Chapter 7: The Short Drop and Sudden Stop

Suggested reading music: Suggested reading music chapter 7

Warning: Chapter contains mild violence and gore.

Chapter 7: The Short Drop and Sudden Stop

Luna let out a deep breath preparing for battle as the world again began to shift and twist. Luna cursed under her course breath as she eyed the transformation take over the familiar black abyss. It was different this time, unlike the previous memories; this one wasn’t like the school which was built like a maze, or the apartment which was similar to a box, or the dark trap room which served as a prison. The memory was open and clear Trixie’s mental manifestation unwavering in the distance as the environment took shape.

Snow fell from the heavens as the two stared at each other, rage visibly escaping both ponies notrols. They were atop of foul mountain, a distant memory playing in the background as a younger Trixie pulled her cart along the ice covered path in the distance. Two ponies shivered as the ice cold wind swept across the two combatants forcing them into action.

Luna was the first to make a move, noticing the uniform environment cast a camouflage spell to turn her light blue coat and mane into a snowy white, she vanished from Trixie’s sight as she did.

Trixie growled violently at the trixie Princess. “Two can play this game,” she touted almost playfully as she cast a similar spell on herself.

The snowy field lay quiet, a light blue mare continuing to trot along in the distance unaware of the tense battle underway.

Luna’s breath was weavering and her vision began to blur slightly the scent of the unicorn’s magic wafting through the air. The chaotic ice cold winds cut deep into her exposed sides as the alicron searched for the unicorn. Luna followed the wavering scent, cautiously tracking the unicorn down as she silently drifted across the snowy plane.

Luna froze, the figure of Trixie stood not more than five feet away blending with the surroundings. The unicorn’s face was directed away from Luna as Trixie peered aimlessly out over the icy field. The mare held a stillness which would have put a statue to shame.

Luna, taking advantage of her lucky ambush, stealthily called her magic forth concealing its presence as light blue mist slowly gathered around her horn. The little magical essence remaining within Luna’s ethereal cloud slowly trickled in, taking a significant amount of time to gather the required magic for her spell.

Suddenly, Trixie’s head jolted turning in the direction of Luna, her eyes closed searching for Luna’s magic. The Princess froze her spell midcast, concealing everything. She had one shot, and she wouldn’t waste it against a force shield, it had to be the perfect shot.

Trixie opened an eye, revealing her dark magenta iris as her eye contrast her snow-clad coat and mane. She eyed the surroundings, looking for movement.

“Buck this blistering snow!” A unicorn in the background screamed in frustration. Trixie turned her head toward the distraught mare distracted momentarily. A nostalgic expressions falling on her previously expressionless face.

An ice cold shiver ran down Trixie’s back as she turn to see an energy bolt flying directly at her. The Unicorn’s eyes went wide, as she hastily attempted to dodge it. She was too late, the bolt smashed into her back two legs ripping both of them off in its blast. The rest of Trixie’s body was rocketed into the air, throwing the mare several feet from where she stand.

A high pitched ringing sound rang in the unicorn’s ear, as she wailed in pain, the white snow changing to a murky dark red as her blood poured out. Trixie lay there several minutes, screaming in pain as she fought the urge to give up and pass out.

“Trixie - haaa - It didn’t - haaa - have to be - haaa - this way.” The Alicorn said panting as she slowly approach the unicorn. A trail of red spots leading the way to the screaming victim.

“We will - haaa - talk -haaa- in a few days.” Luna finished, her weary face looking over Trixie’s gruesome mental form. A look of sadness crossed Luna’s face as she look upon the crimson-snow pony, wishing to end her pain she began to cast another spell.

Her ethereal cloud was running dangerously low on magic so she tried to most effectively harness its remaining resources. The spell took several more minutes to drain the minimum amount of magic required for the energy bolt, every second her mental consciousness blurring under the increasing pressure of the sinking vessel. Finished with her preparations, she stood aiming at the unicorn.

Trixie’s magical senses felt the magic slowly gather, in between massive screams of pain, she gathered that her end was coming. Trixie forced her eyes to open her pride deeming it important to look upon the face of her killer. She found Luna, her weathered figure stood no more than five feet away, a mystic light enshrouding the alicorn’s horn. Trixie’s instincts took over preparing a force shield for protection as she cowered piteously in the crimson snow.

Luna winced as pain throbbed throughout her body, gasping as she released her spell. The energy bolt collided uselessly against Trixie’s newly formed force shield which absorbed the blow. Luna’s face paled noticeably, coughing up blood seconds later, she collapsed.

Trixie lay on the warm wet snow staring at the alicorn as she fight to survive.

“Attack!” a dark voice called from inside her.

“Why? she might die!” her normal-self replied.

“Wasn’t that the point!” the dark voice roared at her “A fight against The Princess of the Night in mortal combat. That is what we wanted.” it said, a in a malicious tone.

“Your right,” a grin crossing the pained unicorn. She dragged herself through the slushy snow pointing her horn at the collapsed alicorn. Blood streaking down the unicorn’s face streaking across her eyes, her stained horn began to glow.

“Die. . .” Trixie weakly said, anger, pain, and revenge droving the mare to fire at the collapsed alicorn.

Trixie didn’t know any real fighting magic so made up a spell on the spot. She telekinetically lifted the slush up from around her, freezing icy-fluid into an sharp-crimson icicle she shot the lance at the alicorn. The attack missed, dropping a feet short.

“Kill her!” the dark voice commanded. The pain began to leave Trixie as her back legs began to slowly materialize. Whipping the blood from her eyes, Trixie focused on her attack the fury of demon possessing the unicorn as her spell enshrouded her puddle of blood and snow.

Her second icicle formed into existence, it was longer than the first: stretching the full length of the unicorn, sharper: its tip humming low in the cold winds, and seemed to give off a yellow glow: magic infused in the bloody shard.

The bright yellow lance shot out at full speed aiming for Luna’s heart. The lance whizzed through that air whistling as the lethal weapon dove into the alicorn’s center, digging its way through the the limp body, extruding slightly out her rear.

A hollow scream roared through across the mountain threatening to reduce its mighty stature to dust. But, not thunder came, no army rose, only silence followed as the snow blissfully fell upon the dying alicorn.

“Hahahaha. . .” Trixie started to chuckle to herself. “Trixie, the one to kill go-” the unicorn was cut off as the sky exploded into a fury of fire and light.

“Luna!” the sun roared, melting the mountains as she shone down upon the snow crest plane. The light burning dying the mountain shades of gray and pale-orange as the snow evaporated under her intense head.

Trixie, standing only moments before with her newly materialized legs, lay quivering in the coarse sand of the newly formed volcano.

She cowered there, a new fear coming over the unicorn, one she had never felt before. The fear gripped the unicorn’s heart, piercing its scared shell hundreds of times, it demanded servitude, it demanded loyalty, it demanded her love.

Trixie lay in the sand, gurgling up her previous meal as the weight of Celestia’s presence battered against the fragile unicorn. The light scorched her skin darkening her complexion to match her new surrounding. Celestia’s power choking out free will and paralyzing Trixie as she scream in pain. The volcano spewed, burning ash into the sky blotting out the scorching sun as its roar consumed the mountain.

Then the lava started to flow, like snakes, the burning earth hissed, scorching all life in its path into ash. Sulfur filled the air, toxic clouds from deep within the earth sprayed up from the cracking surface.

Trixie’s nostrils burned, the toxic air filled her lungs. Incapable of moving she lay there helpless, paralyzed as the hissing lava slowly crept down the mountain side. She saw the lava approaching, but even through the ash covered sky Celestia’s presence dominated her will.

A scorched tree instantly turned to ash as the lava teased its base, its water bursting violently into flames, in a cascade of yellow and red radiating from the figure. Trixie’s eyes went wide as the tree fell, its top exploding into flames upon reaching the hell below.

Every fiber in Trixie’s body yelled at the mare, “RUN!, ESCAPE!,” but nothing happened the unicorn just quivered in the sand, drool escaping her open mouth as her lungs gasped for air. The burning light felt like a warm blanket in comparison to the molten earth which dried her skin as the liquid-earth seeped closer, nearing the unicorn, only feet away.

The sky went dark, the ash in the sky turning from a light gray to a dark black. Trixie fought to desperately to regain control of her body, the molten tricycling closer by the second.

Suddenly, a surge of lava cascaded over the creeping molten-earth, crashing into a nearby puddle splashing molten lava flakes across Trixie’s back. The unicorn screeched in pain as the limp pony burst into life darting away from another approaching wave of lava. She ran to a nearby outcropping on the rocky mountain which would be safe from the lava, for now atleast.

The Unicorn coughed up a wave of blood, cursing as her lungs breathed in more toxic fumes.

“This is no normal dream,” a wave of pain caressing her scorched back as she try to think. “I can’t take any more of this, this torture. . .” another spurt of blood coming up her throat. “How do I wake myself up she thought?”

“Jump,” the dark one said, its voice calm and cold.

“What?” Trixie, in disbelief at her own thoughts.

“Jump, that will wake you up. All you need to do is kill yourself, and you will wake up.”

“Then why didn’t I wake up when Luna blasted off my legs?” she rebutted the dark one.

“Because she was trying to obliterate your consciousness, not kill you,” a hint of frustrations in the entities voice. “Luna’s spell is nearly the same as this dream, it’s a chaotic tumor building inside your mind, and if you won’t die soon, your consciousness will shatter under the intense pain.”

Trixie not wanting to argue with herself pointlessly, couldn’t help but agree with the voice.

“So jump, every second you get closer to losing yourself,”

Trixie’s eyes glanced off the short drop, the distance to the bottom only fifteen feet.

“Remember, you need to kill yourself instantly,” The dark voice spoke with an encouraging tone.

Trixie gulped heavily, only to coughed up another cup of blood in response. “Who are you?” Trixie asked herself.

“I am Trixie of course, I am you,” the dark voice stated bluntly.

Trixie readied herself, preparing to dive head first into the flat rocks below.

The mountain erupted lava, spurting out of its opening splashing chaotically around Trixie. She dove under a rock for protection as a wave of burning rock cascaded from the sky.

“Now!” The dark voice roared in her ear, “go or we will be captured!”

Trixie, cringed as a burning rock smashed violently in front of her shelter. Trixie coughed up another wave of blood, prompting her to move.

Stedfast she rose, new determination rising from her imminent demise. Trixie bowed low preparing to sprint.

“AAAAHH!” The unicorn screamed as she ran out on the ledge and dove head first into the rocky flats below.

Every nerve in Trixie’s body instructed the mare to upright herself. To avoid her imminent death by landing on her hooves. Trixie resisted the natural urge, pointing her head toward the earth like a spear a hollow scream echoing from her descent.

“Crack!” the sound reverberated throughout the mare’s consciousness as everything went darker than black.

~~~

A loud scream echoed through canterlot, one of urgency and pain. Celestia was asleep in her royal bed when she heard the call. Rushing to the scene she was greeted by her sister, a pool of blood below her head, as the alicron struggled to breath.

Celesia looked over Luna’s body, a beads of sweat perspiration on her brow as she look at her sister, a pained expression plastered across her face.

“Come on Luna, I can’t do this alone, not again!” She yelled desperately off the balcony, tears forming in her eyes.

The alicorn sat there eyes dripping profusely as she watch Princess of the Night, her younger  sister, stop breathing. Celestia watched a moment longer, shock paralyzing her body.

“No! I won’t lose you again!” Celestia spoke sternly, determination gushing from her form.

The elder alicorn stood facing out over her kingdom, her brilliant white magic exploding outward enshrouding the tower as she searched for her sister. Failing to find Luna in ponyville, Celestia doubled the power of the spell lighting up all of canterlot with its glow. She searched everywhere expanding her reach over all of ponyville and into the Everfree Forest.

Celestia stopped the search calling back her magic as she found Luna. Her magic was weak, weaker than a sleeping earth pony, yet she was suspending her consciousness in space barely able to keep herself together.

Celestia called back her magic, she considered her options. She could fly, but that would be far too slow Luna had already stopped breathing. She could try and send Luna magic and guide her home, but the intensity if her magic would instantly kill anypony. Celestia bit her lip as her decision was made, for better or worse, Luna was worth the risk or killing a pony or two. Besides she was probably being attacked by something in the forest, non-pony and enemies.

Celestia quickly enchanted the air, forming an enchanted lense from the air to focus her magic to the point many miles away. The air condenses, forming into a thin visible cylinder in front of the alicorn.

Celestia rose, flying up to the correct focal length from the lense, she flared her magic infusing the spell with part of her consciousness. The bright light which followed consuming the tower, as a beam of pristine light shot out over Equestia into the Everfree Forest on the horizon.

Celestia hovered there several minutes straining her body to maintain the immense magical output required to reach the Everfree Forest. A tear formed on her eye as she consider the possibility that she wasn’t doing anything, and that Luna had already moved on.

“No, I want her back,” her mind repealed the command to stop. “Even if there is no chance, I must keep trying!” Celestia’s thoughts fell wayside to focus on the spell at hand, increasing its power slightly.

A minute later a small mote of ethereal cloud shot through the air, finding its body, the dark wisp dove into Luna’s pale complexion.

Celestia fell from the sky falling down to the balcony where luna sat, exhausted she began to cast another spell, a healing spell which would put occasionally shock Luna while putting oxygen back into the blood. The painstaking spell required intense magical power as well as concentration, Celestia had neither in reserve.

A moment later Luna awake gasping for air as she cough up the remaining blood in her lungs.

“Tia?” Luna said, her voice somewhat imitating a drunk pony.

“Luna,” Celestia spoke the her name, a stream of tears trickling down her face. Celestia dove at her sister hugging her profusely.

“Don’t ever do that again!” she spoke sternly but hugged her partially conscious sister tightly.

“I prohibit you from ever visiting a pony’s dream when not at full strength, ok?”

The dazed Luna tried to remember what had happened, “ok,” Luna said in a delirious tone, “but does this mean We are going on vacation again?”

“We?” Celestia asked apprehensively, “Well, I am sure I can work somthing out, how does a week in Vanhoover sound?” She said trying to improve the mood of the scene.

“That sounds great, but first, our stomach is famished. Can you wake up the cook, we could really go for a large salad right about now.”

Celestia giggled at her sister, “Sure thing, that sounds like a wonderful idea, its been quite some time since I last used that much magic.” Celestia said, leaving for the cook’s quarters down the hall.

Luna sat there confused and bewildered, what had just happened? How could she loss to a single unicorn, much less a young one at that?

Celestia returned, interrupting her train of thought as she held up two large salads procured from the kitchen.

“I bought croutons,” Celestia smiled at her sister.

After a few minutes of both Celestia and Luna shoveling down their salads, Celestia interrupted the silence.

“So what happened?” Celestia asked kindly, “I sent you to ponyville, how did you end up in the Everfree Forest?”

Embarrassed to talk about how Ponyville was attacked by and ursa minor while she should have been on watch, and how a young unicorn was almost responsible for her death, Luna decided to abridge the tale with some minor details modified.

“Well, Ponyville was attacked, when I went to investigate I followed the perpetrator into the Everfree Forest. After which I entered her mind, to find myself trapped and without any significant amount of magic left within my ethereal cloud, I assume based on the numbness we feel in our legs my consciousness lost connection to my body.” She paused for a moment, her heart still aching from the lance which pierced her body.

“Then we followed your light back here,” she finished, popping a cucumber into her mouth.

“I see, who was the perpetrator?” Celestia asked, as she munched on the remainder of her salad.

“A strong unicorn, she was a graduate from your school.” Luna replied, slightly pained to admit her defeat. “But, judging from the smoke cloud rising from the Everfree Forest we don’t think she would have made it, she was asleep when your spell hit.”

A sad expression came over Celestia as her fears were confirmed, she had most likely destroyed the enemy, killing the unicorn almost instantly.

“Did she tell you her name?” Celestia asked, wanting to send a letter to any relatives with her personal condolences.

“She called herself, Trixie Lulamoon.” Luna said softly, a wave of fatigue overtaking the alicorn as Luna struggled to keep her eyes open.

“Well Tia,”-Luna said, a yawn interrupting her speech- “Thankss for teh foo, we are ecsause. . .” Luna didn’t even finish her sentence before she was passed out on the table, soft snores following her abrupt departure into her dreams.

Celestia smiled at Luna as she slept peacefully on the table. After finishing her salad, she lifted her sister into her blue-velvet bed.

“ohh Luna, what would I do without you?” Celestia asked herself, smiling at her sister’s calm expression as she lay asleep in her royal bed.

After thanking the chef for midnight snack, Celestia instructed the guard to wake her a half an hour early to lower the moon. Celestia lay in bed, thoughts pervading her usually calm mind.

“Trixie Lulamoon, I wonder who she was?” Celestia asked herself before falling into a deep sleep.