entering Sugarcube Corner’s kitchen. The lights on that section of the building were off, leaving the light seeping in under the dining room door as its only and very weak source of light. Yet, Trixie discovered that despite the room’s darkness and shadows, she had far less problem seeing her surroundings that she may have thought. Another unexpected benefit of her condition perhaps.
Without any problems navigating between the kitchen’s furniture, Trixie made her way through it till she was right next to the door. But instead of crossing it immediately, the voices at the other side prevented her from doing so. Twilight and her friends were talking about a subject that not only had Trixie’s full attention, but that also brought out the worst of her curiosity.
They were talking about Trixie herself.
“You look awful, Twi.” Rainbow’s voice was the first Trixie could make out. “Running back and forth after Trixie the whole day. You must be close to your limit.”
“It’s not like that, Dash,” Twilight’s voice replied. “Actually, going around the town wasn’t all that different from my first time here.” She paused to yawn. “Or each time something happens, and a lot of things happen in Ponyville.”
“Then what?” Rainbow Dash demanded. “Because you can’t tell us you’re not about to fall down asleep. I mean look at you, you’re barely staying up right now.”
“Rainbow, for the last time, I’m not tired.” Twilight's tone and paused speech said the opposite. “It’s just that--”
“That you still blame yourself over what happened to Trixie.” Rarity finished the sentence for her before taking a sip from her cup. “Don’t you, darling?”
“It was me who tricked her into taking the Amulet off.” Twilight own cup made a clink as it was set down. “I’m responsible for what Trixie has become. That has to be the reason of why Princess Celestia left her under my care.” At hearing this, Trixie only wanted to rush inside the room and tell Twilight how nothing of this was her fault. That it has been always Trixie’s fault. “If it wasn’t for me--”
“Trixie’d be still wearin’ the amulet and probably tryin’ to take over Equestria.” Applejack’s grim tone prevented Trixie from moving any closer. “And even if not, Trixie’s what she is by her own hoof. Or yer gonna tell me she was forced to usin’ it?” There was a long pause. Trixie and Twilight knew the answer, and the other ponies probably had a very good guess on it.
“No,” Twilight finally answered quietly. “She made the decision by herself.” That was it, the last thing Trixie wanted to hear, even if it was true. She looked down at her own chest, where the accursed thing was still mockingly encrusted to her body. Trixie was about to turn tail and make her way out of Ponyville, only for Twilight’s voice to stop her. “That’s why she needs me.”
“Trixie is an adult mare, sugarcube. She surely can take care of herself.”
“Maybe,” Twilight said. “I can only imagine how life must be for a pony like Trixie, and how a life like that must have hardened her.” Trixie got closer to the door again, this time trying to also see what the friends were doing. “I’m sure that overcoming obstacles is what she does the best when alone.” Trixie wanted to agree with her. But alone in the darkness, Trixie allowed herself to admit that she didn’t want to face this by herself. Trixie didn’t want to face the world alone, not again. She wasn’t that strong.
“Then why keep it up with her, Twi.” Rainbow asked. “If she’s as strong as you say?”
“Because that’s what you girls taught me,” Trixie finally found Twilight from her spying spot. “When it comes to guilt, regret, facing one’s own mistakes, all of that. Even the strongest pony struggles with those. But you showed me that a pony doesn’t have to do it alone, not as long as there are friends around to help.” Twilight shrugged while smiling. “Trixie is my friend now, and helping her is only the right thing to do. Could I do less than the right thing for a friend?”
Trixie didn’t know how to respond to that. On one hoof, she could rush inside and tell Twilight how much she thanked her for offering Trixie her friendship, telling her how sorry she was for dragging Twilight into this mess. But on the other hoof, doing so would force her to admit she was spying her new friend, and even Trixie knew that wasn’t something friends should do to each other. Trixie could imagine two smaller Trixie on her shoulders; one wearing a white version of her old attire, telling Trixie to be honest, that this wasn’t the moment of enclosing inside herself, again. On the opposite side, a Trixie dressed in red told Trixie to never open herself, for that would mean lowering her guard and letting the world harm her, again.
“I’m going for another glass of water!” A high-pitched voice interrupted Trixie’s inner debate and she could see from the door’s edge that Pinkie Pie was coming to the kitchen. She backpedaled away from the now-closed door, hoping to get back closer to the backyard’s entrance and pretend she just came back in. But in doing so, she bumped into something soft behind her. Trixie quickly turned around, only to see the pink party pony herself filling a glass with water from the kitchen’s sink.
“Hey Trix, whatcha doing?”
Trixie wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that for a second, the Alicorn Amulet stopped running the necroplasm inside her.
“What the-- who the-- how did you--” Trixie tried to ask, but her brain was still trying to process how in tartarus’ unholy name did the pink one managed to sneak behind her like that. Trixie looked back at the dining room door, checking that it was still closed, only adding more confusion to the matter.
“A glass of water, Pinkie Pie and by pouring water into it,” Pinkie calmly answered Trixie’s half-questions. “How about you?” She said cocking an eyebrow. “You weren’t practicing master Kunai’s teaching on your new friends, right?” The question caught Trixie off guard.
“What? No… Trixie was just… No,” she tried to defend herself, but then something clicked inside her mind. “Wait! Hold everything!” Trixie exclaimed. “What do you know about master Kunai?” Trixie felt how a hellish fire of pure rage building inside her. “Did Sparkle fail to honor my request and told you Trixie’s story without Trixie’s permission?” She held an accusatory hoof that, combined with its bone-like look, was effectively intimidating, even for Pinkie Pie.
“No, nothing like that.” Pinkie raised her forehooves defensively, but kept her smile.
“Then reveal to Trixie who told you about one of her secrets, so Trixie can properly lay vengeance upon the author of such insult.” If Trixie still had her magic, she would have well burst into flames, burning her flesh and skin till leaving only the bone.
“Oh, I know that one!” Pinkie answered, happily trotting closer to the angered ghost. “That was you, silly.” She said while bopping Trixie on the nose.
“Come again?” Trixie’s rage died in that moment as confusion took its place.
“‘Get over here?’” Pinkie quoted mockingly. “It was kinda obvious you knew the school, and master Kunai is the only teacher out there.”
“That only raises further questions, Pink one.” Trixie pointed out.
“Well, you see, it all happened a winter when-- hey!” Pinkie interrupted herself while raising the same eyebrow again. “Now you hold everything, you Miss-Terious McSecrets. Were you spying on us?” Before Trixie could backpedal, Pinkie held her by the withers with a hoof.
“I-- I mean Trixie…” But she just hung her head. “I’m sorry” Trixie apologized. “It was completely by accident, I can swear that over my mother’s lost grave. I was going to enter, but when Twilight revealed that she was feeling somewhat responsible over Trixie, I just froze there.” Trixie slightly raised her gaze to meet Pinkie’s, but her face was unreadable.
“Oh, that’s all?” Pinkie’s expression softened. “Dontcha worry, Trix, it’s nothing that big.” She directed a grin at Trixie. “Now come on, we were just waiting for you before leaving.” Pinkie started to trot towards the dining room’s door. “Except for Spike. The poor little guy is already asleep, but not because he means to be rude, it’s just that he’s very young yet and Twilight doesn’t let him have coffee. I don’t drink it either, but because everypony puts on a weird face each time I’m too close to a cup. If they knew how many I drank one night when a filly…” But Trixie wasn’t listening. Instead, she just pondered how kind the pink hurricane was to her and how little Trixie had done to actually express gratitude. Not wanting to make a public scene, Trixie rushed before Pinkie could open the door and grabbed her tail with her mouth. That cut Pinkie’s rambling as she turned around. “Is something the matter, Trix?”
“Miss Pink...” she started, unsure of how to phrase her next words.
“Oh, please.” Pinkie waved her hoof playfully. “All my friends call me Pinkie.”
“Very well, Pinkie,” Trixie thought for a moment, comforting herself with the trust that Pinkie was putting in her. “Trixie feels she owes you her gratitude for tonight’s events.”
“Oh, really?” Pinkie asked excited. “Can I see her?”
“No, Trixie-- I mean…” Trixie fought down her temper, wishing the pony before her could take one thing seriously this night. Instead, she just rolled her eyes and tried rephrasing what she meant. “Look, Pinkie, I’m trying to say how grateful I am for what you have done to me tonight.”
“Ooohh,” Pinkie tilted her head up and down while saying that. “Why didn’t you say so? Say, why do you talk in third pony and all that anyway?”
Trixie was about to dismiss the question as she has done a thousand of times before. But this time, there was something else. Just in the same way she told Twilight the story of Kunai Tail, or her story of Hope to Rarity, Trixie wanted to repay Pinkie Pie in the only way she knew how; with a piece of her history.
“Well, you see, when Trixie started her trips, she wanted ponies to remember who she was,” Trixie began. “And since that was a lonely path, she decided to be as unforgettable as possible.” She took the edge of the pink replacement hood with her hooves, extending it to make herself look bigger, but also displaying her thin and pale figure underneath. “All Trixie ever had, was the presentation and illusion of her act. Trixie already lost the second one.” Trixie let the hood hang, covering everything but her face. “So she tries to keep going with the little of what’s left.” Trixie checked on what impression she had left on Pinkie, but she saw only puzzlement on her face. “I’m sorry, this isn’t making much sense, is it?”
“Actually, I can see what you mean,” Pinkie said, her voice calmer than usual. “But you don't need to be like that between friends.” She got closer, taking Trixie’s hood by the upper part and pushing it behind her head, revealing her face. “You can be you around us.”
Trixie was about to pull the hood back, but Pinkie’s reassuring nod stopped her hoof. Instead, she gave Pinkie a smile of her own, nodding back. “Thank you, Pinkie Pie.” She awkwardly looked aside. “By the way, Trixie barely remembers all the details, but she knows she did something to you with the amulet, after you said I wasn’t good enough for a rock farm.” Trixie tried to gulp, but once again the lack of fluids on her throat played against her. “Whatever it was, I’m truly sorry and I’ll be honored if you could tell me a way to repay the damage done.”
“Oh, that? Pff, think nothing out of it.” Pinkie smiled at Trixie. “Water under the road, or something like that.” Pinkie then turned around and opened the door, but let Trixie walk into the dining room first.
After that, the seven mares talked for a little longer before heading back to their respective homes. The first ones were Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, mostly because they promised the Cutie Mark Crusaders to take them on a trip the next day. Then it was Fluttershy, who had to be up early in order to keep track on the animals who were still in a bad mood and needed extra caring.
Finally, Trixie, Twilight and a very asleep Spike resting on her back were ready to take their leave too. They said their goodbyes to Pinkie and departed down the road towards their now-shared home.
Chapter 6 (part six): There is Still a Pony Under Here
“Trixie? There’s something I need you to tell me.”
Trixie smirked at the tone in Twilight’s voice, the image of the shy yellow pegasus she had just met flashing through her head. She rolled the deck of cards in her hoof around and didn’t even bother lifting her gaze from the book she was reading. “What do you seek to know this time, Sparkle?”
The hour was currently very late, much later than Trixie had expected Twilight to still be awake given her current condition. Trixie herself was still feeling quite fit, her state of undeath having removed her own need for sleep. The only one in the tree house that was indulging that respite for the moment was the dragon Spike, having been tucked into his basket upon the return of the two unicorns from Pinkie’s party. Despite Trixie’s expectations that Twilight would have joined her faithful servant in slumber, the lavender unicorn had insisted that there were a few more things she wanted to look up before finally going to bed and so the two were seated in the main library, candles glowing softly around them, surrounded by several esoteric texts Twilight had dragged from their shelves on the wall.
“When you did your divination act for Applejack, you did a lot of things with the cards that were beyond a simple reading. There’s also how you got out of that straitjacket.” Twilight noted now Trixie’s left ear twitched. “Trixie, tell me the truth. Did you manage to use actual magic?”
Trixie had stopped shuffling the deck of cards between her hooves, becoming very still. No moving and no talking. Since she didn’t need to breathe, she looked the part of an alabaster statue draped in a bright pink cloak. Twilight didn’t know what to make out of her silence, so she spoke again.
“Trixie, the Amulet’s corruption works through magic, no matter how big or small.” Twilight tried to meet Trixie’s eye, to confirm that the iris of her eyes were still purple and not red, but she was looking down, with her eyes closed. “Trixie, answer me.” Silence. “Trixie, if you don’t answer me now… I-I’m calling the Princess!” Trixie looked up and her gaze met Twilight’s expression of fear and alarm. It was a very short contact, but that one look was all it took, and Trixie fell off her cushion and started to roll on the ground.
“Bwah Hahaha Haha!” Trixie blurted out, not able to hold the ‘guilty’ act any longer. “Very well, tell the Princess how Trixie’s tremendous tricks have become so good they can fool the Princess’ very own personal student.” She kept laughing till her lungs were literally empty. She kept shaking after that, like a laughing pony in a movie that had unexpectedly lost its sound.
“Sure, why not?” Twilight deadpanned as she stood up and began to trot away. “If you can’t be bothered to take this seriously, then I can’t be bothered by it either.” She began up the stairs. “You know where your room is, I’ll see you in the morning.”
Trixie stopped her silent horselaugh, realizing her mistake. She rolled over and tried to speak, but her lungs were emptied, so she had to force the air back in before doing so.
“Whoa, Sparkle, wait.” But Twilight was almost at the top of the stair. “Please wait!” Trixie called again, this time managing to make her stop. “Trixie is-- I’m sorry, okay? It was just that…”
Twilight had stopped and was looking back down at her. “Go on.”
“Well, of all ponies, I never expected you to fall for it.” Trixie glanced away as she nervously played with the border of her cloak. “Perhaps I was still riding a little high from the party, too. Trixie can sometimes have problems dropping her act. It just seemed the perfect moment and she couldn’t resist... you know?”
Twilight made her way back down wearing a more relaxed expression. Still, she looked like she was waiting for something.
“What?” Trixie asked.
“You still haven’t explained it to me,” Twilight answered. “How did you manage to get that ace of spades each time, let alone the second one and that blank card, and how did you got out of the straitjacket?”
Trixie grimaced and pulled the hem of her cloak around her once more. “You ask a lot of Trixie, you know that? For a magician to explain herself is all very unprofessional, but given circumstances...” She tried to huff theatrically, her lack of lung capacity failing her. “The truth is I never intended to do that trick when I saw it was Applejack who volunteered. I was just going to use the cards to do a more traditional reading.” She repeated the same gesture she did when asking for a deck. “But then your friend Pinkie slipped me a magician's deck.” She hoofed over the deck of cards she had been fiddling with earlier. “They're common for amateurs and beginners and come with certain duplicate and already marked cards so that an entertainer familiar with sleight of hoof won't have any trouble arranging them how they want.” Twilight, had immediately opened the deck with her magic and was examining it piece by piece. “As to forcing the volunteer to draw them, it all comes down to presentation and subtle prompting. Proper shuffling and good sleight of hoof overcomes any problems that might arise along the way. Some faith in the cards themselves, too. It’s something any pony can do and Trixie can show you how it’s done if you really need to see.”
Twilight had two cards suspended in her aura before her, flipping them back and forth and examining the subtle marks that would aid the magician using them but be too small for the audience to notice. “That doesn’t explain the straitjacket.”
“Simple contortion,” Trixie replied with a grimace, feeling dirty at laying bare the secrets of her trade so. “Pop the shoulders out of joint and the jacket no longer holds correctly. Then you just have to wriggle it off. A proper landing pops the shoulders back in place and leaves the audience none the wiser.”
Across from her, Twilight was gaping in horror. “But doesn’t that hurt? Like, a lot?”
“It does, yes,” Trixie affirmed with a nod. “But that’s all part of the price the Act demands.”
“What you’ve told me here sounds like what I’ve heard about magicians,” Twilight admitted as she gathered up the cards in her aura and slipped them back into their package. “But I have to be sure that no magic is involved. The Princess put me in charge of you, of keeping you safe, and in all honesty, you’re handling being without magic better than any unicorn I’ve ever seen--”
“And that is precisely why Trixie could declare herself The Great and Powerful and best the ponies could,” Trixie fired back with an angry glare. She reached up and tapped the restraining ring with her left hoof. “This is not the first time Trixie has worn one of these. With master Emerald Archer, she had to wear one of these for the whole of a fall and winter, learning to survive without magic while training under some of the harshest conditions out in the Equestrian wilderness. She wasn’t allowed to take it off until her training was complete, all so that she could understand how to function without her unicorn magic and discover how those without such a boon lived. She had to relearn how to do almost everything, from her performance acts to her everyday life. But she did learn and emerged a much stronger pony for it, able to adapt to life in a way that even the most powerful unicorns would find difficult or impossible.”
What was left unsaid, what Trixie couldn’t say to the likes of Twilight Sparkle, was that the only reason she had made it through that terrible winter was the knowledge that at the end she would be getting her magic back, that she would become whole again. Now her magic was to be locked away inside her forever, with a looming sense of dread hanging over her about what would happen should it ever get out again. The memory of those brief yet interminable months under Archer’s tutelage and his ring, and her survival of it, was the the slim thread she held onto to keep from slipping wholly into despair. What good was a unicorn without magic? she had wondered that first night in the hospital. Whatever it was, she seemed destined to find out.
Taken aback by the vehemence in the former showpony’s outburst, Twilight could only gape and blink. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to… imply that you…” Twilight looked around, helplessly looking for anything to say.
Trixie shook her head, her mane making a dry rustle, the grimace on her face softening into an abashed frown. Archer had made her stronger than this. They all had. She just couldn’t forget that.
“No. As you said, the Amulet works to corrupt the user by way of their magic. You were right to be concerned. It is just... as Trixie said, magicians are secretive types. We share our tricks and illusions only amongst ourselves and often not even then. That you ask Trixie to readily reveal such things to you, a pony who has no true appreciation of the art and craft of it all, and then to question her truthfulness afterwards... well, it is galling.” She shuffled her hooves beneath the cape, her gaze directed down at them. “Trixie apologizes for snapping.”
“It-it’s okay,” Twilight finally managed to stammer. “I didn’t realize what it meant to you. I’m just so used to wizards publishing their spells and techniques so that others can build upon them that I didn’t think....” She gazed over at the walls of books in the library. “Looks like I have some more studying to do than just dark forces and evil amulets.”
Following her gaze, Trixie felt the first pang of guilt creeping up. It was a sensation she had been finding all too common of late. Resettling herself, she decided to try and alleviate it with a secret she was more willing to share. “This is a truly lovely home you have here, Sparkle. It reminds Trixie of her final year in Neigh Orleans. She had met a close friend of her mother’s, Hell’s Blazer, a little while after arriving there. Him and his associate Bootlegger would prove to be Trixie’s final masters. Blazer is an occultist, a pony who studies very obscure and esoteric areas of magic. His home is very much like this, stuffed to overflowing with all manner of books and scrolls. When Trixie wasn’t out with ’Legger, learning how to get into places she had no business being, she spent many evenings with Blazer just like this.” Trixie laughed. “Actually, very much like this, including the books about strange and forgotten magic.” She pawed at the edge of the book before her, her smile having become brittle at the realization of what she said. “But that was a lifetime ago.”
”Oh, for pony’s sake. Again? Twilight thought while recognizing Trixie’s pre-self-pity phrase. This time, however, she was actually ready; she took a deep breath and said what she talked about with Rarity at the party.
“Trixie, stop saying that,” she began. “I know it’s hard and I can only imagine how distant does it feels, but please, don’t think of your past as gone.” Twilight moves closer to Trixie and held her hooves with her own. “Don’t think of your life as gone.” Trixie was about to reply but she didn’t let her. “I promise you will have it back, even if it takes me a lifetime to do so. Even if it takes my grandchild a lifetime, you will be freed.” She pressed her hooves to Trixie’s for emphasis. “It’s a friend’s promise.”
At first, Trixie wasn’t even sure of what to say. But there was something in Twilight’s voice that sounded like sheer determination.
“Thank you. Thank you for being here for Trixie.” She finally moved her own hooves and returned the grasp. “But please, if it comes to that, make Trixie a different promise.” Trixie pulled back her hooves and looked Twilight straight at the eye. “Promise Trixie that you will live your own life too, regardless of what happens with Trixie.” Averting Twilight’s protest, Trixie softly put her cold hoof over Twilight’s mouth. “Trixie has already lived a life with no boundaries and now is paying for it.” She tapped the piece of metal and crystal in her chest. “If it wasn’t the Amulet, it would have been something else. So stop blaming yourself for all that’s happened to Trixie because of her own hoof.”
The determination that Trixie heard in Twilight’s voice was present in her violet eyes, belying the signs of fatigue around their edges. “Pass me that codex by Midnight Shade, then. We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us if that’s the case.”
Determination could only take a pony so far, though, and Twilight wasn’t a pony with the physical stamina to be able to withstand an all-nighter after the kind of day she’d had pursuing Trixie around town. It wasn’t long before she was near dozing off, having to jerk her head up every few minutes to keep it off the pages of the book before her.
Trixie wasn’t much better in terms of her focus, though. Her attention kept wandering to other thoughts and she had to keep re-reading the same pages again and again after realizing her thoughts were more on the unicorn across from her than the book at her hooves. After Twilight had almost face-planted for the sixth time, the words Trixie was thinking slipped from her lips. “Maybe you should finally head to bed. It’s quite late after all.”
“No, I’m not that bad,” Twilight tried to dismiss around a yawn. “You don’t seem that tired.”
“Trixie doesn’t sleep anymore, remember?”
Twilight blinked wearily. “Oh… right.” She yawned again. “I guess you’re right then, I should be going.” She planted her hooves to get up off the cushion only to be stopped by Trixie’s next words.
“Before you go, there’s something I have to say.” Biting her lip, Trixie glanced down at her hooves and then quickly back up at Twilight. “I want to apologize for my behavior today towards you,” Trixie said softly. “You were one of the only ponies who didn't yell at Trixie. Who didn't accuse her; who didn't berate her. You've been uneasy and unsure, but never afraid. You tried to help Trixie make up with your friends, even when she thought it was hopeless. You’ve only tried to aid in undoing what’s been done to Trixie by her own hoof, making promises no pony should have to keep but I feel you actually would.” She moved over and gently put her hoof over the shoulders of her fellow unicorn. Only a small, almost reflexive, twitch greeted that action. “And Trixie has been short and resentful with you all day, taking out her frustrations with her situation on you as they've come. She has snapped and mocked you when you’ve done nothing to truly earn it. Yet, you never said a harsh word against me.” She rubbed over the unicorn’s withers. “For all of that and more, I want to say that I'm truly sorry... Twilight.”
Twilight opened her mouth to try and dismiss Trixie's concerns, only to catch herself at the last moment. Sleepy as she may be, she had noticed the name at the end, that it was no longer the back-biting Sparkle but instead, for the first time, Twilight. She closed her mouth and tried to think about what best to say in light of what Trixie had just confessed. In the end, she settled on, “Apology accepted.”
That seemed to satisfy Trixie, and she patted the lavender shoulder beneath her hoof. “Good. Now, you had best get some sleep. Trixie is sure you have a big day tomorrow or such.” She moved off and picked up the book she was reading from. “Trixie will continue to work on her end, and will see you in the morning.”
For what felt like the first time that day, Twilight's smile was genuine. “I'll see you then. Good night!”
Despite her words, Trixie only lasted another hour in the library. The book she was going through was proving to be a very likely dead end, and she was still having problems focusing on the task at hoof. Marking her place for the next day, she put out the lights in the main level and descended to the cool darkness of her basement room.
It was a small and plain, almost military room, but it was all she had now and it was her home. Trixie looked at the mirror again. This time, the dead image looking back was less of a shock for her, even feeling familiar by this point. The gray eyes, the pale coat and mane, the thin figure, the overall appearance of a dead body. None of that was new anymore. It wasn’t strange anymore. It was her and she was now accepting it.
“Hurm.”
Even if she was managing, not without an effort, to grow accustomed to her new appearance, it didn’t meant she was liking it. She looked away from the mirror, turning herself towards the small package on the bed. It was a very simple cardboard box, but wrapped in a white paper with a diamond pattern and closed by a very stylized violet bow. Trixie rolled her eyes at seeing the equally, if not more stylized, calligraphy of the card attached to the package. She set the card aside, not really caring to read it right then and already knowing who it belonged to, having been gifted it before heading home that evening from the party.
Instead, Trixie went directly for the package, looking at the rather complex knot of the bow. She smiled at the thought of what she had told Twilight, how most unicorns would be rendered helpless against such minor tasks like this one, powerless at being deprived from their magic birthright. But not Trixie. Trixie may not be a magical powerhouse like Twilight Sparkle, but she was skillful. Skillful enough to open her package without any real problems.
“Hey there sweetie, it’s been a long time,” she greeted to the first item out of the box.
The cloth was a dark shade of purple and completely uniform sans a gold edging. However, instead of being plain purple on both sides, Trixie discovered that the lining was a deep navy blue, adorned by a very recognizable pattern of golden stars and reminiscent of the night sky. After inspecting her new cape for several moments, the message that Rarity was sending with it was clear; plain and discreet in the outside, but full of wonder in the inside.
Before trying it on, Trixie placed it gently on the bed and turned to the box again. Inside she found a hat, of the same purple as the cape’s visible side. She smiled when she realized it wasn’t a magician’s hat as she expected it to be, but instead a traditional and quite distinctive wide brimmed Roani one.
‘Rarity must have found out when she found that article,’ Trixie thought. She was ready to try them out, but when she lifted the hat from inside the box, she discovered there was still more. Below the hat rested a blue vest and four purple socks. Giving her ear a puzzled flick, she tried on the vest first.
“Well, look at that,” she said while inspecting herself on the mirror. The vest, secured at her waist by a purple belt, came over her shoulders and neck high enough that it covered the Alicorn Amulet. Trixie gazed with relief over how the accursed item was now hidden from sight. She then looked at the socks.
‘I wonder if…’ Trixie took one of the front ones, and started to put it on her left hoof. Its border reached exactly where the iv scar was, no more, no less. Trixie was amazed by the fashionista’s attention to detail. Not missing another beat, she started to put on the other socks. She found out, with an almost childish delight, that not only the pieces of cloth were hiding her scary dead cold hooves, but that they were bringing the color back to her pale and thin image. Like the best pony socks she had seen, their bases were durable enough to withstand walking in yet pliable enough that she could still easily make use of her front hooves.
Trixie almost tripped over herself when trotting back to the bed, so busy was she watching her newly clothed hooves. Hasty but carefully, she put the cape over her shoulders, once again noting the amazing level of detail that Rarity put into it in such a short time, since the cloth was the exact length and height to cover her from neck to tail without touching the floor. Its design was more like a poncho, covering her chest where the Amulet was in a way that was redundant if she was also wearing the vest beneath. She turned again towards the mirror--
“No friggin’ way!!!” Trixie quickly covered her mouth with her gloved hooves while looking upstairs, wishing for once she had run out of air. When she couldn’t hear anyone complaining, she slowly looked back at the mirror. The reflection that looked back was resembling more and more a sharply dressed pony and less a freshly deceased corpse. However, that wasn’t what made Trixie accidentally use her stage voice in surprise, no. It was the small but notorious sky blue gem that she somehow missed in her first inspection of the cape and that was now proudly adorning her chest.
It was almost as if nothing ever happened, and Trixie was still Trixie.
Except for her face, of course. She wasn’t entirely sure, but Trixie could have sworn that she was looking more gaunt, and her bone-like pale fur made her head look more like a skull with a gray wig.
“So close,” Trixie muttered, almost hanging her head. But instead, her ears twitched and he looked at the bed again, remembering there was still the hat. Not enough to cover her entire face, but the wide, droopy brim would obscure a great deal. She put it on but when she tried to fit it, something was pressing against the back of her head. Trixie took the hat off and inspected it, discovering a small envelope inside it.
“Abra kadabra,” she deadpanned while rolling her eyes. The envelope had the words ‘Only in Case of Emergency’ written on the front and ‘no need to use between friends’ in the back. Trixie’s curiosity marked a perfect eleven at the cryptic messages as she hastily opened it, drawing a small piece of cloth of the same color as the cape and hat. Trixie wondered at its strange shape for a minute or two, till it all fell into place in her mind.
Trixie walked once again towards the mirror, with a defiance on her eyes this time. She looked at the monster that took her place in the mirror.
“Good bye,” she spat before draping the veil over her muzzle and tying it behind her ears, “and good riddance.”
After that, Trixie finished her brave new attire by placing the hat on its rightful place. She may have been just a cursed, broken pony recovering the pieces while hiding in somepony else’s basement, but when the hat was finally in place, Trixie felt it as she was being crowned Princess of the Universe. She struck a pose in front of the mirror, flaring her cape and showing off the golden constellations inside it.
“Welcome back,” Trixie greeted her prodigal reflection.
Interlude: Care and Maintenance of Your Undead Housemate
Subject: Lulamoon, Trixie Silverlight. Species: Necro Sapiens Sapiens (formerly Equus Sapiens Sapiens); Order: Corniger Height: 1.2192 [m] Weight: Variable (decreasing) Bloodtype: Necroplasm (formerly O negative) Eye color: Gray-purple (formerly violet) Fur color: Gray-sky blue (formerly azure) Mane color: Gray with light gray stripes (formerly silver with light cornflower stripes) Gender: Female Sexual orientation: Undefined (unnecessarily aggressive when being asked politely about it, for some reason) Horn’s length: Unmeasured (attempts to measure have led to physical attacks) Aggressiveness: Highly territorial especially when it comes to unexpected invasions of personal space. Reflexes: Top condition, close to equine peak, in spite of physical degradation otherwise Strength: Above the average (enough to lift an average sized mare with one blow), again in spite of physical degradation otherwise
Side notes: Trixie’s new condition is, according to the archives in Ponyville’s Golden Oak Library, the very first where a clinically deceased corpse has successfully reanimated without losing its sapience, sentience and/or self awareness. Ever.
All previously recorded attempts date back to the Discord Era. The condition is thus already named Necro Sapiens Sapiens, impeding the use of the more logical name Crepusculum Sapiens, or that proposed by the subject, Lulamoonus Sapiens.
In regards to physical condition, Trixie is entirely dependant on the necroplasm in her bloodstream for her energetic needs. Her latest x-ray show that Trixie’s inner organs are all but fully atrophied. One can only guess at how they have not begun to fester and rot since magical scans are being disrupted by the necroplasm’s dark magic.
Requires further experimentation.
The x-rays have also revealed new details on the Alicorn Amulet. Apparently, not only has it encrusted to her rib cage, as previous examinations have shown, but has begun to fuse and merge with the bones, muscle and skin surrounding it, making all but impossible to determine where living organic matter ends and the magical artifact itself begins.
Requires further experimentation.
For some unknown reason -- theorized as magical until proven otherwise -- most sentient species who view Trixie’s exposed body corpse, feel immediate aversion. Experimentation has proven that this is limited to only a visual effect, which can be avoided by covering most of Trixie’s corpse from view.
Requires further experimentation still.
Trixie’s Journal.
Day 1 - Still dead
So, Twilight is forcing Trixie to write down her experiences as an undead abomination against all the laws of nature. Joy. Although Trixie would rather die than have to expose herself like that, she supposes that, since she has already died, she might as well start writing about it. Also, Trixie can see the value of this in helping our investigation, especially since the efforts of Twilight, Spike and Trixie in going through the library have only given us back a name for this condition.
Trixie will put her four hooves in the grave before letting anypony call her “necro sapiens”.
Day 2 - Nope, still nothing
The raven didn’t come back when Trixie expected it. Of course, Trixie was duly upset over becoming so naive, believing that even animals were tormenting her now; a simple, regular, ordinary raven can now raise Trixie’s expectations as if she was a school filly only to drop them from on high to watch them dash upon the ground.
Or at least that’s what Trixie thought until certain bird from the night’s Lunar shore landed on her new hat this morning. Since then, the little bastich has started two fights against Twilight’s owl, chased Spike each time they’re in the same room and at least one time he drank Twilight’s tea. I’ve tried to shoo him away, but each time, this feathered hellspawn shapeshifts into the cutest raven ever, while nuzzling Trixie’s commanding hoof and giving her mind-controlling puppy (nestling?) eyes.
I don’t have the heart to push him away… literally.
Since the feathered pest changes from cute little pet to evil devil of evilness, Trixie decided to call the two-faced fella Duo.
And no, Sparkle, no self respecting bird would respond to being called Harvey.
Day 3 - Well, at least there’s still no signs of rotting
This afternoon was tiring and Trixie’s saying that despite the fact that she can’t even feel tired anymore. Trixie wishes she had a casket for a bed, so she could just lie inside and keep it closed to escape from annoying things or more annoying ponies. Ponies like Pinkie, Lyra and Spike, who spent Trixie’s afternoon with their own ideas on how to advance our investigation. Or what Trixie calls “how to make the dead pony wish for her rest in peace”.
Apparently, the two adult mares read comic books. Lots of them. They met the baby dragon at the store and the three convinced themselves that fictional comic books’ logic applies to real life too. Trixie is deducing that from of seeing them at Twilight’s door, holding an unhealthy amount of issues and saying they wanted to “test some theories”.
Side Note: Twilight will agree to anything if the word “hypothesis” is used.
Preserved here, for the sake of posterity, are what pass for theories about Trixie’s condition, as presented by two ponies and one dragon who have way too much spare time on their hooves:
Trixie does not have the ability to project herself onto the astral plane. Trixie does not have the ability to project herself onto the material plane. Trixie can not summon the spirit of historic figures to advise her. Trixie will not ever try out the “healing factor” idea. Trixie does not even know what are the implications of “transmuting herself”. Trixie can not vanish into the shadows. Trixie does not telekinetically control her clothes, which are not sentient. Trixie can not listen to nor talk to other dead beings. Ick. Trixie is not able to summon elemental Tartarus’ fire, though ponies like those make her wish she could.
Day 4 - Trixie and I miss alcohol
No, really. If I could get anything back from when I was the living Trixie, it would be a functional digestive system and enough bourbon to drown this town. Obviously both things are related. Oh, and a coherent sense of identity, that would be great too, but primarily booze. Especially after today. I think that Trixie’s primal needs for, how lesser ponies would put it, “getting wasted” started with another visit from more pestering ponies.
It was almost night and Twilight and Trixie were checking the last of our first load of books from the old Castle of the Two Sisters. Trixie was getting frustrated. Almost a hundred books read each and literally nothing on the Amulet beyond one single page in one single book from Twilight’s own library. Of course, when Trixie is already down, existence finds it the appropriate time to kick her, too. This time, the kick came in the form of the two ponies that are largely responsible for all this mess happening. The couple of morons whose Trixie would like to set on fire; those two idiots.
Trixie remembers talking about them with Cheerilee at Pinkie’s party. As she put it, they’re not directly malicious, and their hearts are in the right place; their heads just happen to be rather empty. They do feel bad for what happened to Trixie. I suppose Trixie should feel bad too for using them as magical test dummies during her time with the Amulet, but I can’t.
I think that Trixie feels specially aggressive towards these two not because who they are or what they did, but rather what they are; Trixie’s biggest fans and the town’s biggest dummies. I mean, if this is the best Trixie could do back in her prime, what does it say about Trixie’s old life? What does it say about now? About me and Trixie?
Anyways, as I was without the veil and hat when they came in, and they entered without even knocking (sidenote: Twilight’s security sucks), my skull-like face scared them so much they fell over in a faint. I decided that it was enough punishment for now and put on Trixie’s veil and hat so as not to repeat the same effect.
After their recovery, they did a poorly planned and worse executed attempt at apologizing for the Ursa incident. There was also a mention over how they still admired my work and even brought a picture of them trying to emulate Trixie’s act from the school’s talent show.
I couldn’t bring Trixie to outright forgive them, but instead, Trixie asked them if they would like some tips on turning their comedy show into a proper magic act. After a long time of conceptualization and aggressive stupidity, Trixie managed to explain them how to not screw up the coin trick. It’s not that amazing, but they managed to do it right and parted happier and wiser than when they came in, so I’m calling it a win for Trixie.
I still miss bourbon.
Day 5 - Dead like me
Today we received a letter from the Princesses. Apparently they finally managed to check all, or at least most, of the relevant books in Canterlot’s archive. At the least, they found something worth mentioning. My first thoughts were the same as a little filly at Heart’s Warming. Heck, I was almost bouncing at the idea of getting Trixie’s life back.
Well, that was until Twilight and I read the actual letter.
Of course, a collection like Canterlot’s Archives that contains most, if not all, of the country’s knowledge, magical and mundane alike, in the same place can’t be easy to navigate. Even with a small army of librarians tasked on it. Even with filtering the obviously irrelevant titles. Even with the daily assistance of an alicorn who can read an entire book in minutes and has lived through the ages those books record. Even then, five days are still not enough to navigate even a fraction of what’s there.
Anyways, the letter wasn’t entirely pointless. Princess Celestia sent her regards and even asked after Trixie’s well-being. I’m still amazed at her interest in being close to us mortals. Even in her letter, the words felt the same as when she spoke to me; as truthful as sunlight itself. That perceived honesty was confirmed when she even told us what they have already found. It wasn’t like a monarch sending a formal report, but more like a medic assuring her patient.
Now, on what she has found, there’s one very weird truth that neither Twilight nor Trixie know how to react to; there have been other cases like Trixie’s. A small number over a great many years, but there have been others.
The one that really caught my eye was about a ghost ship. If Trixie wasn’t so dedicated to her act, I would have become a sailor. The endless mysteries and romances of the sea were something that used to captivate me a lot.
What really amazed me is that Trixie knew the legend too. A friend of Trixie’s mother, Captain Bootlegger, told her the story. It was about a crew of griffon sea bandits (a.k.a. pirates) who encountered a cursed treasure with golden coins that dammed each one of them to die in life and never know rest again. He used to talk about it as a ship with black sails that's crewed by the damned and captained by a man so evil that Hell itself spat him back out. Good old Captain would tell it with such detail and such emotion one would think he had seen it himself. Now that Celestia has confirmed the magic and the curse behind it are true, I’m wondering how much Bootlegger really did know.
What I really have to remember from the story was how the curse was broken. Perhaps if Trixie’s is similar there is hope after all.
Princess Celestia sighed while closing the thick volume enveloped in her magic. This one was a one of its kind book, whose covers made out of the leather of a now forgotten species and written with ink extracted from plants that not even the Everfree could host. It was literally one of the most obscure tomes in any archive over Equus and contained magic so strange that Celestia only wondered who could have written it.
It held no answers for her.
The celestial ruler was losing her patience for the first time since Discord freed himself. Celestia looked at the clocktower, realizing that she forgot to lower the sun for the second time in a row. She silently thanked Luna’s presence and good disposition for taking on the responsibility. Still, she winced at the situation. It was the sixth night now since she had slept and she was starting to feel tired. Sure, she was able to stay awake for far more time, but the stress of having one of her subjects suffering was getting in her nerves.
Celestia closed another book. This one was a Planetary Guide; part of an annual collection made by an immortal, with recordings of almost every occult and strange happening around the planet in the year of its publication.
It, too, held no answers.
If it wasn’t for her fond respect for the written word, Celestia would have gladly thrown the constantly growing pile of useless books upon a pyre. She looked at the three table-fulls of books that had proven useless and found herself seriously considering which tomes were replaceable and could feed her chimney that night.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea, dear sister.” Celestia quickly turned her head to see Princess Luna entering the room next to her.
“I’m not sure of what do you mean, Luna.” Celestia rolled her eyes, looking up and behind her to avoid her sister’s gaze.
“Sister.” Luna paused for a second. “Tia, I know you well enough to know when you’re too tired. Please, have some rest. You need it.”
Celestia sighed again.
“Luna, you know I don’t rest when my ponies are in danger.” She paused to let a little yawn. “Even if it’s only one. And Miss Lulamoon’s troubles are in the range of things that deserve my undivided attention.”
“And…” Luna gave her a quite playful, but also questioning look.
“And what?” Celestia looked honestly confused this time.
Luna made a clicking noise with her tongue. “For the last time, sister, I’ve known you since Star Swirl didn’t even have his beard.” She softly hit her sister’s shoulder with a wing. “I know when you’re concerned and when you’re scared.” Both alicorns stayed silent while gazing at each other. “Tia, what’s really happening?”
Celestia sighed once again. She was centuries old and she wasn’t getting any younger.
“Luna, I have reasons to think that Trixie is not only in danger for herself, but everything around her could be in danger too.” She walked towards the exit of the Black Room, Canterlot Archive’s occult section. Celestia closed and sealed the gate. “Luna, tell me; you knew that time is simultaneous, correct?”
“I… remember Starswirl trying to explain that to us.” She closed her eyes tightly, trying to recall her mentor’s explanation from over a thousand years ago. “It had something to do with every event being directly tied to the previous one and to the next one, or something like that. It was part of what made time travel spells possible, that you could go backwards and forwards because events were coexistent.”
“Accurate enough.” Celestia half laughed at her sister’s obliviousness to hard science. But that’s how they’ve been since the beginning; Celestia the academic and Luna the artist. “What I’m thinking of is a little more complex and not quite so linear. Look, I’ll give you this example.” She piled fifty-two books like a macro version of a house of cards. “Think of this arrangement of books here as existence; the books themselves are events. Each depends on the other. The entire structure depends on everything stating constant and in place.” She then levitated a fifty-third book. “Now think of this book as Trixie.” Celestia threw the tome at the rest, effectively demolishing the house of books.
“What?” Luna wasn’t completely sure if she understood.
“Trixie is supposed to be dead.” Celestia looked at the floor, as if saying that was admitting a painful truth. “She should have died after being separated from the Amulet. If she had, the world would have moved onwards in the fashion it has whenever any other individual passes to the other side.” She sat down. There were moments when she really cursed herself for taking this kind of responsibility. “But, she did not. Trixie is now neither dead nor alive. She is something that should not exist; something out of place. I’m worried what kind of problems this may cause.”
“I won’t pretend to understand everything you just said,” Luna admitted quite bluntly. “So I’ll just ask the important question: How bad is this?”
“I don’t know.” Celestia said, lowering herself to rest in the floor. “It could mean literally anything. Magic works with rules for everything, even chaos magic has its own limitations. Trixie seems to be something else. That she exists at all implies that she is following rules, but they’re rules that I’m unfamiliar with.”
“So, she could pretty much destroy reality as we know it? Or just exist as a magical curiosity?” Luna tried to condense the information given to her.
“In a sense,” Celestia approved the summary.
“Oh, now I get it,” Luna smiled at her sister. “You’re afraid that, after millennia playing chess, there’s a new kind of piece on the board and you don’t know what to do with it.”
“Ugh,” Celestia finally dropped the regal attitude. “It’s not only that--” she noticed her sister’s accusatory glare. “Okay, I admit it. The idea of some being with the potential to make pretzels out of physical and magical laws in a way that would give Discord envy worries me.”
“You feel this one mare could be worse than Discord? How could she possibly--”
“Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!” Celestia suddenly shouted. “Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave!” With each one, her voice was getting closer to the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Equine sacrifice, dogs and cats living together.” She waved her front hooves. “MASS HYSTERIA!”
Luna glared at her sister from beneath her brow.
“Or she could just be able to make a toast land on the clean side.” Celestia finished her rant in a sudden soft and calm tone. Her lips twitched into a smile. “Sorry, sister. Was trying to inject a little levity into the whole situation.”
“Tia, what’s really going on?” Luna asked in a calm, firm tone, far calmer than she really felt. “The truth this time. You wouldn’t be working yourself up this much for just one pony. She hasn’t done enough to warrant this kind of concern.”
“She’s not the only one involved in this,” Celestia finally admitted. “There is something... older behind the amulet. Something malevolent.”
Luna sat and watched her sister, looking into the violet eyes she had known for so many centuries. She knew what Celestia wasn’t saying. “Is that why you’ve been keeping me at wing’s length over this?”
“Yes,” Celestia whispered back. “I fear that Trixie may act as an avatar for something worse, or a conduit for it into our world. It could be whatever corrupted Sombra all those years ago. It could be the Nightmare Forces.” Her ears twitched at that name. “It could be something else altogether. Or she could act as a magnet and attract the others, giving them a way into our world. Either way, I have to find a way to stop it before things gets worse.”
“Tia, it’s been half a year since I was cleansed by the Elements. I have almost regained all my past strength--”
“And I am stronger still!” Celestia exclaimed as she got to her hooves, towering over her sister as if wanting to protect her from an invisible threat. She stopped when she saw Luna’s look of distress, quickly backing down. “I’m sorry, sister. It’s just that I’ve only just got you back after having lost you for so long...”
“I understand, Tia,” Luna said reassuringly as she rose to face her sister. “I don’t wish to lose myself either. But please try and remember that I did have experience in dark magic long before I was corrupted by it, and I know how to protect myself from it.”
“But it still corrupted you.”
“That was a choice,” Luna said before she looked away from her sister and turned around. A shudder went through her, shaking her wings, at the memories of that choice so long ago. “It was a mistake I would never make again,” she vowed through grit teeth and closed eyes.
A soft feathered wing wrapped itself over her back. “It still worries me.”
“You worry about all of us,” Luna told her. She opened her eyes and looked back at Celestia’s, reading the concern clearly there. “Sometimes I think you worry too much.”
“And I always worry it’s not enough.”
Luna snorted but couldn’t help the smile that came to her lips. The one that came to Celestia’s echoed it. “All I ask, sister, is that you ask my help should you need it. It will always be there should you need it.” She reached up and playfully poked Celestia in the ribs. “In the meantime, please try and get some sleep tonight. Don’t make me use the dormiens spell on you. You’ll do no pony any good if you’ve exhausted yourself.”
Celestia laughed and backed off, folding her wing back down. She spared a glance back to the Black Room. “Of course, sister. If my own efforts and Twilight’s prove fruitless, I shall seek your aid.”
“That is all I ask,” Luna replied, the small smile upon her lips. There were not many ponies in the world able to tell when Princess Celestia lied to them. “I shall see you in the morning then, and I expect you to be well rested.”
“Of course,” she said, her small smile echoing Luna’s. “Good night, sister.”
Twilight snuffled awake, the scents wafting up from the kitchen having finally gotten to her. Stifling a tired groan, she rolled over and pulled the blanket up over her head. Her room was bright enough to tell her she should be getting up now but her head was making all manner of protest against any such actions.
Her stomach gurgled at the aroma, signaling its traitorous turn.
Grumbling again, Twilight burrowed deeper into her sheets. She had been up late the night before, as she had every night for the past week, working with Trixie on going through anything and everything they could get their hooves on that might relate to the Alicorn Amulet. The end result hadn’t been much. Aside from the singular entry in the singular book, they hadn’t come across so much as a mention of it in any other text in the entire library.
It had been when they were on their way to see Zecora, to see if the zebra herbalist had any insights of her own into Trixie’s condition, that Twilight had thought to investigate the library in the Castle of the Two Sisters. She had managed to enlist the help of Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Big Macintosh in hauling back four cartloads of as many books as possible to the Golden Oak from there. They had been able to clear out most of the relevant sections from the old castle with that, but there were still many, many more books left behind. Twilight was glad she had both Pinkie and Applejack helping her, otherwise she may never have gotten out of there given how often she stopped her loading to look through some obscure or thought-long-lost text that she had come across.
Most surprising of all to her was that Trixie had been almost the same way.
Though she had initially scoffed at the idea of Trixie having once enlisted in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, the more she worked with the other mare, the less silly that idea seemed. True, Trixie wasn’t as well versed in upper tier magic as herself, but given when she had departed the school and how long ago that was, it wasn’t too surprising. The fundamentals were there and certainly strong enough. What was probably most helpful in their task was that in areas of obscure and Dark magic, Trixie seemed to have a background and knowledge that well exceeded her own. When pressed on the subject, all Trixie would say was that it was her final master, Hell’s Blazer, that was responsible for all of it.
While the name rang vague bells with Twilight, it wasn’t one from any book she had in her library nor from any journal article she had read. She was positive she had heard it before, but couldn’t place where. It may even have been back when she was in school herself.
The lure of breakfast finally proved too much for the purple unicorn, and Twilight Sparkle rolled out of bed and braced herself to face another day.
“Look, just try a bite, okay?”
“I don’t know, Trixie. I haven’t had the best luck with Twilight’s cooking in the past.”
The voices drifted up the stairs from the kitchen below as Twilight made her way slowly down.
“Is Twilight the Great and Powerful Trixie? No, she is not. Neither is Mulia Mild. Donut Joe, he is not Trixie. But I…”
“Am Trixi -- urp!”
“Exactly.”
“Hey! That’s actually pretty good!”
“Tch, and you doubted the Great and Powerful Trixie’s prowess in the kitchen.”
“Well, I have to admit that it certainly smells good,” said Twilight as she finally entered the room.
“Morning, Twilight!” Spike called from where he stood next to the stove and a nearby stack of pancakes, licking his lips. “I was just helping Trixie with the last of breakfast.”
“It’s good to see you finally awake, Twilight,” said Trixie as she moved over to the fridge, emerging with a pair of bowls balanced in the crook of her foreleg. “Trixie had to borrow your assistant here for some taste testing since she’s a tad deficient in that area of late.”
“Oh, that’s quite alright, Trixie. I’m sure he didn’t mind too much,” she replied, noting the grin Spike was still wearing. There was already steaming cups of tea and place settings for two out on the table where Twilight took her seat.
“I have to admit, Twilight,” said Spike as he hauled himself up into his own seat, “she does seem to make breakfast better than you. The smoke alarm didn’t go off even once.”
Twilight spared him a dirty look. “My breakfasts aren’t that bad.”
“Look, no matter how many times you try and make it a thing, I keep telling you that blackened prench toast will never be a thing.”
“Well, then she can only hope that the Great and Powerful Trixie’s Humble and Simple breakfast will suffice,” Trixie interjected as she placed the pair of plates before her housemates and took her seat across from them.
“It certainly does look impressive,” said Twilight as she took up a fork in her magical aura. Spike was already tucking in with great gusto as she cut off a bite size piece, stabbed it, and floated it up to her muzzle. Her eyes went wide when she tasted it. “Oh, wow! This is good! What’s all in here?”
“Those are a favorite of Trixie’s,” said the other unicorn, proudly sitting up straighter in her chair. She was wearing her usual outfit for indoors, consisting of the vest and socks that Rarity had made for her. The hat and cape were for outdoors and the veil only for truly rare occasions. It was a look Twilight had grown used to seeing on her and it was one she was obviously quite comfortable with as well.
Trixie continued, “Living on the road as much as she did, one can very quickly grow poor eating at restaurants and diners too frequently, to say nothing of how tedious eating grass all the time can be, so Trixie had to learn how to cook for herself. Here you have oat pancakes with whipped cream on top, and then cut fresh fruit with minced fresh mint leaves tossed in maple syrup on top of that. Add in a few whole mint leaves for the end to take care of any dreadful morning breath and one is all set to face the day and the crowds.”
Twilight stopped eating and scowled at Trixie. “Are you trying to tell me something?”
Trixie opened her muzzle having realized her faux pas, trying to think quickly--
“Yes,” Spike said instead, from around a muzzle full of pancakes.
Her shoulders rocked in mirth as she watched Twilight turn her glare to the baby purple dragon. Trixie was sure that his obliviousness to the daggers being shot his way was intentional. “He said it, not Trixie.”
“I do not have bad breath in the morning!” Twilight cried.
“Was there another reason that Celestia would only give you strong mint teas at breakfast then, and actually forbade you being served any other kind?”
Trixie couldn’t help continuing to snicker as she watched the two bicker back and forth. The easy camaraderie that Twilight and her assistant had was something she had noticed soon enough after settling in. It reminded her a great deal of her time in Neigh Orleans, whether it was clever banter with Hell’s Blazer over a late breakfast of greasy eggs and hay bacon, trying to decipher some riddle Bootlegger had devised in his usual a half drunken state, or full verbal sparring with Reverse Mirror. She had never found ponies since those times that she had been able to connect with in such a way; seeing it now just brought to mind an ache and longing she had never acknowledged before. At least that seemed to be changing now.
Maybe.
“Oh, Twilight,” said Trixie, interrupting the bickering of her purple tablemates, “I was meaning to mention, I finally finished Doña Rocinante de la Mancha last night.”
Predictably, Twilight’s face lit up like the new day’s dawn at the chance to discuss books, any previous unpleasantness with Spike forgotten. “Oh, that’s wonderful Trixie! I do so love that novel. Tell me, what did you think of it?”
The novel was something that Twilight had suggested a few days ago, when Trixie had bitterly complained about how none of their work was panning out, and even the new books from the ancient library were proving fruitless. Twilight had recommended she take a break from researching in that case and perhaps indulge in other books; she had a whole library at her disposal now, and no need for sleep to interrupt her day, so why not take the opportunity to catch up on stories she hadn’t had the opportunity for before.
“I remembered why I couldn’t finish it back in school,” Trixie admitted, rubbing a hoof along the back of her neck. “I didn’t care for the character of Doña Rocinante at the time, how she lived her life under the constant delusions of knighthood.” She rolled her eyes dramatically and looked out the window. “I recognize how that sounds for one who devoted her entire life to illusion and show, but you have to realize that my magic was about understanding illusion, and making the unreal real; not about viewing the world as it’s not, through illusion, and then trying to fashion it to my perceptions.” A quick smirk curled her lips. “The world was here first and often wins those kinds of matches.”
Trixie’s gaze dropped and she pawed aimlessly at the table, her thoughts having gone in a direction she hadn’t quite anticipated. “That said, though, I was rather saddened by the end of the book. For all her mistakes and misadventures, Doña Rocinante did set out to make the world a better place. That she would regain her sanity and renounce that which led her to such grand adventure in the first place, essentially giving up on life and almost embracing death was just… I don’t know. Sad. Would she still have died in the end, but died a happier pony instead if she had never lost those delusions? If she had died Doña Rocinante instead of Antonia del Rocín? I don’t know. Part of me thinks so. Better to be thought of as famous and meritorious at the end, even if only in your own mind, then to look back on your life and decide that so much of it was futile and inconsequential.”
“Wow, that’s… that’s certainly not the reading I would have expected, Trixie. I always saw it as a journey to recovery, that the adventures Rocinante goes on and her attempts to impose a more chivalrous view of the world on all she encounters were what led up to her regaining her sanity. You see, because she only regained it the end, when her journey was over and she had done all she could, it shows the reader that she had earned her final rest and would not have to go through anymore trials.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Trixie conceded with a shrug of her shoulders. “It’s a complex book. We can talk about it another time.”
“Don’t think I’ll forget about it,” Twilight told her before tucking into her pile of pancakes again. By this point, Spike had already finished his pile and was dealing with the dishes. Trixie and Twilight made small talk over the rest of the meal.
“I hope you don’t mind, Trixie, but I have a number of errands that I have to take care of this morning. The mayor has been asking that I assist in helping her with a number of forums and reports regarding what happened around town involving, well, us, before she sends the paperwork to Canterlot. Based on past experiences with similar matters, that will take me well into the afternoon. Then Rarity is getting back from a camping trip with her sister and her sister’s friends, and she’s asked Fluttershy and myself to the spa to help clean up and refresh from all that ‘pesky nature’ as she put it. Usually we do dinner after something like that.” Trixie couldn’t help but sigh internally, her ears wilting, as she watched Twilight become more and more uncomfortable. “Now it’s not that you wouldn’t be welcome to join us there, it’s just that given your condition--”
“Such things would be wasted on Trixie. Yes, she sees where this is going, Sparkle.” She waved a dismissive hoof when Twilight opened her mouth to object. “Think nothing of it; Trixie takes no offence. She is quite aware of what she is.”
Twilight groaned and seemed to sink in on herself in a form of self-effacing defeat. “I’m sorry, Trixie. I just don’t want to seem like I’m excluding you and I don’t like the idea of just leaving you in the library.”
“Trixie is quite capable of holding down the fort, Sparkle. Never you fear.”
Finally conceding defeat, Twilight nodded and got up from the table. The smile she was wearing did nothing to convince Trixie she had accepted what she had been told. “Okay then. I’d best get what I need and head out then.”
Trixie nodded back and got up as well, making her way into the library and the window seat she had morbidly come to think of as her resting place. It was towards the back of the library, well shielded from the sun by one of the tree house’s larger branches. She had staked it out the first day that her and Twilight had begun their research into her condition and had become quite attached to it. Taking a fresh book from the pile, she set in for what she expected would prove another fruitless attempt at research.
“Trixie?”
Looking up, Trixie found Twilight standing only a few meters away from her, saddlebags on and ready to head out for the day. “Yes?”
“I was wondering… why did you make breakfast? You’ve never done that before.” Twilight had the most horribly guilty expression, as though she hated herself for having to ask.
“Can’t you accept a pony doing something nice for you once in awhile, Sparkle?”
That almost did it, the guilt almost pushed Twilight over the edge and got her to leave like Trixie wanted but she held fast at the last instant. “It’s not that I can’t accept it, it’s that… You’re under my protection by Princess Celestia’s order and I have to be careful about anything out of the ordinary and--”
Trixie scowled and turned away, looking out the window. She saw the grey pegasus from the party, Ditzy, walking along and a purple-greyish unicorn happily bouncing along beside her. She had to look away, turning to the book before her as she had nowhere else to look.
She could tell Sparkle was still standing there waiting for an answer and looking guilty for wanting it. Suddenly too tired to lie or try and mock her, Trixie gave her the truth.“I wanted something normal, okay? Even if I couldn’t partake myself… I wanted something normal.” She waved a hoof at the books before her. “It’s been almost a week now and we have nothing. Celestia has nothing. I just… I just wanted to try and forget and go back to who Trixie was, even for a little while. Okay?”
Now Twilight really did look guilty. She rubbed one hoof over the fetlock of the other. “I’m sorry, Trixie. I didn’t realize. Look, I can cancel--”
“Just go,” Trixie snapped. “Do your things. Have your fun. Trixie will still be here when you get back.” For some reason, she found it impossible to focus on the words in the book she had been reading.
Twilight had been around Trixie long enough to know when she wasn’t wanted and that staying otherwise would only make the situation worse. With a few muttered apologizes, she slowly backed off, eventually turning and leaving Trixie in peace.
Trixie waited until she heard the front door close, then gave herself the time where she once would have taken several breaths, before she closed her eyes and laid her face down in the book before her. She wanted to take a deep breath and to yell and scream at the top of her lungs. She wanted to rage and cry over the unfairness of her situation. She just wanted the simplest things back, the little bits of normality and everyday life that regular ponies took for granted because they were so normal and every day. Even if it was just for today, just for a little while, she wanted them back so badly. She wanted others to stop walking on eggshells around her as though she was some hideous monster lurking beneath the surface and not plain old Trixie.
She wanted to be able to make a simple meal for friends without being suspected of ulterior motives.
She wanted to eat a simple meal with friends.
All like a normal pony would.
All like she would never could again.
When Trixie finally lifted her head from the book there were no stains on the pages, no smudges. Of course not, why would there be? Trixie had no tears to be blotted up, not any longer. With a resigned mummer, she swiped her hoof to the left and flipped to the next page.
This was how her and Twilight had spent the past week, how she had spent almost every waking hour; on research. They had journeyed out to the Castle of the Two sisters a few days ago after exhausting the (actually surprisingly comprehensive) resources of Twilight’s library home. There, in that old castle, Trixie had found a treasure trove of books and lore that would make Reverse Mirror and Hell’s Blazer green with envy. A thousand years old archive, untouched aside from time and the elements? Her mentors would have been in heaven the moment they set hoof in the place.
What her and Twilight had managed to haul back so far had proven absolutely fascinating, but not terribly helpful. Like what Celestia has turned up in Canterlot, the various grimoires had references to artifacts and spells that could do some similar things to the Alicorn Amulet, but nothing that could do all of it, nor of course to the Amulet itself.
She set her current book aside in the discard pile and started on the next. Maybe this one would be different, but she was strongly suspecting not.
“Hey, Trixie, I’m gonna run out and help Pinkie with a party she’s setting up for Thunderlane for his little brother,” Spike called from down on the main level. “You gonna be alright while I’m gone? Twilight should be home before I am.”
Trixie just grunted and waved a hoof at the little dragon, barely even lifting her gaze from the book she was reading. She scarcely paid attention to his exuberant goodbyes. Being left alone in the main library wasn’t uncommon for her at this point. At first she had thought it sign of Twilight’s trust in her but was coming to suspect that was just that they viewed her as incapable of causing harm on her own so no longer cared what she did.
Still, being left to her own devices was something Trixie was used to. Hers had been a one-mare show for the many years she had spent touring Equestria. This wasn’t so different. Between the nights when it was just her and Owlowiscious --with Duo dropping by when he felt like it and was least expected-- and the days when Twilight was downstairs running some experiment to try and test some property of the magic that had ensnared Trixie, all while Spike was out running errands, she had grown used to being alone up there in the library.
Even the ponies in town seemed to have grown used to her, or at least her presence in the library. There were still some odd looks directed her way, but not as many as before. Her second outing to town had been the day after her party, to visit Rarity and shower her fellow unicorn with thanks for the outfit she now wore. Rarity had accepted it with the good graces that Trixie had swiftly come to expect, though the showmare could tell just how pleased the dressmaker was with herself and how pleased her client obviously was in turn. There hadn’t been many occasions for Trixie to leave the library since, but she always wore the main pieces of her new outfit. Like she had told Rarity; it did make her feel truly more equine.
But as time passed, her world had become ever more narrow, now almost totally consisting of the main level of the Golden Oak with occasional forays to her room in the basement and sometimes Twilight’s lab. For the most part now, though, she didn’t move from her current spot except to get more books. She had come to regard herself almost as one of those stone gargoyles that were seen on old castles and libraries; always present, always watching, almost never moving. The first few visitors to see her there, perched in her niche by the window, had been rather unsettled and almost frightened, but Twilight had managed to reassure them. As more and more ponies came and went, they grew used to the strange new figure in the window that would offer them advice on where to find the books they were seeking when the normal librarian was otherwise occupied.
Trixie stuck a couple bookmarks in the latest text and moved it to the distressingly small “possible leads” pile. These latest weren’t solid leads by any means, but they seemed to touch on topics related to the Amulet and that was as good as they had been getting.
It hadn’t taken terribly long into their research before her and Twilight had decided that they needed to stop focusing solely on the Amulet itself and start looking at magic that was similar to it and its function. If they could divine its underlying principles -- even just the critical ones -- then there was the hope of reversing what had happened to Trixie.
Or at the very least ending her state of limbo between the lands of the living and the dead.
Trixie blinked and shook her head, reaching up with a hoof to rub her eyes. There was a dull ache to them now and an itch that had grown unavoidable. The itch reminded her of all the late nights she had spent in Celestia’s School, and then in Neigh Orleans under the tutelage of Reverse Mirror and Hell’s Blazer trying to understand some piece or other of arcane lore.
Another book to the “useless” pile. She’d have to get more from the main floor soon, she was almost out.
The more she worked on the whole problem, the more her thoughts kept going back to Blazer. Things outside the realm of normal magic, not known by the magic community at large, that was his bag. When they hadn’t been nose deep in his library, they were out dealing with some kind of frightful weirdness that had crossed their path, that he always tried to pass off as a learning experience.
Trixie said it was more like his way of trying to get them both killed.
Same thing, he would tell her.
When they weren’t doing that, and his mood was just right, he would sometimes regale Trixie with stories from when he knew her mother, Hope. The adventures that the two had shared--
It was like Celestia had just stabbed her in the eyes with the noon day sun. Trixie made a sound as close to a scream as she could in her condition as she fell off her seat, thrashing about and using her forelegs to shield herself from the blinding light.
“Trixie?” Twilight called out in alarm from below. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Trixie shrieked in response as she tried to pull the cushion from her seat over her head, scattering still more books around her. A part of her wished she had worn her cape that day so she could pull it up and wrap it around her head instead. “What in the depths of Tartarus is wrong with you, you sick pony witch, trying to blind Trixie like that?”
“Blind? Trixie, what--?”
“Yes, blind!” She had managed to get the cushion over her head and had cut off the worst of it, though spots were still swimming through her vision. “Trixie cannot see after what you did to her! What were you thinking!”
“Trixie, it was dark, all I did was turn on the lights.”
“Lights, pah! It was a perfectly bright day in here without any need for the lights.” She was able to see from the edges of her protective wrap that Twilight had dispelled whatever devilry she had cast upon returning home and the light in the tree house had gone back to normal.
“Trixie, it’s well after sunset. When I came home, you were just sitting there in the dark. All I did was turn on the lights.”
Tentatively, Trixie poked her head up from under the cushions. The library looked normal, just as it always did during the day. Lifting her head higher, she looked out the window and froze at what she saw. The windows in the houses, the streetlamps; all held that telltale warm glow of fire and light at night, yet she could the rest of the town as clearly as though it were Celestia’s sun shining down on it and not Luna’s moon.
“Trixie, can you look at me?” Trixie turned back to find Twilight at the top of the stairs and slowly approaching her. The magical glow at the tip of the other unicorn’s horn caused her to squint and hold a hoof up to shield her eyes.
“Gah, can you turn that down? Trixie cannot see past the glare.”
“I’m sorry,” Twilight muttered as she adjusted her magic. “This is as low as I can make it and still see myself.” She bobbed her head down and side to side. “Trixie, I need see your eyes. Please.”
Not able to easily look at her directly, Trixie nodded. As painful as the overly intense light of Twilight’s magic may be, even she realized there was indeed something seriously wrong.
“Okay, now just let me have a look,” Twilight whispered as she cupped Trixie’s head in her hooves, drawing her in while holding her steady at the same time. “I promise to try and be quick.”
Trixie twitched a nod, a soft whimper escaping her throat as she struggled not to squeeze her eyes shut. As Twilight turned her head this way and that, a sudden coldness washed over Trixie at realization that despite what Twilight was doing she could barely feel her hooves on her. She should be able to feel them on her face yet she was getting was only the faintest impression of where they held her. The serious look that had overcome Twilight’s own face during her examination didn’t help matters either.
Eventually she released Trixie, allowing the other mare to duck her head out of the way and try and shake off the effects of the light while squeezing her eyes shut. “I know what happened,” Twilight muttered softly.
“What?” Trixie grunted, pressing her hoof between her clenched eyes in an effort to rid them of their spots.
“Your eyes have changed,” Twilight continued in the same measured tone. It was the same tone that the doctors, that Celesita, had taken when they were giving Trixie some bit of bad news. “The pupils are now fully dilated and fixed. They don’t show the normal reaction to changes in light like they did before. Additionally, I think they may be more clouded than they had been but I’m not sure yet. The sclera have changed, too; they’re now completely black.”
Trixie blinked and tried to look back; failed. “So what does that mean?”
Twilight pursed her lips, and admitted softly, “I don’t know.” She got up and began heading to the stairs. “I have some goggles in my lab that should help for now. We’ll work on a dilation spell for them tomorrow so you can use them normally under variable lighting conditions. I’m going to have to write Princess Celestia about this and have Spike send it as soon as he’s back. It’s the first major change in your condition since you woke up. I don’t know what this means for you, but maybe the Princess will.” She paused and looked up at Trixie, illuminated in the middle of the bright library by a pool of magenta magic. “Don’t be afraid, Trixie. I’m here with you and we’ll get through this together.” She then disappeared into door to the basement lab.
Trixie sat on the floor before the window seat, amidst the piles of scattered books, and blinked out at the unlit but perfectly visible night library. “Trixie isn’t afraid, Sparkle,” she whispered back. “She’s terrified.”
It’s not really her bed, or at least it doesn’t feel it like it. It’s Twilight’s spare bed, in Twilight’s basement, under Twilight’s house. Trixie mentally cringes at the thought of how little she owns right now. She remembers a foreign bat pony saying that poor ponies have ‘no soil to fall dead over’. Trixie smiles at the irony present.
Her attempt is met with failure. Trixie’s face doesn’t move.
Trixie tries to open her eyes to see what’s happening, but her eyelid refuse to follow along. Trixie tries again, this time also trying also to get up from her resting pose, but the stillness of the basement remains undisturbed. Not a single hair on her hide shifts. Trixie’s pale and thin body doesn’t move anymore.
Trixie tries to call for help, but of course her lungs are empty and her vocal cords are unresponsive. Her only resource left is to pay attention and hear around her, hoping for Twilight or Spike to come down and find her. That’s the moment when Trixie realizes that the world around her has become completely silent. Or more likely, her ears aren’t working either.
Now Trixie is truly scared. Even if she has lost most of her senses of touch, taste, and smell, she had always been able to hear and until recently see the world. She was still able to move, she was still a part of the world. Yet now here she is; already six hooves under a tree, locked in a blackness that seems worse than death. If Trixie could, she would laugh at how, at least, her tribe’s tradition was honored in a way. Sure, it wasn’t a blackberry bush, but Trixie being Trixie, a full oak tree was fitting.
The small moment of comedy doesn’t last as Trixie realizes she’s now trapped inside a dead body, doomed to stay motionless and alone for eternity, never dying, never being truly at peace. Trixie’s mind gets darker by the second, as the past mistakes that drove her to this sorrowful state now haunt her. Trixie can’t even open her mouth, yet she must scream.
Trixie rose up in the darkness. It took her a moment to remember it, but she was back in that hospital room she promised to never visit again.
Even with her reduced sensitivity, the scare of the nightmare made her scream… without making any real sound. There was no air inside her lungs to make her cords vibrate. Nicely done, Lulamoon, she thought. Not even a second awake and you’ve already reminded yourself you’re not a pony anymore. Trixie sat on the bed, tightly hugging her hindlegs with the front ones.
She was scared. Alone, in the darkness of her own blindness, Trixie could only feel fear.
“I can see you’re awake,” a motherly voice murmur from her right. Trixie turned her head out of instinct towards the sound. “Calm, I’m here to help you, like I promised I would.” Like the doctors, Celestia's voice projected reassurance and comfort. Unlike the doctors, Trixie actually believed it.
“Yo-your majesty.” Trixie quickly let her hind legs go and sat up straight for her visitor. “Trixie regrets you had to see her in a state like this.” She pointed her both front hooves at her face and chest. She wasn’t wearing Rarity’s outfit anymore. There was no point in showing colors she couldn’t see, in hiding what she had become. That’s why she also had insisted her blackened eyes be covered by bandages.
“You don’t need to apologize, my little pony.” Trixie could hear Celestia’s hooves getting closer to her bed. “It is I who failed to help you in time and now you paid the price for it.” Trixie felt how the motherly tone began to turn remorseful. “I’m sorry.”
“What, no!” Trixie couldn’t help herself from interrupting. “It is I, Trixie, who is to fault over all of this.” Even if she couldn’t see, Trixie’s hoof placed itself over the Amulet encrusted in her chest with a fearful precision. “Trixie brought this to herself, now I’m paying her sin--” Again, she forgot to take enough air and her lungs were empty. Trixie forced the air back, but when she was about to release it to speak, an unusually big hoof placed itself softly over her snout.
“My young mare, the time and place for placing blames is not now.” Trixie noted how the tone was getting assuring again. “If we dwell only on the past it prevents us from recognizing the present or dealing with the future. At this moment we have to deal with the matter at hoof. We need to find a way to bring back your sight.” The hoof over Trixie’s snout moved slowly towards the bandage covering her eyes. Instinctively, Trixie’s own hooves stopped the bigger one about to take the bandage off.
“Your Majesty, please, the light.” Trixie tried not to sound like she was pleading, struggling to find the right words. “It hurts,” she ended up whispering.
“Everything is fine, Trixie. I promise it won’t hurt.” At the mention of her own name, the first time Celestia ever used it with her, Trixie lowered her hooves, letting the Princess finally remove the bandage. Still, the memory of the pain that light brought her the last time she saw it made Trixie keep her eyes shut.
“You can open your eyes now.”
The intonation, the volume, even the wording; Trixie never felt this safe and protected with anypony, not even her mentors. Although Battle Axe was like a mother with Trixie, she was already an adult when they met and Axe always respected Trixie’s space. But now, hearing Celestia’s voice assuring and guiding her, in the darkness, was the closest thing to a mother’s voice Trixie has ever heard.
Trixie opened her eyes.
Twilight and her friends were, once again, sitting in the hospital waiting room with their hearts in their hooves. Though, this time, there was something different. This time it wasn’t just a former rival turned dictator who was in there under unknown circumstances. This time, there was friend in there, and they knew what she was going through.
Blindness.
Inevitably, they placed themselves in Trixie’s place. Twilight though about how she could never read a book the same way again. Applejack was holding her hat tight, trying to not think of never seeing Apple Bloom grow. Fluttershy’s eyes were looking everywhere to distract her from the fear of being in darkness forever. But the most affected over it were Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity. They all not only worked on daily basis with their sight, but they lived through it. The idea of not being able to see the colors of a party, or in which direction to fly, or how a design looked was eating them.
They stayed silent for a while. They trusted Princess Celestia, who appeared almost immediately after Twilight’s letter was sent. But still, the wait proved to be too much for them to bear. Realizing she was repeating her same mistake from the last time, Pinkie rose up from her seat, internally reassuring herself before speaking.
“Come on, girls, relax.” All of them snapped out of their personal nightmares to look at Pinkie. “I know it’s not looking like it, but I’m positively positive that Trixie is going to be fine.” Pinkie waited just a moment, knowing well the importance of timing when speaking to more than one pony. “Look, girls, the Princess is with her now. I believe she will able to help Trixie.”
“Pinkie--” Applejack tried to cut in.
“And even if not,” Pinke ignored the attempted interruption. “Trixie will need our support. How can we support her when she comes out of that room and all she seeeee… hears us all silent and looking at the floor?” She gave them time to let the thought sink in.
“Yeah, being optimistic is the best we can do for a friend is in n--” but Pinkie got interrupted by a loud shout coming from Trixie’s room.
They all rushed inside.
Trixie opened her eyes.
“Can you see?” Princess Celestia asked her.
All the lights were off and any other light source like the edges of the door and windows were being magically reduced by Celestia’s magic. The room was near pitch black, and yet Trixie had no trouble seeing everything in it.
“I… can?” Trixie wasn’t sure if it was real or not. She was seeing the alabaster alicorn towering in front of her in almost perfect detail. “Why doesn’t it hurt?” Trixie asked.
“It’s because there’s no light in here to hurt you, Trixie,” the Princess answered.
“Oh.” Trixie began to understand. “So, is this how it’s going to be now?” she asked again, but to nopony in particular. “This is the ultimate consequence of tampering with dark magic, isn’t it?” Trixie got up from her bed and looked around her, meeting Celestia’s own eyes.
“Trixie…”
“First I die, but I can’t rest.” Trixie suddenly spun around. “Then I get to stay with the living but they fear me.” She trotted at the bathroom. “And now...” Trixie didn’t even bothered with the lights. She just looked at the reflection, at the monster in it, directly in its black, lifeless eyes.
“AAaahhh!”
She smashed her left hoof against the glass, breaking it. Trixie saw how two drops of the black and green fluid inside her hit the sink. She inspected her hoof, but there were no cuts. Trembling, she touched her own face under her eyes. In the pieces of the mirror, Trixie could see the necroplasm coming from her black eyes and sliding down over her pale, thinned to the bone face. She looked away, slowly sitting down at the bathroom’s floor with her back against the wall.
“Make it stop.” Trixie pleaded. “Please, make it stop. I don’t… I don’t want to die like this.”
Princess Celestia trotted to the bathroom and calmly sat down next to Trixie. Trixie felt the softness of white feathers wrap over her withers. She turned and wrapped her forelegs around the princess, pressing her face into the soft fur of Celestia’s chest much as a foal would to its mother. There were so many times during Trixie’s own life she had wished for her mother to be there so she could do this. She felt the Princess’ forelegs wrap around her in turn and hug her close. It was like a dam inside Trixie broke and a sob shook her body.
“I don’t want to die like this,” she whimpered again. “I don’t want to die, trapped in the dark… all alone.”
“Trixie.” Once again, Celestia’s maternal voice helped to calm Trixie’s inner turmoil. “You’re not alone in this. You haven’t been alone for a long time now. Just look.”
Hesitantly, Trixie lifted her head and looked up, squinting at the light coming in from the now open door to her room. Framed there were six of the ponies that had been at Trixie’s side for the last week. At their head was the purple unicorn she had grown closest to.
“Are you okay, Trixie?” Twilight asked. “We heard shouting outside.”
Even though it hurt to look at them with the bright lights of the hallway behind them, Trixie forced herself to. She could see the concern on all their faces, most clearly on Twilight’s.
“Trixie is…” She wanted to say fine. She wished more than anything she was fine. But she wasn’t and she wasn’t going to hide that. “I’m not okay. This is getting worse and it’s scaring me, and I can’t run away from it. I don’t know how to face this on my own.”
“You’re not on your own,” said Twilight as her and the other five stepped forward.
“Yes, I realize that now,” Trixie responded, a small smile on her muzzle as she looked up at the ponies she had come to think of as friends.
“As to facing your problem,” Celestia softly intoned above her, “it is your choice on how you deal with it. Though if I may offer my experience, dwelling on the mistakes of the past will only bring hurt and regret. Look to the future and decide where you want it to lead.” She nodded towards the other ponies filling the small room. “If you become scared or unsure, or just need a hoof to help yourself along, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Helping is what friends do. Never think you have to go through all this alone.”
Trixie nodded against the Princess. A sliver of hope was still hope after all.
After that night, when Trixie finally realized she was not going to be left alone in the dark, things changed.
Celestia had no breakthroughs on her end of research we’d learned. Almost a solid week of work on all our parts, and we were no closer to a solution or even knowing the slightest bit more about the Alicorn Amulet itself.
At least the latest incident motivated Celestia to allow Luna to help more directly with the investigation. Although the Princess of the Night wasn’t as versed in the dark arts as Trixie would expect, she has helped in other areas. What Trixie thought had been a dream Luna declared a hallucination. She said she would have been able to feel Trixie in the realm of dreams, that her imprint would have been left there even after she had awoken, all the more so after such a frightful awakening as my report to her described. Since there was no imprint, there was no dream.
Luna explained that a pony mind requires sleep to maintain itself and since Trixie has been incapable of sleep for over a week now… what she saw was her mind’s way of trying to rebalance itself. It was suggested that Trixie try meditation, that such activity could rest the mind and put it in a state close enough to true sleep so as to mitigate future hallucinations or at least minimize them. Either way, this is one more thing Trixie has to contend with regarding her failing body.
Fluttershy has been a true friend to in this regards, educating Trixie in proper technique, though the breathing exercises are rather lost on her. She’s come to the library every late afternoon to assist as she knows Trixie won’t go near her cottage again.
One other boon that Princess Luna’s involvement has provided is to reduce the time of the investigation. After four days of two alicorns magically scanning various books per minute, they finally came to the conclusion the Alicorn Amulet is not an artifact listed in the archive. Even the author of the book on it that Twilight’s friends had found doesn't appear to have written anything else. Where the Amulet came from continues to be a mystery.
However, Princess Luna did come up with a solution for Trixie’s blindness. Although Twilight’s idea of goggles enchanted with a dilation spell did work to a degree, it was found that any intense light hurt Trixie, most notably during the day. At night and under limited lighting conditions she was better. After hearing about it, Luna sent to Ponyville another set of goggles. The Princess correctly guessed that limiting the spectrum of incoming light in addition to its intensity would help. While the goggles did rob Trixie of most of her ability to see colours and still had to be worn at virtually all times, they did allow her to function as a normal pony again. Trixie was quite grateful for that.
But sight wasn’t the only thing Trixie got back.
Having confronted her worst fear of being forgotten by others, and having listened to the Princesses’ words, gave her a new perspective of things. She still felt that hers was a lost cause, especially after the news of the Amulet’s origins being too obscure to find any information on. On the other hoof, it is because of this that Trixie decided to stop trying to undo her condition and started working with it. Twilight, her friends, and the friends Trixie made at Pinkie’s party all helped along the way.
The first step was to get outside of Twilight’s library. It took a lot of Twilight’s convincing, her face being covered by her veil, and Rainbow Dash offering her personal brand of assistance by tackling her outside -which failed the first attempt as Trixie dodged and slammed Rainbow against the floor out of instinct-, but she eventually made it. After that, it was time to start socializing with the town’s ponies. Cheerilee and Pinkie gave her a proper tour around the town, Pinkie helping with the talking and Cheerilee helping with Pinkie.
The next day involved something Trixie actually dreaded the most; getting a job. This time, Rarity and Carrot Top assisted as they both were at speaking terms with Mayor Mare, or Ivory as Carrot called her. Again, it wasn’t an easy task, and even if the Mayor assured Trixie her legal background was not a problem, employment in Ponyville was limited this season. Just when Trixie was about to get out of there, Applejack trotted inside, conveniently asking for an assistant at the Apple Stand.
Trixie, being a trained showpony and having met at least two of Equestria’s most shameless con-stallions, recognized the masquerade on the spot. She decided to buy into it anyways as an act of good faith towards Applejack. That didn’t prevent Trixie from having some fun ‘finding out’ about it later at the stand, of course. It was a prank that Pinkie and Rainbow helped pull off quite effectively.
The third day was more relaxed, as Trixie gained enough confidence to go out alone, but armed with a deck of tarot cards under her cape. She decided to test if she still had it in her or if she was beating a dead horse. She started it simple. Just sitting down and using the market stall as a table, offering to Applejack’s clients a free reading with their apples. To keep things active when she was between clients, Trixie reprised a song she learned in Neigh Orleans about voodoo. After lunchtime, there was already a line of ponies who wanted to see the pony with a hoof ‘on the other side’ and were buying apples just as a formality.
By the end of the week, Trixie was doing small shows again, dusting off her older and simpler tricks from when she was still a lost orphan wandering around Equestria.
Side Note: Must visit Mister and Miss Free’s tombs, it’s about that time of the year.
Trixie finished updating the journal and closed it. She turned around from her new own desk. It took a private show, climaxing with her escaping from a safe while wearing hoofcuffs at that Tiara filly’s birthday, but she finally got enough money to buy some proper furniture for herself. Trixie placed the journal under the bed’s pillow and decided that, since it was Saturday, she had earned a good afternoon of doing nothing but read a calming book.
“Trixie!”
Despite two closed doors between herself and the pony upstairs, Trixie could hear herself being called as clearly as though the other mare were in the same room with her.
“Should have seen that one coming,” Trixie thought, getting up and opening the basement’s door to greet Pinkie Pie.
“Yes, what’s the--”
“TrixieyouhavetocomewithustodeliverthisawesomepackagetoRainbowDashsoshedoesntforgetaboutusnorourfacesandnamesandsinceyoureourfriendnowyouhavetocome.” Pinkie only stopped to catch her breath, but Trixie took the opening to raise her hoof in front her.
“Hold on.” Trixie rubbed her temples. “So, you want to visit Rainbow Dash at the Academy and came here to invite Trixie?” She ventured after taking a moment of contemplation and meditation to understand what was said to her.
“Well, duh, I just said that!” Pinkie said abruptly. “Come on, it will be fun.” Her attitude had a hint of urgency that Trixie had yet to meet. She considered it and realized that with Snowflake, Cloudchaser and Raindrops in the academy too, it would be a good move for Trixie to visit them as well.
“Alright, Pinkie, Trixie shall tag along.”
She turned around to take the cape, hat and veil, but a pink hoof placed itself on her shoulder before she could take the last item. Trixie looked back, encountering Pinkie’s uncharacteristically silent expression. Pinkie was a very expressive pony and just by her face Trixie could tell what she was trying to say.
“Alright then, Trixie will not use the veil today.” She placed it down. “But if I heard one single pony scream ‘the horror’ at Trixie again, she’s buying an iron mask.”
Pinkie Pie only smiled and squeed in delight before letting Trixie’s shoulder go. Once Trixie was ready, both mares went outside. Upon reaching the library’s door, Trixie stopped for a moment. It was her personal ritual, each time before stepping outside, under the light, she would follow the same steps; the first thing was to check her hooves, one by one till being completely sure each boot and each glove wasn’t lousy. Then, her vest needed to cover the amulet in her chest and the diamond on her cape had to be exactly over the Amulet, to remind herself who was wearing who. Finally, Trixie would touch her light goggles, checking if it was firm and no chances of accidentally falling off. After all of that, and only if everything was in its place, Trixie would put her hat on and open the door, ready to face world once again. She was happy to see Rarity was outside waiting for them.
That lasted only as long as it took her to realize where they were all headed.
“Nope.”
Trixie turned tail away from the sight of Twilight’s balloon and tried to head back at the library, failing only because certain mass of pink was blocking her way back to safety.
“Trixie?” Pinkie innocently cocked her head. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing worth mentioning, but Trixie prefers to stay behind.” Trixie’s mind raced through reasons to not set a hoof inside that thing until she came up with something. “After all, Ponyville is still accepting Trixie’s presence, it wouldn’t be prudent to test her amazingly bad luck on other towns so soon.” Trixie wasn’t sweating only because she had no inner fluids, otherwise, she was sure she would.
“That’s not all of it, now isn’t it, darling?” A white hoof placed itself over Trixie’s shoulder. She quickly put hers over it, out of reflex. “Tell us, Trixie,” Rarity said in calm but steady voice.
Trixie turned her head to see the rest of the girls readying the balloon and not paying attention to them. Deciding this was her best shot to keep things from becoming another ‘friendship report’ with her as the subject, Trixie stepped aside to put both Pinkie and Rarity in front of her.
“If I must expose myself, once again, I ask that you respect what I say and keep it confidential.” Trixie lifted the brim of her hat to look at them with a glare that could freeze a fire, even through her light goggles. “Trixie’s story is hers for share but not yours to do the same.” She pointed at them with her left hoof. “Do not spread around what I’m offering.”
“Oh, a secret origin.” Pinkie grabbed some popcorn from… somewhere and sat down. “Cool,” she said through a mouth full of popcorn. Rarity was more austere and limited herself to nod at Trixie. Seeing as her request met no resistance, Trixie mentally reviewed the long and complex tale she was about to give her friends to explain her aversion towards the hot air balloon. In keeping with her new philosophy, she decided to try and keep it as simple and unembellished as possible.
“Truth is,” she started, not very sure of herself, “as a daughter of the road, as a Roani, Trixie’s hooves are too attached to the ground under them.” There was a sepulchral silence. “And she’s not a pony who likes to separate such a strong relationship.” She added a flourish from her hoof before turning around and looking down, innerly praying to anyone listening for Pinkie and Rarity to not press the matter any further.
“Wait.” To Trixie’s surprise, it was Rarity who spoke first. “You mean you’re afraid of heights?” Trixie pulled down the brim of her hat while hiding inside her cape, trying to cover her shame. It was one of her most personal secrets, and the only other pony who knew about it has disappeared from the face of Equus.
“Aww.” A pair of pink hooves surrounded Trixie. This time, she was too distracted to even react. “Don’t be sad, Trixie.” Pinkie started to press the hug, inadvertently lifting Trixie completely off the ground. “We’ll be by your side all the time…” Trixie wasn’t hearing her, she was too busy trying to keep herself together. Although it wasn’t that much of a height, or at least not enough to really scare her, being lifted involuntarily while dwelling on the reason she was afraid of heights triggered some bad feeling for Trixie. She tried to tell Pinkie to put her down, but her lungs were empty again and she couldn’t concentrate enough to force the air back inside. Trixie started to kick the air frantically till she felt a hoof taking hers.
“Calm down, Trixie, we won’t let anything happen to you.” Trixie dared to open her eyes, seeing through her goggles the calmingly serene expression in Rarity’s… and the obliviously oblivious one in Pinkie’s closed eyes. Not without a good amount of effort, Trixie eased her mind and did that move Bootlegger perfected to escape a specially angry sea serpent. Free from Pinkie’s constrictor hug, Trixie turned around and willingly opened her own hooves.
“Thank you for understanding.” The three friends shared the hug. “Trixie will try, but you will have to stay at her side.” Pinkie and Rarity did the steps of the Pinkie Promise and the three of them trotted closer to the balloon that was almost ready to take them to the skies. Trixie made it right up to where the basket was moored to the ground, the massive white envelope casting a shadow on the ground around it, before feelings of trepidation threatened to overwhelm her again.
“I… really don’t know about this, girls,” Trixie said, cringing. “Unicorns weren’t meant to fly, you know. Good solid ground beneath our hooves and all.”
“Trixie, there’s nothing to worry about it,” said Twilight. She tossed in a coil of rope and trotted over. “I’ve done this dozens of times. Trust me, you’ll love it when you get up there.” Trixie was still wincing, her ears back amongst her thin, grey mane. “I promise, nothing bad will happen to you up there.”
“Promise?”
“I’ll Pinkie Promise if I have to, Trixie,” Twilight told her with a cheery laugh.
The laugh was infectious and Trixie could feel herself smiling in return. “That won’t be necessary, Twilight. I trust you.”
With the help of the other four ponies, and some unceremonious lifting with Twilight’s magic, Trixie eventually managed to settle herself into the center of the basket amongst their supplies. The others were quick to pile in and join her. No matter that Trixie knew her heart no longer beat and her lungs only did by conscious effort, she still felt her chest was tight in anticipation and her blood was racing. Phantom pains, like ponies who lost limbs, she fleetingly thought.
“Here we go, girls!” Twilight cried as she threw off the last of their mooring lines. Trixie splayed her legs out, bracing herself as the bottom of the basket leapt up into the skies, as the others around her cried out in joy. She wished she could share in their cheer instead of standing there shivering in terror.
Yet after that initial jolt, things settled down remarkably quickly. Twilight adjusted the magical ballast on the balloon and soon they were at a stable altitude. She explained to the rest of them that it was the height with the best wind current to take them to the plateau where the Wonderbolt Academy was and she’d bring them up to the height of the Academy itself when they were ready to land.
After that, the thing Trixie noticed most was the silence. There was no other noise besides the wind blowing around them. All the other ponies had gone to the edge of the basket, leaning over and looking out over the landscape far below. Even Pinkie was quiet for once, a remarkable feat in Trixie’s estimation.
Trixie steadied herself and made her own way to the edge, nudging Twilight a little to get past.
Trixie could only nod, not wanting to break the breathtaking silence. She had never seen Equestria like this before. The closest she had ever come was looking out from the main town while at School and seeing Canterlot spread out below her. That had been awe inspiring, and she could only imagine what Celestia saw off her balcony high in the palace each day when she raised the sun.
This though… Trixie had no reference to this. To see so much of Equestria laid before when she looked out; to see houses and ponies so tiny below her; to think, this was the average viewpoint of a typical pegasus, but it left her without words. The silence of the world around her allowed her to just relax and soak up the whole experience. The only movement came from the gentle swaying of the basket in the wind and the odd bounce as one of her fellow passengers shuffled around. Yes, she was further off the ground than she had ever expected to be, yet standing there with her friends around her, she felt safe.
So preoccupied had she become with the whole experience -- the goggles allowed her to look almost directly at Celestia’s sun if she wanted to do so -- that she didn’t notice Twilight had laid a forehoof over her withers until Twilight gave her a nudge with it. “So, what do you think? Worth it?”
Trixie couldn’t help the smile that was still on her muzzle as she turned to look at her purple friend. The excitement of the whole thing shone in Twilight’s eyes and Trixie could feel some of that enjoyment in herself.
“Yes. Yes, it is,” she finally answered. “Thank you girls, for dragging me out of that basement. This is… this is something I would have never had to courage to do on my own. And I would have been the poorer pony for it.”
Twilight gave her a nod and a friendly pat at that before pulling herself away and checking on her other friends. She left Trixie to her own devices, and Trixie in turn resumed her gazing out over the landscape below. Oddly enough, she didn’t feel the terror that had gripped her before. The basket was stable beneath her hooves, only a gentle swaying at most. She was surrounded by friends and knew they weren’t going to let her come to harm.
The balloon was just under the cloud cover now. She could see the roads and rivers that cross Equestria below them as they floated by, she could trace their winding paths for miles before they faded into the horizon. Sometimes she saw ponies on the roads there and waved to them. Sometimes they saw her and waved back.
Lunch was had by Twilight and her friends, Trixie taking part in their light conversation and not feeling at all left out for not being able to take part of the meal itself. She soon resumed her post at the side of the basket, her forehooves dangling idly in the wind as she watched the forests slide along below.
It seemed almost too soon to her that Twilight called that they were close to their destination and she was going to bring them up through the clouds. A adjustment to the magical ballast and the floor of the basket lurched up under Trixie's hooves once more and a wave of cold dread to pass through her, but it was over quickly. The clouds that they went through were the strangest thing she had ever felt and she wished she could reach out and touch them herself. Perhaps she could ask Twilight for a cloudwalking spell when they reached their destination and give it a try if she felt brave enough. It certainly couldn’t be more intimidating than what she’d already done so far.
Then they were above the clouds and back in the sunlight. Trixie spared a quick glance over her shoulder where Pinkie was practically bouncing herself out of the basket in excitement over being able to get back with Dashie and find out all that had been going on all the time she had been away training. Even the pink mare’s prattling wasn’t enough to wipe the smile off Trixie’s muzzle as she turned to look back.
That’s when she saw something that made it drop slightly as she cocked her head to the side.
The funeral was called for morning, with the first rays of sunlight. Twilight wanted it to be in Ponyville, where they first met. Nopony refused it.
The coffin was closed, its contents not fit for public display. The funerary service offered the option of rolling it, but they all refused.
To be honest, Applejack could have lifted the coffin by her lonesome. Still, Rainbow asked if she could take the back corner, where it was heavier. The other reached a quick agreement as to their own placement.
“On three.”
They lifted it together.
“One… Two…”
Like friends.
“Three.”
The service was intended to be small. Trixie had no blood family, and she had told Twilight that the ponies who she would have called family were unreachable, vanished without trace some time ago.
Trixie did have friends, however, by the end. The services were arranged at the town hall, where Rarity and Pinkie made personally sure to have it looking worthy of Trixie’s last show. It took some convincing, and a couple of favors, but not too many. Even in her short time in Ponyville, Trixie made enough friends to convince the Mayor to permit the ceremony.
Nopony expected it to be as well attended as it was.
Princess Celestia herself wrote Trixie’s obituary and had it published in the the newspaper the day after her passing. Those whose lives Trixie’s time roaming the roads of Equestria had touched were drawn by that notice, and they had filled the place inside and out. Rarity, waiting with the rest of her close friends, was quite surprised at the number of ponies who had come to pay respects to the showmare. Mourners came from as far as Fillydelphia for Trixie. Even Pinkie’s family was there.
There were so many.
Some were there to honor Trixie. Others were there to support Twilight and her friends. And, sad to say, some were there just to look and spectate.
When the six of them had crossed the doors to the main hall, Fluttershy had to close her eyes. The flashbulbs filled the place with light. It wasn’t an unusual view to see the Elements of Harmony together under the same roof as the Princesses. What was unusual, though, was all of them in a funeral; their first one. Just one look around reminded Celestia why she hated funerals. Saying goodbye is never easy, but having to do so in front of a public made it even worse. Centuries of the exact same scene and it hasn’t become any easier.
Once the coffin was placed on its rightful place, the six friends took their seats, all looking down but two of them. Twilight was unable to take her gaze away from the coffin, tears freely falling down her face. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was trying to fight her own desire to see who was in attendance with them.
She failed and began to scan the place.
First, there were ponies that Trixie met in Ponyville, all of them occupying the first two rows. Pinkie saw how Cloudchaser was mourning with her face buried in her hooves and her sister, Flitter, holding on tight. Next to them, Raindrops had her eyes shut tight and teeth gritted while Snowflake saluted Trixie’s coffin, not moving a single muscle. The three of them were witness to what happened and they would have nightmares of it for the rest of their lives.
Although they didn’t all resign as Rainbow Dash did, the entire class from the academy was present. There had been a small argument an hour ago, when Spitfire and the rest of the Wonderbolts had arrived. Raindrops confronted them, tried to call them out, but Rainbow stepped in and prevented it from escalating. This was neither the time nor place for that.
Of all the ponies present, Trixie’s death had probably affected Rainbow Dash the most. Being so close to a death, and in such a direct way as she had been, affected her in a way she never saw coming. She was more somber than before. Some might even say more mature.
To everyone’s surprise, Maud took the podium first. It took only a couple of minutes to make clear she knew Trixie well. Her speech had her heart poured into it and it was the kind ponies would read in book for generations. Everypony present listened silently as Maud said her last goodbye to a pony she held as more than a friend.
It stung Pinkie right in the chest seeing her family come the night before, to have realized only then which rock farm Trixie had worked. Pinkie’s mane has been flat the whole time. If she had just visited her family, or just send a letter... Maybe she could have been more welcoming that first time Trixie came to town. Pinkie couldn’t help but feel responsible. She couldn’t even sleep, because each moment she closed her eyes, even if it was just for a blink, she would see Trixie’s ghost haunting her.
The other Pies were affected too. Trixie wasn’t just a temporary worker at their farm. Her departure was a surprise to them, and when Igneous read in the morning’s paper of Trixie’s death, they all set to Ponyville in that exact moment. Any other time, Pinkie would have taken the opportunity to introduce her family to her friends and spend some quality time together.
There would be time for that later. Now, there were other matters to attend.
Pinkie looked up right in time to hear Maud’s voice crack. She watched through watery eyes as her big sister trotted down from the podium and placed a hoof tenderly over Trixie’s coffin.
“Goodbye, friend.” Maud closed her eyes. She fought it back down; no tears.
Other ponies weren’t that strong. Spike broke down in tears, only held in place by Rarity and Sweetie Belle. He wasn’t alone. The hall’s floor became a new map, filled with lakes of sorrow.
Then, it was Celestia’s turn. Her speech was less personal, but more moving. She had a lot of experience in the matter, and she knew how to address the subject, so she gave the kind of speech journalists would quote the entire week. Celestia spoke greatly of Trixie, showing that she actually knew about her before the whole Ponyville ordeal. She told the attendants to remember Trixie for who she was and not for what she did, but not with tears. Celestia reminded everyone that Trixie wouldn’t have liked to be remembered in tears. They listened while Celestia said they would all miss Trixie, each one in their own way.
That was it. The moment everyone expected, but no one wanted to really happen. Once again, Twilight, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity and Fluttershy lifted the coffin together -friends- and marched with it to the carriage that would take Trixie to her final destination.
The trip was short. Despite its recent notoriety, Ponyville was still a small town, and the cemetery barely on the outskirts. There, the last rites began.
The first to offer prayers was a young stallion -around Trixie’s age- wearing a traditional robe of the Sun’s Order. He knelt down and took off his hood, revealing a greenish brown fur with yellow mane. The monk prayed in silence in front of the coffin and made a signal in the air with his hooves. After that, he took three steps back and stayed silent.
Then, Applejack prayed too. However, she was not silent as the monk. With a voice filled with regret and sadness, she directed everyone within earshot to follow her words, pleading for Trixie’s soul to find the rest she was denied in life.
Following her were others, a number of them rather surprising. First, Cranky Doodle and Matilda stepped forward to placed a bouquet of various flowers with a letter attached to them. Then, a female griffon, wearing a kerchief around her neck that had the same pattern a Trixie’s old cape, stood right in front of the coffin’s head, but looked in the opposite direction. She extended her wings, clasping her outstretched claw and pulling it towards her heart while lowering her head. It was a gesture of profound respect that Twilight had read about and she fleetingly wondered what Trixie had done to earn the honor of such an action from the griffon. Others stepped forth to offer words of farewell or lay a hoof on the coffin in silent prayer.
Finally, when the final good byes had all been said, and Trixie lowered into the earth and buried, Twilight and Fluttershy moved forward to the patch of freshly turned earth. Twilight could have used her magic and have the deed done in a flash, but in difference to how her fellow unicorn spent her last days without it, Twilight used only her two hooves to dig the hole.
Roanis have a tradition of planting a blackberry bush over the grave, so the place is left in peace. When Twilight had finished the digging and Fluttershy its planting, a familiar raven descended from a close tree, landing right next to the bush. Duo hopped around the grave as though searching for something. Lowering his head, he tucked in his wings and bowed, offering a low caw of respect to the pony he had befriended.
With his beak, Duo broke off a branch from the blackberry and flew off into the distance.
Princess Celestia walked inside the Black Room. She was thankful that the day was finally over. With extreme caution, she lit her horn. The golden aura manifested itself in the form of a portal. Pouring more magic into the spell, Celestia grabbed something from inside and started to pull.
While she had feared that its latent magic would manifest like the last time its host had died, the Alicorn Amulet had not proven nearly as perilous in its recovery this time. Whatever magic had linked it to its host’s body seemed to have dissipated or dispersed due to the massive trauma inflicted upon Trixie. After that, it just became a matter of removing it from her body.
She disliked having to do it, but the Amulet was too dangerous to be left inside a mundane coffin. The damage the fall had caused to the body already made the removal of the Amulet and the bones and tissues that it had fused with an almost trivial task.
With one final effort, Celestia finally extracted the cursed artifact from the pocket dimension where she stored it.
She sat down for a moment, admiring the work of magical crafting and dark arts now in her hooves. Celestia reflected on how much suffering this item caused, and the cruelty of its maker to let something like this be unleashed in the world. She realized how much damage her ponies just endured, all because she wasn’t cautious enough.
With a heavy heart, she breathed a tired sigh. The world was getting too heavy for her shoulders some days.
Swallowing her pain, Princess Celestia created a golden pedestal with a crystal box over it. She opened the box and placed the accursed amulet inside, closing the box again and sealing it under the seven spells she herself designed for cases like this. Celestia turned around and walked away, closing the vault door behind her and once again hiding the entrance of the Black Room.
She trotted to her bedchambers, accompanied by the memory of Trixie Lulamoon; the memory of Sunset Shimmer; of Nightmare Moon, and many others. Princess Celestia took off her crown and sat down in her bed, to be alone.
Alone with her ghosts.
Author's Note: Wave Blaster: This is it. This is THE chapter we have been building up to.
Now, I'm not gonna lie, this wasn't how I pictured this to end when I first came with the idea back in April. To be honest, this is not even close. I had pictured a way more innocent fic, lighter and softer. A slice of life with the themes of Ugly Americans, with a lot of silliness, but build around being heartwarming and funny.
But then, I wanted to experiment a little more, get out of my comfort zone and try a shot at something different from my usual type. I took it serious, and worked hard and, thanks to Nightwalker, took a more analytical and, I dare to say it, adult POV. I never expected I would be also writing my very first, full force, tragedy. As a general principle, I prefer happy endings, but this story has become bigger than me and it demands something different.
Thanks to all of you, readers, for sticking up with us, specially to the ones who didn't call quits after I managed to pull not one, but two base breakers. Of course, I would also like to thank to those who did the commenting, adding their own unique perspectives that helped to shapte some concepts and keep me focused. Guys, your opinions helped to keep this fiction running.
And of course, a very special and planetary sized thanks to Nightwalker, without whom this fic would be still stuck in chapter 3.
As I always said; Thanks for reading. I'm always curious, so feel free to comment.
See ya.
Nightwalker: There we go folks; Trixie has left the building! Again, I thank all those along for the ride.
When I had gotten involved in this I was expecting to just take care of some cleanup and the like, not contributing nearly as much as I have. It was a good excercise to flex the writing muscles again in terms of contributing large parts of the narrative I have to say.
Overall, a good experience. Glad that those who have liked it have liked it as much as they have. Wave, it was a delight working with you, as always. Onto the next project I guess! Take care all!
It was dark where Trixie was. There was no sound, no light. It didn’t feel hot or cold to her. She could move, but where was there to move to?
“Hello?” she called into the darkness. Her voice was flat and didn’t seem to travel very far. “Where am I? What happened to me?”
The sound of hoofsteps in the darkness drew her attention, her ears swivelling up and forwards to catch the sound. From out of the dark came a pony. She was tall and lanky in stature, resembling Princess Luna in form except for lack of wings or ethereal mane and tail. As she drew closer, Tixie could more clearly make out what appears to be stylized whites makings painted upon her midnight blue coat.
As she drew closer, Trixie was finally able to make out those markings; bones. Hooves, shoulders, neck, chest, even her sides as they flexed and moves as the mare continued to stroll forward were painted with representations of the bones underneath. Her skull, except for her horn and eyes, was almost totally white.
Trixie quailed and tried to scurry back, her tail curling around her flank as if to try and ward off the creature before she. She had finally recognized the mare, she knew what that mare was, and she had realized where she herself was and what had happened.
The Bone Mare stopped before her and smiled down, a surprisingly comforting expression that briefly called Celestia to mind before that impression was lost to Trixie’s panic. “Hello, my little pony,” the mare said softly. “Back again I see.”
Trixie squeaked in fear, trying to curl herself into an even smaller ball. The pony before her... had it really come to this?
The Bone Mare. She was the one responsible of guiding the dead to their final destination; the righteous to their rest in Elysium, the wicked to places best left unconsidered. While legends of her may vary in some degree, they all agreed upon her look; a silvery white mane and a night-dark fur, marked with the white of the bones beneath the skin. The bones were not there to scare, but to remind everypony that all were equal in the end and that everypony has an end to meet.
She had heard much of the Bone Mare in her time in Neigh Orleans, travelling in the circles of the occult at Blazer’s side. One didn’t even have to travel in those circles to have heard of the Bone Mare, though, given voodoo being as pervasive in the region as it was.
Trixie had always scoffed at those legends and stories, yet here she was, face to face with what she had once considered an over-the-top nursery rhyme.
“Why do you shake so?” the mistress of death asked in that incongruously soft voice of hers. She smiled, her violet eyes a glimmer as if at some private joke. “Last time you were here, this ‘over-the-top nursery rhyme’ was besieged with all kinds of questions. Have you perhaps finally run out of them?”
If Trixie still had a heart (or the Alicorn Amulet), it would have stopped after hearing that. She would have tried to jump and flee, but even in her panic recognized that the blackness around them offered her no shelter.
“Ah, bien sûr.” The Bone Mare gave her head a tap with her hoof in an exaggerated manner, still smiling down at Trixie. “Nopony is allowed to remember if they come back.” Whether an intentional affectation or not, Trixie couldn’t help finally noticing the distinct Neigh Orleans accent the Mare spoke with. “Well, I suppose we can start over.” She sat herself upon her launches and then lowered herself to her belly, bringing herself closer to the level where Trixie still cowered. She tilted her head while looking aside, as if trying to remember what the first thing Trixie asked the last time had been.
“Is this--”
“Completely real,” the Bone Mare replied, almost too quickly, before turning back. “And not in a perception-is-reality way. This is happening right now.” The Mare smiled and giggled. “Though to be fair, that is everypony’s first question when they get here.”
Trixie blinked and gaped at the being across from her. She was baffled by the whole situation. There she was, right in the middle of… somewhere, having a surprisingly light conversation with the avatar of death herself. Yes, she remembered the legends speaking of the Bone Mare usually having a quirky or odd sense of humor, but to actually be on the receiving end of it…
“What is…” Trixie stopped herself, knowing the question but unable to ask it. “If this were real,” she found comfort in denial, “what would it mean to m-- Trixie.” Even if this was the end, Trixie still had that primal need of keeping up the show. “What would happen to Trixie?”
"Oh, mon petit poney.” The Bone Mare scooched closer to Trixie, never breaking eye contact. “I believe you already do know.” She put a hoof over Trixie's shoulder. To Trixie’s surprise, it was strangely soft and warm, like a living pony’s hoof. “After all, you are a storyteller, aren’t you?”
“Storyteller?” Trixie asked, desperately trying to remember the rhymes and prose she heard years ago. In her years traveling, both before and after the life changing experience that was Neigh Orleans, Trixie had come to listen, read and eventually retell all kinds of stories; Death was never outside her repertoire. It felt strange to Trixie that, after having told so many tales of ponies meeting their ultimate fate, she would be so unprepared for her own.
“Mon dieu,” muttered the Mare as she ran a hoof over Trixie’s mane. “The last time you were not nearly so scattered. The panic from your final moments has truly taken its toll on you.”
Her final... Trixie felt a shiver run through her as her final memories came back to her; the tornado grabbing and spinning the balloon, the other girls screaming in terror, her voice trying desperately to scream alongside them; then the suspension ropes giving way, causing the basket to tilt and her to topple over the side. The roaring winds grabbing and spinning her this way and that as she was flung helpless through the sky.
The last instances of the cliff face looming ever larger.
The Bone Mare was continuing to stroke her mane in a soothing manner. “There there, my child. It’s over now.” She leaned in a placed a kiss on Trixie’s forehead, continuing the play the part of mother and foal. “No more pain. It’s over.”
“Wait.” Trixie pulled herself away from death’s literal embrace. “Am I... is Trixie truly dead now?”
A sad nod was given as confirmation. “Indeed. Last time was different. There were ponies fighting very hard to bring you back. This time? Well... there are things that even Princesses cannot do.”
Trixie blinked, then looked down and away. “So this is the way The Great and Powerful Trixie ends, is it? It’s... not exactly how she would have expected it.”
“It rarely is,” the Bone Mare told her in that soft accent of hers. “But it has to happen at some point. Everything dies. That’s the only constant.”
“That and taxes,” Trixie added with a snort.
“Bien sur,” agreed the Mare around pleased giggles.
Trixie couldn’t help smiling in return. She was dead now; truly dead. Her life was over. No more worries, no more decisions; all of those had already been made. Everything was done. The life of Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon, The Great and Powerful, was over. She might have raged and cried at it all, but she didn’t feel like she needed to. Despite her initial reaction to the Bone Mare, to the realization she was dead, now that she thought about it she felt a calmness about the whole thing. There was a strange peace in the finality of it.
She still had questions though.
“Why the accent?” Trixie asked as she turned back.
The Bone Mare rubbed her forehooves together, the playful smile pulling again at her painted lips. She appeared rather pleased at Trixie’s acceptance of the situation. “You’re not the only pony here who had spent some time in Neigh Orleans when they were alive.”
Trixie’s ears flicked about. “The stories are true then; you were mortal once.”
“Once,” the Mare agreed with a bob of her head. “As those before me were. As the others alongside me were as well.”
Trixie’s ears were now raised to full attention. “Others? There are other reapers?”
“An earth pony term that; reapers. Those who harvest souls that have reached their maturity. But essentially, yes. There are many aspects of life, and so death must possess an equal number. My area involves travelers and wanderers.” A very wide smile split the Bone Mare’s face, the mischievous look in her eyes waylaying Trixie’s fears. “You should see what death looks for the Princesses.”
“There is an aspect for the Princesses?”
“There is, but suffice it to say, she does not get much work,” said the Bone Mare. She winked at Trixie.
“I never expected that.”
“Given that both of them believe they are cursed with immortality, I expect that come the day they finally meet her, it will be quite the surprise for them, too.”
Trixie shook her head, grinning at the absurdity of the notion. “It seems so strange to think that one day they might...”
“Die?”
Trixie nodded.
“And why would that be, my little pony? Everything dies. Metals rust, rock crumbles, even suns burn out. Everything reaches an end, in time.”
Glancing down, Trixie rubbed her hooves together. “Well that's a rather depressing outlook for Trixie. She had always viewed the Princesses as a constant in the world.”
“The only constants in the world are life, and change, and death.” The Bone Mare smiled. “And taxes. Of course.” She reached out and rested a hoof on Trixie’s withers. “Don’t be sad because the road has an end. Are you not a roani, a vagabond? Weren’t you taught, by your blood's tradition, to value the journey over the destination?”
Nodding slowly, Trixie raised her gaze to meet that of the Bone Mare once more. “I was.”
“And?”
Trixie reflected over her life. The orphanage had been hard, but looking back she could tell that the caretakers there had done their best for her. Celestia’s School had been a rocky time, trying to find herself, but there were good ponies and good memories to be had there if she thought about it. The road itself was just as hard, if not harder, but it had led her to Neigh Orleans, to the ponies that would be her mentors and a family she never had. Whatever difficulties those years held for her were more than made up for by the good times. The road after wasn’t as smooth as she had hoped it would have been when she started going down it, and certainly held its share of mistakes, the largest costing her her life. But its end wasn’t all bad. It ended with friendship, true friendship at last. There was the hope it may have been longer, but nothing could be done about that now and she had made the most of it she could while she had it.
“Trixie is satisfied. I am satisfied,” was her final pronouncement.
“Good,” the Bone Mare declared. She ran her hoof over Trixie’s mane once more before settling it before her. “Then it is just a matter of waiting for the final ties that bind you to the world of the living to fade enough for us to make the final portion of your journey. I wouldn’t worry about it too much if I were you, not with where you’ll be going.”
“How long will that take?”
“It can vary, but time moves differently here than in the world of the living. Some of it depends on the pony, on their willingness to let go. That’s part of why I’m here. Suffice it to say, it will happen. It’s just a matter of waiting until it does.”
Trixie nodded and looked around. She was still surrounded by featureless blackness, but it wasn’t an oppressive blackness. Still, she had a desire to stand, to move about. Perhaps it was a sign of the ties to the world of the living fading, as the Bone Mare had said. Either way, she was tired of sitting and got to her hooves. The Bone Mare followed.
Offhandedly, not looking directly at the Mare, Trixie said, “You mentioned having been to Neigh Orleans when you were alive. How long ago was...”
She stopped talking when she looked back at the Bone Mare, finding her slowly shaking her head. “That is not the question that you truly wish to ask, mon petit poney.”
Trixie’s eyes darted over the painted bones covering the Mare’s hide as her mouth bobbed open trying to form the question. Drawing from the feeling of calm she had about her own death, Trixie swallowed and asked. “Have you escorted Hope Lulamoon to her final destination?”
The Bone Mare nodded, satisfied with Trixie. “No,” she replied softly. “In all my dealings, I have not crossed paths with her. Now I am not saying that she may not still have passed this way, I am just saying it has not happened since I assumed this position. I have been escorting ponies to their final resting places ever so slightly less than you have been alive, young one.”
Trixie felt the tension drain from her. She still didn’t know what had happened to her mother, but at least she knew she had not died during the better part of her life. That she may never truly know what happened to Hope was the one true regret that she still had about her life.
“So what happens now? Do we just wait, or..?” asked Trixie as she fidgeted about in place. She had suddenly become very antsy and felt unable to stand still.
“I think we may be ready to head out,” commented the Bone Mare. “You seem prepared for the final part of your journey. Come.” She reached out a hoof to wrap over Trixie’s withers only for her hoof to pass through it.
Trixie felt a wave of cold pass through her and look up at the shocked expression of the Bone Mare. “Wha-what’s happening to Trixie?” The cold was intensifying, feeling like it was drowning her in ice water. “Why is she so cold? What is going on?” Trixie looked at her hooves, and to her horror, she could see through them.
“I… don’t know.” The Bone Mare stepped back. Her eyes were wide and panicked as she gaped a Trixie. “You are.. being pulled away by... something.” She jumped at Trixie, failing to hold her hooves.
“A-away?!” Trixie shouted in desperation. “Away where? By what?!” She tried to wrap her hooves around the Bone Mare’s neck, managing to actually hold on somehow. “Don’t let Trixie go!”
“I won’t!” The Mare’s horn lightened up, its violet aura trying to wrap around Trixie and hold her secure. “I won’t let you down again!”
But it was hopeless. Trixie’s figure was fading away and there was nothing to do.
“NO!” Both ponies screamed in fear, though it was the Bone Mare’s that was the final voice echoing through the void between worlds.
“No...” she choked out, looking down at her hooves. A sob wracked her body and she squeezed her eyes shut, tears overwhelming them. The avatar of death shivered, feeling pain and sorrow typically reserved for the living. It was a feeling capable of driving her to do something she swore she would never do.
The Bone Mare turned her head and opened her eyes. The aura of her magic once more flared along her horn. Breathing deeply, she channeled all her power into the forbidden spell. The realms beyond the living world were to remain separate not just from that world but from each other. She intended to cross over where she wasn’t welcome. With one powerful swipe, she reached out with her magic and rent the veil between realms.
The dreamscape was quiet that night, Luna was pleased to see. Not many of her little ponies were in need of her aid in banishing fears and bad dreams. She was reflecting on how nice it would be to not have to worry about being able to meet her sister for breakfast. Tia had been quite distraught the last few days, and she hoped her company would aid in restoring some good cheer to her sister.
Luna spun at the sound and the fury that came forth as a rupture between realms burst forth behind her. She flared her wings aggressively, her horn aglow in magic as she prepared to face the unknown threat.
She was greeted by the sight of a midnight blue unicorn stumbling out of the rupture, one covered head to tail in painted bones. An unmistakeable figure.
“What is the meaning of this?” Luna asked, more confused than anything. Even if it had been a thousand years, she was sure not even the avatar of death was allowed to cross between realms.
“I need your help!” the Bone Mare lifted her head and shouted at her, raising Luna’s confusion.
Luna looked the Bone Mare over. Had she not been in the spaces between dreams, she might has mistaken the other mare for the distraught subject of a particularly bad dream. “Bone Mare, Guide of the Departed, how can We--”
“There is no time for this!” the Bone Mare snapped. He angry expression quickly fell back into one of anguish again. “Something has pulled Trixie back to the world of the living, a feat that should not have been possible. It was an evil force, unmistakably dark magic. I can’t sense her, but I know she went there.” Then, the Bone Mare did something she vowed to never do; she bowed to Princess Luna. “Please, I’m not allowed in there. I need your help.”
Luna stood rigid, taken aback by the actions of the mare before her.
The Bone Mare looked up with tears running down her skull-marked face. “Please, I’m begging you,” she gasped. “I’m begging you to help my daughter!”
*CRASH!*
It wasn’t the sound that woke Celestia in the middle of the night, nor the tremor felt through the entire castle. It was the undeniable feeling that something in the word had just changed for the worst.
Trying to keep a cool head, the Princess trotted calmly to the hallway outside her bedroom, finding the guards stationed there. She asked them what the noise was, but neither of them knew and were actually waiting for a third guard who went downstairs to find out.
She made to step around them only to have one block her path.
“Please, your majesty, this could be nothing,” he tried to reason. “Possibly a mishap in one of the alchemy labs or even a collision between transports outside the castle.”
“I appreciate your dedication, Swift Wing.” Celestia always took pride in knowing each one of her guards by name. “But I’m going to investigate anyways.”
“It could be dangerous, we can’t allow you to go.” Swift Wing again blocking her attempt to get by him.
Celestia lowered her gaze to meet that of her guard. They must be scared if they were acting like this. “How will you stop me if I ordered you to allow me to go?” Swift Wing opened his mouth to answer. “And how would you stop me if I didn’t?” She softened her expression upon seeing his clear distress. “You and Sunlit Shield will escort me on my investigation of this matter.”
Swift Wing snapped a salute. “Yes you majesty!”
The two guards fell in step behind her. The further down into the palace proper they went, the clearer it became that this was no simple accident. Even without her magical senses to guide her, the smell of smoke made it clear enough where Celestia was to go.
Though part of her had been dreading it, Celestia’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing the palace’s firepony brigade rushing in and out of the entrance to the Canterlot Archives. When she finally managed to get by, she had to stop again in awe of the destruction. A large number of shelves and cabinets had been damaged by fire, but the path of destruction appeared to be confined to a fairly straight line.
If only that line didn’t extend from the door of the Black Room to the outside of the Archive’s wall. She reacted quickly to that, ignoring her escorts and throwing open the door to the safe room as quickly as possible. The door itself had suffered massive damage, bent outwards on its metal frame with a hole melted through the middle. The inside of the room was scattered with shards that used to compose the secure box she herself created and charmed with seven spells designed to keep anything from even opening the box from the outside…
…but not from the inside.
Soon, Celestia would know what the Alicorn Amulet was capable of.
It was raining in Ponyville. This rain wasn’t the one the ponies usually crafted for crops or to keep weather in check. No, this one was natural, untamed. It came right from the Everfree.
Lighting and thunder fell with the fury of an angry dragon pursuing a pack of diamond dogs that had dared to raid its horde. The storm struck Ponyville as a grim reminder there were things in the world they couldn’t regulate. The wild magic from the Everfree, too powerful and too ancient to be controlled, besieged the town’s night with the darkness of it clouds, keeping away the moon. Only the lightning was allowed to bring light to this night.
*KRAKOOM!!!*
A lightning strike illuminated the cemetery, striking too close to one of the graves. The light revealed the temporary marker:
Here lies Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon The Great and Powerful She brought magic to our lives
The night went back to darkness after that, until a new flash brightened the area. However, this second light wasn’t heralded by the ominous roar of the thunder. Neither was it of the same white light of the lightning.
*Flash!*
A crimson ball of light made its way through the cemetery. Like an arrow, it went fast and directly towards its target. The object inside the ball of light hit the ground of Trixie’s grave and dug its way through the earth until reaching the coffin under it, burrowing through the coffin’s pine lid. The Alicorn Amulet wormed its way into Trixie’s remains, settling itself in the cavity it had been extracted from days earlier.
*baBum*
Like blood coming from a deep wound, necroplasm flowed out of the Amulet, filling the coffin.
*baBum, baBum*
The liquified dark magic was boiling, shaking the ground of the grave.
*baBum baBum*
Inside the coffin, the mess of broken bones and torn skin was slowly reforming. In the middle of it all, the dark magic of the amulet started to glow.
*baBUM! baBUM!*
The first test to the Amulet’s might was to give Trixie power beyond mortals. This time, it was going to do far more than that.
*BABUM! BABUM!*
Once again, like a wardrum, the Alicorn Amulet’s power pulsed with rage. A new pulse of thunder and lightning graced the night, this time hitting the marker on Trixie’s grave, shattering it.
“Trixie Lulamoon of Equestria”
Suddenly, all the movement inside the coffin ceased.
“RISE!”
An azure claw rose from under the ground, surrounded by a red aura.
It was a dark and stormy night.
… long live The Powerful.
Chapter 12: Mommy Said There’s No Such Thing as Monsters
Berry Punch was a tough pony. She had to be; she owned a bar, after all.
Since she was a little filly, Berry has been one of those ponies who really didn’t like to be pushed around. It all started when a colt tried to take away her favorite doll, and she replied by knocking him down. She was a fighter, and a good one, but what really filled her heart was her family’s business; wine.
Yes, Berry used to be a drinker in her younger days, but these days she preferred to prepare it. The feeling of victory after making and serving one of Equestria’s finest wines filled her with more glee than almost anything else. Not even the Apples’ cider could compete with the Equestria-wide known wine, Casillero de Pesadilla. It was almost the whole reason for Berry’s life, if it wasn’t that she had something more important to think of.
“Mommy.” Berry looked at her room’s door, where the one thing more important than wine was looking back at her. “I can’t sleep.”
“Come here, sweetie,” Berry sat up on her bed, making way for Ruby to lay down. “What’s the matter?” she asked, already knowing the answer. Ruby was one of those fillies who, while quite brave, quite bold, still feared storms. The filly only looked away, ashamed of being scared.
“Oh, I see, it’s the storm, isn’t it?”
Ruby nodded frantically. As if on cue, an especially bright bolt of lightning lit the room, and a loud crack of thunder roared outside. The little filly flinched and then ran across the room, leaping onto the bed with her mother. She pressed against Berry, shivering.
“You’re afraid of the lightning?”
This time, Ruby shook her head. “No, mom. What’s outside scares me.”
“Mija,” Berry rubbed her daughter’s mane. “There’s nothing to fear,” Ruby gave her an unconvinced look. “Believe me, I was once afraid of storms and creatures that go bump in the night. But what I learned is that there are animals and wild beasts in the world, niña, but not monsters. Not really.
“Here, let me tell you a story.” Berry nuzzled her daughter’s mane. “Tell me, Rubí, do you know what our wine’s name means?” Although Berry’s mother made a point of teaching her their ancestors’ language, she hadn’t been that strict with Ruby, so she had to ask to be sure. “You know what Casillero de Pesadilla means?”
“Yes mommy, it means Nightmare’s Cellar. Why is that?”
“It all began with your great grandmother, doña Uva del Toro,” Berry started, remembering the painting of her hanging down in the bar. “She had this amazing recipe for a wine that was magically magnificent. So magnificent, goes the story, that it was able to raise the dead back to life. She used to store the best bottles under lock and key, to save them for special occasions.”
Ruby listened carefully, no longer shivering as she leaned against her mother, ignoring the storm outside.
“But this created a problem. You see, ponies already believed doña Uva del Toro’s regular wine was magical and powerful, and so they thought anything that she would lock away must be more magical and powerful. Thus they would sneak onto her estate and raid her cellar, stealing off bottle after bottle.”
“So what did she do, mommy? Did she get unicorns to cast magic spells to protect the cellar?”
“She tried that,” Berry told her, giving her ears a nuzzle. “But some of the thieves were unicorns too, so that didn’t work for long. But your great grandmother was a clever one. She figured that if magic couldn’t protect the wine, maybe a monster could.” Ruby turned and looked up at her mother, frowning in puzzlement. Berry only smiled back. “You see, what doña del Toro did was spread a rumor about Nightmare Moon herself visiting her wine cellar one night. Doña del Toro, in an attempt to appease the Nightmare, offered her a bottle of wine to quench her centuries long thirst. The story goes that Nightmare Moon became so enamored with the wine that swore she would guard it herself, so that no pony could steal what she had claimed that night. She would only let your great grandmother sell a portion of it, hoarding the rest for herself like an evil dragon.”
“Did it stop the thieves, mommy?”
“Indeed it did, mija. It worked so well, that after the first month, everypony was afraid of even getting close to the cellar, but at the same time, they all wanted to taste the wine that was protected by the Queen of Nightmares herself. And so, doña del Toro eventually named the wine after the story, which is why to this day we still call it Nightmare’s Cellar.”
Ruby yawned and shifted about, nuzzeling along her mother’s warm fur. “But now Princess Luna is back, Twilight and her friends banished the Nightmare.”
“That they did. I did send a case of some of our finest vintages to welcome her after I heard about it. In the letter with it I explained the name and our family’s history. I had hoped she wouldn’t take offence at it. Thankfully she did not, and in her reply said that she was glad she could help our family, even in such a strange way. You know I should show you…”
Berry looked down at her daughter, only to realize she had fallen asleep. She shook her head and kissed her daughter’s forelock, remembering the time her mother told her that same story, proving to her that there’s nothing to fear in the night, and how she had fallen asleep in her loving hooves.
*Crash!*
Of course, Berry thought. The moment I swear to my daughter there’s nothing to fear, along comes somepony trying to steal from our wine cellar. I guess since we no longer have Nightmare to protect it, I’ll have to.
Arming herself with a quite heavy pisco bottle she had under her bed -and taking quick swig out of it- Berry walked out of her room and down to the cellar. It had been years since somepony was bold enough, or stupid enough, to try to steal from it. Berry still remembered how she knocked out a young colt who thought it would be cool to steal one of Nightmare’s wines. It was that night when her sister, Cheerilee, came up with the ‘Punch’ nickname.
Berry finally got to the door and already hated what she saw; there was wine coming from under the door, and by the look of it, it was from more than one bottle. This was enough to give her anger power over fear. Berry Punch worked hard to make that wine, as did her mother, and her mother, and her mother before, and that work was not supposed to end up in the hooves of some sloppy colts trying to steal it from them. Berry took a deep breath and kicked the door open, ready to maul anypony who may try to steal her family’s legacy.
Once inside, any anger she may have was eclipsed by confusion and fear. There was wine spilled all over the place, but that’s not what caught her attention. No, it was the collection of claw marks over the walls, floor, shelves and barrels that unnerved her. She got closer to one shelf, where three deep cuts were still bleeding wine from one of the barrels, but a noise from overhead stopped her. She looked up and see a silhouette, almost bigger than an adult pony, sticking to the ceiling. Berry tried to speak, say anything, but fear overcame her as two glowing-red reptilian eyes look back at her.
“No,” she finally managed to blurt out. “It can’t be.”
Once again, the lightning and thunder outside roared together, the flash blinding Berry from the hellish creature hanging over her. But when she looked up again, there was nothing to see.
I don’t know how I got here.
All I remember is waking up, hungry and thirsty, under the rain. The first thing I did was to drink of the falling water, but it wasn’t enough. I needed something more fulfilling that rain water. I closed my eyes, letting my other feelings guide me. At first, I could hear only the storm unfolding around me, the smell of life under nature’s scourge, the taste of moisture and the soft mud under me. It was a world of feelings revealing itself. It didn’t last long till I found the scent of fruits and ferment. It was a very sharp aroma.
I wanted it.
“Aaahhh!” Twilight awoke screaming and gasping.
This was her third in a row of nightmares. Not too far from her, Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity and Fluttershy where having similar problems sleeping. Although the events of Trixie’s death also affected others like Spike and the Princesses, it had hit them hardest, as they had witnessed it happening. The only thing that kept them still going was the fact they could rely on each other. The guilt, the regret, the sadness, it was all more bearable because they had friends to talk with. Still, some of them had taken it harder than others.
Rainbow already proved that when guilt and alcohol drove her to seek comfort at Fluttershy’s door. Surprisingly enough -or maybe naturally- she found it. Fluttershy’s patient and similar pain over the loss of a friend was enough to allow Rainbow Dash to avoid being sucked into that dark place where she had been heading. A similar scene happened at Rarity’s with Pinkie. That one was a little more messy, since both of them felt responsible over getting Trixie into the balloon to begin with. It was only Applejack’s amazingly well timed appearance what managed to bring them back from that same dark place. By the third day, the six of them, alongside Spike, spent most of their time together, trying to help each other to get over the sorrow in their souls.
Twilight looked around her and almost smiled at seeing how the five ponies and one dragon were all sleeping with her in the library’s central hall. She found some peace in thinking that Trixie had that too, even if it was only in her last days, and the thought of Trixie not giving up gave Twilight the strength to keep holding on too. In the end, both unicorns helped each other and Twilight wanted to honor Trixie’s memory by never giving up. That was why she and the girls were going to the courthouse later that day; to make sure Trixie would have justice, even if it was after the end.
That train of thought was interrupted by somepony knocking at the library’s door. Three hits came mimicking the thunder of the storm that had raged outside that night. Everypony was dragged out of their dreams and nightmares as Twilight got out of her sleeping bag and trotted towards the door, looking out of the corner of her eye the clock marking barely six in the morning. She wondered who could be up and knocking at her door so early, and was quite ready to tell anypony that wasn’t the Princess herself what they could do with themselves in no uncertain terms.
Given that she found both Princesses on the other side of the door -- accompanied by a modest contingent of royal guards -- that turned out to not be an option.
“Pr-Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Wh-what are you two doing here this early?”
“We’ve come on a matter of some urgency,” Celestia explained. “If you could please fetch the Elements of Harmony and your friends, we will proceed to the cemetery.”
Twilight rubbed the sleep from her eyes. This wasn’t making any sense. “The cemetery?”
“Indeed. Events transpired last night that require our urgent attention. All of us.”
Even sleepy Twilight couldn’t miss the tone of importance in Celestia’s voice. It was enough to bring her all the way awake. “Alright, Princess. It will only take me a few moments.”
“Groovy,” Luna replied. Twilight stopped and turned back to gawk at her, finding that several of the guards and Celestia doing the same. Luna had noticed as well, her ears wilting her as her gaze darted back and forth. “What? I am still trying to work on how I speak. Is that not the modern vernacular?”
Twilight just shook her head and turned back to fetching the elements and rousing the rest of the girls. It really was too early for all this.
Light hurts, that much I’ve come to learn about the world.
After I fed my appetites, I could think clearer. I realized that I wasn’t alone in this word. That small moment of enlightenment was interrupted when the first rays of sunlight blinded me. The remnants of the storm still aided me, blocking the harmful light and giving me shadows to hide under.
I’ve been lurking in the shadows even since then, looking at these strange beings around me from the dark places that are my home. They seem familiar, almost as a memory buried in the depths of my mind. I want to be with them, to not be alone, but I know I’m not like them, therefore I can’t be among them. I’m confused, I don’t even know what I am.
Once again, I find comfort in the shadows, retreating back to the loneliness away from them, but I’m getting tired of hiding.
I want to be known. I want these beings-- no. I want everypony to acknowledge me. To look up at me instead of forcing me to hide. I want the world, and I will take it.
Thunder and lightning roar for me, playing a new world symphony. Winds and rain fall over me like a baptism for my existence.
I live.
“Whoa! Hold on a second!” Rainbow Dash said as she, her friends and the Princesses were almost racing towards the cemetery. As the other bearers did, she was wearing the necklace holding her Element of Harmony. “You’re telling us that some soon-to-be-dead pony desecrated Trixie’s grave?”
“We’re not sure if a pony, or a mortal for that matter, is responsible for this insult to your friend’s memory.” Without slowing down, Princess Luna took flight next to Rainbow. “What we do know is that the Alicorn Amulet disappeared and Trixie’s grave is open.”
Upon hearing this, Rainbow Dash could no longer hold back. Not restraining herself anymore, she beat her wings and left her friends and the rest of the contingent well behind. Each second before reaching the cemetery felt like an eternity. Rainbow needed to be there, to do something, anything. She was on the verge of making a ground-level Sonic Rainboom, and would have if it wasn’t for the ghost of her last mistake holding her back. She still remembered the last time she cut loose, and a friend paid the ultimate prize. That would never happen again.
With one last sprint, and, Rainbow Dash arrived to the holy yard reserved for those who were resting in eternal slumber.
“No,” she muttered once she landed in the same place her nightmares had been ending for the past three nights. “It…” Rainbow was so distracted that she didn’t even notice the gush of wind next to her.
“I’m sorry you had to see it like this,” Princess Celestia said as putting a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “I’m truly sorry.” The scene in front of them was devastating.
The marker on Trixie’s grave was shattered, with scorch marks all over its surface. There was that black and green ooze all over the grave itself, like an eruption of pure evil coming out of the earth. The necroplasm seemed to infect the holy ground. In the middle of it all, the pieces of a destroyed coffin inside a hole six hooves deep.
Rainbow fell to her knees, tears falling down her cheeks, but a pair of yellow hooves held her before she hit the ground.
The other ponies finally caught up with them, all reacting badly to Trixie’s grave. No pony felt strong enough to say anything.
Shadows. They protect me. Even under the sun after the rain’s passing, there’s always something projecting a shadow. I’ve become invisible to the life around me. But that’s not what I want. I want to be seen. I want to be noticed. I want each and every single living being to know who I am. That’s a problem, though, since I myself don’t know who I am.
I’ve seen my own reflection a couple of times now, expecting to recognize something in the glass’ face. But there’s nothing familiar in there. I don’t recognize any feature in the thing behind the mirror. It could be memory loss. I know I am I, and I know I exist, but that’s where it ends. It’s like I’ve lost my own sense of identity.
I can still feel emotions, and I feel anger as intense as fire, but I don’t know why.
I expected my place of birth could tell me something, but when navigating the shadow towards that field where I first opened my eyes, I find something else. An old memory stirring from the depths. The place looks like a tree, but it’s not. It’s more of a house in all but appearance. Although my mind doesn’t know why, my first instinct is to enter. I try with the door at first, but it’s locked. In my frustration I hit it with my claws, marking it.
That gives me an idea. I look down at my hooves. There are three sharp knives in each of them. I press the first three against the tree bark. I do it again with the other hoof. Again, and again, and again. I don’t even look down. Instead, I search for somewhere to enter. I need it, I need to enter this place. I don’t know why. This thing in my chest feels like an accelerated heart. I think it is my heart, since my pulse is synchronized with it, and it gets stronger once I’m inside the tree-house.
I expect it to have the answers I want.
I will take them from it.
The walk back to the library was slow, almost wandering. There was a lot to discuss. After recovering, or not, from the initial shock of seeing a friend’s grave open and literally flooded with dark magic, an investigation had to be made. Twilight and the Princesses had advanced into the cemetery to examine the desecrated grave while half of the Royal Guard escort had been instructed to spread out and examine the surrounding area. They were tasked with trying to track whatever may have crawled out from within the grave.
All that the Princesses were able to determine was that the Amulet was not there, nor was Trixie’s body. Celestia explained to Twilight what had happened that night in the archives, how they had determined the Amulet came to Ponyville due to the straight path of destruction it took upon breaking out of the vault. Neither her nor Luna could say what the Amulet might want with Trixie’s body, but it was safe to assume it was nothing good.
Despite the heavy rains that night, The Guards were able to find a series of tracks leading out of the cemetery and winding off to the Everfree Forest. They were not able to trace them beyond the very edge of that accursed place. Guards, Princesses, and Elements regrouped shortly thereafter for the journey back to town.
“Now what?” Applejack, always straight to the point, was the one who started the debate. “Ah mean, what can we do now?” Nopony really knew how to answer.
“It’s not an easy decision, Applejack,” Princess Celestia eventually answered. “The Elements are instruments of balance, but they can’t do anything unless they are in the presence of an imbalance to correct.” She spared the Everfree a look and a grimace.
“Then why aren’t we looking for the Amulet?” Rainbow Dash asked calmly. In other time, she would be recklessly trying to do something, no questions asked, but she would never allow herself to be like that again. “I mean, it’s a powerful magic that practically radiates dark magic. How hard can it be to track? Shouldn’t we be looking everywhere?”
“We’re afraid it’s not as simple a matter as that,” Luna answered this time, feeling it was her responsibility to help ease her sister’s weight. “Any tracking spell we already tried has been clouded by a primal darkness surrounding the Amulet, which also protects it physically by making it only detectable to those whom--” Princess Luna interrupted herself, remembering how Celestia asked her to be careful when talking with the Elements. After checking no one was asking questions, she proceeded. “We’re hoping you may offer a suggestion, or at least bring a different perspective on the matter.”
“Why?” Just then did Twilight’s curiosity manage to overcome her inner sorrow. “We don’t know anything about the Amulet.”
“But you know Trixie.” Unexpectedly, it was Princess Celestia who answered. “For better or worse, the Amulet is bound to her now, and you were the closest friends she ever had at the end.” That thought hit the six of them, hard. Even if they enjoyed becoming friends with her, the idea of somepony being so alone that only a life threatening event would draw her close to anypony was too saddening. Rainbow Dash in particular felt the worst for all of it.
They kept their trot silent and uneventful, until they reached the Golden Oak Library. There, the unnerving visage of the unexpected was awaiting for them. The main door was marked by three claw like cuts. Next to it, following a clear path, more and more claw marks climbed the tree’s bark, until disappearing over the balcony of Twilight’s room.
“Spike!” Twilight cried. She didn’t need a second to understand it and immediately rushed towards the door. “Spike is in there!”
Her short race was cut by Princess Celestia’s protective wing placed in front of her.
“No, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight looked up at her mentor’s face. “This is dangerous.” Celestia’s expression was something Twilight have never seen: fear.
Before anyone could stop her again, Twilight cast the teleportation spell and disappeared from sight.
With a flash of light, she materialized again in the library’s main room. Expecting the unexpected, Twilight immediately lit up her horn and started to look around her. The place was almost as they left it except for the lights being off. She called again for Spike, but there was no answer. Twilight grew worried at this, starting to move quicker around the place. The atmosphere started to feel too cold for her, as if the place was sealed away from the heat in the outside.
Twilight’s hooves hit something. She looked down and her eyes caught a book thrown at the floor. Focusing more magic into her horn, she lit up more of the room and gasped in horror at what she saw. There was a trail of destruction through the library, books tossed off shelves in what looked like a running battle. She could clearly see where it led; the open door of the basement.
Standing at the top of the steps, Twilight could hear agitated, frightened breathing. Ignoring the banging on the Library’s door, she called down into the darkness for Spike. Once more, she received no answer. She was about to turn and open the Library’s door when she thought she heard a voice, faint, calling her name.
“Spike!” she shouted. “I’m coming!” Whatever she may have been afraid was lurking in the basement, her concern for Spike’s safety was stronger. She took off down the steps even as the front door burst open in an aura of golden magic.
As Twilight’s island of light in the darkness descended down the stairs, she could see all kind of cuts and marks over the walls. She surprised herself looking for blood too, and the fact she didn’t find it helped to ease her fears. Twilight was so focused on the walls that the stair’s last step came as a surprise, almost making her lose her balance. She called yet again for Spike and this time a soft whimper answered, not too far from her. Focusing her magic even more, she managed to extend the light enough to cover most of the basement.
Thanks to the light, Twilight found Spike sitting in the floor, with his back against the wall, shivering and hugging his own tail. She trotted over him and hugged him tight, with the intention of never leaving him alone again. He returned the hug to Twilight in the same way, but his silence unnerved her. She softly pulled Spike away enough to look down at him.
“Spike,” she asked, already fearing the answer. “What happened?”
Spike’s only reply was a shaking claw directed behind her. Only then did Twilight realize that Spike’s breathing was almost inaudible, and even agitated, she could have never heard it all the way from the main floor to the basement. Fueled by fears too dark for her own sake, Twilight turned just in time to catch sight of two glowing-red reptilian eyes in the dark, before her magic shed light over the beast that has been lurking in the shadows all this time.
It’s all like an echo I keep hearing in the back of my mind.
There’s something big approaching me, roaring like a raging beast as it gets closer. Its force is terrible. I’m holding as tight as I can when it finally unleashes its fury upon me-- us. I’m not alone when it happens and that helps me to not be totally overtaken by fear.
But in the end it’s all useless.
I feel my grip slipping. I look around me, pleading for help. It doesn’t matter though, the beast will get all of us. Its force finally rips me away from them, tossing me through the air like a ragdoll. I can’t even tell up from down and all I know is panic.
Twilight squealed in fright as she fell back, hugging Spike close to protect him. Her horn flared with magic at the same time she squeezed her eyes shut. An instant later came the sound of a heavy body impacting her conjured shield hard and then the beast’s roaring filled her ears once more as it tried to attack her through it.
Spike clung tightly to Twilight’s barrel and whimpered, his talons digging in. Twilight hardly noticed as she scooted them both back against the wall, away from the beast. A new sound, the rending of magic against magic, forced her to open her eyes. The creature was still on the other side of her shield, but it was clawing savagely at it, marks of dark magic trailing over the protective lavender screen, where its claws were.
The beast stopped its assault and looked at Twilight. They stared at each other for a brief moment, and the fire dancing in its red eyes told Twilight that the beast was going to make her regret stopping its attack. Its muzzle opened in an angry snarl, pointed fangs visible now that its lips were pulled back, and it raised a paw to attack the shield again--
*Zapp… Bang!*
A beam of bright blue, near white magic blasted the creature, sending it crashing into a pile of stored scientific equipment.
“Flee, Twilight Sparkle!” Princess Luna’s voice boomed as the alicorn landed in the middle of the room. “Leave the vanquishing of monsters to those best suited for it!”
Twilight could only nod in response, her heart was pounding against her ribs as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts. Part of her noted that Luna’s stance -- legs wide, wings flared, and horn lowered -- was a fusion of ancient pegasus and unicorn fighting stances. Another part hoped that her equipment hadn’t been damaged by Luna’s attack. The biggest part, though, was still reeling from the recognition of her attacker. Twilight Sparkle was still frightened of what she saw in the creature that just attacked her. Of who that creature was.
Finally having regained enough concentration to think straight, Twilight cast her focus upwards and to the main floor of the library, her mind instinctively racing through the necessary calculations. Just as the teleport spell snapped into existence around her and Spike, she caught sight of the monster roaring and jumping at Princess Luna from the shadows.
Twilight’s aim had been too high, causing her and Spike to fall and land in a heap on the main library floor instead of materializing on it instead. She shivered as she hugged Spike closer to her. Twilight swore to herself she would never, ever, leave Spike alone or unprotected again.
“Twilight, Spike!” Princess Celestia called for her, turning around. She was standing before the closed door to the basement, Twilight’s friends all around her. “Are you alright? What happened? Where is Luna?”
Needing to swallow first before speaking, Twilight looked at her friends and mentor with a look of pure horror. Out of pure inertia, she told them. “We found what happened to Trixie. Luna’s in the basement with it now.”
This new creature tosses me around too, and I don’t like it!
Once again, the echo in my mind tells me of a memory I don’t remember. I’m in a place of pure air and nothing else. My hooves touch nothing as I sail through empty sky. For a fleeting moment, I think it’s heaven, but then I begin to fall. I realize that I’m falling, and somehow I know I’m going to die. I want to cry, I feel sadness, but not at dying. The image of those around me before is now gone and there’s no one near to me. I’m going to die alone and I can only cry for one last time. I have never been this afraid.
All I can see before me is rock.
The creature roared with rage and hatred at the Princess as it lunged at her. Her parry was smooth and instinctual, despite not having seen proper use in over a millennium, and she guided the creature into a hard impact against the wall. Glassware on a nearby shelf fell over the beast’s body, shattering against its skin, but it didn’t seem to hurt it.
The creature made another pass, only to be greeted with a shod hoof that dashed it against the floor and then flung back with another burst of magic.
“You are outmatched, creature,” Luna taunted as she circled it. She waved her great wings out at her sides, twitching and darting the tips to try and fake out her opponent. “We are Luna Vigilans, Princess of Equestria.” Being back in a fight, despite the gravity of it, brought Luna back to the old times. “We consider your ilk little more than sport.” The good times.
Curling its lips and lowering its horn, the creature before her growled. Its claws dug into the floor of the basement and it launched itself at Luna, snarling and lashing out almost blindingly fast with its claws. She was faster, kicking the abomination and then discharging a concussive blast over it. The beast didn’t yield, so Luna repeated the move again, hitting it with a back kick and a second blast of magic. Seeing an opening at Luna’s turned position, the animal roared again and threw itself at her. But Luna was counting on it, and let the last concussive charge of her horn go off behind her, hitting the creature in the chest and making it fall to its knees.
“You are indeed a worthy opponent,” said Luna as she shook out her mane. “You fought well, but We have more than enough power for you. Yield now and end this quickly.”
Giving only an angry snarl in response, the creature shook out its mane and head before staggering back to its hooves. Luna backed off, her wings out for balance once more. She lowered her horn to meet the creature’s own. She was expecting another charge and was caught nearly totally off guard by the lightning bolt of magic sent her way, parrying it into a shelf of books and causing them to explode.
The creature's following strikes were wild and unfocused, barely different from an animal kicking the air in a tantrum. However, despite the blasts simplicity and savagery, they were terrifyingly accurate, as each one of them found its way to Luna. It was almost as if the attacks were being guided by something more than instinct. The beast’s attacks were still chaotic rage, but its magic felt colder and more focused.
The wild dark magic proved to be too much for a single shield, and the beast was shooting too many and too quickly to avoid them all. Luna was quickly forced to start using a series of ablative shielding spells, letting each absorb a strike and shatter before another was cast to take its place rather than trying to sustain a single shield against the withering assault. Slowly she began to give ground to her opponent.
*Fwoosh*
Red and purple flames flared up around Luna, causing her to lose sight of her opponent. A simple swipe of her own magic was enough to clear the flames, but doing so did not reveal her opponent. Luna spun, looking for where the creature could have gone.
She did not see it on the ceiling and had the beast not cried out as it attacked her, she would have been caught completely unaware. As it was, she only had enough time to dodge partly out of the way and none to call on her magic. The two went down in a tangle of limbs, the alicorn coming out on top. The demonic figure slashed its claws for her neck, catching only her ethereal mane instead. Luna’s return strike connected squarely on its ribs, but that did not seem to faze the creature. It tried for her neck again and she blocked it again with a foreleg, using it to pin down the creature’s own. She did the same with the other when it tried to swing for an attack. Being smaller than she, it managed to catch her off guard by driving a hind leg into her gut, almost dislodging her. She could feel the slashes where its claws raked across her belly. Making sure to keep the forelegs pinned, she used her wings to lift her back half up and then brought her rear hooves down hard on the monster’s rear legs, pinning those to the floor as well.
The creature didn’t react in pain like she expected it would after that kind of a blow. Instead it glared up at her, her face close enough she should have been able to feel its breath. The creature then reared back and drove its head forward in an effort to gore Luna’s eyes with its horn. She managed to jerk back in time to avoid being stabbed, but the creature’s head still slammed against her muzzle. Her teeth rattled and a lance of pain shot through her head as the bones of her nose broke under the impact. Pressing its advantage, the creature hit her over and over, driving her off it. It was more luck than anything that she avoided losing an eye to it.
Head reeling, Luna took a final kick from the creature’s hind legs, receiving another deep cut from its claws, and was knocked off. Ancient training kicked in and she continued to roll away from the beast, trying to put as much distance as possible between them, so she could regain her senses. The beast lashed out, catching the trailing edge of a wing and ripping out a pawful of feathers.
Luna sprang to her hooves and lit her horn, barely managing to conjure a dome of magic over her before her attacker reached her. It rebounded off the shield and roared angrily at her, then swiped its claws at her. Dark magic crackled over the shield in their wake.
Luna panted and shook her head, doing her best to try and regroup.
I hate this, I hate being here. I only wanted answers, but no one gives them to me. Then, I try to defend myself from the hurting light and I’m attacked. I only wanted to know what I am!
I want to tear this one to shreds, but it’s too quick. My first attempt is met with pain. I know pain, I’ve felt it before. None since my ‘birth’, but I remember it from the echo behind my mind. The last memories that it holds from before are terror and pain. There was rock and then there was pain, so much pain. I could feel myself falling, my body racked by more and more pain as its fall was slowed by rocks and outcroppings, but never stopping, only falling further.
This is how I died, I know it. The further I fell, the more pain came, but the less it seemed to hurt me. I remember my eyes closing and the darkness taking me.
I don’t feel pain anymore, only anger. I’m going to make sure everypony knows it!
It had been a very long time since Princess Luna had experienced the physical pain of battle, let alone being on the losing side of it. While she was experienced fighting monsters, those in the dreamscapes rarely seemed to hit this hard, and never managed to fight her on equal terms. Her gut ached from the deep cuts she had been given, and her muzzle was soaked in her own blood. Trying to wipe it away only brought a fresh eruption of pain to her.
“It seems We underestimated you,” she told the creature as it paced outside her shield. “You’re not just some manner of raging animal after all.”
The creature stopped its pacing, its burning red eyes locked on her. For the first time she was finally able to get a good look at it; eqiune shaped, even if standing like a predator. It was larger than most ponies, but still slightly smaller than Luna herself. Its four limbs were clawed, not so different from a griffon or dragon. There was a matted mane of wild hair but the tail it had was long and whip like, more dragon than pony. At the center of its breast Luna was able to make out a pattern in its coat, the hairs a different color, much like stripes on a zebra. The shape was something that had become all too familiar of late.
The Alicorn Amulet only had one bearer. Luna refocused on the creature’s eyes. “Trixie? Is that you? Can ye understand Us?”
The creature’s tail slapped against the floor once, its hardened tip making a clack against the wood of the tree. It pawed at the floor, claws scraping, then opened its mouth. Luna was expecting it to talk, but instead it made a sound akin to a barking cough. Luna was about to try speaking to it again, only to be cut off when the creature lowered its head and unleashed a massive blast of magic against her shield at point blank range. It fell like a hammer blow and rocked the Princess of the Night back on her hooves, almost shattering her shield in the process. Had she been any less than an alicorn, it likely would have. Now that she knew what to look for -- and had a few scant moments to do so -- she was able to recognize the base essence of unicorn magic wrapped up in the underlying dark magic that could only be the Alicorn Amulet. There was a familiarity to that darkness but she didn’t have time to contemplate on it further as her shield was about to give way.
Instead of letting the shield collapse on its own, Luna pulled it down on her own while simultaneously dodging to the side. Trixie’s beam of magic continued now unabated, lancing through and destroying several pieces of Twilight’s scientific equipment. Again.
Now that she knew this was Trixie she was fighting, Luna was having to quickly change strategy. She would have to subdue her opponent, not kill or destroy her. Tia had told her how she had defeated the Amulet during her encounter in the hospital. With luck, the same strategy would prove successful here. She just needed to be able to cast the required spells.
With her opponent distracted, not realizing she was on the move again, Luna threw several restraining spells around Trixie’s legs, sending her face-first to the floor when they were pulled tight and cutting off the searing ray of magic.
“Thou must stop fighting, Trixie!” Luna said as she tried to recall the summoning spell for a restraining ring. It was never something she had used often and her head was still spinning from the blows Trixie had landed. “It is for your own good.”
With a roar of primal rage, the creature that was Trixie thrashed and twisted. Her horn flared and her bonds shattered. She was on her hooves and lunging for Luna almost before the Princess had a chance to react.
Luna just managed to spin to the side and avoid a direct strike, only to have Trixie catch her outstretched wing in her jaws. It was a solid grip, and Luna cried out in pain as Trixie’s teeth sank in, and then again as Trixie thrashed her head about, breaking the bone and throwing Luna off her hooves and across the room.
In spite of the shocking pain, Luna managed to roll with the impact and bring herself back to her hooves and facing her opponent. She was bloodied twice, one wing now hanging useless at her side. She needed to stop her opponent but needed time to do that, and her opponent was proving rather resistant to her magic. She was not as quick as her sister with summoning spells and needed to buy an opening. If her wing were working, she could take to the air and try--
“Air,” Luna whispered as Trixie roared and charged for her. Charging her horn, she focused the most powerful concussive blast spell she knew and redirected it to a spot on the floor. The spell fired the instant Trixie crossed it, launching her up at the ceiling with a speed that Rainbow Dash would have found envious.
*WHAM!*
The creature slammed into the ceiling with full force and then fell, landing on the floor and bouncing almost as hard. Despite all of that, it was staggering to its hooves almost immediately after landing a final time.
Still, the distraction had proved enough for Luna. Her spell went off just as Trixie lunged for her throat, teeth barred and still bloodied from her last attack.
“Princess?” Pinkie was the only one brave enough or curious enough to ask. “Are you sure that Princess Luna will be alright?”
“Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie,” Princess Celestia answered in a reassuring tone. “My sister’s methods may not be the subtle ones, but she knows what she’s doing.” Even though it had been over a millennium since her sister had last seen real combat, she had given her word she wouldn’t interfere in this matter.
Twilight was the only one familiar enough with Celestia to be able to pick up the tenseness in her teacher’s voice. Worried Celestia was not something she had seen often and now she was worried too.
The battle in the basement had been raging for a surprising time given one of its participants was an alicorn. The sounds of magic and destruction were clear to all gathered, despite the door to the basement still being securely closed.
Twilight was about to suggest that they go assist Luna, that their aid might be needed even if not wanted, when a thunderous bang from the floor itself caused them all to jump.
The sounds of battle stopped almost right after it.
“Princess Celestia, maybe we should--” Twilight started, only to be cut off by the sounds of heavy hoof falls from the basement steps. Something was coming up. From the sounds of the heavy thumps that carried along with those footsteps, whatever was coming was dragging something else.
Although Celestia stood still before the door, the six Elements trotted up besides her and took position at her flanks. She looked at them, about to tell them to take cover, but she saw the determination on their eyes.
They weren’t going to cower behind the Princess. They were going to aid her, by her side. That’s how it worked, that’s how it was supposed to be. They weren’t victims, they were heroes. They were the Elements of Harmony, and whatever that may attack them, it would have to face them all, together.
The steps grew until they were right outside the door. With another loud bang, the door was kicked open and a blue figure emerged from the darkness of the doorway.
“Huzzah!” cried Luna. “We emerge triumphant!”
With a heave of her magic, she thrust the unconscious body of Trixie forward, letting it fall to the floor at her hooves. A restraining ring was firmly wrapped around her horn.
Princess Celestia, the six elements, and the royal guards all stared at the Princess of the Night. Her crown was gone, her mane was dishevelled from battle, one of her eyes had started to swell shut, and her right wing was not only bloody but obviously broken from how it hung limply at her side. Her other wing was missing a noticeable clump of feathers.
“Somepony, fetch Us a cider with which to celebrate Our victory!” Luna wiped her bloody chin upon her fetlock, sparing it a glance. “And perhaps a medic.”
At first there was just the vague, swimming sensation of pain and the empty echo of anger. Something was hurting her and she was fighting it, but it all seemed so long ago. Her head was fuzzy, as though it were stuffed with cotton. She couldn’t focus on anything, it was all too soft, like the ground she was laying on. Some… things were starting to come back the more she lay there, but the details were still lost.
She knew her name was Trixie… something… something. She was... great and powerful. No, she had the title of Greatest and Powerful. Trixie, the Great and Powerful. She heard it in a voice that must have been hers, only to have it cheered back by the crowd. Trixie the Great and Powerful.
There were faces, she remembered. Six ponies -- mares -- and a dragon from before. They were laughing and jeering at her, not part of the crowd. Could they be the cause...? No, no they weren’t. Other memories, of warm smiles and warm embraces. Laughter. What were these mares to her that she remembered them over all others?
Trixie couldn’t explain how she knew such things. In fact, each time she tried to remember how she knew anything, or who she was past her incomplete name, she could only see darkness and hear silence. It was like she had no real past at all. Like a new character strapped into a story where it doesn’t belong.
Groaning, Trixie tried to get up only to be brought up short. She finally managed to pry her eyes open and look around herself. The outside was blurry like her thoughts felt and she had to blink her eyes repeatedly before things came into focus. She was in somepony’s bedroom, that much was clear. Looking down at her forepaws, she saw she was secured face down to the bed itself by heavy leather straps. She yanked on them but found they had little or no give, the motion only serving to jingle the heavy locks. She tried to move her back legs, only to find the same thing.
This too seemed awfully familiar. When thinking about it, the image of her waking up on another bed, strapped to it in a similar way, appeared in her mind. Trixie hoped it wasn’t a habit to wake up strapped down like this. That would be a problem. In fact, just this one was a problem on itself, since Trixie couldn’t remember how she got out of the last one. This time the only thing totally free was her tail. She could slap it against the bed behind her or curl it around to her side, but it did nothing useful. It didn’t even have sufficient strength to tug at her other bonds. She tried to remember her last escape, closing her eyes and focusing, but nothing happened. It was like trying to remember a forgotten dream.
Trixie grew impatient over it. Being immobile felt like being trapped and she didn’t like being trapped. A primal hate welled up within her and she thrashed against her restraints, snarling angrily and trying to pull herself free. It was all for naught, the restraints didn’t budge.
It was all too much for the being that called herself Trixie. She bent her head to the nearest strap, intent on gnawing through it. She was brought up short by the feel of hard metal against her nose and chin when she had bent down. Crossing her eyes a bit allowed her to just make out the muzzle that was placed over her own. It was preventing her from getting a grip on those hated straps, it was preventing her from being free! She shook and thrashed against the restraints, her vision clouded over with anger now. A good share of time passed before Trixie could convince herself that rage wasn’t the answer.
The rage wore through, and Trixie eventually calmed down and began thinking again. She tried to remember more of herself, but it was still so foggy. She got to the part where she was a unicorn, and therefore, able to use magic. Trixie tried with the muzzle, this time focusing instead of raging, but she couldn’t figure out how to even spark her horn. She tried with her claws again, trying to reach anything, but this time a thought stopped her. Trixie wasn’t sure if she was supposed to have claws. Unicorns don’t have claws and she was a unicorn. Right? But then, she couldn’t remember not having claws and she was unable to use her horn’s magic. If she was a unicorn, she should have magic. And why was there a muzzle over her snout?
Maybe she was a beast that thought of itself as a pony. That would explain the straps and the muzzle.
But if Trixie was an animal, then how could she remember not being one? Alas, any memory she tried to recall was all foggy, like a dream.
Was she a pony dreaming of being a beast, or a beast that just awoke from the dream of being a pony?
Was she both? None?
Was there even a difference?
What was she then?
From outside the room, a sound snapped Trixie out of her thoughts. She lifted her head and looked to her left, to where the sound was coming from, and saw a black figure in the window. It was rather small, but it was restlessly attacking the window’s glass with its beak.
It was a bird. Trixie remembered birds, from her time before. This one was... a raven. Yes, a raven. With the name came other memories. Ravens were tricksters. She could recall sinister stories about ravens coming to torment the living with the pain of lost loved ones. This would have unnerved Trixie if she had somepony to remember, but that wasn’t the case. Or maybe she should have somepony and she just couldn’t remember.
There was so much she was missing, so much still lost.
She looked at the window again, where the raven was still trying to break in. It was not having any success. Trixie noticed how each time the raven’s beak or claws touched the glass, there was a golden spark. It was as if the window was being protected from the raven by an invisible force. It didn’t seem to bother the raven who was still trying to get inside the room. Trixie wondered why an animal would be so interested in being inside with her. And why did it look so familiar? She knew there must be memories of it for her to feel like that but she struggled to find them again.
It was like trying to see through a broken window into the fog. She knew there was something there, but she couldn’t reach it.
Suddenly, the sound stopped. Trixie looked over again to the raven and its window. She had a bad habit of losing focus herself, of drifting off, whenever she tried to chase her memories.
The raven was now sitting perched on the sill, looking into the room. She was able to lift her head enough to look it in the eye. There was that same sense of familiarity again. She felt she wasn’t looking at a stranger, but at a friend. But how could it be? If the stories she was remembering were any true, then nopony would be so familiar with a creature so dreaded? Maybe it was because Trixie was also a dreaded creature.
Maybe Trixie was a dangerous beast that had to be restrained.
“So… what now?” Applejack asked, almost mockingly.
She was seated around the table with her six friends and two princesses, with the royal guards having taken up stations around the room. It was the first chance she had had to sit down all morning. Once they had recovered from the sight of the battered Princess Luna hauling up the body of the unconscious Trixie, things had become very chaotic very quickly. Twilight and Celestia had taken Trixie, the two instantly launching into some manner of in-depth magical discussion about what had happened to her as they took Trixie up to Twilight’s quarters. Applejack hadn’t been able to follow any of what was being said. Instead, she decided to trail Rainbow, Rarity and a trio of royal guards to inspect the basement, or rather what was left of it, for any other signs of danger. Trixie and Luna had done a remarkably thorough job trashing the place, an opinion reinforced by the high-pitched squeaking and stuttering Twilight had done upon seeing it when she came down to fetch a series of heavy restraints she said were for Trixie.
After, Applejack had settled in at the table and waited for the rest to join them and find out what was going on. Luna and her medic had been the first to rejoin. The Princess of the Night was now sporting a heavily splinted wing and a wide bandage wrapped around her lower body, behind her wings. She had managed to find a tankard of cider from somewhere and was muzzle deep in it, a cross look on her face as she studiously ignored the flustered medic trailing in her wake. Twilight and Celestia returned shortly after from Twilight’s room, with Twilight looking more distressed than Applejack had seen her in a long time.
“Luna.” Celestia looked at her sister worriedly. The bruises and cuts Princess Luna got from her fight were unnerving, patched though the majority of them may be. “Are you positive this is indeed Trixie, back from the dead?”
“I amb, sister.” Luna tilted her head back down and pulled the latest pair of bloodied paper towels from her nose. They were added to the pile with the rest in the wastebasket beside her. She sighed and spared Celestia a glance with only one eye. Even if her wounds were going to disappear by the next nightfall, Luna still felt the pain of getting them.
“Her magic, even if tainted by the darkness, can only belong to a Lulamoon.” Luna scrunched up her nose and then snorted into a fresh towel, groaning at the sharp pain doing so produced. At least the flow of blood had finally stopped, she reflected before tossing that towel into the bin as well. “Trixie is the only Lulamoon left, and the dark magic mingled with hers belongs to the Amulet. There can be no question of that.”
“Ho-how is any of this possible?!” Spike tried to sound calm, he really did, but his young voice still held an unmistakable quiver to it. Fluttershy snuggled him a little closer, having taken over from Twilight when she was called away. “What is even happening?”
“Now that is a more complex subject,” Luna admitted. “All we know is that the Amulet dragged Trixie back from death’s domain. How that is even possible is beyond our comprehension.”
“What’s important now is Trixie,” Twilight stated. The scare of seeing Spike in danger and of Trixie turned into a monster proved to be far beyond what she could handle at first. Once Trixie had been brought back up from the basement, and she was called to Celestia’s side to assist, she had managed to regain her footing rather quickly. Celestia was her teacher and she was her student and that relationship of many years, that old feel of once more being by her mentor’s side, had served well to calm her shaken nerves. She was still certainly unsettled, but not as badly as before. “However it is, she's back now and we have to help our friend.”
Everypony agreed silently with her, nodding in reassurance to each other. Princess Luna’s uninjured eyed caught her sister smiling. Princess Celestia had to make a physical effort to hold her tears of pride for her student growing up.
“Easier said than done, Twi.” Applejack interjected. “Don’t get me wrong, Ah agree with ya, but Ah have my doubts on how we are supposed to help Trixie. If that even still is Trixie,” she muttered quietly.
“We could, uh, try to reason with her?” Those were Fluttershy’s first words since all of this started. Like Twilight, the entire situation hit her hard. But knowing that a friend was in need was enough for her to stay focused.
“I’m afraid I agree with Applejack, darling.” Rarity rubbed her neck uneasily. “Even if that’s Trixie, she barely seems to recognize us. Look at how she left Princess Luna!”
Luna waved a hoof in the fashionista’s direction. “Tis but a scratch.”
“We have to try, Rarity.” Twilight put both of her hooves over the table. “We have to try, for our friend.”
“I didn’t say we don’t, Twi, but how are we going to do anything if she’s trying to gut us?”
“I have been thinking on that as well, fair Rarity,” Princess Luna replied, “and I believe that such a fear is unfounded. What attacked me down there was the Amulet’s influence over Trixie’s body, which I managed to nullify in the end, much like my sister during her encounter with it. The Amulet is...” She was about to continue, but the explanation Celestia taught her back in the Black Room escaped her. “Sister, you’re more versed in these matters than I. Would you?”
“Indeed,” said Celestia, taking the hint. “Our best conjecture is that the Amulet was overriding or overwhelming Trixie’s sense of self restraint, making her act out of instinct instead of reason.” She let the information sink in for a moment before continuing. “The collar I have affixed her with is similar to a normal unicorn restraining ring, only an order of magnitude more powerful. It was intended for only the most powerful unicorns or other creatures of unpredictable magic. It is our theory that with the collar and the ring present to disrupt virtually all magical connections, it should be enough to allow Trixie’s personality to resurface with time.” Celestia thought on how ‘Should’ was the key word. She wasn’t really comfortable with the current odds, or the impossibility of calculating them.
“So, does that means we will get our non-monster Trixie back?” Pinkie Pie asked, waving her raised hoof in the air. “I mean. she looks metal and all, but I kinda miss the one we were friends with.” Everypony looked at Pinkie with surprise, but not because of her word, but because her hair was once again curled and her colors bright. They hadn’t seen her like that since Trixie’s funeral.
“We can only wait for her to awake and see. From what we saw during our examination, Trixie’s entire body was rebuilt by the Amulet, using dark magic.” Celestia didn’t want to say what was next, but she felt her ponies deserved the whole truth. “Due to the damages suffered in her accident, we can’t say how much of her mind managed to survive intact and how much the Amulet had to recreate from scratch. With the collar and the restraining ring on her suppressing the Amulet’s influence, all that we can do is wait and see.”
“That leaves Trixie as my responsibility.” Twilight was looking down. “She was under my care when we had the accident, after all.”
“Our responsibility, darling,” said Rarity. She leaned over and embraced Twilight. “We’re all her friends and it’s our duty to help her in any way we can.”
“Darn right. We’re all part of this. For better or worse, we deal with this together.”
One by one, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight put their hooves over the table together. Only one cyan hoof was missing. Twilight looked up to where Rainbow was sitting, finding out their friend wasn’t there.
“Wait...” Pinkie said. “Where’s Rainbow? She’s missing this Oscar Bait moment.”
Trixie and the raven were still staring at each other. Separated by the magically warded window, both of them could only watch and wait for something else to happen.
A new sound interrupted their silent communication. Trixie’s ear twitched around to try and focus on it better, and she eventually had to turn her head and look away from the window to do so. Only after a moment of focusing was she able to realize it wasn’t a single sound, but three, and that they were voices. Once she managed to give them enough attention, she was able to to understand what was being said.
“… Princess Celestia’s command, we can’t let you pass,” one of the voices said. That voice was deep, male. Or at least what she thought was a male one. How could she even know if she could barely remember anything?
“She said to guard her,” a quite raspy voice replied. “Also, the Princess’ apprentice, humm, sent me to watch over her. Yeah.” A feeling of nostalgia hit Trixie when she heard that voice. “Also, she’s all restrained, right?” It was almost familiar.
“She’s also awake. We heard her moving around a little while ago.”
“Well then. That will make the, uh, observations Twilight wants me to get better. Besides, you two big, strong stallions will be here right outside the door if anything happens, right? Yeah come on, you know I’m right, guy. Now open up.”
The only reply was the clinking of keys and the click of one of them entering the door’s lock. At seeing the doorknob moving, Trixie immediately felt the instinct of hiding under the bed’s sheets, but of course, the leather straps prevented from moving. The only thing she could do was beat the bed with her tail in frustration. From her forced point of view, she looked at the door opening and a cyan pegasus entering. She knew her, or at least she thought she knew her. But she couldn’t place a name to the face.
“Trixie?” the mare said, looking at the pony-or-monster strapped to the bed. Trixie did recognized her from before. She felt anger at this pony, for some reason, but also fear, and regret. She knew this mare, and there was something inside Trixie’s mind that associated her with sadness. The pure visage of her rainbow mane over the blue of her coat and the bloodshot magenta of her eyes looked like the very essence of despair to Trixie.
The pony of the sorrowful countenance trotted slowly towards Trixie’s bed.
“Wrrr?” Trixie tried to say ‘who’, but she realized she either forgot how to do it. Maybe she never really knew. Another one for the beast theory, she thought. It worked anyways, as the pegasus froze in place and looked straight at Trixie’s face.
“Trixie, are you-- can you hear to me? Can you... understand me?” Her voice was quivering, as if she was torn between choices. Probably among the lines of either staying or running away. Her uneasiness didn’t got better once Trixie raised her head to have a better look, the locks of her restraints jangling. The mare looked at her with sadness which made Trixie sad too, for some reason, and began to slowly approach her. They both stayed silent once the mare was right next to Trixie’s bed. Trixie, despite her curiosity demanding answers, didn’t know what to do. She wanted to know who was this pony and why she was familiar to her, but she didn't know the words to ask, much less how ask what she wanted to know. The mare, on her part, looked as if she was about to cry.
“Trixie, I--” The mare stopped before starting. Trixie lay unmoving, not knowing how to answer. “Do you remember me? Do you know what I’m saying? Anything..?” the mare asked.
Wariness told her to remain stock still, but the part that seemed to remember this pony urged movement. Trixie dipped her head once and then looked back at the mare. She didn’t know why, but it felt like the right thing to do. It seemed to work, as the pegasus seemed to relax and sat down on her haunches on the floor.
“I… came here to talk, are you okay with that?” Trixie didn’t want the mare to leave, so she nodded again. “Mare... are you still a mare? I mean, you look like, well, I’m not even sure, but not like a pony, that I can tell.” At hearing this, Trixie looked at the mare’s body, and then at her own. Her tail’s pointed tip was waving around and her claws shone as knives. It confirmed to Trixie how different they were.
“He-hey, sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” the mare apologized. Trixie looked back at her, realizing how much smaller the mare looked to her. “Look, that’s not why I came here. I-- Sorry, I don’t even know from where to start.” She chuckled grimly. “Can you believe it? Me, the ‘fastest flyer in Equestria’ dead in her tracks?” Trixie only tilted her head, not quite understanding what was happening.
The mare got Trixie’s attention back by raising a hoof and tentatively placing it on Trixie’s withers. Trixie tensed at the contact but didn’t move otherwise. She could feel the hoof trembling. Trixie thought it was because the mare was scared. She didn’t want this mare to be scared. Yes, Trixie seemed a beast, but part of her cried out in sorrow at realizing this poor, sad mare was scared of her.
She tried nodding again as that had worked before. It didn’t this time, she could still feel the mare trembling. Turning her head slowly and carefully, she bent around as much as she could and rubbed her cheek against the mare’s foreleg. She could feel the metal and leather of her muzzle pull as they slid over the mare’s smooth coat. That got a snort of laughter from the pegasus. She reached up with her other hoof, rubbing gently along the back of Trixie’s head. Neither hoof was shaking now.
Rain. Another spark had blinked into being in Trixie’s mind and she remembered part of the pony’s name; Rain… something…
“Trixie… I--” Rain tried to say. “If that-- If that’s really you still in there, I need you to listen to me.” Trixie looked up, at Rain’s eyes. “I don’t know what happened to you, or how much of it is my fault. I never wanted to harm anyone, but things got out of control.”
Something inside Trixie’s mind started to move. She suddenly remembered exactly how she died; falling down in agony and alone. But before she could even react to that, she also remembered her last days of being alive. The fear of being trapped forever, the hope of escaping and the cruel realization she would never be free again. Trixie squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, as if looking away from Rain would make it stop.
“T-Trixie.” Once again, Rain got her attention back. She ran her hoof along Trixie’s cheek, but so lightly, as though worried about touching her again. “Please, you have to listen to me, I know you can.” Trixie opened her eyes and saw how Rain’s eyes were in tears. “Look, the truth is-- when I said I didn’t know how much of this was my fault… I lied.”
Trixie felt bad for Rain. She wasn’t sure why she felt so guilty over Trixie. Maybe Rain knew what happened to her. This thought motivated Trixie to get free even more than before.
“I know how much of this is my fault.”
Another memory hit Trixie. This one was about dying the first time. She was like this, looking into the sad, scared eyes of a purple pony as she slipped away. The memory of the coldness she felt then sent a shiver racing through her body.
“I’ve been thinking around it since you came back.”
Somehow Rain’s word were triggering new images and feelings on Trixie. She could remember the moment she exchanged her soul and heart for power.
“I was the one who started the fight with you.”
Her mind went back to the hunger and loneliness after that first time in Ponyville.
Trixie felt something warm on her cheek. Carefully, Rain’s hoof cleaned her cheek. She was crying too. Both looked at each other as another memory hit Trixie. This time, it was of Rain and her facing each other.
“Trixie, if I haven’t heckled your show that first time, maybe nothing of this had to happen.”
Trixie didn’t know what to do. She pieced these new memories together and realized that Rain just confessed to have ruined her life. For a moment, she felt that anger consuming her like a fire. Trixie wanted retribution and were she not tied down she would be once swipe of her claws away from having it. Even now they flexed and pulled at the blanket beneath them, eager to lash out. However, something inside her stopped her from really hating Rain. There was something else to her, to Trixie. Something was fighting the feelings of anger and fear from the inside. Trixie’s head was a mess, she didn’t know what was happening to her. She had to look away from Rain.
Suddenly, like a shooting star in the blackest night, a torrent of Trixie’s memories came back. The years at the orphanage, her time at Celestia’s school after that. Her months traveling far and wide, the family she found in Neigh Orleans and the legacy that was expecting for her to claim it. The feeling of purpose while performing her shows far and wide, telling stories for cheers of the crowds and becoming a story by herself. And finally, after the tragedy hit, she also remembered the one thing that kept her sane. Trixie felt again the type of moment when she realized she wasn’t alone.
“I’m sorry, Trixie. It’s all my fault and you had to pay the price.” Rain broke down in tears, burying her head in her hooves and crying into the bed.
It was too much for Trixie, she had to get out of those restraints. Almost as soon as the desire to be free came to her, so did the memories and knowledge of how to do it. Trixie twisted her body up and around, pulling at the restraints as much as she could. Her tail was just long enough to reach her head. A few seconds of probing and she had found the lock that secured it. The hardened tip of her tail fit just inside and she quickly probed over the lock’s teeth. It popped with almost no effort and she was able to pull the hated muzzle from her head.
She tossed it to the bed behind her and then turned down to the weeping pegasus at her side. Despite what she had just had to do, Rain hadn’t noticed. She still had her head buried in her own hooves next to her. Trixie’s heart ached at the sight, and she once more felt the overwhelming need to comfort Rain… Bow… Dash. Her name was Rainbow Dash and she was her friend!
She leaned over, her friend just within reach. Trixie ran her muzzle over Dash’s multi-colored mane, resting her cheek against Rainbow’s ear.
Rainbow jerked back in surprise at the unexpected contact. The fear in her eyes vanished almost instantly after they locked with Trixie’s. Rainbow knew this was Trixie who was in front of her, and that she would never hurt her. Not even for the revenge Dash felt she owed to her.
“Trixie,” Dash leaned in and wrapped her forelegs around Trixie’s neck in the hug that her friend couldn’t give her. “I-- I don’t even know if it counts or not…” She got silent. Trixie just closed her eyes and nuzzled at the pegasus’ flyaway mane. It was the right thing to do. She knew it.
“If it’s in you to forgive me, then you're the better mare here,” Rainbow finally managed. Once again, Rainbow Dash broke down, but not in tears. She broke the hug and slumped back, avoiding Trixie’s gaze at all costs, and bowed to the ground, in shame for her mistake. Trixie wanted to say something, anything to her friend. She opened her mouth and desperately tried to remember.
“Rrrnnbow Dasshh,” Trixie managed to vocalize with some effort. Dash looked up, relief washing over her at the words. “Trrrxxxie frrrrgives you.”
“Rainbow… Dash,” Trixie whispered. “Are you… sure this… a good… idea?” Trixie was unsure of facing down the ponies downstairs, especially after she tried to outright kill two of them, and one of those two being a Princess. As the memories of her old life came back, so too did more recent ones.
“Sure thing, Trix.” Rainbow was guiding her friend to the room where she left the others before. They had a minor setback with the guards, specially when one of them fainted, but once Trixie proved she was in control of her actions, the remaining guard let them leave the room.
Upon reaching the door to downstairs, Rainbow insisted that Trixie wait there behind it for her to give the all-clear. Trixie nodded, content let Rainbow take the lead. She had a lot to think about she realized and wanted a little time before confronting the others. Trixie never liked the introspection, that’s why she always held her own story as a secret. But since she-- she had to say it, she needed to. She had to accept how this started.
Trixie took a long breath. For the first time in a long while, she actually felt the air filling her lungs, it was a nice feeling. After that, she swallowed in preparation for her next words to herself.
“I… died,” she still had problems with speaking, but she paused for another reason.
“Trixie… is dead.” She thought again about it.
Trixie remembered dying again. She remembered being dead, and then coming back. She remembered waking under the storm, baptised by the rain under the darkness. She felt again the experience of giving in to her most basic desires and instincts because at the time they were all she knew. The fear and anger driving her, fueling her actions like a fire. Trixie didn’t want to, but she remembered everything she did.
“My stars,” she whispered unconsciously. “What did… Trixie… do?” Being Trixie suddenly felt like a weight for her. She didn’t want to be a monster. She was a pony, wasn’t she?
Trixie looked around, searching for anything to distract her. However, when her eyes caught a ray of sunlight coming through a window, Trixie was met with another memory of her previous life; the pain of the light. She quickly looked away, hoping that Twilight stored her goggles somewhere. Growing impatient, she shuffled closer to the door, but when doing so, she tripped and fell face-first against the floor.
Trixie looked back at where her leg had stuck, but there wasn’t anything there. She twisted about and lifted her leg to look again, discovering three claw-marks dug deep in the wood. Then for the first time she really looked at her hooves, all her hooves, and saw the claws that had replaced her hooves. She closed her eyes, wishing that when she opened them again, her hooves would be back.
//But she hasn’t done anything wrong!// Trixie ear twitched, hearing Rainbow’s voice in the darkness. Without opening her eyes, she turned her ear towards the door.
//We still have to take precautions, Rainbow Dash,// Celestia answered her. //Even if what you say is true, she’s still too dangerous.//
Trixie cringed at hearing that. Against her best judgement, she opened her eyes. She looked at herself once again, unable to help but think of her new figure as that of a monster from one of her old stories. She even recalled a quite fitting description of a hellish spawn she once read. “After years of playing the hero of the story, I’ve now become the beast.” Trixie smirked at the irony.
Trixie shook her head, berating herself for thinking like that. She wasn’t a mindless beast. She was Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon, daughter of Hope Pearlshine Lulamoon. Born in Equestria, raised by its roads and heiress of the legacy of Roa. She may not be Great or Powerful, but she knew she was Trixie; she was not a monster. That was good enough.
“Okay,” she thought. “Now time to convince everypony else of that.” She took another deep breath, absently noting she had not needed to before, and struggled to her… paws. “Here goes nothing,” she closed her eyes and pushed the door open. Trixie entered the living room as naturally as she could, and opened her eyes.
“Trixie’s… sorry for… taking so… long.” She was still having troubles with her speech. Trixie gulped a little while trying to smile, but she noticed the fear and doubt in her friends’ faces, with the exception of Rainbow Dash. “Hello… everypony,” she saluted with a paw, trying to bend the claws under it. Trixie started to regret entering like this, but it was too late to go back. She looked around, meeting her gaze with the Princesses’ “Your… majesties,” Trixie bowed her head while closing her eyes. “Trixie’s… sorry for…” She couldn't help but dig her claws a little into the wooden floor. “For everything.”
Everypony stood where they were for what felt like an eternity. Literally none of them knew what to do next.
“Well… this is awkward,” Princess Luna broke the silence, trotting over Trixie. “Arise and open your eyes, daughter of Lulamoon. If it is truly you and not some deception.”
Trixie looked up at Princess Luna, a surge of panic running through her. The beating that Trixie had inflicted upon her had done nothing to diminish Luna’s regal air, nor the swelling of one eye to lesson her piercing glare. She was standing there, sipping from a mug of cider held in her magical aura, and looking down upon Trixie as an army general might upon a defeated and surrendering enemy. Trixie couldn’t help but wilt under that gaze, her tail tucking itself between her legs, as the memories of how all those injuries were caused came back to her.
“Now, Princess,” Rainbow Dash almost galloped next to Trixie. “I believe her.” She put a hoof over Trixie’s shoulder. Trixie looked back at Rainbow in awe. She wondered how much time she was buried, because she could swear that her friend seemed way more mature than before. “Trust me, this is our Trixie.”
“Ah’ll vouch for that.” Trixie felt another hoof over her shoulders. She looked at her left to see Applejack standing next to her. “If Rainbow trusts it’s her, enough fer me too.” Trixie wanted to reply, to thank Applejack for her trust.
“TRIXIE!” A pink voice assaulted Trixie’s new, more sensitive ears from behind.
“MEOW!” In another time, she would have just cringed a little while looking back at the now familiar blur of pinkness approaching her. However, the sudden surprise, combined with her already tense nerves caused Trixie forget any composure as her instincts took over. She jumped away from her enthusiastic assailant and dug her claws as hard as she could into the wood upon landing.
Once again, everypony froze in place, except for Pinkie, naturally.
“Oh my gosh, Trixie!” she exclaimed. “How are you doing that?” Pinkie’s unmistakable voice came from above Trixie’s head. Recovering from the surprise, Trixie opened her eyes and looked about but couldn’t spot any pony. It wasn’t until she tilted her head back that she was able to spot all her friends and the Princesses staring down at her from the ceiling. After reconsidering her point of view and that her mane and tail were hanging up, Trixie realized where she was.
“I… Trixie… doesn’t know.” She looked at her claws, firmly embedded in what she then realized was the ceiling. Trixie tried to yank them out, but she couldn’t. “Help?”
“She seems a tad more high-strung than aggressive, I’d say,” Celestia commented.
“That she does, Sister,” Luna affirmed, one eyebrow raised at the odd sight.
Trixie had expected Rainbow to fly up and help her, but instead, a sky-blue aura of magic got wrapped around her right front claws and gently pulled them out of the wood. She looked down, nervously locking eyes with Rarity, who calmly returned the gaze with a smile. It was at that time, seeing clearly how far from the ground she was, that Trixie’s clouded memories found the perfect moment to remind her she was slightly afraid of heights.
“Wait… Rarity.” As her right paw got free, Trixie dug the remaining three deeper in the wood and shook her head. Rarity stopped, but only for a moment to look aside. Then, she continued with Trixie’s left claws. Trixie was about to say something but a warm feeling around her barrel stopped her. Trixie looked at herself, noticing the purple aura holding her.
“Trust me, Trixie,” Twilight said calmly from down below. “I’m not letting you fall.”
Trixie was still nervous, but she tried to hide it. Despite the fear of falling, seeing her friends not afraid of her anymore was more important, so Trixie did what she could to stay still as Rarity worked with her rear claws. When there was only one leg left, Trixie couldn’t hold anymore and closed her eyes, shaking as her tail unconsciously wiped its pointed end against the roof, until two soft hooves took her forelegs. Trixie opened her eyes to meet Fluttershy’s upside down. She held Trixie’s paws while Twilight lowered her back to the floor.
Once back within their hooves reach, they all surrounded Trixie, holding her together to show they’d never leave her side again.
At the end of the day, the storm that hit Ponyville was already gone, the clear skies allowing the town to be painted in silver by the moonlight. The night’s fresh air also helped to calm the mood, specially for a certain librarian and her friends. Well, most of it. Twilight was still unsettled by the day’s happenings. She was lying inside her sleeping bag, looking straight up at the ceiling. Her mind was too busy to sleep, revisiting the day, trying to make any sense of what just happened.
Princess Celestia had a talk with Trixie, but unlike their previous ones, this happened with everypony present. Twilight stood next to Trixie the entire time as the Princess asked Trixie all kinds of questions about herself. Afterwards though, Trixie had done something unexpected; she asked for a second talk with the Princesses, just them and her that time. Twilight and the rest were unsure, but Trixie requested they trust her. Reluctantly, the girls left for the privacy of Twilight’s room. After the longest hour in any of their lives, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had their own private conversation with the six before returning once more to Canterlot. What they had asked of Twilight and the others in that conversation was still keeping the unicorn awake that night.
*thunk*
Twilight’s ears twitched at the noise coming from the kitchen. She checked around to see if anypony else had noticed it, but after being woken up at the sunrise, plus one tartarus of a day, they were all too tired to do anything but sleep. Twilight checked the clock and didn’t blame them for being asleep at four and twenty-two in the night. Or was it morning? Either way, she quietly rose from her sleeping bag and went for the door. She gave her friends one last look, only to realize Trixie wasn’t in her sleeping bag either.
Twilight rushed downstairs. Why did Trixie leave the room? And more important, how? She has been awake the entire time and would have surely heard and seen Trixie getting up. In fact, the door was still closed, which meant Trixie was somehow able to open and close it without making any sound, in near total darkness. Twilight’s ears picked up some movement, once again coming from the kitchen, but all the lights were still off. She gulped a little, not knowing what to expect when she got in and turned the kitchen’s lights on.
Twilight looked around, hearing Trixie’s voice right next to her but not seeing anypony in the kitchen but herself.
“Up here.” Trixie said from the ceiling. Twilight looked up and found Trixie with her eyes shut tight, holding on a beam with her claws. “And since… you are… at it… could you..?”
Twilight nodded as she magically yanked out Trixie’s claws, supporting her in the air. Once Trixie was back in the floor, she covered her eyes with a paw.
“I’m sorry we--” Twilight stumbled over her next words. “We buried you with them.” She tried to not think about it. “I can turn off the lights, though.”
“Yes, please.” Twilight turned off the lights. Trixie opened her cat eyes with a grin on her face. They glowed faintly red in the darkness of the kitchen, now lit only by the moon outside. “Ahh, much… better.” She looked at Twilight and her grin was replaced by a guilty expression. “Trixie’s sorry… for waking… you, Twilight.”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t sleeping anyways.” That clicked something in Twilight’s mind. “In fact, how did you got here? I was awake, I should have heard and see you leaving the room.”
“Puh-leeze,” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Trixie has… dedicated… an entire life… to understanding… and practicing… illusions.” She waved a claw in quick circles as she spoke, as if trying to force the words to come out faster. “If I can’t… get out of… a closed room… without being noticed…” Trixie let the idea sink in Twilight’s mind while turning away. Twilight thought she was offended, but then she noticed the stove’s flame in the darkness and that Trixie had turned away to tend to the pot over it. Twilight smelled the air, finally noticing the strong aroma of herbs and spices.
“Trixie?” Twilight looked over the table, studying the silhouettes of different packages and dishes in an effort to discern Trixie’s purpose. “What… are you… doing?”
“Are you… imitating… Trixie?” she said without turning her head.
“Nononononono, I’m sorry,” Twilight apologized as quick as she could. “I’m just curious. What are you doing?”
“If you… must know.” Trixie took a spoon with her tail and mixed the pot’s content. “Trixie is… rediscovering… the pleasures… so long… denied her.” Then, she did something Twilight never expected her to do. Trixie took a sip of the food. She looked so happy, closing her eyes while licking her lips and then clicking her tongue against the palate. Using her tail again, she took a hooful of herbs from the table and let it fall inside the pot. Twilight was very surprised at Trixie’s dexterity with a limb she only had for less than a day. “After all… Trixie… hasn’t eaten… in weeks.”
“You can eat now?” Twilight tilted her head.
“Wasn’t sure… at first.” Trixie closed the pot and lowered the flame under it. “Started as… just hunger… as usual… But then… Trixie tried… with bread… then an apple… eventually… I realized… Trixie was… preparing… chili”
“Wait,” Twilight considered Trixie’s words. “What do you mean by ‘as usual’?”
“Trixie always… felt it.” She took a chunk of bread in her claws and started to eat.
“Even when you--” The question got stuck on Twilight’s throat as she considered what it meant. “Even when couldn't eat?” She gazed at how Trixie finished with the chunk of bread and quickly got her claws on a muffin.
“Especially… when she… couldn't eat.” She ate the muffin in one bite, happily chewing it.
That only got Twilight more nervous. She thought about it, about all the days Trixie spent unable to eat while literally everypony around her could. She couldn’t help but imagine being in Trixie’s horseshoes, being hungry while also having food in front of her, but being unable to even touch it. Then, she realized that Trixie felt it for days, if not weeks, all while she and her friends didn’t even know that Trixie was in such pain. That first day that Trixie had made her breakfast, the pancakes, must have been torture for her to have made yet never be able to taste. Throughout it all, she hadn’t said a thing.
“Was that why you went after Berry Punch’s wine?” Twilight nearly blurted out. “Because you were thirsty after all this time?” After the Princesses had left, Twilight and Fluttershy had gone into town to pick up groceries for the now-extended sleepover and had run across Berry hauling up shattered barrels from her cellar. The earth pony had told them the tale of her encounter with a monster in the night and how she had to spend all morning cleaning up its mess. She had been rather shocked upon learning that Trixie was that monster and what had happened to her after Twilight told her.
“The wine… the wine…” Trixie croaked, her face scrunched up as she tried to remember. It relaxed into a smile when the memory came back to her. “Yes, Trixie… supposes she was. You can… blame Cheerilee… for that.” She lifted the spoon from the pot on the stove and licked its contents. “At Pinkie’s party… she told Trixie… the story… of her… family’s cellar. She joked that… the wine was… so good… it could restore Trixie… to life.” She chuckled and returned the spoon to the chili before the smile slid off her face. “Trixie will… go to Berry… tomorrow… and apologize.”
“I think we’ll need go around town again and explain what’s happened to you,” Twilight gently suggested. “So that other ponies are prepared for you this time.”
Trixie nodded and turned to face Twilight. The unicorn couldn’t help feeling unnerved at those glowing red eyes looking at her from out of the darkness again. “Twilight?” Trixie gently asked her. “Can Trixie… ask you… something?” Twilight nodded vigorously, relieved to have something else to think of. “How was… Trixie’s… funeral?”
And any relief Twilight felt just banished to never be seen again. “Your funeral?” Twilight asked, uncertain of how to answer.
“Yes, Trixie is… curious. It’s not... a question... most ponies... can ask.” She nodded back towards the pot. “The chili… is done… we can talk… over it.”
Twilight arranged the plates and silverware with her magic, while Trixie got the pot off the oven and placed it on the table. Then, using her tail again, she served two generous portions in both bowls and sat down next to Twilight, ignoring the silverware and going muzzle first into the still-steaming chili. Twilight took the moment to think about what to say to Trixie. How do you tell somepony about her own funeral? She considered it while mindlessly taking a spoonful of the chili.
Whatever thoughts she might have had on the topic were annihilated by the first taste of the chili hitting her tongue.
“Oh, sweet Celestia!”
Twilight bolted from her chair and over to the sink, sticking her head under the faucet and sucking on the merciful cold water that still seemed to do little to abate the burning on her tongue. “What did you put in there, Trixie, thermite?” Twilight wondered why the bowls weren’t dissolving and making holes in the table.
“Emerald Archer’s… secret recipe,” Trixie commented while patting Twilight’s back, the slightest trace of smugness in her voice. “Drink this.” She pulled Twilight out of the sink and offered her a glass of milk. Twilight drank it greedily, sighing in relief as the burn finally slowed. “Too bad… you didn’t have… all the… right ingredients. Trixie couldn’t… make it… hot enough.”
“Not hot enough?!” Twilight exclaimed, still sweating bullet and crying tears of pain.
After Twilight’s encounter with the infernal chili, she needed a rest to recover her ability to think coherently. After clearing their dishes, Trixie joined her and sat down on an opposing cushion in the main room, waiting in the darkness for Twilight to say something. After that didn’t happen, she thought about what she was a about to say and how. Specifically how. She knew she should be able to speak better than she was but still having a frustrating time of it. The rest of her body, alien though much of it now appeared, was easier for her to function in.
“Twilight,” she started. “Are you… better?”
“Yes, Trixie.” Twilight was resting her head in a small pillow over the cushion. “Thank you.”
“Well?” Trixie tried to not sound too demanding, at first. “You aren’t… getting out… of this.” She rose from her seat and trotted towards Twilight, having to stare down at her with her new height. “Tell Trixie… about her funeral.” As Trixie expected, the gesture put Twilight alert got her focused once more. Now Trixie just needed to prevent her from getting scared. “Please.” She lay down in front of Twilight, resting her head over her crossed paws. “Trixie wants… to know.” Internally, Trixie was proud to see she hadn’t lost her showmare-ism.
Twilight still didn’t know how to react. Even with the restraining ring on her horn and a new restraining collar over her neck, Trixie’s new body was intimidating to see. On the other hoof, she was still Trixie in the inside; a pony who was lying down, looking up at Twilight after asking her to tell her about her own funeral. That last thought only brought more confusion to Twilight’s troubled mind. She finally decided to wing it and hope for the best. Twilight told Trixie about the funeral as she recalled it, all while Trixie listened silently, only moving her tail from side to side. The first real reaction she got was when Twilight brought up the Pie family and what Maud had done at the start of the ceremony.
“That’s what… Maud said… about me?”
Trixie’s question, and the choked tone it was asked in, caught Twilight off guard and she had to stop. Where Trixie had been listening to her recounting with polite interest before, she now appeared to be fighting to hold something back. Twilight tilted her head a little, asking in concern, “Trixie, are you alright?”
Replying with a jerky nod, Trixie then looked away, fidgeting with her paws. To Twilight it looked like she was struggling very hard not to break down emotionally. She was about to ask again when Trixie spoke first. “Trixie… wouldn’t have imagined...” She shifted about on the cushion again, her tail tucking in tighter. “She was a … lousy employee.” Trixie ran a claw in circles over the floor. “If anything… I expected them… to be relieved… at Trixie’s departure.” She looked around, scratching her claws together while also clicking her tongue. Trixie’s tail inadvertently hit the cushion’s carpet, making a muffled sound. A shiver ran through her as she drew herself up, once more looking at Twilight. “Who else?” she suddenly asked. “Who else came to mourn for Trixie?”
“Well…” said Twilight, as she tried to decide if she should press the issue or not. It struck her that Trixie’s reaction indicated there was much more to the matter than she had just admitted. “There were quite a few in attendance. In your terms, Trixie, you got a full house.” Twilight smiled at her, having decided to go for sure and supportive for now. She promised herself she’d bring up Trixie and her time with the Pie family later, when she felt Trixie would be better able to handle it. “Actually, there were a couple attendants that I’m rather curious to know how you met. I didn’t have the opportunity to ask them at the time.”
Trixie cocked her head to a side, accidentally cracking her neck. The sound brought her back to reality. “You will have… to be more… specific… Twilight,” she shrugged and closed her eyes. “So far… Trixie’s notion… was that she… was alone.” Trixie smiled serenely, but Twilight could see its brittle edges.
“Well, the one that stood out the most was a griffon. She had speckled feathers and grey fur. She wore a kerchief around her neck, the same pattern as your old cape,” said Twilight, gesturing to her own neck with a hoof.
Trixie blinked and frowned, trying to bring up the memory of who that might be from the depths. Eventually, her face melted into a smile. “Gisela. Her name… is Gisela.”
Twilight nodded and told Trixie of Gisela’s actions at the cemetery. “Now, I have read a little about griffon culture, and supposedly that was a gesture of great respect. How did you two meet, if I may ask.”
“Trixie saved her life... if you... must know,” Trixie replied, the smile still holding on her muzzle. “This was… almost two years… ago now. Trixie was… traveling out… through the Smokey… Mountains. Gisela had been… set upon by… bandits.” She shrugged, trying to show it was no big deal. “A few… fireworks and… some stage magic... scared… them off. Gisela was… in no shape… to continue… on her own… and Trixie would never… abandon… a fellow traveller... so Trixie ended up… giving her… a ride… in her wagon… as we were both… headed to… the same city. Since she had… no means… on her… to repay Trixie’s… kindness, Gisela… instead told her… stories of her… homeland and… her own travels.” The smile had spread across her muzzle into a full smile at the fond memories. “Trixie actually… spent a week… longer in that city… than she intended… because she enjoyed… Gisela’s company so. In fact… her stories inspired… Trixie… to take her show… to the griffon… territories. She was making… her way back east… and working towards… that goal when she… first ran into… Ponyville.”
“Oh… um, I hadn’t realized,” said Twilight as she squirmed on her cushion. She quickly jumped to the next subject. “Okay, how about Cranky Doodle? He and Matilda left a bouquet of flowers over your…” She never said the next word; casket. Twilight was having a lot of problems in accepting that she was speaking to a pony whose funeral she attended.
“Cranky… Cranky…” Again Twilight could tell when the memory came to Trixie by her smile. “Cranky Doodle Donkey. So, Cranky Doodle… the Good… finally found... his love,” Trixie opened her eyes and looked over at Twilight in interest. “I’m glad… to hear it. Where did… he finally… find her?”
“Ponyville, actually. It turns out she had moved here a number of years ago and in all his travels he had never come through here himself. Given the extent of your own travels I’m not too surprised you two had crossed paths. Where was that?”
Trixie paused from scratching the back of her ear with a single claw. “Trixie met him… a few months… back… while she was... in Manehattan.” She smirked at the memory, as if she was remembering something particularly funny. “We were in... the same bar... after a particularly bad show... on Trixie’s part. Trixie saw him… so alone and… sad. We ended up… so wasted. Heh. Trixie suggested… Ponyville… to him.” She laughed out loud.
If it wasn’t for the silence spell cast by Twilight, she would have probably woken up the rest of the girls upstairs. However, Twilight found the sound of her laughter unsettling. The feeling wasn’t helped by the terrifying sight of four sharp and quite long fangs in Trixie’s wide open mouth.
“Ah-hem!” Twilight coughed as loud as she could, magically amplifying the sound. Trixie cut herself by shutting her snout with her claws, still giggling under it.
“Trixie’s sorry -heh- Twilight.” She was smiling wide while shutting her eyes tight. The image was quite appalling for Twilight. “But you must.. understand -ha!- Trixie was…blind drunk -ha ha ha!”
“No, Trixie, I don’t understand.” Twilight rose from her seat and trotted closer to her friend. At the back of her mind, she remembered the image of a joker card she saw when she was a filly, with the juggler looking like a demon rather than a clown. “Trixie, what are you laughing at?”
“Cranky found… Matilda… in Ponyville!” Trixie coughed to stop her laughter, coughing a little while also taking air. It was the first time Twilight realized that Trixie was breathing again. “Trixie never… expected for… her to be… here.”
“What?”
“It was after… the ursa… situation.” The memory seemed to put a complete end to Trixie’s laugh. “Trixie said to… Cranky… ‘go to Ponyville’… as an insult.”
Then she started to laugh again. Twilight tried to be angry at Trixie once she realized what really happened, but looking back at how it had all turned out, she couldn’t help but laugh. They went at it for a good chunk of time, until they were eventually caught by the first rays of sun and a surprisingly early awoken Fluttershy. After that, the others soon followed and went downstairs too.
Trixie served them all chili for breakfast. It went as well as one would expect.
“Would you be considered, under any current Equestrian legal definition, alive?”
Trixie couldn’t help clench her jaw in resentment at the question, her claws flexing within their boots. The single lash of her tail was the most obvious reaction she gave to the question.
“No.”
As with the rest of the major government buildings in Canterlot, the Hall of Justice's pristine white walls shone under the sun outside. Its semi-circular frame, flanked by the two towers, was an imposing sight to everypony who passed nearby the frontal pool. The water was crystal clear, reflecting the blue sky and, along with the mirror windows, illuminated everything around the Hall. It was almost as if the building itself was the source of enlightenment.
The inside of the Hall of Justice was as imposing as the exterior. In a hard contrast to the pristine white marble of the outside, the inside had a more austere semblance. The floor was made of a dark wood, polished into a smooth but harsh surface. Once entering the main doors, the lobby was almost gigantic, with two hallways extending to the lateral towers and a bigger main one that extended immensely. The three corridors led to the different courtrooms and offices. Along the endless hallways, in between doors, there were various benches made of the same wood as the floor. The building served Equestria’s interests in both matters of civilian law and military, the latter being case for the small courtroom on the east annex where Trixie sat.
It had been several hours since the special court-martial for recruits Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust had begun. The Wonderbolts, being a special aerobatic flight demonstration team within the E.U.P. Guard, were subject to military jurisdiction, as were their recruits. While defendants could still be represented by civilian counsel, as was the case of Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust, it was a military judge and a panel of three E.U.P Guard officers, one from each branch of the service, that sat in judgement.
“That has been the case for just over a month now, correct?” asked Swift Justice, the defense counsel.
“Correct,” Trixie responded stiffly.
The morning had been opening arguments by the trial counsel and defence counsel. The trial counsel, Word Doc, had argued that the actions of Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash had created an environment where a disaster such as the tornado was inevitable. He painted both ponies as reckless and used their conduct in training prior to the incident as proof. His main witness had been Spitfire, and he used the Captain’s own reports about Dash’s and Dust’s conduct during training to establish a history of endangerment and general disregard for other ponies. Swift Justice did her best to try and mitigate the damage, but even with Spitfire’s impassioned testimony that it was really her that fostered the environment of recklessness, that she was the one who insisted they push beyond what was considered safe and that her recruits were not wholly to blame for it, Trixie and her friends could see that of the three officers on the panel, only the pegasus colonel had been obviously swayed. The unicorn major and earth pony colonel remained impassive.
Rainbow Dash had not been greatly helping her case, often sitting slumped her seat with a morose look on her face. It had taken the work of all her friends and counsel to get her to not outright plead guilty to all charges at the start of the trial. When Lightning Dust had spoke up during that pre-trial meeting to suggest that Dash was crazy for wanting to plead guilty at all given the evidence, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight were all needed to hold Dash back.
“Technically speaking, you are not even a pony now. The magic that revived your body has transformed you into something else. But before that, you were nothing more than an animated corpse. Correct?”
Trixie squeezed her claws into the chair below her, fighting not to try and break it in half and use it to assault the mare before her. From their meeting before court, this was the part of their defence plan that Trixie hated the most. That she would have to be the one to say these words both angered and sickened her to no end. To have others apply such labels to her was one thing, but to willingly do it to herself was another. Still, the only other option was to let a pony she had come to see as a dear friend ruin her life.
That didn’t make it any easier and she could feel her stomach clench in rage at what she had to do. “Trixie was a pony whose body was successfully brought back by dark magic. This is an act not recorded since the Discord Era. The name for such a being is--” Trixie had to stop and swallow her dry throat. “The name for such a being is Necro Sapiens Sapiens.”
Trixie glared daggers at the pony standing before her on the courtroom floor while she sat in the witness box, not even the protection of her mask allowed while testifying. The outfit she wore that day was similar to her one from before. She had a vest to cover her barrel and hide the pattern of the Amulet on her chest. The cape and hat she wore, once again bearing the star pattern, were in a darker tone of purple but left behind with the rest of the girls on the gallery bench. She wore heavier boots on her feet due to her claws instead of the lighter socks from before. The biggest change was that instead of the veil she used to have, Trixie insisted on wearing a full-face mask. At first, Rarity objected against it, arguing that she wouldn’t help Trixie hide from the world, but Trixie convinced her that they needed to cover her blood-red eyes, or else she would be too intimidating. At the end, they settled for a white featureless one, as Rarity needed more time to design something less plain. Despite being taller than all but the lankiest unicorn mares and largest stallions, Trixie had been able avoid an overabundance of unwanted attention on her trip to Canterlot’s Hall of Justice.
But here, on the stand, she couldn’t hide from any pony. The mask had to come off exposing her angular, predatory features. There was no disguising the vivid blood red of her eyes. Her voice was still too grave and aggressive, and she had to speak clearly for the panelist and the judge. None could mistake her for a pony, but then again, that’s what they wanted from her. She just wished they didn’t.
That she had been forced into this situation, to say these things with her own lips, was humiliating on a level she had not thought possible to experience. Trixie never expected the day she would look back at the time the Ursa incident with longing. But that was the past now, when she had been alive
Trixie was no longer a pony, she was a dead thing. She had not truly been a pony for a long time. To have to admit that, in court and under oath, was…
… was the only way to save a friend. In the end, that is what would get her through it.
“Could you please tell the court how that condition came about and what it means in relation to what happened on the day of the incident outside the Academy?”
So Trixie did.
Word Doc’s cross-examination was even more humiliating. To argue that your own lack of heartbeat, lack of breathing, lack of all signs of life but movement meant that your friend could not have killed you because, actually, you were already dead, was the hardest thing Trixie had done in her life (and the period after it). To not be able to grasp at the straws that Word offered -- that wasn’t blood on the side of the cliff-face, it was necroplasm; the doctors and Celestia had never revived Trixie in the hospital that first time, she had died before ever returning to Ponyville -- was the worst of it.
In the end, she felt she had established what Swift had hoped they would; a murder charge cannot stand when the subject of that murder was not alive in the first place.
Swift Justice gave her a look that said that she understood what Trixie was going through, as Trixie walked by the defence’s table after leaving the stand. Testimony about unpleasant things was hard but necessary for justice to be served the look said. It was what they had agreed to before all this started after all.
That still didn’t mean Trixie liked her for having forced her to do it.
“Trixie is… going to go outside for a bit,” Trixie rasped to the rest of the girls as she rejoined them at their seats. She realized she was shivering when she secured her mask once more over her face. “She needs some fresh air... after all this.”
“I’ll go with you,” Fluttershy offered softly as she got up and slid off the bench.
Trixie nodded to her and gave Twilight an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Her fellow unicorn had been called to testify next, about her part as pilot and to act as an expert witness to reinforce what Trixie had said about her condition. About her death.
She wished she could be there to offer Twilight her support, but there was only so much pain Trixie could endure right then.
Trixie had recomposed herself by the time the verdict was offered. She had missed Twilight’s testimony on the more technical aspects of Necro Sapiens and her explanation for piloting a balloon into military controlled airspace, unannounced, that was the cause of the whole debacle. It was all information she had heard before anyway, so that didn’t matter.
Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash both stood at attention alongside Swift Justice and Word Doc as the verdicts on the charges were read, Dash staring ahead stoically and not reacting while Dust would fidget a little after each charge.
The murder charge, the one that everypony was most concerned over, was dismissed. Trixie’s own testimony backed up by the evidence Twilight provided in the form of their studies to ‘cure’ Trixie seemed to have done the job.
The charges for failure to obey regulation, noncompliance with procedural rules, and those related to unbecoming conduct were all returned with guilty verdicts. Lightning Dust looked near panic but held back well; Rainbow appeared almost relieved.
The most surprising part came during the sentencing. In light of her position as Wingpony during the incident and past history of service to Equestria, Rainbow Dash was given an absolute discharge of her sentence; she would carry a criminal record for a period of one year, barring her from reapplication to the Wonderbolts or any other Equestrian military branch until the year was over and record cleared, but was not to be punished in any other way. Lighting Dust, for her position as Leadpony, was given a conditional discharge of her sentence; she would not serve prison time, but instead be referred to civilian authorities for a probation period of nine months and be barred from ever applying to join the Wonderbolts or any other Equestrian military branch again in the future.
Trixie couldn’t help think that Rainbow didn’t look nearly as relieved with the verdict as she would have expected.
As they stepped out of the courtroom, there was an air of triumph among them. Pinkie was the most animated of the girls, jumping up and down and sideways while constantly rambling about the future ‘Rainbow Dash is Innocent’ party she was going to throw once they were back home. Spike and Applejack couldn’t help but agree with the idea, and even Fluttershy seemed more animated than usual on the prospect.
However, there were two ponies who weren’t part of the celebration, despite one being the protagonist of the whole ordeal. Rainbow Dash and Trixie trotted slower than the others, almost stopping half down the hall. Twilight noticed this and trotted back to them.
“Is everything all right, girls?”
“Uh, it is,” Trixie replied, rather surprised she had beaten Dash to an answer. That did seem to confirm the hunch she had about the pegasus and why she was hanging back as well. She spared Dash a quick glance before turning back. “If it would be okay Twilight, Trixie would like a little bit of time to herself. It’s been a very long time since she has walked the streets of Canterlot and she feels drawn to do so. She’ll meet you at the train station when we’re scheduled to go home.”
“I… I don’t really know,” Twilight stammered. “I don’t want to leave you alone, not in your condition and all--”
“Dash will be with me.” Trixie spared Rainbow another glance. “Besides, I want to have a private word with her. If that’s alright.”
Twilight was about to respond when Dash interrupted her. “Relax, Twi. Like she said, I’ll be with her.” It was the most Rainbow had spoken since her testimony at trial.
That seemed to reassure the purple unicorn, and she nodded gave them a weak smile before going to rejoin the rest of their friends. If they wanted to find her or the others, they would be visiting Celestia at the palace for tea. Perhaps there might even be good news for Trixie.
The two blue ponies turned by unspoken agreement and made their way over to a bench in one of the smaller, quieter side hallways of the Hall of Justice. After a solid minute of sitting together on one of the hard wooden benches, Trixie decided she was going to take the white side.
“Well,” she began by looking at Rainbow out of the corner of her eye. “Are you going to tell… Trixie what’s bothering you?” She turned her head slowly to Dash, who was already looking at her. Trixie noticed she was still sporting that same sorrowful countenance she had since Trixie came back. “Rainbow, what’s going on with you?”
Rainbow Dash’ expression hardened more as Trixie talked. She closed her eyes for a second and let out a sigh. Opening her eyes again, she started, “You see, I--” Rainbow stopped all of a sudden as she looked at Trixie, making her tilt her head in confusion. “Trix, could you please drop that mask? It gives me the creeps.”
“Rainbow, you know why Trixie has to wear it.” She put a gloved paw over the featureless white mask that hid everything but her red eyes. “I don’t even look equine… anymore.” Trixie looked down at her claws. Even if Rarity’s boots hid them, she could still notice the deadly talons under the fabric. “I could, and would disturb some sensibles ponies.”
“Well, I’m not a ‘sensible’ pony.” Rainbow puffed her chest. She then quickly glanced at both sides of the hallway “And we’re alone here, so there’s no need for it.” Rainbow Dash put a hoof over the mask’s cheek, where Rarity painted Trixie’s cutie-mark. “Please, I want to see my friend’s face. The real one.”
Trixie imitated Dash’s gesture of looking both sides of the hallway. After she confirmed the place was empty, Trixie reached with a paw to the back of her head. A click was heard and Trixie held the mask within her claws and slowly lowered it. Rainbow couldn’t help but agree with Trixie’s decision of hiding her face. Although it wasn’t as disturbing as when she looked like the trotting dead --which she was at some extent-- Trixie’s new face was still unsettling. Because of the fangs and the sleeker muzzle, Rainbow couldn’t help but compare Trixie with the griffon she knew growing up, ready to hunt living prey. The illusion was stronger when combined with Trixie’s claws, taller build and darker colors, making her look like a nightmarish predator in the eyes of most of ponies.
“Better?” Trixie asked with some sarcasm, yet which Rainbow nodded approvingly. “Now it is your turn Rainbow.” She looked at her straight in the eye. “You were just pronounced a free mare. Why do you look as if you were just condemned?”
Rainbow Dash sighed in response and looked away. Trixie tried to understand her, she really did. So far, Trixie and Rainbow had proven to be very similar, and that made their friendship feel all the more natural. Their competitive natures, their prideful stances, their need of being better than before with each step. Those similarities made them understand each other easily, so not knowing why Rainbow seemed so defeated was not only new for Trixie, but it was almost as if she lost touch with her completely.
“Rainbow.” Trixie grabbed Rainbow’s hooves with her claws, causing the pegasus to flinch and look up at her. “Is it Trixie’s fault?”
“What?!” Rainbow Dash asked in a hurry. “Nonononono, no!” As she said that, she shook her head rapidly too. “Trixie I-- ugh…” She put pulled her hoof free and rubbed it over her forehead. “Trixie, is not your fault, it’s just--” As Rainbow waved her hooves in front of her, Trixie put her left claw over Rainbow’s shoulder.
“Then what it is, Rainbow Dash?” Trixie tried to keep her voice assuring, but the way Rainbow denied it so quickly made Trixie wonder if she really was at fault for Rainbow being like this.
“Trix, look.” Rainbow took a deep breath and sighed loudly. “It’s not your fault and I get you were trying to help me, but you shouldn’t have done that.”
“Done what?” Trixie asked in confusion. “You mean testifying… in your favor?”
“Yes!” Rainbow threw her hooves in the air. “I shouldn't be free of charges!”
“But Rainbow, that doesn’t make… sense.” Trixie stood up from the bench to look at Rainbow head on. “You were charged with… my death, but Trixie is… Well, that’s not the point. The point is that you’re… not guilty.”
“That’s not true!” Rainbow snapped at Trixie and then she quickly turned her head away. Trixie heard a faint whimper coming from her.
“Rainbow Dash, you are not at fault… for what happened to… Trixie.” She tried to assure her.
“Then whose fault is it?” Rainbow snapped back immediately. “Who made that damn tornado? Who was so arrogant to think that was a good idea?” Trixie tried to interrupt her, but Rainbow was talking louder and faster. “Tell me, Trixie. If I’m innocent, then who the f*ck is the one who almost killed all of her friends and succeeded in killing one?”
“But you didn’t--”
“I was at your funeral!” Rainbow shouted over her. “Damn it, Trixie! You were in a coffin that I carried and saw getting buried.” Her voice broke on that last word as she started to pant. Trixie realized she was hyperventilating and rushed to hug her tight.
“It’s all over.” Once again, Trixie tried to assure her friend. “The damage was undone… Trixie is back and we can all--”
“No.” Rainbow barely whispered between rushed breaths, but it was enough to make Trixie stop talking. “You don’t understand.”
“Then help me understand.” She pulled back from the hug to look at Rainbow in the eyes and saw that she was crying. “Dash, what happened to you?” In response, Rainbow clenched her teeth and shut her eyes tight as she whipped the tears from her face with a hoof.
“Trixie, I’m happy you’re back, but that doesn’t change what I did.” Rainbow opened her eyes again, but she quickly turned away. “I should be punished for what I did, that’s just what’s fair. That’s what’s right.” She closed her eyes again, hanging her head low in shame and regret.
The showmare sat on her haunches and gaped at her friend. The first laugh surprised her. “Heh.” Others swiftly poured out after it. “He he ha ha ha!” Rainbow opened her eyes to see what was going on, but she immediately regretted it. “Ha ha ha ha ha!” Early that day, Twilight commented that there was a residual magic effect that made Trixie look scarier to other ponies than she truly was. At first, Rainbow didn’t believe that, but now, seeing Trixie with her head thrown back, muzzle open exposing jaws full of predatory teeth and laughing like a madmare was just too much. “Ha ha ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
“Trixie!” Rainbow shouted as loud as she could. That stopped Trixie’s nightmarish laughter, as she looked back at her. “What the--” But Rainbow noticed two greenish black drops streaming down Trixie’s cheeks. “Are you alright?”
“I’m sorry, it’s just…” Trixie trailed off, a sad smile on her muzzle as she blinked the last few tears from her eyes. “It’s just too much irony… for Trixie to handle.” She used her gloved claw to wipe the necroplasm tears from her face, remembering how Rarity had to use a special fabric that could resist the acid, just in case. Trixie looked back at Rainbow, noticing the face of pure fear and confusion on her face, and decided to slow it down. “Here, allow Trixie to explain.” She sat down back on the bench. “Tell me, Rainbow Dash, have you noticed… how similar you and… Trixie are?”
“Okay,” Rainbow tilted her head. “What about it?”
“Well, I think I just found… the difference between you… and Trixie.” She smiled darkly while hanging her head lower. Rainbow couldn’t tell if the grin was merely sardonic or forced at this point. “You remember what Trixie… did the first time you encountered her?”
“You mean your show?” Rainbow thought about it. She really didn’t want to go back at that day.
Trixie waved her paw in dismissal. “After that. I meant what Trixie did… that night, after everything was said… and done.” She paused to let Rainbow think, but as soon as she saw the answer coming, she spoke again. “Trixie ran away.”
“So?” Rainbow Dash was still confused.
“Trixie ran away because… she knew what happened was… her fault.” She quickly raised her left claw to stop Rainbow’s eventual protest. “Don’t try to soften it, Rainbow Dash… I’ve come to terms with… what is my fault and what I… have brought upon myself.” She lifted the borders of her cape with both of her claws to show her body. “All of this, despite what you or Twilight… or Pinkie Pie or anypony… else says, is the eventuality… of my own doing.” She let the cape fall along her head. “And I am aware of that now.”
“Trixie, you…” Rainbow tried to calm her down.
“And here you are, Rainbow Dash,” Trixie continued headlong, ignoring the pony beside her. “Like Trixie, your actions could have cost ponies… their lives. Even though, in the end, nopony died… because of what we did, you still stood up… and said, ‘I did this. I will face the consequences… This was my fault and noponyelse’s.’” She raised her head, the smile still barely hanging on as green leaked from the corners of her eyes. “I can’t tell you how much… I admire you. How much I admire your courage.” Trixie clenched her teeth, feeling again how the weight of her actions did so much damage, especially to her friends. “If I was half as righteous… or strong as you are, none of this would be… happening.” Trixie stumbled, as if the weight of her own body was too much. She hugged Rainbow Dash tightly, pressing her down with her bigger size. “You don’t deserve to carry… the weight of Trixie's sins.” Trixie kept holding Rainbow Dash, afraid of letting her go. “Please, Rainbow Dash, don’t blame yourself for what… happened. Not when everything that has… happened is already Trixie-- It’s all my fault.”
They both finally collapsed under guilt and remorse, crying in each other hooves and claws respectively. It was like their own doubts were tearing both ponies apart. But despite it all, they held each other together. It was something Rainbow Dash was familiar with, while Trixie never suspected could even exist. And yet, despite the differences between them, they supported each other, as friends. After an undefined amount of time and more hugs than any of them would like to admit, Rainbow Dash and Trixie were ready to leave the Hall of Justice and out to the bright, sunlit streets of Canterlot.
“Would you really do that, Dash? Would you really give up the Show?” Trixie asked as she gazed down at the sprawl of Canterlot. Her and Rainbow Dash were perched along the railing that ran the length of a park a little ways away from the Hall of Justice. It was perched on the edge of a natural cliff of the Canterlot mountain and gave a breathtaking view down the city around and below it. “Twilight told Trixie about what you had said afterwards, how you felt the Wonderbolts rewarded the wrong behavior and you no longer wanted part of that, but you’re giving up what’s basically the reason you don’t nap twenty-four-seven. Would you really give up that big a part of your life? Could you even?”
“I don’t know, Trix.” Rainbow shrugged. She was standing beside Trixie, forelegs draped over the rail. “I get what you’re saying, and I’m grateful you care so much for me, but I just don’t know any more.”
“The Show is a harsh mistress; she demands much of us,” Trixie mused as she turned her gaze back over the plain. Reaching up, she brushed back a lock of mane that had blown free. “But the rewards she gives in return to those that persevere…” Rainbow swore she heard a deep, rumbling purr come from Trixie. “You’ve tasted them. You’ve felt the energy of the crowd, the energy of scores of ponies, their attention focused on you.” Trixie had her head tilted back and Dash could make out her eyes were closed. “A word, a simple wave of your hoof and they respond. They are yours, you command them. You control their every thought and feeling. They hang on your every action, watching. The breathless silence before the completion of the trick, and the noise afterwards. It rises... it rises, like a storm! As though you were the great Commander Hurricane himself! The thunder of hooves, as the applause roll over you. The chanting of your name... ‘Dash! Dash! Dash!’” Trixie lowered her gaze, her eyes open once more, and turned to the pegasus beside her. “Having been up there, having known that feeling, could you honestly give it up?”
Rainbow looked back and opened her mouth to respond but nothing would come out. Instead, she swallowed and looked out over city again. They were still high up on the mountain, but it was a height that was inconsequential to a pegasus. As much as she might have wanted to deny it, Trixie’s words still rung in Rainbow Dash’s head. Dash! Dash! Dash! The surge of victory each time she felt atop the podium, the rush as the applause of the crowds washed over her.
“Was it worth it for you?” The words slipped out of Rainbow’s muzzle before she realized it.
This time it was Trixie that was rendered speechless and forced to look away. Reaching up almost unconsciously, she began rubbing the spot on her chest where the Amulet had taken hold. Eventually the answer came. “When it was taken from me, and it was everything I had, I suppose it was. It must have been.” She dropped her paw down. “Even now I can’t say what I wouldn’t do to get it all back.”
“It really is that hard to give up, huh?” Rainbow mused, the lingering echoes of the chanting cheering from her earlier tricks echoing in ears.
“It is. It really is.” Trixie stepped away from the edge, all four paws on the ground once more. “But whatever choice you make, Rainbow Dash, promise Trixie it won’t… be made out of guilt… or fear.” Rainbow had turned and was looking back at her. “You’re a strong mare, Rainbow… Trixie would rather crawl… her way back to her… tomb than seeing you… lose that.” She then used her devil’s tail to whip Rainbow’s hindquarters.
“Eeep!” The pegasus vaulted the railing and turned, hovering in the air. “What was that for?!” she angrily asked.
Bemused laughter echoed from under Trixie’s mask. “Ever since Trixie came back from the tomb, she has seen you trotting instead of flying,” Trixie pointed a claw at Rainbow’s wings. “Stop it. Wonderbolt or not, that is definitely not you!”
“Oh.” Rainbow responded, her ears flicking down. “Okay, let’s say you’re right.” She didn’t want to admit it, but ever since the accident, she had indeed limited her flying, trying to remain safe on the ground like so many other ponies around her. “What’re you going to do about it?”
“A long time ago, in one of Trixie’s early shows, she discovered a whip can break the barrier of sound.” She whipped her tail in the air, producing an audible crack, making Rainbow shiver in response. “So giddy up and put those wings to good use.” Trixie smiled deviously under her mask. “Or rather than guilt is it laziness that’s holding Rainbow Dash down?”
“Wait, what?!” Rainbow’s eyes lit up in fire at the taunt. “I’ll show you who’s lazy! I could lap the palace grounds and be back here before the guards even noticed me! I could circle this whole mountain in ten seconds flat!”
“Hah!” Trixie barked back at her, her tail swishing about behind. “Foal’s play for Equestria’s Greatest Flyer! What else you got?”
“I’ll fly all the way from here to Ponyville, no train or balloon whatsoever!” She cracked her neck and forehooves in preparation. “And I’ll do it in under an hour!”
“Nice boast! Trixie would like to see you try,” Trixie sneered, though Dash could clearly hear the good natured encouragement behind it.
“You won’t be seeing nothing but my tail! I’ll be waiting at the station when you get back, Trix!” Rainbow Dash saluted with a hoof and shot into the sky towards the northeast.
“Three… two.. one…” Trixie counted down. At zero, Rainbow Dash passed again, flying in the correct direction this time. Trixie surprised herself when her ears actually managed to register Rainbow’s frustrated growling.
Then she was alone. Trixie turned back to the city, easily setting her sights on the spires and towers of the royal palace where it sat on the mountainside above her, and where she knew the rest of her friends were.
Trixie began heading out at a leisurely trot, down the mountain.
It is frequently said that roani are cursed with wandering hooves and that is why they are incapable of settling down like other, normal ponies.
Trixie didn’t know about the cursed part, but she did have to acknowledge the wanderlust present in other roani she had met. Even before she had become a traveling stage magician, she had never felt comfortable in one place for too long. Another city, another show, or even the road itself, they all called to her at some point in her past.
Trixie trotted down the streets of Upper Canterlot. The last time she was there, she was the little orphan living at Celestia’s School that nopony paid any mind to. When she had finally reached her limit with the constant pressure and rejection of the School, plus the constant scorn the high class had for her, she decided to leave Canterlot behind her in every sense. Trixie never lamented that decision. After all, that’s how her constant roaming through the roads of Equestria began and that’s how she met those ponies she would come to think of as family. In the end, leaving Canterlot gave Trixie far more than the city could ever offer her.
And yet, here she was, walking the same streets she feard when she was a filly and loathed when she became a mare. Trixie couldn’t help but remember her first day in Canterlot. She had just made her most successful escape act from the orphanage in Hoofington by hopping a vegetable cart to a train destined for Canterlot. The train ride was long and she fell asleep not long after sneaking aboard. When she woke up, everything was dark. It took Trixie a moment to realize the train was inside a tunnel, and just when she did, the train reached the light on the other side.
That was when Trixie first saw the city on the mountain.
She still remembered that first impression, as it was by far her fondest of the place. The size, the grandeur, the design and the colors. It was like seeing an illusion inside a dream. But at the same time, it was imposingly solid. Once the train stopped at the station and Trixie managed to sneak away without being seen, she saw the streets of Canterlot right in front of her, with all the movement and life of a cosmopolitan metropolis. It was an imposing feeling, almost as if the city were challenging Trixie, telling her that it was there before she was born and it would still be there after she died.
Trixie took the challenge.
“Uff!” The impact of a lamppost to the face abruptly brought Trixie out of her flashback and back to reality. “Stars freakin’ damn it!” she lamented, reaching under her mask and rubbing her nose. After so long as an unfeeling corpse, to once more be able to experience pain was something she’d have to get used to. Still, it was far preferable to the alternative. Straightening her mask once more, Trixie looked around to see where her wandering hooves had taken her.
“No,” she shut her eyes tight for a moment. “No, no,” Trixie said as she looked again. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” She could believe it. Betrayed by her own four hoov-- paws.
They had brought her back to the same building they had brought her to just over fifteen years ago. Away were the memories of the little eleven year-old filly, cutiemark only a few months old on her flank, making her way into the pony capital to seek her future, replaced now by a mare hiding under cloak and mask, lost in her past. Trixie stood still for a moment, realizing just where she was; right in front of the central offices to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.
It was her first time seeing the place since she had turned her back on it when she last left Canterlot. Thanks to Celestia’s eulogy at Trixie’s funeral, combined with the magician’s own big mouth, Twilight knew already about Trixie’s less than spectacular time as student. Although far from outright hating it, Celestia’s School was not a memory Trixie liked to recall.
There were ponies during her time here she had been friendly with but would hesitate to call friends. She could hardly even remember their names after all these years. There were others, though -- young and old -- whose names she would never be able to forget; the professors who looked down on her because she wouldn’t embrace their stodgy book learning; the affluent students who taunted her for being an orphan, only there at the largesse of the school itself.
The good memories, while not as prevalent, were still there to be had. During the annual talent competitions, Trixie had put on her first true stage shows, putting to shame efforts of ponies three, four years ahead of her. That was where she had first gotten a taste for The Show; the drumming of hooves after the completion of a particularly elaborate trick and the chanting of her name -- Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!.
But ponies didn’t make themselves with shows, that’s what she was told. Math and science, transmutation and potions, practical skills. That’s what they pushed on Trixie there. The School was a place for gifted unicorns to educate themselves, to better themselves, and to prepare them for their places in the real world. Not to play at entertainer and make-believe that they were something they were not.
What would those professors say if she saw Trixie now? What would any of them say?
“I need a drink,” Trixie muttered as she turned away and continued heading down the mountain, letting her paws take her where they would.
Trixie always had a fondness for bars. For her, they were the most honest places she could find in any city, town or settlement. She enjoyed being able to leave the masks and pretenses behind from time to time, and through experience, she realized a bar was the one place where that can happen without fear of being judged. Or so she thought. After the Ursa incident, it became almost impossible to enter a bar without being recognized and ridiculed. That was one of the things that hurt Trixie the most and she was determined take full advantage of her new face now.
Upper Canterlot most certainly wouldn’t do for what she had in mind; ponies did not get blitzed in a fancy lounge, bistro, or restaurant unless they wanted it to turn into a minor scandal in the local tabloids. No, for her purposes, Trixie would need something decidedly more low-key. The lower city, with its working-class ponies and working-class establishments, would do just fine. It wasn’t the first time she had come down there after all.
She tried with a couple of places, but the ponies inside turned their heads too quick in her direction for Trixie’s taste. Then again, being almost twice as tall than a regular pony, covered from head to legs with a cape and hat, and hiding behind a white mask, was bound to draw some looks.
The final place ended up being a little dive near the train tracks, run by diamond dogs if the name of the place was anything to go by; who else could get away with naming a bar The Dog's Breakfast? That was a little bit of a surprise to Trixie, since the last time she was in Canterlot, diamond dogs were relegated to the very outer slums of the city.
“Alright, mister,” she said confidently while hitting the bar with booted paw, drawing the attention of the barkeep. He was a large dog, his calloused paws and weathered face attesting to many years of hard manual labor. His eyes, with the thousand yard stare typical of proprietors of such establishments, lit up with the smallest spark of interest upon taking her in. “Now see here. Trixie has died and came back as a spawn of Tartarus.” She took the small bag of money Twilight had given her and tossed it upon the bar. “So give Trixie something that could drown a siren.”
The black and brown dog gave the pile of gold and silver bits the once over before sweeping them off the counter with an appreciative grunt, imparting a second look and nod at Trixie before bending down to fish behind the counter for a few moments. Then, as if the request were one that he heard on a regular basis, he placed before Trixie a glass tumbler and a bottle with the drawing of a siren’s silhouette in black with a red-X over it.
“To your health,” the diamond dog rumbled in a low, heavily accented growl, before pulling the cork on the bottle and pouring Trixie a glass. He turned away and left her the bottle.
Trixie considered his words as she lifted the glass. Part of her wanted to respond with some biting rejoinder, but the rest just settled on returning the sentiment. “Salud.” Lifting the edge of her mask, she knocked back a muzzleful of warm-amber alcohol. Her lips settled into a content smile at the burn in her throat and the feel of warmth as the magically enhanced alcohol radiated out from her belly.
She helped herself another glass, but instead of emptying immediately, Trixie decided to enjoy being back at a bar after so long, and took her time to give a proper look around. She wasn’t surprised that such a place would be popular with all kind of non-equines. There were a number of griffons scattered around, a small group of goats, even a couple of minotaurs huddled around a card game in one of the back corners. In the opposite corner, not too far from the counter, there was a thin looking gray diamond dog, playing a song upon an old, battered piano while barking about towns and poisons. It was small, dingy, and had the air of a place that people could come to drink and not be bothered.
She liked it, it was most definitely her kind of bar.
“To misfits, and marauders, and much maligned miscreants,” Trixie muttered, the toast a favorite of Bootlegger’s, before lifting her glass to them all. The alcohol warmed through her as the first had and she turned back to the bottle to pour another, ignoring the sound of the main door opening and another occupant entering the bar.
“Hey uh, barkeep?” The pounding of a hoof on the bar close by signaled that the new occupant had taken a seat near by. “Can I get a beer here?”
If Trixie still had blood, it would have gone cold as she recognized that voice. Her head came around and she pointed a menacing claw at the pegasus who had just sat next to her. “You!” she hissed.
“Uh, make that two beers. Looks like I’m gonna need ‘em,” Lightning Dust told the bardog.
So much for a pleasant bar in which to while her time away in while being peaceably alone and pleasantly drunk, Trixie lamented to herself.
The bartender was quick to set down the drinks for his new customer and back off equally quickly, keeping a wary eye on the giant, masked mare that was now staring and seething at his new arrival. He’d been serving ponies long enough to know where this was going.
Lightning Dust finished her first glass and started on her second, not even looking Trixie’s way.
“Well?!” Trixie snapped, her serpentine tail smacking the side of the bar. “Aren’t you even going to acknowledge the pony you got killed?”
Lightning didn’t even turn to face her, instead waving a hoof at Trixie in much the same dismissive manner as her school teachers of old. “Legally dead before I did anything, which means I got no pony killed.” She then took another mouthful of her beer.
Trixie’s felt the anger surging inside her, the base of her horn burning hot as she grit her teeth. “Why you arrogant little--”
“Look, miss,” Lightning quickly raised a hoof again to stop Trixie talking. “I know I got away because of you.” She finally turned in her seat to face Trixie. “But I also know you didn’t do it for me.” Just like that, she turned back to face the bar, not looking at anything in particular as she returned to her drink. “So don’t expect any thanks.”
To say that Trixie was livid would have been an understatement. The audacity that this turquoise pegasus had demonstrated, the contempt that she had thrown in Trixie’s face had actually rendered Trixie speechless. Yet far from sitting in stunned silence, Trixie felt a welling up within her, something coursing through her veins. She knew it was the necroplasm that was building and surging, struggling to come to the fore. The dark magic inside her was pulsing in tone with her own demons. Her talons pierced the thick material of her boots as she clenched her paws in anger, glaring at the pony next to her from under her mask.
“Well.” Lightning finished the last swallow of her second glass. She set it down on the bar with a heavy thump and hopped off her stool. “Shall we do this?”
“Do what?” Trixie snarled, her voice a heavy rumble of barely repressed anger as she kept her eye on the pegasus.
“It’s like you said; I killed you.” Lightning stepped away from the bar and ruffled up her wings. “And in the process, I ruined Rainbow Dash’s life.” She raised her head a little to crack her neck. “Not to mention mine,” Lightning added and then sighed. She shook her head and began to bounce around like a prizefighter limbering up before a match. “Alright, I’m properly drunk and in the right mood for this, so let’s do it!” Lightning reared back on her hind legs and thumped her chest with her forehooves. “Bring it!”
Trixie had gone from rage to incredulity in record time, and sat upon her stool gaping at the pony before her. “You want Trixie... to fight you?”
“Yeah.” Dust threw a few punches then bounced back and forward several paces, her wings fluttering to keep her balanced. “We both know we want this. So let’s drop the whole act and let’s just do it.”
“Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!” The laughter that burst forth from Trixie then could be construed as nothing except the laughter of a madmare. Her sorrowful bemusement earlier in the courthouse with Rainbow Dash was couldn’t compare to the waves of dark, crazed, and frightening laughter that poured out of Trixie now. She stopped to ask, in a voice that dripped with menace and eager, barely constrained malevolence, “You want Trixie to fight you, little filly?” She leaned forward on her stool, burning red eyes wide in delight and her muzzle hanging open enough that the fangs of her lower jaw were visible beneath the mask. “Happily.”
Trixie turned back to the bar and pulled the shredded boot off her foreleg, wanting to be unencumbered for her coming battle, and slapped it on the aged wood before her. “She will be more than happy to teach an arrogant little filly,” the second boot came off and Trixie delighted in the feeling of her claws being free, “that there are consequences in this world.” Her hat was carelessly batted aside off her head. Next was the cape, though its removal didn’t help the burning, near choking sensation around Trixie’s neck. It was mirrored by the sensation in her horn, a feeling that had grown more pronounced as she felt the power of the Amulet well up within her.
It was like Ponyville all over again. Before Trixie was a mare that had ruined her life, that had wronged her, and she was going to have her revenge. Oh, she was going to have her delightful, delightful revenge on this mare.
The mask was of course the last thing to come off. “You say you wanted Trixie to fight you?” Trixie turned back and hopped off the stool, her eyes red and glowing, her lips pulled back in a manic grin to expose her fangs as she shook out her mane in preparation. “Who is The Great and Powerful Trixie to deny a deadmare her final request?”
Yet when Trixie looked before her, she no longer saw the arrogant, confidant mare who had been swaggering about before her, boasting of a fight only moments before. Lightning Dust had collapsed in on herself, her hooves now held close in for protection as he wings wrapped tight to her sides. Her ears, once held upright to signal her readiness fight, had retreated into her golden mane, as her tail had retreated between her legs. Her copper eyes, once filled with nothing but what Trixie believed was disdain were now full of fright and… tears? She faced Trixie, not as some pony unremorseful for what she had done, but as one shivering in absolute abject terror at what she must have surely felt was the personification of divine judgement for her sins.
Like that, the dark tide that had been welling up within Trixie began to recede. “No… it’s not worth it,” Trixie spat in dejection. Turning her back on Lightning Dust once more, Trixie climbed back upon her barstool and poured herself another drink, knocking it back as soon as she had set the bottle down. Trixie patted her chest, where the Alicorn Amulet had replaced her heart and came to a conclusion; it wasn’t her who wanted to beat Lightning Dust to a pulp, it was the Amulet. She realized that the thing holding her back was actually her own underrated and usually ignored conscience. Or, based on the still lingering sting of the restraining ring on her horn and collar around her neck, she hoped so.
“Relax,” Trixie grunted. Doing the right thing wasn’t as fulfilling as Twilight made it sound like. She downed another tumbler of booze. “Although Trixie would… like to indulge herself… in a good barfight, there’s no need of… or gain from it.” She absently waved her empty glass back in the direction Dust was still cowering. “However, if you feel like it… Trixie will accept your… invitation to pay the next… round.”
Trixie looked around at the rest of the bar, having suddenly realized how quiet it had become. Lightning and her were the only two people in the entire place. The rest of the crowd must having beat a hasty retreat during her time under the influence of the Amulet. “And, if you don’t mind… serve the drinks, too,” Trixie added.
She didn’t know whether Lightning would actually do it, nor did she much care at the time. Trixie looked over her ruined boots, sighing at the damage her claws had caused. She put her hat and cape back on, rubbing at the soreness around the restraining collar. The flutter of wings brought her attention around and she watched the unsteady turquoise pegasus vault the bar and try to find them fresh mugs. Lightning’s hooves were still visibly shaking as she poured the drinks. Trixie admired her dexterity at the task nevertheless, wondering if the pegasus had any experience at it. Once the mugs were ready, both mares took them and toasted together before taking one long sip of the beverage. There was a symmetry that Trixie noticed in the gesture.
“Trixie feels the need to ask,” she said, once she finished a good portion of her beer with her first sip. “What did you expect to happen… after the fight with her?”
“Don’t know,” Lightning let her mug hit the bar. “Don’t care.” With a groan, she laid her head on her folded hooves. “I guess I just wanted to get on with it and move on.” Something clicked inside Trixie’s mind at hearing those words. Lightning closed her eyes for a moment, as if she was expecting things to change once she opened them. “Sorry, by the way,” she muttered. “I never wanted to hurt anyone. It just happened.” She hid her face under her hooves.
“‘Never… wanted… to hurt… anyone,’” Trixie rumbled. She could feel the anger bubbling up again and tried to chase it down with another glass of alcohol. “Do you have… any idea… what you did to me?”
“I killed you,” Dust muttered from under her hooves.
“You smashed me against a mountain,” Trixie replied, her voice low and cold. She was studying the tumbler she held in her paw, as though her memories were etched upon each flat section of glass. “Your tornado ripped me away from my friends, and hurled me through the sky. I don’t have wings, I don’t have magic, I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t help but see the cliff face speeding towards me and know that I could do nothing to stop it. That was the most terrifying moment of my life.” Trixie set down the glass and lowered herself until she was level with Lightning Dust. She waited for the pegasus to look up at her. “I felt the first impact. Despite losing feeling in my body for weeks, I felt it. Any ordinary pony would have been dead instantly from that impact.” She paused for a moment, locking eyes with Lightning. “But I wasn’t any ordinary pony. So I felt my body break… and burst... and fall. I felt the second impact. And the third, and the fourth.” Lighting Dust looked like she was on the verge of completely breaking down before Trixie, her lips quivering as she tried to blink back tears. “It eventually all just ran together into a blinding, agonizing haze of pain as I kept tumbling down that cliff face.” Trixie closed her eyes, almost peacefully, despite it all. “The rest was silence.”
Trixie lifted her head and poured another glass of her drink. “That was the worst part. Not dying on the mountain, but after. I know there was something afterwards, that my soul moved beyond this world. I can only vaguely recall it, but there was a sense of peace, and liberation at having moved on. I was finally free.” She slammed the drink back, noting how it didn’t seem to be doing a whole lot for her, despite how much she had consumed. “Then I was pulled back. The Alicorn Amulet ripped me away from that peace, and the next thing I can recall is waking up bound and muzzled, and learning that I almost killed two of my best friends.” She looked down at Lightning Dust, at the trails of wetness through the coat over her turquoise cheeks. “That is what you did to me.”
Lightning pulled herself up and let out a shuddering breath as she wiped her fetlocks over her face. “That’s… that’s just…” She let out a shuddering pant. “Saying sorry… it just… it just doesn’t seem enough, does it? Even.. even though I am, it’s just…”
“It’s a start. Trixie knows this.” She decided on a little experiment and poured a half-glass from the siren bottle, sliding it over to Dust. “Here; drink.”
The pegasus scooped up the glass quickly, almost gratefully, and downed it single gulp. That gulp quickly turned into a series of hacking, wheezing coughs, Lightning’s eyes threatening to pop out of her head. “What… what in the name of all that’s unholy is that?!” she managed to gasp.
Trixie couldn’t help the smug grin she wore. “Apparently something that is truly fit only for a spawn of Tartarus.” She turned the bottle over in her paws. “Though it lacks kick, if Trixie may say.”
Lightning just muttered dire imprecations as she finished off her beer, trying to sooth her abused palate that way.
“It’s curious, you know,” Trixie mused, still holding the bottle. It was nearing empty. She poured herself a full measure of what was left. “Until you said… you wanted to move on… Trixie didn’t realize she knew you… already.” She raised her tumbler, only taking the sip when she saw Lightning’s head rising. Trixie only drank a little before letting the glass down to speak again. “Yes, Trixie knows the kind of… pony you are, Lightning Dust.”
“Yeah, right.” Lightning rolled her eyes and hung her head, tired. “Let me guess,” Trixie was about to reply, but Lightning cut her off, raising a hoof to stop her. “No, wait. Let me take a wild freakin’ guess,” she said, the bitterness in her voice mirrored in her smile. “You have seen ponies like me, wasting their potential, and you know that if I don’t correct my ways, it will end up bad.” She threw her hooves to the sides. “Please, I’ve heard that one so many times that I know it from heart. Save it, I don’t want to hear it anymore. I’m done with everything.” She rested her hooves on the bar, closing her eyes once more.
“Oh, but you haven’t heard… this one.” Trixie replied, not trying to soften her voice anymore. “I haven’t seen ponies like you, Dust. Trixie is a pony like you.” Lightning’s ear twitched, but she didn’t move. “We’re too good for the… common ponies, aren’t we? You and me, Lightning, we’re a special kind… Being careful around others is just… a waste of time.” Trixie folded her paws upon the bar, hunching over and looking at the pony beside her. “Trixie knows how it is… Everything that’s not the best… is not worth giving a damn about.” Lightning looked back at Trixie, realizing she closer now. “And if something bad happens... that’s not our fault. It never is… we’re too good to make mistakes after all.”
“What are you--”
“What is Trixie?!” she interrupted her. “Why, Trixie is you, in a few years.” Lightning tried to get away from Trixie, but her paw flashed out and grabbed her by the shoulder, holding the pegasus in place. “Trixie never wanted to hurt anyone either! Until she did. Until she wanted to pay those ponies back for ruining her dream, only it wasn’t them that ruined it. It was Trixie’s own arrogance and her disdain for lesser ponies that did that. Trixie never apologized in her life, never looked back and never… stopped. Until one day she was. In the most unpleasant fashion imaginable.” Lightning Dust didn't want to listen anymore, nor see the nightmarish creature talking to her. She closed her eyes as fresh tears ran down her face.
“Look at Trixie,” she demanded, leaning closer to the frightening pegasus.
“No…”
“Face what you have done,” Trixie insisted.
“Please,” Lightning didn’t want to do it.
“And at what you will become.”
Lightning opened her eyes and saw two red eyes gazing back at her. She felt like falling inside a dark, endless abyss, but at the same time, there was an undeniable familiarity to it. Lightning knew the monster in front of her was telling the truth, because that’s what she has been fearing since the day of the accident. She did her best to hide it from others, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt her too. But deep inside, where only she could see, Lightning Dust couldn’t help but look at herself and asks if she was a monster.
“Look good and hard… Lightning Dust,” Trixie intoned, “because if you keep flying… the winds that you are… this is where they will lead you… dashed upon the rocks.” It was an old pegasi proverb about recklessness that Trixie had heard once, many years ago and it had the final effect that she’d hoped it would; Lightning breaking into sobs and collapsing on the bar.
Trixie looked down at the fallen mare, defeated and sorrowful. Letting go a deep sigh, Trixie felt the tension drain from her body. She was done being the monster for today. She put her ruined boots over her forelegs to hide her claws once more and then reached out to gently rub Lightning’s back.
“Trixie forgives you… for what you did to her… Now let’s talk about what… happens to you next.”
Twilight paced as she waited at the train station. Although Trixie assured her she would be there waiting for them, the train’s time to depart was getting closer and there was no sign of Trixie anywhere in the station. Pinkie Pie tried to keep her reassured, and to some extent succeeded in making her forget about her worries. But Twilight Sparkle was still Twilight Sparkle, and as Spike usually said, the day she’s not worried will be the day everypony else should be. So naturally, she stayed worried till the last minute. Coincidentally, when the station’s big clock reached the aforementioned last minute, the caped figure of Trixie appeared at the edge of the platform.
The six friends couldn’t help but watch in certain amounts of awe and trepidation at how Trixie, despite her newly added height and bulk, navigated the sea of ponies with only a minimum of fuss. Twilight recalled how she had moved between the tree branches back at Applejack’s farm and was glad to see that Trixie was getting used to her new body. With less than the amount of bumps and apologizes one might expect for a pony of Trixie’s size, she quickly made her way over to the rest.
“Girls!” Trixie called out to them. “There you are!” As she stood in front of them, Twilight and the others could see despite the graceful navigation of the crowd, Trixie’s posture was rigid as a stone. In spite of having her face covered by the mask, Rarity immediately recognized the frustration in her body language.
“Uh, Trix?” Pinkie got closer and put a hoof over Trixie’s shoulder. “Are you feeling alright?” Trixie slightly shook her head at the contact but recovered her composure, even relaxing a little.
“Sorry, it’s been a rough day for Trixie,” she apologized, leaning down to be at the others’ eyelevel. “I just discovered Trixie’s body is immune to alcohol.” She grabbed Pinkie by the shoulders with her claws, shaking her. “Trixie can’t get drunk, Pinkie! And given what's just happened, she feels she may need to start doing so on a frequent basis!”
“Alright, let’s calm down, sugarcube,” said Applejack as she joined the conversation to calm Trixie. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“Probably,” Trixie let Pinkie go, who fell on her back with her eyes still spinning. “But in the eventuality of said end happening, Trixie will be sober as a judge.” She put her forepaws over her mask at the snout height, as if she was trying to bite them. “That’s not an armageddon Trixie wants… to partake in.”
“Nevertheless,” Rarity decided to cut the conversation before they were any later, “our train is already here and it should be leaving in the next few minutes.” She pointed at the clock tower. “I would strongly suggest we get inside our train car and resume the conversation there.” She slowly started to turn around, with Twilight and Fluttershy following while Applejack dragged the still dizzy Pinkie Pie.
Spike spoke up, “Hey, what happened to Rainbow?”
“Rainbow decided to make her own way home,” Trixie explained, not having moved to follow the rest of the girls. “She’ll meet us back in Ponyville. Speaking of, Twilight, do you still have her ticket?”
“I do. Why?” Twilight asked, one ear folded over in suspicion.
“The reason Trixie was late. And the reason she may want to take up drinking as a career choice and not just a hobby.” She sat back on her haunches and beckoned at one of the clouds floating over the station, as if trying to wave it down to her.
A hidden turquoise speck detached itself from the clouds and flew down, landing with perfect accuracy just to the side of Trixie.
In spite of the crowds of ponies in the station milling about them, you could have cut the tension between the group of eight with a spoon. The six nearest the train glared at the abashed pegasus, Lightning hanging her head and wrapping her tail around her hooves.
“Before we depart,” Trixie said, “there’s one last matter… that needs to be addressed. Twilight, would you come close for a moment,” Trixie called her before directing her gaze at Lightning Dust. She not-so-gently nudged the pony beside her. “Trixie’s new acquaintance has something… to say to you.”
Lightning shuffled a hesitant few steps ahead, keeping her gaze down and stood there until Twilight was close enough. She didn’t say anything until Trixie gave her another nudge, gentler this time.
“Uh, look, Twilight, right?” Lightning gestured with her forelegs while speaking. “I… don’t really know how to say this.” Lightning raised her gaze to meet Twilight’s confused expression. “Okay, I’m gonna be blunt here. I know I made a mistake, probably many, and I know you could have get hurt because of me.” She covered her mouth with both hooves while inhaling deeply. “And I know there’s no excuse over my behavior or any of that. But I also want you to know that I never ever meant to hurt you, or anyone. It’s just that it I never really cared about--” she cut herself and stomped her hooves in frustration, looking up at the sky. “Agh, this is as hard as I expected!”
“Lightning Dust?” Twilight asked, her confusion still evident. “Are you trying to apologize to me?”
“Yes!” she snapped at Twilight. “I’m sorry I almost killed you and your friends!” Lightning lowered her hooves, along with her shoulders. As she did so, she also arched her back, assuming a pose of total defeat. “I don’t know if you can forgive me, but I needed to say it, so there’s that.” Lightning straightened herself up and looked away. “Of course, if you can’t forgive me, I’ll understand and--”
“I can forgive you,” Twilight said. Lightning looked again, discovering she was smiling softly at her. “Everypony makes mistakes, I guess.”
“Ha, Trixie told you!” Trixie playfully smacked Lightning’s back with a claw. “Twilight may be a little… awkward, but Trixie knows there isn’t… a single mean bone in her.” She then put an arm over the mare’s shoulders, slightly pushing her forward again. “Now, go on with it.”
Lightning nodded and trotted past Twilight, in the direction of Rarity. She stopped when she was directly in front of the unicorn and coughed a little before speaking again.
“Rarity, right?” She pointed with her right foreleg while speaking. “I’m gonna be blunt here. I know I made a mistake…”
It was almost sunset by the time the train left. Princess Celestia watched as it traveled out of the city, carrying what she knew was her responsibility. It never was easy to be in her position, Celestia accepted that long ago, but that didn’t mean she had become numb to it. All the opposite, as with each passing generation, she couldn’t help but get more involved, despite her best intentions. She already had a three powers system going on to give the ponies some responsibility on their own. But instead of taking the opportunity to leave them to live their lives on their own, Celestia ended up getting more invested in social mechanics and the like.
In the end, Princess Celestia knew she couldn’t live without her ponies. Even if there was a future when she weren’t a ruler, she would do all within her hooves’ reach to stay with them.
“Sigh.”
Celestia looked away as the train turned around the mountain and passed out of her sight. She turned around and trotted inside her chambers, where her sister was waiting for her.
“Luna,” she greeted her. “Thanks for coming.” Celestia took a moment to inspect her sister’s body. “Good to see you’re getting better.”
“Thanks, Tia,” Luna replied with a smile. All the cuts and bruises that Trixie gave her were already healed, and the bones were only a day or two from restoration. “Being an alicorn had to have some benefits to go along all that responsibility.” She snickered at her own commentary. “But enough formalities, sister, I know there’s a reason you called for me to be here.”
“Yes, there is.” Celestia sighed again. Her crown was getting heavier these days. “Luna, tell me, did Trixie really came back from death’s domain?” She took a moment to rephrase her question. “Was her soul already separated from this plane before the Alicorn Amulet pulled her back?”
“Yes,” Luna replied bluntly. “One of Death’s very avatars confirmed it. Trixie was ready to pass to the next plane of existence.”
Celestia snorted in bemusement. “I thought she didn’t like you.”
“That’s an understatement.” Luna looked aside. “But, given the importance of the message and the subject, I don’t think she had any real choice.”
Another tired sigh escaped Celestia. That an active avatar of death talked to either of them was already alarming, but the message itself was indeed even worse.
“Luna, I’ll ask you this, not as a co-ruler of Equestria, but as my sister.” Celestia took off her crown and put it on the nightstand next to her bed. Luna imitated the gesture. “Tell me, when was the last time you saw something like this?”
“Never?” Luna was taken back by the question. “Unless something had happened while I was gone..?” She saw her sister shake her head. “Then no. In all our time together, I never saw anything like this. Of all the dark magic that you or I encountered over the centuries, only during the time of Discord were any fool enough to think they could tamper with death.” She trotted closer to her sister. “Celestia, you know this already, you must.” Luna took Celestia’s hooves with her own. “What are you really getting at?”
Celestia’s only answer was to pull her hoof away from her sister and trod towards her bed. She sat in the edge of it and put a hoof over her forehead. Then, she ran the hoof down her face, as if trying to brush the tiredness off.
“Whatever magic spawned the Alicorn Amulet is a complete mystery us.” She looked at her sister, as if pleading for a moment of rest. “There’s nothing in our archives about it and what it has done so far has been thought to be either a myth or a dream.” Luna moved closer and sat down at the bed’s opposite side. Celestia smiled at her, but her smile disappeared as she spoke one more time.
“Luna, we have exhausted all of our resources on this.” Celestia’s tone became lower, as if she didn’t want her words to be heard by anyone but Luna. “There’s only one last option we can turn to, and I admit I am afraid of it.”
Outside, in the statue garden, something laughed.
Chapter 18: Final Destination (Part One) - A Matter of Life and Death
She remembers having more once, but that was a long time ago.
A lifetime ago.
Her lifetime.
Trixie keeps on walking, through what once was Equestria. Not anymore.
Trixie is now very old and she’s been walking for a long time. Trixie has walked hundreds of thousands of kilometers across Equus. Across the realms. Trixie has seen the light of suns in every scale of the spectrum, each shining brighter than the previous one. All of them now extinguished, leaving an endless darkness that is Trixie’s domain.
Trixie has seen the rise of ponykind beyond what many thought possible. She bore witness to the old world falling apart slowly, fighting against extinction, and saw it rally, to beat back the inevitable, only to fall into ruin once more. Trixie saw the best and the worst of ponies and the like as life refused to go gently into that long night. But at the end of life’s day, death took over and Trixie is now all that stands to witness Equus’ last twilight.
Twilight.
Trixie remembers that name. That’s all she can do now. Rejected in life and denied the peaceful rest of death, Trixie now wanders among the little that’s left, alone, remembering.
Forever.
“Gah!” Trixie woke up. That wasn’t the first time she had that nightmare. Ever since she was pulled back from the realm of death, Trixie has had the same thought, over and over:
“What if I can’t die?”
Trixie shook her head to get rid of the poisonous thought. Even if it was true, she still had friends to help her along the way.
“Friends who can, and will die. Eventually.”
No, she shouldn’t let herself fall into the abyss like that. Trixie has already been there and she knew nothing good came from the darkness. She shook her head once again in an effort to fully rid herself of the feelings. She decided against going back to sleep and got up. Maybe, if it was early enough, she could surprise Twilight by cleaning the library. Or maybe breakfast again for all of them. After all, she owned it to Twilight for letting Lightning Dust crash there. Granted, it was Twilight’s idea to let her stay and Lightning did promise it wouldn’t be more than two weeks until she could get a stable job.
Anyways, cleaning would also give Trixie something to do while the others woke up. With her resolve ready, Trixie tried to get out of the bed, but she couldn’t move her back legs. They felt as if they were stuck. She looked down and realized she was already on the flo--
“Oh,” Trixie muttered. Somehow, in her sleep, she crawled up to the roof and slept hanging by her back legs. At least that’s how it looked.
So much had changed since Trixie first came to Ponyville.
She grimaced and tugged at her claws again before giving in and looking up at the floor in resignation.
“Now how is Trixie going to get down from here…” she muttered.
“You sure you want to do this, Dust? It’s not too late to walk away.”
“‘Course not, Dash. We both know we need this.” She bit the teeth protector. “Aso, I on’t ike t’e easy way out.”
“Alright,” Rainbow bit her protector too. “It’s on!”
*Ding!*
Lightning attacked first, rushed but not reckless, moving from side to side. The moment she was in range, she released the hit from her right hoof. Rainbow couldn’t dodge it in time so she had to cross both of her hooves to stop it. Lightning threw all her weight in that punch, forcing Rainbow backwards. Rainbow replied immediately, throwing three hits in rapid succession, all of them hitting their marks. Lightning had to retreat to avoid the fourth one.
She came back straight away, jumping in the air and falling with her left hoof towards Dash. Rainbow dodged it and, once again, assaulted Lightning with a series of quick hits. This time however, Lightning was prepared and managed to block most of them. She ended up grabbing Rainbow’s left hook and spun around to throw her away. But Rainbow held on too, using her wings to force the spinning more than Lightning expected getting them both off balance as they separated.
Pretty much like with the Dizzytron, both of them recovered the balance immediately, but Rainbow was ever so quicker and landed a clean hoof on Dust’s chest. She had to retreat, slowly as they both locked gazes. Lightning smiled at Rainbow, dusting off her chest. She went back at it, straightforward this time. Both of them exchanged hits and blocks until Lightning got the upper hoof by hitting Rainbow’s side. Rainbow was knocked back a few paces holding her ribs. Lightning held back, circling.
“Come on, Dash,” the turquoise pegasus growled. “Stop holding back.”
“Holding back? Hey, I’m not the one that hits like a little filly.”
Lightning snarled and launched herself into the air, intending to dive-bomb her opponent. Rainbow never gave her a chance, intercepting her mid dive and landing a devastating blow on her muzzle. Lesser ponies would have been knocking out to their air from that blow, but Lighting Dust was certainly not that. She pulled herself up at the last second, looping back to re-engage, much to the cheers of everypony watching.
“What the hay!” Twilight shouted as she entered the Weather Team’s gym and saw Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust in full fighting gear over the ring. Most of Ponyville’s pegasi population was there, either sitting down or hovering around the ring, all loudly cheering on the two competitors.
Nopony seemed to notice her or Spike, who seemed inappropriately entertained over the fight. Twilight’s first reaction was to go and stop the fight, but as she pushed her way through the crowd, she found Applejack, Trixie and Pinkie Pie on the front row. In a way that couldn’t make any sense to Twilight, they were cheering.
“Come on, Rainbow!” Applejack punched the air. “Show ’er how we get things done in Ponyville!”
“Trixie had to vouch for you!” Trixie’s growl-like voice came from under her mask. “So don’t screw it up, Lightning!”
“Loud noises!” Pinkie joined them.
“Girls!” Twilight shouted at them, getting the trio’s attention. “What are you--” She looked back at the ring, where Rainbow and Lightning were grappling with each other in midair, their wings beating furiously as each tried to overpower their opponent. “What is even going on?!”
“Twilight, Spike.” Trixie greeted them by waving them over with her paws. “Get over here, it’s almost over.” She and Applejack moved aside so the others could sit down. However, Twilight stood still in front of them, glaring at her friends. She was about to admonish them further only to be interrupted by Spike.
“Come on, Dash!” he cheered, jumping up and down on the bench next to Applejack. “Are you going to let her do that to Equestria’s greatest flyer?”
Twilight turned and looked back up and at the ring. Lightning had managed to twist herself around in the grapple, but that only allowed Rainbow to get her into a headlock. The blue pony was getting a rapid series of elbows to the ribs for her trouble.
Grumbling unhappily, Twilight took a seat within the mob of ponies. She vowed to give Rainbow an earful when this was all over.
Lightning’s writing and hitting eventually broke Rainbow’s grip on her, but when she turned and tried for an uppercut, she was instead met with a pair of vicious jabs to the head that stunned her and allowed Rainbow to deliver her coup de grâce, an overhead strike that knocked her out of the air and sent her thudding onto the canvas of the ring below.
*Ding!*
“Alright, time’s up!” Twilight looked over and saw it was Blossomforth manning the ring’s bell and that it was she that had called out. The pinkish-grey pegasus flew up between the two fighters. “Match is over everypony!” She looked between Dash and Dust. “You two good with that?” Both were panting heavily, Lightning staggering to her hooves in the ring below and pulling her wings back. Still, both gave nods of assent. Blossomforth nodded back and loudly addressed the crowd. “Looks like we’re done here and matters have been settled. I’d like to thank everypony for coming and witnessing this! Have a good day, all!”
Twilight could only stand and gape as the room around her erupted into cheers and applause again, ponies shouting congratulations to both Rainbow and Lightning for the match. She was even more surprised to see Rainbow land next to the still woozy looking Lightning Dust and pat her fellow pegasus on the withers, trying to steady her. Trixie, Applejack, Pinkie and Spike had started climbing into the ring and Twilight rushed to keep up with them.
“Look Dust, are you sure you’re alright?” Rainbow asked.
“Yeah, it’s all good now,” Dust replied, taking a towel from Pinkie and wiping off her bloody nose with it. “I just need a nice cold beer and I’ll be fine.”
“Heh, you buy me a cider and we’ll call it even,” Rainbow replied with a good, solid swat on the back. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to Berry.”
The two fighters were surrounded by Dash’s friends, Spike riding on Pinkie Pie, and swiftly led out of the ring. The only two left were a still-befuddled Twilight Sparkle and an amused Trixie, the latter swishing her long tail about behind her.
“Trixie...” Twilight’s voice had that high pitch, near panicked tone it got whenever she didn’t understand something. “What, in the name of Celestia’s shoe just happened?!”
“Heh, pegasi. That’s what happened,” Trixie told her, her amusement clear despite her gravelly voice. She chucked at Twilight’s still confused look and beckoned her towards the door. “Have you looked much into pegasi culture?” Trixie asked once they were both outside.
“Some,” Twilight told her. “I know they’re still predominantly nomadic, thanks to their settlements being cloud based. Clouldsdale and its weather factory are of course the most well known on this coast, though other cities around Equestria perform similar functions for their regions. Historically, the tribe was the most militaristic, often remembered for extorting food from earth ponies in exchange for optimal weather in which the earth ponies could grow food, or in the worst cases, keeping the weather fair so that food even would grow. Wait, hold on.” Twilight pointed back to the library. “This way, I want to update your measurements today before I forget.” Having reoriented themselves, Twilight continued, “But what does pegasi culture have to do with what happened here today?”
“Well, for starters, pegasi have a real penchant for theatricality.” She shot Twilight a smirk. “They like to ham it up.” Trixie sighed wistfully. “Sometimes I wonder if Trixie is a pegasus inside of a unicorn.” Through the mask’s eyeholes, Twilight could see Trixie’s eyes gleaming mischievously. “And, as you said, there’s also the part of pegasi still holding to centuries-old martial tradition…”
Trixie suddenly stopped talking when they passed by Berry’s stand at the market. Twilight looked at Trixie and realized she was standing still, looking at something. She turned around completely and saw what was distracting Trixie; Berry and Ruby were promoting their newest batch of wine. The green bottles has a new label picturing a dark blue silhouette of a pony with red eyes and claws under the name ‘Night Devil’. She gulped at the sight and looked back at Trixie, but she had already made her way over to the stand.
“So…” Twilight heard Trixie’s low voice reverberating with the metal of her mask. “This is how Trixie will be immortalized?” Trixie picked up one of the bottles between her paws, turning it over and over, her claws rasping on the glass.
Twilight gasped as she tried to come up with a way to avert the impending conflict, but it was too late.
“Berry!” Trixie called out. “Explain to Trixie the meaning of this!”
Behind the stand Berry Punch had been talking with her sister, Cheerilee, when Trixie’s demand for explanations was heard. She winced and went over to Trixie, her ears folded down sheepishly. Berry opened her mouth to explain, only to have the words dry up on her tongue from the heat of the glare Trixie was giving her. They stood there, in front of each other, without moving a muscle. It wasn’t the first time Berry would face an angry customer, but due to her mask, Trixie’s face was inscrutable. A silence settled around the booth, the only noise being the clicking Trixie’s claws one by one against the bottle’s glass surface. The other ponies around them stopped what they were doing to see the scene unfold.
*click* *click* *click*
“Well?” Trixie spoke again. “Trixie is waiting.”
“I…” Berry began.
“Trixie, do you like my drawing?!” A third, more energetic voice joined them, breaking the tension.
“Ruby?” Trixie looked down in surprise. If it wasn’t for her nerves being steeled in the weeks she lived around Pinkie Pie, she would have dropped the bottle. “You… made this drawing… of Trixie?”
“Yeah, you like it?” Ruby Pinch seemed too proud of her own work to notice the red glimmer coming from the mask’s eyes. Trixie let out a sigh and looked back at the silhouette drawn in the bottle.
“Any special reason to call Trixie a devil?”
“Cool, isn’t it?” Ruby started to bounce around Trixie, her tail swishing behind her merrily. “Mamá promised me I could name and brand my own wine when I could make a decent batch.” She took another bottle out of the stand. “At first, I was stuck on the name, but then I saw that awesome devil tail you had when you came to apologize to mamá the other day.” Trixie looked back at the aforementioned tail, which in fact looked pretty devilish. “So I thought ‘Hey! That’s something neat to name a wine after!’ and bam! I had it.” She stopped her bouncing right in front of Trixie, standing tall and prideful in front of her. “I figured if Great Grandma could name hers after Princess Luna, I could name mine after you!”
“…” A soft breeze ran over the two of them.
On the one claw, Trixie wanted to set fire to the drawing on the bottle. But on the other claw, she appreciated the filly’s effort and didn’t have the heart (probably literally) to say anything bad about it. On a third claw, she missed the ability to get drunk. But back on the previous two claws, the more Trixie thought about it, the more she realized the drawing wasn’t that bad. Heck, if one of her mentors went through life being dubbed ‘Hell’s Blazer’ then she could deal with being called ‘Night Devil’. Couldn’t she?
“Yeah…” She began, setting the bottle back over the counter. “I guess it is a good drawing, after all.” She adjusted the mask over her face and then took off her roani hat. Trixie put a gloved claw inside it and drew out a bag of coins. “Alright Ruby, Trixie will buy herself a bottle of her own wine.” She looked at Berry, who had stopped sweating bullets. “And you, how much is the bottle?”
“Ah, we’re just starting, so it’s at an introductory price until demand rises.” Berry explained. “It will only be five bits.”
“WHAT?!” Trixie’s howl was heard across Equestria.
“That could have gone better,” Twilight said once they finished shelving all the wine Trixie bought. “I still can’t believe you just bought the entire batch just to ‘raise demand’.” Twilight thought about it for a moment. “Where did you get the money to do that anyway?”
“From you!” Trixie said happily while opening one bottle with her tail as corkscrew. “It was what was left from what you gave me the other day.”
“Trixie,” Twilight growled. “That money was supposed to last a month, not a day!”
“And tomorrow starts the next month,” Trixie took off her mask, showing off her smug grin. “So the money’s purpose was fulfilled.” She raised the bottle in a toast. “Trixie obeys the letter of the law, if not the spirit.”
“I…” Twilight sputtered. “You…” However, her brain got stuck on the logic paradox used against her. “Look, just… let’s go to the living room.” She hastily went for the stairs. “I really need to update your medical chart.”
Trixie followed, her devil’s tail wrapped around the neck of her bottle of devil’s wine. She surprised herself trying to suppress her laughter. That wasn’t something the old Trixie would have done in this situation. But then again, the old Trixie had legally died in a lonely road, selling her soul for power. Trixie recounted how much things had changed because of that and, despite it all, how they had actually changed for the better, at least once she got to actually know Twilight and the others. All in all, in the deepest and darkest side of Trixie, she liked her life now.
Instinctively, Trixie put a paw over the restraining collar around her neck. Suddenly, she also felt the weight of the restraining ring in her horn too. Restrainers, designed to keep the Alicorn Amulet’s corruption at bay, at the cost of her own magic. It had been barely a month, but for her, it felt like a year already. Free, but still trapped. That was a feeling Trixie despised with all her being. The sole idea of not being permitted to do all she could was suffocating. Trixie could feel the anger rising inside her as she trotted. The relentless fire of rage consuming any other thought...
Except…
Except for her friends. She had friends now, and somehow, that was almost as good, maybe better than having her magic. Trixie didn’t want to admit it to herself, but her magic was a fair price for keeping her friends safe. She could live exist without it.
“Here.” Twilight’s voice cut Trixie’s train of thought. “Let’s start with the weight first.” Trixie looked back at Twilight, who levitated a scale in front of her. “And while we’re at it, why don’t you finish telling me what the hay was going on at the gym?”
“Alright,” Trixie stepped on the machine. “As Trixie was saying, the pegasi are still a very martial tribe.” While she talked, Twilight took off her clothes with magic. “Despite being centuries since the unification of the tribes, they still glorify the concepts of army and military order. I guess that’s one good reason Trixie wouldn’t really fit as a pegasus, despite their other qualities.”
“Wait,” Twilight scribbled Trixie’s weight, which was surprisingly high, even with her altered size. “Rainbow Dash isn’t like that!”
“Maybe,” Trixie shrugged while stepping off the scale. She trotted over to the mirror Twilight had set up during their initial research. “But she grew up in Cloudsdale, so she was exposed to all of that.” Trixie admired her reflection for a moment. Despite being taller, her face’s features were thinner. “That implies she knows the old customs her tribe holds so dearly.” She opened her mouth, examining how all of her teeth were now pointed. Trixie ran her tongue over them, confirming they were as sharp as the mirror suggested. She made a sharp “Grk” as Twilight used her magic to keep her mouth open and get her own poke inside.
“So, what happened there?” Twilight went next to Trixie with a measuring tape. “You said it was some kind of pegasi-only thing after all.”
“Let’s call it a ritual. It was all Lightning’s idea.” Trixie extended her left foreleg first. “The way it works is that the parties with a grievance or disagreement against each other come together and are given an opportunity to work out their frustrations or animosity in the ring.” She saw Twilight measuring her barrel, but the feeling of it was numbed. “The rest of the community bears witness to the fight to ‘officiate’ it.” Trixie noticed how, despite getting most of her senses back, she was still having problems with feeling touch. “Once the fight is over, the matter is considered resolved, both parties are welcomed back to the community, and harmony is restored.”
“Wow, I’m impressed, Trixie. I didn’t know you knew so much about pegasi,” Twilight admitted as she loosely wrapped the tape measure around Trixie’s neck.
“You can thank Rainbow Dash for that,” Trixie informed Twilight as the purple unicorn moved on to take measurements of Trixie’s back half “After she got the best of Trixie, just before Pinkie’s welcoming party, Trixie dedicated a good many hours of her non-Amulet research time to looking into pegasi culture so that the same thing wouldn’t happen again.”
“So ancient tradition was the reason Lightning wanted to fight you back at the bar?” Twilight made one last measure from tail to head and began to write it down. “She wanted to settle things with you the only way she really knew how?”
“Heh, yeah…” Trixie said again, though this time sounding dejected and ending with a soft sigh. “That’s, uh, partly why I did what I did,” she confessed softly.
“What do you mean?” Twilight stopped taking notes to look at Trixie, who had her head low.
“Talking to Lightning in the bar there,” Trixie glanced up at Twilight and then looked back at the floor. “I realized just how alike the two of us really were. We both wanted to be the best and were heedless of our actions until they smacked us right in the face.” She chuckled darkly, almost back at her now-usual growl. “I forgave her because when Trixie was in her position, that’s what she needed somepony to do for her. After the incident with the Ursa, when I ran away from here, what Trixie really needed was for somepony to come after me, to stop her.” Trixie stopped talking, as if gathering the courage to go on.
“I needed somepony to tell me that while Trixie made a mistake, it didn’t mean I couldn’t try to amend it.” Twilight put a hoof over Trixie’s shoulder to support her. It wasn’t easy with Trixie’s height, but she needed it. “That ponies could forgive me for what happened, if I had the courage to ask and the sincerity to mean it.” She looked up and around the room, blinking several times to clear her eyes. “Things could have been so different if I didn’t let that once incident colour everything after.”
“You really think that Lightning Dust would have sought out some lost, powerful artifact in an effort to get revenge on Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked, a forced bemusement in her voice trying to lighten the mood.
“Ruby Bolt’s wingblades, Queen Steel Sky’s crown, Hurricane’s champron. How many other lost artifacts did our research turn up that were designed for pegasi to use?” Trixie gave Twilight a sad smile and shake of her head. “Trixie did it, she could believe other ponies could, too. Hell, even this thing,” she pointed at her chest, “can boost other pony types. It’s called the Alicorn Amulet for a reason.”
Twilight nodded slightly. She remembered one of the few scraps of information on the Amulet they had found was in a folk book. It told the tale of an artifact that could turn anypony into a god among mortals, at the price of their sanity. It was Twilight herself who considered the possibility of the book describing the Amulet. She was proven right when they found on the following page a crude drawing of a black triangle with wings and a red spot in the middle. As with many folk books, that one had no known author and the story never went into details about the Alicorn Amulet beyond its appearance in a short fable about the price of ultimate power.
“Then I’m glad you did the right thing,” Twilight congratulated Trixie with a pat in the back. Trixie looked up, meeting her smile. “Trixie, I’m proud of you.”
“I…” Trixie’s lip quivered. “Thank you.” She pounced at Twilight, trapping her in a bear hug. “Thank you for everything.”
Twilight gurgled inarticulately in response, trying her best to not be crushed by the half-demon pony who doubled her in height and weight. With inequine effort, she tried to tap on Trixie’s back to tell her to stop, but Trixie interpreted it as a friendly tap and kept it. She only broke the hug after Twilight’s tapping got quicker and more desperate. When they got away from each other, Twilight was gasping for air.
“Aaaaaaaaaa,” Twilight breathed in as much as she could. *cough* *cough* “Celestiagh--” *cough*
“Oh my stars, Twilight, I’m…” Trixie tried to apologize, but couldn’t find the words. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?” Twilight shot her a glare that could put Fluttershy to shame. “I know, standard question.” Trixie looked aside, scratching the back of her head behind her folded ears. “So…” As with a show, when in doubt, distract the audience. “How’s the medical chart doing?”
“Well…*cough*” Twilight’s voice was very soft. She reached out with her magic, floating up the notes she took. “Comparing it with Rarity’s measurements for your first outfit, you’ve got an almost thirty-seven-point-five percent increase in volume.” Trixie tilted her head while Twilight went on. “Which I suppose is good news. Unlike the last time, you’re no longer losing body mass.”
“So… Trixie is bigger and is staying like that?” She ventured.
“Indeed,” Twilight answered with a more consistent tone. “In fact,” she quickly ran up and down the pages of the notebook she was holding. “It seems the necroplasm’s higher density in comparison to blood has transferred to the rest of your body, making you heavier than the calculations predicted you should be at your volume.” As she went on, she was talking faster. “In conclusion, your body is denser than a standard equine one.”
“Twilight, Trixie has traveled throughout Equestria and prides herself in being a competent linguist,” she said that as a matter of fact. “And yet, she hardly understood a word you said.”
“Okay,” Twilight looked up from her notes. “It means you’re heavier than you should be--”
“Are you calling Trixie fat?!” she loudly exclaimed.
“No! No, absolutely not!” Twilight protested. She rubbed the back of her neck. “What I mean to say is that you’re denser than the average pony.”
“So Trixie is stupid now?”
“Trixie! Come on, you know that’s not what I mean.” Twilight bluntly answered, stamping her hoof. “What I mean is that your body -- your current body -- has been changed in a way that the material making it up is denser and heavier than normal equine bone and tissue. We’d have to do biopsies and examine the samples in more to get a clearer idea of exactly how you’ve changed, but it’s safe to say your entire anatomy is now almost wholly different from the equine one it started out as.”
“So, it’s true, isn’t it?” Trixie trotted past Twilight and towards the coatrack where her outfit was hanging. “Trixie is so far gone into the darkness,” she said while closing the vest and giving a hateful look at the markings of the Amulet in her chest. “She isn’t a real pony anymore.” Trixie closed the vest and quickly covered the rest of her body with the cape. She hadn’t felt the need to do that in a while.
“Now Trixie.” Twilight went to Trixie’s side. “What counts is what’s in the inside.” Trixie looked back at her. She already had the mask on. “And please, stop using that stupid mask, it’s not your face.” Twilight tried to pull the mask with magic.
“Neither is the one under the mask,” Trixie swung a gloved claw at the aura, somehow cutting the magical feed. “Or at least no more than the bones and muscle under that face.” She sighed in defeat, taking the mask off with her own claws and holding it high to examine it. Twilight recognized the pose from a famous theater play. “Truth is that Trixie died alone on road. I may share her name and memories, but beyond that, I’m a different animal.” Twilight trotted closer. “One that dreamed of once being a pony and now has woken up.” She suddenly threw the mask away. “Truth is… I don’t even know who or what I am anymore.” Two blackish green lines ran down Trixie’s face.
Without any warning, Twilight wrapped Trixie with her magic and pulled her closer while also turning her around to face her.
“You are Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon,” Twilight began in a dead serious tone. “You’re the daughter of Hope Pearlshine Lulamoon, born into the road and raised by the stars.” She put her hooves on Trixie’s shoulders. “You carry the legacy of the Roa and the teachings of your masters.” More black tears ran down, accompanied by Twilight’s own. “But overall, you are my friend.” Twilight hugged her. Trixie wanted to return the gesture, but she didn’t, afraid of hurting Twilight again. “And Spike’s and Pinkie’s and Rainbow’s and everypony’s.” Twilight pulled back to look at Trixie’s eyes. “None of that has anything to do with what you are or how do you look.”
“Twilight…” Trixie felt Twilight’s hooves caressing her face.
“So please,” she brushed Trixie’s forelock away to have a better look at her face. “Stop hiding yourself.”
“I…” She doubted for a second. “Trixie will.”
“I’m glad to hear it.” Twilight let her go, smiling. “So, Trixie, there’s only one thing left to finish your medical chart.” She turned around and picked the notepad and the measuring tape. “Your horn.”
“Twilight, my friend,” Trixie said while picking up the mask and hanging it in the nail next to the library's entrance. “What the hay is up with you and measuring horns?!” Twilight looked back at Trixie, who had one eyebrow lifted high above the rest of her face.
“It’s a normal part of the unicorn body and a necessary measurement, like any other.” Twilight held her nose high as she approached with the measuring tape. “Now hold still.”
Trixie wanted to take the measuring tape and eat it, so Twilight couldn’t use it. But after the talk they just had, Trixie was willing to humor Twilight. Still, she felt very uncomfortable once the measuring tape made contact with her horn. Again, Trixie noticed how little touch she was feeling, even in such a sensitive area like an exposed piece of her own skull. Once she saw Twilight taking away the tape and scribbling down the results in her notebook, Trixie yanked her head away to prevent any other invasion of her personal, very personal space.
“Oh my,” Twilight whispered “Well, like the rest of you, it’s now rather larger than unicorn average…” She reviewed the previous notes she had. “It’s just too bad we can’t get an accurate comparison since somepony threw me against the wall when I tried before.” She gave Trixie a mean look.
“In Trixie’s defense,” she raised her claws in the air. “You approached her from behind without warning or even buying her dinner first.” She suppressed a small laugh. “I mean, you don’t go measuring unsuspecting ponies horns without even making small talk first.” Trixie had to press her mouth shut with her claws to avoid breaking into another of her laughs. After enough tests, and a full dive bar being emptied in less than a minute, she knew her laughter had some… interesting properties. “I me-mean *heh* you at least do the small talk first!”
“Har har, I get it, Trixie,” Twilight put the notepad aside. “But still, because of your outburst, now we have an incomplete medical chart and can’t do a truly accurate comparison.”
Trixie noticed how foul Twilight’s tone sounded, but could also tell she was poking fun back at Trixie, at least in her own way. Against her better judgement, and with a healthy mouthful of pride, she decided to tell Twilight the truth.
”Go friendship,” Trixie thought as she leaned over Twilight’s ear and whispered the length of her original horn before she wore the Alicorn Amulet.
“Oh! Th-thank you Trixie,” Twilight exclaimed, having been caught off guard by the gesture.
“Don’t mention it,” Trixie told her, wondering if it was possible to blush with necroplasm. She surely wasn’t feeling any warmer. “And Trixie means that literally.”
“That’s…” Twilight couldn’t help commenting as she wrote in the numbers. “That’s bigger than…” Trixie noticed how Twilight made a hint of touching her own horn with a hoof but quickly caught herself.
It seemed Trixie wasn’t the only one blushing now. “No way,” she muttered, her teeth appearing all at once in the smile that stretched across her muzzle. “Bigger than what, Twilight?”
“Ne-ne-never mind!” Twilight stammered back, her cheeks having gone unmistakably bright red.
Trixie couldn’t resist any longer and galloped to the bathroom, where she let out a howling bout of laughter that would have given any pony within earshot a cardiac arrest.
The day was drawing to a close when Twilight and Spike entered the kitchen.
“Hey Trixie, are you almost--” She took a second look at Trixie. “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Hm? Oh, Trixie is being more efficient. I thought that you, of all ponies, would appreciate that,” she explained before sliding over a stack of zucchini slices and starting on the next one.
“You’re using your claws… to slice vegetables?”
“Indeed.” Trixie lifted her paw and gave her claws an admired little wiggle before turning and waving them at Twilight and returning to her task. “Trixie found out, rather by accident, that being a good deal sharper than your kitchen knives, they make a better job of cutting and slicing.” She shot a look back over her shoulder. “I did wash up first, of course.”
“Well that’s… good, I suppose,” Twilight conceded as she watched Trixie make astonishingly short work of the vegetable before her. “Are you almost done?”
Trixie swept the slices into a bowl beside her with the rest of them. “I am now.” She nodded to Spike where he stood beside Twilight. “Prep is done, the rest is yours, my good dragon.”
“Thank you, Trixie.” Spike folded his paws together and pressed outwards, cracking his knuckles. “Now if you ladies would excuse me, it’s time for the master to get to work.” Trixie wasn’t sure where he pulled out the chef’s hat he put on, but it was probably the same place Pinkie kept her emergency party supplies.
The two mares chuckled indulgently as they exited the kitchen. Twilight nodded her head up the stairs. “Trixie, if you would come up to my room with me? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
Trixie’s brow twitched with a frown, but she followed nonetheless. After they entered the room, Twilight shut the door behind them and went to stand next to her desk. Trixie couldn’t help notice the unfurled scroll on it, the broken seals not only that of the Solar crest, but the Lunar one as well.
“I received a message from the Princesses about an hour ago,” Twilight began. “It relates to you and your condition. Princess Celestia has an idea that she thinks could help but it’s… risky.” Twilight folded her ears back, seemingly unable or unwilling to look at Trixie directly. “She figures that it could take some time, several days or more, to prepare. Because of what it involves… during that time, the Princesses have asked that you not be in town. What we’re doing is risky enough as is, and we don’t want to introduce any unpredictable elements if we can avoid it. By the same token,” she rushed, before Trixie could say anything to object, “I don’t want Spike anywhere near Ponyville either. Same for Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo. Now, I know that they’ve all been on a camping trip just a little while ago, but the rest of the girls and I feel that it would be best if they weren’t in town either.” She heaved a sigh. “Trust me, we’re going to have enough on our hooves to worry about without them.”
Trixie stood there a blinked for several seconds, trying to comprehend what she had just been told. “Wow, Twilight. I am… very humbled that the girls and you would trust Trixie enough to look after your little sisters and Spike like that.”
“They would. I would,” Twilight affirmed with a nod.
“Then Trixie shan’t let you down,” Trixie replied, standing straighter and prouder. “Though I must ask,” said Trixie, having realized the amazing irony of the situation. “What is it that the Princesses intend for Trixie that worries them enough to temporarily exile her from town?”
Twilight chewed her bottom lip, trying best to decide what to say. Eventually she asked, “Tell me, Trixie, what do you know about Discord?”
Chapter 19: Final Destination (Part Two) - The Edge of Darkness
Despite being more slightly southerly than Ponyville, weather in the Ghastly Gorge was noticeably colder. Situated downstream from the Everfree Forest, the Gorge shared the Forest’s uncontrolled weather, though that sharing just tended to manifest itself as unseasonably cold and dreary weather year ‘round rather than the dangerous and chaotic storms that the Everfree regularly produced.
Trixie had learned this first hoof when she did her first crossing through Equestria. She followed the road supposedly going south and found herself freezing, despite the warmer climate to the north. Trixie remembered having to read the map many times to convince herself she hadn’t traveled towards the frozen north by mistake. Years later, she would snicker at the memory of her younger self looking up in frustration and discovering the Austraeohian Crucis right above her, shining brightly. All the stars were brighter that night. There was no moon, so Trixie had quickly found her way back to the closest settlement.
After that day, Trixie never saw a new moon again until the months following Princess Luna’s return. She made a mental note to ask her about it now she had mail privileges with Royalty… Because Trixie was a walking sin against nature.
“Stars above,” she muttered between smiling teeth. “This is depressing.”
Trixie was sitting at the top of a hill at north of Ghastly Gorge. It wasn’t particularly high, just enough to see Ponyville in the distance. After several days, Trixie’s sight had adapted to daylight without protection. It was a relief taking the lenses out of her mask when she realized, since she could finally see more colors than the heavy tinting would allow. That’s why the view she got of Sweet Apple Acres was so mesmerizing to Trixie. All the colors, from the red of the apples to the green of the grass and the blue of the nearby river, all of it painted in orange by the last rays of sunlight.
Then she looked slightly to the right where something big was floating and spinning in the air.
Trixie blinked a few times, making sure she wasn’t suffering from eye decay… again. After checking her eyes were intact, she focused once again in the strange object. No, she hadn’t been mistaken the first time. That really was—
“Fluttershy’s house?!” Trixie couldn’t help but ask it out loud. Then she remembered who was now in Ponyville, probably free to do whatever he wanted, if the flying, spinning house was any indication. It was enough for Trixie to agree with Twilight and the others regarding taking their younger siblings, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike, to keep them away from the draconequus’ madness. Since all of the girls would have their hooves full dealing with Discord, while most of the other ponies back in town were doing their best to keep the place in a fairly small number of pieces, only Lightning Dust managed to accompany them.
“May the gods have mercy on their souls.” Trixie took her hat off and almost lowered her head. “Ah well, no use in worrying over it.” She shrugged and turned around to go back at the same campsite she had stayed during that cold night, many years ago.
During the trot down the hill, Trixie picked up some pieces of dead wood and fallen leaves to start a fire for the night. At that time of the year, it was better to get the fire started while it was still daylight. She also enjoyed being able to go around without having to wear most of her outfit. Granted, Trixie still had the vest on to cover the mark of the Amulet on her chest, but left her mask hanging from her neck. However, without the gloves and cape, Trixie had a lot more freedom of movement.
When she was just around the final bend from camp, Trixie stopped for a moment to put the mask back over her face. It hadn’t been that long since she made a habit of using that mask, but Trixie was already thinking of it as her real face. As she told Twilight the day before, ever since the Alicorn Amulet took over her body the first time, Trixie hasn’t felt like her body was truly hers. Each time she ended up thinking about it, she felt more like being trapped inside something she couldn’t even recognize.
That was why she prefered to wear the mask when around other ponies. It wasn’t just because of the ‘scare effect’ of the Amulet’s residual magic or out of simple vanity. It was really because Trixie wanted to show a face she was actually willing to admit was hers. The silver theater mask with her cutie mark in the left cheek was more ‘Trixie’ than the long fangs and slit red eyes hidden under it. She wasn’t a monster.
“Hey, Trixie is back!” Apple Bloom called out as the demon pony came around a tree.
“Hello, girls,” Trixie said, looking around the campsite. “Trixie expects you didn’t got too bored without her around.”
A voice came from above Trixie. “Oh, I think I did a good part keeping them entertained, showmare.” She looked up and saw Lightning Dust holding Scootaloo in her hooves. “I’ve been teaching this little pest one or two things about flying, like maneuvering and currents. Not bad, so far.”
“We’ve been working on the use of currents to help gliding between clouds at different heights,” replied Scootaloo, her orange wings buzzing. “That was after she showed me bunch of her own tricks, like loops, spins, and cloud busting. She’s alright, but she’s no Rainbow Dash!”
Trixie snickered at Lightning Dust rolling her eyes and looking like she was biting her tongue to keep some acerbic retort down. Early in their trip, Lightning had taken a liking to the little pegasus filly. After learning about the difficulties Scootaloo had with flying, she had changed her own daily exercise routine to include her. It didn’t cease to amaze Trixie how much of a difference friendship could make for a pony. She looked down again to see Sweetie Belle and Spike joining the group as Lightning Dust landed carefully with Scootaloo.
“Does this mean no one needs of Trixie’s Terrific Travelogue of Tremendous Tricks for Long Trips?” She put a dramatic hoof on her forehead. “Oh, the Tragedy!” She looked away from the group.
Lighting could barely hold herself from smashing her own skull while facehoofing. Spike just grimaced, two claws hardly pressing against his nose bridge. Trixie wasn’t unaware of those reactions, but she still smiled under the mask. They weren’t her target audience anyways.
“No, wait!” Sweetie Belle piped up. “We do!” Trixie could barely hold her laugh as the other two fillies followed with puppy eyes for her to do that show she has been pitching the entire trip from Ponyville.
“Alright,” Trixie said in a more leveled, but still exaggerated voice. “The show shall go on, for the audience.” She waved a claw and made appear a wild rose out of thin air. “Here you go, my little fillies.” Trixie threw the rose in the air, but instead of falling alone, a daisy and a lily followed, lading each in front of one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. As the flowers touched the ground, Trixie bowed for her miniature audience.
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo immediately bursted into a round of applause against the ground.
“We get it, you enjoy showing off!” Lightning Dust walked next to Trixie. “But before you continue, please give me that wood. I can literally see it falling over your head if you keep moving like that.”
“What wood?” Trixie said as she got up from her bow and looked at her back. “Oh, right, that.” She scratched the back of her head, wondering in which moment she forgot she was carrying it. Without thinking too much about it. Trixie tipped herself to the side where Lighting was ready to take it. However, when the wood slid from her back to Lightning’s, the pegasus couldn’t hold it and fell over her knees almost immediately.
“Ugh--” Lightning said from under the mountain of wood. “Halp!”
Trixie immediately began to take away the logs on the top while Spike raced to help Lightning to lift what was left. With some effort and improvisation, the three of them managed to keep most of the falling wood in one single pile. Trixie thought about what happened, remembering that bit of her body being ‘denser’, as Twilight described it. Another reminder of how much different from a real pony she had become over the time.
“Alright. Alright! I got it,” grunted Lightning as she fully got her hooves under her. “No need to worry. Musta just winded myself from all the flying.” She staggered forward a few steps towards the fireplace, her legs shaking as she struggled to use her wings to keep the firewood on her back. Trixie swore she heard the pegasus mutter, “No prancing unicorn is stronger ‘en me.”
Something in the distance laughed stridently, causing Trixie to whip her head around towards the sound and stand at rigid attention. She looked into the north, to where the laughter came from, trying to focus her ears on what might have caused it.
“Uh, Trixie?” Scootaloo waved a hoof in front of her. “Are you okay?”
“Uh? Yeah, sur-- Ah-choo!“ She pretended to sneeze. “I-- Trix-- I mean, I just caught some dust under the mask.” Trixie shifted the mask to conceal her ears moving, but she couldn’t pick the sound again.
Whatever it was, Trixie distracted herself quickly by going forward with the mini-show.
It was less than an hour after sunset when the cold finally made the younger fillies go inside their tents to sleep. Spike wasn’t that far away from falling onto his own face himself, but he stayed awake to speak with Trixie. The two of them sat over a log while Lightning Dust kept working on the campfire to make sure it was well fed.
“So, you say Princesses Celestia and Luna thought it was a good idea to release Discord?” Trixie nodded. “The guy who single handedly turned Equestria, a land known worldwide as the most peaceful place in the planet, into a riot of madness and disarray in less than a day. That Discord?” Trixie nodded again, slower. “All of that on the grounds he’s older than them and may,” Spike took a pause to put both of his index claws up, “and I repeat, may know something about the Alicorn Amulet that may—and I feel the need to repeat that word again because it seems to be very operative for this whole scenario—may be useful.” Trixie just cocked her head forward this time. She was entirely on Spike’s side of the whole situation.
“Yeah, they’re pretty much making an ‘all or nothing’ bet here,” Trixie answered while Lightning finished tending the fire and sat next to them. “I guess the Alicorn Amulet really is that much of a danger if the Princesses are willing to go this far.”
“Or maybe,” Spike raised a single claw. “It’s because they really want to help you that much.”
“Yeah, let’s go with that one,” Lightning interjected. “After all, don’t you guys all work with that ‘friendship is magic’ deal?” She let herself fall back, using her wings to softly land on the grass behind the log they were sitting on. “Do note that I am quite thankful for that.” Lightning crossed her hooves behind her head as she let her eyes lid over.
“I guess you are right,” Trixie scratched her chin under the mask.
She looked back at Spike, finding the little purple reptile nodding off, his chin resting on his chest. “Heh, come on,” she rumbled with a pat on his shoulder. Carefully, she took him with her claws and helped him onto her back. Trixie carried Spike to the tent that Sweetie Belle and Lightning Dust were sharing with him. Very slowly, she opened the tent, just enough to get inside without letting the warmth get out, and let Spike off. He yawned one last time, waddled over to the the bed roll lying next to Sweetie Belle’s sleeping bag, and curled up under his blanket. Trixie couldn’t resist making sure he was good and tucked in. With the same care but quicker, she got out and closed the tent, and went back to sit next to Lightning, who was looking up at the starry night and making silhouettes with her hooves.
Trixie wanted to allow herself such levity, but there was too much on her mind.
There were two halves inside her debating over her present situation. On one side, ruled by the instincts she had forged over the years living on the road, she knew the Alicorn Amulet was too dangerous, and she knew the Princesses would do anything to protect their subjects, even if that meant throwing her at the draconequus’ claws. But on the other side, a less exercised one that she only remembered after getting to know Twilight, kept coming up with the idea that it was because they honestly wanted to help. Trixie wanted to believe the Princesses would want to help her, even to the extremes of risking Discord being free.
And of course, there was still the doubt if their giant gamble would even work at all. As Spike pointed out, it was a high stake bet on either astronomically big odds against them or microscopically small odds in favor. Probably both. Trixie didn’t want to think about any of that anymore, so she mimicked Lightning and rested her back on the grass to look at the stars too.
“Never thought you would be the astronomer type, Dust.” Trixie turned her head to look at her most recent friend.
“Astrono what?” Lightning turned to look at Trixie, who was pointing a claw at the sky. “Oh, you mean one of those star nerds. Nah, never had the patience to go through all those fancy names and complex stuff.” She went back to drawing shapes in the air with a hoof. “I just enjoy looking at them. Stop the engines, turn the rotor off and be quiet for a change.”
“Yes, I can get behind that.” Trixie looked at the sky herself, realizing they were right under the Austraeohian Crucis. Looking around it again, this really was the same campsite she had used that night, many years ago. She couldn’t help but snort at that.
Where did that pony go? That little mare, barely an adult, who just wanted to see the world, where was she now?
*wh* The wind sounded in the distance. *rstrned?*
Trixie immediately got up. She was sure she heard a voice this time.
“Hey,” Trixie whispered. Lightning Dust turned towards her, perking her ears up. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Lightning raised her head, looking from side to side, her erect ears swiveling about. She raised an eyebrow. “Where?”
“Something like a whisper…” Trixie frowned. “I think. I’m not sure from where it came.”
“Mmm-grrr,” Lightning groaned as she sat up, very slowly. “Trixie,” she said while trying to repress a yawn. “When was the last time you were actually out in the woods by yourself?”
“Well…” Trixie didn’t even want to make the calculation. “More than it should be for a Roani.” She had to admit it to herself, the constant problems and turmoil of her life had kept her oddly static.
“There you go,” Lightning rolled from her belly to her hooves. “It’s just the sounds of nature and you’re rediscovering them. After all, we are near the river.” She got up and trotted around the log to sit on it again, tending to their camp fire.
Trixie thought about it, the irony. There was a time she would have made fun of another pony getting scared of the sound of a river or the wind whistling against the trees’ leaves. She shook her head, putting a claw on her forehead. That was an essential part of herself, older than anything else she could remember, and she had nearly forgot about it. Trixie was sure if she had blood, the inside of her mask would be feeling really hot by this point.
She needed to go back.
Trixie looked at the denser part of the forest around the clearing they were camping on. As she expected, even though the nearly absolute darkness of the inner forest, she could see it clear as the day, maybe better.
“Lightning?” She asked while scratching a claw against the ground. “Would you be fine if I leave you alone?”
“Sure, why not?” Lightning replied while getting off the log. “I was about to go to sleep too, so have a good--” *cling* *clang*
The metallic mask landed next to Lightning.
“Night…” There was nopony to be seen.
Trixie galloped as fast as she could, taking any turn she came to and avoided looking where she was going. She stopped only after being sure she was well away from any path or campsite.
“In the middle of nowhere,” Trixie said to herself. “No road, no bounds, nothing but me.” She kept trotting at a calmer pace, looking around her. “And the world at my hooves.” Trixie smiled.
She desired to experience the smell of the wildness around her. The fresh air that once almost froze her to death, it was revitalizing…
Or it should have been.
Although Trixie was able to identify every smell around her, she wasn’t ‘feeling’ it. She sighed at the dullness of her senses. Another reminder of her condition. Trixie rubbed a paw down her face in frustration, but as she did, she noticed something else. She looked at the claws, looking for the sweat that should be there after a sprint like the one she just did. Instead, it was dry. In fact, she wasn’t even feeling tired, nor the usual adrenaline rush from doing such sudden exercise.
“Okay.” She raised an eyebrow. “This is kinda new.”
Trixie started to think. Ever since she awoke at Twilight’s room, she couldn’t remember feeling tired. Sure, she went to sleep, but that was thanks to Fluttershy teaching her how to meditate from when Trixie was a corpse. Trixie kept thinking about it. She could eat again too, but there was no real hunger behind it. There was also that whole ‘can’t get drunk’ thing going on.
She looked down at her chest, where the dark-azure fur changed color to black, grey and red, drawing a nearly perfect outline of the Alicorn Amulet on her body. Trixie didn’t need a medical examination or even a light tap over the area to know that the Amulet was there, encrusted to the bone and replacing her discarded heart. She still put a paw over it. She needed to know more.
Trixie’s claws ran over the entire drawing, stopping right in the middle, where the fur was red in diamond shape. She couldn’t feel any physical pulsations, but in the quiet of the night, Trixie knew the thing was pumping the magic inside her. She looked at her side to better examine herself. Despite Twilight’s constant measurements and testings, Trixie never took the time to appreciate what she had now. To look at what she was now.
She admired her own body, taking her time to examine all those details that couldn’t be measured. The feeling of her claws against the earth, the flexibility of her spine in movement. The awareness of her prehensile tail waving at will. Trixie kept experimenting, moving and feeling. Trixie sighed.
“What the hell am I?” she whispered to herself. Trixie wanted something familiar, that was why she went into the forest, but in the middle of it, engulfed in darkness, she could only feel alone. Alone and lost.
She looked up at the sky, trying to see the stars that always guided her so faithfully. However, a bank of clouds was passing over, blocking the light of the stars and the moon. For Trixie, there was no light.
Trixie didn’t want to think about her situation anymore. In fact, she didn’t even need it. Twilight Sparkle was right the whole time.
“Trixie is Trixie.” She said to herself, glaring down at the darkness around her. “Nothing can ever change that.” Trixie stomped the ground with her front paws. “This is who I am.”
“What are you?”
She looked around, searching for the source of the whisper. After glaring into the darkness for a time, she doubted there was any living being around her.
“Over here.” Trixie whirled around at the sound only to find nothing. “Here,here, here.” It echoed from nowhere.
“Show yourself!” Trixie demanded, spinning back around to try and find the sound, locating nothing.
“Here” It say from the left. “No, here.” From the right. Suddenly, Trixie felt the cold of the night. It was the first time she ever felt any weather at all since she died.
Trixie gulped a lump she didn’t know was able to have. She shook her head and planted her four paws firmly on the ground. There was no reason to be scared; she was already dead. What could possibly happen to her by this point?
“Here!” The voice came loud and clear from nowhere Trixie could recognize. “Here,here,here,here,here,here,here,here,” it echoed getting lower and louder at the same time.
The mismatched teasings came from every possible direction. At first she tried to follow them, desperately trying to find their source. But all she accomplished was to spin in a small circle as each repetition came faster and quicker. The voice was never heard from the same point or at the same volume twice. It felt like a swarm around her, circling around and getting closer.
Trixie wanted to run away, but her legs weren’t responding anymore. The sounds weren’t even recognizable words anymore. Just a constant cacophony that flooded the air. Trixie felt panic overwhelming her, ancient instincts calling for her to break and run. Yet where could she go when she was surrounded?
From deep down within her, something else ancient was responding to Trixie’s panic.
It didn’t want to run, to flee. It wanted to attack the threat. To rip it apart, to destroy it, to make it regret ever daring to cross the Great and Powerful Trixie!
“Over here.”
One taunt, clearer than the others, was all it took to tell her were her tormenter was. The darkness welling up exploded within her head, her neck and horn screaming in pain as she spun around. The taunt muscles of her hind legs uncoiled, driving her towards her tormenter like a puma or a warthog. Trixie’s muzzle and forepaws were spread wide in attack, ready to taste blood. A roar burst from her throat.
Instead, all she tasted was air.
Bursting through a row of cedars, Trixie found herself airborne. In all her running, she had gotten herself right alongside the Ghastly Gorge. It had been hidden from her view by the trees, but now she could see it spreading before her. And below her.
Trixie’s roar of attack turned to a panicked shriek as she twisted and flailed in mid air. It was the trip to the Wonderbolts Academy all over again. She was falling through the air with no control. She managed to just turn herself, to reach out for the trees, and the balloon, and the rest of the girls, and for Twilight.
Except she didn’t, she never had, and she was still falling, and she was going to smash herself on the rocks again and it would hurt oh-goddess-it-would-hurt-so-much-and-shewoulddieshewoulddieandshedidn’twanttodieagainnotagain--
With a great whump, Trixie landed belly first on the rocky slope below the treeline. If she still had still required air, it would have been knocked out of her lungs. As it was, only her legs were knocked askew. Trixie recovered in an instant, all four of her paws frantically digging at the ground to try and stop her slide, her panic only aiding her. Dirt and stones tore at her paws as she slowed, her momentum rapidly dropping off.
Trixie’s hind legs kicked at the open air at the very lip of the Ghastly Gorge just as she finally came to a stop.
Her panic stopped slower than she did. Trixie kept clawing at the hill, not stopping until she had pulled herself back to the top, laying in a shivering heap at the base of the trees she had crashed through seconds earlier. If she had still been alive she would have been panting like a sprinter at the end of a race, her heart thumping hard enough that she’d fear it was trying to escape her chest.
But Trixie was not alive and so only lay in a quivering mass until her fright and the memories of that balloon ride weeks ago had finally faded.
Slowly, Trixie got up, sitting on her haunches. She looked at her paws. The hillside had torn up their pads and the skin around the claws during her scramble up it. Her belly was streaked with dirt and grass. The grass below her head was charred, and when she touched her cheek her claw came away with a touch of green from the necroplasm. She had a burning headache and her throat was sore, likely from screaming.
Trixie started to inhale and exhale slowly. It wasn’t doing anything for her body, but the motions calmed her. Once she felt ready to move again, Trixie wearily got back to her paws and started a slow trudge back to camp.
What was happening to her? Where had the voices come from? What had made her attack the darkness like that?
Was she finally going crazy?
Was she ever even sane to begin with?
The fire had died down to almost coals by the time Trixie got back to camp. She added a few more logs and branches to it, the fire responding rapidly. A quick check of the tents revealed that all was well on that front also, their five occupants curled up and soundly asleep. At some point Lightning Dust had curled up hugging Spike, but since neither looked bothered by the arrangement Trixie figured she’d leave them be and poke fun at them for it in the morning.
She wasn’t really in the mood for sleep right now herself.
The fire was crackling merrily and throwing off a warmth that Trixie wished she could truly feel. As with the smells before, she knew it was warm, but again, there was a cold emptiness in the feeling. With a sigh, Trixie settled herself on top of her bed roll and pulled a worn camping quilt Applejack had lent her around her body. Settling her head on her forelegs, she stared into the burning coals of the fire.
Trixie closed her eyes after a minute and stilled herself. Sleep may have been lost to her, but she didn’t think she could sleep anyway, not after what had just happened. A shudder went through her at memory of falling helplessly through the air.
“No,” Trixie whispered. She needed was to get control back, to center herself. Breathing in deeply and slowing letting it out, she began to go through the meditative techniques Fluttershy taught her. But there was a tempest in her mind, too strong and too old to be appeased. Trixie began to listen at the world around her, to the wind on the leaves and the water through the river. Slow as the summer breeze, she lifted her head. She was Roani; her hooves were restless. She needed to move.
Slowly, following the wind’s lead, she got up. Then, with the sound of the river as timing, she lifted her left paw while dragging the right one on the ground. Suddenly, as the wind changed its direction she turned her head, keeping her eyes closed. The left paw stepped hard on the ground, sinking the claws as the motions became more defined. The cool night air was caressing her fur and skin as she did that, softly directing her. She turned away from the fire to better feel where the cool night air might want her to go. When Trixie opened her eyes, she saw the light of the moon passing through the clouds, giving her a new road to follow.
And then, everything stopped.
Trixie didn’t know what had happened or what to do. There was no sound, no wind, no water. She sat back to her haunches, her eyes now wide and her ears carefully moving. The world she looked out at was still there, but everything appeared as if its color had been taken away. For a moment, Trixie wondered if the little traces of senses she still had were finally fading away, but then she realized that everything she looked at was also motionless. From the clouds in the sky to the leaves on the trees, everything was still. It was as if the entire world, even sounds and light, had become frozen in time.
Trixie looked down, where her shadow was still moving with the fire’s twinkle. She quickly turned around, expecting to find the fire a frozen grey spectre as the rest of the world had become. Yet, she saw a flame burning normally with colors and sound she somehow missed up to that point. Trixie took a step forward, but before her left paw could touch the ground the fire erupted in an enormous blaze that shone with the very colors of the rainbow. The effect stood out more due to the world around it being colorless.
Trixie couldn’t move, not that she would have tried. The spectacle in front of her was overwhelming. As the flames kept rising in a pillar of color and fire that seemed to touch the sky, a dark silhouette moved inside it. The black figure began small, but it grew with each motion, as if it was getting closer. Trixie gulped, not even daring to blink. The black stain was bigger than a pony, even bigger than Princess Celestia. The pillar of light melted down, revealing even more black as the colors flowed down.
Once the black took over, the silhouette took the colors for itself. Trixie saw two small streams of yellow making circles, as two eyes stared back at her. From the right side of the figure, a ferocious paw with claws shot forwards. Trixie clenched her teeth for the attack, but it never happened.
“Hello, my little… thing,” the voice of madness greeted her. In a world of black and white, Discord looked as bright as a sun. Trixie looked at the offered paw but didn’t take it. Her expression quickly changed from awe to anger at the sound of that voice, as she guessed what had just happened to her back in the forest.
“You sure do know how to make an entrance,” Trixie commented, lacing it with as much sarcasm as she could muster. She hated him.
Discord looked down at her and pouted. “Of all the ponies, I figured a showmare like yourself would appreciate a flashy entrance.”
“Pff, sure, the effects were amazing,” Trixie turned to a side to pick up a rock between two claws. She threw it away but it froze in place as soon as it lost contact with her. “But without an act, it’s just that. An effect.” Trixie couldn’t help but smirk a little.
She was talking to what was probably the most powerful and dangerous creature on all of Equus. But then again, one of her own internal organs was replaced by what could as well be the most powerful and dangerous object on all of Equus. Maybe she was a performer first and several other things after that, but there was an immovable constant at the end of that list; a gambler and a cheat. A trickster. She could beat the devil at his own game.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Discord jumped and floated over Trixie, forming an arc in the air as he got his head in front of her. “I admit it, I’m more a creature of an actions than actings,” Trixie pulled her head back, clenching her teeth again. “And I’m pretty sure you know I’m not here to ask for notes on presentation and performance.” He snapped his talons and they were surrounded by ponies cheering and applauding, except they were as drained and colorless as the rest of the world around them. No, there was more to them as Trixie looked closer; they were skinny and starved looking, their faces only masks that hid terror behind them. The clothes they wore were strange, looking older than anything Trixie had seen outside of museums. “After all,” Discord said, drawing her back to him. “I did once rule the world.”
Another snap and the ponies were gone, just the two of them and the fire.
“Trixie shouldn’t be surprised.” She sat down in front of the fire, putting on an air of nonchalance. “So what do you want this time?”
“Global mayhem,” the figure above her laughed, jumping up in the air and twisting about itself at its own joke. Trixie only clenched her jaw in response, but then she got a better idea.
*heh* “Don’t make me laugh,” she smiled, making sure she was showing fangs. “Seriously, you wouldn’t like it.” Those last words came out like a growl from her.
“Not bad.” The sound of hooves stomping in applause sounded from all around them causing Trixie to look around, half expecting the ancient phantom audience to have returned. “But even the greatest actor playing as the most evil character conceived in fiction... is still just an actor.”
Trixie snorted and turned back to Discord, letting her lips curl up to show her fangs. “Who said I’m playing.”
Discord just chuckled once at that, rocking back and forth in the air above the fire as his mismatched wing beat lazily. “Come now, Trixie. We both know that your… heart, just isn’t in it.”
“Enough, Discord!” Trixie shouted, quite tired of the charade. “Trixie is in no mood for your games. Besides, what kind of greeting do you expect after you try and run me off the side of a cliff? What are you even doing here and not back in Ponyville under Twilight’s watch anyway?”
“Oh, you know, I was just playing around, having some fun. Not my fault you decided to jump. Besides, little Purple Smart is almost as much a stick in the mud as old Sun Butt.” The draconequus floated down to her level. “Now, Trixie may not be in the mood for all this, but what about you?” Trixie gave him a snort and glare in response. She was annoyed to note the campfire didn’t seem to be bothering him. “Well, fine then. Be that way. Though since you seem to have to know…” He reached out, booping her nose. “It’s you. I’ve been quite curious about you ever since Celestia decided to pardon me from my permanent placement as a palace pigeon perch. So I decided to pay a little visit, see what had got her tail in such a twist that she’d turn to me for help.”
Trixie looked back towards the tents.
“Oh, don’t worry about them,” Discord said, having guessed what Trixie was thinking. “This is just between the two of us. I’ve been told — in no uncertain terms — that mares and growing foals need their sleep after all. Why else do you think I’m out here only now?”
Trixie started to retort only to be cut off by Discord.
“You know, I had been planning to do this in a dream,” Discord said, ignoring her heated glare as he picked at his snaggletooth. “But you see, that’s the difference between ponies and us; we don’t need sleep.”
Trixie’s compose broke a little at that, her eat twitching. What did he mean by ‘us’?
“What do you mean?” She got closer to the fire. The light started to hurt her vision, but she ignored it. Discord just kept smiling, slightly closing his eyes while the flames danced around him.
“Heh, and I thought the last Lulamoon would be smarter than regular ponies.” He looked aside, faking a expression of hurt. “Haven’t you asked how?”
“How what?” Trixie surprised herself growling again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew enough to recognize being baited and how much it was Discord’s game. “What are you even talking about?”
“Then I guess you haven’t asked yet,” Discord snapped his fingers and his old throne appeared next to the log Trixie was sitting on. “I see some things never change; that old white horse still isn’t telling everypony everything.
“But how about this; since you’re in the club now, I’ll give you a north.” As he said that, Discord pulled a compass out from his feathered wing. He threw it at Trixie, who couldn’t help the reflex and caught it with her paws. “In a matter of speaking.” She inspected the compass. The lid was stamped with a circle that had eight wavy arrows emanating from its center, and upon opening it she noticed the letters were different. Instead of N, S, E and W, it had W, T, A and H.
“Trixie…” she was about to say she wasn’t falling for his tricks—his lies—again, but it was that gamble she had to take. “Trixie is listening.” Once again, she felt the need to show her fangs, but she repressed it this time.
“Oh, splendid,” Discord smiled. Trixie could hear the ghost audience cheering once again. “But of course, it wouldn’t be interesting if I just handed the answers to you, would it now?”
“I’d be surprised if you did.” Trixie’s voice sounded deeper this time. “But let’s stop with the constant bluffing, Trixie wants to see your cards.” She allowed herself to smile this time, only looking at Discord out of the corner of her eye. “Unless, of course, you’re holding nothing to back up the bluff, in which case, have a good night,” Trixie stood up with her nose high in the air. “Good luck with the whole reforming thing. I bet my hat you will need it after Twilight and the others find out you were so close to their sisters.” With that same smile, Trixie trotted towards the tent.
“Whoa, wait, hold on there,” Discord hastily got up from his throne to glide over Trixie, landing headfirst in front of her to block her path. “Surely you’re not really going to rat me out to little Miss I-Want-an-Excuse-to-Shoot-at-Discord Sparkle?”
Trixie only replied by hardening her glare and showing her fangs. “Try me,” she said between her clenched teeth.
“Alright, alright,” Discord relaxed his body, still standing upside down. “Monsters these day, don’t know how to bargain.” He spun around in the air, making an uneasy sound of bones crackling. His head stood inverted as Trixie stood in place without softening her glare. “How about this then; I will give you answers if you don’t rat me out.” He extended his lion paw. “It’s a deal.”
“Trixie is not touching that.” She sat in the ground and relaxed her expression. “But she will agree to withhold certain information, for now.”
“Of course you will,” he said while fixing his head’s position, making the bones’ crackle like one of Spike’s breakfast cereals. Once that was settled, Discord smiled while lowering his head to almost her level. Trixie felt uneasy at this, he looked far too confident. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
Discord snapped his claws.
The world around them started to melt. Trixie got up, but her movements felt slowed down, as if she was underwater. Everything around them was losing form. She looked at Discord, who was laughing like crazy. Trixie reached for him with a claw, not sure of what she was doing. But as she did, the space between them somehow stretched. The draconequus became smaller and smaller in front of her eyes, ending up as a small drop of color in the middle of a black void. Then the black void contracted inside a white void. Then black again. Then white again.
Trixie was shaking. She didn’t know what was happening. She tried to scream, either to call for help or out of fear, both were good enough. But nothing came out. There was no air inside her lungs and nothing outside. The voids kept cycling in front of Trixie as she tried to move. Again, it felt like moving inside an especially dense liquid, but she still tried to advance. The time it took between each step felt endless.
A ray of light passed next to Trixie, too thin and fast to really appreciate. Then another, which she did see. Then two and three and five and eight. A barrage of thin lines of colored light flew from behind Trixie and into the endless horizon. The black and white voids constantly swallowing each other, got lost behind a new form of endlessness; infinite streaks of light forming a tube around Trixie and extending themselves. The bright colors made her close her eyes.
When Trixie opened them again, she was sitting alone in the middle of nothing. A spotlight appeared in front of her, illuminating Discord wearing a purple jacket with a bright orange vest over a black shirt, closed by a green bowtie. He was holding a cane between his two arms, hiding his face under a dark purple top hat. He hit the cane in the ground and Trixie heard all kinds of cheers around them.
“Spectres and chimeras, ghosts and ghouls!” He announced as Trixie looked around her, the ghost audience back again, standing in circle around her and Discord. “Welcome to the most unnerving, strange and, outright terrifying spectacle in all of eternity. Besides my mother-in-law.” A second spotlight appeared over Trixie, who was suddenly wearing her old costume. Not the one Rarity made for her, but the original, leaving the mark of the Alicorn Amulet on her chest completely visible. “I present you existence’s ultimate tragedy. Come, witness the pain, the struggle, and the eventual failure of…” He stopped for a second. “An average mare.”
Trixie shielded her eyes of the light and sound by pulling the brim of her old hat. With the other claw, she tried to close the cape around her chest, but it was made for a pony’s body, too small for her now.
“Oh, don’t be like that. After all,” Discord walked closer to her with a mocking swagger, “we,” he put his eagle talon over her shoulders, “have a deal.” He hit the ground with his cane again, making it jump and catching it by the other end. “And here they come,” Discord shouted for the audience while standing up, still next to Trixie. “First the heart of the matter and current conflict. Everypony, give a warm welcome to Trixie’s life!” He then looked to a side and added in a stage whisper “Or at least the closest thing to a life she has.”
Smoke came from around the ring. It wasn’t the usual white or grey vapor Trixie was used to or the bright colors one would expect in a circus. It was a thick screen of a darkened green mass. Trixie felt sickened as the green smoke poured over the ground and rose above her and Discord’s height. An invisible band of winds and brass started to play a slow and grave song with a few high string and xylophone notes here and there, which didn’t help Trixie uneasiness. Finally, a flash of red light sparkled in front of them and the smoke began to dissipate.
A red spotlight was pointing at the middle of the ring, where a tall mare was standing unmoving. Her fur looked black and her hair was tinted a faint red from the light. Drawings of bones all over her body shone brightly, reflecting the light as if it was projected by the mare itself. Trixie recognized the Bone Mare from the old stories in Neigh Orleans. She didn’t know why, but she felt a fearful remembrance at the Mistress of Death, as if this was not the first time their paths had crossed. The Bone Mare looked about, seemingly just as startled by her sudden appearance in the ring as Trixie. As her gaze fell upon Trixie she staggered back as if shocked. In an instant her expression went from surprise to something Trixie couldn’t quite describe. It was something between sorrow and rage. Contradictory in itself, but no less intimidating.
Discord smiled at how both ponies were entranced at each other. He clapped his hands twice, making the red spotlight turn off and the Bone Mare disappear from sight. Before Trixie could even react, a white spotlight lit up and the ground began to shake like an earthquake.
The music changed. Only percussions played a short beat, marking a excited tempo. The ground opened before Trixie’s eyes. Small pieces of the floor detached themselves and floated in a circle. The small swirl of earth became denser by the second until it took a solid form. Just as she recognized the structure as a watchtower, a lightning bolt struck it, making the tower crumble and fall.
The drums stopped and were replaced by a soft melody of wood winds. From the debris, a mare wearing a long blue robe emerged, floating upside down. She was wearing the crest of the sun, meaning she was part of the Solar Church. Trixie saw how the mare’s lips moved slightly as her forelegs were together. She was silently praying, oblivious to the fact she was upside down over what was left of a tower. Trixie felt melancholic at the sight. She never felt herself a religious pony, but the complete serenity of the mare, despite the madness around her, was saddening to Trixie. She never knew that kind of peace in her own life.
*snap!*
Again, the lights and music went off together. Then the music started again, playing only to darkness. It was an entire orchestra this time, performing a soft march, going up in tone and tempo. When the strings reached the higher notes, the brass entered and a slight ray of emerald light cut through the darkness. Unlike the sickening smoke from before, the light’s green was bright, almost empowering, and as the music went on, the light grew. Trixie knew she didn’t have her heart anymore, but she could have swore there was a missing beat inside her. From above, a chariot made of silver descended. The two ponies pulling it were made out of gold, with silver manes and eyes glowing like emeralds under the green light.
Two drops of necroplasm hit the ground under Trixie’s face. ‘Why am I feeling like this?’
There was something in the images Discord was showing her, triggering an emotional mix of thrill and nostalgia beyond what they should be provoking. Trixie wanted to ignore it but it was difficult. Last time she followed Discord’s games, her life ended. But the spectacle was entrancing nonetheless.
Another gesture from Discord brought silence and darkness again. This time it lasted longer. Trixie looked around her, searching for anything that would tell her what to expect. The seats around the circus ring were empty now, and Discord was just resting on his cane.
Trixie then noticed the silence was slowly being replaced by an instrument she couldn’t identify. It was some kind of clavichord, but the sound it made felt disjointed. It was less a melody and more like random notes. The spotlight this time was a barely even visible cone of orange and the smoke became thicker around it. A figure appeared inside, tall and sloppy. It looked like a stallion walking, but there was something off. Then the smokescreen cleared, yet the figure was still left in shadows. Trixie realized he was walking upside down, just like the priestess. This stallion was dressed too, but instead of religious attire, he was garbed as a magician. He raised up on his hind legs, with his cape waving behind him. His horn glowed with the same orange as the spotlight and fire came out of it.
The flames danced in the air, as the inverted magician directed the magic to form a sigil around one hoof, a circle with a seven pointed star inside it. Then, on the second hoof, a smaller circle with a five pointed star inside that appeared. The magician then brought them together and they flashed. In the air appeared a combination of both symbols; a five pointed star inside a seven pointed one inside a circle. The bloom of light they gave off momentarily stripped away his shadows and showed a tan earth pony with blond mane, wearing a trenchcoat instead of robes. The figure faded to black just as quickly.
Trixie snapped her head to a side. ‘No, not that one.’
“Stop!”
Trixie turned around and started to walk away. The spotlight, the music, the smoke, Discord’s ringmaster outfit; it all disappeared as she put the first claw out of the ring. Just as she exited it entirely, everything blinked and she was back at the frozen moment in the campsite.
“Oh boy, that’s not something you see everyday,” Discord commented as he floated in arc above Trixie. “What’s the matter? Got jelly because I can mount a better show than you— whoa!” He barely avoided the claw swinging at his face.
“You,” whatever came out of Trixie’s maw, it didn’t sound like her voice at all, but she didn’t care. All she wanted was to inflict pain. Trixie took another swing, but Discord was floating too far away. Out of instinct, Trixie lowered her upper body in a crouch. It felt natural to do so. When she knew she was ready, Trixie took a jump, fangs and claws ready to tear Discord into shreds. But just as she reached him, he dissolved into a puff of pink smoke and confetti. Trixie landed, looking frantically for her prey…
‘What am I doing?’
Trixie staggered and fell over her barrel, covering the pain in her head with her claws. She wasn’t a monster, no matter how much she changed. Or at least that's what she’s been telling herself over and over since she came back. Trixie knew she was vulnerable, crying uncontrollably. She tried to steady herself. Trixie had to be strong.
But how?
“I have to say,” Discord softly landed behind Trixie. “You’re the most fun I’ve had since that time I cast a love spell on a pigeon and a housecat, and wound up with the first griffon as a result.” She kept her head low between her paws, unanswering. “So tell me, my little demon, which nerve did I touch?”
Trixie wasn’t even listening him. She was too focused fighting herself. At first she thought it was watching a magician performing that set her off. Seeing what she loved to do, her reason to be alive and knowing she could never do it again. Yes, it did give Trixie pain inside, but not enough to let herself succumb to violence like that. It wasn’t until Discord called her a demon when she realized what really happened. Once again, she let the Alicorn Amulet’s influence get the worst of her.
“Hello?” Discord knocked on a miniature door he made appear in the air next to her. “Is anymonster home?”
Trixie considered what he was doing. Did he know making her lost her temper would give the Amulet a window, or was he only testing to see what could happen? Trixie couldn’t allow herself to follow his game; her friends could be in danger if she did. Instead, she just inhaled and slowly raised her head, showing no emotion at all.
“Yes,” Trixie answered, repressing any emotion she could feel. “Are you done yet? I’ve grown weary of your antics.” It wasn’t pleasant, but if she had to get control of this encounter somehow and changing the act was a good step. With all the calm she could fake, Trixie slowly got up and began to walk away from the fireplace. “And please, would you kindly start time again. I don’t think Twilight will appreciate it too much.”
*snap!*
Trixie was brought up short by… herself.
Trixie was about to blink, but didn’t dare. Instead, she straightened her posture and looked again. It was just a mirror in front of her, but instead of showing her figure as she was, the image was her wearing her mask and costume. Once again, she suppressed any reaction she could show and simply turned around. She was met with another mirror. This one showed Trixie like she actually was, uncovered, but without the restraining collar and ring. In this second mirror, the marks of the Amulet on Trixie’s chest glowed with a red light, the same with her eyes. Those eyes bored into her, bringing a wicked sneer to her reflection.
Trixie turned to her left, only to encounter yet another mirror. This time Trixie couldn’t help but gasp and retreat away from the image. The mare in the mirror was a pony, but very thin and pale. Her fur and mane were neglected, and her eyes, despite having iris’ of purple, were mostly gray and showed no life. Trixie kept her head straight, but couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering down, to where the Alicorn Amulet was visible again, embedded in the reflection’s chest. She had to look at her own chest to make sure the Amulet hadn’t resurfaced. She turned again.
Each time Trixie changed direction to leave, a new mirror with another version of herself would appear. Some were recognizable, like when she was wearing a black hood, or when she had to dress in rags after losing her home. But the more unnerving ones were the mirrors that showed things she never was.
One of them looked like her, but taller and darker, her blue coat almost black. She was wearing only the cape, but it was folded between two leathery wings that looked like those of a bat or a dragon. Fangs poked from the corners of her lips. Although the image still had her red eyes, the Alicorn Amulet was nowhere to be seen. Next to that one, there was a more normal looking Trixie, all except her head and dress. This one had silver war armor over her and a crown made out of a dark and shiny metal. Her eyes glowed with a green and purple light, the curved horn on her head glowed a red to rival the Alicorn Amulet.
On the opposite side of the circle, two mirrors also showed reflections Trixie never saw in her life. The first one had Trixie looking like a totally normal pony, but clearly older. She stood surrounded by books and parchments with gold-rimmed glasses on, wearing her old magician’s attire. Yet there was some austerity in her stance, a confidence that came from position and high standing, not arrogance and assumption. The second reflection was Trixie as she was before any of this started and was the most unsettling thing she saw in any of the mirrors. This Trixie was surrounded by friends the real one didn’t know, and wearing a silver crown with a blue star in the middle of it. But what made it so unbalancing to Trixie was that the image in front of her was the only one that was happy.
Trixie decided to look up to avoid the mirrors, only to be met by one big circular one showing a familiar tombstone with a star engraved into it.
“Why?” She realized she was shaking, but she steadied herself again. “Why are you doing this?” Trixie couldn’t hold on more and finally closed her eyes, once again hanging her head low. She was suddenly very tired.
“Why, I thought you would find it interesting.” Discord walked through the circle of mirrors, shattering them as he did so. “I mean, I figured if seeing a show about your own life was too much, maybe seeing other realities would pick you up?”
Trixie didn’t answer.
“Are you a believer in philosophical optimism, then? That this is already the best of all possible worlds?”
Trixie looked back up at him. “What best possible world could have you as a part of it?” Her question clearly dripped with venom. “But no, I don’t believe in anything anymore,” Trixie realized as she said it. “In fact, I don’t care about what you do.” She knew what she had left to do. “And that’s why you keep up this farce, don’t you?” Trixie pointed a claw at Discord. “Despite having all that power, you’re not so above it all.” She smirked, this time sincerely. “You still crave attention like a very insecure filly.”
“Oh, ouch,” Discord put a hand over his forehead, pretending to fall back but stopping in mid air. “How ironic, don’t you think?” He reversed his fall and then continued in the other direction to be eye to eye with Trixie. “Look at yourself before accusing anyone of being an attention grabber, Miss Prancing Showpony.”
“Oh, I know I’m like that too,” Trixie sat down. She felt calm now she knew what she was doing. “I also know everything that has happened up to this point is my fault.” She shrugged. “Nothing else to do but accept it.”
“Are you kidding me?” Discord straightened up. “You can’t be for real.” Trixie’s only response was to tilt her head to a side. “Oh my me, you actually are for real.” She just smiled in response, nodding. Discord made a bell appear and hit it with a hammer repeatedly. “Hello! Are you high or something? Did you hit your head harder than I thought when you jumped over that cliff? Do you need a wake up call or one of those things ponies need to realize what’s in front of them?”
“You know, I actually don’t know,” Trixie answered. “What do I need to tell you to finish this conversation?” Discord facepalmed, knocking his head off his neck. After making a new head appear with a snap, he took Trixie by the barrel and lifted her in front of him.
“Why can you admit you’ve hit rock bottom?!” His voice carried a gust of wind that made Trixie recoil in his arms.
“But I just did,” Trixie answered, genuinely confused.
He shook her. “Then react accordingly!” Discord dropped Trixie, but she caught herself in time and landed smoothly on her feet. “Come on, you hit rock bottom a while ago, and since then you’ve just been digging yourself deeper.” His gestures become more aggressive. “You’re several sub-basements below rock bottom by this point! You literally have so little nothing that they need me to put you back at zero. You. Have. Nothing. Left!”
“Exactly. So why should I care?” Discord just dropped his arms, which made a sign appear that said ‘We Quit’ and crawled away from him. “Oh, wait, you expected Trixie to act like the last time you tried this?” This seemed to take Discord by surprise. “Oh yes, this is not the first time Trixie has had the misfortune of your company.” She began to display the emotion she wasn’t showing before. “You see, that’s the reason I can’t call you a true performer, you just repeat the same act, over and over, you cheap hack!”
“Wait, what?”
“The Day of Discord,” Trixie began. “I was making my first big show after a long time. It was my last shot so I was ready to put all on the table. But then you rolled in on that stupid pink cloud of yours, and that’s when all of Trixie’s magic began to fail her and her act to backfire. I tried to escape, but I couldn’t. When Trixie called for help, she found the ponies in the audience had turned on her, too. Instead of helping her, they just laughed at Trixie.” She closed her eyes at the memory, holding her right foreleg with the left. “I’ll never forget the look in your eyes as I felt the last of my resolve and hope drain away.”
“So what? I made half of Equestria go nuts that day and you don’t see them all going for cursed artifacts and personal vendettas.” Discord rubbed his chin with his tail. “But it’s not a bad idea for another time.” With a leg, he wrote it down on a notebook that had appeared on the ground with a snap of his toes.
“And if that had been the end of it, this might have been different.” Trixie glared at him. For a second, the red in her eyes became brighter. “Once things were back to normal, Trixie tried her show again. But the audience hadn’t forgotten the last time and would only laugh at her! At me.” As she kept talking, her voice got deeper. “That’s when Trixie realized she was never going to recover her life. You weren’t the final straw, but you were the tipping point.”
Trixie felt how the necroplasm was running down her face, but she didn’t even care to hide her tears. “Talking to you here and now, I can’t imagine how the Princesses ever thought that you could help Trixie. You only view ponies as toys for your own sick amusement. Everything you do is harmful to us.” She turned around one more time. “That’s why I keep walking away from you, because I’m not a toy and I’m not going to let you use me. Never again.”
“Okay, I’m actually impressed now,” Discord disembodied arms slowly clapped in the distance. “As fair player, I should gracefully admit defeat and actually help you out of pure goodwill.”
Trixie only looked at him over her shoulder out of the corner of her eye.
“But let’s be honest here for a change; last time I played fair, gravity wasn’t even a thing.” Discord made his arms grow back and clapped them together. “Now, I hate to end our little game this way, but Fluttershy and I have some angry beavers we’ll be dealing with tomorrow morning at Applesnack’s farm, and if I can’t make any headway here…”
Discord reached towards her once more, only this time Trixie felt herself held in place by his magic. For an instant when he touched a talon to her forehead, she felt his magic washing over and through her, her mind reverting to what it was the first time she had met him. Just like before, any thought she could recall was getting twisted. Her memories of her friends became overshadowed with how badly they treated her at the start and how they could never take that back. Trixie’s need to preform became moot at the idea of never being seen as anything other than a monster again. She knew those weren’t her thoughts, but she couldn’t stop feeling them. Discord was forcing her to forget anything good in her life and replacing hope with fear.
Trixie didn’t notice, but her own colors began to fade like the world around them. All except the red marks of the Amulet in her chest and the red of her eyes.
But something came up from behind her, within her, and hit back. Like a lightning, the invasion of her mind was stopped and repelled. The shock of it all left Trixie seeing stars and with a splitting horn ache. The quickly-fading glow of the mark on her chest was lost in the firelight.
When she was able to focus again, Trixie saw Discord standing above her. He was rubbing the thumb of his lion paw against the palm of the other, as if to alleviate pain caused from touching something he shouldn’t have. A very puzzled and almost… intrigued look was upon his mismatched face.
“I’ll tell you what, Trixie,” said Discord. He shook out his eagle talon as an oily grin crawled its way along his lips, pulling them off his face in an impossible fashion. “At first you just had my curiosity. Now you have my attention. I’ll see you back in Ponyville tomorrow.”
Before Trixie could say anything, with a snap of his talons and a flash of light, Discord was gone.
Chapter 20: Final Destination (Part Three) - Fade to Black
Trixie felt as she was falling backwards. Against all instinct, she blinked.
She jolted awake with a snort, lifting her head off her forelegs. Trixie blinked several times as she looked around the campsite. The sky was overcast, the steel white of a morning only a few hours old. She was laying on her bedroll with Applejack’s old quilt over her, exactly as she had remembered laying down the night before. Where before her had been a modest campfire crackling away was now only a shallow pit filled with ashes. The rest of the site, her included, was covered in cool layer of dew that had still to be burned off by the newly risen sun.
With an aching groan, Trixie rubbed a paw over her face. Had she actually slept? Had her forest run combined with the shock of almost going over the cliff exhausted her both mentally and physically enough that for the first time in weeks she had actually slept?
If that were the case, her dreams were clearly symptoms of an unstable mind and the lingering trauma of events at the academy. Twilight would probably have a field day with the whole thing when— if, Trixie told her.
That was a matter for Future Trixie to decide. For now though, Trixie arched her back in a stretch, yawning widely at the same time. She then reversed the arch to stretch her back legs and hips. She had a bit of a headache, but nothing too severe, and cricking her neck seemed to help with that. Well limbered up, Trixie turned around to rouse the others and start the day, only to stop dead when she saw what was situated atop the log she had been sitting on last night.
On top of Trixie’s clothes, over the log next to the extinguished campfire, were six cards face down, arranged in a familiar crux pattern. She knew what was it, a classical divination to be read by axis. Past, present, and future from left to right, hopes up and influences down. Trixie got closer carefully, not knowing what to expect and dreading the idea of already knowing. When they were in reach, she felt an impulse to flip the first card, the past.
It was Death, upright. That meant change, but in the past it was not something Trixie could really pinpoint. It could mean her past was marked by change, which it was, or that a great change marked her past, which was also accurate. The image of a mare with bones painted over her coat came to Trixie’s mind as she remembered more of her dream. She was afraid now and didn’t want to flip the two cards representing the present. At the same time, Trixie felt the need to confirm what she already suspected and continued on.
The Tower upright and The High Priestess reversed. The first card represented sudden change and disaster as the heart of the matter, while the second was telling of hidden agendas and incomplete knowledge as the present obstacles or challenges. As with Death, Trixie remembered the scene in her dream. The Tower was the obvious card for her as her left claw instinctively ran over the markings on her chest. However, Trixie thought about the High Priestess. What kind of hidden truth could it mean and by who?
The old Trixie would have immediately started to mistrust everypony around her, be it filly or princess. But then again, the old Trixie put the current one in this situation. She then remembered who was the one shuffling the cards in her dream, which she was starting to admit could have been real. That made more sense to Trixie. Discord was known as a liar in the folk tales she herself used to perform. It wasn’t that much of a stretch that he couldn’t be trusted, in spite of how the princesses may feel. Trixie decided to go with that idea before even thinking about distrusting any of her friends.
Next, Trixie had to decide, which card read first, her goals or the influences. She decided to go for the one she could confirm first and flipped the card in the upper side. It was The Chariot upright. Trixie smiled at the first card she felt she could trust. Emerging victorious through willpower was all Trixie always wanted to do with her life. This time, the vision of the image wasn’t unpleasant, as Trixie recalled the beauty of the chariot descending under a blue light.
Calmer now, Trixie flipped the opposite card, the influences, and found The Magician reversed. She always identified with that image, representative of an illusionist instead of a spellcaster. Just as her name said, the archetypical trickster was an icon Trixie aspired to become. However, she felt some worry about it. In the influences axis it meant a manipulator, which combined with the reversed Priestess was pointing to an individual. Again, Trixie attributed it to Discord, but something inside her told her that wasn’t it.
There was still one last card to flip on the right arm. Trixie hoped and feared what kind of sense would it give to the rest of the reading. She secretly hope it was The World marking the accomplishment of her hopes and dreams, or maybe The Sun, finally bringing enlightenment to her life. Trixie’s claws began to shake as she took the edge of the card. Without looking, she flipped it and only after taking one long inhalation, Trixie looked down.
Announcing Trixie’s future was The Moon, upright: Fear and illusion. Before she could even think of what it could mean, the six cards began to vanish, like dust in the wind. Trixie looked at the last bits of the cards leaving when--
“Heya Trixie, watcha doing?!”
“MEOW!” Trixie’s world turned into a blur before stopping for a moment, allowing her to take in the beauty of the blue sky above, before gravity reclaimed her and she hit the ground, landing on her back on her bedroll, hard.
Trixie looked up, while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo returned her gaze upside down. She groaned while turning over.
“Oh wow, I’m sorry Trixie!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. Her ears flicked about, eventually ducking into her mane in embarrassment. “But I thought cats always landed on their feet.”
“Despite evidence to the contrary at times,” said Trixie as she dusted herself off, “Trixie is still a pony. Albeit a bit of a high strung one.” She smiled at the thought. In the face of all that had happened to her, all the twists and turns of fate and the changes she was subjected to, Trixie was still able to call herself a pony. “Hey, wait a minute.” She realized her silver mask was sitting next to her clothes. “You don’t mind seeing Trixie… unmasked?”
Both fillies shook their head.
“Why would we?” Scootaloo got closer to Trixie. “It’s not like we don’t know you.” Apple Bloom nodded in support. “Also, you look kinda cool without all that stuff covering you.”
“Aww.” Trixie smiled. “Get over here, you two,” Apple Bloom and Scootaloo jumped at her open paws. Trixie let herself fall back and, careful to not use her claws, pretended to try to push them away. It was some innocent tussling and nothing else, but there was something special in it for Trixie. She wasn’t sure what was it at first, but then realized what made it special. Trixie wasn’t just sensing the raw touch over her skin; instead, for the first time in a long time, she was feeling it.
“Hey, what are you playing?” The three of them stopped. Sweetie Belle was rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes as she trotted out of her tent. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got off of Trixie to greet their friend.
“So, Lightning and Spike are still sleeping?” Trixie went towards the tent to wake them.
“Heh, you should see them,” Sweetie Belle said as the three fillies trotted behind Trixie. She slowly pulled the opening aside to have a look. They all had to press claws and hooves against their muzzles when they saw the interior of the tent.
Spike was curled up in a ball, but not in his basket. Instead, he was lying over Lightning’s sleeping bag, who was also curled up around him. Trixie remembered them in that same position last night, the only change being that now their muzzles were just centimeters away from each other. She wished she had a camera. She imagined the others back at Ponyville having a blast with it. Doing their best to stifle their laughter, the four of them managed to creep away from the tent far enough so that the sleepers would not be awoken when they finally gave in.
Of course, Trixie only laughed under her paws and was thankful when the air ran out and she didn’t need to take more. It was one thing for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to be comfortable enough around her that she could go around unmasked, but after some testing with Twilight, she knew her laughter would still be too much for them to take.
As their laughter was dying down a familiar woosh came from the tent followed by a shrill scream. A turquoise bolt shot out of the tent and across the camp.
“Sweet Celestia, my mane’s on fire!” Lightning Dust shouted as she went for the water canteens, quickly emptying their content over her head.
“Lightning, I’m sorry,” Spike cried as he ran up behind her, holding a scroll in his claw. “This has never happened to me before! I honestly don’t know how it happened so suddenly!” Lightning Dust stopped him by raising a hoof in his direction, shaking her head to rid herself of the water and then examining the damage to her mane.
“Spike, stop apologizing,” Trixie said while patting his back to calm him down. “Trust me, after the first sorry, you can only go downhill by explaining.” She then looked at Lightning, who stood motionless for a moment before lowering her hoof and sighing. “Are you okay, Lightning? You’re not hurt are you?”
“A bit singed around the edges, but nothing a manedresser shouldn’t be able to fix. I think,” Lightning replied, slicking back her damp gold and now-blackened mane.
“Well, that’s good to hear,” said Trixie, giving Spike a final pat on the back. She turned and looked down at the little dragon. “So, what does the letter say?”
“Oh, yeah, the letter.” Spike took the hint and began to read.
Dear girls and Spike
Although I still have my doubts, and Princess Celestia agrees we need to be careful, Fluttershy has managed to reform Discord. We trust her and, by extention, believe him when he says he wants to help. Therefore, you can come back to Ponyville. Princess Luna offered to send her personal chariot to help with that. It should arrive an hour or so after this letter.
Stay calm but be careful, Twilight
“Well, you heard the letter,” said Trixie as she clapped her paws. “That should give us just enough time for you five to have a quick breakfast and then to break camp.”
“I’ll get the firewood,” Apple Bloom called out, already going for the pile.
Following her, Sweetie added, “I’ll help!” much to the relief of everypony else. Even Trixie wouldn’t brave that poor filly’s attempts at cooking. Scootaloo volunteered to get the food, heading back to the tents.
“Hey uh, Lightning?” said Spike as he rubbed the back of his neck and toed at the ground. “I’m, uh, really, really sorry about that. I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything, it just kinda happened.”
“Hey,” Lightning muttered as she came over. She wrapped a wing around his back and pulled him close, rubbing her forehead against his. “Accidents happen, I understand. I used to work weather detail, this isn’t much worse than a few lightning strikes,” she told him, lifting her head. “At least, I hope not. It didn’t feel like I was missing half my mane or anything.”
“Oh no!” said Spike with a gasp. “It’s just a little… heavily singed is all.” He winced and tried to turn that it onto a smile. “Like you said, it’s nothing a manedresser shouldn’t be able to fix.”
Thankfully, the baby dragon was spared further embarrassment by the convergence of three fillies around the fire pit and their calls to help with breakfast. Trixie grinned and walked back over to the log to retrieve her clothing. She was going to leave her mask off, at least for now, but decided to put on the rest of it. When she grabbed the pile, Trixie was caught off guard by her hat sliding the wrong way and landing with a thunk.
Trixie frowned, putting the rest of her clothes back down and picking up just her hat. It had… an odd weight to it. A quick rummage around the inside turned up the answer; a brass compass, the lid stamped with a circle that had eight wavy arrows emanating from its center. Popping it open revealed the same face she had seen the night before, the letters N, S, E and W being replaced by W, T, A and H, respectively. She waited for it to fade and blow away like the cards, but the compass remained solidly in her paw.
With a derisive snort, Trixie tucked it into a vest pocket. It looked like the events of the night before really had happened. She couldn’t wait to get town and see what Discord had in store for her.
Breakfast was an all-around success, at least based on the opinions voiced by those who ate it. Trixie sat it out, telling the others that Twilight wouldn’t want her to eat anything the day of a potentially big operation like this. In truth she had been too nervous to eat anything.
Once the food was done, the rest set about breaking camp. Trixie volunteered to take a quick walk around their site and make sure they had picked up any garbage they accidently dropped. What she really needed was to think and she always thought best on her hooves.
It was her third time around the camp when Lightning landed next to her. “Worried, aren’t you?” she asked, settling her wings.
Trixie spared a look back to make sure the others were still busy. “Very,” she admitted quietly. “It feels like I’m finally reaching the end of the road.” Even though she had her silver mask on now, she didn’t have it in her to keep up the masquerade. “I never expected to reach any end. Ever. Let alone an end like this.”
Lightning didn’t reply and turned her head forward. Her first and most prominent impression of Trixie was the one of a mare very strong in the face of tragedy, even before they shared their first drink. After they got to know each other, Lightning was used to seeing Trixie as a mentoring friend, someone to ask for help when in need. That image clashed badly against the vulnerable pony trotting next to her and to that, Lightning didn’t know what to do or say.
“Come on, Trix,” she said without thinking. “Rainbow and the others know what they’re doing.” Lightning wasn’t sure if she believed that, but she did trust Rainbow Dash’s judgement. “I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have called us without being absolutely sure they knew what they were doing.”
Trixie only looked back at her in silence.
Eventually she said, “Lightning, my friend, I really thank you for trying.” She snickered under her mask. “But let me tell you something I just realized.” Trixie lifted her left claw and put it against her chest. “Right here, fused to my body, is the reason everything that has happened.” She let the thought settle in. “Everything, from my friendship with Twilight and you, has happened because of this.” Trixie cleared her throat, not out of need, but to calm herself. “At the same time, it is something we need to get rid of, and I’m afraid of what will happen when we do.”
“Wait,” Lightning wasn’t sure she was following. “You mean you would rather keep that thing inside you?”
“I…” Trixie looked down. “I don’t know.” She took her mask with her left claw and pushed it up to look better at Lightning. “I really don’t know what can or will happen, or what I even want to happen anymore.”
Lightning put a hoof under Trixie’s cape, over her shoulder. They had been trotting so slow that neither of them noticed they were just standing still. Trixie shuddered in response, surprised that she felt the hoof’s warmth.
“Trixie--”
“If we fail,” Trixie interrupted her. “Trixie will be just another monster that’s too dangerous to keep around.” Her voice was slowly turning into the usual growl she had when getting too distracted to soften it. “And if we win…” Trixie stopped for a moment and only resumed when Lightning put another hoof over her claw. “Even if it all works out in the end, my death is among the likely scenarios.” Trixie lifted her gaze, locking her red and black eyes on Lightning’s copper ones. Although Trixie’s looked frighteningly similar to a dragon’s, they only showed sorrow.
“Don’t worry.” Lightning Dust pulled her close. “I’ll be there for you, no matter what happens.”
Trixie only nodded her head, too afraid of her own strength to return the hug. Instead, she settled on caressing Lightning’s wings with her claws, once again trying to extend the moment so she didn’t have to face what was coming next; the end of her road.
The ride back was uneventful, with the worst part for Trixie being the chariot itself. She didn’t think that her experiences from the last time she had flown would have been a problem, what with that involving a balloon and all, but the mere sight of the chariot, with its wide open top and sides, brought her up short. Lightning and Spike were thankfully the only ones to notice, the fillies bring too preoccupied with helping their escorts in loading their equipment.
“Hey, this won’t be like last time,” Spike told her softly. She hadn’t realized she was shivering until he had started rubbing her back.
“Yeah. I’ll even take Scootaloo with me so you’re not as crowded in there,” Lightning volunteered.
Trixie smiled and thanked them. It was good to have friends like these. It was good to have friends.
In the end, Trixie forced herself to get onboard. She was Great and Powerful and she wasn’t going to appear like some frightened little filly in front of both the Crusaders and their Night Guard escorts. The trip to Ponyville was spent with her hunkered down in the center of the chariot with her eyes tightly closed. Spike sat next to her, stroking and massaging her withers, nattering on about their camping trip. Most other times she would have probably snapped and told him to be quiet, but it gave her something to focus on besides the thought of flying and it was likely he knew that, too. One didn’t live with a unicorn as high strung as Twilight Sparkle without being able to handle such things. Trixie just hoped that Luna would forgive her the damage her claws caused to the wood floor of the chariot where they had dug in.
The Crusaders were all quite happy to get back to their sisters, practically jumping out of the chariot before it had touched down. Rarity and Applejack were clearly used to such antics and only gave them a perfunctory scolding which the girls ignored over their excitement at being back. Scootaloo was equally happy to be back with her hero, telling Rainbow Dash how much fun she had flying with Lightning alongside their escort back. She made sure that Rainbow knew it wasn’t nearly as cool as when she was flying with her, of course. Trixie caught the smug grin and eyeroll that Rainbow and Lightning exchanged at that.
Big Mac was there also to take the girls and Spike back to the farm. They would be spending the rest of their day in their clubhouse, working on still more schemes to get the girls their cutie marks. Trixie wished them all luck in their quest and they wished her the best with hers. Were it not for the necroplasm, Trixie would have blushed at the hugs they gave her before bounding off.
Then it was off to Twilight’s library for with rest of them. Then it was off to meet him.
“Well, well, well! The illustrious Trixie Lulamoon! So we meet again, for the first time!”
The oily grin that was too big for his face instantly set Trixie’s teeth on edge. “This isn’t our first meeting.”
“Exactly what our I said,” Discord told her while coiling himself around her like some mis-matched feather boa. “This is our first time meeting again, after that whole Day of Discord thing.” He shot her a knowing wink. “And I do want to say how sorry I am for that whole kerfuffle.” Everypony in the room could tell he wasn’t.
She just snorted and shook her head. “Let’s just get on with this, shall we?”
Twilight, being Twilight, already had everything fully prepared. One corner of the room had been covered with extremely elaborate sigils and runes, but Twilight directed Trixie to stand in the center for now. The Elements of Harmony were brought out, and each donned by their appropriate bearer. Even though it shouldn’t have been possible, Trixie felt a queasiness in her belly at being the focal point of such legendary magical relics. She took some consolation that Discord didn’t look much happier to be there either, though he was doing his best to hide that.
Lightning Dust was hovering around the outside of the circle. She locked eyes with Trixie and gave her an encouraging smile.
“Alright.” Trixie exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Trixie is as ready as she will ever be.” She stood tall and proud in order to put on The Show one last time. “Let’s do this.”
“Okay, Trixie.” Twilight got closer as she began to focus her magic. “Relax, this is going to be the easy part.” Trixie could tell in her voice she wasn’t sure, but she still felt thankful of Twilight’s reassurance before proceeding.
Although she couldn’t felt the warmth of the magic close to her, Trixie still saw the glimmer of it over the necklace around her neck. There was a soft click and the restraining device floated away from them and over to Lightning Dust, along with a pouch to hold it. Trixie could feel a tickling in her muscles, as if she just lost a very heavy weight that was pressing down on her. The glimmer of magic began to bother her vision, so Trixie closed her eyes when Twilight started to remove the ring on her horn. Another click and another tickling, this time right inside Trixie’s head.
“Whoa.” She couldn’t resist the urge to wipe a paw across her face as a wave of disorientation passed over her, causing her to stagger.
“Trixie! Are you alright?” Pinkie was the first to react, immediately jumping next to her friend to offer her support. The others approached them too.
“Yes, I’m… Trixie’s fine,” she answered between her teeth. “It’s just that--” She opened her eyes, looking intently at her outstretched paws. “Oh my stars,” Trixie whispered as she began to hastily touch her forelegs, then her chest and barrel. “I-Trix-I…” She raised her gaze with both sets of claws over her face. “I can feel again,” Trixie whispered in awe.
She reached with her left foreleg to a side, where Pinkie was offering hers to hold her. Trixie softly closed her claws over the limb, slowly slipping her paw up the hoof to the elbow. “Pinkie, your fur, it’s…” She turned her head, sniffling the air. “And Rarity’s perfume, Trixie can actually smell how nice it is.” She got up on her four paws, looking around her. “And the colors. Twilight, why didn’t you tell Trixie how colorful this place was before?” Trixie trotted enthusiastically up to a window. “Can you girls hear that?” She was looking up, ignoring her friends’ puzzled expressions. “Birds, ponies, wind. So many sounds Trixie wasn’t…” She looked back at the group, smiling from ear to ear. “Trixie had forgotten this world was so… wonderful.”
“Uh,” Discord raised a sign in the air with a drawing of a screw and a baseball. “Am I seriously going to be that guy here, pointing out the obvious?” Everypony looked at him, his sign now saying ‘Irony’ in bold red letters. “I mean, for what I heard, she should be a dark slayer of doom without the restrainers, and not…” Discord pointed with his arms at Trixie, gesturing up and down. “Some sort of glassy-eyed poetess.”
“Maybe the Amulet burned off,” Rarity suggested. “It brought Trixie back from the death twice already. That can’t be easy.”
“I don’t think so,” Twilight said while checking on her notes. “Trixie’s body is literally made out of magic now.” She turned the notebook to show her findings about necroplasm. “It wouldn’t make any sense for it to be gone.” Discord smirked at the comment.
“Yes!” Everyone looked around at the triumphant exclamation, but Trixie wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
“Up here,” she called from the ceiling. “Look at what can Trixie do!” She mindlessly began to trot on the ceiling as if it was the ground. “No getting stuck and no vertigo.” Trixie let go of the ceiling, twisting midair and landing perfectly on all four paws. “It was about time for life to stop screwing Trixie over.” For once, Trixie felt things were going her way, after all the recent setbacks. She was so happy.
“Well, it’s good to see you’re taking this so well,” Twilight said to Trixie, the other pony happily prancing about and doing the occasional acrobatic move off the walls, “but just to be safe, I’ve prepared an isolation spell for the experiment. We, um, don’t want a repeat of last time after all.”
Trixie noticed Twilight’s ears pinned back, despite her ostensibly cheery expression otherwise. She sighed. “No. No, we don’t.” Trixie trotted over to the extremely elaborate sigil that had been drawn on the floor. Careful not to mar the lines, she hopped over them and landed in the center, turning on point to face her friends. With a quick flash of purple from Twilight’s horn, several layers of magical shielding rose into place.
Without a doubt, it was the most powerful shield Trixie had ever seen. The ambient energy from it crawled across her coat like ants. Looking at the shimmering wall around her and then at the runes on both the floor and ceiling, Trixie had to (grudgingly) hand it to Twilight. This was one heck of an isolation spell.
Trixie asked, “So, um, what do we do now?”
“Well,” hemmed Twilight, “now we wait. Without the restraints on you, I’m expecting that the entity behind the amulet will come to the fore sooner or later.”
Several moments later, nothing happened.
“Sorry girls,” Trixie apologized with a shrug. “It’s still just me.”
“I think I see what’s going on.” Discord appeared behind Trixie despite the spell, dressed as a medic and looking over her with a magnifying glass and light strapped to his head. She wanted to move away from his look, away from him. For a second, a red glimmer sparked from Trixie’s eye. “Yep,” Discord stopped, pointing the light right Trixie’s face. “There’s the problem alrighty.”
“What is it?” said Twilight, clearly seeing her friends’s discomfort. She trotted up to the shield as close as she could, not able to pass through it like Discord.
“She’s in the way,” Discord answered while spinning the magnifying glass and making it disappear in a blur. “Call it willpower or admit it’s just dumb luck, but this little skull,” somehow he was already behind Trixie, pointing at her head, “has only one wheel.”
“What wheel are you even talking about?” Trixie recoiled away from Discord, making sure she had her claws and teeth visible while doing so.
“Okay, let’s put this in pony’s terms,” Discord took a sip from a cup of tea held in his foot. “Your pesky… you is blocking whatever this thing is from coming to the fore.” He took a loud slurp of tea. “We just need to get you out of the way.” He turned to Twilight. “Tell me, how did you first encounter this thing that you know it’s even self aware?”
Twilight explained the circumstances of the encounters with the being that was behind or within the Amulet. First about how it slowly corrupted Trixie, ending up in her first death, then the encounter with Celestia, where it showed sentience for the first time, and finally when it had crawled out of Trixie’s grave and acted like a savage animal.
“Well there you go,” Discord ate the cup, talking between munches of porcelain. “That’s your solution right there.”
The ponies in the room were puzzled, but Trixie was the first to catch on.
“Oh no! No!” Trixie trotted backwards until her tail touched the wall behind her. “Trixie knows where this is going and is having no part of it.”
“Oh, come on, don’t be whiny about it,” Discord made a shovel appear from a puff of smoke. “This whole experiment is meant to help you after all. And who said we can’t have fun doing it?” He cocked the shovel, the ejected shell bouncing off across the floor.
“Trixie is not going to die again,” her voice dropped to a grave growl. “In the name of science or anything else!” For a fraction of a second, Trixie’s red eyes sparkled.
Discord pouted. “Are you sure? It’d be so easy, and it’s not like you haven’t done it before.”
“Discord!” Twilight exclaimed. Next to her, the other Elements, and Lightning Dust too, pressed up against the outside of the shield to express their vocal disapproval; they weren’t going to let Discord do anything to harm Trixie.
“Ugh, fine,” Discord groused, sulking and crossing his mismatched arms. With a flash of light, he disappeared from inside Trixie’s cell and appeared behind the rest only without his shovel. “But that doesn’t change that she is still the problem. With Trixie in the foreground, we can’t see what’s going on behind her.”
“Okay then,” Twilight huffed. “So we need to suppress her personality for this. We can try drugs, or potions, or hypnosis…”
“Hey, how about this?” Discord pointed a remote towards Trixie. Before anypony could do anything, he pressed the large red button on it.
It was like something had stung the back of her head. Trixie suddenly felt herself floating, like one of Pinkie’s party balloons that had come untied. Out of pure instinct she tried to flail about and regain her footing, but nothing seemed to be working. Her body was rapidly going numb, her world blurring and vanishing into black. The last thing she saw before losing all consciousness was a spark of red in the distance.
To those ponies watching, Trixie stood still as stone inside Twilight’s magic shield.
“Huh, that worked better than last time,” Discord muttered, sparing the remote a quick glance.
Twilight rounded on the draconequus, an enraged expression on her face. “Discord, what did you just do to Trixie?” The Element of Magic in her head began to shine.
“Woah, little filly, calm down!” He raised his paws, smiling. “I only did exactly what you wanted,” Discord explained, with a mocking expression of innocence. “I just shut off the part of her that was causing problems. We shouldn’t have any more issues now.” He slowly put his arms down. “Don’t worry, I’ll turn her back on when we’re done.”
“You mean you could have done that this whole time?” Rainbow Dash hovered closer to Discord, calmer than Twilight but somehow more enraged.
“Yeah, but then it wouldn’t have been so funny.” He floated around her and over the others, staying closer to the ceiling.
Twilight gave Discord an angry snort before turning back to the shield. Trixie was still standing but had started to move. Her movements reminded Twilight more of a newly hatched chick trying to work out its limbs for the first time. Trixie looked about the room uncomprehendingly and opened her mouth. Twilight thought it was to ask a question, but the guttural sounds and noises that came forth were nothing like speech.
A cold shiver ran down Twilight’s spine when she recognized the growling. She’d heard it once, in the dark basement while trying to protect Spike from the beast. The rest of the ponies outside the shield felt unnerved too. Rainbow Dash threw a protective wing over Fluttershy, while Rarity and Applejack, Lightning Dust and Pinkie Pie moved closer to each other for comfort. Twilight meanwhile, inched a little closer to the edge of the shield. She didn’t want to admit it, but the shield wasn’t only there to protect Trixie.
“Trixie?” she called out. “Can you hear me, Trixie? Are you in there?”
Twilight’s voice seemed to focus Trixie. Her erratic movements stilled and she turned her head to look at those before her. Trixie’s gaze, unfocused before, bore into the ponies on the other side of the shield. The red of her eyes burned with an intensity that Twilight had never seen in them before. Trixie then did something no one was expecting; she spoke.
“There is no Trixie.” The sound left no question as to which entity was in control. “There is only… I.”
Twilight recoiled in fear. “Discord!” she cried out.
“No, no, calm down,” the draconequus waved off the frantic unicorn as he came down to the floor. “No, she’s still in there, don’t worry.” He pointed at… Trixie? with his head. “Try asking again, see what we can get from it.”
Twilight grimaced and turned back to the monster in the cage. It had not budged, its eyes had lost none of their intensity. She swallowed and asked. “If you are not Trixie, who are you?”
“I… am,” replied the creature.
“That isn’t an answer!” Twilight cried, shriller than she would have liked.
Yet the creature on the other side of the shield seemed not to have noticed. It was busy looking around the rest of the room, its piercing gaze moving between her friends, pausing as if staring through them, deep into their souls. It lingered on Rarity longer than the others, causing a shudder to run through the fashionista’s body.
“Where is the other white one?” asked the creature before languidly dragging its gaze back to Twilight. “The one that forced me back before? Where is… she?”
“She had other matters to attend to. More important matters,” Twilight quickly added. “She entrusted any dealings you may have with our kind to me.”
The creature looked at her, its glowing red eyes slowly boring into her soul. Twilight could feel it studying her, judging her, stripping each and every layer of her her being away. “I know her,” it finally stated. “I have dealt with her before. I do not know you.”
“What are you?” Twilight whispered. Her hackles had risen in frustration and fear.
“I… am… many things, Twilight Sparkle.” The growling slowly became more fluid. “You couldn't begin to imagine half of them.” The creature smiled, showing its sharp teeth and burning red eyes. “You exist in a world older than you know. And I am far older than that.”
The creature whipped its tail behind it, the tip marking the floor. “In the beginning there was only Darkness. Only I, alone in the center of the existence.” It spoke in a monotone, near mechanical voice. “But then Light came to be and so Darkness was displaced by it.” There was a slight trace of anger, but it barely betrayed the monotone. “Where there was Light, Life soon followed. Where there was Life, Chaos and Harmony followed.” There was no mistaking the hate, the spite, that it used for those terms. “Each time Darkness had less place in existence, overthrown and robbed of what it had claimed.” It smiled a slight, bitter smile. “But Death follows Life, and with time what Light has taken will return to Darkness. As I once was, I will be again.”
The thing walked towards the edge of the magic shield. “I am the Dark Side of the world, present in everything and everyone who has a shadow.” It raised a clawed paw over its head. “I am,” it dug the claws on the shield's wall, the layers of magic giving way with screeching peels as they were rent apart, “supreme.” It raised another claw and dug it too into the wall while at the same time Twilight tried desperately to reinforce it. “And almighty!” For the first time, it raised its voice. Trixie’s horn ignited, bathing her face in a deep crimson aura. Bolts of magic hit the magic dome in every angle.
Everypony took a step back except Discord, who only looked amused by it.
“When you awake in the middle of the night, paralyzed in fear,” the claws, pulsing red with magic, slowly forced an opening in the magic holding the shield together, “I am what you see!” With one last thrust, the shield gave way with a squeal like tortured metal, and collapsed in a flash of light and a cloud of smoke.
The library was plunged into darkness, the only light the red glimmer of two eyes burning bright in its depths.
“In the absence of light, I prevail.” The voice had returned to the mechanical tone it used before. “And from the skies itself, the blackest of nights will fall.” More red glimmers became visible. In the center of Trixie’s chest, the marks of the Alicorn Amulet were pulsating like a heart. The red glimmers jumped forward.
“Okay, yeah. No.”
A snap of fingers was heard. The glimmers came to a jarring halt in the middle of the darkness.
“Now, where is that switch?” Discord muttered before making a ‘click’ sound. The lights came back and the smoke disappeared.
Twilight and the others had to shield her eyes from the light. Lightning Dust was the first to adjust to the change and saw what Discord did to the monster controlling Trixie’s body and she could only stare in befuddlement.
“What the…” Applejack tried to say, but she was too confused to end the sentence. There, mere inches from Twilight’s face, was the snarling monster…
Held inside a cat carrier.
“What just happened? What did you do? What is that?” Twilight was on the verge of collapse as she recoiled from the carrier, her brain seemingly only able to produce questions. “What is going on anymore?!” she cried out loud in frustration.
“Oh Twily, Twily, Twily,” said Discord as he reached down and patted the frazzled unicorn on the head like one would a small foal. “May I call you Twily? Anyway,” he continued, not bothering to wait for an answer, “what just happened was that our little Tricky--”
“Trixie,” Fluttershy whispered to Discord.
“--Trixie is being manipulated by a typical, uh, how would you call it?” He waved his lion paw in the air, a cigar appearing in it which he twirled in small circles. “Miss, what we have here is the unwillful appropriation of a physical host body in order to facilitate the manifestation of a non-corporeal being for the purpose of something unpleasant and nefarious, and against all the principles of love, friendship, harmony, and whatever else you ponies run this place on,” Discord explained, flicking his cigar dismissively. With a snap of his his claws, a light brown, baggy uniform with a pair of goggles, like something a sanitation worker would wear, appeared on him. “Now, let's talk seriously.” A small calculator appeared floating in the air next to Discord as he cleared his throat
“Now, for the separation or ‘exorcism’ if you prefer,” he made a pair of air-quotes with his fingers, “I’m gonna have to ask you for four big ones.” He operated the calculator with his eagle claw. “Four thousand bits for that. But I’m having a special this week what with now being a ‘good guy’ and all, so for safe transport and storage of the, ahem, beast, that's only going to run you one thousand bits. Fortunately.” The calculator caught fire.
“Chaos,” came the sound from Trixie’s cage. Twilight just caught Discord flinch before she turned like her friends to see what was happening. “Have you become so content that you forgot me?” This time, the sound barely felt like a voice. It came from something that wasn’t natural to the world and the ponies in the room didn’t know how to process its effects. “You really think this can contain me?”
“Considering you’re the one in the cage,” Discord took another puff of his cigar. “I’ll put my future commission money on ‘yes, I think this can contain you’.”
“The finite cannot contain the infinite,” Trixie? snarled. “You gave up the infinite long ago.”
Twilight looked back at Discord. At first he seemed puzzled and mouthed back the last of the words that Trixie? had said to him. Then his eyes grew wide and his posture stiffened as if he had just come to a realization.
“Ha ha, now you recognize the truth!” It resonated through the building like a scratch on a blackboard, loud and painful. “Heh, heh, heh.” Each spasm of laugh was met with the ponies trotting back, flinching in pain. “Hah, hah hah, hah hah!” The mares covered their ears as the laughter grew louder. Pinkie looked down and saw her necklace vibrating along the sound. “HA HA HA HA HA!!”
Lightning Dust fell over her side, pressing her hooves the hardest while clenching her teeth and shutting her eyes tight. She coiled herself into a tight ball, screaming against the noise, and wrapped her wings over her head in an effort to further try and protect herself. Pinkie Pie and Rarity tried to reach for her, but they couldn’t separate their own hooves from their ears, despite resisting the noise better. Rainbow Dash noticed it too and, clenching her own teeth, let her hooves go and let only her wings over her ears in order to try and help Lighting Dust. Soon, blood ran down her face coming from her ears as she collapsed too, still reaching her hooves towards her fallen friend.
“HA HA HA!!” As the creature kept laughing, it put a claw over the lock of its cage. Twilight could barely manage to focus enough to see the monster pick the lock like only Trixie could. In less than ten seconds flat, the door was open and It walked out of the cage. This time, not only the marks of the Alicorn Amulet were glowing like a crimson lantern, but its red eyes had a mist of the same color flowing out in small waves. While it may not have been the vibrant purple she had seen from Sombra’s eyes, Twilight couldn’t mistake it for anything other than the darkest of magic.
The laughing demon kept trotting towards them, slowly, as if savouring the moment. It was almost snout to snout in front of Twilight and she felt like she was drowning in those red, red eyes.
Then she wasn’t. The eyes and the laughter had disappeared and she was outside. Twilight blinked and carefully let her hooves go. There was a hard buzzing in her ears, but the laughter was gone. She looked around at her friends slowly getting up, rushing to Dash and Dust’s sides to help them. Twilight trotted to them, not without dizziness, as she realized they were on the street in front of the library.
Which was now enclosed by a glass dome…
Underwater…
And covered with fake snow.
“Phew, that was close,” Discord commented next to them, wiggling a finger in one of his ears. He conjured up a can of beer. “That… should hold her. Anyway, good thing I’m good now, or you would be in some deep dirt otherwise.” He popped the top and loudly gulped the content of his can while looking back at the ponies. Seeing they were too distracted attending Rainbow and Lightning, Discord coughed loudly. “Ahem! Hello? I just saved the day. Any recognition? I would like one of those stained-glass windows in the palace, please.”
“You!” Twilight had to be held by Fluttershy. “What did you do to Trixie?!”
“Me?” Discord pretended to be hurt. “Twilight, you offend me.” He smirked. “When I do stuff, I make sure to gloat about it. Also, you’re welcome for saving your flanks back there.”
Only Fluttershy standing in front of her with her wings stretched stopped Twilight from tackling Discord.
“Um, Discord,” Fluttershy said softly. “Would you kindly explain us what is happening.”
“Elementary, my dear Flutters,” Discord said while adjusting a hunter’s hat between his horns. “You see, something very rare and special happened today,” he produced a pipe from thin air and blew a bubble with it. “I made a small, tiny, little miscalculation.”
“You mean a mistake,” Twilight deadpanned.
“I’m not your mother, Twilight. You see,” he walked calmly towards the snowglobe enclosing the library, “like me, some concepts are so powerful that they manifest in this, the physical plane.” He softly tapped the glass wall with the tip of his pipe. “What we’re dealing with here is something that’s been around long enough to think itself a primal force, but being the spirit manifestation of one myself, I can assure you the odds of it actually being one are as good as old Sunbutt giving up her pastry fetish. No, your friend just got something really old and really nasty attached to herself.” He flexed his paws together, cracking his knuckles. “But after getting a taste of its magic, I can assure you it’s nothing I can’t hold and drive away.” He leaned back on the snow globe. “So, just calm down, attend your friends and I’ll give you your unicorn back in perfect shape in no time.”
Twilight’s face lit up at that last statement. She didn’t want to believe too much in Discord, but hearing him say those words was exactly what she had been waiting for since it all began. There was a solution for Trixie.
“Your house will probably need a bit of cleaning after all this though,” Discord smirked. “It’s not like your books react terribly well to water.”
Twilight’s face fell at the realization that her library was now under water. “My books!” she cried.
“Could be worse,” Discord added. He snapped his fingers and a soaked Owlicious appeared on Twilight’s back. “Could be your owl.”
“*cough-hack* WhoOoOo…*cough*” Owlicious tried to say, spitting water. Twilight closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, then put her foreleg in front of her and exhaled. She was still too happy for Trixie’s sake to be too angry.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Discord said, putting on a scuba suit. “As the only one here capable of doing this, I’ll be finishing up the job. One exorcised pony coming up!” He then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Twilight reached around and pulled her owl into soggy hug as she sat on her haunches. Discord, of all beings, was going to provide a solution for Trixie. She smiled and nuzzled at Owlicious’ soaked headfeathers, looking back over her memories, to all the days and nights looking through book after book for a solution. To all the moments she had to convince Trixie there was still hope for her. To all the moments Twilight needed to convince herself of the same. After all that, there was finally an end. Trixie was going to be normal again, she was going to be free.
Twilight let hope into her heart that all was going to be well.
Owlicious struggled out of her grasp and waddled off to deal with his impromptu swim, hooting that he’d be back later. Twilight turned back to her friends who were gathered around Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust. The two had already regained consciousness, even if they did appear a little dazed. When Twilight started to tell the others the good news she was met with the same joy she felt before. Applejack and Fluttershy were more austere, while Rarity put a foreleg over Twilight’s shoulder and rested her head on it. Pinkie, of course, was jumping all over the place, planning her ‘happy end of the series’ party.
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “What just happened?!”
“What?!” Lightning hollered back. “Why are you whispering?!”
Their friends couldn’t help but laugh a little. The clouds above them began to disperse and the sun shone brightly. Applejack shook her head, smiling, and got between the semi-deaf pegasi from behind to put a hoof over each one’s shoulder.
“Calm down, you two,” she said loud and clear. “It seems we’re finally reaching the end of this.”
“What?!” They shouted in unison. Twilight rolled her eyes, still smiling widely, and began to conjure a ‘subtitle’ spell for Rainbow and Lightning until their hearing came back.
That was when the earth began to shake.
It was very slight at first, so the ponies didn’t notice it. Pinkie was the first to react, not smiling anymore, and began to trot in the direction to the library. Rarity noticed this and followed her with her eyes. The rumble reached a crescendo and by that time the others were also looking back at Discord’s dome. The fake snow was rising instead of falling, along with small bubbles. It looked almost as if the water inside was boil--
*BooM!*
The force of the explosion knocked the seven ponies clear off their hooves. The glass dome around the library completely shattered, the water inside rendered to a cloud of steam. The tree had been clearly cracked through in several places. Before any of them could get back on their hooves the side facing them broke open completely, crashing to the ground, and a familiar serpentine silhouette was launched out of it..
The unconscious body of Discord fell right in front of Pinkie. Fluttershy shrieked and galloped to his side while Twilight took a step ahead, trying to look at the inside of the now destroyed library. She was afraid what she might find. From where the library had once stood, a black, near impenetrable shadow oozed out across the ground. The shadow took the shape of a pony-like figure. That figure rose up from the earth, forming itself into the creature that Twilight and her friends had once called Trixie.
“Well, well, well,” it said slowly while still emerging from its own shadow. The monster was surrounded by shadow, making it look blurry for the naked eye, as if it was constantly absorbing the light surrounding it. When it was finally solid again, the marks on its chest ignited again with the same crimson light as its eyes. “If you’re done throwing that idiot at me,” it smirked at the panicked expressions of the ponies before it, “There are other matters that require my attention.”
“Girls!” Twilight called for her friends while stepping ahead. “Formation!” she said with all the courage she could muster. As much as she didn’t like the thought of unleashing the Element of Harmony against a pony in Trixie’s position, it was clear that things had gone too far. From the corners of her eyes she could see her friends stepping forward with the same sense of resolve. The Elements of Harmony began to glow in their necklaces and crown.
The creature before them stopped, too, its ears perked up and eyes a bright-red with recognition. “Harmony!” it snarled in the same tone as when it had addressed Discord as Chaos.
Twilight and the rest could feel the power of the elements welling up inside them, building to a point of unstoppable release. But before it could build any further, she cried out at sudden a sharp pain in her chest and her and the other bearers were thrown back against the ground.
“Harmony,” the beast growled again. “Why am I not surprised to find you here also.” It waved its paw again, knocking Twilight and the rest to the ground once more. “That you would chose mere bearers instead of proper avatars shows how weak you are and you should feel bad about that. These pathetic things have so many doubts, so much regret within, they bearly do you justice. There’s even guilt in some of them.” It turned around, looking them directly in their eyes. “All those little shades of darkness I can sense…” It began to advance, slowly, while cocking its head to a side and smiling widely. “And exploit.” It slapped its paw to the ground, driving the six ponies before it down also. “Don't worry, girls. It won't hurt long. Relax.” The monster was, once again, mere inches from Twilight Sparkle. “Death is an old ally of mine.”
A greenish blue blur hit the monster in the side, forcing it away from the Bearers of the Elements.
As fast as she could, Lightning pushed the monster up in the sky. Around them, the air turning electric. The beast growled and clawed at Lightning, but the pegasus immediately started to spin to put it off balance. Reaching the apex of her climb, Lightning inverted them and dove back towards the ground. Aided by gravity and her powerful wings, Lightning did an eagle’s dive and drove the creature into the ground. They landed outside Ponyville. The impact was like a lightning strike, raising a cloud of dirt into the sky. Lightning slowly trotted away from the crater before turning and collapsing on her haunches. Still, there was an expression of triumph in her face.
“Fool!” the monster screamed in a show of pure hate. “I am above you in every sense.” Lightning didn’t move as it pulled itself out of the crater and began to stalk towards her. “I was going to show mercy to the bearers with a quick death.” It stopped a meter or so away from Lightning. “But you...” The beast glared and lowered its horn, preparing to attack. “The unfathomable agony that I will bring to…” The monster trailed off. “To you…” It seemed to notice something.
“Having trouble, mate?” Lightning managed to get to her back hooves, trembling a little from the exhaustion. She was smiling. “Let’s say that my ‘little stunt’ was just a distraction.”
The beast’s shriek of rage lost its previous volume. Its face changed from malice to fear as it reached with its claws for its neck and horn, touching the magic suppressors. Using the distraction, Lightning tackled the beast the ground again, firmly holding its neck with her forehoof.
“Come on, Trixie, wake up!” she called while punching the beast in the face. “I will kick your ass up around your ears if you don’t!” She kept hitting the beast. Lightning had heard about the last time this creature had been fought and had expected their crash to have knocked it out so Trixie could come back. She was getting desperate that it hadn’t. “Come on!” It felt like hitting a rock but it was all she had left. She was getting more and more tired with each blow. “I know you’re in there, Trixie! Fight!”
“Heh,” the monster smirked as Lightning threw her last hit. “Don’t worry, Trixie is in here.” It caught the hoof with a paw and dug the claws into it, making Lightning scream in pain. She screamed louder when the creature squeezed down, cracking the bones of her hoof. “I am just another part of her.” The beast slowly rose from under Lightning, holding her her by the chest with her free claw. “Her desires of power, her ambitions of greatness.” It held Lightning out at full length. "So you want to fight me, little filly? Happily." The beast aimed a kick with its hind leg that sent her flying, smiling maniacally the whole while. “After all, everypony has a dark side.” It pounced Lightning, holding her tightly, intimately, like a twisted lover as they rolled across the ground. “I can see myself inside you too, Lightning Dust,” the monster whispered in her ear. “That’s why you won’t deny me. You know I’m already inside. I’m what you fear is hiding in the dark corners, away from the light.”
“AGH!” Lightning shrieked in pain. Blood ran down her back, pouring from the claws buried where her wings connected to her back.
“Behind everything, everyone, even the brightest of souls… there are shadows.” It dug the claws deeper, doing more damage and making the wings go limp. “Darkness is everywhere.” It pressed the claws more until Lightning couldn’t scream anymore. Then, it let her go, dropping her helplessly on the ground.
Lightning couldn’t even move. Not only from the pain that was holding her down, but the realization of her wounds too. Even if she could get up, even if she wasn’t bleeding out, her wings were useless now. She had no hope of getting away. This would be her end, and it was wearing the face of a pony she had called a friend.
“Poor little thing,” the dark creature cooed while leaning its head down. “You tried so hard, and got so far.” Wrapping a blood-soaked paw around her muzzle, it lifted her head up, pulling her close. She looked up at the red eyes of death looking back at her. “But in the end,” the beast took hold of the magical restrainer on its neck with its other paw. With a single tug, the claws broke the necklace. “It doesn’t even matter.”
Lightning’s eyes followed the pieces of magical alloy falling in front of her. Another crack indicated the horn ring being broken too. “Fool me once,” the creature idly commented as it tossed the pieces aside. “I wasn’t going to let such bothersome devices get in my way again.”
Lightning couldn’t help but weep in despair. The monster dropped her again, watching the mare falling down into the abyss of her own sorrow, laughing at her pain. It ignited its magic, making the marks on its chest, eyes, and horn glimmer with the crimson of its power. The red aura raised Lightning in the air, stretching her limbs. Along with her wings, Lightning was covered in blood from head to hoof.
“Darkness isn’t just destruction, my dear.” Once again, the monster spoke with a softer voice, like the purr of a hungry, dangerous animal. The magic holding Lightning loosened, but still held her in the air. “I can offer peace too, and healing, like a cold breeze in the night.” Lightning felt her wounds being treated by the dark magic. “You have so much courage within you. I can respect that.” The crimson light around her wings gradually became solid, changing to black. A pair of wingblades, traditional pegasi weapons, began to take shape. “You have so much darkness inside you already, too.” A pair of straps crossed Lightning’s chest, securing the artifact to her body. “If Trixie had not found me, maybe you would have. You are strong. Powerful. Cheated of your rightful place in this world. Like her, you can take it all back, and more.” The being that was Trixie leaned closer. “All you have to do... is accept.”
Lightning only moved her eyes. She saw the wingblades out of their corners, shining like obsidian. Lightning could feel them too, connected already to her body, becoming part of her. They felt powerful. The strength of the hurricane, the speed of lightning, the roar of thunder, the might of the storm itself. All of that, at her wings’ reach. She slowly opened her mouth, carefully thinking of her next words.
“Up yours.” Lightning said, not without difficulty.
The magic wingblades vanished and the blight of pain came back immediately. Lightning’s limbs were stretched again, wider than before. It felt like they could be torn apart from her body at any moment. Despite the agony, she still managed to move her head to look at the demon holding her.
Lightning wasn’t sure she had hoped to do with her final gesture. Maybe to curse at the creature, maybe to scream, maybe hear one more final offer, like those villains in the comics she read as a filly made, always giving the heroes one last chance to escape.
There was none of that.
She realized it was no longer concerned with her. Her chance at relevance had passed and she was being treated as one would treat a irritating insect. She briefly wondered if that is how it would have regarded Trixie if she hadn't accepted the offer it made to her. Then something in her back popped and the agony became too much for her to think anymore.
Lightning Dust’s eyes went somewhere cold, somewhere beyond the pain. With her last bit of willpower, she faced death like a warrior of old and stared it down with defiance.
It didn’t even have the good graces to look like it cared.
*Poof!*
A gust of hot wind and… party supplies… hit the demon, breaking its concentration and forcing it to drop Lightning Dust. A familiar blur of colors took her away before she hit the ground.
“Reload!” Pinkie shouted, aiming the Party Cannon. She was wearing a pink brodie helmet. Discord, who had a stahlhelm, saluted with his eagle claw while snapping his fingers. The cannon glowed with the Spirit of Chaos’ magic and Pinkie fired again. The second round hit the demon before it could get up from the previous strike. They kept firing over and over in rapid succession.
Meanwhile, Rainbow carried Lightning to the others. She let Rarity’s magic carefully hold the wounded mare as the fashionista conjured bandages around her. Fluttershy immediately began to treat the bigger wounds on the wings while Twilight magically sealed the minor cuts over Lightning’s chest and hoof.
“This is all we can do for now,” Twilight said as she looked back at Pinkie and Discord keeping the monster occupied. Applejack and Rainbow Dash joined them too, doing what they could to divide its attention. “We need to help them.” She turned back to Lightning. “Don’t worry, we’ll come back to you as soon as we deal with Trixie.”
“Trixie!” With a last flash of consciousness and burst of willpower, Lightning broke away from Rarity’s hold and threw her hooves at Twilight’s shoulders. “Twi-Twilight--” She could barely talk, much less move. “Trixie is not-- She’s--” The pain was too much. “Not there… anymore…” She rode the ‘e’ with the exhalation as she passed out. The image of an azure unicorn making the same gesture came hard and fast to Twilight’s mind.
“Twilight?” Fluttershy put a hoof over her shoulder as Rarity conjured her sofa for Lightning. “What do we do?”
Twilight Sparkle looked down at the wounded pegasus. Her eyes went to the wounds in the wings. The bandages were already red and the wings were hanging askew. She knew enough anatomy to recognize the severity of the injuries. Twilight couldn’t believe the brutality and cruelty of it. “We need to stop this.” She almost whispered, fearing the implications of her own words. “Trix-- This monster must be stopped, no matter the cost.”
The three mares galloped into the storm of violence and confetti ahead of them. And in the eye of that storm, the monster of darkness, barely contained.
“You can’t hold me forever!” The demon roared. Its eyes glowed again, this time regaining the crimson mist from before. The charged magic created a small dome around it. “This. Ends! NOW!” With that last shout, the dome expanded forcefully, pushing everyone away from it. Everyone except Discord, whose neck was enveloped by the red aura before being violently yanked back to face the demon. “And it starts with your end, Chaos.” It smiled again, wickedly, as its claws held Discord’s neck, pressing hard enough to destroy a boulder. “What’s the matter?” it teased. “No more laughs from you?”
“Huh, huh, hugh,” Discord coughed, raising his eagle claw. The demon was focused on that and didn’t see the joy buzzer on his lion paw before he could slap it against its neck. The shock of primordial lightning was strong enough to break them apart. Discord rubbed his neck while standing up again. In front of him, dark magic ignited like a pyre.
If the demon didn’t look angry with him before, there was no mistaking its feelings now. Hate rolled off Trixie’s form in waves.
“Now, uh, before this gets any nastier than it already has been,” said Discord, paws up and empty again, “I think you’re forgetting about somepony.” Darkness opened its mouth, but before it could ask, Discord smirked and conjured a pawful of cards, a royal flush from a poker game. “Smile for the birdie!” He flipped his wrist, changing the cards to a remote control, and pressed the red button on it.
Trixie felt something akin to awakening in her old wagon as it was careening downhill in the middle of a torrential thunderstorm with a broken wheel. All the while locked inside with a rabid wolverine that she had just hoofed in the face.
The world around her was blurry. She was slowly remembering what happened. Trixie stood up, trembling at the images flashing in her head. She tried to situate herself by opening her eyes. She saw her friends once again, but alongside relief, she felt something else.
*babum*
Hate.
*baBum baBum*
Trixie felt a burning hate consuming her mind. She closed her eyes again.
*BaBUM BaBUM*
There was no denying it. Trixie felt the demon inside her, fighting to retain control of her body.
*BaBUM! BaBUM!*
Trixie’s horn began to glow red once again. She didn’t know how, but it had control of her magic and it was using it. It was going to use it to hurt her friends.
*BABUM! BABUM!*
“I’m not a beast, I’m a pony,” Trixie tried to say, but couldn’t move her lips. She was sweating, trying to hold the evil of the Amulet from taking over. She didn’t want to recognize it, but she knew what she was truly fighting against: Herself.
*BABUM! BABUM!*
“NO!” Trixie managed to scream as the killing spell fired from her horn. The red lightning bolt curved away from the six ponies before her at the last instant, shooting harmlessly into the sky. She opened her eyes again, clenching her teeth as tears of black ran down her face. The world stood silent for a minute.
“Trixie?” Twilight’s voice called from behind her. She immediately turned back, charging her horn again. The dark magic was surging through her body, making it move without her.
“Twilight,” Trixie managed to say. “It’s me.” She tried to turn her magic off or move her horn away, but at the same time, seeing Twilight gave strength to her hate. “The thing inside the Amulet, it’s Trixie’s own darkness.” The wind around Trixie began to circle, creating a small tornado, tinted with the red of her magic.
“No,” Twilight replied as her friends began to get close. “Trixie, this is not you, this is something else.” She reached with a hoof. “We can save you. I know we can.” Twilight’s hoof touched a force field.
“I can’t hold it anymore.” Trixie’s face was of pure sorrow. The magic in her body kept rising, like an explosive nearing critical mass. “I’m too dangerous to stay.” She gulped. Even if her feelings were contradicting each other, betraying her, there was one decision Trixie knew was of her own. “Twilight, you know what you have to do.”
“Don’t say--
“Damn it, Twilight, we’re running out of time!” Trixie shouted in frustration. She could see Twilight didn’t want to do it. “If you don’t do it, if you don’t use the Elements now--”
Trixie felt her body grow numb as her last bit of control slipped. She screamed as the dark magic finally tore loose from her horn.
Twilight felt the time freeze as the killing spell ignited and lept forward. Her friends galloped to protect her, reaching in time to be hit together. At the last possible instant, a round object appeared in front of them. The mirror reflected the spell which once again dissipated as it reached for the sky.
Peering around it, Twilight and the others saw Discord wearing a vest, chaps, and Applejack’s hat, now mounted on a saddle atop Trixie. A bridle had been conjured around her head and the draconequus was fighting to keep her horn pointed anywhere but at the six.
“Well?” Discord yelled with difficulty as the beast beneath kept twisting and bucking. “Are you going to use those overblown bits of costume jewelry anytime soon or just stand there enjoying the show?” He saw the doubt on each one of the Bearers. “Are you serious? Is this really the one time you feel bad about using those things?!”
Between the frenetic moves, Trixie managed to catch sight of her friends one last time. The hate within her was overwhelming, the magic suffocating. This time, however, instead of fear, Trixie felt something stronger. Mustering all the willpower she could, Trixie wrested control of her body back and faced her friends once more.
“Please, everypony!” she shouted. “I won’t blame you. Everything that happened to this point—” Trixie shuddered, forcing herself to stay in place. “It was all Trixie’s fault anyways!” She dug her claws into the ground, anything to keep from moving. She was holding on with all she could but control was still slipping away. “Please,” she whispered in a final effort, black tears streaming down her face. “I won’t be able to live like this, Twilight.” Trixie took one last breath, the red of her building magic beginning to block out her vision. “I’m begging you! Please!”
Twilight closed her eyes.
“Damn you, Sparkle! Take the shot!” screeched Trixie.
Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle began to float in the air. They had the power and the responsibility of bearing Laughter, Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, and Magic respectively. Together, they had the power Harmony itself, one of the fundamental forces of existence. They knew how much of that was a burden, but they all took it in order to do what was right. And yet, none of them could stand the idea of opening their eyes and seeing the Elements of Harmony taking the last action.
“Do it!”
The last thing Trixie saw was all the colors of the rainbow.
After two days of examinations run by the three Princesses, it was decided that the statue was not to stay at Canterlot, in the empty space left by Discord’s, as originally intended. They wouldn’t allow it. Her friends wouldn’t allow it.
Trixie’s friends.
They all agreed to take Trixie to Ponyville. It wasn’t where she was born, nor where she lived most of her life. But it was there where they met and it was there where they became friends. There wasn’t a service this time. First, because it would have make things harder to everypony, but mostly because no one wanted to think this was definitive. She had come back twice before after all, and this wasn’t death. Not really. Princess Celestia understood that position, remembering all too well a similar instance. It wasn’t unheard of that the Element’s judgement wasn’t definitive, as it happened with Nightmare Moon. Also, as Fluttershy recently proved, there were other ways.
So, the petrified figures of Trixie and Discord became part of Ponyville’s landscape. They were placed right where her first show took place, so Trixie could be remembered as a performer first. She would have liked that.
“Trixie will like that.” Twilight thought to herself as the princesses placed the figures on their pedestal. “One day we will talk about this with her.”
The Regal Sisters left the ponies to be by themselves after that.
For some reason, the Elements didn’t seal Trixie in marble like they did Discord, but in obsidian. Pinkie Pie remembered how Twilight cracked her skull for an entire night, coming up with multiple hypothesis on the matter. But none of them would free Trixie from the imprisonment, or from the Alicorn Amulet. Pinkie found her, crying over a pile of books and unfinished investigative reports, on the morning of the second day. Only after they took the matter to the others did Twilight let the investigation go… for the moment. Pinkie lowered her gaze to put a hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulders.
While the other mares were comforting each other, Rarity looked up at the statue’s face. Always the artist, she couldn’t help but marvel at its design. Trixie’s pose had her rearing back on her hind legs, forepaws outstretched before her. Discord still rode the saddle on her back, the bridle he had conjured still visible on her head as he held the reins and appeared to be yelling in excitement. Only seven ponies in the entire town knew that Trixie was struggling to get free and keep on attacking, while Discord fought to keep her at bay. To the rest of Ponyville, it looked looked like a pair of performers posing dramatically to entertain their audience.
“Always the illusionist.” Rarity tried to conceal a smile. She would make sure to talk about it with Trixie when she was free. “You’re going to love this when you wake up.”
Twilight's tears hit the ground as she got closer to the statue. She touched the smooth obsidian with a hoof. Twilight felt something in her shoulder. Rarity was next to her, holding herself together better — she was smiling at her — but still showing the traces of tears on her face. Next to them, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were looking at the statue too.
Behind them all was Spike standing next to Lightning Dust. It took some convincing for the hospital to let her out, even for this short trip. Her wounds were severe and she couldn’t even walk without a wheelchair cart for her forelegs. However, Lightning wasn’t a pony who took ‘no’ for an answer, even more so in a situation like this. Even if it amounted to nothing, she felt she owed the world to Trixie, and being present at that moment was the absolute least Lightning could do.
The friends looked at each other as the tears stopped. They smiled and nodded, making a silent agreement. Slowly they turned away to go on with their lives, but also keep a promise they all made without needing to say it.
Twilight and Spike went to the library, with Rarity alongside to make sure Twilight wouldn’t overtax herself. Fluttershy accompanied Lightning to the hospital, while Rainbow flew to her home to pick some books for Lightning during her stay. She knew how boring it could be to be cooped up like that. Applejack stayed until Big Macintosh came for her. There was work to do and she was needed at the farm. In the end, Pinkie was left alone with the statue, still locking eyes with Trixie’s.
“You will be free, Trixie,” she pledged softly. She didn’t look away as she made the signs with her hoof. “Pinkie promise.”
Originally designed by opium addicted unicornian occultists with their last breath and meant to be a fortress of power. Built by their surviving zebra servants with the sweat if their brows and the strength of their backs to make a home for their families. Expanded through the ages by passing travelers to finally create a place for all the tired, the strange, and the lonely. A place of community, openly offered to all and everyone. That was Neigh Orleans. Too aware to belong to nature’s reign, too free to be civilized. As weird as it could get in Equestria.
It was a warm evening. The last rays of sun graced the simple, yet colorful streets of the city by the bayou, as the lamplights took their place to keep the light on. Music could be heard at every corner, and even if not always the same song, it was always the same rhythm. Through singing, bass and cords, the heartbeat of the city never stopped.
There was a small tavern down by the water’s edge, right after the town ended but before nature could reign uninterrupted. The ‘Tabaco y Chanel’ was as old as Neigh Orleans itself, although rumor said it was in fact older. One local legend said it was enchanted by Starswirl the Bearded during one of his long trips. No power, magical or mundane, could be lifted while on the tavern’s ground. As long as anyone could recall, the Tabaco y Chanel has been the neutral place for heroes and villains of every age.
Right before the last ray of sun could depart and let the night take over, a disheveled figure pushed open the main door and entered. If there was a universal ideal for the weary traveler, it would be the brown stallion walking inside the tavern. The colors of his reddish brown coat and yellow mane were severely muted by a fine layer of dust and ashes. Same with the old trench coat he was wearing, which covered most of his body and the entirety of his cutie mark. The only signs of life coming from the stranger were his piercing blue eyes. But even those were cold as ice, and looked old, so very old. Almost as if the stranger has seen so much in his life that his gaze couldn’t change from boredom anymore.
The disheveled stallion sat down at the bar, where a gray mare with yellow eyes and an orange mane, wearing a maid uniform, put a newspaper and a cup of tea before him. He barely looked up to acknowledge the mare and nodded in gratitude. She returned the gesture and went back to attend the other patrons at the tavern. The not-so-stranger took the newspaper and tea to a table in a corner, near the end of the bar and almost invisible from the entrance. There, he let himself fall into the chair.
The stranger lit a cigarette and took a long sip of tea before straightening the newspaper and starting to read it. For the major part of the first hour, he only found the usual crap. Some cult starting an ‘equal community’ up north and a new re-collapse of the griffon economy. A bunch of wankers doing wanker’s things in the stallion’s opinion. He was about to close the paper and call it a night when he reached the article about the incidents in Ponyville.
The old and cynical heart of the stallion was suddenly beating like a living one again. His eyes ran down the entire article with voracity, looking again for that one detail that forced him to feel again.
… to prevent more damage being done, the showpony known as Trixie Silverlight Lulamoon had to be sealed in stone by the Elements of Harmony…
The stallion gulped down the emotions threatening to burst out from his chest. He took one final drag of his cigarette and tossed it away. His cold eyes got glazed, but he didn’t allow them to do more than that. The stranger snapped the newspaper closed in anger, the cigarette smoke hissing between his teeth, and finally looked up.
“Bollocks,” muttered Hell’s Blazer in anger and sadness.
